Kaieteur News

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February 12, 2013 - Vol. 6 No. 07 - Price $80

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

Court action could halt Marriott funding - Motion filed to have NICIL pay over US$25 million to Consolidated Fund

What a way to celebrate your birthday

Delta Airline to Chronically ill sugar Cop gets 31 scrap its services workers denied NIS years for in Guyana benefits, forced to work 2007 killing

MPs want govt. engineers to repay Overpayments to contractors…

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Robbery real motive behind pit bull attack - victim Businesswoman, Amanda Kyte of lot 33 James Street, Albouystown has refuted allegations made in a recent article captioned “Albouystown residents in fear of “Killer pit bull” which was published Monday.

According to the distraught woman, on Friday last, some time after 16:00hrs a police patrol vehicle visited her business establishment “Amanda’s Pride and Grocery,” and from there the police decided to visit the Allicock family in Albouystown.

“When the car drive off from where the Allicock family was, two persons come over to my shop saying that we were police cochore. One was White Boy and the other was Ruku. They started pelting down my shop with bricks and bottles. I then closed the shop and went to Ruimveldt Police Station and the police said they would send someone to investigate,” she said The woman said that the same day, after 22:00hrs, five men visited her shop. Miss Kyte said she was threatened that she would be robbed. The men then began lashing the padlocks on her shop which resulted in her calling the police once more. Nobody was arrested the same night.

She added that on Saturday morning, about 9:30 hrs she opened the business and five men approached her shop. She said that they were armed with four cutlasses and a handgun. Two of the men then entered her shop while the others jumped into the yard.

“The men are known in the area as Buck, Channa, Orlando, and Kevin they are part of the Allicock family.

And there was another named Terrence.”

She said that after the lone gunman grabbed her by the breast and placed a gun to her neck, she explained that she shouted for her brother, Dwayne Kyte, who rushed down and a scuffled ensued causing him to receive a chop on his right hand during the process.

“After Channa chopped my brother, they grabbed my bag and left. I realized later that my husband, Colin Hooper, was chopped on his fingers, shin bone and behind his neck. They say they want to take off his neck!” Colin Hooper is presently in police custody.

“In the yard a guy name Pollydore who owns the pit bull dog was feeding the dog, and after they run in the yard that is how the dog end up

The pit bull that Kevin Allicock reportedly chopped

The pit bull that Kevin Allicock reportedly chopped

biting up Kevin Allicock who was one of the five robbers, and he chopped the dog in retaliation.”

She then carried her husband and brother to the Ruimveldt Police Station after the chopping.

Miss Kyte further said the police sent them to the hospital and requested that they return.

“I carried them to the hospital and an x-ray was taken at a private hospital, my brother was given emergency surgery along with other costs that run the bill to over $400,000. My brother was discharged yesterday and my husband was taken into police custody.”

Miss Kyte said that “Ruku, Channa and Terrence”

are in police custody also while the other two are yet to be apprehended.

She declared that all said in the previous article relating to her husband Colin Hooper was a lie. “They are claiming that just like how they killed others they will kill we.”

“These men don’t work anywhere; they don’t have a source of income.

They rob people and kill people; they always boast that they can go into jail and they have nothing to lose.”

DO YOU KNOW THAT JAGDEO’S BEST FRIEND IS THE ONLY PERSON IN GUYANA TO OWN THREE MEDIA HOUSES ...

Radio, Television and Newspaper?

Dr. Bobby Ramroop

1) Channel 28 now TVG 28 2) A radio station - 89.5FM 3) Guyana Times newspaper

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Chronically ill sugar workers US removes PPP website denied NIS benefits, forced to work - colleagues threaten to down tools

Following a complaint filed with the US federal government, “Blue Host.com” and Blue Host, Inc., of Provo, Utah - the domain registrar and host of PPP website “Newguymedia.com” by Rickford Burke, President of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID), that website was pulled down yesterday.

Blue Host said that the website violated policy and potentially violated US federal law. Blue host had previously given Newguymedia.com 48 hours to remove any and all infringements and references to Mr. Burke.

In notifying Burke of this action, officials of Blue Host Legal Department wrote, “We have contacted the owner and have requested the violation be removed, or we would have removed the offending website.”

The actions stem from Newguymedia.com, publishing false and slanderous allegations about Burke.

The site is also alleged to have at some point published and or disseminated altered court documents and/or information, potentially a criminal violation of the law. Burke has sued the owner of the site Clinton Dubissette, of Brooklyn, New York for libel.

CGID’s communications director Jevon Suralie in a statement, yesterday blasted Guyana’s ruling PPP government. “Officials of Guyana’s ruling PPP government operate above the law with arrogance and impunity.”

He added, “This is the United States and no one is above the law. This is a democracy in which the rule of law is supreme to all other interests and ambitions.”

Suralie accused Kwame McCoy, Information Liaison to Guyana’s President Donald Ramotar, of disseminating the story to State and PPPfriendly media.

Residents of St. Cuthbert’s Mission, a location in the upper reaches of the Mahaica River, are appealing to Central Government to carry out a regular maintenance programme on the 12-mile fair weather road leading to the village from the Soesdyke/Linden highway.

A spokesman said that Central Government built the road on an existing trail in 2009 much to the relief of residents but there had not been any regular programme of maintenance since then.

“They did some work on

the road for Amerindian Heritage Month but a regular programme of maintenance is necessary because it is a fair weather road and the condition deteriorates especially after the rainy season, “the resident said.

He added that the road is a critical link for residents of the Mission who wish to get to Georgetown and or Linden in an expeditious manner. Its deterioration through lack of regular repairs and maintenance is always a source of worry, he said.

The Mission is also mulling tourism as an economic

activity and the road will be very important in support of this.

“What we would like is some maintenance, perhaps once every three months.

Our village council has a small grader and tractor and once the heavy work is done by Central Government we can take over and keep the road in reasonable shape,” the spokesman said. St. Cuthbert’s Mission is located 65 miles up the Mahaica River.

The 12-mile road from the Soesdyke/Linden highway makes a trip to Georgetown possibly in about two hours.

‘Maintain our access road’ - St Cuthbert’s Mission residents

The four sugar workers who are unable to work Sugar harvesters on the East Coast Demerara estates are threatening industrial action if the plights of four of their colleagues are not addressed. The four are suffering from different medical ailments that have rendered them unable to work; and to compound their plight, their applications for sickness benefits from the National Insurance Scheme are being ignored.

They are claiming that despite their obvious medical incapacity, the medical doctor attached to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) is insisting that they are fit to work and are therefore not entitled to sickness benefits.

One of the workers, Muneshwar Rai, who worked in the re-cleaning gang in the sugar industry for 28 years, suffered a stroke three years ago just after going home from his arduous tasks in the canefield. Since then he has been unable to earn a weekly wage to support his family.

A visit to the GuySuCo doctor did not make things

easier for him.

“Dem say me fit fuh wuk but me can’t wuk. Me wife gat fuh wuk and mind me. Me can’t even walk properly,” he lamented.

Another worker, Huckumchand is an epileptic, who has been working with GuySuCo since 1977. On several occasions he collapsed in the canefield, the most recent occurring on Thursday last.

He had applied for early retirement, but according to him, this was denied by the GuySuCo management.

“Dis man nearly drown in a canal. If he de drown in de canal dey woulda say he can’t swim,” a colleague of his told Kaieteur News.

Richard Bissoon is a diabetic and has been an employee of the sugar company since 1996.

He was diagnosed with the chronic ailment last November. He began receiving treatment from the GUYSUCO medical personnel. But his condition continued to worsen until the

An apology On February 4, 2012, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly held its weekly meeting examining the accounts of Region Four as contained in the Auditor General’s Report of 2010 and 2011.

In the Kaieteur News report on the following day, it was reported that one of three vehicles used to illegally uplift fuel from GuyOil in December 2011, was linked to the then Deputy Regional Executive Officer, Ashford

Ambedkar.

However, the PAC is contending that such a disclosure was not made during the meeting.

Rather what was said was that Mr. Ambedkar’s purported signature appeared on a number of documents authorizing the fuel to be collected. He reportedly denied the signatures were his.

As such, Kaieteur News unreservedly apologise to Mr. Ambedkar for any inconvenience this slip may have caused.

medical personnel had no other choice but to send him on 70 days sick leave.

After the period of leave expired, Bissoon tried to resume work on the sugar estate but fell ill again.

He is now contemplating what will become of his wife and family, since he has not received a cent from the National Insurance Scheme for the three months that he was unable to work.

“They (GuySuCo) tell me dat dem hold up all me claim at NIS,” a bewildered Bissoon told Kaieteur News.

Sukhram Persaud, who has been a workers’ representative since 2010, said that if the matters are not resolved in an amicable manner, industrial action will be pursued.

“If dem can’t get nothing resolve, me nah believe dat Non Pareil eight gun resume work.”

He said that he spoke to Government and Guysuco officials including Attorney General, Anil Nandlall; Minister within the Agriculture Ministry, Ali Baksh and Paul Bhim at a meeting in Enterprise a few weeks ago and highlighted all the problems to them.

According to him the matters still remain unresolved.

“If Dr Khan can’t move, dem nah gun get sugar. Dem want 12,385 ton sugar fuh dis crop….but if dem can’t look after me people, me nah prepare fuh give alyuh me labour,” Persaud declared.

“Every single week me ah wuk; if me wuk half day, NIS ah charge me. So why should I wait three months fuh get money from dem? Wha dis man pickney gun eat, brick?” he questioned.

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Kaieteur News

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

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

EDITORIAL

How foolish can people get?

The halcyon days of local engineering seem to have passed. There was a time when Guyanese could have fashioned almost anything. They were the people who used their ingenuity to keep the sugar industry running to the extent that they were in demand by other sugar producing countries.

The structures to safeguard the coastal areas were largely fashioned by Guyanese engineers. They too constructed the sluices that regulated water in the Lamaha Conservancy; kept the aging turbines at the now Guyana Power and Light running and they came up with solutions to construction problems that arose from time to time.

They built the Demerara Harbor Bridge and the little known Denham Suspension Bridge, also known as the Garraway Stream Bridge that spans the Potaro. For the records, this is the only suspension bridge in the region. Of course there was one civil engineer and general contractor, John Aldi, who fashioned the bridge but the labour and the other technical aspects were done by Guyanese. It remains a masterpiece to this day, unseen by most of Guyana but holds the record as the first suspension bridge in South America.

The government now says that such skills are about non-existent or if they are around, are invisible. Qualified people did leave Guyana for one reason or the other. Some left because of the politics of Forbes Burnham, some because they thought that they were not being properly remunerated by the current administration, and some because they disliked the current administration.

Being in place for twenty years one would have expected the administration would have focused on replacing those engineers and other skilled people. There should have been a focus on technical education. Instead, the government is content to sit back and merely report that Guyana has lost its skilled capability.

During the 1950s Guyana and Singapore were identical in the level of poverty. Their rural folk lived in thatched houses and transportation was limited to the few decrepit trucks and buses that were no more than wooden frames.

They both had ethnic differences but one handled the situation better than the other. Another difference was that Guyana had natural resources while Singapore had none.

Today Singapore is a first world nation and Guyana continues to languish among the poverty stricken nations of the world. And the reason is simple. Indeed, the country began a serious focus on education, but more, it recognized the need for skills. When Singapore pursued development it approached international companies.

It offered them the right to enter the country to undertake projects. There were specific timeframes and conditions.

One of the conditions for all technologically inclined companies was that for every two foreigner there should be one Singaporean in the management stream. It was the same with the labour force. In this way Singapore developed the skills it needed. More than five decades have passed; the Guyana Government has been in place for two decades but it has learnt nothing from the experiences of those who succeeded in changing their economic fortunes.

A Chinese construction company, Shanghai Construction Group, is in Guyana to construct the Marriott hotel. Head of the Privatisation Unit, Winston Brassington, explains the non-employment of Guyanese by way of claiming that the Chinese contractor so dictated.

The excuse is that there is the need to quicken the pace of construction (Guyanese would hamper the progress); Guyanese are not skilled enough (but they have constructed almost every edifice in the country) and they cost the project to be more expensive. This is perhaps the greatest bit of poppycock in the history of Guyana. What is worse is that Brassington actually boasts that the project is US$9 million cheaper. He may wish to be reminded that it would cost much more than US$9 million to train some of the skilled people. Guyana has saved nothing. If the Marriott is a private project, then the savings could be going to the investors, one of whom must be Brassington.

To prevent Guyanese from working in an area where they could learn a lot is a disgrace. But we have the gumption to tell the people that we simply do not have the skills.

Tuesday February 12, 2013

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

Borrowing to steal - A mountain of debt and little to show for it DEAR EDITOR, This is a matter of national importance that Guyanese must turn their attention to, for it will have significant implications for our future generations.

When the PNC left office, the national debt was a staggering US$2.1 billion. At the then exchange rate of G$126, the debt was equivalent to G$263,086M. As of March 31, 2012, the total public debt was US$1.743B or at G$355,580M an exchange rate of G$204 to US$1.

If as Kaieteur News reports, Guyana earned a roughly 75% write-off of the PNC US$2.1 billion debt, then the PPP got write-offs of US$1.575 billion and was left with US $525 million in debt from the PNC. With the debt as of March 2012 at US$1.743 billion, it means the PPP has to March 31, 2012 borrowed US$1.218 billion in 20 years.

Now, the PNC borrowed only around US$1 billion in its 28 years in power. Interest and other penalties accounted for a significant portion of the PNC’s US$2.1 billion debt when it left office, because the PNC was an atrocious and inept financial manager which failed to pay its bills.

Comparing what the PNC did with its US$1 billion borrowed to the PPP’s US$1.218 billion borrowed to date is easy, because both parties focused heavily on spending on major projects and infrastructure.

I know it will cause great consternation to PPP

supporters, but the PNC from 1964 to the mid-1970s outclassed the PPP in infrastructural works.

The PNC built much of this country’s infrastructure from the ground up during this period using borrowed money. Much of the nation’s major highways, schools, hospitals, bridges, the MMA, sea defence, etc., were built or substantially upgraded during that period.

The PNC also lost at least US$300 million on the failed Upper Mazaruni hydro project. That is where a lot of the PNC’s debt went. The PPP has borrowed US$1.218 billion in 20 years and what does it have to show for it? It has not built any major new

infrastructure entirely, except the Skeldon sugar factory where it spent US$181 million and the stadium. The Berbice Bridge was privately built.

How does a government that built little of infrastructural significance from the start and that has spent its time fixing and patching up infrastructure built by others, borrow US$1 billion in 20 years, when that same government collected the most revenues, VAT and taxes ever collected in Guyana’s history and has benefited from a much improved economy than under the PNC? Patching and fixing is cheaper than building from the start.

Why does a government

in this position have to take on so much debt and have nothing to show for it?

Because it is to steal…Or in Guyanese parlance, “to thief.”

The PNC did a lot of stealing, but it cannot compare to the scale of the PPP’s larceny. The stealing under the PNC was mostly from the revenues it generated. Most of the PNC’s spending of its debt during its first decade in office was actually money fairly well spent. By contrast, the stealing under the PPP has come heavily from both sources. The PPP already collects a lot of money from the Guyanese people. Tax revenue alone was US$600 (Continued on page 6)

Come on Guyana...do you need this hotel so badly?

DEAR EDITOR, I am writing to you from Ireland. I have Guyanese friends and I like to learn about other cultures, so I’ve been reading Kaieteur News online.

I was amazed by the article on the construction of the Marriott Hotel. I simply cannot believe that no Guyanese will be employed until the project is nearly complete. The excuse about language barriers and lack of skills sounds spurious to me.

I realise I am far from the scene and not familiar with conditions on the ground, but I can just imagine if a foreign company was to launch any kind of operation here in Ireland, our people would take to the streets in a mass protest if that company planned to practice such discrimination in their hiring policy. It is simply unacceptable in a free society.

I hope your people raise their voices loudly in protest. Especially the youth.

Does anybody really believe that there are no Guyanese qualified to work on a construction project?

I can tell you that it was Irish labour which built most of the major highways and construction projects in England in the 20th Century and I would bet money that few of them were great scholars.

They knew how to use their hands and put their backs into hard labour. Are there no Guyanese with these qualifications?

If anyone tells me the answer to that question is ‘yes’ then I would say to such a person: “I don’t believe you.”

Come on Guyana...do you need this hotel so badly that you are prepared to stand idly by, while your basic civil right to a lack of discrimination in hiring, is being denied?

I don’t think so. I hope I am right.

Frankie Connolly, Belfast

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

Presidents are not above the law DEAR EDITOR, According to Guyana’s fraudulent constitution, the President cannot be taken to court and his actions cannot be inquired into. That is malarkey and a foolish, narrow interpretation of any nation’s constitution that would be rejected in the U.S. Even the American President can be challenged in court and the American Supreme Court did rule against the president on several occasions.

Bill Clinton had to face the court. Nixon was taken to court and the court ruled against him. A constitution has to be flexible to meet the changing times and a President can be taken to court.

If a President violates the law, shouldn’t he be taken to court and prosecuted? A court’s ruling in Trinidad has rendered the absolute power of a President as a myth.

Presidents can be taken to court even if the constitution says their actions cannot be questioned.

The President in Trinidad was taken to court over a year ago for revoking an official’s appointment. The Judge

ruled against the President.

The judge ruled that the President cannot fire people without due process. In terminating an official appointment without due process, the President violated the person’s right to natural justice. In so doing, the ruling reinforces a principle that a President is not above the law and that his actions can be challenged in court, even if the constitution states he is not answerable in court as stated in the Burnham constitution. A person’s individual rights and natural rights supersede that of a President or a government.

The case involved President Maxwell Richards revoking the appointment of Nizam Mohammed as Chair of the Police Service Commission. In his then capacity as Chairman, Mohammed queried the unacceptable demography of the hierarchical positions of the Police Service Commission, saying Indians were discriminated against, and announced that the PSC would bring ethnic balance in the police service. It led to a storm of political complaints, triggering the President’s

revocation of Mohammed’s appointment as Chair.

The High Court ruled that Mohammed’s right was violated. He was fired without being given a hearing. The President was supposed to be an impartial adjudicator, but failed to give Mohammed a hearing. It was an abuse of process, said the court.

The president did not convene a tribunal to investigate the complaint against Mohammed. The President simply acted out of public and governmental pressure. Such an action is no different from an accused being rendered guilty without a trial or because of public opinion.

So the judge’s ruling overturning Mohammed’s dismissal from his Chairman post is a correct one in law.

Unfortunately, the judge’s ruling cannot be enforced and as such would have no effect on the appointment, because someone else has replaced Mohammed as Chair of the PSC. A NACTA opinion survey was conducted on the President’s action. A large majority disagreed with the President’s action to revoke Mohammed, particularly (Continued on page 6)

CULTURE OF NEGLECT - A REFLECTION ON VIOLENCE DEAR EDITOR, It is with dread and consternation that I keep accessing Syeada Manbodh’s Facebook page. Syeada is the selfless, relentless advocate and rescuer of the suffering animals on the streets of Georgetown and its environs.

The photos she posts on her page are heart-wrenching and distressing, but I must keep looking, for it brings me face to face with reality - a reality that she lives with every day.

In its own stark, cruel way it brings me some comfort, because it means that Syeada has relieved another suffering animal’s anguish. It means that there will be less unwanted pups being born into this world of neglect and disregard.

It means that some innocent creature will find a loving home. It means there is some hope in a world so filled with violence and cruelty against man and animal.

Reflecting on the recent horrendous killing of the beautiful four-year-old child in Linden makes me contemplate the heinous, constant violence perpetrated by humans against animals, and Guyana has its fair share of that.

How can we even begin to address this abject violence in our culture? Maybe a good place to start is in the classroom, helping the children cultivate compassion and respect for animals and maybe that would help translate into compassion for fellow humans.

Now, I am not under the delusion that the classroom can change every human behaviour.

As a friend of mine so rightly said, there is so often an incompatibility between exposure at home and in school.

However, this battle for integrity must be waged somewhere and I say the classroom must be that ongoing front to even hope to make some progress on how young humans develop morally.

My concern is this culture of neglect that seems to pervade Guyanese society. Animals roam the streets, discarded, tormented, abused, wasting away, dying slowly and miserably, all before our eyes, and worst of all, before our children’s eyes.

I believe this helps with the desensitization and dehumanization that creep insidiously into society and perhaps contribute to the horrible violence as depicted in the recent savagery in Linden.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated,” so says Gandhi.

We will never have a utopian world free of violence, but we can at least help chip away at something that is harmful to the human soul.

Fara Scafuri Florida, USA

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 12, 2013

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

This Marriott Project is clouded with secrecy and controversies

DEAR EDITOR, I have read in the various print media of the outrageous statements made by head of the Privatisation Unit, Mr. Winston Brassington in defence of the hiring of Chinese workers instead of Guyanese workers for the Marriott Hotel Project.

Mr. Brassington has cited a language barrier and Guyanese workers do not have the skills for that type of construction.

It appears that Mr. Brassington is not living in Guyana or he is not a Guyanese, or he has no respect for the Guyanese workforce.

Guyanese construction workers are renowned for their expertise in Guyana, the Caribbean and North America.

The previous Prime Minister of Barbados Mr.

Owen Arthur publicly praised the Guyanese construction workers in his country. All the hotels, houses and large buildings in Guyana were built by Guyanese workers, some under the supervision of foreign professionals.

I cannot see why Mr. Brassington must ridicule the intelligence of the Guyanese nation by stating that Guyanese do not have the skills to work on the Marriott Hotel project. I smell a rat here, because this whole Marriott Project is clouded with secrecy and controversies.

On January 28, 2013, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported a similar situation in Canada. A Chinese company, HD Mining Company had to send back sixteen temporary Chinese foreign workers to China who had been hired to work on the company’s

Murray River Coal Project in Vancouver saying a highprofile court case has resulted in too much uncertainty to keep the workers in Canada.

Two labour groups, that is, trade unions, filed a court action challenging the work permits.

HD Mining has said it sought foreign workers because it was not able to find the skilled workers it needed in Canada.

The labour groups have challenged those claims, saying the company didn’t do enough to try to hire Canadian workers and advertised positions at lower than going rates.

The unions that brought the court case questioned the company’s decision to send the workers back to China, saying the move followed a court order that resulted

in HD Mining reluctantly agreeing to turn over résumés of Canadian workers who applied for, but didn’t get, jobs at the Murray River project.

“The B.C. Building Trades questions why HD Mining would decide to pull out of its B.C. coal mine project just days after we received the résumés of 300 Canadian workers who were rejected for jobs that were then filled by Chinese temporary foreign workers,” Brian Cochrane, business manager of IUOE Local 115 (one of the unions),

said in a statement.

HD Mining agreed to supply the résumés after a Federal Court judge ordered Ms. Finley, who has responsibility for Te m p o r a r y Foreign Wo r k e r s i n C a n a d a t o “further consider” her compliance with a court order to compel disclosure of documents - including résumés of Canadian workers - the unions had sought in court.

That case remains before the Federal Court.

In order to get work

permits in most countries, the employer has to satisfy the authorities that the skills are not available in the country and when the foreign worker arrives, he must train the local workers, that is, the skills must be transferred to the local workers, but in the Marriott Case, no skills would be transferred because there are no local employees.

Finally, trade unionism is a dying breed in Guyana and those that remain are like empty vessels, making the most noise.

Balwant Persaud

Borrowing to steal - A mountain of debt and little ...

From page 4 million in 2011 and it keeps growing. That is not even counting the earnings from exports. Why does this government need to borrow so heavily when proper fiscal management using internal resources could reduce the need to borrow so heavily?

Well, foreign loans offer the greatest avenues to steal.

The money is directly controlled by the cabal. The entire process is secretive. To date, there has not been

complete public disclosure on many of the deals secretly signed by the PPP. Money is easily siphoned off by creating false bureaucracies, all manner of side projects and dummy entities.

Foreign loans are often not scrutinized by the Auditor General and other internal auditing bodies.

Loans are controlled directly by the political directorate.

Kickbacks are easier to

acquire under these loans.

Borrowing heavily is also a symptom of failure.

The PPP is creating deficits in the economy with cronyism, nepotism and party paramountcy and it is trying to fill those holes by borrowing rather than by doing the right thing and practicing fiscal accountability with lean and clean government. The PPP is leading us down the road to economic destitution.

M. Maxwell

Presidents are not above...

From page 5 without the procedure being followed to revoke an appointment.

Since Mohammed cannot be restored to the post from which he was terminated, some kind of consolation should be offered, like financial compensation, as though he was still in the position.

In America, that would have been the ruling, and in fact, the person would have been ordered restored to the post. An apology would also

be appropriate.

I should note that in another case, a judge ruled that due process rules were also not followed in the Panday prosecution (for failure to declare his bank account). As the judge rightly ruled, Panday was not given due process by the Integrity Commission.

A tribunal was not established to judge him.

Instead, he was deliberately referred to the DPP’s Office for prosecution for political reasons. The Judge correctly

terminated the case against Panday, but the DPP is appealing.

The judge in the Nizam Mohammed case may have been influenced by the Panday ruling of having the tribunal first give Nizam a hearing. What the ruling suggests is that proper procedures in terminating people need to be followed and Presidents are not above the law and citizens should take them to court if their rights are violated.

Vishnu Bisram

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

U.S. Embassy and Marian Academy build recycling shed

Marian Academy Students working hard to help paint the shed.

The United States of America Embassy in Georgetown joined forces with students, staff, and parents from the Marian Academy to build a recycling shed at the school.

A press statement from the embassy said that from last December to this

month, the team of volunteers worked together to plan, build, and paint the shed, which will allow Marian’s environmental club to store plastic bottles in the shed instead of in the school.

The bottles are later collected by Netram and

Sons, and are chipped and shipped overseas for recycling.

This project is part of Guyana Shines, an initiative that encourages and mobilizes communities to maintain a clean environment to address the serious littering problem in Guyana.

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Berbice healthcare workers lauded at annual award ceremony

By Leon Suseran Last year, more than 92,707 persons were seen at the outpatient and Accident and Emergency (A&E) Clinics at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

There were 4,855 admissions; 194 persons seen at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU); 1,466 deliveries; 1,685 surgeries; 12, and 667 X-rays.

Some132, 000 lab tests were performed.

At the Mibikuri Hospital in Black Bush Polder, more than 13,700 patients were seen. There were 141 admissions. Over at the Port Mourant Hospital, 75,000 patients were seen. At the Skeldon Hospital, 52,000 patients accessed medical services; more than 10,519 lab tests were performed, and 4,119 X-rays were conducted.

Additionally, 181 persons accessed care at that hospital’s vision centre, while more than 700 persons were admitted and treated. A total of 19,011 persons received specialist consultations over the years at Skeldon Hospital.

And more than 32,000 vaccines have been administered by the health staff across the Berbice area.

These statistics were presented by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA), Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, MP Saturday evening at the BRHA’s 10TH Award Ceremony. Staff in the health sector in Berbice as well as supporters and wellwishers received accolades for their involvement and hard work in the sector in Region Six. It is the only region that hosts an award ceremony for health workers in the country.

The awards ceremony was held at a time when the BRHA has come under heavy criticism over the past week in terms of allegations of poor health service to the general public. The Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran did not attend the event.

Among the awardees were Ms Candy Archer, the People’s Choice Award winner; along with Nurse Brenda of Number 47 Health Centre, who won a $50,000 shopping spree at a

supermarket on the Corentyne.

The Best Health Centre Award went to Number 47 Village Health Centre winning $50,000 for the Health Centre; while Skeldon Health Centre copped second place.

Corporate entities such as Virendra Bhikai of Bhivar Computers and Roger Greenidge of Greenidge Refrigeration Services; CEO of Meditron Laboratories in GT, Andrew Debideen were honoured for their contribution to the health sector in Berbice in 2012.

Three blood donors were also honoured for their record- number donation of blood in 2012.

Three other individuals were also awarded prizes of a trip each for two to Lake Mainstay Resort. Regional Chairman of Region Six, David Armogan, also Board Chairman of BRHA received an accolade for his tenure and service, while CEO of Inspire Inc, Mr Yog Mahadeo received ‘The True Friend Award’ from BRHA. Psychiatrist Dr. Mayda Grajales took home the BRHA CEO Award for her work in that field at the NPH. While the Champion Worker of the health sector in Berbice for 2012 was awarded to Senior Health Visitor, Nurse Terry Davis, who won a trip for two to Kaieteur Falls.

With over 600 complaints in 2012, Dr. Mahadeo stated that 95 per cent of the complaints were resolved “in a very, very short time”, while the other five percent were sent to the Board to be resolved. “These complaints help us to see ourselves in the eyes of the clientele”.

Some staff members were disciplined but disciplined “in- house”.

Dr. Mahadeo praised the hardworking staff of the country’s only [National] Psychiatric Hospital, and its “lone- ranger” Psychiatrist, Dr Mayda Grajales, for “holding the fort 24 hours a day” with the help of a medex, nurses, patient- care assistant, nurse- aide and ancillary staff. He noted that the NPH has been providing services to the Skeldon

Hospital too.

Hundreds of diabetic patients have been seen across the region. The number of amputations, he said, has significantly decreased due to the hard work of the foot care staff. He also boasted that Berbice is the only region in Guyana that still sends blood to Georgetown, while not receiving much of it back for surgeries. He praised the hardworking Candy Archer and her staff at the N/A Blood Bank. Although the health care system had issues in 2012, and [there were] staff that needed reprimand, “the vast majority of over 700 workers [in Region 6] went beyond the call of duty to serve”.

He thanked the doctors, midwives, nurses, lab staff, pharmacy, admin staff, x-ray, and ancillary staff. “We cannot award everyone but most of them deserve an award”. Berbice was the only region, he stated, that has successfully implemented and used the tool called Package of Publicly Guaranteed Health Services in Guyana, has given the largest number of vaccine in the history of the region and has achieved 99.7 per cent coverage in 3 out of the 16 vaccines and 100 per cent in all the rest!

We are, by far, the leaders in administering the new (Human Papilloma Virus) HPV Vaccine and have seen over 21, 500 patients at the outpatient and A&E units”.

“We have problems— some of them are in our hands to control and deal with—and I can guarantee you…we will deal with these issues but I want to publicly say that there are some issues that are out of our hands”.

There is also an extensive home- based care service where by health care professionals take the services to more than 400 bed-ridden patients in Region Six. Geriatric Care Day at health centres will begin shortly. There will be medical outreaches to Topoo, New Forest, and Orealla, East Bank Berbice, “and we have decreased maternal deaths.”

This year the teams will travel village to village and will test diabetic persons.

“We will be checking their Body Mass Indexes (BMIs) and doing their blood sugar…and we will be getting a staff from the [National] Ophthalmology Hospital to check their eyes—3 teams will be set up from Crabwood Creek, Canje and Central Corentyne and this is happening at the end of this month!”

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

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FROM SURPRISE TO SHOCK The pace at which the Marriott Hotel project is proceeding is amazing. Never before in the history of Guyana has construction taken place at such an astonishing speed. Three floors of the structure are already up.

The rapidity with which the work has been completed has left even those in the local construction sector awestruck. There was even the comment that had Guyanese been undertaking the construction, the foundation would not yet have been completed.

The amazement at the speed of the construction has since given way to major disappointment and a brewing disfavour. Kaieteur News was again responsible for another spectacular discovery. If there was a Grammy Award for investigative journalism, this newspaper would win the award hands down.

This newspaper discovered that except for a security guard, no other Guyanese was employed on the project. The works being undertaken are being done exclusively by Chinese nationals who are working for the Chinese firm which secured the contract for the construction of the hotel.

Yet when this was touted, the government was clear to indicate that it would provide significant employment for Guyanese. We are now told the astonishing news that the contractor had negotiated certain

flexibilities because of concern over the availability of labor and skills so as to be able to complete the project on time.

One has to appreciate, to some extent, the need by foreign companies to recruit skills from overseas to undertake projects in Guyana. There are examples of certain skills not being available in Guyana, but when it comes to the construction sector it is disappointing and worrying to learn that not even a labourer, works supervisor or a quantity surveyor could have been found from Guyana to work on this hotel project.

Admittedly, there are firms that have had had to import labour in Guyana for tasks that are not highly skilled. The problem as many employers in the construction sector will explain, is that it is not easy to obtain a full quota of unskilled and semi-skilled workers in the construction sector.

Sometimes a contractor will have a pool of labourers and will obtain a good week’s work from them. Then after payday many of them do not turn out back to work until the third day of the new week. In other cases, new job offers will tempt them and they will leave you stranded.

This is how the market for unskilled and semi-skilled workers is in Guyana, and this is one of the main reasons why labour has to be imported from overseas.

While the concerns of the Chinese construction firm

Dem boys seh ...

Brazzy deny Delta share in de Marriott From de time dem boys hear that Brazzy and de rest of dem was building de Marriott dem know that scampishness been bout. Fuh one, Brazzy, Jagdeo and Ash Knee claim that dem didn’t have enough money fuh build de hotel but that dem gun build it anyhow.

When dem boys question dem all of dem claim how de hotel project is a big thing fuh Guyana and that nuff Guyanese gun get wuk. Dem sign a contract and everybody know that any savings is de contractor own but Brazzy claim how de saving is he own.

Then dem boys find out that when Guyanese go to look fuh wuk de Contractor tell dem, “Solly, no vacancy.” When de workers go to Brazzy he tell dem that dem can’t talk de language and that dem lazy but when de hotel done 200 of dem gun get wuk.

Well if at de start dem can’t get wuk, how dem gun get wuk at de end when Brazzy, he whole family and de Bees and dem family got to get de first preference?

De other day he claim how dem still ain’t get all de money fuh de hotel although dem done pay de contractor. Wheh de money come from only dem know. Dem boys know too. Is thiefing money. But Uncle Adam and de Waterfalls boss man prepare to help out, even if dem got to tek de investment and put it in dem pocket. De two gun invest $20 million because dem want a li’l piece of de action. Dem don’t want to lef everything to Brazzy and de King Bee and dem other Bees.

Delta want a piece of de action too. Of course, Brazzy and Ash Knee finding excuse why dem don’t want outsiders.

De excuse mek Delta get vex and decide to pull out of Guyana. De airplane people seh that dem ain’t getting enough money from de plane suh dem want to share in de wealth from de hotel.

And if nobody can’t share dem boys gun support de move fuh cut off de money that Brazzy pushing into de hotel. That is why de matter gone to court.

But before that dem boys gun lead a picketing exercise at de hotel. Talk half and wait duh de protest.

building the hotel are therefore understandable, the actions of the government are not. They should have insisted on the employment of a minimum number of nationals.

This is inexcusable. Even more deplorable is the fact that instead of the Chinese firm responding to the absence of Guyanese at the construction site, it is a government representative who is making the excuses and trying to explain why permission was granted for so much foreign labour.

This level of foreign labour is unacceptable. The hotel project has private partnerships and is predicted to become a white elephant.

This newspaper has gone as far as predicting that the hotel will have to be eventually liquidated and may well end up in the hands of the syndicated investors that have preferred shares.

So the only benefit that is

likely to be derived from this project will be the employment benefits. Now the shocking news has come that some US$50 M is being sunk into a project and not even a local shovel man can cash in on a piece by being employed on this project during the construction phase.

It is unacceptable that one of the largest investments in the country is totally excluding Guyanese labour.

The workers are from China and when they are finished they will go right back to China with the money they would have worked for. This is a grand betrayal by the government of Guyana and should be the basis for a motion of no confidence against the administration.

The problem we have is that the opposition in this country is not going to move for a motion of no- confidence against the administration

because it is not ready for elections. Instead of a motion of no- confidence, it is likely to pass some other motion about some insignificant development when the immediate concern should be about ensuring that both Guyanese sub contractors and workers are provided with employment.

The fact that the contract allowed the Chinese to recruit labour when the same labour is available locally is a terrible wrong that needs to be put right.

Language differences cannot be the excuse because all the contractor has to do is to sub contract aspects of the work to Guyanese firms and these Guyanese firms will undertake to build to the specifications desired utilizing locals.

What has happened with this project is unpardonable.

Heads must roll for this mistake and the situation must be rectified henceforth.

This project must benefit Guyanese in its major phase.

This phase is the construction phase. It is of no consolation in saying that the hotel when constructed will employ over 200 Guyanese when during the construction phase it could have employed hundreds of Guyanese, but that there were no jobs for locals except for a gateman.

It is like asking the Guyanese to pick up the crumbs after the project is finished. If as predicted by this newspaper, this project becomes a white elephant, it is not just the crumbs that are going to be picked up by Guyanese taxpayers but the entire tab for this undertaking.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 12, 2013

=== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ===

The Jagdeo era: Facts and statistics do not lie You can lie about facts and statistics but they in themselves do not lie. If the statistics in a bank say that over a five-year period the business made a billion dollars in profit, you can’t shout to the world that it was ten billion dollars. The bank’s annual statement and the central bank statistics will show it was a billion.

The fact is that the combined votes of the AFC and APNU in the 2011 general elections were more than the PPP. The PPP can lie about that fact but the fact will remain what it is.

Bharrat Jagdeo bowed out after twelve years in power.

Just before he rode off, he arranged a circus called Day of Appreciation at his Coliseum, the Providence Stadium. Prominent names offered pyrotechnical panegyrics. The list included Sir Shridath Ramphal; Al Creighton of UG; an aging engineering professor, Clement Sankat from UWI who is a pro-Indian supporter of Basdeo Panday in Trinidad; and cricketer, Lennox Cush among others.

Long after the sun had settled on the circus, statistics and facts emerged to place Mr. Jagdeo as the least achiever among Caribbean head of governments.

Topping the shock list was that in 2012, the priceless lifeline for a majority of Guyanese, the National Insurance Scheme had operated with a deficit. After twelve years in power, under Mr. Jagdeo, the NIS is now in boiling water. Hot water peels off your skin.

Think of the analogy.

Against this shocking fact, a lie emerged. Dr Roger Luncheon nicely announced that the NIS is healthy. Yes, you can lie about statistics but statistics do not lie. The annual general report of the NIS boldly stated it had a deficit last year.

Does the impending

disaster in the NIS make Jagdeo a failure? How can the answer not be yes? Hundreds of thousands of ordinary men and women depend on their NIS benefits. If those benefits dissolve, then there can only be mass misery.

How can a President that caused such a mess be considered a successful leader? On the shock list was more shocking items.

GUYSUCO is in vast debts.

Now here is where statistics cannot lie even if they want to. Guysuco has to publish its annual reports and if it lies about the statistics then the workers will say, “Thank you sir, for making a whopping

profit this year, please pay us our increase.”

Since Guysuco does not have money to pay because it didn’t make a profit, it has to show the workers the books to convince them that money isn’t there. This is an amusingly strong case where a liar wants to lie but cannot because the statistics are stopping him from being dishonest. Guysuco’s failures were known to the Guyanese people before the Day of Appreciation at Mr. Jagdeo’s Coliseum at Providence. But Jagdeo still got his appreciation from Ramphal, Creighton, Sankat , Cush and others. More statistics came out before and after the Day of Appreciation. The World Bank statistics in 2010 revealed that 84 percent of Guyanese with tertiary education migrate. In Jamaica in 2007, ninety percent of university graduates found jobs on the island (source; Sunday Gleaner, April 19, 2009 “Low-paying jobs for grads: UWI study shows modest earnings by degree holders,”

by Gareth Manning).

The Manning article is interesting. It shows that most UWI graduates stay in Jamaica. There was no Day of Appreciation for PJ Patterson when he voluntarily retired as PM of Jamaica. But Manning’s graduates stay in Jamaica. Jagdeo’s cut loose from Guyana as soon as they

Frederick Kissoon collect their certificates.

Now for the biggest infamy on the shock list. Our current foreign debt is slowly climbing to what it was in 1992 when it was a drowning pool. According to Adam Harris, the KN editor, at this time (Feb 2013), it should be around US$2 billion. Now all of this (not all, but almost all because Jagdeo had twelve years; Cheddi Jagan had four years, Janet Jagan had two and De Donald only got one so far) was accumulated under the Champion of the Earth. It would appear that Mr. Jagdeo is indeed a champion in that he is a real champion in borrowing money. Can we nickname him” Champion of the Debt?”

The West forgave the 1992 debt because it could have afforded to. Now, the very West is reeling in financial crises and will not be generous at all. So what was there to appreciate about the twelve years of the Jagdeo presidency? Statistics and facts do not lie. Mr. Jagdeo was a failure.

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Guyana’s malaria fight to zero-in on emerging threats – Health Minister Although the gains in the fight against malaria are noteworthy, the Ministry of Health has found the need to remain vigilant since according to Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran, reviews by his Ministry indicate that there is continuing cause for concern.

These concerns, according to him, are in fact well grounded, both in analysing the international situation as far as malaria is concerned as well as locally.

“The Ministry has taken an approach which says think globally, act locally,” informed the Minister.

This move, he said, is warranted in light of observations that there are certain emerging threats in the

health sector that demand close attention. Among these threats, he said, is the resistance of the malaria parasite to some of the newer available drugs in some parts of the world.

He emphasised the need for the local health sector to pay keen attention to what obtains in the international arena while at the same time, seek to tackle the disease from a local perspective.

The Minister’s remarks were forthcoming during a recent National Malaria Conference at the Princess International Hotel. The focus was on recalibrating the local response to the fight against malaria and emerging threats.

This undertaking, according to the Minister,

would require the sustained support of international organisations the likes of Global Fund and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).

Even as the Minister pointed to the need to implement new strategies with integrated support, he noted that the results of reviews done in terms of the malaria fight show that the returns of the collective effort of the Ministry of Health and its international partners are not as encouraging as they should be.

“It’s time to pause and take stock...we’ve been highlighting, speaking much about and being very proud of our achievements in rolling back malaria in the past few

Omai acquires stake in Eagle Mountain mining property

Omai Gold Mines has acquired a significant stake in Eagle Mountain Gold, in Region Eight.

Eagle Mountain Gold Corporation disclosed today that Omai Gold Mines Limited, a 95 per cent owned subsidiary of IAMGOLD Corp., has acquired 3,236,246 shares of the company, increasing its total ownership to 14.93 per cent.

The transaction follows the exercise of an option held

by Eagle Mountain to acquire from OGML the remaining 50 per cent interest in the advance-stage Eagle Mountain gold property in Guyana, which hosts a nearsurface gold deposit of 188,000 ounces indicated and 792,000 inferred gold ounces with considerable potential for expansion.

Omai was the company that had a large scale

goldmine in Region Seven before pulling out a few years ago.

According to Eagle Mountain yesterday, the closing of this transaction gives Eagle Mountain 100 per cent ownership of the property, and establishes IAMGOLD indirectly as the company’s largest shareholder. Eagle Mountain is located just off Mahdia, a main gold mining district in Region Eight.

“IAMGOLD’s increased ownership stake in our company, in conjunction with increasing our interest to 100% in the Eagle Mountain gold project, is a significant milestone,” said Yannis Tsitos, President and CEO of Eagle Mountain.

“This transaction is accretive to the company as we have acquired 50 per cent of the gold mineral resource for 10 per cent of the Company. IAMGOLD has been positioned as a strategic partner. Becoming our largest stakeholder demonstrates confidence in our team’s ability to develop the Eagle Mountain gold project.

“We welcome IAMGOLD’s valuable expertise and support, and look forward to continuing to strengthen the relationship between our two firms.”

The historic Omai gold mine, which produced over 3.7 million ounces of gold through 2005, is approximately 40 kilometres from Eagle Mountain.”

Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran years. We’ve decided at this time we need to take a pause because those gains might not have been advancing commensurate with the increased resources we have been putting into them in more recent years.”

Consequently, the Ministry of Health is actively working to recalibrate its response to the emerging challenges and dynamics which have outgrown previous efforts, Dr Ramsaran informed.

He noted that there has been an evident need for a national conversation which took the form of the recent conference. “What are the new challenges? How can you help us to identify them?

How can you help us to tweak or craft new responses with the input from grass root organisations which are umbrellas for the miners (and) for the loggers?” the Minister queried.

He said that some 85 per cent of the malaria cases in Guyana come from among the mining population, even as he sought to explain that “by that I don’t only mean the pork knockers...and the actual people who dig for the gold but other persons associated with the mining activities.”

Moreover, the Minister noted that there is a need to network with and forge synergies with the relevant organisations.

This, he said, is important since there is an urgent need to put malaria on the front burner of the national agenda through the fora such as national conversations.

Stressing the importance of effectively tackling malaria, Dr Ramsaran stated that it is not just another disease. He said that his Ministry had engaged moves to put on the National Agenda to start a national conversation that “is all embracing, multi-faceted, multi-dimensional.

“We want to put malaria and to justifiably recognise that it is not another disease...” In the quest to address the impact of the disease, he noted that there is need to recognise that it is not merely a disease that is being treated but rather patients with malaria through an integrated approach.

With the support of its partners, Dr Ramsaran said that there is need to identify the weaknesses of the malaria fight with the Health Ministry taking particular note of the PAHO Review Document.

What a way to celebrate your birthday Passersby and some residents of Mc Doom witnessed another senseless accident yesterday when a speeding drunk driver swerved from a pedestrian who was crossing the road and ended up crashing into a church fence turning his car turtle.

Luckily, the driver escaped unharmed.

When Kaieteur News arrived at the scene the driver who was said to have been celebrating his birthday yesterday had already been transported to the police station.

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Kaieteur News

Woman’s body found near East Bank Demerara koker Detectives and residents at the scene

The partly submerged body of a 44-yearold woman was found in a canal near Grove, East Bank Demerara around 08:15 hrs yesterday.

Indira Veerasammy, of Back Street, Grove, East Bank Demerara, was found floating facedown near a koker located close to the Demerara River. A fisherman and a youth, whose father is a koker attendant, made the discovery.

The victim was fully clothed and police do not appear to suspect foul play.

A koker attendant who lives nearby said that he checked the area around 23:00 hrs on Sunday but noticed nothing unusual. He said that one of his sons and a fisherman saw the body around 08:15 hours yesterday.

Kaieteur News was told that Veersammy, who has three children, was an alcoholic and

was in the habit of wandering in Grove and neighbouring communities. One of her sons also told Kaieteur News that his mother suffered from cirrhosis of the liver and some form of mental illness.

The woman is believed to have met her death some time Sunday night or early Monday. Residents speculated that Veersammy accidentally tumbled into the canal while trying to cross a narrow bridge.

However, the woman’s children and residents insisted that she never used that route.

According to one of the sons, Veersammy left home at around 19:00 hrs on Sunday “to go on the road.”

He said that his mother would sometimes stay overnight at her ex-husband, who lives in Diamond Housing Scheme.

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Cop gets 31 years for 2007 killing Tw e n t y - s i x - y e a r- o l d Kevin Waterman who was charged back in 2007 for the murder of his paramour, Eleanor Jones, was yesterday sentenced to 31 years in prison after a probation report on the accused indicated that he was madly in love with the deceased, and murdered her in a passionate rage.

Justice Navindra Singh, who handed down the sentence at the High Court, told Waterman that love, and his disapproval of the lifestyle of the now dead woman, would never justify the crime of murder.

The judge advised that if he couldn’t deal with it… he should have left.

The Judge expressed disappointment at the probation which focused on the alleged promiscuous lifestyle led by the deceased.

Last month, Waterman pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter when his case was called up.

A probation report was ordered upon request of the accused lawyer, George Thomas. Yesterday, that report was provided from an agent of the Probation office.

It said that the accused had expressed remorse for his actions. He admitted to the probation officer that indeed he had the gun on the night in question, but that it was an accident when it went off.

Most important, the officer said that the accused was suicidal.

The man had expressed disapproval at what was described as the promiscuous lifestyle of the deceased, especially with

prominent members of the community. The report said that Waterman had repeatedly pleaded to the deceased to change her ways, even seeking the intervention of family members and fellow work mates. The accused would even cut himself to plead with the deceased, but it was said that she paid him no mind. Other than that, the probation officer said that everyone she interviewed, spoke well of the accused.

Thomas expanded on some of the points the officer made but lingered on the remorsefulness of his client.

He said that Waterman was the victim of dire poverty and lack of love. He said the accused poured out his heart out to the deceased and he was met with promiscuity.

His client, he said, did not waste the court’s time and concluded his submission with a request for minimum sentencing. The prosecution however advocated for maximum punishment. Their general notion was that no matter the lifestyle of the deceased, the issue at hand was murder and no factor could justify the crime. State prosecutor Konyo Thompson especially asked the court not to forget that the deceased is not around to defend herself and the allegations being made against her.

Thompson also begged the court for a balanced judgment after asking that the ugly brush used to paint the deceased not be used in sentencing. She asked that Waterman’s sentencing be a deterrent to others before

Kevin Waterman charging that every bullet that was pumped into the deceased was meant for her.

The woman was shot once in the hand, two more times to the body, and another to the head. Waterman in his last statement to the court said that he knew that he could never return the life he had taken. He said he could never take away the grief and pain the victim’s family feel, but he apologized to the family and friends of himself and the deceased.

Before handing down his sentence, the court said that some of the factors leading to sentencing were that Waterman was a policeman at the time, his victim was a police officer and that an illegal gun was used, which showed pre-mediation.

Some of the mitigating factors were that the accused was 21-years at the time, that he was remorseful and the condition under which he was raised. The accused was advised by the court that he will eventually be released; that he will get out of jail, but his time afterward should be used meaningfully as he would still have a chance to make a significant contribution to society.

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Tuesday February 12, 2013

Delta Airline to scrap its services in Guyana Delta

High fuel cost is said to be one of the reasons why the United States-based carrier, Delta Airlines, has decided to halt its services to Guyana, a staff member at the airline’s local office confirmed yesterday.

Reports of the airline’s plans to suspend its services made headlines in the local news after customers who visited the company’s office to make reservations were turned down. They were informed that flights between

Guyana and New York will be suspended some time before May. Government officials as well as representatives from the United States-based carrier are very tight-lipped about the airline’s sudden decision to halt its services from Guyana’s market.

There are reports that officials from the airline have not officially notified the Government of Guyana about its decision to stop flying the New York/Georgetown route.

However, officials from the Tourism Ministry were said to be informed via sources late last week.

Kaieteur News was told that the Minister of Tourism, Irfaan Ali, after learning about the airline’s decision, called for an emergency meeting with the airline’s board members. It is unclear when the meeting would be held.

When Kaieteur News contacted the airline’s head office yesterday, the General Manager of the Corporate

Communications Latin America and Caribbean, Sarah M. Lora would only say “Delta Airlines has not confirmed flights for the JFKGEO route beyond May of 2013. As soon as we have a decision we will communicate the status of the flight.”

The Airline launched its non-stop service from New York to Guyana on June 1, 2008. The airline offers more than 478 weekly flights to 58 destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Court action could halt Marriott funding Motion filed to have NICIL pay over US $25 million to Consolidated Fund

The Marriott Hotel under construction A court action filed to force the government to transfer monies for its investment arm NICIL into the Consolidated Fund could, if approved, halt public funding of the Marriott project.

On Friday, Parliamentarian Desmond Trotman, through a team of high profile attorneys, filed a motion in the High Court seeking to compel NICIL and its Chief Executive Officer Winston Brassington to pay over into the Consolidated Fund, the US$25 million it received from the sale of shares in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, GT&T. The government had announced that the US$25 million has been paid into the accounts of NICIL. But in the said motion, Trotman is asking the court to recognize that under Article 217 of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, no money shall be withdrawn from any public fund other than the Consolidated Fund, unless the issuance of those Funds has been authorized by or under an Act of Parliament.

If the court so asserts, it would have a direct bearing on the current funding of the Marriott Hotel project. Under a company created by NICIL, some $2 billion has been paid over to a Chinese contractor to build the Marriott Hotel project, which would cost over US$50 million.

Trotman is claiming that NICIL is an agent of the state and collects large sums of monies on behalf of the state from the sale of state lands, other state assets and dividends from other government owned companies.

The government had $20

per cent shares in GT&T which it sold for US$30 million. While US$25 million has been paid over, US$5 million is outstanding.

Trotman argues that NICIL has a constitutional duty under the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act to “fully and promptly” pay into the Consolidated Fund all monies collected from the sale of Government property or assets.

He quotes Article 216 of the Constitution which states that “all revenues or other monies received by Guyana (not being revenues or other monies that are payable, by or under an Act of Parliament, into some fund established for any specific purpose or that may, by or under such an Act, be retained by the a u t h o r i t y t h a t r e c eived them for the purpose of defraying the expenses of that authority) shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund.”

The construction of the Marriott-branded hotel is so far being funded by Guyanese taxpayers and does not involve any local construction workers.

The government over the weekend said that it got a reduction of US$9 million in the bid price by Shanghai Construction Group under the condition that it could have control over whom it hires.

As such, the firm opted for a Chinese workforce.

The government had boasted that the project, which is costing some US$60 million, would create hundreds of jobs. Now the government is saying that the Guyanese jobs would come when the hotel is completed.

In late 2011, former

President Bharrat Jagdeo officially turned the sod for the construction of the hotel with the promise that the project will create hundreds of jobs in the construction phase, and beyond when it becomes operational.

The 160-room hotel and entertainment complex is expected by February 2014.

Despite pressure by opposition parliamentary parties and a Parliamentary motion to halt Government funding for the project, the government is stubbornly pushing ahead with the project.

The government is so far using tax dollars to fund the project. It has already handed over US$10million (G$2 billion) to SCG. Private investors are expected to contribute US$27 million.

The government has some special arrangement that guarantees the private investors that they would get their money if the project folds.

So, if in a scenario where the project fails and the value of the property depreciates to a value below what the investors have plugged, then the investors will get back their money, and there would be nothing to return to NICIL. Taxpayers’ dollars would go down the drain.

The government will participate in the project by way of equity, in the sum of US$4 million. This will be committed through NICIL, one of the investment arms of the government which holds its assets.

The equity contribution determines the government’s strength in Atlantic Hotels Incorporated – the company created to see the project through. As it stands, the

government is currently the sole shareholder in the company.

However, apart from the equity contribution, financing for the project would also come from “subordinate loan stocks” of US$15 million

invested by NICIL. Adding the US$2 million, NICIL will end up spending in development costs for the project, including design and other preliminary studies altogether, US$21 million.

So, in total, the amount of

money the government is pushing into the project is just about what it should cost in Guyana to complete the project, industry experts say.

The additional US$40 million remains a mystery to industry experts.

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CMO spearheading detailed probe into woman’s death at Berbice Hospital Spearheaded by Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, a detailed investigation into the death of 47-year-old, Tirtawattie Shoandeo, during a blackout in the operating theatre at the New Amsterdam Hospital, has been launched.

As part of the investigation Dr Persaud, along with Permanent Secretary of the Health Ministry, Mr Leslie Cadogan, visited the medical institution where efforts were made to talk with the various health officials involved in the operation.

He noted though that a review of the medical management of the case for the patient found that everything appeared to be quite in order in terms of the operation and the decision to undertake the operation at that facility.

The only evident concern, according to Dr

Persaud, is the fact that there were issues with some of the supporting services including electricity to the facility. “So we are looking at that and what were the lapses in terms of the automatic generator coming on when it should have.”

“Even for short periods of time the case was quite serious but even for short periods of time the contingency measures for the medical and nursing staff that had to be put in place, probably prolonged the surgery a little bit and kept her under anaesthesia a little longer,” mused Dr Persaud.

Nevertheless, he reiterated that the medical management was very much in order with the state of her condition.

He pointed to the fact that the Whim, Corentyne, Berbice resident was in fact in a very critical medical condition. “From the start it

was quite difficult and that is why initially she wasn’t transferred to the Georgetown (Public) Hospital. It was decided that transferring her would have been detrimental so the decision was made together with consultation with the GPHC doctors to have the surgery done down there,” informed Dr Persaud.

A post mortem examination done on the remains of the woman revealed that she died of septicaemia and perforated duodenal ulcer.

Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran, in an earlier interview with this publication insisted that since the patient did not die on the table it is “a bit precipitate” to say that the patient died because of the blackout.

“There are other cases when patients are on the table and there are blackouts and they do not die, but I do know

Blind Society CSEC programme benefits from GT&T

Students demonstrating the software to GT&T PROs Allison Parker and Nadia De Abreu in the presence of Chairman Cecil Morris and other members of the society.

The Guyana Society for the Blind’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) programme is now being provided with Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T)’s high speed DSL internet facility.

The telephone company gifted its internet service to the society on Friday.

The society, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education initiated the programme this year. The programme will allow for “at least” 14 visually impaired and physically challenged students to write the exams next year.

The CSEC syllabus is being taught electronically and this requires the internet connectivity.

This newspaper understands that the online programme will also facilitate other students in outlying regions writing the exams as well.

Cecil Morris, Chairman, Guyana Society for the Blind, extended heartiest gratitude to GT&T for coming onboard and assisting in this significant way.

He said this programme will change the lives of its members as many of them will be able to acquire jobs and

earn a monthly income.

Kaieteur News understands that the society approached GT&T for assistance to undertake a programme that allows it to offer its young members the opportunity to write various subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination level.

“GT&T feels this is a very meaningful programme and as such we are pleased to assist in making the institute realize its objectives with the provision of the free DSL service” said a representative of the company.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud that this patient was in a very critical condition which was confirmed by the post mortem and findings during surgery.”

He added that the surgeon, a well-trained Guyanese doctor, was

performing the operation with the support of his team when the blackout occurred just after 22:00 hours on January 20.

“And of course, the machines used in the surgery to keep the patient alive and well could not be operated, therefore the team continued to sustain her and support her breathing and other functions, manually.”

An instrument, called an ambu bag (manual resuscitator), could have been used by the surgeons, “which can be used in place of the mechanical device used to support them when there is electricity,” Minister Ramsaran explained.

He speculated that the doctor was using that, [and] “from all indications, the patient was sustained and surgery was completed.”

The Minister also noted that preliminary reports and

investigations have concluded that the patient was suffering from a serious internal condition “and that would have added to her burden of the disease, putting on a critical condition”.

Additionally, the preliminary indications found by a team which was immediately dispatched to the state-of-the-art hospital, the Minister said, showed that the automatic switch on the standby generator was non– functional, [and] “apparently, this had been so for some time and that is why I am convinced that something should have been done before to have it fixed.

“And we are looking into that to see how we can rectify the situation” said the Minister even as he stated that the generator is a fairly new piece of equipment. “We need to look at this [situation] as a management problem.”

Brazilian remanded for passport fraud A Brazilian miner was yesterday charged with fraud and conspiracy. Solimar De Costa, 51, whose local address is listed as 57 Robb Street, Georgetown, appeared before Magistrate Alan Wilson at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The allegation is that on February 5, at Ogle Airport East Coast Demerara, with intent to defraud De Costa uttered to police constable Nacifa Watson, a Republic of Brazil passport CX687536 in favour of himself with two false Guyana immigration entry stamps, purporting to show that these were issued by the Central Immigration Office, but knew that the said stamps were false.

The other allegation against De Costa, is that between November 16, 2012 and February 8, 2013 at Georgetown he conspired with a person or persons unknown to insert two false Guyana immigration entry stamps in his Republic of Brazil passport, purporting the same to show that they were issued by the Central Immigration Office.

De Costa was not required to plead to the indictable charges.

Attorney Paul Fung-a-Fat is representing the accused.

Fung-A-Fat, in his bail application, told the court that his client is not a flight risk, since he is attached to the Guyanese/Brazilian Miners’ Association. He claimed that his client has no previous antecedents.

Fung-a Fat further said that his client has heart problems and that if he is remanded to prison he will be unable to receive his medication. He said that his client is willing to post bail at any amount.

The defense attorney further stated that his client has been residing in Guyana for five years and he travels from Guyana to Brazil regularly.

He said that his client has always been granted a renewal of his passport and on the day in question the last entry stamp was found to be forged.

Fung-a-Fat told the court that De Costa wants to plead and to give evidence against the police. He said that the Miners’ Association finds the allegations against De Costa to be something happening regularly and they would like to put an end to it.

He said that De Costa’s work permit has been approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs and that he is willing to lodge his Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas (CPF) card.

Police prosecutor Kerry Bostwick objected to bail.

Bostwick is of the view that the defendant has no local ties and is therefore a flight risk. His objection is based on the nature of the allegation, whereby the accused allegedly conspired with persons.

“Not only one but two forged stamps were placed in the passport,” Bostwick stated.

The prosecutor asked that the court remand De Costa to jail. He added that the prosecution wishes to seek advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) concerning the matter.

The magistrate after listening to submissions from both sides refused to grant De Costa bail..

He asked that steps be taken for the accused to have his medications while in prison.

De Costa was remanded to prison until February 20, when he is expected to make his next court appearance.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Brazilian businesswoman Two hospitalized after minibus, truck collision found dead in Bartica house Police are questioning a Brazilian man about the suspected murder of his 35year-old wife, whose decomposing body was found in a house in Second Avenue, Bartica, on Sunday night.

Elisangela Da Silva Figueara, popularly known as ‘Lourde,’ was found in a room at her Lot 97 Second Avenue residence, where she had operated a communications centre, a guest house and a money transfer service to Brazil.

The victim was fully clothed but her bed was blood-soaked and her tongue was protruding, suggesting strangulation.

Neighbours told Kaieteur News that they last saw the Brazilian businesswoman alive on Thursday afternoon

when she was sweeping her yard.

Some time during the evening they also heard her arguing with another woman, whom they identified. The following day, neighbours reportedly observed that all the wind o w s a n d d o o r s

of the residence were shut.

O n Sunday evening, two Brazilian men who visited the residence regularly became suspicious after observing that the building was still shut.

After entering the yard and becoming aware of an unpleasant smell, the men forced open a bedroom window and saw Figueara’s decomposing corpse.

Ranks from the Bartica Police Station were immediately notified.

Yesterday, the woman’s reputed husband, 56- yearold Ivan Cury De Lara, arrived in Bartica and was taken into custody.

A post mortem examination is expected to be conducted today.

Figueara is survived by a 15-year-old son in Boa Vista, Brazil . ( Edward A Persaud )

Arguments will continue next week between lawyers for the opposition and the government when the Rohee ‘gag order’ court battle continues before Chief Justice Ian Chang. At yesterday’s hearing Senior Counsel Ashton Chase made several submissions to the court. There were brief exchanges between the two sides. The Chief Justice maintained his order, which states that Rohee could not address the House as Home Affairs Minister, but as a Member of Parliament.

Attorney General (AG) and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall moved to the High Court seeking to have Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman’s ruling prohibiting Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee from speaking

in the Parliament and referring him to the Committee of Privileges, declared “unlawful, unconstitutional, and without jurisdiction”.

Nandlall is contending in his affidavit that the Speaker, who is the second named respondent of the motion, has no power whatsoever under the standing orders, the laws of Guyana, or the Constitution to impose a prohibition on a member of the National Assembly from speaking or performing the functions which devolve upon that member, either as a member or as a Minister thereof.

According to Nandlall’s motion, the Speaker’s ruling is without any legal or factual base and therefore the Privileges Committee has no jurisdiction to deal with or determine any issue remitted to it.

The AG is also moving to have an order setting aside, vacating, quashing or rescinding the decision and or ruling of the Speaker as well as any decision arising from the Privileges Committee since the referral is without any legal base.

The joint opposition (the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC)) filed a no-confidence motion against Minister Rohee, and used their one-seat majority to pass it. They subsequently brought to the House another motion to prevent the Minister from speaking.

Their intention, which was disclosed at a public meeting on August 24 at Stabroek Market Square, is to suspend the Minister for a period of six months, if their no-confidence motion was not adhered to.

- husband held

Lorianne Gilgeous and Kevon Bobb being transferred to the city Several persons had to be rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex yesterday morning after the minibus in which they were travelling collided with a lumber truck in the vicinity of Loo Creek .

According to reports, the minibus BMM 9046 slammed into the side of the truck GMM 6471, which had turned off the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, near Beckles Sawmill.

Those injured and treated at the hospital were Dexter

Wagner, 35, of Coomacka mines; Christine Sampson, 32, of Redwood Crescent; Leroy King, 29, of Block 22; Kevon Bobb, 28, of Amelia’s Ward; Lorianne Gilgeous, 17, of Water Lily Road; Pamela Gaine, 57, of Blue Mountain; Marvix Willabus, 33, of Amelia’s Ward; and Ulric Gibbons, 29, of Blue Berry Hill, Ruel Ettiene, 29, of Coomacka, Dellon Samuels, who is also 29, of the same address and Aubrey Samuels, 59, also of Coomacka.

All of the injured were treated and sent home, with the exception of Lorianne Gilgeous and Kevon Bobb, who were transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Gilgeous suffered a fractured femur and Bobb, a fractured hip, informed sources claimed.

Both the driver of the minibus, Denard McNabb, and the truck driver, Vinny Hamilton, were detained by the police and are assisting with investigations

Elisangela Da Silva

Legal arguments continue in Rohee ‘gag order’

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 19

Bahamas government orders spending cuts NASSAU, Bahamas — The Bahamas government has ordered its various departments and agencies to cut 10 percent from their budgets in response to serious challenges facing public finances, The Nassau Guardian has confirmed.

“We think we can do the spending cuts without cutting back on essential services,” said Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis.

Halkitis said critical agencies like the police and the Department of Social Services won’t have to cut their budgets.

The government is expected to formally announce the spending cuts in its mid-year budget statement to be presented in the House of Assembly on February 20.

“The revenue is off a bit and we don’t want to overshoot,” Halkitis explained.

“We’re trying to bring down the $550 million deficit.

“A part of our problem is that we give so many concessions, not only to the hotels, but duty free concessions and other concessions.” The projected GFS deficit for 2012/2013 is $550 million or 6.5 percent of GDP, as revealed last May in the prime minister’s budget communication.

Government debt is forecast to stand at $4.6 billion or 54.5 percent of GDP at the end of the fiscal year.

Recurrent expenditure in 2012/2013 is projected at $1.82 billion.

Recurrent revenue for 2012/2013 was projected at $1.55 billion, up from $1.45 billion at the end of 2011/2012.

Various credit rating agencies and the International Monetary Fund have repeatedly pointed to concerns regarding the government’s fiscal position.

When it downgraded the

U.S. trains for mass migration in Caribbean security drill (Reuters) - A simulated wave of Caribbean migrants sailed to the Guantanamo naval base this week for a training drill designed to prepare U.S. troops and security agencies who might someday have to handle the real thing.

The exercise is held every two years to prepare for a potential mass migration brought on by political upheaval or natural disaster in the region.

More than 500 U.S. troops and government workers flew to the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in eastern Cuba for the drill, which started on Saturday and runs through Friday.

“It’s not related to any real-world event,” said Colonel Jane Crichton, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Army South unit based in San Antonio, Texas, which is participating in the drill.

The drill is taking place on the sparsely populated Leeward side of the base, which is bisected by Guantanamo Bay. Most of the base facilities are on the Windward side, including the detention center that holds 166 prisoners captured in antiterrorism operations.

The Guantanamo base housed more than 45,000 Cuban and Haitian refugees who were picked up at sea during the last mass migration in the Caribbean in the mid-

1990s. It also served as a logistics hub for U.S. ships and flights ferrying aid to Haiti after the catastrophic earthquake in January 2010.

But most of the personnel involved in those operations have moved on to other assignments.

“We rotate in and out of our jobs a lot,” Crichton said.

“We have a turnover of about every two to three years.”

Dubbed “Integrated Advance,” this week’s exercise is a chance for military and agency heads to set up a command post and practice working together as they would be required to do during a real humanitarian crisis. The Department of Homeland Security would take the lead.

Military and other government officials are participating from bases and offices in the United States but most of the action will take place on a sun-baked patch of land at the Guantanamo base.

In 2007, military contractors set up rows of cinderblock bathrooms and showers in the area, where tents would be erected to house migrants awaiting repatriation or resettlement.

Concertina wire, small satellite dishes and bright green tents dotted the area for this week’s drill. Some of the soldiers and sailors camped (Continued on page 21)

country’s credit rating in December, Moody’s cited limited growth prospects and weak recovery in tourism and construction; significant and rapid deterioration of the government’s balance sheet exacerbated by a low revenue base, and high and rising levels of debt and weakening of debt sustainability relative to other countries.

“The Bahamas has a limited revenue base and the government relies disproportionately on volatile

trade-related tax revenue and property taxes. One-time revenue inflows, the divestment of the Bahamas Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s Company and stamp duties on several large tourism projects financed by foreign investment, masked a decline in recurrent revenue in 2011, and will not be credit supportive going forward,” the agency said.

“We do not expect reforms necessary to increase recurrent revenues, most

importantly the introduction of a value-added tax and a modernization of the property tax system, to materialize before 2014/2015.”

Halkitis told The Nassau Guardian on Saturday that the government does not intend to raise taxes but will focus heavily on improving its tax administration system.

He said there are many areas where tax collection improvements can be made including at the Department of Road Traffic, the Post

Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis Office, the various ports and in the area of real property tax.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 12, 2013

‘Don’t ease up on corruption’ - US Military Official urges Jamaica Gov’t to deal decisively with scourge

General John Kelly The man entrusted by the United States (US) to monitor the gamut of its militaryrelated affairs in approximately 31 countries and 15 areas of special sovereignty in the Western Hemisphere is urging the

Portia Simpson Miller administration to be unyielding in its efforts to rid Jamaica of corruption.

Commander of the US South Command, General John Kelly, last week declared that the Government of Jamaica needs to move decisively to root out the “cancer” of corruption at all levels.

“You must purge the systems of corruption to the greatest degree possible, so that you can eliminate corruption,” Kelly told The Gleaner in an exclusive interview during his brief visit

to the island.

The military officer, who heads the body that is responsible for all US Department of Defence security contingency planning and operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, accepted that corruption is everywhere, including in his homeland.

“Corruption exists everywhere ... it exists in my country, it exists in your country,” he said.

“It is a cancer ... and we have various measures in place in the United States

both at the federal and state levels to ensure that police departments remain as free of corruption as humanly possible,” said Kelly.

On the 2012 Corruption Perception Index, published by Transparency International, the US is ranked at 19, while Jamaica is ranked at 83. Finland is ranked number one.

While stressing that Jamaica has tremendous professionals in both law enforcement and the Jamaica Defence Force, Kelly argued that the “cancer” must not be allowed to fester in the police, army or Government.

NO COMPROMISE He noted that similar measures exist in the US court system, as well as the country’s military to deal with

corruption.

“We have various practices in place that are aggressive in purging corruption ... if corruption is found, the state must find a way to prosecute.

“You can’t have a government that is corrupt,” said Kelly.

“I think any good government, and I know your government is committed to this, must go after corruption, wherever and whenever you can find it.”

Kelly’s comments come amid activities being undertaken by the National Integrity Action (NIA) to highlight and sensitise Jamaicans as to the Cost of Corruption.

Recently, the head of Sierra Leone’s Anti-

Corruption Commission (ACC), Joseph Kamara, was in Kingston as the guest of the NIA and the bearer of a best-practice success story from one of the world’s most challenged countries.

In pushing its anticorruption message, the NIA made use of the visit of Kamara who is the commissioner of the ACC of Sierra Leone, West Africa.

The organisation stated that the objective of his visit was to expose the Jamaican public to Sierra Leone’s experience in transforming that country’s anti-corruption institution to make it more effective.

The NIA has been proposing a single anticorruption agency with prosecutorial powers.

Five killed in Tobago crash (Trinidad Express) Five people were killed instantly in Tobago in a head-on collision along the Claude Noel Highway early Sunday.

The victims were identified as Alloy Duke, 49, of Cocrico Inn, Buccoo, Fernando Stewart, 36, of Providence Road, Mt Grace, Christion Stewart, 50, of Patience Hill, Nesta Hamilton, of Patience Hill, and Stevenson Winchester, 50, of Piccadilly Trace, Signal Hill.

The collision took place at Spring Garden in the vicinity of the Orange Hill Gas Station around 4.25 a.m., according to police investigators.

The fatalities have taken the road death toll to 20, according to an Express tally.

According to Scarborough Police Traffic Branch, Duke was driving a maroon Mazda 3 station

wagon east, along the Claude Noel Highway when he overtook a vehicle and collided head-on with a green Lancer driven by Stewart, a ward attendant at the Scarborough General Hospital.

Stewart was travelling west along the highway when the accident occurred.

Occupants of both vehicles died on the spot, police said.

Fire Service officials were called to use the “jaws of life” to remove the bodies from both vehicles.

The incident has marred 2013 Carnival celebrations in Tobago.

District Medical Officer Dr Mentor Melville and Dr Steve Ogbu visited the scene and ordered the bodies removed to the Scarborough Mortuary.

Family members and relatives remain shocked over the incident.

Cynthia Stewart-Osmond,

DEAD: Nesta Hamilton of Mason Hall, the sister of Christon Stewart and the aunt of Fernando Stewart, told the Express the situation was heartbreaking.

“Christon lived in Germany and was at the time visiting, as he was filing necessary documents for his passport.

He is also the father of one and was due to return on the 18th (of February) to Germany, to celebrate his son’s birthday,” she said.

The mother of Fernando Stewart said she is remaining strong at this time for the rest of the family.

Fernando and the other occupants of the car had only moments ago left a celebration at 12 tribes, Mason Hall.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Hugh Lovell, acting Senior Superintendent Garfield Moore, Sergeant Samuel Morrison and other officers visited the scene.

Sergeant Morrison is heading the investigations into the matter.

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 21

NCU scientist points to recognised solution for alumina dumps (Jamaica Observer) MANDEVILLE, Manchester — A geo-scientist at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) Dr Mark Harris has a tried and proven formula that could transform the island’s potentially harmful bauxite/ alumina red mud lakes into lush, tree-growing areas in less than two years.

His formula includes spreading a mixture of gypsum — a soft sulphate mineral quarried in relatively large quantities in the Port Royal Mountains of eastern Jamaica — and decomposable organic matter across red mud lakes.

His method would accelerate the process by which carbon dioxide is absorbed into the earth, thereby preparing the areas for plant life. Nature could do the process itself if the lakes were allowed to remain idle, Harris said, “but the process is a very slow one and could take decades”.

This comes at a time when the public is abuzz with news that waste from Jamaica’s bauxite/alumina processing operations could have high levels of valuable rare earth metals. The Portia Simpson Miller Administration recently announced a $3-million red mud pilot plant project, to be funded by Japanese company Nippon Lights Metals and the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI), to explore the potential.

When contacted last week, head of the JBI Dr Parris Lyew-Ayee said the the institute has been reclaiming inactive red mud lakes “for years” using mainly gypsum.

However, he did not say exactly when the process started and was tightlipped about which ponds were

The red mud lake northeast of Mandeville

Dr. Mark Harris

currently being treated.

“We did some ponds which are closed… I wouldn’t want to say which ones are being worked on now…

We’ve been getting very good results, but the work isn’t complete. There are still experiments to be done,” Lyew-Ayee told the Jamaica Observer Central.

He said a committee was formed five years ago to see to the reclamation of inactive red mud lakes.

The lake at Myersville in South East St Elizabeth, close to the Alpart plant at Nain, and another which serves the Windalco/Kirkvine operation, close to Mandeville have been inactive since 2009 when both plants were closed as a result of high energy costs and the global economic crash.

Such lakes are a constant source of tension between alumina-processing

companies and residents of host communities because of the potential for harm to health and the environment caused by the hazardous matter dumped in huge quantities. Trees and grass in the immediate vicinity of such dumps typically die, and in dry, windy weather ,in particular, people in surrounding communities complain of serious health problems caused by dust as well as corrosive damage to their houses, clothing and other property. In the absence of rain, alumina companies are forced to use huge volumes of water to keep the red mud waste wet.

Harris told the Observer Central that his restorative formula was made public in Jamaica in 2004, when he shared it with Ken Evans, an official with RPS International, a global consultancy firm which was in the island

U.S. trains for mass migration...

From page 19 out there will play the role of migrants while others will practice registering them into a Department of Homeland Security database and sorting them into group camps, Crichton said.

“They believe we can handle approximately 1,000 a day,” she said.

Other participants will conduct mock press conferences and produce a television news report on the operation, with sailors playing the role of journalists and actual public affairs officers conducting the briefings.

The participants would

not disclose the script they will be working from, and the fictional migrants will be identified only as hailing from Country One and Country Two. A similar drill held in Miami in 2007 envisioned a mass exodus of Cubans fleeing violence after their government fell, with Florida boaters headed south to pick up relatives and a mystery virus spreading among the refugee camps.

During the drill, events that would take place over several months will be compressed into a few days.

“They’re as realistic as they can be,” Crichton said.

“To work together in an exercise before we actually have to do it in a real-world situation is very important.”

The participants stressed that there is no anticipation of a refugee crisis any time soon.

In fact, the number of Caribbean migrants taking to the seas in flimsy boats has been relative small in recent years.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it intercepted 2,955 migrants at sea in fiscal 2012, and 605 since October 1, the majority of them Haitians and Cubans. It has been nearly a decade since the annual total topped 10,000.

courtesy of then bauxite giant Alcan. He said Evans and his team decided to try the formula on a section of the Kirkvine red mud lake.

An Observer news feature published in February 2004 captured Harris’s efforts at the time.

“What we advised RPS to do is to put some readily degradable organic matter in and they dropped some dunder (yeast rich waste from rum production) in…I advised them what quantity of gypsum to put in, it must be done with the dunder, and in a matter of one year, I’m certain it was less than two years, I got a telephone call from Mr Evans. He invited me down there to look at the area … I could not recognise (it) because it was full of large trees. He said he could not

believe it, because they didn’t do that much irrigation. But luckily, it was a rainy year,” Harris told the Observer.

Harris said he along with retired NCU scientist Dr Charles Panton worked out a formula for Evans, which advised the consultants on how much gypsum to use with the mixture of dunder.

RPS reportedly contacted the geo-scientist after research Harris did with colleague Dr Pichu Rengasamy, while in Australia, was published in international geoscience journal Environmental Geology.

Reports on the research were also widely covered in the local media at the time.

“We had success in that short time. So there is a formula here. I have not gone

back down there to see it, so I don’t know what it’s like now,” Harris said.

The NCU scientist told the Observer that up to 2004, he had not tried the formula in Jamaica, but encouraged RPS officials to do it, because he had seen the power of degradable organic matter working in these situations.

He said both himself and Dr Panton refused to accept payment from RPS, but instead requested a longerterm partnership with the organisation which would benefit the university. The partnership, however, was never realised, as Alcan’s management changed soon after.

Though Harris admits that the gypsum/dunder formula could not be a one-size-fitsall, “as every pond is unique”, he is encouraging the authorities to use the method or a similar composition to replenish greenery in the inactive bauxite mud lakes.

Harris says that, in addition to other dangers, red mud lakes could also disturb ground water if the alkaline content is high and it seeps into the water supply. “Not to mention if someone [falls] in.

It is like quicksand, worse than quicksand. It would be very difficult to get out,” he said.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Rebels’ raid poses Mali guerrilla war threat for French (Reuters) - Malian troops hunted house-to-house in Gao yesterday for Islamist insurgents whose attack inside the northern town at the weekend showed the risk that French forces might become entangled in a messy guerrilla war.

Sneaking across the Niger River under cover of darkness, the al Qaeda-allied rebels fought Malian and French troops on Sunday in the streets of the ancient Saharan trading town, retaken from the Islamists two weeks ago.

Malian Defense Minister Yamoussa Camara said three of the Islamist raiders were killed and 11 taken prisoner, while some Malian soldiers were wounded in the street fighting.

The brazenness of the rebel raid, which followed successive blasts by two suicide bombers at a northern checkpoint, was a surprise to the French-led military operation in Mali which had so far faced little real resistance from the Islamists.

“They took advantage of the two suicide attacks on Saturday and Sunday to

infiltrate the town,” Camara told a news conference in Bamako. “With young people desperate over their future, it is possible to take them and indoctrinate them to the point of sacrificing their own lives.”

A doctor in Gao’s hospital, Noulaye Djiteyi, said three civilians were killed and 11 wounded. The casualties were hit by stray bullets in the gun battle.

The attack indicated that the French forces, which number 4,000 soldiers on the ground, were vulnerable to hit-and-run attacks by the jihadists to the rear of their forward lines.

French and Malian officials in Gao said the risks of infiltration, shootings and bomb blasts remained high.

“The Malians are checking house-by-house, block-by-block,” a French officer, who asked not to be named, told reporters.

French and Malian soldiers in armored vehicles reinforced locations and sandbagged road checkpoints at the entrances to the town, alert for further attacks from bands of Islamist insurgents reported hiding in

the surrounding desert scrub.

France intervened in Mali last month as Islamist forces, who hijacked a rebellion by ethnic Touareg MNLA separatists to seize control of the north in the confusion following a military coup in March 2012, pushed south towards the capital Bamako.

That had pushed Mali to the forefront of U.S. and European security concerns, with fears the Islamists would turn the country into a base for international attacks.

French leaders have said they intend to start pulling troops out of Mali in March, and want to hand over security operations to a larger, 8,000-strong African military force currently still being assembled and drawn mostly from West African states.

But this African contingent is still struggling to deploy in positions behind the French, raising the risk that Paris’ forces could face “mission creep” and be obliged to stay on longer to guarantee security in the face of rebel guerrilla tactics.

“There is no doubt that the Islamists will find weak spots,” Jakkie Cilliers,

executive director of the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies, told Reuters.

“Now it becomes all complex and messy,” he added.

In a move that risks igniting further violence in areas of the north previously considered to have been pacified, Malian troops pushed into the town of Menaka, to the east of Gao, senior Malian army officials said on Monday.

Menaka was abandoned

by Islamist forces during heavy aerial bombardment by the French but had been reoccupied by the MNLA’s Touareg fighters, who have taken advantage of Islamist

withdrawals to retake territory they lost last year.

Accusing Bamako of refusing to negotiate and the Malian army of committing atrocities, the MNLA vowed on Sunday to “launch a struggle without mercy” against government forces deployed to the north, including in Timbuktu and Gao. MALI “NOT TOTALLY SECURED” President Francois Hollande acknowledged that France’s military still had more work to do before it achieved its aim of ousting the al Qaeda-linked groups from all of northern Mali.

“We have not finished

our task,” Hollande said in Paris, after meeting with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. “There is a risk of either attacks or guerilla tactics so we need to continue to securitize all of Mali’s territory.”

Gao’s main market was bustling on Monday but crowds gathered to look at the wrecked police station building where the jihadist raiders, some on motorbikes, firing AK-47s and rocketpropelled grenades, fought French and Malian troops.

Witnesses said bodies still lay in the dusty streets, some apparently rebels, others civilians caught by stray bullets.

Economy, deficit top voter issues ahead of Obama speech: poll (Reuters) - Americans are eager to hear President Barack Obama address the U.S. economy and federal deficit in his State of the Union speech today, with more than half still convinced the nation is in a recession, a poll released yesterday found.

Gun policy and healthcare are also top concerns U.S. voters want the president to discuss in his annual speech to the nation, according to the survey by Quinnipiac University.

Obama, who began his second term last month after winning re-election in November, is expected to use tonight’s speech to offer his plan for spurring the tepid economy, including proposals for investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, clean energy and education.

The nationwide poll found 35 percent of U.S. voters said the economy was a top concern, while 20 percent pointed to the federal deficit. It also showed 53 percent said the U.S.

Barack Obama economy is still in a recession even though economists have said the downturn that began in late 2007 officially ended in July 2009.

Fifteen percent said the nation’s gun policies were a top priority and 12 percent said they were most concerned about healthcare, Quinnipiac found.

Its poll of 1,772 registered voters has a margin of error of 2.3 percentage points.

Obama’s speech comes as U.S. lawmakers grapple with the nation’s $16 trillion debt and looming across-theboard government spending cuts slated to take effect on

March 1.

“Voters trust President Obama more than congressional Republicans on the economy and most other issues, but they are more closely divided on who would do a better job on the deficit and on gun control,” Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said.

The finding showed 47 percent backed Obama to handle the economy compared to 41 percent who said they trusted congressional Republicans, while 48 percent said they had more trust in Republicans to cut federal spending compared to 39 who backed Obama.

Those polled were more closely split over whether Obama or Republicans could better handle immigration issues, Quinnipiac said.

Two-thirds of respondents said they were likely to watch the speech, with more women than men saying they would tune in, the poll also found.

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Frail Pope breaks tradition and resigns (NY Times) VATICAN CITY — Citing advanced years and infirmity, but showing characteristic tough-mindedness and unpredictability, Pope Benedict XVI shocked Roman Catholics yesterday by saying that he would resign on Feb. 28, becoming the first pope to do so in six centuries.

Speaking in Latin to a small gathering of cardinals at the Vatican yesterday morning, Benedict said that after examining his conscience “before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise” of leading the world’s one billion Roman Catholics.

The statement, soon translated into seven languages, ricocheted around the globe.

A shy, tough-minded theologian who seemed to relish writing books more than

greeting stadium crowds, Benedict, 85, was elected by fellow cardinals in 2005 after the death of John Paul II. An often divisive figure, he spent much of his papacy in the shadow of his beloved predecessor.

Above all, Benedict’s papacy was overshadowed by clerical abuse scandals, a case involving documents leaked from within the Vatican itself and tangles with Jews, Muslims and Anglicans. In his handling of the sexual abuse crisis, critics said that his failures of governance were tantamount to moral failings.

In recent months, Benedict had been showing signs of age. He often seemed tired and even appeared to doze off during Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, after being taken to the altar of Saint Peter’s on a wheeled platform. But few expected the pope to resign so suddenly, even though he

had said in the past that he would consider the option.

“The pope took us by surprise,” said the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, expounding on one of the most dramatic moments in centuries of Vatican history.

He appeared at a hastily called news conference yesterday, where he stood by himself at the lectern, with an unopened bottle of mineral water and a dog-eared copy of a Canon Law guide before him.

Father Lombardi said that the pope would continue to carry out his duties until Feb. 28 at 8 p.m., and that a successor would probably be elected by Easter, which falls on March 31. But he said the timing for an election of a new pope is “not an announcement, it’s a hypothesis.”

He said that the pope did not display strong emotions as he made his

New Iran centrifuges could shorten path to atomic bomb: Netanyahu

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu address the Conference Of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem yesterday. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that new centrifuges Iran was installing for its uranium enrichment program could cut by a third the time needed to create a nuclear bomb.

As Iran and world powers prepare to resume talks aimed at easing a dispute that has raised fears of a new Middle East war, Tehran announced late last month it planned to install the new machines at its main enrichment plant.

The move underlined Iran’s defiance of international demands to scale back the uranium enrichment which Tehran says is for civilian purposes but which could also potentially be used to make material for atomic bombs.

Netanyahu touched on the subject in an address to American Jewish leaders and his words came ahead of a planned visit to Israel next month by President Barack Obama.

“Iran’s ... nuclear weapons program

continues unabated ... I drew a line at the U.N. last time I was there,” Netanyahu said. “They haven’t crossed that line but what they are doing is to shorten the time that it will take them to cross that line and the way they are (doing it) is by putting in new, faster centrifuges that cut the time by one third.”

In a speech to the U.N. General Assembly in September, Netanyahu gave a rough deadline of summer 2013 as the date by which Iran could have enough highly enriched material to produce a single nuclear bomb.

He said yesterday that world powers must put more pressure on Tehran “for the interests of peace and security”.

“You have to upgrade the sanctions and they have to know that if the sanctions and diplomacy fail, they will face a credible military threat. That’s essential. Nothing else will do the job, and it’s getting closer,” he said.

Diplomats believe, however, that Iran may have resumed converting small amounts of its higher-grade enriched uranium into reactor fuel thereby slowing a growth in stockpiles that could be used to make weapons.

The White House announced last Tuesday that Obama planned to visit Israel, the West Bank and Jordan this spring. It gave no exact dates for the trip, Obama’s first to Israel since taking office.

Netanyahu, who was last week nominated to form a new government after January 22 elections that his rightist Likud party won, has said Iran would top his administration’s agenda. He has five more weeks to complete forming his new coalition.

Israel’s Channel 10 television cited unnamed sources in Washington last week saying Obama’s visit to Israel would start on March 20, by when Netanyahu’s new government should be in place.

Israeli political commentators have speculated that Obama had opted to visit Israel before the summer deadline that Netanyahu laid down at the United Nations to caution him against any go-it-alone attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

announcement, but spoke with “great dignity, great concentration and great understanding of the significance of the moment.”

The announcement plunged the Roman Catholic world into intense speculation about Benedict’s successor, and seemed likely to inspire many contrasting evaluations of a papacy that was seen as both traditionalist and contentious — though perhaps not so confrontational as many had feared of the man they called “God’s Rottweiler” for his tenacious defense of church doctrine.

Benedict was deeply distraught about the decline in religious belief in the West, and he had spent the previous 25 years as the head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, the powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. There, he had watched his beloved predecessor, John Paul II, slowly decline with Parkinson’s disease.

“In today’s world,” Benedict said in his

Pope Benedict XVI announcement, “subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of St. Peter and proclaim the gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.”

“For this reason,” he continued, “and well aware of

the seriousness of this act, with full freedom, I declare that I renounce the ministry of bishop of Rome, successor of St. Peter.”

At the news conference, Father Lombardi noted that in a book-length interview with a German journalist, Benedict had said that “if a pope clearly realizes that he is no longer physically, psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right and, (Continued on page 24)

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 12, 2013

SYRIA REBELS SEIZE DAM, BLAST ON TURKISH BORDER (Reuters) - Rebels have captured Syria’s biggest hydro-electric dam and battled army tank units near the center of Damascus, activists said as the opposition renewed an offer yesterday to negotiate the departure of President Bashar al-Assad.

On the Turkish border, nine people were killed when a car arriving from rebel-held territory in northwestern Syria blew up at the Reyhanli frontier crossing; Turkish officials said it was unclear whether the blast was a suicide attack or an accident.

The rebel seizure of the Taqba dam, a prestige project on the Euphrates river completed by Assad’s father in the 1970s, may have only limited impact on already patchy power supplies but along with the fighting in the capital it provided more evidence that the president is ever more beleaguered, if still tenacious.

Moaz Alkhatib, exile leader of the opposition Syrian National Coalition, said he had had no response to his offer to discuss a

handover of power with the Assad government but said the invitation still stood, despite the passing of an initial deadline for a response on Sunday.

The president has given no sign of wanting to negotiate his own departure, despite military reverses over the past two years that have put half the country in rebel hands and left many in his Alawite minority fearing for the worst if the mainly Sunni Muslim revolt overturns their four decades of preeminence.

Yesterday, after Alkhatib’s latest remarks on talks, Syria’s state news agency quoted Assad as saying: “Syria will not give up on its principles however great the pressure and the conspiracies, which do not target Syria alone but all Arabs.”

While Assad, an ally of Shi’ite, non-Arab Iran, has accused Sunni Arab states including Saudi Arabia and Qatar of fomenting the rebellion, he has also blamed Western powers and Israel of conspiring to overthrow him.

DAM TAKEN The British-based Syrian

Observatory for Human Rights and other opposition activists said Islamist fighters seized army positions on Sunday around the Taqba dam, near the town of Thawra, some 150 km (90 miles) southeast of Aleppo. It was unclear how far the electricity plant was still operating.

“The dam was protected by an artillery battery and many intelligence units. The rebels moved on them in a lightning offensive yesterday, overrunning their positions and capturing scores of personnel,” said Abu Ziad Teif, an opposition activist in contact with rebels in the area.

Rami Abdulrahman of the Observatory called it one of Assad’s biggest setbacks.

However, the dam’s generating capacity has long fallen short of early hopes and, with power already scarce in Aleppo, Syria’s biggest city, it was unclear whether the change of control at Taqba would have a major technical impact.

The loss of the neighboring town, which Internet video showed included the burning of a

A damaged gate after an explosion at Cilvegozu on the Turkish-Syrian border in Hatay province. REUTERS/Cem Genco/Anadolu Agency statue of Assad’s father Hafez was nonetheless symbolic.

The large body of water formed by the dam on the Euphrates was named by the late leader Al-Assad Lake.

In Damascus, Assad’s forces brought up tanks to defend an area just east of the city center on Monday, residents said.

Jobar, a Sunni district adjacent to the landmark Abbasid Square, has seen fighting in recent days.

However, activists said Assad’s forces remained well dug in in the city center.

“The main battle is taking place in Jobar,” an opposition activist in Damascus named Amer said. “The rebels appear to be advancing in the eastern sector.

“But the center of Damascus is crisscrossed with concrete barriers and security is deployed everywhere; we cannot say that they (the rebels) have a real active presence in the center.”

A woman who lives in the western neighborhood of Mezze added that residents there were also beginning to feel the war getting near: “The situation is getting very tough,” she said. “For the first

time we’ve been hearing mortars fall so close.”

BORDER BLAST In the north, on the Turkish border, officials said 33 people had been wounded as well as the seven killed near the town of Reyhanli: “We don’t know whether this was a suicide bomb or whether a car that was smuggling petrol across the border blew up,” one Turkish official told Reuters.

Images from the scene showed severe damage to cars at the border checkpoint, where a gate was blown open and part of the roof collapsed.

“There was an explosion in the no-man’s zone. It was not a mortar attack. It was very strong,” foreign ministry spokesman Levent Gumrukcu said.

Refugees cross back and forth and Turkish trucks also deliver goods across into the no-man’s land between the checkpoints of the two countries.

Rebels control the Syrian side and receive help from Turkey, a fierce critic of Assad.

In Cairo, the opposition Coalition’s Alkhatib met the head of the Arab League and

said Assad’s government had not responded to his initiative to discuss a transition of power.

“The regime has not given a clear answer so far, clearly, frankly, that it accepts leaving to spare destruction and blood,” he told reporters. “No meetings have been arranged, and no formal contact with any party has happened so far.”

Pressed to say whether his offer was still open despite the Sunday deadline passing, he added: “We are still waiting for the government response and then we are going to study that.”

Also in Cairo, Assad’s former Prime Minister Riad Hijab met the Egyptian foreign minister. Quoted by Egyptian news agency MENA, Hijab, the most senior government defector from Damascus, said: “There is no solution to the Syrian crisis except by the departure of Bashar al-Assad.”

Hijab also told reporters the coalition was seeking Syria’s national seat at the Arab League. A League source said the group would consult its other members on the request.

Frail Pope breaks tradition...

From page 23 under some circumstances, also an obligation to resign.”

Benedict’s brother, the Rev. Georg Ratzinger, said that the pope’s weakening health had led him to step down.

“His age was taking its toll,” the 89-year-old told the German news agency Deutsche-Presse Agentur on Monday, adding that he had been aware of his brother’s plan for several months.

Father Lombardi said that the

pope would retire first to his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, in the hills outside Rome, and later at a monastery in Vatican City.

Benedict, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was elected on April 19, 2005.

At the time of his election, Benedict was a popular choice within the college of 115 cardinals who chose him as a man who shared — and at times went beyond — the conservative theology of his

predecessor and mentor, John Paul, and seemed ready to take over the job after serving beside him for more than two decades.

The church’s 265th pope, Benedict was the first German to hold the title in half a millennium, and his election was a milestone toward Germany’s spiritual renewal 60 years after World War II and the Holocaust. At 78, he was also the oldest new pope since 1730.

Tuesday February 12, 2013

DTV CHANNEL 8 08:55 hrs. Sign On 09:00 hrs. This Morning 10:00 hrs. Live! With Kelly and Michael 11:00 hrs. Roseanne 12:00 hrs. The View 13:00 hrs. Prime News 13:30 hrs. The Young and the Restless 14:30 hrs. The Bold and the Beautiful 15:00 hrs. The Talk 16:00 hrs. Criminal Minds 18:00 hrs. Awakening 18:30 hrs. World News 19:00 hrs. Greetings and Announcements

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20:00 hrs. Alliance on the Move 21:00 hrs. Movie: Jurassic Park 23:10 hrs. Once Upon A Time 00:00 hrs. Sign Off NCN CHANNEL 18/ CABLE 69 0500h - Sign on with the Mahamrtunjaya Mantra 0510h - Meditation 0530h - Queenstown Masjid Presents Quran This Morning 0600h - R. Gossai General Store Presents Hanuman

Bhajans 0615h - Jettoo’s Lumber Yard Presents Hanuman Bhajans 0630h - Muneshwar Limited Presents Hanuman Bhajans 0645h - Double Standard Taxi Presents Hanuman Bhajans 0700h - RRT Enterprise Presents Hanuman Bhajans 0715h - M & M Snackette Presents 0730h - Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital Inc Presents 0745h - The Family of the Late Leila & David Persaud Presents Hanuman Bhajans

Tuesday February 12, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your intuition may be operating on overdrive today; however, don’t trust every notion that pops into your head. It’s difficult to separate your valid thoughts from the ambient noise since you are particularly sensitive to your own fantasies now.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Others seem to accept your authority now without much resistance. Ironically, you might not feel as if you’re doing anything differently.

Nevertheless, something has changed.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) The current emphasis is more on what’s occurring in your outer life than what’s going on within your imagination. Externalize your thoughts through direct action. Put your sound ideas to good use by organizing a project at work.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) You may feel a bit disconnected today as you walk away from a difficult situation. It’s not that you are apathetic or discouraged; instead, you believe that you can be more effective if you don’t let your feelings interfere with your actions in the outer world now.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Go ahead and share your concerns with others today, even if you’re uncharacteristically serious.

You don’t need to pretend that all is fun and games.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Your no-nonsense attitude comes in handy today as you keep your shoulder to the wheel. Even though you can become overwhelmed when there’s so much on your plate, there is also a part of you that enjoys having plenty to do because it keeps your mind busy.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) If you have been doing your part these past few days, your burst of productivity may reach a crescendo now. Don’t be afraid to share your recent activities with a co-worker.

However, gaining recognition isn’t your primary motivation, even if acknowledgment from your peers comes later.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Although you may withdraw into your own mysterious world today, you still might feel a lighthearted playfulness that inspires you to create something special.

The problem is that you don’t want to make time for nonproductive engagements of any kind today.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) You may have your own private agenda today, yet others may believe you are selflessly helping them.

Hopefully, you are working both sides of the equation by taking care of yourself, which in turn has positive effects on those around you.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You’re entranced by the beauty in your environment, yet it may feel as if you’re walking across an emotional mine field today.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Your intellectual clarity is exceptional today as long as it’s not the only tool you rely on. You are particularly cautious in your thinking now because you understand the importance of working within defined social structures.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You may be feeling a little less spacey today, although your imagination continues to put on a show. Unfortunately, your gut is saying one thing while the information you’re receiving is telling you something else.

0800h - Timehri Maha Kali Shakti Devi Mandir Presents Hanuman Bhajans 0815h - NTN This Morning Live With Reyaz Husein 0930h - Indian Soap - Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke 1000h - Indian Soap - Rab Se Sohna Isshq 1030h - Indian Soap - Pavitra Rishta 1100h - Indian Soap - Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuyien 1130h - Indian Soap - Punar Vivaah 1200h - GINA Weekly Diary ‘/ Digest 1230h - DVD Movie:- NA TUM JAANO NA HUM (Eng: Sub:) *ing Saif Ali Khan, Esha Doel & Hrithik Roshan 1515h - SINBAD 1615h - For Better For Worse 1645h - Drying Tears 1715h - World’s Hindi Teaching by Sanskar Bharati International 1730h - Ganesh Parts

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Presents - BHAGAVAD GITA ( Discourses in English) 1745h - Birthday Greetings / Anniversary / Congratulation / Deaths Announcement & In Memoriam 1800h - DVD Movie:- KITES (Eng: Sub:) *ing Hrithik Roshan, Kangna Ranaut & Barbara Mori 2000h - SQUARE TALK

LIVE with Kwame McCoy 2130h - Indian Soap - Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke 2200h - Indian Soap - Rab Se Sohna Isshq 2230h - Indian Soap - Pavitra Rishta 2300h - Indian Soap - Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuyien 2330h - Sign Off 0435h - Cricket:- ONLY T20 AUSTRALIA vs WEST INDIES

Guides are subjected to change without notice

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Police hunting trio in police trainee’s shooting death

By Rabindra Rooplall After unmasked bandits attacked and shot trainee police, Harold Haimchand Sukhai, Sunday night, Police are now hunting three men who were part of the robbery/ murder.

The 26-year-old was shot dead in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo Housing scheme minutes before 21:00 hours Sunday night while walking with his girlfriend, Drupattie Sookdeo, in a dark, deserted area in Rockers Street. He was shot twice, once in his upper arm and another in his chest.

The man’s body was taken off the road two hours after the shooting occurred.

A GuySuCo ambulance took Sukhai’s body to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where his death was confirmed. The body was then taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Parlour.

Sukhai was returning to the police training base at Eve Leary when the incident occurred. Residents noted that the dark bushy secluded path in the street where the couple walked is where most couples go to be affectionate.

However, with an upsurge of crime in the area very few

people took the chance to walk through the street.

Reports disclose that the trio robbed Drupattie Sookdeo of several pieces of her gold jewelry including a gold chain, rings, band and a Samsung Galaxy cell phone at gun point, while relieving the trainee police of a bag containing his food and a pair of police boots which the bandits later discarded in a nearby street, after fleeing the district.

Relatives of both victims of the robbery played the blame game. They tried to cast blame on the other party for the ordeal.

“This boy would normally walk on the public road or catch a taxi to go out; she cause him to walk in the dark spot that night which caused him to be killed! I only know about this girl a month now and this was the first time she visited the house.

Saturday night, my son told his sister that he didn’t really want to bring the girl home,” Padmawattie Jankey the mother of the deceased said.

The mother of three, further explained that minutes after her son left home his girlfriend popularly known as

Dead: Harold Haimchand Sukhai “Tricia” returned in a taxi with the distressing news that her son was mortally wounded and was lying on the road.

She then joined the taxi with the young lady and visited the spot where her son’s body was motionless.

“She is saying that three persons attacked them, and one hold her up and take away her bag and whatever belongings from her, and they pull back my son in a street corner and they shoot he,” the man’s mother lamented.

Describing her son, Miss

Jankey said that persons in the community can testify to the quiet and decent nature of her son. “My son joined the police course last November; he was given normal uniform and handcuff and was a proud and loving person. Imagine my son held onto the police bag and fought back and was killed, his police uniform was in that bag and he died protecting what he believed in, the law.”

Drupattie Sookdeo who resides on Tuschen Public road and teaches at Philadelphia Primary School said that although the bandits were not wearing masks the

area was so dark that she could not identify the people who pounced on them.

She added that Sukhai wanted to see her and they agreed to meet at a “nearby internet business at Mangal Street, and when he finish seeing me he would catch a bus and go to work, but he said he wanted to take Sookdeo also said that she only knew Sukhai for three weeks.

“Me ah give them one, one pair gold jewelry because them big now, is hundreds of thousands of dollars they gone with, but I am thankful she is alright.” Sookdeo’s

mother stressed. “If he never would have carried this girl to see he mother nothing like this would of happened.”

Residents in the area also noted that in the said area where Sukhai was killed two women were also raped last year. However, nothing ever came out of the crime.

“This community got a lot of crime, and when people start taking the law into their own hands, because police are not catching these bandits, then you will hear an outcry that people wrong. But how can anyone be wrong to defend themself if they are under attack?”

Burglars cart off US$4,000 meant for charity - Overseas-based Guyanese peeved with police inefficiencies

After giving similar statements three days in a row to ranks of Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station, Bibi Lanzaro, an overseas-based Guyanese who came to Guyana to do charitable work, has given-up hope that the police would apprehend the culprit who broke into her relative’s house and stole her US$4,000 meant for charity.

According to Lanzaro, two Sundays ago, she and her two siblings were the victims of theft when burglars broke into the H a r l e m , We s t C o a s t Demerara house and stole US$4,000, a Trinidadian Passport containing a United States of America visa and two gold and diamond rings.

The woman said that they were at a wedding in the village when the incident occurred. It was no later than 23:00 hrs.

She opined that because the music was on loud they were unable to hear the burglars breaking the locks on the backdoor of the house.

According to a male relative, during the celebrations he decided to check on the house and was stunned when he saw the backdoor open and noise emanating from the house.

He returned to the wedding house and inquired of his son (the owner of the house) if he had left the door open and got a negative response.

Bibi Lanzaro As such, the occupants of the house, including Lanzaro and her siblings returned to the premises and there it was discovered that only items belonging to the overseas guests were missing. She said that her brother’s Trinidadian passport and his two rings that were on the head of the bed and her US$4,000 that was stashed in a bag were missing.

She opined that the burglars probably did not have much time since her American Passport and three others were not stolen.

The woman noted that her frustration with the police began the night of the burglary when the police refused to come to

the scene, claiming lack of a vehicle. She noted that within a two-hour span she called the police three times and kept receiving the same response, “We don’t have vehicle…I can’t help you.”

Lanzaro said that the situation became unbearable and her nephew called “his boss in Georgetown and his boss call a police rank in Georgetown who called Vreed-en-Hoop and then is when we get help.”

“Soon after we decided to go to the police and there we saw the police loading up in a jeep to come to us in Harlem…

We returned home and the police took a statement from me,” she added.

The woman stated that the lax approach and inefficiencies of ranks of Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station worsened over the next two days forcing her to lodge a complaint with the Commander of ‘D’ Division.

According to the woman, on the Monday she went to the police station where she gave another statement.

To her surprise, when she went to the station on Tuesday, she was again asked to give a statement.

This increased her frustration and she decided to go to the Commander of ‘D’ Division on Wednesday.

Lanzaro noted that on Thursday the police telephoned her requesting to visit her on Friday to obtain a statement and she refused.

Despite the troubles the woman still extended her charity to 15 elderly people.

Narco user jailed for one year Shermin Miller was last Friday arraigned on a charge of smoking marijuana. For that offence, he was placed before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry. Miller told the court that he was indeed in possession of the drugs.

“Yes I does use it,” the man told the court.

The prosecution stated that the defendant was picked up by the police after he was seen smoking at South Sophia area on February 7. The police stopped and told Miller of the allegation and subsequently

arrested him. He was later charged and brought before the court for the offence.

The defendant did not offer any further explanation for his actions. As such, he was sentenced to a one year jail term and ordered to pay a fine of $10,000.

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Tempers flare as City Hall councilors chide Town Clerk Tempers flared yesterday when City Councilors bashed Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba for ignoring and disregarding decisions made in the duly constituted Georgetown Municipality’s statutory meeting.

The Town Clerk came under fire when issues that were decided upon in previous meetings were yet to be implemented. Instead, the Town Clerk in some cases has used the law to defend her actions while explaining that in some issues, procedures did not run smoothly.

The Councilors were however not prepared to hear Sooba’s excuses and slammed her for not implementing decisions which were said to have been taken long ago.

One of the biggest issues coming out of the meeting was staff appointments. A decision on the issue was taken at the January 29 meeting, that staffers were due for promotion and that the Personnel and Training Committee headed by Oscar Clarke, was responsible to see the decision through.

The Town Clerk however charged that the committee had no authority to make any promotions.

She cited Chapter 2801, section 62 of the Municipal and District Councilors Act that promotions must be done by the Local Government Commission, and in the

absence of that Commission, the Local Government Minister would be responsible for the appointments.

City Hall has however seen the law as irrelevant because it states that anyone making an amount exceeding $4,800 would have to be promoted by the Local Government Minister. The council is however saying that if so is the case, then the cleaner who makes more than the stated amount would have to be promoted by the Minister. So in essence, the law which was written in the late 1800s is slowing up and frustrating the council’s flow.

Mayor Hamilton Green has however decided to write the Minister for an audience on the matter.

The provision of garbage trucks, the implementation of a client data software and the use of manual receipts also came up for debate. The Councilors charged that after making decisions about the trucks, what was decided to be done was not in fact carried out.

The software to assist with client data regulation has also not been implemented although Councilors said the decision was taken a long time ago. Sooba with the help of the City Treasurer, said that the relevant assistance that was required for the implementation has not been received.

Sooba said that despite

the treasurer making contact with the person responsible for the software, they were unable to get him to make the changes. She then said that she would be making checks.

However, that only prompted Councilors to lash out as they said that the Clerk is making a mockery of the Council and its members.

Sooba asked Mayor Green to ask the Councilor to act “civil” but obviously disgusted, the Mayor said that he would not sit as he is a member of the Council, and that he has the right to express in anyway his dissatisfaction with the manner in which the Town Clerk has been performing her duties.

Another issue involved the allocation of vending lots during the Mash Float Parade.

This issue was not brought up for discussion and this was cited by a Councilor as a blatant disregard for decisions being made.

It was said that at the last meeting, the Social Development Committee, headed by Patricia ChaseGreene, was supposed to identify, allocate and sell to persons requesting vending lots for the Mash.

The Town Clerk has reportedly taken the matter into her own hands, bypassing the decision of the Council and allocating the lots herself. The matter has been brewing and causing some strife amongst the parties.

Three major drug busts in Berbice in last four days - Police net 15kg marijuana

The Police in Berbice appear to have upped the ante against drug dealers in the Ancient County with some major drug busts recently.

On Friday, the police, acting on information moved in on a house at Lot 54 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, which is occupied by several persons.

The occupants were asked to identify their rooms where searches were carried out.

During the search, what appeared to be leaves, seeds and stems of the marijuana plant were found in a bag under a bed in one of the rooms. That room was identified by a male occupant as his. The items were seized and the man was arrested and taken to the station.

The item was tested and weighed and found to be (4000 grams) four kilograms of marijuana.

The man was later identified as Trevor Grant, 42, of 54 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam. He was charged

and appeared on Monday at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo, charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

In court he pleaded not guilty.

He is being represented by attorney at law Ramesh Rajkumar who applied for bail.

In his arguments Mr. Rajkumar asked that special circumstances be applied because the home was occupied by many persons. He said that the drugs were not found on his client or among his property.

But prosecutor Corporal Orin Joseph argued that the statutes should apply. He further stated that the room which the drugs were found in was identified by the accused as the room which he occupies.

He was refused bail and will have to return to court on March 22.

In another incident also

on Friday members of the Berbice Anti-Smuggling Squad (BASS) conducted a search on a man at a boat landing at Number 78 Village, Corentyne, in whose possession 2.960 kilograms of marijuana were found. He was also arrested and taken into custody.

On Monday between 10:00 hrs and 11:00 hrs police conducting surveillance on patrol in the Stanleytown area, noticed a man hurrying down a lonely dam in the vicinity of the New Amsterdam Tannery.

The man had a black garbage bag slung over his back. He was challenged, stopped and searched by the police and a number of large parcels were found inside.

The items were seized and the man who was identified as Wayne Lindley, of Glasgow Housing scheme, was taken into custody.

The items were tested and weighed and found to be 8000 grams (8KG) of compressed marijuana. He is to be charged soon.

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Julian Cadogan spells way to top prize as GASP Beginners tournament concludes When the Guyana Association of Scrabble Players (GASP) staged its Beginners tournament last year, Julian Cadogan had emerged victorious after amassing three points and a positive spread of 498. The prolific word former turned in an improved performance when he registered an impeccable 4 points and a

positive spread of 397 to capture the honours at this year’s edition at the Malteenoes Sports Club Thomas lands, Sunday morning last.

Julian’s sister, Jenelle, had finished second in last year’s tournament and proved that she was a legitimate threat to her brother’s dominance when she similarly replicated that performance; scoring 3

points and a positive spread of 343. Christine Basil, a newcomer to the sport made a commendable mark after amassing a similar amount of points as Jenelle but with a lower spread of 290. Julian’s victims were Basil (21), Cristal Smith (225), Jennelle (88) and Ricardo Purnwasy (63) while Jennelle registered wins over Smith (326) and Purnwasy (55)

Four exciting teams; two...

From page 33 Further, Rhythm Squad has upset quite a few favourites in the past and could prove to be a dangerous proposition. Those in the know will readily warn the betting boys that it would be risky selecting a winner based on the team composition on paper. Fans will just have to be at the venue to witness the action as it unfolds.

Meanwhile, when the action concluded Sunday evening last Santos eased past Netrockers 1-0 compliments of a goal in the 80th minute off the boot of William

Europe. Pele and Camptown then battled to a 2-1 finish with the former team gaining the initiative.

In the main attraction, touted as one of the better matches witnessed for some time, Pele FC triumphed over Camptown after Okeny Fraser netted the double for the winners in the 73rd and 104th minutes. Peter Parks breached the Pele custodian in the 16th minute in what was eventually rendered inconsequential.

Fifteen teams are now engaged in the preliminary rounds in an elimination format over 8 competitive

playing days for a winning prize of $1.2M, while the runners up pockets half that amount. The third and fourth place finishers receive $400,000 and $200,000 respectively. Several other business places have donated other prizes including Junior’s Jewelry (one gold chain), Bayridge Taxi Service (one cell phone) and Global Technology (2 computer scholarships).

The grand final and the 3rd place playoff are scheduled for one day after Mashramani day. All matches will be played at the Tucville Ground.

Novice Champion, Julian Cadogan (centre) poses with runner up Jennelle Cadogan (left) and Christine Basil at the conclusion of the tournament while earning a bye. Basil lost to Julian Cadogan (21) and also benefitted from a bye.

She then defeated Purnwasy (104) and Smith (290).

President of the GASP, Leon Belony attended the tournament and congratulated the respective winners. He said that Julian’s consistency

spoke volumes of his commitment to the sport. Mr. Belony then invited the players to engage in regular practice sessions, at the playing venue, every Thursday from 18:00hrs.

The winners received trophies donated by H.H. Hallim Generator Contractor

and Public Relations Officer (GASP), Moen Gafoor expressed gratitude and said that the GASP would be looking forward to similar support from other members of the corporate community as it continues to introduce the sport to communities countrywide.

Guyana hunting outright win as Jamaica beat Barbados BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Summarised close scores on the third day of the first round of matches in the Regional Four-Day Championship on Monday show Guyana in the hunt for an outright victory in their match against the Leeward Islands, while Jamaica have completed victory over Barbados.

Scores: At Vivian Richards Cricket Ground: Leewards lead by 143 runs LEEWARD ISLANDS 182 all out (Tonito Willett 58, Jahmar Hamilton 32, Montcin

Hodge 22; Veerasammy Permaul 4-42, Ronsford Beaton 3-43) and 240 for six (Montcin Hodge 52, Jahmar Hamilton 41 not out, Sylvester Joseph 39, Tonito Willett 33; Veerasammy Permaul 3-48).

GUYANA 279 all out (Steven Jacobs 75, Assa Fudadin 49, Rajindra Chandrika 35, Derwin Christian 26, Veerasammy Permaul 21; Lionel Baker 4-57, Tonito Willett 3-31, Gavin Tonge 2-82).

At Kensington Oval: Jamaica beat Barbados by 63 runs.

WICB sends condolences to family of Prof. Aubrey Bishop ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – President of the West Indies Cricket Board Dr. Julian Hunte sent condolences, on behalf of the Board, to the wife and family of Professor Aubrey Bishop who passed last week.

Professor Bishop, a distinguished Guyanese jurist and former Chancellor was a former member of the WICB Disciplinary Committee.

“Professor Bishop served West Indies cricket with distinction.

He was honourable, fair-minded and always considerate in the

execution of his duties,” Dr. Hunte said.

“We have lost another worthy and remarkable servant of the game who was a legal giant in his native Guyana and the region.

“Not only did Professor Bishop serve the game from beyond the boundary but he played, being good enough to have represented British Guiana in the early 1950s as a slow left arm bowler.”

Professor Bishop, who was 81, will be laid to rest on Saturday, February 16.

JAMAICA 165 (Jermaine Blackwood 81, Andrew Richardson 30 not out; Miguel Cummins 5-58, Ashley Nurse 2-38, Chris Jordan 2-43) and 188 (Simon Jackson 59, Carlton Baugh 32, Tamar Lambert 28; Jonathan Carter 4-0, Kevin Stoute 2-26).

BARBADOS 162 (Jonathan Carter 63, Kirk Edwards 32; Nikita Miller 533, Sheldon Cotterrell 2-33, Andrew Richardson 2-43) and 128 (Shane Dowrich 31 not out; Nikita Miller 5-34, Tamar Lambert 2-14, Odean Brown 2-48).

At the Beausejour Cricket Ground: CCC lead by 87 runs C O M B I N E D CAMPUSES & CAMPUS 309 (Anthony Alleyne 84, Kevin McClean 28, Jason Dawes 27 not out, Chadwick Walton 27; Shane Shillingford 3-76, Nelon Pascal 3-92, Garey Mathurin 2-44, Delorn Johnson 2-50) and 187 for six (Chadwick Walton 88, Kyle Corbin 31; Shane Shillingford 2-55).

WINDWARD ISLANDS 409 all out (Devon Smith 139, Tyrone Theophile 54, Andre Fletcher 41, Dalton Polius 77, Shane Shillingford 3-33, Lyndon James 26; Akeem Dewar 4-127, Raymon Reifer 3-38, Ryan Austin 2-106).

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 31

Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal Competition...

Haslington ready to host quarterfinals tomorrow night Quarter-final places have been decided following the completion of the round robin phase of the East Coast segment of the Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal Competition which ended on Sunday evening, at the Haslington Market Tarmac.

The teams that have advanced to tomorrow’s quarter-final round which will be played at the Haslington Market Square are: Plaisance, BV ‘B’, Church Yard United, Paradise, Victoria Eagles, Melanie, BV ‘A’ and Buxton ‘A’.

The fixtures are as follows: Plaisance takes on BV ‘B’ from 21:00 hrs and that will be followed by the clash between BV’ A’ and Buxton ‘A’ from 22:00 hrs, before Church Yard United tackles Paradise at 23:00 hrs, while Victoria Eagles versus Melanie brings the curtains down for the night.

Meanwhile, results of matches played on Sunday are: Game 1 Melanie ‘A’ defeated Ann’s Grove Punters 2-0 Goal Scorers Melanie Shermon Fraser 7th min Darwayne Peters 12th min Game 2 Victoria Church Yard United edged Mahaica 1-0 Goal Scorer Victoria Church Yard United Gollex Govia 2nd min Game 3 BV-‘A’ squeezed pastParadise 2-1 Goal Scorers BV ‘A’ Delroy Deen 4th & 14th min

Paradise Kwame Alfred 1st Game 4 Golden Grove Super Stars needled BV ‘B ‘ 1-0 Goal Scorer Golden Grove Super Stars Stephone Walcott 3rd min Game 5 Buxton ‘A’ narrowly defeated Nabaclis 1-0 Goal Scorer Buxton ‘A’ Eon Garnett 1st min Game 6 Plaisance won by walkover from Vryhied’s Lust Game 7 Victoria Eagles scraped past Melanie ‘B’ 1-0 Goal Scorer Victoria Eagles Alden Lawrence Game 8 Ann’s Grove Young Warriors beat Buxton ‘B’ 2-0 Goal Scorers Ann’s Grove Young Warriors Bavhawn Allen 1st min Patrick Collins 18th min Results of Saturday’s round of matches are: Game 1 Nabaclis edged Vryhied’s Lust 1-0 Goal Scorers Nabaclis Mark Trotman 12th min Game 2 Melanie easily disposed of Mahaica 4-1 Goal Scorers Melanie Darwin Peters 3rd min Jermaul George 6th min Shermon David 7th & 13th min Mahaica Troy Morris 11th min Game 3

Action in the final round of the preliminary phase which ended on Sunday, at the Haslington Market Square.

Paradise beat Buxton ‘B- 1-0 Goal Scorers Paradise Quincy Adams 8th min Game 4 BV ‘B’ won on penalty kicks against Melanie’ B’ after regulation time ended 0-0 Game 5 Ann’s Grove Young Warriors lost to BV’A’ 0-2 Goal Scorers BV ‘A’ Akim Curry 3rd min Delroy Deen 13th min Game 6 Victoria Eagles defeated Golden Grove Super Stars 3-1 Goal Scorers Victoria Eagles Kirk Warren 7th min Travor Fraser 9th min Dylan Marius 14th min

Demerara Cricket Club mourns the loss of Professor Aubrey Bishop In a press release, the president, Alfred Mentore, and Members of the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) have expressed sadness at the passing of the distinguished Professor Aubrey Bishop who served as the Club’s patron since 1993.

In the memory of Professor Aubrey Bishop the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) will be hosting a Night of Reflection and Remembrance at the Club’s pavilion Lance Gibb and New Gardens Streets at 7:30pm tonight.

The club is encouraging members and friends of the Club to attend as they reflect on Professor Bishop’s life with his family, relatives and close friends.

An elderly statesman, Mr. Bishop served with

distinction on various committees of the Guyana Cricket Board and several sporting entities notably football.

Even though he was not active for some time, his passing on Wednesday night last has left many in a state of shock at the Queenstown Club where for a number of years he has often given necessary advice and recommendations which has added to the upward mobility

of the organization.

Professor Aubrey Bishop, a retired Chancellor of the Judiciary, leaves to mourn his wife Carole and their three children.

On behalf of the President, Executives and Members of Demerara Cricket Club we offer sincere condolences to his wife, his children, family and countless friends.

May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Golden Grove Super Star min Stephone Walcott 17th Game 7 Ann’s Grove Punters went down to Victoria Church

Yard United on sudden penalty kicks after regulation time failed to separate them 0-0.

Game 8 Plaisance beat Buxton ‘A’ 2-1

Goal Scorers Plaisance Carlos Matthews 12th min Warren Gilkes 15th min Buxton ‘A’ Randy Andrews 6th min

Page 32

Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition...

Resounding victories order of the day It was a day of resounding victories as Carmel, New Campbellville and Richard Ishmael all inflicted some crushing blows on their respective opponents in the Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition which continued on Sunday, at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.

In the opening game of the day, Carmel led by a fourgoal effort from Jamal Hamilton supported by solitary strikes from Wesley Greenidge, Marlon Nedd and Moses Gritten proved too strong for North Ruimveldt who succumbed to a 7-2 defeat.

In the second match of the day, New Campbellville showed little mercy for a clearly outclassed Central High, hammering them 8-0 with Shamar Barrow hitting in four goals, while Keon David netted a brace and there was one apiece for Shemar Fraser and Ammonickie Poise.

In the final encounter of the day, Richard Ishmael just

as the two previous winners had done with their respective challengers, displayed little sympathy for Sophia Special School, drubbing them 6-1.

Ray Stanton blasted in a treble, while Ronaldo Dover, Kristoff Watts and Orandy Roach, all contributed to the team’s success.

The day’s results are as follows: Game 1 Carmel Secondary School cruised past North Ruimveldt Secondary 7-2 Carmel Secondary Jamal Hamilton 2nd, 31st, 57th & 59th min Wesley Greenidge 24th min Marlon Nedd 45th min Moses Gritten 47th min North Ruimveldt Secondary Keron Johnson 9th min’ Shermar DeSouza 59th min Game 2 New Campbellville Secondary beat Central High 8-0 Goals Scorers New Campbellville Secondary Shamar Barrow 8th, 14th, 30th & 47th min

Part of the action in the match between New Campbellville Secondary and Central High last Sunday.

Keon David 21st & 55th min Shemar Fraser 35th min Ammonickie Poise 45th min Game 3

Richard Ishmael Secondary defeated Sophia Special School 6-1 Goal Scorer

Richard Ishmael Ronaldo Dover 16th min Ray Stanton 19th, 21st &41st min

Krisstoff Watts 44th min Orandy Roach 47th min Sophia School Runako Harte 3rd min.

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 33

Fruta Conquerors/Namilco One Love Football Classic...

Four exciting teams; two mouthwatering encounters when action continues

By Michael Benjamin When the action in the Fruta Conquerors/Namilco One Love Football Classic tournament continues at the Tucville Ground tomorrow afternoon, four teams worth their salt will be battling to enforce their standing in the tournament and then move on to capture championship honours. In the first match scheduled for 18:00hrs, the Georgetown Football Club will oppose New Amsterdam United followed by the feature attraction, two hours later, when Alpha ‘The Hammer United FC take on Rhythm Squad FC. Already, the pundits are predicting the winners and despite starting as the underdog, coach of the New Amsterdam United (NAU), Lennox Adams, is spewing confidence while saying that his team is approaching this game with a high degree of seriousness. “I like it when my boys are regarded as the underdogs because we are better able to spring surprises,” he declared. Mr. Adams feels that he has the artillery to win the game and move on to the next round.

He will be placing his trust in former national striker, Adrian Adams and his brother, Leonardo, who plays in the midfield position. “Leonard

has compiled a lot of experience and was a part of the National U-20 camp last year,” said Adams. The coach further said that his men are determined to eclipse an earlier performance in the tournament, in the 2nd edition, when they had progressed to the semi-final round; they had surrendered to Western Tigers and eventually finished in the 4th place spot.

“We will be focused and will not underrate the opposition,” said the NAU coach. He said his team is well balanced even as he boasted of the prowess of midfielder, Ray Reddock and defender, Dane Johnson. “Most importantly, my men have trained thoroughly and are in an ominous mood,” warned Mr. Adams.

Peter Lashley is the man behind GFC preparations and he scoffed at Mr. Adam’s predictions. “I have a relatively young squad but they are enthusiastic and rearing to go,” he said. Mr. Lashley admitted that he has been somewhat unfortunate in the current tournament but feels that he has learned from past mistakes. Last year his team was ousted from the tournament after losing 1-0 to Santos FC. Mr. Lashley said that he realized that despite playing well in the outfield, his boys faltered at the conversion point. He said that he has been placing emphasis on this anomaly and once corrected,

Neils, Webster, Marks among Linden players called for Linden vs G/ town clash Saturday National skipper Steve Neils (Jr.) is among three national players named in a 15 man squad yesterday that will be scaled down to 12 for Saturday’s clash against their Georgetown counterparts as the Linden and Georgetown associations face each other in a double header feature to start the season in the City.

Yesterday those names released include a mixture of players who would have played for the junior or senior national teams.

The national players are captain Steve Neils (Jr.), Shane Webster and Neil Marks, along with past junior nationals Marvin Hartman,

Orin Rose, Chris Williams and Marlon Pollydore, Allister Webster, Quincy Jones, Marl Louis, Harold Adams, Keon Cameron and Orlando Glasgow.

The LABA is expected to release the names of its Under-19 side also and will announce its coaches and technical staff for this Saturday’s encounters.

The clashes mark the first meeting of teams on the basketball court since both associations recently held their elections, where two new presidents were elected with Michael Singh becoming the new GABA president and Haslyn Graham the president of LABA.

his men will be a force to be reckoned with. Among those in his lineup are strikers Keon Solomon and Duane Fordyce.

They will be supported by Captain Paul Daniels and Selwyn Williams, both in the midfield position, Reshawn Hicks and Teashawn Blackman. His defense players are drawn from Allan

Spencer, Vernon Halley and Ronnel Mclean.

On paper, Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United appears to have all the right tools to progress over Rhythm Squad.

Touted as the top club locally, ‘The Hammers’ have just procured the services of top ball weavers, Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson and Travis

‘Zorro’ Grant, two players that have held the seams together for Pele FC while playing for that team.

Alpha’s coach, Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover would also place his confidence in Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams, Kelvin McKenzie, Marvin Joseph and Dwight Peters among others. However,

though regarded as the underdogs, Rhythm Squad will remember that newly crowned K&S champions, Buxton United, had opposed the mighty ‘Hammers’ as the underdogs but rose to the occasion and ejected them from that tournament, this despite the plethora of stars.

(Continued on page 30)

Page 34

Brumell Ten \10 softball...

By Zaheer Mohamed Headquarters won the male and female titles when the Commissioner of Police (ag), Leroy Brumell inter division Ten\10 softball cricket competition concluded last Sunday evening at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.

Played in front of a large and colorful crowd, Headquarters defeated B Division by 7 wickets off the last ball in the male final. B Division batted first and managed 87-6 off their allotted overs with Michael Newland top scoring with 37(4x6) as Kenneth Bahadur snared 2-11. Headquarters then responded with 88-3 in 10 overs. Safraz Haniff led with 44(2x6) and Jason Mc Almont supported with 28.

Haniff received the man of the match and best batsman prizes while Bahadur took the most outstanding bowler award.

Headquarters, runner up (B Division) and third place finisher D Division were rewarded handsomely for their creditable performances.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Headquarters take male and female titles

The victorious male and female HQ teams display their prizes. Standing from left, Chairman of cricket section Nigel Happy, coordinator Linden Matthews, Asst. comm. (admin) Balram Persaud.

George Vyphuis (asst.comm. aps) is standing at extreme right, next to him is Phillip Azore (HQ manager). Commissioner (ag) Brumell is sitting (front row) and Colin Boyce is right (stooping).

In the female final, Headquarters overcame A Division by 28 runs.

Headquarters made 104-2 in 10 overs after taking first strike. Natasha Alder stroked 47(5x4,2x6), while Nicola Grant chipped in with 26 and Tandica Burgess 17. A Division were routed for 76 in 10 overs in reply. Natoya Rodney was their main batter

with 40 and Shinese Fraser made 14.

Alder collected the prizes for being the most outstanding player with the bat in the final and most valuable player, while Tracy Moses who conceded 15 runs from 2 overs received the award for the best bowler. B Division (3rd place), A Division (runner up) and

Headquarters received prizes for their efforts.

In two exhibition games played earlier, Floodlight XI got the better of Police Officers by 5 runs (male) and Trophy Stall Angels defeated 4 R Lioness by 24 runs in a female encounter.

Floodlight XI made 88-7 off their allocation of 15 overs after batting first. Ricky Deonarine top scored with 32 as Shivpersaud Bacchus grabbed 2-18 for the Police Officer team who mustered 83 before being bowled out in

12.1 overs in reply. Michael Sutton got 20, while Mike Singh bagged 3-17 and Wayne Jones 2-11; both teams received trophies.

In the female game, Trophy Stall Angels posted 99-8 in 10 overs. Roxanne De Moniek 16 and Odessa O’Neil 15 were their main scorers as Anisa Persaud and Kavita Yadram picked up 2 wickets each. 4 R Lioness responded with 64-7 in 10 overs. Tamika Wilson made 19; Omma Mohabir had 2-6 and Amanda Mohamed 1-12; both teams

were given prizes.

In other events, promising athlete Alita Moore who hails from Wakenaam copped the female 100 meters race, Stephney Carter placed second and Nadine Rodrigues third.

Winston George took the male 100 meters title ahead of Keith Roberts (2nd) and Dreyon Noble. The female 800 meters was won Adona Roberts with Jinelle Jonas (2nd) and Shannon Bayer taking the other two podium spots. Wayne Harlequin carted off the male 800 meters while Cleveland Thomas came second and Kevin Bailey third.

Speaking at the Presentation ceremony acting Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell congratulated the commanders for making their teams available for the competition, the winning teams and Athletes. He also thanked the spectators for their support, while Sports officer Colin Boyce thanked the sponsors and media. The events were sponsored by Mark’s Interior Service, K and B Mining, City Mall inc, Sanjay’s Jewellery, Latchman and Son’s Cambio, Mike’s Mahdia, Trophy Stall Bourda Market, West Demerara Gold, Scott’s Jewellery and Cask Enterprise.

World Champs Windies looking to put on T20 show at Gabba Brisbane, Australia – World T20 Champions West Indies will look to put on a show when they face Australia in a one-off Twenty20 International tomorrow night. The Windies have found the going tough on the ongoing tour and will look to get their first victory in the upcoming match at the Gabba.

First ball is 6:35 pm (4:35 am Eastern Caribbean Time/3:35 am Jamaica Time).

Skipper Darren Sammy made no secret about it when he said the team is “going all out for a win”, as they look to repeat the kind of performances when they won the ICC World T20 Tournament in Sri Lanka last October. In that tournament they beat Australia in the semi-finals and went on to defeat Sri Lanka in the final at the R Premadasa Stadium.

“We have to come in and play like true champions. We are the World Champions and we want to showcase our skills and show the people of Australia what we have. We have not demonstrated that a lot on this tour so we have to look to put it together on Wednesday,” Sammy said. “We have an opportunity to finish the tour on a high. We did the job very well in Sri Lanka last year. The last time we played against Australia in this format we completely outplayed them so that is the kind of motivation we will carry into the match. I know the boys are definitely looking forward to it and I know we will dust off the OneDayers and play like world champions.”

Sammy added: “The people over here in Australia have been very supportive of us and we have not demonstrated our very best cricket for them to see, so we want to give

Darren Sammy them something special before we head back home.”

Looking back at the ODI Series, Sammy noted that the West Indies failed to win the “50-50 moments” and that cost them dearly.

However, he was full of praise for fast bowler Tino Best, who bowled with good pace and got four wickets in his two matches; and opener Johnson Charles, who made 100 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground – his maiden international century.

“Australia played very well throughout the series and we didn’t play very at our very best and the results told us so. Tino bowled really well in the two matches he played. As he said he was on ‘six cylinders’ and got some good wickets for us.” He said of Charles: “For a young guy who has been under pressure, to come out and score his first hundred at the MCG, that was really great and I would like to commend him on the way he played. He played well from start to finish of the innings and we hope he can continue from his point.”

Tuesday February 12, 2013

Kaieteur News

Positive result touted as AAG goes to Court today

No Problem! Deputy Permanent Secretary with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steve Ninvalle (centre) shares a light moment with Colin Boyce (left) and Aubrey Hutson on Sunday at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary.

A positive result for both sides is being touted today when the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) appears in Court to respond to an injunction that former President, Colin Boyce filed on February 1 that sought to nullify the January 20 AGM and Elections.

Boyce had told Kaieteur Sport that the aim of the injunction was to quarantine the association to ensure that those clubs that have satisfied the AAG Constitution get an opportunity to rightfully serve as opposed to the illegitimate clubs that voted at the elections.

Boyce has made it clear that if a fresh election were to be the result of the injunction that stated that the January 20 AGM and Election was unconstitutional; it was unlawful, illegal, ultra vires, null, void and of no effect, he will not be contesting the post of President.

Aubrey Hutson won the AAG Presidency on January 20 six votes to three, but three of the Clubs that were allowed to vote for him were found to be unconstitutional.

With those clubs not allowed to be part of the voting process, the Presidency would have been a dead-heat between Boyce and Hutson, tied three apiece.

According to the AAG Constitution, a club must

consist of 10 active athletes; must participate in 80% of the AAG competitions and must not be indebted to the association among two others that bear no real relevance to the subject of the injunction.

Based on that constitutional criterion, Bedford All stars, Rising Stars and Royal Youth Movement should not have been allowed to vote. Running Braves, which Hutson is President, Mercury Fast Laners and Enmore Track Club voted for Hutson.

The Police Progressive Youth Club, which Boyce manages as Police Sports Officer, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Track Club and Upper Demerara (Linden) are the three largest track clubs in Guyana and all voted for Boyce at last month’s elections.

Boyce and Hutson met privately last Tuesday to amicably discuss the way forward for the AAG in light of this situation.

The meeting was described as “positive” as both parties remained tightlipped on the details of the forum that also included other officials.

However, this newspaper understands that resolutions were tabled, including a withdrawal of the writ. Both Hutson and Boyce were forced to clarify an “inaccurate” news story in another section of the print

media, which threatened to derail their ongoing talks.

As recent as Sunday, Boyce and Hutson met informally along with Deputy Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steve Ninvalle at the Police Commissioner T10 Cricket Competition and Fun Day at the Police Ground, Eve Leary.

Page 35

Letter to the Sports Editor DEAR EDITOR, Raj Singh letter (KN of February 10, 2013) is further evidence of his confusion, delusion or possibly treachery with regards to the matters before the courts.

Calculatingly and conspicuously he omitted to state that he was present in court along with coconspirators Anand Sanasie, Ronald Sarjoo, Krischand Mangal et al that when it was ordered that both factions of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) cannot act and Justice James Bovell-Drakes also got an undertaking for Raj Singh DCB purported secretary (Krischand Mangal), the applicant in the matter that he will not act until the matter is heard by the honourable Court.

While one faction respected the court order, the Raj Singh / Anand Sanasie faction, with clear disrespect for the court, proceed to act as the DCB including the holding of elections on January 25, 2013.

This illegality was replicated on January 27, 2013 when elections of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) were held with only Raj Singh / Anand Sanasie faction of the DCB and the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) present. On the very 25 January 2013, an injunction was granted by Justice Diana Inshanally preventing the holding of elections of the DCB. That injunction was flagrantly disregarded and elections held.

Readers must be reminded

Raj Singh Dishonest - no respect for the Courts that it is the same Raj Singh / Anand Sanasie faction that broke away from the legitimate elections of the DCB in January 2011 and since then Guyana Cricket has been subsumed in chaos.

This was done as the Raj Singh / Anand Sanasie faction realized that, in accordance with the constitution of the DCB; their voting delegates were far less that those supporting Bissoondyal Singh / Roger Harper faction.

The difference in voting delegates arose because the Raj Singh / Anand Sanasie faction is made up of East Bank Demerara Cricket Association (EBDCA) and West Demerara Cricket Association (WDCA) both of which very rarely played cricket competitions. As a matter of fact in fifteen years (15) those two (2) areas have not produce a single cricketer for the DCB senior team. The Bissoondyal Singh / Roger Harper faction comprises of the East Coast Cricket Board and the Georgetown Cricket Association both of which have produced all the senior cricketers for Demerara.

So Raj Singh would want the cricketing public to believe that the lesser two(2) constituent members of the DCB can sneak off and hold illegal elections and then impose themselves as the administration of cricket in Demerara. And then that illegal DCB would conspire with Essequibo Cricket Board to exclude the powerful

Berbice Cricket Board and hold elections of the GCB. The foregoing clearly illustrates that 90% of the strength of Guyana Cricket (Georgetown, East Coast and Berbice) has been totally and deliberately excluded from the administration of the DCB and the GCB. The lawless irrepressible Rajendra Singh who resides in the USA seeks to validate a plethora of falseness.

The Letter from Bissoondyal Singh and Roger Harper minimally seeks to acquire the names of the persons who attended and voted at the mystery meetings of the DCB and the GCB if any meeting at all was held. Georgetown and East Coast must be credited for respecting the decisions of the court. Raj Singh instead of presenting the names as requested of Dr. Julian Hunte, very cunningly stated the names of those who did not attend the bogus GCB elections. Incidentally, as the letter was written to Dr. Julian Hunte in his capacity as the president of the West Indies Cricket Board, Raj Singh has inanely arrogated to himself the right to be spokesman for Dr. Hunte. In their prodigious brawl for power and recognition, the incredulous, notorious and unproductive Rajendra Singh / Anand Sanasie sect continues to sow the seeds of discord in Guyana’s cricket fraternity.

Guyana National Cricket Stakeholders

t r o Sp

Windies Girls trounce Kiwis by 48 runs

Tremayne Smartt breaks into a dance after picking up a wicket (ICC Solaris Images).

MUMBAI, India - A crucial ninth wicket stand between Shanel Daley and Anisa Mohammed upstaged performances from Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin as West

Indies women defeated New Zealand Women by 48 runs in their second Super Six, second round match in the ICC Women’s World Cup at Brabourne Stadium here Monday.

Daley and offspinner Mohammed added 45 valuable runs for the ninth wicket, the highest partnership in the game, to push their side past 200 after the Windies had suffered sporadic batting slumps for most of the innings. Medium-pacer Tremayne Smartt then rocked the New Zealand top order with sharp, late inswing, as they collapsed for 159 runs chasing the Windies 207.

The all-round effort by West Indies women to secure their first ever win over New Zealand has also pushed them one win away from the final.

Daley batted responsibly until she was caught for 37, hitting three fours while Mohammed who struck four fours was undefeated on 31.

Earlier, Taylor scored 49 valuable runs to swing the momentum back in her side’s favour after they stumbled to 75 for three losing early wickets including two in the first ten overs.

Taylor hit seven fours facing 53 balls and her innings helped stabilize West Indies

batting after losing their openers cheaplyNatasha McLean for four and Kycia Knight for 15.

Deandra Dottin in her typically aggressive style smashed 27 from 21 balls to assist in a middle order recovery. New Zealand lost three wickets in the first ten overs and were reeling at 83 for five by the 20th over as Smartt destroyed the frontline batters to finish with 3 for 39 of 9 overs.

Dottin and Taylor picked up two wickets each while Mohammed who was named players of the match also has a wicket to her credit.

The West Indians were also brilliant in the field and highlights include Dottin and Taylor teaming up to run out Katie Perkins for 11 while Kyshona Knight and captain Aguilleira spearheaded the run out of Rachel Priest for 36.

West Indies, known as one of the most improved sides in women’s cricket, have move to second place in the table with six points and will play Australia in their final super six fixture tomorrow.

Scores: West Indies 207 for 9 (Taylor 49, Daley 37, Nielsen 3-27) beat New Zealand 159 (Priest 36*, Bates 30, Smartt 3-39) by 48 runs.

Stafanie Taylor drives through the off side (ICC Solaris Images)

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