Kaieteur News

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January 01, 2013 - Vol. 6 No. 01 - Price $80

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

GGMC illegally International police - says transfers AFC officers to assist - says $254M to NICIL local Force Rohee

New charter for 2013

Happy New Year to all

12 armed ranks guard Jagdeo round the clock

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Mysterious murders, execution-style killings marred 2012 Who murdered 12-yearold Joshua Chunilall near his parents’ Corentyne farm last August? Did a woman mastermind the killing of a Sophia mechanic? And is there a common link behind the execution-style killings of Ricardo Rodrigues and several others last year?

The year 2012 has left police with yet another spate of unsolved murders and a resurgence of suspected drug-related executions.

On March 16, Leonard Mahadeo, 37, of Diamond, New Housing Scheme was drinking in the Soca Paradise Sports Bar located at Old Road Eccles, East Bank Demerara, when two gunmen walked in and riddled him with bullets. They then calmly left the scene. Mahadeo had survived a similar attempt on his life five years ago.

He was said to have been a significant player in the local drug underworld. But police remain baffled as to who killed him and why.

In June, Pest Control Plus owner Mohamed Baksh was sitting in Flava’s Grill, a Thomas Street business place, when a car stopped near the premises.

A gunman then entered the restaurant and shot

Jadesh Dass

Ricardo Rodrigues

Rudolph Narine

Sean Sookdeo

Marlon Osborne

Mohamed Baksh

Rajendra Puran

Renie Wiliams

Baksh twice in the head. He succumbed the following day at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Investigators had received word that Baksh, who survived a similar execution attempt in 2008,

had an ongoing financial dispute with a local businessman.

Also in March, Giovani Leitch, 21, of Tucville was gunned down aback of the Plaisance Market. On April 30, Renie Williams, a 25-yearold taxi driver and former policeman, was sitting with his wife in a car outside their King Edward Street, Albouystown home when a black-clothed man with a 9mm pistol shot him twice in the back, killing him almost instantly.

Four days later, death came just as swiftly for Albouystown resident, Aman Lalchand, called ‘Randy’. The 31-year-old career criminal was smoking a marijuana joint in a poorly lit Sussex Street area, when the occupants of a white car pumped several gunshots into his body.

Close associates said that Lalchand was targeted for execution by an individual who reportedly collected a $1M downpayment to carry out the hit.

In late August, the bulletriddled body of 25-year-old taxi driver, Sean De Freitas Sookdeo, was discovered on Thomas Lands, near the National Park.

Sookdeo’s body bore gunshot wounds to the head, hands and abdomen and there were signs that he was also tortured.

On October 15, Ricardo Rodrigues, a close associate of convicted drug dealer Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan, was riddled with bullets from high-powered rifles as he sat at a table at the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club

compound on Albert Street.

Jean Le Blanc, a Canadian, was also wounded and succumbed several days later.

Rodrigues is said to have been linked to a huge arms cache that was intercepted at Lethem.

Fifteen days after Rodrigues’s execution, his associate, Marlon Osborne, aka Marlon Scott and ‘Trini’, was gunned down in a brazen daylight onslaught while sitting in a vehicle near the junction of Peter Rose and Laluni Streets, Queenstown, Last year was also marred by a spate of baffling murders.

In January, 40-year-old taxi driver Mark Small was found slumped in his car in a nearby canal, at Goodverwagting, Market Street, East Coast Demerara, with several stab wounds about the body.

The following month, 33year-old mechanic Marlon Welcome died shortly after he was found lying in his ‘A’ Field Sophia residence.

An autopsy revealed that he had been shot at close range in the head. Some of the slain man’s associates suggested that a woman had planned the killing and that the motive was robbery.

In May, 43-year-old gold miner Bryan Dickson, also known as ‘Son Son’ and ‘Peck’ of East Street, Cummingsburg, was found gagged and lying on his back in his bedroom with over 20 stab wounds about the body.

A pair of scissors found nearby was presumed to be the murder weapon. There was no sign of forced entry to the residence.

Two April murders, which

had suspected links to triangular love affairs are also puzzling detectives. One of the victims was Kitty taxi driver, Balram Jadoonauth, who was shot dead while heading to his parents’ home.

Police suspect that the 24year-old was slain because of a relationship that he was having with a married woman.

Also in April, someone shot truck driver, Adesh Dass, in the head while he was driving on the desolate Mahaica Public Road in the wee hours of the morning.

Investigators have ruled out robbery as a motive since the cash that Dass was carrying was still intact.

And in one of the most recent cases, residents of Logwood, Enmore, awoke in May to the shocking discovery of the bound body of Diamond taxi driver Rajendra Puran lying in a drain in their East Coast Demerara community.

Puran’s hands were bound with a leather belt while his feet were tied together with a piece of white cord.

Puran’s vest was tightly wrapped around his neck, while his jersey was pulled over his face as if the killers wanted to prevent him from seeing where they were taking him.

A post mortem later revealed that Puran died from strangulation.

Puran, who lived approximately 23 miles away, at Grove New Scheme, East Bank Demerara, is believed to be a victim of a carjacking from outside his operating base at the entrance to the Diamond New (Housing) Scheme, since his white Toyota Raum has also vanished.

Police are still to apprehend the sadistic killer(s) responsible for the rape and murder of Mahaicony housewife Allinva Andrews in mid-April.

The 46-year-old woman’s decomposing body was found at Moraikobe, Mahaicony River.

A post mortem revealed that she was manually strangled. Andrews’s killers had also rammed a 12-inch twig into the woman’s privates.

The July murder of 45year-old Stabroek Market businessman Frank Persaud appears to be that of a robbery that got out of hand.

Persaud was found gagged and bound in a bond at his Bel Air Village, East Coast Demerara home shortly after he was attacked by three men who claimed to be customs officers. Reports indicated that the bandits had tried to revive their victim after observing that he was motionless.

In late August, the badly (Continued on page 44)

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Kaieteur News

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International police officers to assist local Force - says Rohee - civilian specialists to be employed - mandatory overseas training for Constable to officers Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee has outlined an elaborate plan that will see, among other things, significant changes within the Guyana Police Force and other entities under the purview of his Ministry.

Facing a gag order in the National Assembly, the Minister took the opportunity to use a forum conference to detail his five-year plan that will see a name change for the Police Force, the Guyana Prison Service as well as the Guyana Fire Service; the employment of specialist civilian professionals within the Police Force and the possibility of international police officers as consultants.

Addressing more than 100 people in the auditorium of the Police Officers’ Training College, the Home Affairs Minister noted that Government’s Public Safety and Security Strategy is now on the cusp of a critical but necessary phase.

He said that if this phase is not implemented, the result would be a backward step for the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Security Sector as a whole.

The strategic plan for the Guyana Police Force for the period 2013-2017 will see the implementation of a Strategic Management Department, which will have oversight of the plans’ implementation.

This body will have in its employ 10 high level civilian professionals in certain positions within the Force to ensure that a high degree of professional technical and efficient inputs guarantee the implementation of the plan itself. The plan was drawn up by a United Kingdom based consultancy group.

Rohee disclosed that adjustments to the internal management structure of the Guyana Police Force are envisaged.

This strategic plan, Rohee said, will come at a cost of $35M annually.

The Minister added that side by side with the implementation of the strategic plan, the UK based Capita/Symonds Consultancy will be contracted to focus on four specific or critical areas of the Guyana Police Force.

These include strengthening the administration of the force, with particular reference to standards, recruitment and retention of staff and succession planning; Integrity/Probity

(Professionalization) aimed at improving the professionalism of the Force through strengthening its accountability and instigating a more rigorous approach to development of integrity; and Public Relations/ Communications, designed to develop a sustainable approach with particular reference to a modern and responsive approach to dealing with the media and other internal and external stakeholders.

“Implementation of these areas may see the involvement of international police officers as consultants.

However, the contractual agreement in the main, will see the procurement of highly qualified specialists,” the Minister explained.

The first phase of this Consultancy will last for a period four to six weeks, beginning this month and will cost about $25M. Rohee said that his Ministry is committed to ensuring that the Strategic and Implementation Plan as well as the specifically targeted Capita-Symonds Consultancy will be fully implemented within the agreed time frames.

He added that the current Leadership of the Guyana Police Force is on board and fully supports the initiatives.

According to the Home Affairs Minister, efforts to civilianize mutually agreed clerical positions within the Guyana Police Force has already begun with the employment of 60 Data Entry Clerks to input data generated by the Integrated Crime Information System (ICIS) Facilities at 42 Police Stations within “A”, “B”, “C”, “D” and “E and F” Divisions.

In addition, a qualified civilian/professional has been recruited to the post of Policy Analyst at Force Headquarters.

“Moreover, Cabinet at its meeting held in November 14, last, agreed to effect a name change from Guyana Police Force (GPF) to Guyana Police Service (GPS). The legal and other adjustments inherent in this change are profound and far reaching; and will result in a number of institutional and operational adjustments to

the Guyana Police Force,” Rohee told the gathering that included members of the Private Sector, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and other stakeholders.

Meanwhile, Rohee also announced that in preparation for the 2013 Budget, the Ministry of Home Affairs has submitted a radically different draft budget to the Ministry of Finance for its consideration.

To this end, the Home Affairs Ministry has recommended severe adjustments particularly in the area of training in the allocation for the Guyana Police Force in the Ministry of Home Affairs 2013 Budget proposal.

“Whereas in the past only five percent of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ budgetary provision was allocated for local training, for 2013 more than thirty percent of the Budgetary provision will be utilized for training both locally and overseas.”

Rohee explained that his Ministry, in consultation with the Senior Management of the Guyana Police Force, has agreed that for the year 2013, ranks from the level of Constable to Assistant Commissioner will be sent abroad for overseas training.

This is to be made mandatory.

At the local level, with the recent approval by Cabinet of a policy on Study Leave for ranks in the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Prison Service and the Guyana Fire Service, the way has now been cleared for ranks from these Departments to pursue academic studies at the University of Guyana and other institutions of higher learning at home and abroad without losing any benefits and entitlements.

This move comes at a time when there were complaints by ranks that they were being prevented from pursuing higher education, with some of them even losing their jobs as a result of taking time off to study.

Approval is also given for the training of police ranks in aeronautics, with a vision to have them operate soon to be acquired police aircraft.

Rohee lashed out at

Financial Assistance This notice serves to inform the general public that financial contributions to aid the surgery for eight-year-old Fazeela Shaffie, who is suffering from a brain tumour, can be deposited to Citizen’s Bank account number 218562392.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee at the Police Officers’ Training Centre. opposition arguments that there is incompetence and “lack of leadership” at the highest level at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“Opposition Leader, David Granger is on record stating, ‘we are not concerned with one single incident; we’re concerned with a pattern of behaviour over a six year period’.

“Granger is also on record as stating, ‘no one on either side of the House believes

that Public Security is in good hands, which is the ultimate principle’,” Rohee pointed out.

He declared that the Opposition Leader’s claims that the Security Sector, and by implication public safety and security have been jeopardized, is baseless, without foundation and cannot be justified by the facts.

He pointed to statistical data which he said exposes

the inconsistencies and false propagandistic claims in respect to the period in which he has been serving as Minister of Home Affairs.

With respect to fatal accidents, Rohee said that there was a 23 percent decline in the loss of lives when a comparison is made between 2001 and 2006 and the period he took over as Minister of Home Affairs.

“This is an indication that (Continued on page 44)

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

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

2012- a year of mixed impressions A new year has dawned and many people would have made resolutions certainly promising themselves to do something that they had not done during the year just completed. Others would be striving to improve their lot while recognizing that they would have not made the best use of the time during the just concluded year.

Everyone expects more and some will achieve that extra that they crave but there are those who, come this time next year, would again be hoping for improvements and making resolutions. But we need to look back because without knowing the mistakes of past one would make a hash of the future by repeating them. Some of the expectations would have been political. For the first time in the history of the country there was a minority government. This meant that there would no longer be the almost unilateral passage of those things in which the government was interested and the rejection of those things proposed by the opposition on the say so of the government.

The diplomatic community thought that given the fractious nature of the society the minority government was the best thing that could have happened at this time.

Sadly, one year later he nation is still to see the government and the opposition world for the better of the country.

Here were other expectations. One of them had to do with the Cabinet. The former President Bharrat Jagdeo had done much for the economy. He had secured the Norway deal that afforded US$250 million for its standing forests. However, there were aspects of his tenure that left the nation reeling.

Allegations of corruption became rampant. For the first time people who would normally shun criticisms of the government began to make their voices heard. In some cases people presented the administration with hard evidence but they got no reaction. No one was ever prosecuted although some of those who sought to defraud the public treasury were hauled before the courts. However, the matter simply fell off the radar because for some reason the state simply could not proceed.

The allegations and the perception of corruption is said to have caused even die hard supporters of the ruling party to refrain from casting their vote. The result is Guyana’s first minority government. But there were also some good things. For example the government undertook some large investments designed to take the country along the path of most developed countries.

Hydropower, long recognized as the cleanest form of electric power and the most renewable is still to come on stream but the pursuit of this development is ongoing.

President Donald Ramotar stepped in to terminate the contract of Makeshwar ‘Fip’ Motilall because the hydro road project proved to be beyond his reach.

Four extensions to the deadline and the road is still to be completed. Even the signing of the financial package is still to be completed months after the anticipated signing last August. Equally significant is the move to extend the runway at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport to accommodate any aircraft. The length of the runway was a problem; no pilot could make a mistake in landing. That is going to be a thing of the past.

Even the terminal which had become too small for the volume of traffic in and out of the country is to be expanded and brought in line with modern airports. There is money in the airport project because more flights will be heading Guyana’s way. And with more flights come more visitors.

Further, the development would consolidate this country’s position as the bridge to South America.

But it was the high price of gold that really stimulated the economy. For the first time in decades pork and beef were in short supply. The miners were simply buying everything—there are about 50,000 foreigners in the goldfields. With the booming gold industry came the rapid transformation of the city. More businesses opened up in ultra modern facilities; cars are also becoming as commonplace as bicycles to the point that the government is now forced to undertake road expansion programmes.

Surely Guyana is taking off. It is left to be seen if this pace of development would continue in 2013.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

Use negative emotions as fuel for positive growth for the New Year!

DEAR EDITOR, The Humanitarian Mission of New Jersey Arya Samaj Mandir, Inc., and its Guyana Chapter, extends many best wishes for the New Year to the Government and citizens of Guyana.

It’s important to start this wonderful year off with love.

Until you love yourself, no one will love you. Until you understand what love is, you’ll never find it.

As we step into this New Year, let us use any negative emotions as fuel to make positive change. So instead of using those negative emotions for destructive behaviour, use them in a way that moves your life forward.

When things don’t go “our way,” we can feel super negative emotions, especially when the environment and people around us don’t seem to be supporting our happiness; it’s easy to get into a low state of mind. But anger, resentment, frustration, all those emotions can be used for good. Emotions fuel us to take action.

Everyone gets messed up by what happens to them. The question is, for how long?

The past is over. The future is not yet written. But the past isn’t really over until we stop bringing it into the present.

Focusing on, staying stuck in, and not letting go of past events, does nothing to serve you in this present and makes creating a compelling future almost impossible.

When we let go and remain detached from the past, we free ourselves up to create an even better future.

One reason many people hold on to past hurts is because the familiarity of the old wound is much better than opening up and risking being hurt all over again by a new wound.

But the truth is that if we truly want love and awakening in our lives, we must remain open. And when we remain open, we are open to both the love and the pain.

We can use the pain of the past as a way to guide us toward learning more about ourselves and realizing that the spiritual path is one of turning pain into wisdom.

Knowing this helps us remain detached from the past, actually grateful for what happened to us. If you want space in your life for something new, then it’s time to let go – now It’s okay to let go. True Love is letting go. Freedom and free will are the byproducts of Love. So many of us lead our lives holding on so tightly that nothing new,

nothing miraculous can find us. We have been taught for a very long time that holding on is what makes us strong, is what Love is made of, and is the best answer.

But we are stepping into a new paradigm. We are stepping into a time where growth and Love lead the way.

This means we are constantly changing, evolving, dying and being reborn. What must come first is our own spiritual growth. This means listening to our intuition, trusting our gut, and expressing ourselves authentically without hiding.

Holding on to a broken relationship and past hurt stunts our growth. You don’t get points from anyone for how much you suffer.

The Universe wants to deliver to you all that your heart desires.

Our relationships have been sent to teach us, to mould us and to shape us. When we seek Love, life experience sends us all kinds of relationships, sufferings, hurt and disappointment that bring to the surface all the blocks we have to Love.

We must learn to identify when the lesson is over.

Relationships are containers for growth, not opportunities to suffer, so we can prove how

much we “love” someone.

And a relationship isn’t full if both people aren’t in self-love and then sharing their love with each other from a place of overflow. Some people are sent to us for quick lessons, some are sent to us for seasonal lessons and some are sent to us for a lesson we are to be taught over a lifetime.

Let us not try to learn and purify ourselves outside of Love, but instead invoke Love in our lives and recognize that the Love and experience is the purifier and the teacher. The face of Love may change, but the energy of Love of never changes.

Let us no longer try to prove our Love by how much we can hold on to toxic situations and people, but rather by how much we are willing to let go once the lesson has been learned.

There is no rulebook for this principle. This is something we must each learn individually and grow into.

We have the choices to setup so that we have free will to choose to connect to Love, or not. We must give ourselves this freedom as well as all the people in our lives. For Love does not seek to control, but rather gives freedom.

Pandit Suresh Sugrim

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

2012 was another highly successful year for us DEAR EDITOR, The Patron, Management & Members of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club would like to express profound gratitude to every individual, NGO and Company who assisted the club or played a part - no matter how small - in helping us to fulfill our mandate in 2012.

2012 was another highly successful year for us, with over 160 programmes/ projects completed; the test debut of Assad Fudadin, and

our continued dominance of cricket in the ancient county.

We also received the International Olympic Committee Award for Sports in March 2012.

The Club during the year was able to surpass its target of 140 programmes/projects due to the hard work, dedication and passion of every single club member, under the guidance of our Patron Ms. Beverley Harper and President Keith Foster, and this is despite the loss of millions of dollars worth of

office equipment, sport gears and other items for the charity programme that were stolen as a result of four robberies at our club office during the year.

Among the programmes/ projects completed in 2012 were the Annual Awards Ceremony, Cricket Academy, Annual magazine, Republic Bank Summer Camp, Patricia Moniz Educational Trust Fund, Basil Butcher Cricketers Trust Fund, Western Union Junior Ambassador Programme,

Lost in a world of illusions DEAR EDITOR, I would have done an injustice to my fellow veterans and ardent readers of your column, had I failed to respond to a letter written by a retired Major C S Vaughn, captioned “The PNCR vociferous about CLICO, but silent on Globe Trust”. In the bosom of my missive you will observe that I use the name Sylvester which is the name of the writer. Mankind does not surprise me as in this case, it is the writer’s democratic right to rant and rail, but he has to be truthful and accurate and not allow bitterness to engulf him.

Sylvester attempts to compare the debacle which occurred at Globe Trust with what occurred at CLICO. These two situations are incomparable, and I hope the writer is awakened from his slumber.

In the CLICO situation the Government high-

handedly, through its agents, invested Guyanese savings without the consent of policy holders - a behavioral pattern of this regime. Sylvester has conveniently failed to mention the numerous investments CLICO has undertaken at the expense and detriment of Guyanese.

It boggles my mind as to where Sylvester Vaughn lives, at least not in Guyana . The writer has the gall to mention the former President as someone who he sees as caring and truthful in his uttering.

Sylvester’s assault on the PNCR and its Leader, is unfair and unwarranted.

Many persons have suffered losses through Globe Trust, but countless individuals continue to be haunted by the autocratic handling of CLICO’s catastrophe.

May I inform the writer that there are those who

were, and are gleeful of Globe Trust’s misfortune .Sylvester should occupy space in this column to expose corruption by those white collar criminals in this Government, instead of pleading for sympathy from those criminals.

I can only suggest that the tone of Sylvester’s diatribe suggests that he wishes to be in the company of the clique of spineless at OP. Sylvester claims that he is accused of being anti-black.

This is hard to believe and far from the truth.

The attention the writer hopes to attract with his fallacious tale would not be given a thought by those individuals. Probably if the writer was around long enough to know the culture of those persons, he would not have spent his retirement lost in a world of illusions.

Umar Saied

Towards a productive New Year DEAR EDITOR, The Youth Coalition for Transformation (YCT) wishes to extend Happy New Year’s greetings to all Guyanese as we endeavour towards a productive and prosperous 2013. YCT also wishes to express profound gratitude and appreciate to all its members, supporters and donors that have provided support to its many programs, causes and messages in

advocacy and representation of all Guyanese especially our young people. The year 2012 was an extraordinary one with many opportunities and challenges in politics and national development and YCT believes it has also laid the foundation for a productive 2013 based on lessons learnt.

We believe that the people of Guyana must enter the New Year with a resolve in demanding an improved

political system with people centered representation. The efforts toward cooperation must move beyond speeches and towards political maturity and leadership at all levels.

YCT hopes the New Year greets Guyanese witnessing real change and human development in the ‘new dispensation’ for the benefit of all.

Youth Coalition for Transformation

Decency and a memorial site DEAR EDITOR, Thanks for publishing my previous letter (KN, Dec 31, 2012). One of the things I should have added in this letter is that during tyrannical periods of the past, our people were never publicly allowed to mourn their fallen heroes when, where, and how they would have liked.

The reasons for such suppression include a denial to honour the sacrifices made

by our rebellious forbears against tyrannies and injustices of their time. Men and women who stood against tyranny were demonized by the overlords, but the memories were kept alive in the hearts of the survivors. They passed the knowledge of the courageous stances to their children and grandchildren and their communities. Their memories were and are kept

alive in our communities.

It is beyond my comprehension that after more than a century and a half, we do not have the decency to put a memorial where the descendants of our people would like.

We must acknowledge the efforts of those who were killed to make our lives better.

To do otherwise is simply wrong. Let us get this right.

Seelochan Beharry

Tribute to Heroes, Tribute to Head Teachers, Port Mourant Secondary School Teacher & Student of the Term, Lower Corentyne Outstanding Students Award, Gizmos & Gadgets Tribute to Teachers, Scotia Bank Tribute to Outstanding Teachers, Mother of the Year, Father of the Year, Busta Champion of Champions, Spelling Bee Competition, Essay Competition, Television Programmes, Printing of Educational Posters, Printing of Cricket Posters, Senior Citizens Luncheon, monthly hampers for less fortunate, Christmas Children Party for 700 kids, publishing of

Berbice Cricket Board Annual Magazine, granting of Educational Scholarships and donations to countless NGOs, schools and churches.

Additionally, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club has used its office to raise millions of dollars in both cash and materials for Berbice Cricket and also sponsored over 50 programmes for the Berbice Cricket Board.

We are grateful for the support of our sponsors who supported us in 2012. We would also like to express gratitude to members of the media for their coverage of our activities. Special thanks also to the countless

supporters of the Club who backed us throughout the years by turning up at cricket matches, by offering moral support when we needed it most, and also for the criticism which kept us in line.

2013 promises to be a highly successful year for the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports club and we look forward to the continued support of our sponsors, the media and other well-wishers as we strive to make God’s world a better place.

Happy New Year to everyone.

Hilbert Foster, Secretary/CEO, RHTYSC

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Donald Ramotar - President Fellow Guyanese, a Happy New Year to you all, wherever you are in Guyana and in the Diaspora. I hope that this New Year will bring more prosperity to you in all of your personal and professional endeavours.

I urge you to re-commit yourselves in achieving all of your goals.

As we bid goodbye to the year 2012, it is customary to reflect on the year gone by. For us, it has been a year of challenges and also positive developments. In the face of a very serious economic crisis that has gripped the world, Guyana has performed well on the economic front.

We have managed the economy very well and have made progress in continuing to expand our economic base. For 2012 we expect to record a GDP growth of about 4 percent making this the seventh straight year that our economy has recorded growth.

Our sustained strong economic performance is an impressive achievement in light of the prevailing international economic situation. It shows that although we are a small vulnerable economy, the policies we implemented have allowed our economy to be resilient to the external challenges that we face.

Looking to the social sectors, I want to particularly mention

education.

We h a v e achieved universal primary education, we are well on our way to achieving universal secondary education and more of our young people are accessing tertiary and university education than ever before. Our children who wrote the CXC examinations have once more captured most of the awards, given by the Caribbean examination and certification board.

Investing in the education of our young people is important for progress in our country to continue and in this case what we see is that our investment is paying off. I congratulate all our successful children, their parents and more importantly their teachers.

Positive The same positive results we see in education can be seen in other social sectors as health, housing and other areas which impact heavily on the lives of our people. In fact we will begin the construction of a new specialty hospital that will provide tertiary health care of a high standard to our citizens.

Our housing programme has helped to fulfill the dreams of many to own their own homes. We will continue to seek more innovative ways to help more of our people to experience the security of having their own roof over their heads.

All of these

achievements that I mentioned above were made in the face of a domestically difficult political environment. I had hoped that with the new configuration in Parliament that we would have had more cooperation and engagement.

In fact, I was quite hopeful and had mentioned in my swearing in speech my willingness to work with the other political parties in Parliament. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Instead what all of us have observed is that the National Assembly was transformed into an arena where the main objective and obsession of the opposition was to score partisan political points counter to our national interests.

It is now in such a state that unconstitutional motions are being regularly taken in Parliament. In defense of the rule of law and the Constitution, we have had to resort to going to the Courts.

In fact it is these same misguided positions and actions that led to some citizens being harassed and abused in Agricola and the unfortunate loss of lives in Linden.

More dialogue Clearly we need more dialogue and discussions in our society. History has shown that a nation’s all round progress is always enhanced when honest debates, dialogue and

compromise are the tools used in the body politic.

While the government has been willing and has moved even more than halfway to meet the opposition and compromise, we have not seen that same willingness from the other sides. I urge the collective opposition to reconsider its positions and recommit itself to the betterment of our country and the lives of the citizens of our Guyana.

This New Year, 2013 promises to be a very exciting year for us. We hope to carry forward the major projects all of which have the potential to accelerate our growth rate.

We intend to continue to invest in our people.

We are working to construct new schools in the interior to ensure that all of our children, no matter where they are have a chance at a secondary education.

This year too we expect our new fibre-optic cable to be operational and that we would be able to extend its services right across our coastland and through our interior. It is our expectation that this will create IT jobs not only in the centre at Georgetown but from Charity to Moleson Creek and into our interior. All of these initiatives will make steady advances towards a modern economy and society.

This year we will also be observing some important anniversaries in the history of

our country. We will be observing the 250 th anniversary of the Berbice Slave Uprising, the 175 th anniversary of the arrivals of Indians in Guyana and the 175 th anniversary of the abolition of slavery.

These anniversaries are significant to all Guyanese.

They must be used to allow us to foster a greater understanding of ourselves and a deeper appreciation for each other.

These anniversaries can help us promote our uniqueness as a Guyanese people and promote our Guyanese culture that has emerged and is enriched by all of our ethnicities, and the collective experiences of our people who have made this land their home. On this new year I ask you to join with me on the

President Donald Ramotar journey of realizing our common Guyanese dream of making this country of ours a peaceful, modern and prosperous society in which we realize fully our motto of One People, One Nation, One Destiny. Once more, a Happy New Year to you All!

Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana Warmest greetings to all Guyanese especially the workers of this country who have toiled over the decades to make it better. FITUG has, over the years, been through many challenges but at the same time we have triumphed.

Looking back to the time of the industrial revolution, it is clear working conditions were at its worst. It was the formation of trade unions that helped to improve the working standards of the people. Public-spirited individuals who felt a moral obligation to themselves and to their fellow workers and thus decided to march against injustice and help create equal rights for working-class people who didn’t have a voice and who had to endure the worst conditions ranging from the unhealthy which resulted in them being exposed to diseases to the very dangerous which resulted in the loss of lives.

They were also paid very poor wages and thus were unable to maintain their families.

Cesar Chavez, a MexicanAmerican farm worker, labour leader and civil rights activist said: “It is ironic that those who till the soil, cultivate and harvest the fruits and vegetables, and other foods that fill your tables with abundance, have nothing left for themselves”.

This was the sad case but with the rise of trade union and other labour rights organizations, the wages and working conditions of

workers’ changed dramatically. Over the years, working conditions have improved not only in Guyana but around the world.

FITUG’s New Years wish list would have to include such working-class necessities which any workers-friendly government would know that it is in its interest to facilitate. We refer to the need for an improved national minimum wage.

Reform here must cover the widest spectrum of the nation’s work-force.

Tax reform also goes hand-in-hand with measures such as the first mentioned above. For too long Guyana’s working-class has been carrying a tax lowest-paid and our super salaried professional and certain selfemployed whose accountants are adept at evasion.

An improved hire purchase legislation safety next should also occupy the minds of our law makers as should the immediate attention to local government reform.

Power belongs to the people but we ran the risk of first having theoretical local government and mayors in towns for life.

FITUG urges local government reform and elections now.

Guyana needs cooperation, foresight and selflessness in the interest of national peace, progress and greater development.

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Kaieteur News

Guyana Public Service Union As we commence 2013, the year in which we will be celebrating nationally our 90th year of existence effectively improving and safeguarding worker’s rights.

The theme “In defense of Labour Rights Nationally” appears very relevant and most appropriate if only because the industrial relations climate relative to the treatment of workers and their rights continue to be undermined.

The continued arbitrary imposition of salary increases and other benefits and conditions, in the process repudiating legally binding collective bargaining agreements; failure to bargain in good faith with recognized unions in violation of agreements pertaining to such practices; while at the same time interference in the internal affairs of unions in full

consciousness of their debilitating effects on trade unions and their activities; are all within our experience and the danger of continuing as a common practice in Guyana.

These practices and actions are in violation of the constitution and laws of Guyana, and of core ILO Conventions which the Government is under obligation to observe and respect. Instead, workers have been systematically deprived of elements designed for their protection.

Additionally, the failure of certain states, donors and international organizations in their dealings with receiving states that violate the rights of workers, adds to the problem. To recognize and treat such phenomena as unacceptable, and apply corrective action such as insisting on certain codes of

conduct and conditional ties is necessary and must be done.

In this context the Guyana Public Service Union has made it, its main initiative to sensitize its membership and the public at large about the need to put such differences aside and focus on national issues that will ultimately contribute to national development and enhance the quality of life of all Guyanese under the banner of justice, equity, evenhandedness and fair play.

We must recognize that power resides in us and that it is our responsibility therefore to fearlessly take up the challenge to achieve our goals and objectives. I urge and invite you to close ranks and let us move forward with resilience. In so doing we will be guaranteeing to our children, grandchildren, and

People’s Progressive Party As we embrace the New Year, we must reflect on our challenges, take stock of our successes and celebrate our many achievements as a nation. Also, it is a time when we must dedicate ourselves to work even harder for the betterment of our families, community and nation.

In this New Year, we must all strengthen our resolve to ensure we build upon the successes we achieved both individually and collectively as a nation in 2012.

The past year was an interesting one where we continued to experience

progress as nation, but this was limited by the erratic behavior of the opposition alliance of the AFC and APNU in the National Assembly and on the streets which led to the loss of lives and harm to many persons and properties.

However, the PPP remains committed to and will continue to support a pathway of reinforcing national unity in the interest of the development of Guyana so that the lives and future of all Guyanese can be assured.

The year 2013 is pregnant

with possibilities given the progress we have made under successive PPP/C governments. But progress can only continue in an environment of peace and stability. This conducive environment we urge all to contribute to and reject any attempts to derail progress in our beautiful land.

We urge all Guyanese as they reflect on the past year to focus on our individual and collective responsibilities so that we can continue to build a peaceful, progressive and prosperous nation.

Happy New Year to all!

Women’s Progressive Organisation As we celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another, the Central Committee of the Women’s Progressive Organisation extends best wishes for the New Year to all Guyanese.

For each of us, it is usually a time of introspection in which we seek to assess and evaluate our respective realties with the hope for an even more rewarding year.

Let us not look mournfully into the past but wisely improve the present. New Year is the time to unfold new horizons and realize new dreams, to rediscover the strength and faith within us and to gear up for new challenges.

These challenges must serve to motivate us in recognizing that as a nation we have a lot to celebrate even though sometimes some

of us do not think so.

Collectively, we have moved to different levels of development right across the country. Individually, each one of us would have had reasons to celebrate personal achievements as well as family successes.

Let 2013 be yet another year in which we can set realizable goals which can serve to motivate us.

For us in the WPO, we look forward to 2013 with

much optimism and hope since it is going to be the year in which we celebrate our 60 years as an organization which has been championing the issues of women and children.

It is our wish that each day of the coming year be a truly peaceful one and that there will be much to celebrate in the year ahead.

Once again, we wish every Guyanese peace and prosperity in 2013.

ourselves securing a foundation for a safe, modernized and rapidly developing Guyana in a state of good governance, with credible institutions manned by people of integrity, respectful of the rights of all inhabitants.

I take this opportunity to thank members and friends of the Union for their unstinted support during the past year.

It is also projected that new and unprecedented challenges, from which Guyana would not be immune, would have to be faced in the New Year however, it has to be appreciated that dealing with the challenges of 2013 will require continued togetherness and solidarity, enhanced awareness and consciousness of the members of our Union to successfully advance our causes and secure the viability of our Union. I am inviting all members, friends and well wishers to be a part of this process.

I wish you good health, happiness, and personal success in your aspirations throughout 2013.

Page 7

Brigadier (ret’d) David A. Granger, Leader of the Opposition Guyana’s future, in the New Year – 2013 – lies, inescapably, in the hands of our youth. We must give them the best possible preparation to lead this nation forward. We should, therefore, resolve to make the New Year Guyana’s ‘Year for Youth.’ Young people today constitute seventy per cent of our prison population. They are the majority of our poor and unemployed. They are our street children and child labourers who are being robbed of a bright future.

They deserve better.

Guyana’s ‘Year for Youth’ must be one in which our young people should be able to look forward to a good life.

It should be one in which fewer of them become victims of crime or are forced to grow up in hunger, poverty, on the street or in jail.

Guyana’s ‘Year for Youth’ must be one in which our

young people can be educated in well-equipped and well-staffed schools; in which the high rate of dropouts from primary and secondary schools is reduced; in which young school-leavers can expect to be employed and in which the high rate of migration of educated graduates is lowered.

Guyana’s ‘Year for Youth’ must be the beginning of an era in which the education, employment and empowerment of young people are enhanced.

These needs must be embodied in a new National Youth Policy that is central to the development of our nation. Let us, therefore, as we all look forward with anticipation to “a good life for all,” make the New Year – 2013 - Guyana’s ‘Year for Youth.’

My best wishes for a happy new year to everyone!

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds As we Guyanese, and people the world over, approach 2013, we of the PPP/ C are keeping the faith, and hope, in our people and country, planning, and laying in opportunities for the continued development of our people and country.

Today, there are many things in our country that can be rightly criticised: things of which we could not be proud - things which we must change. As members of the Guyanese family, we urge that we

refrain from joining in demeaning and dismissing e a c h o t h e r, o u r s e l v e s : rather, we must set about changing things to whatever extent true; discussing and finding ways for improving the collection and disposal of our garbage; reducing corruption throughout our society; reducing our roadaccident rate which, admittedly, by the most favourable measure is said to be fifty times that of the USA. Speeding and driving under

the influence (DUI) are the two largest causes which we must change: which we will change by changing our habits, ourselves.

From my 45 years’ experience in the workplace, I have no doubt that once we focus on our work, and on how we work, we will get better each day and become second to none, increasing thereby our earnings and finding untold satisfaction in that very work.

Let us make 2013 our best year ever!

Page 8

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Health Ministry poised to expand malaria fight in face of ‘gold rush’

Acquired at a cost of US$50 per net, the Ministry of Health’s impregnated net programme has been deemed a success by Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran.

His comments came despite observations that the disease is being driven by an increase in gold mining activities in the country’s interior locations.

Introduced a few years ago as a means of helping to reduce the threat of malaria in Guyana, the treated bed nets are made of a special material which retains WHOapproved insecticides. These are, according to the Minister, “dangerous, injurious and lethal to the mosquito that causes malaria but is not harmful to human beings.”

Minister Ramsaran said that efforts to expand the programme this year should see some 50,000 bed nets being distributed to the growing mining locations.

The main vector of malaria in Guyana is the Anopheles darlingi which was described by Director of Malaria, Indal Rambajan, as perhaps the most virulent vector in the Western Hemisphere. He was at the time speaking at the Ministry of Health’s end-

Minister Bheri Ramsaran (right) and Chief Medex Mr Baldeo James display a treated bed net. of-year press conference held at its Brickdam, Georgetown, headquarters, yesterday.

According to the M a l a r i a D i r e c t o r, t h e M i n i s t r y o f H e a l t h ’s Malaria programme expends in excess of $180 million to combat the d i s e a s e e a c h y e a r. T h e health sector ’s spending

capacity is however complemented by about $300 million from Global Fund. Additional financial support is gained from the United States Agency for International Development and the Pan American Health Organisation which together affords the Ministry about another

$100 million, he said.

“It is a large, large budget, it involves fuel and transportation too,” Rambajan added as he emphasised that a great sum is needed to sustain the programme. He said, too, that to date the Ministry in collaboration with its partners has been able to distribute in excess of 115,000 treated bed nets which is a figure more than the combined populations of Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine where the disease is endemic.

Challenging Process Even as he addressed the impact of the disease, Rambajan said that health officials are challenged to combat malaria as it is required of Health officials to access some hard-to-reach mining camps.

He said that some camps have a depth of about 200 feet and health officials are forced to access these in order to do mass blood surveys of fever cases.

He observed that over the past four years the number of persons engaged in the gold mining sector in the affected malaria endemic areas have significantly increased from 20,000 to about 130,000.

“This is a direct result of the unprecedented increase

in world market gold price from US$114 in 2005 to the present US$ 1,800. In 2013 it is expected that the price of gold on the world market will reach as high as US$3,000 driven in the main by demands from China and India,” Dr Rambajan said.

Consequently he believes that the number of persons engaged in the sector will continue to increase significantly.

According to the Malaria Director, since miners are among the target population for the Ministry’s programme some of the treated bed nets are specially designed for hammocks in which a number of them sleep.

“Nets do not only perform by killing the mosquitoes they also form a barrier between the human host and the vector so it is very important because it is two-fold.”

The specially treated nets, Minister Ramsaran, said has the potential to annihilate other vectors as well thus tangentially controlling to a measured but lesser extent other diseases. Over the course of this year, he said that more than 1,000 nets were distributed to areas where there are a large number of reported malaria cases.

These, according to him, include the mining areas and certain indigenous areas where documented positive effect has been observed. He said that the Ministry has been working towards consistent continuance and expansion of its treated bed nets programme over the years.

“We will continue to send nets in measured numbers to certain communities especially where we note a continuously high report of malaria cases like in Regions Seven and Eight particularly where there are significant mining activities and a mobile population,” said Dr Ramsaran.

Noticeable Reduction However, a noticeable reduction of the disease, the

Minister asserted, cannot be credited to the use of treated bed nets alone. During an interview with this newspaper he noted that the reduction can be mainly attributed to the fact that the Health Ministry in collaboration with its international partners has created a large extensive network of health care providers who are trained specifically to fight malaria.

There are some health workers who have had general training but have been additionally trained to support the malaria workers.

Among those with additional training are the Community Health Workers and Medexes who have skills in microscopy and who complement the efforts of medical practitioners and the vector control workers.

These health officials, he said, are tasked with training and educating while at the same time diagnosing, using the microscope, even as treatment is made available.

“First and foremost it is the continuous persistent effort over the past few years and more especially in the past five to eight years by the Ministry to create that workforce that has brought the situation under control...They go out at not only fixed locations but they visit the mining areas, they visit logging areas too...sometimes we forget that loggers are as exposed as the miners,” said Minister Ramsaran.

The Minister said that the Ministry has made available the best legal medication obtainable to those infected with the disease.

The Ministry estimates that from the present trend that there will be a 15 to 18 per cent reduction in the number of malaria cases for 2012 when compared to 2011.

Also sharing the spotlight yesterday were Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, Medical Officer; Dr Rayand Rahman and Chief Vector Control Inspector Mr Karanchand Krishnalall along with Director of Regional Health Services, Dr Irv Chan.

Recently released prisoner back behind bars Court regular Anthony Layne, 33, of Angoy’s Avenue, who was recently resealed from jail, is back behind bars on a charge of larceny from the person.

He appeared at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s court before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo on Friday and was remanded to jail.

The court was told by Prosecutor Orin Joseph that on December 5, last, at St Magdalene Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice, the accused snatched a gold chain valued at $60,000 from the neck of Premwattie Devi and made good his escape.

According to the prosecutor an alarm was raised and the police were

informed. After investigation the accused was subsequently arrested and positively identified as the culprit.

He was later charged. The court was told that the man had only recently been released from jail after serving a sentence for a similar crime.

He will return to court on January 7, 2013.

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 9

MAN OF THE YEAR FOR 2012 IS… The acting Chief Justice of Guyana, Ian Chang, is this column’s choice for Man of Year for 2012. He won the award convincingly.

There was no need to consider any other contenders. The quality of Justice Chang’s decisions in three cases, set him apart from any possible rival and made him the undisputed winner of the coveted prize of Man of the Year for 2012 in Guyana, as adjudged by this column.

Justice Chang’s rulings have been of an exceptionally high standard of jurisprudence and he is now likely because of this to become a prime candidate for the Caribbean Court of Appeal, that is, if this is what he wants for himself. He has elevated himself amongst the pantheon of great legal minds in Guyana and while his decisions are not without criticism or free from attracting controversy, they

stand in a class of their own and are of an exceptional high grade.

The three decisions in which Justice Chang distinguished himself in 2012 were: a) His ruling in the constitutional challenge to the composition of parliamentary committees b) The challenge against the Budget cuts made by the opposition parties. c) The overturning of the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions to recommend charges against the then Police Commissioner, Mr. Henry Greene (now deceased).

That latter decision alone is a landmark one and by itself would have qualified the Chief Justice for the award the Man of the Year for 2012. But there were the two other decisions all of which are likely to become part of legal precedent in the

Commonwealth Caribbean.

The first decision involved a challenge by the country’s Attorney General to the composition of parliamentary committees.

The AG had argued that these committees should have been constituted according to the principle of proportionality.

The respondents, in turn, based their arguments on the fact that parliament controls its own internal affairs and is not subject to judicial review.

The decision reiterated the principle that while the National Assembly may regulate its own procedures and make rules for such purposes, such rules must not collide with any of the provisions of the Constitution.

In other words, the National Assembly does not have absolute immunity; its actions are subject to the Constitution.

In his decision, Justice

Dem boys seh...

Donald got to shine in de New Year Bar Rat was, is, and will always be a scamp in dem boys book and in nuff, nuff people eyes. De fuss thing that mek dem boys know fuh sure was when he surround heself wid scamps like heself.

He meet Bob Bee, Brazzy, and de rest of de kavakamites.

When all of dem meet at de drinking hole dem does put Bar Rat to stand in de middle of a circle and dem does praise Bar Rat as de Scamp of de Highest Order.

He and Bob Bee done tell Donald that dem got to get a National Award. Dem boys seh that Donald got to create a new award just like how Jagdeo did create one fuh Papa Cheddi. Donald got to give Bar Rat de O.O.S.—

Order of Scampishness.

Brazzy and Bob Bee got to get M.O.S.—Medal of Scampishness.

But in de New Year Donald got to mek some serious change and a serious turnaround from how Bar Rat use to run de country. He got to come out shining. He got to sound good and look good, feel good and even smell good. This can only happen when he get rid of de Rat smell.

People like shine things.

Dem like shine gold and shine silver. Donald got to shine up he government. He already shine he head and he wearing shine shirt. He got to shine some other things.

De people want he to shine up he government. And

de only way he can do that is to get rid of de garbage wha de Rat lef in Ohh Pee. Then he got to shine up he Cabinet and not de one at he house or at State House.

He got to shine de one that does assemble at Ohh Pee. Then he got to bring in polished people—dem professionals and not dem yes man wha de Rat use to like deh round. In this way de whole country gun shine and Donald will be de shining light that people did expect him to be when dem vote de last time.

Talk half and enjoy de New Year To de whole country, Donald look like gold because dem see how he got sheen.

Chang found that the Court was unable to read into the provisions of the Constitution a mandate that the composition of the parliamentary committees should be in proportion to the seats allocated to the various parties in the National Assembly.

As such, the only basis upon which the composition of the parliamentary committees could have been overturned was if the makeup of these committees were unconstitutional. Justice Chang found that such a case had not been established.

The second decision concerned a challenge by the Attorney General to the cuts instituted by the combined opposition against the 2012 Budget. These cuts included cuts to the subvention of the Ethnic Relations Commission, a body created by the Constitution.

In his ruling the CJ argued that the National Assembly did not have the authority to either cut or reduce the Budget since in so doing the Assembly was both determining and approving the estimates, and this collides with the right of the

government to initiate spending proposals.

In relation to constitutional commissions, he noted that a distinction had to be made between the members of those commissions and the establishment and maintenance of these bodies.

He argued that it is not for the National Assembly to take remedial action against the composition of the ERC by refusing its subvention or by limiting this subvention to a mere $1.

This ruling while preliminary has clearly placed a brake on any intentions there may have been to create a tyranny of one in the National Assembly.

The third and perhaps most significant decision was when the CJ overturned a recommendation by the Director of Public Prosecutions proffering charges against the then Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene, now deceased.

In that case the CJ made a landmark ruling, to wit, that in the exercise of public law the decision to prosecute or not to prosecute is not beyond judicial review.

Justice Chang in a decision

marked by thoroughness and rigour, argued that the public interest must include the right of members to not be charged for offenses for which there were no realistic prospects of success.

In arriving at a decision as to whether to prosecute, the CJ argued that the DPP was obligated to apply the realistic prospect of conviction test. If the DPP viewing the matter holistically and objectively came to the conclusion that the prosecution would be unlikely to satisfy a jury beyond reasonable doubt, then the no charges ought to be laid.

This was a landmark decision and one that will make legal history and be used as a precedent. Such has the quality of the rulings of Justice Chang this year and more than ensured that he emerged for the second time in recent memory as this column’s Man of the Year.

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 01, 2013

=== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ===

Do people read newspapers on New Year’s Day? I always wonder about this question in Guyana particularly? With the rise of the internet, it has become even more pressing. Based on observation and certainly not actual experience, (only attended one Old Year ’s Night party in my life and that was the WPA’s in 1978) I find that Old Year ’s Night escapism to be an all consuming affair. When I was studying in Canada, I found the excessive enthusiasm of the Old Year’s Night fete to be the same as it was in Guyana.

It must be the same for

most countries. People look forward to the night of December 31. You could be wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, single, student, lonely drifter or anything else, the night of December 31 beckons you to an abandonment. You sleep late and wake late. Do newspapers matter by then?

Do you want to read the papers at all? Don’t you make the decision that on New Year’s Day you are going to do absolutely nothing but maybe sleep again or go out clubbing or sporting again or continue your abandonment?

Before the internet, the radio and newspapers were all there were by way of knowing what went on during the daytime of December 31 so newspapers still mattered in those days. You get up late and you just glanced at the headlines or tune into the radio.

When television came on the scene, newspaper took some competition on the first day in January because you could lie in bed and look at the idiot box before you fell asleep or go out again. In any case unless you were a subscriber you would not have been able to get a copy

because by afternoon when you would have risen from bed, the kiosk may be empty.

It never occurred to me to ask the people at the Catholic Standard, the Stabroek News and the Kaieteur News if they print fewer copies of the New Year ’s edition. Maybe I should ask.

I doubt if there is any educated person out there that would argue that the rise of the internet is not a threat to the daily newspaper, weekly or monthly magazine.

The New York Times said that it had to lay off staff because of shrinking sales due to

online news sites. And Newsweek has closed down operating only an online edition.

One of the world’s really great, fantastic newspapers was closed because of the internet. Don’t let the name fool you but at one time The Christian Science Monitor was the leading newspaper in the US. It was the first newspaper I read when I was in Canada. Today it operates as an online media.

Do you know that the political community in Washington D.C. reads online newspapers with the same curiosity as it does the Washington Post and the New York Times? The list includes Politico, the Daily Beast and the Huffington Post. I am not sure how much longer TIME magazine has.

TIME is a weekly publication and by the time it comes out you know everything you need to know about an event in any part of the world because of the internet. Not necessarily so.

TIME can use angles and get photographs that other media houses missed. But that does not seem to be the case. Whatever TIME can get CNN, BBC, Guardian, New York Times and other media giants, including the Murdoch Empire, can.

So what happens today in Guyana? Will the newspapers on this day in this country be read widely as if it was a normal working day as just another routine holiday? My

Frederick Kissoon opinion is that it will not. I haven’t done the research. I don’t know if the circulation is the same. But even if it is what about the return copies?

I seriously doubt that on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day in this country and others around the world, the same numbers that put their eyes on a newspaper during a normal working day will be the same. I would need to see the statistics to believe it.

Of course more persons per capita will read the newspapers on this day compared with more developed societies simply because the use of the internet is not as widespread here as say Trinidad, Singapore, Malaysia, Barbados etc much less Europe and North America.

Guyana, comparatively speaking, is a very poor country. I don’t have the statistics but social networking exists among a slim percentage of the population in Guyana. So for a substantial amount of Guyanese, a newspaper is the only avenue for knowing about the news.

Taxi driver chopped after parting argument Jeetram Persaud, a 38year-old GR taxi service driver is currently nursing chop wounds to the head, hands and abdomen after he was “attacked” by a fellow driver at the Sheriff Street based taxi service. The incident occurred at around 20:00hrs on Thursday December 20.

Persaud resides at 32 Second Street Better Hope, South.

“Two men at the base were arguing about parking space and the one who was wrong was a big man, and he was arguing with a youth man. When he threaten the boy who look like he in his early 20s, Jeetram went up to he and tell he that he wrong, and that he shouldn’t threaten the youth man,” a family member explained.

The girl, who spoke on behalf of an injured Persaud, added that after he

(Persaud) approached the man, the assailant calmed down. At this time, Persaud noted that he took up a seat on a bench in front of the service base, and did not see when his attacker armed himself with a cutlass.

Kaieteur News was told that the man approached Persaud from behind, and began firing chops to the back of his head.

“After Jeetram fell to the ground, he tried to block the chops. That is how he got chopped in the abdomen and on his hands,” the relative added. Kaieteur News understands that the driver escaped the scene and has not been seen or heard from since.

Meanwhile, the “youth man’ who witnessed the attack, along with some passersby has already given statements to the Kitty Police.

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

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 11

GGMC illegally transfers $254M transfer from GGMC to NICIL – AFC The Alliance For Change (AFC) has raised an alarm over a $254M transfer from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) recently, describing it as an outrageous and illegal act by government.

According to AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, the money was transferred two weeks ago to the bank account of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).

GGMC is the government’s semiautonomous agency tasked with regulating the natural resources sector, excluding forestry. It collects royalties, taxes and other fees from gold mining and quarrying activities, among others.

NICIL is the government agency in charge of managing state assets.

AFC’s Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan According to Ramjattan, the monies should rightly go the Consolidated Fund, where all revenues for the state are controlled.

“To place these monies

elsewhere is a breach of financial regulations of the country. The government is fully aware of this.”

Chairing the Board of Directors of NICIL is Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh. He was not immediately available for a comment.

H o w e v e r, a s e n i o r official of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, which has the ministerial responsibilities for GGMC, confirmed that the monies have been transferred to NICIL. The official, who asked not to be named, explained that the money is for the repairs and maintenance of several key hinterland roads…roads that are critical to the mining community.

“The arrangement with

GGMC and NICIL for the roads is one that has been around for a number of years now. The monies are intended for the Ministry of Public Works which is the Ministry in charge of the works.”

As a matter of fact, the official insisted, the Cabinet of Government Ministers has given approval and has been giving approval for years now.

NICIL’s handling of state funds has been a simmering one for a while now.

AFC and the A Partnership For National Unity (APNU), two opposition parties in the National Assembly which have a combined voting majority, have clashed with government for NICIL’s millions- proceeds from the

Regina branch, she was advised by a senior official to submit Fredericks’s medical and other particulars.

The woman is seeking some form of compensation for her son’s injuries.

Fernando Fredericks was standing near to an electric pole at the Anna Regina car park. The pole subsequently fell on his foot and severed four of his toes.

“Will help in the drainage system”- Dr Ramsammy Farmers at Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, will no longer have to worry about flooding in their farmlands because a new fixed site pump will soon be installed in their village, according to the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Leslie Ramsammy.

The Minister made this announcement during his end of year briefing on the agriculture sector in Guyana, on Saturday.

Kaieteur News understands that there are currently 126 pumps operational in Guyana yet the “pumping capacity is critical”.

According to the Minister, come next year, 14 more pumps will be imported, taking the total to 140 pumps.

The main idea of having all these pumps in Guyana is to combat the flooding which comes after heavy rainfall.

During the course of the past year, Kaieteur News carried a number of articles of farmers across Guyana tallying their losses after heavy rainfall. Some of the farmers, mostly cash crop farmers, lost billions of dollars

sale and privatization of government’s assets.

The Opposition is arguing that NICIL’s funds belong to the state and should be deposited to the Consolidated Funds.

These funds have to be approved by the National Assembly before being expended.

However, government is standing by its grounds that NICIL is a private company which does not have to release the monies into government’s central accounting system.

It has been a battle raging for a while in the National Assembly, spurring a number of debates also.

A decision by NICIL to invest at least US$20M into the construction of a partly government-owned

Marriott-branded hotel in Kingston, the construction of which is fully under way, has been meeting with rejection by the Opposition.

The AFC leader was harsh on the transfer from GGMC to NICIL. “Dr. Ashni Singh is the Chairman of NICIL and the Finance Minister as well. He is supposed to safeguard the people’s monies. He knows what should be done.

He described the decision to transfer the $254M as “state thievery” and “outrageous”.

“I am calling on NICIL to come clean in the New Year.

“The PPP is embracing transparency and accountability like a prostitute embracing chastity.”

Teen who lost toes back in hospital Guyana to receive 14 more pumps

Fernando Fredericks, 18, the excavator operator who lost four of his toes on Christmas Eve Day during a freak storm when an electrical pole belonging to Guyana Power and Light uprooted severing four of his toes, has been readmitted to the Suddie Public Hospital Cooperation.

Fredericks’s injured left foot, upon careful examination by doctors, is said to be

inflamed. Four of the sutures had to be forcefully removed.

Mrs. Fredericks said that the inflamed leg was the source of the pain her son felt. She added that now that the four sutures have been removed, her son, who remains hospitalized, has not been in as much pain.

And Mrs. Fredericks said that upon a visit to Guyana Power and Light, Anna

Leslie Ramsammy while others were left without food. The Minister, on

Saturday, said that Crabwood Creek will be receiving a pump for the first time. Some other areas which will be receiving these pumps are Pine Ground in Mahaicony, Albion, Black Bush Polder, Rose Hall and Canal Polder.

Dr Ramsammy said that of the 14 pumps, six new mobile pumps which were procured as part of an arrangement with EXIM Bank, India, in a partnership between the Government of Guyana and the Government of India will arrived in Guyana this month while the remainder will arrive in March.

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Two police officers charged for Belgrave Killing

By Rehanna Ramsay After much delay over the controversial shooting death of Damien Belgrave, two police officers finally appeared before Magistrate Sueanna Lovell on a charge of manslaughter in relation to the October 5 killing of the 21year old Lethem resident.

Belgrave was shot in the vicinity of White Castle Fish Shop while police ranks were in hot pursuit of suspected criminal elements who were occupying a white motor car, the suspect turned out to be an unlicensed teenage driver.

Police constables Sheldon Williams, 34, of Coldingen, East Coast Demerara, and Errol Williams, 41, of Glasgow Village, East Bank Berbice, yesterday, faced the court to answer a charge for the unlawful killing of Damien Belgrave. They were not required to plead to the indictable charge.

However in a request for bail, Attorney-at-law Patrice Henry told the court that his client, Errol Williams, has 15 years work experience in the Police force and at the time of the incident he was attached to Tactical Services Unit (TSU) performing his

Sheldon Williams

Errol Williams

duties.

Henry argued that the circumstances in which the defendants were arrested are questionable as an explosion reportedly took place at the scene of the crime in which witnesses could attest to.

Henry claimed that it would be hard to prove who actually did the shooting as both officers were armed. He also pointed out that no warhead was recovered from the scene of the crime.

Meanwhile Sheldon Williams’s Attorney, George Thomas, also endorsed the call for bail. Thomas said that his client assisted with police investigations and has no reason why he would not wish to ventilate the issue so

as to clear his name of the allegations.

Thomas also told the court that “the strength of the evidence against the accused is weak and challengeable” in content.

Although Prosecutor Stephen Telford made no objection to bail he asked that bail be on condition that both accused lodge their passports and report to the Alberttown police station once every week.

After listening to submissions by both the Defense and the Prosecutor, the magistrate ruled that both accused be admitted to bail in the sum of $250,000. The matter is adjourned until January 22.

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Food and drink prices to rise in 2013 Food prices went up by 3.3 per cent in 2012 and are expected to increase by 4.5 per cent in 2013, according to Prestige Purchasing’s annual food inflation report.

David Read, CEO of Prestige Purchasing, presented the findings to members of the catering and hospitality industry at the Goring Hotel in London last night.

The rate of inflation for vegetables hit 5.5 per cent in 2012, while the price of potatoes, pork and alcohol are expected to rise considerably over the next year.

Read said: “Personally, I have really felt the impact of climate change this year - it is having a major impact on food pricing and, if anything, the weather will become more volatile.”

Poor harvests in 2012 led to an increase in the price of vegetables, with potatoes particularly hit due to chip manufacturers competing for the highest quality potatoes to supply to caterers.

The report found that the rate of inflation for

drinks rose to four per cent, partly due to rising commodity costs of some grains and sugars used in alcohol production and also poor grape harvests in France, Italy and Argentina. Over the next six months, wine is expected to rise by 30-40 pence per bottle.

The dairy industry has also been hit as the supermarkets drive prices down, which is having a knock-on effect on associated products such as cheese and yogurt.

Read said caterers and hospitality operators are expected to feel the biggest impact.

Read added that markets are suffering from speculators seeking profits. “People betting on future prices of commodities is a major source of volatility for food prices. Instability is bad for farmers but great for traders,” he told SM. Population growth is forecast to double in the next 50 years, which will put more pressure on food resources, and increased trade in the

third world is also having an impact on prices.

But there was some good news for buyers as the prices of oils and fats are expected to continue to fall as palm oil stocks are high. Producers are also switching to soya for feed because it is cheaper than grain and a by-product is soya oil, which is easing prices in the market.

Read recommended three options for organisations to overcome rising prices; optimising distribution; benchmarking and insight; and source optimisation. Depending on the size of a business and the amount of purchasing power it has, Read said there are four buying options; cash and carry; wholesale; hybrid; and central distribution.

He recommended that businesses with a low-spend take a cash-and-carry approach while large buyers should buy products direct from the supplier to get the best value.

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Kaieteur News

Rank in Agricola killing for High Court Terrence Wallace, the policeman accused of murdering Agricola youth, Shaquille Grant, has been committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court.

Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine Beharry yesterday, after reviewing the submissions of both the prosecution and the defence, ruled that a prima facie case had been made out against the accused. The Magistrate in her ruling said enough evidence has been established against the accused for him to stand trial in the High Court.

The Chief Magistrate provided Wallace with three options. The Magistrate told the accused that he could either remain silent, or stand in the dock and make an unsworn statement where he will not be questioned by Prosecutor Stephen Telford.

His third option was going into the witness box where the prosecutor would be allowed to question him.

murder accused Terrence Wallace Wallace is represented by Attorney At Law Sonia Parag.

Based on the advice of his Attorney, the accused elected the second option; Wallace stood from the dock and declared, “I am innocent of the charge and I reserve my witnesses for the High Court.”

Wallace later agreed to sign the statement that he

gave. His case is scheduled to come up before a judge during the course of 2013.

Tears of liberation rolled down the faces of Grant’s mother and grandmother as the ruling was made.

On September 11, ranks on a mobile police patrol swooped down on a group of youths in a yard at Caesar Street, Agricola.

Police in a press release on the day of the shooting had said that the ranks came under fire and they returned fire, fatally wounding Grant, of 12 BB Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

Romel Bollers, 20, of Brutus Street, Agricola, was also shot.

Police said a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver was recovered at the scene.

According to the police, they had received information that a gang in Agricola was planning a robbery on a business entity located near the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

12 armed ranks guard Jagdeo round the clock

FLASHBACK: Jagdeo inspecting a Guard of Honour by police ranks while he was Head of State.

Over a year after he demitted office Former President Bharrat Jagdeo continues to live like he’s still the head of state, especially when it comes to his security detail.

No wonder opposition politicians are clamouring for a review of his benefits, which they claim are placing a heavy burden on the taxpayers of the country.

Kaieteur News has managed to ascertain that the former President still has his full complement of security personnel, consisting of fulltime members of the Guyana Police Force.

This situation is even more troubling especially when it is taken into account that the Guyana Police Force is short on ranks to effectively

protect citizens.

At present the force is operating with approximately 3500 ranks to serve a population of about 720,000 persons.

This works out to about one rank to every 205 persons.

But reliable sources have informed that Jagdeo alone currently has a total of 12 guards on a 24 hours basis.

There are eight who are split up over two 12 hours shifts at his mansion in Pradoville 2 (Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara) while four others act as personal security to the former President.

Contrast this with the fact that the Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition has claimed that the government

is failing in its obligation when it comes to the provision of security for that office.

An act of parliament mandates the government to provide a “rent free office” for the Opposition Leader, and security for both the provided office and the home of the Opposition Leader.

H o w e v e r, that provision is lacking, as $1M is owed to a security firm for services offered to the Opposition Leader for the period January-June of the year.

A Partnership for National Unity officials noted that security service from the police was not authorized until June last year, hence the need to solicit private services.

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APNU optimistic about Linden compensation …disappointed government short changing community A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has high expectations that come 2013, the government who has already expended over $150M into the inquiry of the Linden unrest, will equally set aside adequate funds to compensate the family of those who were killed, maimed and disfigured during the protest in that district.

The party was airing its dissatisfaction towards the manner in which the current Administration was treating the people of the community.

It felt that certain agreements made were not being fulfilled.

The party however expects that following the decisions of the COI commissioners, “the government would do

the right thing and compensate fully those who were injured.”

APNU member, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, said that the party despite the Government’s failure has recognized the sovereignty and authority of the regional heads.

He said that they have been very careful not to trespass on the regional council’s jurisdiction and was very careful not to be seen as leading or stirring Linden in any direction.

He however noted that APNU, “is completely dissatisfied with the dishonoring of the August 21, agreement,” which the community and the Government signed to. He highlighted that one of the agreements made in August that has totally been ignored

Zamin Khan, called “Zamin”, 61, of East Canje, Berbice appeared before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo on the charge of break and enter and larceny committed on the dwelling house of Marcia Ganpat of Fort Ordnance Housing Scheme East Canje, Berbice on November 18, last.

Prosecuting Sergeant Godfrey Playter told the court that the man is known to the occupants of the home. On the day in question the woman secured her premises and went out around 08:30 hrs. She returned home around 19:45 hrs and to her disbelief noticed that her home was broken into.

Upon checking she discovered that $35,000 which she had secured was missing. An alarm was raised and the police were informed.

After investigation Khan was arrested and charged. He appeared in court and was sent on his own recognizance due to his age. He will return to court on January 11, 2013.

Basil Williams

Rupert Roopnarine is the stipulation that the committees report to a plenary every 14 days. This he charged has not been done since the signing of the agreement and sees that act as a breach.

Roopnaraine said, “Having been at much of the

discussions that led to the agreements, I can tell you that the Government’s rather cavalier attitude towards the establishment of a television station is completely regrettable and an act of bad faith.” He said that in all discussions, the Government had made commitments that they would expedite efforts for the region’s broadcast license and the handing over equipment, but to date, Roopnaraine said the television station is still not on air. It was also mentioned by the party’s second in command, that it was cavalier of the Government to state that the license for Linden could not be given by the Government, but the community must apply to the relevant agency. As a result, the party said it is dissatisfied with the

progress being made with the Linden community.

Lawyer for injured Lindeners, Basil Williams, said in relation to COI, those such as NICIL , who are asking for compensation, are not in the same situation as the residents. He highlighted that those injured were as a result of state agents and especially where the perpetrators are not identifiable; the Government should go into its coffers and compensate the people.

Williams said that his party believes that those who were injured, maimed and disfigured must be compensated. In terms of the actual terms of reference, it’s hoped that recommendations may be put forward that would assist in an improved, efficient and professional police force.

Grandfather charged Herstelling man dies with break and enter in Friendship accident As the New Year dawned, the Narine household of Herstelling, on the East Bank Demerara is in the process of planning a funeral of a loved one.

Leelaram Narine, better known as “Kampo” was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) following an accident on the Friendship, East Bank Demerara Public Road last Sunday night.

According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Office, the 45-yearold man was struck by minibus BPP 514 around 19:00hrs as he attempted to cross the road.

At the time of his death, Narine was preparing to begin the first night of his new job as a security guard.

During a visit to the man’s home yesterday, Kaieteur News learnt that Narine did all kinds of work to provide

Dead: Leelaram “Kampo” Narine for himself and his 72-yearold mother who remains distraught over the death of her youngest child.

“Kampo went to work and drop off he bag and stuff and then like he went over the road to buy a cigarette. He was

smoking when he get knock down because the lit cigarette left in he hand,” the man’s cousin told this publication.

She who was the first of Narine’s relative to show up at the scene added that as she arrived, the driver kept lamenting that he had been honking his horn for the man to move, but he did not.

“After the driver keep saying that he was honking he horn for me cousin to move, somebody in the bus turned and said that with the speed that the bus was going, it couldn’t stop”.

The woman added that as she rushed to the GPHC, she held her chest when police said that her cousin was gone.

“Like I didn’t even know how to feel. When I walk into the hospital I just see he just lying there on the bed with his eyes open.”

The driver of the minibus is said to be in police custody assisting with investigations.

Man, 43, killed in hit and run accident Relatives of a Met-enMeer-zorg, West Coast Demerara man, who died as a result of a hit and run accident late Saturday are requesting the police to conduct a thorough investigation into his death.

They are asking that the police not to side with the main suspect, whose father is a Cadet Officer.

Dead is Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) former employee, 43-year-old Bhagwan Budhram of lot 58 Met-en-Meer-zorg.

According to information, the man’s body was found around 16:30 hours on Sunday at a trench located near the Met-en-Meer-zorg

main road.

Along with the man’s body were a shattered window screen and broken lights.

Eyewitnesses however told the man’s family that they heard a “loud bang” near the trench and upon checking, they saw a vehicle leaving.

“They (eyewitnesses) say that they hear this hard noise and when they peep out they see the bus leaving so they collect the bus number,” the dead man’s brother said.

“The neighbours say that vehicles does hit down animals on the road so they didn’t think it was anything but they collect

the number in case of future problems.”

The Budhram family gave the registration number for the bus to the police and a man was taken into police custody.

According to the dead man’s brother, at one time the bus driver claimed that he hit a cow and then he changed his story to hitting a horse. “ We w a n t j u s t i c e.

Because his father is an officer they have him very comfortable in the station,” the brother said.

The family fears that the police may put the suspect on bail and that Budhram’s death would remain unsolved.

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Tuesday January 01, 2013

Kaieteur News

Some New Year's wishes and gifts to dem Boys and Girls The past year, 2012, has been one filled with lots of twists, subplots, questions, slashed budgets, arrests, embarrassments and the lists go on. But dem boys down at Kaieteur News and all dem friends…and is nuff of

A new Cabinet, new shirt jacs, new masseuse, Lie detector to use on ministers when they open their mouths.

dem…decide that dey want to break de new year on the right foot.

So we sending out some special New's Year's wishes and using monies we tekking under de table from de kantractors to buy some gifts too fuh dem. We hope dat both

de wishes and de gifts help.

And to all dem boys and girls who agree, dem boys down at Kaieteur News inviting dem to a lime at Kaieteur News to drink some whisky and rum this afternoon.

President otar Donald Ram

First lady, e Deolatchme

down she husband One gallon coconut oil to rub hair to grow back. belly and pun he head for the

Kaieteur News’ Publisher, Glenn Lall

Prime Minister Sam Hinds

Mirror (not the newspaper) to see how old he's aged and a clock fuh time he when he mekking dem long-winded speech.

Accountant/Lawyer, Christopher Ram Some safety pins for his suspenders.

A dictionary of cuss words.

He needs to move off F & S.

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Tough times ahead - Private-sector leaders wary of possible fallout from delay in reaching IMF agreement Jamaica Gleaner - Some of Jamaica’s business leaders have cautioned that there could be tough times ahead as a result of the delay in the signing of the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

However, they said persons should not panic, but instead throw their support behind the Government to help the country weather the storm.

The leaders’ call came a day after Finance Minister Peter Phillips admitted that Jamaica would not sign an agreement with IMF this year.

In a release last Saturday, Phillips said the discussions with the technical staff at the IMF were, however, almost complete.

Christopher Zacca, president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, said confidence in the country would continue to slip unless the IMF deal is dealt with quickly. He called for the Government to better

involve private-sector groups in the negotiation process with the IMF. “There is a feeling of helplessness in the private sector because we have no sense of what the nitty-gritty details of the sticking points are and how far away we are from the IMF in the various positions.

“If we are to continue to support the government team, it is full time that they share these nitty-gritty details at whatever levels of the private-sector leadership that are appropriate,” he said.

He pointed to other Cabinet ministers, saying that as members of Government, they should better support Phillips and the IMF negotiating team.

“We think the entire Government needs to have a strong show of support to back up Minister Phillips and his team. We are not getting enough of different Cabinet ministers coming out and speaking about the need for

Dr. Peter Phillips fiscal discipline,” he said.

Brian Pengelley, president of the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association, said additional tax measures are not to be seen as one of the solutions to better the financial standings of the country.

“There is no room for additional tax measures. We are very firmly of the opinion that the economy cannot take

any more taxation, so the focus must be on cutting cost, waste and other things,” he argued.

Pengelley also said there needs to be more support for Phillips and his negotiating team if the country is to be successful in the agreement.

“There will be some very tough times ahead and some very tough decisions will have to be made, but we all have to get behind the minister and ensure that we see it as a national issue,” he added.

Previous Gov’t To Blame President of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, Francis Kennedy, in indicating that the delay is worrying, blamed the previous government for the current predicament.

“That is really what the issue is, promises were made under that agreement, promises were not fulfilled, now they want things much more concrete.

“It is a tough situation,

but the key thing is that we cannot panic, the Government wants an IMF agreement, all of us should just tighten our belts and back the Government and get them to negotiate an appropriate agreement,” he argued.

But Professor Rosalea Hamilton, president of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Alliance, said the delay came as no surprise to her based on the available information about the IMF talks.

She signalled that it is far from being favourable news for the economy.

“Further depreciation of the dollar is likely to continue mainly due to our incapacity to earn enough foreign exchange in global markets to meet our demand for foreign goods and services.

“As the economy worsens, this incapacity will also worsen as businesses, especially micro and small

businesses, will find it more and more difficult to survive and expand their outputs and exports.”

Meanwhile, Opposition Spokes-man on Finance Audley Shaw has described the announcement by Phillips that an agreement would not be met with the IMF as “absolute dishonesty and deception”.

But an upset Shaw, who has been indicating that the deal would not be possible this year, said the minister should be transparent.

“Didn’t he know all along that there would be prior action requirements in order to secure an agreement, and if he did, why did he mislead the country into believing we could have an agreement by the end of December, and if he did, why didn’t he ensure that the prior action requirements were implemented in order to secure an agreement?” he questioned.

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Tuesday January 01, 2013

Chavez suffers new complications in cancer fight CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is confronting “new complications” due to a respiratory infection nearly three weeks after undergoing cancer surgery, his vice president said in Cuba as he visited the ailing leader for the first time since his operation.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro looked weary and spoke with a solemn expression in a televised address from Havana late Sunday. He described Chavez’s condition as delicate.

“Several minutes ago we were with President Chavez.

We greeted each other and he himself referred to these complications,” Maduro said, reading from a prepared statement.

The vice president’s comments suggest an increasingly difficult fight for Chavez. The Venezuelan leader has not been seen or heard from since undergoing his fourth cancer-related surgery Dec. 11, and government officials have said he might not return in time for his scheduled Jan. 10

Hugo Chavez

inauguration for a new sixyear term.

“The president gave us precise instructions so that, after finishing the visit, we would tell the (Venezuelan) people about his current health condition,” Maduro said. “President Chavez’s state of health continues to be delicate, with complications that are being attended to, in a process not

without risks.”

Maduro was seated alongside Chavez’s eldest daughter, Rosa, and son-inlaw Jorge Arreaza, as well as Attorney General Cilia Flores.

He held up a copy of a newspaper confirming that his message was recorded on Sunday.

“Thanks to his physical and spiritual strength, Comandante Chavez is facing

this difficult situation,” Maduro said.

Maduro said he had met various times with Chavez’s medical team and relatives. He said he would remain in Havana “for the coming hours” but didn’t specify how long.

Maduro, who arrived in Havana on Saturday for a sudden and unexpected trip, is the highest-ranking Venezuelan official to see Chavez since the surgery in Cuba, where the president’s mentor Fidel Castro has reportedly made regular visits to check on him.

Before flying to Cuba, Maduro said that Energy Minister Hector Navarro would be in charge of government affairs in the meantime.

“The situation does not look good. The fact that Maduro himself would go to Cuba, leaving Hector Navarro in charge only seems understandable if Chavez’s health is precarious,” said David Smilde, a University of Georgia sociologist and analyst for the Washington

Office on Latin America think tank. Smilde said that Maduro probably made the trip “to be able to talk to Chavez himself and perhaps to talk to the Castros and other Cuban advisers about how to navigate the possibility of Chavez not being able to be sworn in on Jan. 10.”

“Mentioning twice in his nationally televised speech that Chavez has suffered new complications only reinforces the appearance that the situation is serious,” Smilde said. Before his operation, Chavez acknowledged he faced risks and designated Maduro as his successor, telling supporters they should vote for the vice president if a new presidential election were necessary.

Chavez said at the time that his cancer had come back despite previous surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatment. He has been fighting an undisclosed type of pelvic cancer since June 2011. Medical experts say that it’s common for patients who have undergone major surgeries to suffer respiratory infections and that how a patient fares can vary widely from a quick recovery in a couple of days to a fight for life on a respirator.

Maduro’s latest update differed markedly from last Monday, when he had said he received a phone call from the president and that Chavez was up and walking.

The vice president spoke on Sunday below a picture of 19th century independence hero Simon Bolivar, the inspiration of Chavez’s leftist Bolivarian Revolution movement.

Maduro said that Chavez had sent year-end greetings to his homeland and a “warm hug to the boys and girls of Venezuela.”

The vice president expressed faith that Chavez’s “immense will to live and the care of the best medical specialists will help our president successfully fight this new battle.” He concluded his message saying: “Long live Chavez.”

Chavez has been in office since 1999 and was re-elected in October, three months after he had announced that his latest tests showed he was cancer-free.

Opposition politicians have criticized a lack of detailed information about Chavez’s condition, and last week repeated their demands for a full medical report.

Information Minister Ernesto Villegas defended the government’s handling of the situation, saying during a televised panel discussion on Sunday night that Chavez “has told the truth in his worst moments” throughout his presidency.

He also referred to a new surge of rumors about Chavez’s condition and called for respect for the president and his family.

Villegas said a government-organized New Year ’s Eve concert in a downtown Caracas plaza had been canceled, and he urged Venezuelans to pray for Chavez.

Chavez’s daughter Maria, who has been with the president since his surgery, said in a message on her Twitter account: “Thank you people of Venezuela. Thank you people of the world. You and your love have always been our greatest strength!

God is with us! We love you!”

Allies of the president also responded on Twitter, repeating the phrase: “Chavez lives and will triumph.”

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PM: No disrespect, no invasion of Tobago Trinidad Guardian Trinidad will not invade Tobago. This was the statement made by Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar during her address at the launch of the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) election campaign Sunday evening at Tamarind Square, Scarborough. PersadBissessar said so in response to critics of the TOP who said a victory for the TOP would lead to the PP taking over Tobago.

“Have no fear of your Government,” the PM added.

She said: “Nobody could control Ashworth Jack.”

Earlier, she said her Government was not disrespecting Tobago. She said the TOP was a critical part of the PP Government and Jack had been consulted on all policy matters. The PM said the PP Government, including the TOP, named the airport in Crown Point in honour of Tobago’s Arthur

NR Robinson, former president and prime minister.

She said the Government bought new aircraft to be used on the local air bridge. She asked: “Where is the disrespect?”

Persad-Bissessar listed several projects which were at various stages of completion in Tobago, including a gas station in Roxborough, tertiary institutions, a prison and others in Tobago, which were done under the PP Government. She said a bill to enable Tobagonians to legally own lands on the island is to be debated in Parliament next week. She also said the Government had prepared legislation to amend the Constitution and to give Tobago internal selfgovernment.

She said one of the major changes in the bill was for the creation of independent assemblymen.

Persad-Bissessar said the

Kamla Persad-Bissessar bill will be laid on January 7 and debated on January 16. It requires a two/thirds majority vote to become law. The support of the Opposition PNM is critical for passage of the bill.

Persad-Bissessar called on the PNM to support the measures. It is not expected that the PNM will support the

legislation. She said the bill will give the THA greater power to pass its own laws. It will be given more powers in several instances. She said the budgetary allocation to Tobago is to be increased to eight per cent.

Protocol was amended last night to allow political leader of TOP Ashworth Jack

to speak after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

Persad-Bissessar began her address by saying she had breaking news-that the next THA leader would be Ashworth Jack. She said London’s PNM had failed to deliver on its promises to the people of the island.

He said the PNM spent $17 billion and was unable to show any significant development on the island.

She said the question is, “Has the quality of life for Tobago people, including the children, improved under London? It is not about the house Jack built. It is about the THA and who will manage the economy of Tobago better. She said the London administration had failed miserably in all areas of life in Tobago.

“While they promised, they did not deliver,” she told the cheering crowd. Wearing their yellow TOP T-shirts a large crowd came out to see

the presentation of the party’s candidates for the 12 electoral districts. Jack, in his address, dealt with the TOP’s programme for economic development on the island.

Calypsonian Sugar Aloes, who performed three songs, was introduced by the chairman of the meeting and Justice Minister Christlyn Moore as the party’s newest member. A senior TOP official minutes later said the announcement was “just political talk.”

Earlier, Tobago Development Minister Delmon Baker urged TOP supporters to remember the several auditor general’s reports which showed that millions of dollars were unaccounted for by the PNMcontrolled THA. He said the Orville London led THA had mismanaged the affairs of the island for the past twelve years and should be voted out of office next month.

Barbados CJ wants end LIAT chairman wants CARICOM summit on transportation to preliminary inquiries Barbados Nation - Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson wants to see an end to preliminary inquiries in the Magistrate’s Court.

“Preliminary enquiries should be abolished,” he told the DAILY NATION. “The preliminary inquiry does not serve us well, has not served us well, is not serving us well and we really need to get rid of it.”

The Chief Justice pointed out that under existing laws people charged with felonies must first face an inquiry in the Magistrate’s Court to determine whether there was enough evidence for the

Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson

matter to be heard by a judge in a High Court.

He also explained that once that process was started, until its conclusion, the law dictated that the accused felon must be remanded and the magistrate “cannot give bail”.

He expressed concern that as a result of this law, “people sit in prison for many years because the preliminary inquiry system grinds on and on.”

Instead, he favors a system whereby the case goes directly to the High Court.

The regional commuter airline, LIAT, is asking for a special meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government to be convened early in 2013 to discuss regional air transportation and its critical role in supporting the Caribbean Single Market and Economy. In an official statement presented Friday

by LIAT Chair Jean S. Holder the airline said the focus of such a meeting must be about what is needed to get regional transportation right and what and how much each country, which is a beneficiary of the services, will contribute to the cause in its own best interests.

Jean S. Holder “The agenda must be wide enough to include a number of aviation issues which are related to the proper functioning of regional air

transportation,” Holder said at a meeting of shareholders in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Holder added that the idea of CARICOM airline alliances must be once more put on the table and recommended that a committee be established that would include representatives of the management of the carriers.

The purpose of the committee would be to examine the feasibility of the concept of airline alliances. The chairman stated that the deliberations take place with regard to the articles of the CARICOM Multilateral Agreement concerning the operation of Air Services within the Caribbean Community.

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Tuesday January 01, 2013

IMF responds to Jamaica government

Jan Kees Martijn (right) and Dr Peter Phillips Jamaica Observer - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reacted dispassionately Sunday to a statement by Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips on the status of negotiations with Jamaica, steering clear of the minister’s political comments.

“The Jamaican authorities and the International Monetary Fund have been engaged intensely over the past few months, working on the technical elements of a possible Fund-supported programme,” the Washington-based lender of last resort said in a statement.

The statement quoted the head of the IMF negotiating team, Jan Kees Martijn, as saying: “The IMF stands ready to support the Jamaican authorities as they move forward with establishing an economic programme that will effectively create the conditions for sustained higher growth, achieve fiscal

and debt sustainability, improve competitiveness, preserve financial sector stability, and foster social cohesion, including through an effective social safety net.

“The IMF remains fully committed to helping Jamaica achieve these fundamental objectives and prepare the path for a more prosperous future, and discussions in this direction are continuing,” said Kees Martijn.

In his own statement Saturday, Phillips had heaped some of the blame for the delay in inking a new IMF pact on the collapse of previous talks with the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Government.

That experience, according to Phillips, had resulted in the IMF insisting that, as much as possible, measures that were necessary for the conclusion of the deal must be implemented upfront.

Phillips, who was apparently embarrassed at not being able to meet his December deadline for

securing the IMF’s vaunted seal of approval, which would trigger funds from other multilateral organisations, also added that the discussions required technical studies of the repercussions of policy changes and caused vigorous debate to overcome differences on the appropriate measures, their impact, exceptions, timing, and significance.

“The process of arriving at agreement has also had to contend with fairly recent memories among Jamaica’s multilateral partners of dishonoured commitments and disappointing performance,” Phillips said.

“T h u s , e v e n w h e r e w e agree in principle about what has to be achieved by the end of the first year of a programme, there is an instinctive insistence on the part of the IMF that as much as possible should be done upfront,” he added.

Arthur questions Sinckler’s assets Barbados Nation - Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has not set an election date because his ministers are yet to declare their assets to Parliament, Opposition Leader Owen Arthur has charged.

The former Prime Minister also urged Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler to declare his assets and sources, saying the minister was spending heavily in his constituency and he wanted to know where “all this bounty” came from.

Arthur was speaking at the opening of the St James Central Constituency Office of the Barbados Labour Party in Hoyte’s Village Saturday.

“Mia Mottley and I, without there being any need,

Owen Arthur went to Parliament and said this is what I have, this is what I own and what I owe,” Arthur

said, explaining that he and the former Opposition Leader had long declared their assets.

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Australia, Asian nations ringing in 2013 with fireworks LONDON (AP) — Sydney’s skyline erupted in fireworks as Australia ushered in 2013 today, while extravagant displays soon followed in Hong Kong and Beijing, and even the onceisolated country of Myanmar joined the party for the first time in decades.

Asia greeted the new year with an atmosphere of renewed optimism despite the “fiscal cliff” impasse of spending cuts and tax increases threatening to reverberate globally from the United States and the tattered economies of Europe, where the party was expected to be more subdued.

Celebrations were planned around the world, culminating with the traditional crystal ball drop in New York City’s Times Square, where 1 million people were expected to cram into the surrounding streets.

The balmy summer night in Sydney was split by 7 tons of fireworks fired from rooftops and barges, many cascading from the city’s Harbor Bridge, in a $6.9 million pyrotechnic extravaganza billed by organizers as the world’s largest.

In Myanmar, after nearly five decades under military regimes that discouraged or banned big public gatherings, about 90,000 people experienced the country’s first New Year ’s Eve countdown in a field in the largest city of Yangon.

“We feel like we are in a different world,” said Yu Thawda, a university student who came with three of her friends.

Tens of thousands of people lined Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor to view a $1.6 million fireworks display, said to be the biggest ever in the southern Chinese city.

In North Korea, cannons boomed at midnight in Pyongyang as people crowded the streets of the

Fireworks light the sky over Victoria Harbour during a pyrotechnic show to celebrate the New Year in Hong Kong January 1, 2013. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu capital to watch a fireworks show over the Taedong River.

After being in mourning a year ago regarding leader Kim Jong Il’s death, North Koreans celebrated the end of a big year that included the rise of new leader Kim Jong Un and the recent launch of a satellite into space.

Hotels, clubs and other sites in New Delhi, the Indian capital, canceled festivities after the death Saturday of a young rape victim touched off days of mourning and reflection about women’s safety. People were asked to light candles to express their solidarity with the victim.

In Indonesia, Jakarta’s street party centered on a 7kilometer (4-mile) thoroughfare closed to traffic from nightfall until after midnight. Workers erected 16 large stages along the normally clogged, eight-lane highway through the heart of the city. Indonesia’s booming economy is a rare bright spot amid global gloom and is bringing prosperity — or the hope of it — to its people.

In the Philippines, where many are recovering from

devastation from a recent typhoon, health officials have hit upon a successful way to stop revelers from setting off huge illegal firecrackers that maim and injure hundreds of Filipinos each year.

A health official, Eric Tayag, donned the splashy outfit of South Korean star PSY and danced to his YouTube hit “Gangnam Style” video while preaching against the use of illegal firecrackers on TV, in schools and in public arenas.

“The campaign has become viral,” Tayag said.

In austerity-hit Europe, the mood was more restrained — if hopeful. The year 2013 is projected to be a sixth straight one of recession amid Greece’s worst economic crisis since World War II. Still, in his televised New Year’s Eve message, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras promised Greeks that the worst of the crisis is past, and declared 2013 a “year of hope” that will see the beginning of the country’s rebirth.

Celebrating New Year’s Eve with a vespers service in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope

Benedict XVI said that despite all the injustice in the world, goodness prevails. In his homily, Benedict said taking time to meditate in prolonged reflection and prayer can help “find healing from the inevitable wounds of daily life.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s New Year’s

message warned her country to prepare for difficult economic times ahead.

Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, decided to cancel celebrations in light of the economic crisis.

Nicosia said 16,000 euros ($21,000) saved from the canceled event will be given to some 320 needy schoolchildren. In Spain, where a recession has left unemployment at a staggering 25 percent, people are hoping for a better new year.

“It’s been tough, but some celebrations are too deeplyingrained to let go,” said Olga Camino, 25, who said she would be celebrating in the streets of Madrid in fancy dress with a large group of friends. She said they would all eat 12 grapes as the clock in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol struck midnight, a tradition observed throughout Spain.

Scotland’s Edinburgh, which traditionally hosts one of the biggest New Year’s Eve parties in Europe, also planned good cheer.

Organizers said about 75,000 people are expected for the

Scottish capital’s Hogmanay — or year-end — celebrations.

Hong Kong feng shui master Raymond Lo predicted 2013 would be less turbulent than 2012 because the Chinese New Year in February will usher in the year of the snake, bringing an end to the year of the dragon, which was associated with water. Water is one of the five elements in feng shui theory, the Chinese practice of arranging objects and choosing dates to improve luck.

“Water is fear. So that’s why we have had so much turbulence especially in the winter months,” such as doomsday prophecies, school shootings and concerns about the fiscal cliff, said Lo. “But the good news is that the coming year of the snake is the first time that fire has come back since 2007.

Fire actually is the opposite to water, fire is happiness. So therefore the year of the snake is a much more optimistic year. So you can see signs of economic recovery now,” he added.

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Tuesday January 01, 2013

Assad’s forces battle to retake Damascus suburb AMMAN (Reuters) - Elite Syrian government troops backed by tanks battled yesterday to recapture a strategic Damascus suburb from rebels who have advanced within striking distance of the center of Syria’s capital.

Five people, including a child, died from army rocket fire that hit the Daraya suburb during the fighting, opposition activists said.

Daraya is part of a semi-circle of Sunni Muslim suburbs south of the capital that have been at the forefront of the 21-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

“This is the biggest attack on Daraya in two months. An armored column is trying to advance but it is being held (back) by the Free Syrian Army,” said Abu Kinan, an opposition activist in the area, referring to a rebel group.

Clashes were also reported near the airport in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, which is in the north.

Insurgents have made that airport a target in the hope of limiting government access to Aleppo, which is largely under rebel control.

Rebels have taken much of the north and east of Syria

A view of buildings damaged by what activists said were missiles fired by a Syrian Air Force fighter jet loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in Daraya, near Damascus.

REUTERS/Kenan Al-Derani/Shaam News Network/Handout over the past six months, but government forces still hold most of the densely populated southwest around the capital, the main northsouth highway and the Mediterranean coast.

Government forces scored

a victory on Saturday, pushing rebels out of Deir Baalbeh, a district in Homs, an important central city that straddles the highway linking Damascus with the north and the Mediterranean. Some opposition activists have said

scores or even hundreds of people were executed in Deir Baalbeh by troops that seized it after several days of fighting. However, reports of killings there on a large scale could not be verified.

More than 45,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the 21-month war, the longest and deadliest of the revolts that began throughout the Arab world two years ago. Mainly Sunni Muslim rebels are fighting to topple Assad, a member of the Alawite minority sect whose family has ruled Syria since his father seized power 42 years ago in a coup.

The opposition refuses to hold peace talks unless Assad relinquishes power, and military successes over the last six months have reinforced its belief it can drive him out by force. However, government troops still heavily outgun the fighters and maintain air bases scattered across the country.

The Damascus suburbs have become one of the major fronts of the war, with the

rebels hoping to finally bring their uprising to the capital, heart of Assad’s power.

Activist Abu Kinan said that tens of thousands of civilians had fled Daraya during weeks of government assault on the suburb, but that 5,000 remained, along with hundreds of rebels.

Daraya is located near the main southern highway connecting Damascus to the Jordanian border 85 km (50 miles) to the south.

Activists said Republican Guard forces are trying to push back rebels who have been slowly advancing from the outskirts of Damascus to within striking distance of government targets and central districts inhabited by Assad’s Alawite minority sect. Assad’s forces have mostly relied on aerial and artillery bombardment, rather than infantry. Rebels have been able take outlying towns and have clashed with government troops near Damascus International Airport, halting flights by foreign airlines. Another

activist in Damascus with links to rebels, who did not want to be named, said Daraya has been a firing position for rebels using mortars and homemade rockets. From it, they have been able to hit a huge presidential complex located on a hilltop overlooking Damascus and target pro-Assad shabbiha militia in an Alawite enclave nearby known as Mezze 86.

“So far they have missed the palace but they are getting better. I think the regime has realized that it no longer can afford to have such a threat so close by, but it has failed to overrun Daraya before,” he said.

The opposition is backed by most Western and Arab states, while Assad has enjoyed the diplomatic protection of Moscow, which sells arms to his government and maintains a naval base in one of his ports.

Western countries have been searching for signs that Moscow is lifting its protection of Assad, hoping that would bring him down much as Russia’s withdrawal of support heralded the fall of Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic 12 years ago.

Moscow said on Saturday that it has no power to make Assad leave office, and accused the rebels of prolonging the bloodshed by refusing to negotiate with him. U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has called on outside powers to push all sides to talk, arguing that Syria faces a choice of “hell or the political process”.

Brahimi is touting a peace plan agreed to in principle by international powers six months ago, but the plan does not explicitly call for Assad to be excluded from power, which the opposition regards as a precondition to any talks.

The opposition-linked Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that rebels clashed with government troops near Aleppo’s international airport. Rami Abdelrahman, the Britishbased Observatory’s director, told Reuters by phone that fighting flared on Sunday night and continued into Monday morning.

He said no flights were departing or arriving from the airport. Syria’s state airline canceled at least one flight there over the weekend.

Nevertheless, the government’s seizure of Deir Baalbeh in Homs is a reminder that its forces are still capable of recapturing territory from the lightly armed rebels.

Syria’s state news agency SANA said government forces seized a large cache of weapons and ammunition after capturing the district.

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Egypt’s leader sees currency stabilizing “within days” CAIRO (Reuters) Egypt’s pound fell to a record low yesterday as the president signaled his government would allow it to depreciate slowly for several more days to stop a drain on foreign reserves that has driven the economy into crisis since the fall of Hosni Mubarak.

Hit by a new bout of political turmoil in the last month, the pound had weakened to a record low on Sunday at a new dollar auction brought in by the central bank. It fell further at a second auction yesterday, last trading at 6.37 to the dollar on the interbank market.

The drop means the central bank has allowed the pound to slide almost 3 percent over the last two days after limiting its decline to only 6 percent since the uprising that removed Mubarak from power almost two years ago.

The pound’s fall, which is certain to increase the price of imported staples such as tea and sugar, underlines the economic crisis facing

President Mohamed Mursi as his administration tries to contain the political fallout of his move to fasttrack a contentious new constitution passed into law last week.

Egyptians, panicked by street clashes between Mursi’s Islamist backers and his more secular-minded opponents on the streets of Cairo and other cities, have rushed to change their pounds into dollars in recent weeks, fearing it would be devalued further.

“The market will return to stability,” Mursi told Arab journalists on Sunday evening, the state news agency MENA reported.

The pound’s fall “does not worry or scare us, and within days matters will balance out,” he said.

Having just sold their last dollar bills, dealers at one Cairo foreign exchange bureau did not bother changing the price board when the new low appeared on their trading screens.

“He took our last dollars,” one of the traders said, pointing to a man walking out

Mohamed Mursi of the door.

Outside, another man told a friend his dollar hunt had failed. “They have no dollars.

What can I do?” he said on a mobile phone. “I went to many dealers and could not find dollars.”

The fall has been driven mainly by ordinary citizens who have been trying to turn their savings into foreign currency, worried that the pound will weaken further because of the latest political turmoil.

The crisis wiped 10 percent off the value of

Egyptian stocks when it erupted in late November. But the main index has mostly recovered since then, climbing in the two sessions since the introduction of the new foreign currency system.

Market participants attribute the rise to buying by Arab and international investors using the cheaper pound to bargain hunt.

The auctions are part of a shift announced on Saturday and designed to conserve foreign reserves, which the bank says are now at “critical” levels that cover just three months of the food, fuel and other goods Egypt imports.

Bankers have described the new system as a move toward establishing a free market value for the pound, which has been tightly controlled since a managed devaluation that ended in 2004.

The head of the Egyptian banking federation said the new system was an “important first step” toward a free float.

In remarks to MENA, Tarek Amer, who is also

chairman of Egypt’s largest bank, state-owned National Bank of Egypt, said the new system was a success on its first day and had “significantly reduced” demand for dollars.

The International Monetary Fund also gave the new currency policy its stamp of approval, an important imprimatur given that Egypt hopes to sec ure a $4.8 billion IMF loan.

“IMF staff is in close contact with the authorities and we remain strongly committed to supporting Egypt,” an IMF spokeswoman said.

The central bank has sold about $75 million at each of Sunday’s and Monday’s auctions.

The run on the pound prompted officials last week to impose controls on how much cash could be physically carried out of the country.

Security men at one Cairo bank branch had to remove one customer angered by a $10,000 limit on how much currency he could withdraw, witnesses said.

The changes announced

on Saturday include regular foreign currency auctions and limit how much foreign currency companies can withdraw at a time.

The central bank had spent more than $20 billion or more than half of its reserves - over the past two years to defend the currency.

The reserves fell an additional $448 million in November to about $15 billion.

Prices of imports have already started to rise.

Pyramid Oil Field, a company that imports chemicals for use in water treatment and oil fields, had raised its prices 10 to 15 percent last week, fearing a further weakening of the pound.

“This instability obliges you to increase the price, to have a safety factor,” Ashraf el-Gamal, president and managing director of the company, told Reuters. “From now on, the contracts will be of a very short validity.”

To be on the safe side, he was projecting that the pound would weaken to stand at 9 against the euro, compared with a previous level of 8.

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value of 10 per cent of the contract. There were in fact, two performance bonds but one was the security bond.

Together they were worth US$3 million.

Makeshwar ‘Fip’ Motilall JANUARY GOVT PULLS PLUG ON AMAILA FALLS ROAD CONTRACT On January 12, the government announced the cancellation of the US$15.4 million Amaila Falls Hydro Project contract it signed with Synergy Holdings Inc, headed by Makeshwar ‘Fip’ Motilall. The announcement came from Minister Robeson Benn at his Kingston office. After three deadline extensions, Synergy Holdings had completed a mere 40 per cent of the works as of December 2011.

One of the many reasons given for the project cancellation which was handed to Motilall in March 2010, under the Bharrat Jagdeo Government, was the repeated urgings by Government and interventions from the Project Engineer and the Consulting Firm to have the project completed.

However, the major reason was Motilall’s failure to secure a performance bond, something that Minister Benn described as a fatal flaw. Benn, reading from a prepared text, said that the termination of the contract would result in the Client taking the following actions: Application of liquidated damages at the rate of US$10,000 per day, from January 1, 2012 to the date of termination, January 12, 2012; seizure of Contractor’s Retention sum; Seizure and taking ownership of all pieces of equipment and all other property used by the Contractor on the Amaila Falls Access Road Project and seizure of the existing performance bond.

T h e e x i s t i n g performance bond was posted by Hand in Hand Insurance Company to the

RAPHAEL TROTMAN ELECTED SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC) Raphael Trotman was on Thursday, January 12, elected Speaker of the National Assembly for Guyana’s 10th Parliament and A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Deborah Backer was elected unchallenged as his Deputy.

The election for Speaker was initially contested by Former Speaker Ralph Ramkarran, Trotman and Backer.

Backer’s nomination was subsequently withdrawn; paving the way for a face-off between Trotman and Ramkarran, with the votes split along the 33-seat majority for the combined opposition and the ruling PPP/C. Trotman was nominated by his running mate, AFC Chairman and Presidential Candidate Khemraj Ramjattan and this was seconded by Moses Nagamootoo.

Ramkarran, who lost the election by one vote to the AFC Leader, was nominated

by Leader of the Government side in the National Assembly, Samuel Hinds, and the nomination was seconded by Clement Rohee, the Minister of Home Affairs.

Following the election of Speaker, Trotman presided over the election of Deputy Speaker.

Backer was again nominated for this position but was unchallenged and as such unanimously elected Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.

The remaining members of the House were subsequently sworn in.

KAIETEUR NEWS, STABROEK NEWS DENIED RADIO LICENCES The long standing applications for radio licences on the part of the Stabroek News and the Kaieteur News were not favourably considered by the administration. This was confirmed on Thursday, January 19, by Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon who told media operatives that while he could not recall all of the 12 entities issued with licences by former President Bharrat Jagdeo, he could confirm those for the VCT (which is now owned by the ever controversial Queens Atlantic Investment Incorporated (QAII) and has been renamed TVG) and N a t i o n a l Te l e v i s i o n Network (NTN).

Luncheon said too that some of the others who were in receipt of radio licences from the administration included: Rudy Grant, Te l C o r p , Wi r e l e s s Connections, Alfro Alphonso in Region Two, Rockliffe Christie who operates the Television Station LTV in Region Six as well as New Guyana, among others.

He also alluded to an applicant in Region 10 as well as the issuance of a Community Radio at Region One and said that one for the

University of Guyana is being contemplated.

As Dr Luncheon searched his mind to recall who had been issued with the licences and was reminded of the Stabroek and Kaieteur News’ applications, he said, “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that” indicating that none had been issued to these two entities.

Publisher of the Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, said that for Jagdeo to refuse his entity along with the Stabroek News, radio licences, demonstrates more and more of how he (Jagdeo) selectively dictated who got what under his watch.

“The man and cohorts essentially schemed and strategized to own and control Guyana after he demitted office.”

Lall said that for QAII to be issued with a radio licence, clearly illustrates J a g d e o ’s “ s c a m p i s h , vindictive and deceitful nature which embodies cronyism”.

FEBRUARY AFC EYES PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW OF PLANNED MARRIOTT HOTEL The Alliance For Change (AFC) in early February condemned the government for resisting growing demands for all major contracts signed in the runup to the November 2011 General Elections to be reviewed by Parliament, including the controversial Marriott Hotel project.

This was expressed by AFC’s Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan, at a press conference at the Side Walk Café, Middle Street.

He said the actions by the

Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman being sworn in on January 12, last

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Miss India Worldwide, Alana Seebarran Government signaled a clear intention not to proceed with revealing information pertaining to the controversial Marriott Hotel. He did not rule out the possibility of raising the matter in Parliament.

“The AFC condemns this decision and makes it very clear, that it will not tolerate any commitment of taxpayers’ resources to a private entity whether in the form of equity or taxpayers’ guarantee or otherwise.”

He explained that the Marriott project has been heavily criticised for threatening unfair competition with local industry players who have invested their own money but suffer the financial effects of low occupancy.

Adding that if the Marriott chain wants a hotel in Guyana it must invest its own money just like it has done in other countries, Ramjattan emphasised that Guyanese taxpayers will ultimately pay the price.

‘RUBBER-WAIST’ JOMO COPS 2012 SOCA MONARCH CROWN ‘Bones-man’ failed to defend his crown and Bill Rogers’ dream of winning another title was dashed as veteran entertainer Jomo ‘ R u b b e r- w a i s t ’ P r i m o walked away with the coveted 2012 Carib Soca Monarch crown.

The one-year hiatus proved to be a blessing in disguise for Ansa McAl as each of the 14 artistes vying

for the 2012 crown at the National Park definitely upped the ante on the performances over the years.

Another veteran performer Adrian Dutchin copped the third place while newcomer George Anthony Abrams secured second place for his addictive ‘Wine Attack’.

ALANA SEEBARRAN BRINGS HOME GUYANA’S FIRST INT’L CROWN History was made on the last Sunday in February as newly- crowned Miss India Worldwide, Guyanese Alana Seebarran was given a warm welcome by family, friends, well-wishers and Berbicians who flocked the GuyanaSuriname Ferry Terminal at Moleson Creek on the Corentyne.

She left Guyana for Suriname by air and chose to return home through the county of Berbice on Sunday, while thrilling many who lined the roadway on the Upper Corentyne area as she waved to them while passing in a motorcade which left the stelling after she met and greeted persons and the media.

The 24-year-old beauty queen had been crowned o n l y h o u r s earlier—sometime around 1:00 hr to be exact—in Suriname after taking the coveted crown from 35 other candidates from around the world and doing her country proud at the same time.

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From page 32 MARCH SWIRLING QUESTIONS OVER SOURCE OF EZJET FINANCING Burning questions arose in early March about the source of financing for the US-based charter company, EZJet, which started flying the New York-Guyana route in mid-December 2011.

Initial figures indicated that the company racked up more than US$3M ($600M) in losses and under market conditions it was highly unlikely it would ever make a profit. This raised even more questions about how the investor ever found the initiative feasible.

When Sonny Ramdeo, the man who said that he founded the charter, called Kaieteur News, he insisted that he was the sole person providing the finance at this stage. He said that there are “sleeping” investors who have provided reserve funding.

Airline officials questioned whether there was more than met the eye on the charter, since despite plugging and spending millions on the initiative, the owner still held a full-time job as a payroll director at a health care facility in the US. Ramdeo disclosed, too, that he has a US$348,000 mortgage on his Fort Lauderdale, Florida home.

Investigations by Kaieteur News revealed that the charter company, which made its first flight to Guyana on December 15, even when fully booked, would barely recover half of the hefty US$150,000 it costs to operate a return trip between New York and Georgetown.

NOBODY’S BUSINESS IF EZJET RUNS AT A LOSS – CEO Sonny Ramdeo, the Chief Executive Officer of low cost charter, EZjet, said that it is nobody’s business whether the company makes a loss or a profit.

During a press conference on March 9 with local media, Ramdeo and executives of the US-based company also insisted it has no ties to local politicians.

The company refused to acknowledge passenger figures which indicated that the charter which flies the New York/Guyana route is not so rosy.

EZjet started flying to Guyana on December 16, 2011, but airline officials questioned the source of financing of the company which was said to be owned

by Ramdeo, a Florida-based Guyanese who said he invested his own money.

EZJet CEO, Sonny Ramdeo (third from left) and other executives during the press conference at Cara Lodge in March Ramdeo flew in several of his executives to clear the air and during the press conference at Cara Lodge, explained that his operating licence in Guyana was granted after an economic study was done which justified the investment. The company stood in the line and waited its turn and was granted no favours, it was said.

The company was granted permission and started selling tickets in late November 2011.

Ramdeo insisted that the US sales alone justified the expenses of EZjet. He claimed to have used part of his mortgage to fund the startup of the company. This was to the tune of US$1.5M ($300M).

In the process, the former investment banker said he had to utilise the proceeds from his investments funds, stock options from the bank where he worked and his 401K, a retirement savings account.

The US1.5M was used to pay security deposits, bonds, for the aircraft.

The CEO insisted that the flights have been paying for themselves. “The difference between us and the competitors is that they are scheduled carriers…we are not.”

To protect passengers, ticket funds are paid into an escrow account in the US and not released until the passengers arrived in Guyana. On the Guyana side, the monies are held in a Scotiabank account.

“The intention is to build a national carrier for Guyana,” Ramdeo disclosed.

DIVIDED OPPOSITION APPROVES GOVT. CONTENTIOUS $5B EXPENDITURE A division in the ranks of the political opposition parties in the National Assembly in mid-March saw

approval of the $3.4B Financial Paper #8 which came by way of Supplementary provision.

The Financial Paper had forced the previous sitting of the National Assembly to end in a stalemate, with the Deputy Speaker of the House, Deborah Backer, suspending the engagement to seek further advice on the way forward.

Following the announcement of the ruling by substantive Speaker of the House, Raphael Trotman, the remaining Financial Paper was put to a vote. On the very first item up for consideration, which was a $400M+ allocation for the Office of the Prime Minister’s Electrification Programme, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Chief Whip, Amna Ally, demanded a division after there was no clear indication on the oral vote.

The Alliance for Change (AFC) at this point in time abstained from voting and even though each of APNU’s MPs voted against the provision, their 26-bloc vote was not enough to defeat the ruling party’s 32 votes. The entire Financial Paper was eventually approved in the House, clearing the way for the approval of the first Bill to be introduced in the House for 2012. That was the S u p p l e m e n t a r y Appropriations Bill, reflecting the two Financial Papers representing in excess of $5B advanced from the Contingency Fund.

Commission (PUC) which resulted in a fiery session between stakeholders and company officials.

It was pointed out by PUC Chairman Justice Prem Persaud that the review of the GPL’s performance targets included Consumer Interruptions (blackouts), meter reading, issuance of bills, accounts payable and receivable, as well as system losses.

Chief Executive Officer of the Power Company, Bharrat Dindyal, informed media operatives that it was the same Chinese company (China National Technical Import and Export Corporation (CNTIC) that constructed the Skeldon Sugar Factory, which was given the contract for the US$48M upgrade to the transmission.

It was explained, too, that as a result of the concessionary Chinese loan which has been given to the power company for the system upgrade, the tenders for the supply of the fibre optic cable had to be issued to Chinese bidders.

The US$200M factory which was constructed by the CNTIC has been plagued with problems ever since its construction started, and had to halt operations on more than one occasion.

The problem-prone factory had reached a point where the former President Bharrat Jagdeo had pledged to personally get involved in fixing the facility.

TREASON ACCUSED FREED The treason charges against Army Reserve Officer, Leonard Wharton, Major Bruce Munroe and his wife, Carol Ann Munroe were dismissed on March 28, by Chief Magistrate (ag) Priya Sewnarine- Beharry.

The trio was in December of 2010, arraigned on the charges which said they intended to levy war against, and to overthrow the previous President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo.

During an approximate 25minute ruling by the court, it was cited that the charge against the accused did not exist by law and by extension,

was faulty.

The court contended that vital elements to warrant a treasonous act were omitted in the prosecution’s case.

It was the view of the court that important elements necessary to support the charge were omitted. Based on what the constitution stipulates, it had to be clear what the treasonous acts were and would therefore deem the persons traitors.

Prior to the Munroes and Wharton being freed, a lengthy pre-trial hearing took place at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. For 14 months, the three had to be shuttling between the prison and the court. The matter first convened with the three persons being tagged as associates of the Colin Jones Gang. Jones and a number of other persons were charged with acts committed against the state such as setting fire to the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Health. They were also slapped with charges of murder, attempted murder, possession of guns and ammunition and more.

(Continued on page 34)

CHINESE COMPANY THAT BUNGLED US$200M SKELDON PLANT GIVEN US$48M GPL CONTRACT Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL)’s Executive in late March underwent an inaugural review of the company’s performance targets by the Public Utilities

Bruce Munroe and his wife, Carol Ann

Leonard Wharton

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Kaieteur News

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh addressing the media on Budget Day From page 33 GOVT. UNVEILS $192.8B BUDGET The government presented a $192.8B Budget, a package that was anxiously awaited by all, on Friday, March 30. It was presented under the theme “Remaining on course, United in purpose, Prosperity for all.”

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh announced projections, earnings, and adjustments to wages and salaries by way of a hiking of the income tax threshold. His presentation took almost three hours. The income tax threshold was increased from $40,000 to $50,000 per month.

The Finance Minister also announced that the monies payable to old age pensioners would be increased by $600. This meant that the $7,500 old age pension previously received was increased to $8,100.

APRIL GPL RENTS US$900,000 GENERATOR FOR US$720,000 ANNUALLY The Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) in 2011 paid a hefty US$8.6M to rent 12 Caterpillar generating sets for a period of one year. It could have spent just US$2.2M more to buy them all.

In late March, the company suggested that renting the generators was the only feasible option, as opposed to buying them. The revelations were made when top GPL officials appeared before its regulator, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).

It was during this public hearing, held at Tower Hotel, that GPL officials were pressed into disclosing the rental costs. GPL rents the sets from Machinery Corporation of Guyana

Limited (MACORP).

Kaieteur News was informed that, on average, GPL was paying MACORP around US$60,000 monthly to rent the sets.

Each of the generating sets is actually rented for a base rental of US$43,000 every month, whether they are used or not. If they are used, that base rental only caters for 200 hours of work. Anything over the 200 hours automatically bumps up the rental to US$60,000, monthly.

GPL sources confirmed that the company worked the generators to the maximum; therefore what it has been paying is the full US$60,000 rental, per month. This meant that rental cost for the 12 generators amounted to some US$720,000 for each month last year.

In any given month, GPL loses a few days of work from the generators, to facilitate “top-up maintenance.”

Further, the generators are subjected to scheduled general maintenance every two months. With the “top up maintenance” and the “scheduled maintenance” time it means that every two months GPL does not benefit from the usage of each of the generators for about one week. However, it still has to pay the full rental cost.

The makers of the sets are retailing one for US$900,000 (G$180M), according to GPL officials. This means, it would cost only US$180,000 above the rental price.

GPL said that it decided to rent against purchasing, because it did not have upfront capital at hand to go ahead and purchase the Caterpillar sets.

GPL’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bharat Dindyal, along with his Deputy

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Aeshwar Deonarine, in replying to questions, insisted that it is far more beneficial to rent the sets since the state-owned power company is not burdened by maintenance costs; maintenance fees are covered by the rental fee.

Further, Elwyn Marshall, Divisional Director (Operations) said that the generators which are rented are not fit for long-term operations, and are more ideal for a temporary solution.

This is despite the fact that in June last year GPL said that it had 22 of the same Caterpillar sets in the system.

Six Caterpillar sets brought in June 2011 are still in the system at Versailles and Leonora, West Demerara, and at Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara, among other places. GPL indicated that electricity demand has been growing at least 10 per cent

annually, outstripping investments and power production which until recently, countrywide, was over 80 megawatts.

MAJOR OVERHAUL FOR US$200M SKELDON FACTORY Just two years after launching the country’s most expensive project to date, the government announced plans, in early April, to begin a major overhaul of the Skeldon factory.

The US$200M factory, on which Guyana has been pinning its hopes to revive a struggling industry which is the country’s biggest employer, has been plagued with problems.

These problems were there since the sugar factory was commissioned in August 2009, raising questions whether Guyana had received its value for money.

Government has been blaming the “hiccups” on teething problems with accusations that the Chinese contractor had failed to deliver. According to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), it would be gearing to re-engineer the bagasse feed system, redesign the cane conveyors, drill a new well and replace a five-megawatt alternator to a power engine.

These were all handed over and supposed to have been fully working within months of the August 2009 commissioning, plus or minus a few defects.

GuySuCo also indicated that it would modify the problematic punt dumpers, build a section of all-weather road, upgrade the drainage and water management system and convert additional lands for mechanized harvesting.

(Continued on page 35)

GPL paid US$8.6M to rent 12 Caterpillar generating sets for one year, when it could have spent just US$2.2M more to buy them all.

Government announced plans, in early April, to begin a major overhaul of the Skeldon factory

Tuesday January 01, 2013

From page 34 INDIAN COFFEE COMPANY SHIPS OUT 50 CONTAINERS OF LOGS IN 2 MONTHS An Indian company known more for its coffee beans than its furniture making, reportedly shipped out almost 50 containers of logs between February and March, despite Government insisting in 2011 that the same company was not interested in “large scale” exportation.

The majority of logs shipped out were said to be washiba, a hardwood used to make top end furniture. Also shipped were purpleheart, greenheart and snakewood.

Guyana has not made a secret of its intentions to drastically reduce logs export in favour of more downstream or value-added processing.

The Bharrat Jagdeo administration had heavily defended the Vaitarna Holdings Private Inc. (VHPI) deal that the local media only knew about after the deal was published in the Times of India, rated the largest English language newspaper in the world.

With questions over the forestry concessions granted to VHPI, which is a subsidiary of the renowned Coffee Day Limited of India, in April 2011, government had insisted that there was nothing secret about granting the concessions to that company.

Coffee Day is owned by V. G. Siddhartha an Indian businessman from Karnataka.

The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), which regulates the country’s forests, made it clear that the VHPI had indicated that it would be building processing facilities here.

GOVT. SELLS GT&T SHARES After disclosing to the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) at its most recent Annual General Meeting that the decision to sell the 20 per cent shares it owned was “off the table,” Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon on April 5 changed the tune.

Dr Luncheon announced that the government during a Cabinet Meeting several days earlier had decided on a proposal made by a Hong Kong-based company to buy the shares for US$30M. The money will be paid in two instalments– US$25M upfront and the remaining US$5M to be paid over the course of two years.

Up until the sale, the government was receiving from GT&T, an annual dividend of US$2.5 million.

Kaieteur News

Dividends will more than likely be used to pay the $5M instalment.

The telephone company, according to reports, had noted the statements issued less than two weeks prior by Head of State Donald Ramotar that no decision was taken as it relates to the sale of the shares.

Ramotar at that time reiterated that whenever such a sale is made, it “would be in the best interest of the Guyanese people”.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GT&T, Yog Mahadeo said that he was surprised at the manner in which the sale was handled.

Mahadeo stated that it was only after Dr Luncheon made the announcement and the media attempted to solicit comments from him, that he was made aware that the company’s shares were sold.

Government declined to disclose who the Chinese buyers were. Head of the Privatisation Unit, Winston Brassington, said that as soon as he informs the buyer that his offer has been accepted he would make the announcement.

despite Guyana’s intention to invest US$27M into the project, its name would not be first on the list to be repaid.

The multi-million-dollar project came under fire, especially as Guyana continues to struggle with problems to fill the many empty rooms that plague hotels across the country.

Brassington, during an interview with Kaieteur News, said that there is no Government guarantee on the US$27M debt that is being facilitated by Republic Bank (Trinidad) for the Marriott Hotel project. Government has entered into a syndicated loan arrangement where Republic Bank (Trinidad) is managing the process. The particular loan is one that is provided by a group of investors and which, through an agreement, will allow the investors who are part of the syndicated loan arrangement to get back their monies ahead of any other - in this case, ahead of Guyana which is plugging a massive US$27M into that project.

HENRY GREENE RESIGNS

BRASSINGTON ‘MISLEADS NATION ON MARRIOTT DEAL’

Winston Brassington A senior government official may have been attempting to mislead Guyana over details of the Marriott Hotel deal, with opposition parties vowing to raise even more questions in Parliament.

Both A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), which make up the Opposition in the National Assembly, opined that despite statements by Winston Brassington, head of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Government was in fact offering guarantees to a number of yet unknown private investors that could see them recovering their investments ahead of the government using taxpayers’ money, should the project fail.

The implications of that is

Henry Greene Embattled Police Commissioner Henry Greene resigned in mid-April. Greene offered to go into retirement via a letter to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, according to a brief statement from the Office of the President.

“By letter dated April 19, 2012, addressed to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, Mr.

Page 35

Henry Greene, DSM, has offered to retire as the Commissioner of Police of Guyana,” the statement said.

“His Excellency Donald Ramotar, President of the

consideration slashes in the form of a motion to the tune of some $3B (US$15M).

Ramjattan put up for the chopping block allocations to the Ministries of Tourism,

Transport Minister Robeson Benn Republic of Guyana has accepted his offer with immediate effect,” it added.

BUDGET DEBATE… US$15M THROWN ON CHOPPING BLOCK The Leaders of the Combined Parliamentary Opposition made their intentions clear in mid-April as the presentations to the 2012 Budget debates came to an end by sending an unwavering message that it will be altered and tailored to reflect the will of the people at the November 2011 General and Regional Elections.

Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, Brigadier (ret) David Granger, in his maiden presentation to a Budget Debate, declared that March 30, 2012, represented the end of an era.

The date that Granger referred to was the occasion of the presentation of the 2012 Budget by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh.

Granger declared that the time had come to an end where “we witnessed the attempt of a minority to craft a budget on its own and impose it on a majority…this is the last time we will see an attempt to introduce a budget not in consonance with the public will.”

Even as Granger addressed the areas where the budget needs to have a greater focus, the Alliance For Change (AFC) Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan, called for accurate reflections on the nation’s finances and drew reference to bank accounts with monies held by NICIL, GGMC and GFC, among others, for which he said that billions are not reflected in the budget.

Had there been any apprehension that the opposition would not seek to slash sections of the Budget, Ramjattan submitted for

Industry and Commerce, Housing and Water, and Culture, Youth and Sport. The cuts alluded to by Ramjattan, point to Contracted Employees at the Tourism Ministry, the Bureau of Standards, International Conference Centre, Central Housing & Planning Authority and the National Sports Commission, among others.

CHINESE VICE PREMIER WAVING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS SPARKED CJIA EXPANSION - ROBESON BENN “We had to enter into an agreement because we had a very narrow window in September where a Chinese Vice Premier came to the Caribbean with several billion dollars to fund projects and it was the only opportunity we had then to fund this undertaking.

“It was the only undertaking then and we had a particular line of documentation and information ready. We were able to take advantage and make use of that funding which would have gone elsewhere if we had not done what we had to do,” Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn, made these comments while explaining the expansion of the runway of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the construction of a new terminal.

His comments came as the airport was observing its 10th anniversary since it became a Corporation.

He explained that some time in 2011, discussions had been in place with a large contracting company working on airport and other infrastructural facilities in the Caribbean.

“We had discussions with

China Harbour and with some other providers; we had proposals, we had many, many rounds and months of negotiations and there were several iterations as to what costs would be… Ultimately we had a signing for a contract for the construction of a new airport building and also for the extension of the runway by just over 1,000 metres.”

He said that his government was caught on the back foot with the announcement of the contract signing for the project.

CHINESE BUYER ARRIVED AT US$30M PRICEAFTER INSPECTING GT&T’S BOOKS - LUNCHEON Government defended the US$30M selling price of its 20 per cent stake in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T). A government spokesman said that the approved Chinese firm examined the books of the communication giant before arriving at its decision to buy.

That US$30M price tag had raised questions from accountant Christopher Ram. Ram, speaking with Kaieteur News, said that Guyana may have lost almost $2B more on the price when it sold its 20 per cent stake in GT&T to Datang. The shares, he believes, are worth US$40M, using standard accountant calculations.

But questioned about how government arrived at that US$30M figure, Government spokesman, Dr. Roger Luncheon, said that the Hong Kong-based, China’s Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group conducted its due diligence before it arrived at the price.

“The Chinese firms came here and they looked over GT&T’s books… they worked with GT&T and they found a way - I am no financier- of costing the company.” “…You could actually say on that (US$30M) costing that there is an understanding that GT&T’s shares probably can be capitalized at US$150M right now. That is what it seems to be saying.” Ram, in questioning the deal which was announced earlier in April during a Government press conference, said that while the value of a share in a private company is a subjective matter, the sales of shares in private companies take place regularly and the finance industry has what it calls standard tools for arriving at an indicative price range.

(Continued on page 36)

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From page 35 MAY RENOWNED ARTIST PHILIP MOORE DIES

Philip Moore Guyana’s most renowned artist, painter and sculptor Philip Alphonso Moore died on Sunday, May, 13. He was 90. According to his son, Philip Moore (Jr), his father, the designer behind the 1763 Monument, died quietly in his sleep at around 04:30 hrs at his home at Lancaster on the Corentyne. According to his son, Moore was bedridden and suffered from ailments of the heart and kidneys.

GRA TO PAY $10.5M PER MONTH IN RENT - LUNCHEON The former Colonial Life Insurance Company (CLICO) building on Camp Street has been acquired by the National Insurance Scheme (NIS). It will be rented to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for $10.5M monthly, according to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon.

He said that NIS paid $600M for the building which was assessed at $1.8 billion.

The money paid by NIS would be offset against the outstanding $6B indebtedness of the liquidator. NIS had invested some $6B in CLICO. That money was all but lost when CLICO collapsed. The local CLICO went into liquidation.

The purchase of the Camp Street building represented part of the liquidation process. $30M MISSING PONTOON FOUND ‘STASHED’UPMAHAICA CREEK Searchers in late May found a multi-million-dollar pontoon stashed miles up the Mahaica Creek, days after it was mysteriously removed from the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

A search team, working on information, had gone there previously but saw no sign of it.

According to the bridge’s

Kaieteur News

General Manager, Rawlston Adams, the pontoon, worth some $30M, was found “abandoned” miles up the creek. It was tied up.

Four winches, worth over $2M, and a scow-end were missing.

Three staffers were initially detained after the pontoon, used mainly for maintenance works on the bridge, went missing. It is believed that the vessel may have disappeared between several days prior. It was discovered missing hours before major works were scheduled to commence – replacing sections of the retractor span.

Following the discovery, reports were made to the police and Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn.

According to Adams, he had returned to the Mahaica Creek area with a number of staffers and the police. Using a boat, a search was conducted along the creek before the pontoon was discovered tied up. It was flooded with water.

The General Manager disclosed that a pump had to be taken to the location for the water to be pumped out.

JUNE GOVT. WANTS MPs TO DECLAREANNUAL INCOME, ASSETS Government tabled a motion that will force Parliamentarians to declare their annual earnings and assets.

Prime Minister Sam Hinds, the Minister responsible for Parliamentary Affairs, asked that defaulting Members of Parliament” be sanctioned by the House, according to established norms of ethics.

“They should also be brought before the Committee of Privileges,” the motion proposed.

Should the government have its way on this motion; Parliament will have the powers to conduct an annual voluntary monitoring exercise to ensure compliance

by Members of Parliament.

The motion asked the House to have the President disclose to the Speaker annually the names of those Members of Parliament in default.

The Prime Minister in the motion explained that the Integrity Commission Act was passed in the House in 1997 and made into law on September 24, 1997 as the Integrity Commission Act 1997, Chapter 19:12, Act No. 20 of 1997.

The Commission and support staff were established shortly after and all persons in public life in high office were expected to

be in compliance with this law.

The Act empowers the Commission and the President to publish the names of persons who are not in compliance in the Gazette and in the daily newspapers.

It also addresses the offences and penalties for failure to comply which include fines and imprisonment.

The government motion said that “all elected officials, and more so, Members of Parliament in particular… are expected to be standard bearers of ethics in public office and uphold the Code of Conduct outlined in the Act and in Schedule II.” PARLIAMENT WILL INVESTIGATE US$150M CJIA SECRET DEAL – HOUSE SPEAKER A senior official and team representing the embattled Chinese company involved in the massive Timehri airport expansion project flew in, yesterday for a meeting with government and at least one opposition party, amidst rising concerns.

China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and its parent company, Communications Construction Company Ltd. (CCCC), have both come under intense scrutiny in Guyana and Jamaica recently for revelations that the World Bank has debarred them until 2017 for bribery.

A Chinese official was in 2011 sentenced to death while the son of a former Bangladeshi Prime Minister was jailed for six years for taking bribes from the company and its subsidiaries.

Zhou Gang, a Vice President of CCCC led a team that met with Prime Minister Sam Hinds.

The team later met with Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman and Parliamentarian for the Alliance For Change, Moses Nagamootoo, at the Parliament Buildings.

While the team said it was officially here to explore the possibilities of bringing US$10B in investments to Guyana in terms of infrastructure, the issue of its seriously dented credibility dominated the agenda.

According to the Speaker, the Parliament will be investigating the US$150M deal to rebuild the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

He noted that Guyana has a longstanding relationship with China, but from time to time issues of concerns and difficulties will arise.

FRAUD PROBE LAUNCHEDAT NCN, SENIOR OFFICIAL SENT HOME

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Martin Goolsarran

police believed was responsible for a series of armed robberies in and around the city, met his end in an alleyway between Church and Forshaw Streets, Queenstown, after he and an accomplice were cornered by ranks of a mobile police patrol.

The ranks had chased after Morris after he had tried to rob a Bourda Market businesswoman and her husband.

Eyewitnesses said that the businesswoman and her husband had just closed their stall and were exiting the market when they were attacked by Morris who grabbed the woman’s bag, which reportedly contained over $500,000 in cash, including foreign currency.

Ron Somerset

UG CHANCELLOR BOURNE RESIGNS

Mohamed Sattaur The Board of Directors of the National Communications Network (NCN) launched an investigation over payments by advertisers that never seem to have made their way to the accounts of the stateowned company.

The network’s Production Manager, Martin Goolsarran, received a letter from the Board of Directors ordering him to proceed on leave to facilitate investigations.

Officials also said that a number of other staffers including Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Sattaur, were being probed.

RANDY MORRIS KILLEDAFTERANOTHER ROBBERY BID

Randy Morris The curtain finally came down on the life of Randy Morris who was shot dead by police following a high speed chase through the streets of Georgetown on Saturday, June 23.

Morris, 32, of Freeman Street East La Penitence, who

Allan Lewis

Compton Bourne Staffers and representatives from the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association took their protest action to office of the Pro Chancellor, Prem Misir, at the Parliamentary Office.

And before the protest there was word that UG Chancellor Professor Compton Bourne had resigned. Dr. Melissa Ifill, Vice President of the UGSSA, said the UGSSA welcomed the resignation.

“We have been advised that Mr. Bourne has resigned.

It has been something that we have been calling for because we have argued that he has in fact not functioned effectively as Chancellor. We have called for his resignation and we are pleased. We see this as a victory.”

Prof. Bourne was reappointed Chancellor just prior to the resignation.

JULY LINDEN PROTEST TURNS DEADLY…THREE DEAD, TWO DOZEN INJURED Three persons, Shemroy Bouyea, Ron Somerset and Allan Lewis, died, and several others were injured as shots were fired in Linden on the first day of a planned five-day protest against electricity rate hikes.

In the wake of the deaths, soldiers and police were sent to the town in efforts to bring calm. Lindeners reacted angrily to the shootings and several buildings were set on fire. But before all this happened, the utility companies turned off water and electricity to Wismar and Linden. Prime Minister Sam Hinds later described the situation as “plain thuggery upon captive consumers by a utility provider.”

SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS ORDERED TO REPAY KICKBACKS ON $17M LUXURY BOAT PURCHASE What was supposed to be a transparent, standard purchase of a 30-ft oceanworthy boat, ended up as a scam involving a small group of high level members of the Guyana Police Force.

This is according to the Ministry of Home Affairs, with reference to the purchase of a $17M luxury vessel for regular patrols and crimefighting purposes.

In a belated statement on the status of the much-touted addition to the police maritime fleet, the Ministry confirmed that it had cause to take action against those responsible for the purchase.

While the Ministry did not identify the high-level members of the force who were responsible, reliable sources in the organization (Continued on page 37)

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Kaieteur News

From page 36 indicated that the acquisition of the vessel centered on three persons.

The Ministry’s statement spoke of kickbacks received by the senior police officials and also informed that they were ordered to repay all illegally obtained proceeds from the purchase.

Controversy surrounded the vessel from the time it arrived here in September 2009.

CHAOS AS HARBOUR BRIDGE COLLAPSES Chaos ensued shortly before the rush hour on July 23, when a section of the Demerara Harbour Bridge collapsed, after two temporary pontoons located at the western end of the bridge sank, leaving thousands of commuters and vehicles stranded on both sides of the river. The pontoons were facilitating maintenance and rehabilitative works.

While no one was reportedly injured in the frightening mishap, minibus driver Clyde Clarke barely managed to prevent his vehicle from disappearing into the murky waters that enveloped the section linking the two affected spans. The other 14 passengers on the bus had already frantically jumped from the vehicle.

This occurred around 06:45 hrs when the structure collapsed, driving fear into the occupants of the lone minibus that was stranded on the sinking section. No one was injured but the bridge was immediately closed.

BUSINESS OWNER DROPS DEAD, FOUR TRAPPED CHINESE RESCUED FROM REGENT ST. BLAZE

The $17M Police boat

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The partially submerged portion of the bridge

An early morning fire on Regent Street on the last day of July left millions of dollars in damage and losses and one businessman dead.

Businessman, Ramdat Shiwprasad, 64, owner of Indra’s Fashion which was destroyed, collapsed upon seeing the fire and was pronounced dead minutes later at a city hospital.

Firemen were able to rescue four Chinese nationals who were trapped in one of the burning buildings. They sustained minor bruises and burns about their bodies.

The inferno began around 05:15 hrs.

In total four buildings were burnt and more than 100 persons left without jobs. At least two persons, including Chinese, were left homeless.

Among the businesses destroyed were Boyo’s Fashion, Clairans, Indra’s

Fashion, Lucky Dollar and several other clothing stores owned by Chinese nationals.

AUGUST FORMER TOP COP LAURIE LEWIS DIES Former Commissioner of Police, Laurie Leyland Lewis passed away quietly at his East Coast Demerara home shortly after midday on Monday, August 13.

He was 71. Lewis who served as Commissioner of Police for 11 years, from 1990 to 2001, was suffering from a prolonged illness. He was battling diabetes which eventually led to renal failure, and he was in and out of hospital within the past year.

His wife Jennifer confirmed that he died around 12:45 hours. His son, Laurie Jr., told this newspaper that he last spoke to his father on the morning that he passed

away. “Before I left the house he was sleeping, but then I got a call later that he had died.”

Lewis, who is so far the second longest serving Commissioner of Police in the country’s history, had once described his 11 years as the top cop as the “hardest years of my life.”

Former Top Cop, Laurie Lewis COMMISSION OF INQUIRYAGREEMENT INTO LINDEN KILLINGS SIGNED Government and the Opposition on August 21 signed an agreement paving the way for the beginning of a Commission of Inquiry into the unrest at Linden which claimed three lives and resulted in several persons being injured. But the signing only occurred after Government agreed to remove the contentious aspect of the Terms of Reference (TOR) which called for an investigation into whether any political forces were involved in promoting the protest.

SEPTEMBER HENRY GREENE, CHILD DIE IN THREE VEHICLE SMASH-UP

Former Commissioner of Police Henry Greene and 10year- old Shaffiya Jamaluddin were killed at around 09:10 hrs on September 7 following a three vehicle smash-up on the West Coast Demerara Public Road near Harlem, seven kilometres from Vreed-enHoop.

Reports are that Greene, 58, was driving a white Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) PLL 7411 east along the West Demerara Public Road when he collided head-on with a car PJJ 4812, which was transporting six persons, including ten year old Shaffiya.

He then crashed into the Bakewell Distribution truck GJJ 9067. The truck in turn slammed into the car that Greene struck. Greene and the young child reportedly died before receiving medical attention at the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

The other injured were identified as Victor Persaud, who was employed as a driver with Bakewell; Shalim AliMohamed and Dharmendra Prashadmisir who are porters with the company; Rahim Kaleem, 45; his wife, Zairoon Hussein; Reaz Kaleem, 18; Shaimoon Kaleem; and Fawaz Kaleem, 15.

GUYANAENDORSES US$506M CONSTRUCTION DEAL IN CHINA The construction agreement of what would be Guyana’s costliest infrastructural project – the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project (AFHEP) – has been signed, government announced on September 11.

Construction is expected to start in mid-2013.

According to the statement issued by the

Government Information Agency (GINA), the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) agreement for the construction of the Amaila Falls Hydro project and Transmission Line was executed in Xian, China, by Sithe Global, the developer, and China Railway First Group (CRFG), the construction company. The contract, valued at US$506M, was signed by Bruce Wrobel, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sithe Global, and Dr. Sun Yonggang, Chairman of China Railway First Group (CRFG).

AGRICOLA RESIDENTS, POLICE FACE-OFFAS TEEN SHOT DEAD

Shaquille Grant Tempers flared as angry Agricola residents faced-off with police after a shooting that left a teenager dead and another nursing bullet wounds. Police claimed that the victim, Shaquille Grant called ‘Georgie,” who would (Continued on page 38)

Page 38

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 01, 2013

gunshot wound just below his left armpit. Hospital sources confirmed that he was shot in the right shoulder and that the bullet exited his left armpit.

A dark-coloured car (PFF 6438) that was parked just next to where Belgrave was standing had its back windshield shattered as a result of the gunfire.

Tempers flared as angry Agricola residents faced-off with police after Grant’s shooting

Dameon Belgrave

From page 37 have celebrated his 18th birthday the day after he met his demise, was part of a criminal gang in the East Bank Demerara community.

Another youth sustained injuries to his head, while three others were arrested following what police said was a raid that came from a tip-off about a planned robbery.

Police in a press release stated that ranks on a mobile police patrol came under fire from a group of men at Caesar Street, Agricola. The police said that the ranks returned fire, fatally wounding Shaquille Grant, 17, of Lot 12 BB Eccles, EBD, and injuring Romel Bovell, 20, of Brutus Street, Agricola. A .38 Smith and Wesson revolver was recovered, the police claimed.

Police said that they received information that a gang in Agricola was planning a robbery on a business entity located near the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

CAR AND TYRES BURNT INAGRICOLA, FIRE FIGHTERS, POLICE SUMMONED After the killing of 17year-old Shaquille Grant by police, Agricola residents burnt tyres on the southern section of the four-lane East Bank Demerara Public Road for two successive nights, causing vehicular traffic to use the north-bound lane as a two-way lane. And inside the village at the scene where Grant was shot and killed, angry residents torched a car owned by a resident of the area. No arrests were made.

OCTOBER BYSTANDER SHOT DEAD AS POLICE CHASE SUSPICIOUS CAR A 21-year-old Lethem resident was fatally shot on October 5, outside the White Castle Fish Shop at Hadfield Street and Lime Streets, when a “high-speed chase” involving three Tactical Services Unit (TSU) ranks and the occupants of a white motor car (PGG 3506) ended in proximity to the popular hangout.

The dead man, Dameon Belgrave, also of Middle Street, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, and several of his friends were said to be in pre-birthday celebratory mood, when police reportedly opened fire after the car which they were pursuing at the time, stopped.

According to eyewitnesses, the police vehicle turned at a rapid rate into the street behind a white car that stopped on the northern carriageway of Hadfield Street aback of the Brickdam Secondary School.

The area at the time was crowded. Two gunshots then rang out. Belgrave who was reportedly standing

approximately 25 metres away from the police vehicle fell to the ground as other patrons scampered for cover.

Belgrave’s friends said when the area cleared somewhat, they noticed that he was lying on the ground and his jersey had blood in the upper chest area. It was then determined that the man was bleeding from what appeared to be a

THREE BURIED ALIVE IN MINING PIT The neighbouring East Coast Demerara communities of Ann’s Grove and Two Friends were plunged into shock and deep mourning, following the news that three of their villagers perished in a mining pit at Aranka in the Cuyuni area. Twenty-five year-old Deonarine Singh called ‘Chubby ‘of Ann’s Grove and cousins Elson Singh called ‘Papa Johnny’, 47 and Devon Barry, 22, both of Two Friends, died after the walls of the pit they were working in caved-in burying them alive. It took desperate colleagues, aided by an excavator, several minutes to dig them out from tons of sand and gravel, but by then it was too late.

RICARDO RODRIGUES DIES IN HAIL OF BULLETS

Ricardo Rodrigues The execution-style killing of Ricardo Rodrigues, a well known associate of convicted drug dealer Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan, sent shockwaves through the city and its environs in midOctober. Rodrigues was riddled with bullets as he sat (Continued on page 39)

Tuesday January 01, 2013

From page 39 at a table at the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club compound on Albert Street around 15:00 hours on Monday, October 15.

His body bore wounds to the head, chest, hands and leg inflicted by a highpowered weapon. From all indications he died instantly.

Three other persons who were at the club at the time were injured as the gunmen sprayed bullets indiscriminately.

EZ JET BOSS ACCUSED OF STEALING US$5.4M

EZjet boss Sonny Ramdeo A hospital chain claims in court that its payroll manager and his two companies embezzled US$5.4 million from it.

Promise Healthcare and 11 of its hospitals sued Sonny Ramdeo, PayServ Tax and EzJet GT, in Palm Beach County Court. It claims it hired Ramdeo eight years ago to manage payroll for its 3,500 employees in its hospitals nationwide.

Promise accused, “Sonny Ramdeo, and his companies (of) stealing over five million dollars from Promise through a sophisticated scheme of fraud and deception.

Specifically, Ramdeo incorporated a company called ‘PayServ Tax Inc.’ and deceived Promise’s senior management into believing that PayServ was a legitimate payroll tax processing company affiliated with the nationally known payroll processing company, Ceridian.

Promise Healthcare and 11 of its hospitals have sued Sonny Ramdeo, PayServ Tax and Ez-Jet for a US$5.4M embezzlement.

“Based on this lie, he deceived Promise into transferring millions of dollars to PayServ Tax Inc. and diverted over five million dollars of Promise’s money to himself and his companies,” the complaint stated.

GUYANA, CHINASIGN US$130M CJIA EXPANSION DEAL A major project to

Kaieteur News

modernize the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) moved one step nearer to reality with the signing of a critical US$130M deal between the Guyana and Chinese government on October 31.

Construction is expected to begin by the first quarter of 2013 with over 60 per cent of the workforce to be locals, Government officials said.

The US$130M framework agreement will pave the way for China’s ExIm bank to start releasing the monies. A number of other agreements with the contractor, China Harbour Engineering Corporation (CHEC) and the bank are to be signed.

According to Transport Minister, Robeson Benn, persons living in the immediate environs of the Timehri airport would be relocated within six months of the signing. Airports officials say that over 300 homes will be affected along with 800plus persons.

The project is the second most costly infrastructure one for Guyana after the Skeldon Factory modernization.

Government is expected to plug more than $20M in the project which will include an entirely new terminal building, passenger bridges, more check-in spaces, larger apron and runway and improved security.

RICARDO RODRIGUES ASSOCIATE GUNNED DOWN

had just turned out of a yard in Laluni Street when he was confronted by the gunmen.

Eyewitnesses recalled seeing two men shooting at Osborne’s car as he frantically attempted to drive away. But the slugs from what appeared to be AK-47 assault rifles, the preferred choice of local hit-men, penetrated the vehicle and pierced Osborne’s body.

TWO COPS KILLED IN KATO

Constable Ledon Aaron Police confirmed that two of their ranks who were found dead in the mountainous Region Eight location of Kato were murdered.

The bodies of Constables Marlon Letlow and Ledon Aaron, which were flown to the city, bore gunshot wounds. Aaron’s body was burnt almost beyond recognition.

This publication was told that the two policemen were

Marlon Osborne aka ‘Trini’

Two weeks after the execution-style killing of Ricardo Rodrigues, hit men turned their guns on his associate, Marlon Osborne aka Marlon Scott and ‘Trini’, riddling him with bullets in a brazen daylight onslaught.

Osborne succumbed to his injuries while being treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was rushed minutes after the attack which occurred near the junction of Peter Rose and Laluni Streets, Queenstown.

It was just after 13:00 hours when the 32-year old Achievement Place, South Ruimveldt Gardens resident

Constable Marlon Letlow victims of retaliation from miners whose camp they had attempted to rob.

Sources say that from all indications the men were fleeing from their attackers.

Both of them appeared to have been shot in the back.

Reports are that the men went out on a routine patrol and were returning to the Police Station when they were attacked.

BRAZIL-BOUND AIRCRAFT FOUND AT ILLEGALAIRSTRIP The suspicious landing of an Ecuadorian-registered aircraft at an illegal airstrip in Guyana’s interior region engaged the attention of security and aviation experts in late October.

The 412 twin-engine plane went missing after taking off from the Ogle Airport around midday on October 28 on its way to Boa Vista, Brazil.

Nothing was heard from the pilot who was the only person on board until the day when the aircraft was spotted at the unmarked airstrip somewhere between Pirara and Moraikobai.

Authorities were unaware at the time that the plane had not reached its destination and it was only after it was spotted by another pilot flying over the area that the matter became known.

The pilot, a Brazilian national, whose name was given as Perriea Goncolo, subsequently reported that the aircraft had developed engine problems and he was forced to land at the airstrip.

But by then local security personnel had begun investigations.

BRAZIL-BOUND AIRCRAFT WAS PAINTED OVER IN LESS THAN A DAY Local law enforcement agents and officials from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority combed through an Ecuadorian aircraft that was discovered at an illegal airstrip in the Rupununi region, and investigators were convinced that it was involved in illegal activities.

Works Minister Robeson Benn told reporters that authorities had seized it and were preparing to fly it to a more secure location for a thorough examination.

Security officials were still trying to locate the Brazilian pilot of the aircraft, Goncalo Ferreira Lima Neto, 42, who was alone on board. They wanted to ascertain what his true mission was.

According to Benn, the aircraft entered Guyana about two months prior on what he termed a technical stop, which he said is not unusual. Such stops may cause aircraft to require fuel and other

Page 39

services on the way to their destination. The aircraft with the registration 8CCIK, departed the Ogle Airport, where it had undergone some maintenance, on a one and a half hour flight to Boa Vista, Brazil.

An eyewitness recounted seeing it careening from one side of the road to the other.

It is still unknown whether one of its wheels blew out.

OBAMA WINS RE-ELECTION

NOVEMBER GTMEMPLOYEE, POLICEWOMANAMONG DEADINSURINAME CRASH Three persons - 42 yearold Police Sergeant, Andrea Isaacs; GTM employee, 41year-old Monique Charlene Lynch and her fiancé 32-yearold Asa Sauers - were killed in a crash in Nickerie, Suriname.

Barack Obama

Police Sergeant Andrea Isaacs

Asa Sauers

Monique Charlene Lynch The lone survivor of the crash was identified as Velma Lynch, Monique Lynch’s stepmother and former head mistress of North Georgetown Multilateral School.

Reports are that the driver of the blue SUV in which the persons were traveling, apparently lost control.

President Barack Obama won re-election to a second term in the White House, beating Republican challenger Mitt Romney after a long and bitter campaign.

Obama defeated Romney in a series of key swing states despite a weak economic recovery and persistent high unemployment as U.S. voters decided between two starkly different visions for the country.

Obama’s victory in the hotly contested swing state of Ohio put him over the top in the fight for the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the White House and ended Romney’s hopes of pulling off a string of swingstate upsets.

Obama scored narrow wins in Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire – all states that Romney had contested – while the only swing state captured by Romney was North Carolina.

EZJET COLLAPSES! Chartered air services company, EZJet, had its operating licences suspended by the United States Department of Transport and by the Guyana Government.

Swift Air, owner of the aircraft leased to the charter company airline, withdrew its service from the company because of a massive debt.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and founder, Sonny Ramdeo, was at the centre of a financial scandal which reportedly raised a number of questions about the airline’s operation.

Swift Air filed a complaint against EZjet with the US (Continued on page 40)

Page 40

Kaieteur News

From page 39 Department of Transport. The Department suspended EZjet’s operations from New York. Ramdeo had made the decision to step down as the company’s CEO after being sued for allegedly embezzling US$5.4M from his employer, Promise Healthcare.

This state of affairs resulted in a credibility crisis for the airline, which had become popular for offering the public low cost airfares.

In addition to a number of cancelled flights recently, several New York-bound passengers were stranded at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, a situation which resulted from the revocation of the aircraft service.

EZjet started flying the Guyana/New York route in December last, before adding Trinidad and Toronto, Canada.

POLICE UNIFORMS, BULLET-PROOF VESTS, AMMO, GUN AND MASKS FOUND IN ABANDONED SUITCASE Residents of First Dam, Garden of Eden, received a disturbing surprise when they found a large arms cache on the roadside in the East Bank Demerara farming community.

Police revealed that the ammunition, amounting to 1,407 rounds of various calibres, and a loaded .38 Taurus Special Revolver, were stashed in two suitcases and a travelling bag.

The ammunition included .38, 7.62×39, .45, .44, .40, 9mm, .25 and .380 rounds; and 12 gauge cartridges.

Two bullet proof vests, two pairs of black leather boots, three face masks, and a quantity of clothing in two black suitcases and a travelling bag were also in the suitcase.

Police officials confirmed that some of the clothing and the leather boots appeared to be similar to clothing worn by members of the Guyana Police Force.

BRASSINGTON SENDS CONTRADICTORY MESSAGES ON MARRIOTT/CASINO DEAL The government in general and Winston Brassington through Atlantic Hotels Inc, in a press statement to refute a news report published on October 24, in Kaieteur News, said that Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI) will own both the Hotel and the Entertainment Complex and all investment, income, and expenditure will be in the name of AHI. The statement accused Kaieteur News seeking to “distort and pander to special interests of the Opposition.”

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Chartered air services company, EZJet, had its operating licences suspended by the United States Department of Transport and by the Guyana Government.

It also accused the political opposition of being intellectually dishonest. It saw the media report as nothing but “another attempt by the opposition and their media associates, to cater to special interest groups of the opposition, interested in distorting the facts.”

Kaieteur News had published the reports under the headline ‘Brassington seeks to outsource Casino, Restaurant and Nightclub’ on October 24, and ‘Separation of Casino, Nightclub, Restaurant and Marriott Hotel—a financial scheme to steal Guyana money— APNU’.

Issued under the hand of the Guyana Government, Atlantic Hotels Inc. and National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the statement reiterated that Atlantic Hotels Inc. will own both hotel and the Entertainment Complex.

The statement contended, “Government/NICIL and AHI have consistently said that the Entertainment Complex will be separately operated.

However, Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI) will own both the Hotel and the Entertainment Complex and all investment, income, and expenditure will be in the name of AHI.” The statement, however, contended that the government, in Parliament,

stated that “…outfitting costs for the Entertainment Complex estimated at US$4 M … is expected to be funded by the operators (casino, nightclub, and restaurant) once these operators are selected via an RFP to be issued.”

An analyst said that this is a contradiction and an attempt at a clever use of words.

MASKED GUNMEN RAID FISHING BOAT, SNATCH US$11.5M IN GOLD Masked gunmen, disguised as policemen, raided a fishing boat in Curacao and escaped with over US$11.5M in gold believed to have been shipped from Guyana.

The boat captain, a Guyanese, was struck in the head in the early-morning assault before the thieves made off with the gold in three cars, Curacao’s police spokesman Reggie Huggins said.

Authorities believe there were at least six men involved in the heist. No suspects were in custody, an Associated Press (AP) story said.

According to the AP story, the captain and three crew members were from Guyana.

The boat, by its appearance, would seem an unlikely place to stash the 70 gold bars which weighed

approximately 216 kilograms (476 pounds).

DECEMBER PUBLIC SERVANTS GET 5% INCREASE Government announced a five percent across-the-board increase for public servants.

The increase to salaries and wages will be retroactive to January 1, 2012 for all public servants employed in ministries, departments not under ministerial control, regional administrations and those who are engaged on contracts “against positions reflected on the inventory of the traditional public service and also those who are contracted against positions that are not on the inventory of the traditional public service”.

According to the government, the action was taken to avoid the disappointment of workers who have expectations of a salary increase payout before Christmas.

FBI ARRESTS EZJET BOSS The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested embattled founder of EZjet Air Services Inc., Sonny Ramdeo. Kaieteur News was told that agents zeroed in on him in New York after weeks of wire fraud investigations.

At the time of his arrest, Ramdeo was reportedly

speaking to a senior official of EZjet’s Guyana office on Skype, a video call that uses the internet. It is unclear at this time whether this was how the FBI managed to track him.

RAMDEO FACES 60 YEARS IN JAIL Hours after his arrest, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EZjet Air Services, Sonny Austin Ramdeo, appeared before a New York court, accused of stealing US$20M from a hospital chain over a sevenyear period.

Some of the monies he is accused of stealing were said to be used to finance the operations of EZjet, a chartered airline that he started up in December 2011, according to prosecutors. He remains in jail in New York without bail.

Ramdeo, 35, was charged with wire fraud.

They charged him with a US$20 million federal payroll tax fraud scheme.

The Federal agents said that Ramdeo kept the money paid by Promise and Success Healthcare to his private company, PayServ, for his personal use.

Ramdeo is expected to be removed to the Southern District of Florida on these charges.

The federal agents had signaled their intention to

arrest him in early November.

He immediately went into hiding, but gave the impression through his local country manager, Rosalinda Rasul, that he was communicating with the Feds.

He even returned as Chief Executive Officer having resigned when the first accusation of theft surfaced through a writ filed by Promise Healthcare, accusing him of stealing US$5.4 million.

A former resident of Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara, the 35-year-old Ramdeo faces up to 60 years in jail on three counts of wire fraud, with a mandatory fine of US$250,000.

He could also be fined twice the amount of money he stole or twice the sum his victim lost.

Ramdeo, whose dramatic arrest last week in New York made headlines, has agreed to stay behind bars until his trial in Florida.

Ramdeo was widely expected to seek his pre-trial freedom in a Brooklyn, New York court.

However, before Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy, he agreed to remain in jail until his case is moved to Florida.

This case in Florida, where Ramdeo was based, is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen L. Cohen.

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Kaieteur News

Medical evacuations attract more than $19 million in 2012 – Dr Chan More than $19 million was expended by the Ministry of Health’s Regional Health Services during the past year as part of its medical evacuation programme, said Director of Regional Health Services, Dr Irv Chan.

His comments came during the Health Ministry’s end-of-year press conference yesterday. The forum was hosted at the Ministry’s Brickdam, Georgetown boardroom.

According to Dr Chan, there were 111 medical evacuation flights organised by the Ministry which allowed for the safe transfer of some 145 patients from far flung regions to Georgetown to access medical attention.

“The goal of the Ministry of Health is to make sure flights are done safely and patient condition is foremost when conducting this process,” said Dr Chan as he insisted that the Regional Health Services Department is poised to improve the delivery of this service in the New Year.

Dr Chan said that on a normal basis a huge chunk of the Health Ministry’s budget is plugged into the department of Regional Health Services which is also tasked with facilitating a number of medical outreaches to far flung areas.

And according to him, for 2012 the department reported significant activities whereby the Department paved the way for several such outreaches to areas including Regions One, Seven and

Nine.

Medical services ranging from surgical, orthopaedic, obstetric and gynaecological, eye and general clinics as well as ultra sound and VIA services are offered by specialists several of whom operate on a voluntary basis.

More than 20 private practitioners contributed their skills to this effort last year, Dr Chan revealed yesterday. “These doctors were crucial to the actual sustenance of the outreach programme making our outreach programme a success for 2012 and we do plan to continue this in 2013 and to deliver even more surgical outreaches,” said Dr Chan.

During the past year a total of nine surgical outreaches were undertaken

In relation to the article captioned “Local Government Bills Stuck At Select Committee…….” published in Saturday’s edition of the Stabroek News on December 29, last, A Partnership for National Unit, said that it rejects out of hand, the contention of the Minister of local government, Ganga Persaud, that Committee Chairman, Basil Williams or the APNU is responsible for any delay in the passage of the local government bills.

Routine journalistic practice of simply ‘fact checking’ would have prevented such a publication, the political party said.

On the last sitting of the National Assembly on December 20, last, at a meeting of the members of the Special Select Committee on the Local Government Reform Bills, under the

chairmanship of the Speaker, Raphael Trotman, Basil Williams was elected chairman ahead of the Minister, said APNU. The Yuletide season being at hand, Parliament was adjourned to January 3. As a result, members have returned to different parts of Guyana and abroad, APNU added.

Mr. Basil Williams later told Guyana Times that on the resumption of the National Assembly, he would call the first meeting of the Committee.

APNU affirms that it is therefore fallacious to assert that the local government reform bills were stuck in the Select Committee when the Assembly has been adjourned to a date after the Christmas season.

APNU has always dilated on the fact that the PPPC government is responsible for

Regional Health Services Director, Dr Irv Chan

by specialist doctors with the support of other medical personnel in the target Regions. In Region One, two surgical outreaches were done allowing for a total of 42 surgeries to be successfully completed. However, there were 83 individuals who gained medical attention through these outreaches, Dr Chan said.

The Bartica Hospital, in Region Seven, was the venue for four surgical outreaches which saw the attendance of 85 patients and 54 surgeries. In the case of Region Nine, the Lethem hospital hosted three major outreaches that allowed for 886 persons to be attended to and the facilitation of 142 surgeries.

According to Dr Chan “the total number of surgeries done for 2012 was 238 which is a little off of our target...We would have estimated to have done 300 surgeries but we were off because of the late start of the events after the budget which was passed in April (2012).”

H o w e v e r, D r C h a n noted that the Regional Health Services Department was yet able to achieve more than 75 per cent of its target to deliver surgical interventions and clinics to those in the far flung areas.

In essence, he said that a total of 1,054 individuals were attended to, a move which represented health care services outside of the regular health services offered by the respective target regions.

APNU rejects Minister Ganga Persaud’s contention

the non-implementation of local government reform in Guyana, the party said.

For over a decade the PPPC government has had custody of the process of introducing local government reform and has failed to do so.

APNU said.

The PPPC had custody of the said Local Government Bills in the 9th Parliament and only passed into law one of the five bills, APNU said.

The local government bills could not be stuck in the Select Committee due to the appointment of its chairman during the Christmas season of 2012, APNU added.

APNU said that it hopes that the negative utterances of the Minister of Local Government are not the precursor of a plan of noncooperation by the PPP in the Select Committee under the new chairmanship.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Kaieteur News

DTV CHANNEL 8 08:55 hrs. Sign On 09:00 hrs. New Year’s Messages 09:15 hrs. DTV’s Christmas Greetings 10:00 hrs. Live! With Kelly and Michael 11:00 hrs. The Ricki Lake Show 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. MacGyver 17:00 hrs. The Ellen DeGeneres Show

18:00 hrs. Awakening 18:30 hrs. World News 19:00 hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:00 hrs. Alliance on the Move 21:00 hrs. Movie: The Avengers 00:00 hrs. Sign Off MTV CHANNEL 14/ CABLE 65 Sign on 05:50 hrs - Searching the Scriptures Old Year’s message 06:00 hrs - Islamic Perspective 06:30 hrs - News Update 07:00 hrs - DAYBREAK

08:00 hrs - Dabi’s musical 08:30 hrs - Avon Video & DVD: Avatar 09:00 hrs - BBC World News 09:15 hrs - Top Notch Music Break 09:30 hrs - Caribbean Temptation Music Mix 10:00 hrs - Amanda’s music break 10:30 hrs - Teleview New Year 2013 12:30 hrs - Bollywood Sensation New year2013 14:30 hrs - Movie: Snow Dogs 16:30 hrs - MTV music break/ New Year’s greetings 17:00 hrs - Birthday & other greetings

Tuesday January 01, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Although you want everyone to see that you are doing the right thing these days, demonstrating your good intentions can be quite challenging at times.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You know what it takes to be practical today, but you don’t really feel like doing it.

Ultimately, your most workable strategy now starts with being aware of the divergent forces that are pulling you in different directions.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) It seems like you are dramatically running from one task to the next, but you may not be as busy as you appear. Your hectic pace is part of a strategy that lets others know they shouldn’t ask more from you now.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Even if you are usually fiscally cautious, it’s all too easy to forget budgetary restraints during the holiday season. Nevertheless, you might want to demonstrate that you are responsible with your money today, especially if someone has recently criticized your spending habits.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your kindness might win over a previous enemy, yet you could make matters worse if you are insincere.

Friendly Venus, your ruling planet, is currently caught in a web of words and the more you say, the farther away from the truth you get.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Coming to the aid of those who look up to you sounds like a good idea, but your actions may not be fully appreciated now. Instead of expecting to be admired in the spotlight, try helping someone today without even being noticed.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) It’s party time for you today, but at least you have the good sense to realize that the fun times won’t last forever. You’re eager to create a memorable event, whether on your own or in collaboration with others.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You have probably experienced your share of intense drama this holiday season with the willful Sun’s connection to shadowy Pluto.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You may be quite moody now that the sensitive Moon is in your sign. You could even swing from being very upbeat to down and out in just a few minutes today.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) The fiery Leo Moon is traveling through your 7th House of Others, tugging on your relationship axis today.

You may be lured into discussions about what you want, but your desires might not fit into someone else’s expectations.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You might choose to downplay your confidence now because you believe it’s out of place in the current situation.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Trust your instincts when it comes to doing what makes the most sense today, even if it’s counter to your logical analysis.

17:15 hrs - Death Announcements/ In Memoriam 17:30 hrs - CNN News 18:00 hrs - Pulse Beat: Presentation of Ministry of health 18:30 hrs - Ma Ke Mahema 19:00 hrs - Movie: Richie Rich $ 20:30 hrs - DJ Stress Quiz 21:00 hrs - Islam for Guyana 21:30 hrs - Movie: Beethoven’s Christmas continues Sign Off NTN CHANNEL 18/ CABLE 69 0500h - Sign on with the Mahamrtunjaya Mantra 0515h - Meditation 0530h - 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 Fast Food Presents Raja Yoga Discourses 0730h - Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital Inc Presents Hanuman Bhajans 0745h - The Family of The Late Leila & David Persaud Presents Hanuman Bhajans 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

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Rishta 1100h - Indian Soap - Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuyien 1130h - Indian Soap - Punar Vivaah 1200h - News Years Special Live with Mona 1330h - DVD Movie:CLOUD ATLAS *ing Tom Hanks 1500h - Christmas with Mona Live 1600h - NTN Christmas Greetings 1645h - Dying Tears 1715h - World’s Hindi Teaching by Sanskar Bharati International 1730h - Ganesh Parts Presents - BHAGAVAD GITA ( Discourses in English) Serial 1745h - Birthday Greetings / Deaths Announcement & In Memoriam 1800h - THE ROUND TABLE with Hon: Anil Nandalall 1900h - DVD Movie:STUDENT OF THE YEAR (Eng: Sub:) *ing Alia Bhatt, Siddarth Malhotra, Sana Saeed & Rishi Kapoor 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 NCN CHANNEL 11 03:00 hrs - Movie 05:00 hrs - Inspiration 05:30 hrs - Newtown Gospel 06:00 hrs - NCN Late Edition(R/B) 06:30 hrs - Kala Milan 07:00 hrs - Guyana Today 08:00 hrs - GWI Alert (R/B) 08:30 hrs - Pulse Beat(R/B) 09:00 hrs - Revelation & Power 09:30 hrs - Movie 11:00 hrs - GT&T Jingle and Song 12:00 hrs - Expressions of Richard Naraine Holiday Edition 13:00 hrs - Kashif and Shangai Final Concert Update 14:00 hrs - Live Beenie Man 14:30 hrs - This is We 15:30 hrs - New Year Bundle of Joy 16:00 hrs - Youth Expressions (r/b) 17:00 hrs - Presidents New Year Message (r/b) 18:00 hrs - NCN News Magazine – Live 18:30 hrs - Grow With Iped 19:00 hrs - Stretched Out Magazine 20:00 hrs - 3d/daily millions/play de dream/ lotto draw 20:05 hrs - Christmas Greeting 20:30 hrs - XI Interface 21:35 hrs - Movie 23:00 hrs - Revelation and Power

Guides are subjected to change without notice

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 01, 2013

International police officers to assist...

From page 3 the Guyana Police Force has been more effective in managing Traffic during the period 2006 to 2012 and there

has been more deliberate citizen and institutional efforts and collaboration to reduce accidents on our roads.”

According to Rohee, a comparative glance of the total reports of serious crimes committed in Guyana for the cluster of years 2000 to 2005

Mysterious murders, execution...

From page 2 battered and bruised body of 12-year-old Joshua Chunilall of Letter Kenny, Corentyne, was discovered around 13:30 hrs yesterday in a fish pond near his parents’ farm at John’s Village, Port Mourant.

A postmortem revealed that the lad had mud in his lungs. There are suggestions

that he was held face down in the pond.

The murder last December of Anandale Market Road businessman, Kamal Ramsahoye, is suspected by some detectives to have been staged to look like a robbery.

The businessman, who lived alone, was found dead in his bottom flat. He had been

stabbed at least ten times.

Even more baffling is the murder of 76-year-old Saheed Hamid. Someone blasted the elderly man in the chest with a shotgun in early December outside his Maida farm, Corentyne home.

It is alleged that Hamid, called “Uncle Tulu”, was shot after exiting his back door to go to a latrine.

and 2006 to 2012, indicates the reports for the years 2006 to 2012 reduced by seven percent.

For the years 2000 to 2005, some 28,471 reports of serious crimes were recorded by the Guyana Police Force, while for the years 2006 to 2012 the total reports were 26,467.

During the period 1999 to 2005 the Police were involved in 129 fatal shootings, while during the period 2006 to 2012, the Police were involved in 87 fatal shootings.

“These figures indicate that the number of fatal shootings by the Police has reduced during the latter period 2005 to 2012 and more firearms have been recovered.

“Moreover, these claims made inside and outside of Parliament are fundamentally political, spurious and false in essence. Further, they are historical and vindictive and have absolutely nothing to do with ‘a pattern of behaviour’, nor whether ‘Public Security is in good hands’.”

“Were the Opposition to move away from the narrow, myopic approach in viewing developments in the Security Sector, they would obviously see the holistic, well thought-

out and carefully executed new dispensation prevailing in the Sector.”

One of the characteristic features of this new dispensation is the involvement of the Private Sector and other nongovernmental Stakeholders in process of institutional strengthening and capacity building of the institutions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“Never in the history of our country and this sector in particular has there been such productive involvement of non-governmental Stakeholders in assisting to build greater confidence in and support for the Security Sector,” Rohee stated.

The National Assembly had passed a motion of no confidence in the Minister of Home Affairs, after it was put forward by the leader of the parliamentary opposition.

He said that his Ministry wants a constructive engagement with the parliamentary opposition, since according to him, there must be an engagement that will be structured, sustainable and all-embracing, with well established reporting and accountable mechanisms worked out and approved by

both sides.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs is prepared to bring to the Parliamentary Oversight Committee for deliberations the Strategic and Implementation Plans for the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Prison Service as well as its projections for the 2013 Budget for the Guyana Police Force.

The Ministry is agreeable to setting greed and specific timelines for reporting back to the Oversight Committee on the progress and challenges that have arisen to facilitate or hinder implementation of the Strategic Plans earlier mentioned. The Ministry is prepared to make itself available regularly to the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector in an effort to ensure greater transparency and accountability of its activities and those of the Departments that fall under its jurisdiction.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is convinced that in the spirit of compromise and accommodation, the maintenance of peace and good order in our country can be further advanced,” Rohee stated.

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Tuesday January 01, 2013

Motor racing catapults to no.1 spot

Some of the intense competition during the year.

The Guyana Motor Racing &Sports Club without a doubt was among the high performing sporting entities of 2012.

This Organisation has been among the leaders on the sports calendar for the past four years, and it did manage to maintain and even surpass its previous performance of 2011.

The re-emergence of Group 4 speedster Mark Vieira, the continued consistency of veteran Andrew King and Kevin Jeffrey and the coming out young drivers such as Afraz

Alli, Danny Persaud, Vishok Persaud among others were encouraging developments in the sport last year.

Despite not winning the coveted Caribbean title last year, Guyana like the other host countries Jamaica and Barbados successfully defended home turf in what was described as the largest crowd to witness a Race Meet at the South Dakota Circuit for some time.

The current executive has been exemplary in its planning and execution of events and combined with its shrewdness to partner other

related agencies such as the Ministry of Tourism and the hotel and hospitality industries, the sport has now catapulted itself into the no.1 spot on the sports chart, easily replacing the much maligned disciplines of cricket and football.

Guyana has always been one of the leading countries in the sport regionally and despite the paucity of sponsors for competitors, the competitors have been able to expertly navigate that difficulty through much personal sacrifice to make their machines competitive.

The Club was able to reinvigorate interest in the Superbike category which had fallen away for a few years and has now become one of the feature attractions at the Meets, while the gokarts and lower divisions of the cars also garner exciting attention, a new development from years gone by.

Guyana can boast of having the reigning Superbike champion in Stephen ‘Valentino Rossi’ Vieira, while the up and coming Nikhil Seereram, who in his debut year in the category looked everything of a future title holder was more good news for the sport.

It is ample testimony of

the work being done at the Club to stimulate growth in the sport all-round and coupled with the evolution of a go-kart track which has supervision all day long for aspiring competitors and a state-ofthe-art gym and clubhouse, the sport and the on track success of last year must be among the ‘ highs’ for 2012.

Despite a year of fluctuating fortunes local professional boxers progressed credibly Ever since Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis record breaking world title feat where he defeated James Page for the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight belt, local boxers have experienced fluctuating fortunes with most of them losing the prestigious accolade.

That apart, the year 2012 has seen the revitalization of boxing cards, mostly the Friday Night Fights, piloted by the officials of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) that served as the catalyst to the achievement by many local pugilists of the prestigious Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) belt.

This accolade is further regarded as a gateway into the world rankings and by extension, the acquisition of world title fights.

In a bid to revitalize his flagging career, Wayne’ ‘Big Truck’ Braithwaite signed up to fight Barbadian Shawn ‘The Sniper’ Cox. He lost that bout and then tried for a shot at the local heavyweight title which he also lost to Shawn Corbin.

Several other former world raters also suffered debilitating fortunes and the year witnessed several of them calling it a day. Vivian Harris was one such fighter.

He had done Guyana proud after defeating Diosbely’s Hurtado, winning the WBC junior/welterweight title.

Andrew Lewis has not

officially hung up his gloves but due to non-activity and based on the fact that he has not been in the gym much recently seems to suggest that he has called it a day also.

Andre Purlette was recently in Guyana and has indicated his disinterest in reentering the ring while Gary StClair, who now resides in Australia seem to have lost the verve for the sport.

Fortunately, during last year, the Friday Night Fights, brainchild of President of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) Peter Abdool, swung into top gear and hatched out several promising pugilists the likes of Elton ‘Coolie Bully’ Dharry, Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy, Edmond DeClou and Kwesi Lightening Struck Assassin’ Jones among others; all but Jones won CABOFE titles while Jones is the local light/ heavyweight king.

Hardy has benefited from the ProAm cards and over the past year has instilled fear into the hearts of his adversaries. He resumed his journey from 2011 where he had stopped Patrick Boston in 20secs to claim the record for the fastest knockout. In 2012, he has had many close shaves none closer than the Eastman encounter which boxing buffs said was a gift.

Nevertheless, Hardy remains one of the talents emerging from the ProAm cards and who is definitely one to watch

for in the near future.

Maybe one of the biggest disappointments occurred when Shondell ‘Mystery Lady’ Alfred traveled to Mexico to take on World Boxing Council (WBC) female Super/flyweight champion Mexican, Zulina Muñoz at Foro Polanco, Mexico City, Mexico. That bout never came off after Alfred was diagnosed to be pregnant just before the fight.

Gwendolyn O’Neil’s impending return bout against Carlotta Ewell is still to materialize and since time is not in her favour, the aged O’Neil could now be singing the swan song. That is the bad news; the good news is that several worthwhile pugilists are standing on the precipice awaiting their chance at world acclaim. This follows the highly touted WBC Anniversary tournament which has undergone several postponements. According to Mr. Abdool, this tournament is set to take place during February 2013. When, or if it materializes, local pugilists will receive lucrative purses and rankings. This should have been one of the highlights of 2012. As it is 2013 has arrived and we are still awaiting its arrival.

Notwithstanding, 2012 has been a favourable year for the sport and has set a favourable template for the New Year.

Happy New Year folks.

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Kaieteur News

Action in a Volleyball tournament during the year at the Sports Hall.

Volleyball This is a sport that has made a remarkable resurgence over the past two years following a prolonged period of inactivity.

Last year, due to the extended dry weather, most sporting organizations were able to execute many of their planned programmes and volleyball was one such discipline that saw increased activities and that has classified it as one of the highs in 2012.

The year saw an amplification of action within the two traditional counties that have dominated the sport for so long, Demerara and Berbice that surely augurs well for the future of the sport.

The executive of the respective associations within the two counties had formed a strong allegiance over the past two years and this strategic partnership saw the exchange of visits by teams, while participation of teams in tournaments organized by the respective

Bodies remained solid.

The Demerara Association through its member affiliate Castrol Strikers started the year with the completion of the 2011 Tradewind Tankers ‘True Champions’ Tournament and that was followed by the Digicel competition, while the year culminated with the Tradewind Tankers ‘International Challenge’ Tournament which saw teams from Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname compete against the locals and it was agreed that the par.

Many are now awaiting the arrival of the FIFA official to adjudicate in the enduring mêlée between the Federation and the GFA. The visit they hope will initiate the necessary changes both constitutional and organisational that would allow the aggrieved GFA to be given back their voting rights and make all parties more accountable to stakeholders in the sport.

Franklin Wilson

Vernon Burnett

Football

The off-field fiasco has threatened the viability of the sport with sponsors apprehensive to offer their support, while the suspensions of two high ranking members of the governing body in the cash for votes scandal scared away potential sponsors, thereby plunging the GFF into further debt, a situation that became even more grim after the qualifying campaign ended.

The highly publicised ineptitude of the current administration by members of the ‘Golden Jaguars’ squad that participated in the WC qualifiers has only served to heap more condemnation and suspicion on how things are handled by certain officials and all those inconsistencies combined to make the all round performance one below

Despite Guyana’s best showing ever in World Cup football history after making it to the fourth round of qualifiers, the unmistakable pandemonium that has besieged the management of the sport has overshadowed the outstanding exploits of the national team.

The ongoing antagonism between the two major factions of the sport locally, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and its largest affiliate the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) over voting rights has plunged the sport into disrepute and that has evidently affected the game’s growth in addition to causing embarrassing splits within the family.

This year changes have to be made for the sport to enjoy peace and tranquility, two features that have eluded it for quite some time.

All the while, fans are being ripped off due to the present division among the warring factions which ultimately rob them of seeing the best players participate in one tournament.

Hopefully that and all the other problems that currently beset the sport will be rectified during the imminent visit by the FIFA official.

Efforts should be made to have all the pertinent stakeholders have their say whenever the official arrives so that every side will be heard and the best solutions are taken on board.

It is clear as day that the players and fans have reached the limit of their patience and it is now time for clearness to take priority over vagueness.

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Castrol Strikers team is action during a tournament in Berbice. level of the competition not only served to raise awareness of the sport’s resurrection, but it also helped to improve the level of play amongst the local players.

The Berbice Association must be seen as the strongest unit within the Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF).

This entity did an enormous job in popularising and lifting the standard of the sport in the County and for this the administration must be commended.

They not only ran off regular tournaments, but also

organized the training of officials and staged training sessions as well for aspiring players, making it the most vibrant of the GVF affiliates.

The GVF for its credit must be singled out for the unmitigated support it has given to member affiliates, starting with the procurement of a high-class surface at the National Gymnasium which current President Lenox Shuffler must receive praise for.

It was Shuffler, who had canvassed strongly for assistance from the FIVB for

lowly rated countries such as Guyana have such help to further develop the sport.

The long serving Head was also able to solicit assistance for the development of the sport in schools and to this end received balls and other related items which was distributed to schools and this too has them in the ‘highs’ for sports in 2012.

Let’s hope that the momentum witnessed last year will pick up speed and allow the sport to break into the mainstream.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Triple champion, Clive Atwell receives support for continuation of career Following his 3rd round knockout of Barbados based Guyanese, Revlon Lake, relieving him of the local lightweight title; Clive ‘The Punisher’ Atwell has earned the distinction of being the first Guyanese to hold titles in three divisions.

Indeed, the youngster is the local featherweight, lightweight and the World Boxing Council Caribbean Boxing Federation (WBC CABOFE) junior/ welterweight champion.

He has so far compiled a record of 10 fights, stopping

5 of his opponents and winning four by decision. His lone blemish is a drawn decision against Mark Austin in a fight he still feels that he had won. He has also stopped five of his opponents including, Rudolph Fraser for the local featherweight title and Trinidadian Prince Lee Isadore for the World Boxing Council Caribbean Boxing Federation (WBC CABOFE) junior/welterweight belt.

In his last fight Atwell proved that an earlier knockout victory against

Lake was no fluke after disposing of him in quick time.

Atwell spends most of his time in Dominica where he works even as he finds time to engage in boxing activities.

However, the paucity of sparring partners in that country has been a cause of concern for his training team which includes coach Lennox Daniels, Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore, who serves as his adviser and Max Massiah who Atwell regards as his close friend and mentor.

Following his devastating

knockout over Lake, Atwell is preparing for tougher encounters and has revamped his training methods to suit that need.

According to Mr. Massiah, Atwell has exceptional qualities which if properly honed could earn him a world title in the near future. He said that he has had discussions with Atwell and they had agreed that apart from his physical abilities, there was a need to develop his mental acumen.

Mr. Massiah pointed out that team Atwell has already

In photo, Max Massiah (right) poses with Atwell shortly after handing over the training equipment. started this process which he feels is the key variable to Atwell’s current progress.

Atwell left for Dominica last Saturday morning and will continue the development programme while there.

Anxious that his charge continues in the right vein, Mr. Massiah has presented him with a piece of training equipment capable of

developing his forearm and wrist and by extension, enhances his punching power. The handing over ceremony took place at Giftland office Max Saturday morning last. Atwell thanked his benefactor and has since promised to use the equipment during training sessions while in his adopted hometown.

Lumumba credited for his role in football Often ridiculed and maligned, not much credit has been given to President of the Alpha Football Club, Odinga Lumumba, for his efforts in the development to local football. Lumumba, who has been quite a controversial figure at times, has been instrumental in the fortunes of Alpha, taking the club from the doldrums and moulding it into one of the leading outfits locally.

Known for his bold outspoken and even in some quarters being described as abrasive, Lumumba has rubbed many involved in the sport in ways they may not like but has truly delivered starting with his club.

He has been instrumental in agitating for the increase in prize money in the sport as well as ensuring his charges earn decent money for plying their trade.

Lumumba recently wrote Football governing body FIFA to agitate for change to the current situation affecting the local game mainly between the Georgetown Football League and the Guyana Football Federation.

He was bold enough to suggest to FIFA that if something is not done he will attempt to form a parallel body to administer the sport locally.

However, known not to mix

matters, FIFA indicated that Lumumba stand down on any such threat and informed that they will be visiting this month to look at the situation and attempt to fix it.

Steve Ninvalle, executive member of the Alpha club, feels that Lumumba has not received the credit he deserves for the many positives that he has singlehandedly brought to the game over the years.

Ninvalle noted that despite tough times, Lumumba has been able to secure key finances for the club and has been able to raise the bar at the club level. He has also been instrumental in persuading former President Bharat Jagdeo to commit funding to the sport on several occasions. Recently he has been calling on the GFA and GFF to work out their problems and let football progress.

Controversial or not, his role has been instrumental in many ways in football in Guyana and it is hoped that he and all involved come together and work together to move the sport forward in 2013, bringing an end to the GFF, GFA saga and see a resolution out of Court and ensure that the game is administered to its true potential.

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Sports in Guyana endured several high points and also some low ones.

Cricket and Football led the way with cricket experiencing the most controversies. Trips to and from the courtroom among other issues affected the two sporting disciplines.

Cricket however took the ‘icing off the cake’ with government’s intervention through the Ministry of Sport and its subject minister making moves to take over the administering of the sport.

The formation of a cricket IMC and the submission of a Draft Constitution making amendments to the existing document also transpired which was met with disapproval from the WICB. Here Kaieteur looks at some of the disciplines that had key high points and low ones during the past year.

Cricket Despite the numerous problems affecting cricket in Guyana, our cricketers still continue to excel at various levels.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul reclaimed the number spot in test battings rankings, while Veerasammy Permaul and Assad Fudadin were elevated to the senior West Indies team. Permaul was also chosen to captain the West Indies ‘A’ team on their tour of Bangladesh.

Ronsford Beaton and Amir Khan gained selection on the Regional U-19 team.

Additionally, Guyana secured four places on the West Indies female team to face South Africa at home in January 2013. The players selected are June Ogle, Shemaine Campbell, Tremaine Smart and Sabrina Monroe.

The country took the runner up spot in the Regional U-19 50 over and 3 day tournaments.

They were edge out on bonus points by Barbados and Windward Islands for the 3 day and 50 over titles respectively.

After four years Guyana reached the semifinals in the 4 day competition before being beaten by Jamaica, and won their first three games in the male T\20 competition in January.

The country had a number of creditable performances at the U-19 level; Romario Sheppard took the most outstanding fast bowler prize in the 50-over format, while Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai grabbed the best bowler award (27wkts) in the 3 day, and Shawn Perreira the best all rounder trophy. A number of players also scored

Kaieteur News

centuries in the said competition.

Meanwhile, the dispute between the two factions of the Demerara Cricket Board continues to affect the development of cricket in the county which also has an effect on the game country wide. The Government formed Interim Management Committee and the Guyana Cricket Board continue to battle for the right to control the game in the country which resulted in the Guyana losing its right to host regional and international matches.

The standoff also resulted in the Digicel Grass Roots coaching programme being suspended from the land of many waters.

Guyanese fans are still being robbed of regional and international cricket; the first four matches in the Regional Four Day Championship and third West Indies and Australia test match which was scheduled for the National Stadium at Providence was shifted to another venue in the Caribbean.

Despite the Minister of Sport, Frank Anthony, stating that Government has no intention to take over cricket, the draft constitution sent for approval by the West Indies Cricket Board gave the Minister much power and say in the affairs of the game. The WICB quickly shut down any such attempts and pledged to see how they could be instrumental in helping bring about an amicable solution to the impasse.

Even as that continues, the back and forth by persons either association or in support of the various factions continue unabated in the letter columns as no real end seem to be in sight for a speedy resolution to the cricket problems in Guyana.

Battles in the High Court continue from the previous year with the matter being taken to the Caribbean Court of Justice. Here is a brief of the matters to date: 30/1/12 Court of Appeal Motion for Leave to appeal the decision of the Full Court and for the application for leave to be treated as the hearing of the substantive appeal for the making of an Order Nisi for a writ of certiorari - Motion dismissed on 14/ 2/12. No written reasons provided.

3/2/12 Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) - The same 2 trustees above applied for special leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s judgment to hear any appeal to it in the matter.

-CCJ granted special leave to appeal and gave directions leading to the hearing of this appeal.

12/4/12 Caribbean Court of Justice - Application for the substitution of the Applicants (Trustees) by the Appellants RAJENDRA SINGH & ROBIN SINGH in their capacity as authorized representatives of the GCB -CCJ granted leave for such substitution. The standing of the Appellants has not been questioned in these proceedings before this Court.

11/6/12 Caribbean Court of Justice - Appealing the Court of Appeal’s decision -CCJ grants the Appellants an extension of time until 14 days from the delivery of this judgment to file a notice of appeal from the Order of Justice Chang of 29/12/11, providing the Appellants within 7 days of the delivery of this judgment file with the Registrar of the Supreme Court a motion seeking such an extension 15/6/12 Court of Appeal Appeal against the decision of the Chief Justice filed and request for hearing -No date set yet for hearing 22/6/12 Letter written to Court of Appeal requesting early hearing and expressing the urgency of the matter 18/7/12 Letter sent to the Chancellor ’s Chambers requesting an early hearing 19/7/12 Follow up letter sent to Court of Appeal requesting written response on the status of the appeal hearing 23/7/12 Written response received from Court of Appeal stating that the appeal could not now be accommodated and the court was proceeding into recess 2/10/12 Follow up letter sent to the Court of Appeal reminding them that the summer recess was over and again requesting a date for hearing 8/10/12 Letter written to the CCJ apprising them of the continuous delays and seeking their intervention in getting the appeal heard.

Powerlifting The year 2012 has been a bumper one for the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF), and for that matter, the best ever in the history of a sport that has quietly placed this country on the world map. The athletes are dedicated and disciplined professionals in an amateur setting but they have all done themselves and Guyana proud.

Highs of the Sport ~ The GAPF was able to run off five competitions where athletes at the Novice, Intermediate, Junior, Master and Senior levels were all given the opportunity to show off their talent. ~ Competitions were held in the Ancient County of Berbice and the City. In relation to Berbice, it is in keeping with the mandate of the federation to decentralize the sport. Berbice has continued to produce some stunning athletes that are world class. ~ The federation fielded a full strength team to the Caribbean championships where it recaptured the Team Title. ~ The following athletes all performed excellently during the year, Randolph Morgan, Winston Stoby, Vijai Rahim, Anis AdeThomas, John Edwards, Gumendra Sewdass and the lone female Dawn McCammon-Barker all combining to place Guyana’s name firmly on the Caribbean, Regional, Commonwealth

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and International maps. ~ History was created when two local referees successfully attained accreditation as Category 11 In t e r n a t i o n a l R e f e r e e s ; John Edwards and Edwin Spencer. ~ Dedicated coaches continue to do their bit in preparing the athletes for local and international competitions.

Lows of the Sport ~ Lack of funding to

support the athletes who’ve all proven that they can take on the Caribbean and the rest of the world successfully. ~ The federation not being able to implement the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) In Competition (ICT) and Out of Competition (OCT) Drug testing due to the prohibitive cost; one test coast US$260. ~ Some athletes not being given the relevant time off with pay to train.

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Bodybuilding Over the past 12 months has been constantly showing signs of improvement but like any other sport in Guyana, would had endured their fair share of challenges.

Highs of the sport ~ The Guyana Amateur Body Building & Fitness Federation ran off successful competitions at the Novice, Intermediate and Senior levels. All three competitions saw improved athletes attendance as well as crowd support. ~ Two privately run competitions were held, the 3rd Hugh Ross Classic and the Flex Night International Championship, the latter being won by Mr. Suriname 2012. ~ The Guyanese public got a taste of internationally renowned athletes in the persons of Canada’s National female Masters Heavyweight Champion, 40-year-old Tananarive McGowan who was the guest performer at

Kaieteur News

the GABBFF Seniors dubbed “Rise of the Machines.”

Eustace Abraham, Guyanese, Canadian based athlete was the male guest poser.

The guest performer for Flex Night Int. was Dutch and Holland base Body Fitness Queen, Gisa ter Haar. ~ The GABBFF maintained their attendance at the CAC Championships in its 40th year of existence, competition taking place in Puerto Rico where four (4) of the nation’s best represented.

Devon Davis (132lbs) returning with a gold medal which broke the drought for Guyana after some eight years. Also medaling were Kerwin Clarke took bronze in the 154lb class. Marlon Bennett (143lbs) and the lone female Alisha Fortune were presented with participatory medals. ~ Representation at the Darcy Beckles Invitational Classic Show in Barbados was maintained. ~ More visits and competitions were made to the rural areas by the

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Michael Anthony

Paul DeNobrega

Raynauth Jeffrey

governing body and private promoters.

Lows of the sport ~ Lack of support from corporate Guyana and Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport. ~ NO SPORTS POLICY YET

The young stars would have also proven that they are a force to reckon with on the local scene by upstaging their senior counterparts regularly.

Highs of the sport ~ The duo of Paul DeNobrega and Michael Anthony (14-16 year-old 50kms) rode to gold respective medals in the Junior and Juvenile categories at the Caribbean Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships held in Santo Domingo. ~ Raynauth Jeffrey ensured Guyana also took the silver medal in the Junior category. ~ National Coach Hassan Mohamed MS

continued his Teach Them Young programme at the National Park sponsored by the National Sports Commission for the 36th consecutive year. ~ M o h a m e d continues to be the backbone of the sport by hosting programmes at the National Park and Road Races around the country. Some of the other clubs have also been pitching in with Roraima Bikers, Continental and Flying Ace also doing their bit. ~ For the first time in its history, the Guyana Cycling Federation Road Race championships were held in the Bauxite Mining

Athletics

several threats from individuals following Baird’s astounding performance.

In responding to the Baird, Pompey controversy, Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) leader, Colin Boyce said that there is nothing he could have done to include Baird on Guyana’s team to the 2012 London Olympics.

He explained that neither he nor anyone from the AAG received accreditation papers for Baird in time for her to represent Guyana at the Olympics. He informed that March 23 (of the year of the competition) is the deadline for submission of entries.

“Yes, Kadecia’s performance is overwhelming to all and sundry, but unfortunately, it was done after the accreditation deadline and it’s hard for those who are not aware of the process to accept; but that’s how life is. Please accept our concern and sincerely hope that this ugly situation can be put to rest once and for all,” the AAG President had told the media.

Baird’s performance

Cycling This discipline enjoyed another good year with Guyana’s youth ruling the roost at the Caribbean level.

Ironically, the same performance that resulted in a phenomenal high point for Guyana’s athletics then produced some unfortunate lows. There is no doubt that the highest point for athletics in the last year would have been United States-based Kadecia Baird’s silver medal performance during the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) World Junior Championships in Spain last July.

However, controversy arose after the 17-year-old track star turned in a remarkably fast time 51.04 seconds in Spain, which gave her an Olympic qualifying standard, but Baird was not submitted for consideration on Guyana’s team for the London Olympic Games.

The issue sparked a nasty debate and row between the Baird and Guyana’s Commonwealth gold and silver medallist, Aliann Pompey Camps. Pompey complained about receiving

Town of Linden and the Linden Soesdyke Highway. ~ USA based Guyanese Ian ‘QB’ Davis who is also manager of the Miami based Team Coco’s Cycle Club sponsored the entire team to the Junior Caribbean Championships. ~ Davis is also the personal sponsor of a number of Guyanese cyclists including the top junior/ juvenile riders who now ride under the Team Coco’s name. ~ A number of riders also participated in an international meet in Suriname. ~ NSC & MCYS sponsored three and five stage races were maintained.

Lows of the sport ~ Lack of support from the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport and corporate Guyana. ~ GCF not running off enough events as a national b o d y, i t i s l e f t t o a n i n d i v i d u a l through an affiliated club and some clubs to bring off events. ~ No proper accommodation for riders by the NSC and MCYS when having to overnight in Berbice prior to the start of the three and five stage races. ~ NO SPORTS POLICY YET

Kadecia Baird should have been celebrated unadulterated within the Guyanese community of sports, but unfortunately, misinformation and misunderstanding of the International Olympics Committee (IOC) rules led the media down a mischievous path.

Of course the other high in 2012 will include the controversial 9.90 seconds the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) sprinter, Rupert Perry returned in the 100m at the Inter-Services Annual Athletic Championship (ISSAC) at the GDF Ground, Base Camp Ayangana.

The remarkable hand time sparked another debate that brought into focus, the need for electronic timing systems with Guyanese athletes advancing their performances, toward some international standards.

However, generally athletics is on the ascendancy.

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Kaieteur News

National T\20 uniform launched

By Zaheer Mohamed Captain of the Guyana Tw e n t y \ 2 0 t e a m Veerasammy Permaul said his team can win the Caribbean Twenty\20 tournament once they play to their full potential.

He was speaking at the launching of the team uniform yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Permaul said that the encampment period was one of the best they have had in recent years and the players are eager for success. He also thanked the cricket board for their support and the Government for making the stadium available to the team. Vice Captain Christopher Barnwell said they players are gelling as a unit and thanked the standbys for their contribution in preparing the team, he also urged them to continue training.

Guyana can win C T\20 -Permaul Star batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul thinks the players did well in the camp. “We have to take the same form in the tournament and be ready to face any team that comes in front of us, once we play as a unit at the end of the tournament Guyana flag will be flying high”, added Chanderpaul. The dependable middle batsman also urged the players to remain focused.

Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board Anand Sanasie said the board did everything possible to prepare and outfit the team. He stated that the requirements of the players during the camp were met and it is now for them to go on and perform for the benefit of themselves and country.

“Do not allow the off field distractions to affect

your performance on the field. You have won the tournament before and there is no reason why you cannot do it again”, he stated.

Meanwhile, Manager Alvin Johnson urged the players to work hard, remain focused and use the tournament as a platform to make their presence felt especially since a Caribbean T\20 league is in the making.

Coach Esuan Crandon thanked coaches Orin Bailey and Garvin Nedd for their assistance in preparing the team. He also said he is happy with the fitness level of the players.

Guyana will play Combine Campuses and Colleges in their first game before they face Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago at the Queens

Park Oval after which they journey to St. Lucia to play Jamaica, Leeward and Windward Islands at the Beausejour Stadium in Gros Islet.

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Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Captain Veerasammy Permaul display their uniform.

Page 52

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Dangerous Sunburst Camptown and Riddim Squad square off in today’s final - GDF and Rangers clash for third place

Action in the semifinal contests featuring Camptown and Northern Rangers (left) and Riddim Squad and the Guyana Defence Force during Sunday’s semifinals.

I

t was a case of a ‘bridge too far’ for a game, but inexperienced Northern Rangers unit went down to a seasoned and battle tested Sunburst Camptown side in the first of two semi-final matches in this year’s Banks Beer / GFA Knockout Cup which was played on Sunday, at the GCC ground.

Playing in the first game, Sunburst Camptown widely regarded as one of the most dangerous teams in yearend competitions showed exactly why they are considered so as they weathered a testing battle against Northern Rangers, before flooring them 3-0 in extra time.

Peter Parks opening the scoring in the first half of extra-time with a magnificent strike from about 30 metres out after a wonderful run, weaving past two struggling

defenders to unleash a missile into the roof of the net. That goal came in the 8th minute of extra time. Bouyed by their ascendancy, the Campbellville-based side took over in fine style in the second period and almost on every offensive expedition looked menacing and got their second goal when Jamal Codrington collected a pass from just outside the box, wriggled past two defenders, before hammering a shot past the goalkeeper.

That second goal signaled a sign of surrender on the faces of the Northern Rangers players and supporters faces and as to showcase their ruthlessness, Parks added another sublime goal to his day’s effort when he ran on to a perfectly weighted pass and beat the advancing goalkeeper with a delicate chip over his outstretched feet.

The feature clash between the Guyana

Defence Force and ‘giant killers’ Riddim Squad was entertaining from the start with the latter clearly showing no fear for their more favoured counterparts and took the lead through an Amos Ramsay strike in the 27th minute of play.

They held that advantage until the break with the thousands of football fans wondering if the East Bank Denerara-based team could duplicate their quarter-final showing when they booted favourites Fruta Conquerors out of contention for the top prize.

It looked quite the opposite when the second stanza commenced as the Army produced a series of attacks and eventually got the equaliser through Clifford Garraway, who outran his markers, before beating the goalkeeper to his left.

That goal was met with thunderous celebration by the large contingent of supporters for the soldiers.

However, Riddim Squad remained focused on the task and created a few opportunities to score, but some tremendous saves by the GDF custodian kept the scores level. Not to be denied, Riddim Squad eventually got the go-ahead goal when Sheldon Hope, whose brother Sceyon’s breathtaking volley had placed them into the semi-finals, hammered a fierce shot past the GDF’s last line of defence.

They, however, had to repel a string of attacks, before the final whistle sounded sending their supporters into wild frenzy as they now await today’s final showdown against a dangerous Sunburst Camptown unit.

Tuesday January 01, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 53

Score’s Even settle rivals with convincing win at PMTC Sleeping in Town and Joyful Victory win again

Mr Deonarine Balram (left) of Balram Shane presents the ‘I’ and Lower trophy to Ms Lisa Gopaul for Savion’s victory in the ‘I’ Class event.

S

core’s Even owned and trained b y D e n n i s DeRoop of the

Simple Royal Stable and ridden by Kevin Richmond, with a score to settle, showed its mettle with a convincing

victory to take the feature B and lower event when the Port Mourant Turf Club held their grand end of year

Melisa Chattergoon (left) presents the huge Jumbo Jet Trophy to Mr and Mrs. Dennis DeRoop of the Simple Royal stable for Score’s Even impressive win in the feature B class event. horserace meet at the club’s racetrack Sunday.

There was much anticipation before the start of the race with Score’s Even with its Kentucky bred bloodline and Settle In Seattle among others out to prove who is boss and end the year on a high especially since Seattle in Seattle’s upset victory in the last race meet a few days ago.

As the eight horses left the starting gates, Settle in Seattle known for its early speed had a bad start and did not get the break it anticipated being boxed into a jam.

Mission King of the Colin Elcock stable with Ramnauth on board also known for its early speed was out quickly and did most of the early running with Marathon man.

The animals were going at a merry gallop by the time they hit the back stretch with mission King still pointing them. By then California Strike of The Shariff stable with Blake in control took up the running and was leading the way at pulsating speed even as the other animals were also going at a merry gallop. The Score’s Even by then was making a move as it started to pick its stride. Into the home stretch the race was still open, but as the animals thundered towards the finishing line it was Score’s Even with its distinct Grey colour classified B3 and carrying a weight of 126 pounds with Richmond urging it on that was coming through like a shot from a gun on the inside to take pole position and the $1.5M winning purse and Trophy

compliments of Jumbo Jet ahead of California Strike, Mission King and Got To Go. Serenity of the Jumbo Jet stable ridden by Rad Drepaul r e t u r n e d t o w i n n e r ’s enclosure as it pounded out a victory in the 1600M event for Guyana and West Indies Bred Horses and took home the $600,000 and trophy from Windy War, Silent Lizzy and Rosetta.

Sleeping in Town of the Crawford/ Persaud stable trained by Pluck and ridden once again by Brendon Solomon continued its winning ways with a fourth consecutive victory as it rounded out the year as one of the top runners in the country.

Known for its blistering finish and moving up in class, the animal showed that the move did not affect as it romped to victory collecting $500,000 and trophy ahead of Home Bush Baby, Swing Easy and Traditional man.

Jumbo Jet stable took the first two positions in the Two year old Guyana and West Indies Bred 1200M sprint and the $500,000 winner’s money with Its My Turn with Drepaul and Princess Alicia with Junior Sookhan doing the honours from Gold Rush and The Wild Grinder.

There was a major upset in the G and lower 1400M race with the little known Treacle of the Habibulla stable with Richmond on the mount taking top honors from a topnotch field, beating Celebrating Love, Top of The Line and Times Have Changed. The win was worth $400,000 and trophy.

There was much controversy in the two year old Guyana bred 1000M event which had a top prize of $300,000 and trophy up for grabs, with rivals She So Special of the Jumbo Jet stable with Junior on the hunch and Silent Night of The Shariff Stable with Ross on board battling all the way to the finish line. The result however was controversial as the judges awarded She So Special the top position, however videos suggested otherwise. Easy to Win and Party Time were the others that placed. Joyful Victory of the Jagdeo stable with Delph in the saddles hardly broke a sweat as it made it three out of three with another gate to pole victory in the H class 1200M gallop worth $300,000 and trophy.

Wicked Intentions placed second ahead of I Want Revenge.

There was a victory for Savion of the Crawford stable with Apadhu on the mount as it lead a one two ahead of Mona Lisa with Blessings andApostle rounding out the placing in the ‘I’ and lower event worth $200,000 and trophy over 1200M. The J class race was won by Princess Bayaya of the Velloza stable as it took away $150,000 and trophy over 1000M. Rad Drepaul was the top Jockey with the Jumbo Jet Stable taking top honours.

They received incentives compliments of Trophy Stall, Bourda market Over $8.5 M in cash trophies and other incentives were up for up for grabs in an incident free day of racing.

t r o Sp Explosive finals envisaged as ‘graduated’ minnows set to rewrite the history books

A

time bomb is ticking and football fans are urged to don appropriate protective apparel as two well oiled units, the Buxton United FC and Amelia’s Ward FC are set to explode into action to claim the ‘Holy Grail’ plus $4m ‘smackaroos’ when the final of the 23rd edition of the K&S football extravaganza gets underway at the

National Stadium Providence tonight.

A huge crowd, reminiscent of the one that witnessed the double header between Pele and Amelia’s Ward and Buxton FC against Alpha United FC is expected to troop to the National Stadium Providence to witness the action between the two teams that, before tonight, were relegated to underdogs status.

Directors of the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation Aubrey Major and Kashif Muhammad yesterday with the Championship trophy and MVP prize in background.

Both teams dug deep in the early encounters and produced classical football that propelled them to the top of the heap. They are no longer the minnows and tonight’s encounter is

shaping up to be a classical one that will outshine any other witnessed in the tournament’s 23 years existence.

Indeed, prior to tonight’s game, names such as Michael Phyll, Travis Waterton and Keon Sears would have meant nothing to football lovers. These were the three principals that combined to propel their team to the finals. Phyll’s magical strike in the game against Western Tigers was the first indication that the minnows meant business.

The general view among the pundits was that Phyll’s achievement was a flash in the pan. That Buxton managed to book a final berth is adequate proof that they are worth their salt.

Their semifinal encounter against Alpha mirrored a David/Goliath scenario with the Buxtonians tabbed as ‘David’ and against all odds Buxton FC wielded their ‘sling’ and felled the mighty Alpha stars.

Tonight, two evenly matched teams will take to the field, both hungry for a prize that has eluded them for 24 long years.

Other than those ball weavers mentioned above, the Buxtonians will expect a top performance from veteran player Dwayne Jacobs. He was not among the scorers in the game against Western Tigers or Alpha United but he played a support role that was indeed commendable. Should Jacobs retain the form exhibited during the tournament, the Buxtonians

would feel that they have a marvelous chance of lifting the prestigious prize.

Add the names of other proficient ball weavers that likes of Les Charles Critchlow, Travis Phyll, Keon Norville and Clive Andries and it becomes apparent that the team from the East Coast are ready for the task on hand.

Amidst all of the speculation, Coach of the Amelia’s Ward unit, Ceon Warner is optimistic of a repeat performance a la Pele.

Mr. Warner will depend heavily on strikers, Keon Sears and Keon Hall along with his midfielder, Travis Waterton. Then there is Terrence Aaron, a critical part of the strike force and left outside mid back, Marlon Simon.

President of Ameilia’s Ward FC, Terrence Mitchell views the encounter as an opportunity to avenge an earlier loss in the GFF Super Leagues earlier this year.

“The Buxtonians won 1-0 in what I consider fortuitous circumstances,” he said. The Amelia Ward’s President further pointed out that Buxton enjoyed, and capitalized on the home advantage. “This time we are on neutral ground and will now determine which team is truly better,” said Mr. Mitchell.”We have a bone to pick with this particular team,” he concluded.

Buxton’s coach, Herbert McPherson scoffed at Mr. Mitchell’s proclamations saying that it is now Buxton’s time to shine. He said that his tenure with the squad spans a little over a

year. “The team needed to readjust and bypassed last y e a r ’s e d i t i o n o f t h e tournament to do so,” he revealed. McPherson said that his players, but for a few, are relatively young and learning. He will back his chances on the dependable Dwayne Jacobs, Clive Andries, Jamal Booker, Keoma Sullivan and Ralph Moffat to lead the charge.

“We’ve beaten this team before and while we expect a good fight in tonight’s game I cannot begin to visualize my team on the losing side,” exhorted McPherson.

The battle lines are drawn; the teams are ready for the bright lights; all systems are in place for the biggest and most exciting final encounter in the history of the K&S football extravaganza.

The spectators will be placed in just the right mood for that encounter when two arch-rivals, Pele and Alpha United battle in the third place play off. Pele will field a top lineup with players like Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson, Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant, Konata Manning, Dirk Archer and Stellon David and fans could expect a truly hectic battle.

They will have to contend with the likes of Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams, Christopher Nurse, Kayode McKinnon, Dwight Peters and Kithson Bain among others. This should be just the appetizer fans crave for the main course that pits Buxton United against Amelia’s Ward United.

Don’t you dare miss this one!

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