Kaieteur News

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March 05, 2013 - Vol. 6 No. 10 - Price $80

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

GPL strike off … matter to go to arbitration

Golden Grove man Police beat illegal miners ... killed by drunk driver Geology

and Mines Commission joins probe

This sign on the Toyota Altezza says it all.

China donates over 28,000 laptops The Toyota Alteeza came to a halt after crashing into this wooden fence.

Fake Bishop popes top secret Pope meeting

$200M reportedly doled out for Marriott's supervision - but no evidence of tenders

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 05, 2013

$200M reportedly doled out for Marriott’s supervision - but no evidence of tenders Government is reportedly paying more than US$1M ($200M) for the supervision of the Marriott-branded hotel that it is building at Kingston, but there is no immediate evidence that the consultancy was ever advertised.

The US$51M project has been generating controversy and although in full construction mode at its Kingston location, the many burning questions have been keeping government on the back foot.

It is the norm that large projects of the state would be supervised by either Government engineers or a firm hired for this specific purpose.

This is so for the $3B relief canal that is built at Hope, East Coast Demerara, and the access roads to the Amaila Falls hydro project.

The lucrative US$1M contract to supervise the hotel’s construction was reportedly awarded under unclear circumstances to one Ramesh Budhram, who is reportedly based in the US. However, checks on the websites of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and Government’s eprocure.gov.gy, which

advertises government contracts, did not find any such vacancies. As a matter of fact, NPTAB’s website was down.

Under the country’s laws, contracts for certain amounts have to be tendered and after bids from the interested parties are submitted it is then analysed.

Government has been declining questions recently on the Marriott as several embarrassing revelations were made. A few weeks ago, news that locals were not hired in the initial phase sparked a number of protests.

Head of the Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI), Winston Brassington, said that a lack of skills and language barriers were the reasons.

AHI’s responsibilities Government spokesman, Dr. Roger Luncheon, later added another reason…that the contractor has the discretion or powers to hire or import its own employees.

According to business columnist/accountant, Christopher Ram, in Sunday’s column in the Stabroek News, a contract of this magnitude should have a Quality Manager whose primary responsibility is to meet quality Assurance/quality

Christopher Ram

AHI’s head, Winston Brassington

specifications. He argued that because contractors would naturally be more interested in maximising profits by reducing costs, it makes even more important that AHI which is overseeing the project on behalf of government to ensure that value for the dollar is achieved for Guyana. “…and so AHI must satisfy itself and specify the steps embedded in the process to ensure that quality assurance and quality control matches the agreed plans and specifications.”

AHI would have needed to ensure, even before construction started, that it had in place a team to manage the construction supervision, including the engineer who will sign off on

the final product and approve design changes.

With the contract to SCG more than likely spelling out the specifications of how the hotel is to be built, supervision is more than important, he said.

Ram asked: “It is true that we negotiated on price. The question now is whether AHI knows whether it has compromised on quality.”

The entire project, from the inception when it was announced was met with skepticism as it was the government that is investing a significant sum for a project that is not clear.

Government recently, in startling statements, said that it was the intention all along to sell it once it is completed.

The government has so

far been pouring taxpayers’ money into the US$52 million project.

In 2011, government approved US$10M in an advance to SCG. Another US$25M representing the sale of the 20 per cent stake that government had in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, has already been collected by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the parent company of AHI. NICIL is the government arm that manages state properties but whose transactions have come under the spotlight in recent years because it’s spending of billions of dollars was not scrutinized from the inception by the National Assembly which has oversight of public funds.

Private sector oversight Finance and industry sources say the project is a high risk one, given that existing hotels are struggling to fill their rooms, but government remained adamant and is pressing ahead. The opposition had voted to halt public funding of the project and it says that it wants the so-called confidential documents released to the public.

The 197-room hotel will include a restaurant, casino and entertainment facilities.

Yesterday, the GuyanaChina Business Council, a private sector arm, said that current tensions involving Chinese companies prompted an extraordinary meeting on Friday. Noting that Chinese investments have proven crucial, Chairman Clinton Williams warned that such investments must be continually implemented in accordance with “exigent social and economic requirements and within the confines of international best practice for technological transfer, training and other mandates.”

The council said that as a result, it intends to amplify the scope of its oversight and facilitation mandate in order to ensure that China-based companies engaged in business in Guyana are sufficiently familiar with Guyana’s Labour Laws and that there is acrossthe-board compliance.

The council also urged the local media to avoid “publishing unsubstantiated information which has the capacity to create fear that in itself presents a security dilemma and could diminish foreign investors’ interest in injecting much needed foreign capital into this country”.

There has been a rash of criticisms of government and its contracts which have been awarded to Chinese firms.

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

Radio, Television and Newspaper?

Dr. Bobby Ramroop

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

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

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China donates over 28,000 laptops The Chinese government yesterday handed over 28,145 laptops to the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project.

The laptops, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh said, are valued at US$8 million, none of which the Guyana government has to pay back.

The Finance Minister was loud in praise for the Chinese initiative.

Some 27,000 laptops have already been handed over to poor Guyanese families who cannot afford one of their own; at least that is the aim of the initiative.

Some $1.8 billion of taxpayers’ money was spent to buy the first set of laptops. That money was allocated in 2011.

Chinese appliances manufacturer, Haier, had received a US$7.6 million contract to supply the netbooks for the first phase of the Project.

But the government has been arguing that with a budget cut last year, it had to find other means to fund the programme.

So the big question now

is if a previous budget catered for all the laptops distributed to date, where has the government been taking money and to fund what over the past year or so.

The Chinese Ambassador, Zhang Limin, spent most of his time at yesterday’s ceremony pleading with the media to show the positive aspects of Guyana/China relations.

His plea comes on the heels of the criticism Chinese companies have been coming in for of late, with the nastiest scandal being Shanghai Construction Limited which demanded that it hire an all Chinese workforce to build the Marriott hotel - a request that the Guyana Government acceded to.

The project intends to hand out a total of 90,000 laptops. So far, 26,000 laptops have been distributed to date.

The project was launched three years ago by President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Project Consultant Dario McKlmon said that the project has to date received close to 100,000 applications.

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Limin hands over the laptops to Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh.

“OLPF has already been having an impact among the recipients who we now term members of the OLPF family,” McKlmon said.

The Finance Minister said that the Chinese Government is supporting major projects in Guyana like the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) the Cheddi Jagan

Police beat illegal miners

Geology and Mines Commission joins probe The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has commenced an investigation into the beating of civilians by police ranks during an operation to curb illegal mining within Marudi, Region Nine.

A release from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment stated that Minister Robert Persaud has called for an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors for the GGMC in addition to requesting the assistance of the Commissioner of Police in investigating the allegation.

“The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) has also been requested to provide support to the investigation.

The Commission will be working closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate the confrontation and remains committed to reducing illegal mining as prescribed in the Mining Act and Regulations,” the release stated.

It explained that the Commission under operation El Dorado has been engaging in a series of activities in the various mining districts to improve its monitoring, compliance and enforcement and as such, the Guyana Police

Force in keeping with standard operating procedure would accompany the GGMC to provide security and enforcement support.

Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell said on Sunday that he has ordered an immediate investigation into the beating of civilians by some of his ranks and vowed that action would be taken. He had said that the policemen had already been identified and were expected out of the area yesterday.

Brumell was particularly concerned about reports that a child was among those assaulted.

The incident occurred on Saturday when police ranks accompanied officials from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to clear several illegal miners from the Marudi mining district.

A photograph published in the Sunday Kaieteur News showed a police corporal inflicting blows on civilians who were on the trail to protest their removal from the mining area. A woman and her sons were reportedly among those beaten.

An even more graphic video, posted on YouTube, shows the foul-mouthed policemen clubbing and

dragging the civilians, while some of their colleagues, and other men in plainclothes, stood with guns at the ready.

Most of the blows were inflicted by a police corporal, who repeatedly shouted “get off the f—ing road” while raining blows on the civilians.

One rank is seen going into the bushes to cut and strip a branch and then using it to whip civilians. It also shows a woman and boy lying on the trail. Civilians who used their bodies to cover the boy were dragged and beaten.

The civilians are part of a group of miners who are protesting what they are calling their unlawful removal from a mining claim that is registered to a Canadian mining concern, Romanex Guyana Explorations Limited.

About 300 local miners have been operating about 22 dredges in the area for the past 10 years when the Canadian firm appeared to have neglected it.

Only last week the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued a statement indicating that it was reviewing the licence of Romanex Guyana Explorations Limited, after investigations revealed that the company failed to carry out exploratory works in keeping with its requirements.

International Airport (CJIA) expansion project and the laying of the US$30 million fibre optic cable along the country’s coastline.

“The distinction between those who have access to Information Communications Technology and those who don’t should be removed… our position as a government is that the vast benefits of Information Communications Technology must be available to all of the citizens of Guyana

irrespective of where they live, irrespective of indeed their education background, irrespective even of their age,” Dr Singh said.

He said that ICT is a rapidly growing sector that has already proven beneficial, especially with some 3,000 persons being employed at call centres in various parts of the country.

“We view Information and Communications Technology as having the

potential to achieve this t r a n s f o r m a t i o n through many facets including a means through which Government can more effectively and effectively deliver services to citizens including as a driver of economic growth in its own right,” Minister Singh said.

The support Guyana has received from the Chinese Government has not gone unnoticed, Minister Singh assured Ambassador Limin.

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Kaieteur News

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

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

EDITORIAL

The police and abuse of the public The role of the police is to serve and protect. Indeed, the police are the lawful authority within the borders of the country. Indeed, we have grown accustomed to seeing the army in the role of the police but this is only done when the police grant the necessary fiat—authority to perform the duties of the police in the country.

Crowd control is the responsibility of the police and within recent times the police have been very active in this area. In the wake of previous elections they have had to contend with groups of protesters in the city. Until recently, the police merely formed barricades to prevent the crowds from going to certain parts of the city.

They would use tear smoke and occasionally they would fire rounds in the air. As far back as 1962 when the police confronted crowds they would refrain from shooting or from physical clashes with the crowd. The records would show that when the police actually discharged rounds they would shoot above the head of the crowd.

Way back then a grounds man of the Georgetown Cricket Club would find the rounds fired by the police on the cricket ground.

In recent times the police became more aggressive.

The government bought a water cannon – a useless piece of equipment—and they bought rubber-coated bullets.

Without being attacked they fired into crowds.

Fortunately, no one died in the city. But in Linden people died and this is still the subject of debates and could possibly form the basis of legal action.

In Agricola in the wake of a police killing, again there was some crowd disturbance. The police relied heavily on rubber bullets and tear smoke and only when sections of the crowd began attacking passersby.

Toward the end of last week, again the police were called into action, this time in the hinterland. A group of people was mining on lands allocated to a foreign mining company. The relevant authorities sought to get the people to remove by peaceful means. There were meetings with President Donald Ramotar and with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission.

The confrontation came when the police accompanied a team from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission.

A woman and her child opted to block the road. In civilized societies, the police would have lifted the people out of the way.

When the protesters dubbed Occupy Wall Street staged their protest near the Brooklyn Bridge the police allowed them to remain there for months. But when it was time for the people to be removed the police did so successfully. There were confrontations; not one bullet was fired and there were no beatings. The police simply waded into the crowd and hauled the protesters off to jail.

In short order the protest collapsed.

After the 2011 elections protests and shootings, although no one died the police announced that they were embarking on a rigid training programme. The episode at Marudi shows just how extensive the training was. It also showed the thinking of the police.

Video evidence shows a number of armed ranks and one of them being allowed to use a piece of wood to good effect on man, woman and child. No one attempted to intervene as the sadist swung his piece of wood with disdain for even the cameraman who happened to be on the spot.

This is the disregard the police often show for the watching public; this is the disregard the police show for peace and tranquility in a society. And all we would hear is that an investigation will be undertaken.

The police have repeatedly said that it wants to develop a meaningful relationship with the public. The display by this batch of policemen would do a lot to shatter any hopes the police may have of any relationship with the public.

A British consultancy is involved in reforming the police. We are certain that the consultant now has doubts of the police being able to assimilate any semblance of reform.

Tuesday March 05, 2013

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

Local government elections are urgently needed DEAR EDITOR, In 2006, Bharrat Jagdeo in his address to Parliament stated that “in the next five years, my Government will work towards the political, economic and social transformation of our country in which all of our people will have equal access to resources and benefit from the economic development and improvement in social conditions.”

From the result of that five-year tenure, all of Guyana clearly knows that speech to Parliament was of no substance. It was most deceptive.

Most importantly, the lack of commitment from the Jagdeo/Ramotar administrations to hold local government elections is not only a disaster for democracy, but also self-serving. Today, after 20 years in office, all local government office holders remain unaccountable to the taxpayers and voters.

All NDCs or Town Halls have seen their fair share of massive corrupt practices, nepotism, cronyism and shoddy services at this grass root level. Many NDC members whom we have spoken to, all claim they want to hand over office to the younger generation after 20 years; but the government will have none of it. They prefer to keep these malfunctioning, understaffed and under-performing agencies in place so that the central Government can appear as the saviour whenever there is a disaster

in these local communities But the more pertinent question is what the majority opposition has done in Parliament to push through the legislation to facilitate local Government elections. It is clear the PPP does not want these elections because they will be trounced at the polls, but is it also the case where the majority opposition, who has nothing to lose, also does not want local Government elections?

It is time for action from Mr. Granger if he wants to maintain any level of credibility as the leader of APNU/PNC. The government is uncommitted to dialogue with the opposition parties and will continue to abuse the Courts to bully the majority opposition in a spirit that is devoid of cooperation and that is their playbook which has been institutionalized in the PPP. But what is in the majority opposition playbook; lie down and roll over on the issues by the barefaced bullies?

On this issue of local government elections, the opposition has the legal and moral high ground, but they like the PPP cabal continue to abuse this political opportunity, either out of incompetence or just plain laziness and the buck stops at Mr. Granger’s door because he is the Leader of the Majority in Parliament. It is he who has the mandate to marshal the troops on the issues. This is not the time for Mr. Granger to go AWOL on the people like he usually does. We call on Mr. Granger to wake up from his slumber and stand up to the corrupt

administration before it is too late. Furthermore, his lacklustre performance during the past year is a clear signal to us that change in the leadership of APNU/PNC is urgently needed.

Local government elections, last held in 1994, were constitutionally due in 1999. Since 1999 upon the ascension to office of this Jagdeo/ Ramotar group, both the government and the opposition parties have been talking and talking, but there has been little forward movement on the local government elections.

The main reason being the lack of political will from the PPP, and the opposition has been complying with the PPP’s elections agenda.

With Robert Corbin being the Leader of the Opposition during this period, that was quite understandable. But much difference in leadership, integrity and political vitality was expected from Mr. Granger and his inner disciples of well trained and disciplined ex-GDF officers.

But to date, some 15 months after the political and parliamentary election results of 2011, the people have to put up with the most pathetic leadership in modern politics in Guyana and many have concluded that like Robert Corbin, this new APNU/PNC leadership appears to be marching to a PPP band. They have not been innovative or proactive in and out of Parliament. For many, their reactive posture is a clear indication that there is no opposition, but for others, if there is an opposition, then it is asleep and needs to be

awakened.

President Donald Ramotar has made it clear he cannot hold local government elections until Parliament approves the reforms, including giving local governments more financial autonomy, and he is absolutely in order. But why it has taken over a decade to amend the outdated laws and hold the elections only the maker knows.

We call onAPNU, especially the leader of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government Reform to assiduously conclude the deliberations on the reforms and present a bill to parliament so that Guyana can have renewal at the grass roots level.

As the Western Ambassadors quite clearly outlined earlier this year “there is no valid justification for further delay,” in local Government elections. This national shame and disgrace is primarily the fault of a reckless government, whose inept policies and lack of political commitment and limited legal expertise have resulted in this delay.

However, the ball is now in the hands of APNU Member of Parliament, Mr. Basil Williams, who is being called upon today to lead and present a bill as soon as possible to save this nation from further international embarrassment.

There is no need for further delay. The people want local government elections now, this year; not next year.

Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

Maxwell is wrong about my opposition to Presidential powers DEAR EDITOR, I normally enjoy reading M. Maxwell’s commentaries because I feel he is among a few who actually write objectively and accurately.

His latest letter criticizing me on the Presidency is wrong.

Maxwell contends that myself and Mr. Ramkarran only now oppose the powers of the Presidency because the PPP will lose the next elections.

There is nothing further from the truth. I can’t speak for Mr. Ramkarran, but he did pen that he thought the constitution would allow for some kind of power sharing (coalition government) if no party wins a majority. He admitted he was wrong. In my case, I have always been

opposed to the Burnham constitution and described it as a farce.

Firstly, there is no evidence that the PPP will lose the next election and with it the Presidency and my recent poll does not show that the PPP will lose. It is way ahead of the other two (parties) represented in parliament. In fact, the polls show the PNC (APNU) and AFC have lost support because of their antics since November 28, 2011. Secondly, I have consistently opposed the Burnham constitution since it was foisted on the nation. I protested against the fraudulent referendum in front of the Guyana Consulate (43rd Street and Second Ave) in Manhattan on that July day. Since then to now, I have

Abusive fulminations and vulgar imagination I refer to Mr. M. Maxwell’s letter of March 4: ‘Bisram and Ramkarran only now call for removal of the presidency when the PPP faces loss of power.’

Mr. Maxwell’s abusive fulminations appear to have an untapped source of hate within his deformed and vulgar imagination. I doubt whether any kind of response

will make a difference to his vicious crusade.

Suffice it to say, my last article headed “Constitutional Reform’, before the recent one, was written on March 22, 2010, and published soon thereafter. It recommended reforms.

This is merely to clarify for your readers. I do not believe that Mr. Maxwell could care less.

Ralph Ramkarran

DEAR EDITOR, The recent illness of Queen Elizabeth II has sparked off discussions whether the 86-year-old monarch should step down and allow her eldest son, Prince Charles, to take over.

However reports state that despite her brief hospitalisation and the cancellation of a few appointments, the Queen was in good health and could continue her busy schedule.

The Queen’s mother died at 101, but her father passed away in his mid-fifties, and her sister Princess Margaret died at the age of 71.

Some feel that the Queen should stand aside and allow her eldest son, who is in his mid-sixties, to rule for a while and pass the mantle over to young Prince William. It should be remembered that the Queen’s Uncle, Edward VII abdicated the throne to marry an American divorcee, hence the reason why George VI, the

Queen’s father, became King.

The sitting Monarch will be 87 next month. She should take a leaf from Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands who is only 75 and will abdicate her throne at the end of next month. Incidentally Queen Beatrix’s mother, Queen Juliana abdicated the throne in 1980 for her daughter to take over and be the Monarch of the Netherlands, Curacao, Aruba, and St. Maarten, It should be noted also that Pope Benedict XVI who is in his mid-80s, about the same age as Queen Elizabeth, became the first Pope in more than six hundred years to voluntarily resign.

Queen Elizabeth has been the Monarch since 1952 when her father died of cancer, and even if she is in perfect health she ought to be tired of travelling from country to country within the Commonwealth and further afield to carry out her official duties.

Oscar Ramjeet

DEAR EDITOR,

Should Queen Elizabeth II resign?

penned dozens of articles condemning the Burnham constitution, describing it as illegal and calling for the restoration of the legitimate 1966 independence constitution.

I interviewed Dr. Jagan several times for New York newspapers and he assured me that once democracy was restored he would abrogate the Burnham constitution.

Unfortunately, after he won the October 1992 elections, he failed to execute his

promise. When I interviewed him again after he became President, in response to the question on the Burnham constitution, he said he could not throw away the baby with the bath water. He assured me he would not abuse powers and that he harboured no intentions to be a dictator.

It is true that Dr. Jagan did not exemplify characteristics of authoritarianism, but the nation has an authoritarian constitution and Jagan should not have taken chances with it. The constitution should have been nullified and powers

devolved to the population.

Failure of constitutional reform and the return to the Privy Council were two of my major disappointments with President Jagan. I should also note that when Jagan was in opposition, he told me in interviews and at international conferences where we both were in attendance, that powers belong to the people. He assured me that should free and fair elections return to Guyana and were he to win, the local bodies would be entrusted with more powers to control their own destinations. Dr. Jagan’s PPP failed to implement this

important promise. Mr. Ramkarran supports devolution of powers to the local bodies and the people.

I roasted Dr. Jagan and the PPP in the media on constitutional matters, the Privy Council and devolution of powers, and I have remained very critical of the PPP on these issues. So Maxwell is wrong about my opposition to Presidential powers. The question I have is where Maxwell was since 1980 when I and others were and have been opposing the Burnham constitution.

Vishnu Bisram

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 05, 2013

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

Speaking candidly and civilly is a first step towards ethnic healing and harmony in our beloved Guyana DEAR EDITOR, I wish to thank Mr. Barrington Braithwaite for his letter, “Ignorance, or distortion by intent?” which has had prominence in the KN letter column for quite a few days. Though obviously hurt by my comments, Mr. Braithwaite did not manifest

any of the venom, acrimony, acidity and belligerence that is typical of certain letter writers; I feel a compulsion to respond to his bona fide and passionate letter.

The letter writer is obviously offended and hurt by my comment in my KN letter of Feb. 11, 2013,

“Freddie’s sensationalist column was typically partial and unbalanced.”

The offensive comments in question were, “While some are asleep from their late-night dance, they get up early in the morning and start to wuk haad to feed themselves and families”.

It is essential and

imperative to take those comments (and the whole letter, in fact) in the context of discussion. The letter was in response to Mr. Freddie Kissoon’s Feb. 2nd column, “In physics and dialectics, there is the concept of balance”.

In that column, Mr. Kissoon was grousing and

nagging about the disproportionate (Indian) ownership of land, finance, business, etc. I was simply underscoring that many Indians in Guyana (like many Indians elsewhere) worked very hard to acquire what they did. The ownership and possessions of the Indians have not been a result of a gifting, largesse or benefaction from a government or political party.

And when you consider that Indians comprise 43% of the population (compared to 33% for Africans), one can apprehend the ethnic equation imbalance better.

(The interesting development in this furor is that none of the detractors has commented on the ethnic composition factor in my letters) Suffice it to say that that sentence was never meant to offend, cause consternation or cast aspersion on any ethnic group.

There is a wide range of nuances in that sentence, and one can make mincemeat out of it, or appreciate it for what it is meant to be. However, it is indispensable to read that sentence (and letter) in its frame of reference; only then one can more appreciate its ambience.

Mr. Braithwaite implored me to read M. Maxwell’s KN Feb. 5th letter, “The struggle for dominance will destroy this nation”.

Please note that KN did print my response to M. Maxwell’s letter on Feb. 8, 2013; it was titled, “Beware the racial brush”.

Unfortunately, the letter has not been listed in the online KN Letters column for some reason.

However, the Guyana Chronicle printed that letter on Feb. 11, titled, “We need to listen to each other”.

I am grateful to Mr. Braithwaite for his comment

on the “Indian Patriation Fund” as it relates to the building of the National Cultural Centre. This is a topic that I know little of, and the lowdown has come only thru hearsay.

I was told that the British had established a Fund as part of the arrangement for their emigration from and to India. This (no doubt accumulated) fund was apparently placed in a British bank for many years, and Burnham hoodwinked his “supporters” (African and Indian) to use that Fund to build The National Cultural Centre.

My blood boils if the above assumptions are true!

It was June 2003, when I arranged for a Christian music group, Aradhna, to sing bhajans and other Hindi songs at the National Cultural Centre. What I experienced as I was making administrative and practical preparations for the concert was hideous and revolting.

One of the staff, all of which were African, was pelting away racist comments right in front of the acting manager and me - on foundation built by the blood, sweat and tears of our forefathers and foremothers!

Yes, Mr. Braithwaite, you and I could be victims of “Ignorance, or distortion by intent”.

We therefore need to sit at a table, and I would like to hear about your disquiet and deportment about Indian domination and racism.

I also would like to air my concerns about onesidedness and discrimination in Guyana – past and present.

Instead of brushing the (racial) problem under the carpet, speaking candidly, civilly and conciliatingly is a first step towards ethnic healing and harmony in our beloved Guyana.

Devanand Bhagwan

Secrets of a successful life

DEAR EDITOR, The month of March is dedicated by the PPP to the memory of the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan, who is regarded by many as the Father of this Nation. The theme of this year’s commemorative activities is “Cheddi Jagan: Man of the people”.

Dr. Jagan was always energetic and pursued his political tasks with amazing zest and passion. He was once asked to explain his ability to cope with the high demands of political and personal life

and he answered as follows: “Moderate eating, no smoking, no drinking, preventative medicine, regular exercise, commitment to the cause of our nation and to the people, particularly the working people, confidence in what I stand for is bound to win, based not only on wishful thinking but on a scientific analysis and prevision of future developments, a closely knit and happy family life, are the secrets of my continued good health”.

Hydar Ally

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 05, 2013

GGDMA sets 460000 Lethem businessmen discuss trade, ounces gold production tourism on Venezuela, Brazil borders target for 2013.

Members of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) have set themselves the task of producing a minimum of 460,000 ounces of gold this year.

The declared production at the end of February was 50,000 ounces. President of the GGDMA Mr. Patrick Harding declared that this shows that production is on track.

Small and medium scale miners produced 438,646 ounces of the precious metal last year, registering the highest ever production of gold by these categories of miners.

Mr. Harding said that the GGDMA will be giving priority to finding newer and more effective ways of processing gold to ensure higher rates of recovery this year.

He said, “Our members know how to extract gold but they have not perfected the recovery system. They extract tons of ore; they pass

it through the sluice box and here they are losing 56 per cent of the gold to the environment.”

He stressed that the GGDMA will this year focus on how to enhance gold recovery from the sluice box.

“If our miners can increase that recovery to 80 per cent then they will be able to double production, improve their business and be better able to do the backfilling and all the environmental friendly things they need to do after the area is mined out.”

He said that the GGDMA will be actively looking for new processing technologies, the prices of which are within the reach of the local miners, and the operations of which are environmentally friendly.

The GGDMA is also currently talking with the commercial banks to see if they will provide loans to members so that they can acquire these new technologies.

Members of the Lethem delegation during the one day event at Boa Vista, Brazil.

Several Rupununi businessmen participated in the second tripartite meeting with their counterparts from Venezuela and Brazil on the development of tourism and trade on the frontiers of the three countries.

The one-day meeting was held in Boa Vista, Brazil late last week and the proprietors of 16 business entities operating in the Lethem Commercial Zone, Region Nine (Upper Essequibo/Upper Takutu) and Lethem attended and participated, a reliable source disclosed.

The emphasis was on tourism and trade and participants from the business sector of the three frontiers discussed wide possible areas of cooperation and trade.

The business group from Guyana explored the possibility of in transiting goods such as building materials, plastic wares and fuel from the Brazilian and Venezuelan frontiers since these items are expensive to bring into Lethem from Georgetown given the occasionally poor state of the Lethem to Georgetown road.

A three-man committee, one person from each country was formed to examine possibilities of trade.

Mr Daniel Gajie, former President of the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) and acting President of THAG, was identified to represent Guyana’s Frontier on the committee.

During the tripartite meeting it was recognized that the greatest barrier to trade and other development was the language barrier.

The businessmen

agreed that a special effort will be made by members of their communities to learn those languages which they do not know.

The first tripartite meeting between the three frontiers was held in Santa Helena, Venezuela last year.

There is an asphalt road linking the Guyana frontier to Caracas, Venezuela via the state of Roraima, Brazil.

The newly formed working committee will meet shortly to look at tourism and trade, a businessman who attended the meeting disclosed.

Defence, prosecution square off in narco Detective murder PI

As the preliminary inquiry into the murder of detective Jirahan Diananand continued before Magistrate Krisendat Persaud at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court, there were a number of challenges and counter challenges.

On charge for murder is alleged narcotics dealer Salim “Black Salim” Bacchus, 52, of 39 Line Path ‘D’, Skeldon, Corriverton, Corentyne Berbice for whom a wanted bulletin was issued. Bacchus is alleged to have shot dead Detective Constable, Diananand, on September 14 last at Jackson Creek, Corentyne Berbice.

The defence which was being conducted by attorney at law Ramesh Rajkumar, has since been strengthened with the addition of attorney at law Mursalene Bacchus.

Superintendent Robert Tyndall who was specially appointed to prosecute the matter had objected to demands made by the

…as defence forced to copy statement by hand defence to have certain statements turned over to them.

The defence was demanding a copy of the statement of prosecution witness Azam Bacchus, a nephew of the accused who had admitted under cross examination that he had refreshed his memory from the statement before he entered the witness box.

When the defence asked for the statement the prosecution objected forcing both sides into legal arguments. In the end prosecutor Tyndall informed the court that he had to seek the advice of the DPP. On Friday he told the court that he was instructed that he does not have to hand over a copy of the statement to the defence but he could oblige

by showing them and they could make a written copy.

Further legal arguments ensued with the defence threatening to take the matter to the High Court.

In the end Defence Attorney Mursalene Bacchus decided that to save time, instead of applying to the High Court for a solution that he would make a written copy of the statement.

The murdered policeman was found slumped in his car, parked on a desolate stretch of road at Jackson Creek, Upper Corentyne with two bullet wounds to his head.

So far the main prosecution witness Azim Seegobin who is another nephew of Salim gave his evidence in chief. At the conclusion of his evidence he

was intensely grilled during cross examination by defence counsel Ramesh Rajkumar.

The cross examination went on for a number of days.

The case for the prosecution is that some time between September 13 and September 14, last year at Jackson Creek Bacchus murdered detective constable Jirahan Diananand.

The story came to light when three men were arrested following a carjacking incident at the same Jackson Creek area. Two of the men, who turned out to be Salim’s nephews, were arrested on West Coast Berbice. They admitted after intense grilling by investigators to knowing about the killing of the police constable and they implicated Bacchus as the gunman.

They allegedly told investigators that Bacchus shot Diananand twice in the head after a pre arranged deal went sour.

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 9

THE INQUIRY WILL NOW SWITCH TO THE COURTS A number of points can be made about the just concluded Commission of Inquiry into the unrest in Linden last year. The report of this COI was recently submitted to the President Donald Ramotar who in turn has circulated its contents to some of the key stakeholders including the parliamentary opposition.

One of the first observations about the Commission has to do with its interpretation of its terms of reference.

The Commission used a narrow interpretation of its remit and restricted itself to the events of July 18, 2012. It failed to consider in detail the antecedents to this crisis.

It was amusing to hear the opposition complain that the Commission did not inquire into the antecedents of the events of July 18 and to subsequent disturbances that occurred after this date.

However, it was the very opposition which at the most unholy hour objected to its own terms of reference.

These objections eventually led to the TOR being amended to delete an inquiry into whether any political parties were behind the unrest.

It is hard to see how the full truth about what took place on July 18 and beyond could have excluded the tariff issue, the agreement reached between APNU and the government on this issue, the role played by the AFC in jettisoning this understanding, and the role played by certain political actors in instigating the unrest.

The inquiry was restricted

to the events of July 18.

However, it was still hoped that using a broad interpretation of its terms of reference would have led the Commission to include the antecedent causes of the unrest as well as to examining the role of certain political parties in the disturbances.

While the Commission employed a restrictive interpretation of its TOR in relation to the actual protest, when it came to the issue of compensation its interpretation was more broadbased. The TOR had merely required the Commission to make recommendations as to compensation. However, the Commission ended up making what it deemed “ awards” of compensation.

It was circumspect however in saying that these “awards” were not legal awards but should be made ex-gratia by the government.

The government therefore is not compelled to pay these amounts and there is a sound reason why the Commission could not have made such awards as legal awards.

The police were believed to have been responsible for the deaths of three men on July 18. However, they were not proven to have been involved. While it could not have been proven just who shot the men, the Commission believed that it could only have been the police.

The Commission was not saying that the police did the shooting. It was saying that it could have only been them because they were the only ones seen with firearms.

In other words, the standard of proof in holding

Dem boys seh...

Bishop Two Edgy learn from de best It had to be a Guyanese. Only Guyanese does do things like that. A man dress up like a bishop and try to pope de meeting wheh de top Roman Catholics sit down to elect a new pope. De man must be hear de word pope suh he decide to pope.

He pass de Swiss guards but de second set ketch up wid he. He tell dem he is a bishop and he claim that he belong to some order only he know about.

Right away dem boys think bout we own Bishop Edgy Hill. He is One Edgy Hill suh dem boys seh that de man who try to pope de meeting to elect a pope as Two Edgy Hill.

This man had to tek he training in Guyana because de one Edgy pope de PPP and is now a minister. He learn good except that he didn’t learn that people in dem other country ain’t slack like dem in Guyana.

In Guyana police does beat people in public like if dem is he child. Tek de one in de bush. He friends had gun suh he show off. Dem boys seh that if was he alone all de nonsense he go on wid in front of de camera he wouldn’t try.

But dem boys know he and dem waiting fuh he. Brumell got to knock he off de force and is then he gun get he dose.

People already cutting whip fuh he tail and same way how he pounce pun dem people is just suh dem boys gun pounce pun he.

He gun pray to de same bishop who try fuh pope de Vatican and just like that bishop, he ain’t gun get through.

Talk half and don’t try to pope.

the police responsible was less than “beyond reasonable doubt” but was mere circumstantial and based more on a balance of probabilities.

This conclusion does not create a legally- binding liability for compensation, nor does it compel the government to pay the “awards” recommended.

In an interesting opinion, the Commission was of the view that NICIL should not be compensated for the destruction of the Linmine Secretariat. The “awards” are however not being paid by

the government; the awards have to be made by the State and NICIL is a corporate entity which ought to have been entitled to compensation because of its separate and distinct legal identity.

Finally, the report provides enough ammunition for those who wish to have the organizers held vicariously liable for the destruction to property. The report had some harsh judgments about the manner in which unlawful actions were allowed on the bridge.

These comments can form

the basis of evidence in any legal challenge asking the courts to hold certain forces vicariously liable for the resulting destruction of property.

The Commission may have ended its work but the issue of liability and compensation is not yet concluded. It is likely to be now continued in the courts since both those who were “awarded” compensation and those who were not are likely to take this matter up in court.

And on the face of things those who were not granted

awards are likely to try to recoup these losses by suing those who they believe can now, given the Commission’s report, be held vicariously liable for the destruction of their property.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 05, 2013

=== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ===

Guyana: Metaphysical wasteland and parched terrain of empty nowhere The report of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the shooting to death of three protestors in July 2012 has displaced all other topics of conversation in Georgetown and perhaps all over Guyana. A particular section of the COI has reduced this country to the metaphysical wasteland of Zabriskie’s Point, the Michelangelo Antonioni’s avant garde movie on the hippie counter-culture of the sixties.

In the 21 st century, a human life in Guyana is worth one million dollars which is less than a third of what a minibus costs if you want to buy one to bring in a steady income. The COI has assigned three million dollars

to the relatives of two of the dead men and one million to another. There can be no greater insult to the people of this country than this descent in Dante’s Inferno. (the one million dollar award has since been corrected to two million dollars) The two Jamaican and one Trinidadian Commissioners are gone.

They probably were glad to leave and perhaps left with the same measure of cynicism that Caricom nationals view this country.

What is irredeemable is the position of the two local Commissioners; retired Appeal Court judge, Claudette Singh, and former Judiciary Chancellor, Cecil Kennard. The same former

Chancellor will preside in the next two weeks on a horseracing competition where the prize money is twenty million dollars.

How can any human being in this world, after deciding that the police shot and killed three unarmed political protestors, award their families the sum of three million Guyana dollars and in the case of another, a mere million?

But this is a nihilist land of permanent twilight where life is worth less than what it was thousands of years ago.

Justices Singh and Kennard will resume their conventional life where they will be the honoured guests at official openings, guest speakers at prestigious occasions, and

will be surrounded by others on the cocktail circuit, people who will be glad to shake their hands.

For all you know, Singh and Kennard may have been congratulated already by many who thanked them for a superb job on the Commission.

It reminds me of the man who played a strategic role in the assassination of Walter Rodney and years after became a darling of the business community and the government and since that has accumulated more money than a successful Wall Street banker would earn in ten years.

No one cares about what he did in 1980 when Rodney lost his life.

This is Dante’s Inferno where life is the least valuable commodity around. Go to any magistrate court and you will see bail carries a large sum if the charge is theft of money, clothes, electronic goods and other consumer luxuries. If the charge is death (yes DEATH) by dangerous driving the bail is easy (as they say in loose lingo). Kill a woman in the most bestial way, plead guilty to manslaughter, and you are out in less than ten years. Life is meaningless in Guyana.

It is not that magistrates and judges are brutal people by nature. No they are victims of a one-dimensional society in the words of the great 20th German philosopher, Herbert Marcuse where money and goods are more important than people. In the coming weeks, the dust will settle on the COI report, Justices Singh and Kennard will continue to enjoy their elevated status as retired justices and the wasteland will sink deeper into its nihilistic miasma. . Maybe in the eyes of many, when you are poor you don’t understand the importance of money, you don’t know how to spend it

Frederick Kissoon so it would not be wise to give to you. Maybe the five Commissioners took too seriously the line in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s fantastic musical, “Jesus Christ Superstar, when Jesus said Judas “Surely, you’re not saying We have the resources to save the poor from their lot They will be poor always Pathetically struggling Look at the good things you’ve got” Finally, there is one asinine remark in that report that makes the report looks stupid.

The Commissioners opined that opposition politicians should take some responsibility because of the illegal occupation of the bridge. So once an illegal act is committed that gives the police the right to shoot people dead?

Kissoon libel case

Defence concludes evidence-in-chief Fredrick Kissoon wrapped up his evidence yesterday in the Jagdeo libel case after relating information about source documents used in the research that encouraged the former University of Guyana lecturer and Kaieteur News columnist to call former President Bharrat Jagdeo an “ideological racist.”

Kissoon was led in his evidence-in-chief by Attorney- at-law Nigel Hughes while lawyer for the plaintiff, Bernard De Santos, SC, will commence his cross examination of the witness on the next occasion.

In conducting the research, Kissoon said before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the High Court, that he sought information from primary documents such as official government documents, national institutes, official reports and international organizations.

The secondary documents, he said, came from published books and journals, while other information came from local newspapers, interviews and unpublished manuscripts.

Prior to that, Kissoon was asked to relate from the notes section of his report, the explanation he gave coming

closest to the meaning and process of ideological racism.

According to Kissoon, his conclusion was guided by the product of German philosopher Karl Marx and French philosopher Louis Althusser. It was with these approaches that Kissoon said he argued that “ideology is essentially a false consciousness. Meaning that; the adherent of ideology is guided by his or her relation to the external world by an interpretation of that world that may not be grounded in objective reality.”

In this context, Kissoon highlighted that, “The French philosopher says it is the acceptance of knowledge by the adherent that is indispensable to understanding “lived relations” which is a psychological category of people’s past and present experiences in any given situation.

Kissoon further said that in his research he applied ideology into the approach of power and ethnic relations by former Presidents, Cheddi Jagan, Forbes Burnham and later, Desmond Hoyte.

De Santos will cross examine the witness on March 11.

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Promoter accused of fraud as “Destra Berbice Inferno” brought to abrupt end - Events Coordinator’s cunning, results in patron violence and vandalism What would have otherwise been an exciting show was brought to an abrupt halt Sunday night, as alleged intense cunning and crookery on the part of Events Coordinator; Vijay Panday, resulted in violence and vandalism from patrons who attended the ‘Destra Berbice Inferno’ at the New Amsterdam Technical Institute Ground.

This event was promoted by the overseas-based Slaughter House Promotions headed by US based Guyanese Keith Mordell, the Chief Executive Officer.

Investigations revealed that the Events Coordinator who was kicked out of the Fire Fest Productions for alleged dishonesty, was not being honest with the promoter and “lying through his teeth” about paying persons to properly promote the show.

The CEO said that every entity and individual that was supposed to be paid by Panday with monies he (Keith Mordell) made available to aid in the promotion of the show, was either part paid or not paid at all, even though his Events Coordinator, Vijay Panday informed him, that everyone was paid in full, with only two persons having minor balances.

On Sunday night, the artiste, Rick Ramoutar was dragged from the stage by his manager in full view of the public because he was not paid a dime until then. What happened after was quite dramatic, and fuelled the crowd’s anger. The members of the Mingles Sound Machine Band then systematically turned off power and walked off stage with their instruments, while Crown Vibes Entertainment turned off all power and stage lights since they also were not paid.

Panday has since reportedly gone into hiding.

The Horror story The event was actually a ‘wind down’ feature for Berbicians, after their Mash festivities. All seemed to be going well and though the event started beyond its 20:00 hrs stipulated time, patrons were having a ball when everything went sour around 21:45 hrs.

Mordell himself greeted the reveling crowd and introduced the first artiste, Chutney singer Rick Ramoutar of Trinidad. The singer had only begun his first song when he was dragged from the stage by a man, whom some people are actually claiming to be Trinidad soca artiste Destra Garcia’s manager.

Minutes later the lights and sound men and band members detached all electrical appliances and left the stage. That was when the crowd realized that there was to be no more show, and erupted in anger.

The ‘Destra Berbice Inferno’ was to feature performances by Destra, Jamaican reggae and dancehall queen ‘Cecile’, chutney star Rick Ramoutar, US based chutney singer Jun Jeezy and Guyana’s Marlon ‘Malo’ Webster.

Chants of ‘we want back we money’ filled the air, and patrons began to rain bottles on the promoters who were attempting to escape the violence in a car. It was during this confusion that the alleged fraudster, Panday made good his escape with other family members he had working the gates and other locations of the event.

Angry patrons sprayed mace into the air and attacked the promoter’s car even as the six police ranks present attempted to take control.

They swarmed the car and after breaking into it took away the box containing the night’s earnings and ticket stubs. It was not until the police fired warning shots into the air that the crowd eased off a little, but bottles continued to rain on the car as it sped away.

The promoter speaks In an interview yesterday, Slaughter House Promotions, Keith Mordell said that he had met Panday through a close associate whilst at a party in Guyana and he had voiced his intentions of promoting the show.

He said that Panday declared that he had all the contacts for sponsorship and other promotion deals, emphasizing that he had worked with some of the top entertainment and promoting companies in Guyana.

He won Mordell’s heart so most of the promotional aspects were left to him.

Mordell said that on a weekly basis he paid Panday some US$200 to execute his duties and Panday would regularly inform him via telephone that ‘things were going well’.

He said that the night before the show they hosted a ‘Meet and Greet Party’ in honour of the artistes at the Castle Nightclub in New Amsterdam, and made over $300 000 which Panday has also failed to turn over to him.

According to Mordell, Panday had told him that he had acquired some $2.5M from Digicel, $2M from Banks DIH Limited, and $500 000 from Giftland Officemax. He said upon arriving in Guyana and contacting these three entities he was shocked beyond belief when he was told a few days before the show that such information was never passed to Panday at any time.

The very saddened

Already for the year the Traffic Department of the Guyana Police Force has recorded 18 road deaths as compared to 20 for the same period last year.

However, according to Traffic Chief, Hugh Denhert, figures over recent years have shown that the East Bank Demerara Public road can be considered the country’s deadliest thoroughfare.

This, the Traffic Chief said, is as a result of that roadway being the main artery to the southern parts of

Guyana as well as a secondary access path to West Coast and West Bank Demerara.

“The East Bank road is used by thousands of vehicles on a daily basis, travelling to our interior locations. There are also people who have taken up residency in new housing schemes which have been established,” Denhert noted.

He added that being one of the most frequently used thoroughfares and the only leading one into the capital

city from the south, there is always a rush by commuters.

Hence the Traffic Department’s head said efforts are ongoing to monitor that thoroughfare.

Some of these initiatives include increasing patrol on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway and along the East Bank Demerara during peak hours.

Already for the year the East Bank Road has claimed seven lives.

In February, there were four fatalities.

East Bank Demerara thoroughfare listed as deadliest in Guyana

promoter said that Panday told him he was required to pay $200 000 for the Technical Institute Ground. He said the man (Panday) said he had only owed a balance of $35 000 which according to Mordell turned out to be another lie.

He said on approaching the management there to clear this balance he realized that Panday had made a settlement with them to pay $120,000 for the ground and not the $200,000 he had previously declared.

Mordell said monies were provided to Panday to pay Rick Ramoutar an advance of US$1500, which he had wired to him from New York. He said Panday had informed that this sum was already paid. The promoter said on the night of the show he almost dropped dead when he was informed

by Rick and his manager that the advance was never paid.

To add more stress to the promoter ’s already heart rending situation a large stack of tickets and an undeclared sum of cash mysteriously disappeared from the Candy Shop in New Amsterdam, which was the only authorized ticket outlet.

Slaughter House Promotions, Keith Mordell

Fraudster Vijay Panday

Shockingly these said tickets began showing up at the gate with forged signatures, and the ticket holders all declared that they had indeed purchased the tickets at the said location.

It was all chaos and confusion yesterday since Destra and Rick Ramoutar were still at the hotel with a huge bill in front of them which Panday had informed was already paid.

Mordell further informed that Panday went ahead

without his permission and gave the food sale franchise to the White Castle Fish Shop, even though he had told him not to.

The promoter is crying close to $6M in losses from funds taken from the gates by the public, and the unaccounted sums with which Panday has allegedly disappeared with.

Up to press time the Events Coordinator could not be located and his relatives are very tightlipped.

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Tuesday March 05, 2013

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 13

Golden Grove man killed by drunk driver For the second time in a month, a drunk youth has caused the death of a road user as a result of a vehicular accident.

Fifty-eight-year old Patrick Lester, called “Palace”, of Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, is the latest road fatality, after he was picked up by an out of control Toyota Alteeza driven by a 20year-old.

Lester succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital just before midnight Sunday.

Lester was sitting on his bicycle at the corner of the Nabaclis Main Road and the East Coast Demerara Public Road when he was hit by the speeding car and deposited into a yard about 40 metres away.

Eyewitnesses almost missed him as his body was almost concealed by grass in the darkness of the night.

From all appearances, Lester suffered broken ribs and legs along with severe head injuries.

In fact, a piece of his skull was left on the shattered portion of the front windscreen of the car; and such was the severity of the impact that his bicycle was broken into several pieces.

The car had earlier slammed into a Mitsubishi Lancer, which was parked about 100 metres from where it eventually stopped.

The Lancer was pushed into a nearby ditch.

The out of control car was stopped by a fence after it had struck down Lester.

The sound of the several impacts caused many residents to leave their homes and converge on the crash site.

For apparently obvious reasons, they were angry and threatened violence causing the driver of the errant car to

The out of control Toyota Altezza destroyed this Mitsubishi Lancer before knocking down Patrick Lester. flee the scene only to be apprehended by publicspirited persons.

Thankfully the police patrols quickly arrived on the scene and quelled any attempt at violence.

“He de going with so much speed dat if dat fence didn’t stop he, was straight to town he de carrying dah man,” an eyewitness told Kaieteur News.

The driver of the car was whisked away to the city to undergo a breathalyser test, which revealed that he was way above the allowable alcohol limit.

This move by the police angered residents who questioned the absence of breathalysers on the East Coast of Demerara given the fact that it is one of the main Police Divisions in the country and one in which the culture of drunk driving is prevalent.

About a month ago a teenager who was also heavily under the influence of alcohol crashed his Toyota Tundra head on into a minibus, killing two persons.

“These people does drink dem rum and drive and kill people father, mother and children, and all dem does get is a fine or couple years,” one villager lamented at the scene.

He was joined by others who are convinced that the penalty for causing the death of someone while driving under the influence of alcohol is too light.

Another bone of contention is the lax ambulance service in the area.

According to residents of Nabaclis, an ambulance which is attached to the CC Nicholson Hospital in the village was rendered useless at the time of the accident due to the absence of a driver.

“Is a man had to put de man (Lester) in me car and drive he to the hospital.

Heaven knows if the ambulance was available, if dat man would live,” another villager stated.

A police source has indicated that the driver in Sunday night’s accident could be placed before the court as early as today.

La Parfaite Harmonie to become largest housing scheme - Housing Minister Housing Minister, Irfaan Ali, says that La Parfaite Harmonie in Region Three will become a scheme second to none , rivaling the Diamond/ Grove Housimg Scheme in size and overall development.

Last year alone, the Housing Ministry through Central Planning and Housing Authority (CPHA) invested close to $1Billion which benefitted 30,000 residents living in Region Three.

“La Parfaite Harmonie, a growing community, has been expanded to include other communities. At the end of the day this scheme will rival Diamond /Grove Housing Scheme, one of the largest schemes,” Ali said According to the

Minister, part of the expansion and transformation would include the construction of the alternative entrance and exit to La Parfaite housing scheme. Alluding to the progress of the road works there, he said, “Contractors are mobilizing on the very important highway into La Parfait Harmonie and the other areas; we are hoping that by the end of August or early September that road will be completed and that we can have that new highway which will bring tremendous benefits and improvements to the lives of people there.”

The $600M alternative access road to La Parfaite Harmonie Housing Scheme will ensure that residents of

that area and surrounding schemes have closer links to the capital city.

In addition to the benefit of providing additional access, the completed roadway will have the characteristics of a modern highway, Minister Ali added.

The Housing Ministry and the CHPA also embarked on the construction of an additional access bridge which is 95 per cent completed, and which is expected to be opened to the public shortly.

The Minister explained, too, that Region Three will continue to see expansion and development with the addition of a further 1000 lots in the Versailles/Lust en Rust area.

This sign on the Toyota Altezza says it all.

The mayhem ended when the Toyota Alteeza came to a halt after crashing into this wooden fence.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Rotary Club of Georgetown improving literacy in Guyana

By Rehanna Ramsay For more than a decade, the Rotary Club of Georgetown has been actively involved in molding hundreds of young minds via its literacy programme.

Despite various challenges, the literacy programme has been in existence for nearly 14 years.

The group targets children in underprivileged communities such Sophia and its surrounding areas.

“We have had many success stories since our founding. The work requires faith and patience; it is quite tedious at times but we, who volunteer here, are pleased to be a part of shaping these individuals into respectable human beings for society.

“We don’t just teach them to read and write, we also have courses in etiquette and manners as well as a penny banking, teaching them how to save,” one volunteer, Odassia Forde, stated.

Forde, a teacher by profession, was speaking at a presentation ceremony whereby the group was receiving donations from one of its few contributors, the Guyana Oil Company (GUYOIL).

A monetary donation was

presented by a representative of GUYOIL, Ms Jacklyn James. In her remarks, James said that the oil company recognizes the importance of literacy in society thus becoming a sponsor has been a privilege throughout the years.

Marva Moses, a single parent from Dennis Street, Sophia, spoke of the positive impact that the initiative has had on the lives of her four children.

“I have had all four of my children pass through this literacy programme and it’s been very beneficial to them in developing their reading and writing …it gave them an opportunity that most single parents like me cannot afford to give their children.”

Now Moses says that she can be proud of what her children have become. “It’s mostly because of this kind of programme that my children have turned out successful in life. My eldest child is currently at UG pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.

The next one is in the GDF while the other two are in secondary school.”

The woman expressed extreme gratitude for the initiative.

“I would encourage persons to support this effort

Students and members of the Rotary Club of Georgetown because it gives children a balanced educational base and affords parents like myself the opportunity to give their children the kind of scope that they may not be able to otherwise offer them.”

“I would volunteer here from time to time because it’s a great opportunity to give back to a program that has given me so much.”

Spearheading the operation is Dr Quacy Grant,

President of the Georgetown Rotaract Club. Grant said that the programme facilitates about 50 students aged five to 11 and sometimes older. He says that courses have one year duration for each child, but there are times when students are allowed to repeat.

“We meet every Saturday at the Sophia Exhibition Site; we have about 40 students

that come here with approximately seven volunteers which include Rotaractors and two teachers.

We don’t just give them lessons in literacy but we teach about our country and so forth; we want to make them well rounded individuals.”

“With more sponsors we could do much, so our programme could expand to

benefit more children. We currently have three main contributors we have GUYOIL, while Maggie’s catering and Shanta’s Puri Shop provide the children with meals after each session.”

Grant also lauded the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport for providing much needed space that is currently utilized as learning quarters.

Single and unemployed mother seeks financial aid for sick son

A single mother is appealing to the public for financial aid to save her 20year-old son who is hospitalized at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for multiple injuries he sustained during an accident on Valentine’s Day. Injured is Lakeram Persaud of 5 Strand, New Amsterdam, Corentyne, Berbice. According to information, Lakeram was heading home on his motorcycle when he was struck down in front of the New Amsterdam Hospital on February 13 last. Lakeram, a sales representative cannot recall what exactly happened.

He said that at the time of the accident, he and a police officer on motorcycle were the only ones on the road, heading in the same direction.

The 20-year-old said all he could recall was feeling a “hard hit” behind his head.

The next thing he remembered was waking up in the hospital.

No one was arrested for the accident and no one reportedly saw what happened. Lakeram sustained broken ribs, a punctured lung, a fractured shoulder and injuries to the spine.

The man’s mother, Jean Persaud, said that her son is in pain daily and that no arrest has been made. She claimed

The injured Lakeram Persaud that her son told her that he and the policeman were riding together when the accident occurred but the policeman is claiming that he did not see anything. A devastated Persaud said that she was recently told by a doctor that her son needs “some kind of equipment which is available in Trinidad and Tobago” for US$7000.

“The doctor is very rude.

We are poor people; we don’t have all that money I am asking my family for help and my son’s

uncle wants a number to talk with the doctor but he refused to give it. He does not understand the situation,” Persaud said.

The woman added that she and her older son have to travel from Berbice to Georgetown on a daily basis and that alone is an expense to her. A source from the GPHC said that the equipment required to treat Lakeram for the spinal injury is not available at the hospital, hence the family has been instructed to purchase it.

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 15

NCN tells calypsonians tunes were not banned, but prohibited ….Professor’s winning tune under review At what was termed a “closed meeting” at the National Communication Network (NCN) yesterday, calypsonians were told that their 2013 calypso tunes were not banned, but they were merely “prohibited”.

Officials told the artistes that it was Professor’s winning tune that caused the station to pay keen attention to the local Mash tunes as his song is currently under review by the station for its unfavourable lyrics.

NCN has however failed to declare who ordered the ban of the 2013 tunes, and when the music will be back on air.

Irate musicians however said that the meeting was a waste of time because nothing was said to satisfy their minds. The artistes charged that the four-member panel that consisted of key persons; NCN Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Gordon and Information and Press Liaison to the President, Kwame McCoy, related nothing that made sense.

“They couldn’t tell us who banned the songs or when the music will be back on air. All they keep saying is that the music was not banned, that it was prohibited, but what does prohibit mean? When we ask them when the music will be back on air, they said that the music is being played all the time, but is only Professor song that has to be reviewed.” “It is nonsense utter nonsense.

Imagine the CEO telling us that he didn’t know anything about what took place. He said that when he knew about the ban the notice was already up in the station and yet still he can’t tell us who put up the notice that none of the songs should be played.”

Kaieteur News was told that the exact reason for the ban was not given. It was indicated, the publication was told, that some lyrics in Professor’s song were “unfavourable” and that is why it needs to be reviewed.

Several tries to communicate with NCN proved fruitless. This publication on its first attempt was told that the CEO was out of office, on the second try, after speaking with the secretary who said to hold for the CEO, the phone was left to ring out. Several other attempts up to press time also went unanswered.

The Calypso Association has however decided to take earnest action to strengthen the organization. At an emergency meeting held Sunday last, calypsonians discussed several issues they said need to be urgently addressed.

The meeting which was chaired by veteran calypsonian and President of the Association, Geoffrey ‘the Mighty Rebel’ Phillips, was attended by several concerned artistes who were highly annoyed about the recent ban. They first rejected the manner in which the

… matter to go to arbitration Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) employees who were on strike for six days will return to work today.

The National Association of Agricultural Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) will move swiftly to have the matter adjudicated.

The Union representing hundreds of employees, and the GPL management, were unable to come to a compromise for the benefit of the workers.

Labour Minister Dr. Nanda Gopaul has instructed that the employees end their strike and return to work today so that the matter could be sent to arbitration.

The strike saw the closure of the power company’s commercial offices.

According to General Secretary of NAACIE, Kenneth Joseph, the Minister’s decision is law so

the Union has no say in accepting or rejecting this decision.

O n We d n e s d a y l a s t , employees with guidance from the Union downed tools over a five percent across the board all inclusive package. This included a one percent across the board increase.

This has been rejected by the Union which is demanding an eight percent across the board increase.

But, GPL is adamant in its position claiming that it cannot afford the five percent package being offered much less the eight percent. It claims that high fuel price is a burden. In addition it may have to increase its contribution to the employees’ pension fund with the Hand In Hand Trust Company.

However, the Union is of

The notice at NCN that caused the uproar songs were banned, stating that the organization was never informed or approached about the “libelous, abusive and slanderous” nature of the tunes as Minister Robeson Benn so described it.

The calypsonians said that the association is first going to write the relevant authorities for an explanation into the ban and for the persons who authorized the ban to explain their reason. It would further be requested that the Mashramani Secretariat offer an explanation into the song criteria since all the calypsos would have gone through all the necessary procedures up to the finals which saw the crowning of a calypso king.

a different contention.

NAACIE believes that the company could afford to pay the demanded increase because it recently accessed a $11B loan.

On Friday, Dr. Gopaul who was facilitating talks with the parties when the strike erupted invited representatives of both parties to renew discussions.

There, the parties restated their positions and were given the weekend to ponder a feasible outcome.

As expected, the Union and GPL stood their grounds with neither parties wanting to compromise.

However, the outcome will now be decided by a panel of adjudicators.

Dr. Gopaul said that a panel of experienced arbitrators in industrial relations and more particularly with GPL has been selected. He did not disclose their names but said that appointment letters will soon be dispatched.

The organization further spoke about the Association’s ability to represent the artistes.

According to them the Calypso Association needs to take a firmer grip in representing the art form, since calypso thrives on social commentary.

Some saw this as the main reason for the uproar. One artiste said the Secretariat

should make it abundantly clear what can be described as “slanderous, libelous, vulgar, ethnically or culturally insensitive,” since the stated criteria is too vague.

The ban has also invoked talks about copyright laws, since the musicians spoke out about the songs being played while performers earn

nothing. They charged that despite the artiste producing the music, they have to purchase the songs at $4,000 from NCN; one calypsonian said that was what she was charged when she asked for a copy of her song.

The calypsonians said that the art form is slowly dying and with the attitudes that are being displayed there may soon be no place for the music, especially where political influences play a part. The whole banning saga however came when Minister of Works Robeson Benn walked into the radio station and according to him, proclaimed his dissatisfaction with Calypso monarch, Professor’s song, which he thought, was “libelous and slanderous.”

Benn claimed that as a citizen and a Minister, he felt that he had the right to express his dissatisfaction with the music, but he never ordered that the calypsos be banned.

He also said that the decision was one made by NCN management, although Gordon insisted yesterday that he knew nothing about the ban.

Like NCN, the Minister said he does not know who banned the calypsos. He however said that the decision was not taken at an executive level of the government.

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Tuesday March 05, 2013

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Ramotar takes on opposition haters at Babu John ...lambastes Speaker, letter writer, Nagamootoo

By Leon Suseran President Donald Ramotar, at Babu John, Corentyne on Sunday, vociferously lashed out at those whom he described as haters of the government and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

The attacks, he stated, are continuing “because of the success of the PPP/C government in our forward march…It is very clear that forces in the opposition want to re-write history…to forget the days when people were starving and people had to line up for the most basic commodities and want to destroy the image of Jagan”.

The President alluded to the other “haters” who made their monies during a time in Guyana when “things were extremely bad”.

“They were the smugglers, the backtrackers—they are the nobly rich who, today, have a lot of money, but they do not have political authority and they want to use the freedom of the media—which we gave them, which we fought and which many of our comrades die for.

“They want to use that now to try to win political influence and that is why they will never stop hating the PPP; we cannot expect them to ever want to love us!”

He said that Dr. Jagan had to fight forces even within his own party and suffered many betrayals—”many, many people crossed the floor in parliament, and betrayed him, betrayed the movement, betrayed the struggle and he had to deal with that.”

Mr. Ramotar praised the teachings and leadership qualities of Dr. Jagan especially since he [Dr. Jagan] had to fight “right- wing and left- wing opportunism”.

Commenting on a letter which appeared in Sunday’s Kaieteur News in which a letter writer claimed that Mrs. Janet Jagan was behind all of the decisions made by Dr. Jagan, Mr. Ramotar called it a “racist propaganda, trying to say that only white people had brains.

Imagine, someone to this day, in our newspaper today, still has that in their minds…and (George Maxwell) and the crew of them really need to have new brains! This is the quality of journalists we have in our country today!”

The Head of State said that the opposition forces have help on their side in some forms of the media.

“Some of them use their media; use their newspapers

to try to recapture an era that has passed; an era when they sat and drank whiskey at the Georgetown Club and made decisions for Guyana.

“They hate the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), and they will forever hate the PPP because we brought an end to that era in this country.”

Mr. Ramotar then compared statistics from pre1992 and post- 1992, including debts, GDP rates, exports, minimum wages, per capita income, gold production, crop production of rice, etc. “And our detractors are trying to say that that [pre- 1992) was a golden era!”

He stated that Guyana achieved those things because of Jagan’s foundation built from 1992.

He accused the opposition of trying to wipe out memories and history. He spoke of Jagan’s efforts to rewrite and reform the Constitution, work that continued in 1999 “and we made fundamental reforms [and amendments]”.

He lashed out at AFC’s Moses Nagamootoo for recent comments made about Guyana’s debt situation.

Ramotar stated that in 1991 Guyana’s debt was 658 per cent of the GDP [Gross Domestic Product]…”today, they say Jamaica is in crisis but Jamaica’s debt is only 140 per cent of its GDP—we had 658 per cent—and the jackass Nagamootoo would be asking [Dr.] Ashni Singh a question about debt in our country—well let me answer him to say that the debt now is only 48 per cent of our GDP!” The Guyanese leader stated, too, that he was very upset—while looking at the papers on Sunday—”the vicious attack that continues on public servants…the nasty, sustained and vicious attacks unleashed on Winston Brassington, not a politician, but just a professional working with the government”.

He noted that certain forces out there want to “frighten professionals from trying to make a contribution to the development of this country”.

He said that this is “so unethical, it turns off any decent person to see the tactics they are using, and now also they have turned the attack on the Chinese”.

“Well let me tell you, history will show you that China has not exploited and colonialized any country. In fact, the record of China, is that it has been helping to build societies in Africa, etc. and we must stand up to

A section of the gathering at Babu John

Nadira Jagan- Brancier honours her father’s memory by placing flowers on the monument on Sunday

those things; we must stand up and make the voice of the majority heard because there seems to be people being financed from somewhere, dedicating themselves at slander and attacks on politics—we can take it; we

have skins like rhinoceros [es]; we don’t mind; come and attack us; but why do you [they] attack professionals and public servants? It goes against decency!”

Hundreds turned up at the Babu John Crematorium, Port

Mourant for the annual tribute to the late Founder Leader of the PPP/C, and Former President of Guyana, Dr. Cheddi Jagan.

The programme was chaired by Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee.

Other speakers included Prime Minister Samuel Hinds.

Various government officials, including President and Mrs. Ramotar then laid wreaths and flowers on the monuments erected in honour of the late Dr. Jagan and Mrs. Jagan.

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Rescued turtle returns to natural habitat

The male Olive Green turtle rescued from the jaws of death by fishermen on Friday last has fully recovered and was yesterday released into the Atlantic Ocean.

Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society, Coast Guard, Dr. Nicholas Waldron, Conservation International, and the Zoo the young sea creature was given medical assistance and returned to its habitat.

Around 05:45hrs yesterday the turtle was loaded onto a vessel belonging to the Coast Guard and released into the Atlantic Ocean. The now healthy turtle responded well to the waves and flipped his way swiftly navigating away from the vessel. According to Annette Arjoon-Martins, Founder of Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society, Dr. Waldron, a private veterinarian who does pro bono work for Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society examined the turtle on Sunday at the Zoo. Steroids and antibiotics helped the recovery of the turtle that mistakenly ate bits of plastic instead of jelly fish.

She related that on Friday, David Singh, of Conservation

International informed her of the distressed turtle that fishermen had rescued at the mouth of the Demerara River.

She related that the urgency of helping the ailing turtle was transmitted to her during a telephone conversation with a distraught fisherman, Banky.

“I was inquiring of timings and other details pertaining to the turtle and Banky said ‘sistrin you have to come now or the turtle won’t make it’”, ArjoonMartins related.

Upon arrival at the Ruimveldt wharf the conservationist was surprised at the compassion shown to the turtle by roughly 80 fishermen. The men had placed the turtle on a bed made of nets and water was constantly poured on its hard back.

There the horrid trauma the turtle experienced was related to her. According to Arjoon-Martins, the fishermen discovered the turtle bobbing and it was clear that he was in distress. As such, the men hauled the turtle aboard.

The reason for the distress was later known as the turtle began vomiting plastics. With the help of Leslie Lewis of the Zoo and

The turtle on the Coast Guard boat before being released into the Atlantic Ocean

France Gomes, a Rupununi resident, the turtle was transported to the Zoo at around 20:30 hrs.

There the creature was placed in a holding pond.

Arjoon-Martins opined that

had the fishermen not rescued the sea creature it would have endured a slow and painful death brought on by people’s irresponsible dirty habit of littering. She noted that male turtles do not come to land but during the

mating season- between March and August- they are close to shore. She suggested that this could have been the reason why the sea creature came into contact with the bits of plastic.

Arjoon-Martins said that

sea turtles are very important to marine life.

“The Olive Green turtle graze on sea grass keeping it level for fishes to lay eggs.

When they are killed inadvertently their death affects fish,” she added.

Region Four Chairman, Clement Corlette, has discovered what seems to be another fuel fraud within his controlled domain. This newest fraud has been ongoing since the beginning of this year.

Corlette, in a letter to the Auditor General Office and seen by this newspaper, stated that he had reason to believe that a fuel requisition scam may be in operation within the Engineer ’s Department of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC).

The Regional Chairman said that he received information which indicated that heavy diesel and lubricants, uplifted from Kitty Guyoil for the drainage pumps, were being diverted.

Upon receipt of such information, a visit was paid to the Kitty Guyoil service station for consultation with the local manager.

Corlette stated in the letter that information received from the manager indicated that over 5000 liters of fuel was delivered to Region Four during January, this year.

He said also, that specifications as these relate to dates, the fuel uplifted and the transporting vehicle’s

number were also provided.

Corlette concluded that a substantial amount of fuel5,841 liters- worth some $1.2M, issued by Guyoil Kitty substation may not have been delivered to Region Four’s Drainage and Irrigation operations.

All Government agencies have a system whereby requests for any needed goods and supplies are made through a Requisition To Purchase (RTP). The system is so set that no supply could be issued unless the RTP is signed by an authorized personnel or head of the respective department.

However, according to Corlette, the Regional engineer, when questioned, said that the only requisition he approved in January for the purpose of pump station fuel supply, was on January 18.

The amount he reportedly approved was 675 liters which is said to be three drums of fuel; and that was delivered to Triumph pump station.

However, a print out of the date, amount of fuel and transporting vehicle number plate that was supplied to this publication did not coincide with the engineer’s claim.

Of the three upliftments of fuel that were made on January 18, none had been for the amount of fuel that the engineer claimed he approved.

The record revealed that 84.61 per cent of uplifted fuel was by a vehicle bearing number plate PPP 3015, a Region Four vehicle.

Corlette noted in his letter that there were no flood conditions in Region Four in January and as such the excessive request for diesel fuel seems out of the ordinary and aroused his interest upon receipt of the information.

Corlette’s letter stated, “Given the circumstances I have concerns, hence, I herein request the immediate intervention of your office to take charge and custody of all fuel requisition instruments under the drainage and irrigation programme 2 and for 1 st January 2012 to 30th January 2013 and to conduct an audit of all receipt distribution and payment for fuel supplied and or allegedly supplied to the Regional Democratic Council, Region Four.”

Fuel fraud discovered in Region Four

(Abena Rockcliffe)

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Bodies of two drowned Visa requirement waived For Eastern Europeans visiting Jamaica men resurface (Trinidad Guardian) Two days after disappearing in the Navet reservoir while on an illegal boating expedition, the bodies of Anthony Warrick and Basdeo Ramlal resurfaced yesterday.

The bodies were bloated and fishes had already eaten away parts of the heads.

Ramlal’s brother Federlis said they noticed the bodies just after dawn, hours after Coast Guard divers and Fire Service Land and Rescue Special Unit officers abandoned their search on Sunday evening.

“When everybody left here, we stayed. We knew that the bodies would come up. We stood here throughout the night and looked. It floated up on its own,” Federlis said.

The bodies were viewed

by District Medical Officer Dr Birja who ordered them removed to the Forensic Science Centre in Port of Spain.

Meanwhile Minister of the Environment and Water Resources, Ganga Singh said it was a clear breach of policy

Basdeo Ramlal for employees to use the reservoir for recreational purposes, without adequate safety gear.

“I want to extend sincere condolences to the bereaved families of the two men. It is not the policy of WASA to allow anyone to go for recreational purposes at the reservoirs at Caroni Arena, Navet or Hillsborough in Tobago,” Singh said.

He added, “It is a clear breach of policy for people to go off in a frolick in the dam without permission and without safety gears. Those

who has safety gear survived.”

Singh noted that WASA’s management will have to reinforce their safety and security policy to all employees so that there will be no repeat of Saturday’s tragedy. Noting that is ample security at the formal entrances of the dam, Singh said it was difficult to prevent intrusion through the perimetres of the reservoirs.

“The reservoirs are located on hundreds of acres of land. Navet has 5 billion gallons of water, Arena reservoir has nine billion gallons of water and the Hillsborough reservoir has six billion gallons,” Singh said.

He called on citizens to respect the reservoirs. “They are an asset for us. It is a national resource for us and we have to be careful not to allow any kind of interfence that will threaten our water supply,” Singh said.

He reiterated that WASA’s treatment process will ensure that its supply is not contaminated by the bodies.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Jamaican government has waived visa requirements for nationals of Russia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine visiting the island for tourism and cultural exchange for periods of 30 days or less.

In addition, Cabinet has approved the indefinite extension of the current visa waiver requirement in place for nationals of Columbia, Panama, and Venezuela.

This will be subject to the outcome of periodic reviews of the situation, the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment said in a release yesterday.

“This is all tremendous news as we continue to make positive headway towards removing barriers to travel while creating ease of access to visitors from these new and emerging market frontiers Jamaica is so aggressively forging into,” Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Dr. Wykeham McNeill said.

He said “the continued removal of the barriers to travel, such as improving the

visa regimes, is all a part of our strategy to diversify our markets while improving airlift security.

These initiatives will certainly work towards the expansion of the tourist industry.”

Dr. McNeill noted that having waived visa requirements for nationals from Columbia, Panama, and Venezuela, promotional efforts to grow the Latin American market will continue, Copa having doubled its capacity from December 2012, with four flights per week using a larger aircraft. The flights are out of Panama City which is the major hub in Latin America.

On January 1, this year Jamaica welcomed the inaugural Transearo Airlines

flight from Moscow to Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport with more than 300 passengers and crew from Russia.

The Ministry said visitors from the Russian market stay a minimum of 10 nights, twice the average stay of visitors from traditional markets such as the United States.

“It is anticipated that this will provide significant returns through increased visitor spending,” the Ministry said.

Transearo Airlines is Russia’s second largest carrier and flies to 40 countries on 130 routes and has hubs in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. The airline operates flights between Moscow and Belorussia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

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Shanique Myrie recants at CCJ hearing (Jamaica Gleaner) Shanique Myrie, the Jamaican woman who took the Barbadian Government to court has revised a part of her statement provided in the case saying it was a mistake.

She recanted during cross-examination by Queens Counsel Roger Forde, the lead attorney for the Barbadian Government, as the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) began hearing her case in Kingston yesterday.

Myrie had contended in the statement tendered as her

testimony in the case, that following her ordeal, a female immigration officer was directed by a male counterpart to go and retrieve her luggage.

She said the woman then asked her the colour of the suitcase and the full name on it before she left to get the bag.

But under crossexamination, Myrie admitted that she went with the female immigration officer to collect the suitcase.

It happened in one of

several attempts by Forde to discredit Myrie’s account of her encounter with immigration officers when she arrived in Barbados on March 14, 2011.

He also suggested to Myrie that she was not invited to Barbados by a woman identified as Paula Clarke, as was claimed in her statement.

The Jamaican woman is claiming that shortly after she was allowed entry to the country, immigration officers subjected her to a painful and embarrassing cavity search

then kept her in a dark, filthy cell for several hours before she was deported to Jamaica.

One of Myrie’s attorneys, Nancy Anderson contended, in her opening statement, that the search violated Barbadian laws, its international obligations and the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

Another of her lawyers, Michelle Brown believes the case could be a landmark one in interpreting the rules of travel under the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

Shanique Myrie (right) and her lawyer Michelle Brown leaving the CCJ hearing at the Jamaica Conference Centre Forde will continue his cross-examination today.

The Jamaican leg of the

trial is scheduled to run until Friday before it shifts to Barbados.

BABIES 1,2,3,4,5...Six! ..Sextuplets successfully delivered at Mt Hope Hospital (Trinidad Express) A Central woman this morning gave birth to six babies at the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital.

Chairperson of the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) Dr Shehenaz Mohammed confirmed that the babies were delivered. But she was unable to release details without permission from the children’s mother.

“I can just confirm that the babies were delivered. They are fine for now. But I cannot say anything more until I speak with the mother and get permission,” she said.

The Express was told that the babies were delivered by Caesarian section. The 28year-old woman was the first person in Trinidad and Tobago to deliver sextuplets.

The babies would be monitored at the hospital’s ICU for the next 48 hours.

The mother attended a media briefing involving doctors at the Mt Hope Hospital last month.

She said then “I’m feeling very well considering the amount (of babies)”.

She said she did not expect to be having six babies, but she and her family have already started looking at possible baby names.

Her husband, she said, was also very excited, and her family was praying to ensure that there is smooth delivery.

It was said then that the babies would be delivered via Caesarean section on March 14.

Professor Bharath Bassaw, consultant, said then that the woman was being constantly monitored as there were risks associated with such pregnancies.

“It is the first case of sextuplets of a higher order pregnancy in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean...this is an uncommon condition, when this happens most of these pregnancies would end long before due to miscarriages” said Bassaw.

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Grenada PM vows to spur economy; engage the world ST GEORGE’S, Grenada — Grenada’s newly elected Prime Minister Keith Mitchell put his cabinet on alert after taking office – telling them that the government will not be business as usual.

“Grenada is ready to engage the world,” Mitchell said to regional leaders and Grenadians, who came out in their numbers to witness the inauguration of his ministers on Sunday.

Getting the economic engine running, the Grenadian leader promised to implement fresh initiatives to encourage investors and investment while warning the nation that this is not the time to assassinate the characters of what he called “good investors” to the country.

The government is looking to tighten its relationship with countries that already have partnered with the tri-island state and will be seeking to expand its relations to Africa, Asia, South and Central America, Chile and other countries where a bipartisan relationship can be especially economically beneficial to Grenada.

Confident about his

newly appointed cabinet, Mitchell said they are well able to take Grenada forward and reminded them that their role was to protect jobs already secured by the Grenadian people and to help in creating an environment that will see a lot more people employed.

Bringing the employment figure down is crucial to the New National Party (NNP) government as that was one of the main pillars that crumbled under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Administration, taking the NDC government down with it at the February19 polls.

Mitchell chided the former NDC administration for what he saw as their inaction towards a broken economy.

He called it “government insensitivity” and told his cabinet members he wanted all of them to be pure agents of service.

“Insensitivity must give way to a new spring of humility; it takes a lot of energy to be arrogant and little energy to be humble; the Feb. 19 results tells us that the people are ready to punish arrogance and will do it again

if we walk that road,” Mitchell warned his team.

The twelve-member cabinet of Mitchell saw three MPs being challenged by their leader to take up other roles and to be the mantle of the keeper of the flame of the country’s democracy.

They were not made members of the cabinet because Mitchell wanted to have a smaller cabinet as a cost cutting measure and to make some of his Parliament members’ backbenchers so they can be considered for placement on the Public Accounts Committee; a committee that has the authority to watchdog the government, especially in the absence of opposition members in the Parliament.

Yolande Bain-Horsford, Tobian Clement and Clifton Paul also will receive increased allowances to better take care of their constituencies and will be briefed on a weekly basis by an appointed cabinet subcommittee.

“The decision to leave the three members out of the cabinet was painful for me personally,” said Mitchell who hinted at a possible

rotation of portfolios, disclosing that some of the present cabinet appointments may not be for five years and that the non-cabinet members could be made ministers over time while present ministers will carry on the mantle of noncabinet functions.

Mitchell said he was not committed to working in the past nor repeating mistakes.

“Bad behavior is not good politics, bad behavior is bad politics,” Mitchell told the thousands of Grenadians who cheered on his historical moment.

Cabinet Ministers Keith Mitchell – Prime Minister, Minister for Finance, Energy, National Security, Disaster Preparedness, Home Affairs, Public Affairs, Public Administration, Implementation and Information Elvin Nimrod – Deputy Prime Minister: Attorney General, Minister for Legal Affairs, Labour, Local Government and Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs Gregory Bowen – Communications and Works, Physical Development, Public

Utilities and Information Communication Technology Alvin Dabreo – Minister in the Ministry of Works, Physical Development, Public Utilities, Information and Communication Technology with responsibility for ICT Anthony Boatswain – Education and Human Resource Development Clarice Modeste-Curwen – Health and Social Security (NIS) Roland Bhola – Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Nickolas Steele – Foreign Affairs and International Business Emmalin Pierre – Youth, Sports and Ecclesiastical Relations Alexandria Otway-Noel – Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture Oliver Joseph – Economic Development, Trade, Planning and Cooperative Delma Thomas – Social Development, Housing and Community Development Senators Senator Kenny Lalsingh – Parliamentary Secretary for Finance, Home Affairs, Energy, Public Administration

Grenada’s newly elected Prime Minister Keith Mitchell and Public Affairs and National Security with responsibility for implementation.

Senator Winston Garraway – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Home Affairs, Energy, Public Administration and Public Affairs and National Security Senator Sheldon Scott – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry Youth, Sports and Ecclesiastical Affairs Senator Brenda Hood – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture with responsibility for Culture The three other senators will be appointed at a later date. (Caribbean News Now)

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Biden, Netanyahu set tone on Iran for Obama visit to Israel (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden insisted yesterday that President Barack Obama was not bluffing about using force to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions if all else fails, even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a “credible military threat” against Tehran.

Seeking to reassure Israel and its U.S. supporters just weeks before Obama visits the Jewish state, Biden cautioned that all options, including sanctions and diplomacy, must be exhausted to ensure that the international community will be supportive if military action is deemed necessary.

But Netanyahu, speaking moments later via satellite from Jerusalem, used his address to America’s largest pro-Israel lobby to underscore Israeli impatience with U.S. strategy on Iran, a message that could foreshadow his talks with Obama.

“Words alone will not stop Iran. Sanctions alone will not stop Iran. Sanctions must be coupled with a clear and credible military threat if diplomacy and sanctions

fail,” Netanyahu said to loud cheers at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference in Washington.

Despite the tough rhetoric, the hawkish prime minister gave no indication that Israel was ready to act precipitously at a time when world powers have reengaged with Iran in new negotiations and he himself is caught up in the delicate task of forging a new government after January’s elections Netanyahu’s remarks showed that the latest round of international talks with Iran in Kazakhstan last week had done little to soothe Israeli concerns. It is message he is likely to deliver face-to-face when he meets Obama, with whom he has had a notoriously testy relationship.

Despite that, Biden honed in on Obama’s assertion in his 2012 AIPAC speech that he was ready to use force as a last resort to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

Tehran denies it is seeking one.

“President Barack Obama is not bluffing,” Biden said to

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu

a standing ovation. “We are not looking for war. We are looking to and ready to negotiate peacefully, but all options, including military force, are on the table.”

Netanyahu, who has hinted at Israeli plans to strike Iran’s nuclear sites if it deems peaceful options to have failed, said Tehran was moving ever-closer to bomb capability and was using the negotiations to “buy time.”

He has pressed the Obama administration to set strict limits on Tehran’s nuclear development that would trigger a U.S. military response, a demand that has fueled tensions between the two close allies. Obama has

resisted setting such an ultimatum.

Biden urged caution to avoid losing international solidarity against Iran, which faces possibly the toughest sanctions ever assembled.

“If, God forbid, the need to act occurs, it is critically important for the whole world to know we did everything in our power, we did everything that reasonably could have been expected to avoid any confrontation,” Biden said.

He said there was still time for a diplomatic solution, though he warned “that window is closing.”

After Biden’s speech, AIPAC - which has not always seen eye-to-eye with

the Obama administration praised him for a “a very important statement today that the president is not bluffing.”

Iran will top the agenda on Obama’s first presidential visit to Israel, which Biden said would take place just before the Jewish holiday of Passover, beginning on March 25.

IRAN ‘CLOSER TO THAT RED LINE’ Netanyahu said Iran had not yet crossed a “red line” he set at the United Nations in September, when he said Tehran should not be allowed to amass enough mediumenriched uranium that, if purified further, would be enough to power a single warhead. He gave a rough deadline at the time of spring or summer 2013.

But he told AIPAC: “Iran is getting closer to that red line and it’s putting itself in a position to cross that line very quickly once it decides to do so.” However, Netanyahu stopped short of any explicit threat of Israeli military action.

Netanyahu’s calculus on Iran is complicated by Israel’s unsettled domestic politics.

He is still struggling to forge

a new coalition government after a surprisingly strong showing by centrist parties in January’s elections.

In Kazakhstan, the United States and five other powers offered Iran modest sanctions relief in return for curbing its most sensitive nuclear work.

There was no breakthrough but the sides agreed to further talks in early April.

Netanyahu has insisted that Iran, whose leaders have frequently threatened Israel, is using the negotiations to stall for time to develop a nuclear bomb capability. Israel is assumed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed power.

“The latest efforts at conciliation and some kind of agreement with the Iranians have failed,” Republican U.S. Senator John McCain told the audience earlier. “It’s very clear that they are on the path to having a nuclear weapon.”

Obama has repeatedly pledged to keep pressure on Iran, but his refusal to take an even stronger stance has contributed to tense dealings with Netanyahu. Even so, the situation has calmed considerably since Obama (Continued on page 24)

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Kenya tallies votes after 15 killed during election (Reuters) - Uhuru Kenyatta had an early edge as Kenya continued the count today in a presidential election that brought out millions of voters despite pockets of violence that killed at least 15 people.

Kenyans, who waited patiently in long lines, hope the vote will restore the nation’s image as one of Africa’s more stable democracies after tribal bloodletting killed more than 1,200 people when the result of the 2007 vote was disputed by rivals.

Early counts from yesterday’s broadly peaceful voting gave an early lead to Kenyatta, the 51-year-old deputy prime minister, over rival Prime Minister Raila Odinga, 68.

That edge could still be overhauled as it was based on a count of about 10 percent of votes cast, provisional figures from the election commission indicated.

Election officials had said turnout was more than 70 percent of the 14.3 million eligible voters but have not given a precise total.

The United States and

- Kenyatta takes early lead Western donors have watched the vote closely, concerned about the stability of a nation seen as a regional ally in the fight against militant Islam and fretting about what to do if Kenyatta wins, as he faces charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) related to the violence five years ago.

For an outright victory, a candidate needs more than 50 percent of votes cast, otherwise the top two face a run-off, provisionally set for April. Odinga and Kenyatta ran neck-and-neck in polls before the race, well ahead of six other rivals.

“PEOPLE WANT PEACE” “If elected, we will be able to discharge our duties,” Kenyatta’s running mate, William Ruto, who also faces charges of crimes against humanity, said during voting.

“We shall cooperate with the court with a final intention of clearing our names.”

At a press briefing after most polls had closed, Ruto

said the vote had been “free, fair and credible”, and welcomed the early lead by Kenyatta. Odinga’s camp declined to comment.

Kenyans lined up from the early hours of the morning to cast their ballots and many said memories of the post-2007 bloodshed and its dire impact on the economy were enough to prevent a repeat this time.

“People want peace after what happened last time,” said Henry Owino, 29, a second hand clothes seller who was voting in Nairobi’s Kibera slum where violence flared five years ago. “This time the people have decided they don’t want to fight.”

The real test will come when final results emerge, but at least 15 people were killed in attacks by machetewielding gangs on the restive coast shortly before voting started.

Senior police officers blamed the attacks on a separatist movement, suggesting different motives

Russia willing to consider making it easier for Libya to buy arms

Russian ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin (Reuters) - Russia is prepared to consider ways of making it easier for Libya’s government to buy arms, but voiced serious concern about lifting an embargo on the North African state already awash with weapons, Russia’s U.N. ambassador said yesterday.

Libya’s Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said last week he planned to ask the U.N. Security council to lift the embargo, which was imposed at the start of an uprising in 2011 that culminated in the ouster of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who is president of the Security Council this month, said there were concerns about the Libyan government’s lack of

authority in the vast desert country and the spread of weapons its borders.

He said Libya had not yet made an official request for the arms embargo to be lifted, but the issue would likely be discussed by the 15-member council before a meeting on Libya later this month.

“Some council members do have reservations about lifting the arms embargo,” Churkin told reporters, noting that Libya’s government was already able to purchase weapons with the approval of a Security Council sanctions committee.

“Of course it can be regarded as a somewhat cumbersome procedure even though it’s supposed to happen rather quickly,” Churkin said. “I think we will also be looking at ways maybe to facilitate the possible acquisition of arms by the Libyan government short of full-fledged lifting of the arms embargo.”

The Libyan government has struggled to exert authority across the country.

State security forces remain weak and militias, made up of former rebel fighters, hold the power on the ground.

Libya’s official LANA news agency quoted army chief of staff Yussef al-

Mangoush last week as saying Libya was planning to rebuild its army and wanted to sign contracts with international consultancies to help carry this out and assess what kind of equipment it needed in the future.

Libya’s south has become a smuggling route for weapons which have reached al Qaeda militants deep in the Sahara desert. The lawless region is also a conduit for trafficking legal and contraband goods.

In the eastern city of Benghazi - the cradle of the revolt against Gaddafi - there has been a wave of violence against diplomats, military and police, including a September 11 attack last year that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.

“It does give one pause and I think suggests a need to reflect very carefully on the advisability of lifting the arms embargo,” Churkin said of the security concerns facing Libya.

Russia is still bristling that its abstention from a U.N. vote in 2011 allowed NATO air strikes to help Libyan rebels trying to topple Gaddafi. Russian officials accused the United States and its allies of overstepping their mandate.

Masai wait to cast ballot papers in a polling station to the ethnic killings that followed the 2007 vote.

The European Union observer mission said turnout was high even at the coast where the attacks took place.

NERVOUS AFRICAN NEIGHBOURS A suspected grenade attack struck near an election center in the eastern town of Garissa close to the border with Somalia, where Kenyan troops have been deployed to fight Islamist militants. That attack caused panic among voters but no injuries, a government official said.

Two civilians were shot dead in Garissa on Sunday, while a bomb blast in the Mandera area near the border

wounded four.

One of the coastal attacks yesterday took place on the outskirts of Mombasa and another in Kilifi about 50 km (30 miles) to the north. Police blamed a separatist movement, the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC), which wanted the national vote scrapped and a referendum on secession instead.

At the Kilifi site, a piece of paper lay on the ground with the words: “MRC. Coast is not Kenya. We don’t want elections. We want our own country.”

But the group’s spokesman denied responsibility and said it only sought change by peaceful

means.

Kenya’s neighbours have been watching nervously, after their economies suffered five years ago when violence shut down regional trade routes.

To try to prevent a repeat of the contested outcome that sparked the violence after the December 2007 vote, a new, broadly respected election commission is using more technology to prevent fraud, speed up counting and increase transparency.

Alongside the presidential race, there were elections for senators, county governors, members of parliament, women representatives in county assemblies and civic leaders.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Syrian rebels report capture of provincial capital (Reuters) - Syrian opposition fighters captured the northeastern city of Raqqa yesterday and crowds toppled a statue of President Bashar al-Assad’s father, opposition sources and residents said.

The fall of Raqqa on the Euphrates River would be a significant development in the two-year-old revolt against Assad. The rebels do not claim to hold any other provincial capitals.

Rebel fighters said loyalist forces were still dug in at the provincial airport 60 km (40 miles) from Raqqa and they remained a threat. A resident said that a Syrian military intelligence compound in the town was not in rebel hands but was

surrounded by anti-Assad fighters.

On Monday the civil war burst into neighboring Iraq, where officials reported that gunmen had killed at least 40 Syrian soldiers and government employees as they headed home after fleeing a Syrian rebel advance last week.

Around 65 Syrian soldiers and officials had handed themselves over to Iraqi authorities on Friday after rebels seized the Syrian side of the border crossing at the Syrian frontier town of Yaarabiya.

Iraqi authorities were taking them to another border crossing further south in Iraq’s Sunni Muslim stronghold, Anbar province,

when gunmen ambushed their convoy, a senior Iraqi official told Reuters. No group has claimed responsibility.

“The incident took place in Akashat when the convoy carrying the Syrian soldiers and employees was on its way to the al-Waleed border crossing,” a senior Iraqi official told Reuters.

“Gunmen set up an ambush and killed 40 of them, plus some Iraqi soldiers who were protecting the convoy.”

A member of Anbar’s provincial council, Hikmat Suleiman Ayade, put the number of people killed at 61, including 14 Iraqis who were protecting the convoy.

The ambush inside Iraq illustrates how Syria’s conflict has the potential to

A statue of President Bashar Al-Assad’s father, Hafez Al-Assad, is pulled down as people celebrate in Raqqa

spill over its borders and drag in neighbors.

Iraq’s Anbar province is experiencing renewed demonstrations by Sunnis against the government of Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri alMaliki over what they see as the marginalization of their minority and misuse of terrorism laws against them.

Maliki boycotted Assad and pulled the Iraqi ambassador from Damascus before the Syrian revolt erupted in March 2011 for what he described as Syrian support for Sunni extremists and foreign jihadists responsible for deadly attacks on Shi’ite civilians.

THREATS TO REGIONAL STABILITY But the Iranian-backed Iraqi premier has not sided with other Arab states backing the Sunni-led uprising in Syria, saying that the upheaval threatened regional stability.

At the United Nations yesterday, Israel warned that it could not “stand idle” as the Syrian conflict spilled over borders. Israel’s U.N. ambassador complained to the 15-member Security Council about shells from Syria landing in Israel.

Syria’s rebels are mostly Sunnis fighting to topple Assad’s government, dominated by Alawites, an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam that has controlled Syria since the

1960s.

Some 70,000 people have been killed in Syria and nearly a million have fled the country, the United Nations says.

In what could be a new danger for the millions of Syrians who have fled their homes but remain inside the country, rebels pushed into Raqqa, a city known as the “hotel” of the country after thousands of displaced families fled there.

Some residents of the northeastern city, home to half a million people, had pleaded with rebels not to enter Raqqa, fearing that Assad’s war planes, artillery and missiles could target residential areas.

“The fear now is that the regime will hit Scud missiles indiscriminately at Raqqa to punish the population,” said Nawaf al-Ali, the Raqqa representative in the Syrian National Coalition, an umbrella of the main opposition groups.

Video footage taken by opposition activists showed youths climbing on the Hafez al-Assad statue in Raqqa’s central square and tying a rope around its head.

“A crowd of hundreds braved the fighting and marched on the main square and took down the statue,” said one of the residents, himself a refugee from the city of Deir al-Zor.

One video showed rebels guarding the city’s museum, housed in a French colonial era palace, which, along with the city’s horseshoe shaped wall, give a glimpse of Raqqa’s past.

Raqqa, founded by Alexander the Great, once acted as a Byzantine front line against Persia. It was designated by Al-Mansour, the founder of the Abbasid empire, as the second Arab capital after Baghdad.

It has long been in decline. A water crisis before the revolt resulted in the internal displacement of hundreds of thousands of people from Raqqa and the rest of Syria’s east and prompted the United Nations to send food aid to the region.

Assad’s father, the late President Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria with an iron fist for 30 years, used a carrot and stick approach to build alliances between the ruling hierarchy and Sunni Muslim tribes in Raqqa and the neighboring province of Deir al-Zor. These alliances have broken down.

NO GUARANTEE The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britainbased monitoring group, said the Islamist Jabhat al-Nusra and other rebel groups launched the offensive on Saturday and large parts of Raqqa were now under rebel control.

Biden, Netanyahu set tone on...

From page 22 addressed AIPAC last year and issued a pointed warning against “loose talk” of war with Iran.

A senior Israeli official said that while the Netanyahu government had hoped for a tougher line at the negotiations by the so-called P5+1 - made up of the United States, China, France, Russia, Britain and Germany - it was resigned to awaiting the results of the next round of

talks.

Iran may have lessened Israel’s immediate sense of urgency by turning some of its 20 percent-pure uranium which is considered to be only a short technical step away from weapons-grade uranium - into fuel rods for a research reactor.

Netanyahu also made clear Israel’s concern about where Syria’s stockpile of chemical weapons and other advanced arms might

end up in the midst of civil war.

“As the Syrian regime collapses, the danger of these weapons falling into the hands of terrorist groups is very real.

Terror groups such as Hezbollah and al Qaeda are trying to seize these weapons as we speak,” he said. “We have a common interest in preventing them from obtaining these deadly weapons.”

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

NCN CHANNEL 11 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 –GINA Feature 08:30 hrs – Pulse Beat(R/B) 09:00 hrs – Cartoons 10:00 hrs – Remembering Dr. Cheddi Jagan 11:00 hrs – History 12:00 hrs – CNN 12:05 hrs – Insight 12:30 hrs – NCN Newsbreak 12:35 hrs – Calypso & Dramatic Poetry r/b 14:00 hrs – NCN Newsbreak 14:05 hrs – GINA Feature 14:30 hrs – Rise & Be Healed 15:00 hrs – Dance and

Masquerade 15:25 hrs – President J.Jagan Add 16:00 hrs – NCN Newsbreak 16:05 hrs – Youth Expression 17:00 hrs – Anderson 18:00 hrs – NCN News Magazine – Live 18:30 hrs – Insight 19:00 hrs – Al Jazeera 20:00 hrs – 3d/daily millions/ play de dream/lotto draw 20:05 hrs – NCN Newsbreak 20:10 hrs – Reflections-16th Death Anniversary of Cheddi Jagan 21:05 hrs – XI Interface 21:35 hrs – Feature 22:05 hrs – NCN News Late Edition 22:30 hrs – Caribbean Newsline

23:00 hrs – Movie DTV CHANNEL 8 07:55 hrs. Sign On 08:00 hrs. DTV’s Festival of Biblical Movies for the Lenten Season: “The Story of David” 11:00 hrs. Roseanne 12:00 hrs. The View 13:00 hrs. Prime News 13:30 hrs. The Young and the Restless 14:30 hrs. The Bold and the Beautiful 15:00 hrs. The Talk 16:00 hrs. Criminal Minds 18:00 hrs. Awakening 18:30 hrs. World News 19:00 hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:00 hrs. Alliance on the Move

Tuesday March 05, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your day may start with a rush, but quickly relaxes into a manageable pace, allowing you to methodically plow through your chores. You lean toward the more serious side of life now as you reevaluate what you must do to keep your dreams alive.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You nostalgically long for the old routine, as it makes you feel emotionally secure.

Today marks a change for the better as your workload increases, motivating you to stay on track until you’re certain everything is in order.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You are being offered temporary relief from the excess noise that has recently infiltrated your world.

Although it’s still wise to pay attention to people’s motives, you don’t need to get involved in every conversation you hear.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Use your ability to react swiftly to an advantage as someone presents you with a personal dilemma today.

Normally, you can cover your feelings and hide your secret thoughts.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) This is an action-packed week, yet you may feel weary from everything you have done — and all there is still left to do. You might be quite overwhelmed because at your current pace you won’t ever reach your destination.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You sense a return to normalcy in your daily routine as the Moon moves into earthy Capricorn today, even if life will never be quite as orderly as you might prefer.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You are feeling more secure in your inner world than you have in recent days, but your emotions still don’t fully match the circumstances around you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You are better equipped to present your ideas to your peers today, even if your dreams are more serious than others prefer. In fact, intensity is a language that everyone understands now — even if it stirs up difficult issues. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) This may be a fateful day as something happens out of the blue — yet there is also an odd sense of familiarity about everything. This can test your understanding of life, for it seems like whatever is unfolding now has actually been planned out in some other space-time continuum.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Your mood swings back and forth today, like a gigantic pendulum — and that’s exactly what the Moon is as she returns to your sign.

It’s challenging to trust your feelings because they are in flux, but it’s vitally important to tune in to your emotions.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Although you might concentrate on your professional responsibilities today, there is more going on than meets the eye.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) The activities that you schedule with your friends and co-workers today may end up having more than a casual impact on your life. You need the support of your social network now, so be willing to do whatever is required to earn it.

21:00 hrs. NCIS 22:00 hrs. NCIS: Los Angeles 23:00 hrs. Golden Boy 00:00 hrs. Sign Off

Guides are subjected to change without notice

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Pouderoyen pensioner found hanging in outhouse A community worker answering a call of nature yesterday received the shock of his life after stumbling on a decomposing body in an outdoor toilet at Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara.

The body of Mohabeer “Sugrim’ Singh, called “Ole Boy” and “Uncle Sugrim” was found hanging in a strange position in the outhouse at Lot A Coglan Dam, Pouderoyen.

His remains were later taken away by workers of the Dawn and Ezekiel Funeral Home.

The 76-year-old would have been celebrating his birthday on Thursday.

While police are reportedly initially treating the incident as suicide, they are now asking why Singh, a quiet character who had locked up his home and was living at Lusignan, East Coast

Demerara, would return to the Coglan Dam property to kill himself.

The persons he was staying with said that he left them in the city last week Monday, saying he was going to collect his pension in the West Demerara area. There were no signs of any

Residents of Logwood, Enmore, East Coast Demerara, are up in arms over what is being described as an extension of the lawlessness that is taking place in Guyana.

At issue is the taking over of the area’s playfield by a contractor, a situation that is not dissimilar to one in Subryanville that is engaging the Minister of Labour.

The Logwood, Enmore playfield has been taken over by heavy machinery owned by the contractor and a fence has been constructed to protect them.

Kaieteur News understands that the contractor is claiming that he bought the land from the Enmore Neighbourhood Democratic Council.

While some Councilors of the NDC were tight-lipped about this development, others denied any knowledge of any sale to the contractor, dubbing his occupation of the playfield as illegal.

Attempts to reach the Chairman of the NDC have been futile, as were attempts

to reach the contractor.

For now, about 50 children are being deprived of the use of the playfield while the illegal occupation not only continues but is expanding.

This publication has been reliably informed that there is a private transaction between a senior NDC official and the contractor for a plot of land on the Foulis Embankment, and many are wondering whether the NDC is turning a blind eye to the contractor’s occupation of land and roadways in Logwood.

Some residents who queried the contractor’s actions were told that the “Minister” was aware of the situation.

Kaieteur News understands that several Councilors of the NDC’s Interim Body had tendered their resignations over the failure of the NDC to take action against several breaches within the NDC. However, these resignations did not reach the attention of the Minister of Local Government.

Mohabeer ‘Sugrim’ Singh

Undertakers remove the remains of the pensioner from his Pouderoyen home. problems at that time.

Neighbours just could not recall when they saw him last.

According to his sister,

Jean Singh, her sibling lived alone, after returning home from Florida, US, a few years ago. All his children lived abroad.

However, he had locked up the Coglan Dam home and was staying at Lusignan by some friends.

Neighbours said that

thieves had targeted the locked home a while back, removing a few louver windows, before ransacking the place. Wooden bars were used to block the missing panes.

There are no indications that Singh entered his home before the hanging. Rather, the home was locked up tight.

His sister said that she had become alarmed after not hearing from him for some time and was planning to visit him at Lusignan yesterday.

That was until she received the dreadful news.

Neighbours reported that they had become aware of a smell in recent days but put it down to a dead animal.

It was a community worker who was clearing a nearby trench who made the discovery.

Singh was a former worker with the sugar estates.

Contractor takes over play field

The Logwood, Enmore playfield is now home to private heavy duty equipment.

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 05, 2013

East Coast Cricket Board President’s Cup Championship...

Rohit Dutchin scores unbeaten century to lead HELENA 1 & 2 to championship honours

The winning Helena 1&2 team take time out for a photo following their victory.

Helena 1 & 2 defeated Strathaven by two wickets and were duly crowned champions when action in the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) President’s Cup cricket tournament concluded at the Fairfield Community Centre over the past weekend. Watched by a large crowd that included ECCB President, Bissoondyal Singh and the executives of the ECCB, Helena 1 & 2 called correctly and offered Strathaven the strike.

The latter team then amassed 193-8 in 40 overs with Ganesh Hemraj top scoring with 31 with support from Yaseer Bacchus (17), Scott Mohamed (20), Prakash Chowti (21) and Nandram Persaud (20).

Strathaven lost Ganesh Sugrim, LBW for 8 to make way for Ganesh Hemraj who, along with his dad, Dhaniram, contributed a useful partnership of 41 decorated with some beautiful strokes.

Ganesh eventually went for 31 (3X4) and several other batsmen subsequently made worthwhile contributions including Yaseer Bacchus 17 (2X4; 1X6), Scott Mohamed 20 (3X4), Prakash Chowti 21 (3X4; 1X6) and Nandram Persaud 20 (3X4; 1X6). The wicket takers for Strathaven were Charlie Pitt (2-41), and Shazad Ali (3-36).

Helena 1 & 2 then knocked off the runs, scoring 195-8 in 38.5 overs, after Rohit Dutchin lashed an unbeaten century (110) with support from Davendra Singh (22).

Dutchin was later adjudicated man of the match by match referee, Judister Rampersaud and received a beautiful trophy.

Other contributors for the winners were Yaseer Bacchus 17 (2X4 – 1X6), Scott

Mohamed 20 (3X4), Prakash Chowti 21 (3X4 – 1X6) and Nandram Persaud blasting 20 in the final over (3X4:1X6).

The wicket takers for Strathaven were Charlie Pitt 2-41, and Shazad Ali 3-36), Steven Singh (3-29) and Alphonso (2-49) were the main wicket takers for Strathaven while Charlie Pitt (2-41) and Shazad Ali (3-36) led the bowling averages for the winners.

Several outstanding players received kudos for sterling performances in the preliminaries rounds including batsmen Chandrapaul Hemraj who scored a century (126) for Strathaven, Richard Chatura (100 for Fairfield), Darshand Persaud (72 for Helena), Sewchand Budhu (64 for Helena), Anthony Ifill (92 for Bravados), V. Rampersaud (63 for Dundee) and Navindra Shaw (69 for Mahaica Sports Club).

The outstanding bowlers were Sherwin Nichols (5 -22

for Mahaica Sports Club), Walter Bryne (6 – 30 for Fairfield), Quincy Holder (514 for Helena), Brian Williams (5 - 30 for Bravados) and M. Alsanto (5 – 14 for Strathaven).

Meanwhile, President of the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB), Bissoondial Singh congratulated both finalists saying that such achievements were garnered from training and commitment.

“I am extremely happy with way the competition was run and must congratulate Helena 1 & 2 for defeating Strathaven who have won this tournament several times,” said Mr. Singh.

He also reminded the players of the benefits of hard work, “When you work hard, success is inevitable, evident by your achievement today,” said Singh.

The ECCB President also expressed gratitude to those that contributed to the success of the tournament.

Khalil produces another...

From page 33 capture the category A title.

Low, who made it to the semi-finals in the Under 13 category at the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA), Caribbean championships last year showed tremendous improvement in her game according to national coach Carl Ince. According to Ince, who was recently named coach of the year, Low has shown that she possesses great potential and has demonstrated the commitment to the sport recently by attending training sessions at 6am. Low also received the Most Improved Player award for the

tournament.

Tournament results: Open Category 1st place: Jason Ray Khalil 2nd place: Nicholas Narain 3rd place: Steven Xavier Category A 1st place Rebecca Low 2nd place Lucas Jonas 3rd place Alexander Cheeks Open Classic Plate: 1st place: Raphael deGroot 2nd place: Antonio Joseph 3rd place: Lloyd Fung-A-Fat Open Plate 1st place Lydia Fraser 2nd place Alec Melville 3rd place Avinash Odit Category A Plate 1st place Makeda Harding 2nd place Maya Collins 3rd place Gianni Carpenter

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Hikers Hockey Club Third Annual Junior Indoor Tournament...

All three defending champions retain titles

The final day of the Hikers Hockey Club Junior Indoor tournament saw all three defending champions in the Global Technology Schools Category and the Woodpecker Products Male and Female Under-21 Categories retaining their respective titles. First it was St. Stanislaus College who edged North Ruimveldt Multilateral to clinch the coveted Global Technology Schools title for the second time. In addition to their trophies and medals all the players on the winning team as well as the MVPs of this category each received gift certificates worth $40,000 in computer training classes at Global Technology.

From the start of the Woodpecker Products sponsored under-21 categories it was evident that the GCC girls and the Western Union Hikers were in a league of their own and both finished the tournament in dominant fashion to retain their titles for the third straight year. At the presentation ceremony Junior Development Coordinator of Hikers Hockey Club, Robert Fernandes expressed the club’s gratitude to the Guyana Hockey Board, the Ministry of Sport and the Staff of the National Gymnasium for making the facility available for the tournament.

He also thanked the sponsors and singled out the tournament volunteers and

junior coaches of the clubs and schools for their hard work and dedication to the development of the sport.

Special prizes were also given to Makeda Harding (Marian Academy) and Nicholas Nervas (Saints) who were adjudged to be the most promising players, while Romichelle Brumell (Hikers) and Omar Hopkinson (Old Fort) were the most improved players. Shania Riley(Christ Church) and Hilton Chester(Saints) were the respective MVPs of the Global Technology Schools competition, while Aliyah Gordon(GCC) and Travon Younge(Hikers) received similar honors in the under 21 category.

Final Results of the Hikers Hockey Club 2013 Junior Indoor Tournament; Global Technology Schools Category Champions – Saints (Shemar Boston, Hilton Chester, Paramanand Dindial, Ezekiel Springer, Nicholas Nervas, Troy Hodge, Edmond Chinian) Runners-up – North Ruimveldt Multilateral (Fitzroy Leitch, Richard Thomas, Bharrat Samaroo, Mario Profitt) Third Place – Christ Church (Kareem McKenzie, Shania Riley, Michael Crosse, Daniel Hooper, Stephon Spostra) The Ark Pet Shop Under 13 Category Champions – Marian

Titans (Lorenzo Vanzo, Rosario Ramsammy, Jessie Newton, Makeda Harding, Eleomar Silva) Runners-up – Saints (Nicholas Nervas, Gordon Trotman, Malique Ferreira, Jonathan, Samuel Clarke, Manasseh Ferreira, Troy Hodge) Third Place – Marian Harlem Shakers (Kobe Wills, Keon Ramjit, Brian Sucre, Ethan Sukrah, Daniel Brazao) James Service Centre Under 16 Girls Category Champions – GCC (Shania Riley, Rebecca Xavier, Dominique Woodroffe, Aliyah Gordon, Lamika Persaud) Runners-up – Hikers (Makeda Harding, Romichelle Brumell, Annesa Permaul, Samekea Bagwandin, Sanasha Corlette) James Service Centre Under 16 Boys Category Champions – GCC (Daniel Hooper, Kareem McKenzie, Keon McKenzie, Alexie Cox, Michael Crosse, Meshach Sergeant, Philip Gomes, Lorenzo Vanzo, Rosario Ramsammy) Runners-up – Old Fort (Mario Proffitt, Omar Hopkinson, Stephon Sprostra, Richard Thomas, O m a r December, Shaquille Thomas, Renaldo Simmons, Bharrat, Samaroo) Third Place – Saints Silencers (Ezekiel Springer, Nicholas Nervas, Shemar

WICB gives GCB deadline to indicate ability to host Pakistan Test St John’s, Antigua – The West Indies Cricket Board has announced that it had given the Guyana Cricket Board a deadline of March 7th 2013 to advise on its ability to host the West Indies v Pakistan First Test slated for July. The GCB had been advised of the deadline on February 16th last. The WICB has further advised that Jamaica’s Sabina Park has been identified as an alternate venue should

the GCB not be in a position to host the Test.

The Board of Directors, at its last meeting also instructed that the International Fixtures Committee to prepare a draft schedule for all international cricket to be hosted by the WICB for the next three years (2014-2016 inclusive).

The IFC is to present the draft schedule at the next meeting of the Board of Directors which is slated for later this month.

Boston, Myron Philips, Troy Hodge, Malique Ferreira) Woodpecker Products Under 21 Girls Category Champions – GCC (Samantha Fernandes, Ashley deGroot, Alysa Xavier, Dacia Woodroffe, Annastacy Sardina, Briawna Gordon, Shania Riley) Runners-up – Hikers (Renee James, Latacia Chung, Romichelle Brumell, Annesa Permaul, Makeda Harding,

Tonnica Archer, Charlyn Elliot, Sarah Leitch, Lisa Thomas, Sanasha Corlette) Woodpecker Products Under 21 Boys Category Champions – Hikers ( Jamarj Assanah, Michael Harding, Robert Brumell, Leon Bacchus, Travon Younge, Aroydy Branford, Cove Bowman, Shaquille O’Neil, Shameer Bagwandin) Runners-up – GCC (Daniel Hooper, Kareem

McKenzie, Keon McKenzie, Michael Craig, Meshach Pierre, Eric Hing, Medroy Scotland, Lennox Carol, Lorenzo Vanzo, Jonathan Singh) Third Place – Saints (Seon Sookhai, Leroy Jack, Hilton Chester, Paramanand Dindial, Kevin Edwards, Taise Seepaul, Yonnick Peters, Kwesi Lewis, Ezekiel Springer, Nicholas Nervas, Myron Philips, Troy Hodge)

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 05, 2013

James Krakowsky wins; Wayne Cave ascends podium in GASP Open C/ship Wayne Cave (centre) finally shares the podium with winner, James Krakowsky (left) and Moen Gafoor (right).

James Krakowsky has retained his rich vein of form when he complimented a stunning ‘come from behind’ victory to beat Colin Chichester in the previous Open Championship last month to replicate the feat with another sterling performance where he notched up an impeccable 6 points and a positive spread of 1045 to cart off the top prize when the Guyana Association of Scrabble Players (GASP) hosted their Open Championship at the Malteenoes Sports Complex Thomas lands, Sunday afternoon last.

Moen Gafoor won 5 of his games with a positive spread

of 579, losing the other to the eventual champion, to seal off the second slot, mirroring his performance in the last championship while Wayne Cave underlined his improvement when he graced the podium for the first time, sealing off the remaining podium spot after notching up 3 points and a positive spread of 89. Cave was also adjudged the best player outside of the top ten rankings.

Krakowsky signaled his intention from the very first game when he defeated Cave by a spread of 108 and before the morning sessions were through he had chalked up wins against Kevin Williams

(164) and Gafoor (89). He returned during the post lunch session to dispose of Grace Hercules (255), Colin Chichester (154) and Anand Mohabir (266).

Gafoor rebounded from the loss to Krakowsky to register victories over Chichester (116), Maurice Munru (124), Cave (42), Hercules (217) and Williams (118) while Cave’s wins came through Mohabir (166), Munro (126) and Williams (118).

Other than Krakowsky and Gafoor, he also lost to Hercules (79). The winners all received beautiful trophies donated by members of corporate Guyana.

Williams, Gomes guide QC to consecutive wins

The victorious Queen’s College team pose with organizer Johnny Barnwell.

Queen’s College defeated Tutorial High and the Institute of Professional Education in two female 6 over softball matches played recently at the national Park. QC won their first encounter against Tutorial High by 9 wickets.

Tutorial batted first and managed 58-2 off their allotted overs with Kirtisha Underwood scoring 27. QC then responded with 59-1 in 5.5 overs. Sanyu Williams was their leading batter with 35 not out.

In the second match QC overcame IPE by 8 wickets.

IPE took first strike and scored 66-6 in 6 overs, QC replied with 67-2 in 5.3 overs.

Adiaha Gomes top scored with 30. The matches were organised by Johnny Barnwell.

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 31

UNRELENTING HEAT NOTCH ANOTHER WIN IN PAY-BACK TOUR NEW YORK (Reuters) The unrelenting Miami Heat notched another win on their pay-back tour in a Sunday matinee, dashing the hopes of the New York Knicks while raising the question of whether any team can deny Miami another NBA title.

The Heat, led as usual by the spectacular LeBron James, erased a 15-point deficit at intermission by imposing their will down the stretch for a 99-93 victory in Madison Square Garden that extended their winning streak to a franchise record-tying 14 in a row.

Reigning champions Miami ended New York’s modest three-game win streak and avenged a pair of 20point losses to the Atlantic Division leaders early this season.

Dwyane Wade said revenge was not only sweet, but important as the Heat

sent a message to the Knicks after getting even with another quality team, the Memphis Grizzlies, on Friday.

“When you’re on a winning streak you’ve got to find many different ways to win ball games,” said Wade, who scored 20 points, handed out eight assists and pulled down eight rebounds.

Wade said the Heat figured the Knicks must have felt they had Miami’s number after storming to a 59-45 lead at the half.

“In the first half, in their mindset they’ve got the answer key to the Miami Heat, and we have to fight and understand this team is trying to kick our butt and show the world that they can kick our butt. So we had to fight back.

“It’s a good win for our psyche.”

The Heat have another game circled on their calendar, a date next week against the

Indiana Pacers, who also have gone 2-0 against Miami this season.

Knicks coach Mike Woodson blamed the Knicks’ fade on turnovers, saying you can ward off the Heat for only so long.

“You are not going to slow those guys down,” said Woodson, whose team slipped to 35-21 as James blocked shots, made steals and sank three-pointers down the stretch to secure the win. “He has been playing that way for the last four or five years.”

James has been doing a lot of winning lately, adding a second Olympic gold in London to his first NBA crown, but this was the first 14-game winning streak of his career.

“I measure my success by wins, so this has been the most successful so far for me,” said James, who scored

GCA\HADI’S WORLD INC1ST DIVISION 2 -DAY TOURNEY...

Butts bowls GNIC to victory, TSC triumph over MSC

Collis Butts

Javed Rasheed

Elton Baker

By Zaheer Mohamed Off-spinner Collis Butts took a match haul of 9 wickets for 30 runs as GNIC defeated Police by 5 wickets when play in the Georgetown Cricket Association\ Hadi’s World Inc 2 day first division tournament continued last weekend.

At Eve Leary, Police took first strike and scored 211 all out. Vishal Jaigobin was their leading batsman with 51(6x4, 2x6), while Reginald Rodrigues made 50 (4x4, 3x6) and Pernell London 28.

Shameer Fazal and Rawle Brown assisted with 21 each as Orlando Kurten claimed 339, Collis Butts 3-42 and Desmond Butts 2-34.

The visitors in reply were bundled out for 137 in 54 overs. Mark Nicholson led with 34 while Ryan Shun supported with 23 not out and Matthew Marks 21. Parnell London captured 6-56 and S. Agard 2-39. Police in their second turn at the crease

could only muster 54; Collis Butts grabbed 6-12 and Desmond Butts 2-15. Needing to score 129 to win, GNIC achieved their target in 31 overs for the loss of 5 wickets ending on 131. Elton Baker stroked 71 and got support from Ejaz Mohamed 37; Troy Benn took 4 wickets.

At MSC, Transport Sports Club defeated Malteenoes Sports Club by 10 wickets.

TSC in their first innings posted 244 all out in 53 overs.

Azim Azeez stroked 57 (5x6, 4x4), while Jonathan Alphonso chipped in with 48 (7x4) as Shaquille Williams snared 4-44 and Kwame Crosse 2-20. MSC were skittled for 131 in 51 overs in response. Devon Mc Ewan slammed 51 while Keon Morris grabbed 6-25 and Ewert Samuels 2-11.

Following on in their second innings, the host were routed for 135 in 47 overs.

Crosse made 35 and Williams 22. Kevon Ross bagged 5-20

and Azeez 3-42 for TSC who reached their winning target of 22 without loss in 5.3 overs.

At Everest, DCC snatched first innings points from the host in a drawn encounter.

The visitors batted first after winning the toss and posted 287 before they were bowled out in 89 overs.

Kemol Savory slammed fifteen fours and one six in a top score of 118, while Travis Dowlin supported with 57 (4x4, 1x6) and Andrew Lyght Jnr 37. Javed Rasheed bagged 5-43 and Christopher Surat 2-46.

The home team in reply were bowled out for 166 in 61 overs. Ryan Dhanraj made 36 and Chanderpaul Hemraj 27.

Andre Stoll claimed 3 wickets while Cavell Reece had 2.

DCC in their second turn at the crease were 113-3 in 25 overs at the close of play on the final day. Andrew Gibson was their leading run getter with 50, while Jahron Byron was left unbeaten on 37.

Miami Heat center Chris Bosh reacts after scoring against New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) and guard J.R. Smith (R) in the fourth quarter of their NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York, March 3, 2013. REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine 29 points and hauled down 11 rebounds.

The most nervous that Miami coach Erik Spoelstra experienced came in the third quarter, when James crashed to the floor after a collision in trying to convert an alley-oop pass from Wade into a basket.

He grimaced as he flexed his left knee before gingerly testing it and deciding he could continue.

An injury to James, Wade or big man Chris Bosh might be the only thing that could derail Miami’s campaign to reach a third successive NBA

Finals in search of back-toback titles.

Spoelstra said he held his breath when James hit the deck. James did, and the Heat walked away with their 14th in a row to extend their Eastern Conference-best record to 4314.

Page 32

Kaieteur News

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym cops best gym award after entertaining card

By Michael Benjamin The Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym (PRBG) amassed 15 points, seven more than Harpy Eagles and the Guyana Defence Force, and was adjudged the Best Gym when the Pocket Rocket Boxing Club, in association with the Fountain Pool Guest House staged the 6th edition of the Inter-Gym boxing tournament at the Fountain Pool Guest House, Angoy’s Avenue, Berbice, Saturday evening last. Rose Hall Jammers scored two points to finish in the cellar position.

Coach of the PRBG, Orlan Rogers, was also singled out for special mention and several members of the business community joined together to acknowledge his viable input to the sport and presented him with a beautiful trophy.

Kenny Amsterdam (PRBG) turned in a commendable performance to defeat James Walcott 3-0 and was subsequently voted the Best Boxer in the U-15 category, while Jamal Eastman registered a crunching 40secs knockout victory over Elisha Insanally to take that bout and the Best Boxer award in the Junior Category. Ron Smith dominated Eon Bancroft for the entire three rounds of their welterweight contest to take a lopsided 3-0 verdict and was later adjudged the best senior boxer on show.

Eastman was all business from the sound of the first bell when he unleashed a flurry of punches that forced Insanally backwards and after an especially vicious combination the referee instituted the mandatory 8

count. Eastman mercilessly attacked his man upon resumption and once again the referee tolled away the mandatory count over Insanally. Eastman, a tall wiry boxer, waded in and pounded Insanally into submission forcing the referee to call a halt to the contest with merely 40secs on the clock.

Joel Williamson (PRBG) then faced Quincy Boyce (GDF) and the latter fighter turned up the heat from the first gong. Williamson, by far the superior boxer, allowed Boyce to lure him out of his comfort zone and into a slugfest where Boyce dominated.

Whether through instructions from his handlers or his own volition, Williamson changed his ploys early in the second stanza and came out boxing. However, before the round had reached the halfway mark, Williamson had reverted to slugging tactics but seemed to be dominating his opponent to the extent that he forced the referee to institute two mandatory 8 counts during that round. The third round was a gem as both pugilists went after each other, each enjoying bright moments. The slugfest continued right down to the final bell with both boxers refusing to relent.

It was indeed a pity that one of them had to lose and in the end it was Boyce, whose earlier dominance, tipped the scale in his favour for a close 2-1 verdict.

Anson Wolfe (HE) and Sampson Lewis also turned in an action packed performance that thrilled the medium sized crowd. The two boxers traded blows for all of

the three rounds with both enjoying great moments. The crowd loved it and hailed the performance with a vociferous round of applause. The judges would have rued having to pronounce on this one but in the end they opted for Lewis by a 2-1 margin.

Kevin Mullings and Shaquille Simon upheld the tempo when they clashed in a junior contest. Punches rained down as both pugilists threw caution to the wind.

Both boxers were aggressive throughout the contest. Simon threw a wicked uppercut but Mullings, not to be outdone, countered with a combination of his own. It was a tit for tat battle as both boxers battled to stay ahead.

In the end, the judges thought that Lewis had done enough to earn a 2-1 verdict.

Orin Bancroft of Harpy Eagles and Julius Kesney of the PRBG turned in a delightful performance with the latter pugilist taking the early initiative, delivering some crunching shots to the former’s body and head.

However, as the fight progressed, Kesney lost his steam and became an easy target for Bancroft who managed to carve out a 3-0 verdict. Kesney’s coach said that he was encouraged by his charge’s performance as he is a new addition to his stable and is basically new in the sport. “Give him a few more months and you will see the difference,” his coach declared.

In other results; Timothy Crandon (PRBG) dropped a 21 decision to his gym mate, Ramnarine Mohabir while

The triumphant boxers of the Pocket Rocket Gym pose for a photo op shortly after winning the championships. Rogers is squatting at left while Mr. Thom is standing at extreme left.

Quincy Harvey (GDF) won 30 over his gym mate Jamal Moore. Akeisha Arokium (PRBG) forced her gym mate, Aleema Arokium, to quit at the end of the 2 nd round moments before Kevin Williams (PRBG) earned a majority decision over Javad Richards.

Stephon Green (HEBG)

then lost to Tyronne Lashley of the Rosehall Jammers (RHJ) to cap a night of action packed encounters.

Kudos must be extended to Orlan ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers and Mark Thom whose deep seated commitment saw the return of fistic action to the Berbicians, while providing worthwhile

activity for the boxers.

Already, plans are in train for several similar ventures in the near future.

Several business organizations joined to make the programme a success including Banks DIH Ltd, DSL, Homestyle Kitchen, Stretch the Dollar, Republic Bank and La Carib Diner.

Yolo Entertainment Challenge Softball Series launched Support continues to pour in for Yolo Entertainment inaugural 10/10 Softball Challenge Series after the management of NTN TV 69 and NTN 89.1 Radio became the latest entity to pledge its support for the tournament.

The TV Station which is known to have a special interest in cricket, responded positively to Yolo Entertainment’s call for support and they were also enthused with the opportunity to give back to their viewers.

The TV Station will carry the Chow Pow’s 10/10 Show every Thursday from 21:00hrs to 21:30hrs and it will feature updates of the 10/10 challenge series and also give fans the opportunity to win sponsorship prizes and tickets for the victory show which will be held, at the Uitvlugt Center ground on April 7, 2013.

Proprietor of NTN 69 and NTN 89.1 RADIO Mr. Anand Persaud noted that the softball format of cricket is a very exciting one, but that is not known by many.

He said that the show will offer those who do not frequent the games, an

-NTN TV 69, NTN 89.1 Radio offers support

Yolo Entertainment Director Kirk Jardine (right) poses with NTN TV 69 staffers. opportunity to have a close up view and the players will also garner well deserved publicity.

The tournament was be launched live on NTN TV69 recently, while the teams will be placed in their respective groups and the tournament trophies will be displayed.

Updates will also be carried on NTN 89.1 Radio.

Sixteen teams, twelve male and four female, will vie for one million dollars in cash and prizes.

On game days there will be novelty games for the kids

and giveaways for everyone.

The kids on the West Demerara will also have a chance to savor the taste of the world famous Bruster’s Ice Cream.

YE Director Kirk ‘Chow Pow” Jardine gave his heartfelt thanks to NTN’s management, adding that he is very optimistic that the challenge series will see maximum benefit for sponsors and players alike.

The preliminary games are scheduled to be played at the Wales Center Ground West Bank Demerara.

Tuesday March 05, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 33

Striking silence on support for Kadecia Baird

By Rawle Welch Last Thursday I was fortunate to be in my office when a good friend of mine Rudy Grant, who I’ve known for a number of years covering his exploits on the tennis court came with his world famous brother Eddy to meet Editor-in Chief Adam Harris.

The reason I say fortunate is because I was presented with the opportunity to be introduced to a man I always considered as one of my favourite Guyanese and someone who is a true inspiration to me.

The core of this piece,

2013 Bounty Farm Mash Handicap Squash Tournament Junior squash star Jason Ray Khalil easily disposed of Nicholas Narain in straight sets to win the Open category final, while Rebecca Low won category A of the 2013 Bounty Farm Mash Handicap tournament which concluded on Sunday afternoon, at the Georgetown Club’s Squash Facility. The eighteen year old Khalil produced an authoritative performance to take apart Narain 15/12, 15/7 even though he started with a -20 handicap, while Narain was given a -2 handicap.

Khalil has now won the tournament twice in three years. The year he did not win the open category, he had won the plate category of the tournament despite playing with the -25 handicap. This time around, it seemed as though even a handicap as severe as -25 would not have prevented him from winning the tournament as he played virtually unchallenged with the -20 handicap.

The former Marian Academy student played the entire tournament without dropping a single game in four matches. Khalil had defeated Jonathon Antczak, Ashley deGroot, Benjamin Mekdeci and Narain in straight games.

Narain, who was later adjudged most improved player (male) of the tournament, found himself in different waters against Khalil.

Khalil dictated the pace of the match playing a series of

however, is to initiate action as it relates to offering support for World Junior Athletics Championships silver medallist Kadecia Baird.

However, I must admit to readers that it was Rudy who prompted me to write about the striking silence from all the relevant authorities about their plans to assist the young promising track star, who made us all proud following her tremendous performance at the World Juniors last year in Barcelona, Spain when she clocked 51.04 in the 400 metres making her time the fifth fastest in US High School history.

Rudy suggested that Baird be given a total of US$600,000 staggered over a four-year period with installments of $100,000, $140,000, $160,000 and $200,000 respectively so that she could train and compete without the bother of how her expenses will be covered in her quest to become an elite athlete.

We’ve all seen the sacrifices that our dear beloved Aliann Pompey made to represent her native land of Guyana and which evidently failed to catapult her to the elite status on the international circuit due to no

fault of hers, but more to do with the lack of adequate support from all the related agenicies.

Baird’s management team would have known or heard about the poor treatment meted out to Pompey and must now be guarded against prematurely pledging their allegiance to this country which has failed miserably when it comes to support for our athletes.

This talent must not be wasted as Pompey’s own was so therefore now is the time for the local authorites including the Ministry of Sport, National Sports

Khalil produces another authoritative performance to capture final -Low dominates category A

Prize winners pose with their hardware following the completion of the Bounty Farm Mash Handicap Squash Tournament presentation ceremony on Sunday. shots that forced Narain to change direction and cover the entire court on nearly every point.

Khalil avoided playing risky shots, but waited for the loose returns of Narain and punished him. Khalil’s shot placement in this encounter was near impeccable as he seemed aware of where Narain was at all times and knew exactly where and how to return shots so that his opponent could not retrieve them. In the third place encounter, Steven Xavier (-12) defeated Benjamin Mekdeci (0) 15/8 15/12. Meanwhile, Rebecca Low (0), who had one of the most severe handicaps in her category, nevertheless, completed an impressive win against Lucas Jonas (+7) 15/8, 15/11 to (Continued on page 28)

Commission (NSC), Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) and the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) to publicly pledge substantial support for the track star.

An early pronouncement on the issue will allow her to decide whether to run for the country she currently resides in or the country of her birth.

There should be no delay.

This young Medgar Evers High School athlete, who turns 18 this year, has already been touted as a future star in the sport, having run the fastest junior time in the US last year which surely qualifies her for the kind of support needed to propel her to the next level.

Grant was right, it takes six figures to adequately produce an elite athlete or Olympian over a minimum of four years and this comes with no guarantee of a medal, but as we’ve seen in the case of Great Britain last year where its best ever results at an Olympic Games was achieved, countries are now willing to invest heavily in developing and preparing athletes to compete on the highest stage.

Baird seems to be Guyana’s best chance at this point to medal since I would not risk saying that she is the only one because three years from now could spring surprises, but the issue of investing heavily financially is the crucial factor if we are serious about doing well at the Games.

After being subjected to a plethora of articles lamenting the continuous poor showing of our athletes

Kadecia Baird at the Olympic Games, many sports administrators and those connected to the Government sought to pacify the dismal display with the usual rhetoric about preparing much earlier, pledging adequate financial support, whilst promising more consistent attendances at international competitions heading right up to the Rio Games, but already they’ve failed wretchedly to deliver on those promises.

This piece is exclusively about the deafening hush about Baird even though it may be recalled that many came out and congratulated her on the World Juniors performance and even promised support, but no word has emanated about any organisation locally offering anything since.

It is time for the authorities to act or leave her to run for a country that is serious about sports development and willing to provide the necessary assistance for her to reach her full potential.

Thanks Rudy, first for nudging me and hopefully those so-called sports actors (administrators).

t r o Sp

Slingerz FC top Den Amstel 3-0 to win Stag Beer West Side Championship Seawall finish third; Anthony Harding named MVP

The victorious Slingerz FC, in celebration, flanked by some of the tournament sponsors

T

he event marked the return of h i g h l y competitive football on the ‘West Side’ since the days of ‘Sweet 16’ and a capacity crowd on Sunday last at the Den

Amstel Ground, witnessed the newly formed Slingerz FC defeating the home side (Den Amstel Porknockers) 3 – 0 to win the inaugural Stag Beer West Side Championship Cup tournament.

With the win, Slingerz

FC pocked the tournament’s top prize of $500,000 while Den Amstel had to settle for $300,000. The night was given a perfect start as Seawall Football Club got the better of their rival Uitvlugt 3 – 2 in an exciting

encounter that kept the highly vociferous crowd on the edge throughout the 90 minute clash. However, the evening belonged to Slingerz Football Club since it was their first ever outing as a c l u b a t a n o rg a n i s e d competition and given the fact that they were the tournament’s host, losing was not an option.

Several persons made the voyage from the capital city to the West Coast village to join the football crazed fans in the area that once again brought out their drums, showcasing their rich African heritage since Den Amstel was bought by emancipated slaves in 1857.

It was obvious who the greater portion of the crowd were supporting, given the fact that chants of “Den Amstel” were constant from the time referee Sherwin Moore sounded his ‘Fox40’ to signal the start of the game.

Nonetheless, Slingerz FC seemed the more composed unit and got the go ahead goal when Dwayne Jacobs squared a well placed

ball onto the head of Anthony Harding in the 27 minute to silence the home crowd.

Den Amstel goalkeeper Rondel Hudson fumbled a Jacobs shot in the 45 minute and the eventual tournament’s highest goal scorer, Olvis Mitchell, scored his first of two goals on the night as Slingerz FC went into the half leading 2 – 0.

Mitchell completed his double in the 49 minute, this time clearing two Den Amstel defenders with a simple dribble before unleashing a rocket right foot shot that flew past Hudson in goal to take the score to 3 – 0.

Slingerz FC created more chances as the game progressed and so did Den Amstel but Ronson Williams (named Best Goalkeeper) was resolute in-between the uprights for the winners.

Harding was eventually named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament and was awarded with $50,000 and a new 32 inch flat screen television.

Meanwhile, in the th

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opening encounter, a goal each from Mark Boyce (19 minute), Winston Johnson (52 ) and Adami Hoyte (71 ) ensured that Seawall Football Club would not only finish third place but also getting the $150,000 that accompanied the silverware.

Jamaal Harvey struck in the 77 minute to revive the contest as Uitvlugt begun a comeback. Charles Stoby scored in the 78 minute.

Harvey could’ve gotten an equalizer just in the closing seconds but he was denied by the goal post.

The organisers said that they are highly appreciative of the support shown to the tournament and thanked the other competing teams (Stewartville FC, Beavers, Eagles FC and Young Achievers) for their participation.

Stag Beer, Digicel and Hopkinson Mining were the core sponsors with support also coming from Two Brothers Service Station, Double Standard Wash Bay, Nicola’s Bar and Kenrick General Store. th

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