Kaieteur News

Thursday Edition

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Price $80 March 07, 2013 - Vol. 6 No. 10 (VAT Inclusive) Online: http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com

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Shocking disclosures…

Marriott supervisory firm disqualified in US

Marriott’s Supervisor, Romesh Budhram

In whose hands will this end up?

Customs House has now moved to the GRA's headquarters on Camp Street, Georgetown and its former offices are now empty and reportedly about to be sold.

China Rail tipped Bangladeshis languishing in for ‘Fip’ flopped lock ups for more Amaila Falls road than 10 months

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Kaieteur News

Thursday March 07, 2013

Shocking disclosures…

Marriott supervisory firm disqualified in US The US firm which was reportedly handed a $200M contract under unclear circumstances to supervise the construction of the Marriott-branded hotel in Kingston, has been disqualified from tendering for certain state contracts in New York, US. According to US news reports, M.A. Angeliades, of Long Island, New York, pleaded guilty in June 2010 to shortchanging 300 workers it had employed on nearly a dozen substation construction jobs.

According to sources close to the Ministry of Finance in Guyana, the US firm is the same one retained

by Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI), the government-owned company that is overseeing the hotel construction.

M.A. Angeliades has reportedly since hired Guyanese-born New York-based quantity surveyor, Romesh Budhram, to supervise the US$51M project.

Budhram has a local company, RBIL, listed as being registered at 111 Regent Road, Bourda. He is also listed as the Project Manager of Clearview Development Corporation, a US company.

Head of the National

Marriott’s supervisor, Romesh Budhram

Winston Brassington

Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Winston Brassington, said that contrary to reports, the supervisory contract was advertised in the local media.

According to a correspondence seen by Kaieteur News, AHI’s head, Winston Brassington last August wrote the firm, for the attention of Budhram, offering a US$1,068,000. (approx. G$213.6M) deal.

Suspended According to news reports on M.A. Angeliades, as a result of guilty pleas, the School Construction Authority (SCA) of New

York, disqualified the firm from participating in any of its projects until July 2015.

SCA was established by the New York State Legislature in December 1988 to build new public schools and manage the design, construction and renovation of capital projects in New York City’s more than 1,200 public school buildings, half of which were constructed prior to 1949. In June 2010, Bronx District Attorney, Robert T. Johnson, announced that the owner of M.A. Angeliades Inc, the Queens-based construction company and his daughter, a company Vice

President, entered guilty pleas in connection with charges that workers employed at nearly a dozen subway station construction sites, were illegally underpaid between July 1, 2005 and September 10, 2008.

During that time, more than 300 workers were shortchanged by approximately $600,000.

Merkourios Angeliades, President and Chief Executive Officer of M.A. Angeliades, pleaded guilty to one felony count of falsifying business records in the first degree. Irena Angeliades, Vice President of M.A. Angeliades, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of Petit Larceny.

The defendants admitted that certain workers were paid less than the prevailing wage for overtime and work performed on weekends and holidays, as specified in the firm’s contracts with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

According to news reports, under terms of the agreement, both officials were to resign from their positions and the company will be monitored by an independent private sector Inspector General through September

10, 2013. It was also ordered that a US$3M escrow account to settle claims by workers who were underpaid be established.

The convictions were as a result of an investigation which was started by the Office of the Inspector General for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Barry Kluger. The MTA Inspector General had received numerous complaints that the firm was not paying employees the prevailing

wage rate for overtime, holiday and weekend work.

The construction of the Marriott has been generating significant controversy since it started. The government 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 the hotel once it is completed.

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

PCA Chairman visits Essequibo this weekend Former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Cecil Kennard, and now the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority will be visiting the Essequibo Coast this weekend to address critical issues. The meetings will commence from tomorrow to Sunday March 10, 2013.

The Chairman will be meeting with members of the Guyana Police Force around 13:30 on Friday to discuss his roles and functions and to raise matters which are of concern to him.

The meeting will take

place at the Richard Faikall Police College, at Suddie.

Later that day at 19:00 hours, he will also be on R.C.A television Station, Charity where his roles and functions will be further discussed.

Members of the public will also have the opportunity to meet with Mr. Kennard on March 9, at the boardroom of the Regional Democratic Council, Anna Regina from 09:00 hrs.

This will be the chairman’s first visit to Essequibo for this year.

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

Thursday March 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Two Bangladeshis in lock ups for more than 10 months

Two Bangladeshi nationals are reportedly languishing in police custody after being locked up for more than 10 months now. The purpose for the men’s detention is so far unclear but sources say it may be related to immigration violations.

According to sources, the South Asian residents some time ago arrived in Guyana in transit to Barbados. They were reportedly denied entry into the country and sent back to Guyana. Ever since, the men have been in local

police custody.

Kaieteur News was told that recently, at the Brickdam Police Station the fence was being repaired, the men reportedly walked out the station only to be recaptured in the vicinity of Square of the Revolution.

The men were subsequently taken to the Diamond/ Grove Police Station where they are currently being held.

Yesterday, Kaieteur News received several phone calls about the matter as persons

expressed their dissatisfaction and condemned the treatment being meted out to the foreigners.

When this publication visited the police station, access to the men was denied.

The publication was however able to confirm that the men were in fact being detained at the station; awaiting deportation.

Kaieteur News was further told that residents in the area, especially the Muslim community, have been

rendering assistance to the men. Efforts are also being made by a number of Muslims to have the men returned to their homeland.

When this publication made contact with Commander of ‘ A’ Division, Derrick Josiah, he promised to look into the m a t t e r.

The same sentiments were expressed

by Public Relations Officer (PRO) Ivelaw Whittaker who promised to check the issue and return with a response.

E.B.D Public Road four-lane expansion

Works recommence in Diamond section

Finally, works recommence to widen road at Diamond, E.B.D Finally, after months of inaction the contractor has recommenced works to widen the East Bank Demerara Public Road into four-lane.

The works extend from the ‘high bridge’ at Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) to Diamond Housing Scheme entrance.

Before August last year the project was stalled because of the presence of utility poles and pipelines.

Initially, when the consultants

did the designs, provisions were made in the contract for the relocation of utilities, but while executing works, the cost estimated by consultants was more than that estimated by the utility companies.

The Inter-American Development Bank was approached to provide additional funding, outside of the contract, for the relocation.

The US$3.4M contract was awarded in November

2011 and physical works began on site in January 2012.

However, after carrying out excavation works and placement of sand creating the outline of the additional lanes the project stalled.

Now, that the utilities have been relocated the contractor, BK International, is back on site carrying out works. While the relocation of the utilities has solved the delay on the project commuters would have to

brace for longer travelling time when construction works begin.

This project entails the lowering and widening of the ‘high bridge’ at DDL. According to Public Wo r k s M i n i s t r y ’s E n g i n e e r, following discussions with management of DDL it was decided that a sleeve would have to be placed over the gas line that is near the bridge.

Cell phone thief gets three years After being caught redhanded with a stolen cellular phone in his possession, Kevin Rodney was yesterday sentenced to three years’ imprisonment by Magistrate Judy Latchman.

The defendant, a labourer, pleaded guilty when he faced Magistrate Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Rodney had robbed Alvin Sukdeo of a cellular phone.

Rodney of Lot 6 ‘A’ Water Street Georgetown told the court that he regretted his action.

“Your honour I would just like to apologize to the young

man. I wasn’t myself recently and is just last December I come out from jail. I real sorry.

I hope he accepts my humble apology”.

Prosecutor Vi s h n u Hunte told the court that the complainant was a passenger of a minibus that was in the vicinity of Alexander and Regent Streets, when Rodney came up on a pedal cycle and snatched his cell phone out of his hands.

The defendant escaped on the bicycle but was later arrested.

The stolen article was recovered in his possession.

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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 death of a friend What is one man’s meat is another man’s poison.

Certainly the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez was poison to many people but he was also a hero to most. To his people he was the man who sought to eliminate poverty in his country, he tried to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor and above all, took medical services to places where there was none. His country did not have enough doctors to deal with the needs of his rural poor so he turned to Cuba which has or do cross than it needs.

Outside his country there are many who are now mourning and wondering what the future would hold for them. Guyana is one such. From the time it became independent this country has had to contend with a Venezuelan claim to two-thirds of its territory. This claim was based on a contention by a man who was there on the arbitration tribunal that was to settle the borders once and for all.

This man, the official Secretary of the United States/ Venezuela delegation, Severo Mallet-Prevost, by way of a letter that was Corbett opened after his death, claimed that what appeared to be the final border resulted from pressures brought to bear by the Russian president of the tribunal.

The Venezuelan claim never went away but it was Chavez who consumed Guyana to breathe easy. During a visit to this country in February 2004 Chavez made a statement that was to see Guyana really move to develop its interior and so aid national development through the exploitation of its natural resources.

Speaking in the Parliament in Georgetown, Chavez said that he had no intention of pursuing claims for Essequibo. “The Essequibo issue will be removed from the framework of the social, political and economic relations between the two countries. We will tackle each issue from a different perspective based on mutual respect.”

His comments did not end there. “The Venezuelan Government will not hinder any project to be conducted in the Essequibo once the purpose is to benefit the inhabitants of the area.” He identified the nature of the projects—water supply, roads, energy programmes and agricultural activities.

To appreciate what this meant, one only had to look back to 1973 when Guyana attempted to construct a hydroelectric facility in that corner of the country.

Venezuela let its voice heard in every corridor and before long none of the international aid donors was prepared to make money available to Guyana.

Today Guyana is pursuing the development of a hydroelectric facility and this has not encountered any problem. Even the Inter American Development Bank is prepared to put up money for the completion of the project. Four years ago this was impossible. Chavez made it possible and it did not matter that there were those in his Cabinet who were not happy with his decision. His Attorney General, Jesus Petit Da Costa, accused Chavez of taking that decision to get a vote in the Organisation of American States.

Guyana also saw Chavez cancel a US$12.5 million debt and then gave an undertaking to favorably consider favorable terms for the Caracas Energy Cooperation Accord. The result is the Petro Caribe deal.

Guyana has a lot of money in its coffers because of the oil deal with Venezuela. If we are called on to honour that debt, in a hurry we would find ourselves where we certainly do not want to be.

Chavez has died and many of the things that this country was taking for granted may change. The hydroelectric project could become a casualty although one hopes that the successor would see Guyana in the same light as Chavez did. But Guyana aside, one cannot help but recognize that some countries are blessed with leaders who try to change the course of their country for the better. These men and women all die young.

Indira Gandhi, Forbes Burnham, Kwame Nkrumah, John Kennedy are all men and a woman who were indeed visionaries who died young. Chavez has joined this list.

Thursday March 07, 2013

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

Persistent illegalities allowed by GFC and GRA in timber exports – cocaine in digger mats DEAR EDITOR, The Timber Regulation of the European Union (EUTR) came into force on Sunday 03 March 2013. This regulation makes it a criminal offence to import timber and other wood products which have been harvested illegally into the 27 States of the European Union. In Guyana, timber mats to support mechanical diggers in soft ground were found to have been made from illegally harvested timber and to have been stuffed with cocaine for smuggling from Guyana to The Netherlands (‘Timber company was suspended before 800lb cocaine bust’, Stabroek News, 27 February 2013).

The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) knew of the illegalities, but still cleared the mats for export. The Guyana Revenue Authority then allowed 21 days to pass before taking action about the suspicious shipping container into which those mats had been packed for export. Government agencies have been informed for years past about the imminence of the EUTR. Minister Robert Persaud has been promising since late 2006 that all timber exports would be inspected by the GFC, but that is no use if the illegal harvests are still cleared for export; see my articles,‘‘The rule of law? – not in the forest sector of Guyana’ (Stabroek News, 16 January 2012) and ‘The rule of law – inefficiency and corruption in the export of timber logs to Asia’ (Stabroek News, 30 January 2012) to which the government agencies have made no

response.

The legality assurance scheme (LAS) devised by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards with the GFC in 2010 was found by the consultancy Efeca in March 2011 to be inadequate for EU requirements, yet the Efeca report of May 2011 has not been published by the GFC. Efeca offered a replacement version of the LAS which would have been EU-compliant, but it is unclear what action has been taken, if any, by the government agencies GFC and GRA. The scoping visit on independent forest monitoring by the GFA Consulting Group was reported in December 2011; the report is on the GFC website.

GFA made recommendations to overcome some of the deficiencies in the GFC control systems but again it is unclear in the sections on

Indicators 5 and 6 in the verification report by the Rainforest Alliance (December 2012) what improvements were made during 2012. The cocaine-indigger-mats case suggests that any government actions have not been adequate.

To be sure, most of Guyana’s timber exports are of unprocessed logs sold undervalued toAsia: 52,671 m3 to India at an average declared FOB price of US$144/m3, and 43,893 m3 to China at an average declared FOB price of US$ 132/m3, in 2011; figures from the 2011 Forest Sector Information Report by the GFC. In contrast, the EU market for sawn timber from Guyana was worth over US$6 million in 2011: dressed sawnwood 311m3 at an average declared FOB price of US$ 1,143/m3, rough (undressed) sawnwood 10,681m3 at an average declared FOB price

of US$ 537/m3. This includes 8,215m3 sold to The Netherlands at an average of US$ 499/m3 in 2011. In the first half of 2012, 134m3 of dressed sawnwood improved in price to US$ 1,538/m3 – over ten times the price per unit volume of the logs sold to Asia in 2011.

Is Guyana to lose this EU market because the GFC and GRA cannot or will not take action to control illegalities, in spite of the commitment to Norway for improved governance? What is the point of engaging in the long and expensive process to secure a voluntary partnership agreement under the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade process if the government agencies cannot or will not implement simple controls against these illegalities?

Janette Bulkan

to define ‘happiness’. One said that happiness was contentment; the other said drily ‘Happiness is happiness’. End of debate.

Very droll.

A hyperactive boss once described me as not ambitious. I told him that I saw myself as ambitious but not competitive - I could never become a crab in a barrel, climbing over others to get to the top. He paused and seemed to think of it. I happened to be in a line of work I enjoyed doing and had a lifestyle that suited myself and family, so my life was stress-free.

Better still, I was doing a job I enjoyed doing and got paid well for doing it.

There are two schools of thought about such matters.

One says “A man’s reach should not exceed his grasp”; but, according to the poet Robert Browning, “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” To me, success in life is a question of perception. To the onlooker, it may be the visible trappings of wealth; to the individual, peace of mind and being comfortable in one’s skin.

What do others think?

Geralda Dennison

Success in life is a question of perception DEAR EDITOR, A very interesting subject - “Secrets of a successful life” – was recently raised in your letter section.

How does one define ‘a successful life’? I think it is something personal to everyone. I might see myself as being successful but others might not see me so.

Many years ago I was lunching with a mixed group of colleagues, two of them recent graduates of Oxford U. The Oxford chaps were trying

Thursday March 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

DEAR EDITOR, The report by the Linden Commission of Inquiry has generated a lot of national interest recently – and rightly so. Principal among the areas of focus are the issues of the use of deadly force in Linden, and the compensation award.

There is no disputing that on a daily basis the police face situations that require tact and careful consideration of factors that are at times simple, or complex, depending on your point of view.

However, universal convention expects that force when used must be applied in direct proportion to the prevailing threat and deadly force should be the last option.

In other words, the discretion that the police have to use deadly force when they deem appropriate is guided by policy and training, while intelligence information gives them a legal authority that no other profession has.

This is not to say that fatal errors of judgment do not occur from time to time, and which a subsequent review of events might unearth.

In some places the scrutiny and the possibility of civil litigation which follow police deadly force encounters are enough to cause second guessing at a

crucial moment.

One school of thought suggests that although policy and training with regard to deadly force might lead to positive change, these would “have little impact unless the organization’s culture and the attitude of leaders are explored.”

Johns Hopkins University’s Division of Public Safety Leadership identifies ten primary factors that affect use of force by police, community response to use of force, and liability; these all need to be considered when attempting change and include: 1. The environment in which officers work and officers’ perception of the environment in which they work; 2. Analysis and application of information; 3. Policy, procedure, law, and legal opinion; 4. Culture of the agency; 5. Leadership and supervision; 6. Selection and training of police officers; 7. A l t e r n a t i v e responses, particularly the availability and use of lessthan-lethal force; 8. Public trust, including assessing prior reaction to deadly force situations and media response;

9. Internal and external follow-up to deadly force incidents; and 10. Fear.

Law Enforcement Consultant, Thomas Frazier in Deadly Force: Issues, Risks, Dilemmas, and Solutions posits that if there is a pattern or practice of excessive or imprope r u s e o f f o r c e caused by “leadership, weak policy, inadequate or insufficient training, or fear”, technology will be of no use in what is essentially a human problem. He further argues for the need of competent supervisors, and skilled officers who understand the community they serve and policy regarding the use of deadly force.

Interestingly, Frazier cautions that in many jurisdictions people in positions of influence pay far too little attention to issues such as the presence of police officers who are “paranoid about the level of danger that exists, or whose physical and emotional health is questionable”; these he sees as “a deadly force disaster waiting to happen.”

All is not lost, however, since Frazier asserts that police executives, police labour organizations, political leaders, business and industry, community organizations, the faith

criminals and ordinary citizens. We are all being treated as criminals in this country from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed. These road stops are nothing more than a moneygrabbing and extortion exercise of the poor man in Guyana. Each road stop of a vehicle nets about $2000 - if these road stops net about 50 cars that is one hundred thousand dollars. This is serious money and a massive tax being laid down on the people of this country.

Wouldn’t it make more sense to pay policemen better and use the surplus from VAT to pay them versus this tax competing with VAT on our roads?

This situation is so bad that the police at many times blatantly ask persons to “lef something”. This is at every step of the way corrupt behaviour and unacceptable.

If you go to the licence office

you have to bribe the police rank at the door; if you go to the Deeds Registry you have to do the same because they control who gets called and who does not. When will the people of this country demand changes to this lunacy?

Are the Government and the Opposition of this country so heartless that they have not witnessed this?

I find it hard to believe that the political leaders in this country do not witness this on a daily basis. It is clear as day to me that our liberties and freedoms are being taken away daily with these involuntary intrusions into our lives.

We are a free people and we want freedom, this is not North Korea or Cuba.

Mr. President will you please wake up and do something about this travesty within our midst.

A. Lall

We are now living in a police state DEAR EDITOR,

Every single day I drive in and around Georgetown and at every turn there is a policeman, some with traffic uniform, some serving in the Tactical Services Unit or what I think is a tactical services uniform. Some are in pickups, some on motorcycles, some with radar in hand,and most do not have any such radar in hand.

What is troubling to me is that with all these road stops around Georgetown, East Coast and East Bank Demerara, crime is still fairly high.

Politicians in this country, including this so-called opposition who are claiming they are somehow better than the PPP, are all oblivious to the fact that we are now living in a police state.

Look at the events in Linden, Agricola, at the Fish Shop where a young man’s life was snuffed out, now most recently Marudi. These incidents are occurring daily in our lives where the police exert brutal authority on the people of this country and everyone seems oblivious to it. There seems to be no differentiation between

community, and others all have a vested interest and should play a role in affecting lasting change.

Moreover, he suggests the following ten strategies to reduce liability resulting from deadly force encounters: 1. Review deadly force and less-than-lethal force policies on an annual basis.

Ensure that all employees are trained to policy. Having an employee sign that he or she read the policy does not negate the need for annual training. Annual audits of training records are imperative.

2. Audit your disciplinary investigations processes and results. Use trained internal or external auditors using validated audit protocols to determine accuracy, timeliness, and equity of internal investigations.

3. Meet with community leaders and special interest groups on a regular basis. Explain use of force policies and how force situations will be investigated. When an encounter occurs, notify the appropriate community

leaders immediately and invite them to meet with department executives.

4. Establish a deadly force review team and procedure.

5. Establish clear dispatch protocol on matters related to force or potential force. Dispatching complete, appropriate information is essential to officer safety and defending the agency’s response during litigation.

6. Review your Field Training Officer program to ensure appropriate training officer selection, as well as modern evaluation standards that are based in community oriented policing principles.

7. Assess the quality of the agency’s selection and hiring practices to ensure that they do more than simply weed out unqualified applicants.

It is important to demonstrate that the most qualified applicants are pursued and hired.

8. Assess the quality of the promotional process to ensure that it identifies candidates with the skills and background necessary to manage crises and guide

others in performing their duties successfully.

Implement supervisory training on managing deadly force encounters and investigations.

9. I d e n t i f y performance measures for the agency’s successes and activities that go beyond simple statistics.

Demonstrating the agency’s overall effectiveness establishes a position of strength in a liability situation.

Statistical measures of effectiveness are easy to challenge in litigation.

10. Institute an officer performance tracking system, which identifies officers outside the norm of complaints, accidents, injuries, commendations, etc.

Editor, as I usually try to do, this is just one contribution of the many you no doubt receive aimed at helping move our premier law enforcement agency to a higher level of service and professionalism.

In another letter I will be dealing with officer occupational safety and health issues.

Patrick E. Mentore

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Thursday March 07, 2013

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

DEAR EDITOR, The late Dr. Cheddi Jagan, whose life and works are celebrated by members and supporters of the People’s Progressive Party in the month of March, had been a strong advocate for the poor and the underprivileged. His ideas on poverty reduction and a new global human order has been embraced by the global community and continue to have relevance, especially in the context of growing poverty and inequity in the distribution of the fruits of human labour.

Despite increases in production and productivity due to scientific and technological advances, the gap in living standards between the rich and the poor continues to get wider and wider with each passing year.

Consider the following facts: - Almost half of the world’s population, over three billion people, live on less than US$2 per day.

- The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the 41 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (567 million people) is less than the wealth of the

world’s seven richest people combined.

- Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.

- Less than one per cent of what the world spends every year on the military is enough to send every child into school.

- Over a billion children live in poverty (1 in 2 children in the world).

These are disturbing facts that must be of concern to policy makers. It is important that we get down to the root causes of poverty.

As Dr. Jagan correctly observed, the causes of poverty are structural in nature and resulted largely from structural adjustment policies prescribed by international financial institutions and unfair trading policies in which developing countries are required to open their economies to compete with the more powerful industrialized powers. This is why the call for a new global human order has such a wide appeal and resonates with progressive humanity the world over.

Hydar Ally

How morally and ethically right could all of this be?

DEAR EDITOR, The ubiquitous Winston Brassington is in the news again. At a Guyana Power and Light Inc. press conference, I saw him at the head table along with the CEO of GPL. I am told that Mr. Brassington is the Chairman of the GPL board. This causes me to wonder how many other boards he sits on, bearing in mind that he is: (a) the head of the Privatisation Unit; (b) Executive director of NICIL; and (c) the Head of the Atlantic Hotels Inc. Given his allpervasiveness in the affairs of the State which require expertise in public sector financial management; public procurement and contract negotiation; investment analysis, engineering, and law, among others, I ask the following questions: What is Mr. Brassington’s professional background? Is he a certified public accountant? Does he have an advanced degree in any one of the above disciplines?

If the answers to these questions are no, then I ask

three further questions: (1) What alternative criteria were used to assign him these important and responsible positions? (2) Don’t we have other Guyanese who would have met these criteria? and (3) What is his compensation package for each of the positions that he holds?

On another related issue, I am aware that a number of senior government functionaries are enjoying United States dollar salaries that are tax-free and paid for from grant resources from an international funding agency.

Others enjoy Guyana dollar salaries tax-free. I am also told that some contracted employees of the State are treated as contractors and therefore income tax and National Insurance contributions are not deducted from their salaries.

Isn’t this a violation of the Income Tax laws?

How morally and ethically right could all of this be, bearing in mind that the ordinary worker is made to pay his/her full share of taxes?

Anand Goolsarran

Thursday March 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Police investigate ‘vigilante’ beating to death of Kitty fisherman The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 40-year-old Pike Street, Kitty man who was beaten to death on Friday last.

The dead man has been identified as Antonio Isles, of 248 Pike Street, Kitty. There are conflicting reports about when Isles died; as his

reputed wife, Paula Brooks, said she was told by one hospital official that he died on Friday night and then by another source that he died Saturday evening.

According to Brooks she last saw Isles alive on Friday evening. Brooks told this publication that her reputed husband works on a fishing vessel at sea and he only

returned home on February 25.

“Whole day Friday he went home and when the place start getting dark he bathe put on he clothes and he lef but he ain’t say is where he going,”.

Brooks said as the night went by she became worried and tried contacting Isles on his mobile phone but to no

Despite being dragged down the stairs by her lover, a woman declined to give further evidence in the matter, whereby the said man has been charged for assaulting her.

Damien Allicock of 153 James Street, Albouystown, appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman yesterday to face the charge for assault against his common law wife, Alicia Adams. He pleaded guilty.

The prosecution stated that the defendant was confronted with the said charges but denied. The report revealed that “he dragged her down a stairway,” the prosecution

said. In his defence, Allicock responded, “I didn’t drag her down the step. The stairs got five steps and she was on the second and I pull her towards me.”

The Magistrate then asked Adams if she would like to say anything but she simply declined.

Upon Adams’s response, both parties were asked to be seated until the final decision was made.

After an approximately 10 minute break, the matter was recalled.

When asked if he had previous brushes with the law, the defendant replied that he had a matter before the court since 2009 but that the

court case was almost concluded.

Further inquiries revealed that Allicock had not been attending court and that his matter was still pending before the court.

His common law wife at this point, had a change of heart and decided to intervene. “Your worship, I don’t want no problem with him.” She then asked that the matter be dropped since she did not want to lead any evidence against him.

Though the Magistrate took her remarks into consideration, bail was refused and Allicock was remanded to prison due to pending cases.

Husband denied bail after dragging partner down stairway

AFC asks gov’t to increase compensation for Linden dead - Nigel Hughes says minimum should be $15 million The Alliance for Change (AFC) intends to formally press the government to increase the compensation awarded by the Commission of Inquiry to relatives of the three men killed during Linden protests last year.

“We are disappointed with the extremely low awards of damages for the families of the deceased; we believe that the right of life is guaranteed

by Article 139 of the constitution and the fact that the commissioners found that the Guyana Police Force had used unjustified lethal force and that the awards eventually announced were particularly low,” Chairman of the AFC stated.

He said that the people of Linden were vindicated in pressing for the Commission of Inquiry, but he said that the relatives of the Linden dead should be given a minimum of $5 million each.

The Commission of Inquiry awarded $3 million each for Shemroy Boyea and Allan Lewis, while awarding $2 million for teenager Ron Somerset.

Hughes said that his party would be seeking the intervention of the Attorney General to have the

AFC Chairman Nigel Hughes compensation package “reviewed upwards.”

The compensation awards have been frowned upon in several circles, including families of the deceased.

Hughes also expressed surprise at the comments of the retired Chancellor Cecil Kennard who is quoted in the Stabroek News as justifying the award, saying that the Police did not intend to kill the protestors, but only to scare them.

“The statement itself scares me because at the end of the day if you’re dead, whether you died because you were being scared or whether you’re dead because somebody intended to kill you does not make a

difference.

In addition to which I don’t know that the Guyana Police Force has a mandate to scare citizens, I think their mandate is to control crowds in difficult circumstances,” Hughes said in response to the Kennard report.

In its report, the Commission concluded that members of the Guyana Police Force were responsible for the deaths of Shemroy Bouyea, Allan Lewis and Ron Somerset, as well as injury to other civilians on the day that protesters blocked the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge.

“We believe that the police were responsible for the shooting to death of the three persons as well as the injuries caused to several other persons at Linden on July 18, 2012, as there is no evidence that anyone else had a firearm which was discharged,” the Commission concluded.

“It seems to us that ASP Todd was somewhat reckless when he discharged four rounds of ammunition in the direction of the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge when there were hundreds of persons on the Bridge and in the vicinity thereof.”

However, the Commission did not clearly recommend sanctions against Todd or any other officer.

avail.

“I keep calling the phone and it keep ringing out and going to voicemail and I was worried but I say man he mussy just ain’t want answer.”

According to Brooks the weekend passed and she still wasn’t able to contact her reputed husband. However on Monday morning the woman said her daughter received some information about Isles’s whereabouts.

“Monday my daughter went out to the supermarket and a li’l boy run up to she and say you uncle call people stink mouth and look way he deh, he deh in a hospital tekking saline. When she come home she tell me but it was late so till Tuesday morning I go.”

Brooks said that still hoping for the best she decided to go to the Georgetown Public Hospital with a photograph of her reputed husband. The woman said she made enquiries but no one recognized her husband from the picture and there was no entry of him being admitted to the institution.

Eventually the woman said she decided to visit the hospital’s mortuary with the photograph.

‘When I reach over at the mortuary I saw a man so I show him the picture and he say yeah he think they have a body like that. So I went in the mortuary and the first body the man open was my

Dead 40 year-old Antonio Isles

The dead man’s reputed wife Pauline Brooks.

husband.”

The woman said she then provided the mortuary official with Isles’s correct name and other necessary information and she was then advised to visit the police station.

It was only then she was informed that her husband was severely beaten on Friday night and was taken to the hospital where he succumbed. According to Brooks her husband was reportedly beaten by a group of men in Pike Street. A post mortem which was done on Isles’s remains yesterday revealed that he died as a result of a fractured skull.

Residents of Pike Street, Kitty, told this publication that they would be grateful if the police can bring the perpetrators to justice since there is a particular group that has been tormenting the area.

It is believed that the

same youths are responsible for Isles’s death.

This publication was told that one of the boys in the group is as young as ten years old and is considered ‘very dangerous’.

Reports are that a group of men attacked and beat Isles who was left lying on the road, but eventually was taken to the Kitty Police Station and then to the hospital.

Residents who witnessed the attack were fearful of relating what they saw since the persons responsible live in the same area.

Residents said they are scared to venture into the street between Alexander and Lamaha Streets after hours because of what that area has become as a result of the group. Up to press time yesterday no one was arrested.

The charge of assault against US-based Guyanese, Ashton Arthur, has been dismissed for want of prosecution.

The complainant declined to offer evidence against him.

Arthur, 59, a security officer of Queens, New York had been charged for

February 22 at Williamstraat Road, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown. At the initial hearing of the matter, Arthur’s attorney, Emily Dodson, argued that her client did not assault his stepdaughter but that it was Paternell who assaulted him after they had

requested a speedy trial for Arthur. He was released on $5,000 bail. At the continuation of the case the defendant’s stepdaughter stated that she did not wish to give evidence against him thus the charge against Arthur was dropped.

Courts free US-based Guyanese assaulting Leslyn an argument over money that Paternell, his stepdaughter. she owes him. of assault unlawfully The incident occurred on The lawyer also

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More questions and no answers It is not surprising that the government continues to convey the impression that the independent media have an unrelenting agenda, aimed at unseating it and creating an environment of unease. Of course, using such a defence is the easy way out. It garners sympathy and requires very little in terms of substantive explanation.

Kaieteur News merely seeks truthful and believable answers. These have not been forthcoming. It is and has been the nature of the beast.

The simple truth is that the enormous benefits gained from the vulgar levels of corruption and unrestrained abuse of power has now become addictive. It is disturbing, if not dangerous.

The ‘good life’ has so embedded itself in the minds of those in political authority, that they are quite satisfied to remain in a state of denial for the sole purpose of living large, by any means necessary.

Why else would there be so many laughable and absolutely embarrassing attempts to justify all the illogical decisions and inexplicable commitments that are not only emptying our treasury, but creating unimaginable debt?

For example, the nation’s administrators want us to accept blindly that a Marriottbranded hotel, into which billions of your dollars is being pumped, is profitable and an absolute necessity.

Is it? So why is the government so anxious to break-off from its so-called “partnership”? And why aren’t its public ‘partners’ enthusiastic about stepping forward boldly and telling us their extravagant plans for our tourism industry?

Why? Because the real objective has been to illegally use your hard-earned money to build the hotel and then to ‘legally’ pass it on to those who were in a position to hatch the devious plan in the first place.

Consider this. There is a massive government-owned building (an intended major hotel) that is in an advanced state of construction aback of Princess Hotel at Providence.

We ask. Would it not have cost significantly less to finish that edifice, even if it requires extensions, and let it serve the same purpose?

But before this, there was the contentious Sanata Complex deal, which saw numerous concessions being granted, and laws being passed after the fact to legalise that which had been proven to be irregular.

What about ‘Fip’ Motilall being awarded a US$15.4M road contract, despite Kaieteur News providing proof that he had absolutely no prior experience or knowhow? Despite having his contract terminated, the socalled contractor, who was previously of modest means, walked away at least US$10M richer after selling the licence to Sithe Global. His validity

Dem boys seh...

Donald let people down When a man in a certain position, people expect he to talk a certain way. If de Queen stand up pun a stage and tell a man bout he backside people gun lef wid dem mouth open.

Then dem gun talk she name and one man might even tell she bout she tail.

Now Donald is president and people expect he to talk in a certain way. But de man stoop real low that people got to worry whether dem can invite he to lunch wid dem and dem children. De man stand up pun a stage and cuss from Tom to Dick. De only person he ain’t cuss was Harry Nokta.

Moses and he was friend till Moses get vex wid de whole party and lef. Because Moses talk bout certain things Donald dig a first class cussing pun Moses. And de Chronicle tek pride in highlighting de cussing that Donald put down. No president ever call anybody Jackass. Donald did.

Dem boys expect better. If any child repeat dem things in school is trouble fun de child and de parents. Dem same children can’t tell de teacher how is Donald dem hear it from. Ignorance is no excuse.

Fuh sure dem boys know that Donald wouldn’t want nobody to call he a jackass although he behave suh de other day. And dem boys wouldn’t stand up and hear anybody refer to he as such. But then again, all dem people who does like talk fuh Donald gun seh that is politics. Wha people know is that Cheddi pepper he in he sleep that night.

Donald going to Chavez funeral and fuh sure dem ain’t gun allow he to talk because dem ain’t sure wha language he gun use. And when he got to meet at de White House Obama gun mek sure that dem two girls ain’t deh round when he talking to Donald.

Talk half and hope that Donald change he language.

was argued from beginning to end by the administration.

Must we not question such judgment?

The CLICO fiasco saw lawlessness and money squandering beyond measure. The public remains none the wiser as to what exactly took place.

NIS, which has been running at a deficit for years now, invested $6billion in CLICO and lost it all. Yet the media was spoken to dismissively for trying to get to the bottom of the apparent free-for-all.

The US$200M Skeldon factory, commissioned three years ago, and the US$12M Enmore packaging plant have been scandals. The numerous explanations and excuses have never been convincing.

And then there is the US$150M Airport expansion project at Timehri. The imminent Delta pull-out supports our view that the venture, if not totally without

merit, is risky at best. The taxpayers again feel the squeeze. Should we not highlight this?

How about those GPL generators for which the annual rent is as much as new sets would cost? Will this wanton waste never end?

The GPL convinces the man-in-the-street about the crucial need for an independent fibre optic cable, and tells taxpayers that they sought the very best price.

Cheap, they say. But we are not told of the astronomical cost to lay the cable – several times more than the item. Is this not deception?

What about the advertised multi-milliondollar projects in far-flung areas which no one can properly account for, and in some cases, have never been completed. Is it not our duty to question this?

Is it not pertinent to ask why roadways are deteriorating weeks after

being built or rehabilitated?

A $600 million structure sits unoccupied at Princes and High Streets in Georgetown. Could that money not have been used more effectively? Is it wrong to ask?

Why would an admittedly poor country, which is already in heavy debt, invest in a hydropower project that will eventually (long term interest and inflation considered) cost taxpayers a mind-boggling two billion dollars?

Only a chosen few among us know the reason.

Why must taxpayers be made to believe that shares in Hand-in-Hand Trust were not a worthwhile investment, when the government official who is the custodian of their money, and who has the first option, encourages his sibling to invest wholeheartedly?

Why is it seen as having an agenda when it is queried why money that should go to

the Consolidated Fund is not directed there?

And why do statistics provided by government and other documentation relevant to taxpayers’ dollars always seem to confuse those on the outside looking in? Is it that only government has financial wizards?

We never get straight answers, but logic is our guide and it serves us well.

We have been accused of targeting certain officials, but what are we to conclude if all of our queries invariably lead to a clique of well-endowed persons?

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=== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ===

In Guyana the night belongs to the generals They don’t come worse than this; maybe in civil wars where no side is in control but surely not in a modern Caribbean country. Speaking to the media in justification of his entry into NCN studios to get a calypso taken off the airways, Minister of Works and Transport, Robeson Benn, had this to say when asked why he went into the station; “I hold it as my right to go into the station to intervene in an activity which I think impacted me as a citizen.”

For those who study political theory and political

behaviour, this is called fascist power. Politics professors in Latin American studies would refer to this as banana republic style. Benn is saying in the most unambiguous way that if as a citizen he feels that his interpretation is superior to other persons, he will walk into a public office and act against the prevailing situation that he finds is not to his liking.

Have you ever seen a fantastic movie about fascist power called, “Night of the Generals?”

In that film, a Nazi general

went about killing women. An ordinary German police inspector connected him to the crimes. The general shot and killed the policeman when he was told by the inspector that he will be questioned.

The general felt that it was presumptuous of the policeman to even approach him.

The parallel with Benn’s action is dangerously frightening. What Benn is pellucid about is that he will be the judge of art forms in Guyana and art that he finds unpleasant he will intervene.

But more than this, Benn is

saying that whatever impacts negatively on him he will intervene. Let anyone who studied political behaviour tell me this is not fascism.

In erasing the jurisdictional lines in the demarcation of power, Robeson Benn has taken Guyana further down the chasm of nihilism. For Robeson Benn the calypsonian has no right to have his song played on a station that is funded by money that comes from the public purse because he, Benn, judged it to be in bad taste.

But who is Benn to determine what distasteful art form is? He has absolutely no training in philosophy, art or cultural studies to decide if a calypso is sordid. But he will get away with his banana republic style because our opposition parties that are so obsessed with Clement Rohee will enter Parliament this week and watch for Rohee instead of now focusing their attention on Robeson Benn.

If as Benn clams that as a citizen he has a right to enter a public office to remove something he finds negatively impacting his life then, I ask all Guyanese to tell me as a citizen what I should do with the Guyana Chronicle. For more than eight years the Chronicle has been churning out three letters a week on me, making that about two hundred letters a year.

These missives describe me in the most scandalous ways that make that calypso that Benn objected to look like a religious verse. Using Benn’s methodology I am now entitled to enter the Chronicle and order the editor to stop his cesspool behaviour.

The night belongs to Clement Rohee too. Speaking on NCN television (which Benn has arrogated to himself the right to dictate to) Rohee in clear language announced that his power as a Minister is backed by the votes his party received (his words).

This statement, like Benn’s NCN incident, puts the two opposition parties in a quandary.

Rohee is simply saying

Frederick Kissoon that his party has power because it was elected.

Rohee’s party in turn is saying to the AFC and APNU we don’t recognize your role in Parliament to delimit the power of the PPP Government because our votes are more important than the ones you received.

In other words, based on Rohee’s interpretation, votes only count when the PPP says so. It is the same with Benn.

A calypso is clean or dirty based on Benn’s interpretation. Where does this leave the opposition in Parliament? Was there a national election in 2011?

Who won what? Rohee and his PPP party have an unambiguous answer. The votes they got entitled him to be a Minister.

The votes the two opposition parties got do not translate into any kind of power.

This columnist has contended since the general elections in 2011 that if the PPP does not concede the constitutional power invested in Parliament, then the AFC and APNU should officially declare that they are not recognizing the minority status of the Executive.

There is still time left to do this. It is called practical politics.

Business maligned with Destra Inferno - proprietor Proprietor of The Candy Shop in New Amsterdam situated at the corner of Strand and Pitt Streets in New Amsterdam, Tito “Candy Boss” Sancho, is not pleased that newspaper reports have linked his business to the failed Destra Inferno Show.

The show was held on the lawns of the New Amsterdam Technical Institute Ground. It was promoted by the Slaughter House Entertainment group in collaboration with the Region Six Democratic Council, the Regional Mashramani Committee and the Region’s Special Events Committee.

Sancho stated that he was only asked to help sell some tickets. He stated that as a popular businessman in the town he is usually asked to assist with the selling of tickets. And as a promoter himself he would usually ask persons to assist him and his

group with the selling of tickets.

He was asked by Vijay Panday to assist with the selling of the tickets. He was given 300 tickets to sell. He stated that he sold 100 tickets while the other 200 tickets were stolen. Thus they were cancelled and were not used at the gate. He handed over the money to Panday. He said that he dealt with Panday since he only met the other guy once. He had no other part to play with the promotion and was not associated with the organisers. He said that tickets were sold at other places in Berbice.

He is asking patrons and others to contact the promoters with all their queries. Sancho is not pleased that his business was mentioned in the story, since it could tarnish his good name.

Thursday March 07, 2013

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P&P awards long serving employees

The three awardees along with other staffers Three employees attached to P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Limited were recently honoured for long service.

The three employees, Bibi Zaheeda Saffee, Shivanie Parmesar and Sharmilla Azeez, were recognized by the company during a reception

held at the facility’s head office, 35 North Road and King Street, Georgetown.

Saffee was recognized for serving the company for 15 years, whilst Parmesar and Azeez were each recognized for 10 years of services.

In a statement from the

company, the Chief Executive Officer, Bish Panday, said he considers his company, an employer of choice. He noted that the culture of honouring staff members as they achieve a significant milestone started in 2010.

He added that the experience gained over the

years by employees has helped them to provide a quality service to clients.

He encouraged his staff to work and further their qualification.

The three awardees thanked the company for this gesture and pledged to continue to work hard.

Fisherman feared drowned The police and eight volunteer fishing boats with fishermen of Number 67 Village Corentyne are searching for the body of Jageshwar Persaud, 30, called Navin, or Markai, a fisherman of Number 67 Village whom relatives fear may have drowned.

Navin reportedly fell overboard from a fishing boat on Tuesday whilst he and others were on their way to retrieve a seine, which was reportedly floating in the Corentyne River.

Navin’s sister, Anne Persaud, said that the family learnt of the tragic news sometime around 9:30 am, Wednesday when the men returned from the river. The sister said they were told that the incident occurred around 8:45 am.

She explained, that the seamen told the family that Navin was next to the cabin attempting to serve the captain. While doing so a huge wave struck the boat causing him to lose balance and to fall overboard. She added that the men told them that when her brother fell into the river he did not surface.

“The seamen said that after he didn’t come up they drive around in the river but they couldn’t find him.”

According to the boat owner, Gajadhar Bisnauth, of No. 64 Village Corentyne, he was told by fishermen that his seine was sabotaged and was floating in the river.

Bisnauth said that after receiving the news, he called up his workmen. Navin and four other men ventured out into the river to retrieve the seine.

He said they were approximately five miles from shore when Navin fell overboard.

Bisnauth claimed that they tried to save Navin but their efforts went in vain. He said that only Tuesday he learnt that Navin could not swim. So far police have taken statements from Bisnauth and the other seamen who were present at the time of the incident.

The body has not yet been found.

According to Anne her brother has been a fisherman for about seven years and never showed any fear of the job.

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Promoter challenges fraud allegations The promoter who was accused of defrauding a Destra Promotion has “come out of hiding” with a response.

According to Vijay Panday, the Events Coordinator of ‘Slaughter House Promotions’ which is a joint venture between him and Keith Mordell, the monies he received from Mordell who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the promotional body, amounted to US$4,280. He plans to prove this with the help of his and Mr. Mordell’s transaction receipts from Western Union.

He is expected to produce these documents by today.

Panday told Kaieteur News that with the money he received from Keith, he was only able to pay some of the artistes and the Sounds and Lighting crew. Most of them were part paid; some of them were not.

Kaieteur News understands that Slaughter House Promotions which was actually registered as Laughter House Promotions still owes a number of places and artistes, including Trinidad Chutney Star-Rick Ramotar and Mingles Sounds System, large sums of money.

Panday refutes Mordell’s claims that he (Panday) told Mordell that everyone and

everything was paid for.

Panday explained that he was always in contact with Mordell who he said, knows very well that there were some outstanding payments to the people involved in the show.

Panday also claims that Mordell who arrived in Guyana only shortly before the event, had told him that he was coming with US$ 25,000 to clear off all payments. This, Panday said, was agreed to before the commencement of the opening act. But before Rick Ramotar could finish his first song, the Mingles Sound System pulled the plugs and switched off the stage lights.

Panday said that among the many inaccuracies of the article was the line which stated that Rick Ramotar was pulled from the stage by his manager.

Panday said that Ramotar was one of the few persons who agreed to wait a little while for his payment.

Panday added that they were getting a hard time securing sponsorship, as the event was a ‘wind down’ of the Mashramani celebrations; an event which was duly supported by many businesses.

Panday said that this resulted in him having to spend his own money on

Events Coordinator, Vijay Panday some of the ground works which included security deposits, as the money wired to him by Keith Mordell was not enough.

As far as allegations of him being “in hiding” goes, Panday said that it is not a case of hiding; rather, he said, he was being cautious following a number of threats he received from Keith

Mordell. Panday told Kaieteur News that Mordell visited his home more than once, to “warn” him of his (Mordell’s) “people”.

The ‘Destra Berbice Inferno’ which 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, was booked for the New Amsterdam Technical Institute Ground.

Panday expressed disgust at the article which painted him as a crook and denied that he was ever fired from Fire Fest Productions since he had never been employed with them. He said that he resigned from his job with Wild Fire Productions.

While Keith Mordell claims that he has suffered $ 6M in losses, Vijay Panday said that he is more than confident that the receipts from Western Union will definitely prove his innocence.

China Rail tipped for ‘Fip’ flopped Amaila Falls road With Fip Motilall failing dismally to complete the US$15.4M contract he was handed by former President Bharrat Jagdeo, the contract is moving from hand to hand and may soon end up in the hands of the Chinese contractor.

Discussions are ongoing with China Railway First Company Limited to assist the hastening of the completion of the Amaila Falls Road. The road will facilitate the transportation of equipment and personnel to construct the Amaila Falls Hydropower Plant.

China Railway is the contractor identified to construct the Amaila Falls Hydropower Plant. Sithe Global, the developers of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, had expressed confidence in the ability of China Railway to build the plant in Guyana.

In July 2010, Government signed off on a loan deal to build the project and formalize the cooperation between the Guyana Power and Light Company, Sithe Global, China Development Bank and China Railway.

Though Transport and Hydraulics Minister, Robeson Benn, would not divulge too much about the project he said that the road is massively delayed but works are ongoing. He said that the contractor, Hassan Pasha, executing works in section seven, from the Kuribrong Bridge to the falls needs help.

It is this section that China Railway may have to take up

part responsibility of.

In November 2012, Pasha reported that “significant progress” had been made in section seven. He was awarded the $834M contract to complete works in that stretch which is said to be challenging because of the virgin rainforest.

However, it seems that this section is not progressing to expectation given the need to engage another company to assist with construction to enable works on the hydropower project.

This is not the only section that has experienced some difficulties- section six which was awarded to G. Bovell Construction Services is also behind schedule.

It was reported that the contractor was challenged with machinery to carryout works and the project was stalled.

According to Benn, Government had to terminate Bovell’s contract after the equipment was repossessed.

This may be déjà vu since the first contractor Synergy Holdings Inc. awarded the contract to build the Amaila Falls Road was unable complete the road. His contract was terminated on the basis of poor works and the absence of a performance bond.

However, a team is currently assessing the project so he was unable to provide details of the project.

Meanwhile, the Kuribrong Bridge which is supposed to link sections six and seven, is in its design phase.

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Spike in malaria anticipated as emergency operations infiltrate mining Regions A spike in the incidence of malaria is anticipated in the mining regions of Guyana, as efforts are made to intensify the vector control operation there. This is according to officials within the Vector Control Services Department of the Ministry of Health who have explained that the bolstered effort is linked to the gold rush activities associated with the rise in the price of gold.

Since the latter part of last year the Ministry of Health has been gauging and infiltrating the mining regions with the aim of keeping the surge in malaria at bay.

Newly appointed Director of the Vector Control Services within the Health Ministry, Dr Reyaud Rahman, said that the efforts were intensified at the start of this week. He disclosed that a team, comprising a Senior Vector Control Officer, a Microscopist and a driver, from the Central Malaria Unit, was dispatched to Mahdia, Region Eight, as part of this effort which is being dubbed an Emergency Operation.

This strategic move, according to Dr Rahman, is being undertaken in collaboration with those persons employed in the Vector Control Department of the Region.

“They will be going out with our senior person as the supervisor and basically they will be doing fogging in Mahdia, indoor residual spraying, reviving of some health clubs and Community Councils and they will also be distributing some treated bed nets to mining camps,” said Dr Rahman.

The Region, since the commencement of this year,

Mr Keith Moore

Dr Reyaud Rahman

David Williams

was in receipt of approximately 5,000 of these nets of which about 2,000 have already been distributed to residents and mining camps. Some of the remaining nets will be distributed to mining camps that have not yet been covered by regional vector control officers, disclosed Dr Rahman.

However, he noted that the existing efforts are sometimes undermined since some of the targets for bed nets refuse to utilise them.

The treated bed nets are procured by the Ministry of Health at a cost of about US$50 each.

“A lot of people, particularly the miners, know the importance of the nets but they don’t use them. They know the importance of the nets but they prefer to leave them with family,” said the Vector Services Director.

In order to address this challenge, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with various entities, including the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, the Geology and

Mines Commission and the Forestry Commission. Efforts are being made to bring on board the Forest Products Association and the Women Miners’ Association.

This move, according to Dr Rahman, is expected to “strengthen our activities. We recognise that we need partners because if the miners are not going to listen to us then we believe that other persons must come on board because at the end of the day, when they are not producing because they are not healthy it impacts these organisations and the whole country and we look as if we are not doing our job.”

The Vector Services Director said that collaboration has been proving to be excellent even as he disclosed that the vector control workers have already been able to establish good relations with officials from the collaborating organisations.

“We just need to scale up our activities a bit more to make an even more meaningful impact,” added Dr

Rahman.

As part of the scaled up efforts Regional Vector Control Coordinator, Keith Moore, informed that vector control teams were dispatched in a Regions-wide mission to assist the regional malaria teams in an attempt to carry out some surveys.

This, he said, is required since there are limitations in the Region in this regard. “So we will go to all of the Regions in the areas we consider to be hot spot areas...those are

A 20-year old vendor from Enmore, East Coast Demerara was yesterday placed on a total of $950,000 bail by Magistrate Zamilla Alli when he appeared before her at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court on three separate traffic charges.

Mahase Persaud was charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving under the influence of alcohol and another charge of dangerous driving.

The charges stem from a horrific accident on the Nabaclis public road last Sunday night which resulted in the death of pedal cyclist Patrick Lester, called ‘Palace’.

Persaud was not required to plead to the causing death by dangerous driving charge

for which he was granted bail in the sum of $800,000.

However he pleaded not guilty to the charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and dangerous driving, and was granted his pre-trial liberty in the sum of $100,000 and $50,000 respectively.

Persaud was represented

by Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos who indicated that he will challenge the validity of the breathalyser test that was performed on his client.

The test allegedly found that Persaud was way above the legal limit of alcohol consumption for driving purpose.

The attorney also expressed concern that his client was held by the police since Sunday and was not

allowed to make contact with his attorney.

The Magistrate noted the concerns and set April 3, next, for Persaud to return to court.

She also ordered that his passport be lodged with the police.

It is being alleged that on Sunday last, Persaud while driving his Toyota Alteeza, slammed into a parked Mitsubishi Lancer before striking down Patrick Lester who was standing with his bicycle some 50 yards away.

The car then continued onwards before crashing into a wooden fence 40 yards away, depositing Lester in the nearby yard.

Lester died while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital a few hours after the accident.

Man, 20, on $950,000 bail for Nabaclis fatal accident

areas where there is large transmission of malaria and we will carry out interventions like spraying, mass blood surveys and investigations,” disclosed Moore, who has been within the department for more than four decades.

With Mahdia and its surrounding areas being the initial target, Moore revealed that there are plans to move on to the Kamarang area as well. “When we are finished we will go to other areas specifically Regions One, Seven and Parts of Region Nine too. So our plate will be quite filled for a couple of months...”

He intimated that there is likely to be a noticeable spike of cases since the mission will see the vector control teams reaching to locations that were previously inaccessible.

“We will see some positive cases, so before it dips it will get higher and you know when cases start to rush up everybody will say there is a problem....but it is just that we are covering areas that were never covered before.”

Once treated, the cases will dissipate, Moore noted,

even as he made reference to plans to include parts of Region Ten in this initiative.

According to Senior Operating Inspector, David Williams, among the areas in Region Ten to be visited are 58 Miles and 47 Miles where there are mining areas that have been affecting most of the people that live there.

“What you find now is that people are getting infected because of the mining activities so we will be spraying and doing mass smears there as well.”

He noted that although such works were done there in the past, this has not been the case for a while. He explained that the residents there had previously been involved in timber work but now most are engaged in gold mining since the rise in the gold price.

“Now everybody just leaving the timber industry and are going into mining and people from all parts of the country who are at high risk of malaria are coming there to work and the vector is present there and the disease is spreading,” added Williams.

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Parliament under attack, President tells Berbicians Guyana’s Parliament is under attack, President Donald Ramotar told the crowd of party supporters at Babu John, Corentyne, on Sunday. He accused the opposition of wanting to walk on the Constitution, “and destroy the constitution that guarantees us our fundamental rights”.

“One of the first things that Cheddi Jagan did, was to make the Parliament Building serve only parliament and every other office had to be removed from there because of the respect that he had in parliament.”

Ramotar added that we are “seeing an attack on the parliament”.

When the People’s National Congress (PNC) was in government, he stated, they misused the parliament “and stopped it from functioning.

Cheddi Jagan himself was stopped from speaking for five years in the parliament!”

Ramotar added that the opposition today wants to destroy the parliamentary democracy. “We had warned then at the last elections; we made mistakes—but we warned that a vote for the AFC was a vote for the PNC—two sides of the same coin—passing Bills that are unconstitutional, preventing an elected member from speaking!”

The opposition, he stated, is using some of the worst tactics to attack the government. Commenting on

Donald Ramotar

the Linden Commission of Inquiry (COI), the Guyanese leader said that the opposition wants to blame Minister (Clement) Rohee.

“They sent an ultimatum to me, to say that if I don’t remove Rohee, we will have consequences to pay—They went to Agricola, burned the road, beat people, robbed people and fondled women, had children and babies sleeping late in the nights on the road—AFC and PNC and APNU. They did all of that to try to undermine our parliament and democracy!”

He added that the COI has

exonerated Minister Rohee.

He lashed out at the Speaker of the National Assembly, “who was forced to rescind his decision—he didn’t do it from the goodness of his heart—but that he had to do it”.

“He went to the court and the court decided that he was wrong and he ignored it again; they kept on ignoring and even took Rohee to the Privileges Committee and they eventually had to defend themselves—he was forced to come out and announce that they were wrong and Rohee had a right to speak.”

“Nagamootoo recently said that he did not vote for the President’s Pension Bill—and jumped up like a jack-in –the- box…until the Hansard was produced to show he was a liar…

It goes to character—the same man who is walking about the place to sugar workers—is a liar, a corrupt individual, corrupt intellectually.

He accused Nagamootoo of shopping for positions in the AFC. “There is no other dishonesty as intellectual dishonesty and intellectual corruption”.

and Publishing Company seeking $50 million in damages for libel.

The writ included a photocopy of what purports to be a certificate of accreditation that expires on March 20, next, from the National Accreditation Council Guyana.

The woman who goes by many names including Nanda Kissoon and Nandranie Kissoon, also set up the ‘Inter-American Nursing School’ which was shut down several times by the Ministry of Health by the then Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy.

Back in 2009, Kissoon was arrested following complaints by scores of students to the Brickdam Police Station. She was ordered to refund students in excess of $250,000. She did make some restitution.

And, Dr Ramsammy has said that the Inter-American Nursing School which was located in Cummings Street

may be engaged in fraudulent activities.

He made clear that it had not been accredited by his Ministry.

Prior to 2009, the woman paraded under the alias of Dr. Nevita Basdeo, the owner of a laboratory called Instant Lab; another establishment which was investigated by then Health Minister Dr Ramsammy and the Health Ministry.

The woman disappeared soon after.

This is the third time that the woman has resurfaced after defrauding large numbers of students.

These students say that they are even willing to go to the courts with the support from their fellow students.

Kaieteur News understands that the woman and her establishment are being investigated by the Ministry of Health following reports in the media of the concerns expressed by students.

Students report bogus nursing school principal to cops

- calls on other students to come forward Some present and past students of the Guyana Health Care Education Institute located on Robb Street (next to Scotia Bank) are taking their concerns to higher authority.

Yesterday, they made a report to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), with the hope that they would be refunded their monies. Several of the students who have completed their courses say that they are yet to receive any form of certification.

These students have made the first move towards “getting justice”, and are calling on their fellow students, both past and present, to join them in their quest to have the operator of the institute jailed.

“These students need to

be more serious.

They need to understand that this woman doesn’t make any sense.

The sad part is that many of them know that, and yet all they do is just sit at home stressing over the money that they have wasted.

“This is the time when we need to put an end to this woman and her games or else she gon continue to do it to other people. Just like how we started out clueless and incurred losses, just so other people gon be,” one student noted.

It has been about one year since this nursing school has been in operation. Last week Ms Nanda Kissoon filed a writ against Glenn Lall, Adam Harris and National Media

Gold jewelry theft crisis in Barbados Theft of gold jewelry has reached such an alarming level in Barbados that the police on Tuesday declared a crisis and issued a nationwide warning against wearing jewelry in public.

An increase of these mostly violent crimes has seen no one spared with reports of these acts being carried out in recent months against tourists and residents, the young and old, and in households across the island.

In reaction, the tourism industry and other businesses, nong o v e r n m e n t a l organisations and the police have been clamouring for the closing or tight regulation of enterprises that offer to buy used gold jewelry at premium prices. Legislators have approved an adjustment to the law on purchases on this metal to make such transactions more accountable.

While waiting for that amendment to become part of the law, the police jumped in Tuesday advising persons not to wear their expensive adornments in public until the gold-snatching is curbed.

“The Royal Barbados Police Force at this point and time is advising members of the public not to wear gold in public places. We are in a crisis situation.

Daily persons have been targeted with respect to having their jewelry stolen, so that has prompted us to issue this warning,” said police spokesman, Inspector David Welch on midday radio Tuesday.

The police advisory came one day after a representative of a nongovernmental organisation for the elderly, Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP), at a media conference, expressed fears for the welfare of seniors in the face of this violent crime.

BARP’s membership accounts for a majority of elderly persons living in Barbados.

“I know that chainsnatching is happening against persons at all levels of society, but the elderly would be an easy target, and we’ve had several of our members complaining about this,” said Executive Manager Elsa Webster at a media conference Monday.

Newspaper pages carry daily advertisements from dealers offering instant cash for gold, and showcases of certain stores in shopping areas display banners inviting persons to turn in their possessions of this

precious metal for much needed money.

Government has responded with introduction of amending legislation compelling legitimate dealers to pay for gold received by cheque and to have records kept of the sellers’ passport or other national identification.

“We want to take the cash out of cash for gold,” explained Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite in January, when the legislative amendment was passed in parliament.

“It should serve as an additional deterrent to those individuals who are now involved in this illegal trade,” he added.

Owners of businesses failing to comply face a BDS$50,000 (BDS$1 = US$50cents) fine or 10 years’ imprisonment.

But, while joining the chorus for more regulation of the trade, the cash-for-gold companies that legally conduct business say there are many underground operations that do not go by the rules.

Further, owners of these registered operations say they rarely encounter persons of questionable character seeking to offload a cache of precious metal, but deal with average middleclass people who are short on cash for a variety of reasons.

No explanation, however, sits well with operators in the tourism industry and the country’s administrators who fear that attacks against vacationers may drive away business from this tourism-dependent island.

The Barbados Nation, a newspaper, on Monday quoted an owner of two major hotels voicing outrage at robberies of gold jewelry carried out against four of his guests within days of each other last week.

“This thing can get out of hand.

If we don’t start taking action, we can lose the thing that has fed us as a country.

If tourism crashes, we could have social unrest in Barbados,” the hotelier said.

Tourism has its own woes owing to a declining world economy, and needs no help in its downward spiral.

According to the central bank, performance of this industry which has an average contribution to GDP of 11.5 per cent over the past eight years contracted 3.5 per cent overall in 2012.

As a measure of its importance to the economy, it brought in Bds$126.5 million out of BDS$216.2 million earned in the tradable sector last year.

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Miners’ body condemns alleged police beatings of miners - govt. says extractive sector is transparent Miners are calling for a full investigation following the airing of video which showed a police rank beating a female in the goldfields over the weekend.

According to the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association (GGDMA), it is condemning what it concluded is the continued illegal activities by miners at Marudi Mountain, Region Nine.

The body also looks forward to the commitments given by the Commissioner of Police, Leroy Brumell, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and expects that the investigation will be complete and fair.

“The association stands by its support for the Guyana Police Service and the Guyana Geologies and Mines Commission (GGMC) in their efforts to deal with illegal mining, raiding, and noncompliance by some in the mining sector.”

The video, of the beating which occurred at Marudi on Saturday, has sparked widespread anger and disbelief and showed a policeman, backed by armed

personnel, cutting a makeshift baton and then badly whipping some miners who were protecting a woman.

The miners and policemen involved are to be questioned by city investigators and were reportedly flown out that ‘backdam’ area.

According to GGDMA, persons were stopped from mining on lands that have been granted to Romanex Guyana Exploration Ltd under a Mining Licence Agreement, which runs until 2029.

“Several persons were given Cease Work Orders (CWO) and Orders to Remove since they were breaking the mining regulations. They continued to occupy and mine on the property.”

GGDMA said it has a zero tolerance policy on illegal mining. However, the mistreatment of miners and fellow citizens by a few members of the Guyana Police Service (GPS) cannot be condoned, regardless of the circumstances.

GGDMA said it viewed the actions of the identified police personnel as excessive and unnecessary.

Disrespect President of the GGDMA,

A photo of the alleged beating of the miners at Marudi Mountain, Region Nine.

Patrick Harding, explained that miners depend on the police for support and security and in return miners have to respect the law and regulations established. He said GGDMA will not condone illegal mining and the smuggling of gold out of Guyana. This is especially so as gold production by these miners is not being recorded as declared to the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) and or to

licenced buyers.

“GGDMA will continue to speak out against illegal practices and urge all to respect the mining laws and regulations. The association is of the opinion that whilst the miners at Marudi Mountain (Region Nine) were carrying out illegal mining activities, the brutal treatment by some members of the police team, and non support by the others to protect the miners, reflect disrespect for the rights and protection of Guyanese citizens.” The members of the Guyana Police

Service were at the time accompanying a team from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission to investigate reports of illegal mining and occupation of the lands under licence to Romanex Guyana Exploration Ltd. when the incident occurred.

Over the weekend, Commissioner of Police, Leroy Brumell, ordered an immediate investigation and vowed that action will be taken against the ranks who have already been identified.

Miners of that Region

Nine area have been locked in a battle with Romanex for a number of years now, with the matter even engaging the attention of the court.

However, most of the miners have admitted that they have been operating illegally on some of the lands under the Romanex licence.

Meanwhile, the Ministry in a statement said it is committed to work closely with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to ensure that the mining and minerals industries of Guyana are free from corruption.

Book of Condolences opens for Chavez

Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds signs the Book of Condolences as Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana, Margarita Arratia Diaz looks on.

The Book of Condolences for Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez was opened for signing yesterday, at the Venezuelan Embassy on Thomas Street in Georgetown. Those who have already signed, include Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Public Works Minister,

Robeson Benn. This was done in the presence of Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana, Margarita Arratia Diaz.

Hinds, commenting personally on Chavez’s death, said that it was a great loss.

Venezuela, via Chavez,

has had good relations with Guyana. The Prime Minister said that he hopes that this continues.

Minister Benn said that he has had the pleasure of meeting Chavez whom he described as an extraordinary person.

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Robbed Corriverton taxi driver seeks release of car The Corriverton taxi driver who was attacked and shot by armed bandits last November is yet to recover his vehicle from the police.

The vehicle is still impounded in the compound of the Springlands Police Station in Corriverton.

The taxi driver said that the detention of his car is severely hampering him from making his daily bread to support his wife and three children, who have all but dropped out of school due to a financial meltdown.

On November 11, last, 31year-old Jermaine Dover of Lot 432 Number 77 Village was operating his hire car, HB 3172, as usual when he picked up two men at Number 76 Village, Corriverton. He was later brutally attacked in the vicinity of Moleson Creek.

The bandits left with the vehicle and cash. The vehicle was recovered a few days later in West Coast Berbice.

Dover nearly lost his life. He spent several days in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the New Amsterdam Hospital.

The men were later caught, charged and jailed.

Since that time, Dover has been unable to recover the

vehicle, his main means of making a daily bread for himself and family. He is suffering.

Dover is claiming that the Magistrate, Krishendat Persaud, “does not want to release the vehicle to him” and he believes this is unfair, since the suspects told the court that it was not their vehicle. He also related that the matter is also out of the police hands since they said that they cannot do anything about it. He believes the official is making him suffer.

He produced all related documents proving that he is the owner of the vehicle. “I gave evidence but it is the same pushing around with the car. The bandits admitted that the car was not their own. The magistrate asked the number two accused if he got any problem releasing the car to me and the suspect told the court ‘no’.”

He told this newspaper that the magistrate asked that the car be given a second inspection after which bloodstains were found inside. “He asked the female prosecutor if they did tests on the stains and she said ‘no’.

“He locked up back the

Dover showing his medical expenses, bank book and vehicle ownership particulars

car…and yesterday [Friday] the car supposed to hand over but he said till April 15.

Dover said that not being able to operate the hire car is affecting him a lot, since he

also has a bank loan on his house.

“I got four children who go to school…and this thing really getting me frustrated now—how the magistrate has

me. Look all my car papers here...my registration, my agreement of sales—all this I keep walking with!” he complained.

“I don’t know if he

victimizing me or what (is) the case; only left for me to get frustrated. I done owe the bank for four months, but bank will understand a little fine situation but how long will they understand me?”

One of my children missed his exams—he failed—I don’t have money to send them to school.

I don’t work anywhere else…and I am pleading to see what can happen.

Dover last visited court on Friday, March 1 and was told that the case was deferred to April 15. “It’s so it deh all the time…this week—next week...this week...next week…”

The man has not fully recovered from his injuries.

He still has a bullet lodged in his shoulder and a lens in his eyes; and owes a Corentyne doctor over $400,000. “If I could able to work I would pay out some of my debts. Right now, I still have to do a surgery to remove a bullet in my shoulder—but money, money—why the magistrate won’t release my car; I don’t know what the reason”.

Efforts to contact Magistrate Krishendat Persaud proved futile.

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MOURNING VENEZUELANS PARADE CHAVEZ’S COFFIN, PREPARE FOR ELECTION CARACAS (Reuters) Shattered supporters of Hugo Chavez paraded his coffin through the streets of Caracas yesterday in a flood of emotion that allies hope will help his deputy win an election and keep his selfstyled revolution alive.

Tens of thousands of “Chavistas” marched behind a hearse carrying the remains of the flamboyant and outspoken president, draped in Venezuela’s blue, red and yellow national flag.

Loudspeakers played a recording of the charismatic socialist singing songs. Some supporters held heart-shaped placards that said: “I love Chavez!” Others cheered from rooftops, waving red Tshirts.

Ending one of Latin America’s most remarkable populist rules, Chavez died on Tuesday at age 58 after a twoyear battle with cancer that was first detected in his pelvis.

His body was taken to a military academy yesterday to lie in state for three days before a state funeral.

The future of Chavez’s leftist policies, which won him the adoration of poor Venezuelans but infuriated opponents who denounced him as a dictator, now rests on the shoulders of Vice President Nicolas Maduro, the man he tapped to succeed him.

“We ask our people to channel this pain into peace,” Maduro said.

Maduro, a 50-year-old former bus driver and union leader, will probably face Henrique Capriles, governor of Miranda state, in an election now due within weeks in the OPEC nation with the world’s largest oil reserves.

The stakes are huge for

the region, given the crucial economic aid and cheap fuel the Chavez government supplied to allies across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Venezuelan debt prices fell on Wednesday as investors opted to lock in gains chalked up in anticipation of Chavez’s death, citing short-term political uncertainty.

Authorities said the vote would be called within 30 days, as stipulated by the constitution, but did not specify the date.

One recent opinion poll gave Maduro a strong lead over Capriles, in part because he has received Chavez’s blessing as his heir apparent, and he is likely to benefit from the surge of emotion following the president’s death.

The tall, mustachioed Maduro has long been a close ally of Chavez. He immediately pledged to continue his legacy and is unlikely to make major policy changes soon.

Maduro will now focus on marshalling support from Chavez’s diverse coalition, which includes leftist ideologues, business leaders and radical armed groups called “colectivos.”

Some have suggested he might try to ease tensions with Western investors and the U.S. government. Yet hours before Chavez’s death, Maduro alleged that “imperialist” enemies `had infected the president with cancer and he expelled two U.S. diplomats accused of conspiring with domestic opponents.

A victory by Capriles, 40, a centrist politician who calls Brazil his model for Venezuela, would bring big changes and be welcomed by business groups, although he would probably move cautiously to lower the risk of political instability.

“This is not the time to stress what separates us,” Capriles said in a condolence message, calling for unity and respect for the loss that many felt after Chavez’s death.

“There are thousands, maybe millions, of Venezuelans asking themselves what will happen, who even feel fear ... Don’t be scared. Don’t be anxious.

Between us all, we’re going to guarantee the peace this beloved country deserves.”

Military commanders pledged loyalty to Maduro, who will be Venezuela’s caretaker leader until the election.

Soldiers fired 21-gun salutes in barracks across Venezuela at 8 a.m. to honor Chavez.

It was not immediately clear where Chavez would be buried. He had ordered a striking new mausoleum built in downtown Caracas for the remains of independence hero Simon Bolivar, his inspiration, and it is due to be finished soon.

“To the pantheon!” shouted Chavez supporters during yesterday’s parade, which was led by Maduro walking just in front of the cortege.

Much of Caracas was quiet overnight, with streets deserted, especially in wealthier districts. Many shops locked their doors in fear of looting as news of Chavez’s death spread. There were long lines outside gasoline stations.

Hundreds of emotional “Chavista” loyalists stayed outside the military hospital where he spent his last two weeks. A female TV reporter from neighboring Colombia was beaten up, and gunshots were fired in the air.

“Chavez lives, the fight continues!” supporters

The coffin of Venezuela’s late President Hugo Chavez is driven through the streets of Caracas after leaving the military hospital where he died of cancer, in Caracas yesterday. REUTERS/Jorge Dan Lopez

Venezuelan supporters in the streets to mourn the loss of their president. shouted.

A stony-faced Bolivian President Evo Morales flew in yesterday to join the mourning. The presidents of Argentina and Uruguay also arrived before dawn, state media said.

“I have no words for such pain. We don’t know whether to shout or cry,” said 39-yearold government worker Kimberly Garcia, her eyes swollen from tears.

State oil company PDVSA said its installations were functioning normally, and the Central Bank president said Venezuela’s economy was unaffected.

Condolences flooded in from around the world ranging from the Vatican and the United Nations to allies like Iran or Cuba.

U.S. President Barack Obama was less effusive about a man who put his country at loggerheads with Washington, saying his administration was interested in “developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government.”

Opponents at home hoped for a fresh start.

“Chavez was very dominant and used the powers of state in a very discretional way, as though this was his own estate,” Juan Vendrell, a 58-year-old engineer, said in a wealthy neighborhood of Caracas. “I would like a change and for institutions and democracy to be restored.”

Chavez led Venezuela for 14 years and had easily won a new six-year term in an election in October, defeating Capriles.

His folksy charisma, antiU.S. diatribes and oil-financed projects to improve life for residents of long-neglected slums created an unusually powerful bond with many poor Venezuelans.

That intense emotional connection underpinned his rule, but critics saw his autocratic style, gleeful nationalizations and often harsh treatment of rivals as hallmarks of a dictator whose policies squandered a historic bonanza of oil revenues.

The nationalizations and strict currency controls under Chavez frightened off investors. Even some of his followers complained that he focused too much on ideological issues at the expense of day-to-day problems such as power cuts, high inflation, food shortages and violent crime.

The government declared seven days of mourning.

Chavez’s health weakened severely just after his reelection on October 7, possibly due to his decision to campaign for a third term instead of stepping aside to focus on his recovery.

“His legacy will be the transformation of Venezuelan political culture, putting social inequality and poverty alleviation at the top of the political agenda,” said Diego Moya-Ocampos, a Venezuela analyst.

“However, that came at the cost of greater authoritarianism in government and challenges to democracy as he sought to consolidate his leadership.”

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IMF says “significant progress” made by Antigua and Barbuda ST. JOHN’S, Antigua CMC – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Antigua and Barbuda has made “significant progress” towards meeting the goals of its fiscal consolidation programme and reduce debt and that it expects the economic recovery to continue in 2013.

An IMF mission headed

by Geoffrey Bannister has ended a visit to the island to carry out a review of the multimillion dollar Stand By Agreement, Antigua has with

the Washington based financial institution.

The team held talks with Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, Finance Minister Baldwin Spencer as well as other stakeholders within the public and private sector.

“The authorities have made significant progress towards meeting the goals of their fiscal consolidation programme, to restore debt sustainability and lay the foundations for sustainable growth, despite a challenging international economic

environment and domestic financial sector problems,” Bannister said. He said fiscal consolidation and debt restructuring lowered the debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio from 102 per cent in 2009 to 89 per cent last year in spite of a large economic contraction during this period.

“Reforms in revenue administration and public financial management have helped strengthen public finances. All of this provides a solid anchor for economic

recovery and growth, which is already bearing fruit.

“Real GDP grew by 1.6 per cent in 2012, led by a recovery in tourism and construction, the latter related to government initiatives. This welcome economic expansion is the first since 2008. We expect the economic recovery to continue in 2013,” Bannister said.

He said that the focus of the mission was to assess the performance of the local and confirm fiscal targets for 2013.

“Although the fiscal

outturn in September 2012 was below programme targets, performance in the final quarter of 2012 was strong and the performance criterion on the overall fiscal balance for end-December was met with a small margin.

“Tax revenue was 1.4 per cent of 2012 GDP higher than in 2011, a commendable achievement that shows structural reforms in revenue administration are starting to produce results. The government also controlled expenditure effectively, keeping it well within program targets throughout the year.

“For 2013, the fiscal programme is consistent with a central government primary surplus of 3 percent of GDP and a central government overall surplus of 0.3 per cent of GDP. This includes a substantial increase in capital expenditure over 2012 levels in order to rebuild critical infrastructure and bolster the recovery,” Bannister said.

But he noted that while notable progress has been made on the structural reform agenda, there have been some delays and a number of benchmarks remain to be completed in the next three months.

He said good progress

continues to be made on public financial management, civil service and public enterprise reforms, with ongoing technical assistance and that progress has also been made on improving tax compliance both within and outside the government.

Bannister said passage of amendments to the Tax Administration and Procedures Act (TAPA) are also necessary, and the authorities are committed to taking the amendments to Parliament for approval before May 31 this year.

He said appropriate legislation regarding the financial sector is expected by mid-May, adding that “good progress” has been made in improving compliance with standards for AntiMoney Laundering/ Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT).

“The authorities continue to demonstrate strong commitment to the policies and objectives of their Fiscal Consolidation Programme, and recognize the importance of strong macroeconomic, financial and structural policies in achieving the goals of their National Economic and Social Transformation plan,” he said.

Heavy police presence after homes, businesses firebombed in Trinidad PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – CMC – National Security Minister Austin ‘Jack’ Warner, warning that “no one area should hold this country to ransom” is promising to intensify security in the volatile Laventille area after several homes were destroyed by fire bombs over the past few days as rival gangs continue their turf war.

“The bulk of the murders in the country, 41 per cent of the murders in the country is taking place in one particular area, so one area of the country literally is holding the country to ransom and I go forward to say one small group of men is doing that.

“That is why we have to intensify what we are doing and you will hear, you will read that we are carrying out an exercise in Laventille from Wednesday until Monday which will be unprecedented,” Warner said.

More than 100 police officers have already moved into the Laventille area, along the east-west corridor, after several homes and businesses were firebombed over the past 72 hours.

Police say two more

Austin ‘Jack’ Warner houses were destroyed on Tuesday night and are bracing for even more reprisals as the gangs battle each other.

Parliamentary representative for the area, Marlene McDougal told reporters that she has “never seen this type of behaviour on my constituency.

‘This is the first time I have seen this deviant type of behaviour,” she said, adding that the “war’ is taking place between gangs separated by a street in the area.

“It pains me to see what is happening,” she added.

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Prime Minister Gonsalves says Chavez’s death has left ‘a void’ KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent - CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves yesterday joined his Caribbean Community (CARICOM) colleagues in acknowledging that the death of Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez has left a void and many of his tasks unfinished.

“Those of us who have been toiling with him and the Bolivarian movement in the vineyard of our people’s movement, materially, socially and culturally, must bind ourselves ever more tightly together to still the uncertainties and finish his tasks in the on-going journey for the further ennoblement and advancement of our people,” said Gonsalves.

Describing Chavez as his “very close friend and comrade”, Prime Minister Gonsalves said that he would seek to work closely with Vice president Nicolas Maduro and the Venezuelan government.

Gonsalves described the announcement of Chavez’s death following a prolonged battle with cancer, as “sad and

numbing and heart-rending.

“A titan of Latin America and the Caribbean has been taken from us at the relatively young age of 58 years. A beckon, a guiding light has been extinguished in flesh; a light which illuminated and not blinded us in our quest for peace, justice, democracy and humanity, particularly the poor, the disadvantaged and the marginalised,” he said.

He described Chavez as “a philosopher of 21st Century socialism, a believer in core Christian principles, a practical political figure, a leader who knew how to draw out and did draw out of his people that which was good and noble in them and oft times to draw out of them the goodness and nobility which they themselves did not as yet know that they possess”.

Gonsalves said Chavez, who first came to office in 1999, was a democrat who won three presidential elections, two referenda, several parliamentary elections.

“He was a nationalist, an ardent promoter of nationalism in Latin America

and the Caribbean, anti– colonialist and antiimperialise to the core and a devoted and loving father,” Gonsalves said, adding that he was first told of President Chavez during a private meeting in September 2001 with former Cuba president, Fidel Castro.

“Fidel told me then that there is a historic force that is arisen in Venezuela by the name of Chavez. In time, I came to know firsthand Fidel’s

assessment of Hugo as someone who loves people, especially the poor and working people, who hated injustice and who was possessed of an abundance of generosity of spirit and solidarity with fellow fighters for justice, peace and genuine democracy.

“Without Hugo Chavez, there would have been no PetroCaribe, no ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America) and

no Community of States of Latin America and the Caribbean. “ He was the vital bridge between Latin America on the one hand and the Caribbean on the other. My country and others in the region have been huge beneficiaries from all of these initiatives of Chavez and more. I shall remember him for his honestly, his wit and his camaraderie,” Prime Minister Gonsalves added.

Dr. Ralph Gonsalves

Cabinet minister’s son jailed in United States HAMILTON, Bermuda CMC – The 25-year-old son of a Bermuda cabinet minister has been jailed for 18 years in Florida for a string of violent offences.

Tyler Abbott, son of the Minister Without Portfolio Leah Scott, received the sentence after a plea bargain.

US law enforcement authorities said that Abbott had threatened an 87-year-old woman and stole her purse and led police on a highspeed chase that ended in a car crash last March.

He also threatened a 92-

year-old woman at a store in Boynton Beach and remains a suspect in several robberies under investigation by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. County jail records show Abbott has been arrested at least six times since 2009 for charges ranging from aggravated assault to burglary, possession of drug equipment and parole violations.

Scott, an attorney who attended the court proceedings, told the Royal Gazette newspaper she had raised her son the best she

could, but he was addicted to drugs. She said his father walked in and out of his life, leaving her to raise him as a single mother.

“It’s very painful and raw for me. I did everything that I could for him – everything.

We travelled. He was educated. I made sure that he was involved in sports. But you can’t make the choices for your children. I’ve had people say to me that I’ve gone over and beyond what they would have done as a parent, but that’s my child and I will support him.

“My son was a crack addict and for the first time, since he was incarcerated, he has been clean for a year. Is this what I would have wanted for my son? No. But my prayer was that he would always know who God is, and he does now,” she told the newspaper.

Scott broke down in tears and had to be comforted by Governor George Fergusson when she was sworn in as a cabinet minister following the One Bermuda Alliance’s victory in last December’s general election.

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U.S. House passes funding bill, Obama reaches out to Senate (Reuters) - Legislation easily passed the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday to avert another partisan budget battle and a possible government shutdown, as President Barack Obama also opened new lines of communication with Republicans.

By a vote of 267-151, the House passed a measure to fund government programs up until the end of the fiscal year on September 30. The Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to pass a similar bill next week.

Without such legislation federal agencies would run out of money on March 27.

The bill to continue funding the government without last-minute drama came as Obama took the unusual step of inviting Republican senators to dinner last night at a Washington hotel a few blocks from the White House.

In another bipartisan gesture, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that at his suggestion, Obama will join Republicans for a lunch on Capitol Hill on March 14.

The meetings, whether or not they produce results, depart from what has been an at best stand-offish relationship between Obama and Congress.

They suggest that Obama and Republicans are getting the message that public patience with Washington is wearing thin, particularly as Americans read of inconveniences they may soon confront at airports and elsewhere as a result of across-the-board cuts to the federal budget that kicked in Friday after lawmakers and the White House failed to agree on an alternative.

“This is the first indication in really a long time that the president is willing to exert leadership and bring people together and that’s exactly what needs to be done,” said Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who has spoken by phone in recent days with Obama.

At the heart of the bitter U.S. budget dispute are deep differences over how to rein in growth of the $16.7 trillion (11.1 trillion pounds) federal debt. Obama wants to narrow

the fiscal gap with spending cuts and tax hikes.

Republicans do not want to concede again on taxes after doing so in negotiations over the “fiscal cliff” at the New Year. Despite the scheduled dinners and meetings and the vote on funding the government, few expect those differences to be resolved any time soon.

Some Republicans remain sceptical of Obama’s overtures. “This president has been exceptional is his lack of consultation and outreach to Congress,” said Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the second-ranking Senate Republican.

Cornyn, like Collins, was not invited to dinner with Obama, but he warned that talk of tax increases would be unwelcome. “I don’t know if the purpose of the meeting is social or if he has an agenda.

But if it is about raising taxes, we’re done.”

While Republicans have taken most of the beating in surveys in connection with the so-called “sequestration,” a Reuters/ Ipsos online poll released on Wednesday showed 43

percent of people approve of Obama’s handling of his job, down 7 percentage points from February 19.

Confounding the White House’s efforts to blame Republicans for the cuts, most respondents in the online survey hold both Democrats and Republicans responsible.

As recently as February, Republicans were threatening to use the bill to fund the government, called a “continuing resolution,” to extract spending cuts from the White House.

Instead, the bill they fashioned, which passed yesterday, embraced the $85 billion in automatic spending cuts that were triggered last Friday, while providing some additional spending flexibility to the military and other security operations.

R e p u b l i c a n Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma said his party would like to shift the cuts to

other areas of the budget, noting that there are 20,000 military employees in his Oklahoma district.

“We’ll sit down and renegotiate where they should come from,” Cole said in the House floor debate.

“We think we’ve got some great ideas, but they (the cuts) are going to occur.

They’re the first and appropriate step for getting our fiscal house back in order.”

Many Democrats in the Republican-controlled House voted against the funding bill because it would not give the Obama administration flexibility in carrying out the new, automatic spending cuts for domestic programs such as education. Last month, Democrats had sought to replace about half of the automatic spending cuts with tax hikes on the rich.

“This bill falls short in a number of areas, but most of all because it does nothing to

Barack Obama prevent the loss of 750,000 jobs that will result because of the sequester,” said Representative Chris Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee.

Obama is also trying to get Republican cooperation for comprehensive immigration reform and legislation to reduce the level of gun violence in the United States.

U.N. set to sanction three North Koreans, two entities: draft UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council is set to blacklist two North Korean enterprises and three individuals working for North Korean entities involved in arms trade and Pyongyang’s missile program, according to a draft resolution.

The draft, which the United States delivered to the council on Tuesday, was the product of three weeks of bilateral negotiations between the United States and China in response to North Korean’s third nuclear test on February 12.

The 15-nation council plans to put it to a vote today at 10:00 a.m. (1500 GMT), Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, council president for March, said yesterday.

The resolution, which council diplomats say is intended to bring the North Korea sanctions regime more in line with tough U.N. measures in place against Iran, would have the council “expressing the gravest concern at the nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea).”

The three individuals to be blacklisted include Yon Chong Nam, chief representative of the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID), which has been under U.N. sanctions since 2009.

KOMID is North Korea’s

primary arms dealer and main exporter of goods and equipment related to ballistic missiles and conventional weapons, the draft says.

Yon’s deputy at KOMID, Ko Chol Chae, is also to be blacklisted, along with Mun Chong Chol, an official at Tanchon Commercial Bank.

Tanchon was added to the U.N. blacklist in 2009 as the main North Korean financier for sales of conventional weapons and ballistic missiles, and goods related to assembly and manufacture of conventional arms and missiles.

The North Korean entities to be blacklisted include the Second Academy of Natural Sciences, which the draft says is “a national-level organization responsible for research and development of the DPRK’s advanced weapons systems, including missiles and probably nuclear weapons.”

The other is Korea Complex Equipment Import Corporation, a subsidiary of Korea Ryonbong General Corporation.

Korea Ryonbong was blacklisted in April 2009. The draft resolution says it is “a defense conglomerate specializing in acquisition for DPRK defense industries and support to ... military-related sales.”

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said on Tuesday that the new draft resolution “builds up,

strengthens and significantly expands the scope of the strong U.N. sanctions already in place.

She said the new sanctions would target “the illicit activities of North Korean diplomatic personnel, North Korean banking relationships, (and) illicit transfers of bulk cash.”

The draft resolution says council members are “concerned that the DPRK is abusing the privileges and immunities accorded under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic and Consular Relations.”

Envoys say the new resolution may open the door to possible expulsions of North Korean diplomats around the world, some of whom they say are involved in illicit transfers of cash and other activities intended to help North Korea flout sanctions.

Echoing language used in sanctions resolutions on Iran to crack down on Iranian financial activities, the draft calls on U.N. states not to open any “new branches, subsidiaries, or representative offices” of North Korean banks and not to engage in any joint ventures or correspondence relations with them.

The draft also calls for ending a loophole that has enabled Pyongyang’s elite to skirt the U.N. ban on luxury goods approved after North (Continued on page 25)

Thursday March 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Italy’s Bersani seeks way forward after vote impasse ROME (Reuters) - Italian center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani, under fire for falling short in last week’s election, sought yesterday to rally his party behind a plan to form a minority government backed by populist leader Beppe Grillo.

Bersani, whose coalition threw away a 10-point lead in the opinion polls before the February 24-25 vote, won control of the lower house but let slip a workable parliamentary majority by failing to win the Senate.

The result has left no group able to form a government on its own and Italy facing weeks of uncertainty. A new election could be called within months if no accord can be reached between the divided parties.

In an address to officials of his Democratic Party in Rome, Bersani, a 61-year-old former industry minister, acknowledged that the result was a defeat but said the left was the only political force capable of forming a government.

“We are ready, if called on, to propose a government of change based on a core program,” he said. “Its purpose will be to open the way forward for parliament.”

Bersani outlined an 8point platform to be brought before parliament, ranging from stimulating growth in Italy’s stagnant economy to cutting bureaucracy and cracking down on corruption.

He ruled out any agreement with center-right

Pier Luigi Bersani

leader Silvio Berlusconi, whose scandal-tainted government fell at the height of the euro zone debt crisis in 2011, saying a deal would be neither “credible nor feasible”.

Behind his refusal to ally with Berlusconi lies an uncertain calculation which leaves Bersani dependent on the unpredictable Grillo, whose rebel 5-Star Movement was the big winner in the election with more than 25 percent of the vote.

Bersani said it was up to the ex-comic, who has ruled out both formal alliances and backing for any government in a confidence vote, to show whether he was prepared to act responsibly.

“Someone who obtained 8 million votes and who chose to go into parliament, not remain outside it, has to say what he wants to do for Italy with these votes,” he said.

Parliament sits for the first time on March 15, after which President Giorgio Napolitano is expected to begin formal

consultations with party leaders on March 19 to assess whether a government can be formed.

Without a vote of confidence, no government could function, so it is unclear how Bersani could form even a minority administration unless Grillo reverses his refusal to give formal assent.

Bersani won support from most party leaders speaking at the meeting but he is under increasing pressure over the election setback, with 38-yearold Florence mayor Matteo Renzi seen as the most likely successor in the longer term.

Bersani has been widely criticized for the center-left’s uninspired campaign, which failed to match either Berlusconi’s political flair or Grillo’s ability to tap into public anger at the waste and corruption in much of the political system.

Renzi has pledged his loyalty to Bersani, who beat him in last year’s center-left primary to choose an election candidate, but he said on Tuesday he would stand

Iran arrests political editor of reformist paper (Reuters) - Iran arrested the managing director and political editor of a pro-reform daily yesterday, with the semi-official Fars news agency saying their detentions were linked to the publication of a letter from a former president about media freedom.

With a presidential election three months away, Iran’s clerical leadership appears to be tightening its grip on the media to avoid a repeat of the protests that erupted after the disputed reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009.

Fars agency quoted the daily Maghreb’s editor, Amir Mousa Kazemi, as saying that the arrests “can be related to the publication of Mohammad Khatami’s letter” on Tuesday.

In the letter, the moderate former president, succeeded

by Ahmadinejad, said he

hoped Maghreb would continue to work alongside the “few remaining independent” publications in the country.

Khatami publicly backed defeated candidate Mirhossein Mousavi during the 2009 presidential election, which reformists said was rigged. Iran denied the accusation and has put Mousavi under house arrest for more than two years, along with fellow opposition leader Mehdi Karoubi.

With Iran’s main reform leaders detained, Khatami has sometimes been the voice of the moderate opposition movement. The paper said on its website it had sought his opinion about its work, which resulted in his letter’s publication.

ISNA, the Iranian Students’ News Agency, said managing director Mohammad Mehdi Emami Nasseri and political editor

Alireza Aghaeirad were detained by agents from Tehran prosecutor’s office.

Iran’s pro-reform publications have often reported on an economy struggling under Western sanctions imposed over Iran’s disputed nuclear programme, and feature criticism of Iranian government policies.

Iran arrested dozens of journalists in January over their links to “antirevolutionary” media. Some of them have been released in recent days. The Iranian leadership regularly accuses Western governments of trying to foment social unrest through subversive media activities but says that such plans will never succeed.

Many moderate journalists were detained following the mass street protests that were crushed by security forces after the last election.

again in the future. He left Wednesday’s meeting early without speaking.

“Bersani has given us a compass to navigate the crisis, which will be very complicated,” former Prime Minister Massimo D’Alema told the meeting.

However in a sign of the tensions within the party, he warned against rejecting the center-right as Bersani has done.

“The right exists,” he said.

“I regret the fact that at such a dramatic moment it is not possible in this country to respond with national unity.”

A formal vote is expected after Bersani speaks again at around 6 p.m. (1700 GMT).

Although Grillo has ruled

out supporting Bersani in a confidence vote, the centerleft’s program contains many points which could win support from the 5-Star Movement, which rode a wave of anger against the austerity policies imposed by Prime Minister Mario Monti’s technocrat government.

Bersani proposed moving away from “the cage of austerity” and said he would

lead a “correction to European stability policies” which had created a level of hardship that was putting the future of democracy at risk.

He also promised a range of policies to help those hit

by Italy’s longest recession in 20 years, as well as tough anti-corruption measures and an attack on bureaucracy and waste in the bloated political system.

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Thursday March 07, 2013

Cameron talks tough, wants bonus plan tweaks LONDON (Reuters) Prime Minister David Cameron said yesterday he wanted to ensure EU plans to limit bankers’ bonuses did not threaten the national interest, but it later became clear that Britain is only seeking minor changes to what is almost a done deal.

Britain was left isolated at a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday after it failed to water down new European union rules that will cap bankers’ bonuses, a measure that could threaten London’s

dominance as a global financial centre.

In a lively exchange in parliament with the leader of the Labour party, Cameron struck a defiant note on Wednesday, using language that stoked speculation his government might be contemplating invoking its national interest to try to delay or amend the draft EU directive.

“There is an important issue here. There are some important British national interests,” Cameron told

UK ups Syria opposition aid, says EU must ready for more steps LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said yesterday it would increase aid to Syrian opposition forces, including supplying armored vehicles, and warned that Britain and the European Union must be ready to take further steps if no political solution to the crisis is found.

“In our view if a political solution to the crisis in Syria is not found and the conflict continues, we and the rest of the European Union will have to be ready to move further, and we should not rule out any option for saving lives,” Foreign Secretary William Hague told parliament.

parliament.

“We are responsible for 40 percent of the EU’s financial services ... (and) we want to make sure that international banks go on being headquartered here in the UK.” But his official spokesman later made it clear that Cameron’s language did not signal any change in tactics on the issue and played down the idea that Britain might try to delay the legislation by arguing it threatens its national interest.

“The right thing to be doing is for there to be this process of discussion over the implementation of this directive,” the spokesman told reporters, saying Britain would be seeking technical amendments in talks in the weeks ahead.

The issue is a tricky one for Cameron. On the one hand, he is under pressure to be seen to be protecting the City of London, a sector that former European Commissioner Peter Mandelson has likened to Britain’s “golden goose”, underlining its importance to the $2.5 trillion (1.6 trillion pounds) economy.

But bankers have become public hate figures since the 2008 financial crisis and are regularly castigated by voters and politicians, making it politically difficult for Cameron to style himself as their defender.

Ed Miliband, the leader of the Labour party, yesterday accused Cameron and the Chancellor of being the only people who felt it was “a priority to fight for bigger bonuses for bankers”, using a by now familiar line of attack that tries to cast Cameron, who hails from a privileged background, as someone who rules for the rich at the expense of the poor.

But Cameron, who regularly accuses Labour of having mismanaged the economy before he came to power in 2010, said bankers’ bonuses were a quarter of what they were under Labour.

“I don’t have to listen to the croupier in the casino when it all went bust,” he shot back at Miliband.

Earlier on Wednesday, Bank of England official Andrew Bailey - who will be in charge of day-to-day regulation of British banks

from April - also criticised the EU proposals, saying the rules would not make bankers take fewer risks.

Limiting variable bonuses would simply push up the fixed part of bankers’ remuneration, making it harder to cut costs in a downturn or claw back pay in cases of malpractice, reducing the incentive for bankers to think long-term, he said.

“Losing those two incentive mechanisms before we get to a solution for the ‘too big to fail’ problem is something that concerns me,” he told legislators reviewing British banking law.

However, both he and the

David Cameron Bank Governor Mervyn King played down the longer-term significance of the bonus rules for Britain’s position as a financial centre. A bigger threat was that banks were still too large and complex to shut down if they got into trouble, King said.

Thursday March 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Syrian rebels seize UN peacekeepers near Golan Heights BEIRUT (Reuters) Syrian rebels have seized a convoy of U.N. peacekeepers near the Golan Heights and say they will hold them captive until President Bashar al-Assad’s forces pull back from a rebel-held village which has seen heavy recent fighting.

The capture was announced in rebel videos posted on the Internet and confirmed yesterday by the United Nations in New York, which said about 20 peacekeepers had been detained.

The seizure, the most direct threat to U.N. personnel in the nearly twoyear-old uprising against Assad, came on the day that Britain said it would increase aid to the opposition forces and the Arab League gave a green light to member states to arm the rebels.

The regional Arab body also invited the opposition Syrian coalition to take Syria’s seat at a League meeting in Doha later this month. Syria was suspended in November 2011 in response to its crackdown on protests which since spiralled into civil war.

The peacekeepers of the UNDOF mission have been monitoring a ceasefire line between Syria and the Israelioccupied Golan Heights, captured by the Jewish state in a 1967 war, for nearly four decades.

Israel has warned that it will not “stand idle” as Syria’s civil war spills over into the Golan region.

The United Nations in New York said its peacekeepers had been detained by around 30 fighters in the Golan Heights.

“The U.N. observers were on a regular supply mission and were stopped near Observation Post 58, which

had sustained damage and was evacuated this past weekend following heavy combat in close proximity at Al Jamla,” it said, referring to a village which saw fierce confrontations on Sunday.

It did not say the nationality of the observers but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group which is in contact with the rebel brigade said they were Filipino.

In one rebel video, a young man saying he was from the “Martyrs of Yarmouk” brigade stood surrounded by several rebel fighters with assault rifles in front of a two white armoured vehicles and a truck with “UN” markings.

“The command of the Martyrs of Yarmouk...is holding forces of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force until the withdrawal of forces of the regime of Bashar al-Assad from the outskirts of the village of Jamla,” the man, who was wearing civilian clothes, said.

At least five people could be seen sitting in the vehicles wearing U.N. light blue helmets and bullet-proof vests.

“If no withdrawal is made within 24 hours we will treat them as prisoners,” he said, accusing them of collaborating with Assad’s forces to push the rebels out of Jamla.

Nearly two years since the uprising started, rebels are distrustful of a United Nations that they say has failed to support their cause.

Earlier on Wednesday the United Nations said the number of refugees who have fled Syria had reached 1 million, part of an accelerating exodus from a conflict which is approaching its second

anniversary with no prospect of an end to the bloodshed.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague, pledging support for Assad’s opponents, said the civil war had reached catastrophic proportions and that international efforts to stem the violence had been an abject failure.

Senior U.S. and Russian diplomats will discuss the conflict at a meeting in London on Thursday, Russia said, the latest in a series of meetings aimed at seeking an end to the bloodshed.

But Hague said the chances of getting an immediate political solution to the crisis were slim and that diplomacy was taking too long. However, he played down the prospect of direct We s t e r n military intervention.

“If a political solution to the crisis in Syria is not found and the conflict continues, we and the rest of the European Union will have to be ready to move further, and we should not rule out any option for saving lives,” he said, though he added that no Western government advocated military intervention.

At a registration centre for Syrians in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, a 19year-old mother of two registered on Wednesday as the millionth refugee to flee her country.

“The situation is very bad for us. We can’t find work,” said the teenage mother, wearing a green headscarf and holding her daughter as she spoke to reporters.

“I live with 20 people in one room. We can’t find any other house as it is too expensive. We want to return to Syria. We wish for the crisis to be resolved.”

U.N. set to sanction three North...

From page 22 Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006. Until now, countries were left to decide what constituted luxury items and many states have not agreed on any list of banned items.

The draft names a few specific luxury goods it wants banned along with other items individual states consider to fall in that category: yachts, luxury automobiles, racing cars, jewelry with pearls, gems, precious and semi-precious stones and jewelry using precious metals.

Once the new resolution is approved, countries will be required to inspect any suspicious land, sea or air cargo, including luxury goods.

Pyongyang was hit with U.N. sanctions for its 2006 and 2009 nuclear tests, measures that were subsequently tightened and expanded after several rocket launches. In addition to the luxury goods ban, there is an arms embargo on North Korea, and it is forbidden from trading in nuclear and missile technology.

A Filipino United Nations peacekeeper stands next to a U.N. vehicle before it crosses from Israel into Syria at the Kuneitra border crossing on the Golan Heights. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (POLITICS TRANSPORT) Syrians started trickling out of the country 23 months ago when Assad’s forces shot at pro-democracy protests inspired by Arab revolts elsewhere.

The uprising has since turned into an increasingly sectarian struggle between armed rebels and government

soldiers and militias. An estimated 70,000 people have been killed.

Around half the refugees are children, most of them aged under 11, and the numbers leaving are mounting every week, the United Nations refugee agency said in statement.

“With a million people in flight, millions more displaced internally, and thousands of people continuing to cross the border every day, Syria is spiralling towards full-scale disaster,” U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said in a statement.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday March 07, 2013

Thursday March 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

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DTV CHANNEL 8 08:55 hrs. Sign On 09:00 hrs. This Morning 10:00 hrs. Live! With Kelly and Michael 11:00 hrs. Roseanne 12:00 hrs. The View 13:00 hrs. Prime News 13:30 hrs. The Young and the Restless 14:30 hrs. The Bold and the Beautiful 15:00 hrs. DTV’s Festival of Biblical Movies for the Lenten Season: “Solomon” 17:30 hrs. Family Feud 18:00 hrs. World News 18:30 hrs. The Wayans Bros 19:00 hrs. Greetings and

Guides are subjected to change without notice

Thursday March 07, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You want to race ahead, but something is telling you to retreat. Although you might display a veneer of pessimism today, you secretly believe that it will all work out fine. Trust your instincts and rise above your tendency to doubt yourself.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You have important issues on your mind, but circumstances may not give you the time you need to develop your ideas into useful ones.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Everywhere you look you see signs that advise you to stop and think things through before opening your mouth. Most of the time, you prefer jumping in and figuring out where you are going as you are talking, but this isn’t such a great strategy today.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Although your conversations at work may become emotional today, you still feel comfortable with the topic of discussion.

You’re revitalized with the prospects of getting to the core of the matter.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Your thoughts appear to be out in the open now, even if you are still withholding something personal. There may be another layer of your emotions lurking just beneath the surface, and unless you feel completely safe, no one will ever know.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Logical analysis comes naturally to you Virgos, and today you can use your mental sharpness to be at the top of your game.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) It’s hard to accept that things are getting better, yet they truly are improving now.

You just need to get through the next couple of days of intense planning and realistic thinking.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You are looking at your long-term personal goals through a very practical filter now. It isn’t that you have lost your ability to imagine an idyllic future; it’s just that your dreams are more likely than ever to manifest as reality.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Your current path in life is moving you into deeper places and you’re along for the ride. There are many lessons to learn now as you turn your attention toward deciphering what’s motivating you in your search for meaning.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You want to spend more time with others now, but not just for lighthearted play.

There are critical subjects on your mind and you need feedback from the people that you trust the most.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Discomfort arises if others don’t take you as seriously as you want. You’re in a productive phase and you want to be recognized for your hard work. Don’t worry if your coworkers aren’t even aware of your efforts today.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) It’s not easy to relax and enjoy yourself today because there are too many practical issues weighing on your mind. You might prefer to postpone the fun and games until you have taken care of business.

Page 27

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Kaieteur News

Thursday March 07, 2013

Lights to be installed at Albion Sports Complex -Musco Lighting awarded contract tested.

“A meter will be used to test the lights when it is finished; six galvanized steel poles will be installed which will be of 33 meters in height.

The lights will be powered by a generator or local power source and there will also be a lot of savings in relation to the amount of Diesel that will be consumed since energy saver lights will be used,” he added. He also said that they will give a 10 year warranty.

Minister of Sport Dr. Frank Anthony said this project was

Minister of Sport Dr. Frank Anthony presents the contract to Project manager of Musco Lighting Brad Chelesvig in the presence of PS Alfred King, Patrick Pitt and Bryan McNulty.

Albion Sports Complex, the venue for the first one day international match in the Caribbean will soon be installed with lights.

The contract, which has been awarded to Musco Lighting, was signed yesterday at the Minister of Sport Dr. Frank Anthony office in Main Street.

Bryan McNulty, Assistant Director of International Sales of Musco Lighting said that they are happy to work with the Ministry of Sport on the project.

He stated an illumination study was done on the ground for night cricket like the other grounds in the Caribbean. Project manager

Brad Chelesvig, indicated that they will ensure the product is installed correctly. He said they were involved in Sports Science business since 1976 and does two thousand projects annually.

Chelesvig said they also did a number of venues at the London Olympics. He stated that the lights will be

on the cards for a long time and it will enhance not only cricket but other nightly activities in the county.

Anthony stated they are pleased to have Musco Lighting on board. “They have also installed lights at the National Park, Gymnasium and the National Sports Hall and so far we have gotten good service.

This project will change the dynamics of cricket in Berbice since more people are playing Twenty\20.

Albion also hosts the

Berbice Expo and we want to upgrade the ground and make it a premier venue for sports in Guyana.

We also had discussions with the club and the RDC in terms of its maintenance,” stated Anthony.

He indicated the products will take about 6 to 10 weeks to arrive after it is manufactured and we are hoping that the project will be completed within a minimum of 6 months.

The project will cost approximately US$235,000.

::: Letter to the Sports Editor :::

Are the Essential Pillars of Football being overlooked?

DEAR SIR, Reference is hereby made to the above caption as it relates to the recently concluded 6th edition of the Fruta Conquerors/Namilco sponsored Knockout Competition that was won by Alpha United, with a come from behind 3-1 win over Santos, in the finals.

This was preceded by host Fruta Conquerors capturing the third place playoff, edging out GDF 2-1, in the opening encounter of a double header at the Tucville ground, on 24.02.13.

While mention must also be made of the launching of the Slingerz Football Club, which from all indications is an automatic affiliate of the West Demerara Football Association, wherein the three major components of the sport are administration, coaching and officiating (refereeing)! However, its administration that remains the most important, since it determines the level of any sport.

As a consequence it was extremely disheartening to have read of eventual winners Alpha United’s, decision to withdraw prior to the commencement of the tournament then to have a change of heart, and play!

But what of the recently crowned K&S Champions, Buxton United, who opted out after securing a loss upon the resumption of the GFF’S Super League? And last but definitely not least the withdrawal of Beacon, whose President is a Vice President of the GFA? Editor, of significance it must be noted that both Alpha and Beacon are affiliates of the GFA, and are inclined to answer to its parent body for its withdrawal

if requested but definitely not at Conquerors insistence, as a public release in the news media had outlined, since the GFF, would have the overriding authority to impose any sanction (s) if the situation so desires due to the fact that participating teams came from more than one association.

This now brings me to the pertinent point – coaches must coach; administrators must administrate and referees must referee.

While Alpha’s position to withdraw was known to me prior to the tournament’s commencement, in relation to the compilation of the fixtures, such a position however should have been documented to the club, GFA and the GFF. Moreover, the club’s debriefing that would have been the ideal forum to ventilate the views. But this shouldn’t have escaped both the GFA and the GFF, due to the fact that seedings in any knockout tournament ought to be above board, and definitely not as lopsided as Namilco’s.

Who, did the fixtures, was it the club’s coach? If, so, then he shouldn’t have, since he’s not an administrator! And to make matters worse the marketing towards enhancing gate receipts was also poor.

Wherein one half of the draw featured the best of the teams namely: Alpha United, Pele, GDF, Western and Camptown. The other half consisted of hosts Fruta Conquerors, Santos, GFC, N.A.UTD and Police. On a pertinent point, if such a situation had occurred in the Kashif & Shanghai K.O, or the Mayor’s Cup, what would have been the public’s

perception?

In the group stage of the World Cup Finals, FIFA would never have Brazil, Germany, Netherlands and Argentina in one group, and another consisting of Jamaica, Japan, Algeria and South Korea! Further, does one have to go all this length, in pursuit of winning a tournament? Or towards enhancing the hosts’ image that had entailed a feature match in the semifinals against Santos, while the national club champions Alpha United playing GDF in the curtain raiser.

Finally, since “there is always more in the mortar, than in the pestle”, then maybe the GFF executive should explain publicly via a press release if there was/is any comprise in granting Slingerz FC full-fledged affiliation to the West Demerara FA since to the best of my knowledge, in accordance to constitutionality by Georgetown’s standards that should be the benchmark in all associations. “Affiliation is only granted at the Annual General Meeting or the HalfYearly”, Did this occur, or was a Special General Council Meeting convened to deal specifically with the affiliation?

Further does the club have a constitution? Was an AGM convened with the relevant Elections of Office Bearers? If not, then the administration of football as an essential pillar in the sport is being overlooked! But this should come as no surprise, since the President of the WDFA, is a former coach of a city side, who in my estimation is a rookie administratively.

Respectfully Yours, Lester Sealey.

Thursday March 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 29

MCYS/NSC /AL Sport & Tour Promotions Female Windball Cricket Tournament...

COVENT GARDEN, IPE PLAY UNBEATEN

Covent Garden Secondary made an impressive start to the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport (MCYS) / National Sports Commission (NSC) / Al Sport & Tour Promotions Inter-Schools Female Windball Cricket Tournament after beating Camille’s

Institute of Business & Science Studies by 4 runs.

Played at the National Park Tarmac, Covent Garden led by a record opening partnership between Kaysia Schultz (48*) and Marcia Singh (29*) reached 99-0 off the allotted 6 overs.

Camille’s Institute for

Business & Science Studies (CIBSS) in their reply ended on 95-3 with Leanna Gilkes 23, Genell Clenkion 19 and Teresa Garnett 11, being the principal scorers.

Institute of Professional Studies then defeated Young Women’s Christian Association by 9 wickets.

Velez fans banned after trouble at Libertadores Cup match

Fans of Argentina’s Velez Sarsfield throws objects at fans of Uruguay’s Penarol during their Copa Libertadores soccer match in Montevideo, February 26, 2013. REUTERS/Andres Stapff (Reuters) Velez Sarsfield’s fans have been banned from away matches up to the Libertadores Cup semi-finals after causing trouble at Penarol in a clash of former champions last week, the Argentine club said.

Velez, winners in 1994, must also host the Uruguayan five-times champions at El Fortin in Buenos Aires behind closed doors when they clash again in Group Four next Tuesday.

A club statement said the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) had also fined them $100,000 after fighting between rival fans at the Centenario in Montevideo. Penarol were fined $14,000, Uruguayan media reported.

The Argentine champions are “prohibited from selling visitors’ tickets to Velez supporters for the remaining group matches, round of 16, quarter and semi-finals should the team reach those stages,” said the statement on their website (www.velezsarsfield.com.ar).

Velez will appeal after Thursday’s official announcement by CONMEBOL of the

sanctions, the club added.

The sanctions are similar in part to those imposed on title holders Corinthians after a young Bolivian supporter was killed by a flare launched by fans of the Brazilian side at their Group Five match at San Jose in Bolivia two weeks ago.

Corinthians were ordered to play all home matches behind closed doors until further notice and their fans banned from away games.

Velez and Penarol will be vying for outright leadership of Group Four. They both have six points from three matches. Emelec of Ecuador have six from four matches after beating Deportes Iquique of Chile 2-1 at home on Tuesday.

CONMEBOL, acting more strictly and quickly this year than has been their custom on incidents in South America´s often violence-marred elite club competition, also ordered a ban of one match on Sao Paulo´s Morumbi stadium.

Sao Paulo will play fellow Brazilians Atletico Mineiro at another venue on April 17 in Group Three.

Atletico lead the group with six points after two matches. They are at home to Bolivia’s The Strongest on Thursday when Sao Paulo, who have three points, host Argentina’s Arsenal.

Sagicor HPC players...

From page 32 Marlon Samuels and Kemar Roach have been named to play alongside the members of the Sagicor High Performance Centre and both teams will be allowed to use 13-players-per-side with 11 allowed to bat.

“This is a big opportunity to make a statement. We have players who have come back from their territories having performed well [in Regional 4 Day and Super 50] and we have players who have played a few rounds, as well as others who are looking for a n o p p o r t u n i t y, ” We s t noted.

“Every player recognises what this game provides for them and we want to see a positive approach. They will

get to play alongside Kemar and Marlon and give them a measure of where they are.”

SQUAD: Kyle Hope (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Yannick Carriah, Sheldon Cotterell, Miguel Cummins, Jason Dawes, Andre Fletcher (Wicketkeeper), Trevon Griffith, Jahmar Hamilton (Wicketkeeper), Keddy Lesporis, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels and Jomel Warrican.

Graeme West (Head Coach) and Rodney Alkins (Team Manager).

MATCH OFFICIALS: Umpires: Gregory Brathwaite, Nigel Duguid Third umpire: Ryan Willoughby Match Manager: Henseley Robinson

The victorious Covent Garden team poses for Kaieteur Sport following their win over Camille’s Institute of Business & Science Studies recently.

Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) who was making their return to the competition after an absence of 15 years batted first and made 48-4 with Mackesha Ramalho 10, the topscorer.

Institute of Professional Education (IPE) replied with 52-1, Cynthia Rampersaud 37.

Covent Garden returned the next day to beat North Georgetown Secondary School by 55 runs.

Covent Garden taking first strike erased their own record

for the first wicket when openers Singh and Schultz compiled 110-0. M. Singh 55*, K. Schultz 49*.

North Georgetown Secondary School (NGSS) who was also out of the sport since 1996 in their turn at the crease were restricted to 55-5 when the overs expired.

Keisha Gordon hit a top-score of 18, while Ashaye Sandy contributed 17. IPE then registered a comfortable 9 wickets triumph over CIBSS. CIBSS 57-2, Dianna Persaud

11, Leanna Gilkes 11, Genell Clenkion 13. IPE replied with 581, Ashile Mohan 27, Lilawattie Persaud 11. YMCA beat NGSS by 17 runs. YWCA 764, Omica Gibson 19, Tandeika Kirton 10. NGSS 59-2, Bibi Anloo 18, K Gordon 14.

Meanwhile, in the inaugural U-13 triangular Windball cricket tournament, Queen’s College won the title after defeating IPE in the final.Tutorial High, also participated in the competition.

Page 30

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 07, 2013

GSL\Regal SCC\Mike’s CC\Star PR\Trophy Stall\ Salod’s MA cricket...

Kingston slams century as Regal stops Savage Samuel Kingston stroked a swashbuckling 104 as Regal Masters defeated Savage Masters by 83 runs when play in the Georgetown Softball League\ Regal Stationery and Computer Centre\ Mike’s Copy Centre\ Star Party Rentals\Trophy Stall and Salod’s Marketing Agency cricket tournament continued last Sunday.

In the Over-35 category, at GNIC, Regal Masters batted

first and rattled up 215-4 off their allocation of 20 overs, Linden Lyght backed up Kingston with 62 as Rama Malone snared 2-27. Savage in reply made 132 before they were bowled out in 19.3 overs.

Falim Mohamed scored 32 while extras contributed 45.

Khalid Haslim grabbed 3-10 and Satro Seeraj 2-16 for the victors. Regal Masters got the better of Parika Defenders by 7 wickets. Parika Defenders

managed 112 all out in 16.5 overs with Danny Rambarran top scoring with 41, while extras assisted with 25. Khalid Haslim picked up 3-23 and Mahendra Hardyal 2-24.

Regal then responded with 114-3 in 12 overs. Erick Thomas led with 29 and Hardyal chipped in with 25.

In the open category at the said venue, Regal XI

overcame Flashers XI by 10 wickets. Flashers were bowled out for 44 in 7.3 overs after taking first strike. Jagdeo Chan was the only batsman that reached double figures with 10; Pritivnauth Motilall and Safraz Esau captured 3 wickets each for Regal who responded with 45 without loss in 2.1 overs. Chien Gittens made 17 and Ganesh Narine 16.

Regal XI hammered Walking Tall by 195 runs.

Regal posted 231-4 in 12 overs, batting first. Esau led the scoring with 73 while Gittens supported with 44.

Walking Tall were skittled for 36 in 8.4 overs in reply.

Motilall and Ricky Sergeant were the main wreckers with 4-11 and 3-2 respectively.

(Zaheer Mohamed)

Panama City, Panama Defending U-17 World Cup champion Mexico will face Honduras and Cuba, while host Panama will meet Barbados and Jamaica in the first round of the 2013 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship.

The tournament draw, which was held today and conducted by CONCACAF General Secretary Enrique Sanz at the Hotel Sheraton Panama, determined the firstround opponents for the April 6-19 event. Host Panama and Mexico, by virtue of its 2011 World Cup finish, were

pre-seeded into Groups A and D, respectively.

“We are very excited about this tournament, which will showcase the next generation of our Confederation’s upcoming talent,’ said CONCACAF President, Jeffrey Webb, during his opening speech.

“We wish the best of luck to all the qualified teams and hope one of the four teams representing our region at the World Cup will retain the title of World Champion.”

The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, the

winners of which will qualify for the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, October 17November 8.

It will be the first time Panama has staged the CONCACAF finals and the first time a 12-team CONCACAF Under-17 tournament will be held in Central America since 1994 in El Salvador.

All tournament matches will be held at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City and the Estadio Agustin “Muquita” Sanchez in La Chorrera.

Mexico has won the

Samuel Kingston

2013 CONCACAF U17 C/ship draw held in Panama CONCACAF Under-17 title a record four times, while defending champion United States captured the crown on three occasions.

2013 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship April 6-19, 2013 at Panama (Panama City & La Chorrera) FIRST ROUND GROUPS Group A: Panama, Barbados, Jamaica Group B: Canada, Costa Rica, Trinidad & Tobago Group C: United States, Guatemala, Haiti Group D: Mexico, Honduras, Cuba

Thursday March 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Milo / Petra Organisation Schools Under-20 Football Tourney...

Page 31

WICB 4 Day tourney Rd 1V...

Knockout phase starts Ramdin, Simmons, Bravo today with double header hit half centuries for T&T

(FLASHBACK) Part of this year’s action in the Milo U-20 Schools Football Tournament.

With the lesser skilled teams already eliminated following the completion of the preliminary phase, the real action in this year’s Milo / Petra Organisation Schools Under-20 Football Tournament begins today with a double header, at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.

In the opening fixture, Christ Church takes on Richard Ishmael from 14:00 hrs and that will be followed by the clash between Queen’s College and St. George’s at 16:00 hrs.

Christ Church who finished third in Group A is anticipated to have a hard task getting past the in-form Richard Ishmael, a team that played unbeaten in the round robin segment, winning all three of their matches.

Once again the lethal Kristoff Watts is expected to lead the charge for victory for Richard Ishmael and he will rely on the services of fellow teammates such as Ray Stanton, Orandy Roach and Ronald Dover to supply him with accurate passes.

Christ Church on the other hand will be looking to Andre Trotz, Nyron Joseph, Kadeem Blackman and Jon Best to deliver the win.

The Queen’s College versus St. George’s matchup should see the latter start as favourites to win judging from their performances in the preliminary phase.

The deadly Royston Dublin along with the equally potent combination of Sean Taylor, Quincy Caveril and Oseal Small might be a little too much for the Queen’s College unit to handle, but then again with the lose and go home scenario in effect, no team should be underrated.

Queen’s College who did not look that impressive in the earlier phase will be led by Stephen Rutherford and Jayadev Mana to spearhead their quest for victory.

Meanwhile, the top four schools will receive cash awards which will go towards the creation of a project of their choice.

The champion school will receive $200,000, runner-up $100,000, third place $50,000

and fourth $25,000. All four institutions will also be given medals and trophies, while the Most Valuable Player, Highest Goalscorer, Best Goalkeeper, Best Coach and Most Supportive Parent will be recognised for their achievements.

Meanwhile, below is the schedule of matches for the weekend.

On Saturday 12:00 hrs Charlestown Secondary School v/s Tutorial High School 13:50 hrs Lodge Secondary School v/s Carmel Secondary 15:45 hrs New Campbellville Secondary School v/s Chase Academy On Sunday 12:00 hrs Tucville Secondary v/s North Ruimveldt Secondary School 13:50 hrs South Ruimveldt Secondary v/s North Georgetown Secondary 15:45 hrs Bishop’s High v/s Dolphin Secondary School

Carib Foods Stableford golf set for Saturday The Lusignan golf Club will this weekend host the Carib Foods Stableford handicap tournament.

Saturday’s tournament is expected to attract close to 35 players President of the LGC Jerome Khan said. According to Khan the competition is expect to be keen as most of the players are in reasonable form.

According to Khan, Carib Foods is the Club’s newest sponsor and the executives and members look forward to welcoming them on board.

The line up would include last weekend’s winner Alfred

Mentore as well as Christine Sukhram, Mohanlall Dinnanauth, Kassim Khan, Brian Hackett, David Mohamed, Kishan Bacchus, Dr. Ram Singh, Carlos Adams, Colin Ming, Patrick Prashad, Clifford Reis, Maurice Solomon, Mike Guyadin, Troy Cadogan, Mark Lashley, Ronald Bulkan, William, Walker, Munaff Arjune, Muntaz Haniff, Andre Cummings, Avinash Persaud, Albert Semple, Ayube Ali, Chatterpaul Deo and John Tracey.

Mark Singh, Vice President of Carib Foods, his

company, situated at Croal and Lyght Streets, Georgetown is one of the leading importer and distributor of food products locally. He said Carib Foods was pleased to be sponsoring this weekend’s tournament.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three players as well as Nearest to the Pin. Officials of Carib Foods, Kharishma Narine-Foo, Accounts Supervisor and Christopher Kadir will be on hand to present the prizes to the outstanding golfers.

Tee off time is at 12:00 hours.

Veerasammy Permaul in action against T&T(WICB) Denesh Ramdin, Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo slammed half centuries as Trinidad and Tobago closed day one 269-5 against Guyana at the Queen’s Park Oval, as the fourth round of the West Indies Cricket board 4 day tournament commenced yesterday.

Ramdin is unbeaten on 75 and with him is Imran Khan who is on 41 not out. Bravo stroked 66 while Simmons made 51 as Veerasammy Permaul snared 3 wickets for Guyana.

At the Grenada National Stadium, Windwards Islands were 41 with out loss at stumps in reply to Jamaica first innings total

Denesh Ramdin cuts for four (WICB) of 207. Johnson Charles in not out on 23 while Devon Smith on 17. Earlier Nikita Miller top scored for Jamaica with 55 and Dave Bernard Jnr made 54. Shane Shillingford was the pick of the bowlers for Windwards with 4 wickets while Darren Sammy picked up 3.

At the three Ws Oval, Leeward Islands finished on 62-3 after they restricted Combined Campuses and Colleges for a first innings score of 180. Raymon Reifer led the batting for the CCC with 45; L. Joseph and Gavin Tonge claimed 3 wickets each for Leewards.

Page 32

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 07, 2013

New Zealand v England, 1st Test, Dunedin, 1st day...

OPENING DAY WASHED OUT The opening day of the series was abandoned without a ball bowled in Dunedin as heavy rain swept across the ground shortly after New Zealand had won the toss and put England into bat.

Although there were periods when the rain eased off, and occasionally the groundstaff would make it to the middle, further bursts kept ensuring no mopping process was able to start. The umpires

called the day off after the tea interval and time will be made up over the remaining days, with a 10am start and late finish, although the forecast is not too promising.

The day was dominated by news of Graeme Swann being forced out of the tour for elbow surgery after Monty Panesar had been named in England’s team for this Test. There was also a return for Stuart Broad after

his heel problems.

Despite the overhead conditions, New Zealand handed a debut to left-arm spinner Bruce Martin instead of playing Ian Butler as a fourth seamer. Butler, who hasn’t played a Test since 2004, was called into the squad after Doug Bracewell was ruled out when he cut his foot on glass as he cleaned up after a party.

Martin, 32, was first part

of a New Zealand squad in 2000 but did not get another call-up until the tour of South Africa earlier this year.

New Zealand 1 Hamish Rutherford, 2 Peter Fulton, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Dean Brownlie, 6 Brendon McCullum (capt), 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Tim Southee, 9 Bruce Martin, 11 Neil Wagner, 11 Trent Boult England 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Nick Compton, 3

Graeme Swann has been forced out of the Test but Stuart Broad is back © Associated Press Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Joe Root, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Steven Finn,

10 James Anderson, 11 Monty Panesar Toss New Zealand chose to bowl v England.

Thunder’s Ibaka fined $25,000 for low blow

Oklahoma Thunder’s Serge Ibaka speaks to the media before practice for Game 3 of the NBA basketball finals in Miami, Florida June 16, 2012.

REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity (Reuters) - Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka has been fined $25,000 for striking Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers in the groin area, the National Basketball Association said on Tuesday.

The incident, which occurred as the two players battled for rebounding position during Sunday’s game, was upgraded to a flagrant foul 2 from a flagrant foul 1 after league review.

Sagicor HPC players urged to “make it count” against Zimbabwe BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Graeme West has urged the members of his Sagicor West Indies High Performance team to make the most of the “golden opportunity” when they play against Zimbabwe.

The Sagicor HPC Head Coach gave the advice to the emerging players as they prepared to for action against their more experienced visitors at the Desmond Haynes Oval at the Carlton Cricket Club complex.

The three-day contest will be played from today to Saturday and will be a minimum of 90 overs per day. First ball is 10 am (9 am Jamaica Time).

“We are certainly looking forward to the game. This is a chance for the players and the Sagicor HPC to showcase what we have been doing and

what we are all about since the players came into the programme last June,” West told WICB Media on the eve of the match.

“Individually, we are looking for players to perform and to progress; and collectively, we are looking for a performance which demonstrates the positive manner in which we approach the game and the professionalism we have drilled into the players throughout the programme.”

West added: “Obviously, we want to be as competitive as possible and put Zimbabwe under some pressure because we know that will certainly help the senior team for the first Test next week.”

West Indies players (Continued on page 29)

Thursday March 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 33

t r o Sp

Guyana hosting of first Pakistan Test in limbo G

uyana may not host the first Test match between Pakistan and the West Indies as the owners of the Guyana National Stadium have not signed the International Venue Agreement (IVA) as yet, and the deadline is tomorrow.

Kaieteur Sport understands that while the Government has indicated that the venue is available for the match which is

scheduled for July 16-20, the agreement is incomplete with just the signatures of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) attached.

Initially, Sabina Park in Jamaica has been listed as the alternative venue for the match if Guyana is unable to host it. So it is safe to say the match will take place in Jamaica.

Guyana has not hosted any form of international cricket

since March 2011 when Pakistan was here. This match would have revived the cricket fever among the Guyanese fans, but the wait for international games continues.

Sources close to the Guyana Cricket Board said this development is likely to affect the Regional Fixtures also as both Jamaica and the Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) were slated to play the next two rounds in Guyana. Some are suggesting that the Regional matches can be played at Bourda but considering that the 50-over games are day/night affairs this may yet prove to be another hurdle for the GCB. In an invited comment President of the GCB Drubahadur said, “Guyana Cricket Board is willing, able and prepared to host all cricket but it is up to the necessary authorities to sign the International Venue Agreement before the GCB can indicate to the WICB that everything is in place as regards to the Venue.” He further said that his Board’s Secretary and WICB Director Mr. Anand Sanasie has continued to pursue all avenues to find a solution to this latest issue so that the Guyanese public can see International cricket once again.

The GCB cancelled a planned press conference yesterday and advised that it will be held at 2pm today at the GCB Boardroom, Bourda. Minister of Sport Dr. Frank Anthony told the media yesterday that the signing of the agreement is currently being considered.

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