Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Friday March 08, 2013

US-suspended Marriott supervisory firm…

Background checks conducted? – APNU asks Government’s decision to hire a United States-based firm that has been blacklisted by authorities New York from participating in any of its school contracts until mid2015, has alarmed the main opposition.

According to Member of Parliament for A Partnership For National Unity (APNU), Joseph Harmon, it is clear that government is continuously making a number of serious errors in its due diligence of contractors and consultants that it hires.

M.A. Angeliades, a New York-based US firm, was reportedly handed a US$1M ($200M) contract to supervise the US$51M construction at Kingston. It reportedly then appointed Guyana-born, US-based Romesh Budhram, a quantity surveyor, to represent them on the Kingston worksite.

However, it seemed that Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI) never did background checks or conducted what is known as due diligence on M.A. Angeliades.

In 2011, the School Construction Authority of

APNU MP, Joseph Harmon

AHI’s Winston Brassington

New York, which was building a number of schools in the area, disqualified the firm from participating in its projects until mid-2015. A simple Google check would reveal that M.A. Angeliades was one of the companies disqualified by the authority.

As a matter of fact, it was first on the list.

In addition to that, there were a number of news items that disclose that executives

of the firm pleaded guilty to charges in 2011 that they shortchanged 300 workers and were ordered, under a deal with authorities, to step down for this admitted wrongdoing.

They were also ordered to lodge US$3M in an escrow account to repay the victims.

According to MP Harmon yesterday, government’s continued insistence to allow a single entity to make critical

decisions concerning taxpayers’ dollars, will have far-reaching implications for the country, unless checked now.

He was referring specifically to AHI, a subsidiary of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), and its head, Winston Brassington.

NICIL is a government company that handles privatisation. Its proceeds, however, are not approved by the National Assembly, a development that the parliamentary opposition has been fighting tooth and nail to change.

According to a correspondence sent last August by Brassington to M.A. Angeliades, the firm was being offered US$1,068,000 to supervise the Marriott project.

Harmon made it clear that it was the duty of Brassington to be convinced that the firm was above board before any offer was made.

“Were there any other companies involved? There are a lot of questions that

continue to surround this entire project and the revelations that are coming out are alarming.”

The combined opposition in the National Assembly, APNU and the Alliance For Change (AFC), has been asking questions and is now moving to place Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, before a special committee, after he allegedly failed to provide to the National Assembly answers to a number of questions.

This latest development involving M.A. Angeliades would bring back memories of the US$15.4M contract that was handed to Synergy Holdings Inc., to build access roads to the Amaila Falls hydro electric project site.

There was no evidence that Synergy or its principals were experienced in road building and with the terrain in the hinterland by no means friendly, the prospects of failure were more than likely.

However, government persevered with Synergy despite delay after delay.

In January last year,

government relented under public pressure, and terminated the contract.

“I said it recently and I will say it again…Winston Brassington has to go to jail,” Harmon said.

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 Marriottbranded hotel will reportedly include a restaurant, casino and entertainment facilities.

Recently also, there were protests after revelations that none of the workers at the construction site were Guyanese.

It was later disclosed that through a contract offered by AHI, and by extension the government, the contractor, Shanghai Construction Group, had the discretion to hire its own workers, or even import them, as it did in this case.

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

Friday March 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Longstanding female MPs honoured - APNU “boycotts” event

By Abena Rockcliffe To commemorate International Women’s Day, the National Assembly yesterday hosted a programme that sought to honour women. The event’s main objective was to zero in on works of longstanding female parliamentarians and one parliament staffer.

The event marked the second of its kind; the first being last year when A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Amna Ally was honoured as the longest serving female Member of Parliament while Jaitun Haniff was acknowledged longest standing female member of staff.

The ceremony, held at Tower Hotel was planned with the intention of honouring government Members of Parliament Gail Teixeira, former Deputy Speaker Clarissa Riehl, Indranie Chandarpal, who is also a government MP, and Parliament staffer, Olga Aaron.

However, though an initial programme received by this newspaper indicated that tokens were to be handed to the honourees, this did not happen.

Instead, it was announced that a decision was made for that aspect to be done at a later date; supposedly at the next parliamentary sitting.

This was, from all indications, because of the absence of any APNU representative Word circulating yesterday was that APNU’s move to - as described by government officials ”boycott the event”, stemmed from the party being upset with House Speaker Raphael Trotman, whose initiative it was to carry out yesterday’s proceedings.

Kaieteur News understands that APNU is still peeved about the way the Speaker made his final ruling on the much publicised

“Rohee gag order.”

Parliamentarian Dr. Vindhya Persaud commented yesterday that she was gravely disappointed over the “fact” that one of the major political parties (APNU) couldn’t have seen it fit to set aside “whatever differences, and support an event like this.”

Persaud noted that women are some of the top decision-makers in Guyana and a day where they are being honoured by the National Assembly is one worth being acknowledged by politicians.

“Women are changing the world and play an important role in this country,” she emphasised.

Another female government MP, Bibi Shadick, commented that APNU’s “boycott” was a slap in the face of all Guyanese women.

According to Shadick, she had heard that the party chose to stay away to protest the Speaker “but this is not a political forum, this is all about great women.”

Trotman, when approached for a comment, made it clear that no APNU representative had signaled any intention not to attend the forum.

He noted, however, that he too heard through the grapevine that the party intended not to attend; but no formal correspondence was presented to him.

He advised that last year when APNU MP Amna Ally was honoured she received “full support” from all parties.

Long-serving member and former deputy speaker Clarissa Riehl said she would not comment much on the matter, but she did express the opinion that” rivalries could have been set aside”.

Ally, APNU’s chief whip, said that she could not have given an account as to “why the others didn’t attend. I know I just couldn’t have made it, I can’t speak for the others, but I am not aware of

From left: Olga Aaron, Indranie Chandarpal, Gail Teixeira, and Clarissa Riehl. In the background is Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman any boycott.”

When Member of Parliament and Attorney at Law James Bond was contacted and asked about his absence, he responded that, “I don’t see that as being news.”

Bond was slated to be the Moderator of the programme and was also scheduled to present tokens to one of the honourees.

When asked if he stayed away without informing organizers, and asked to confirm whether or not his party boycotted the programme, the attorney, who once contested for the post of party leader, said “the government knows better than I would, and whether or not I attended, I don’t see it as being news, especially in my capacity as moderator.”

G o v e r n m e n t representatives who were scheduled to speak were also absent, but this publication was made to understand that excuses were given. Also, even though the Alliance For Change had representatives in attendance, persons from that party slated to give remarks did not show up.

Nevertheless, the programme went on. Speaker Trotman, in brief remarks,

cited this year’s theme “The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum.”

He said that women all over the world are gaining momentum.

He then sought to point out Guyanese women who have done so throughout the country’s history, such as Viola Burnham, Janet Jagan, Cheryl Sampson, Jane Phillips-Gay, Amna Ally, Gail

Teixeira and Indranie Chandarpal Trotman used the opportunity to suggest that “we move away from the notion that it’s either you’re with us or against us”. He said that it is time all stand for “the people.”

Also, he noted that he saw the video of the miners being beaten by the police, but singled that it was

barbaric to the extreme to beat a woman and her child The keynote speaker, University of Guyana lecturer Cecilia McAlmont, provided a narrative of the journey of women in Guyana from the days when they were treated as a minority to where they “have arrived as equals”.

Teixeira, said that she is pleased to look at the position where women now stand in Guyana, but believes that more is possible.

“You know we women always want more, so we must strive for that.”

She said that she hopes that this generation of women continues along the path that she walked.

Asked to comment about the challenges for a woman in parliament, she said that she has “learnt to take the good with the ugly” and would recommend that to any interested woman.

“Even if you’re shaking in your shoes, go out and bat.”

Teixeira reflected that she was in politics since she was 19, “…it has been 41 years.”

“I recommend that career women have confidence, selfesteem and be prepared.

We’ve got to be prepared.

Men won’t say give her a break, she is a woman.”

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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

Post-Chavez Caribbean With the passing of Hugo Chavez, the relations between Venezuela and the Caribbean might be up in the air. Since Chavez had battled cancer for the past two years, his demise could not have been a total surprise to the leaders in the region, especially in the last six months as his condition declined precipitously.

While Chavez’s legacy will be debated for years, on one aspect there has to be total unanimity: he was the first Latin American leader who moved beyond rhetoric to include the non-Hispanic Caribbean in his vision of ‘regional unity’.

The question (even though it might be unuttered) on the lips of every Caribbean leader has to be the future of the eighteen-member Petrocaribe oil facility, through which Chavez subsidised the supply of oil to twelve Caricom countries, including Guyana and Jamaica. Cuba was the biggest beneficiary of the scheme.

Unable to reduce oil prices because of the rules of OPEC, Venezuela under Chavez supplied oil under a deferred payment scheme that included the supply of commodities such as rice. Only 5-50% had to be paid up front with the balance repayable over 17-25 years. With Jamaica receiving two-thirds and Guyana one-half of their total petroleum requirements via Petrocaribe, they were able to deal much more positively with their current account balances. If the facility is closed, Jamaica will certainly have to go back to the drawing board with the IMF on the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) presently being negotiated.

While there were firm assurances by Chavez that the facility will continue indefinitely, it is hoped that the Caricom leaders will be meeting urgently to craft common contingency plans. With elections constitutionally due within thirty days of Chavez’s death, even though it is expected that Chavez’s hand-picked successor Nicolas Maduro will be victorious, our leaders cannot be complacent. The conservative forces backing the Opposition, including those from abroad, will definitely be throwing all their weight behind Maduro’s opponent (most likely Capriles Radonski). If the latter wins, the Petrocaribe facility is almost certain to be scrapped.

With soaring inflation, a recent devaluation, high import bills, over-dependence on oil and shortages of everything from meat to toilet paper, the Venezuelan economy is in a downward spiral and the next President, even Maduro, may be forced to concentrate more on domestic issues and rein in the Petrocaribe subsidies.

Our options are severely limited and much will depend on T&T, our only significant Caricom petroleum-exporting member. In the wake of the formation of Petrocaribe in 2005, the then PNM administration had initiated a Caricom Petroleum Fund (CPF). But the successor People’s Partnership regime, claiming new challenging realities, has already initiated moves to reduce its contributions to the CPF. These arrangements will have to be clarified. The Petrocaribe facility, not so incidentally at its last Summit in 2011, had made a commitment to study the possible incorporation of food security into its programs. This is just one more reason for Caricom to reconsider its strategic options.

The Petrocaribe Facility is associated with Chavez’s larger Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA). This is a larger integration project based on the idea of the social, political and economic integration of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. Antigua, Dominica and St Vincent are members of this bloc, while Suriname and St Lucia became observers last year.

It is believed by most observers that while the leftist allies of Chavez might continue to give lip service to ALBA, the future of the more practical Petrocaribe component will take centre stage in the coming months. Because of the close ideological ties with Cuba it is doubtful that its oil supplies will be cut precipitously, but for the rest of the Caribbean, they may have to make alternative arrangements.

For Guyana, Chavez’s greatest contribution was his placing of Venezuela’s claim to Essequibo on Venezuela’s back burner. We can expect that the Venezuelan Opposition will make this an issue in the upcoming elections. All Guyanese should pray that Maduro stays Chavez’s course.

Friday March 8, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

Make the Sexual Offences Act meaningful DEAR EDITOR, As the world gets ready to mark International Women’s Day today, we in Guyana want to know why after three years, the Sexual Offences Act, 2010 is still to deliver justice to the hundreds of victims of sexual offences in Guyana.

We know that close to a thousand sexual offence cases referred to the High Court of Guyana were unable to go forward until the amendments to the SOA passed by the National Assembly were signed into effect by the president of Guyana. This only recently happened.

What this means is that there already exists a large backlog of cases on top of which are the many other more recent sexual offences cases still awaiting investigation and charges.

We are aware that it will take years for these cases to be heard which was one of the compelling reasons for

enactment of the new SOA 2010.

What the SOA 2010 needed and still needs is an overhaul of the way that sexual offences are addressed. There needs to be ongoing specialized training for all sectors of the justice system, health and social services and law enforcement on the provisions of the SOA 2010. The practice of ‘confrontations’ between the accused and victim still continues even though this is specifically repealed in the SOA 2010. The lack of an integrated and comprehensive service and protocols for the treatment and care of victims of sexual violence also needs to be addressed urgently. The responsibility of the state to educate Guyanese about the SOA 2010 has failed to materialize for the past 3 years.

What is equally unacceptable is that the Sexual Offences Task Force, an inter-agency body, whose

overall responsibility, as outlined in the SOA, is to develop a national plan for the prevention of sexual offences and the eradication of sexual violence in Guyana is not being allowed to do its work because the Ministry of Human Services has failed to convene meetings.

This denial of the legal rights of victims and survivors of sexual violence to justice in the Courts of Guyana reflects a callous disregard for the physical and psychological health and safety of thousands of girls, boys, women, particularly persons with disabilities and the LGBT community who are the most vulnerable to for sexual crimes.

We are aware that according to the recent Government of Guyana Report to the United Nations Rights of the Child Committee, an astonishing 224 cases of sexual abuse of children were recorded between January and March,

2012 by the Childcare & Protection Agency (CPA).

Taking into account that this number reflects only reported cases to the CPA, we can assume that the actual number of cases of child sexual abuse is significantly higher as such incidents tend to be severely underreported.

A recent school-based study on sexual violence against girls and females in the Caribbean found that 20 per cent of the first sexual encounters among sexually active adolescents were “forced” or “somewhat forced”.

It is reasonable to assume that these figures hold good for Guyana, and that at least 20 per cent of the 3,000 Guyanese girls who leave school annually due to pregnancy as reported by the Government of Guyana’s January 2013 report to the UN Rights of the Child Report, are probably also survivors of such “forced” or “somewhat Continued on page 7

PERSISTENT FLOODING IN THE KINGSTON AREA DEAR EDITOR, On 12 July 2012 we wrote the Ministry of Local Government expressing our concern at the persistent flooding in the Kingston area, in particular our street, the eastern half of Barrack Street.

We received a response indicating that a team would be visiting the area to assess the problem but to date we have not been informed of action taken (if any).

This untenable situation has continued into 2013. We continue to experience

frequent overtopping of the drains surrounding our home even when there is no rainfall and even when the koker is closed. There appears to be a severe blockage somewhere. This dirty, smelly water overspills and accumulates into our yard, and the constant water logging has eroded the foundation of our property as evidenced from the many cracks in the concrete, and has damaged our bridges, gates and lawns.

The common explanation

given for this type of flooding is that it results from high tides and the threats posed by climate change. But even as we continue to grapple with the realities of climate change, we must not become complacent and neglect our own duties which have to do with cleaning, clearing and sanitizing the alleyways which were constructed from the very outset to facilitate drainage. Barrack Street has three such alleyways that require maintenance.

We recently realized that

we are not alone in this situation since two other institutions, namely: the Pegasus car park and the Mercy Hospital are both experiencing the same problems. Added to this, and not surprisingly, we now have a huge mosquito problem in the Kingston area.

Once again we are appealing to the authorities to address these matters with urgency so as to bring relief to citizens of Kingston.

RESIDENTS OF KINGSTON

Friday March 8, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

All’s not well with the Paradise Multi-purpose cooperative DEAR EDITOR, I have been writing about the situation in the Paradise Multi Purpose Cooperative Society (PMCS) since 2010 but with the exception of a March 2012 visit by Minister of Labour and Cooperatives, Nanda Gopaul there has been not one peep from any parliamentarian, interest group, or media representative on the concerns expressed on these matters.

The Chief Cooperatives Development Officer, Mr. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has been intimately involved in (mis)managing the Society’s affairs since December 15, 2003 is expected to determine when and how the audit is done and who conducts it.

This is a clear conflict of interest that Mr. Abdul-Jabbar has in some six of the eight years that he has been in control is also reporting to himself in his capacity of CCDO. Mr. Abdul-Jabbar has not seen it fit to introduce any development initiative for the benefit of the residents of the

housing scheme.

I have remarked ad infinitum that there is need for a community recreational centre but Mr. Abdul-Jabbar’s response has been that the other residents may not desire such a community space.

Now where on earth will our children go to interact with each other?

Where do we adults and our youths go to discuss community development interventions?

There are just about four hundred occupied house lots in a community of some nine hundred house lots. The remainder consists of empty lots and of unfinished structures with trees growing inside which provide spaces for hostile surveillance and havens for cattle rustlers to use a slaughter houses.

The simple truth is that Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and his committee have been engaged in wholesale selling and transfers of Society’s house lots with no intention of looking at other aspects of what a multipurpose cooperative is all about.

DEAR EDITOR, I have been informed by the media both print and electronic that the Linden Commission of Inquiry has recommended that a financial compensation be given to the families of those who were killed and to the individuals who were injured during the protests/ riots in Linden.

Since the announcement of the compensation I have heard talk from almost every opposition politician about how meagre is the money that is supposed to be rewarded.

I’m honestly under the impression that the opposition politicians are all just fanning the flames. The reason is that the COI has established that the protest was illegal so it is safe to say that those persons who took part and those who will be compensated were all part of an illegal gathering.

Yet those same illegal protestors will be paid almost three times the amount that the family of a Policeman will receive and those Policemen would have been killed in their line of duties which is legal.

I don’t hear the like of Nigel Hughes, Basil Williams et al commenting on the

meagre amount that the families of slain policemen receive.

The family of a slain Policeman receives Guy $1,000,000 whilst the family of two illegal protestors will receive Guy $3,000,000 each; yet still we hear that this amount not sufficient.

On February 23, 2002 in the midst of a prison break two prison officers tried their best to prevent a break out.

One officer lost his life while another officer is now a vegetable. Was a $3,000,000 compensation given out there? The answer is NO. Shortly after the prison break a string of Police Officers were murdered. Have the families of those slain cops ever been compensated with $3,000,000? Recently a soldier died on active duty during a fitness run; again I asked the question, was his family also offered $3,000,000?

To members of the public and to opposition politicians especially, be a bit realistic and rational when using the words meagre and miniature to describe the Linden compensation.

Randy Persaud

Don’t belittle the compensation package

What reason can the CCDO offer for his refusal to advertise in the media for persons who were allotted house lots over ten years ago to come forward and express continued interest in constructing their homes?

Why are residents still being held to ransom by being told that they must pay off for their Title before they can access potable water which they have to go to the office of the CCDO to pay?

This does not happen in any other part of this country; so why Paradise? If that is not a

clear indication of an abuse of public office I am not sure what is.

A petition expressing loss of confidence in Mr. AbdulJabbar and a request that he be made to recuse himself or be removed from intimate involvement in the affairs of the PMCS was sent to the Minister of labour during July 2012 but to date it is business as usual.

Why are we continuing to ignore misfeasance by lower level public officials because of some perceived commonality of identity?

Invariably it is this perception which enables and perpetuates the type of injustice which now pervades our community.

His Excellency speaks of communities being hubs of economic development but that memo seems not to have reached the desk of the CCDO. The reluctance on the part of Mr. Kareem AbdulJabbar and his cohort to entertain divergent views and their stranglehold on the Paradise Multi Purpose Cooperative Society speak volumes about his nearly ten-

year stewardship without an audit, annual general meeting or elections of suitably qualified office bearers with at least a modicum of knowledge of cooperative principles and practices.

But I am inclined to the view that maybe our situation at first glance may not appear volatile enough for general interest. Maybe if a COI had been ordered into the affairs of Paradise Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society the GPSU debacle might not have occurred.

Patrick E. Mentore

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Kaieteur News

Friday March 8, 2013

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

What Cheddi Jagan legacy?

DEAR EDITOR, Some recent commentators have been fawningly giving us glowing panegyrics on Jagan’s legacy.

I honestly ask, like the Kaieteur News editorial of March 4, 2013, what legacy?

A legacy can be positive or negative. A legacy can be evaluated by adding the positives and subtracting the negatives to form a final legacy.

The latest gimmicks are largely a misconceived lie and a clutching-at-straws fabrication.

No leader in our modern history has left a decent positive legacy except for, perhaps, Walter Rodney who tried valiantly to combat racial politics with a multicultural and multiracial political message.

Often, Cheddi Jagan’s admirers mistakenly confuse his personal traits and characteristics, some of it rooted in a Marxist lifestyle, as a legacy. While compared to the buffoonery, licentiousness and abominations of the PPP leaders of today, Cheddi Jagan looks like saint, this is not a legacy.

A simple and decent lifestyle is not a legacy. Some of the older leaders within the

PPP and some within the PNC did live this same lifestyle.

Nagamootoo, Ptolemy Reid, Ramkarran, Janet Jagan, Ashton Chase, Balram Singh Rai, Desmond Hoyte and Eusi Kwayana, among others, all lived by similar strands of this philosophy. So, there is nothing spectacular or wildly different about Cheddi Jagan in this regard.

A legacy has to be something more. It has to be transcendent. It has to seek to change something inherently destructive in a society and to drive that society to remarkable positive change.

The most destructive facet of our society is racial division and ethnic political apartheid. Cheddi Jagan was equally responsible for bringing this divide to Guyana when ethnic warfare boiled over in the sixties.

Jagan’s role in this ethnic madness destroys every positive aspect of his legacy.

Strenuous struggle is not a legacy.

Cuffy, the Enmore Martyrs, Walter Rodney, Ayube Edun, Critchlow, Nagamootoo, Ramkarran, Burnham, Hoyte and many others struggled just as mightily as Cheddi Jagan for

their causes and goals.

Longevity of struggle shows stamina but is not a legacy. It is just a reminder that some stuck it out longer than others.

There are many who have given more years to the struggle than Cheddi Jagan. The problem with struggle is not what happens during it such as during the 28-year wilderness Cheddi Jagan experienced. It is what happens after. After reaching the summit in 1992, Cheddi Jagan undermined his own legacy of longevity of struggle by allowing the PPP to remain undemocratic and for the 1980 constitution to remain intact, crippling this country.

Another bitter negative legacy of Cheddi Jagan was his communist extremism. It cannot be a legacy that anyone would try to force a foreign ideology onto his supporters who were inherently capitalist and commercial in nature.

Jagan’s love affair with communism led to fatal decision-making errors on his part that caused the downfall of his party and the political exile of those who supported him. Cheddi Jagan placed ideology ahead of country.

M. Maxwell

The Legion was for exuberant behaviour DEAR EDITOR, Please allow me the opportunity to respond to the letter in Kaieteur News edition of Wednesday March 6, 2013 ‘Taking over the Legion’. First of all I would like to apologise to the President, Executive and Members for being malaise in producing a statement regarding the incidents of Sunday 24 February, 2013, thereby giving the “Cowardly Legionaire” the opportunity of striking the first blow.

Secondly I will also like to apologise to the “bona fide Members” of the Guyana Legion for the exuberance displayed by the Members of the XGDF. Any interested person can research the origin of the Guyana Legion. In so doing, they will discover that the primary purpose was to provide ‘a place of congregation’ for returning Members of the South Caribbean Forces of World Wars 1 and 11.

The idea was to insulate the rest of the Society by confining their rough and raucous behaviour and

language.

History is replete with examples of un-acceptable behaviour of Ex-Military and even serving personnel on occasions; Lt Calley of the United States Army in Vietnam, the recent allegations of serving GDF personnel and of course the incidents recounted by the stated Legionnaire on February 24, 2013. Soldiers and ex soldiers can become over-zealous in the execution of their objectives.

At the birth of the Guyana Defence Force little or no consideration was given to the resettlement or retirement of its Members.

Three and a half decades later the Ex GDF was formed.

This was necessary after numerous requests for assistance by former Military persons unfortunate enough to be alive and in the land of their birth, to their “Squaddies” who might be experiencing better fortunes in other countries they adopted as home.

These unfortunate persons, now Ex-GDF, are often in poor physical help

and in dire economic straits with little or no place or person to turn to. The Ex GDF serves as an NGO providing solace, comfort and relief to its Members with virtually no help from Government and very little from the Guyana Legion.

The Government, the GDF, and the Legion have failed in their respective mandates to past Members of the GDF. Efforts by the EX GDF to gain attention and assistance from the government are met with response of the need for a unified body, yet Ex GDF members are stymied at every attempt to gain membership of the Legion in an attempt to protect the ‘status quo’ of its Central Executives.

The Legion has 415 members, the Ex GDF has 1650, who deserves more right to be members, who has a greater need. Please be bold and do not shelter behind anonymity , alleged legitimacy of age and self righteousness.

Gerald Payne Ex Lieutenant Public Relations Officer

Friday March 8, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

Time to move beyond Linden Inquiry Report DEAR EDITOR, This is in reference to your news report on the Commission of Inquiry findings (KN Mar 1). The COI has not revealed anything substantially new except to give meaning to what transpired in Linden and to recommend certain actions to avoid a repeat of the violence that struck Linden.

In addition to blaming the police, the COI also blames two opposition M.Ps for the protests. During the hearing, the commissioners were critical of the behaviour and action of the organizers of the protests as well as two M.Ps. The two M.Ps were accorded responsibility for not taking measures to dissuade the protesters for blocking the bridge, etc.

The COI rightly exonerated Minister Clement Rohee as clearly he did not give instructions to use force although I feel the Minister should have taken a more hands on approach on the

protests. The exoneration of Rohee clearly falls flat on the face of and is a damning critique of the opposition for passing a no confidence motion against Rohee when they had no evidence to support their contention that Rohee was responsible for the shooting.

While blaming the police for the shootings, the COI clearly stated there was no evidence that the p o lice did the shooting.

During the hearings, eyewitnesses talked about shootings but it could not be determined who did the shooting.

The COI concluded that use of force was justified to control the crowd but not to shoot into the crowd. We still don’t know who shot the protesters.

Over $85 Million was spent on this inquiry. That is money that could have been better used for the development of Linden and

other depressed areas and or used to subsidize electricity rates for Guyanese.

Now that it is verified what happened in Linden, even though the public knew long before the actual hearing of what happened, who did what and when, and who is to be blamed, (and note that the COI did not blame the government for the violence), it is time to consider implementing the COI recommendations and to start police training to prevent these kinds of incidents from recurring.

Although parliament may wish to consider sanctioning those who were responsible for the violence, it is time to move on and begin addressing other pertinent issues impacting on governance like constitutional reform to limit the powers of the executive and devolve powers to local governments.

Vishnu Bisram

DEAR EDITOR It would seem that the Guyana Police Force has not learnt from last July’s Linden experience. The Guyana Police Force still does not know how to handle peaceful protest or passive resistance.

I just viewed a video of the brutal assault inflicted by a police corporal on defenseless miners’ men, women and child.

This was brutality at its worst; here you have men, women and child lying defenseless on the ground, and this power drunk police corporal beating them without mercy. Not once in that video did they assault him.

The miners were protesting their removal from

area, whether they were there illegally or not, there is a legal process to address that.

Guyanese have a right to protest, the problem is the Guyana Police do not seem to have the training on how to deal with such situation.

This policeman, not satisfied with beating the defenseless miners, went to a nearby bush, cut a piece of stick about three to four feet long, and went on a rampage against the defenseless men, women and children lying on the ground.

This policeman may have thought that it was in the jungle and no one would know, but in the age of cell phone camera and video, the public can see what transpired. Not only should

this bully of a policeman be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, but also those other police officers who stood by and witnessed it, while making no attempt to intervened or stop the brutality, are equally guilty as the corporal who inflicted the beatings.

The video is very clear on this latest evidence of police brutality.

Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell needs no clearer evidence, the question remains when will he implement meaningful training so men can deal with protesters. For the moment they seem untrained; it appears to be more “brawn” than “brain” Ralph Seeram

From page 4 forced” sex, that is, rape.

We demand justice for the survivors and victims of sexual offences- We demand that the Sexual Offences Act be fully implemented without delay and that the Sexual Offence Task Force be allowed to carry out its functions as set out in the SOA 2010.

We call on State as duty bearers to uphold its

ob l i g a t i o n s u n d e r t h e Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) , the I n t e r - A m e r i c a n Convention on the prevention, punishment and eradication of violence against women (Belem do Para Convention) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) without delay.

Take action to stop police brutality now in Guyana

Make the Sexual Offences Act meaningful

Sincerely, Omattie Madray, ChildLink; Norma Adrian, Grassroots Women Across Race; Leon Walcott, Guyana Council of Organizations for Persons with Disabilities; Pamela Nauth, Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association; Josephine Whitehead, Help & Shelter; Karen de Souza, Red Thread; Zenita Nicholson, SASOD

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm.

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Friday March 08, 2013

Friday March 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

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More discipline must be encouraged on our roadways It does not require drastic nor draconian measures for the number of road fatalities in Guyana to reduce. All that is required is a commitment to a sustained campaign to inculcate greater discipline on your roads.

Yet whenever there are tragic accidents on our roadways, the first reaction is to say that something dramatic needs to be done.

This is reflected in calls for all manner of restrictions on road users such as equipping public vehicles with gadgets that limit speed, rather than trying to ensure that there is greater discipline on our roadways.

If you have to go downtown Georgetown to do business, you will find that parking is problematic. There are so many vehicles in the country today that securing parking downtown is quite difficult. Yet, sixteen years after it was evident that we needed to do something about traffic control in the city, we are still to relocate certain bus parks in the city.

And to add to the parking woes is the expansion of bus parks.

Meanwhile, on Regent Street, right under the nose of traffic cops, certain vehicles with private number plates are being used as hire cars and are monopolising the limited parking space available.

Imagine having to drive

down the country’s busiest street on a hot sweltering day where traffic is backing-up on both sides of the road only to find that a minibus, unable to pull over to the shoulder of the road, stops in front of you to put out a passenger.

Even though there are operational bus stops, the vast majority of minibus drivers only use them when there is a visible police presence. It reflects not only the level of indiscipline but also misplaced priorities.

We must develop a culture of lawfulness within Guyana.

This means that we must have zero tolerance for indiscipline on the road. I am amazed to see traffic cops pulling vehicles over to check the bona fides of the documents of drivers, when every day in the country hundreds of public transportation buses break the law simply by the manner in which they stop to put off and pick up passengers.

I would think that the energies of our traffic department would be better deployed in bringing greater discipline by ensuring that the bus stops are used as they ought to be. And if buses continue to put off or take in passengers other than at these bus stops, the operators should be charged for violating the law.

But all the responsibility must not rest on the side of the lawmen. We, the travelling

Dem boys seh...

De Creator waiting fuh some of dem De Creator never like wicked people. He don’t like thieves; he don’t like liars and he surely don’t like scamps.

And that is wha dem got at the top of Guyana. Imagine that one year before it happen dem boys seh that Gerry woulda get de place next to Duke Lodge.

Up come de real estate man and put in a bid that he and all couldn’t match. That was to hide de fact that Gerry did place a bid. De man couldn’t find de money and Gerry who had de third bid get de place because dem terrorise de second man.

Now Customs move out and dem boys telling de whole world that many gun get de place. One man seh that de place done gone. De slogan is that Customs gone in Manny hand. But de smartness is not to play de card up front. Dem boys seh that people mustn’t be surprise if dem see a man fronting de deal.

Is de same thing happen wid a certain hardware store.

De other day de store shut down fuh nearly two hours because two people tun up to inspect de stocks. Was Jagdeo and Irfaat. One of de staff tell dem boys that two shareholders visit de place suh dem had to shut it down.

People got to realize that Jagdeo never claim to have investment in Guyana, suh de news come as a shock. But then again, dem boys know that people like talk when dem ain’t got answers. It could be that Jagdeo as a former president go to buy something fuh he foundation and fuh security reason dem shut down de place.

Dem can’t ask Jagdeo if he got shares because he not even talking to nobody. He did promise a press conference to talk bout he house and he still to hold that press conference. He still trying to come up wid a good explanation.

Suh dem boys planning fuh ask Boyah if he does encourage shareholders. But is one thing. All who do wicked and nasty things does lie down pun dem bed and cry. De future is something that coming.

Talk half and wait fuh de retribution.

public, must change our attitude. Those of us who travel in public transportation have to understand that we can no longer insist on being put off at “spot” but have to accept that we must disembark and embark at the designated bus stops.

The mangled vehicles that we regularly see on our newspaper pages are always reported to have been

traveling at a fair clip. And as in many other accidents, the public attributes, whether rightly or wrongly, speeding as the cause of the accidents which frequently result in fatalities.

My question is: what happens in a situation where you are in a vehicle which is speeding? Are you not entitled to urge the drivers to slow down in the interest of

your and the other passengers safety.

The problem with this country is that some members of the public are oblivious to the dangers of speeding and just love when the drivers rev it up. This is something we have to stop as part of encouraging a culture of discipline on our roadways.

We cannot endanger the lives of others simply because

we love speed or wish to get where we are going quickly.

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Kaieteur News

Friday March 08, 2013

=== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ===

Nadira and Maria: Contextual silence

Nadira Brancier is the daughter of Cheddi Jagan.

Maria van Beek is the niece of Cheddi Jagan. Maria van Beek almost lost her life when a bullet barely missed her lung in a violent assault on Lombard Street, not far from where Dr. Joshua Ramsammy was shot at in similar circumstances in 1973. His wound was uncannily similar to Van Beek’s At the time of the attack, van Beek was investigating the collapse of CLICO. Whatever van Beek stepped on, it was information that would have embarrassed a powerful figure in the corridors of power. Maria van Beek knew who he was,

became scared and migrated to Europe. She has not said a word since.

You would have thought even if van Beek was afraid, through some indirect channel, maybe a bit long after, she would have helped her country by alerting us to what her country had become. She probably comes to Guyana often to see her parents and is probably feted by the so-called crème de la crème. She will come and go but her secret will remain buried in her mind.

Maria van Beek is a Jagan and a Jagan would not ever want to see a weakened PPP or a Guyana without the PPP in Government. In fairness to

her, she probably detests the persons who continue to besmirch her uncle’s legacy, but like her cousin Joey Jagan, she is trapped. She wouldn’t want to see a Guyana without a PPP Government.

This is exactly the way Joey Jagan behaved in the 2011 elections. Despite his clownish deportment, Joey Jagan knew what was expected of him in the last elections. After spending ten years criticising the PPP leadership and calling them the Gang of Eight, Jagan joined the PPP election campaign in 2011 to make sure there was a PPP Government in Guyana.

Jagan was no fool. He chose to campaign in Berbice where his father has his greatest support. Berbicians rejected him in favour of Moses Nagamootoo but come a snap election, Joey Jagan knows where his ultimate loyalties lie.

Enter Nadira Brancier. She exclaimed in tears at an event of the women’s arm of the PPP to observe the death anniversary of her mother last year that the people who have inherited her parents’ party have scandalised it with their corruption culture. She went on to add that those who control her parents’ party are not concerned with the welfare of the poorer classes,

which was the essence of her parents’ politics.

The timing of Nadira Brancier’s remark had to arouse curiosity. It came just three months after the national elections. The corruption index went through the skies under the Jagdeo presidency since 2000. It took Mrs. Brancier eleven years to lament the corruptibility that has drowned her parents’ organisation.

After that March revelation, no one heard from Mrs. Brancier until it was reported by Denis Chabrol that she attended her father’s death anniversary last Sunday at Babu John.

Will the press seek her out? Will she speak about the PPP’s descent into hell? I doubt it. Nadira Brancier may be more hamstrung since she made her grief known last March. With the likelihood of a snap poll, she knows she can devastate the PPP. Unlike her brother whom few Indians have respect for, the PPP cannot survive an onslaught from Cheddi Jagan’s daughter. It may become virtually impossible to sell the PPP in an election campaign if the daughter of Cheddi Jagan accuses them of treasonable betrayal. The absence of even one sentence against Ralph Ramkarran by President Ramotar at Babu John last Sunday was quite noticeable.

Ramotar knew that touching Ramkarran was

suicidal, because where is the baggage he carries that Ramotar and his ministerial underlings could exploit? If Ramkarran could pose problems for a PPP snap poll, think of what Nadira Brancier could do. But it will not happen.

In the end, Maria van Beek, Nadira Brancier and Joey Jagan will fall prey to sentiments. Guyana must have a PPP Government because Cheddi and Janet Jagan created that party. A PPP Government, never mind the depravities, evil and despicable clothes it now covers itself in, is more emotionally appreciated by the three Jagans (mentioned here) than its competitors.

Nadira Brancier ought to know, though, that even if she remains silent to allow the PPP to survive, the writing is on the wall. It is doubtful her reticence can save the PPP. Ramotar was all worked up at Babu John. He saved his most poisonous moments for Moses Nagamootoo. Ramotar knows that in Berbice, Nagamootoo is the PPP’s Achilles’ heel.

Two former Guyana Power Light Inc. (GPL) workers are in police custody on allegations that they menacingly demanded money from residents of Good Hope, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara yesterday.

The two men, whose names were provided, are presently being held at the Mahaica Police Station, pending charges.

Reports reveal that the former GPL employees started their illegal campaign at Lot 66 Good Hope, Mahaica, yesterday, where they demanded $50,000 cash from Arjune Ramharack, after removing his meter, which they claimed had been tampered with.

However, after working their way through several other households demanding money, residents in the area sensed that something was amiss and stopped a mobile police patrol to report their suspicions. The duo was immediately arrested, while

their minibus which was equipped with a GPL signboard was also seized.

GPL later confirmed that the men were previously employed at the power company but were dismissed after they were found guilty of demanding money from persons with tampered meters.

Kaieteur News understands that the men actually started their scheme at Mahaica on Wednesday and yesterday persons became suspicious after they had contacted GPL officials, who subsequently informed them that they had no crew working in the area. So luck finally ran out on the two fraudsters.

“You could imagine how much people dem must be con,” one resident remarked.

The GPL is warning consumers who were affected to contact the Loss Reduction Unit at telephone numbers 226-4056, 225-5251 or 6001586.

Frederick Kissoon

Former GPL employees detained on extortion allegations

Friday March 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

Questions on Marriott, NICIL…

Page 11

Police brutality at Marudi…

Home Affairs Ministry Opposition mulls sending Finance Minister before Privileges Committee attracts one-man protest Parliamentary opposition has signaled its intentions to table a motion to send Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, before its Committee of Privileges, for alleged failures to provide information.

Several questions were reportedly posed to the Minister as far back as six months ago for information on the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), which handles government’s investments and privatisation transactions. Information was also being sought by the opposition parties on details of government’s sources of spending for a number of agencies which suffered budget cuts last year.

Kaieteur News was told that questions were also posed to the Minister on the controversial Marriott Hotel, currently under construction at Kingston.

According to opposition officials, a letter has since been sent to the Speaker of the House, Raphael Trotman, who is now “actively” considering a request for permission to allow the motion.

Should the motion be allowed, it will have to be debated before more than likely being put to a vote.

The Committee of Privileges is the sanctioning

Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh body of the National Assembly which investigates complaints of wrongdoing by Members of Parliament.

The opposition, including both A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), have been locking horns with Dr. Singh and NICIL over spending, especially by the latter.

With a one-seat majority following the November 2011 General and Regional Elections, APNU and the AFC, which combined command 33 seats, have been paying more scrutiny to public spending.

Last year, the National Budget saw an

unprecedented $20B being sliced off from a number of agencies and programmes.

However, a court battle which ensued saw government using the ruling to restore some of the monies. The opposition has been arguing that the interpretation of that ruling does not give government the automatic right to delve into the national treasury to restore the budget cuts.

Several agencies, including the National Communications Network (NCN) and the Government Information Agency (GINA), were left without money last year because of the so-called budget cuts.

The opposition wanted to know where it was getting the money from to restore the cuts.

In the case of Marriott and NICIL, government’s decision to spend on a number of large projects without the oversight of the National Assembly, which has the final say in how taxpayers’ monies are spent, has been generating tensions in Parliament.

However, government has said that NICIL is a company governed under the Companies Act and as such does not have to be scrutinised by the National Assembly in its spending.

National Day of Mourning today for Chavez - Ramotar wings out for funeral Today has been designated a National Day of Mourning as Venezuela prepares to bury its former leader Hugo Chavez in what is believed will be the biggest funeral Latin America has seen since Evita Peron.

The political impresario was widely adored among Venezuela’s poor for putting the oil-rich state in their service. He died on Tuesday at the age of 58. The funeral is being attended

by President Donald Ramotar and over a dozen international leaders including Iran’s Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Bolivia’s Evo Morales, Argentina’s Cristina Fernández and Spain’s Prince Felipe, son of Juan Carlos, the king who famously told Chávez to shut up.

There is uncertainty about where Chávez would be buried, though he often said he wished to be buried on the plains – los Llanos – of his home state Barinas.

For today’s National Day of Mourning, flags on all state institutions would be flown at half-mast, Head of the

Hugo Chavez Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon announced yestetrday President Ramotar left Guyana yesterday for today’s funeral.

Considerable pageantry is expected to honour Chávez. Seven days of mourning were declared and school was suspended for the week.

In a message subsequent to the news of Chavez’s

death, President Ramotar said he was deeply saddened by the passing of a leader whom he regarded as a great friend of Guyana, and who inspired harmony and solidarity between the two countries.

As a beneficiary to Chavez’s PetroCaribe Agreement, Guyana built on progress in trade relations with Venezuela after signing off on rice exportation agreements.

Social activist Mark Benshop outside of the Home Affairs Ministry yesterday.

Social activist Mark Benschop yesterday staged a one-man protest in front of the Home Affairs Ministry over two recent occurrences -police brutality at Marudi and the findings of the Linden Commission of Inquiry.

Benschop, while carrying a placard, told media operatives that he was at the location to stand in solidarity with those who were beaten while protesting peacefully at Marudi Mountain over the weekend. The Social Activist said that to date, the Government, the Home Affairs Minister as well as the Commissioner of Police have not made any public utterance on the matter.

“The Police can’t go around beating and brutalising protestors and peaceful protestors and thinking it is okay to do so,” Benschop noted.

Further he opined that while Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee has been exonerated from the incident in Linden, he is still not fit to be the Minister, because crimes and police brutality continue daily, with no action being taken against those found guilty of same.

“I don’t want him to think that because of what was said in the findings of the Linden

Commission of Inquiry… meaning that he is exonerated, that he can function without criticism as the Minister, because he is obviously still not functioning properly in his capacity.”

According to Benschop, from all indications it seems as if the Head of State was only interested in the Minister being exonerated in the findings of the Inquiry, as nothing has been said to date about disciplinary action against the police who have been deemed responsible.

“It appears as if the only thing the President cared about was that the report exonerated his Minister. There is no talk about the police who are responsible for the shooting; nothing about the ranks at Marudi Mountain, and that is why I am here to register my concern,” Benschop stated.

In response to comments that public pressure, as well as political pressure, is not having much effect, Benschop said he admits that this appears to be the case, but he does not intend to give up.

To this end, Benschop called on the opposition parties to “maintain the fight against Minister Rohee in Parliament”.

“If they cannot battle for the people in Parliament I’m reminding him (Mr. Rohee) what he did when he invited a member to take the battle out in the streets. They ought to take the battle into the streets, and by this I mean mass protest, but peaceful protest. He should be removed.”

Over the weekend, photos and video footage began surfacing with police ranks beating protestors in the Marudi trail. The persons, all civilians, are part of a group of miners who are protesting what they are calling their unlawful removal from a mining claim that is registered to a Canadian mining concern, Romanex Guyana Explorations Limited.

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

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

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Kaieteur News

Friday March 08, 2013

Linden COI report…

Victims’ compensation is unrealistic – Region 10 Chairman

By Latoya Giles Region Ten chairman Sharma Solomon says that he does not take any personal responsibility for what transpired on July 18, 2012, at Linden, when three Lindeners were shot dead and dozens were injured during a protest against proposed increases in electricity tariffs.

Solomon at a press briefing yesterday, in discussing the findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the incident, explained that protestors were doing nothing out of the ordinary, since they had started months before.

According to the Regional Chairman, they had held over 15 demonstrations and were preparing to conduct a five-day march. He

said that in the months leading up to July 18, 2012, they were demanding that the government “engage with us”.

In terms of compensation recommended by the Commission, Solomon said that some of the victims have called it “unjust and disrespectful” and would not support going for the compensation, which does not justify the actions of the police.

According to Solomon, this was the view of some 17 victims who were there on Monday at the Linden office.

He also noted that the families, along with the region, would be pursuing legal advice about the victims’ compensation.

Solomon further stated that the region welcomed

the Commission of Inquiry Report into the shooting deaths with a sense of v i c t o r y, b u t y e t s o m e disappointment.

He said that a synopsis of the Terms of Reference for this Inquiry indicate that they were required to: 1) inquire into the circumstances surrounding the shooting deaths; the unit deployed; instructions given; the conduct of the police; cause of death of the three persons, and determine if the police were responsible for the shooting; 2) the role, if any, played by the Minister of Home Affairs; 3) the nature of violence and destruction and the perpetuators; 4) make recommendations to improve policing; and 5) recommendations for compensation for injury, loss or damage.

Solomon said that while they welcome the general outcome of the COI, the region is convinced that the criteria used by the COI to assess compensation for death is clearly flawed.

He said that the people of

Region 10 would like to know what were the criteria used.

“Did the COI assess what was required to maintain a family or did they assess what it costs to send two children to university - their father having been killed by the Guyana Police Force... or did they assess the future earning capacity of those they slaughtered?” Solomon asked.

Solomon further emphasised that life is priceless and opined that the sums recommended by the Commissioner to the deceased families and injured are woefully inadequate.

He said no vehicle, which is subject to depreciation, is worth more than the lives of those who suffered at the hands of the police.

“Let us recall that the young man who was tortured

was awarded far more compensation” Solomon noted.

He further stressed that that they found the Commission’s comments on MPs Vanessa Kissoon and Desmond Trotman appalling.

Solomon said that Caribbean people have always had to struggle for rights.

He reflected that slaves in the Caribbean used to revolt in pursuance of the right to freedom and self-respect. He said that from colonial days to today, Guyanese have had to struggle for their rights. Solomon said that he had expected that the Commissioners would have taken into consideration the political and historical context of the struggles of the peoples of the Caribbean.

He said that they should recognise that when the law is being used to

deprive people of their rights that are provided by the constitution, as the police and government were doing, then the people have a constitutional right to protest.

Solomon maintained that he believes that MPs Kissoon and Trotman, along with the people of Linden, were promoting and protecting their constitutional rights.

He also made it clear that all the people of Linden desire is peace and it must be built on equal rights and justice as guaranteed under the laws.

“This is the peace we seek and the peace we will settle for.

The power rests with the people and will be applied until equal rights and justice are restored for every citizen in Region Ten.”

Mc Doom miner murder probe…

Cops provide false alibi for one suspect, ranks release another found with firearm Some corrupt cops are reportedly hindering investigations into the murder of Mc Doom miner Gavin Mc Neil, who was gunned down two Wednesdays ago outside his home.

A senior police official has disclosed that a rank is under investigation for allegedly providing one of the suspects in Mc Neil’s murder with a false alibi, while there are reports of other ranks collecting $500,000 to release the suspected mastermind who was held with a firearm.

Kaieteur News understands that shortly after police detained one of the suspects, a rank from the Tactical Services Unit told investigators that he and the suspect were drinking at the time of the murder. However, investigations later revealed that the rank had fabricated the story.

The policeman was placed under close arrest but has since been released, although an investigation into the matter is ongoing.

This newspaper was told that detectives had also arrested a youth, who from information received, appeared to be the mastermind in the murder/ robbery. Police had received information that the suspect was seen near Mc Neil’s home on the day that he was slain.

Sources told Kaieteur News that police ranks had arrested the youth, who had an unlicenced firearm in his possession. However, he was reportedly released in exchange for some $500,000.

Gavin Mc Neil The youth was also a prime suspect in the murder of 45-year-old Karen ReidPatterson, who stabbed to death in her Mc Doom business premises, the Flavor Cool Off Restaurant and Bar, in December 2011. No one was charged.

And officials also say that the key witnesses in Mc Neil’s murder are expressing fear for their safety and are refusing to assist the police.

Earlier this week, Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell had expressed concern about corruption among some of his ranks. He had made the remarks while discussing the alleged beating of civilians at Marudi, the alleged theft of a car by a TSU rank, and investigations into the setting up of an illegal roadblock by a group of policemen.

Gavin Mc Neil was shot dead near his gate by robbers who had earlier held the man’s

two daughters hostage in an effort to gain entry to the family’s Lot 48 Middle Street, Mc Doom home.

During the 15-minute ordeal, McNeil’s mother-inlaw, June Elwin, was badly beaten by the masked bandits and his wife, Melissa McNeal, sustained an injury to her face.

Information suggests that the killers were tipped off that the gold miner had returned from the interior.

According to information, the 38-year-old dredge owner who had operations in Siparuni, Region Eight, had only returned from the interior a few days prior to the attack.

Mc Neil, his two daughters and his mother-inlaw had left their home at around 17:00 hrs that day to purchase some Chinese food.

Mc Neil’s wife, who contracted malaria, had stayed at home.

When they returned, the girls went to the back of the house, while their father parked his vehicle.

The miner’s mother-in-law said she was going to the back of the house when she heard her granddaughters shouting and then she saw some masked men holding the minors at gun- and knifepoint.

“They tell me to open the door before they hurt the kids and their mother, who was inside, and I opened the grill, because I had the keys and then they go in and start beating me and they chop me daughter,” the woman recalled. The robbers relieved the family of some $1M in cash and jewellery, then shot Mc Neil as they were fleeing.

Friday March 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

Another Tundra/minibus accident victim succumbs …one month later Another victim of the horrible smash-up between a Toyota Tundra and a minibus on the Mon Repos Public Road has succumbed.

Seventy-eight year-old Eldon Reynolds was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation early Wednesday morning after collapsing at his home.

Reynolds was one of the 14 persons who were injured as a result of the smash-up which occurred on the night of February 4, last.

His son, 51-year-old Wayne Reynolds was also in the minibus and he also received injuries, but was treated and sent away.

Kaieteur News understands that Reynolds,

who reportedly suffered broken limbs and lacerations to his face, was discharged from hospital on February 14, after 10 days in hospital.

His discharge did not go down well with his relatives.

“He was not responding well to persons around him and was bed-ridden at home.

He was in and out of consciousness all the time.

But they told us that he may respond better once he was around relatives,” a son of the dead man told this newspaper.

Seventeen-year-old Gidram Rasiawan, of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, was charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, stemming from the deaths of the minibus driver Godfrey Daniels, 42, of Ann’s

Grove, and passenger Shondell Yaw, 36, of Annandale, East Coast Demerara.

Police are awaiting the results of a post mortem examination to ascertain the cause of Eldon Reynolds’ death, which could determine whether an additional charge could be laid against the driver of the vehicle that caused the accident.

It is alleged that the minibus was heading toward the city when the pick-up reportedly turned out from a street onto the main road and crashed head-on into the minibus.

An eyewitness told this publication that after the pickup turned onto the main road, “it went full speed into the minibus’s lane”, resulting in the collision.

A lumber dealer from Ituni, Region 10, succumbed yesterday morning at the Georgetown Public Hospital, some two weeks after being involved in an accident on the Ituni Trail.

Fifty-two year-old Jean Lim Stoll died at around 09:00 hours yesterday while receiving treatment at the medical institution.

The woman along with her husband, Frederick Stoll and their son Frederick Lim were involved in a smash up on February 20, last. Initial reports are that on the aforementioned date, the family was in a minibus which was being driven by the son when the collision occurred.

The dead woman’s sonin-law, Lenny Pluck, told this

publication that at around 07:45 hours on the day in question the family was on their way to Georgetown to conduct business when a speeding pick-up truck slammed into their minibus.

According to Pluck, the vehicle in which his motherin-law, father-in-law and brother-in-law were travelling was negotiating a turn, when the pick-up came into their path and caused a head-on collision.

The trio was rushed to the Mackenzie Hospital, but given the extent of Mrs. Stoll’s injury she was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The other two injured persons were taken to the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital where

they were treated and subsequently sent away.

According to Mr. Pluck, the owner of the other vehicle opted to take the other two injured persons to the private medical institution, but left Mrs. Stoll at the Georgetown Hospital since they were all of the opinion that she would have received the best medical attention there. However, over the past week, Pluck said his mother-in-law’s condition took a turn for the worse.

Pluck further stated that the driver of the other vehicle has accepted being responsible for the accident having admitted to the police that he lost control of his vehicle while negotiating the turn. Investigations are ongoing.

Ituni lumber dealer succumbs two weeks after smash-up

Page 13

Help and Shelter continues work with EU, USAID funding On a monthly basis the Help and Shelter offers services to about 30 persons, this is according to Coordinator Margaret Kertzious, who revealed that there are currently four counselors at the crisis centre at Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown, and another at their shelter.

Kertzious explained that persons receive counseling for domestic violence, physical, sexual and emotional abuse. She further disclosed that they also do referrals for persons who need resources such as food and clothing, so that needs of the “victim” can be satisfied.

According to Kertzious, Help and Shelter is currently receiving funding from the European Union under the Human Rights programme.

She said that counselors also do face to face sessions with victims. Support service is also given to victims who have to make court appearances. She explained that counselors would accompany victims to court, as well as teach them how to

operate in a courtroom.

Help and Shelter also receives funding from USAID. Kertzious explained that funding is for the Reduction of Gender Based Violence in Schools in Region Three.

She indicated that the funding focuses on two secondary and two primary schools.

Help and Shelter was the brainchild of a support group created in 1994 as an adjunct to the Georgetown Legal Aid Clinic (now Guyana Legal Aid Clinic).

The members in general meeting elect a board of directors annually and day-to-day operations are carried out by a combination of paid staff and project personnel and volunteers (who maybe, but are not necessarily, members of the company).

Since its establishment in November 1994, Help & Shelter has become a recognised leader in the fight against violence in Guyana, particularly in the areas of domestic, sexual and child abuse.

It was recognized that

domestic violence takes a heavy toll on an individual’s emotional and physical health and has high social and economic costs for families, communities, workplaces and the country as a whole.

The organization works to build respect for the right of women, children, youth and men to live free of violence and the threat of violence, by actively fostering a high level of awareness among all sectors. Secondly the members try to assist women, children, youth and men to develop alternative ways of handling power and resolving conflict by providing progressively enhanced counselling for victims and perpetrators of violence through counselling services, including a crisis hotline.

Th e y a l s o t r y t o establish a resource base to ensure the sustainability of Help & Shelter by working towards the economic self-support of the proposed shelter and implementing a wellarticulated fund-raising plan

Page 14

Kaieteur News

Friday March 08, 2013

Marriott Hotel construction…

No concrete decision Guyanese will be hired After hours of discussion with Government, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) was not given any concrete decision that Guyanese will be given the opportunity to be hired during the construction phase of the Marriott Hotel, Kingston.

Winston Brassington, Head of Atlantic Hotel Inc, merely assured the Union that Government will continue to push for the contractor, Shanghai Construction Group (SCG), to hire local labourers in the construction phase of the US$51M hotel.

Brassington gave this assurance even as he read the clause of the contract that signed away Guyanese rights to work on the project. He said that the contract signed between Government and the contractor provides that the company could import personnel as it sees necessary and work permits

will be issued.

In honouring that aspect of the contract, the Chinese construction company, imported all its labourers from China, leaving Guyanese out in the cold. Brassington when questioned by the media did not say how many labourers were brought in from China for the project, but disclosed that there are about 100 Chinese nationals working on site at the moment.

He said that hundreds of jobs will be created after the hotel, nightclub, casino and restaurant are completed. In addition, there will be indirect employment in the economy.

However, the absence of workers during the construction phase was the main contention. Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary of GTUC said that the clause in the contract opened the way for the exclusion of Guyanese labourers. He said that it gave the opening for SCG to import

GTUC and Government in discussion over the Marriott Hotel Project who they wanted to work on the project.

Lewis added that there was no correlation between the Home Affairs Ministry and Immigration to ensure laws were satisfied. He said that the vacancies should have been advertised locally giving citizens who are funding the project an opportunity to gain

employment.

But, the general sentiment expressed by the Union is that the deal on the Marriott project has already been cut, and the outcome of this discussion should prevent Guyanese labourers from being excluded from a locallyfunded project in the future.

According to Lewis, the Marriott issue is not the only

matter of labour contention GTUC has with Government.

He made reference to RUSAL where workers are being denied the right to a Union.

He noted that the Union is against Guyanese workers being denied equal opportunities. Lewis said that citizens elected leaders to move the country forward and have greater responsibility to

the people. He noted that it is an indictment on the Government for not providing the essential training needed for a technological world, even after 20 years in office.

Had Guyanese been exposed to the requisite training, the excuse of advanced technology could not have been used to exclude local labour force, Lewis opined.

Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI), the government-owned company that is overseeing the Marriott Hotel construction disclosed in a statement yesterday that they submitted a “Request for Proposals” from reputable firms for the provision of Construction Management and Supervision Services.

Government is reportedly paying $213M for the supervision of the Marriottbranded hotel that it is building at Kingston, however, the services for the consultancy was advertised.

According to AHI, the advertisement was placed in the daily newspapers from the 18th February 18, 2012, nine (9) times via local newspapers, with an extended closing date of March 16, 2012. 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 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.

According to the advertisement, at closing, two proposals were received and opened at the AHI office in the presence of a representative from the Office of the Auditor General.

The proposals received were: (1) M. A. Angeliades Inc. in association with RBIL Inc. for US$1,068,000.00; and (2) CEMCO Consultants Inc. for US$1,614,000.00. AHI noted that all proposals submitted were accompanied by extensive documentation on

the skills, qualifications and experiences of the companies and all persons proposed to work for these companies in the supervision of the project.

Following evaluation of the proposals received and based on price and skill, M.A. Angeliades Inc, .in association with Romesh Budhram International Ltd (RBIL) Inc., was awarded the construction management contract (which was executed on 6th August 2012). A noobjection was received from Cabinet for the award of this contract.

However, according to US news reports, M.A. Angeliades, of Long Island, New York, which received the contract, pleaded guilty in June 2010 to shortchanging 300 workers it had employed on nearly a dozen substation construction jobs.

According to news

Ian Thorne, a taxi driver, was yesterday brought before Magistrates’ Court to face charges of assault against his wife, Ruschelle Thorne, but she refused to give evidence. As a result the woman was made to pay a fine of $3000 for wasting the court’s time and the couple was placed on a one-year bond to keep the peace.

Magistrate Sueanna Lovell read the charges to the defendant and he pleaded not guilty to the allegation.

Ian Thorne lives with his wife at Sunflower Close, South Ruimveldt.

Police reports stated that the defendant and his wife were driving along South Road in Georgetown, when an argument ensued. The man

stopped the car and as his wife proceeded to exit, he pushed her out of the vehicle.

According to prosecutor Denise Booker, Mrs. Thorne fell due to the alleged action of her husband. However, when the defendant’s wife was called upon to give evidence against her husband she said ‘your worship I wish to drop the charges.”

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.

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. AHI stated “RBIL is headed by Romesh Budhram whose firm, known as Romesh Budhram International Ltd., is registered both in NYC and Guyana. Mr. Budhram it was noted, has worked on many projects in Guyana since 1974 before migrating to the US in 1997.

AHI advertised for Marriott engineering contract

Woman fined for wasting court’s time

Friday March 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

Thief jailed after reporting missing booty When a 22-year-old man stole $900,000 from his former boss’ wife and decided to share it with two of his friends, the trio never believed that they would be spending the next five years behind bars.

In fact the men, who did not share the money with family and friends, decided to go on a shopping spree.

And as the saying goes, ‘Thief from thief mek God laugh,’ because while one of the accused was out shopping, someone ransacked his premises and took some of the stolen money he had left at home. Having realised that his home had been broken into, he raced down to the police station to lodge a report, but little did he know the police were

waiting for him as his partner-incrime had already begun revealing the entire story. When the number one accused, Rodwell Hackett of 40 Victoria Road, Plaisance, appeared before Magistrate Leslie Sobers at the Providence Magistrates’ Court yesterday, he was charged with armed robbery committed against Elizabeth Appiah on Monday March 4, 2013, at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara. He pleaded guilty and was immediately sentenced to five years imprisonment.

It was at this point that the court was informed of how the entire story came to light. Hackett, apparently a good friend, decided to share

his ill-gotten wealth with his two buddies. Marvin Dias and Raymond Kalamudeen both of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, -who collected $82,000 and $52,000 respectively. Kalamudeen and Dias were charged jointly with receiving stolen money.

The court was told by the virtual complainant that Kalamudeen and Dias both went on shopping spree and the items were recovered by the police. Some of the items the men purchased included portable DVD players, clothing and sneakers, all of which were handed over to the virtual complainant, since they were purchased with her money.

Sherwin Trotman, of 45 Section D , South Turkeyen, is facing charges of robbery under arms against Nicole Nedd , a 45-year-old resident of 342 West Ruimveldt .

Trotman pleaded not guilty to the charges when he appeared yesterday before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

According to Prosecutor Vishnu Hunte, the defendant

is a known offender and has a number of pending matters.

Hunte told the court that the defendant was convicted and is currently awaiting the outcome of an appeal.

The charge states that on February 17, the defendant allegedly broke into Nedd’s home armed with a handgun.

He then stole money and other articles and made good his escape. Due to the matter being reported, an investigation

was carried out. The defendant was arrested and taken on an “identification parade” where he was pointed out by Nedd. The defendant was subsequently charged. The prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds of the penalties attached to matters of a similar nature and the fact that the accused has other pending cases.

Trotman was remanded. He is scheduled to return to court today.

Raymond Hutson, a farmer of HobodeiaAmerindian Village, North West Region, is accused of brutally wounding his neighbor, Edwin Thompson, who is also a farmer, and yesterday he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry where he faced the charge of felonious wounding.

Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick’s report revealed that Thompson went to visit his brother and noticed that Hutson was quarreling with him. Upon seeing this, Thompson enquired from the accused what the matter was, but Hutson reportedly gave

no reply.

The defendant got fed up by the constant nagging of the victim’s questions and turned his attention to Thompson. He then chased Thompson with a cutlass and dealt him a chop to the left upper section of his back. Thompson bled profusely and lost consciousness. He was taken to Mabaruma Hospital where he was admitted and still remains a patient.

The defendant pleaded guilty with explanation. He claimed that it was Thompson who initially had struck him on the head with a piece of wood. However there were no

visible signs of the said injury.

Prosecutor Bostwick objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the offence, the punishment it would attract, and the fact that the virtual complainant is still hospitalised.

Bostwick added that if the defendant is released on bail, the possibility exists of him trying to interfere with the witness, Thompson’s brother, and/or Thompson as well.

Based on the findings of the reports, the defendant was remanded and the matter was transferred to Mabaruma, where Hutson will appear on May 21.

‘Known offender’ remanded on armed robbery charge

Farmer charged with wounding neighbour

Bail for ‘ferocious dogs’ owner after alleged attack Ryan Bacchus of 29 Anira Street, Queenstown, pleaded not guilty to the allegation that his two pets caused bodily harm to Venus Cox. Yesterday, the defendant appeared before Magistrate Sueanna Lovell at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where the charge of suffering ferocious dogs at large was read to him.

The incident occurred on October 13, 2012.

Police reports revealed that Bacchus’ two dogs jumped the fence and allegedly attacked Cox. According to the Prosecutor, when the report was made against him, he was arrested and placed on $10,000 bail.

The court heard that Cox tried shouting to ward off the animals, but they continued to approach her fiercely. She fell and suffered a few injuries.

Attorney Adrian Thompson, who is

representing Bacchus in the case, challenged the statements given. He questioned “Don’t ferocious dogs bite?” It was understood that she was rushed, but not bitten. He referred to the dogs as mere “short-legged pets” as opposed to the “huge ferocious monsters they were being painted as”.

Bacchus was placed on bail and the matter was adjourned until March 13.

Page 15

Trade union makes special committee proposal for Parliamentary consideration

….AFC to engage body

By Zena Henry The Alliance for Change (AFC) has decided to engage concerned persons on a proposal to convene a special committee for trade unions.

After being approached by the General Secretary of ‘The People United and General Workers Union (PU&GWU),’ Micah Williams, who initiated the idea, AFC General Secretary David Patterson, said that the party will soon meet with the union to discuss what was considered a ‘favourable and seemingly feasible proposal.’

Patterson said that the party has already confirmed its willingness to earnestly look at the document that indicates the special committee playing the part of compiling the plights of the working class through the existing unions and bringing it to Parliament for review, in an effort to regularly upgrade workers’ rights and legislation for their protection.

Williams, whose union represents the nonmanagement employees of Oldendorff Carriers Guyana Inc., requested in his letter that Parliamentarians pass a “Motion that will provide for the establishment of a special committee that will propose to the Parliament new legislation that will allow all trade Unions in Guyana to represent the working class people (Union Members) before the National Assembly.”

He said the union strongly believes that the implementation of the committee will help to strengthen commerce, trade and economic development while enhancing the welfare of workers. In that light, the committee, according to Williams would be responsible for “reviewing

Micah Williams David Patterson employment laws, rules and regulations that would affect the workers and further recommend changes to harmful trade union legislation.”

The Committee would further advocate for the new or improved trade Union laws to be implemented into the constitution of Guyana.

According to Williams, the Committee would also “Receive complaints, and carry out investigations of trade Unionrkers Unionle of guyana( of Guyana matters and/or grievances and give recommendation(s) or resolutions to the Parliament that will address the complaints, matters/ grievance affecting the Trade Unions and our workers.”

Williams insisted that there are several reasons why the special committee is needed, and that is why he has forwarded the information to President Donald Ramotar, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Roger Luncheon, Leader of the Opposition and A Partnership for National Unity head, David Granger and AFC MPs, Khemraj Ramjattan and Trevor Williams.

He said Parliamentary recognition of the Committee would see a fully constituted

Council that would ensure that all trade unions have a governing body that has the capacity to transform the union movement.

It would be better able to function in relation to worker protection, welfare, development and improvement within the ambits of the law.

Williams charged that the appointment would go a long way in seeing that the rights of citizens are respected and ensure that all companies operating in Guyana respect the said laws, regulations and rights.

The PU&GWU General Secretary said that as a matter of urgency, the relevant authorities should pay keen attention to the worthiness of the proposal, while giving it meaningful thought.

He charged that the authorities should seek to engage the union and consider the proposal with a genuine outlook of approving it, “…as to ignore the issue would be a sign of being antiunion.”

So far, Williams said the AFC has expressed its willingness to meet and discuss the ideas of the union, while APNU has also made contact, highlighting its acknowledgement of the request and receipt of the letter.

Page 16

Kaieteur News

Friday March 08, 2013

C’tyne man gets eight years for killing lover in 2009 Twenty-four year-old Aaron Abdul called ‘Bisnauth Rampersaud’ of Fyrish Village, Corentyne Berbice, was on Monday sentenced to eight years in jail by Justice Brassington Reynolds when he reappeared before him in the Berbice High Court after pleading guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

This was following the reading of a probation report which was earlier ordered by the judge. Abdul, who was 21 years at the time, was indicted for the murder of his 29-year-old lover Arifa Muntazalli, whose skeletal

remains were found in a trench at Chesney Backdam, Corentyne, Berbice, more than a month after she was reported missing.

The case for the prosecution was that sometime between the 22nd and 24th May, 2009, Abdul murdered Murtazalli.

In her opening address, state prosecutor Dionne Mc Cammon related that the woman was married to Farook Muntazali and they had lived together for approximately 5 to 6 years at their Queenstown, Corriverton home. She subsequently

developed a relationship with Abdul which went on for about 3-4 years, during the time they would meet at a friend’s home and in a hotel.

She subsequently eloped with him.

Her mother got word of the relationship and the relatives were not in approval.

She saw them together in May 2009 at Fyrish. The mother had stated that her daughter called her on May 23rd, and that was the last time she heard from her.

On May 30, 2009, a missing person report was filed at the Springlands

Magistrate’s Court. An investigation was launched and the accused was arrested at Parika. He admitted to the crime and was escorted to the Springlands Station where he gave a written statement.

In that statement he had indicated that they had decided to kill themselves together if they couldn’t be together.

On May 22nd, they decided that they would end their lives. He stated that they tore up a bed sheet and headed to the backdam. He then assisted her to hang herself. He placed a hoop at

the end of the sheet and knotted the other end around a Guava tree.

He then helped the victim to put her neck through the hoop, but became scared and panicked when she “started to kick up” as she was hanging from the tree. He said that he took her down and put her to lie in a drain nearby and fled. He was arrested at Parika and cooperated with investigators. He led investigators to the backdam where the decomposed remains were found in the drain.

Probation and Welfare Officer Maisie Sheppard in her report told the court that the accused was the eldest of four children of his parents who lived at Kilcoy, Corentyne. Being the eldest, he was forced to leave school at the age of 9, to assist at home due to financial circumstances.

She said that his father who migrated to the USA in an effort to be better able to provide for his family subsequently died during 2009 and this caused undue hardship on the family, forcing the young man to start fending for himself and family, doing odd-jobs, including fishing and logging.

In a plea of mitigation, defence attorney Perry Gossai asked the court to temper justice with mercy. He stated that his client did not waste the court’s time and had thrown himself at the mercy of the court.

He stated that at the time of the crime the accused was only a 21-year-old who unfortunately got involved with a 29-year-old mother.

He stated that his client did not have much education, having left school at the age of nine.

He likened the episode to a Romeo and Juliet story and also highlighted the time his client already spent in jail. He spoke of a good probation report and the fact that before

this episode his client had had no previous brushes with the law.

In handing down the sentence, Justice Brassington Reynolds stated that he had taken into account the good probation report and the plea of mitigation. He considered the action of the accused as one of deceit and that of a coward, which involved treachery, trickery and unfaithfulness.

“Your behaviour was less of a man. You are not the kind of Romeo that one has come to know. Your actions were selfish and not that of a man.

Your actions only served to give true love a bad name,” the judge stated.

“In your statement you did not mention of any effort made to get help to assist the now deceased woman in her struggles. You just ran away and left her in the wild of the unknown.”

The judge told the accused that he (Abdul) was looking at between 16 to 20 years behind bars, but taking everything else into consideration, he would reduce that to between 10-14 years. Looking at time already spent and a few other factors he then handed down a sentence of eight years.

Police in Berbice are investigating a fire which was set in the male washroom at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC) on Wednesday afternoon.

“A ball of fire on the cistern” was discovered by a security guard who was about to relieve himself shortly after 13:15 hrs.

The fire was set from a bundle of toilet paper in one of the cubicles in the facility, and was starting to spread.

Swift action by security officials, groundsmen and a janitor, resulted in the fire being quickly extinguished.

The cistern was damaged.

The area was subsequently cordoned off.

“I saw a set of toilet paper burning…attempts were made to get it [the fire] out and the groundsmen were summoned as well as the Administrative Officer, who was informed. I saw that the cover of the cistern was broken,” one eyewitness related Detectives were on campus yesterday taking statements and photographs of the burnt toilet equipment.

No student or individual was caught in the act, neither has anyone been arrested or reprimanded thus far.

Aaron Abdul after being sentenced

UGBC washroom set afire

Friday March 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 17

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Kaieteur News

Friday March 08, 2013

Education is a business not love, UG Vice-Chancellor asserts - as extensive improvement plans unveiled - as extensive improvement plans for UG unveiled “If you want quality degrees you will pay for it; nobody gets quality for free.

If students can’t pay for it, somebody’s got to pay for it; either the private sector or scholarships, somebody’s got to pay for it.”

This was the emphatic assertion of newly-appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Jacob Opadeyi, who was at the time seeking to justify plans in the pipelines to increase tuition costs at the tertiary institution.

In his inaugural press conference held yesterday at the University’s Turkeyen Campus Education Lecture Theatre, the Vice Chancellor alluded to the need for qualified lecturers who would have attained Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degrees.

He insisted that “somebody has to pay them for that. If you don’t want to pay them for that, then you will get low quality teachers.”

“How can you get a good lawyer to come and teach law in this university? You have to pay that person to stop all practices and come and teach

here. If you want a good medical doctor to teach here you have to pay that person to stop all private practices...and somebody has got to pay for it.”

Professor Opadeyi related that it currently costs the university some $355,000 to educate each student, while the tuition costs stand at just over $120,000 for most. Although unable to precisely state the deficit at the University, the Vice Chancellor speculated that it is somewhere in the vicinity of $300 million. In referring to salaries, Professor Opadeyi stressed that “everything needs to go up; it is a total package. If you want high quality teachers you need to pay high quality salaries.”

As such, he expressed confidence that Government will support the move to up the tuition fee, since according to him “it is commonsense. There is no Government service that has not increased its prices in this country...so it is just commonsense.”

The only challenge with implementing the tuition change, according to the Vice

UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi Chancellor, is the modality, that is, “how we should, not why we should do it, and if Government says we are not going to increase tuition, the University is going to say ‘this is the extra bill you have to pay’....This is the cost of giving that person the quality education that you wanted.”

Moreover, Professor Opadeyi sought to emphasise that “education is a business; education is not something like ‘I love you and I want to give you education’. It’s not about love, it’s about you getting your degree and going and fighting it out, out there and getting money.”

The Nigerian-born Professor made a point of highlighting that even an individual’s chance of getting a visa is higher.

“You apply for visa and you say I have a degree your chances of getting the visa is higher, because quickly they look at it that you belong to this category of social echelon. So we should not treat it as something that we like you and you just go and get education.”

He said that there is an imperative need to improve the facilities and services, all of which cost money.

According to him, money should not be raised through begging, but rather through the services that are being sold. “What are the services that we are selling at this university? We are selling education...we are selling a certificate. For the Vice Chancellor to sign that this person has a BSc, it means that the Vice Chancellor has received the cheque for the work that was put in to get that degree.”

Speaking to the role of the university, Professor Opadeyi insisted that it is not merely to award degrees to nationals, but rather to prepare them to take advantage of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy.

“Let our Guyanese

nationals go to Trinidad and fight it up as engineers, not as traders. Go to other countries in the Region and fight it up as professionals and that is an investment that we have to make,” he insisted.

Nigeria, according to the Professor, had in fact made such an investment, which at one point allowed for some 30 per cent of doctors in Trinidad to be Nigerians.

This state of affairs, he said, had brought with it some level of respectability to Nigeria, even as he made reference to “when 80 per cent of Guyanese in Barbados are labourers, how does that sound? We need to revise that...revise that by investing in human resource development and let our people go and fight it out wherever they are...The way I am fighting it out here...we need to find a way to make them more competitive.”

Professor Opadeyi’s deliberations were forthcoming yesterday as he sought to detail elaborate plans intended to help improve the operations of the tertiary institution, which will range from a curriculum review every five years; the appointment of external lecturers and the review of all academic programmes. He disclosed plans, too, to have

all professional programmes offered at the university be accredited, even as the quality of lecturers and examinations and results are examined.

The plans, according to Professor Opadeyi, will also extend to moves by the University to access a radio licence - an avenue he believes will help to exhibit the radio-hosting talent of students which could range from poetry to musical renditions.

However, following the Vice Chancellor ’s ambitious deliberation, President of the University’s Student Society, Ganesh Mahipaul, insisted that a tuition increase would only be supported if the move towards improved lecturers and facilities are realised.

“As it is right now, we don’t see a need to introduce a raise in the tuition fee.

If you go to the market and you see two types of mangoes, you are going to buy the quality one; you have to see quality first,” insisted Mahipaul, who is of the firm believe that quality service should be an investment on the part of Government or the private sector.

“They should invest in education, because at the end of the day it is going to benefit Guyana,” he posited.

Linden COI report…

Govt. accepts aspects ‘with a drop of salt’ The government yesterday said that it is likely to award compensation only as dictated by the Commission of Inquiry, which handed over its report on the Linden unrest to President Ramotar last week.

Three persons were killed on July 18, 2012, the first day of protests against electricity rate hikes in the mining town. The Commission, set up to investigate and award compensation, recommended $3 million each to the estates of Shemroy Boyea and Allan Lewis and $2 million to the state of teenager Ron Somerset.

The Alliance for Change (AFC) was staggered by the awards for compensation, and said that a minimum, the awards for the death of the three men should have been set at $15 million each.

“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 given the fact that the commissioners found that the Guyana Police Force had used unjustified lethal force, the awards that

were eventually announced were particularly low,” chairman of the AFC Nigel Hughes stated.

Hughes also expressed surprise at the statement of one of the Commissioners, retired Chancellor Cecil Kennard, who is quoted by the Stabroek News as having said that the compensation was so awarded because the Police did not fire to kill, but rather to scare the protestors.

“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 stated.

He indicated that he would be seeking via the Attorney General to have the awards “reviewed upwards.”

Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon indicated that the government

would not bow to criticism of the compensation package, but would award it as written by the Commissioners.

Meanwhile, Luncheon said that the government also accepted, though grudgingly and “with a drop of salt”, the conclusion of the Commission that the shooting was done by the Police.

He said it was a case of the Commissioners saying “We don’t have anyone else to blame, so let’s blame you, the Police.” He disclosed that Cabinet’s review of the report was focused on the comprehensive dismissal of the allegations against Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, and added that the ongoing “demonising of Rohee” was linked to the Linden protests with an “imagined role” that he had something to do with the order to fire at protestors.

Luncheon said that the government stands by the findings of the Commission which exonerated Rohee.

He stated that the administration is still studying the report and would subsequently make a full and detailed pronouncement.

Friday March 8, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 19

At Chavez’s coffin, Venezuelans vow more revolution CARACAS (Reuters) Saluting, clenching fists and making the Roman Catholic sign of the cross over Hugo Chavez’s casket, Venezuelans crowded yesterday to see their deceased leader one last time and pledge that his socialist revolution will not die.

Grieving supporters queued around a grandiose military academy in a mass show of devotion to Chavez, who died on Tuesday aged 58 after a two-year battle with cancer.

More than 2 million people have already paid their respects.

From soldiers in fatigues to officers in ceremonial dress, senior ministers to residents of the slums where Chavez was most loved, those in line vowed to defend his legacy and back his preferred heir, acting President Nicolas Maduro, in a new vote.

“I arrived in the wee hours to see Chavez. He is my personal idol,” said Henry Acosta, 56, outside the academy where the leader’s body will lie in state until a funeral today.

A sobbing Berta Colmenares, 77, said “Chavistas” must throw their weight behind Maduro to carry on the revolution.

“I will vote for Maduro, who else? He is the one who Chavez chose and we have to follow his wish.”

Chavez was dressed in an army uniform and a signature red beret like the one he wore in a 1992 speech to the nation that launched his political career after he led a failed coup.

People were given just a few seconds to glance at Chavez’s body inside the relatively simple wooden coffin, which had a glass top

Supporters of Venezuela’s late President Hugo Chavez protest over others cutting the line as they wait to view his body in state at the Military Academy in Caracas, yesterday. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo and was draped in flowers and a Venezuelan flag.

One government source told Reuters that Chavez slipped into a coma on Monday and died the next day of respiratory failure after a rapid deterioration from the weekend, when he had held a five-hour meeting with ministers at his bedside.

The cancer had spread to his lungs, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

There is uncertainty over exactly when a presidential vote will be held in the South American OPEC country with the world’s largest oil reserves and 29 million residents.

Though the constitution stipulates a poll must be held within 30 days, politicians say election authorities may not be ready in time and there is talk of a possible delay.

Chavez ruled for 14 years and

won four presidential elections.

Maduro, 50, a former union leader who ended his education at high school before plunging into politics, looks certain to face opposition leader Henrique Capriles, 40, the centrist governor of Miranda state who lost to Chavez in last year’s election.

Members of the opposition have kept a low profile and offered condolences during the enormous show of support for one of Latin America’s most popular leaders.

But some expressed relief at the demise of a man they saw as a dictator who trampled on opponents and ruined their economy.

“I wanted his mandate to end. Power made him lose perspective,” said Israel Nogales, 43, a university administrator walking in a

Massive waves heading for T&T’s coasts Trinidad Guardian Waves up to ten feet high could form off the north coasts of both Trinidad and Tobago in the next three days.

Beginning on the morning of Sunday 10th March, the waves, formed by a combination of multiple North Atlantic cold fronts, could reach a height of an estimated five to seven feet at 18 second intervals. On March 11th, waves could reach up to seven to ten feet at 17 second intervals.

A warning issued by the NOAA National Hurricane Centre (NHC) on March 6 at 11.30 am said an Atlantic gale coming from the north-west will result in a cold front (a system of very high energy wind), which will result in offshore wind speeds of up to 35 knots or

approximately 65 kilometres per hour. This will cause large waves in our local waters, some reaching 15 feet high.

Individual waves up to twice that height can possibly also occur during this event, according to the NHC warning.

The T&T Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), in a statement issued this afternoon, said they were “closely monitoring the situation” and expected sea conditions to change over the next four days, based on forecasts generated from numerical weather prediction models.

The ODPM report said coastal communities should pull (small) fishing vessels out the water, shift larger vessels to deep water anchorages,

and close beaches to swimming or diving.

“Citizens in general, and those residing along coastal areas, are asked to be on on the alert of above normal sea conditions. All necessary measures must be taken to preserve life and property,” the report said.

However, the ODPM specified that it had not yet issued an actual rough seas bulletin.

The T&T Meteorological Society also issued a statement confirming the change in marine conditions expected this weekend.

The Surfing Association of Trinidad & Tobago (SATT) also posted a message on their Facebook page warning coastal communities of the dangerous ocean swell event expected to arrive Sunday.

Caracas park.

“He polarized the country and families like mine. ... He is going to be treated like a martyr and that is wrong.”

Opposition sources told Reuters on Wednesday they have again agreed to back Capriles, whose 44 percent vote share in 2012 was the

best performance by any candidate against Chavez.

One recent opinion poll gave Maduro a strong lead, and both international markets and foreign diplomats are factoring in a probable win for him and a continuation of “Chavista” policies, at least in the short term.

The tall and hefty Maduro, who lacks Chavez’s man-of-the-people charisma, served as his foreign minister for six years before being named vice president in late 2012.

He has pledged to adhere to Chavez’s brand of ferociously nationalist politics and controversial economic policies that included regular seizures of private businesses as well as wildly popular social welfare programs.

Some analysts believe Maduro might eventually try to ease tensions with Western investors and the U.S. government. But just hours before Chavez’s death, he was accusing “imperialist” enemies of infecting the president with cancer and he expelled two American diplomats for alleged

conspiracies.

Maduro is expected to continue bashing Washington, at least until the election. He may have to step down from his role as caretaker president to launch his candidacy. One official source told Reuters that Chavez’s nephew, Science Minister Jorge Arreaza, might step into that role.

Capriles, an athletic career politician and lawyer from a wealthy family, wants Venezuela to follow Brazil’s softer center-left model.

Venezuela’s heavily traded global bonds, which gained before Chavez’s death, were down for a second straight day yesterday as investors realized his economic model of government control could persist for years. Yields for its 2027 bond spiked to nearly 9.5 percent as prices continued to fall.

The government has still not said where Chavez will be buried. Many Venezuelans assume he will be laid to rest in his rural home town of Sabaneta in the heart of the “llanos” plains, where he was born in a house with a dirt floor.

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Kaieteur News

Cuba to open state-run wholesaler for private companies HAVANA, March (Reuters) - Cuba established yesterday a state-run wholesale company to sell food products, industrial and other consumer goods to private companies and the state sector, a step aimed at meeting a key demand of local entrepreneurs.

The new company was just the latest indication that President Raul Castro plans to create a strong private sector in retail services and farming as part of a broader reform of the Soviet-styled economy.

Since taking over for his brother Fidel in 2008, he has been lifting some restrictions on civil liberties, such as travel and the sale and purchase of private property, as well as revamping the statedominated economy into a more mixed and market friendly one.

More than 200,000 small businesses have opened since Cuba liberalized regulations on them in 2010 and the number of entrepreneurs and their employees was 370,000 at last count.

“This step is long overdue and promises to remove a serious disadvantage faced by small entrepreneurs,” said Phil Peters, a Cuba expert at the Virginia-based Lexington Institute who has closely followed the reforms.

“It is the latest sign that the government wants the private sector to grow and needs it to create jobs for its reform program to succeed,” he added.

At the close of 2012 there were 1,736 private restaurants, 5,000 bed and breakfasts, and thousands of cafeterias, pizzerias and snack shops, according to the government.

Business owners have long complained that they must purchase supplies at state retail shops, while their state competitors purchase at more competitive wholesale prices, a problem authorities have repeatedly promised to remedy. Thursday’s official Gaceta published an internal trade ministry resolution bringing together a number of companies into a new state holding company, the “Food, Industrial and Other Consumer Goods Trading

Company.”

The resolution, which when published became law, stated the company would attend to both the state and “non-state” sectors.

State-run companies control all foreign and wholesale trade in Cuba and have been prohibited from selling to the private sector.

It was not clear how long it would take to set up the new company.

On Tulipan Street in the New Vedado district of Havana, a busy area with many private food vendors, no one knew about the new company, but all agreed it would be welcome.

“This is what we have been waiting for and its good they are finally doing something,” said Ofelia Rodriguez, 45, who sells pastries.

“I guarantee you, that if the prices are reasonable I can lower those I put on my products,” she said.

One woman selling soda, sandwiches and snacks nearby, said she would pass judgment once the company was in operation.

Friday March 8, 2013

PM insists budget presentation ahead of motion of no confidence in his administration BASSETERRE, St Kitts CMC – Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas Wednesday insisted that his administration would not be rushed into debating a motion of no confidence against him and that the presentation of the national budget is a priority matter to be dealt with.

Dr. Douglas told a news conference that “the motion of no confidence has its place (and) the government has an agenda for which it is responsible”.

Earlier this week, Opposition Leader Mark Brantley said he has written Governor General Sir Edmund Lawrence indicating that six of the 11 legislators in Parliament no longer supported Dr. Douglas and called for the debate on the motion to be held without further delay.

The move by the opposition leader, which also has the support of two former government ministers – former deputy prime minister Sam Condor and senior government minister Dr. Timothy Harris – is the latest strategy being employed to force the National Assembly to debate the motion of no confidence that the opposition said had been “duly submitted to the Clerk of the National Assembly since the 11th December 2012”.

Brantley said he was calling “on civil society to be vigilant and to continue to apply pressure to ensure that the democratic traditions we all hold sacrosanct are respected and restored”.

The St. Kitts-Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the churches have already called on Prime Minister Dr. Douglas to ensure that the opposition inspired motion is debated

Dr Denzil Douglas soon.

But Prime Minister Douglas told reporters “the budget is of extreme importance, just as important as the motion of no confidence and the budget is urgent just as the motion of no confidence.

“If for any reason the Speaker would want to forget that I would remind him that the motion of no confidence is urgent and I would remind him to make sure that it is not forgotten, but I think at the moment we are all of one mind…that the budget is urgent.

“The budget is urgent and we would be very irresponsible if we allowed a motion of no confidence to come and the government for whatever reason is no more and there is no money legally authorised to even conduct an election which is what some people seem to want,” he said, adding “I can’t be that irresponsible so I have to do what is the responsible thing”.

Prime Minister Douglas said as leader of the country he could not “think in a very irresponsible and myopic way” reminding journalists “I have to be broad in my

thinking, I have to plan ahead because that is the role and responsibility that I have.

“I want to make clear here that the motion of no confidence has its place, the government has an agenda for which it is responsible.

The budget was due to have been presented last December but was postponed after the government said that two senior government leaders had not participated in its prepration.

Regarding the move by his two former Cabinet colleagues to sign the letter sent to the head of state, Prime Minister Douglas said that had they resigned from the Cabinet, he would have been placed in an uneasy situation “because we would have to go to by-elections”.

He said he is still not certain what position the two men have adopted indicating earlier that despite indicating he was an independent legislator, Harris was maintaining a close relationship with the ruling St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) in order to “remain relevant to the ;politics of St. Kitts”.

He said the same way the two men “changed their minds yesterday and said they would vote (in support of the opposition) so too they can change their mind and do anything.

They are still alive. I don’t know what motivated them to be on the other side.

Suppose I can demotivate them..or I can increase my motivation beyond what they got”.

Asked by the journalists if this was something he was prepared to try, Prime Minister Douglas replied “I am prepared to do anything for stability in our country”.

Bermuda Cabinet ministers take 10% pay cut HAMILTON, Bermuda CMC - Bermuda’s MPs have passed a resolution giving cabinet ministers a 10 per cent pay cut effective April 1.

“It’s more symbolic than substantive,” Premier Craig Cannonier said, noting that the overall saving was relatively small.

“But in our present economic and fiscal circumstances, it’s the right thing moving forward.”

The Premier’s salary will decrease from US$168,069 to US$151,262 a year, while the Deputy Premier’s pay goes from US$125,491 to US$112,942.

Other ministers in the House of Assembly will drop from US$112,046 to US$100,841. The same pay is

set for ministers serving in the Senate.

The cut in ministerial salaries was pledged by Cannonier when he was sworn in as Premier following the victory of the One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) in the December general election.

The House also recently authorised raising the national debt ceiling from US$1.45 billion to US$2.5 billion before the country’s coffers ran dry.

The OBA, founded in May 2011, inherited a national debt of US$ 1.4 billion from the previous administration of the Progressive Labour Party (PLP).

Unemployment among Bermudians now stands at 10 per cent.

Craig Cannonier

Friday March 8, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 21

‘Significant progress’ made Two public sector unions accept wage freeze

by Antigua & Barbuda – IMF St. John’s Antigua - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Antigua & 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 multi-million dollar Stand By Agreements Antigua & Barbuda has with the Washington-based financial institution.

The team held talks with Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, Finance Minister Harold Lovell 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 noted that 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 programme targets throughout the year.

“For 2013, the fiscal programme is consistent with a central government primary surplus of three per cent 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.

Chavez body to be permanently displayed

Hugo Chavez

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s acting president says Hugo Chavez’s embalmed body will be permanently displayed in a glass casket so that “his people will always have him.”

Vice President Nicolas Maduro says the remains will be put on permanent display at the Museum of the Revolution, close to the presidential palace where Chavez ruled for 14 years.

Maduro says the president will lie in state first for at least another seven days.

A state funeral for Chavez attended by some 33 heads of government is scheduled to begin this morning. Tens of thousands have already filed past his glass-topped casket at a military academy following a seven-hour procession on Tuesday which took his body from the hospital where he died.

Valuation of Florida land bought by CLICO was suspect – inquiry hears Trinidad Express - No auditor worth their weight in salt would have accepted the valuation proffered by British American Insurance for the billion-dollar Green Island land deal, attorney for the CLICO policyholders group Lynette Seebaran-Suite said on Tuesday at the enquiry into the failure of CL Financial and four of its subsidiaries.

Seebaran-Suite said the TT$1.8 billion purchase of property in Florida, USA, caused the collapse of the CL Financial empire.

The billion-dollar transaction was a note in the accounts of CL Financial subsidiary British American.

A valuation for the property, dated September 17, 2007, was sent to British American from an individual

named Shiva Rambaran.

Rambaran had no affiliation with British American, Seebaran-Suite said. Rambaran was hired by the company selling the Florida property.

Seebaran-Suite said the valuation was “suspect”.

She made the statements during her cross-examination of PricewaterhouseCoopers’ retired partner Gerard Olliverre at the enquiry, Winsure Building, Richmond Street, Port of Spain.

Seebaran-Suite: My information is that Mr Rambaran is not associated with the buyer, British American, but with the seller.

So if that were true, if that were true, then this valuation would be very suspect, would it not. It would be a valuation

proffered by a seller.

Olliverre: It is done by presumably a valuator who has the professional qualifications and integrity.

Seebaran-Suite: He was hired by the seller.

Olliverre: I do not know the arrangements made by the parties; you are making statements because something is so, then the next thing is…I can openly say that you fudging the valuation from my understanding because of this p e r s o n ’s relationship…

Seebaran-Suite: I think that an auditor should challenge the prominence of a valuation which is put forward as evidence of a proposition that a property is being acquired at fair value.

KINGSTON, JAMAICA CMC – Two public sector unions have formally signed off on an agreement for a public sector wage freeze until March 2013.

On Wednesday, the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) and the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA) formally signed off on an agreement for a public sector wage freeze until March 2015.

With this step, the Government passed one of the final hurdles to securing a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF),.

The Heads of Agreement for the 2012/2015-contract period, between the Government and public sector unions/associations representing the majority of public sector workers, was signed at Jamaica House during a function attended by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips.

O’Neil Grant, JCSA President, urged the unions who have not yet agreed to a wage freeze to do so. He said

Portia Simpson Miller while he urged his members to make a sacrifice in the interest of the country, they stated that this is the last time they will be agreeing to a wage freeze. “We have created an opportunity out of this crisis to correct the wrongs and to build the trust, and build the level of partnership not to go that route again,” Grant said.

JCTU Vice President Helene Davis Whyte revealed that getting the group’s membership to agree to accept a wage freeze was

difficult but they acted in the interest of Jamaica and warned that the unions are watching closely to ensure that returns on their sacrifice are guaranteed.

Simpson Miller, hailed the civil servants and called on the country to “recognise in a special way, the huge sacrifice,” being made by the workers in the interest of Jamaica.

She thanked the unions, representing the workers, for putting Jamaica first. “No praise is too great for the leadership of the unions, who have demonstrated the highest level of patriotic responsibility and concern for national interest,” she said.

The unions have agreed to change their negotiating cycle from two to three years, along with a wage restraint from 2012 to 2015. This will mean a total of five years of wage containment in the country’s interest.

Approximately 20 public sector unions and associations were represented at the signing event.

Page 22

Kaieteur News

Friday March 8, 2013

North Korea threatens nuclear strike, UN expands sanctions SEOUL/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - North Korea threatened the United States yesterday with a preemptive nuclear strike, raising the level of rhetoric just before the U.N. Security Council approved new sanctions against the reclusive country.

The White House said North Korea’s threats would only lead to Pyongyang’s further international isolation and declared that the United States was “fully capable” of defending against any North Korean missile attack.

China’s U.N. Ambassador Li Baodong said Beijing wanted to see “full implementation” of the new U.N. Security Council resolution that tightens financial restrictions on Pyongyang and cracks down on its attempts to ship and receive banned cargo.

North Korea has accused the United States of using military drills in South Korea as a launch pad for a nuclear

war and has scrapped the armistice with Washington that ended hostilities in the 1950-53 Korean War. A North Korean general said on Tuesday that Pyongyang was scrapping the armistice. But the two sides remain technically at war as the civil war did not end with a treaty.

North Korea threatens the United States and its “puppet,” South Korea, on an almost daily basis.

“Since the United States is about to ignite a nuclear war, we will be exercising our right to preemptive nuclear attack against the headquarters of the aggressor in order to protect our supreme interest,” the North’s foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

North Korea conducted a third nuclear test on Feb. 12, in defiance of U.N. resolutions, and declared it had achieved progress in

Li Baodong

Vitaly Churkin

securing a functioning atomic arsenal. It is widely believed that the North does not have the capacity for a nuclear strike against the mainland of the United States.

With tensions high on the Korean peninsula, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to expand its sanctions on North Korea.

The new sanctions were agreed after three weeks of negotiations between the United States and China, which has a history of resisting tough measures against its ally and neighbor.

The resolution specifies some luxury items North Korea’s elite is not allowed to import, such as yachts, racing cars, luxury automobiles and certain types of jewelry. This is intended to close a loophole that had allowed countries to decide for themselves what constitutes a luxury good.

“These sanctions will bite and bite hard,” said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice.

The export of luxury goods to North Korea has been prohibited since 2006, though diplomats and analysts said the enforcement of U.N. sanctions has been uneven.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a former South

Korean foreign minister, welcomed the council’s move, saying in a statement that the resolution “sent an unequivocal message to (North Korea) that the international community will not tolerate its pursuit of nuclear weapons.”

The success of the new measures, council diplomats said, will depend to a large extent on the willingness of China to enforce them more strictly than it has in the past.

Pyongyang was hit with U.N. sanctions in retaliation for its 2006 and 2009 nuclear tests. Those measures were subsequently tightened and expanded after several rocket launches by the North.

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.

George Lopez, a professor at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and a former member of the U.N. panel that monitors North Korea sanctions compliance, said the new measures should have a real impact on North Korea’s movement of money and constrain access to equipment for its nuclear and missile programs.

“Now, we may yet see another launch or a bomb test, but over the medium term this resolution will degrade DPRK capabilities to grow its program,” Lopez said, using the acronym for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

North Korea’s threats were the latest in an escalating war of words by both sides

across the armed Korean border this week.

The North’s unnamed foreign ministry spokesman said it would be entitled to take military action as of March 11 when U.S.-South Korea military drills move into a full-scale phase.

“North Korea will achieve nothing by continued threats and provocations. These will only further isolate the country and its people and undermine international efforts to promote peace and stability in northeast Asia,” Rice told reporters.

President Barack Obama’s administration said it had reassured South Korea and Japan “at the highest levels” of its commitment to deterrence, through the U.S. nuclear umbrella and missile defense, in the face of the new threats.

Glyn Davies, the State Department’s point man for North Korea, also said in testimony prepared for a Senate hearing that Washington will not accept North Korea as a nuclear state.

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin called for restraint and an end to the threats. “Let’s keep our minds cool and keep focused on the need for the only possible rational course of action, and that is returning to six-party talks,” he said.

North Korea, which held a mass military rally in Pyongyang on Thursday in support of its recent threats, has protested against the U.N. censures of its rocket launches. It says they are part Continued on page 24

Friday March 8, 2013

Kaieteur News

Ber lusconi g ets jail Berlusconi gets sentence in wir eta p trial wireta etap MILAN (Reuters) - An Italian court sentenced exPrime Minister Silvio Berlusconi yesterday to one year in jail over the publication by his family’s newspaper of a transcript of a leaked wiretap connected to a banking scandal in 2006.

Under Italian law, the 76year-old media billionaire would not have to serve any jail time until the appeals process has been exhausted, and a higher court could overturn the ruling.

However, judicial sources said the charges will expire in mid-September, before an appeal trial can be completed, because of the statute of limitations. So no matter what happens in the appeal, it is unlikely that Berlusconi would serve time in jail.

The verdict came in the midst of a political impasse arising from last week’s election which left no party able to form a government on its own, although Berlusconi’s center-right formation emerged as the second strongest in parliament.

Berlusconi is embroiled in a series of trials, with separate cases over charges of tax fraud and paying for sex with an underage prostitute due to wind up this month.

Following Thursday’s verdict, he repeated denials that he was in any way connected with wrongdoing and said the decision showed that politically motivated judges were conducting a campaign against him.

“It is impossible to

Silvio Berlusconi tolerate judicial persecution of this kind which has been going on for 20 years and which re-emerges every time there are politically complex moments in the political life of our country,” he said in a statement.

On Tuesday, Berlusconi said supporters of his People of Freedom party would hold monthly rallies against what he describes as politicallymotivated trials.

Berlusconi’s brother Paolo, publisher of the familyowned Il Giornale daily, was sentenced to two years and three months over the same case, which centered on confidential wiretap transcripts related to a bank takeover which appeared in the newspaper.

The court awarded 80,000 euros ($104,700) in damages to Piero Fassino, who was head of the main center-left party at the time of the incident and whose remarks were picked up on the wiretap and published in the newspaper.

Fassino asserted that Il Giornale published the transcripts shortly before the 2006 election to create the impression that he had exerted improper pressure in the attempted takeover of Banca Nazionale del Lavoro by insurer Unipol in 2005.

Late on Wednesday, Italy’s highest appeals court upheld a ruling clearing Berlusconi of tax fraud in connection with his Mediatrade broadcasting rights firm.

The decision cleared Berlusconi of accusations that Mediatrade, the broadcast rights unit of his Mediaset group, acquired film and television rights at inflated prices to evade 10 million euros in taxes in 2004.

His trial on charges of paying for sex with a juvenile prostitute is expected to wind up in coming days while a sep a r a t e trial over broadcast rights is e x p e c t e d t o c o n c l u de toward the end of the month.

Berlusconi’s lawyers yesterday asked the Milan court to postpone a hearing in the sex trial scheduled today, saying that the fourtime premier could not be present due to “a serious problem with his vision”, legal sources said.

Despite his relative success in the election, Berlusconi’s prospects of a return to government have been held back by the refusal of center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani to accept a “grand coalition” with his longstanding rivals.

Iran’s top leader unhappy with nuclear talks TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s top leader said yesterday that the West failed to offer any concessions during the latest talks aimed at resolving a standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Remarks by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which were broadcast on Iranian state TV, were his first public comments on last week’s talks with the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany.

“The Westerners did not do any substantial work that could be interpreted as concessions,” said Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters. “They, minimally, admitted part of (the) rights of the Iranian nation, only.”

However, Khamenei showed interest in continuing the talks saying, “Iran will judge intentions of the West in the next talks.”

Khamenei’s comments

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei contrasted with the message an Iranian official conveyed at last week’s talks in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Saeed Jalili, Iran’s top official at diplomatic talks, hailed a proposal issued by the world powers, saying it represented a “turning point” that showed they were willing to compromise on Tehran’s uranium enrichment program after years of delicate negotiations that nearly

dissolved last June. Iran denies that it wants nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear program is for generating energy and medical research.

The proposal allows Iran to keep a limited amount of highly enriched uranium, but not make any more; stops short of demanding the full shutdown of an underground nuclear facility; and offers to remove some trade sanctions that have hurt Iran’s economy.

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister and a member of Iran’s negotiating team, said Thursday that the upcoming nuclear talks could end in an understanding.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran expects the ground for achieving understanding to be paved in the next meeting,” Araghchi told foreign ambassadors in Tehran. He said Iran expects “necessary good will and flexibility” from the other side of the negotiating table.

Page 23

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Kaieteur News

Friday March 8, 2013

Bin Laden son-in-law arrested in Jordan, brought to New York WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - A son-in-law of Osama bin Laden who served as al Qaeda’s spokesman was arrested in Jordan and then brought to New York in an operation led by Jordanian authorities and the FBI, U.S. government sources said yesterday.

The sources said Suleiman Abu Ghaith, a militant who appeared in

videos representing al Qaeda after the September 11, attacks on New York and Washington in 2001, had initially been picked up in Turkey.

The Turkish government deported him to Jordan, said the sources, where local authorities and the FBI took custody of him. He had been brought to the United States in the last few days, a law

enforcement source said.

Abu Ghaith is now being held in a detention facility in the New York City area and is expected to be charged and eventually brought to trial in federal court. The trial would most likely be in U.S. District Court in lower Manhattan, only blocks from the site of the World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the September 11 attacks, a law

enforcement source said.

The Justice Department declined to comment and the FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Initial public confirmation of Abu Ghaith’s capture came from Representative Peter King, a senior Republican member of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee and former

chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

“I commend our CIA and FBI, our allies in Jordan, and President (Barack) Obama for their capture of al-Qaeda spokesman Sulaiman Abu Ghaith. I trust he received a vigorous interrogation, and will face swift and certain justice,” King said in a statement.

“Propaganda statements in which Abu Ghaith and his late father-in-law, Osama bin Laden, praised the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 are alone enough to merit the most serious punishment.”

U.S. sources indicated that, while a CIA role in the capture of Abu Ghaith could not be ruled out, the FBI took the lead role in the operation under the auspices of an interagency body known as the High-value Detainee Interrogation Group.

The group was created by Obama’s administration after the president ordered the shutdown of a CIA program in which militant suspects were detained and held in a network of secret prisons, during the administration of President George W. Bush.

The suspects were sometimes subjected to controversial and physically coercive “enhanced interrogation techniques,” and also were sometimes

transferred without trial to third countries under a procedure known as “extraordinary rendition.”

Records compiled by a United Nations sanctions committee show that Abu Ghaith was born in Kuwait in 1965, but that he left Kuwait for Pakistan in June 2001.

After the September 11 attacks, Abu Ghaith first surfaced as one of al Qaeda’s main spokesmen. Later, U.S. officials believe he was part of a group of top al Qaeda figures that included one of bin Laden’s sons, Saad, who allegedly traveled to Iran, where the Iranian government claimed they were being held “in custody.”

The Long War Journal, a counterterrorism blog published by the conservative Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, reported in 2010 that Abu Ghaith had been released by Iranian authorities and supposedly had returned to Afghanistan.

NAIROBI (Reuters) Kenyan presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta held his lead in the latest tally of election results published yesterday, but for the first time his tally fell below the 50 percent that he would need to avoid a run-off ballot.

Deputy Prime Minister Kenyatta had won 3,522,127 votes so far counted from Monday’s election, giving him 48.7 percent of the total votes cast as at 2035 GMT,

according to a display by the electoral commission at the national tallying center.

His rival, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, had 3,299,391 or 46.07 percent of the total votes cast.

The votes so far were from 163 out of a total of 291 constituencies, and there is still some way to go in the vote counting, as turnout was estimated at more than 70 percent of the 14.3 million voters.

Suleiman Abu Ghaith

Kenyatta lead shrinks in Kenya vote count, raising chance of run-off

North Korea threatens nuclear...

From page 22 of a peaceful space program and that the criticism is an exercise of double standards by the United States.

The North’s shrill rhetoric, however, rarely goes beyond just that. Its last armed aggression against the South in 2010 came unannounced, bombing a South Korean island and killing two civilians. It was also accused of sinking a South Korean navy ship earlier in the year, killing 46 sailors.

North Korea was conducting a series of military drills and getting ready for state-wide war practice of an unusual scale, South Korea’s defense ministry said earlier.

South Korea and the United States, which are conducting annual military drills until the end of April, are watching the North’s activities for signs that t h e y might turn from an exercise to an actual attack, said South Korea’s defense ministry spokesman Kim Minseok.

Friday March 08, 2013

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Guides are subjected to change without notice

Friday March 08, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You may feel as if people are against you today because they might tell you something you don’t want to hear. Naturally, your real allies are the ones willing to give you the honest feedback that others tend to withhold.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You might feel blocked today if you are working on a creative project. Or, if you recently made a romantic gesture toward someone special, you may be unsure that your advances were taken in the right way.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You might grow discouraged today as your best intentions run into a lack of support from others on the job. Understandably, you may be hesitant to share your frustration for fear of making things worse.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You have nowhere to share your most intense emotions today since others may not be interested in engaging the intensity of your passions. Nevertheless,

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) It’s time to consider postponing or even canceling an upcoming trip due to responsibilities you cannot avoid. The hardest part about this change in circumstances is not altering your plans.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) It’s too late to go back and cancel your commitments if you over-scheduled yourself today. The biggest problem is that you feel you’re letting someone down if you aren’t on time or if you don’t finish everything as promised.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Deeply rooted feelings of failure may bubble up to the surface now, prompted by a difficult interaction with a loved one. A specific memory of not being able to help someone in your family can influence your actions today.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) It’s time for you to build on what you recently started, even if you are questioning the practicality of your recent decisions. However, this uncertainty is natural since you may be required to put a significant amount of effort into your plan now, and you really want to be sure it’s the right one.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) It may be challenging to express your feelings today because it seems as if people aren’t listening to you.

However, chances are they actually hear every word you say; it’s your fear of not being heard that makes you think you’re being neglected.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You may be so impatient that you are unwilling to wait for others to catch up to you.

Your annoyance might even reach a critical mass today, prompting you to lose your temper.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) If you’re not feeling in tiptop shape today your body is trying to tell you something.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You may be thinking about something that you have kept to yourself and are now trying to decide the best time to share it with someone else.

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New Zealand v England: Bruce Martin gives hosts control Bruce Martin and Hamish Rutherford enjoyed dream Test debuts as New Zealand dominated England on day two of the first Test in Dunedin. Martin claimed 4-43 and Neil Wagner 4-42 to bowl the tourists out for a paltry 167, their lowest total batting first against the Kiwis.

Jonathan Trott made 45 but he was one of a clutch of batsmen to perish to reckless strokes.

Rutherford’s unbeaten 77 led the hosts to 131-0 by the close - trailing

by 36.

He will resume on day three (today) alongside Peter Fulton, who is 46 not out, as New Zealand - ranked above only Bangladesh in the International Cricket Council standings - aim to build on a position of strength that few would have predicted before play.

On their first Test outing in a hugely important year which sees them contest two Ashes series, England produced a batting

performance that must rank among their worst in recent times.

Martin, the 32-year-old left-arm spinner, was gifted four of the cheapest wickets imaginable as England’s batsmen, with the exception of Trott, showed an alarming lack of application on a placid surface.

The assured Rutherford son of former New Zealand batsman Ken - demonstrated the error of their ways with an innings that suggests he

has a bright Test future ahead of him, while Fulton overcame a scratchy start to help blunt the six bowlers England employed in the final session.

England’s display will raise inevitable questions about their preparation for this series, which featured a solitary first-class match against a New Zealand XI, particularly given that only once on the last 13 tours have they won the opening Test.

However, their downfall at the University Oval lay in

shot selection rather than execution, most notably when Matt Prior, Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad perished during a frantic 22-ball spell which reduced them to 119-8.

Little England did impressed from the moment Nick Compton, defending tentatively, played on to Tim Southee in the third over of the game, which was delayed 24 hours following the firstday washout.

Alastair Cook, normally such an assured presence at the top of the England order, was not above criticism himself. He cut tamely to point off Wagner, who swung the next delivery back in to trap Kevin Pietersen palpably lbw.

A recovery of sorts was cut short when Ian Bell drilled a Wagner half-volley straight to Rutherford at short extracover, before Trent Boult one of three left-armers in a four-man New Zealand attack - had Joe Root caught at third slip as he fenced at one slanted across him.

Martin claimed three wickets in two overs after lunch, all courtesy of needlessly aggressive strokes. Prior cut a long hop

to point, Trott top-edged a rare sweep to short fine-leg and Broad holed out on the square-leg boundary when Martin again dropped short.

Finn and Anderson swung lustily in adding a muchneeded 47 for the ninth wicket, but Finn’s dismissal he perished on the pull the ball after Rutherford had been moved to deep square-leg summed up England’s muddled thinking.

Anderson’s miscued swipe at Martin in the next over completed England’s misery with the bat, but Rutherford and Fulton ensured more was to come in the field.

Rutherford, 23, opened his Test account with a punched four wide of mid-on off Anderson, a shot typical of the aggression he showed en route to a 65-ball halfcentury. He was dropped on 52 and 64, Broad spilling a tough low chance in his follow-through and Pietersen shelling what should have been a regulation catch at gully. It was symptomatic of a day in which England’s cricket left much to be desired.

(BBC Sport)

Lionel Messi gold foot ‘worth £3.5m’ unveiled in Tokyo

A pure gold replica of Lionel Messi’s left foot has been unveiled in Tokyo. Valued at £3.5m ($5.3m), it was created by jeweller Ginza Tanaka to celebrate the man voted the best player in the world four times in a row.

The Barcelona player’s foot was cast at the end of 2012 and the finished article went on sale on Thursday (yesterday).

Part of the proceeds will go to Messi’s foundation, and be used to support children in areas hit by the Japanese natural disasters of 2011.

In a video message, the Argentina international said: “I’m honoured to have my foot recreated in pure gold.”

Messi’s brother, Rodrigo, attended the unveiling and said: “It’s exceptional, you can see each line on the foot.” The sculpture weighs 25kg and is 25cm tall and 28cm wide.

There are two other pieces inspired by the player for sale.

Messi’s golden footprint is available for £63,00 while the “Golden Foot Mini”, which is half the size of the main gold foot, is for sale at £28,000. (BBC Sport)

Friday March 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

UDFA needs a NELSON...

From page 34 swiftly “connect in the industry” as a viable marketing product. “I‘d like players get chances for higher education and endorsements, see football attract more and better sponsorship, and the fans and business partners get more value.”

In 2010, Nelson got the mandate to run the Beach Football Association – an arm of the GFF for the fastgrowing version of the beautiful game – and, he built the sport to rival its standard cousin. After three years, the sport is a prized commodity; and a national team goes on a world tour in April, that includes play in CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers and the Virginia Beach Extravaganza in the US where a trio of Guyanese made waves in 2012. The team finally stops in Miami where “we expect a few players sign contracts with the first ever pro league,” he posited.

He got the new body, based in Linden and nicknamed ‘Red Jaguars’, to impact social fronts with varied activities including regular work with schools and NGOs on, primarily, health issues like HIV/AIDS – its adopted social awareness platform.

Five years ago, Nelson almost single-handedly organized an annual tourney – the popular New York-based Guyana-US Soccer League – especially for players of Guyanese heritage in the US

to supplement talent searches to feed the national teams’ programmes.

Nelson views players’ international exposure as stimulus to develop all facets of football. He wants to use his vast alliance to leverage these opportunities by networking in, among others, the US, Canada, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Belgium and Spain where he had taken a dazzling Linden player for exposure in 2003.

“While we search high and low for that kind of talent, we also have to surge ahead getting our local guys big time exposure, too.”

He said he has commitments for three colleges to secure full scholarships for suitable candidates from Linden.

“Soon we can expect to have a number of Linden players sign to a few pro clubs in Israel and in the USA,” he added.

He’s even more openminded on sports in general, demonstrating a broad perspective on football, and backed that up with respected vibes on other disciplines.

“Sports can change people’s lives and their communities, if you think of it.” The young, influential Lindener also lobbies for the town’s sports icons to be meaningfully honoured, and reveres late versatile sports star Edward ‘Screw’ Richmond, notable basketball coach ’Sancho’ Alphonso, renowned boxer Terrence Alli and decorated international athlete Marian

Burnett among a horde of footballers.

Nelson had created Burnett’s personal website and followed up with ones for the GFF, UDFA, Lady Jaguars, Jerome and others.

Additionally, he launched the ‘I Got You’ Foundation under the aegis of Jaguars defender and former captain Pollard that heralded a promotional blitz using football as a domain for national unity and other topical issues in Guyana.

Nelson kept his aspiration in his gear bag until he charily navigated the pitch that now points to a successful outcome. He comes with far fewer question marks. He is a proven leader and innovator, one who has the unquestioned respect of players, officials and fans.

So, though his résumé and plans are worthy for a candidacy to the nation’s top football seat, M. Garth Nelson wants his service to benefit Upper Demerara, at first. He’s not going for the long ball, at this time; Just a tackle, a dribble, a chick and a kick at the UDFA presidency.

Like his names imply; he might just be the divinely influenced liberator to chart the area’s future football adventures. Moses Garth Nelson would be an ingenious keeper of UDFA’s flowering football paddock and ensure its rapid bloom.

It’s logical that for the UDFA top post, a full Nelson is the most suitable ‘business’ on the agenda.

Tennis to implement Athlete Biological Passport programme Tennis will implement an Athlete Biological Passport programme to support the fight against drug cheats. The programme will collect and compare biological data and spot discrepancies over time that suggest possible doping.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) currently tests blood and urine. “We feel that this is the most effective way to show the world that tennis is a clean sport,” said Brad Drewett, executive chairman and president of the ATP. As with the current drug testing rules, the biological passports will not be compulsory but any athlete who refuses to take part in testing could face punishment. The decision to introduce biological passports comes after the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme Working Group comprised of representatives from the ITF, ATP, WTA

governing bodies and Grand Slam tournaments - gave its backing. The programme will see more blood tests conducted, particularly out of competition.

“The implementation of the Athlete Biological Passport is an important step in the evolution of the Tennis AntiDoping Programme as it provides us with a great tool in the fight against doping in our sport,” said ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti.

“We also hope to have increased support from the National Anti-Doping Agencies around the world who need to do their part if we are to win this battle and make our programme more effective. Questions have been raised by some of the sport’s top players in recent months about the drugtesting programme.

Newly released data for 2012 reveals there were 2,185 tests carried out - up slightly

from 2,150 in 2011). The vast majority examined urine samples - last year there were 124 in-competition blood tests (110 in 2011) and 63 out of competition (21 in 2011).

World number one Novak Djokovic recently described how the number of blood tests he undergoes has declined. He said: “I wasn’t tested with blood for last six, seven months. It was more regularly in last two, three years ago. I don’t know the reason why they stopped it.”

Roger Federer and Andy Murray also called for more testing, with the Swiss claiming he was being tested less than before. “I feel I’m being less tested now than [I was] six, seven, eight years ago,” said Federer. “I don’t know the reasons [why] we are being tested less and I agree with Andy, we don’t do a lot of blood testing during the year. I’m OK having more of that.” (BBC Sport)

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Regional 4 day tourney Rd 4...

Guyana were struggling on 195-9 at stumps on day two of their fourth round game in the West Indies Cricket Board Regional 4-day tournament against Trinidad and Tobago at the Queen’s Park Oval.

At the wicket are Ronsford Beaton on 7 and Paul Wintz on 5. Leon Johnson failed to get to three figures, falling for 87, Tagenarine Chanderpaul made 42 and Assad Fudadin 29. Off spinner Sunil Narine has so far taken 6 wickets and Dwayne Bravo 2. Trinidad

T&T in control against Guyana made 319 before being bowled out, batting first.

Ramdin fell for 84 as Veerasammy Permaul took 4 wickets while Ronsford Beaton and Paul Wintz had 2 each. Scores - T&T 319, Guyana 195-9.

At the Grenada National Stadium, Windwards in pursuit of 175 for victory closed the day zero for 1 against Jamaica. Windwards were restricted for 130 in their first innings with Devon Smith scoring 48.

Odean Brown took 5 wickets for the visitors who were routed for 97 in their second turn at the crease.

Brown made 27 as Shane Shillingford took 4 wickets and Darren Sammy and 3.

Scores - Jamaica 207 and 97, Windwards 130 and 0\1.

Over at the three Ws Oval, Combined Campuses and Colleges, batting a second time were 73-2 when stumps were drawn in their match against the Leeward Islands.

Anthony Alleyne is on 34 and Raymond Reifer on 17.

Earlier Leewards scored 243 to take first innings points.

Steven Liburd led with 53 as Kevin Mc Lean snared 3-39.

Scores - CCC 180 and 73-2, Leewards 243.

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Everest to host Savage in T20 match today - two others matches also slated The Everest Cricket Club (ECC) will host Savage Masters in a T20 game sponsored by Trophy Stall, Bourda Market starting from 14:00hrs today.

According to ECC President Rajesh Singh, the game will serve as a w a r m u p for the Club’s Masters team which will be hosting the PYO Masters of Trinidad & Tobago on March 31, in a fund raising venture.

Former national player Lennox Cush and Minister of Housing Irfan Ali are expected to feature in the Everest line up.

Meanwhile, Ray’s Auto Sale will come up against Guyana Stock Feeds in a T20 softball game at 18:00hrs, while Everest Masters will take on the Guyana Stock

Feeds team in another T20 fixture from 20:00hrs this evening at the said venue; trophies for both matches have been donated by Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall.

Everest Masters will come from: Rajesh Singh (Captain), Sheik Mohamed, Irfan Ali, Rakesh Gangaram, David Harper, Ronald Jaisingh, Johnny Azeez, Basil Persaud, Hemraj Garbarran, Kemraj Chanderpaul, Asif Khan, Shaheed Mohamed and Lennox Cush.

Savage Masters; Nadir Baksh (Captain), Ramo Malone, Vicky Ramsaywack, Troy Ramsaywack, Fazal Kayum, Falim Mohamed, Seon Williams, Navin Kalladeen, David Thomas, Jason Mohamed, Gary Jagdat, Deeraj Persaud.

CONCACAF reveals candidates for Confederation and FIFA Exco positions Miami The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football revealed the list of candidates, who will run for the available positions on the CONCACAF Executive Committee for the term 20132017 and the FIFA Executive Committee for the term 20132017.

The individuals that have submitted their candidacy to run for office pursuant to articles 26 and 27 of the CONCACAF Statutes are: FIFA Executive Committee Member from the Caribbean, Mr. Jeffrey Webb (CAY) – Unopposed FIFA Executive Committee Member from North America, Mr. Justino Compeán (MEX) and Mr. Sunil Gulati (USA) – Election CONCACAF Executive Committee Vice President from Central America, Mr. Alfredo Hawit (HON) –

Unopposed CONCACAF Executive Committee Vice President from the Caribbean, Mr. Horace Burrell (JAM) – Unopposed CONCACAF Executive Committee Member from Central America, Mr. Eduardo Li (CRC) – Unopposed CONCACAF Executive Committee Member from the Caribbean, Mr. Luis Hernandez (CUB) – Unopposed CONCACAF Executive Committee Member from North America, Mr. Sunil Gulati (USA) and Mr. Victor Montagliani (CAN) – Election In accordance with CONCACAF Statutes, all of the confederation’s Member Associations will vote to elect the members to these available positions during the XXVIII CONCACAF Ordinary Congress, to be held on Friday, April 19, 2013, in Panama City, Panama.

CARIFTA Team...

From page 36 strengthen the team as would last weekend’s newly installed record-holder, Jonathan Ramkissoon and locally-based Jabari Baptiste who was the recipient of the FINA High Points trophy in his age group last year at Carifta and World’s Juniors qualifier Kristin Julien.

The Titans Swim Club (SC) is proud of their ten swimmers represented on the team as are Atlantis Aquatics, Blue Dolphin, Marlins, Point Fortin Aqua Darts, Silver Sharks, Tidal Wave Aquatics, Torpedoes and Unattached swimmers based both locally and abroad.

The Team’s training is expected to begin this weekend.

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Mackeson hands over prizes for Super16 Street Football

Mackeson Brand Manager, Jamaal Douglas (2nd left) hands over the Mackeson Super16 Street Football first place prize to Retrieve Unknowns yesterday in the presence of other Ansa McAl officials including PRO, Darshanie Yussuf.

Ansa McAl under its Mackeson Brand yesterday handed over the prizes to the winner and top performers in the Mackeson Super16 Street Football competition that was held at the Amelia’s Ward and MSC Hard-Courts in Linden over three competition dates.

Retrieve Unknowns upset favorites, New Era Russians to take home the championship trophy and $250,000 while Russians pocketed $150,000 and trophy. Topp Class won third place cashing in on $100,000 and trophy while We Are the Boss got $40,000 and trophy for their fourth place finish in

the competition. In brief comments, Mackeson Brand Manager, Jamaal Douglas

hailed the competition as a success and committed to hosting the event continually.

The competition concluded Saturday night at the MSC with the Grand Finale.

Running Brave\AAG to host developmental Meet The Running Brave Athletic Club (RBAC) in conjunction with the Athletics Association of Guyana will be hosting a Developmental Meet this Sunday, March 10, at the Guyana Defense Force Ground, Camp Ayanganna.

Events are scheduled to commence at 10:00hrs and admission is free. A release from the club stated that the aim of the Meet is to give local athletes an opportunity to showcase their talent in both track and field events.

The youth and juniors will compete in the Under-17 and Under-20 categories respectively as the Carifta Games draw near while the seniors will clash in the open categories towards achieving CAC Games qualification times.

The likes of Alisha Fortune, Leota Babb, Olympian Winston George, Stephan James, Alita Moore, Tiffany Carto, Cleveland Thomas and Jevina Straker will all be on show.

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UDFA needs a Nelson-hold Elections for the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) are nigh, but scars from a recent two-decade old vice-grip at its top post are apparent. After half of a 26-month ban that wrestled the body’s running from a Colin Klass clench, there is uncanny haziness in sifting for a suitor to clutch the ‘business’.

The direction forward may call for a full-nelson; an M. Garth Nelson, literally.

Though he can take the shot, it won’t be an indirect one for the Federation’s International Coordinator to score a winner for Guyana’s football. Nelson would have to sap through a colander of inexplicable eligibility requirements that now engage other pretenders to the post.

He’s not uptight over those exigencies. His diligence in the sport sets up a strong challenge to other candidates in the reckoning ring since the world governing body – FIFA – clotheslined Klass in September 2011 for less-than-classy conduct.

But, Nelson is not using the red card on the banned

honcho to boot a free-kick to the GFF apex. Instead, he is audacious and prudent.

“More considering a support role to whomever is elected”, and from a chartered affiliation position.

Thus, Nelson’s goal is the presidency of the subsidiary Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA), and he is kicking passionately. “I am convinced I can help the Association make the necessary impact to develop our localized football and, in turn, contribute to improving our national football, ultimately.”

With viable ideas he’s a credible candidate for the UDFA top post, and doesn’t believe he needs to develop an entirely fresh slate to contest the position.

“Though we need an infusion of fresh, resolute and creative thinking in our football, it’s not necessary to clean house; it’s just to reorient our thinking.”

He has the trust of the football fraternity in and outside of Guyana, and many think his candidacy is plausible thus providing

cannon-fodder toward making up his mind to serve Upper Demerara football. “I can envision working with all the other guys. We’ve got to give everyone an ear whether inside the UDFA family or not.

That’s the way you build consensus.”

Regarding recent ramblings in national football, he is gratified over the solution to the GFF/ Georgetown Football Association impasse, and regarded the dispute between players and the GFF admin as “rather unfortunate”. “We got to show maturity to work things out and prevent harm to our football,” he said, adding that no tangle is too hard to unravel, “once we got true love for the sport and its development.”

His rasping résumé in football stretches from goal to goal. By the by, it was exnational coach Jamaal Shabazz who advised the GFF in 2007 to engage Nelson as a coordinator for the Golden Jaguars after the latter was giving yeoman service to Guyana’s football internationally, but not in an

official capacity.

Since then, Nelson has triggered Guyana’s football on the firing range, and his aim evidently shoots through his persuasive expressions.

“We got the next World Cup and Olympics right in our backyard and we got to grab these prospects with both hands. We got to benefit big from this coincidence.”

In six years, his influence scored pro and semi-pro attachments on the bigger stages, and scouted talent and scholarships for a glut of Jaguars including Charles Pollard, Howard Lowe, Nigel Codrington, Randolph Jerome, Kevin Beaton, Nick Parbhudial, Ronson Williams, Abassi McPherson, Ryan Crandon, Devon Millington, JP Rodriguez, Sean Cameron and Gregory Richardson.

Moreover, when Richardson fell out of favor at MLS level, Nelson secured a deal to Carolina Railhawks, at the time, coached by decorated Scotsman Martin Rennie, now at the helm of MLS’s Vancouver Whitecaps.

Rennie is among executives, clubs and associations with whom Nelson maintains links to ink contracts and promote talent exchanges. With fellow Linden-born uber sports devotee Colin Baker, Nelson helped organize Guyana’s return to play on US soil after two decades when they took

NOW N' THEN! M. Garth Nelson (C. back) enjoys a photo op. with nationals Randolph Jerome (l.)

Sean Cameron (R) and his nephew (C) on Guatemala in Atlanta in November 2010. “We need to get our players more frequent exposure home and abroad, and leverage such games to strike marketing deals for them and our football in general.” He and Baker are founding member of the USbased World Cup Committee that championed a wider programme of engaging overseas players and exposing locally-based players.

Also born out of Nelson

influence was the Women’s National Team – Lady Jaguars – which got to the 2010 CONCACAF Gold Cup on the first try.

The Brooklyn College business admin graduate has unique plans for the sport in Upper Demerara and further afield. A novel initiative is establishing annual gala-like events to award players and officials, and honour fans and corporate partners. He desires Guyana’s football to (Continued on page 31)

Davis and Taharally to Guest Pose at Central Corentyne Flexout Reigning Mr. Guyana Devon Davis and 2012 Ms. Flex Night Best Legs Nadina Taharally will be making guest appearances tomorrow (Saturday) hotly anticipated Central Corentyne Flexout bodybuilding competition comes off at the new House of Pain Gym, Ankerville Port Mourant.

The event, which is being hosted by Messrs. Raheem Ali and Kumar of House of Pain Gym will coincide with the official launch of the new House of Pain Gym. The organisers have been assisted by Flex Night Incorporated in putting together the event and is as a direct result of the visits to the Corentyne and a bodybuilding outreach which Flex Night Inc. has been conducting over the past six months.

The Central Corentyne Flexout is generating a lot of buzz among the bodybuilding population in the Corentyne area, and has drawn an impressive number of new

Devon Davis

Nadina Taharally

persons to the sport. Both the organisers of the event and Flex Night Inc. view this as a huge plus for the sport since the success of the event will only serve to add to the national talent pool of athletes that will be competing in both Flex Night and Guyana Amateur Body Building & Fitness Federation events this year and in the future.

As the reigning Mr. Guyana, Devon Davis will no

doubt be demonstrating the finer art of posing as performed by a well-sculpted physique. Nadina Taharally will be hoping to inspire more females in the area to take up the sport and physical fitness with a view to either taking the stage or maintaining a body that is well-shaped and toned.

The event starts at 19:00hsr at House of Pain Gym, Ankerville, Port Mourant. Admission is $1000.

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CONCACAF to hold first-ever Interactive Gold Cup Miami – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced that it is launching the inaugural CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup. The competition, being held in conjunction with FIFA and EA SPORTS™, will give fans from all of CONCACAF’s Member Associations the opportunity to represent their National Association and play for a chance to be

crowned champion of CONCACAF. Online qualification will take place on the SONY PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system through Season 6 of the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2013 (FIWC13) played on EA SPORTS FIFA 13, which kicked off on March 1.

CONCACAF will host each of the twelve finalists in the United States for the finals in an on-site tournament play.

The two finalists will then play for the virtual title on the

-12 fans will compete for virtual title this July stadium screen in front of tens of thousands of people at the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals.

In addition to the title, the winner will receive an allexpenses paid trip for two (2) to the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, which will be played on July 28 at a venue to be revealed next month.

After the completion of the championship game, the first-

ever CONCACAF interactive champion will be presented with a trophy in front of the crowd at the closing ceremony.

“The passion for football takes shape in many different ways throughout many different platforms.” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. “The first-ever CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup is a unique way to provide a platform where our

premier National Team competition merges with the video gaming space and allows the virtual athletes to compete for the glory of the 2013 trophy in front of thousands of people inside of a real football stadium.”

To enter the tournament and obtain its rules, participants must visit www.concacafinteractive.com.

The following twelve national teams have qualified for this year’s tournament (in alphabetical order): Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States.

Taking place every two years and showcasing the confederation’s best players, the Gold Cup has established itself as the region’s most popular national team tournament, routinely drawing capacity crowds and millions of television viewers.

This year’s Gold Cup – the 12th edition – will open on

July 7 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, with a doubleheader featuring sixtime champion Mexico.

Follow @CONCACAF on Twitter for all CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup news.

EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with topselling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™, and Fight Night boxing. For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com. Join more 10 million fans in the EA SPORTS football community at http://www.facebook.com/ easportsfifa or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ easportsfifa.

CARIFTA Team Selected The XXVIII CARIFTA Swimming Championships which has been held since 1985 will take place this year from March 30 - April 3 in Jamaica. On Tuesday evening, the Council of the Amateur Swimming Association of Trinidad and Tobago ratified the swimmers recommended by its Swim Committee following trials held last weekend.

This year will also be the inaugural year for an Open Water competition in two agegroup categories at Carifta, and local swimmers for this event will participate in trials that have been integrated in the Trinity Masters KIA Swim around Gasparee Open Water event to be held this Sunday, March 10.

The technical team is led

by Edmund Pouchet, Head Coach, who will undoubtedly bring his vast knowledge to bear to help the team reach their highest potential and lead the points standings by the end of the Championships. Assistant Coaches are Hazel Haynes, Brian Wickham, two-time Olympian Sharntelle Mc Clean and Vincent Tardieu.

Chaperones for the team are Roxanne Marcano, Natasha Lyder-George and Jason Wickham, while Neal Marcano is the Team’s Manager.

The selected swimmers are as follows: Girls 11-12 Jada Chai, Vristnelit Faure,

Jessie Changar, Hannah Chatfield, Mia Otero, Marissa Packette. Boys 11-12 Rhajeev Ramdeen, Kyle Sirju, Jeron Thompson, Kael Yorke, Mark Anthony Beckles. Girls 13-14 - Ariel Cape, Jewel Mulrain, Amira Pilgrim. Boys 13-14 - Aaron Acres, Adrian Goin, Derelle Prescott, Revash Ramtahal, Osaze Riley, Justin Samlalsingh.

Girls 15-17 - Syriah David, Alexandria Donahue, Theana Hay, Kristin Julien, Rebecca Marshall, Tyla Martin. Boys 15-17 - Jabari Baptiste, Dylan Carter, Jonathan Gillette, Emiro Goossen, David Mc Leod, Jeron O’Brien, Jonathan Ramkissoon, Joshua Romany.

Regional competition is not unknown to almost all of these swimmers and many of them have shown their worth at the Goodwill level (a yearly four-nation swim meet that is largely developmental) including first-time Carifta entrants Jada Chai, Vristnelit Faure, Marissa Packette, Kael Yorke, Jeron Thompson, Kyle Sirju and Canada-based Adrian Goin.

Other overseas-based swimmers include multiple national record-holders Dylan Carter (US) and Tyla Martin(US), Emiro Goossen(US), Alexandria Donahue(US), UK-based Hannah Chatfield and CISC medalist Rebecca Marshall are also expected to further (Continued on page 33)

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GSL Cricket, Linden Zone...

Bucharest beat Chelsea, Hinds slams 62 as Hill Newcastle draw

Foot thumps Wiruni

Fernando Torres turns away as the penalty is taken while Oscar and Frank Lampard look on Britain’s roller-coaster European ride endured a couple of UEFA Europa League twists yesterday when Chelsea stumbled to a 1-0 loss at Steaua Bucharest, while Newcastle United carved out a 0-0 draw against Anzhi Makhachkala.

After a traumatic week in the UEFA Champions League which saw Manchester United and Celtic defeated, Chelsea, who captured the continent’s top prize last season, put in a weak display in the Romanian capital in their last-16, first-leg tie.

The only goal of the game came in the 34th minute when Raul Rusescu beat Petr Cech from the penalty spot after he had been chopped down by Ryan Bertrand.

Chelsea Manager Rafael Benitez made five changes from the side which beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 in the Premier League at the

weekend, including a recall for John Terry. But the Londoners rarely troubled Ciprian Tatarusanu with only a late drive from Marko Marin requiring a serious save from the Steaua goalkeeper.

Newcastle, with seven Frenchmen in the line-up, carved out a 0-0 draw against Anzhi Makhachkala, ending the Russians’ 100 per cent home record in the tournament this season. In a game of few opportunities, and in front of a smattering of fans inside a freezing Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Magpies’ Manager Alan Pardew won the night’s tactical battle against wily Guus Hiddink.

The stalemate gave Newcastle the edge ahead of the second leg on Tyneside next week with a place in the quarter-finals at stake. Anzhi’s frustrations were perfectly summed up

when 30 million-euro signing Willian limped out of the game early in the first half.

The Russians had the better opportunities to break the deadlock with Cameroon star Samuel Eto’o wasting three chances. At the other end, playmaker Hatem Ben Arfa, returning after a threemonth injury absence, and one of Newcastle’s French contingent in the starting eleven, had a chip saved by Vladimir Gabulov in the Anzhi goal.

Italian title-chasers Lazio took a huge step closer to the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win in Germany against Stuttgart with Ederson and Ogenyi Onazi scoring either side of the break.

There was also an away win for Fenerbahce with Cameroon striker Pierre Webo grabbing the goal in a 1-0 win at Viktoria Plzen in the Czech Republic. (fifa.com)

WICB President sends condolences to family of Sam Guillen Gros Islet, St Lucia – President Dr. Julian Hunte has sent condolences on behalf of the West Indies Cricket Board to the family of former Test player Simpson ‘Sam’ Guillen who passed last Friday in New Zealand.

“It is with deep sadness that we received the news of Sam’s passing in his adopted home of Christchurch New Zealand.

He occupied a special place in the annals of cricket history having played for both West Indies and New Zealand,” Dr. Hunte said.

“We express our deepest sympathies to Sam’s wife Valmai and his four children Gerard, Sally, Andrew and Jane along with his many grandchildren and other relatives and friends,” Hunte

added.

Prior to his passing Guillen was the oldest living New Zealand Test cricketer and the second oldest West Indian Test cricketer (behind Andy Ganteaume).

Born on September 24, 1924 in Trinidad, Guillen was 88 years old at the time of his death. Guillen was one of 14 cricketers to have played for two international teams.

He appeared in five Tests for West Indies and three for New Zealand. Interestingly, the three that he played for New Zealand were all against the West Indies and two of the five he played for West Indies were against New Zealand where he moved in 1952 after the Windies tour of that nation.

His Test career ended in

Sam Guillen 1956, the match marking New Zealand’s first win after 45 matches in 26 years at the international level.

Guillen’s grandson, Logan Van Beek, is a current Canterbury cricketer and Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies A opening batsman Justin Guillen is also a relative.

Lorty Hinds slammed a fine half century to engineer Hill Foot Vipers’ triumph over Wiruni Conquerors by 135 runs when play in the Georgetown Softball League \ Regal Stationery and Computer Center \ Mike’s Copy Centre \ Star Party Rentals \ Trophy Stall and Salod Marketing Agency competition continued last Sunday with matches in the Bauxite Mining Town of Linden. At Christianburg Gsround, Hill Foot batted first and rattled up 184-6 in 12 overs. Hinds made 62 and got support from Rawle Alleyne with 36; Cedroy Causway picked up 2-46.

Wiruni Conquerors in reply were rattled for 49 in 9.4 overs; Neotlon Thomas was the only batsman to reached

double figures with 12, Vicky Ragubeer claimed 2-12.

In the female category at the said venue, Wiruni overcame Kwakwani by 8 wickets. Kwakwani took first strike and posted 81-3 off their allotted 12 overs. Saski Agard hit 27; Elsa Ping had 2-21.

Wiruni responded with 83-2 in 8.3 overs; Udayvon King topped with 31 while Adiola Archer took 2-6.

Meanwhile Roraima Rusal Warriors and Break Point got walk overs from Ituni Village and Kwakwani Strikers respectively.

The competition continues on Sunday with South Star taking on Bad Boys, All Star playing Too Hot to Handle and Sun Rise opposing South Star Devas at Christianburg.

Meanwhile, at CPCE on the East Coast also on Sunday, Pitch One will see Industry taking on MK Ogle at 09:30hrs, Mon Repo will play Flashers at 12:00hrs, Frontline battles Defenders from 13:30 hrs.

On Pitch Two; Accomplishments will come up against Princess from 09:30hrs, Rapid Fire clashes with Marshon from 11:30hrs, Princess match skills with Rapid Fire from 13:30hrs and Accomplishments will tackle Marshon from 15:30hrs.

On Pitch Three; El Comodante will challenge Viper from 09:30hrs and Walking Tall at 11:30hrs respectively. Omesh XI will confront Viper from 13:30hrs and Walking Tall at 15:30hrs in that order.

GABA Division I and III Leagues -TGH Pacesetters remain unbeaten Trinity Grid Holdings (TGH) Pacesetters remained unbeaten in both the Division I and III Leagues of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) Wednesday night when the competition continued on Burnham Court.

In the opening game of the double-header that featured Pacesetters, Calvin Harding dropped 16 points and Tarique Cave 13 points to give TGH Pacesetters an early 2-0 record in the Division III League after beating the Defence Force Monday night.

Pacesetters won 77-60 in a much improved offensive performance than the lowscoring thriller Monday night.

Neil Gordon scored 23 points and Travis Belgrave 22 points for Eagles in their first game of the League that started last weekend.

Then in the second game, a fourth quarter collapse from Melanie Patriots led to an 8451 thrashing from Pacesetters Division I team. Shooting guard, Stephon Gillis and point guard, Travis Burnett went on a rampage in the fourth period.

Burnett finished with 24 points while Gillis had 23 points for TGH Pacesetters in their Division I Season opening game. Forward, Royston Siland scored 10 points and he, along with Clement Brusche, controlled numerous boards.

Kurtleigh English scored 20 points while Sheldon Legall had 16 points for Melanie Patriots that was tied 43-43 with Pacesetters at the end of the third period.

The competition continues tonight with another double-header on Burnham Court.

Page 38

Kaieteur News

Friday March 08, 2013

PAHO donates sports equipment to NOC

By Zaheer Mohamed The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) yesterday donated a quantity of sports equipment to the New Opportunity Corps on the Essequibo Coast. The presentation took place in the Boardroom of the Ministry of Sport, Main Street.

The equipment included 22 footballs, basketballs, volleyballs and reflex exercises, Six (6) table tennis sets, two (2) cricket sets and skipping ropes.

Speaking at the ceremony, Adrianus Vlugman, PAHO’s Senior Advisor Sustainable Development and Environmental Health said the lack of physical activities is a major risk for non communicable diseases (NCDs); in plain English if you don’t move enough you will have a higher risk of overweight, get a heart disease, stroke and diabetes and don’t live as long and less healthy.

He stated in Guyana, almost 60 percent of the deaths annually are related to

NCDs. Vlugman related that the other risk factors are, eating too much food, too much sugar, fat and drinking too much alcohol.

“All these factors are related to lifestyles, and lifestyles are developed early, when kids are still in school.

Our Health Promotion activities run across all PAHO\WHO health programmes; it is what we call a cross cutting issue.

That is why PAHO works with multiple partners to address youth issues, especially in school and community settings and encourage among other things, physical activity” he added.

Vlugman said there is a lot of talent in the Caribbean. “I have discovered a lot of talent in the programmes I have been involved in; the older generation owes it to the youth to provide ample opportunities to develop these talents.

Parents and schools often discourage children to be involved in sports.

Frequently teachers forfeit

PAHO’s Adrianus Vlugman, Minister of Sport Dr. Frank Anthony, students and officials of the NOC display the equipment donated. physical education classes for Math or English.

This is wrong. Studies have shown that regular physical activities improve learning capacity.

That one extra hour of academic training in an already jam-packed academic

curriculum is extremely ineffective as compared to one hour of Physical Education,” he stated.

The PAHO Rep. also indicated that he is very happy to donate the equipment to the NOC to further develop their physical activity programme.

“This programme is being executed by the Ministry of Education Allied Arts Unit to promote physical activity in a fun way at the NOC with the aim of encouraging young

persons and their guardians to engage in these activities, regularly.

In addition, the Ministry of Health will provide information and proper nutrition and benefits of regular physical activity. We are convinced that these will not only bring joy and fun, but also opportunities to better health and longer life for the youngsters going to use them.

And who knows, there might be an Olympian

medalist among them,” Vlugman noted.

PAHO has been a long standing partner with the Ministries of Health, Education, Agriculture, and Culture, Youth and Sports in the fight against NCDs. It was stated that this commitment was renewed yesterday as together they showcase national community level activities to promote healthy living and encourage residents to develop same.

GCB, WICB and the Govt. reaches agreement - Int. cricket to make grand return After being critical of the Government’s stance at a press conference on the availability of the National Stadium to host the first Pakistan test match, Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Secretary Anand Sanasie confirmed late last night that an agreement had been brokered between himself, Sports Minister Dr. Frank Anthony and the WICB Chief Executive Officer Michael Muirhead.

Mr. Sanasie also expressed concern that the GCB had to concede a lot to broker an agreement and may very well regret this in the future but was adamant that the return of International cricket to Guyana was more important to him than the consequences of making these concessions and meeting the demands necessary to achieve the present outcome.

Wednesday night on Sportsmax Television Sanasie expressed optimism that an agreement will be brokered as the GCB will do whatever it

Anand Sanasie takes to see that International cricket is returned to Guyana.

Up to the time of yesterday afternoon’s Press Conference hosted by the GCB at their Regent Street Offices, in the City, no agreement was reached. It was noted that the Guyana National Stadium, Providence Management (Ministry of Sport) will receive over US$60,000 for the test match alone.

This clearly indicates the economic benefits that would accrue to the Stadium and the

spin offs to other businesses when we have international cricket.

Kaieteur Sport understands that the parties involved decided to set aside the International Venue Agreement (IVA) and settled for an exchange of letters that confirms the earnings for the Stadium, a condition that the GCB as a member and shareholder of the WICB is appointed the agent on the Regional Body’s behalf to host the test match.

In all other territories of the West Indies, the WICB signs an IVA with the Stadium owners and the local cricket board. Many are of the opinion that if the GCB was asked to nominate Mr. Clive Lloyd then it is recognized as legitimate and the Government of Guyana position regarding this important sports entity should change, and change quickly, as the Caribbean Premier League may pose another set of issues that can very well embarrass the Government.

Friday March 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 39

t r o Sp Milo / Petra U-20 Schools F’ball - KO Stage...

Richard Ishmael, St. George’s move on; Christ Church, QC out

Action in the clash between St. George’s and Queen’s College which the former won yesterday at the Ministry of Education ground.

T

he start of the knockout phase of the Milo / Petra Organisation Under-20 Schools Football Competition which begun yesterday at the

Ministry of Education Ground on Carifesta Avenue held true to early predictions when both favourites Richard Ishmael and St. George’s ran riot over their respective

opponents Christ Church and Queen’s College en route to easy victories.

In the first game of the double header, Richard Ishmael drubbed Christ Church 5-1, while in the second encounter St. George’s humbled Queen’s College 5-0.

Ryan Stanton opened the scoring in the 15th minute and seven minutes after Trevon Tucker added another, before Christ Church pulled one back through Tracvis Fitzpatrick, who netted in the 31st minute to make it a 2-1 game.

The Woolford Avenue unit stretched their advantage further through a strike from Ronald Dover in the 36th minute of play and that score line remained until the half.

Eight minutes into the second period, Shaka Browne netted Richard Ishmael’s fourth goal and that was followed four minutes later when the prolific Krisstoff Watts added their fifth.

That score line remained until the final whistle sounded which evidently signaled the elimination of Christ Church and the advancement of Richard Ishmael.

In the feature clash, St. George’s was the first to find the back of the nets when the nippy Sean Taylor dribbled past a horde of defenders, before tapping in from close range after 16 minutes of play.

Royston Dublin then doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute when he fired in a cracking shot from about 20 metres out that screamed past the outstretched hands of

the goalkeeper to lodge in the back of the goal.

Adulka George made it 3-0 five minutes before the half when he outran the defence after being played a long ball from centre field and hammered a fierce shot past the advancing goalkeeper.

However, even before the half time whistle came, the QC boys muffed a few opportunities to score through poor finishing and alert goalkeeping.

On the resumption, St. George’s continued to orchestrate numerous offensive forays and increased their lead through Jummer Small, who netted in the 70th minute. Sensing that the Thomas Lands boys were clearly deflated, St. George’s attacked with menace and added another goal three minutes before regulation time ended when Neil Cameron completed their tally.

The competition continues tomorrow with a triple header at the same venue.

In the day’s full results: Richard Ishmael Secondary 5, Christ Church 1. Richard Ishmael Secondary - Ryan Stanton 15th, Trevon Tucker 22nd, Ronald Dover 36th, Shaka Browne 53rd, Krisstoff Watts 57th minute. Christ Church Secondary - Travis Fitzpatrick 31st minute.

St George’s High School 5, Queen’s College 0. St George’s High School - Sean Taylor 16th, Royston Dubblin 33rd, Adulka George 40th, Jummer Small 70th, Neil Cameron 87th.

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