Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2013

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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

Minibus Noise

All of Guyana knew that it was only a matter of time before the madness that exists in Guyana over the blaring of “music” from minibuses would end in the death of someone. Last Monday, Basdeo Mangra and his wife boarded a Route 44 minibus to Georgetown. On their way to his brother-in-law’s wake and his wife upset with the cacophony, the man asked that the music be turned down, after another passenger’s request to disembark could not be heard by the driver.

This simple request enraged the conductor who berated the hapless Mangra and a scuffle ensued in which the conductor pulled an ice pick. When the wife appealed to the driver, she and her husband were unceremoniously dumped at Kitty, a mile away from their Stabroek Bus Park destination.

Two buses later, Mr Mangra collapsed, was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.

We have spent some time on the incident because it illustrates quite graphically the lawlessness that obtains in a regulated sector - transportation. It is literally one in which John and Jane Public are tossed into a Kafkaesque world, marked by a nightmarishly senseless, disorienting, often menacing quality controlled by the bus conductors and their drivers.

This world, was created after minibuses were permitted to take over the public transportation routes back in the 1990s. But the mind-bending noise that invades into the deepest recesses of the captive traveller is only one aspect of what is now known as “the minibus culture”. The word “culture” acknowledges the pervasiveness and allencompassing world that one enters into when one steps into most minibuses in Guyana.

It begins with the touts who harass, pull and tug at passengers at the bus parks to fill their quotas for a fee. It continues with the routine overloading and flouting of the laws that govern the bus parks. The dalliances between bus drivers, conductors and schoolgirls represent a dominant sub-theme in the minibus culture. The loud music which is dominated presently by dancehall and dub is partly dictated to please and attract this demographic.

But all of this did not appear overnight. It grew in front of an agitated majority of the public that complained bitterly in every available avenue, especially in the letter pages of the newspapers.

Finally, on 7th August 2008, the National Assembly added a new section 174B, to the relevant law. Very clearly it states, “A driver of a motor bus [minibus] or hire car shall not play or allow anyone to play any music in the motor bus [minibus] or hire car whilst the motor bus [minibus] or hire car is plying its route or parked in a public place.

“A driver of a motor bus [minibus] or hire car who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than seven thousand five hundred dollars nor more than fifteen thousand dollars and to imprisonment for six months and on a second or subsequent conviction to a fine of not less than ten thousand dollars nor more than twenty thousand dollars and to imprisonment for twelve months.”

As the Ministry of Home Affairs pointed out last year, “Section 174B is not limited to the playing of loud, continuous and repetitive music which disturbs occupants of a minibus or impairs the driver’s ability to use the road cautiously. Rather, the section clearly criminalises the playing of any music in a motor bus while plying its route or parked in a public place.

Therefore, there should not be present in any minibus any electronic equipment (including televisions, radios, tape-decks, compact disc (CD) players, digital video disc (DVD) players, amplifiers, equalisers, speakers) which would facilitate the playing of music.”

We therefore would like the Minister of Home Affairs to explain to the public why, after the police desultorily run some “campaigns”, matters always revert to the present lawless status quo, where passengers can be killed.

Friday May 03, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

How race/ethnic voters try to use third parties like WPA and AFC DEAR EDITOR, Reading Freddie Kissoon’s article “Wakenaam’s wakeup call, but does it matter?” (KN, April 4, 2013) I was drawn to the lesson in psychology he described. A PPP stronghold, Cane Grove, had a dust problem emanating from a rice mill. The residents asked the AFC to help them in their plight after the very government they voted for (PPP) refused to listen to their pleas. The PPP took them for granted and expectedly did nothing to rein in the rice mill.

The AFC showed up numerous times in Cane Grove before the election and tried valiantly through several avenues to halt this egregiousness. A young man from Cane Grove reportedly confronted Kissoon and others after the election complaining that the problem still plagued Cane Grove. He admitted he voted for the PPP. Kissoon rightly describes this psyche as sadomasochistic behaviour.

It cannot be anything else.

The same thing happens in PNC strongholds where the AFC is called in after the PNC abandons its supporters yet come Election Day these very people will put their X next to the Palm Tree. This same phenomenon happened to the WPA. Call it backstabbing, hypocrisy or facetiousness

or whatever you want to define it, it is symptomatic of the sickening psychosis of the Guyanese nation when it comes to politics.

That this madness continues fifty-plus years after the horrible race wars of the sixties and after many like Rodney. Now the AFC has valiantly tried to alter the disease, to remind us of the power of the failed human consciousness in Guyana

and the psychic damage race, ethnicity and moral shallowness continues to play in Guyana. Guyana is made up of resilient, resourceful, hardworking and family-oriented people.

But Guyana is also made up of a multitude of political hypocrites.

If people cannot take moral stands on matters fundamental to their very survival and the ability to

achieve a better life, how can they expect good government, positive governance, quality leadership and equal share in the spoils of their country?

Guyana is a case in duplicity at its pinnacle. It is an experiment in high-class political-psychological scampishness.

The third parties are seen by those who vote for race (Continued on page 5)

GTM’s sponsorship of the illegal GCB tournament is disturbing DEAR EDITOR, As a long-standing supporter of the GTM Fire Insurance Company Ltd, I was extremely disappointed to learn that GTM has partnered with the illegal Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) by sponsoring the 2013 Under-19 Competition.

GTM quite rightly did not offer sponsorship to the GCB in 2011 and 2012 because of the chaos and confusion that had enveloped that Board and cricket in general including accusations of financial improprieties and illegal elections.

There has been no change in the cricket situation and again, the elections that were purportedly held in January 2013 were illegal as the Berbice Cricket Board did not take part and the Demerara Cricket Board was injuncted.

As in 2011, the Essequibo Cricket Board was the only county board that took part in the elections and constitutionally no one county board can hold elections of the GCB. It follows therefore, that the GCB elections of 2011 and 2013 were both clearly illegal. Why then did GTM sponsor the 2013 Tournament

after taking the moral high ground in 2011 and 2012?

By forging ahead with the 2013 sponsorship, GTM has sullied its longstanding association with the promotion of youth cricket. A very poor example has now been set for our youth cricketers that the cricket has to be played even when it is consumed in illegality.

One expects that all cricket stakeholders, including the sponsors, would contribute in a meaningful way to ensure that our national game is played and administrated in a proper and decent manner.

Kudos to the Hand-In-Hand Mutual Fire Insurance Company for having taken a principled position by instructing the illegal Demerara Cricket Board to put on hold the sponsorship of the 2013 Second-Division Competition.

A lot of trust is displayed by the insuring public in Insurance Companies and it is expected that good and sound judgement would be pivotal in decisions taken.

Yours sincerely, John Etwaroo

Friday May 03, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

CRACK DOWN ON MINI-BUS MUSIC

DEAR EDITOR, Reference is made to your news item on the beating death of a passenger on a minibus.

It is heart wrenching to read the story how the conductor beat up the passenger who complained about the loud music on the

bus. The law is not being enforced and politicians are showing an indifference to deal with the situation. Noise is damaging to the health leading to hearing loss.

While the young people may not feel the health effects now, it will tell later on in life.

People have a right to speak out against loud noise and they are entitled to the comfort of a peaceful ride on a public operated vehicle for which they pay a fee.

That is their right. Those bus drivers who break the law should be fined and prosecuted.

How race/ethnic voters try...

From page 4 parties (PPP and PNC) as instruments to use and discard.

They are used to achieve the changes the very governments and parties these folks vote for refuse to offer them despite their political support.

Then whether these changes are achieved or not, these third parties are discarded. This is the history of third politics in this country when every single third party has preached an agenda that would have transformed this country. The UF capitalist thrust would have transformed Guyana into a Singapore rather than the cesspool of economic drudgery Guyana became under the PNC and now the PPP. Peter D’Aguiar would have obtained the full support of the Americans and the incontrovertible evidence is that most nations that sided with the capitalist West emerged from the collapse of the Cold War on a far better economic footing than the communist/socialist/Soviet bloc nations.

Guyana has largely rejected the unity message and agenda of the WPA and AFC for divisive race politics, which has given us nothing but extreme poverty, inequality and racial exclusionism.

Even worse, race politics was packaged with communist and socialist economic platforms that proved disastrous.

I know it is harsh but the Guyanese people deserve the governments and parties they vote for because they embrace indecent politics. As long as a majority within the two major ethnic groups (Indians and Africans) favour race politics, third parties will remain a wedge used and abused by these same PPP and PNC supporters afraid of confronting the despots within their own parties and expecting the third parties to do the dirty work they lack the courage to do.

Third parties are viewed by many as fodder for convenient use, only to be discarded when the aims of the race voters are met. These voters want third parties to agitate for changes they themselves refuse or are afraid to agitate against their own parties and government. The WPA and AFC are there to do the dirty work only to be

backstabbed when voting day arrives.

When this happens, it emboldens the PPP and PNC to continue their abuse and dismissal of their own supporters because it reminds them that these voters are trapped and stuck with the PPP and PNC. Exploitation

begets exploitation. One cannot exploit legitimate third parties and then backstab them and expect better treatment from the race parties. It will not work. The Guyanese people have to recognize a basic construct of Guyanese politics – it is all about power.

M. Maxwell

The loud music on the bus that is played in the buses is not even soothing or pleasant to the ears.

Most of the times the songs are lewd and disrespectful to the decent minded. I used the minibuses whenever I am in Guyana to interact with ordinary Guyanese and one can sense the unhappiness of passengers of having to listen to the trash and the loudness that deafen the ears. On many occasions, I protested against the loud music and often found myself as the lone voice speaking out

against the loud noise in the minibuses. Others tend to be afraid to speak out against the loud decibel music or simply enjoyed the boisterous noise.

Some even smoke in the buses when it is against the law to smoke in enclosed places further destroying our health.

The loud music buses passed right in front of police stations and patrol cops on the road but the police tend to do nothing.

They just waved the drivers onwards.

I am surprised that those who ride the buses are not

deaf from the loud music which does destroy the hearing drum after a while.

Any doctor will tell people that loud decibels destroy the ear drums.

The government must crack down on minibus operators – confiscating the (Continued on page 6)

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Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2013

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

POLITICS AT ITS WORST DEAR EDITOR, Rather than approve a modest 10 percent pay adjustment for thousands of working-class State employees, the Jagdeo/ Ramotar cabal chose to make cheap political statement on the issue.

We refer to President Donald Ramotar’s statement that “any moves by the opposition parties to cut this year’s budget would be without grounds, thus highlighting vindictiveness on their part”.

What vindictiveness is His Excellency talking about?

Isn’t vindictive to increase payment to contract workers, many of whom are operatives of Freedom House, by an average of $1 billion per year since 2008, while at the same

time offering the workers the same medicine of five per cent?

In 2008 the actual expense of Contract Workers was $2.4 billion; in 2012 Contract Workers got 158 per cent more from the Treasury, some $6.2 billion.

Why State workers had to satisfy themselves with a meager existence compared to the political favourites of the Jagdeo/Ramotar regime?

As a reminder to ourselves this is just a subset of the list of people who earn a super salary from the PPP in 2011: 1. Kevin Hogan (Presidential Advisor) - $2,531,124 per month; 2. Steven Grin (Presidential Advisor) - G$2.884,377 per month; 3. Kapil Mohabir

(Presidential Advisor) - G$1,085,233 per month; 4. Gail Teixeira (Presidential Advisor) - G$967,985 per month; 5. Zulifphkar Mustapha (Presidential Advisor) - G$307,600 per month; 6. Desmond Kissoon (Presidential Advisor) - G$280,000 per month; 7. young Cheddi Jagan (Presidential Advisor) - G$489,666 per month; 8. Chitreka Dass (Presidential Advisor) - G$255,000 per month; 9. Young Charles Ramson (Presidential Advisor) G$667,400 per month; 10. Hydar Ally (Deputy HPS and letter writer) G$550,064 per month; 11. Kawme McCoy (Presidential Advisor)

- G$334,850 per month; 12. Mahendra Romel Roopnarine (Advisor) - G$395,000 per month; Between these twelve PPP operative the taxpayers are hit with a contract bill of G$150 million a year (including gratuity) plus expenses in 2011. The hit from these PPP angels are expected to be around G$175 million plus expenses in 2012 and over G$200 million in 2013.

This Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal has forgotten that the State workers need critical relief. By every measure, this 2013 Budget failed to deliver on that.

As Moses Nagamootoo exposed, the Treasury is not a PPP “Dharm Shala”.

Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh

Revisit the ‘No confidence’ motion DEAR EDITOR, In the Kaieteur News April 29, 2013 edition there was a headline “ Investigators relying on CCTV to track down cop’s killers “. As you read further into the article the reporter had contacted the Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, for his comment on the shooting.

I just could not have believed my eyes when I read the comment that the Minister gave to the reporter and I quote “It is three o’ clock on Sunday and I am relaxing with my grandchildren and I don’t want to be disturbed. I will comment on the matter tomorrow.”

I still cannot believe the utterances that come out from the mouth of the man under whose purview the security of this nation lies.

When a Corporal of the Guyana Police Force which constitutionally comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs is killed in the line of his duties and the man who is the subject Minister of that Ministry can boldly, ignorantly and stupidly make those statements to a reporter then it is about time that we agree with Freddie Kissoon that indeed Guyana is heading to become a failed state.

I recalled not so long ago when during the Linden

protests some questions were posed to the Minister and one of his responses was that he is not a visionary. This is the same Clement Rohee who said that he has it in his DNA to be the President of this country. Well if that happens then not only will we be a failed state but a foolish one also.

Well I think that the goat done bite he.

I would want to think that it is about time that the joint opposition revisit the no confidence motion that they had brought against Min Rohee because when the Minister who is responsible for the National Security of this nation can say such

words then I don’t know where we are heading as a nation.

Critics of former and late President Burnham as much as we want but in reality no one like Clement Rohee would have been in Burnham’s Cabinet.

I want to ask the decentminded citizens of this country what aspect of security has Clement Rohee improved or enhanced in this country and is working effectively. I honestly see none.

I want to close by giving my sympathies to the family of Police Corporal Cleto. May his soul rest in peace.

Randy Persaud.

Sanction Christopher Ram DEAR EDITOR, I happened to read two letters published recently in the daily newspapers that caught my attention.

The first one was published under the caption “Only $1,000M was requested for GPL’s operations and the National Assembly approved that; the warning of a tariff increase is nothing but scare tactics,” written by Christopher Ram and published in the April 24 edition of the Stabroek News.

The second letter was published in the April 24 edition of the Kaieteur News under the caption “Christopher Ram should know that sometimes he would be confronted and exposed,” a response by GPL to his letter.

Reading Mr. Christopher Rams’s letter, I couldn’t help feeling that something was amiss.

It was only when I read GPL’s response to his letter that I understood.

Mr. Christopher Ram’s company, Ram and McRae, was the auditor of GPL for a whole six years. This means that Mr. Christopher Ram would have had access to GPL’s privileged and confidential information for six years.

I find it alarming that both as an Accountant and a Lawyer, who presents himself to the Guyanese public as a professional of the highest calibre of moral and ethical standing, he would chose to use privileged information to which he had access while fulfilling his professional duty

to a client, for which he was paid no small amount, for selfish and personal political ends.

This is nothing less than a display of a gross violation and disregard for established professional ethical standards.

The fact that he twisted and turned outright lies and half truths to mislead the public about an entity which he audited for six years speaks volumes about his professional ethics and moral standing.

I am therefore calling on the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England a n d Wales (ICAEW) to publicly denounce and sanction Mr. Christopher Ram’s unethical professional behaviour.

Mr. Ram should know, both as an Accountant and a lawyer, that it is unethical professional behaviour for him to publicly comment on his former client using the privileged information that h e had access to while fulfilling his professional duties.

Mr. Christopher Ram, now that you have publicly displayed less than acceptable professional ethics, your clients, both present and former, must be left wondering.

It is my hope that he will be appropriately sanctioned by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

Sundar Nauth

CRACK DOWN ON MINI-BUS...

From page 5 buses and revoking and jailing the licenses of drivers.

As for the conductor who beat up the passenger, he must face the music of the law.

But the driver should not go unpunished. He is responsible for regulating the music played on the bus. He should also be charged and fined for various offenses, including for loud music and

for possession of the instrument that led to the beating of the passenger that caused death.

The law against bus noise pollution must be enforced.

Politicians need to be proactive on this issue in light of the beating death of one passenger who was brave enough to take a stand on the issue. The politicians and police have let us down.

Vishnu Bisram

Friday May 03, 2013

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THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT IS ON THE DECLINE The PPP did not return May Day to the workers. May Day had long been severed from the workers and placed in the hands of the politicians and their lackeys within the trade union movement.

Just after the PPP took office, it announced that it was returning May Day to the workers. It would no longer have the President address May Day rallies, the main one of which was held by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in the National Park.

The PPP administration in restoring May Day to the workers was merely saving face, because PPP leaders had historically faced ridicule at the central May Day Rally.

Even in the hard guava

season when workers faced the humiliation of going to work hungry, when teachers were forced to sell sugar cakes and sweets in school just to supplement their income, when cassava pone became a dominant part of the Guyanese diet because of the restrictions on the importation of flour, even wh e n f a c e d w i t h s u c h deprivations, many workers still taunted, booed and hissed Cheddi Jagan and other leaders of the PPP when they addressed the main May Day Rally organized by the Trades Union Congress.

Despite restoring May Day to the workers, the government nevertheless still

continues to have its top officials attend rallies held by trade union associations such as the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) and the Guyana Trades Union Congress.

At one rally a few years ago, the Prime Minister of Guyana was treated in a most disrespectful manner and was forced to leave. On another occasion, the Minister of Labour was forced to walk out because of comments from the podium and from those nearby.

No self-respecting government should ever have any of its officials return to a rally in which there is the

Police still hunting “trigger man” in cop killing

By Dale Andrews Police continue to hunt for a second suspect in the killing of Corporal Romain Cleto.

Kaieteur News was reliably informed that the man was positively identified as the ‘shooter’ in the cop’s murder.

According to a source, the man is well known to police having survived several execution attempts himself.

Investigators appear very positive that there will soon be justice in Cleto’s killing following the apprehension of the first of the prime suspects.

It is not clear if the suspect in custody is cooperating with investigators, since he has proclaimed his innocence of the crime.

Corporal Cleto was gunned down at the busy Regent Street and Avenue of the Republic intersection last Saturday night.

Kaieteur News was also informed that checks are being made on the spent shells and investigators are expected to make some disclosures about the weapon that fired them.

“We will solve this one,” a senior police officer confidently declared.

Eviden c e is now emerging that Cleto and his colleagues were not wearing their bulletproof vests when they attempted to confront the suspects in a suspicious car that they had been trailing before coming under attack.

Kaieteur News was told that their bulletproof vests were recovered from the interior of their bullet-riddled vehicle.

There are also reports that one of the ranks dropped his rifle while fleeing from the hail of

Corporal Romain Cleto bullets that pierced the vehicle.

According to a source, fortunately the weapon was reportedly retrieved by a public-spirited individual and handed back to officials at the Brickdam Police Station.

Meanwhile the main opposition party, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), has expressed deep concern with the repeated instances of death of policemen in the performance of their duties.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, APNU said that the regular attacks on policemen have the potential to undermine the institution of law and order as well as the morale of members of the Guyana Police Force.

Since the death of Corporal Cleto, APNU is the first parliamentary group to come out in condemnation of the attacks on the country’s lawmen.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee is still to issue a statement, although he promised last Sunday that he would.

In fact the Minister was very dismissive when this newspaper contacted him for a comment on the slaying of the lawman.

APNU extended

sympathy to the Commissioner of Police and to the parents, relatives and friends of the deceased Corporal Romain Cleto “who met his death in tragic circumstances.”

The party noted that within recent times, apart f r o m C l e t o ’s d e a t h , “ a Constable, who was well known in Berbice for his enforcement of the law against drug traffickers, was murdered.

This was followed by two Constables who were also murdered in the hinterland last year during a period when there is no heightened criminal situation in the country”.

“APNU is once again renewing its call for the Government to take immediate steps to reform the Guyana Police Service and to provide the organization with the training and resources it badly needs to execute its mandate.”

According to APNU, the Government is in possession of se v e r a l recommendations to guide its efforts at improving law enforcement but, for some inexplicable reason, seems unable or unwilling to do what is necessary to establish a Police Service that is capable of defending itself; maintaining public safety, order and security; as well as ensuring observance of the Laws of Guyana.

The party said that it has noted with interest the government’s embrace of the Citizen Security Project “and expects that their preferred approach develops members of the Force in the relevant areas of law enforcement that is pertinent to the threats confronting the country as a whole and the Guyana Police Service in particular.”

likelihood of being ridiculed and abused. It is precisely because of the reception government leaders used to receive at TUC rallies that I feel the government took a decision not to have its officials make a formal address to those rallies. This snubbing of the government is unbecoming of workers and it is a disgrace that it was allowed to happen.

The TUC has failed in its long history to unite the trade union movement. It cannot do so. Those who continue to hold on to the illusion that unity of the trade union movement can be achieved under the umbrella of the TUC are wasting their time.

Unity cannot be achieved under that body.

How can trade union unity be achieved under an organization with such a checkered history?

The TUC in the sixties was a tool of political subversion and in the seventies and eighties became manipulated by the ruling politicians to the extent that it lost all credibility and achieved very little for

workers.

Those who feel there is still hope for the TUC should question what that body has achieved in its long history and more importantly, what it is likely to achieve now that we are in an era where the might of unions is on the decline.

For years there has been little progress in uniting FITUG and the TUC. And this is never going to happen unless there is a democratization of the trade union movement.

It is inconceivable that throughout its history the largest union in Guyana has never had the opportunity to hold the Presidency of the Trades Union Congress, and this is a tragic and shameful situation.

Workers should equally not be too enamored by FITUG. This is no longer the union that it was in 1989, but it does have greater credibility than its counterpart the TUC. A great deal of government officials are likely to be at the rallies organized by FITUG, and

this in itself is not good, because it will only deepen the divisions by cultivating the impression that the government is more comfortable with one association, rather than with the TUC. The trade union movement is on its deathbed because of its own internal divisions and because of the global decline in the usefulness of unions.

The golden era of workers, when glory and gains were won, is over.

Those who long for a return to that age are living in the past. Trade unions will never again command the sort of respect or influence that they once had, not anywhere in the world, and definitely not in Guyana.

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Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2013

Freddie Kissoon Column

During the May Day march, at the junction of Cummings and Regent Streets, one of the UG workers walking next to me showed me three young ladies standing on the pavement. For some reason, they were not in the GAWU contingent (they were wearing red T-shirts with the GAWU emblem). He said he wished they were not from GAWU because he wanted to engage the pretty one in the middle. I suggested that he approach the young woman because her GAWU affiliation does not mean that she is a PPP supporter.

The conceptual problem Guyanese have with the East Indian population is that we believe Indians by nature are

PPP supporters. It is true that Indians have lost the vibrancy they once had when they were vocal in denouncing the PNC Government. It is true that they have become silent on bad government now that the PPP is in power. But what we overlooked is that twenty years has been a long time and in that period, Indians have seen what they would never have believed – the PPP is a nasty group that has committed unspeakable crimes.

It is not sociologically valid to posit the theory that Indians are still crude, selfish supporters of the PPP. Yes, they may remain suspicious of the PNC. Yes, they may fall victim to PPP propaganda that African Guyanese are

bent on using violence. But that is far as it goes. Of course they do not want to picket and demonstrate against the PPP’s atrocities, but that should not be taken as an indication of acceptance.

The Indian population of this country is no longer enamoured of the PPP. The reason is because the PPP cannot stop the things that make Indians scorn them, one of which is corruption.

Corruption has undone the PPP and will cause the PPP to lose power, either in a power struggle with the opposition or in an electoral contest. The PPP has reached the stage where it has become a prisoner of the corruption cancer.

An incident in Cove and

John, two weeks ago, tells the story of doomed power. There was an internal PPP meeting at which two high level leaders presided. I am not going to name them because these people are barefaced enough to sue for libel claiming they were never at such a meeting.

Member after member brought up the disease of corruption in the government among PPP leaders. Some demanded Cabinet changes.

It would appear that these tiny confabulations are for testing of the snap poll waters.

The anger and angst displayed by party activists at these meetings will not by internalized by the PPP kingdom, because the kingdom is psychologically

Mahdia power woes impacting health services Residents within proximity of the Mahdia Hospital are complaining of an unbearable stench emanating purportedly from the facility’s power-rationed mortuary that has been housing a corpse for almost seven days.

This is according to Mohamed Gafoor, Region Eight Councillor, who said that this is not the only section of the hospital that is being affected by limited power supplies. He said that patients have to wait for hours before accessing lab results.

Gafoor said that the mortuary’s freezer is usually powered either by the hospital’s generator or

Mahdia Power and Light Company. However, with energy supply being rationed in Mahdia and the generator not functioning at the moment, the freezer is unable to “properly freeze the dead”.

The Councillor said that residents and businesses within approximately 200ft of the hospital are suffering as a result of the awful scent.

Gafoor opined that the generator should not be the primary source of power to the hospital and the Mahdia Power and Light Company should be in the position to supply 24 hours of electricity daily. “The people of Mahdia need to be treated with respect. (Ronald) Harsawack (Regional Executive Officer)

is responsible for health but he is only nice words and excuse. But, nothing is done the next day,” Gafoor said.

However, according to Harsawack, the Regional Health Officer did not report the situation (concerning the stench) to him. In relation to power supply to the hospital, Harsawack said that the water pump that produces energy to the generator has malfunctioned. The pump has been sent to Georgetown to be fixed and he is hopeful that it is rectified soon.

As did a source close to the Mahdia Power and Light Company, Harsawack said that whenever there is an emergency the power company switches on electricity.

According to the source, the energy company recently sent out notices to residents of Mahdia informing them that they will be provided with 18 hours of electricity from noon to 06:00hrs the following day.

It was noted that for Mahdia to get 24 hours electricity, management would either have to expand services or acquire a smaller generator. Expanding services would require infrastructure development which may be costly or take a while.

The source said that the power company has been operational for a little over a year and there have been some adjustments.

It was noted that previously when the company was non-existent, electricity was provided by a resident in Mahdia and Government buildings used to pay an estimated sum.

But, when the company was established, Government buildings were given meters and it was found that their electricity consumption was much less than what was estimated.

Consequently, the company is faced with less revenue and not many customers to boost this.

incapable of understanding that they are mortal humans with failings.

The PPP leadership has long passed the stage where they saw themselves as people who made mistakes.

You just have to listen to one PPP king – Roger Luncheon – and you know that the PPP is invincible, omnipresent and omnipotent. You just have to listen to Donald Ramotar and you know the PPP is so far removed from reality that Luncheon, Ramotar and the rest of the empire live in another world and not in Guyana.

The PPP empire will continue to hold these discussion forums so activists can vent their feelings, but it is doubtful the war room can appease them, because the war room itself is the source of corruption.

Promises to correct bad behaviour in government were made at the Cove and John rendezvous, but they will never be kept, because the presiding officers at that meeting are as corrupt as those that they have agreed to investigate. They cannot probe their colleagues, because they have no moral ground to stand on. The cabal of conspiracy involves

the Frederick entire empire.

After the Kissoon little forum was over, one of the attendees told his friends of two boats that are involved in fuel smuggling and named the queen (read between the lines) who controls the operation. Can she cite any of her colleagues for corruption?

What is the relevance of the Cove and John meeting to my opening theory that Indians must no longer be seen as people who will keep faith with the PPP? The contents of these discussions are never kept secret. The very activists that attend them heap scorn on those that are sent by the kingdom to address them, and reveal to people like this columnist, the false promises they get.

A snap poll may very well be the end of the kingdom.

The Guyanese monarchy reminds one so much of the Third Reich and the psychological diseases of that empire.

Dem boys seh...

Everybody criticizing Jagdeo radio deal Everybody now talking bout de way Jagdeo give out dem radio concession. De other night de Americans had to talk bout this thing. Dem want to see a fair distribution and when dem talk dem serious.

Of course, dem boys expect that Donald gun tell dem that dem pushing dem mouth in de internal affairs of Guyana. But as everybody does seh, mouth open and story jump out.

But everybody know that de radio thing is embarrassing to de country and Donald should do over de whole thing. Ah Kneel seh that when Jagdeo share out de licence he mek sure that he tek de ethnic thing into consideration.

That cause dem boys to seh that Jagdeo like he friend who invite ten people to dinner. He give five of dem one egg and he give de other five chicken and mash potato and greens and sauce fuh de potato. When he done he tell people how he feed ten people.

In fact is only three people get de chicken and de potato and de sauce and de greens and dem was he friends.

Dem boys seh that he did feed ten, but is if he was equitable.

That is just wha Jagdeo do. De matter deh in court and dem boys don’t want talk too much bout it, because de next thing is that dem can end up in jail.

But dem can talk bout other things.

Dem can talk how Berry Berry nearly kill some people because he don’t like dem. He did refuse to give a licence to de cancer centre fuh give people radiation fuh dem cancer treatment. Is when dem boys open dem mouth and Donald put some pressure pun he that he bow.

That mek people believe that he had something to do wid people paying on de side fuh dem cancer treatment.

Anyhow dem people getting dem treatment, but de delay really got some of dem in a bad way that one got to wonder if any treatment can help dem now. But dem boys seh that Berry Berry days coming, not that dem wishing anything pun he.

Talk half and pray fuh Berry Berry

Friday May 03, 2013

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World Press Freedom Day…

GPA condemns unfair, sneaky allocation of frequencies The Guyana Press Association (GPA) has urged for a thorough investigation and correction over what it described as the unfair and surreptitious distribution of radio frequencies by former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and the National Frequency Management Unit.

The media body made the call as Guyana joins the rest of the world today in celebrating World Press Freedom Day, under the theme, “Safe to Speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in all Media”.

“We must see every commemoration of World Press Freedom Day as an opportunity to remind us of the need to protect and secure/safeguard that ultimate inalienable right not only of every journalist but every citizen, the right to freedom of expression,” the GPA said.

Regarding the issuance of 11 radio licences by Jagdeo days before he left office, GPA made it clear that it is very concerned about the “unfair and surreptitious distribution of radio frequencies by then President Bharrat Jagdeo and the National Frequency Management Unit”.

GPA said it is aware that the issuance is now subject to court challenges.

“We would hope that good sense, justice and fair play will prevail and issues surrounding these assignments would be thoroughly investigated and corrected under the terms and conditions that created the moratorium and within the

- urges thorough probe Constitution and Laws of Guyana.”

The association, which represents journalists across the country, noted that Guyana’s Constitution does not explicitly recognize the Freedom of the Press.

“There is talk about Freedom of the Press in Guyana and concomitant responsibilities in that regard.

Guyana needs to be reminded that our constitutional right to Freedom of Expression is limited by several pronouncements under the same clause that gives us that right.

Several of the limitations are not clearly defined and as a result, public order, even public health for example may be vicariously used to limit expression. Even technical limitations with regard to the electronic media can be used to hamper the free flow of ideas.

There should be no crowding out of views in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-party society. The Press therefore must be vigilant that all views are expressed in a fair balanced and objective manner that redounds to the greater good of society.”

GPA urged journalists and media workers to be fair in their reporting and fearless in the pursuit of truth.

And the Alliance For Change (AFC), which controls seven seats in the National Assembly, in saluting media workers, said

that “there is a pocket of brave media proprietors and journalists who refuse to be bullied or intimidated, and AFC says our nation owes you gratitude.”

The party says that it also is aware of the growing numbers of those who have been killed during deadly conflicts or kidnapped by terrorists in the line of duty, in some cases in reporting about the criminal enterprise and corruption in high places.

“This day in Guyana is marked with some degree of shame as the PPP minority government not only stifles open criticisms but exercises paramountcy over the state media. Opposition and dissenting voices are silenced by exclusion, not even when the situation would require a right of reply to unfounded, malicious and distorted statements from officials.”

AFC also pointed out that non-government press is routinely sanctioned and punished financially, with state advertisements being withheld.

“Many journalists are forced to practice selfcensorship rather than incurring the wrath of the ruling elite.

The shame is compounded by betrayal of the national interest when the PPP regime unlawfully gave away radio frequencies to friends, relatives and cronies of the regime.

When criticised, the President intemperately

would tell the United States that they have worse examples of violation of human rights, rather than taking timely steps to democratise and re-open the media landscape in Guyana.”

The AFC called on government to rescind the licences immediately, open the state media to plural views and “stop its assault on the free press and the autonomy of the National Assembly.”

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU)’s High Representative, Catherine Ashton, recognized the importance of a free, independent and vibrant press in any democratic society.

Ministry “clarifies process” on GGMC’s financial management and operations The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment has issued a detailed statement in an effort to set the record straight with respect to procedures in the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

The Ministry stated that the intent was to address “the c o n t i n u o u s misunderstanding and, at times, deliberate misrepresentation of the way in which the Financial Management of the Guyana

Geology and Mines Commission operates”, and to “clarify this process for the benefit of the general public”.

“Historically, the Lands and Mines Department (the predecessor of the GGMC) suffered from inadequate and un-assured funding to pursue its programmes, and in particular, geological programmes. This resulted in loss of professional staff and with them, skills and experience which severely impeded the Department’s,

and hence Government’s ability to attract foreign investment to the Mining Sector. Persons with a true appreciation and understanding of the industry, including those who have worked within the industry, have over the years continued to remind us that the Commission’s semi– autonomous status greatly contributed to the creation of an environment conducive to carrying out and sustaining exploration, research and the

implementation of other initiatives to attract investment.”

The Ministry said that “the Guyana Forestry Commission and Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission followed GGMC in becoming semiautonomous agencies, attesting to the fact that this model proved beneficial to the agencies and the sectors that they serve to generate more funds and benefit from (Continued on page 31)

“The EU is determined to fight for press freedom worldwide and condemns the increasing level of intimidation, violence and censorship that journalists face in many countries. The EU calls on all governments to allow journalists to work in safety and security, and without the fear of censorship or prosecution.”

The EU said that freedom of expression must be defended both in the traditional media and on the Internet.

“The EU will continue to promote freedom of expression on-line and offline, not least as new information technologies can be the key in promoting human rights and democracy. The EU will

continue to condemn violations of the right to freedom of expression in all media with a view to ensuring that journalists across the world can discharge their professional duties without hindrance.”

World Press Freedom Day comes at a time when Guyana’s private media is battling government over what is being seen as the unlawful distribution of radio licences. Despite there being a freeze on new licences, Jagdeo in one of his last official acts, granted a number of radio and cable licences to his personal friends, his party and a public servant with close links to a government Minister.

(Continued on page 14)

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GPA condemns unfair...

From page13 Several independent media houses including Kaieteur News, Stabroek News, CNS Channel 6, Capitol News, HBTV Channel 9 and RBS Channel 13, among others, though they applied, did not in many cases receive any reply to their applications.

Government has since asked the media houses to submit new applications. They have defended Jagdeo but stopped short of explaining what

criteria were used by the former President to grant those licences.

The disclosure of the details of the licences issued has sparked protests and attracted the condemnation of media bodies, local and international. Court action has been taken and the media owners have shared their concerns with US government officials.

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN

General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference. The day is to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; assess the state of press freedom throughout the world; defend the media from attacks on their independence; and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Friday May 03, 2013

Guyana-born day care worker accused of abusing toddlers in US

Prosecutors have filed child abuse and child endangerment charges against Ann Bactawar (inset) who allegedly injured two toddlers.

New York (NBC New York) - Prosecutors have filed child abuse and child endangerment charges against a Jersey City day care center worker who allegedly injured two toddlers.

Bail was set Wednesday at US$100,000 for 26-year-old Ann Bactawar of Jersey City.

She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the charges.

Prosecutors say Bactawar allegedly upended a boy who was standing on a box at the Sunnyside Academy Daycare Center in Jersey City.

Authorities were contacted after a center administrator showed the boy’s father a video of the incident.

Further investigation led authorities to charge Bactawar with the abuse of another boy at the center.

Prosecutors say the toddlers suffered bruises, cuts and bleeding.

Bactawar, a native of Guyana, has been arrested twice before, once in September 2011 and again in July 2012, each time for aggravated assault, according to authorities.

The directo r of Sunnyside Academy Daycare, who did not want to be go on camera, told NBC 4 New York those cases were noted as pending when an outside agency conducted a mandatory background

check on Bactawar. Bactawar also gave the agency letters from her probation officer and lawyer before she was hired.

Parents at the school were upset by the allegations of abuse but said they believe it was isolated.

“This school is great,” said mother Idilko McGivney.

“That teacher was a bad example, but the school is great.”

“I’m sad this happened,” said Sanjeev Pasham, a father.

“I’m really sorry for the parents and the kids. I don’t want to make any conclusions.”

Bactawar entered a plea of not guilty.

Suspect to be charged for executionstyle killing at Cool Square Hotel Police are convinced that they have solved the murder of businessman Intaz Roopnarine, who was killed execution-style by a lone gunman in the compound of the Cool Square Hotel, three months ago.

Investigators detained an individual fitting the description of the tall, slim gunman seen on a surveillance camera chasing Roopnarine to the back of the Marigold Street, West Ruimveldt hotel on January 24.

The suspect was detained a few days ago and an official told Kaieteur News that he is likely to be charged shortly.

Kaieteur News was told that detectives also detained a man who is a frequent guest at the hotel, after receiving information that he had arranged the execution.

A source said that investigations also revealed that the hotel guest and the alleged hit-man had been in contact. Police have said that the suspect is believed to be a professional hit-man, but have not come up with a clear motive for Roopnarine’s murder. The 37-year-old Mandela Avenue

businessman was waiting for a taxi near the hotel gate at around 05:30 hrs on January 24 when a tall, slim man scaled the gate, pursued him to the back of the hotel compound and shot him in the head. A .32 round was retrieved from the scene.

A surveillance camera recorded Roopnarine fleeing to the back of the hotel with the gunman in pursuit.

However, no camera was located in the area where Roopnarine was slain.

According to reports reaching Kaieteur News, passersby had observed the gunman, with cap pulled down, sitting on a culvert some 50 metres north of the hotel some time after 05:00 hrs on the morning of the shooting. The man was also using his cell phone.

This newspaper also learnt that the on-duty security guard had observed the strange man lurking near the hotel and became suspicious.

Around 05:30 hrs, Roopnarine exited room seven of the hotel and went to the front gate, which was locked.

He then stood at the gate waiting for the taxi to arrive.

The security guard, according to sources, informed the businessman of the stranger’s presence and cautioned Roopnarine repeatedly to remain in the hotel.

However, Roopnarine reportedly drew his firearm, waved it in the air, and told the guard that he was “the baddest man around.”

Some minutes later, a taxi arrived for the businessman.

The hotel guard then unlocked the gate and a woman exited. According to sources who viewed the camera footage, Roopnarine was about to follow the woman when the tall gunman scaled the hotel fence.

Reports are that the guard and Roopnarine immediately took evasive action.

Kaieteur News was told that the gunman discharged a shot at his fleeing target but the shot missed and struck one of the hotel windows.

According to sources, there were several open rooms in which Roopnarine could have taken cover.

Instead, the apparently panicstricken man fled down a passageway leading to a dead end.

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Vendors vow continuous protests until acting Town Clerk removed

Social Activist Frederick Kissoon speaks to the gathering from atop his vehicle Scores of protestors, comprising mainly local vendors, picketed the office of the Local Government Ministry yesterday morning in an earnest quest to have the Acting Town Clerk at the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) removed.

The protestors vowed to return and picket every day until the government has removed Carol Sooba who they claimed, “Was arbitrarily imposed on City Hall and has brought immense trouble towards the smooth functioning of the Council.”

City Mayor Hamilton Green told Kaieteur News that the protestors, especially the vendors, “are upset and have had enough of Sooba,” thus demanding her immediate removal. He said the problem came about when Sooba forwarded a rude and disrespectful memorandum to

him after a request was made for the Town Clerk to set a meeting to deal with specific issues pertaining to the vendors and the plans toward the Georgetown restoration programme. Green said that Tuesday last, he met with vendors, concerned persons and other stakeholders to, “brief them on the latest position with the Town Clerk who has been very rude and oscillate. I have never in my public life received a memo as the one I did last week from her (Sooba).”

“I asked her to arrange a meeting to meet with staff, consistent to the position taken in Parliament for the restoration of Georgetown.

She refused.”

Green said Sooba got the letter on Wednesday, while the meeting was scheduled for the following Monday.

“She said she was busy. I

wrote the Minister to have her removed immediately, because the memo she subsequently sent, was unacceptable,” Green said. At a meeting last week, Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud imparted that the acting Town Clerk should remain in office until a new appointment is made.

Despite himself and the Deputy Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green being unhappy with the proposal, the Mayor said that Minister Persaud asserted that the Town Clerk should withdraw the letter and apologize.

“Being a super democrat I gave her one week, but up to Monday, neither an apology nor a withdrawal of the letter took place.”

Another letter was thus sent to the Local Government Minister, Mayor Green said.

“We are dealing with a

Protestors ‘working’ towards Sooba’s removal classic case of megalomania.

Now that is a serious condition. I have been around people for years, and I have never seen that behaviour by any public servant in my life.”

Green further explained that the people proposed that the protest should be shifted from City Hall to the Local Government Ministry at Kingston, “to make the point to the minister that she must go.”

The Mayor said he hopes that the government does not condone this type of disrespect from someone holding a public office and who has blatantly refused to follow the Minister ’s order to apologize and withdraw the unruly memo that was sent.

The memo from the Town Clerk indicated to the Mayor that he and a particular group under his command

have caused the continuance of the dumping situation in Georgetown despite tremendous efforts by the Town Clerk and staff to address the dilemma. She said as such the Town Clerk (ag) and staff are placed at great risk, as the Council’s actions have caused the demoralization and abuse of officers and employees.

“I now wish to advise that I cannot permit the staff of the Municipality at such short notice to attend a meeting for the restoration of the city of which you have significantly contributed to its deterioration. I am therefore advised that you cease impeding and obstructing the work of the Town Clerk (ag), officers and employees by fixing meetings without consultation and further desist from intimidating the Town Clerk (ag) when it’s

impossible to comply with your agenda.”

Kaieteur News was told that the memo was sent to vendors and other persons involved in the restoration programme, and yesterday’s protest was the result.

Social activist Frederick Kissoon also showed support to the protestors.

Speaking from the roof of his vehicle, the outspoken Kissoon charged that, “We will return tomorrow and the very next day and the next if they do not hear us.”

He urged those present to remain orderly and to continue to protest for their rights.

Efforts to contact the Local Government Minister proved futile. Kaieteur News however learnt that the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor were able to meet with the Minister.

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Obama to pitch immigration overhaul in Mexico WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has his top domestic ambition at the head of his agenda as he travels to Mexico yesterday.

To sell his immigration overhaul back home, he needs a growing economy in Mexico and a Mexican president willing to help him secure the border.

Obama was flying to Mexico City yesterday to meet with President Enrique Pena Nieto, eager to promote Mexico’s economic success and the neighboring country’s place as the second largest export market for U.S. goods and services.

Just before departing, Obama said the trip to Mexico, then on to Costa Rica, will promote his priority to grow the economy and create middle class jobs.

“I’m going to be working to deepen our economic and trade relationships across Latin America — relationships that create jobs and growth here at home, and offer our businesses growing markets where they can sell more American-made goods and services abroad,” Obama said.

Mexicans will be hanging

Barack Obama on the president’s words, but Obama also has in mind an important audience back in the United States.

Though the role played by Latino voters in last year’s U.S. presidential election gets much credit for the current momentum for changing immigration laws and providing a path to citizenship for 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally, another reason for the change in attitudes is that stronger border protections and the recession have been disincentives to cross into the U.S. As a result, illegal

immigration has declined.

“With Mexico, first and foremost, they are critical to our ability to secure the border,” said Ben Rhodes, an Obama deputy national security adviser. “All the immigration plans that have been contemplated put a focus on securing the border as an essential priority and starting point for immigration reform.”

Even better than a strong border is an economy that keeps people from fleeing.

“If the Mexican economy is growing, it forestalls the need for people to migrate to the United States to find work,” Rhodes added.

Eager to focus on the economy and immigration, the administration is downplaying Pena Nieto’s recent steps to end the broad access Mexico gave U.S. security agencies to help fight drug trafficking and organized crime under his predecessor, Felipe Calderon. Still, the changes are likely to be a subject during the two leaders’ private talks. Obama said this week he wouldn’t judge the new moves until he heard directly from Mexican officials.

Friday May 03, 2013

PM denies withholding State ads from media Trinidad Express - Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar said Wednesday that there was no Government policy to reward or withhold State advertising to media houses.

She was questioned on the matter Wednesday at a news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair.

Persad-Bissessar explained that there would be budgetary concerns, as this country’s media industry was large and growing.

“When you consider the number of media houses sometimes you come to a question of cost, we have 30something radio stations, can the Government afford to advertise on 30-somethingplus radio stations, so many TV stations, so many newspapers and so on and so decisions will be made within Ministries as to what is most appropriate given budgetary constraints,” she said.

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, speaking on the issue with the media following the news conference elaborated further, saying that the choice of media house would depend on certain factors such as cost, quality and customer service.

“What would you go by to make that choice, what criteria would you employ as a customer? You would employ firstly, the price, secondly— the quality, thirdly-—the standard of the ad itself, many times you place an ad and the colour for the ad is outside of the frame in certain newspapers,” he said.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar “You simply cannot advertise with every single media house otherwise you are going to bankrupt the Government,” he said, noting that the former PNM administration had engaged in “an avalanche” of State advertisements during its tenure.

The People’s Partnership Government, he said, has decreased the amounts spent on advertising.

Media houses, he said, need to “step up” their game in terms of quality.

Asked whether circulations and ratings would not be key determining factors, Ramlogan said, “It certainly would be one of the factors but it would not be the only factor, the fact that you may have a station being rated number one, whilst that may be a very important consideration, it depends on the customer service, for example, you may

MIAMI (AP) — U.S. taxpayers who stashed money in one of the Caribbean’s largest banks without telling the Internal Revenue Service could be in trouble.

The U.S. government has obtained a court order to collect the names of taxpayers who had an account with CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank over an eight-year period ending Dec. 31 without disclosing it to the IRS. It is too soon to say how many U.S. citizens held undeclared accounts at FirstCaribbean or what penalties they may face, Justice Department spokeswoman Dena Iverson said yesterday.

The U.S. obtained the order from a judge Tuesday after an IRS revenue agent reviewed information from

129 people who voluntarily came forward to disclose offshore accounts and decided further scrutiny of FirstCaribbean was warranted.

U.S. authorities have issued such blanket subpoenas, known as a “John Doe summons,” to seek out tax cheats in the past, most notably in the case of UBS AG, the largest bank in Switzerland. Iverson said this was the first for a Caribbean bank.

The government’s action should prompt concern for any financial institution in the region with a “willingness to be dishonest,” said David Marchant, owner and editor of the influential OffshoreAlert newsletter based in Miami.

“The United States seems to be going from jurisdiction

be rated number one by viewership but if your customer service as in your ads department is poor then you are not going to inspire public confidence in the customer who has to place the ad.”

“I’ve personally experienced that when you placing an ad that the customer service you get sometimes, the feedback I get from my communications unit, the customer service varies greatly amongst the media houses,” he said.

Ramlogan said that there were no hidden agendas by any media house or by the Government.

Commenting on the issue during the news conference, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) Kiran Maharaj said there was no evidence to show that State advertisements were deliberately being withheld, but she confirmed that there were informal talks of this which the TTPBA would address.

“I want to state that has always existed for every Government throughout the history of Trinidad and Tobago and there is no conclusive evidence to prove that while we have heard it, it is a matter that we have not taken to formally address to any Minister which we will do because yes you are right, we have had media houses express that but we have had no clear evidence of that,” she said.

US seeks data on account holders at Caribbean bank

to jurisdiction with a big broom sweeping up and presumably they are working their way around the globe as it were,” Marchant said.

“And it seems to be the Caribbean’s turn.”

CIBC FirstCaribbean, based in Barbados, has 100 branches in in 17 countries in the Caribbean, about 3,400 employees and more than $11.5 billion in assets, according to the company’s 2012 annual report.

A company spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. But a FirstCaribbean executive issued a statement to a local newspaper in Barbados, saying the bank was still studying the order but intended to cooperate with U.S. authorities.

Friday May 03, 2013

Kaieteur News

Duprey, Monteil no show upsets Colman Trinidad Guardian Although former CL Financial chairman Lawrence Duprey failed to appear Wednesday at the Clico/HCU commission of enquiry, the Commission of Enquiry Act does not allow him to be extradited to T&T, said Sir Anthony Colman, chairman of the commission.

Colman was speaking yesterday on the third day of the 12th session of the Clico/ HCU enquiry at the Winsure Building, Port-of-Spain.

Duprey, Andre Monteil, CL Financial Group’s former financial director, and Roger Trotman, the Clico Investment Bank’s (CIB) former president, were supposed to give evidence Wednesday but they all failed to appear. “Mr Duprey is in a different position from Andre Monteil...Mr Duprey does not reside in T&T and there is no power I have to serve outside the jurisdiction, outside of the T&T court, in the United States, where he is,” Colman

said.

“Equally, there is no facility for extraditing him on the grounds that he has failed to comply with the witness summons which has been issued, but because of his absence abroad it has not been served on him.” Colman

referred to a letter he received from Duprey’s attorney, Lionel Luckhoo, which indicated Duprey would not be attending.

He said it is now a “political issue” to determine the next steps to be undertaken to deal with Duprey. “I have no remedy for dealing with this situation at all,” he said.

“There is nothing in the Commission of Enquiry Act which enables me to take action against Duprey. “Mr Duprey will not be giving evidence, and I will give attention to this when I write my report.”

Under Section 12 of the act, charges have been filed against former CIB vicepresident Mala Gandhi, former CIB president Lennox Archer, Trotman and Monteil for failing to appear to give evidence during this session of the enquiry.

The full penalty for failing to appear is a fine of $2,000.

Jamaica Gleaner Teachers WHO have reached the retirement age but who are still working in the public sector in that capacity are to be sent home as part of Jamaica’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Schools employing teachers who are beyond the retirement age are to be notified that they must regularise by September, Jamaica has indicated in its commitment to the multilateral.

The plan was included in a ministry paper tabled in the House of Representatives Wednesday, which includes the letter of intent governing the agreement.

According to the

documents, “efficiency, effectiveness and cost containment is to be pursued with respect to spending on education and health care”.

The government document stated that spending on education would be made more efficient and effective, noting that the Government would reform the current study-leave policies to take into account new hiring policies. Jamaica has also told the IMF that there will be a freeze on the hiring of teachers in schools that are overstaffed to allow the number of existing teachers to decline by attrition.

The current scholarship programme will also be reformed along two lines -

needs-based and meritbased.

Other cost effective methods to be employed include the standardisation of student-teacher ratios within secondary school starting this year, and the continuation of a programme of voluntary relocation of staff until legislation is enacted to make such relocation mandatory.

The document, meanwhile, indicated that elements of social protection would include improved training and certification for labour market participants, enhanced benefits for households under PATH, and enhanced welfare-to-work strategies for vulnerable households.

Lawrence Duprey

Government to send home retirement-age teachers

Jamaican prime minister’s brother beaten, stabbed and robbed (Reuters) - The elder brother of Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller was held up, beaten and stabbed at his business early yesterday, police said.

Vincent Simpson, 71, is the managing director of Simpson’s Dollar Saver clothing and dry goods store in the heart of volatile downtown Kingston. He was attacked shortly after he turned up to open the store around 4 a.m., police said.

“He was pounced upon by men, beaten, stabbed and he suffered facial wounds,” a

policeman who is part of the investigating team told Reuters. “ We t o o k h i m t o hospital, but he should be OK,” added the policeman who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the incident.

Police said the robbers took J$30,000 (US$310), a television set, a pistol and other items from Simpson.

Simpson remained in a hospital.

No suspects have been

identified, police said.

There was no immediate reaction from the prime minister, who was said to be at her office when Reuters tried to reach her.

Robberies and violent crime are a serious problem in Jamaica, especially in impoverished parts of Kingston. The Caribbean island of 2.7 million people has the fourth-highest murder rate in the world, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and logged 1,087 murders last year.

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Economic future hinged on lowering debt and growth KINGSTON, Jamaica CMC – The mission chief for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Jamaican Jan Kees Martijn believes the country’s economic future is hinged on the resolve of the authorities and other stakeholders to adjust policies to lower debt to a sustainable level and establish the conditions for durable growth.

Martijn made the statement following news on Wednesday that the IMF approved Jamaica’s application for a four-year extended fund facility, worth US$958 million.

“The authorities’ program provides a realistic roadmap to achieve these goals. In this context, I am encouraged to see the creation of a broadbased, private sector-driven committee to provide oversight of policy implementation.

The Fund is a supporting partner in the authorities’ efforts to address their longstanding structural challenges. We will work closely with the Jamaican authorities, as well as with its domestic and foreign

Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips (left) and IMF Chef de Mission Jan Kees Martijn partners, over the four-year program period to help maintain the reform momentum and strengthen the program over time,” said Martijn.

The IMF Mission chief said the Portia Simpson Miller led administration is making an effort to address the challenges of low growth, high debt and diminishing competitiveness.

“The government has taken time during its first year in office to review the challenges facing the country and has designed its own

medium-term program, which bodes well for successful implementation.

Actually, the implementation of the reform package is off to a promising start. All prior actions under the IMF program have been implemented, and several other key actions have been taken. In particular, the new budget for 2013/14 is in line with the program objective of raising the primary surplus of the central government to 7.5 percent of GDP—an ambitious but essential target.”

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Friday May 03, 2013

U.S. seeks North Korean amnesty for American jailed for 15 years SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea sentenced an American citizen to 15 years of hard labor yesterday for crimes against the state, prompting a U.S. call for his amnesty in hopes of avoiding him becoming a bargaining chip between the two countries.Kenneth Bae, 44, was born in South Korea but is a naturalized citizen and attended the University of Oregon. His sentencing comes after two months of saber-rattling that saw North Korea threaten the United States and South Korea with nuclear war.

Pyongyang has previously tried to use American prisoners as bargaining chips in talks with Washington. A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Washington was not currently looking for an envoy to try to secure Bae’s release as it sometimes has done. The official said the United States has sought in recent years to break out of its pattern of lurching from one crisis to another with the North, only to resolve them with transactional deals with Pyongyang.

“We urge the DPRK (North Korea) to grant Mr. Bae amnesty and immediate release,” said State Department deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell.

Bruce Klingner, a retired CIA North Korea analyst, dismissed the idea that Bae’s release would trigger the renewal of long-stalled diplomacy.

“Previous arrests of U.S. citizens didn’t lead to changes in North Korean

policy, resumption of bilateral dialogue or breakthroughs in U.S.-North Korean relations,” said Klingner, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington.

A North Korean defector said Bae will likely serve his sentence in a special facility for foreigners, not in one of the repressive state’s forced labor camps. More than 200,000 people are incarcerated in these camps, beaten and starved, sometimes to death, according to human rights groups.

Bae is believed to be a devout Christian, according to human rights activists in South Korea, who say he may have been arrested for taking pictures of starving children.

He was part of a group of five tourists who visited the northeastern North Korean city of Rajin in November and has been held since then.

According to U.S. media, Bae most recently lived in the Seattle area.

Former U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson, who has made numerous trips to North Korea that included efforts to free detained Americans, said Bae’s case should not become entangled in the current U.S.North Korea impasse.

“Now that the sentencing and the North Korean legal process has been completed, it is important that negotiations begin to secure Kenneth Bae’s release on humanitarian grounds or a general amnesty,” said Richardson, who visited North Korea in January with Google Inc CEO Eric Schmidt.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said any

Kenneth Bae negotiations with North Korea are “dependent upon the North Koreans demonstrating a willingness to live up to their international obligations.”

North Korea is the subject of U.N. Security Council resolutions calling for an end to its nuclear and missile tests, as well as punitive U.N. sanctions.

“But thus far, as you know, they have flouted their obligations, engaged in provocative actions and rhetoric,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One. Some media reports have identified Bae as the leader of the tour group. NK News, a specialist North Korea news website, said he was the owner of a company called Nation Tours that specialized in tours of northeastern North Korea.

The reports could not be verified and North Korean state news agency KCNA did not list any specific charge other than crimes against the

state, and used a Korean rendering of Bae’s name, Pae Jun-ho, when it reported the Supreme Court ruling.

“North Korea has shown their intention to use him as a negotiating card as they have done in the past,” said Cheong Seong-chang, senior fellow at the Sejong Institute, a think-tank in Seoul.

Bae’s sentence was heftier than the 12 years handed down to two U.S. journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, in 2009. It took a visit to Pyongyang by former President Bill Clinton to secure their release.

North Korea appears to use the release of high-profile

American prisoners to extract a form of personal tribute, rather than for economic or diplomatic gain, often portraying visiting dignitaries as paying homage.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who has traveled to North Korea before to try to free a detained American, has no plans to do so for Bae, Carter’s spokeswoman said.

“President Carter has not had an invitation to visit North Korea and has no plans to visit,” Carter’s press secretary, Deanna Congileo, said in an email.

According to North Korean law, the punishment for hostile acts against the state is between five and 10 years hard labor.

“I think his sentencing was hefty. North Korea seemed to consider his acts more severe,” said Jang Myung-bong, honorary professor at Kookmin University in Seoul and a North Korea law expert.

North Korea is one of the most isolated states on earth.

Its official policy of “Juche,” or self-reliance, is a fusion of Marxism, extreme nationalism and self sufficiency centered on the cult of the ruling Kim family.

Bae likely will not be incarcerated in one of the

North’s notorious slave labor camps, such as the one where defector Kwon Hyo-jin was locked up. There, Kwon said, prisoners were worked to death and often survived only by eating rats and snakes.

“If an American served jail together with North Korean inmates, which won’t happen, he could tell them about capitalism or economic developments. That would be the biggest mistake for North Korea,” said Kwon, a North Korean sentenced to one of its camps for seven years until 2007. He defected to South Korea in 2009. “(Bae) would be sent to a correctional facility that only houses foreigners and was set up as a model for international human rights groups.”

It was not known if Bae had been taken immediately to jail.

Ling, the journalist, told U.S. television that she was placed in a 5-by-6 foot (1.5by-1.8 meter) cell when captured and then kept in a regular room afterwards.

Bae was given counsel by the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, which has declined to comment on the case, as the United States does not have diplomatic relations with the North.

U.S. rethinking its opposition to arming Syrian rebels: Hagel WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - The United States is rethinking its opposition to arming the Syrian rebels, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said yesterday, as pressure builds for a U.S. response to Syria’s suspected use of chemical weapons in its civil war.

Hagel stressed that no decision by U.S. President Barack Obama had been made and did not signal whether one was likely soon on arming opposition fighters trying to overthrow Syrian President Bashar alAssad.

U.S. military commanders have voiced concerns that weapons could fall into the hands anti-American Islamic extremists and that arming opposition groups may do little to end the conflict.

“You look at and rethink all options. It doesn’t mean you do or you will” choose them, Hagel said.

“These are options that must be considered with

Chuck Hagel partners, with the international community: what is possible, what can help accomplish (our) objectives,” he added.

St i l l , H a g e l ’s p u b l i c admission at a Pentagon news conference, standing alongside his British counterpart, was the clearest signal yet that Obama is moving toward some action after citing preliminary U.S. intelligence that Assad’s forces likely used

chemical weapons, specifically sarin gas.

British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond noted that his government was constrained by a European Union ban on supplying armaments to the rebels.

“Both of our nations will only do what we legally can do,” Hammond said, adding his government would “look at the situation when that ban expires in a few weeks’ time.”

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Pakistan, Afghan forces in highstakes clash along border ISLAMABAD (Reuters) An Afghan border policeman was killed and two Pakistani soldiers were wounded in an exchange of fire along the border late on Wednesday, officials from both countries said, in a clash likely to unsettle already troubled ties between the neighbors.

A senior Afghan official said hundreds of additional Afghan troops had been sent to the disputed Gursal border gate after the exchange of fire, which lasted for more than two hours.

The stakes are high. The United States wants Pakistan to help Afghanistan to coax the Taliban to the negotiating table ahead of the withdrawal of most NATO combat troops by the end of 2014.

But relations between the South Asian neighbors have been marked for decades by distrust and outbreaks of fighting.

Last September, Afghanistan sent extra

troops and artillery to the border with Pakistan as tensions rose over a spate of cross-border shelling that killed dozens of Afghan civilians.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he hoped the clash would not escalate.

“That being said, the Afghan government will do its utmost to protect the Durand Line, and to make sure that no foreign military installations or checkpoints ... hold at the Afghan side of the Durand Line,” he told reporters in Copenhagen yesterday during a visit to Denmark.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry released a statement saying it had summoned the senior Afghan diplomat in Islamabad to protest at what it called “an unprovoked firing incident”.

A Pakistani military source said the shooting had been sparked by an attack on a Pakistani checkpoint. The

senior Afghan official said trouble had started after Pakistani troops attempted to fortify the border gate.

Two Afghan border policemen were wounded.

The Afghan government has grown increasingly frustrated with Pakistan, suggesting it is intent on keeping Afghanistan unstable rather than helping to engage the Taliban in peace talks.

Afghan officials say Pakistan has a long history of supporting Afghanistan’s Taliban and other insurgent factions. Pakistan has in turn accused Afghanistan of giving safe haven to Pakistani militants on the Afghan side of the border.

The latest tensions are focused on Pakistan’s building of a military gate, which Afghan officials say lies inside Afghanistan.

Karzai has ordered his top officials to take immediate action to remove the gate and

Thousands of Egypt’s Islamists protest against state security (Reuters) - Thousands of Egyptian hardline Islamists marched from a mosque in a Cairo suburb yesterday night to the state security headquarters to protest against what they said was a return to the force’s prerevolution methods.

The protest points to lingering suspicion harboured by the hardliners about security agencies used against them by ousted President Hosni Mubarak, and which, they say, Islamist President Mohamed Mursi has been unable to reform.

Several Salafi Islamist groups issued a statement earlier in the day saying state security organs had returned to “criminal practices” such as summoning citizens for investigation, threatening the achievements of the 2011 uprising.

Egypt dissolved the feared and hated state security apparatus, which has been used by Mubarak’s administration to crush political opposition, including from Islamists who were repressed under the old guard, the month after he was toppled.

It was replaced by a new National Security Force, which the Interior Ministry promised would serve the nation without interfering in the lives of citizens or their right to exercise their political views.

Mohamed Mursi Protesters, some waving the black and white al Qaeda flag, chanted to onlookers in apartments on streets clogged by the march “come down from houses, state security is Mubarak”, and accused Mursi of building an apparatus no different from the old one.

The system of law and justice has been a major stumbling block in postMubarak Egypt. A rift between the Islamist rulers and the judiciary, which Islamists see as controlled by Mubarak loyalists, is steadily widening amid a broader struggle over the future character of the country.

Earlier yesterday, an

Egyptian judge referred a complaint filed by a police spokesman against popular hardline Islamist cleric Hazem Salah Abu Ismail to the state security prosecution, setting a hearing for Saturday to begin the investigation.

State newspaper AlAhram reported that the complaint called for Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim to arrest Abu Ismail on charges of “terrorising police officers” after Abu Ismail urged his supporters to attend yesterday’s protest.

The police spokesman’s complaint added that such demonstrations hindered officers in their work to protect national security.

Afghan border policemen sit at the back of police vehicle at the Goshta district of Nangarhar province, where Afghanistan shares border with Pakistan, yesterday. REUTERS/Parwiz other Pakistani military installations near the Durand Line, the 1893 Britishmandated border. It is recognized by Pakistan, but not by Afghanistan.

Afghanistan maintains that activity by either side along the Durand Line must be approved by both countries.

Also yesterday, seven Afghan local police were

killed when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle in the troubled eastern province of Logar.

In Copenhagen, Karzai said he had applied to have Afghan prisoners being held in U.S. custody at Guantanamo Bay removed from a U.N. sanctions list, and wanted them sent back to Afghanistan.

In 1999 the United

Nations voted to place sanctions on al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban at a time when they were cooperating closely.

More than 120 people associated with the Taliban remain subject to asset freezes and travel bans due to alleged terrorist activity, among them some who are being held without trial at the U.S. Naval base in Cuba.

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Assad forces on the offensive from Damascus to Mediterranean

Bashar al-Assad BEIRUT (Reuters) Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad retook a central district in the city of Homs yesterday, driving a wedge between two isolated pockets of rebel resistance in Syria’s third largest city, fighters and activists said.

The recapture of Wadi alSayeh, which links the besieged rebel stronghold in Khalidiyah to the oppositionheld old city, appears to be part of a series of carefully focused counter-offensives that mark a shift from the indiscriminate campaigns earlier in the two-year-old conflict.

Homs is a link in the corridor connecting Assad’s Damascus powerbase with

the traditional Mediterranean heartland of his minority Alawite community. It was an early center of the mainly Sunni Muslim uprising against four decades of Assad family rule.

Following recent gains in rural areas around Homs, Assad’s forces surrounded the towns of Baida and Maqreb on the road to the coastal city of Banias yesterday, activists said, the latest stage in a campaign to secure the corridor.

They also seized Qaysa town on the eastern edge of Damascus, part of a steady move north from airport on the city’s south-eastern edge which would create a line of control locking down the

eastern approaches to the city and close off weapons supplies from the Jordanian border.

A call issued by several activists in the area warned the disparate rebel forces to pull together or face defeat.

“If you do not unite under one flag the regime is going to hunt you down, one brigade after another,” it said.

Assad has lost control of much of northern and eastern Syria in the fighting, which the United Nations says has killed 70,000 people, and is battling rebels in most cities.

But he says his forces still hold the upper hand.

On Monday, his prime minister escaped assassination when a bomb struck his convoy, killing six people.

The president appeared two days later, touring an electricity power station and saying he would not be forced into hiding.

“This is a challenge to us to cower in fear or remain fearless. We will not be afraid,” Assad said.

In Homs, a rebel fighter told Reuters by Skype that pro-Assad forces from the paramilitary National Defense Army were making gains.

“They managed to take large parts of Wadi al-Sayeh the besieged area is being divided as we speak,” he said.

Before moving in, the fighters had blown up buildings.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the operation to

recapture Wadi al-Sayeh was coordinated by forces from Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, both allies of Assad.

The Homs rebel said men captured by rebels reported being trained in Iran and the rebels also heard Lebanese accents among some fighters speaking on intercepted radio messages.

Iran and Hezbollah have denied sending forces to fight alongside Assad’s troops but Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been increasingly open about the group’s presence in Syria, where he says it is defending Lebanese and Shi’ite communities from attack by Sunni Muslim rebels.

In coastal Banias province, activists and residents said Assad’s forces were surrounding the towns of Baida and Maqreb and firing mortar rounds at them.

Locals on both sides said clashes were still going on.

The Observatory said at least six soldiers and militiamen were killed and at least 20 wounded.

“There are also witness reports of executions against residents, some of them by gunfire and others by knives at the hands of regime forces and loyalist gunmen (the shabbiha),” said Rami Abdelrahman, head of the Observatory.

Rockets were also falling on the outskirts of Banias city itself and smoke could be seen rising from the area, he said.

Canada names EDC head Poloz as new Bank of Canada governor OTTAWA (Reuters) Stephen Poloz, head of Canada’s export credit agency, will take over as Bank of Canada governor when Mark Carney leaves in June, the government said yesterday, surprising market players who saw Carney’s senior deputy, Tiff Macklem, as the most likely choice.

Poloz, 57, previously headed the central bank’s research department. He will start in the bank’s top job on June 2 and serve a seven-year term. Carney becomes governor of the Bank of England on July 1.

“Stephen Poloz has a long and distinguished career in the public and private sectors with 30 years’ experience in financial markets, forecasting and economic policy,” Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said.

“I am confident he has the

skills and experience required to lead the Bank of Canada at a time of global economic uncertainty.”

Poloz spent 14 years at the Bank of Canada earlier in his career. He joined Export Development Canada, a quasi-independent organization that provides loans to importers of Canadian goods, in 1999 as its chief economist and became president of the agency in 2010.

Poloz will take over as the Canadian economy is struggling to pull itself out of a slow patch following a relatively quick recovery from the 2008-09 recession.

He has not spoken out recently on monetary policy.

Unlike the Fed or the Bank of England, the Bank of Canada’s six-member governing council reaches decisions by consensus

Stephen Poloz rather than votes, and individual policymakers speak from a common script in public so they are not pegged as “hawkish” or “dovish”.

The Bank of Canada has leaned toward raising interest rates for the past year, but has progressively softened its

tone as economic growth repeatedly fails to meet forecasts.

In April, the bank said the current key rate of 1.0 percent “will likely remain appropriate for a period of time, after which some modest withdrawal will likely be required.”

Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam appears briefly in court

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi ZINTAN, Libya (Reuters) - Saif al-Islam, a son of deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, appeared in court yesterday in the town of Zintan, where he had been held since his capture by former rebels in November 2011.

Saif al-Islam, at the centre of a legal tussle between Libya and the International Criminal Court (ICC), smiled and told reporters he was in good health during his brief appearance.

The powerful armed group in Zintan, which spearheaded the capture of Tripoli from Gaddafi’s forces in August 2011, has insisted on keeping Saif al-Islam imprisoned in the town, about 140 km (87 miles) southwest of the Libyan capital.

Once Gaddafi’s presumed heir, Saif al-Islam is wanted by the ICC on war crimes charges, but the case to be heard in Zintan relates to charges that he gave information to an ICC lawyer last year that could endanger national security.

He was the only defendant of 13 people who were called to appear in court on those charges, confirming he was in the room when his name was called out and that his lawyers were present.

The case was then postponed until September 19 because the defence’s case was incomplete.

The ICC lawyer, Australian Melinda Taylor, was herself detained for three weeks after a meeting in which Saif al-Islam is accused of handing over sensitive papers and information.

Taylor has said her detention proved Saif alIslam could not get a fair trial in Libya. ICC lawyers also note that he could face the death penalty if convicted in the North African state an outcome that would be welcome to many Libyans who suffered under

Gaddafi’s 42-year rule and in the revolt that toppled him.

Libya, which wants to try Saif al-Islam itself, has yet to indict him for war crimes, although the public prosecutor has said a case is being prepared and will soon go to court.

Libyan lawyer Ahmed alJehani, who liaises between the ICC and the Tripoli government, said he expected the ICC to decide in May whether Libya can handle Saif al-Islam’s trial and that of Gaddafi’s former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi.

“We have submitted a great deal of evidence and documentation to convince them we are able,” Jehani told Reuters, adding that the dossier included medical reports, confessions and witness statements.

“No one can say whether he will get the death penalty,” he said when asked if Saif al-Islam was at risk of being executed in Libya. “It is up to the judge,” he added.

Senussi was handed over to Libya by Mauritania in September after his arrest in Nouakchott in March 2011 started a tug of war between Libya, France and the ICC for his extradition.

Jehani said Taylor, the ICC lawyer, who was among the 13 charged in Zintan on Thursday, could be tried in absentia. The ICC, which is only allowed to try cases if national legal systems are unable or unwilling to deal with them, declined to comment on the proceedings in Zintan.

The president of Libya’s Human Rights Commission pointed to Saif al-Islam’s appearance as an indication he was being looked after in jail and could be tried fairly within the country.

“As you can see he is in good health... I can assure you he is being treated well and I wish that all of Libya’s detainees could have the same treatment,” Mohammad al-Alagi told a news conference in Zintan.

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World Press Freedom Day observance…

Radio licences are welcome, but issuing process must be fair and transparent - US Ambassador

By Latoya Giles As Guyana joins the world in celebrating World Press Freedom Day today, United States Ambassador to Guyana D. Brent Hardt said that while new radio broadcasting licences are welcome, the process by which such licences are issued must be fair and transparent.

The envoy made those comments last evening at a reception that he hosted in honour of the event.

“Last year, I welcomed the decision by the Government to free the radio airwaves and end the model of limited, state-influenced radio. Radio is such an integral part of the public square throughout the Caribbean, and opening up that square in Guyana as it is

in other Caribbean countries will do much to generate a more inclusive, participatory public dialogue on issues of the day for the people of Guyana. While new radio broadcasting licences are welcome, the process by which such licences are issued must be fair and transparent.

Guyana created a reasonable foundation for such a process through its 2011 Broadcasting Legislation, which paved the way for the creation of a National Broadcast Authority. It is now time for the Authority to do its work — to promptly review and approve qualified applicants, including many long established media houses whose applications in various forms have been pending

since the late 1990’s.”

The ambassador noted that such progress will contribute to what was recognized in their recent Human Rights Report is an environment that broadly provides for freedom of expression and in which the government generally respects this right in practice.

He noted that the report highlighted continuing restrictions on radio broadcasting and the Government’s continued exercise of control over the content of the National Communications Network (NCN) television station, which gives government spokespersons extended coverage, while limiting participation of opposition figures.

According to

GTUC’s Lewis calls for job creation for youths General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) Lincoln Lewis has reiterated his call for job creation for the nation’s youths.

Lewis was at the time addressing a large gathering at the Critchlow Labour College at the May Day rally on Wednesday. In keeping with the theme for the rally ‘Job creation for youth empowerment’ Lewis stated that necessary systems must be put in place to ensure young people are given the institutional support and security to realize their dreams.

“The African proverb ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ can mean something to this society, if the older folks reach out, not to dictate, but to ensure that the young are given the needed guidance and support” Lewis said.

Lewis stressed that it is being said that youths of today lack focus and interest in what is happening around them.

He said that there may be some truth to this, but one must ask what is responsible.

“Could it be that we are talking to them and not talking with them? Could it be that our public posturing as older folks may have turned them off from hoping and believing in brighter tomorrows? Could it be that the institutional systems we have in place are not working for them? Could it be that they desire to do things a little differently?”

Lewis said that while these questions must be asked in the search for

answers, more importantly we must ask if leaders are taking time to be good stewards of th i s s o c i e t y a n d r o l e models.

“We were all once in their shoes and while my generation was taught obedience meant full compliance to the guidance and wishes of our elders, many will admit that we did not always comply and while in some instances of disobedience we got spankings, it also brought out our ingenuity, good and bad, and hopefully made us better citizens”.

He called on those gathered to not lose focus on the foundational tenets upon which civilized societies are built and sustained.

Lewis spoke of the need for youths to be entrusted with responsibilities and allowed to operate in environments where they can feel free to unleash their potential.

“Youths also have a corresponding responsibility to ensure that in the pursuit of their dreams they seek understanding of their rights, incorporate the values of their mentors, and obey the laws of the land,” Lewis said.

He added that far too many young people are passing through the school system not equipped with the requisite skills to compete in Guyana’s economy.

He noted that for those who have made it to technical schools, university and colleges, when they leave, opportunities for work are becoming ever so limited

forcing many to leave the country.

“One international report has stated that 80 percent of our graduates leave our shores. This is not healthy.

We are also confronting the issue of too many youths not having opportunities for a second chance and productive life if they may have not gotten it right the first time…their family could not afford the amenities to ensure they get an education.”

Lewis also took the opportunity to address the issue of the Government subvention being withdrawn from the Critchlow Labour College.

“In spite of this withdrawal, this College has over the years not only engaged in trade union training and education, but has equally played a major role in preparing persons for a life of work, as employee, employer and self-employer” Lewis added that the College once afforded youths courses at the CXC level, small business and budgeting, professional development, courses for entry into the workforce, University of Guyana and teachers’ education.

“As our policy makers, primarily our elected officials commonly say, ‘the youths are our future’, but while this statement is constantly made, there is an absence of appropriate action to make the future something the youths are eager to look forward to and yearn to be involved in.”

Ambassador Hardt as was observed last year, he has been very impressed by the quality and scope of the media output in Guyana, with four daily newspapers, and array of television stations, and, hopefully, soon, a broader range of independent radio stations.

The theme for this year’s global World Press Freedom celebration is: Safe to Speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in All Media. This theme seeks to cast a spotlight on the safety of journalists, to combat impunity for crimes against freedom of expression, and to secure a free and open Internet as the precondition for safety online.

It was further stated by the ambassador that the United States greatly values freedom of the press as a key component of democratic governance. “Democratic societies, including our own, are not infallible, but they are accountable to their citizens.

“While we may be imperfect, we have no shortage of media houses of all viewpoints to call attention to those imperfections and to demand better.”

“The Constitution makes clear that our goal as a nation is not perfection, but of striving toward “a more perfect union. That is precisely why the free exchange of ideas is the foundation of accountable governance.”

Hardt said that in the United States, Guyana, and countries around the world, the press fosters active debate, provides investigative reporting, and serves as a forum to express different points of view, particularly on behalf of those who are marginalized in society.

Further, the ambassador noted that the United States also saluted the courage of journalists worldwide who do their work often at great risk and often with minimal rewards.

“Journalists are often the first to uncover corruption, to report from the front lines of conflict zones, and to highlight missteps by governments. As a result, the media is often a target of retaliation and criticism by those who feel threatened by freedom of expression and transparency in democratic processes. Sometimes force, such as physical intimidation, is not even necessary to silence freedom of expression.

Legal mechanisms such as criminal libel laws can also be misused to intimidate, as journalists risk being sent to prison simply for doing their

job of investigating and reporting on matters of public interest.”

He further stated that the United States supports the recent initiative by the International Press Institute (IPI) to encourage countries throughout the Caribbean region to repeal such laws, and “we welcome the positive signals provided by both the Government and opposition in Guyana to do so. Beyond criminal libel, even civil libel cases can generate legal fees that can often bankrupt individuals being sued. All of this reinforces why governments and citizens worldwide come together on this day to speak out for the protection of journalists and to acknowledge their vital role in open societies.”

Similarly, in its 2013 Press Freedom Index, Hardt said that Reporters without Borders has rated Guyana as 69th worldwide out of 179 countries. It was noted that there was “a satisfactory record in fundamental freedoms” in which “press concerns are chiefly focused on relations with the government” and the continuing state monopoly on radio.

And in just released Freedom House rankings covering 2013, Guyana was classified as “partly free” with a ranking of 68th of 192 countries worldwide. Within the Caribbean region, all countries earned a classification of “free” except Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, and Haiti.

Moreover the ambassador noted that Guyana recently benefitted from a visit by the Viennabased IPI, which had a chance to meet with a broad range of local government and media stakeholders.

In attendance last evening was President of the Guyana Press Association Gordon Moseley, who told the gathering that so much has changed over the last 20 years, when the world began observing World Press Freedom Day. He said that the media landscape and the way the media works and disseminates information and the news have changed.

“Notepads have been replaced by iPads, the research department has fallen prey to Google and sources are suddenly on Facebook…and when news breaks, it breaks on Twitter and BlackBerries, and smartphones have taken the place of recorders.”

Moseley noted that the world has changed, technology has changed and the media has been changing

United States Ambassador to Guyana D. Brent Hardt ‘ with it, but the issue of freedom of the press in all of these changes remains an important one.

“The theme as we commemorate World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) is “Safe to Speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in all Media, but what does one have to secure as we mark the day?”

Moseley said that we must see every commemoration of WPFD as an opportunity to remind us of the need to protect and secure/safeguard that ultimate right, not only of every journalist but every citizen. That is the right to freedom of expression.”

In Guyana, he noted, this is not explicitly stated in a Constitutional clause that recognizes the Freedom of the Press. Moseley said that there is a lot of talk about Freedom of the Press in Guyana, however, and concomitant responsibilities in that regard.

He noted that Guyanese need to be reminded that our constitutional right to Freedom of Expression is limited by several pronouncements under the same clause that gives us that right.

He said several of these limitations are not clearly defined and as a result, public order, even public health for example may be vicariously used to limit expression. Even technical limitations with regard to the electronic media can be used to hamper the free flow of ideas.

Moseley further noted that the Guyana Press Association has made its concerns very clear about the unfair and surreptitious distribution of radio frequencies by then President Bharrat Jagdeo and the National Frequency Management Unit.

He said that they are aware that these actions are now subject to court challenges and would hope that good sense, justice and fair play will prevail and issues surrounding these assignments would be thoroughly investigated and corrected under the terms and conditions that created the moratorium and within the Constitution and Laws of Guyana.

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CARICOM Heads to discuss economic challenges at July Summit - SG asks trade ministers to beef up CSME

should have some resonance,” he stated.

And as the Ministers deliberate on the future role of the COTED, the Secretary General called on them to find a seat for the private sector.

“I have heard you lament about the absence of the private sector at the table.

And the private sector too has been seeking to have

CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, delivers opening remarks at the 36th Meeting of COTED, yesterday.

By Neil Marks With Caribbean countries battling multiple problems of low growth, high debt, and natural disasters, Heads of Government of the regional trade and integration bloc, CARICOM, will meet in early July to come up with solutions.

Secretary General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque announced this yesterday. The meeting is scheduled for Trinidad and Tobago.

LaRocque called on the group’s Council on Trade and Economic Development (COTED) to help craft the agenda for that meeting. He noted that while the agenda of COTED meetings mainly deals with the bread and butter issues, the Council must get the “big picture” and help shape policies and strategies aimed at longterm, sustained economic growth.

Towards this end, he called for Trade Ministers to advance the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

“The two Items are not far removed from each other as it is the COTED which has responsibility for the operations of the CSME, and discussions on the strategic direction must necessarily include your role in respect of the economic

development of the Community,” LaRocque stated.

During their current COTED meeting, which is taking place at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown, Trade Minsters are discussing the consolidation of the CSME, as well as the strategic direction of the Council itself.

The Heads of Government have begun to look at the manner in which they conduct their meetings as they seek to extract the maximum benefit for their citizens from the results of their discussions.

At the Secretariat, the Change Management Team has been working assiduously, LaRocque said, to fashion a more efficient and effective organisation.

“Further, we will soon embark on preparing a Strategic Plan for the Community which will be drawing on the body of work that has already been done and will seek to prioritise the work programme of the Community over the next five years.

“It will also clearly delineate the roles and responsibilities of the Member States, Organs, Institutions and stakeholders of the Community in delivering on those priorities. In that context, the deliberations of the COTED on its strategic direction

access to the Council. As you deliberate here today about the future role and construct of the COTED, I urge you to consider positively the plea of the private sector to have a seat at the table of this Council.”

LaRoque said that any discussion on the strategic direction of the COTED and the Region’s economy could only benefit from the input of

the private sector, through whom the policies enunciated by the COTED will become bread and butter issues.

Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, who is attending the meeting, also underscored the importance of the private sector.

“I would like to suggest that not just a seat at the

table… perhaps we can think whether it’s once a year that we have a session with the private sector in whichever country the meeting is being held,” Rodrigues Birkett said. She also suggested that the private sector of the community “get together as a regional association/ organization, so we would be able to interact with a particular body.”

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Study finds jewellers affected by mercur y mercury - not many wear protective gear Several jewellers in Regions Three and Four are affected by mercury in their workshops. Though, it is common knowledge among the majority tested that using the substance in their operations could be harmful to humans, many choose not to wear protective gears.

This was revealed in a study conducted by the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences of the University of Guyana.

The study began in 2009 and was funded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)Guianas. It targeted a sample of 126 jewellers in the two Regions.

Two main objectives of the study were to ascertain usage and levels of mercury contamination among jewellers; and to determine the level of awareness of gold jewellers of the health risks and safety conditions posed by exposure to mercury. To have a successful study, apart from questionnaire and survey techniques, the researchers took hair and urine samples from selected jewellers and non-jewellers, the latter acting as a control group. All hair and urine samples were analysed for total mercury using cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

According to the WWF Guyana Office in a press statement, the study reported 24 major conclusions and the organization included its own recommendations.

Of the respondents, 88.9 percent claimed that they were aware that mercury could be harmful to them, but, “Only 3.2 percent of the respondents reported always using personal protective equipment. This conclusion is supported by the observation in the survey that in a high percentage (85.2%) of jewellery establishments, none of the workers was outfitted with personal protective equipment,” WWF stated.

However, 46.8 percent of the jewellers rarely used p e r s o nal protection equipment in the workshops, while 23 percent admitted to not using protective gear.

Another 23 percent said that they protect themselves “most times”.

The WWF noted, “73 percent of the urine samples for the control group had total mercury levels at or just below normal levels, while 27 percent had above normal or elevated total mercury levels.”

“For jewellers the reverse was true… 30 percent of the jewellers’ urine samples had normal total mercury levels, but as many as 70 percent had above normal or elevated total mercury levels. These higher levels among jewellers would have most likely been due to their exposure to mercury vapour during the melting of gold amalgam,” the WWF said. Meanwhile, the study found no significant difference in mercury concentration for hair samples between jewellers and controls, but a

significant difference was found in the mercury concentration in urine samples between the two groups. It concluded that the roughly similar concentrations of mercury in the hair samples could be an indication that there was no significant exposure of jewellers to methyl mercury. The individuals who had above normal mercury in hair levels would most likely have been exposed to mercury due to ingestion of methyl mercury that accumulated in fish.

The WWF recommended that a public education programme should be held to target the gold jewellers, notwithstanding their awareness that mercury is harmful. The programme, it was stated, should provide information on sources of exposure to mercury in the gold jewellery-making process; how mercury could be harmful; first aid response to mercury exposure; and clean-up in response to mercury spills.

The WWF also advised that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the Occupational Health and Safety Unit should consider closer monitoring of gold jewellery establishments to ensure that personal protective equipment and first aid kits are provided and personal protective equipment is utilized. In addition, the study recommended that an assessment of the handling, storage and disposal of the other chemicals used in the jewellery-making process should be conducted.

Page 29

GAWU President appeals to workers to aid sugar industry’s recovery “The (sugar) industry is too important to our economy, and too much entangled with too many workers’ lives to perform too poorly,” was the deduction of First Vice President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), Komal Chand.

Chand, as a result, has vocalised a proposal aimed at encouraging workers to take proactive action to revamp the state of the industry. He was at the time delivering remarks at the FITUG-hosted May Day Rally at the National Park on Wednesday last.

According to Chand, who also holds the portfolio of President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), “as the union representing the largest segment of workers in the sugar industry, we have anxieties over the prolonged setback that it is faced with”.

He said that while the union is grateful to the Government for its financial assistance and support to the sector, the time has come for collective action of the direct stakeholders to chart a path for the industry’s recovery.

“From our standpoint the key problem of the industry is the inadequate supply of canes to the factories.

This is not a problem that the industry’s long experiences and capabilities cannot handle, (but) it needs

GAWU President, Komal Chand to identify where the breakdowns are in the fields, in every specific estate, and begin to apply the solution.”

According to Chand, addressing this situation requires committed personnel to take charge of the required work, a move that must rely in a big way on the workers to bring to bear the practical experiences.

Chand said GAWU will maintain the position that the industry can perform far better than it is doing now, adding that with focused attention, sugar production in all likelihood can climb out of its five-year average of 250,000 to 300,000 and above.

As such, the veteran Union executive lashed out at those he dubbed as “intruders”, who according

to him, are “up to no good and are clearly seeking political mileage in their efforts to undermine GAWU. In their action they seek not to safeguard workers, but to destroy their unity and solidarity, the main pillars of workers’ strength.”

Moreover, he emphasised the importance of workers remaining unified, even as he amplified his conviction that even as another Labour Day is celebrated, working people continue to remain divided.

“This is an unsettling development in an otherwise proud history of the Guyanese working class. In our division we are weak, our individual struggles and our demands bring small fruit, if any, and as we look around us, much is going on at the economic, political and social levels.”

Chand said the developments that are “occurring today will impact on our lives tomorrow.” And given their strategic place in production and their numbers, workers, according to Chand, should demand a bigger say in the various developments around them.

He is of the firm belief that workers should be able to influence policies but stressed that “we will only be heard if we speak with one voice.

We need to influence the direction of our country, but we can be effective only if we do so together.”

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Parliament is not beyond review of the courts - Attorney General “Not even the Executive President of the country enjoys immunity from the legal process,” said Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, on Monday, as he disclosed that Government has considered and is pursuing legal action to restore cuts to the National Budget, which were imposed by the parliamentary opposition. Nandlall was at the time speaking at a People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) press conference held at the party’s Robb Street, Georgetown, headquarters.

Nandlall, who is also the Minister of Legal Affairs, disclosed that legal action has been endorsed by President Donald Ramotar himself. “The President has said very clearly that we will do all that is permissible within our law and within our constitutional structure to ensure that the cuts effected by the opposition are restored, because we consider them to be vital for the development of this country and of fundamental importance to the lives and livelihood of every single Guyanese.”

Nandlall said that Government has recognised that legal recourse has been seen as one of the options to be avidly pursued.

Pointing to cuts imposed by the parliamentary opposition last year, Nandlall said that the case to address this matter has been fixed for resumption hearing next Wednesday (May 8). In fact it was through the courts, last

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall year, that the Government was able to restore budgetary cuts to agencies such as the National Communications Network and the Government Information Agency.

The Attorney General said that he is optimistic that “we can accelerate that process and a final ruling will be handed down by the court shortly...that final ruling ought to bring some degree of conclusivity to this issue, and hopefully the Chief Justice (Ian Chang) will offer some remarks in his judgement on the role of Parliament under the Constitution.”

Nandlall highlighted his convictions that the National Assembly, which has Speaker of the House Raphael Trotman as its presiding officer, seems to think “they have the power to disregard the Constitution, the ruling of the court, and to act beyond the jurisdiction of the court. I have emphasised that there is

no agency, organ or person which enjoys that degree of immunity from the legal process – none, not even the Executive President of this country”.

Moreover, he asserted that the misnomer that Parliament is beyond review by the courts is one that must be dismantled swiftly. This, development, he said, is necessary for democracy, as it is important for the rule of law and for public order to be maintained in the country.

At an earlier press conference, Nandlall had hinted that Government was looking to the courts to rectify what he described as a “constitutional enigma” characterised by the ruling of the Speaker of the National Assembly, to allow the opposition to cut the national budget. In fact the Attorney General stated even then that the Speaker ’s ruling has collided with an expressed pronouncement from the court.

According to Nandlall, the Speaker in his ruling “essentially conferred upon himself, a jurisdictional freedom to depart from a ruling of the court and that is a power that he simply does not have.

His ruling therefore has presented this nation with a constitutional enigma...How we will unravel this enigma we are not sure...but what I know is that the constitutional anomaly which the Speaker’s ruling has created has far and deep reaching implications, way outside of the budgetary process.”

Ministry “clarifies process”...

From page 13 the retention and use of such funds in carrying out their work programmes and stimulating investment and growth under their respective mandates.”

In relation to legislation, the ministry said that under the GGMC Act No. 9 of 1979, the GGMC was specifically set up as a body corporate in order to establish autonomy and strengthen the framework for the mining industry in order to attract investment.

Section 4 of the GGMC Act, in stipulating certain functions, by implication (in particular section 4 (1) (c) and (e), and section 4 (3) (b) which states “The Commission shall be responsible for - the collection and recovery of all rents, fees, levies, tolls and charges (inclu d i n g royalties) payable under t h e M i n ing Act and any other revenues of the Commission.

Section 6 of the Act, it was

noted also states that, “The funds and resources of the Commis s i o n consist of...(e.g.) all other sums or property which may in any manner become payable to or vested in the Commission in respect of any matter incidental to its functions”.

The Ministry’s statement continued: “Whilst the general public is cognizant of the fact that the mining sector has achieved record performance in 2012 at a time of high prices and particularly due to the hard work of our small and medium scale miners, it is imperative to understand that in the mineral trading sector it’s the miners who are the recipients of the proceeds through the sale of these precious metals to the Guyana Gold Board or Licenced Dealers.

It is also important to note that of the total sales, only seven percent is deducted, in total, of which five percent is

remitted to the GGMC (as royalties) and two percent is remitted to the Guyana Revenue Authority.”

These royalties, the Ministry said, form part of the financing that supports GGMC’s ability and capacity for effective regulation and enforcement of the Mining Sector.

“Additionally, it ensures the Commission’s ability to conduct geological field research; presence on the ground at Mines Stations and Sub-Stations and equally importantly; ability to respo n d s p e e d i l y t o complaints and disputes on the ground; and capability to mount campaigns as required for compliance enforcement, monitoring and systematic gathering of standardized information and data for factual management of the Industry, particularly the Small and Medium gold and diamond mining Sector.”

Page 31

Republic Bank records $552.5M half-year profit For the half year ended March 31st, 2013, Republic Bank Limited has recorded profit attributable to shareholders of TT$552.5M, an increase of 0.4% over the corresponding period last year.

In announcing the results, Republic Bank’s Group Chairman, Ronald Harford, said, “The performance for the current period was adversely impacted by an impairment charge of $49M for the recently defaulted Government of Grenada Bond, booked in accordance with applicable International Financial Reporting Standards.” He added, “The recent upswing in credit demand and strong growth in

Republic Bank’s Group Chairman, Ronald Harford other income, have helped the Group achieve a satisfactory half-year performance.”

Total assets now stand at TT$54.8B, an increase of 8.2% over March 2012 and 6.3% over the year ended September 2012.

“Should these trends continue, we expect to sustain this performance through to the fiscal year end,” he ended.

The Board of Directors has declared a half-year dividend of $1.25 (2012: $1.25) payable on May 31st 2013.

Harford expressed his appreciation for the continued support of management, staff and customers of the Group.

Re p u b l i c Bank, headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, has several branches in Guyana and around the Caribbean.

Simple larceny costs man 14 months behind bars Thirty-two year-old Edward Isaacs, of 47 West Road, Sparendaam, E.C.D., was yesterday jailed by Magistrate Sueanna Lovell at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, after he pleaded guilty to two charges of simple larceny.

The prosecution’s facts revealed that the defendant, on April 30, stole one palette lifter worth $400,000 from the Anira Street, Queenstown residence of Monif Ali. Isaacs pleaded guilty to the charge

and was sentenced to one year in prison.

On a second charge which stated that on April 27 at West Bel Air Park, he stole a number of articles from Michael Rodrigues of 601 Anira Street, Queenstown totaling $262,500, the defendant emphatically denied the allegations stating that he did not commit the offence and that he was being wrongfully accused. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Magistrate Lovell placed

the defendant on $100,000 bail. Isaacs, upon realising that he could be granted bail, then asked if he could change his plea to the first charge to not guilty, but the Magistrate explained that she would be unable to change her decision. The defendant then asked if he could change his plea on the second charge to guilty, and this was granted.

He was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment. The sentences will run concurrently.

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Friday May 03, 2013

Imported directly from the USA

Friday May 03, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Alleged abuse at GPHC Psychiatric Ward…

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22:00 hrs. Beauty and the Beast (New Episode) 23:00 hrs. Supernatural (New Episode) 00:00 hrs. Sign Off NCN CHANNEL 11 03:00hrs - Movie 05:00hrs - Inspiration 05:30hrs - Newtown Gospel 06:00hrs - NCN Late Edition (r/b) 06:30hrs - IPL – Nightriders vs Royals 09:30hrs - Stop the Suffering 10:15hrs - Chennai Super Kings v Sunrisers 13:30hrs - Oral Traditions (R/B) 14:00hrs - Bollywood 60 Mins (R/B)

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Guides are subjected to change without notice

Friday May 03, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19): Unrealistic hopes about the weekend could bring disappointment today when you realize that you waited too long to make something special happen.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20): The Moon’s shift into your 11th House of LongTerm Goals inspires you to fantasize about your future.

However, planning ahead may not be as useful as it sounds, especially if there are situations that require your attention in the present moment.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20): Although your workweek might be coming to an end, your current concerns about your career will continue to linger through the weekend.

However, it’s challenging to turn your worries into a concrete plan today because trickster Mercury is confused by surreal Neptune.

CANCER (June 21–July 22): You might think that today is a good day to make plans for a getaway — perhaps even for this weekend.

Unfortunately, there may not be enough time to get everything together for such a quick trip.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22): Although it appears that you are determined to succeed in your career, there are other issues beginning to distract you from your work.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22): You may be growing tired of your daily work routine and are already looking forward to spending more time with your family, friends or partner. But don’t forget to let others know your desires as soon as possible or they might make other plans.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): Demonstrating your originality is more important to you earlier in the day while the Moon is still visiting nonconformist Aquarius. But her shift into your 6th House of Service this afternoon reminds you that your compassionate behavior can positively impact others.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): You might need to work hard this morning, leaving little room for you to retreat into your inner world.

However, if you settle down and concentrate on the tasks at hand, you may be rewarded later in the day with time to pursue an activity for the sake of pleasure alone.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): If you feel like you’ve been relentlessly on the go lately, you might actually get to slow down today and have time to smell the roses.

CAPRICORN(Dec.22–Jan.19): It’s tempting to obsess about your job now, especially if the taste of material success spurs you on. But subtle changes in your mood lead you away from a productive path today and lure you on to a scenic highway.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18): You may be unclear as to how your current efforts will translate into additional income, but your faith could be your greatest source of motivation.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20): You might try to bury your feelings today, but they will eventually escape from behind whatever walls you create to hide them. The Moon’s return to boundless Pisces provokes the flow of emotions.

Former patient frustrated after months without probe More than five months have elapsed since a female patient of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s Psychiatric Ward lodged a complaint of abuse against two nurses of the facility.

The GPHC in a letter to the woman had promised to investigate the matter, but she claims that to date there has been no definitive statement or pertinent action The 48-year-old woman, who requested anonymity, said she is peeved and frustrated at the way the situation is being dealt with, if it is being dealt with at all. She told Kaieteur News that she was admitted as a patient in the Psychiatric Ward of the GPHC between November 6 to 12, 2012 and during her stay, she had been tied to her bed by a female nurse and beaten by a male nurse.

The woman said that she was told that as part of the responsibilities that are to be carried out by nurses on duty, they are to accompany any patient, who so desires, to use the rest room; wait until they are finished and escort them back to their bed. She said that these particular nurses, however, were not too keen on having their ‘night time doze’ interrupted to accompany the patients to use the facilities.

“They did not like to be disturbed,” the woman told this publication. She claims that it was as a result of “disturbing” the nurses that she received the blows that were dealt to her. The woman claims that she has a kidney ailment and as such she would want to urinate at odd hours. She said that after she vehemently requested to the nurses - who were both sleeping on a bunk bed stationed in the ward - that she wanted to use the rest room, she was “tied down” on her bed and was dealt several blows about her body by the male nurse while the female stood and

witnessed the beating without objection.

She said that two other patients who were stationed in the ward also witnessed the beating. She claimed that she was “cuffed” to her left jaw resulting in her dentures breaking into pieces, and she received several kicks about her body. The woman displayed the middle finger on her right hand and said that is still swollen five months after the beating.

The woman said that she has also been encountering severe abdominal pains since the incident and the injuries have been extended to affect her internally, where the stitches that were received upon concluding a surgery for the removal of a fibroid tumour reportedly burst. As though the beatings were not enough, the woman claimed that the female nurse would incite the other patients, one of whom was the nurse’s cousin, to provoke her. “Nurse (name withheld) told the other two to tease me and jump on my bed and throw water on me,” the woman lamented.

Shortly after she was discharged, the woman lodged a complaint to the Client Relations Office at the GPHC and was promised that the matter was being investigated and that she would be notified about the outcome. However, to date no such action has been taken.

“If teachers can’t beat children in school, why should nurses beat patients at the hospital just because they want to urinate!” the woman expressively stated.

Kaieteur News understands that both the female and the male nurses are still employed by the GPHC. When the institution was contacted for an update on the investigation, it was revealed that the Chief Executive Officer has instructed that a new investigation be carried out and a report would be released on Monday.

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Kaieteur News

WANTED 1 live-in babysitter, honest and trustworthy, proper identification- ages 18-25: boarding provided, $40,000 monthly- call:675-0053 Urgently needed live-in waitress to work in Bar: Good salary offeredTele:681-9683 1 General domestic must know to cook Indian & English dishes, 1 live-in maid to work in BelAir- call:2275585 Attractive live in waitressCall:327-0252/674-4665 1 experienced cook, 1 snackette attendant around E.B.D (food handler ’s certificate required) Tele:2690045/650-4974 Live- in domestic must know to cook, live-in waitress: Salary $50,000 monthly.

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LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY M E R C U R Y (QUICK SILVER) 9 9 . 9 9 9 9 5 % PURITY - $20,000 PER POUND CALL:604-6108

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Office clerk Senior/ Junior: CXC English/ Mathematics: Computer knowledgeCall:225-0188/225-6070

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Two storey property 62 Bent street Wortmanville $20MTele:225-1005/225-9230

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1 Newly built concrete 2 storeyed house, 5 bedrooms, 2 wash rooms: Middle road La Penitence: Price $23M negotiable- Call:682-1172/ 696-9616 East Coast $8M-$12M, Anna Catherina $12M, Alberttown $16M-$32M, Mc Doom $18M- call Diana: 227-2256/ 626-9382 Parfaite Harmonie 1 flat house $5.8 negotiable call: 675-5523 Mon-Repos $12M- call:6757292 CAR RENTAL Progressive Auto Rental cars from $4000 per day. Call 643-5122, 225-8711; email w w w. p r o g r e s s i v e a u t o rental.com Untouchable Car Rental: Low Rate , Low Deposit call:2318653,621-6827

Friday May 03, 2013

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Wortmanville 3 bedrooms $35,000; Kitty 3 bedrooms $100,000; Sparandam 4 bedrooms $1,000US, Station street 4 Rooms furnish $2000US – Call:628-7605/6765537 One bedroom apartment to rent- call:222-3435, First Street Cummings Lodge H/S Ogle 3 Rooms $3,000US; Eccles 3 Rooms $2500US; Subryanville 4 Rooms $1000US (furnished), Prashad Nagar (furnished) $2,000US- Call: 223-5204/ 621-5327 Diamond H/Scheme E.B.D, 3 bedrooms house to rent. $50,000 per monthTele:6679499 House for rent in Friendshipcall:266-0163

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DRESSMAKING Designing and sewing classes by Sharmela (Canadian Trained) call: 2252598, 641-0784 (Continued on page 35)

Friday May 03, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 35

Damian Lillard is NBA Rookie of the Year PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — It’s unanimous: Damian Lillard is the NBA’s Rookie of the Year. No, it never was in question.

Lillard, the sixth overall pick in last June’s draft out of Weber State, led all rookies with a 19-point scoring average.

He also averaged 6.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds, playing in all 82 games this season.

He broke Stephen Curry’s rookie record for 3-pointers in a season, finishing with 185, and became just the third NBA rookie with at least 1,500 points and 500 assists, following Oscar Robertson and Alan Iverson.

And he swept all six of the league’s Rookie of the Month awards this season. ‘’I can’t stop smiling,’’ Lillard said when he was awarded the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy on Wednesday.

Lillard is the fourth player in

league history to win the Rookie of the Year unanimously, joining Blake Griffin in 2011, David Robinson in 1990 and Ralph Sampson in 1984.

All season Lillard has been winning accolades from across the league. ‘’He’s fantastic, really fantastic,’’ Kobe Bryant said after the two squared off in a game earlier this month. ‘’A lot of players get hot, but he’s got the moves, the patience, intelligence, the balance on his jumpers. He’s the real deal.’’

At the ceremony to announce the award at the Rose Garden Arena, the smartly dressed guard spoke about his upbringing in Oakland and how it shaped him as a hard-working player.

He was disappointed when he broke his foot to start his junior season at Weber State, because he had hopes

Damian Lillard of jumping to the NBA. He redshirted, and came back the next season to earn AllAmerican honors. He was voted the Big Sky’s Most Valuable Player.

When he let Weber State know he was going pro, Lillard

announced his first goal was to win Rookie of the Year. ‘’I came out and I proved it up,’’ said the 6-foot-3 guard, who was proclaimed the team’s franchise point guard from the start by Blazers general manager Neil Olshey.

Lillard is the fourth Blazer to win the Rookie of the Year award, joining Geoff Petrie (1971), Sidney Wicks (1972) and Brandon Roy (2007).

Lillard has made a point of being active in the Portland community with an antibullying campaign. More than 6,000 fans have signed a pledge to help end bullying as part of his ‘’Respect’’ program.

Indeed, Lillard was already thinking about what’s next. ‘’I think the best thing for me is to take it all in,’’ he said. ‘’Then tomorrow I’ve got to let it go. I’ve got my whole career in front of me.’’

(From page 34)

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De Villiers’ blitz breaks RCB’s away jinx Royal Challengers Bangalore finally got their first away win of the season, beating bottom-placed Pune Warriors by 17 runs.

The margin of victory suggested a comprehensive win, but Royal Challengers were run close by Robin Uthappa, who showed his potential with a blazing fifty which gave Warriors hope of chasing a tall 188.

AB de Villiers was at his innovative best with the bat, smashing an unbeaten 50 off 23 balls to launch Royal Challengers past 180.

His blows were the difference in the end. De Villiers’ assault helped Royal Challengers ransack 68 off the last five overs.

Warriors needed 66 off the last five overs, but with a set

Uthappa at the crease, Royal Challengers couldn’t afford to relax. Angelo Mathews too gave the visitors a scare with his cameo, but his untimely departure only piled further pressure on Uthappa.

Uthappa’s form was good news for Warriors, but had he received better support, the result could have been different.

The pitch at Pune has been one of the slower ones in the IPL and one that was going to test the batsmen more than the one in Bangalore when the teams last met. Chris Gayle found out the hard way early in his innings when he found the spinners hard to get away.

It was a clever ploy by Warriors to take the pace off the ball, giving Ajantha Mendis the new ball and

bringing in the part-timer T Suman. A repressed Gayle plodded to 15 off 19 balls before lofting Suman over the sightscreen for a six.

It was hardly a sign of things to come as he tried to repeat that shot the following the ball and miscued it to deep extra cover, falling for a sluggish run-a-ball 21.

Since there was no blazing launchpad by Gayle for a change, it was unusual watching Royal Challengers scrap to 59 after nine overs.

Saurabh Tiwary and Virat Kohli gave the innings some impetus with a rousing stand of 63. Tiwary, who has batted in the middle order, had requested to go up the order and he justified his promotion with a half-century.

The most decisive phase

Seenanand leads Universal DVD Titans...

From page 38 Samaroo added 54 for the second wicket with Rameshwar Poonu who made 24 (3x6 10balls).

Khemraj Kannack took 2 for 24 for Blairmont # 1, who were bowled out for a paltry 16 from 8.1 overs, with Seenanand taking 3 for 5 and Poonu 2 for 1.

Prior to the playing of the third place and finals, Ithaca Girls faced their Blairmont counterparts in an eight overs aside affair and the former batted first and were limited to 40 for 5, with Extras top scoring with 20.

Sabrina Singh took 3 for 14 for Blairmont Girls, who reached 41 for 3 from 4.3 overs, with Extras being the leading scorer with 17, while Somawatty Kudrathall con-

tributing 11, as the victors took home a trophy and $30,000 and the losers a trophy and $20,000.

In the third place playoff of the male category, Blairmont # 4 batted first and thanks to Wazid Subhan’s 55 (16balls, 7x6 1x4), Leon Saroopchand 42 (19balls, 5x6) and Bissoondyal’s 41 (16balls, 5x6 1x4), scored 170 for 3 from their 10 overs.

B. Basdeo took 2 for 24 for Blairmont # 1, who were limited to 59 for 6 in reply, with Sohanlall Bissoondyal topscoring with a run a ball 24, while Karamdat Bissoondyal took 2 for 16 for Blairmont # 4 who won by 111 runs.

Universal DVD Club Titans were asked to bat first by a confident Karibee Rice team in the finals, to which

they managed 88 for 7, with Samaroo 25 and Seenanand an unbeaten 19 which took him 9 deliveries to get and was decorated with two sixes, leading their batting.

Leon Gurdyall and Javed Mohamed took three wickets each for 10 and 17 runs respectively for Karibee Rice who in their turn at the wicket, were bowled out for 39 off 7.1 overs, as Rajendra Sookdeo Seenanand, Chandrasekhar Arjune and Poonu taking 2 wickets each for 3, 5, 9 and 19 runs respectively.

The victorious Universal DVD Club Titans lineup took home $70,000 and a trophy, Karibee Rice $30,000 and a trophy and Blairmont # 1 and 4 teams, a trophy each for their efforts, while Seenanand also received a trophy.

in the match came in the final over. De Villiers was on 24 off 17 balls when Ashok Dinda not the most reliable death bowler - ran in. De Villiers moved across his stumps and smoked a full delivery outside off stump to deep midwicket for a flat six.

The second was smashed over the bowler’s head for four, the third over long-off for six, the fourth reverseswept to third man and the fifth scooped over short fine leg. De Villiers had raced to 50 off 23 by the end of the over, rousing Royal Challengers and demoralising the Warriors before the chase began.

Warriors needed a pacy start but they too found the going difficult early on, moving to 49 for 2 after eight overs. Yuvraj Singh gave the innings a push with two exquisite sixes and his confidence began to rub off on Uthappa, who was starting to peak when he launched Muttiah Muralitharan over the sightscreen.

Royal Challengers bounced back with two wickets in an over from Vinay, but Uthappa’s was the wicket they needed. The equation narrowed after one over when Uthappa and Mathews targeted the most experienced of the lot, Muralitharan, smashing three clean sixes in one over.

Forty-five off 24 was achievable, but Vinay provided some relief to the visitors when he had Mathews caught at backward point. Uthappa’s heroics ended the following over when he top edged Murali Kartik to point. The chase was all but over when he walked back.

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Page 36

Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2013

GUINNESS ‘GREATEST OF THE STREETS’FUTSAL FINAL

British female duo hitting Silver Bullets shoot down Assassins; the bull’s eye with ease Half Mile/One Mile claim third place - encouraging more women to join the ranks

The fact that they are women does not by any stretch of the imagination mean that they are at any disadvantage coming against their male counterparts on the rifle ranges, they compete even and straight with the men folk and in many instances, beat them.

Kaieteur Sport took the opportunity to chat with the British duo of Deborah Fenn and Chloe Evans who are part of the Great Britain Rifle Shooing team that is on a Caribbean tour leading up to the Caribbean Championships and Australia versus the World match, both set to take place in Barbados, later this month.

For the records, Fenn placed 5th overall in the Individual Championships between Guyana and the British which concluded yesterday at the Timehri Rifle Ranges with Evans occupying the 8th place.

Fenn is a 17-year veteran in the sport and has represented her country for 11 years now while Evans, who has represented Wales before is on her first Great Britain tour.

Fenn noted that this is her first visit to the Caribbean and it has presented lots of new challenges apart from the conditions for her.

“The Guyana range is a lot sandier that’s what you is immediately notice and for me the wind conditions have been a bit easier than Jamaica but both countries I think have a strong friendly shooting team and so far we’ve thoroughly enjoyed the competition against them”.

The British team will take on Guyana in a team competition today before leaving for the Twin Island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday where they will take on the Trinis.

Fenn said she is looking forward to the Trinidad leg of the Caribbean tour and is hoping that she can take the experiences from both Jamaica and Guyana to Trinidad.

“What I mean by that is how quickly you learn new conditions can really help you overall and if I can pick up new conditions in Trinidad having learn it in Guyana and Jamaica that will be very pleasing for me”.

Fenn who was a Taekwondo champion at age 15 believes that rifle shooting is an exciting sport and it gives women the opportunity to compete equally with the male counterparts.

“One of the wonderful things about rifle shooting is that you can excel at the sport whether you are 15 or 16 years-old and at Bisley in the UK we have shooters who are into their 80s who are still very competent and I think it’s very exciting to compete equally whether you are male, female, old young; even some people with disability can compete equally alongside able bodied shooters and I think that’s a brilliant thing about the sport”.

Chloe Evans, while not as experienced as Fenn has been in the sport for the past five years even though she came out of school last year.

She has been her school captain for some time said that she is on a big learning

Kurt Bess vows to turn the table on Barbadian...

From page 39 since his charge will be prepared for the long run.

Bess will intensify training sessions this week and will engage in stiff sparring sessions. He will also up the ante during the morning sessions at the National Park.

Meanwhile, several other

boxers will comprise the card including Barbadian based Guyanese, Revlon Lake. The latter fighter recently lost out to Clive Atwell for the local Lightweight title and will be on the redemption trail against Trinidad based Guyanese, Dexter Gonsalves over 12 rounds for the Jnr./ Middleweight belt.

Middleweight, Romeo Norville, will make his professional debut in a 4 rounder against Eversley Browne while Laured Stewart will also strip off his shirt for the first time in a 4 rounds welterweight affair against Anton Greene.

curve being around persons who have been very seasoned campaigners with as much as over 30-years experience in some instances.

“It’s been a very big learning curve for me but I am very grateful for the advice and support I’ve been getting from my teammates.

I’ve represented Wales before but this is my first Great Britain cap”.

Commenting on the conditions, Evans said that Jamaica was a lot hotter and in Guyana it is a lot more humid along with different wind conditions.

She noted that she will be in the sport for many more years to come and is encouraging females to take up the challenge and join the Rifle shooting ranks.

Evans shared some of her views on why she would remain in the sport: “I think the social side of the sport is encouraging. Everyone is so friendly; I find especially coming out here everyone is very hospitable, everyone gets on and it’s really nice. It doesn’t matter what sex or age you are you can be just the same ability as the male, it really doesn’t matter just because you are a female, you can do it and I encourage you females to start”.

By Rawle Welch Silver Bullets, perhaps, fired up by the thousands of fans who lined the barricades and every available vantage point, produced a clinical display en route to a crushing 4-0 demolition of Silent Assassins in the final of the Guinnes ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Competition which ended on Wednesday evening, at the Wisroc / Amelia’s Ward Bus Park.

With residents in the midst of its traditional Town Week celebrations, almost the entire community came out to witness the newly-crowned champions completely outclass a previously formidable Silent Assassins unit that was filled with some of the better exponents of the format, including former national players Collie ‘Hitman’ Hercules and the dreadlocked Romain Haynes.

Even though, Silver Bullets had progressed through the competition via some impressive performances, they somehow had managed to escape the pressures of the heavy favourite tag, while Silent Assassins because of possessing some high profile players in their line-up, and not to forget their semi-final triumph against defending champions T.L.C Russians,

must have entered the contest as the overwhelming choice to secure the title.

However, from the onset it was clear that the Bullets were not intimidated by the stature of the opposition and seemed to have the early momentum, making some crucial interceptions as the Assassins looked to the wily veteran Hercules to orchestrate the plays.

Time and again, they read the attempted passes meant for him and hit back with some menacing counter attacks which came close to giving them the ascendancy.

Their persistence eventually paid off when an attempted pass to Hercules was intercepted and Robin Adams received a perfect delivery, before hitting home from close range in the 12th minute of play.

Eight minutes later, Damion Williams netted the first of a brace when he back heeled a pass through the legs of two defenders. He followed that effort up three minutes later by successfully netting his second, before Nigel Bennette sealed the deal one minute after for a 4-0 win.

In the third place playoff, Half Mile/One Mile ensured that pre-tournament favourites T.L.C Russians take away the least of the four prizes on offer with an

efficient 3-2 victory thanks to a hat-trick off the boots of Andre Chester, who was simply unstoppable.

However, it did not look that way from the beginning when Terence Aaron netted in the first minute of play, before Chester fired in a double in quick succession, scoring in the 13th and 16th minutes of play to evoke euphoric celebrations.

The prolific Shaun Daniels’ strike in the 24th minute leveled the proceedings, but two minutes later, Chester returned to stick a ‘dagger’ in the hopes of the Russians camp with a magnificent strike, before time elapsed, handing the underdogs a well deserved win.

Silver Bullets carted off $600,000 and a trophy, while Silent Assassins took home $300,000 and a trophy in addition to joining the former as the two representatives from the Linden community for the national playoffs. Half Mile/One Mile received $150,000 and the Russians $100,000 respectively for their efforts.

Among those present at the final were Guinness Brand Manager Lee Baptiste, Outdoor Events manager Mortimer Stewart and Linden Branch Manager Shondell Easton.

Boxers receive first tranche of Olympic $$$$$ It had taken some time to fructify but following affirmation from executives of the Guyana Olympics Association, several boxers, identified to receive the monthly stipend under an initiative of the aforementioned organization and under the auspices of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), collected the first tranche of the agreement when they convened at the Main Street office of the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport.

Those collecting cheques yesterday were Eon Bancroft, Imran Khan, Theresa London, Ron Smith and Dennis Craig.

President of the GBA, Steve Ninvalle was among those that were present at the ceremony which also included Tournament Director and Csoach (GBA), Terrence Poole and Cuban Coach, Francisco Roldon Hernandez among others.

Mr. Ninvalle reiterated his deep feelings of gratitude to the hierarchy of the GOA while saying that it is timely and will serve to boost the

The boxers show off their cheques soon after receiving them. From left, Imran Khan, Theresa London, Eon Bancroft, Ron Smith and Dennis Craig boxers’ morale and their abilities. He also wished the boxers well while disclosing that his executives have managed to enhance the stipend with a regular supply of bread compliments of Bakewell.

Consequently, the pugilists also collected several vouchers to facilitate the added arrangement.

Speaking in halting English, Señor Hernandez

said that the gesture was indeed commendable. He also made fleeting mention of the boxers’ impending visit to Cuba to participate in the Roberto Balado and the Cardova Cardin boxing tournaments scheduled for sometime in May and June next.

He said that he is satisfied with the application demonstrated by the boxers and their consequent

progress. Señor Roldon trains the local squad every afternoon at the Andrew Lewis Boxing Gym Albouystown and strongly supports Guyana’s involvement in the Cuban tournament.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ninvalle hinted that he would soon be engaging the subject Minister Frank Anthony to discuss the ramifications of the impending tournament.

Friday May 03, 2013

Kaieteur News

Raina ton makes it seven in seven for Chennai

Suresh Raina smashed his first IPL century © BCCI

W

ith 92 IPL games to his name, Suresh Raina, even more than MS Dhoni, is the tournament’s most experienced campaigner. A vital part of the Chennai Super Kings line-up, retained by his franchise after the first three seasons, he’s been key to several of his team’s successes and, on Thursday, he smashed his first IPL century in another victory the seventh straight one for Super Kings this year.

Shaun Marsh and David Miller middled the ball superbly in the chase and brought the equation down to 19 off the final over, but Dwayne Bravo didn’t let his team down.

Raina’s yellow jersey had a brownish shade by the time he reached the landmark, his aggression not

only confined to targeting the bowlers. If there’s an Indian batsman after the Mohammad Kaif of almost a decade ago who inflicts as much damage on his clothing while running between the wickets as he does while fielding, it’s Raina.

Raina’s innings had its sedate phase, when it kept pace with Super Kings’ start, with a run-rate of just a little over six in the first nine overs. In the unforgiving Chennai heat, with not a speck of cloud in the sky, nor any breeze in the air, there was a back-massage for Raina from one of his teammates, his head was wrapped up in a wet towel, his partner Michael Hussey was on his knees, and both were gulping down fluids during the time-out.

The first ball he faced

after the break, he drove David Hussey beautifully through deep cover and long-off before launching him over long-on for six. At the other end, Michael Hussey went past Chris Gayle to become the highest run-getter this season but was stumped 55 runs into the partnership.

Raina lost Dhoni, runout brilliantly by R Sathish in the 13th over, but he had made up his mind to be on the attack. He slog-swept Chawla with the turn, clipped Sathish past fine leg, and stepped up another notch after the second timeout, which was taken at the end of the 15th over.

Six seasons into the IPL, death bowling has continued to be a worry for most teams, whose Indian bowlers, especially, have struggled to contain the batsmen.

Attempted yorkers, almost inevitably, end up being length balls; Raina struck Manpreet Gony imperiously over the straight boundary off two such deliveries.

Sathish was then cut and swept, Praveen Kumar was dispatched over long-on twice, the second six coming in the final over during which Raina reached his century.

Through his assault, he ran superbly, though was fortunate to have just made his ground as he attempted a dive to complete a run very early in his innings, the bat popping up as he tried to slide it in. The last five overs yielded 70 runs, also thanks to Albie Morkel’s cameo of 23.

Great Britain’s El Dorado Red takes top spot Guyana vs British Rifle Shooting Team C/ships

T

he visiting Great Britain Fullbore Rifle Shooting team wrapped a successful Goodwill tour of Guyana with victory in the Five Man Team match at the Timehri Rifle Ranges, Yarrowkabra, Linden Soesdyke Highway, yesterday.

Great Britain El Dorado Red won the day’s proceedings by amassing a total of 742 Points and 74 VBulls when scores were merged after action at the 300, 600 and 900 yards ranges. Thomas Rylands was the top shoot on the team with a possible 150 points and 14 VBulls.

Great Britain Royal Blue placed second with a total of 731 Points and 72 VBulls; Ian Shaw led his team with 148 Points and 15VBulls. Guyana Gold took the third place with 727 Points and 57 VBulls, reigning 2013

King of the ranges Ransford Goodluck led with 147 Points and 14VBulls.

Bringing up the rear was Guyana All Stars which totaled 658 Points along with 22VBulls. Charles Dean was the top shoot with 135 Points and 3VBulls.

The Guyana National Rifle Association (GNRA) hosts of the Great Britain team held a presentation ceremony last evening at Georgetown Club where prizes were handed out to the individual and team winners.

The British marksmen and women will enjoy some of the beauty Guyana has to offer today by visiting the majestic Kaieteur Falls among other places of interest before leaving tomorrow for the Twin Island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago then on to Barbados for the Caribbean Championships which fires off next week.

Page 37

W Connection, Caledonia advance in CONCACAF qualifiers

Action in the W. Connection, Antigua Barracuda match. (Courtesy Wired868)

T

rinidad and To b a g o P r o League clubs DIRECTV W Connection and Neal & Massy Caledonia will take different routes to the CONCACAF Champions’ League group stage but they can both get there.

Tuesday evening, a goalless draw between W Connection and Antigua Barracuda at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva meant that Connection finished on top of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) group and qualify automatically for the CONCACAF tournament.

Connection, the 2011/12 Digicel Pro League

champion, took four points from its two fixtures after an opening 4-0 rout of Caledonia.

Caledonia, who finished second after a 3-1 win over Barracuda on Sunday, must now battle Jamaica’s Portmore United for the lone remaining berth in a home and away tie later this month.

Portmore was second to Haiti’s Valencia in Group 2, which was played in Jamaica.

At Couva, Barracuda needed a handsome win to recover from an opening group loss and it always seemed improbable. The Antiguan visitors could claim to have restored some pride though as they mustered a point

against the Caribbean’s most successful club since the turn of the millennium.

Versatile Connection attacker Andrei Pacheco should have put the host team ahead in the 35th minute but blasted high and wide after a clever through pass from teammate Hashim Arcia. It was a rare opportunity for the “Savonetta Boys.”

Connection, the 2011/12 Digicel Pro League champion, took four points from its two fixtures after an opening 4-0 rout of Caledonia. Caledonia, who finished second after a 3-1 win over Barracuda on Sunday, must now battle Jamaica’s Portmore United for the lone remaining berth in a home and away tie later this month.

Portmore was second to Haiti’s Valencia in Group 2, which was played in Jamaica.

At Couva, Barracuda needed a handsome win to recover from an opening group loss and it always seemed improbable. (Wired868)

GTTA Inter-Organisation tourney on this weekend

T

h e G u y a n a Ta b l e Te n n i s Association (GTTA) will stage a competition for ministries, business entities, corporations and organizations this weekend at the National Gymnasium.

The GTTA has invited over 20 organisations to participate in the tournament, which commences today. A release said that the GTTA hopes to foster camaraderie amongst staff members; develop partnerships and create a better understanding and appreciation of the roles between the respective organisations and sectors through the sport.

Teams that have not received formal invitation are also eligible to participate in the tournament and interested persons can contact Godfrey Munroe on 686-7473 or godfreymunroe@yahoo.com and Linden Johnson on 621-7630 or lindenj20032003 @yahoo.com.

An entrance fee of $3000 will be charged to participate in the tournament from which active national players have been debarred.

Teams will consist of four players with at least

two necessary to compete. Trophies will be awarded to the top three teams while certificates will be given to teams winning their groups.

The organisations expected to participate in the tournament are:- Guyana Bank for Trade Industry and Commerce, CARICOM, National Bank for Industry and Commerce, Chinese Embassy, Bank of Novia Scotia, United States Embassy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bank of Guyana, Ministry of Education, Guyana Police Force, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Guyana Power and Light, Neal and Massy Group of Companies, Guyana Telecommunication and Telegraph Company, Continental Group of Companies, John Fernandes Company Limited, Guyana Revenue Authority, Banks DIH, Courtney Benn Contracting Company, Ansa Mc Al, Cummings Electrical, Guyana Beverage Company Limited, Machinery Incorporated, Demerara Distillers Limited, Guyana Industrial Corporation, Guyana Police Force , Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Prison Service.

Page 38

Kaieteur News

Seenanand leads Universal DVD Titans to BSA title ....BLAIRMONT GIRLS TAKE EXHIBITION TITLE

SEMIS

Friday May 03, 2013

Barbados’ Carter hits timely ton, Baugh slams 88 for Jamaica; Shillingford bags 6wkts, Richards grabs 5

B

Ryan Sankar (right) of Universal DVD Club, hands over the victorious trophy and cash prize to Universal DVD Club Titans’ skipper Balram Samaroo.

T

otaram Seenanand was the star of the day for Universal DVD Club Titans, who won the Berbice Softball Alliance (BSA) organised four- team Ten10 competition which was held, at the Bath Settlement ground, on Wednesday last.

In the female exhibition matchup between Blairmont and Ithaca, the former won by seven wickets, thanks to Sabrina Singh’s impressive bowling performance, but it was Seenanand, who stole the show for the day’s action.

In the first encounter, Karibee Rice faced up with Blairmont # 4 and asked to bat first compiled 120 for 9 from their 10 overs, with Mahendranauth Sooklall 33 (8 balls, 5x6) and Sharmindra Hardyal 22 (1x4, 1x6)

leading their batting.

Vijai Farhad took 3 for 19 and Karamdat Bissoondyal 2 for 21 for Blairmont # 4, who were limited to 80 for 7 with Farhad 15 (1x6,1x4) and Bissoondyal 10 being the lone batsmen to reach double figures, a s David Harilall took 2 for 8 for Karibee Rice.

Universal DVD Club Titans took the field next and faced Blairmont # 1 in their virtual semifinal fixture and asked to take first strike, scored an imposing 165 for 3 from their 10 overs.

This was due mainly to skipper Balram Samaroo’s robust 62 (23balls, 7x6 2x4) and Michael Ramdhial 16 balls 50 (5x6 3x4), as the two added 75 for the first wicket, before (Continued on page 35)

arbados are in control against the Windward Islands while Trinidad and Tobago closed on 17-1 in reply to Jamaica’s first innings score of 246 when the first day of the West Indies Cricket Board Regional 4 day semi final matches ended yesterday.

At Warner Park, Barbados batted first and were pegged back by purposeful bowling from the Islanders. They lost Rashidi Boucher who was caught off Mathurin for 17 at 28-1 before off spinner Shane Shillingford removed Kirk Edwards without scoring one run later.

Shillingford got into the act once again when he sent back Kraigg Brathwaite for 15 to leave the score at 46-3. Barbados then fell into further trouble when Shillingford had Kevin Stout taken by Andre Fletcher for 09 at 64-4 in the 29th over.

Despite Jonathan Carter’s efforts to revive the innings, Barbados lost 3 more quick wickets to be at 97-7 with Shillingford accounting for 5. Carter seemed untroubled by the fall of wickets around him and brought up his well deserved fifty from 84 balls in 100 minutes.

He shared in an eight wicket stand of 24 with Sulieman Benn before Benn was bowled

by Gary Maturin for 06 at 121-8. Carter then dominated a ninth wicket stand of 91 with Kemar Roach before Shillingford halted their efforts by removing Roach for 24 at 212-9.

Carter then departed after reaching his century as the Bajans were bowled out for 212; He made 116. Shillingford bagged 6-84 from 31 overs.

The Windwards in reply were off to a bad start when Benn had Tyrone Theophille caught for 04 at 19-1. Ashley Nurse then removed Devon Smith for 14 and Johnson Charles for 05 as Windwards closed the day at 27-3. Mathurin is unbeaten on 04 while

Fletcher is on 01. Nurse has so far taken 2-7 and Benn 1-6.

At Sabina Park, Jamaica took first strike after the start of play was delayed by half an hour due to wet spots on the pitch. Marlon Richards made early inroads by removing Brenton Parchment (05), Nkrumah Bonner (03) and Andre Mc Carthy (01) to leave the Jamaicans in trouble at 17-3.

The host then lost Danza Hyatt who was leg before to Imran Khan for 21 at 49-4.

Tamar Lambert and David Bernard Jr. added 38 for the fifth wicket before Bernard was run out for 18 as the host slipped to 87-5.

Lambert soon followed when he edged Rayad Emrit to wicketkeeper Dinesh Ramdin for 38 to make it 87-6. Carlton Baugh and Nikita Miller put together 43 for the seventh wicket before Miller was run out for 21.

Richards struck once again when he had Andrew Richardson (00) leg before and Odean Brown (00) caught behind to leave the Jamaicans at 143-9. Baugh and Sheldon Cotterell then rescued their team with a tenth wicket stand of 103.

Baugh reached his half century off 84 balls in 107 minutes with seven fours.

Cotterell who hit Shannon Gabriel for a massive six on Kingston Cricket Club roof was then trapped in front by Khan for 44 as Jamaica were bowled out for 246 in 80.5 overs, Baugh was left not out on 88; his innings lasted for 73 minutes from 129 balls.

Richards was the pick of the bowlers with 5-40 from 15 overs while Khan had 2-53 from 21.5.

Trinidad and Tobago in response suffered an early set back when Jeremy Soloazano was run out for 01 with the score on 09 in the fifth over. However, Lendl Simmons and Yannick Carriah saw their team to stumps at 17-1 from 7 overs. Simmons is on 9 and Carriah on 5.

Today is the second day.

RHTY&SC teams & BRB honour outstanding Retired Teachers

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our outstanding retired teachers with a combined 140 years of teaching experience were on Sunday last honoured by the cricket teams of Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC) and the Berbice River Bridge Company (BRBC) under their “Tribute to Retired Teachers” programme.

The teachers recognised are Patricia Mc Pherson and Leroy King of Region 5 and Rose Dos Ramos and Brian George of Region 6. They each received a Tribute to Heroes Plaque and a special gift.

The cricket teams that organised the event were the Farfan & Mendes Under-15, Pepsi Under-19, Bakewell U n d e r- 1 7 a n d S e c o n d

Division, Metro Female and Gizmos & Gadgets first division.

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster at the presentation stated that the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club strongly believes in the importance of education in the lives of youths and as such the club each year invests heavily to make sure that less fortunate students have access to education.

Foster praised the teachers for their services to the educational sector and also for nurturing the minds of thousands of students, some of whom have gone on to become government leaders, doctors, engineers and lawyers.

He challenged the four

awardees to share their experiences with the present generation of teachers and also to play a major role in the molding of youths in the area where they reside. The veteran club official also issued a challenge to other clubs in Guyana to follow the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club example and to invest in the education of youths.

Gratitude was expressed to the Management of the Berbice River Bridge Company for sponsoring the programme and to the Berbice Teachers Union for selecting the teachers.

Chief Executive Officer of the Berbice River Bridge Company, Mr. O. Samaroo expressed delight in being associated with the highly

The rewarded teachers display their gifts successful club and honouring the four individuals.

Teachers, he noted are molders of the human mind and recalled his own experience with teachers who were positive role models to him and his peers.

Samaroo congratulated each of the awardees and

stated that his company would continue to support the different activities of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports club as he was impressed with the high standard of its management.

Representative of the Berbice Teachers Union, Ms. Donette D’Andrade expressed gratitude to the

Club and the BRBC for supporting the development of education and more especially paying tribute to outstanding former teachers.

Ms. D’Andrade said she knew all four of the awardees, hailing them as positive role models to the entire teaching community of Berbice.

Friday May 03, 2013

Kaieteur News

Fittest survives Mackeson ‘Keep Your Five Alive’

- Opening contests set tone for keen rivalries

Wolves (Sophia) and Lodge Housing Scheme battle for possession at California Square when the Mackeson ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ started Wednesday night.

O

nly the fittest survived on the opening night of the Mackeson ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ football competition at California Square, East Ruimveldt with eight teams moving on to the next round in the knockout competition designed to test players’ fortitude.

The football savvy community welcomed the event, which is in its third year, with an impressive turnout that steadily swelled.

Liliendaal set the tone for an

entertaining night of football with a 3-0 drubbing of East Dam with the latter being the first causality.

Anthony Sanaho scored in the fifth minute for Liliendaal while Akeem Saul added a brace in the tenth and 14th minute to seal the deal. The duration of the games are 15 minutes that is divided into two 7½ minute halves with no extra time in the preliminary round.

Wo l v e s ( S o p h i a ) followed the lead of Liliendaal, showing superior

skills against Lodge Housing Scheme for a 3-0 win. Collin Kendall scored in the eighth and tenth minutes while Ray Cole had the other goal in the ninth minute, following a scoreless first half.

We s t F r o n t R o a d advanced 1-0 on penalty kicks after their game with Ben Corton (West) ended in a nil-all stalemate. Lane Avenue and Albouystown ‘A’ also advance on penalty kicks after the battle for survival in the tournament

became ripe with rivalry.

Castello won 2-1 against King Street Ballers with Sherwin Anthony finding the back of the small goal in the fifth minute and Marvin Fraser in the 15th minute for Castello.

Kevon Solomon scored in the ninth minute to give Broad Street a 1-0 win against East Front Road.

T i g e r B a y ‘ A’ embarrassed Norton Street with a 5-0 drubbing. Jamaal Blackman’s hat-trick in the sixth, seventh and eighth minutes, Alpha Fletchman 11th minute goal and Devon Dickson’s strike in 12th minute ensured an epic end to the first night of the competition.

The Mackeson ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ Street Football tournament under the theme: “Your skill, your style, your five, your stout” will doll out $300,000 and trophy to the last surviving team, as the second place team takes home 150,000 and trophy.

The contest will be shifted to the Punt Trench, School Street Albouystown venue tomorrow night when another eight teams will move forward to the next round.

Page 39

GBBC Guyana Fight Night

Kurt Bess vows to turn the table on Barbadian strongman

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hen Kurt Bess squared off w i t h Barbadian strongman, Shawn ‘The Sniper’ Cox in December 2011, the Guyanese was highly tipped to win after enjoying an immediate 5 fight unbeaten streak.

Bess had taken care of Anthony Augustin, Cleveland Fraser and Mitchell Rogers all by the knockout route (he also defeated Rogers on points in an earlier fight). All hopes dwindled to naught when Cox employed a two fisted attack from the very first bell that forced the referee to wave the bout off less than 2 minutes after it had started.

The second victory over Rogers earned the lanky Bess the local heavyweight title and he was attempting to relieve Cox of the Caribbean Boxing Federation Cruiserweight title.

As a matter of fact, Bess had had a turbulent start to his professional career and had surrendered bouts to Tr i n i d a d i a n , K e r t s o n

McDonald regains form on verge of National Scrabble championships

A

s the executives of the Guyana Association of S c r a b b l e Players (GASP) continue to put the modalities in place for the National Scrabble Championships, due sometime next month, Abigail McDonald sent an ominous message to her detractors when despite surrendering her final prelunch game to her predecessor, Fred Collins by a slim spread of 6, compiled 5 points and a positive spread of 655 to capture the top spot when the GASP staged the Labour Day Open Scrabble Championships at the Malteenoes Sports Club, Wednesday afternoon last.

The competitiveness of the tournament was highlighted when Leon Belony managed to squeeze into the second place slot after accruing a similar

Carts off Labour Day Open prize

In a stiff battle of wits McDonald (left) prevailed over Collins amount of points as McDonald but a lower positive spread of 355 while to relegate him to 3rd place; despite scoring similar points but with a lower positive spread of 258.

M c D o n a l d ’s o t h e r victories came at the expense of Julian Skeete

(179), Leon Belony (73), Wayne Cave (202), Ruby Cummings (106) and Orlando Michael (101).

Belony rebounded from the loss to the eventual champion to register wins over Ruby Cummings (2), Orlando Michael (194), Grace Hercules (83), Collins

(79) and Skeete 170).

Collins’ other victims were Grace Hercules (157), Wa y n e C a v e ( 4 4 ) , Cummings (86) and Maurice Munru (39).

Meanwhile, the organisers have intensified activities even as they continue to address issues

pertaining to the successful staging of the nationals.

Consequently, the players will convene once again at the Malteenoes Sports Club on Monday May 6 for the Arrival Day Open Championships.

President of the GASP, Leon Belony said that his executives are currently addressing internal issues towards the success of the National championships. He said that they have managed to procure sponsorship for the tournament and are now addressing other issues before releasing the date.

McDonald is the defending champion and will have to be wary of such challengers as Belony (whom she defeated in a 3 best in 5 duel at the last nationals), Moen Gafoor, Collins, James Krakowsky as well as many other players that are improving at a rapid pace.

Kurt Bess Manswell (twice), Rogers and Augustin. He is still to avenge the Manswell loss but it is instructive to note that he has managed to turn the tables on Rogers and Augustin.

If one should be guided by this sequence, then the notion that Bess will overturn the earlier loss to Cox will not appear farfetched. The two boxers are scheduled to match gloves on May 31st next when the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) presents the 28th edition of Guyana Fight Night at the Sophia Exhibition Centre.

When Kaieteur Sport visited Bess at the Andrew Lewis Boxing Gym (ALBG), Albouystown, his team, which included Coach, George Oprecht, exuded confidence of avenging the loss. Bess said that he has engaged in brutal introspection and even reminded that it was he that had begged officials of the GBBC to organise the bout.

He said that he has recognised where he went wrong in the last fight and will be approaching this bout differently. The lanky Bess said that he was at ringside when Cox defeated Braithwaite and though the fight was brief he (Bess) detected a flaw in Cox’s repertoire that he intends to exploit; he did not elaborate.

Oprecht was his usual confident self and said that he has adjusted Bess’ training regiment to suit Cox’s style. He said that he is working on techniques and stamina but is concentrating heavily on the latter variable (Continued on page 36)

t r o Sp GUINNESS ‘GREATEST OF THE STREETS’ FUTSAL FINAL

Silver Bullets shoot down Assassins; Half Mile/ One Mile claim third place

The new champions of the Linden segment of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Futsal Tournament Silver Bullets pose with the cask prize and trophy following the completion of the presentation ceremony.

British female duo hitting the bull’s eye with ease

- encouraging more women to join the ranks

Winston George off to US for four-month training stint A

Deborah Fenn (left) and Chloe Evans

rguably Guyana’s leading quartermiler, Winston G e o rg e l e f t G u y a n a Wednesday afternoon for a four-month training stint in the United States of America with the sole aim of qualifying for the IAAF World Championships, Moscow, in August.

Police Sports Officer, Colin Boyce told Kaieteur Sport that George, who is attached to the Force, will train under the guidance of Joe Ryan at Racers Track Club in New York. Ryan was also the Coach of internationally acclaimed quartermiler, Aliann Pompey.

“He’ll be spending four months with the Racers Club and while there he will be competing under the club to achieve World Championships standard,” Boyce noted, adding that the Guyana Police Force has sponsored George in his endeavours to improve.

George had qualified for the London Olympic Games last year with a sub-46 second time, which catapulted him to regional stardom. The Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) 400m specialist, who trains under the guidance of Lyndon Wilson did not get out of the first round of the Olympic Games.

Winston George

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