Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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

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

EDITORIAL

The parliamentary debacle Guyana has found itself in a tenuous situation because of the existing legislations that seek to curb money laundering and dent international terrorism. The government sent the various amendments to the National Assembly on May 7, last, and expects that the Bill would be passed when the House meets on May 23.

Already the Alliance For Change says that it is not prepared to support the Bill, not because its content is bad but because President Donald Ramotar refused to assent to two opposition Bills passed in the National Assembly. The President contended that the two Bills were an affront to the constitution and that he would not be party to any breach of the constitution.

But the opposition holds the opposing view. One of the Bills seeks to modify the benefits for former Presidents.

They say that according to the existing legislation, there is no limit to the number of vehicles, the number of personal assistants including security guards that former President Bharrat Jagdeo has.

President Ramotar, by refusing his assent has in effect killed the Bill. In keeping with the regulations, it has been returned to the National Assembly. Before it reaches his desk again it must be accompanied by a two-thirds majority vote in the National Assembly. By no stretch can one see any government member voting in support of that Bill.

This has angered the Alliance For Change which is now proposing a tit for tat arrangement; “You don’t pass our Bills and we would not pass yours.” It does not take clairvoyance to see that the country would grind to a halt.

There would be no new legislation and for sure, there would be no release of money when the government moves to access the supplementary votes.

One of the pieces of legislation that seems to have been caught up in this tit for tat arrangement is the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill. Guyana has until it meets in Colombia on May 27 to have this legislation in place. Failing to reach this deadline could have serious implications for the country.

For one the country could be blacklisted, making it difficult for money transfers to be effected. Local businessmen would be hard pressed to pay for imports and these range from vehicles to clothing to just about anything.

Given the parlous state of electricity Guyana may not be able buy the needed generators out of the United States.

Bank transfers could be stymied and international donors could withhold financing since the issue of monitoring the money would be questionable.

One would expect that such a frightening scenario would see a united National Assembly working to ensure that Guyana is not blacklisted. Generally, when a country is blacklisted it remains a pariah for about seven years. And this is a real fear on the part of the national leaders.

But we now find that the political opposition is harbouring no such fears. For one, they believe that the government was less than transparent and they now want the very government to be brought to book. The A Partnership for National Unity initially questioned the timing of the Bill. This Bill has been languishing in the national Assembly for two years. Then suddenly, with two weeks to go before the deadline it has been brought for the vote. APNU is suspicious about the rush.

The Alliance for Change is not even considering such things. It simply wants to see a Public Procurement Commission in place, a drastic change from an earlier position when it proposed that all Government Bills be voted against in retaliation for President Ramotar withholding his assent to opposition Bills. So where does this leave the people of Guyana? They could raise their voices for a greater transparency in the government; or they could rail against the opposition. For sure, no one wants to see Guyana become a pariah state although everyone knows that money laundering is rife and that the government is not too keen on prosecuting the so-called prominent people.

The nation must now hold its breath until tomorrow.

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

INCOMPETENCE, CORRUPTION AND A PERIOD OF CONSEQUENCES DEAR EDITOR, Over recent months there has been disaster after disaster at the sea wall from Kitty to Liliendaal; this is the result of a situation similar to that which Winston Churchill outlined in his famous speech on November 12, 1936 in the British Parliament.

I have taken the liberty of adjusting it somewhat [for the Guyana situation by adding the two words incompetence and corruption] as follows, “they go on in a strange paradox, decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, allpowerful to be impotent, corrupt and incompetent” “Owing to past neglect, in the face of the plainest warnings, we have entered upon a period of danger. The era of procrastination, of half measures, of soothing and baffling expedience of delays, of incompetence and corruption, is coming to its close.

In its place we are entering a period of consequences”.

At least the British had Churchill to help them out of the mess they found themselves in at that time, totally unprepared to deal with Hitler, but here in Guyana we have people in charge, who think that jetties/groynes are there to stop wave action on our sea walls to stop overtopping, and are wasting our money rebuilding them.

They are there for an entirely different reason. Anyone expecting that groynes can stop overtopping of the sea walls is in for a big shock!

See also Charles Sohan’s letter last week. The answer to this problem is to

raise the sea defences 6 ft with rip rap from Kitty to Liliendaal. The Wikipedia dictionary/encyclopaedia tells us that “A groyne is a rigid hydraulic structure built from an ocean shore (in coastal engineering) or from a bank (in rivers) that interrupts water flow and limits the movement of sediment.

In the ocean, groynes create beaches, or avoid having them washed away by longshore drift” so you don’t have to be an engineer to tell that our so called authorities are completely wrong and totally incompetent, just look in a dictionary.

We are no better off in other areas.

Just look at the beleaguered sugar industry. In 2006 the industry production was 259,470 tonnes, dropping by 2012 to 218,688 tonnes, and it is still falling.

During this time the European Union gave Guyana 27.6 billion Guyana dollars to resuscitate/diversify the industry to make it more competitive; no one knows where this money went.

And just listen to the PPP’s press conference in Freedom House last week. Is paramountcy of the party still alive in this country? The PPP continually violates the law by attempting to block the decisions of the Guyana Parliament and as such is constantly violating the constitution.

First it accuses the media of racially profiling the award of the radio licences.

In addition, for the government to tell us now that the licences were issued to people who had the means to operate a radio station, is ludicrous,

unacceptable and lies.

No one is aware that people who had previously applied were called in to assess whether they had the means to operate a radio station before Jagdeo issued them. These lies and stupid excuses are perpetrated to hide the real agenda of the PPP, which is to make everyone else impotent in this country to properly finance an election to challenge them.

But in fact there was an agreement between the PPP and the opposition which is stated clearly in the dialogue as to how the licences should be issued, since the bi-partisan committee on broadcasting, co-chaired by Gail Teixeira and Deryck Bernard, had recommended [which both sides signed on to], that the most important method of selection of radio and television owners was to select owners which reflected the ethnic composition of the areas to be served.

I am appealing to the opposition again publicly; the broadcasting authority should be immediately dissolved and replaced with a more bipartisan, independent and autonomous one and the method of their selection must guarantee their independence, or the consequences will be that in any future election the opposition will have no voice.

The people of this nation, due to their lack of interest in the quality of their governance, interested only in racial voting and swayed by the lies perpetrated by the PPP, will continue to pay the penalty.

Tony Vieira

The real story - the value of an oral tradition DEAR EDITOR, We must congratulate M. Maxwell for his learned and obviously well researched letter which appeared in the Kaieteur News yesterday (May 20, 2013) – Headlined” Only two Cuban flights landed in Guyana because Burnham caved in to US and Venezuelan pressure”.

I both congratulate and compliment M Maxwell, but allow me to say the following.

I worked alongside Burnham, as General

Secretary of the Party for years and Minister of Works Hydraulics and Supply; no one should underestimate Burnham’s passion and commitment to the cause of freedom for Southern Africa.

And no one should likewise underestimate Burnham’s, astuteness and understanding of the complexities and dangers to countries like Guyana during the Cold War at that time.

In so far, therefore, M. Maxwell’s statement, as in

Am I expecting too much from the Minister of Finance?

DEAR EDITOR, I am shocked at the irony of our erstwhile Minister of Finance accusing the AFC of being shamelessly irresponsible in demanding, among other things, the appointment of a Public Procurement Commission in return for supporting the Anti-Money Laundering Bill.

I am shocked because as Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh should be at the forefront in demanding

transparency, accountability and financial propriety. What message is he sending by opposing the appointment of the Commission? Dr. Singh should have been demanding of his Govt. that the Commission be appointed. It is in his and the people’s interest for there to be less corruption.

Or am I expecting too much from the Minister of Finance?

Chandradat Mattai (Jnr)

the headline, Burnham knew when and how, according to Maxwell, to cave in to pressure.

Further I was taught by the wise ones that a story has three sides, your side, the other side, which is usually recorded, and the third side, oft times the real story.

In human history and experience this is seldom recorded, and therein lies the value of an oral tradition.

Let me for the benefit of

M. Maxwell and our young people, give one little example. When Dave Martins made popular the song “Not one cuirass....not a blade o’ grass ……” in reference to Venezuela’s claim to the entire North West of Guyana, when Burnham spoke about, and to Venezuela, he had certain strong support and only three or four persons were aware of the real story.

Hamilton Green, J.P.

One stone, many birds DEAR EDITOR, I have noted Dr Roger Luncheon’s statement that we may have a snap elections soon. I cannot wait. The earlier the better. My grandfather voted for the PPP. My father voted for the PPP and I, until now, have always voted for the PPP, but I want the opportunity to vote against the PPP. I want to vote against Dr L u n c h e o n ’s 2 0 y e a r s malstewardship and destruction of the NIS. I want to vote against Donald Ramotar’s 20 years poor directorship and destruction

of GuySuCo. I want to vote against Clement Rohee’s poor stewardship as a minister and our worsening crime situation. want to vote against Bharat Jagdeo’s “pension and palace” and him farming out the country and airwaves to his friends, family, cronies and acolytes.

I want to vote against Sam Hinds’ 20 years poor oversight of GPL. In other words, I want the opportunity to use my one vote (one stone) and kill many birds.

Jewan Manbode

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

It is criminal to have the GB&GWU and BCGI’s grievances outstanding for more than four years DEAR EDITOR, The Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union (GB&GWU) applauds the workers of the Guyana Power & Light (GPL) and their union, the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), for the just concluded Arbitration Award.

This is a moment to pause and acknowledge the rights of persons to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

These rights are guaranteed to all under the Guyana Constitution. The GB&GWU also takes note of the role the Government played, through Labour Minister Nanda Gopaul, under the Labour Law to bring a speedy resolution to the dispute. The due diligence to this matter is good, but it would be better for Guyanese workers if all were so treated.

While our colleagues in NAACIE today rejoice over the fight for justice, which the GB&GWU wholeheartedly supports, it cannot be lost sight of that on the other hand the GB&GWU has been waging a battle since 1st January 2009 to get the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BGCI) to respect the workers’ right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, which the Government has made a conscious decision to ignore.

Given the similarity of NAACIE and GB&GWU, it shows a clear case that while the Laws of Guyana are made to protect the rights of every Guyanese, under the PPP government a section of this society will never be so respected. To get any respect, those targeted for marginalisation will have to fight longer and harder.

The workers at BCGI are citizens of this country, who are bound to abide by and be protected by the same laws.

The BCGI is owned by the Government of Guyana (i.e. the People of Guyana) and Russia Alumina, registered under the Guyana Laws, and must therefore comply with the laws.

That the country continues to see different treatment for different workers, and a government partnering with foreigners to trample on the citizens, can only be corrected through bold action.

As a trade unionist and regional councillor, having noticed, and in support of the opposition’s action to demand some legitimate compliance from the government on other matters before supporting the AntiMoney Laundering Bill, the workers of BCGI are also demanding that the opposition places their matter on the table as a condition for their support.

It is a violation of justice that the Minister of Labour’s letters to the parties (GB&GWU and BCGI) on 29th February 2012 imposed arbitration to resolve the dispute, but this has not begun. It is also opportune to note that the government’s commitment to the court to reissue letters to the parties in respect for the company’s registered name is still not issued. This undertaking was given in response to the case made by BCGI, before Justice Ian Chang, that the letter sent to the company was not consistent with the name by which the company operates and therefore the company is not legally binding to respect the Minister’s directive.

Under the Laws of Guyana the workers of NAACIE are

equal to the workers of GB&GWU and if NAACIE and GPL’s grievances were resolved in less than a year, it is criminal to have the GB&GWU and BCGI’s grievances outstanding for more than four years! This is injustice and inequity of the highest order and the membership of GB&GWU demand an end to it, now!

BACKGROUND Via letter of 29th February 2012, the Minister of Labour, Dr. Nanda Gopaul, using the discretion granted by virtue of Section 4 (1) (c) of the Labour Act Cap. 98:01, invoked arbitration, with the following terms of reference:“To enquire into the difference between the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union and the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI-RUSAL) specifically to determine whether the company and or the union has indulged in prudent industrial/labour relations practices and whether or not they have complied with all known labour and industrial relations laws and conventions as they relate to: 1. The wages dispute between the Company and the Union with respect to the period January 1. 2009 to December 31, 2010 which resulted from the application of Term # 7 of the terms of Resumption signed between the Company and the Union on August 25, 2009 2. The dispute which led to the suspension of sixty seven 67 workers who protested unsafe working condition at the Company’s operation during the period May 2009.

3. The dispute between the Company and the Union with respect to the dismissal of fifty seven (57) employees

from the Company during the period December 1-10, 2009.

4. The dispute between the Company and the Union with respect to the dismissal of five (5) employees namely; (1) Winsworth Blair, (2) Elmiton Mc Almont, (3) Laurel George, (4) Marcel Odonoghu

and (5) Lennox Daw, who were in protest over conditions of storage of food material in areas allegedly infested with rodents and roaches, and the use of the said food materials in the kitchen to prepare meals for staff at the Aroaima Location.

5. The alleged threatening of workers by the General Manager of BCGI, Mr. Ruslan Volokhov on May 8, 2011 who were protesting the nonavailability of potable water at the camp site in Aroaima.”

Leslie Gonslaves President- GB&GWU

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Amendments to financial crimes law…

APNU pulls out of special committee The country’s major opposition coalition bloc APNU has pulled out of a Special Parliamentary Committee tasked with finetuning amendments to the country’s law on financial crimes.

The move essentially paralyses the government’s efforts to have the amendments rushed through the House before it faces an international review panel in Nicaragua next week.

The issue which forced the pulled out of APNU from the committee is a letter sent to President Donald Ramotar by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) on April 10, last.

The CFATF is an arm of the International Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an independent intergovernmental body that develops and promotes policies to protect the global financial system against money laundering and terrorist financing, among other financial crimes.

Non-passage of the amendments to the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act could shame the government for failing to act and could put the country on an international blacklist for not doing enough to combat money laundering and stopping financing for terrorism.

Opposition Leader David Granger wrote President Donald Ramotar yesterday saying that he was shown the CFATF’s letter of April 10. The letter was circulated to members of the Special Select Committee concerning amendments to the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act.

The CFTAF recommended that President Ramotar share its letter to Members of the Government, the Leader of the Opposition as well as Members of the Opposition and all technical public sector officials involved in the fight against money laundering.

The letter noted that Guyana’s Report to the Plenary of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force be comprehensive, in writing and submitted to the Secretariat well ahead of the Plenary Meeting and in any event by May 6, 2013.

Granger said that he did not receive a copy of that letter from the President and asked Mr. Ramotar for an explanation of his refusal to share the letter.

As such, Granger instructed the APNU representatives of the Select Committee to take no further part in the work of the Committee until a satisfactory explanation is received from the President.

The Special Parliamentary Committee was set up to examine and tidy up the amendments proposed by the government.

The AFC, the other Parliament party, is participating in the work of the Commission, but when the amendments come up for a vote on May 22, the AFC could withhold its support if its demands are not met.

The government is due to defend its efforts to stem financial crimes when the Plenary Meeting of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) meets in Managua, Nicaragua from May 27 to May 30.

It wanted to have the amendments to the money laundering Bill passed before that review.

Opposition Leader David Granger

President Donald Ramotar

The government has already prepared its report for the plenary and this fact also has APNU taken aback.

Joseph Harmon, a front bench Parliamentarian with APNU feels that the preparation of the report

should have involved all stakeholders, but he said that the government fell into the pattern of not treating stakeholders as equals.

“A pattern is developing where the government feels that it can give us any little dribbling of anything and we must deal with that,” Harmon told Kaieteur News.

He said that Granger’s letter to Ramotar is an indication that the Opposition is not prepared to “accept this nonsense anymore.”

The government has been saying that if the amendments are not passed the relationship with donor partners including the US, Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom would immediately be

impacted and could unravel.

Both Opposition parties have said that they would excuse careful scrutiny of the amendments to the legislation before the Special Select Committee because of haste to meet a deadline.

The AFC and APNU have said that the emergency is the government’s own making.

“Therefore, any failure to meet a deadline of May 27, 2013, lies squarely on the shoulders of the PPP/C Administration.”

APNU said that it is convinced that Government is attempting to create a situation where it could tell the Nicaragua meeting that the Opposition is to be blamed for Guyana not being ready.

GGMC, Natural Resources Ministry deny move to new Regent Street location The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) have denied reports that the mining agency will be moving to Regent Street.

In a press release yesterday, the agencies said that, “The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) wish to state categorically that the GGMC has not concluded any arrangements to rent any property on Regent Street or surrounding area.”

The release added, “The Commission is disappointed that a section of the media published such inaccuracies without first seeking clarification. The Commission would like to restate that the High Street Building is expected to meet the space

The recently constructed GGMC building that now houses the Natural Resources Ministry requirement of the GGMC when completed. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the

Environment is reviewing the matter of accommodation given the expanding mandate of the GGMC.” Kaieteur News was reliably informed over the weekend that the GGMC has secured a location at Light and Regent Streets and that it is scheduled to move in the new week. The entity identified was the former Co op Complex. Members of the mining agency were furious when they learnt that they would have to incur a $1M rental expense since the move to Regent Street is necessary

to aid with space congestion.

The move, they asserted, is as a result of the Natural Resources Ministry confiscating and occupying the GGMC’s recently constructed building at the Brickdam location. The additional structure, they said, would have immensely aided the overcrowding of the agency’s 300 plus staff.

The Brickdam location, they further stated, is under greater strain now since additional field workers are being hired for increased service to (Continued on page 10)

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Tuesday May 21, 2013

I met a friend a few days ago. He looked all stressed out. I asked him what was the problem, and he replied that he just could not decide what to give his partner as a gift.

Here was a guy who was not short on cash. He could buy whatever he wanted. The problem he faced is that he did know what to buy. He could not choose the appropriate gift that would express just how he felt.

I know quite a few men who have the same problem.

My advice to them always is to do something that would blow their partners’ minds.

Do something that would have their partners all starryeyed. In the process, you may also be doing something for yourself.

Kaieteur News

There are some women who feel that you can best show your love by the type of gift you give to them. The more expensive the gift, the greater is the love. I know quite a few men who dig deep into their accounts to buy that super expensive gift for their loved ones. If that is what it takes to blow their partners minds, well, so be it.

This reminds me of an older, white haired Guyanese who walked into a jewellery store one Friday evening with a beautiful young lady at his side. He told the jeweller he was looking for a special ring for his girlfriend. The jeweller looked through his stock and brought out a $50,000 ring.

The old man said, “No, I’d like to see something more

special.”

At that statement, the jeweller went to his special stock and brought another ring over. “Here’s a stunning ring at only $400, 000,” the jeweller said.

The young lady’s eyes sparkled and her whole body trembled with excitement. The old man, seeing this, said, “We’ll take it.”

The jeweller asked how payment would be made and the old man stated, “By cheque. I know you need to make sure my cheque is good, so I’ll write it now, and you can call the bank Monday to verify the funds, and I’ll pick the ring up Monday afternoon.”

Monday morning, the jeweller phoned the old

Suspect charged for Human Trafficking at Red Dragon The charge that an underage Brazilian female was held against her will at the Red Dragon Night Club on Robb Street in Georgetown was read yesterday to Selwyn Lewis, 33, of Nutmeg Street, Festival City by Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

When the case was first heard in court on April 5, 2013, before Magistrate Sueanna Lovell, the defendant did not appear alongside 61-year-old co-accused Raymond “Clement” Ali of 15 Delhi Street, Prashad Nagar. Ali is the owner of the popular strip club.

The defendant was not required to plead to the indictable charge, the particulars of which stated

Selwyn “Selly” Lewis that within the period of June 1 to June 30, 2011, the defendant trafficked a 15year-old female for the purpose of exploitation at Red Dragon. The prosecution objected to bail on the grounds that it is a serious

offence, that the defendant travels frequently and may flee the district if granted bail, and that pending the outcome of ongoing investigations, it is likely that he may face other charges.

The defendant’s lawyer, Peter Hugh, made it known to the court that his client was released on station bail in the sum of $10,000 for the matter.

Hugh added that if his client is the holder of a passport, he is willing to lodge it at the station. The lawyer also reminded the court that the owner of the business was also charged in relation to the matter. It was then the lawyer requested bail for his 33-yearold client. The defendant was granted bail in the sum of $650,000 and ordered to return to court on June 4.

Dem boys seh...

Money gun float in trench soon Fuh years dem boys know that people been thiefing money till dem get so much that dem couldn’t do nutten wid it. Some of dem try fuh drink and party wid de excess that dem couldn’t put inside a bank. All of dem frighten Uncle Sam because he quick fuh clamp down pun scamps.

Now Guyana trying fuh clamp down pun de money laundering but de opposition notice that de move only come two weeks before de deadline. One man seh that if this Bill been in de system fuh two years why it didn’t come before.

If only dem know. De government had to give all dem who thief enough time fuh wash dem money. De Marriott is no accident.

That is de biggest washing machine. This is why to this day de very government can’t tell people who are de foreign investors. Dem ain’t got none—only Guyanese who got more money than dem can spend.

Dem boys notice that de building boom only happen in de last two years. Don’t ask why. Dem notice that people had to get warning.

China come to Guyana over de last two years and that wasn’t by accident. De money people had to find a way to clean up de money dem had.

De Chinese give dem a reason fuh tell de world that dem drawing down from dem investment in projects.

Now dem boys know why nuff people vex because de Specialty Hospital get cut. De plan was to get de money from India and tell people is a soft loan, and then really invest de money that dem been thiefing all de time.

Well things reach de stage. Some people willing to give money to de opposition just fuh let dem vote but nuff of dem don’t care because dem like how it going because dem know that dem don’t want spend dem money outside Guyana.

That is why people watching Barbie and dem other Bees. Dem got money fuh wash.

Talk half and wait fuh see money floating in dem canal.

Guyanese man. “There’s no money in that account.”

“I know,” said the Guyanese man, “But let me tell you about my weekend!”

Some years ago, I wrote an article about blowing a woman’s mind. It was a big hit on feminist blogs. I ended that article with the following observation: When men are courting, and they are serious about a girl, they are on their best behaviour. They shower her with gifts, say the nicest things, and are always kind and considerate.

But no sooner does the wedding ring go on the finger of the bride than her suffering begins.

Some men suddenly begin to take their partner for

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granted and at times will even try to belittle their wives in front of their friends.

I urge all the men in Guyana to treat their partners with respect. Pamper them and make them feel loved and wanted. One night, I watched an interview on NBC with Billy Bob Thornton.

He was speaking about his ex-wife, the stunning Angelina Jolie, and he took all the blame for their split. He told the interviewer that it was entirely his fault. Then when he was asked why the two split up, he said it had nothing to do with his unfaithfulness.

He added, “I was afraid of her. She was too beautiful for me. She was too smart for me.

She had too much integrity for me. I felt so small next to

her.” That line, sincere and exact, would blow any woman away. No woman could ask for a greater compliment from a man, even one that she is divorced from.

I believe that most women would rather have love and affection than the most expensive gift in the world.

The greatest gift you can give a woman is your undying love and respect.

Blow her mind, not by the value of the gift, but by the value of the love and respect behind it.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Freddie Kissoon Column

Maybe the PNC and GT&T should give me back my money I love my country though it never had democracy. I will not leave Guyana. But Guyana, while a depressing place, is also a hilarious theater. Last week, I found life in my country extraordinarily funny. Last Sunday evening, after the Kreole Day was finished at the Parade Ground, I went to patronize the PNC barbecue event at the Head Office of its women’s arm at Public Road, Kitty and Vlissengen Road. I still cannot stop laughing.

In my entire life, I have never seen a barbecue served in a box with chicken only.

Leonard Craig cried out; “Don’t the PNC know Guyanese like their rice?”

There was no chowmein, fried rice, cook-up rice or anything else in the box except a tiny bit of cold slaw. The barbecue was just the bare chicken.

Not even a slice of tomato with lettuce which would have compensated for the space in the box. Maybe David Granger may want to refund me $300 of the $800 I paid for the ticket. Talking about having your money back, I demanded $600 from Marios Pizza Restaurant last week but

not without a fight. Marios is the most secretive fast food outlet in the world. Something is not right at that place for the simple fact that they operate in the opposite direction in corporate culture.

I have had about four types of experience with Marios and they refused to give me the names of any of their senior personnel on duty or off duty. Last Thursday, after I reached home, my daughter told me her Italian Supreme pizza did not have the operative ingredient – Italian sausage. No one told me when I bought that type that they had run out of Italian sausage. I called them. The senior supervisor apologized and agreed to refund me. It would be $600 because each topping cost that amount.

You can never win in this country. Three times I told that supervisor that it would be modern management practice to inform the morning staff the next day that Mr. Kissoon would be coming to collect $600. Three times I put that reasoning to her. She told me that she is about to clip the $600 with a note and leave

it on the notice board and the morning staff will expect me.

Before reading further, can you guess what happened? The next morning all the staff can say to me was’ “Sorry Mr. Kissoon but we don’t know about any $600 arrangement you had the previous day, and there is no $600 tacked on to the notice board.” By this time I was annoyed because I stole a little illegal parking outside Christ Church Secondary School. The money was no longer the issue. I wanted the name of the supervisor who misled me. I was told that the policy of Marios was not to give out names of any employee. I was really angry now. This is truly amazing.

Modern retail business has changed tremendously in the eighties where the people who serve you have their name tag emblazoned on the front of their shirt or blouse.

At KFC, there is a sign with the name of the senior personnel who is on duty. At the DEMICO outlets, the attendants have name tags.

The same operates at Courts Furniture. At the Survival

Supermarket, all the supervisors have name tags with their photograph.

When you go into any bank or insurance companies, the names of the administrative management are fully visible when you look at their desks.

How in the 21st century, Marios can tell customers they do not give out the names of their sales personnel? Finally, GT&T. My cheap, $8000 “black gooseberry” I bought from GT&T four years ago fell and died. In March I bought another cheap “black gooseberry” from GT&T named AVVIO. It cost

$5000. Last week, I took it back with the warranty. It was malfunctioning from the time I bought it but I couldn’t stand it any longer. When the person hangs up, the phone refuses to cut off. You then have to turn it off. GT&T replaced it but retained the new battery to which I objected to since the warranty says that the entire instrument will be replaced and I interpret that to mean the battery also. The same problem is occurring with an additional one. Last week, I went to see Ms Pamela Briggs on Church Street. She is the head of the customers’

Frederick Kissoon service department. The next day I got a call from GT&T. I was informed that my complaint is being investigated. My contention is that I think that the particular AVVIO model I bought for $5000 has structural faults and the entire lot should be recalled. At $5000, I doubt the poorer folks will want to go to GT&T, wait for two hours to complain. I wouldn’t mind my money back.

GGMC, Natural Resources...

The Regent Street building eyed by GGMC From page 6 interior locations.

GGMC staffers who made contact with Kaieteur News yesterday stated that contrary to the press release, the Commission allegedly played no part in the Natural Resources Ministry’s initiated statement. According to low level staffers, senior officials refused to sign the press statement since they are indeed moving to Regent S t r eet; this they said, is unless the Minister prevents it.

The staffers however reiterated that GGMC is an independent agency under the constitution, and is

mandated to only follow the policies of the Ministry. The decision to move does not need the consent of the Ministry, they urged. They in fact assumed that the Natural Resources Ministry was unaware of the decision to move; only being cognizant of the matter after Monday’s publication.

The staffers are however hoping that the move would follow through since congestion has been a long standing issue at the main office. Earlier reports said that the Commission was seeking to add to its 125 existing field workers. The workers were at the time relieved following the

completion of the three story new building at the GGMC Brickdam compound.

The Natural Resources Ministry has however taken over the GGMC edifice with only 25 workers being housed there. “The place is practically empty,” a staffer had told Kaieteur News.

GGMC is however taking on a $600M tab to complete a recently bought building at High and Princes Street Georgetown. The agency said they were ordered to make the purchase and they might be moving to that location next year. Again this was a move made to ease space congestion.

Tuesday May 21, 2013

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Turn off the tap of illicit proceeds - AFC tells Gov’t The Alliance for Change (AFC) says it will only reverse its position on the proposed amendments to the country’s law on financial crimes if President Donald Ramotar acts to root out corruption.

The party is adamant that it will only vote in favour of the amendments if the President appoints the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) and rethinks his decision not to give effect to Bills passed in the National Assembly.

“The AFC is of the view that one of the best methods of stamping out money laundering is to turn off the taps on the “illicit proceeds” which come from many sources.

“One of these sources is the illicit funds associated with contracts awarded to friends at amounts several times the real market value,” the party said in a statement.

The AFC said that if the PPC is established, it will go a far way toward weeding out these illegally earned funds thus contributing to less money being laundered.

The government has heavily criticized the AFC for its position, mainly on the grounds that Guyana would be placed on an international blacklist if it does not amend the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill.

The Bill is before a Parliament Select Committee,

but with the major coalition bloc APNU pulling out yesterday, the fate of the Bill seems doomed for failure; at least it may not make the deadline the government proposed. But then again, APNU can abstain in the National Assembly.

The AFC said that it is as deeply concerned as the Private Sector Commission, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other organisations about the potential blacklisting of Guyana.

The government needed the Bill passed before the end of the month when the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force carries out its review in Nicaragua.

But the party said that this concern is overshadowed by the Government’s repeated opposition to the establishment of constitutionally mandated organs like the PPC coupled with the President’s “promised and delivered obstruction to the legislative agenda of the majority of its citizens.”

The President has refused to give his assent to the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Bill and the Former Presidents (Facilities and Other Benefits) Bill, saying that the Bills are in conflict with the constitution.

Khemraj Ramjattan, leader of the AFC, has said that the position of the President is

outrageous and that the argument about the constitutionality of the Bills is “wholly unmeritorious” and “totally ridiculous.”

“It might have escaped our collective attention that the apparent ‘crisis’” can be easily resolved without further delay by His Excellency complying with the constitutional obliga t i o n s by establishing the PPC and assenting to the bills, and have his most willing Attorney General challenge them in the appropriate forum afterwards,” the AFC said.

The party said that the lack of enthusiasm to repeated calls for good governance, greater transparency and a commitment to greater overview of the use of taxpayers’ money by the Executive, long ago brought the country to crisis status, “and to permit the continued degradation of any crisis in governance of this country is simply unacceptable and irresponsible.”

The party noted that while some agencies have been expressing concern about the possible nonpassage of the amendments to the anti-money laundering Bill, those very agencies did not express similar concern about the establishment of mandatory constitutional bodies and “assumption of judicial office” by the President when he

pronounced on the legality of the “opposition Bills”.

According to the AFC, the ruling PPP failed to establish the PPC in the Ninth Parliament and now seems unwilling to establish it in the current Tenth parliament.

The party said that it finds this unacceptable and has demanded that the PPP submit the names of their nominees to the Commission, “as an act of good faith to energize any alternative AFC position on this Money Laundering Bill.”

The AFC noted that the government was fully aware since May 2011 that the Money Laundering

Amendments were required when the Mutual Evaluation Report [MER] on Guyana was adopted by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force [CFATF].

Since then, Guyana was placed on the “expedited follow-up list” which required that they report on the progress they have made in implementing the recommendations of the MER at every plenary session of CFATF. Since May 2011, Guyana was cited on three occasions for minimal progress.

“So why this emergency now when our Ministers of Government spent many hours in the studios of NCN

engaging in nasty political propaganda rather than at their desks doing the Government’s work?

“The facts remain that it is the PPP Ministers who are solely responsible for the impending black-listing of Guyana and not the AFC,” the party stated.

The AFC said that it continues to support comprehensive financial reforms in Guyana, as it believes that money laundering is a scourge to be eliminated and will continue to support any national effort at “removing the comingling of the proceeds of crime with the income of hard working citizens of the Republic.”

Essequibo man suffers a broken hand

An Essequibo man is alleging that he was brutally beaten and had methylated spirits thrown on his broken hand by two ranks.

Davanand Singh, 43, of Pomona Housing Scheme, Essequibo claimed that he was beaten by two ranks stationed at the Aurora Police Station on May 1, last. Singh, a father of three, suffered a broken wrist.

According to the construction worker, he visited his mother at Middlesex Village, Essequibo Coast early that morning. He said that they had a misunderstanding which led to his mother calling the police.

He explained that after his mother called the police, he left for a rum shop in his village (Pomona Housing Scheme). “I was at the shop and then I see the two police (men) come and they start beating me there. Then they take me to the station.”

The man explained that at the police station he was handcuffed to a post and beaten with batons by the two ranks for hours.

“They break my hand; I was crying and begging them to stop but one of the police take off his vest and stuff it in my mouth and throw ‘mentholated’ on my hand and tell me he don’t like ‘buck’ people and that he will kill me.”

Kaieteur News was told that after Singh was continuously being beaten, the Sergeant (who was in charge of the station) intervened and questioned the ranks as to why they were torturing him (Singh) so much.

“He (Sergeant) left and went to sleep and I ask the police for some water and they tell me to (urinate) and drink it.” According to Singh, the following morning at 04:00

...claims police brutally

Singh showing his broken hand and the two X-rays he did hours he asked the two ranks for permission to urine but he was told to “(urinate) right there.”

“The Sergeant come and tell them to open the handcuff and let me go to the washroom. After I finish, one of the police ask me to sweep and when I refuse, he take the broom and knock me on my bruck hand,” the father of three said.

Singh said that later that day his mother called the station and told the police that she does not want to go forward with the case that “she had only call the police and ask them to warn me for behaving disorderly.”

He explained that he was released around 13:00 hours that day and after

experiencing severe pain on his wrist he visited the Suddie Hospital and explained his plight to the doctor who requested that he take an Xray.

“They did the X-ray and it show nothing happen with my hand. The doctor did not give me the result from the Xray, just the film,” Singh said.

He told Kaieteur News that he went home but the pain was getting worse so he decided to visit a private hospital in the city on May 3 where he was requested to take another X-ray.

“That X-ray shows that my hand is broken.”

According to Singh, when he left Georgetown to return home, one of the ranks who (Continued on page 20)

Tuesday May 21, 2013

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Tuesday May 21, 2013

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‘Shark’ being investigated for ‘illegal operation’ The Maritime Administration, commenting, on the Shark rescue effort last week has stated that investigations are being carried out since it has been found that the vessel was operating without a valid certificate of inspection.

Further, MARAD said that before departure the crew members did not inform the Georgetown Lighthouse.

According to MARAD the vessel ‘SHARK’ with four crew members on board departed Georgetown at approximately 11:00 hours on Wednesday, May 15, 2013. It was bound for Port Kaituma, North West District with a load of general cargo.

The statement by MARAD read, “The vessel is owned by Devindra Umraow, but was being operated by Parsaram Persaud.

“At 16:25 hours that Wednesday, the Georgetown Lighthouse received a telephone call from a representative of the operator, stating that it was disabled and taking in lots of water.

It was abandoned by the crew as the cargo shifted and some went overboard.

The deck was flooded and the vessel took on a dangerous list as it lost positive stability.

“The position of the vessel at that time was given as approximately ten miles off Leguan Island, Essequibo River.

“The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) immediately activated its Search and Rescue System. The Coast Guard was informed and all vessels in the general area were informed about the distress.

“No vessel was in the vicinity, so MARAD dispatched the Pilot Launch Kakabelli.

It departed Georgetown at 17:00 hours and proceeded to the area. The crew did a visual and communication search for the Shark until 21:30 hours.

However, there was no contact or sighting of the vessel,” MARAD said.

This has since been disputed by the captain of ‘Shark’ who said that they saw the Kakabelli and flashed lights to the vessel.

The captain said that there were return signals but

that the vessel could not reach them since they were trapped on a sand bank “Throughout this period, the Lighthouse was broadcasting emergency messages for other vessels to assist in the search. MARAD said that it was also in contact with the Charterer of the Shark, who was very interested in the efforts to locate the vessel,” MARAD reported in the statement.

“At 05:10 hours on Thursday, May 16, the Pilot Launch Thompson departed Georgetown and continued the search for the Shark. It returned to Port at 08:00 hours, to be replaced by the Kakabelli.

However, while the Kakabelli was being refueled, the operator of the Shark called to report that it was located on the beach off the Essequibo Coast in the vicinity of Anna Regina.”

“Once the report was confirmed, the Department called off the Search and Rescue exercise and informed all parties accordingly. The vessel has

since returned to Georgetown where it has been detained.”

However, the woman who chartered the vessel said that the vessel was never on the Essequibo Coast. She said that the Shark remained on a sand bank all the while until it managed to free itself on Saturday.

It then headed straight for Port Georgetown and arrived about 14:00 hours on Saturday. She was amazed to hear the initial report of engine trouble and dead batteries. She said that the vessel was loaded with goods for the North West.

She said that she checked with Customs and with Maritime Administration before leaving Port Georgetown. She said that the officials never informed her that there was an approaching storm.

This storm struck when the vessel was some ten miles north of Leguan in the Atlantic Ocean.

As it relates to the issue of operating without a valid certificate of inspection the woman said that she has been

informed that all the documents for the vessel are up to date and if this was the case it would have been detected by the relevant authorities before they left Port Georgetown.

The woman told this publication that the incident was as a result of a storm which the vessel ran into and was not told about before leaving for its North West destination.

“There were high waves and they were close to each other. They swamped the boat and before the water from the first could run off the second would hit.

They washed the goods overboard and the captain did he best to keep the vessel afloat.”

When the storm passed, the boat drifted onto a sand bank where it remained until yesterday morning.

In the h e i g h t o f t h e storm the Captain sent out a distress signal that caused the Maritime Administration to send its coast guard vessel, Kakabelli, in search of the Shark.

Unregistered doctors working at Berbice Drug dealer jailed for three Hospitals - Charrandass Persaud years, fined $135,000

William Shawn Lee, 39, of 167 Charlotte Street, Georgetown was on Monday sentenced to three years in jail and fined a total of $135,000 by Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo when he appeared before her at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s court and pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

According to Prosecutor Sergeant Phillip Sheriff, the dreadlock man on Sunday encountered the police on mobile patrol along Strand, New Amsterdam.

When the police saw Lee who was in the front seat of motor car and acting in a suspicious manner they stopped the car and searched it. They found what appeared to be leaves, seeds and stems of the marijuana plant wrapped in a black plastic bag

William Shawn Lee and strapped between his legs.

He was arrested and taken into custody. All told he had 150 grams of cannabis.

In court the man the man said that he did not wish to say anything and that he knew that the offence carried a jail term.

Gunman robs delivery truck employees A lone gunman held up three delivery truck employees and robbed them of over $300,000 cash and their cellular phones. The incident was described as a daring midday robbery yesterday at Enmore, East Coast Demerara.Reports from the police state that the three employees- a driver/salesman and two assistants— were taking orders at a shop when

the bandit pulled up and held them at gunpoint.

He proceeded to relieve them of the articles before fleeing the scene and then jumping into a passenger mini bus to escape.

An alarm was raised and a police patrol subsequently responded and intercepted the mini bus a few miles away but by then the suspect had already disembarked.

… AFC member to file complaint with Guyana Medical Council Executive Member of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Mr. Charrandass Persaud, has accused the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital and other Berbice Hospitals of being “illegal…businesses”. He is alleging that there are numerous doctors working at the facility as well as other health facilities, who have not been registered.

Persaud plans to approach the Guyana Medical Council (GMC) this week with the list of names of the “illegal” doctors. He is calling on the Medical Superintendent of the New Amsterdam Hospital, Dr. Vishalya Sharma; Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, Mr. Alan Johnson; and Chief Executive Officer of the Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA), Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo to look urgently into the matter.

Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital, Mr. Johnson, denied the allegation.

Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo also refuted the claims. “Let him take it to the Medical Council—as a citizen, he is entitled to take anything he wants to the Medical Council.” But Persaud stated, “I am going to the Medical Council with a list of names and you will see what happens to the people who are performing all kinds of cut-

AFC Exec Member Charrandass Persaud and-paste at the hospital—at the various hospitals—not just at the New Amsterdam Hospital and they have not been registered and not licensed to practise!”

“You are operating a

heavy- duty illegal business!”

He stated that it is illegal for doctors to not have their licences to practise. “Very important—Mr. Mahadeo, don’t worry with all the medical outreaches—worry with what you’re doing to young doctors in this country! That’s what you need to worry about—you expose them to the brunt of the law. They can all be charged and go to jail, depending on how it turns out in court!”

Persaud questioned, “How do you employ a doctor if the man or woman is not registered or if he doesn’t have a licence”.

“Your doctors have not been registered—they are not licensed to practise”, he claimed. Mahadeo explained that all of the doctors at the various hospitals in Berbice are registered…

“Charrandass can take it to wherever he wants.”

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Parliamaentary Opposition being accused of “political blockading” Moves by the parliamentary opposition to not render its support to Government were yesterday condemned when the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) held a press conference at its Headquarters, Freedom House, Robb Street, Georgetown.

Unsupportive tactics portrayed by the Opposition were described by Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, as “a psychological warfare” aimed at developing a sense of frustration and withdrawal syndrome among the populace thereby allowing the Opposition “to score cheap political points.”

Ali’s verbal ranting was forthcoming even as efforts were made to denounce moves by the Alliance for Change (AFC) to withhold its support for Government’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill.

And even as he slammed the declaration of AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, that Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, is a “hypocrite” for expressing anger and shock at the AFC’s decision, Ali warned that the onus is now on the entire Guyanese society to guard against political pettiness.

Although A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the other crucial faction of the Parliamentary Opposition, has not indicated plans to withhold its support of the Bill, it has questioned the Government’s rush to have it passed.

But according to Ali the approach being embraced by the Parliamentary Opposition

Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali is one that is akin to “political blockade that is being developed against this Government and against the infrastructure of this country.”

Ali contended that there is currently a “comprehensive understanding” among the members of the Opposition to block development, economic advancement and financial reforms all aimed at seeing the Government fail. “They want to see the Government fall, they want to make governance impossible and they want to see the economic gains stalemated.”

He noted that the society must not only guard against this but it must seek to recognise that moves are being made by the Opposition to generate enough energy around what he dubbed a “sinister plan” to destroy the country.

Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Bishop

Tuschen cattle farmers accuse Minister Ali of deception Tuschen West cattle farmers have risen in defence against Minister of Housing Irfaan Ali, calling him a liar.

The farmers are furious that the Minister, on May 3 last, denied meeting with them over the confiscation of cattle land for the purpose of housing development.

The farmers charged that the Minister promised them alternative land to rear their cattle; but to date they are yet to occupy the location. They said that the Minister took their land for Tuschen Housing Scheme Phase Two and after meeting with concerned farmers on several occasions chased them out his office.

Minister Ali through the State’s newspaper said, “I never spoke to anyone. No one came to my office.” He said in the article that the

allegations made against him by the head of the Tuschen West Cattle Farmers Association, Deonarine Cheddie, were false, since he never uprooted cattle farmers in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.

The farmers, angry at the Minister’s response, said that they were concerned that they might soon be out of business since part of the grazing land was confiscated by the Housing Ministry and the other portion is currently under threat for more housing developments. The farmers’ representative, The Tuschen West Cattle Farmer’s Association, said that grazing land was handed over by previous Agriculture Ministers, but the Ministry of Housing charged that the original agreement for the (Continued on page 24)

Minister within the Finance Ministry, Bishop Juan Edghil Juan Edghill, said that the National Assembly should have been more sensitive and responsive to Guyana’s interest as it relates to the legislation in question. He disclosed that when the piece of legislation was tabled all members were furnished with it two weeks before the next sitting to consider the proposed amendments to the Bill.

He noted, though, that even before it was tabled there was a history attached whereby the Act was established in 2009. However, a gap in the Act required that it be amended in order to not

only synchronise a number of other pieces of legislation but also to ensure that “dirty money” does not go undetected.

Edghill said that Government was able to benefit from expert advice both from the Caribbean and International Financial Task Forces. Additionally, he made mention of a special meeting which was attended and addressed by President Donald Ramotar. That meeting was supported by the Americans, the British, the Canadians and the European Union.

“Members of the Opposition, even before its tabling, knew of the importance of this piece of legislation and they also knew that Guyana was coming up for review in May 27- 31 which is closely approaching,” Edghill noted.

In fact immense efforts were made by the Government representatives yesterday to emphasise that not only was the Bill supported by the private sector and the religious community but it was touted as a piece of legislation that “all members of Guyana should show a keen interest in.”

Edghill said that without the enactment of the amended legislation “banks

will literally be refusing money coming to Guyana because there will not be sufficient policing to ensure that they are not tied into any untoward activity.”

Could you imagine Guyana being placed in a different category as a result of not having this legislation in place and the consequences that flow from such actions?...And here it is we have men and women in the National Assembly being fully aware of how their insensitivity, their unreasonableness, their irrational approach to national development can affect a wide cross-section of Guyanese and take a hard-line position that first of all says we are not supporting and another group saying what is the issue with the timeline...”

Government has been desperately advocating for the passage of the Amendment Bill as failure to do so could see Guyana being blacklisted by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force for not doing enough to combat money laundering and to stop the financing of terrorism.

The Task Force, made up of 29 states of the Caribbean Basin, was created in 1990 following meetings in Aruba and is mandated to implement measures to address the

problem of money laundering.

And even as the Government’s side insisted that it had not procrastinated in addressing the needful amendments to the Money Laundering Act, APNU at its most recent press briefing stressed that it would not shirk its responsibility for careful scrutiny of the amendments to the legislation on the altar of expediency.

The Amendment Bill is currently before a Special Select Committee.

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Concerns about Public Procurement Commission must be addressed - PPP Although the People’s Progressive Party/Civic is not opposed to the notion of compromise in order to bring into being the highly anticipated Public Procurement Commission, moves will first have to be made by President Donald Ramotar to address some concerns.

Housing Minister Irfaan Ali noted that in terms of the Public Procurement Commission the Government will not see it through until all concerns are addressed.

Some of the concerns lie in the fact that although names were submitted by both the Government and Opposition sides it was found that some of the names were not relevant because they were found to have conflict of interest positions.

“We see today that some of those names are being resubmitted.”

Speaking directly to the issue of compromise, Minister Ali said that “historically the PPP has compromised but it has always come back into our face every agreement we made...”

He noted that ahead of the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission, which is an issue that was dangling, even in the previous parliament, the President has made certain offers that must be dealt with.

“The President has made it clear even at a recent bilateral (meeting) between himself and the opposition leader that he is ready but there are a few concerns he has in relation to the Commission.”

“The ball is in the Office of the President’s Court...” Ali said. “We are committed to this but the President has some concerns that must be addressed.”

He also sought to emphasise that the concerns of the ruling party are certainly not isolated but rather, are rooted in other factors that can stymie the development of the country.

There is the failure of the opposition to support the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill.

The Minister insisted that moves by the Government to give concessions have seen

it not seeking to hog both the positions of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. He added that the Government had also given up the Chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee even when it held the majority in the National Assembly.

“We could have took that too....every single one of the Standing Committee – the Economic Services Committee, the Social Sector Committee, the Natural Resources Committee –we had rotational chairmanship of those committees between the opposition and us.”

Following the 2011 National Elections which saw the parliamentary opposition assuming the majority, Ali noted that “now you have Special Select Committees for a particular sector and the Minister is not even chairman...They (opposition) have taken all the chairmanship, they are taking all the majority on the Committees, we are even in the minority dealing with Government business,” complained Ali. Ali said that the PPP has always been the party that has “held the wrong end of the stick but we have made concessions at every single phase of the political history of this country...our concessions are made in the national good and the national interest of this country.”

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Tuschen cattle farmers accuse...

From page 11 farmers to have the land was a mistake.

Association head, Deonarine Cheddie, said that on July 9, 2003, the Tuschen Cattle Farmers Association was registered with 16 members who owned some 250 cows. The farmers had been using the said land to rear their animals and it was late President Cheddi Jagan, who related to late Agriculture Minister Reepu Daman Persaud that he should work towards farmers attaining the land.

Cheddie said they however got no official documentation for the land but on July 11, 2005, the association wrote to former President Bharrat Jagdeo for the granting of the land and Minister Satyadeow Sawh subsequently wrote the association on July 22, 2005 to say, that a successful meeting was held with the farmers and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission would be visiting the area for an occupational survey. This

was done on July 27, 2005 and paid for by the association—the cost was $48,500. Despite showing the Housing Minister the documents from previous arrangements including the Lands and Surveys document, Cheddie said they were told that “Lands and Surveys made a mistake.’

Three days later the Ministry started bulldozing and scaring off the cows, some of which were never retrieved.

Cheddie said that the farmers were however

assured that another plot of land would be made available for them at Zeelugt. To date that has not been fulfilled.

The farmers further charged that the remaining 89 acres of land is too small for the animals to graze and the cows end up on the road or in the Housing Scheme. Farmers then have to pay $8000 to retrieve one cow.

Photo in server as sign Caption: The Housing Ministry’s sign placed after the scheme was built on alleged cattle lands

South Georgetown man remanded for illegal firearm After facing Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ court for the charge of possession of firearm and ammunition without being the owner of a licence, Michael Phillips’ case was transferred to Magistrate Fabayo Azore’s court for report and fixture.

Phillips faced two charges. On May17, last, on Croal Street, the defendant allegedly had in his possession, one revolver without being the holder of a licence. Further, on the said date, Phillips was also allegedly found in the possession of six live rounds without being the holder of a valid licence. To both

allegations, the defendant pleaded not guilty.

According to Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick, on the day in question, the defendant was seen in front of the Beer Garden. Due to his suspicious behaviour, he was approached but tried to flee.

He was eventually caught and searched.

The ranks discovered the firearm with matching rounds in his pocket.

He was subsequently arrested and charged for the said offence.

The defendant who was previously convicted for possession of narcotics stated in his defence that he is innocent and being wrongfully accused.

“Your worship, it was five of us on this corner and the police saw me crushing up a piece of cigarette and they come and hold me and start beating me up.

Then they carry me to the station and I tell them I gon get a lawyer to deal with them and they bring this gun and told me they gon charge me for being in possession of it. Is a pack of lies they telling you your worship.”

The prosecution objected to bail, based on the fact that he had several matters in the Demerara District among them possession of narcotics and escape from lawful custody.

Phillips is expected to return to court on June 11.

Farmer still missing after ballahoo capsized The farmers who were aboard the ballahoo that capsized off the shore, at Riverstown on Saturday are continuing their search for Fred Creme, the lone person who is missing and feared drowned.

The police have not detained the driver of the boat.

They however took statements from the farmers.

Fred Crème and the others were returning to the Essequibo Coast from a farm at Hamburg, a small island situated in the Essequibo River.

The nine surviving occupants, who also were thrown into the river, were subsequently rescued by another boat, which was in the area.

Creme, who resided at Adventure, relocated from Kwebana, North West District, several years ago and was employed with farmer, Shabbeer Ally, of Aurora.

His mother, Iris Daniels, said that she last spoke with Creme, on Mother’s Day, when he reassured her that she was going to see him in December.

Creme was at the time married to Joan Prince. He was her fifth child.

Crème’s wife said that his employer broke the news about her husband’s disappearance to her some time Saturday afternoon.

Prince said she last saw her husband, Saturday morning, hours before he left for the farm at Hamburg.

A police report indicated around 15:30 hours on Saturday, a wooden ballahoo with ten men aboard capsized off the Riverstown Foreshore, Essequibo Coast, due to the rough tide.

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Tuesday May 21, 2013

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

We see no sails, but we hear more empty promises DEAR EDITOR, After a boat which business people were forced to ship goods on for the North West allegedly suffered some difficulties at sea, Minister Robeson Benn

travelled to Mabaruma with a team of Government Officials to keep meetings with citizens.

The Minister told the poor people that a new boat would be put on the North West run

within 18 months. An earlier report in the press had mentioned that the MV Kimbia would be up and running SOON. Question for the Minister – How soon would the

engineers be able to cap that gaping hole in the MV Kimbia?

When the PPP was campaigning for the 1992 election, Mr. Harripersaud Nokta said that should the

Party win, the North West would get a new steamer.

Twenty years on, our eyes are still ‘skinning’ on the horizon.

We see no sails but we hear more empty promises.

Several meetings were

held in the Mabaruma Sub Region. We heard big Ministers telling us that we saved the day for them at the last election and that they look forward to our continued support in new elections.

Laughable – we are now ready to support ourselves – we have had enough of corruption, poor roads, only five hours electricity, shoddy work at our waterfront and more.

It is disgusting to see teams of Government officials travelling to and fro, and our social and economic plights are worsening. Our children have no proper schools.

Classes for the secondary school are now being conducted in the Church’s Parish Hall. The Secondary school should have been completed a long time ago.

The Government must seriously think about which functionaries would make sense on these trips. Sorry, but none of the last crew impressed. Check the attendance at the meetings.

There were more people when they went back for dinner at the Guest House.

Disgusted Guyanese

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Bomb attacks kill more than 70 Shi’ites across Iraq (Reuters) - More than 70 people were killed in a series of car bombings and suicide attacks targeting Shi’ite Muslims across Iraq yesterday, police and medics said, extending the worst sectarian violence since U.S. troops withdrew in December 2011.

The attacks increased the number killed in sectarian clashes in the past week to more than 200. Tensions between Shi’ites, who now lead Iraq, and minority Sunni Muslims have reached a point where some fear a return to all-out civil conflict.

No group claimed responsibility for the bombings. Iraq has a number of Sunni Islamist insurgent groups, including the al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq, which has targeted Shi’ites in a bid to kindle a wider sectarian conflagration.

Nine people were killed in one of two car bombings in Basra, a predominantly Shi’ite city 420 km (260 miles) southeast of Baghdad, police and medics said. “I was on duty when a powerful blast shook the ground,” said a police officer near the site of

Residents gather at the site of a car bomb attack at the Kamaliya district in Baghdad.

REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen

that attack in the Hayaniya neighborhood.

“The blast hit a group of day laborers gathering near a sandwich kiosk,” he said, describing corpses littering the ground. “One of the dead bodies was still grabbing a blood-soaked sandwich in his hand.” Five other people were killed in a second blast inside a bus terminal in Saad Square in Basra, police and medics

said. In Baghdad, at least 30 people were killed by car bombs in Kamaliya, Ilaam, Diyala Bridge, al-Shurta, Shula, Zaafaraniya and Sadr City - all areas with a high concentration of Shi’ites.

A parked car bomb also exploded in the mainly Shi’ite district of Shaab in northern Baghdad, killing 12 people and wounding 26 others, police and hospital sources

U.S. says Korea tensions relatively low, despite missile tests (Reuters) - The Pentagon yesterday appeared to play down North Korea’s six shortrange missile launches over the past three days, describing tensions on the Korean peninsula as relatively low.

Pyongyang has defended its short-range missile launches as legitimate military drills. The North frequently fires short-range missiles, although the current spate of launches has drawn criticism from South Korea. U.N. Secretary General Ban Kimoon on Sunday called the launches provocative.

Pentagon spokesman

George Little acknowledged U.S. concerns that the launches could be construed that way but said, “I’m not ready to make the call yet.”

North Korea test-fired a long-range rocket in December, a move that critics said was designed to test technology for an intercontinental ballistic missile. The North conducted its third nuclear test in February and it ratcheted up threatening rhetoric in April during U.S.-South Korean military drills.

But tensions have subsided since then, Little noted.

“A few months ago, we saw underground nuclear tests, we saw long-range missile tests, we saw heated rhetoric,” Little said. “So I think we can safely say that we remain in a period of tensions that are relatively on a small scale by comparison.”

The comments came the same day the U.S. military announced it would test-fire its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile on May 21.

The last scheduled test of the missile was scrapped in April because of concerns over tensions with North Korea.

said. In Balad, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, a parked car blew up near a bus carrying Shi’ite pilgrims from Iran, killing five Iranian pilgrims and two Iraqis who were travelling to the Shi’ite holy city of Samarra, police said.

Eleven people were killed by a car bomb and a suicide bomber in Hilla, 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad, police and medics said. Both attacks occurred near a Shi’ite place of worship and an outdoor market.

CORPSES FOUND In the western province of Anbar, the bodies of 14 people kidnapped on Saturday,

including six policemen, were found dumped in the desert with bullet wounds to the head and chest, police and security sources said.

When Sunni-Shi’ite bloodshed was at its height in 2006-07, Anbar was in the grip of al Qaeda’s Iraqi wing, which has regained strength in recent months.

In 2007, Anbar’s Sunni tribes banded together with U.S. troops and helped subdue al Qaeda. Known as the “Sahwa” or Awakening militia, they are now on the government payroll and are often targeted by Sunni militants as punishment for co-operating with the Shi’iteled government.

Three Sahwa members were killed in a car bomb explosion as they collected their salaries in the city of Samarra, north of Baghdad, police said.

And a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt detonated himself at a Sahwa checkpoint, killing two fighters and wounded another seven in Baiji, 180 km (112 miles) north of Baghdad.

Iraq’s fragile intercommunal fabric is under increasing strain from the conflict in nearby Syria, which has drawn Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims from across the region into a proxy war.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s main regional ally is Shi’ite Iran, while the rebels fighting to overthrow him are supported by Sunni Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Iraq says it takes no sides in the conflict, but leaders in Tehran and Baghdad fear Assad’s demise would make way for a hostile Sunni Islamist government in Syria, weakening Shi’ite influence in the Middle East.

The prospect of a shift in the sectarian balance of power has emboldened Iraq’s Sunni minority, which is embittered by Shi’ite dominance since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein by U.S.-led forces in 2003.

Thousands of Sunnis began staging street protests last December against Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whom they accuse of marginalizing their sect.

A raid by the Iraqi army on a protest camp in the town of Hawija last month ignited a spate of violence that left more than 700 people dead in April, according to a U.N. count, the highest monthly toll in almost five years.

At the height of sectarian violence in 2006-07, the monthly death toll sometimes topped 3,000.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Yahoo buying Tumblr for $1.1 billion (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc will buy blogging service Tumblr for $1.1 billion cash, giving the Internet pioneer a muchneeded social media platform to reach a younger generation of users and breathe new life into its ailing brand.

The deal, announced yesterday, is a bold bet by Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer to revitalize the company by co-opting a Web property with strong visitor traffic but little revenue.

The combination of Yahoo and Tumblr creates an online powerhouse with roughly one billion users, which will draw in more advertisers and help Yahoo keep visitors on its properties for longer periods of time, Mayer told Reuters in an interview.

“Tumblr in terms of users and traffic is an immediate growth story for us,” she said.

Analysts say Yahoo appeared to be overpaying for a business that has never posted a profit, makes a fraction of Yahoo’s sales, and

and marketable securities, is the largest by far since Mayer took the reins in July with the goal of reversing a long decline in Yahoo’s business and Web traffic.

RICH PREMIUM

may not contribute significantly to revenue for years. But the company, rebuffed by the French government when it tried to pay $1 billion for video site Dailymotion earlier this year, had to do something to plug a hole in its social media efforts.

Yahoo made clear it was

sensitive to concerns that it might damage Tumblr by making it less irreverent or more corporate.

“Per the agreement and our promise not to screw it up, Tumblr will be independently operated as a separate business,” Yahoo said in a statement.

The deal will make Tumblr

founder and CEO David Karp, 26, a multimillionaire.

Tumblr is one of the Web’s most popular hubs of so-called user-generated content, drawing young people who use the platform to post pictures and text. It has more than 100 million blogs in its network, ranging from “White Men Wearing Google Glass” - a collection of photos poking fun at the early adopters of the wearable computing devices - to housing-focused “The Worst Room.” Though Yahoo remains one of the Web’s most popular destinations, it has seen its revenue shrink in recent years as consumers and advertisers favor rivals such as Google Inc and Facebook Inc. The deal is expected to increase Yahoo’s audience by 50 percent.

The acquisition, which will use up about a fifth of Yahoo’s $5.4 billion in cash

While Tumblr is certainly popular - it has tens of millions of monthly unique visitors in the U.S. - analysts questioned what kind of contribution it will make to Yahoo revenue, since advertising on the site is in its nascent stages.

Media reports have pegged Tumblr ’s 2012 revenue at $13 million. The privately held company, based in Manhattan, does not disclose its financial results.

Yahoo expects that Tumblr will help boost revenue by 2014, Ken Goldman, Yahoo’s chief financial officer, said on a call with analysts. He did not provide specific numbers.

Yahoo is one of several companies that have coughed up considerable money for buzz-worthy startups that hold promise.

Facebook bought the popular social media photo site Instagram for $1 billion last year. In 2006, Google paid $1.6 billion for YouTube.

Yahoo’s track record in acquisitions is patchy. Its $3 billion-plus purchase of Geocities - a free service that hosted personal home pages for consumers and once ranked among the mosttrafficked websites - stands among the most glaring of its failed deals. Yahoo shut down the service in 2009.

“It’s not lost on me that

there were some large acquisitions done in Yahoo’s history that did not go well,” Mayer said in the interview with Reuters. She said Yahoo now has a completely different management team, committed to making the Tumblr deal work.

The Tumblr team will remain in New York, Mayer noted, partly because she believes the most successful deals in the Internet industry, such as Google’s YouTube acquisition, have thrived by letting the acquired company operate somewhat independently.

IMAGE ISSUES One question Yahoo may have to address is Tumblr’s reputation as a home for pornographic blogs. At one point in 2009, about 80 percent of Tumblr’s top sites had something to do with adult content. Today that number is closer to 5 percent, according to Quantcast data, but the old image lingers.

Mayer, on the conference call, brushed off concerns that Tumblr has content that might not appeal to advertisers, saying the ability to reach more people is “really exciting.” She said Yahoo’s targeting tools would allow advertisers to zero in on specific demographics and content.

One area where Yahoo plans to ramp up advertising: Tumblr’s dashboard, the main landing point, akin to a newsfeed.

Dealing with that and other issues may fall to Karp, who founded Tumblr in 2007 and will remain CEO.

Russia: Assad foes must come to Syria meeting without conditions

(Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday it is crucial for Syrian opposition envoys to engage in peace talks without setting preconditions, apparently referring to demands for President Bashar al-Assad’s removal.

Lavrov also reiterated that Iran must be invited to the conference that Russia and the United States are trying to organize to seek a resolution to the more than two-year-old conflict that has killed at least 80,000 people.

Days after U.N. SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon said in Russia that the conference should be held “as soon as possible” so that momentum is not lost, Lavrov said timing was far less important than

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ensuring there is a chance for success.

“It’s important to put the main things first, and in this sense I am convinced that timing is the last thing that

should be decided, when the most important things are agreed,” he said after talks with the visiting Council of Europe secretary-general, Thorbjorn Jagland.

“The main thing is to ensure the agreement of opposition groups to participate in the conference without preliminary conditions,” he told a news conference. He said Western nations should press Assad’s foes not to demand “unrealistic things”.

Lavrov also said he had “no doubt that it is obligatory to invite all neighbors of Syria without exception. Iran, as you know, is a neighbor of Syria.” Iran shares no border with Syria but has long been Assad’s staunchest ally in the region.

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Kaieteur News

Brazil probes rumour that set off panic run on state bank

A rumour sent thousands of poor Brazilians running to state bank branches seeking payment of a monthly family stipend.

(Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said yesterday she ordered the Federal Police to investigate the source of a rumour that sent thousands of poor Brazilians running to state bank branches seeking payment of a monthly family stipend.

A rumour that payments of the Bolsa Familia program would be ended led crowds to line up over the weekend at branches of the Caixa Economica Federal government bank to get their money. The rumor spread by word of mouth and cellphone text messages.

Angry beneficiaries smashed glass doors and automatic teller machines in some branches on Saturday in a surprising outburst that reminded Brazilians of chaotic scenes in crowded banks during financial crises two decades ago before Brazil stabilized its economy.

The program of cash transfers to families on the condition they send their

children to school and get them vaccinated has helped lift 30 million Brazilians from poverty over a decade.

Brazil’s social policy has helped maintained widespread support for Rousseff’s ruling Workers’ Party and is a key platform in her re-election plans next year. Reacting quickly, her government allowed stipends scheduled for later this month to be paid out at ATM’s over the weekend to stop the panic.

“This government money is sacred. We guarantee these payments. We will not give up the Bolsa Familia,” Rousseff vowed in a speech at a shipyard. She called the rumor “inhuman.”

“We have put the Federal Police on the case to find out who started this rumor that was aimed at unsettling Brazilians who have been rising from extreme poverty for 10 years,” she said.

Caixa Economica Vice President José Urbano Duarte said close to 1 million

families got their Bolsa Familia cash grant this weekend. The rumors caused panic lines at bank branches in 12 of Brazil’s 26 states, mainly in the poor Northeast of the country, despite government assurances that the rumor was false.

About 50 million Brazilians, almost one-quarter of the South American country’s population, benefit from the program which pays out a minimum of 70 reais ($34.42) a month to qualifying families.

Brazil’s deteriorating fiscal situation and heavy tax burden have led economists to advocate cuts in public spending to allow more investment and boost sluggish growth in the world’s seventh-largest economy.

Some economists say social programs will have to give for the country to invest more in industrial output and upgrade its dilapidated infrastructure to be competitive.

Page 29

Man refused overdraft kills four in Israeli bank (Reuters) - A gunman shot dead four people executionstyle in a bank in Israel yesterday after being refused an overdraft and cash from its automatic teller machine.

The assailant, identified by media reports as a former paramilitary border policeman, killed himself after police raided the Bank Hapoalim branch in the southern city of Beersheba to free his hostages.

“It appears that we are talking about a lone individual who came to the bank in the morning hours, sought cover for a debt, a loan, and did not get it,” Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said on Army Radio.

After finding that he could also not draw cash from the automatic dispenser, the man “came back with a pistol and shot dead four people ... bank employees and customers”, Aharonovitch said.

“He took a hostage, held her for close to an hour or more. The moment the police forces burst in, he killed himself - shot himself and

An Israeli police forensics expert is seen through the glass doors of a Bank Hapoalim branch after a shooting at the bank in the southern city of Beersheba. REUTERS/Amir Cohen committed suicide,” he said, without disclosing the gunman’s identity.

Police initially described the incident as a robbery but later said the assailant appeared to have known his victims and shot them without demanding any money.

Witnesses quoted by Israeli media said the gunman first killed the bank guard and then shot three people who were lying on the floor, checking the pulse of one of them to make sure he was

dead.

Police initially announced that two gunmen had entered the bank and that one had been apprehended, but later said they were still investigating whether the second man was an accomplice.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident a “great tragedy” for Israel, where soldiers carrying weapons are a common sight but gun laws are strict for private individuals.

Page 30

Kaieteur News

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Rowley scoffs at AG’s $12,000 bankruptcy claim (Trinidad Express) Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley on Sunday described the court proceedings initiated by the Attorney General Anand Ramlogan last Friday against him (Rowley) as a “pre-emptive strike to try and intimi-date me in the motion of no confidence” (which is being debated today in the House of Representatives).

Ramlogan is seeking to have Rowley declared bankrupt by the courts for not paying $12,000 owed to him (Ramlogan) as a consequence of an order made by Justice Andre des Vignes on January 14, arising out of a defamation lawsuit. “To have gone there on Friday afternoon is to try to intimidate me on Monday morning. Remember he (the Attorney General) is one of the persons named in the motion of no confidence.”

The motion of no confidence is accusing the Government, specifically the Prime Minister, the Attorney General and the Local Government Minister of “participating in the attack” and of “conspiring to undermine” the institutions of

the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Judiciary, the media and the Opposition Leader.

Rowley said when the Attorney General had filed a slew of lawsuits against him last year, he warned the country the intention was to intimidate him through some fear of bankruptcy by forcing him to generate legal bills.

Explaining the background to the matter, Rowley said his attorneys had asked the court for more time to do further research and to put in a comprehensive response to the Attorney General’s lawsuit. He said the Attorney General’s lawyers objected to the court’s decision to give him more time to file a defence. He said the court ruled that he have more time, but awarded costs to the Attorney General. He said the Attorney General then filed an appeal against the court’s decision to grant him (Rowley) an extension.

Ramlogan lost the appeal and was ordered to pay Rowley’s costs. “I owe him and he owes me. And he his demanding to be paid while he is owing me,” Rowley said.

‘Intimidation’: Keith Rowley The Opposition Leader said what would usually happen in such a situation is that the two sets of lawyers would get together to offset the costs and determine who owes who at the end of the day and how much.

“My lawyer, only on Friday, was trying to talk to the Attorney General’s lawyers about setting off the costs. Next thing he knows is

that Gerald Ramdeen, the Attorney General’s lawyer, is filing suit for bankruptcy, Rowley said. He added: “Does he (Ramlogan) really think that the country would take that seriously? That I would bankrupt myself for $12,000?”

Under the Constitution, a Member of Parliament who is declared bankrupt has to vacate his seat.

Rowley said the Attorney Gene-ral was using the courts to try to silence political critics.

He pointed out the lawyer who first filed the lawsuits on Ramlogan’s behalf was Christlyn Moore, who is now Minister of Justice. The brief has since been taken by Ramdeen, “who is a major

recipient of State briefs”.

“W h e n h e ( R a m l o g a n ) sued me, I pointed out that it was wrong for the Attorney General to be using the State m a c h i n e r y, c l a i m i n g personal injury and try and muzzle the Opposition Leader.

“The Attorney General then said these were his personal lawyers.” But, Rowley said, in each case, the “personal lawyers” were persons in receipt of a number of State briefs.

Furthermore, Rowley said, his lawyer Faris Al-Rawi, who is also the party’s public relations officer, has advised him that when the matter came up on Friday, in addition to the lawyers who were on record for the Attorney

General, there were four State attorneys (attorneys employed by the Government Service, attached to the Attorney General’s Department) in the chamber (court), attending upon the Attorney Gene-ral’s “personal” lawyers, “in a matter which he (Ramlogan) has told the country is an entirely private lawsuit”, for which he, as a private citizen, is incurring all the costs.

Noting the Government was saying the motion of no confidence was a waste of time, Rowley said the Attorney General was not only wasting the court’s time, but was wasting taxpayers’ money “in humongous quantities”.

St Kitts-Nevis govt. ‘illegitimate’, says opposition

BASSETERRE, St Kitts — Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas revealed at a recent press conference his government’s intentions to pursue boundary changes in St Kitts and Nevis before the next elections. Leader of the main opposition People’s Action Movement (PAM), Shawn Richards, responded by declaring the prime minister and his government “illegitimate”.

“Prime Minister Douglas is currently leading a minority government and his leadership and his government does not have the support of the majority of the elected members of parliament or the country.

Prime Minister Douglas’s leadership as prime minister and his government is therefore illegitimate and cannot and should not be allowed to pursue any boundary changes at this time,” said Richards “The only aim of Douglas with boundary changes at this point is to provide him with one last opportunity to try to prolong his reign as the self proclaimed maximum leader of

Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas this country. But he does not have the legitimacy, moral or otherwise to be pursuing things like boundary changes from his current position as leader of a minority illegitimate government,” Richards added.

Richards concluded, “Douglas simply does not have the right or should he be allowed to change any boundaries from the position in which he is in and the country needs to make it pellucidly clear to Dr Douglas that under no circumstance

will we accept any boundary changes before the next election, as this would be a clear trampling of our democracy and, as I said in Sandy Point, the people of this country must defend their democracy. Defend it… for the sake of our children and grandchildren.”

It is being widely speculated that part of the changes being considered would be to create a so called safe seat in which Cedric Liburd would be placed.

Liburd is the rejected Labour candidate for Constituency #8. In addition, it is being also speculated that the prime minister would be seeking to divide up his constituency #6 so that they can impact the current make up of Constituency #5 and #7, which can result in major shifts in those constituencies.

Douglas leads a minority government, in which only 5 of the 11 elected members of parliament support his leadership of the country. A motion of no confidence was filed in December but has yet to be debated.

Fuel theft the work of organised criminals (Jamaica Gleaner) The police say there are indications that the theft of over 300,000 litres of fuel in separate incidents over the last six weeks is the work of organised criminals.

Assistant Commissioner, Devon Watkis, who heads the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Criminal Investigation Branch, says it’s a phenomenon the police are very uncomfortable with.

On April 9 a group of about 25 gunmen made off with over 133,000 litres of

gasoline valued at $25 million from the Rockfort plant of Rubis Energy, the company that previously operated under the Shell brand.

It’s reported that the robbery lasted several hours as the gunmen loaded the fuel into five fuel tankers before making their escape.

Nearly three weeks later thieves made off with 200 litres of jet fuel valued at $20 million at the Sangster International Airport, in Montego Bay.

ACP Wa t k i s has declined to give details of the investigation so far, but conceded that elements of organised crime are involved, given the volume of fuel stolen.

However, he says the JCF is building capacity to deal with this growing concern in a holistic manner.

He says the police are discouraging members of the public from purchasing the fuel, warning that they could face criminal prosecution.

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 31

Energy Council members object to JLP youth affiliate blasts proposal from Hong Kong firm migrating Senate President (Jamaica Gleaner) Some members of the Jamaica Energy Council (JEC) are objecting to Cabinet’s decision to consider a belated expression of interest from a Hong Kong-based firm to construct the Government’s 360-megawatt generating baseload plant.

The company, first mentioned by Phillip Paulwell, minister of science, technology, energy and mining, during his Budget presentation two weeks ago, has been identified as Energy World Corporation (EWC) Limited during a special sitting of the JEC and the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) on Friday.

“This fourth bidder that was parachuted in at the end cannot and should not be considered,” said Gregory Mair, opposition spokesman on energy and a member of the JEC. “This breaks the entire tender process and is unfair to the other groups that had to adhere to a deadline and, as the opposition representative, we will not be accepting anything that comes from this bidder who came in on the back-end.”

Paulwell could not be reached for comment despite several attempts but, addressing the issue of high energy cost in his presentation to the nation, he revealed that in their most

recent attempt to expand the supply of energy to the national grid, the OUR received unsolicited proposals for 14 discrete projects from five entities, four of which were worth pursuing by negotiations.

These he identified as Amorview/Tank-Weld, which presented a 232-megawatt project proposed for Old Harbour, and a 122.4MW project proposed for Caymanas in St Catherine; monopoly distributor, Jamaica Public Service (JPS) offered a 323MW and a 350MW combined cycle plant, for Old Harbour, also in St Catherine; while Azurest/ Cambridge presented a proposal for a 388MW plant

GEORGETOWN, Cayman Islands (CMC) – Voters in this Cayman Islands go to the polls tomorrow to vote for a new government in a general election in which there are no clear-cut favourites.

Two major parties, the People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) - which has branded itself as “The Progressives - under the leadership of attorney Alden McLaughlin and the United Democratic Party (UDP), led by former premier McKeeva Bush, are fielding slates of 15 and 12 candidates respectively.

The People’s National Alliance (PNA), a breakaway faction of the UDP, which has formed a “lame duck” government since the ouster of Bush in a lack of confidence vote last December, is running a ticket of five candidates.

Another grouping, Coalition for Cayman (C4C), has endorsed a slate of seven candidates. However, C4C insists it is not a party but a political advocacy group promoting “independent leaders who will always put

country first”.

Add to the mix a plethora of other independent candidates, which brings to total of 56 candidates vying for the 18 seats in the Legislative Assembly, the parliament of this British Overseas Territory where there are 18,492 registered voters.

Nowhere is the race more intriguing than in George Town, the capital of this financial services jurisdiction, where there are 21 candidates on the ballot for the six available seats.

There is no history of consistent scientific opinion polls in the lead up to elections in the Cayman Islands, although some of the parties and groups have commissioned their own surveys this time around - the results of which they have kept out of the public domain.

However, unscientific polls by the various media houses indicate there is a chance of no party securing an outright majority, meaning a coalition government could be a distinct possibility.

Gregory Mair

Cayman Islands general election tomorrow

mounted on a barge. All three proposed the use of natural gas, and responded by the March 15 deadline.

The energy minister then announced the inclusion of a proposal from ECW, described on its website as an integrated energy company, with primary gas and power operations in Sengkang, South Sulawesi, Indonesia and Australia, with a special focus on future development on the expansion of its LNG business.

“Our understanding was that the bids closed, but a recommendation was made by the OUR, then came a late entry in the form of an email from a Chinese company,” said Brian Pengelley, president of the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association.

“The concern is that having made a decision, how can you now turn around and take another bid that is late, because what the OUR has done is exposed itself to other late bids.”

However, a member of the JEC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Gleaner that if EWC can deliver what they have proposed, then it will be to Jamaica’s benefit.

“The fact of the matter is that they are not presenting the same thing the other people are,” said the JEC member. “Everybody else sent in a proposal to generate 360MW of electricity, but they were only aware that Jamaica was on the hunt for a cheaper energy solution.”

According to insiders, the ECW proposal would provide the cheapest energy solution.

Alando Terrelonge, G2K legal advisor (at right) speaks during a press conference called by G2K Sunday. President of G2K, Floyd O’Brian Green takes notes of points being raised.

(Inset) Former president of the Senate, Rev Stanley Redwood (Jamaica Observer) GENERATION 2000 (G2K), the youth affiliate of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), has described the decision of the former president of the Senate, Rev Stanley Redwood to resign and migrate to Canada as “cowardice”.

“It must come as a complete and utter shock to Madam Prime Minister and the Government that she leads, that the man she appointed as president of the Upper House just packed his bags to go to another country that has already achieved developed country status,” said Alando Terrelonge, G2K legal advisor.

Terrelonge said the resignation “has killed the spirits of many Jamaicans” and sent the wrong message

to the wider population.

“It is a cause for great concern that Redwood would run faster than the many university graduates and civil servants, who have similar options, but who instead make the sacrifice to fight for the Jamaica we all believe in,” he suggested.

Terrelonge and G2K president, Floyd O’Brian Green spoke on the resignation and several other national issues at a G2K press conference last week where group members described the move by the senator as “cowardice” and demanded that Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller make a public address about the resignation, which comes 16 months after Redwood took over the chair with the change of Government in January

2012.

The group members also used the occasion to criticise Lisa Hanna, the minister of youth and culture, saying they had found her wanting where a number of youth issues were concerned.

Noting that May was reserved for the celebration of Child Month, Rhoda Crawford, another G2K member, characterised the month as “woefully lacking in substantive action to address the plight of the nation’s children, especially those in state care”.

The young politicians noted that the Windsor Home for Girls remained unoccupied and called upon the minister to take steps immediately to have the home made secure and move the girls to that institution.

Page 32

Kaieteur News

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2006 Toyota Allion (white) $2.2M Neg- Call:639-6852 Sale in Dell Dual Core Computers with LCD- call: 691-2077 Live/pluck chicken call:6504421,220-9203

Rock star hollow blocks available in large quantity in 3",4" & 6" call: 269-1406, 617-9230 Lumber Sales, dressed (B) grade quality at Lumber Master Sawmill - Tele: 6845868 Marine parts, engines 120400HP Cummins/ Perkins, GM. Propellers, Transmissions, Shafts, All electronics, GPS, Radios- call:674-3735/652-8970

SERVICES Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool, call:225-9032,647-2943 EDUCATIONAL LEARN TO DANCE LATIN STLE:SALSA, MERENGUE, WALTZ, TANGO, ETC. COME & FEEL THE EXCITEMENT CALL: 6126475, 629-8842 Private teacher available to help you read, write, give general English upgrade- call: 649-4247

Enid’s dressmaking certificate classes from Elementary to advance: 66 sixth St. Albertown: 2239106/ 695-3876: sewing done here Imperial College- Register Now: CXC 2014 fulltime/ lessons/adults classes: Excellent results-call: 6835742/227-7627 FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Table - Call: 277-0578

Gold and Diamond Land Berbice mining district (1)call:223-1719/600-0036

Attractive live in waitressCall:327-0252/674-4665 MASSAGE American Style massage services- Call:609-4036

To buy one House Lot in Eccles, Providence, Herstelling area- Call: 6535941

The Gent’s spa: Come be pampered by beautiful sophisticated masseuses four hands special call:657-5979

1 Perkings 4 cyclinder engine #248- call:604-1140 or 6919844 Swamee & Sons Lumber yard @ 2nd Street Herstelling: Best quality & price for rough & dressed lumber- Call: 6141466/ 686-9485

We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer call:2310655,683-8734 Omar Permanent & Visitors Vi s a Applications, Profressional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building: Call: 225-6496, 662-6045, 223-8115 Repairs to walk in cool room, fridge, washing machines, ice making machines etc: contact:666-2276

1 Toyota Land-cruiser Prado PMM series- call:225-0188/ 225-6070 93 L.H.D Honda Accord: Excellent conditionCall:623-8909

TOURS May 25th -27th: Suriname, Boa Vista-Brazil, Trinidad & Tobago, Kaieteur Falls - Call: 264-2851: Email: fallsviewtours@yahoo.com www.fallsviewtoursgy.com

1-F150 Ford 3 doors: fully loaded, burgundy: working condition: Price $1Mcontact: 641-6516 or 264-2644 Leading AutoUnregistered: Allex, Runx, Spacio, IST, Allion, Premio, Tacoma (06), F150 (06)- Tele: 677-7666/ 610-7666 Bush Truck model M, GNN series, have winch and needs repairs $1.7 millionCall:674-3735/652-8970 2 New shape Avensiscall:698-0674 One Toyota Wills $1.7M, Toyota Surf $2.2M- Call:2317805/618-7483 (2) F-150 Trucks, blue$1.8 million, white-$2.5 million: Both in very good working conditionCall:674-3735/652-8970

Technician specialized in repairs & servicing to washers, dryers, fridges, A/C units & stoves: Home Servicing available - call: 661-5099

Toyota Allion 2.6 Million Negotiable- Tele:616-3001

Repairs to Fridge, Freezer, AC, Washers, Stoves, TV, DVD Call: 683-1312, 6273206 (Nick)

RZ mini-buses, AT192, 212, Raum, unregistered Spacio, Canters, 100 Corolla, NZE, cheap cars- call:680-3154

Spraying of Vehicles- Call: 681-6603

LEYLAND DAF single axle, new gear box and new engine- call:613-6615/2161315

House plans & estimatescontact T. Boodhoo: 6259883/675-9296 Computers repairs in HomesCall: 675-7292 Service & Repairs for Jet Skis, Jet Boats, ATVs, Inboard & Outboard (2 & 4 strokes) engine- call:694-7949

Pups for sale- call:680-0192/ 216-3408

Sales girls apply in person with written application @ Best Buy Food Supplies: Middleton & Dennis St. Campbellville

Smart Choice Auto: Unregistered Runx, Allion call:652-3820,665-4529

Axio, Blue Bird, Pitbull: Going cheap- Call:697-0294

4 Cylinder Perkins Engine and 45 (gal) Plastic Barrelscontact Nicky @ tele:2267948 or 646-6000

Fluffy Pups - Call: 642-6664

Toyota Spacio: PNN series $1.9M negotiable- call: 6008338

One 500 ton cargo ship with contract- call:687-6174

Lessons! Lessons! Forms 15: Maths, English & Accounts- Call:266-1587/ 613-3871/ 616-9415.

Pure Rottweiler pupscall:220-6879

Cruiser Auto Sales: Unregistered: Toyota Fielder, New Raum, Noah, Mazda, Axela- call:603-9700

1 Flock sheep and goats and flock Rams- Call: 696-8103

GMC Ton Truck, scrapNissan 720 pickup, one Industrial Lathe: Call Richard: 609-7675/233-2614

3 Tons Bedford dump-truck, Scania long wheel base with Hyag and drop-tail- Call:2704485

Porters, lumber clerk, wood mizer operator, moulder operator, lorry driver @ Eccles Industrial Site: Call Richard 609-7675/ 233-2614

VEHICLE FOR SALE One Toyota 212 in excellent condition: Price $1.2M negotiable- Tele:661-3525

First Class Auto (03 & 06) Allion, (03 & 04) Spacio, (01) Carina, (07) Axio, VerossaCall:609-8188/226-2689

Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call:225-9032,647-2943

1-Fridge & 1 Double metal bed frame- call:604-6435

CAKES & PASTRIES

Tuesday May 21, 2013

We Refill HP cartridges for $1800 call: 650-7699 HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING FOR ONLY $10,000CALL:694-9843/227-2766 Ribbon printing and favors for any occasion- call:6169201/227-2766

We buy & sell vehicles for cash; we also do trading-in of vehicles- call:680-3154 Mini bus RZ BLL Series: Excellent work conditionTele:622-3384/223-9955 HILUX SOLID DIFF Pickups 2L &3L, AC, excellent condition- call:6912077 Toyota- 4 Runner Surf, AT192, AT212, AT170, Ceres, EP82 & 71 Starlet, Solid DEF pickup, Nissan E24 van- call:644-5096 (Continued on page 33)

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 33

LOCAL ARTIST STRIVES TO PROMOTE COTTAGE INDUSTRY

A section of the “Creole day” exhibition In a bid to preserve the local cottage industries, artist and writer, Barrington Braithwaite, launched an exhibition branded “Creole Day” on Sunday at Burnham Basketball Court, Carmichael Street. The project is aimed at promoting the handiwork of traditional craftsmen. “The idea of the project is to

resuscitate and empower the work of creative, talented and skilled individuals,” Braithwaite said. He claims to have “toyed” with the idea of creating an avenue for homebased workers to showcase their talent, for years.

However, Braithwaite’s concern intensified after the need for those involved in

modest trade started to dwindle.

“Look for our seamstresses, bakers in the street, the tailors, cabinet makers today. These jobs have been replaced by technology.... In a country like Guyana, where we have some of the highest quality timber in the world, we are buying

overseas ready-compressed sawdust for furniture at a cost that is astronomical.”

Emphasis was placed on the “Creole reality” to attract attention to the local industry be it music, craft, art, or literature.

“We want to create employment for these individuals; we are living in a digital age where many of the occupations that we knew before no longer exist, because computers have replaced them,” the artist reiterated.

Although the initial exhibition lacked corporate sponsorship, there was a willingness and interest of several local crafters, artists and fabric designers to participate.

Patrons were entertained by folk music, as they browsed the pieces on display. These pieces were also on sale.

“With the minimal of advertisements, we have people coming out on Sunday afternoon which is testament of their enthusiasm to showcase their products.”

The event was partly sponsored by African Cultural Development Association (ACDA) and 1823 Coalition group.

(From page 32)

Two bedrooms house in Diamond- Call:264-1445 and 670-8793

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 Adian’s car rental- Tele:6987807 Car Rental- Tele:643-1131 Premio, Vitz call: 689-6668 Adian’s car rental/PickupTele:698-7807

Cheap! Premio, Hilux, 5L Engine, VVTI Stick gear buses call:616-7635 Black CRV: PMM seriescontact:692-5460

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PROPERTY FOR SALE At Clifton Port Mourant: Prime location on public roadContact:905-595-1813/6136795 or 322-5270/624-8799 Versailles 5 Bedroom House with modern facilities and beautiful landscape- Call: 592-684-9203 / 592-624-8704 Charlestown property with Business potential- Tele:6735882

VEHICLE FOR SALE 1-55 Leyland Daf excellent working condition have all documents ready to workcall:680-2095/261-5401

FOR RENT

Two business properties @ Whim public road; 1 House & Land 4th street Whim, Corentyne: Price negotiablecontact:231-5171/619-7134 One 3 storey concrete building @ 26 Sussex street; Two-2 Storey; Two-3 Storey @ NonPriel & Sussex streetcontact Molly 226-3497 Business Property for sale, lot 32 Timehri public roadTele:667-6554

2 Storey concrete 5 bedrooms with A/C, hot & cold, generator @ Happy Acre E.C.D call:647-1569 One (1) three storey commercial building located on South road - Contact: 626-6909/629-0037/642-7963 Barber Stations: Located in Kitty- Call:646-0268 Rooms - Call: 225-3234 Farm with house at Yarrowkabra, Linden Highway: Water, light, chicken & pig pens: fully fenced- call: 686-7180 2 Bedrooms apartment: Working couple preferablyCall:656-2460 Diamond 5 bedrooms house, Ogle big property farm $60,000 and more- call: 231-2199/ 673-8148/ 6187483

House for sale- Contact: 6090062 Anna Catherina $11M, Prospect $13M, Mc Doom $18.5M, Diamond $22M- call Diana:227-2256/626-9382

A section of the “Creole day” exhibition SALON New classes Cosmetology , Nails, Wigs, Designs, Make-Up, HairStyling; call Abby 2161950, 666-5241, 619-7603 Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call 660-5257, 6471773 Natural Beauty Salon & Spa: Grove Market Street EBD tele:265-4138,652-5800 specialized in everything for women & children

Country Estate Home, Beautifully Landscaped 3.2 Acres Fruit Farm, Hague, WCD. Asking $55M – Call Derek @ RLTPRO 592-6501234 BelAir Park - Luxurious 4+1bedrooms Villa, Asking $300M. Queenstown - 7 Unit Income Property, Asking $120M– Call Derek @ RLTPRO 592-650-1234 One two bedrooms concrete flat, 12th street Diamond Housing Scheme- $11 million - Call: 226-2924 or 613-9085

LAND FOR SALE Garnett Street, Newtown Kitty: 4,588 sq foot - Call: 647-1569 7 Acres cultivated with house, 2 Acres cultivated, 2-1 Acres cultivated contact: 226-7968 Garden Eden, EBD – Road front 45x80 Lots $5M. River front 50x300 Lots - Asking $15M– Call Derek @ RLTPRO 592650-1234 Granite Quarry Blocks North West US$650,000- contact Shawn:231-7805/618-7483

Page 34

Kaieteur News

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 35

German-born in Tappa’s 26-man squad for Bahamas camp Jamaica Observer - The Reggae Boyz’ Preparation for their trio of World Cup qualifying matches in the month of June will pick up pace with the staging of a 12day camp in the Bahamas which begun yesterday.

The Boyz host Mexico on June 4, the United States on June 7 and play away to Honduras on June 11 in a crucial eight days which could go a long way in determining their World Cup qualifying fate. To sharpen themselves up for these games they will play against top English

Premier League club Tottenham Hotspurs on May 23 before tackling the Bahamas on May 31.

With a fairly strong homebased component leaving yesterday, the group includes the ever-present Leeds United midfielder Rodolph Austin, Sheffield Wednesday’s Jermaine Johnson, Darren Mattocks of the Vancouver Whitecaps, former national youth goalkeeper and University of Connecticut glove man Andre Blake and midfielder Daniel Gordon of Karlsruher SC in

Germany who is joining the group for the first time.

The group will be joined in the Bahamas by European and American-based players Jobi McAnuff, Adrian Mariappa, Garath McLeary, Donovan Ricketts, Ryan Johnson, Dwayne Miller, Theo Robinson, Marvin Elliott, Dane Richards, Demar Phillips and Jermaine Beckford. All members of the group will be in camp by May 30 where they will remain until June 2 when the entire group travels to Jamaica for the home-based qualifiers.

Tuesday May 21, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19): You may be eager to resolve a relationship issue today, but the discussion might not go as smoothly as you wish. Unfortunately, hiding your emotions isn’t a smart strategy in the long run.

Your good intentions won’t be enough — you must also be willing to compromise in order to get what you want.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20): The reliable methods that help you finish your work on another day won’t be good enough now because of your unwavering desire to surround yourself with beauty.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20): You can breathe a sigh of relief and finally enjoy some playtime now that the Moon is dancing in your 5th House of Fun and Games.

CANCER (June 21–July 22): You may be feeling some ambiguity about socializing with close friends or family members today. You look forward to relaxing and catching up with everyone, yet you can’t help but worry that others might pressure you into taking sides in an ongoing conflict.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22): You prefer to maintain some control over the flow of events, but your long-term planning may fall apart when an unforeseen obstacle slows you down.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22): You find it difficult to make financial decisions if you’re yearning for something that’s outside of your budget. But rationalizing your extravagance is a waste of energy now, even if your potential acquisition is a good deal.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): Now that the reflective Moon is back in your sign it’s even harder to take sides because you can see an issue from both perspectives. Don’t give in to someone else’s pressure to choose one answer over another unless it’s quite clear to you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): The Moon’s visit to your 12th House of Spiritual Mystery amplifies your dreams today, but you may have trouble giving them concrete interpretations.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): You may be discouraged today if you share something significant with your friends, only to receive their disapproval.

But they probably aren’t as negative as you assume because you could have set your expectations too high before giving anyone a chance.

CAPRICORN(Dec.22–Jan.19): If you feel strongly about a current situation, let others know your opinion today instead of playing games and keeping it to yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18): It might appear as if your friend or partner is jockeying to get credit for something that he or she doesn’t deserve.

Your annoyance could become an issue because you don’t think that others are paying enough attention to you today.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20): You have a low tolerance for people who make plenty of promises and then spend too much time on public relations, rather than just doing the work. You don’t want to make judgments, but it becomes more challenging if someone doesn’t hold up his or her end of the deal now.

“What we have assembled is a very competitive group of players ahead of perhaps our most important run in this campaign,” head coach Theodore Whitmore said of the group.

“If you notice we have included players who have been a part of the squad for some time but who were not involved recently. As I have always said the door is not closed on any one and as soon as the time was right players would have had the chance to prove themselves,” explained Whitmore who made his name as a magical midfielder for Jamaica in the country’s historic qualification for the 1998 World Cup in France.

“Our supporters have been calling for people like Mattocks because we have not scored a lot of goals so he will have an opportunity to show what he can produce.

Others such as O’Brian Woodbine and Evan Taylor were involved in World Cup qualifiers from as far back as 2008 for the 2010 campaign so we are having another look at them as the opportunity is there for them to perform and break in. Damion Williams did well for us in our last Gold Cup in midfield so this gives us another opportunity to look at him. In fact it is a big opportunity for all the localbased players to show that they belong,” added Whitmore.

Besides the local-based players, most eyes will be focused on the Germany-born utility player Gordon, who stands at a shade under 6' 5".

“This is an excellent opportunity for us to spend some time working with the players as we get ready for these games. Time is something that we have never really had before with this group so we are really happy for that.

The only disappointment with this is that we could not have had the entire group for longer but we understand how it is and this situation is not unique to us. We just have to and will make the best of it,” said coach Whitmore.

Jamaica’s senior team coach Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore (left) gives instructions to midfielder Jermaine Hue

Page 36

Kaieteur News

Tuesday May 21, 2013

ROYALS SUSPENDS CONTRACTS OF TRIO ESPNcricinfo - Rajasthan Royals has suspended the contracts of all three of their players who were arrested on allegations of spot-fixing. The three players had already been suspended by the BCCI soon after the controversy came to light.

The franchise has also filed a complaint against the players with the Delhi Police, and said that additional security has been allotted for the team for the playoff stage of the IPL. “Based on the information provided by the authorities, the contracts of all three players have been suspended pending enquiry,”

Royals said in a press release.

“We have already filed a complaint with the Delhi Police against all three players earlier today.”

The extra security for the team follows a decision taken at Sunday’s BCCI working committee meeting to provide each team officers from its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).

The moves come in the wake of the arrest of three Royals players - Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila - by the Delhi Police last week on allegations of spot-fixing. Their police custody ends on Monday

evening and while the players’ lawyers have announced their plan to move for bail, the Delhi Police are likely to apply for extension of the custody.

Meanwhile, Royals have reached the playoff stage of the IPL for the first time since their unexpected run to the title in the inaugural season.

Their campaign resumes on Wednesday when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in a knock-out game.

“The team has re-grouped itself after the shocking events of last week and are preparing for the playoffs,” the franchise’s chairman, Ranjit Barthakur, said.

Godolphin doping: St Leger...

From page 37 run by Suroor “for the sake of completeness”, although there is no suggestion there has been any wrongdoing at the second stable.

Between 29 April and 2 May, blood samples were taken from 391 Godolphin horses and sent for analysis at the HFL Sport Science drugs laboratory.

The tests identified further positive tests for stanozolol, a banned anabolic steroid, in seven horses: St Leger victor Encke, Royal Ascot winner Energizer, Genius Beast,

Improvisation, Stamford, Steeler, and Zip Top. Godolphin and Al Zarooni - via his solicitors - have been informed of the test results, and have until Thursday to decide if they want B sample analysis to be carried out.

If the results are confirmed, all seven horses (as with the previous 15) will be suspended from running in Britain for a period of six months, until 29 October.

The BHA has approved an application for Suroor to take charge at Moulton Paddocks, which means horses formerly trained by Al

Zarooni could run for him in a fortnight’s time.

Since late April, the yard has been “in lockdown” under the orders of Sheikh Mohammed - the vice president of the United Arab Emirates - pending the completion of an internal inquiry.

Meanwhile, the BHA is investigating a second Newmarket trainer Gerard Butler, after nine of his horses tested positive for an anabolic steroid contained in a substance called Sungate which he said was recommended by a veterinary practice.

Of those arrested Rajasthan Royals has filed a police complaint against Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan (AFP)

San Antonio Spurs blast Memphis...

Spurs guard Tony Parker steals the ball from Grizzlies guard Mike Conley. Brendan Maloney USA TODAY Sports

CPL Franchises ready and...

From page 39 & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago.

Six top West Indies stars have been confirmed as Franchise players – Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy and Marlon Samuels.

Also confirmed are six overseas franchise players – former Australia captains Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting, ex-New Zealand captain Ross Taylor, Pakistan

Twenty20 International captain Mohammad Hafeez, Herschelle Gibbs of South Africa and Sri Lanka spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan.

A total of 90 players will be contracted to play in the CPL. Each of the six Franchise teams will comprise of 15 player squads.

All teams are required to have a minimum number of local players from their franchise country and at least two of them must be under the age of 23. Teams can also

field a maximum of four international players. The remainder of the team must consist of regional and/or local players.

Also confirmed is the make-up of the CPL Cricket Committee, which is being chaired by former Jamaica Prime Minister The Most Honourable PJ Patterson and include Zorol Barthley, Conde Riley and Walter Scott, QC alongside Ian Bishop, Lance Gibbs and Charles Wilkin, QC.

BIG BOYS KICK OFF BIG...

From page 39 Rayudu, who has 196 runs in 16 matches at 17.81, could be the one to miss out.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT M Vijay has had a woeful IPL 2013 so far. He came into the tournament having enjoyed much success in India’s home Test series against Australia, but his form has fallen away rapidly.

More than his stats - 271 runs at 22.58 in 13 games - it has been the manner in which he has batted that has inspired very little confidence:

he has swung and missed, scratched around, and hardly ever dominated the bowling.

Against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday, Super Kings seemed more interested in allowing Vijay to bat his way back into form than going after the steep target in the eight-over shootout.

The team, and Vijay, will be quietly hoping for a repeat of last year, when he followed up a forgettable league stage with 113 off 58 balls in the qualifiers.

Lasith Malinga, by his standards, has had an average IPL. He has not been in contention for the purple cap at any point, and is only third on Mumbai Indians’ bowling charts in terms of wickets taken.

But his record of 17 wickets at 21.05, with an economy rate of 6.71, is far from poor and it would be silly to underestimate him; it is still likely to be Malinga who causes the most telling damage if he gets those killer yorkers right.

From page 39 Golden State Warriors, and the chance to slow down the style and make it a match of sheer force again against the Grizzlies was apparently welcomed.

As has been the case so often of late, only one member of the Spurs’ Big Three played big (Tony Parker 20 points on 9-for-14 shooting and nine assists), but the collective effort was more than enough. Their swarming defense held the Grizzlies to 43.2% shooting, and young guns Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard combined for 34 points on 13-for-19 shooting to lift the offense.

By the time the first quar-

ter came to a merciful close for the Grizzlies, they looked as if this was the end of a double-overtime affair. Darrell Arthur’s chest heaved up and down as he tried to catch his breath late in the one-sided period, as did Randolph’s, perhaps because Arthur had spent so much energy throwing his gum at the scorer’s table in a fit of frustration.

The Grizzlies forward had failed his assignment of guarding Bonner miserably, letting him bury back-to-back three-pointers that pushed the lead to 17 points and left Hollins screaming on the sidelines.

Bad went to worse moments later, when Arthur

GDA playoff set for this weekend Twelve teams have so far qualified the play offs of the Georgetown Dominoes Association (GDA) tournament, which is scheduled for this weekend at Gaulding Place in South Ruimveldt.

The teams that have so far gone through are Raiders, Scramblers, Wild Bunch, C 7, Specialist, TNT, Assassin, B 6, Lions, Cody Girls, Mix Up and Delta Force.

fouled GInobili outside the top of the arc on a questionable shooting foul call and his free throws brought their disastrous start to a bitter end.

This was a much more daunting defensive assignment than the last one for Memphis, which faced a Thunder team that was isolation-heavy without injured star Russell Westbrook and more than capable of exploiting that simplistic style. But the Spurs at their best are a thing of ball-moving beauty, and the Grizzlies couldn’t contain them from the start.

Leonard and Green hit open threes that were the byproduct of penetration, while Parker did what he so desired both inside and out.

The Spurs led 18-6 less than six minutes in after hitting seven of their first eight shots.

The edge grew from there, with Parker and Green combining for 22 points in the first half on a combined nine of 12 shooting.

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 37

F1 tire changes to be Daniel Vettori called up by New less dramatic than feared Zealand as Bruce Martin ruled out LONDON (Reuters) Changes to the Formula One tires due to be introduced next month will be less dramatic than some have feared or hoped for, supplier Pirelli said yesterday.

Motorsport director Paul Hembery told Reuters that the Italian company would find a solution that all teams could agree on without the outcome having a major impact on the championship.

He said the aim was “to make the changes that you have to make with minimal disturbance to the sporting equity.

“What we’re trying to do is find the mid ground and that’s where we’re at. The changes required would appear less than first envisaged.”

Pirelli said last week, after a Spanish Grand Prix crammed with pitstops and some eyecatching tire failures in practice, that they would change the structure and compounds of their tires from the Canadian Grand Prix round seven of 19 - in Montreal on June 9. The move drew criticism from Lotus and Ferrari, the two teams who have most to lose from any changes after adapting their cars to the 2013 tires more successfully than others including champions Red Bull. Lotus principal Eric Boullier last week likened the changes to shortening the length of a pitch at half time in a soccer match because one team could not run as fast as their opponents.

Ferrari, in a ‘Horse Whisperer’ column on their website, complained of rivals having selective memories

A Petronas mechanic pushes a trolley with Pirelli tires in the paddock ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo, near Barcelona May 9, 2013. REUTERS/Albert Gea when they criticized the tires.

While Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso won with four pitstops in Barcelona, so too did Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel in 2011 without any furor. The total number of pitstops was also comparable in the two races. The winning time in Spain was just over seven seconds slower this year than in 2012 but the fastest lap in qualifying was nearly a second quicker. The Spaniard’s win allowed him to cut the gap on Vettel in the championship standings.

Vettel is four points clear of Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus with Alonso third, 17 behind the German.

The sporting regulations state that tire specifications cannot be changed during a championship season without the agreement of all competing teams, unless it is for safety reasons. That would cover certain structural changes, with Pirelli eager to rectify a situation where treads on rear tires have been

peeling off - ‘delaminating’ without the tire itself deflating when penetrated by debris.

Hembery said Pirelli were confident they could keep close to the 2013 specification while rectifying the tread problem. Last week, the company talked of introducing a revised construction using elements from the 2012 and 2013 tires to ensure both durability and performance and reduce the number of pitstops.

“Some teams have worked in a certain way to maximize the tire and chassis package and they don’t want that to be lost by radical change,” said Hembery.

“We’re trying to find something that is sportingly equitable amongst the vast majority that allows us to rid ourselves of the tread (problem). We’re hopeful we can do that without making such a change that would radically alter the work of any team so far.”

BBC Sport - Daniel Vettori could play in the second Test against England after joining the New Zealand squad earlier than planned.

The left-arm spinner was originally named in the Kiwis’ squad for the one-day series and Champions Trophy. But the 34-year-old may replace Bruce Martin, who will return home with a calf injury suffered in the first Test defeat at Lord’s.

An Achilles tendon injury has prevented Vettori from playing Test cricket since July 2012. The second and final Test at Headingley starts on Friday.

With 360 victims, the former captain is New Zealand’s second highest Test wicket-taker and the most successful left-arm spinner in history.

The return of a player who has scored 4,516 Test runs at an average of 30.10 would also bolster a side that were bowled out for 68 in the second innings at Lord’s.

“Daniel’s come over 24 hours earlier for us to have a chance to have a look at him,” said New Zealand coach Mike Hesson. “We won’t risk Dan for the sake of a Test but, in saying that, it is an important Test match for us. “We won’t

Daniel Vettori (Getty Images) be pushing Dan if he’s not ready but if he is we’d certainly love to have him.”

Vettori’s most recent Test was the nine-wicket defeat by West Indies in Antigua almost a year ago, and his only international cricket since was at the World Twenty20 in October.

He returned to action for domestic side Northern Districts in March before travelling to the Indian Premier League, where he failed to make an appearance for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Should he line up at Headingley, Vettori will become New Zealand’s mostcapped player. He and Stephen Fleming share the record of 111 Tests for New Zealand, but Vettori also made one appearance for the ICC

World XI. “He’s done plenty of bowling in the last couple of months in the IPL, albeit in the nets,” added Hesson. “It’s a matter of whether we think he’s going to be able to get through five days of a Test match.”

The tourists also have concerns over wicketkeeper BJ Watling, who suffered a knee injury at Lord’s. He will be monitored ahead of Headingley, with Tom Latham his likely replacement.

However, if New Zealand opt to strengthen their batting, Martin Guptill could play and captain Brendon McCullum take the gloves.

McCullum took over from Watling during the first Test, but has not kept in a full Test since 2010.

Godolphin doping: St Leger winner Encke among seven positive tests St Leger winner Encke (Getty Images)

IPL STEPS UP ACSU SECURITY FOR TOP-FOUR TEAMS ESPNcricinfo - The IPL has stepped up security for the four teams remaining in the tournament by providing them officers from its AntiCorruption and Security Unit (ACSU), following up a decision taken at Sunday’s BCCI working committee meeting. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, who reached Delhi on Sunday for the first qualifier to be played today, were allotted an officer each yesterday morning. The other two teams, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals, who are set to arrive in Delhi today, have also been allotted their respective officers.

“We have been told that the officer will stay with the team, travel with us and will

work with the team security in-charge,” a franchise official said.

The BCCI’s decision followed the arrest by the Delhi Police of three Rajasthan Royals players Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila - last week on allegations of spot-fixing.

Their police custody ends on Monday evening and while the players’ lawyers have announced their plan to move for bail, the Delhi Police are likely to apply for extension of the custody.

ACSU chief Ravi Sawani, who is also heading the commission of inquiry into the allegations against the three players, met senior Delhi police officials on Monday. “I had a very useful meeting with

the Delhi Commissioner of Police,” he said after the meeting. “The BCCI has assured him of cooperation in the case. I also told him of Rajasthan Royals’ intention to file an FIR in the case.”

The commissioner, Neeraj Kumar, told Times Now after the meeting that Sawani had asked the police to share information, which Kumar said it would so with court permission.

Kumar also said the Royals management had informed the police of their intention to file a case but were yet to do so.

“When they do, their complaint can be part of our investigation or a separate case. It’s more likely to be the first,” Kumar said.

The doping scandal involving Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation has widened after seven more horses failed drugs tests.

All seven horses, including the 2012 St Leger winner Encke, were trained by the now disgraced Mahmood Al Zarooni. He was banned from racing for eight years last month after admitting giving banned anabolic steroids to 15 horses.

Tests on all horses at a stable run by fellow Godolphin trainer Saeed bin

Suroor came back negative.

Godolphin, founded by Sheikh Mohammed - the ruler of Dubai - is one of the world’s biggest racehorse operations with two major stables at Newmarket in Suffolk.

Encke, who passed a drugs test after victory in the St Leger at Doncaster in September 2012, was the surprise 25-1 winner of the race when he denied the Aidan O’Brien-trained Camelot a Triple Crown of Classic victories.

Al Zarooni, who was in Dubai before taking over the

Moulton Paddocks stable in Newmarket in March 2010, claimed he did not realise the use of anabolic steroids were banned out of competition in the United Kingdom. After his admission of a “catastrophic” mistake, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) suspended the 15 horses he admitted doping including 1000 Guineas contender Certify - from running for six months.

The BHA ordered tests on the remaining horses at his stable, and also at the yard (Continued on page 36)

Page 38

Kaieteur News

Tuesday May 21, 2013

David Moyes meeting Manchester Mackeson ‘Keep Your United backroom staff Five Alive’ down to six David Moyes and Sir Alex Ferguson (PA)

BBC Sport - David Moyes is holding talks with a number of Manchester United’s coaching staff on Monday after starting work at his new club in an unofficial capacity.

It is understood the Scot is planning to meet goalkeeping coach Eric Steele and firstteam coach Rene Meulensteen.

He will also hold talks with others but does not plan to make drastic changes to United’s existing backroom team.

Moyes took charge of his last Everton game on Sunday and does not officially replace Sir Alex Ferguson until 1 July.

Ferguson, 71, announced in early May that he would be retiring at the end of the season following more than 26 years in charge at Manchester United and handpicked Moyes as his successor.

Moyes is keen to give staff at Old Trafford

and Goodison Park clarity about their future before they go on holiday. His first-team coach at Everton, Jimmy Lumsden, is tipped to join him at United. Moyes was given permission by Everton to visit Manchester United’s training ground on Monday.

Speaking after Sunday’s 2-1 loss at Chelsea, Moyes said: “I’ll probably be doing two jobs for the next week or so.” The 50year-old Scot is under contract to the Toffees until the end of June but is only likely to be at the club’s Finch Farm training headquarters this week before leaving to go on a holiday.

United are due to tour Thailand, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong in July.

Their first competitive game with Moyes in charge is the Community Shield against FA Cup winners Wigan at Wembley on 11 August.

National Schools’ Basketball Festival

Albouystown ‘B’, Sparta Boss in the mix Playing at home in Albouystown in front of hundreds of their supporters was enough motivation to propel one of the pretournament favourites, Albouystown ‘B’, two steps closer to claiming the 2013 Mackeson ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ Futsal football title.

However, standing in their way is five other teams, including the overwhelmingly talented North East-based, Sparta Boss, which qualified Saturday night at Punt Trench and School Street, Albouystown after clearly reinforcing their varying superiorities.

From 48 teams three weeks ago, only six have been kept alive following those contests. The first to do so was Festival City who dismissed Laing Avenue 2-0 owed to second half goals from Odell Williams, who scored in the 12th minute and Paul Bobb, who found the back of the ‘small goal’ two minutes later.

Deion (no surname given) then sent Alexander Village through to the penultimate round of the competition, which will also be played in Albouystown at the same venue Thursday night, when he scored in the seventh minute for a 1-0 win against Broad Street ‘B’.

Those that walked to the venue from Alexander Village was given the opportunity to make the journey again Thursday night when their team will vie for a place in Saturday’s final that will be held at the National Cultural Centre tarmac.

Riverview also made it to the next round via a 1-0 win against Berlin after Andre Downes scored in the second minute. Broad Street ‘A’ versus West Front Road was the only game that penalties decided after a 2-2 stalemate in the regulation 15 minutes.

Randolph Wagner put West Front Road ahead early in the game, in the first minute to be exact, but Rocky Gravesande responded in the

Rampaul becomes 2nd available for T&T

UG escape with another tense win The University of Guyana (UG) developed a worrying trend of tense finishes Sunday at the Mon Repos Primary School Basketball Court when they escaped with yet another close win in the ongoing National Schools’ Basketball Festival (NSBF).

Guyana’s premier tertiary institution, UG beat President’s College 44-43 in the Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) East Coast Regional Conference of the NSBF, after a deciding minute of intense competition.

Quincy Easton, the hero for UG, ended with 21 points and seven rebounds with Jonathon Pooran contributing nine points. The University had also escaped with a close 29-27 win in their opening game against the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) last week.

Nyambekerie Bacchus continued to lead President’s College in the competition with 13 points that he supported with nine rebounds.

With the scores leveled at 39-39 and 1:36 left in regulation time, Easton heroically penetrated for a floater in the lane to give UG the edge; team-mate, Fonsie James then made it a two possession game for President’s College when he completed a lay-up.

President’s College had failed to convert their possession in crunch-time and with 36 seconds left in the game all seemed lost. James then scored one of two freethrows for UG that took the score to 44 points before high drama unfolded in the East Coast Conference.

With UG comfortably sailing to their second straight win, Bacchus nearly dashed that hope when he went on a rampage to score four points in 11 seconds. It was easy to conclude that the whistle saved UG from coughing up an otherwise easy win.

In the other Under-20 game, Bounty Colts Division I star Plaisance Secondary School’s Nikkoloi Smith led

his school to a 32-25 win over GSA; the explosive guard scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds for a good all-round performance.

Emmanuel Archibald scored 12 points for GSA in their second loss of the competition.

Plaisance Secondary School also won their Under17 game 34-8 emphatically against Annandale Secondary School. Wayne Calendar had 10 points for Plaisance, while Terrence Daniels finished with nine rebounds.

Raphael Sobers scored five of Annandale’s eight points and collected six rebounds.

President’s College also won their Under-17 game 3110 against Bladen Hall; Eli Inniss scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds.

Mickel Austin scored six of Bladen Hall’s 10 points.

Digicel, Beharry Group of Companies and Banks DIH are the primary sponsors of the 2013 NSBF. (Edison Jefford)

third minute to level the scores. Broad Street went ahead when Keron Solomon scored in the sixth minute, a minute and a half before the whistle for the first half went off.

However, looking to protect their 2-1 lead through spacing the ball and defence, Broad Street opened up the gates for West Front Road in the tenth minute when Hubert Pedro collected a cross and finished for the equaliser. West Front Road, which was the more aggressive side in the contest, eventually won 4-3 on penalties.

As expected, the crowd erupted into loud cheers when their home team, Albouystown ‘B’ took the court to warm-up before their game against Wolves (Sophia). It was clear that the expectation of the crowd was a mauling of the Sophiabased team.

However, that was not to be Saturday night. Devon Forde skilfully finished in the second minute for

Ravi Rampaul (AFP) Trinidad & Tobago Newsday - PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD - The somewhat unexpected exit of Royal Challengers Bangalore from the play-off stage of the Indian Premier League Sunday has now made pacer Ravi Rampaul available for national selection ahead of the forthcoming Champions League Twenty20 tournament, which is scheduled to bowl off in India, in September.

A stern knock of 47 from Parthiv Patel and a strong spell of two for 24 from Dale Steyn handed Sunrisers Hyderabad a much-needed 23-run win over the Rajasthan Royals.

This crucial win propelled them ahead of Rampaul’s Bangalore-based team on the standings, and shot them into fourth position and a confirmed spot in the decorated competition’s semi-final stages.

Rampaul’s exit has now made the robust fast bowler available to be selected to represent the red, white and black. He now joins off-spinner Sunil Narine in the selection process, since Narine’s Kolkota Knight Riders were also eliminated from the competition last week.

Rampaul has been injury-prone over the past few months but has shown significant signs of improvement in his recent matches for Bangalore. His availability to the “Red Force” now expands TT captain Denesh Ramdin’s bowling options for the India tournament.

When the revelation was made of Narine’s possibility to be selected, several Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board members heaped praises on his availability to the squad. Now, Rampaul’s presence is expected to boost TT’s chances in the game’s shortest version.

Players that would be unavailable for national selection are Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Kevon Cooper and Samuel Badree.

The quartet will represent their IPL teams in the Champions League as they have placed in the top four. Bravo’s Chennai Super Kings are atop the standings, Pollard’s Mumbai Indians sit in runner-up position and Cooper/ Badree’s Rajasthan Royals are presently third, with Sunrisers Hyderabad in fourth spot.

t r o Sp

Mackeson ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ down to six

ON THE ATTACK! One of the tournament favourites, Albouystown ‘B’ (black bibs) attack the goal against Wolves (Sophia) in the Mackeson ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ in Albouystown Saturday night.

Albouystown ‘B’, Sparta Boss in the mix

NATIONAL SCHOOLS’ BASKETBALL FESTIVAL

UG escape with another tense win EASY AS SUNDAY MORNING! Quincy Easton (right) finishes an easy lay-up for UG Sunday against President’s College when the NSBF continued on the East Coast.

Guyanese sweep CPL Franchises Telesur Half Marathon ready and waiting

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