Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Friday May 24, 2013

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Kaieteur News

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

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

EDITORIAL

The FATF and us

Now that we have gone past wondering whether the Opposition would or would not support the government in approving their recommendations embodied in the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act (they did not) maybe we can now examine what the brouhaha was all about.

The AML/CFT Act is the result of pressures from the International Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an initiative of the G-7 countries that was launched in 1989.

Overtly it was supposed to put a dent on money laundering, which had been defined by the UN as “The conversion or transfer of property, knowing that such property is the proceeds of crime, for the purpose of concealing or disguising the illicit origin of the property or of helping any person who is involved in the commission of the predicate offence to evade the legal consequences of his or her action; or the concealment or disguise of the true nature, source, location, disposition, movement or ownership of or rights with respect to property, knowing that such property is the proceeds of crime”. (Article 6, UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime).

Many believe that because money was being laundered by offshore banks that had sprung up in several smaller states, especially in the Caribbean, another reason for FATF was to eliminate these banks. The latter were processing huge amounts of funds for citizens of G-7 and were using the offshore banks as tax havens. Switzerland, however, had been performing this role for centuries without complaints. But with the clout of G7, and soon G-20, behind it, FATF - an intergovernmental body now with thirty-five members and several observer bodies - soon drafted a set of forty recommendations that were supposed to be followed by governments in enacting legislation to combat money laundering.

After 9/11, recommendations to combat terrorism were added to the list since it was concluded that terrorists used many of the same practices and mechanisms as criminals did to hide their sources of funding. FATF’s eventual 40+9 recommendations now form the backbone of the legislation that the government was attempting to enact. But more effective than the recommendations, was the “non-compliance” list issued by FATF which included countries that the organisation felt had not done enough to comply with its recommendations.

It became known and feared as the “FATF Blacklist”, because the World Bank, the IMF, and most regional banks such as the Asian Development Bank, used the recommendations and the list as a global benchmark for their loans.

The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) is an affiliate of the FATF and had been working with the government to get its legislation to be FATF-compliant. It was a letter from this organisation that had not been circulated to the Opposition and for which President Ramotar apologised. The meeting being held by the FATF in Nicaragua between May 27-30 is supposed to pronounce on our compliance and if they so find, could have us blacklisted.

Basically the FATF standards require us to “criminalise money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing in accordance with international law; freeze terrorist assets and confiscate the proceeds of crime; establish a financial intelligence unit to collect, analyse, evaluate and disseminate suspicious transaction reports from financial institutions and other reporting entities; supervise those financial institutions and other reporting entities to ensure compliance with customer due diligence and other requirements contained in the standards; and ensure that comprehensive and effective mechanisms are in place to cooperate effectively on the international level given the growing international dimension to these crimes.” Apart from the concerns over giving one more supra-national organisation the power to intrude into our local sovereignty, law-abiding Guyanese, including our Opposition, should not have any problems with these recommendations. In fact with the established reputation of our country as a drug trafficking conduit, it is in our interest to have ourselves vetted. Accusations of official complicity with “drug lords” and other unsavoury characters would also be scrutinised under a powerful searchlight.

Friday May 24, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

Some holes in an argument over DEAR EDITOR, Now that I’ve hopefully dealt adequately with the ad hominem issues raised in Dr. Dabydeen’s latest missive, I beg permission to return to the specific issue of the Caribbean Press.

In my letter, I questioned the publication Elly Niland’s ‘Collected Poems’, a completely new book, under the Guyana Classics Library series. Dr. Dabydeen give the absurd rationale that this and other books “are in the ‘Classics’ series because they are modern Classics (eg, Penguin and other presses have modern Classics).”

Modern classics by any imprint are books which have, after previous publication, earned great merit either through critical recognition or popular impact.

For example, among the Penguin Modern Classics series are books like the Great Gatsby, originally published in 1925 by Scribner’s.

Printing a completely new book, as the Caribbean Press has clearly done in multiple instances, and declaring it a classic without any such critical or commercial litmus test is, utterly without precedent

and I challenge my learned friend to disprove this.

Dr. Dabydeen mentions a republication of work by Martin Carter but curiously declines to name it. Perhaps it would help the general public, greatly, if the Caribbean Press were to make public a catalogue or simple list of current and upcoming publications, as is standard practice for any publishing house, including Penguin with its list of Classics available online.

Regarding the website that we were assured in January was up, it was only recently established and is skeletal at best. It has clearly been hastily done and is not geared to do a fraction of the things the honourable editor hopes for it to do.

With regard to his tirade against local writers, as I said previously, considering his almost exclusive dealings with Freedom House, his perspective on the supposed paucity of local talent may be understandable.

The unfortunate thing is that many promising writers here are clearly afraid of responding because of the atmosphere of suppression of dissent that the gloriously democratic PPP has placed upon the local literary community.

To quote Carter’s famous verse, “a mouth is always muzzled by the food it eats to live.” The ironic thing is that after rabidly ranting about doggerel produced by local writers, he again does the unorthodox by offering his personal e-mail to invite submissions.

All that said, perhaps the most disturbing thing in the letter is the contention that “all the writers waive royalties and agree for 400 copies of their books to be given freely to Guyana’s libraries; an act of charity and a concern for the young readers in Guyana.” It expressly cannot by definition be charity when the Caribbean Press is completely funded by taxpayer dollars with no cost recovery or profit-making mechanism therein.

What is clear is this – the government of Guyana, having put on this grand show of magnanimity in committing to establish a publishing house, the express purpose of which was to facilitate the emergence of local writers, subsequently realized that that meant the publication of work the best of which might not paint the PPP’s rule in the most flattering light.

This is the same reactive psychological mechanism that resulted in the banning of the state-sponsored calypso finalists from the state radio.

The obviously ingenious solution was to hire a small

core of uncritical consultants and proceed to publish the Guyana Classics, and then to continue to shift the goalposts with regard to the commitment to publish contemporary writers.

When the options for Classics ran out, an ad hoc process of publication was started, one that included some legitimate scholars, some Guyana Prize winners, and new books by friends and family of those close the Press.

Notably in his interview with Stabroek News, Dr. Dabydeen focused on two things – the laziness and incompetence of practicing local writers, and the intention of the Press to publish the work of young children who show great promise.

The purpose is basically to skip an entire generation of emerging writers who would have grown up under the PPP, and to justify that marginalization via rabid denigration – in short, give a doggerel a bad name and kick it.

I find it tragic that a highly decorated scholar as Dabydeen would debase himself in the furtherance of such myopic idiocy.

That strategy is transparent, pathetic and increasingly embarrassing for the government, particularly considering the deafening silence of the subject Minister, Frank Anthony on the matter.

Ruel Johnson

Friday May 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

Freddie Kissoon replies to Mario’s DEAR EDITOR, First things first. I don’t know anyone at Mario’s, have nothing personal against Mario’s and would continue to be a customer of Mario’s. My daughter is in love with the foods of Mario’s so I am a frequent patron there and my patronage would continue. What I wrote about Mario’s in my Tuesday column I would repeat. I have no apologies for the motive that was involved in writing in the first place. I do concede that I was aggressive but the reason for speaking out I cling to. If Mr. Campbell read the particular column he would see there was a big criticism of GT&T for selling a $5,000 cell phone (which I bought) which ought not to be sold. I have friends at GT&T and many of my nice former students work there.

I don’t expect Mr. Campbell to have followed my columns for newspapers here in Guyana the past twenty-three years. I would like to inform him that my castigations of the retail trade and customer mistreatment in the corporate world in Guyana have been the subject of countless columns.

Here is a brief sample so Mr. Campbell would know there was no targeting of Mario’s. Twice I wrote on the practice of the guards at the exit of National Hardware

going through with a fine teeth comb all the purchases of customers except mine of course because I would never allow that kind of invasion of my privacy. I wrote about that too at Giftland Office Max and complained to Beepat’s sonin-law. I did two columns of unacceptable practices at Republic Bank, and three on GT&T, going back to the days of Father Morison my editor at the Catholic Standard. Two weeks ago my focus was Hand-in-Hand Insurance Company. I have not shied away from condemnations of unprofessional journalistic management at the Stabroek News. I publicly criticize the newspaper I write for.

Some statements in Mr. Campbell’s letter are not factual. I never wrote a single line about the presence of governmental politicians at the opening of Mario’s. If he is a betting man, I will offer Mr. Campbell the prospect of me ending my KN columns if he can show me when and where I did that. If he loses, he has to provide weekly meals to the children of depressed areas of my choice. Are you a betting man, Mr. Campbell?

I did mention moneylaundering but not drug trafficking but Mr. Campbell’s employees did not describe the context. I explained to Ms. Cumberbatch that I find

Mario’s to be a secretive operation in that you can never get the names of the senior officers when you request them.

I then asked if the place has something to hide, if they are into money laundering.

By any stretch of one’s semantic imagination that cannot be the same as accusing someone of moneylaundering. I did not say I would seek investigation of Mario’s. I don’t believe Mario’s is into anything illegal. Neither do I have contacts with the Government of Guyana to call for such an investigation. I have no such contacts and want no such contacts.

Finally, what I wrote about Mario’s was part of my life as a human rights activists. I do believe that the retail trade, the restaurant trade and corporate world in Guyana treat Guyanese very badly because there is no functioning Consumer Affairs Organization.

I want to inform Mr. Camopbell that there is no way I will allow Hand-inHand from stopping me from parking on North Road which it seems to have claimed and which I wrote about. I refused the extra pizza Mr. Campbell because I felt I was being patronized.

Please do not do that in the future. I resent it Frederick Kissoon

There have been changes DEAR EDITOR, How can we forget so quickly that when the People’s Progressive Party came into power in 1992 the now President of this land, the Hon Donald Ramotar, who was at the time General secretary of the P P P, shouted every day with a loud voice that one could have heard him from the Corentyne , to Mount Roraima that Democracy has returned to Guyana and that his party would stay in Government for more than twenty-eight years.

Now that he is our President I wonder if he was shouting ‘democracy or hypocrisy’ because young Mr Joey Jagan came on CNS Channel 6 and told the Guyanese people that he is going to support Uncle Donald because he is an

honest person And he, Uncle Donald, promised him that he will be a President for all the people and would not support any wrongdoings.

Now I wonder if Joey saw things long before us and skipped the country because I heard that he is not even coming to the support of his good friend Mr C. N. Sharma, or is he denying knowing the man like how some denied knowing Roger Khan.

The old phenomenon that once gripped our nation is rearing its ugly head again. It is the race card. Is there no end to this? First it was the former President, Bharrat Jagdeo at the funeral service of one of our most distinguished and beloved sons of the soil. Then, his statement was supported by

none other than our sitting President and further strengthened by the Home Affairs minister.

I once again call on the Chambers of Commerce, the Private Sector Commission, the Small Business Enterprise, The Catholic Church, The Anglican Church, The Muslim Organization, The Hindu Organization, and all other denominations to raise their voices, call on our political leaders to set a good example in order that we can live as our motto stipulates.

David Noel

A claim of corruption DEAR EDITOR, Please be informed of an incident which involved the Toshao of Kabakaburi, Mr .Cleveland Simon, Two forest Rangers, Mr. Mc Andrew and Mr. Bhairo, and myself, on March 15, 2013.

Prior to March 15, 2013, I was the holder of a permit that allowed me to harvest lumber within the Kabakaburi Village Council Lands. My most recent permit was signed by Mr. Cleveland Simon. To remove my produce I often sought and obtained the Removal Documents from the village signed by Toshao Simon. On February 20, 2013, I requested a Removal Document from the Toshao, he claimed that there was no “pass” in the village and that I should check back in the new week.

I eventually checked with him for the Document on March 6, 2013. Surprisingly, Toshao Simon sharply demanded I ‘shoot’ a forty’ to him to uplift the pass. This means that I would have had to give him forty thousand dollars before receiving the Removal Document (pass).

Nine days later (March 15th 2013) I made yet another request for the pass from Toshao Simon and he bluntly said “I am not

giving any.” He then invited me to a meeting for saw men at his residence. However, upon arriving at the venue he (Toshao) informed me that the meeting was postponed and promised me to check the lumber before issuing the pass. Later that same afternoon Mr Simon saw me at a shop and did not say anything about the pass.

I subsequently learnt that Mr .Simon collected two Rangers and travelled to Mapari Landing where the officers sprayed and detained the wood, my production. I suspected all was not well, so I rushed up to Mapari. On my arrival I approached Toshao Simon and tried to find out why my lumber was detained. He aggressively told me that whatever he feels to do he can do and whatever the forestry feels to they will do. This brought my temper to its peak. I was very angry and with my bush knife (chopper) I dealt Toshao Simon one slap (the broad side of the chopper).

Thereafter, verbal abuse ensued . Not yet knowing the reason for the detention I visited the forest station and enquired on what grounds my lumber was detained. One officer, Mr. Dexter Mc Andrew, said that he could

not tell me anything. At that moment I felt that I was drowned by my temper but quietly left. I remembered the officer said that they have 2000 BM in detention, while at Mapari I had 2800 BM. On the said date in question GFC officers detained lumber from another person and whatever transpired the person got back his lumber and could have sold same on March 17, 2013. To date mine remains in the possession of G.F C .

This I see as discrimination to its fullest. According to Toshao Simon, in a letter to the Guyana Chronicle dated April 6, 2013, he claimed that the lumber was packed for transportation illegally. My lumber was lying at Mapari Landing Since February 9, 2013, awaiting the Removal Document.

Toshao Simon also claimed that a man believed to be the head of a group of loggers arrived and started to abuse him. I want to believe that he was referring to me, But I was in no group, I work or operate alone (solo) with his permission, until then.

Analysing the situation, I reckon that If I had given my Toshao (Mr. Simon) Forty Thousand Dollars then it would have been smooth sailing not detension, no court.

Dexter

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Friday May 24, 2013

Friday May 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

The Gandhi issue again DEAR EDITOR, Mr Freddie Kissoon is an academically able man and the only reason why he did not receive his Doctorate which he had de facto completed was that he was banned from Canada at that time.

Many of those who disparagingly say that Mr Kissoon does not have a Doctorate would readily admit that had he not been shut out of Canada and as a result, his university, at that critical time, he would have been awarded his degree. He now has to earn his living by writing an almost daily article in Kaieteur News and this is no easy task.

So Mr Kissoon will often have to write what occurs to him in journalist fashion and produce his column to earn his daily bread.

In the circumstances, no one could expect him to be uniformly brilliant, or not contradictory or not to have occasionally crossed the red line. In the last two or three years, I believe Mr K. had been subject to more than usual pressures and this had likely resulted i n h i s crossing the red line a number of times. Two such jumping over the precipice is when he spoke of the 38 senior Indian public servants without researching into the details of such persons and

not being able to cite any comparatives to support his thesis.

The other and more serious faux pas made by Mr K. is when he recently wrote that Mahatma Gandhi had homosexual tendencies. This absurd statement disgusted thousands of people in Guyana since such a statement is baseless and they would scarcely ever forgive him. Many such people were once his supporters. Some years ago, in Europe, some young people were saying the same thing about Lord Jesus Christ and in Scandinavia a film about “Jesus the Gay” was produced! Mr K. , in his own interest, should do damage control and should choose whatever methodology therefor. He could, for example, fully and properly quote Joseph Lelyveld from whose book he got the idea but which author firmly and emphatically said that “Gandhiji was no homosexual”. I hope Mr K. frees himself of the burden of insulting the memory of a supremely great man and the hurt and disgust he unnecessarily caused so many persons and try to limit the adverse Karmic reaction which he has so carelessly brought upon himself.

P. Ramlall.

GUYANA’S YOUTH UNDER SEIGE BY A MORIBUND POLITICAL SYSTEM DEAR EDITOR, ‘I have got ice in my veins , blood in my eye, hate in my heart, love in my mind, I have seen nights full of pain, days of the same, you keep the sunshine save me the rain.

And I search but never find, hurt but never cry, I work and forever try, but I am cursed , so never mind. And its worse but better times seem further and beyond. The top gets higher the more that I climb.

The spots get smaller, and I get bigger trying to get in where I fit in, no room for a nigga buy soon for a nigga it be on.’ The words of popular American rapster Li’l Wayne perhaps the most fitting description of the plight of the Afro Guyanese youth and

reverberates throughout a republic Guyana that is no longer cooperative and inclusionary. When one examines the rapid descent of a nation premised on a multi ethnic and multi cultural theorem one can only ponder in dismay at the illusion of some who have crafted a policy of hegemony and seek to imbue it into the nation’s psyche. The co-authors of a policy of racism against Afro Guyanese must be sought out and they, known for a vagary of atrocity, must be brought to justice sentenced by the state and punished for their unpardonable crime against the nation’s people of a peculiar lineage.

Those in the directorate of the nation’s opposition, and

I speak directly to the PNC/ APNU who co-habited with the despots in the PPP regime to perpetrate the heinous atrocities against the Guyanese people must not be given the mandate ever to articulate the nation’s future, again. The reality of the racial discourse and the fuselage of racism must not be muted and equivocated by those on both fronts ,actors and coactors alike they are. , Four hundred dead in any other nation’s didactic, under the circumstances mooted, is a scourge, reprehensible and unacceptable. I wish to call out to Afro Guyanese to end their support for failed leadership and to seek out new leaders preferably our youth, giving rain to their

hunger to reign over our nation state. Why must our youth continue to walk in the shadow of failed leadership?

Why must they remain in the very cloud of leaders who verbally articulate their rhetoric about making way for the youth but would rather do everything else except to remove themselves, their very encumbrance from the way?

Is it wisdom to continue with a system of government on both fronts that is essentially, the reason d’etre of our people’s woes? Or do we as a people change the game collectively by handing to our sons and daughters the destiny of our nation’s future.

We must make that imperative swiftly.

John Talbot

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Friday May 24, 2013

24th COHSOD meeting commences with Culture and Education as primary focus Under the theme “fostering innovation through education and culture,” the 24th meeting of Caricom’s Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD), commenced yesterday at the Pegasus Hotel, with a call to address the important issues that are fundamental to sustainable development of the Region with its small vulnerable States and economies.

This notion was enunciated by Senator Fazal Karim, Minister of Education and Training of Trinidad and Tobago, who, although unable to attend, delivered the feature address via a video presentation.

He pointed to the fact that the economic woes that are experienced within the Region are traced to a multiplicity of causes, even as he added that the solutions are no less complicated. However, he noted that the sustainable part of the environment is grounded in the Region’s ability to be creative, innovative and competitive and an inclination to nourish development in all spheres.

He alluded to the fact that the centrality of information and communication technology embedded in the education system has served to reshape every aspect of the Region’s existence.

Even as he pointed to the development of countries like Singapore, Switzerland and Sweden, he noted that it is crucial that the Region must be able to adapt, learn, re-learn

and seek creative solutions and ways of doing things.

Moreover, he said that the value of an employee will in fact be amplified when they are able to embrace technology and digital literacy in all spheres.

Karim made reference to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) which, coupled with technology and higher education, will adequately prepare workers for a refined working atmosphere.

And even as he spoke of the need to reform education in the Region, he asserted that such a process should be holistic and system-wide, adding that there is a need for the development of creativity and innovative capacity. He said efforts are also being made to examine the preteaching qualification of teachers.

In addressing the overall school system, Karim noted that the escalating challenge of violence cannot be overlooked.

“This meeting presents an opportunity for us to engage in focused conversations about innovation and the role of education and culture. But as a Region, we need to expand these conversations to the entire Region’s stakeholders – Government, private sector and other civil society groups – and to pursue in the context of functional cooperation, the development of a comprehensive, regional innovation strategy.”

This strategy, he

Senator Fazal Karim (via video) addresses the opening ceremony of the 24th COHSOD Meeting yesterday envisages, will focus on innovation that will lend to sustainable development.

Also speaking at the opening of the meeting was CARICOM’s Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Colin Granderson, who emphasised that this year marks the fortieth since the establishment of the Caribbean Community. He noted that while much more can be done “we can take pride in our achievements as a Region. Over the past four decades we have made significant strides as a Community, and in particular, in the area of Human and Social Development.”

He explained that the Region has been able to pool its technical and financial resources, and worked with institutions and development partners to produce regional public goods, and to support each other “as we grapple with the developmental challenges which faced us overtime.”

These efforts, he said, resulted in the development of regional policies and

programmes in education, addressing areas such as technical and vocational education, health and family life education, early childhood education, youth development and crime prevention.

He said that in public health, the Region has led the way in consolidating action against HIV/AIDS through the Pan-Caribbean Partnership and in bringing global attention to the imperative of addressing the non-communicable diseases having galvanised “our own efforts regionally to address this scourge.”

Ambassador Granderson however noted that the Region today is faced with new and emerging issues which are threatening to compromise the gains made towards the achievement of sustainable development.

“This meeting of the COHSOD with its focus on fostering innovation through education and culture will zero in on addressing one of the main levers for attaining

sustainable development in all of its dimensions – economic, social and environmental.”

He then spoke of the region’s capacity to achieve the level of competitiveness required for success in the global economy which is in large measure dependent on the capacity for innovation in all spheres.

According to the envoy, the capacity for innovation is fuelled by creativity.

“Fostering creativity from the earliest stages must be a deliberate strategy for our human resource development systems.”

Moreover, he said that the COHSOD will turn the spotlight on this imperative which was recognised by the CARICOM Heads of Government Conference in 1997. In welcoming the representatives from the various CARICOM territories, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, gave credence to the fact that over the years COHSOD fora have provided policy makers with the space, the opportunities to debate and discuss and to shape a vision for the Region.

“We have seen this mechanism being utilised to focus attention on particular sectors such as education, health, youth, children, gender, sport and culture.

This has allowed the Region to unravel some of the thorny

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood

issues within these sectors and proffer solutions to prevent, curtail and cure some anomalies.”

And since sectors do not exist in a vacuum, he noted that sometimes in considering them separately there is a risk of losing the “big picture” where the synergistic efforts can make a greater impact. It was on this basis he disclosed that the Ministers of Culture felt that it was important that a joint meeting be held with their education counterparts and “I note for this particular meeting we have a very ambitious agenda touching on the role of culture and education in the development of the ideal Caribbean person...”

Over the two days of the meeting, Ministers of Education and Culture are expected to discuss a 16-point agenda that places emphasis on matters including the Role of Culture and Education in the Development of the Ideal Caribbean Person; the development of skill sets for the knowledge economy; access, quality and coordination at all levels of education, and violence against children.

The Meeting will focus also on the Draft Regional Development Strategy for the Cultural Industries in CARICOM and its implications for education and culture; TVET; and promoting healthy lifestyles in the development of the ideal Caribbean person.

Ministers will also be updated on the preparations for the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) XI which will be held in Paramaribo, Suriname from 16-25 August, 2013.

Friday May 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Those confession statements We have had within our judicial system a number of voir dires. The main reason for the proliferation of these trials within trials is that there are questions about the admissibility of confession statements given by persons accused or murder.

From way back, defence counsel have challenged confession statements made by their clients on the grounds that these statements were extracted under threat of force or torture. In most instances, these challenges are thrown out. But there have been a few cases where the courts have

found that the so-called confession statements were made under extreme duress.

However, these instances have been few and far apart, Yet, there continues to be voir dires, because a confession statement can be damning to the case of an accused.

One of the main grounds for challenging the admissibility of confession statements is that torture of force was used. There have never been accusations of water boarding in Guyana.

But there have been allegations of plastic bags being placed over the heads of suspects. There have also

been accusations of shock therapy being applied to the body of suspects. There have been allegations of the testicles of prisoners being ‘shocked’, of political prisoners being placed to sit on the nests of biting ants, of suspects being beaten with hard objects, and of course there was the infamous case of the private parts of a man being doused with methylated spirits and set alight.

It is not good enough for the political authorities to say that whenever allegations of torture are made these should be investigated. A protocol

“Obsessed” ex-lover charged with simple larceny An “obsessed” man, who is alleged to have constantly stalked his ex-lover to the point where he dealt her several slaps across her face and stole her phone - despite several reports to the police – appeared yesterday before Magistrate Sueanna Lovell.

The charge stated that on May 17, last, the defendant, Leron Williams of 51 Norton Street, assaulted Samantha Chase with intent to cause actual bodily harm. It was further alleged that on December 17, last, at the aforementioned location, Williams stole one cell phone valued $50,000 from Chase.

To both charges the defendant pleaded not guilty.

He explained to the court that he and the complainant know each other and had an intimate relationship which lasted for seven months. He

added that they separated due to a misunderstanding.

Williams told the court that the cell phone was never stolen. He said he took her children to a Fast Food restaurant on May 17 and when he returned to the home they shared, the woman gave him the phone to use.

“Your worship, after we break up, she decide that she want back the phone and after she couldn’t get on to me she decide to go to the station and make a report and I don’t know nothing about the assault matter cause I never hit her . I swear. Plus, I was never had any problem with the law.”

Prosecutor Alexis DavidHossanah told the court that the defendant is in the habit of following the defendant and he is known to the police for several matters in relation

to robbery under arms.

She said that the complainant was at home and had placed her cell phone down and left that area for a few minutes. The defendant then sneaked in and stole it.

On a separate occasion, as the defendant was stalking her, he slapped her several times when she was on her way home, the prosecutor stated.

Williams was subsequently granted bail to the tune of $75,000 and $25,000, respectively, for the simple larceny and assault charges.

However Magistrate Lovell made it clear that he was only granted bail on the condition that he stays away from the complainant. If that condition is to be breached, bail will be revoked.

The matter was adjourned until June 12.

should be developed outlining a series of steps which should be followed once such an allegation is made. We have seen for example this past week in Florida where the FBI was said to have shot a man wanted for questioning in relation to the Boston bombings and for other crimes in that area. The man reportedly resisted arrest, misbehaved, and was shot. Immediately, certain standard operational procedures to investigate the killings were activated.

We will see the same happening in England where two suspects were shot after reportedly butchering a soldier. There will be certain steps taken to determine whether excessive or brute force was used by the police.

Guyana has to follow similar procedures. There have to be certain set procedures to investigate charges of unlawful killings or following charges about the use of force or torture. The government should, however, not leave this to the Police Force. That organization does not enjoy much of the public’s confidence when it comes to investigating charges of impropriety and misconduct on the part of its

own members.

What is needed, until that level of confidence can be restored, is for an independent investigating mechanism to be established.

This should ideally be headed by a retired judge and comprise other persons with knowledge about interrogation. A three-man team can be established, which will automatically kick in whenever there is a charge of the use of threats, force or torture in extracting statements from accused persons.

In addition, a suggestion was made a long time ago that will help to bring an end to these charges of the use of force. And it will not take much for this to be implemented. It has been suggested that whenever suspects are being interrogated, the entire process should be videotaped. If this is done, then it means that there will be evidence to either substantiate or dispute the many charges which are often levelled about persons being forced to sign statements.

The Minister of Home Affairs has established a website in which persons can indicate whether they paid a

bribe. He should also buy a few video cameras and have them set up in the interrogating rooms of police stations so that there will be video recordings of the questioning of suspects.

This along with an independent body to investigate allegations about the use of force will reduce, substantially, the number of charges of the use of force.

But let us hope it does not reduce the number of confession statements, because if it does, it could mean that all was and is still not right with how police conduct the questioning of suspects.

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Friday May 24, 2013

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Chasing Shaka Chase for the sake of chasing The first media practitioners to be on the scene of the murder of policeman Romain Cleto were Dale Andrews and me. We arrived shortly after the shooting.

A crowd surrounded us and began to talk to us. They pointed us to where the spent shells were on the ground. Eyewitnesses saw the tragedy and were openly talking about a clearcomplexioned young man whom they said shot up the police vehicle.

Where did the police find a dark-skinned young man who dons a natty dread hairstyle? They invented him, charged him, and the DPP

released him from his murder indictment. And she would have done that only if she was convinced that the evidence was not there. Before we speculate on the reason for the police indictment, the people of the world who followed this police action must now understand that people can confess to crimes they did not commit, because torture is a punishment they seek short term relief from.

A very strong human being with a resilient psychology may remain defiant knowing that if he confesses to murder he can get the death sentence. But a majority of humans cannot

withstand immense torture.

I read where the Americans during the war on terror, drove a suspect to virtual insanity because they played crazy music every minute for weeks in his ears.

Very few humans can sustain that kind of torture. Not caring about the consequences that follow a confession, a suspect will admit to a crime he did not commit just to end the pain.

It would appear that Shaka Chase signed his admission statement because he wanted immediate relief from his pain.

The story of Shaka Chase’s so-called confession reveals the dark side to

injustice in this country, perpetrated by the police for decades. My nephew was charged for stealing a few coconuts from one of the richest Guyanese, who is perhaps one of the richest men in the Caribbean. When I went to Eve Leary to see him, he had already singed a confession statement along with his other two friends. I was annoyed he did that, but this was what he said to me; “Uncle Frederick, the guards were beating us bad in our heads.”

I insisted to the Brickdam CID that if my nephew was charged then this tycoon’s guards have to be charged for

GWMO supports Commission of Inquiry into incidence of TIP The Guyana Women Miners’ Organization (GWMO) is pleased that the joint Opposition has called on President Donald Ramotar to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the incidence of Trafficking In Persons (TIP).

According to Simona Broomes, President of GWMO, she was worried that Parliamentarians were being too silent about the horrifying social ill that is affecting women and young girls in Guyana’s interior.

Broomes said that her organization supports any Commission or programme that would tackle TIP. The Opposition’s calls for this Commission have resurrected hope that the highest forum in Guyana is concerned

about women’s wellbeing.

The Opposition (A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change) approved a motion led by its Parliamentary Leader David Granger for the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to investigate the incidence of TIP, on Wednesday evening.

According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), “This was done despite arguments by Government Members of Parliament (MPs) that the establishment of such a body was unnecessary given that there are measures in place.

Presentations by opposition MPs and clauses in the Motion itself also reaffirmed that these measures were in place.”

GWMO President, Simona Broomes GINA stated that there are constitutional, legal and other measures in place to deal with TIP. The GINA bulletin further stated, “Legal Affairs

Minister Anil Nandlall did not support the call for the COI, questioning why TIP was singled out when there were several other equally important problems which could be addressed by such a move.

He also outlined the executive power of the President in explaining why the Opposition could not demand that the President set up such a body.”

However, Government’s position was not surprising, since for years it had maintained that human trafficking was not a major problem in Guyana. But, when the GWMO came on the scene last year, the Administration was forced to change its tune. With limited security and resources, members of the GWMO have been rescuing women and teenagers from sexual slavery in Guyana’s “gold bush”.

According to Broomes, human trafficking is a serious problem and needs to be prevented. She related that such situations do not occur overnight and in most instances poor economic circumstances present limited opportunities to women and children.

Broomes noted that Government has always maintained the position that systems are in place, but she wants Parliament to review those systems and see how effective they are. She pointed out that strong enforcement, prosecution of perpetrators, and protection of victims and witnesses are needed.

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brutality. You won’t believe what happened after. The tycoon sent down his two sons to Brickdam to argue on behalf of his guards.

This super-rich Guyanese has guards that severely beat his employees for stealing.

And you should see how the police were like slaves to the sons of the multi-billionaire.

They could have given the police gifts that Frederick Kissoon couldn’t, but I was not prepared to see the guards go free. The only reason my nephew was not charged was because a high profile media practitioner was bent on exposing the conspiracy whereby the wealthy in Guyana pay the police force to do their bidding.

The head of the civilian oversight board of the police, Patrick Mentore, was a former student of mine and is a friend.

I will be at his office everyday to complain against police depravities in this country.

The police are out of control and let us see what Patrick and his team are going to do about it.

Now the million-dollar question – who tortured Shaka Chase? Should not an investigation be started?

Shouldn’t civil society insist that there be one? The police just cannot drive around Guyana picking up suspects and torturing them because

Frederick Kissoon they want to please the political directorate.

If we had a competent Home Affairs Minister then the police would have caught their killer days after Mr. Cleto was murdered. But Clement Rohee put one camera on top of the Bank of Baroda building at perhaps the busiest intersection in the entire 83,000 square miles of Guyana, and it was fixed in one direction only. But why blame Rohee? How many others of his Cabinet colleagues are wiser and more competent?

My opinion is that the political directorate, in order to cover up their incompetence and the camera fiasco, needed a quick solution. The police as in a game of the Wild West, just grabbed Shaka Chase at random, brutalized him and charged him. In doing so, the political directorate and the police could not have been bothered that in prosecuting an innocent man they would leave behind a trail of tears from a crying mother, wife and children.

Dem boys seh...

Hand in tiger mouth? Pat he head David and APNU going back to de committee to examine that anti- money laundering Bill. David did pull out he people because he claim that Donald did hide a letter. Donald come up wid a good excuse and he tell David he sorry.

Dem boys seh that times really change. Was a time when nobody like de leader of de government woulda apologise.

He was pompous because he know that he had power. He coulda call parliament when he want and decide if he gun pass a Bill. Things change.

He got to call parliament when de opposition seh; and he got to watch out wid he Bills. Now he saying sorry. Dem boys seh that he can call snap elections and try fuh end this stupidness, but Donald got sense. He know that now people out there still vex. He should get Bharrat to come out and tell dem people sorry. But that is one man who don’t apologise fuh nutten.

Donald is one man who know when he hand in tiger mouth he must pat de head. Is nuff head-patting he got to do, but that is a nice thing.

It woulda be nice if everybody in Guyana coulda live like that—patting one another head. It woulda get people living in peace and harmony. But some people get crookish.

Dem woulda lef de patting till dem tail deh in a hole and then come out and beg.

Up to now somebody still ain’t seh sorry fuh de money dem waste pun Skeldon. De sugar workers coulda do wid that money instead of de government throw it away behind some Chinee contractor. That is why dem sugar workers suh vex. But Donald got a plan. He planning fuh improve all dem estate ground. That is to show that sugar mekking money, but as everybody know, you can fool some of de people some of de time but you can’t fool all de people all de time.

Talk half and wait fuh more olive branch

Friday May 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 11

No Amaila $$$ release until IDB due diligence completed - AFC Despite the very real likelihood of Guyana facing penalties of not meeting a deadline later this year for financial closure on the US$840M Amaila Falls hydro project, the opposition Alliance for Change (AFC) says it will remain cautious, and not endorse the release of billions of dollars it blocked recently.

In fact, the party will await the completion of the ongoing financial due diligence by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), one of the main lenders for the project, before making a decision.

The project is on rocky ground at the moment, with miles of the access road leading to the site at the falls in Region Eight still incomplete, with a year-end deadline. The project’s developer, Sithe Global, has signed an agreement with government to manage the facility and construction, and a separate one with the Chinese contractor, China Railway First Group.

Guyana has to finish the access road and have financial closure or face both Sithe Global and China Railway invoking penalty clauses which could see the country paying a percentage of the total project sum.

Financial closure has been pushed back time and again from since 2011 because of the delays of the road, and the demand by the IDB to carry out its own checks to determine the feasibility of the project. The IDB has been asked to plug up to US$180M into the project.

Yesterday, AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan said that his party is not aware of the full financial consequences, but acknowledged that there will be fallout. Earlier this year, AFC and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) blocked almost $20B from the National Budget, a significant portion representing Guyana’s stake in the US$840M project which is designed to reduce dependence on fossil oil power.

The access road faced

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan time-consuming delays after the first contractor, Synergy Holdings Inc., was fired in January 2011, for not honouring contractual obligations. For the access road -110 km of new road and upgrades to 85 km of existing roadway- government has allocated $2.3B this year.

Originally the project was to cost just over $3B. The delays have pushed the final cost of the Amaila Falls road closer to the $4B mark.

Despite breaking the contract into sections, government continued to be challenged with delays caused mainly by the rough terrain.

It was forced to take the drastic action of taking away the contract of the last section of the road leading to the falls and awarding it to China Railway, the contractor of the hydro project, in a bid to speed up work.

CAUTIOUSAFC Ramjattan said the AFC was mindful of releasing the $20B for the project at a time when there is still uncertainty over the decision of the IDB. The bank is expected to

announce its finding by the third or fourth quarter of this year.

“So if we front-end the whole set of money, we would have done a major, ill-advised project that will cost millions more.”

AFC and APNU have a one-seat majority in the National Assembly, since the 2011 General and Regional Elections, allowing the Opposition to control spending of public moneys from the Consolidated Fund for the first time in over 20 years.

“The people want to be cautious and we are only piggybacking on their caution. We are doing the right thing…the correct thing.”

China Railway, under an

Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract, will be building the 165 megawatts project for US$506M. Sithe Global had said that IDB would have completed its financial due diligence on the project by next month, but government announced revised deadlines to later this year.

Sithe Global, through its local operating company, Amaila Falls Hydro Inc., is hoping to have the project completed in three and a half years. It said it spent US$11M on third party environmental, technical and legal costs associated with the development and financing of the project. It will be contributing in excess of US$120M of equity funding during the construction

period.

WORRY On Wednesday, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, hinted of the government’s worry over the impending deadline.

Luncheon said that given the validity of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project agreement, financial closure, the access road to the facility, and the actual construction of the plant, have to be delivered in a timely manner.

Government is banking on the hydro power to meet growing demands and spur growth in the manufacturing sector. Already, GPL is spending more than US$40M to rebuild aging transmission lines along the coastland to reduce technical losses. Also being built are seven sub-

Dr. Roger Luncheon stations and a state-of-the-art control centre at Sophia that will allow the company to effectively manage power coming from the proposed Amaila Falls hydropower site.

The delays have pushed the final cost of the Amaila Falls road closer to the $4B mark.

Page 12

Kaieteur News

Friday May 24, 2013

Friday May 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

“Fire GuySuCo’s Board forthwith” – Ramjattan

By Abena Rockcliffe Noting that the Alliance For Change (AFC) finds it “extraordinary” that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has the resources to pay its Board Chairman US$25,000 monthly, provide two houses and other huge “perks” for him and the “fat cats at the top,” but “crakes” to find money to do what is important, party leader Khemraj Ramjattan said that the entire Board should be fired.

The AFC parliamentarian said that his party noted the comments of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GuySuCo, Paul Bhim that the first sugar crop for 2013 will produce the “lowest production that we’ve (GuySuCo) ever had as far as the records go”.

Ramjattan expressed, however, that the AFC is not surprised by that pronouncement since the party and the sugar unions had warned GuySuCo, since 2009, of the imminent challenges facing the sugar industry.

He noted that the AFC pleaded with the Government to support GuySuCo to lessen the risks by investing more in the field infrastructure to enhance productivity.

According to Ramjattan, the AFC has since consulted many experts and workers, and has been reliably advised that the best practice of replanting the cane field, along with “flood fallowing” every five years, has now been abandoned in GuySuCo. “Rather, GuySuCo is now conducting the vital process after a period averaging between eight to twelve years. This is most unfortunate since these deliberate delays in flood fallowing and replanting is a

guaranteed formula for considerably reversing decline in cane productivity.

The experts that we have consulted have made it clear that as a result of the abandonment of these good cultivation practices by GuySuCo, the fibre and trash content would increase, which translates to a poorer quality cane being delivered to the sugar mills compared to the past years.”

“It is time to turn the Board of GuySuCo on its head since it is clear they do not know what it takes to lead GuySuCo. The AFC demands the firing of the entire Guysuco Board forthwith. It is clear that the Board of Directors at Guysuco has zero sympathy for the industry and the plight of the workers.

Among them are greedy and self-interested persons who believe that because they are friends of the PPP, they can live the high life off the sweat of the poor man and abandon the one thing that would turnaround GuySuCo… good quality cane.”

Ramjattan called too for a return to focusing the primary efforts at Guysuco to the fields and factories, rather than benefits for the “fat cats”, and for all efforts to be made to take the cane/sugar ratio from its 2012 levels of 12.69 to the pre-1999 levels of 10.88.

“Better yet, we believe as a strategy that GuySuCo should aim for single digit cane/sugar ratios.

Unfortunately, because of the poor quality factory acquired by the Jagdeo administration, the Skeldon Factory takes “16.29 tons of cane to produce one ton of sugar vs. a ratio of 10.52 at Albion” as highlighted by Mr. Vieira, a former Estate Administrator.”

Ramjattan stated with

emphasis that “those who imposed the Skeldon Factory on this nation at such a high cost with so little return are nothing less than unpatriotic and disloyal to this nation.

They were more focused on securing more personal wealth rather than the good of the nation.”

He further highlighted, “It must be noted that none other than His Excellency the President was a key member of the GuySuCo Board for most of the years under which all these poor investment decisions were made, and therefore His Excellency is also directly responsible for the state of the sugar belt today.”

Ramjattan noted, “We have real problem at GuySuCo thanks to the poor leadership of the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal.

He said that the AFC is calling on the Ramotar administration to launch a full Commission of Inquiry into the operations of GuySuCo and to immediately appoint a new Board with suitable talent in areas of expertise useful to the sugar industry “so that we all can change the current practices and rebuild the industry”.

The AFC is also calling on the Government to approach the Brazilian or Indian government for technical assistance in designing a practical plan with a focus on rehabilitation, rationalization and modernization of the sugar industry to ensure longterm profitability.

“The AFC is prepared to support any professionally designed plan laid in Parliament that will help secure the long-term efficiency and sustainability of the sugar industry once our core value of transparency, accountability and inclusivity is followed.”

Guyana Govt. stands firmly on the side of its indigenous people - Minister Sukhai tells UN Permanent forum Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai while attending the 12th session of the United Nations (UN) Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to address the implementation of the declaration on the rights of the indigenous peoples at the UN headquarters in New York, spoke of the elevation of Guyana’s indigenous people, initiatives to propel their village economies, and their right to representation in several Constitutional rights bodies.

At the forum held on Wednesday, Minister Sukhai said, “I am proud to announce that the Government of Guyana, stands firmly on the

side of our country’s indigenous peoples and while the achievements are measurable, we still have a lot of work to do amidst the challenges in bridging gaps and obtaining policy objectives…to this end all stakeholders are encouraged to seriously contribute to greater tolerance, respect and recognition for the rights and development of Guyana’s indigenous peoples.”

She pointed out that Guyana’s Constitution, laws and policies underscore the “equality of all peoples” and explicitly prohibit discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, gender and religion; not in law, not in

policy and not in action.

Amerindians are represented on the five Constitutional Rights Bodies that include the Indigenous People’s Commission and the Ethnic Relations Commission which offer direct opportunities for Amerindians to have recourse to addressing discrimination and rights issues affecting them.

The Amerindian Act #6 of 2006, provides for the guarantee of Amerindian land rights, self-determination within the State of Guyana subject to state sovereignty, mindful that there is no right to succession which is (Continued on page 15)

Page 13

GGMC’s ISO certification under threat over permit backlogs, space congestion

By Zena Henry Directors of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) will have to act quickly if they are to save their prestigious International Standard Organization (ISO) certification that it is now under threat due to the lack of staff accommodation and a backlog of mining permits.

Last April when an ISO audit was conducted, the organization was given 45 days to comply with those ISO management objectives primarily.

Directors are peeved since they say that the current state of affairs is no doing of theirs. A source told Kaieteur News that millions of dollars had to be spent to meet requirements, and hard work on the staffers’ part amounted to the agency becoming one of the first mining companies to achieve the ISO 14001 certification, but the entity has been unable to maintain it to date.

That may however change if the agency is unable to fix its space and permit-granting issues by January 2014 - when another audit is expected for recertification.

The rental of a building (former Co-op Complex) at Regent and Light Streets would have significantly aided with the space congestion; and that is why, the source said, GGMC’s board of directors had already approved the decision to move to the said location.

The source said that the newly constructed building at the agency’s compound would have also aided with space congestion while keeping staffers at a central location. That building, which was constructed at a cost to GGMC of some $60M, is now being occupied after being taken over by the less than two-year-old Natural Resources Ministry which from its formation in 2011, was housed at the Office of the President.

Much contention arose over the Agency’s intent to move, with the Natural Resources Minister issuing a statement, which indicated that the GGMC had no intention to move to Regent Street and lashed out at this newspaper for, “printing inaccuracies without confirmation.”

But documentation provided to Kaieteur News showed that the decision had already been finalized and approved by the agency’s board, with the move being scheduled for the new week.

All this, Kaieteur News was told, was for the sole reason of easing space

congestion and to comply with the ISO objectives.

In terms of the backlog of permits, Kaieteur News was informed that from December 5 of last year to July of this year, GGMC was instructed to grant no permits, resulting in a backlog of some 3000 applications, thus causing a violation of the ISO requirement; “Improvement in customer satisfaction and feedback,.” and more specifically, “Annual reduction in process cycle time.”

The source divulged further that it was not until a no confidence vote was passed by the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, along with other mining agencies that the granting of permits resumed.

The purpose for the halt, the source said, is unknown.

GGMC will however face added expenses since more manpower is now needed to speed up the granting process. “This means extra cost for workers’ meals, overtime payments and the involvement of more staff,” the source stressed.

The GGMC has been cited for good industrial mining

practices beyond legal requirements and as part of the ISO objectives, this goes hand in hand with requirements of information into the Gazette being correct initially and “employees participating daily by, complying with GGMC’s Quality System Procedures and work instructions and by doing their jobs right the first time.” Reference to a May 20 memorandum however noted that the decision not to rent the Regent Street building would have, “immediate implications on the Commission’s ability to maintain Certification in ISO Quality Management System.”

“As you are aware..,” the reference continued, “GGMC was cited for non-compliance with clause 6.3 of the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System, which requires the organization to provide sufficient infrastructure to achieve conformity to product requirement.”

The specific areas of noncompliance were, “(1) large backlog of permits with resulting inability to meet cycle times for a number of permitting processes and (2) Insufficient workspace for additional required resources.”

Page 14

Kaieteur News

Friday May 24, 2013

Friday May 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 15

Executed businessman’s brother believes sibling killed over assets A brother of Totaram Mootoo is pointing fingers at two overseas-based men, whom he claims plotted the execution of the 54-year-old businessman and his wife, down to the tampering of surveillance equipment in the couple’s home.

The brother also claimed that the men were motivated by a desire to gain Mootoo’s assets, while refuting suggestions that a vendetta with underworld figures caused the May 9 slaying of the couple.

He suggested that the killers were paid with cash that had mysteriously disappeared from the businessman’s house several days prior to his execution.

Police sources confirmed yesterday that the brother and an in-law of the slain businessman, have relayed

Totaram and Bhagmattie Mootoo their suspicions to investigators.

A source told Kaieteur News that detectives had been examining other motives but were now pursuing this new lead.

The brother, and the inlaw, who also reside overseas, expressed their suspicions during a visit to Kaieteur News yesterday. They arrived in Guyana several days after the couple was cremated and

complained that they had been kept in the dark about the funeral plans.

Two of the slain couple’s sons are also in the country.

According to the brother, he learned about the couple’s death sometime after 03:45 hrs on May 10, after receiving a call from one of his brothers.

He said that the two suspects immediately came to mind, and he subsequently received information that seemed to confirm his suspicions.

The man said that he contacted the couple’s sons, who subsequently travelled to Guyana.

Mootoo’s brother and the in-law both suggested that the murder plot was hatched about a month before the couple was slain. They claimed that equipment recovered by police indicated

Guyana Govt. stands firmly on...

From page 12 in keeping with Article #46 of the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP).

“The Government’s continued focus on Amerindian land rights and ownership is a major achievement…of the 110 Amerindian communities, 98 have been awarded absolute grant and the successes of the demarcation programme have resulted in the demarcation of 77 of the 98 titled areas,” she said.

Minister Sukhai highlighted that the Amerindian Titling and Demarcation Project (ALT) 2013 – 2015 is expected to complete all titling and demarcation of Amerindian lands for which funding is provided from the Guyana REDD + Investment Fund (GRIF). Allocations this year amount to $77.8M to advance the completion of 12 communities and the demarcation of 8 titled

villages. With regards to self determination, decision making and Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), Minister Sukhai noted that Article #4 of the Amerindian Act provides for the establishment of locally elected village councils, whose mandate is to ensure good governance and management, and use of land and natural resources in their respective villages.

“Guyana has a track record of inclusionary governance and at no time in Guyana’s history was there such a high level of participation of indigenous leaders and people in the body politic of our country… in short Indigenous peoples speak for themselves and freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social and cultural development,” she emphasised.

Participation and the informed voice of the Amerindians are identified in

all the major national strategy legislative and developmental fora.

Amerindian organisations and the National Toshaos Council (NTC) continue to lend informed voices to formulation, revision and updating of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which aims to transform Guyana’s economy while combating climate change. The next major step for Amerindians currently, is the discussion and approval of the “opt-in mechanism” towards the LCDS for which consultation is ongoing.

When addressing economic social and cultural development, Minister Sukhai indicated that the mainstreaming of Amerindian village economies’ development is dependent on the decisions of the communities for which the priorities are captured in the Community Development Plans (CDP) of 166 villages. ”The GoG has committed to provide the investment funds

in support of the economic initiative of the villages,” she stressed.

Additionally, government allocated funds this year to finance an innovative project for Amerindian youth empowerment to advance youth capacity building, and increasing skills and capabilities through apprenticeship and entrepreneurial initiatives for community development.

The Government has declared a month for the nation to celebrate the diversity of its indigenous nations, as well as their traditional and cultural heritage.

The Minister indicated that in consideration to gender issues and domestic violence, the indigenous population is targeted to benefit from gender based interventions through a national dialogue on domestic violence and a countrywide ‘Stamp it out’ campaign.

(GINA)

that someone had tampered with the surveillance equipment in the couple’s Guysuco Scheme, East Coast Demerara residence. The two men also alleged that Mootoo was in the habit of keeping large sums of currency in his home and was upset after several million in local currency disappeared from his residence.

They claimed that the money-changer kept two safes in his residence and alleged that one of the safes had disappeared. Police had said they found an open, empty safe in the slain couple’s bedroom.

The two men said that they are determined to assist the police in every way possible in bringing the individuals who plotted the Mootoos execution and the killers to justice. The brother is convinced that the individuals who executed his sibling and sister-in-law were close associates of the victims. Police had detained three individuals, including a bodyguard and a handyman, but have since released them.

The charred bodies of 54year-old Totaram Mootoo, called ‘Beer’, and 48-year-old Bhagmattie Mootoo, called ‘Dolly’, were discovered three Thursdays ago in their master bedroom after firefighters extinguished a blaze in the couple’s home.

Mootoo’s hands were bound behind his back with duct-tape while his wife was lying with an arm around her husband. Investigators said that the blast was triggered by a 20-pound gas cylinder in the bedroom.

A post mortem revealed that the Mootoos were still alive when the cylinder exploded. Cause of death was from extensive burns and smoke inhalation. The victims also sustained blunt trauma.

Police received reports from residents who claimed that they saw a car with heavily-tinted windows driving away from the area shortly after hearing the explosion. However, they have been unable to glean any evidence from surveillance cameras in the area.

Page 16

Kaieteur News

Friday May 24, 2013

Haags Bosch landfill site project gets $732M this year - $300M to complete works

By Keeran Danny Some $732M is slated to be expended this year on several aspects of the Haags Bosch landfill site project to enhance solid waste management within Region Four’s 15 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and Georgetown Municipality.

Of that amount, $300M would be utilized to complete works at the location, while procuring trucks and receptacles and constructing a holding facility in Georgetown are on the Ministry’s agenda.

This was revealed by Local Government and Regional Development Minister Ganga Persaud at a press briefing yesterday in the Ministry’s boardroom located at Kingston.

According to Persaud, the Haags Bosch landfill site’s cell one is currently being used, developed, and “is a work in progress”. He related that work on the cell will only cease when it no longer has the capacity to accommodate more waste.

Persaud said that with proper compaction the capacity of the cell would keep increasing. He noted that no works are being executed on other cells since it would not be practicable to leave ditches.

According to Gordon

Gilkes, Project Coordinator, the cell has the capacity to retain waste for about four and a half to five years. The landfill site receives about 1,010,000 tons per year, so emphasis is being placed on encouraging residents to reduce waste.

Providing a background of the financial aspect of the project, Persaud said in excess of US$10M has been dispersed under the US$18M Inter-American Development Bank-funded project. He is confident that the remaining US$7M is sufficient to complete the project which was inked in 2007.

According to Persaud, the Ministry is hoping to spend $20M to complete construction of its hazardous waste mechanism.

“We can take from the hydroclave sterilized medical and hazardous waste and then deposit at Haags Bosch.” Persaud said that this year the Ministry is seeking to continue its public awareness efforts.

The Ministry has contracted Guyenterprise to the tune of $42M for these services. The entity is to ensure every citizen within the boundaries of the 15 NDCs and Municipality understands that solid waste management plays an integral part in ensuring a healthy environment and by extension a healthy nation.

The Haags Bosch landfill site

In addition, it would have to inform or remind residents that the time is drawing near for the implementation of the solid waste tax. Persaud explained that every household within Region Four would have to pay $1,000 or $1,200 monthly for waste collection. The local bodies would of course have to provide adequate services in return.

This is the third phase of the public awareness aspect of the project. The first component was executed at the commencement of the project. Consultations were carried out with residents of various communities on the East Bank Demerara and

stakeholders. Another phase dealt with schools, health and other related organizations.

During the coming phase of the campaign, much emphasis will be placed on how to reduce household waste through recycling.

However, educating residents how to sort their waste is also expected to be covered.

“This aspect (public awareness) of the programme is rolling out and I am not sure it has reached as yet. Part of this public awareness may hint to sorting of our waste…in placing them in identifiable containers. But, this aspect would be boosted more when the recycle programme awards are made for recycle operators in our country. Then there would be the responsibility to promote separating or sorting guidance to the residents. To place too much emphasis now may be too preemptive.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry is seeking to increase its ability to manage waste across the Region by procuring machinery, receptacles and closing dumpsites.

Persaud noted that the Ministry is hoping to expend about $20M in procuring and distributing 841 solid waste receptacles.

Some of these receptacles will be large and could only be removed with heavy-duty machinery. As such, two compactor trucks, properly designed to remove those receptacles, would be procured to the tune of $50M. “To assist with the management across the Region, we would have a hook-lift truck that would be procured for about some $15M. We are hoping this year to bring closure to a number of temporary sites we have on

the East Coast and East Bank Demerara to the tune of $20M,” he said.

According to the Minister, the Ministry is seeking to erect a drop-off centre in Georgetown, providing companies and individuals the opportunity to dispose waste.

The various elements of this project are being finalized. The holding centre is expected to cost $30M. Persaud indicated that the idea was born out of Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green’s repeated concerns about the early closure of the Haags Bosch site.

It is hoped by the authorities that entities would cease indiscriminate dumping and utilize the service from the centre. The holding centre is expected to have a recycling facility and containers to hold specific categories of waste.

Education Ministry issues delayed payment to Literacy Teachers In keeping with a promise to Literacy Teachers across the country, the Education Ministry has honoured an outstanding payment obligation.

The teachers, who are tasked with delivering remedial classes to pupils who are dubbed “slow learners”, were denied their stipends for their services since the beginning of this year. However, it was after voicing their concerns in the media that the Ministry in a statement last week had assured that the teachers would be paid this week.

This publication was informed by a Ministry official yesterday that payment sheets were signed off on Monday and were sent to the Ministry’s 21 Brickdam, Georgetown office, to be dispatched to the various Regions. However, although the moneys have been

dispatched, all teachers as at yesterday were not in receipt of their allotment. Some teachers did confirm though that they had received their payment. It is expected that all teachers will be compensated by today.

Last week the Ministry, in apologetic mode, broke its silence on the non-payment of stipends to the teachers.

In a statement, it sought to reassure teachers that measures were put in place for them to receive their money, even as efforts are being made to ensure that their payment is not withheld again.

The statement, which was attributed to the Literacy Department of the Ministry, headed by Mr Murray Greenidge, noted that it “wishes to publicly offer an apology to the literacy teachers who have been affected by the delay in the release of stipends.” It was

also noted that the contributions of the teachers are invaluable therefore “we thank you for your patience and commitment.”

Teachers, most of whom are currently not full-time educators, are attached to the Ministry’s Remedial Literacy Programme on a contractual basis. They are required to deliver the relevant programmes to primary level children. Sessions usually start at around 14:30 hours, after normal school sessions and conclude at around 16:30 hours.

The remedial programme commenced some six years ago, with teachers being afforded a stipend of $30,000 per month.

They are however in receipt of $28,440 after NIS payment is deducted. As part of their contractual agreement they are required to facilitate sessions four days per week.

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US tightens laws against military rapes Reuters) - Lawmakers introduced fresh legislation yesterday seeking to address the problem of sexual assault in the military and summoned the nation’s top commanders to testify about the crisis, which has become an embarrassment to the armed forces.

The White House and Congress have demanded changes since seeing a damning report of a steep rise in the number of assaults on members of the military and a spate of high-profile sexrelated incidents.

Most recently, a military

official said on Wednesday that an Army sergeant was accused of videotaping female cadets in the showers at the Military Academy at West Point. The revelation came just hours after military leaders told a Senate panel they were making prevention of sexual harassment and sexual assault a top priority.

“This is a crime. It is a violent and vicious crime and the military needs to treat it as such,” said Representative Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican and co-chairman of the House Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus,

a co-sponsor of the new bill.

The measure introduced by Democratic and Republican lawmakers in both the Senate and House of Representatives would mandate, at minimum, a dishonorable discharge for anyone found guilty of sexual assault or attempted assault.

It would make it impossible for a commander to change a guilty conviction.

With several bills making their way through Congress, the Senate Armed Services Committee announced that it would hold a rare fullcommittee hearing on the legislation on June 4, with witnesses including General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the heads of all four service branches.

Most of the panel’s hearings on legislation involve only subcommittees, not the full membership.

Another exception was the consideration of legislation now law - that allowed homosexuals to serve openly in the military.

Friday May 24, 2013

Boston bomber fingered in triple murder (CNN) — Deceased Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev participated in a 2011 gruesome triple homicide outside Boston along with a Chechen killed early Wednesday during a confrontation with the FBI and Massachusetts State Police in Orlando, Florida, a federal law enforcement official told CNN. Ibragim Todashev, who died during the interview with authorities, not only confessed to his direct role in slashing the throats of three people in Waltham, Massachusetts, but also fingered Tsarnaev in the deaths, the official said Wednesday.

Todashev was being questioned about the slayings and his acquaintance with Tsarnaev.

Todashev attacked an FBI agent, who shot him dead, a federal law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the case told CNN. “He used some kind of weapon,” the official said, and

Tamerlan Tsarnaev (right) and Ibragim Todashev that prompted the FBI agent to shoot the suspect.

A second law enforcement official confirmed Todashev made the confession.

The unsolved triple murder received renewed interest after it was learned that Tsarnaev was sparring partners at a local gym with one of the victims.

Investigators of the crime reported at the time that the heads of the three victims were

pulled back and their throats slit ear to ear with great force.

Marijuana was spread over the bodies in a “symbolic gesture,” and several thousand dollars in cash was found at the scene.

Todashev told investigators the men were killed during a drug ripoff because he and Tsarnaev were afraid they would be able to identify them and tell police what happened, according to a law enforcement source.

Friday May 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Thieves hit film festival again (CNN) — A valuable necklace was stolen from a party at the Cannes Film Festival, the second major jewelry theft at the event t h i s y e a r, p o l i c e s a i d Thursday.

Jeweler de Grisogono said the necklace, which was part of a collection making its debut, was worth 2 million euros ($2.6 million).

The company said it was the first theft in the company’s 20-year history.

Police in Nice, France, confirmed the heist but said the necklace was only worth 1 million euros ($1.3 million U.S.). Police in Cap d’Antibes, the posh resort

town where the party was held, gave a third figure — $1 million (773,000 euros).

The de Grisogono statement said it had hired more than 80 security guards for the event at the Cap Eden Roc hotel in Cap d’Antibes, just east of Cannes.

On Friday, police in Nice said that more than $1 million in jewels belonging to the Swiss firm Chopard had been stolen from a hotel room in Cannes.

Chopard later said in a statement that the value of the stolen pieces was “far lower than those in the figures circulating in the

media.”

The theft of the jewels occurred May 16, on the second day of the festival, which runs through May 26.

Commandant Bernard Mascarelli of the Nice police said the jewelry was stolen from a room in the Suite Novotel hotel on Boulevard Carnot in Cannes.

A Chopard employee who was staying in the room left it for several hours to go to dinner, he s a i d . S h e r eturned to discover the whole safe containing the jewels had been unscrewed and taken away.

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Caribbean Press has potential to evolve - Culture Minister Although a series of recent deliberations have overshadowed the operation of the Caribbean Press, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, is urging that “Instead of being negative, let us see the positive side of this and see how you can participate to make this a better endeavour”.

The Minister said that a lot of the issues that have been raised in the media about the Caribbean Press have somehow suggested that there is mismanagement within the institution. He said that it was speculation along these lines that had caused the parliamentary opposition, during the recent budget debate, to threaten to cut funding for such activities, even as he added that “I think people had the wrong perception of what we are actually doing.”

Anthony said that it was after a lot of questions and scrutiny, all of which were adequately addressed, that the opposition was satisfied enough to allow for continued financial provision to the Caribbean Press, “So I don’t know what this issue about management is. It seems that people are always

shifting the goalposts”.

He emphasised that there was even need to dispel the perception that “we were not publishing contemporary writers.”

As he made reference to the Guyana Classics, which were brought into being through the Caribbean Press, the Minister noted that there are currently publications that represent a broad portfolio of historic and literary values. Also he said that moves have since been made to start a series of work with contemporary writers, moreover a number of them have since had their work published.

He noted that in the past three years in excess of 60 books have been published; something he believes has been taken for granted.

“It is a remarkable thing that we have been able to do that and the sole purpose of it is to get these books into our school system and to get people reading more about our history and so forth.”

He sought to highlight too that an initiative was engaged about one and a half years ago to work with local writers.

“I had personally convened meetings with persons who are interested,

Culture Minister, Dr Frank Anthony and we sent out a broad call to persons who are interested to come and have discussions with Dr. (David) Dabydeen.”

Dr. Dabydeen is currently the principal editor of material that reaches the Caribbean Press. And according to Minister Anthony, not only has Dr. Dabydeen been offering invaluable service, but he has also been soliciting the involvement of other professors to support the work of the Press.

The Minister also sought to highlight that Dr. Dabydeen and many other workers of the Press, operate on a voluntary basis, and are

therefore entitled to their own opinions about the writings they peruse.

“I am not an expert in this field (writing)...but Dr. Dabydeen, who is one of the very technical people involved in the press, has a very strong opinion on some of the writings that are emerging. That is his view...I am not competent to judge the quality of writing that is emerging because that is not my field of expertise. If you ask me about health I can comment about matters relating to health; that is my field of expertise.”

The Minister said that at the moment he is not only appreciative of the work that is being done, but is desirous of seeing serious contributions in this regard from other aptly qualified individuals. He noted too that it is his expectation that people would be able to see the broader picture stressing

that “it is not about money, it is about promoting literature, it is about cultural development...there is always space for more people who can help and that is what we are trying to do”.

He said that since writing is a “lonely thing” the production of quality writing depends on the writer who must be able to expend energies in perfecting his/her techniques. He added too that while a writer can be given broad guidelines as how to perfect the art of writing, the end result will come down to that individual doing “that extra work.”

“So in whatever way we can facilitate and help we are doing that,” the Minister asserted.

As such, he noted that it is unfortunate that continuous efforts are being made to belabour shortcomings within the Press, rather than disregard

that three years ago nothing existed in terms of formal publishing in Guyana.

He also pointed out that while some in Guyana are not willing to recognise the volume of work that is being done in Guyana, foreign nationals are anxious to have such moves emulated in their territories.

He was at the time alluding to some writers in Trinidad, French Guiana and Suriname, who according to him, have labelled Guyana’s efforts as “a brilliant idea” and have been asking whether or not this can be replicated around the Caribbean.

“We can continue to beat up on ourselves, but efforts should instead be made to allow an imperfect institution to grow and evolve. There is that potential for growth and other things like any other institution,” the Minister said in conclusion.

Guyanese appointed Police Chief of Miami Dade schools Miami - The Miami Dade County School Board recently appointed Caribbean American and native of Guyana, City of Miami Major Ian A. Moffett as its next Police Chief.

Moffett was born in Georgetown, Guyana and at the age of six, he migrated to Toronto, Canada with his parents and sister.

In 1985, Moffett migrated to Miami, Florida with his family. He is currently employed by the City of Miami Police Department.

He has a total of 20 years of law enforcement experience, and possesses a Master’s of Science Degree from the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelors of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Florida International University. He is also a graduate of the prestigious University of Louisville, Southern Police Institute Command Officers Development Course.

Major Moffett has worked and trained with MultiAgencies regarding responding to critical incidents and has given countless workshops in the area of Youth Violence, Gang Awareness, School Safety,

Major Ian Moffett Weapon of Mass Destruction, Emergency Management, and tactical training. He is currently a certified instructor and holds a specialty in firearms through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He is also an online faculty instructor for the University of Phoenix and teaches Critical Incident Management and Concepts of Physical Facility Security and Personal Protection to graduate level students.

Major Moffett is currently the co-chair for the Training Committee under the Florida Department of Law

Enforcement, Region 7 Domestic Security Task Force and the Training Representative for the City of Miami Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI).

Heis also the chairman for the Florida Criminal Justice Training Center Directors Association and represents all 40 certified training centers in the state.

He is currently the Vice President for the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officials (NASSLEO) and a Subject Matter Expert for the United States Department of Education on issues related to emergency management in schools. He was previously responsible for the Miami Police Department’s Training and Personnel Development Section and was also the Training Center Director for the Miami Police Training Center, which comprises a new police college.

Previously, Major Moffett was employed with MiamiDade Schools Police Department for over 15 years.

Formerly a member of the US Army, he has given over 24 years of government service at the National, State, and Local levels.

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Slain cop’s parents feel colleagues hold the key to bringing right killer to justice

Friday May 24, 2013

Independence Exhibition opened at National Museum

By Dale Andrews The father of murdered Police Corporal Romain Cleto is convinced that his late son’s colleagues who were with him the night he was killed, hold the key to the real identity of the killer(s).

David Kendall voiced the opinion hours after Shaka Chase, the man who police had charged with Cleto’s murder was set free by a magistrate following the withdrawal of the charge by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

“Well, as far as I concern, the colleagues who was with him, his fellow policemen, they have something to say because they are alive. The driver is alive, the other guy who get hit, they have something to say,” Kendall told this newspaper.

Investigators appear to have relied heavily on a ‘confession’ purportedly obtained from a woman who subsequently revealed that she had been tortured to sign a statement in which she identified Shaka Chase as one of the persons in the car that the killers were using at the time of the shooting.

Romain Cleto was gunned down on April 27, last, in full view of dozens of persons who were assembled near the Plaisance Bus Park.

The police had indicated that they had detained suspects and even went ahead and charged one of them without the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The

Gunned down: Romain Cleto move backfired causing great embarrassment to the force and frustration to the dead cop’s grieving relatives.

Kaieteur News understands that the DPP found several discrepancies in the police investigations, especially when it comes to the identity of the killer. An alleged eyewitness had described the shooter as a fair-skinned mixed race individual as against a darkskinned man with dreadlocks.

There was also some concern over the swabbing of the suspects’ hands as reported by the police, who claimed that they found gunpowder residue.

“With all the discrepancies, the police cannot readily say for sure if the man they brought to court was at the scene of the shooting,” a source informed this newspaper.

“There are all sorts of reports. They finding, they

Lillian Cleto beating, they picking up and they loosing, but I ain’t saying nothing,” the dead cop’s father said.

There were some earlier reports that the ranks who were with Cleto on that fateful night last month had given conflicting reports on the matter.

Kendall, who was present in court when Shaka Chase was set free, told Kaieteur News that he was at a loss when the former murder accused walked out of the courtroom.

“What I observed going on there this morning at the court, I just break out… like I didn’t know which part of Georgetown I was walking but I walking, heading home,” he explained.

Lillian Cleto, the late cop’s mother, shares the same view as her husband with regards to her late son’s colleagues.

“Yes, the people who were with him, they supposed to say is which person or they supposed to see something…somebody, but nobody ain’t saying anything. We want justice,” she declared.

The couple said that they have not been able to speak to any of Cleto’s colleagues to find out what happened during the last minutes of their son’s life.

For Lillian Cleto, she wants the police to find the real killers, adding that she would not like to see an innocent man pay for the murder of her son.

“I would like to know that they get the right person, the right killer,” she said.

She could not say if she felt any hatred towards the suspect when she first set eyes on him on Tuesday.

“I was just watching at him and thinking, well, I wondering if he’s the killer of my son. I remember watching at him and saying to myself, ‘I hope this is the right person’,” she said.

“I would glad if I could get justice and find the right person… that is all I want,” she added tearfully.

Students of the Sophia Technical Institute read important national facts The Annual Independence Anniversary Exhibition was yesterday declared open by Minister of Culture Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, during a simple ceremony held at the National Museum.

Guyana achieved Independence on May 26, 1966.

The exhibition is expected to run from today to June 7, and is open to all members of the public.

During his address to the gathering, Minister Anthony urged that Guyanese put all their differences aside in order to carry on the legacy that the ancestors have died fighting for. He commended both the National Museum and the National Archives for putting the exhibition together, as it will serve to immerse people in the contributions of their ancestors, and the hardships that they had to endure.

The Minister expressed disappointment that traditions such as masquerade and others art forms have declined over the years, despite his Ministry’s effort to keep that vibrant part of the Guyanese culture alive.

He added that as of now, the number of masquerade bands can literally be counted.

Anthony opined that

An item of sculpture on display

people of today seem to care less about where they came from, and are more adaptive to “instant culture”. He recommended that people do more research. The Exhibition focused much on the contributions of women

Cops seek man who allegedly killed, attempted to bury father Up to press time yesterday police and residents of Barakawu, North West District (NWD) were looking for a man who they believe is responsible for his father’s death.

According to the police, the body of Gilbert Adams, 66, of Barakawu, NWD, was found at his residence at about 08:00 hours on Wednesday. The police said Adams’ body bore marks of violence.

Further, this publication was told that prior to the discovery of the man’s battered body he was involved in a heated argument which led to an altercation with his son.

A source close to the investigation revealed that the man’s son was in the process of burying his father on an empty plot of land when residents noticed what was going on. The police were immediately informed and Adams’ body was taken to the Santa Rosa Hospital mortuary. A post mortem examination is expected to be carried out shortly.

towards the development of Guyana. Ms. Vanda Radzick, Chairperson of the Moray House Board of Directors gave a brief history on some of them. She also urged students in the audience to conduct interviews with the older folks in their family, and perhaps, write an essay on some of the revelations.

She noted that should they be of substance, their pieces would be added to the National Archives in order to somewhat fill the gaps. It was noted that while some of the slaves were able to document their lives, and where they came from, many were not, leaving gaps in the archival records. This activity was done as part of the Independence Anniversary celebrations which will conclude with flag-raising ceremonies across the country, the main leg of which will be held at the National Park.

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TVET institutions being prepared for audit As a deadline swiftly approaches for a CARICOMrequired audit of local technical and vocational institutions, the Ministry of Education through its Council for Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) on Wednesday spearheaded a workshop intended to refine the operation of the institutions.

Targeting those charged with overseeing both public and private institutions, the forum, hosted at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), was designed to enlighten the participants about necessary guidelines that must be implemented.

The guidelines, which have already been prepared and approved by CARICOM, “are very clearly documented so we have got to implement them...everything we do in the institutions have got to meet the quality assurance guidelines that have been set,” said Director of the TVET Council, Mr Sydney Walters.

According to him, since CARICOM requires that each institution attains certain quality assurance standards, the requisite guidelines were

TVET Council Director, Sydney Walters prepared.

He said, too, that the move has been in the making for quite a few years whereby Guyana, like several Caribbean countries, is making strides to prepare post-secondary institutions, in the private and public sectors, to be recognised to award Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) certificates.

The TVET Council has been preparing institutions, particularly those that fall under the Ministry of Education, for the aforementioned recognition.

And to ensure that the requirements are met ahead of Guyana’s attempt to be recognised for the CVQ, an audit must be conducted for CARICOM by the Caribbean Association for National Training Agencies, according to the TVET Council Director.

“This workshop is part of the programme in preparing the various institutions in Guyana for when that time comes, and that will be done around September or October of this year.”

According to Walters, it would be required that institutions have the necessary facilities for the delivery of the various occupational programmes they offer and they must use regional occupational standards for their curriculum.

“They must train their tutorial staff and line management functionaries in the methodology used in the delivery of competency based programmes,” said Walters, who noted that “gone are the days when we persevered with the traditional mode of delivery.

We have to have an assessment strategy, a certification strategy and of course, keep accurate records of students’ performance.

The workshop in session

DPP withdraws charge against ...

From page 17 stated that the time has come for complaints about torture and beating of suspects while in police custody to be taken seriously.

He said that it was very important for lawyers to submit whatever evidence they have in that regard.

Chase was charged on Monday last amidst heavy controversy that the police had done a “sloppy” investigation.

The police had stated that gunpowder residue was found on Chase’s hands after it was swabbed by the Police.

However Chase’s lawyer, Nigel Hughes, questioned the truth behind that statement.

Hughes had stated that he could not understand why the Police would then release the man if they had found gunpowder residue on his hands when he was swabbed on the same night of the murder after he turned himself in.

Hughes had stated that the police had rushed to charge Chase without even beginning to conduct even the most rudimentary elements of investigation.

Kaieteur News understands that none of the surviving ranks had recognized Chase as the suspect. This publication was reliably informed that the ranks had maintained that the shooter

was someone who was either East Indian or of Mixed race.

Chase is of African descent with long “dread locks”. This was one of the main contributing factors to the withdrawal of the charge, according to a source.

Meanwhile this newspaper was told that Regan Rodrigues was up to press time still in police custody.

Rodrigues, said to be another suspect, was picked up on Monday afternoon.

This newspaper was told by police sources that the surviving ranks picked him out on an identification parade yesterday. The file has since been dispatched to the DPP’s office for legal advice.

Those are just some of the requirements we are working with.”

Among the institutions that are expected to undergo the upcoming audit are the Government Technical Institute, the Guyana Industrial Training Centre, the New Amsterdam Technical Institute, the Linden Technical Institute, the Essequibo Technical Institute, the Carnegie School of Home Economics, and the two most recently established Technical Institutes at Leonora and Mahaicony.

Also being targeted for the implementation of the

guidelines are the Guyana Sugar Corporation Training Centre, the Kuru Kuru Training Centre and the Board of Industrial Training.

According to Walters, the TVET Council has the mandate to implement competency-based education and training measures nationally, a move which will help to prepare the various institutions for the guidelines that will have to soon be put in place.

Although this has been on the cards for awhile, Walters said that it has been gaining significant

momentum “because the whole Region is doing this...and if we are to meet the Regional qualification framework which was recognised and approved by CARICOM, we will have to do that.” The one-day workshop was facilitated

by Ms Wendy McLean, a representative of the Barbados TVET Council.

She also chairs the Quality Assurance Committee of the Caribbean Association for National Training Agency, and on Wednesday stressed the importance of quality assurance within the various institutions.

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DTV CHANNEL 8 08:25hrs. Sign On 08:30hrs. This Morning 09:00hrs. Live! With Kelly and Michael 10:00hrs. Roseanne 11:00hrs. The View 12:00hrs. Prime News 12:30hrs. The Young and the Restless 13:30hrs. The Bold and the Beautiful 14:00hrs. The Talk 15:00hrs. Cold Case 17:00hrs. Charmed 18:00hrs. World News 18:30hrs. Nightly News 19:00hrs. Greetings and Announcements

20:00hrs. Channel 8 News 21:00hrs. Movie: Skyfall 00:00hrs. Sign Off MTV CHANNEL 14/ CABLE 65 05:30hrs Dharan Kai AwazThe Voice of Dharma 06:00hrs Islamic perspective 06:30hrs News Update 07:00hrs DAYBREAK – (live) 08:00hrs Dabi’s Variety music break 08:30hrs Avon Video & DVD 09:00hrs BBC World News 09:15hrs Top Notch music Break 09:30hrs Caribbean temptation Music Mix

10:00hrs Amanda’s Costume jewellery Musical 10:30hrs Comfort Sleep Musical 11:00hrs The View 12:00hrs Village Talk 12:30hrs The Young and the Restless 13:30hrs Days of Our Lives 14:00hrs General Hospital 15:00hrs Katie Couric Show 16:00hrs The Bold and the Beautiful 16:30hrs Cartoons 17:00hrs Birthdays and other greetings 17:15hrs Death Announcement/ In

Monday May 24, 2013 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): Feeling a little bit bored with your social life lately? To get a sense of renewal in your life right now, you should let other people take charge of things. ******************* TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Your popularity is surging right now, so when teams are chosen today, you're going to be one of the first picks. Don't be intimidated by the extra attention you'll be getting -- soak every drop of it up. ****************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Someone you thought you knew inside and out will surprise you by how they react today. Their feelings might reveal some shocking things about their philosophies of life, but that doesn't have to alter how you feel about them. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Big things are coming up soon, but today you are still in somewhat of a holding pattern. While you wait, you need to be careful not to get your hopes too high -there is still too much up in the air and you cannot count those chickens before you hear them squawking! ********************* LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): You should seek out stability today -- take a break from frivolous events and flaky people and head for home.

Spend more time with the family members and friends you know inside and out. ******************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept.

22): All that lighthearted and flirtatious banter you've been having with that supercute someone has been fun, but today you should follow your urge to take things to the next level. *********************

LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): Sometimes it's the quietest moment in your day that carries the biggest impact -you won't need thunder and lightening to tell you that you've come upon a huge revelation, today. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 Nov. 21): You've got a lot of ideas germinating, right now, but it's going to take a great deal of concentrated effort to shape any one of them into something that you can actually make happen. ******************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): You should fight your urge to be shy and hide in the background when all the hoopla gets going, today. You will have so much more fun if you're loud (and even a bit obnoxious!). .********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): Friendship can mean different things to different people, so be very careful that you are not making too many assumptions about what a new friendship is all about. An unexpected comment could catch you off guard today -- they clearly have different ideas about what constitutes 'a good time'. ******************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 Feb. 18): Your sense of who you are has been growing slowly but steadily, and you are already seeing the rewards of being more self-assured in your social life. Today, you should look forward to it becoming effective in your career life, too. ********************* PISCE S ( F e b . 1 9 March 20): That warm and fuzzy feeling someone gives you is starting to grow into a decidedly hotter vibe -- and not necessarily in a good way.

Memoriam 17:30hrs Sitcom 18:00hrs CNN News 18:30hrs Kingdom Voice 19:00hrs Soul Melodies 19:30hrs News Update 20:30hrs Clear Water Music

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Hour 21:30hrs Music Request Hour 22:30hrs Sitcom 23:00hrs News Update 23:30hrs English Movie: Die Hard 5 Sign off

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TVET institutions being prepared for audit As a deadline swiftly approaches for a CARICOMrequired audit of local technical and vocational institutions, the Ministry of Education through its Council for Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) on Wednesday spearheaded a workshop intended to refine the operation of the institutions.

Targeting those charged with overseeing both public and private institutions, the forum, hosted at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), was designed to enlighten the participants about necessary guidelines that must be implemented.

The guidelines, which have already been prepared and approved by CARICOM, “are very clearly documented so we have got to implement them...everything we do in the institutions have got to meet the quality assurance guidelines that have been set,” said Director of the TVET Council, Mr Sydney Walters.

According to him, since CARICOM requires that each institution attains certain quality assurance standards, the requisite guidelines were

TVET Council Director, Sydney Walters prepared.

He said, too, that the move has been in the making for quite a few years whereby Guyana, like several Caribbean countries, is making strides to prepare post-secondary institutions, in the private and public sectors, to be recognised to award Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) certificates.

The TVET Council has been preparing institutions, particularly those that fall under the Ministry of Education, for the aforementioned recognition.

And to ensure that the requirements are met ahead of Guyana’s attempt to be recognised for the CVQ, an audit must be conducted for CARICOM by the Caribbean Association for National Training Agencies, according to the TVET Council Director.

“This workshop is part of the programme in preparing the various institutions in Guyana for when that time comes, and that will be done around September or October of this year.”

According to Walters, it would be required that institutions have the necessary facilities for the delivery of the various occupational programmes they offer and they must use regional occupational standards for their curriculum.

“They must train their tutorial staff and line management functionaries in the methodology used in the delivery of competency based programmes,” said Walters, who noted that “gone are the days when we persevered with the traditional mode of delivery.

We have to have an assessment strategy, a certification strategy and of course, keep accurate records of students’ performance.

The workshop in session

DPP withdraws charge against ...

From page 23 stated that the time has come for complaints about torture and beating of suspects while in police custody to be taken seriously.

He said that it was very important for lawyers to submit whatever evidence they have in that regard.

Chase was charged on Monday last amidst heavy controversy that the police had done a “sloppy” investigation.

The police had stated that gunpowder residue was found on Chase’s hands after it was swabbed by the Police.

However Chase’s lawyer, Nigel Hughes, questioned the truth behind that statement.

Hughes had stated that he could not understand why the Police would then release the man if they had found gunpowder residue on his hands when he was swabbed on the same night of the murder after he turned himself in.

Hughes had stated that the police had rushed to charge Chase without even beginning to conduct even the most rudimentary elements of investigation.

Kaieteur News understands that none of the surviving ranks had recognized Chase as the suspect. This publication was reliably informed that the ranks had maintained that the shooter

was someone who was either East Indian or of Mixed race.

Chase is of African descent with long “dread locks”. This was one of the main contributing factors to the withdrawal of the charge, according to a source.

Meanwhile this newspaper was told that Regan Rodrigues was up to press time still in police custody.

Rodrigues, said to be another suspect, was picked up on Monday afternoon.

This newspaper was told by police sources that the surviving ranks picked him out on an identification parade yesterday. The file has since been dispatched to the DPP’s office for legal advice.

Those are just some of the requirements we are working with.”

Among the institutions that are expected to undergo the upcoming audit are the Government Technical Institute, the Guyana Industrial Training Centre, the New Amsterdam Technical Institute, the Linden Technical Institute, the Essequibo Technical Institute, the Carnegie School of Home Economics, and the two most recently established Technical Institutes at Leonora and Mahaicony.

Also being targeted for the implementation of the

guidelines are the Guyana Sugar Corporation Training Centre, the Kuru Kuru Training Centre and the Board of Industrial Training.

According to Walters, the TVET Council has the mandate to implement competency-based education and training measures nationally, a move which will help to prepare the various institutions for the guidelines that will have to soon be put in place.

Although this has been on the cards for awhile, Walters said that it has been gaining significant

momentum “because the whole Region is doing this...and if we are to meet the Regional qualification framework which was recognised and approved by CARICOM, we will have to do that.” The one-day workshop was facilitated

by Ms Wendy McLean, a representative of the Barbados TVET Council.

She also chairs the Quality Assurance Committee of the Caribbean Association for National Training Agency, and on Wednesday stressed the importance of quality assurance within the various institutions.

Page 36

WANTED Business property for rent in Central Mackenzie- Tele: 444-5883/687-9992 One live-in maid to work in Georgetown- Call: 697-6747 One female experienced cook and kitchen assistant to work in home in InteriorCall: 697-6747 One Live-in Babysitter for Georgetown age 18-30- call: 697-6747 Land in La Parfaite Harmonycall: 675-7292 2 General workers: Shift system- Call:225-6337

Kaieteur News

WANTED

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

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

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

Experienced and reliable assistant cook, bar attendant, waitress - Contact: 223-6284 Leisure Air Restaurant

50 pairs of steel scaffolding for sale- call: 226-8100/ 6214839

Contract Cars wanted: City Taxi Service- call: 660-1100

1,000 LBS Scale $200,000/ obo- call:611-5929

Wanted!

Experienced salesgirls: Visit 140 Regent Street with written application

125 HP Yahama Outboard engine –Call:611-5292

Experienced hire car drivers and contract vehicles with owner driven- call: 645-0025 Engine Room Operator: Apply @ Wieting & Richter Ltd

HID lights call: 642-2850

TV, furniture: Good condition: Owner migrating, price neg- call: 673-0666 Bottom Komatau Excavator rollers- Call: 617-2273/2231051

Live In Live Out Babysitter Domestic - Call: 225-6070

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

2 Garbage Truck Workers: 1 Pick-up driver: 1 Cook to work out of town- Call: 6122057/614-2464

Rock star hollow blocks available in large quantity in 3",4" & 6" call: 269-1406, 617-9230

Sawmill in Coverden, E.B.D: Immediately needs Edger operator - call: 609-8727/ 6835759

Lumber Sales, dressed (B) grade quality at Lumber Master Sawmill - Tele: 6845868

One female clerk- call:2315171 1 Whole day domestic- Tele: 667-5717 or 650-4761 Need 2 Barbers - Contact: 683-1534 Need immediately, Diesel Mechanic familiar with John Deere engines- call:6098727/683-5759 Person for security duties.

Eccles area, call 227-1830 Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/ 674-4665 Sales girls apply in person with written application @ Best Buy Food Supplies: Middleton & Dennis St. Campbellville To buy one House Lot in Eccles, Providence, Herstelling area- Call: 6535941 3 Barbers and 1 Nail Technician at 1 Smyth & Durban Streets, Werk-enRust: Call 674-8555

TO LET Secret Villa apartment, fully furnished apartments Landof-Canaan E.B.D - Call: 2665243/ 266-5245 Two bedrooms bottom flat @ back house in the yard: Lamaha Street, QueenstownCall:621-4996/220-1162 Furnished 2 bedrooms Apt to let- call:665-2548/693-0710 Fully furnished short term apartments, Eccles call: 6896668 Furnished 2 bedrooms Apt $US 50-60 daily- call:665-2548 Diamond- $75,000; Kitty$80,000; Bel Air-US $1800; Brickdam -US$6,000- call Diana:227-2256/626-9382 Furnished two bedroom apartment in Linden for short term local & overseas guests: Hot & cold- call:614-4415/ 444-4704 Two bedroom bottom apartments, tiled: C/VilleCall: 650-0716/ 223-1051

Office Clerk: CXC English/ Mathematics- Call:225-0188/ 225-6070 Business place wanted for rent: Preferably a bar space located in Central Georgetown- Contact Miss Lee: 618-5873 Labourers and Porters: Apply @ Wieting & Richter Ltd

PLAYSTATION 2 & 3, Systems, games, controllers & memory card- call:6098132/672-8569 (Max) Purpleheart panel doors $28,000: Sizes (30", 32", 34", 36") × 80- call: 688-9712/ 6390501 4 Cylinder Perkins Engine and 45 (gal) Plastic Barrelscontact Nicky @ tele:2267948 or 646-6000 3 Tons Bedford dump-truck, Scania long wheel base with Hyab and drop-tail- Call:2704485 Pure Rottweiler pupscall:220-6879 Fluffy Pups - Call: 642-6664

CAKES & PASTRIES Courses in cake decoration, pastry making & cookery, Call: 670-0798. Also wedding dresses for sale Courses for: Bridal accessories, Cake decoration & Floral arrangements, Cake and Pastry - contact Sharon: 672-8768/ 223-3303/612-4193

Scrap aluminum for sale Call: 226-8100/ 621-4839 Now in stock at Alabama Trading: PVC Ceiling, Tarpaulin, soap powder in different sizes- Tele:2255800/ 225-3809 Now in stock at Alabama Trading: Aloe Vera drink, Sagiko fruit drink, Cereal milk- Tele:225-5800/225-3809 Sony 55" HD television complete with custom stand: Manufactured by Sony USA- $450,000 neg- Call: 2251590/ 642-2282 Frigidaire Galaxy heavy- duty vertical combination washerdryer $260,000 neg- call: 2251590/ 642-2282 2 full body massaging recliner chairs: New, never been taken out of their boxes $260,000 neg- call: 225-1590/ 642-2282 Two new Microcomputer rolling foot massagers: Price $40,000 each- call: 225-1590/ 642-2282 One new Kneading Massage Cushion (for neck, shoulders etc.) Price $20,000call: 225-1590/ 642-2282 One new Massaging Infrared Heat Lamp: Price $50,000call: 225-1590/ 642-2282 One Microwave/ Kitchen Utility Chart: Price $20,000 (will assemble for buyer)call: 225-1590/642-2282 One HP Deskjet all in one scanner/ colour printer.

Model F4235: Price $160,000call: 225-1590/ 642-2282 Yamaha speaker system (with subwoofer) suitable for desktop computer systems: Price $20,000- call: 225-1590/ 642-2282

2006 Toyota Allion (white) $2.2M Neg- Call:639-6852 Live/pluck chicken call:6504421,220-9203 7.5 HP Heavy Duty Industrial Air Compressor: Price $350,000call: 225-1590/ 642-2282

Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool, call:225-9032,647-2943 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 Have somewhere for rent or sale? Contact D&J Investments: 223-8479/ 647-3768 Windshield Repair Technician: Why replace when you can repair- call: John Bakker 643-5485 /6213659 Galaxy Tours: Bus service for tours, Airport, Springlands, Moleson Creek, Weddings, groups etc- call:629-5913/ 675-3093

SALON New classes -Cosmetology , Nails, Wigs, Designs, MakeUp, Hair-Styling; call Abby 216-1950, 666-5241, 619-7603

2005 4×4 Toyota Tundra, 68,000 miles, extended cab, A/C, CD player, alarm: $18,000 US Negotiable- Call: 643-6644/931-436-6355 1 AT 192 Carina: Excellent Condition- Call:644-4437 1 Toyota Land-cruiser Prado PMM series- call:225-0188/ 225-6070 First Class Auto (03 & 06) Allion, (03 & 04) Spacio, (01) Carina, (07) Axio, VerossaCall:609-8188/226-2689 Axio, Blue Bird, Pitbull: Going cheap- Call:697-0294 Leading AutoUnregistered: Allex, Runx, Spacio, IST, Allion, Premio, Tacoma (06), F150 (06)- Tele: 677-7666/ 610-7666 2 New shape Avensiscall:698-0674 Mercedes Benz CLK 200: Compressor 2005, white, 6700 miles: PRR series: Immaculate- call: 623-5492

Computers repairs in HomesCall: 675-7292

Toyota Allion $2.6 Million Negotiable- Tele:616-3001

Service & Repairs for Jet Skis, Jet Boats, ATVs, Inboard & Outboard (2 & 4 strokes) engine- call:694-7949

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

We Refill HP cartridges for $1800 call: 650-7699

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

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

May 26th & 27th: Santa Mission, Fort Island, White Water- Call Joy: 218-1285/ 649-9059/692-3114

1 AT 170 Carina $600,000: 1 AE91 Sprinter $350,000- Call: 638-1666/ 650-6339 Unregistered: Premio $2.550M, Allion $2.450M, Pitbill $3.3M, N. Bluebird $2.9M, Verossa $3.350M, 212 $1.950M, used NZE $1.4M- Call: 663-0584 White Rav4: Excellent condition- Call:624-3950/ 225-5568/219-3972 Toyota- 4 Runner Surf, AT192, AT212, AT170, Ceres, EP82 & 71 Starlet, Solid DEF pickup, Nissan E24 van- call:644-5096

Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call660-5257,647-1773 Natural Beauty Salon & Spa: Grove Market Street EBD tele:265-4138,652-5800 specialized in everything for women & children

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

House plans & estimatescontact T. Boodhoo: 6259883/675-9296

TOURS Specials to Kaieteur Falls: Daily Transportation to Suriname, Lethem etc. Call: CETS 225-2566/645-7333

4- Used tyres 255×65×16: $20,000 for set- call: 2251590/642-2282

Brand new Asus desktop computers for just $100,000call: 645-9459

SERVICES Computer repairs: Reloading done for lowest priceContact:654-5638 or 672-7194

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

1 Perkings 4 cyclinder engine #248- call:604-1140 or 6919844

Khemraj & Son landscaping - Call: 6275969; 18 months coconut tree, plant for sale, mould for sale, trimming plants

Handy Boys: Apply to Shanta’s @ 225 Camp & New Market Streets

Friday May 24, 2013

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

FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Table - Call: 277-0578 (Continued on page 38)

Friday May 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 37

Page 38

Kaieteur News

Friday May 24, 2013

Banker Carrion bids...

PROPERTY FOR SALE At Clifton Port Mourant: Prime location on public road- Contact:905-970-0210/ 613-6795 or /624-8799 Versailles 5 Bedroom House with modern facilities and beautiful landscape- Call: 592-684-9203 / 592-624-8704

LEARN TO DRIVE B & C Driving School, pick up & drop off, call:2250150,229-7258,680-6826 Soman & Sons Driving School , First Federation Building Call 225-4858, 6445166,622-2872,615-0964

Prospect $13M, L.B.I $38M, Quamina Street $58M, Diamond $22M- call Diana:227-2256/626-9382 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 Bel Air Park - Luxurious 4+1 bedrooms Villa, Asking $300M. Queenstown - 7 Unit Income Property, Asking $120M– Call Derek @ RLTPRO 592-650-1234 1-3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathroom: House & Land located @ D’Edward Village W.C.B: Price $18M negotiable- call: 613-9438/679-9162 One two bedrooms concrete flat, 12th street Diamond Housing Scheme- $11 million - Call: 226-2924 or 613-9085 Country Estate Home, Beautifully Landscaped 3.2 Acres Fruit Farm, Hague, WCD. Asking $55M– Call Derek @ RLTPRO 592650-1234 LARGE RANCH-TYPE HOUSE 50’×60’ on 14,000 sq.ft land: Versailles, W.B.D: hot & cold, A/C, - call:6098132/672-8569 (Max)

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 Fab’s Rental: Cars to rentcall: 671-6051 or 609-6890

(From page 36) VACANCY Diesel Mechanic, Industrial Electrician, Welders & Fabricators, Machinists: Technical Services Inc. 18-23 Eccles Industrial Site, E.B.D Vacancy for one general domestic: Must know to prepare vegetarian meal- Call: 225-3809/225-5800

Thomas Bach

FOR RENT Two bedrooms house in Diamond- Call:264-1445 and 670-8793 2 Storey concrete 5 bedrooms with A/C, hot & cold, generator @ Happy Acre E.C.D call:647-1569 Newly constructed apartments, with & without A/C: Parking & security available, L.B.I East CoastCall: 628-8008/ 603-0000 Hutsonville, E.B.D: Furnished 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Bungalow with all modern convenience$100,000 Call:697-4131 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

Ng Ser Miang LAND FOR SALE Multiple house lots on E.C.D- contact Stefan:6473768/223-8479 7 Acres cultivated with house, 2 Acres cultivated, 2-1 Acres cultivated contact: 226-7968 House lot for sale: Friendship EBD & drafting of house plans call:223-0733, 223-0730 Garnett Street, Newtown Kitty: 4,588 sq foot –Call:6471569 Prime Residential land $2.8M Schoonord Garden, 50ft×100ft cleaned & leveled: Beautiful- Call:675-7292 Garden Eden, EBD – Road front 45x80 Lots - $5M. River front 50x300 Lots Asking $15M– Call Derek @ RLTPRO 592-650-1234

Fully furnished apartments to rent on E.C.D & Central Georgetowncontact Stefan:223-8479/647-3768 Rooms/ Apartments available: Furnished- Call: 646-5147

VACANCY Popular 24 hour East Coast Guyoil needs day & night pump attendants, sales girl, cleaners/maintenance- Tele: 698-5559/ 684-2838 2 Skilled Upholsters and 1 Frame Builder- Call:679-4396/ 220-8107 Clerical Staff: Computer literate: No age barrier: Apply @ Risans 51 Main St. Sales girl (shift) must be computer literate: Phatz Style Boutique 16E Durban Stcall:227-0501

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Imperial College- Register Now: CXC 2014 fulltime/ lessons/adults classes: Excellent results-call: 6835742/227-7627 Enid’s dressmaking certificate classes from Elementary to advance: 66 sixth St. Alberttown: 2239106/ 695-3876: sewing done here

From page 40 2002, Carrion, who is also responsible for negotiating broadcasting rights for the IOC, has overseen major revenue growth over the past decade despite the global economic downturn.

He also helped to negotiate a four-Games deal to 2020 with U.S. broadcaster NBC worth $4.38 billion.

Sponsorship revenues for the IOC through its TOP program for the 2013-16 period are set to exceed $1 billion for the first time, compared with $663 million for 2001-4. “(IOC) President (Jacques) Rogge has entrusted me with a lot of responsibility, financial and television. It was his vision that we should grow the foundation to have enough money at hand in case Games were cancelled,” said Carrion.

MOUNTING REVENUES Broadcasting revenues, the biggest source of income for the IOC, are seen topping $4 billion until 2016, with revenues for the 2002-4 period at almost half that.

“If you look at the IOC, it has a great standing but by nature when things are going well I think about what could go wrong. This is a great standing but it is not something that is guaranteed,” said Carrion.

He said he wanted to see the IOC branching out to other organizations to become stronger.

“We cannot do

everything on our own. We have tremendous resources in the work our members do. We can create associations with other organizations around the world, learn from best practices.”

In turn, Carrion said he wanted to see Olympic Games expertise brought back into the IOC as the Games became more complex.

“We developed an expertise and need to bring this core of people in-house.

There are areas in staging Olympics where we would benefit if we had a core of people permanently engaged in host cities,” he said.

The IOC will elect the winning candidate at their session in Buenos Aires, with all 100-plus IOC members voting. Rogge is stepping down after his two-term presidency comes to a mandatory end.

Asked to comment on how he viewed campaigning against close colleagues for one of the most powerful sports jobs in the world that has come up only twice since 1980, Carrion said he thought there would be at least two more candidates appearing before the June 10 deadline.

“I think there will probably be six candidates and this is a good thing. The more candidates, the more opportunity for members to make the decision who is the most capable person.

“Every IOC member is responsible for that legacy and I am convinced the number of candidates is a good thing. We should all have opportunity to share our ideas.”

Richard Carrion

Friday May 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 39

Caledonia qualifies for 2013-2014 CONCACAF Champions’ League Caledonia AIA of Morvant-Laventille on Wednesday qualified for its second consecutive CONCACAF Champions’ League after wrapping up a two-match play-off against Jamaican club Portmore United with a 3:2 aggregate score.

On Monday, Caledonia defeated Portmore 1-0 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in the First Leg with striker Jamal Gay netting the winner in the 27th minute.

And after hard-fought a 2-2 draw in the Second Leg on Wednesday night at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Caledonia joined TT Pro League compatriot DIRECTV W Connection and Haitian club Valencia SC as the Caribbean representatives in the 2013-2014 CCL which

begins in July.

“I think it’s a big moment for the community of Morvant-Laventille and Trinidad and Tobago,” said Caledonia AIA Technical Director Jamaal Shabazz. “…because we get to showcase on a bigger stage against North American teams … against Central American teams, and teams (from) Mexico.

“I think it’s an important moment for us to get the opportunity to prepare for higher level opponents, even as administrators and technical people to move that step up.”

He added, “The fact that W Connection and Caledonia qualified, it shows some level of consistency, not just by these two teams, but by the (TT Pro) League. There is a

lot of criticism to the League but there must be something that we are doing right to come out of the Caribbean, two seasons consecutively.”

Caledonia, who won the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship last season, recently wrapped up its domestic Digicel Pro League championship with a creditable second position finish, and also retained the First Citizens Cup and FA Trophy this season.

Last season the Caledonia AIA football club debuted in the CCL and was potted with MLS outfit Seattle Sounders and Honduran club CD Marathon in Group 4.

Caledonia finished at the bottom with just one point behind Marathon (4 points) while Sounders ran away group leaders with 12 points.

MONACO GP: Mercedes Nico Rosberg heads Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg headed Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton and the two Ferraris to set the pace in second practice at the Monaco Grand Prix. Rosberg was 0.318 seconds quicker than Hamilton as the two silver cars established themselves as favourites to set pole position in qualifying on Saturday.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was third fastest 0.437secs behind Rosberg and 0.082secs ahead of teammate Felipe Massa. Red Bull’s Mark Webber was fifth, ahead of Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen.

The Finn’s team-mate Romain Grosjean was fifth fastest before crashing at the Sainte Devote corner and slipping down to seventh.

Grosjean misjudged the entry and hit the barrier on the exit, wiping off his car’s front left corner.

The crash meant the Frenchman not only failed to complete a flying lap on the ‘super-soft’ tyres that will be used in qualifying but also did not do any running on racetype fuel.

“Generally I’m pleased with today,” said Rosberg. “It was a good day, going in the right direction, felt comfortable in the car. “The thing is of course we don’t know how much fuel others had, we know we’re in the hunt for a good result in qualifying and our long run pace is still a concern.

“We are starting to understand it a bit better but there are still some issues we

Lewis Hamilton haven’t fully understood so that’s still going to be a problem.”

McLaren’s Jenson Button was eighth fastest, ahead of world champion Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull and the Force Indias of Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil. BBC 5 live analyst and former F1 driver Allan McNish said: “Clearly the Mercedes are very fast on one lap and they look a little bit better than they have done on the longer runs.

“It’s too close to call in my opinion. Ferrari look strong and Red Bull look a little bit off but Lotus appear that if they can get up close to the front they will be very strong in the race.”

Raikkonen looked slightly off the pace on one flying lap but was impressive during the race-simulation runs later in the session, when the teams run with more fuel on board.

Of the two Mercedes drivers, Rosberg appeared able to keep his tyres in good shape longer than Hamilton

“Last time we didn’t have time to prepare because of the way the tournament was structured,” explained Shabaaz, who has been jointhead coach of the Trinidad and Tobago Senior Team since December and is also in the process of preparing the Warriors for summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. “But on this occasion we have seven weeks to prepare.

(Our) guys are going to get three weeks off because they’ve had a long season since last year. And now we are looking at a seven-week preparation period. It’s a lot like preparing the national team because we are going to meet the best club teams in the Concacaf region, and seven weeks will give us enough time to raise the level.

Of course get one or two new players in, if the (finances) permit it, and get good fitness.”

The draw for the 20132014 CCL is scheduled for June 3, which gives Caledonia a bit of time to celebrate a rewarding and adventurous season.

Caledonia opened the scoring in just the 13th minute on Wednesday when winger Nathan Lewis capitalized on a slip-up by goalkeeper Kemar Foster. Three minutes later, striker Jamal Gay stuck wide of Foster’s far post as Caledonia looked in control.

But Portmore with two changes from Monday’s starting line-up—forward Andrew Lewis and midfielder Stephen Williams in place of Bryan Bayliss and Cleon Price-were not about to give up. But after dominating the first period, the Caledonia players were just a shadow of themselves in the second period—similar to their 1-0

Jamaal Shabazz

performance in the First Leg. “I think tired legs after a long season,” was the diagnosis of Shabaaz. “… and I think guys wanting it to finish [the game] before it’s done. It forced us to go to the bench and a lot of scary moments in the dying stages of the game. But this will always be when you have tired legs coming from a long season and I think it took its toll on us today (Wednesday).

“But if we had scored our chances earlier in the game, we may have made it a lot easier.

“But still we had some hard work. People like Jamal Gay showing good work ethic and quality, and also Densill Theobald. So all in all, while at times it was scary, I thought we had enough chances to win the game comfortably.”

Glenroy Samuel was later beaten in the 61st minute as Portmore leveled the scores 1-1. A solo run by Williams bursting past a handful of Caledonia players, ended with the midfielder slipping a strike past Samuel and into the net.

Caledonia’s advantage was restored by the 68th minute for a 2-1 score when midfielder Keyon Edwardsonly three minutes on the pitch after replacing Toussaint-smashed a strike

past Foster.

Then the Jamaicans were back in the game, 2-2, when Andrew Vanzie unleashed a low strike from distance to fit the ball just inside the upright of Samuel’s goal in a play which started near the corner flag following a giveaway by Lewis.

Portmore’s Foster preserved the 2-2 score-line with saves in the 77th and 80th minute. First the goalie superbly palmed away a glancing header by Nuru Abdallah Muhammad from a Theobald free kick, and then Foster tamed substitute Vurlon Mills’ effort. Mills and Guyanese colleague Colin Nelson both played for Caledonia in the game. “(Portmore) showed that Jamaican football has evolved,” said Shabazz.

“Twenty years ago Jamaica was kick and look, and just aggression. Now you can see them putting passes together.

I think if this was a team playing in the TT Pro League, as (Caledonia coach) Jerry Moe said, they would be one, two, three or four. So it’s a good quality team. They kept the ball well … they have good strength … good fitness and I think it was never going to be an easy task for us although we were playing the two games at home.”

(TT PROLEAGUE)

Europa League winners could earn Champions League place Nico Rosberg in the second session, although the picture was reversed in the first session in the morning, when the German was again the fastest over one lap, by just 0.087secs from Alonso.

The session was run in blazing sunshine under bright blue skies, but cooler weather and perhaps the occasional shower of rain is forecast for qualifying on Saturday.

UEFA will announce on Friday (today) whether the Europa League winners will be rewarded with a Champions League qualifying spot from 2016. The move would be designed to boost interest in Europe’s secondary club tournament. The decision follows months of discussions between the European Club Association (ECA) and UEFAofficials. Meanwhile, Berlin’s Olympic Stadium has been revealed as the venue for the Champions League final in 2015.

That year’s Europa League decider will be at Warsaw’s National Stadium, which staged the opening game of Euro 2012. The Europa League generates far less income and media attention than the Champions League.

The governing body has tried a number of initiatives to increase interest, with previous attempts including the change of name from UEFA Cup to its current title in 2009. Currently, teams who finish third in their Champion’s

League group drop into the competition.

This season’s final was contested between two teams who entered that way, Chelsea beating Benfica 2-1 in Amsterdam.

UEFA is also expected to announce it will raise the maximum number of Champions League qualifiers per country from four to five, if the winners of the Europa League from 201516 do not finish in their domestic league’s qualifying places for the Champions League.

Should the winners of both European competitions come from the same country and not finish in their league’s qualifying places, both would be in the Champions League the following season.

UEFA is keen to avoid a repeat of the scenario that happened in the Premier League in 2011-12 when Chelsea won the Champions League and Tottenham were placed into the Europa League despite finishing fourth in the top flight.

Page 40

Kaieteur News

Friday May 24, 2013

UEFA: 10-match bans for RAMDIN - T20S WON’T racism, new drug-testing plans HAMPER CHANCES

UEFA will retrospectively study 900 doping samples given since 2008 as it attempts to combat use of performance-enhancing drugs in European football.

Though it will not lead to future punishments, the governing body intends to identify the scale of steroid use.

UEFA will also carry out blood testing in more competitions from 2013-14, and consider using biological passports. A proposal for 10match European bans for players and officials found guilty of racism has also been ratified.

For racist incidents involving spectators, a partial stadium closure for the first offence and a full stadium closure for a second, coupled with a fine of 50,000 euros (£42,800), will be applied.

The new measures were on the agenda at UEFA’s executive committee meeting,

held in London prior to Saturday’s Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. In February, Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger said he had asked UEFA several times to implement new drug-testing procedures.

“When you have a doping control at UEFA, they do not take blood, they take only urine,” the 63-year-old said. “I have asked many times [at UEFA meetings] in Geneva [for that to be changed].”

The World Anti-Doping Agency’s President has also accused football of not doing enough to stop doping.

Talking about the bloodboosting drug involved in the case of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, John Fahey, said: “I simply say this about football - they are not testing enough for EPO. They can do more and we

encourage them to do more.”

Previously, blood testing has only taken place at European Championships.

The extent of the use of performance-enhancing drugs in football was hinted at in the Operation Puerto case in Spain.

While that investigation, which led to Eufemiano Fuentes being found guilty of running one of the world’s largest sports doping rings, centred around cyclists, the Spanish doctor has boasted of a client list that extended into a number of other disciplines.

It may never be known if that was the case, as the blood bags used to convict Fuentes have been ordered to be destroyed, a ruling Spain’s Anti-Doping Agency (AEA) plans to appeal.

Vice-captain Denesh Ramdin has backed West Indies to make a smooth transition to the 50-over format when they open their campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy starting next month.

Several leading members of the squad have been campaigning in the Indian Premier League over the last six weeks but Ramdin said here Thursday he expected no fallout from this. In fact, he contended that the IPL would have been good preparation for the players heading into the Champions Trophy.

“Most of the guys are professional cricketers and they have the ability to make that transition – the Chris Gayles, the Dwayne Bravos, the Kieron Pollards, those guys – they can sit down and bat and play long innings,” Ramdin said prior to a training session at the 3Ws Oval.

“They’ve been doing well in the IPL so that will be good for their confidence going into England. I’m sure they’ve done well in England before so it’s just about gelling together and the batters batting long in the middle. “Fifty overs are a lot of balls so we’re not going to bash it around. We have a strong middle and lower order so if we get a good start with Gayle and the other guys at the top of the order we can capitalise lower down.”

West Indies are currently winding down a five-day camp which started Monday, as they prepare for the June 6-23 tournament in England and Wales. The regional side, which captured the 2004 edition which was also played in England, has been installed in Group B alongside reigning World champions India, Pakistan and South Africa.

While acknowledging the quality of the opposition, Ramdin said he believed West Indies possessed the ability to spring a few surprises. “The first game is very important.

Once we can overcome in that game, it will give us some form of confidence,” Ramdin pointed out. “Pakistan is a team, you know,

where anything can happen on the day with those guys. India is one of the best teams in the world along with Australia and South Africa. Those teams are playing really good one day cricket but with the conditions you never know.

“If you win the toss and put in a team, it’s two new balls that you’re using now so if you pick up four or five wickets in the first 20 overs you can set up a match and it can go either way as we have a good bowling unit as well.”

West Indies have endured mixed results in the one-day format of recent, sweeping minnows Zimbabwe 3-0 in the Caribbean last February but suffering a heavy 5-0 drubbing Down Under at the start of the year.

Ramdin pointed out, however, that the Windies were improving and had the right balance in the side to begin to produce positive results in the one-day format.

“I believe in the past we have [been competitive] in patches. We have the ability to [be competitive]. We have guys like Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels who can sit down and bat in the middle. We would like to get the big starts from the Gayles [and company] which will be very important for us to overcome the opposition,” he noted.

“They (other teams) have been ahead of us in one-day cricket and I believe we are starting to [improve]. We’re batting out our overs and once we can do that, we have guys who can explode down at the bottom there.

“Hopefully we can get that in this tournament and get the chemistry right.

Conditions are going to be tough especially playing in May, June in England. Every player who goes up there finds it challenging. We will try to get that combination right and see how it goes.”

West Indies leave the Caribbean on Saturday for another camp in Wales before taking on Australia and Sri Lanka in official warm-up fixtures. (CMC)

More focus needed from Banker Carrion bids the start against T&T -Henry for IOC Presidency

BERLIN (Reuters) Puerto Rican banker Richard Carrion launched his bid for the Presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday, with his long financial experience a powerful pitch in his quest for the world’s top sports job.

The 60-year-old Carrion, who is Chairman of Puerto Rican lender Popular Inc, heads the IOC’s finance commission and is a Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, becomes the third official candidate in the race to be decided on September 10.

“We have a lot at stake in this election,” Carrion, an IOC member since 1990, told Reuters in a telephone interview. “Our place in the

world is not guaranteed. We must have a leader that knows how not just to manage the coming change but also make it work for the IOC and the movement,” said the soft-spoken Carrion.

IOC Vice Presidents Thomas Bach from Germany and Singapore’s Ng Ser Miang have already launched their campaigns while the head of the International Boxing Federation (AIBA) C.K. Wu was set to announce his bid on Thursday.

Several more could decide to run, with Swiss Sports Administrator Denis Oswald and former pole vault champion Sergei Bubka seen as likely candidates.

As head of the IOC’s finance commission since (Continued on page 38)

Smarting from a narrow 19-17 win over Barbados almost one week ago, defending Southern Caribbean champions Guyana will no doubt be looking for an improved performance when they clash with Trinidad and Tobago in the NACRA Men’s 15’s Championship game in the Twin Island Republic on June 1.

Kaieteur Sport caught up with national Coach Theodore Henry during a light practice session on Wednesday, at the National Park where he underscored the need for the players to be more focused in the Trinidad encounter as compared to the Barbados game when Guyana looked completely out of sorts in the opening period, before a second half resurgence saw them over the line.

“We’ve been starting very slowly in many of our games for some time now and

it is an issue that the coaching staff has consistently tried to address and remedy, but somehow the same pattern emerges all the time,” Henry lamented during the interview.

He, however, was quick to point out that the team did not have the privilege to play 15’s rugby since its last encounter against Bermuda at the National Stadium last July and the focus could have been affected by the lack of game scenarios.

Henry expressed the hope that with one game under their belts, the ‘guys’ would be able to replicate the same type of hard-nosed and determined effort that characterized their second half performance against Barbados last weekend when they clash with Trinidad.

“I’m confident that we could beat any team when we are focused, but the ‘guys’

continue to start slow and this has been the achilles heel for us in both the 7’s and 15’s formats and we’ve got to be ready from the beginning,” Henry said.

He reckoned that the problem is more mental than tactical or technical, even going as far as ruling out the opposition’s physical superiority as another reason for the team’s usual opening period dilemma.

The Head Coach urged the players to be ready for a fierce battle against the Trinidadians, especially since they will be playing at home which is usually hostile territory for visiting teams.

“Their support base could be intimidating at times, but we’ve played against them before at home and I feel that we could handle the partisan support, while the fact that many of our players have

played and are still playing on the Island makes it a bit more comforting for us.

Henry reminded that the last time Guyana played them at home it took a last minute try from Kevin McKenzie to secure victory.

McKenzie as many would know now resides in Australia and has not been available for Guyana for some time, but Henry still believes that the current crop of players have the ability to maintain Guyana’s dominance on the regional circuit.

Meanwhile, a couple of players including Captain Ryan Gonsalves and Dwayne Schroeder appeared to be nursing slight injures and soreness following the last game and were noticeably absent from Wednesday’s sessions, but they both are anticipated to recover in time for the Trinidad engagement.

Friday May 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Mumbai police summon CSK Chief Executive The IPL crisis has taken a new twist with Mumbai Police summoning the Chennai Super Kings Chief Executive, Gurunath Meiyappan, to its Crime Branch for questioning in connection with betting. He was asked to appear between 11 am and 5 pm on Friday but it is understood that Meiyappan has sought an extension until 11 am on Monday.

The news is embarrassing - and potentially damaging for the IPL and its parent body the BCCI, given that Meiyappan is the son-in-law of BCCI President N Srinivasan, whose company India Cements owns the Super Kings franchise.

The summons was affixed to the door of Meiyappan’s Chennai residence and been served to, and accepted by, a manager at the Super Kings office. It was not immediately clear why police officials were there, and there was no official statement by either the police or the franchise.

However, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla did speak briefly on the issue. “The Mumbai and Delhi Police are competent authorities and let them finish the investigations before jumping to any conclusions,” he said, when asked whether Srinivasan should step down from the post of BCCI President accepting moral responsibility for the crisis.

“How can you term anyone guilty before the investigations are completed? Let the police report be submitted and then we will be in a better position to talk further.”

The development followed reports circulating in the media since Tuesday on the proximity of Virender “Vindoo” Dara Singh, who was arrested that day in Mumbai for links with bookies, to the Super Kings franchise.

Those reports, which included pictures of Vindoo watching IPL matches in the company of Super Kings Captain MS Dhoni’s wife, were not denied in the 48 hours since.

Later in the evening Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI’s General Manager (cricket development), met Mumbai Police’s joint Commissioner Himanshu Roy. It was learnt that the meeting was primarily to seek Mumbai police’s cooperation in the BCCI’s internal investigation of the case against suspended cricketers.

The Supreme Court had on Tuesday directed the BCCI to complete the internal inquiry within 15 days.

The police crackdown on bookies continued in other parts of the country. In Kolkata, ten people, including one bookie, were arrested for being allegedly involved in cricket betting. “We have arrested 10 people, including a bookie last night (Wednesday).

We are investigating the case. They will be produced before a court today [Friday],” deputy commissioner Santosh Pandey told PTI. Initial investigations said they had bet on a match between Mumbai Indians and Super Kings.

Gurunath Meiyappan (centre) has been summoned to the Crime Branch in Mumbai © AFP

Page 41

LeBron saves Heat at buzzer of Game 1 MIAMI (AP) - LeBron James caught the inbounds pass, changed direction and immediately attacked the rim.

There was no one in his way.

There was no stopping him, either.

James made a layup as time expired in overtime, capping a 30-point, 10rebound, 10-assist effort as the Miami Heat found a way to outlast the Indiana Pacers 103-102 in a wildly back-andforth Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night.

There were 18 ties and 17 lead changes, the last two of those coming in the final 2.2 seconds. ‘’Two teams fought hard,’’ James said. ‘’We were able to make one more play.’’

If this is how this series is going to go, then get ready for a classic between teams that absolutely wanted to face the other with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line.

Paul George saved the Pacers at the end of regulation with a 32-footer with 0.7 seconds left, and then made three free throws with 2.2 ticks left in overtime to give Indiana a one-point lead. George pumped his fist gently after the third free throw, sand then extended his index finger skyward as the teams retreated to their benches to get ready for the final play.

He just left James too much time, and the Pacers left their best shot-blocking option on the bench. Roy Hibbert wasn’t on the floor for the final play, and without a 7-foot-2 barrier to contest him, James made the winner look easy.

Vogel said he left Hibbert off the floor for the final play out of concern of what defending champion Miami would do with Chris Bosh in that scenario. Afterward, he acknowledged he might have different thinking next time. ‘’I would say we would probably have him in next time,’’ Vogel said. Game 2 is Friday night in Miami.

Officials reviewed James’ play at the end, though it was clear he beat the clock, and the Pacers walked slowly toward their locker room, lamenting one that got away - by no fault of George’s. ‘ ’ G u t - w r e n c h i n g , ’’ Hibbert said.

George was fouled by Dwyane Wade on the play where the Pacers had to think they had stolen the series opener. Referee Jason Phillips said Wade hit George, and the Pacers’ star made all three free throws for the 16th lead change of the night.

The final lead change came moments later. Wade

scored 19 points, Bosh had 17 and Chris Andersen had 16 on 7-for-7 shooting for Miami.

George scored 27 for the Pacers, who got 26 from David West and 19 from Hibbert. The Pacers have won only two series in NBA franchise history after dropping a Game 1.

The final few seconds of regulation were stunning, with Ray Allen - the sixth-best free-throw shooter in NBA history - missing one that proved big, and George making a miracle happen.

Trailing by two with 17.7 seconds left, the Pacers had to foul Allen, who surely would have been their last choice. But he missed one of the two free throws, and it remained a one-possession game. Indiana brought the ball into the frontcourt, called time, and then seemed to have nothing really working as the final seconds of regulation ticked away. So George simply made something happen.

From 32 feet - from the newly applied Eastern Conference finals sticker on the side of the court, technically - George connected with 0.7 seconds left, tying the game and giving Indiana life.

Allen didn’t get much of a desperation shot off at the end of regulation, and to overtime the teams went. ‘’It took an overtime to get it done,’’ Spoelstra said. ‘’Glad to get that one.’’

The Pacers kept landing the first punches in the extra session. George made a pair of free throws to open the OT, and Andersen tied it with a pair of his own. Hibbert

scored from close range, and Wade answered with an easy one after a run out for the 16th tie of the night.

George was far from done.

He went past James, got into the lane, tossed up a shot after contact and started what became a three-point play that put the Pacers up 99-96. Miami had three chances at the tie a desperation 3-pointer by Shane Battier as the shot clock was expiring, then a 3-point try

by Bosh and another 3 attempt

by Battier. All missed.

But Bosh grabbed the rebound off the last Battier shot that bounced off the rim in that sequence, scored while

being fouled by George with 49.7 seconds left, calmly swished the free throw and the teams were - what else? tied again at 99-all.

James scored on a drive with 10.8 seconds left in the overtime, and George answered with the three free throws. With Hibbert on the bench, Indiana had one plan for James on the last play. ‘’We wanted LeBron to shoot a jumper right there,’’ George said. He was just better. And after 3 hours, 18 minutes, it was over. ‘’We’re excited about the win,’’ James said. ‘’But we have to get better going into Game 2.’’

Independence half marathon aims for...

From page 45 in excess of $1.5M to host the race came from the coffers of the Ministry.

The categories for the race are Open (Men and Women) and Masters (Men 40-55 and 56 & older and Women 35 and older). Cash prizes will be presented to the persons finishing 1-5 in the Open category and 1-3 in the Masters.

The prizes include: Senior (Men and Women) 1st $75,000; 2nd $60,000; 3rd $45,000; 4th $30,000 and 5th $20,000 and Masters (Men and Women) 1st $50,000; 2nd $30,000 and 3rd $20,000.

The race will start at 5:30am in front of Jerricks Funeral Home at Paradise, East Coast Demerara and end in front of the Ministry on Main

Street. Transportation for athletes leaves the Ministry at 4:00am and athletes were reminded to be on time.

Director of Sport, Neil Kumar said that there will be some surprises in the race, adding that he is not going to reveal what they will be. “I enjoyed working with Gavin and the others and we’re in discussions for a marathon near the end of the year,” he added.

Kumar told the media yesterday that the Ministry “have the interest of the Diaspora” in the race, and the aim is to cement that interest with increased international participation in years to come. He added his voice to the call for loads of local athletes to compete Sunday.

ASAD RAUF: Pakistani umpire stood down from Champions Trophy Asad Rauf has been withdrawn from the Champions Trophy in June after media reports that the Pakistani umpire is being investigated by police in India. “We feel that it is in

Asad’s best interests, as well as those of the sport and the event itself,” explained International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive David Richardson.

The ICC declined to comment on what

Asad Rauf

the police are reportedly investigating. Rauf, 57, has been on the ICC’s elite panel of umpires since April 2006.

He was one of the umpires in the controversial Indian Premier League match that saw Rajasthan Royals players S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan arrested for alleged spotfixing. A former first-class batsman, Rauf began officiating in 1998 and stood in his first one-day international in 2000. He was elevated to the ODI panel in 2004, officiated in his first Test the following year and has now stood in 98 ODIs, 48 Test matches and 23 Twenty20 internationals.

The 2013 Champions Trophy will be held from 6 to 23 June in England and Wales, with matches held at The Oval, Edgbaston and the Swalec Stadium.

Page 42

Kaieteur News

That imminent Cuban sojourn: Is it the return of those nostalgic days of amateur boxing dominance?

Asks Michael Benjamin Boxing pundits of yesteryear will remember, with a twinge of nostalgia, the grueling and action packed encounters when the Cuban boxers visited Guyana to compete against their Guyanese counterparts.

Those were the days when such stalwarts like Anthony ‘The Pearl’ Andrews, Allan ‘Red Belly’ Housner, Winston ‘Service’ Richards, Darius Ford and the Thomas brothers, Wensel and Alfred, among others, ruled the roost.

It was also around that time that Michael Anthony Parris travelled to Moscow and clinched what is still Guyana’s only accolade at the Olympics, a bronze medal, stilled to be eclipsed by any other sportsperson.

Maybe it was Guyana’s dominance in the fistic arena that led the pundits to predict that should this country win a medal of any sort at the Olympics, it would be through the efforts of our boxers; Parris’ feat was sweet vindication.

Ironically, while the amateur fraternity was performing wonders on the international scene, professional boxers were failing in their efforts to win a world title. With boxers the likes of Kenny Bristol, the late, Patrick Ford, Lennox Blackmore, Vernon Lewis and a host of other worthwhile pugilists, even the expert analysts failed to conceptualize on the antidote to this troubling issue.

In the meantime, Guyana enjoyed moderate successes during yearly exchange programmes with the Cubans and was the top Caribbean country in the fistic arena. Who could forget Joquin Campanioni, the southpaw flyweight boxer that unleashed a two fisted attack on Anthony ‘The Pearl’ Andrews and left him spread-eagled on the canvass for the full count.

Fans will also remember that Ray Jones, a hot flyweight out of the GDF, took up the challenge and matched Campanioni’s aggression to the extent that many felt that he was ‘done in.’

Those were also the days when renowned Cuban trainer, Trotman Daly, tutored our boxers to competent forces on the international scene and hopes were high that we would have broken the Olympics gold medal jinx in the 1976 Montreal Games in Quebec, Canada.

This was not to be as almost all sovereign African nations and a few other countries from elsewhere boycotted the games in Montreal, in reaction to the International Olympic Committee’s refusal to ban New Zealand, whose rugby team had been touring South Africa, a country that had been excluded from

many international sporting events due to implementation of apartheid policy.

Cuba left those games with a 13 medal haul, 6 gold 4 silver 3 bronze so in effect, Guyana benefited through its sport interaction, more particularly in boxing, with that Spanish speaking country.

Imperceptibly, activities simmered and eventually died altogether, impacting negatively on local amateur boxers’ advancement. Suddenly, every Tom, Dick and Harry threw out challenges to our boxers and though at first we managed to overwhelm our foes out of Jamaica, Trinidad and other Caribbean countries, the writing was on the wall and by the early nineties local pugilists began experiencing much difficulties to emulate previous victories, a feat that was easily attained in the late seventies.

The situation got progressively worse and at present our boxers are experiencing grave difficulties in challenges against the above countries which, in the past, were easily attainable.

It was against this backdrop that administrators of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) took a bold step to revive the activities of yesteryear and later this month, a strong team of local boxers will depart these shores to match gloves with boxers from several countries at the Giraldo Cordova Cardin International Boxing Tournament to be held in Cuba at the Ramon Fonst Arena June 4-9 next.

This is a big tournament and one is even tempted to query whether GABA administrators should have taken such a huge step at the first outing for over two decades.

Coach, Terrence Poole, believes that his boys have the requisite ability, a view shared by Cuban coach, Francisco Hernandez Roldon.

Several other countries would be participating in the tournament which, in reality, could be viewed as a mini Olympics.

Alejandro Barrientos, a judge, referee and member of the Cuban Boxing Federation, intimated that Russia will send two squads to take part in the traditional tournament, while Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, the Cayman Islands, Canada, Kazakhstan, China, Jordan, Algeria, Mongolia and Australia will also participate.

Officials will also benefit as, parallel to the boxing tournament, an international course for referees of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) will be held. The 42nd edition of the Cordova Cardin tournament was held in Cuba in June 2012 and featured boxers from 12 countries and regions; Cuba had won all 10 titles of the final bouts.

It is this tournament that our boxers will attend and all hopes are high that they will do well. However, this would only be possible if they accrue some three million dollars to alleviate expenses and provide answers to that critical question, is the Cuban tournament a return of those nostalgic days of amateur boxing dominance?

Those boxers that have earned the nod are, Police representatives, Middleweight, Dennis Thomas and Bantamweight, Imran Khan GDF representatives, Welterweights Eon Bancroft and Ron Smith, Light/ Middleweight Bert Braithwaite and Lightweight, Clairmont Gibson.

Featherweight, Delon Charles (FYF) and Lightweight, Stephon Gouviea (HE) complete the team which will be Managed and Coached

by Terrence Poole with assistance from Cuban Coach, Francisco Hernandez Roldon.

Friday May 24, 2013

Four personal records eclipsed as GASA Independence Meet commences Amy Grant, Alika Persaud, Sarah King and Amber Degoeas all removed their best timings in their respective categories on the first day of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) fourday Independence Meet at the Aquatic Centre, Lilliendaal, ECD, yesterday afternoon.

Grant, the national 2012 swimming champion (1112yrs), shaved off 4 seconds from her personal best time in the 50 meters Backstroke event while Persaud followed suit, removing a similar 2 seconds of her best time also in the 50 meters backstroke.

King emulated those performances in the 200M freestyle event, also eclipsing her best timings by 2 seconds while Degoeas also joined her colleagues and eclipsed her best time in the 50 meters back stroke, also by 2 seconds.

Naomi King dominated the 200 meters free style event in the 9-10 years category while Sarah King and Daniel Scott won in the Boys and Girls 1112 yrs, 200 meters event, respectively. Dylan Nurse swam all alone in the Boys 1314 years 200M race as had Athena Gaskin in the Girls 1517yrs 200m event. Omar Adams also swam devoid of competition in the Boys 15-

17 year’s event. Activities continue this afternoon with several other events at the same venue from 16:30hrs.

Meanwhile, five (5) swimmers left Guyana yesterday afternoon for Barbados to participate in the 22nd Barbados Annual Independence Swimming Competition which gets underway today and concludes on Sunday May 26 next.

Those swimmers are Joseph Seguina, Onika George, Acclia Khan, Joseph DeNobriega and Leon Seaton.

They will be joined by two Coaches, Sean Baksh and Cuban, Isabel Maria Couso Fals.

Giro d’Italia: Vincenzo Nibali storms to victory in stage 18

Vincenzo Nibali Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali convincingly won stage 18 of the Giro d’Italia to extend his lead over Cadel Evans in the overall standings. Nibali was in supreme form in the mountainous 20.6km time trial to Polsa, winning in 44 minutes 29 seconds.

He beat second-placed Sammy Sanchez by 58 seconds and stretched his lead over Evans to more than four minutes.

Evans finished the stage in 25th position, meaning Mark Cavendish retains the red points leader’s jersey.

Cavendish led the standings on 113 points at the start of the stage, four clear of Evans, but with the terrain being too hilly for the British rider to add to his points tally, Evans knew a top12 finish would see him take the red jersey.

It was no surprise that Cavendish’s time of 52’34" was more than eight minutes down on Nibali, but it was a shock to see Evans, who is usually a decent time triallist and climber, finish two minutes 36 seconds adrift of Nibali. Britain’s Cavendish is

aiming to join an elite group of four riders to win the points jersey at each of the three Grand Tours, having already won the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana equivalents.

However, he can realistically only win the sprinter-friendly last of the three stages remaining in the race, and by then Evans or Nibali, who is only 10 points back after Thursday’s victory, could be unsurpassable.

Stage winners pick up 25 points towards the red jersey classification and with the next two stages in the Dolomite mountains, Nibali and Evans are likely to pick up more points.

Race leader Nibali was the last to start the time trial and set off three minutes after second-placed Evans but almost caught his rival by the finish.

Astana rider Nibali was 92 seconds quicker than Evans through the first checkpoint and continued to catch the BMC Racing team’s number one racer on the second half of the climb, which featured gradients of 10%.

Nibali punched the air with his right arm as he crossed the line in scenes reminiscent of Sir Bradley Wiggins when he won the final time trial on his way to becoming the first British winner of the Tour de France last year.

The 28-year-old Italian, who is seeking his second Grand Tour win after claiming the 2010 Vuelta, is four minutes two seconds ahead of Evans.

Evans retained second place but Team Sky’s Rigoberto Uran, who consolidated his third place by finishing 1’26" behind Nibali, moved to within 10 seconds of the Australian.

British time trial champion Alex Dowsett, who won the stage eight time trial, suffered a mechanical problem and was forced to change bikes as he finished well down the field.

Fellow Briton Steve Cummings, who set the early lead, finished 26th, 2’39" off the pace.

Friday’s mountainous stage is scheduled to take in the Gavia and Stelvio mountain passes but snow is forecast and temperatures atop the mountains have been reported to be -14C. Race directors are monitoring the weather conditions in the Dolomite mountains and will decide in the morning whether the race has to be re-routed through the valleys.

General classification standings: 1. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Astana) 73:55:58", 2.

Cadel Evans (Aus/BMC Racing) +4’02", 3. Rigoberto Uran (Col/Team Sky) +4’12", 4. Michele Scarponi (Ita/ Lampre) +5’14", 5.

Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol/ Lampre) +6’09".

Friday May 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 43

National junior cyclist, Raul Leal, hospitalized following collision with minibus

S

ixteen-year-old Te a m C o c o ’s Cycle Club member Raul Leal was admitted to the Emergency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital after he collided with a mini bus at Meadow Brook Gardens whilst training yesterday afternoon.

Leal, who recently

returned from a one month High Performance training stint in Colombia and who also competed in the just c o n c l u d e d N S C Independence three-stage road race, suffered a broken right hand and left foot as well bruises and a swollen left eye. In a show of support for the young and promising rider, his fellow

colleagues, on hearing of the accident were present at the hospital to comfort Leal and his relatives following this most unfortunate accident.

The cyclists are calling for proper training facilities that will keep the nation’s riders away from the dangerous road way citing the high level of indiscipline that is practiced on a daily basis by many drivers using the roads, especially mini bus and taxi drivers.

The riders are calling on the Ministry of Culture,

Leal’s damaged racing cycle.

Universal Sports Store supports Independence Wolfsburg stun Lyon T20 Cup to secure historic treble

Managing Director of the Universal Sports Store, Andrew Budhan, hands over the cheque to BCB Secretary, Angela Haniff.

T

he Universal Sports Store has supported the Berbice Cricket Board\Berbice Chamber of Commerce Independence T20 Cup which is scheduled to be played on Sunday at the Albion Sports Complex.

Yesterday at their East Street Office Managing Director of the store Andrew Budhan handed over a cheque to the Secretary of the Berbice Cricket Board Angela Haniff which will assist to offset expenses for the tournament.

Additionally, the store has sponsored the prizes for the youngest player in the competition, the most outstanding batsman, bowler and the most valuable player in the final.

Speaking at the handing over, Budhan said they are pleased to be associated with tournament while Haniff in return thanked Universal Sports for his support.

The tournament will be played as part of celebrations to mark Guyana’s 47th Independence Anniversary

and will see four exciting teams namely Universal DVD Berbice Titans, Karibee Rice Tigers, BK International East Coast Demerara Jaguars and Georgetown Lions battling for supremacy and over one million dollars in cash and prizes.

Some of the players expected to be on show are Narsingh Deonarine, Assad F u d a d i n , Ve e r a s a m m y Permaul and Devendra Bishoo. Patrons will have an opportunity to win fabulous gate prizes including cell phones, MP3 players and hampers among other tokens from various companies.

Action gets underway at 10:30 hrs, the two semi finals will be played during daylight followed by a cultural ceremony. In the evening, the atmosphere will be transformed with the light up of Big Screen Projectors, Cheer Leaders, and the final under floodlights that will illuminate the night - the best Albion has ever seen.

Admission to the venue is $500 for Adults and gates will open from 09:00 hrs.

Raul Leal

Wolfsburg completed a historic treble by winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League against favourites Lyon 1-0 last night - and player of the match Lena Gossling hailed the achievement as a “dream”.

The French giants came into the game hoping to win the competition for a record third year in succession, but were made to pay for failures in front of goal at Stamford Bridge. Having won the Frauen Bundesliga and German Cup in the past fortnight, Wolfsburg completed a famous treble as Martina Muller’s penalty secured the victory.

The feat is all the more impressive given Die Wolfinnen had never won a major trophy before this year and kicks off what will be quite a week for German football, with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund meeting in the men’s final at Wembley this weekend.

A number of their fans cheered on Wolfsburg in west London and midfielder Gossling was taken aback by the whole occasion. Lyon counterpart Patrice Lair was left ruing what might have been after his side wasted a number of decent chances and saw a strong second-half penalty appeal waved away.

Yo u t h a n d S p o r t f o r assistance and the Guyana Cycling Federation to meet and discuss the possibility of

a proper training venue for cyclists noting that it is long overdue. They are wishing Leal a speedy recovery.

Page 44

Kaieteur News

COURTS Guyana Inc. backs

Christian blasts century in USA Division One tourney Guyanese wicketkeeper batsman Derwin Christian blasted a fine century as Universal Sports Store Caribbean Stars defeated Challengers by 100 runs in the United States of America (USA) division-one tournament recently.

Playing at Palm Coast, Orlando Florida on Sunday last, Christian slammed six fours and a similar number of sixes in a top score of 110 as the Caribbean Stars posted a respectable 213-4

off their allotted 40 overs. He was well supported by Sunil Deopersaud 39, Kadian Mc Kenzie 29 and Lindon Johnson 18.

Challengers in reply were bowled out for 113.

Mark Pinnock led with 59 (2x6) while Mo Pariag made 29. The pair put together 80 for the opening stand but when Pariag was dismissed the rest of the batting crumbled, their resistance lasting 28 overs.

USA Under-19 player

Friday May 24, 2013

Guyana Independence T20 Cup Derwin Christian Sunil Deopersaud grabbed 5-13 off 7 overs while Michael Springer had 3-3 off 3 overs and Christian 2-28 from 7 overs.

Pool players battle at Turkeyen tomorrow

C

ome tomorrow afternoon, the country’s leading exponents of Pools will descend at Singh’s Sports Bar, 5th Street and University of Guyana Road, Turkeyen to battle for supremacy in the Independence Competition sponsored by Carona Beer.

According to Organiser Sheik Yassen,

participants will be required to purchase three Carona Beers to enter the competition and prizes will be given to the top three finishers.

The winner will receive a case of Carona Beer, runner-up- half case and third place- 6.

The player to register the first 7-ball cop will receive six beers. Starting time is 15:00 hrs.

COURTS NA Branch Manager Stanley McKenzie (2nd left) hands over his entity’s contribution to Anil Beharry in the presence of fellow staff members.

COURTS Guyana Inc. is the latest sponsor to add financial fuel to Sunday’s eagerly anticipated Guyana Independence T20 Cup to be

held at the Albion Sports Complex.

At the Company’s New Amsterdam, Berbice Office, Branch Manager Mr. Stanley McKenzie said that the company is genuinely interested in the development of sport in the Ancient County and will continue to work with all NGO’s and other stakeholders to promote sports.

He said that he was aware of the success of the inaugural Independence Cup and was anxious to come on board for such a high profile tournament.

He was full of praise for the way preparations are g o i n g f o r t h i s y e a r ’s tournament is going stating that one of the main reasons he was pleased to be associated with the event is that all the proceeds will be used for charitable purposes.

McKenzie informed that Courts will be working with

the Berbice Cricket Board to promote the sport in schools.

He was assured by BCB Executive Anil Beharry, that as soon as the dust is settled from the Independence Cup, discussions will commence with the Executive of the BCB in this regard.

Beharry who is also Chairman of the Independence Cup Committee expressed delight with the Furniture Giant {Courts}being on board with the prestigious tournament.

He added that lots of effort is put into the event and sponsors like COURTS will be fully satisfied with the mileage they will receive.

The event will be conducted in the most professional and transparent manner with fans e n j o y i n g c l e a n entertainment.

Proceeds from this event will go towards assisting with the development of sports in the county.

Friday May 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 45

Guinness excitement returns to Banks Car Park tonight

I

n every community that the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Futsal Competition has ventured into since its birth, there has been overwhelming excitement and massive crowd support and when the national playoffs starts this evening, at the Banks DIH Car Park, the same two characteristics are expected to feature predominantly.

The competition organised by Banks DIH under the Guinness brand is to select the team that will represent Guyana at the second annual Guinness Street Challenge scheduled for June 21-23 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Eight teams have survived from competitions played in Georgetown, Linden, East Coast of Demerara and Bartica and in addition to earning the right to be Guyana’s representative at the prestigious regional tournament they also have the opportunity to win lucrative prize monies and

impressive trophies.

The eight survivors are: Silver Bullets and Silent Assassins of Linden, Leopold Street and Back Circle of Georgetown, Plaisance and Victoria Church Yard from East Coast Demerara and Millennium and Hard Core of Bartica.

Leopold Street won the Georgetown Zone with Back Circle, who was Guyana’s representative at the inaugural Caribbean Championship ending as runner-up, while Plaisance emerged at the top of the pack in the East Coast Demerara segment with Victoria Church Yard beaten finalists.

In the Linden competition, Silver Bullets marched to the top of the podium with Silent Assassins finishing second best, while Millennium copped the top prize in Bartica followed by Hard Core.

The fixtures in the opening round are as follows: Silver Bullets up against Hard Core followed by the Leopold Street versus

FLASHBACK! Part of the action in the East Coast Demerara segment earlier this year Vi c t o r i a C h u r c h Ya r d encounter, before Silent Assassins battle Plaisance and Back Circle takes on Millennium.

The second round which will be played on the night

brings together Silver Bullets against Victoria C h u r c h Ya r d , S i l e n t Assassins versus Millennium, Leopold Street battles Hard Core and Back Circleplays Plaisance.

The third round will be played on Saturday (tomorrow), while the semifinals and final will be played on Monday evening, a public holiday. The winners will receive

$400,000, runner-up $250,000, third place $150,000 and fourth $75,000.

Guyana hosted the inaugural Caribbean Guinness Challenge last year at the National Park.

Independence half marathon aims for international status

By Edison Jefford The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) is hoping that the annual Independence Half Marathon will be able to garner international status in the coming years, and as such has given an unequivocal mandate to the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) to partner with the efforts of the Ministry to develop the competition.

Speaking at the official launch of the Independence Half Marathon that is set for Sunday, MCYS Permanent Secretary, Alfred King said that the Ministry is hoping that the race will be able to get International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) accreditation.

“I see this growing quickly over the years to become a highly sought after regional event,” King told the media yesterday at the Ministry’s Main Street office, adding that the Ministry anticipates such growth over the next three years, and will be working closely with the AAG to achieve the goal.

According to King, the event “is worthy of celebrating our

- Ministry/AAG officially launch Sunday’s race

Permanent Secretary within the MCYS, Alfred King (second left) addresses the media in the presence of Director of Sport, Neil Kumar (left), AAG Vice-President, Gavin Hope and MCYS Admin Officer, Gervy Harry yesterday.

Anniversary”; as a result, he said that all national associations, and clubs, should take the opportunity to encourage their athletes to participate in the race as a means of raising health and fitness awareness.

“I am hoping that by the end of this activity there will be a greater appreciation for marathons as we are welladvanced in terms of our planning for the event; we can expect a well-organised race on Sunday,” King said during his remarks.

Vice-President of the AAG, Gavin Hope made it clear that the association will be doing all that it can from an administrative perspective to ensure that the

race succeeds; he stated that from usage of the clock to setting up all pervading

systems for the race along the roadways, the AAG will do its part to ensure

standards are set during the event. “I want to be on record as saying that the

AAG will leave no stones unturned in ensuring that the event is memorable.

We will make all efforts to have local athletes properly represented. We will have a massive event by 2016,” he assured, subtly responding to the mandate of Ministry in their remarks.

He pleaded for the avoidance of any delays from athletes and officials Sunday morning, while he believed that the race could be a spectacle. Additionally, Hope informed that 90% of (Continued on page 41)

t r o Sp

RAMDIN: More focus needed from the T20s won’t start against T&T - Henry hamper chances

Guyana’s hero in the Barbados clash Avery Corbin (with ball) goes through a routine during Wednesday’s session at the National Park.

Denesh Ramdin

LeBron saves Heat Four personal records eclipsed as GASA at buzzer of Game 1 Independence Meet commences

The young swimmers pose moments after exiting the water

LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat drives and makes the game winning basket in overtime against the Indiana Pacers.

Independence half marathon aims for international status

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