Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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

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

EDITORIAL

The fact and the fiction

When the parliamentary opposition contended that the government was trying to rush the anti-money laundering Bill through the National Assembly the government retorted that this was not the case, that it was awaiting the passage of legislation in the more developed countries so that it could see the various pitfalls.

Close research revealed that no major country was drafting legislation. The United States to which Guyana was looking had legislation in place for a long time to the extent that it has even been tracking the movement of money and prosecuting those found guilty of money laundering.

Just last week, it set its eyes on a former Central American head of state who had laundered some US$70 million, using banks in the United States. That man has been extradited to stand trial in the United States because of the existing legislation.

This week another metropolitan country, France, announced that it was blacklisting two Caribbean countries on charges of encouraging foreign aid. The two Caribbean countries were Trinidad and Dominica. They allegedly allowed their banks to launder the money stolen from funds designed for the development of poor countries.

At issue, here, is the fact that these countries have legislation that could aid Guyana. Why we chose not to examine those pieces of legislation to aid in the drafting of our amended legislation is not known.

In this technological age when just about every piece of information can be gleaned from a computer, Guyanese lawmakers could not profess to be denied access to modern legislation.

The political opposition, quite rightly, queried the haste with which Government was trying to pass the legislation through the House. It claimed that it needed to study the various clauses in the legislation and to good effect since there has never been any prosecution for money laundering in Guyana.

Guyana had earlier passed two pieces of anti-money laundering legislation but these had so numerous loopholes that the Financial Investigation Unit could not even arrest or prosecute someone caught red-handed. The old laws stipulated that commercial banks report all suspicious financial transactions. This was never done for a series of reasons.

For one, the heads of commercial banks claimed that they were not protected. One such head of a bank actually said that there was the real risk of him being killed within hours of reporting any suspicious transactions.

Others contended that the Central Bank, which is provided by law with all transactions that occur in the commercial banking system, was in a position to detect the suspicious transactions even if the commercial banks did not report them.

The way in which the laws have been applied would suggest that there have been no illegal transactions since the Central Bank never moved against any of the transactions that may have been recorded by the commercial banks. It transpired that the Central Bank did not have the support of the existing legislation.

And so we come to the situation that has seen Guyana in a mad scramble to have proper legislation in place and herein lies the problem. For all the attacks and counterattacks by the various political parties there seemed to be real desire to have the anti-money laundering legislation in place. The government had already informed the nation that severe sanctions loomed if the legislation was not in place.

It would now seem that there would have been sanctions in any case. The United States Ambassador to Guyana, Brent Hardt, actually said that this country actually made no effort to combat money laundering so there would have been sanctions in any case.

Such comments are not strange. Since 1992 this country has not prosecuted one single prominent person, despite whatever illegality this person might have done.

Prominent drug dealers are allowed to road untouched; prominent people found guilty of corruption in public office have been left to continue with the excuse that there

Friday May 24, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

No amount of denigrating will divert our attention from the objective DEAR EDITOR, In which part of the world, as far as the Media is concerned, has there been “stellar performance” by Law Enforcement Agencies or the Head of the Department that formulates policy for these Agencies? The answer is an unequivocal none!

Because of the inextricable link between the policy makers and the Law Enforcement Agencies, especially the Police, it is not unusual to cast blame on both for failures and none “stellar performances”. And when the occasional situation for congratulations presents itself, it is the Police and not the politicians who get the plaudits.

Opposition politicians, Members of Parliament, sections of the Media and some stakeholders contribute to the “big lie” and the confusion about the role of the Minister vis-à-vis the Police and the Law Enforcement Agencies According to the Police Act, the Minister gives “general orders and directions” to the Commissioner of Police who for his part (not the Minister) “has command and control over the Force”.

The “General orders and Direction” from the Minister are based on policy while “command and control” exercised by the Commissioner are of an operational nature. Therefore, when it comes to matters of policy the buck stops with the Minister. When it comes to operations the buck stops with the Commissioner.

But do the populace make these fine distinctions? The answer is clearly no!

Why? Because over the decades the perception has been created and

nurtured that the two are one.

Just as the Minister of Health cannot tell a Medical Doctor what to prescribe or not to prescribe for a specific medical condition for any patient he examines, nor should he barge into an operating theatre and direct the Surgeon what, when and where he should cut or not cut, in the same way, the Minister of Home Affairs cannot tell the Commissioner of Police when and how he is to carry out a police operation. He may give “general orders and direction” about the need to prevent and reduce crime in a specific Police Division, but the modus operandi of doing so is left exclusively to the Police.

When they succeed, then thanks and praise are in order for the Ranks who executed the operation, but if it turns out to be a botched operation criticisms and attacks are levelled at both the Ministry and the Police. Did the Ministry carry out the operation? No. Did the Police fail in their efforts to execute the policy?

Maybe. Did the Minister of Home Affairs fail to “give general orders and direction”? No! Generally, there ought not to be any forked divergence between the policy and the operational directions, but life is not predictable. That is why we must always prepare for the unpredictable.

On the one hand the predictable future problems are simply extensions of past problems that won’t go away, i.e. numerous calls for service, many conventional crimes, occasional public mistakes, not enough resources, internal recruiting and promotion issues.

On the other hand, there are predictably unpredictable issues. Such

as occasional public order problems, public safety measures such as floods, periodic national security and terrorism threats of a local and foreign nature as well as new local-global crimes including cyber crimes and money laundering.

What is needed in response to these challenges is intelligent management and by necessity, intelligence or evidence-based policing.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is supportive of this approach and has consistently encouraged the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to adopt this approach.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has and continues to provide the necessary tools and training necessary to assist the Force to equip itself to proceed in this direction.

Moreover, the new Forensic Laboratory, with the Force as one of its clients, will make a tremendous boost to the capacity of the GPF in support of this approach.

While the ball is now in the court of the GPF, the Ministry of Home Affairs will not stand idly by to witness the rolling out of the reforms currently underway at the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

The activities of the Strategic Management Department (SMD) at Force Headquarters and the recruitment of the British, Capita Symonds Consultancy to complement the efforts of the SMD will be monitored and evaluated on a continuous basis by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

No amount of rubbishing or denigrating of these efforts at reform will divert the Ministry’s attention from the strategic transformative objectives.

Clement J. Rohee Minister

The CCJ is stagnant...interest is waning...it will soon be forgotten DEAR EDITOR, Ever since the inauguration of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in April 2005, and even before that, after its establishment in February 2001, I have been calling on regional leaders to abolish appeals to the Privy Council and accept the CCJ as the final court, but unfortunately the pleas are unheeded.

So far only three countries, Guyana, Barbados and Belize have joined.

I have written more than two dozen articles on the issue - so much so I was told by a few prominent persons that I was beating a dead horse, since interest is waning and soon it would be forgotten.

There seems to be some merit in the statement since Jamaica, the country which was in the forefront for the regional court more than two decades ago, cannot yet make up its mind. Three years ago the then Prime Minister, is just not enough evidence and people with sudden newfound wealth have not been asked to account to the Guyana Revenue Authority, which in turn has made no effort to mount investigations.

Instead, the political authorities have bombarded the society with frightening claims and contentions without admitting that the very powers that be have created the situation.

Bruce Golding, said he would set up a Jamaican final appellate court, but that idea was shelved.

That country was querying that there was no national as a judge, but one, Justice Anderson was appointed four years ago. Now one of the country’s leading attorneys, Ronald Mason, who is said to be very influential, is advocating that the final appellate court should be based in Canada. What rubbish! How is Canada suddenly in the picture when Jamaica is contributing 27% of the funds to administer the regional court?

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced in Parliament that she would go halfway and accepted the CCJ to hear criminal appeals only and that civil cases should continue to be dealt with by the British Privy Council. However since the statement was issued more than a year ago, nothing has been done to rid the Privy Council of criminal appeals.

Maybe the Prime Minister was not serious when she issued the statement, although her mentor, Basdeo Panday, whom she succeeded as leader of the UNC, was the Prime Minister who pushed for the Court to be based in Port of Spain.

The court has well trained, highly

qualified and experienced judges with equipped libraries, spacious conference room, robing room, etc. I was elated with the Courtroom appearance, with the most modern telephonic and fascinating equipment which is said to be among the best in the world. The facilities include: A document reader/Visual Presenter; Ability to use laptop computers, DVF/VCR Audio/Video Digital Recording (Microphones situated throughout the courtroom) wireless internet access, and audio/video transcripts It is unbelievable that Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago which gained political independence 50 long years ago cannot cut the apron string from the colonial Privy Council despite calls from prominent West Indians including Sir Shridath Ramphal, former Commonwealth Secretary General; PJ Patterson, former Prime Minister of Jamaica; Dr. Nick Liverpool, former President of the Commonwealth of Dominica; Sir George Alleyne, former UWI Chancellor and Sir Alister Mc Intyre, former Secretary General of the Caribbean Community. These five distinguished Caribbean nationals are all recipients of the region highest award, the Order of the Caribbean Community.

Oscar Ramjeet

Thursday May 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

We have 27% in the City dictating to an overwhelming 73% majority DEAR EDITOR, Guyana is not unique to have among its population persons who one day can be quite rational, and seemingly even progressive, yet occasionally these very folks set off into unreasonableness and flights of sheer fancy.

Such may be the case of a tirade by my friend Ramon Gaskin as he rushed to judgment with his robust penmanship into Georgetown Municipal matters. I have always admired Mr. Gaskin’s zeal and advocacy.

However on this question of the Town Clerk (ag) and the Mayor and Councillors, he is out of kilter, most likely due to a total misunderstanding of the deeper and relevant issues affecting the internal workings of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council and the impact of the present outmoded, sick Local Government legislation still operating in a purported modern democratic State.

Indeed responsible local and international organizations are appalled that since the widely proclaimed ‘return to democracy in 1992’, Guyana has failed to put in place a viable Local Government System. In other words, an up-to-date mechanism of real shared governance (after all this is the strength of a true democracy) – a happy movement away from the existing imperial-like control.

A system whereby the elected leaders in their respective communities are allowed to share ideas, mobilize resources, and

initiate programmes to release the creative energies of citizens, in particular, our youth.

The failure to do this for an entire generation, to help put to Parliament a modern local government legislation, is a disgrace and embarrassment to a country that celebrated forty-seven years of Independence a few days ago .

The casual observer cannot help getting the feeling that we are quite comfortable with total central Government control and Ministerial domination over every facet of our lives, in every community.

The very idea of sharing at any level seems an anathema to Guyana - if so this is a curse upon our lands.

Looking at the City situation - what is our democracy all saying?

Since Elections of 2011 in spite of a shared optimism by the majority to see changes, it looks as though it is bully business as usual, how very sad.

Mr. Royston King, the Public Relations Officer, has made an erudite reply as published in the Stabroek News of Saturday May 25, titled “It is not the fault of the Georgetown Mayor and Councillors that they are still in place”.

In that carefully written letter, the PRO drew attention to the role of the Town Clerk who, as secretary of the Council, has certain duties, encased by protocols, law and time-honoured traditions.

The Town Clerk is therefore

subordinate to the elected Mayor and Councillors. In Georgetown, therein lies the basic big problem, apparently with the compliments of Ministerial fiat.

This acting Town Clerk feels she is way above the Mayor and Councillors, certainly not subordinate – this is the basis of our difficulties.

But beyond this, in a letter to the Honourable Minister dated May 3, 2013, I made this observation that is provable - that the above attitude is heightened by what seems to be a difficulty with truth.

But then this behaviour may well be in accordance with a policy residing with a higher authority and extant State policy.

In so far as the Capital is concerned, this translates to mean a denial of the rights of voters in Georgetown who, when Elections for the City Council were held, gave the PPP Government only 27%.

So we have 27% in the City dictating to the overwhelming 73% majority.

This acting Town Clerk is the instrument of this undemocratic exercise, where for example, the 73% identified who should be the Chief Executive Officer, but the minority government decided otherwise, and this painfully is the pattern.

Our system allows for just over a quarter to rule - and I mean Imperial-like rule over the 73-plus % - near 3/4 who did not support the incumbent PPP government.

The WPO’s public support for Ms. Sooba

A million thanks to GT&T DEAR EDITOR, Allow me to express my profound gratitude to the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company for the effective and efficient service they have provided to me by failing to restore my telephone connection for approximately one month.

During the week of 28th April, 2013, I called the GT&T customer service number 097 and made a fault report with regards to my landline telephone.

My complaint was acknowledged and upon requesting a reference number, I was told that I don’t need one because the line would be fixed within three working days.

On the 7th May, 2013, I made another call and reiterated my concern and again I was told that the line would be fixed within three working days. I then informed the customer service representative that I was told the same thing approximately two weeks earlier when I first reported the problem.

The individual then rudely responded that there was no report lodged for me.

This time I was given a reference number after requesting one.

Several follow-up calls were made, but it was futile to connect to an agent since they were all busy, as reported by the automated system.

Disgusted and frustrated, on the 22nd May, 2013, I noticed a number 226-0122 assigned to the Manager, Residential and Business Service. I called and spoke to “Colette” (only name given) and again I reiterated my plight.

She collected my mobile number, reference number and promised to call back, which she did and said that they would expedite the restoration of my phone line, latest 23rd May, 2013. To date this is yet to be done.

I have had the dilemma where I forgot to pay my phone bill and it was disconnected without delay, but my reports and efforts to rectify the faulty line cannot

be dealt with in a timely manner, after approximately one month. Efficient!

Again, I plead to have this line restored or removed by today (May 30th).

A DSL service is attached to this line and its disruption has significantly encumbered my studies.

Dissatisfied, Robbie Rambarran

exposed this injustice.

Therein lies another big problem.

The great contradiction – an unacceptable state of affairs.

The Mayor represents the great majority, but must be made to be subordinate to an insubordinate, rude bureaucrat, at the behest of a minority government.

In recent letters I reminded the Hon. Minister of these things and asked how is it possible for this acting Town Clerk to openly defy his (the Minister) request and recommendation, that she withdraws an insubordinate memo (The Minister words not mine). After sticking her tongue at the Minister’s face - by saying she will have to consider his request which was intended to pave the way for a harmonious relationship – the good lady has neither withdrawn the offending memo nor apologized, again as requested by the Hon. Minister in the presence of senior Ministry officials, this example is but the ‘tip of the iceberg’ The big question is where is her ‘spunk’ coming from?

Mr. King’s letter deals with the fundamentals of law and good governance. The acting Town Clerk shows a total

disdain and disrespect for the duly elected representatives of the people and the Minister seems not concerned. Our patience is being stretched.

The fact is that it is this Government that handpicked this good lady who is now behind this crusade to undermine the 73% gained at the Georgetown City Council elections.

The 27% must run roughshod over the 73% majority - that is the situation at City Hall. This last week, efforts to meet with the Hon. Minister were unsuccessful as recent as Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 10:00a.m.

Yet, without even the courtesy of letting the Mayor know, the Minister summoned to his office the Town Clerk and senior officers to discuss matters which were not urgent but clearly matters that ought to handled by the Mayor - one was a story about racial profiling.

A classic case of micromanagement. But the state media finds it so very easy to blame the Mayor and Councillors for all of the City’s ills, while decisions are made between the Town Clerk and Minister in the latter’s office.

This is so very easy control money and

management then blame the elected Mayor and Councillors – but we have no intention to surrender.

This is an open plea to those who now rule. At the Flag-raising ceremony our Head of State asked for political trust since it is necessary to bridge differences so as to move the country nearer to its goals (we all must agree, lofty, noble words). The old folks say “han wash han mek han come clean”. Surely President Ramotar must know the opposition and all Guyanese are not only willing but anxious to reach these laudable goals. But his group must be reasonable.

I can offer a few measures, all very easy: 1.

Appoint an Ombudsman 2. Establish a Procurement Commission 3. Fund the Office of the Leader of the Opposition so it can carry out its responsibilities 4. Allow, with the appropriate support, for the elected Mayor and Councillors to manage the Capital without an obstinate officer.

Mr. President, conform to the example by deeds, not (Continued on page 28)

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Thursday May 30, 2013

‘Torture’ victim gives OPR Guyana averts sanctions …Must pass anti-money 15-page statement laundering legislation by November Acting on advice, former murder accused Shaka Chase sat down with investigators from the police Office of Professional Responsibility and gave a detailed statement of his alleged torture at the hands of detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department Accompanied by his father and social activist, Mark Benschop, Chase gave a 15-page statement, in a fivehour meeting with investigators, detailing how detectives allegedly administered electric shock to his body and then poured a liquid down his throat.

All of this allegedly happened while he was in custody as a suspect in the shooting of police corporal Romein Cleto on April 27 last, as the investigators, three of whom were named, forced

him to sign a confession statement. Chase initially had reservations about cooperating with the OPR investigation into his allegations but decided to lodge an official complaint yesterday, after he was invited to do so by a police official on Tuesday.

Kaieteur News understands that Head of the OPR, Retired Assistant Commissioner Mohamed Jameer and lead investigating officer, Assistant Superintendent Baird, assured Chase that an official investigation into the torture allegations made against members of the Police Force will commence with immediate effect.

The police had quickly denied Chase’s allegations as well as similar ones made by Natasha Blackman, who

claimed that she was forced to sign a statement that she could positively identify Chase as one of the persons in the car that was used in the Cleto shooting.

It is not yet clear if the OPR investigators have invited Blackman to give a statement. The police in their statement issued on May 20, said that on Saturday, May 18, Attorney-at-Law Gordon Gilhuys indicated to a police officer that Shaka Chase had been assaulted by the police.

“The officer immediately had Chase taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was seen and examined by a Medical Doctor who issued a medical certificate that there was no sign of injuries.”

However, immediately after his release last week, Chase was seen by a private doctor and is currently on medication for what has been described as internal injuries.

Congested minibus parks plague drivers Many minibus drivers are now calling on the Guyana Police Force, Traffic Department to fix an ever growing issue of congestion within the Stabroek Market area.

Mark Hendricks, a route 40 (Kitty/Campbellville) minibus driver said that the park is a scene of “epic” confusion during the peak periods. “You does see things like bus drivers boring to get in front of the line and if pedestrians lucky, them would get pull and tug by

conductors them.

Hendricks added that this is an “every day” episode which sometimes results in “brutal” fights among drivers and conductors who wrestle for passengers. “Fighting for passengers is a prime issue.

Police locking them up don’t even solve the situation because when they get release from the lock-ups they back on the road clashing again,” Hendricks added.

The driver who has worked in Stabroek Market area for the past 10 years announced that if the issue is not resolved he will be forced to remove from the park and return to his former trade as taxi driver.

Keith Matthews, a route 48 driver, said that the route

has suffered a drastic drop of commuters due to the fact that the long line of route 40 buses block what was once the point of exit of the park.

“When the peak reach is a set of confusion on this park because everybody rushing for the front of the line and when we got to come out is another issue because when we buses filled passengers got to wait till the line clear up,” Matthews added.

Another driver of the route 40 district Chandranauth Ramsammy believed that the problem derived from “newcomers” who targets younger passengers in order to quickly fill minibuses and speed off before the police catch (Continued on page 23)

The government has been successful in buying more time from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force to amend laws against financial crimes, therefore avoiding being put on a financial blacklist.

Speaking in Port of Spain Trinidad, yesterday, President Donald Ramotar confirmed that Guyana now has until November to bring up to speed, laws governing the financial crimes of money laundering and financing of terrorism.

Ramotar had dispatched Attorney General Anil Nandlall to Nicaragua where the country was expected to inform the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force about Guyana’s progress in countering financial crimes.

The Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit, Paul Geer, was leading Guyana’s delegation, but with the government failing to rush the Opposition to make amendments to various pieces of legislation, Nandlall

was added to the team to plead for more time.

The government wanted the amendments to the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2013 (AML/CFT) passed before it faced the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) review panel in Managua.

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

The CFATF had required that the country amend a range of laws. Amendments to the various laws were lumped together and taken to the House as one Bill.

The Bill is now with a Special Parliamentary Select Committee. When that Committee completes its

work it will take its report to the full House for a vote.

Ramotar hopes that the June 12 meeting would be the last.

He does not believe there is a great deal of work left to be done.

The government had insisted that without passing the amendments before Guyana faces the review, there would hav e b e e n severe sanctions that would have a range of implications for the financial sector especially, including humbugs in the flow of international funds, such as remittances and wire transfers.

The seven-seat Alliance for Change (AFC), which holds the balance of power in the National Assembly, is sticking to its demands.

The party has said that it would exchange its support for the amendments only if the government provides a definitive deadline for the setting up of the Public Procurement Commission and if the President re-considers assenting to two Bills which were brought to the House by the opposition and passed.

School for Autistic children to be opened today ‘Step by Step’, a nonprofit school for autistic children is scheduled to be opened today at Lot 3, Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara (above Ray’s Auto Spares).

The Director of this nonprofit school is Mrs. Debbie Seebarran. Miss India Guyana 2013, Katherina Roshana has been appointed spokesperson.

The aim of the school is to teach autistic children the proper techniques, and procedures on how to manage

their lives on a daily basis, and to socialize, as well as to bring awareness to the parents and guardians of Autistic children.

“They need to know how important an organized daily schedule is for their child.

They also need to know how important it is for the child to be in a school suited for their condition. Children suffering from autism are sometimes misunderstood and at times neglected, and abused by those that should love them the most.

“It is also known that some autistic children can be geniuses or extremely gifted hence, we wish to help them find their true potential. We would also like to educate society on how to communicate and show respect for these children”.

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person’s lifetime. People with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have problems with social and communication skills. Many people with ASD also have unusual ways of learning, paying attention or reacting to sensations. In most cases its causes are unknown. Today, one in 110 individuals is diagnosed with autism.

Thursday May 30, 2013

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FORGET ABOUT AMERICA! CHINA IS THE WAY TO GO! The United States of America still behaves as if the Caribbean is its backyard.

This means that the United States believes that it has a right to dictate the agenda of its engagements with the countries of the Caribbean, as seems to have been the case in the recent flying visit by the American Vice President to the Caribbean.

Thirty years after the Americans invaded the tiny island of Grenada, an American Vice President has come to further relations between the Caribbean and his country. The Caribbean leaders met with him.

Despite strong objections to the absence of Cuba from this meeting, in true Caribbean spirit, the leaders of the region have extended a warm welcome to Barack Obama’s number two.As anticipated nothing of significance emerged out of that meeting. An agreement on trade and investment was signed. That agreement will have little impact on the Caribbean because it is based on US interests more than it is ours. At the same time, a top Chinese team is also visiting and you can bet that the assistance that the Chinese are going to offer will make what the Americans have placed on the table look like a handful of toffees.

The main US interests in these parts is political and security. They wish to prevent a deepening of South- South integration.

They are concerned that the emerging economies, particularly Brazil, China and India can seriously threaten their interests in these parts.

And so they came prepared with their tokenism to offer the Caribbean some goodies so that their own multinationals will not be threatened and the Caribbean will continue to be a destination for their manufactured goods.

They have promised improved trade and investment but they have said very little about developmental assistance.

They want the region to make the sacrifices to stop the flow of narcotics to the United States but what do they offer in the form of development grants and loans? Nothing!

Are they going to build a new airport? Will they construct a new harbour for Guyana? Are they going to finance a hydroelectric falls for Guyana? How many computers are they donating to Guyana? The Americans are not offering anything.

They will launch an HIV programme and make the people of the Caribbean believe that they are doing so much for them. But in fact they are merely protecting themselves. Having a large migrant population for the Caribbean, it is in the US interests to want to curtail the spread of HIV in Guyana because they fear that unless

Dem boys seh...

Ah Kneel cry fuh Guyana When people beg and cry sometimes de people dem beg does be sorry fuh dem. And all who seh that Donald is a duck got to think again. De man send Ah Kneel to Nicaragua to cry and beg. De man do a very good job. He cry so much that de people who he beg and cry to, dem and all start to cry.

Guyana was to get blacklist but de way Ah Kneel cry de people seh that dem can’t blacklist Guyana till November.

Now Donald got couple months to convince de opposition that dem should pass de Bill fuh stop money laundering.

Donald done meet wid Granger and he posse. He walk wid he bad dog Roger and dem boys was surprise that de meeting go suh smooth till dem hear that Roger almost sleep through and didn’t seh a word.

Is when Granger talk bout de radio licence that Roger wake up. He decide to carry de Jagdeo line till he hear bout de forgery.

One of de people who get a radio licence now got two different signature. Dem boys seh that it got to be de case because de lady sign she ID card one way and she sign she radio licence application another way.

Now that is a CRIMINAL offence because it mean that somebody else mek de application and put de lady name.

That is why dem boys does seh that all of dem got to end up in jail. Is sheer corruption. Somebody go in de registry and pretend to be Rob Earth si ster. De immigration people seh that dem had no record of de lady coming to Guyana yet she sign de licence. She had to be a magician.

But then again, people believed that Jagdeo use to run de country even after he lef office and he didn’t have to go to Ohh Pee. People see that and believe that dem don’t have to come to Guyana to sign radio licence form.

Talk half and check fuh dem forgeries.

it is contained at their doorsteps it could run amok in their country. And so they have offered funds to help combat the diseases. But what else are they offering? What are they offering in the security field? They are not going to keep the deportees in their country. Instead they are dumping them back into a Region which still strongly holds to the view that the advent of serious crimes was linked to the influx of deportees. These crimes have now become fully home grown. A once peaceful region has one of its major cities listed as the crime

capital of the Caribbean.

The United States offers very little in terms of resources to combat the drug trade. When the Caribbean asks for assistance to fight crime in the Caribbean, the United States directs governments to private security firms. How about the United States offering to pay our drug enforcement officers the same pay as is given to their officers? The US has nothing to offer the Caribbean anymore. It is even indicating that even if legislation is passed against money-

laundering, it may not prevent the blacklisting of Guyana. So why bother with anything at all if the attitude of the US is that Caribbean countries have to run the full gauntlet of measures to avoid sanctions?

When he was first elected to office, Barack Obama came to the Caribbean and promised a new era of relations. That turned out to be a disappointment. The US has neglected the Caribbean.

There has been no change in the relationship. The outcome of the just concluded talks between the Vice President of the United States and

Caribbean leaders will further entrench this existing state of affairs. The US wants to talk security, trade and investment. All these benefit them. The Caribbean wants to talk development and the US is not interested. At the end of the day nothing is going to change. The Caribbean must now look towards China because that country will offer ten times more than the Americans have to offer.

Same gun used in cop, gold miner’s executions--police Ballistic tests by the police have revealed that the same high-powered rifle was used in the killings of Police Corporal Romein Cleto and gold miner Jason Wills.

Cleto was gunned down on April 27 at the busy Regent Street and Avenue of the Republic junction, while Wills, 33, met his death in a house at Meadowbrook on January 31, last. With this new revelation, the police have slightly narrowed down their investigations into two highprofile execution murders.

It also points to the fact that Cleto was killed by seasoned hit men.

Police Public Relations Officer Ivelaw Whittaker confirmed yesterday that 7.62mm spent shells recovered at both scenes

matched. The 7.62mm ammunition is used in the AK47 and M-70 assault rifles.

The police had charged one Shaka Chase with Cleto’s murder only to have the charges withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions three days later.

They were also attempting to institute murder charges in relations to the same incident on ‘Reagan’ Rodrigues, called ‘Grey Boy’. Crime Chief, Seelall Persaud was recently quoted in a section of the media saying that the case against Shaka Chase for the murder of Corporal Cleto looked clearcut. “It looked clear-cut so we went ahead and charged,” he stated. The big question now is - are the police now treating both Rodrigues and Chase as suspects in the Wills

Romein Cleto

Jason Wills

execution? Earlier this month, Persaud had assured that the investigation of the execution style killing of Jason Wills is still active. At that time there was no new development in the case that had seen the police detaining several persons including two who

were in the Pine Grove, Meadowbrook Gardens, Georgetown house, at the time when Wills was riddled with a hail of bullets. Those arrested have been released and there have been no further arrests in connection with the matter.

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 30, 2013

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Plantocracy and colonialism in Turkeyen Is it possible that this is the most politically defunct and sheepish nation in the world? It is possible that in twenty, thirty years time, this nation will just sink into total sycophancy where the citizenry will have no moral awareness of what is right and wrong?

An employee of a large retail establishment owned by a local super-rich Guyanese family informed readers of horrible employment practices, one of which is that the employees have to pay for toilet paper in the store washrooms.

Elton McCrae, an activist in ACDA’s leadership, sent out an e-mail to a number of us advocating action against this firm.

I responded with a column of condemnation the next day. That was it. No one else responded to Elton’s plea.

This national silence would never happen in little St. Vincent or even Bermuda.

Three years ago, a

curious incident occurred on the UG Access Road that affected thousands of UG students and dozens of its staff member. No one person at UG came to the rescue of these people. The story was about the shuttle taxis that park at the head of the UG Access Road outside of the mansion of the Beharry family.

The Beharry family sought to move the taxis; I got involved and the police at Sparendaam were sympathetic.

Then Commissioner Henry Greene, like a true house slave became a sycophant of the plantocracy.

Here now is the background.

When I attended UG in the mid seventies, it had less than a thousand students.

In 2010 when Commissioner Greene became a house slave (no apology whatsoever referring to him with that description), the UG community amounted to just under six thousand members,

including students and staff.

What occurred within those thirty-five years since I was a freshman at UG was that thousands of students outside of Georgetown and Region Four were now enrolled at UG. It meant that students were coming from deep within the East Coast region and from Region Five. Their transportation would drop them off at the head of the UG Access Road and they would wait for a Georgetown bus to take them into UG because the walk is about half a mile into the campus.

Some innovative Guyanese bought cars, turned them into taxis, and offered a shuttle service. As the student population of UG grew, so did the number of cars in the shuttle.

The Beharry family objected to the cars on the parapet outside their mansion.

The Sparendaam police moved the shuttle. An appeal

was made to some of us at UG. I journeyed to Sparendaam Police Station where, after negotiation, it was agreed to let the taxis remain because they have to serve the UG community.

Within days, the situation was reversed. Back to Sparendaam I went only to be informed that Commissioner Henry Greene ordered that the taxis be removed.

Suffice it to follow the saying, “Of the dead speak no ill.” This is the same Henry Greene who couldn’t afford to buy a car so he coveted the vehicle of my Wortmanville neighbour, Dexter VanVeen, the cousin of Kaieteur News staffer, Rawle Welch. VanVeen had to go right up to President Burnham with tears in his eyes. Burnham then ordered

Green to return the car to its rightful owner.

Since 2010, the UG shuttle taxis are like European gypsies. They have nowhere to park and not a soul in the UG student movement or the UG administration is interested in an intervention.

Now a dramatic situation has occurred. The Beharry family is landscaping the entire parapet outside the residence which is just under a quarter of a mile after which there is a gated community by Gafsons which has enclosed the parapet outside the establishment.

Opposite the Beharry residence, there are no parapet facilities for the shuttle service.

The trench is nearby. In 2011, authorities removed the taxis to make way for

Frederick Kissoon equipment for the specialty hospital. So we are beginning to see the end of the shuttle, the end of the income of some small Guyanese citizens and the re-establishment of plantocracy and colonialism in Guyana.

A note before we close. In a family dispute over Henry Greene’s assets which has reached the courts, it has b e e n r e v e a l e d t h a t Mr. Greene was a very rich man. I wonder from where he got all those assets? P.S. Ya think anyone will take up this issue?

GPHC recognizes charitable organizations Two charitable organizations were yesterday honoured by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation for their genuine contribution to the facility.

The organizations are the Guyana Burn and Health Care Charitable Foundation and Food for the Poor Guyana Inc. During a simple ceremony at the hospital’s Resource Centre, Chief Executive Officer, Michael Khan, stressed how the hospital has benefited from the help of the two organizations.

“These two organizations have been helping the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Not only have they helped with material resources but also in teaching our staffers.

They had psychiatrists here

and social workers. They are still contributing to help us,” Khan said.

Health Minister, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran complimented the works done by the organizations. “These two organizations have been doing a great job. The management at the Burn Care Unit has changed significantly and training is continuous.”

Vice President for Guyana Burns and Health Care, Pamela Harakh, told the small gathering that representatives from her NGO have been coming to Guyana for the last 12 years. “The Burn Care Unit was open in 2002 and was refurbished 10 years later. We are so happy to see the progress.”

Representative from Food for the Poor, Kent Vincent, said FFTP has been helping GPHC for the past ten years and will continue to help providing medical equipment to the facility.

At the end of the ceremony, both representatives were presented with plaques of appreciation from the hospital. The token to Food for the Poor was presented

by Nurse Francois and Dr. Rajkumar presented Mrs. Pamela Harakh with the plaque for the Burn Care Charitable Foundation.

Both recipients mentioned how humbled they were by this show of appreciation and have promised to continue the relationship with GPHC.

Miner in jail for pocketing raw gold An ex -employee of an established Mining Company on Tuesday faced charges of embezzlement. Dwain De Leon, of Lot 2 West Ruimveldt, Georgetown was employed by North American Resources Incorporated,

(NARI) when he reportedly pocketed a quantity of raw gold.

As such, the former Camp Manager appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer the allegations of fraud. He pleaded not guilty.

On March 29, De Leon being employed as a clerk or servant of the North American Mining Company fraudulently embezzled 10 ounces of raw gold valued in total at $3,595,586.

According to reports, on March 29, 2013 a dredge manager at Konawaruk, Region Eight, had the extracts washed. Gold was gathered, weighed and documented by

the manager, in the presence of two Brazilian workers.

The manager, accompanied by a security officer attached to the mines, took 10 ounces of raw gold to De Leon, who allegedly took it into his possession for safekeeping. De Leon later denied ever receiving such gold.

At the initial hearing, De Leon secured the services of Attorney -at- Law, Mark Waldron who requested bail on behalf of his client.

However, Police Prosecutor Sergeant Vishnu Hunte objected to the defendant acquiring his pretrial liberty.

DeLeon was remanded to prison until June 3, 2013.

Thursday May 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Alarm over possible forgery of Telcor legal documents …did Robert Persaud’s sister really sign legal documents?

Questions of forgery have arisen regarding Telcor Broadcasting, the company which was granted five radio frequencies by then President Bharrat Jagdeo in 2011.

The company is linked to Minister of National Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud.

Documents seen by Kaieteur News indicate that the incorporator of the company is Ruth Baljit, the sister of Minister Persaud.

However, the signature on documents submitted to the Deeds Registry looks completely different than the

one on Baljit’s New York Identification Card, which was also seen by Kaieteur News.

The Criminal Law Offences Act states that everyone who forges “any instrument whatsoever” that is deposited or recorded in the Deeds Registry “shall be guilty of a felony and liable to imprisonment for fourteen years.”

Baljit is a United States citizen, whose address is the Bronx, New York. Apart from Baljit, the other director of the company is Kamini Persaud, the niece of Jagdeo and also the wife of Minister Persaud.

Minister Persaud’s Permanent Secretary Omkar Lochan was the Company Secretary. Lochan has since resigned as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry.

The licence to Telcor Broadcasting was among 11 radio licences granted by Jagdeo the very month he left office – November 2011.

Others whom Jagdeo granted five radio frequencies were his best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop and the ruling party’s newspaper.

All the other licencees received one radio frequency each, including those who cannot afford to set up a radio station. These licences were granted ahead of longstanding applicants such as Stabroek News, Kaieteur News, and broadcasters Enrico Woolford and the late Hugh Cholmondeley.

Jagdeo had signed an agreement with then Opposition Leader Robert

Court documents show a stark contrast in signatures

by Ruth Baljit on court documents and her ID card

Corbin in May 2003, saying that no broadcast licences would be issued until the new broadcasting legislation comes into effect. However, Jagdeo went ahead and granted those new

frequencies almost one year before the broadcasting Act came into being at the end of August, 2012. Two challenges have been filed in the High Court against the granting of (Continued on page 21)

Page 12

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 30, 2013

Local Government Ministry PAHO voices commitment to aid achievement of safe motherhood to tackle WRDH issues Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Ganga Persaud, has promised to address the current issues affecting the West Demerara Regional Hospital, (WDRH).

Staff e r s o f R e g i o n a l Health facility have made claims that their plight is being ignored by those at regional levels citing that the Region T h r e e ’s Regional Executive Officer, Donald Gajraj, has been unwilling to cooperate with the Hospital’s administration.

However, yesterday, Minister Ganga Persaud said that the hospital administration is required to first submit a written report to the Local Government Ministry before necessary action is undertaken.

“I am not aware of all the issues but whenever regional state institutions have any such matters they first need to submit a written report

before any action is taken.”

Employees of WDRH have publicly expressed their dissatisfaction in a manner of which the Regional state institution is being dealt with.

The staff claims that there are insufficient and inadequate facilities for workers and sometimes patients have suffered the same fate.

Recently, a lamp post collapsed in the vicinity of the hospital, tearing down the northern shed attached to the facility and d i s r u p ted the supply of electricity to pertinent wards.

In the midst of a power outage to the maternity and female surgical wards, staff nurses and midwives were forced to use the light from their cell phones to conduct a delivery.

Nurses at the hospital have been vigorously protesting the conditions

in which they required to work.

They have listed the lack of suitable nurses’ toilets and safe nurses’ rooms, the lack of shoes and clothing for uniforms and poor waste disposal as just some of their problems.

This newspaper understands that the workers and those at administrative levels are in constant disagreement whenever appeals for urgent intervention are made.

This lack of resolve has resulted in workers suffering most.

“They completely ignore our complaints… their attitude towards staff can be quite unprofessional,” one female staffer said.

This, she said, has resulted in the attacks by stray dogs on those working or walking in the hospital compound.

There was the incident of a pregnant staff nurse being robbed by bandits while she was exiting the hospital compound.

Several calls made to the office of Regional Executive Officer for a comment proved unsuccessful.

With a commitment from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and other international organisations, Guyana, with strategic measures in place, is well on its way to achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Four and Five.

The two together speak to the reduction of maternal and infant mortality, thereby lending to the amplified call for safe motherhood.

Speaking at a recent safe motherhood forum, (PAHO/ WHO) Family and Community Advisor, Dr Rosalinda Hernandez, disclosed that PAHO is committed to continuing its contribution to the attainment of the target MDGs. She said that in the countries of the Americas, in particular Guyana, the organisation’s vision on MDGs was approved by Member countries during the 45th Session of the Directing Council in September 2004. This development, according to her, led to an official resolution calling for countries and PAHO to use the MDGs as guide for

PAHO/WHO Family and Community Advisor Dr. RosalindaHernandez national and international efforts towards better health for the people of the Region.

Today, member countries, aided by the theme, “A promise renewed for safe motherhood” are working towards achieving the specifications of the MDGs

which are slated to be realised by 2015.

In achieving the goals, Dr Hernandez noted that “everyone must work together,” a notion that was emphasised at a recent stakeholders’ meeting at the Grand Costal Inn, East Coast Demerara.

But despite the efforts to combat infant and m a t e r n a l m o r t a l i t y, t h e PAHO Advisor observed that children and mothers are still dying across the world from preventable causes.

“There is no excuse since nowadays technology and knowledge are available to fulfil the promise to give all children and mothers, both rich and poor, a fair opportunity to survive and have a quality life,” she insisted. She said that in order to win this health battle evidence-base, focused interventions are required. According to her the Report from the Latin America and the Caribbean Region shows that neonatal mortality accounts for over 70 per cent of infant mortality. She (Continued on page 24)

Vergenoegen landlord murder…

Tenant admits to beating man after he grabbed her breast A post mortem examination on the body of 62-year-old Azaad Ganie has revealed that he died as a result of brain haemorrhage due to blunt trauma to the head. The post mortem examination was done yesterday by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh.

The woman is expected to make her appearance at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrates’ Court to be charged with murder.

A source close to the investigation said that the woman admitted to beating Ganie as a result of his sexual advances towards her. The

woman reportedly claimed that on the day in question she went to take food for the man as she normally does, when Ganie grabbed her breast. This publication was told that the breast grabbing incident may be the straw that broke the camel’s back, resulting in the vicious attack.

On Monday evening Ganie was found dead in the upper flat of his Sideline Dam, Vergenoegen, East Bank Demerara home. Initial reports are that the man was beaten with a rolling pin in his head around 14:00 hours Monday.

Neighbours became worried after hearing screams

coming from the house and began questioning one of the woman’s young grandsons.

It was the grandson who said that his grandmother had beaten their landlord with a rolling pin.

Residents having heard t h i s , i n f ormed a distant relative of the elderly man as well as the police.

The police arrived and were forced to break into the house where they found the bloody and battered remains of Ganie.

The woman, her husband and grandchild recently moved into Ganie’s property as his tenants.

Thursday May 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 17

Thursday May 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 21

‘Dog fight’ murder…

Coast Guard murder trial

Two more suspects surrender to police

- Four more officers testify in third voir dire

…victim sustained 19 stab wounds Two men yesterday surrendered to the police at the Sparendaam Police Station after their names surfaced following investigati o n s i n t o t h e stabbing to death of 31year-old Adrian Richmond.

Up to press time yesterday the two men and another who was arrested on Tuesday, were still in police custody.

A post mortem examination has revealed that Richmond died as a result of multiple stab wounds to his chest.

A source close to the investigation revealed that Richmond sustained 19 stab wounds.

As the investigation continues a file is being prepared to be sent to the

Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.

Adrian Richmond, 31, called ‘Pinky’ was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital, Sunday, after he was stabbed at Indu s t r y, E a s t C o a s t Demerara.

T h e d e a d m a n ’s brother told Kaieteur News that he and his brother were betting on a dogfight and that those who placed their bets on one dog that lost became angry and started to create problems.

“The problem wasn’t with me brother.

The people started cursing at me, and somebody said that they gon chop off me neck, so me brother start telling them that they overreacting and that it

didn’t call fuh all ah that.”

He added that before he knew it, a scuffle began, and about seven men pounced on his brother, stabbing him in the process.

“One of the men did stabbing me brother during the scuffle, but we didn’t know. Is when he get up and walk about two feet away and he collapse.”

The man’s brother said that in making arrangements for the injured father of three to be transported to the hospital, the perpetrators were able to make good their escape.

The man’s body reportedly bore several stab wounds that seemed to have been inflicted with an ice-pick or similar instrument.

Alarm over possible forgery...

From page 11 radio frequencies by Jagdeo.

Broadcaster Enrico Woolford and the National Media and Publishing Company (publishers of Kaieteur News) in a joint action with the Guyana Media Proprietors Association are asking that the High Court quash Jagdeo’s decision.

The parties are asking the High Court to declare that

Jagdeo’s granting of radio licences was “arbitrary, unconstitutional, unlawful, unfair, unreasonable, capricious, irrational, procedurally improper, ultra vires, null, void and of no legal effect.”

The action by Kaieteur News and the Media Proprietors Association is also against those who were granted cable licences by Jagdeo, namely his friend

Brian Yong and the ruling party’s associate Vishok Persaud.

They claim that for 16 months after the allotment of the radio licences, the names of the persons who were granted licences “remained a dark secret within the bosom of President Jagdeo until the Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds, was obliged to do so in the National Assembly.

Four police officers were yesterday called to testify as the trial of three former Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard ranks, charged with the murder of a young Bartica gold dealer, continued at the Suddie High Court in Essequibo before Justice Franklyn Holder.

The trial, which began almost two weeks ago, is now hearing a third voir dire (trial within a trial) to determine the admissibility of caution statements allegedly made by the number two accused, Deon Greenidge . Officers Suraj Singh, Rodwell Sarrabo, Naraine Lall and Yvonne Manjet all testified yesterday.

The matter will continue today. On Tuesday, Justice Holder deemed a statement which was given by Devon Gordon admissible into court.

According to the judge the statement was given freely.

This is the second statement to be admitted into evidence.

The number one accused, Sherwin Harte, had his statement admitted several weeks ago when the matter had started.

The three accused Sherwin Harte, Delon Gordon, and Deon Greenidge are charged with the August 2009 murder of Dweive Kant Ramdass which took place at Caiman Hole, East Bank, Essequibo. The three accused are being represented by Attorney at Law, Peter Hugh.

The former army ranks were manning the Coast Guard RC 12 motor boat in the Essequibo River, when they allegedly confronted Ramdass in a boat at the Parika Stelling.

They allegedly forced him into their boat and took him to another location in the river where they relieved him of $17M in cash, which he was carrying in a box to Bartica for his employer, who operated a gold and diamond business in the city.

The prosecution is trying to prove that the three former soldiers strangled Ramdass, took the money he was carrying and threw his body overboard in the vicinity of Bonasika Creek. They will argue that after murdering Ramdass, the three accused returned to the Parika Stelling, where one of their female accomplices was waiting for them.

She is the sister of one of

the officers and was reportedly given $5.7M in cash to hold. Prosecutor Judith Gildharie-Mursalin is representing the state.

According to reports, another portion of the money was recovered by the police during a roadblock exercise.

The men were committed to stand trial in the High Court in 2011, by Magistrate Nyasha Williams-Hatmin following an 18-month preliminary inquiry at the Vreed en Hoop Magistrate’s Court.

Attorney at Law Khemraj Ramjattan, who was assigned to the matter as Special Prosecutor, had led a total of 14 witnesses to give evidence. The witnesses included persons who saw when the Coast Guard ranks took Ramdass out of the boat, and when they returned to the boat without him, but with a canister that he was carrying.

Page 22

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Kaieteur News

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Thursday May 30, 2013

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Thursday May 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 23

1,000 more laptops Engineering solution for overtopping to be submitted shortly distributed on East Coast, Georgetown, East Bank

Technical staff of the Public Works Ministry is currently working on engineering solutions to deal with overtopping from the Atlantic Ocean. Several solutions are being deliberated by Public Works Ministry’s technical team.

These solutions would be presented to Transport and Hydraulics Minister, Robeson Benn, before a decision is taken on the way forward.

Sandbags lining the Rupert Craig Highway seawall from Kitty to Liliendaal are only a temporary measure to keep overtopped water from the Atlantic Ocean from flooding nearby homes and businesses.

This is according to Geoffrey Vaughn, Coordinator of the Ministry’s Works Services Group, yesterday.

Vaughn said that the recent overtopping which saw high waves splashing over the seawall is as a result of a low pressure system compounded by the erosion cycle. This is a natural phenomenon which moved in phases. For instance, a similar event occurred in 2008 at Better Hope, where large waves overtopped the seawall.

He said that the Ministry is working to ensure that

groynes, or geotubes, or riprap construction are put in place to trap the sediments thus reducing the impact of the erosion.

Though Vaughn does not want to speculate where the next phase of the erosion cycle would crop up he said the cycle is moving down.

The Ministry is concerned that the sediments may get into the Demerara bar where large vessels traverse.

If this were to happen, it would be costly to dredge the area.

As such, the Ministry is working on finding the engineering solutions.

Dismissing assertions that the Ministry does not have a planned sea and river defence programme, he said that the sector has a five-year plan that was recently completed and deals with rehabilitation, construction and reconstruction. In addition, there is a sea and river defence implementation plan.

According to Vaughn, the Ministry has been rehabilitating, constructing and reconstructing sea and river defences along the coastline for years. Many projects were executed under the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth European Development Fund (EDF). The Caribbean Development Bank also

helped to finance several projects.

The Inter-American Development Bank has stated that it is willing to fund some sea defence projects, adding to the many strides to safeguard Guyana’s coast.

Besides, funding from international agencies Government has been dedicating local funding.

Vaughn said that last year the National Budget reflected $1.2B for river and sea defence. This year $1.4B has been allocated for the sector.

Behind the scenes of building infrastructure a lot of works are done in relation to surveys and data collection.

Vaughn said that under the 8th EDF Bathymetric surveys were done, information on river bed level and materials were obtained and mud shoal and mud shoal migration were tracked.

In addition, the Ministry has been collaborating with the Hydrometeorological Office to obtain hydrological and rainfall data.

Vaughn said that information gathered is essential. As such “round the clock” assessments are done, a GIS database has been implemented and water gauges data are collected from Stabroek, Abary and Parika. They are also used for monitoring the sea defence.

Congested minibus parks ... from page 6 them.

“Right now is all the ‘Bull’ them taking all the passengers. Instead they wait in the line like everyone else they rush to the front and full them buses”, Ramsammy said. Another issue raised by Ramsammy is the constant “harassment” by police patrols who charge drivers for picking up commuters on the hotplate.

When asked if he ever raised his plight with the Minibus Association Union, the annoyed bus driver said

that the issue was brought to the attention of the committee about two years ago but they have not received any response. According to the president of the minibus association, Eon Andrews, he was aware of the issue.

“When meetings are called the same minibus drivers don’t show up, because money is more important. The union has recognized the issue and has advocated for a solution but if we get no support where are we heading?”

Andrews said that his

Standard price for paddy to be finalized by ... from page 3 repossessed.

“The R.P.A is selling seedlings for $6,000 while the poor farmers do not know how much they will be getting.

However, it is over heard that we poor farmers will be getting a price of $3500 for Extra ‘A’ paddy which is unfair. This cannot compensate us.”

Over the past few months, rice farmers, particularly those in Berbice and on the Essequibo Coast, had staged protests over not only being

underpaid for their paddy by millers, but also the low quality of chemicals on the local market.

Following these protests, a government-led team was dispatched to look into the plight of the farmers, but before the investigations could be completed, the farmers again complained that the questions asked by members of the team, and the works being done, did not seem to be addressing their concerns and the actual issues affecting them.

union had written to Traffic Chief, Hugh Denhert in February but was told that he had travelled abroad to a conference. Andrews has since not received a response.

Andrews added, “People nowadays have this perception that minibuses are a money making investment but what we have now is a culture of greed, unconcerned and unmanly drivers who speak and treat passengers in an inappropriate manner”.

When asked about the route 48 (Sophia) buses, he welcomed the idea of having the park relocated but questioned the actions of the relevant authorities.

“Everyone wants a solution to the problem but no one wants to bell the cat. We will continue to advocate for a solution,” Andrews assured.

Traffic Chief, Denhert said, “The police have no authority over how many buses operate on the Stabroek Market.

The problem is that we have too many buses on the road today. There is nothing much we can do as a department to fix the issue, except maintain law and order and enforce rules and regulations.”

Recipients of Laptops at the Wesleyan Church, West Ruimveldt More than 1,000 laptops were distributed Tuesday bringing the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) Secretariat closer to achieving the 6,000 target during this current phase of distribution.

According to Government, Tuesday’s distributions included areas of Victoria to Haslington, Enterprise to Paradise, and Lusignan to Good Hope, East Coast Demerara.

In Georgetown, Stevedore, South, East and West Ruimveldt, East, North East and West La Penitence, Roxanne Burnham, Shirley Field Ridley and Rasville; and Houston to Providence, and Timehri and Long Creek, East Bank Demerara were targeted.

“It is a tremendous gift from the government that will spearhead what I want to do in terms of being educated about the computer, because today we are moving fantastically in the technological world,” Timothy Smith, a resident of Melanie said. He uplifted his laptop at Enterprise where a total of 287 were distributed.

At Lusignan, 400 laptops

were placed in the hands of residents, among them Linda McPherson who said that it is a good initiative, and that her children and grandchildren will benefit tremendously. The computer will assist her to keep in contact with her family overseas, she added.

Another resident, Mohanroop, expressed gratitude to Government for affording him and his five children the opportunity to receive a laptop. He said that it will also assist them in learning about the computer.

Meanwhile, at the Wesleyan Church, in West Ruimveldt, approximately 360 laptops were presented to residents of West Ruimveldt, South Ruimveldt, La Penitence, Roxanne Burnham Gardens and Rasville.

OLPF supervisor, Keiron Adams, told the Government Information Agency that the distribution process is being followed by a five-day training, which is scheduled to commence tomorrow at 10:00hrs.

Beneficiaries at this centre expressed their joy over receiving the laptops and

thanked the Government for such a pioneering initiative.

West Ruimveldt resident, Rosel Wilson, a retired teacher, said that she was very happy to see that the government is securing the future of, and preparing the younger generation for the technological advancing world, while simultaneously educating and introducing Information Communication Technology (ICT) to the older folks who may not have any or very little knowledge of it.

She added this programme will benefit every household in Guyana in some way or the other.

The OLPF programme was launched in 2011. The original aim of this programme is to equip 90,000 families with laptops and to expand the use of ICT across the country.

A total of 28,000 laptops were already distributed to families in various communities countrywide, prior to this current phase of distribution which commenced on May 21, and covered several areas in the city, and East Coast and East Bank Demerara.

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“Mongoose” to face judge and jury for seven year old’s death Fazal ‘Mongoose’ Mohamed, 23, a carpenter of No. 67 Village, Corentyne, Berbice who is accused of murdering a seven-year-old lad who was acquainted with him, will have to face a judge and jury.

That was the findings of a preliminary inquiry conducted by Magistrate Khrisendat Persaud sitting at the Springlands’ Magistrate’s Court who ruled that a prima facie case has been made out against him.

Mohamed is accused of murdering Saheed ‘Buddy’ Muknauth, also called “Shiam” of Number 68 Squatting Area, Corentyne, Berbice on August 20, 2012.

According to information, Mohamed was the last person seen with the lad the day he disappeared.

Mohamed, who is well known to the family, had taken the lad from his flooded home to buy food. Muknauth’s body was discovered at the

Fazal ‘Mongoose’ Mohamed

Saheed ‘Buddy’ Muknauth

back of a rice mill two days later. His face was badly disfigured and large portions of one of his legs were stripped of the skin. An on-the-spot post mortem was done by the doctor after the body was too decomposed to

be moved. “Mongoose” had allegedly confessed to killing “Buddy” and had claimed he was drunk and was troubled by demons.

According to reports, the boy and his five siblings were left at home without adult supervision. The oldest child being 12 and the youngest, just two months old.

The lad’s mother, Anita Persaud, had earlier in the day ingested kerosene and was admitted at the Skeldon Hospital after being fed up of being abused by her reputed husband. However, she took a self-discharge to be home with her six children.

Muknauth’s father was unaware of his death since he was working at sea aboard a fishing trawler.

The matter had stirred anger amongst Guyanese for its very brutality and conditions under which the children lived.

Thursday May 30, 2013

Pastor accused of raping granddaughter Officers attached to the Anna Regina Child Protection Agency and the Welfare Department, are probing another rape, this time involving a pastor and his teenage granddaughter.

The ma t t e r c a m e t o light through a confidante of the minor.

Officers at the Anna Regina Police station have since requested advice from the Director o f Public Prosecutions (DPP), before instituting charges against the alleged accused.

The pastor has since been released on $25.000 station bail. He was previously arrested and was held, along

with the father of the 14-yearold at the Anna Regina police station.

Reports from the remote Community, located some seven miles from the township of Anna Regina, are indicating that the pastor, who is in his late fifties, raped his granddaughter at his home.

It was noted that the 14year-old and her brother were left in the care of her grandparents, since they were toddlers.

The report added that the child related the incident to an adult who lodged the report to the Child Care and Protection Agency at Anna Regina, and officials have

since interviewed the girl and also accompanied her to undertake a medical report.

Additional reports have indicated that the teen was said to be using an oral medication in an effort to terminate a pregnancy.

The teenager and her brother’s mother died last year.

Almost a month ago, another grandfather, this time at West Bury, Essequibo, was charged for the rape of his e i g h t - y e a r - o l d granddaughter.

Magistrate Sunil Scarce refused bail.

The 14-year-old remains in the care of the Child Care and Protection Agency.

PAHO voices commitment to...

From page 12 also disclosed that the Report reflects that nearly 40 per cent of the mortality rates are children under five years old.

A similar distressing situation exists as it relates to maternal deaths, Dr Hernandez noted too. She said that the MDGs Four and Five, as important goals, in order to be achieved must require mandatory coordinated efforts to improve health conditions in the country.

“This requires the creation of alliances with all sectors such as education, the environment, social development, trade and economics that embrace all areas of development,” added

Dr Hernandez.

She added that there is need to establish necessary concerns to provoke the ideal synergies to impact those social determinants of health through the collaboration of Government, NonG o v e r n m e n t a l Organisations and private sector and the support of individual citizens.

Hernandez, who noted that maternal and child health mortality MDGs are priority topics of the health agenda across the world, said that every Government, organisation, or donor should seek to closely follow the Progress Report of the MDGs since there are less than 1,000 days from the committed 2015

deadline.

World leaders, according to her, are (and should be) committed to reducing child mortality even as she noted that in 2002 the United Nations General Assembly passed a landmark resolution to build a world fit for children.

This sustained commitment has already led to a decrease in child mortality that is unprecedented in human history,” Dr. Hernandez added. She disclosed that in the past two decades the number of under-five deaths has fallen dramatically from more than 12 million in 1990 to 7.6 million in 2010, a development which speaks to commitment.

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Thursday May 30, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

An atmosphere of peace in one’s own residence is not too much to ask DEAR EDITOR, I would like to draw the attention of the relevant authorities to an issue that is becoming more and more intolerable. So much so that I am forced to pen this letter.

I have the utmost respect for places of worship, but this is now overbearing.

My family and I have been forced to endure the loud noises emanating from an “Assemblies of God” Church next door to our home on the East Bank of Demerara. Usually, the Church has its service on Sunday mornings, Wednesdays, Fridays, and sometimes Saturday evenings.

I have no problems with the regular Sunday services; however, lately it appears that the period for the noise has extended considerably.

During these sessions, a microphone and amplifier is used along with a drum set and an organ. In addition, screaming/wailing and shouting of the congregation, along with the preacher (through the microphone) is extremely disturbing and aggravating.

After speaking to the Pastor on two different occasions regarding the noise, I was told that the church was there before my family and I moved into our home.

Does this mean that all churches have the right to be loud and it is expected that my life must be filled by the regular ear-splitting uproar of the church?

I wasn’t aware that residents living adjacent to places as such were supposed to tolerate their seemingly lawless behaviour.

I too am a God-fearing, hard-working Guyanese citizen, with rights!Can you imagine after coming home from a hard day’s work to relax, only to be bombarded by loud screaming and shouting through a public address system

and banging of drums late in the evenings?

It is difficult to carry on a conversation inside my home, without shouting or even listening to the television at the highest volume when the racket at the church is being carried on.

During these sessions, conversing in my yard is totally impractical.

I find this behaviour utterly ridiculous, since the members of the Church seem to have blatant disregard for the feelings of other persons living in the neighbourhood.

I fail to comprehend how these people supposedly preach “the word of God” but completely frustrate and annoy residents in the vicinity. I’m sure that when the worshippers return to their respective homes, they have all the peace and quiet there. How fortunate for them!

I hope this letter does not just add to the large number of noise nuisance complaints in the media, but increases the awareness of the authorities and other relevant bodies as to the mental agony that citizens are forced to suffer almost on a daily basis.

Noise regulations should be enforced by the authorities; it is not some minor issue but a very real problem and should not be ignored.

A noise nuisance is a noise nuisance, and it is of little significance whether it is a place of worship creating it or anyone else.

Persons should have consideration for their neighbours and use their discretion, especially in residential areas.

I suggest soundproofing the building so that neighbouring residents can at least have some modicum of tranquility in their homes.

After all, an atmosphere of peace in one’s own residence is not too much to ask.

P. Daniels

We have 27% in the City dictating...

From page 5 declarations. Please conform to the basic rules or ethics handed down by all religions.

In Hinduism – Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva 113.8 “One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself.

This is the essence of morality. All other activities are due to selfish desire.”

In Islam - the Qur’an 6: 152 says “Give measure and weight with (full) justice; No burden do we place on any soul, but that which it can bear’ etc.

The Christian Bible puts it rather simply – Matthew 7:12 “Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do so to them”.

Finally, the late Leader of the PPP Dr. Cheddi Jagan fought all of his life against imperial-like domination and arrogance.

If the President and Cabinet wish to truly honour the memory of Dr. Jagan, they can start with the Nation’s Capital – if they are truly wedded to the values of democracy – the high ideals of local governance, then let the 73% manage the city and not a stage-acting bureaucrat who seems to have the total support of those who represent the 27% of voters – an absurdity and a shame.

If the words at the flag-raising are to be taken seriously, let them begin by a conversation with the Mayor and Councillors.

After 18-odd months, the President has not yet found the time to engage the City leadership – ‘Wa a mout’ na load’ or action speaks louder than words. Free us from demonic forces, and uplift true democracy.

Hamilton Green, J.P., Mayor

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House Republicans assail Russian economist flees in new Eric Holder on leak testimony sign of pressure on Putin critics

(Reuters) - Two Republican lawmakers asked Attorney General Eric Holder yesterday to clarify testimony he gave Congress this month about his role in the targeting of journalists in a leak probe.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia and colleague James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin sent a letter to Holder saying recent media reports “appear to be at odds with your sworn testimony.”

At the May 15 hearing, Holder said he had never been involved in any decision to pursue a criminal investigation of a journalist and said it would not be “wise policy” to do so.

Last week, news outlets reported that Holder had approved a decision to seek a search warrant for Fox News email records as part of a leak investigation. Reuters later reported Holder signed off on a subpoena for telephone records as well.

The Fox News reporter involved, James Rosen, was described as a “co-conspirator” by investigators, but was not charged.

In a defense of Holder, White House spokesman Jay Carney said that Holder had testified truthfully. Carney told reporters at a briefing yesterday there was an “extremely large distinction” between describing a reporter as a co-conspirator and charging him with a crime.

Carney said there are no plans to prosecute Rosen. President Barack Obama “absolutely” has confidence in Holder to continue as the chief U.S. law enforcement officer, he said.

Concern from journalists and free speech advocates last week prompted Obama to order

a review of Justice Department procedures governing investigations that involve reporters. Many of those procedures predate email.

Today, as part of the review, Holder was scheduled to begin a series of meetings with Washington news bureau chiefs to allow them to air concerns and exchange ideas. Later meetings were being planned for news executives and lawyers, and for government intelligence and law enforcement officials, according to a Justice Department statement.

The letter on Wednesday from House Republicans focused not on the wider review but on the searches of Rosen’s materials. It asked Holder for a “full and accurate account of your involvement in and approval of these search warrants.”

Rosen reported in 2009 that U.S. intelligence officials believed North Korea would conduct more nuclear tests in response to U.N. sanctions. Stephen Kim, a former State Department analyst suspected of being Rosen’s source, faces trial on charges he violated an anti-espionage law.

The Republicans’ letter asks Holder to give a detailed account of his role and to respond to eight questions, including whether the Justice Department ever intended to prosecute Rosen.

A Justice spokesman was not available for comment. U.S. Representative John Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that Holder had been “forthright and did not mislead the committee.”

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A prominent economist and government adviser has fled Russia after being questioned by state investigators, amid a growing clamp-down on groups and individuals critical or independent of President Vladimir Putin.

Sergei Guriev, an Englishspeaking economist well known to Western investors, had been questioned as a witness in an investigation into the defunct Yukos oil company, whose founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky was jailed in 2005 for fraud.

His real transgression, supporters and commentators say, was to support Alexei Navalny, an anti-corruption campaigner who led protests against Putin’s return to the presidency which the Kremlin has been trying gradually to snuff out.

“He (Guriev) defended Khodorkovsky and said that the case was fabricated. An enemy? Of course,” Boris Nemtsov, a protest and opposition leader, said ironically. “He fights corruption? That betrays our

Sergei Guriev fundamental ideals!”

Since Putin’s return to the Kremlin after four years as prime minister, the authorities have moved across a broad front to silence critics, with Navalny now on trial on fraud charges which he says are trumped up and politically motivated.

Non-governmental organizations such as rights groups, independent vote monitors and opinion pollsters that receive foreign funding have been told to register as “foreign agents”, a term with overtones of the Cold War and treason.

Guriev, the 41-year-old rector of Moscow’s New Economic School, has advised Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, served on the board of state bank Sberbank and is a leading commentator in the local and international press.

The flight of the liberal economist, a former visiting professor at the U.S. university of Princeton, was confirmed when Sberbank issued a statement saying he had declined to seek reelection to its board.

Sources familiar with the situation said he left Moscow in early May to join his family and was now in France. He had tendered his resignation as head of the NES, a post he has held since 2004, but his resignation has not yet been accepted.

Guriev, reached by Reuters, said his decision was personal, that he was “on vacation” and that he would not comment further.

“This is a very bad signal, definitely,” said Sergei Aleksashenko, another leading Moscow economist.

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U.N. rights chief urges halt to Andy Coulson warns Cameron flow of arms, fighters to Syria his leadership is under threat GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations’ human rights chief urged countries yesterday not to supply Syria with weapons and to press both sides to find a political end to the war, to prevent more massacres and the threat to regional stability.

“If the current situation persists, or deteriorates further, increased intercommunal massacres are a certainty, rather than a risk,” Navi Pillay told the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Referring to efforts to convene a peace conference in Geneva in coming weeks, she said: “This is an extremely important opportunity for states with influence to pull the parties back from the brink of catastrophe ... The flow of arms must stop and the process of national dialogue must begin now.”

Pillay spoke after the European Union decided to let an EU arms embargo on Syria expire and Russia said it would deliver an advanced S-300 air defence system to the Damascus government despite U.S., French and Israeli objections.

Navi Pillay France and Britain, the EU’s top military powers and most ardent advocates of scrapping the embargo, said they had not yet decided to arm Syrian rebels, but wanted to put President Bashar alAssad under pressure to negotiate.

Diplomats said Pillay’s appeal to halt the flow of arms and foreign fighters was also aimed at Gulf states, including Qatar, which backs the rebels, and Iran, Syria’s ally in the 26month-old conflict that has taken the lives of at least 80,000 people.

The council discussed

the intensified fighting, particularly an offensive by government forces on the rebel-held town of Qusair.

“The assault on Qusair is the latest regime attempt to use sectarian-driven war to divide the Syrian people,” U.S. Ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe said, blaming airstrikes and artillery bombardment for killing more than 183 civilians.

A dramatic increase in the role of Iran-backed Hezbollah militants backing Syrian government forces was inflaming regional tensions and inciting instability in Lebanon, she said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticised a U.S.-backed draft resolution before the council condemning the Syrian government, saying it was “odious” and would undermine efforts to convene an international peace conference.

The draft resolution, to be voted on later yesterday by the 47-member forum, was amended overnight after negotiations to include condemnation of all violence, including “terrorist acts”.

(Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron’s position is under threat from the mayor of London, who is waiting for him to “fail miserably” at the next election so he can take his job, the leader’s former communications chief has said.

In a rare foray into politics, Andy Coulson said he thought Boris Johnson, London’s flamboyant mayor, was playing a waiting game, hoping Cameron would lose the 2015 election so that he could assume his role as leader of the Conservative party.

“Stabbing David, or anyone else for that matter, in the back would be distinctly off brand - just not very Boris,” Coulson wrote in GQ magazine in an article published today.

“He would much prefer to see David fail miserably in the election and ride in on his bike to save party and country,” he added, referring to Johnson’s preferred mode of transport.

Known for his colourful turn of phrase and unruly mop of blond hair, Johnson, 48, was credited with playing a key role in last year ’s successful London Olympics, and supporters say he has the electoral appeal that cuts across party lines.

Cameron, who leads a two-party coalition, is under growing pressure from his own MPs over his stance on Britain’s membership of the European Union and his decision to press ahead with gay marriage legislation.

Both issues have divided the Conservatives, who trail the opposition Labour party by 10 percentage points in the polls and face a threat from a surging anti-European

Andy Coulson

Union party, the UK Independence Party, which they have so far failed to stifle.

A small group of Conservative MPs even want to oust Cameron before the next election, but most deem that unlikely.

Johnson has long been tipped as a potential successor to Cameron and has made no secret of his ambition to succeed him if the position became vacant, while at the same time pledging loyalty to the prime minister.

“Grateful as I always am to Andy for career advice, I am backing David Cameron all the way,” Johnson told reporters on Wednesday, saying he was increasingly confident Cameron would win the next election.

However, the intervention of Coulson, a former insider, is likely to resurrect speculation about the strength of Cameron’s position.

“Boris Johnson desperately wants to be prime

minister and David has known that fact longer than most,” Coulson wrote.

“When Boris asked me to pass on the message that he was keen to stand as mayor of London, David responded ‘Well, if he wins, he’ll want my job next’.” Johnson has been mayor since 2008.

Coulson advised Cameron, 46, to adopt a careful strategy.

“Support his good ideas, advise privately on the bad ones, but only engage publicly if absolutely necessary - and celebrate Boris’s considerable successes,” he wrote.

Coulson resigned from his job as Cameron’s head of communications in 2011 after allegations he had known of phone hacking by journalists at the now defunct News of the World tabloid, of which he was previously editor.

Coulson, who denied wrongdoing, is due to stand trial over the matter later this year. He also faces charges related to allegations of bribing public officials.

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Kamla: US deportees linked to T&T crime surge Trinidad Express - Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar pointed to the relationship between criminal deportees and increased crime and violence in Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the Caribbean in Tuesday’s discussions with United States Vice-President Joe Biden.

The Prime Minister noted that one of the major problems being experienced was that

many of the criminal deportees would have left the region prior to adulthood and do not have ties to the countries to which they have been deported.

In this context, PersadBissessar suggested to the US vice-president that increased focus should be placed on improved information and intelligencesharing with respect to criminal deportees, in

$3.3b needed to fund Jamaica’s HIV Programme by 2030 KINGSTON, Jamaica - Jamaica will need $3.3 billion to fund the National HIV programme by 2030, Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson has said.

The programme will require the funds to ensure that the HIV prevalence rate does not surpass the current 1.7 per cent, Ferguson disclosed at the Caribbean Meeting on Strategic HIV Investment and Sustainable Financing in Kingston yesterday morning.

“Jamaica has made some excellence gains in our National HIV programme but we now face significant resource constraints. Our debt to GDP is over 140 per cent, debt repayment and staff costs eat up 75-80 per cent of our budget while funding sources for the programme continue to dwindle. So while we are willing to take country ownership of the programme, we are saying to our partners that we are not fully there yet and still require some level of assistance.”

Ferguson said the reduction of mother-to-child transmission rate to less than five per cent is among the most notable gains of the programme and that the target of less than one per cent by 2015 is on track.

The Caribbean region has the world’s second highest rate of HIV infection.

U.S. drone kills Pakistan Taliban No 2: security officials PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A U.S. drone strike killed the No. 2 of the Pakistani Taliban in the North Waziristan region yesterday, three security officials said, in what would be a major blow to the militancy.

The drone strike killed seven people, Pakistani security officials said, including Taliban deputy commander Waliur-Rehman, in the first such attack since a May 11 general election in which the use of the unmanned aircraft was a major issue.

It was also the first reported U.S. drone strike since President Barack Obama announced last week that the United States was scaling back the drone program.

Wali-ur-Rehman had been poised to succeed Hakimullah Mehsud as leader of the Pakistani Taliban, a senior army official based in the South Waziristan region, had said in December.

“This is a huge blow to militants and a win in the fight against insurgents,” one security official told Reuters.

The Pakistani Taliban are a separate entity allied to the Afghan Taliban. Known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, they have launched devastating attacks against the Pakistani military and civilians.

The White House said Wali-ur-Rehman was wanted in the killing of seven CIA employees and a Jordanian intelligence officer in a 2009 suicide bombing by an al Qaeda triple agent at Forward Operating Base Chapman, Afghanistan. The attack was featured in the film “Zero Dark Thirty” about the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

The Pakistani Taliban leader “has participated in crossborder attacks in Afghanistan against U.S. and NATO personnel and horrific attacks against Pakistani civilians and soldiers,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

particular, access to complete dossiers on medical and criminal history, as well as consideration within CARICOM of financial and technical assistance to establish reintegration programmes member states.

The Prime Minister, who is the CARICOM head with responsibility for security, pointed out to Biden that the majority of criminal deportees had few support networks or connections in their home country, making them vulnerable to criminal careers and threatening citizen peace and security in the region.

Persad-Bissessar pointed out that undertakings given by the US in the MOU

(memorandum of understanding) of 2000 had not produced all of the expected results as it failed to ensure forwarding of complete criminal records of these persons deported from the Uni-ted States.

In her opening remarks to the multilateral talks at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, between Biden and Caricom leaders, Persad-Bissessar also addressed the issue of the CBSI (Caribbean Basin Security Initiative).

The PM highlighted the importance of the Arms Trade Treaty and CBSI programmes to help stem the flow of small arms into and through the Caribbean. She noted the

adoption of an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) by the United Nations on April 13, 2013 that establishes common international standards for the regulation of international trade in conventional arms.

“The harsh statistic is that 70 per cent of homicides in our region are committed with illegal guns, which makes this treaty of partic-ular significance,” she said.

Noting that the treaty would be open for signatures and ratification next week, June 2, at the UN General Assembly, and will enter into force after it has been ratified by 50 states, the Prime Minister urged the US to support the treaty.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar She also called on the US to use its influence to promote the signing, ratification and implementation of the treaty, as well as provide technical and other resources to assist Caricom member states in the implementation of the treaty.

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Pepsi Hikers, GCC play to exciting... Bravo ready to lead from front as...

From page 38 their losing effort. The Western Union Hikers then stormed to a 6-1 victory over GCC in the following match as Aroydy Brandford lit the gymnasium on fire with a hatrick of goals.

Colonel Heywood added a double for the Hikers and one more came through the effort of Shaquille Assanah.

Shad Fernandes managed to pull one back for GCC who were never in contention during the match.

A battle of yesteryear took place next as the All Greys faced Ol Skool with the two sides featuring a number of former internationals.

With the pace dying much like the players in the closing minutes, the final whistle would find Ol Skool ahead by 6-1. Brothers Philip and Alan Fernandes led the score sheet for Ol Skool with a hatrick and

a double respectively while Ivor Thompson scored the team’s 6th. Chris Low-Koan managed the lone goal for All Greys. Hikers returned for their second big win of the night with a 10-1 drubbing of Saints.

This time it was Shaquille Assanah to lead the scorers with a hatrick while teammates Michael Harding and Aroydy Branford each scored a brace (2 goals) and Robert Brummel, Rayon Branford and Joshua Carew scored one each for the Hikers. The Saints lone goal was scored

by Joel Hunte.

Ol Skool had a rather difficult time disposing of a reinforced Old Fort as Jason DeSantos put the latter up by one in the first 5 minutes with possibly the fastest penalty corner shot of the night. Ol Skool however would slowly reel them back in through a

double by Alan Fernandes and a third goal by Ivor Thompson. Old Fort’s Fitzroy Leith managed a second for his team but it was not enough to catch Ol Skool who would finish with the 3-2 victory. GCC then managed to upstage All Greys in the final second division match of the evening by securing a 4-2 victory. Shad Fernandes was on target once again for GCC, while teammates Mark Sargeant, with a double, and Trevon Smith, with one more, gave GCC their 4 goal total.

A skilful reverse flick from Tricia Fiedtkou gave All Greys their first goal while Timothy Jonas, having provided the earlier assist to Fiedtkou, scored a second.

Matches were to continue last evening. The tournament runs until Sunday evening with all matches being played at the National gymnasium.

Thursday May 30, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19): You wish that you could coast today, yet you may find it difficult to relax because it feels as if an opportunity is passing you by.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20): An innovative coworker or acquaintance may act as a catalyst today by simply showing you an unfamiliar path.

You’re unusually excited about exploring new territory at work, so you might be overly eager to charge ahead without worrying about the consequences.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20): You have an unconventional approach to leadership today that may include suddenly taking charge without considering other people’s feelings.

CANCER (June 21–July 22): Your common sense prevents you from taking an unnecessary detour today, especially if you check in with your intuition to see what’s around the next corner.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22): Expressing your changing perspective today is more challenging than trying to hit a moving target. Something dear to you could become an emotional trap that lures your idealistic hopes so far off track that it’s difficult to find your way back.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22): Your coworkers seem to have a few surprises up their collective sleeves, yet it’s crucial to take everything in stride today.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): You might seem rebellious as you seek ways to express your excess energy today. However, you could exhaust yourself if you’re running on pure adrenaline.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): You have good intentions to stay even-tempered today, but a trivial misunderstanding between friends may create some emotional trouble.

Although you need your independence now, you’re not necessarily trying to avoid intimacy.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): Transitions are typically tough, and your personal life may be thrown for a loop now if a new scene starts to emerge before the old one has faded away.

CAPRICORN(Dec.22–Jan.19): You might think it’s smart to stick to your preconceived agenda today, but the more you try to hold it together, the less likely you’ll stay in control.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18): The Moon’s visit to your sign enables you to rapidly shift your perspective. But your conceptual breakthrough won’t just arrive out of the blue.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20): Although you may be quite serious about the decisions ahead, others could read you entirely wrong today. Someone may even accuse you of being immature or irresponsible, but neither of these labels actually fits.

From back page Lara and lift the trophy.

“Like I said, this is a tournament that has a lot at stake and a lot of teams want to do well in this tournament, but to be honest I’m not going to let the weather get the better of us. That is one thing I’m going to instill in the team...okay, we are away from home, we are away from our comfort zone, but at the end of the day we are professionals and we have to try and adapt to any kind of conditions before us,” he said.

“That’s the biggest challenge, and it’s something that I’m prepared to let the guys know. I’m sure that everyone will be looking forward to it because it’s a prestigious tournament and it’s another tournament we would love to win. We won it here in 2004.

Now we have like five players from 2004 who are here again today. So it’s good to know we still have basically the core of the team around, and hopefully that will help.”

The ICC Champions Trophy 2013 will feature eight teams: Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. The tournament will be played across three venues – Cardiff Wales Stadium, Edgbaston and The Oval – from June 6-23.

The Windies open against Pakistan on Friday, June 7 at the Oval and return to the famous venue on Tuesday, June 11 to take on India.

The final preliminary match will be against the Proteas on Friday, June 14 in Cardiff.

Bravo has been one of the key members of the Windies set-up since he made his international debut back in early 2004. He has so far appeared in 137 ODIs and has made 2,311 runs and taken 160 wickets – making him one of the most success allrounders in this format of the game for West Indies. He was a member of the team which won the ICC World T20 in Sri Lanka last year and said that the team will use that momentum and new found belief to push

them in the coming weeks.

“We don’t think we are favourites. We just want to concentrate on what we have to do. We’re in a very tough group, and first of all, we want to take it step by step, try and survive that group. The talk around is that this is the ‘group of death’, so hopefully we get out of the group of death and then take it from there,” the 29-year-old-said.

“A tournament like this, it’s short, and you never know what can happen. Being called favourites...it’s good that other teams and media people can actually look at us as favourites, but we just want to be humble and go about our business in our own way and let the man above take care of our destiny.”

Bravo added: “Lately in ODIs we never used to score enough runs as a batting team, especially against the better teams, but at this time we’ll try to approach it differently. We will try to structure our batting a lot differently...our approach through the middle... it’s going to be different.

“The most important thing is to try and keep wick-

ets in hand, and I think that is what our approach is going to be in this tournament. We bat very deep, and like I said, we can make up at the end of the innings. We have players who can hit a six at any point in time.”

FULL SQUAD: Dwayne Bravo (Captain), Denesh Ramdin (Vice Captain/ Wicketkeeper), Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Johnson Charles, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Devon Smith.

TEAM MANAGEMENT Ottis Gibson (Head Coach) Richie Richardson (Team Manager) Toby Radford (Assistant Coach) Andre Coley (Assistant Coach) C.J. Clark (Physiotherapist) Hector Martinez Charles (Strength & Conditioning Coach) Richard Berridge (Video & Statistical Analyst) Philip Spooner (Media Manager) Virgil Browne (Massage Therapist)

Page 34

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 30, 2013

St. Aloysius Primary is U-13 Primary Schools Football champs (From page 22)

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From left - William Samuel, Daniel Joseph, Alex Overton and Sean Steal The future of football looks encouraging for those in the New Amsterdam/Canje area. This was after one week of keenly contested football in the AMILCO Inter Secondary School U-13 football tournament which was played recently at the All Saints Scott Church ground.

At the end of the week it had to take a count back on the goal averages to decide on the winner after three schools ended the competition with the same amount of points.

The schools locked on nine points were St. Aloysius Primary, All Saints Primary and St. Theresa Primary with three wins and one loss each.

In the end the lads representing St Aloysius were declared the winners with a superior goal average. All Saints placed second after their average was better than St. Theresa who finished third with Overwinning occupying the fourth spot.

Results of the competition saw St. Aloysius Primary winning from N/A Primary 4-

0, St. Theresa 1-0 and Overwinning 1-0, but lost to All Saints 0-1. All Saints also scored victories over N/A Primary 2-0, Overwinning 31, losing to St. Theresa 0-1.

ST Theresa for their part also won from Overwinning 2-0 and N/A Primary 1-0.

At the presentation ceremony which followed immediately after the last game, Sean Steal of N/A Primary was named the most promising player. The best goalkeeper was William Samuel of St. Theresa Primary

The winning St Aloysius Primary School side. and the MVP of the tournament Alex Overton of St. Aloysius, who also copped the most goals award scoring for scoring four. The best defender was Daniel Joseph and the best midfield player Gevon Shultz.

The competition, which was sponsored by the AMILCO Company in New Amsterdam, was coordinated

by Neil ‘Grizzly’ Humphrey.

In brief remarks at the presentation ceremony, Coordinator Neil ‘Grizzly’ Humphrey congratulated the

teams for putting on a good show. He had special words of commendation for the winners. He also told the youngsters to continue training and take in their education seriously and have good discipline and they will definitely go a far way. He told them that it, “it is not only about winning, what is also important is how you play the game.” He challenged them to start thinking about playing for Guyana as they are many opportunities available. (Samuel Whyte)

Warner and Blazer must face the law, says FIFA official TO LET Four Bedrooms, fully furnished: Situated in Central Amelia’s Ward, Linden- Call: 649-6837

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should face the full force of the law for their alleged misdemeanors during the two decades that they ran the confederation, Domenico Scala, the head of FIFA’s Audit and Compliance Committee said on Wednesday.

“In the case of Jack Warner and Chuck Blazer this has far bigger implications than just (FIFA’s) Ethics Committee, or the rules of the game,” Scala said at a rare media briefing the day before FIFA’s annual congress starts.

“There is sufficient suspicion that they have gone against the law and this will become an issue for the FBI and the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) in the case of taxation.

“So here the Ethics Committee and the world of FIFA stops - and people who have gone against the law will have to deal with the law.”

Former FIFA vicepresident Warner from Trinidad & Tobago, who was the president of CONCACAF for 21 years, and Blazer of the United States, his general secretary for most of that time, were both members of

FIFA’s executive committee.

Warner turned his back on football after being implicated in a bribery scandal in 2011, while Blazer has also left the game although, on a technicality, he is suspended from FIFA’s executive committee until Friday.

The two men were vilified in a report commissioned by CONCACAF, the confederation responsible for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, and published at their Congress in Panama in April after the examination of 5,000 documents and the testimony of 38 individuals.

“If you read the CONCACAF integrity report it does not say anything positive or polite (about them),” said Scala, a 48-yearold Swiss industrialist who is charged with enforcing new financial controls at FIFA as well as guiding the body’s reform process on to the statute books.

“It’s a horrible document so therefore whatever they are saying today is frankly useless and worthless because, over an extended period of time, they abused

Chuck Blazer

Jack Warner

the system. “I cannot judge on the other cases (of FIFA corruption) as I have no insights but I think it is a stretch to say now that what happened in CONCACAF happened in all the confederations.

“But here we have two individuals who behaved the way they did. Do we have other cases like this at FIFA? Maybe, I don’t know, but we have to face facts; we have to be very careful of accusing everybody because we have had 10 years of accusations and allegations and suspicions.”

Scala said he had spoken

to Warner’s successor as CONCACAF president, Jeffrey Webb, adding: “I said this to the new CONCACAF president - this issue is now one for the government entities and has passed (beyond) the FIFA world.”

Scala said that as a result of greater scrutiny of FIFA’s planned development grants, projects in seven countries had been halted because of concerns over accounting.

“From now on, no matter what went on in the past, we are going to make sure that FIFA’s development money is used for the purpose it is intended,” he said.

Thursday May 30, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 35

SRINIVASAN TOLD TO ‘STAY We made no mistakes in AWAY’ FROM INQUIRY Armstrong affair, says UCI head

ESPNcricinfo - N Srinivasan’s position as BCCI president, so solid all through the spot-fixing crisis and the arrest of his son-in-law on betting charges, appeared to wobble on Wednesday as the senior politicians on the board began speaking out on the issue.

The most significant comment came from IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla after meeting with BCCI vicepresident and disciplinary committee member Arun Jaitley: Srinivasan, they had decided, must “stay away” from the inquiry commission set up by the BCCI to look into the fixing and betting issues.

Responding shortly after, Srinivasan said Shukla’s statement reiterated his own stand. “He has very clearly clarified that what he says is that the commission has been appointed and I should dissociate myself from the procedure as stated. He has reiterated what I stated in the press conference in Kolkata...that I have nothing to do with the committee.”

Shukla did not clarify what he meant by “stay away,” but he did say they did not specifically mean that Srinivasan must stand down from his position. “He is an elected president and he says he has done nothing. That is his view,” Shukla said. “We would want that he stay away

N Srinivasan during the investigation procedure and have suggested to him that he do so. The image of the BCCI and of Indian cricket has been very badly affected by these events.”

Shukla’s statement, which he repeated almost verbatim a couple of hours later, also said that the decisions of the three-man commission must be directly implemented, and not presented before the general body of the BCCI. It was important the investigation was “independent and that the persons responsible, no matter how they big they may be, are severely punished.”

The inquiry commission had originally meant to comprise two BCCI officials

and an independent member, but Shukla said it had been altered to assert its independence by including two judges and a single member from the board, in this case its secretary Sanjay Jagdale.

The commission’s remit was widened to look into India Cements, the owners of Chennai Super Kings, apart from Gurunath Meiyappan, the Super Kings official arrested on charges of betting, and Jaipur IPL Pvt Ltd, the owners of Rajasthan Royals, three of whose players - Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan - were arrested on allegations of spot-fixing.

On Wednesday, the court ordered that Gurunath remain in police custody in Mumbai until May 31.

The growing political pressure was also signalled

by India’s sports ministry, which issued a statement calling for Srinivasan’s resignation. “The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has observed with considerable disquiet, the reports about match & spot fixing in cricket,” the statement read.

“BCCI is inquiring into allegations of match and spot fixing. As there is a conflict of interest in this inquiry, therefore BCCI President should tender his resignation on moral grounds, pending the outcome of the inquiry.”

Lampard saves England blushes...

From page 37

by Leighton Baines after 53 minutes, and close to deciding the match after Wayne Rooney had played the pass of the night to Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose cross was whipped off Cole’s toes by Sean St Ledger.

With six minutes to go, Oxlade-Chamberlain was through one on one, only for

goalkeeper David Forde to save. Such a miss next season could be more than an irritating footnote.

There is still a bit for Cole to do. He was withdrawn five minutes short of overtaking David Beckham’s in fifth place in a list of England players by playing time.

There is plenty of time for that, of course - although not

as much as there should be unless Hodgson’s England find the next gear.

It would be good for England to play at Wembley without the pressure of World Cup qualification on their backs, particularly with so many important home games in the run-in next season. That was the plan, anyway. It lasted precisely 13 minutes.

LeBron James fouls out as Pacers...

From page 37 offensive rebounds, and his final two, game-deciding baskets came after offensive rebounds.

Indiana couldn’t have asked for a better start: an 110 lead, an energized crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and an early Miami timeout to start. Miami scored its first points on two James free throws with 8:48 left in the first quarter, and Wade collected his second foul with 8:09 left in the first quarter.

It was exactly what Pacers wanted and needed. But sustaining that kind of energy

and execution is not easy.

The Pacers were ready for Vogel’s challenge in the first half. Indiana led 26-22 after the first quarter and extended its lead to 43-34 with 3:25 left in the second quarter.

The Heat continued to get James the ball in the low post, but the Pacers had a better defensive strategy early. Indiana played more physical and showed flashes of help so that James didn’t have clear paths to the basket.

James settled for jumpshots and made just 3for-10 in the first half.

However, Indiana ran into

danger when a struggling Paul George collected his third foul with 4:46 left in the second quarter and the Pacers ahead 38-30.

Miami outscored the Pacers 17-8 to finish the half and trailed just 48-47 at halftime.

Chalmers exploited Indiana guard D.J Augustin on drives to the basket and helped keep Miami close with 10 points in the first half.

Miami trailed just 48-47 at halftime after it shot 39.5% and Indiana shot 50% from the field.

The Pacers did not make a field goal in the final 3:25.

ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - The International Cycling Union (UCI) was fault free in their handling of the Lance Armstrong doping affair that severely tarnished the sport’s reputation and triggered harsh criticism of the federation, UCI president Pat McQuaid said.

Speaking to a small group of reporters at an international sports conference in Russia, McQuaid said the UCI had always been at the forefront in the battle against doping during the American’s years of domination from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s.

“I do not think the UCI made mistakes,” said McQuaid, who took over as president in 2005, the year of Armstrong’s last Tour de France victory.

“The statistics show the UCI was the most advanced in the fight against doping.”

Cancer survivor Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life from cycling in 2012 after a report by the United State Antidoping Agency (USADA) accused him of doping for years. In January, Armstrong admitted in a television interview that he used banned substances in all of his Tour victories.

“I was fooled,” McQuaid said. “I believed the was no way a man so close to death would go and start putting stuff into his body that could be dangerous.

“My experiences as a cyclist convinced me he was real.”

Critics accused the UCI of not doing enough to catch

the American, who faced several years of doping accusations, while the USADA report also alleged that the body could have done more.

McQuaid, seeking a third term as UCI president, defended his organization by saying the UCI had tested Armstrong 200 times between 1999 and 2005, while USADA had only conducted 12 tests.

The Irishman admitted, though, the tests were no match for the advanced methods used by Armstrong.

“There were no tests available for the products. Ten or 15 years ago the armory (against doping) was weaker. The doping system was weak.”

DANGEROUS STUFF Asked whether he considered resigning over the affair, the Irishman was defiant. “No, because I firmly believe I am making a difference. I want to eradicate doping. I want to see this thing through. I want to finish what I started.”

“There is a change in the peloton. Every little thing I am bringing in is making a difference.” McQuaid said he was still waiting for was an apology from Armstrong and hoped the American would give back to the sport by helping with inquiries.

“I would like to see him jump on his private plane and come to Switzerland (UCI headquarters) and say ‘what can I do?’ “He has not apologized to the sport of cycling. Everyone accepts he has not come clean. If he has information that is valuable to the sport he has to come

Lance Armstrong forward.”

“He should sit down and work with us ... with USADA and the world Anti-doping Agency (WADA).”

McQuaid said cycling would move past the Armstrong affair as the sport continues to expand into new markets despite the whirlwind of negativity the incident brought. “We will go beyond it. Cycling has got new champions and it is getting global. It is growing dramatically. I am very positive about cycling and the future,” he said.

“Africa, for example has huge potential. It may not have a commercial potential but it has damned good athletes,” he said.

“There will be a black African athlete on the podium of a major tour within six years.”

Ruggers depart for T&T clash Needing to ensure that the mental deficiencies that became noticeable during the Barbados encounter is not repeated in Saturday’s clash against Trinidad and Tobago, Head Coach of the national rugby squad, Theodore Henry, said, that a major part of the team’s preparations focused on correcting those flaws.

Henry, who along with the team was expected to depart this morning for the Twin Island Republic to take on Trinidad and Tobago in the NACRA Men’s 15’s Championship, was speaking with Kaieteur Sport following the completion of their final practice session yesterday, at the National Park.

According to Henry, the mood in the team is good and the spirits are high, informing

that he is optimistic that the players have learned from the past mistakes and have addressed them and it is now about executing what was taught during preparations.

He, however, expressed disappointment that they were not afforded the opportunity to prepare on a field that could have accommodated game simulations since the National Park has been inundated with water due to the inclement weather, thus forcing them to fitness work and light technical and tactical routines.

Henry commended the players for bearing up with the situation and showing admirable commitment despite the disruptive impediment.

“Everybody is healthy and ready to rumble against

the Trinidadians come Saturday and we expect to return home as champions,” Henry stated.

The team which is the same will have two practice sessions, one later this afternoon and tomorrow morning, before the game.

The team is: Rondell McArthur, Rickford Cummings, Jason Tyrell, Avery Corbin, Dwayne Schroeder, Dillion Downer, Richard Staglon, Cloyd Prowell, Ryan Gonsalves, Peabo Hamilton, Breon Walks, Elwin Chase, Claudius Butts, Ronald Mayers, Lancelot Adonis, Delroy Gordon, Jacques Archibald, Kevon David, Grantley Williams, Carl Lewis, Christopher Singh and Akeem Fraser, while the Manager is Robin Roberts.

Page 36

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 30, 2013

Guyana record at U-19 Cricket Championships Scotiabank\Pepsi School Football Academy Butters, Hackett star as hosted by St. Kitts is impressive Lodge beat Tutorial 4-1

The West Indies Cricket Board recently announced that St. Kitts will host this year Regional Under-19 Cricket Championship from July 17 to August 21. This will be the third time St. Kitts will host the Regional Under-19 Championship.

According to Statistician Charwayne Walker, the only time Guyana departed Basseterre without the Regional Under-19 trophy was 1977, that was the first time the competition was held in the Leeward Islands, the Guyana Captain on the occasion was DCC Mark Harper. Sixteen years later, July 1993, Guyana led by Port Mourant’s Andre Percival returned to St. Kitts and brought home the Northern Telecoms trophy, Walker noted.

Please find below the first National Under-19 team that won a Championship in St. Kitts:

Steven Jacobs Mark Harper Andre Percival - Captain Mahendra Nagamootoo Vishal Nagamootoo Steve Mangru Reon King Nicholas DeGroot Colin Stuart Besham Seepersaud Lennox Cush Michael Chinsammy Zaheer Haniff Shivnarine Chanderpaul Rohan Sarjoo

Andre Percival Rishi Baichan Guyana led by Malteenoes Steven Jacobs continued the St. Kitts dominance fourteen years later, August 2007, ironically that was the last time Guyana won the Regional Under-19 Championship, Walker noted.

Below Please find victorious Guyana Under-19 Captains: Keith Aaron 1968

Timur Mohamed 1975 Timur Mohamed 1976 Latchman Bhansingh 1985 Andre Percival 1992 Andre Percival 1993 Andre Percival 1994 Mahendra Nagamootoo 1996 Vishal Nagamootoo 1996 Ramnaresh Sarwan 1997 Steven Jacobs 2007 Only time will tell if Rose Hall Town’s Shawn Perreira, who is expected to retain the captaincy, will add his name to the list above.

Chanderpaul vs Chanderpaul in Stainsby Hall’s 150th anniversary 20-over match It was a case of Chanderpaul v Chanderpaul when Stainsby Hall CC took on a Derbyshire CCC XI last week.

The 20-overs-a-side game formed part of the Smalley-based club’s 150th anniversary celebrations and saw Derbyshire and West Indies batting ace Shivnarine Chanderpaul line up on the opposing side to his teenage son Tagenarine, who is Stainsby Hall’s current overseas player.

The club’s David Brown said: “It was a bitterly cold night, but bright, and we think there were at least 400 people there.

“Derbyshire took it pretty seriously and we thank them for sending along a more or less full strength side. All in all, it was an excellent fundraiser for the club and went very well.”

(Belper News)

Shivnarine Chanderpaul and his son Tagenarine Chanderpaul.

=== Letter to the Sports Editor ===

What is happening with basketball in Guyana?

DEAR EDITOR, The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) is dormant and nothing has emerged from the Executive since 2011, which leads to the question: Where is basketball in Guyana going?

Basketball as a sport requires a Strategic Plan so that critical areas like Coaching, Physical Infrastructure, Refereeing and Financing can be targeted for action.

Without a Strategic Plan basketball will not emerge from its dormant state, which means that development of local talent will be stymied

and those with potential will gravitate to other sports or quit basketball completely.

The basketball fraternity is clamoring for action and is urging the GABF Executive to galvanise itself and present to the sporting public an Action Plan that will move basketball from its present state to one of vibrancy and thus ensure that basketball once again claims its rightful place.

The GABF has to take the lead in encouraging its affiliates to develop basketball at their levels and must be able to do so in a positive way. The structure of any sport requires a solid

foundation and in this regard, the body, tasked with the development of sport must facilitate the process and initiate dialogue among the parties to stimulate development interest.

The question that arises here is whether the GABF is a part of the National Sports Commission and further, if there is a relationship through which the concerns of basketball could be addressed and, whether plans for basketball were advanced at that level.

The structure of sport in Guyana as envisaged follows thus: Ministry of Sport’!National Sports

Commission’!National Federations’! Associations’!

Clubs’! Players’! Coaches, etc. The stakeholders that are Government, National Sports Commission, Federations, Associations, Clubs, Players, etc, all have interests and these interests must be served. For these interests to be served there must be meetings to ventilate issues and plot the way forward.

When that is done, it can create concrete plans to move the system of the sport forward.

Merle Casey President Pepsi Sonics Basketball Club

Play in the Scotiabank/ Pepsi School Football Academy continued last Sunday with a number of games at the Ministry of Education and Wisburg Secondary School grounds.

At the Ministry of Education ground, Lodge Secondary remained unbeaten by trouncing Tutorial High by 4 goals to 1.

Lodge goals were scored by Kevin Butters in the 2nd and 19th minutes, while Ryan Hackett found the back of the net in the 16th and 55th minutes. Tutorial lone goal was netted by Steve Sutton.

Lodge now lead group ‘A’ with15 points from 5 games.

Charlestown Secondary moved to 12 points in group B after gaining a walkover from Chase Academic Foundation.

In other action, Christ Church demolished Bishops High by 4 goals to nil. Andre Trotz scored in the 26th and 30th minutes, Andre Paul in the 28th and Brad Evans in the 61st.

North Georgetown swamped Queens College (QC) by 5 goals to 1. Ashmar Angel gave QC the lead in the 11th minute before Joshua Farrier equalised in the 29th.

Osafa Matheson put North Georgetown in front with a strike in the 39th; Lansdale George then extended the advantage when he scored in the 45th. Nehemiah Gomes sealed the issue with goals in the 50th and 57th minutes.

At Wisburg Secondary School ground in Linden, Mc Kenzie High defeated Christianburg Wismar Secondary by 2 goals to 1, while on Wednesday New Silver City Secondary School gained a walk over from Harmony Secondary.

On Saturday 1st June, the final games in the preliminary round in the Georgetown Zone will be played.

In group ‘A’ (male), School of the Nations with 12 points will come up against Tutorial High who are on 10 points at 10:00hrs. A draw for School of the Nations will take them to 13 points and a place in the Semifinals; however a win for Tutorial High will take them to 13 points and a place in the final four.

In the female category, Christ Church Secondary (1 point) will do battle with Tutorial on 4 points at 11:00hrs. New Campbellville Secondary finished the preliminary round on 10 points and are already through to the final. A win for Tutorial will take to 7 points and a place in the final; a draw will also do them well since they have a better goal difference than their closest rival Charlestown who are on 5 points from 4 games.

At 12:30hrs in the male division, North Georgetown and Lodge will square off in a match of academic interest.

Lodge are already through to the Semis. A victory for North GT will take them to 12 points but it will not be sufficient for them to go through because School of the Nations and Tutorial are in better position to qualify.

At 13:45 hrs (male), Charlestown and Bishops High will clash, a triumph for Charlestown will see them topping the group with 15 points but a loss will see them placing second to Christ Church who are on 12 points but with a better Goal difference.

On Sun 2nd June 2013, the first semifinal will be played; Lodge Secondary will match skills with either Christ Church or Charlestown Secondary at 11:30 hrs.

At 13:00 hrs, Charlestown Secondary or Christ Church will tackle School of the Nations or Tutorial in the second semi.

Royal Six are WNDC Independence Dominoes champs Royal Six amassed 83 games to win the final of the Wakenaam Neighbourhood Democratic Council (WNDC) Independence Dominoes competition which was contested on Monday at Amit Ramnarine residence in Good Success Wakenaam.

Underdog took the runner up spot with 75 games, while Double Six finished third on 73. Royal Six were led by Vickram Ramnarine with 17 games, Jaggernauth Manbodh 16 and Abdool Salim 14. Ganeshram Narine and Asif Ahmad made 16 each for Underdog, while Suraj (only name) chalked 16 and Alex Chung 15 for Double Six. Royal Six received the winning trophy while the other participating teams which also included Anyway and All Star received prizes.