Kaieteur News

Page 04

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

Restoring professionalism in the public service The celebrations are about over. The inauguration has been complete. People must now settle to the real job of transporting this country to the land of potential it is touted to be. Indeed, to hear the people talk about their great expectations one would feel that these people had been living in mediocrity all their lives.

In fact, most of the people would tell anyone that they had only a clear knowledge of the recent administration and that they felt that a change was needed. Today people say that they expect the new government to do many things that were supposed to be part of everyday life in Guyana.

For example, people expect high standards in the public service. They had been living with a politicized public service to the extent that the Permanent Secretaries actually left their posts to join the political campaign for one political party or the other. This was never the role of the Permanent Secretary.

People also directed matters of public service concerns to the headquarters of the political parties. Now the wider society expects this to change. Further, the new President has promised such a change. In his words, he would be preparing a professional and unbribable public service.

But that is only a part of the great expectations. Many people, who were denied their just deserts because of the perception that they had been supporters of one political party or the other, now say that they should be compensated.

First among them are those mothers who believe that the state institutions caused them untold suffering. Of immediate interest are those mothers whose children died in the care of the hospital or health centres. For most of a year at least two of them have been seeking a report from the Ministry of Health. None has been forthcoming.

These mothers are now turning to the new administration, and with good reason. If the new administration is coming in with a promise of good governance then it must provide answers to the grieving mothers.

Let us not forget that there were people who felt that they were beholden to no one; that they did not have to account to anyone for anything. This attitude spread right through the public service, from the top to the bottom. Pretty soon managers were unable to control the junior staff, so entrenched is indiscipline. The expectation is that the new administration would be able to collect the various medical reports. Having done that, it would have to make such reports regular features in keeping with standard public service practice.

Perhaps the greatest expectation is that the new government would bring to book those who would have pilfered state assets and funds. The wider society is sure that it knows the culprits. And many people in the system who have been compiling duplicate records of illegal transactions have made these available. Now these people expect prosecutions and even incarcerations.

All over the world, and almost daily, one sees public officials being sentenced to prison for acts of corruption and illegality. It is as if such behaviour is the norm in developing countries. There is a lot that suggests that there were corrupt officials. For example, there is the wealth accruing to people who prior to becoming public officials were just ordinary people who were no more than lower middle class Guyanese.

The records of the Integrity Commission would make for interesting reading. But even more, the Guyana Revenue Authority is perhaps in the best position to assess the status of those public officials. This is perhaps the reason why there are so many nervous people around and those making charges of discrimination against the new government even before it has settled into office. For too long, people have been allowed to pay scant regard to principled behaviour. Why else would a serving Government Minister threaten a woman with physical violence in the full glare of the media? And why would the Guyana Sugar Corporation threaten to close its doors as soon as the new government takes office without even discussing the issue with the principals?

Saturday May 30, 2015

Letters... Where your views make the news

A Never Retired Nun: Sr. Noel Mary Menezes DEAR EDITOR, It was her humility that captured my attention. She was humble yet rich in knowledge and wisdom. Her contribution to education in Guyana, especially higher education, is remarkable.

I am delighted to express my honours to Sr. Noel, for she has been appointed by the President to the Order of Roraima of Guyana, the second highest award in the country.

I was so exultant to hear this great news for she deserves this award for her academic excellence and more importantly for her service to the less fortunate children of our society.

This is not only good news for the nation but for the Catholic Church in Guyana. The Church in Guyana has been in the forefront of the society in forming the young men and women for others.

One of my friends recalled, “Sister Noel had tremendous command over the children whilst at the Church; when she entered the Church, there was a pin drop silence. Everyone looked up to her as a good mother”. She has been popular not only among the academics but also among the poor people. She was a person of integrity intertwining her academic with service of the poor.

She has been an inspiration for many of the boys and girls; she is one of the second great inspirations to me after an old nun in England, Sr. Chris Fealey,

who used visit prisons at the age of 90; she was well respected as the religious governor of the prison and prisoners addressed her as mother.

Sr. Noel has been an inspiration for many for basically two effects; namely her academic excellence and her service to the less fortunate. She not only educated men and women for others, but also showed in her life how one has to show sympathy for the less fortunate.

Her academic excellence was not known to me until I browsed the website Guyana Achievers, which read an extensive biography on her career. Her work on Portuguese history is noteworthy. Her publication titled “The Portuguese of Guyana: A Study in Culture and Conflict” (1992) and the earlier work, “Scenes from the History of the Portuguese in Guyana” (1986), added to my knowledge of cultural diversity of this beautiful nation. Her laudable work in the University of Guyana, in the Department of History, showed her as person of great learning.

The CXC students would have read her name in the Caribbean History Syllabus, so now you know why Sr. Noel has been awarded this eminent honour. She has the prestigious Golden Arrow of Achievement award to her credit, which was awarded in 1982.

Sr. Noel never basked in the glory of her achievements as an outstanding educator and loved her real mission to serve the disadvantaged. She served at

the St. John Bosco Orphanage in Plaisance for over 30 years. She had special love and care for the children who are in need of a mother.

She has been visiting the Mahaica Hospital for patients suffering from Hansen’s disease regularly, which she still does with her close friends like Sr. Celine and Pat Pierre.

She is a tireless and non-retired person who cares for the boys. The boys have an utmost respect and love for this elderly sister, which I can see on their faces when I chat with them. When she was awarded this prestigious award, her heart was not in the award, as she was a little downcast because one of her boys at the home was ill. This showed me the greatness of a person who has been awarded this great award yet her love and care for the boy remained priority.

Let me conclude by congratulating Sr. Noel on winning this award and appeal to everyone that we need to look up to the people like Sister who have achieved such great fame, both nationally and internationally.

Let us look at our local talents and be inspired to be excellent in our endeavours. It is significant to remember the less fortunate people whilst we enjoy the fame and glory.

Sister Noel must inspire our young people to be excellent in academics and excellent in our service to the nation.

Fr. Jerry Melwin Dias SJ Diocese of Georgetown

Organizing youth for leadership roles in Guyana DEAR EDITOR, Encouraged by the pres ent government’s expressed commitment to respectfully listen to citizens, to responsibly spend our monies and initiate action to address concerns of women and youth, a number of sympathizers have been offering suggestions.

I have read calls for the creation of a Ministry of Youth; also calls for the creation of a Ministry of Women’s Affairs. Then there are those who opine that there are not enough young persons as senior Ministers.

For me, while in a perfect situation I would love to see young people running most of the ministries, I have to temper that desire by some realities that face the nation at the moment: the hidden deals; the extent to which the previous government went to hide devious

transactions; the subtleties employed in wording of contracts; the movement of money around - all done to confuse and avoid detection.

Detecting these and being able to possibly recover our monies, I think, can best be achieved with the presence of experienced and knowledgeable persons at the helm of ministries. So yes, I can see the need to have the youth ministers being junior ministers for the time, and most adult educators agree that on-the-job training is most effective when dealing with adults.

The truth is that, for example, making a young person a Minister of Youth will not by itself create the conditions for young people to have a meaningful voice in shaping youth development and influencing national development.

Dr. Frank Anthony was a young man

when he was made minister with responsibility for youth. Yet one can’t point to any action taken by his ministry that led to the birth of a process that allows for young people to be able to influence national policy. His focus for the Youth Department was – organizing young people for dancing in the streets during Mashramani; organizing and running August holiday camps and organizing a few of what was called youth leadership training.

Apparently Ex-Minister Anthony did not have a clear idea of what a progressive Youth Department should be doing? Preparing young people for involvement in Mashramani celebrations, organizing of August camps and the running of youth training programmes are activities best left to youth groups to organize and manage (Continued on page 23)

Is this a fair manner to treat someone who has dedicated his life to an organization?

DEAR EDITOR, This is in response to Mr. Kissoon¹s May 28th article on Chanderpaul.

First of all most of the content is irrelevant since it is centred on his personal experiences and reference to Elton John and Michael Jackson.

Secondly, it seems his knowledge of cricket is very limited and his shortsightedness on the recognition of an employee’s dedication to an employer is evident in the content of the article. There is no argument that Chanderpaul is at the end of his career as a batsman. However, in any decent,

democratic society, an employer has a responsibility to terminate an employee, who has dedicated his life to the organization through the good and bad times, in a respectful and orderly manner.

Based on the information released in the media in the letter from Lloyd to Chanderpaul, it seems this was the only and last communication Chanderpaul received of his termination as a player in the WI team bringing an abrupt end to his career. If this is the case, does Mr. Kissoon believe this is a fair manner to treat “a human being” who has served

his organization as an employee in an unselfish manner when “the sun sets”?

Irrespective of whether the WI selectors or WICB choose to recognize this great cricketer contribution to the game, I am confident WI fans and Guyana will give him a fitting exit from the game as “the sun sets” for him.

Finally, I applaud Mr. Cameron and other members of the WICB who fought unsuccessfully for a more appropriate exit for him from the game.

Ranjit Singh Mississauga, Ontario Canada

Saturday May 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

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

Frederick Kissoon, new cricket House cleaning needed at NCN commentator! Disappointed!

DEAR EDITOR, At times I sit and get amazed of how people like to become overnight specialists in a given area that, honestly, they are very ignorant and for the lack of a better word, stupid.

Sad I had to pen this letter in response to the Frederick Kissoon piece “The Chanderpaul issue: Sentiments are dangerous things”. I have full respect because of the tenacity and courage of this columnist, but I have lost a little bit of that respect after reading that piece. I wish not to highlight the political propaganda he tried to close his article with, but more focus on his main message.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul is indeed aged, he is not an eighteen year-old boy anymore, he has never been the most vocal, yet he delivers again and again for the Maroon colours.

He has been the subject of many debatable calls, such as being dropped from the ODI team. This was at a time when the West Indies team needed someone who could actually bat 50 overs, unlike 20-over specialists Bravo, Pollard, Russell, Sammy, and Gayle. Yet, in all its absurdity, the Coach (Simmons) and Chief Selector (Lloyd) have called for consideration of these “global stars”, T20 specialists, to be considered for the future.

But before I do get sentimental Mr. Kissoon, let me transition into the details you should have explored before penning that article.

Indeed, Shiv, aka. The Tiger, has failed in the past series (very short time to call an end to anyone’s career, much less that of a player who has been your bedrock), but that is only for four test matches, that he averaged a paltry 18.81. You know what is even more daunting?

In 2014, he played 7 tests. You want to guess his average? It was in the 70s. Yes, 70s, just a year ago Mr. Kissoon.

I do not wish to indulge in your lack of statistical reasoning, but being a political scientist, I guess you do rarely indulge in Statistical comprehension. I would recommend you strongly check your numbers when you pen a letter, especially when you are not a specialist on the topic.

You want to know what is even more interesting Mr. Kissoon, the domestic

competition used to select the players for the Test squad was completed a couple of months back, I followed it here in cold Edmonton, did you? Based on the article you wrote, you sure didn’t. Shiv scored the most runs by any Guyanese player (8 matches, made 539 runs at an average of 44.50) leading them to the Regional Four Day Championship. Again, how you can even assert this guy is not fit for cricket or has lost his touch?

But to end, I would like to just draw on a specific comparison I find very interesting.

Marlon Samuels has been playing excellently lately, but he had a lot, and I repeat a lot of bad years, yet the Selectors continued to include him. Yet, Shiv fails for four matches, and you drop him, maybe ending his career.

Below I have compared the years these two players have played Test Cricket for West Indies, tabulated under year, matches played, average, and runs scored. Noticed anything interesting or shabby? Look again, very closely Mr. Kissoon. I would not comment further, I will let you and the readers interpret those numbers.

A few key points: notice the many years with sub-par averages (less than 30) for Samuels? How many such years are there for Chanderpaul?

Finally, I would comment on the place of a few players in the squad who I think are totally wastes of time and just favours being passed around. Devon Smith, Denesh Ramdin, and Sulieman Benn have been tried until their backs are literally being broken. It is time for Shane Dowrich, the Guyanese spin twins and Narine, and batsmen such as Leon Johnson, Jason Mohammed, and Shai Hope to be groomed around stalwarts such as Shiv.

West Indies cricket needed a hero during a horrific past decade, we got that through the Prince of Port of Spain in the earlier years, and then Shiv.

He has always given us hope, a slight bit, but it’s enough to cling onto.

So Mr. Kissoon, as much respect as I have for you, please sir, please do some research next time, and do not mix you political dabbles with the genuine character of a true statesman – Shivnarine Chanderpaul!

Michael George, cricket lover!

University of Alberta

DEAR EDITOR, I guess by now the nation has noticed that many of those announcers at NCN who were passionately promoting the PPP’s propaganda are now singing a new tune.

But we must not forget the behaviour of some of them who showed a definite bias towards the PPP in their predictions, revelations and assertions. Ron Robinson was the only voice of impartiality during those broadcasts. We all remember when the budget for NCN was cut, for instance, as broadcasters passionately stated that “Mothers with their

babies will suffer” and “people at NCN are going to lose their jobs”, among other bad things that were going to happen, none of which ever materialized.

Many of those who read the news with a passionate bias should now be censured.

These people should not be given a free pass.

There needs to be an infusion of new blood at NCN; there are enough talented, budding broadcasters in our midst who should be given a chance. Let’s now cleanse NCN and GINA by removing square pegs.

Michael Anthony

A case for Chanderpaul DEAR EDITOR, Was Chanderpaul wrong to refuse to retire before the test match in Dominica? Are those who wanted him to play for WI against Australia being sentimental? I don’t think so. Maybe as a non-West Indian I can offer a useful and objective perspective.

First, let’s use reason instead of emotion and look at things from Chanderpaul’s point of view.

Imagine that you are a 40year-old batsman in a weak team who has averaged over 50 runs per test match innings for the past five consecutive calendar years. Imagine that you are one of the rarest of elite batsmen in the history of the game because your test batting average actually got significantly better when you were between the ages of 35 and 40 years old.

Imagine that during last five calendar years you had the best stretch of your 20year career and your average in 2014, the immediate past calendar year, was the second best of your career, second only to 2012 when you had your highest calendar year average of approximately 98 runs per innings.

Imagine that the next test match for your team is to be played in Dominica where you are an honorary citizen because you batted better there than anywhere else; because you scored two centuries and two fifties in three tests there; because you average 96 runs per innings there, and because you scored your latest first class century just two months ago.

For Chanderpaul this is not imaginary; it is ice-cold reality, So in light of these facts, if you were Chanderpaul would you retire? Use logic, probability

and good old commonsense.

Windsor Park in Dominica is Chanderpaul’s happiest hunting ground, where he would be buoyed by full crowd support as an honorary Dominican.

Isn’t this where he is most likely to end his 11-inning run drought?

Is it sentimental to point out the fact that: Chanderpaul is still the highest ranked WI batsman and has been for more than the last five consecutive years; that he has a proven record of improving with age, that he has a peerless record of high scoring in Dominica; that he enjoys vital fan support there because he always bats well there?

Furthermore, there is NO - I repeat NO, upcoming WI batsman - who, on the basis of his average in the 2015 WI season, deserves to supplant

Chanderpaul in the WI team, especially not at Windsor Park in Dominica.

To my mind, both on the field and beyond the boundary, emotion and sentiment clearly have more influence on WI cricket than logic and fairness. But it is not Chanderpaul’s supporters whose thinking is based on sentiment.

Indeed, dropping Chanderpaul on the eve of the Dominica test reeks of the worst kind of sentiment, the sort that is a slap in the face of logic and decency.

I am in Dominica for the test match and, for reasons made clear above, I wouldn’t have considered it worth my while if I had known that there would be no ‘Tiger’ to spearhead the WI batting lineup against the Aussie quicks.

Ramon Stonehouse

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Kaieteur News

Saturday May 30, 2015

Dr. Raj Singh’s pronouncements are economic - GTUC and criminal sabotage The Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) has come out in strong condemnation of recent revelations that Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) is unable to meet payment obligations to its workers. Further, it has failed to make contributions for its workforce.

GTUC President, Lincoln Lewis, at a press conference held yesterday at the Critchlow Labour College, said that the actions of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GUYSUCO, Dr. Rajendra Singh, border on criminal sabotage.

This is in reference to recent revelations that GUYSUCO had been deducting monies from workers but now owes over

$1.5B to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) because of not making contributions on behalf of the workers. This was just days following the shocking pronouncement from Singh that the corporation had no money to pay junior and senior staff members, unless the newly installed Government provided a bailout package within the next few days.

Singh went further, and predicted that the corporation would cease operations should such a bailout not be provided.

“GUYSUCO cannot be allowed to hold the government hostage. The issues of this industry transcend ministerial

abilities,” Lewis said.

He went on to call for a parliamentary review, open to the public and stakeholders in order to reach a consensus on the state of the industry, its future and what must be done towards worker’s wellbeing. He also drew attention to the fact that Singh, who was a People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C) candidate in the 2015 elections, had declared GUYSUCO’s inability to pay workers only two weeks after elections, and referred to these actions as ‘economic sabotage’. “The era of burning acres of young cane to sabotage the economy is over. The sugar industry is home to some 16,000 workers.

In 2015 GUYSUCO is no longer a productive entity (able) to meet domestic and international demands.

“GUYSUCO is additionally beleaguered by declining production levels, shortfalls in the Skeldon factory and runaway indebtness. “This country can no longer be subjected to these reckless actions that border on criminal negligence and criminal sabotage. No politician or CEO should be allowed to continue using sugar workers.”

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo recently pronounced that GUYSUCO’s entire board will be sent packing for what he described as its “gross levels of incompetence”.

Declaring that the sugar industry was badly injured by poor financial management, ill-informed investment decisions, conflicts of interest and corruption at the point of procurement, the Prime Minister laid the fault for these squarely at the feet of the Board of Directors and management.

GUYSUCO’s current

Board of Directors comprises its Chairman Shaik Baksh, a former Education Minister; Dr. Dindyal Permaul, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA); Keith Burrowes, Executive Chairman of the Board and Guyana Office for Investment (GO- Invest); Badri Persaud, Managing Director, Guyana Oil (Guyoil) and Geeta Singh- Knight.

However, Keith Burrowes said that he tendered his resignation from the Board last year May. This was not announced because he claimed that the government asked him to remain quiet about it.

Nagamootoo made it clear that the current board cannot do much, if anything, to

President of the GTUC Lincoln Lewis GUYSUCO’s CEO Dr. Raj Singh improve the company’s performance.

While in opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance for Change (AFC) had lashed out at Baksh’s appointment, saying that he was too closely associated with some major

corruption scandals to be credible as an agent of change.

Geeta Singh- Knight was not spared either, since she presided over the collapse of the Colonial Life Insurance Company (CLICO) Guyana.

Lewis made it clear that these dubious records, as well as their tacit approval t o G u y s u c o ’s d u p l i c i t y made the entire board as liable as Dr. Singh.

Police investigates missing eye care equipment at GPHC Police have launched an investigation into the disappearance of multiple pieces of equipment from the Ophthalmology Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The equipment, this publication understands. went missing earlier this week.

This development was yesterday confirmed by Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, who is very familiar with the missing equipment as he, prior to his ministerial appointment, headed the Ophthalmology Department.

The Minister said that he learnt that two pieces of equipment went missing on Wednesday but he was not immediately notified of the development. “I am surprised that I had to come to the hospital to learn about this in spite of the fact that it happened since Wednesday.

I was told that it was reported to the relevant authorities,” said Dr Norton.

The matter, he said, is being investigated by the Alberttown Police Station.

When asked if there are any suspects who have been taken into custody, the Minister said, “We have no idea who could have done this.” He is also surprised that someone would have opted to remove the equipment.

He disclosed that the equipment, at the time of purchase several years ago, would have cost quite a sum of money but currently the clinical value is obsolete. “In other words nobody uses the equipment anymore. I used them to demonstrate to medical students what they look like and how they were used...These are clumsy, big machines that you have to fit on your head,” said Dr. Norton who noted that the eye care equipment now being utilised is rather simple.

When asked if the removal of the equipment could have been a deliberate ploy to cause embarrassment, the

Minister would only say “I would prefer not to comment on that.”

Turning his attention to the investigation being carried out into the matter, the Minister said that some level of concern was aroused since some of the nurses who are associated with the Ophthalmology Department are convinced that they are being intimidated.

According to the Minister, he was informed that some of the nurses were told that they would be taken to the Police Station for interrogation.

“I don’t see the necessity for that...I believe they can interview the nurses in the Clinic in much the same way they can interview at the Station.”

“These nurses were told that their cell phones will be taken away, and words to that effect, and the nurses have expressed deep concern about the manner in which it is being handled,” said the Health Minister.

He noted that these remarks from Police ranks have not gone down well with some of the nurses. “I have worked in that (Ophthalmology) Department with those nurses for years and I know when they are disturbed and they are,” said Dr. Norton.

The Minister added, “I would wish that our police officers be very professional in the way they treat the nurses in their investigation.

This is not in any way wanting to stand between them and their investigation but these nurses are also professionals and insinuation can mean a lot.”

Saturday May 30 , 2015

Kaieteur News

US national extradited from Antigua for alleged murder of wife

Morrad Ghonim LOS ANGELES, United States (CMC) - A United States national, who allegedly ordered the killing of his wife in 1992 in La Mirada, California, has been arrested in Antigua and Barbuda.

He has since been extradited to the US to face prosecution.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt John Corina said Morrad Ghonim, 44, was extradited to Florida last weekend and is awaiting extradition to California.

Ghonim allegedly hired Leon Martinez to kill his 17year-old wife Maria Ghonim, who was fatally shot in La

Mirada Creek Park on July 23, 1992, according to the Orange Country Register.

Martinez, 42, was convicted of the killing in March of this year, the paper said.

“During the investigation, it was discovered that the victim’s husband, Morrad Ghonim was no longer living in the United States, but was now living in Antigua,” Corina said.

“An arrest warrant for suspect Ghonim was obtained. With assistance from the United States Marshals (Service) and the Royal Police Force of Antigua, Ghonim was detained and extradited back to Miami on Saturday.”

Ghonim was booked on suspicion of murder by the Miami Dade Police Department, and was being held without bail, pending his extradition to California.

Moody’s Upgrades Jamaica The Gleaner - Ratings agency Moody’s Thursday upgraded Jamaica’s government bond rating and government-related entities to Caa2 from Caa3, and changed the country’s ceilings while maintaining a positive outlook.

Moody’s Investors Service says their decision to upgrade Jamaica’s rating was driven by continued fiscal consolidation and a strong commitment to structural reform.

The ratings agency said that, in addition, the improving balance of payments position and reduced vulnerability to external shocks such as natural disasters and world events played a part in the upgrade.

Moody’s said the positive outlook reflects its expectation that Jamaica will sustain the reform momentum under the International Monetary Fund-supported programme.

The ratings agency also felt that Jamaica would solidify its fiscal programme of adjustment in a bid to continue to pay down its debts.

The rating action also applies to Government of Jamaica-related entities: Air Jamaica Limited and the National Road Operating and Constructing Co. Ltd. The rating upgrade means the long-term foreign cur-

rency-bond ceiling changed to B2 from B3. The long-term foreign-currency deposit ceiling changed to Caa3 from Ca. The long-term local-currency bond and deposit ceilings changed to B1.

The short-term foreigncurrency bond and deposit ceilings remain unchanged at NP. Moody’s is indicating that persistently low economic growth and high debt burden are two factors that continue to constrain Jamaica’s rating. The agency said, however, that the Jamaica n G o v e r n m e n t h a s made substantive progress towards completing its fiscal consolidation programme.

Moody’s also noted the introduction of tax and expenditure reform measures, and the maintenance of a large primary surplus of 7.5 per cent over the past two years.

Moody’s expects these reforms to put public finance on a more sound footing and help reach the set target of cutting debt to less than 100 per cent of gross domestic product by 2020 from a 135 per cent peak in 2013.

The ratings agency also noted that Jamaica’s currentaccount (CA) deficit has narrowed significantly in 2014-15 as a result of continued import compression and the drop in oil prices, with further improvement projected in 2016.

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BRING BACK A MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORT The arrests this week of top officials of footballing association attached to the world governing body for football, FIFA was long in the making. Even before the last World Cup in Brazil, allegations of corruption had been swirling over FIFA. The gravity of the corruption will shock many.

But it should not; football is big business. Football is no longer a game. It is a commercial enterprise. Some of the major clubs in Europe have budgets far higher than the entire national Budgets of countries in the Caribbean.

The first thing to understand, therefore, is that football is big business. Sport is big business. There are big bucks to be earned in sports

by athletes, sporting organizations and countries, yes countries. Culture is also big business. Just take a look at the music industry and the fashion industry. Both of these industries make more money than some commodities that are globally traded. When you add movies and other cultural products, the magnitude of the cultural industry is awesome.

Sports and culture can become major money earners for economies. If they are properly organized they can displace many of the traditional sectors of the economy. They are major economic earners and are important to other sectors such as tourism.

Governments all over the

world are beginning to appreciate the economic potential of culture and sports. Some of these countries are willing to simply regulate these sectors and allow the private sector to make the money that is to be made. But many developing countries, short on cultural facilities and resources, are attempting to grow these sectors through direct investment by Governments.

These governments are willing to build up their cultural industries to the point where they can manage themselves. This is why it is all the more baffling why the present APNU+AFC government has decided to absorb culture and sports into the Education ministry. This

is a most unwise decision and one which the government is likely to regret.

Sport and Culture need their own ministry. If the government develops the right products in sports and culture, the Ministry will more than pay for itself many times over. But if sports and culture are absorbed into the Ministry of Education it is more likely that these industries are going to be accorded less than the priority they deserve.

This move disassembles the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport may have been considered rationalization in the seventies, eighties and even nineties. But not today when both sports and culture are multibillion dollar

industries. Guyana needs a separate ministry to regulate these industries and to boost them until such time that they can be handed over exclusively to the private sector.

In the next month, the Caribbean Premier League is going to be launched. This tournament will boost the economy. It may not at this stage bring a return to the sponsors but eventually this tournament is going to be one of the biggest in the world, attracting billions of dollars in advertising revenues.

The same thing can happen in other sports. The PPP may have been slow in coming around to the economic potential of sports and culture. But it seems as if this APNU+AFC do not have

a clue about this potential.

Somebody needs to sit down with the government and advise it that instead of creating all manner of ministries which the public knows little about, they should resuscitate a separate Ministry of Sports and Culture.

APNU+AFC are going backwards instead of forwards.

They should reverse their present course and recognize the huge commercial interests involved in culture and sports and the huge economic benefits they can generate.

Some criticisms made against new govt. are not well informed - President Granger As the new government faces early criticisms, President David Granger is saying that not all critics are speaking from an informed standpoint and are therefore misguided in their criticisms.

During a recent interview with the media at the Ministry of the Presidency, Granger was faced with questions regarding the number of

appointed Ministers. He was asked to respond to critics who condemned the renaming of Ministries without consultations.

Granger responded that Guyana now has 15 Ministries which he pointed out is less than those in the previous administration. “It is the amalgamation of some Ministries that might have

Dem boys seh...

Nuff people deh pun suicide watch When people accustom to seeing one thing dem does get a shock when dem see something different. Jagdeo come home from de Berbice court and lock heself in he room. De next morning he security guard ain’t see he coming out like he does normally do.

Dem know that he don’t drink suh dem know that he didn’t have a hangover and sleeping it off. Then one man remember that he did send dem to buy gramoxone. De excuse Jagdeo give de man was that he wanted to treat some wood ants. Bout two de afternoon one of de guard decide fuh mek a check. When he knock pun de door and he hear Jagdeo answer he tell dem boys that de boss man alive.

That was only part of de story. Dem boys ain’t seeing nuff of de others. Sam, who is a hard worker, suddenly deh home doing nutten. When he wake up in de morning he got to go to de window at de front then go to de back door then go back to bed. He blood pressure going up.

Dem people at GuySuCo try fuh send up Soulja Bai pressure. Dem announce how dem gun shut down the sugar company before dem even tell de government. Dem boys seh that dem behave like when people own something. If you own a car and you want to park it you don’t have to tell anybody. Is de same thing Raj Singh try fuh do wid GuySuCo. He believe that was he and he wife own.

Well Soulja Bai and Moses planning to send he to live wid she fuh good. Is now dem boys want to know what was happening in de sugar industry. It ain’t got no money, not even money wha it shoulda get from selling sugar. Raj sell de electricity generator and de US$20 million disappear.

Dem boys want to know how much money really disappear through GuySuCo and who really pocket it.

Donald should tek blame. De company ain’t mekking money and he pay everybody two and three millions of dollar a month in salary. He even pay heself when he was Chairman.

Is now things coming to light.

Talk half and watch how much more gun be expose.

created concern. As far as the names are concerned, I have explained that some of the changes in the Ministries were to emphasize the function.”

He said that for example, the Ministry of the Presidency always existed. “It was named the Office of the President; it is just that I find it necessary to have a Minister (Joseph Harmon) who will continue to act authoritatively to ensure that cabinet decisions are implemented throughout the government service.”

Turning his attention to the Ministry of Local Government which he renamed Ministry of Communities; Granger said that the new name represents the changes his government wants to make.

“We are not simply building houses or roads; we are building communities where human beings live and so it was renamed to emphasize the human aspect of Local Government. We want to see a place where human beings live, not just a collection of buildings.”

Granger said that his government has all intentions

to install sporting and cultural facilities, “the type of things that form community life which is sometimes absent in housing schemes.”

Stressing that the new names are “pretty selfexplanatory” the President said that as far as Public Security is concerned, the new name fits what he cares about. “What does Home Affairs mean? Home Affairs is an old title which was taken from the British Empire. They had Foreign Affairs which dealt with international matters… but we do not have an empire so why do we call it Home Affairs?

The President continued, “I am concerned with public security, so as far as I am concerned (Ministry of) Public Security makes more sense than Home Affairs.”

Granger said that “people may differ” but there is nothing strange or nothing that needed major consultations.

“Public infrastructure means infrastructure for public use for the public good. We are building roadways bridges…You prefer me to call it public works…”

Granger acknowledged that he has been hearing lots of criticisms “but some of it is not necessarily well informed.”

In speaking about the Ministry of Indigenous People, Granger said that persons in the Indigenous communities indicated that they wanted to be called indigenous as opposed to Amerindians. “So I do consult. I consulted with the Amerindians and many of these things are commonsensical,” said Granger.

President David Granger

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 30, 2015

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

Analyzing the 2015 General Elections results Serious episodes of impossibilities characterized the results of the 2015 National Elections. All three parties – APNU, AFC and PPP - will have to call in their analysts to help prepare political strategies for 2020.

First, the Amerindians devastated coalition hopes.

In all the Regions where there were Amerindians, the indigenous people embraced the PPP. In what can be called a caricatured victory, the coalition won Region Eight by one vote. In 2011, the PPP was beaten badly there.

In 2015, the coalition increased its take by a hundred votes; the PPP by one thousand.

Secondly, Berbice will prove to be the PPP’s biggest

problem in 2020. There is talk throughout political society in Guyana that Berbicians as they did in 2011, stayed home in 2015. There was a turnout just above the fifty percent mark. But there is a big but.

Were those absentees living in Guyana in May 2015? Is it possible that the absentees are among the two dozen East Indians who leave Guyana daily for Canada, US and Trinidad?

The cruel reality that has ruined the permanent electoral happiness of the PPP, is that East Indians do not want to stay in Guyana.

From the time they leave high school the mind is set to go to North America. Any journalist who has connections to US Embassy and Canadian High Commission officials would tell you the majority of migrants are Indians.

If they were leaving in large numbers since Cheddi Jagan became President in 1992, then imagine what will

happen now that a non-PPP government is in power.

What the PPP is facing is one of the cruelest ironies in history and in politics. An Indian demographic majority made the PPP win elections all the time. Now an Indian demographic minority will cause the PPP to lose elections forever.

Thirdly, the coalition’s expected high percentage did not happen. The Indians did not swing toward the AFC in large numbers pumping up the percentage from 2011.

Fourthly, the PPP’s prediction of a large scale return of Indians to the PPP did not happen.

The AFC made a coalition victory possible because it gave APNU the votes that APNU needed to take the coalition over the fifty percent mark. More Indians from Regions Three and Four balloted for the AFC this time.

The AFC lost three hundred votes in Berbice in 2015 compared to 2011, but

that was made up for by Indian ballots in Region Three of young Indians nationwide and middle class Indians in Region 4.

Fifthly, African Guyanese gushed to the polls on May 11 like a river that burst its banks. Even if there was a tsunami in Guyana, it could not have stopped AfroGuyanese from voting. They registered in humongous numbers and voted in humongous numbers. They felt it was do or die for them as an ethnic community.

African Guyanese decided that they were not going to live a minute longer with the PPP Government.

When the coalition was born, it was a big Christmas gift of a diamond nugget for them.

Sixthly, the gap between the AFC and APNU as opposition parties and the PPP in 2011 was 8000. In 2015 it was cut in half. Seventhly, there was still no huge national turn out for the 2015 national elections. It stood at

72 percent, identical with 2011. Finally, the vote difference between the coalition and the PPP could have been a thousand votes less if TUF did not contest. I believe TUF collected a thousand votes that would have gone to the PPP. Now for a brief analysis of these statistics. The use of a deadly racist campaign and the colossal use of state resources took Indian votes away from the AFC and Amerindian votes from the coalition. You can try as hard as you can to use acceptable language, the point is, that our Amerindian folks are not urban people that apply analysis to political trends as Guyanese do in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven and Ten. They live simple lives deep in the interior and relate mostly to governmental officials who patronize them.

With the PPP out of power, the PPP will lose Amerindian votes in 2020.

Many Indians became

Frederick Kissoon genuinely scared after Jagdeo sermonized them with a phantasmagoria of violent attacks from a resurgent PNC and African people.

The religious Hindu priest, Aksharananda chipped in too with his own scare tactics in Region Three where he is popular among Hindu folks.

If the PPP bandwagon was clean and the PPP had campaigned on its achievements, Indians would have rejected them giving the AFC large number of ballots.

Nasty racist poison by the PPP prevented a coalition landslide.

Saturday May 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Magistrate yet to file court action in ex-PM son’s case Nearly two months after stating that she needed direction from the High Court in the matter involving the son of former Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds, city Magistrate Annette Singh is yet to file the court action.

Early last month, Singh was faced with a ‘tricky’ situation – a Defence Attorney who was adamant that she hand down a sentence from a trial she had not presided over, and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who wanted her to conduct a new trial.

As the legal wrangling over Samuel Hinds Jnr ’s matter continued, Singh had insisted that the matter is constitutional, and she had no place deciding matters of such a nature.

The recently appointed Magistrate had said that by May 22, she would have already filed the matter and hopefully had it decided. But last Friday, no such thing materialized at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Instead, the matter was never called and a date was merely given for it to be recalled. Though June 11, the new assigned date for the matter in the Magistrates’ court, is fast approaching,

checks by this publication yesterday revealed that the matter has not yet been filed in the Georgetown Supreme Court.

Hinds Jnr, 34, had already been found guilty and was awaiting sentencing in relation to a year-old wounding charge by Magistrate Geeta ChandanEdmond. However, the case has been in limbo since the Magistrate received marching orders from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), the very day she was set to sentence him.

The 34-year-old miner was charged in relation to an altercation he had with his teenaged sister-in-law. Hinds, who had accused his then 18year-old sister-in-law, Tenza Lane, of stealing one of his cellular phones, flew in a fit and brandished a gun, thrashed and threatened to kill her at his Lot 83 Duke Street, Kingston residence on February 27, 2014.

Following the incident, an unlawful wounding charge was instituted against him.

After prosecution by Police Corporal, Renetta Bentham, Magistrate Chandan-Edmond found him guilty on February 6, last. Amid questions as to the way forward since Magistrate Chandan-

CONVICTED: Samuel Hinds Jnr.

Edmond’s dismissal, the DPP advised that based on the facts before the court, the issue was whether the guilty verdict of a previous Magistrate represents a final adjudication.

The Prosecution maintained that according to law, a final adjudication means a verdict plus a sentence.

Since Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond had only returned a verdict and no sentence, it was not a final adjudication, she contended.

The court heard that the new presiding Magistrate may not sentence the defendant consequent to another Magistrate hearing of evidence. The DPP found that a de novo trial was

befitting in the circumstance.

Responding, Attorney-atLaw Peter Hugh who represented Hinds in association with Attorney-atLaw Latchmie Rahamat, explained that Hinds Jnr. had pleaded and had already been found guilty. To have him tried twice for the same offence would be to offend the rule of autrefois, he upheld.

Hugh had said that he disagreed with the direction the Prosecution is taking, as his client ought not to be tried twice for the same offence under the principle of double jeopardy. Hearing both sides, the Magistrate had deliberated on the fact, that

she was at that point tasked with delivering a decision based on constitutional arguments.

The court said though it has noted the positions of both parties, there is no law that directs whether she should hand down a sentence or conduct a new trial in the matter. Singh had stated that Magistrates are creatures of statute and since both parties have brought arguments on the basis of the constitution, she has no jurisdiction.

In the circumstance, Magistrate Singh said she will seek the High Court’s advice on how to proceed. A motion will be filed by Magistrate Singh for the constitutional court to determine whether Hinds Jnr. should be sentenced or face a new trial.

She had promised that after she receives the advice of the High Court, she will inform on the way forward. At the time, the Magistrate had said that application will be made in the High Court the following week, seeking an order on the way forward. But weeks have passed since and no motion has been filed.

The Magistrate had set the matter to last Friday, stating that she is expecting a decision to be returned from

the High Court by then. No such thing has materialized.

Prior to the DPP position, Singh had last month said that since Hinds has previously been found guilty, a retrial will be to overturn or appeal the guilty verdict, which she has no authority to do.

Singh expressed readiness to go ahead and sentence the 34-year-old on the wounding charge.

Magistrate Chandan-Edmond had found Hinds guilty and was awaiting a probation report to sentence him. But the very day ChandanEdmond was expected to deliver her decision, the Probation Officer did not show and the former Magistrate was dismissed.

Subsequently, this matter was handed to Singh, even though recently reinstated Magistrate Alex Moore has taken up the mantle in Chandan-Edmond’s court.

Since, Chandan-Edmond had not handed down the sentence, the JSC had justified that another Magistrate can hand down her sentence. But ChandanEdmond’s decision was pending a probation report which she never had an opportunity to hear.

(Sunita Samaroo)

Page 12

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 30, 2015

Recovering stolen public assets…

APNU+AFC must prevent future exposure to corruption - Dr. Clive Thomas Dethroning the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) was just the first step towards creating the environment needed to significantly reduce the effects of corruption on the nation, says economist Dr. Clive Thomas.

Yesterday, the financial commentator said that the new administration, A Partnership for National Unity plus Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) must now seek to protect the society from future exposure to the corrosive effects of corruption.

Dr. Thomas said, “Voting out the PPP/C government does not, by itself, deconstruct the criminal state in Guyana... That is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for achieving this. Preventing future exposure of the new political rulership and public officials to the negative corrosive socio-economic effects of public corruption is a necessary complementary action.”

He said, too, “And above all, the elected democratic government must maintain a

-‘Ousting the PPP/C was just the first step’ pro-active political economy stance, by keeping the criminal cabal on its heels.

“Political soundings of the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) imminent closure and drumming up rice farmers cry for instant markets both imply massive impending demands on public spending.

This sets the stage for exploiting Guyana’s intrinsic political economy fragility and public resource diversion. Be warned.”

The economist emphasized that as the new administration pursues good governance initiatives, special attention must be given to recovering stolen public assets “which occurred during the 23-year rule of the PPP.” Dr. Thomas estimated that size of the pool of potentially stolen public funds derived from independent sources is quite large. It can range from $333 billion to $340 billion thus making even a modest recovery of some of this

worthwhile.

He said that corruption in Guyana, like elsewhere, is a major driver of income, wealth, inequality and poverty. With this in mind, he said the recovery of stolen public assets is a daunting endeavor and should not be undertaken lightly.

He said that it requires an enormous commitment of political will as well as industry on the part of those entrusted with this task. The economist said that the recovery initiative must be guided by four economic realities.

He said that any investment that Guyana makes in such an initiative is simultaneously an investment in recovery and prevention.

He opined that his proposed organizational steps therefore, create barriers/deterrents against future public corruption, as well as aids for the recovery of past stolen public assets.

Dr. Thomas said that

these proposals are indeed rooted in the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). The Convention states that “Corruption can be prosecuted after the fact, but first and foremost, it requires prevention”.

On that note, he reminded of the first organizational step spoken to in Friday’s edition of this newspaper. He had suggested the establishment of an anti- corruption body/ unit to pursue Guyana’s stolen public assets recovery.

In this regard, he elaborated that there are basically three models of these around the world.

These are multi-purpose bodies, which incorporate this as one of its tasks but have been criticized for lacking focus and political will. Then there are the specialist law-enforcement bodies, which have been criticized for lacking developmental focus. The last model is the independent bodies.

Dr. Thomas said that he would strongly recommend that Guyana utilizes the autonomous bodies along with reporting to the National Assembly to secure transparency, and incorporating special subcommittees, as needed.

The economist said that the legal structure however, must be clearly defined in domestic law. He said that local corruption laws, anticorruption procedures and practices must also be updated to conform to those stated by UNCAC, which is the premier international

instrument against corruption.

“I refer here particularly to legal definitions of corruption, including influence peddling, nepotism, and concealment and so on as well as whistle blower legislation and the organization and functioning of the Integrity Commission and Procurement Commission.

There would also be a need for the enactment of best practices, Codes of Conduct for public officials and Oaths of Office for Members of the National Assembly and Ministers,” he said.

Dr Thomas said that these provide for financial and other disclosures, disciplinary measures and processes as covered in the International Code of Conduct for Public Officials.

UNCAC, he reminded, requires countries to establish criminal and other offences to cover a wide range of acts of corruption, if these are not already crimes under domestic law.

Dr. Thomas said that the composition of this recovery body should reflect contemporary best-practices which would include investigative police/ criminal authorities; public service officials from Ministries like Home Affairs, Works, Legal Affairs, Finance; officials of regulatory agencies; private sector and community based organizations especially Transparency Institute, Human Rights, Bar Association, and Trade Union Congress.

Given the task before it, he said that the skills sets made available to this special recovery body has to be quite broad.

Dr. Thomas contended that a major problem facing this body would be sufficient

Economist, Dr. Clive Thomas resources to undertake its tasks. He said that it should be noted what UNCAC specifically declares about its stolen assets recovery initiative. “In a major breakthrough countries have agreed on assets recovery, which is stated explicitly as a fundamental principle of the Convention.”

Given that Guyana is a signatory to the Convention, the economist said that the new administration has four obligations to follow once it pursues the “Stolen Public Assets Recovery Programme.”

He said that these are prevention and criminalization of corruption, promotion of international cooperation, and improved support, technical assistance, and information exchange in both public and private sectors.

He said that technical assistance is provided under UNCAC, in terms of training, capacity building, and the provision of experts of all relevant types (legal, accounting, finance, forensic auditing, investigative, analytical, legal, and institutional framework design).

Saturday May 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 21

4,644 Permanent Visas issued to Guyanese last year Guyana continues to register thousands of green cards issuance. In 2014, the number of immigration visas issued to Guyana was 4,644.

This means that these Guyanese were granted permanent resident status and are now “green card” holders.

This figure was slightly lower than that of 2013 when 4,750 immigration visas were

issues. According to the fiscal year report for Guyana, 1,517 visas were issued to immediate relatives while 3,631 were under the Family Preference category.

Guyana had the third highest number of immigrants under the Family Preference category in all of South America—3,775, just behind Colombia with 3,838; and Ecuador 3,898. However,

these countries have notably higher populations; the population of Ecuador is 16 million while Colombia’s population is 49.4 million.

Further, employment preference and diversity immigrants were 11 and 26 respectively. No visas were issued for special immigrants.

Over the past five years, Guyana has registered no fewer than the 4,394 issued in

Best friend murder...

Lloyda ‘Renita’ Thomas laid to rest

A section of the gathering during the service

Family, friends and wellwishers gathered at Sandy’s Funeral Home yesterday to pay their last respects to the late Lloyda Thomas. Thomas was the woman who was stabbed and killed by her socalled best friend after an outing at a West Demerara location.

What was described as a “bitter sweet moment” for some, others found it very hard to accept the fact that their loved one has gone given the circumstances.

A funeral service started around 13:15 hrs with a welcome and opening prayer

by Pastor Chris Brehaspat.

There were the tributes that brought a flow of emotion. As the time came for the viewing of the body, persons pushed and shoved just to get a glimpse of the “beauty that was.”

One of the relatives of the deceased had a very hard time coming to grips with the grim reality. This relative asked, “Where are the nine people that were there? … Why isn’t anyone speaking about what really happened? I need to know how my sister really died.”

Lloyda Renita Thomas, of Sunflower Close, South Ruimveldt, was stabbed to the stomach and head around 23.30 hrs on May 21, last, allegedly during a spat over who should sit where in a taxi.

Thomas succumbed before her distraught attacker

and a taxi driver could take her to the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

The suspect, known as ‘Angie’, was treated at the same hospital after slashing one of her wrists. She was subsequently detained.

“She’s very sorry now.

She said that she was ‘high’ at the time,” a police source said.

Thomas is survived by a one-year-old daughter. Both women lived in the same apartment at South Ruimveldt. According to another resident, the friends, accompanied by a third woman and two children, left home at around 13.30 hrs on Thursday, after stating that they were going “to the pool over the river.”

On May 25, last, the

suspect appeared before Magistrate Christel Lambert, and was remanded to prison.

The teen is accused of stabbing 20-year-old Renita Thomas to death with a broken bottle on May 21, at Versailles, West Bank Demerara.

Williams’ Attorney, Peter Hugh, was unable to enter an appearance for the young woman since he arrived late for the court hearing.

Several family members and friends of the accused and deceased were present.

The murdered girl’s mother, Amanda Prince, sobbed loudly and had to be escorted to the holding area, and was thus prevented from sitting throughout the remand hearing. The matter was adjourned until June 1.

2012. The highest issuance of visas in the past half-decade was in 2010; then, 5,185 immigration visas were issued. Meanwhile, in 2011 a total of 4,934 visas were issued and in 2013 the number stood at 4,750.

In relation to the rest of the South American continent, Guyana has ranked consistently high in terms of issuances of visas. From 2010 through 2013, Guyana was the fourth highest country issued immigration visas. The nation was repeatedly topped by Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

However, in 2014, Guyana surpassed Peru by 495 visas.

Similarly, over the past five years Guyana has consistently ranked fourth in the Caribbean in terms of visa issuances. Guyana was topped by the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica.

However, the difference of

Guyana’s numbers in the Caribbean is much higher than the disparity in South America.

Guyana has long been identified as a country with high migration rates. During a recent interview, Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy, Bryan Hunt, opined that Guyana has a higher than average rate of migration when compared to its size.

This is in comparison with other countries of similar economic status and population.

Guyana’s population is just about 745,000 persons.

Hunt added that many of these figures represent applications filed 5 to 15 years ago.

Furthermore, Hunt said that these figures do not necessarily mean that those that have been granted visas have “wiped the Guyana dirt

from their feet”; many of them, he said, spent most of their time in Guyana and only travel to keep the green card alive.

With this, they are able to enjoy dual citizenship.

Meanwhile, there was also a marked increase in the number of non-immigrant visas issued. Last year, 17,284 non-immigrant visas were issued by the Guyana Embassy. In 2005 a total of 3,852 non- immigrant visas were issued. This number dropped to 2,570 in 2007.

Additionally, Guyanese retirees generally return home at the end of their working days in the United States.

According to Hunt, about 99% of Guyanese return home. He also said that there is a high rejection rate for the visitors’ visas.

Efforts are being made to collect figures for Britain, Canada and the Caribbean.

Page 22

Kaieteur News

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VEHICLE FOR SALE Toyota Prado, Price$4.4M Neg. Call: 643-2403 First Class Auto: 09 Allion, 05 Premio, 06 Allion, Bluebird, Rush, Spacio, Runx, IST, Carina 212, Verossa, Mark 2, Axio –Tel: 609-8188; 638-3045 1 Toyota Premio (PNN Series) in immaculate condition. Including: mag rims, HID lights, alarm. $2M negotiable- Call:679-9800 New model Allion: TV reverse camera, low mileage -$3,300,000 negotiable –Tel: 655-3400 One Toyota Allion 2004 Model & 1 new & unregistered Mazda Axela, excellent condition -Tel: 649-0956 2 Ford F350 2006 model, extended cab 4X4, 6" lift kit, 35" tyres, diesel, auto, excellent condition - Tel: 610-5370 1 Toyota Raum, Excellent condition - Contact: 680-1903 One tractor operator to work in Mahaicony River must know about rice work. Tel: 225-6571; 644-6905 V8 Titan (2005) KIA SPORTAGE 2003 - Call: 275-1230 Toyota AT212, good condition. Call: 652-5762, 6243686 04 BMW 318I (MYSTIC BLUE) M SPORT PRR 9445 , DVD DECK, REMOTE STARTALARM, REVERSE CAMERA -$3M. CONTACT FARAD: 619-4544

One 3 bedroom upper flat apartment for rental in 5th Avenue, Diamond H/Scheme E.B.D. Tel: 662-9335

One live in domestic to work in Mahaicony River. Tel:2256571; 644-6905 Receptionists, bar attendants (shift work), live in handyman, apply in person. Tel: 223-6284

Saturday May 30, 2015

D. Persaud Auto Deal 03 Toyota Premio $2.3M, 03 Toyota Allion & Spacio $2.1M Tel# 681-7117, 227-5950 Noah and Voxy Unregistered.

Call: 668-0000, 603-7900

FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.

Male Enhancement; 4 in each pack -$500 - Tel: 638-1627 Complete engine/ electric Lucas Mill - $1.2M. All mill spares and frame - Call: 693-5281 Attention Loggers!!! Anchor seal wood wax 18000 5-G, N.C sanding sealer $4500 1G, nail plates, metal straps Tel: 265-3541; 695-4785 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, motors, etc call:225-9032,647-2943 Great Deals on video games and all gaming consoles, PC games, phone games & applications - Call: 672-2566; 265-3232 Farm Produce: large quantity at wholesale price: cassava, plantain, etc –Call: 265-3586 Sale! Dell Computers complete from -$55,000 free educational software and games, Blackberry -$14,000 @ FutureTech: 231-2206 Fluffy, loving puppies - Tel: 645-0240 or 629-3814 One Mitsubishi Canter 3 tons long wheel base with hydraulic tail gate –Call: 699-7559 One accent Hyundai- Price $250,000 neg. Contact: 6100517 Cement mixer with diesel engine, this can mix approximately 10 bags at once – Call: 618-6577 1 Honda XR 125 Bike, In Excellent Condition -Call 225-8066

170 Carina PFF Series recently overhauled, needs some work, asking price $420,000 negotiable. Call: 667-7337

1- AT170 EFI car for parts, 1-AT170 Stick shift driving Tel: 677-5041

1 Toyota Prado & Toyota Hilux both in excellent condition, owner migrating – Call: 601-0053; 691-8079

One private school for rent on West Bank Demerara$130,000 monthly – Call: 643-0777

AT192 in good condition.

Price -$900,000 or nearest offer, owner leaving country.

Tel: 601-3574 Toyota Allex, Raum, BB, AT192, AT212, Premio, Hilux Pick up, RZ minibus & Pitbull, Nissan Blue Bird –Tel: 644-5096; 697-1453

2004 Honda 500 ATV 4X4 strong running engine for $400,000 negotiable. Call: 650-6178; 688-1202

1 212 Carina AC, CD, Mags with wood finish interior, PNN, never work hire, excellent condition -$1.150 – Call: 619-1047 Tractor Massey Ferguson from Canada: MF 135- $1.2M, MF 165 -$1.8M, MF 265 $2.1M, ranger pickup -$1.5M Tel: 682-5230, 628-9596

Rare and expensive stamps first day covers/post cards/ coins & paper moneyContact: 227-6817; 624-7341 Brand new 2 storey, 3 bedrooms building for sale in 5th Avenue, Diamond H/ Scheme E.B.D. Tel: 662-9335.

One two stroke 90 Yamaha outboard, one 14ft aluminum boat, one 25 Yamaha 4 stroke outboard – Contact: 601-1138 Continued on page 23

Saturday May 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Kuru Kururu Accident…

Richard Paramdeo while hospitalized

Motorcyclist faces four charges, pays $55,000 fine Travis Simeon, 24, on Thursday, appeared in the Providence Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Leron Daly, to answer to four charges, among them being an unlicensed driver, breach of Insurance, and two other charges. To these charges he pleaded guilty, and was ordered to pay a total fine of $55,000 on all four charges.

These charges were instituted after Simeon was involved in a motorcyclepedal cycle collision with Richard Paramdeo, 15, a few months ago in the Kuru Kururu cemetery area.

Paramdeo died just over a week ago at the Linden Hospital Complex.

Whether charges will be instituted for the accident and the death of Paramdeo are yet

Travis Simeon unknown, as the matter has been sent to the DPP for advice. Paramdeo’s parents Taramdeo Ramdat and Babita Ramdin are disappointed that the motorcyclist has not been charged. They were initially given the idea that his court

appearance was for that reason.

However, they are still clinging to the hope that they will get justice despite it is not clear who might have been at fault at the time of the accident.

On the day of the accident, Paramdeo was riding his cycle on his way home from school when he collided with Simeon who was riding his motorcycle, in the Kuru Kururu Cemetery area. He was rushed to the Guyana Defence Force’s medical centre in Timehri, then to the East Bank Regional Hospital and later transferred to the GPHC. Paramdeo suffered severe head injuries and was in an unconscious state from the time of his admission to the hospital, he never

From page 22

VACANCY Hire Car drivers to work with taxi service –Tel: 611-1018 or 622-0722 For a nursery and green house attendant: able bodied and experienced – Contact Eustace: 678-3859

regained consciousness.

Simeon suffered a broken jaw and internal bleeding. He went through a series of surgeries before he was discharged.

Simeon has expressed much remorse following the accident and has been cooperating with the authorities.

Cutter/straight stitch/ button tack/hole operators.

Call: 222-2541 (8:00am4:00pm Mon-Fri) Hostess, Porters, B a r t e n d e r s , Wa i t r e s s e s apply 16 Mudlot Kingston, Tel; 223-5274 Cashier, helpers & commission sales person, apply with written application @ Sachi General Store, 136 Regent Street – Tel: 227-2472

Letters... Where your views make the news

Organizing youth for leadership roles in...

From page 4 with support from the Youth Department.

It was nothing else but a waste of human resources to have Youth Officers who are mostly all holders of diplomas and/or degrees in social work, busying themselves with transporting and supervising the distribution of snacks at camps.

If young people are to have a voice and influence national decision-making, there needs to be in place a National Youth Council.

I noticed in your edition of 9th March 2015, photographs of Mr. Christopher Jones and Mr. Trevor Williams who are described as representatives of a “Guyana National Youth Council.” If I am correct these two young men are representatives of APNU and the AFC respectively. I have heard of no forum that was called at which young Guyanese elected these gentlemen as their representatives.

I urge President Granger to put an end to this type of useless farce. As a nation we have clowned around enough with the issue of youth development. For there to be an authentic National Youth Council, it is first necessary for there to be Regional Youth Councils. There should be representatives from 10 Regional Youth Councils, plus a representative from a Georgetown Youth Council.

Further, each Regional Youth Council should have representation at the level of their specific Regional Democratic Council. In the case of Georgetown, representation

should be at the level of the City Council. One remembers that Kwame McCoy was the youth representative at the Georgetown City Council again the young people of Georgetown never elected him to represent them.

It would be the responsibility of the government, through its Ministry with responsibility for youth, to provide office space for the National Youth Council and to provide finances for its functioning, for perhaps the first two years. The space offered should comfortably house two or three fulltime staffers.

Regional Administrations should have similar responsibilities to their Regional Youth Councils. After their initial two years, both the National Youth Council and the Regional Youth Councils should take responsibility for their own maintenance.

This could be done through assistance from the business committees, international organizations in the business of promoting youth development, and their own efforts.

The main duties of this National Youth Council should be suggesting polices to the government - by way of the ministry with responsibility for youth development.

It will also support Regional Youth Councils and interact with international agencies from which assistance could be had. The present Youth Department with the many qualified youth workers should be the main government agency offering assistance to both Regional and National Youth Councils on a

daily basis.

With the National Youth Council in place, as much as possible, Guyana’s representatives at international youth conferences should be chosen by that Council.

The practice of Ministers and Permanent Secretaries attending international youth conferences held in the developed world, while limiting young people to attending conferences in Caribbean territories, must end.

Two warnings: First, establishing the Regional Youth Councils will not be easy work, especially in regions like region 1, 8 and 9, and possibly 7 - if all the communities in Guyana are to be given a fair chance of representation.

I fear the new government’s promise to have the National Youth Council in place within its first hundred days will be difficult to realize. I would only hope the need to satisfy promises does not spur the government to be careless in this matter.

For example, calling a regional representative via telephone in a far-flung area of a region, requesting that he/she select a young person as that community’s youth representative, will not work.

All young persons living in a particular part of the region must have an opportunity to participate in the electing of his/her representative

on the Regional Youth Council. Arbitrary selection of a community’s representative, sending that person to the central office of the Regional Development Council to participate in elections leading to the creation of the Regional Youth Council, would not work. The Regional Democratic Councils comprise politicians; if the process and managing of same is left to them, one can expect the outcome to reflect their bias.

Secondly, between 1983 and 2006 I was likely involved in all major efforts at creating youth councils. A major hindrance to all of these efforts was the youth organs of both of the major political parties the PPP and the PNC. Neither showed much interest in being involved in the formation of youth councils once their parent party was not in power.

These two political youth groups had/have tremendous influence among other youth groups, and one got the distinct impression that they encouraged youth groups not to cooperate.

Since the PPP is not in power and seemingly set to not cooperate with the present government, we can expect the PYO to do its best to frustrate all attempts at establishing a National Youth Council.

Claudius Prince

Richard Paramdeo

Cashiers & supermarket helpers apply in person with written application at Nirva Supermarket @ 49, Sheriff & Craig Street C/ Ville –Tel: 227-5771 Customer Service Representative for food court apply in person to Dixielee, Lamaha Street.

CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE AUTO RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 2193900, EMAIL: PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM Aidan’s Car & Pickup rental, cheap rate, low security - Tel: 698-7807

Sales Clerk to work in a Bond send application to rtilak@adamantiumholdings. com Accounts Clerk must have CAT level 2/CXCMaths and Accounts apply rtilak@ adamantiumholdings.com One female clerk - Call: 2315171

PROPERTY FOR SALE Residential lots ad houses for sale at Eccles, E.B.D $7.5M. Tel:592-227-2913 or 689-3033

PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale, Grove $18M neg. Tel: 625-5461.

Two story concrete and wooden business pace located at 35 Ketley and Howes Street Georgetown.

Tel: 623-9679

Property at Covent Garden E.B.D, serious inquiries – Call: 265-3586

FOR SALE IN CENTRAL GEORGETOWN: SPACIOUS HOUSE IN DESIRABLE BEL-AIR, NEW HAVEN R E S I D E N T I A L NEIGHBORHOOD. CALL: 647-8851

Property at Kersaint Park LBI, price $13M negotiableContact:664-1865; 698-5713

1 Flat concrete house 20X38 feet, land space: 100X200 feet. Tel: 694-1090 or 6616073

Property at Leonora New Scheme –Tel: 678-9851

Property for sale or rental located in Eccles. Contact: 602-8703 Flat concrete house, 3 apartment’s good location, Friend Ship, East Bank$9.5M negotiable -Tel: 6618700; 671-2689

Page 24

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 30, 2015

Sustainability key for cleanup...

Miner dies in underwater cave-in The quest for gold in Guyana’s mineralrich interior has claimed the life of yet another miner. Thomas Anton, 64, of Kamarang, died around 11.45 hrs yesterday while diving at Quimenang River, Upper Mazaruni.

Investigations indicate that Anton was operating mining equipment under water, when he became trapped under a quantity of loose earth.

The body is at the Kamarang Hospital awaiting a post mortem examination.

Anton’s death comes just two weeks after

ten miners were buried alive in a pit at Mowasi Backdam, Essequibo.

There have also been several other mining mishaps this year and in 2014.

In March, 41-year-old Sandiford Edwin was killed when the wall of a pit collapsed on him at Puruni Backdam, Region Seven.

In October, 2014, Rusco Deally, 36, a miner of Westbury, Essequibo died after part of a huge tree fell on him at Issano, Middle Mazaruni. Three other men were seriously injured in the mishap.

Homemade quadcopters helping...

From page 16 drones. One of its earliest programs was to help KOFAVIVa Haitian women's organization-set up the island nation's first phone-based emergency response system dedicated to rape and sexual assault.

It enables victims to make free calls from their mobile phones to report assaults.

These calls are then logged in a database, and get connected to emergency care including medical, psychological, and legal support.

Jacobi, a 32-year-old from Indiana, founded the group in 2008. She found herself hooked on international issues after travelling to Cuba at 13 with a youth journalism programme.

“I've been interested in how to bridge gaps between people ever since,” she says.

“We try to help communities on the ground integrate technology into work they're already doing, whether it's around human rights or the environment, by connecting

them with people here in the U.S. at the cutting edge of technology and research.”

Though it's still a tiny outfit with an annual budget of around US$250,000, Digital Democracy has gained funding and recognition from the likes of the Clinton Global Initiative, the Knight Foundation, and Google.

But if it's proven anything, it's that with the right tools, it doesn't cost much to monitor 7 million acres of land. (www.takepart.com)

Crisis averted: Struggling GuySuCo...

From page 3 by former Education Minister, Shaik Baksh, has been under pressure to turn the fortunes around with little to show.

This year's first crop which ended recently saw GuySuCo falling short of the 86,000-plus tonnes it had set, by some 5,000 tonnes.

Its Skeldon factory, commissioned only five years ago, has failed to reach targets producing dismally again for the first crop, recording a mere half of the 17,000-plus tonnes that had been targeted.

GuySuCo's CEO himself had come out openly in support of the former PPP/C administration, mounting the platform as a candidate.

With the life of the Board

of Directors running out on June 30, insiders say that it is highly likely that an entirely new one with experienced faces will be appointed.

On Thursday, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, was scathing in condemnation of GuySuCo's performance saying that board should resign for its gross incompetence.

Reportedly sitting on the board are Baksh as Chairman; Dr. Dindyal Permaul, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA); Keith Burrowes, Executive Chairman, Board of Directors, Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest); Badri Persaud, Managing Director, Guyana Oil (Guyoil) and Geeta Singh-

Knight. Burrowes yesterday released a copy of a resignation letter he had sent to former President Donald Ramotar since last year- his resignation was supposed to be effective May 31, 2014.

Badri Persaud was also a candidate for the PPP/C during the last elections.

The former Opposition, APNU and AFC, which is now in Government, had accused the board of being made up of political “square pegs”.

GuySuCo, the country's largest single employer with over 16,000 workers, has consistently been in the red for a number of years, requiring annual bailouts.

It has also been selling cane-lands and properties to raise cash.

Firefighters were not afraid to get down and dirty yesterday during cleanup efforts conducted by the Guyana Fire Services From page 25 businesses approaching us.

The cleanup is nice and we welcome it but now we have to sit down and think about sustainability of this cleanup effort. The City Council is mandated by law to sustain the cleanup,” Narine said.

MASSIVE MOBILIZATION The mandate for yesterday’s cleanup efforts by the Fire Services seemed to be “go big or go home”; while about 100 firefighters were cleaning up by the Stabroek Market, hundreds more from across 13 other fire stations were simultaneously cleaning as well.

The idea was conceptualized by Deputy Chief Fire Officer Nigel Gravesande who presented the idea to his senior; in less than 48 hours, his concept became a reality.

According to Compton Sparman, Divisional Officer of Operations for the Guyana Fire Services, the project was a special one which had been spurred on by the desire to do more for Guyana.

“We looked at the country

Solid Waste Management Director with the City Council, Walter Narine and see other people cleaning up, we saw the arch renovations and so on and thought that we should be no different; we’re part of society. So we came together as firefighters with our energies and put it to cleaning up,” he said.

He further said that the cleanup efforts commenced at 9:00am and within a few hours they were able to see massive change. He said too that the response from the public in

The garbage collected yesterday by the Guyana Fire Services

such a short time was “immaculate and massive”.

“The people gave us kudos. Even vendors and drivers came out to help.

Ashmin’s provided us with bags without us asking; everyone just came on board.” However, he too believes that it is important that the efforts are maintained.

“We want to ensure that it’s maintained…it’s a collaborative effort to keep this place clean. We want to enhance our city; we want to bring this place from the Garbage City back to the Garden City and if everyone starts in a small way, eventually we can achieve this objective.”

He added that there won’t be need for much cleanup if the littering culture in Guyana is changed. The campaign they were running before was about pick up but I don’t believe in that. I believe that you shouldn’t throw down.

Once you don’t throw you can’t pick up! The campaign should be ‘don’t throw’; simple,” he said.

Saturday May 30, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 25

Sustainability key for cleanup efforts - Solid Waste Director …as fire service conducts massive execise

The Stabroek Market was a hub of activity yesterday as the Guyana Fire Services conducted massive cleanup exercises The cleanup spirit has gripped the entire city of Georgetown. Almost daily, a walk through popular parts of Georgetown would afford the sight of people cleaning up the streets, enthusiasm clearly evident.

Only yesterday, the Guyana Fire Services joined the growing list of entities that have selflessly given their time and energy to cleaning up huge piles of garbage.

However, though the efforts have been highly lauded, sustainability will be the next step in ensuring that Georgetown truly earns its title as “the Garden City”.

This is according to Solid Waste Management Director

with the City Council, Walter Narine. Hundreds of firefighters simultaneously conducted cleanup efforts across Guyana, Narine opined that maintaining their hard work is paramount.

Narine was present yesterday as about a hundred Georgetown firefighters took to the Stabroek Market Square to undertake a huge cleanup drive.

Narine explained that the City Council has recently been constantly approached by entities to conduct cleanup efforts.

“It’s not only the Fire Service that approached us; all over Guyana people want to clean up their communities,” he said.

Essequibo braces for floods Senior members of the Region Two Administration are cautioning residents and rice farmers, especially those residing in low-lying areas to move to higher ground. Three days of high intensity of rainfall is expected in the coming days, according to the weatherman.

Regional Chairman, Parmanand Persaud, said, yesterday, that he has been able to ascertain why the outfalls continue to be a problem. He is cautioning vulnerable residents to be careful and possibly, to move to higher ground in light of

possible flooding.

Meanwhile, rice farmers were ploughing their fields in preparation for the upcoming crop. One farmer who was accessing his plot of land which is under water, stated that he would be sowing on Sunday.

Reports of flooded rice lands, especially in low-lying areas on the Essequibo Coast have also been recorded. Last week residents of Queenstown Village complained of being inundated for two weeks. It was also reported that a number of pumps in the Region were not functioning.

He said that the Fire Service collaborated with the City Council and other businesses, such as BK International, to conduct the undertaking.

He added that the City Council provided machinery, tools and bags to help the effort. He estimated that in excess of 30 tonnes of waste were collected by the Fire Service yesterday alone.

“You feel light and different; this is a massive effort,” Narine said.

However, he said, it now comes down to the City Council to maintain the new appearances.

As part of this maintenance, Narine said that a designated crew will be stationed near the Stabroek Market to man the area and ensure that the clean up efforts do not go to waste.

Furthermore, clean up efforts are already scheduled for the next few days, he said.

He shared that Middle and Waterloo Streets will be cleaned today, with Swansea and Republic Bank on board,

Firefighters played an even bigger role yesterday when they turned out in their numbers to conduct cleanup efforts while tomorrow, the 704 Complex will do cleanup along Lamaha Street. These

efforts will follow cleanup efforts by other corporate entities including Gizmos and

Gadgets and John Lewis Styles. “So every day we have (Continued on page 24)

Soesdyke man charged with 2009 Albouystown murder After evading police for over five years, Steve Allicock, who was captured a few days ago in connection with the murder of Albouystown resident, Wendell Tappin appeared in court yesterday.

Allicock, 33, of Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, was not required to plead to murder after the charge was read to him by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

Particulars of the charge stated that on December 31, 2009 at Albouystown, he murdered Tappin.

The defendant who was unrepresented by an Attorney was ordered to return to court on June 17.

Twelve witnesses are slated to testify in the preliminary

Murder accused: Steve Allicock inquiry before Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Wendell Tappin, of 88 James Street, Albouystown,

was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital on December 31, 2009, where he was pronounced dead.

The man was allegedly killed during an altercation over a cell phone battery.

Back in 2010, two other men, Leonard Allicock and his brother Randolph Allicock, were charged with Tappin’s murder.

Randolph Allicock never appeared before a judge. After a lengthy High Court trial conducted by Justice Diana Insanally before a 12-member mixed jury, Leonard Allicock, was acquitted of murder.

The Police had issued a wanted bulletin for Steve Allicock in 2010 as they believed he was the prime suspect.

Page 26

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 30, 2015

Former administration alleged to have embezzled $3.5 billion from Panama PANAMA CITY, Panama — The latest calculation quoted in the unfolding corruption investigation in Panama is an educated estimate that the government of former president Ricardo Martinelli embezzled at least $3.5 billion from public funds.

This figure exceeds even the guesstimates previously appearing in local media.

Martinelli himself came into office on a purported reform platform and many Panamanians felt that, since their new president was himself a wealthy man, the chances of corruption were slim.

However, Martinelli is now believed to have illegally enriched himself by more than a billion dollars during his presidency, now being characterized as a kleptocracy by

Ricardo Martinelli anti-corruption prosecutors, who have charged many members of his former administration.

How far will the prosecutions go, and will there only

be true reform if those in the new reform government that are themselves guilty of past corruption are themselves turned out of office and arrested?

There are those who want the current president charged for his past dark deeds, and those Panamanians also want the entire Supreme Court of Justice removed for fixing cases for bribes.

Kenneth Rijock is a banking lawyer turned-career money launderer (10 years), turned-compliance officer specialising in enhanced due diligence, and a financial crime consultant who publishes a Financial Crime Blog.

The Laundry Man, his autobiography, was published in the UK on 5 July 2012.

(Caribbean News)

U.S. drops Cuba from list of state sponsors of terrorism HAVANA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States formally dropped Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism yesterday, an important step toward restoring diplomatic ties but one that will have limited effect on removing U.S. sanctions on the Communist-ruled island.

President Barack Obama had said on April 14 he would drop the former Cold War rival from the list, initiating a 45-day review period for Congress that expired yesterday.

Obama ordered a review of Cuba’s status on the terrorism list as part of a landmark policy shift on Dec. 17, when he and Cuban President Raul Castro announced they would seek to restore diplomatic relations that Washington severed in 1961, and work toward a broad normalization of ties.

Removal from the list is more symbolic than of practical significance.

It ends a prohibition on U.S. economic aid, a ban on U.S. arms exports, controls on “dual-use” items with military and civilian applications, and a requirement that the United States oppose loans to Cuba by international financial institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

But those bans remain in place under other, overlapping U.S. sanctions, since Cuba is still subject to a wider U.S. economic embargo that has been in place since the early 1960s.

“As a practical matter, most restrictions related to exports and foreign aid will

remain due to the comprehensive trade and arms embargo,” said a U.S. official on condition of anonymity.

The official said Cuba’s removal might make private companies and banks more open to doing authorized business with Cuba.

Cuba had cited its designation as a state terrorism sponsor as an obstacle to reestablishing diplomatic relations and upgrading their socalled interests sections in Havana and Washington into full-blown embassies.

The two sides have held four rounds of high-level negotiations since December and say they are closing in on a deal to reopen the embassies. The State Department must give the U.S. Congress a 15-day notice before opening an embassy.

Washington put Cuba on its terrorism blacklist in 1982, when Havana supported armed guerrilla movements in Latin America.

That support ended with the 1991 collapse of Cuba’s close trade and aid benefactor, the Soviet Union, but Cuba stayed on the U.S. list.

Only Iran, Syria and Sudan now remain on it.

December announcement

by Obama and Castro sought to end decades of animosity between the United States and Cuba that followed the 1959 Cuban Revolution, when rebels led by Fidel and Raul Castro toppled U.S.backed dictator Fulgencio Batista.

Relations soured quickly as Havana confiscated U.S. property and drew close to

Barack Obama the Soviet Union.

Flashpoints included a failed U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles in 1961 and the basing of Soviet missiles on the island, only 90 miles (145 km) south of Florida, that nearly triggered a nuclear war in 1962.

Obama, a Democrat, has asked the Republican-controlled Congress to lift the 53year-old U.S. economic embargo against Cuba, but the Republican leadership in Congress has resisted calls to remove what has been a pillar of U.S. foreign policy under nine previous presidents.

Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner and potential presidential candidate Jeb Bush criticized the White House’s removal of Cuba from the terrorism list, accusing it of making concessions without demanding that Havana improve its human rights.

Saturday May 30 , 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 27

The “gloves are off”…

Venezuela blocks Latin American ex-presidents from Warner promises to expose Trinidad prime minister seeing detained leaders

Bolivia’s former president Jorge Quiroga (R) speaks next to Colombia’s former president Andres Pastrana during a news conference in Caracas (REUTERS/MARCO BELLO) Venezuela blocked two former Latin American presidents yesterday from visiting opposition leaders jailed a year ago for their roles in deadly protests against the government of socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

Andres Pastrana of Colombia and Jorge Quiroga of Bolivia, both political conservatives, were not allowed to meet opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez and former mayor Daniel Ceballos.

“This is the second time they did not let us through ... but we will be here again,” Pastrana told reporters, referring to a prior visit in January when he attempted to see Lopez.

Lopez is being held in the Ramo Verde military prison outside Caracas, while Ceballos is in a civilian prison

in the central state of Guarico.

The presidents, in the company of family members, attempted to visit both sites.

“Once again, you are witnesses to the fact that Leopoldo Lopez has been kidnapped,” his wife, Lilian Tintori, said. “The order not to let us in came from above.

Lopez is on trial for inciting protests that sparked three months of violent demonstrations against Maduro during which 43 people died, and of being responsible for damages to government property.

Ceballos, who was mayor of the western city of San Cristobal near the border with Colombia, is accused of supporting street blockades and calling for violence during those same protests. His trial

is also continuing.

International rights groups and human rights organizations have called on Maduro to free politicians jailed on charges of trying to destabilize the country.

Maduro has responded that the country’s justice system is autonomous and that the people in question are criminals.

State ombudsman Tarek Saab said the former presidents were part of an “international campaign” and a “media war” against Venezuela.

“They have come to give our country human rights classes,” Saab said during a news conference. “No foreigner, even if they are an expresident, has the moral authority to carry out any (such) campaign.”

With no peace, Ukraine is beset by humanitarian risks: U.N. Ukraine’s flawed ceasefire has left pensioners, infants and women mired in a humanitarian crisis that could get rapidly better or rapidly worse, the U.N.’s top representative in the country said in an interview on Friday.

A Feb. 12 Minsk ceasefire agreement was “not really working”, with hundreds of shelling incidents every day, said Neal Walker, U.N. resident coordinator in Ukraine.

“Very clearly, you have a huge humanitarian risk if the conflict escalates,” Walker told Reuters. “We are ready if it happens. But at the same time, I would rather express

some pragmatic optimism that the Minsk process will yield results. But if it doesn’t, we have taken contingency measures.”

The violence has killed around 7,000 people, including 2,500 civilians, in the past year, and wounded 16,000. It has left 5 million people in need of humanitarian aid, driven 1.3 million from their homes, and created 800,000 refugees.

Ukraine’s defense minister said on Thursday Russia had moved forces into eastern Ukraine and there was a risk of fighting resuming in coming months.

The U.N. has received only 28 percent of the $316 million it needs for humanitarian aid this year. Full funding would help it reach further into non-government-controlled areas, where almost 2 million needy people are out of reach.

“This is a country, unlike many crisis countries, where there really is potential for people to pick up and continue with their lives,” Walker said. “The humanitarian situation could be addressed very quickly if we had a sustainable peace. But right now we need that humanitarian assistance.”

Trinidad Express - Declaring that the “gloves are off”, Jack Warner said Thursday night he intends to go after Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar and reveal all through a tape which he will give to four lawyers.

Warner was speaking for the first time since being released from prison at an Independent Liberal Party (ILP) cottage meeting in Endeavour, Chaguanas.

“I want to tell Kamla that as of tonight the gloves are off! Kamla having jailed me, as of tonight the gloves are off!” said Warner.

“Everything I have against Kamla I will bring it out. I have kept it back too long and I will bring it out...but not tonight,” he continued.

Warner said he feels his life is under threat and as such he has decided to make a video tape and give it to four lawyers—from the ILP, the People’s National Movement (PNM), the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) and his own private attorney.

Warner, a former FIFA Vice President , was taken to prison on Wednesday evening after appearing before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar in the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court following his surrender to Fraud Squad detectives earlier that day.

He is wanted in the United States on charges of fraud, racketeering and money laun-

Independent Liberal Party (ILP) supporters greet their leader Jack Warner at a meeting at the corner of Endeavour Road and Egypt Village, Chaguanas Thursday night. Warner came to the meeting fresh from the Frederick Street Prison after spending Wednesday night in the infirmary.

—Photo: STEPHEN DOOBAY dering in that country and Trinidad and Tobago while holding the position of vicepresident of FIFA. The indictment lists eight charges, but when Warner appeared before Ayers-Caesar, a total of 12 charges were read. The alleged offences occurred as far back as 1990.

He was released Thursday after supplying a proper deed to secure his $2.5 million bail.

Persad-Bissessar, when questioned by the media Thursday following the opening of the new Maloney Police Station, said she received no funding from Warner when she contested the United Na-

tional Congress (UNC) internal election in 2010. She also denied receiving money from Warner for the 2010 general election or the 2013 Tobago House of Assembly election.

“I will tell you something—she lie,” said Warner Thursday night in response to her comments. He said he will name all the contractors he and Persad-Bissessar went to.

Warner said in one case it was so “obscene” that he walked out and “Stacy (Roopnarine) walked in. All gloves are off, I remained silent for too long...they believe they could walk all over me,” said Warner.

ANSA McAL crosses $6bn in revenue Trinidad Guardian - The ANSA McAL Group of Companies achieved $802 million in profit after tax and for a second consecutive year crossed six billion in revenue, chairman and chief executive Norman Sabga told shareholders Thursday.

Giving highlights of the financial statements for the year ended December 31 2014, Sabga said the group’s total assets now exceed $13 billion and liquidity stood at $1.3 million.

At the group’s annual general meeting at Tatil Building, Port-of-Spain, Sabga said in response to a question about liquidity from a shareholder said the group was in an enviable position “where we have too much cash.”

Finance director Aneal Maharaj later explained the group’s cash surplus position: “Cash available is close to $1 billion and I exclude the publicly listed companies in the group. There is only one borrowing third party for the

Norman Sabga group and that is last year we did draw down on a US$20 million credit line and that remains in place today.”

Maharaj said the purpose of the credit line was to source US currently to pay overseas vendors on time. He said ANSA McAL is highly selective in how it spends the $1 billion in excess cash it has at hand. “Cash and surplus cash is not an issue. Being selective…yes we are selective in how we spend it.”

Sabga said while the

group’s financial services sector declined by 23 per cent, with local and international portfolios generating $97 million less than in the previous year, there were strong gains in the automotive, trading and distribution segments.

The sectors generating the highest gross revenue were manufacturing with $2.4 million and automotive, trading and distribution with $2.7 million.

During the meeting Sabga announced that the group of companies had been re-certified as an approved employer by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). He said Maharaj had been interviewed by ACCA international and featured on the front page of its magazine.

He said in the group’s annual report: “Our balance sheet has never been stronger but we are never complacent. We remind ourselves that adaptability, not just strength, is key to long term sustainability.

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Saturday May 30, 2015

Saturday May 30 , 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 29

Cornet through as French mount charge at Roland Garros PARIS (Reuters) Alize Cornet reached the fourth round at Roland Garros for the first time on Friday, hoping to lead a wave of Les Blues into the last 16 at their home tournament.

The French number one, the latest to feel the weight of home expectation after a 15year gap since Mary Pierce claimed the title, beat Croatia’s Mirjana LucicBaroni 4-6 6-3 7-5.

When Lucic-Baroni fired a return of service long on match point, 29th seed Cornet collapsed joyfully onto to her back as if celebrating the title itself.

She only has Kristina Mladenovic to share the burden in the women’s draw, but the French men are advancing en masse in a bid to reclaim La Coupe des Mousquetaires.

It has been in foreign hands since Yannick Noah’s 1983 title, but seven Frenchmen have reached the third round this year, only one short of the professional era record, and most of them were in action on Friday, day six of the tournament.

Richard Gasquet completed that group when he returned to court to finish off Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq after their second round match was tied at two sets all overnight.

Gasquet won the fifth set 6-1 in 32 minutes.

“It’s very good for French tennis,” Gasquet, the 20th seed whose best performance here is the fourth round, said.

“It’s a good pressure, of course it’s difficult because everybody is expecting a lot from us and we are putting a lot of pressure ourselves on

our shoulders.”

IVANOVIC TRHOUGH Later on Friday JoWilfried Tsonga takes on Spain’s Pablo Andujar, crowd-pleaser Gael Monfils plays Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas and Benoit Paire faces a tough task against fourthseeded Czech Tomas Berdych.

At least one Frenchman is guaranteed a spot in round four with 12th seed Gilles Simon playing compatriot Nicolas Mahut.

Defending women’s champion Maria Sharapova is back in action taking on Australian former runner-up Samantha Stosur in the standout match of the day on Court Phillipe Chatrier.

Before the Russian takes to the court, men’s second seed Roger Federer has a first career meeting with Bosnia’s

Saturday May 30, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You may end up in some arguments, Aries. Your nature is expansive and generous, but if others take advantage of this good nature, your mood quickly turns to anger and detachment.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You may be confused about asking for help, Taurus. Your usual resources could be occupied with issues and conflicts that have nothing to do with you. You may then offer to help others. .

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You're in the middle of a terrific yearly transition. You have a great deal of physical energy, Gemini. You have an action-oriented mind ready to tackle anything.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Try not to get too caught up in any potential conflicts brewing around you, Cancer.

Your job lies in calming things down and bringing a more practical perspective to the situation.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) This is a great time to move forward on a writing project, Leo. Any large, long-term project involving communication, film, or long-distance travel is begging you to take action.

Don't delay.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) This is an expansive time for you. You can make great progress on your goals, Virgo.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your engine is revved and ready, Libra. You have a full tank of gas. Unfortunately, you may feel like there's a large obstacle in your way.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) No one likes rejection, but no one likes rejection less than you, Scorpio. You may hesitate to take risks in the unknown.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Be flexible in your communication, Sagittarius, and doors will open to you that you didn't even know were there. There's a tremendous amount of physical energy at your disposal.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) You may be in a difficult position, Capricorn. You want to explode into a new way of life yet feel stuck. Perhaps you feel chained to your current routine.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Even though the two areas may be in a point of conflict, Aquarius, you have the ability to take the positive aspects from each and fuse them together to create something new or solve a problem.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Success will come to you when you work with the energies at hand. Go with the flow of the situation instead of trying to undermine or manipulate it.

Alize Cornet of France (Reuters/Jean-Paul Pelissier) Damir Dzhumhur — the only Bosnian man to contest a major.

Former champion Ana Ivanovic wasted little time

Richard Gasquet of France (Reuters/Pascal Rossignol)

reaching the last 16, hitting top form after two three-setters to thrash Croatian teenager Donna Vekic 6-0 6-3.

The Serb has not been be-

yond the fourth round since she won the title in 2008 and will have to beat ninth seed Ekaterina Makarova if she is to improve on that record.

Chase, Dowrich rescue...

(From page 35) Hazelwood to gully before he had scored to leave the home team on 5-1.

Tyrone Theophile looked positive and stroked a couple of boundaries but with the score on 13, Johnson severely hurt his chances of being added to the 12 named for the first Test in Dominica by playing across a pitched up delivery and was trapped LBW by Hazelwood for his second duck in the match. Hazelwood then sent Brooks packing for the third consecutive duck in the innings to leave the hosts wobbling on the ropes at 253.

When Theophile, who hit six fours in 26, was clean bowled by Peter Siddle the scoreboard read 41-4 but Royson Chase, who stroked 76 in the first innings and Wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, who made 78 in the first innings, joined for forces to stage ‘operation rebuild’ and

by Tea had taken their team to 89-4 with both batsmen on 25.

After Tea, Chase reached his second 50 of the match when he drove Fawad Ahmed to the extra cover boundary for his sixth four off his 96th ball. With his score on 55, Bajan Chase who also bowls off-spin retired, prompting speculation off a possible callup for the West Indies Test squad.

His partnership with

Dowrich was worth 100 runs and effectively batted the young West Indians out of danger. Dowrich soon brought up his second fifty in the contest when he rocked back and cut Ahmed behind point for his fifth boundary off his 122nd ball just before the close.

The contest was then

called off with Dowrich and Jason Mohamed (11*) at the crease.

Australia, who last toured the West Indies in 2012 when they won the three-Test series 2-0, plays the West Indies in a two-Test series from Wednesday in Dominica. The second and final Test is fixed for Jamaica.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday May 30, 2015

England FA chairman says World Cup boycott possible LONDON (Reuters) English FA chairman Greg Dyke said England would support a possible boycott of the 2018 World Cup if Sepp Blatter was re-elected president of FIFA. However, his Dutch counterpart Michael van Praag said his federation had never discussed a boycott. Dyke, speaking to BBC radio before Friday’s presidential vote in Zurich, said England would not go it alone but would consider joining a wider European boycott.

“If the whole of UEFA said that, and all of the countries were willing to do it I think that is right,” Dyke said.

“There is no point in one or two countries saying we are not going to take part because they will carry on with the tournament without them and that is then pretty unfair on the fans.

“But if UEFA as a group said ‘look unless we get this sorted we are not going to be in the World Cup’ then I think we would join them.”

Dyke’s comments followed a similarly veiled threat from UEFA president Michel Platini after the Frenchman revealed that he personally asked Blatter to stand down for the good of football.

Europe has overwhelmingly spoken out in favour of change and while Platini stopped short of saying a World Cup boycott was inevitable, he did say “all options were open” if Blatter retained power.

But Blatter has refused to withdraw from the ballot, saying he would stand for a fifth term and pledging to introduce reforms in the wake of the latest corruption allegations that have engulfed FIFA. “The events of this week

are significant,” Dyke said.

“Mr Blatter’s statement yesterday in which he basically said ‘look, leave it to me I will clean this up’, nobody is going to believe that.

“And I think that it is quite ominous for him when the attorney general in America says this is only the beginning not the end.”

Blatter is strongly favoured to win Friday’s vote against Jordanian Prince Ali bin Al Hussein but Dyke said change was now inevitable regardless of the outcome.

“I think the odds are still on him (Blatter) winning but they are nowhere near where they were. There has certainly been a shift during this week,” Dyke said.

“I think it is all over for Blatter anyway, I don’t think it matters if he wins or not.

“I hope he doesn’t win but if he does I think the events of this week have turned him into a diminished figure and I can’t see him lasting more than a year or two.”

Van Praag, who pulled out of the presidential race last week and put his support behind Prince Ali, played down the possibility of a boycott as he arrived at the FIFA Congress in Zurich.

“We never talked about pulling out of the World Cup, and we are part of UEFA and we agreed yesterday that if Sepp Blatter wins, we have a new situation,” he told reporters.

“We happen to come together in Berlin for the Champions League final (June 6) so that is good opportunity to sit and look at the new situation, it’s absolutely no use speculating on that.

“We can do a lot (without boycotting the World Cup).”

English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke attends the international friendly soccer match between Scotland and England at Celtic Park Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland November 18, 2014. (Reuters/Russell Cheyne)

Saturday May 30 , 2015

Kaieteur News

Latham and Ronchi lead New Zealand recovery

Luke Ronchi came out with a fine counter-attack, England v New Zealand, 2nd Investec Test, Headingley, 1st day, May 29, 2015 ©Getty Images LEEDS, England (Reuters) Tom Latham and Luke Ronchi lifted a New Zealand side bristling with attacking intent to 297 for eight at the close on a rain-disrupted first day of the second test against England at Headingley on Friday.

Latham made 84 and Ronchi a sublime 88 on his debut, the pair sharing a sixthwicket partnership of 120 to help their side recover from a dire start after losing the toss.

England’s James Anderson had Martin Guptill caught at slip by Ian Bell for nought in the third over to claim his 400th test wicket.

Two balls later Kane Williamson edged the fast bowler to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler to leave the touring side reeling before Latham

and Ross Taylor shared a fluent third-wicket partnership of 66 in between the showers.

Taylor was lbw to Stuart Broad for 20 but New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum made his intentions clear by smashing the same bowler over extra cover for six off the first ball he faced. Latham completed a classy fifty, including eight fours, while McCullum flayed six fours to get to the tea interval on 41 not out off 27 deliveries with New Zealand on 123 for three.

McCullum drove Ben Stokes’s first ball of the final session straight to Mark Wood at mid-off and BJ Watling was bowled by Wo o d f o r 1 4 , b r i n g i n g Ronchi to the crease on his test debut at the age

of 34.

Timing the ball sweetly, he raced to his fifty off 37 balls, reaching the milestone with a slog sweep for six.

Latham, meanwhile, was leading a charmed life and was dropped twice off successive balls as well as surviving a huge shout for lbw.

He was spilled again by England captain Alastair Cook off Broad and a vibrant sixth-wicket partnership moved past 100 off 127 balls.

Latham’s luck finally ran out when he edged Broad to Joe Root at slip with the total on 264 and Ronchi hooked Broad straight to Anderson at long leg.

Ronchi faced 70 balls, hitting three sixes and 13 fours in the second fastest fifty ever scored by a player on his test debut.

Tim Southee was well caught by Adam Lyth on the mid-wicket boundary off Wood for one but Mark Craig (16 not) and Matt Henry (14 not out) got through to the close unscathed.

The match started 2-1/2 hours late following heavy overnight rain.

England, building up for the Ashes at home, won the first test in the two-match series by 124 runs at Lord’s.

Scores: New Zealand 297 for 8 (Ronchi 88, Latham 84, Broad 3-83) v England.

Page 31

Smooth Federer ends Dzumhur’s dream day PARIS (Reuters) For Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur it was the day he had dreamed of while for Roger Federer it was just another day at the office.

The two, from vastly different tennis backgrounds, met across the net for the first time on Friday when Federer’s class told in a 6-4 6-3 6-2 win to continue his smooth progress at the French Open.

Federer, 33, is yet to drop a set in three rounds as he tries to win the title for a second time after his 2009 triumph.

Dzumhur, born in Sarajevo in 1992, the year the city was besieged in a bitter civil war that killed thousands, played his part in an entertaining contest.

The world number 88, the first Bosnian man to contest a grand slam at the 2014 Australian Open, impressed the 17-times grand slam champion with his drop shots and was not overawed on Court Phillipe Chatrier, the biggest stage he has played on.

“When I was warming up, I was still not believing that I was playing Roger Federer,” he told reporters.

“Really, it felt so strange for me, like I’m dreaming... But then, suddenly, I switched when I started to play.”

MAJESTIC FEDERER Federer broke serve in the fifth game, which was sufficient to bag the first set, and

Switzerland’s Roger Federer (Reuters/Jason Cairnduff) a majestic backhand pass gave him a break at the start of the second.

The agile Dzumhur stuck to his task, earned some chances himself and even broke Federer when the Swiss served for the second set at 5-2, flashing a stunning backhand down the line.

The end came quickly in the third set but Dzumhur walked off with his head held high and 85,000 euros ($93,364.00) richer, a lot of money for a player who has virtually no financial support from his hard-up home federation.

Federer had some kind words for his opponent after notching his 64th career victory at Roland Garros and recalled when he walked out on court to play against his idols.

“It was the most exciting time almost in my playing career, going from that phase from juniors to pros, and then rubbing shoulders with those guys,” said the former champion.

“Seeing them prepare, joke around, being one of you, basically, and all of a sudden you become friends with them. I think it’s very cool.

“I thought Damir played well. I think he played drop shots well. He moves well. So I thought it was an entertaining match. I wish him all the best for the year and for the future.”

Federer, who lost to Ernests Gulbis in the fourth round last year, will face either French showman Gael Monfils or Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas for a quarter-final place.

Ansa McAl/Stag Beer partners GFF for WCQ -Contract is performance based

By Franklin Wilson The cry for help by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Normalisation has been heard and acted upon in a lucrative way by Ansa McAl Trading through its Stag Beer brand.

Yesterday at the Company’s Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara, Headquarters, CEO Ms Beverly Harper, Finance Executive Mr Troy Cadogan and PRO Ms Darshnie Yussuf joined GFF General Secretary Richard Groden, Golden Jaguars Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz and Captain Christopher Nurse to announce the partnership between the two entities.

In announcing the partnership, Ms Harper said that her company was grateful for the opportunity to be on board with the Golden Jaguars, a great team which has had many challenges. ”We’ve been on board

many times, sometimes we are the last to get called but that’s ok, we don’t mind, we will always come to front whenever is needed. Our Golden Jaguars are very special to us.”

Ms Harper, a strong sports enthusiast, said that they are part of a Trinidadian group which is all over the Caribbean and the Guyana subsidiary has been around for 22 years and is not going anywhere. ”We are just as nationalistic as any other company, sometimes I feel even more so because I am always out in my colors.

I am hoping that the entire Guyana, just like they were out on Tuesday, I want the entire Guyana out there to lift these guys. They work hard, they’ve got 90 minutes and I know we can do this.”

The knowledgeable Harper said she is aware that St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Guyana’s opponent on June 10th (away) and 14th in Guyana

is a formidable unit. They have just won the 2015 Winward Islands tournament playing unbeaten against St. Lucia, Grenada and Dominica.

The overseas based players who have returned were welcomed by Harper along with the home based crew. ”All we can do is support them and I want every single Stag drinking crew out there to support.

We are here for you and I want everyone to come out and support this great team.

We are really happy to be on board and we’ll be on board every single time.

We are here for every single sport of a nationalistic nature.”

Head Coach Shabazz in his remarks informed that they have been in need for the past couple of months and is elated that Ansa McAl was now on board for the national team programme. ”At this point it is an important step because we find

in the Caribbean that the corporate world always waits until the ship is sailing smooth and everything is nice and it looks like we’re going to get to where we are going and then they come abroad in their droves.”

In this instance Jamaal said, he would have seen a company which decided to hold hands with the GFF to come on board when it’s needed most conscious that it takes a lot of money to run football.

He cited the high costs related to bringing back players that are playing in Canada, USA and other countries professionally; encampment of teams and travelling, takes a lot of resources. ”By Ansa Mc Al stepping up at the start, not at the middle or afterwards, it is saying something very profound.”

Shabazz called for corporate partnerships in sports noting that the team is representative of the nation.

”We do not just represent the GFF, we represent the whole of Guyana and the feeling that the country gets when football is doing well, and it transcends the whole nation. It is not a football team that comes out of the group and advances in world cup qualifying, it is a country.

And for a country to advance, all hands have to be put on deck,” Shabazz stated.

Captain Nurse in saying thanks on behalf of the players said that partnerships of this nature allows the players and coaching staff to elevate the standards and preparations in camp so the players can focus purely on performance and training. ”We promise as a team we are going to go against St. Vincent and give the best performance that we can to make our country proud and obviously to give back to the people who have given

to us.”

GFF GS Groden expressed gratitude on behalf the Normalisation Committee stating that they are very pleased with the swiftness of Ansa McAl and its timely intervention in answering their call for help. ”We needed the support and we thank you for coming forward at this time. There was lots of work done behind the scenes and I would like those persons who were instrumental in making this happen.”

Groden also thanked the players who have made tremendous sacrifices to come and represent Guyana while also complimenting the media for its support.

The company handed over a cheque for an undisclosed amount to the GFF and noted that the performance of the team would dictate how they move forward indicating that it can get even better.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday May 30, 2015

Sepp Blatter wins re-election as FIFA president

FIFA president Joseph S. Blatter, left, walks past Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, right, during the 65th FIFA Congress held at the Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday, May 29, 2015, where Blatter runs for re-election.

(Walter Bieri/Keystone via AP) ZURICH (AP) — Sepp Blatter was re-elected as FIFA president for a fifth term on Friday, chosen to lead world soccer despite separate U.S. and Swiss criminal investiga-

tions into corruption.

The 209 FIFA member federations gave the 79-year-old Blatter another four-year term after Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan conceded defeat

after losing 133-73 in the first round.

Prince Ali’s promise of a clean break from FIFA’s tarnished recent history was rejected despite the worst scandal in the organization’s 111year history.

“I like you, I like my job,” Blatter said to cheering voters. “I am not perfect, nobody is perfect, but we will do a good job together I am sure.”

The election went ahead Friday after U.S. and Swiss federal investigations struck at the heart of Blatter’s “football family” this week. Two FIFA vice presidents and a recently elected FIFA executive committee member were still in custody Friday as the votes were counted.

Still, soccer leaders worldwide stayed loyal to their embattled president of 17 years, even though Prince Ali pushed the election to a second round by getting a surprising 73 votes.

Before the second round started, Prince Ali stood before the congress and conceded.

“I want to thank all of you who were brave enough to support me,” said the prince, who previously spoke of a culture of intimidation at FIFA. “It’s been a wonderful journey in terms of knowing you, working with you.”

Blatter has blamed others for bringing shame and humiliation on the sport. In a pre-election address to voters on Friday, Blatter said it was “impossible” for him and

Aru climbs back up to second in Giro d’Italia

Astana rider Fabio Aru of Italy competes during the 147 Km ( 91 miles) 13th stage of the 98th Giro d’Italia (Tour of Italy) cycling race from Montecchio Maggiore to Iesolo, Italy, May 22, 2015. (Reuters/LaPresse/Fabio Ferrari) (Reuters) Italian Fabio Aru attacked in the final climb to win the 19th stage of the Giro d’Italia to reclaim second spot overall form his Astana

team mate Mikel Landa on Friday.

Aru, one of the pre-race favorites, slumped to third overall after cracking in a gru-

eling mountain stage on Tuesday, leaving Spaniard Landa to move up behind dominant leader Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo).

But on Friday, the 24year-old Aru jumped away from a group of favorites and Contador, sitting on a comfortable cushion two days before the finish in Milan, did not react.

Aru did not look back and beat Canadian Ryder Hesjedal (Cannondale-Garmin) and Colombian Rigoberto Uran (Etixx-Quick Step), who were second and third respectively, 28 seconds and one minute 10 off the pace.

Contador, who finished alongside Landa 1:18 behind, leads Aru by 4:37 and his compatriot by 5:15 ahead of Saturday’s last punishing mountain stage.

Contador is aiming for a first Giro/Tour de France double since the late Marco Pantani of Italy in 1998.

FIFA to “keep an eye” on everyone and be responsible for everything that happened in world soccer.

Blatter won despite calls for his resignation from UEFA president Michel Platini and others. Platini said Thursday that UEFA could pull out of FIFA and withdraw from the World Cup if Blatter was reelected.

FIFA’s big-money sponsors have also called for change within FIFA. Visa warned Thursday that it could pull out of its contract, which is worth at least $25 million a year through 2022.

In what appeared to be warning to UEFA, Blatter pledged to change the representation of his influential executive committee, where Europe currently has eight of 25 voting members.

Platini sat still and did not clap during Blatter’s post-victory speech.

Blatter also said he would retain a 32-team World Cup and resist expanding what is FIFA’s cash cow.

The defeated 39-year-old prince was a FIFA vice president for the past four years with a close-up view of Blatter’s previous scandal-hit mandate.

Blatter was re-elected unopposed in 2011 after promising to fight corruption and support key investigations of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests and a bribery scandal which removed his Qatari opponent from the presidential ballot.

Those probes were conducted in-house by FIFA’s own judicial bodies. The latest investigations promise

deeper trouble for FIFA with federal law enforcement agencies delving into soccer’s affairs.

Raids on FIFA’s favorite luxury downtown Zurich hotel and its own headquarters were launched early Wednesday by Swiss police.

Senior FIFA officials were among seven men arrested at the request of American federal prosecutors investigating bribery, money-laundering and wire fraud. The 2018 and 2022 World Cups — awarded to Russia and Qatar, respectively — are the focus of a separate Swiss federal probe of suspected financial wrongdoing.

Last November, Blatter and FIFA filed a criminal complaint with the Swiss attorney general’s office against nonSwiss nationals.

CPL announces Unibet as official betting partner Unibet also announced as sponsor of St. Lucia Zouks

Kingston, Jamaica: The Limacol Caribbean Premier League is delighted to confirm a partnership with Unibet, which will see the multi award-winning sportsbook become the Official Betting Partner of the CPL. The deal will also see Unibet become an official sponsor to the St. Lucia Zouks franchise, which includes international stars such as Kevin Pietersen and Ross Taylor, and inspirational captain, Darren Sammy.

As Official Betting Partner, Unibet will offer an unrivalled range of betting markets on the CPL, from superb in-play ball-by-ball betting, through to even betting on who will win the coin toss before the game.

There will also be fun bet types such as betting on the number of sixes in the CPL, the length of the longest six and even head-to-head bets on who will s c o r e m o r e runs between big hitters Chris Gayle and Kevin Pietersen.

The news demonstrates the continued growth of the

CPL, hailed as the ‘Biggest Party in Sport’, which continues to grow in prominence in its third year.

Unibet is one of the largest online gambling companies in the world, with over 10 million customers in over 100 countries. It is the chosen betting partner for a multitude of high profile sporting events, boasting former world number one ranked bowler, Graeme Swann, as an ambassador, and can now add the CPL to its roster.

Pete Russell, Chief Operating Officer, Limacol Caribbean Premier League, said: “CPL continues to go from strength to strength, and partnering with a renowned international brand like Unibet, with its strong cricketing credentials, speaks volumes for our growing reputation.

This collaboration will give our fans and our viewers at home even more ways to enjoy the excitement of what promises to be the most gripping CPL season yet.”

Unibet UK Country Manager, Phillip Manzi,

said: “We are passionate about Cricket at Unibet, and as The Biggest Party in Sport, the CPL perfectly m a t c h e s o u r f r i e n d l y, passionate and expert brand values.

As official betting partner, we look forward to providing CPL fans with a variety of exciting and innovative bet types while allowing people to bet live inplay, with ball-by-ball betting.

We are delighted to be involved and to ensure Unibet is THE place to go for all bets on the CPL 2015.”

Global superstars including Kevin Pietersen, Jacques Kallis and Shahid Afridi will join the Caribbean’s finest cricketers, like Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy, Kieron Pollard alongside Dwayne Bravo and exciting up-and-coming local talent.

Last year’s tournament attracted a global audience in excess of 65 million and this year is set to be even higher as fans across the world continue to be drawn to the high quality action on the pitch and the unique party atmosphere off it.