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Kaieteur News
Friday May 31, 2013
Friday May 31, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
The unfortunate saga of the translocated dog
DEAR EDITOR, It is with a mixture of vexation, frustration and sadness that we read of the American citizen blaming Guyanese authorities for his pet’s supposed (alleged?) disappearance at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport recently (see KN, Sunday
May 5, 2013). Firstly, let us document some inconsistencies and other considerations: (i) The obviously adult dog (garnered from the KN reportage) was described as a puppy. (ii) Initially, the animal’s age was given as 17 months;
later the animal was said to be two years old. (iii) The KN story says that “of course Mr. Benjamin, the dog’s owner, does not believe the officials’ story”. Why not, may we ask? (iv) The gentleman “made all the necessary arrangements,” Really? With
Whom? With the Airline, the primary interest of which is to sell tickets? With that same Airline which allows a dog to come on board, in the passenger cabin, irrespective of whether other passengers would suffer allergic reactions to the fur and other allergens emanating from the animal?
The plight of rape victims
DEAR EDITOR The failure of the Guyana Police Force/Service and the other authorities to provide assistance to a 14- year-old victim of rape is an example of the government’s failure to reform the police force to ensure that victims of sexual violence could get justice. It is ironic that the child born in the era of democracy just before the 47th Anniversary of Independence is told she cannot be helped because the systems are not in place. “No female police officer available” is often heard by many victims of sexual violence, and yet, the Guyana Police Force has done little to find solutions t o t h e dilemma. There is a great myth that the police need to be trained more. Actually one of the interesting things about much of the Guyana justice sector is that training is always there, but there is no accountability mechanism in place. The lack of leadership in providing the clear and consistent policy direction often results in many trained persons who leave the training room, not performing as necessary. The Disciplined Services Commission of Inquiry had heard submissions requesting the setting up of Special Victims Units - staffed
by police who were not only trained, but who also demonstrated the necessary qualities and interests required to deal with victims of sexual and intimate partner violence. There have been many excuses why these units have not been set up and so it is that the justice system continues to further abuse victims. Journalists might want to go find the two police ranks on duty at Turkeyen that Thursday night to hear their stories. Were they bored that night? What were their experiences of abuse as children? Do they know other children who survived rape and other forms of abuse? What solutions do they have to the ‘no female police officer ‘ problem? Do they think that children who are abused look
for it? Did they go through the training programmes which the government talks about every time they go to Geneva to defend their abysmal record on violence against children? What was the policewoman thinking about when she saw the 14year-old? What happened at the GPHC really? Is that policewoman herself a survivor of abuse or violence, or close to someone who is? Are these the same police who had to deal with the case against the Imam? Did these police have to deal with other cases involving big ones who rape children? Do they have faith in the justice system?
Do they understand why female officers have to go with the victims? Do they like the assumption that male police officers are considered potential rapists and therefore might pose further threat to victims of rape? Do they have children? What would they do if someone raped their children? Do they want, instead, for vigilante justice to happen against the rapist? Perhaps in answering these questions, we might get somewhere to understanding what needs to be done to ensure that children could have faith in the justice system. Vidyaratha Kissoon
(v) Delta knows very well what the procedures are for bringing a dog to Guyana and taking a dog from Guyana to the U S of A. This is not some fly-bynight airline. One cannot imagine them not explaining to the dog’s owner what the prerequisite documentation is. (vi) It is reported that these nebulous, undefined, “airport officials” informed the dog’s owner that the animal would have to be quarantined (presumably at the airport) until the Vaccination status of the animal could be ascertained. Really? Where, at the airport, is there a Quarantine Station? (vii)In other parts of world, any animal arriving without the requisite documentation will be euthanised on the spot –even if it belongs to an ambassador. Mr. Lawrence Van Sertima, the snake expert, could tell you about his experience in a similar situation. (viii) The owner says that the dog did not have “Rabies”. So, are we to understand that he knows about the incubation period of this Rabies virus; that he
is acquainted with matters Veterinary? Well, he should then know what the conditions associated with translocation of animals internationally are. (ix) The owner says that he did not give permission for his pet to be put down. Say what? He does not have to give permission. The “official” has the right to euthanize the animal – and then CREMATE it! We will not add to Mr. Benjamin’s misery by commenting on Mr. Benjamin’s wisdom in subjecting this fragile 10pound dog to the stressors of travel to and diseases and disease vectors in Guyana, when so many caring and well established “pet hotel” facilities abound in the USA. All this just does not make sense. But to blame the “officials” without carrying out an investigation is unacceptable and deleterious to the Veterinary profession. As to what he will tell his kids – well, he should ’fess up and tell his children that daddy made a big boo boo. Guyana Veterinary Association
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Kaieteur News
Friday May 31, 2013
Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
The police are no help at Charity DEAR EDITOR, I am writing to bring to your attention that the police at Charity in Region Two are shrinking their responsibility to enforce the law when it comes to dealing with the escalation of noise nuisance affecting me and many others just in the proximity of the police station there. Instead of prosecution being instituted to serve as a deterrent against the perpetrator (s) of the offence, only frivolous excuses are given by ranks whose conduct is indicative of a mockery to the justice system. From all appearances, this serious matter is being treated like a big joke to ranks who informed me that visits were made to the business premises but it was not possible to make contact with the D.J, the proprietor, or even the Manager, or Supervisor or
any other responsible person. This kind of balderdash will clearly convince anyone that no rank ever made any visit in keeping with his duty and I was being made a fool of in my quest for the law to be respected and for justice to prevail. Insult was a d d e d t o injury when contact was made with a corporal who related to me that the Supervising Officer in charge of the station was o u t o f t h e d i s t r i c t and because of him not being available, no action could be taken. Assuming there was a murder would it have been treated likewise? This kind of nonsense cannot be tolerated as it only helps to give protection to an illegality ever so much detrimental to the society. It is not only ludicrous but preposterous for the absence of the S/O to hinder the work
at the station when the concerns and interests of the public are at stake. Throughout the entire Monday from around 9am to 10:30pm the deafening sound was unbearable. It caused much discomfort to me, an aged businessman, and to members of my family as well as many other nearby residents. Making complaints to the police continue to be useless but one must ask from whom it would be possible to get protection? Only with the enforcement o f t h e l a w, t h i s n o i s e nuisance will be curbed once and for all. The police need to do their job in conformity with the law and in an efficient manner. During sittings of the magistrate’s court on Mondays, this nuisance does not exist. Surely the police can ensure that it remains so all the time. Giri Govind Nauth
DEAR EDITOR, It is commendable that the various garbage disposal services are helping to keep Guyana clean for a fee from the residents, but their services are not up to standard. I am appealing to the relevant authorities to address the following problems. It seems as if the owners believe that emptying the
residents’ garbage tanks is their only concern. They have no intention of giving back to the community nor do they care about the discomfort they leave the residents. I don’t know about other countries but all the garbage trucks in Guyana would leak smelly water that could impact someone’s health. Another issue is that in lots of villages, small dump
sites could be found. I don’t think that it would take much to clear these impromptu dump sites or to provide a truck to assist the residents in clearing the area. Once it is cleared, I am quite sure that residents from around will try to maintain that cleanliness because no o n e l i k e s unsightly mess. After being given the contract to provide tanks and to collect garbage from different villages, Puran Bros. Disposal services charged $160. This has been increased to $360 today. I am wondering if that was part of the agreement the company made with the Government when it applied for the contract. When the truck is traversing the village, the people working on the truck could be seen creating lots of noise and making it look as if it’s fun. What is annoying is that whenever they pass the Zeelugt Primary School the actions entertain of schoolchildren. This could be an invitation for the children to emulate these garbage cleaners and that could result to a deadly accident. I am again appealing to the relevant authorities to address the problems. Sahadeo Bates
It’s more than garbage collection
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
DEAR EDITOR, In the early 60s when there was the civil disturbance in Guyana a number of individuals relocated from far and wide to squat on the present piece of land referred to as Vryheid’s Lust North. Some time in the late 60s and early 70s the said area was surveyed and the land was parceled out into house lots, school compound and roads. It was realized that a number of legitimate squatters found themselves either in the school compound or on the road. Some of these persons quickly relocated their houses to identified available house lots. Some stayed until they were later forced to relocate by the Ministry of Housing. Some time in the mid 90s titles were granted to all who were living on house lots as identified on a certified plan that is kept by the Central Housing and Planning Authority. The main entrance to this area is a road referred to as the Montrose School road. On entering the road there is a portion of land to the left of the existing road, before the trench, which was identified on the plan as part of the road. This portion of land was occupied by two families. The first, during regularization, was given a house lot out of the area and relocated leaving a shack standing on the spot. This shack was dismantled some time mid last year and the land
is now taken over by a bar commonly known as “Container Bar” even though the Neighborhood Democratic Council has put up a big sign to prevent individuals from utilizing the land. For whatever reasons, the NDC seems not to care that its sign is ignored and the land is now occupied. The second family is still living on the land identified as road e v e n t h o ugh they were encouraged to approach the CH&PA during regularization to be allocated a house lot. UnfortunatelytheNDC,theCH&PA and the Ministry of Housing seem to be powerless to have this family to relocate so that development of the area can take place. Just after the trench there is a stretch of land on the left of the existing road. During squatting this land was occupied by a family, who after the survey, relocated to an identified house lot. This area was left vacant until the mid-2000 when a shack was constructed on the southern half of the land, by a member of the Community Development Group for his daughter. This matter was reported to the NDC and the Ministry of Housing. After some action by the Ministry of Housing the matter died a natural death and nothing was done to the defaulters. The member of the CDC subsequently sold his house lot in the area, that he
bought from the CH&PA during regularization, and started squatting in the shack. He died about two years ago. Some time last year a lady started to fill up the northern half of the vacant area but was stopped by the NCD since it was said that that portion of land was the government reserve. A few weeks ago the lady who owned this shack started a concrete structure. The matter was reported to the NDC but they said that they cannot do anything since the matter is a very sensitive one because the woman is the sister of the Chairman of the NDC. It should be noted that this woman was already allocated a house lot at La Parfaite Harmonie. The matter was then reported to the Secretary of the DREO and on following a few days later was told that she did not get the time to tell the DREO. It is so unfair that one set of individuals, because they own a bar and can pay their way out, is allowed to occupy the Government reserve and another set of individuals, because they are related to the Chairman of the NDC, can construct on the Government reserve, but the woman who has no connections and no money to offer, was prevented from building even though she paid to get earth to fill the reserve. Concern Residents of Vryheid’s Lust North
Please not Del Conte
DEAR EDITOR, For the second time I noticed that the government is talking about reviving or reopening the Del Conte Road. It is clear that the government is saturated with its own propaganda, and also confident that all of us have short memories. The so called Del Conte Road was the source of a major scandal in our country, as a result of the PPP Government 1961 - 1964, contracting a Venezuelan firm, Grupa Del Conte, to build a road in the Essequibo. Recall the firm was believed to have certain ideological links – also at a time when Venezuela still had claims to a part of the Essequibo Region. Large sums were paid from state coffers, and not one square yard of road was built. The then opposition exposed this apparent corrupt transaction at home and abroad. One would have thought that this PPP Government, Ministers and officials, would be aware of this disgraceful episode, and not even mention the name Del Conte. In reference to the road they should have simply identified where it should
begin and where it should end. They should also educate the population as to what communities it would link and benefit. I can only assume that some of the Ministers who were either infants or not born at that time have no knowledge of the Del Conte Road saga. If I were them, from
the President right down, I would avoid using the term Del Conte. The operatives at NCN and GINA should do some research. I would like to hear what advice they would offer. Why the President fails to seek advice from some old hands is a serious weakness. Uhlan Leander
Insufficient thought... From page 4 scholarships tenable at overseas universities for postgraduate studies. A nation is made up of numerous communities. In the same way “a chain is as strong as its weakest link”, it would be impossible to have a modern and developed nation if some communities remain in a primitive condition, underserved, and underdeveloped. Schools play a vital role in the development of their communities as their students interact with other community members, and perform various forms of community service and volunteerism at school, and in the wider community. Attitudes that demonstrate caring, willingness to cooperate, unselfishness, and
civic mindedness need to be encouraged, given due recognition, and be rewarded. Volunteerism and community service that contribute to school, and community development in our Cooperative Republic are important criteria that must be considered in the award scholarships. In the building of this nation, education must not only serve the needs of individuals, but the needs of society as well. There are other criteria in addition to academic excellence that need to be considered when making scholarship awards. A t the end of the education process it is the character of future Guyanese citizens that is most important. Clarence O. Perry
Friday May 31, 2013
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Kaieteur News
Friday May 31, 2013
Friday May 31, 2013
If you are establishing a business, you need to ensure that adequate arrangements are made for customer parking; otherwise your building plans will not be approved. This is more or less what potential business owners were warned many years ago. Despite this warning, major businesses have been popping up without making any provision for customer parking, apart from the parapets in front of their buildings. It therefore needs to be asked: Whatever happened to the threat that building permits were going to be denied unless provision was made for customer parking? Huge buildings have been erected around the city of
Kaieteur News
Georgetown. In some cases, these buildings are multistoreyed. Yet not even the ground floor of these miniskyscrapers is reserved for customer parking. It is truly amazing that hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent constructing these structures, yet very little provision is made to purchase some adjoining lot to provide for customer parking. The result is obvious. Parking is a major bugbear. Adding to this problem is the fact that some businesses are reserving the limited parking in front of their buildings for themselves. Some of them are erecting their own no parking signs, often mounted on stands. These signs are placed in front of their businesses. They prevent
public parking, except of course when the boss arrives in which case the sign is quickly moved to accommodate the boss’ vehicle. There are some businesses which recognize the value of customer parking. They have made arrangements for this by securing adjoining lots and converting these lots into parking bays. But by far, too many businesses are being erected in Georgetown with absolutely no provision being made for parking. Recently, it was reported that the reserve opposite Lamaha Street, the one that separates Alberttown from Thomas Lands, is going to be used as a temporary parking lot for certain businesses. It
Cricketer charged with Orange Walk murder
Carlyle Barton (left) being escorted from the court A 23-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a friend of his on Orange Walk, Bourda, appeared yesterday before Magistrate Sueanna Lovell at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where the indictable charge of murder was read to him. It is alleged that on May 27, last, Carlyle Barton, a wellknown cricketer, murdered 41-year-old Shawn Nelson.
The details of the police reports were not revealed in open court. Attorney at law, Mark Waldron represented the defendant. Waldron first stated that Barton has a fixed place of abode at 39 Hadfield Street, Georgetown. The lawyer then advanced that due to the facts that all statements were filed and all investigations were
completed, he asked that an early date be fixed for trial. Prosecutor Bharat Mangru then stated that investigations are still ongoing but agreed with the lawyer’s application for an early trial date. Barton was remanded as Magistrate Lovell added that the matter will be transferred to the Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry’s court on June 7 for report and fixture.
was reported that temporary permits were granted to some businesses to make use of this area for customer parking. A number of questions arise. How temporary is temporary? And how come permission was granted for the structures, in which these businesses are housed, to be built without any provision for customer parking. This seems to be a case of closing the door after the horse bolts. Before permission was granted for the new businesses to be constructed and/or located in that particular area, it should have been ascertained where the customer parking would be located. There is also a huge structure going up not far away on Vlissengen Road and the canal along that public road has been reinforced. The question to be asked is whether parking is going to be allowed over that main canal and if so, whether this arrangement will also be temporary. It will be unfair to ask a business person who has invested millions into a property to not operate until customer parking is arranged. It would have been much better if before the person went ahead and spent those millions, those involved in approving the business plans had satisfied themselves about the availability of customer parking.
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There are a few lessons to be learnt from all of this. The first is that Georgetown is becoming overcrowded with businesses and there needs to be a moratorium on the opening of new businesses. The second is that there also needs to a return to zoning. Alberttown and Queenstown were always predominantly residential areas. Businesses have started to crop up all over these wards, and this is presenting problems for existing homeowners, some of whom cannot, at times, even access their own
residences, because someone is parking in their gap. Thirdly, there is need to insist that for businesses of a certain size, unless customer parking is provided, no permission will be granted for the construction or operation of the business. Unless this sort of regulation is enforced, further chaos will result, and the task of restoring Georgetown will become impossible.
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Kaieteur News
Friday May 31, 2013
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Cocaine, money laundering and politics in Guyana Here is the most graphic fact that no international expert on drug trafficking can ignore about Guyana. Not one, I repeat, not one of the super-rich traffickers has been charged much less pass through a court trial. Not one, I repeat not even one of the most conspicuous moneylaunderers has even been charged, much less face a court hearing. Contrast this lack of action on the drug front with the following facts. Dozens of persons are either on remand or in jail for incest; dozens of persons are either on remand or in jail for domestic abuse. Citizens in this country get hauled before the courts for all kinds of criminal violations, but the washers of money and the cocaine
owners remain untouched. Is there an explanation? Yes, and it is a simple one. People in Guyana get prosecuted for a silly, unimportant thing like crossdressing but somehow the law misses out on the drug lords and the washing machine owners who launder money. Even the importation of squibs gets more police attention. Last year Christmas, KN sports journalist Rawle Welch and I were in Charlestown heading toward KN offices when we saw a huge commotion in the street. A semi-homeless guy had sold squibs to an undercover policeman. So why are the washers of money and the cocaine traders untouchable? Because politics is the
intersection. The drug lords have powerful political connections, and the police are fully conscious that the untouchables must not be touched. It looks like the Americans are finally awakened from sleeping in that large edifice on Young Street opposite the seawall. The American reticence on drug trafficking in Guyana has caused widespread consternation among political observers. How could the Americans be so blind to the political angles? It had to be the sea breeze that has induced sleep over the past ten years. The American Ambassador told the media that even if Guyana is given an extension to comply with money-laundering
operations by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force at their meeting in Nicaragua, there still may be sanctions against Guyana, because there has been no successful prosecution of money launderers. The Ambassador must be saying to himself; “God, not even one.” One of the most barefaced aspects of governmental inaction against the cocaine business in this country is the acceptance by the political authorities and the police of targeting the couriers rather than the bosses. The couriers plead guilty and out of fear for their lives, they endure their four-year incarceration. Research would show many of these messengers are ordinary folks without any kind of wealth.
Region Four RDC wants REO dismissed Region Four Democratic Council (RDC) has written to Minister of Local Government, Ganga Persaud seeking the dismissal of the Regional Executive Officer (REO) because of his failure or refusal to carry out decisions and orders of the Council. According to Clement Corlette, Region Four Chairman during an interview with the media yesterday, this decision was taken at a recent Statutory Meeting. Even though, the Council no longer has confidence in the Government-appointed REO, the final decision to dismiss the official lies with Persaud. However, the Council hopes that the Minister would comply with their request in the interest of the Region’s development. A copy of the minutes of
Region Four Chairman, Clement Corlette the Statutory Meeting stated, “…Deolall Rooplall as the Clerk/ Regional Executive Officer has over the period February 3, 2012 to now repeatedly omitted/ refused to carry out decisions of the
Regional body threatens... (From page 3) better record-keeping of financial transactions by money transfer agencies, banks, cambios and other financial institutions, to flag suspicious activities. It will also strengthen the capacity of countries to prosecute and even seize assets that are proceeds of illegal activities, including drugs and arms smug-
gling. CFATF and other similar agencies believe that by targeting the money trail, it would hamper drug trafficking and other illegal activities. Guyana has not made any notable arrests for money laundering or seen any major seizures of assets that came from money laundering activities.
Council much to the disapproval of the Council which was made known to him at a Special Regional Democratic Council meeting on 11th February 2013.” Highlighting several instances where the REO did not carry out instructions, Corlette said that the REO failed to account to the RDC for over $126M in savings on a 2012 approved work plan. “And refusal to provide details on what the savings were eventually used for,” Corlette said. He added that in 2012 the Council was given money to purchase two vehicles. The REO was tasked with purchasing the vehicles. Instead of registering it under the RDC, it was registered under the Ministry of Local Government. According to Corlette, in response to this act, Deolall said he needed a letter to have tax waivers for the vehicles and so he approached the Ministry for assistance, hence the status of the registration. The Chairman said that such a letter could have been
uplifted from the Council. This transaction puts the Council in an embarrassing spot to answer for its parliamentary allocation of funds. Corlette said the REO was requested to rectify the situation. In addition, the REO would have to answer to the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly, how the money was expended. Another matter of contention is the persistent failure to submit a plan to repair broken school furniture outstanding since May 2012. Corlette stated that there were many pieces of furniture in a school that needed to be repaired. The RDC had decided to give the project to one of the Technical Institutes and the REO was informed. However, the REO gave the project to a contractor, without the RDC’s knowledge. The Chairman also accused the REO of suppressing officers who are in charge of different departments. (Keeran Danny)
AFC will not de-link... (From page 3) not simply to reform the law to deal with the burgeoning financial underworld, but on enforcing the law, protecting legitimate businesses and safeguarding the state’s revenue stream. For a start, he said, there is the need to know how many transactions the FIU has undertaken, and whether or not there has been progress in identifying possible sources of contaminated cash. He further noted that recently it was unearthed in Trinidad that money launderers and drug traffickers were
renting the bank accounts from straw persons, who would sell their banking identity documents. The ‘tenants’ reportedly cleaned large sums of money which, in turn, were wired to safe havens overseas. Nagamootoo questioned whether the FIU could tell the nation if the process of establishing multiple proof of identity of account holders has been completed, so that financial institutions could have a firewall that could insulate them from infiltration by phantom customers.
This columnist and another media colleague did an investigation into the assets of some of these messengers. One of the persons we looked at was the employee of Mr. Gerry Gouveia. After he was charged, Mr. Gouveia set up a committee to investigate how his employee managed to avoid detection by his company’s mechanism. A lawyer told me that Mr. Gouveia was being flippant and funny when he chose a very young lawyer with no experience to head the inquiry. The attorney told me the young man was chosen because of his name only – James Bond. I was laughing my head off. I did a column on the issue after Mr. Gouveia’s employee was arrested and the committee of Bond and a funny gentleman named Roshan Khan was set up. And though I wrote that the composition of the committee was unusual, it never occurred to me that Gouveia may have indeed been cynical in that he chose Bond because he is named after the world’s most admired and successful secret agents. My research showed that almost ninety-nine percent of the couriers are poor guys trying to make a buck or two. One of them said that he had
Frederick Kissoon financial problems in the home. There has been no effort to provide “safe houses” for these small fishes, so the sharks can be netted. So you take your jail, while your super-rich boss stays in the trade, and continues to do his laundry business all over Guyana. And of course, certain politicians visit the laundries often, but if you examine the parcels they are leaving with they contain paper not clothes. A few months ago, I published a KN column captioned. “The American Embassy in Guyana is not doing its work.” Has it finally come to the reality that the Government of Guyana is not going to move against the drug traffickers and money launderers because these two venalities intersect with power and politics in a confluence of staggering illegal wealth, where the mansions and swimming pools make you think Guyana is a post-modern industrialized global giant?
Dem boys seh...
Check de money trail Old people got a saying, “Never grudge a man fuh wha he got.” Of course, Guyana got people who got so much that dem can’t even count. But don’t ask how dem get so much because you might faint. Dem boys know that what is one man luck could be poison fuh de other person. De other day dem boys hear a man talking bout some of he friends who get rich. But de man was smart. He know that people was looking at he when he start to build he house suh he do everything to mek de people believe that he more clean than rain water. He refuse to collect he salary fuh a whole year. That mean that he didn’t eat or buy clothes or anything fuh a year. It had to be that de office was providing everything, from food to clothes. De only thing is that this man was not buying Chinee food when he was in he office at Ohh Pee. Of course, people use to send freeness. One big restaurant would send food all de time and then he had friends who use to invite he out. When he get fed up wid that he use to jump pun a plane at de expense of de poor taxpayer and eat in all dem hotel he go to. But people ain’t stupid. Dem count he money wha he didn’t collect fuh a whole year and it still couldn’t build de first house he had. Bush got ears. A man get drunk and he talk how he had a briefcase full of US dollars fuh a “big one.” Wid that kind of collection people didn’t have to spend dem salary. De man in he drunken state even talk wheh de money come from. Is people fuh guess wheh it come from, especially since de man didn’t deal in cars and shoes and things like that. All de money deh in Guyana. And dem boys seh that Obama does pay he taxes and declare how much tax he pay. Dem still waiting fuh de same thing happen in Guyana. Talk half and wait fuh de bombshell.
Friday May 31, 2013
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Procurement symposium… Parents, educators to be sensitised on importance of arts and sports Private sector urges better-worded There is a dire need for parents as well as educators to be sensitised in order to recognise the value of experiences in the arts and sports. This state of affairs, was amplified by Officer charged with the Directorate of Human and Social Development at Caricom, Ms Myrna Bernard, during the opening ceremony of the 24th Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) meeting at the Pegasus Hotel last week. She disclosed that at a technical meeting of education and culture that preceded the COHSOD meeting, the call for sensitisation was made. This move, she noted, was seen as not only important for the development of children in the specific areas, but also to enable “contribution of these multiple intelligences to performance in the traditional academic areas.” The joint engagement, according to Ms Bernard, particularly provided for a rich exchange of ideas and perspectives on how the two sectors (culture and education) could work together to realise not only the specific objectives of the cultural industry strategy but also the more holistic development of the ideal Caribbean citizen. It was recognised, for example, that in some Member States, the de facto curricula in primary and secondary schools increasingly focus on purely academic areas. This, Bernard highlighted, has been to the detriment of other areas of development such as physical education and sports, music and drama. It was therefore deduced that “this situation is one being fuelled, among other things, by the orientation and messages sent through our assessment systems”. Bernard also stressed the
- Caricom official
Caricom’s Myrna Bernard need for sensitisation. Of note during the technical deliberations was the move by representatives of Guyana to share experiences with regard to the “preliminary, positive and palpable results from an experiment in the use of art to address discipline challenges in one school,” according to Bernard. Moreover, the agenda for the recent COHSOD forum was designed in order to focus particular attention on the strategy and action plan for the cultural industry and the role of appropriate resource development from the earliest stages. In fact, the call for such attention was emphasised at the 22nd COHSOD which had focused on Culture, Youth and Sport. According to Bernard, that COHSOD meeting had first considered the cultural industry’s strategy and recognised the need for joint consideration focus to the development of new skills sets, if education at all levels is to be relevant to personal development and to the new skills sets required for innovation and competitiveness. The 24th COHSOD meeting was therefore aimed at directing attention to some of the specific challenges
which, Bernard said, “are now plaguing and diminishing our efforts at human resources development. I refer here in particular to the issue of escalating violence in schools and those issues also relating to health and development such as the changing epidemiology of childhood obesity, also issues such as teenage pregnancy.” And though intended to focus primarily on issues of education and culture, the recently concluded COHSOD meeting was geared at continuing to highlight the importance of integrated strategies encompassing all sectors. This, Bernard noted, comes even “as we grapple with ensuring that our education and culture systems play their roles in the creativity and innovation that is a major imperative for the development of our Region.” The meeting also served to highlight the value of continued functional cooperation among Member States as a viable means of addressing the collective human development agenda. It was noted by Bernard that Member States have been active participants in this process even contributing to the technical expertise of their officials in the development of regional public goods to facilitate the implementation of solutions. This collaboration she described as “a fine example of regional integration at work.” According to Bernard, the regional social and development agenda is one which is shared and greatly facilitated by “our development partners and relevant institutions working along with Members States and the (Caricom) Secretariat.”
contracts to ensure work quality
Contractors and other stakeholders at the symposium yesterday. The private sector yesterday called for stronger government procurement contracts to ensure that Guyana gets its money’s worth on projects. The proposition was made yesterday by Ramesh Dookhoo, former Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), during the annual Procurement Symposium at the Guyana International Convention Centre. According to the business executive, one of the ways that contracts can be better protected would be for it to be improved in wording. He suggested that there is a need for trained contract writers whose work will ultimately lead to improvements on what is being delivered by contractors. With government and opposition at war over the quality of work from contractors and the entire procurement system, there have criticisms that contractors involved in infrastructural works have been “getting away with murder” as there are not enough safeguards for the
Fisherman stabbed to death A 37-year-old fisherman died yesterday after being stabbed several times about the body at the Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara (WBD) koker following a confrontation with another fisherman . Leroy Khan of 79 Barkley Street, Goed Fortuin, WBD, was pronounced dead at the West Demerara Regional Hospital shortly after being attacked at around 17:00hrs. Reports disclosed that Khan was stabbed in the region of the heart and slashed about the body. The alleged assailant called “Baby” was taken into
- assailant in police custody police custody. Relatives disclosed that the fisherman worked daily with a small fishing boat at the Goed Fortuin koker where he would spend most of his time, and was not known to have any enemies. According to his mother, Jasma t t i e H a z r a t , s h e received a call minutes after returning home from work. “When I get the call I rush down to the koker and I see dem lifting he and putting he in a vehicle to take he to the
hospital. When I reach the hospital the doctor told me he
was dead,” she lamented. “The person who stab he up is in the lock up. My son was not a trouble maker,” the woman said.
client - in this case the government. Kokers and bridges collapsing and badly constructed roads are among the many examples. There have also been accusations of contractors collaborating with the government supervisors to cut corners in some cases. Ultimately, it was the taxpayers who lost out. According to the Ministry of Finance, the symposium was aimed at providing information about procurement, its laws, regulations and procedures. Dookhoo said that government contracts account for 20% of the country’s economy. He opined that Guyana has a model procurement process that is recognized overseas. Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Juan Edghill, in his presentation, said that the private sector businesses are developmental partners of the country with contractors and service providers playing a critical role.
Edghill asserted that government is getting “value for their money”, with his job being to ensure taxpayers’ money is spent wisely and that quality work is produced. The Minister noted that government contracts to the tune of $90B, are available for contractors to “compete”. “Guyana has the most modern procurement act in the world,” Edghill said. He also called for the setting up of the Public Procurement Commission, saying that many citizens were “fooled” that the Opposition had initiated it. Rather, he said, it was the previous PPP/C administration, which had the two-thirds majority at that time which made the provisions for the Commission with new procurement laws. The Minister said that for the Commission to be launched, it would need a vote in the National Assembly of more than two-thirds. “We should stop the political dialogue and try to look for ways to better this nation.”
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Argentina hoping for stronger ties with Guyana Argentina, Latin America’s second largest country, has promised closer ties with Guyana. Speaking at Wednesday’s anniversary of the Argentine Revolution which was being celebrated in Guyana for the first time, the recently swornin Ambassador of Argentina to Guyana, Luis Alberto Martino, made a call for more trade and other bilateral relations. The Argentine Revolution, otherwise referred to as The May Revolution marked the starting point of the Argentine
War of Independence during the period May 18 to 25, 1810. It was a struggle that led to the Declaration of Independence from the former Spanish colony on July 9, 1816. Speaking to an audience including President Donald Ramotar, several diplomats and b u s i n e s s l e a d e r s during a reception at the Pegasus Hotel, Martino noted that he was instrumental in reopening the Argentina Embassy in Guyana after it was closed in 1991. “With the reopening of our embassy in Georgetown, Argentina hopes to further strengthen our bilateral ties and develop areas of mutual cooperation. I pledge the total commitment of my government to work closely with the Government and the people of Guyana in the spirit of integration and very particularly, within the framework of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).” Membership in UNASUR and the Community
of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) has allowed the two countries to sustain cordial and productive diplomatic relations, particularly within the South American hemisphere, the diplomat said. With that country’s policy to expand its presence in the Caribbean and establish partnerships in the spirit of integration, the Ambassador was given the assurance that the Guyana Government shares the vision of a common understanding and a “harmonisation of the political economic cultural and social ethos of the peoples of the hemisphere”. According to President Ramotar, the combination of resources and strength between the two countries will enable the successful tackling of the global challenges and making use of the opportunities. Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett was also in attendance.
Friday May 31, 2013
Cuyuni River mishap…
Last victim’s body recovered The body of Seon Robertson, 39, of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam and formerly of Cumberland, East Canje, and Strand, New Amsterdam, was recovered from the Cuyuni River in a decomposed state about 15:00 hrs yesterday. The father of seven was discovered days after the boating accident from which three of the seven passengers survived. The bodies of the three other victims - Junior Bandhu 35, of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, William Patoir of New Amsterdam,
Berbice, and Clive Welcome, 19, of First Avenue, Bartica have already been recovered. According to Sanita Singh, called Sano, her reputed husband left home on January 22 to work in the interior. She said that it was the first time that the man had gone there to work. He p r e v i o u s l y w o r k ed at various places in Berbice, including a Sawmill in Stanleytown. She said the need to provide a better way of life for his children drove him to leave home and seek
employment in the interior. He was coming out for the first time with his brother-in-law David Prass and friend William Patoir when tragedy struck. His father, Ronald Robertson, called Robby, has been travelling along the river almost daily since word of the tragedy spread. He had left Berbice yesterday morning on one of his tiring trips and was at Parika when he got word that his son’s badly decomposed body was found. He left immediately for Bartica.
Opposition party reiterates call for independent investigator into “emailgate” controversy PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - CMC – The main opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) yeaterday reiterated its call for a foreign investigator to help determine
the authenticity of a series of electronic mail that Opposition Leader Dr. Keith Rowley read out in Parliament last week, questioning the “independence” of the police in carrying out the investigation. Attorney Faris Al-Rawi told a news conference that recent media reports that Rowley had refused to hand
over his computers to the police investigators were untrue and that such media report could only have come from police sources. “”There is deep trouble in our society, this investigation has been poisoned at its very root and I am confident that the population wishes to have a transparent and expeditious investigation. “
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Education Ministry’s five-year Disability Action Plan being streamlined
“The true measure of a country is how that country has dealt with its most vulnerable population,” was the declaration of Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, when she delivered the feature address ahead of officially launching the 2013 Edition of the State of the World’s Children Report. At an event held at the National Park, to launch the Report, Minister Manickchand highlighted varying levels of vulnerability that can often be accelerated with the incidence of poverty - an area that Guyana has been making marked improvement over the years, based on Reports of the World Bank. Seeking to explain the levels of poverty, the Minister insisted that “there is poverty...there is dirt poor poverty and then there is poverty with all sorts of combined issues that cause people to be even poorer, simply because of their very circumstances to access services that would take them out of poverty.” However, it is the belief of the Minister that those afflicted with varying forms of disabilities are in fact the most vulnerable in any country. She observed too that the situation around the world suggests that people with disabilities from poorer homes have very little scope of climbing out of their situations. As such, she said that it is incumbent on States, Governments, NonGovernmental Organisations and other stakeholders to change the circumstances for people, particularly children, living with disabilities around the world. The Minister underscored that not only is the launch of the Report timely but “it is a good reminder that in the world we have a lot of work left to be done in the area of
- as State of the World’s Children Report is launched
A section of the gathering yesterday
disabilities.” Directing her attention locally, Manickchand said that while Guyana has done well economically, there is still much more that can be done in the area of disability. She added that if Guyana seeks to implement all of the measures detailed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child “then we will be well on our way to addressing all of the issues that we need to address.” Guyana has adopted and ratified the Convention and has even taken a step further to put in place a constitutional guarantee whereby, “we are bound to comply with the Articles in the Convention as far as our socio-economic conditions would allow us,” the Minister disclosed. Additionally, she said that substantial amounts of money and efforts have been directed towards making sure that children with special needs are adequately served. The Minister said too that it was just last year that the Education Ministry had concluded a series of consultations with stakeholders with a view of finding ways to make the life
Home Affairs... From page 15
Ministry has “noted with dismay the recent unfolding of events treating with the killing of Corporal Romain Cleto”. This is the first time that the Ministry has officially commented on the Cleto matter. “The Ministry shares the disappointment with the relatives of the deceased on the setback in the matter. It is our hope that with diligence and persistence the police will achieve the breakthrough we all anticipate in order that justice may be served,” the Ministry said in a separate statement. The Ministry is awaiting a police report requested from the Commissioner of Police (ag) detailing the circumstances that prompted the Director of Public Prosecutions to withdraw the charges laid against the individuals, who were arrested in connection with the killing of the young Corporal. The Ministry said that it is particularly interested in learning about the flaws in the police investigations, which it will endeavour to address at the policy level.
of children with disabilities a bit better. This move, according to Manickchand, was aimed at ensuring that they have access to good education that would see them being the best that they could be. The result of the stakeholders’ forum saw the compilation of a Report, and the Minister said that efforts are currently being made to create a five-year Action Plan shortly. “We are going to address children with disability as far as it relates to education, but there is more that we can do in this country. Saying that there is more that we can do does not take away from the fact that we have done much already.” Manickchand said she is confident that the progress that has already been made could see Guyana, with a commitment from Government, being able to easily shift gear and head into a more aggressive mode to meet the needs of those with disabilities. Emphasising that UNICEF has an interest in the most vulnerable of the population, UNICEF Representative, Dr Suleiman Braimoh, yesterday sought to make the point that the most vulnerable children are in need of the most assistance.
He said that UNICEF intended to use the forum to add its voice and seek to direct attention to the issue of children with disability. “They must not be treated as members of the fringes of society; rather they need to be members of the mainstream of society,” added Dr Braimoh. He noted that efforts must be made to shift some emphasis away from thinking that issues of disabilities is an area that has to do with education alone”. The issue of disability, he explained, has to do with participation in general in the society, therefore there must be a shift of focus “in such a way that there is full participation of children with disability in the society.” Spearheaded by UNICEF, the State of the World’s Children Report is one that usually seeks to bring global attention to children in particular situations, with this year’s edition directing focus to children with disabilities. Simultaneous to the launch of the Report
The State of the World’s Children 2013 yesterday, was the rededication of a disability friendly playground at the National Park. The rehabilitation of the facility was spearheaded by the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown, and according to its President, Ms Sinikka Henry, it all started a year ago with funding from the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, among other donors. Henry explained that it was with the crucial financial help “we were able to officially open the doors to a modern playground, incorporating refurbished play equipment that had been salvaged and restored, as well as additional new equipment that had to be fabricated or imported.” It is her expectation that the playing
space, which is already being utilised by children of the Ptolemy Rehabilitation Centre, would be suitable for children of all abilities, differences and similarities. With additional funding from UNICEF, Henry said that the playground is now outfitted with a sanitary block and specially designed garbage bins, which are expected to be an educational pilot project that can translate to a composting project operated by children as part of their school’s agriculture science syllabus. Despite incessant rainfall yesterday, the event was not without cultural performances by children of the Linden and New Amsterdam Special Schools, and the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre.
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MARAD adamant about heightened safety on waterways By Zena Henry The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) continues to worry about the number of accidents occurring on the nation’s waterways and is seeking to put every mechanism in place to deal with the ongoing crisis. The agency is firm about the additional manpower needed to address the issue, adding that there is a need for water safety awareness, especially in communities that border waterways. Safety Director Steven Thomas told Kaieteur News yesterday that various spheres are being addressed in the fight against irregularities and the failure of persons to adhere to marine rules and regulation. Thomas mentioned that the most vital of ammunition against disasters on the waterways is the awareness of, and adherence, to safety rules and regulations. He pointed out that several countrywide awareness activities have been launched and are being strengthened in light of the
..... touts more investment in manpower
The wrecked boat from the Cuyuni River accident which occurred earlier this week many lives lost due to river accidents over the past few months. According to Thomas, river users, whether boat operators or passengers, need to familiarize themselves with the basics of safety. This is where MARAD comes in, he noted, since lectures, seminars advertising and other forms of disseminating safety information are being used. Apart from rules and regulations, enforcement
plays a key element in monitoring waterway activities and thus managing water disasters. Thomas said that from June last year to now, some 20 Cadet Officers have been engaged in training exercises for waterway safety duties. This includes training for captains, pilots and surveyors; which would complement the effort being placed into tackling irregularities on the
waterways. Thomas asserted that in addition to the law enforcement strategies, a serious approach is being taken towards holding persons responsible when they are at fault on the sea. He pointed out that many times when these boat accidents occur, it is found that operators are not certified and are not registered with the marine agency. He
explained that one would become certified as a boat operator given their experience and knowledge of the area where they operate. He continued that these persons would usually work along with vessel commanders, thus gaining the necessary experience. They are then examined by MARAD based on certain criteria and would receive certification depending on their success. But when an operator chooses to branch off to command a boat uncertified, it poses difficulty, because it cannot be guaranteed that that operator is completely au fait with what he is doing. Thomas suggested that an uncertified and inexperienced boat operator may not have the skills and necessary experience to act meaningfully in the event of a mishap. In terms of safety equipment, he said that MARAD has kept monitoring and is continuing to advocate strongly, while adding that the unavailability of such apparatus may occur when boats and operators are not certified. Like the roadways, speed is also an
issue on the waterways. Thomas said that though it does not exist all the time it is a major issue, since in a few instances where many lives were lost, speeding had made it difficult to avoid disaster. He explained that in the February 2013 Mazaruni accident where 11 people died, speeding was one of the key factors that led to the boat captain and crewmen being charged. Apart from that, the boat had been operating illegally. Thomas however opined that safety on the waterways is a matter for multi-agency collaboration. The various agencies like the police, MARAD, the Coast Guard and others play key roles in ensuring conformity to rules and regulations. To further address the ongoing water transport safety issue, MARAD held a seminar on Wednesday to reeducate and re-emphasize to persons, the purpose of waterway safety, rules and regulations. Members of the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard, Guyana Police Force, Guyana Fire Service and MARAD made presentations.
Evaluating Officers must sign a confidentiality declaration - Edghill By Keeran Danny Mounting an offensive to decimate the threat and perception of corruption within Government agencies was the challenge posed to public officers involved in the procurement process by Junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill. Edghill was at the time delivering remarks at the opening ceremony of the Evaluators’ Workshop held at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Pattensen, East Coast Demerara, yesterday. Among the gathering of public officers were Permanent Secretaries and Regional Executive Officers.
Setting the tone of the workshop, Edghill touched on areas that need urgent implementation to help reduce public perception of corruption, which undermines good governance and reduces competitiveness. He said that with immediate effect all Evaluating Officers must sign a confidentiality declaration before the evaluation of bids starts. Explaining the rationale behind this step, Edghill said that there have been instances where even before the Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board receives evaluation reports on the bids, some contractors
are already knowledgeable as to the awardees. Edghill said that though this measure may appear superficial, it is important that in event there are breaches the document would be used to hold the officer(s) accountable. The next measure to be put in place with immediate effect is the signing of a conflict of interest declaration by Evaluating Officers. He stated that this would give evaluators the o p p o rtunity to withdraw themselves from bids that would appear to be conflicts of interest. “The declaration would avoid doubts and enable evaluators to perform their duties objectively.” Edghill said that he believes this is done in international agencies, specifically the European Union. As such, where there are best practices Guyana must duplicate, he said. According to Edghill, all evaluators and senior officials whose portfolios are referred to in the Integrity Act, must file their returns in a timely manner. This must be across
Participants at the opening ceremony of the Evaluators’ Workshop the board at every agency. The implementation of the aforementioned would help reduce the perception of corruption and allow Government to say that public officers have taken the high moral ground, the Minister emphasized. He charged that the more transparent the process, efficiency, competitiveness and the concept of value for money are promoted. In addition, transparency would put to rest some fears and suspicions regarding the decision-making process. For
instance, advertisement of projects to all is very important in the transparency procedure. According to Edghill, during a similar workshop last year, information obtained was informative and instructive, causing Government to look to strengthen systems. However, the system is faced with the culture of persons making irresponsible statements without facts. Also during that workshop the format for the standard bidding document
was launched. However, usage of that document posed some limitation and the Minister requested that the Regional Executive Officers, in particular, should ensure more details in some bid documents when necessary. The Minister said that the Evaluating Officers should pay attention to detail and execute their duties efficiently. This resulted from reports that some officers are not carrying out their duties and are allowing the senior officers to do the evaluation of the bids.
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AFC opposed to renewal of Boodoo’s GECOM contract By Abena Rockcliffe The Alliance For Change (AFC) yesterday highlighted its position that the party stands categorically opposed to the reappointment of former Chief Elections Officer Gocool Boodoo. AFC Chairman Nigel Hughes sought to give reason for the party’s stance as he cited instances of Boodoo’s lack of effectiveness in that portfolio. It was noted that Boodoo’s career as Chief Elections Officer (CEO) spans some two decades but he has not secured the confidence of the opposition. Just recently, his contract with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) expired and he had made a request for a renewal of the same. That request has since been under consideration. However, both A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the AFC—the parties that form the joint parliamentary opposition— have objected to the mere consideration of Boodoo’s reappointment. Yesterday, Hughes was adamant that Boodoo’s reappointment is not what is best for Guyana. The attorney at law ventured into highlighting the collapse in accuracy that has been reflected in Boodoo’s work over the last two General Elections. According to Hughes, the former Chief Elections Officer has consistently produced flawed results. He emphasized that of all the elections that AFC has been involved in, the then CEO failed to produce accurate results. Hughes added that, “the former Chief Elections Officer should not be at all
Former Chief Elections Officer Gocool Boodoo eligible for reappointment.” The party Chairman pointed out that in 2006, the AFC “lost” a seat in Linden that “we should have gotten and the Prime Minister was the immediate beneficiary of the mistake.” He also reminded of the instance immediately after the 2011 elections when GECOM Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, representing APNU, highlighted a discrepancy in Boodoo’s calculation that had excluded the 25 constituency seats and only taken 40 seats into consideration. Boodoo’s original calculation had given the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) 33 seats with 48.57 percent of votes, APNU 26 and AFC six. However, the “accurate” calculation resulted in the PPPC being given 32 seats, APNU 26 and AFC seven, giving the opposition the majority in parliament. Hughes stressed yesterday that Boodoo was about to give the majority of seats in parliament to the government had it not been for Alexander, who pointed out a “basic error.” He said that the AFC is of the firm view that the reappointment of Boodoo would adversely
impact the “reputation” of GECOM and its commitment to a fair and transparent process as well as the delivery of accurate results. Hughes stated that the former CEO’s errors are always consistent “so irrespective of his experience and appropriate qualifications, Boodoo should not be considered.” Hughes further mentioned that Guyana has a long history of “troubled elections” but whether the process was impaired is a non-issue, “the fact is, he made those mistakes twice.” AFC Vice Chairman Moses Nagamootoo commented that “it is reckless endangerment for someone in charge of a nation’s election to make a mistake so colossal that it has affected the results and wishes of the electorate.” Asked about recommendations for the post, Hughes said that the AFC has none, but the party is just opposed to Boodoo. There were reports that suggestions have been made to have the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Mr Calvin Benn, assume the position of CEO in the interim. Even though Boodhoo signaled that he wants renewal for another three years, he would have to undergo a staff appraisal before the seven-member Commission votes on his reappointment. The Commission comprises one AFC representative, two from APNU and three from the government. Should that vote result in a tie, the seventh member of the Commission—the Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally, holds the tie-breaking seat. Meanwhile, Boodoo remains on leave.
Friday May 31, 2013
AFC reiterates call for GPL board overhaul Parliamentarian Cathy Hughes has said that her party the Alliance for Change (AFC) continues to monitor the performance of the Guyana Power & Light (GPL) and “notes with deep disquiet the disclosure from the just released 2011 Annual Report”. Hughes said that the GPL Board has poorly administered the affairs of the company for the last decade with no let-up in black-outs and misery for the people in sight. She said that the party has lost all confidence in the Board at GPL and demands the immediate dismissal of this failed Board. She said that top professionals should be approached to sit on this Board, regardless of their political persuasion. “Professional bodies in civil society such as GAPE (Guyana Association of Professional Engineers) and ICAG (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana) should be included on the Board so that we all can share the responsibility for cleaning up the mess left at GPL by the Board.” Moreover, Hughes noted that the AFC was of the understanding that fuel prices are predicted to reduce by some eight to nine percent
over in 2013 as compared to 2011/2012 prices. This situation, she said, would and should provide saving for GPL to the tune of some G$1.5 billion over the year 2013. She said that if this is coupled with an aggressive operational plan to attack commercial theft, the company can easily add benefit from an aggregating annual savings of G$3.5 billion over 2013 which will go a far way in strengthening the financial operations at GPL. Hughes questioned why the Chairman of GPL on April 23 was calling for a reversal of the G$5.2 billion slashed from their subvention. She said that the party is of the view that with a projected Revenue for 2013 of just over G$30 billion and with an 8-9% reduction in the cost of fuel, GPL is well positioned to implement its programme of operations successfully over 2013, without a further cent from the taxpayers. “The AFC cannot allow the government to neglect the needs of the working poor by continuing to divert billions to GPL because the Board of Directors is dedicated to a flawed system that pays its top executives’ salaries averaging G$1.6 million per month, plus free housing,
plus free expensive cars, plus free airline tickets to foreign destinations and a menu of other personal perks.” Hughes asserted that the AFC looks forward for Prime Minister Samuel Hinds to lay the turnover plans of GPL in Parliament. She urged government to seek alternative advice from other stakeholders on techniques at improving their operations with an objective of controlling their operating cost. Hughes further noted that the AFC will continue to support measures to rehabilitate the electricity infrastructure. She said that was the main reason why the AFC stood with the decision to release G$5 billion of taxpayers’ money in 2013 to support the construction of the several sub-stations as a means to reducing the technical line losses. However, she said, the “chain around GPL’s neck” remains electricity theft and excessive executive packages for the top management. Hughes maintained that the AFC will not accept any further excuses from GPL for their failure to attack commercial theft, adding that the company needs to go after defaulters who owe them.
Home Affairs Ministry to probe alleged beating of prison inmate Less than 24 hours after allegations surfaced of a 2009 murder accused being beaten by officers at the Camp Street prison while he was taking a shower, the Ministry of Home Affairs via release has indicated that it “will move to investigate this recent allegation”. It was stated that the Ministry had received reports of the beating, allegedly by prison officers. “The Ministry views this matter very seriously, since the allegation runs counter to the policies and procedures adopted for the institution for the treatment of prisoners. As part of the reform process of the service, and even as efforts are made to implement the Service’s Strategic Plan, the Ministry is
on record with regard to how prisoners must be treated, recognizing that their inherent dignity and value as human beings must be upheld. The Prisons Directorate and Officers are well aware of this. “Consequently, the Ministry will move to investigate this recent allegation, so that the concerns of the Ministry and the relatives of the inmate could be addressed and corrective action taken, where necessary,” the statement
concluded. It is alleged that 32-yearold, Stravo Evans, aka ‘Mankind’ was on Wednesday morning “brutally beaten” by three officers while he was taking a shower. Prison officials however claimed that the incident stemmed from the inmate pulling out an offensive weapon and trying to attack the officers. Up to press time, Evans was still a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital under close arrest.
Tenant remanded for landlord’s murder Forty-four year-old Zelina Whittington was yesterday remanded to prison after being charged for the murder of her landlord, 62-year-old Azaad Ganie. Whittington made her appearance at the Vreed-en-hoop Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs. It is alleged that on May 27, last, at Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, Whittington murdered Ganie. The charge was indictable, hence, the woman was not required to enter a plea. On Monday evening Ganie was found dead in the upper flat of his Sideline Dam, Vergenoegen, home. Initial reports are that the man was beaten with a rolling pin in his head. A post mortem examination revealed that Ganie died as a result of brain haemorrhage due to blunt trauma to the head.
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HID lights call: 642-2850 RABBITS $2,000 EACHCALL: 650-0814 15-15-15 Fertilizer in damaged bags, large quantity available- call: 266-2711/609-4594 Earth for sale in Georgetown: Own transportation must be provided- Call: 227-3681 or 227-8682 Pig feed, Duck feed & Shrimp meal- call:266-2711/ 609-4594 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call: 225-9032, 647-2943 Uniden cordless phones, single & double: Caller’s ID: Speakerphone: Personalized ringers: Answering system: Price $9,000 & $13,000Call:226-0765 Dell laptops & desktops complete computers from $55,000 Futuretech call: 2312206
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Versailles 5 Bedroom House with modern facilities and beautiful landscape- Call: 592-684-9203 / 592-624-8704 202 Camp Street, formerly Club Blue Note: Size of land 232×76- Call: 647-1626 or 2274921 Two business properties @ Whim public road; 1 House & Land 4th street Whim, Corentyne: Price negotiablecontact: 231-5171/ 619-7134 Property for sale. Contact: 699-9926 Lot 39 West Ruimveldt: Seven Bedrooms $26Mcall:694-5371 House and Land @ D’EdwardCall: 689-2973/698-3703 FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Table - Call: 277-0578 SALON New classes -Cosmetology , Nails, Wigs, Designs, MakeUp, Hair-Styling; call Abby 216-1950, 666-5241, 619-7603
1- 4 inch Chine Land Dredge and all of its components: Price $900,000- Contact: 2653586 Purpleheart panel doors $28,000: Sizes (30", 32", 34", 36") × 80- call: 688-9712/ 6390501 3 Tons Bedford dump-truck, Scania long wheel base with Hyab and drop-tail- Call:2704485
Rottweiler, Brazilian, German Shepherd puppies: Hunting dogs (Pointers) fully vaccinated- Call: 682-2148/ 655-8674 TO LET Four Bedrooms, fully furnished: Situated in Central Amelia’s Ward, Linden- Call: 649-6837
One experience Driver, gear & automatic: Apply @ Hack’s Halaal 5 Commerce Street.
FOR SALE
Pure Rottweiler pupscall:220-6879
One experienced general domestic, must be honest & know to cook tasty Indian & Creole dishes- Call:656-6388
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Brand new Asus desktop computers for just $100,000call: 645-9459 Live/pluck chicken call:6504421,220-9203 1- Used M.F 285 Tractor, 1Used JCB Back Hoe, 1Concrete Ransom ½ cubic yards- Contact: 670-7235/ 697-7967 Electric Snow cone machines- call:266-2711/6094594
SERVICES Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool. Call:225-9032,647-2943
VEHICLE FOR SALE Cruiser Auto Sales: Unregistered: Toyota Fielder, New Raum, Noah, Mazda, Axela- call:603-9700
We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer call:2310655,683-8734 Omar
One Toyota Wills $1.7M, Toyota Surf $2.2M- Call:2317805/618-7483
We Refill HP cartridges for $1800 call: 650-7699
1 Toyota Land-cruiser Prado PMM series- call:225-0188/ 225-6070
Repairs to Refrigerators, Washing machines, Gas Stoves, A/C Units- Call Lindon: 641-1086 or 694-2202 House plans & estimatescontact T. Boodhoo: 6259883/675-9296 Service & Repairs for Jet Skis, Jet Boats, ATVs, Inboard & Outboard (2 & 4 strokes) engine- call:694-7949 HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING FOR ONLY $10,000CALL:694-9843/227-2766 Ribbon printing and favors for any occasion- call:6169201/227-2766 Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call: 225-6496, 662-6045, 223-8115 Technician specialized in repairs & servicing to washers, dryers, fridges, A/C units & stoves: Home Servicing available. Call: 661-5099
First Class Auto (03 & 06) Allion, (03 & 04) Spacio, (01) Carina, (07) Axio, VerossaCall:609-8188/226-2689 Axio, Blue Bird, Pitbull: Going cheap- Call:697-0294 Leading AutoUnregistered: Allex, Runx, Spacio, IST, Allion, Premio, Tacoma (06), F150 (06)- Tele: 677-7666/ 610-7666 Massey Ferguson 6140: 4×4 Turbo: $3.2M negotiableCall: 688-6274 or 691-3851 1 Toyota 110 Vintage Sprinter: Price Negotiable: PJJ series- call:613-0028 LEYLAND DAF single axle, new gear box and new engine- call:613-6615/2161315 Honda ATV 500 4×4: New $2.6M- Call: 624-5000 Toyota Vitz 1300cc, 4 Disc Brakes, Mags, Fogs, Black Interior- Call: 269-0432/6860323 Unregistered Toyota Sienta 1500cc: 7 Seats- Call:6175536
FOR SALE 2 Air Conditions- Call: 6956499/671-2018 Riding Mower, 6500 watts Honda generator, large refrigerator & tools- call: 2612988 1 Toyota Hilux Surf: 20" Rims, Crystal lights, Sunroof ect. Contact: 220-7922 and 6256303 Asphalt Roofing Shinglescall:266-2711/609-4594 Precision built 16" Bore Trailer Pump: New- Call: 2271830 15-15-15 Fertilizer Large Quantity in damaged bagsCall:266-2711/609-4594
EDUCATIONAL Electronic Course- PracticalBeginning 3rd June: Limited space available: Abdul Electronic, 226-6551/ 225-0391 Imperial College- Register Now: CXC 2014 fulltime/ lessons/adults classes: Excellent results-call: 6835742/227-7627 Enid’s dressmaking certificate classes from Elementary to advance: 66 sixth St. Albertown: 223-9106/ 6953876: sewing done here
1- 500 Ton Cargo Ship with contract- call:687-6174 PLAYSTATION 2 & 3 SYSTEMS, Games, Memory Cards, Controllers etc. Call: 609-8132/672-8569
Male Enhancement Viagra: 4 in a Pack For $3000- Call: 6426664/ 638-1627
Live Ducks in large quantities. Call: 691-5851 or 671-2008
Used Massey Tractors- MF 165, 175, 275, 1100, 1130, Ford 500, Yanmar Vegetable Tractors: Affordable PricesCall: 682-2391
Wall-Divider, Fridge & Household Appliances: Good condition: Owner migrating, price neg- call: 673-0666
Toyota- 4 Runner Surf, AT192, AT212, AT170, Ceres, EP82 & 71 Starlet, Solid DEF pickup, Nissan E24 van- call:644-5096 1-2005 Nissan Titan $3.5M negotiable- Call: 622-1957 Anthony 2 New shape Avensiscall:698-0674 Toyota Alex & Fielder: Never registered- Call: 2690432/686-0323 1992 Toyota Camry- Call: 657-4114 AT 212 New model: Private, fully powered, mag, CD player, Alarm system, AC: Price negotiable: Call: 6212215/674-7828 Unregistered Tundra 4×4 fully loaded $2.750- Call: 615-9314
VEHICLE FOR SALE 1-55-210 DAF Lorry GPP 2673: In excellent condition: 1 yr old: Owner leaving country. Call: 680-2095/261-5401 Cheapest- Premio, Spacio, Hilux, Stick Gear Buses. Call: 616-7635
1- New Model 212: Excellent condition, Alloy rims, CD player: Price $1.550M negcall: 601-0706/656-9990 1- Unregistered 2003 Toyota Tundra: Fully accessorized, Crash Bar, Steps, Alloy Rims: Price $3.150M neg- call: 6010706/656-9990 (Continued on page 33)
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Kaieteur News
Friday May 31, 2013
Besieged Syria rebels seek help, Assad eyes missiles BEIRUT (Reuters) Syrian rebels under siege near the Lebanese border pleaded for help yesterday against government troops and their Hezbollah allies as a confident President Bashar al-Assad spoke of having new Russian missiles. Though Moscow contradicted suggestions he had taken delivery of an entire, long-range S-300 antiaircraf t s y s t e m w h i c h alarms Israel, Russia’s plan to send them highlighted the international confrontation brewing over Syria, even as Moscow and Washington work together for a peace conference between the warring sides. With Iran and its Lebanese partner Hezbollah also rallying to Assad’s defense and his Westernbacked Syrian opponents mired in squabbles, the president was quoted sounding confident of his position at home and abroad. He would attend talks in Geneva, he said, but he expected to keep fighting the revolt. Among his enemies on the battlefield, rebels in the besieged border town of Qusair warned that it could be wiped off the map and hundreds of their wounded might die if no help came soon.
Bashar al-Assad “The town is surrounded and there’s no way to bring in medical aid,” Malek Ammar, an opposition activist in the town, told Reuters over an Internet link, adding that about 100 of the 700 wounded needed bottled oxygen to keep breathing. “What we need them to do,” he said of other rebel units, “is come to the outskirts of the city and attack the checkpoints so we can get routes in and out of the city. There was little immediate sign, however, of military relief or of a negotiated settlement that might end the fighting. Harsh words from Moscow against the Syrian opposition’s insistence on
Assad’s removal as a precondition for talks, and Russian criticism of Washington for considering a no-fly zone to help the rebels, underlined the geopolitical stakes in the war. An exchange of fire across the Turkish border on Thursday was a reminder that all Syria’s neighbors risk being sucked in to a regional conflict. Rebels at Qusair and comrades encircled near Damascus, who also appealed for reinforcements, face shortages of weapons. Fears of the Islamists in the rebel ranks have deterred Western powers from supplying them, despite wanting to see Assad fall. The result, after two years of fighting and more than 80,000 deaths, has been an i n c r e a s i n gly sectarian stalemate in which Assad has lost control of swathes of territory but remains in power. Taking back Qusair would help secure access from Damascus to the coastline populated by his minority fellow Alawites. For the rebels, mostly drawn from the Sunni Muslim majority, Qusair secures supply lines from sympathizers in Lebanon and from further afield, notably Sunni-ruled states in the Gulf.
Connecticut to allow illegal immigrants to get driving licence MILFORD, Connecticut (Reuters) - Connecticut joined other U.S. states that allow illegal immigrants to get a driver’s licence, with the state Senate narrowly approving the measure yesterday without a single Republican vote. Democratic Governor
Dannel Malloy said he would sign the bill, which passed the Senate by a 19-16 vote, after a highly divisive debate that lasted overnight. “This bill is first and foremost about public safety. It’s about knowing who is driving on our roads, and doing everything we can to
make sure those drivers are safe and that they’re operating registered, insured vehicles,” Malloy said. It was previously approved by the House, and no Republicans in either chamber voted in favor. The new law, which will make 54,000 undocumented immigrants eligible for a driving license, takes effect on January 1, 2015. There are about 120,000 illegal immigrants in Connecticut. Several other states, including Maryland, Illinois and Oregon, adopted similar legislation this year. Illegal immigrants are already licensed to drive in New Mexico, Washington and Utah. Among the Republicans denouncing the bill was Senator Toni Boucher, ranking member of the Senate’s Transportation Committee, who said a recent poll of Connecticut residents showed overwhelming opposition to the move.
Friday May 31, 2013
Kaieteur News
China’s President to meet with Caribbean leaders
P O R T- O F - S PA I N , Trinidad – CMC – China’s President Xi Jingping arrives here today for a three-day visit during which time he will meet with Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders. The visit follows that of the United States Vice President Joe Biden earlier this week and according to a Chinese Embassy statement the visit is to “further increase political trust and consolidate friendship and cooperation with the entire region”. Biden described his discussions with CARICOM leaders as “frank and cordial” and pledged Washington’s assistance on a wide range of issues affecting the socioeconomic development of the of the 15-member regional grouping. Beijing said that President Xi’s visit, the first to the Caribbean “is also (a) very important event for the host country and its other Englishspeaking CARICOM memberstates, all of which are dwarfed in size, population and economy by their comparatively colossal Latin
American neighbours”. Apart from Trinidad and Tobago, President Xi will be visiting Costa Rica and Mexico and will meet with President Barack Obama in Washington during his twoday visit to the United States, June 7-8. The Chinese president will meet with at least eight CARICOM leaders whose countries continue to have diplomatic relations with Beijing, instead of Taiwan, that China regards as a renegade province and has been urging countries to accept the “One China” policy in their foreign relations. China said that it hopes through the bilateral meetings it is hoping to promote cooperation in various areas and inject new vitality to the friendship between the countries. “China always holds that all countries, no matter big or small, rich or poor, strong or weak, are equal members of the international community,” it said, adding that Beijing would “like to expand our exchange and cooperation in
politic, economic, culture, etc, so as to advance bilateral relations in a sound and healthy way”. Beijing said that its “friendly relations with the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region have been growing significantly stronger in the past ten years” and President Xi’s visit comes at “an important time for both China and the LAC region, and even more so for the English-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region”. “China-LAC ties are also flourishing multilaterally in the new global dispensation. LAC states can t o d a y access new forms of bilateral and multilateral China aid through the recently e s t ablished Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), as well as through wider regional economic and financial entities such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). China is a contributing and non-borrowing member of both institutions.”
Finance Minister rubbishes talk of IMF agreement
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - C M C – T h e Barbados government has described as “malicious and unfounded” reports that the island has held talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Chris Sinckler has also rubbished suggestions that Barbados would be devaluing its local currency which now trades at 50 cents to one United States dollar. “There will be no IMF programme – not now, not June, not this year, and if we act as we are supposed to act, not in the foreseeable future and absolutely no devaluation of the Barbados dollar,’ Sinckler told members of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (BCCI). He said there were people in the country bent on spreading panic and have in the past made statements indicating that the Freundel Stuart governmen t w o u l d b e retrenching as many as 6,000 public servants because of the financial situation. “There has been no such meeting that took place and no such
discussions have been taking place in my ministry,” he said, adding that because of the global economic challenges “we made choices we believe to be correct. “Yes, domestic demand has fallen because there is less disposable income, but we know that given what we faced in 2010 and now 2013, that if we do not anchor our macroeconomic policy response around the foreign exchange function in this economy, we will run out of options when those reserves are dissipated. “It is then our economy will collapse, rendering us a virtual economic colony of the international financial institutions such as the IMF,” he said. “When those reserves are dissipated it is then the economy will collapse. We have adequate levels of reserves even despite of the fall off; we are still on the field of play and have a definite chance of winning.” The Finance and Economic Minister however suggested that Barbadians must be prepared to expand their businesses since “we can’t make our best living feeding off of each other. “We need to sell our services and goods to the world. The global economy
has changed rapidly – we enjoyed a period of boom that is over now and it is not coming back. “Investor confidence has now come to a stop, investments are now more circumspect, tourist are less capable to spend and more demanding for value for money. If we want to compete, knowing the realities of our lack of price competitiveness, we have to invest more heavily in the quality of our service and products,” he said. Last week, Prime Minister Stuart said his government will host a national consultation on the local economy on June 28 and appealed to the various stakeholders, including the private sector and the trade union movement, to attend so as to ensure it success. Last month, the Central Bank of Barbados announced that the local economy had contracted by 0.4 per cent in the first three months of 2013 and urged the authorities to put “back on track” the fiscal consolidation strategy as well as a new medium term adjustment strategy to turn around the island’s economic fortunes.
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Kaieteur News
Friday May 31, 2013
New IMC plans to American Nelson finally SCOTIABANK/PEPSI SCHOOL FOOTBALL ACADEMY revive football in E’bo gets Athens gold medal Fierce competition envisaged as top Efforts to revive football in the Cinderella County of Essequibo are on track, so says Compton Haynes, a member of the newly formed Interim Management Committee (IMC). Haynes who is also a Coach told Kaieteur Sport yesterday that plans are in place to get the clubs properly organised and affiliated to the Essequibo Football Association (EFA) which will pave the way for elections as they seek to resuscitate the entity. Haynes said that while that is in the pipeline, the IMC also intends to raise the level of football and they intend to run off a senior league, shortly. “We expect a number of sponsors for this tournament and we will also be visiting the Islands in the near future”, stated Haynes. The IMC which is headed by Walter Joseph was formed on Tuesday May 21. The other members are Maxine Stuart (Secretary) and Andrea Blackman (Public Relations Officer).
(Reuters) - American Adam Nelson was finally awarded his 2004 Athens shot put gold by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday, one of three athletes upgraded due to positive dope tests. Nelson, 37, received the medal after the sample of the original winner, Belarussian Yuriy Bilonog, was retested positive in February. Denmark’s Joachim Broechner Olsen was upgraded to the shot put silver and Spaniard Manuel Martinez the bronze. Turkey also added a medal to its Athens collection with Reyhan Arabacioglu being awarded bronze in the men’s 77-kg weightlifting after the disqualification of Russian Oleg Perepetchenov. Czech discus thrower Vera PospisilovaCechlova was awarded bronze following a positive test by Belarussian Iryna Yatchenko.
Friday May 31, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19): Even if you want to be the leader of the pack, you might be growing tired of having to fight to prove your point. However, giving in isn’t nearly as simple as it sounds because whatever you gain from relinquishing control may not be worth it. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20): Your friends seem to be so scattered today that you can’t figure out what motivates them. Ironically, you may grow to appreciate their lack of practicality as your emotions begin to take precedence over logic now. GEMINI (May 21–June 20): You may have a difficult time staying on track today as feisty Mars bounces into your inquisitive sign. CANCER (June 21–July 22): The boundaries that separate your feelings from those around you are thin now, making it difficult to distinguish which reactions are valid. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22): You may want to help rescue an underdog today, but this altruism clashes with your admiration of a real winner. Nevertheless, your idea of a top dog isn’t necessarily a traditional one, since you intrinsically understand that success goes way beyond fame and fortune. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22): The boundless Pisces Moon’s presence in your 7th House of Others can make everyone seem confused, but you’re probably just projecting your own feelings today.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): You must focus your physical and mental energy in order to take care of today’s business, but you’re not likely in the mood to concentrate. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): You may feel more like a Fish than a Scorpion today with the dreamy Pisces Moon visiting your 5th House of Self-Expression. But you’re not necessarily interested in playing anyone else’s game now; you want to make up your own rules that move you closer to your goals. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): You could be under your own magic spell today that makes you believe everything is copasetic on the home front. Nevertheless, it’s more important to be realistic than optimistic now since the haze of your ideals can cloud your sound judgment. CAPRICORN(Dec.22–Jan.19): Normally, you can be quite methodical when communicating your ideas, so be patient today if your closest confidants tell you that they don’t understand you. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18): Watch your spending today because you may be lost in a fantasy about purchasing something special to change your image. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20): Don’t worry if your moods get the best of you now because the Moon is in your sign and aligned with irrational Neptune. Acknowledge your feelings while remembering that you don’t have to express every reaction.
teams battle for semi-finals berth School of the Nations will square off with Tutorial High in a match that will decide the semi-finalists in the Georgetown Zone when play in the Scotiabank/Pepsi School Football Academy continues at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue tomorrow; the former team is on 12 points while the latter has accrued two points less. Should School of the Nations manage even a draw, it will progress to 13 points and thus clinch a place in the semi finals. However, should Tutorial High win the match they will accrue 13 points to clinch the semi final berth. New Campbellville Secondary finished the preliminary round on 10 points and is already through to the final. Charlestown Secondary finished on 5 points from 4 games and should Tutorial secure a win they will move on to 7 points and earn a place in the final. Even a draw will stand
them in good stead by dint of a healthier goal difference than Charlestown Secondary. North Georgetown Secondary and Lodge will square off in a match of academic interest since the latter team is already through to the semi final. Though on 9 points, North Georgetown Secondary, can also consider the tournament lost since a win will only earn them an overall 12 points, insufficient to send them through. Charlestown Secondary and Bishops High will play each other and a win for Charlestown will see them topping the group with 15 points. Should that team lose it will end just behind Christ Church who are also on 12 points but with a better goal difference. Meanwhile Lodge Secondary School retained their unbeaten record, trouncing Tutorial High by 41 on Sunday May 26 last. Kevin Boters (2nd & 19th) and Ryan Hackett (16th & 55th) scored for the winners while Steve Sutton narrowed the margin of defeat for his team. The win has placed
Lodge on top of the rankings with 15 points from 5 games in Group A. Charlestown Secondary gained a walk over Chase Academic Foundation and leads the point standings in Group B with 12 points. Two other games were contested on that day; Christ Church demolished Bishops High 4-nil with Andre Trotz (26th & 30th) making the difference with support from Andre Paul (28th) and Brad Evans (61st). North Georgetown was also in winners’ row, swamping QC 5-1 after Joshua Farrier (29th), Osafa Matheson (39th), Lansdale George (45th) and Nehemia Gomes (50th & 57th) netted for the winners. Ashmar Angel 11th minute effort narrowed the margin of defeat for Queen’s College. . The action continued in Linden at the Wisburg Secondary School Ground where New Silver City Sec School gained a walk over from Harmony Secondary moments before Mc Kenzie High defeated Christianburg Wismar Secondary 2-1.
Friday May 31, 2013
Kaieteur News
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DHONI SIDESTEPS IPL ROW India Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni kept his own counsel on Thursday when questioned on corruption claims regarding the Indian Premier League but promised to reveal his views at the “right time”. Controversial accusations of ‘spot-fixing’ have engulfed the sixth edition of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament, with Indian police making several arrests in recent weeks. The investigations started on May 16 when Delhi police arrested three cricketers including Test fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, accusing them of deliberately bowling badly in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars. The scandal is threatening to bring down N. Srinivasan, the head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), who has been under intense pressure after his son-in-law was arrested for allegedly betting on IPL games. Gurunath Meiyappan, is
MS Dhoni an Executive at the Chennai Super Kings IPL team — owned by Srinivasan’s India Cements and featuring Dhoni as one of its star players. Dhoni, speaking at a news conference in Birmingham, central England, on Thursday to preview India’s Champions Trophy bid, said he was glad to be abroad. “It’s good to be out of there (India).” But asked for his views on the evolving IPL row, which has seen Pakistani
umpire Asad Rauf stood down from the Champions Trophy following fixing allegations in the Indian media, Dhoni was cautious. “It’s not that the reputation (of Indian cricket) is gone,” he said. “When the right time comes I’ll answer (more thoroughly), but as of now I don’t think we have lost reputation because whatever the set-up will be throughout the world or in any sport, still you’ll have people who will be slightly mentally weak compared to some of the others. “I would love to elaborate but at the right time I’ll do it. I just want to keep our side away from everything as of now.” Reigning world champions India are in the process of rebuilding their side and have arrived for the ‘mini World Cup’ that is the Champions Trophy without Sachin Tendulkar, now retired from ODIs, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan. Fans sad to see some of their favourites no longer
involved have been critical of India in recent months but Dhoni backed a youthful squad to come good. “It’s an ongoing process. A few of them (fans) will ask questions and you have to silence them,” he said. “It’s for us to see what kind of a squad we’ve got with a fresh bunch of players. “You have to look at the positives. If you look at the positive you can say the players that have been playing in the IPL have had good exposure to international bowlers because bowlers from all over the world, they come and play in the IPL. “The best that the world has to offer (play IPL) which means most of the players are in touch and are in good rhythm,” wicketkeeper/batsman Dhoni added. India have warm-up matches against Sri Lanka on Saturday and Australia on Tuesday before facing South Africa in the opening match of the tournament proper in Cardiff on June 6.
Sensational Shiv puts Derby in control Derby, England Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s sensational century – his first for the Club – has put Derbyshire in a strong position after the opening day against Surrey at the County Ground. The West Indian batsman shared a sublime 203-run partnership with Captain Wayne Madsen, who ended the day unbeaten on a faultless 92, as bad light forced the players off with the hosts on 232-2 – with Chanderpaul 112 not out. After a lengthy rain delay, play finally got underway at 3.15pm with 63 overs scheduled to be bowled in the day. Derbyshire won the toss and elected to bowl first, but they got off to a slow start
losing the early wicket of Chesney Hughes who was bowled by Chris Tremlett without scoring in the opening over. Billy Godleman began the counter-attack hitting four quick boundaries to move onto 17 inside the opening 10 overs, but he was removed shortly after by Tim Linley as the opener edged to third slip to reduce the hosts to 29-2. But Chanderpaul and Madsen developed a magnificent partnership to remain unbeaten at the interval. World number two Test batsman Chanderpaul played some beautiful shots through both the on and off side, including back-to-back boundaries straight past Linley, to complete a 65-ball
half century before Tea. Derbyshire restarted on 121-2 and Captain Madsen quickly followed his batting partner and reached an excellent half century from 92 balls, which included six fours, as the pair completed the 100run partnership in the 34th over. The duo continued to accelerate the run rate in the evening session scoring over five an over at times, as the pair exchanged boundaries off Tremlett on the way to a sublime 150-run stand. Chanderpaul batted with poise and displayed his class against an experienced Surrey attack, hitting 13 fours on his way to a faultless century from 116 balls - his first three figure score for the Club. Derbyshire moved past
James, West, Stephenson all fined $5K for flopping during Game 4 Miami Heat forward LeBron James and the Indiana Pacers duo of power forward David West and shooting guard Lance Stephenson have all received $5,000 fines for violating the league’s anti-flopping policy, the NBA announced Thursday morning. First, Stephenson’s homage to Indy backcourt predecessor Reggie Miller after brushing into Heat guard Ray Allen following a first-quarter bucket. The penalties come one day after CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger reported that the league office was looking at several controversial calls from the Pacers’ Game 4 win, which saw 55 personal fouls called, a blown 24-second violation whistled against the Pacers in the third quarter, a dicey finalminute traveling call against Heat guard Dwyane Wade and several arguable decisions against James, who fouled out for just the second time in his postseason career.
James, West and Stephenson are the fifth, sixth and seventh players to receive flopping fines this postseason, joining Derek Fisher, Jeff Pendergraph, J.R. Smith and Tony Allen. No player has yet been charged with a second flopping offense during the postseason, which would trigger a $10,000 fine for a second offense in accordance with the NBA’s stricter postseason flopping punishments. Third and fourth violations would cost a player $15,000 and $30,000, respectively. Before Game 4, James raised eyebrows when he seemed to take a more positive view of flopping than some would expect. The league also assessed West a flagrant1 on Thursday for his foul against Wade at the 5:57 mark of the fourth quarter, which was called a common foul on the floor at the time. Wade had previously received the same common-to-flagrant upgrade for his flying forearm to Stephenson’s head during Game 2.
200 inside 47 overs, going at over four runs an over, as Captain Madsen continued his assault on three figures, effortlessly knocking the Surrey bowlers through both the on and off side, but he ended the day eight runs short as bad light forced an early closure to proceedings with Derbyshire 2322. (Derbyshire County Cricket Club)
VACANCY 1- Hairdresser who knows to do everything, fully certified: 1- Nail Technician: 1- Tattoo Artist: Contact Odessa: 6136068 Wash Bay attendant for Bel Air Service station- Call: 6803863 Female to work in Internet Café in Kitty: 18-28 years oldCall: 696-0298 (8am-6pm) Career Opportunity: Exciting Career Opportunity exists for 1 Hotel Manager: Accommodation ProvidedContact: 226-9768/ 642-7963 Pump Attendant @ Shell Service Station Providence E.B.D: Must be able to work shift: Email: shellramsburg@ gmail.com, Tele:265-7305 Vacancy exists for carpenters and porters: Apply at Alabama Trading Georgetown ferry stelling Stabroek Vacancy exists for 1 Driver for Tristar motorcycle- Call: 662-3415/626-2360/231-4832 Receptionist: Must be computer literate with minimum of 1 year experience. Call: 672-1239 Immediate Vacancies: Security Officers/ Drivers: Apply Monday- Friday: Security Alliance: Barrack street, Kingston (upstairs FedEx)
(From page 29)
LAND FOR SALE Are you living overseas and want properties to buy? Call Ron’s Real Estate. globonetinfo@yahoo.com, call:675-7292 7 Acres cultivated with house, 2 Acres cultivated, 21 Acres cultivated contact: 226-7968 House lot for sale: Friendship EBD & drafting of house plans call: 223-0733, 223-0730 Garnett Street, Newtown Kitty: 4,588 sq foot – Call:647-1569 House lots 50’×118’ New Hope E.B.D: Negotiable prices- - call:266-2711/6094594 Parfaite Harmony $1.3M. globonetinfo @yahoo.com. Call: 675-7292 Prime Residential Land, Schoonord Garden $2.8M, $3.2M. globonetinfo @yahoo.com. Call:675-7292 Granite Quarry Blocks North West US$650,000- contact Shawn:231-7805/618-7483 Land for Rice, Sugar, Cattle etc: More than 600 acres on East Coast Demerara- Call: 678-1454
FOR RENT 2 Storey concrete 5 bedrooms with A/C, hot & cold, generator @ Happy Acre E.C.D call: 647-1569
Courses in cake decoration, pastry making & cookery, Call: 670-0798. Also Wedding dresses for sale
3 Bedrooms upstairs, 1 Selfcontained: Newly renovated: Yard space: Located in Diamond H/Scheme- Call: 613-0028
CAR RENTAL Progressive Auto Rental cars from $4000 per day. Call 643-5122, 225-8711; email w w w. p r o g r e s s i v e a u t o rental. com
SALON
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Premio, Vitz call: 689-6668
Farm with house at Yarrowkabra, Linden Highway: Water, light, chicken & pig pens: fully fenced- call: 686-7180
First Choice Car Rental: Cars from $5,000 per day- Call: 694-7817/668-0306
CAKES & PASTRIES
Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 6471773
Apartment for rent; terms apply 19 Caines Street Meadow Bank, contact:2233311 Rooms /Apartments available: Furnished - Call: 646-5147 MASSAGE American Style massage services- Call:609-4036 The Gent’s spa: Come be pampered by beautiful sophisticated masseuses four hands special - call: 657-5979
Diamond 5 bedrooms house, Ogle big property farm $60,000 and more. Call: 2312199/ 673-8148/ 618-7483 Space to Rent: Internet purpose: Diamond H/S, Main road- Tel: 697-5566
LEARN TO DRIVE B & C Driving School, pick up & drop off, call:2250150,229-7258,680-6826 Soman & Sons Driving School , First Federation Building Call 225-4858, 6445166,622-2872,615-0964
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Kaieteur News
Friday May 31, 2013
Belgium downs U.S. in friendly Action in the USA, Belgium game
Cleveland, Ohio - The United States surrendered three goals within a 15-minute span in the second half en route to a 4-2 loss to Belgium in an International friendly at FirstEnergy Stadium on Wednesday night. Christian Benteke struck twice during that span for the Belgians, who took advantage of U.S. defensive errors to turn a 1-1 deadlock into an eventual three-goal advantage. The defeat was the Americans’ fourth in five all-time games against Belgium. The visitors drew first blood in the sixth minute when U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard saved a shot, but his
Everton teammate Kevin Mirallas pounced on a loose ball and scored from 12 yards for a 1-0 lead. The U.S. equalized on defender Geoff Cameron’s first international goal in the 23rd minute. Graham Zusi played a short corner kick to Brad Davis, who found Clint Dempsey at the back post. Dempsey headed the ball to Cameron at the left post to score on a header of his own. Belgium poured it on in the second half as Benteke beat goalkeeper Brad Guzan his Aston Villa team mate — from seven yards off a rightwing feed from Kevin De Bruyne to grab a 2-1 lead in
the 56th minute. Marounane Fellaini pushed the Belgians to a 3-1 advantage in the 64th minute. The U.S. defense cleared the ball out of the penalty area, but attacker Terence Boyd could not control. De Bruyne took possession and fed Fellaini, who tallied his sixth international goal. Benteke gave Belgium a three-goal cushion as he gathered a long pass from Steven Defour and chipped Guzan, who had come out of the net in the 71st minute. Eight minutes later, Dempsey pulled the Americans to within 4-2 with his 33rd international tally,
Sloane Stephens, the hopeful, American also advanced to the third round with her win over Vania King. It wasn’t just an upset for the French Open bracket, but for any fan that enjoys getting a good chuckle or two out of a post-round interview. No. 5 Li Na was bounced in the second round by Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, the earliest Na has ever been beaten in her seven career
starts at Roland Garros. Na, the French Open champion in 2011, was on a short list of players that were expected to advance deep into the second week in Paris, but she couldn’t muster much against Mattek-Sands after that first set. With rain pushing some of the matches to Friday we will see the conclusion of the Sharapova-Bouchard match on Day 6. Along with that we expect to see Rafael Nadal
converting a penalty kick. Belgium’s Toby Alderweireld was judged to have handled Eddie Johnson’s left-wing cross into the penalty area. Dempsey drilled a shot into the low left corner for the goal. U.S. midfielder Stuart Holden made his first international appearance since 2010, replacing Sacha Kljestan with nine minutes left in regulation. Holden’s career had been stalled by three knee operations. He is not expected to be play in qualifiers, but could play a key role during the Gold Cup in July. Both teams used the game to prepare for important FIFA World Cup qualifiers next month. The U.S. will host Germany in its Centennial Match at RFK Stadium on Sunday, before playing in three CONCACAF hexagonal qualifiers in 12 days. The Americans, who are in third place and trail Panama and Costa Rica in the standings, visit Jamaica (June 7) and then host Panama (June 11 in Seattle) and Honduras (June 18 in Sandy, Utah). The Belgians (5-1-1) lead Croatia by goal difference in European Group A. They will host Serbia in a qualifier on June 7.
Rain delays, Djokovic dominates and Li Na is upset French Open Day 5
Rain stopped play pretty early on Thursday at the French Open, with a lot of matches still left to be completed including Maria Sharapova, who was up 6-2, 4-2 in her match when play was called. Novak Djokovic won his second round match with ease over Guido Pella 62, 6-0, 6-2, moving to the third round alongside Victoria Azarenka, Samantha Stosur, and Jelena Jankovic, who also won before the rain swept in.
Fruta Conquerors U-12 Football league pushed back for one week Torrential rains over the past few days have left the Tucville Ground in a sodden state and have forced Administrators of the Fruta Conquerors Football Club to postpone the kick off of the Fruta Conquerors Under-12 League which was to have kicked off at that venue tomorrow afternoon. The tournament will now kick off next Saturday and the fixtures have not been disrupted. Several teams have been invited to participate including Pele FC, Western Tigers FC, Santos FC, Fruta Conquerors FC, Renaissance FC, Alpha United FC, Riddim Squad FC, Northern Ranger FC, Camptown FC and the Georgetown Football Club. When the action gets underway on Saturday June 9, Santos will tackle Pele at
12:30hrs followed by Western Tigers up against Camptown. Then the Fruta Conquerors will match skills with Renaissance. Activities continue on Sunday June 9th with two matches; Northern Rangers takes Rhythm Squad from 09:30hrs followed immediately by Alpha up against the GFC. All matches will be played on weekends. The organisers are appealing to the members of the business community for support to make this tournament a success even as Executives of Fruta Conquerors continue in the drive of nurturing the youngsters for future representation. The winning team will receive a special prize while there will be incentives for the Most Valuable player, Best Goalkeeper and the Most Disciplined Player among others.
finally get to play his second round match against Martin Klizan while some third round matches will begin. Roger Federer is one of those, playing Julien Benneteau, as is Serena Williams, Gael Monfils and a great matchup between Gilles Simon and Sam Querrey.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Canelo Alvarez
Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez LAS VEGAS – Outside of the ring, boxers tend to be a sensitive lot. The slightest amount of criticism can send them off in a pique. Floyd Mayweather Jr., who has sat atop the boxing heap for better than a decade, has had more than his share of critics. But he got to stick it to those critics on Wednesday when Mayweather announced he’s going to fight Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 14 for the WBA/ WBC Super Welterweight titles at the MGM Grand Garden on Showtime pay-perview. Mayweather isn’t facing an old, faded fighter. Alvarez, despite 43 pro fights, won’t turn 23 until July and is 13 years younger than Mayweather. He won’t be fighting a guy moving up in weight, like he did when he bested Robert Guerrero on May 4. Alvarez is a natural Super Welterweight, and the twopound concession worked into the contract won’t have much of an impact on the bout. Though the Super Welterweight limit is 154
pounds, the fighters agreed that the limit at the weigh-in will be 152. To his credit, Alvarez said the two pounds were no problem and readily agreed. By taking on Alvarez, Mayweather isn’t facing a soft touch. Alvarez is 42-0-1 and, as he showed in an outstanding performance against Austin Trout on April 20, is not only one of the sport’s biggest draws; he’s one of its best fighters. He’s a top 20 pound-for-pound fighter, at worst, and some think he belongs near the bottom of the top 10. Leonard Ellerbe, the Chief Executive Officer of Mayweather Promotions and Mayweather’s biggest cheerleader, was a little over the top Wednesday when he said it is impossible for any active fighter to defeat Mayweather. Mayweather is the best fighter in the world, though Super Middleweight Andre Ward is gaining ground quickly. But it is hardly impossible for Mayweather to be beaten.
London Olympic organizers dish out surplus money London (Reuters) - The British Olympic Association (BOA) was given a 5.3million-pound ($8.01-million) windfall on Thursday after organizers of last year’s London Games reported a 30million surplus in their final accounts. Organizers LOCOG said they had achieved revenues of 2.41 billion pounds through private sector revenue programs over the company’s eight-year life, with costs contained at 2.38 billion. “One of our key objectives was to deliver an outstanding Games within a balanced budget and I am proud to say that we have
achieved this, thanks to the strong management of our core finances,” said LOCOG Chairman Sebastian Coe, who is now also chairman of the BOA. “It means we can make payments to the BOA and BPA (British Paralympic Association), allowing both organizations to move into their next round of Olympic and Paralympic commitments with some additional certainty,” added Coe, who was paid 535,000 pounds in the 18 months to October 2102. The BPA will get 2.6 million pounds. LOCOG said they would also pay
approximately 20 million to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to fulfill commitments under government grant agreements. The government separately provided almost nine billion pounds of public money to build the Olympic Park and provide security for venues in east London hosting the world’s biggest sporting event. Royalties of 1.3 million pounds received but not required to fund Games operations would be donated to legacy projects, LOCOG added. ($1 = 0.6616 British pounds)