Kaieteur News

Friday May 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 3

Diamond taxi driver’s bound Quartet accused of trafficking girls granted substantial bail body dumped in Enmore Residents of Logwood, Enmore, awoke yesterday morning to the shocking discovery of the bound body of Diamond taxi driver Rajendra Puran lying in a drain in their East Coast Demerara community.

The discovery was made around 06:30 hours when Joseph Badal went to collect his newspaper and saw the body lying in the drain in front of his house.

An alarm was raised and within minutes other residents converged on the scene to get a glimpse of the body.

The hands were bound with a leather belt while his feet were tied together with a piece of white cord.

Puran’s vest was tightly wrapped around his neck, giving investigators the initial impression that he was strangled, while his jersey was pulled over his face as if the killers wanted to prevent him from seeing where they were taking him.

Puran, who lived approximately 23 miles away, at Grove New Scheme, East Bank Demerara, is believed to be a victim of a carjacking from outside his operating base at the entrance to the Diamond New (Housing) Scheme, since his white Toyota Raum has also vanished.

Police in a short statement said that about 06:30 hours yesterday “the body of taxidriver Rajendra Puran, 41 years, of Grove, EBD, was found at Logwood, Enmore, ECD. His feet and hands were bound and there were marks of violence to his face.”

“Investigations so far have revealed that Rajendra Puran left his home last night with his motorcar HB 9875, a white Toyota Raum. The motor vehicle has not been recovered as yet,” the police said From all indications, Puran, a former money changer who operated on America Street in the city, was killed somewhere else and

then taken to Enmore where his body was dumped.

There are reports that he had picked up a passenger from Overhead Tank Street in Grove on the East Bank of Demerara, just before he went missing around 21:00 hours on Wednesday.

Residents of Enmore where the body was discovered told investigators that they heard nothing strange on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, since they claimed it was raining heavily.

However, investigators believe that the killers had to have some knowledge of the layout of Enmore, in order to successfully dump the body there without difficulty.

Robert Badal told this newspaper that he did not sense that anything was wrong when he got up to collect his paper which is usually placed on his fence by the newspaper vendor.

However, he did not see the papers at the usual place and only looked up and saw the newspaper vendor riding away.

Badal is convinced that the newspaper vendor saw the dead man and hurried away from the scene and left his papers on the neighbour’s fence.

“De paper man come and instead he lef me paper at de gate, he lef it over at de next yard, because like he see de man and get frighten. After I see he mek a dash out, I go at de gate and peep see how far he deh fuh ask he wha happen to me paper, when I do look, I see dis man lie down in de drain deh,” Badal told this newspaper.

“It scare me, yes. All me foot get weak, because fuh see something like dat early morning,” he added. Several persons converged on the scene, but none of them could identify the man when invited to do so by the police.

About an hour later, the police secured their first breakthrough when the dead man’s wife and other relatives

Dead: Rajendra Puran turned up to identify the body.

One of his brothers told Kaieteur News that he last saw him on Tuesday.

According to the brother, Puran’s wife contacted him with the news that the taxi driver did not come home on Wednesday night.

“I tried calling him on his phone too, but I wasn’t getting through,” the brother related.

He said that he went to Puran’s home and together with his wife, he went to the Golden Grove Police station where Puran was reported as missing.

The brother said that after leaving the station, they were heading to the Diamond car park when they received a telephone call that a body was found at Enmore, East Coast Demerara.

Although they decided to travel to the East Coast, the family was hoping that the body was not that of the missing taxi driver.

However when they reached the scene, they soon found out that the body which was lying under a sheet at the side of the road was indeed that of Rajendra Puran.

“We don’t have a clue about who did what or anything,” the brother said.

Police disclosed that a post mortem examination will be performed shortly.

Detectives remove Puran’s body from the drain in which it was dumped.

Four individuals accused of trafficking in persons were yesterday granted bail in substantial amounts when they appeared before Magistrate Hazel OctiveHamilton at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Of the quartet, three were charged with conspiring to traffic four females, while the fourth accused was charged with trafficking.

Thirty-four year-old Candace Abigail Anderson, of Middle Street, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, was slapped with two charges. It is alleged that on April 15 at New Amsterdam, Berbice, she engaged in trafficking four minor females into the interior, i.e, she recruited the girls by fraudulent means for the purpose of exploiting them.

The police are also alleging that between April 15 and 20 at Itaballi, Bartica, Anderson reportedly engaged in trafficking the four girls by transporting and harbouring them. She was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charges.

Anderson was represented by Defence Attorney Onika Archer, who stood in association with lawyers Peter Hugh and Latchmie Rahamat.

Archer told the court that her client is the owner of a General Store located in the backdam. She said that the accused has no previous or pending offences and that the only crime the woman may have committed was that she employed the underaged females.

Police prosecutor Tracymay Gittens did not oppose bail for the accused, but asked the court to grant same in a large sum.

Anderson was subsequently placed on a total of $500,000 bail - $250,000 on each of the charges.

The other three accused who were slapped with conspiracy charges were also not required to plead to the indictable charges.

Omefa Paul, 38, of Hadfield Street Georgetown, 17-year-old Stephan Andrew Frazer and Wesley Hart, 32, of Queenstown Village, Essequibo, were implicated in aiding in the illegal act reportedly committed against the teens.

The allegation is that between April 15 and April 20 at Itaballi, Bartica, the three persons, who were charged separately, conspired with Anderson to traffic the girls by means of fraud for the purpose of exploitation.

Paul was represented by Defence Attorney Shellon Boyce while Archer in association with Rahamat and Hugh, were documented as representatives for the other two alleged conspirators.

Paul was said to be the bartender and cook at Anderson’s establishment.

Boyce told the court that the woman had no convictions, previous or pending matters.

She requested bail in a reasonable sum. The magistrate granted bail to the tune of $250,000.

Stephan Frazer was said to be the son of Candace Anderson, and he resides at the same location with his mother. His lawyer argued that he is a young person and he has no previous or pending matters, thus he should be granted bail in a reasonable sum. Bail was set at $200,000.

Hart was identified by Archer as being a mechanic who repaired machinery in the interior. He has three children. He was ordered to pay $200,000 for his pre-trial liberty.

The four accused will return to court on May 17 and will appear before Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry.

This matter stems from an operation which was orchestrated by members of the Guyana Women Miners’ Organization and ranks of the Bartica Police Station in late April.

According to reports, the above mentioned entities

Trafficking accused Candace Abigail Anderson being escorted into court learnt of a sixteen-year-old girl who was reportedly lured into the interior by way of indicated financial gain. She reportedly escaped from the area where she was being held to perform sexual duties for male miners for monetary gain.

With the help of public spirited persons the girl managed to exit the interior and reported the matter.

A team of police ranks swooped down on the location and arrested four individuals. Three other girls were also reportedly rescued from the said location during the raid. They alleged that they were recruited to do jobs other than that which they were brought to do.

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Kaieteur News

Friday May 04, 2012

Letters... Where your views make the news

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

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

EDITORIAL

Media and Country US Ambassador to Guyana, Brendt Hardt, has reportedly complimented the government for opening up of the airwaves by granting eleven new radio licences.

However he advised that “this process comes under the purview of an impartial and transparent national broadcast authority.” We couldn’t agree more, and in fact, we hope that the criteria for such operations – which should cover all media operations – will be clearly articulated. Readers would know that this news organisation applied for a radio licence but has not been told why it was refused.

The Ambassador, however, also ventured to offer his views on the proposal, once popular in third world media circles, that the media should also take cognizance of its power to influence national development and to use its power to advance the latter. He felt this was the “job for elected representatives, working with the private sector and civil society.” He advised that the media focus on issues such as “citizens’ security, corruption or poverty or violence”.

But while this newspaper has taken the position articulated by the Ambassador – rather robustly, if we may say so – it would like to point out that the Ambassador’s opinions are reflective of the dominant view of his society and the other view cannot be dismissed out of hand without cogent reasons. We agree that media entities are important institutions in any society, not least of all in societies such as Guyana’s that are attempting to throw off centuries of underdevelopment.

It is undisputed that one of the primary reasons for underdevelopment of ex-colonial countries is the high level of illiteracy and superstition among the populace. The media, as a prime disseminator of information, is critical to assist in removing this handicap. Before summarily dismissing what is called ‘developmental journalism’ we can review what happened right here in Guyana during the seventies and the eighties when it swept the third world..

It was under such a perspective that the media here was nationalised by the then PNC administration and harnessed towards the goal of ‘national development’.

It was also then that the government established a specific agency to collect and disseminate information deemed helpful towards development. This agency eventually became the GINA that the opposition recently decapitated.

What happened almost simultaneously with its promulgation is that the government not only determined what was “helpful” to development, but also what was not helpful. And this was the fly in the ointment: government was the sole arbiter of these determinations.

The individuals that were appointed to execute these tasks were also all from the government and it was not surprising that very soon what was good for the government was equated with what was good for the country.

And here lies the greatest danger to the practice of “developmental journalism”. If it is to work, its monitors must be independent of the government.

In this vein, while we do not reject the idea that the media must be cognizant of and be sympathetic to national goals, we believe very firmly that any monitoring body must have representatives from the media organisations so that their points of view will be taken on board.

We are also of the view that while such a body must be self-regulatory, the parameters of its remit must be established after national consultations that take in the widest spectrum of views. Such a body, we believe, must be in a position to impose or recommend sanctions if the regulations are violated.

At this moment, the courts are engaged in reviewing one instance of a media outlet allegedly violating the “rules of the game”, so to speak. But because those rules were not formulated to universal acclaim, there is a strong body of opinion that the imposition of the sanction was arbitrary.

To summarise, our position on the suggestion that the media must adopt a “national” perspective on its coverage is that while the proposal has merit, we must ensure that neither the content of, nor the sanctions on, the media must be imposed by the government.

Disbursement from the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund

DEAR EDITOR, The government-owned Guyana Chronicle carried one article and one letter on 30 April, 2012 criticising Amerindian members of the National Assembly who voted to reduce those components of the Appropriations Bill linked to former President Jagdeo’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

The Chronicle items referred in particular to Sidney Allicock of Surama Village, also an APNU Member of Parliament.

Both Khemraj Ramjattan of the AFC and independent accountant Chris Ram pointed out the error of the Minister of Finance in the inclusion of LCDS projects into the main Appropriations Bill instead of placing them as conditional appropriations in accordance with Article 21 in the Financial Management and Accountability Act (Stabroek News, 26 April 2012, ‘AFC questions legality of unreleased $18B budgeted for LCDS; Stabroek News, 30 April 2012, ‘The $18.3B

which was cut from the LCDS needed to be covered by a conditional appropriation’).

It was thus entirely correct for members of the National Assembly to vote down the error of the Minister of Finance and to call for the use of the proper procedure.

The Guyana Chronicle also failed to notice that the Joint Concept Note (JCN) attached to the NorwayGuyana MoU and revised in March 2011 is explicit concerning the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) that ‘Transfer of funds takes place on approval by the GRIF Steering Committee, which consists of Guyana and Norway, with observers from Partner Entities [UNDP and the Inter American Development Bank], and Guyanese and Norwegian civil society’ (section 4, page 13, in the revised JCN).

This Steering Committee cannot approve money transfers from the GRIF until the Government of Guyana presents proposals of

acceptable quality which derive from the sketchy LCDS project outlines and which comply with the Partner Entities’ ‘own globally accepted operational procedures and safeguards’ (also on page 13 of the JCN).

Both Partner Entities have accepted the Combined Approach to environmental and social safeguards in the context of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and UN-REDD. In his statement about the GRIF to the National Assembly on 15 July 2010, the Minister of Finance said ‘Individual Government agencies are now moving to translate these outlines into detailed project plans’. That was 21 months ago.

As the Government of Guyana, including the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and the President’s Office of Climate Change, have produced only a few concept notes and proposals since then, and those mostly of abysmal quality and

relevance, only one project has so far been funded and that for the benefit of the Guyana Forestry Commission (US$ 3.6 million) and the Office of the President (US$ 3.3 million). This project was approved by the GRIF Steering Committee on 07 November 2011.

Two concept notes have been submitted to the GRIF in relation to Amerindian development. Land titling and demarcation was submitted by UNDP and the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and UNDP in January 2011.

The concept note for the Amerindian Development Fund was prepared by the Office of the President and/ or the Meridian Institute, apparently not by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, recently in March 2012.

The criticisms in the Guyana Chronicle of the named Amerindian MPs are misdirected and technically incorrect. Can we expect a retraction by the Guyana Chronicle?

Janette Bulkan

Nothing but hot air and a pander to supporters DEAR EDITOR, Unless the IDB intimated to President Donald Ramotar it was worried about the impact of the Budget cuts on the Amaila Falls HydroElectric project (AFHEP), then your news article, “Ramotar worried about IDB’s outlook on Budget cuts,” (May 3), appears to be a propaganda piece by the President aimed at making the PPP support base believe the parliamentary opposition is against the AFHEP or development in general.

Let records show that despite the regime’s constant carping about LCDS being somehow tied into the AFHEP, we see no direct financial sourcing linking the two. So this talk about ‘impact of the cut in the Budget on Guyana’s equity the (AFHEP)’ is pure balderdash!

LCDS started out in earnest following a report from the New York-based McKinsey consultancy group that Guyana could reap US$580M a year. That did not materialize.

Then Guyana signed an MOU with Norway for that country to pay us US$250M over five years, as part of LCDS. And contrary to dubious reports, that also has not materialized.

To me, LCDS should be DOA, but for government hooking it up to a life support machine called public funding.

AFHEP, on the other hand, started out with an estimated construction cost of about US$450M and has

ballooned ever since to US$840M without a single brick being laid.

After much bickering between the government and the IDB seemed to put the brakes on the project, then President Bharrat Jagdeo went to China in 2010 and signed for a loan reportedly worth US$500M towards the AFHEP. This is May 2012 and no work has started on the project itself. The IDB, which is still studying the feasibility of the project, is being asked to pony up US$175M for the AFHEP, while Sithe Global is expected to come up with US$152M and the Guyana Government is to fork over US$100M for the AFHEP. So there you have two separate projects with two separate sources of financing and the President is peddling unfounded fears about what the IDB would think or say about the Budget cuts that have nothing to do with the AFHEP! But the unfounded and baseless fears have a purpose: to send a message to the PPP support base that the parliamentary opposition is against development, so if there ever are snap elections, the support base has a reason to come out and vote PPP. I don’t care how much President Ramotar is being promoted as a breath of fresh air or as peachy clean (corruption-free) when compared to President Jagdeo, the truth of the matter is that he has not really

distinguished himself as different from or better than his predecessor when it comes to winning public confidence in his astute leadership of a racially divided nation seeking to change the way government does business.

Can you imagine a PPP operative, Ms. Bibi Shadick, going into West Coast Berbice and telling PPP supporters to get ready for snap elections that could happen at a moment’s notice?

If not for purely racial pandering reasons, why didn’t she do the same thing in Georgetown or Linden?

And she couldn’t have done this without the President’s knowledge!

Kaieteur News has been leading the media charge exposing the PPP regime for myriad types of corruption, most of it of a serious criminal nature, and for this reason I want to encourage KN to help separate propaganda from principle in the news.

I read Mr. Adam Harris’s current column, “The Budget cuts will not have the proclaimed impact,” and I

agree with the tenor of his contention, which is why I do find the President’s politically-inspired concerns about the IDB’s take on the cuts curiously disturbing.

Of the $21B cut from the proposed $192B Budget, some $18B was cut from the LCDS, a project that is supposed to generate financing from overseas and managed by the Office of Climate Change located in Office of the President.

But besides establishing that there is no real financial link between LCDS and AFHEP, I would like KN to help shed light on how many persons actually work on LCDS and what each earns per month, just to determine how many jobs will be lost, and at what labour cost, as a result of this $18B cut to LCDS. Second, I would like KN to help the public determine what LCDS-related projects and programmes the government spent $14B on last year, because that money was allocated in the 2011 Budget in anticipation of the US$70M from Norway being (Continued on page 7)

A much needed publication DEAR EDITOR, I would like to commend the Ministry of Home Affairs for publishing the list of ticketable offences for drivers.

It is something the driving public - excluding those crazy, stupid arrogant minibus and taxi drivers - needed for a long time as a shield from those money gouging,

unscrupulous, corrupt traffic police officers.

Every INNOCENT driver should keep a copy in his car and no longer fear the. “Drive to de station” and “You pun $5000 bail” threats. Please continue with more public education efforts. Too long overdue.

Montgomery A. Chester

Friday May 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 5

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

Is the church in Guyana dead?

DEAR EDITOR, Let me begin by saying that I am huge supporter of the church in Guyana, and that I want to see it succeed.

But I have been waiting to see if the church in Guyana is still alive. When I read the newspapers, I saw no sign of life in the church.

When I read that several boys were allegedly being sexually molested, I wait for a response from the church. All I got from the church was silence. When I read about Commissioner Henry Greene’s moral failure and refusal to step down, I waited for a response from the church. Still I only get silence.

When I read of the injustice done against the poor, I waited for the church to give a public response, I still received silence. When I read about several women being physically abused, I waited for a response from the church. They continued to remain silent. What is the

church doing about domestic violence, racism, injustice, and the triumph of evil?

Someone once wrote, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Do the Christian Churches in Guyana care about others? Does it care about victims of domestic violence and poverty? Is the church not speaking out against domestic violence because it is not being affected by domestic violence or injustice? If this is the case, I assure you (church members) your day is coming when it will affect you.

Let me illustrate this point with a true story from history, someone wrote these words, “First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the

trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”

When those little boys were being sexually abused, the church did not speak out because it was not their children. When those women were being abused, the church did not speak out because it wasn’t their members.

When the impoverished and needy were taken advantage of, the church did not speak out because they were not in need of help .

Is the church in Guyana going to wait until it is the victims before it speaks out?

I am asking a clergy or lay person for an answer to my question: Is the church in Guyana dead? I don’t want to pass judgement on the church members without giving them an opportunity to share with me their opinions.

Anthony Pantlitz

APNU and AFC must pass electoral reforms before the snap elections DEAR EDITOR, With the PPP moving into election mode following the trimming of the 2012 national budget in parliament by the majority opposition, it is imperative that the APNU and AFC immediately pass electoral reforms aimed at restoring democracy to Guyana.

And for those political leaders who fail to see the writing on the wall just ask the ordinary man in the street what they think of President Ramotar’s address to the nation on 4-27-12, Mr Leslie Ramsammy’s letter, “Is this what AFC supporters voted for,” (SN 04-30-12), Mr Ganga Persaud’s pitch to Amerindians in Region Nione on 05-01-12, and Mr Ralph Ramkarran’s renewed interest in the PPP nomination.

They will tell you that the PPP has begun to galvanise its base and is going all out to win back those supporters who caused it to lose the parliament in the November 2011 elections. A snap election will be called.

Should the opposition fail to implement electoral reforms Guyana will be doomed to dictatorship no matter which party wins the

snap elections because our electoral system was designed to foster and maintain dictatorial politics.

The list system, in which the List Representative selects Members of Parliament, and the Jagdeo/Corbin recall legislation that empowers the List Representative to remove MPs at his/her pleasure are nothing but legalized dictatorship, and are a huge disincentive to the PPP and the PNC to become democratic parties.

Undemocratic parties transpose their political culture to Government.

The list system and the recall legislation must be scrapped and replaced with the first past the post system in which politicians must contest seats in specific constituencies, they cannot be removed from parliament by their parties but only in a by election, and they are free to vote as their conscience guides them and not at the

dictates of their parties.

Members of Parliament will vote in their constituents’ interest and not that of the party boss.

This system will empower the Guyanese people and not the political parties.

Due to our continued ethnic suspicions and divisions that in turn has led to ethnic voting patterns, and given our paucity of human capital, the constitution must be reformed to include all parties in the executive branch of government.

The party with the largest bloc in parliament gets to appoint a Prime Minister and Cabinet, the second party gets to appoint a nonexecutive President, and the third party appoints the Finance Minister as well as the Home Affairs Minister.

Neither the Prime Minister, President, nor cabinet appointees can members of parliament but they are all (Continued on page 7)

Defining the deafening silence of the GPA on attack of State media DEAR EDITOR, An interesting scenario currently exists in the local press corps today. While some media workers on the lower level pat their GINA colleagues on the back in sympathy and whisper their support, they have to be careful their seniors don’t see them do this.

In a country where the private media constantly bemoan the lack of press freedom, there is the freedom to condemn the work of their fellow professionals who work with the state, and openly support the parliamentary opposition as they try to muzzle the state’s press corps.

If this is not freedom of expression, then what is? It boggles the mind that the Guyana Press Association (GPA) is ready, willing and eager to jump on the bandwagon at the slightest sign of a perceived slight of a private media worker or entity, but refuse to look in the direction of a government worker.

This is not surprising since the GPA has never regarded a state media worker as a mainstream professional.

Yet it would accept those same workers as professionals when they leave their government jobs and join the private media corps. Same person, same qualifications but only recognised when working with the private media!

Why then, if the state media is not recognised as comprising legitimate media professionals, was GINA condemned for not speaking out on the suspension of CNS

6? Did the GPA acknowledge then that GINA was legitimately a member of the local press corps? And now they are not when they are under attack?

The entrenched position of the GPA is that the state media, specifically GINA, does not consist of professional media workers, therefore has no need of support from the GPA. Only when its workers join the private media corps, will they be protected.

Additionally, the GPA is bent on ensuring that the state media is muzzled, giving total control of the media to the main opposition political parties, thus effectively killing once again, press freedom as was the case in the last administration.

This will leave the nation at the mercy of the proopposition media houses with no input from the Government creating a situation of no balanced coverage of news and issues, and no choice for persons to select what they want to see and hear. It has been clearly demonstrated time and again, that the private media houses are almost 100% politically biased on the side of the opposition, with some bullishly refusing to recognise the right of the Government to have a communications department like any other governments of

the world.

A brief description of that agency which exists in the United States says that The White House Communications Agency (WHCA) is dedicated to providing premier, worldwide, vital information services and communications support to the president and his staff.

The White House Director of Communications, is part of the senior staff of the US President, and is responsible for developing and promoting the agenda of the President and leading its media campaign, and ensures that the administration’s message has been delivered successfully.

The communications office also works closely with cabinet level departments and other executive agencies in order to create a coherent strategy through which the President’s message can be disseminated.

The WHCA works in direct support of the president, the vice president, and senior White House staff. The mandate of the WHCA is clearly the same as GINA and possibly of all the others around the world. Why then does the Guyana Press Association and the Opposition seek to shut this agency down?

It really boggles the mind at the rationale displayed here!

Rupert Singh

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Kaieteur News

Friday May 04, 2012

Lawlessness in the ‘gold bush’…

Police conducting a search at one of the camps

By Leonard Gildarie In its strongest campaign yet, government has announced plans to continue indefinitely its countrywide offensive on illegal mining, with a number of charges being laid since the operations started a few weeks ago.

During a press conference yesterday, authorities said that during ‘Operation El Dorado’, as the exercise is known, it found numerous breaches of “Cease Work” Orders; illegal working of river banks and buffer areas; no production books or failure to write-up daily production records; working on prospecting permits and working without certificate of

registration. Several illegal guns were also seized.

“The operation will expand collaboration with the Guyana Police Force and will conduct inspection and monitoring in all the areas where small and medium scale mining is occurring including Mazaruni, Cuyuni, North West District, Potaro, and Rupununi among others,” warned Minister of Natural Resource and the Environment, Robert Persaud. That new ministry is in charge of the mining sector.

The press conference was held at the offices of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, Office of the President. Also there were

Karen Livan, Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC); Rickford Vieira, Deputy Commissioner; Chairman, Major General (rtd) Joseph Singh and Patrick Harding, President of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association.

According to the officials, illegal mining is tantamount to raiding of claims, which is a serious offence.

ENVIRONMENTAL DANGER Among the problems found were issues of unregistered dredges/mining operations, unlicenced dredge operation, working on a mining property without permission from the property

Several Brazilians and others were recently detained during a major crackdown by the local authorities to stamp out illegal mining activities. holder and GGMC, working in buffer zones or on river banks, working on Prospecting Permit Medium Scale (PPMS), working without certificate of registration and transporting gold without permission to convey.

GGMC officials and the police were involved in the raids to the mining camps.

“Further, illegal mining is the biggest threat to Guyana’s LCDS. Guyana loses millions of dollars in revenue annually since most of the gold produced is smuggled out of Guyana; mining, environmental and other regulations are disregarded, (and) illegal mining also fosters other illegal activities such as drug

trade, illegal firearms and ammunition, prostitution and trafficking in persons,” the Minister disclosed.

There have been numerous complaints over time about the perceived lawlessness within the gold mining sector. There has also been a marked increase in murders in the hinterland and reports of a number of illegal guns being seized. In addition to this were growing concerns about the number of Brazilians said to be illegally mining in Guyana, with millions lost because of nonpayment of taxes and other fees.

It has not been easy for the GGMC, as the mining regulator, to monitor miles of

GGMC officials during an inspection at a mining camp

harsh terrain.

Coupled with this is the problem of porous borders which allow easy movement in and out of the country.

The troubles have risen significantly amidst high gold prices on the world market.

There have also been questions about government’s commitment to tackle the mounting issues within the mining sector because of its lucrative nature it has been attracting a growing number of workers, even to the detriment of the logging industry.

Additionally, illegal mining is also targeted to ensure compliance within the sector, the mining officials (Continued on page 9)

Friday May 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Letters... Where your views make the news

Winston Brassington must come clean

DEAR SIR, I refer to your article titled “There is some concern over engineering services for Amalia road” in Sunday April 28th edition of Kaieteur News.

In the article Walter Willis states that the Ministry of Public Works had nothing to do with the road design. The article goes on to state that Willis noted that Motilall was responsible for designing sections one to five of the road.

Accepting it was Motilall’s responsibility to design the road one must understand that the parameters that Motilall used in his design were given in “Exhibit C, to the Design and Build Contract for Access Road and Clearing Works” in a document titled “REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS— AMAILA FALLS ROAD R E H A B I L I T AT I O N / TRANSMISSION LINE CLEARING PROJECT” Prepared by National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited and dated December 2009.

It is in “Exhibit C” that a travel way width of five metres and permitted steepness up to 20% for the road is specified and Motillall used these specifications to design the road. Motilall is therefore blameless for this error.

On September 11, 2011 Sunday Stabroek News stated that the “Guidelines for design of Amaila Falls road poorly done——review— experts call for urgent change” While we have been told that the Ministry of Public Works had nothing to do with the road design the public has NOT been informed who advised the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited on the Guidelines for design of Amelia Falls which included an acceptable travel way width of five metres and permitted steepness up to 20% for the road. Mr. Brassington needs to come clean on this.

Mr Willis also states that

SRKN’Gineering identified the design flaw and brought it to the attention of Sithe Global which in turn sought a second opinion from the Trinidadian (consulting engineers) company BBFL Caribbean Ltd. Examine the time line.

SRKN’Gineering was awarded a supervision contract during the first half of 2010. Its first task would be to review the design parameters. It was therefore engaged in supervising the project for more than a year before BBFL Caribbean Ltd submitted its report in July 2011.

Are we to believe SRKN’Gineering advised Sithe Global about the design flaws in mid 2010 and it took Sithe Global a year plus to seek a second opinion on such a vital issue? Keep in mind Motilall’s contract was for eight months and theoretically construction

could have been completed before the error was discovered!

I don’t’ think so. I rather feel that what was reported in Stabroek News on September 11 is closer to the truth. This report states that the Chinese Dam Contractor discovered the design flaws in early 2011 and informed Sithe Global that if the road was constructed with these flaws it will be unsuitable. Sithe Global then sought a second opinion which indicated that SRKN’Gineering erred in its review of the original designs.

Is SRKN’Gineering now capable of designing the road for Section 7? Maybe. It may have hired competent designers to complete this task. If on the other hand it is fielding the same old team that erred in the design review then the Guyana Government may be in for unpleasant surprises.

Name Withheld

APNU and AFC must...

Frompage 5 accountable to parliament.

The second and third parties get to elect the opposition leader.

Such a new constitution, electoral system, and government will dampen the desire of political parties to control the Guyana Elections Commission and that in turn will allow GECOM to blossom

into an impartial and professional institution. The new electoral system will negate GECOM taking one week to recount the votes at its head office. Results will be declared at each constituency a few hours after the close of poll as is done in India, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Barbados.

Malcolm Harripaul

Nothing but hot air...

From page 4 released to Guyana and it was not released.

It can now be argued that because of this failure to replenish the treasury with the $14B spent and also because of a lack of full accountability on what the $14B was spent on last year,

that the parliamentary opposition refused to approve the government’s request for a fresh $18B in this year’s Budget, with no assurances of foreign monies coming in this year for LCDS. Keep up the good work!

Emile Mervin

Page 7

Brazen bandits rob E’bo goldsmith over $2M An early morning robbery on popular goldsmith, Pegeshwar, also known as ‘Peggy’, of Good Hope, Essequibo Coast, has left the man $2M poorer.

Raw silver and cell phones were reportedly stolen during the brazen act executed by two unmasked men.

The robbery occurred around 05:30hrs yesterday. Relating the frightening ordeal, Peggy’s wife, who preferred to speak in anonymity, said that she learnt of the attack on her husband while she was in the city.

She explained that her husband was at home at the time when he received a phone call with an order for the design of two gold rings. She added the two men who previously called with the order then turned up at her

gate. She said her husband went out to talk to the men, who were pretending to be customers. After he opened the gate and was heading back into the yard to collect his scale and book, one of the men choked him.

She said that she learnt that the men then proceeded to duct tape her husband then beat him about his body.

The woman said that the men ransacked the house, broke a wardrobe, before carting away $2M in cash and jewellery and a quantity of raw silver and cell phone.

The police were later called in and accompanied the goldsmith to the Suddie Public Hospital where a medical examination was done. Police are engaging the report as investigations continue.

Inmate suffers broken arm after beating by Prison Officer A convicted prisoner at the Camp Street jail is nursing a broken left arm, compliments of an overzealous prison officer.

Dwayne Harris, who is serving time for armed robbery, was beaten with a piece of wood by the officer during a minor confrontation in the prison yard last Sunday.

To compound matters, his hand was only placed in a cast yesterday after it was observed that Harris’ injury was worsening.

Speaking with this newspaper yesterday at the Georgetown Hospital, Harris explained that on Sunday, last, a prisoner’s request to use the toilet was denied by an officer. The prisoner he said protested and refused to go back to his cell as he was instructed to do by the officer.

This angered the officer, who used his whistle to alert other guards to the situation.

According to Harris, he was standing outside his cell when the other guards, using batons, pounced upon a group of inmates including him.

He was initially struck on his finger and when he complained to a senior prison official, no satisfaction was given. In fact he was struck again by one of the guards, this time the blow shattered his elbow.

He said that it was a cadet officer who actually “rescued” him and took him to the infirmary to be treated.

But apart from a few pain tablets, Harris said he received no further treatment from the prison medex who told him that he had not suffered any serious injury.

But days went by and the discomfort worsened.

Harris was taken to the hospital on Wednesday where his injured arm was x-

rayed. But prison officials did not tell him about the results.

Yesterday, the arm began showing signs of being infected forcing prison authorities to take him back to the hospital where he was finally informed that he had a broken elbow.

“De prison ain’t paying no attention to we in deh when we get injure or sick.

Imagine I had to beg them fuh some pain tablets this afternoon,” Harrris told this newspaper.

Several prisoners have complained about the lack of or limited medical attention they receive in prison.

In some cases some have died, allegedly as a result of inadequate medical attention.

Page 8

Kaieteur News

Trinidad PM dismisses rumours of a split in her cabinet Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar told reporters Wednesday all members of her cabinet are committed to the concept of collective cabinet responsibility and have reaffirmed their desire to work together to take the government’s agenda forward.

She interrupted a cabinet meeting to brief the media about discussions with her team and dismissed rumours that she had fired Congress of the People (COP) Leader Prakash Ramadhar.

“No minister has been fired; no minister will be fired, no minister has resigned and no minister has indicated any resignation,” she declared.

Persad-Bissessar said, “I understand there are rumours circulating pertaining to the

dismissal of a minister but that was not the intention of today’s (Wednesday’s) meeting.

She said she called the special cabinet meeting to assess the government’s two years in office and make plans for the third year, which she said will concentrate on even greater delivery and stronger representation.

The Prime Minister said the third year of the People’s Partnership mandate is critically important. She added that after two years the key players have greater experience and are going to be in a better position to deliver services to the people.

She repeated her mantra that the government remains committed to “serve the people, serve the people,

Kamla Persad-Bissessar serve the people”.

She reiterated that all members of the cabinet participated fully in the meeting and there are no plans to make any cabinet changes.

She explained that people may have started the speculation because of the kind of political culture to which they had become accustomed.

(Jyoti Communication)

CARICOM Observer team for Bahamas elections The Guyana-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat said that a 12-member CARICOM team will observe Monday’s general election in the Bahamas. It said that the team from 10 member CARICOM

countries and the Secretariat will be led by the Director of Elections in Jamaica, Orrette Fisher, as well as Gasper Jn. Baptiste, the Deputy Chief Elections Officer in St. Lucia.

The two officials have already arrived in the Bahamas and they will be joined by the rest of the team today.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said this is the first time ever that general elections are being observed by missions from the United States of America and from the Organisation of American States. The US Mission comprises 36 observers. The OAS Observer Mission comprises 16 representatives from a number of member

Friday May 04, 2012

Thomas should step down, ‘avoid disgraceful end’ – regional pollster ST.GEORGE’S, Grenada CMC - The regional pollster and political scientist Peter Wickham said yesterday Grenada’s Prime Minister Tillman Thomas should resign to avoid a disgraceful end to a political career in jeopardy and suggested voters see him as a liability to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

Wickham said the Prime Minister risks losing a confidence vote in parliament called by the main opposition New National Party (NNP) for some time this month.

“My feeling is that it would be incumbent on him to just give up the reins of government not to face going down in a vote of no confidence but to at least exit gracefully and at least save a certain level of integrity and

Peter Wickham also save the NDC to see if it can fight another day” said Wickham who carried out the last poll for the NDC, currently riven with internal strife.

Wickham said his recent findings suggest voters do not have confidence in his leadership and that going into a parliamentary noconfidence vote while at the

helm would be very unwise.

“The reality is I don’t see him being able to win the next elections. This idea of going to face a vote of no confidence I think is highly unwise. I don’t see who benefits from him going into parliament and losing that vote of no confidence on the floor of the house,” said Wickham.

A week-long flurry of charge and counter-charge among party leaders, claims of conspiracy and open verbal warfare among ministers in his cabinet has so far resulted in the resignation of a senior minister and the sacking of a junior minister.

The NDC is preparing for a crucial convention scheduled for next Tuesday, a full year ahead of the due date for general elections.

Global rights watchdog says journalists face increased threats in Cuba

Orrette Fisher states including Guatemala, Colombia, Antigua and Barbuda, the USA, Canada, Argentina, Grenada, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Switzerland, Peru, and Barbados.

At least three political parties including Ingraham’s ruling Free National Movement (FNM); the main opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Democratic National Alliance are contesting the 38 seats at stake in the polls. (CMC)

LONDON - CMC - The global human rights watchdog, Amnesty International, used yesterday’s World Press Freedom Day to highlight what it said were increased threats and intimidation facing independent journalists and bloggers in Cuba for publishing information critical to the authorities.

“The ‘Hablemos Press’ Information Centre, an unofficial news agency monitoring human rights abuses across Cuba, has reported that for a year ending in March, more than 75 independent journalists have been detained, “some, like Caridad Caballero Batista up

to 20 times”, Amnesty International said in a statement.

“After the mass release of prisoners of conscience in 2011, we have seen authorities harpening their strategy to silence dissent by harassing government critics and independent journalists with short term detentions and

public acts of repudiation,” added Gerardo Ducos, Cuba expert with Amnesty International.

For Cuban journalist and blogger Luis Felipe Rojas, the human rights watchdog said posting an entry on his blog, “Crossing the Wire Fences,” or even sending an email is “a daunting task”.

Opposition calls for new parliament building Member of Parliament, Karl Samuda has described as disgraceful the facilities in which legislators meet to conduct the nation’s business.

Samuda said it is now time that government take a serious look at relocating the Houses of Parliament.

Samuda made his comments during a sitting of the Special Tax Committee of Parliament, which considered the green paper on tax reform, Wednesday in Gordon House.

His comments were prompted by an announcement by the chairman of the committee, Dr. Peter Phillips that no refreshments would

be served as the parliament was without water.

Samuda urged Dr. Phillips to use his influence as Finance Minister to have a new parliament building constructed.

Dr. Phillips acknowledged that the state of the parliament was embarrassing, especially since it was only meant to be temporary accommodations, when the parliament moved into the building 50 years ago.

However, he said the government must work to fix the country’s finances before approving a new building as parliamentarians could appear self-serving.

(Jamaica Gleaner)

Friday May 04, 2012

Guyanese are masters of making excuses. Whatever their failings, it is often impossible for a Guyanese to admit that they lost, were illprepared, or that their opponent was better.

One time a Guyanese was soundly beaten in a boxing match and when asked the reason for failing, the fighter complained that it was the food that was provided.

It is hard to beat a Guyanese when it comes to excuses. And judging from the reasons which have been provided by the opposition for slashing the 2012 Budget, that reputation is not in any trouble of being lost.

The opposition seems to have a bag into which they can freely dip to come up with excuses to justify the cuts to the 2012 Budget. First, it was about ‘fat cats’ and trimming excessive spending. Then it was about restraining executive lawlessness. Then it was about the failure of the government to be flexible.

When that was

Kaieteur News

debunked, the excuse came about that the cuts were really about exercising leverage, about showing who is the boss. Later, it was because the government said “heh” (take this) and the opposition responded with “heh back”.

By next week, it will be about saving Guyana from communism.

The excuses are coming fast and furious.

What we have is an opposition that really is unsure, even about its own motives. It is acting out of instinct, and the budget cuts seem driven by an instinct to punish the government.

What the opposition is showing is not just their true colours. What they are showing is their inability to understand their roles as parliamentarians. What they are demonstrating to us is that they can use their razorslim majority not just to impose austerities on workers, but also what is possible should they ever be handed executive power in

Guyana.

Instead of using their majority to establish that they can be trusted with executive power, the opposition is doing the exact opposite.

They have shown that they do not understand their role, the budget process, and that they have no proper answers to the country’s problems.

Opposition politics in the new parliament should not be about getting even. It should not be about bitchy politics.

The opposition has to show it is above these things; that it can rise above these base instincts and not become stuck in the politics of reprisal.

Its next stop is reportedly to reduce the benefits given to former presidents. But the real objective seems to be the package of benefits offered to President Bharrat Jagdeo.

The opposition, however, seems to be overlooking certain things. For one, there is nothing special about these benefits compared with what former presidents receive in

Charges laid as raids reveal...

(From page 6) said yesterday.

“For Guyanese, all they need to do is to get the dredge/equipment registered to work on a claim; get mining privileges for their crew and get the documents endorsed by the claim/permit holder.

For foreigners, a work permit from the Ministry of Home Affairs is required before a Certificate of Registration is issued by GGMC.” SECURITYTHREAT Both the Minister and GGMC yesterday stressed the growing security concern over the proliferation of illegal guns and ammunition; illicit drugs; money laundering and trafficking in persons.

Over the past five years, there have been reported increases in criminal activities in mining areas, the Minister said.

“Widespread illegal mining has serious

environmental implications which include uncontrolled and widespread deforestation, damage to river banks, which is the breeding ground for most fish species, dumping of mining waste (tailings) into waterways, burning mercury amalgam without retorts, lack of toilet facilities, widespread dumping of domestic waste, poor sanitary conditions and mining in protected areas.”

Regarding illegal Brazilians and other foreigners, the GGMC said it will work closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Brazilian Embassy to ensure that these nationals have valid work permits and are fully aware of the rules and guidelines of the mining sector.

“Hence, the Embassy and the GGMC will prepare an information booklet in Portuguese to assist

Brazilians within the mining sector. The GGMC in collaboration with the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) and other relevant stakeholders will continue pursuing activities to enforce compliance of the mining and other relevant regulations with an aim to regularise mining and maintaining sustainability of the sector,” GGMC said.

The officials also warned that failure to comply with regulations could result in prosecution; the seizure of equipment and minerals produced and the closing down of operations, and the payment of penalties and fines.

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood

Page 9

other countries. The pension paid to former presidents under the new law is a fraction of their salary at the time they left office. It is not a new salary. And it is not in the case of Bharrat Jagdeo, three million dollars, as is so mischievously peddled in sections of the media.

There are other benefits which the opposition may be placing a dollar figure to, but since their math is suspect; one has to be careful with the figure they arrive at.

Any self- respecting nation should take care of its former presidents. If you cannot, you do not deserve any respect internationally.

It must also be recalled that when the Bill was passed to legislate those benefits, there was also a revision of the benefits to the Leader of the Opposition. So are the opposition parties going to also slash the benefits paid to the Leader of the Opposition?

We are hearing a lot about the benefits to former

presidents, but nothing about the benefits paid to the office of the leader of the opposition.

If both offices received increased benefits around the same time, why slash one and not the other? How come the office of the leader of the opposition can be entitled to certain benefits, including gardener and maid, and yet those very benefits are likely to be cut if the opposition has their way when it come to the former presidents?

The truth is that the opposition parties with their one-seat majority cannot touch the benefits paid to former president Bharrat Jagdeo. Those benefits are enshrined in law and created a legitimate expectation in respect to property for the former president. No new law can be applied retroactively to slash the guarantees offered under a previous law.

What this means is that any changes to the law dealing with benefits for retired presidents is going to

affect future presidents and not President Jagdeo, who cannot be denied what has already been approved, since this would be tantamount to deprivation of property, which is prohibited under the constitution.

Furthermore, the opposition is free to pass whatever motion or law they please. However, once it is not assented to by the president, it has no legal effect.

All the opposition is showing by this desire to overturn the benefits for the former president is that it is capable of gutter politics, because that is all the proposal to amend the benefits of the former president is. It is gutter politics.

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Friday May 04, 2012

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Intoxication with power destroys rationality The world is old. A few thousand years. The lessons to be learnt are enormous.

But we humans don’t want to see. Power blinds us. In leadership, power becomes an invulnerable enemy. The brew of power destroys an oligarch’s capacity to grasp reality.

When tyrants rule over a long period of time, all they can understand is that their grip is tight and strong and no one can unravel it.

In the mind of the fallen Arab leaders, particularly, Mubarak and Gaddafi, it was unthinkable to lose power. As the protests boiled over, there were no signs of brinkmanship. It was not possible in the minds of these tyrants, because power had destroyed the ability to understand changing reality.

In Guyana, after twenty years in which every conceivable violation was practiced with immunity, the PPP has become a prisoner of its own insane imagination.

Torture, imprisonment, killings, unlawful arrest, peremptory dismissal of employees, incredible corruption, horrible mistreatment of citizens, contempt for laws, the media, unions, civil society organizations, just to name a few in the arsenal of depraved power, have gone on in Guyana without protest or confrontation.

As tyrants get away with their excesses, their minds come to accept invincibility, omnipotence and divine rule.

If there is any organization that feels that it cannot be chased away from power, it is

the PPP in Guyana.

From the top leaders right down to the aspiring ones, these people believe in their minds that Moses Nagamootoo is a fool and he didn’t do a damn thing to shape the results of the last election. Every PPP leader at the top of the pyramid has emblazoned their mind with a one-dimensional explanation as to the outcome of the 2011 results – Indian people, particularly in Berbice, were so happy and content with the achievements of the PPP that they felt the PPP would always win so they did bother to vote.

Make no mistake about it; that silly, insipid notion the PPP leaders truly believe. Out of this phantasmagoria of fiction, they are going to call another general election very

soon. The opposition cannot stop it. The process will be lawful and proper. GECOM will be asked to conduct another poll. GECOM will forward a note of the funds that are required. The money will come from the Ministry of Finance.

GECOM will meet and the opposition will demand that it refuse to hold the election until fundamental restructuring of GECOM takes place. The vote will be three versus three with the Chairman voting to have the poll.

It will be up to the two opposition parties to decide if to boycott or participate.

The logical action, given Guyana’s ongoing political tragedy, would be not to take part unless Guyana’s constitution is changed and

Guyanese among two sentenced for bilking Canadian telecoms firm Ontario, Canada -Two men who pleaded guilty to a $230,000 fraud scheme were handed conditional sentences with house arrest on Wednesday.

Quinton Sharp, 43, formerly of Toronto, and Parmanand Persaud, 41, formerly of Guyana, both admitted to the scheme where they bilked the major

telecommunications company, Telus, out of the money.

Sharp was given a 15month conditional sentence while Persaud received a 12month conditional sentence.

Both men have a restitution order to pay the money back.

The court heard it was Sharp, a former employee and

real estate manager for Telus, who was the instigator in the scheme. He wrote 21 cheques over a length of time drawn off the company’s bank account that was set up to pay for maintenance projects.

Sharp’s neighbour, Persaud, ran a small construction and maintenance business at the

time and he would place the cheques through his business account, even though no work was ever done. He would then split the proceeds with Persaud.

The company’s internal investigator informed the Barrie Police Department’s fraud unit and, following a two-month investigation, (Continued on page 12)

GECOM is rearranged. But if the AFC and APNU contest, the PPP again will lose. One believes that based on this anticipation, the AFC and APNU will go ahead.

That will be a mistake, but let us speculate why the PPP will lose. First, there is no reason to assume that sugar workers would have changed their minds since November last year. In fact, their negative attitude towards the PPP has worsened.

Secondly, despite what Khemraj Ramjattan thinks, the PPP will go with Ramotar. He is not a winnable candidate.

Sam Hinds, Roger Luncheon and other unacceptable personalities on the PPP list will be made into mincemeat by the opposition.

Thirdly, all the weaknesses that AFC and APNU had in the last campaign will be corrected.

The AFC didn’t have good management of their campaign last year. They did not concentrate on Region Three. Essequibo was not properly embraced.

This time one suspects that Nagamootoo will be their presidential candidate, with the hugely popular Nigel

Frederick Kissoon Hughes in the PM slot. The AFC is going to dent the PPP even further. APNU knows that it did not go all the way to get out the vote in Region Four. I believe a large chunk of those 130,000 absentees are APNU people. This time, APNU will have no choice but to work those numbers tirelessly so they can come out.

The air is still stink and thick with the nastiness of power over the last twenty years. The PPP has nothing going for it. My contestation is that the PPP got 49 percent because it used state resources insanely and that gave the party at least a ten percent advantage over the AFC and APNU. That 49 percent was made possible by the mistakes of the opposition too. Tyrants never learn. Naked power prevents them from so doing

Dem boys seh...

Cabinet cheap and de police force get wutless Some people can really go to great lengths to show that things really bad. Dem had Cabinet meeting Wednesday.

Dem boys know that every Cabinet meeting does got food and drinks. If is a short meeting is snacks and then a meal when it done.

If is a long meeting is two meal. When de budget cut dem boys expect that de meal woulda cut but dem didn’t know that de cut was suh deep. Wednesday was Cabinet meeting and de Cabinet serve water and wasn’t even bottle water. De water come from de pipe.

When Beri Beri ask why pipe water that can give people belly wuk, Uncle Donald tell he that is only one dollar Ohh Pee get in de budget and that he got to spend wha de dollar can buy. Gail ask he if he couldn’t buy some saltfish and she would mek de bake. Jenny de West claim how chowmein more cheap and that she coulda boil some veggie chowmein.

Irfaat couldn’t even bother because he and Clement lef de place and go to Kam Boat, a Chinee shop, and had a powerful meal of chicken fry rice wid a serving of roast pork.

And Fip laughing. He still vex wid Uncle Donald fuh tekking back de contract. He claim how if he still had de contract he coulda give dem some of de money to help dem out.

Ohh Pee ain’t de only place wheh things scarce. All dem Minister stop hold press conference. Dem use to provide a snack. That and all cut, but is not because dem budget cut.

Is because dem realize that de less dem spend is de more dem got to thief. De thiefing scale back, because de opposition questioning everything.

And since Henry lef de police force a lot of things happening. Dem boys been to de Officers’ Mess de other night and dem had to call out de guard. Dem ketch a male Cadet Officer in a funny position wid a male recruit.

When Brumell ask dem why de slackness, dem claim how a law pass that allow such a thing. Brumell call de DPP who now calling Henry fuh resolve de issue. That is why de man get sick de other day. Brumell now telling everybody that de two men trying to prevent he appointment because is a shameful thing and people gun claim how it happen on he watch.

Talk half and pray fuh de rest.

Friday May 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Gold miner stabbed to death in apartment A 43-year-old gold miner was found murdered in his apartment shortly after lunch yesterday when worried relatives went looking for him.

Bryan Dickson, also known as ‘Son Son’ and ‘Peck’ of East Street, Cummingsburg, was found gagged and lying on his back in his bedroom with over 20 stab wounds about the body.

A pair of scissors found nearby was presumed to be the murder weapon. There was no sign of forced entry to the residence. Dickson’s reputed wife, Sabrina Gobin, told Kaieteur News that her husband’s nephew, Jonathan, found his body.

“He would always go over at him once he knows that Bryan home,” Gobin told Kaieteur News. According to Gobin, her mother had spoken to Dickson by telephone sometime after 19:00hrs on Wednesday. Gobin said she became suspicious after she

called her husband and he didn’t answer. The woman explained that since the couple’s youngest son was involved in a vehicular accident, Dickson would normally overnight at her South Rumiveldt home.

Gobin said relatives continued calling the man’s cellular phone, but it kept going to voicemail. Fearing that something might be amiss, the woman said she sent the nephew to check on his uncle, and it was then that the man’s body was found.

A number of relatives, who gathered at the home, opined that Dickson had to know his attacker. One relative told Kaieteur News that nothing was stolen from the apartment. The relative said she did not believe that Dickson was keeping any substantial amount of money at home. Kaieteur News was told that Dickson, the father of two teenage boys, had returned to Georgetown last

What a ‘walk through’ aquarium looks like.

Dead: Bryan Dickson November after he was involved in an accident.

Police sources said that two neighbours, including an elderly woman, lived in the upper flat of the apartment where Dickson’s body was found. However none of them recalled hearing or seeing anything amiss. Up to press time no arrests had been made.

Dickson’s reputed wife Sabrina Gobin and his son address the media

Imagine hundreds of multi-coloured fish swimming around while you walk through a glass tunnel, giving the feeling that you are underwater. Such an experience will be given to visitors to the National Museum soon, as Government plans to enhance the facility by constructing a ‘walk through’ aquarium.

According to Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, the construction of the aquarium will begin this year, and the idea behind the construction is for visitors to be able to have a greater feel and appreciation for the aquatic world.

Adding that the aquarium will be built in the upper flat

of the building, Dr Anthony said there will also be further enhancement to the aviary section.

He explained that in this section, visitors will be able to press a button and with the aid of an earpiece, listen to the sounds of the specific bird that they are viewing.

“It becomes more (Continued on page 13)

Page 12

Kaieteur News

Guyanese among two...

(From page 10) both men were arrested and released on bail.

In court, defence lawyer Bernard Cugleman explained the men were neighbours and both had problems with gambling and alcohol.

“That was their common bond,” Cugleman said.

However, he insisted Sharp was the ringleader in the scheme who took a 60% kickback and that Persaud, who has never been in trouble before, “went along with it.”

Both men stood before Justice Joe Wilson and apologized for their actions.

“I would like to apologize to the court and to Telus,” said Sharp, insisting he has since turned his life around.

“I am trying to get my life back in order.”

“I am very sorry,” Persaud said.

“Shame on both of you,” said the judge.

“It was a terrible thing to do and you knew exactly what was happening. There was a time when you would have

received an automatic jail sentence, but the courts have a different approach now.”

Still, the judge seemed sympathetic to the men who let the scheme get out of control because of their alcohol and gambling abuse problems.

“I guess it’s sort of like a snowflake going down a mountain and suddenly starts to turn into an avalanche,” said the judge.

“But it was only a matter of time before you were caught.”

Both men are ordered to remain in their homes, except for employment and necessary appointments, which may include counselling for gambling and alcohol addictions.

Although restitution orders can be made by a criminal court judge as part of a sentence, criminal courts do not enforce the order by going after the money owed to the victim.

If the offender does not pay the amount ordered, the victim must go to through a civil court to pursue civil enforcement methods to collect the money, such as garnishing wages, seizing bank accounts or liens placed on property. (www.thebarrieexaminer.com)

Friday May 04, 2012

Stallholders face fines to recover seized items - Meet council to discuss storage issues

Some of the items in City Hall compound which were seized on Wednesday night.

Mayor of Georgetown Hamilton Green yesterday met with vendors who ply their trade in and around the Stabroek Market area to discuss the issue of storage for their goods when not in business.

The meeting came hours after several carts packed with goods including clothing, confectionery and other items were seized by officials of the Mayor and City Council. Some of the vendors told the Mayor that

the area where their carts were removed from is the location that they have been storing their goods for the past five years. In the nights, several carts and pallets are stored behind the Vendors’ Arcade on Water Street, and are removed early in the morning.

According to the vendors, they were told by City Hall that for their goods to be returned, they would have to pay a fine of $7,500 – an amount which they said is too much for them.

During their discussions with Mayor Green, the vendors pleaded with him to be lenient with them as they explained that when the carts were towed away they were not in operation; they were merely parked for storage during the night. The vendors also asked the chief citizen for a smaller fine, as many of them cannot afford the penalty, as they were not able to sell any goods.

After lengthy talks, Green accommodated the vendors to some extent, announcing that their carts and possessions will be returned to them sometime later today for a smaller fine. The Mayor

urged the vendors to be more responsible with their surroundings, as the garbage situation in and around the Stabroek area has become unbearable. Green said he has tried his best to be lenient with vendors in the past since he knows many ply their trade for a living, but noted that they also need to help his office.

The Mayor reminded the stall holders that during his last meeting with them they promised to assist in keeping the environs clean, but they have not been holding up their end of the bargain. Green also asked the vendors to come up with an alternative place to store their stocks at night, since the present storage area is encumbering the pavements. He went as far as suggesting that they take their goods home. However, to that suggestion, the vendors explained that it would not be economical since many of them live out of Georgetown - some as far as the lower West Coast of Demerara and the East Coast of Demerara. That matter will come up for discussion at a later date.

Friday May 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 13

Guyana loses another centenarian Enhancement of DPP, Police info flow imminent Electronic networking aimed at boosting the flow of information between the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is expected within months, courtesy of the Ministry of Legal Affairs’ Modernization of the Justice Administration System Programme.

Justice Claudette Singh confirmed this during an interview with this publication, in which she disclosed that renovation to the DPP’s Chambers to accommodate 15 lawyers is expected to conclude within five months. During that timeframe, computers and peripheral devices will be purchased to facilitate networking with the GPF’s

Headquarters at Eve Leary.

Justice Singh explained that if a murder occurs in New Amsterdam, the Police in that area could electronically send data to the central networking and that information immediately becomes available to the DPP for advice. She emphasized that with the present system, the police have to write to the DPP for advice, and this could be time-consuming.

According to Justice Singh, the bid for the procurement of computer hardware for the establishment of a Management Information System within the Ministry of Legal Affairs and DPP Chambers has been advertised. She asserted that modernization of the

Attorney General’s Chambers would enable connectivity to the DPP’s Chambers and other agencies. In addition, it will enable access to abundant information on the worldwide web.

This Modernization of the Justice Administration System Programme is made possible through a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank, for justice sector reform and improving access to justice.

The US$25M Programme began in 2008 and has a fouryear time span. It is being managed by a steering committee of key policy makers including the Ministers of Finance, Legal Affairs, and Home Affairs, the DPP and Chancellor of the Judiciary.

‘Walk through’ aquarium...

(From page 11) interactive and kids can learn more, and there will be more information at their disposal, we want to make it’s more like a learning environment.”

The Guyana National Museum was established in 1853 and was first officially opened to the Public on February 13, 1868. Its mandate is to preserve and display objects of Natural history, science and technology.

The core functions of the museum include serving as a national repository for things of Scientific, Cultural, Technological and Human interest; serving as a place where research and dissemination of knowledge may be undertaken, identifying, protecting, conserving and transmitting the cultural and natural heritage of Guyana and

promoting cultural resources in the context of social and economic development.

The museum is currently under the umbrella of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, which is the

governing body. The main responsibility of the department is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the country’s history.

(Rabindra Rooplall)

Campbellville resident Sybil Emilyn Grannum, better known as Aunt Emmie, has passed away.

The centenarian, who was the oldest member of the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Campbellville, d i e d at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation at around 10:30 hrs yesterday.

Just recently, she was honoured with a special thanksgiving ceremony held in the same church which she had been attending almost all her life.

The beautifully organised ceremony had served as an emotional reunion for Aunt Emmie’s extended family, in late February.

The energetic senior citizen who, up until she died, was still climbing staircases and peeling ground provisions, w a s a w e l l known winemaker in her day, being able to make tasty wine from almost any ingredient - from plantain to potatoes.

Sybil Emilyn Grannum

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Kaieteur News

Friday May 04, 2012

$21B Budget cut not cast in stone - Luncheon

By Gary Eleazar While not elaborating, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon yesterday reiterated that Government will seek to ensure that its equity is in place for the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project.

The government’s spokesman was at the time speaking at his weekly postCabinet media briefing when he said that the $21B cut to the 2012 Budget, which includes Guyana’s equity for the project, is not cast in stone, and pointed to intimations by the opposition as it relates to approving supplementary funds.

Leader of A Partnership for National Unity Brigadier (rtd) David Granger has committed to approving supplementary funds to compensate for the 21B slashed out of the budget, as long as the reforms demanded are put in place.

Dr. Luncheon said that there is still some time before the financial closure for the project, explaining that “a possible three-month window remains”.

Sithe Global, the developers of the project, had suggested that should financial closure with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) not be finalized by June, then the project could be shelved for several years.

Dr Luncheon, however, is looking to a more flexible timeframe. The man who spearheaded the Budget cuts, APNU’s Carl Greenidge, said that the June deadline is not as definitive as being preached, and asked why the IDB has delayed the approval for the loan for such a long time. He questioned also why the government did not approach the World Bank or the European Investment Bank to plug the required US$175M for the project.

The Former Finance Minister in referring to his

- Greenidge insists Amaila Falls project not threatened tenure in office said that while he held that position he was not quick to rush to ink agreements when a deadline loomed.

He said that the cuts were meant to send a message and added that the government would have gone to the International Financial Institution and proclaimed consensus on the project as well as pointed to parliamentary approval.

Greenidge stated that as it relates to the projects to be funded using the money from the Kingdom of Norway there have been no consultations. He said that even the private session held with the political opposition

by President Donald Ramotar “was but a show”.

He explained that for such a technical project, making a presentation to a few selected

politicians does not constitute consultation.

Greenidge insists that the budget cut will not threaten the life of the project and further, with the price tag attached to the project, questions whether it should have even be undertaken.

Head of State Donald Ramotar on Tuesday, last, had expressed concern over the impact of the Budget cut on the Hydro power project, but stressed that Government will press ahead to ensure that the equity is in place.

Greenidge suggested that the president may be hinting that the moneys would be sourced from the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited.

The APNU parliamentarian is adamant that the moneys for the project in the Budget should be reflected as a foreign inflow and disagrees with the substantive minister’s explanation for its representation in the estimates.

Dr Ashni Singh during the

probe of the estimates for his Ministry had sought to explain that the money for Guyana’s equity in the project is reflected as local funds, given that government considers the funds from Norway as revenue and not a loan or grant.

“When the InterAmerican Development Bank sees this, what do you think will be their attitude?”

President Ramotar asked on Tuesday, last, while expanding on the impact of the cut in the budget on Guyana’s equity in the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project.

At present, the future of the project hinges on the US$175M currently being negotiated with the IDB. Days before the Finance Minister presented the 2012 Budget, IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno, visited Guyana and met with President Ramotar, where discussions were held on the project.

While the Head of State failed to disclose any details of Moreno’s visit and concerns leading to the delay in financial closure, Ramotar said that the visit represented a sign of optimism for the project.

The Hydro project is pegged at US$840M with China Development Bank (CDB) plugging some US$413M into the venture; its contracted developers, Sithe Global, has committed US$152M and Guyana, as its equity, some US$100M. Bruce Wrobel, Chief Executive Officer of Sithe Global, while on a recent visit to Guyana, said that the company was looking to effect financial closure for the project with the IDB by next month. He had warned that should this not be achieved, given the volatility of the Chinese currency against the US Dollar, the project could be shelved for another decade.

The IDB’s concern, which has led to the delay in the financial closure, in large part rests with Guyana Power and Light’s ability to manage the 165MW project, particularly revenue collection and line losses.

“We are going to push, I have not given up on it…This is a good project for the IDB, this is a good project for the Chinese,” said Ramotar as he continued to defend Guyana’s drive for hydropower capability.

Friday May 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Police doing background checks on murdered ex-cop Spent shells from the scene of last Monday’s killing of taxi driver and former policeman Renie Williams are still being analysed.

This is according to Crime Chief Seelall Persaud, who told this newspaper that investigators have so far not unearthed any further information on the murder.

Williams, 25, of Lot 138 King Edward Street, Albouystown, was gunned down around 02:00 hrs on Monday, last, in the same street where he saw his cousin murdered three years ago. He was shot twice in the back by a lone, black-clothed man armed with a 9mm pistol as he sat in his car outside his home with his wife.

Investigators have not yet established a motive for the killing, although there are reports that it might have stemmed from an ongoing feud that Williams and his relatives have with another family in their community.

Williams, a former policeman who was seconded to the Tactical Services Unit, was a witness to the murder of his cousin, Marvin Boston, who was stabbed to death in the same street in October 2009, allegedly while coming to Williams’ aid. Williams himself was injured during the brawl. One man has been charged with Boston’s murder while another was charged for assaulting Williams.

Eyewitnesses are still giving evidence in the matter, which has reportedly reached the High Court.

A source said that detectives have questioned members of the family with whom Williams had a dispute.

They have also taken statements from them.

But investigators are not limiting their investigations to that particular scenario.

On Wednesday, the Crime Chief said that they are conducting a wide investigation that will take everything that comes up into consideration.

“We have done some background checks (on Williams) and we are doing some more to determine the terms of our inquiry.”

Kaieteur News understands that Williams was dismissed from the Force, and sources confirmed that he was questioned on numerous occasions during investigations into armed robberies.

According to one police source, he was placed on an identification parade on at least one occasion.

The slain man’s relatives insisted that he had no dispute with anyone.

Dead: Renie Williams A sister who spoke with Kaieteur News said that Williams had “locked up a lot of people” while he was in the force. He reportedly left the police force some three years ago.

Relatives said that they suspected that the killer was waiting for him to arrive. They suggested that the gunman may have been lurking in a nearby passageway where residents found a strange cap and several cigarette butts.

Police recovered two spent 9mm shells at the scene and a 9mm warhead from Williams’ taxi.

The slain man’s wife, Shondeen Walters, told Kaieteur News that they had attended the Linden Town Week celebrations. Her husband had then dropped off some friends and the couple then went to the seawall before heading home.

Williams, she said, parked his car outside their home and wound the windows up. At the same time, she stretched over to the back seat to pick up some items from the car floor. It was then that a gunshot shattered one of the back windows. She was sprayed with broken glass.

She then heard a second gunshot and saw someone dressed in black fleeing on foot. Ms. Walters said that on rising up, she saw her husband slumped and “shaking” in his seat.

“He was going into shock; he was shaking and trying to say something. I was hollering and calling the neighbours but nobody was coming.”

Ms. Walters said that she then used her mobile phone to contact some of her relatives. After that, she exited the vehicle and began screaming and banging on her neighbour’s doors.

Relatives, accompanied by the wounded man’s wife, drove in the same taxi to the hospital. Kaieteur News was told that some 20 minutes later, a doctor examined Williams and informed his family that he was dead.

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Child Care Protection Agency, women miners tackle exploitation of children The Guyana Women Miners’ Organization (GWMO) is now better equipped to help tackle human trafficking and promote child protection, thanks to its budding partnership with the Child Care Protection Agency.

Yesterday, weeks after the GWMO aided in the rescue of four minors from human trafficking, members of the Non-Government Organization (NGO), benefited from a workshop focusing on laws and general responses of government to child protection. The workshop, held at the National Library, was facilitated by the agency.

According to Director of the Child Care Protection Agency, Ann Greene, linkage between the two organizations is critical, as they have similar goals. The agency has always expressed interest in working with NGOs since child protection cannot be achieved in isolation.

She emphasized that the GWMO operates at the community level and this is a critical aspect in protecting children.

“They are miners and are in the fields. This thing cannot be done by officials alone; it takes people at the community levels. They are on the ground and have a better opportunity of spotting abuse and knowing cases,” Greene asserted.

According to the Director, the organization needs to operate within the confines of the laws that govern child protection.

These include the Protection of Children Act 2009; Status of Children Act 2009; and the new Sexual Offence Act 2010.

To complement these acts and ensure children’s safety, government established the Child Care Protection Agency.

The agency’s foster care or kinship programme has provided many children with an alternative for institutional care.

Greene pointed out that the state owns and operates three care centres: The Dropin Centre, Sophia Care Centre and the Mahaica Children’s Home.

The Director stressed that single-parent families in need of financial help could benefit from special programmes

Director of the Child Care Protection Agency, Ann Greene, facilitating the workshop such as ‘Women of Worth’ which was created to reduce poverty.

According to GWMO’s President, Simona Broomes, the session was informative and members would disseminate information gathered to their communities

including Mahdia, Bartica and Itaballi. “What is our concern is how soon these

care homes would be modified and the implementation of technologies to benefit the

young people making the girls feel at home,” Broomes said.

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Kaieteur News

Friday May 04, 2012

Arrival Day Exhibition commences at National Museum Scores of school children were amongst special invitees who visited the National Museum yesterday for an exhibition in observance of Arrival Day, which was hosted under the theme “Celebrating 174 years”.

Among the dignitaries attending were Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Dr. Steve Surujbally, and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

The annual indentureship exhibition includes cultural performances along with viewing of immigrant exhibitions.

The exhibition continues daily from 09:00hrs to 16:00hrs, until May 20. The National Museum is encouraging the public to visit the exhibition as it “strives to preserve and sustain a rich cultural and natural heritage for the future generations”.

According to Minister Anthony, the objectives of the exhibition are to highlight the cultural impact of indentured immigrants since their arrival to Guyana, and to develop a programme of activities that would promote cultural diversity in the country, using the indentureship experience.

He emphasised that this occasion is to commemorate the arrival of the Chinese, Portuguese, East Indian and African immigrants to Guyana, and to assess the impact of European influence on the nation.

Dr Anthony explained that many persons are unaware that there were 13,000 indentured Africans who came to Guyana during the period 1838 to 1865.

Noting that these were not slaves, Dr Anthony said “this day celebrates all the people who came to Guyana as indentured labourers, and in the Museum that is highlighted. When people think of the fifth of May, they would normally associate it

with Indian Arrival, but it is much more than Indian Arrival, it is the arrival of all the different groups that come to Guyana, and the exhibition depicts such, to give people a broader understanding of indentureship”.

Adding that the archives are being constantly updated, the Minister said this information is being presented to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Fiji, Trinidad a n d To b a g o a n d o t h e r territories. He said c o l l e c t i vely all these indentured records will now be placed on UNESCO’s world heritage register.

“We want to digitise these records and make them more accessible to people who would like to study more about their ancestors and family heritage,” Dr Anthony underscored.

He said that personnel will be at the Museum during the exhibition to perform the role of guides.

Students from West Ruimveldt Primary viewing the exhibition at the National Museum

Enmore cyclist injured in collision with car A 47-year-old cyclist is now a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), having sustained injuries to the body, as a result of a collision with a car on the Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD) Public Road yesterday.

Injured is Rajendra Chabieram of 53 Blossom Scheme, Enmore .

Reports are that the car (bearing registration plates PMM3717) was heading west on the Enmore Public Road, when Chabieram’s cycle swerved into their path.

The driver’s wife, who was travelling in the car at the time, told Kaieteur News “my husband was driving up Emnore Road and he (Chabieram) mek one dash

across in front our car and he break-up the windscreen.”

She said after t h e collision her husband remained at the scene to assist the police, while she rushed the injured man to the hospital.

Kaieteur News understands that Chabieram works as a labourer at a lumber yard not far from his home.

The injured man arrives at the hospital

The damaged car, with Chabieram’s cycle (arrow indicates) in the background

Friday May 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

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The Abigail Column Rekindling old flame causes sparks to fly DEARABIGAIL, I have been in a committed relationship with a woman for five years. She is age 29 and I am 34. We see each other at least twice a month, because we live in different regions and distance is a problem.

We were high school sweethearts, and broke up.

She married right after school and became a widow at age 24. She contacted me after the death of her husband and we have been in this relationship since.

About a month ago, one of her boyfriends from school contacted her and they talk on the phone and send emails. She says he was the one she would have broken her engagement for, and married. But she married someone else. They are

planning to be together during the day for 3 or 4 days, while he is in the area.

She wants to find out if she still loves him (she thinks she does), what he is like now, and if they can get connected again. I get hints and signals that our relationship may be ending. She has said that she will let me know something soon, and she does not want me to contact her.

What advice could you give me during this horrible time of uncertainty for me Old Flame

her?

Apparently, she considered the relationship a good friendship with benefits – maybe you did too.

The ‘hints and signals’ that you are getting aren’t ‘hints and signals.’ She is blatantly telling you that the relationship with you takes a back seat when something more interesting comes along.

As long as you are willing to be second best, you will remain second best.

The fact you wrote a letter to me indicates you have strong feelings for her.

However, unless and until you require an exclusive relationship with her, she will continue to treat you as a good thing, until something more interesting comes along.

It is time to grow a backbone and tell her if she is unwilling to have an exclusive relationship with you, you are moving on.

Dear Old Flame, Your situation is heart wrenching. However, it can serve as a wake-up call, if you look and listen. You have been in a relationship with her for five years, what has prevented you from taking centre stage?

What prevented you from marrying

Friday May 04, 2012 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): You might get a bit of a shock today when someone known for selfishness steps up and makes a very generous offer. ******************* TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Low-brow culture -- such as reality television, pop music and slapstick movies -- are satisfying sometimes, but right now your heart and soul need exposure to a higher level of art. ****************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Although you'll be cast in the role of student today, you'll feel very empowered by the end of the day. Learning is something that takes time, but it offers more longterm rewards than you might imagine. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): One of your relationships -- the one that has been giving you the most comfort lately -- will enter a hard period. ********************* LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): You are about to enter a placid, worry-free time -- fun and feeling good are the name of the game. ******************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept.

22): Today, while you're happily swimming along and just doing your thing, you may suddenly sense a disturbance in the waters -the behavior of someone

close to you is getting unpredictable. ********************* LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): It's important to remember to appreciate beauty today -- the creativity you're nurturing needs some aesthetic inspiration to fully flower. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): Your unconscious resistance to new ideas may be driving you away from inspiration -- you must make an extra effort to open yourself up to opportunity today. ******************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21): If you're feeling low on energy right now, get out and surround yourself with people. Spending time in large groups will enliven your spirit today. .********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): You've been going through a very responsive phase, but today you should try to initiate more things. ******************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 Feb. 18): You're probably used to using charm to get what you want in life, but are you accustomed to other people using it on you? ********************* PISCE S ( F e b . 1 9 March 20): Starting today, finding a balance between what you want to do and what you can afford to do will be much easier.

DTV CHANNEL 8 08:55hrs. Sign On 09:00hrs. Live! With Kelly 10:00hrs. Spice Goddess 10:30hrs. Everyday Exotic 11:00hrs. The View 12:00hrs. Prime News 12:30hrs. The Young and the Restless 13:30hrs. The Bold and the Beautiful 14:00hrs. The Talk 15:00hrs. Boy Meets World 16:00hrs. Beverly Hills, 90210 17:00hrs. The Wayans Brothers 18:00hrs. World News 18:30hrs. Nightly News 19:00hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:00hrs. Channel 8 News 21:00hrs. The Vampire Diaries (New Episode) 21:40hrs. The Secret Circle (New Episode) 22:20hrs. Supernatural (New Episode) 23:00hrs. Sign Off NTN CHANNEL 18/ CABLE 69 05:00hrs - Sign on with the Mahamrtunjaya Mantra 05:10hrs - Meditation 05:30hrs - Queenstown Masjid Presents Quran This Morning 06:00hrs - R. Gossai General Store Presents Durga Bhajans 06:15hrs - Jettoo’s Lumber Yard Presents Durga Bhajans 06:30hrs - Muneshwar Limited Presents Durga Bhajans 06:45hrs - Double Standard Taxi Presents Durga Bhajans 07:00hrs - RRT Enterprise Presents Hanuman Bhajans 07:15hrs - M & M Snackette Presents Raja Yoga Discourses 07:30hrs - Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital Inc Presents Durga Bhajans 07:45hrs - The Family of the Late Leila & David Persaud Presents Durga Bhajans 08:00hrs - NTN This Morning Live with Reyaz Husein 09:30hrs - Indian Soap -Choti Bahu 10:00hrs - Indian Soap Yahaan Mein 10:30hrs - IPL5 - CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v DECCAN CHARGERS 14:00hrs - Indian Soap Pavitra Rishta 14:30hrs - Indian Soap - Mrs.

Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuyien 15:00hrs - Indian Soap - Punar Vivaah 15:30hrs National Geographic 16:30hrs - Devotional Time 17:00hrs - Drying Tears Live with Pastor Edson 18:00hrs - Ganesh Parts Presents - BHAGAVAD GITA ( Discourses in English) Serial 18:30hrs - Birthday Greetings/ Deaths Announcement & In Memoriam 19:00hrs - Headline News 19:30hrs -Timeless Melodies Live with Frederick Rampersaud 20:30hrs - New Life World Outreach 20:45hrs - Headline News 21:00hrs - 15 Minutes for Allah 21:15hrs - The Family Album Live with Frederick Rampersaud 22:15hrs - Forgotten Melodies Live with Frederick Rampersaud 01:00hrs - Sign Off with the Gayatri Mantra NCN CHANNEL 11 02:00hrs – NCN Late Edition(R/B)

02:30hrs – Late Nite with GINA 03:00hrs – Movie 05:00hrs – The Path of Forgetting (Part 2) 05:30hrs – Newtown Gospel 06:00hrs – NCN Late Edition News(R/B) 06:30hrs – Feature 07:00hrs – Guyana Today 08:00hrs – Bollywood Hits (R/ B) 09:00hrs – Stop the Suffering 10:00hrs – IPL#47 Chennai Super Kings VS Deccan Chargers 14:00hrs – NCN Newsbreak 14:05hrs – Movie 16:00hrs – Cartoons 17:00hrs – Anderson 18:00hrs – NCN News Magazine – Live 18:30hrs – Pulse Beat 19:00hrs – GT&T 10/10 Update 19:30hrs – Grow With IPED 20:00hrs – 3d/daily millions/ play de dream/lotto draw 20:05hrs – Guyana Fight Nite 22:05hrs – NCN News Late Edition 22:35hrs – Guyana Fight Nite (Cont) 23:00hrs – Movie

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Kaieteur News

WANTED One cook, must know to cook Roti & Puri. Call 6477432 Girls to work in bar, age 18 to 25, tel: 256 – 4096 One maid, one cook.

Contact: 223-5273-4 1 male/female shop assistant to work in the interior # 688-0197 Office clerk; CXC English/ Mathematics. Call: 225-4492, 225-6070 Live-in domestic must know to cook and 1 waitress, salary 50,000 monthly.

Call:610-5043

PROPERTY FOR SALE 20 X 40 two flat concrete building @ Kitty. All amenities. Price $28 M Call: 668 – 9512, 223- 2570 Craig $5.5M, East Coast $10M, Farm $12M, Guyhoc Park $12M, Alberttown (Land) $24M, Diana 2272256, 626-9382

Urgently: chainsaw operator to work in the interior. Call: 626-0006, 231-3159 Live in attractive waitress contact 228- 5129 1 Tutor to teach Form 1, apply Bissan’s Trading, 94 King Street. Call: 227-7306

Looking for a job? Office, Domestic & need assistance, contact Angela: 694-0096

One Bobcat Skid Loader for rent. Please contact: 610-3575

Now open KDRS Pharmacy at Mon Repos Mall 220-8675 nutritionist available every Saturday We refill HP cartridges for $1,800. Call:650-7699 WANTED Driver to work day only in a taxi service. #227-6567 Experienced dispatchers, must be computer literate.

Contact Leroy on 639-7773 or 231-4110 Upholsters, joiners, spray painter, handyman Tel# 2256810, 660-5190, 657-2790

1 general domestic to work in Georgetown, MonSat.Call:614-7267

Salesgirl and boy to work in shop on ECD. Text or call: 615-8121

Experienced worker for land dredge contact 618-8800

Contract cars for BrazilGuyana Taxi Service. Tel: 2253234

Urgently needed live-in waitress to work in bar, reasonable salary offer. Call: 259-0574 Waitress to work at Salo Bar Call: 233 – 5264 Female workers needed, 3 subjects or sound secondary education call 225- 7307

ONLINE SHOPPING NO COMMISSION, WEEKLY S H I P M E N T S , AFFORDABLE RATES, FREE PRIVATE MAILBOX. T E L : 2 3 1 - 5 7 8 9 .

FREIGHTLINKEXPRESS@ GMAIL.COM WE FILL OUT PASSPORT & VISA FORMS:USA,UK & CANADA TEL: 231-5789 Auto clean: we clean headlamps, making yellow oxidation caused by foreign chemicals history tel: 6673772, 648-1602 US & Canada VISA application services. Call 643-6630. Family discounts available.

Manager’s Assistant general duties including Custom and Bond, Security Guards, accommodation available.

Call: 676-6700 Full time gardener/ handyman reference needed.

Call: 226-0240, 225-3557 1 driver to drive in the interior.

Must have bus and canter license. Tel# 688-0197

1 general domestic, must know to cook- East Bank Area Tel 614- 4358

Drivers with lorry licence.

Apply Wieting & Richter Ltd

SALON Make up courses, artist trained & certified in Trinidad: 660-5257,647-1773 Qualify yourself in Cosmetology or nails, make up, Register, Limited spaces.

Call Abby: 216-1950, 6197603, 666-5241

One (1) general worker shift system 266-5243 Sales supervisor with experience & computer knowledge. Apply Wieting & Richter Ltd.

Sales representatives, country wide, for musical CD original. Tel: 267-1565, 6788193

FOR SALE Going cheap UK used truck engines Perkins 1006 series.

Call: 661-3043

Needed: 1 male office assistant with some knowledge of accounts.

Contact 684-7516, 226-3799

Dell computers complete with 19” LCD from $69,000.

Dell Dual Core Laptops Window 7 $70,000. Future Tech. Call:231-2206, 644-6760

Kitchen assistant @ Charlestown- ages 18-35.

Call: 614-1020 Sales clerk porters, drivers with lorry license, apply with written application 2J’s General Store. Call: 225-2350 1 experienced sales girl.

Apply in person at stall B Bourda Market, behind Wireless Connections, between 8am to 5pm. Call: 227-3407 SECURITY CONTACT 223-5273-4 1 male Office Assistant with some knowledge of Accounts, contact 684-7516, 226- 3799 One Driver & one Salesman at Humphrey’s Bakery & Farm Products Ltd. Tel 2257864 Experienced Hair Dresser at Nalline Beauty Salon, Vreeden-Hoop Junction (Raymond Building).

Attractive salary. Contact: 687-3341, 639-9884

One hilux vigo (new) GNN series 231-5171, 619-7134 Baby chicks available weekly.

Fully vaccinated. 371 Craig public road EBD Mr. D. Lallbeharry tel:626-9589 Toyota Starlet 2 E Turbo engine with gearbox and ECU: Call: 624-7155.

NARS lipgloss, eyeshadow & Clinique lipgloss. Tel: 6698374.

Bread tapes. Call: 231-8819 Home theatre, 1 fan, 146lbs weights (2 dumb bells & long bar), hot plate. Tel# 6988399, 673-1702.

1 Tundra, 1 Perkins engine & Welder 400 amps. Call: 6605462, 611-5114 15-15-15 fertilizer. Call: 2662711, 609-4594 Dell Dual Core computers + LCD monitor, 2GB RAM $59,000. Call: 225-3709, 6410537, 691-2077 Printing machine AB Dick 360-375, cutter paper special: linen, laid, 3 hole paper ($700 per ream), cardboard $5 Call: 233-2725 2x2x1.5MM, Hollow section.

Call: 2200-6100, 680-5900

FOR SALE 2003 GMC Savana Cargo Van, great for a business, huge space & power $2.5M. Call: Terry-665-9405

Yamaha outboard engine parts for 115HP-200 HP, Crankshaft fat & fine top, pistons, bearings. Call: Terry665-9405 1 Mitsubishi Fuso truck, 4 ton enclosed, 20 feet, new $5.2M. Call Salim 641-5075, 622-6746 Samsung colour printer, fax, copy also email. Fridgidaire washer & dryer & many more stuff. Call 626-5852, 681-8830 anytime.

Peking ducks, call: 266-2711 / 609-4594 Quality upholstery materials tel # 220-3356/643-3627 Moulders, multirip saws, resaws, cross cut saw and genset Tel 616-5595 Rodney Titan parts, engine DIFF etc.

Call:648-2075 Samsung colour printer, fax, copy, email, also fridgidaire washer & dryer & many more stuff. Call: 626-5852, 681-8830 anytime.

Used: QSC Amps MX2000 & MX3000, Roland sampler SP404, Rcf speaker: 12" & 18", celestion speaker: 15".

Contact: 644-3390 One ERF Hauler with 45 ft trailer (in-contract) & one Model M Truck. Tel: 6534455 Baby chicks available weekly, fully vaccinated, 371 Craig Public Road EBD. Mr. D. Lallbeharry tel 626 - 9589

Labourers and Porters.

Apply Wieting & Richter Ltd 1 female pastry maker/cook.

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Friday May 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Cricket: Pakistan’s Asif released from British jail Former Pakistan paceman Mohammad Asif was released from a British prison on Thursday after completing half of his one-year sentence for spot-fixing, his lawyers said.

Asif, 29, was jailed in November after he was found guilty of conspiring to cheat and conspiring to accept corrupt payments over deliberate no-balls bowled during the Lord’s Test against England in August 2010.

The player was freed from Canterbury Prison in southeast England on Thursday morning, his London-based law firm SJS Solicitors said.

His lawyer Ravi Sukul told Pakistan’s Geo television on Wednesday that Asif could stay in England while he explored the possibility of launching an appeal against his conviction.

“I have a strong belief that if certain procedures had been applied in Asif’s benefit at his trial, they could have persuaded the jury to come to a different conclusion,” said Sukul.

Salman Butt, Pakistan’s Test captain in 2010, and promising young bowler Mohammad Aamer were also jailed on the same charges.

Aamer was released in February after three months in jail while Butt is serving a term of 30 months.

Mazhar Majeed, the agent for three players who was accused of striking the deal, was jailed for 32 months.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) also banned the three players for a minimum of five years. All three players have the right to appeal against the ICC ban in the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sports.

Page 27

Wayne Rooney wins Premier League Goal of the 20 Seasons award Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has won the Premier League Goal of the 20 Seasons award for his overhead kick against Manchester City. Several hundred thousand fans from all over the world voted for the award, which was created to celebrate the 20th season of the Premier League.

Rooney’s spectacular strike in February 2011 received 26% of the vote.

Dennis Bergkamp was second for his 2002 goal at Newcastle, and Thierry Henry against Manchester United was third. Bergkamp’s flick, turn and finish at St James’ Park polled 19% of the vote and Henry recorded 15% for his flick and volley at Highbury in 2000, but Rooney was crowned champion for his acrobatic effort in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford.

He follows another

(From page 26)

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Wayne Rooney's winning goal Manchester United player, David Beckham, who won the Goal of the 10 Seasons Award in 2002 for his audacious strike from the halfway line

UK military prepare for ‘9/11-type attack’ British military commanders said they were training to deal with a “9/11type attack” as they launched a major exercise Wednesday to test their readiness for the 2012 London Olympics.

As jet fighters took to the sky with nine weeks to go to the opening ceremony, the Olympic Park was getting its biggest try-out as the final wave of sporting test events got under way.

Four Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon fighter jets flew into the British capital to herald the start of Exercise Olympic Guardian, a nine-day training operation to test the response to a possible air attack during the Games.

Military helicopters were stationed around the capital, including on the amphibious assault ship HMS Ocean in the River Thames, with some carrying sniper teams.

AWACS surveillance planes and air-to-air refuelling aircraft will also be airborne during the exercise.

Airspace restrictions will be in place throughout the July 27-August 12 Games.

Air Vice-Marshal Stuart Atha, air component commander for Olympics air security, said their plan had several levels and “will allow us to deal at one end — which is that 9/11-type attack — perhaps down to the lower and the slower type of threat that we may face.

“All we are doing is having in place what we would describe as prudent and appropriate measures, in

order that we could react if required in a timely and appropriate fashion.”

Speaking of any potential attackers, he added: “I would hope when they see how we are preparing they might be deterred from making any threats to the Games.”

Typhoons are stationed on high alert as part of Britain’s regular air defence.

“Whilst there is no specific threat to the Games, we have to be ready to assist in delivering a safe and secure Olympics for all to enjoy,” said Defence Secretary Philip Hammond.

The exercise underlines the commitment “to keeping the public safe at a time when the world will be watching us”.

At the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, five venues were to stage events in three Olympic and three Paralympic sports between Wednesday and next Tuesday. Assisted by 11,000 staff, more than 140,000 spectators were to watch 3,000 athletes take part in hockey, wheelchair tennis, water polo, athletics, boccia and Paralympic athletics.

The international invitational hockey tournament was the first to get started, with Britain’s women winning the opening match on the striking blueand-pink surface, beating South Korea 1-0.

Just one stand was open at the 15,000-seater Riverbank Arena but the capacity will

gradually be increased throughout the tournament.

“We were blown away,” goalscorer Alex Danson told the BBC. “It was a 4,000 crowd and so noisy.”

World number one Australia, Olympic champions Germany, Britain and India are competing in the men’s event, while World Cup holders Argentina, China, Britain and South Korea are in the women’s tournament.

The British university athletics championships will take place in the main Olympic Stadium from Friday to Monday, and on Saturday the sporting action will be mixed with a concert as 40,000 spectators get a feel for the venue.

Preparations in overdrive...

From back page couple of days off went right into preparation mode and has been doing great under Fitness Coach Barrington Browne, who was also present at the World Series,” Henry related.

However, Henry did disclose that Guyana will be hampered by the absence of three key players in Kevin McKenzie, who is now resident in Australia and has declared his unavailability, Richard Staglon and Ronald Mayers, who’ve both indicated to the Union that due to non permission of time off from work, they would not be able to make the Barbados leg of the campaign at least.

Flyhalf Christopher Singh is still nursing an injury that he sustained even before departing for Hong Kong, while experienced former Captain Claudius Butts will be absent after suffering rotator cuff damage during the same tour and has been advised to miss the two games.

However, the Head Coach stated that even though the players are all key components in the side, he feels that there is sufficient depth in the squad to go through Barbados, but agreed that it is important that they return for the Trinidad encounter.

He said he was 80% satisfied with the players’ commitment, but urged those who

did not make the Hong Kong sojourn to show more focus and dedication during the preparations.

Those called are: Jason Tyrell, Walter George, Dwayne Schroeder, Avery Corbin, Jermaine Prowell, Vallon Adams, Cyon Kitt, Delroy Gordon, Rondel Mc Auther, Elwin Chase, Ryan Gonsalves, Leon Greaves, Peabo Hamilton, Ryan Hinckson *, Lance Adonis, Troy Bascom, Claude Alexander, Rodwell Hutson, Blaise Bailey, Brian Walks, Kevin Joseph, Rickford Cummings, O’Neill Charles, Tristan Fraites, Danny Anderson and John Mars. *Overseas Players

against Wimbledon. “I grew up watching the Premier League so to be voted the best goal in the history of the Premier League is a great feeling,” Rooney said.

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“To be competing with them and winning is a great honour for me and something I’m very proud of. I’d like to say a big thank you to all the fans that voted for me.”

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Page 28

Kaieteur News

Friday May 04, 2012

Horatio says he did not compete in Suriname’s Teleg 10k

Mumbai snatch onerun win over Pune Pune: Nominated Member of Parliament Sachin Tendulkar might have had the weight of the world on his shoulders. How else could one explain the 35 deliveries he faced to scratch out a painstaking 34. Well, at least the maestro spent some time in the middle, which is more that what any other Mumbai Indians batsman did.

Tendulkar’s stodgy knock turned out to be the highest score for Mumbai in what was being promoted as the ‘Maharashtra derby’, and Pune shot themselves in the foot by failing to chase 121 on a track with some degree of slowness, but which was far from being the minefield their leaden-footed batsmen made it out to be.

This meant that Mumbai was able to give Pune a dose of their own medicine. Sourav Ganguly’s team had prevented Harbhajan Singh’s men from reaching a very gettable target at the Wankhede Stadium recently, and on Thursday night

Mumbai returned the favour by stalling Pune one run short of enforcing a Super Over.

Lasith Malinga was declared Man-of-the-match for figures of 4-0-25-2, and for conceding just four in a crucial 19th over.

After Harbhajan elected to bat and watched his team stutter to a sub-par total (depsite benefiting from a steady start) Pune made heavy weather of the chase.

Robin Uthappa, Jesse Ryder, Michael Clarke and Steven Smith were all back in the pavilion within ten overs, with the score still under fifty.

At that juncture, the sentimental would have had a lot to wish for. Ganguly, after all, was in the middle, and in the company of Mithun Manhas the former India captain could still be expected to drive his team on to its second win in as many matches against their State rivals.

That was not to be.

Ganguly pottered about, getting his first boundary off

- Police Sports Office requests results from Suriname

Slow and steady wins the race Sachin Tendulkar the 23rd ball he faced, but was out almost immediately after, as Malinga brought a trademark in-dipper to crash into his stumps. Manhas meanwhile outscored Tendulkar, and was eventually left facing the task of getting 12 to win off Munaf Patel’s last over.

Although Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s inside-out boundary

got the home team to within one blow of the target, Pune finished one run adrift, ensuring that honours at the end of this newfangled rivalry remained even.

The win took Mumbai to third on the points table, while for Pune the loss meant that they are now just ahead of the perennially downtrodden Deccan Chargers.

Scotiabank / Pepsi School Football Academy...

New Campbellville, Christ Church win The Scotiabank/Pepsi School’s Football Academy continued with two games recently at the Ministry of Education Sports Complex Ground, Carifesta Avenue, Thomas Lands.

On Tuesday May 1, in the male category, New Campbelville Secondary defeated St. Georges Secondary 3- 2. On target for the winners were Daniel Ross in the 12th minute, Shamar Barrow 43rd and Jmel Chan in the 58th minute. St George’s got both of their goals from Ozeah Small in the

Mac 20/20 cricket...

22nd and 52nd minute.

In the other match, Christ Church males hammered a seven man North Georgetown side 11-0.

Joventay Best blasted a helmet-trick (8, 16, 26, 30), Andre Trotz (son of former National player with the same name) scored in the 2nd, 23rd and 35th minute, Shemroy Clarke hit the network in the 7th and 29th while Kelon Jack (14) and Andrey Henry (33) were the other players to ink their names on eth score sheets.

The other male game that

was slated for the 1st did not play due to the no-show of both teams, Saint Stanislaus College and Lodge Secondary. On Wednesday May 2, Saint Stanislaus again failed to show up for their game against East Ruimveldt, this time in the female category.

Obtaining playing venues continues to be a major challenge for the Organisers who are once again being forced to relocate games.

Tomorrow, Saturday May 5, play is scheduled for the Tucville Ground commencing

at 09:15hrs. In the opening salvo, a male encounter, Lodge Secondary and North Georgetown will clash. The second game, a female showdown, Tucville and East Ruimveldt will match skills from 10:30hrs while the final game at 11:45hrs brings together Central High and Christ Church in a male showdown.

On Wednesday May 9, action will continue at the same venue in the female segment when Lodge and Campbellville play from 16:00hrs.

Sans Souci Jaguars, Good Success secure semi final berths

Sans Souci Jaguars and Good Success booked their places in the semi final of the Mac 20/20 cricket competition following respective victories on Saturday at the Wakenaam Community Center Ground.

In the day’s first game the Jaguars overcame Noitgedacht by 3 wickets.

Noitgedacht batted first on a track with preparation moisture and scored 117-8 off their 20 overs.

Bert Fegurson made 25, Neil Ramalho 17 and Dillon Retemiah 13. Left arm spinner

Imran Khan and off spinner Zameer Zaman claimed two wickets each for the Jaguars who responded with 118-7 off 16.3 overs. Nokta Moses top scored with 25 and Khan 21.

Medium pacer Shemroy Hartman was the pick of the bowlers for Noitgedacht with 3-21 while Ramalho took 2-24.

Good Success hammered Maria’s Pleasure by 7 wickets in a low scoring affair. Maria’s Pleasure were routed for 45 in 15 overs. Jerry Lewis 26 and Benard Lewis 11 were the only batters that reached double

figures against consistent bowling from medium pacer Wazir Khan who took 4-10, Nazeer Mohamed 2-13 and Lokram Narine 2-7.

Good Success in reply knocked off the target in 9 overs ending on 48-3. Opener Arjune Persaud led with 12 while pacer Leorayan Ramlakhan picked up 2-16 in a losing cause for Maria’s Pleasure.

Meanwhile, Sans Souci Sports Club who defeated Good Success in their first preliminary round game was disqualified from the

competition after they played Noitgedacht Sports Club wicketkeeper/batsman Kemo Paul who was not granted a release by the Club.

Sans Souci Jaguars will now face Maria’s Pleasure in the first semi final while Good Success are awaiting the winner of the Noitgedacht / Zeelandia match, the two will face off in their quarter final fixture tomorrow.

The final is slated for Sunday at the Wakenaam Community Center Ground.

(Zaheer Mohamed)

Dennis Horatio of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and an athlete of the Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) yesterday afternoon made it clear to Kaieteur Sport that he did not compete at the Teleg 10km Road Race in Suriname that was held on Tuesday.

He said his identity had to be mistaken because the last time he departed Guyana to compete at any international athletic meet was last July for the ALBA Games, which was held in Venezuela with the only local meet being the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) National Cross Country .

Horatio thought it best to clear the air since the Kaieteur Sport report that he placed second in the Suriname event

has caused some amount of furor as it relates to him breaching police protocol and opting to leave Guyana without the necessary permission.

This newspaper had received a call from members of the Guyanese contingent that went to run at the event in Suriname Wednesday evening to disseminate results. Horatio’s name was given to us as the person, who placed second in the race from the team.

But according to Horatio, it was Kelvin Johnson who placed second and not him.

The Sports Office of the Guyana Police Force has launched an investigation into the matter, requesting the official results from officials in Suriname.

All set for Hadi’s World Inc./City Mall softball finals tomorrow The finals of the Hadi’s World Inc./City Mall nationwide male and female softball cricket tournament are set for tomorrow starting from 10:00hrs at the Cyril Potter College Ground and pulsating and a large crowd can be expected.

West Demerara’s Wolf’s Warriors had defeated Affiance Storm of Essequibo in quarter final play while taking care of business against Memorex of Berbice in their semi final clash to qualify for the final.

Their final opponent is popular city team Regal, who defeated Celebrity Times of Berbice in the quarter final and Trophy Stall in the semi final, matches were played on Labour Day also at the Cyril

Potter College Ground.

In the Female category the winners of 4R Lioness vs Wellwoman and Trophy Stall Angels vs Karibee Rice Strykers will battle each other for supremacy following their respective semi final encounters.

Success Masters will face off with Floodlights in the final of the Over-40 category also tomorrow, admission to witness what is anticipated to be electrifying action, is free.

Each of the three finals carries a winning prize of $100,000 and a trophy while the runner-up teams will take home $50,000 along with a trophy.

The player-of-the-match and player-of-the-series in each instance will receive $10,000 and a trophy.

Wiltshire and Pumpkin host Dominoes Competition this weekend Over $200,000 will be up for grabs when Mark ‘Jumbie’ Wiltshire and Pumpkin team up to host a 27-team two-day Dominoes Competition this Saturday and Sunday, at the Blue Birds Headquarters, 1222 Gaulding Place, South Ruimveldt, starting from 13:30hrs.

According to a release from the Organisers, the winning team will receive $120,000, runner-up $60,000 and 3rd place $30,000. All three of the top finishers will also collect trophies.

Entrance fee is $10,000 per team, while food and drinks will be on sale throughout the day.

Among the teams expected to compete are: R&R, TNT, FIB, Mix-up, Snake, Masters, Strikers, Mo-Fire, Arsenal, Bottom End, Wild Bunch, Next Level, Providence, Trappers, F&H Supremes, Turning Point, Destroyers, M.B Warriors, while an invitation is extended to all other teams interested in participating. Meanwhile, Wild Bunch made a presentation to Mark Wiltshire recently.

Friday May 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Hand in Hand 2nd Div. 40 over cricket/West Berbice...

Page 29

CARIBBEAN CONTAINER FIDE RATING TOURNAMENT...

Bath, Rainbow Generation, D’Edward Khan’s clan lead points standing and Sundown into quarter finals The inaugural Hand-InHand second Division 40 over cricket competition, organised by the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) for teams in West Berbice continued recently with Bath, Rainbow Generation and D’Edward all winning their first round matches to advance to the quarter finals.

In another match, Bush Lot Challengers defeated Sundown; but the Challengers were found guilty of fielding more than one first division player, in contravention of the rules and Sundown were awarded the match, earning the right to advance.

Chandrika Harrynarine slammed 53 and his teammate, Mahadeo Persaud, made 45 to assist D’Edward to reach 205 for 8 in their allotted 30 overs against Bush Lot New Generation who replied with 159 for 9 in their 30 overs.

After Brentnol Woolford’s 43 helped Rainbow Generation reach 159 in 26 overs, off spinner, Dunston Cummings took 4 for 30 to help bowl out Blairmont Community Centre for 122.

Rosignol United’s left arm spinner, Jewan James took 4 for 38 as Bath were bowled out for 133. Rosignol in return feared even worst as they were sent packing for 46,

Part of the action as the player’s battle for honours Brentnol Woolford

Vishal Bejai

thanks mainly to fine bowling from Vishal Bejai and Hardat Tarson who picked up 3 wickets each.

Collated scores: At Bush Lot - D’Edward beat Bush Lot New Generation by 46 runs.

D’Edward 205 in 8 in 30 overs; Chandrika Harrynarine 53, Mahadeo Persaud 45, Derick Narine-Lalsa 26 and Kris Ramnarine 3 for 24.

Bush Lot New Generation 159 for 9 in 30 overs; Keyron Fraser 49, Totaram Hira 26 and Lakeraj Sukhraj 3 for 26.

At Blairmont - Rainbow Generation defeated Blairmont Community Centre by 37 runs. Rainbow Generation 159 in 26 overs; Brentnol Woolford 43, Nick Ramsaroop 2 for 18, Mobin Yousuf 2 for 19 and Mark Anthony 2 for 25. Blairmont Community Centre 122 in 27

overs; Akram Rahaman 25, Dunston Cummings 4 for 30, Keno Gravesande 2 for 9 and Sylvan Grant 2 for 23.

At Bath - Bath hammered Rosignol United by 87 runs. Bath 133 in 29.2 overs; Navin Ramnauth 27, Ravi Gossai 27, Jewan James 4 for 38 and Amarnauth Seegobin 2 for 20.

Rosignol United 46 in 16.1 overs; Vishal Bejai 3 for 10, Hardat Tarson 3 for 20, Chetram Ramroop 2 for 5 and Navin Ramnauth 2 for 11.

At Bush Lot - Bush Lot Challengers got past Sundown by 2 wickets.

Sundown 125 in 29 overs; Permaul Singh 36, Shazam Rahim 29, Agnadeo Sooklall 3 for 25 and Asif Khan 2 for 20. Bush Lot Challengers 128 for 8 in 28 overs; Agnadeo Sooklall 28, Imran Ali 3 for 35 and Zamin Zaman 2 for 15.

Miguel Cotto confident ahead of Floyd Mayweather fight Miguel Cotto says he is in the form of his life ahead of Saturday’s WBA lightmiddleweight title fight against Floyd Mayweather.

The 31-year-old heads to the MGM Grand Garden, Las Vegas on the back of four consecutive victories since his loss to Manny Pacquiao in December 2009.

“Mayweather has beaten a lot of good fighters, but is facing the best Miguel Cotto ever,” the Puerto Rican said.

“Mayweather is facing a guy who can put pressure on him and who can fight.”

Cotto has only been beaten twice in his career, and in December, he avenged his only other previous defeat to Antonio Margarito with a ninth-round stoppage.

He said: “I am happy with my career and two defeats made me the man that I am today.

When your confidence is back you can reach for the top.

“When I got revenge against Margarito I felt I was

Squaring off!!! Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto back in the game again. I felt much better in myself and this fight has come at the right time for me.”

Cotto’s opponent Mayweather boasts an undefeated, 42-fight professional record. He was last in action when he beat Victor Ortiz for the WBC welterweight title in September. The weekend bout is billed as pitting Mayweather’s speed against Cotto’s power, but the 35year-old American was at

pains to play down the perceived advantages of either man.

“Miguel is a true warrior, a tough champion, and to go down in the hall of fame as one of the best, you have to face the true champions out there,” Mayweather said.

“I may come out and not be that fast. He may come out and be fast. “You don’t know what they’ve been working on in their camp. They may have been working on just a certain thing just to get his speed up.”

Junior chess player, Anthony Drayton employed shrewd tactics and drew his match with FIDE rated player Shiv Nandalall (1715) while his colleague Cecil Cox defeated another FIDE rated player, Ryan Singh (1456) when the Caribbean Container Inc. (CCI) sponsored FIDE rating Chess tournament continued at two venues, the Olympic House and the Ocean Spray Hotel, recently.

Despite such commendable achievements by the two junior players it was senior national champion Taffin Khan (1809) and his father David (1386) that carted off the honours and jointly leads the points standing after the completion of three rounds.

In all, six junior participants

drawn from the 2011 National Junior Championship are pitting their skills against four FIDE rated senior players in an attempt to procure lucrative FIDE (World Chess Federation) ratings.

Those junior players are Anthony Drayton, Cecil Cox, Ron Motilall, Haifeng Su and Sham and Kana Khan. The seniors are Taffin Khan (1809), Shiv Nandalall (1715), Ryan Singh (1456) and David Khan (1386).

At the end of the first 3 rounds the point’s standings read: Taffin and David Khan (3 apiece), Anthony Drayton (21/2), Cecil Cox (2), Shiv Nandalall (11/2). Five players are bundled in the cellar on one point or less).

In order to earn the FIDE rating the junior participants

are required to score at least one point each from a FIDE rated or non-FIDE rated player in the single round robin event. FIDE ratings are an indication of a chess player’s strength and with International Chess Grandmasters rated at 2500 and over.

Meanwhile, fourth round activities commence today at the Ocean Spray Hotel, Stanley Place Kitty, starting at 18:15hrs. The match-ups are National Junior Champion Haifeng Su up against his senior counterpart Taffin Khan while Anthony Drayton takes on Ron Motilall. David Khan will face off with Kana Khan while Cecil Cox and Ryan Singh play Sham Khan and Shiv Nandalall respectively.

PPYC retains Digicel National U23 title for 3rd year - Coach Lyndon Wilson says it feels great Lyndon Wilson, Coach of Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) who has produced local qualifier (Winston George) for the London Olympic Games, disclosed that it was a great feeling to win the Digicel National Under-23 Athletics title for the third consecutive year.

The victory which was achieved on Sunday last at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary, saw the club winning the championship by the widest margin ever.

Wilson, who described the victory as not being difficult stated that he was not looking for the victory in the events but merely to get at least 2 athletes in the finals of each event which had preliminary rounds.

“While other clubs were looking for individual victory, I was looking to get my athletes in the finals, so I registered three athletes in every event.”

The Track and Field Club has on roster, the majority of

athletes in Guyana and Wilson, the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Coach of the Year received support from fellow Club Coach Mark Scott.

The Coaches as a strategy this year took athletes out their comfort zone by placing them in events which they do not usually train for on a daily basis. “I placed some of my athletes in other categories to cover the events which I did not had athletes for…my athletes understood how important the points were and not the individual victory,” noted Wilson.

He further explained that the win would not have been possible without the assistance of senior athletes the likes of Keith Roberts, Natasha Alder, Julio Sinclair and Leota Bobb who all assisted the junior athletes during the few weeks leading up to the competition.

The leading Club Coach also informed that the club has improved tremendously over the years in the field

Lyndon Wilson events. “Over the years we have improved tremendously in the field events. This was an area we needed athletes and we are now balanced in both track and field.”

He noted that his work has become a bit easier since the field athletes get a better concept of the techniques faster. “I pay much more attention to the track events but the field athletes make it much easier for me as they under the techniques faster.”

The Under-23 athletes were complimented for the discipline and dedication they exhibited which contributed to their overall victory.

Page 30

Kaieteur News

Friday May 04, 2012

Gibson, Sammy pleased to have Gayle back West Indies have openly embraced the return of their premier batsman Chris Gayle, who on Wednesday committed to making himself available for selection for the one-day leg of their tour of England. In doing so he decided to forsake his contract with Somerset as an overseas player for the Friends Life 20/20 and Ottis Gibson, the West Indies Coach, said if Gayle was available, he would “definitely be picked”.

However, West Indies Captain, Darren Sammy, warned that his predecessor will need to get used to the new “Hardworking Culture” put in place in the West Indies dressing room.

Speaking at West Indies’ media conference at Hove, ahead of a three-day tour match beginning tomorrow, Gibson said: “It is great to hear that Chris is available again. I’m sure the selectors will pick him, because he is world-class. If he’s made himself available for the oneday series, I can’t see him not being selected.”

Gibson, who has been openly critical of Gayle in the past, was confident that despite having not played International cricket since the 2011 World Cup, the opener would slip back into the team

Darren Sammy needs his umbrella as he inspects the pitch environment without fuss. “It will be very easy [for him],” Gibson responded, after being asked whether Gayle would find it difficult to reestablish himself in the International arena. “He’s the best one-day batsman in the world. So I don’t think it will be a problem at all.

“He plays very well, going into many different dressing rooms all round the

‘Vicious’ Vivian Harris returns to the ring for USBA title The boxing pundits have written him off but former World Boxing Association (WBA) Light Welterweight champion, ‘Vicious’ Vivian Harris is not done yet and is scheduled to square off against Jermaine ‘Too Sweet’ White in the 10-round cofeature for the vacant United States Boxing Organization (USBO) Welterweight title at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Wednesday May 9 next.

The lanky Harris had migrated to the United States of America several years ago and became the 3rd Guyanese to win a World title after Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis and Wayne ‘Big Truck’ Braithwaite.

He successfully defended his crown three times, once against Soulemane M’baye and twice against Oktay Urkal before suffering an ignominious loss to Carlos Maussa. Since then he has suffered five losses to Englishman John Witter, Lucas Martin Matthysse, Victor Ortiz, Jessie Vargas and Lanardo Tyner. His last fight

Vivian Harris against David Barnes ended in a technical draw after an accidental clash of heads.

Harris is attempting to revive his flagging career and is currently handled by CFC Promotion, which also promotes IBF International Light Welterweight champion Albert ‘Tornado’ Mensah, who successfully defended his title against Michael Katsidis, as well as World Middleweight title challenger Osumanu Adama.

world and making runs. I don’t think coming into ours will be any different.”

Sammy said the team had not been distracted by the standoff between Gayle and the WICB, which has remained the main West Indies talking point in the last year, despite the team making gradual progress in certain areas.

Asked if it had been unsettling for him to read about the Gayle issue all the time, Sammy pointed out he was busy drilling in the new culture that he and Gibson had put in place.

“I don’t necessarily focus on that. I am more focused on what the team is trying to do,” Sammy said. “The Chris Gayle issue has been going on for a while but we as a team have moved on and as you could see the last series we played we came out with a new attitude: where we are not going to let anybody keep us down. We are going to strive to move forward.

When Chris joins the set-up, he will be coming into a very hardworking environment in which he has to fit in.”

At the same time Sammy said Gayle’s return could only be a good thing for West Indies cricket. “As a captain, whoever comes into the dressing I know myself and the coach would welcome them. Obviously we would urge them to contribute to the team’s success. If he is in it is all good for us. We all know what he is capable of doing and hopefully he could fit in nicely and do the job to take West Indies cricket forward.”

Gayle had ruled himself out of selection for the threeTest series against England having got a NOC from the WICB to participate in the IPL, where he represents Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Gibson did not entirely agree with the opinion that some West Indies players were more interested in the monetary gains accrued from playing in lucrative Twenty20 tournaments around the world, while they picked and chose which series to play in national colours.

“In an ideal world you would want all your best players available to you all the time and still be making money and the board to be able to say to somebody ‘we don’t want you to go to the IPL, so we will pay you X amount of money to stay at home and play for us’, but the reality is that is not possible in the Caribbean because of the financial situation,” Gibson said.

In such a situation, Gibson said the WICB did not have much to bargain with.

“The board has tried to negotiate, if you like, with people. That is what it has come to. That is the reality.

So some guys can go off and play in the IPL and come back and play in the one-day series for instance. It is a little bit of give and take. It is good to see some of the guys go down that road rather than say they are unavailable completely. So it is not ideal but it is what it is and we just have to get on with it really.”

(Nagraj Gollapudi)

Chris Gayle U-turn forces Somerset to consider legal action Chris Gayle

Somerset have confirmed they are considering taking action against Chris Gayle after he backed out of a deal to join them for their Twenty20 campaign. Opening batsman Gayle, 32, agreed to be Somerset’s overseas player in January and was expected to arrive in June.

But the Jamaican has decided to return to the international fold after resolving his differences with the West Indies Cricket Board. Somerset have brought in South Africa’s Faf du Plessis as his replacement.

Du Plessis, who previously played for Lancashire, has taken 49 wickets in Twenty20 cricket at an average of 15.89.

Commenting on Gayle’s decision, chief executive Guy Lavender told the county’s website : “A contract is a contract and we are exploring our options and will decide what is best for Somerset in due course.

“We are very disappointed that Chris Gayle will not be joining us for this season’s FLt20, particularly as we have a signed contract and a no objection certificate from the West Indies Cricket Board.”

Director of cricket Brian Rose told BBC Somerset: “It’s a disappointment but not unexpected.

“Everything’s a risk. You never know if international

GCF to host Ray’s Auto Sales 40-lap race on Sunday - being used as warm up for annual 3-stage The Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) is set to stage a warm-up 40 lap cycle race ahead of this year’s annual 3 stage race at the National Park on Sunday pedaling off from 08:00hrs.

This event is sponsored by Ray’s Auto Sales and Spares.

The cream of the nation’s riders are expected to face starters orders and will use

this event sponsored by Ray’s Auto Sales as warm up for next weekend’s annual 3stage cycle race.

Sunday’s race is open to all cyclists with cash prizes being awarded to the first six to cross the finish line.

Additionally, 15 prime prizes will also be at stake.

Cyclists are being reminded that they will need

to produce their licences before they are allowed to be registered.

They will also be required to use their club colors while riders who are unattached are mandated to compete in white jerseys.

The GCF is expressing appreciation to Ray’s Auto Sales and Spares for sponsoring this event.

boards are going to pick players for various series, or even drop them.

“It’s no shock to me and it’s nothing to do with the player - he’s been exceptional with his co-operation. We’re happy for him to move on.”

Gayle has not played international cricket for over a year after falling out with the WICB for disparaging comments he made in a radio interview. But, following talks between the two parties, he could now be selected for the one-day section of their tour of England following his current stint in the Indian Premier League.

“I have written to Somerset and advised them I will not be honouring the commitment I made to them when I signed a contract with them,” Gayle said in a statement.

“By making this decision, I understand it may place me in a position of considerable risk, since I am foregoing a signed contract, without any guarantees whatsoever, with only the hope I will be selected to play for the West Indies again.

“I have now satisfied all of the requests of the WICB and their selection panel, with whom I met via teleconference yesterday, and to whom I reiterated previous assurances given to the board regarding my availability.

“So that there is no doubt, I confirmed to the selectors that I was available for West Indies duty in all forms of cricket, immediately following the conclusion of my contractual obligations to my IPL franchise.”

Gayle is arguably the most destructive limited-overs batsman in world cricket and has also played in Twenty20 competitions in Australia, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

However, he has also scored more than 6,300 in 91 Test appearances, including 13 centuries, one of them an innings of 333 against Sri Lanka in 2010.