Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 04, 2012

Competition will bring down dialysis, kidney operation costs It may be very controversial to comment on whether a health service should be offered totally free rather than at a subsidised rate, said Kidney Surgeon, Dr Rahul Jindal, as he commented on the number of facilities now offering renal failure services in Guyana.

Coupled with the number of entities that have started offering such services there are plans brewing between the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the Doobay Medical Centre to soon offer a free kidney transplant service by next year.

Dr Jindal, of the Walter

Reed Medical Centre, Washington D.C., was the first Kidney Surgeon to conduct a kidney transplant operation in Guyana. He has undertaken four such successful operations at the public facility all of which were supported by United States-based philanthropist Mr George Subraj.

He, during an interview with this publication, noted that “the overall standard of dialysis has improved in Guyana. When we started coming here first there were only two or three chairs at the Five-G centre. Since then Balwant Singh Hospital and more hospitals are opening,”

said an optimistic Dr Jindal during an interview.

Dr Jindal has since parted ways with the GPHC and is now offering his expert services at the privatelyoperated Balwant Singh Hospital where he has since undertaken another 10 transplant operations.

The Surgeon said that he is pleased that there are now more facilities offering renal failure services. “Monopoly is bad; competition is always good and with more dialysis programmes there will be more help for people and that will lend to the prices coming down.”

He further alluded to his

belief that “nothing is free because even at the public hospital patients have to pay for certain things,” said Dr Jindal. He noted, “What we started was just a model that this (kidney transplants) can be done. The results have been good and it is not as expensive as people think it is...There is a small amount of expenditure though it is not totally free in any place.”

Operations at the Balwant Singh hospital are supported

by Mr Subraj but patients are required to contribute a token, said Dr Jindal. This helps with ensuring that a quality service is continuously offered to them.

- Dr Jindal The Kidney Surgeon said, too, that at the Balwant Singh hospital the follow-up is currently better because if patients have a problem they can come to the hospital and access care quickly. Care is delivered by staffers who work in close collaboration with Dr Jindal.

“There is a constant line of communication which helps. The other thing is there is consistency of the staff,” said Dr Jindal as he made reference to the fact that the staff attending to patients are always the same.

“The same people are there after four years...this we did not find at the public hospital because there was a very frequent turnover of junior staff, so that was a major problem.” According to Dr Jindal, consistency of follow-up with the same people is a very important factor.

Since commencing operations at the private hospital, Dr Jindal with the support of a number of other

Dr Rahul Jindal overseas-based experts, has introduced other surgical interventions such as peritoneal dialysis and vascular access for dialysis.

He has also been offering second opinions to patients.

He has even started attending to patients with hernias and appendicitis. “Sometimes simple things can be missed by everyone, not just in Guyana but also in the United States as well, so we have been trying to help in this area as well,” said Dr Jindal.

Health Minister touts review of housing expansions ...as factories’ emissions are highlighted The issue of development lending to difficulties in the society was called into question recently, with Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran speculating that the spate of housing expansions may very well warrant a review.

The Minister was at the time speaking to the problem of housing areas encroaching on decades-old factories, thus resulting in troubling pollution problems for residents.

In the recent past, residents from Cane Grove on the East Coast of Demerara and Sisters Village on the West Bank of Demerara, voiced concerns that they are being affected by emissions from factories within their areas.

Early last month the Alliance for Change (AFC), in sympathising mode, visited the area of Cane Grove where residents were complaining of the constant emissions of dust from a rice mill. In fact the AFC had reported that the factory was spewing dangerous levels of dust thereby affecting residents’ living condition.

A few days later residents at Sisters Village raised their concerns too about disturbing levels of dust that were emitted into the air as a result of the cane processing

activities at the Wales Estate.

This situation, they said, causes even more inconvenience during crop season.

However, Minister Ramsaran pointed out that “what we have discovered is that there is a problem of housing areas encroaching on the factories and what we have understood is that this is a problem with development.”

He pointed to the fact that previously rice factories produced just a few hundred bags of rice and paddy, but now with the improvement of these industries there is more work and more rice is being produced. This, as a result, allows for more paddy dust being in the air and that by extension creates a problem, which according to the Minister, must be addressed.

He stressed too that “these are the difficulties or contradictions of development. If you are producing more sugar then there is more dust; if you are producing more rice then there is more dust too.”

He noted that while entities such as the Environmental Protection Agency has a role in addressing such situations, the owner of factories also have a responsibility to (Continued on page 3)

Sunday November 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Fatal Suriname crash…

GTM employee, policewoman among dead Those killed in the crash in Nickerie, Suriname crash have all been identified.

Arrangements are now being made to have their remains returned to Guyana.

The dead are 42 yearold Police Sergeant, Andrea Isaacs; GTM employee, 41year-old Monique Charlene Lynch and her fiancé 32-yearold Asa Sauers.

The lone survivor of the crash has been identified as Velma Lynch, Monique Charlene Lynch’s stepmother and former head mistress of North Georgetown Multilateral School.

A cousin of the dead Lynch, Winifred Moore, said that they family received the news of her death late Friday evening.

“Somebody from Suriname called and ask if we know that Monique was in Suriname and her mother said yes. Then the person told us that her vehicle crashed and that she, her fiancé, her stepmother and her friend were dead,” Moore said that later they began getting calls from local media operatives about the accident. The woman said that they last saw Monique on Thursday after she left her Victoria, East Coast Demerara, home that evening.

“We knew that she was leaving for Suriname very early Friday morning so she slept over by her stepmother who was also going on the trip.”

Moore said that Monique

Dead: Police Sergeant Andrea Isaacs.

Dead: 32 year-old Asa Sauers

last made contact with her relatives around noon on Friday, informing them that she was on her way to Suriname.

Monique was no stranger to the Dutch speaking territory and she often drove to that destination.

“She goes there very often but we do not know who was driving at the time of the accident. However, we know she drove over there before. She was supposed to leave on Wednesday but she had some problem with her passport,” Moore recalled.

Monique’s only son and another relative are currently in Suriname making arrangement to have her remains brought back to Guyana.

Meanwhile, Isaacs’s mother, Lorna Isaacs, said that she learnt about the accident afte r a l o c a l reporter called her on the telephone.

Mrs. Isaacs said that the

man who called her did not inform her that her daughter was dead. It was only when another reporter visited her home that she was greeted with the news of her only daughter’s death.

The woman related that she last saw Andrea on Friday morning when she was preparing to leave their Waterloo Street home for her trip to Suriname. Isaacs who said that she is still trying to come to grips with her daughter’s death, is awaiting the arrival of her son from overseas to make the necessary arrangements to bring the body back home.

Sauers who also perished in the accident was on oneweek vacation leave and was heading to Suriname to spend time.

His brother, Ruel Sauers, told this publication that it was only Friday morning that his brother informed him about the trip.

He said that his brother

Health Minister touts review...

(From page 2) protect the wellbeing of citizens.

However, the Minister asserted that there is need for there to be some limit as to how near houses are built to factories because “we have to look at what will be the economic impact if we were to close these factories.

Addressing the expansion of housing areas, the Minister alluded to the fact that there has been an explanation as to the state of affairs, “where a family might have had one house in the area and as its children grew up and got families of their own... they also got their own homes in the same area, thus expanding the housing situation.”

According to the Minister, there are a number of very interesting questions as it relates to this situation and “I don’t want to get

involved in all of them, but I can say that the Ministry will do what it has to do.”

He said too “once there are health issues they will be addressed...it will be in our report and at the same time I think there are other agencies which will be looking at the environmental issues, and I am certain that the industry itself, in demonstrating good corporate and social responsibility, will be looking

at that issue.”

Officials of the Ministry of Health were recently dispatched to the two affected areas, among others, with a view of ascertaining the various health issues that residents face. The move, according to the Minister, came as part of the activities leading up to the PPP/C Government’s anniversary celebrations which will culminate in January 2013.

Dead: 41-year-old Monique Charlene Lynch was employed with Rubis at the CJIA and was the father of two. Meanwhile Mrs. Lynch who survived the crash is expected to be released from the Lachmipersad Mungra Regional Hospital of Nickerie on Monday.

Reports out of Suriname are that the driver of the blue SUV in which the persons were traveling, apparently lost control. An eyewitness recounted seeing it careening from one side of the road to the other.

It is still unknown whether one of its wheels blew out.

The accident is said to have occurred about 192 kilometers from Paramaribo.

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Kaieteur News

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

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

EDITORIAL

Georgetown and the plight of M&CC Everywhere one turns one hears the cry, Georgetown is stink; Georgetown is the garbage city in opposition to the Garden City. The media perpetually feature large garbage piles and harsh criticisms of the city council for not removing these unsightly piles.

This situation did not develop overnight although habits cultivated over the years probably cultivated to the practice of creating garbage piles wherever necessary. For decades people have been discarding their waste through the windows of moving vehicles. Even the ambulatory would drop wrappers and even larger pieces of discarded material on the roads.

But for all the irresponsible disposal of personal; waste the city remained clean because people respected structures; they also took pride in their surroundings. And any waste generated by the households and the municipal markets was quickly disposed of.

The municipal system worked because there was enforcement. Members of the City Constabulary routinely prosecuted litterers. There was more to keeping the city clean.

People duly paid their taxes and the fleet of vehicles for the garbage removal all worked.

Indeed the city has grown well beyond its borders as more people move in because of the pull. The major shopping centres are in the city and most of the jobs reside there. The unfortunate thing is that people come with their bad habits and with an absence of enforcement the situation has spread to the alarming proportions it has now reached.

To compound matters, the government through the Ministry of Local Government is simply not allowing the City Council to work independent of outside interference.

In most cities the Mayor is the powerhouse; he is beholden only to the people who elect him. In Georgetown while the mayor may be a king unto himself, he has no executive power.

There are his professional staff who must report to the Ministry of Local Government, however.

For as long as one can remember, the City Council has been cash strapped but never as impecunious as it has been for the past two years. The council claims that it is not allowed to enhance its revenue earning capacity; the government says that the council is extremely inefficient to the point of allowing its rate payers to owe it so much money that it need not be cash strapped.

More recently, auditors have found that there was widespread corruption within the council. Staff members were enriching themselves at the expense of the council. Here was the suspicion of padded pay sheets, overcharging for specific tasks—in short paying more than it should for jobs done—and actually using council assets for personal gain.

That may explain the sloth in having the garbage piles removed but it does not deal with the attitude that has led to the piles. What is strange is that the wider society sat and watched as their city became tainted.

Talks of Community Watch were nothing but idle chat.

There was no watch to prevent the discard of refuse anywhere in the city. In the end everyone took the opportunity to dump garbage anywhere and with impunity.

Signs prohibiting people from dumping garbage at certain locations were blatantly ignored.

Today, with the city council even more cash strapped than it ever was the garbage piles are getting hire. People who had grown accustomed to disposing of their garbage and who at one time headed to the Le Repentir dumpsite now have no choice but to dump their garbage anywhere.

They cannot drive to Haags Bosch and those without transportation cannot walk.

The result is that some pay the drug addicts to dump the garbage anywhere but in the vicinity. Business places look for any growing dump site and add to the pile. The piles have been growing and the city council has now set up a team to patrol the city on the lookout for garbage dumpers.

But this is not working as it should. Members of the team simply accept a fee to turn a blind eye.

Sunday November 4, 2012

Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com

Donald Ramotar has lived up to the expectations of his detractors DEAR EDITOR, It was clear to many political observers and other interested parties that the Peoples Progressive Party Civic, did not field the best candidate at the November 2011 elections. The critics at that time argued that Ramotar was weak and an untested; that he was not a critical thinker and had never held elected office or managed any complex governmental or non-governmental organization. Ramotar was perceived as a party hack, who was hand chosen by then president Bharatt Jagdeo,

for all of the reasons mentioned.

However, in keeping with Stalinist tradition the other more prepared and credible candidates all bowed out and acceded to the dictate of the Jagdeo faction at Freedom House. To be fair there were voices that championed the candidacy of Donald Ramotar, they claimed that he was a man who had come from humble beginnings and was involved in the labour movement, that he was a fair and honest man; in other words he was not Jagdeo. Today as we approach the one year

anniversary of the Ramotar presidency what I find interesting but not surprising is that the naysayers were right. Donald Ramotar the seventh president of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana has lived up to the expectations of his detractors; he is a weak, ineffective and visionless head of state.

In December 2011 at his inauguration president Ramotar told the nation that he would appoint his cabinet in two days and even flirted with the possibility of a crossparty government. Integrity, inclusivity and impartiality

were the hallmark of a well balanced inaugural address; however, forty eight hours later Ramotar retained his predecessor ’s cabinet, dashing all hopes for inclusivity, integrity and impartiality.

Within days of forming his new government, on December 6th 2011 peaceful demonstrators were shot by the police while processing in Georgetown. This was followed by a bitter budget debate that saw for the first time in recorded history a sitting government picketing Continued on page 6

Sunday November 4, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox The Opposition allows this universe of corruption in Guyana to grow and expand DEAR EDITOR, I am replying to one of the East Indian extremists, Vassan Ramracha that lives in New York that shamelessly supports the PPP’s autocracy and tyranny in Guyana (see “Kissoon’s social contract and the blame game,” KN, Nov 2).

People like Ramracha can boast about the corrupt rule of the PPP (which this newspaper should win a UN medal for exposing corruption in this country) because the opposition beginning with the advent of Robert Corbin’s leadership and also including the pre-2011 AFC plus a dead civil society structure allowed this tyranny and corruption to grow and take over Guyana Hopefully, it looks like Linden will put a stop to this autocracy as it relates to Linden.

In five successive national elections, the opposition has won the constitutional administration of REGION FOUR but has not been given its constitutional right to administer this region.

As someone trained in history and political

philosophy, I say most unambiguously, this would never happen in any other country anywhere in the world that is plural in nature and driven by a huge ethnic divide where the contending ethnic communities are equal in importance and numbers. I repeat, this has not occurred elsewhere and the leadership of the oppressed constituencies would not accept to be shifted from areas of control in the particular country where it won legitimate votes to govern People like Ramracha in their zeal to publicly support the PPP are so silly that every time they open their mouths, they offer critics of the PPP golden opportunities to expose the fascist underpinnings of the PPP’s misrule.

The most convenient example of this in Ramracha’s letter is the following statement; “Contrast Mr. Kissoon now living a privileged life of luxury with a big house in a gated community.” How stupid one can be. But this is the type of

people the PPP attracts.

I am sixty years of age and only owned a home in 2007 after working for more than twenty years in an institution, the University of Guyana that pays what al of Guyana knows is a miserable salary. I drive a duty car that I bought since 1999. I live in an ordinary lower middle class house without any wealthy interior decoration. My home does not have a self-contained bedroom. The family used the same bathroom.

If Ramracha is looking for luxuries and luxury home, he should visit the mansions of Cheddi Jagan’s protégés.

Ramracha has to be the most imbecilic supporter of the PPP. He doesn’t pay attention to what Donald Ramotar writes.

Six years ago in these letter pages of this same newspaper.

Ramotar wrote to say that he knows some businessmen helped me to build my home.

Of course he is right.

I didn’t have the wealth the PPP boys and girls got after they acquired power in 1992.

In my column today I acknowledge I had received

help in erecting my dwelling house.

I do not live in a mainstream gated community but in an area where GUYSUCIO gave almost free house lots (because of the almost next to nothing price) to its wealthy Indian hierarchy who had no uses for them because they already had their mansions. These lots were in turn sold far, far, far above market rates. The seller of my land was extremely generous not to be greedy. He did the moral and honorable thing.

Two of the plots were possessed by the son-in-law of an infamous minister.

Two of them are currently owned by a certain minister.

There is only one reason for describing it as gated because it has one road in and one road out. Contrast my age and the meager resources of mine with little boys and girls who are the children and relatives of the PPP dynasty, who in 1992 when the PPP came to power were literally little boys and girls.

Today these grown up boys and girls are owners of

assets that match the resources of the traditional rich classes in Guyana. In my research for which Bharrat Jagdeo sued me, I documented who these people are. Some are young men who haven’t reached forty years as yet.

A certain Minister has put up his/her house for sale in Pradoville 2. An inquirer that I know told me the price is $US 1.2M (just above 200 million Guyana dollars). That Minister is not forty five years as yet and had no claims to previous resources. We know about a mansion and swimming pool of a Minister in REGION 3.

We know of a Minister up the East Coast whose swimming poll is one of the most resplendent in the world with a lighting system that you find in the pools of American billionaires Amidst these graphic

facts, fools like Ramracha can point to someone like me with his idiotic claims of me living in luxury.

But Guyanese are glad to see these asininities from people like Ramracha because it gives some of us the space to further expose the moral and criminal bankruptcy of a party that the daughter of its founder, Nadira Jagan has boldly chastised for the decadent, wealthy lifestyle of its leaders.

Imagine Ramracha talking about me living in luxury and Nadira Jagan and Ralph Ramkarran have written about corruption in the PPP administration, Yes, the PPP that Nadira Jagan’s father founded and that Ralph Rakarran helped to build. Let Ramracha write more so we can reply and show the rural folks what type of monsters control their country Frederick Kissoon

A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Sunday November 4, 2012

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Who is accountable for the billions lost from NICIL, the lotto funds and the contingency fund?

DEAR EDITOR, A few weeks ago we heard a lot of talk in Parliament about the 2011 Audit Report published by the Office of the Auditor General.

While we commend that Office and its team for their work on the audit, it is clear that they continue to operate under conditions that force them to comply with the narrative of the Jagdeo/ Ramotar regime of suppressing financial facts on the skullduggery practiced by the regime.

The objective of this letter is to share our thoughts with the people on the abuses of the Contingency Fund by the regime.

In a working class family they cannot exist without house rules and likewise in a Nation we must have our rule books.

Thus whenever the princelings from the Jagdeo/ Ramotar cabal abuse the rule of law, we must raise our voices again it, or else we condemn ourselves to a domineering and lawless

society. The working class must strongly believe that the country works better when their children have a fair chance to expand their prosperity and wealth through dedication to their studies and hard work. We must never believe the PPP narrative that their trickle-down theory is superior to what our forefathers taught us.

Every man has a greed barometer, so how can the system work where 80 percent of the Government contracts for goods and services go to under 20 percent of the registered contractors who are mainly PPP friends, relatives and cronies.

In many cases these PPP friends, relatives and cronies charge as high as 600 percent more than the real value for the contract resulting in significant profits at the expense of the poor and the working class.

This is clear evidence that the Jagdeo/Ramotar regime has finally abandoned the poor and the working class to pay the rent to their new

found friends.

This new PPP system and greedy political ideology denies the poor and the working class that opportunity to prosper.

Poverty alleviation, economic empowerment and an enhance ability to put bread on the table will only happen when the PPP is forced to discontinue this practice.

The Treasury is not there to pay rent to the PPP rentseeking landlords.

Every family ought to have a source of funds to which they will draw on to make emergency payments if they need to pay urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen medical bill for example, which will be repaid from future earnings.

This is not a box-hand for the Christmas suit; this is an emergency fund.

Likewise in a Nation, there are genuine urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen emergencies such as the collapse of a seawall which need urgent attention that cannot wait for the sitting of

Parliament.

The Auditor General reported that in 2011, the Jagdeo/Ramotar regime spent some $1,146 million on nonurgent items that could have been avoided if they had a proper economic plan with full input from the people. When it comes to economic planning the PPP is mentally and morally bankrupt.

For emphasis, the Jagdeo/ Ramotar cabal has abused the Contingency Funds to an amount that can easily build 180 two-bedroom homes for 180 deserving families; feed them all for one year and still have change to buy legal text books for the school children in those homes.

This is an entire new village that the PPP could house permanently and fed in 2011 but chose instead to blow this money away into the pockets of their favourite friends.

The law that prescribes how the Contingency Funds are used is the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act 2003 (FMA). In accordance with Section 41 of the FMA Act,

the Minister of Finance “may approve a Contingencies Fund Advance as an expenditure out of the Consolidated Fund by the issuance of a drawing right” upon the satisfaction of specific criteria.

The criteria that the Minister must satisfy remains, the expenditure must be “urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen” to meet a national need that has arisen.

It’s not Rose and Singh who are saying this, the Audit Office found evidence that $1,146 million was drawn from the Contingencies Fund without meeting the requisite criteria as defined by the law.

What would the majority opposition and civil society do with this information?

Will they ignore the plight of the 180 families in the working class who could have owned their own homes and fed their family for a year all compliments of the State or would they use their power to penalize those 12 business buddies of the Jagdeo/

Ramotar cabal who got fat from the abuse of these funds?

It is time that the FAT CATS be called before a select Committee of Parliament and exposed on their greedy action of stealing from the nation. It is time to make an example of some people in Guyana so that these abuses by the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal can addressed?

The year 2013 must be the red letter year to teach the PPP the art of good governance.

The year 2013 must not be the year for the majority in Parliament to support more squander mania and more for the robber barons who continue to support by the Jagdeo/Ramotar regime in exchange for these juicy contracts.

The handle on the cup is certainly broken and it is time the majority opposition and civil society fix it.

It also time for the poor and the working class to raise voice and march against this highway robbery by the friends and political masters of the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal.

Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh

From page 4 against the parliamentary opposition. Ramotar had promised that he was prepared to work together with all the political parties and stakeholders, but when it came to the National Budget, his minority government was not prepared to work with the Parliamentary majority APNU/ AFC. The budget crisis spawned the Linden electricity crisis, when the PPPC government imposed on the people of Linden an undue hardship (an increase in the electric tariff), without negotiating or consulting with the peoples representatives.

In his inaugural address president Ramotar spoke of the exciting task of creating opportunities for all Guyanese, yet within three months of taking office he was imposing a draconian tax on a community (Linden) where 70% of the people are unemployed or severely under-employed.

It was becoming quite clear that the new Head of State’s rhetoric were equidistant from his actions and his government’s treatment of the poor and depressed communities.

As the situation escalated at Linden and the people and their Regional and national leaders called on the president to meet with them, to sit down and listen and consult, this

president refused. Then came July 18th 2012 and three young men were brutally murdered after the Guyana Police Force again opened fire on peaceful protestors at the MackenzieLinden bridge.

The following day the president met with the Opposition Leader and Regional representatives, but by this time it was too late; property would be destroyed and more people would be shot by the police, all because of a government’s refusal to meet it constitutional mandate of consulting with the people and their elected representatives.

Consumed by crisis, and showing no real flair for bold and innovative leadership, the Ramotar administration continued as a mirror image of the corruption, thievery, drugs and nepotism that were the hallmark of the Jadgeo years.

Once again innocents lives of young African men were taken, killed at the hands of the police; Shaquille Grant at Agricola; Dameon Belgrave in Georgetown.

In a side note, it was no surprise a few days ago that the longest serving member of the cabinet and president Ramotar’s Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee admitted under oath, when answering a question from Attorney Basil Williams(at the Linden Commission of

Inquiry), that he(Rohee) was not a visionary. So, with a head of state that has proven to be weak, ineffective and visionless, surrounded by a cabinet that is mediocre for the most part, but generally less than stellar there is not much hope for the ensuing period of the Ramotar presidency.

Mr. Editor I truly searched for something complimentary to say about this period, but all I could find was controversy and conflict. In a country where most of the people would be classified as poor, the Ramotar government celebrates things and calibrates its development based on big buildings, poorly conceived roads and brand name hotels rather than human development.

The level of unemployment in this country is unsustainable, the under education of our children and the school dropout rate nationally is unsustainable, the crime situation and the lawlessness of our law enforcement agencies is unsustainable, yet this president has been deathly silent and has failed to lead on all of these important issues facing our nation.

Even if one graded on a curve it would be difficult to give this president anything but a failing grade in his first year in office.

Mark Archer

Donald Ramotar has...

Sunday November 4, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 7

President Ramotar still to act on findings

Fire destroys East Canje house

NCN scandal...

- Initial investigations should have been done by CID

Programme Manager, Martin Goolsarran

President Donald Ramotar is still to act on the findings of the recently concluded investigations into financial irregularities at the stateowned National Communications Network (NCN).

This is according to Chairman of NCN’s Board, Dr. Prem Misir, yesterday.

Dr. Misir who was in charge of the investigations, said that he recently submitted the findings detailing the financial irregularities at NCN to the subject Minister, who is the President.

According to Misir, his investigation was confined to the Terms of Reference that sought to ascertain the relationship between Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) and NCN. Dr. Misir said that the findings would have been in

the President’s possession a while now but he (Dr. Misir) was out of the country. He is confident that very shortly Ramotar will act on the findings.

In a leaked reportprepared during the first half of the year- it was revealed that on the part of NCN, one area of irregularity was traced back to GT&T and involved millions of dollars in advertisements.

NCN’s Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Sattaur, who had knowledge of the financial irregularities resigned in June. The entity’s Programme Manager, Martin Goolsarran, who admitted that he had deposited the payment cheque from the telephone company into his personal account, has been suspended without pay.

According to Misir, Sattaur’s resignation and

Goolsarran’s suspension are sanctions already served to the men. He, however, pointed out that it would be up to the President to decide if stiffer penalties would be served and if the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force would be called in.

However, Alliance for Change (AFC)’s leader, Khemraj Ramjattan is not optimistic that much would come out of the report submitted to Ramotar. He opined that the men should be jailed for stealing. In fact, he believes that ranks of CID should have been the ones conducting the initial investigations.

“The police position of only investigating an issue when a report is made can be appreciated, with the exception being when a crime is committed in their presence.

Now the President, Mr. Ramotar, and/or the Board members to whom the Parmessar’s Inquiry findings were sent to, ought to make that report to the Police or the DPP for a criminal investigation to be held against both Martin and Fuzzy (Sattaur),” he said.

According to Ramjattan, it appears that the President loves corruption and is lethargic in dealing with these issues. As such, he does not Continued on page 14

The ashes of what was once home to four East Canje residents.

Fire of unknown origin belongs to his brother, She said that she was yesterday completely Wesley, who is overseas. alerted about a fire in the destroyed the one-flat The man said that house and when she looked wooden three bedroom house although the electricity was around she saw black smoke of popular Butcher, livestock disconnected from his house emanating from the building. and cash crop farmer, Garfield due to a dispute he had with The woman said she Skeete called “Chuck”. The the Electricity Company, he started to scream, and blaze started around 11:00 hrs. suspected that the cause neighbours, realizing what Skeete 39, lived at the Lot might be electrical in nature. was happening, quickly 40 King Street, Cumberland, He stated that although arrived and formed a bucket East Canje, Berbice premises the wire was disconnected, brigade. with his 32-year old wife, they would come together However they could not Renuka Hindure, and their periodically, causing sparks. do much, as the fire quickly daughter Dianne Skeete, four. He said that he reported the started to rage.

Skeete stated that at the problem many times to the The woman echoed what time of the fire, he was out Guyana Power and Light, but her husband had stated, that selling pork, a usual practice nothing was done. the house was well furnished in the neighbouring villages.

His wife, Renuka, broke with two wall dividers, two He got a call on his cell down in tears when she television sets, VCR, music phone that his house was on looked at what was left of their system, washing machine and fire and immediately hurried comfortable home. The microwave among other home only to see the building woman, who was being things. engulfed in flames. comforted by relatives and The Guyana Fire Service It was an unbelievable friends, stated that she was on was summoned and sight, he said. He could not the bridge chatting with a responded with two trucks give an estimate of the losses, friend while her daughter and while a Land Rover from the but said it is in the millions of nephew had gone next door nearby Rose Hall Estate also dollars. to pick coconuts. went to the scene.

The distraught man stated that his house was fully Our lives begin to end the day we furnished. become silent about things that matter.

He stated that he has been living at the premises for over Martin Luther King, Jr. seven years. The house

Page 8

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 04, 2012

Sunday November 4, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 9

>>>> PNCR COLUMN <<<<

While Rohee rumbles, security tumbles Clement Rohee’s appearance and performance before the Linden Commission of Inquiry was a political catastrophe for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic administration. His responses to intense interrogation by attorneys for A Partnership for National Unity confirmed the public’s worst fears that the management of public security in this country is in the wrong hands.

Clement Rohee has served in the Cabinet continuously for over twenty years. He was appointed, first, as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1992 to 2001; second, as Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation from 2001 to 2006 and, third, as Minister of Home Affairs from 2006 to the present.

He is the longest-serving Minister of the government next to the Prime Minister. He ought to be one of the most experienced.

Rohee, after 20 years in government, should have comprehended the concept of ministerial responsibility. This means that he must accept responsibility for the performance of his Ministry.

This means, also, that he has

an obligation to the National Assembly, if not to the entire nation, to account and to be held accountable for the actions and behaviour of his Ministry.

If Rohee, as a Minister of a service such as the Guyana Police Force that is within his Ministry, performs in such an incompetent manner that the Administration is likely to be brought into ridicule or contempt, he should accept responsibility and resign.

The doctrine of ministerial responsibility, therefore, obliges the Administration to accept responsibility for the minister’s performance. The minister must resign if his performance undermines public confidence in his ability to manage public security.

To hang on to office is a sign not of getting ready to “rumble” but merely allowing the security of the nation to tumble deeper into lawlessness.

The National Assembly, therefore, on receiving and reviewing evidence of ministerial incompetence, exercised its power to pass a resolution of ‘no confidence’ in Rohee’s ability to function as Minister of Home Affairs

Dem boys seh

People trying fuh defend dem thiefing money There is a saying that wha you can see in de daylight you nah got fuh tek fire stick fuh see in de night. People done know wha happen between dem kantractas and dem official wha does give dem de kantracts.

People know which party Ramotar, he buddy and he sissy dem gun vote for. Dem also know which party Granger, he buddy, he sissy and he pickney dem gun vote for too. Certain things people nah got fuh ask questions. Dem deh in de open. Is something natural.

Some people when dem open dem mouth and talk everybody know which side of de fence dem deh— whether dem like something or dem against something.

Tek de Hard Times paper wha Jagdeo best friend Ramroop, one time seh he own and another time he nah own. He can’t mek up he mind. De other day de Hard Times run fuh defend de Chinee contractor who building de airport. Why dem run fuh defend a foreign company?

De same paper defend de Marriott project like if is dem Mooma and Daady own.

Dem also defending EZjet

man who de people seh thief money in de States and put it he pocket and not de plane account.

Dem boys did always know that Sonny don’t have a cent to see two bug wine much less fuh put a bottle wine pun de plane Dem boys know who is de owner dem.

That is why dem defending Sonny.

De defending de Marriott project, dem defending Sonny and EZjet and now dem defending de Chinee contractor wha building de airport for USS$160 million and that can be built fuh US$20 million.

Dem boys know people always smart. Draw de conclusion and remember just in case you ain’t come up wid a conclusion dem boys want tell everybody that who defending de Marriott and de airline, would eventually own all two. As fuh de airport, big kick front gone under dem family skirt.

Dem boys ain’t talk bout de Amaila Falls and other deals yet and how much money gone under dem family petticoat. But dem plan fuh talk, sloooowly.

Talk half and watch under dem petticoat.

and called on the Administration to revoke his appointment.

The National Assembly did consider the abundant evidence of mismanagement, maladministration and dereliction of duty. It was convinced that such incompetence could have been avoided by prudent administration and these were the grounds for questioning the minister’s ability to discharge his ministerial responsibility.

Rohee, to avoid dismissal from office, the disdain of the National Assembly or further damage to public security, should resign as minister of his own accord.

Rohee’s six-year tenure of office as Minister of Home Affairs has witnessed criminal violence, massacres at Bartica, Lusignan and Lindo Creek, numerous extra-judicial killings, banditry and piracy.

Responsibility for every one of these underperforming sectors of public order and safety rests with the Minister of Home Affairs.

There is no doubt that Rohee has not only the ‘authority’ but also the ‘duty’ and the ‘ministerial responsibility’ to issue such ‘orders and directions’ for the command and superintendence of the Force.

He is not reluctant to respond to situations and to recognize danger when he is ready.

He issued instructions to the Commissioner of Police to transfer the Commander of E & F Police Division –of which Linden is an integral part – within 24 hours of the Linden killings.

He personally met [then] Commissioner of Police Henry Greene and several levels of the Commissioner’s subordinates –Divisional Commander, George Vyphuis and senior officers, Linden Alves, Errol Watts, Clifton Hicken, and Patrick Todd –to discuss the circumstances surrounding the incident on December 6, 2011 when several volleys of rubber bullets were fired by the Police at a peaceful procession of protestors in Georgetown.

Rohee is said to have “expressed surprise over a junior rank having the authority to make such an important decision [to fire rubber bullets into a peaceful crowd].” He maintained that such a decision should have been made at a higher level, as outlined in the Force’s Standard Operating Procedures.

He told the senior police officers that “shooting at the back of some protestors is inexplicable and unacceptable [and] was another “manifestation of bad judgment by the ranks on the

ground and must never be repeated.”

Rohee is said to have called on the Commissioner to “immediately put in place other best practices with respect of crowd control and the necessary corrective administrative and command control measures to avoid a repetition of that unfortunate event.”

Yet, he did not see it fit to convene a commission of inquiry into this “inexplicable and unacceptable” incident.

The Minister, therefore, did not confine his efforts to security policy; he was involved in operational matters. A GINA report of 23rd July 2012, five days after the killings, confirmed the fact that: “From a public order point of view, the Ministry of Home Affairs was tasked with the responsibility of monitoring the situation on a day-by-day basis, which meant keeping close observation of the protestors, the cause they are advancing, the slogans that were being used and to check whether or not they were targeting any specific individual or institution.”

Rohee, during his six-year

tenure of office as Minister of Home Affairs, witnessed several massacres. The first was at Lusignan on the East Coast in January 2008 where 11 persons were killed; the second was at Bartica in the Essequibo River in February 2008 where 12 persons were killed and the third occurred at Lindo Creek in the Berbice River in June 2008 where eight persons were killed.

Yet, Rohee convened no commissions of inquiry over the past four years to investigate these atrocities and bring the assailants to justice. The victims’ families, even now, have received no satisfactory answers from the minister who is responsible for human safety!

Rohee, nevertheless, is aware of his limitations. He admitted, in the wake of the Lusignan and Bartica massacres, that “Government is cognizant of the Security Forces’ shortcomings.” He promised that: “Several aspects of the Government of Guyana-United Kingdom Security Reform Action Plan (SSRAP) will be implemented by month-end [February

2008]…A British expert is expected in the country by month-end to begin the training aspect.” This never happened!

The People’s Progressive Party Civic administration and its Minister of Home Affairs, instead of implementing the Security Sector Reform Action Plan, discarded it.

The entire country is suffering from PPP/C’s recklessness yet, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, its chief spokesman threatens to “rumble” in order to keep Rohee in his position.

Dr. Luncheon, in an unforgettably unintelligent utterance on 11th October, ignited the ‘October riot’ at Agricola on the East Bank. He told the media on that fateful day that, with regard to the PPP/C’s “support of our position on Minister Rohee’s retention as Cabinet Minister and as Minister of Home Affairs…As Muhammad Ali said, let’s get ready for the rumble.”

While the PPPC and Rohee get ready to rumble, however, Guyana bleeds and citizens suffer from violent crime.

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Kaieteur News

Talks in progress for Timehri residents’ removal - Works Ministry An amicable decision on relocating the Timehri North residents is the aim of the government, says Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn.

He made the statement last Monday during a press briefing and insisted that his Ministry was having dialogue with the squatters.

His utterances have however angered the residents who claim that no contact has been made with them since the organizing of the community’s council.

Minister Benn said that all the residents will be impacted by relocation and his Ministry had thus asked squatters not to make anymore additions to their homes since they would be removed from the area and placed at a designated location where they can seek to regularize themselves.

“Our intention is to move persons from there (Timehri) amicably over to an area where they can come into ownership of land, build houses, have transports and go get mortgages and stop living in this fashion; and at the same time, to properly organize the expansion of the airport,” the Minister told media operatives.

Benn said that he was aware that persons living in

...residents deny Minister’s claims the Timehri community had been there for seven years or more. The Minister said that he is also aware and have information about the type of jobs that the residents perform.

He said that many of those residents work around the airport or in situations directly related. Some persons work elsewhere.

The Minister said that it would be false to say that many of the residents engage in farming.

According to Minister Benn, he is aware that at least four chicken farms were located in the area and they have since been moved because of the safety problems posed to flying aircrafts.

In a press release sent to this publication, Chairman of the Timehri North Development Council Daniel Fraser expressed disappointment at what he said was the deliberate intention by the Minister to mislead the nation. The residents argued that since the organization of the community council, there has been no contact made by the current administration to discuss movement plans.

“We have noted the inexactitudes, misinformation and deceptions of the likes of the Cabinet Secretary, the Ministers of Public Works and of Housing collectively and individually, and call on the elected minority government to stop misleading the nation.”

“There has never been any discussion, conversation or meeting of any nature or kind, with the elected representatives of this community since the official installation of this organization since October 15; 2011.”

The Community called on the relevant Ministers to say to the community and the nation, “which representatives these alleged meetings were held with, where were they held and when were they held.”

The residents added that they are not squatters and for years have been promised to be regularized. “We dare any agent of this deceptive government, to try to trick us, having done so on two occasions. We are not squatters! Ms. Philomena Sahoye-Shury assured us, as an ambassador of the Ministry of Housing and by extension an overt mouthpiece and iron arm of the Administration with responsibility for community development.”

The community has also noted that they will be submitting plans for the area to the Administration and hopes that a favourable outcome will be the result.

Sunday November 04, 2012

UG honours 27 for long service Prof. Clive Thomas, Patricia Harnanan longest serving The country’s leading tertiary institution, the University of Guyana (UG), will celebrate 50 years of existence next year. As a prelude to the occasion the university honoured 27 staff members Friday evening for long service.

The presentation was held at Umana Yana, where several persons, including the former Minister within the Ministry of Human Service, Indranie Chandarpal, Dr. Paloma Mohamed and Vincent Alexander spoke briefly about the University.

Chandarpal reminded the audience that UG was established in 1963, with a first batch of 164 students, on a temporary Campus located at Queens College. In 1969, the institute acquired its own campus at Turkeyen and has grown to an enrollment of 5,000.

She added that there were many ups and downs but the nation was served well by UG producing thousands of

Indra Chandarpal awards one for long service graduates who are working in and out of Guyana.

Professor Clive Y. Thomas and Ms. Patricia Harnanan were honoured for serving the University for 40 years. Five staffers were also honoured for working at the facility for 35 years, while three of the

The gathering last evening

University’s long-standing employees received awards for working at the facility for 30 years. Eight staffers were honoured for being with the institution for 25 years and nine for 20 years.

The ceremony closed with the song “Circle of Love.”

Sunday November 4, 2012

Kaieteur News

Govt seeks to install Sports Minister as head of cricket administration Recent negotiations between Government and cricket officials seemed to have collapsed after Minister of Sports, Dr. Frank Anthony, and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, circulated proposed legislation giving the Minister of Sports controlling powers over cricket administration in Guyana.

Most significantly, the proposed draft legislation seeks to disband the present Guyana Cricket Board and replace it with a new corporate entity where the GCB and all of its affiliate members will have to send reports, developmental programmes and financial statements directly to the Sports Minister.

Further, all assets owned by the present GCB, a private unincorporated entity, must be transferred to the new government-controlled GCB. It is important to note that the Government does not and has never provided any funding for the operations of the GCB. Many are of the opinion that the government is trying to achieve, through Parliament, what it has so far failed to obtain through court proceedings against the Guyana Cricket Board. One member of the GCB said that it appears as though none of the warring factions have accepted the draft legislation.

The Guyana Cricket Board and East Coast Board did not even attend the discussion, claiming that they attended a previous meeting to discuss a new draft constitution and not legislation.

Members of the Guyana Cricket Board were told that this legislation would be similar to that which gave corporate status to the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control. This newspaper saw copies of both the Trinidad legislation and that proposed by the Government of Guyana and it is clear that the TTCB maintains its autonomy even though it was incorporated through an Act of Parliament since 1989.

The word ‘Minister’ is not even stated once in the TTCB legislation. When contacted, Mr. Anand Sanasie of the GCB said that he was not at the meeting and has not seen the draft legislation but is aware of the TTCB version which, if copied, should be accepted by the GCB. He also said, when asked, that the GCB is awaiting the outcome of Government instituted court matters to determine possible participation in the WICB T20 2013 scheduled to be played in January next year.

Should this impasse continue Guyana may be a far way from ever hosting international cricket again.

Page 11

Guyanese in Dubai experiences deportation delay Abdul Kalam Sattaur, a Guyanese businessman, held in a Dubai jail for more than a year, over the alleged possession of a forged US$100 note, is facing difficulties coming home.

He is now claiming that the authorities in the Emirates continue to create bottlenecks in sending him home.

This he discussed with Guyana’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Dr. Odeen Ishmael during a telephone conversation on Friday.

He was asked by the prison authorities for his passport and ticket in preparation for the deportation. He did so, but since he was detained for over a year, his ticket to Sao Paulo on Emirates Airlines had expired.

Prison officials later told Sattaur that his ticket had expired and that he must now purchase a new ticket out of his pocket, to home.

Sattaur, in his defense, said he told an Emirati official that the UAE had detained him for over a year which resulted in the expiration of the ticket. He also informed the Emirati official that he has no

Still in jail: Abdul Kalam Sattaur money to purchase a ticket.

Sattaur has been jailed in Dubai since August 2011 and held without a trial.

Efforts by the government of Guyana, through its embassy in Kuwait, to speak to Emirati authorities were unsuccessful. After his case was made public in the media, the UAE then acted.

Emirati authorities claimed he was assigned a lawyer and that he appeared in court.

According to Sattaur, he never met the lawyer assigned to him. Then in a dramatic move, the UAE abruptly decided to deport

him a month ago but to date he is still incarcerated in Dubai.

In early October, amidst a number of news reports on the case, an Emirati police officer reportedly visited Sattaur’s cell, and told him to pack all his belongings.

When Sattaur inquired, the officer told him that he was found guilty of being in possession of a forged US$100 bill and had been sentenced to a year in prison.

However, the officer added, since Sattaur had been in detention since August last year, he would be released and deported.

Sattaur had said he is relieved that he will be sent home, yet is astonished over the way “justice” was meted out.

He never met the lawyer assigned to his case; never saw the evidence against him; never appeared before a judge to plead his case and, curiously, no one ever checked the money he had in his possession, yet the authorities claimed he had a forged US$100 bill.

In a case that has been shrouded in secrecy and an apparent violation of international human rights conventions by the United

Arab Emirates (UAE), questions have been raised as to the type of justice system that exists in the UAE. Fortunately, Sattaur was eventually able to make contact with Ambassador Ishmael, at t h e G u y a n a Embassy in Kuwait, who began monitoring his ordeal on a daily basis.

The UAE acted only after this case attracted media attention when it was first made public by Caribbean News Now, and subsequent follow-up stories.

According to reports, Sattaur was arrested in Dubai in August last year during a police raid on a n o t h e r b u s i n e s s m a n ’s hotel room in which officers recovered Dh40,000 in fake notes.

Sattaur had reportedly said he had arrived in Dubai from Bangkok and had intended to stay for only one night before continuing on to Brazil, where he lives with his wife and children.

He had told a diplomatic representative in Kuwait that he visited the other businessman’s hotel room to arrange a diamond transaction and was caught in the raid.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 04, 2012

Police reduced to security guards

By Dale Andrews Five days ago another execution style killing occurred in Guyana’s capital and like all the others before, the police remain clueless.

Hiding behind the usual “investigations are ongoing” local police are no closer to ending the cycle of violent killing where hit men take out their targets in broad daylight with impunity, then vanish into thin air.

So far this year, there have been eight executions in Guyana and they have all occurred within a six-mile radius.

If one were to add the mysterious death of Canadian Jean Le Blanc at the Georgetown Public Hospital, the scenario gets scarier.

Statistics from the police at the end of September this year show a six percent decrease in murders compared to the same period last year.

At the period of reporting the police statistics saw a recorded figure of 95 murders compared to 102 last year.

These include 43 disorderly, six during armed robberies, 20 domestic related, six execution types and 20 undetermined.

But statistics are what they are. What is taking place

in Guyana is leaving very little room for comfort.

While the crime wave of 2002/2006 is a historical fact, recent events give rise to a new vision of a criminal train spiraling out of control.

The records will show that the police can only boast of solving clear cut murders and robberies.

The least complicated ones are giving them no ends of trouble.

In fact, even those murders in which persons are charged, the conviction rate leaves much to be desired.

Execution style murders are another story.

“We have never solved any execution style killing in this country and I am not too certain that we will. All we do is to issue wanted bulletins for persons who cannot even be considered suspects,” said a police officer, who, like many others that this newspaper interviewed, is not happy with the present status quo.

There are two things to consider: it is either the police do not want to solve these types of murders or they are incapable of doing so.

For example whenever there is an execution style killing, all the police patrols converge at the scene and none of them seem inclined to follow any lead and go after

the killers. It is as if the police are giving the killers time to get away.

Surely the police must be provided with some description of a vehicle used by the perpetrators of the act; yet there is no evidence that the police have managed to trace a vehicle used in the act, even if they don’t find the actual killers.

This has emboldened the killers, a rather scary scenario.

It is fruitful to note that during the day, there are eight police mobile anti crime patrols traversing the city, and at any given time no two patrols would be more than a mile apart.

But there was something about last Tuesday’s execution of Marlon Osborne that is very instructive in the way the criminals operate when it comes to the police.

This incident went unreported maybe because it was overshadowed by the actual execution.

Just about an hour prior to the killing, a police mobile patrol had stumbled upon a known character on Sheriff Street.

As they approached the suspect, he jumped into a burgundy Toyota AT 192 and sped off up the East Coast Demerara.

The police vehicle was no match for the getaway car, and the suspect along with an accomplice managed to outdrive the police and made good their escape, after abandoning the car in the Alpha Hotel compound at Ogle.

Of course, the police ranks managed to locate the car and quickly surrounded the hotel while summoning back-up.

Two more patrol vehicles arrived at the scene and after searching the hotel in vain they sent for their crime scene experts to process the car.

While they were waiting at the hotel, they received word of the execution-style killing and of course they hurried back to the city, but by then it was too late.

Could this have been a diversion? We don’t know, for

the police have not said a word about that incident. Up to yesterday there was no word of the two men being arrested.

Imagine a proper citizen running and leaving a $1M car behind; this is hardly likely.

“It is easy to deduce that this was a deliberate diversion,” one police officer said, admitting that criminals are continuing to outsmart the police. He pointed to a lack of coordination, since none of the patrols on the East Coast of Demerara was called in to assist.

“Three vehicles from the city should not have pursued the car all the way up the East Coast,” the officer added.

One observer noted that the way the police are operating, is akin to security guards.

“Both the Commissioner and Crime Chief are presiding over a security service. All they know to solve is who slap who. Even to a man snatch a chain they can’t solve,” a disgusted businessman told this newspaper.

He is of the view that once a person is identified for elimination, he is certain to meet his end even if he reports the threat to the police beforehand.

“Even the government doesn’t care. We no longer have a professional Police Force; they are dancing to the whims and fancies of the government,” the businessman declared, adding that competent officers who are brave enough to show some level of professionalism are being sidelined.

Three held after botched robbery Three men are in police custody, one night after they allegedly attempted to rob a 61-year-old Queenstown resident.

Police say that the men were apprehended moments after 61-year-old, Kalib Ellis, a lumber businessman informed them of the attempted robbery at his home early Saturday morning.

Reports are that the men used drums to climb on to Ellis’s roof but were prevented from gaining entry into Ellis’s premises after an alarm went off.

Ellis, the report added, instantly contacted the police after recognising one of the men. Earlier this week, armed bandits robbed businesswoman, Debbie

Young, of Little Alliance, of a quantity of phone cards and money.

Young said that the men were armed with a knife and dealt her a cuff to her right eye then duct taped her hands and mouth.

The businesswoman was previously robbed. Police have since held a suspect in connection with that robbery.

Sunday November 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 13

EZjet notifies US of 26 flight cancellations Low-cost charter air service, EZjet, has given notice to the US government that it is canceling 26 flights between New York and Georgetown between October and May next year.

In a letter late September to the U.S’ Department of Transportation, lawyers for EZjet said that the flights were being cancelled from October 7, last, to May 26 next year.

EZjet said it “arranged” the flights with Swift Air, which had planned to operate a B-767-200 aircraft with 218 passenger seats.

In the letter, EZjet said it will accommodate all affected passengers on other approved charter flights.

Alternatively, EZjet said that it would issue full refunds to any passenger who does not want to continue their travel plans with EZjet.

Under US laws, air charter companies are required to notify the government there of plans to cancel flights. It is unclear whether from the Guyana end it is also a requirement.

This latest development

EZjet’s founder, Sonny Ramdeo would come amidst reports that the company’s former Chief Executive Officer and owner/founder, Sonny Ramdeo, has stepped down after being sued for allegedly stealing US$5.4M from his employer, Promise Healthcare.

Recently, it was disclosed that EZjet applied to the US authorities for approval to become a full-fledged airline or carrier status which would

Census 2012 stalled due to administrative not blunder …forms available Census 2012 though slated for an October 26 completion date, has not been completed, the main reason being the maladministration of the activity.

There have been a series of problems.

The latest word is that the activity has been halted due to a lack of forms especially the Pink Individual forms. This development which adds to a litany of woes previously highlighted by a letter writer in the Kaieteur News has left many to conclude that the administering of the 2012 Census activity leaves much to be desired.

Since the commencement of the activity temporary field staff conducting the activity have been complaining of the many broken promises.

They cited the promise made to top up phones with $1,500 weekly for supervisors and $500 for enumerators.

This promise has not been met although field workers have

been expending sizable sums to communicate with colleagues.

They also cited the fact that the enumeration exercise in some areas started three weeks after Census Day— September 15.

Apart from the unavailability of the forms which it is understood have been exhausted, the enumerators have not being given other stocks to complete their work. They are without envelopes, paper, erasers and pencils.

The fact that the activity was not properly and adequately advertised thus the population not being properly informed, created some problems for field staff, who endured unnecessary harassment during the exercise.

They stated that due to the fact that over 200 enumerators had quit in just two weeks told a sordid tale.

pave the way for it to even be approved to become Guyana’s flag carrier.

EZjet has been under the spotlight this year with the source of its financing and ownership.

Over the last weekend, EZjet’s CEO (ag), Rosalinda Rasul, admitted that EZjet may have had more than one owner, in addition to Ramdeo, a former resident of Windsor Forest, West Demerara, who now lives in Florida, US. She, however, said that all questions should be pointed to Ramdeo with regards to ownership of the charter company.

Ramdeo announced recently that he had stepped down to clear his name, one

day after news broke that he allegedly siphoned money from Promise Healthcare and diverted it to EZjet and his payroll company, ‘PayServ Tax Inc’.

Promise Healthcare reportedly said that monies were allegedly embezzled in the last two months, bringing worries over the future of EZjet which is operating charter flights to New York and Canada and Trinidad.

EZjet has denied it was linked to former President Bharrat Jagdeo and his close friends.

Its founder had claimed that the monies to finance EZjet came from his stock options, pension and mortgage.

It is unclear whether

Promise Healthcare and 11 of its hospitals that are suing have moved against EZjet’s assets.

Ramdeo has already said that he hoping to clear his name and return to the helm of EZjet.

The CEO (ag) has disclosed that she is still reporting to Ramdeo as he is the founder who invested.

According to news reports on the court case, Ramdeo and his two companies – Ezjet and ‘PayServ Tax Inc.- were accused of stealing the money from Promise through a “sophisticated scheme of fraud and deception”.

“Specifically, Ramdeo incorporated a company called ‘PayServ Tax Inc.’ and

deceived Promise’s senior management into believing that PayServ was a legitimate payroll tax processing company affiliated with the nationally known payroll processing company, Ceridian.

Based on this lie, he deceived Promise into transferring millions of dollars to PayServ Tax Inc. and diverted over five million dollars of Promise’s money to himself and his companies,” the complaint states.

Reports allege that Ramdeo forged signatures on standing transfer orders that purported to authorize Promise’s bank to debit funds from Promise’s account for transfer to PayServ’s account at PNC Bank.

Caribbean Comedy Festival…

Comedians for showdown at Thirst Park Tonight, “Caribbean Comedy Festival” will host its biggest comedy event to hit Guyana in 2012, and this one is sure to have patrons laughing and begging for more.

The event is set for Thirst Park Ground and it starts from 7:00pm.

The Caribbean Comedy Festival will feature the best of the best from across the region including Nikki Cosby, Errol Fabian and Learie Joseph from Trinidad and Tobago, Mac Fingal from Barbados, Fat Man George from Grenada, Birdman from Antigua and Guyana’s four

(From left) Learie Joseph, Errol Fabian, organiser Kwame Mentor, Sylbert “Birdman” Gordon and Kwasi Edmondson. best Comedians- Chow Pow, Henry Rodney. Kwasi and Odessa.

There will also be a special

comedy clash at intermission that will involve members of the audience who think they have what it takes to make the

crowd laugh non-stop. The winner will walk away with $20,000 instantly and other special prizes.

Page 14

Kaieteur News

ImmigrationTALK

By Attorney Gail S. Seeram As the U.S. presidential election is this week, it may be helpful for undecided voters to see where each candidate stands on immigration. Through their speeches and presidential debates, each candidate briefly describes their position on immigration enforcement and immigration reform.

President Obama has an established record of being tough on immigration enforcement as we have seen record deportation from the U.S. under his administration.

Also, he has acted through executive order to grant status

Sunday November 4, 2012

President Obama and Governor Romney on Immigration

to immigrant widows of U.S. citizens and grant young immigrants deferred action and temporary work authorization. Governor Romney does not have a clear record on immigration since he has not initiated any immigration policies as governor and has not voted on any immigration matters.

For those who are naturalized U.S. citizens, immigration should be an important voting issue for you since you were once considered an immigrant in this country and I am sure, have family and friends who are still struggling as illegal or legal immigrants in the U.S. For me, the clear choice for immigration reform is President

Obama but you decide based on the following statements from each candidate.

President Obama has been quoted as follows: Des Moines Register, October 23, 2012: “We need to get immigration reform done, and I’m fully committed to doing that.” “The second thing I’m confident we’ll get done next year is immigration reform.”

Univision Forum, September 19, 2012: “I am happy to take responsibility for the fact that we didn’t get [comprehensive immigration reform] done. But I did not make a promise that I would get everything done 100 per cent when I was elected as

president.

What I promised was that I would work every single day as hard as I can to make sure that everybody in this country, regardless of who they are, what they look like, where they come from, that they would have a fair shot at the American dream.

And that promise I’ve kept.”

Univision-Enrique Acevedo Interview, April 13, 2012: “I can promise that I will try to do it [immigration reform] in the first year of my second term. I want to try this year. The challenge we’ve got on immigration reform is very simple.

I’ve got a majority of

Democrats who are prepared to vote for it, and I’ve got no Republicans who are prepared to vote for it. It’s worse than that. We now have a Republican nominee who said that the Arizona laws are a model for the country; that — and these are laws that potentially would allow someone to be stopped and picked up and asked where their citizenship papers are based on an assumption.”

Governor Romney has been quoted as follows: CNN GOP candidate debate, January 16, 2012 “Those who come into the country legally would be given an identification card, and if employers hire someone without a card, then those employers would be severely sanctioned. If you do that, people who have come here illegally won’t be able to find work.And over time, those people would tend to leave the country, or self-deport. I don’t think anyone is interested in going around and rounding up people around the country and deporting 11 million illegal immigrants intoAmerica.

“Let’s focus our attention on how to make legal immigration work and stop illegal immigration.”

GOP candidate debate (Reagan Library), January 30, 2008 “My plan is this, which is for those that have come here illegally and are here illegally today, no amnesty. Now, how do people return home? Under the ideal setting, at least in my view, you say to those who have just come in recently, we’re going to send you back home immediately; we’re not going to let you stay

here. You just go back home.

“For those that have been here, let’s say, five years, and have kids in school, you allow kids to complete the school year, you allow people to make their arrangements, and allow them to return back home.

“Those that have been here a long time, with kids that have responsibilities here and so forth, you let stay enough time to organize their affairs and go home.”

GOP candidate debate, January 5, 2006: “I disagree fundamentally with the idea that the 12 million people who’ve come here illegally should all be allowed to remain in the US permanently, potentially some of them applying for citizenship and becoming citizens, others just staying permanently.

“That is a form of amnesty, and that it’s not appropriate.

We’re a nation of laws. Our liberty is based upon being a nation of laws. I would welcome those people to get in line with everybody else who wants to come here permanently. But there should be no special pathway to permanent residency or citizenship for those that have come here illegally. I welcome legal immigration.

“Of course we need to secure the border. We need to have an employment verification system with a card to identify who’s here legally and not legally. We need to have employer sanctions that hire people that then don’t have the legal card. But with regards to those already here, it is simply not right and unfair to say they’re going to all get to stay.”

From page 7 expect any initiation of criminal investigation into the matter.

Those involved are family members, he added.

Ramjattan said that as President, Ramotar must ensure that corruption is nipped in the bud. But the recent episode at the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) shows that corrupt individuals are favoured over those who expose corruption.

The Field Auditor (and not Internal Auditor as previously reported) who skipped protocol and submitted a damning report that showed the Chief Executive Officer of NDIA, Lionel Wordsworth and Senior Section Engineer, Aneel Chowbay’s involvement in corrupt practices was sent on leave.

Ironically the two who were recommended for dismissal are still operating at the NDIA.

President Ramotar still...

Charges for cutlasswielding teen Police are in the process of instituting charges against the 17-year-old who they say is responsible for almost severing his friend’s right hand on Thursday night, at Macnaab.

Senior ranks at Anna Regina who are currently preparing charges against the teenager have said that charges ranging from inflicting grievous bodily harm with added intention to harm and maim 17-year-old Terrence Sandy will be

instituted. Sandy will be discharged in the new week from hospital.

Sandy was chopped to his right hand and his head by the teenager with whom he was imbibing alcohol with at a rum shop, at Lima Sands, on the Essequibo Coast.

Reports are the 17-yearold who chopped Sandy had armed himself with a cutlass, which suggested that he had intended to use his weapon on Sandy since the two had old grievances.

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From the Diaspora ...

SOME PEOPLE WANT TO PRE JUDGE THE LINDEN COMMISSION, WHY NIGEL HUGHES QUIT

By Ralph Seer am Well, well, things are really heating up at the Linden Commission of Inquiry, so much that some people are being frustrated that the COI is not going the way they anticipated. Frustration has begun to set it on the forces that oppose the PPP Government.

Many are realizing that political rhetor i c a n d evidence are completely different.

As I was writing this article I am reading that Nigel Hughes has quit the Commission of Inquiry.

This has caused me to rewrite this article, and I will tell you the real reason why Hughes is a quitter.

My attention was drawn this week to an article in the letter column of Kaieteur News titled” Keep a close eye on the Linden Commission”.

The letter was authored by some twenty-three persons. Some of the names I recognized as prominent Guyanese including an old journalistic friend of mine.

About eight of the signatories had the prefix Dr. and included a Professor whose books I enjoyed reading as a youth and some other distinguished Guyanese.

You would expect a fair, impartial and if not objective missive on the issues before the COI. Instead this group of intelligent individuals descended into veiled attacks on the integrity of some Commission members and sought to tell the Commission where their sympathy should lie.

When it comes to politics, academic excellence does not necessarily translate into objective thinking or analysis.

It is clear which side of the political fence this group that calls itself, “The International Committee in Continuing Defense of Linden” sits on.

This group of intelligent people takes issue with Home Affairs Minister Roche for what it terms his disregard for the Rule of Law”.

But in the same breath, the members embrace Member of Parliament Desmond Trot man’s disregard for the Rule

of Law by openly encouraging protesters to break the law. They questioned why one Commissioner showed disapproval of the actions of Trotman. This is clearly a distortion of the facts. The Commissioner questioned why a Member of Parliament, and a lawmaker at that, would encourage people to break the Law. To quote, “The Committee welcomes MP Trotman’s candid defence of the only rights available to the powerless whose financial ability to sustain life was under threat…It is always the democratic right and duty of the population to protest.” .What a load of hogwash, this coming from group of educated people.

Listen up, the people of Linden were asked to pay a gradual increase in their electricity rates to bring it in line with what the rest of Guyanese throughout the country pays, it was simple as that, this affected their ability to sustain life?

What a joke. People have

a democratic right to protest WITHIN the law. One must remember the protesters were given permission by the police to protest, but how were those rights exercised?

Blocking a main highway bridge from commuters, refusing lawful police orders to remove, looting, burning down Government buildings as well as privately owned ones, robbery on commuters passing through, highway banditry and extortion committed on vehicle owners passing through Linden. Is this the kind of protest that this group of educated people supports?

My question to this group of distinguished Guyanese; “If it was okay for the MP Trotman and other organizers of the protest to ask or encourage protesters to break the law then by extension shouldn’t they also bear responsibility for the damage and destruction in the aftermath?”

This Committee went on to criticize Home Affairs Minister Rohee’s actions (which I will deal with later) and had the

audacity to suggest how their findings should be. “The Commission cannot be seen making a case for the authorities…If anything it should lean in sympathy towards the victims” What an insult to those distinguished Caribbean jurists. I expressed the view before that the opposition is not satisfied with the way the evidence has been going so far.

Nigel Hughes just quit the COI. Why would anyone be surprised? I said before that the death of the three young men will take a back seat to political agendae.

Hughes had a political agenda. We need to flash back to last July in the aftermath of the protest and the death of the three protestors.

The opposition and mainly by the AFC and Nigel Hughes screamed loudly for an International commission of inquiry.

President Ramotar wisely agreed. The terms of reference and the jurists were agreed upon.

What the opposition

parties, including Nigel Hughes, failed to understand is political.

Rhetoric and producing evidence are two completely different things.

Hughes seems to be obsessed with Rohee, and appears to want to place the deaths of the three men squarely on the desk of Rohee.

Hughes got confused.

Hughes the politician went to the Commission of Inquiry, instead of Hughes the Attorney. Try as he might and for all his political rhetoric and bluster he failed miserably to connect Rohee to the shooting, failed to prove that Rohee gave orders to shoot, as he has implied.

Rohee took the stand, Hughes grilled him, Hughes grilled Senior Superior Clifton Hicken and the end results were frustration by Hughes leading him to quit the COI at time of writing.

He couldn’t prove Rohee gave any orders to Hicken, perhaps because there was (continued on page 25)

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Accused in $80 million housing Medical practitioner to be scam case set for trial called in “Picture Boy” Voir Dire The prosecution has closed its case in the “Picture Boy” Voir Dire and in his defence the accused is going to call a doctor to prove that a caution statement he reportedly gave to the police in 2006 was not given freely and voluntarily.

Cyon Collier is charged for the murder of Victoria brothers; Ray Walcott called ‘Sugar’ and Carl Andrews, called ‘Alo’.

Senior prosecutor Judith Gildharie-Mursalin, had closed her case on behalf of the state on Wednesday last and Collier via his lawyer, Lyndon Amsterdam, was required to lead the defence. Collier took the stand on Thursday and testified before Justice Diana Insanally the occurrences following his arrest by the police and what transpired in their custody.

It is the defence argument that the caution statement given to the police reportedly from Collier in 2006 was not g i v e n f r e e l y. T h e y a r e seeking to have the court cancel the tendering of the evidence.

When given the three

Cyon Collier called “Picture Boy” options of remaining silent, g i v i n g a s worn or an unsworn statement, Collier went into the witness box to give a sworn statement. With this choice, the accused was

subject to cross examination by the prosecutor. Collier’s lawyer led him in hi s evidence- in- chief.

The accused was later cross examined by the prosecutor who asked Collier more than 200 questions, in relation to him giving the caution statement to the police, and the circumstances surrounding his defence.

Amsterdam later told the court that he would be calling, on behalf of his client, a medical practitioner on Monday to confirm claims made by his client.

Collier, according to the state, murdered the Victoria brothers on September 23, 2006. Allegations are that he armed himself with a high powered rifle and opened fire on the men while they viewed a domino game being played at the road corner.

The prosecution said that the accused came up to the men while a rifle was slung across his back. After committing the alleged attack, Collier reportedly entered a minibus and fled the scene.

The brothers died before receiving medical attention.

The trial of the two persons implicated in the $80 million housing scam will commence on November 19, 2012. The case was called up before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on Friday, but was transferred to another court where it is scheduled for trial.

Danica Griffith, of Seaforth Street, Campbellville, Georgetown and Balkaran Lillie, of 26 North East Grove, East Bank Demerara, are accused of conducting a multimillion-dollar housing scam. The plot saw several persons being tricked into paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire house lots.

The police have alleged that the two accused had set up a system where they collected money from house applicants

under the pretext that they were in a position to acquire lands for those applicants.

They are accused of tricking persons into believing that they had connections with staffers of the Ministry of Housing who would facilitate them in acquiring the house lots.

Although the duo is likely to face 18 more fraud charges in relation to the matter, thus far Griffith and Lillie have only been accused of three counts of obtaining money by false pretense. Police have not yet arrested the mastermind of the crime for whom a warrant had been issued.

At their initial hearing, the 19 year-old clothes vendor and the 25-year-old laboratory technician were not required to plead to the charges.

However when given the opportunity to plead on Friday, both denied the allegations.

The allegation is that the two accused obtained from Latchmie Manbodh the sum of $380,000; from Benna Stanislaus the sum of $660,000; and from Ramkumar Rajban the sum of $250,000 for house lots. Griffith who is represented by Attorney at Law Rexford Jackson is out on bail but Lillie remains incarcerated since he could not afford the bail which was set at over $1.7 million.

The latter is being represented by Attorney At law Paul Fung-a-Fat who indicated that his client needs a reduction in bail because he has been imprisoned for more than ten weeks. The Magistrate did not grant the reduction thus Lillie remains behind bars.

A 48-year-old gold miner survived after he was stabbed in his abdomen by a colleague around 08:00am Friday in Mahdia. Injured and a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is Rockliffe Hills of Lot 723 Joseph Pollydore Street, Lodge.

Yesterday, from his hospital bed, the man recalled

his tragic experience that day.

He said that he woke up early and went down in a pit, when the foreman notified him that something was missing from the grocery box.

“I left and I went upstairs and me and the foreman talk and then a worker go downstairs and tell someone that I tumble up a bag,” the

Lodge resident claimed.

He added that he went downstairs and confronted the man, who linked him to the “scandal,” “I didn’t see he had a knife and he just pull it and stick it into me.”

Kaieteur News was told that police were unable to capture the man who stabbed Hills.

Gold miner stabbed over “scandal”

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Report recommends Brawling Guyanese fingerbiting mom fined in Antigua stiffer laws on smoking St. John’s, Antigua – A brawl in Long Street between two female co-workers – during which one was badly bitten on the finger – has resulted in an EC$500 compensation order. Chauncey Alfred was charged with wounding as a result of the April 2 altercation.

Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh ordered her to pay the money immediately or spend six months in prison.

Alfred told the court that she couldn’t afford it as she has two children to care for.

Walsh told her she should

have thought of her children before having a brawl in the middle of town. Alfred was also informed that the sentence was not subject to barter.

The Guyanese defendant later paid the sum. Alfred and the victim were both employees of the Ministry of Social Transformation.

The victim told the court that Alfred attacked her and it was while she was trying to fend her off that the defendant bit her finger.

A nearby police officer broke up the fight. Both

women were taken to St John’s Police Station where Alfred was later charged.

The victim was seen by a doctor who noted that the finger was bitten to the bone.

Alfred denied inflicting the injury.

But Chief Magistrate Walsh did not believe her.

Walsh asked the defendant if she was suggesting that the victim bit herself on the finger all the way to the bone.

Alfred has a previous conviction for causing grievous bodily harm.

(Antigua Observer)

SOME PEOPLE WANT TO PRE JUDGE THE LINDEN COMMISSION ...

From page 23 no order.

The only thing proven is Rohee spoke to Hicken AFTER the shooting, and it is my view that the Home Affairs Minister has every right to contact the officer on the ground for updates on a riot in progress. After all, he is in charge of internal security.

Nigel Hughes quitting, confirms to me that political

agendae were more important than finding the truth about the death of the three Lindeners, and the interest of the people he was representing; he has not only lost credibility but in the process tarnished h i s reputation.

T h e Commission of Inqu i r y c o m p r i s i n g o f mainly distinguished jurists from the Caribbean will base their conclusions

on evidence presented before them and not based on political agendae or rhetoric. Those who disagree will have to live with it.

After all, it was the opposition that called for and agreed to International Jurists. They got it; don’t complain.

Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: ralph365@hotmail.com

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new government study reports that while fewer kids and teens are getting exposed to secondhand smoke while riding in the car, rates of exposure are still high enough to warrant concern.

The authors recommend that more parts of the country ban smoking in cars carrying kids — laws that are on the books in four states.

In a survey of middle and high school students, close to one-third said they’d driven in a car with someone who was smoking in the past week.

Researchers said parents and other drivers may not realize that even when the windows are down, smoking in a vehicle can create toxic levels of circulating smoke.

“The concentrations just get very high — they get as high as in a very, very smoky bar,” said Dr. Ana NavasAcien, who has studied secondhand smoke in cars at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

“It’s important for children, definitely, but it’s a problem for everybody,” Navas-Acien, who wasn’t involved in the new study, told Reuters Health.

Even for smokers’ own health, she added, “It’s really important for them to realize that they should not smoke in such a small, confined space.”

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that four states — Arkansas, California, Louisiana and Maine — have bans on smoking in cars carrying kids younger than 13 to 18, depending on the law. Puerto Rico also bars the practice.

Navas-Acien agreed with the authors that extending those laws to more of the country is necessary to protect kids from health problems linked to secondhand smoke, such as asthma and respiratory and ear infections.

For the new study, Brian King of the CDC and his colleagues analyzed data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey, conducted nationwide in more than

20,000 kids in grades six through 12 every couple of years between 2000 and 2009.

Students were asked if they smoked themselves, as well as if they’d been in the car with someone who was smoking in the past week.

By 2009, almost nine in every ten youth said they didn’t smoke.

During the study period, the number of participants who reported recently being exposed to secondhand smoke in the car dropped from 48 percent to 30 percent overall.

Among smokers, that rate fell from 82 percent to 76 percent, and in non-smokers, from 39 percent to 23 percent.

King’s team speculated in its study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, that those declines may be due to more smoke-free laws and fewer people smoking in the United States in general, as well as a changing public attitude about the appropriateness of smoking near kids.

But more needs to be done, researchers agreed.

“The alarming fact of it is, there’s about one in five (nonsmoking kids) that are still exposed in this environment,” King told Reuters Health.

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Sunday November 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

We must learn about Breast Cancer

By Krista Brooks Over the past few weeks we have been learning a little bit about cancer. We have come to the end of Cancer Awareness month, but our awareness for cancer and other diseases should not end. Nursey says there’s a lot to learn about our health, so the more we know the better.

In Guyana, breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer that women are diagnosed with. Men can get breast cancer too, but it is not a common as in women.

Breast cancer is cancerous cells that start in our breast tissue. They grow and grow and can form tumors. If the tumor is malignant or cancer causing, the cancer can spread to other parts of the body. To know a little more about breast cancer, it is helpful to know the parts of a normal breast. Nursey took lots of anatomy in nursing school so she can help with that.

The female breast is made up mainly of milk-producing glands called lobules. It also has ducts that are tiny tubes that carry the milk from the lobules to the nipple. This is how milk goes to the nipple when you breastfeed. Both of these parts are surrounded by stroma, or fatty tissue.

Most cancers begin in the cells of the ducts, and fewer begin in the lobules.

We talked a little about benign tumors, when we were learning what cancer is. Many

Krista Brooks lumps in the breast turn out to be benign or noncancerous. They usually are cysts, that are fluid filled sacs or just fibrous, kind of a buildup of tissue.

While these noncancerous lumps are common, you should always visit your health professional if you notice an abnormal lump in your breast. Your health professional can then run a few tests to know if the lump is cancerous or not.

There are many different causes for cancer. We can be at an increased risk based on how we live or the genes that we get passed down from our family.

Women who are usually diagnosed with breast cancer are above the age of 50.

Women have been known to get breast cancer at a younger age, but it is less common.

Also, post-menopausal women (women who have already done gone through

menopause) are more at risk for breast cancer, especially if they have gained a lot of size around their waist.

Women who have had other members of their family, mom, sister, auntie, granny, who have had breast cancer, should be even more aware of their bodies.

They might be at a higher risk for breast cancer and should talk to their health professional about getting regular screenings.

Remember; just because you might have a family history of cancer, does not mean you will definitely get it.

Nursey says to be aware and know your bodies so you can figure out when something isn’t going right.

Women can do the breast self-exam, which we will talk about in our next article. This exam helps make women more aware of their breasts so they are more likely to detect abnormal lumps. Early detection is the key to treating cancer and living a longer life.

Nursey would be happy with us because we have done like she said and learned more about breast cancer. Please share this information with others so they can know more about breast cancer too. I will be back next week to tell you more interesting things Nursey says. Until then!

If you have any questions about breast cancer or any other health issues please em a i l nurseysaysguyana@gmail.com.

Sugary drinks linked to higher stroke risk NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who imbibe sugary soft drinks almost every day are 83 percent more likely to have a certain type of stroke than women who rarely drink sodas and other sweetened beverages, according to a new study from Japan.

Although the findings don’t prove that sweet drinks are to blame for the higher stroke risk, other studies have shown links between high sugar intake and clogged arteries, said Dr. Adam Bernstein, a researcher at the Cleveland Clinic, who was not involved in the study.

And “as the authors here saw, most of the (increased) risk was with ischemic stroke, the kind of stroke with plaque buildup” in the arteries, Bernstein said.

The results agree with a host of other studies tying

sugary drinks to all sorts of untoward health effects, including heart attacks, obesity and diabetes.

Some governments have responded by trying to discourage people from choosing sweetened drinks, such as with tax proposals and New York’s ban on supersized sodas. Schools also have cut back on making sugary drinks available to students.

Given the increased availability of soft drinks in Japan over the past several decades, researchers, led by Dr. Hiroyasu Iso at Osaka University, wanted to see if soda drinkers there had also higher risks of heart disease and stroke. Nearly 40,000 people answered a dietary, health and lifestyle questionnaire, first in 1990 and again in 1995 and 2000.

They split the people into

four groups: those who rarely drank soft drinks, those who had one to two cups a week, those who had three to four cups a week, and those who had a soft drink nearly every day. Soft drinks were considered sugar-sweetened sodas and juices, and not diet sodas or 100 percent fruit juices.

Frequently drinking diet soda has also been linked to a greater likelihood of suffering from a stroke, but the study did not take sugar-free sodas into account.

The American Beverage Association, which represents soda and other soft drink makers, said the new research did not add much new information.

“This study does nothing to educate people about the real causes of heart disease or heart health issues,” the association said in a statement.

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Murder near a melon farm

By Michael Jordan

The spot at Number 63 Beach where Vivian Balrup and Susan Hernandez were attacked.

Vivian Balrup There are at least three people who know for sure what happened that Sunday at Number 63 Beach, Corentyne.

One of them is a girl named Susan Hernandez. The second is a mysterious killer.

The third is a 16-year-old New Amsterdam Multilateral student named Vivian Singh Balrup. But Vivian Balrup is dead, and in case you haven’t already guessed, he’s the victim of this three-year-old unsolved case.

Here’s a bit of what reportedly happened. On Sunday November 8, 2009, a

taxi stopped at the family’s Reliance, East Canje home.

Vivian then asked his mother to allow him to accompany his cousin, Mark Persaud, to Number 63 beach.

She was reluctant to let him go but eventually relented.

Mark Persaud, the cousin, confirmed that they were joined by two girls. One of them was 15-year-old Susan Hernandez.

The taxi driver then took the friends to Number 63 beach. Mark

Persaud also confirmed that they then passed near to a fenced watermelon farm, and that Vivian went into the farm and picked two water melons.

One version of this story is that Vivian was reluctant to enter the property but the taxi driver persuaded him to, and even lifted the barbed wire to let him slip through.

After eating some of the fruit, Persaud said that he and Vivian went to the waterside to wash their hands.

Vivian and Susan Hernandez then walked off together, while Mark Persaud, his girlfriend and the driver remained by the car.

Mark said that he then asked the man to borrow his car. The driver consented and Persaud, accompanied by his girlfriend, drove along Number 63 Beach. But the ride ended abruptly when the vehicle got stuck.

Some five minutes later the driver called Persaud on his cell phone to enquire about his whereabouts, and Persaud explained his predicament.

The cousin claims that after about 30 minutes, the driver and two men in a goldcoloured AT 192 drove up.

They were accompanied

by Susan Hernandez, who was bleeding. There was no sign of Vivian Balrup.

According to Persaud, Susan alleged that she and Vivian were sitting under a coconut tree when someone came up and struck him. She reportedly said that the same person then struck her, causing her to fall.

Persaud alleged that Susan Hernandez said she managed to get up and run away, while the man continued to strike Vivian Balrup.

Police reports on the incident state that Susan Hernandez said that the attacker struck her and Balrup with a length of bamboo.

Mark Persaud, the cousin, said he suggested that they should all go to check on Balrup, but the taxi driver insisted that they would have to wait until his car was unstuck. He said that the driver and his two friends in the gold coloured car went to a nearby residence and borrowed a tractor, which they used to pull out the stuck vehicle. They then went to the area where Vivian Balrup and Susan Hernandez had been attacked.

Persaud said that Balrup was lying on the ground in a semi-conscious state. There are reports that the owner of

the car that Mark had been driving was reluctant to put the badly bleeding lad in his vehicle and had to be persuaded to do so.

It is alleged that before taking Balrup to hospital, the driver stopped at the Number 51 Police Station to make a report. According to the victim’s father, Kirpaul Singh Balrup, the driver later claimed that he “wanted to clear his name.”

It is alleged that instead of taking the injured boy to the Skeldon Hospital, which was closer, the man headed to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Mr. Balrup said he first learnt about his son’s injury when Mark Persaud’s sister contacted him by phone to say that Vivian had been struck on the head and was being taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

When he arrived there his son was bleeding profusely from injures to the head, but no doctor was present. He said that his son was being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation when he passed away.

According to him, Susan Hernandez, who had witnessed the attack, telephoned him and said: ‘Uncle, I will tell you everything.’ But Mr. Balrup said that he was so distraught at the time that he told her to talk to the police instead. It’s a decision he said he will forever regret.

The information that investigators had collected led then to believe that Vivian Balrup and Susan Hernandez were attacked by the owner of the watermelon farm that Vivian had entered.

Four watermelon farmers from the Number 63 beach area were detained but then released after Hernandez failed to identify any of them as the attacker.

Mr. Balrup is convinced that some people are not telling the entire truth about the circumstances that led to his son’s death. He is puzzled as to how a bamboo stick could have caused the injuries that his son sustained. He also noted that there were no injuries on his son’s arms to indicate that he had tried to ward off the blows.

He told me that he visited the area where the attack occurred. According to him, there were not many trees in the area so his is at a loss to understand how someone

could have sneaked up on his son and female companion.

Mr. Balrup is also certain that the watermelon farmers did not kill his son. He believes that had the farmers confronted his son, they would have relieved him of cash that the lad had in his possession at the time.

Robbery was also not a motive, since his son still had his cell phone, gold chain, watch and money when he was found.

And the still distraught man has a few theories of his own. One of these is that someone who might have been jealous about his son’s popularity with females might have inflicted the fatal blows.

He believes that there are persons other than the killer and Susan Hernandez who witnessed the attack.

“The beach is always packed with people, and from what I understand, on that day in question, a lot of people were on the beach.

The still distraught father is far from satisfied with the police investigation. He recalled becoming frustrated and telling a senior rank that the matter appeared to have been “swept under the carpet.” The police official responded by ordering Mr. Balrup out of the station.

But as the third anniversary of his son’s death approaches, Mr. Balrup still believes that this case can be solved. He is appealing to the public to help bring his son’s killer(s) to justice.

“I think that people see but they afraid to come forward and talk to the police.

I am pleading with anyone who knows what happened to come to me. It would be confidential. We really need justice. We need peace.”

The parents of the slain lad say they can be reached on telephone number 326-0560 by anyone who has information that can assist them.

If you have any information about this or any other unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News by letter or telephone at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown offices. Our numbers are 22-58465, 2258473 and 22-58458. You need not disclose your identity.

You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s mjdragon@hotmail.com.

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Ravi Dev Column

The Linden CoI Fiasco There’s an old proverb: “Be careful what you ask for; you might just get it.” Right after the killing of three Lindeners back in July 18, the Opposition demanded a Commission of Inquiry.

The government immediately complied. The Opposition then demanded foreign Commisioners and Caricom supplied three out of the five from Jamaica and Trinidad.

The government and APNU worked out the terms of reference (ToR) for the Commission and one of these proved to be a sticking point for the AFC, which had stayed out of the negotiations. They rejected the stipulation that the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) look “”into the role, involvement (if any, of any political) of other forces in organising, mobilising and promoting the protest actions from their commencement and

immediately after the shooting on July 18th 2012".

They found support from APNU’s Regional Chairman, Sharma Solomon – even after he had signed the agreement - and the clause was excised.

I always felt that this was a retrograde decision. How were we going to Inquire into the protests leading to the killings without examining the roles of those “forces in organising, mobilising and promoting the protest actions”? By narrowing the Inquiry to just the events on the Wismar-MacKenzie Bridge on the fateful day, the entire tragedy was being removed from its context – which could explain so much of what unfolded.

In sociology (or for that matter, in any other field of inquiry) we talk about distal and proximal causation.

The former seeks to explain human social behaviour by examining the larger context in which

individuals carry out their actions, while the latter focuses on more immediate factors.

In the Linden ToR, the government and APNU were not asking to identify those that riled up the Lindeners immediately after the government and APNU had brokered an agreement concerning the proposed change in electricity tariffs.

They weren’t even asking for the economic conditions of Linden to be considered as distal reasons in precipitating factors.

All that was being asked was to identify those who provoked the actions of the protestors on the Bridge. This was not distal but as proximal as you can get.

If it was thought (rightfully) that the conduct of the police and their officers in carrying out their duty to prevent the protestors from illegally preventing citizens from crossing the bridge

THE BACCOO SPEAKS There will be more of the river disasters, but this time ordinary people would be involved. The boat would be returning from a hinterland location when disaster would strike in the form of a submerged object.

There would be some rescue, but the toll would not be anything to smile about. Part of the problem rests with a reluctance to adhere to basic safety principles. ** The guns are really out.

Two recent executions

certainly prove this. However, the circle is shrinking. The police may have something, but the truth is that the person who is pulling the strings is also close to the police. He drops a few hints

and sends the police in the wrong direction.

However, the bubble will burst when an arrest would have someone talking to save his hide. Of course he would attract the guns, but all plans go wrong. ** There is more to life than the disasters. Someone is going to literally hit the jackpot, and not a moment too soon.

Life was tough until the windfall. As fate would have it, the lucky person is popular.

Lookout for the news.

should be inquired into, surely those who encouraged or organised the commission of that illegal act ought to be identified and inquired into.

How could one inquire into a “reaction” without considering the initial “action”?

My thought was that by ignoring what would have been exposed as the political nature of the protest, one was not only going to let some instigators off the hook, but would ensure that the Commission hearings would be reduced to a farce.

The lead lawyers seeking to place culpability for the killings on the police, after all, were not just hired lawyers – they were the Chairmen of the two Opposition political parties.

Following the shootings, APNU had been manoeuvred into a more confrontational posture, in which both Opposition parties demanded the firing of Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee.

This was a political tactic that inevitably increased the stakes for instability. Most

importantly, it signalled an abandonment of dialogue as a mechanism for traversing the new political landscape created by the last elections.

In our estimation, the Tripartite Talks initiated by President Ramotar was a seminal transition innovation in our fast evolving political system. Over the last two years, we had warned about the need for a less confrontational mode of political mobilisation because of the disappearance of builtin automatic ethnic majorities.

In the immediate future, because of our Constitution awarding the Executive to the party securing just a plurality of votes, dialogue, not street protests, is what might secure even a modicum of progress.

So we had an Inquiry in which ‘justice’ was subverted from the very inception. That virtue, after all, is symbolised as being blind but if, with eyes open wide, we remove from scrutiny one of the two parties involved in a conflict, the outcome is always going to be tainted.

My good friend Nigel

Ravi Dev

Hughes assures us that there is enough circumstantial evidence to show that the police were responsible for the killing of the three men.

But what about the video evidence, and even admissions of those ‘leaders’ who instructed the Lindeners to break the law?

Not just in blocking the bridge for hours but to violently confront the police.

I was not personally involved in the Linden confrontation but as I wrote, I had some experience with the similar eruption at Agricola.

In a civilised society, other citizens also have rights and those that preach the violation of those rights must know there are sanctions.

In our small but fractured society, we must resolve our differences, political or otherwise, peacefully.

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Kaieteur News

Auditor General (ag), Deodat Sharma

SUNDAY SPECIAL NEW GPC RECEIVED 80% OF DRUGS CONTRACTS IN 2011 – AUDITOR GENERAL

The 2011 Report of the Auditor General (AG) is out and its makes for some interesting reading. The report concentrated on the

accounts of the government Ministries including the Ministry of Health.

Specifically, the report raised issue over the government’s

Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop purchase of medical drugs and supplies.

According to the report, the two local companies prequalified by the government to supply pharmaceuticals and medical items are New GPC and Medpharm. New GPC received a whopping 80 per cent of the contracts to supply while Medpharm received one per cent. In total, the Ministry of Health expended US$13.3 million for pharmaceuticals and other purchases. New GPC received contracts to the tune of US$10.6 million.

In recent times, bids by New GPC have come under more scrutiny because of its high price tag submitted to the Tender Board when compared to other bidders. This was very glaring two weeks ago when two lone tenders were opened for the supply of antimalaria drugs. New GPC submitted a bid for $261 million while IPA, another supplier, submitted a bid for $32M. The issue has seen government saying it is too early to pronounce, as the tenders are still in the process of being evaluated.

‘A FINANCIAL SCHEME TO STEALGUYANESE MONEY’-APNU APNU’s Parliamentarian, Joseph Harmon, has blasted the government’s decision to separate Marriott Hotel from its main revenue earners. Just two weeks ago, in a notice in the Guyana Chronicle, Atlantic Hotel Incorporated (AHI) advertised for expressions of interest to run a planned casino, night club and specialty restaurant at the

Sunday November 04, 2012

Marriott Hotel, which is planned for the Kingston, Georgetown area.

The move by AHI, the company handling the project on behalf of Government, has raised questions, as the three are considered to be the money spinners of any hotels.

Government did not immediately offer any explanations why it took the decision.

The project has been objected to by local hotel operators who are arguing that it will close them down and that there is no justification for adding more rooms when there are not enough visitors to Guyana.

Harmon two Saturdays ago lashed out at the decision, saying that the money being invested in the hotel should have been spent on something else that can benefit the public.

“Instead of investing into the Marriott, the government should have built a new harbour bridge which is very critical,” he stated.

Harmon believes that the move is in keeping with a “bigger and grander” financial scheme to steal the public’s money.

MONDAY EDITION BRAZIL-BOUND AIRCRAFT FOUND AT ILLEGALAIRSTRIP The suspicious landing of an Ecuadorian-registered aircraft at an illegal airstrip in Guyana’s interior region is engaging the attention of security and aviation experts.

The Cessna 412 twinengine plane went missing after taking off from the Ogle Airport around midday Sunday on its way to Boa Vista, Brazil.

Kaieteur News understands that nothing was heard from the pilot who was the only person on board until Sunday when the aircraft was spotted at an unmarked airstrip somewhere between Pirara and Moraikobai.

According to a source, authorities were unaware that the plane had not reached its destination and it was only after it was spotted by another pilot flying over the area that the matter became known.

The pilot, a Brazilian national, subsequently reported that the aircraft had developed engine problems and he was forced to land at the airstrip. But by then local security personnel had begun investigations.

MYSTERY SURROUNDS CANADIAN’S DEATH The sudden death of the Canadian Jean Le Blanc has raised some amount of suspicion as reports are

surfacing about a ‘strange visitor’ giving the patient water mere minutes before he died. Hospital sources have reported that a ‘dark-skin’ man was seen visiting Le Blanc shortly before he died.

“This man went at the bed and went gaffing with he and keep asking if he if ain’t want water and keep insisting that he don’t fatigue heself and he must drink some water,” the source told this publication.

According to reports, shortly after drinking the water Le Blanc began vomiting as nurses rushed to his bedside in an attempt to stabilize him. By then, the ‘dark skin’ man had already hurried out of the ward. Mere minutes later, Le Blanc was pronounced dead.

The Canadian was at the time nursing a gunshot wound to his buttocks.

According to reports, the bullet was lodged close to his spine, but doctors had said he was out of harm’s way as he was scheduled to return to his homeland on Tuesday.

Le Blanc had said that the police had promised to return his passport and some cash which they had lodged shortly after the shooting. His death has left some hospital staffers in shock, since they had become fond of the Canadian man since his hospitalization on October 15.

TUESDAY EDITION BRAZIL-BOUND AIRCRAFT WAS PAINTED OVER IN LESS THAN A DAY Local law enforcement agents and officials from the Civil Aviation Authority are combing through an Ecuadorian-registered aircraft. The plane was discovered at an illegal airstrip in the Rupununi region, and investigators are convinced that it was involved in illegal activities.

Works Minister Robeson Benn on Monday confirmed the discovery of the aircraft.

He told reporters that authorities had seized it and were preparing to fly it to a more secure location for a thorough examination.

Security officials are still trying to locate the Brazilian pilot of the aircraft, Goncalo Ferreira Lima Neto, 42, who was alone on board. They want to ascertain what his true mission was.

According to Benn, the aircraft entered Guyana about two months ago on what he termed a technical stop, which he said is not unusual. Such stops may cause aircraft to require fuel and other services on the way to their destination.

“It was here some two (Continued on page 39)

Sunday November 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

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== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

What is a working class boy? Am I one?

If you are interested in philosophy and human nature then I guess you must watch the television interview slated to air on November 8 on the Al Jazeera English TV channel, in which Sir David Frost talks to Sir Paul McCartney.

In that programme, McCartney says that despite his wealth and fame, he remains a working class boy.

This is really complex stuff that involves complex explorations in psychology.

I will certainly try to see the interview on You Tube to understand what McCartney means. Now in his seventies, McCartney is listed in financial magazines as one of Britain’s wealthiest citizens and he is one of the entertainment industry’s richest singers.

What then does he mean when he says that he is still a working class boy? Class positions are determined by access to resources, more properly assets Any first year economics major will tell you that class positions are arrived at by the possession of wealth. An industrialist who owns shipping lines cannot be

classified as a working class citizen. No economist would be so crazy to refer to Bill Gates as a middle class American. He would fall into the category of what Marxist academics call the bourgeois class. Paul McCartney cannot be put in any other category except the British bourgeoisie.

A distinction must be made between a bourgeois and a capitalist. The former is classified as such by the possession of wealth.

A capitalist is someone who is involved in investments that bring in comfortable profits, which is translated to wealth.

It means then that you can refer to Tiger Woods or Oprah Winfrey as belonging to the American bourgeois society, but they are not capitalists.

How can someone as wealthy as McCartney still remain a working class boy?

His first wife came from a rich, capitalist family. His present wife is the heiress of a wealthy capitalist family haulage business in the United States, New England Motor Freight.

Many years ago, on a trip to Barbados with his family, McCartney rented an

exclusive apartment complex where American billionaires often stay. It needs no mention that he lives in a mansion in the UK. It becomes fascinating then to hear what McCartney means by him being a working class boy.

Until we have his explanation (assuming he will describe what he means to Frost), we can theorize as to what McCartney means. I guess it has to do with psychology and behavioural patterns. You can be very wealthy, but at heart remain the person from the working class district that you were born into. This would involve the type of company you keep, the lifestyle you live, and the shape your behaviour takes in relation to aesthetics, philosophy and politics.

Incidentally, Bob Marley, a Rastafarian, was the client of the most expensive manicurist in the world. Would you call that bourgeois behaviour?

A financially comfortable human can be called a working class person if he maintains a close network of ordinary friends, avoids

ostentatious, material things, mixes with the ordinary folks, and has a deportment that eschews arrogance, chauvinism and aloofness.

There are many bourgeois persons who shop in the markets, eat at ordinary restaurants, and can be seen in the line waiting for their cars to be washed.

In British Guiana, the CEO of Bookers, Sir Jock Campbell, refused to have his breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Georgetown Club.

There was a Prime Minister of St. Lucia, who outside of official working hours, drove his own car and took his clothes to the laundry.

I will wait to see what McCartney means, but I think I can anticipate what he will say, because I know the feeling. I was born into poverty in Wortmanville and worked my way out of it by attending university.

My life at the moment is definitely lower middle class.

I live in a lower middle class house. My occupation before UG terminated my contact was lower middle class. But from the time I graduated from UG until this very moment, I

have lived in and with a working class psychology.

I shop at the market. I look for bargains all the time in the supermarkets. I wash my own car (and my daughter’s; did so last Sunday). I cut my own hair (but with a big scissors) and I do not buy brand name clothes. But most of all, I live in a working class world of aesthetics, culture and philosophy. I support working class political movements.

Philosophically, I strongly believe in social activism, especially the fight for human rights.

Finally, all of my very close friends, from the time I left UG until now, that I trust implicitly with my security and my life, are ordinary working class folks. I do not live a lower middle class life.

I am at heart, a working class boy. Yes I have

Frederick Kissoon associations with bourgeois and middle class people, but my intimate pals are certainly not middle class or from the bourgeois class.

Yes, President Ramotar was right when six years ago he said businessmen helped to build my home.

A few of them contributed and I thank them. Ramotar got that information from someone in the media I trusted at the time. No, it is not Uncle Adam Harris.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 04, 2012

Thousands demonstrate calling for removal of two senior govt. ministers Trinidad Guardian Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union leader Ancel Roget told participants of Friday’s protest march not to rule out a closing down of the country in T&T’s interest if necessary.

He also issued a warning about Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and National Security Minister Jack Warner.

“We’re not prepared to rest until they leave!” he said.

“We’ve finally burst the Kamla-mania bubble...She’s no blasted goddess or queen—she ent royal,” Roget declared at the end of the large demonstration. He was speaking at a rally on the Brian Lara Promenade, Port-ofSpain, after the protest march against the People’s Partnership Government.

Their specific targets were Ramlogan and Warner. But marchers were unanimous that the entire Government must go. PNM labour officer Jennifer Baptiste-Primus said Friday’s march was the second step “in the journey

to replace this incompetent government,” of which the first step was the PNM’s September 18 march.

The Opposition PNM, trade unions and civil society groups brought out members —many in PNM red — bearing placards and chanting slogans against the Government.

They assembled at Woodford Square and marched downtown, past the Eric Williams Financial Complex, uptown and back to the promenade.

Speakers at the end of the march gave varying figures for the size of the crowd. Mirror columnist and Jericho Project head Phillip Alexander said it was 50,000.

DNA leader Kirk Meighoo said 40,000 to 50,000.

Movement for Social Justice chairman Vincent Cabrera said 40,000, as did Tobago House of Assembly chief secretary Orville London. Former UNC attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj said 30,000. MSJ leader David

Rally on Promenade: Protesters wave during a rally at Brian Lara Promenade after an anti-Government march through Port-of-Spain Friday.

Abdulah said “tens of thousands.”

The T&T Guardian

checked with police at 6 pm Friday and they reported the crowd as 21,000 at its peak,

while crossing downtown and 7,000 at the end of the event during the rally.

They said figures were compiled by air units flying above the march.

Sunday November 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

CLICO fund raises new concerns Trinidad Guardian Sources close to the legal team representing the Percy Farrell group of CLICO policyholders say while they are pleased that the CLICO Investment Fund (NEL 2) has been launched, they are concerned about the interest rates that would be attached to the fund at market rate.

“It’s (the launch of the fund) is a step in the right direction. Still some issues need to be clarified. The biggest thing is the risk, that is, when they choose to sell

in January, will the price hold up?”. The court matter involves policyholders Percy Farrell, Marina Inalsingh, Prof Gordon Rohlehr, David Dayal and MichaelAlexander filing a lawsuit against Colonial Life Insurance Company (Trinidad) Ltd (CLICO), the Central Bank and Republic Bank Ltd. The matter was filed at the Registry at the Hall of Justice in Port-of-Spain.

The lawsuit seeks determination of the trust created to cover the liabilities of the policyholders. CLICO, the Central Bank and

Haiti sees small rise in cholera cases after Sandy PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A spokesman for Doctors Without Borders in Haiti says the medical charity saw a small increase in the number of people infected by cholera after the destructive rains of Hurricane Sandy.

Mathieu Fortoul says the group’s cholera treatment centres in Haiti’s capital had at least 457 patients Monday.

The next day, the clinics had 500 patients.

That number has since

dropped. Fortoul said the group’s clinics had about 430 patients Friday.

Haiti was spared a direct hit from Sandy when the storm passed west of the country October 24. But its rainheavy outer bands soaked the south for several days.

Officials say 54 people in Haiti died during the storm.

Many of those died trying to cross rain-swollen rivers or when their houses were crushed by mudslides.

Lawrence Duprey Republic Bank Ltd are named as defendants in the lawsuit which also seeks to determine whether the bodies had the authority to separate and exclude EFPA holders from being beneficiaries under the trust.

Dr Claude Denbow was appointed to represent all the classes of policyholders who didn’t accept the plan proposed by former finance minister Winston Dookeran in the 2011 budget presentation.

Dookeran’s plan was to pay those with investments of $75,000 or under the full value of their investments. Denbow had then deemed the

proposed plan to be “oppressive, unfairly prejudicial to, and in unfair disregard of their interests as creditors of CLICO.” The source said the fund is “a better deal” compared to what was proposed by Dookeran.

Asked whether the legal team was pleased, the source said: “It is not a question of happy. The fund is better than what was there before. It’s a significant improvement. It was talked about for years but never reached this stage.”

Finance Minister Larry Howai must take some of the credit for “pushing it forward” to bring the CLICO situation to this stage (the introduction of the fund). Contacted for comment after delivering a speech at the governance rally in Port-of-Spain yesterday, attorney Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj said he had not as yet had the opportunity to study the issues surrounding the establishment of the CLICO Investment Fund.

Maharaj is leading a team of local and English attorneys who are challenging the constitutionality of the Government’s proposal to resolve the CLICO matter.

Page 35

Jamaican guards sacked after beating of alleged gay student Jamaica Observer - Two of the guards on duty during Thursday’s beating of an alleged gay student at the University of Technology (UTech) were Friday fired.

Marksman Security Limited, to which the guards were employed, did not say if any action would be taken against two other guards who were on duty at the time of the beating, which was caught on camera and placed on YouTube.

“The actions of the security officers are not in keeping with Marksman Limited’s contractual arrangements and ongoing mandate to protect and secure life and property,” said Robert Epstein, Guardsman’s managing director, in a late afternoon statement.

Epstein, in an interview with the Jamaica Observer earlier, described the action of the guards as a major embarrassment for the company.

The security company said it co-operated with the university and other officials to resolve the matter and,

based on initial reviews of the situation, the guards in question were removed from duty with immediate effect, while further investigations continued.

The alleged gay student was reportedly caught on campus in ‘a compromising position’ with another man in a bathroom when fellow students raised an alarm.

One of the men escaped, while the other ran to the guard room at the entrance of the campus.

“This student was physically assaulted by onduty security guards employed by the contracted security company, Marksman Limited, while several other students encircled the guard room attempting to get hold of the student,” according to a joint statement Saturday by UTech, the UTech Students’ Union, and Marksman.

The student, said the statement, was protected from the mob by security officers and removed from the campus with support from the police.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 04, 2012

Book Review: A Stroll Through History

By Dr Glenville Ashby glenvilleashby@gmail.com Poet’s are known to ponder, to reflect on life’s offering - be it love or hate; peace or war; the sacred and the profane. Theirs is a work of depth analysis, sometimes barely understood. The reader must now internalise, interpret the meaning of that spoken or written word.

In many ways, Trinidadian Jerome Teelucksingh is a traditionalist, holding true to the keys of the genre.

He can befuddle with abstraction, and equally unimpress with strong doses of literalism. A Stroll Through History is a melange of poems - each making a case against the fortuity of life.

Here, humankind is enslaved by the senses and the warped generational archetype that withers individualism. We are but automatons, bound to a machine that grinds us into old age, senility, and death.

This is Providence, and Teelucksingh is its spokesman. “Your Job,” encapsulates the overall motif: “The word accelerates to your speed, as you seldom slip into thoughtless, thinking resignation is

blasphemy. Puppets move with vibrant motions, mingling with fashionable puppet-makers…”

Teelucksingh is hardly cryptic, or ambivalent. His message overwhelms - from the opening salvo to the last cadence, racism; alcoholism; homelessness; poverty, death; hubris; and anguish, race through these pages.

Toil, we must, only to die.

Teelucksingh is unforgiving, biting:”This claustrophobic home encompasses living proof of life’s futility and grand farce.”

And payback time is nigh at hand for humankind wanton abusers of the environment. In apocalyptic tone, he writes in “The Eruption”: “Catalysts in progress as years of abuse now revenged, Long and short angry warnings triggering the white heavens of deadly clouds. Like hell spewing forth....A dying venomous snake gives its final performance as scalding poisons ruins minds and lives.”

Suffering spares none.

His “Carnival” proves one of the rare moments of reprieve.

Yes, there is colour and merriment, but it is predictably laboured and ephemeral, as ”this maddening joy will

A journey through life’s burdens

continue till the return flight is due.”

The revolutionary idealism of Che in this

eponymous undertaking is void of the hagiography usually reserved for this icon.

Even the poetic lines

about a mosquito becomes fodder for the poet. The smallest of insects is just another nagging annoyance.

Oh yes, Teelucksingh’s world is an existential nightmare. He balks at his own counsel in “Peaceful Revolution, “that “together, we strengthen our resolve to create a better world.” We learn otherwise.

Even love cannot be trusted - “Beauty is irresistible and seductive. All lies,” he intones in the ontological “Soul versus Mind.”

And as a historian, he well proves his point. Just look at the vestiges of ravished civilizations painfully studied by anthropologists, he argues.

His “Remembering Past Humanity” is emotive - ever cementing the overriding theme. But we still don’t get it.

We are doomed to repeat history.

The poet’s discursive approach makes for an engaging book. He switches from philosophy to a history steeped in slavery, indenturship, and colonialism.

His ”For the Indian Indentured Labourers,” introduces East Indian argot to readers, with detailed glossary to boot. It is linguistically rich and well pointed.

It is a clever injection to Teelucksingh’s already fathomless mosaic, and is

arguably the poet’s artistic moment. “Some boasted tirelessly of travelling to far away land. All jhoot. Others kidnapped stolen when young, leaving naanaaa and naanee.

“NAHEE, NAHEE’filling the air, They never hear and you never to return...”

Here, the writer meshes the pangs of servitude with the balm of culture: Ëvery year the doomed diaspora celebrate Divali, fasting for Eid and carry tadjahs for Hosay. Heavy arms with godnaa light deeyas ad make sawine....Yes, arms and backs which built school, churches, masjids, mandirs and riverside pyres.....arms that carried loads off cocoa, coconuts, and sugar cane, leepaying the kutiyas.

A Stroll through Life is provocative, with moments of sheer brilliance. And for many, irrefutable. But for those at odds with Teelucksingh’s fatalism, it may prove overly exhausting.

Dr Glenville Ashby, literary critic - Caribbean Book Review A Stroll through History Red Lead Press, 2009 PittsburgH, Pennsylvania 1522 ISBN: 978-1-4349-6375-8 Ratings: ***: Good

Sunday November 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 37

MY COLUMN

The past week kept me grounded The past week was good if only because it included my birthday. There were positive national developments by way of getting the airport expansion one step closer to reality. But the biggest story had to do with a strange aircraft that left Ogle with one colour and a few hours later it was being presented as another.

The discovery exposed something that had been going on for a long time— drug smuggling. Guyana’s inability to track aircraft made this mode of smuggling all the more interesting and rewarding for the people who move large quantities of drugs.

There is just too much land space, so the construction of illegal airstrips is a dream. The only wonder is how the people survey the land to know that they could find a strip of land flat enough for an airstrip that could accommodate small aircraft.

But that is not the only surprising thing. Just as used to happen during the crime wave of 2002 to 2006, men can drive around with high-

powered weapons which they would extract in a flash and let the bullets fly.

There was one such episode in Queenstown. That was a community that once knew no crime. It was the Beverly Hills of Guyana. Poor people rarely walked those streets.

In a little over four months, two men were gunned down in that community. The first was a fleeing criminal who had just staged a robbery in the vicinity of Bourda Market.

Then came an execution the other day. A man with a shady past happens to visit friends, but as he leaves machinegun fire rings out and he dies minutes later.

Needless to say, the police caught no one, but they pull in people they suspect of being close to the drug trade, question them then let them go, sometimes on station bail.

What had me thinking was the fact that the very police recovered scores of spent shells from the scenes of the shootings, but there is no word on whether the shells could be linked to other

killings. And the public is none the wiser, because I suppose they all say that they are not involved and they are going to mind their own business.

Indeed the just concluded Commission of Inquiry into the Linden shootings exposed the shortcomings of the Guyana Police Force to the extent that a man said that today’s police are nothing but glorified security guards.

They have a man in hospital who sustained a gunshot wound. There is no effort to treat this person as someone of interest.

The end result is that the person dies suddenly.

Suspicion runs riot because the man was not supposed to die from his wounds. The post mortem is not yet conducted because red tape stipulates that a relative identify the body before there could be any post mortem.

A prominent physician dies and out of the woodwork come a heap of relatives. It turns out that not one of them was remotely related to the man. By then people had already stolen property. There is no criminal prosecution,

because no one has made a formal complaint.

I worry about these things because I am convinced that we have intelligent people in the police force who could work as efficiently as any, in any part of the world, except that they await political direction for the greater part.

Things have reached the stage where I suspect, people await political direction before they undertake the smallest of investigations.

However, like the rest of the population, I am not going to involve myself in anything that is happening since the advent of the very mobile machineguns. I like life too much and never became interested in the life of the underworld.

And while I am still on police matters, I owe readers an apology for some errors in my last article. One W.D. Chand, by way of a letter, highlighted the mistakes I made. I had already examined these mistakes with an old friend, Neville Denny.

Indeed, the Police Commissioner was Ronald Weber and the Deputy

Commissioner was Ian Puttock. Superintendent McLeod was Derek McLeod and Not James as I stated.

The conversation between Weber and Phoenix stands.

Back in the 1962-63 period, I had lunch at James Phoenix’s home in the Eve Leary compound every day. I saw him when he was discharged from hospital and I spoke with him.

Later when he became a priest and served at Bartica we had similar conversations about those turbulent days.

There was also something that disturbed me this past week. Three people died in a car in Suriname.

They were heading to Paramaribo. The survivor was a woman I knew from the days when she was headmistress at the North Ruimveldt Multilateral School.

I got really involved in the matter when I got a call from a man I knew.

Even as the media were identifying his brother as unknown, the man was telling me about his brother who happened to be driving the Sport Utility Vehicle.

Adam Harris Then I got a call from a relative of the survivor. She made me become involved.

This woman had lost her husband just a year ago. He was involved in an accident and did not suffer lifethreatening injuries, but he died. So I could imagine when this woman heard that her aunt was now involved in an accident and was believed to have died.

How did this car run off the road? Some suspect that it suffered a blow-out.

Because we fail to recognize the importance of the tyres, some of us are mourning.

Children are now without parents and I am forced to recall something I wrote at the dawn of the year…that many who are welcoming the New Year will not live to see the end of it.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 04, 2012

Linden COI - The evidence speaks for itself Hearing of testimony in the Linden Commission of Inquiry has completed. While the PPP Government Ministers and Advisors continue to pollute the broadcast spectrum with their version of what transpired at the hearings, they blatantly omit many pertinent facts that point to the police actions on the fateful day of July 18, 2012.

Chairman of the Alliance For Change, Nigel Hughes, in his capacity as Attorney for the relatives of the deceased, brought these points to the attention of the Commission and for public discussion when he addressed the Commission on Friday, November 2, 2012.

In his address, Hughes made it abundantly clear that there was enough evidence to support the position that it was the Police who shot the three deceased and injured the Lindeners. Hughes made the following arguments: 1. The deceased and injured were all shot with 00 pellets which were discharged from a 00 cartridge. The injured were in excess of 20 persons.

2. The pellets could only have been discharged from a shotgun. Not a hand gun or rifle.

3. That eliminates the possibility of either a concealed weapon or sniper.

4. A shotgun is at least three feet in length and hence would have been clearly visible at the time of the shooting.

5. There were several hundred persons present at the time of the shooting and the only persons who were seen with shotguns were three police officers.

6. Superintendent Todd, who was in charge, said that he discharged several rounds from shotguns which he took from various ranks who were on the police line in uniform.

7. Todd further said that he was the only one who discharged the shotgun.

8. No witness, whether civilian or police, claimed to have seen anyone else but the police armed with a shotgun.

9. The ballistic expert, Dr. Robinson, testified that the fact that the deceased died from single pellet shots meant they had to be in excess of 30

to 40 feet away from the shooter.

10. Todd’s testimony confirms that he was in excess of that distance when he fired the shotgun 11. Todd testified that he shot the ground in an attempt to cause the pellets to ricochet. The U.K. ballistic expert, the local ballistic expert and the police investigator who visited the scene the next morning all testified that there was no evidence of any ricochet on the ground, or did the pellets show that they were fired ricochet.

12. The position from which the persons were shot was consistent with the position where the police said they fired from.

13. Todd admitted firing at least four times at the crowd yet no one in the crowd was injured with official # 04 and # 06 issued pellets. This would mean on Todd’s evidence they should all be buried in the ground or fell short of the crowd.

14. The unaccounted gunman would have had to have fired repeatedly at the crowd and not be seen. Quite

a feat!

15. The police claim that they heard four loud explosions coming from the bridge. Assuming for the purpose of argument that this was the missing shooter armed with a shotgun on the bridge then several people in the crowd on the bridge would have been shot.

16. The bridge was jammed pack, so there was no space of 20 to 30 feet clear distance to allow a single shot to cause the death of protestors.

17. The only basis on which the police claim it is not their officers who killed the protestors is that they don’t issue 00 cartridges. This is the equivalent of a shooter standing over the body of a person who had just been shot and claiming that he did not shoot because he does not have the type of bullets which was found in the body of the deceased but his weapons is capable of firing that same type of bullet.

18. One of the police officers from Linden who was issued with a shotgun said he never knows what types of cartridges are issued to him when he uplifts his shotgun.

19. The ballistic results for the Linden weapons are not available. They were never sent to be tested.

On the issue of Ministerial involvement in the events: 1. Mr. Clement Rohee testified that on the 17th July he had at least a 25-minute meeting with the Commissioner of Police (COP),Seelall Persaud and Hicken at his office about the protest which was scheduled for the next day.

2. In his GINA interview on the 22nd July, he said the issue of lethal force was discussed and he was given

an undertaking that no lethal force would be used.

3. He further testified that he was given a briefing in which various scenarios were given but could not give details of any of the scenarios.

He said only a general overview was given, but he could not remember any details.

4. He testified that he tried getting the COP after the incident and he spoke with the COP, but he could not get details of what transpired.

He tried again, could not get onto him, and that’s why he called Hicken six times, two hours later.

5. The phone record reveals that he spoke with the COP for one second.

6. After the shooting, Rohee admits in a GINA oneon-one interview on NCN, discussing the use of lethal force before the shooting with the Commissioner of Police (COP) Leroy Brumell, Deputy Commissioner Law Enforcement Seelall Persaud and Senior Superintendent Clifton Hicken.

7. He claims he got an undertaking that no lethal force would be used.

8. He further says in the interview that various scenarios were discussed.

9. So no issue that the use of lethal force was discussed

by Rohee.

10. If lethal force was discussed, it had to be discussed in a particular context.

11. If he obtained an undertaking that lethal force would not be used then it means that the COP, Persaud or Hicken felt they had enough power to over ride the undertaking which was given to the Minister.

12. Which police officer in Guyana would authorise the

use of lethal force in a charge political protest in the light of a clear prior undertaking to the Minister?

13. Why wouldn’t the Minister on the first occasion ask who authorised the use of lethal force when he had been given a clear undertaking that it would not be used?

14. Rohee claims he ordered a report.

15. It is noteworthy that by the time of the GINA interview he was aware that lethal force had been used.

Why would Rohee at that time, admit he was aware that the police would use lethal force. It would be admitting that he authorised the use of lethal force on innocent civilians during a protest by opposition supporters.

Political suicide and potential criminal liability.

In short you have: (1) A discussion about the use of lethal force involving the Minister, COP, Deputy Commissioner Law Enforcement and Hicken in which he (the Minister) claims that he got an undertaking that lethal force would not be used.

(2) No evidence of any attempt to be briefed by the COP after news of the shooting but a two-hour delay before he speaks with Hicken on five occasions but never asks who authorised the use of lethal force.

(3) A post-fact admission of a discussion on the use of lethal force, but a denial of any authorization.

So what does a discussion about the use of lethal force during a civil protest indicate?

Either it was authorised by the Minister or some police officer had enough pluck to breach an undertaking to a Minister. Take your pick.

Sunday November 04, 2012

From page 32 months ago. We’ve been told that it required some maintenance work,” Minister Benn explained. Speaking at a press briefing Benn, in the presence of Civil Aviation Authority officials, explained that two Saturdays ago the aircraft, with the registration 8CCIK, departed the Ogle Airport, where it had undergone some maintenance, on a oneand-a-half-hour flight to Boa Vista, Brazil.

EZJET FILES IN US TO BECOME FULL-FLEDGED AIRLINE EZjet Airways, which currently operates low-cost charters between Guyana and North America, has applied to the US for carrier status which will allow it to become a full-fledged airline.

Once these permits are granted, EZjet will be able to fly from any point in Guyana to any part of the United States.

US records indicate that EZjet has requested a foreign air carrier permit to engage in “scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property and mail between any point or points in Guyana and any point or points in the United States.”

With this permission, EZjet should be able to comfortably gain approval from the Guyana government as this country’s national flag carrier. The future of the company which started flights to Guyana last December was thrown into question last week with news that its founder, Sonny Ramdeo, has been sued by Promise Healthcare and 11 of its hospitals for allegedly embezzling US$5.4 million and passing it through the accounts of EZjet.

Ramdeo had denied the accusations and instead said that Promise was attempting to cover its tracks and in fact, its officials are in court facing charges of over US$550M which was diverted. He nevertheless stepped down from his CEO role. Last weekend, EZjet’s newlyappointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rosalinda Rasul, insisted that all is well with EZjet and there has not been any drop in bookings.

WEDNESDAY EDITION ILLEGALAIRCRAFT FOUND ON AIRSTRIP…SALE WAS BEINGARRANGED Investigators have expressed an interest in a Jamaican pilot, as they continue to probe the discovery of a Cessna 421 aircraft on an illegal airstrip near Pirara, Region Nine, a day after it took off from the Ogle Airport en route to Brazil.

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News

understands that the Jamaican, who previously had links to the Ogle Airport, could provide investigators with clues as to the ownership of the plane and the real reason for it being in Guyana for the past two months. From all indications the aircraft may have been brought to Guyana for the purpose of selling it to a local buyer.

Local officials have reportedly found nothing illegal on the aircraft, during an initial examination at the site where it was located on Sunday. On Monday, Transport Minister Robeson Benn had told a press conference that the aircraft had entered Guyana from Trinidad, on what he termed a technical stop, which he said is not unusual. Such stops may cause aircraft to require fuel and other services on the way to their destination.

“It was here some two months ago …We’ve been told that it required some maintenance work,” Minister Benn explained.

However, that explanation differs from the one given by John Isaacs, a senior official of the Caribbean Aviation Maintenance Services (CAMS), a company operating at the Ogle Airport. According to the official, the aircraft arrived in Guyana under the pretext that there was a local buyer and that it required a prepurchaser inspection.

LINDEN COI…BRASSINGTON MAKES CLAIMS FOR DAMAGED LIMINE SECRETARIAT The Executive Director of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Winston Brassington, Tuesday made claims for losses for the NICIL-owned Linmine Secretariat, formerly owned by the Guyana Bauxite Company.

NICIL, the entity that conducts commercial activity on behalf of the state, presented an inventory to the Commission of Inquiry (CoI), listing items that were damaged in Linden some time on July 18, last, when unrest erupted over the hike in electricity tariffs and the subsequent shooting and killing of three protestors.

Brassington testified that LINMINE was the property of NICIL. He presented a Vesting Order and a Transport on behalf of NICIL to prove that the Bauxite Company was property of the state-owned NICIL. He however failed to present the documents of incorporation, but clarified that he could make same available. The CEO later testified that from 2006, there

has been no audited report that would disclose ownership of LINMINE. According to Brassington, from 2005, there had been a total value attached to the fixed assets of LINMINE in the audited reports, but the property itself had not been described in the financial statements (a total value is however given for the immovable property).

Brassington continued when questioned that after 2006, this information was not repeated in the successive years of audited reports up to 2012.

THURSDAY EDITION RICARDO RODRIGUES ASSOCIATE GUNNED DOWN Fifteen days after they executed Ricardo Rodrigues, hit men turned their guns on his associate, Marlon Osborne aka Marlon Scott and ‘Trini’, riddling him with bullets in a brazen daylight onslaught.

Osborne succumbed to his injuries while being treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was rushed minutes after the attack which occurred near the junction of Peter Rose and Laluni Streets, Queenstown, Wednesday.

It was just after 13:00 hours when the 32-year-old Achievement Place, South Ruimveldt Gardens resident had just turned out of a yard in Laluni Street when he was confronted by the gunmen.

Eyewitnesses recalled seeing two men shooting at Osborne’s car as he frantically attempted to drive away. But the slugs from what appeared to be AK-47 assault rifles, the preferred choice of local hit-men, penetrated the vehicle and pierced Osborne’s body.

The police in a statement on the matter said that their investigations revealed that Osborne was driving motor car PNN 9922 when shots were discharged from another vehicle which drove away.

The vehicle that Osborne was using was said to have belonged to Ricardo Rodrigues.

The injured Osborne arrived at the hospital in a speeding National Parks Commission vehicle. He was immediately rushed into the Accident and Emergency Unit (A&E) for medical attention, but eventually succumbed.

‘SHARK OIL’SENTENCED TO DEATH Murder accused, Herman Ally, called ‘Shark Oil’, 64, of Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice, was Wednesday sentenced to death by Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire.

He was found guilty by a

Page 39

mixed jury in the Berbice High Court. He was on trial for killing fellow Rose Hall Town resident, Randall Sandy, called ‘Randall Taylor ’ sometime between Thursday, October 5 and Friday, October 6, 2006. Justice George had earlier taken about three hours to sum up the evidence to the jury who took two hours, retiring just after noon and returning just after 14:00 hrs, with the unanimous verdict of guilty of murder.

This was the second trial for the accused; the first ended in a hung jury. Both prosecutor Attorney at law Prithima Kissoon and Defence lawyer Raymond Alli had presented their case to the jury on Tuesday. This was after the prosecution had closed its case on Monday after calling seven witnesses.

FRIDAY HUGHES QUITS COMMISSION OF INQUIRY There was drama at the High Court Thursday when Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes abruptly quit the Commission of Inquiry in the Linden killings following a fiery clash with Senior Superintendent of Police Clifton Hicken and Commission Chairman Justice Lensley Wolfe. Hughes strode briskly out of the High Court Law Library after the lively exchange and later told journalists that he was being prevented from questioning Hicken.

The former E & F Divisional Commander is considered to be a key witness at the hearing, because of phone contact he had with Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee after the shootings and allegations that he was seen with a partly concealed firearm on the day the Lindeners were slain.

AFC SEEKING LEGAL ADVICE TO HALT MARRIOTT-BRANDED HOTEL PROJECT The Alliance for Change (AFC) is seeking legal advice to ascertain if an injunction could be granted on the grounds of illegality to halt the construction of a Marriotbranded hotel in Guyana – a project the joint Opposition, which holds majority in the National Assembly, views as a waste of taxpayers’ money, especially when the core revenue earners, restaurant, casino and nightclub, will be operated by private individual(s).

Khemraj Ramjattan, leader of the AFC, on Wednesday revealed the Party’s plans, and emphasized that the basis of their decision came from former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran, who highlighted the illegal manner in which National Industrial & Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL) operates.

“There are certain things that they are doing that are illegal, but it is left to whether a judge will grant that injunction. I don’t really know, but quite frankly as a lawyer, I think we should attempt it,” Ramjattan said.

He related that the AFC will try to pass a motion in Parliament indicating that the Opposition does not support the construction of the Marriott Hotel in Guyana in the manner it is being done, through NICIL. SATURDAY EDITION THREEGUYANESE KILLED IN TRAGIC SURINAME CRASH Three Guyanese were tragically killed Friday afternoon after their Honda CRV flipped into a canal in Nickerie, Suriname. A woman who was with them is said to be receiving medical attention. While no names

were officially released as of late Friday evening, Surinamese police are saying that from indications four persons were in the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), bearing number plates PKK 7256, and which crossed some time in the morning on the Canawaima ferry.

The vehicle was heading to the capital, Paramaribo.

Two women and a man were reportedly killed while the middle-aged woman was admitted to the Lachmipersad Mungra regional hospital, Police commander, Stanley Benschop, told reporters. The accident is said to have happened about 192 kilometers from Paramaribo.

BOAT CAPTAIN DROWNS IN THE CUYUNI RIVER Tragedy struck Friday afternoon around 5:00pm in the Kamaria area, Cuyuni River, when 26-yearold boat captain, Charles Mc Watt, drowned while he was attempting to retrieve two sunken 75 hp Yamaha boat engines. Charles was said to have been piloting his boat with the engines earlier this week, when it sank in the said area renowned for its treacherous rapids.

Charles that time was lucky to escape with his life, but Friday afternoon he and others were trying to bring the engines to the surface when the air hose that was attached to him as he was below the river surface, became entangled with submerged debris. He drowned. His colleagues on the surface, suspecting that something dreadful was amiss then successfully managed to get his body to the surface.

They then took him to the Bartica Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival .

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 04, 2012

The Abigail Column DTV CHANNEL 8 09:25hrs. Sign On 09:30hrs. Touching Lives 10:00hrs. Pair of Kings 10:30hrs.

Crash and Bernstein 11:00hrs. Movie: A Decent Proposal 13:00hrs. Movie: What She Knew 15:00hrs. Movie: And Baby

Will Fall 17:00hrs. Kickin’ It 18:00hrs. Catholic Magazine (Faith in Action) 18:30hrs. Know Your Bible 19:00hrs. Greetings and Announcements 21:00hrs. Once Upon a Time (New Episode) 22:00hrs. The Good Wife (New Episode)

23:00hrs. The Mentalist (New Episode) 00:00hrs. Sign Off NCN CHANNEL 11 05:00h – Inspiration 05:30h – Newtown Gospel 06:00h – NCN News(R/B) 06:30h – Tomorrow’s World 07:00h – Voice of Victory 07:30h – Voice of Islam 08:00h – Lifting Guyana to Greatness 08:30h – President’s Diary 09:00h – Ravi D Show 10:00h – Homestretch Magazine 10:30h – Weekly Digest 11:00h – Round Table 12:30h – Feature 12:35h – GRA In Focus 13:00h – Dharma Vani 14:00h – Feature 14:30h – Catholic Magazine 15:00h – The Naked Truth 15:30h – Feature 16:00h – Family Forum 16:30h – Shape 17:00h –Farmers Connection 18:00h – NCN Week in Review 18:30h – Guysuco Roundup 19:00h – Feature 20:00h – Feature 20:30h – Kala Milan 21:00h – Between the Lines 21:30h – African Moves 22:00h – Movie

This limbo situation is not fair to anyone DEARABIGAIL, I have been with the man of my dreams for a little more than three years. We have a son together, and I am the happiest I can remember being. There is just one problem. “Karl” is still married.

Karl lives with our son and me, but every time his wife snaps her fingers, he jumps. Sometimes, that means our toddler gets the short end

of things and so do I. This wouldn’t bother me so much if Karl would finally get his divorce. I’ve asked him about it, and he always says he has to “talk to his wife”.

On top of that, she doesn’t have a job and Karl says she would be homeless if he didn’t give her money.

I would be more tolerant if he had some idea how long she will suck us dry. I love him and one day would like to be able to afford a house.

In Love

Dear In Love, Sorry to break it to you, but the wife isn’t going to make it easy for Karl to get a divorce, assuming he truly wants one (and I have my doubts).

He likely will be supporting her. She’s not sucking you dry. That money belongs to her. Karl should either get a divorce or go back to his wife.

This limbo situation is not fair to anyone. Tell him it’s time to man up and do the right thing already.

Sunday November 04, 2012 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): Just because you and a certain family member haven't been getting along recently doesn't mean that they aren't wishing you the best. Two people can still love each other dearly when they don't see things the same way. ****************** TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): The food you eat and the music you hear will feed you in very nourishing ways today. In fact, you might be suddenly struck with the desire to host a dinner party or small, musical get-together! ******************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Saving money should be at the top of your list right now, no matter what social activities are coming up. Do you really need a new outfit? Do you really have to fly business class? ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): If you're on your way to a confrontation today, you had better march there on the double! The faster you can meet your opponent, the better. ******************** LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): Your naturally warm personality could be construed as 'hot to trot' by a certain eager beaver today, so be careful about who you're flirting with! This is not the time to give anyone the wrong idea or false hopes. ********************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept.

22): Just go with the flow today, and try to spend time with people who make you feel good about yourself. Do not let anyone else -- even the big boss - dictate the agenda for this day. ********************** LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): You will get a lot farther if you

learn to go with the flow -- you are totally capable of it, you know! Take baby steps towards this new goal of super flexibility. If your routine gets disrupted today, so what? ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): Do you want people to think that you have everything covered? If so, you have to try not to control them. The more freedom you can give to the people you are managing or working with, the more respect and even reverence they will feel for you. ********************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): Nothing will be too much of an obstacle for you, today, as long as you don't show any fear or hesitation.

Be flexible, and try to act like you aren't bothered by anything. Anyone who is causing you stress or putting undue pressure on you right now is going to give up soon. ***************** CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): Be advised that you will need to put up an imaginary wall between you and the people who will be assessing or judging you today. You cannot, under any circumstances, let yourself take whatever they say (positive or negative) personally. *********************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18): Difficulty is not always the best indicator of worth. In other words, just because something is not easy to accomplish does not mean that it is worth accomplishing.

Sometimes, it just means that it's not for you. *************** PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20): Your creativity is a wonderful skill that can open some pretty important doors. So why not use it more often?

Sunday November 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Pakistani Taliban target female students with acid attack Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) — It’s the latest cruel tactic in the Pakistani Taliban’s battle to stop girls and women from getting an education: acid thrown in their faces to scar them for life and deter others from following in their footsteps.

A doctor who treated the victims of an acid attack on a college van in the city of Parachinar in northern Pakistan last month told CNN that two girls had been left with severe burns to their faces.

The Pakistani Taliban have taken responsibility for the attack in threatening pamphlets distributed around the city. They also warn local girls against going to school, Dr. Shaban Ali said.

“We will never allow the girls of this area to go and get a Western education,” said Qari Muhavia, the local Pakistani Taliban leader, when contacted by CNN by telephone.

Who are the Pakistani Taliban?

“If and when we find any girl from Parachinar going to university for an education we will target her (in) the same

way, so that she might not be able to unveil her face before others,” Muhavia said.

The Pakistani Taiban’s violent campaign to stop girls from getting an education was brought to international attention early last month when gunmen in the Swat Valley attacked another van, this time carrying schoolgirl education activist Malala Yousufzai. She is in a British hospital recovering from a gunshot to the head.

Shahab Uddin, a local government official from Kurram Agency in Pakistan’s northern tribal belt, said the acid attack was the latest method used to terrorize young girls and deter them from going to school.

Fifteen students, boys and girls, from Kohat University were on their way home to Parachinar when unknown “extremists” stopped the vehicle and threw acid at the girls and shot one of the boys, according to Uddin.

Two girls, Zahida and Nabila, and one more boy had suffered burns, Uddin said, while Mohammad Ali, a fourth boy, was the student who was shot.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) Israeli President Shimon Peres hailed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as a courageous partner for peace yesterday after the Palestinian leader made clear his support for a two-state solution to the decades old conflict with Israel.

In an interview with Israeli television broadcast this week, the Western-backed Abbas also hinted that Palestinians who, prior to the 1948 establishment of the Jewish state lived on lands that are now in Israel, do not have a right to return there, comments that sparked an outcry from his Islamist rivals. “(Abbas’s) courageous words prove that Israel has a real partner for peace,” Peres said in a statement. “These are significant words ... We must all treat them with the utmost respect.”

Peres, a Nobel peace prize laureate, holds a post that is largely ceremonial and he has little influence on the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government. As prime minister more than a decade ago, Peres headed a left-wing government that actively pursued peace with the Palestinians.

Netanyahu has repeatedly portrayed Abbas as a peace

partner, urging him to return to negotiations, despite Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s description of the Palestinian president as an obstacle to peace.

There have been no direct peace talks since 2010, when the Palestinians refused to resume negotiations unless Israel suspended settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which they say is killing off all chances of them ever creating a coherent state.

Abbas has defied Israel and the United States by planning to ask the U.N. General Assembly to upgrade the Palestinians to a nonmember state. Facing possible punitive Israeli and U.S. sanctions, Abbas has promised an immediate return to peace talks after the U.N. vote, which the Palestinians are likely to win.

The Islamist group Hamas, which wrested control of the Gaza Strip from Abbas in 2007, condemned the comments and thousands of its members rallied in protest and bur n e d p o s t e r s o f Abbas.

“No one, regardless of who he may be ... has the right to cede a single tract of the land of Palestine or to cede the right of return,” Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told reporters.

Israel’s Peres welcomes “courageous” words from Abbas

“After throwing acid on the students the assailants opened fire on the van,” Uddin said.

He said the girls who were targeted “are alive and out of danger now, but their faces are badly scarred.”

Ali, of the district headquarters hospital, confirmed that four students were brought into the emergency room for treatment, three with acid burns and one with a bullet wound.

“We are all graduate students studying in the master’s program, and we were coming back home after taking our exams,” one of the girls who was targeted told CNN under condition of anonymity.

“We don’t know who the attackers were, but when our vehicle reached Doranai they stopped us and threw acid on our faces ... now we are scared of going back to our studies,” said another girl, who also asked not to be named because she didn’t have permission from her family to speak.

Malala is face of global attacks on schools “Other passengers who were sitting in the vehicle were also wounded, but they were not as serious as Zahida and Nabila,” she said.

Acid throwing is frequently used as a weapon in Pakistan to punish women for acts that allegedly bring dishonor to the family, or just to enact revenge.

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Aftab been used and discarded by women: Vikram Bhatt

Aftab "If Aftab has been unlucky in his career he has been even unluckier in love," says Aftab's best friend , director Vikram Bhatt who also reveals that Aftab has finally found true love.

Aftab who has appointed Vikram Bhatt his unofficial mentor, is all set to marry Nin Dusanj at the earliest. And Bhatt had a big hand in approving of Nin as the perfect wife for Aftab.

Vikram recently spoke to Aftab's new lady-love and was bowled over by her devotion to Aftab.

Says Vikram, "Yes,I did speak to Aftab's girlfriend. I can tell you this much, it's a very rare kind of love that they share. Aftab has been singularly unfortunate in love. He

has been used and discarded by women like Aamna Sharif.

The thing about Nin is, she is not concerned with what he does, or what his stardom quotient is.She just loves him for who he is. When I spoke to her I could feel this unconditional love that she has for Aftab. I think my friend has found his true love."

Aftab can now heave a sigh of relief. He decided to make his relationship with Nin permanent only if Vikram approved of it.

Apparently Aftab trusts Vikram's judgement more than his own. In fact the actor whose career touched rockbottom in recent years, drove to Vikram for help. Vikram helped Aftab to revaluate his life and re-invent himself.

Says Vikram, "Emotionally and professionally, Aftab had hit a low. His career and life were going nowhere. He came to me because we go back a long way.We've shared a deep friendship and there was no one else he could turn to.

Aftab needed career help.I completely empathized ,not only because he was a dear friend but also because I had gone through the same experience.When my career hit rock-bottom in 2007 I decided to take a clean break.

It's tough to leave your work which is your life , for a longish period. But I told Aftab it's the only way to re-energize your career." Aftab stopped signing films in 2010, took a year off to work on his physique and his performing abilities as an an actor.

He then came back to his friend. Vikram Bhatt signed him for 1920: Evil Returns.

Says Vikram, "Aftab is bornagain as an actor and as a humanbeing. His life has come together. He's finally found the perfect partner and is hopefully en route to a second lease in his career.If I've played any part in the process ofn helping Aftab to find his bearings again, I'm happy."Apparently Aftab's wedding is being planned in early 2013. Needless to say, Vikram would play the best man and host the reception.

Aftab admitted he's found love just when he needed the most. "Yes, we will get married . Nin was Hong Kong based.She has now relocated to India. She is a Punjabi girl, born and raised in London.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 04, 2012

Syrian rebels attack air base to secure north-south corridor BEIRUT (Reuters) Syrian rebels attacked a military airport in the country’s north yesterday in a push to cut off Syria’s biggest city Aleppo from the capital Damascus, and secure a strategic north-south corridor.

President Bashar alAssad’s forces appear overstretched with fewer fighters on the ground and have sought to limit rebel advances with far superior firepower, increasingly from the air and especially in the Aleppo and

Damascus areas.

But despite ragged command-and-control and few heavy weapons, the rebels have gained control over the rural north and border crossings to Turkey after 19 months of conflict and now seek to isolate Aleppo from Assad’s power fulcrum in Damascus.

Abroad, fragmented antiAssad opposition groups will try again at a meeting in Qatar starting on Sunday to form a united front in pursuit of international respect and,

most important, better weapons to turn the battlefield tables and oust Assad.

Fighters from the Islamist Front to Liberate Syria said they launched the attack on the Taftanaz military airport in the northern province of Idlib in the early hours on Saturday, using rocket launchers and at least three tanks.

The government has used Taftanaz to fuel helicopter gunships and fighter jets that have bombarded nearby villages.

“All planes that bomb

Idlib take off from that airport, and also, if we liberate it, the road between Aleppo and Idlib will be open and safe,” a rebel from the Sukour al-Sham brigade said.

“We have managed to destroy one helicopter and several anti-aircraft batteries, and we are using tanks to shell the base,” he told Reuters by phone from the scene.

Rebels said they pulled back after six hours of fighting and destroying two helicopters. “We are finished for the day but we will be

back,” said another rebel.

A video posted on the internet showed rebels firing rockets at the base.

Syrian warplanes attacked the nearby village of Bennish in retaliation, the Britainbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Further fighting was reported in the eastern, oilproducing province of Deir alZor and on the outskirts of Damascus.

Activists said government forces also clashed with rebels near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and killed at least nine fighters. An Israeli military spokeswoman said three Syrian tanks entered the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria on Saturday and Israeli media said the tanks were involved in the fighting with rebels.

The revolt against Assad began as peaceful rallies

calling for more freedoms and democracy but turned to armed struggle against the military machine that he unleashed on protesters.

Diplomatic intervention has been fruitless because major world and regional powers are at loggerheads over how to end the conflict.

It has killed about 32,000 people, making it the bloodiest of Arab uprisings that have ousted entrenched leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen since early last year.

On Friday government troops vacated their last base near Saraqeb, leaving Idlib town and its surroundings “completely outside the control of regime forces”, the Observatory said.

The pullout followed coordinated rebel attacks on Thursday on three military posts around Saraqeb, 50 km (30 miles) southwest of Aleppo, in which 28 soldiers were killed.

Romney, Obama try to eke out a win in campaign’s last days

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney NEWINGTON, New Hampshire (Reuters) Republican Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama hopscotched across the country yesterday in a final push to squeeze out victory from the handful of states that will decide Tuesday’s presidential election.

“Three more days! Three more days!” chanted a crowd of roughly 2,000 at an earlymorning rally in New Hampshire, where Romney urged supporters to try to sway neighbors who have Obama signs in their yards to change their minds.

In an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, Romney argued that he would do a better job than Obama at overcoming partisan divisions in Washington.

“After four years of disappointments, fixing America’s problems requires a new direction,” he wrote.

Obama, who has spent much of the week overseeing efforts to help northeastern coastal states recover from devastating storm Sandy, received a briefing at the federal government’s disaster-

relief headquarters in Washington before returning to the campaign trail.

“There’s nothing more important than getting this right,” Obama said of the disaster relief before flying to Ohio for a campaign rally.

The storm has afforded the Democrat an opportunity to rise above the fray of campaigning.

But it has also raised the stakes for him to show his administration can respond quickly and effectively in a crisis, as residents of New York and New Jersey vent frustration at power outages and gasoline shortages.

“He’s focused on it every moment he’s not speaking on the stage,” Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters aboard Air Force One. The race for the White House remains effectively tied at a national level. A Reuters/ Ipsos daily tracking poll released on Saturday showed Obama leading Romney by a statistically meaningless margin of 1 percentage point, 47 percent to 46 percent.

Sunday November 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

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A quest for ‘normalcy’ as millions try to put their lives back together after Sandy (CNN) — As they cleaned up drenched debris, waited in hours-long lines for gas and coped with yet another day without power, the goal yesterday for millions in New York and New Jersey was simple — to inch a few steps closer to normal.

There were some positive signs. The number of customers without power in the wake of Superstorm Sandy fell by over a million in 24 hours, to about 2.4 million yesterday afternoon. Gas stations were filling up once more with millions of gallons of gas — some of it compliments of the federal government and, in other cases, a rival company. And with travel bans lifting, more residents of places like Atlantic and Cape May counties in New Jersey were finally being allowed to return home.

“We need to continue to focus now on the next phase — returning to normalcy,” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said.

That’s all Pankaj Purohit wants. But the Jersey City resident’s patience is wearing thin after five days without electricity. An e-mail from his utility said it might take several more days before power is restored even as temperatures plunge into the 30s at night.

His apartment building flooded with 5 feet of water, Purohit said his family and his dog moved in with a friend who has electricity. Two other families are also taking shelter at the house.

“For me, until there is power, I cannot get back to normal life,” he said early Saturday.

Official: Sandy-stricken areas will vote ‘come hell or high water’ New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said restoring electricity is the top priority, reiterating Saturday that his state will hold utilities accountable if they weren’t

prepared for Sandy. More than 835,000 customers were in the dark statewide by midafternoon.

One of the state’s top utilities, Con Edison, has restored power to all but 270,000 of its initially 940,000 customers affected by Sandy, Senior Vice President John Miksad said. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg praised that company, while blasting the Long Island Power Authority — which services the Rockaway peninsula in the borough of Queens — for not having “acted aggressively enough.”

“We realize that LIPA has outages throughout Long Island, but the Rockaways were the hardest hit by the storm,” he said, adding that the utility indicated it could take two weeks to restore power there. “When it comes to prioritizing resources, we think they should be first in line. So far that has not appeared to be the case, and that is certainly not acceptable.”

LIPA did not immediately respond Saturday evening to CNN requests for comment on the mayor’s criticism.

Cold weather is a growing concern in places without power. Bloomberg said he’d be surprised if temperatures in the Rockaways would get out of the 40s, warning people to guard against hypothermia and find someplace warm to stay if possible.

Both he and Cuomo, meanwhile, lavished praise on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for restoring 80% of subway services in New York City. The mayor said it should be up to 90% by Sunday.

“Not only did they try hard, but they got it done,” Cuomo said.

Powering cars and trucks is another issue, as evidenced by long lines at gas stations around the region.

Christie noted that about 70% of gas stations from

Hours-long lines for gas Interstate 195 and points north weren’t operating Saturday — not necessarily because they did not have gas, but because they couldn’t pump it due to power outages.

(By comparison, about 95% of stations south of Interstate 195 were working, he said.)

Yet there’s been a concerted effort in recent days to address the gas shortage.

The federal government announced Friday night that it would deliver 12 million gallons of unleaded gas and 10 million gallons of diesel to dispense around the hard-hit region. Such fuel had already arrived at Joint Base McGuireDix-Lakehurst and was being shipped out to stations, Christie said Saturday.

The governor also singled out Hess, based in Woodbridge, New Jersey, for distributing gas to rival companies whose stations had run dry.

Drivers in New York City and Long Island, meanwhile, were able beginning Saturday to fill up directly from 5,000gallon fuel trucks moving

Israel: Three Syria tanks enter Golan demilitarized zone JERUSALEM (Reuters) Three Syrian tanks entered the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria yesterday, an Israeli military spokeswoman said.

“The Israeli Defense Forces have filed a complaint with the U.N. (peacekeeping) force in the area,” the spokeswoman said. She had no further information on what the tanks were doing.

Israeli media said the tanks

were involved in fighting in the Syrian village of Beer Ajam against rebels trying to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.

Israel is technically at war with Syria, but it has generally taken a cautious line on the uprising in its Arab neighbour.

Errant Syrian mortars bombs landed in Israel in September, spurring Israel to lodge a similar complaint with

the United Nations observer force that monitors a longstanding, de facto truce between the two countries.

Israel captured the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau, from Syria during a 1967 Middle East war. It later annexed it in 1981 in a move not recognized internationally.

In Washington, the White House had no immediate comment.

around the area.

In another move to relieve fuel shortages, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano issued a temporary waiver of the Jones Act,

allowing oil tankers from the Gulf of Mexico to enter northeastern ports.

The U.S. Energy Administration reported significant progress. Whereas

there was no gas in 67% of metropolitan New York stations on Friday, that figure plummeted to 38% on Saturday, according to the federal agency’s estimates.

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Sunday November 04, 2012

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The 2nd Edition of the Guyana Golf Magazine launched The second edition of the Guyana Golf magazine was launched on Friday evening at a cocktail reception for the Guyana Open Golf Tournament at the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) clubhouse in Lusignan on the East Coast Demerara.

The magazine which came out just in time for the XM Rum Guyana Open Golf tournament this

The Guyana Golf Magazine front cover

Fruta Conquerors FC prevail as Lester Peters U-15 football tournament continues From page 46 group will advance into the Super Eight knockout round. Semifinal action commences on Sunday December 2 with the finals slated for Sunday December 9.

Meanwhile, several business entities and individuals have teamed up to ensure the tournament is

successful including Oasis Water, Prudential Technology, Nalico/Nafico Insurance, Household Plus, Jason Blair and Eton Cordis.

The organizers are beseeching additional input of the corporate community and Mr. Gilbert said that interested persons/entities may contact him at telephone # 682-6416.

Guyana maintains...

From back page Geigevlict, Leroy Yzer, Isah Hardenbol and Orson Awanna.

Guyana’s leading junior riders covered the 10km / 6 mile distance in 12 Minutes 17.20 Seconds, more than two minutes (2: 25.73) ahead of the Suriname side which completed theirs in 14 Minutes 42.93 Seconds.

The female team covered their 5km / 3 mile course in 8 Minutes 04.81 Seconds; Suriname completing theirs in 9 Minutes 31.96 Seconds; Guyana finishing 1 Minute 27.15 Seconds ahead of their rivals.

Captain of the Guyana team Paul DeNobrega said that he was very elated with the performance of his teammates in ensuring that Guyana successfully defended the cycling titles.

“We felt very confident going into these races that we were going to do our country proud and we delivered. We

had everything set up and it worked out to plan except for Anthony who was not able to finish the road race. We had planned to get 1st to 4th.”

DeNobrega also shared that next year will be his last at this level and Team Guyana will be going all out to win again.

Manager Coach of the Team, the indefatigable Hassan Mohamed MS, was naturally pleased with the exploits of his team. Mohamed disclosed that the achievement of Guyana was very pleasing and complimented all the members for their hard work.

“These cyclists have been working very hard and riding consistent. So it is no surprise that they have once again done Guyana proud by winning all the top positions in the Time Trials and Road Races.”

Director of Sport Neil Kumar and his counterpart from Suriname were on hand to witness the conclusion of the road races.

weekend was a collaborative effort between LGC, publishing company, Corbin Media Group (CMG) and other stakeholders who worked together with the aim of promoting the sport locally, regionally and internationally.

The 2012 edition of the magazine has on its front cover 5-time Guyana Open female champion Christine

Sukhram. A quick browse inside shows an interview with LGC president Attorney Jerome Khan, a golf beginner’s guide, a profile of veteran golfer Dr Ram Singh and much more.

There is also a list with results from the tournaments held this year, including the inaugural President’s Cup tournament which was held on September 15. As with all

of CMG’s publications, the articles are complemented by high quality photography.

CEO of CMG, Mr. Simeon Corbin thanked the LGC executive and its members, sponsors, contributors and his team for helping to make the second edition a success.

The annual Guyana Golf magazine is available for free at the LGC clubhouse.

Page 46

Guyana Cup 2 Softball tourney...

Trophy Stall and New York Sports Club Legends will clash in what is expected to be an exciting final in the Open category of the Guyana Cup 20-over softball cricket competition this evening at the Everest Cricket Club ground. Both teams recorded victories in their respective semifinal matches which were contested yesterday.

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 04, 2012

TROPHY STALL, NYSC LEGENDS, PRESIDENT XI BOOK FINAL SPOTS Meanwhile, President XI of New York are also through to the final of the Over 40 category, they defeated New York Legends in their semifinal game. The second semifinal was being played last evening at Everest between Bedi Maters and Savage Masters up to press time.

Scores: semifinal 1, at DCC, Wolf Warriors 163-9 in 15 overs (Azad Azeez 55, Amit Rai 47, Diaram Ramnauth 228, Wazim Haslim 2-18) lost to Trophy Stall 166-6 in 12.5 overs. (Wazim Haslim 58, Surajpaul Deosarran 42, Asif Safie 2-35) by 4 wickets. The game was reduced to 15 overs.

Semifinal 2, at Everest,

Speed Boat XI 100 all out in 14.5 overs (A. Bharat 19, A. Moonsammy 3-25) lost to New York Sports Club Legends 103-2 in 11 overs (A. Beria 50, V. Subkarran 37) by 8 wickets.

In the Over 40 category, President XI 133-6 in 15 overs (B. Balkaran 26, Danny Mohan 20, Mark Bobb 20, E. Deopaul 2-12) beat New York

legends 112-7 in 15 overs (C. Richmond 28, L. Longhorn 20, Tony Kissoon 2-8).

Scores in the other preliminary matches: (Over 40) At Bourda, Bedi Masters 142-7 in 15 overs beat Success Masters 100-8 in 15 overs. The game was reduced to 15 overs.

At Queens College, Savage Masters 151-3 in 15 overs beat Frontline Masters 139-4 in 15 overs. The game was reduced to 15 overs.

At Everest, Flood Light 172-9 in 20 overs beat Parika Defenders 139-8 in 20 overs.

In the Open category, at

Everest, Speed Boat XI 163-4 in 20 overs beat Crab Wood Creek Untouchables 99 all out in 11.1 overs.

Cotton Field Wild Oaths 173-8 in 20 overs beat Karibee Boyz 153 all out in 14 overs.

Farm XI 77 all out in 15 overs lost to New York Allstars 79-0 in 6 overs.

Memorex 166-3 in 15 overs lost to Trophy Stall 1674 in 13 overs.

Regal 236-6 in 15 overs beat South Florida 113-9 in 13 overs. Both finals will be played after three female exhibition matches.

Fruta Conquerors FC prevail as Lester Peters U-15 football tournament continues Captain of Fruta Conquerors FC, Jermain Beckles, breached the opposition’s goal in the 65th minute while his teammate, Steve Stanton emulated his feat in the 75th minute to cart off the honours when that team opposed Renaissance in the second edition of the Lester Peters U-15 football tournament at the Tucville playfield yesterday afternoon.

The tournament is held in commemoration of the death of Peters, a former mid fielder of the Conquerors Club who died

last year October.

Twelve teams, placed into 2 groups are contesting for honours including Group AFruta ‘B,’ Renaissance FC, Camptown FC, Rhythm Squad FC, Grassroots FC, and Fruta Conquerors. Those teams in Group B are Flamingo FC, Georgetown Football Club, South Georgetown FC, Santos FC, Black Pearl FC and Northern Rangers.

The players are now engaged in the preliminary round after which the 4 leading teams from each (Continued on page 45)

Rose Hall Town Pepsi...

From page 47 Eon Hooper 33, Michael Cummings 4 for 35 and Eon Gibson 3 for 44.Courtland All Star 117 in 29 overs with Jamal Cort 38, Arif Chan 4 for 20, Ingram Dey 3 for 22 and Eon Hooper 2 for 36.

At Albion, Albion Community Centre beat Port Mourant by 154 runs. Albion Community Centre 285 for 4 in 45 overs with Kandasammy Surujnarine 103, Sharaz Ramcharran 52, Gudakesh Motie 40, Balchand Baldeo 37 and Boughnarine Persaud 3

for 49. Port Mourant 131 in 38.3 overs with Gudakesh Motie 2 for 20 and Veerapen Permaul 2 for 24.

Meanwhile, three of the four quarterfinals are scheduled for today: West Berbice vs. Bermine at Blairmont, Rose Hall Town Pepsi vs. No. 70 Young Star at Rose Hall Town and Kim Il Sung vs. Albion Community Centre at No.70. The fourth quarterfinal between Young Warriors and D’Edward was fixed for yesterday at Cumberland in Canje.

JKA/WF Guyana 2012...

From page 54 special thanks to Sister Marie Harper, Principal of Marian Academy and Dr. Ramcharran - Tournament Doctor. The Guyana Judo Association and Shawn Ramrattan of RRT Enterprise for the presentation of medals.

Sponsors - Guyana Lotto Company, RRT Enterprise, DD Signs, Cellular Planet Inc.,

Guyana Geology & Mines Commission, Nandalall & Sabrian Algoo, Yoganand Singh, S. Sukhdeo, ReadyMix Concrete Ltd, Ganpat Sahai, Trophy Stall, Romono Builders General Building Contractors, R&D Variety Store, National Communication Network (NCN) and Brahma Prasad of National Television Network (NTN).

Sunday November 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 47

‘WI targeting Rose Hall Town Pepsi and Albion Community top five in Centre move into the quarterfinal Tests’- Gibson 2012 Neal and Massy Intermediate 50-Over Cricket Competition in Berbice...

- Kandasammy Surujnarine slams 103

Rose Hall Town Pepsi and Albion Community Centre have taken up the last two quarterfinal spots in the 2012 Neal and Massy Intermediate 50-Over Cricket Competition after they both won their final Zone C preliminary match with Rose Hall ending as winners of the zone and Albion as runner-up, thus both of them advancing.

Gibson expects Sunil Narine to be a handful in Bangladesh © DigicelCricket.com Brooks LaTouche Photography ESPNcricinfo - Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, wants his side to build on their success in 2012 by making it to the top five in the ICC Test rankings in 12 months’ time. West Indies are currently at No.7, above New Zealand and bottom-placed Bangladesh, their opponents in the forthcoming two-Test tour starting November 13 in Mirpur.

West Indies lost the home series 2-0 against Australia before heading to England and conceding the Test series by the same margin. But they returned home and swept both Tests against a struggling New Zealand side, in addition to dominating the limited-overs matches. They carried forward their momentum to Sri Lanka where they lifted the World Twenty20 trophy.

“We have had a pretty solid 2012 so far so we want to finish on a winning note,” Gibson said in Barbados before the team’s departure for Bangladesh. “The aim is to find ways of moving up the (Test rankings) table. Because Bangladesh are below us, we will only be playing for two or three points. Our aim is to break into the top five in the next 12 months if possible.”

West Indies suffered a setback when the fast bowler Kemar Roach suffered a knee injury during a club game in Barbados and had to pull out of the tour. He was replaced

by Fidel Edwards. Gibson conceded that this was a blow, but was confident that Edwards, Ravi Rampaul and Tino Best would shoulder the responsibility well in foreign conditions.

Gibson said Roach’s example was an eye opener for cricket boards to take steps to manage the workloads of certain players by ensuring they get enough

rest as well as keep an eye on their fitness and conditioning.

“Last year during the regional tournament we took steps asking the regional boards to rest certain players who we felt needed a break.

Roach’s situation is unfortunate since he is on a very long break, since New Zealand,” Gibson said. “He got hurt playing three weeks ago but didn’t report it to anybody. In the past a lot of guys may have gone on tour with that injury, and if the injury happens in the first Test the team is a man short. We’re trying to guard against that sort of stuff happening.

“You look at the amount of cricket these days, especially T20, a time will come when we need to tell a player or a regional board that this particular player needs a break. You put him in a strength and conditioning program. It’s a realistic possibility that we could do stuff like that in the future.”

Looking at West Indies’ bowling attack, Gibson expected the spinner Sunil Narine to be a match-winner in Bangladesh, despite his inexperience in the longer formats. Narine has 12 wickets in three Tests with a fivewicket haul.

“Narine is a very fast learner. When he played his first Test it was on the back of very little first-class cricket and he had made his name in limited-overs cricket,” Gibson said. “In alien conditions in England he didn’t look very comfortable but when we returned to the Caribbean we saw the real Narine.

Against New Zealand he started to bowl round the wicket so it shows that he is learning. We expect him to be a handful in Bangladesh and we believe he will be a match-winner in the long format as well.”

In their game against Courtland All Star, Rose Hall Town made 191 with Courtland pacer, Michael Cummings, picking up 4 for 25 from 8.4 overs and former Berbice pacer, Eon Gibson 3 for 44 from 10 overs. However, when Courtland replied, Rose Hall’s national under-17 off spinner, Arif Chan, took 4 for 20 off 6 overs and Ingram Dey, a

former Berbice under-19 pacer, took 3 for 22 from 7 overs to bowl them out for 117.

Former Guyana under-19 opening batsman, Kandasammy Surujnarine, slammed 103 (8 fours) and Guyana under-17 all-rounder, Sharaz Ramcharran 52 (3 fours) to help take Albion to 285 for 4 in 45 overs against Port Mourant who could only

respond with 131 with Boughnarine Persaud top scoring with 62 (2 fours).

In scores from the matches played: At Rose Hall Town, Rose Hall Town Pepsi beat Courtland All Star by 74 runs.

Rose Hall Town Pepsi 191 in 42 overs with Jason Sinclair 44, Ravi Narine 36 not out, (Continued on page 46)

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Sunday November 04, 2012

Entries rolling for RCMTC&SF, Banks DIH Limited Classic Horserace Meet Entries have started to roll in and at a very fast rate for the Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club and Sports facilities final leg of Its Classic Horserace Meet in collaboration with Banks DIH set for Sunday November 18 at the Club’s Track, Alness Corentyne Berbice.

With the Horseracing season getting into full gear

the RCMTC&SF has doled out an impressive programme for their final race meet for the year. All the big names in the horseracing business are expected to converge on the arena for their return to the track, for what is expected to be one of the biggest race meets for the last quarter.

Close to $7M in cash, trophies and other incentives are at

stake. Eight races have been carded for the day and already close to 50 horses have been entered for the big meet.

The feature event for B class horses has an encouraging $1M winner’s money at stake with close to $2M in prize money available with the distance being 1700M. The prize money for the 3yrs old race for West Indies

Bred horses stands at $400,000 and trophy with the distance being 1600M. The E and lower race winning prize is $350,000 and trophy over 1500M. The winner in the race for the West Indies Bred two year old animals will collect $350,000 and trophy over 1200M. The other events are the G and lower matchup for

Close to $7M at stake and over 50 entered so far

a pole position reward of $250,000 and trophy also over 1200M. The H and Lower gallop will see the animals competing over 1100M for a winning take of $200,000.

The winner of the ‘I2’ event has a chance to take home $150,000 and trophy in the 1200M race.

The final race for the day is for animals classified J&K (Division 1 and 2,) over 1200M with the winner is also set to collect $150,000.

Some of the horses already on the card to compete are: The Message, California Strike, Mission King, Who So Ever, Marathon Man, War Craft, Traditional man; The Score Is Even, Savion, Swing East, Celebration Time, The Bailiff, Doughnut Prince, Technology, Night Crescendo, Storm In a Tea Cup, Damascus Dream, Bridal Stone Corner, Majestic, Third World, Windy war, Work Force, Miss Orientate, Celebration Love, Irish Gel, Fairy Landing, Dream Girl, Joyful Victory, Face The Fire, Settle in Seattle, Rock Sonna, Mona Lisa, Silent Night, The Gump, Reina Del café, Hard Runnings, Face the Heat,

Royal Time, Funny Side, Ameera Joy, Wicked Intention, Windy Killer, Stormy Lass, Intriguing Account, and Prixie Fire, Party Time, are among the early entrants.

Some of the sponsors on board include Banks DIH Limited, Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and stables, Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall, Bourda Market and Digicel.

Race time is 13:00hrs.

Outstanding individual performers including top Jockey, trainer and stable will be presented with accolades compliments of the Trophy Stall, Bourda Market and the Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club.

Interested persons and horse owners can make contact with the club’s office at Number 13 Hermitage East Coast Berbice (19 Road).

Bobby Vaughn can be contacted on telephone number 624-6788 or Larissa Mohabir on numbers 3330290 or 333-0301. Dr. Dwight Walrond on Telephone numbers 623-0100 or 2206557. Entries close on Sunday 11th November, 2012 at the Club’s Office No. 13 Village Hermitage, Corentyne, Berbice.

(Samuel Whyte)

From page 51 that encounter 2-2.

Maxwell scored one of four goals in Guyana’s next International which saw the Guyanese hammering the Dominican Republic 4-0 in an Olympic Qualifier at the GCC, Bourda. Adrian Forde and Frank Alphonso Jr. with a double were the other goal scorers.

The former National Captain’s 25th game was a 10 win for Guyana over the Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo. His next was against Grenada at GCC, that friendly ended 1-1.

Maxwell placed the Grenadian custodian under tremendous pressure when Guyana wrapped up the series with an emphatic 3-0 win at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground.

In his 28th game, Maxwell and company failed to control things against the Soca Warriors at Camp Ayanganna, Trinidad & Tobago winning that friendly 1-0.

He then journeyed to Guatemala City where the National team lost two Olympic

qualifiers 6-0 and 3-0, respectively. The Western Tigers diehard last outing in National colours was December 3, 1987 against Mexico at the Municipal Stadium in Santa Rosa California. Guyana lost that Olympic Qualifier 9-0.

In total, Maxwell played 31 international matches scoring four (4) goals. He spoiled his impeccable record by absconding after the Mexico game in Los Angeles.

International Tours 1983 Trinidad & Tobago Goodwill Trinidad & Tobago Friendly International 1984 Suriname - World Cup Qualifier 1985 French Guiana - CFU eliminator Bahamas - Olympic Qualifier St. Lucia - International Friendly Barbados - International Friendly Dominican Republic Olympic Qualifier Guatemala - Olympic Qualifier 1987 Los Angeles - Olympic Qualifier

Trevor ‘Lannie’ Maxwell...

Sunday November 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 49

Hackett’s five goals lead Tucville into quarter-finals

Mayor’s birthday Inter-Ward football set for Diwali Night opening at Den Amstel

Part of the action between St. Gabriel’s and Sophia yesterday at Thirst Park.

Tucville’s Simeon Hackett blasted in five goals to send a clear message to all opposing teams that they are the school to beat when play in the Courts Pee Wee Football Competition which is being organised by Petra Organisation continued yesterday with eight more matches, at Thirst Park.

Hackett now has 12 goals in the three matches he has played and leads the highest goal scorer list as he led Tucville to a resounding 9-0 win against Green Acres as the round robin stages of the tournament came to an end.

Next week the top eight teams engage in battle in the quarterfinals, while the bottom eight teams square off for the minor spots in the competition.

Hackett scored in the 5th, 20th, 21st, 23rd and 31st minutes and he was supported by his teammates Turston Gordon who netted in the 39th and 40th minutes, Brandon Matthews (10th) and DeAndre Linton (18th).

Redeemer also recorded a comfortable 6-2 triumph over Enterprise with Shemar Dover leading the way with a hattrick scored in the 2nd, 4th and 26th minutes. Michael George (17th) and Orin Vansertimer (25th), also entered the scoresheet for Redeemer, while they were also gifted an own goal. William Sergeant (10th) and Jermaine Garrett (11th) were the players on target for Enterprise.

F.E. Pollard defeated Success Elementary 4 - 0 with goals from Meshack Softleigh (17th, 34th), Wade Thompson (15th) and Dwayne Dick (30th).

St. Gabriel’s had goals coming from Teon Forde, who scored in the 3rd and 9th minutes, Raymond Bandhu (23rd) along with an own goal, to get past the Sophia team that had their lone goal scored

by Arthur Leon. Forde scored a helmet-trick last week, the first of the tournament.

Jephedh Singh scored a hat-trick for We s t Ruimveldt with goals in the 22nd, 27th and 34th minutes

against St. Margaret’s who recorded a consolation goal in the 29th minute from Daniel Smith.

In other results, North Georgetown defeated South Ruimveldt 2 -1. The eventual victor’s goals were scored by Tynic Saunders in the 9th and 20th minutes.

Marian Academy had both their goals scored by Shemroy Holder (11th, 30th) against St. Sidwell’s who had their only goal being scored

by Kwayonce Henry.

Kettley defeated St. Pius 3-1 through a brace from Dominique Benn (26th, 40th) and Ezekiel Benjamin (12th).

St. Pius’ lone goal was registered by Beveney McGarrell.

Meanwhile, three parents won gate prize at yesterday’s matches; Susan Brown who supports Tucville won a Coby DVD Player, Deon Alfred who supports Enterprise won a 4GB MP3 Player and Josephus Charles who supports North Georgetown won a vacuum.

Budhans’ Memorial Sports Complex Horserace Meet set for November 11 The Budhans’ Memorial Sports Complex of No.66 Village, Corentyne, Berbice will be holding a grand one day Horserace meeting on Sunday November 11 at their facility at No.66 Village.

Seven races are carded for the day with the feature event being for H\Class and lower horses. The winner collects a $200,000 first prize.

Other races will see I and lower class horses battling for a $140,000 prize, the J and lower carries a $80,000 purse.

The 2 to 3 years old maiden will see the winners collecting $100,000, while the two unclassified races have a $30,000 and $20,000 respective purse and the L\Class and lower winner cashes in on a $60,000 first prize.

Over three million dollars in total prize money and trophies are to be won and over sixty horses have already registered for the meeting.

Among some of the key entrants are McGyver 2, Wonder Flower, Diplomat, Flying Rocket, Bounty Flyer,

Windy Killer, She is Royal, Star Boy, Domination, Royal Time, De Gump, Pick Pocket, Prospectors Pride and Try Again.

The track is reported to be good condition and systems have been put in place for spectators to enjoy a day of excitement.

Among the sponsors are Digicel, Dennis DeRoop and Shariff Racing Stable. For further information contact can be made with Neville Budhan on 338-2283 or Andrew Budhan on 695-8551.

Action in the Mayor Hamilton Green Birthday Inter Ward football tournament is set for Tuesday November 13, Diwali Night, at the Den Amstel ground starting at 5:00pm. The two day tourney will conclude on Sunday November 18 at the Georgetown Football Club ground with the playoff games, quarterfinals, semifinals and final.

Two packed nights of exciting football is promised and fans can look forward to good entertainment from the teams involved. The opening night will see Bourda vs Grove, Kuru Kururu vs East Ruimveldt, Wales vs Eve Leary, Bagotville vs Thomas Lands, Goed Fortuin (Beavers) vs Mocha, Sara

Ashley Harding Lodge (Eagles) vs Tiger Bay, Plastic City (Jetty) vs North East La Penitence, Crane (Seawall) vs Kingston, Pouderoyen (Young Achievers) vs Kitty, Stewartville vs Alberttown,

Uitvlugt vs Sophia and Den Amstel vs Newtown Kitty.

Action on the final playing day commences from 4:00pm at the GFC. Attractive cash prizes are on offer.

Among the sponsors lending assistance to the tournament are MACORP, New Thriving, Busta, Nazar Mohamed, Eddie Grant, Chris Fernandes, Patrick ‘Labba’ Barton, Dr. Colin Watson, Col. Larry London, Tent City, Courtney Benn, BK International, General Equipment and Muneshwar’s.

Several talented players will be on show during Tuesday’s opening; among them Ashley Harding, Anthony Harding, Keith Blackman, Ike Garraway, Gideon Payne and Dellon Lanferman.

Banks Beer KO Cup attracts Express Shipping Inc

Senior Clearance officer of Express Shipping and Brokerage Inc Ausya Greenidge seen handing over a cheque to Otis James, Head of GFRA, while Yoletta Bynoe, Manager, Sharmaine Wade and Dexter Schultz look on.

It is a clear indication that in just one year, the attractiveness of the Banks Beer Knockout Cup has caught the eye of many corporate entities and the latest to become attached to the magnetism is Express Shipping and Brokerage Inc. who pledged support for the tournament, during a simple presentation ceremony conducted recently, at the Company’s location.

Senior Clearance Officer of the Company Ausya Greenidge handed over a

cheque for an undisclosed sum to Head of the Guyana Referees Football Association Otis James in the presence of Manager Yoletta Bynoe, Georgetown Football Association officials Sharmaine Wade and Dexter Schultz.

The tournament carries prize monies in excess of $9million and is expected to last for eight playing days commencing on December 16 and concluding on January 1 with matches being played, at the GCC and GFC grounds.

The winning team will receive $4Million, runner-up$2.5M, 3rd place-$1.5M and 4th place-$1M with outstanding individual performances to benefit from additional incentives.

The clubs confirmed for participation are Houston Stars, GFC, Riddim Squad, GDF, GPF, Fruta Conquerors, Camptown, Banks All Stars, Georgetown Masters, Northern Rangers, Black Pearl, Flamingo, Beacon, Santos, University of Guyana and Charlestown United.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 04, 2012

“Of Kemar, Barack, Mitt, Andrew and Sandy You have to smile while you really want to cry!”

Colin E. H. Croft You have to try to smile even when you want to cry!

I do not know how you felt that very first time, but my first was magnificent. At 5:30pm, We d n e s d a y, October 31, 2012, in my 60th year, I finally, legally, lost my polling virginity!

Collis King, my B a r b a d i a n We s t I n d i e s

team-mate, room-mate, would have said; “Crofty boy, it was real sweet!” Yes, it was as e n j o y a b l e a s anything else! Rahtid!

Voting ‘early’, I have not felt this ‘high’ since I, twice, got married, became a father, twice, or heard, also twice, that I was a grand-father, even when selected for West Indies; not all equal, but all special!

Having also heard, disappointingly, that West Indies speedster Kemar Roach was again injured, and would not tour Bangladesh, I put things into proper perspective, personally and professionally, as regards “Super-Frankenstorm Sandy”.

Kemar is young, and can come back! Many in Port au Prince, New York and New

Jersey will never do!

No-one listens. I maintain that there are simple, basic, fundamental biomechanical errors in Kemar’s approach and delivery, which allows him to be injured so often, especially being so smallstatured.

His approach to the bowling crease is way too short, his follow-through much shorter still, practices

that will always put massive extra strains on his shoulders, back and upper thighs.

If you doubt me, just look at golfers. Their followthough is the glide, absolute best part, of each stroke!

Anyway, on reflection on the voting, many people in the not distant past worked hard, lost their lives too, so that people like me could have this opportunity to vote for political leaders; legally.

I took advantage of their massive sacrifices! In the distant future, I might even inform for whom I voted!

So, considering the melee in New York/New Jersey, courtesy of “Sandy”, that would still be present long after November 06, whom-soever wins next week, Barack or Mitt will have serious headaches in the near future, and will need all luck in the world to get things reorganized properly!

Bon chance, Mr. President!

My voting euphoria was really unbelievably high, having enjoyed the magnificent, absolutely smooth organization of Michael Ertel, Supervisor of Elections in Seminole County, Central Florida, and his team.

They really expedited the early set of 300, 000 voters excellently so far! Sometimes, big government works well, as was seen in New Jersey! If only we can do the same in the Caribbean too!

I was quite lucky. I spent 15 minutes, from car, to entering the voting station, to re-entering the vehicle, having voted 27 times, all at once; electoral efficiency at its best!

FYI, the S-o-E had actually previously sent me a clear sample ballot - exactly like the real thing - making me aware of the voting process, and to have knowledge of candidates, Democrats and Republicans, from President to State Supreme Court Judges, to proposed amendments in State and County, to Seminole School Board, even Homestead Exemptions, for each of which I could cast a vote.

Unlike Guyana 1980, when I somehow voted 24 times for the same man, “The Kabaka”, while actually playing in Pakistan, I was allowed here to cast only one legal vote per category! Unreal, but true!

I now hope that there are no more episodes like 2000, when “Hanging Chads” in Palm Beach County – look it up - where I had lived for twelve years, allowed George Walker Bush

Colin E. H. Croft (Junior) to become USA President, even though he actually lost that election to Al Gore!

George’s brother, John Ellis - “Jeb” - was Governor of Florida back then. Sounds like Guyana, eh?

But from the start, last week was always going to be downhill, with death and destruction everywhere!

Having first-hand experiences, piloting much the previous day to bring men and dogs from Bahamas to mainland USA, just before what was then the most deadly, expensive hurricane ever to hit USA – Hurricane Andrew, 1992, with winds at one time 200 mph - I can tell you that these extremely deadly natural happenings are not easily understood, endured, certainly not forgotten.

Florida is still cleaning up after Andrew, immediately, then, cost 65 fatalities and US$26 Billion. “Super Sandy” will easily outstrip those in dollars and loss of life.

Already, in excess of 200 are confirmed dead, more to come, from Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and USA, nearly US$30 Billion estimated lost. Even the Great Lady – Statue of Liberty – shook her head!

Personally, I also had to worry about my own son, Lee, and Zarrin and Zayde, the third generation, and Sharifa, who live in New York; thankfully all safe!

The worst thing that I heard from New York/New Jersey was of a woman whose two kids, aged 4 and 2, were plucked from her arms, taken to death by the deluge, as she tried to get them to safety.

How exactly do you survive that, as she did, as a mother?

As one exported Haitian suggested; “New York looks worse than Haiti; really bad!”

Under these circumstances, cricket tours and slight injuries take back seats.

Try to smile and enjoy!

Sunday November 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 51

Trevor ‘Lannie’ Maxwell, 1st Western Tigers player appointed National Captain - former Guyana International 1983 - 1987 Statistician Charwayne Walker continues his series of features on Guyana’s World Cup players, today we are pleased to feature Trevor ‘Lannie’ Maxwell; former Guyana International, 1983 – 1987.

Although Gordon ‘Ultimate Warrior’ Braithwaite was appointed National Captain in 1984 whilst playing for Allan Walker’s Western Tigers, the football fraternity and indeed the 83,000 square miles of Guyana is cognizant that Braithwaite is a foundation Pele FC product.

So the million dollar question still being asked by football fans is who is the first born and bred Western Tigers son of the soil to wear the Captain’s armband for Guyana at the Senior International level. The answer to the question is Trevor ‘Lannie’ Maxwell.

Strange enough though, Maxwell, similar to Julian Moe, never represented Guyana at the junior level.

Maxwell’s first touch against foreign opponents was on April 28, 1983 for Western Tigers against St. Francois division-one side from Trinidad and Tobago at the GFC Ground.

Form the onset he announced his arrival on the international scene with a hattrick of goals that propelled Western Tigers to a convincing 4-0 victory.

After that game he was selected in a strong Region 4 team for the Inter Guiana Games series and after outstanding performances for Region 4, Maxwell was included in a 24-man National squad to prepare for two friendly internationals against Trinidad and Tobago.

He impressed Coach Mervyn ‘Pug’ Wilson in the practice games and was selected in the final 17-man squad. Maxwell remembered his first two internationals like it was just yesterday.

Guyana, playing under the Captaincy of Terrence Archer surrendered to the Soca Warriors in both encounters at Arima and the National Stadium in Port of Spain. His third senior cap was also against Trinidad & Tobago, this time the results was a 2-0 defeat at GCC Ground, Bourda in June, 1984.

The return fixture which was Maxwell’s 4th international played in Port of Spain remains special to the Western Tigers hit-man. In that encounter, he scored his first senior goal but Guyana still lost.

In his 5th international, Guyana humbled India 3-0 at

GCC Bourda. Cap number six was a 1-0 World Cup Qualifier loss to Suriname in Paramaribo.

Maxwell’s next game was the World Cup Qualifier return fixture at GCC, Bourda, August 1984 when he worked overtime creating several chances for team mates but all were wasted.

He {Maxwell} blamed team mates and goalkeeper Gerald Williams whose carelessness caused Suriname to equalize after Terrence Archer had sent Guyana ahead in the 38th minute.

The loss resulted in the Lennox Arthur Coached side being eliminated from the 1984 World Cup campaign.

His next two caps were 22 draws against Suriname at GCC Bourda, November 1984.

The Western Tigers star striker was spectacular in his 10th international, again at GCC Bourda, January 1985.

Guyana defeated Cuba 10 and drew the series finale 22 to win the series. Maxwell noted that this series was the biggest moment of his International career. Guyana had earlier lost series to Cuba in 1976, 1977 and 1980 and this was the first time in 11 matches, Maxwell had reason to celebrate as a senior National player.

In his 12th game, Maxwell and the teammates humbled home team French Guiana 1-0 to set up a date with old nemesis, Suriname.

In the Caribbean Football Union eliminator played at Camp Ayanganna, Maxwell failed to produce the fire power he was known for and Suriname needled the Gordon Braithwaite led side.

That loss brought an end to the 1985 CFU campaign for the Guyanese; after the defeat Coach Arthur decided to expose young talent and Trevor Maxwell was appointed National Captain, never letting the folks from West Ruimveldt down.

In his first series in charge, Maxwell led from the front against French Guiana at Camp Ayanganna. Guyana playing with mostly Under-23 players humbled French Guiana 2-1 in the series opener.

In the final game, Maxwell’s men came from behind to earn a tough 1-1 draw and that result ensured that Maxwell lifted the then Prime Minister Hamilton Greene trophy. His next series as National Captain was July, 1986 against Barbados.

National Coach Lennox Arthur persisted with the same young brigade that destroyed French Guiana the

previous year at the Army Headquarters.

In the first match of the series the experienced Bajans roughed up Maxwell’s boys 2-0 at the GCC Ground, Bourda. But the skipper was determined to keep his unbeaten record intact.

Buoyed by a boisterous posse from West, the skipper and company played the

game of their lives which resulted in a convincing 2-0 victory that leveled the series at one apiece. He surprisingly lost the National Captaincy to Anthony Williams for Guyana’s next series against Venezuela at Camp Ayanganna, November 1986.

His 20th senior International was against the Bahamas in Nassau where

Guyana won 3-1 in January, 1987.

After that victory, Maxwell travelled to St. Lucia where Guyana thrashed the host’s 3-1 in an international friendly.

Next up for him was and remains the most talked about game for Maxwell who netted against the Bahamas that sent them packing 4-0 at GCC in that Olympic Qualifier return fixture.

While that game was a high point or Maxwell, his next is not one that he likes to dwell on; it was his 23rd senior appearance in 1987. On arrival for the match at Grantley Adams International Airport his best friend and teammate Julian Moe was arrested for a banned substance but despite that, Guyana drew (Continued on page 48)

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 04, 2012

Dianne Ferreira-James calls it a day as a FIFA football referee Leading Guyanese football referee, Dianne Ferreira James has submitted her resignation to FIFA, calling time on an illustrious career.

In a release, she indicated regret at her successful and rewarding career has come to an end. “It is with great sadness that I must announce that I am retiring as a FIFA Referee as of October 31st, 2012. As is known FIFA Referees must retire at the age of 45, despite having a few years left I have to say goodbye. Success comes for few without any form of hardship, but for me it was achieved only after overcoming tremendous adversity. I have had a few surgeries in the past and freak injuries that have taken a toll on my body.”

She gave thanks, highlighting an impressive and illustrious stint over 14 years, “I have had 14 years on the FIFA list, which provided me with the opportunity to see the world,

experience fantastic sporting events, meet amazing people, make friends, enjoy the “beautiful game” as a referee on the field amongst the world’s best players and teams, as well as be a spectator.

Football has allowed me to be involved in 10 FIFA competitions (one FIFA World Cup and three games, three U20 FIFA World Cups and eight games, Semis and Finals, four Algarve Cups and five games, two Olympics and 5 games, Semis and Finals), also three Gold Cups and five games, Semis and Finals, two Pan American Games and seven matches, Semis and Finals), and 99 international matches involving FIFA Qualifiers at all levels rounding about over 500 games locally and internationally. I have been fortunate to referee every Tournament in FIFA and CONCACAF.” She continued, “Like anything else in life I have had negative experiences, but

my focus was always to improve my refereeing with every opportunity given. I would like to express my gratitude to those that have supported me along the way.

As you know it would be impossible to thank everyone that has influenced my career.

However, I will mention those that stand out for specific reasons.”

“My parents, husband and son who have taught me to be humble, impartial, committed, concentrated and dedicated to what I love, “refereeing.” They watched many games whenever possible and were my greatest critics. To former President Jack Warner, Mr. Lisle Austin, Mr. Chuck Blazer, GFF, BFA and role model Sonia Denoncourt who helped inspired my refereeing career.

To Dino Soupliotis (who saw a WC referee in me and became my mentor), I am extremely grateful to you all.”

“When one trains and competes at a high level there is always the chance that

Dianne Ferreira James meets the ‘King’ of football, Brazilian Legend Pele. something may go wrong physically despite I take good care of my body, and so there were times when I had to see an expert. Dr F. Jeffrey and Physiotherapist Ms. Paula Alexander have taken care of all my injuries. Mr. Gerald Laurie (former FIFA Referee) who trained supported and guided my initial career.

There are many referees in Guyana and Bahamas that I have worked with in many games and they all brought something to my experience.

There were many instructors, assessors and referees in CONCACAF and FIFA that were part of my career.

Mr. Mathurin was a special person (you get it correct or you go home) and Mr. Stanley Darville (BFA Assessor). I hope I have not

disappointed any of these persons.

One is not able to have such a long career without the support of your employers (Guyana Police Force and ACEA St. Anne’s School Bahamas) I am grateful for your understanding as it relates to what is essentially an “amateur sporting career” and ensured my participation at the highest level. And lastly, to you, the members of the media please accept my thanks you for your support, for the coverage of my career.

There are many important moments that you have captured that will be keepsake for my grandchildren to one day read and watch.”

Dianne Ferreira-James has also won several Female Sports Personality awards on

the National Sports Commission annual list due to her outstanding service to the sport locally, regionally and internationally.

A sterling career has come to an end, but she still intends to contribute to football is whatever way possible, especially helping other referees, whether male or female, to lift that knowledge of the game and help prepare them using her wealth of knowledge and experience to aid them in reaching the highest level in that aspect of football.

Kaieteur Sport extends congratulations to Ms Ferreira James for her excellent contribution to the game and wishes her continued success in new endeavors.

Suriname volleyball players on top as 2012 Inter Guiana Games commences

Gisele Fernandes

Crystal Yan

Suriname volleyball players triumphed over their male and female counterparts when action in the 2012 Inter Guiana Games commenced at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) yesterday morning.

They engaged the females in the first match of the day and won the first set 25-12 while the local players rebounded with a 25-19 win in the second set to even the score. Undaunted the Dutch team took the third set 25-15 and closed off the session with a close 26-24 win to cart off the honours. The men fared no better and succumbed 3-0 after the Surinamese won the first three sets 25-21, 25-22 and 25-22.

Coach of the Guyana team, Trevor Smith,

feels that the locals performed credibly but faltered in the execution of the planned applications. He pointed specifically to the defence saying that his players were lax in this department thus leaving huge gaps for the Surinamese to exploit. Nevertheless, Mr. Smith said that two locals, Gisele Fernandes and Captain, Crystal Yan, were outstanding in their execution but the latter player was not up to her best form.

The local players were set to oppose their nemesis once again last evening and were in a must win situation if they were to win the championships. The teams are scheduled to leave sometime today.

Sunday November 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 53

Colts crystallise Phillip George legacy with tournament

By Edison Jefford Colts Basketball Club yesterday formally announced that it will crystallise the legacy of former Coach, the late Phillip George with a knockout Division III competition, and Division I League that will commence on November 16 on Burnham Court.

The tournament that will be called ‘The Phillip George Legacy Basketball Championships’ will be an annual contest, and has attracted the participation of all the top clubs in Georgetown with the winner taking home $100,000 and the Championship trophy. The top three clubs will also be given prizes with the Original Palm Court among the main sponsors. Colts’ President, Michael Singh, yesterday informed the media at the official launch of the event, that the competition is a fillip for development in Georgetown where not very much is happening for basketball. Therefore, he said the tournament ought to be supported.

“We consider this

President of Colts Basketball Club, Michael Singh and Coach, Vijay Panday (centre) usher in the inaugural Phillip George Legacy Basketball Championships yesterday at the Original Palm Court on Main Street amid representatives from participating clubs. tournament a good one for Georgetown that is going through a tough time for sponsorship and so on. We are encouraging everyone to come out and support this event because Phillip George had given his life for this sport,” Singh said.

He described the former Colts Coach as a leader, mentor and father of the club.

George died last December and was buried in January this year. He is credited with the

development of several of the junior and senior players that went on to represent Guyana.

Singh said he does not want the tournament to fizzle out. “My commitment is longterm and our sponsors are long-term as well. Anybody wants to play, we will not shut our doors, the aim is to promote basketball; we want this event to be the annual closing of the calendar year,” Singh said, adding that the intention is to grow the event

over the years.

Speaking to Kaieteur Sport yesterday, the Colts President expressed his disappointment that such a major undertaking failed to attract the presence of a representative from the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) even though the club had written to them. Singh believes that the federation missed an opportunity to partner with basketball in Georgetown.

Colts’ Coach, Vijay Panday indicated that the tournament came out of a genuine effort to keep George’s name and legacy alive. Panday believes that the best way to do so was to host an event that George, who was omniscient at the Burnham Court, would have loved.

The competition has already received the endorsement of all the major clubs in Georgetown with Robert ‘Bobby’ Cadogan

indicating that it is good for basketball if the top clubs see it fit to host tournaments.

Cadogan said that Colts is moving in the right direction.

The Division I contest will result in the division of the top eight clubs in the City into two groups for a roundrobin playoff.

Following that phase, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-final; December 16 has been set as the date of the final.

Page 54

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 04, 2012

JKA/WF Guyana 2012 Karate Tournament a Resounding Success Scores of parents and other spectators converged at The Marian’s Academy Auditorium on Saturday last to witness the much touted Japan Karate Association/ World Federation Guyana Annual National Karate Tournament, 2012 edition.

Competing were the Headquarters Dojo - National Park, Georgetown along with Berbice Dojos - Port Mourant and Canje.

Opening remarks were delivered by prominent entrepreneur and former karateka Mr. Shawn Ramrattan of RRT Enterprise, who endorsed the work of the organization and the numerous benefits of such an art.

Competitive action got underway with the children events.

In the 5 - 6 years old boy’s category, the Kata contest was won by Caidon Bentley while Jared Yassin won the Kumite contest. Julian Dookun emerged winner in the 7 - 8 years old boys (yellow belt) division,

winning in both Kata and Kumite, while in the 7 - 8 years old boys & girls (orange/purple belts) division, Kristian Chaves secured first place in both the Kata and Kumite event.

In the 9-10 years old boys and girls (yellow/green belts) category, Mikhail Da Costa copped first place in both Kata and Kumite, while in the Purple/Brown belts division, Kristalia Chaves won both Kata and Kumite.

Loren Black was tops in the boys and girls 11 - 12 years (yellow/green belts) Kata contest while Jadan Alleyne copped the top position in the Kumite. The boys (purple/black belts) 11 12 years Kata and Kumite contests was won by Vikash Ramrattan.

Following are the results from the teenagers division: 13 - 14 boys - (5Kyu – black belts) category, Storm Katchay won the Kata contest while Alex Rodrigues emerged winner of the Kumite.

15 - 16 boys - Arvind

Ramrattan emerged winner with 18.6 points in the Kata contest, while Andy SamReddy was the best in the Kumite.

14-15 girls - Nyota Rodrigues won both Kata and Kumite 18+ male (10 kyu to yellow belts), Micah Morgan won in both Kata and Kumite.

18+ male (orange/purple belts), Rudolph Dyal copped first in both Kata and Kumite.

18+female Maxene Joseph secured first in both Kata and Kumite.

The much anticipated 18+male (brown/black belts) division saw total crowd involvement, as this category was fiery resulting in Deoram Ramdas winning the Kumite contest and Marlon George winning the Kata with 22.0 points Team results are as follows: 7 - 12 years Kata 1st place - National Park Dojo (Kristalia Chaves, Kristian Chaves, Mikhail Da Costa 2nd place - National Park Dojo (Timothy Khan, Shaun

Recipients of Special Awards from left: Shaqueel Amin, Vikash Ramrattan, Kristalia Chaves, and Marlon George.

Singh, Reyad Yassin) 3rd place - National Park Dojo (Loren Black, Simeon Todd, Jadan Alleyne) 13-16 years Kata 1st place - National Park Dojo (Vikash Ramrattan, Shaqueel Amin, Arvind Ramrattan) 2nd place - National Park Dojo (Storm Katchay, Nyota Rodrigues, Alex Rodrigues) 3rd place - Canji Dojo (Ajay Sohan, Shamira Ramsuchit, Darin Sukalingum) Adults Male Kata 1st place - National Park Dojo (Shermon Kyte, Marlon George, Shankar Singh) 2nd place - Port Mourant

Dojo (Naiken Mitranand, Deoram Ramdas, Romesh Narine) 3rd place - National Park Dojo (Rudolph Dyal, Micah Morgan, Maxene Joseph) Adults Male Kumite 1st place - National Park Dojo (Shermon Kyte, Marlon George, Rudolph Dyal) 2nd place - Canji Dojo (Ashab Bacchus, Kevin Samaroo, Jan-Michael Tahal) 3rd place - Port Mourant Dojo (Naiken Mitranand, Deoram Ramdas, Romesh Narine) Outstanding Competitors Best Junior - Vikash Ramrattan who won 3 Gold medals for individual Kata and

RISING SUN RODEO SET FOR TODAY All roads lead to the Rising Sun Turf club, Arima Park, West Coast Berbice Rodeo set for today starting at 11:00hrs.

Rising Sun Rodeo committee event has attracted Vaqueros (cowboys) from Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela, Lethem, the Rupununi Savannah and the Corentyne River areas and they will be competing against each other for attractive prizes of cash and trophies.

The day’s programme will feature activities in some 12 different categories including steer roping, bare back bronco, which will also see the females getting into action. There are also male and female barrel race, wild cow milking, calf roping, wild bull riding, Saddle bronco and the popular Tug O War event and the Rodeo King competition.

Several sponsors have thrown their support behind the event to ensure its

success. Among them are Digicel, Ministry of Trade and Tourism, Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and Stable, Buddy Shivraj, Banks DIH Limited, Neal and Massy, AH and L Kissoon, Trophy Stall, Bourda Market, Muneshwar Guyana Limited, Inshan Bacchus Construction and Trucking Company and Racing stables, Mohammed “Nankoo” Shariff General Construction Limited, Trucking Company, Farmer and racing stables, Hablaw Meat Centre, Chester Fry Bush Lot West Coast and Rising Sun Cattle ranch.

Additional details on today’s programme can be had from Inshanally Habibulla on tel No 623-4495, and 623-5453, or 232-3295, Fazal Habibulla at Chester Fry Bush Lot West Coast Berbice on Telephone No 232-0232 or 6577010,648-6522 or Donald or Zaleena Lawrie on telephone no 225-4530, 225-4565.

Kumite and team Kata.

Best Female - Kristalia Chaves who got 3 Gold medals for individual Kata and Kumite and Team Kata.

Best Male - Marlon George who also got 3 Gold and 1 silver medal for individual Kata and Kumite and Team events both Kata and Kumite.

Top Honor - Shaqueel Amin who was the recipient of the Honorary student award for 2012; The Master Funakoshi Trophy which signifies a student who possesses and represents integrity, humility, self control, respect and the very character development that karate seeks to inculcate.

Chief Instructor Sensei Chaves (4th Dan) along with Assistant Sensei Marvin Singh (2nd Dan) in their closing remarks said they were satisfied with the showmanship and disciplined exercised by all the participants.

The JKA/WF Guyana Operating Committee recognized the contribution of their judges and tipped their hats for a job well done. These were Chief Judge-Sensei Christopher Chaves, Sensei Marvin Singh, Sensei Neville Holder, Sempais Stephanie Kerry, Shankar Singh, Samuel Arjoon, Shermon Kyte, Christina Chaves, Shaqueel Amin and Marlon George.

This venue will mark its place in the history books with the huge success of this tournament.

The settings and feel of the JKA tournament was that of any international Karate tournament and the spectators expressed many positive sentiments about the suspenseful demonstrations and showmanship they experienced.

The JKA/WF extends (Continued on page 46)

Sunday November 04, 2012

Kaieteur News

Onlookers, fans given chance to interact with competitors - Persaud thanks Banks DIH for continued backing

H

undreds of c u r i o u s onlookers and motor racing fans turned out Friday evening on Main Street to witness the most recent innovation in the sport, the ‘meet and greet’ session which provided aspiring and regular fans the opportunity to interact with competitors who will be participating in next Sunday’s Caribbean ‘Race of Champions’ Meet scheduled for the South Dakota Circuit.

As part of its plan to popularise the sport of motor racing, the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) in collaboration with Banks DIH formed the idea in an attempt to expand the network of knowledge about the sport to a wider cross section of the society.

According to a source close to the sponsor Banks DIH and the club, even though the sport has benefitted from tremendous support from Guyanese, the general feeling is that not many would have had the opportunity to intermingle with the competitors or even get close and personal to the machines and Friday evening event was to get them to get a better understanding of the sport and even draw new fans.

Kaieteur Sport caught up with Danny Persaud, one of the drivers sponsored by Banks DIH to ask about his preparations and his own understanding of the concept that unfolded.

Persaud speaking about his preparations said next Sunday Meet will pose a big challenge for him, especially in light of the fact that he now campaigns in the hotly contested Group 4 category which has some of the fastest cars in the Caribbean.

“The biggest challenge

for me is the big names such as Andrew King, David Summerbell Jnr, Mark Vieira, Kevin Jeffrey and Mark Maloney among others,” Persaud said.

He revealed that currently they are doing everything on the car to give it the necessary boost to make it competitive against those mentioned above and that includes getting it down to the correct weight, tuning and ensuring that it is reliable for race day.

Persaud, who drives a Red and Black 1600cc turbo c h a rg e d M a z d a M i a t a commenting on his chances of well disclosed that it will be an uphill task and while some persons believe that he is generally aggressive, it will require such to garner creditable results.

He thanked Banks DIH for sticking with him over the years, informing that the Company has been with him since his Group 2B sojourn and he is grateful for their support.

Meanwhile, the drivers confirmed for the Caribbean Group 4 races are: Andrew King - Mazda RX-7 Tube Frame 13B Peter Rae Mazda RX-7 Tube Frame 12A Turbo Charged (Jamaica) David Summerbell - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII Turbo Charged (Jamaica)Douglas Maloney - Audi A4 Turbo Charged (Barbados) Andy Bodden Mitsubishi Evo Turbo Charged (Cayman Islands) Mark Vieira Mazda RX-8 20B Steve King - Nissan Skyline (Barbados) Mark Maloney Mazda RX-3 13B Turbo Charged (Barbados)Paul Vieira - Mazda RX-7 2nd Gen 13B Kevin Jeffery Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII Turbo Charged and Junior Hydes - Mitsubishi Evo Turbo Charged (Cayman Islands).

Page 55

New entrant to Group 4 Danny Persaud poses next to his Mazda Miata on Friday evening at the Banks DIH ‘meet and greet’ session on Main Street.

t r o Sp

Inter Guiana Games Cycling...

Guyana maintains dominance in male & female events

By Franklin Wilson Guyana’s junior riders kept a clean slate as they swept all the top prizes in the cycling segment of the 2012 Inter Guiana Games held yesterday at the Inner Circuit of the National Park and on the West Demerara.

Team Guyana male, comprising the Junior and Juvenile Caribbean champions Paul DeNobrega and Michael Anthony along with Raynauth Jeffrey and Raul Leal totally dominated their Surinamese counterparts in both aspects of the contest.

The female team of Marica Dick and

Toshawanna Doris emulated their male counterparts by shutting out their rivals from Suriname.

Yesterday afternoon on the West Demerara, pedaling off from the Nismes Gas Station, Guyana stormed to the top three positions in the 60km / 36 Mile male Road Race; Raul Leal and Raynauth Jeffrey pedaling to the line together way ahead of the opposition and teammate Paul DeNobrega.

The winning time recorded was One Hour 37 Minutes 19 Seconds, DeNobrega stopping the clock at One Hour 59 Minutes 08 seconds.

On the distaff side,

Marica Dick was in devastating form pedaling to victory all alone in One Hour 19 Minutes 39.29 Seconds in the 40km / 24 Mile contest.

Teammate Toshawnna Doris placed a distant second with S u r i n a m e ’s L e a n z a Oosthuizan managing 3rd, the only female from the neighbouring country to finish the race.

Michael Anthony did not complete the Road race due to mechanical challenges with his cycle. Both segments of the race started at the Nismes Gas Station with the Males proceeding to Vergenoegen and back to the starting line, while the females proceeded to

Unstoppable Combination! Team Guyana’s male and female cycling teams. From left, Raynauth Jeffrey, Toshawanna Doris, Raul Leal, Michael Anthony, Marica Dick and Paul DeNobrega.

Leonora and back.

Yesterday morning, the Time Trials were held at the National Park and Suriname had to have taken a queue form the Guyanese

performance which was devastating. The young Guyanese males put on a wonderful lesson of team riding which their senior counterparts need to take

note of.

DeNobrega, Leal, Jeffrey and Anthony proved way too strong for the Suriname team of Melvin (Continued on page 45)

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