Kaieteur News

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November 27, 2012 - Vol. 5 No. 48 - Price $80

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Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Cops question Stabroek News over CIA report - GPA slams attempt to “intimidate” journalists The corpse being brought to land

Dead: Ramkissoon Sukhan

Missing boat captain turns up dead Aftermath of flea infestation….

Queen's College students transferred to Richard Ishmael Secondary

CNS 6 experiences transmission interference ... says it's a deliberate act to silence station

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Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

Fish Festival is significant tourist calendar event The customary tranquil indigenous community of Rockstone in Region Ten, about 22 kilometres (14 miles) from Linden, was transformed to a buzz of activities Sunday when the Seventh Annual Fishing Festival got underway.

The event, which comes as part of Guyana's Tourism Aw a r e n e s s M o n t h o f activities, being held under the theme “Re-Discover home”, was coordinated by Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Indranauth Haralsingh.

Complete with lots of exciting features and a great deal to eat and drink, the event saw the attendance of many who embraced the day as a family outing. There was no shortage of musical entertainment as patrons of the event ventured around the scenic environment to view, among other things, the many enormous catches on display.

However, the highlight o f t h e d a y w a s understandably fish in its various edible forms. This seafood topped the menu with several persons preparing and serving up savoury fish dishes. In fact

the atmosphere was flooded with flavourful scents which did not fail to excite the nostrils of those in attendance.

Several hundred persons mingled in the festive atmosphere which is recognized as the lone 'Fishing Festival' in Guyana.

According to Haralsingh, this festival was introduced in 2005 with an average attendance rate of about 500.

The event, he insisted, currently attracts about 5,000 individuals annually.

He said that GTA has, since the inception of the event, been partnering with the Amerindian-host community which has in fact helped to promote the Fish Festival which is regarded as a unique signature event on the GTA's calendar of annual activities.

The event, according to t h e G TA D i r e c t o r, i s primarily organized and run by the women of the community and its presentation, he notes, “fits nicely into our theme of rediscovering home.”

He also pointed to the fact that the nature of the Fish Festival in itself has served to encourage

An audience builds to view some of the exciting catches of the day thousands over the years to spend the day with their families in the serene pristine environment.

Moreover, he believes that it

is an ideal mechanism to “reinvigorate communities like Rockstone.”

Haralsingh is also hopeful that such events in

Rockstone could feature multiple times per year.

“GTA is encouraging that these events are held more than once a year and to

encourage other such signature events because this (Fish Festival) is already a signature event on our (continued on page 12)

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

Cops question Stabroek News over CIA report - GPA slams attempt to “intimidate” journalists The Police are investigating how reporters of independent daily Stabroek News gained access to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in what Editor-in-chief Anand Persaud calls “a fishing expedition.”

The Guyana Press Association (GPA) has said the move is an attempt to intimidate journalists. The investigation is being conducted at the behest of the Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon.

Police have so far questioned Persaud and have asked for statements from the two reporters. In addition, the newspaper’s driver was held briefly yesterday and his car was also impounded at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department

(CID).

Mr Persaud said that the reporters were engaging in usual practices in journalism and did not breach security.

The CIA building is located in the compound of Castellani House, which houses the National Art Gallery. The entrance to the CIA is the same entrance to the Art Gallery.

Persaud said that the reporters used the regular entrance and proceeded to the CIA building. He said there were no signs dictating how one should access the building or what rules should be observed.

As a result, he said that the reporters knocked on the door and entered the building.

The reporters were trying to determine who the head of the CIA is. The government

Caregiver forges employer's will Lillowattie Lall, a caregiver from Brickery East Bank Demerara coveted her employer's estate by using his thumbprint to rig his last will and testament. She was placed before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine Beharry yesterday accused of forgery.

The court heard that Lall allegedly forged a will in the name of Mohammed Ali, purporting to show that the document was genuinely issued by the Deeds Registry. She pleaded not guilty to the charge.

According to reports, Lall was the caregiver of her now deceased employer Mohammed Ali who was suffering from an ailment that left him bed ridden.

It was then that the accused allegedly took the opportunity to forge his last will and testament by taking his thumb print and affixing it to a document which states that she would have sole control and ownership of his estate when he passed.

Ali's daughter later found out and made a report at a neighbouring police station where an investigation was launched. The complainant said that she suspected foul play and claimed that her father would not use his thumb print for such reasons because he could read and write well.

However Lall was released on $200,000 bail for the offence.

has said very little about the agency and who mans it.

Persaud said that Guyanese have a right to know who runs the CIA, much the same as citizens of other nations like the U.S and the U.K know those who run their intelligence agencies.

He said that the reporters were performing regular duties and he sees the Police investigation as “useless.”

The GPA in a statement said that it stands in solidarity with the Stabroek News journalists who probed the activities of “ultra-secretive” CIA. “The GPA is appalled at the Police questioning of the Media House Stabroek and the impounding of a vehicle used to ferry the reporters.

The reporters were doing what reporters do on a daily basis worldwide in properly functioning democracies, being the watchdogs of the society,” the GPA stated.

The press body said that it is unfortunate that those who seek to watch the watchdogs and others are seeking to intimidate and troll the reporters by using the unorthodox method of questioning how journalists do their job.

“As has happened in the past, during a different administration, there was an effort made to intimidate journalists who were pursuing an important story about thallium poisoning.

“The bark was worse than the bite then as it is now,” the GPA declared.

The GPA said that it will not allow any member of the media to be intimidated in the process of gathering information in the public interest.

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Aftermath of flea infestation ...

Queen’s College students transferred to Richard Ishmael Secondary

Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, addressing parents at yesterday’s meeting at Richard Ishmael Secondary.

Anxious parents gathered yesterday for a meeting at the Richard Ishmael Secondary School where they were told

by Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam that alternative arrangements for classes for Queen’s College students will commence today within a new time frame.

Students and teachers of Richard Ishmael Secondary will attend school from 07:30h to 12:15h beginning today.

The students and teachers of Queen’s College will then use Richard Ishmael Secondary from 12:30h to 16:30h. This arrangement will continue for the remainder of this week.

According to the Chief Education Officer, the Ministry of Education continues to monitor the flea infestation at Queen’s College. Rentokil is spraying the building for the third time since last week.

In an effort to reduce the loss of school hours, he said the Ministry of Education has put arrangements in place for the students and teachers of

Queen’s College to share the use of Richard Ishmael Secondary School.

At the meeting parents expressed their frustration pertaining to the new schedule and the clashing of students from both schools.

However, the Chief Education Officer said that officers from the Education Ministry will be present on the ground to assist with a seamless transition for today.

Noting that Richard Ishmael Secondary can adequately house students from Queen’s College, he said students were already robbed of a week of classes and Richard Ishmael Secondary is a temporary solution.

He underscored that the flea infestation was a result of a combination of fleainfested dogs and cats being inside th e s c h o o l , t h u s spreading the fleas to the attic of the school where there is a large compilation of documents which was the breeding ground for the

invasion.

“Rentokil is being managed and supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture and is actively engaged in the process of cleaning the school. We can’t dictate how fast they work, and we are relying on expert advice for the best results,” the Chief Education Officer noted.

Complaints about lack of communication toward parents and students were also raised, since many felt there was not enough communication to those affected. “Imagine when I turned up at Queen’s College this (yesterday) morning, then I knew along with many others that there was no school. This is unacceptable,” one frustrated parent noted.

All parents collectively agreed that safety was the main issue for students and teachers at the school, and thus they hoped that after the ordeal is over there would not be any other issues pertaining to health hazards at the college.

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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

This madness must end

Guyana has never escaped the influence of other countries for as long as it has existed. Regardless of where we have come from we now speak the language of the colonial masters, albeit forced to do so; our education system is patterned after the British; we wear European clothes and we drive the cars that appear to be fashioned for other countries.

Even the way we now build our homes have changed.

No longer do we take into consideration the climatic conditions as the older homes demonstrate with their windows and jalousies. Some of the things we do cannot be helped because domination by the colonial masters so dictated. And indeed some of the things that we have copied have been for our own good. Today, some ugly elements have crept into the society and we are left to wonder whether these, too, have been copied. One of the ugly elements is domestic violence to the point where it has gone beyond the physical assault. There is now the death or maiming of women.

On the International day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a man knifed his paramour to death. And this killing came one day after a man climbed through the window of the home of a woman who had opted to call an end to their relationship because of abuse. Having climbed through the window the man proceeded to amputate one of the woman’s hands with a blow from a cutlass. He also killed the woman’s partner even as the man lay in the house.

And this trend has been on for some time now. The number of women killed by their partners has reached proportions that must certainly be higher than in many other countries. Guyana is surely taking its place on the world stage.

There are organizations that talk about violence. Only Sunday did this country observe International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. On that very day a man killed his partner. There were messages from the various organizations, including one from the Association of Women Lawyers. We must now ask, “Who is listening to these messages?”

Under such conditions it behooves the government to take a drastic step to curb this brutality. Mere talk is certainly not working.

There are those of us who still remember the alacrity with which the government moved to rid the country of the scourge of kicking down doors to rob people. It certainly did not take long because the gallows was put to use with telling effect.

Those who firmly believe that the gallows is not a deterrent were very silent because the truth was something else. Indeed there are the human rights advocates who condemn the ultimate sanction as barbaric. We are not hearing a peep from these people even as women drop like flies. The government is saying that it must go to the people for their views on whether it should continue with the death penalty for certain crimes. We are certain that if the men who kill women are made to face the gallows then this rampant episode would come to an immediate halt.

It is sickening to read of women seeking protection from the courts to little or no avail. Even court orders for the attacker to keep his distance seem not to be working because the attacker knows that by the time the police respond he would be long gone, having executed his plan.

In the developed countries where there is either abolition or a moratorium on the death penalty men are certainly not killing women at the pace with which they do in Guyana. In addition, the police response is very quick and appropriate.

The law acts condignly. Those of us who have daughters know the fear of them being seriously hurt at the hands of their spouses. There are those among us who train our daughters to suffer their husbands. That is one aspect of our cultural development that we must change.

But above all, we parents should teach our sons to recognize the value of the woman. If we fail to do these things then more women would be among the statistics.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Letters... Where your views make the news

Can the President’s appointment of a oneparty Cabinet under Article 103 be justified?

DEAR EDITOR, As luck would have it, an email sent me searching for a video on You Tube to find what I did not seek. I was moved to search for a video supposed to feature four Guyanese political figures.

Instead I found one featuring one person, or rather personage, the Presidential Adviser on governance and PPP Whip, Ms. Gail Teixeira.

It was an October 23 appearance that dealt with the Honourable lady’s “Expectations” of the Opposition behaviour in parliament after the National Assembly’s recess just ended. It was for me an instructive show. I learned several things from Ms Teixeira and I am sure Mr Sultan Mohamed, that outstanding patriot, will not hesitate to respond to my present remarks tomorrow.

Ms. Teixeira charged the opposition with “Ten Strikes” against parliamentary democracy. She described the Opposition as “reckless”. She charged them with violating the Standing Orders and the Constitution and overturning longstanding agreements of honour made between the PPP/C and the PNC/R after tough negotiations. The present Opposition, she declared, did not understand compromise. “The PPP has always tried to work with other parties,” she reminded her audience.

Let us not forget that Ms Teixeira as Minister of Home Affairs in a critical period had distanced herself from “drug lords” and was promoted to

the Office of the President.

The PPP Governance Adviser said that the opposition had seized all the Chairs of Committees and then failed to hold a single meeting. The Opposition also had two annual Auditors’ Reports still to consider. The Opposition talked of corruption, mainly in the press, but did not use the power of the Public Affairs Committee of the National Assembly (PAC) to call officials to account. (The fact is that the PAC goes through the Auditor’s comments and can pursue them for irregularity. The PAC is not geared for investigating corruption.)

She spoke of the “one seat majority” and said it was “a fiction” but “yet real.” She did not give the two opposition parties credit for uniting. They are split, at times, she claimed. Their split had caused the government to succeed at times, like on items on the supplementary estimates. She made the point that the Opposition did not have the votes to override the President’s veto. Eventually the government would prevail.

She was appalled and invited the country to share her shock at the way the poorly united one-seat majority, in the House, was making itself bigger than the government on committees.

Under the PPP majority she recalled the posts of Chair were shared. She listed the anti-democratic acts of APNU and the AFC, a major one being the taking by the

Opposition of both the offices of Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

All of this sounds like an Opposition is not playing cricket as Caribbean people do. Only the PPP plays political cricket, Ms Teixeira argued. My Mother would have said, “But wait! Pinch me. Am I hearing right?” The Parliamentary Committees, the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and the Cabinet are all results of the People’s votes and are always based on how the people voted. No election, no parliament. No parliament, no cabinet. That, Ms Governance, is the Law and the Constitution.

Is this the same PPP/C that won the Presidency in 2011 on the Voice of the People and the Burnham Constitution? Is it the same PPP/C that lost the National Assembly election in 2011 to two opposition parties, under the same Burnham Constitution and the Voice of the People? Is it the same PPP/C that by day six had sworn in the President and appointed the Ministers, all of them from the list that lost the National Assembly? All of this—under the Constitution?

Did the PPP, that plays political cricket, invite the opposition parties to negotiate for members in the cabinet for a national government? Is it true that the same Constitution allows the President to appoint Ministers from among all members of parliament, and not only from the President’s list? Did the PPP/C explain

this to the Nation? Is it not this same PPP that did not wait for the opposition parties to appoint members, but went ahead and huffed the cabinet seats for one party?

They did not give APNU and the AFC a chance to refuse to be included. So, is this inclusive government?

They have a good argument, but not a good case, about the Committees.

The PPP had the chance of a lifetime to create history and have inclusive government.

There was no law to stop them. But All or Nothing was their attitude. Now, there are floods of crocodile tears, with “persuasive arguments” over House committees.

But the PPP/C are not the only ones to answer to the electorate for ignoring the meaning of the people’s vote one year ago. Did the PPP prevent the Opposition from tabling motions demanding an “inclusive government” based on the people’s votes in November 2011? Was a “gentlemen’s agreement” among the parties to keep the country divided? Some included and some excluded?

Yes, the power to appoint Ministers under Article 103 is a function of the President.

How he uses it in 2011 shows the one –party outlook he exercises and wants to pass off as good governance. He may have set the example for the Opposition to follow. I am not a lawyer, but I invite government lawyers to justify the President’s appointment of a one-party cabinet under Article 103, after the (Continued on page 6)

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

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

Let’s stop and take action to help our animals

DEAR EDITOR, On Nov 12th, 2012, friend and animal activist, Judy Beepat, called me around 1:00 pm. She told me of a puppy in distress in her village, Lusignan. It was a hot afternoon, and not wanting to make a long drive, I asked her to call a vet.

Judy called me back and told me to look at the picture she had just sent to my Facebook page. I went online, saw the horrifying picture, and immediately called her saying I was on my way.

On my way to Lusignan, on the Rupert Craig Highway, just before turning off to UG there were 2 dead dogs (one very pregnant ) approximately 30 feet apart. I stopped my vehicle, put on my gloves and moved both dogs to the grassy side of the road.

While moving the dead dogs off the road a woman approached me and asked me to help her with her dogs, I took her number, got into my vehicle and continued on my way.

I reached Judy’s home and in her calm and beautiful

way she led me down the street to a small wooden house where the puppy “lived”. I have rescued many animals that live in hell because of human ignorance and abuse, but the condition of this puppy was among the worst I’ve ever seen.

She was hunched into a ball in her makeshift, stinking pen, one of her paws was broken, she had almost no hair; even her skin seemed to be falling off. She was the saddest puppy you could imagine.

Judy picked her up and put her into my dog kennel and I took her to the animal shelter. The puppy never once cried, but I can’t say the same for Judy and me.

Before we left that yard, we saw another sad sight – a parrot living in a cramped little cage that was dirty and stink. His water bottle and feeding bowl were so filthy you couldn’t see the plastic.

The parrot had been in that small cage for eight years (nearly all its life) balancing on a small piece of wood and eating whatever was provided.

After leaving that home of

doomed animals I could not stop thinking about that parrot. A few days later, I could not take it anymore so I returned with my fellow animal rights activist (Soraya) to speak to the owner. He was not home, but his wife gave us permission to enter the yard.

The parrot cage was still filthy so we asked the lady to take it down and with the help of Judy, the cage was given a thorough washing and the water bottle and food pan were replaced. We now intend to raise money to get the

parrot a larger cage or perhaps even buy the parrot’s freedom.

Homes and yards like the one in Lusignan are so common in Guyana they must number in the tens of thousands.

In general, the houses maybe rundown and in need of repairs and the yards are small and unkempt and often flooded.

Often the males are under employed and the women work part-time in unskilled jobs earning minimum wages.

Living on just a

survival income, families still want to keep pets for company and security. But just like children, pets need housing, food and water, health services and a lot of love.

Since many people with pets cannot afford to keep them the animals suffer, get sick and die or are abandoned, and the owners look for new baby pets to adopt.

It seems like it is easier and cheaper for poor people to adopt a new pet rather than to heal a sick one.

Given this situation, it would take a small army of volunteers to resolve the plight of animals in Guyana.

Perhaps what is needed is an intensive education program that reaches into the various communities in coastal Guyana and educates animal owners as to appropriate ways of caring for and keeping animals healthy at minimum cost to the owners.

“Unseen they suffer, unheard they cry, in agony they linger, in loneliness they die.” - Anonymous Syeada Manbodh

DEAR EDITOR, The Wednesday 21st edition of Prime News, reporting on one hundred years of aviation in Guyana, mentioned Captain Dhanraj and his co-pilot of G.A.C ,who perished when their plane crashed.

On that flight was a man named Compton Da Silva who was the third crew or porter who survived the

crash.

At the time of that plane crash in the late seventies Guyana hadn’t helicopters, so even though the authorities knew that Da Silva was alive, the Guyana Defence Force had no way of rescuing the survivor. Of course the soldiers did try to chop their way to Da Silva, but the jungle was too dense.

To rescue Da Silva, the Guyana authorities had to seek help from Jamaica.

While the helicopter was coming to Guyana (it took about three days to arrive) Compton Da Silva spent all the time in the rain-soaked jungle.

As one soldier who was involved in the rescue operation told me, Da Silva’s hands and fingers

were so cramped he couldn’t hold the rope that was dropped to him, so a special device was used to lift Da Silva bodily into the aircraft.

What a pity Da Silva did not put his experience of that fateful event on paper before he died. It would have made interesting reading.

W.P. George

What a pity Mr. Da Silva did not write about his experience

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 27, 2012

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

High public officials and influence-makers must use language carefully and be truthful, lest they inflame, misinform or distort DEAR EDITOR, I am an advocate for education, and in that pursuit the unbiased documentation of our history is paramount. I am of the firm opinion that high public officials and influence-makers must use language carefully and be truthful in their presentations, lest they inflame, misinform or distort.

In this regard, I find the President of the Republic, Donald Ramotar, to be a serial offender. The President

continues to disappoint every time he makes a public pronouncement.

Speaking at the WPO Congress at Diamond over the weekend, Ramotar told the attendees that they must guard against undemocratic forces that looted, burnt and robbed people during the 1992, 1997 and 2001 general elections and established ties with armed gangs in 2002 to rob and kill people on the East Coast Demerara and Rose Hall, East Berbice.

Referring to the monument built by the people of Buxton to remember those who died there during the troubles, the President said; “Instead now they have built a monument to some of the criminals who have died. This is the role model, this is the example they want to give to our young people…..criminal elements calling themselves freedom fighters”.

It is clear that we had a situation where instead of using an important occasion

like the Congress of the women’s arm of the PPP, to outline a developmental strategy for the liberation of the women in our society from violence, poverty and poor education, Ramotar chose to incite.

May I be pompous enough to remind the President that he is not president of the PPP, but President of Guyana, which includes Buxton. Here again, instead of using the Congress as a teachable moment

Ramotar chose to resort to race-baiting and calling Buxtonians criminals. This would have been a perfect opportunity for the President to be presidential and say to the Congress that it was time that we bind up the wounds of the past, and look to a future where our sons and daughter can live together, work together, play together; that in order for Guyana to meet its full potential, national unity had to be achieved.

It could have been a moment where he could have educated the women present on the economic price of hate and bigotry, ethnic triumphalism and racial distrust.

Instead of denigrating the monument at Buxton, Ramotar could have used it not as a symbol of hate, but one of hope.

We live in a plural society and one would expect that a President that is elected in such a setting would be extremely careful with his remarks. I don’t know who advises this Chief Executive, or who his speech writers are (if any), but they, like the President, continue to disappoint.

Speaking to your base and rallying your base is totally acceptable, but to do so using inflammatory language is totally unacceptable. The President must know that calling Buxtonians criminals will not bring better housing and change the squalor that families endure in places like

Tent City.

Many of the women in the audience at the Congress I am sure would have loved to hear the President declare war on poverty. These women manage the family budget and many struggle to make ends meet with meager financial resources.

It would have been more beneficial to them to hear the President outline his economic plans for strong village economies, with home-based businesses and Coops, headed by women, using this as a path to economic independence.

The President could have declared war on domestic violence and the continued discrimination of our women and girls.

But no, we are not that blessed here in the Cooperative Republic to have a man of vision as our leader. Our Leader, following in the tradition of his predecessor, prefers to be a ‘Buser in Chief’, rather than a Commander in Chief. The sad irony is that most of the women at the Congress, who would have voted for this President and past PPP presidents, are still to reap any interest from their political investment.

So the cycle of racial division and ethnic cleavage continues, while the masses of poor Indians and Africans suffer in a country rich in resources and full of promise.

Mark Archer

Can the President’s appointment...

(From page 4) November 2011 election, and in the face of Article 103.

Get me right—the President is constitutionally valid. His cabinet is not, according to the results all parties have accepted. This would mean that although Article 103 permits the President to appoint ministers from among elected members of Parliament from any List or Party, the PPP/C can lose the election and win the government.

That is the supreme absurdity of politics in Guyana and of the pleading of the Presidential Adviser o n g o v e r n a n c e . Wa s i t reckless not to use the opportunity of trying to heal the nation by using Article 103 to establish a government representing all the people?

So if the Opposition Parties have wisely or unwisely overturned the balance in the committees, the

PPP has stolen a Cabinet hook, line and sinker. It is creating “inclusive government” by excluding its rivals, elected by the people.

In effect, the PPP is telling the voters, that they had no right to vote as they voted.

It is now clear why duly elected President Ramotar was advised to go public with the absurd charge that the Opposition had rigged the elections. It was perhaps an late attempt to disqualify the Opposition MPs. The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights 1948 sets the test: “The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government and it shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections … “ Government means President assisted and advised by the Cabinet ministers. This argument can be further expanded.

Eusi Kwayana

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

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

Can this be the accepted ethics in our Hospitals?

DEAR EDITOR, The general public should be warned of the real danger they face when seeking the “best” medical treatment when ill.

Our Domestic, a 39-yearold woman, “took in” at about 2 to 3 a.m. on Sunday.

Symptoms: Vomiting and Diarrhoea. Her young niece, who lives with her, decided to rush her Aunt to Hospital to get some medicine to stop the symptoms. In this case one of the “best”. This happened

around 9 to 10 a.m. Sunday.

She went as an “out patient” and in her sick frightened state was intimidated by the doctor into thinking that there was something more serious wrong with her than just Diarrhoea and Vomiting. She had no mature adult with her to put things into perspective, hence in my opinion was conned into believing that she had to have a barrage of tests. This is despicable, but it happened on Sunday 25th

November, 2012, in Georgetown.

We were called at about 10.30 a.m. as the $25,000 lodged by the Domestic was not enough to cover the tests and she was told she should lodge and additional $25,000.

It seemed exorbitant for what appeared to be a case of gastroenteritis or food poisoning. We went to the Hospital immediately.

At the Hospital we learnt the patient had already been subjected to 25 different

DEAR EDITOR, Over the last few weeks I spoke with two groups of over 100 students each about next year’s 250th anniversary of the 1763 Berbice Slave Rebellion. To my surprise, many of the students had very little knowledge of what transpired in 1763, although they were aware of Philip Moore and the National Monument of Cuffy at the Square of the Revolution.

More disconcerting was that few of them were aware of the 1823 Demerara Slave Rebellion, despite the fact that a Monument to this historic event will soon be erected by the Ministry of Youth, Culture & Sport.

It was the Great Marcus Garvey who said “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”

For Guyana to truly achieve its motto of “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”, there needs to be a common body of historical knowledge and a common ground of shared experiences among our six races.

During the United Nations International Year of People of African Descent in 2011, Guyana missed a unique opportunity to share our

common history - all primary and secondary schools could have had class sessions on our history.

For the thousands of school children who are unaware of the 1823 Demerara Slave Rebellion, hopefully the few paragraphs below will add to their knowledge of Guyana’s evolution.

History will recall the Demerara Slave Rebellion was one of the largest slave rebellions in the Caribbean. It involved 11,000 to 12,000 slaves and spread to 55 Plantations. The slaves were fighting for their God-given human rights and because of their natural desire for freedom, their hatred of an increasingly severe slave system, religious considerations and a misunderstanding about their freedom being granted by England. The slaves were armed with cutlasses and other minor weapons and were confronted by 300 well armed troops. This was one of the most cruel and gruesome slaughters in the British Empire at the time.

As Wallbridge, an Englishman wrote “No mercy, however, was shown to the Negro. With

regard to them, there was a tremendous slaughter under the influence…of an illjudged and unwarrantable severity, it was deemed necessary to make terrifying examples of not a few, by killing them on the spot.

Many were wantonly shot by the militia soldiers for mere sport.”

Over 200 Africans were beheaded and their heads placed on stakes from the Parade Ground in Georgetown and from Plaisance to Mahaica on the East Coast. On 16 September, Quamina was shot in the back at Plantation Chateau Margot. John Smith, another key player in this historic event, was tried with complicity and died in prison from an illness.

I have always believed our school system is the most critical institution in nurturing social cohesion and social inclusion in Guyana.We need a course in Comparative religion similar to the one Pryor Jonas taught at Queen’s College in the 60s, and we need a concise text of key events in Guyanese history, taught from age 8 to 16.

Eric Phillips

We need a concise text of key events in Guyanese history

tests, among them a $10,000 Ultrasound.

This is marvelous work done, and costs money. In fact for all the treatment, consultation and accommodation etc., the total charge at that hospital was $49,050. Not bad for a 3 to 4-hour visit, which in our opinion could have been settled at the “out patient” level.

Frankly, in my opinion, (I know I am not a doctor), the patient should never have gone to that hospital. It may be that the medical work done was overkill by an incompetent doctor who could not make a simple diagnosis.

The doctor charged $8,000 and ordered all 25 tests including the $10,000 Ultrasound, even though the

patient told him that she knew that she was not pregnant.

The doctor should ask the patient if she wants his opinion or would like to have tests at a cost of x dollars. If it is the Hospital’s policy to have all these tests done, then a nurse could handle the matter.

Something should be done to protect low income patients from needless tests, especially in a country where Diarrhoea and Vomiting are not uncommon and seem to have reached epidemic proportions at this very minute.

When I insisted that the patient be discharged immediately, my request was met with hostility. The bills had to be paid. Okay so

where are the test results?

The reply - you cannot have the results until tomorrow!

Okay I’m not paying for tests without results, so please call Security as we are leaving with the patient now. The results were produced in three minutes. It was such a blatant attempt to have the patient stay another day.

The patient only had two out of 25 results which were out of the normal range.

Chloride 98>107 Reference Range; Result - 11.1.

Lymphocytes 17-48% Reference Range; Result – 5.6%. The remaining Tests/ Procedures, all 23, proved normal.

Can this be the accepted ethics in our Hospitals?

John Willems

DEAR EDITOR, I hereby reply to an article captioned “Contractors walked away with $$M for incomplete works in Region One, which appeared in KN dated Friday November 23rd, 2012,as follows: Your newspaper has stated my name which gives the impression that I was solely accountable for

awarding contracts and overpayment of contractors for 2011 or at the time.

The Auditor General’s Report states the Head of the Budget Agency, and the name of the officer is not stated.

For correction/ clarification be informed that between January to May 2011 , I proceeded on Annual Vacation Leave and thereafter

took up a transfer out of the Region, so I cannot be held accountable for the implementation and conclusion of contracts in Region One for 2011.

Is the person(s) who provided my name to your newspaper suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or just plain wicked?

Mary Williams

I should not be held responsible

Page 8

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Missing boat captain turns up dead

Dead: Vickram Harrynandan

Dead: Ramkissoon Sukhan

The Sukhan family’s search for their dead relative has finally come to an end.

For the past four weeks, the relatives have been feverishly hoping for some sort of closure into the mysterious disappearance of the 53- yearold Ramkissoon ‘Greenie’ Sukhan, of Lot 62 Lusignan.

Sukhan was the boat captain who left the Meadow Bank, East Bank Demerara wharf on November 1, 2012.

The man’s badly decomposed body was found along the Eversham foreshore on the Corentyne last Wednesday, but his remains were not removed until yesterday.

According to reports, following the discovery a report was made by fishermen in the area to the Upper Corentyne Fishermen’s Coop Society at Number 66 Village, Corentyne. Additional reports were made to the police in the area the following day, but yet no one ventured out to bring the corpse to shore for some reason or the other.

Efforts to contact the Upper Corentyne Fishermen’s Co-op Society proved futile.

The man’s relatives then received word about the body being on the shore and they arranged a boat to sail through the Eversham canal

and onto the seashore, way into the backlands (about two miles inland).

Sukhan had left the Meadow Bank Wharf with four other fishermen on November 1. On November 5, 2012, it became evident that the men and their boat were missing at sea. Their relatives started to become worried.

They were all feared dead.

Three crew members, however, turned up and told the story of pirates attacking them at sea. They stated that they were then dumped overboard. The three survivors alleged that Sukhan was beaten, shot and dumped overboard while 17yearold Vickram Harrynandan drowned after the pirates ordered the remaining crew members to jump from their vessel.

Relatives of the missing boat captain, were also suspicious about the reports of his demise. They were told that Sukhan was hauling in the day’s catch when the gunmen allegedly struck.

They were told that Sukhan was shot and thrown overboard.

It is alleged that the gunmen fled with the crew’s valuables but returned and took the victims to another boat which then took them to land. However relatives of the

The corpse being brought to land missing man said they did not believe the crewmembers’ story.

“If people attack you boat they don’t come back to you to help you. We want the police to investigate this matter properly,” one relative told Kaieteur News on November 9.

Yesterday, the man’s relatives traveled to Berbice for their deceased relative’s corpse. When they got there crowds of curious onlookers had gathered by the Eversham canal at the Public Road junction and were anxiously awaiting the boat to bring the body out.

His wife, Gangadai Singh, and sons, Ramlall, Dhanbir, Mohan, and daughter Deokie

were in the speedboat that took them through the canal.

A police officer and his photographer were also present. There were a few fishermen who knew the area well. The body was very bloated and discoloured. It was positively identified by family members. A bullet wound was seen on the right arm.

The body was then wrapped in a sheet, tied on to a rope which was attached to the back of the speedboat and dragged out in the water through the canal.

Onlookers questioned why the Guyana Police Force could not have arranged one of their Coast Guard boats to bring the corpse out to the

mainland.

Speaking with Kaieteur News was one of the man’s sons, Ramlall, who stated how relieved the family was now that his father’s body has been found. He added that they even went to Suriname a few weeks ago to search, such was the desperation to find their father’s body.

He noted that Sukhan had been a fisherman for over 30 years. The man’s son also took time to criticize the police response to the search and expressed dissatisfaction at the Coast Guard.

“The police were never searching; they were lying and we want ya’ll to put this in the paper”, said one of the man’s sons.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 9

THE OPPOSITION HAS NOT CHANGED In a matter of days, it will be one year since a new President took over. Unlike his predecessors he did not enjoy the luxury of a parliamentary majority.

Unlike others before him, also, the new President is not interested in a personality cult and in fact has gone as far as saying he is not interested in imparting his own brand on the presidency.

He is very much an unassuming and humble man and this is showing in his style. However we live in a country in which people have grown accustomed to a ubiquitous presidency.

Coming to grips with one with a different style will take some time to get used to.

The president, of course, also came to power under circumstances that were in stark contrast to his predecessors. The ruling party lost its majority in the National Assembly.

The results of the elections have demonstrated that ethnic voting remains entrenched and has become more calcified than ever.

Inexplicably, after close to twenty years of restoring Guyana’s fortune, rescuing the economy, improving the lives of its citizens and achieving six years of unbroken economic growth, the ruling party still failed to win a substantive number of cross-over votes.

At the same time, despite the loss of votes in some areas, the PPPC support base showed no signs of any serious fissures, politically.

Both of the main parties

therefore retained much of their traditional base. That has not changed at all.

The PPPC’s massive housing drive had given tens of thousands of Guyanese the opportunity to own their own homes. This alone was expected to lead the PPPC gaining the support of any who traditionally would have voted for the opposition.

In one area, Diamond, where thousands of houses have been constructed, the vote was split fifty-fifty, revealing that the housing drive did not bring the PPP votes.

But the PPPC did lose votes and ground an in its traditional base and this was as a result of hard work by the opposition supporter, particularly the AFC, as well as because of the model of economic development which has neglected rural development and focused almost exclusively on macro factors rather than development at the grassroots.

Complacency of their supporters manifested by many of them staying at home. Many PPPC supporters did not anticipate given all that was achieved economically that the PPP would have lost. As such they stayed at home and this hurt the PPPC chances.

When the results came in they got the shock of their lives when they learnt that though the PPP won and won comfortably, they did not secure a parliamentary majority.

Hopes were high that the results of the elections would lead to an improved standard of governance. It was also

Dem boys seh ...

Fleas teaching at QC Wha don’t happen in a year does happen in a day. QC is a case of that. De school been in existence fuh 168 years and never a day it had to share a school wid anybody till a boy set it afire couple years back. Dem correct that situation.

Now it got to share a building again.

De children claim how flea chase dem out of de building.

De teachers dem refuse to talk and dem tell de children don’t talk. Dem boys did believe that is de teachers got flea and dem shame to let people know. Is when dem children claim how dog and cat tek over de school that people understand.

But from de time de school open dem boys expect this to happen. Dem see couple dogs wid tie lining up at de gate.

De teachers had to see this too but somebody believe that if dem let in de dogs quietly and mek a raise from dem nobody wouldn’t know. Now dem understand de saying that if you play wid de puppy de flea gun bite you.

Things shoulda never reach this situation. De people in de Education Ministry claim how de exterminator tackle de fleas three times and nutten ain’t happen. It got to be that dem was using perfume.

De truth is that de fleas now teaching at de school.

But de harsh fact is that when people lef a situation to go unnoticed things like these does happen. Long time Cleaners use to do dem wuk. Fuh 167 years fleas couldn’t tek over de school. One year dem let in de dogs and de cats and is serious trouble.

People got to understand that you don’t play wid sanitation and you don’t play with people children.

Dem boys seh that since de headmistress want keep de situation quiet dem should mek she stay in de school till de situation get corrected and if she holler one time then she was only bluffing about keeping quiet.

Talk half and wait fuh de rest of de action.

clear that a great deal of the first year of the new presidency would have to be spent building bridges between the government and the opposition and there was indeed a promising start to this process.

But it is not easy for a leopard to lose its stripes and even while expressing its willingness to build political cooperation, the opposition was up to its old tricks by trying to call into question the results of the elections.

The fact that the government was now in the minority also opened the way for some politicians to settle old political scores and this intention became evident during the Budget debate when scandalous Budget cuts were proposed, some of which if they had materialized would have threatened the livelihood or workers and effectively shut down a number of programmes in the country.

Instead of the new

dispensation being used to bring about a new political culture, that potential was squandered primarily by the opposition parties. Instead of greater civility, the opposition seemed bent on giving the government a hard time.

No self respecting government would now have anything to do with the opposition and thus it now seems inevitable that we can have elections by Easter.

Despite this negative prognosis, there were a number of positives which suggest a moving away from some of the controversial aspects of the Jagdeo administration.

The opposition will never give credit for these developments and will try to downplay or misrepresent them but it is increasingly becoming clear that the opposition in this country is fast losing its relevance.

Foremost amongst the changes has been a willingness to be open about

some of the major contracts that were signed under the previous administration. The government has made public to both the opposition parties and to the media, the long sought after details of major deals inked by the Jagdeo administration.

Better than that, it has held special briefing for the opposition so that the opposition can be privy to information that could not be revealed in public.

This has been a step in the right direction.

Another positive development has been the changes with the state media and particularly within NCN. From day one of the new presidency, the views of the opposition have been ventilated on newscasts on the state media.

And while there are some recent disturbing signs that opinions are now being passed off as news items, and while the Chronicle still is stuck in its old ways, it can be said that NCN has shown a greater

willingness to be more open to opposition views. This has been reflected in the extensive coverage given to the Budget debates which were carried in full on radio and in an edited form on national television.

Also, the opposition parties were invited and in some cases have taken up the opportunity to appear on state television.

That would have been unheard of one year ago and shows the great turnaround that is taking place in sections of the state media.

There are of course a number of troubling areas on which there has not been sufficient movement and these will be discussed in a subsequent column.

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 27, 2012

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

There is something about Rohee that Guyanese need to know about I have never been inside the debating chambers of Parliament, meaning where the MPs make laws. My first visit was last Thursday at the invitation of Michael Carrington of the AFC. I know one thing about what I heard; Gail Teixeira was talking a mouthful of asininities that reduced this country to the worst immoral banana republic since the 20th

century began.

This is what she told the Speaker of the National Assembly. The House cannot sanction Mr. Rohee because Mr. Rohee committed no violation inside of, or misbehaved in Parliament.

She urged the Speaker that Rohee cannot be punished by the House for something that he did outside of the House.

This is twisted logic of the

Schoolboys charged for assaulting teacher Three students of the Vryman’s Erven Secondary School were charged for assaulting a male teacher of the school on November 21 last.

The Fourth Formers (Grade 10) appeared before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo yesterday (Monday) at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court where the trio pleaded not guilty to the charge. They were represented by Attorney-at-Law Charrandass Persaud.

It is alleged that the

young men began to verbally and physically abuse the male teacher, Darrel Thompson, on a staircase in the school.

One of the young men was armed with a cutlass. The weapon was seized by the teacher which led to more aggression from the students.

The teacher was further t h r e a t e n e d on numerous occasions from the said students.

The teens were each placed on $20,000 bail and are expected back in court on March 18, 2013.

worst kind. Only Gail Teixeira on Planet Earth does not know of a universal law, a fundamental ethic of life called “conduct unbecoming.”

“Conduct unbecoming” applies to every sphere of life.

A school is not going to keep a teacher who gets into incessant brawls in hostels for prostitutes. A church is not going to retain a priest who gets frequently drunk in rum shops.

A media house is not going to continue with a journalist that an embassy claims is into selling bogus visas.

A retail shop is not going to tolerate a manager that parties every night with teenage girls. Only Gail Texieira doesn’t understand that by association the reputation of an establishment can be tarnished.

This writer had to intervene with Republic Bank when one of his students was called to face a disciplinary hearing over a quarrel at UG. One of the persons hearing the complaint was the wife of PNC Chairman, Basil Williams. I made the point to the bank’s management that the incident had nothing to do with Republic Bank and was a disagreement between

two UG students.

The bank was adamant that since one of the students was an employee of the financial house, unbecoming conduct could tarnish the image of the commercial institution. They were inflexible with this position. At the time, Attorney Ashton Chase was the bank’s board chairman.

He accepted management’s position and rejected my request to intervene. The student was disciplined.

Only Gail Teixeira doesn’t know that Clement Rohee is a Minister in the Cabinet of the Government of Guyana and that his action in or out of Parliament can bring both the National Assembly and Guyana into disrepute. So let us reason it out.

John Jones the Minister of Infrastructure who is also an MP goes to Lethem, cusses out Amerindian people, calls them all sort of racist names, threatens to invade Brazilians, cusses them out in racist terms.

According to Gail Teixeira the National Assembly cannot entertain a motion to punish him for conduct unbecoming because the

nasty behaviour took place outside of the National Assembly. This is not only nonsense but elephant dung.

John Jones in committing those egregious acts as Minister and MP damaged the image of both the Cabinet and Parliament and should face disciplinary investigation.

Clement Rohee’s huge faults go way back to 2005 when as Minister of Foreign Trade the US Government withdrew for six months both types of visas (non-immigrant and diplomatic) he possessed at the time.. Mr. Rohee up to this day, due to the character faults of his then President, Bharrat Jagdeo, has refused to explain what he was being investigated for.

In a brief comment two years ago, he opined that he thought that the Americans acted against him because in the early seventies he had picketed the Embassy over the US involvement in the Vietnam War. This is asininity that has no parallel in the history of the world. All the major PPP and WPA leaders in the early seventies held anti-war demonstrations outside the

Frederick Kissoon Main Street Embassy of the US. None of them in the 21st Century had their visas suspended. Last week, some PPP leaders picketed the US Embassy over the American support for Israel in the bombing of the Gaza.

They will not lose their visas and Rohee didn’t lose his visas in 2005 because of any picketing exercise in the early seventies. Mr. Rohee has got away with political murder of the worst kind in a banana republic of the worst kind. He should have been dismissed over the visa incident.

Since that time, Mr. Rohee has moved from one indiscretion to another reminding us of “Killaman.”

Rohee, “Killaman” and Gail Teixeira have no place in politics in the 21st century. It is time for the combined opposition to do what Guyanese expect them to do because voters gave them a parliamentary majority.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

CNS 6 experiences transmission interference ... says it’s a deliberate act to silence station CNS Channel 6 has been experiencing interference in its television broadcast for more than two weeks now and the executives of that station belief that the act is a deliberate one. They are adamant that the television station is being targeted to be silenced.

That may be the case, the station’s officials said, since it is only when certain paid and informative programmes are being aired that reports of interference are received.

Chandranarine Sharma, the proprietor, told Kaieteur News that his station has been experiencing interference in transmission and that the intrusion has been coming from a new radio station reportedly set up nearby, TVG channel 28. This radio station, Sharma said, has been overflowing into his television frequency since the audio received on Channel 6 reveals a transmission coming from the TVG radio station.

Sharma suggested that the interference did not happen by mistake. He believes that the interference is a tactic to make insignificant, programmes such as Opposition Leader David Granger’s one hour television presentation, Voice of the People, and a host of other programmes that speak specifically to

CN Sharma issues concerning affairs of the state.

He said that when those specific programmes are being aired, music and the voice of a female deejay can be heard. While viewers are able to see the programme it is difficult and sometimes impossible to hear what is being said.

Sharma complained that when movies, music and certain other programmes are being shown, there is no interference with the television frequency.

He contended that the interference is hampering his economic progress. He said that the interference during paid programmes could affect the profit for

the station.

Sharma argued that he has been a long-standing businessman involved in television broadcasting.

Programm e M a n a g e r o f CNS, Savitri Sharma, explained that only Channel 6 will suffer from the interference since the station operates on a radio frequency.

The manager said that Channel 6 can be heard on FM 87.5 and it is believed that the TVG radio station operates on a frequency close to that of CNS. The manager also recalled that in the television station’s earlier years, Channel 12 was the station issued to CNS. CN Sharma noted that when the National Communications Network (NCN) surfaced, Government was seeking to take Cannel 11 so it ordered that CNS be transferred to Channel 6 thus allowing for Channel 11 to have a stronger f r e q u e n c y. T h i s w a s despite the established notion of Channel 12 being significant to the CNS station.

The s t a t i o n ’s Programme Manager told Kaieteur News that a letter would be sent to the organization to aid with the problem. She said if the problem persists, the necessary steps will be taken and certain legal avenues will be explored.

Women Lawyers speak out on violence against women The Guyana Association of Women Lawyers (GAWL) joined with all women in observance of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

That event was observed on Sunday.

“It is indeed a tremendous travesty that such a day has to be observed as violence against women should have long been a thing of the past.

R e g r e t t a b l y , notwithstanding it being 2012 and in a relatively new century, we have not, as citizens, progressed very much in this area.

As a matter of fact, it may be reasonably posited that we have in fact r e t rogressed when this year ’s statistics are examined,” GAWL stated.

There are still too many women being beaten and brutalized and sometimes killed by a person who professes to love them - but, clearly the emotion is misplaced and misinterpreted

as vesting a right in the abuser to torment, the organization noted.

“We must also remember those that we do not know about; who have not yet summoned the courage to speak out, are embarrassed, may feel hampered by status issues, or worse, are being held back by family members who do not agree that domestic violence must be made known and dealt with condignly, especially if their personal benefits from the abuser will be affected.”

The GAWL pledged to continue its work to educate women on their rights and options to protect themselves. There are other groups and agencies that are also playing their critical roles, It added.

“We cannot however do it alone. Preaching to the converted does have its place, but we plead with family members, churches, other civil society organisations and citizens to recognize that domestic violence is a social

ill in a fundamental sense and reduces our women to lesser persons in morale, self – esteem and in their ability to properly function – thus directly affecting our society here in Guyana.

“We cannot afford this, and our women deserve better. We MUST give them our support and help. Men must speak to their counterparts and other men.

There must be ongoing discussion encouraging better behaviour.

“In particular, families must support their loved ones who are victims since there can be no benefit to a family from encouraging an abuser in its midst.

The situation will end badly, and possibly fatally as abuse, when fed and encouraged, always amplifies and escalates to worse stages.”

As a family member, your failure to act makes you just as culpable as the abuser whose bad conduct you endorse, GAWL said.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Berbice woman dead during hit-and-run accident ...suspect surrenders The hit-and-run vehicle

Dead: Sastia ‘Sassy’ Phillips An Islington woman was involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident around 20:45 hrs on Saturday. Dead is Sastia ‘Sassy’ Phillips, 28, of Fifth Street, Islington, East Bank Berbice. Originally, she lived at Timmers Dam, Angoy’s Avenue.

She and her reputed husband, Peter Greenidge, were walking along Main and Asylum Streets, New Amsterdam (in the vicinity of the New Amsterdam Hospital Doctors’ Quarters) with their children two-year-old Kadia Phillips and 11-year- old Cynthia.

They were heading towards Charles Place in the town.

According to Peter, a speeding Toyota Camry, PDD 5925, was heading in the same direction “and came from behind and just hit her down from behind…we were walking in the corner on the left hand side and he was speeding”. The car then sped away.

The dead woman’s sister related that the impact was so hard that “her (sister’s) head shattered the windscreen and there were pieces of her clothing on the car. She fell face- down— there were head injuries—she landed on her face and her front teeth were all broken up.

There were lacerations on her head, from her forehead to her cheek”.

Peter was assisted by a taxi from Triple S Taxi service to take Sastia to the hospital.

They managed to put her in the back seat of the taxi in the still face down position. Peter said that she was still

breathing. He put the children in the front seat and headed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. At the hospital no p o r t e r was available. A security guard on duty assisted Peter to take the bleeding Sastia to the Accident and Emergency Unit.

The woman was pronounced dead on arrival at the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital.

Sastia’s older sister, Keisha Phillips, who is a businesswoman, said that she sent her friend to the hospital with a mobile phone for him to ask the doctor on duty or a nurse to speak to her sister and she was denied that privilege. She did not know that the woman had died.

The grieving sister, who is the lone sibling left after the death of her brother Leary Phillips five years ago, said that she sent a second person to the hospital to check on her sister’s condition. That was when she learnt that her sister had died.

She immediately offered a $1M reward for the arrest of the driver late Saturday evening.

Police began their search on Sunday. The car was spotted in the suspect neighbour’s yard at Lot 41 Housing Scheme in

New Amsterdam. Police immediately seized the car and took the neighbours in for questioning.

A few hours later, Peter with the help of friends and police launched a hunt for t h e c a r a n d t h e d r i v e r, starting from Mara, East Bank Berbice.

The traffic police on the team went in a yard, pulled the tarpaulin and saw the excessive damage to the left side of the car. He then asked Peter to identify the car which h e d i d p o s i t i v e l y. T h e driver was nowhere to be found. The car was parked in his aunt’s yard.

T h e s u s p e c t , a cane harvester identified as Edson Inniss, surrendered in the company of family members shortly before 18:00 hrs on Sunday. He was arrested at the Central Police Station where he is currently in custody. He is expected to be charged shortly.

Keshia Phillips who said that she is from East Coast Demerara, contended that if her sister could have gotten private attention to save her life, she was willing to ask the doctor to send her with an emergency ambulance to Georgetown.

Fish Festival is significant tourist ...

From page 2 calendar.”

Turning his attention to camping, Haralsingh said that the Rockstone area has become an ideal locale for campers as according to him “camping has been catching on in and around the Rockstone community.”

He intimated that the GTA will be looking to push for

camping to become an even bigger feature.

“People have been coming to camp year round in addition to last (Saturday) night…it's a wonderful part of rediscovering home and allows people to enjoy and explore different parts of Guyana….this is a pristine environment on the bank of the Essequibo River.”

Numerous activities were streamlined for this year's Rockstone Fishing Festival including fishing expeditions, deboning and cooking fish competitions and guided river tours.

Over the years one high point for visitors at the annual fishing festival has been the tours to nearby Gluck Island and Golden Beach.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Foster care month …

Fostering a child is providing a service to humanity - Guardian

By Rabindra Rooplall Under the theme “Become a foster parent and make a difference in a child’s life” the Child Care and Protection Agency (CPA) is observing Foster Care Month as scores of abused and abandoned children are living in orphanages across Guyana.

According to the CPA, there are more than 150 children countrywide in foster care, and another 700 in orphanages/homes.

The agency notes that foster care is the act of rearing a child who is not a biological child.

It involves providing for the daily needs and care of the child, creating a family environment that offers supervision and guidance.

In an interview at the CPA with parents who are foster parents, the parents agreed that “fostering a child is providing a service to humanity…and it opens your heart to eventually opening your homes.”

One couple noted that fostering a child actually changes the lives of the guardian, tremendously, “since most persons always feel that they only change the lives of children.” They said more persons should be available to assist children in need countrywide. Many parents see temporary foster care as helpful.

Guardians value foster care highly. They noted that it provided good general social work support. Parents

do not necessarily see temporary care as a threat to the fundamental bonds of their family.

Many parents deem foster care as a joyful challenge and a rewarding role.

Manager of Foster Care, Colleen Khan, said foster parents are passed through a six-week parenting session before a child is placed in their care.

She said that temporary care may be used in an emergency and also while the needs of the child are being assessed. More children are placed in temporary foster care than any other type of foster care.

Adding that foster care is provided to children and young people who are unable to live with their own families, Ms Khan explained that foster carers take on the responsibilities of a parent for a period of time, to provide a safe, nurturing and secure family environment for children and young people needing care.

She added that children and young people enter care because they are at risk of harm or neglect or because their parents or carers need periodic relief.

Children who were removed from their primary caregiver homes are either placed in a private or government orphanages/ homes.

The Child Care and Protection Agency’s foster care programme applications

are provided by the agency.

Applications are screened before someone is chosen, and then a home study and visits are executed.

The agency would then conduct criminal and medical checks on the applicant before an appointment is made with the director of the Child Care and Protection Agency.

The director has the authority to approve or deny the application. If the approval is granted, the applicant will be placed on a foster care register.

It was noted that when persons take on the responsibility of being foster parents, case workers monitor the situation to ensure that children receive the care they need.

Foster families are also provided with training and financial assistance from the Human Services and Social Security Ministry.

Auditor General’s Report 2011 ...

Region Nine Administration overpays contractors Revelations that the Region Nine Administration in 2011 paid contractors for works that were not executed, have many wondering if they were intentional and not a case of poor monitoring of projects.

The Auditor General’s Report 2011 revealed that the Regional Administration paid contractors for works outlined in contracts but fewer works were done resulting in overpayments.

According to the report, the sum of $7.5M was expended on the upgrading of the road to Aishalton/ Powishawau Area, Deep South Rupununi, Phase One. The contractor was paid for the supply and installation of two sets of two concrete tubing; however, when a physical verification was made there was only one set of the two concrete tubing

installed, resulting in an overpayment of $1.2M being made to the contractor.

Meanwhile, under Phase 111 of the project the Regional Administration made overpayments of $2.4M to the contractor.

The report disclosed that the contract for upgrading the road to Aishalton/ Powishawau Area, Deep South Rupununi, Phase 111 was awarded to the sole bidder in the sum of $5.150M. And, at December 31, 2011, the full sum was paid to the contractor.

Upon verification it was revealed that the contractor was paid for the supply and installation of three sets of concrete tubing; however, there was only one set of three concrete tubing installed.

Similar circumstances surrounded the project for the

upgrade of the Double Bitumen Surface Treatment road at Middle Street, Lethem Phase 11. The report stated that the contract valuing $8.1M was awarded to the contractor and as December 31, 2011 the full amount was paid.

Again, when a physical verification was made it was revealed that the contractor was paid for the supply and installation of three sets of three concrete tubing; however, there was only one set of three concrete tubing installed, resulting in an overpayment of $3.9M to the contractor.

In offering a response to the Auditor General’s Office the Head of Budget Agency indicated that the overpayments will be investigated and efforts will be made to recover sums overpaid.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

Shot Kaieteur News staffer discharged … duo remanded to jail Persaud when he was hospitalized

Page 15

IDB-funded $174M rice seed facility for commissioning shortly The No. 56 Rice Seed Facility, in Region Six, which is almost completed, will be commissioned within three weeks, according to Project Manager, Dr. Elizabeth Ramlall.

Citing the need for works to be completed in a timely manner, Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Juan Edghill, during a recent visit to the facility, chided the contractor for slow pace of work, according to a government release.

The $174.4M facility which is funded by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) will see the mills undergoing a testing phase, subsequent to which operations will commence.

Shortly, the services of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), and the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), will be installed. The services were not catered for in the initial contract.

Leslie Ann Edwards, Operations Specialist of IDB,

voiced concern over the delay in the project which was supposed to be completed by December 24th.

The state-of-the-art rice facility has a capacity to produce 20,000 bags of seed paddy annually, and will house a number of mechanical and electrical equipment, a scale house and a laboratory facility for rice grading, the release said yesterday.

The facility will also be outfitted with equipment to reduce the noise level.

Another miner crushed in pit accident

Kaieteur News staffer, Shaun Persaud, was yesterday discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Persaud successfully underwent corrective surgery last Friday to repair the shattered bone in his thigh. He is now on the road to recovery.

And the two teens, Jamal David Crumwell, 19, and

Nykosu Gittens, 18, who allegedly shot and robbed him of his motorcycle and cash were remanded to jail until December 17.

Two Sundays ago, it is alleged that the duo shot Persaud in the thigh before escaping with his motorcycle, CF4664 and a pouch containing his driver’s license during a brazen robbery in

Broad Street, Charlestown.

Persaud, 45, of lot 94 La Penitence Street, Albouystown related that he was on his way home when a friend invited him to take a “drink” at a beer garden at the corner of Broad and Ketley Streets, Charlestown.

About 20 minutes after Persaud wheeled his motorcycle into the shop; the duo attacked and shot him.

The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of 17year-old Carl Prince, of Micobie Village, Potaro, who was crushed to death when the gold mining pit in which he was working caved in on him.

The incident occurred about 17:00 hours on Sunday at Micobie Village, Potaro.

Following the cave in, Prince was dug out and taken to the Mahdia Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Prince is the fourth gold miner to die under similar circumstances within the past three months.

A few months ago Devon Barry, 22; Deonarine Singh known as ‘Chubby’, 25, and Elson Singh a 47-year-old father of three, all of Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara perished when their pit at Aranka, Cuyuni caved in.

A fourth miner, identified as Robert

Adams who was in the pit at the time was saved.

An investigation later revealed that the men were not operating under strict safety rules.

Page 16

Kaieteur News

New attorney admitted to practice in Guyana, Trinidad

(second from left) Yoshorda Rampersaud poses with Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire in the company of her parents Twenty-three year old Yoshorda Rampersaud was recently admitted to the local Bar after her petition was presented by Attorney at Law and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Deborah Backer before Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire.

The new attorney was also this month admitted as an Attorney at Law in Trinidad by the Supreme Court of Judicature of Trinidad and Tobago.

Miss Rampersaud attended the Parika/Salem Primary School then to Greenwich Park Primary School where she wrote the Common Entrance Examination and gained a place at the Bishop’s High School.

At Bishop’s High School she wrote and successfully secured passes at her CXC, CAPE, and GCE ‘A’ Levels.

After, she then proceeded to the University of Guyana from

2007 to 2010 where she obtained her Bachelor of Law Degree; in 2010 she then attended the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago and attained her Legal Education Certificate.

The new attorney was advised to uphold the high standards of the legal profession serving citizens with dignity and pride while upholding her honesty and integrity.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

22 days after child molested ...

No word from police, suspect still on the run The investigation into the alleged rape of a two-year-old girl at Imbaimadai, Region Seven on November 4, last, has come to a standstill and with no evidence, the suspect continues to roam free.

The child was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) the following day after she was assaulted by her mother.

At that time, the mother did not know that her daughter was molested.

She claimed that she had taken the child to the hospital for a check-up because she realized that the child was not eating. It was then she learnt from a doctor that her twoyear-old daughter was sexually molested.

The police were summoned to investigate the matter. To date, the only information the police are giving is that “the matter is under investigation”. They seem to have no clue about

who the suspect is.

A police source revealed to this newspaper that no officer has gone to Imbaimadai to investigate the matter. The source claimed that no one from the police force has ever picked up that file after the “verbal investigation” an investigator had with the child’s mother.

A few days after the child was molested, the mother told Kaieteur News that “I was going to the shop so I take the padlock and I just rest it on the door and I left and go to the shop.” Her husband was at work.

“When I come back I didn’t see the padlock on the door, I see it on the step, but I didn’t really think anything. I go and I see my son on the bed alone, so I ask he where he sister deh, and he said that he don’t know. So me and he went and search around the place but we didn’t find her,” the mother claimed.

She said she decided to stop searching and returned home.

“As soon as I walk in the yard I hear she crying at the back of the yard so I go there with the torch light and I see her.”

The child’s mother claimed that she found her daughter crying bitterly. “She didn’t have on her top just her skirt and no underwear. I pick her up and I bathe her and put her to sleep.”

Although the woman had found her in distress, with bruises on her skin, she did not at first think that her daughter had been molested.

She claimed that the following day she realized the girl wasn’t eating so she rushed her to the city at her husband behest.

“When I come to the hospital that is when they tell me that she was molested and they called in the police,” the child’s mother claimed.

‘Deportee’ admits to killing aunt, jailed for 14 years Justice Navindra Singh sentenced a “deportee” to 14 years in prison, yesterday, after he had admitted that he killed his aunt, Latchmin Kumari Abrams, back in February 2007.

The deportee, Dexter Moseley, had pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter earlier in the month.

Abrams was found dead in her bed at her home in Speightland, Lower Kara Kara, Linden. The murder was reportedly committed between February 5 and February 6, 2007. At the time the accused was living with the deceased.

State Prosecutors Renita Singh and Konyo Sandiford presented the State’s case, while Moseley was

represented by attorney, Latchmie Rahamat.

Justice Singh in addressing the court told Moseley that he committed a very heinous crime. He added that Moseley committed the crime against his aunt; a woman who had taken him into her home after he was deported.

The judge told the court that he had started his sentencing from an initial 22 years. He explained that six years was taken off due to the time Moseley had already spent in prison. An additional two years was taken off for his guilty plea.

According to a neighbour, he received a phone call from Moseley some time between 03:30h and 04:30h on February 6, who

told him (the neighbour) that he saw a man going in Abrams’ house with a cutlass.

The neighbour immediately summoned the police after which, he peered from his window and saw two persons in the yard, but could not recognize them. They later turned out to be Moseley and a tenant (who was occupying the downstairs flat).

Around 06:30h, the tenant and the neighbour decided to check on the woman and discovered that she was dead. The police were summoned for the second time and they responded.

On November 7, a mixed jury was empanelled and the matter was adjourned until November 12 for commencement of the trial.

(Latoya Giles)

Soldier disappears in Pomeroon River The search continues for the body of a Guyana Defence Force soldier who disappeared in the Pomeroon River on Sunday night.

Derwin Simon, a GDF Coast Guard, who was on duty at the time at Wakapoa, in the Lower Pomeroon River, is feared drowned, after he allegedly jumped overboard in an attempt to retrieve his hat, which had fallen into the river.

The GDF in a statement issued yesterday said that one of its ranks stationed at the Floating Base in the Pomeroon River is missing

and presumed drowned.

“Ordinary Rating (OR) Darwin Simon and two other ranks had just finished mooring their boat alongside the Floating Base at midnight on Sunday when it is reported he fell into the river.

Efforts by the ranks to save him were unsuccessful.

Searches are currently in progress to recover the body and a Board of Inquiry has been established,” the statement said.

Reports emerging from Pomeroon are that Simon, who reportedly hails from the

bauxite mining town of Linden, along with 13 other Coast Guards, was stationed at Wakapoa, at the mouth of the Pomeroon River, when he apparently jumped overboard and never resurfaced.

According to reports Simon had shouted for help, which alerted his colleagues’ attention and attempts to rescue him were hampered by the rising tide.

Apart from the GDF personnel, residents at Wakapoa have mobilised a search team in an attempt to recover Simon’s body.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

Accused in Robb Street murder get paper committal After continued back and forth about the pre-trial hearing for the four men accused of murdering 72-year-old Clementine Fiedtkou-Parris, Magistrate Sueanna Lovell ruled yesterday that Orin Hinds, 35, Cleon Hinds, 34, Kevin October, 29, and Roy Jacobs, 34, will face a Paper Committal.

The prosecution was ordered to file statements in the matter. The defense which fought feverishly to have the Paper Committal heard was granted its request.

The ruling came after prosecutor Neville Jeffers and Defense Lawyer Basil Williams kept bumping heads over which way the pre-trial hearing should go.

The prosecution was adamant that the four accused s h o u l d f ace a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) since they contended that enough evidence existed to get a conviction for the accused and several witnesses were available with their testimonies.

The defense on the other hand argued that the prosecution was bluffing the court since they were prolonging the justice process by not serving the

72-year-old ClementineFiedtkou-Parris statements on the accused.

Williams quarreled that his clients had been imprisoned for a long time. He said that the Paper Committal would offer swift justice and the prosecution would be given a chance to present available witnesses.

The Magistrate noted in her ruling that she had conducted a Paper Committal before and she would conduct another. After pursuing the Act and making

the necessary checks, she stated that the pre-trail manner could be allowed.

The matter is scheduled to commence on December 17. The four accused were fingered in the executionstyle murder which took place at Lot 42 Robb Street, Georgetown. Allegations are that two of the men went to Parris’s home and requested an audience with the woman.

When she emerged, the men reportedly opened gunfire on the woman and reportedly made their escape via a waiting motorcar.

Parris succumbed at the City hospital. The police followed leads that the men were reportedly hired to execute Parris who was at the time engaged in a heated court battle over the property she was occupying.

It is alleged that Parris’s m u r d e r e r s w e re paid $400,000 to end her life. The police noted that although they believe they have nabbed the alleged murderers, the key players were still being sought.

They said other charges were expected for those who reportedly orchestrated the attack on the elderly woman.

Page 17

Lethem students mount protest in support of Headmistress Students of St Ignatius Secondary School in Lethem on Friday mounted a protest at both the school and at the Department of Education.

This newspaper understands that the protest had its genesis in the resignation of the Headmistress (HM), Yvette Archer.

Though students were ignored by officials at the Lethem Department of Education on the day of the protest, this newspaper understands that the matter has been resolved. Archer has rescinded her resignation.

According to reports, an estimated 200 of the 735 students who attend that school participated in the protest demonstration.

Kaieteur News learnt that students prematurely dismissed classes by ringing the bell, picketed the school, and then marched to the Region's Department of Education.

Reports are that as the protest reached the Department of Education, officials opted to pass instruction for the gates of the compound to be closed.

However, on Saturday, Chief Education Officer Olato Sam visited the region and addressed the situation.

- Teacher temporarily transferred to Lethem Department of Education Sources said that Archer's resignation came after her attempts at getting a teacher disciplined for alleged misconduct failed. The teacher was identified as Vanessa Singh who teaches Integrated and Agricultural Science.

This newspaper understands that other teachers had signaled an interest in requesting transfers as a result of the same matter.

The dispute between Singh and Archer stemmed from Singh allegedly texting all day instead of teaching and allegedly breaching the code of conduct. The tension escalated when copies of correspondence between her and the headmistress were posted around the school.

This newspaper understands that an extensive amount of harsh things were said about the headmistress in the letters.

The matter was referred to

the Department of Education in the absence of the School Board. Alfred Ramkarran, Chairman of the Education Committee said that he addressed the students the day before and didn't expect such a reaction.

Some children claimed that Singh collect $800 each from approximately 60 to 80 of them for the purchase of a textbook which is still to be received. Contacted initially, Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, said that he had not received a full report upon the matter but that it is being investigated.

However, his intervention on Saturday led to Singh being transferred to the Department of Education in Lethem while the Headmistress resumed duties.

This newspaper understands that the present system is only in place until a full investigation is completed.

Page 18

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Dredge owner 100 years for aviation in Guyana! robbed after leaving commercial bank Five minutes after leaving a commercial bank in Diamond, East Bank Demerara, a dredge owner and his business partner were relieved of over $2.6M in cash and valuables in front of his Diamond Housing Scheme residence by bandits.

The dredge owner said that yesterday he and his partner left the bank at 12:40 hrs in a taxi and arrived home at 12:45 hrs when two men-- one armed with a .38 revolver-attacked them. They were relieved of $2.6M in cash, cellular phones and other valuables.

He recalled that seconds after he and his partner exited the taxi he noticed two men-one of them armed-- running towards them shouting get on the ground!

“I didn’t get on the ground I just put my hands on the car because they were not looking at me…they were looking at my partner who had the money bag so he got on the ground…When they come they took the money and our phones and even pushed the gun in the driver’s belly.”

The dredge owner is convinced that the bandits

followed them from the Guyana Gold Board where they were earlier that morning.

Statements made by one of the bandits during the ordeal suggested that they knew the businessman is involved in gold mining.

“The one with the gun seh how that he know we does work in the bush…y’all does rob people in the bush so we rob y’all now,” the man said.

According to the man, his neighbours told him that the bandits escaped in a taxing that was apparently waiting a few doors away.

Having knowledge that it was a yellow cab the men went in search of the vehicle.

“We noticed two yellow vehicles heading in Providence direction so we call the police and inform them at Providence and they set up a police roadblock.

When we arrive there they didn’t capture any one and we were sent to the Diamond Police Station to make a report.

“Anyway I hear that they have a man in custody but he didn’t have anyone in the car when the police detained him,” the dredge owner said.

Aviation in Guyana is celebrating 100 years. Former Guyana Airways Corporation employee, Colin Lovell, who is now employed as a Manager with international carrier Delta Airlines, says that aviation in Guyana has come a long way.

Lovell said he started in the airline industry as a youngster in 1971 and stayed in the business for over 41 years during which he witnessed the first domestic crash and the Jonestown Tragedy.

Lovell told Kaieteur News that he started off at the Roraima Travel Service, which was owned by Aaron Bostwick. Lovell said that this was not the current Roraima Company.

At the time he started there, Lovell said that he was just out of secondary school.

He said he spent about a year with that company.

Lovell went on to say that he then went to Guyana Airways which was then only a domestic carrier. He was with the company when the Jonestown massacre occurred in November 1978.

He was the one who planned the flight for Congressman Leo Ryan. He was supposed to be on the flight but as fate would have it, he did not go simply because the flight’s departure

Colin Lovell time was pushed back until later in the day.

Lovell said that he was courting at the time and that he didn’t want to spend the night in the interior. He soon learnt about what happened.

He remembers the first domestic crash here in Guyana, in 1976, where Captain Dhanraj and First Officer Frankie Watson perished. The lone survivor of the crash was Compton Da Silva. He came back to work with the company as a foreman within the organization, he passed away several years ago, Lovell said.

He said that he got exposure as the station manager at a Barbados-based company in 1980, he spent ten years there. His defining years

in his career he said thought him to be independent and not to depend on anyone.

In terms of changes in aircraft, Lovell said that there is a new variety. When he first came into aviation he said there was the workhorse, which was an American helicopter, the fourth of a line of tandem rotor helicopters designed and built by Piasecki Helicopter (later Boeing Vertol). Commonly called the “flying banana”, it was a multi-mission helicopter, utilizing wheels, skis, or floats.

Lovell then remembers that there was the Caribou which is a Canadian-designed and produced specialized cargo aircraft with short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. The Caribou was first flown in 1958 and although mainly retired from military operations, is still in use in small numbers as a rugged “bush” aircraft.

There were the Twin Otters that were capable of landing on short airstrips.

Then there was the Skyvan that was brought

in by the government. This type of aircraft can hold up to 19 persons and has a twin turboprop aircraft. It was first manufactured by the Short Brothers of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is used mainly for shorthaul freight and skydiving.

In Guyana, Lovell said, the Cessna and the Caravan are also two popular aircraft right now.

Moreso, Lovell said that internationally the airlines such as Delta are using the 757 and the 767.

He said that he has witnessed aviation move from manual processing— tickets were written manually; baggage handling was manual— to something just operated by the flick of a button.

Lovell said that gone a r e t h e d a y s w hen the staircase was manually operated, when baggage was hoisted manually to and from the aircraft. Today there is electronic booking, electric staircase, belt loading of baggage and a host of other developments.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 19

Britain to crack down on Caribbean tax havens LONDON, England — A leaked document has revealed that Britain plans to impose its own version of the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) on its overseas territories, such as the Cayman Islands, as well as the crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. FATCA, which will come into force next year, requires foreign banks to report American account holders to the US Internal Revenue Service.

The draft UK equivalent, seen by the magazine International Tax Review, will require British tax havens to make similar disclosures about UK account holders to UK tax authorities, London’s Observer newspaper reported.

The move, which is expected to be unveiled in the chancellor ’s autumn statement and come into force in 2014, will have major consequences for those trying to hide their money offshore.

“It’s a complete bombshell for these places,” Richard Murphy, a tax expert who has seen the draft plan, told the Observer. “Some people will try to flee, but this is going to change the whole of the offshore market.”

He explained that the draft plan amounted to the UK using US legislation to give tax havens an ultimatum: “It’s either they give the UK the same data that they want to give the US or the UK won’t pass their laws to let data flow

to the US.” The ultimatum is crucial, Murphy suggested. If the UK refuses to pass the laws, its tax havens “might just as well shut up shop since there would be almost no banks or other institutions willing to locate there”.

Joseph Stead, Christian Aid’s senior adviser on economic justice, said that if the draft was implemented it “would be the beginning of the end for tax haven secrecy”.

According to the Observer, the Treasury declined to comment but confirmed to the Review that it was assisting the UK’s crown dependencies and overseas territories to produce their response to FATCA. In a response to the Observer article, Anthony Travers, chairman of the Cayman I s l a n d s S t o c k Exchange and former senior partner and managing partner of Cayman-based law firm Maples and Calder, said that Christian Aid and Tax Justice Network continue “a long and risible history of disinformation” which appears, once again, to have confused the article’s author.

“A moment’s research reveals the correct position to be nothing of the sort.

The Cayman Islands has had full proactive tax reporting with all EU Treasury departments since 2005 and has full disclosure tax information

PNP defends vehicle purchases, says the JLP depleted gov’t fleet The People’s National Party (PNP) has taken to the social media websites Twitter and Facebook to defend the Government’s acquisition of 30 new high-end vehicles at a cost of $60 million.

There has been much public outcry about the purchase which has been called excessive and unwarranted.

But in its postings today the PNP said the Administration had to resort to buying the high-end SUVs because previous ministers under the Jamaica Labour Party Government sold 30 vehicles to former ministers and senior civil servants, “severely depleting” the Government’s fleet.

It was noted, however, that the sale was done in keeping with the Government’s policy on the disposal of motor vehicles at

the end of the tenure of an Administration or a Civil Servants.

The PNP further said the Government had to buy new vehicles as some ministers have been using their personal cars to carry out the country’s business.

The party also stresses that the Administration took the country’s fiscal constraints into consideration saying that is why the acquisition of the new motor vehicles was done in bulk to secure a significant discount.

According to the PNP, this move has saved the government millions of dollars.

Last week, the Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller also defended the move, saying Government Ministers needed reliable vehicles to do their job.

agreements with HMRC and the IRS and many others. The publically available statistics reveal bank deposits in Cayman from EU residents to be statistically irrelevant,” he said.

“Misguided focus on tax transparent offshore jurisdictions simply perpetuates the UK’s tax collection problem by deflecting proper consideration from the real issues,” Travers added.

Banks in the Cayman Islands may now be targeted by Britain as well as the US

Page 20

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 27, 2012

‘Crop Over’ major revenue earner for Barbados despite recession BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) — The Crop Over Festival continues to reap significant dividends for key sectors in Barbados during the months of May to August, as the country continues to wrestle with the fallout from the ongoing economic recession.

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart reminded the audience about the economic importance of the festival yesterday during a Crop Over Morning Show sponsors’ breakfast.

The prime minister said: “The Crop Over Festival has grown to represent a key peak period for Barbados during the summer as a tourist destination both in terms of visitor arrivals and revenue generation for the t o u r i s m i n d u s t r y, a s evidenced by a month-tomonth comparison of arrival figures over a number of years.”

Stuart also alluded to the employment opportunities created outside of the

accommodation sector in the area of ancillary services.

“For example, car rental companies, restaurants, bars and taxi operators, are some of the beneficiaries of the increased activity during this period. Crop Over is an outstanding event where both large and small suppliers share in the benefits that flow from the influx of visitors,” he added.

Cognisant of the importance of the cultural and creative industries to the island’s development, the prime minister said this had led to the expansion of employment opportunities especially for the youth in various areas.

“A number of event organisers and promoters; lighting and sound companies; and tent rentals enterprises just to name a few, have mushroomed in recent years to service the Crop Over Festival; while giving young people more opportunities to use their vast array of skills.

There are also several

temporary jobs created in catering; the setting up of event management companies; the [establishment of additional] security companies; calypso tents; band houses and transportation, all because of the Crop Over Festival,” Stuart said.

He further stated: “So, when we talk about the approximately $80 million generated by the festival that is no idle boast.

That [money] does not go directly into the National Cultural Foundation’s coffers but rather, into the pockets of various enterprising Barbadians, who choose to see the value [of the Festival] and take advantage of opportunities that present themselves.”

Stuart also said that businesses such as boutiques and nail salons were “always happy to know that Crop Over is coming because the ladies, and I dare say the gents too, made sure that they are

prepared for the various events, and that is economic activity created for the small business person during this period”.

Such activity, he noted, generated revenue across the island. In light of this, the prime minister reminded sponsors that their continued assistance was needed to make the festival work for all Barbadians.

Stuart said it was the mandate of the NCF to promote growth in all aspects of the festival to the benefit of all Barbadians and appealed to the stakeholders to continue to assist with the successful staging of the event.

“We greatly appreciate the fact that you, like our other stakeholders, have engaged in continued dialogue with the board and staff of the NCF over the years in an effort to make the festival better.

The government remains committed to

playing its part in the development of the Crop Over Festival, but we need your support as astute business persons, to join us as we continue to generate activity through this festival which is now of international renown,” he emphasised.

The prime minister acknowledged that an expanded festival would result in increased costs of production and cautioned that “no effort must be spared to ensure that the benefits and rewards from the festival increase at a higher rate than the costs”.

Stuart expressed the hope that the 2013 Crop Over Festival would be bigger and better than this year’s festival and would leave a lasting impression at the local, regional and international levels.

He added: “Your sponsorship is vital to the success of this festival. As sponsors, you understand that the cultural industries are of major social, political and economic significance to our

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart country.

I acknowledge your past contributions in sponsorship and I must place on record, my since appreciation to those dedicated supporters who, in spite of the economic downturn of the last few years, have remained committed to the festival.”

The prime minister said long-term commitments from all stakeholders were needed if the island was to achieve the goal of making the Crop Over Festival “represent the best of Barbados in all facets”.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 21

FBI PROBES WARNER ...on CONCACAF money-laundering allegations

(Trinidad Express) National Security Minister Jack Warner is the subject of an enquiry by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The Express learned that the FBI’s enquiry is based on money-laundering allegations against former FIFA vicepresident Warner which stem from his relationship with Chuck Blazer, former general secretary of CONCACAF, the football federation for North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Questioned on the enquiry and whether FBI officials will be in Trinidad and Tobago to gather evidence, the United States Embassy in Port of Spain issued this statement to the Express: “As a matter of long-standing policy, we do not comment on law enforcement matters.”

Blazer was the whistleblower into the bribes-for-votes allegations made against Warner and Qatar football official Mohammed bin Hammam at a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) meeting held at Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain in 2011. Blazer’s allegations, leading up to FIFA’s presidential election last year, resulted in Warner’s resignation as vice-president of FIFA,

president of CONCACAF and president of the Caribbean Football Union. It is alleged that bin Hammam offered 40 members of the CFU US$40,000 each for their votes in the FIFA presidential election.

In 2011, Blazer was also the subject of an FBI enquiry for allegedly hiding a multi-milliondollar offshore account.

At the time, the FBI was examining evidence that payments may have come from the CFU during the time of Warner’s presidency.

At that time and in response to the reports and the FBI investigation of Blazer, Warner had told the Express that he “was not surprised” that Blazer was under scrutiny and he was not concerned that his name would be called into question in this scandal.

“The world will finally get to understand what I have been saying all along. This is only the beginning. There is a whole lot more to come, trust me,” Warner had said.

In September, newlyappointed CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb said the finances of CONCACAF under Warner’s tenure, when he was president of the body from 1991 to 2011, were still being probed by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Warner denied the probe then.

One of Webb’s concerns was for CONCACAF to finally

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — The director-general of the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM) Directorate in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, Ivan Ogando Lora, said an upcoming meeting of the Council of Ministers of CARIFORUM will be “momentous.”

He expressed this view en route to the twentieth meeting of the Council of Ministers of CARIFORUM, which is to be held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from 29-30 November. It is to be preceded by a preparatory meeting of senior officials set for 26-27 November. Secretary-general of CARIFORUM Irwin LaRocque will lead the delegation to the ministerial meeting.

Ogando underscored that, since the convening of the nineteenth meeting of the Council of Ministers of CARIFORUM, held in Dominica on 25 November 2011, a number of

developments that have the potential to impact CARIFORUM member states have occurred or are being planned.

These include: the institutional assessment of the CARIFORUM Directorate; finalisation of the substantive text of the new joint Caribbean-European Union (EU) partnership strategy; the new EU development policy and approach to budget support; commencement of preparation for the first EU/ Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Summit in 2013; convening of the second meetings of the CARIFORUM-EU Trade and Development Committee and the joint CARIFORUM-EU Council under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA); and commencement of discussions on the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) regional indicative programme (and status of 9th and 10th EDF programming and implementation).

Jack Warner

‘Momentous’ meeting of CARIFORUM ministers to be held in Dominican Republic

determine “whether CONCACAF has legal title to the Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence (at Macoya) and whether there may be guarantees or loans against CONCACAF’s property is still being determined”.

Contacted on the matter on Saturday, Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams said he had not been informed of any investigation.

The Express learned that the Financial Intelligence Bureau

(FIB) of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service has also been investigating the matter.

In May, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard advised the police that investigations should be continued in the context of the Customs Act in the CFU “cashfor-votes” incident. That information came out in the public domain after former Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs had told the Police Service Commission that Warner had

been cleared of any allegations.

Questioned on the state of the police investigation into Warner, Williams said he couldn’t comment as he had not been recently briefed, but gave an undertaking to provide an update.

Warner was appointed to the post of National Security Minister in June.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar did not respond to texts Sunday on the

Chuck Blazer matter.

Attempts to reach Warner, once by e-mail and several times by phone, were futile.

Page 22

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 27, 2012

With “fiscal cliff” deadline nearing, parties still at odds (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. Congress yesterday called on President Barack Obama to detail long-term spending cuts to help solve the country’s fiscal crisis, while holding firm against the income tax rate increases for the wealthy that Democrats seek.

In a further sign of tense relations between negotiators who are trying to avert a yearend “fiscal cliff” of steep tax increases and spending cuts, the White House expressed doubts that “balanced” deficit reductions can be achieved merely by limiting tax breaks and cutting spending, as Republicans propose.

The White House is already on record threatening to veto any bill that does not include income tax rate increases on the wealthy that are opposed by Republicans.

While Congress returned from its Thanksgiving holiday break amid increasing talk about long-term tax reform plans and a need to compromise, the two parties showed no signs yet of having found a way around

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell the short-term tax obstacle necessary to head off the fiscal cliff on December 31.

“We remain at an impasse,” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said during a floor speech.

The lack of progress helped push financial markets down slightly, as fiscal cliff worries made investors less willing to buy stocks.

Obama spoke with House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican from Ohio, about the budget negotiations

during the weekend, as well as with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, a White House official said.

Obama spokesman Jay Carney said the president would speak with them again “at the appropriate time.”

“People in both parties agree we need a ‘balanced approach’ to deal with our deficit and debt and help our economy create jobs,” Boehner said through a spokesman. But the two parties were clearly at odds over what constitutes a balanced approach.

The fiscal cliff ’s approximately $600 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts that would begin in 2013 would push the U.S. economy back into recession, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

A new CNN poll found that the public is now closely watching the debate unfolding in Washington over how to tame budget deficits that have exceeded $1 trillion for four consecutive years.

The poll found that twothirds of those surveyed fear the country would face major problems without a remedy to the fiscal cliff and 77 percent believed their own financial situation would suffer.

Republicans would get more of the blame than Obama, according to the survey.

The remedy preferred by two-thirds in the poll was a mix of spending cuts and tax increases to get the country’s finances in order.

SHADES OF 2011 With Republicans demanding more spending cuts and Democrats insisting on some income tax increases, fiscal cliff talks are about where they were in mid2011, when Obama and Boehner failed to reach a comprehensive deal on deficit reduction.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, the No. 2 Republican in that chamber, said in an interview aired on MSNBC on Monday, “We were not re-elected to raise taxes or increase marginal rates.”

Instead, Cantor said Obama should outline how he

President Barack Obama would save money on expensive federal entitlement programs that include the Social Security retirement plan and Medicare healthcare for the elderly. The White House said Social Security should not be part of deficitreduction negotiations.

Unlike a handful of Republican members, Cantor, who represents the Richmond, Virginia area, did not disassociate himself from an anti-tax increase pledge sponsored by Grover Norquist and his powerful lobby, Americans for Tax Reform.

While Democrats also

have talked about a willingness to find savings in the growing costs of entitlement programs, they first want to lock in income tax increases on top earners families with net incomes above $250,000 a year.

The spending cuts that Republicans are demanding would likely be negotiated next year, not during the few remaining weeks Congress has this year, because of the complexity of revamping the huge entitlement programs.

On December 31, acrossthe-board tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 under thenPresident George W. Bush expire.

Republicans want all of them to be extended for a year while Congress weighs comprehensive tax reform along with long-term spending cuts.

But Democrats have countered that all of the deficit reductions undertaken in 2011 focused on cutting domestic programs and now it is time f o r a more balanced approach that would require the rich to contribute to fiscal reforms.

Canada’s Carney named as Bank of England chief

(Reuters) - Britain named Canadian central bank chief Mark Carney on Monday to head the Bank of England, springing the surprise choice of a foreigner to push reform of its troubled financial system.

A former Goldman Sachs investment banker who at the Bank of Canada guided the Canadian economy through the global economic crisis, Carney will succeed Mervyn King who retires in July.

Carney, who already plays a leading role in setting global banking rules, defended his departure from Canada and signalled that bigger problems awaited him in London.

“I’m going to where the challenges are greatest,” he told an Ottawa news conference, stressing the need to “rebalance” the economy which has relied heavily on a financial services sector hit by huge losses and scandals.

“It’s very important for the global economy that the UK does well, that it succeeds in this rebalancing of their economy, that the reform of the British financial system is completed,” he said.

Carney will become the first non-British head of the central bank in its 300-year

Mark Carney history, beating hot favourite BoE deputy governor Paul Tucker to the post, which will pay a salary of 624,000 pounds. The Bank of Canada does not disclose Carney’s exact salary but says he is paid in a range equivalent to US $436,200 (272,030 pounds) $513,000.

During the crisis, Carney helped to make Canada’s recession one of the shallowest of the world’s richest nations. No Canadian bank needed government help, and the country recovered all the jobs it lost in the downturn relatively rapidly.

By contrast, Britain had to bail out Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group, and the world’s sixthlargest economy is still

struggling to achieve growth four years after the crisis broke.

Carney, 47, will remain as head of the Financial Stability Board (FSB), a Basel-based body that sets global banking rules, when he moves to London next year, although the Bank of Canada itself does not regulate the country’s banks.

“I believe he will bring the strong leadership and external experience that the Bank (of England) itself needs as it takes on its heavy new responsibilities for regulating our banking system,” Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne told parliament in announcing the appointment.

Carney will stay at the Bank of Canada through May, and starts at the Bank in July. He will serve a fiveyear term, rather than the eight years that had been expected for the next BoE governor.

From next year the Bank will take charge of British financial regulation, almost doubling its size.

This boosted the case for a governor with strong management skills and financial market experience, rather than someone in K i n g ’s academic mould.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak to resign (Reuters) - Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, a leading strategist in confronting Iran over its nuclear program, said in a surprise announcement yesterday that he would leave political life after the January 22 national election.

Some commentators speculated Barak was trying to duck an anticipated trouncing of his tiny centrist party in the ballot, after which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads the front-running, right-wing Likud, might return him to defence and military headquarters as a professional appointee.

But others said the 70year-old Barak, who has served as prime minister and armed forces chief, may have had enough of campaigning and wanted to focus on resolving the Iranian issue before leaving his post.

“I stand before you to share my decision to resign from political life and not to run in the coming election for the Knesset,” Barak told a news conference, adding he would stay on as defence chief until a new administration is sworn in.

Speaking five days after an eight-day Gaza offensive ended in a ceasefire with the enclave’s Islamist Hamas rulers, Barak said he wanted to spend more time with his family and that politics “has never been a passion of mine”.

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak Should Barak’s resignation prove permanent his successor would likely come from Likud ranks. He might even be replaced by the current foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, the Likud’s more hawkish coalition partner.

Few doubt that this would affect the tenor of a ministry that oversees everything from armed conflict to administration of occupied Palestinian territory to liaising with regional power-broker Egypt.

Barak’s announcement was followed by word from former foreign minister Tzipi Livni that she would hold a news conference today, stirring speculation she would proclaim her candidacy for the election, with polls suggesting she could grab Barak’s spot as Israel’s ranking centrist leader.

Netanyahu and Barak have spearheaded Israel’s

campaign for stronger international sanctions against Iran to halt what Israeli and Western leaders fear is a covert effort to develop the means to build nuclear weapons, something Tehran denies.

IRAN BECOMING IMMUNE TOATTACK? Raising speculation that Israel could defy its main ally, the United States, and attack Iran on its own, Barak has cautioned that Tehran is nearing a “zone of immunity” that would put deeply buried and fortified nuclear facilities out of reach of Israel’s military might.

But last month, he told Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper that an immediate crisis was avoided when Iran chose to use more than a third of its medium-enriched uranium for civilian purposes earlier this year.

The decision, he said “allows contemplating delaying the moment of truth by eight to ten months”.

WAR HERO AND WOULDBE PEACEMAKER Barak is both Israel’s most-decorated soldier and a statesman embraced abroad since his breakneck campaigns, ultimately unsuccessful, for peace with the Palestinians when he was prime minister in 1999-2001.

He has lent public credibility to Netanyahu’s veiled threats to bomb Iran should diplomacy fail to curb its disputed uranium

Syrian jets bomb rebel bases near Turkey border

A view of a damaged mosque is seen after Syrian Air Force fighter jets loyal to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad fired missiles at the town of Ras al-Ain. REUTERS/Samer Abdullah/Shaam News Network/Handout Reuters) - Syrian warplanes bombed two rebel bases near the Turkish border yesterday sending hundreds of people fleeing across the frontier.

The attacks on the Free Syrian Army positions (FSA) in Atima and nearby Bab alHawa came a day before NATO and Ankara were due to start assessing where to

station surface-to-air missiles on the Turkish side of the 900km (560-mile) boundary.

Turkey, a big supporter of rebels fighting to oust Syria’s President Bashar alAssad, has repeatedly scrambled jets along the border.

It has also responded in kind when shells from the conflict have landed inside Turkey, underlining fears

Syria’s 20-month-old revolt could spread to destabilise the region.

Ankara has rejected Syrian complaints that the NATO Patriots were “provocative” and stressed they would be used only to defend Turkish territory, not to create a no-fly zone inside Syria that rebels have long demanded (Continued on page 24)

enrichment campaign.

But after Netanyahu, in a September speech at the United Nations, said Israel’s “red line” on Iran now fell in mid-2013, Barak signaled that any war with the Persian power could wait.

Israeli officials say contingency plans for Iran have been in place for months, awaiting a green light from the government.

Such open discourse over a showdown that would stretch Israel’s military capabilities to the limit suggested a possible bluff or at least that Netanyahu and Barak - both former commandos schooled in subterfuge - hoped to achieve some kind of tactical surprise when the time came to pull the trigger.

Some might see a ruse in the show of retiring Barak who, on the eve of Israel’s shock 2008-2009 war in Gaza, made an unannounced live appearance on a top-rated Israeli television satire, seemingly to help drop the Palestinians’ guard.

With two months remaining until the election and several more weeks for

the new coalition government to be formed, Barak said yesterday he would continue to deal with “many challenges” on the national security front, leaving open the possibility he would be part of fresh military actions in the interim.

Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon of the Likud, a former armed forces chief, appears to be a front-runner to replace Barak as defence minister after the election if Netanyahu, as expected, forms the next government.

Yaalon has sabre-rattled about Iran more volubly than Barak and, while the defence minister spoke in favor of U.S. President Barack Obama before his re-election this month, Yaalon had accused the Democratic administration of being soft on Tehran.

OTHER CANDIDATES Other candidates to succeed Barak, according to defence officials, include Avi Dichter, a former security chief who is now the Likud minister in charge of preparing the home front for war, and Lieberman, currently foreign minister.

As the only centrist member of the governing coalition of right-wing and pro-settler parties, Barak has frequently visited Washington for talks with top U.S. officials and had criticized Netanyahu for airing differences with the United States.

In a statement, Netanyahu said he “respects Defence Minister Ehud Barak’s decision and thanks him for his cooperation in the government and highly appreciates his longstanding contribution to the security of the state”.

In Gaza, Hamas saw Barak’s decision to quit as proof that this month’s Israeli assault on the enclave was a disaster.

“This is evidence of the political and military failure that the government of Netanyahu and his defence minister suffered,” said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.

Israel has called its offensive a success, saying it destroyed most of Hamas’s long-range rocket arsenal and killed the Islamist group’s top militants.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Euro zone, IMF reach deal on long-term Greek debt

(Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund clinched agreement on a new debt target for Greece yesterday in a breakthrough towards releasing an urgently needed tranche of loans to the near-bankrupt economy, officials said.

After nearly 10 hours of talks at their third meeting on the issue in as many weeks, G r e e c e ’s international lenders agreed to reduce Greek debt by 40 billion euros (32.4 billion pounds), cutting it to 124 percent of gross domestic product by 2020, via a package of steps.

The deal should open the

way for a major aid instalment needed to recapitalise Greece’s teetering banks and enable the government to pay wages, pensions and suppliers in December.

However, discussions were continuing on the methods to be used to lower Athens’ debt burden, including a possible debt buyback and a lowering of interest rates on loans to Greece.

The euro strengthened against the dollar after news of a deal was reported by Reuters.

“It’s going very slow, but we have financing and a Debt Sustainability Analysis.

We’ve filled the financing gap until the end of programme in 2014,” one official engaged

with the talks said.

A second official confirmed the figures.

Greek Finance Minister Ya n n i s St o u r n a r a s s a i d earlier that Athens had fulfilled its part of the deal by enacting tough austerity measures and economic reforms, and it was now up to the lenders to do their part.

“I’m certain we will find a mutually beneficial solution today,” he said on arrival for the marathon talks.

Greece, where the euro zone’s debt crisis erupted in late 2009, is the currency area’s most heavily indebted country, despite a big “haircut” this year on privately-held bonds. Its economy has shrunk by

nearly 25 percent in five years.

Negotiations had been stalled over how Greece’s debt, forecast to peak at 190-200 percent of GDP in the coming two years, could be cut to a more sustainable 120 percent by 2020.

The agreed figure fell slightly short of that goal, and the IMF was still insisting that euro zone ministers should make a firm commitment to further steps to reduce the debt stock if Athens implements its adjustment programme faithfully.

The key question remained whether Greek debt can become sustainable without euro zone governments having to write off some of the loans they have made to Athens.

A source familiar with IMF thinking said the global lender was demanding immediate measures to cut Greece’s debt by 20 percentage p o i n t s o f G D P, w i t h a commitment to do more to reduce the debt stock in a few years if Greece fulfils its programme.

To reduce the debt to 124 percent by 2020, the ministers were putting together a

package of steps including a debt buyback funded by a euro zone rescue fund, reducing the interest rate on loans and returning euro zone central bank ‘profits’ to Greece.

Germany and its northern European allies have so far rejected any idea of forgiving official loans to Athens.

DEBT RELIEF “NOT ON TABLE” German Finance Minister Wo l f g a n g Schaeuble told reporters that a debt cut was legally impossible, not just for Germany but for other euro zone countries, if it was linked to a new guarantee of loans.

“You cannot guarantee something if you’re cutting debt at the same time,” he said. That did not preclude possible debt relief at a later stage if Greece completed its adjustment programme and no longer needs new loans.

The source familiar with IMF thinking said a loan writeoff once Greece has established a track record of compliance would be the simplest way to make its debt viable, but other methods such as foregoing interest

payments, or lending at below market rates and extending maturities could all help.

The German banking association (BDB) said a fresh “haircut” or forced reduction in the value of Greek sovereign debt, must only happen as a last resort.

Two European Central Bank policymakers, vicepresident Vitor Constancio and executive board member Joerg Asmussen, said debt forgiveness was not on the agenda for now.

The options under consideration included reducing interest on already extended bilateral loans to Greece from the current 150 basis points above financing costs.

How much lower was still being debated — France and Italy wanted to reduce the rate to 30 basis points (bps), while Germany and some other countries sought a 90 bps margin.

Another option, which could cut Greek debt by almost 17 percent of GDP, was to defer interest payments on loans to Greece from the EFSF, a temporary bailout fund, by 10 years.

From page 27 as a way to neutralise Assad’s massive air power.

Syrian planes dropped around six bombs on a rebel base near the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, said activists. nThe attack also flattened tents being set up nearby for displaced people inside Syria by a Turkish charity, but no one was inside them at the time, Tu r k e y ’s state-run Anadolu agency reported.

Reuters television footage showed tattered shelters and a bomb crater near a line of tanks. Two Syrian jets fired five rockets at an FSA base in Atima, around 2km (1

mile) from the border. Several hundred Syrians fled into Turkey after the Atima raid and were being taken care of by the Turkish army.

The Turkish Anatolian news agency said an antiaircraft shell fired during clashes in another Syrian border town, Harem, hit the roof of a house in the Turkish district of Reyhanli but caused no casualties.

Syrian rebels have been tightening their hold on farmland and urban centres to the east and northeast of Damascus, and have seized a string of military bases in the past 10 days.

PATRIOT DEPLOYMENT

A joint Turkish-NATO team will start work today assessing where to put Patriot missiles, how many will be needed and the number of foreign troops to be sent to operate them.

Turkey is reluctant to be drawn into the fighting, but the proximity of Syrian bombing raids to its border is straining its nerves.

It is worried about its n e i g h b o u r ’s c h e m i c a l weapons, the refugee crisis on its border, and what it says is Syrian support for Kurdish militants on its own soil.

Activists say more than 40,000 people have been killed in Syria’s civil war, which started with peaceful demonstrations for reform but grew into demands for the overthrow of 42 years of dynastic rule

by Assad and his late father, Hafez al-Assad.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, speaking to the Austrian paper Der Standard, urged Assad to consider a political settlement with the opposition. “ The military option is not sustainable.

The conflict should be resolved via a political process. (Assad) should realise that he has gone too far, too deep, and how can he continue this way?

Syrian jets bomb rebel...

Tuesday November 27, 2012

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Tuesday November 27, 2012 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You may have to hold yourself back today, but it’s better than dealing with the aftermath of a lack of discipline.

You have been getting by without imposing too much structure on yourself, but making a commitment now can bring you the support you need.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Be careful about negotiating away more than you should in order to enter into an agreement today. Even if you know what you want, you might not truly appreciate what you must give up until it’s gone.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You can stand up and play your part with style today, even in the face of resistance.

In fact, you may perform so well in these tough circumstances now that you can actually change the outcome, snatching success from the closing jaws of defeat.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You’re ready for fun today, but obligations at work may force you to delay a previously scheduled social event.

Unfortunately, your resentment might grow and encroach onto areas of your life that were working fine.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) There’s a quiet observer within you now who is making notes and plotting out a course of action, even if your hectic life is filled with craziness.

Fortunately, your innerstrategist is not deterred by all the noise.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) You would benefit from the wise advice from someone you trust today, but you may have a hard time finding anyone who can meet your high expectations. Nevertheless, listen to the voices of experience, even if they don’t have all the answers.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) The stable Taurus Moon reassures you by reaffirming a practical choice you’ve recently made about your life.

However, your feelings may still be in conflict with your decision.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You may be feeling quite conservative today, but your current attitude isn’t about politics or sex. Rather, your caution influences your finances, your emotions and your personal relationships.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) The pressure to change may continue to build until you discover a way to ease the source of the tension. You might choose to play the role of the rebel by stirring up every hornet’s nest you find today.

Although this brash approach frees you from having to play by the rules, it may not be the best strategy.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Your problems are still present today, but you seem to have a real sense of what commitments you can make and which ones to sidestep. Oddly enough, you are being quite practical by considering how each option could affect your feelings.

The cosmic radio is playing your requests today, but the planets are singing along with conflicting messages. Try not to stress out if you can’t decide whether to follow your need for long-term emotional security or an immediate impulse for affection.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You might not believe that you’re receiving enough emotional support from your close friends now. You could even grow discouraged, but dwelling on negativity isn’t the best use of today’s productive transits. Instead, observe your current situation and isolate anything that makes you feel unhappy.

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Tuesday November 27, 2012

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Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

Boy, 7, drowns after canoe Gizmos & Gadgets launches capsizes in Demerara River million dollar shopping spree

A

seven-yearold Kwakwani b o y w a s pronounced dead at the Linden hospital complex yesterday, where he was taken after he was fished out of the Demerara River in the vicinity of West Watooka, shortly after 14:00 hrs.

The seven-year-old, Leon Daniels, had reportedly travelled to the mining town for his sister's birthday on Sunday.

According to reports, the tragedy occurred after Daniel's elder brother, 17year-old Brian took him and another little boy out on the river for a boat ride.

The boat reportedly capsized after Brian turned i t a r o u n d s u d d e n l y, following a call from his mother.

Daniel's grandmother was at the time waiting to take him back to Kwakwani to his parents.

Neighbours said that they observed the boat floating down stream with a little boy sitting on top, and another bigger boy swimming alongside, when they

G

A relative holds the lifeless body of Leon Daniels shortly after it was pulled from the Demerara River decided to raise an alarm.

Persons from the community quickly flocked to the riverside to see what was happening, and then began to look for the missing child.

The Police were also called in. “But the worst part was that people de looking all over for this little boy and nobody ain't find he, and is when the owner for the boat turned it over, that was when Leon was observed under it.

If people de only think of looking there before, I think

his life could have been saved.

There are reports that the owner of the boat questioned why the 17-year-old took the boat out into the river, when he couldn't operate the engine.

Brian's mother, Roxanne, who is also Leon's stepmother, is said to be hypertensive. She had to be rushed to the Linden hospital complex after suffering fainting spells subsequent to the incident.

Police are investigating.

izmos and G a d g e t s superstore launched its million-dollar shopping spree yesterday.

The event will be a fiveweek promotion. It will conclude on December 31, 2012.

According to the company, the million dollar shopping spree will be a promotion that allows all customers to shop anything from the superstore and get opportunities to enter into the promotion.

Customers are expected to make five purchases or more and receive coupon(s) to enter into the million dollar shopping spree.

These purchases could be made all at once or accrued during the stipulated period. Even purchasing C-point gives patrons the opportunity to receive a receipt which gives them a coupon.

On December 31, a draw will be done to select 11 persons. One will be selected to shop one million dollars from the superstore and the

One of the many items up for grabs other 10 will be given the chance to win consolation prizes from Gizmos and Gadgets totaling $1M. Christmas shopping at Gizmos and Gadgets this year, 2012, is designed to help customers Get Value and Save Big from every purchase made.

Prices have been discounted, products increased and available in a wide variety. Customer service personnel will wrap every gift, at a patron's request.

Media operatives were given a first chance to participate in the event.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 29

Agricola Family homeless after fire - victims include 19 day old baby

Firefighters at the scene

Ms Rhonda Phillips and her youngest child, 19 day old baby boy Isaiah

A family of five, including a 19 day old baby was rendered homeless after a fire of unknown origin completely destroyed their Agricola, East Bank Demerara Home late last evening.

Kaieteur News was told that the fire started sometime after 23:00hrs after there was a loud explosion. According to eyewitnesses the fire quickly engulfed the home.

Neighbours who live close to the house got into a panic and quickly started removing items from their homes after fearing that the fire might spread.

However, quick action by the Fire Service helped to contain the blaze to the one

house. Matriarch of the home Ms Rhonda Phillips said that she was awoken by a loud explosion. Phillips told Kaieteur News that when she woke she saw her home with a thick dark smoke. “I just heard the explosion…and when I jumped out I saw the smoke and quickly got my children outside”.

Phillips managed to get all of her children, a 19 day old baby, a ten, four and seven year old to safety.

The woman said that she was very thankful that all of her children survived.

Phillips said she will now have to stay with relatives. An investigation into the fire will be conducted. (Latoya Giles)

Picture Boy Double Murder Trial…

Matter will go to the jury Justice Diana Insanally yesterday overruled the nocase submissions made by the defence and it is expected that double murder accused, Cyon Collier, called ‘Picture Boy’, will commence his defence today before a mixed Demerara Assizes jury.

Collier is charged with the murders of Victoria b r o t h e r s ; R a y Wa l c o t t called ‘Sugar’, and Carl Andrews, called ‘Alo’ on September 23, 2006.

When the trial resumed yesterday, Senior State Counsel Judith Gildharie-

Mursalin responded to the no-case submissions made by Defence Counsel, Lyndon Amsterdam last Friday. These submissions were all done in the absence of the jury.

F o llowing the Prosecutor’s submissions, Justice Insanally immediately handed down her ruling that she will call upon the accused to lead a defence. Collier is being represented by attorney at law Lyndon Amsterdam.

Amsterdam then sought an adjournment to today to commence that process.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Du Plessis grit salvages draw for South Africa ADELAIDE (Reuters) Faf du Plessis carried his bat for more than seven hours, hitting an inspirational century on debut to carry South Africa to a moraleboosting draw in the second test against Australia on Monday.

The all-rounder was grit personified on a tense fifth and final day, compiling an unbeaten 110 to steer the Proteas to safety in the stifling heat of the Adelaide Oval.

Australia paceman Peter Siddle and spinner Nathan Lyon captured late wickets to leave South Africa wobbling at 240-8 and the home side in sight of victory.

However, Du Plessis and Morne Morkel survived the nerve-shredding final overs to leave the series tied at 0-0 after the drawn first test in Brisbane.

South Africa were 248-8 at the close, 182 runs behind the 430-run target Australia captain Michael Clarke set for victory, with Morkel unbeaten on eight. The third and final test starts in Perth on Friday, a quick turnaround for two teams carrying injuries and battling fatigue after five days in Adelaide’s baking heat.

Du Plessis anchored two defiant partnerships, the first an 89-run stand with schoolmate AB de Villiers that soaked up 68 overs until after lunch. The second was a 99run dig with the injured Kallis, who battled through the pain of his hamstring strain for a

second straight innings.

“I just tried to keep my game plan very simple,” the 28-year-old Du Plessis told reporters. “Make them bowl at me and just take it an hour by an hour.

“If you looked at it yesterday, it was quite a long way away.

AB and Jacques really helped me a lot. I had goose bumps - it’s the record for the longest goosebumps ever.”

An enthralling battle between Du Plessis and Siddle saw both players slump to the ground in exhaustion before picking themselves up again.

Siddle returned figures of 4-65 after nearly singlehandedly willing Australia to victory with two wickets after tea. Lyon finished with 3-41 after bowling a heavy load of 50 overs as the Australian attack struggled with a greater workload with paceman James Pattinson ruled out with a rib injury.

Graeme Smith’s South Africa looked dead and buried after slumping to 45-4 shortly after tea on day four but underlined their status as the world’s top-ranked test team with a display of formidable resilience to bat out nearly four sessions for the loss of only four wickets.

Du Plessis and Kallis seemed set to frustrate the hosts again after scoring a big partnership in the first innings and guiding their team past the follow-on, but Lyon

struck to have Kallis caught for 38 and give Australia renewed hope.

BOILING POINT Siddle raised the tension to boiling point by dismissing Dale Steyn for a duck with a full toss that was pushed straight to Rob Quiney in close for the seventh wicket.

Shattered but charging in on pure adrenalin, Siddle bowled Rory Kleinveldt with a yorker to spark a roar from the few thousand spectators remaining, but Morkel proved rock solid at the close and scored a pair of boundaries to defuse the threat in the final over.

Du Plessis was made to wait five nervous overs on 98, but brought up his 100th run with a drive through the covers for two off the bowling of Ben Hilfenhaus. Siddle earlier bowled AB de Villiers with an off-cutter through the gate to remove the wicketkeeper for 33 and end a fifth-wicket partnership with Du Plessis that started shortly after tea on day four.

Du Plessis enjoyed some fortune, surviving a dropped catch by wicketkeeper Matthew Wade on the second-last ball before tea and a pair of lbw appeals in the morning after video reviews over-ruled umpire Billy Bowden twice.

Scores: South Africa 388 and 8 for 248 (du Plessis 110*, Siddle 4-65, Lyon 349) drew with Australia 550 and 8 for 267 dec.

Bush Lot United Turf Club to stage one-day Horserace Meeting More than one hundred of the country’s thoroughbreds will compete for over 7 million dollars and beautiful trophies, in eight races carded for the day, when the Bush Lot United Turf Club, West Coast Berbice, stages a one-day Horserace Meeting at the Club’s facilities Sunday December 9 next.

Activities are guaranteed to be action packed as reports out of West Coast Berbice suggest that all of the horses are doing good gallops.

Those animals out of the Sheriff Stables are reportedly going well and will be coming out on race day to capture the feature race and the million dollars that go with it.

The second place in that race receives $500,000, while the 3rd and 4th places receive $250,000 and $125,000 respectively.

The top stables Jumbo Jet, Romel Jagmohan, I.

Bacchus and N. Ross are going extremely well during their preparation over on the Corentyne, while jockeys at the Simply Royal Stable are in top form after riding off with the top prize in the feature race at the just concluded meet staged by the Ryan Crawford Turf Club.

Then there are ‘Score’s Even and ‘Mission King’ of the Elcock Stables, in the sidelines and rearing to go.

The latter two horses are extremely dangerous as those are ridden by S. Sookall, straddling ‘Warcraft,’ and C. Jagdeo atop ‘Flying Filly.’

‘Joyful Victory’ is also doing eye catching gallops along with Mr. Crawford’s ‘Night Crescendo’ and could cause some upsets.

Fans will be able to view the races in comfort as the management of the Turf Club has just installed a new V.I.P Stand, a commentator’s booth

and a jockey room. There is also a new parade ring and several new stables.

The track is in good condition and trainers are going through their preparations with zest.

Apart from the fun and frolic, turfites can vie for the two Blackberry Cell Phones put up by Digicel in a special drawing. Banks DIH Ltd are the main sponsors with support from Sheriff Racing Stable, Jumbo Jet Auto Sales, Digicel, Asraf Alli, Custom Family, Lenny Singh and Family, Balwant Singh and Family, I. Bacchus, Simply Royal Racing Stable and R. Jagmohan.

Further information can be had from Mr. Roop (232 0231 / 625 0164), Bobby Sookdeo (232 0558 or 672 0810), Compton Sancho (690 0569) and Annie (613 1884).

Activities get underway at 13:00hrs sharp.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 31

Young Warriors UDVD into Windies continue final; Flying Star reach semis to bring region pride and joy says WICB Half centuries from Mortimer Fraser and Rudolph Baker helped Young Warriors Universal DVD post a total that proved too much for Kendall’s Union to overcome in their third round match of the Bobcat of Berbice second-division T20 knock-out competition. Warriors’ win ensured them a bye into the final.

Playing at the Cumberland ground, Young Warriors Universal DVD won by 31 runs after winning the toss, the winners choose to bat first and rattled up 175 for 4 in their 20-overs; Mortimer Fraser top scored with 64 (5x4 5x6), Rudolph Baker 55* and Hubern Evans 26. Stephen Ramlochan took 2 for 49 for

Windies captain Darren Sammy and manager Richie Richardson with the Test series trophy (WICB).

CASTRIES, St. Lucia – The West Indies Cricket Board on Sunday hailed the West Indies team for their Test series victory over hosts Bangladesh.

West Indies completed a 10-wicket victory over the Bangladeshis in the final match of their two-Test series at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna.

The result gave West Indies a 2-0 victory in the series and a fourth straight Test win for the first time in close to two decades.

“On behalf of the directors, management and staff of the WICB, I want to wish the players and the team management hearty congratulations on this achievement,” said WICB President Dr. Julian Hunte.

“They continue to bring pride and joy to the people of the Caribbean. Indeed, a huge achievement for the team, considering the tough conditions which they faced.

“But they did an excellent job, never losing faith in their collective ability, which eventually brought them to success.”

Dr. Hunte said this was another example of the hard work which the players and the team management have put in to achieve success.

“There have been challenges, but it is good to see the team is now reaping some measure of success,” he said.

“Though there is still plenty work for all of us to do to restore West Indies cricket to its ultimate place of excellence, this performance is another example that prospects for the future appear to be bright.”

Dr. Hunte praised all the players that were able to achieve personal milestones in the series, including Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Tino Best, Kieran Powell and Marlon Samuels.

Chanderpaul earned the Man-of-the-Series award after scoring a double-hundred in the first Test and 150 in the second Test, while Best was West Indies’ most successful bowler with 12 wickets.

Powell became the first West Indies batsman in nine years to score a century in each innings of a Test during the first Test at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka, and Samuels scored a maiden Test double hundred in the second Test at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in the south-western town of Khulna.

“They are all assets to the team, but every single player had a part to play in this success,” said the WICB President.

“We now look forward to further success in the five Oneday Internationals and the Twenty20 International.”

Kendall’s Union which responded with 144 for 8 off their 20-overs; Bichand Deonarine 30, Daniel Baker 29, Dasrat Debideen 29 were the main scorers.

Kassim Khan took 2 for 7. Meanwhile, Flying Star of Kortheberaadt on the East Bank advanced to the semifinals when they defeated Celebrity Times by 3 runs in their third round encounter. Enjoying home advantage at the Kortheberaadt ground, the match was reduced to 15 overs-a-side due to late preparation.

Flying Star won the toss and batted first, Celebrity Times did well to restrict them to 92 for 9; Quincy DeVelde topped with 27*, Steve Semple and Marvin

Durant made 14 each. Celebrity Times started their response well to be 40 for 1 at one stage but thereafter, Flying Star bowlers tightened the screws as they slipped to 48 for 4, 68 for 8 and eventually reach 89 for 8 in their 15 overs; Waheid Edwards led with 21.

Bowling for Flying Star Quincy DeVelde took 2 for 6, Ravi Bridgelall 2 for 7, Carl Campbell 2 for 10 and Marvin Durant 2 for 20, all bowling 3 overs apiece.

The tournament is specially organised by the Berbice Cricket Board for teams in the East Bank/New Amsterdam/Canje/East Coast area.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Captivating action as Lester Peters U-15 KO football tournament reaches knockout stage South Georgetown demolished Camptown 6 2, while GFC hammered Fruta Conquerors ‘B’ 7-nil when the Lester Peters U15 football tournament reached the knockout stage at the Tucville playfield Saturday afternoon last.

Those encounters followed two matches one day earlier, also at the same venue, when Fruta Conquerors swamped Flamingo 13-0 and Northern Rangers defeated Renaissance FC 6-2.

Randy Layne starred in the former match when he breached the opposition’s defence 5 times, in the 10th, 13th, 20th, 25th and 27th minutes with support from Colin Waterman who registered in the 7th, 22nd and 50th minutes, while Ryan Blackman contributed a brace in the 47th and 55th minutes.

Jaleel Hamilton and Delroy Holligan completed the onslaught with successes in the 75th and 80th minutes respectively.

Randy Layne In Saturday’s supporting game, Northern Rangers defeated Renaissance FC 6-2 after Ralph Parris led with a double in the 25th and 36th minutes. Other scorers for the winners were Keith Caines (47th) Josiah Charles (55th), Michael Schekel (60th) and Ozeal Small (75). Colin Peters scored both goals for the losers in the 27th and 58th minutes.

The tournament has now reached the knockout stage with 8 teams qualifying for this round. Those teams that are; Group A: Fruta Conquerors A and B, Renaissance FC and

Camptown FC. Group B: Flamingo FC, Georgetown Football Club, Northern Rangers and Pele.

The tournament to date is very competitive with Fruta Conquerors ‘A’ leading the points standings in Group ‘A’ after winning all 5 of their encounters, amassing an impeccable 15 points and a goal difference of (positive) 39. Northern Rangers have also won all 5 of their games in Group ‘B’ and has 15 points but with a lower goal difference of 19.

Semifinal action commences on Sunday December 2nd when South Georgetown tackle Northern Rangers. The latter team boasts Keron ’Camodie’ Harewood whose exploits on the field has been gripping.

The finals are slated for Sunday December 9.

The tournament is held in commemoration of the death of Peters, a former mid fielder of the Conquerors Club who died last year October.

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 organizer is Sampson Gilbert and he is asking the public to support the games.

COLOMBO (Reuters) New Zealand fast bowlers Tim Southee and Trent Boult ensured their side remained in charge of the second cricket test against Sri Lanka on Monday, reducing the home side to 43 for three at the close.

New Zealand had reached 412 in their first innings thanks largely to a record third-wicket partnership of 262 between captain Ross Taylor (142) and Kane Williamson (135), before Southee took two for 16 and Boult one for 16.

At one stage Sri Lanka were 12 for three thanks to Boult and Southee’s triple breakthrough before Tharanga Paranavitana (9) and Angelo Mathews survived (20) to the close without further loss.

Sri Lanka remain in a precarious position as Thilan Samaraweera may have problems batting after suffering a cut to the webbing on his right hand while fielding which required three stitches.

Southee started the rot with the first two wickets of the Sri Lanka innings in three balls, bowling the fit-again Tillakaratne Dilshan between bat and pad for five and then causing Kumar Sangakkara to top-edge a hook-shot to fine leg to perish for a duck.

Boult got in on the action when he induced Sri Lanka

captain Mahela Jayawardena (4) to edge a loose drive to gully, where Williamson pouched a low chance. “To get three wickets before stumps was a great start and the bowlers have been bowling really well throughout this series,” Williamson told Reuters.

“It was a good day all round and finishing off with the wickets was great. I think we’re in a good position but, saying that, it’s a very good track and we’ve got to bowl that side out twice to get a victory. “They have got some seriously good cricketers and so that’s not going to be an easy feat (to win).” Resuming at 223 for two, Taylor and Williamson took their stand to 262, a New Zealand record for all wickets in Sri Lanka, beating the unbroken 246 of Jeff Crowe and Richard Hadlee at the Colombo Cricket Club in 1987.

Williamson, who resumed on 95, moved to his third test hundred in 253 balls with nine fours and also got to 1,000 runs in the longest form of the game, becoming the youngest New Zealand batsman to reach that mark at 22 years 110 days.

“It’s been a tough tour with not having much time in the middle but I’ve been working really hard in the last week or so and so it’s nice to have put together this innings,” said Williamson.

The pair were eventually separated when Taylor, who started the day on 119, missed an attempted sweep at leftarm spinner Rangana Herath (6-103) after hitting 11 fours in an innings in which he faced 388 balls.

Williamson fell in similar fashion five overs later after just over seven hours at the crease, during which time he hit 12 fours. With Kruger van Wyk (0) and debutant Todd Astle (3) following in quick succession either side of lunch, New Zealand were in danger of squandering the hard work of day one.

That they did not was due to Daniel Flynn who made 53, his second half-century of the series, and helped to steer New Zealand past 400 for only the second time in 10 tests this year.

Flynn, like Williamson, also eased past 1,000 test runs during his innings before he was dismissed by Herath, who claimed his third successive five-wicket haul in the series.

Herath now has 52 wickets in this calendar year, one behind the leading test wicket-taker in 2012, England’s Graeme Swann.

Southee and Boult keep New Zealand in control

Scores: Sri Lanka 43 for 3 (Mathews 20*, Southee 216) trail New Zealand 412 (Flynn 53, Taylor 142, Williamson 135, Herath 6103) by 369 runs.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 33

November Edition of Friday Night Fights

Mark Austin ready for most important fight of career Mark Austin is intensifying training sessions as he prepares to enter the ring against Iwan ‘Pure Gold’ Azore for the latter fighter’s CABOFE welterweight belt on Friday November 30 next.

This is a crucial fight for Austin whose career is at the crossroads following several losses recently.

Austin has had a dream start to his career until he fought Clive Atwell to a draw and then was knocked out by Revlon Lake.

Two defeats at the hands of Barbadian, Miguel Antoine and another knockout loss to Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy forced him off the scene with a record of 11 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw. He has since recoiled to assess his future in the sport.

That period of introspection is now over and Austin feels that he is ready to resume his career.

His coach, George Oprecht, also nurtures confidence in his charge and has been putting him through his paces, intent on winning

the Azore bout.

Over the past few weeks of preparation, even the uninitiated could have sensed the purpose and determination oozing out of Austin as he applied himself to his tasks.

He sparred with Edmond DeClou and pounded away on the heavy bag under his coach’s guidance. One gets the impression that Austin will be going for a knockout in order to announce his return to combat in the most spectacular fashion.

But Azore is no slouch and has managed to quell his temper which had been his downfall in all of his losses.

He has not been enjoying the best of times in the ring and lost to Hardy in January this year. Azore is more experienced having fought in Trinidad and Tobago as well as Canada.

The Trinidad based Guyanese has so far compiled a record of 15 wins and 5 losses with a knockout ratio of 13.4%.

Should the real Iwan

Azore turn up on fight night Austin will be required to dig real deep to clinch the win.

In other bouts, Richard Williamson will match skills against Rudolph Fraser in a six rounds featherweight contest and the Berbician will have to be at his best if he is to cross this hurdle.

Fraser has had a few tough bouts, against Clive Atwell and Dexter Marques, losing both.

He will be on the redemption trail and since he is the more experienced, will want to stamp his authority.

He will have to be circumspect as, though he is a young professional, Williamson has a wealth of experience as an amateur.

He will also be anxious to reinstate his confidence after foolishly allowing himself to be disqualified after clearly being the superior boxer against Charlton Skeete a few fights ago; that was before he opted to hit his man while he was down. The referee had disqualified him for that.

Junior/welterweight,

Kwesi Jones tries to block from a Mark Austin assault during sparring sessions last week.

Gladwin Dorway will also be required to dig deep when he faces veteran boxer, Lindener, Cassius Matthews over 6 rounds while another Berbician, Kishawn Simon will face off with Patrick Boston in a 6 rounds catchweight

affair. The latter pugilist has compiled 7 wins from his 16 fights with 6 losses and 3 draws while Dorway is a relatively young professional with 2 fights against David Thomas and Anson Green; he won both.

Boxing buffs will also be treated to 4 international amateur bouts where local boxers will face off with their Trinidadian counterparts.

The admission price remains at $1000 for adults while children will pay $500.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Boxing Clubs reinstates Steve Ninvalle - Local amateur boxers to benefit from as GABA President largesse of United States Embassy Steve Ninvalle was reinstated at the helm of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) when that entity held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Olympic House, High Street Kingston, Sunday morning.

He will preside over his first major function on Friday December 7 next w h e n h e travels to the Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis Boxing Gym (ALBG) to receive a set of boxing gears donated by officials of the United States Embassy including gloves, punching bags, mittens and mouth guards among others.

This was confirmed by Public Affairs Officer of the donating institution, Pabatha Fairslough, by telephone Sunday.

She said that officials at the American Embassy were interested in the advancement of the local pugilists and apart from the donation of gears, wished

to see the youngsters embark on academic pursuits. To this end the Americans will guide the boxers towards the acquisition of scholarships in the North American country. “We will donate texts that detail the procedure to be followed,” said Ms Fairslough.

The volumes that will be donated to the GABA will guide GABA executives on the financial and other requirements of studying in the USA as well as the resource material.

Eustace Cuffy was also re-elected unopposed as Vice President and is joined by two new faces, Gordon Nedd and Superintendant, Carl Graham, also Vice Presidents.

Former Vice President, Maurice Rajkumar did not seek reelection.

S e c r e t a r y, Sean Richmond retained his position following a

Steve Ninvalle (center) is flanked by Patterson (left) and Richmond (right).

Standing left to right Carl Graham, Kesa Chase and Eustace Cuffy. unanimous vote of confidence of the electorate as was Treasurer, Dexter Patterson. Kesa Chase is another new face on the executive, clinching the Assistant Secretary Treasurer portfolio at the expense of Keith Campbell who failed to impress the electorate.

Meanwhile, in an invited comment minutes after retaining the position, Mr. Ninvalle thanked the affiliates for their show of confidence.

He was also heartened by

the show of interest by the Americans and extended deep gratitude to them.

The reinstated President said that the gears would be distributed to gyms in region 4, 6 and 10.

Pertaining to the implementation of initiatives during his renewed tenure he said that he will huddle with the other executives to implement strategies towards the boxers’ advancement.

The returning President confirmed that his focus will be on the nursery in an effort

to prepare them for future international competitions.

He said that sponsorship would form a very integral aspect of developmental projects and he was heartened by the support received during his past tenure.

Consequently, the GABA boss is appealing to the corporate community to support the plans and objectives of his executives as they work assiduously towards the advancement of their charges.

Alpha, Pele, Western Tigers chalk up wins When play in the Guyana Football Federation Super League continued on Sunday last, defending champions Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United, Pele and Western Tigers all took full points from their opponents, Buxton United Sports Club, Rosignol United and Milerock FC. Buxton United were not able to let their home advantage count as the rampaging defending champions have chalked up back to back wins after losing to Uitvlugt Warriors, their first defeat in years. Anthony Abrams

was again in the main scorer for Alpha with a first half double that knocked the wind out of the sails of Buxton.

Abrams rocked the nets in the 13th and 25th minute with the deal being sealed in the 73rd minute through a Mervin Joseph goal.

Both sides used two substitutions with Daniel Wilson making way for Shevane Seaforth in the 73rd minute, while Dwight Peters exited with two minutes to game time, replaced by Manasseh Primo.

Buxton tried to reinforce their troopers in the first minute of the second half when Robin Phillip made way for Les Charles Critchlow. Eson Hamer left the game in the 62nd minute when Jamaal Booker was

introduced.

Over at the GFC Ground, the Pele trio of Gregory Richardson (9), Konata Manning (39) and Travis Grant (67) guided their side to a 3-2 win over Rosignol FC, the Berbice side got their strikes from second half substitute Christopher Clarkson (75) and Tyson Carmichael (87).

The late surge of the Berbicians was cause for worry in the Pele camp but they were able to hold out for the win.

Western Tigers needled Upper Demerara’s Milerock in a keen battle between the two sides. They were separated in the 71st minute when Sherman David breached the Milerock defence and goalkeeper.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 35

War Craft looking to be number one War Craft, owned and trained by veteran Trainer and ‘horse man’, Senior Counsel Marcel Crawford, is cutting its own path in the horseracing circle in Guyana.

With horseracing in Guyana enjoying some success of recent, with more horses taking part in meets, no one horse has the accolade of being undisputed champion with upsets after upsets being the order of the day at most race meets.

At the moment most of the stables and owners try to keep on top of their game by replenishing their stocks on a regular basis with constant importation and breeding of horses. However one horse has been on the improve ever since it took to the track a few months ago.

War Craft of the Senior Council Marcel Crawford stable at Alness, Corentyne Berbice, is proving to be the exception and is set to reverse the trend in its quest to reach the top in the horseracing arena in Guyana.

With three wins from four starts since arriving in Guyana, the animal has

converted its last three starts to convincing victories as it stakes it claim to be the horse to beat at the moment.

Sourced from the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, it was first allowed to campaign in the G3 category, the animal when it last race had moved up to the G1 class and carried a permitted weight of 111 pounds. Having destroyed its opponents in the G and lower category, War Craft is now set to take on the higher class horses.

The animal moved up to the E and lower category for the first time in the last race meet just over three weeks ago and scored a thumping victory as it completed a hattrick of victories. The animal is now set to campaign in the E class and higher C and B class races.

Owned and trained by Marcel Crawford who has been in the business for over six decades, the horse is getting the right kind of training and feed.

Crawford has had an illustrious career in the horseracing field in all aspects

Gansham Singh presents the winning trophy to Ms Lisa Gopaul of the Crawford stable for War Craft telling victory in the E class event in a recent race meet. Jockey Yap Drepaul is perched on top of the animal. of the sport. He stated that through all his years in the business he has never doped a horse and mentioned that as one of the reasons why his horses are so successful despite having a small stable at the moment.

Most of his horses perform consistently for a

long period of time.

War Craft will be no different, with three wins in its last four race meets the animal is presently preparing to take to the track on Sunday December 9 at the Bush Lot United Turf Club in an effort to redeem itself after a close and controversial loss at its

last race meet last Sunday in the E and lower event at the Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club Classic horse race meet.

By name War Craft has declared war on its opponent and is crafting its own path with tremendous finishing speed down the homestretch.

The horse has won all of

its races running from behind and bolting past its opponents on its way to the finishing pole.

The Crawford Stable connections will continue to work and look forward to seeing the horse in the winner’s circle on a regular basis.

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Kaieteur News

Organisers switch tonight’s games to Banks DIH Car Park Organisers of the Banks DIH-sponsored Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal Competition wishes to inform teams, fans and the media that tonight’s round of quarterfinal matches has been shifted from the East Ruimveldt Basketball Court to Banks DIH Car Park.

The shift is venue according to a member of the Organising Committee is because of the inclement weather which has been unpredictable.

The offical said that the East Ruimveldt Basketball Court is usually left in a soggy state whenever rain falls and with spectators comfort in mind, they’ve decided to change the venue.

In tonight’s action:

19:30 hrs Banks DIH Ltd v/s YMCA 20:00 hrs Guinness Bar v/s Oasis 20:30 hrs Clippers Barber Shop v/s Media 21:00 hrs East Front Road v/ s North - Last Entrance 21:15 hrs Upper Level v/s Sweet Hand 21:45 hrs Globe Yard v/s Sophia B 22:15 hrs Back Circle v/s Bent Street 21:45 hrs Broad Street B v/s East LaPenitence

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Ruthless tourists level Test series in Mumbai BBC Sport - England ruthlessly completed a memorable 10-wicket victory over India in the second Test in Mumbai to level the fourmatch series.

Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann shared the last three India second-innings wickets in 45 minutes on the fourth morning to bowl the hosts out for 142.

England openers Alastair Cook and Nick Compton then knocked off a target of 57 with ease before lunch. It is only

England’s second Test win in India in 14 matches since 1985.

England’s spectacular allround performance was the perfect antidote to their meek showing in the first Test and ignites the series with two matches to play.

The recalled Panesar made a mockery of the decision to leave him out in Ahmedabad with a Test-best 11 wickets in the match as 19 of the 20 India wickets fell to spin, while Cook and Kevin Pietersen scored brilliant hundreds to secure a crucial first-innings lead of 86.

Man of the match Pietersen’s assault on the India bowling on his way to 186 on Sunday afternoon was particularly important, demoralising the hosts and filling England with confidence.

Panesar and Swann, who outbowled India’s three spinners throughout, followed up with seven wickets on the third evening to ensure it was always likely to be a matter of when, rather than if, England would finish the job on Monday.

Leading by 31 with only three wickets in hand, India took 10 off the first over of the day but Harbhajan Singh fell in the next when he gloved Swann to Jonathan Trott at

slip. Zaheer Khan top-edged a slog-sweep and was easily taken by Matt Prior to give Panesar figures of 6-81, before opener Gautam Gambhir was trapped lbw for 65 by Swann, who finished with 4-43 - and 8-113 in the match.

Fears of a scenario reminiscent of Abu Dhabi in January when England collapsed to 72 all out chasing a modest 145 to beat Pakistan were quickly dispelled as Cook and Compton set about their task with relish.

Compton, playing his second Test, cracked four fours and a six in making 30 not out from 28 balls and Cook posted an unbeaten 18 as the tourists cantered home.

England’s first win in six Tests leaves the series tantalisingly poised going into the third match in Kolkata starting on 5 December, with the finale in Nagpur to follow.

England have not won a series in India since David Gower ’s side came from behind to seal a 2-1 triumph in 1985.

Scores: England 413 (Cook 122, Pietersen 186, Ojha 5-143) and 58 for 0 beat India 327 (Pujara 135, Panesar 5-129) and 142 (Gambhir 65, Panesar 6-81) by ten wickets.

Alastair Cook leaps as the winning runs are scored (BCCI)

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 37

Flex Night Inc. holds Bodybuilding Camp in Central C’tyne bodybuilders drawn to the sport in the Central Corentyne and of the preparations that were in train for the March 2 Flex Night - Central Corentyne Flexout. To date there are fifteen bodybuilders in training for the event.

A main presentation was then made by Managing

Director, Donald Sinclair, which dealt with the phases of bodybuilding contest preparation, nutrition for mass and definition, personal grooming and finishing touches.

This session was fully interactive and the participants asked a range of

questions relating to training systems, exercises for specific muscle groups, conditioning activity and contest grooming.

At the end of the exercise special, Flex Night souvenir t-shirts were presented to Messrs. Kumar and Raheem Ali of House of Pain Gym.

Valcke in Brazil 2014 World Cup infrastructure warning

FIFA Secretariat General Jerome Valcke

Mr. Kumar receives Flex Night t-shirt from Donald Sinclair.

BBC Sport - All 12 stadiums across Brazil will be ready for the 2014 World Cup, Fifa’s general secretary has said.

But Jerome Valcke told the Soccerex convention in Rio that the vital wider infrastructure work was lagging behind. Mr Valcke, overseeing progress on delivering the World Cup in Brazil, has highlighted a lack of hotels for the estimated 500,000 overseas visitors. He also said that Fifa and the Brazilian football authorities now had a much better relationship.

Mr Valcke has angered

Brazilian officials in the past by suggesting that the stadiums would not be ready.

Now he believes the risk of delay has moved on to such matters as the necessary number of hotels and vital improvements to airports and public transport.

‘Solutions’ “In one unnamed city there are 17,000 hotel bedrooms and a 45,000 capacity stadium [for the World Cup],” he said at the Soccerex business of football event being held in Rio. “But we have now moved from talking about the problems to talking about the

solutions. We are able to find and answer the problems.”

Brazil is spending $15bn (£9.4bn) on infrastructure for the World Cup, which includes everything from the 12 new or renovated stadiums, to new bus lanes and airport extensions.

The country’s Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo also told the gathering that the country was aiming to use the World Cup to build a lasting legacy of economic growth and reducing social inequality. The government’s latest estimate is that the World Cup will boost the Brazilian economy by $90bn.

Local amateur boxers take on Trinidad counterparts in November Friday Night Fights Four local amateur boxers will oppose their Trinidadian counterparts when the November edition of the Friday Night Fights gets underway at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) on Friday November 30 next. President of the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Boxing Association (T&TABA,) Cecil Forde, has recently dispatched a correspondence to his Guyanese counterpart, Steve Ninvalle, confirming that that his boxers will be in Guyana in time for the action this weekend.

He said that his executive has selected the final team which consists of boxers with a wealth of experience.

Among them are

middleweight Declan Calliste, a silver medallist at the Trinidad National Championships who also contested for a place on the just concluded London Olympics at the Brazil Qualifier. Leon Nottingham is Trinidad and Tobago’s National Welterweight Champion and he will also comprise a part of the team.

The other two Trinidadians making the trip are national lightweight champion, also a participant at the Brazil Olympic Qualifier, Michael Alexander and National Junior bantamweight champion, David Gonzales.

The initiative is the second of an agreed exchange programme between the two Caricom

countries. Local amateur boxers had recently travelled to the Twin Island Republic to compete against those pugilists with junior boxers Joel Williamson and Travis Hubbard winning their bouts, while Lightweight, Imran Khan and heavyweight, Jamal Thomas suffered defeats. The local boxers will attempt to win all four of the bouts.

Meanwhile, GABA Tournament Director, Terrence Poole, said that his executive will be selecting the four local boxers to oppose the Trinidadians by the end of today. He said that while there is a large pool of boxers, he wants to select the best of the lot thus improving Guyana’s chances of coming out victorious.

In the run up to the December 8 Flex Night International event and in preparation for the Flex Night - Central Corentyne Flexout which comes off on March 2, 2013 in Port Mourant, Flex Night Incorporated held a Bodybuilding camp on

Sunday November 25 in Hampshire on the Central Corentyne.

The event was attended by bodybuilders from Windero Gym of New Amsterdam, House of Pain Gym, Powerhouse Gym and Hardcore Fitness Gym all of

the Central Corentyne. The session began with a review of developments in bodybuilding in the area since Flex Night Inc. had the first outreach session in Central Corentyne in late October.

Mention was made of the increased number of

t r o Sp

BRAZILIAN flair shines through in FIFA posters

for each World Cup 2014 host city

The armadillo mascot was named Fuleco after a vote but many people were unimpressed with the selection of options on offer (AP).

D

a i l y M a i l - could not send in suggestions mountains, the Sugarloaf Posters have because the names needed to peak, the sea and the sky.

Sao Paulo: The design been released f u l f i l l s e v e r a l l e g a l football raised high above the for each of the cities in Brazil requirements involving p o r t r a y s a b u s t l i n g Castelao Arena. It is a city metropolis where thousands which will host World Cup trademarks and other rights. which is both modern but has THE NEW POSTERS of people life, celebrate and games in 2014. not forgotten its roots.

FOR EACH HOST CITY breath football. The city has They may not have Natal: The green comes OF THE 2014 WORLD an infectious energy and finished building all of the expanse of greenery the city from the forest, the blue from stadiums, but a lot of care has in it, while the various the crystal sea and the yellow and attention has gone into colours of the player show from the hot sands. The designing these. the city’s multiculturality. silhouette of a man reaching Each poster features Curitiba: A Brazilian out on a poster coloured like something which ties in with pine tree is pictured because the Brazilian flag symbolises the history or the nature of this type of tree covered the country welcoming the the city it is for. much of the land in the area world with open arms. The Meanwhile Brazilians before the city was formed in people of Natal are keen to have selected the name the 17th century. The pine give, to share, to host.

‘Fuleco’ for the three-banded rises high, stretching out its Cuiaba: The capital of armadillo mascot for the cones almost as if it is raising the state of Mato Grosso is in competition after a threea toast to football. the exact centre of South month voting process that was Manaus: This city is in America and is considered branded undemocratic by fans. the state of Amazonas, which the heart of the continent.

FIFA said more than 1.7 is almost entirely covered by The poster’s bright colours million people in Brazil took rainforest. The parrots sitting shows the joy the World Cup part in the controversial vote on top of the goal post are will bring and the joyful nature to select the name for the representative of that, and of the locals. The silhouette of mascot. signify the fact we cheer for the whole state is displayed in Polls showed the vast great players, matches, the centre of the ball. majority of Brazilians were goals, and for nature itself.

Porto Alegre: The not pleased with the names Salvador: A city of capital city of Rio Grande do picked for public voting and w e a l t h , c u l t u r e a n d Sul has magnificent views critics said organisers should architectural heritage. It has over Lake Guaiba and on the let fans choose other names. s t u n n i n g s c e n e r y a n d right lies the Usina do Fuleco comes from the breathtaking views from up Gasometro, the best place to Portuguese words ‘futebol’ high in the towers of the city’s see these from. The ball being (football) and ‘ecologia’ other tourist attractions. kicked represents the cultural (ecology), and FIFA said it Perhaps views which might legacy being fired forward. ‘seamlessly represents theway bring to the heart the same F I FA . T h e d e s i g n ’s Recife: The poster in which the FIFA World Cup delight as the feeling when shows the essence of a celebratory nature shows the can combine the two to CUP welcome that footballers and your team score. coastal city full of art, joy encourage people to behave in Fortaleza: The sunshine and movement. Frevo is the Rio de Janeiro: A fans will receive in the city. football is in its blood, its an environmentally friendly B r a s i l i a : T h e and beauty of the city’s dance of the city and the man way.’ Football’s governing footballer balancing the ball buildings and in the air. on the back of his neck Belo Horizonte: The b a c k g r o u n d i m a g e coastline, shown with a in the middle is a frevo body said Fuleco received 48 shows the city’s deep love of city holds the Church of Sao represents the cathedral in beach at the bottom on the dancer, whose moves also percent of the vote, while 31 the game.

Each layer Francisco de Assis, which is the city, with an immense poster, make it a special represent that of a skilled percent went for Zuzeco and meanwhile stands for one displayed in silhouette form blue sky above it. Green at place. The city’s major football player. There is a 21 percent for Amijubi. landmarks are shown in the carnival feel to the design.

Organisers claimed fans aspect of Rio, the beach, the on the poster, according to the bottom portrays the vast Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210