Kaieteur News

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Online readership yesterday 125,243

October 17, 2015 - Vol. 9 No. 41 - Price $80 kaieteurnews@yahoo.com Website:http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

ExxonMobil ramps up preparations for possible 2018 operations - initial 60,000 barrels per day expected

A Bumpy Ride: After years of neglect, the Bartica/Potaro road, Region 7, is finally slated for some critical repairs.

Former PM's son to be sentenced after High Court denies legal challenge Grenada charges four Guyanese in drug ring bust

Vulgar acts of Taxi driver shot, malpractice took another stabbed in place at NMFU separate incidents - former Head of Inspection - as gunmen hijack cars Pradoville 2 scandal…

Jagdeo, fmr. Ministers purchased land at 2000% below market value

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Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

Legislation to address copyright infringement in Guyana remains priority for US - Ambassadors required to report errant countries

By Abena Rockcliffe The United States of America remains concerned about the absence of legislation in Guyana to prevent copyright infringement.

The US had urged Guyana before to establish stringent copyright legislation, but Guyana slipped behind in its deadlines to make this a reality.

At a recent press conference at the Duke Street, Kingston Embassy, US Ambassador, Perry H o l l o w a y, s a i d t h a t Ambassadors are legally required to inform congress about errant countries.

Holloway said that his government is keen on ensuring Guyana gets copyright legislation as well as “proper protection.”

“So yes, copyright infringement is certainly a serious concern for my government and it will continue to be a serious one.

I think we actually have legislation that requires us to even inform our Congress of which countries are performing at a certain level and which are not. So it is an important issue, one that we will continue to work on under the democracy and governance I described as being one of the US top

priorities.”

Local musicians have long lamented that an outdated copyright law is preventing them from earning a decent living.

The APNU+AFC coalition had announced that it would pass modern Intellectual Property legislation within a year.

During his contribution to the 2015 National Budget debate, Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine had said that the new government could not, “as has happened for a decade and a half under the previous administration, pay lip-service to intellectual property by neglecting it to the point of institutionalizing intellectual property piracy.”

He later said that there would be a wide-ranging consultation with musicians, authors, poets and others in the creative industry, to ensure that the new law takes into consideration their concerns.

Dr. Roopnaraine, who is also the Minister with overall responsibility for

Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine culture, youth and sport, also expressed hope that the law would be enacted in one year to replace the 1956 Copyright Act that Guyana inherited at the time of independence from Britain in 1966.

His announcement came less than one week after the Guyana Music Network (GMN) decided to mobilize its community to petition government for new

American Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway

legislation. Addressing that meeting was world renowned Guyanese singer, Eddy Grant, who issued a passionate call for the radio stations being operated by the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) to play more local music to enable the artistes to earn royalties and promote their craft.

The Peoples Progressive Party Civic administration

had claimed that copyright legislation would have prevented poor Guyanese from accessing otherwise expensive textbooks.

The award of a multimillion dollar contract by the Ministry of Education to a local producer and supplier of bootlegged textbooks was only halted after the United Kingdom Publishers Association secured a High Court injunction.

Saturday October 17, 2015

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Kaieteur News

ExxonMobil ramps up preparations for possible 2018 operations

ExxonMobil and Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson is upbeat over Liza’s potential US-owned ExxonMobil is said to be examining bids from floater contractors aiming to supply the company with a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel for the fast-track development of its deepwater Liza project off Guyana.

Industry sources said that at least five players are battling to land a contract to lease a “vessel of opportunity” to handle 60,000 barrels per day of crude or more, plus significant quantities of gas.

First oil is being targeted as soon as 2018, according to a report yesterday on upstreamonline.com.

The four-company group chasing the FPSO order, said sources, comprise Bluewater, BW Offshore, Modec, Saipem and SBM Offshore.

The news would spell good ones for Guyana after ExxonMobil announced the find back in May. It was the first major oil find for Guyana which has been heavily dependent on imported oil to meet energy and transportation needs.

However, neighbouring Venezuela has since revived its claims to Guyanas territory, including the waters where ExxonMobil found the oil.

According to Up streamonline.com, reporting on ExxonMobils plans, yesterday said that this early production system could be the forerunner of a full-field project, tentatively based on a larger FPSO with capacity in the range of 150,000 to 200,000 barrels per day (bpd).

H o w e v e r, i n d u s t r y sources cautioned that the US Company has not yet taken definite decisions on its preferred strategy for Liza, and that how it will move to full field development is not yet clear.

Nevertheless, ExxonMobil, is said to be enthused by the potential of Liza, a play-

opening frontier wildcat which was completed in May. “Its a huge field,” said one source, adding that ExxonMobil thinks that this area “could be a secondAngola.”

ExxonMobil contracted seismic player CGG to acquire what industry sources said was as much as 20,000 square kilometres of seismic data earlier this year, using two vessels and fasttracked processing.

Despite the dearth of floater projects globally, the FPSO companies studies are said to have been partly funded by the ExxonMobil.

These preliminary studies focused on an early production system but also, said one source, took in conceptual work on the potential full-field scheme.

Pre-FEED work began early this summer, with documents submitted in mid-September.

ExxonMobil is expected to decide on its preferred bidders within weeks.

One source suggested two or three players may be asked to take part in a competitive contest lasting six to nine months, leading to a potential contract award in the third quarter of next year.

ExxonMobil is also in talks with subsea players about hardware provision.

Lizas initial subsea production system is expected to include gas injectors and perhaps water injectors, as well as production wells.

There is market talk that the subsea system supporting the early production FPSO could more than triple in size if ExxonMobil is confident about the reservoir parameters.

One source, Up stream online.com said, noted that the broader challenge for the development lies less with its technical aspects and more with the areas isolation.

There is no maritime or oil and gas infrastructure.

Onboard the drilling rig earlier this year.

The topography of the region would make development of such facilities very difficult.

Instead, supplies would likely come from Trinidad & Tobago where ExxonMobil sourced its drilling operation, though sources warned that the distance and strong ocean currents make logistics challenging.

Upstream previously reported that ExxonMobil intends to drill at least four more wells on its 6.6-million acre Stabroek block.

These will appraise Liza an Upper Cretaceous discovery and also target an exploration prospect called Ranger, a different play concept from the initial hit.

Sources familiar with the geology of the trend said they believed the reservoir would produce light oil with low viscosity that could flow at rates of anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 barrels per day from a single well.

ExxonMobil put out a tender earlier this year to secure a rig for the drilling programme that was thought

to have drawn bids from a host of major rig contractors, but Upstream understands the rig procurement process

is ongoing. An ExxonMobil representative said the company “continues to (Continued on page 16)

Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

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

This has the potential to be about showing how consensus can be achieved DEAR EDITOR There are reports that Hindus in Guyana have a choice between 10th and 11th November for Diwali. Hindus could probably choose both.

Hinduism’s practices are wonderfully diverse, and the migration of Hindus from India has resulted in many challenges in terms of adaptability and survival.

There have been other dates for Hindu festivities which have been different over the years.

As with so many other beliefs and practices, there are persons who will have Hindu scriptural references to back up the dates. Perhaps all are right.

We know the fable of the two blind men standing at the front and the back of the elephant describing what they feel with their hands.

There are devout Hindus who thrive on the alcohol

industry and there are devout and not so devout Hindus who campaign against alcohol consumption.

There are devout Hindus who have supported oppressive political regimes while devout and not so devout Hindus who have campaigned against the oppression.

The Government of course has to make a choice for the holiday. It seems that the 10th has been selected.

Many organisations will probably adjust their activities accordingly. It might be easy for them.

There is news that the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha has the motorcade on the 10th November.

It is reported that the Georgetown based motorcade is the “ single largest event in the Guyanese calendar” . The logistics associated with this event

must be enormous.

There must be participants, stakeholders, loyal patrons and sponsors of the GHDS motorcade who would not want to exclude the Georgetown/ECD based Hindus and others who will celebrate Diwali in their homes and communities on the 10th November.

These participants, stakeholders, loyal patrons and sponsors and even the relevant Government agencies might want to work with the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha to put forward the motorcade date in the spirit of universality and to make it easy.

This has the potential to not be about who is right and who is wrong, but rather transforming how consensus can be achieved when there are differing views , all of which are probably right.

Vidyaratha Kissoon

DEAR EDITOR, Please permit me to respond to Fredrick Kissoon’s letter “Freddie Kissoon apologies to Donald Ramotar” in the KN October 16, 2015.

I tried very hard to follow what this man is trying to say in the first part and then in the last few lines of his letter.

I think he wants me to understand that I made a grammatical mistake, that his use of the word “transport” is correct, and that when other important political figures in other parts of world make mistakes they are also criticized in the same way he

criticized Donald Ramotar. He does not get. I will put my point or message in a different way.

When someone lives in a glass house he or she cannot afford to throw to stones at others.

What shocks me the most about Kissoon’s letter is his apology to Donald Ramotar. I do not think anyone forced him to do so.

I think it is genuine. I can feel it. This is BIG, and let me repeat, BiG of you Mr. Kissoon to offer an apology to Mr. Donald Ramotar. I do hope he accepts your apology. You are a step

ahead. The entire nation is waiting for an apology from the 50 percent regime.

Now, what you should to do next might be very difficult. But you CAN DO IT. I do not expect you to go down on your knees with a bouquet of flowers in your hands on the doorstep at Freedom House begging for forgiveness.

You should never do that.

But I do expect you to offer an apology for calling some people “Indian Supremacists”.

I will do the same if so needed.

Lomarsh Roopnarine

Responding to Freddie’s apology

The PPP does not care to see anything, which is why the law must help them to see DEAR EDITOR, Dr. Nanda K. Gopaul “sees nothing wrong”( KN 16 October 2015) with members of a State Cabinet taking decisions to appropriate State property, instructing state officials to use taxpayers money to develop the said property, and then distribute the developed property among themselves. He is PPP, and the PPP does not care to see anything, which is why the law must help them to see.

Dr. Gopaul most likely did not also see anything wrong with the PPP persecuting certain senior officers from the New Building Society, when those officers refused to go beyond a certain point with that organisation’s finances.

Recall that the PPP sought access to NBS’s resources to inject into the Berbice River Bridge project. He was involved in that matter. He probably also saw nothing wrong with the suppression of democracy in Guyana, through the subversion of Local Government Elections for 20 years by the PPP. Former President Donald Remoter adopted the same posture. He saw “nothing wrong” with the Red House deal ( KN 6 September 2015).

Former Prime Minister Sam Hinds saw nothing wrong (KN of 3 September 2015) with the Berbice Bridge Scheme.

This may be part of the political culture within, and problem with the PPP. There is apparently a sizeable gap in misunderstanding of the purpose of Government, and the use of governmental authority and political power

in relation to state property.

Imagine the President of the USA or the Prime Minister of Britain doing what the PPP did ( develop a high class housing project using state land and taxpayers money, to benefit the head of state and Cabinet Ministers). They would probably not survive a month, much less five years.

They are not insane enough to do such a thing anyway.

Finally, Mr. Editor, what does a legal case against former government officials have to do with Dr. Gopaul’s veiled threat, that such action will “create further division in our Society”?.

What is the purpose of this threat, to paralyse the APNU-AFC with fear of taking legal action?. If the APNU-AFC succumbs to such empty threats, it will be seen as a truly feckless government. The same kind of threat was made by other PPP spokespersons when PPP political appointees were removed from office, after 11 May 2015, for wrongdoing.

The PPP viewed the APNU and AFC as feckless, while they were the opposition, and mistreated them as such.

Is Dr. Gopaul’s reasoning that Government officials are free to do whatever they want while in office, and since nothing is wrong with what they do that is the end of the matter?. If legal action is taken, such action is conflated with creating divisions in society?.

It would appear that none of the PPP’s decisions, behaviors and actions during the past 23 years has caused any divisions in society, but legal action against former PPP governmental officials will cause division. Such rubbish. Guyana is evidently a unique story when it comes to governance. One thought that one understood the meaning of the words insanity and blindness. However, it seems that in Guyana any interpretation is possible, and men have long lost their reason.

Fortunately, the electorate of Guyana are not as blind. They saw what Dr. Gopaul and his PPP could not see, and as a result they evicted the PPP from office.

One is almost certain that in opposition Dr. Gopaul will see the same things very clearly.

Ivor Carryl

Page 6

Pradoville 2 expose…

Attorney General, Basil Williams The Pradoville 2 lands, sold to former President Bharrat Jagdeo and several Ministers of the previous administration were undervalued by almost 2,000 per cent. They were sold at $114 per square foot.

Independent appraisals have pegged the price closer to $2,250 per square feet.

The State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) has completed a report into the conversion of some 15 acres of land at Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara (ECD). The probe found that key members of the past administration were involved in transferring state lands to their names and that of their acquaintances for undervalued market prices.

The independent appraisal was conducted against 10 acres of land on which the Georgetown Marriott was built.

Kaieteur News

Saturday October 17, 2015

Jagdeo, fmr. Ministers purchased land at 2000% below market value While that land was actually sold to Atlantic Hotel Inc (AHI) for $200M, an audit into that transaction had valued that tract of land to be worth some $980M. This converts to $2,250 per square feet of the prime ocean front lands.

The Pradoville 2 land is located along the same strip of Guyana’s coastland, a few miles eastward.

At a rate of $114 this would mean that Government would only earn a meager $74.5M for the entire 15 acres of land set aside at Pradoville 2.

Had government sold the land at the market value—as appraised by independent evaluators—it could have earned a $1.4B. This figure also excludes the almost $300M which was plugged into developing the project, monies expended by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).

According to the report prepared by SARU, the land at Sparendaam, ECD, was once deemed Communal Lands and was thereafter owned by Demerara Sugar Estates prior to independence. The report states further that after independence in 1966 the land was owned by the state until 2010 when the Central Planning and Housing Authority (CHPA) privatized the land which was then sold to a number of former ministers and associates of the Jagdeo/ Ramotar regime.

Prior to being sold in 2010 the land was under the direct control of the Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC)

and the Guyana Television Station (GTV) which were later merged to form the National Communications Network (NCN).

SARU found that in 2007, NICIL was asked to facilitate the Ogle Airport Expansion programme, which “indicated that the tower on the land was interfering with the flight path.

The tower was therefore relocated.”

This was done at a cost of $188M, an expenditure which was years later, reflected in the financial records of NCN as an investment.

NICIL also prepared a number of feasibility studies at the behest of Cabinet in 2010 for the lands to be privatized.

An additional $200M was also spent by NICIL preparing the land for its eventual sale.

Among the beneficiaries of the sale was former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, who obtained the largest plot of land.

Others, according to SARU, are Robert Persaud, the former Natural Resources Minister and Priya Manickchand, former Education Minister, both of whom have since been accused of reselling their lands in contravention of the agreement under which the lands were transferred.

Persaud reportedly transferred the title to a relative before making a lucrative sale, netting some $99M while Manickchand sold hers for $100M. Others said to be in receipt of lands under the now controversial arrangement includes People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Clement Rohee, himself a former Government Minister; Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack; former Army Chief Gary Best and Future Developers Inc., among others.

SARU has since suggested that the former ministers could be held liable for misconduct in

public office and in the absence of the requisite legislation, “The Attorney General may institute proceedings against the Former Ministers.

Attorney General, Basil Williams, has since said, “Ministers must know that they’re in an office of trust and they’re supposed to use their office for the benefit of the public and the state…They cannot be involved in an exercise that would undermine the rights of the state and cause the state to suffer loss or damage, and certainly when it comes to land they must know the value of those lands.”

The Minister of Legal Affairs said that the only action that can be brought by his Chambers on this matter is a civil action of misfeasance in Public Office, and once he is satisfied with what they have gathered to make their case, his chambers will act accordingly.

“Once I find that we have

sufficient evidence and I believe we have , then we will pursue the case because we have former ministers who knew that they were buying state lands at an undervalued price and then sold it for a profit,” said Williams.

More than forty years after the introduction of a state paper on women’s equality, in the National Assembly, Guyana has labored in the vineyard nationally. Yet to date the achievement of women’s equality has not been realized.

This revelation was underscored by President David Granger during a recent television appearance.

President Granger made it clear that the idea of a woman being limited to secretarial jobs while a man does ‘a man’s job’ is the old way of thinking.

To date, even as the absence of equality among the sexes remains an issue the world over, all being equal, more balance at all levels may be realized locally and while it has not gone away completely Government is working to change that status.

President Granger said that Guyana is now at the

investigative phase but over the next five years during the tenure of his APNU+AFC Government’s term in office the objective will be to ensure that there is greater equality or the removal of inequality.

There has been a raft of legislation to prevent discrimination and abuse and to allow for women to be given equal rights not enjoyed before, yet admittedly it remains a work in progress locally. “There has been a shortage of achievement; we have to investigate why we have not achieved those targets set some 42 years ago. These include the number of women in businesses and government positions.

If there are any impediments, Government needs to remove those.” Citing examples the President said, “If for example there are too few women in science we have to look at the schools curricula to see if there is any disincentive preventing women from going into science...

That is the way we intend to

tackle it.”

The President said that equality from his understanding means that if a male can go into school and get the best science education, a female must be able to get it too, and that if two people apply for a job- the female must not be discriminated against.

He pointed to equality as an important element to social cohesion as was stated at the recently held round table on social cohesion.

“In Guyana it is not just a matter of ethnic cohesion between Africans and Indians; it’s also a matter of geographical cohesion of the coastland and hinterland and also a matter of gender.

“We must not discriminate against women and we also must not against our girl children.”

Admitting that ‘numbers don’t lie’ President Granger, added that his administration can be accused of not having enough senior female Ministers in the Cabinet but this, he said, can be explained.

“We have tried to get a mixture of experience and

balance. In terms of experience we came into Government and we are faced with some very severe challenges such as the sugar industry and our borders in terms of our relations with Suriname and Venezuela. There are some areas which call for experience and quite frankly there were not sufficient experienced women in some of those areas.”

He added that as a coalition government he did not interfere with the nominees of the coalition partners whom he said must be prepared to ensure that their nominations are balanced.

Though not casting blame, the President said, “If all coalition parties provide balanced lists then we would have a balanced national assembly and a balanced Cabinet.”

The President also said that the reality of taking office was that he still does not feel that there are enough youths or women.

“But we tried to create a stratum of Ministers within Ministries, who will serve to under study seniors and eventually we would get the balance right.”

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

Guyana at the investigative phase towards equality of sexes - President Granger

Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

U.S. confirms Iran tested nuclear-capable ballistic missile UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States has confirmed that Iran tested a medium-range missile capable of delivering a nuclear weapon, in “clear violation” of a United Nations Security Council ban on ballistic missile tests, a senior U.S. official said yesterday.

“The United States is deeply concerned about Iran’s recent ballistic missile Launch,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said in a statement.

“After reviewing the available information, we can confirm that Iran launched on Oct. 10 a medium-range ballistic missile inherently capable of delivering a nuclear weapon,” she said. “This was a clear violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1929.”

The United States is preparing a report on the incident for the Security Council’s Iran Sanctions Committee and will raise the matter directly with Security Council members “in the coming days,”

Samantha Power Power said.

Council diplomats have told Reuters it was possible to sanction additional Iranian individuals or entities by adding them to an existing U.N. blacklist. However, they noted that Russia and China, which have opposed the sanctions on Iran’s missile program, might block any such moves.

“The Security Council prohibition on Iran’s ballistic

missile activities, as well as the arms embargo, remain in place,” Power said. “We will continue to press the Security Council for an appropriate response to Iran’s disregard for its international obligations.”

Ballistic missile tests by Iran are banned under Security Council resolution 1929, which was adopted in 2010 and remains valid until a nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers goes into effect. Under that deal, reached on July 14, most sanctions on Iran will be lifted in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.

Once the deal takes effect, Iran will still be “called upon” to refrain from undertaking any work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons for a period of up to eight years, according to a Security Council resolution adopted in July.

Countries would be allowed to transfer missile technology and heavy weapons to Iran on a case-by-case basis with council approval.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday October 17, 2015

Red Thread protests Government’s salary increases

Protestors on the picket line outside Office of the President.

A group of about two dozen people picketed the Office of the President Thursday to voice their disapproval of the recent salary increases of Parliamentarians and Ministers of the Government.

Men and women under the Red Thread banner stood on Vlissengen Road with placards which made clear their grievances.

Red Thread member, Joy Marcus, on the picket line said that her group is highly offended by the 50 percent increase for government offi-

cials while public servants only received a mere five percent on their salaries in the recent budget.

“We don’t think it is right to tell workers that the country doesn’t have money to give more increases for public servants and pensioners yet (government officials) can give yourself and everyone else an increase.

“Public assistance persons only receive $6,500 a month while (government officials) are already getting a lot of perks and still they have

raised their salaries. They gave the excuse that the officials must be paid for their “quality work” what kind or work is everyone else doing then?” Joy asked.

The women of the organization also said that they are “highly insulted” by the way the matter of the pay rise was dealt with. The lack of a public announcement about the pay increase was seen as a “sneaky” act by the administration similar to the ones they condemned during their time in opposition.

They were not amused by Minister of State Joseph Harmon’s uttering to justify the pay increase that government officials needed to be paid well so that they would not be tempted to “thief” like former Ministers.

The justification was seen as disturbing by the women’s group. It insinuates that Government officials cannot survive on $500,000 a month while “normal tax-paying Guyanese” are expected to survive on $6,500, $17,000 and $50,000 per month without any of the benefits enjoyed by government officials, they said.

Marcus expressed disgust. “We don’t get all these perks and allowances that they would get and we are the taxpayers.” She further argued that Government cannot say that they does not have money to give public servants a 20 percent increase but yet could find money to pay itself as much as 50 percent after just five months in office.

She said the group believes that by this unfortunate decision the government has betrayed the people who voted for them.

“We voted for them to rid our government of twenty three years of arrogance and now this government is doing the exact selfish thing. We too are quality people just like those in high offices and should be given the same treatment.”

She said that several other picketing exercises are planned for Office of the President and the Parliament buildings. “Its taxpayers’ money why are you taking so much from us and not giving us anything at all,” she said.

Ultimately the group was adamant that the government needs to review their position about the increases and they have to be a listening government for the people.

“You can’t only want us around elections time and after then you have no time with us, do what yah want and

then come to us when you need us to vote again. We are the ones who put you there as a government to serve us not yourselves.

“Thief or tek all is money out of poor people’s pocket.”

The group’s contention is that Government should “raise public servants pay to decent rates first then we can perhaps negotiate.”

Member of the Red Thread women’s group, Karen DeSouza, also on the picket line said that the recent increase was a major misstep for the new administration even as the Government is believed to have contradicted themselves many times regarding the salary increases.

As a result, their rationalizations for the increase are being interpreted as a very negative sign for the future of Guyana under the David Granger-led administration.

“However they want to rationalize the increase, Ministers should have hung back until workers who have families to maintain were made comfortable before they made moves to increase their pay,” DeSouza stated.

The salary increases which caused public outrage came on the heels of the recently passed 2015 budget.

The budget saw public servants receiving miniscule increases as opposed to what they were promised during the pre-election campaigning.

On August 5, 2015, Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman made claims that increases were not being considered for the immediate future in the wake of rumours of the salary increases. On September 25 however, Trotman’s claims proved to be spurious and placed him in an unfavorable position with the public.

Constitutional Commissioner, sitting on the Women and Gender Equality Commission, Nicole Cole expressed her disappointment in the party, especially Trotman and termed the increases as an

abuse of the people’s trust.

“The same Minister who lied to us had the temerity to face us and tell us to trust them. How can we trust them when they would have abused our trust? They saw the public outrage when the matter was just a rumor and should have known it was too soon.

“They have backdated their increases to the first of July which means they were only six weeks in office when they issued themselves increases. The Government touted itself as being people centered, a people centered Government doesn’t look after their own self interests first. They put the people first,” stated Cole.

Several members of Red Thread shared the opinion that the Granger-led administration was just awaiting their turn in office to become what they termed “the fattest cats.”

They claimed their belief of this stemmed from the party’s actions. When the party was in Opposition, they decried “fat cats” and cut several aspects of budgets as they regarded the former administrations spending as “shady,” only to attain office to do something quite similar.

Last week The Red Thread women’s group announced its intentions to stage a protest in front of Parliament buildings on Thursday.

However, the group decided to host two different protests. The protest which was to be held in front of Parliament Thursday was shifted to Ministry of the Presidency. The other will be staged October 22 when Parliament is scheduled to be reconvened.

“We know it may not change anything but we are not just going to stand idly by as they do what they want,” stated a member of the Red Thread organization.

Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 9

THESE PROPOSED CHARGES WILL BACKFIRE ON THE GOVERNMENT The public must not be lulled into believing that because the government believes that house lots in Pradoville 2 were sold below market prices, that this constitutes an act of tortious misfeasance.

The Caribbean Court of Justice was divided 3-2 on this question.

There is no doubt in my mind that our local courts will equally be divided on this question.

In any event it is a waste of time for the APNU+AFC administration to be pursuing this course of action. The basis of the alleged

misfeasance is that the house lots sold to government Ministers were below market prices.

I do not see how this is a case of personal enrichment since all house lots in Guyana are sold at a subsidized cost.

This would mean that all house lot holders can be taken to court for having been given house lots at a price below their market value.

But just what constitutes market values? Government house lots have always been sold below the commercial market value and below the private market value. I really do not know what is all this

jazz about below market value.

Every government house lot is sold below the private market value because there are three market values: the government market value which is done by the Valuation Office and the private market value which is a free market transaction.

But there are wider implications for this issue also.

It means much of the properties that Desmond Hoyte sold during his privatizations can be called into question as being sold below market values.

There were some shocking

Dem boys seh...

Yam dodge and lef poor Sam Dem got a saying; if you can’t get yam you got to tek Sam. When de Pradoville story break people seh that is time people get jail fuh thiefing. De report state that all who own de land at Sparendaam thief it.

And some of dem smart. Dem know that if anything happen de powers gun tek back de land suh dem sell it and mek a big profit.

Yam get de biggest share and he enjoy heself.

Sam end up at Farm pun de East Bank. Now de bubble burst and dem boys find out that Yam might have immunity. Suh that lef poor Sam. And he got nuff trouble already.

He son who always causing trouble, deh in more trouble. He do nuff stupidness. One time he mek he poor mother had to rescue one of he children. Now he watching de jail door.

A magistrate find him guilty but de same time dem knock off de magistrate. She didn’t get to sentence young Sam. Old people always seh that dead nah done; cry nah done. He lawyers fight and fight. Some even try to get de case scrap.

Now de poor boy can’t sleep. A judge rule that he got to go inside Camp Street and hug up de boys. De magistrate waiting pun him.

And while Yam skinning he teeth he other partner in crime in serious trouble.

Brassington was de one who spend de money. Since Jagdeo, who behaving like de proverbial Yam open he mouth Brassington find de money. He was de one who find de money when dem had to prepare de land fuh de Pradoville people. He was de one who find money all de time fuh every illegal deed.

Dem boys seh that de story buss out and is jail time. But de authorities got to find de charge.

Wid Brassington, it easy. Is one charge fuh every square inch of he body. If he get find guilty pun all dem charge, don’t ask how long he gun stay in jail.

Yam think he get off. De Waterfalls boss man want a lawyer to draw up private criminal charge. He want to see Jagdeo in jail.

Talk half and watch out fuh de charge gainst Jagdeo.

sales of houses in prime areas during the era of Hoyte and this allegation therefore about properties being sold below market values constituting misfeasance in office will open a can of worms.

This issue about charging people for misfeasance is misadvised.

It has no legal limb to stand on and it will backfire legally and politically in the face of the government.

Legally, any action is bound to be dismissed by the court on grounds of an abuse of process. Instead of recovering assets, the government will end up having to pay massive legal costs.

The PPP leaders in turn will counter sue the PPP for malicious prosecution.

The government will lose and end up having to pay millions.

The government will be making reckless decision if it proceeds to institute tortious misfeasance charges.

The public will see right through this issue and view it as an attempt to victimize the PPP leadership. The leaders of the PPP will end up becoming popular heroes whenever the actions are dismissed by the Courts.

The former President of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo has a cast-iron immunity. He cannot be prosecuted either civilly or criminally for offences while he was President of Guyana.

Before therefore he can be charged and most likely before anyone can be charged, this immunity will have to be challenged?

We are looking at a case that will run for the next ten years by which time the APNU+ AFC government would have been gone from power. This whole talk about charges is therefore a waste of time.

It is also politically naïve and plays right into the hands of the PPP. APNU+AFC are showing their fear.

They are afraid of Bharrat Jagdeo.

They are making him more popular than he really should be. They are popularizing him with these threats of charges.

The public will see through these threats. The public will view the threats as an attempt to go after the leadership of the PPP so as to ensure that Bharrat Jagdeo cannot lead the PPP into the next election.

This will make him more popular and make the PPP more popular. Bharrat Jagdeo will become a folk hero.

The former President does not need to be given any attention by the government.

He will be the object of his own political unpopularity if he is left alone by the government.

The PPP has nowhere to go under its present leadership if left alone by the government. No one is

interested in the PPP’s gutter politics. But victimize the PPP and its supporters and the PPP will be converted back to the party it was between 1964 and 1992, the party of the working class, the party that led Guyana’s fight for democracy. The PPP will become more popular.

The government is therefore making a big mistake by trying to move in the direction of prosecuting the leaders of the PPP over the sale of house lots for the mudflats in Sparendaam.

That land was never prime real estate.

It has become so because of the investments that were made by those allotted lands but it was never any prime real estate because it lies near the country’s sea defences.

The government has to come better than these charges that it is proposing.

Those are disgraceful grounds.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday October 17, 2015

== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

Is this an APNU-AFC insult to its supporters?

Five years ago, David Patterson, who is now a Cabinet Minister, and Michael Carrington, who is a Member of Parliament, were in the picket line with me and others in front of the Aquatic Centre.

Our protest was the demand for the swimming pool to be opened up to the public.

In response to our protest action, the Minister of Sports, Frank Anthony, said the reason it’s not opened up to the public was because a life guard was yet to be employed.

I recall Dominic Gaskin, now Minister of Business, on an-email thread said that while he agreed the facility should be opened to the public, he wouldn’t advise it until the life guard comes on because it is a deep structure.

I live near the Centre. I would make random stops since the protest in 2011 to see if the attendant was employed.

He got the job in January 2015. It meant that from the time of our picket, the pool remained outside the reach of the citizens of Guyana.

The Aquatic Pool was the third government-owned structure that was restricted

in its use. The other two were Colgrain and Castellani. Since 2014, the Government has built a fourth pool.

It is referred as the warm up pool and lies next to the Olympic type pool. The PPP Government absolutely refused to open any of these four swimming facilities to the public on a first come first serve basis. Their use was very restricted, The AFC-APNU administration has moved away from the restriction policy of the previous regime but in a way that is insulting.

Of the four pools, the large Olympic one is available to any citizen to swim.

But only one day in the week; from 10 am to 5 pm. The admission fee is $500. Was it a Cabinet decision or did it come from the Sports Council?

The allocation of one day is unacceptable. If opened everyday then, the bulk of users would be in the main the people who voted for the new government.

The PPP had its reason for its exclusion of Georgetowners. After all, they don’t vote for the PPP. But what is the reason for the APNU-AFC regime keeping

out people who live in Region 4?

I haven’t done the research, but is there a country where there are four government-owned swimming pools and not one accommodates the general public?

I doubt it. One of those facilities must be made available on a first-come first serve basis to the general public every day of the week.

We are talking about four pools, all of which are owned by the people of Guyana.

If you restrict the public to one day, it is more than likely that certain categories of citizens cannot be accommodated.

The second task that the government must see as an exigency in service to the people is the flow of water in domestic dwellings from ten feet up.

For over sixty years now, water flowing through the pipes does not reach beyond ten feet.

When I was a boy growing up on Durban Street, Wortmanville, there were constant quarrels between my parents and my siblings who lived above us.

This was way back in the

sixties. My siblings who lived upstairs would shout down in aggressive tones telling us to turn off the pipes downstairs so they could get bathroom water upstairs.

I remember vividly as a small child these quarrels were sometimes very tempestuous. They had to be.

Imagine my sister going on a date and there is no bathing water? That happened countless times and quarrels would break out.

Most two leveled houses in Georgetown were built up to twenty feet.

The second level is from ten feet up. In fact, there are building codes that specify the first level from ceiling to

ground cannot be less than ten feet. I can say with maximum absoluteness that prior to 2007 when I moved out of Hadfield Street in Wortmanville, we never got water on the second level. My wife and I stored several buckets of water. My daughter grew up in Wortmanville with buckets of water in the kitchen and bathroom. The rich bought huge black tanks.

Over sixty years now, residents in the lower classes, working classes and lower middle classes in Georgetown, not only south Georgetown but the entire capital city, do not get water on the second floor of

Frederick Kissoon dwelling houses. And to think that this country is about to celebrate 50 years (50 not 15) of Independence.

Look out for my columns that will rubbish those celebrations. Celebrating fifty years of what? Modernity or backwardness?

IAC calls for unity in Hindu community over Diwali date The Hindu community is divided on the exact date for Diwali with the Indian Action (formerly Arrival) Committee (IAC) yesterday calling for meaningful dialogue to resolve the issue.

The Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha yesterday, in Facebook posts, insisted that the date is November 11.

However, other Hindu organizations have been saying that the date is November 10.

According to IAC yesterday, it appears there is a difference of opinion with regard to the actual date, with one group claiming it is Tuesday, November 10, and another, Wednesday, November 11.

“The IAC, as an Indian advocacy organization, is concerned that if both were to hold to their current

position, it would result in the festival being celebrated on two separate days thereby creating a division within. In the interest of unity, the IAC urges both sides to engage each other with the intention of finding a common ground for one celebration.”

IAC said that the reality of two celebrations would be counter to the messages of harmony and unity which are usually articulated by both sides.

“In addition, the IAC believes that if a consensus is not reached, it can precipitate a situation whereby Guyanese Hindus would be divided on a festival that is so sacred to their religion. Moreso, Deepavali (or Diwali) is one of our festivals that has transcended religious boundaries to become a truly national one,

creating much anticipation and expectation among Guyanese across the country with regard to the annual motorcades.”

The motorcades along with the excitement of viewing the lighting of the Diyas and the related entertainment through many concerts to attract tens of thousands continue to provide opportunities for Guyanese to interact and to build on social cohesion.

“In this regard, the IAC is concerned that any fracture in the togetherness that derives a common date, would be unhelpful to the Hindu community and, by extension, Guyana. The IAC calls on both sides to engage in meaningful dialogue in an effort to resolve the situation and reiterates the need for unity.”

Anfernee Archer An Independence Boulevard teenager was handed a 12-year jail term yesterday, after he pleaded guilty to five counts of robbery under-arms before Magistrate Alex Moore in the

Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Anfernee Archer, 17, of Lot 185 Punt Trench Dam, Independence Boulevard, admitted that on August 25, at West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, he robbed Dimitrios Howard, Kimberly Moore, Jameila Messiah, Kimberly Billy and Jermaine Kirk, while armed with a gun.

Archer carted off a quantity of items totaling $175,000. The court heard that he stole a wedding band, several cell phones, cash, bank cards and documents including an Identification (ID) card.

Magistrate Moore sentenced Archer to two years imprisonment on each charge –a total of 10 years.

However, a two-year suspended sentence was activated against Archer

bringing the total jail term to 12 years.

Archer was placed on a suspended sentence by Magistrate Faith McGusty after he was found guilty of an offence of similar nature last year.

The prison terms for the offences Archer pleaded guilty to, will run concurrently.

The two years suspended was added on, meaning that the convict will only spend four years in jail.

An unrepresented Archer was initially remanded to prison after he pleaded not guilty to the charges on his first court appearance before Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Thereafter, the matter was transferred to Magistrate Moore, who granted him bail in the sum of $20,000 on each charge.

17 year-old gets 12 years for armed robberies

Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 11

El Nino taskforce to be set up as Former PM’s son to be sentenced after High Court denies legal challenge Guyana readies for long dry spell

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder and Heads of Agencies within the Ministry The Ministry of Agriculture has indicated its preparedness to deal with the current El Nino weather conditions which are expected to be intensified soon, as the various stakeholders and respective agencies in the sector continue to monitor the situation.

Currently, there is no need for interventions as the situation remains normal.

However, this is expected to change by December 2015, according to Agriculture Minister Noel Holder.

“I think it is fair for us to say that although Guyana normally experiences two wet and two dry seasons per year, the short wet season which normally starts in the middle of November and goes to the end of January is probably threatened.

So while things are okay at this point in time, the system might come under stress by the end of December if the short rains do not come, so we really have to start practising serious conservation,” Minister Holder told a media conference yesterday at his office, Regent and Vlissingen Roads, Georgetown.

The Minister, who expressed concerns over the effect on farmers, said the Ministry is taking a

collaborative approach to deal with the issues and offer interventions.

The Ministries of Public Infrastructure, Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and Communities will be actively engaged in dealing with the issue.

“We are expecting a 95 percent chance that the northern hemisphere will experience El Nino or dry conditions.

This will continue for the remainder of 2015 and will probably last until the second quarter of 2016. Our farmers will be the ones most affected, and as such, we will be having a collaborative effect to address some of the challenges,” Minister Holder warned.

He added that the Cabinet of Ministers will be establishing a taskforce to spearhead the Government’s interventions.

“That taskforce will brief the press and the nation on the issue and on how to conserve so that we can see this potential crisis through without too much ill effects, and interventions are made to ensure that the El Nino situation remains under control.”

Addressing the level of the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC), acting Chief Executive Officer of the

National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Fredrick Flatts, reassured that the water level is enough to sustain the different sectors until mid-December.

He further explained that if conditions persist, steps will have to be taken to pump water into the conservancies through other sources.

Present at the media briefing, according to the Ministry, were the Heads of Department of the various agriculture agencies; National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/ Agricultural Development Authority, (MMA/ADA) Hydromet Office, Pesticide Control Board and a representative from the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI).

Already, several areas around the country have been complaining about the dry spell with water rationing currently being done in some parts of West Berbice.

In Region Nine, rivers have dropped to worrying levels with a top level Government team recently visiting the area.

Supreme Court Judge, Justice Navindra Singh, has ruled that there is no legal barrier preventing Magistrate Annette Singh from imposing a sentence on Samuel Nikolai Hinds.

Sam Hinds Jr. son of the former Prime Minister Sam Hinds, has been embroiled in a criminal proceeding before the Magistrates’ Court since March, last year.

Hinds was convicted before Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmonds on February 6, 2014 for threatening, assaulting and unlawfully wounding his 18year-old sister-in-law, Tenza Layne.

Chandan Edmonds had adjourned the matter to February 20 and further to February 27, pending the presentation of a probation report on Hinds’ behalf.

Magistrate ChandanEdmonds was however, sacked by the Judicial Service Commission, (JSC) before she could have handed down a sentence. The JSC had cited absenteeism among their reasons for dismissing the Magistrate.

Magistrate Annette Singh was subsequently assigned the case. She expressed readiness to go ahead with the sentence.

Magistrate Singh noted Hinds had already been found guilty in relation to the wounding charge and therefore to restart the trial will be to overturn or appeal the guilty verdict, for which she has no jurisdiction.

She had sought directions from the High Court on how to proceed with the matter.

Hinds’Attorneys nonetheless approached the High Court requesting an order to stay any further prosecution/adjudication of the criminal charges filed against him. Attorneys Peter

Justice Navindra Singh

Samuel Hinds Jr.

Hugh and Latchmie Rahamat, had argued that the court was in violation of their client’s fundamental right to a fair h e a r i n g w i t h i n a reasonable time guaranteed under Article 144 (1) of the Constitution.

The lawyers also argued that the undue and unreasonable delay by the State to complete the matter is through no fault of Hinds and has operated to the detriment of his case, given that some of his witnesses are no longer willing/ available to him.

They noted, too, that their client’s fundamental rights will likely be further infringed if the charges are determined before Magistrate Annette Singh proceeds with the sentencing.

The Attorneys said that a retrial would violate the Constitution which stipulates a person should not be tried twice for the same offence after he was already tried and convicted. They therefore requested a declaration by the court that their client’s

fundamental right to a fair h e a r i n g w i t h i n a reasonable time is likely to be further infringed if the criminal charges are not stayed.

However in response to the claims, Justice Singh noted that there has been no breach of Article 144(5) of the Constitution since there is nothing before the Court to suggest that Magistrate Singh has determined or indicated that she will conduct new trials on the charges against the applicant.

The Judge further outlined that it is well established that a court, including a Court of Summary Jurisdiction, has authority of cases until sentence “since sentencing of a person found guilty of an offence marks the point of final adjudication.”

Justice Singh held that though, there has been no breach of the applicant’s rights under Article 144(5) of the Constitution of Guyana it follows from the aforestated position that the Continued on page 24

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Kaieteur News

Saturday October 17, 2015

Vulgar acts of malpractice took place at NMFU - says former Head of Inspection A former employee of the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) is claiming that during his tenure, there were some “vulgar acts of malpractice” all of which took place at the Unit.

His comments come in the wake of a forensic audit into

the Unit. The audit has since revealed that there have been several decisions approved by the management that exposed the entity to abuse and corruption.

The former Head of the Inspection Department, Roopnarine Tiwarie, said that there are critical issues which

need to be addressed at the said Unit. He cited these to be high staff turnover, malpractices i.e. faulty management which resulted in a shift of blame on innocent staff members leading to improper incarceration of these innocent staff members, partiality, racism, prejudice, improper invoicing, seizing and returning of radio equipment, threats to staff

and victimization.

Tiwarie said that this is just the tip of the iceberg. He said that he was pleased to see that a visit to the Unit was done by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, where he had a firsthand look at how the Unit is being managed under the leadership of Mr. Valmikki Singh, who in his opinion, “is a square peg in a round hole.”

Tiwarie told Kaieteur News that he is requesting an audience with Junior Finance Minister, Jaipaul Sharma, who is in charge of the forensic audits, and the Prime Minister, to provide some insight on some of the core problems plaguing the Unit.

He said, “I was working there from 2007 until January, 2011. I came off because I was threatened by Valmikki Singh.

I was forced to resign. It all started with normal investigations that I would do in my department. At the Inspection Unit, we would comb through the frequency systems to ensure that no one is operating illegally.

“If we found something suspicious, then we would go and check it out and find out if the person has a license or not.” He continued, “One day I decided that we were going to do a combing exercise in the Kitty area. Apparently, Valmikki’s father had a taxi service in that area and there was a High Frequency Radio Antenna operating there. This is used to make radio calls to the interior.

“I asked Valmikki’s father if he had a licence for operating the HF radio and he said it actually belongs to his son and he was not sure if his son had one. I made a note of that and we were supposed to make further checks to ensure that it was operating legally.”

“Within the same week or so, we did a combing exercise in Diamond scheme and found another HF radio antenna which, checks revealed, belonged to Valmikki’s brother. We eventually found that Valmikki’s brother had no licence to operate the HF radios and I placed that into my report and handed it in.”

Tiwarie said that he was

harshly reprimanded for doing the report and claimed that the NFMU Head never filed it.

“From then on he started setting rules for me. He always wanted to know where I was doing combing exercises and started picking on me for petty things,” he added.

The former employee then recalled another instance of alleged malpractice during his time at the Unit.

He said, “When you seize a radio and any other frequency equipment being used without a licence, only former President Bharrat Jagdeo or the former Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, could have given an instruction to return the items. However, there were instances where my department seized such equipment and Singh instructed us to return it because the people had association with him.”

Tiwarie continued, “In one instance this guy who now owns Quark Communication Inc, Mr. Brian Young, had set up a radio system for a businessman on Regent Street without a licence. Even after I seized it, Valmikki returned it to him. So indeed the report from the forensic audit is revealing the truth. There were vulgar acts of malpractice during my time and when you spoke out, Valmikki victimized you. That entity is corrupt and it needs restructuring.”

Kaieteur News reported last week that the Unit had spent millions of dollars on two ICT projects which were pursued by the then PPP Government. Those two projects were the One Laptop Per Family Project and the Fibre Optic Cable from Brazil to Guyana to support the PPP’s e-Governance project.

Singh did not deny this, but made it clear via a statement to the media that his agency acted based on instructions handed down by the past government to fund mostly operational costs for the OLPF and the eGovernance projects.

He said, too, that his Unit ensured that every single request for payment

Former Head of NFMU Inspection Unit, Roopnarine Tiwarie submitted for the ICT projects, pre-May 11, 2015, was approved by the then Presidential Secretariat before such payment was made.

The NFMU Head had emphasized that this approach continued even after the May 2015 elections, where the Ministry of the Presidency and the Office of the Prime Minister authorized every request for payment.

He noted that all expenditure made by the NFMU for the ICT projects were included in the NFMU budget estimates which were considered and approved by the Committee of Supply of the National Assembly for the years 2012 to 2015.

Singh had said that he is confident that any fair assessment and report of its operations will reveal that the NFMU is properly managed, and that there were no acts of corruption or fraud at the agency.

Junior Finance Minister, Jaipaul Sharma, had told this newspaper that the forensic audit reveals that “several fraudulent decisions opened up the Unit to abuse and horrible acts of corruption.”

Sharma also pointed out that the level of corruption which was taking place at the agency “exposes” the incompetence and “lack of integrity” of those who are in charge.

Bajan teens charged with Guyanese killing Barbados (Barbados Nation) - Two St. Michael teenagers have been jointly charged with the offence of serious bodily harm in connection with the death of Guyanese-born Brinsley Warde.

Eighteen-year-old Nishawn D’Andre Prescod of Hinds Gap, Halls Road and Nickolai Matthew Thompson, also 18, of Chadderton Road, Carrington Village appeared in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Warde, a 59-year-old Halls Road resident, was stabbed along John Beckles Drive on October 9.

He had reportedly moved there from Guyana more than a decade ago.

Saturday October 17, 2015

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Kaieteur News

Pradoville 2 Nancy story is a diversion S

ome executives of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) say that they are tickled, almost to tears, by a recent report coming out of Governments anticorruption unit which is recommending criminal charges against former PPP Ministers who were involved in a Pradoville 2 deal.

The report from the State Asset Recovery Unit said that prime land making up the Pradoville 2 scheme, was secretly sold to the former Ministers and known friends and associates of the previous regime.

At the time of the sale, the report said, the lands were grossly undervalued and sold substantially lower than the market value thereby depriving the state of its full benefits.

The PPP, on Thursday, issued a statement to the media stating that it rejects the findings of the report and views the entire Pradoville 2 debacle as a “nancy story” meant only to distract from the real issue at hand.

The Opposition party said that a wide cross section of the Guyanese society expressed nothing but

- says PPP disgust in the face of the s h a m e l e s s a n d unconscionable salary increases made recently by the APNU+AFC coalition government .

In a desperate effort to wage a fight-back, it said that the government Ministers one by one, tried to defend the increases. The party reminded that first it was Minster of State, Joseph Harmon, who told the public that, he has no apology to give for the increases followed by Attorney General Basil Williams who insisted that it was justified.

The Opposition said that Williams remarks were then supported by Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, who had said that the salary increases for Members of Parliament were necessary to outline an income for Vice Presidents which did not exist before, to correct anomalies in the payment structure and because the work load has increased.

The PPP continued, “Minster of Governance, Raphael Trotman, then came

out in Viva Zapata style defending their hefty pay hikes. Others are bound to follow suit as the coalition sinks deeper and deeper in the quagmire which they have found themselves.”

The Opposition party said that one of the tools in Governments damage control tool box is the technique called “diversion”. It said that it is used to divert attention away from an issue such as the current salary increase debacle, which the Grangerled APNU+AFC coalition administration has come under severe criticism for on a daily basis.

The PPP said, “The government is hoping that by diverting the publics attention away from itself and the obnoxious salary increase doled out to its Ministers, to the so-called Pradoville 2 inquisition by leaking the “results of the investigation and recommendations” by the shady and cabalistic Asset Recovery Unit, whose legality, composition and

PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee Terms of Reference remains a mystery, that they will succeed in re-focusing the publics attention from itself and the current morass to the fabricated Pradoville 2 Nancy story.”

It continued, “Sadly, however, the apologists for the Granger-led coalition administration have failed miserably in their efforts at deception and will continue to do so”. The most recent Trotmans “trust us, believe

us” pleadings have been clumsy and must be seen as further blundering by his administration. “The attempt to divert attention away from the salary issue is quite obvious to all and sundry.”

The Opposition questioned, “How can the APNU+AFC be “trusted” w h e n i n J u l y, 2 0 1 5 government spokespersons were all denying the hefty increases in their pay packets, but were in fact

already benefitting from the increase which was made retroactive with effect from July 2015?”

The PPP said that these efforts are another manifestation of the incompetence of the Granger-led administration to fool the people.

It said that Harmons “arrogant” No apologies to make outburst, re-enforces their determination that they will not budge on the issue.

The PPP said that a public apology for Harmons misconduct is absolutely necessary.

The PPP said however, that it will not be daunted by the on-going APNU+AFC witch-hunting and campaign of vilification.

It emphasized that it will remain convinced that at length, the truth will out and the Partys unsinkable faith in the people in general, and its members and supporters in particular, will eventually see the APNU+AFC being a sorry sight.

“All the evil and diabolical acts they have committed will be dashed to pieces and consigned to the dustbin of history,” it concluded.

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Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

Taxi driver shot, another stabbed …as gunmen in separate incidents hijack cars Doctors at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) are battling to save the life of a 38-year-old taxi driver, who was stabbed multiple times about his body by a group of men, who hijacked his car, a white Toyota Premio, HC 2964.

The incident which occurred around 03:30 hrs yesterday on Sheriff Street, Georgetown has left Rawlyn Crum-Ewing, a father of two, with one stab wound to the heart and multiple to his chest, arm and back.

At press time, the North Ruimveldt, Georgetown resident was undergoing surgery at the hospital.

A second taxi driver, 53-yearold Colin Ageday, was shot to the back Thursday night allegedly by armed men, who later escaped in

his car, a silver grey Toyota Premio HC 3612. This incident reportedly occurred about 19:45 hrs on Dennis Street, Sophia. The Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) resident is a patient in the GPHC’s High Dependency Unit. He is said to be in a critical condition.

According to information received, someone called a taxi service base in Kitty, Georgetown and requested a car in ‘A’ Field Sophia.

When Ageday showed up, two men entered his car. They asked him to drive along Dennis Street to pick up another individual.

“When he went on Dennis Street, the men stick him up and robbed him. They then pushed him out of the car and shot him,” a police source said.

Police said in both incidents,

the armed men reportedly posed as passengers, and hired the taxi drivers to transport them to another location.

Once the drivers would have reached an isolated area, the bandits would attack them and escape in their cars.

In an interview yesterday, Crum-Ewing’s brother, Andre, explained that medical practitioners at the hospital informed him that they would have to break four of his brother’s ribs to get to his “punctured heart.”

According to Andre CrumEwing, his brother would normally go out to work at 03:00hrs every day and return home a little after midday. The father of two would usually ply his trade in front of Demico House in the vicinity of Stabroek Market.

There are reports that the men hired the wounded Crum-Ewing and when he reached Sheriff Street, in the vicinity of Kam Boat Chinese Restaurant, they stabbed him and hijacked his car.

“I can’t say what really happened but this morning (yesterday) he barely made it to call his child mother and tell her that he get stab and that he was at the corner. She thought that he was at the corner by where they are living but when she got there, he wasn’t,” Andre related.

He added that his brother’s partner continued to call his phone and after a while, a security guard at the restaurant answered and informed her that the taxi driver was stabbed and he is lying in a pool of blood on Sheriff Street.

“His child mother called me

Critical: Rawlyn Crum-Ewing and when I reached, I put him in my bus and took him to the hospital,” the sibling said. The 38-year-old was unconscious all along.

Andre Crum-Ewing said that while at the hospital he was informed that another taxi driver was injured and his car was also hijacked.

Investigations are ongoing.

Potential Canadian investors overwhelm Govt delegation

T

he Guyana Government is currently poring over a number of proposals from potential Canadian investors, so much so that they are said to be overwhelmed.

This was the comment by Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman, who updated media operatives this past week on the recent visit of a high level delegation to Canada to meet with a number of potential investors.

That delegation was led

by Prime Minister and First Vice President, Moses Nagamootoo; Public Security Minister and Second Vice President, Khemraj Ramjattan; Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin and Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson among others.

Trotman met with media operatives this past week at the Ministry of the Presidency, and reported that its genesis stems from an

earlier visit to Canada by Head of State, President David Granger, who had “noted the overwhelming willingness of Guyanese in the Diaspora to return home to be involved in the development process.”

The follow up meeting with the government delegation was held from last week Friday to Monday and according to Trotman, Cabinet was debriefed by the government team on their return.

The Canada-based Guyanese, according to Trotman, demonstrated a high level of patriotic fervor.

The persons engaged were primarily interested in national issues and “not so consumed with the day to day things that we tend to be consumed with from time to time.”

He said, too, that there was a great interest “in investment in development

projects, especially in infrastructure development.”

Minister Trotman used the opportunity to dismiss assertions that it was an Alliance for Change (AFC) outreach to Canada.

According to Trotman, while those members visiting Canada are primarily from the AFC, it was in fact a government delegation. “We have one government comprising of six political parties in one coalition, so any Minister or group of Ministers representing at meetings, whether I stand here before the press as a Minister I don’t wear a political hat I wear a government hat,” said Trotman.

He drew reference to the fact that while in Canada, the P r e s i d e n t ’s e n t o u r a g e comprised mainly of persons from A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) but that trip was not considered a

party outreach by the APNU. “We don’t see things in terms of party colour, we see things in terms of a government,” said Trotman.

As such, according to Trotman, “A government delegation successfully carried out a visit to Toronto, Canada, to engage with the Diaspora.” Following the Government outreach, a number of Ministerial Advisors were appointed.

The new Ministerial Advisors are Tameshwar Lilmohan, who is the President of the AFC in Toronto, and Dr. Rohan Somar, Ron Alert and Earth Marshal from the United States.

Indications are that they will lead committees in their respective regions and liaise with the government on Diaspora matters.

In presenting the certificates of appointment to the Advisors, Minister

Ramjattan praised their hard work and continued support for the Alliance, which according to him was largely responsible for helping the APNU+AFC coalition d e f e a t t h e P e o p l e ’s Progressive Party at the May 11 elections.

During last Saturday’s business forum a room of over 200 at the Riverstone Gulf Club in Brampton, saw presentations from Ministers Patterson and Gaskin that identified specific investment opportunities available in Guyana that the government was ready to move forward on.

These include waterfront d e v e l o p m e n t , transportation, highway construction, aerodrome improvement and construction and alternative energy projects among others. Minister Patterson said that four communities – Mabaruma, Bartica, Mahdia and Lethem–are to be given Township status, and the government aims to have them all powered by alternative energy sources.

Following the presentations, Ministers Gaskin and Patterson and their staff met with about 26 investor groups in back to back meetings that ran after 9pm.

The team on the previous day met with big Bay Street investors in Canada’s financial district where they discussed opportunities in mining, investment financing and alternative energy.

Saturday October 17, 2015

Page 15

Kaieteur News

GNS Cadet Corps soon to return to landscape

President Granger shares a light moment with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Mark Phillips

I

n the face of continued territorial threats from both Ve n e z u e l a a n d Suriname, President David Granger, the Commanderin-chief of the Armed Forces, has outlined the “Total National Defence” Policy to officers of the Guyana Defence Force.

The President at GDF Headquarters, Base Camp Ayanganna, told officers that all the elements and instruments of national power need to be constantly employed in order to protect Guyanas territory.

During the closed-door meeting, the President said that in order for Guyana to face head on, the contrived controversies that have been invented by Venezuela and Suriname, a plan for total national defence is necessary.

The “Total National Defence” Policy stipulates that all the elements and instruments of national power be combined to protect Guyanas territory.

Once implemented, it will also give regular and reserve forces the resources they need to perform their mission over the next five years.

S i g n i f i c a n t l y, t h e President instructed, that never again should the reserve force, fall below the required 50 percent of the regular force strength.

President Granger said that the long-term objective is to make sure that Guyanese will be able to depend on defence forces

which will ensure the safety of the citizens and the security of the country. The retired Brigadier emphasised that the “age of very visible warfare, in the form of harassment on our borders or the intrusion of gunboats into our waters, is not yet over.”

T h e n e w p o l i c y, therefore, will place great focus on the re-organisation and strengthening of the GDF on five pillars; personnel, readiness, infrastructure, morale and equipment with emphasis on the Air Corps, the Coast Guard and the Engineer Corps.

“These changes must be designed to develop the capability of the Force to provide continuous surveillance over Guyanas air, territorial and maritime borders and approaches, to provide search-and-rescue services to people in distress and to provide assistance to the civil authority in response to any threat or disaster,” the Commanderin-Chief said.

The policy will see the re-establishment of the Peoples Militia as a credible reserve in all ten Regions.

The National Cadet Corps will allow boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 18 years in secondary schools to pursue part-time training.

Further, a Civil Defence Corps will be established to support the work of the Civil Defence Commission in responding to and managing

disasters.

Addressing the subject of the security challenges that Guyana faces, the President said that all instruments of national power must be employed in a more integrated way and this would require a much higher degree of inter-agency cooperation than what obtains at present, to combine defence with diplomacy, economic development with law enforcement, and the civil authority with the defence force.

On the subject of the maintenance of public order, the President told the army officers that the GDF must operate only in support of and alongside the Police on clear and carefully defined missions. However, the GDF should never be allowed to become part of the rural landscape since public order and everyday law enforcement remains

primarily the task of the police. Speaking on the topic of civil-military relations, President Granger said that the objective of harmonious civil-military relations should be to develop a system, which provides the best military security at the least social cost.

“Harmonious civilmilitary relations must be the bedrock of democracy. The military force, in the final analysis, must be subordinate to the civil authority,” he said.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e President stated that Guyanas defence diplomacy needs to be enhanced, and noted that this can contribute to building confidence between armed forces and, in extreme cases, to preventing conflict, managing crises and resolving disputes between states.

Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier-General Mark

Phillips called the new policy “timely”. He said that it will provide a framework for elected civilian officials and military officers to continuously review the roles and missions of the GDF. “Your policy statements (yesterday), will allow for a more efficient focus of our

resources, our training and our operational planning.”

Similar sentiments were expressed by Commanding Officer, Col. Patrick West who said that the new defence policy will allow the GDF to align its training and operational planning to achieve the national objectives.

Page 16

Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

Another young woman Pedestrian admitted to the Bar killed by alleged drunk driver

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From left: Attorney at Law , Nigel Hughes; Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire, Attorney -at -Law, Savannah Barnwell, her grandfather Edgar Heyligar, her mother, Yonette Heyligar and Attorney, Andrew Pollard.

A

nother young female Attorney has been admitted to the local Bar. Savannah Barnwell, 24, had her petition presented before Justice Roxanne George – Wiltshire, Wednesday, by Attorney-atlaw Nigel Hughes.

The South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown resident, is the granddaughter of retired Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Edgar Heyligar.

The former student of Stella Maris Primary School and Bishop’s High School is a graduate of the University of Guyana, who gained entry into Hugh

Wooding Law School Trinidad, in 2013.

While at Hugh Wooding, she participated in the Hamel Smith Mooting Competition 2013. She served as a Committee Member of the Mooting Committee and the Welfare Committee of the Law School. During her acceptance speech, Barnwell acknowledged appreciation to Almighty God for his guidance throughout her years of study, and to her close relatives and friends, some of whom were present at the admittance.

Barnwell made specific mention of her grandfather and mother whom, she said, are the foundation of her success.

She noted also persons within the legal

fraternity, who inspired her career path.

“It has been said that when eating a fruit think of the person who planted the tree. There are several persons here today who have been critical to my success …I am forever indebted to you.”

Underlining the importance of the legal profession, Barnwell promised that as an Attorney-at-Law to commit herself honourably, competently and with integrity and to maintain the independent and impartial administration of justice.

“Your honour, unless I can be of further assistance to this honourable court this is the extent of my submission,” the young Attorney underscored.

olice have detained a Corentyne resident who struck down and killed a 30-year-old man at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, at around 19.30 hrs yesterday.

Sources identified the victim as Richard Watson (Jnr), of Airy Hall, Mahaicony. According to reports, Watson was crossing Huntley Public Road at Mahaicony, when the vehicle, driven by a 39-

year-old Corentyne resident, struck him.

Wa t s o n w a s pronounced dead on arrival at the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital.

A police source said that the driver alleged that he was heading east when Watson ran across the road into the path of his vehicle.

Kaieteur News understands that a breathalyzer test confirmed that the driver was under the influence.

ExxonMobil...

From page 3 progress” its future plans for the block, but offered few details. “Liza-1 well and seismic data are being analysed to evaluate the resource potential of the reservoir and additional potential on the block,” said the representative.

“Further details of our 2016 drilling program are in development.” The original Liza wildcat hit more than 295 feet of high-quality oil

bearing sandstone reservoirs and was drilled to 17,825 feet by the Transocean drillship Deepwater Champion. The site lies about 120 miles (192 kilometres) off Guyana in 5719 feet of water.

ExxonMobil operates Stabroek on a 45% stake, with US independent Hess holding 30% and China National Offshore Oil Corporation-owned Nexen on 25%.

Saturday October 17, 2015

Page 17

Kaieteur News

GA-FDD urges recall of “deceptively” labelled milk - thousands of cans already seized

A

2 0 - f o o t container laden with evaporated m i l k w a s recently refused entry at the John Fernandes Limited Te r m i n a l W h a r f . T h i s decision, according to Director of the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD), Mr. Marlan Cole, was linked to the fact that the labels of the products were found to be deceptive.

According to Cole, the Department recently seized and removed from the premises 909 cans of

evaporated milk with deceptive labels. Another 16,326 cans were seized and left on the premises.

Cole revealed that in some cases, the content of milk fat declared on the label was only three per cent with no disclaimer and a pictorial representation of a cow.

Among the products that have been labelled as deceptive by the Food and Drug Department are: Promex Milko Evaporated Filled Milk, Tinny Evaporated Filled Milk, Rosa Evaporated Filled Milk, G.I.V Evaporated

Filled Milk, Grace Filled Evaporated Milk, Big J Evaporated Filled Milk and Red and White Evaporated Filled Milk.

According to Cole, members of the National Food Safety and Control Committee from within the various regions have been briefed on the state of affairs and were advised to take necessary action when the deceptive products are found. “The Department is hereby informing all importers and distributors to recall deceptively labelled milk and to surrender them

Govt, Regional Council discuss boundaries of Mabaruma

T

he Ministry of Communities has initiated discussions with Region One’s Regional Democratic Council to define the boundaries of Mabaruma, one of the hinterland communities identified by Government to be transformed into a town.

Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings-Williams, and a team of representatives from the

Ministry of Communities and the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission were given a warm welcome when they visited the North West community.

During the recent two-day visit, discussions with regional officials and interaction with residents were conducted.

Residents of several communities including Wauna, Tobago Hill, Kumaka and Hosororo (Continued on page 18)

Some of the milk products with deceptive labels to the Department for destruction,” said Cole in a statement issued Thursday.

The statement asserted that “GA-FDD wishes to advise the general public against the sale and purchase of misleading (deceptive) brands of Evaporated Milk and Evaporated Filled Milk that are being sold on our local market.”

Evaporated Milk is a milk, or milk product which is constituted from animal source from which 60 per cent of water has been evaporated, and contains not

less than 25 per cent of milk solids and 7.5 per cent milk fat. The label of this product may carry a pictorial representation of a cow, while Evaporated Filled Milk is a prepared blend of skim milk, vegetable oil, stabilizers and vitamins. The label on the Evaporated Filled Milk however cannot depict a pictorial representation of a Cow and must carry a disclaimer “Not suitable for Children under 2 years”. Such a declaimer is necessary because the digestive system of children

is not sufficiently developed to process its content and this amount to a very serious public health issue, added the GA-FDD. Part II (6) 1 of the Food and Drug Act Cap 34:03 of 1971 states that “Any person who labels, packages, treats, processes, sells or advertises any food in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character, value, quality, composition, merit or safety is guilty of an offence.”

Page 18

Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

Several West Ruimveldt roads being upgraded

Crescent Street Ring Road, West Ruimveldt, being rehabilitated

Gilhuys Square, West Ruimveldt

S

everal roads in West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, have been repaired. The City Clean-up Task Force, months ago, had visited their area, removing debris, cleaned canals and drains and now, the Force Account Unit of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is in their area, paving their communitys roads.

The areas recently completed by the Force Account Unit include Gilhuys Square, Industrial Site, Crescent Street, Cactus Street, Shoppers Lane and Ice House Road, a Government release said

yesterday. Rehabilitation works were also done to the West Ruimveldt front road and others.

Residents, calling for speed humps, noted that the roads were impassable at one time with taxis refusing to come.

The rehabilitation works to community roads are not restricted to Region Four.

Recently, tenders were advertised for the maintenance of a number of roads in Region Six. These include Islington to Everton, Toney Street, Chesney Main Road and Vrymans Erven Road, along with others.

Govt, Regional Council discuss boundaries of...

From page 17 have expressed interest in having their communities included in the boundaries of Mabaruma. They also offered many ideas for the development of their communities.

Many issues affecting residents, including the inadequate healthcare system, the delivery of education and living conditions were raised by citizens at a public meeting.

To h a v e a b e t t e r understanding of the challenges facing the health sector, the Minister visited Mabaruma Regional Hospital.

The Regional Member of Parliament and Regional Chairman expressed their commitment to work with the administration of the hospital, Regional Executive Officer, and

Minister of Public Health to address needs of the hospital and residents.

The Minister is of the view that a lot of work is needed to transform Mabruma into a town.

However, this is a task the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana is prepared to undertake with the people of Region One to bring development to the hinterland, she said. Being a f o r m e r h e a d t e a c h e r, Minister Hastings-Williams believes that education is critical for development.

And, therefore, improving the delivery of healthcare and education in the hinterland are priorities.

A tree planting exercise at the Mabaruma Secondary School was among the number of activities engaged in by the Minister.

Saturday October 17, 2015

Page 19

Kaieteur News

Grieving mother feels neglected

by APNU+AFC Govt.

Had Jaden Mars been alive he would have celebrated his sixth birthday on Thursday. Instead, his mother, Nathalie Caseley, with placard in hand spent the day picketing outside the Brickdam, Georgetown headquarters of the Ministry of Public Health.

But Caseley’s picketing is nothing new. She has done it quite a few times in the past toemphasiseher disappointment over the slothful pace of investigations into her son’s death. Investigations have reportedly proven that the child’s death was directly linked to the negligence of the health care workers who attended to him.

Jaden Mars was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation on December 4, 2013 to have his tongue sutured. He had earlier injured his tongue while playing and was referred to the public hospital.

The child was however

dead by December 10, 2013 leaving his mother with more questions than answers.

Caseley had decided to take legal action against the hospital and the Ministry but was asked to settle the matter.

Although reluctant to settle, Caseley, based on the advice of several prominent individuals, decided to embrace this course of action.

The woman however disclosed on Thursday that from all appearances the Ministry, even under the new administration, seems reluctant to bring closure to the matter.

It was for this reason that the woman decided to resort to picketing. “I am here today (Thursday) again like so many other days picketing here and other places still trying to get justice for my son...It’s not that I think I deserve this; I know that I deserve justice,”assertedCaseley.

The woman said that Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, had

- still seeking justice for dead son shown support to her while in the opposition. He had even witnessed her son’s post mortem examination.

He was among those who’d encouraged her to take legal action.

Since he assumed office as Minister, Caseley said that Dr. Norton urged that she accept the proposed settlement. But according to the woman, “The Minister is giving the media houses the impression that I am refusing the settlement when in actuality we (Caseley and lawyer) have contacted them indicating that we are going to take the settlement.”

According to Caseley, her lawyer, Mr. Nigel Hughes, had written to the Ministry’s Counsel, Jaya Manickchand, on at least three occasions, informing of her decision.

Vehicle bursts into flames on East Street The section of the vehicle that was damaged by the fire.

As Guyana observed the last day of Fire Prevention Week activities yesterday an F150 pick up truck, GMM1658, burst into flames on East Street, Cummingsburg, close to where a house was destroyed earlier this month.

The fire which started just after 8: 30hrs was concentrated under the right bonnet of the vehicle owned

by Brian Singh.

Reports are that Singh had minutes earlier left the vehicle in the East Street parking lot to purchase transmission fluid. When he returned his vehicle was in flames. Luckily persons ran to his assistance and averted what could have been a major disaster. His wife was in the vehicle when it burst into flames.

“Is a good thing people went about to assist she because she was in the

vehicle and panicked when it happened and public spirited citizens ran her aid,” one witness said.

The Fire Service was summoned but by the time the fire tender from the Alberttown fire station arrived the fire had already been extinguished. No one was injured.

Meanwhile amidst the current dry season the Guyana Fire Service has been receiving many reports

of a lot of grass fires. As such persons are being encouraged to dispose of their waste properly. They should also keep their lawns and yards as low as possible to avoid grass catching on fire.

The Guyana Fire Service is also asking persons to try to conserve on water and keep drains clean as sometimes the fire tenders rely on the drainage system to fight fires.

“I have been trying to contact the Minister on his mobile phone but have not been able to do so,” said Caseley as she disclosed that several attempts to make appointments to meet with the Minister to date have not materialised.

“Before he was in his good office I was able to contact him easily, now I just can’t get through to him...The one time I got through he told me to come in (to his office) and since September 12 (2015) I’ve been trying to actually meet him. October 15 is the day I gave birth to my son, and I am in a lot of distress...and still can’t hear anything.”

“Usually I would be preparing the perfect character for his (birthday) cake but I am not going to stay home and cry today...I decided to try again to see the Minister and still haven’t,” said Caseley as she in the company of one supporter, Suzette Fortune, braved the

Nathalie Caseley (left) and Suzette Fortune in picketing mode Thursday. midday sun to picket outside the Ministry. According to the employee of Qualfon Guyana, “My washroom and lunch breaks for the past week were spent on the phone trying to make contact with the Ministry of Public Health.”

Caseley is hopeful that her concerns will be seen by the Minister and all relevant officials in hope that necessary actions will be taken to bring closure to the Jaden Mars case.

Caseley is optimistic that closure would not merely

mean a settlement being a ff o r d e d h e r b u t s h e anticipates that efforts will be made to enlighten her about the decisions that were taken to guard against a repeat of the negligence that claimed her son’s life.

“They at least owe me that...I feel as if they are treating me worse than the previous administration now because I had little or no expectation from them,” said Caseley as she recounted how her son’s case was among issues raised on the APNU+AFC campaign trail.

Page 20

Kaieteur News

Saturday October 17, 2015

Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 21

Page 22

Kaieteur News

FOR RENT

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PARTY DECORATING: balloon creation, back drops etc. for weddings, birthdays, anniversary etc. Make your event extra special! Tel Maya: 642-6664 REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, A/C, WASHING MACHINES, TVS, MICROWAVES,FREEZERSCALL: 629-4946 OR 225-4822 Floor sanding & Lacquering House plans, Estimate & painting, Boat for Santa Mission - Call: 650-4362 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building. visadocumentsgy@yahoo.comCall : 225-6496, 662-6045 Landscaping: Palms, largest varieties of plants, Used in every one of our unique landscapes- Call: 648-1821/ 219-0468 Austin Power ’s repairs: fridge freezers, washers, gasstove, AC unit, house wiring-Call: 685-2588 Eagle’s fridge re-gas @ 99100 New Market Street $8,000 & washing machine repairs. Phone: 697-2969, 223-5818 License custom broker/tax consultant: assistance with tax compliance, tax returns, etc. Call: 660-9478

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WANTED Female worker wanted sound secondary education, computer literate-Tel: 6121607 Driver ’s Contract Cars, dispatcher –Call: 231-0316; 231-0002; 219-4087; 219-4086 One Experience Captain To Ply From Georgetown To Bartica Must Be 55 Years And Over. Contact # 650-0402 Part time Security guards, experienced with firearm, need police clearance, application & present a past reference. Call: 231-8344 or 231-8529 Waitress at a Sports Bar E.B.D. Free meals and accommodation provided$17,000 weekly. Please Call/ Whatsapp: 661-8802 Experienced live in waitress – 18-25yrs – salary $60,000 monthly. Call: 610-5043 One live in maid, assistant salesgirl, E.C.D. Call: 6035416; 644-9802 Handy boy to work, live in accommodation and meals free. Call: 628-1756; 228-5655 Female to work at restaurant in the interior, salary -$80,000 monthly- Call: 674-7043; 6645199 1 Live in maid; must know to cook. Call: 683-2271 Experienced minibus & taxi driver @ Princess Hotel Providence- Call: 616-5419 WOODMIZER LT 15 AND LT 40 OPERATOR- CAL: 688-6579/653-9752 One live in domestic maid – Call: 675-5256/ 666-4153 Urgently needed live in waitress- Call: 670-2323 1 Female to work in snackette & bar. Must know to cookbetween ages 20-35 -Call: 647-7432/ 223-5798 Two labourers- Call: 227-1717

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Call: 231-7839 working hours.

2 Bedrooms apartment to rent at 1881 Parfaite Harmonie W.C.D. Call: 645-0489 Canal No.2 Polder W.B.D, great condition -$35,000 monthly-Call: 613-1860 Executive type house with large yard space, parking facilities centrally located, available immediately –Call: 226-6229; 226-5909 Fully furnished two bedrooms house for rent in Kitty, preferably foreigners or serious local. Call: 625-4118 Top & bottom flat @ East Street opposite Balwant Singh Hospital, 2 bedrooms top & 2 bedrooms bottom flat, no children. Call: 2276776; 667-3062

Saturday October 17, 2015

VACANCY

SALON

Work from home earn $5,000-$20,000 monthly. Call monday-friday (9am-5pm): 233-6517; 638-0595 or www.jobfairworldwide.com Male supervisor to work in housekeeping dept, room attendant- Call: 225-0198 or 233 South Road Lacytown.

-Make Up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, Black Opal, Mabelline.

-Nail Technician Course Call: 647-1773/660-5257 Affordable salon services: pedi, mani, wash & blowout, facials, etc $2,500 each. Vogue @ Kalyan Mall, Lamaha Street. Tel: 647-1773/660-5257

Accounts clerk: experienced in QuickBooks, accounting software, VAT NIS & PAYE, @ Technical Services Inc, 18-23 Industrial Site, Eccles E.B.D Agent require for preparing document and quotes for regional contracts. Email: mozatart@yahoo.com/ 6919383 M.A.X Consultancy & Accounting Services urgently need: field sales agents.

For more information-Contact: 2231855/ 609-0623 1 Experienced cook & 1 female bartender at Tajoe’s Sports Bar @ Pouderoyen W.B.DContact: 264-0041, 684-1838 or apply in person.

One sales representative for furniture store in Georgetown-Call: 254-1801

CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 656-0087 ,EMAIL:PRO_ A U T O R E N T A L @YAHOO.COM DOLLY’SCARRENTAL-CALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM Aidan’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up, cheapest rate, low security- Call: 698-7807 Wing’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up rental- Call: 690-6494

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3 Bedroom bottom flat apartments, WBD- Call: 6875759

ACCOMODATION Inner Retreat Hotel Restaurant & Bar, Retreat Road Parika. Indoor /Outdoor bar in Picturesque setting – Phone: 260-4504; 685-6934 Saturdays & Sundays after lunch @ Inner Retreat Hotel Parika: Bar-B-Que & games: pools, darts, table tennis etc – Phone: 260-4504.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Large 4 bedroom concrete house for sale at Ruimzeight Garden W.C.D, Residential Area- Call: 269-0189; 268-3214

MASSAGE Relaxing Massage Therapy Service- Call: 674-8147

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

Rottweiler pups with pedigree (certified) fully vaccinated and de-wormed.

Call/whatsapp: 592-664-5401 1-8 HP Tohatsu outboard, excellent condition- Call: 6425014 One 52ft, complete snapper boat and one 38ft bore cruiser in excellent condition.

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Brazilian Hair Closeout Sale!

100% natural, very low prices, very low price. Call: 644-6028; 679-1174; 231-5700

Pool Tables and business property for sale- Call: 6216878 Pearl: Well Built 1,995 Sq. Ft Earth Delivery to spot concrete structure 45X165 (garden earth) also excavator lot, formerly meeting hall - & bobcat rentals. Call: 62613.5M. Call: 649-1670 7127 #53 Village: East Berbice, Wardrobe, Wall divider/ concrete house and land for cabinet, single & double bed sale, please submit offers, & more- Call: 622-6334 Call: 674-2155 1-125 Elite motorcycle in T&T Realty: Properties in excellent condition. Call: 676West Minister, Robb Street 0190 (double lot); Alberttown, Canal #2 & rental. Call: 660- “One Imported Pools Table contact 223-5273/4” 9478

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Call: 667-7337

New Advanced Diploma in GMC Savana; fully loaded, Computers office 2016, 5M negotiable, for more window 8/10, 9 courses @ information call: 652-8696 Micrographics, Vreed-EnContinued on page 23 Hoop-Call: 264-3057

Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Pattensen receiving water first time in 30 years

Chief Executive, Dr. Van West-Charles, inspecting one of the standpipes at Pattensen.

The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is installing stand-pipes in Pattensen, North Sophia, providing potable water to that section of the community for the first time in more than 30 years.

Chief Executive Officer, Dr.

Van West-Charles, inspected the works being executed by GWI’s Operations Team, Georgetown on Thursday.

“This is the medium term plan to at least provide the Sophia community with easily accessible stand-pipes.

We envision that every

resident of Sophia will have access to their own water service connection in the future.

Our priority is to provide service immediately and bring relief to residents who have been without water for more than 30 years, which is

entirely unacceptable.”

In the short term, in excess of 10 stand-pipes will be installed in North Sophia, an area of the community in which residents were forced to traverse long distances to obtain water for domestic purposes.

Speaking to Dr. WestCharles, residents from North Sophia commended GWI for providing relief via the recently installed standpipes.

Residents also expressed their relief that the standpipes were installed directly in front of their homes for easy access.

“They also indicated that the new service would alleviate the physical and financial burden of buying water or travelling long distances to obtain a few buckets of water.”

Addressing some of the residents, the GWI boss charged them with maintaining the stand-pipes and protecting the infrastructure from vandalism. He assured that the project is temporary and that GWI will be exploring the installation of individual water service connections to homes within Sophia.

Letters... Where your views make the news

Mental Health = National Wealth. None should...

From page 4 effective treatment of depression has a major role in preventing suicide. Suicide can have devastating effects on a community, and the loss of a loved one can have a profound and sometimes devastating impact on those left behind, often called suicide survivors.

Life is not easy for suicide survivors, as sometimes they also find that following the loss, their relationship with other people changed, as they struggle with the accompanying stigma often placed on suicide. Suicide may engender feelings of guilt, blame and failure all of which may lead to altered family relationships.

There has been a recent emergence of evidence that post-suicide interventions at community level can help to prevent copycat and suicide clusters, hence the need for inclusion.

The factors leading to someone taking their own life are extremely complex, hence no one organization is in a position to directly influence them all. Studies that attempted to find answers to a number of questions explaining suicide in Guyana have concluded that there is no one attributable factor , social or psychological and as a consequence further empirical investigations are required.

Methinks that imperative and equally vital to this national mental health strategy is a careful revision and transformation of the mental health system, starting from the home and making its way to the schools. Most people who take their own lives have not been in touch with mental health services.

There should be a greater prominence of measures to support families worried about a loved one being at risk, and those coping with the aftermath of a suicide, as they themselves are at increased risk of mental health and emotional problems and may be at higher risk of suicide themselves.

There should be a tailored approach to their mental health if their risk is to be reduced.

No mention was made of parents receiving training and

support programs to help them be aware or recognize the warning signs of suicide.

Incidentally , the founder of the Guyana Foundation emphasized that the entire nation needs to be on the lookout for each other, and that mental health counselling and assistance will be brought to every single individual who is feeling vulnerable.

These expressed desires are seemingly better expressed than exercised. Attitudinal changes and heightened tolerance levels of all Guyanese are imperative, especially if the inclusion of every individual, (no allusion to sexual orientation) as mentioned by the founder refers to homosexuals, lesbians, transgendered or bisexuals.

To coin yet another Guyanese phrase – That’s a different

story”. Horses of different colours!

One of the chief facilitators at the workshop was Guyanese- Canadian mental health professional Dr. LatchminNarain, who is a certified psychometrician. It would be interesting to know if psychometrics would eventually form part of the National Mental Health Strategy.

As a fully qualified member of the mental health profession, I daresay that while it is an essential suicide screening and assessment tool it is transcendent for the immediate, particularly where it pertains to mental health and the launching of the National Mental Health Strategy that Guyana functions within the well- known and well proven adage: Creep before you can walk.

Yvonne Sam

From page 22

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HEALTH Herbal treatment; get rid of your diabetes, get instant reliefs, stop using insulin & other doctor’s medication.

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Call Tony: 614-8018 One 1.5 Ton Toyota Toyace Canter, GLL Series good working condition –Contact: 623-1202 Unregistered Fielder Wagon, new shape Spacio, fully loaded, rims, camera, bodykit, HID, dark interior-Call: 617-5536 Black Nissan Bluebird 2006 $2.5M –Call: 681-3462 or 6925447 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 TacomaCall:680-3154 Suzuki Escudo. Recently registered in excellent condition.

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Page 24

Kaieteur News

Siblings on bail for escaping from police Two siblings were placed on $100,000 bail each after they were accused of escaping from police custody, where they were being investigated for narcotics possession.

Twenty-six-year old Lisa Mangru and her brother, Brian Robertson, both of Lamaha Park, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge when they appeared yesterday in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Fabayo Azore.

Particulars of the charge alleged that on October 15, they escaped from the Alberttown Police Station, while being in custody pending investigations into a narcotics charge.

Mangru and Robertson were also accused of having one gram of cannabis sativa (marijuana) in their possession on October, 15, at Sea Wall Road, Kitty. The siblings pleaded guilty to this charge and were ordered to pay a fine of $5,000. The duo was also instructed to serve three months community service at the Alberttown

Police Station. They will make their next court appearance on October 29.

According to reports, police intercepted a car along Sea Wall Road, Kitty. The vehicle was being driven by Mangru. Robertson was a passenger in the vehicle, which had other occupants.

A search was conducted and the drug was unearthed on the defendants.

While they were being escorted to the Alberttown Police Station, the suspects escaped, but were recaptured and charged.

Meanwhile, in another case, a 38 year-old interior cook was remanded to prison after she pleaded not guilty to a drug trafficking charge when she appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan.

It is alleged that on October 13, at Lot 2518 Layau Street North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Onkia Williams had 58 grams of cannabis in her possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Williams, who was

represented by Attorney Clyde Forde pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded until October 28. This matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrates’ Court.

The lawyer made an application for his client to be granted reasonable bail. In doing so, Forde said that the drug was not found in Williams’s possession. He alleged that on the day in question, the police searched a mining camp, where his client works as a cook.

But Police Prosecutor, Corporal Deniro Jones objected to bail after stating that the lawyer had failed to provide the court with special reasons to show why his client should not be remanded.

Corporal Deniro Jones told the court that the defendant operates a shop in the interior. He said that on the day in question, the police searched the shop and found the drug concealed in brown scotch tape in the defendant’s netting.

From page 11 circumstances of the present case, a plea Autrefois convict (acquittal) would not be available to the applicant.

“Of course, this is purely academic “Obiter Dictum,” since there was no breach of the applicant’s right under Article 144(5) of the Constitution of Guyana nor does there exist any legal barrier preventing Magistrate Singh (from) proceeding to sentence.

Referring to sections of the application as “simply preposterous,” Justice Singh underscored that prior to passing any judgment on a convicted offender; the Court must first inquire and be fully

acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case.

Singh held that as a matter of public policy, it would be wholly unacceptable and would in fact endanger the lives of members of the Judiciary should the law be that persons cannot be sentenced by a court, if the Judge /Magistrate becomes “ unavailable “ between finding of guilt and sentencing while awaiting the production of a probation report.

Contrary to the claims outlined in the application, the Judge further noted that Hinds was charged 19 months ago and convicted within 11 months after.

This was in spite of the fact that the case was adjourned on at

least six occasions due to the absence of the applicant and /or his Attorneys.

As such, Justice Singh stated that it is the court’s view that there has not really been any substantive delay in the trial of the cases.

“In fact, based on the applicant’s submission, the taking of the evidence was completed in both matters within 90 days of the charges being read.”

Given the circumstances, the Judge denied relief and declarations asked for in several sections of the constitutional motion and ordered that cost be awarded to the respondent in sum of $50,000.

Saturday October 17, 2015

Grenada charges four Guyanese in drug ring bust

- fined for marijuana possession

Former PM’s son to be sentenced after...

The charged Guyanese shortly after court.

Two Grenadian women from the fishing town of Gouyave in St. John’s, ages 18 and 19 are among a group of foreign nationals charged in last weekend’s police crackdown on a major drug operation within the island’s capital city.

The crackdown resulted in the seizure of four kilos of cocaine, arms, ammunition and a quantity of equipment believed to be used in the processing of the band drug, cocaine.

The two Grenadians— Rashida Marshall and Johsan Harriman- both appeared before Chief Magistrate Tamera Gill last Friday, charged with possession of a controlled drug following their arrest earlier in the week.

Both ladies were initially placed on bail of $50,000 each with two sureties.

The Informer later learned that bail bond was subsequently reduced to $ 25,000 each to facilitate the young ladies who were

having difficulties finding bailers. In addition to their bail, the ladies were asked to surrender all travel documents and report to the Gouyave Police Station twiceweekly Monday and Friday between the hours of 6am and 6pm.

And four Guyanese Colin Hooper, 34; Osafi Bobb, 21; Mahendranauth Daff, 34; and David Frank, 50, who were also charged in what the lawmen believed was a major drug ring, were denied bail on the grounds that they were non-nationals and therefore flight risk may be an issue.

The men are faced with some twelve charges ranging from conspiracy, trafficking and possession of a controlled drug, possession of equipment to be used in the processing of cocaine, doing an act proprietary to trafficking and possession of arms and ammunition.

All six people were arrested on September 24 and

October 4 respectively in Grand Anse and Tempe, where according to reports a quantity of equipment believed to be used in the processing of cocaine, was discovered. Some of the items discovered were body filler, hydraulic jack, hammer, baking sheets, sealers, plastic wrap among other things.

During last Friday’s court sitting the prosecution team headed by Crown Council Howard, opted to proceed indictable on all counts, citing the seriousness of the offence before the court and the level of organization that went into the alleged operation.

The prosecution did not object to bail for the locals, however, asked that the bail posted reflect the seriousness of the offence.

The men are represented

by Defence Counsel Peter David and Francis Paul. They are expected to make their second court appearance on October 27.

Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 25

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Kaieteur News

Saturday October 17, 2015

Turkey grumbles as EU hails deal to stem migration Reuters - Turkish leaders accused Europeans yesterday of treating their country shabbily and warned that a new deal with the EU to help stem the flow of migrants to Europe was not completely finalised.

Officials in Brussels, where EU leaders agreed overnight to offer Ankara cash, easier visa terms and a “re-energised” consideration of its EU membership bid, voiced cautious optimism that Turkey would do its part to encourage Syrian refugees not to head to Europe and to deter economic migrants from Asia.

President Tayyip Erdogan, the object of ardent wooing over the past month

by Europeans who had long shown a cold shoulder to what they see as his increasingly authoritarian ways, told Turks he was unimpressed by their belated change of heart.

“Europe’s security and stability is contingent on our security and stability. They have accepted this now,” he told an a u d i e n c e i n Istanbul. “OK. But how long have we been shouting and calling? In Turkey now there are 2.2 million Syrians alone.”

Nearly half a million people, including many Syrians now despairing of an end to the war in their homeland, have made dangerous journeys by sea from Turkey to Greece this year, a surge that has plunged the European Union into crisis.

As Turks vote in two weeks in a second legislative election this year, Erdogan and his allies have a pressing interest in presenting

Tayyip Erdogan terms with the EU in the best light and avoiding any suggestion of a sellout to help ungrateful Europeans.

Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu, who said the deal was not in its final shape, said it must not be seen as Turkey being paid to keep refugees. A spokesman for Erdogan’s party said linking migration to Turkey’s long stalled EU accession bid would amount to “political bribery”.

EU officials said an agreement to “re-energise” that process still left membership of the bloc for a relatively poor Muslim state of 78 million as a very distant prospect and questioned whether Ankara even truly wants to join. But committing to a new effort to talk about more cooperation was more about offering

“prestige and dignity” and salving wounded Turkish pride.

A visit to Istanbul on Sunday by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who called Turkey indispensable to solving a crisis that has seen Germany take in the lion’s share in Europe of refugees, is another token of respect. Merkel also confirmed that new funds from the EU could be in the region of 3 billion euros.

Most important for Ankara, European diplomats said, was a pledge to speed up a process that could waive visa requirements for Turks wanting to travel to Europe. But that would still need Turkey to, among other things, clamp down on access for Afghans, Pakistanis and others who then try to enter the EU illegally.

Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

Opposition says CCJ referendum needed to record the will of the people KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Senator Alexander Williams says that the government needs to know whether Jamaicans want the Caribbean Court of Justice(CCJ).

“Do we know if the people of Jamaica really want the CCJ as their final appellate court?” Senator Williams asked, as he made his contribution to the debate on the three Bills aimed at replacing the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) with the CCJ, as Jamaica’s final court of appeal.

Senator Williams said that the question must be answered before any at-

Alexander Williams tempt is made to join the appellate arm of the CCJ. He stated that there were several advantages to holding a referendum, including that it would give

the electorate a chance to participate in the legal reform, and help to strengthen the people’s faith in the democratic process.

He said that a final court of appeal must enjoy “the greatest level of protection if it is to succeed”.

“A two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament may not necessarily represent the will of the people,” he suggested.

Senator Williams said that the Opposition is insisting that any final appellate court for Jamaica must be deeply entrenched through the results of a referendum.

(Jamaica Observer)

All legal expenses to be reviewed, says Trinidad attorney general PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi estimates about TT$1 billion (US$160 million) in legal fees were paid to attorneys by state enterprises and ministries in Trinidad and Tobago during the People’s Partnership administration’s tenure, with million-dollar sums paid to some, including one attorney who was paid $60 million and $1.3 million earned by another who was “eight months out of law school.”

Speaking in this week’s 2016 Budget debate, Al-Rawi said, from now on, senior counsel will only be used where required with junior attorneys, and all expenses will be reviewed. He said payment will be based on “quantum

meruit” and vouching for hours of work done.

The attorney general did not identify any of the lawyers who benefitted under the previous administration.

Al-Rawi said the ministry of the attorney general, justice and legal affairs collectively received $5 billion in the last five years. He said taxpayers should know what value for money was obtained for this and what benefits were accrued for an estimated $13 billion spent (under sectoral heads) over the same period.

He said there was a lot of room for improving efficiency by improving spending efficiency.

Al-Rawi noted the sum of $444 million had been identi-

fied in the last term as legal fee payments by one ministry alone between 2010-2015 for lawyers who were not full time.

He also sought a list of legal fees for 107 state enterprises and after initial review received a report from 60.

The sum spent by the 60 was $292.2 million in legal fees and of the 22 ministries now existing under the new administration, a handful reported legal fees ranging from $1.9 million to $155.3 million, he added.

He estimated total legal fees would be around $900 million for the five years and “conservatively” would eventually total about $1 billion when all other state enterprises reported.

Hundreds of new jobs up for grabs as St Kitts and Nevis’ tourism grows BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – The completion of four major developments in the tourism industry in St. Kitts and Nevis by 2018 is expected to generate hundreds of job opportunities for the local population.

That’s according to Minister of Tourism Lindsay Grant who said identified several of those projects, including Kittitian Hill which should have 84 rooms by December; Park Hyatt St. Kitts, an ultraluxury 5-star resort hotel which will be the first of its brand in the Caribbean and will feature 136 rooms and open in 2016; Embassy Suites

by Hilton, a 226-suite hotel scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2017; and the scheduled completion of Radisson Hotel in 2017 and Koi Resorts in 2018.

“I believe there is no other industry that will create the jobs over the next 24 months like the tourism plant,” Grant said. “If the hotels come on stream as they should come on stream in the next 24 months, that’s going to take up an additional 1,500 jobs.

That is by no means a small portion of our working community.”

To ensure that people are well trained and prepared to meet the challenges of working in the service industry, Grant said, government is exploring the establishment of a hospitality school. He said the plans were at “an advanced stage.”

“This school of excellence is going to have to train the entire tourism industry of St. Kitts and Nevis,” the minister added, noting that would

Lindsay Grant include bartenders, wait staff, receptionists, chefs, landscapers, taxi drivers, vendors, store owners and others.

The vision is to have the facility become a centre of excellence that attracts people from the rest of the Caribbean.

Page 27

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Kaieteur News

Saturday October 17, 2015

IMF issues warning for TCI Daily Observer - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says establishing a stable financial system with a sound oversight framework is critical for an offshore financial center such as Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI).

The Washington-based financial institution said although the economy in the British Overseas Territory relies mostly on tourism, the financial systems, largely offshore, assets amount to about 450 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

“TCI is home to a large number of small, niche U.S.based reinsurance companies, but banks account for a large part of the system’s assets.

The FSC is an integrated supervisor overseeing all financial institutions. The territory uses the U.S. dollar and does not have a central bank,” the IMF observed.

It said that the TCI re-

cently suffered from major domestic financial distress, highlighting the unique challenges of the territory.

“The severe recession that started in 2009 led to a sharp increase in nonperforming loans (NPLs).

In this context, a large indigenous bank failed, and depositors have so far recovered 40 per cent of their claims. “Furthermore, in 2014 a local insurance company was liquidated, a delayed consequence of the failure of a large regional insurer.

Branch-based operations in TCI made it difficult to adequately protect TCI policyholders, who have recovered 20 per cent of claims so far.”

The IMF said that contagion to the rest of the financial system was limited.

“In the near term, TCI banks on aggregate seem to have the capacity to withstand a range of adverse sce-

narios, but one bank shows signs of weak governance.

Banks are foreign owned and operate a traditional business model with high capital buffers.

“While legacy nonperforming loans (NPLs) remain high and credit has been contracting since the crisis, demand-side issues appear relatively more relevant: the contraction is concentrated in the construction sector, and banks have sufficient capital to write off most of the existing NPLs.” The IMF said that stress tests underscore the importance of credit and concentration risk together with real estate collateral valuation, and most banks have sufficient capital to withstand a range of adverse shocks.

“Regarding liquidity, key risks are from customer deposits and, for some, intragroup funding. Since most of liquid assets are claims on group affiliates, ensuring their continued availability is the key for managing liquidity risks. Weak governance in one large bank is an important vulnerability, so the FSC should remain vigilant,” the IMF added.

Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

FIFA removes Thai FA’s executive committee after Worawi ban BERNE (Reuters) FIFA removed the entire executive committee of Thailand’s football association (FAT) on Friday, four days after its president Worawi Makudi was suspended pending an ethics investigation by soccer’s governing body.

FIFA said that it had put in place a so-called “normalization committee” to oversee the election of a new executive committee by Feb. 16 “at the latest”.

“The FIFA Emergency Committee has decided...to remove the executive committee of the Football Association of Thailand from office and to appoint a normalization committee in its place,” said soccer’s governing body in a statement. Worawi, who had been FAT president since

2007, was provisionally banned for 90 days on Monday over a possible breach of FIFA’s code of ethics.

The 63-year-old, who was on the FIFA executive committee in December 2010 when it voted to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar, will now face a formal investigation by soccer’s governing body. Worawi was due to stand for re-election as FAT president on Oct. 17 against former national team manager Vanasthana Sajakul and regional police chief Pisan Jundilok, and was considered the favorite. He won the FAT election two years ago against Viraj Chanpanich but, amid controversy, Worawi was given a suspended 16-

month sentence by a Thai court in July for falsifying documents to amend the FAT statutes ahead of the vote.

October’s elections were postponed following his suspension.

“The FAT executive committee’s mandate had come to an end after the FAT elections previously scheduled to take place on 17 October 2015 were postponed,” said FIFA. FIFA said the normalization committee would also oversee the revision of the FAT’s electoral code. Thailand, who have never qualified for the World Cup and are 145th in the FIFA rankings, are top of Group F in the second round of the Asian qualifying competition for the 2018 tournament in Russia.

Page 29

Tappin elected President of the Guyana Beach Soccer Association

The new GBSA Executive from left, Adrian Alleyne, GFF GS Diedre Davis, Rollan Tappin, GFF NC Chairman Clinton Urling, Lashaun Martindale, Rashauna Rollins and Dwallon Farrell.

Lindener Rollan Tappin was yesterday elected President of the Guyana Beach Soccer Association (GBSA). Dwallon Alleyne will serve as his First Vice President, Second Vice President is Adrian Alleyne, Rashauna Rollins

will perform duties as Secretary while handling financial matters as Treasurer, is Lashaun Martindale.

Chairman of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Normalisation Committee Clinton Urling congratulated the executives whilst pledg-

ing the federation’s support to help develop the sport.

Presently, Guyana’s lone established beach soccer facility is based in Linden and according Tappin, the association will be aiming to spread the sport throughout Guyana.

(From page 26) test’s first spin casualty but only after scoring a brisk 57 in an 87-ball knock.

Cook was next to be dismissed, sweeping a top edge from Malik to Shan Masood at square leg for an easy catch as England slipped to 549-7, although replays showed it should have been called no-

ball.

His 263 was his third Test double-century and second only to his 294 against India in 2011.

Joss Buttler (23) then dollied up a simple catch for Zulfiqar’s first wicket before bad light stopped play.

Zulfiqar finished with figures of 1-180 after bowling 70

of Pakistan’s 196 overs while Wahab finished with 3-116.

The three-match series heads to Dubai next for the second test from Oct. 22 with Sharjah hosting the third contest from Nov. 1.

Scores: England 569 for 8 (Rashid 6*, Broad 0*) lead Pakistan 523 for 8 dec by 46 runs.

Little DIVA Flames Football Cook finally succumbs...

Club to hold AGM today The Little DIVA Flames Football Club will be holding its Annual General Meeting today, Saturday 17th October 2015 at t h e G i r l Guides Pavilion, Brickdam commencing at 09:00 hrs.

On the AGENDA: 1. Welcome 2. Prayer 3. Opening Remarks – President 4. Secretary’s Report 5. Financial Report 6. Election of Office

Bearers 7. Any Other Business Former football referee and administrator Lawrence Griffith is the current President of that club.

Saturday October 17, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) She may not be in a great mood, so perhaps you'd better take her out in public where she'll have to maintain some self-control.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Traffic in your neighborhood could be congested beyond anything you've seen before.

Perhaps an accident or road construction is blocking the street.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You're romantic by nature, but today you're probably more interested in sensuality than roses and champagne CANCER (June 21–July 22) You're apt to feel rather tense today and blame it on boredom and discontent with your current life.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Do you feel like you're about to explode? Tension may have built up through the week and now there may be no outlet for it.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Was there a task you wanted to have completed by now that was delayed for reasons beyond your control?

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Over the past few years you've been aware that both you and your chosen life path are changing.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Are you planning to hear a sermon, lecture, or speech of some kind today?

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) The dreams probably represent nothing more than your unconscious mind releasing the darkest of your worries, fears, and frustrations that you've been going through over the past week.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Your partner may be worried because a family member is ill.

This could cause your friend to be distracted.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Have you resolved to give your house a thorough cleaning? You may have gone to the store and bought every conceivable type of cleaner.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Don't forget that the old standbys of champagne and chocolate still work! Or a warm bubble bath - that's sure to relieve any tension.

Soldiers secure third ISAAC...

(From page 31) to victory in the 100m for another Police sweep.

Babb ran 12.60 seconds to lead Nadin e R o d r i g u e s (12.80s) and Charmine Clarke (13.00s) to the finish line.

However, the Defence Force’s Stacy Cadogan won the Officers’ 100m in 13.70s with Police’s Sonia Herbert (14.80s) and Tiffany Williams (16.00) second and third respectively.

The Defence Force then swept the male Junior Officers’ race with Lionel Medford winning in a time of 11.00 seconds and Anthony Lyttle second in 11.20 seconds.

Warren Mars was third with 11.40 seconds.

Leslain Baird won the Senior NCO’s 100m for the Soldiers in 10.50 seconds, beating Police’s Trevor Benn (10.70s) into second. Police’s Derwin Eastman (11.10s) was third.

National basketball player, Tyrone Hamid, known for his monster dunks, brought some entertainment with his 2.00m High Jump performance that landed him the gold medal in that event. Baird (1.93m) was second with Police’s Clarence Greene (1.90m) third.

Page 30

Kaieteur News

Saturday October 17, 2015

Sri Lanka’s Herath leaves West Indies reeling (Reuters) - Rangana Herath took six wickets firstinnings wickets to put West Indies in a spin as Sri Lanka enforced the follow-on on the third day of the opening test at Galle on Friday.

The wily left-arm spinner picked up four wickets on the third day to complete his 23rd five-wicket haul in tests.

Herath inflicted more misery on the hapless touring side by dismissing opener Kraigg Brathwaite lbw for 34 in West Indies’ second innings and they finished the day on 67 for two, still needing 166 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

Shai Hope (six) was the other opener out when he was bowled by Milinda Siriwardana to become the debutant all-rounder’s first test victim.

Darren Bravo (20) and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo (six) were at the crease at stumps.

Bravo (50) had offered resistance in the first session too, making his 12th half-century in tests before falling to Herath, Dinesh Chandimal

Rangana Herath’s figures read 33-9-68-6, Sri Lanka v West Indies, 1st Test, Galle, 3rd day, October 16, 2015 ©AFP Darren Bravo made a patient fifty, Sri Lanka v West Indies, 1st Test, Galle, 3rd day, October 16, 2015 ©AFP

completing a brilliant acrobatic catch at mid-wicket to dismiss the left-hander.

Herath struck in his second over of the day with an innocuous delivery which Marlon Samuels (11) made a mess of. The batsman failed to connect on a pull shot and the ball, going way down the leg side, hit his thigh and went on to disturb the stumps.

Jermaine Blackwood (11) did not last long either, edging Dhammika Prasad to Siriwardana at slip where the fielder juggled a catch but held on.

Jason Holder (19), leading the side for the first time in tests, gave Prasad his second wicket when he edged behind to wicketkeeper Kusal Perera after hitting the paceman for

two consecutive boundaries.

Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin fell in similar fashion to fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep before Kemar Roach, who was dropped on five by Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews at slip off Herath, and Jerome Taylor (31)

launched a counter-attack.

Taylor hit four boundaries and a six in his 31-ball knock and his 46-run stand for the eighth wicket with Roach gave West Indies hope of saving the follow-on.

Roach (22) also added 34 with Bishoo for the ninth

wicket but Herath ensured they fell short by dismissing him and Shannon Gabriel off successive deliveries shortly after tea.

Scores: West Indies 251 (Bravo 50, Herath 6-68) and 67 for 2 (f/o) trail Sri Lanka 484 by 166 runs.

Cook finally succumbs but Blatter fighting to return for England surpass Pakistan FIFA handover in February

Sepp Blatter gestures during a news conference after the Extraordinary FIFA Executive Committee Meeting at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland July 20, 2015.

(Reuters/Arnd Wiegmann) ZURICH (Reuters) Sepp Blatter, suspended president of soccer’s world governing body, FIFA, said he aimed to return to office in time to hand over power to a successor to be elected at a special congress in February.

Blatter, 18 years in office, was suspended for 90 days amid the worst corruption scandal in FIFA’s history. He had previously announced he

was standing down but had hoped to retain his post for the formal handover, asserting his innocence of any wrongdoing.

“If I run away now and let everything fall, then I denigrate myself,” Blatter told RROTV, a regional broadcaster based in the canton of Valais.

“That’s my goal, that I can lead the Congress.”

Swiss and U.S. authorities are running corruption investigations that have so far led to the indictment of 14 soccer officials and sports marketing executives. Among other things, they are examining the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.

Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini, who is a candidate to succeed the Swiss at the presidential election on Feb 26, were suspended for 90 days by FIFA’s Ethics Committee on Oct 8, with a 2011 payment from FIFA to Platini under scrutiny.

Platini has said the payment was for work he carried out under a contract for FIFA as an advisor to Blatter between 1999 and 2002. The Frenchman said the nine-year delay in payment was due to FIFA’s financial situation.

Blatter said that he had had a “gentleman’s agreement” with Platini over the payment. “It was a contract I had with Michel Platini, a gentleman’s agreement and that was followed through on,” said the 79-year-old.

Blatter said the suspension was a shock.

“But even though this decision is very difficult to digest, it is at the same time been a release for me. Now I am out of work and I can look after myself.”

England’s Alastair Cook celebrates reaching his double century. (Action Images via Reuters / Jason O’BrienLivepic) ABU DHABI (Reuters) Alastair Cook completed the third-longest innings in test history and the longest by an Englishman as his side ended on 569-8 on the fourth day of the first test on Friday, 46 runs ahead of Pakistan.

Cook batted for 836 minutes — or just short of 14 hours — over three days before succumbing on 263, the England skipper’s secondhighest test score.

Joe Root (85) and Ben Stokes (57) provided ample support as the tourists sought to make Pakistan re-

gret declaring on 523-8, although with one day’s play left and both teams still to bat again a draw seems likely in the first of a three-match series.

England began Friday on 290-3, Cook and Root at the crease and seemingly imperious as test cricket’s top scoring duo in 2015 reeled in Pakistan’s total.

The sparse crowd, overwhelmingly supporting Pakistan, were boisterous despite the lack of wicket chances on Abu Dhabi’s flat, slow pitch as England reached lunch

without further loss.

Those fans would rue Sarfraz Ahmed’s sluggishness, the wicketkeeper failing to reach Cook’s nick off an inside edge from Wahab Riaz’s in-swinger in the day’s fourth over when the 30-yearold was on 173.

Pakistan captain Misbahul-Haq used his fast bowlers sparingly in the stifling heat with slow left-armer Zulfiqar Babar leading the host’s attack for long spells despite none of the first 13 wickets in this test falling to spin.

Root eventually walked early in the afternoon after trying to cut an out-swinging Rahat Ali delivery, edging to Sarfraz Ahmed who made some amends for his earlier mistake by executing a nimble diving catch to his right.

ROOT FRUSTRATED Root kicked at the stumps in frustration, a 14th test halfcentury and 141–run partnership with Cook scant consolation for missing a ninth Test century on such a benign surface.

Jonny Bairstow (8) lasted 39 balls, falling lbw to Wahab as the tourists slipped to 4435. Ben Stokes was Cook’s next partner as England’s batsmen went on the offensive after tea, seeking to reverse a run rate that had sagged to 2.62 runs per over post-lunch from a relatively brisk 3.33 in the morning.

Stokes was bowled by Shoaib Malik to become this (Continued on page 25)

Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 31

UPPER CORENTYNE 4R 20/20 Nadal trounces Wawrinka Skeldon, No. 69 Vikings, No. 70 ‘A’ and to set up Tsonga semi-final No. 64 Fighting Marines advance to Semis

(Reuters) Former world number one Rafa Nadal displayed more signs of a return to top form with a ruthless 62 6-1 hammering of Stan Wawrinka to reach the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters on Friday.

The Spaniard, a winner of 14 grand slam titles, suffered a second-round defeat to Dustin Brown at Wimbledon and was ousted in the third round at the U.S. Open by Fabio Fognini in a woeful campaign but has enjoyed a resurgence since arriving in China.

The 29-year-old, seeded eighth in Shanghai, reached the final in Beijing last week

and needed a little more than an hour to breeze past French Open champion Wawrinka, who toiled for close to three hours late on Thursday to get past Marin Cilic.

Swiss Wawrinka, who had won his last two meetings against Nadal, avoided the ignominy of suffering a bagel in the second set by claiming the sixth game after his opponent had raced to 5-0 on the back of a nine-game winning run.

Nadal, hoping to grab one of the four remaining ATP World Tour Finals spots in London, will next meet Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in Sunday’s title decider.

Tsonga got the better of South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in a grueling 7-6(6) 5-7 64 match between a pair of the circuit’s biggest hitters.

The Frenchman saved three set points during the tie-breaker and secured an early break in the deciding set to carry him through to the last four.

“It was a good match,” Tsonga told the ATP website . “It was a good level, I think.

We both played good tennis.

“I was really aggressive. I served really, really well today. I moved well. I’m just really happy to win today. It come at the good moment. It’s good to play like this.”

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after winning his men’s singles quarter-final match against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai, China, October 16, 2015. (Reuters/Aly Song)

Futsal Association elects executive

( L-R ) Mark Younge, Andrew Major, Kenrick Noel, NC Chairman Clinton Urling, General Secretary Diedre Davis and Rawle Adams.

Henry Chase was this evening voted in as President of the Guyana Futsal Association last evening.

Chase secured seven of the eight votes to win against Otis James.

Kenrick Noel will serve as first Vice president, second vice president Mark Younge

and Andrew Major is the Treasurer. Rawle Adams was voted in as Secretary.

Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Normalisation Committee Chairman Clinton Urling believes that the newly elected body has a huge task ahead to bring the format of Futsal to an

organised state.

Urling pledged the GFF’s support in helping the association get off the ground.

Noel, in the absence of Chase, said that Futsal Association and its executive will be eager to work together to help develop and expand the game.

Christopher Jaundoo hits 102 not out for Skeldon

Rayan Yacoob

Steven Embrack

Christopher Jaundoo

The Upper Corentyne 4R 20/20 quarter finals was all action Sunday last with Skeldon, No. 69 Vikings, No. 70 ‘A’ and No. 64 Fighting Marines advancing to the semi finals of the competition.

At Skeldon ground, Skeldon defeated No. 48 Challengers by 9 wickets. Batting first, No. 48 scored 152 for 9 off 20 overs with M. Shaw 25, T. Persaud 23 and D. Baldeo 22 being the top scorers.

Bowling for Skeldon Sherwin Murray took 2 for 16 off 4 overs, Junior Blair 2 for 28 off 4 overs and Parmanand Narine 1 for 16 off 4 overs. In reply Skeldon raced to 156 for 1 off 15 overs with former Berbice under 17 batsman Christopher Jaundoo smashing a brilliant 102 not out (15x4, 2x6) and was well supported by Charles France 27 not out.

At No. 73 ground, No. 70 ‘A’ pulled a massive upset when they defeated Corriverton by 27 runs. Batting first No. 70 ‘A’ scored 167 for 8 off 20 overs with Rayan Yacoob hitting 54 (6x4, 2x6) and was well supported

by Tameshwar Ramoutar 47 (4x4, 3x6). Bowling for Corriverton, Clavern Beresford took 4 for 17 off 4 overs, Faoud Bacchus 2 for 11 off 3 overs and Amzan Appalsammy 2 for 26 off 3 overs. In reply, Corriverton were restricted for 140 for 7 off 20 overs with Amzan Appalsammy 43, Imran Jabbar 21 and Jermaine Reid 19 be-

ing the top scorers. Bowling for No. 70 ‘A’ UCCA 1st Division team, captain Omesh Khemraj took 2 for 15 off 4 overs and was supported by Omesh Kumar 2 for 18 off 4 overs and Naresh Prashad 2 for 15 off 2 overs.

At Yakusuri ground, No. 64 Fighting Marines defeated Yakusari Caribs by 39 runs.

Batting first No. 64 Fighting Marines scored 153 for 8 off 20 overs with Steven Embrack 53 (1x4, 7x6), Ramzan Subhan 25 not out and Kumar Chand 18 being the top scorers.

Bowling for Yakusari Caribs A. Mohamed took 3 for 16 off 4 overs and was supported by N. Iyana 2 for 40 off 4 overs.

In reply Yakusari Caribs were restricted to 114 for 7 off 20 overs with Rajendra Bownauth 22 not out and S. Amen 29 showing any aggression with the bat. Bowling for No. 64 Fighting Marines, Vadanand Sugrim showing a lot of improvement with the ball took 4 for 23 off 4 overs and was supported by Devindra Balram 1 for 9 off 4 overs and Jason Itwaru 1 for 10 off 2 overs.

And at the No. 69 ground, No. 69 Vikings defeated No. 73 Young Warriors by 7 wickets. Batting first No. 73 Young Warriors were bowled out for 76 off 15 overs. Bowling for No. 69 Vikings former Guyana under 19 player Viendra Gooniah took 4 for 18 off 4 overs, Latchman Roopchand 4 for 16 off 4 overs , Totaram

Persaud 1 for 14 off 4 overs and Deon Bramdit 1 for 8 off 3 overs. In reply No. 69 Vikings raced to 77 for 3 off 11 overs with Viendra Gooniah returing with the bat with 26 and Latchman Roopchand 20.

The Semi finals are set for Sunday October 25, 2015 at the No. 69 Vikings ground. In semi final #1 No. 64 Fighting Marines will take on No. 70 ‘A’ at 9:30am and in semi # 2 Skeldon will come up against No. 69 Vikings, whilst during the interval between the 2 games there will be a 5/5 contest with Crabwood Creek Selected XI vs. No. 72 Selected XI. It is set to be an action pack day of cricket and the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association will be using this event as a fund raiser to assist the UCCA first division team. There will be a well stocked bar and music to entertain. Admission $200, children under 12 yrs free.

This Competition is sponsored by Mr. Ricky Deonarine of 4R Bearings of Georgetown. The competition featured 20 teams playing in four zones in a home and away fixture with the top two teams advancing. The final is set for the Crabwood Creek Sports Complex under lights with other exciting match in the making. The UCCA takes this opportunity to thank Mr. Ricky Deonarine for this sponsorship and hopes he continue the good work in cricket development in Guyana.

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Kaieteur News

15th Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships

Team Guyana confident of representing well

By Franklin Wilson Guyana’s four-member team to the 15th Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships in Barbados this weekend winged out last evening via the Ogle International Airport for the Land of the Flying Fish, Barbados.

The experienced quartet of Alanzo Greaves, the most capped rider on the team, Geron Williams, Orville Hinds and debutant at this level, Michael Anthony have all expressed confidence that they will do well for the Land of Many Waters.

The initial team selected by the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) had included Hamza Eastman also but due to hamstring issues, he dropped off the team. The lone female, National Time Trial and Road Race champion Claire Fraser-Green was selected but due to the lateness of the team being named, contact with Fraser-Green was not made.

Raul Leal it is understood was named to replace Eastman but Leal too opted out, leaving the four riders to

represent.

Team Officials include GCF Secretary Ms. Maria Leung and President Horace Burrowes who will perform duties as Manager/Coach for the Road Race tomorrow, stated that he is satisfied with the makeup of the team and is looking forward to a solid performance from his charges. ”We are looking forward to doing well; we are going there to make sure that we compete to the best of our ability. I’m going to be proud of these guys either way; if we place or we don’t. I know the team that we have is going to put their all because I know the ability of these guys.”

Burrowes is of the view that his presence will be a big plus for the riders being an experienced competitor and one who is still competitive.

The riders had to fund their own airfare with the host, Barbados Cycling Union assisting with accommodation and meals.

Burrowes disclosed that the only sponsorship the GCF received was in the form

of custom made uniforms compliments of Champion Systems and the Burrowes family through the USA cased business, Mango seed Restaurant.

The Time Trials are slated for today but Guyana will not be competing. Tomorrow’s Road Race will see the Guyanese quartet in action in the 158.4km showdown at the Bushy Park Circuit which they will cover 11 times.

This is the pinnacle of Caribbean cycling and will attract over 90 riders from 20 countries.

Circuit Features: Distance: 14.40 km, No. Laps: 11, Highest Point: 182 m, Ascent: 152 m, Lowest Point: 30 m, Net Elevation: 0m, Total Distance: 154.44 km, Max. Incline: 5.2%, Min. Incline: – 3.4%.

The nations competing are Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, Martinique, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, Grenada, French Guiana, Dominican Republic, Curacao, Bermuda, Bahamas, Aruba, Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla and Belize.

What the Race Route looks like

RING READY: Guyana’s super middleweight and Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) middleweight champion, Lennox Allen, will end a six months hiatus when he steps in the ring tonight. He is billed to oppose Hungarian, Istvan Zeller, at the Eagle Bank Arena, Fairfax, Virginia USA. Yesterday afternoon, Allen won the first round of the fight when he tipped the scale at an even 167 pounds when he weighed in at the Hyatt Hotel, Fairfax Virginia.

Moments later, he told Kaieteur Sport that he is aiming to win the bout as convincingly as possible. In the above photo, Allen takes to the scale with a chiseled physique that endorses his claim of top fitness.

Saturday October 17, 2015

PUBLIC RELATIONS WITH A DIFFERENCE AS BOXING CARD HITS NEW LEVEL

Quincy Gomes (L) and Anson Greene should spark some fire in the square jungle.

Clive ‘The Punisher’ Atwell is expected to land at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Timerhi sometime this afternoon to keep his ring date with Dexter Gonsalves in the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC)/Giftland Office Max ‘Nex Generation’ boxing card billed for the Giftland Office Max Mall, Liliendaal ECD on Saturday October 24.

Atwell, who opened camp in Dominica, had spent the last few weeks honing his skill at the Gleasons Gym, Brooklyn USA under the tutelage of Dillon Carew and Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore. He will be paraded in a motorcade from the CJIA where he will get an opportunity to meet and greet his many fans.

Subsequently, the Guyanese world rated pugilist will open camp at the Andrew Lewis Boxing Gym (ALBG), Punt Trench La Penitence, tomorrow afternoon, under the guidance of Lennox ‘Cappell’ Daniels.

His opponent, Dexter Gonsalves, is working out at the Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) Boxing Gym, James Street, Albouystown, and his training routine suggests a raging battle is in store.

Organizers of the card have instituted unique measures to promote the function while pointing out that the aim is to revitalize the sport, both in the boxers’ performances as well as crowd attendance.

Towards this end, the boxers comprising the card have been engaged in several related public relations activities that seem to be instigating the type of revitalization necessary for crowd support of the card

and the sport in general.

This certainly does not mean that the card lacks the requisite venom but merely that boxing pundits and the nation as a whole will now have the opportunity to become acquainted with their pugilistic stalwarts and truly assess their worth outside of the ‘square jungle’ but most importantly, inside of it.

It was this thought that led Vice President of Nexgen Global Promotions, Alim Hussein, the man behind public relations activity for the card, to put the necessary modalities in place that has spiraled the interest of the non committed fan.

The boxers have been very busy over the past weeks, extracting some time during the days to engage in several publicity stunts. They have paraded around Georgetown and its environs meeting and greeting the public while showcasing the many models that will be a part of the show as well as sponsors.

The boxers also engaged students of the Government Technical Institute yesterday morning and over the next week will be engaged in tree planting exercises under the auspices of the Mayor and City Council along with Ms Earth (Guyana 2014), Stacy Ramcharan, on the Merriman’s Mall.

Meanwhile, there is high anticipation of the main bout between local lightweight champion, Dexter Gonsalves and his world rating counterpart, Clive Atwell as both boxers have proven to possess immense power and skills.

But even as the expectations for an action packed main bout remain high, fans have been assured that the

preliminary and the main supporting bouts would be just as action packed. Imran Khan engages David Thomas over 4 rounds while Terrence Adams battles Keeve Allicock in a 4 rounds jnr/ lightweight contest. Khan said that he and his colleague are fully cognizant of the importance of winning their respective bouts and are working assiduously to attain top fitness. He said that he and Adams usually engage in roadwork from 04:30hrs on weekdays for about two hours over a three miles distance. He said that they utilize the East Bank thoroughfare as the traffic is not so heavy during the early morning hours.

Khan has already created the environment for a head on clash when he had appeared for the press conference early last month. It was he that had brazenly walked over to Thomas, thrust his face in close proximi t y of his o p p o n e n t ’s a n d i s s u e d vile threats of his intentions. Thomas had remained calm promising to erupt on fight night.

In the main supporting bout, Quincy Gomes will fight Anson Greene in a 6 rounds welterweight affair while the amateur boxers would also be on show. In this segment, popular Republican warrior, Nankumar Singh, will bare fists with Kellon King in a lightweight bout while Orin Bancroft tackles Travis Hubbard in the lightweight (youth) category. Glenroy Smit h ( E B G ) w i l l t h e n square off with Republican Clifton Graham while Tefon Greene (GDF) will bring the curtains down on the amateur segment when he opposes Republican, Dexter Wray.

Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 33

MoE / NSC / Al Sport Schools Windball Cricket Competition

Host Massiah, Crabwood Creek and New Market among winners

Participating schools pose with their trophies following the presentation ceremony yesterday at Massiah Primary School ground.

New Market, Crabwood Creek and host Massiah were among the winning teams when the Ministry of Education (MoE) / National Sports Commission (NSC) and Al Sports & Tour Promotions held a One-day Windball Cricket Competition for Primary Schools yesterday, at the Massiah Primary School ground, No.71 Village, Corentyne.

Playing in the Boys

Division, New Market defeated No. 48 by eight wickets. Taking first strike after losing the toss, No. 48 compiled 43-4 off the allotted 5 overs with Simon Kendall hitting a top-score of 16.

Chasing 44 for victory, New Market reached the required target for the loss of 2 wickets with Steve Holder slamming 22.

Crabwood Creek then beat Leeds by eight wickets.

Batting first, Leeds closed on 39 without loss w i t h Vi s h a u l S i n g h contributing 19.

In their turn at the crease, Crabwood Creek made 40-2.

Trevon Sukhu topscored with 10.

Home side Massiah then eased to a comfortable nine wickets win over Skeldon.

Skeldon made 44-4 batting first with Alex Persaud 16, Zakeel Flatts 13 and Riaz Khan 11, being the

principal scorers.

Massiah replied with 451 with Vettorie Latchman and Seiraj Chatterpaul hitting 17 apiece.

In the Girls Division, Massiah and New Market reigned supreme.

Massiah beat Crabwood Creek by four runs in the opening fixture.

They made 37-1 batting first with Ravena Laljit hitting a quickfire 16 and Rawina Bhagwandin adding

10.

Crabwood Creek were then restricted to 33-3 when the overs expired. Laljit returned to snare two wickets for 4 runs.

No. 48 went down to New Market by eight wickets.

No. 48 made 48-2 with Hevin Singh stroking 11.

New Market replied with 49-2. Alice Fraser hit a topscore of 15.

In the final game of the

day, Massiah beat Skeldon by ten wickets.

Skeldon made 21-3 and Massiah reached 25-0.

The event was organized

by Sports Officer attached to the NSC Allister Munroe, while Seon Erskine acted on behalf of Director of Sport Christopher Jones.

Both gave brief remarks and promised future competitions in Berbice.

All the participating schools received trophies.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday October 17, 2015

Education Minister lauds GCB as National Secondary School Cricket League launched

By Michael Benjamin Yesterday morning, the Everest Cricket Club, Eve Leary, was the venue of two related activities that are cricket oriented; two schools were on the field engaged in competitive action while on the top floor of the club, executive members of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) convened for a press conference that officially raised the curtains on the National Secondary School Cricket League.

The action on the field represented the first of a series of matches that will see more than 150 secondary schools from across the country, categorized in 15 zones, competing for honours in the above mentioned championships.

Minister of Education, Rupert Roopnarine, graced the function with his presence and delivered keynote remarks. He acknowledged the financial constraints experienced by the organizers and lauded the efforts of the members of the corporate community whose input has made it easier for t h e o r g a n i z e r s . M r.

Roopnarine further drew a nexus between education and sports while advocating for continued collaboration in this vein. “I have been advocating for a plan to have cricket developed at a national level and this

th

Minister of Education, Rupert Roopnarine (4 R sitting) share the head table with members of the National Sports Commission, other cricket bigwigs, representatives of the sponsors and students of participating schools (standing behind). venture certainly meets my a p p r o v a l , ” s a i d M r.

Roopnarine. He then urged the participants to turn in robust and vigorous performances in support of their administrators’ efforts.

President of the GCB, Drubahadur, expressed gratitude to the Minister and the organizers for facilitating the partnership. He also added his voice to the plea by Minister Roopnarine for a competitive tournament.

The Child Protection Agency (CPA) is another stakeholder and Official of the National Sports Commission, Gervy Harry, was pleased with the collaboration between the

entities. He noted that the principals of the tournament are schoolchildren and the presence of the CPA clearly presents the environment for wholesome interaction. He also noted that the tournament created the perfect environment for collaborative developmental activities between the schools and communities.

Consequently, the NSC official voiced approval with the involvement of schools from all ten regions while pointing out that this initiative is good for development and cohesion.

Official of the Probation Child Protection, Orette Franscois, noted that the

involvement of his organization represented continued efforts of his entity to foster development among children and he lauded the efforts of the organizers. Senior Sponsorship and Events Executive (Digicel), Louanna Abrams, also congratulated the organizers and feels that the input of her organization represents continued efforts to promote development of young people. She also mentioned the yearly National U-18 football tournament hosted by her company and said that the current cricket championships gelled with (Digicel) objectives of

creating opportunities for young people.

B a n k s D I H representative, Errol Nelson said that his company was sponsoring under the Rainforest Waters and that they are delighted to play a pivotal role in the development of the youths.

“Banks DIH have always supported cricket and our sponsorship of this tournament demonstrates our steadfast involvement in the development of the sport locally,” he said.

Secretary of the GCB, Anand Sanasie disclosed that his organization had mulled the inauguration of this tournament for several

years but was constrained by inadequate finances. He thanked the many sponsors whose input has made it now possible to go ahead. He also expressed gratitude to Minister Roopnarine who he said had donated the balls for the tournament. Mr. Sanasie further said that the tournament aims to provide a f e e d e r s y s t e m t h a t ’s formatted on par with the annual Inter schools Athletics championships.

Former West Indies fast b o w l e r, C o l i n S t u a r t , was the master of ceremonies.

He will also play an integral part in the organizational structure.

4 Annual Courts Pee Wee Schools Football Competition th

Teams yet to register points promise determined effort today After two weeks of thrilling action, play in the 4th Annual Courts Pee Wee Schools Football Competition resumes today with twelve more matches at the Banks DIH ground, Thirst Park, commencing from 10:00 hrs.

So far, six teams have remained unbeaten and they will be looking to continue that streak when they face their respective opponents today.

Among the teams that have secured full points in all their matches to date are: St. Pius, St. Margaret’s, South Ruimveldt, St. Ambrose, Enterprise and St. Angela’s.

Teams such as St. Sidwell’s, St. Gabriel’s, J.E. Burnham, Marian Academy, Comenius and East La Penitence who’re yet to record points will no doubt be aiming to get on the positive side of the points table so fans could expect a more determined effort from these teams today.

The full schedule is:

Part of the action in this year’s Courts Pee Wee Schools Football Competition currently being played at the Banks DIH ground, Thirst Park.

Saturday October 17, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 35

Guyana Beverage Inc. on board EBSC / Busta Festival again

By Franklin Wilson For the eight consecutive year, the Guyana Beverage Inc. GBI), through its Busta brand has maintained sponsorship of the Enterprise Busta Sports Club (EBSC) T20 competition which is known as the Busta Festival.

Ye s t e r d a y a t i t s Diamond, East Bank Demerara main office, Guyana Beverage Inc. CEO Robert Selman handed over a cheque to EBSC Secretary, Ms. Kavita Yadram, cementing the company’s commitment to the tournament.

Over a dozen teams are expected to take on each other for the lucrative prizes that will be on offer, last year’s competition attracted 16 teams. Selman, in remarks noted that his company is committed to the development of youths by offering them an alternative to a life on the streets and that’s why they choose to support sports.

Selman also noted that it is the company’s way of giving back to Guyana and the people who have been very supportive of the Busta brand among other products they produce through their

Guyana Beverage Inc., CEO Mr. Robert Selman (right) hands over the sponsorship cheque to EBSC Secretary Ms. Kavita Yadram in the presence of company and club officials. parent company, S.M Jaleel of Trinidad and Tobago.

Yadram, in giving a brief on the tournament and GBI’s involvement through the Busta brand said that it has been a success story which has resulted in their club dominating East Coast cricket.

She noted that they have produced a number of

national players including current West Indies player Rajendra Chandrika who is on tour with the West Indies in Sri Lanka.

Among other players including Yadram herself who have donned national colours are Zaheer Mohamed, Kamesh Yadram, Bashkar Yadram, Predesh Balkissoon, Raja Amit

Pooran, Imtaz Omar and Ms. Amanda Persaud.

The club currently has a roster of 65 cricketers, fielding six teams from Under15 to 19 as well as an A and B Teams and an Over40. Secretary Yadram expressed gratitude on behalf of the club to Mr. Selman and GBI for their unwavering support which

no doubt has aided the club to be the best on the East Coast. She also said that the club is very gratified that the company has expressed faith and trust in them to continue to carry the Busta brand which they will continue to represent with dignity and respect.

The EBSC Busta Festival will be launched on

Sundy October 25 at the Enterprise Community Centre ground where the fixtures will also be drawn at this fundraising event.

Among the clubs expected to participate are EBSC A and B, Ogle, Better Hope, Mon Repo, Fairfield, Stathaven, Unity, Helena, Enmore, Golden Grove, Bravados and Buxton.

Soldiers secure third ISAAC title in four years

By Edison Jefford The Soldiers denied the Police any stake to their established claim last night, retaining the Inter-Services Annual Athletics Championships (ISAAC) title in a gutsy performance that once again left their more talented rivals wallowing in the second position.

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) amassed 813 points as opposed to the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) 791 points to secure a 22-point victory at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora.

The other Services had their own battles of attrition with the Guyana Prison Service finishing in the third position with 88 points and Guyana Fire Service finishing in fourth with 85 points. City Constabulary

was fifth with 81 points in the competition.

GDF Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Mark Phillips told Kaieteur Sport in a brief comment last night that the victory means a lot to not only the Defence Force, but the Joint Services. “We brought the sports here (Leonora) to elevate here as the Mecca for Track and Field in Guyana,” Phillips informed.

Police Olympian, Wi n s t o n G e o r g e w o n another sprint treble, posting 9.90 seconds (hand time) to win the 100m. Defence Force’s, Akeem Stewart and Rupert Perry were second and third with times of 10.10 and 10.20 seconds respectively.

George returned to take the 200m in 20.40 seconds ahead of Perry (20.70s) and Stewart (21.00s). The Olympian, who also

competed at the World Championships in Beijing, China in August this year, then cruised to victory later in the evening in the 400m.

George ran 47.50 in the 400m to beat GDF’s Patrick King (48.20s) and Wayne Harlequin (48.70) in that order. For his efforts, George won the Champion Male Athlete award, after he brought the venue to life with his 4x100m anchor leg for the Police.

George overhauled an approximately 10m deficit to brace the line with Defence Force’s, Davin Fraser in one of the highlights of the final of three days of competition.

Fraser and his team were officially declared winners in a race that was too close to call.

Natrena Hooper also turned in strong performances to help the

Police Olympian Winston George leads GDF’s Patrick King and Wayne Harlequin to the finish line in the Men’s 400m Final last evening at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora on his way to completing another sprint treble.

Soldiers lock up their third title in four years. Hooper (24.10s) won the Women’s 200m with team-mate, Aniquah Powley second in 24.70 seconds and Police’s Tiffany Carto third in 25.10 seconds.

Hooper also won the

triple jump among other events to be named Champion Female Athlete.

She held off prodigy, Jevina Sampson in the final leg of the 4x400m Relay, which brought those who travelled to the West Coast Demerara venue to their feet.

Sampson won the 400m in 56.50 in a Police clean sweep. Carto was second in 59.30 while Kezia Bess was third in a minute flat. The Police women also claimed the 4x100m Relay. Earlier in the day, Leota Babb sprinted (Continued on page 25)

t r o Sp

Soldiers secure third ISAAC title in four years

GDF Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier, Mark Phillips (standing about eighth left) joins his victorious team in celebrations last night at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora.

15th Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships

Team Guyana confident of representing well

Sri Lanka’s Herath leaves West Indies reeling Education Minister lauds GCB as National Secondary School Cricket League launched 4 Annual Courts Pee Wee Schools Football Competition th

The GCF Team to the Elite Caribbean Championships before they left for Barbados last evening, from right, Horace Burrowes, Orville Hinds, Alanzo Greaves, Maria Leung, Geron Williams and Michael Anthony.

Teams yet to register points promise determined effort today

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