Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Anti-malaria drugs tender...
Investigation shows drugs worth less than $30M Government’s purchases of drugs in recent years have come under growing fire with questions of transparency and whether Guyana was getting value for its precious dollars. Not only has the state auditors criticized the process of procurement, but the opposition parties in Parliament have expressed alarm and have crossed swords with Government. Every year, billions of dollars are handed out in lucrative contracts to especially New GPC, which has been at the centre of the controversy. Earlier this week, in the latest of such, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), which is the body tasked with assessing bids for government contracts, handled the opening of tenders for the supply of a quantity of 10 anti-malaria drugs. Two lone bids were submitted, one was from the International Pharmaceutical Agency (IPA) for $32.7M and the other for $261.5M from New GPC whose bid was $228M more than IPA’s. Kaieteur News is in possession of the list of antimalaria drugs that Government needed. That list includes Artemether/Lumefantrine; Primaquine; Chloroquine; Artesunate; Mefloquine and Quinine. There are a number of websites easily available which give the prices of drugs. One of them is http:// erc.msh.org. According to the site, a popular one used by suppliers, the cost per tablet or capsules and injections for the listed anti-malaria drugs range from one US cent to the most expensive being about forty-eight US cents. Using the website’s prices, which are quoted in US dollars, a rough calculation of the price of drugs as requested by the Ministry of Health comes up to Guyana dollars $24M. IPA’s bid, as mentioned
New GPC’s CEO, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop above was for almost $33M while New GPC was for just over $261M. In a statement on Friday, New GPC claimed that Ministry of Health requested
drugs manufactured by Novartis. “The Government of Guyana (GOG) through the Ministry of Health (MOH) requested in the bid document the supply of Coartem, an anti-malarial drug. The bids were opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Ministry of Finance, for the supply and delivery of anti-malarial drugs on Tuesday.” The independent Stabroek News newspaper reporting on the bids opening this week called the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of New GPC, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ for a comment but said it was accused of wanting to cause a scandal. Through sole tendering, something that the Auditor
The list of drugs that the Ministry of Health published in its bid documents.
General has criticised in numerous annual reports, the New GPC has received billions of dollars from the government. Given this bid one can imagine the price the government paid for its drug supplies. On Friday again, both the government and New GPC issued separate statements defending the procurement process and the questionable bids. According to Health Minister, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, the evaluation process is yet to be completed and as such it may be too early to pronounce on the issue. But it was Minister Ramsaran who justified the purchase of the drug, Ketoconazole for a price nine times what it should cost. “I would like to point out that at this very early stage, the bids have just been
opened and the evaluation of these bids has to be done according to established procedure of the evaluation committee. I would like also to point out that the discrepancy between the amounts of monies that are indicated in the article may well be explained when this evaluation process would have been completed.” The Ministry of Health, in the statement, said the Government of Guyana awaits that report. He also said that some of the drugs look expensive. “We need to look at those. Some of these drugs look quite expensive and it would be useful for use to await the evaluation process which is a law governed process, fixed menu of measures that will be
Health Minister, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran undertaken to see that the companies for example are compliant and that the drugs that they are bidding for are for example those that (Continued on page 27)
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KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210
Editorial
Parliament Again Our 10th Parliament will be reconvened tomorrow. It would do us all well to remember that “Parliament” consists of both the President and the National Assembly. In the first session, between January 12 and end of July the National Assembly passed, we understand, just twentyeight bills. After their more than a two-and-a-half month recess, from the rhetoric flowing from the stakeholders, it does not appear that much will be accomplished in this much shorter two-month session. While the usual challenge and counter challenges have emanated from the three political parties in the National Assembly, the strongest rhetoric came from a quarter that usually is at pains to remain above the fray: the Speaker of the House. The Speaker in the Parliamentary Westminster system inherited from the British is expected to remain scrupulously impartial in the contest between the parties representing the government and the Opposition. However, responding to a statement by the Secretary to the Cabinet that President Ramotar might not assent to any Bills passed by the National Assembly that do not find favour with the government, the Speaker exclaimed: “The Office of the President is cautioned not to provoke a constitutional crisis as there is no winner in such a scenario, but rather, to respect and recognise the reality, authority and legitimacy of the 10th Parliament.” We find this warning rather infelicitous since the Constitution is very unambiguous on the subject under contention: to wit, the assent or withholding of Presidential assent of a Bill presented by the National Assembly. Article 170 states: (1)Subject to the provisions of Article 164,the power of parliament to make laws shall be exercised by the National Assembly and assented to by the President. (2) When a Bill is presented to the President for assent, he shall signify that he assents or withholds assent. (3) “Where the President withholds his assent to a Bill, he returns it to the Speaker within twenty-one days of the date when it was presented to him for assent with a message stating the reasons why he has withheld his assent.” (4) Where a Bill is so returned to the Speaker it shall not again be presented to the President for assent unless within six months of the Bill being so returned upon a motion supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all the elected members of the National Assembly the Assembly resolves that the Bill be again be presented for assent.” (5) Where the National Assembly so resolves that a Bill be again be presented for assent, the Bill shall be so presented and the President shall assent to it within ninety days of its presentation. We are not sure what the Speaker meant by ‘the reality, authority and legitimacy of the 10th Parliament.” One reality of the 10th Parliament is that it is controlled by the Opposition with its one-seat majority. They may therefore pass Bills, after debate, with that majority. However, for that Bill to become law – the Bill will have to be assented to by the President. In the event that the President does not give assent, there is no “constitutional crisis” provoked, as feared by the Speaker. The President must return the Bill to the Speaker within twenty-one days. And this is where it gets tricky but we still do not see a ‘constitutional crisis’ being ineluctably precipitated. If within six months, the Opposition can muster a twothirds majority, the President must (“shall”) assent it into law. But this other ‘reality’ which the Speaker seemingly ignored, means that the Opposition must receive the consent of at least eleven PPP votes. And if it cannot obtain those votes it always has the option of calling for a vote of ‘no confidence’ in the government and thus precipitate elections three months thereafter. No “Constitutional crisis”. Conversely, it can take into consideration the positions articulated by the government on the bills it intends to introduce and so pre-empt the whole rigmarole. We thought the electorate spoke clearly at the last elections: the two sides must talk to each other.
Sunday October 21, 2012
Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
The people are being bullied and held hostage by an administration bent on keeping this nation divided DEAR EDITOR, The framework of the Guyana Constitution is premised on the notion that man is a reasonable being and will act towards each other for their common good. The intensified unreasonable and irrational utterings of the PPP is a reflection of their contempt for man’s innate desire for peace to go about their daily lives and achieve their goals, which in today’s world is premised on justice/ rights and the rule of law. What is passing here for governance is barbarity and bullyism, and we must not tolerate it.
Roger Luncheon’s recent rants to render the opposition one-seat majority useless, propaganda on the role and duty of the National Assembly, the President and Speaker bear growing testimony of a man who has never been held accountable for his conduct and therefore feels he can step on the gas of deceit. Kaieteur News (August 7, 2012 “I will not be bullied by the ruling party – Speaker Trotman”) records the PPP’s position of stating that the country has a hierarchy which places at the helm, “‘The Executive/ Presidency’ with the National
Assembly and the Judiciary following respectively.” All of these notions are misplaced and fly in the face of the Constitution. Article 50 of the Constitution ‘SUPREME ORGANS OF DEMOCRATIC POWER’ expressly states, “The supreme organs of democratic power in Guyana shall be- (i) the Parliament; (ii) the President; and (iii) the Cabinet.” Clearly, the executive/presidency has no authority over the National Assembly that the Judiciary. They are separate and distinct branches, designed to work with each other, with the
judiciary interpreting the law and the executive governing consistent with the Constitution and the attendant laws, which are made by the National Assembly and assented to by the President. This is the principal structure of government for those who adapted the western model of democracy. For instance, in Guyana and the USA, the presidents assent to bills by virtue of being Head of State. In Canada and Jamaica, countries that subscribe to the monarchy, the Governor Continued on page 6
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox Should we continue to condemn Chris Brown after the matter has been resolved? DEAR EDITOR, I’m going to get to the point on the Chris Brown Coming to matter from my point of view with some facts included. Throwing myself in at the deep end I’ll state this much. Chris Brown was NOT my most favorite person after the public unfolding of physical abuse of RiRi. Despite having some good vibes musically he committed a grave sin and I hated his guts because those of a beautiful face bloodied and bruised stirred my emotions. They made me hate him and we had not even met once. How dare he hit a woman, more so RIRI, that Caribbean rose with Guyanese heritage? But as the years passed I learned that there was more to this story if I separate emotions from life’s reality. Human beings have the propensity to become animalistic, enraged and emotionally charged. Some of us have the ability to fight the animal inside of us but sometimes, just sometimes it over powers us. Yes he did it, and has admitted to it too with karma galore costing millions, Billions even. The animal inside of him that ruled or a few seconds caused him untold persecution and plummeted record sales. I like millions celebrated that. Chris Brown was side stepped for awards and award shows and again I surely celebrated that. But then he sought forgiveness from the victim, his ex- girlfriend and got it. It was process but ultimately she said it to the world on Oprah that she has forgiven him and also took some responsibility for what ultimately happened. She has moved on and he has too and the both are friends who the press has reported spends lots of get away, alone times with each other. If we were to be fair I’d say the story is over and he is now an advocate against the bad that he has done. Yes he is, because he too talks about how emotions can make you do some crazy things and that he is sorry. We know that all too well that to err is human to forgive divine. By talking against his announced concert billed for Guyana and reflecting only on those images…are we saying
that we should continue to judge a man and condemn him for an eternity even after the matter has been resolved? If that is the case I posit that all others should stop trying to fight causes and start locking themselves away as permanent evil doers. Let us face it. We all have made mistakes a.k.a bad choices and have suffered, some in public and others in private. Unless we wish to see things with one sided vision then we need to realize that this artiste too was a victim. Victims are supposed to be supported to make a recovery and it’s unfortunate that this story played out on a public stage. But it might have been a lesson that behind the glitz and glamour lays human beings who feel, hurt, laugh, cry and are generally emotionally charged to the point of hurting. Someone wrote “love hurts” but it does not always continually do that. Let us be fair. It’s ultimately a person’s choice if they choose to attend the show but let’s not confuse the past with what else followed as it relates to the case. Come to think of it, RiRi is likely to be among the 50 coming in his entourage. Why not wait on his arrival and seek answers to those lingering questions about abuse and then formulate your opinion thereafter. Well unless, you permanently believe that an abuser cannot change his/ her ways. It takes a real man to admit where he erred, caused hurt and say sorry and mean it and Chris Brown has done that on public stage. He possibly will have to do it again and again and again...in Guyana even... but here is appoint to note: we seek forgiveness daily in our lives from others and sometimes we get immediate responses and at other times we have to wait a while. God forgives. RiRi (the victim) in this case forgave her “abuser,” so why can’t we? Life is as such that negatives can be turned into positives if those involve wish to do so and make the relevant steps in that direction. Be you Pro or AntiGovernment that’s should not
God grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change, the COURAGE to change the things I can, and the WISDOM to know the difference.
cloud your judgment of the subject of Guyana getting an ‘A’ list artiste to come our way for the price that’s unbelievably cheap by any means. Think about it after he arrives whenever you Bing or Google his name Guyana will appear and for good or bad people will know of Guyana. From a journalistic perspective Hits and Jams are the persons contracted to
promote the event but it’s a Guyanese businessman from the Aruwai Plaza owned by Mr. Baboolall that has thrown in his cash to make the concert happen as he has invested in a soon to be opened restaurant, supermarket and a hotel at the corners of Sherriff and Garnette Street. That’s as far as my research goes for now. The government according to the
minister has opted to support the event as it augers well for tourism. Hence, they are willing to offer some support for mileage to sell Guyana. I, as a journalist for 20 years, asked Minister Ali myself that’s how I know… if he’s fibbing then may the Gods judge him for misleading the nation. No speculation on those truths. And for those who know me, I’m not afraid to call a spade a spade and
I’m certainly not afraid to ask tough questions either. I owe that much to those who support me earning a daily bread honestly. If you do come, welcome to Guyana Chris Brown and entourage. I shall be asking you the tough questions because Ri Ri is my girl; an example of every girl the world over as you are that to every boy. Blessings! Mondale Smith
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Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur M@ilbox
The PPP is not concerned with protests that do not affect their families and personal lives DEAR EDITOR, This era we dwell in and the difficult world economics facing us require a renewed perspective on almost every agenda we had constructed before, even in the face of the stagnant nature of the common enemy within and without. The exchange between PNC Chairman Basil Williams and media activist Mark
Benschop highlights how the righteous vexations of citizens can be extracted and misrepresented to distract from the overall issue. This contention began with a Stabroek News article on the Oct 4, 2012 where some persons at Linden were reported to have thrown some remarks at Basil Williams the content of these remarks I know not to be true
Noise n uisance nuisance at Tusc hen uschen
DEAR SIR, I write with grave concern regarding a regular noise nuisance situation unfolding in Tuschen New Housing Scheme, Play Ground Street area. Only last Saturday a Bar-BQue and Dance were held there with loud music emanating until 03:00 hrs in the morning. These activities are not held by residents in the community, but person from anywhere coming there and exploit the situation because the scheme is not fully regularized. Residents are not only subjected to noise nuisance but been robbed while traversing around that area to get home. Also, gambling take place at these activities, DJs shouting expletives. I’m asking if a ban can been placed for these activities at the specified area unless the event is for charity, and be conducted at a moderate level. P. Persaud
of Mr. Williams, who was active and like Nigel Hughes engaging throughout the Linden crisis. I saw Chairman Williams’ letter in the Oct 5 edition of the Stabroek News, and I expected a response from Mark Benschop. I however did not expect a response that confirmed what Mr. Williams had said. As a member of ACDA a voluntary Organization I am challenged regularly that we haven’t done this or that sometimes short of arresting this Government, thus I am disappointed that of the serious economic marginalization facing Linden that Mark would organize against the grains of reality; targeting the APNU leadership. What I am sure of by experience is the hidden grievances and contentions that propel the gallop of the singular ego of agitation in every crisis. I will illustrate what I mean by this , as follows... In late June/early July 2002, I was asked to attend a meeting at ACDA which was
requested by Phillip Bynoe. Curiosity propelled me. We listened to Bynoe; he essentially wanted us to participate in mobilizing towards a purpose we considered bizarre and conceivable only in the world of a mind boiling in hallucinogens. We rejected Bynoe, reminding him that not so long before during the ‘secret swearing in’ elections he and Anthony ‘Juan Edgill’ Cummings were on a platform before the St. George’s Cathedral urging the disenfranchised voters to accept their bitter lot. Now he was proposing the extreme opposite; this was a shapeshifter of incredible temerity. What happened next was that
Bynoe proceeded to the Coast, using the aroused passions and emotional energy in the PNC support areas, and the end result was the misuse of that energy resulting in the July 3, 2002 protest that entered the Office of the President compound resulting in the deaths of Nicola Prince of Bare root, Mark Crawford of Linden and Alberta Fiffee of Buxton. These were courageous young lost on irrational whims; a definite meaningless sacrifice. Mark Benschop went to prison for that and Basil Williams and Robert Corbin defended him throughout. I must add that the most enduring revelation of that incident followed three days
after that with a letter by Joseph L. Hamilton, Stabroek 06 July 2002 pg. 6, titled ‘Mad men’ who sanctioned overrunning the OP are to be condemned ‘. This letter over flowed with servile condemnations; Hamilton spat on the dead before they were buried. I pondered on this, because I had heard him over and over chastising the leadership of the PNC at Robb and Albert streets corner, advocating himself as more enlightened. I later learnt that all of that callous denunciation was linked to the OP giving him a contract to computerize the NIS. I fault no man’s choices with his political support; Continued on page 8
The people are being bullied... From page 4 General, acting on the Queen’s behalf assents to Bills. Throughout the western system there is variation but the point is made to show that even in variation the role of the legislature is lawmaking with this being assented to by a another authority outside of the legislature, in respect for the system of check and balance to ensure the Constitution is upheld, the people’s legitimate desires are ensured and there is collaboration among the various groups, which are clearly in contradiction to what the PPP is attempting to ram down our throats. In fact, the power resides with the people and since Article 51 expressly says, “There shall be a Parliament of Guyana, which shall consist of the President and the National Assembly,” the Constitution is designed for us to work together for the common good. Ours is a parliamentary democracy and the day-to-day roles of the president in the Parliament, which is different from the National Assembly that is responsible for law making, are: 1) a ‘member’ by virtue of association and representation; 2) addresses the parliament, 3) sends messages to the National Assembly, 4) cabinet represents his interests by virtue of being Members of Parliament, 5) summons, propagates and dissolves parliament, and 6) assents to bills and where he fails to do so “he shall return it to the Speaker within twenty-one days of the date when it was presented to him for assent with a message stating the reasons why he has withheld his consent.” See articles 51,
52, 67, 70 and 170. Further, consistent with articles 89 and 99 of the Constitution, “There shall be a President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, who shall be Head of State, the supreme executive authority, and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the Republic” and “The executive authority of Guyana shall be vested in the president and, subject to the provisions of this Constitution, may be exercised by him either directly or through officers subordinate to him.” The president and/or executive has/have no authority over the National Assembly which is chaired/presided over by the Speaker who has the responsibility to give premier leadership consistent with Article 165. Additionally, “any member of the Assembly may introduce any Bill or propose any motion for debate in, or may present any petition to, the Assembly, and the same shall be debated and disposed of according to the rules of procedure of the Assembly” (Article 171). The Constitution, explicitly or implicitly, grants the president or his subordinate, no authority/ immunity to hold this nation hostage or abrogate his responsibility under said instrument. This is a society established to be governed by laws and must be ensured. Thus the task rests with the people to ensure the laws are upheld. And the power to so do is vested in the Constitution to execute on a day-to-day basis as guaranteed in the right to freedom of expression, assembly, association and demonstration, and through
the parliamentary representatives (articles 147 and 51). Giving true meaning to these principles require a more vocal civil society, including the religious community which is seen as a nation’s moral compass, a vigilant media which includes exposure and ensuring accountability by those who manage the nation’s affairs and do business with and on behalf of the people, a trade union community that understands its role also include ensuring rights and the rule of law are upheld not only in the workplace but in the wider society because the workers’ wellbeing does not start and end at the workplace but must be equally ensured for them and their loved ones outside of their workplaces, and the legitimate business community appreciating the importance of the laws to their success and the consumers purchasing power. We are all involved and will all be consumed if concerted efforts are not made to halt the intensified maddening and lawless behaviour of the PPP. If the PPP is allowed to get away without being held accountable by each and every one of us this society will not progress. The people are being bullied and held hostage by an administration bent on keeping this nation divided and pitting groups against each other in order to plunder the nation’s resources, rob the people what’s rightly theirs and hinder their development to the misplaced benefit of a few. We must act in one accord, consistent with the Constitution, to move this country forward. Lincoln Lewis
Sunday October 21, 2012
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Harry Gill’s tyrannical tirade against the Opposition DEAR EDITOR, Please allow me the space within your letter column to dispel the rumors that have been traversing the various official and unofficial media about me being inducted into the “HALL OF FAME” of the intolerable PPP Regime. There is someone who writes with either his name or a pseudonym of, “HARRY GILL and from his writings, there are clear indications that he is anti-APNU/AFC and is very sympathetic towards the machinations and manifestations of the PPP. Before I go any further, I must lay a disclaimer here and now, I am Aubrey Gill and not Harry Gill, I do not know if such a Gill exists within the Gill Clan, but from a very young age, I was inducted into the Young Socialist Movement, then the People’s National Congress and as of today, I am prepared to give my life for the just causes of the APNU. I hope this has helped to dispel any myths about me crossing the floor to the PPP, because the only floor I will cross is one in which will help to see the disintegration of this racial and intolerable regime. Now back to Harry Gill and his most tyrannical tirade against the Opposition. In Tuesday October 16th, 2012 issue of the Kaieteur News, Gill wrote and I quote, “Arrest the ringleaders, specifically the organizers.” Editor, Gill was referring to an article published on an online journal of Demerara Waves, “The Rumble has begun, Round One, Agricola.” In the headline of his article, Gill is calling for the arrest of the various top members of the APNU/AFC, who have been vocal in their justified condemnation of the recent upsurge in Police Brutalities/Killings, of especially young men of African Ancestry. He is of the foregone conclusion that top members of the APNU/AFC are inciting riotous behavior within the Africanized Communities, mainly due to the fact that these brothers and sisters are merely asking the people of these depressed communities, to come out of the political bondage they have been in, come out and stand up for their rights which have been trampled on for the last twenty years of the rule of this oppressive regime. Gill continues to ridicule the article because it made mention of the PPP’s stance in retaining the Minister of Home Affairs, although, (1) the highest forum in the land, The National Assembly has voted unanimously a “Motion of No Confidence” in Minister Rohee and his
incompetence in handling the Security situation in Guyana, the Trafficking in Persons, The Guns and Drugs’ Running and many other societal ills. Even in our little neighbor Trinidad, the Prime Minister has had no qualms in firing any Minister, who she felt was bringing disrepute to her Government. She even fired a Minister for refusing to take a breathalyzer test, unlike the issue with then Minister Kellawan Lall, who after being involved in an accident, drove away from the scene, was not given a breathalyzer test, and then was handsomely rewarded with a post of Ambassador to Brazil, utilizing poor Guyanese Taxpayers’ money, in one of our most, if not our most influential economic neighbors. Editor, please allow me the go on to a most depressing issue facing Guyana today, the issue of Police Brutality and the indiscriminate use of Deadly Force. It seems as if the officers who are responsible for training Police ranks, especially when it comes to the use of Deadly Force needs to be trained themselves. As a Criminal Psychologist, I can refer them to various issues whereby in the USA, Police’s use of wanton deadly force led to serious rioting and killing. On July 16th, 1964, a White Police Officer in New York, shot and killed a Black teenager, whereby causing two days of rioting, which spread to Rochester, Jersey City and Philadelphia, then to Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco, Atlanta, Detroit and Newark, New Jersey. Because of these riots, the then President of America, established the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice. This commission found multiple cases of racism, unequal justice and police brutality. This was the result of the one killing of a Black teenager, not four or five and as I have stated, it led to various riots across the United States and at no time at all was anyone deemed as terrorist. Last night I had the privilege to look for a short while, as Ramsammy and Nadir castigated various persons within the APNU and AFC, on their so-called one-sided debate, on Wednesday 17th October, 2012, with Al Creighton as the supposed moderator. They are claiming that persons of the opposition, instigated the various sets of persons, within impoverished African Communities to
stand up and hold peaceful protests, against what they deemed to be injustices meted out to them. Mr. Editor, I can go on and on quoting instances of Police Brutality in the United States, but the difference is that when it is identified, the relevant authorities take the appropriate action to rein it in, (Police Brutality). Here in Guyana, the relevant authorities are taking no such action, whereby causing it to become chronic within the ruling elite. It has even manifested itself that he, (The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security) is incapable of performing those
functions effectively and he refuses to accept defeat with grace and “STEP DOWN”, and the goodly President refuses to take example from his Caribbean counterpart in Trinidad and order the Minister to step down. I know that I am a bit longwinded but I must touch on this burning issue before I close, Donald Ramotar is claiming that he was elected by the people for the people and he believes in, “equal justice”. Three persons of African ancestry were shot and killed by the security forces in Linden, one young man of African ancestry was executed by the Security
Forces in Agricola, another young man of African ancestry was gunned down by the security forces in Hadfield Street. As of today, I writing this letter, the President who was supposedly elected by the people for the people, has not gone to one of these youths home and embrace their mothers or wives in acts of condolences, but when the Police Detective was ruthlessly gunned down on the Corentyne, President Ramotar could have found his way all the way up to the Corentyne to offer condolences to his grieving mother and also to the
relatives of an East Indian girl who was killed by accident. Mr. Editor, I think I will close now looking to see if the President or the Minister of Home Affairs will offer condolences to the family of Ricardo Rodriquez, who was recently first fingered in the find of a huge arms cache in Lethem, then ruthlessly gunned down in a hail of bullets. If this is what the Government and their irrational supporters call a safer Guyana than under the rule of the People National Congress, I would not remain in Guyana when it becomes unsafe. Aubrey Gill
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Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur M@ilbox GPOC’s birth, marriage, and death departments in shambles DEAR EDITOR, As a legal marriage officer and Reverend/ Pastor, I have a few legal concerns pertaining to some issues with marriages, birth and death certificates applications at GPOC. I will first deal with the marriage issue, since as a legal marriage officer that has bothered me for some time now. My first concern is about the registration and application for marriage certificates. Since August this year, I performed a legal marriage for a couple in my church. I went to the marriage section and registered the marriage the day after I finished the marriage. I went downstairs to the birth, marriage, and death certificates application booth and applied for the marriage certificate. After four weeks I did not receive the marriage certificate, so I went back to the marriage section and made another inquiry. I was told the certificate is not prepared yet but they will send it. Another two weeks passed and I did not receive the certificate. I went back to the post office and made another inquiry and was told I should make another application; since GPOC went through a period of ‘’fumigation.’’ I made the application and waited two more weeks but still did not receive the certificate. I went back to GPOC again upstairs with my duplicate of the marriage I did along with the two application receipts and give it to a clerk, who told me they have my documents but the certificate is not prepared yet. I asked when it will be done but she could not give me a proper date and answer. I believe as a Reverend & Legal Marrriage officer I should have been treated with more respect and dignity and not be pushed around. To date I have received no marriage certificate and the folks whose marriage I did are worried since they need their marriage certificate for immigration purposes. I notice in the marriage section just one woman working; I had to sit there over one hour just to register a marriage. This one woman who works in that section has to receive marriage petitions, write receipts, register marriages and give out marriage licences and many times the office is empty with no staff or security, which means it can easily be invaded by any intruder. I also notice the staff working in that section don’t wear badges with their pictures and names. Why is there only one woman working in that section? While many staff can be seen just liming around eating chipped mangoes, ‘gaffing’ with friends or chatting on their cell phones. Some staff will come into work until around eleven O’ clock. I observed this and
some just don’t care; while only a few are working. On the second door where they deal with birth, marriage,& death certificates queries, it’s another whole day of waiting. People will travel from as far as Berbice to be told that their certificates will be posted to them when they could have been given their certificates just there and then if these people working at GPOC are competent enough. Then how reliable is the mail? For a very small minor clerical error where a birth or marriage certificate needs to be written over and be corrected, that applicant will have to be told to go home for his/her certificate to be posted because those who are signing the certificate is not in office, too busy, has fallen asleep, is in some meeting, liming, on leave or sick. In this day and age of technology why all these long stacks of paper and old worn out books when everything should have been computerized? Even those signatures on the birth certificates should have been scanned into a computer. I have known of tons of people who couldn’t have an ID card and can’t vote because of not having a birth certificate. I also observed a lot of staff working at GPOC will copy and spell people’s names incorrectly. I received a birth certificate with my name spelt ‘’Gidson Leal.’’ On the envelope they gave me a completely different name though my name is legible enough in block letters on the application form. Besides, they ought to know my correct name as a marriage officer more than ten years. I also note with a great deal of interest as a legal marriage officer that a marriage licence that was given free in the marriage section now cost $5000 so it means it cost more for a person to get married legally. Why is it that a Marriage Officer’s meeting was not called by the Ministry of Home Affairs for us to voice our opinion on this sudden rise in cost for a marriage licence? Why no circular nor letter was sent out to the various religious organizations about the rise in cost for the marriage licence. I believe $5000 is too much since the person who wishes to marry will have to pay a JP to fill out their marriage petition at least $3000, then pay another $5000 for their marriage licence, then they have to pay their marriage officer; or they may choose to marry at GPOC after all the running around and travel more than $12,000 will be spent just for the legal aspect of their marriage. I hope those in authority deal with these issues I have raised here. Rev.Gideon Cecil
The PPP is not concerned with... From page 5 with his political support; however to trade and to mislead in that trade for personal benefit is reprehensible. I hold the constant ideal less shapeshifter in contempt. Basil Williams has been in the forefront of representing young Afro Guyanese thrown into prison for political expediency during the last twelve years of the NarcoPolitical Jagdeo administration, many of them arrested upon the flimsy information of Phantom operatives fearing retaliation from their home villages. At this moment over three dozen cases based on political charges exist. What should be
recognized about the Linden struggle is that out of APNU and the AFC new leadership has evolved. The agenda of any ‘people oriented activist’ today; must lie in the economic empowerment of his interest group, that’s where the sting of the cause must penetrate with resounding consequences. Projects that involve infrastructure at Linden and in Georgetown must be given to local professionals from those locations. Guysuco land behind Agricola must be made available for projects relevant to the economic stimulation of those areas. The PPP and its cronies are not concerned with our protests while it does
not affect their families and personal lives, while they grow wealthy on contracts they are incompetent to complete. Take the protest to Prado Ville, to Parliament. Activism must be channeled to produce tangible results. The Private sector must be challenged to manifest their suggestions made during the Linden crisis. Linden with the joint opposition stood their ground and fulfilled nature’s mandate that survival is ensured to those who fight, for survival is only entitled to the resilient, in the face of the predator. This is the lesson you and I Mark must understand on the ground we now stand on. Barrington Braithwaite
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
>>>> PNCR Column <<<<
The People’s Progressive Party and police killings The People’s Progressive Party Civic administration has stood witness to the killing of more than 300 Guyanese citizens – mostly young males – by members of the Guyana Police over its 20 years in office from 1992 to 2012. There have been scores of other extra-judicial killings carried out by persons said to be members of death squads and ‘phantom gangs.’ This number of deaths means that the Police have been killing young men at a rate of about 15 per year throughout the PPPC term in office. Police killings over the past 20 years have been seared into the psyche of the nation. The high rate of killings is unforgettable. Residents of the BuxtonFriendship community on the East Coast Demerara recently erected a towering monument to the memory of persons who were killed during the ‘Troubles’ during the past decade. The Guyana Police Force also acknowledged the enormity of the atrocity. It chose, however, to erect a monument in Eve Leary to the memory of its own police victims of that period and other times. The Guyana Human Rights Association published a book – Ambivalent about Violence: A Report on Fatal Shootings by the Police, 1980-2001 – which gave an account of police killings up to the outbreak of the Troubles. This was followed by another book –When the Young Die. Extra-judicial Killings in Guyana, 1993-2002 –published by the People’s National Congress Reform. The United States Department of State continues to publish, every year, its Country Report on Human Rights Practices, which features a section on the ‘Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life.’ The Report usually iterates its warning that, in Guyana, “The most significant reported abuses included potentially unlawful killings by police…” The Report provides an annual tally of police killings, among other things. The Joint Opposition Political Parties – at that time comprising the Alliance for Change; Guyana Action Party; National Front Alliance; People’s National Congress Reform and Working People’s Alliance – published the landmark Dossier in Support of an
Independent Legal Interrogation of Grave Human Rights Abuses in Guyana, in November 2009. Bharrat Jagdeo himself, for the first time in the history of this country, was obliged to establish a Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate one of his own Ministers. That inquiry was given the mandate to determine “whether and to what extent the Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj, has been involved in promoting, directing or otherwise engaging in activities which have involved the extra-judicial killing of persons.” These commissions, dossiers, monuments and reports all indicate a deep public concern with the extraordinary number of killings which occurred largely during Bharrat Jagdeo’s 12-year presidency. They point, to the fact, also, that neither the Minister of Home Affairs nor the PPPC administration has accepted responsibility for the deaths of over 300 persons in past 20 years. Neither Minister nor President has seen the need to implement a policy to bring the killings to a halt. Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Brigadier David Granger, has urged civil society to speak out against Police killings. He has encouraged citizens, individually and collectively, to exert pressure on the government to bring Police killings to a halt. He called on persons of goodwill, in light of the parlous public security situation in the country, to demand that the PPPC administration implement measures to protect citizens from Police violence, to reform the Police Force itself and to remove the incumbent Minister of Home Affairs. The PNCR has always rejected the usual excuses uttered by the Police that they “shot the victims while attempting to arrest them” or while a crime was being committed. Many citizens realise – and most nongovernmental, human rights activists acknowledge – that the PPPC administration has consistently taken a lax attitude towards the investigation of police abuses during its 20-year tenure of office.
Exposing corruption puts you in the opposition camp
Policemen have not usually been punished for extra-judicial killings. Inquests by Coroners and District Magistrates or independent judicial inquiries have rarely been convened into fatal shootings by Police. Documents required to prosecute the Police have occasionally disappeared from the responsible magistrate’s office. The PNCR maintains that members of the PPPC administration still seem to refuse to recognise the 300 police killings in 20 years as a serious public problem. The PPPC also refuses to conduct investigations into Police killings. The PNCR repeats its call for the President of Guyana to dismiss the current Minister of Home Affairs so that Police reform can begin and the killings can be
brought to an end. Rohee has to know that his mismanagement of public security over the past six years has contributed measurably to the extraordinary pattern of Police killings and the present mood of insecurity and tension in the country. Rohee has shown little zeal in pursuing and punishing the culprits, including those who still wear police uniforms. Rohee has failed to use his ministerial authority to investigate allegations of unlawful killings in the Guyana Police Force which is directly his responsibility. Rohee’s tenure of office, like that of Ronald Gajraj, will be remembered for the perpetuation of police killings of young men and for the destruction of public trust in the Police Force. It is time for Rohee to go.
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Dem boys seh
Thiefing passing and nuff people hollering De Hard Times newspaper carry a headline that all who thief water will guh to court. Irfaat mek that announcement and everybody tek he serious. But dem have some people who know that Irfaat should be de last person fuh talk bout thiefing. He Ministry know bout thiefing suh till people believe that dem can use he Ministry fuh rob people. One group already get charge because dem tek people money and pretend that is de Ministry tekking de money. People lose millions of dollars. Dem boys don’t want to carry dem story far and accuse de Minister of thiefing because that is serious trouble but de Minister know bout thiefing. Right now dem boys looking at a story that expose how some people can thief. Is still thiefing if somebody tek other people thing and give it away. And right now dem boys looking real close at de tender fuh de malaria drug. One man can get de drug fuh a certain price but another man claiming how he can get de same drug fuh much more. Well since everybody buying de same drug is only one thing people can conclude. Kok passing and dem boys peeping to see it. This is a thing that bee happening long now and is only this time de story buss out. Even de Minister get involve. Dem boys want to know how he get involve when de matter ain’t concern he. De man who buying de drug should talk. That is why old people always seh that when you throw brick a hog pen de one that holler is de one that get knock. Dem hope de Minister is not de hog that hollering.
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Kaieteur News
UG unions gear for salaries talks University of Guyana’s unions and negotiation team will commence negotiations on wages, salaries and working conditions for all categories of employees on Tuesday coming. Vice President of the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA), Dr. Mellissa Ifill, disclosed that on Thursday last President of the UGSSA, Dr. Patsy Francis, and UGWU head, Bruce Haynes, said that the long awaited negotiations will commence. “The meeting with union leaders and staff had been called to determine what steps ought to be taken in light of the failure of the Administration to respond to the UGSSA and UGWU requests for meetings with the negotiating team and the senior administrative group,” Dr. Ifill said. She related that at the meeting, union leaders advised staff that the University’s administration
had been deliberately violating the Resumption of Duties Agreement that had been signed between the Unions and the Administration that allowed for the cessation of industrial action at the University in late February 2012. The Resumption of Duties Agreement provided for tripartite talks between the unions and the Administration initially on a monthly basis then on a mutually agreed schedule to discuss the conditions on campus; and the University to convene a meeting with the negotiation team one month after submission of unions’ memorandum of demands. In relation to the tripartite talks, Dr. Ifill said that the unions are finding it frustrating to schedule meetings with the Administration to address the still deplorable conditions on campus such as the release of raw sewage into open
drains which jeopardizes the health of staff and students; the poor work done by Ministry of Education contractors on university buildings; and grossly inadequate classroom space. In addition, staff members are faced with the lack of critical materials such as ink, paper and toner that would allow faculties and departments to function effectively; the distressing state of university finances and repeated failure to pay workers on time and remit contributions to various agencies in a timely manner; and the not inconsiderable number of courses that have not yet started because lecturers over 60 have not yet received contracts, six weeks after the commencement of the semester. She noted that with regards to talks with the University’s negotiating team the union leaders noted that
Council members failed to attend two meetings previously scheduled with the UG negotiation team in June 2012 following the submission of the Unions’ Memorandum of Demands in May 2012. Dr. Ifill said that Dr. Francis had revealed that in response to the union’s stated intention to resume industrial action in light of these breaches, a meeting with the University negotiating team was hastily arranged to forestall the resumption of industrial action by staff. “Following discussions, union members present at the October 18 meeting agreed that notwithstanding our dissatisfaction with the overall state of the University, the Unions would not call for an immediate resumption of industrial action once the initial negotiation meeting proceeds satisfactorily,” she added.
Sunday October 21, 2012
Nandlall refutes ‘no show’ allegation in Rodrigues’ habeas corpus It was reported in some sections of the media [see Kaieteur News, 11th October, 2012] that the Attorney General’s Chambers ‘did not show up’ before the Chief Justice in habeas corpus proceedings initiated in favour of a Ricardo Rodrigues, before the Chief Justice. In a statement, Auditor General Anil Nandlall, said that it is regrettable that no comment was sought from the Attorney General’s Chambers before “the irresponsible statement was disseminated.” He said that on October 9, 2012, at 2:00pm, the Attorney General’s Chambers was served with the Motion for a Writ of Habeas Corpus. An Order Nisi (an interim order) issued by Chief Justice Ian Chang SC, was made returnable for 3:00pm the same day. It commanded the Commissioner of Police show
cause why Rodrigues should not be released from custody, Nandlall added. “Counsel from the Attorney General’s Chambers attended Court at the appointed time and entered an appearance on behalf of the Commissioner of Police. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Court adjourned the matter to the following day at 11:30am for further report.” Nandlall said that Counsel for the Attorney General’s Chambers again attended Court at the appointed time, but learnt that Counsel for Rodrigues appeared earlier than schedule, and withdrew the Motion since Rodrigues was released on station bail with condition to report to the Police. “Regrettably, Counsel for Rodrigues did not see it fit to inform the Attorney General’s Chambers of their earlier intervention.”
The Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the death of 23-yearold ‘E’ Field Sophia resident, Shoala Gilgeous, got underway last Thursday. Facing the pre-trial matter on charges of murder is the woman’s reputed husband Paul Anthony Luhing. Luhing was accused of murdering the woman after an argument ensued between the two on August 26. The PI commenced before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. The first witness of the day was the 13-year-old niece of the dead woman. The young girl was sworn in and deemed competent to understand the court proceedings in which she was partaking. The teenager testified to being at the scene when her aunt was discovered and what she had done during that time. The dead woman’s sister, Allan Gilgeous, was the second to testify. She said that she had gone to her sister’s house and got no answer when she made calls for her sibling. The woman further testified to what she saw and what she had done at her dead sister’s residence. The sister-in-law of the deceased, Monica Charles, also took part in the first hearing of the matter. She said she lived close to the
deceased and her reputed husband during the time of their relationship. She also gave her evidence as to what she heard on the day of the incident and what happened after she returned to her home. The final witness for the day was a police photographer who reportedly took pictures of the murder scene. The photographer gave his evidence and testified to what he too saw on the day of the incident and what photos he took. The matter will return to court on October 22. It was reported that in August the body of the 23year-old woman was found in her apartment after the family went to check on her. It is alleged that the accused called one of the dead woman’s sisters and asked that she go check on her relative. In a press release, the police said that Gilgeous was frothing from the mouth when she was found. A post mortem examination later revealed that the 23-year-old victim was manually strangled to death. Further reports stated that Gilgeous and the suspect, known only as ‘Paul’, had a turbulent one-year relationship. It is alleged that on the day of the incident the couple was heard arguing.
PI of strangled Sophia woman commences
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
Guyanese crewman held in US Fraud Indicators to Avoid in seizure of 6,900 pounds of marijuana the Immigration Process ImmigrationTALK
By Attorney Gail S. Seeram There are millions of immigration petitions processed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of State. Unfortunately, not all the petitions are good faith filings. In other words, many of these petitions are based on fraudulent representations. Various reports indicate an increase in fraud among immigration filings processed in the United States and at the U.S. Embassies. What types of fraud are we talking about? (1) Marriages that are not based on love but rather a business arrangement to help the beneficiary get legal status in the U.S.; (2) parental and sibling relationships established using fraudulent documents such as birth certificates; (3) applications for non-immigrant visas (such as tourist visas, work visas, etc.) using fraudulent business documents to establish strong ties to native country; and (4) misrepresentations to an Officer during questioning to gain an immigration benefit. Fraud can be detected in various stages of the immigration process –
Gail S. Seeram submission of petitions, preinterview, post-interview, admission at the U.S. port of entry, deferred inspection, and removal/deportation proceedings. Beware of the following behavioral fraud indicators during the interview process: (1) extreme nervousness; (2) over interaction; (3) lack of knowledge about basic questions; (4) late for interview; (5) answers prompted by attorney or other; (6) lack of interest/ interaction; (7) eye contact; (8) evasive or general answers; (9) answers interrupted by attorney; and (10) attorney attempt to distract/mislead. In processing petitions, Immigration looks for the following general fraud indicators: (1) documents
issued immediately before interview; (2) documents issued immediately after interview; (3) oversubmissions; (4) staged photographs; (5) suspect tax filings; (6) multiple applications by petitioner: (7) preparer known or suspected of fraudulent filing (such as service providers/nonattorneys); (8) preparer and notary are the same person: (9) tip letter or phone call; and (10) previous filing denied by abandonment or withdrawal. The following are common I-130 family based petition fraud indicators: (1) short time between entry and marriage: (2) unusual marriage history; (3) children born during marriage to other parent; (4) unusual number of children and large discrepancy in age; (5) unusual dates on submitted documents; (6) divorce/new marriage dates close; (7) large age discrepancy between spouses; (8) unusual cultural differences; (9) same employer of petitioner/ beneficiary; and (10) unusual associations between family members.Petitioners and beneficiaries are urged not to engage in fraud or misrepresentations, as they will be subject to jail, fines, and visa denial.
The seized marijuana.
Jamaica’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn has begun a review of the case involving five Jamaican men who are facing drug charges after nearly 7,000 pounds of ganja were allegedly found onboard their boat off the coast of the United States (US) last week. The five Jamaicans were among seven crewmembers held. One of them is a Guyanese, the Jamaican
Gleaner reported yesterday. The review by the Prosecutor comes after the men’s attorney, Zavia Mayne, complained yesterday that the decision of the Jamaican authorities to file criminal charges against them raises “a jurisdiction issue”. The five Jamaican men Joslyn Foster, Leaford Kidd, Radcliff Simmons, Herman Goldson and Taluka Lyttle were allegedly held with 6,900 pounds of ganja onboard the
Jamaica-registered boat Captain Richard. “We (Jamaica) have no jurisdiction to try them because they were not held here,” Mayne told The Gleaner, after the men were each granted bail in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate Court on Friday. Llewellyn declined to discuss the details of the case, but confirmed that the review began this week after the narcotics police consulted her office. “It (the review) will include a thorough review of the file as we do with all other cases,” Llewellyn said. She said a crown counsel from her office has been assigned to the case and “will appear in the matter when it comes back before the court”. The case will again be mentioned next Wednesday. The five men are facing charges of possession of, dealing in, trafficking and conspiracy to export ganja. Prosecutors, in outlining the case in court, said the Captain Richard was intercepted by the US Coast Guard after it developed mechanical problems and drifted out of Jamaican waters on October 10. US Coast Guard personnel, who reportedly boarded the vessel, alleged that the ganja was found in a secret compartment. But responding to the allegations, Mayne denied that his clients were part of any drug conspiracy. He said the men were led to believe that they were taking the boat to Guyana for repairs and return to Jamaica with 60,000 pounds of fish. According to prosecutors, the other two men - a Guyanese and a Trinidadian - are being held by US authorities and are facing criminal charges there.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
Young offenders get second chance By Rehanna Ramsay Teenagers and young adults in Guyana, who appear before the courts for minor offences, will now have a second chance at becoming productive citizens. They will be able to acquire alternative methods of sentencing via the USAID’s Skills and Knowledge for Youth Employment (SKYE) project. This initiative is part of the SKYE’s mandate to prevent or reduce the number of youth at-risk from being ‘held’, jailed, or incarcerated in the Juvenile Justice System through its Detention Prevention Strategy. Earlier this month, USAID’s SKYE Project and an Inter-Agency Team on Juvenile Justice met with the Chancellor of the Judiciary (Ag.), the Chief Magistrate, and two other Magistrates to identify alternatives to sentencing at-risk youth to detention centres. These options include community services, technical vocational training, and other formal and non- formal education opportunities. A request was made for USAID’s SKYE Project to receive youths between the
ages 15 and 25 as beneficiaries, pair them with Employment Coaches, and assign local Probation Officers to each young person. This comes as a result of months of dialogue with the Judiciary and the Chief Magistrate to abstract these youth from detention centers / prisons and give them another chance at becoming fruitful citizens to society. Based on the advice of the Chancellor of the Judiciary (Ag.), a taskforce comprising Magistrates and the InterAgency Team, was formed with the mandate of identifying and presenting alternative options to the Judiciary in the near future. To support this effort, USAID is currently identifying alternatives by liaising with skills training and educational organizations, NGOs, and local Government bodies who will agree to host and supervise juveniles who qualify for alternative sentencing and to create a brochure detailing these sentencing options. SKYE expands education, skill-building, and employment for at-risk youth
Representatives from the Inter-Agency Team on Juvenile Justice, USAID’s SKYE Project COP, Juvenile Justice Specialist, and Employment Coaches meet with youths diverted from incarceration on October 19, 2012. in Guyana, with the goal of reducing youth crime and violence by strengthening economic participation and civic engagement. The two-year project
provides targeted alternative sentencing, work-readiness training, and livelihood coaching activities for 805 youth ages 15–24, in Regions Four, Six, Nine, and Ten. SKYE is also working within the New Opportunity Corps detention facility in Region Two. The Project is funded by USAID under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative and executed through the Education Development Center; a US based global education and training institution. On Friday, October 19, last, USAID’s Skills and Knowledge for Youth Employment (SKYE) Project, and representatives of other stakeholder agencies commenced work at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Officials from USAID
attended court proceedings in Georgetown on Friday last to assist the Magistrate in identifying alternatives to sentencing 3 at-risk youth to incarceration. In October and November, these youth will interface with SKYE’s Employment Coaches to develop Individual Employability Plans and map out their paths to sustained employment opportunities and reintegration into communities. Additionally, they will attend counseling with the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security – Probation Department as an element of their diverted sentence. The SKYE Project is a two-year initiative to equip youth with market-driven skills and improve their ability
to transition into the workforce. SKYE’s target youth beneficiaries are school dropouts, youth who completed formal education but do not have the necessary skills to find employment, and youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The Inter-Agency Team on Juvenile Justice is a group supported and formed by USAID’s SKYE Project to be a sustainable body to advance justice options for youth, within the existing legal framework. Key members in the team include the Ministry of Human Services, UN’s Rights of the Child Commission, the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports, the Probation Department, UNICEF, and USAID’s SKYE Project.
$16.7M Diamond Fire Station nears completion By the end of this year works on the Diamond Fire Station should be completed. Yesterday, in an invited comment, Fire Chief Marlon Gentle said that most of the works on the building have been completed. The Fire Chief also stated that all the necessary
equipment to make the station fully operational have already been acquired. New fire tenders are currently on a city wharf waiting to be cleared. Meanwhile, as it relates to the timely manner for the project being executed this publication was told that the
works are ahead of schedule stipulated time. Yesterday at the site, workers were putting the finishing touches to the fence and the yard. Last year October, the Minister of Home Affairs witnessed the signing of the contract for the construction of the Diamond Fire Station. The contract was awarded to Gharchand’s Building and Construction Services. Photo saved in server Sunday as Diamond Fire Station Caption: The spanking new Diamond Fire Station which will soon be commissioned to serve the East Bank Demerara area.
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Investigation shows drugs worth less...
(From page 3) are in the original bid document and such other factors.” The Minister insisted that the evaluation committee’s job is to determine whether each company bid for all the drugs and if they that were specified in the document. He said also that malaria is a serious public health threat and the Ministry of Health has over the years with national partners such as PAHO worked out treatment modules and that includes the purchase of expensive medication which are tried and tested.
“The Ministry of Health intends to stick to those treatment regimes. In this regard the Ministry of Health advertised for companies to bid for the supply of such drugs. Such drugs would include for example the much tried and tested Co-artem.” Co-artem is the brand name for the generic drug Artemether-Lumefantrine. The International Drug Price Indicator states that the highest price for the drug is US$1.46 per pack. At this time, a generic version of Coartem (artemether/lumefantrine) is not available. Novartis
Illness knocks... (From page 15) was always met with opposition from Government officials. He explained that one of the challenges he faced was when the government owned television station GTV which is now NCN was moved from Channel 10 to Channel 11. This resulted in an interference of Sharma’s station, which broadcast from Channel 12. In tidying up the spectrum for the government owned station, Sharma was ordered to remove from channel 12 to Channel 6. Sharma had to bear the expense of replacing the transmitter and relevant equipment to convert the television station to Channel six. Another major challenge was the fire in 2004 which consumed 30 years of memories the building possessed with all the valuables inside. “We were living there and most of the TV station was also taken by the fire, but within one week we moved to 43 Robb and Wellington Streets. That was disastrous for us, but with continuous work the TV station was up in a week.” In the early 90’s Sharma was taken to court; Miss Singh said they were taken to court by an Indian national for showing Indian epics and religious series on the television station. The Indian national claimed that Sharma at that time did not have the rights to air such programmes. This battle was one of the first won by Sharma in the courts. Another challenge was when the cinema owners in the 90’s grouped up against Sharma and carried him to court because they felt that they were being put out of business because of the shows being aired on Sharma’s television station. Reflecting merrily on the number of persons, who were assisted by visiting his television station to air their plights, Sharma said in the early 90’s when there was a serious flood in the
Mahaicony area and interior regions, he personally intervened to help all affected. “At that severe flooding I was on a call in programme, and Justice Prem Persaud sent a $50,000 cheque to give assistance to the flood victims. From that moment we could not control the spiral of things as donations of food, medical supplies and funds were sent to the TV station to help those flood victims.” Sharma noted “The army had to come out and assist to escort the first set of donations. Eleven truckloads of goods were taken. That shipment had everything persons could have donated to help. Tons of food stuff was donated, some of the stuff was air dropped.” He added that Government intervened because of the large scale of donations being given, and Sharma’s escalating popularity. “To spite me the government had me charged for damaging a part of the dam that I walked on…they say the part I walk on get damage, Former Commissioner of Police Laurie Lewis sent me a letter with the charge.” Sharma also reminisced on one occasion where he bought a Mercedes motorcar from the Chinese embassy. Government later issued a statement declaring that when embassies decide to sell their vehicles, persons buying them must pay the duty on the vehicle. “I guess someone in government had wanted the vehicle and didn’t get though with the transaction…the vehicle was a limited edition.” His wife says whatever C.N Sharma enjoys in life was because of hard work. “C.N is very patriotic man, and he loves to help people unconditionally.” “The only way to move Guyana forward is for people to be treated equally, and for Government to recognize that everyone wants to have rights to be respected, if government does not give respect and equal opportunities there will always be problems,” Sharma asserted.
Pharmaceuticals Corporation holds the exclusive rights to market this medication until October 2014. This is the earliest possible date that a generic version of the drug could become available. However, Co-artem may be protected by certain other exclusivity rights until April 2016. Wikipedia carried the following note, “The first significant price reduction occurred in 2006, when the price of Co-artem decreased from an average of US $1.57 to US $1.00. In 2006, due to an improved supply situation for the natural ingredient artemisinin, Novartis was able to undertake the pharmaceutical industry’s
most aggressive manufacturing scale-up of its kind from 4 million treatments in 2004 to 62 million treatments in 2006. “Novartis and its partners invested heavily in expanding production capacity at their facilities in China, and Suffern, New York. This increase in production capacity ensured that supplies of Co-artem met demand which enabled Novartis to further decrease the price of Co-artem. “In April 2008, Novartis further reduced the public sector price of Co-artem by approximately 20%, to an average of US $0.80 (or US $0.37 for a child’s treatment pack). This price reduction
was made possible through production efficiency gains.” “The Ministry of Health still maintains that drug as part of its treatment regime, one of the main prongs of its treatment regime to roll back malaria. We are not about to change that treatment regime since it is supported by the findings and research of reputable international support organisations and the findings of our malaria control programme,” he stated. New GPC has been supplying drugs to the Guyana Government since the 1990s. At one time, the company was awarded contracts under what is known as the sole tendering
process. This simply meant that government could just ask New GPC to supply a list of drugs without the necessary checks to determine whether the prices are in keeping with market prices. According to Kaieteur News’ Editor-in-chief, Adam Harris, the procurement of services and supplies is critical to the development of Guyana. “All that we are trying to determine is whether Guyanese are getting value for their money. It is a fact that New GPC would have been supplying drugs since the 90s. Questions have been asked what could be hidden, dating back to that period.”
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
All Jamaican police recruits to undergo lie detector test KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) - Commissioner of Police, Owen Ellington, says in the near future, all persons being recruited to serve in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) will be required to undergo a polygraph examination, commonly known as a lie detector test. At present, all senior JCF officers, and those being assessed for sensitive assignments, must undergo a polygraph exam. However, Ellington noted that soon all recruits will be required to undergo the procedure. He was speaking on Wednesday at a handing over ceremony at the Polygraph Unit, located on the grounds of the JCF’s training academy. “Our dream is that eventually, perhaps very soon, we will be able to not just apply the polygraph exercise to senior ranking officers and those being looked at for sensitive assignments, but certainly to apply it to every member being recruited in the JCF,”
he stated. Ellington said this is in an effort to ensure that those who serve in the JCF are of the highest integrity and professionalism. “I’m sure that those of my colleagues who have had the opportunity of going through the integrity screening process, including the polygraph, have come out of it feeling better about themselves, much better about the organisation, and much more confident that as an institution, we have the capacity, not just to help people build integrity, but also to help them in preserving their integrity,” he remarked. A polygraph is a machine that collects and records physiological data, such as blood pressure, pulse, respiratory, sweat gland and cardiovascular activities, while the subject responds to a series of questions, to determine the truthfulness of the answers given. The JCF and Jamaica
Owen Ellington Defence Force (JDF) Polygraph Unit, which was established in 2007, forms part of the JCF’s AntiCorruption Branch, which assumes the task of combating corruption within the JCF and its auxiliaries. The Unit this week received additional resources, including two brand new motor vehicles, office equipment and a polygraph machine, through the efforts of the Canadian government.
Jamaican govt. serious about talks with IMF
KINGSTON, Jamaica (OPM) - Prime minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson Miller, says the government’s approach in securing an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is very serious and the discussions are advanced and ongoing. Speaking at the first of a series of parish meetings aimed at providing the public with information on key aspects of national development held on Wednesday, the prime minister said that an agreement with the IMF was necessary in order to get support from the multilaterals and bilateral institutions, build business confidence and keep the economy stable. She underscored government’s commitment to the issues of tax reform, pension reform and public sector reform as part of such a programme. Also speaking at the forum, Minister of Justice, Mark Golding, said the multilateral agency has accepted Jamaica’s medium term programme as a basis for negotiations on the related issues in the programme. He said, “The talks are well advanced, and that the IMF has accepted the
Portia Simpson Miller government’s medium term programme which is a four year programme and the targets in it. What is now being sorted out are the other details as to how we will stick to the programme to which we are committing ourselves,” Golding said. On the matter of employment and job creation, the prime minister said, while it was government’s intention to increase employment through initiatives like the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme, JEEP, “We will only be able to solve the unemployment issue when the economy begins to grow in a sustainable manner.” Simpson Miller discussed
the upward trend in certain crimes, particularly those being committed against women and children. The prime minister appealed for the support of the citizens and every sector in society to tackle the crime problem, adding: “You cannot have a female prime minister and feel that you must just abuse women and children. We are working seriously on several pieces of legislation to address the problem. “ Turning to the current dengue outbreak, Simpson Miller appealed to the public to take the necessary precautions to rid their homes and communities of the breeding sites of mosquitoes. Government, she said, has stepped up its dengue public education programme, and there is increased fogging and treatment of a number of breeding sites for mosquitoes in communities across the country. The forum also provided the members of the public who attended, an opportunity to air several local development concerns affecting community life in the parish of St Catherine.
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Hudson-Phillips: ‘lots to say on CLICO, silent on Section 34’ Trinidad Express - Why was Queen’s Counsel Karl Hudson-Phillips silent on Section 34 but vocal on the CLICO brief accepted by Law Association president Seenath Jairam? That was the question asked Friday by former Law Association president Dana Seetahal, SC. Seetahal said she found it curious that Hudson-Phillips had lots to say about the CLICO brief accepted by Jairam to lead the counsel for the Ministry Finance in the CLICO/HCU commission of enquiry, but said nothing on the Section 34 fiasco. In a telephone interview with the Express, she also said it was peculiar that a letter and private conversation between Hudson-Phillips and Jairam were made public. “If we are to take him seriously about ethics and convention and so, then should he (Hudson-Phillips) be making these matters public in the way that it has been done?” asked Seetahal. Hudson-Phillips on Thursday sent a letter to Jairam, slamming his
Dana Seetahal (Jairam’s) conduct as president of the Law Association for accepting the State brief for the CLICO/ HCU commission of enquiry. Hudson-Phillips, a former Law Association president, criticised Jairam in the letter and accused him of “conduct short of the best traditions of the Bar” for accepting the State brief. Jairam returned the brief on October 4—ten days after he had accepted it. Junior Counsel Joseph Toney, chairman of the Congress of the People
(CoP), also returned the brief given by the ministry. The previous team of Senior Counsel Fyard Hosein and Michael Quamina was fired on October 5, by e-mail, without reasons being given. Seetahal said HudsonPhillips’s criticism of Jairam’s ethics in the profession and conventions ought not to be aired in the media. “The letter sent to Mr Jairam, however it got to the press, I find that was particularly egregious. It’s a private letter, and I would imagine that Mr HudsonPhillips caused it to be printed in the press. So I find that is peculiar,” she said. “In addition to that, a private conversation that he had with him before elections, I found that a private conversation had no business being put out in the public domain. And if Mr Hudson-Phillips caused it to be done, I think that if you are talking about conventions and ethics in the profession on one hand, then should you Mr Hudson Phillips be putting these things out in the public domain?” she asked.
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Kaieteur News
Rowley in call to workers for November 2 protest…
MEET ME AT HIGH NOON Trinidad Guardian Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley is advising citizens to either shutdown their work places or work for half the day on November 2 and take to the streets of Port-of-Spain at noon to demand good governance. He said so at a public meeting of the People’s National Movement (PNM) held opposite Starlite Shopping Plaza, Diego Martin, on Thursday night. When the PNM held a second roundtable meeting of trade unions and nongovernmental organisations, the group decided to “engage in a massive demonstration through the streets of Port-of-Spain to demand the immediate removal of Jack Warner and Anand Ramlogan,” Rowley said. The organisers of the event said that would be a major protest as thousands of people were expected to take part. The march is expected to begin at noon at Woodford Square and culminate on the Brian Lara Promenade, Portof-Spain. “Come out in your numbers. Come out at high noon. Meet me in Woodford
Dr Keith Rowley Square at high noon on November 2. Come out in your thousands, meet the PNM, meet the unions, meet the NGOs and we will walk the streets of Port-of-Spain,” Rowley said to the cheering crowd. He said the PNM was ready and prepared to stand up against the Government because citizens were now under threat from bad governance. Rowley said the PNM had no problem in supporting “all bodies and persons in this country who will stand up to this
Government.” He added: “Let Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her Government and her cronies know that you the people of Trinidad and Tobago are not taking that from them. “And we’ll stand up in front of this Government and say ‘this is our country and we will have it the way we want it.’” Rowley said employers should allow their employees to leave work to attend the protest at high noon. He said the rule of law must prevail. In an obvious reference to the Section 34 fiasco, Rowley said when the Government used a situation to cause people to be above the law employers must “close down their businesses on Friday November 2.” He told workers: “Come out from your business places half-day if you have to, put somebody to hold your baby if you have to, get in your taxi if you have to. “ Rowley called on citizens to show Attorney General Anand Ramlogan that they had the power to do something about the Section 34 issue by engaging in mass protest on November 2.
Sunday October 21, 2012
T&T removed from FATF blacklist Trinidad Express - After being on the “brink” of being blacklisted by intergovernmental body the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Trinidad and Tobago has now been removed from the dark-grey list and will no longer be directly monitored by the organisation, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has announced. She was speaking Friday during the sitting of the Lower House at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain. She noted in February 2010, FATF publicly identified Trinidad and Tobago as having strategic anti-money laundering combating financing of terrorism (AMLCFT) deficiencies and was rated “partially compliant or non-compliant” with 15 of the 16 key and core regulations of the FATF. “YesterdayattheFATFplenary in Paris ... the FATF agreed to move Trinidad from the list of countries with strategic AMLCFT deficiencies,” she reported. She noted the FATF welcomed this country’s “significant progress” in improving its AMLCFT regime and “notes that Trinidad and Tobago has established the legal and regulatory framework to meet its commitments in its action plan regarding the strategic deficiencies that the FATF had identified in February 2010”. She also read correspondence from director of AMLCFT compliance unit, Sherene Murray-Bailey, and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) director Susan Francois, who attended the plenary, in which they reported that FATF had agreed “that we will no longer be under their monitoring process (and) we will be removed from the list of countries with strategic AMLCFT deficiencies”. FATF was also pleased this country had its first money laundering charge. “We have been removed from the dark-grey list. Mr
Kamla Persad-Bissessar Speaker, it means we are not going to be put on any black list. Mr Speaker, it means that we are not going to be placed on any white, blue, yellow ... brown list. Mr Speaker, it means that the only colours that will apply to Trinidad and Tobago will be the red, white and black,” PersadBissessar said. She noted that this was “no small feat” and there were several larger countries that were deficient and continue to be monitored. She also read correspondence from CFATF director Calvin Wilson in which he praised the efforts of this Government and requested help in assisting ten other countries in becoming compliant. He also invited the country to chair the CFATF International Cooperation Review Group when the current chair demits office at the November 2012 plenary meeting and requested a meeting with Persad-Bissessar. “From dark-grey list, from doom and gloom, now people who can lead in the area,” she pointed out. She recalled that back in 2010 there were reports, including from Opposition members, expressing concern that this country could face sanctions internationally for failing to deal with anti-money laundering and the picture painted was “very dark and very gloomy for our prospects”. She added: “Indeed, our
Democracy Cuban-style gets under way HAVANA (AP) — There are no flashy television ads or campaign signs spiked into Cuban front yards. And candidates definitely don’t tour the island shaking hands and kissing babies. Today’s municipal elections in Cuba lack the hoopla they have in other countries, but authorities here say they give people a voice in government and refute charges that the country is undemocratic. Critics call them a sham since voters can’t throw out the Communist Party long led by Fidel and Raul Castro. The vote starts a long, complicated and unique electoral process that will culminate in February, when national assembly legislators vote on who will occupy the presidency, a post held by Raul Castro since 2008.
image was sullied by predicting that we were on the verge of being blacklisted by the FATF. “As a responsible Government we did not panic ... and to broadcast the deleterious effects of the noncompliance with the FATF recommendations because we did not wish to undermine investor confidence. As we always say, our commitment first is to Trinidad and Tobago,” she explained. She noted the Government chose to take deliberate steps to ensure immediate action to remedy the situation, including setting up a national AMLCFT committee and legislative amendments including the FIU Amendment Act 2011, the Anti-Terrorism Amendment Act 2011, the Trafficking in Persons Act 2011, The Financial Obligation Financing of Terrorism Regulations 2011, The FIU Regulations 2011, and the Miscellaneous Provisions FIU andAnti-TerrorismAct2012. “Throughout 2011 ... five pieces of legislation, substantive legislation, that was necessary and required by the FATF for Trinidad and Tobago ... to avoid falling off the cliff and going into the gloomy depths of a blacklisted country,” she explained. She stressed she is committed to ensuring the AMLCFT regime is effectively implemented to bring this country closer to full compliance. She noted the laws had been strengthened and it was up to citizens to enforce them, adding that there were too many reports of money laundering and suspicious bank transactions. “It is time for action and those involved in money laundering must know ... that they can run but they cannot hide,” she commented. Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, speaking with the media during the tea break, said the Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) was very happy to hear that the country was removed from the FATF list of observation, “whether it is light- grey or dark-grey”. He said the Government was flailing around, desperate for some good news and the Prime Minister used the statement to try and give praise and credit to two ministers who are discredited and under attack from the national community—new National Security Minister Jack Warner “who has virtually nothing to do with this” and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan.
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 31
Tactics set, Obama, Romney hurtle toward finish NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — With one debate and one jobs report to go, President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney are hurtling towards Election Day in a virtual deadlock, each convinced that victory is within reach if his campaign sticks with its plan. In 16 days, voters will prove one of them wrong. When that happens, the losing team will have years to ponder whether one final tweak in tactics or message might have turned a fiercely fought, sometimes joyless election that seems likely to rank among the nation’s closest. Having steadied himself after a damaging first debate, Obama is banking on his renowned get-out-the-vote ground operation to steer millions of supporters to the polls. Many have already voted, under early balloting scenarios that favor campaigns with the most volunteers to flush out potential supporters. Republicans, meanwhile, feel Romney has finally broken through with his message that the economy
can be much better, and that he’s the man to prove it. He pounded that theme in last week’s second debate, sounding almost like a romance counselor in imploring Americans not “to settle” for a less robust economy than they deserve. Interviews with top strategists indicate that neither campaign feels it needs to make a significant shift in strategy in the closing days. Obama may hold a slight edge in battleground states, some Republicans grudgingly say, but Romney has the time, money and message to erase it. “Republicans are coalescing around a candidate who has bridged the credibility gap, and now the question is, can we make our closing arguments and win on the ground,” said veteran GOP strategist Terry Holt. “We’re not there yet. But that’s where we’re getting to.” Two scheduled events before Nov. 6 could wrinkle the race’s fabric, although millions of Americans have already voted or firmly made up their minds.
Barack Obama
Mitt Romney
Obama and Romney meet Monday for their final debate, focused on foreign policy. It’s a topic that generally favors an incumbent president. But the forum comes as Obama faces growing heat over the administration’s handling of a deadly confrontation at a U.S. consulate in Libya. Romney stumbled last week when he tried to press that point. He will be under pressure to deliver a sharper, more precise indictment Monday. The economy remains the top issue, but to make his
closing pitch to voters, Romney “needs to look strong and presidential in a national security setting,” said Steve Schmidt, who managed Republican John McCain’s 2008 campaign. And on Nov. 2 — less than 100 hours before Election Day — the government will release its monthly unemployment report, for October. It’s doubtful that anything short of a huge rise or fall in the rate would change many votes’ minds. But in a neck-and-neck election, almost any event might be
viewed as crucial. Republicans remain buoyed by what they see as the substantial and longlasting boost Romney received from his strong showing in the first debate, on Oct. 3, when the president seemed listless. Obama apparently stopped his slide with a vastly improved performance in the second forum, two weeks later. But even the most partisan Democrats don’t say he completely undid the damage from Oct. 3. Pollsters and strategists in both parties say the two debates essentially returned the contest to its mid-August status, before Obama enjoyed a bounce from the latesummer nominating conventions. Romney now is focused on the two-step strategy every challenger must pursue: Obama deserves to be fired, he says, and he, Romney, is a qualified alternative. It’s the essence of Romney’s argument from the start. His campaign hopes the noise from flubs — such as Romney’s criticism of the 47
percent of Americans who pay no income tax — has subsided to the point that voters are ready to tune in. The race “is definitely going in the right direction,” Romney’s running mate, Paul Ryan, told a Florida radio show Friday. “It’s going to come down to turnout, voter enthusiasm.” Despite such optimism, the Electoral College map remains in Obama’s favor. He carried more states than he needed in 2008, so he can lose several of them next month and still win a second term. Romney’s path is much narrower. He must take away at least a half-dozen states from Obama. And they can’t be just the small ones like Iowa and New Hampshire. Florida is an absolute must for Romney. Ohio is the next closest thing. Democrats see Ohio, with its lower-thanaverage unemployment rate and general embrace of the president’s auto industry bailout, as their best chance to stop Romney cold. Rather than pour their heaviest efforts into Florida and risk losing it by a hair, the Continued on page 32
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
British protesters demand end to “failing” austerity LONDON (Reuters) Tens of thousands of protesters marched through London yesterday calling for an end to public spending cuts and tax rises launched by a government they accuse of elitism and ignorance about the plight of recession-hit voters. Blowing horns and whistles, demonstrators streamed past the Houses of Parliament behind a banner declaring “Austerity is Failing”, and called on Prime Minister David Cameron to do more to revive Britain’s struggling economy. The Conservative-led coalition is reeling from the resignation on Friday of a senior minister accused of calling police “plebs”, a class-laden insult for working people, and the perception that they are out of touch. “The wealthy don’t realise the impact of the cuts and this government is only interested in what you can give them,” said local government worker Eric Batty, 60, dressed in a black grim reaper cloak costume symbolising death. The government says it
must stick to its plan to eliminate a budget deficit that stood at 8 percent of gross domestic product last year, the biggest of any major European country. It says the euro zone crisis has also cast a shadow over the British economy. Cameron’s party faced a barrage of negative headlines over the departure of Andrew Mitchell - the “Chief Whip” or party enforcer - four weeks after he swore at police guarding the gates to the prime minister’s Downing Street office. A separate row involving finance minister George Osborne, who sat in a first class train carriage with a standard class ticket before paying for an upgrade, added ammunition to critics who say the Conservatives are privileged and aloof. Addressing protesters, opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband was quick to seize on the latest Conservative missteps to condemn Cameron’s policies. “He is a weak and clueless prime minister,” Miliband told a cheering crowd. “Andrew Mitchell may have resigned but the culture of two nations
Demonstrators pass the Houses of Parliament during a protest march in central London yesterday. (REUTERS/Neil Hall)
runs right across this government. They cut taxes for millionaires and they raise taxes for ordinary families.” However, Miliband was booed when he told demonstrators that Labour would have had to make cuts too if it had won the last election, albeit at a slower pace. Under grey autumnal skies, demonstrators waved banners saying “No Cuts”, “Tax the Rich, Teach the
Poor” and “Plebs of the World Unite”, poking fun at Mitchell’s resignation. Nurses, cleaners, librarians and ambulance drivers were among those who joined the march and a rally in London’s central Hyde Park, in one of the biggest anti-austerity protests this year. Organisers estimated that 150,000 people took part. Marches also took place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Glasgow, Scotland. “I’ve got friends who are
in desperate straits, living in fear of losing their job and their house,” said Nick Chaffey, 48, a Socialist Party campaigner married to a teacher who has taken a pay cut. Police said the London march had passed peacefully and they expected to report a low number of arrests in a bulletin later. Trade union leaders are trying to use the rally to pile more pressure on Cameron, telling protesters the government’s economic plan
has failed and only prolonged Britain’s recession. “Austerity isn’t working. It is hammering the poorest and the most vulnerable,” said Brendan Barber, head of the Trades Union Congress, an umbrella group which represents 54 unions. The coalition government had responded to calls from unions and the opposition Labour Party to do more to increase growth by relaxing planning laws and boosting lending to businesses. Cameron’s party staked its 2010 election campaign on the austerity programme, calling for deeper cuts to welfare spending while dismissing the idea of a tax on the wealthy. In an emergency budget announced after winning power, his coalition government said it would cut most departmental budgets by an average of around 20 percent over four years. It announced a public sector pay freeze, set a new ceiling on the total state benefits any family can receive and cut tax relief on pensions. The VAT sales tax went up to 20 percent.
Tactics set, Obama, Romney... From page 31 Obama campaign has placed its heaviest bet on Ohio. That has forced Romney and Ryan to make their own stand there. The two Republicans spent six of eight days in Ohio after the first debate. Obama has made repeated visits. More advertising money was being spent in Ohio last week, almost $9 million, than any other state including Florida, where ad time is expensive. The campaigns were spending a combined $7.3 million in Florida last week. When Democrats are asked about polls that seem to show a pro-Romney drift, they quickly change the subject to Obama’s voterturnout operation. Some of the Obama campaign’s paid workers never left key states after the 2008 election. They have spent four years building files of likely volunteers, supporters and persuadable voters. It’s a labor-intensive effort they say Romney cannot match. Jeremy Bird, Obama’s national field director, released a memo Friday about early voting in Ohio. The campaign has 125 field offices “in every corner of the state,” Bird wrote. “We are ahead of where we were at this time against John McCain — and ahead of Mitt Romney.”
There’s anecdotal evidence of strong early voting for Obama in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and elsewhere, but it’s possible that Romney is roughly keeping pace. In Florida, Democrats have cut into the GOP’s traditional advantage in absentee balloting. But Romney officials dismiss the numbers. Many absentee-voting Democrats otherwise would have engaged in another practice, simply called “early voting,” which Democrats traditionally have dominated, GOP officials say. They contend there’s no net gain for the president. In Colorado, another battleground state, Romney’s ground game “is equal to, if not superior to, the Obama ground game,” said Dick Wadhams, a former state Republican Party chairman. Wadhams said he thinks Colorado suburban women, in particular, are edging towards Romney, reassured by his solid performance in the first debate and his vow to generate more jobs. Obama, meanwhile, focused his campaign almost entirely on women after last Tuesday’s debate, in which Romney spoke awkwardly of receiving “binders full of women” seeking top jobs when he was Massachusetts governor.
Campaigning Friday in northern Virginia, Obama told a heavily female audience that when it comes to issues important to women’s health and jobs, his opponent has developed “Romnesia.” The president was flanked by signs saying “Women’s Health Security.” Romney’s jobs-andeconomy pitch grew slightly more difficult at the week’s end, when nearly all the battleground states reported drops in their unemployment rates. Most were modest, however. In all-important Ohio, the unemployment rate dropped even though the total number of jobs also fell, due to people retiring or leaving the workforce for other reasons. GOP strategists say the overall economy remains bleak enough for Romney to make a forceful closing argument: Obama has failed to bring the jobs he promised, and Romney has the skills and philosophy to do better. “It remains jobs and the economy, and related fiscal issues, which people remain unhappy about,” said veteran Republican consultant Charlie Black. “And people believe Romney is up to the task.” Obama volunteers hope to steer enough voters to the polls to overcome the GOP message.
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
From the Diaspora ...
NIGEL HUGHES AND AFC MAKE IT EASY FOR PPP TO WIN THE NEXT ELECTION By Ralph Seeram There is no question whether that the PPP will call a snap election; it’s just a matter of time. The PPP is most likely reviewing that time table in view of recent actions by Nigel Hughes and the AFC. The AFC just made it easier for the PPP to win back its majority status in Parliament. The collateral damage from its inspired protests in Linden and Agricola, is not sitting well with not only PPP supporters but AFC supporters as well. Nigel Hughes is using up his “15 minutes of fame very fast”. Not only has he discredited himself, but he is also losing respect very rapidly. The Linden Commission of Inquiry is not going the way he envisages it
so far. For all his talk and bluff he still has not proven his allegations against Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee. One would have thought that for all his bluster and allegations that Rohee gave instructions to the police before the fatal shooting of the three men in Linden, he Hughes will deliver the “goods”. As it turns out so far he was just a big bluff. The PPP called his bluff and he failed miserably to deliver. The evidence so far revealed that the Home Affairs Minister spoke to the police AFTER the shooting took place. Hughes tried to get Police Officers to admit that they spoke to the Home Affairs Minister before the shooting. He could not elicit the answers he wanted, so he
demanded the phone records, which to his disappointment disproved his allegation. Remember Hughes has been using this as one of his main reasons for removing Rohee. Now he has moved on to other issues as to why Rohee should be removed. Sensing that the Inquiry is not going the way he anticipated he is now setting up an excuse for his failure by questioning why Rohee does not have an attorney representing him. He had to be reminded by the Commission of Inquiry that the Rohee so far has not been implicated. After that failure he then gave the Government an ultimatum to remove Rohee and that he considers the Rohee office vacant. What arrogance!! Hughes needs to be reminded that his AFC has
only seven seats in Parliament and that he does not have a large constituency. He is making a play for the PNC votes, working up traditional PNC supporters in Linden and now Agricola. I am no defender of Rohee. In fact, I called for his removal for different reasons in an article before the last elections. However, I strongly disagree with the allegations being used against him for his removal. How is Hughes making it easier for the PPP? He accuses the PPP of racism in the shooting deaths of Shaquille Grant and Dameon Belgrave. Before going further I would like to make it very clear that I do not condone the police shooting innocent civilians. My personal opinion is that those rogue cops carried out
their illegal actions because they think they can get away with it. There needs to be a drastic change in the culture in the GPF but that’s a topic for another day. What Hughes is trying to do is exploit the deaths of the youths who happened to be Afro Guyanese for political purposes, shifting the blame to the PPP Government and deeming it racist. It was Hughes who is quoted as using the term” black youths “. Why not youths or Guyanese youths? It does not call for much intelligence to figure out why he injected the word ‘black’ in his diatribe against the government. What he fails to tell the public is the race of the police officer who shot Grant. What he should have told the public is that in the aftermath of the Agricola protest was the race of the majority of the commuters who were robbed and beaten by his “protesters”. If you advocate civil disobedience you must also take the credit for the collateral damage. The AFC created the protest then blames the PPP for scaremongering. Does the AFC think those thousands of commuters who were affected by the Agricola protest will now vote for the party? The AFC is claiming that the PPP is scaring PPP supporters in Berbice back in the PPP fold. Nigel Hughes needs to wake up. He and the AFC are sending PPP supporters back to the fold. He won’t get the PNC votes
he is aiming at, and for those PPP votes that Nagamootoo got in the last election, forget about it; Nagamootoo is finished. His association with the AFC and its role in Linden and Agricola put an end to that. Speaking about scaremongering, I am not sure the AFC is aware of the damage it has done to the image of Guyana both internally and externally. I have had people here in the Diaspora calling me about the Agricola events. Now some are afraid to visit Guyana, noting that they have to pass that way from the airport. The violence and criminality that follows these AFC inspired so called “peaceful protests” affect the ordinary Guyanese workers. Any word of violence and the business community shuts down. Economic activity comes to a standstill. Workers receive less take home pay; some might even be AFC supporters. I saw this happen when I was in Guyana during the last elections. Some may not notice but APNU leader David Granger has been a little quiet. Granger may be a political novice, but he is an astute politician, I think he can get more cooperation from the PPP if he can control some of the extreme elements in APNU. I personally think if you put Donald Ramotar and David Granger in a room without any political advisors they will agree or compromise on most issues in the interest of the country. Now there’s an idea.
Prisoners found with drugs in jail remanded Some prisoners were found with drugs concealed in their crotches at the New Amsterdam prison, during the past week and have been charged. Gordian Rollins, a convicted prisoner, was found with a quantity of drugs after he returned from an errand outside the penal institution. Rollins, of Cumberland village, who is serving a oneyear term for burglary, was among a group of prisoners who were detailed to work on a project outside of the prison. Upon their return they were checked and Rollins was found with 24 grams of leaves, seeds and stems of the Marijuana plant concealed in a plastic bag in his crotch. He was arrested and charged and appeared before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo where he pleaded not guilty and was
remanded. His next court date is January 11th 2012. Marlon David who is currently serving a sentence for the possession of cannabis is alleged to have had the drug on October 12 in the kitchen of the prison. He was found with one gram on his person. The convict told the court that he found the substance on the floor and only kicked it before he was arrested. He will have to return to court on February 12, 2013. Nazim Khan, another convicted prisoner, was allegedly found with one gram in his possession on October 11 while he was doing duties in the yard. He was seen acting in a suspicious manner. A search was conducted on his body when the drug was found concealed in a piece of newspaper he was carrying. He will have to return to court on November 15 for trial.
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
NDIA’s $19M fuel contract poorly managed - audit report Even as the Ministry of Agriculture tries to put a veil on a recent damning audit report, more evidence of fraud is emerging, especially with regards to the fuel consumption by the National Drainage a n d I r r i g a t i o n Authority (NDIA). Reports reaching this newspaper have indicated that the NDIA is now being asked to look critically into its fuel supply and transportation contract, following concerns expressed by members of the Rice Producers Association (RPA) that they are not getting value for money. Wi t h a contract amounting to a whopping $19M per month for Regions Three and Four, any irregularity could see the perpetrator pocketing a tidy sum. Only last week this newspaper published sections of an audit report which pointed to massive irregularities regarding the consumption of fuel by the NDIA-irregularities that pointed to collusion among senior NDIA officials, including CEO Lionel Wordsworth and Senior Section Engineer Aneel Chowbay. An RPA official has
- claims for non functioning excavators unearthed Victoria pump station which is part of a $161M rehabilitation project
informed that in Region Three, where fuel is being claimed for about eight excavators, supposedly operating in the area, only one is actually doing work. This was after checks were made at Ruby and Parika backdams where the machines were said to have been deployed to work. This newspaper was reliably informed that one of
the machines still cannot be located. In addition to the fuel claims, the NDIA is also being billed for spare parts for machines that are actually lying idle. The RPA official said that of the total contracted sum of $19M, about $9M is allocated to Region Three alone. A recent audit report had opined that the contract
for fuel transportation and payments recommended was poorly managed and verified by the Senior Section Engineer. “It was requested that the SSE provided work orders relative to each contract for 2011/12 and cross referenced each line on the work order with the bill of quantities item number so that the fuel received/ delivered can be reconciled,” the report stated.
Government had announced that it was spending millions of dollars on drainage and irrigation-with specific reference to pumps along the coastal belt--in an effort to prevent flooding, which could decimate the main agricultural belt. The audit found that there is no proper system to account for fuel at the various pump stations.
For example, there was no physical count via daily dips (in terms of inches) and its conversion recorded in the log books since there were no calibrated and hydraulic measuring sticks. Operators resorted to sticks, wood, and lengths of pointers to establish the level of fuel in the tanks. As a result, fuel received/on hand cannot be accurately measured and reconciled. “Pump operation time at respective RPMs based on tide levels was not recorded. Water levels were not recorded prior to pumping due to the absence of markers at most of the pump stations visited,” the audit found. With regards to the actual NDIA pumps deployed throughout several parts of the country and which utilize the fuel supplied the audit found that “fuel pump monitoring reports were only prepared for January and February 2012 and August 2012 which did not cover all operational pumps. The audit report, which was forwarded to President Donald Ramotar, had pointed to a conflict of interest involving NDIA Senior Engineer Aneel chowbay, regarding the operation, servicing and (continued on page 37)
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
Ignorance of the law costs Berbice woman her home
Void Dire held in “Picture Boy” trial …20 soldiers, 12 policemen apprehended accused A “Void Dire” (trial within a trial) commenced on Thursday as the trial into the murder of two East Coast Demerara brothers continued in the High Court against Cyon Collier called “Picture Boy”. The “Void Dire” which is being heard by Justice Diana Insanally was conducted when the Defence Attorney for Collier, Lyndon Amsterdam, raised certain issues pertaining to a caution statement which the police reportedly obtained from the accused. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Wilson was the last witness to give his evidence that day. He testified that he was the one to take a caution statement from the accused following the shooting to death of brothers Ray Walcott called “Sugar” and Carl Andrews called “Alo” in September 23, 2006 at Victoria Four Corner, East Coast Demerara. The senior rank’s testimony was that evidence given by the accused was obtained free and voluntarily, that no violence, threats or inducements were meted out to the accused. Attorney Lyndon Amsterdam however related something different from that of the officer’s testimony. At that point members of the jury had already been led out of court since they were not allowed to hear that aspect of the case. The senior policeman testified that the caution statement was taken at the Cove and John Police Station in 2006. He said that the allegation was put to Collier and he narrated a story. Prior to this, Deputy Superintendent of Police
(DSP) Lyndon Lord attached to the Criminal Investigations Department returned to the stand to continue his evidence in the matter. According to Lord, he and a party of policemen, in a joint effort with the army, went to a location, Bachelor’s Adventure, after receiving certain information and was able to locate the accused. While there, the policeman said another rank knocked on the door and the accused answered. Twenty soldiers and 12 policemen had gone to apprehend the accused and they were all armed with rifles and other firearms. Lord said that the allegation of murder was put to the accused and the house was later searched. The officer recalled that on the day in question an AK rifle and a .25 pistol were found on the bed “where he was lying”. Thirteen live 7.62x39 rounds of ammunition were also found in the magazine. Lord said he carried out further checks and found a pump action shotgun under the said bed and eight live 12 gauge cartridges. On Thursday, Amsterdam highlighted what he said were discrepancies in particular aspects of the officer’s testimony given in the Magistrate’s Court and later in the High Court. Lord agreed when Amsterdam stated that he (Lord) said in the High Court that the ammunition was found on the bed Collier on which he was laying, but made no mention of such when giving evidence in the Preliminary Inquiry(PI) in the Magistrate’s Court. Lord agreed that in the
Cyon Collier called “Picture Boy” High Court, he testified that following the murder allegation being put to Collier on the day of his arrest, he said something to the arresting rank but he (Lord) was unable to hear. Amsterdam however argued that no mention of that evidence was made in the Magistrate’s Court. Amsterdam put to the policeman that although he testified to the ammunition found in the weapons during the raid, no mention was made about the guns being emptied to ascertain the bullets. The lawyer then argued that Lord was changing his testimony in response to him reportedly anticipating what his colleagues would say in their evidence. Continuing in that line of questioning, Amsterdam asked the police officer whether he saw the statements of other police officers. The prosecution headed by Senior State Counsel Judith GildharieMursalin, responded with strong objections. The state representative claimed that Amsterdam’s questions were a direct attack on the prosecution and its integrity since the prosecution would be the one responsible for witness statements. The court overruled Amsterdam’s questions deeming them inappropriate.
Armed masked bandits raid Betsy Ground businesses again Residents in Betsy Ground, Canje, especially businesses, are at their wits end as bandits are on the rampage once again. On Friday four masked men dressed in Black and armed with guns and cutlasses entered the business premises of S. Baljit and Sons which is operated by Rajbali and his family. The intruders proceeded to rob them of cash, jewelry and a number of Phone cards before making good their escape. The residence which houses a liquor restaurant on the bottom flat was still open for business. A number of
patrons was on the premises when the men barged in around 21:30 hrs. The men broke the bulb outside the shop before sticking up every one. One of the occupants was kicked in the face as the men went on their rampage, before escaping. The ordeal lasted for about half an hour. The police were contacted and arrived on the scene, but the men had already made good their escape. Some known suspects in the area were identified as the convicts since the residents are familiar with them. A few have been arrested so far and the cops are on the hunt for the others.
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A few weeks ago another businessman, Maurice Sookraj, was robbed for the sixth time and the same gang was suspected to be responsible. One man was seen breaking into the shop and shots were fired at him. However he managed to escape. The bandit is a known character and was identified to the policed by Sookraj, but to date although the man can be seen roaming the streets he has not been arrested. The area is devoid of electricity since one of the electricity posts was damaged over three months and has not yet been fixed.
Ignorance of the laws of Guyana has caused Dorette Crandon to lose most of her belongings during the demolition of her house. Crandon explained that in 1999 she moved to the High Court and, with the advice of her lawyer, filed a writ against her reputed husband after their relationship had fallen apart. She filed for division of property. The matter was taken before Judge Winston Patterson and “went on for years.” Crandon said that a decision was granted on June 9, 2010. The judge’s decision was that “…the dwelling house that stands on parcel 170 block xix part of Courtland Corentyne Coast, declared to be the property solely of the defendant, Dorette Crandon …. It is further agreed that the defendant, Dorette Crandon, do remove the said house on parcel 170 block xix part of
Dorette Crandon Courtland Corentyne Coast on or before 30/11/2010…” With full understanding of what was ordered the woman said that she thought it could not have been put into action simply because “I did not sign anything.”
Crandon said that she was of the opinion that she needed to sign at the bottom of the court order for the ruling to take effect. The house was demolished on September 26, 2011. The woman admitted that this was after numerous attempts at demolition. “De court Marshal come and ask me if I need time to move out or if dem can break it down but I tell dem that dem can’t break down me house that I living in since 1986, this is wha I wuk for and build and try to improve de conditions piece by piece; and dem went away. “Dem come couple time after and I chase dem so dem wait till I go to town for a funeral and then break down me house.” Crandon said that some of her household items were destroyed during the demolition, some were taken to the police station and “some I think dem mussy give way.”
NDIA’s $19M fuel contract ... From page 36 monitoring of the entity’s hydraulic excavator. According to the report, the contractor is Chowbay’s uncle. “It must be noted that the bill of quantities was prepared by and requests for payment verified/certified by the Senior Section Engineer (Chowbay) for all contracts awarded to his relation.” “This situation presents a conflict of interest and a great risk of the SSE’s primary interest being unduly influenced by a secondary interest,” the audit report had stated. The audit recommended that Chowbay cease all functions relating to excavators including preparation of scope of works, bill of quantities, verification of payments and be written to for not
disclosing the conflict of interest. The audit had further found that the NDIA had sole sourced the contract for the transportation of fuel and lubricants. But the Ministry of Agriculture’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) in responding to an article published by this newspaper concerning the audit had claimed that the article was misleading and inaccurate and only “represent the interest of someone with a personal agenda.” The Ministry had explained that there were 10 pre-qualified contractors for the provision of transportation services arising out of a public procurement process. Referr i n g to the
monitoring of fuel at the pumps, the Ministry explained that there is an internal control mechanism in place to monitor the use of fuel at pump stations and other facilities. This, the Ministry said, is monitored by the Mechanical Department of the NDIA who would collect the data and submit reports to eradicate any t h r e a t o f fraudulent activity. The Mechanical Department is mandated to compare working hours of pumps against fuel consumed to ensure there is accountability and value for money. All records are then compiled and presented for audit purposes. The Ministry has attempted to discredit the entire audit report.
The rehabilitated $76M pump station at Liliendaal.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
Boys Now Enter Puberty Younger, Know the signs and symptoms of cancer to get treated early Study Suggests, but It’s Unclear Why By Krista Brooks Last week Nursey and I were talking about cancer awareness. Because it is such an important topic and there is a lot we can say on it, we wanted to continue the theme for this week. We learned what cancer is, possible causes, as well as different types of tumors to look out for. This week we will talk a little bit about signs and symptoms of some of the most common types of cancer in Guyana. If you can recognize signs and symptoms of cancer, you can get into treatment faster. As we learned last week, cancer can grow at different rates, so if you catch it early, the better chance you have of getting rid of it and living a healthy life. The most common types of cancer in Guyana are breast, prostate, and cervical. We learned that malignant cancer can spread from one area to another. Cancer is named for where it starts or originates, so if it starts in breast tissue and spreads to other parts of the body, it will still be called breast cancer. The good thing about these types of cancer is that they can be detected early. For breast cancer some signs and symptoms include lumps in the breast. Now sometimes breast tissue can have normal lumps that you have had your whole life. That is why it is important to do regular self-checks from time to time. The thing to watch out for is if you feel a new lump that wasn’t there before. You may also notice bloody discharge from the nipple or the nipple may go back into the skin of the breast. Any sudden changes in the size or shape
Krista Brooks of the breast may also be a symptom to look out for. Keep in mind that men can get breast cancer as well! Cervical cancer is a very preventable form of cancer. Although in the early stages, a woman might not experience any signs or symptoms. This is why it is important to get a routine Pap smear every couple of years from your doctor. With a Pap smear, your health care provider can identify if you might have abnormal cells that could turn into cancer. If you remove these abnormal cells, it greatly reduces your chances of getting cancer. Women might experience abnormal bleeding, painful intercourse, or vaginal discharge if cervical cancer is in its later stage. These also could be symptoms of many other types of infections so it is good to get checked out before you assume that you might have cancer. While cervical and breast cancer mostly occur in women, prostate cancer only occurs in men. Prostate, like cervical cancer does not really show many signs or symptoms in its early stages (the stage you want to catch cancer for early treatment).
This is why it is important to go to your health professional for regular prostate exams, especially after the age of 50, or if your family has a history of prostate cancer. If your health professional notices anything abnormal with the prostate, they will do a biopsy to determine if it is related to cancer and recommend you for treatment. Men who have prostate cancer in more advanced stages may notice blood in their urine or semen, have trouble urinating, or experience pain in their pelvic/ genital region. Once again these could also be signs of other health problems so be sure to check with your health professional before you think it is cancer. As Nursey says, knowing the signs and symptoms of cancer and going for health screenings will help you to detect cancer early. The earlier you know you have it, the better your outcome will be. Many people die from these forms of cancer because they do not know the signs or symptoms or do not get regular health screenings. Make sure you are aware of your body and go and get checked out if you experience anything abnormal. It could help save your life! I will be back next week to tell you more interesting things that Nursey says. Until then! If you have any questions about cancer or any other health issues please e-mail nurseysaysguyana@gmail.com. Krista Brooks is a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer working with the School of Nursing, which trains Nursing Assistants, Professional Nurses, and Midwifery Students
Trial Testing Kidney Drug to Discontinue Abbott Laboratories said its partner, Reata Pharmaceuticals, was discontinuing a late-stage trial of their potential blockbuster treatment for chronic kidney disease and diabetes based on safety concerns raised by an independent safety committee. The failure of the drug, bardoxolone, sent Abbott shares down 3.5 percent on Thursday. It came as a major setback just months before the planned Jan. 1 spinoff of Abbott’s branded prescription drugs into a separate publicly traded company called AbbVie. Without the prominent drug, Wall Street concerns about AbbVie’s dependence on Abbott’s $8 billion-a-year
rheumatoid arthritis drug, Humira, have intensified. An independent datamonitoring committee found excess serious adverse events and mortality in patients taking the oral antiinflammatory drug, Abbott said in a regulatory filing. Regulators were notified of
the decision, and study participants were being informed, the company said. The failed trial, called Beacon, began in mid-2011 and involved 1,600 patients with Type 2 diabetes and Stage 4 chronic kidney disease. Shares of Abbott fell $2.40, to $66.64.
A large study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that boys are entering puberty earlier now than several decades ago — or at least earlier than the time frame doctors have historically used as a benchmark. The study, widely considered the most reliable attempt to measure puberty in American boys, estimates that boys are showing signs of puberty six months to two years earlier than was reported in previous research, which historically taught that 11 ½ was the general age puberty began in boys. But experts cautioned that because previous studies were smaller or used different approaches, it is difficult to say how much earlier boys might be developing. The study echoes research on girls, which has now established a scientific consensus that they are showing breast development earlier than in the past. The study, which was to be announced at the Academy of Pediatrics national conference on Saturday and published online in the journal Pediatrics, did not try to determine what might be causing earlier puberty, although it mentioned changes in diet, less physical activity and other environmental factors as possibilities. Experts said that without further research, implications for boys are unclear. “This should perhaps set a standard going forward for being very attentive to
puberty in boys and being mindful that they’re developing earlier,” said Dolores J. Lamb, a molecular endocrinologist at Baylor College of Medicine and president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. She was not involved in the study. Praising the study as well done, she said, “Whether the difference is as large as what they say on some papers 40 years ago is not clear.” However, she added, “this is going to be incredibly useful to pediatricians and urologists.” The new study also found that African-American boys began puberty earlier than whites and Hispanics, a result that other studies have shown also applies to AfricanAmerican girls. Researchers said that difference is most likely driven by the role of genes in puberty. On average, black boys in the study showed signs of puberty, primarily identified as growth of the testicles, at a little older than 9, while white and Hispanic boys were a little older than 10. Several experts said the study should not be seized upon as cause for alarm, but rather as a way to help parents and doctors gauge what to be aware of in boys’ development and whether to start conversations about social issues sooner. “It was an important study to do, and their methodology is improved over prior studies in that they based their
assessment of puberty in boys on what I consider to be the gold standard: the size of the testicles,” said Dr. Laura Bachrach, a professor of pediatric endocrinology at Stanford University. But the study should not prompt a magazine “cover article that shows a 9-year-old boy shaving,” Dr. Bachrach said. And because some parents fear that early puberty is related to more hormones in milk — speculation that is unproven — “I don’t want people to get up in arms and rush out and buy organic milk,” she said. “When patients ask me, I say, ‘Do that for political reasons or because you like the taste, but don’t do it because you think it’s going to influence puberty.’ “ For the study, researchers enlisted about 200 pediatricians in 41 states to record information on 4,131 healthy boys ages 6 to 16 during their well-child exams. Physicians were trained to use an orchidometer, a string of oval wooden or plastic beads of increasing size that are compared against the size of the testicles. Urologists use orchidometers to measure testicular volume when men have fertility concerns. Normal adult size is about 22 to 25 milliliters, Dr. Lamb said. In boys, 2 milliliters is prepubertal; some doctors consider 3 milliliters and others 4 milliliters as an indicator of puberty, so the study included analysis for both sizes.
Italy court ruling links mobile phone use to tumor (Reuters) - Italy’s supreme court has upheld a ruling that said there was a link between a business executive’s brain tumor and his heavy mobile phone usage, potentially opening the door to further legal claims. The court’s decision flies in the face of much scientific opinion, which generally says there is not enough evidence to declare a link between mobile phone use and diseases such as cancer and some experts said the Italian ruling should not be used to draw wider conclusions about the subject. “Great caution is needed before we jump to conclusions about mobile phones and brain tumors,” said Malcolm Sperrin, director of medical physics and clinical engineering at Britain’s Royal Berkshire Hospital. The Italian case concerned company director Innocenzo Marcolini who developed a tumor in the left side of his head after using his
mobile phone for 5-6 hours a day for 12 years. He normally held the phone in his left hand, while taking notes with his right hand. Marcolini developed a socalled neurinoma affecting a cranial nerve, which was apparently not cancerous but nevertheless required surgery that badly affected his quality of life. He initially sought financial compensation from the Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority INAIL which rejected his application, saying there was
no proof his illness had been caused by his work. But a court in Brescia later ruled there was a causal link between the use of mobile and cordless telephones and tumors. Italy’ Supreme Court rejected an INAIL appeal against that ruling on October 12 though its decision was only reported on Friday. It said the lower court’s decision was justified and that scientific evidence advanced in support of the claim was reliable. Marcolini’s situation had been “different from normal, non-professional use of a mobile telephone”, it said. The evidence was based on studies conducted between 20052009 by a group led by Lennart Hardell, a cancer specialist at the University Hospital in Orebro in Sweden. The court said the research was independent and “unlike some others, was not co-financed by the same companies that produce mobile telephones”.
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
The abduction of Anita Persaud By Michael Jordan There was no foreshadowing of the tragedy that was to befall the Persaud household when 18-year-old Anita left the family’s home at Good Faith, Mahaicony, on August 19, 2001. It was around 18:15 hrs, and the attractive teen was dressed in a pair of white pants and a green blouse. At the time, only her father, Ramesh Persaud, and a friend were at home, but the men were reportedly fixing an outboard engine in the backyard. Mr. Persaud, a fisherman, would later say that he assumed that Anita was going to meet her mother at a wedding house, two properties away from his. But when his wife came
home later that night, she told her husband that Anita had asked to go to the cinema, located a corner away from her home. Thinking that Anita was indeed at the cinema and knowing that she had her own keys to the house, the family retired to bed. When the parents awoke the following morning, they observed that Anita’s bedroom door was shut. They assumed that she was still sleeping, so no one bothered to check on her. But when 09:00 hrs came and Anita failed to surface, her mother decided to check in the bedroom. She was surprised to find it empty. The wedding had continued into the next day, and the parents decided to ask some of the guests
whether their daughter had passed by. But none of them had seen Anita. However, the Persaud’s eldest son told his mother that one of his friends had reportedly seen his sister walking on the Mahaicony Public Road with a boy the night before. Mrs. Persaud eventually made a report at the Mahaicony Police Station. The police enquired whether the teen had a boyfriend. Mrs. Persaud explained that Anita was planning to get married in 2002. She believed that the police suspected that the teen might have run off with her fiancé. But that theory did not appear to be plausible, since the fiancé was living overseas. Mrs. Persaud was
returning home from the police station when she observed a familiar object on the road. It was a shoe. In fact, the shoe looked like one that Anita wore. Mrs. Persaud picked up the shoe and took it home. She was talking with her husband about Anita’s possible whereabouts when she remembered the shoe. She then returned to the police station with it. But yet, the police and everyone else still seemed to believe that the missing girl had run away with a lover. Anita’s mother then travelled to her sister ’s home at Corentyne, Berbice, in the hope that Anita might have gone there. To her disappointment, the sister had no information about Anita. On Tuesday, August 21, 2001, Mrs. Persaud sent her eldest son to question the friend who claimed to have seen Anita walking with a boy. But shortly after, Mrs. Persaud’s son came running towards her. Breathless, the son pointed to the canal in front of the family’s home. “Body…floating…” he eventually gasped. The family members immediately rushed to the canal. Lying face down in the water with a rope around her neck, and clad only in her white pants, was Anita Persaud. During an autopsy, a pathologist reportedly found traces of mud in the victim’s lungs. This suggested that Anita was still alive when she was dumped in the canal. Shortly after the post mortem, police detained four suspects. Among them were two brothers who were convicted twice for rape, only to be freed on appeal. But the suspects were all released after they were reportedly able to account for their whereabouts on the night that Anita was slain. The police also detained Anita’s parents and the friend who was reportedly repairing the boat engine with Mr.
Persaud when his daughter left home. The detectives had reportedly received information that Mr. Persaud would often beat his children badly. While Mrs. Persaud was released the following day, her husband and his friend were kept in custody for three days before being released. To the family’s frustration, no one else has ever been arrested. But what do the parents believe happened on that fateful night eleven years ago? Their theory is that a gang abducted Anita, took her out of the area, then brought her back and dumped her, still alive, in the canal near her home. But what is left
SEEKING HELP TO LOCATE RELATIVES OF EIGHT CHILDREN KILLED BETWEEN 1969-1970 Michael Jordan is trying to contact relatives of eight children who were murdered between March 20, 1969 and June 1970, by Harrynauth Beharry, also known as Harry Rambarran, Charles Bissoon, Charles Pereira, Anant Persaud and Maka Anan. Some of the victims are Basmattie, an eight-year-old schoolgirl from Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara. David Bacchus, 15, of Tucville, 11-year-old Mohamed Fazil Nasir, of Number 78 Village, Corentyne, Mohamed Faizal, of Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Jagdeo Jagroop, Mohamed Nizam Ali; Paulton of Hogg Island, Essequibo; Orlando Guthrie, of Grove Village, East Bank Demerara. Please contact him via his email address mjdragon@hotmail.com., or on telephone numbers 22-58458, 2258465, or 22-58491. HeI can also be contacted on 645-2447.
unanswered is why would this ‘gang’ have taken the risk of transporting their victim back to the scene from where she was abducted? As for the young man who had claimed to have seen Anita walking with a boy on the night she was killed, he reportedly later told the family that he had made the story up as a joke. At Mrs. Persaud’s request, Anita was buried near a tree in the family’s backyard. “She hadn’t a chance to live a full life, because some selfish person or persons took her away from us,” Mr. Persaud told Kaieteur News, some years ago. “The thought that these persons have not been brought to justice rips our hearts each day. That is what we have been feeling and may have to live with for the rest of our lives. But I know that there is a God and whoever killed our daughter will come to justice some day.” If you have any information about this or any other unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News by letter or telephone at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown office. Our numbers are 22-58458, 2258465, 22-58482 and 2258491. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s : mjdragon@hotmail.com
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Ravi Dev Column
Agricola on my mind Like thousands of other parents, I received the call from my children that they were trapped in their bus. They’d been stuck for an hour just before McDoom and could see clouds of black smoke from tyres burning at Agricola. They couldn’t turn into the opposing lane because of the median and didn’t sidle into the side streets that invited muggings and beatings. Frantic calls were made to friends in the area, but nothing could be done unless they could exit the traffic logjam.
With dusk fast approaching, I drove towards the Vreed-en-hoop stelling from where I’d play it by ear. At least I was getting closer to my children. My thoughts drifted to Agricola. As a boy, all I knew of Agricola was that Jan Carew, author of Black Midas and Wild Coast, had been born there. Boarding at Bagotstown in 1970 to attend school in Georgetown to write “A” levels, I often visited my sister who’d married in McDoom. I became casually acquainted with Agricola,
stuck between the two villages. It was a typical coastal village, but much more ethnically homogenous (African in its case) than either McDoom or Bagotstown. Most residents worked in Georgetown and church influence was strong. But by the next decade, when I returned to visit from the States, much had changed. My sister, who was a strong churchgoer (Assembly of God), knew many families from Agricola, and she talked about youths
THE BACCOO SPEAKS The past week was torrid with executions and suspicions. The killers are still to be found but the police are going to find out that the victims were people who ran afoul of others. They all helped themselves to other people’s property and after a time those who felt that they were picked on found gunmen to do their bidding. The police are going to detain a number of people with firearms, thus preventing some armed robberies. The police are going to report that they have seized more weapons than last year, but what they will not say is that more guns are around than at any time.
** Two policemen were killed in the interior and this is going to cause the police to review the quality of the ranks. The administration is going to suddenly find that the rogue elements are more than thought. The result is that suddenly, many are going to find themselves facing departmental charges. There is however going to
be a surprise. One of the ranks placed in front of a disciplinary panel is going to name a senior officer as his control. ** Another road accident is going to upset the equilibrium and once more a minibus would be involved. The driver would be his usual self, ignoring courtesy. His idiocy will lead to a crash that would stun the people involved. What is worrying is that there is no way he can compensate the victims of the other vehicle and this is going to lead to an unusual situation. A relative is going to take the law into his own hands.
drifting into crime. She and her family became victims of a “kickdown-the-door” attack by bandits in the mid-eighties. She recognised several of the attackers – youths from Agricola and Mc Doom. She never recovered from the sense of betrayal when members of her church refused to even reprimand the attackers. She reported that they all died violently in the next two years: God’s work, she assured me. She lives abroad now, but we still discuss what I call her lack of ‘patriotism’ in refusing to visit her native land. She says she connects to people not to the land and after the betrayal, she feels disconnected to the people. And it is this passive (at best) complicity with what is palpably criminal behaviour that must be addressed if we are to ever build a nation in the State we inherited in 1966. What makes the complicity more than just misguided sentiment is that the criminality is frequently politically directed. Muggings are a feature of all urban landscapes, but in the early ‘60s a new criminal phenomenon appeared on the Guyana scene – “choke and rob”. The PNC encouraged urban youths to harass and intimidate supporters of the PPP government –read Indian Guyanese. Older members of their community looked the other way because “the boys”
were just engaged in politics by other means. According to David Dodd and Michael Parris, in their study, “An Urban Plantation: Socio-Cultural Aspects of Crime and Delinquency in Georgetown Guyana”, the “choke and rob” phenomenon became entrenched as it became a new, and lucrative occupation for urban youths, which fitted in perfectly with the streetcorner urban culture. It became more difficult to persuade those youths that the staid world of the nineto-five workplace was an option. A Pandora’s Box had been opened. Another form of politically-induced criminal violence unleashed was the “kick-down-the-door” phenomenon that exploded across the land in the late seventies and reached its zenith in the eighties. In view of the directedness of the crime against Indian Guyanese, Mr Kwayana in 1985 dubbed it ‘ethnic genocide”. In numerous instances it was pointed out that members of the armed forces – present and ex – were involved. And so we had the escalation of the ‘slow fyaah; mo’ fyaah’ strategy of the PNC from 2001, into open warfare against the PPP government – with the epicentre in Buxton but Agricola as a satellite. The Agricola massacres; the Kaieteur pressmen
Ravi Dev
massacre; the ‘Gurple’ beheading are only the tip of an iceberg that completed the destruction of a community. Some have forgotten that ‘Fineman’ Rawlins, ‘Skinny’ Charles and Sean Grant, some of the most notorious names from that era, were “Agricola Boys”. I remembered my sister when I read of the massive hero’s funeral ‘Skinny’ was given in Agricola, with no criticism permitted. And we segue to the present Agricola violence – trapping thousands of schoolchildren and workers, after the policemen accused of killing the Agricola youth were already charged with murder. The politicians told the people of Agricola that Luncheon had directed his ‘rumble’ challenge at them and not at their cohorts who had issued a ’48-hour’ ultimatum to the government. And the youths continue to be misled. The more things change, the more they remain the same. My children’s bus managed to return to the Stabroek Stelling by 6:30 and I collected them (unscathed) at Vreed-en-hoop around 7pm. Many were not so lucky.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
Book Review: Accountability book challenges Guyana govt. By Dr Glenville Ashby glenvilleashby@gmail.com The highly anticipated new book, “Improving Public Accountability: The Guyana Experience, 1985 2007,” by Dr Swatantra Anand Goolsarran, portrays an anemic Guyanese society wrought with bureaucratic largess, corruption, and public mistrust. This meticulously researched and measured undertaking - shaped by his doctoral dissertation explains its strong academic leaning. It is exploratory, but concise, as it confronts a national scourge that is global in scope. The author is deliberative, defining almost laboriously, the constitution of public accountability. He details the requisites of financial management at a governmental level, defines short and long term objectives, and delves into operational planning. He touts the essentiality of the legislative audit (also called
Dr Goolsarran signing one of his books
the Supreme Audit Institution), which “carries out ex post evaluations of
financial transactions and the performance of government entities against established
norms, highlights deviations, and makes recommendations for improvement of performance.” He is thorough, traversing the most innovative systems (especially in the UK), that improve governmental efficiency and productivity. He explores traditional budgeting methods - their strengths and weakness, and how they compare against newer models. Textually, this is an exhaustive exercise in organisational management. But does it resonate beyond pedantry? Does Dr Goolsarran reach every crevice of Guyana’s society? An overly collegiate approach is risky business (no pun intended). But Dr Goolsarran avoids the dryness, the highly specialised academic dribble. At the right juncture, he deftly changes gears effortlessly - as he marches through the historical and political imbroglio that has blighted Guyana. “Accountability,” ever so often, emerges from sterility, and engages readers who may be enthralled by the complexities of Caribbean political history. From the vaunted and enviable status of “Breadbasket of the Caribbean,” from the 1950s to the early ’70s, Guyana, he argues, devolved into a d y s f u n c t i o n a l society, marked by a moribund public sector, under the stewardship of Forbes Burnham, and (to a lesser degree) Desmond Hoyte. Here, naked politics if only for a moment - takes
center stage, unearthing an indelibly painful past. “Burnham left a highly demoralized, politicized public service, depleted skills as many Guyanese left for overseas or the private sector...tight control of the media... a culture of nonaccountability at almost all level of government; and an ineffective legislative audit,” the author asserts.. Throughout, the media is noted for its importance in ensuring a responsible society. Dr Goolsarran quotes the renowned E.L.Normanton: “The ultimate purpose of public accountability is to provide information. Those who would restrict the flow of information about the activities of bodies which spend public money and executive decisions are following an authoritarian line...” The underbelly of this seminal work is the eradication of corruption and cronyism - perennial social problems. He cites the Corruption Perception Index which annually tracts the level of corruption in over a hundred countries. Guyana predictably fairs unfavorably. Regrettably, in the past, politicians, fearing incrimination, have compromised the effectiveness of integrity commissions. The author remains true to his business management forte, with little mention of Guyana’s sociological problems, viz., an uneasy pluralism that has always betrayed nationalism. He traces the post 1991 challenges faced by the Audit Office of Guyana, the Public Accounts Committee, and the
Public Procurement Commission that sought to restore public confidence. In the end, though, change has been slow, cosmetic. Of the future of his native land, Dr Goolsarran establishes a template for transparency, accountability, and good governance that includes: the improvement of financial reporting and audits; the appointment of an auditor general; establishing a time frame for issuing Treasury Memorandum; appointing and redefining the role of the Ombudsman “as an institution, sui generis” (emphasis mine); combating corruption in government with an Integrity Commission composed of competent, independent professionals; and the enactment of a whistle-blower protection policy to protect individuals who report cases of mismanagement, fraud and corruption. “Improving Public Accountability” scores on multiple levels - offering a discursive but poignant discourse on a subject that ripples globally. For the most part, the author has identified Guyana’s nagging problems, and has offered lucid and resounding solutions to bolster economic opportunities and the democratic process. That they would be heeded with exigency is anyone’s guess. Dr Glenville Ashby, literary critic - Caribbean Book Review Improving Public Accountability: The Guyana Experience 1985 -2007 by Dr Swatantra Anand Goolsarran Ratings: *****: Highly Recommended
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 45
== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==
THE DAY I DIDN’T LISTEN TO MY WIFE AND GOT BADLY BURNT The most educated, astute and mature person can get conned, especially if your persuader is psychologically good in what he/she does. I have told countless persons to be careful with PPP leaders, especially Mrs. Jagan, because you can easily get sucked in to their traditional sad stories which devastate your psyche and the next thing you know, you are a fanatical supporter. I told David Dabydeen that he was a victim of this type of Jaganite psychology. We will come to the November 2011 election campaign relation between Joey Jagan and Donald Ramotar in a moment but first, a few notes on big and bad Freddie Kissoon. I grew up in south Georgetown, in poverty in Wortmanville. In such circumstances, you think that your hard upbringing prepares you for a profound understanding of life. You feel that no one can con you and it is virtually impossible for white-collar yuppies and the wealthy ones to outsmart you. Well even the most mentally assured among us can get deceived with eyes wide open. About eighteen months ago, Mark Benschop and I were having lunch in a restaurant that specializes in all types of local fruit juices. The owner came up, explained that the fruits are also made into ice cream. He gave me and Mark each, half pint of soursop ice cream. Mark gave me his because he wasn’t going home. I went home and “lash” down both cups. From that moment, this was the place for me. Since that day, I went weekly and bought fruit ice cream from this place. One day, I put a spoon of golden apple ice cream in my wife’s mouth in the kitchen. She looked perplexed, and refused more. You see my wife has a degree in chemistry specializing in food technology and once worked in a Guyanese company that manufactured ice cream, popsicles and fruit juices. My wife’s point was that it could not have been actual fruit
because the texture of the cream would have been less smooth. Then my wife hit the roof when I bought awaara ice cream from this same outfit. My wife was laughing and said to me, “You fool, there is no way you can strip awaarra to get that much of fruit to make ice cream.” She also rebuked me for believing that golden apple can produce that much flesh to make ice cream. My wife’s conclusion was that the maker was using imported essence. I refused to see the light. My wife brought on board my daughter who would throw away the cream each time I brought it, telling me it has too much calories and cholesterol. For eighteen months I was eating ice cream made out of fruit concentrate and thought it was real local stuff, and ignored the fun my wife was making of me. I did this for eighteen months even though one day I became suspicious when I asked for awaara ice cream. There wasn’t any. Then right in front of me the owner ordered a bag of awaara by phone. I did say to myself there and then how can the awaara fruit be made into ice cream? Then another day, I asked a question that no one over the counter could answer. My favourite fruit is guava. Each time I made my ice cream purchase I would ask for guava ice cream only to be told they don’t have. Yet guava juice is offered every day at this eating joint. Last week, I eventually got the courage to admit that I was conned for eighteen months. I walked into the restaurant and asked if there was guava juice. They said yes they have it along with a wide assortment of fruit juices. I then exclaimed, “How come you have all these type of fruit juices and you always have guava juice but never guava ice cream? Why mango, banana, golden apple, awaara, water melon ice cream, but never guava?” None of the attendants could answer. Not one attendant
NGRC to host race meet at Bath Settlement The National Grasstrack Racing Club (NGRC) is set to host race 4 in its ongoing motorcycle grass-track series for 2012 at the Bath Settlement Ground on the October 28, 2012. This race meet is yet another by the group which has taken on the challenge of taking Grasstrack Racing to all parts of Guyana. The previous race was held at Essequibo and so far all the top riders have already confirmed that they will be in action at Bath Settlement. Up for grabs for the (Continued on page 47)
attempted an explanation. My wife was right. The ice cream is made from fruit concentrate and not actual fruits. The owner does not get the guava essence. Hence, no guava ice cream, even though guavas are all over Guyana, including two trees in my yard. When the father of Kaieteur News staffer, Osafo King, comes to my home, he always goes to the guava trees to pick the fruit. If you are prepared to
irrationally believe in someone or an organization or a concept, you are going to become a helpless victim of deception. You will be fooled. Mrs. Jagan used that tool exceptionally well. Her main weapon was to tell you that the opposition is genetically opposed to the PPP ever ruling Guyana and will never stop until the PPP is removed. Joey Jagan was no doubt persuaded by Donald
Ramotar to campaign for the PPP because the “wolves” out there just want power for power sake. My advice to persons who are “green” and get into dialogue with PPP leaders is to ask about the recent converts and where they get the money to put up those mansions with swimming pools. There is one on the West Coast where the pool room is more resplendent than middle class houses. Then
Frederick Kissoon there is the extraordinary swimming pool in the yard of a party boy near Montrose who when he built it, he was just a Permanent Secretary. Whey he get dah money from?
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
PPP Governments moved away from Jagan’s vision and commitments At the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders held in Cuba, 27 August to 7 September 1990, it was recognised that law enforcement is critical to a well functioning society and that law enforcement officers must be guided by the principles as guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reaffirmed in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Speaking at the United Nations Plenary debate on the 45th Anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1993, Ambassador at Large Janet Jagan said, “They knew that human rights and peace were indivisible and that in order to safeguard these rights it was essential to have universal principles of lasting validity. Yet four decades and five years later, violations of human rights continue to weigh upon the conscience of humanity and the United Nations. Day after day, without a ceasing moment, in many parts of the world, flagrant abuses are committed. The record of human rights in our time is besmirched by summary executions, arbitrary arrests, disappearances and torture, the killing of defenceless demonstrators and detention for reasons of belief or conscience.” She added, “Guyana cannot remain
indifferent to such outrages against the most fundamental concepts of justice and human dignity. These are attacks against each and every one of us. We cannot waiver in our solidarity nor give way in our struggle to ensure the freedom and dignity of our fellow man. Human rights can only be guaranteed when they help shape and are interwoven into the legal fabric and political practices of our society. Guyana is proud since the election of its new Government in October 1992 to have affirmed by its quick action, its unswerving commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights.” The meaning of those words said by Mrs. Jagan died with her. As recent events, especially where the Guyana Police Force was involved, clearly show Guyana’s violation of these basic human rights. The UN Congress, in Cuba in 1990, agreed on some basic principles to assist Member States in their task of ensuring and promoting the proper role of law enforcement officials. The AFC with some abridgement restates some important ones here. We beseech our officers to pay heed to them. GENERAL PROVISIONS “2. Governments and law enforcement agencies should develop a range of means as
Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club $7M race meet set for Sunday November 18 The Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club and Sports Facilities have started preparations for their annual one day horserace meet which is set for Sunday November 18 at the Club’s track, Alness Corentyne Berbice. The organizers have promised to make the meet one with a difference with a number of new features. They have already put together a massive $7M in cash, trophies and other prizes which will be up for grabs. Eight events are listed on the day’s cards. The days programme has
a number of feature events on its card. With events for B class, E class, Three year old and two year old horses and G class horses being the main draw card. The B class event will once again be the feature event with a $700,000 first prize tag and trophy available compliments of Banks DIH Limited over 1700M. The other races on the day are - The 3yrs old race for West Indies Bred horses, a 1400M gallop and has $350,000 for the first prize and trophy on offer for the winner,
the E and lower race also has a first prize tag of $350,000 and trophy over 1500M, The Two Year old race for West Indies Bred Horses has a winning purse is $300,000 over 1200M. The G and lower even has a winners money of $250,000 also over 1200M. The H and Lower race will see the animals galloping over 1100M for a winning take of $200,000. The ‘I2’ event has pole position winnings of $150,000 and is a 1200M race. The final race for the day is for animals classified J&K (Continued on page 47)
broad as possible and equip law enforcement officials with various types of weapons and ammunition that would allow for a differentiated use of force and firearms. These should include the development of non-lethal incapacitating weapons for use in appropriate situations, with a view to increasingly restraining the application of means capable of causing death or injury to persons… 4. Law enforcement officials, in carrying out their duty, shall, as far as possible, apply non-violent means before resorting to the use of force and firearms. They may use force and firearms only if other means remain ineffective or without any promise of achieving the intended result. 5. Whenever the lawful use of force and firearms is unavoidable, law enforcement officials shall: (a) Exercise restraint in such use and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offence and the legitimate objective to be achieved; (b) Minimize damage and injury, and respect and preserve human life; (c) Ensure that assistance and medical aid are rendered to any injured or affected persons at the earliest possible moment; (d) Ensure that relatives or close friends of the injured or affected person are notified at the earliest possible moment. 6. Where injury or death is caused by the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials, they shall report the incident promptly to their superiors, in accordance with principle 22. 7. Governments shall ensure that arbitrary or abusive use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials is punished as a criminal offence under their law. 8. Exceptional circumstances such as internal political instability or any other public emergency may not be invoked to justify any departure from these basic principles. SPECIAL PROVISIONS 9. Law enforcement officials shall not use firearms against persons except in self-defence or defence of others against the imminent threat of death or serious injury, to prevent the perpetration of a particularly serious crime involving grave threat to life, to arrest a person presenting such a danger and resisting their authority, or to prevent his or her escape, and only when less extreme means are insufficient to achieve these objectives. In any event,
intentional lethal use of firearms may only be made when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life. 10. Law enforcement officials shall identify themselves as such and give a clear warning of their intent to use firearms, with sufficient time for the warning to be observed, unless to do so would unduly place the law enforcement officials at risk or would create a risk of death or serious harm to other persons, or would be clearly inappropriate or pointless in the circumstances of the incident. 11. Rules and regulations on the use of firearms by law enforcement officials should include guidelines that: (a) Specify the circumstances under which law enforcement officials are authorized to carry firearms and prescribe the types of firearms and ammunition permitted; (b) Ensure that firearms are used only in appropriate circumstances and in a manner likely to decrease the risk of unnecessary harm; (c) Prohibit the use of those firearms and ammunition that cause unwarranted injury or present an unwarranted risk; (d) Regulate the control, storage and issuing of firearms, including procedures for ensuring that law enforcement officials are accountable for the firearms and ammunition issued to them; (e) Provide for warnings to be given, if appropriate, when firearms are to be discharged; (f) Provide for a system of reporting whenever law enforcement officials use firearms in the performance of their duty. QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING AND COUNSELLING 18. Governments and law enforcement agencies shall ensure that all law enforcement officials are selected by proper screening procedures, have appropriate moral, psychological and physical qualities for the effective exercise of their functions and receive continuous and thorough professional training. Their continued fitness to perform these functions should be subject to periodic review. 19. Governments and law enforcement agencies shall ensure that all law enforcement officials are provided with training and are tested in accordance with appropriate proficiency standards in the use of force. Those law enforcement officials who are required to carry firearms should be authorized to do so only upon completion of special training in their use.
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
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MY COLUMN
Something has been exposed This past week was exciting to the point that I saw people hurrying home, keen to avoid being outside their homes after dark. It had been some time since people had to contend with gunmen going into public places and killing people in broad daylight. Those things happened when Buxton was said to be the haven for gunmen attracted by the group that had broken out of the Camp Street jail. And to make the situation even more chaotic was the death of a lawyer who represented Ricardo Rodrigues whenever the police displayed an interest in Rodrigues. People believed that the same people who killed Rodrigues ran the lawyer, Vic Puran, off the road and that belief still holds among many people. People are once more talking about criminals and gunmen, but there is another group who just manage to stay under the radar. These are the white collar criminals who are not usually prosecuted in Guyana. These criminals are the ones who filch from the public treasury or from places that are open to fraudulent practices, such as banks and insurance companies. Then there are those who try to fleece the government by submitting inflated bids. And this can happen, because there is no procurement commission to review some of the prices submitted by the bidder. One case is currently engaging the attention of the media and it involves the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation. The government advertised for anti-malaria drugs, and of course, a bidder has the right to set his prices.
In this case the prices submitted by this company appeared to be excessively high. Indeed the bidder may be quoting the prices from his supplier. It is here that the National Procurement Commission would have been involved. In these days when anything could be found on the internet, it would not be difficult to check the prices. I did and I found that the drugs are remarkably cheap if they are to be had from certain suppliers. I checked the prices for drugs like artemeter, artesunate, chloroquine, mefloquine, primaquine and some others. It is not my intention to influence the tender board, because I am sure that the people evaluating the bids know what they have to do. Most of the drugs cost between 10 US cents and one US cent each. I did the Maths and I made my conclusion. For the record, the prices could be obtained at a site called the International Drug Price Indicator. Interestingly enough, when I visited the site I expected to see marijuana and cocaine. That would have given me an insight into the reason why people get so rich when they deal in illegal drugs. However, the focus is on monies paid by the government. I pay my taxes and there are many things that I would like to see in my country. Last week I had cause to mention the brief stay I had in the Falklands, because I saw how people made use of their money. Perhaps, I should say, I saw how the government there spends money. I know that I have had cause to query some of
NGRC to host race... From page 45 overall winner this season will be a brand new 2012 Racing Bike and the race for this prize is expected to be fierce with just two more races to the end of the season. In the reckoning are Peter Tulsi, Aassie Barry, Andy Rajkaran, Junior DaSilva and Andrew Wong.
Some 10 races are carded for Bath Settlement with acceleration time set for 12:00hrs. All dirt bike racing fans are being urged to be present to witness some dare devil racing by Guyana’s best riders. There will also be a kids section with bouncy house and other games for their enjoyment.
Ryan Crawford... From page 46 (Division 1 and 2,) over 1200M with the winners set to collect $150,000 Race time is 13:00hrs. Outstanding individual performers including top Jockey, trainer and stable will be presented with accolades compliments of the Trophy Stall, Bourda Market and the Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club. Entries close on
Sunday November 11 and interested persons and horse owners can make contact with the club’s office at Number 13 Hermitage East Coast Berbice (19 Road) also Bobby Vaughn can be contacted on telephone number 624-6788 or Larissa Mohabir on numbers 333-0290 or 3330301. Doctor Dwight Walrond on Telephone numbers 6230100 or 220-6557.
the bids for certain projects. When ‘Fip’ Motilall was given the contract for the hydro road, I examined the cost, and found that by no stretch of imagination could Motilall complete that project for that sum. But I also saw other projects that appeared to be enormously priced. One of them was the One Laptop Per Family computers. To this day I still believe that the computers cost way too much, almost twice as much as they should cost. I went to a press
conference and I told the moderator, Manzoor Nadir, that I had gone into a computer store and I had seen netbooks for just over US$100. The netbook is a computer with no hard drive. All it can do is to allow for internet use. I saw tenders for back dam roads and I blinked. The prices were certainly inflated, but the government could do nothing but go to the bidder with a bid that was not too far off. I also have come to the conclusion that there are people who advise the bidders because
I am convinced that corruption stalks the halls of the tender board. In the case of this tender for the anti-malaria drugs, the nation was able to see the huge variance in the bids because another supplier submitted a bid that was oneninth the size of the one submitted by New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation. All I can wonder is what actually happens when there is sole sourcing. If this was a sole sourced supply then to my mind the government would have been paying a lot of money. In this case,
Adam Harris because the money was coming from an international source, the government was forced to go to public tender. And in doing so it has exposed a lot. Further I say not.
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Kaieteur News
SUNDAY SPECIAL AUDIT REPORT RECOMMENDS DISMISSAL OF SENIOR NDIA OFFICIALS An audit report on the operations of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has recommended the immediate dismissal of two senior officials, after several instances of fraud and conflict of interest were unearthed. The report on fuel consumption and equipment operations and maintenance, was conducted between May and September. It was completed and submitted to the Chairman of the NDIA Board of Directors on September 26, and carbon copied to President Donald Ramotar. The report concluded that fraudulent acts were committed, in breach of the Procurement Act 2003. It speaks of conflict of interest and sole sourcing of services such as the supply of fuel and the awarding of contracts to relations of senior NDIA operatives, in breach of national procurement procedures. MAN JUMPS TO DEATH FROM HOSPITAL WINDOW A 35-year-old man jumped to his death around 20:00 hours two Fridays ago from the second-flat Male Medical Ward of the West Demerara Regional Hospital to the ground below. This newspaper learnt that Vishal Ramotar, a patient at the hospital for almost two weeks, was suffering from chronic renal failure and was always complaining of excruciating pains. According to one patient, the resident of Hubu, East Bank Essequibo,
was being his usual self shortly before climbing to the northern window rail of the Male Medical Ward. The patient recalled that as soon as efforts were made to draw the attention of a nurse Ramotar leapt through the window. MONDAY EDITION ANOTHER WOMAN KNIFED TO DEATH
after suffering constant physical abuse during the period she lived with him. One of the dead woman’s sons Joshua Barton told this newspaper that his mother and his two siblings were sitting in the living room of the house when the door burst open and the suspect barged in. He claimed that he had come to uplift his bag and proceeded to hurl verbal abuses at Bowen, resulting in a heated argument between the two. POPULAR MIDWIFE CRUSHED TO DEATH BY SPEEDING TRUCK
Dead: Allison Bowen Another woman was knifed to death last week Sunday night. Forty-twoyear-old Allison Bowen, a mother of three, was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown hospital, minutes after collapsing in a pool of blood from the repeated stabs inflicted by her reputed husband. The incident occurred just before 23:00 hours not far from Bowen’s Goeverwagting, East Coast Demerara home and in the full view of her two young sons. Her sister, Nicole King was also stabbed to her chest when she intervened to protect her sister from the incensed man. This newspaper understands that Bowen had ended her relationship with the suspect earlier Sunday
Sunday October 21, 2012
Dead: Vivienne Abrams A well known retired midwife from Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara, became the country’s latest road fatality after she was crushed by a truck driven by a drunken driver last week Sunday. Fiftynine year-old Vivienne Abrams died on her way to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation after she was picked up in an unconscious condition. She was reportedly struck down when the driver of the truck, GHH 5153, overtook another truck along the railway
One police vehicle that was used to extract items that would have been used to block off the roadway.
embankment in the vicinity of Strathspey. TUESDAY EDITION RICARDO RODRIGUES DIES IN HAIL OF BULLETS The execution-style killing of Ricardo Rodrigues, a well known associate of convicted drug dealer Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan, sent shockwaves through the city and its environs. Rodrigues was riddled with bullets as he sat at a table in the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club compound on Albert Street around 15:00 hours Monday. His body bore wounds to the head, chest, hands and leg inflicted by a highpowered weapon. From all indications he died instantly. Three other persons who were at the club at the time were injured as the gunmen sprayed bullets indiscriminately. POLICE QUELL BUDDING AGRICOLA PROTEST With doors shut and houses locked, and a strong police presence on the road, Agricola was once again the focus of attention last Monday afternoon. But the planned protest was stymied in Agricola, East Bank Demerara. The police acted quickly and averted any chance of the protest reaching the alarming proportions it did the previous Thursday.
Minutes later, police were seen extracting items that were intended to block the free flow of traffic on the road. These items included tyres, lumber, cut trees, and heavy metal objects. However, in the vicinity of Houston, East Bank Demerara protestors pelted vehicles damaging some windscreens and even injuring one young lad. A vehicle also reportedly received a gunshot to the rear windscreen in Agricola. The Opposition has been calling for Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee’s resignation following the execution of an Agricola youth, Shaquille Grant, for which ranks of the Guyana Police Force have been charged. WEDNESDAY EDITION FORTY-ONE AK-47 SPENT SHELLS RECOVERED AT RODRIGUES KILLING SCENE Investigators have recovered 41 spent AK-47 shells from the scene of the execution-style killing of Ricardo Rodrigues called ‘Fat Man’ on Monday last. The recovery of so many spent shells reflects the intensity of the brazen attack which also resulted in the wounding of three other persons. Rodrigues was riddled with bullets, which mutilated several parts of his body, killing him instantly. Investigators are convinced that the former
right-hand man of convicted drug kingpin Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan was the sole target of the attack which took place in the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club compound on Albert Street. Eyewitnesses recalled seeing two men dressed in black, firing repeatedly at Rodrigues who was sitting at a table outside the club’s Pit Stop Restaurant and Bar. The men had also fired shots at three other persons who were nearby. PROMINENT LAWYER VIC PURAN DIES INACCIDENT Prominent Lawyer Vicramadictya ‘Vic’ Puran was found dead in his Toyota Tundra at about 06:45 hours Tuesday at Esau and Jacob, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara. Puran’s vehicle was spotted, partly submerged in a canal, by a farmer who was making his way to his farmlands. Puran reportedly lost control of his vehicle and ended up in the trench sometime between 18:00 and 19:00 hours on Monday. The lawyer was pulled from his vehicle in a crouching position (Rigor Mortis had already set in) with all of his valuables intact. THURSDAY EDITION TWO COPS FOUND DEAD AT PARAMAKATOI A police search team was (Continued on page 37)
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
that report will be revealed when the Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman, lays it in Parliament.
Dead: Marlon Letlow
Dead: Leedon Aaron
From page 28 up to late Wednesday night trying to recover the bodies of two colleagues who were killed in the mountainous Region Eight. The dead cops, Constable Marlon Letlow and Leadon Aaron, 25, had left their location, the Kato Police Station, on an all- terrain vehicle since Sunday last for a routine patrol but never returned. According to reports, the bodies were discovered hours after their ATV was spotted with its headlamps on in Paramakatoi, North Pakaraimas on Wednesday. Information reaching this newspaper stated that the ATV was seen at the bottom of a cliff, while the bodies were spotted a few yards away.
the field audit report, he is highly interested in it. Sharma is waiting on the Chairman of NDIA Board to send a copy to his office for investigations to commence. Currently, the Auditor General’s office is treating reports in the Kaieteur News over the weekend as allegations. Under the laws, the Auditor General and his office, an independent body, can descend without notice on state agencies and carry out checks. However, there have been criticisms whether the office has really been fulfilling its mandate. According to Sharma, he will have to investigate the claims in the report because the Ministry of Agriculture is one of the entities the Auditor General’s office is responsible for. He explained that field audit reports submitted to the Audit Committee of NDIA Board are sent to the Auditor General. Sharma was unable to reveal if the Auditor General’s office discovered any discrepancies in the operations of NDIA whilst compiling the 2011 Auditor General Report. He said that the details of
AUDITOR GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE NDIA FRAUDALLEGATIONS A leaked audit report that recommended the firing of two senior NDIA officials, has the attention of Auditor General (ag), Deodat Sharma. The state auditor, responding to questions Wednesday, said that while he has not received a copy of
FRIDAY EDITION GOVT TO RENDER OPPOSITION ONE-SEAT MAJORITY USELESS – CABINET SECRETARY The laws of Guyana are so designed to ensure that the President of the Republic is entitled to assent to legislation before they can become law. This state of affairs was amplified Thursday by Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, as he sought to indicate that the parliamentary opposition’s one-seat could verily be of no effect when parliamentary sessions resume on Monday. Speaking at his weekly press briefing, Dr. Luncheon expressed his expectation that the occasion would present an opportunity for the prevailing opposition rhetoric to be constructively addressed, even as he noted that the current situation is filled with increasing uncertainty. The situation is further compounded, according to Dr. Luncheon, since Speaker of the House, Raphael Trotman, continues to ignore sound advice from experienced current and former parliamentarians, and recognised authoritative sources. The Cabinet Secretary stated, too, that items on the Order Paper slated for the resumption of parliament attest to the Speaker’s indulgence of the opposition and his accommodation with the opposition strategies. GOVT.DELIBERATELY STALLED IMPLEMENTATIONOF PROCUREMENT COMMISSION -AFC The Alliance For Change (AFC) Thursday reiterated its
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call for the implementation of a Public Procurement Commission (PPC) and said that the government has deliberately stalled that body’s realization so that it can continue to steal. The party’s leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, said that the installation of such a commission, which is crucial to preventing corruption, is way overdue. Ramjattan opined that the government is delaying the installation so that it can prolong “lawlessness” thus securing the opportunity to misappropriate. He said that the law to facilitate the implementation of the commission has been passed since 2003 and the position of the AFC has always been for this to be done. Ramjattan said that his party is demanding that the government name its people to be appointed members of the commission. “We have already named our two: Christopher Ram and Anand Goolsarran.” He noted that the administration is still to name its representatives. SATURDAY EDITION HOUSE SPEAKER WARNS LUNCHEON NOT TO PROVOKE A
CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS Ahead of Monday’s reconvening of Parliament after a recess, battle lines have been drawn, with the House Speaker Raphael Trotman yesterday warning President Donald Ramotar that he could be in gross dereliction of his constitutional duty for not approving Bills that have been passed by the National Assembly. Trotman’s sharp response came one day after Dr. Roger Luncheon, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, made it clear that Government was not happy with how the National Assembly is being run and that President Ramotar could very well not assent to any Bills passed by the National Assembly that do not find favour with the government. However, the Speaker, a former leader of the opposition party, Alliance For Change, and who is now heading a House that for the first time in 20 years does not have a government majority, hit back saying that he will not be baited. This latest development would signal a growing divide between Government and the
opposition which combined has a one-seat majority in the National Assembly. According to the Speaker, in a statement from his office, the dignity of the National Assembly will be maintained and it will continue to function as the legislative arm of the State. “The Office of the President is cautioned not to provoke a constitutional crisis as there is no winner in such a scenario, but rather, to respect and recognise the reality, authority and legitimacy of the tenth Parliament.” Trotman, a lawyer, believed that there are obvious attempts to hinder the ability of the Parliament to be successful. “The people expect that both the Office of the President and the National Assembly will put Guyana first and work together for unity and development. If the President chooses not to assent to Bills duly passed by a majority of the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana, without good and substantial reasons for doing so, then he can be considered to be in gross dereliction of his constitutional duty.”
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
The Abigail Column DTV CHANNEL 8 09:25hrs. Sign On 09:30hrs. Turning Point 10:00hrs. Kickin’ It 10:30hrs. Lab Rats 11:00hrs. The Ultimate SpiderMan 12:00hrs. Movie: Cries in the Dark 14:00hrs. Movie: Stranger at the Door 16:00hrs. Movie: The Perfect Student 18:00hrs. Catholic Magazine (Faith in Action) 18:30hrs. Know Your Bible 19:00hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:00hrs. Once Upon a Time (New Episode) 21:00hrs. The Good Wife (New Episode)
22:00hrs. The Mentalist (New Episode) 23:00hrs. Sign Off NTN CHANNEL 18/ CABLE 69 05:00h - Sign on with the Mahamrtunjaya Mantra 05:00h - Timehri Maha Kali Shakti Devi Mandir Presents Saraswati Bhajans 05:15h - Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital Inc Presents Saraswati Bhajans 05:30h - Queenstown Masjid Presents Quran This Morning 06:00h - R. Gossai General Store Presents Saraswati Bhajans 06:15h - Jettoo’s Lumber Yard Presents Saraswati Bhajans 06:30h - Muneshwar Limited
Presents Saraswati Bhajans 06:45h - Double Standard Taxi Presents Saraswati Bhajans 07:00h - Ramroop’s Furniture Store Presents Religious Teachings 07:30h - The Family of The Late Leila & David Persaud Presents Saraswati Bhajans 07:45h - Sankar Auto Works Presents Saraswati Bhajans 08:05h - Sa Re Ga Ma (Musical Notes) A Live Call-In Program 09:30h - Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2012 10:30h - Sunday Morning Fiesta with Angelica 11:30h - Guyana’s Entertainers Platform 12:00h - Hinduism in a changing world presented by Pt. Ravi 12:30h - LET’S TALK with LAKSHMEE 13:00h - Navratri - Jai Maa Durga (D8) (Serial) (Eng: Sub:) (Episode 29 - 32) 16:00h - Teaching of Islam 16:30h - Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2012 17:30h - Ganesh Parts Presents - BHAGAVAD GITA ( Discourses in English) Serial 17:45h - Birthday Greetings / Death Announcement & In Memoriam 18:00h - Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2012 18:30h - Caribbean Comedy Digest 19:00h - Geet Gaata Chal Live with Joel 20:00h - Indian Soap - Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke 20:30h - Indian Soap - Rab Se Sohna Isshq 21:00h - Indian Soap - Pavitra Rishta 21:30h - Indian Soap:- Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuyien 22:00h - Indian Soap:- Punar Viivaah 22:30h - Sign Off with the GAYATRI MANTRA
Make unsexy details a part of your fantasy DEARABIGAIL, I’ve become infatuated with a co-worker. Our interactions have been strictly professional and friendly, but I’ve noticed his many appealing qualities as well. At first I thought it was a harmless crush, but it’s been several months and I can’t
stop fantasizing about him. My marriage is generally happy, and I feel incredibly guilty due to all these thoughts about my co-worker. So how can I stop thinking about someone I see nearly every day? Mixed-up Dear Mixed-up, We have two common properties of the healthy mind: It’s easily distracted by the unusual and easily numbed to
the ordinary. Absolutely, remain guarded and strictly professional with this colleague. At the same time, in your mind only, accept this inconvenient attraction. Make it a routine, and zero in on unsexy details. The more they track with his real personality/ mannerisms, the better. Indulge the (un)fantasy until your mind rolls its eyes and wanders somewhere else.
Sunday October 21, 2012 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): You need to slow down today -- don't come to a full stop, but you should take your foot off the gas! You are in danger of getting a speeding ticket from the person you're closest to in life. ****************** TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): You will be rolling of the right side of the bed this morning! It is as if you have been shot out of a cannon, you'll be so full of energy that you could cause some damage if you don't have a plan on where you want to land. ******************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): A recent conversation has got you thinking hard about tough issues about where you want your life to go next. To sort through things more clearly, ask yourself whether or not you're interested in making one big change or a few small ones. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): All of those problems you were having at work over the past few weeks are behind you today, and it is time for you to make a fresh start! The politics people were playing was unpleasant, but you no longer need to be a part of it. ******************** LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): You've been taking better care of yourself lately, and are already enjoying some positive signs of the work you've accomplished. Be aware that some of the people in your life might be touchy about the transformation you're making. ********************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22): Like a struggling flower pushing up through the dirt, your sense of responsibility has been growing slowly but steadily. Specifically, there is an underappreciated project or resource that you feel you can transform into something magi-
cal -- and you're right. So get out there and start making it happen. ********************** LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): It's time for you to go exploring places that are foreign to you -- and you can start with your right brain today! Facts and figures offer objective information, but visual art, music and even your own dreams offer new ideas that help flesh things out and make them more exciting. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): There is a new relationship that's been forming in your life, and it's going to start taking you in some very interesting directions today. ********************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): If you are put on the spot today, try not to act out of character and do something without thinking. ***************** CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): Alas, every day cannot be a great day -- like today. The next twenty four hours might be a bit trying, especially if you are attempting to finish up a big project. *********************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18): Whether the choice is centered around who to ask out on a date, where to go for lunch, what classes you should take, or even which color shirt to buy, you will have a tough time narrowing down your options. *************** PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20): Each and every obstacle you encounter today is there for a reason, and you need to take time today to understand why it could be there -- because that will tell you what you need to learn to overcome it. If you ask the right people, the answer will be easy to come by. So get talking!
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
Father and son duo could provide formidable challenge for rest of C/bean They are no strangers to the South Dakota Circuit and when the father and son combination of Doug and Mark Maloney descend in Guyana to participate in the final leg of the Caribbean Motor racing Championship on November 11 every fan of the sport could feel assured that the duo will present a formidable challenge to all the drivers that take to the grid. The two have been a constant feature at all three circuits across the Caribbean and have generally produced consistent performances against the best drivers in the region. It is likely that they will be joined by reigning champion and fellow Barbadian Roger Mayers in his Ford Focus and he has already shown what a handful he could be after dominating the second leg in his hometown, winning all three races in the Series. Guyana’s own Mark Vieira, Andrew King, Kevin Jeffrey, Vishok Persaud and Mark Vieira will have the
responsibility to repel the challenge of the Bajans and Jamaicans, especially in their own backyard. Last year, Barbados became the first territory to win both the Driver and Country titles in the same year since joining Guyana and Jamaica in the competition in 2008, and also the first to win the Country title twice - after Jamaica’s triumph in 2008, Barbados claimed the title in 2009, then Guyana in 2010. Currently, Jamaica leads the points standing with 113 points followed by Barbados on 64, Cayman Islands lies
third on 26 and Guyana in the cellar on 21. Summerbell, driving a Mitsubishi Evolution 8, Peter Rae in the Mazda RX7, Andre Anderson in the Mitsubishi Mivic and Sebastian Rae in the Mirage, gave Jamaica a substantial lead after the Barbados leg and they are expected to lead the charge for ‘Reggae Land’. In the battle for individual supremacy, Summerbell, after copping a second and two third place finishes in Barbados, maintains his lead in the drivers’ Championship after six races, with 50 points.
Convicted Prisoners... From page 53 teams were also rewarded. Top individual performers were also awarded and they were Ryan Crandon for scoring the most goals, while Carlos Evans and Vincent Vandenberg were awarded for their outstanding performance in the play off
and the semifinals matches. The female encounter was played between a female A and B team. Female A came out victors 3-0. The winning A team received a trophy and three goal medals, while their losing B team got a trophy and three silver medals.
Page 51
KARIBEE KO CUP - FINAL...
Western Tigers face Rosignol @ GFC today The battle lines will be drawn this evening at the GFC Ground when the final of the Karibee Rice knock-out football competition comes off with a clash between the boys from the East against the lads from the city. It will be Berbice’ Rosignol United coming up against city side BK International Western Tigers in what is anticipated to be a keen contest between two sides that are also part of the Guyana Football Federation Super League Championship. Rosignol United earned the right to contest the most important game of the tournament following a close 10 win over fierce rivals and fellow Berbice side, Monedderlust FC on Friday at the Blairmont Community Centre Ground. The player with the golden boot of the game was National Under-20 player Olvis Mitchell who worked his way into the Monedderlust box and let off and unstoppable shot in the
Joel Singh
Olvis Mitchell
28th minute that eventually turned out to be the winner. The game produced some fierce exchanges with Monedderlust taking the charge to the Rosignol boys who absorbed the pressure admirably. Rosignol’s goalkeeper Joel Singh turned out to be another trump card for his side holding firm between the uprights. He brought off a brilliant save in the 80th minute to deny Monedderlust an equalizer. This evening’s first game
kicking off at 18:00hrs is a third place encounter between Pele and Monedderlust, another Georgetown / Berbice matchup that can very well set the tone for the remainder of the night. Except for Monedderlust, the other three teams will be using the matches as valuable practice ahead of the commencement of the GFF’s 2012/2013 Super League which will kick off next weekend with four (4) matches across Guyana. Kick off time this evening is 18:00hrs.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
“Winning is wonderful - What happens to the losers?” Colin E. H. Croft Marlon Samuels is one present West Indies player with whom I have good relationships. Chris Gayle and Tino Best are others. They are “old school” in this West Indies team! Younger players seem reluctant to communicate with former West Indies players – maybe it is just me - especially those who had had successful playing careers, or who would be honest about abilities. Professional sport is not for babies, so if you cannot take heat, leave the kitchen! Gayle is already 33, Samuels nearly 32, Best 31. They have been around a while, but they always have that same attitude that old heads had in the past; take no prisoners; always try to win, regardless! In passing, I was almost singular in calling for Samuels to be selected during that two year hiatus. Nothing has yet been proved negatively, and Marlon is still very angry. He damned well should be! Like Clive Lloyd’s and Viv Richards’ teams, Samuels, Gayle and Best are extremely tough boys, returning from quite tumultuous situations to play again. I maintain that professional sport is not a game! Thus, I was pleased to hear MS suggest, after West Indies won WT-
20 2012; that “when I go out on to the field, it is war!” Yes, he and Bob Marley came from Jamaica; ‘War; war…… rumors of war!’ Rahtid! But, while West Indies, Darren Sammy and team, Gayle and especially Samuels, who played such a crucial role in that final, were winning that final, I really had to spare a very sad thought for Sri Lanka. How do a country and representatives, its professional sports team, handle losing four finals in a row? Since 1994, when I ventured into Sports Journalism, Sri Lanka has always been the world’s best ambassadorial international cricketers, great respect and communications always emanating from them. I could never forget that, on arriving in Guyana at 02:00am one morning to start 2008’s West Indies series, after travelling for almost 30 hours, Mahela Jayawardene still insisted on giving a full interview to gathered press. They are always magnificent representatives of their very similar and beautiful country! Sri Lanka hosted ICC WT-20 2012. Expectations were extremely high, given their recent losing history! If Tino’s tweet is to be believed, at least two civilian Sri Lankans committed suicide after they lost
Colin E. H. Croft that final to West Indies. If anyone really thinks that sport is not taken seriously, then please do think again! Honestly, I would have much preferred Sri Lanka not to have been in that final at all, as I, like every other West Indian everywhere, surely hoped that West Indies would have won. That, though, would also have meant that Sri Lanka would be losers in another final; again! No sports
team, especially one as gracious as Sri Lanka’s senior cricket team, deserves that kind of pain! So, I am probably the only person who is not surprised that England’s Kevin Pietersen has been “reinstated” to England’s team to tour India next month. If you remember, I highlighted that as one of two bets that I made earlier this year, even as his Twitter snafu with his team-mates was evolving! In England earlier this year, I played benefit games with folks like former England fast bowler Devon Malcolm and his former team-mates Mark Ramprakash, Gladstone Small and former West Indies opener Gordon Greenidge. Those affairs are always fun, as much real tough-guy cricket is spoken there! After one such game, I bet the English contingent that Pietersen would eventually be selected for India. The wager was ‘a drink each!’ So, if I enforce payment and do collect, I could be seriously drunk! England can ill afford to go to India without its best batsman, regardless of his New Media escapades! The suggestion, last May, was that KP had “retired” from limited overs cricket, when he could not get his way to only play in T-20’s and not 50-overs games. He was not at
ICC WT-20 2012. England lost badly! In August, after making 149, v South Africa, KP adroitly suggested that his entire international career might be over, as he “could not give assurances that the next Test, (at Lords), would not be his last.” KP did not even play that Lords Test, but the writing was on the wall. England lost to South Africa; 2-0! Losing normally brings out desperation in combatants. After being destroyed by South Africa and not defending well at WT-20 2012, England now needs Kevin Pietersen more than ever. To think that he would not be picked for that Indian tour is heresy, even lunacy! England cannot take losing anymore! Anyway, what is that deafening silence I hear after Trinidad & Tobago’s ungainly exit from Champion Leagues 2012? According to Denesh Ramdin, that was bitter-sweet; being ICC WT-20 champions, followed by T&T’s ousting at the first hurdle in South Africa. What a thing! West Indies vice-captain Ramdin has another chance to personally redeem himself, with West Indies tour of Bangladesh, where West Indies must continue its winning ways. If Ramdin contributes substantially, he could be the winner, again, after losing! Enjoy!
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
Convicted Prisoners B win NA Prison football competition Convicted Prison B used the opportunity for some much need social activity to come out winners when the penal institution held a one day football competition for both convicted and remand prisoners incarcerated at the New Amsterdam prison. The competition which was played on a 3-a-side knock out basis was played in the prison yard. Eight teams participated in the competition which saw the games being played over 15 minutes each. There was one female game. The teams that participated were Convicted prisoners A, B and C, Remand prisoners A and B, while there were teams from Prisons A and B and an All Stars team. Results of the matches
played were as follows Game one saw remand A edging Convicted Prisoners A by 1-0 through a Stayon Benjamin goal. In game two Convicted B trashed Prison A by 5 goals to 1with Ryan Crandon 3 and Carlos Evans 2 being on target, while Mark Messiah scored a consolation goal for Prison A In the next game Remand B got the better of All Stars 2 goals to 1 with Clifton Ramsaran and Azmullan scoring for the winners and Nigel Brant netted for the losers. The final preliminary game saw Prison B beating convicts C 3 goals to 1. Vincent Vandenberg 2 and Timothy Sampson 1 scored for prison B, while TyroneAdams had one for Convicts C.
In the semifinal encounter that followed Convicted B edged past Remand A 1-0 in a closely fought contest with Ryan Crandon being the man on target. In the second semifinal Prison B also had to pull out all the stops to get past Remand B also 1-0 through a Vincent Vandenberg goal. In the final, Convicted B made light work of Prison B as they won 3-0 with Ryan Crandon 2, and a defence error accounting for their tally. In the presentation ceremony that followed Convicted B was presented with a trophy and three goal medals, while runner up Prisons B received a trophy and 3 silver medals. The other (Continued on page 51)
All Set for Norman Singh Memorial... From page 58 is a 1400M affair and the two year old Guyana race which goes over 1100M. The other events listed are the 3 yrs old Open -West Indies Bred race for a first prize of $500,000 and trophy. The 2 yrs old open –West Indies Bred 1200M gallop for a winning purse of $400,000 and trophy. There is the event for 2 yrs old Guyana Bred horses over 1100M for winning money of $300,000 and trophy. The E & Lower encounter is a 1200M affair for a first prize of $450,000and trophy. The event for G1 & Lower animals also a winning purse of $300,000and trophy. The I Class race will see the top
animals racing away with $150,000and trophy. There is also an event for unclassified Div. 1, 2 & 3 (J, K&L) animals for a winning take of $120,000 and trophy. Among the other top class field expected to be on show are Work Force, Fairy Landing, Majestic, Super Cat, Traditional Man, War Craft, Top of the Line and Captain Crook., RJ Express, Windy War, Settle in Seattle, Summer Classic, De Girls Dem Sugar, Peace and Love, Gabriel’s Gold, Bridle Stone Corner and Prado’s Gold. Kevin, Diplomat, Pick Pocket, Bounty Flyer, Windy Killer, MacGyver and Wonder Flower in the hunt, Black Water, Golden Reprise, Prixie
Fire, Little Tip Top, Mona Lisa, Royal Tim, Dream Boy, Princes Kiara, Red Cloud, Rosetta, Rock Sonia and Feels like Gold in action. will feature Party Time, This Cat d o n ’t p l a y, S h e ’s s o special, Silent Night, Lucky Gold, Black Warrior and Easy to win. The top individual performers including top Jockey and stable will receive accolades compliments of Trophy Stall, Bourda Market and the organisers. Apart from Jumbo Jet other major sponsors are Banks DIH and Digicel. Race Time is 12:00hrs. The race meet is being held under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority.
The tortuous road from... From page 54 the Hatton fight. “America is a land of many opportunities but one has to be smart and protect his/her interests otherwise cat eat your dinner,” declared the former world champion. He spoke of the wheeling and dealing behind the scenes, “Many promoters give the boxer a subsidiary contract to sign while he (the promoter) signs the big contract and extricates a big chunk. The boxers may also have to part with another portion from that subsidiary contract, paying one person twice and that is not right,” declared Harris. He could not suggest a way of circumventing such devious actions. Notwithstanding, Vivian says that given a chance, he would still chose to box, albeit with different approaches. “Problems are inevitable and
one must find a way to deal with them as they arise,” he said. “The answer is to acquaint oneself with knowledge; it is the source of power,” he advocates. Vivian has also developed much love and respect for his contemporaries; “Andrew (Lewis) opened the floodgates and other pugilists took advantage but I still think that much more could have been achieved had we attempted to acquaint ourselves with certain intricacies of the sport,” he said. Vivian further said that his decision to call it a day was arrived at after he held discussions with his wife and children as well as consultations with close friends and other stakeholders that have contributed to his career over the years. But what is his next move? “I know the temptation
to reenter the ring would be great,” he surmised, “but I will not be like preceding boxers who have overstayed their welcome.” Instead Vivian has started to compile the requisite details and the materials for a pictorial biography he hopes to publish soon. He is also toying with the idea of hosting a talk show on one of the television channels in New York. His parting advice to young boxers hoping to one day hit the limelight in the USA is simple, “Acquaint yourself with the intricacies of the sport; take nothing for granted and put aside some funds for the rainy days ahead.” It is similar advice to that he has received early in his career that has stood him in good stead and prepared him for those eventualities that he had taken for granted but has now come.
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CFU CARIBBEAN CUP...
‘Golden Jaguars’ oppose SVG with eye on Gold Cup Guyana’s ‘Golden Jaguars’, just off their historic FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 campaign will now turn attention to the Caribbean Football Union Caribbean Cup competition when Group 2 action kicks off in St. Lucia today with two matches. Featuring a number of junior players who were part of the Senior Programme since earlier this year, Guyana will tangle with St. Vincent & the Grenadines in the first game of the group from 17:00hrs, the main event brings together host nation St. Lucia and Curacao. The matches will take place at the Warner Park in Gros Islet, St. Lucia. T he winners from each of the five groups along with the runners-up from Groups 1-3 will advance to the second round. The best runner-up
from either Group 4 or Group 5 also will advance. The second round will comprise three groups of four teams with Grenada, Guadeloupe and Cuba seeded in one of the groups. The top two teams from each second-round group will advance to the finals December 3-16 in Antigua & Barbuda with the host nation and two-time defending champion Jamaica. Four teams will qualify for next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Guyana team comes from: Clive Nobrega, Kelvin Smith, Colin Nelson, Walter Moore, Julien Edwards, Charles Pollard, Derick Carter, Ronson Williams, Chris Nurse, Konata Manning, Dwight Peters, Trayon Bobb, Kester Jacobs, Daniel Wilson, Andrew Murray, Anthony
Benfield, Gregory Richardson, Anthony Abrams, Sheldon Holder. Technical Staff: Jamaal Shabazz (Head Coach), Wayne Dover (Coach), Kerry Dollaway (Team Doctor), Americo Falopa (Trainer), Mark Xavier (Manager), Trevor Burnett (Equipment Manager). CFU Caribbean Cup First Round Schedule Group 2 – At Gros Islet, St. Lucia Sunday, October 21 Guyana vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines, 5 pm St. Lucia vs. Curacao, 7:30 pm Tuesday, October 23 Curacao vs. Guyana, 6 pm St. Lucia vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines, 8:30 pm Thursday, October 25 St. Vincent & the Grenadines vs. Curacao, 6 pm St. Lucia vs. Guyana, 8:30 pm
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
The tortuous road from the nadir to the zenith!!! Vivian Harris tells Michael Benjamin of the roller coaster ride and the challenges associated with celebrity life He has had an eventful, roller coaster career, filled with exciting and action packed encounters that climaxed with a 2nd round technical knockout over Cuban/American, Diosbelys Hurtado and the acquisition of the prestigious World Boxing Association (WBA), World Lightweight title. With this feat he had joined an elite bunch of his contemporaries, the likes of Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis, Gwendolyn ‘Stealth Bomber’ O’Neil, Wayne ‘Big Truck’ Braithwaite, Gary ‘Superman’ St Clair and Shondell ‘Mystery Lady’ Alfred, all former or current world champions that had clinched similar accolades. During his illustrious career he has battled life’s many vicissitudes, notching up 29 wins with 9 losses. He disposed of nineteen of his opponents long before the final round while he suffered similar fates in 7 of his losses. Now, some fifteen years after entering the professional boxing arena, and after experiencing debilitating fortunes, ‘Vicious’ Vivian Harris admits that he no longer experiences the excitement of combat and has decided to call it a day. Dubbed with the
sobriquet ‘Vicious,’ because of his mean deportment in the ring, Harris, who enjoyed a productive career up to his 16th bout—he had sported an unblemished record decorated with 13 knockouts— has somehow managed to distort that nickname after suffering 6 knockouts in his last 7 fights
New York home where he laid it bare during an exclusive interview of his long and arduous journey in the ‘square jungle.’ The picture is vividly emblazoned on my mind; I was at the peak of my professional career and my manager, the late Aubrey Bruce, was just back from the
Many promoters give the boxer a subsidiary contract to sign while he (the promoter) signs the big contract and extricates a big chunk. The boxers may also have to part with another portion from that subsidiary contract, paying one person twice and that is not right,” and has wisely decided to pack it up. Frank and outspoken, Harris admits that while those losses have factored in on his decision to call it quits, he remains resolute that the most defining reason for his decision stems from his experiences and the sordid reality that the sport is riddled with ‘back room’ deals that relegates most pugilists to pawns, plying their trade with the odds highly stacked against them amidst the many ‘behind the scene deals’. Kaieteur Sport caught up with the former world champion at his Brooklyn
USA with a suitcase of boxing gears. One Sunday morning, just after training sessions he organized a spelling bee for boxers in the U-16 category. Each boxer that correctly spelt a particular word received a piece of gear. I cannot recall the word, but Vivian had been one of the successes in the spelling test and won a track suit. He treasured that gift up to the time he migrated to the USA in 1993. He was merely 9 years old and had amassed some 8 amateur bouts. He resumed his career in the ‘Big Apple,’ competing in the Golden Gloves and the New York Metros
championships where he was spotted by one of the sport’s bigwigs, promoter/manager, Shelly Finkle. “At that time Finkle was an integral force in Showtime Promotions, a reputable promotional firm, and managed former world champion, Thomas ‘Hit man’ Hearns among other world beaters,” explained Harris. “Finkle was impressed and assured me that I would be a world champion under his tutelage,” Harris revealed. Their marriage was natural and soon Vivian commenced training at the Bedstyvestant Boxing gym, Brooklyn New York. Realizing that there was a paucity of sparring partners at that gym, Vivian switched to the world renowned Gleasons Gym, Front Street Brooklyn, under the watchful eyes of former world rater Lennox Blackmore. His professional career got off to a terrific start, 16-0 with 13 knockouts. Harris then surrendered a 10 rounds
Vivian Harris
impeccable record, failed to daunt his indefatigable sprit. ‘Vicious’ as he was aptly rechristened, quickly asserted himself and registered 9 victories on the trot, his most significant being the Hurtado knockout. It was a momentous achievement following those of Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis (WBA welterweight), Gwendolyn O’Neil (WIBA heavyweight) and Wayne Braithwaite (WBC cruiserweight).
“Acquaint yourself with the intricacies of the sport; take nothing for granted and put aside some funds for the rainy days ahead.” unanimous verdict to Ray Oliveira and a drawn decision against Ivan Robinson which, though marring his
Naturally, all Guyanese were proud and regarded the feat as the turning point of his career; one that promised lucrative returns and a bright future. It was the first of many other mirages that contradicted the rags to riches theory. Not only was Vivian a world champion but he was ranked among other greats the likes of International Boxing Federation (IBF) light/ welterweight British pugilist, Ricky Hatton and top rated, Kostya Tszyu. His nemesis, Oliveira, was also the lesser regarded World Boxing Union welterweight champion (a title he later relinquished to Hatton). Vivian was then at an important juncture of his career that, if handled carefully, would have distinguished him among his peers and defined his financial and social status. True to prediction, speculation of the Hatton/ Harris bout loomed and before long it was touted as the next fight of the century. Local boxing buffs waited anxiously and it was the only topic making its rounds in the boxing arena. Then just as suddenly as speculation became rife, the issue was
quelled after Vivian unbelievably turned down an offer of 750,000 pounds sterling— the Hatton offer— for a measly $80,000 USD to fight a relatively unknown Columbian named Carlos Maussa. Had he taken leave of his senses? Matters were compounded when the Columbian disposed of Harris in the 7th round taking, not only his title but his future. Vivian did register 3 successive victories after that loss, against Marteze Logan, Stevie Johnston and Juan Lazcano respectively, but several losses on the trot, most by them by the knockout route, failed to enhance his career and after surrendering a 3rd round knockout in a non title bout against British fighter, Brian Rose, Vivian eventually decided that he had had enough. He said that his finances are intact and he is currently mulling on investments. But wouldn’t he have missed out on a ransom after refusing the lucrative purse of the Hatton fight? “No!” he adamantly declared. “The purse appeared lucrative but after expenses I would have been left with a mere pittance.” Vivian explained that even though he had extricated himself from Main Events Promotional Group, they were still entitled by law to a chunk of his earnings (33 1/3%). Further, his trainer’s cut amounted to 20% while his manager, Shelly Finkle, would have been entitled to 20%. The British Government had also demanded 25% of his purse in taxes. “Do the Maths, what would I have had left?” he rhetorically asked. He further declared that his decision to fight Maussa for, what many felt was a pittance, made much more sense that (Continued on page 53)
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
Tenelec Inc. First Division 50-over...
West Berbice upset Albion despite Bishoo’s 7 for 45; Deonarine hit 55 The 2012 Tenelec Inc. First Division round-robin 50over cricket competition boosting the new two tier format started on Saturday last with four first round matches. West Berbice created an upset when they beat defending champions Albion Community Centre despite an outstanding bowling performance from West Indies Leg spinner Devendra Bishoo and a half century from current West Indies test batsman Narsingh Deonarine, both for Albion. Bishoo took 7 for 45 from 10 overs to help bowl out West Berbice for a moderate total by Albion’s standards, 165. In Albion’s response, they lost two early wickets but Deonarine and Jonathan Foo put on 51 for the 3rd wicket. However, after Foo went for 12, Deonarine continued but when he fell for 55 (4x4 1x6) at 92 for 5. Only Guyana Under-17 player Sharaz Ramcharran put up a resistance as Albion folded for 145. Guyana one-day off spinner Stephen Latcha and former Guyana Under-19 allrounder Joemal LaFleur, also bowling off spin, took 4 wickets each for Bermine to rout Edinburgh for a paltry 84. Bermine in their response were themselves struggling at 26 for 3 but were able to rally out for a 5-wicket win. Former Guyana one day wicketkeeper batsman Anthony Bramble and Gajendra Ramnarine scored 50 each to help Skeldon Community Centre post 229 for 9 innings closed against Port Mourant Karibee Rice after turning up with one short. They however went on to win by 74 runs. New- kids-on-the-block, Bush Lot United Rising Star also had two half centuries in their innings with Brentnol Woolford hitting 60 (5x4) and Totaram Sooknanan 51 (8x4 1x6) but their efforts went in vain as Bush Lot were still 70 runs short of Blairmont Community Centre’s 268 for 9 of which Deveshwari Prashad had contributed 55 (6x4). Collated scores from the matches played: At Bush Lot in West Berbice - West Berbice beat Albion Community Centre by 20 runs. West Berbice winning the toss and batting first in the match which was reduced to 46 overs per side due to early morning rain made 165 all out in 44.4 overs; Krishendat
Brentnol Woolford
Anthony Bramble
Stephen Latcha Ramoo 37, Romesh Budhram 31 and Keith Fraser 24. Bowling for Albion Community Centre Devendra Bishoo took 7 for 45. Albion Community Centre 145 in 41 overs; Narsingh Deonarine 55, Sharaz Ramcharran 23*. Bowling for West Berbice off spinner Krishendat Ramoo and Steffon Adams took 3 for 33 from 10 overs and 3 for 27 from 9 overs respectively. At Edinburgh - Bermine beat Edinburgh by 5 wickets. Edinburgh choosing to bat first made 84 all out in 26.5 overs; Shafeek Khan and Zaheer Hussain being the only batsmen to reach double figures with 18 and 15 respectively. Bowling for Bermine, Joemal La fleur took 4 for 20 from 10 overs and Stephen Latcha 4 for 32 from 10 overs. Bermine 85 for 5 in 19.4 overs; Anthony D’Andrade top scored with 29. Pacer Zaheer Hussain took 2 for 10 from 5 overs. At Port Mourant -
Skeldon Community Centre took care of Port Mourant Karibee Rice by 75 runs. In the match which was reduced to 45 overs a-side because of the later arrival of the Skeldon team, Skeldon won the toss and batted first making 229 for 9 innings closed in 43 overs; Anthony Bramble 50, Gajendra Ramnarine 50, Victor Pedro 41, Errol Byass 30. Bowling for Port Mourant Berbice all rounder Zamal Khan bowling off spin took 3 for 33 from 6.5 overs. Port Mourant Karibee Rice 154 in 25 overs; Joshua Ramsammy 45, Harrinarine Chattergoon 32. Bowling for Skeldon medium pacers Victor Pedro and Errol Byass took 3 for 36 from 8 overs and 3 for 49 from 6 overs respectively. At Blairmont - Blairmont Community Centre got past Bush Lot United Rising Star by 70 runs. Blairmont Community Centre choosing to bat first made 268 for 9 in 50 overs; Deveshwari Prashad 55, Altaf Khan 45, Abdul Subhan 45 and Nick Ramsaroop 27. Bowling for Bush Lot medium pacer Asif Khan took 2 for 25 from 10 overs and medium pacer Keno Gravesande 2 for 35 from 10 overs. Bush Lot United Rising Star 198 in 48 overs; Brentnol Woolford 60, Totaram Sooknanan 51, Ravi Gossai 35, Asif Khan 20. Bowling for Blairmont fast medium Deveshwari Prashad took 3 for 38 from 10 overs, left arm spinner Waqar Hassan 2 for 31 from 8 overs and medium pacer Abdul Subhan 2 for 35 from 7 overs. Points standing after the first round: GROUPS A Bermine 2 points from 1 match West Berbice 2 points from 1 match Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets 0 point from 0 match Young Warriors 0 point from 0 match Albion Community Centre 0 point from 1 match GROUP B Blairmont Community Centre 2 points from 1 match Skeldon Community Centre 2 points from 1 match Police 0 point from 0 match Port Mourant Karibee Rice 0 point from 1 match Bush Lot United Rising Star 0 point from 1 match
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
Showpiece IAAF SA 10km Road Race on today - FORDE LOOKS TO EXTEND IMPRESSIVE RECORD Cleveland Forde
Alika Morgan
Doretta Wilson
Euleen Josiah
By Edison Jefford Guyana’s Cleveland Forde will be pressed today against regional foes to continue his dominance at the International Association of Athletic Federation (IAAF) South American (SA) 10km Road Race when the 10th edition of the event gets underway in Georgetown from 4pm. Forde, along with Dennis Horatio and Cleveland Thomas will lead the charge for Guyana against Jackson Mendes from Brazil, Trinidad’s Matthew Hagley, Richard Jones, Tobago’s Elvis Turner and Akil Melville and another athlete from Grenada. Up to Kaieteur Sport press time yesterday, those were the confirmed athletes that will compete in the senior male category of the race from outside Guyana. Forde is the defending champion after he won from Brazil’s Miranda DaSilva and Jones last year. Forde has already established a burgeoning record in the race as the most successful competitor in the event and will look to extend that today. He has already won the AinLim and Courts 10km races in good time and looks to be in excellent shape ahead of the big contest. Apart from Horatio and Thomas, there will be a host of other local athletes pushing for a position among the top five financial prizes. Alika Morgan and Euleen Josiah-Tanner will spearhead host, Guyana’s challenge in the female version of the race. They will compete against Trinidad’s Jenelle Nedd and Tonya Nero, Tobago’s DixiAnn Nelson and Grenada’s Kenisha Pascal in the senior female race. Nero and Pascal are very capable in this format and will certainly present a challenge to the local ladies. What’s at stake include prizes in the Open Male and Female International: US$1,000, US$600, US$400, US$300 and US$200 for first to fifth places respectively; Juniors: $40,000, $30,000, $20,000, $10,000 for first to fourth; Masters (Women 35 &
above) and (Men 40-55): $30,000, $20,000, $10,000 up to third place; Masters (Men 55 & above): $25,000, $15,000 and $5,000. The focus has always been on the senior male and female categories of the race, but with Doretta Wilson and Caitan Samuels from the Rupununi expected to compete among the junior athletes, there will be some intense rivalries in the category as well. Wilson is an outstanding National Schools’ Championship athlete, who went on to dominate the junior circuit two years ago at just 16 years old. Her outstanding performances in 2010 include defeating CARIFTA Games gold medallist, Jevina Straker twice. Caitan also had an impressive rise to the pinnacle of junior distance running when he easily beat Nathaniel ‘Brother’ Giddings, who was on top of his game, twice last year. Wilson and Samuels will certainly add immense competition to the junior version. Straker and Adama Roberts are among the leading athletes to contend with Wilson while Caitan also faces a stiff challenge from the surging Devon Barrington. The most lucrative 10km race in South America will certainly be a showpiece today among season campaigners. The route for this race will be: (Start) Police Sports Club, Eve Leary (one lap around the track) exit eastern gate into Military Road; south along Camp Road; west along Lamaha Street; north along High Street; East along Seawall Road; south along Camp Road; east along Carifesta Avenue into Rupert Craig Highway’s northern carriageway; turn at Conversation Tree then head into Rupert Craig Highway’s southern carriageway into Kitty Public Road; south on Vlissingen Road; west on Thomas Lands; south on Camp Road into Military Road through the eastern gate at Eve Leary to finish on the ground in front of pavilion after completing a lap.
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 57
Patrick ‘Labba’ Barton first Pele FC player to don Senior National Colours Statistician Charwayne Walker continues his series of features on Guyana’s World Cup Football players. Today we are pleased to feature former Pele FC’ Patrick ‘Labba’ Barton, former Guyana International 1973 – 1978. Pele Football Club (PFC) was formed in 1971 by Lennox ‘Mulling’ Arthur and the first player from that celebrated institution that represented Guyana at the senior level was Patrick ‘Labba’ Barton. Barton graduated from the Under-16 ranks and was selected by Arthur for the 1971 Inter Guiana games series against Suriname. Guyana, playing under the guidance of Coach Arthur won the Forbes Burnham trophy for the first time since the inauguration of the tournament in 1967. After the historical win in 1971, Barton was selected again in 1972 for Guyana’s defence of the trophy in Suriname but on that occasion Arthur’s boys failed to bring the bacon home. The following year, 1973, the games returned to Guyana and Patrick ‘Labba’ Barton was appointed Captain. Guyana drew the series opener 1-1 thanks to an Aubrey Warner goal and later closed things off in the series finale courtesy of a Vibert ‘Durdy’ Butts scorcher. This was the second time a Pele player had the honour of lifting the Forbes Burnham trophy, Monty Wilson was the first in 1971. After his impressive performance against Suriname, Barton was included in the Ken Gibbs led 18-man squad. The Pele stalwart’s first outing in Senior National colours was against Jamaica at GFC Ground under lights. Although he experienced limited time in his debut match, Ken Gibbs men won 2-1, the experience gained would later prove invaluable. His next senior International cap was a 20 loss to Suriname at GSC Ground, a result that sent Guyana packing from the 1973 Caricom Football Championship. Guyana played no internationals in 1974 so the 19 yearold Barton’s only action was in the Demico League for Pele F.C. His next match against foreign opponent was in 1975 against the touring Port of Spain League team, Trinidad and Tobago. His next outing in this same year in senior colours was
- former Guyana Int. 1973-1978 for the Guyana World Cup team against Bare of Brazil and Texaco of Trinidad and Tobago both series were contested at Camp Ayanganna. Barton’s first senior tour was to Brazil with the World Cup squad in January 1976. After the Brazil visit, the Pele midfield general was spectacular in four (4) internationals against Cuba played at McKenzie Sports Club Ground, Burnham Park New Amsterdam and the GCC Ground, Bourda. Following that series, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Scottish Division One side, St. Mirren visited. They arrived here buoyed by the fact that they had defeated Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados and Suriname. Their success continued against the Guyanese in the series opener at GCC Ground, Bourda. In the series finale goals by Barton and Vibert Butts put an end to Ferguson and St. Mirren’s unbeaten run. Barton’s next International is the game ‘Labba’ has always talked about, July 4, 1976; Guyana first World Cup match. Pele FC had eight (8) members on that historical squad; Vibert Butts, Keith Niles, Gregory Stewart, Terrence Nicholls, Patrick Barton, Denzil Thompson, Keith Layne and Wendell Sandiford. Guyana won 2-0 and the goal scorers were Vibert Butts and Keith Nikes, while goalkeeper Wendell Sandiford’s brilliance earned him the player-of-the-match award. His {Barton} next game still remains fresh in his memory, the return World Cup fixture in Paramaribo where Guyana’s 3-0 loss meant that they had exited the 1976 World Cup campaign. Barton missed the National team’s last two internationals in 1976 against Curacao because of a conflict between Pele FC and the then Guyana Football Association (GFA). His international career continued the following year, 1977, when Trinidad and Tobago visited for a three match series. Barton scored a vital penalty to lead Guyana to a 2-1 victory in the first game contested at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground. He also played an integral role in the
ELIZABETH STYLES U-21 50-OVERS KO...
Persaud 5-20, Chattergoon 3-31 bowl PM into semis; Seenarine 5-40 for Skeldon Port Mourant have sealed a date with Albion Community Centre in the semifinals of this year’s Elizabeth Styles Under-21, 50 overs knock-out cricket competition in Berbice after they defeated Skeldon Community Centre by 20 runs in their replayed second round match. Port Mourant losing the toss and sent in to take first strike, found the going tough and could only muster 119 in 31.4 overs. Doing the damage were medium pacer Nicholas 5 for 40 from 9 overs and off spinner Quesi Burnett 4 for 19 from 9.4 overs. Top scoring for Port Mourant were Mahendra Veerasammy with 46 and Harrinarine Chattergoon. Skeldon Community Centre in response got a start
Patrick ‘Labba’ Barton
Boughnarine Persaud of 29 from Rajesh Mohabir (10) and Dwayne Edwards (15) but off spinner Boughnarine Persaud and Chattergoon soon had them reeling at 43 for 4. In took a 5th wicket
partnership of 29 between Parmanand Narine (15) and Navendra Mohan (17) to give the innings some life but after that the off spinners had them on the run again and they were soon 83 for 7. After trudging on to 89 for 7, they were able to get no further than that, losing the last three wickets without a run added as Persaud picked up two wickets and also affected a run out leaving Skeldon high and dry at 89 all out. Persaud ended with figures of 5 for 26 from 9 overs and Chattergoon 3 for 31 from 10 overs. Port Mourant will next clash with Albion Community Centre in their semi final at Albion on Friday, Blairmont Community Centre have already gone through to the final.
second game that drew 2-2 at the GCC, Bourda. Although he was sensational in the final game, Guyana went down 2-0 and that result propelled Trinidad to the series win on goal difference. Next up for Barton was an international series which Guyana won against the lads from the Land of the Flying Fish, Barbados. The Guyanese took the opening game 2-0 and drew the second, 0-0. His international Programme in 1977 concluded with four matches against Cuba’s Under-23 team. Castro’s reserves won two games, drew one and lost one. He also featured for Pele F.C at the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship against Vowaarts of Suriname. Pele led by Barton won the first match 2-0 at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground but lost the return fixture in Paramaribo and was eliminated. In 1978, Barton was appointed Captain of the National Under-23 team which lost 2-1 and 4-3 respectively to Suriname’s Under-23s at the GFC and Mackenzie Sports Club Grounds. After the Under-23 series against Suriname, Barton toured Barbados and the Twin Island Republic of Trinidad & Tobago with the Earl O’Neal led senior team. His final international matches were as Captain of Pele in the CFU Club Championship; Barton led from the front when Pele defeated Racing Club of Aruba home and
abroad. After the Aruba victory Barton immigrated to the U.S.A where he still resides. ‘Labba’ Barton was the man that led Pele to the Demico League championship in 1976 and 1977. He also led the club to a number of knock-out titles. International Tours 1972 - Suriname Inter Guiana Series 1975 - Brazil with World Cup Squad 1976 - Suriname World Cup Qualifier 1977 - Suriname C.F.U Club Championship 1978 - Barbados, Trinidad. Goodwill tour with National Team 1978 - Aruba C.F.U Club Championship
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 21, 2012
BOSAI MINERALS GROUP (GUYANA) INC OPEN CHALLENGE B/BALL AT LINDEN...
Top clubs Kings and Jets clash should be a thriller tonight Raiders meet Flames in first game The action in the BOSAI Minerals Group (Guyana) Inc Open Challenge basketball championship swings into high gear tonight with the two top ranked clubs in Linden colliding in the night cap when the number one ranked Kashif and Shanghai Kings and second seed Amelia’s Ward Jets meet in the second game of a double header card at 8:30pm. This match-up will follow the first game between sixth ranked Retrieve Raiders, who play Block 22 Flames at 6:30pm in the tournament which has been organized by the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) at the Mackenzie Sports Club Hard Court. Tonight’s battle should be a close contest bearing in mind that both sides are playing to show that they are the best in the town and reaching the semifinals will be their first goal.
The Kings come into this game with a setback having lost to Half Mile Bulls in their opener and will not want to risk losing for a second time at this stage. Their opponents, however, will want to continue their winning trend after closing out the Flames in their first game in emphatic fashion by a 57-37 score. The Kings lost in the dying moments of the game when the Bulls pulled the trigger with just four seconds left and sneaked away with a 60-57 win. This means that the Kings cannot allow too close a contest in their clash and the Jets are even more dangerous down the stretch than the Bulls with their marksmen being Kevin ‘Two-Feet’ Joseph and Neil Simon who can sink shits from beyond the arc should the need arises. Apart from these two top quality guards they have
young Emmanuel Archibald, who is among the brightest prospects in the game and the national centre Shane Webster, could be a handful for any player in the post. Shane, his brother Allister Webster and Lawrence DaCosta could pose problems on the inside against the Kings. This of course is if the Kings fail to take the court without their experienced former national centre Jason Alonso. Alonso was the king in the block down low before the arrival of Shane Webster and the battle between these two ‘big men’ will be mouthwatering. If Alonso is there then he along with Omally Sampson and Dale Williamson now available can match the Jets in the paint. With sniper Orin Rose’s ability to uncork shots from almost anywhere, the Kings have a weapon that the Jets cannot match, especially
taking into account the proven shooting of their captain Steve Neils (Jr.) the national skipper who will direct the show from the point guard position. The first game will be interesting to see if the Raiders can prove their superiority against a Flames side which should think that they can take care of their opponents.
Raiders will be spearhead by national players forward/ centre Dwayne ‘Brown’ Sugar Roberts and forward Neil Marks while young players like Alexander Rose, Omar Sam, Sheldon Noel, Dwight McKinnon and Geoffrey LaRose along with the experienced Terrence Goddette, Alexander Rose and Anson Durant. But the Flames feel they
have an even chance of beating the Raiders because the Raiders are just one position in front of them and the battle among the lowest ranks clubs can at times be a feisty affair. The Flames will depend on the Clarke brothers Gavin and Patrick, Aubrey Johnson, Stephan Arthur, Keilon Sullivan and Quincy Richmond.
All Set for Norman Singh Memorial Turf Club Horserace meet today The battle is on today for championship honours when the Norman Singh Memorial Turf Club at No6 West Coast Berbice in collaboration with the Jumbo Jet Auto Sales holds their grand one day horserace meet at the Club’s entity No 6 West Coast Berbice. With eight races carded on the day’s
programme and over $7.5M in cash and trophies up for grabs, a grand day of racing is anticipated. The feature event is for horses classified B and lower over a distance of 1400M and a first prize of $1.2M. The line up looks impressive with The Score is even being the inform horse, but with the likes of the
Message, Perfect Circle, California Strike, Diamond Dazzling, Red and Lovely, Who is on the case, Got to go, Night Crescendo, County Armagh in the running the race seems to be an open contest. All the other events are 1200M affairs except the Three Year old gallop which (Continued on page 53)
Sunday October 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 59
Courts Pee Wee Schools Football gets off to enterprising start
Managing Director of Courts (Guyana) Clyde DeHaas (second left back row) and Petra Organisation Director Troy Mendonca (left back row) pose with teams shortly before the start of play yesterday.
T
he eagerly awaited Courts Pee Wee Schools F o o t b a l l Competition got off to an enterprising start with six schools gaining outright wins yesterday, at the Thirst Park ground. Played before a fairsized crowd that included a commendable turnout of parents and aficionados, the gathering were treated to a surprising level of skill that belied the age of the participants and every one left the arena satisfied with the performances of all 16 teams. Marketing Executive Molly Hassan speaking with this newspaper expressed elation at the turnout, adding that even though the Company was optimistic that the tournament would be a success she was still pleasantly surprised by the support given from parents and teachers and urged that the coming weeks attendance surpass the opening day. “I am very excited with what I saw today and even though it is the early stage of the tournament I have no reason to believe that we will not see a much larger turnout of parents and fans,” Hassan said. E a r l i e r, M a n a g i n g Director of Courts (Guyana)
Clyde DeHaas, who was present at the opening, kicked off the tournament, before wishing the teams a n d O rg a n i s e r s P e t r a Organisation success. In the opening game of the day, Marian Academy trounced St. Pius 7-0 with Diarra Thomas hitting the target four times in the 9th, 12th, 17th and 25th minutes, while own goals were registered in the 21st and 23rd minutes and Dominic Roberts added the other in the 38th minute. West Ruimveldt and Success Elementary then played to a 1-1 draw with Japheth Singh in the 10th minute giving the former the lead, while Garrick Persaud responded in the 22nd minute for Success Elementary. Redeemer Primary came from behind to defeat South Ruimveldt which ended 2 – 1 with Shemar Dover brace in the 32nd and 35th minutes cancelling out the early effort of Christopher Bovell, who netted in the 17th minute. Kettley Primary then played to a 2-2 stalemate against St. Sidwell’s. On target for Kettley was Shawn Henry in the 2nd minute and Jahine Massaih 12th, while Samuel Devonshire 21st and Omar Bascom 30th responded for
St. Sidwell’s. S t . M a rg r e t ’s t h e n coasted to a comfortable 3-1 victory over F.E. Pollard with Moses Bhagwandeny hammering in a double in the 11th and 13th minutes, while Josiah King added the other goal in the 17th minute. The opposition, however, drew first blood as
early as the second minute c o m p l i m e n t s o f Ti o n Maynard, but that was not enough to get them a win. S i m e o n H a c k e t t ’s helmet-trick for Tucville which he completed in the penultimate minute after finding the back of the nets in the 8th, 26th and 29th minutes was more than
enough to help them get past St. Gabriel’s. Hackett’s teammate Turston Gordon scored a tenth minute goal. North Georgetown’s three goals which got them the victory were scored by Tyrese Prescott (15th), Owen Williams (23rd) and Joshua Denny (27th). Finally, Sophia’s victory
was engineered by James Freeman who scored a first half hat-trick alongside his teammates Leon Arthur (3rd and 19th) and Quincy Felix (26th). The competition continues next Saturday at the same venue with another eight games scheduled to be contested.
t r o Sp Digicel’s Schools’ Table Tennis Championships...
Mae’s ‘A’ win Under-11 title M
Mae’s ‘A’, Jeremey Singh and Niron Bissu (left) go on the attack against North Georgetown’s Neveah Clarkston and Tariq Saunders yesterday at the National Gymnasium in the Digicel Schools’ Table Tennis Championships.
ae’s Primary ‘A’ team yesterday evaded any challenge from North Georgetown Primary, Bartica and Mae’s ‘B’ team to win the Under-11 teams’ title at the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) Digicel-sponsored National Schools’ Championships at the National Gymnasium. Mae’s ‘A’ duo, Jeremey Singh and Niron Bissu won their doubles contest against the Neveah Clarkston and Tariq Saunders pair from North Georgetown 3-0; Singh beat both Saunders and Clarkston 3-2 and 3-0 in the singles competition; however, Saunders and Clarkston beat Bissu 3-0 and 3-2, forcing a showdown between Singh and Clarkston to decide the title. Singh beat Clarkston 3-2 to seal the title for Mae’s ‘A’ team. The competition continued with the U-15 contest last evening. The curtains will come down on the event today. Schools from Bartica, Region 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 are competing for national honours at the event that had an unprecedented number of schools from across Guyana. The categories that will be contested include 18Years-and-Under Teams; 15-Years-and-Under Teams; 13-Years-and-Uunder Teams and 11-Years-andUnder Teams. Local telecommunications giants, Digicel are the primary sponsor of the event.
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