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‘Totally reprehensible’

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ISSUE NO. 329

WEEK ENDING January 22, 2017

- Govt faces heat over ‘secretive deal’ for possible Skeldon Estate takeover See story on page 3

The Simpli Royal organization launched Miss Mash Queen 2017 at the Umana Yana last Sunday evening and six beauties vying for the crown made their first public appearance. Those competing are Ashanti Jasper, Keleisha Kelly, Aquaila Rupan, Younette Stepheny, Younette Stepheny and Romichelle Brumell. The pageant is slated for February 19th at the NCC in Georgetown. More details in our next edition.

NY-based Guyanese man to spend 3 Page 5 years behind bars for cocaine trafficking

Cameron meets cricket stakeholders in New York Page 50

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

NEWS 3

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Govt faces heat over ‘secretive deal’ for possible Skeldon Estate takeover

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overnment is facing severe criticism over its secretive deal with a Trinidadian company for a possible takeover of the lucrative Skeldon Estate, which belongs to the State and is currently under the management of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo strongly criticised the Government for entering into this deal without any consultations with stakeholders beforehand.

“They claim that this is without prejudice to privatisation.

But if you have a secret Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with someone to assess the entity, then you are already giving one person an advantage over any person who may be interested if you decide to privatise. So they are

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

busy working these quiet deals and one day we may wake up and find that one of the prized estates in Guyana is gone to a group that knows nothing about sugar or is on middle land without any public valuation of the land, no public tendering but has acquired a deal by the Government,” he told media operatives on Wednesday.

The Skeldon Sugar

Factory, which is located on the Estate, alone is worth US$200 million, so the total value of the Estate would amount to billions.

Jagdeo contended that this was one of the many actions of the Government which he considered “totally reprehensible”.

“You do not speak with the parliamentary Opposition. You know, just recently, they called us in December, after everything else and told us they want to talk to us about it, but the secret MoU was already signed, now the story is in the news,” he outlined.

Guyana Times broke the story on Tuesday that Trinidadian company D Rampersad and Company Limited (DRCL) was likely to rake in major benefits from the Guyana Government, including

Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder

favourable tax incentives for the development of an integrated sugarcane processing facility at the Skeldon Sugar Estate, after the MoU was inked in December for the undertaking of a feasibility study.

The MoU was signed without full disclosure to the Guyanese public and without any public notice or public tender.

The company has no ex-

perience with any agricultural enterprise, and provides engineering services to the automotive and oil industries in T&T. Notably, however, as witness to the signing was Noel Rupie Shewjattan, the owner of Auto Fashion Store on Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown.

Auto Fashion Store also has no experience in the agricultural sector.

Government denial

Contacted on the matter, however, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder contends that there is no secret arrangement.

“There was a meeting when we met with the Opposition and the unions …to try to get them on board for the way forward for GuySuCo. At that meeting, the question of the MoU came up and it was provided to the Opposition to

look at. The Opposition is well aware of it because it was given to them by the Government. So I don’t know what is the secret deal, they have the MoU,” Holder explained.

The Minister conceded that the company was currently assessing the Skeldon Estate lands to determine if it would be favourable for it to make a proposal to Government for the diversification of the estate, including the production of ethanol.

“There is no commitment on either side, (they will) come down here to take a look and if (they) want to make a suggestion to us, then fine, we’ll take a look at it…They are just coming to look, the best I can call it is a familiarisation, They will look to see what Skeldon has to see if it make sense for them to even do a feacontinued on page 7

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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EDITORIAL

Diasporas and development

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t may, or may not, have been coincidental, but at the same time the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government announced plans to mobilise and engage the “Guyanese Diaspora” to aid in the development of Guyana, India was hosting its 14th “Pravasi Bharatiya Divas” (PBD) – Overseas Indian Day. Launched in 2003, the 2017 iteration brought over 6000 delegates drawn from 64 countries to India’s IT capital, Bengaluru – which was so recently “Banglore”.

The emblematic “Diaspora” had been formed out of their dispersal of the Jewish people subsequent to their conquest thousands of years ago, when most had been driven into slavery to Babylon and Egypt. In more modern times, the process was not much different for several other “peoples”. Between the 16th and 19th century, two sets of “diasporas” were formed when millions of Africans were snatched from their native lands by Europeans and shipped to the “New World” as slaves – Africans and Europeans of several nationalities.

Following the abolition of slavery in the 19th century, Portuguese, Indians, Chinese and some other groups were shipped as “indentured labour”. The shipments of Indians and Chinese created two new Diasporas that become very significant because of their numbers. Intellectuals from people of African descent – from the USA, the West Indies and Africa – were the first to organise their Diaspora and launched the 1st Pan-African Congress in 1900.

When the 5th Pan-African Congress was held in Manchester in 1945 at the end of WWII, the individuals who were to become leaders in the struggle for independence – such as Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana – honed a common strategy for their countries, which included a strong development component. As a matter of fact, several West Indian intellectuals, including George Padmore, repatriated themselves to the emerging independent countries in Africa, to assist in their development. Walter Rodney, who had helped craft the agenda for the 7th Pan-African Congress, had evidently decided to return to Africa after the People’s National Congress Government targeted him in 1979.

The successive governments of post-Mao China much more self-consciously mobilised its Diaspora and very successfully tapped into the skills and resources in its drive for development starting in the 1980’s. In 1989, Non-Resident Indians (NRI’s) – who were mere mostly first generation immigrants to the USA – organised the “First Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin” (GOPIO) in New York City to bring together the Indian Diaspora.

But it exposed a new problematic – the descendants of those Indians who had been “exported” in the 19th and early 20th century to European colonies, were now part of secondary diasporas and had some different concerns from the NRI’s – particularly when it came to the “development” of India. The NRI’s generally were focused on increasing their business contacts with India and within their community in the USA, while the “Girmityas” – those arising from the “agreement” of bound labour – were focused on the development of their “new” homelands, and in maintaining cultural links with India.

When the Government of India initiated the annual PBD in 2003, it attempted to accommodate both imperatives – the drive for India’s development by harnessing the skills and resources of its Diaspora and the desire for cultural contacts of the latter. With the advent of the new Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, a decision was made to host the event biennially, and to have preparatory structured meetings and discussions in New Delhi with representatives of the Diaspora on identified subject areas.

PBD 2017 demonstrated the success of this new strategy when in the course of three days, the separate day for youths, and the sessions following the plenary gathering addressed by PM Modi allowed the entire Diaspora to express themselves both to each other and to the Government of India.

For Guyana, the experience of its delegates to PBD should be tapped to facilitate its own aspirations to tap into its Diaspora.

Life in Guyana's Hinterland region: An Amerindian Family in Aishalton, South Rupununi, Guyana. (Photo by Girendra Persaud)

Contract signed for major prison survey …with the aim of developing a rehabilitation and reintegration model for ex-offenders

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he University of Guyana (UG) will be conducting a survey in the prisons and lockups across Guyana with the aim of developing a rehabilitation and reintegration model for ex-offenders.

On Wednesday, Project Manager of the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme(CSSP) Clement Henry and UG Vice Chancellor (VC), Academic Engagement Dr Michael Scott signed contracts for the study.

The survey is being facilitated by the Ministry of Public Security’s CSSP. Beginning January month end, the sixmonth research is expected to support the University of Guyana’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Engagement overall prison system Dr Michael Scott pose with Project Manager of the CSSP Clement Henry reform. Henry cauafter the signing of the contract for a survey on the prisons of Guyana tioned the University to ensure that ethic printhat some 30 students from port and track inmate progress ciples are followed when con- the University will be trained and offer training to Guyana ducting the survey. “The client in data collection to assist the Prison Service (GPS) staff on must also be informed that all team in conducting the survey. delivering rehabilitation and data will be kept confidential The University has reintegration services. being only accepted by mem- sought the assistance of Tres CSSP is a five-year probers of the study team,” Henry de Febrero University of gramme that aims to contribsaid.

Argentina with the drafting of ute to a reduction in crime and The University’s VC, Dr the survey. “We recognise that violence in Guyana, especially Scott, guaranteed that every our situation is quite differ- in targeted communities and researcher is ethical in the ent and so we have made our among youths, by increasing conduct of their work. Faculty inputs into the instrument in- their human and social capacstaff, from both Turkeyen and sofar as it reflects our con- ity. The specific objectives of Tain campuses, includes med- text,” Dr Scott explained. The the project are to: improve beical personnel, legal personnel, Argentine university has ex- haviours for non- violent conmathematicians, criminologist tensive experience in conduct- flict resolution in targeted comand social workers are going to ing prison surveys in the hemi- munities; increase Guyana comprise the core team leading sphere.

Police Force’s effectiveness in the survey. “The persons who’ll The survey is part of crime prevention and crime be engaged in this exercise are Component Three of the CSSP, investigation nationally; and very seasoned researchers and which seeks to:finance sustain- improve the Guyana Prison consultants and have had ex- able re-entry initiative by as- Service’s effectiveness in reperiences working with inter- sessing rehabilitation and re- ducing offender recidivism. national organisations,” Dr integration needs across the The CSSP is being fundScott, who will have oversight prison system,develop a reha- ed by the Inter-American responsibility for the survey, bilitation and reintegration Development Bank (IDB) and assured. model based on the needs as- the government. Henry noted The exploratory survey will sessments and the outputs of that US$74,200 has been alloprovide ground-breaking data the survey,develop a case man- cated for the survey. for the research. Dr Scott said agement programme to sup-

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

NEWS 5

NY-based Guyanese man to Bolivian Ambassador presents Letters of Credence spend 3 years behind bars for cocaine trafficking to President Granger

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President David Granger exchanges a handshake with the newlyaccredited Ambassador Jose Kinn Franco after the ceremony at State House on Wednesday

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resident David Granger on Wednesday accepted the Letters of Credence from Jose Kinn Franco at State House, accrediting him as the new non-resident Ambassador of Bolivia to Guyana.

The President said that with the appointment of the new Ambassador, it is hoped that an even stronger relationship characterised by peace, security and prosperity can be forged between the two nations, the Ministry of the Presidency said in a

release.

The Head of State, accepting the Letters of Credence, said that the two countries placed great emphasis on the importance of regional integration. This, he said, serves as a means of achieving a higher standard of living for their peoples through the sustainable use of the countries’ natural resources.

He noted that Guyana and Bolivia both adhere strongly to the international values of mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutu-

al non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, cooperation for mutual benefit, respect for treaties and international law, and the maintenance of regional peace and security, the release added.

“Guyana and Bolivia recall that the Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), gathered at the Second Summit in Havana, Cuba on January 28 and 29, 2014, declared Latin continued on page 9

he overseas-based Guyanese man who was on Saturday intercepted at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) with a large quantity of cocaine in his luggage was brought before the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan on Tuesday.

Haslin O’Neil Thom, 46, originally of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown and currently of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty to the narcotics trafficking charge brought against him and was sentenced to spend the next three years of his life in jail.

On January 14, 2017, at the CJIA, Thom was found to be in possession of 1.5 kilogram of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

The court heard that the defendant was intercepted after the Airport’s scanner revealed suspicious objects in his luggage. The suitcase was pulled and a search was carried out. During a closer inspection of the objects, authorities discovered the illegal substance.

Thom was then taken to the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) headquarters where he admitted to having the illegal substance, which had been weighed in his presence.

The defendant, however, told the court that he was ill and in need of an expensive surgery, and that motivated him to traffic the drugs.

He also told the court that he bought the drugs from a known individual for US$4000.

“I am sorry for my actions; I am very ill and need to have a surgery done on my stomach, I am begging for leniency,” Thom pleaded.

Jailed: Haslin O’Neil Thom

After the defendant’s appeal, Chief Magistrate McLennan sentenced and fined the man G$4.1 million, which is the street value of the drugs.

On the day of his arrest, Thom was heading back to Brooklyn, after he spent the holidays in Guyana.

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

A waste of time to Why only now is the approach the CCJ over PNC taking steps to GECOM appointment honour past Presidents?

Dear Editor, In accordance with the Constitution, Guyana’s Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, last week submitted a list of six nominees to President David Granger for his consideration and appointment of one as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

President Granger asserted that none of the nominees was a judge, or qualified to be a judge, as the Constitution dictates. Consequently, the President, exercising his powers under the Constitution, declared the nominees “unacceptable,” and rejected the list.

Mr Jagdeo retorted that, apart from the requirement that the Chairman shall be a judge or a person qualified to be a judge, Article 161(2) of the Constitution also mandates that “any other fit and proper person” may be so appointed. Mr Jagdeo subsequently announced an intention to approach the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) for an interpretation of Article 161 (2) of the Constitution; particularly the clause “any other fit and proper person.”

Article 161(2) states that “Subject to the provisions of paragraph (4), the Chairman of the Elections Commission shall be a person who holds or who has held office as a judge of a court hav-

ing unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge, or any other fit and proper person, to be appointed by the President from a list of six persons, not unacceptable to the President, submitted by the Leader of the Opposition after meaningful consultation with the non-governmental political parties represented in the National Assembly.”

Approaching the CCJ on this matter would be nugatory. I believe that the powers which Article 161(a) confers on the President are absolute and innocuous from judicial review.

Regardless of any requirement, qualification or eligibility, the Constitution mandates that, ultimately, the nominees by the Opposition Leader cannot be “unacceptable to the President.” It therefore follows that acceptability is not to be determined by the nominator or the courts, but exclusively by the President, guided by the Constitution – not the Opposition Leader or a judge.

Sincerely, Rickford Burke President, CaribbeanGuyana Institute for Democracy (CGID)

Officials of Georgetown City Council failing citizenry that elected them!

Dear Editor, Last Thursday afternoon, on my way to pick up my children from their school which is located in Subryanville, Georgetown I encountered quite a hullabaloo on Sheriff Street with heavily armed City Constabulary ranks milling about, lots of heavy-duty construction equipment and machinery present and the demolition of a section of a business underway.

Leading the charge of this ‘break down’ exercise was none other than the Town Clerk Royston King, surrounded by a retinue of bodyguards and other municipal officials. This was the second time I had such a revolting experience, as not so long ago, I also witnessed first-hand a similar destructive exercise again personally led

by King, that time it was removal and proposed cutting up of some swimming pools that were located on Ixora Avenue in Bel Air Park.

My first question is why does King, the Administrative Officer of the Council, find it necessary to take charge of everything personally?

Should such an exercise, if deemed necessary,

not be supervised by the City Engineer and/ or the Head of the City Constabulary or their subordinates? Why does King like to micromanage so much?

Does he have a narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), or is he sending out a message to the businesspersons that ‘the buck stops at him’ in the most literal sense and therefore they have to talk to him and no one else for their salvation.

My second question is why are they being so selective in correcting purported faults in the city, when there are dozens of very glaring faults and breaches in each and every ward of the city for years now. This is discriminatory and counter-productive. By their own admission they said through large full page and full colour fancy newspaper ads that they would be tearing down 52 derelict buildings which are in a ruinous state and pose a danger to occupants and members of the public beginning October 5 last year. They may have pulled down two with the remaining 40 waiting to crash to the ground injuring and killing the occupants and innocent passers-by.

Maybe they don’t have an axe to grind with the owners of those buildings or the owners come to an amicable settlement with certain officers of the Council. By the way, we don’t see any of the Council’s ruinous buildings, including City Hall appearing on that list of 52, but they should.

But isn’t this present City Council willing to stop King from usurping the responsibilities, mandate and authority of many of the Council’s senior officers, such as those of the City Engineer, Medical Officer of Health, Clerk of Markets, etc, in this march of madness? Or will they allow him to continue running around town, chasing vendors from one place to another, selectively breaking down structures, building presidential parks, putting down parking meters on streets that are not even under the purview of the Council, increasing fees, fines, rents and taxes.

They are failing the citizenry that elected them!

Sincerely, Debra Gibson

Dear Editor, Recently, President David Granger, along with some senior People’s National Congress (PNC) members and former Working People’s Alliance (WPA) Executives, who have since returned to their PNC fold, have been clamouring for all past Presidents to be recognised.

This is good – even excellent – but why only now? What has it taken them so long to realise that this must be done? Or, have they now found their long last love and loyalty for their past Presidents, who once belonged to the PNC party?

Former President LFS Burnham passed away since 1985 and the PNC remained in power until October 1992 under President Desmond Hoyte. It begs the question: why didn’t Hoyte and his PNC party recognise Burnham then?

Then, after the 1992 elections, Hoyte became Leader of the Opposition.

However, during his lifetime and up to this day, no one did anything for him.

In fact, the only thing the PNC did for those past Presidents was to turn the beautiful Botanical Gardens into a burial ground with all the paraphernalia.

Bear in mind though, the cremations that were done for former Presidents Dr Cheddi Jagan and his wife Janet Jagan were at a burial ground in Babu John – not a violation of any beautiful tourist or historical site or a place where parents would take their children for outings on weekends.

Now that the PNC has awakened and learnt from the People’s Progressive Party how to show respect and recognition to their leaders, they want to play ‘follow pattern’, and in their spiteful, covetous and vindictive ways, they want to get rid of the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre.

Yours sincerely, Chandra Shekar Azad

Operatives in government ministries are stumbling blocks Dear Editor, Several concerned and frustrated prominent Guyanese businessmen, operating locally, have approached me to ventilate their concerns.

They are calling on President David Granger to “sit up, take notice and get some action” regarding his avowed intention to “green” the economy and create opportunities for further development of the Guyanese economy.

They added that some operatives in Ministries and agencies are not taking the President seriously, but are proving to be stumbling blocks! “We congratulate President Granger on his efforts so far in keeping his word on doing what’s necessary to develop Guyana,” noted a spokesman for the group of influential businessmen.

“But there are workers in the Ministries and Government agencies, who are entrenched and have created a system of corruption that’s almost infallible.”

Their impassioned plea to the Government comes in the wake of repeated attempts to get responses for applications to expand businesses by acquiring land; requests to Ministries and agencies for meetings with their principals which are not being granted; and general denial of the same benefits and overtures that are being given to foreign

businessmen, but which are not being extended to local businessmen.

“We live in Guyana and operate our businesses , yet still we’re not being offered the same goodies that are being given to foreign business people. Government officials go out of their way to woo the foreigners and we’re right here with our investment capital and nobody is really giving us the time of day,” stated a visibly upset businessman who has major investments and extensive business operations, including real estate development.

The group of patriotic businessmen declared their intention of not wanting to leave Guyana, unless extreme and dire circumstances force them to flee their homeland, as they indicated their appreciation of the moves President Granger has been making to “green the economy”.

“The economy is still sluggish and in some cases losing ground. We can help… we need to be a part of our country’s development. There has to be no favouritism by the Government in dealing with local and foreign businessmen.

Applications for business initiatives by local businessmen get the royal run-around. We don’t even get an acknowledgement from them when we send in our applications. No favours

being asked… and no favours being granted.

The previous Administration used to help its special friends… even helping them with upfront financing to build capacity. We don’t want that… we just want a level playing field, because Mr Granger says he’s a President for all Guyanese.

Even though the economy dropped, we local businessmen still willing to invest, but we’re not being supported by the relevant Ministries and agencies. The Ministers not replying or are simply not ‘looking into it’.

We need instant action.

Foreigners being wooed, welcomed and given prime time… with the Government even bending over backwards to attract them to Guyana.

Some Ministers are acting power drunk… and we see President Granger as the only straight-forward man who can give the green light for certain developments to go ahead,” stated the spokesman for the group of worried businessmen.

“So, we’re calling on him to help us. But take it or leave it… if we don’t get any response from the President regarding our needs and support for our involvement in our country’s economic development, we gone!” declared the group of local businessmen.

Yours truly, Ras Leon Saul

news 7

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Govt faces heat over ...

from page 3

The US$200 million Skeldon Sugar Factory

sibility study,” Holder explained.

Massive concessions

However, the MoU seen by this newspaper outlines that the company will be conducting a feasibility study, which is proposed to commence on April 3.

DRCL is slated to benefit tremendously if its project proposal is approved by the current coalition Administration.

From the size of DRCL’s operations in Trinidad, it appears doubtful it would be able to finance a project of the magnitude proposed.

According to the MoU, some expectations in the event a definitive agreement is entered into would include access to key infrastructure, favourable combination of tax incentives, and land for sugarcane cultivation and infrastructure.

The company is also set to receive reasonable approval cycles, guarantees on minimum product take-off by the Government with respect to electric power and fuel ethanol, guaranteed pricing formulae and power export provisions.

This means that while the company will convert sugar cane into ethanol and electricity from bagasse, the Government will assume the responsibility of purchasing the products at some yet undisclosed price. For ethanol to be used as fuel by motor vehicles,

their engines would have to be modified. It was not disclosed if the Guyana Government or DRCL would bear the cost of the engine modification.

The integrated sugarcane processing facility will include developing an integrated sugar-to-ethanol and electric power project. While sugar will not be produced, the Skeldon factory will still have to process the sugar cane all the way to the molasses stage, but the diffuser for extracting the sugar will become redundant.

Basically, the feasibility study will examine the cultivation and harvesting of sugar cane and sugarcane processing.

It will also look at the production of fuel-grade ethanol, and the production of bulk rum for local, regional and international markets.

The feasibility study will also focus on power production from bagasse, production of high-test molasses, the construction of a liquid bulk terminal and the development of a solar power generation facility. The findings of the feasibility study will provide critical information and set the platform to make a definitive project proposal to the Government of Guyana.

The Agriculture Minister said the Guyana Office for Investment (GOInvest) would deal with the matter if the company makes such a proposal.

President and GEF Programme Director discuss ‘green’ economy, protection of Guiana Shield

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President David Granger in discussions with the visiting delegationGEF's Environmental Specialist, Ms. Evelyn Swain, Dr. David Singh, Mr. Sebastian Troeng and Dr. Gustavo da Fonseca

resident David Granger was paid a courtesy call by the Director of Programmes of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Dr. Gustavo da Fonseca and officials from Conservation International Guyana (CI-G). The visiting delegation was accompanied by CI’s Executive Director, Dr. David Singh.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Raphael Trotman and officials from the Department of Environment were also present at the meeting, which was held on the side-lines of Cabinet’s statutory meeting, on Tuesday.

The Director is currently in Guyana for the launch of a programme, which is primarily aimed at reducing the exposure and use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale mining.

During the meeting, President Granger spoke of his Government’s commitment to conservation and sustainable development and of the need for countries within the Guiana Shield to develop strong partnerships with each other so as to advance the protection of this diverse ecological zone. “I’ve always envisaged the Guiana Shield as a natural zone for those countries to come together… We want to strengthen our relationship with the other countries in the Shield [and] we

hope that we will not be alone in this task even as we have taken some initiative,” he said.

In this regard, both CI and the GEF indicated their willingness to play a greater role in facilitating this kind of collaboration in the Guiana Shield.

The Head of State explained that Guyana’s ‘green’ trajectory towards economic development has been gaining momentum, particularly over the past few months as even private companies are beginning to make the transition to ‘green’ energy. He also noted that Guyana is committed to maintaining a healthy balance between development of the sustainable management of the extractive industries and conservation and environmental protection.

Dr. da Fonseca said that the GEF is pleased with Guyana’s efforts and that the organisation is looking forward to developing a broader and more meaningful relationship with the country. “It is great that Guyana is taking the step forward and working with us… The President reiterated this commitment to a ‘green’ economy for Guyana and we want to make ‘green’ economy the real model for the work and support that we provide to developing countries going forward,” he said. (MOTP)

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘I will not make any 2 appear in Court for choice unless consultation Leonora labourer’s murder is completed’ T …says President on appointment of GECOM Chair

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President David Granger speaking with the media on Wednesday about the GECOM chairmanship issue at the Guyana Police Force Officers’ Training Centre, Eve Leary, Georgetown

resident David Granger has finally written to Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo in response to his request for clarification on the Head of State’s interpretation of the Constitution of Guyana regarding the appointment of a new Chairperson of the elections body.

Jagdeo had sought clarification in light of Granger’s unjustified rejection of the list of six nominees, which was submitted to him. On Wednesday, the Opposition Leader received a letter from the President, which, however, did not provide the clarification that the President had promised. This did not sit well with the Opposition, which, in a statement, expressed disappointment that the Government had not furnished the clarity sought in a matter of such national importance and magnitude.

Instead, the President merely proposed that a meeting be held between Attorney General Basil Williams and a person of the Leader of the Opposition’s choice “in order to avoid further misinterpretation or misunderstanding of this important constitutional matter”.

As a result, in a statement on Wednesday evening, the Office of the Opposition Leader stated, “We are disappointed that the clarifications that we requested have not been furnished. We are further disappointed that the President is unprepared to meet with the Leader of the Opposition on a matter of such crucial national importance. We had hoped

that such a meeting would have exposed the President to a view that is different from that of the Attorney General, whom we presume, is advising the President on this matter.”

The statement further states that in the interest of the nation, the Opposition Leader will accede to the President’s request, and will send a representative to the meeting with the Attorney General.

“It is our hope that this engagement will provide the requisite clarity and will move the process closer to an early resolution,” the Opposition statement said.

The lack of clarification came mere hours after the President promised to not end the process until both parties were satisfied.

Granger had claimed that the initial candidates were unacceptable on the basis that they did not meet the constitutional requirement of being a judge or possessing the qualifications of a judge despite the fact that the Constitution provides for any other “fit and proper” person to be nominated.

When questioned by media operatives, President Granger on Wednesday said, “I am obliged to conduct meaningful consultation with him; I will not make any choice unless the consultation is completed…I am a man of great patience; this is a constitutional matter that is important to Guyana and I don’t want to bring the process to an end without both sides being satisfied,” he expressed.

wo men were on Monday arraigned for the murder of Kawal Shivnauth, 37, of Wine Bush, Leonora, West Coast Demerara (WCD) when they appeared at the Wales Magistrate’s Court.

Roopnarine Persaud, 18, also called ‘Helicopter’ of Mathew’s Ridge, North West District and Deonarine Lakhan of Leonora, WCD were not required to plea to the indictable charge, and were remanded to prison by presiding Magistrate, Clive Nurse.

The murder took place on January 9 last, during a drinking spree at ‘Wine Bush’.

It was reported that the 37-year-old man, also called “Rupee”, was stabbed to his heart and also sustained a slash to the lower abdomen, along with another to his

Dead: Kawal Shivnauth

hand.

Reports are Shivnauth and Persaud were consuming alcohol when an argument ensued, after the teenager accused the now dead man of “troubling” his sister. During the argument, Shivnauth collected a bottle and struck the teenager to his forehead.

The teenager reportedly walked away, but

after realising that he was bleeding, he confronted Shivnauth and it was at this time, he whipped out a knife and stabbed him. The injured man was rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

After the stabbing incident, Persaud fled the scene, but was later arrested in Matthew’s Ridge where he resides.

Following an interrogation, he named the second suspect who was subsequently arrested. The Police however, gathered sufficient evidence and would have instituted charges against the men.

The matter was transferred to the Leonora Magistrate’s Court for February 20.

Grenada records first case of microcephaly

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renada has recorded its first case of microcephaly after the unidentified mother of the baby became infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus during her pregnancy.

Health Minister Nicholas Steele said that the child, whose gender was not disclosed, was born in the last quarter of 2016 but the information was not disclosed to the public until Tuesday after he was quizzed by journalists.

“We did not want to raise an alarm

because we saw that as private,” Steele said refusing to disclose the location of the child.

Microcephaly is a birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age.

Steele said that zika infection has been stabilised here and that no new cases of the disease had been recorded in recent time.

At the height of the Zika outbreak 11 people were diagnosed with the Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. The first symptoms of this disorder include varying degrees of weakness or tingling sensations in the legs. Two of the people who contracted GBS have since died.(CMC)

VAT cut, other changes effective February 1st – GRA

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he Guyana R e v e n u e Authority (GRA) on Thursday announced that the Value-Added Tax (Amendment) Regulations will come into operation on February 01, 2017 when the VAT rate will be reduced from 16% to 14%.

Additionally, the amendment provides for an increase in the VAT threshold from G$10,000,000 to G$15,000,000 annually.

In a release, the revenue body said this new measure now makes it mandatory for businesses to register for VAT if their annual sales

are equivalent to or exceed the threshold of fifteen million dollars (G$15,000,000).

The VAT Act was also

altered to include VAT on electricity charges over G$10,000 per month and water consumption over G$1,500 per month.

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

T&T couple shot dead in bed Teen accused of killing cousin

Ricky Mohammed, 39, and his wife, Luenda Anthony, 29

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unmen stormed the home of a couple and shot the pair in bed shortly after midnight on Monday.

Ricky Mohammed, 39, and his wife, Luenda Anthony, 29, were both shot in the head.

The killers attacked shortly after midnight at the couple’s wooden home

surrounded by bushes at Lime Field Road, Guapo.

Anthony’s mother, Nicole Anthony, and Anthony’s nine-year-old daughter, who were asleep in an adjoining apartment, escaped ­unhurt.

Nicole Anthony said she heard gunshots ring out. “I heard three gunshots and I jumped off the bed. I ran over on their side and by that time the (killers) done gone already. I saw the door was kicked down,” said Anthony.

“My daughter was lifeless.

(Mohammed) still talked and said ‘call the ambulance’.”

She said her daughter sustained one bullet wound; and Mohammed, two. Anthony died in the house.

Mohammed was taken by para­ medics to the Point Fortin Area Hospital and later transferred to San Fernando General Hospital, where he died.(Trinidad Express)

Bolivian Ambassador...

from page 5

America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace based on respect for the principles and rules of international law, including the international instruments to which Member States are a party and the Principles and Purposes of the Charter of the United Nations. Guyana is confident that as a member of various regional organisations, we will continue to collaborate with Bolivia to work for the preservation of the continent as a zone of peace,” he said.

As the country moved towards the pursuit and development of a ‘green’ economy, the President said that he too looked forward to cooperation in this area, as it was a means of tackling the ongoing climate change phenomenon.

Meanwhile, newly-accredited Ambassador Franco, in his remarks,

said that the two countries have always shared cordial, friendly relations and it was his country’s hope too that the bonds could be further deepened for the mutual benefit of Guyana and Bolivia.

“It is the profound wish of our President to see the development and strengthening of relations with your country. My mission will be to seek fruitful outcomes in all areas of our relationship with due priority to fostering brotherhood among our peoples and actions in favour of development, which our peoples fervently aspire,” Ambassador Franco said through a translator. Ambassador Franco replaces Jerjes Justiniano Talavera, who began his tenure in Guyana in 2014.

Cops hoping for breakthrough soon in NIS robbery …Special Constable placed under open arrest

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he Special Constable who was under close arrest in connection with the robbery committed on the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD) branch is now under open arrest.

This was confirmed

by D Division (West Demerara-East Bank Essequibo) Commander Leslie James who stated that the Constable was placed under open arrest over the weekend.

An open arrest is when a person is considered to be in custody and their movements are restricted, but they are allowed to go about their normal daily business.

Commander James also noted that the Police were continuing their investigation into the robbery and were still hunting for the six armed men who committed the act. He noted that the Police were working with information at their disposal and were hopeful of a breakthrough in the case soon.

About 02:30h on Thursday, January 12, six armed men carted off G$6 million in cash after they torched a safe in the building. They made their way into the premises by cutting the chainlink fence at the back, after which they attacked the two security guards on duty – a male and a female.

The perpetrators then disconnected the alarm system, as well as the telephone lines, before breaking into the building by kicking down the door. Based on how they operated, it is believed that they were well-briefed about the location of the safe.

Hours after the robbery, the two guards, including the one who was now under close arrest, along with a supervisor and a junior employee of the NIS were detained.

Based on further investigations, the male constable was held under close arrest while the three others were released.

Although Old Age Pension is paid out on the

first day of the month, persons who are self-employed were visiting the office to make payments, causing the bandits to target the office.

over G$440 to face Court soon

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West Bank Demerara, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) teenager was stabbed to death by his 16-year-old cousin after he did not repay G$440 that was borrowed to purchase bread.

Dead is Leon Anthony Ritchie, 17, of Lot 20 L’Oratoire, Canal Number One Polder, West Bank Demerara.

He was stabbed once to his chest by his 16-yearold cousin, during an argument at about 18:10h on Tuesday evening. The suspect is expected to be charged soon.

Reports are the fatal stabbing stemmed from a row over money owed to the suspect. Guyana Times International understands that the now dead teenager, a construction worker had borrowed G$440 from his cousin to purchase bread about two weeks ago.

However, the bread was utilised by the suspect and another cousin, Akeem Gittens, and as such the young man apparently did not see the need to repay the money.

However, on Tuesday afternoon, the suspect confronted Ritchie for the money and an argument ensured. Ritchie was reportedly in the kitchen preparing a meal when he was attacked by the suspect and dealt one blow to the chest with a knife that the suspect picked up in the kitchen.

An injured Ritchie reportedly collapsed and upon realising what he had done, the suspect raised an alarm. The injured teen was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The suspect, who ac-

Dead: Leon Anthony Ritchie

companied his injured cousin to the medical facility, was immediately taken into custody and is assisting with investigations. At the house where the stabbing occurred, Akeem Gittens, the brother of the suspect, said he was no where around and knew little about what might have prompted the stabbing incident.

He explained that he was at a shop in the area and was informed about the stabbing incident by two young ladies. With some disbelief, he rode home but by the time he arrived, his cousin was already taken to the hospital. He further stated that when he entered the kitchen, there was blood everywhere.

Nevertheless, he claimed that he went to see his brother at the La Grange Police Station but was prevented from doing so.

“All I hearing islil thing here and there… one time, I hear is about money, another time is about charged, the other time about a girl… so I nah know exactly what happen… All I know is that the two of them does go out and lime and come home late… I never know

they had any vibes,” the young man noted.

He further stated that his now dead cousin was a quiet person who did not get into trouble.

The dead teen’s father, Michael Ritchie, when contacted via telephone told this newspaper that he was standing in front of his house when he received news of the incident. He is one of the persons who took his son to the hospital.

The aggrieved father, who is still in shock, said he was not afforded an explanation as to what prompted the stabbing.

Although his son did not live with him, he would visit him quite often.

The father said his son lived at his grandparent’s house along with his other cousins. Their grandfather, who supervised the boys, passed away last year and ever since they have been living alone. Persons in the area could not recall hearing any argument prior to the stabbing incident.

One woman posited that she was at home all day and only heard loud music but after a while, the place went quiet followed by scream from the suspect, who was shouting “Leon! Leon!”

It was at that time that residents in the area thought something was amiss and ran over to the house where they found the young man lying in a pool of blood. Leon Ritchie is survived by his parents and only brother.

The Police have since recovered the murder weapon as they continue their investigations.

They are expected to institute charges before the end of the week.

(Bhisham Mohamed)

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22 , 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Babita Sarjou’s PI

Mother tells Court suspect had threatened her daughter on several occasions

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Murder accused: Anand Narine

hampa Seonarine, the mother of Babita Sarjou, whose remains were discovered buried in her estranged husband’s backyard last year, took the stand to testify in the matter on Wednesday.

The Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the woman’s murder continued before the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan.

Along with Seonarine, Inspector Suraj Singh took the stand; the victim’s sister, SunitaSarjou, will take the stand next when the matter continues.

The woman, in November of 2010, had left her home to view a Diwali motorcade; however, she failed to return.

Sarjou’s whereabouts remained a mystery for several years, but her family never gave up on getting an explanation for her disappearance. In March

of last year, the woman’s remains were found in her husband Anand Narine’s Lot 51 Seaforth Street, Campbellville, Georgetown backyard.

The remains were positively identified by her mother.

In her testimony before the court, Seonarine recounted the day of her daughter’s disappearance.

She identified Narine as her former son-in-law to the court and relayed that he, on numerous occasions leading up to her daughter’s disappearance, threatened her life.

Seonarine was again made to identify the objects found with her daughter’s remains.

On the day of the discovery, Seonarine told media operatives then that her daughter always complained of having a turbulent relationship with Narine.

She divulged that even the family members of Narine and, more importantly, his mother had told her that her son (Narine) was brain damaged and, as such, would act in a disorderly manner.

Seonarine was also the person to report her daughter’s disappearance, since Sarjou was living with her at the time.

The woman was cross-examined by the second accused Darrel Ponton’s Attorney, Nigel Hughes.

However, Peter Hughes, the Attorney representing the interest of Narine for the second time, was not in court and, as such, Narine took notes of everything being said.

The matter will continue today (Thursday) when Sarjou’s sister and niece will give their testimony.

Jamaicans urged to prepare for earthquakes

Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister, Olivia Grange (left), and Opposition Leader, Portia Simpson Miller (2nd right), are engaged in discussion with Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) Director General, Major Clive Davis (right), during Friday’s (January 13) ceremony to mark the 110th anniversary of the 1907 Kingston earthquake. The event, organised by ODPEM, was held at the 1907 Earthquake Monument, situated at Bumper Hall in South West St Andrew. At 2nd left is Deputy Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Winston Ennis. (Photo: JIS)

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he importance of public awareness and preparedness was highlighted during a ceremony last Friday, to mark the 110th anniversary of the 1907 Kingston earthquake that claimed more than 1,000 lives and left a trail of destruction in its wake.

The function was held at the 1907 Earthquake Monument in Bumper Hall, Greenwich Town, South West St Andrew, where 501 unidentified victims were buried.

It was organised by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) as part of activities marking Earthquake Awareness Month under the theme ‘Drop. Cover.

Hold. Earthquake Readiness is Within Your Control’.

Local Government and Community Development minister, Desmond McKenzie, said commemorating the earthquake and honouring the memory of the victims should serve to push people to take safeguards against such a disaster.

The minister, in a message read by councillor for the Tivoli Gardens Division, Donovan Samuels, said that Jamaica rests on a number of faults, which renders the country vulnerable to earthquakes.

He noted that a new fault was discovered in the Kingston Harbour in 2010.

“This should cause us to take earthquake awareness very seriously,” he said.

“Our challenge, as a country, is to look again at the spaces we occupy and the building practices we engage in to ensure that we are, as best as possible, prepared for the passage, or aftermath, of an earthquake... and demonstrate that we have learnt from that experience,” McKenzie added.

He encouraged people to be more re-

ceptive of the ODPEM’s public-awareness campaign.

“I ask every Jamaican to try and learn more about their vulnerability to earthquakes... by improving our awareness and changing our way of living,” he said.

Meanwhile, Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister Olivia Grange, in recounting the 1907 disaster and commemorating the victims’ memory, emphasised the need for Jamaicans to be prepared for disasters.

“Let us also be reminded that earthquakes know neither colour nor creed and can lay hands on you suddenly,” she said.

For her part, Opposition Leader and Member of Parliament for South West St Andrew, where Bumper Hall is located, Portia Simpson Miller, said the monument is important in preserving a major part of Kingston’s, and Jamaica’s, history.

“While we continue to pay our respects to these victims each year, this monument is also a significant reminder to those who are alive... that natural disasters do not discriminate in their impact... they affect everyone... (and we must) be prepared for disasters of this kind,” she pointed out.

In his remarks, ODPEM’s director general, Major Clive Davis, emphasised the need for citizens to constantly bear in mind that “earthquakes have no season (and can) occur suddenly without warning”.

“We must have contingency plans in place. We know that we (ODPEM), as an organisation, have a responsibility to ensure safeguards are communicated and instituted. We also want you to know that you (citizens), too, have a responsibility to take the necessary safeguards,” he added.

Both Grange and Simpson Miller laid a wreath at the monument, following the ceremony. ((JIS)

East Ruimveldt man gets 3 years for ganja possession

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40-year-old man who, since November last, has been on trial after Police found him at his home packaging cannabis, was on Tuesday jailed for three years by Magistrate Leron Daly.

Louis Byas, of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, originally pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that in November, he was found to be in possession of 105 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

He first appeared before City Magistrate Judy Latchman, where the charge was charge read to him.

However, the matter was transferred to Magistrate Daly’s Courtroom where trial commenced.

Magistrate Daly, in handing down the verdict, told the defendant that the evidence provided by the Prosecution was sufficient and she found him guilty as charged.

The defendant was also fined G$157,500, which is the street value of the drugs.

On the day of his arrest, Byas was found by officers cutting up the narcotics and placing it in Ziploc bags.

As such, a search was conducted on his home, where more of the drugs were unearthed. Police were also told that the defendant smoked the drug as a hobby. He was taken into Police custody where he was later arrested and charged.

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22 , 2016| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Father to spend 8 years behind bars for killing 2-month-old son

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Jailed: James Hunte

ames Hunte who caused the death of his two-month-old son in a drunken brawl back in 2012 was sentenced to eight years in prison for manslaughter.

Standing before Justice Navindra Singh and a packed courtroom at the Demerara High Court on Wednesday morning, Hunte also called “Dougla” pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge.

The State contended that on March 20, 2012 at Le Ressouvenir, East CoastDemerara, he killed his son Andy Hunte.

When allowed to speak, the accused, with great emotion, told the court that he was sorry for what he had done and even noted that no relatives have visited him since he was incarcerated.

Handing down the eight-year sentence, Justice Singh expressed that he believed the accused regretted what had happened and noted that Hunte had already spent almost five years on remand awaiting trial.

“It is unfortunate that you lost your temper, but I don’t think

you’re a hardened criminal…I want to give you a chance to make a contribution to society,” remarked the Judge.

Justice Singh reminded the court that Hunte had confessed to Police just one day after the crime was committed. He told the convict to use his time behind bars to learn a skill and further encouraged him to continue his reported good behaviour.

Speaking outside the court moments after his sentencing, Hunte reacted calmly to his sentence, noting that it was “not bad”.

During a drunken rum shop brawl on March 20, 2012 with his son’s mother, Hunte struck the child to the head with a belt buckle.

The toddler was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital and died hours later.

Reports at that time had stated that the child’s parents were homeless and reportedly alcoholics.

The State’s case was presented by Prosecutors Siand Dhurjon and Tuanna Hardy while Defence Attorney George Thomas represented the accused.

Prosecution closes case in Bartica massacre trial A

fter nearly three months of lengthy testimonies and at times gruelling cross-examinations by the defence counsel, the State has rested its case against Mark Royden Williams, Dennis “Anaconda” Williams and Roger Simon, who are standing trial for the February 17, 2008 Bartica attack where twelve persons lost their lives.

This disclosure was made by Lead Prosecutor Diana Kaulesar, who on Tuesday announced that the State does not intend to call any other witnesses. Her comments followed the brief appearance of Police Inspector Eon Johnson, a ballistics expert, who discontinued his testimony after a series of objections and applications from the Prosecution and Dennis Williams’ Defence Counsel, Shaphier Husain.

Citing the law, Justice Roxanne George, SC ruled that while Inspector Johnson’s evidence could not be tendered, he however could testify to his expert analysis of what was found at the site.

Bartica businessman Chunilall Babulall, called “Vulture”, took the stand during the afternoon session, and testified that on February 13, 2008, he had left Bartica for Georgetown only to return on February 18 to discover the doors to the entrances and rooms of his home, and ‘CB&R’ office to his mining company on the lower flat were vandalised, while several items were missing.

He pointed out that his home and office are located in the same building at First Avenue, just seven corners from the Police Station, which was also attacked.

Babulall told the court that his bedroom was ransacked and a safe was missing, which the witness explained contained his transport, jewellery, approximately 25 ounces of gold and cash. The 12-member jury heard that the jewellery set was made out of platinum and blue diamonds. Babulall further noted that an office safe was also stolen.

Previously, two witnesses, Clebert Reece and Dwane Williams who are self-confessed gang mem-

Mark Williams, Dennis “Anaconda” Williams and Roger Simon are the three accused standing trial for the Bartica Massacre

bers, had testified that safes were opened which had contained several articles. On January 6, Reece had stated that after he set the boat adrift at a camp, two safes were opened, in which one contained raw gold, diamonds, a necklace and a gemstone, while the other had G$1 million inside with a set of keys and a ziploc bag with two diamonds.

Babulall also recalled that he had last seen watchman Irving Ferreira at his company on February 12, 2008. Ferreira was one of the victims slaughtered in the attack. The State presented Babulall’s cancelled passport and National Insurance Card to be identified in court amidst objection by the Defence on the grounds that the items had no relevance to the trial.

Meanwhile, the cross-examination of Police Detective, Inspector Suraj Singh concluded during the morning session. Roger Simon’s attorney, Peter Hugh grilled Singh over the Police procedures in identifying similar subjects in the identification (ID) parade, but the Police witness responded that he never interviewed Simon or any of the other persons in the line-up.

Under questioning by Dennis Williams’ attorney, Shaphier

Father opens fire on daughter’s boyfriend

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father, on Tuesday, was forced to discharge several rounds after finding his teenage daughter in company of a young man in his house, who turned out to be wanted by the Police for questioning into the fatal shooting outside the Rio nightclub, four months ago.

According to information reaching Guyana Times International, the incident occurred sometime around 13:00h at the man’s West Ruimveldt, Georgetown home.

It was reported that the father, who is an excop now employed as a security attached to the Guyana Elections

Commission (GECOM), received information that there was a young man at home with his 19-year-old daughter, and so he went to investigate.

Upon arriving home, this newspaper was told that the security guard confronted the young man, who reportedly attacked him. An altercation subsequently ensured between the two men, during which the father pulled out his licenced pistol and discharge several rounds in the air. This caused the young man to escape from the home.

At the time, this publication understands that the ex-cop was unaware

that the young man, who is said to be in his 20s, was wanted by the Police for questioning in relation to the murder.

When contacted by the Guyana Times Internationalon Tuesday, Deputy Commander of A Division (Georgetown and East Bank Demerara), Calvin Brutus, confirmed the shooting incident.

He explained that after neighbours heard the shots, the Police were alerted and upon further investigation it was found that the young man, who hails from East Ruimveldt, was a “person of interest” in the investigations of the fatal nightclub shooting.

…who was later found to be wanted by Police ed.

The boyfriend is wanted for questioning in the death of Ryan Sergeant (pictured above)

“We have been looking for him for some time now and now we know that he frequented that area… but I’m not sure he will return after this incident,” the officer not-

Husain, Singh noted that he was “nowhere around” when Williams was making his statement and rejected the suggestion that the accused was forced to sign the statement.

Aside from the three accused, two others, Clebert Reece and Michael Caesar, had both pled guilty to manslaughter late last year, and were sentenced to 420 and 1080 years imprisonment respectively. Additionally Reece and fellow gang member Dwane Williams identified the two others as being part of the gang that carried out massacres at Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek.

The two main witnesses, however, claimed the other accused, Roger Simon was not a part of the gang that executed the attack. It was while residents were watching a game of 20/20 cricket on that fateful night that gunmen stormed the Essequibo community and slaughtered three Policemen and nine civilians. The victims included Police Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir, Constables Shane Fredericks and Ron Osborne; and civilians Edwin Gilkes, Dexter Adrian, Irving Ferreira, Deonarine Singh, Ronald Gomes, Ashraf Khan, Abdool Yasseen, Errol Thomas and Baldeo Singh.

He related that in a statement to the Police, the teenager said that she and the young man shared a relationship for some time now, however further details were withheld by the Deputy Commander.

Meanwhile, the father also gave a statement to the Police and according to Brutus nothing can be done to him unless there is a report from the victim who was shot. This, he said, is unlikely.

“The victim will not be willing to come to us on his own because he knows we’ve been looking for him since last year,” Brutus noted.

The young man is

said to have had previous brushes with the laws during his teenage years. On September 26, 19-year-old Ryan “Harry” Sergeant of Lot 2530 Layon Street, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was shot once to the jaw during an exchange of gunfire, which started in the Rio nightclub and ended on the outside. He was picked up and dropped off at the Woodlands Hospital.

A second person, Jeffrey Ferrel also of North Ruimveldt, was also shot and injured during the gun battle. It was reported that the incident stemmed from a gambling spree within the nightclub.

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Lawrence urged to act on Teachers Union seeking Cabinet’s recommendation meeting with Town Clerk …to scrap controversial drug bond contract

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ew Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence is being urged to act on the recommendation by a Cabinet sub-committee to terminate the controversial drug bond deal.

Even though the drug bond deal was approved by Cabinet, a sub-committee subsequently recommended the termination of the contract in light of the immense public outrage which erupted over the matter.

Despite this proposal, which was made since August last, Government is still expending approximately G$12.5 million monthly for the rental of what is basically a house on Sussex Street owned by a party affiliate, Larry Singh, to store the country’s pharmaceuticals.

But the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is adamant it will not let the controversy die down.

PPP/Civic parliamentarian Anil Nandlall, during a press conference on Monday, renewed calls for the agreement to be terminated.

“It is expected that this contract will now be rescinded. After all, a Cabinet sub-committee has so recommended. It is inexplicable why this Cabinet sub-committee’s decision is being ig-

PPP/C MP Anil Nandlall

nored,” he stated.

The Cabinet sub-committee found, among other things, that the lease entered between the Public Health Ministry and Linden Holding Inc for the storage of drugs and medical supplies “should be revised and strengthened” and that Government should seek to renegotiate the rental for a lesser sum, since a similar facility could be obtained at a lower rate.

Reports indicate that the sub-committee recommended to the President that should Singh’s Linden Holding Inc refuse to renegotiate a cheaper rate with Government, the company should be given one year’s notice within which time Government would seek to build its own bond.

Some G$250 million

has been earmarked in the 2017 National Budget to construct a drug bond in Kingston, Georgetown.

Former Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton had told Guyana Times Internationalthat Government, as decided by Cabinet, would be renting the Sussex Street bond until it completed the construction of the bond in Kingston.

The truth of the secret bond deal came to the public’s purview after Government opted to pay Singh, a campaign financier, more than three times the amount asked

by NEW GPC for use of its 70,000 square foot drug storage bond, to rent a facility that is less than 10,000 square feet, which is still to be completed and fails to meet minimum standards for pharmaceutical storage.

The Guyana Government, in 2015, terminated its prequalification agreement with the NEW GPC and forked over a G$25 million deposit to Linden Holding Inc. There was no proof that the Sussex Street, Charlestown ‘house bond’ was compliant with international health and safety requirements, while the

over parking meter fees

The parking meter in front of the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre

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y now everyone has felt the arrival of the parking meters in Georgetown, but the presence of two in front of the Bishops’ High School and one by the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre is not going down well with the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU).

According to GTU’s General Secretary Coretta McDonald, this represents an additional burden on teachers and generally anyone else who will be affected by the fees which have been imposed. At present the rate is G$50, plus Value Added Tax (VAT), for every 15 minutes. This adds up to at least G$200 an

affects the life of the populace), consultations are important.”

According to McDonald, she has written to Mayor Patricia Chase-Green in order to seek a meeting. One of her expectations is for a reduction for teachers and any workers who will be affected.

After being signed in November 2015, the manner in which the 49-year parking meter contract was arranged with National Parking Solutions/SCSI has attracted heavy scrutiny in the press.

This was not helped when the Mayor, Town Clerk Royston King and City Councillors Oscar

hour.

“Teachers are quite upset because this is an additional financial burden,” McDonald said, in an interview on Monday.

“Any additional financial burden will be cause for concern. Teachers are no different.”

McDonald was critical of the fact that neither Smart City Solutions Incorporated (SCSI), the company responsible for the parking meters, nor the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), saw having consultations with the union representing Guyana’s teachers as important.

“What I would like to say to the M&CC or the entity, is that before you roll anything out (which

Afterwards, however, any vehicle which has either not paid for parking or has exceeded their paid time will have their vehicle incapacitated by a tire booting device. This can be done whether the vehicle owner is present or not.

If the owner was The sign indicating the not there, they will be proximity of parking meters greeted by the sight of their incapacitated vehiClark and Junior Garrett, cle and a sticker in their left on a trip to Mexico driver’s side window upon to inspect the product- their return. In cases seven months after the whereby the parked vehiagreement was inked. cle may obstruct the flow Subsequently, the of traffic, they may return Finance Ministry and to an empty space as the the Attorney General’s vehicle will be immediChambers conducted re- ately towed. views of the contract to A fine of G$8000 plus determine its practicali- VAT will have to be paid ty and legality. In its re- in order to unlock the veviews, the glaring ab- hicle. If the fine is not paid sence of any financial within two hours, the veanalysis or feasibility hicle will be towed to an study by the M&CC had impound lot. The fine been noted. would then be G$12,000 One of the obser- plus any VAT applicable. vations of the Finance It was pointed out by Ministry had been that the Finance Ministry re“the contract has given view that SCSI sought complete monopoly pow- “absolute right” to deterer to SCSI over parking mine the space, number within Georgetown. This of meters and the location control could lead to ex- boundaries. ploitation of consumers

Penalties

continued on page 15

Man found guilty of murder, manslaughter of brothers

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bdul Budhoo, who was on trial for the murder of his two cousins, is expected to spend the next several years incarcerated following a guilty verdict handed down at the Demerara High Court on Monday afternoon.

Budhoo, a former resident of Industrial Area, Mackenzie, Linden, was found guilty of killing brothers Shaheed and Imran Saffraz Bacchus following a dispute at Wismar Street, Mackenzie on September 30, 2012.

About 14:30h on Monday, the jury decided 11-1 that Budhoo was guilty of manslaughter in the death of Shaheed Bacchus and 12-0 that Budhoo was guilty of murdering Shaheed’s brother, Imran.

After the verdict was handed down to a still courtroom which included several relatives, pre-

Imran and Shaheed Bacchus were murdered by Abdul Budhoo, their own cousin, in 2012

siding judge, Justice Navindra Singh asked the accused if he had anything to say but he remained silent. Justice Singh ordered a probation report for the accused and adjourned the matter to February 6 for sentencing.

Budhoo had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Reports had stated that an argument over outstanding mon-

ies had ensued between Shaheed and Budhoo when Shaeed’s brother, Imran had intervened.

Both men were fatally stabbed during the ordeal.

State Prosecutors Siand Dhurjon and Tuanna Hardy called a total of 11 witnesses to the stand, and the accused was represented by defence counsel Michael Somersall.

as SCSI has the power to change fees arbitrarily and determine zones.”

The fees amount to at least G$200 an hour. The minimum time a motorist can purchase is 15 minutes. The meters work by the user inputting the number of their parking space, the time they need and then presenting a prepaid card which they would have purchased, to a card reader on the meters.

Metered hours are Monday to Saturday, from 07:00h to 19:00h. There is a ‘honeymoon’ period in effect, which ends on January 23, where motorists will not have to pay for parking. According to the company, this is to allow motorists to get “accustomed”.

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

GTT’s case on increased landline rates further postponed

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ore back-andforth arguments between the commissioners and members of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), GTT, and the Guyana Consumers Association (GCA) have seen yet another adjournment of the landline rates increase hearing on Monday.

At the last Hearing held in December last year, the PUC had requested that the telecommunications company provide a summary of the updated cost model and aresponse to a letter from the GCA. However, there seemed to have been some misunderstanding since, although the documents were presented on Monday, the PUC Chairman, Justice Prem Persaud and Commissioner Maurice

Commissioners of the PUC, along with executives of GCA, meet with executives of GTT in PUC’s conference room on Monday

Solomon said they were seeking specifically written details on numbers in the module.

This sparked some arguments as GTT maintained that the Commission was in receipt of the model for some three years and that it was time that the

hearing move from this point.

GTT’s consultant, Gene Evelyn, told the Commission that it would be difficult for his team to, at that time, provide the answers being sought. In fact, he reasoned that it would be rather difficult to

summarise the information in the memorandum, which, he stressed, has wide-ranging content.

“The model was with the Commission since 2014. The details that you are requesting are in the model. It is not a case of the informa-

tion not being submitted; the information has been submitted, it is there,” Evelyn told the Commission.

A memorandum was submitted on request of the Consumers Association. Evelyn said Commissioners also have that memorandum in their possession as it was provided to the body.

In 2014, GTT had applied to raise the domestic rates for most of its services. The application proposed increases for services such as installation, transfers, additional jacks, wake-up calls, three-way calling, voicemail, call forwarding and reconnection. It also sought to increase rates for intra-exchange calls during peak hours by 40 per cent and during non-peak hours by 60 per cent. The current intra-exchange call rate is $.60 (peak) and $.30 (non-peak). For inter-exchange calls (from one zone to another), it

proposed an increase of 20 per cent for both peak and non-peak hours. The current rates for peak hours per minute are Zone A $3, B $4, C 5$ and D $7. During non-peak hours the rates are $2, $3.6, $4.8 and $5, respectively.

The PUC had rejected the application in 2015.

GTT Chief Executive Officer Justin Nedd told the Commissioners that it was time that the process moved ahead.

“You have all the information; we have provided you with our financial statements, you’ve got the models, you’ve got access to our analysts, you’ve got all the traffic information and you see that the traffic on local and international calls is reducing. I am really at a loss as to what the expectation is because we have expended hundreds of man hours and hundreds of thousands of US dollars providing the information… So, I don’t want it to be a case where every time we come here it’s a shift and go… but we have supplied all the information,” Nedd said After further deliberations and deeper explanation, the Commission made a decision to meet at a later date, if necessary. Before that next meeting however, the Consumers Association and Commissioners will meet to go through the information presented

by GTT.

3 years in jail for teen found with narcotics A teen hailing from Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) on Monday made his appearance before the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan who jailed him for three years on a narcotics possession charge.

Devin Melville, 19, of Paramakatoi, Region Eight, pleaded guilty to the chargewhich stated that on January 11, 2017, at Paramakatoi Village, he had in his possession 27 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

The prosecution told the court that a raid was carried out on the defendant’s home and a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems, suspected to be cannabis, was found under his bed.

Reports are that the accused admitted own-

Devin Melville

ership, and was later arrested and charged with the offence.

According to the man, his 12-year-old niece was ill and the drug was being used with the expectation of curing her.

However, Magistrate McLennan ordered that the defendant pay three times the street value of the drug – as a fine G$40,500 and handed down her sentence.

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Outgoing US envoy to T&T: ‘If I was police commissioner, I would fire myself’

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ays before his departure, the United States’ top diplomat, Ambassador John Estrada, has abandoned all diplomacy, giving his candid opinion on the state of Trinidad and Tobago, its crime situation and its politics.

Estrada, who was born in Trinidad and left for the US at age 14, says he is particularly disappointed with the way crime fighting was being handled.

Speaking on the Morning Edition on Tuesday, Estrada said the US government had invested in the country through funding and sending trained professionals on crime.

“My country puts a lot of resources in trying to build law enforcement capacity in this country. We bring agents down here from FBI, local police…we spent of a lot of resources here in training and to see the homicide rate continue to spiral out of control. It hurts me every time I see a young woman, a young girl, schoolgirl, one just recently; it happens so frequently.

And I listen to the leadership and when I talk about leadership I talk about the people that are responsible for fighting crime; is the police. And there has to be accountability at that level,” said Estrada.

Estrada said that if he was in charge of the police, and there were no results

US Ambassador John Estrada

he would fire himself.

“If I was in charge of the police, we would get results and if we were not getting results, I would be the first one to fire myself if I ran the police service,” he said.

Estrada also said there is a need for judicial reform and could not understand how someone charged for a crime and the trial stage took so long.

He said: “You need judicial reform, it is mind boggling to me that you could arrest someone for a crime and they don’t come to trial…your judicial system needs reform, the leadership from the top police they need to be held accountable.”

Estrada agreed with Police Complaints Authority director David West who recently referred to the police service as a gang. West has since apologised after calls for his resignation were prompted.

Lawrence urged to act on Cabinet...

from page 12

landlord would be receiving exceedingly generous benefits.An unsigned contract (Agreement of Tenancy) between the Public Health Ministry and the controversial warehouse owner Linden Holding Inc was subsequently circulated to parliamentarians in the National Assembly after much public outcry on the deal.

Among the red flags contained in the document, the most alarming is that the parties involved agreed that the building would be used for a professional office as opposed to a drug storage warehouse.

This would explain why the building, which critics have since argued is not certified to properly store pharmaceuticals, is presently under renovation while simultaneously keeping drugs which will be distributed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and other public

health agencies for usage by the public.

Government was adamant that the building was certified by the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) for the storage of pharmaceutical supplies; however, the contract bears no such stipulation despite the importance of this bit of information.

Additionally, the released contract shows that the landlord will be benefiting greatly from this deal, particularly with provisions to hold the property for three years along with a 12-month notice of termination.

Dr Norton, who took the fall for this controversial deal, highlighted that he was being reprimanded for a decision taken by Cabinet all because he was the one receiving negative publicity on the matter.

NEWS 15

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana Govt taking steps to crack down on TIP hotspots

President David Granger during his address at the launch of the TIP national action plan

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eightened surveillance on suspicious businesses, surprise raids on flagged locations and more robust intelligence gathering are just a few of the activities geared towards achieving the target of increasing the prosecuting rate of human traffickers by 300 per cent, in comparison to the year 2015 where only two perpetrators were convicted.

This was announced by the Coordinator of the Counter Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Unit in the Social Protection Ministry, Tanisha Williams, during the launch of the National Plan of Action for the Prevention and Response to Trafficking in Persons 2017-2018.

Over the years, there has been an increase in the number of reports of suspected TIP cases reaching the relevant authorities but Williams pointed out that this does not necessarily translate to an upsurge

in the number of human trafficking incidents.

The National Action Plan provides four bases upon which the TIP Task Force will execute its duties – prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership.

Williams explained that efforts will be made to distribute awareness booklets across the regions, conduct awareness sessions in high schools and with faith based organisations, and launch a school competition all aimed at sensitising the public of this inhumane scourge.

Additionally, the Task Force will seek to train more than 50 persons in identifying TIP victims. It will also lobby manufacturing business entities to print education messages on the labels of various consumer items.

On the matter of protection, TIP victims will continue to receive comprehensive psychosocial

counselling and access to healthcare, legal guidance, shelter, job placement, among other services crucial for their reintegration into society.

Regarding prosecution, Williams said efforts will be made to train law enforcement officials, immigration officers, mines officers, Magistrates and attorneys on issues related to TIP. This training will be done with the aim of increasing the number of arrests, charges and convictions of human traffickers by 300 per cent.

Williams said officers will continue to conduct research to determine areas that warrant special investigation and to increase surveillance on suspicious businesses and individuals.

Further, she noted that any approach that is not integrated is doomed to fail and therefore underscored the importance of the involvement of all stakeholders in the combat against this illicit trade.

Statistics show that in 2015, there was a 47 per cent increase and in 2016 there was a 45 per cent increase in the number of suspected cases in comparison to 2014.

According to the coordinator, the majority of the persons suspected to be TIP victims are from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

Increasing number of Guyanese unable to pay debts

…says former AFC exec member

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan

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he Guyana economy has been in freefall post 2015 and the plummeting ability of its citizenry to repay loans to banks and similar institutions now threatens even more bankruptcy in companies, especially small businesses – a salient feature of a financial crisis.

This is the stark warning of former Alliance For Change (AFC) Executive Sasenarine Singh, who in a recent analysis found that Non-Performing Loans – commonly called bad debts – “have multiplied by some 36 per cent, since the (David) Granger Administration came to power”.

According to Singh, “In simple language, the size of the bad debt portfolio is clearly going in the wrong direction.”

Suffering

The former AFC Executive, in a letter to the editor, posits: “After a relatively calm decade, the Guyanese banking system is suffering under (Finance) Minister Winston Jordan.”

On the matter of the declining ability of Guyanese to repay their debts, Singh deduced from information supplied by the Finance Ministry and the Bank of Guyana

that bad debts in the local banking sector have moved from 8.3 per cent of all loans in June 2015 (at the end of the PPP’s tenure) to 11.3 per cent in September 2016.

“I was reliably advised that at the end of 2016, the rate of bad debt is now some 11.5 per cent of the total loan portfolio…This data clearly indicates the predictable adverse economic trajectory.”

He has since posited that the rise of bad debts was a salient feature of a financial crisis and suggested that “for the banks, delays in debt repayment make obtaining further credit more difficult, which often leads to a second round of debt default and even more bankruptcy in companies, especially small businesses”.

He suggested that any sensible banking leader plagued with a high stock of bad debt was likely to focus on internal consolidation and improving asset quality rather than providing new credit.

Ruling elite According to Singh, “any serious Government would have done some strategising around this issue from day one, but it is now clear that the life of ordinary people has little meaning for the ruling elite in the Granger Government.”

Singh suggests that from its public actions, the ruling A Partnership for National Unity, Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition has reduced the most complex issues into sweeping political generalities which resulted in regular people suffering because of the intellectual deficit in the Granger Administration.

Former AFC Executive, Sasenarine Singh

Taking a swipe at Finance Minister Jordan, Singh recalled that with three successive budgets, he “has not once but twice proven to be one big amusing entertainer who does not have the awareness of the needs of the economy to be able to deliver the required policy actions to get Guyana back on track”.

Singh is of the view “this mentality of taxing a flat economic cake, frustrating the productive sectors and spending recklessly on projects like the D’Urban Park parade ground is clearly an intellectually bankrupt economic strategy”.

He opined that Jordan’s “saving grace is hoping for oil before 2020…But that is exactly that ‘hope’, because oil will not flow until 2021/2022 at the earliest based on information I saw”.

Singh’s publicly stated position comes on the heels of statements made in a recent interview with this newspaper by Economic Adviser to the Opposition Leader, Dr Peter Ramsaroop, who had also warned of imminent dire economic straits as a result of policies being pursued by the current Administration.

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Entire Cabinet made decision on controversial drug bond ... says Norton

By Devina Samaroo

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fter being attacked and humiliated by both the press and his Government over the highly controversial drug bond deal which is believed to reek of corruption, former Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton has finally opened up about the entire ordeal and how he is now being reprimanded for a call which was made byhigher authorities.

Dr Norton was hauled before the parliamentary Privileges Committee (akin to a parliamentary court) and scorched by the media after he misled the National Assembly on the Public Health Ministry’s sudden rental of a basic house on Sussex Street, Charlestown, Georgetown owned by a party affiliate to store the country’s pharmaceuticals at an exorbitant rate at G$12.5 million per month.

Altogether, this arrangement is billing Government in excess of G$14 million per month, as there are other expenses involved in the agreement.

As the story gained momentum and the Government began to receive immense public backlash, its members eventually expressed concerns over the matter and forced the then Public Health Minister to apologise to the nation.

Dr Norton was subsequently removed from the Public Health Ministry, which has a budget of G$23 billion, and placed to head the Social Cohesion Ministry, which has a G$90 million budget.

The fall

Dr Norton, in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Internationallast week, admitted that he is taking the

fall for a decision made entirely by all Cabinet members, including President David Granger.

It all started when he received an invoice on his desk for the rental of a state-of-the-art and internationally certified drug bond. Notably, this bond is 70,000 square feet, while the controversial residential building disguised as a bond is 6000 square feet.

“The reality of the situation is you come to work one morning and you see an invoice on your desk saying you need to pay this company so much money,” Dr Norton said, positing also that Government did not need all of the space which the modern facility boasted.

He said the search began for alternatives and his staff prepared a paper to be taken to Cabinet regarding options.

“For the Cabinet, every decision that is made there, a paper is taken by the Minister that is responsible, but it is not necessarily that Minister who makes the decision or who decides

whether all the conditions are met, or who is the lowest bidder and those sorts of things. Those are decisions made by the technical officers and the Minister is supposed to defend that at Cabinet.

We have Cabinet every Tuesday. It is a fact that many times we go to Cabinet with a paper we see for the first time,” the Minister explained, conceding that he did not get to review the paper his staff prepared beforehand.

At the Cabinet meeting where the matter was deliberated, Dr Norton said the members agreed that Government cannot continue to pay G$19 million per month for the rental of a drug bond and needed an alternative urgently. This later tuned out to be untruthful, as at the time the NEW GPC INC never received any rent from the Government of Guyana for the use of its state-of-the-art storage facility for over a decade, but after the request for rental of the facility was made by the Public Health Ministry and the Georgetown Public Hospital, an invoice was computed at G$275 per

Bandits creating havoc in Berbice

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andits struck almost simultaneously at two locations on the Corentyne on Tuesday afternoon, as crime in Berbice continues to keep law enforcement officers on the edge.

At about 15:00h a lone gunman went into Spready’s Supermarket, located at Port Mourant on the Corentyne, however his target was not the supermarket which had a few customers at the time, as the man went to the MoneyGram money transfer outlet in the building.

He took the money which the attendant was at the time counting, and then jumped over the counter and opened two drawers, emptying the cash into a black bag he was carrying at the time.

According to an eyewitness, within minutes the man escaped,

Spready’s Supermarket located at Port Mourant

riding off on a motorcycle. Reports are that the bandit, who was wearing a helmet to conceal his identity, stole G$80,000 from the money transfer outlet.

Meanwhile, at Kildonan Village, about ten miles away, three men clad with black clothing, two of whom were masked, entered the home of Nirmala Devi Persaud, 50, a vendor who operates a veg-

The business which the bandits invaded at Kildonan Village

etable stall from her Lot 17 Kildonan Village home.

According to Devi, the unmasked man carried a hand gun, while another carried duct tape.

“Them duct tape me hand from outside and drag me and carry me upstairs and them tumble all them room and suh.

Then them duct tape me mouth, me head, me foot and ask for money and gold, me na get wah me

square foot.

According to Dr Norton, the idea was to rent a bond at a lower cost until Government succeeded in rehabilitating its existing drug bond in Kingston.

“A decision was made by Cabinet to seek another facility within a certain time. A rough calculation was made that if we should rent this, then we should save so much money over so much period,” the Minister explained.

Dr Norton related that Cabinet subsequently unanimously agreed to rent the Sussex Street facility – an arrangement he emphasised was pulled together by technical staff within the Public Health Ministry.

During the interview, the Minister made it clear that he was unaware of the arrangement prior to that Cabinet sitting and he asserted also that the decision to rent the drug bond was not his, but one taken by the entire Cabinet.

“Signing the contract is not the role of the Minister. So this Minister signed no contract; that is done by another officer who has duties for that. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even sign it as a witness,” he expounded.

Dr Norton further explained that the approval of contracts is usually done by the Ministry if the value of the contract falls below a certain amount of dollars.

In the case of the drug bond, the value well exceeded the limit and therefore had to be taken to Cabinet.

Nonetheless, the Minister explained that because he was receiving the negative press about the matter, the President had no choice but to “pull the plug”.

Murder accused to know fate soon

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Murder accused: Ganga Krishna and Avishkar Kissoon

been go give them,” the traumatised woman related.

She explained that the bandits were able to take her jewellery away from her. “The one with the gun take off the lil bob earring me had on me ears. Me had one purse here with couple twenty dollar, me think G$80, them pick it up.”

The men left when a customer approached and began calling for Devi; they escaped with one gold earring, one cellular phone and G $5080 in cash.

D i v i s i o n a l Commander, Assistant Commissioner Ian Amsterdam, when contacted, stated that the Police are currently investigating both reports of robbery. While no arrests have been made, the Police were on the hunt for a known man.

he two men accused of setting alight a Robb Street, Georgetown house, killing three persons in November 2014, will soon know their fate as Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan will deliver her judgment on January 31.

Ganga Krishna, 72, and his employee, Avishkar Kissoon, 24, both appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for the murders.

The original charge stated that both men between November 16 and December 21, 2014, murdered Theresa Rozario, Feresa Rozario and Hilrod Randolph Thomas, in the course or furtherance of arson at a dwelling house.

The dead sisters and their father were burned to death after the fire engulfed their home and completely ravaged the

building.

The two men were arrested and charged with the murders after a drug addict, an accomplice to the crime, confessed to Police that he was paid and ordered to commit the act.

On the fateful day, the family was reportedly asleep when the house was set on fire. However, Thomas escaped through a window. He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

According to reports, the house at the time was the subject of an ongoing dispute between Krishna and the family.

An eyewitness had told Police that the men arrived at the house in a car after which they set it alight, re-entered the car and made good their escape.

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Republic Bank opens another branch at Triumph …President urges more focus on reducing income inequality

Economist sounds warning over looming ‘economic crisis’ …says massive borrowing, no investments will cripple Guyana’s economy

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I

The President and First Lady on a tour of the Republic Bank, Triumph branch

n order to increase access to banking services, Guyana must develop systems adapted to its geographical composition which can, in turn, reduce income inequality. This was the view put forward by President David Granger who noted that local deficiencies still exist with regard to accessing financial services in Hinterland locations.

The Head of State made these comments on Sunday afternoon, at the launch of Republic Bank’s newest branch at Triumph, East Coast

Granger however cautioned that more efforts in the banking sector needs to be employed to reduce income inequality, especially in the interior locations.

“We have established three Capital towns, [but] Mabaruma still has no bank,” the President told the gathering.

He highlighted that at present, many residents have to make costly overnight trips to access bank services. The Head of State emphasised that it is incumbent on the banking sector to find innova-

The latest Republic Bank facility at Triumph, ECD

Demerara (ECD). It was disclosed that the facility cost some G$1.5 billion.

The President pointed out that greater access to financial services will contribute to enhanced economic growth.

“The opening of bank branches brings banking services closer to the people [who] will feel more comfortable taking their financial transactions closer to where they live and work,” the Head of State noted.

President Granger told the gathering that the new establishment is not a local achievement only, but one which will benefit the entire Caribbean community, noting the “strong presence” of Republic Bank in the Region. President

tive means and mechanisms to expand services to Hinterland communities.

“Lack of access to banking services in unserved areas presents a serious constraint to income generation activities,” the President noted.

He further explained that because of the remoteness of some communities, mobile banking services would be a viable alternative.

“The expansion and use of mobile banking in Guyana is another potential approach to providing basic financial services to Hinterland and riverine areas.

Mobile banking [can] provide services without having to invest in brick

and mortar,” Granger told the gathering.

M e a n w h i l e , Managing Director of Republic Bank Guyana, Richard Sammy explained that the 1.1 acres land was acquired in 2011 following a Board of Directors decision to move forward with the project.

“Our decision to expand the Bank’s footprint stemmed from our increasing awareness of the demand for our service by the East Coast [Demerara] community.

This expansion is also in keeping with our strategic plan to serve the various communities throughout Guyana,” Sammy stressed.

In keeping with Guyana’s “green” initiative, the Managing Director disclosed that the ECD facility includes Lutron ‘Quantum’ Lighting and variable refrigeration flow air condition (AC) systems.

Meanwhile, Board Chairman Nigel Baptiste told the gathering that the new facility will see 32 staff being stationed there under the guidance of Officer in Charge, BibiShalizaSeepersaud.

Highlighting several achievements in various branch establishments, the Board Chairman revealed that the bank is examining expanding its Rose Hall operations by constructing a new facility at the location.

The bank opened for business on December 19 last, after construction was completed November 17, 2016, following its August 3, 2015 commencement. It was disclosed that, in terms of size, the new facility is second only to Republic Bank’s Water Street branch.

eminiscent of policies pursued during the 1970s and 1980s, economic Adviser to the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Peter Ramsaroop, believes that there is “danger brewing”, evident in recent actions taken by Head of State, David Granger.

Dr Ramsaroop, a People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) candidate during the 2015 General Elections, in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Internationalthis week, pointed to the recent imbroglio over the repossession of Red House through executive order and the passage of Bills in Parliament, which with “his one vote majority, he gives orders to go into our bank accounts and seize funds without a court order, to limit our travels when they see fit”.

The economic adviser to the Opposition told Guyana Times International that scepticism about Government was looming across the nation, with the entire population.

“Politically it is using its power in an anarchistic manner… I believe many are wrong for blaming (Finance) Minister (Winston) Jordan for his incompetence when it comes to finance, although that is true… It is really the President’s lack of macro and micro-economic policies that are allowing his Ministers to appear as renegades, taxing and spending our hardearned money without regards to our well-being.”

According to Dr Ramsaroop, “we know that 2017 is now the year of taxation and borrowing of debt”. He recalled that in March 2007, under then President Bharrat Jagdeo’s leadership, the Inter-American Development Bank (IBD), Guyana’s principal donor, cancelled Guyana’s nearly US$470 million debt, equivalent to 21 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which was borrowed by the People’s National Congress (PNC) Government of the 1980s.

Guyana, he said, had

Dr Peter Ramsaroop

become heavily indebted as a result of the inward-looking, State-led development model pursued in the 1970s and 1980s.

“I do not believe we will be that lucky again… The bad habits of the PNC/APNU [A Partnership for National Unity] are once again playing out… What is APNU doing with all our taxes? What are they doing with all the borrowing?” he questioned.

Dr Ramsaroop told this publication, “We were in the top 50 in the world on our GDP growth when the PPP demitted office. We are now at the bottom of 160 plus countries.”

Sugar industry

Compounding the situation, according to Dr Ramsaroop, is Government’s closure of sugar factories and “putting our citizens on the unemployment line is economically irrational… The unemployment of sugar workers and so much more to come from the other estates have damaged the moral, social and economic fabric of our nation”.

Dr Ramsaroop has since posited that this would lead to social and economic marginalisation of those affected as they struggle to take care of their families and pay their bills.

The Government, he said, basically has shut down Guyana’s economy.

“We have seen a rapid decline in the levels

of output, income and employment, while placing a heavy-handed taxation on each of us,” he said.

No new investments Dr Ramsaroop recalled too there have been no new major investments in the nation. In fact, Dr Ramsaroop is of the opinion that the APNU’s bullyism has scared the investors from the country.

He suggested too that the Alliance For Change (AFC) – the party he once served as Chief Executive Officer – was weak: “they are just mannequins, figures now in the PNC Government.”

The economist told this publication that the country was currently at a stage where it has to increasingly compete with other countries to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by offering a number of incentives and other concessionary measures.

He said policies to reduce the tax burden on firms were key to attracting foreign companies, but instead “this Government has no skills or policies necessary to attract new investments”.

He told this publication it was the PPP Government that brought in the top three gold mining companies that were currently holding up the country’s economy.

“They (PPP) were the ones that brought in Exxon and other oil companies, all the call centres, which in turn created thousands of jobs and provided positive growth to our economy… What has APNU done?” he questioned.

Dr Ramsaroop has since concluded that “our current economic woes are exacerbated by a government which seems to be sowing the seeds of perpetual discord by taking arbitrary action which many see as illthought through.”

According to the economist, “what is needed is an urgent reappraisal of the issues that are causing so much damage to large sections of the population”.

22 NEWS

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Use oil proceeds to develop Guyana’s infrastructure, social services … former T&T Energy Minister advises

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uyana is poised to become the world’s latest oil producing nation.

When that happens, it is expected that Guyana will earn revenues that was previously not obtained. However, oil fields do not last forever and according to former Trinidad and Tobago Energy Minister, Kevin Ramnarine, local industries to outlast the oil boom must be created. He also encouraged the Government to invest portions of the oil wealth into social programmes, health care and scholarship opportunities, among other ventures.

Ramnarine was at the time addressing a gathering at Savannah Suites, Pegasus, during the first lecture hosted by the Guyana Oil and Gas Association. He spoke about the ways that the Guyanese people can really benefit from the oil find.

The former Minister noted that there is an infrastructure deficit in Guyana when compared to other countries, which must be fixed. Ramnarine used comparisons with Norway, a prominent oil and gas producer, in explaining that Guyana had some catching up to do with its standards of living and infrastructure.

“When Norway discovered oil in 1969, Norway was pretty well off. In fact, Norway was marginally less rich than the richest country in Scandinavia, Sweden.

And Norway already had pretty well established universities.”

Former T&T Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine addressing the gathering in Guyana

“Norway in 1969 and Guyana in 2017 cannot be compared.

Some people believe that all the oil wealth should be saved and put in the (Sovereign Wealth Fund). I disagree. There is an infrastructure deficit that has to be cured in this country and a portion of the oil wealth should be spent on health care, education and infrastructure, because Guyana is Guyana.”

Ramnarine spoke about the importance of creating a services sector which will live on for generations. He used the example of Levi’s, a company that started out making rugged jeans for gold miners in California. Decades after the gold rush tapered out, Levi’s is a world renowned company and brand.

“The public in Guyana will only benefit if industries are established downstream of oil and gas.”

He pointed out that Trinidad had developed its skill base, to

the extent that it exported skills.

Ramnarine advised that some of the monies collected from the production sharing contract between the Government of Guyana and ExxonMobil could go towards funding scholarships in the sphere of geosciences, including petroleum engineering, economics and law.

That being said, Ramnarine acknowledged the reality that not everyone could be accommodated in those fields.

“Not everyone can be an engineer or a geologist. The oil industry is not all about (those professionals). There are people who work as welders, technicians and operators and the training for that happens in the companies or in different schools.”

“Some of those people go on to make quite a bit of money, especially our welders, who are in high demand all over the world.

Training does not only have to be in degree type areas. There has to

be training in technical and vocational areas too.”

As per the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) signed between Guyana and United States-based ExxonMobil, Guyana stands to gain a percentage from every barrel of oil extracted by Exxon.

However, this agreement is currently under review.

Even before the first announcement of an additional oil find in the Payara -1 well, ExxonMobil had pegged oil production at 100,000 barrels a day.

Guyana is currently in the drilling phase, with production expected to start by 2020.

ExxonMobil Country Manager, Jeff Simon, addressing the media at a press conference last year, had stressed that ExxonMobil would not be able to provide thousands of jobs to Guyanese. However, Simon had advice similar to Ramnarine’s to impart.

“The greatest benefit is the

revenue stream provided to the country,” he had said. “If job creation is critical, then take some of that money and put it into areas where job creation could be exponential relative to what we are talking about here.”

On Thursday last, ExxonMobil announced that more oil was found offshore Guyana.

The Texas-based oil and gas company said the well was drilled by ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, and encountered more than 95 feet of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs. It was safely drilled to 18,080 feet in 6660 feet of water. The Payara field discovery is about 10 miles North-West of the 2015 Liza discovery.

In addition to the Payara discovery, appraisal drilling at Liza3 has identified an additional high quality, deeper reservoir directly below the Liza field, which is estimated to contain between 100-150 million oil equivalent barrels. This additional resource is currently being evaluated for development in conjunction with the world-class Liza discovery.

Drilling on Payara began on November 12, 2016, with initial total depth reached on December 2, 2016.

In May 2015, Exxon confirmed its significant oil discovery at its Liza 1 exploration well, where more than 295 feet of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs was encountered.

NEWS 23

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Jamaican scammers using obeah to protect themselves from police

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ONTEGO BAY, St James Members of the Lottery Scam Task Force are reporting a new trend emerging among more and more scammers — practising obeah to guard them from the long arm of the law.

But last week a couple found out that the potions were not strong enough to stave off members of the Lottery Scam Task Force who swooped down on them during a pre-dawn anti-lottery operation in the inner city of Rose Heights, St James.

According to Sergeant Kevin Watson, the media liaison officer of the Lottery Scam Task Force, the man and his Haitian wife confessed that they were voodoo practitioners after a variety of oils, believed to be used in voodoo rituals, were found hidden at their home.

“We arrested a man and his Haitian wife for their involvement in lottery scamming. During the operation we observed a little area, like a makeshift voodoo shrine, with various oils and the names of persons on pieces of paper,” Sergeant Watson told the Jamaica Observer West.

“The man admitted that he is a spiritual worker. His wife is a Haitian, and she said voodoo is in her blood.”

Last year, the St James police revealed that two clergymen who were gunned down offered “spiritual” protection services to scammers for a price.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Watson disclosed that since the start of this year, more than 30 people have been arrested for breaches of the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transaction) (Special Provisions) Act, 2013, commonly called the Lottery Scam Act.

He explained that these people were nabbed during operations across the parishes of Trelawny, St James, Hanover, and Westmoreland — the parishes that make up the Police Area One. Of this 30 individuals, more than 20 were taken into custody between Wednesday and Saturday of last week.

During Saturday morning’s operation in Wiltshire, Trelawny, five people were arrested.

“We recovered mostly cellphones, documents containing identity information of persons overseas, cash amounting to US$3,500 and J$400,000 at one location,” the task force media liaison officer revealed.

He also informed the Observer West that one of the five detained in the Wiltshire raid revealed that he successfully completed a Jamaica Constabulary Force recruitment entrance test.

“Of the five persons we arrested in Trelawny, Saturday morning, one of the young men at one of the premises indicated he did the police test. We want to ensure that we don’t recruit persons of questionable character joining the police force. He expressed that he took the police test and that he was successful at the various stages and is awaiting call,” Sergeant Watson said.

Noting that, in December last year, two customer service representatives employed to money transfer agencies and a foreign national, who was held at the Sangster International Airport with cash and other lottery scam paraphernalia, were charged for breaches of the Lotto Scam Act, Watson warned that no one is immune from the cops.

(Jamaica Observer)

Cops reviewing footage of brazen robbery attack on mother, daughter … in front of ECD home

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The armed men executing the robbery on Friday

woman and her daughter were left traumatised after they were robbed at gunpoint, moments after reaching their Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara home on Friday. The entire episode was captured by surveillance cameras that surrounded the family’s house.

Reports are the two women had visited a city bank earlier in the

day and may have been trailed by the perpetrators in a silver-grey car.

The surveillance footage posted by the women on social media showed that within a minute after arriving at home, the car pulled up alongside them and two men exited.

The men who were carrying handguns and had their faces covered with handkerchiefs exited and walked towards the parked vehicle be-

longing to the women.

They then relieved the women of an undisclosed sum of cash and escaped in the motorcar that was driven by an accomplice.

Persons in the area were in shock and hardly had time to react.

The Police are in possession of the surveillance footage as they continue their investigations. Attempts to contact the women proved futile.

Govt has done quite a lot Govt making moves to to tackle corruption – AFC repossess developers’ land

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he A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration is committed to the process of reducing corruption in Guyana, AFC’s executive member and Minister of Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes, has said.

Hughes said while corruption remained a culture in Guyana, the Administration has been focusing on ensuring that in as many agencies and offices possible, the necessary checks and balances were put into effect to reduce such.

“The process of fixing these challenges is not something that can be done in six months, one year or year and a half.

It is done by ensuring that the checks are in place and that there is constant monitoring and that when there are situations that we are aware of – that the perpetrators are brought to the court and are punished,” she told Journalists at the AFC’s press conference on Friday.

According to Hughes, it also means that if the issue of corruption is going to be fixed, then more people should be able to take a stand.

“It comes back to our personal integrity and what we talk about…we have to be honest and look at what we have become in Guyana. When will we as Guyanese say that the continuation of this behaviour is totally unacceptable?” she asked.

According to the Minister, there are rules and everyone must be governed by those rules. “Ministers, people on the street. It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter where you come from, how much money you have.”

She said people usually took a whole new approach to things when they “jump on a plane” and go to North America.

“All of a sudden, we become responsible.

When are we going to have pride in our own country?

AFC General Secretary and Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson said that his Ministry, which was publicly perceived to be one that was susceptible to corruption, has been going through the process of purging. He said corruption has been brought to a very low rate over the last 18 months.

“Each and every time someone indicates that something is going wrong, we investigate it in the Ministry. We don’t make a lot of public pronouncements, but the levels of corruption have been drastically reduced.”

Party leader and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan said that at a state level, the anti-corruption agency, the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) has come into being within the second year of the new government, something that the country should be proud of.

He said the new Government, while in Opposition, had been clamouring for the establishment of the PPC. He said while Cabinet was still giving its no-objection to contracts because of some administrative setbacks of the Commission, the body would soon take up its full responsibility.

Ramjattan said this was a difficult thing for the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration to do. “It is a far, far cry from where we have come from… that is a major anti-corruption activity done within the first 24 months of this Administration.”

He maintained that there must be enforcement of all laws.

…if contractual agreement found to be breached

T

he Central Housing and P l a n n i n g Authority (CHPA) has sought legal advice on repossessing lands given out by the previous Administration to developers who have failed to

ence late last week.

Minister Bulkan explained that the CH&PA was in talks with the developers and repossession would only occur if engagements and discussions indicated that the developers could not

given by a number of those private developers to develop new housing areas and the allocations that they would have received, that there is very little progress to show in those areas,” Bulkan said.

A partially developed housing area on the East Bank of Demerara

honour their contractual agreements.

Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan said that advice has been sought from the Attorney General’s Chambers “to see what efforts towards repossessing a number of those areas, if it may be necessary”. The Minister made the announcement during a press confer-

complete the infrastructural works and housing units that they had committed to under the Agreement of Sale.

The Minister stated that the present Administration was disappointed over the lack of progress made since the lands were sold.

“It is clear that the commitments that were

The CH&PA recently indicated that there were no available house lots in Region Four to allocate to persons. Minister within the Communities Ministry, Valerie Sharpe-Patterson, who has responsibility for housing, noted that the Government would be investing in housing units.

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

QC boys win Business Incubator logo competition

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wo students from Queen’s College, Omari Joseph and Jonathan Jacobas won the Business Incubator logo competition , an initiative of the Georgetown Chamber of C o m m e r c e and Industry; Canadian NonGovernmental Organisation (NGO) Cuso International; the Small Business Bureau and Geotech International Guyana Inc. These organisations collaborated to create the Business Incubator, and the need for a logo sparked the ini-

Motion submitted to Speaker calling for reversal of MMA/ ADA rate hike

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n the wake of protest action by farmers appalled by the gargantuan hike in lease fees and other charges for land in the Mahaica/ Mahaicony/AbaryAgriculture Development Authority (MMA/ADA), the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic has submitted a motion to the Speaker calling for a reversal of the rate hike.

Rice farmers in the project area are now being commanded to pay G$15,000 per acre, a ma-

earning a livelihood other than depending on agriculture.

On Tuesday, farmers protested outside the MMA/ADA office in Region Five. The more than 100 protesters held placards expressing their disapproval over the unilateral way the decision was made.

The representative body highlighted the fact that there were no consultations with the farmers prior to imposing the new feestructure.

Winners of the logo competition, Omari Joseph and Jonathan Jacobas receive their prize from Scotiabank Marketing Executive Jennifer Cipriani

tiative. The prize sponsored by ScotiaBank consists of a book voucher valued G$30, 000 each.

The programme is spearheaded by Patsy Russel, a Cuso volunteer.

Scotiabank Marketing

Executive Jennifer Cipriani presented the winners with their prizes.

Rice land in Guyana

jor increase from G$3500 just last year for land rent and drainage and irrigation charges. Cattle and other crop farmers are now forced to pay G$3900, a more than 100 per cent increase from the previous fee.

The Guyana Rice Producers Association (RPA) and the Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) Administration have indicated their solidarity with the farmers and condemned the more than 600 per cent increase.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, during his recent press conference, also condemned the increases imposed on the farming population. He pointed out that farming is the main economic activity in the Region and was at a loss to understand why Government would want to put additional burdens on a segment of the population that has no alternative for

The MMA/ADA later reneged on a promise to meet with the RPA on the increases, prompting more outrage.

“The RPA is calling on all farmers to resist this draconian increase and show solidarity with all as we join in the call for the reversal of this decision which was taken without any consultation with farmers, their association or any other stakeholders,” the RPA urged.

The MMA/ADA and farmers have been at loggerheads since 2015 when Government moved to cancel the leases for several farmers. This resulted in a group of West Coast Berbice rice farmers filing a lawsuit against Government.

After months of hearings, former Chief Justice Ian Chang in February 2016 quashed the cancellation of the leases in favour of the farmers.

Brazilian charged with narco possession

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Brazilian national was brought before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday, charged with having a quantity of narcotics in his possession.

Ostavo DeSantos pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to him by Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan.

The charge against the 21-year-old stated that on January

12, 2017, at Aranka Backdam, Cuyuni River, he had in his possession 5.7 grams of cannabis.

DeSantos told the Magistrate that he did not consume the drug which he was found with, but would sell it.

Chief Magistrate McLennan pointed out to the defendant that selling drugs was a crime and, as such, he was fined G$20,000 with a default sentence of four weeks in prison.

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Ali predicts bleak year SARU targets high-rise ahead for Guyanese buildings in Georgetown …due to current state of the economy

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e o p l e ’ s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) point person on the economy, Irfaan Ali predicts a bleak year ahead characterised by a stagnant economy and increasing inflation.

During the PPP’s first weekly press conference of the year, Ali said the low performance of economic sectors which are known for generating foreign currency was a major contributor to the current state of the economy – which he believes would worsen throughout the year given Government’s track record and the 2017 National Budget.

Further, he outlined that the sugar sector saw a 19 per cent decrease in performance, rice, a 14 per cent drop; forestry, a whopping 33 per cent decline and the manufacturing sector, a 7 per cent fall.

These declines in performance, he stated, contributed to the apparent shortage of foreign currency in the country, which businessmen continue to complain about, but the Central Bank continues to deny exists.

“You cannot argue that supply is not drying up when you have drastic decline in these sectors that earn foreign currency… Ultimately, there must be an impact in the supply of foreign currency on the market,” he emphasised.

Moreover, Ali said the year ahead would experience what was known

PPP’s economist Irfaan Ali

as stagflation whereby the economy would basically be stagnant owing to lack of stimulus activities to jumpstart the economy with a low growth rate and inflation rises beyond the projections made by Finance Minister Winston Jordan.

Ali said this is compounded by the fact that income across the board has remained consistently flat in the face of drastically increasing expenses.

He alluded to the introduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT) on water and electricity, the removal of VAT exempt and zero-rated items, and the introduction of paid parking across Georgetown.

Ali highlighted that food prices have increased as have transportation costs and oil prices, compounded with a low growth rate, currency depreciation and high levels of NonPerforming Loans that would discourage loans

for the Private Sector which would ultimately affect domestic investment.

Additionally, he said the underperformance of the various Ministries in 2016 contributed to the low growth the economy experienced last year.

In moving forward, Ali recommended that the Government do a number of things including examining the various economic sectors and determining how best it could assist in boosting their performance.

With regard to the rice sector, Ali urged Government to implement the nine-point plan the PPP had submitted previously.

He further recommended that Government “look at the forestry sector and look at restrictions to see how we can get the sector going to bring in foreign currency, look at subsidy given to sugar to bring up back production so we can earn foreign currency, incentive in housing sector for new development, rely less on Government utilising local capital to fund itself and give incentive for banking sector to lend more to Private Sector”.

More significantly, he advised Government to put an end to the negative rhetoric which he believed has had a dire impact on the economy.

Ali contended that the negative rhetoric was inhibitive to development and to business.

…but Jagdeo warns action will destroy economy

T

he latest decision

by Government’s anti-corruption body to scrutinise owners of high-rise buildings in the country has great potential to drive away investors, former President and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has warned.

Director of the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) Dr Clive Thomas said the agency, which is currently without legal framework, is in the process of mapping all the high-rise buildings with the aim of investigating their owners for tax evasion and money laundering.

According to media reports, Dr Thomas wants to ensure that the money used to construct the buildings was clean, that the building is not a shell company, that the owners are paying their taxes, that the building is not being used as a conduit for corrupt activities, and that even the land was lawfully obtained.

Dr Thomas contended that there is an underground economy in Guyana and Government is hell-bent on identifying the individuals involved.

He said once SARU, which will be renamed the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA), gets it legal framework, it will spare no time in going after these individuals.

But the Leader of the Opposition warned that

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

Director of SARU, Dr Clive Thomas

such actions will destroy the country’s economy as it will act as a repellent to investors.

“These loose mouthed people are damaging our economy,” he said, referring to Dr Thomas. “The business community and ordinary people operate on government signals.

If the entire government speaks as if it hates investment and investors, and if you put up a building, you’ll be subjected to a whole range of scrutiny by the Government, then investors are just going to withdraw, no one will want to invest,” Jagdeo explained.

He also contended that there is absolutely no logic in targeting high-rise buildings in trying to track down tax evaders and money launderers.

“What’s the logic?

Let’s assume you have one five-story building and another person have 50 one-story building… he’s going to map the one five-story building and

you’re subjected to investigation and another person has 50 properties around the city, but you won’t be going after that person. What’s the logic?” he highlighted.

The former President cautioned that businessmen and even the ordinary citizenry act on government signals, and if government gives the impression that it is against investment, then investors and the ordinary man will respond in accordance – by withholding their money.

“Sometimes you can get everything right. but if the signals are wrong about your intent then people act on signals; investors do so, as well as ordinary citizens. I don’t have much hope that they would listen because of the arrogance,” Jagdeo lamented.

Reports indicate that SARU already did an inventory of over 100 buildings in Guyana.

Political activist says Ramjattan opens up party to criticism …due to his decision to seek third term

A

lliance For Change (AFC) Leader Khemraj Ramjattan has decided to accept a third term at the helm of his party, if so nominated by delegates at his party’s upcoming convention.

This move, however, will inevitably lead to criticism of the AFC’s previous stance on issues like a possible third term for former President Bharrat Jagdeo.

This is the view of political activist Dr David Hinds, who noted the contradiction in the two stances. Ramjattan has been leader of the AFC since 2012. According to Article 19 (1) of the AFC’s constitution, no leader would be allowed to serve more than two consecutive terms in the

same office, in the interest of “a broader activism in leadership positions by the membership”.

“The one big problem for the AFC leaders is that they would be open to criticism that they opposed a third term for Jagdeo, while they went against their own constitution in wanting third terms for themselves.

There is some inconsistency there,” Dr Hinds stated.

He notes that there is the letter of the constitution and then there is the spirit of the constitution and sometimes the two are at odds. Dr Hinds observed that in the case of the AFC constitution, the spirit seems to be against more than two terms, while the letter is vague.

The academic said that if the AFC membership did indeed want its leaders to run again, it would be advisable to amend their constitution beforehand.

In 2015, it was ruled by former acting Chief Justice Ian Chang that former President Jagdeo could run for a third term. This ruling is expected to be challenged in February by the Government, through its Solicitor General.

The AFC has been staunchly against a third term for Jagdeo and had made its sentiments known, even while the former Head of State was in his final term as President.

When questioned on Monday about the Article 19 (1) provision,

Ramjattan, who is the Public Security Minister, had stated that the provision was not exclusionary.

Since Ramjattan was elected as AFC Leader in 2012, his stint has lasted for four years, or the equivalent of two terms.

According to Article 7 of the party’s constitution, “A national convention shall be held every two years at a place and time decided by the National Executive Committee.”

It is here that elections for the positions of the party Leader, Chairman, Vice Chairman, General Secretary and 12 National Executive Members will be held.

Although Ramjattan will be looking to be re-elected to serve in the leadership capacity, he

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

is expected to face stiff competition for the post at the upcoming elections, which will be held at the party’s National Executive Conference (NEC) later this month.

In addition to Ramjattan, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and Public Telecommunications

Minister Cathy Hughes are seen as contenders for the post.

The AFC’s NEC will be hosted on January 28 at the Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary School in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) – the party’s first NEC outside of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

feature 29

Michelle A. Albert, MD, MPH is a US-based Guyanese general cardiologist who views her work as a “privilege to be able to touch someone's soul”

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ith expertise in preventive cardiovascular medicine as well as managing the most critically ill cardiovascular patients with a range of conditions including coronary artery disease, valvular heart dis-

her undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Haverford College and Medical Degree from the University of Rochester.

She trained in internal medicine at Columbia University, New York, where she served as chief medical resident and in-

and Older Women” from the NIH/NIA. She is CoPrincipal Investigator along with Dr. David Williams at Harvard School of Public Health, on a grant from the Kellogg Foundation about the adversity and health.

Michelle (left) and guest arrive as American Heart Association celebrates the 10th Year of Go Red For Women at The Woman’s Day Red Dress Awards at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Feb. 2014 in New York

ease, cardiomyopathies and vulnerable populations with heart disease such as women and racial/ethnic minorities, MichelleA. Albert is making her homeland proud as she strives to save lives.

Born and raised in Guyana, Michelle had a fairly austere upbringing. The sudden death of her grandfather by cardiac arrest was probably the trigger for her eventual calling to medicine.

In grade school, she was good at math, but a fondness for history found her exploring healthcare disparities among people of colour, particularly those in impoverished situations, facing significant life adversity.

Her extensive clinical experience is acquired from her previous roles as core cardiovascular faculty for over a decade at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School.

She also served as Vivian Allen Beaumont Endowed Professor and Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at Howard University, Washington D.C. Michelle received

structor in Medicine.

She then completed her cardiovascular clinical and research fellowships at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, as well as a Masters in Public Health degree with concentrations in Epidemiology and Clinical Effectiveness at Harvard School of Public Health.

Additionally, she has completed a one year Brigham Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School.

Her research requires highly collaborative networks and seeks to understand and develop novel solutions related to poor educational, quality of life and cardiovascular health outcomes across the lifespan. Research themes of specific interest include chronic psychological stress, neurocardiology, longevity, cardiovascular risk biomarkers and cardiovascular health outcomes related to vulnerable populations utilizing national datasets.

The doctor is Principal Investigator on a fiveyear RO1 grant entitled, “Cumulative Stress and Cardiovascular Disease in Middle-Aged

Her own experiences fostered an interest in how social factors such as racial discrimination or job stress can have adverse biological effects.

"Some forms of adversity differentially experienced by some racial and ethnic groups are akin to post-traumatic stress

disorder," said the doctor. "Psychological stress is a normal part of life, but chronic, persistent stress that is accompanied by a lack of control has a negative impact on health." Among other problems, chronic stress is associated with hypertension, obesity, inflammation and continual activation of the "fight or flight" response.

Michelle is also investigating how social support and childhood learning opportunities cultivate resilience and the ability to adhere to healthy habits later in life.

"Brain patterning and neurocognitive function is essentially formulated by age 12," she explained. "Early involvement in activities like music and sports helps young people access different parts of their brain and develop skills for lifelong learning that are also important for practicing self-care. Without such opportunities, it's less likely that at age 35 or 65 they will have the ‘biological fitness’ to follow through on recommendations such as exercising or taking a daily statin."

Michelle has established the UCSF Centrefor The Study of Adversity and Cardiovascular Disease (NURTURE), which examines the biological and social interconnectivity

Dr. Michelle Albert

of adversity across the lifespan, from pre-pregnancy into adulthood.

The multidisciplinary centre investigates the physiological underpinnings of adversity – for example, how stress affects the brain, and how these changes in turn may affect the heart – and develops interventions to prevent and treat disease. The centre also trains and mentors researchers interested in how adversity impacts cardiovascular health.

In addition to directing NUTURE, Michelle sees general cardiolo-

gy patients in clinic and cares for hospitalized CCU patients.

"Taking care of patients, you meet people at their most vulnerable," she said. "They entrust a lot in you, and it's a privilege to be able to touch someone's soul."

In her free time, Michelle enjoys spending time by the water, traveling with her husband, Edward, listening and dancing to Beyoncé's music as well as afternoon (http://guyanesegirltea. srock.org) (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

30 feature

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Going on 160 years this year

General view of St James from the north-west

S

The altar and reredos

t James-the-Less Anglican Church in David Street, Kitty, Georgetown, was described by its designer, Rev George Fox, as “… an ideal model of what a church in the tropics should be.”With its high pitched roof, roof lights, open interior and timber lattice external walls, the building may well have met this high acclaim.

The building is single storey, with its floor at almost ground level and is oriented according to the requirement of early Christian churches: altar at the east end and main entrance at the west end. The building is made of timber mainly, with both timber and reinforced concrete columns, and low perimeter walls of brick.

A relatively small church, nearly 29.9 metres (98 feet) long and 14.6 metres (48 feet) wide, the building has a curved east end (the apse) typical of early Christian churches, a form derived from the

basilica (a hall of justice) in ancient Rome.

According to the historical records of the church, one of its parishioners, Mr E A Manget, donated the present site at 236 David Street, Kitty, “for the construction of a building to be used exclusively as a church.”

Construction of the building was completed in 1857 and it was consecrated and dedicated on May 14, 1857, by His Lordship Rev William Piercy Austin, first Bishop of the then British Guiana.

Originally a chapel attached to the parish of St George’s, St James-the-Less became a parish on February 20, 1940. Enhancement of the interior of the church began in 1943, the works including a reredos (an ornamental screen at the back of the altar) carved

by Mr Cedric Winter, an artist, and completed in 1945.

The exterior of the building is simple, but is both environmentally efficient and aesthetically pleasing, with main-

ly timber lattice walls on the north and south sides, whilst the eastern wall is of horizontal weatherboarding.

The high and steep central roof gets rid of our heavy rainfall very quickly, whilst the dormer-style windows in the roof at the north and south sides encourage light to enter the building and hot air from the interior to leave the building, the latter function being very necessary in our warm-humid climate. The roof dormer-style windows also add to the aesthetics of the architecture.

The longer walls on the north and south are mainly of timber latticework atop a brick plinth of about two feet high.

These “breathing” walls are excellent solutions to the need for encouraging wind flow into the building to assist in thermal comfort ventilation.

Unfortunately, with the building almost at ground level and the areas around the building having obstructions to wind flow, the expected

The interior of the church, looking towards the altar

(and possibly original) coolness of the building is greatly reduced. The western façade is a dominating gable end relieved by a small bell gable projecting outwards above the main entrance, and topped by a white cross.

The centrally placed main entrance has a double door, and is crowned by a deep triangular fronton (a small version of the pediment found in ancient classical architecture).

On entering the building through the western (main) entrance the rhythm of the white timber columns curving behind the altar topped by the equally rhythmic exposed roof rafters meeting the horizontal ties is quite attractive.

True to the form of the early Christian church, the altar is housed in an inner semi-circle of the apse with an ambulatory extending around the altar and within the apse.

Another special feature of the altar end of the building is the semi-circular termination of the main roof over the altar and the separate lower semi-circular roof over the ambulatory apse aisle.

The simple, but efficient construction of the roof structure at this end, with a ring of rafters meeting at the ridge and horizontal ties radiating from the centre of the semi-circle and meeting the rafters, is an added highlight to the interior

of the building. The altar itself is quite simple, enhanced by the reredos depicting important Christian personages, including St James-theLess, the Patron Saint of the parish.

A concern for thermal comfort in the building is again evidenced by the semi-circular wall of timber latticework between the altar area and the ambulatory aisle at the eastern end. The main hall of the church has three distinct parts, the nave or central area corresponding to the higher roof above, and two aisles (the north aisle and the south aisle) corresponding to the two lower roofs at the north and south. The aisles are separated from the nave by low brick walls

and the roof lights, give a sense of space, airiness and lightness, adding to the comfort and sanctity of the building.

Built in 1857 and now in the year of its one hundred and sixtieth anniversary, St James-theLess Anglican Church is unique in its design; Rev Fox did not design a building in the prevailing revival styles of Gothic or Classical Architecture, but instead he used the liturgical requirements of the Church and the environmental requirements of the local climate as his basis for designing St James-the-Less.

This is certainly an early attempt at designing for climatic control and energy-efficiency in local architecture. (By L J Hernandez. Adapted

Looking up at the roof construction over the altar

which serve as a base for the timber columns that support the roof structure. The high roof, the white painted interior

from an article published in the Guyana Review,Vol 15, No 196, June 2009) Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

Looking towards the west entrance from its interior

feature 31

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

By Kendra Seignoret

O

ne of the interesting things about being able to stay a long time in one place is that you get to be a part of people’s everyday lives. And in doing so, it is more likely you will see parts of those lives that a ‘lightning strike’ tourist won’t.

While volunteering in Guyana, my group and I met a woman who had a little shop in Pakuri, a Lokono village, also known as St. Cuthbert’s Mission.

She had a farm, located in the surrounding rainforest. About two months into our stay, she invited us to see it.

I, for one, was delighted to receive the invitation – it was a way of life I knew nothing about and not to mention, it’s a farm in the middle of the rainforest!

The trip to the farm was a mini-epic adventure in itself. Tromping through the rainforest, getting covered and almost trapped by sucking mud, keeping an eye out for giant insects, traversing overgrown

tracks, struggling to keep up with porters carrying way more things that we were; it almost felt like we were old-time explorers.

After traipsing through the jungle for over an hour, we came to a river, a tributary of the Mahaica River, which itself is a tributary of the Essequibo River. Here, we were introduced to the traditional dugout canoe.

The canoe was about 5ft long and can fit four people and some gear.

It’s quite shallow and it sits low in the water.

It is quite the balancing act to climb in and out of the canoe. However, its position in the river meant that it was easy to stick my hand in the dark waters, trailing it behind me as I was ferried deeper into the rainforest. As it fit into my idea of adventure, I loved every minute of it.

Due to its isolated location, the rainforest farm had a fairly developed camping area – a small structure to escape the rain, some benches, hammocks, and a covered cooking area. The farm itself

consisted primarily of fruit trees such as paw paw (also known as papaya) and citrus, ground fruits such as pineapple, and vegetables like pumpkin.

Wandering around the farm, it is very evident how labour intensive it is to upkeep without machinery. They also have to deal with produce destruction by animals and insects as well as possible theft by people. Since this farm is so spread out among the rainforest trees, much of the farm is unattended most of the time. As such, it is pretty easy for someone to steal what they want – though the farm’s isolation makes the prospect of human theft minimal.

A day at a rainforest farm can be surprisingly relaxing. I stuffed myself with food, I explored the farm and surrounding rainforest, I tried fishing for the first time (stick and string style), and I most definitely lounged in a hammock. I chatted with the farm owner about her idea of making her farm into an eco-lodge as the basics of it were already

A 'bush cook'

Taking the canoe to get to the farm

Preparing land for farming

there. I personally love the idea.

It was fascinating to see how farming is done when one has no access to fancy tools and equipment. What I also realised was that this is the kind of place where you want to be when the world eventually goes to pot!

At the end of the day, we took the dugout canoe back to the village, slowly paddling our way through the tall trees and dense vegetation, listening to the birds call out to each other.

Guyana is definitely a country that could do well in ecotourism and this farm is a prime example of this.

K e n d r a Seignoret considers herself to be a cubicle escape artist: she tries to find ways to keep her job (which is in a cubicle) while also trying to escape it as often as possible.

When she travels, she's generally that solo female you see wander-

ing with a camera firmly clutched to her face as she traipses around while narrowly avoiding being hit by some form of local transportation. Kendra is originally from Trinidad and Tobago, but cur-

rently lives in Canada.

You can find more of her adventures on her blog Rusty Travel Trunk (www.rustytraveltrunk. com) or on Instagram @rustytraveltrunk (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

Trail leading to a farm

32 fashion

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Designer creatively uses elements from nature to produce fashionable jewellery

D

Designer Deborah Mathias

eborah Mathias of Rave Designs, who is of indigenous heritage, is inspired by her country’s natural beauty and this is evident in her jewellery collections.

Mathias pursued studies at the Fine Art Department of the University of Guyana and at ER Burrowes. She is known for working with leather, clay and fabric, but is committed to designing and producing jewellery made primarily from local semiprecious stones, natural seeds and recycled ma-

terials.

The designer incorporates the use of textures and rich colours in her designs in order to create jewellery that is “vibrant, environmentally friendly and, most importantly, pleasing to customers”.

The jewellery collection featured this week in Sunday Times Magazine was showcased at the Guyana Fashion Week 2016 runway. (Photos by Keno George) (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

feature 33

The Neotropical Research Station

By William Beebe, Director

A

t the request of the Editor of Timehri I take pleasure in presenting a brief resume of the activities during the year 1920 of the Station which the New York Zoological Society has established in British Guiana for the investigation of wild life in jungle and air and water.

This laboratory has found what I hope is its permanent home, at Kartabo, on the point of land at the junction of the Mazaruni and Cuyuni Rivers.

This is the fourth year of the work of the Station, beginning at Kalacoon in 1916, and from the present point of view, the choice of location could hardly have been better.

So exactly balanced between civilization and the jungle is our chosen site, that within a half hour down river at H.M. Penal Settlement, we have the facilities of telegraph, cable and post office, and the tri-weekly service of the government steamers, bringing us ice, fresh fruit and vegetables, and all the comforts and luxuries which long residence in one place demands.

On the other hand, red baboons, peccaries and all the varied life of the jungle, sometimes come within a few yards of the opposite side of our laboratory.

Historically, the site of the Research Station is probably the most interest-

ing in the colony. Four hundred yards away is the little island of Kyk-over-al, which for over a century was the capital of Guiana.

In the Hakluyt volumes on British Guiana and in Rodway's History are many interesting allusions to “Catharbo.”

In the course of our residence at Kartabo, we have learned that it is possible for persons wholly unused to the tropics and who have never camped out before, to live in comfort and health in double roofed tents, sleeping with the entrance flaps open, without mosquito nets, at the very edge of the jungle and a few feet distant from the river. And this not for a few weeks merely, but for a year at a time, throughout all four seasons — the two rainy William Beebe (centre) with Paul Howes and Inness Hartley in the laboratory at Kalacoon. and the two dry, which are Spelled “Kalakun” in the Guyana Gazette, today it is described as a settlement on the so remarkably distinct in right bank of the Mazaruni River and left bank of the Essequibo River; two miles up this district.

(Photo by New York Zoological Society (now known as the Wildlife Conservation Society) The success of these regTropical Wild Life in British Guiana by William Beebe, George Inness Hartley, and Paul Griswold ulation United States army Howes, Public Domain, (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13297060) tents has been greater than ing that period is a record better than present and abundant at our very door, I could have expected. To we have seldom gone beyond a radius go through the heaviest of long rainy many Georgetown houses can boast.

A single lantern keeps vampires at of three miles, while nine- tenths of our seasons without leaking a drop, or to a distance, and mosquitoes and flies investigations are carried on within a have one's clothing without mould durare unknown, while it is a radical refu- half-mile of our laboratory bungalow. tation of the general idea of the tropics During the seven months from June to have to sleep under a blanket every to December, 1920, we have welcomed night. about seventy visitors at the Station, In spite of the presence of perai, while actual workers on the staff have electric eels and poisonous sting rays, numbered seventeen. all of which are found nearby, the enSome of these investigators with tire staff bathes daily, often swimming their special problems are as follows: far out into the river, and we believe — Bailey — Harvard University: that this exercise does Relation of Ants to certain Plants. much toward keeping us fit. We Beebe — Columbia University have learned that the most delicious and Zoological Society: General meat of the Colony is bushmeat, and Evolutionary Problems in Ornithology two Indians provide the accourie, lab- and Ecology […] Emerson — Cornell ba, maam, monkeys, marudis, warra- University: Life History of Kartabo cabras, bushpigs and deer which make Termites […] Floyd— University of up most of our bill of fare.

Glasgow: Parasites of Vertebrata. […]

As far as actual exploration goes, Pope — University of Virginia: Life we can add little of value to the gen- Histories of Kartabo Fish…(TO BE eral knowledge of the district. The area CONTINUED) (Source: Timehri: The in which we work we have carefully Journal of the Royal Agricultural and mapped, and divided into numbered, Commercial Society of British Guiana, one-hundred-foot squares.

Vol. III, August 1921) (Guyana Times But the life of the jungle is so omni- Sunday Magazine)

'Coconut Walk', Georgetown seawall (1910)

High Street, Georgetown, British Guiana

Kalacoon House at Kalacoon circa 1917, the first research station established in British Guiana by the New York Zoological Society Photo by William Beebe -Tropical Wild Life in British Guiana. New York Zoological Society, 1917

34

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Drinking and driving: a social illness

D

rinking and driving is a social illness that plagues societies across the globe: from the well-developed to the Third World.

In Guyana, it is wellknown that accidents on the roadways account for a large percentage of deaths in the country. Recently, there have been measures such as a curfew put in place to curb the number of drunk drivers who will be on the roads. However, I think that even though we can put measures in place to deal with consequences of alcohol abuse, we should put measures in place to prevent alcoholism to begin with.

In our country, alcohol use and, in many cases, abuse, is something of a culture. Our idea of a good time is often centred on the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Our regional and local music that we’re expected to support encourages it. It’s not to say that drinking alcohol is inherently bad, but our culture promotes excess: Drink until you lose consciousness; drink one more; how can you have fun if you don’t drink? It normalises the overuse of alcohol.

Of course, this is not unique to just Guyanese or Caribbean culture, but particularly in Guyana I believe it has far-reaching consequences. Guyana has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. This speaks volumes of mental health care. Persons with mental illnesses often times feel stigmatised, and are afraid to speak about their problems. This is because many Guyanese believe that mental illnesses aren’t real sicknesses. They think that they’re made up, are an overreaction, or just cries for attention. When there isn’t anyone one feels comfortable talking to, and you’ve grown up with alcohol being used casually, it becomes easy to turn to the bottle. If this happens, and one becomes dependent upon alcohol to solve one’s problems, alcoholism is quick to follow.

While that may just be one reason why people drink excessively, it is of course not the only one.

There are many cultural and social influences that engender the “alcohol culture”. However, one thing that shouldn’t happen under any circumstances is drunk

Raising revenues… …or punishing Opposition suPPPorters?

Ashley Anthony

driving. This endangers not only oneself, but innocent people around you.

What can we do? I think the first step has to happen in our homes.

We need to encourage everything within limits.

We have to show the younger generation the meaning of the phrase “drink responsibly”, rather than just stating it and never giving them real-life examples. It is not an easy task to accomplish, but it starts with the individual.

If you notice someone drinking excessively, step in. It takes an active rather than passive effort. We cannot see something going wrong and say that it’s someone else’s problem. That same drunk driver could end up killing a dear friend or relative of yours. We also have to encourage our friends to take it easy. Often, we tend to encourage our friends to do just the opposite in the interest of “fun”. However, if you care about that person, you should care about their safety.

T

he move by the PNC-led coalition Government to raise the rental and drainage costs on the MMA leases to rice farmers, is more than rubbing salt into the wound inflicted on them when nothing was done to regain the lucrative Venezuelan rice and paddy markets.

The loss of that 200,000 plus tonnage that was sold at almost twice the world market price which now prevails, has ensured the cost of production is higher than the selling price our farmers now receive.

So, the question is why would the Government choose NOW to add to the farmers cost of production by upping the rental costs of land by 600 per cent??!!

Sure there’s a case for allowing the costs of rice-land rentals to rise to make up for inflation… but there’s an even more solid case against the increase when the “profits” from the rice produced is now below zero! Using its own logic, to make up for this “deflation” – even without sitting on its hands and ensuring the loss of the Venezuelan markets – the Government should lower the rentals!

But like most of its moves, the action by the PNC-led Government isn’t based on economic rationality or even bureaucratic efficiency – it’s based on political vindictiveness. Rice farmers in general – like sugar workers – are supporters of the PPP and they’re seen as fair game to squeeze for its spending programme for the rest of the country.

For years, the PNC had been complaining about these “low rentals” as it counted the “profits” the farmers were supposed to be making. Expect the tax man to turn the screw even further on these farmers to get blood from stone.

That farmers were bringing in foreign exchange that had shot way past sugar, didn’t cut any ice with the PNC Government. Ditto for the farmers ensuring the price of this food-staple of all Guyanese was the lowest in the region. Since the farmers insisted on supporting the PPP, they had to be taught a condign lesson: the wages of being a PPP supporter is PRESSURE! The move harks back to the first PNC

regime when they arbitrarily cancelled the lucrative rice contract with Cuba – and then insisted all rice be sold to their “Marketing Board”.

They paid the farmers a pittance and sold the rice for massive profits on the world market. In effect, they imposed an implicit 118 per cent tax of rice farmers.

And of course, brought the industry to its knees.

But the PNC’s position then – as today – is there are many ways to skin a PPP supporter.

So what if the entire country suffers?

It’s only (PNC) politics! …on expected oil earnings Sherwood Lowe’s usually a very pragmatic fella with his interventions in the Press. One of the technocrats brought into the PNC by Desmond Hoyte, he never succumbed to the hyperbolic excess of the dyed-in-the-wool political types. Until now. Noting Trotman’s suggestion that ExxonMobil prepay for future revenues, sank like the Titanic, he suggested we take out loans with our future revenues as collateral!!

What was mind boggling wasn’t just ignoring why Exxon balked (who can predict “future revenues in such a volatile oil market?), but Lowe actually cited the disastrous experience of Ghana and Uganda with oil-collateralised borrowing!! The problem there was folks like Lowe raised such high transformational expectations from oilrevenues, the government was forced to deliver. But couldn’t repay for a host of contingent reasons they had no control over – such as lower than projected production and several costly technical problems.

Lowe says we should treat those disasters as “cautions”, but proceed full steam ahead with the borrowing!

Maybe Lowe has a lucky charm? …for Banks Prezzie was all agog at Republic Bank opening a new branch on the East Coast.

Our history with the privatised banks after 1992, demonstrates that Branches in the country just suctions out the cash – but never intermediate it back to those communities!

35

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

Descendants of the Dragon

By Petamber Persaud

M

y first encounter with the late Margery Kirkpatrick spawned many more meaningful encounters that were both informative and inspirational. Informative in that I was able to learn so much more about the Chinese before and after their advent in Guyana.

That information in-

someone who was talking my language as we moved easily between oral history and written history, comparing notes and exchanging stories. At that time, I was rewriting my historic novel, “Overtures”, set in 1838 when Africans and Indians encountered each other for the first time in Guyana.

Cover of “The Way We Were: Memories of a British Guiana Childhood”

by Margery Kirkpatrick

cluded the real stories behind the official explanations/stories; much more than a date, January 12, 1853, and the name of a ship, the “Glentanner”.

The encounters were inspirational in that I was encouraged and goaded to action to continue my foray into Guyanese history; something started long before I did a course titled‘ An Introduction to Guyanese History’ at the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education, University of Guyana.

So in Mrs. Kirkpatrick I found

The novel came out of a period of intense study of Guyanese history.

Kirkpatrick was also at that time distilling and collating tones of information on her Chinese heritage with the intent of making her findings public.

Our first encounter was the result of my seeking a suitable candidate to read a piece of literature concerning Chinese in Guyana for ‘The Journey’ – an evening of literature which I was coordinating under the auspices of the

Kirkpatrick’s cover of “From the Middle Kingdom to the New World”

National Art Gallery, Castellani House.

The Journey (suspended in 2014) was then an ongoing literary programme designed to sensitize more Guyanese (and non-Guyanese) of the substantial output in the field of literature by our writers, both local and overseas; to expose literature to more persons, especially our young people; to foster an interaction between those who know and those willing to learn about literature; to raise the level of appreciation for such matters; to restore a reading culture by putting the joy back into reading; to encourage more writers to write and to publish,and to encourage scholarship and more research in our literature.

The piece of literature selected was “The Marriage Match”, a short story written by Jan Lo Shinebourne. At first Kirkpatrick was reluctant; begging off committing to the event,citing reasons that she was busy and that she was not given to public speaking. But I encouraged her to at least read the story – and that did it.

When Margery Kirkpatrick performed that piece at Castellani House, she made an enormous impact. What made her delivery effective was before reading the story, she gave us a history lesson describing the two factions of Chinese in Guyana and how they (dis)regarded each other.

Subsequent encounters led to her book, “From the Middle Kingdom to the New World” published locally in 1993, printed and bound by Guyana National Printers Limited.

But before I read the book, she opened her files (hardcopy and digital) to give me a peek into the exacting and arduous pioneering study of her heritage. On another occasion, she opened her house to me; it was a Guyanese heritage museum. I was in awe beholding such a treasure, observing each artefactaccompanied by seamless commentary flowing from Margery Kirkpatrick; she was in her realm.

Although “From the Middle Kingdom to the New World” is about some “aspects of Chinese Experience in Migration to British Guiana” based mainly on the family tree of the author, Margery Kirkpatrick, the read-

Margery Kirkpatrick

er is treated to a variety of issues which offered a better appreciation of the whole picture of the evolution of Guyana as a multicultural society.

And as the author in an afterword wrote: “by the time you have finished reading, you should be able to understand the Chinese people, the reason they are industrious and the manner in which they react and think”. In this book, the ancestors are always present.

Kirkpatrick encountered numerous challenges in the writing

of “From the Middle Kingdom to the New World”. It was difficult to follow the lineage of families that were written off in the family bibles for one reason or the other, all of which tell more about the Chinese’s way of life, a private people.

During the Tai P’ing Revolution, false information was given concerning names and place of birth etc. Later, especially after arrival in Guyana, many names were changed back to their original. Finally, the move to the diaspora was fraught with mis-

information, especially due to the 90-day strike in 1963 and the 60-day strike of 1963.

Then there was the publication of “The Way We Were: Memories of a British Guiana Childhood” – an easy yet fascinating read/work, but more importantly it was the revelation portraying the amount of research and leg work it took to compile such an autobiography set in Guyana of the 1940s and onwards.

Sadly, she then went to join the ancestors,but the legacy of her research on the Descendants of the Dragon will live on in my memory; in our collective memories.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 2260065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com What’s happening: Under production: A compilation of biographies of Indo-Guyanese writers.

Under production: an anthology of IndoCaribbean poetry.

For further information, please use the above contacts. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

36

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

This week's Crossword

This week's Puzzle

see solution on page 47

Knock got knock back…

I

…in the US transition

t’s clear the American establishment just doesn’t know what to do with Trump. How’d you deal with a man who’s about to step into the most powerful office in the world – bar NONE – who takes time to tweet a vicious riposte to the actress Meryl Streep who’d rapped him on the knuckles at the Golden Globes Awards for belittling a disabled journalist. He called the THREE-TIME Academy Award winner “overrated”!!

But as your Eyewitness has pointed out before, in his refusal to play the diplomatic game with his instinctive lashing out at critics, Trump’s uncovering a lot of skeletons that had long been buried. Like his calling out the US intelligence agencies, not only on their reports of alleged Russian “hacking” and the usually sacrosanct Middle East orthodoxy, but also on the release of a dossier that claimed he had been compromised by the Russians.

Said Trump to a press Conference, in which he refused to take questions from CNN, “I think it was disgraceful, disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out. I think it’s a disgrace, and I say that… that’s something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do.” Now these are fighting words from the President-to-be who’ll be briefed every morning by these agencies.

This ability to shape the President’s take on world affairs has up to now given the intelligence agencies tremendous power in shaping his views. There are sixteen of these agencies with a total budget of US$53 BILLION!! The CIA alone uses more than one-quarter of that. Trump and his transition team have not backed away from the confrontation with the CIA− even though in the last case its head has vehemently denied Trump’s allegations.

Release of declassified documents revealed that Presidents all the way from Truman after WWII had problems with agencies such as the FBI, under Hoover.

But all swept their differences under the rug − some say because the agencies had the “goods” on them. Nixon had severe reservations about the CIA, accusing them of being an insular, elitist, East Coast secret society who thought they knew what was “good’ for America more than the President and the elected Government.

Trump’s team has hinted they might reduce the agencies’ briefing to a once-a-week event − something that will immediately cut their influence very dramatically. All the leaders who in the past have suffered from their briefings in the past − such as their assessment of CheddiJagan as a “fellow traveller” of Moscow during the Cold War, must be smiling.

Revenge, they say, is best served cold! …on Government corruption The PNC-led coalition Government sneaked into Office largely because they’d gotten all hot and sweaty about nailing the PPP’s hide to the wall on corruption. After 23 years in Office, most folks figured enough incumbents would’ve been softened up to “inducements” and succumbed. Hadn’t Jesus warned in his last speech at Gethsemane, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”? And last week, Government Minister Cathy Hughes, insisted “The APNU/AFC Government is committed to reducing corruption.”

But all that elicited was a collective shrug, and a rolling of eyes from the bemused populace that had become jaded to the point of bitter cynicism in just a year and a half. How extensive has been the corruption? Let your Eyewitness count the ways!

Contracts for the boys?Nepotistic hiring? Bypassing the tender board? Jobs for the boys? Padded rentals?

Licences for chicken!!? Billion-dollar stadiums?

Folks figure no government can practice corruption so quickly and so completely without years of planning and plotting!

If only they’d spared some time for “good governance”!! …in insults Asked to house Burnham’s papers next to Jagan’s in Red House, the latter’s faithful responded this “epiphany of surrealism” (imagine that!) would “contaminate” the doctor’s memory!!

Do fuh do, na obeah?

37

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

T

he book “Guyana – A Decade of Progress (1964-1974)” states that our telephone system is important to the economic, social and political well-being of Guyana. It adds “even if telecommunication could not be considered the engine of economic growth, it may well be the tracks on which the engine runs in the promotion of economic growth”.

Interestingly, one of the fascinating features of the history of telecommunications in Guyana is the telephone directory. According to overseas-based Guyanese historian Clive W. McWatt, “a telephone directory remains a primary source of reference information about people in a community. In spite of the new communications technologies, a printed directory is a collection of information within a book cover designed for easy access and information retrieval. Thus, old directories provide a capsule of data captured at a period time and which can be retrieved in later years”.

Sunday Times Magazine recently visited the National Library

January 1, 1884 - The first Telephone Exchange in Georgetown. The service provided 36 lines.

August 1884 – A new Georgetown exchange was constructed at the Mc. Inroy Building located at Lombard and Cornhill Streets; 200 subscriber lines were provided.

May 1889 - First service was commissioned in the New Amsterdam area through a new Exchange providing communications service for 50 subscribers.

1923 - The installation of two Satellite Exchanges in the Belfield and Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, areas. Also, a new Switchboard with the capacity for 1,000 subscribers was installed in Georgetown.

1928 - The introduction of a hundred-line Strowger Automatic Exchange in the Queenstown area in Georgetown (building still standing).

March 1931- Cable & Wireless Limited took over the Georgetown Radio Station to manage all external radio services for the country.

Guyana Bauxite Company ad and the Yellow Pages

where the helpful staff was able to locate telephone directories from 1974-75 and 1977, which are still in excellent condition. For nostalgia, these were ideal. Apart from an alphabetical name listings, the classified sections of the telephone directories provided a snapshot of commercial and business life in the 1970s; it gives addresses and locations of businesses and companies, many of which no longer exist; and the featured commercial advertisements and graphics tell us something about the social history and commercial advertising of the period.

McWatt said he inherited a “dog-eared and worn out” 1977 telephone directory from his mother Margaret, who had a “few selected editions and these were her communication life line with friends and people left behind in Guyana”.

“I still find the old directory (wish I had retained the earlier editions) a unique source of tracking back on ‘who was who’ and ‘who was where’ and ‘what was what’ in Guyana; the old telephone numbers are still in use,” McWatt explained.

According to McWatt, in Guyana, the first directory was produced about 70 years ago.

Historical timeline of telecommunications in Guyana 1875 - Telegraphs lines were first constructed by the Public Works Department.

January 1937 - Telephone and Telegraph regulations were introduced.

1951 - A new system was introduced to give very high frequency (VHF) using radio bearers connecting Atkinson Field with Georgetown together with a radio beacon to provide navigational signals to ships coming into and going out of Georgetown.

1953 - An automatic exchange installed at Mackenzie now Linden, on the Demerara River.

1959 - Telecommunication service extended to Bartica, Vreeden-Hoop, Anna Regina, Skeldon, Suddie and Mon Repos.

1960 - National Communications System was being installed for the first time. Telephone House was commissioned to accommodate the New System; the new Georgetown Automatic Strowger Exchange initially installed with 5,200 lines; and the Guyana Telecommunications Corporation (GTC) was established.

March 1967 - The Guyana Telecommunication Corporation was established by Parliamentary Order No. 11 of 1967.

1972 - The small Electro Mechanical Exchanges (RAX and UAX) were installed in rural areas.

December 16, 1972 – The expansion of Georgetown Exchanges to 12,000 lines; new exchanges installed; Microwave link installed between Georgetown-

New Amsterdam (GN-NA) and Georgetown-Linden (GN-LN).

1978 - The EDX system was commissioned. This was the first electronic/computerised system and was used for teleprinter machines only. Also, for the first time the Northwest District (Matthew’s Ridge) was linked to Georgetown.

1979 - Cable and Wireless, renamed Guyintel, was taken over by the Government; Earth Station commissioned February 23.

1971-1981 Launch of GYD$24M project designed to achieve Direct Distance Dialling between 26 exchanges.

November 8, 1971 - The inauguration of a Direct Very High link to call Dutch Guiana (Suriname) 24/7.

Calls to Suriname were restricted between the hours of 11:30am to 2pm.

1973 - Direct Dialling between exchanges. Telephone operators no longer needed to connect persons between exchanges.

February 1980 - Electronic Exchanges (ERM) in service in Georgetown with 7,400 lines.

1987 - International Direct Dialling by residential customers started in July 1987. Also, the first computerised telephone operators console was commissioned.

June 18, 1990 - Atlantic TeleNetwork (ATN) signed agreement to acquire 80 percent of GTC. 1991 - Formation of Guyana Telephone & Telegraph (GTT).

January 1991 - GTC divested 80 percent to ATN and 20 percent to Government.

March 1991 - First time ever, three female Outside Plant Technicians were employed in the traditional male dominated area.

1992 - First GTT Telephone Directory published. Landline phone cards and cell phone cards were introduced.

October 1992 Operationalisation of a fully computerized billing system.

1997-1998 - First cell site (TDMA).

September 2004 – The first rural radio telephone was installed (universal access).

October 26, 2004 – GTT launched its first cell site (GSM Service).

November 2004 – GTT launched its roaming service.

December 25, 2007 - The first SIP VoIP international route was commissioned. Also, the first IP international link was established with IDT. 2008 - The second local loop service (WiMAX) was introduced in the Essequibo Region to replace the FWA system.

July 2010 - DSL Emagine Broadband service was introduced. Also, the Suriname Guyana Submarine Cable System was installed.

2012 - Cellular service taken to Orealla. Also, GPON was introduced with the trial of three GTT employees using the system in West Bank Demerara. 253 XXXX is the code used off the Airspan switch.

2013 - GT&T launched the UG WiFi Network.

August 2014 - The migration of the international carriers from the DMS 300 to the C20 started.

March 2015 – GTT Customer Care Off-Shore Call Center

Telephone Directory 1974-75. The cover photo is an aerial view of Umana Yana

Telephone Directory 1977. The cover photo is an aerial view of the 'New Hope Telephone Exchange' on the East Bank of Demerara

Bookers ad in the 1974-75 directory

launched in Little Rock, Arkansas.

September 2015 - The first commercial SIP customer off the Genband C20 activated. This is the Giftland Mall project using the number in the 222 7XXX range.

This followed on the heels of GTT in house tests, which were done successfully earlier in 2015. (Timeline provided by GTT) (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

38 feature

By Dr. Jackson Helms

I

n October to November 2013, WWF-Guianas, Global Wildlife Conservation, the Wapishana community, and students from the University of Guyana launched an expedition — a Biodiversity Assessment Team – to explore the biodiversity of the South Rupununi Savannah. I had heard a lot about Guyana’s amazing natural heritage, and was honored to participate as one of the team’s ant experts.

The team collected ants from different habitats across the South Rupununi, and brought the specimens back to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. to study.

The South Rupununi is home to the most diverse ant fauna yet documented in Guyana or Suriname.

In just a couple weeks of sampling, we collected 175 species from 48 genera. At least 14 species had never been found before in

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Ants abound in South Rupununi

Guyana, and at least 10 had never been collected in the Guianas as a whole (Guyana, Suriname, or French Guiana). A number of other species, perhaps as many as 25 percent of the total, are almost certainly new to science.

Several species are particularly noteworthy: perhaps the most exciting one we found is the predatory ant Gnamptogenys ammophila in tall grasslands near Kusad Mountain.

Until we found it in the Rupununi, this species was only known from one small watershed in Venezuela, 400km away, and hadn’t been collected in over 30 years!

We also found intact populations of army ants, fungus-gardeners, termite and millipede hunters, and ants that live inside specialized ant-plants.

The overall picture is a healthy ecosystem with intact predator-prey relationships. Many of the ants are also used by the Wapishana community in medicine or in ceremonies.

Among the ants we

found were quite a few with painful stings. Large Pachycondyla species, for example, are collected and used by Wapishana communities in coming of age ceremonies. Their stings are believed to make boys into good hunters and women into hard workers.

This extreme richness in ant species results from the South Rupununi’s habitat diversity. The area is a mix of grassland, savanna, dry forest, and rainforest, each of which is home to a unique community of species. Much of the landscape is also relatively intact, with large blocks of natural habitat uninterrupted by roads or fences.

Unfortunately, new developments threaten the South Rupununi. Logging, road construction, gold mining, and uncontrolled hunting are a just a few of the challenges facing this priceless landscape.

The South Rupununi is an irreplaceable national treasure. Its unique diversity gives it enormous conservation potential. By protecting the

South Rupununi we would help ensure the survival of thousands of species, many of which occur nowhere else in Guyana or even the world. It would also help preserve the culture and language of the Wapishana community.

Working in the South Rupununi has been one of the most memorable opportunities of my career, and I hope that the people of Guyana give it the protection it deserves.

Dr. Jackson Helms is an ecologist and conservation biologist who specializes in ants. Over the past few years he has worked with conservation organizations to conduct biodiversity surveys in threatened areas around the globe, includ-

Dr. Jackson Helms conducting research on various ant species

ing Uganda, Madagascar, Suriname, Indonesia, and Guyana. Now, he works as Conservation Director for an Indonesian organization, Alam Sehat Lestari, to protect and restore rain-

Before the survey, Gnamptogenys ammophila, a predator grassland specialist, was known from only a single site in Venezuela (Photo by Emma Hanisch and www.antweb.org)

The sting of the trap-jaw ant Odontomachus bauri is used in Wapishana medicine (Photo

by Emma Hanisch and www.antweb.org)

The gliding turtle ant Cephalotes atratus inhabits the canopies of rainforest along the South Rupununi’s edge (Photo by

Emma Hanisch and www.antweb.org)

The army ant Labidus coecus was collected from the dry forest located on the slopes of Mount Kusad (Photo by Emma Hanisch and www. antweb.org)

forests in Borneo.

To read more on Dr. Helms’ findings, visit http://marinetomyrmecologist.blogspot.com (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

ACTIONS & CONSEQUENCES F our African American youths, three teenagers and an adult, face felony charges in Chicago for the alleged kidnapping and assault of an 18-year-old white, mentally challenged man, which they videotaped and uploaded to YouTube.

Added to the charges of aggravated battery, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated unlawful restraint is a hate crime charge.

Following the assault, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said, “Tonight, four individuals have felt the consequences of their actions”, and several US political leaders condemned the attack, including President Barack Obama who called it “despicable”.

Some Americans have been critical of the hate crime charge, but the four suspects were heard clearly on the videotape referring to their victim as “white” while they carried out their assault making it a clear case of hate crime, a crime that involves attacks perpetrated against a group rather than an individual person.

In this case, it was African Americans perpetrating an assault on the white community.

This entire incident stands in stark contrast to what obtains in Guyana when such crimes occur.

There is no local hate crime legislation, but given the 50 years and counting of ethnic violence, there should be specific laws to deal with these particular types of assaults.

There are laws, however, that covers assaults, arson, rape, robbery and murder yet since the 1960s when the first outbreak of open violence against the Indian Guyanese community surfaced – the motivation being to oust Premier CheddiJagan from Office – hardly anyone has ever been brought to justice and suffered any consequences.

The fact that in our racially divided society, the attacks always have both racial and political components, that in no way absolve the perpetrators or make their crimes less heinous.

Unlike the condemnation in the US, here attacks on Indian Guyanese – often accompanied by racial pejoratives – are actually justified and approved by most of the African Guyanese community.

From 1998 onwards, following the 1997 general elections, the ethnic attacks escalated then solidified in Buxton Village which became the command centre for the assaults, rapes, kidnappings, robberies and murders that threw a wide net over the Indian

Shopkeeper remanded for stabbing stepbrother over electricity bill

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Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini) shopkeeper was on Tuesday remanded by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for stabbing his stepbrother in a dispute over an electricity bill.

It is alleged that on January 15, 2017, Warren Welcome unlawfully and maliciously wounded his stepbrother, Steven Bell, with intent to harm, maim, disfigure or cause actual bodily harm.

According to the prosecution, both parties reside in the Port Kaituma Water Front area. On the day of the incident, an argument erupted over the payment of G$5000 for the utility bill. It is alleged that the Virtual Complainant approached Welcome and requested that he pay the electricity bill, but the defendant, who was intoxicated, broke a jar

Warren Welcome

and stabbed the victim to his neck. As a result, he was rushed to the Port Kaituma Regional Hospital.

The prosecution contended that the VC was still receiving treatment for his injuries and as such, objected to bail. The prosecution’s submissions were upheld and Welcome was remanded to prison. The case will continue on February 7 at the Matthews Ridge Magistrate’s Court.

Ryhaan Shah Guyanese villages along the East Coast in particular.

In fact, in January 1998, PNC Leader Desmond Hoyte stated publicly at Cuffy Square that the armed forces are the PNC’s “kith and kin”. Keeping Indians cornered and afraid has always been part of their political strategy and, in its 23 years of Government, the PPP/C instituted no reforms.

Very few African

Guyanese ever condemn attacks on Indian Guyanese. Some justify them and most are always silent. In essence, they provide tacit approval and permission for the PNC’s strategy which has been in play since the 1960s and was witnessed as recently as post-elections in 2015 when “coolie” taunts and threats were hurled openly from the victorious African Guyanese.

The rule of law in the US and other developed countries has no colour, creed, gender or party affiliation.

Justice is indeed blind and this more than anything else is the foundation on which progressive societies build.

There is a line in the sand and consequences for crossing the line.

Without a standard to which every citizen adheres and which every citizen respects, whole

societies become overrun with indiscipline and lawlessness. That is, they become like Guyana.

No government since our independence has even tried to create a disciplined and lawful society because they have all gleefully taken advantage of our love for lawlessness and, since taking Office, President David Granger has been the standard bearer for such actions. He takes unilateral decisions that flout all democratic principles of consultation, transparency and accountability.

His latest unprincipled act was his elevation of Justice Roxanne George to the position of senior counsel when all legal conventions debar giving silk to a sitting judge. How many think that Justice George could have set a sterling example and shown herself as someone who loves and respects

the law by refusing the appointment?

The new Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence perhaps answers that question when she stated, in her reply to queries about her qualifications – or lack of – for the position, that: “I believe that His Excellency in his wisdom knows best.”

It is this surrendering of individual and independent thinking to an authority figure that breeds authoritarianism.

Lawrence’s statement is frightening and comes as Granger rejects the nominees for the GECOM chairmanship in what appears to be an attempt to rewrite the rules in his favour.

If allowed to select his own candidate for this crucial position, he will set the stage for Guyana’s future and there will be dire consequences.

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana, British Columbia to strengthen inter-parliament cooperation

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uyana on Tuesday morning signed a Partnership Agreement with British Columbia with the intention of providing a framework for future joint endeavours, according to the Speaker of Guyana’s National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland.

“The purpose of the agreement is to put in a more framework [for] our future relations,” he told media operatives.

The agreement was signed by Dr Scotland, on behalf of the National Assembly of Guyana and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in

British Columbia, Linda Reid. Reid was accompanied by a delegation, which included Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Kate RyanLloyd and Director of the Hansard Department of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Rob

Sutherland.

The Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Pierre Giroux, was also present at the signing.

Reid, whose tenure in British Columbia will end in May, explained that this “friendship” was initiated by present Health Minister Volda Lawrence Speaker of Guyana’s National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in British Columbia, Linda Reid, signing the agreement

a little over a year ago.

The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in British Columbia noted that her country had much in common with Guyana, highlighting that through this partnership she now hoped to achieve “better practice” for her country.

“There’s lots of things we have in common with the Republic of Guyana, lots of mining, lots of indigenous issues, parallels in terms of how we do business and the fact that we can uplift of Parliaments at the same time, speaks to me…There are lots of lessons we can learn, we certainly want to learn some things about community, about committee…” she told media operatives.

According to the Agreement , the Partnership shall have as its objective fostering

the development of interparliament cooperation between the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia and the National Assembly of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and shall thereby serve to improve understanding of the functions of both institutions, particularly in the fields of legislation, culture, economics, health, science and technology, and generally reinforce greater friendship, goodwill and mutual understanding of traditions, customs, procedures and practices of each House.

Reid and the delegation arrived in Guyana on Monday, and since then, they have visited the Ruimveldt Children’s Home and Care Centre and the Mahaica Children’s Home to distribute toys.

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Portugal’s PM Costa, “I am Proud to be a PIO”

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f there was one takeaway from the just concluded 14th Pravasi Bharitiya Divas (PBD January 7-9) it was India’s determination to connect with People of Indian Origin (PIO’s). They certainly pulled out all the stops at this largest even PBD held in Bangalore, its world famous IT capital.

Unlike the previous PBDs, this inaugural biennial conclave was preceded by a yearlong series of focused discussions chaired by foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and her top Ministry officials, with specially invited members of the Indian Diaspora.

Some of the recommendations from those discussions were already evident, especially an emphasis on youth – exemplified by the Youth PBD. These Diaspora youth delegates (there were nine from Guyana) were given the opportunity to interact and network with their peers – including Indian students from across India studying in Bangalore.

There were, of course, exposed to the curated and living civilisational response of this southern region of India, igniting an appreciation for the tremendous diversity of India, of which they are part.

For myself, a member of the panel addressing the plenary session, “Connecting Contemporary India to the Diaspora in Girmitiya Countries: Link to the Past for a Shared Future”, the highlight was the address by the Chief Guest of PBD 2017, Antonio Costa, the Prime Minister of Portugal. During his speech, he whipped out his “People of Indian Origin (PIO) card, held it aloft and announced, “I am proud to be a Person of Indian origin (PIO) – the first to lead a European country!”

His origin was in Goa, the part of India that had been a colony of Portugal subsequent to Vasco da Gama’s historic discovery of a sea route to the East from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean via the Cape of Good Hope of Africa.

What was remarkable to me was his enthusiastic embrace of his Indian Origin, even though, in his case, Portugal had been expelled from Goa by an

armed Indian invasion in 1961. Full diplomatic relations had only been resumed in 1975.

It also reinforced a point I have been making in our country: we have to re-examine the narratives we have inherited from the colonial era. Those narratives came out of different contexts and answered what may be irrelevant in the present.

Costa’s act reminds us that changes since then might have made some old labels like “enemy”, and “coloniser” anachronistic in the modern era.

His declaration of being a PIO, while being a Portuguese, emphasises that accepting one’s origin in no way conflicts with one’s present nationality.

As India’s PM Narendra Modi said to resounding, prolonged applause: The colour of the passports may be different; but not the ties of origin (blood).

Costa also pragmatically played up his Indian origin to make a pitch for India to consider Portugal as a beachhead to interact with the rest of Europe in whatever field it chooses.

The PIOs who had emigrated from India as indentured servants between 1834 (Mauritius) and March 12, 1917, when it was brought to a halt, did so after signing a contract or “agreement” that purported to describe their conditions and terms of employment in the new lands. The word “Girmit” is a Bhojpuri corruption of the world “agreement” and was first used by Fijian Indians to describe those who had decided to remain in their new countries: Girmitiya – People of the Agreement.

This March, Girmitiyas from across the globe will be commemorating the 100th anniversary of the abolition of Indentureship and PBD 2017 provided a platform to coordinate and support activities. The Social Cohesion Minister from Mauritius, for instance, committed his country’s help with digitisation of immigrants’ records, which can all be fed into an interactive database at the newly launched Girmitiya Research Centre in New Delhi.

Going beyond the ongoing exchange of “cultural ambassadors”,

By Ravi Dev India will also host events to commemorate the landmark event by highlighting the efforts of Gandhi, Gokhale and Maliviya to end indentureship.

Quite significantly, in terms of their unfortunate later history, the Muslim League and Congress reunited for one last time to achieve this goal.

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42 Art & Culture

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Hubert Moshett

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ubert Moshett was one of the pioneers of Guyanese art in the 1930s. According to “Panorama: A Portrait of Guyana” (2014), Moshett is said to have “enjoyed a long and productive career, painting numerous depictions of the ordinary life of Guyana people, including sugar estates, sawmilling, balata bleeding, market scenes, cabinet-making...”

The artist was born Sept 28, 1901.

When the first generation of Guyanese artists formed the British Guiana Arts and Crafts Society in 1931, Moshett was elected committee member, along with his close friend E. R. Burrowes.

In the Guianese Art Group, founded in 1944, he was elected first committee member and later secretary. In 1966 he was elected secretary of the Guyana Art Association.

When the Malcara Gallery opened in 1969, the first of its kind in Georgetown where art-

ists’ work were framed, glazed and exhibited, Moshett served on the committee that selected and hung artists’ work.

There were sketching classes not only attended but organised

by Moshett for the artists’ community, in the days long before formal art training was available in Georgetown.

Moshett himself never received any formal training.

From 1941 to 1962, he worked with the British Guiana Lithographic Company as co-director of the Art department with his friend Reginald Phang, with whom he collaborated in two major art series.

The British Guiana Lithographic, the predecessor of the Guyana National Printers Limited, was in Moshett’s words the “first colour-printing and photo-lithographic business in British Guiana and the entire West Indies”.

The Lithographic produced the majority of the monthly and an-

nual magazines, such as the Caribia and the Booker Group’s Pepperpot, which, apart from newspapers, were the only mass-circulation media in the days before the expansion of radio or the arrival of television. The look and style of the magazines were of vital importance, and Moshett was a key figure responsible for the high and sustained quality of work through those years.

At the end of Moshett’s working career, he had compiled a list of more than 160 paintings, most of which are no longer in Guyana. The National Collection has relatively few of his works.

Banks DIH has a series of 24 paintings of “Guyanese Industry” and the National Library has 11 prints of “The Legend of Kaieteur”. Both were executed by Moshett and his friend Reginald Phang.

“Panorama: A Portrait of Guyana” stated that Moshett’s “Waterfront” (1977)

'Port Georgetown from Vreed-en-hoop'

“artistically and seriously records an ordinary piece of Guyana life. Through this exercise, Moshett ennobles this simple facet of Guyana and creates a great piece of art. The point of view from the water looking inland is unusual. So too is the composition, which includes a large body of water and a diagonal leading in from the right hand side. The distribution of light and dark, the serrated roofline, the mingling of colours in the water, the strong drawing on the right hand side, contrasted to the more impressionistic

left hand side, all create rhythms and tensions in the painting and help to make it an excellent work of art”.

In Moshett’s “Shrimping” (1972), the publication pointed out that “the life of poverty is starkly presented in this painting of two women searching for shrimp in a canal to make a meal for their families. The land is painted as dark greenish masses, and the women are painted in the same dark tonality. Only the canal is a bright area across the canvas, reflecting the blue sky.

The women, backs to

each other, are intent on their work, which is a means of their survival. Moshett manages to capture these women in a moment of their life – they appear to be totally oblivious of the artist. While this painting makes a strong social statement, it was not painted as part of a social movement. However, it was painted fairly late in Moshett’s career, since he was among the early Guyanese artists of the 1930s”.

Moshett died in 2003 at the age of 101.

(Additional information on the artist and photos provided by Castellani House)

Sugar Estate B. G

'Ice cream Vendor' (1946)

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

43

Living among the best of nature

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bout 30 minutes south of Lethem, the beautiful village of Kumu is found. The village is made up of traditional homes widely spread out over the savannahs, with the Kanuku Mountains looming behind.

Kumu is a satellite village of St. Ignatius. Residents of the village are mainly of the Macushi nation. Many of the older residents are subsistence farmers.

One of the most picturesque sites in Kumu is a waterfall named after the village – the Kumu Falls,which is right below one of the peaks of the mighty Kanuku.

With a 4x4 vehicle, visitors can drive a rough path nearly to Kumu Creek and a trailhead in the Kanuku foothills. From there, a quick walk leads to Kumu Creek and a large opening where the village has built a hammock shelter for those who wish to spend the night.

Visitors can rest on the large granite rocks strewn around the waterfall, stand under the cascading water for a stimulating water massage, or take a refreshing dip in the pool below the falls. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

Kumu Falls (Photo from notafrica.wordpress.com)

On the way to Kumu (Photo from www. ourtriptorestoftheworld.blogspot.com)

Breathtaking view of the Kanukus from the village (Photo from www.ourtriptorestoftheworld.blogspot.com)

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

New Year Resolutions

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atiricus wasn’t too big on New Year Resolutions. His wife Caustic said he had the will of a limp noodle. And maybe this was the reason he shied away from making any. So here it was, already deep into the second week of the year, and he was fumfering when grilled on the subject by the fellas at the Back Street Bar. “Listen fellas, I’ll tell you mine AFTER you tell me yours!” he bluffed to gain some time. But Bungi wouldn’t have any of it.

“Budday!Ev’ry year a de same t’ing!” he grinned, while selecting a piece of fried Banga Mary which was the Cutters du jour. “Yuhfriken fuhmekresalushanbeca’seyuhguhbruk am right away!”

Before Satiricus could respond, Hari interjected, “No problem, Sato, old friend.

Last year I resolved to stop listening to these politicians and their promises. Right after Pee-anSee and KFC gave us Larwah and gave themselves their 50 per cent raise!”

“Yeah… but what’s your resolution THIS year?”

Satiricus insisted.

“Same resolution from last year!” grinned

Hari. “These fellas continue lying so much into last year – I just tuned them out! Wasn’t hard to keep my resolution – no problem!”

“Me ‘greewidyuh, Hari,” said Bungi, as he took a swig of his beer. “Dem palitishan like Crismuss blowblow!”

“But what’s YOUR resolution, Bungi?” insisted Satiricus. “Surely you plan to do something different to improve your life.”

“Well, since yuhleadahNagga man dem a close down de suga’ estate, me plan fuh bug Cappofuh brace me fram New Yark!” confessed Bungi. “Me hear de man done buycyaar in six mont’!”

“So, what’s your resolution, Sato,” asked Hari.

“You now know ours.”

“I’m going to quit drinking,” said Satiricus seriously.

“What??!!” exclaimed Bungi and Hari simultaneously, obviously stunned at losing their cash cow.

“But I know I’ll break it by next week!” grinned Satiricus. “If the Government didn’t keep their 20 resolutions, why should I keep my one?”

And the fellas clinked their bottles and drank to that!

Closing their eyes…

I

…to the human detritus created

n the old days, folks had “outside” latrines where they’d dump their “dirty”. But after a couple minutes holding their noses, they’d “throw-back” – and even read the newspapers! Maybe that’s why latrines are also called “out-houses”! Your Eyewitness was reminded about this proclivity as he observed the nonchalance of the PNC-led coalition – as they traversed the destruction they’ve dumped on the ordinary and not-so ordinary folks of this country.

We can start with the tragedy dumped on the entire West Bank of Demerara, in general, and Wales in particular. At least Minister of Agriculture Holder was honest enough – or too squeamish? – to stand the stench to go among the folks whose lives he’d destroyed. But surely the whiffs from all the putrefying dreams they caused by closing the single largest employment entity must’ve reached their airconditioned offices in Georgetown? Remember the kid who topped UG a year ago, whose father was a cane cutter? What could he possibly be doing now?

Your Eyewitness is reminded of the poem, “Dreams Deferred” by Langston Hughes, which was written in Harlem in 1951: “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up/ Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore—/ And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over—/ like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags/ like a heavy load. Or does it explode?

This was just about the same time Martin Luther King discovered Gandhi’s work of “Satyagraha” or Civil Disobedience and honed it into a potent weapon to launch the Civil Rights struggle for those oppressed Africans. A decade later, the sore did in fact explode, right there in Harlem, when a fella calling himself Malcolm X, decided King’s method was too uncertain.

With the slogan, “Burn baby, Burn!”, almost every major American city went up in flames. And they got attention!

The question has to be asked: as the poverty and privations at Wales move from not being able to get three meals a day, to getting NO meals per day, whose message will it be? Martin Luther King’s, whose birthday it is today, or Malcolm X’s?

And it’s not just Wales. Take the vendors of Georgetown. They were the most rabidly partisan supporters of the PNC clique at City Hall in stymieing the efforts of the PPP Town Clerk and the Local Government Minister to improve their lot and the lot of Georgetown. Talk about being willing to wallow in filth “for the cause”! But what did that get them?

Larwah? A common cause must be made for dreams deferred. …Amaila’s virtues Another egregious dumping of dirt on the dreams of Guyanese by the PNC-led coalition Government has been their obdurate derailment of the Amaila Falls HydroElectric Project (AFHEP). The endemic “blackouts” of the PNC’s first turn at the helm had driven everyone to the edge of sanity, but had gradually been whittled down by the PPP. But most big businesses had to deploy their own expensive generators to get a reliable supply of electricity.

AFHEP could’ve solved both challenges.

But the Government-then-in-Opposition destroyed AFHEP’s viability with their opposition to the project using a number of specious excuses. And we fast-forward to the present. All of their objections – and then some – were addressed by an independent Norwegian consulting firm, which concluded AFHEP was the most viable option for Guyana. And yet the Government not only balked – but did so by completely and deliberately misstating the findings and recommendations of the consultancy!

The recent placatory announcement that this wasn’t a “decision” but an “advisory” isn’t going to change anything, Dumping on Guyanese is now the Government’s reflex action. …to judicial propriety The PNC-led Government’s given only two weeks’ notice for applications for Chancellor and CJ – and then another three weeks to hold “meaningful consultations” with the Opposition Leader.

Oh well…why not another Constitutional crisis?

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Mash fuh so

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atiricus was grinning from ear to ear.

Since it had been raining steadily every day for the last week, and the fellas knew he hated rainy weather, his imitation of the proverbial Cheshire Cat – or the Joker, if you will! – did raise some eyebrows among the faithful patrons of the Back Street Bar. Not that they minded, since a happy Satiricus meant more free beers.

“Suhwha’ mekyuh a skin yuhteet’ all de time?” asked Bungi who couldn’t keep his curiosity under wraps any longer.

“Maybe he win the Lotto,” grinned Hari as he ordered another beer. “That’s the only thing that could perk him up so much!”

“Or if ‘e wife gat hassa curry waitin’ fuham, w’en ‘e guh home!” Bungi chortled.

Satiricus’ love of hassar was legendary.

“Better than that, fellas!”Satiricus said brightly. “We already start getting’ ready for Mash 2017!!”

“Who is ‘we’?” Hari wanted to know. “I barely survived Christmas and New Year!” “‘We’ is we Minister of Culture, my friend,” said Satiricus. “Didn’t you read the announcement? She said we will be assembling at Stabroek Square, revelling along Brickdam and culminating at the D’Urban Park!”

“Yuhguvment close dong de sugafact’ry,” Bungi pointed out with some heat. “Me nah gat jaab, suh how me guh celebrate afta wan hard day wuk?”

“Bungi is making a good point for a lot of other workers, Sato,” said Hari soberly. “And so the vendors who move back to Stabroek Market Square have to move again?”

“C’mon fellas,” pleaded Satiricus. “It’s a good sport for us to enjoy. Think of the fireworks at Jubilee Durban Park!”

“Budday!Yuh know wha’ wood ants do to dem wood-stand in dis rain?” Bungi wanted to know. “Yuhguhtekyuh life in yuhhan’!

“Well, my leader Nagga Man tell me they will find seats for the PPCee people this time!” smiled Satiricus. He ordered another round of beer.

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

The drug called “sugar”

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“Sugar gave rise to the slave trade; now sugar has enslaved us.”

– Jeff O’Connell, Sugar

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Anu Dev

n the interest of full disclosure, let me confess right up front that I just love cheesecake, which I also love to bake, which makes avoiding it rather difficult! But apart from that, I’m not too big on sugar-saturated foods.

My thoughts on sugar were wonderfully concentrated by “The Long Read” selection in last week’s Guardian’s: “Is sugar the world’s most popular drug?”

The bottom line, to get to the nub of the question, is there no definitive answer provided by science at this time to the question above. Sugar was investigated mostly as a nutrient, which it is.

Because the deleterious effect of sugar consumption is cumulative over the long-term, and not almost instantaneous like the wellknown psychotropic drugs, such as heroin or cocaine, until the recent public health concerns raised about those effects such as diabetes and obesity, there was not much research conducted on it as an addiction. All of that is now

changing.

I’d known that during the historical colonial empire-building phase in the tropics, sugar was cultivated along with substances known for their psychotropic effects. Most notoriously was poppy for producing opium that was shipped by the British from India to China. Yep – the British were the first drug dealers! Tobacco, of course, was shipped all over the world and even though it’s package must now announce “Dangerous to your Health”, it’s still one of the largest psychotropic drug sold legally. Then rum and other alcoholic products were produced from molasses – a by-product of sugar production. Coffee provided a rush from its caffeine.

What I didn’t know was that sugar from the same colonial period onwards was mixed with tobacco to give it its “mild” effect – as opposed to cigars – which makes it possible for the tobacco smoke to be drawn into and absorbed into the lungs to “do its thing” – deliver the temporary high and its longer term lung

cancer.

While research hasn’t shown that sugar is addictive, it’s shown to have a calming effect on babies, and not surprisingly is added to most babies’ formula. And we all become weaned on it. What’s known is sugar triggers the same responses – albeit in a milder form – in the region of the brain known as the “reward centre” as nicotine, cocaine, heroin and alcohol. The effect of sugars and the other “accepted drugs” work by stimulating the release of some neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, and the more we use these substances the less dopamine is produced naturally.

From being a rarity in at the time of the discovery of the “New World”: and the introduction of sugar plantations, sugar is now consumed in every meal throughout the day. Check the foods you purchase in the grocery stores and supermarkets – almost every one of them contains sugar. When from the 1980’s concerns were raised about the relationship between the

consumption of fats and heart disease, fats were removed and sugars added to foods, such as yogurt to make them “healthy” yet “tasty”.

With the dawning recognition by public health authorities on the deleterious effects of sugar, they are beginning to legislate or recommend “moderation” in the consumption of sugars.

Nowadays you can’t “supersize” your sugar saturated sodas at many of the fast food chains in the US and sodas are now banned in many schools.

But the problem with cutting down on sugar intake is almost all processed foods – such as bread – contain sugars and we consume these worrying, for instance, about its gluten content without thinking about the sugar. What to do. The ideal would be to avoid processed foods, but we know this is unrealistic. The alternative is to cut back on them and use natural foods – which are in abundance in Guyana – as much as possible.

Autopsy: T&T schoolgirl strangled, struggled with attacker

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n autopsy on the body of 16-year-old schoolgirl Rachael Ramkissoon yesterday revealed that she was strangled.

Her killer used a thin cord-like “device” to strangle her around the neck, according to the findings of pathologist Hughvon Des Vignes.

There was no evidence of Ramkissoon being sexually assaulted.

However, there were similar cord-like marks on her left forearm and right wrist, which suggested that she attempted to fight off her attacker, police said.

Yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre in St James, Ramkissoon’s relatives were unwilling to talk to the media and directed all questions to the police.

The girl’s grandmother, Kamla Ramkissoon, hit out at comments on social media which were disturbing and pleaded for the negativity to stop.

Even as the family were finalising funeral arrangements, president of the Brazil Village Council Candida Pataron last night called on emergency meeting with its 15-member executive, to discuss Ramkissoon’s murder.

Pataron said the council and the community was saddened, distraught and concerned with what had happened at the beginning of a New Year.

Rachael Ramkissoon

“It has thrown us in a state of shock and fear. It is a concern for us because we all have children who travel to and from the area.

The situation makes you afraid,” Pataron said.

Pataron said among the issues they intended to raise at the meeting was lack of public transport and what measures they want instituted to protect and safeguard the residents, in particular, women.

“Definitely what happened on Friday will be discussed. This is of importance to us,” Pataron said.

Last Friday, Ramkissoon was found face up, in the forested Balata Trace in Arena, a mere ten minutes drive from her home.

She was dressed in her uni-

form of the Northeastern College.

Ramkissoon, a Form Five student, missed the bus and it is believed that she may have arranged for a taxi to take her to school.

For months, Pataron said the community have seen a proliferation of PH taxis operating in the rural and far-flung community.

“We also have the concern with a few new drivers who see the trade as a lucrative business.

These drivers we are not aware of. This is what we intend to look into. We need to address the issue of the PH drivers because the legitimate taxis having been kicking up a fuss.”

Pataron said no one knows for sure what vehicle Ramkissoon took on that fateful day.

“The information we are getting is still sketchy and cloudy.

People are saying that Rachael would not have entered a car she was not familiar with. This lead to the question…who do we have on our roads? It could be somebody we accustomed seeing all the time who had done this act. It is one thing to say it is a stranger or a PH driver…if it is someone we know… how do you deal with that?”

In the coming days, Pataron said they will have a general meeting with villagers to discuss their biggest concern – lack of public transport.(Trinidad Guardian)

48 Bollywood

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Priyanka Chopra is back Saif Ali Khan confirms daughter Sara’s Bollywood debut to work on Quantico sets after head injury W

I

ndian actress Priyanka Chopra has returned to work on the sets of the American TV show Quantico after suffering a concussion in an on-set accident last week.

She returned to work on Monday. The actress’ representative confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, reports daily-

mail.co.uk.

Her representative said: “While she is still sore and stiff from her fall, she is getting stronger every day and is happy to be back at work.”

Priyanka was injured while shooting on the sets of the second season of the hit drama series Quantico. According to sources, she slipped and fell during a stunt and

suffered a concussion after hitting her head.

She spent the weekend resting at home, tweeting her followers on January 15: “Thank you for all of your warm thoughts and well wishes.”

She stars as FBI agent Alex Parrish in “Quantico”. She likes to perform her own stunts in the action series.

“Quantico” season two will return from mid-season hiatus from January 24. It airs on Star World and Star World HD in India. Priyanka is also set to play a baddie in her Hollywood debut film, Baywatch, alongside Dwayne Johnson, ZacEfron, AlexandraDaddario, Pamela Anderson, Jon Bass and many others.

The Seth Gordon directed flick will hit theatres on May 19, next year.

(Indian Express)

Shahid Kapoor, Deepika Padukone’s Instagram conversation is full of love

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ctor Shahid Kapoor was recently honoured with the Critic’s Award For Best Actor at the 62nd Jio Filmfare Awards 2017. He shared the award with Manoj Bajpayee.

Celebrating his happiness, the actor shared his photograph with the stunning black lady on his Instagram account. And guess what, who was among the first few to congratulate the actor on his big win? It was his Padmavati costar Deepika Padukone.

Deepika was quick to

comment on the picture in which the actor looked dapper.

She wrote, “Congratulations”.

After a few seconds, she posted again, “I love you.” Shahid wrote to Bollywood’s queen Padmavati, “Thank you and loads of love back at you.”

It seems like the two co-stars are getting along well with each other as Shahid also wished luck to Deepika for her Hollywood debut xXx: Return of Xander Cage.

He tweeted, “Making the desis look super slick @

deepikapadukoneYou do us proud. wishing you all the luck for xXx.” Shahid is prepping up for the release of his period film, Rangoon, shared his shirtless pic from a beach on his social media account. The actor flaunted his fit body in the pictures and left many hearts racing. Don’t miss his killer smile either.

The pictures are a proof enough that Shahid has been following a strict diet and workout regime for his look in his upcoming film, Padmavati. Despite working a 14 hours shift, the Haider actor managed to work out for two hours every day. Being the professional that he is, Shahid always puts a lot of effort in the looks of characters he essays on screen. (Indian Express)

hen Saif Ali Khan talks about his duties as a father, you realise what a doting dad he is. Brought up in filmy surroundings and having been in the business for decades now, it is surprising that the actor does not really want his kids to take up acting because of the “angst in the profession.”

While Saif said he does not really want to keep Sara away from her dream, he is circumspect. Saif, in an interview to Mumbai Mirror, said, “Who’s to blame, it’s in her genes. I remember on the first world tour we were on together, I spotted her peeking through the curtains backstage to watch the actors dancing on stage, mesmerised.

That’s when she decided this is what she wanted to do. Cinema has changed since and she’s also realised there’s a lot of angst in the profession, especially if you have not quite arrived yet. I worry about that,

but what can I do?”

On being asked about her debut film with Karan Johar, he said that the director “is good with newcomers and according to me, he is the perfect person for her.”

It wouldn’t be surprising that even his son, who literally is a lookalike of Saif, wants to be a part of this glamor and dreamy world of entertainment. However, for now, his conversations are limited to his mark sheets, which Saif reveals he has never shown to him, his rugby matches and such other things about his college life. “He’s hidden his report card, I keep asking

for it. But otherwise, he’s settled well. He’s poised and decent which is nice.

Yes, both my kids want to work in films, it’s one of the best jobs in India.

I just don’t want them to be disappointed which is why education is a good back-up,” the actor said.

Saif has two films this year, Rangoon and Chef but it is his kids who are taking away the limelight. While 2016 ended on a celebratory note with Taimur Ali Khan’s birth, Saif and Kareena’s first child together, the news about Sara Ali Khan’s debut has not been done and dusted as of yet. (Indian Express)

Don’t have any interest in going to Hollywood: Aamir Khan

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amir Khan says he has no interest in working in Hollywood but is open to do international projects if something interesting comes up his way.

“I don’t have any interest in going to the US and working there. I am totally interested in working for Indian films.

I have a relationship with the audience here for last 25-26 years and I cherish and give a lot of value to it,” Aamir said in an interview when asked if he has any plans to work in Hollywood in the future.

“But that doesn’t mean it is a bad idea to entertain the world audience. I just don’t have that interest. It’s not my career graph that I will try and work for doing international films,” he said.

The 51-year-old actor, however, said he is open to working in global film projects if something interesting is offered to him. “…But it doesn’t mean that I am adamant on not doing any international film. If I get something interesting I will do it. There are no boundaries for creative purpose. If I get an offer from Japan and if I like it, I will do it,” he adds.

On big ticket Hollywood films like Jurassic Park, Spiderman series and

The Jungle Book minting good money in India, the Dangal star said any good film will do well commercially and such projects from abroad does not pose a threat to Hindi films. “I don’t think Indian cinema has any threat from Hollywood. We should fear and be afraid with ourselves because if we make bad films then we will automatically lose out on our audience. I don’t think it is possible for anyone to come and eat into our business,” he said.

“If a film is good, be it any language it will get good response. Our aim should be to make good films. People come to theatres with the intention of watching a good film,” adds Aamir. Irrfan Khan, AishwaryaRai Bachchan, Anil Kapoor and more recently Priyanka Chopra and DeepikaPadukone are among the Indian stars who have explored their prospects in international cinema. .

(Indian Express)

Salman Khan’s baby sister Arpita Khan Sharma is celebrating his acquittal

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fter Bollywood star Salman Khan was acquitted by a court in Jodhpur on Wednesday, his sister Arpita Khan Sharma took to Instagram to express her happiness and thank God. She posted a picture saying their faith, belief, prayers and wishes have come true.

Arpita posted a collage with religious symbols and wrote, “Thank You Faith, Belief,

Prays,Wishes. All do come through.” Earlier, Salman also took to Twitter to thank his fans for their support.

“Thank you for all the support and good wishes,” Salman tweeted.

Various happy fans came up with their best wishes for the actor.

“The decision of the court is fair and I am also in favour of Salman Khan as I’m one of his biggest fans since school.

I came here to see his with my friends and saw him at a distance.

And he will come back on January 25, we will surely come to see him again,” said a very happy

fan Kiran.

“It’s really good that Salman is acquitted and I wish him all the best,” said another fan Manisha.

The 51-year-old actor

had been charged with possessing and using an unlicensed weapon to kill an endangered gazelle in 1998 on a hunting trip in the desert state of Rajasthan, where he was filming the movie “Hum SaathSaathHain”. The actor, who built his career on portrayals of bad boys with a heart of gold, was previously cleared of the poaching charge.

Khan, who was present in court in the city of

Jodhpur for the verdict, was given the “benefit of the doubt and acquitted of all charges”, his lawyer, HastimalSaraswat, told reporters. The actor could have faced up to seven years in jail if found guilty of possessing an unlicensed gun.

Earlier in 2007, the actor spent a week in jail in Jodhpur before being granted bail in the case.

(Indian Express)

Hollywood 49

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Fifty Shades Darker: Rita Ora who plays Mia Grey records song for soundtrack

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inger Rita Ora has written a song for the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack. The 26-year-old, who is reprising her role as Mia Grey in the Fifty Shades of Grey sequel, has penned a song for the film, which will release next month, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“I’ve recorded a song for the new Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. It’s my first new song in a while, but I can’t say anything more than that yet,” Ora told Grazia magazine. The track which is called Kiss Me, will be available on the deluxe version of the album.

While she has not released an album since 2012, the America’s Next Top Model host says she works much harder than people realise.

“People are always really surprised by how hard I work. Today I was up at 4am filming in Rome, then I got a flight to

London this afternoon to perform at Tezenis, then I’m flying to the States to host America’s Next Top Model. I also don’t think people realise how sick my sense of humour is,” Ora said.

The singer made her acting debut with Fifty Shades of Grey playing the role of Christian Grey’s sister. Despite only having four lines in the blockbuster movie that released in February, the sing-

er appears to have secured a deal to be part of all three, according to Sony Pictures emails, which were released

by Wikileaks, reported Deadline.

Apart from Rita, singers Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift have also sang a song in this erotic thriller. Zayn – Taylor’s song is called I Don’t Want to Live Forever, which can be heard in the trailer as well.

(Indian Express)

Brad Pitt rocks out with Sting at star-studded charity event

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ctor Brad Pitt made a rare public appearance along with singer Sting at a star-studded charity event. The 53-yearold actor attended the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation’s fourth annual ROCK4EB! charity gala which was held at a private residence in Malibu, California, reported Entertainment

Tonight. Pitt took the stage to introduce the British singer-songwriter and his good friend Chris Cornell of the rock band Soundgarden.

The Allied star appeared to be in great spirit while seated next to Sting on stage, and the smiles continued when he posed for a photo alongside Cornell and Zach Galifianakis. Sting and Cornell teamed

up for an epic mashup performance at the event, which included “Every Breath You Take” by the Police and Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun.” Both Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have kept low-key profiles post their split. The first time that Brad made his public appearance after they filed a divorce was at the private screening of Moonlight.

The actor, who is one of the producers, appeared to be in high spirits as he posed for a shot with Roberts, Moonlight star Trevante Rhodes, and writer/director Barry Jenkins. Pitt also took to the podium with Roberts to speak about the highly-acclaimed film. (Indian Express)

Tom Hardy will not comment on James Bond role

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ctor Tom Hardy “can’t possibly comment” on whether or not he is in the running to become the next James Bond as he thinks it will ruin his chances. The 39-yearold actor has been largely speculated as a contender to take up the role of the fictional spy when Daniel Craig steps down from the position, reported Digital Spy. “You know, there’s a saying amongst us in the fraternity of acting, and in the fellowship of my peer group, that if

youtalk about it you’re automatically out of the race. So I can’t possibly comment on that one! If I mention it, it’s gone,”Hardy said.

The “Mad Max” star may not be saying too much about where he stands with the franchise, he did say that Christopher Nolan would be a “fantastic” director for the next installment.

“Chris Nolan, what a fantastic director for a Bond movie. Because Daniel (Craig) is so good, and what (direc-

tor Sam)Mendes and Barbara (Broccoli, producer) have done has been so impressive, that it would be a very hard re-imagination to follow after.

“I wonder what the next installment of that franchise would become, and I think when you mention someone like Christopher Nolan, that’s a very powerful figure to bring into that world who could bring something new and create something profound – again,” he said.

(Indian Express)

Lion actor Sunny Pawar meets President Barack Obama

I

ndian child actor Sunny Pawar, who is getting rave reviews for his performance in Lion, met president Barack Obama ahead of Inauguration Day. The eight-year-old actor was accompanied by his co-star Dev Patel and scored a handshake with Obama, reported People magazine.

Lion follows Saroo Brierley, who, at fiveyears-old, got lost far from his hometown and was adopted by an Australian couple, played

by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham. Twenty years later, he began searching for his longlost family using Google

Earth. “It was a scary but very brave story and that really touched me,” Sunny said about his role. The little star, who is a Mumbai native, said his parents are still strict about his education.

“I’m still a little kid so (my parents have) made sure that I don’t go flying high. So education continues and strict discipline continues,” he said. Before his trip to the White House, Sunny clicked pictures in front of the Martin Luther King, Jr memorial.

Sunny said he wishes to watch a WWE match before leaving for India.

Lion child star Sunny Pawar gave the 74th

Golden Globe awards it cutest moment when he appeared on stage with co-star Dev Patel to introduce their film. Lion revolves around the life of Saroo Brierley, a man searching for his birth mother in India.

The eight-year-old plays young Saroo, while Patel is in the grownup version in the Garth Davis-directed movie.

After Patel spoke of the film about a man who finds his long-lost family in India using Google Earth, he lifted the little actor to deliver the final line, “This is our movie, Lion. To which, Patel said, “Yes.” (Indian Express)

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt’s daughter’s biological mother seeks access to her

T

he biological mother of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter, Zahara, reportedly asked to speak with the 12-year-old, who was adopted by the former star couple when she was a baby.

Mentewab Dawit Lebiso, 31, who lives in Ethiopia, apparently talked to an international publication about her hopes of reconnecting with Zahara after more than a decade, reported Us weekly. “I just want her to know that I am alive and here and long to be able to speak with her. I do not want my daughter back but just to be in contact with her and be able to call her up and talk with her,” said Lebiso according to the publication.

Jolie, 41, adopted Zahara when she was six months old as a single mother in 2005, and her then-partner Pitt, 53, requested to legally adopt the girl a year later. Lebiso revealed that she

never stopped thinking about Zahara ever since the girl was adopted by the actress. “Angelina has been more of a mother to her than I have ever been.

She has been with her since she was a baby, but that does not mean I do not miss her.

“I miss her all the time. I think about her every day and long to hear her voice or see her face. I know when she has a birthday but I am sad because I can’t celebrate it with her. I would so much want to celebrate with her on her birthday and other special days… I long to be able to have regular contact with her.”

Lebiso made a plea to the By the Sea actress saying, “I would ask Angelina to let me speak with (Zahara). I do not think it is too much to ask.” Jolie and Pitt, 53, however, have not yet authenticated the identity of the woman.

(Indian Express)

50 sport

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Cameron meets cricket stakeholders in New York

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resident of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Dave Cameron was the special guest at the New York Metropolitan District Cricket Association (NYMDCA) last Wednesday (January 11). The occasion was the professional business networking session.

In the President’s remarks, Cameron noted that the visit to New York was to meet with local cricket organizers and players, as well as with city government officials to explore ways of further developing the growth and popularity of cricket in the Diaspora.

It was pointed out that securing a stadium for cricket in New York City is one of the goals of the

(L-R) James Archibald, Dave Cameron, Charles Simpson, John Melbourne (93.5 FM/formerly of WLIB) and Gerry Hopkin.

NY Metropolitan District Cricket Association, which the WICB encourages and supports.

Cameron also highlighted that in managing the WICB as a busi-

ness, there are some key priorities which includes meeting players’ needs to facilitate best performances on and off the field. “The team I am a part of now has helped

the organisation to move from a deficit to having a surplus of funds," Cameron noted.

Additionally, he mentioned that currently all West Indian cricket-

ers registered with the WICB are enjoying improved salary arrangements with reasonable wages, which ensure that they can give cricket fulltime attention, without the need for a second job.

Currently, compared to four years ago, where there were only 15 fulltime players employed by the WICB, there are now 120, with entry-level players getting at least $30,000 (USD) per year.

The event was organised by After Networking Wednesdays (ANW) Coordinating Cohost Gerry Hopkin and Primary Cohost, Edmund Sadio.

The meeting was also addressed by Cliff Roye, the president of the New York Metropolitan District Cricket Association, who

expressed optimism for the future of cricket in New York.

Michael Roberts of Commonsense Strategies, who along with James Archibald, worked with the leadership of NYMDCA and Charles Simpson in planning the media and other government engagements of Cameron's Itinerary.

Other planned events on Cameron's three-day itinerary, included visits to various cricket playing fields, a press conference on the steps of City Hall in Manhattan with NYC officials on Thursday and a Meet & Greet reception at Brooklyn's Borough Hall, hosted by Borough President Eric Adams, on Friday.

Regal cricketers urged to surpass 2016’s achievements

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fter an outstanding 2016, Regal Masters and AllStar cricket teams were charged by Director of Sport, Christopher Jones to better their already outstanding performances and keep the Golden Arrowhead always flying proudly.

This is after the teams paid a courtesy call on the Sport Director at his Homestretch Avenue office on Monday.

Organizing Secretary of the Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL), Samuel Kingston briefed Jones on the teams’ achievements for 2016 stating that the champion teams made a clean sweep of the New York Independence Cup in the United States and the Wolf Challenge Cup and Regal Sport T20 Challenge locally.

In the Florida Cup last March, both teams were knocked out at the semi-

final stage and will be looking to better those performances when the tournament is played from February 24 to 26 also in Florida this year.

The winning New York Independence Cup trophies, in the form of eagles, were also displayed during the simple ceremony.

The Director of Sport emphatically stated that the guys have done us proud, representing the country well and he has encouraged them to bring more awards home.

“Let me take this opportunity once again to congratulate you on what you have been doing thus far, representing the country. You have taken Guyana, you have taken the flag to the United States and I am confident that your performance that would be had would surpass that of previous times and would return home

Regal All-Stars Captain Richard Latif presents an autographed bat to Director of Sport, ChristopherJones on behalf of the Regal teams. All-Star Manager Parmanand Persaud is at extreme left

with more eagles [trophies].” Jones related.

The teams donated an autographed bat to the Director of Sport who challenged them to keep striving for excellence which will see many overseas invitations heading their way.

“We at the National Sports Commission and the Ministry Of

Education with Minister Nicolette Henry, are always committed to ensure that wherever athletes are traveling to, that the sport commission [and] the ministry of education in any way possible lend assistance to ensure that you are comfortable, to ensure that you get there because at the end of the

day you are going as ambassadors, you are going to represent the gold, red, white, black, and green and we want you to wear those colours in comfort knowing that the entire ministry is behind you, even though we wouldn’t be there in person we would be rooting for you guys” Jones expressed.

Both of the Regal teams are involved in the ongoing KPL fundraising tournament which began last Sunday at Everest to raise funds for Samuel Kingston who requires eye surgery in Trinidad in February.

The teams will depart for the Florida Cup on February 22.

Eric Vieira hailed as an icon of Motor racing in Guyana

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t was a solemn mood on Sunday afternoon at the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC), as the members reflected on the life of one of the founding members, Eric Vieira.

Vieira, who passed away in London last week, was a former President of the club, was instrumental in the sport reaching the heights it presently holds today.

Speaking at the appreciation ceremony, Kit Nacimento, coined Vieira as “Mr. Motor Racing” since “It was his version, his dedication that has given the sport it’s prominence today”.

Taking those in attendance down memory lane, Nasicmento explained that, “It began in the 1950s with a band of daredevils racing on #63 Beach with Vieira using a Triumph motor bike”.

Vieira, who is renowned for his driving in his “Beast”, played a big role in the club getting the support of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to pave the

South Dakota Circuit in the 1970s.

Similarly, Stanley Ming, a former Caribbean Motor Racing Champion said that “Vieira was man that died but died with the most toys”. Ming made the statement due to the fact that the top race driver had a large appetite for collecting motor cars and Go-karts.

Ming, who joined forces with Vieira in establishing ‘Technical Services and Supplies Limited’ which then introduced Yamaha outboard motors and Holder tractors to the Guyana market, explained how the two along with other members used their funds to rehabilitate the various structures at the circuit.

Long standing club member Pat Holder spoke of the days of watching Vieira race on the beach and the various daredevil-like stunts he would try to conduct.

The event ended with a minute of silence followed by some members doing a lap of honour on the Go-Kart track.

Eric Vieira in his beast at the South Dakota Circuit in the 1970s

sport 51

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘I need to keep getting wickets’ – Paul Wintz

By Akeem Greene

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here will always be differing views on what are the best attributes of a successful fast bowler but Paul Wintz has found the method of bowling a nagging line and having the ability to swing the ball both ways with his ‘open-chest’ action, to be the recipe for success.

Those are the assets that the Guyana Jaguars seamer will be attempting to replicate on a consistent basis when he plays in this year’s West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Super50 in Barbados and Antigua from January 24 to February 18.

In last year’s tournament, he collected 10 wickets (the second most for the Jaguars) at an average of 20.75 and economy rate below five runs per over.

As such, for this season, he plans to improve those performances, being a lethal wicket taker for the Leon Johnson led side.

“This year is nothing

new from last year I will just try and start well by taking wickets and then come back in the “death” and do well for the team, so I can come out with most wickets as possible,” the right-arm bowler stated.

His success last year, earned him a spot on the West Indies A team trials for the tour to Sri Lanka, where he managed to make the standby list.

The Berbician who joined the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) in 2010, with a move from New Line Cavaliers plans to have another successful outing to keep knocking on the doors for a place in the regional side.

He explained, “By performing well, people will see you and notice your skill hence the selectors placed me on standby for the A-team tour; I was hoping to make the team but that did not happen, so hopefully this year I can do better and make the final squad and possibly the senior West Indies

team.”

Guyana Jaguars are grouped alongside powerhouses Barbados Tridents, Jamaica Scorpions, Combined Colleges and Campuses Marooners and ICC Americas and will be fighting for a top two finish to in order to qualify for the semi-finals and the Berbican is eager to play his role.

“It is about wickets for me and if I can put in consistent performances in the eighth round matches and help us move unto the semifinals and finals it would be great, I have to keep getting wickets as often as possible,” the 30 yearold said.

With some big hitting West Indian and foreign batsmen set to showcase their power in the tournament, the bowler was quizzed on how he combats an onslaught.

He responded saying, “We will have our team meeting but personally I don’t play cricket on names, it is on the day that actually counts with bat and ball.”

The cricketer further said, “Fast bowling is not just about having express pace, it is about being smart and having the ability to swing the ball, which works for me, I don’t try to blast out any batsman, I try to bowl a nagging length and in limited overs cricket a dot ball is like a wicket so the more dot balls I can bowl in one over improves my chances of getting a wicket.”

Wintz, whose best figures of 3-21 came against the Marooners last year in St. Kitts, was there in the 2015 final when the side lost to Trinidad and Tobago and then in the 2016 semi-final when they lost to the same opponents, believes that they can go the full distance if they execute their plans to perfection.

“It has been a numerous amount of years we have been hunting this title, we have not won since 2005, I have been there when we reached the finals and semi-finals and it’s just an extra push we need, so this year I feel we are more

matured after playing a while as a team and I really hope that we go and execute our plans and win the title.”

Making his List A debut in 2011 and playing 19 matches to date, taking 32 wickets, his experience will come in handy on pitches that should offer support to the faster bowlers.

The Guyana Jaguars open their campaign this season against hosts, Barbados Pride on January 24 at the Kensington Oval.

Caption: Skiddy Jaguars fast bowler, Paul Wintz will be desperate to add to his 32 List A wickets and help Guyana Jaguars break the title jinx

Skiddy Jaguars fast bowler Paul Wintz will be desperate to add to his 32 List A wickets and help Guyana Jaguars break the title jinx

Injured Leal hoping to get back to winning ways cause cycling is a hobby I really love a lot and I mean even if this throws me off one, two, three even five years, whenever, I always have the passion for the sport

A

Raul Leal was severely injured last November

lot of athletes who suffer injuries throughout their career never really make it back to winners’ row while some hardly ever come back to competitive sport. However, this is not the case with champion cyclist, Team Gillette Evolution’s Raul Leal who is on to recovery faster than expected.

With predictions of Leal being out of competition for the first half of the season, it now looks as if that date might be drawn closer as Leal is healing at a faster rate and is patiently awaiting his time to get back to winning ways.

On November 16 last,

Leal, for the second time in his career, was one of two men involved in a collision which left him hospitalized. Leal collided with another motorcyclist along the West Ruimveldt Front Road as he was heading to a ‘wake house’ in South Ruimveldt close to his home at about 21:15h.

The youngster suffered injuries to his back, face as well as a broken right arm and toes on his right foot. The injuries to his leg were at the same spot where steel was implanted a few years ago when he suffered his first major accident.

When Guyana Times International Sport

caught up with the top ranked rider, the plaster casts had been removed from his arm and leg. He also indicated that most of the pain had eased.

The 20-year-old said “I removed the cast from my hand on old year’s day [December 31, 2016] and removed the cast from my foot last Friday,” adding that he “has to do therapy to get his toes working back.”

Leal is not giving up on the sport he loves saying he is determined to make a comeback to the top of the sport once again, already stating that he is bound to return to cycling.

“To be honest there will be no quitting be-

and will always continue with it” the Evolution rider said.

Leal said within the next two weeks he should be back on the saddle if all things go

according to plan and while he cannot put his foot in the footwear currently, he is working hard on getting that back in order so that he can return to training.

52 sport

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Brathwaite committed to Windies duty despite T20 lure

BRATHWAITE... my priority is always the West Indies (Photo: WICB)

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est Indies star Carlos Brathwaite has reiterated his commitment to playing international cricket, despite the demand for his services in Twenty20 (T20) leagues across the globe.

The 28-year-old has been an instant hit with Sydney Thunder in the ongoing Australia Big Bash, and already the franchise are weighing up the possibility of securing his services for next season.

However, West Indies are scheduled to tour New Zealand from November 2017 to January 2018 for three Tests, five One Day

Internationals (ODIs) and one T20I — a series that will clash with the early stages of the Big Bash which bowls off a week prior to Christmas.

And Brathwaite, who is trying to forge an international career in all three formats, said he was focused on making the Windies squad for the full series.

“My priority is always the West Indies. I want to be part of all three formats and I want to be on that New Zealand tour next,’’ the all-rounder said.

“If I’m not in New Zealand and an opportunity presents itself

here — I’m not in New Zealand for whatever reason, and I’m available — I’d love to come back to Sydney and the BBL.’’ Brathwaite’s commitment to West Indies was already evident in his decision to return to the Caribbean following Thunder’s final preliminary game on Wednesday, to represent his native Barbados Pride in the Regional Super50.

The tournament, the Caribbean’s premier 50-overs competition, is a requirement for West Indies players in order to be eligible for selection in the ODI format.(CMC)

Hicks ready for the road

By Romario Samaroo

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oung Berbican cyclist, Andrew Hicks of the We Stand United Cycling Club is one of the top leading junior riders in the country and based on his 2016 season, he has foreseen much success in the new season.

With the start of the 2017 season fast approaching, Hicks has already began preparations in the ancient county but while it is a hassle for the young man to travel to Georgetown regularly, he is pumped on making it constantly as he gets ready to come into the capital city where most of the races are held.

“This season will be a good one for me, I have had some good experience last year and my coach is training me well.” The champion rider related.

The 18-year-old, speaking with this publication related that it is his desire to finish in the top three in every race he is a competitor of while indicating that it is his goal to win the National Five-Stage or Three-Stage as well as the Mohamed Kadir Memorial Ounce of Gold and the Digicel Breast Cancer Awareness race.

Also, he is confident that he will ride away with overseas races if given the opportunity to take part in those competitions. However, the rising star knows that the competition is getting better and better on the local scene and made mention of the fact that he will have to be on the top of his game, maintaining optimum fitness while modifying his cycle to the best possible state to better his chances.

On the other hand, Hicks is training his younger brother, David who follows in his footsteps and is expected to make his debut after excelling

last year.

The older Hicks won the National Schools Cycling Championship last year and has caught the attention of many for his consistent top performances which earned him a spot to the Cycling Championship in Trinidad and Tobago where he finished on podium.

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘I’m mentally tougher now’ -Gajanand Singh

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ajanand Singh has been lost in the mix for an extended period but after a series of sterling performances for Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) in the University of the West Indies T20 Tournament recently held in Trinidad it seems as though the renaissance of the talented left handed batsman is imminent.

Singh, who played his last first class match in 2011, recorded scores of 64, 88, 56, 56, 64, four of which were unbeaten knocks as he pressed a claim to return to the national system after a satisfactory attempt in the Jaguars Franchise League three-day tournament late last year.

According to the former West Indies youth player the difference to his prolific run as a youngster and his success now is his state of mind. “As a youth cricketer I played natural cricket, it wasn’t about thinking too much of what I had to do and it allows me success and to score a lot of runs.

Growing up now it is more about the mental toughness that is needed and I think I am mentally tougher now.”

The 29 year old said he wants to get back into regional cricket so he could

Gajanand Singh

be offered an opportunity to live his ultimate dream.

However, the left handed batsman knows this could only come through commitment to the sport, an area where he has been working on. ”I am working harder now; my techniques, my action at the crease and fitness and I am in better shape now.”

As a result of his recent developments Singh said he is fighting his way back into the national system and he would be ready to answer the selectors call.

In regards to DCC fall at the final hurdle to Trinidad’s club Cane Farm, Singh said it is always hard to reach so far and not cross that hurdle, but they went to the final as a team to give 100% and

they did that but ended as the unfortunate side.

The Berbician was an outstanding youth player who outperformed most of his colleagues at the youth level. He often finished as one of the top batsmen at regional youth tournaments thus was afforded opportunities in West Indies youth camps and teams. He was a member of the 2006 West Indies U-19 World Cup team.

Subsequent to the 2006 youth World Cup, Jimmy Adams, who was one of the West Indies youth team’s official said Singh’s batting, especially his ability to manipulate the ball into the gaps, is mature beyond his age.

In 2007, his final year at the youth level, he was the leading run scorer in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) U-19 tournament. In 2008 his brief First Class and List A career started at the Regional level. To date he has played 10 First Class matches, scored 376 runs at an average of 25.06 while scoring 30 runs from his two List A games, where he was dismissed once.

There are no doubts surrounding his ability and he is considered an asset when he plays.

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WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

GCF hopeful of CAC, CARIFTA participation

Dynamic duo! National Junior Champion Saeed Ali (left) and his sister Sheriffa are top contenders to represent Guyana at the Games

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he Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) has set their sights on getting some of the most talented junior chess players to the Caribbean and Central America (CAC) and the CARIFTA games in 2017, this is according to President of the Federation, Irshad Mohamed.

Mohamed stated that this is the first time that Guyana could be represented in the area of chess at these competitions and it is something the Federation wants to capitalize on. The CARIFTA Games is the first of the two events and is billed for Jamaica from April 13-18 while the CAC is expected to be hosted by Barbados in June.

Among some of the circumstances that have con-

tributed to the non-participation of Guyana in these Games was the issue of funding and the GCF President expressed his excitement that the competitions are so close to home and in ‘better afforded’ locations. Adding to this, Mohamed said “We have always had talented players and the juniors have really developed themselves over the last two years.” He went on to add that “should they be given the opportunity it will be for them to make good of their performances.”

Based on the performances of the Guyana team to the Chess Olympiad, there is confidence in the team to excel at these two events.

Mohamed noted that cor-

porate Guyana has always been kind to the sport as well as the National Sports Commission, who both have provided tremendous support and is hopeful that they will come on board to make this a reality.

While the Federation is expected to have their elections before March 31 and Mohamed hinting that he will not be running for the post of president again, he is committed to doing as much as possible to see this goal materialize.

Reigning 2017 National Junior Champion Saeed Ali and Top juniors such as Roberto Neto, Sherry Ali and Akili Thompson are hopeful to represent Guyana against top Caribbean Junior Chess players. Mohamed indicated that much more should be done and can be done, relating that we need to make our presence felt in the region when it comes to chess and not just the chess Olympiad, but capitalizing on opportunities like these.

With both tournaments targeting youths, the CARIFTA games will be divided into Under-12, Under-16 and Under-20 while the CAC will be divided into Under-18, Under-16, Under-14, Under-12, Under-10 and Under eight.

WEEK ENDING JANUARY 22, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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