Issuu

FRIDAY 4th May, 2018

‘A great tragedy’ No.105264

…President calls piracy attack massacre

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… alleged mastermind held in Corentyne, six arrested in Suriname

Some of the alleged pirates who were arrested in Suriname on Thursday evening

‘Minor issues’ can’t break 11 up coalition PAGE

… Harmon says APNU, AFC will meet to discuss Cummingsburg Accord, LGE

Another 08 survivor found PAGE

Strengthen the rule of law …CFATF conference told

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President David Granger, accompanied by Commonwealth Secretary General, Baroness Patricia Scotland, Attorney General, Basil Williams and Secretary General of , Irwin LaRocque making his way out of the Pegasus Hotel following the opening of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), workshop for prosecutors and judges (Samuel Maughn photo)

–– after wandering for five day following brutal pirate attack

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

Scenes from CFATF Conference

Members of the diplomatic community at the forum organised by the Government of Guyana in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (Samuel Maughn photo)

A section of top local officials at the opening of the two-day workshop focussed on combatting money-laundering and financial crimes (Samuel Maughn photo)

President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland with participants of the two-day workshop (Samuel Maughn photo)

Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque, Baroness Patricia Scotland and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo share a light moment at the opening of the two-day workshop (Samuel Maughn photo)

Strengthen the rule of law

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

… President warns against slick organised crime

… says Caribbean is attractive to financial pirates TOP judicial officers of the Caribbean on Thursday commenced a workshop focusing on combatting money-laundering and financial crimes and President David Granger in declaring open the forum stressed that the rule of law must be strengthened and safeguarded to ensure that the fight against these scourges is successful. He noted too that right at home Guyana has made significant strides to boost and implement robust legislation, which can ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice. The two-day workshop, is being held under the theme, “Anti- Money Laundering and Countering of Financing of Terrorism, Countering Violent Extremism,” which is organised by the Government of Guyana in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), targets Judges and Magistrates from Commonwealth member states across the Caribbean. It seeks to establish mechanisms for Caribbean jurisdictions to strengthen measures for the continuous sharing of intelligence, information and best practices relating to financial crimes and to cooperate with each other in the investigation and interdiction of transnational crime and the enforcement of financial laws. It also aims to build the capacity of institutions, which police these systems and prosecute financial crimes. The Guyanese leader said that the rule of law is society’s protection from financial and other crimes. “The rule of law is society’s sword and shield against

financial crimes. It is the bulwark, which protects citizens against despotism. It guarantees the principle of equality before the law, the promotion of law and order and respect for citizens’ rights and the predictable dispensation of justice through the recourse to independent and impartial institutions to settle disputes.” President Granger said Caribbean citizens, without the protection of the law, could become captive to slick organised crime. He said the criminal justice systems of small states must be safeguarded from the subversion of organised crime. “The rule of law must be a shield, protecting our citizens and our institutions and a spear to combat money-laundering and terrorist-financing by inculcating norms which encourage compliance with the laws, increasing the likelihood of interdiction and prosecution of financial crimes and imposing penalties, which

act as effective deterrents to such crimes,” he said. TAX EVADERS Noting that many Caribbean states have become an attractive destination for financial pirates, privateers, money-launderers and tax-evaders, President Granger said that the Caribbean countries must be resourced and supported to protect their institutions against the threats of money-laundering and terrorist-financing. Robust legislation and sturdy institutions are the weapons in the war against financial crimes, he said. In this regard, the Head of State said that Guyana, cognisant of this fact, over the past years, has embarked on the path of passing legislation to counter financial crimes. Among these are the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML-CFT) Bill, which allowed for the

improvement of compliance with the standards of the CFATF. “Guyana has strengthened its institutions – such as the Bank of Guyana, the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions – which have been empowered with the authority and autonomy and equipped with the technical resources and personnel to discharge their functions under its Anti-Money Laundering and the Countering Terrorism-Financing legislation,” he said. Noting that small Caribbean states are limited not only in size but, also, in human resources, technology and capital and these constraints could impair the capability of law-enforcement agencies to combat transnational criminal cartels, the President sounded a call for intensified international collaboration, which he said, could improve communication, cooperation

Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Right Honorable Patricia Scotland QC addressing judges and prosecutors during the opening ceremony of the AML/CFT/CVE workshop at Pegasus. and capacity-building. BE GUARDIANS Meanwhile, Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland called on judges and prosecutors from across the Region to be guardians of their country’s finan-

From L-R: Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Right Honorable Patricia Scotland QC; President David Granger; Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams and Executive Director of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) Dawne Spicer.

cial institutions. Such a move, Attorney General and Leader Affairs Minister Basil Williams said is even more critical as countries enter into the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Fourth Round of Mutual Evaluation to determine the effectiveness of their Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regimes. Scotland pointed out said financial institutions of almost every country around the world are under threat of being exploited for criminal and terrorist purposes. The legal luminaries, she said therefore “have a duty to be vigilant guardians, protecting the safety and See page 4

Strengthen the rule ...

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

From page 3

well-being of all our people. They must ensure that we have the capacity to safeguarding our institutions in order to prevent them from being exploited by criminal and terrorist purposes.” It is becoming increasingly challenging for the detection of these financial crimes, the Commonwealth Secretary General noted while explaining that sources of these funding are diverse and flow

with “constantly shifting channels of distributions.” To tackle the situation, she said it is important for countries to have the best and the most up-to-date legal and criminal justice tools available.

RATE OF CONVICTIONS Minister Williams, in delivering his speech, said the rate of prosecutions and convictions for money laundering and financing of terrorism

offences is a concern. “While many of our countries in the Caribbean Region have enacted the necessary legislative measures to criminalise money laundering, as well as terrorist financing and proliferation financing, the overall rate of convictions and the confiscation of criminal proceeds have been moderate,” he explained. The Attorney General noted that if the global AML/CFT efforts are to be effective, it is critical for countries to also obtain convictions and pursue seizing and confiscating the proceeds and instrumentalities of crime for the benefit of States and victims. This particular element of effectiveness in the implementation of the AML/CFT legislation is important for countries like Guyana to exit the Fourth Round of Mutual Evaluation.

The opening ceremony of the AML/CFT/CVE workshop at Pegasus. (Photos by Samuel Maughn) FIGHTING AGAINST VIOLENT EXTREMISM Minister Williams said Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) is also an important element in the fight against extremist who seek to recruit, radicalise and mobilise their followers to commit acts of violence. For these reasons the two day workshop

is critical, and according to the Attorney General, it creates a platform for the gathering and sharing experiences, challenges and best practices in investigating and prosecuting money laundering and terrorist financing, as well as depriving criminals of their proceeds. In the past, the CFATF in conjunction with the Commonwealth Secretariat has held programmes for Judges (in Jamaica, in 2012) and Prosecutors (in St. Lucia, in 2015). However, with focus on the Fourth Round of Mutual Evaluations, the workshop is being held boost Re-

gional Judicial and Prosecutorial Services. President of the Financial Action Task Force Santiago Otamendi, CARICOM Secretary General Irwin LaRocque, Members of the Commonwealth and representatives of CFATF member states such as Antigua and Barbuda; the Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Dominica; Grenada; Guyana; Jamaica; Saint Lucia; St Kitts and Nevis; St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago are among those attending the forum.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

‘A great tragedy’ …President calls piracy attack massacre

…alleged mastermind held in Corentyne, six arrested in Suriname By Nafeeza Yahya IN the wake of the most horrific act of piracy within recent times in which four boats were attacked between Friday evening and Saturday morning off the Waiwai Bank in neighbouring Suriname, allegedly by Guyanese pirates, authorities have been ‘tightening the screws’ from both sides in an effort to capture the perpetrators. President David Granger on Thursday called the incident a massacre and announced that a day of mourning will be formally observed for the men who were killed. “We are deeply grieved by the tragedy; clearly some Guyanese have been victims, and we are in touch with Surinamese Government and also the Surinamese police authorities and our police in the ‘B’ Division, which is the East Berbice Corentyne Division, are in touch with the families and we plan to observe formal mourning. It is a massacre, it is a great tragedy,” President Granger said. He told reporters that his administration has been very successful over the last three years in curbing piracy, “so this has come as a great setback and we extend sympathy to the families.” His Surinamese counterpart, Desi Bouterse, who

was returning from a trip to Brazil, held a brief press conference as he touched down to address the issue. The Surinamese leader said the entire episode was a “sad thing that happened” and pledged “to leave no stone unturned” as he confirmed the collaboration between Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana to bring those responsible to justice. Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan has referred to the incident as a “brutal crime” and has confirmed Guyanese law enforcement has been in contact with officials since Saturday last. He confirmed that due to the Piracy Act and the crime of murder, Guyana will be involved in the investigations, but given that it’s a sovereign country, caution will be taken to ensure boundaries are not overstepped. He, however, assured Guyanese that every effort will be made to bring the perpetrators to justice. To this end he is also planning to meet all the relatives of the victims over the course of the weekend, as soon as the identities of the missing men are confirmed. ACT OF REVENGE Meanwhile, Police in ‘B’ Division have confirmed the arrest of the brother of the alleged mas-

termind of the piracy attack, as fingers point to a “revenge act” as the main reason behind the deadly act. The man identified as Nakool Manohar called ‘Fyah’ a prominent figure in the Berbice fishing industry, was arrested by police sometime on Wednesday at his Number 43 Village home in East Berbice, Corentyne, and is said to be assisting with investigations. It is alleged that Nakool’s brother, ‘Sinbad’ was fingered by a survivor as being the mastermind behind the gruesome attack on the 20 men. According to information reaching Guyana Chronicle ‘Sinbad’ launched the attack on the men in an effort to take revenge for the murder of another sibling, Somnath Manohar, who was gunned down in Suriname on March 30th, allegedly at the hands of fishermen.

of survival. However, relatives of Nakool have since issued a statement condemning his arrest and have fingered a businessman on the East Coast of Demerara as being the one who paid for the hit on his brother in Suriname. The family is contending that Nakool has not been at sea for over 10 years, but instead has a fleet of boat that works for him. This they say cannot place him in Suriname during the attack and believe they are being fingered in the attack by workers of the said East Coast businessman with whom he has a rift, after he refused to supply him with fish. Two other persons were also arrested on the Corentyne late Thursday; they are reportedly persons of interest in the pi-

Surinamese Coast Guard taking ashore the first body on Wednesday evening rate attack. SIX HELD IN SURINAME Over in Suriname, unconfirmed reports are that at least six men were arrested and are said to have been pointed out as being part of the pirate crew who attacked the men. Earlier on Thursday, another person suspected to be a pirate was handed over to police by fishermen in Niew Amsterdam. As word spread, many flocked to the station to get a glimpse of the man. So far four bodies,

believed to be those of the sixteen missing fishermen in Friday’s piracy attack, have been recovered. Another five of the men survived. The bodies of the four were found on Wednesday as the search continues and only one was reportedly identified. The others have not yet been returned to the docks as authorities are awaiting the tide to retrieve them. As the search continues for the missing men, more relatives are journeying to the neighbouring country to get answers for themselves.

‘WE COME TO KILL’ Survivors recalled the pirates declaring “we come to kill” as they boarded the boats. During the onslaught, men were reportedly shot, chopped, beaten and tied to heavy objects and thrown overboard. Their boats and engines were damaged to ensure they had no chance

One of the alleged pirates being escorted by Surinamese police after being handed over to them by fishermen

Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

Our athletes and Guyana’s image WHAT is the value of athletics, or an Olympic Gold, to a nation? And even further, why do we even value participation in international competitions like the Olympics? I think the answers to these questions both challenge our conception of Guyana’s identity and our perception of how far Guyana’s athletics can go. They ask us to dig deep and really look at the journey ahead. In businesses, the concept of blue sky thinking describes opening up your mind to the best possible situation, even if that might not be possible right now. So maybe the real question is what’s the best possible

situation we can envision for Guyana’s athletics. It could be gold medals like Jamaica, some football success like Trinidad and Tobago or even a continuation of Guyana’s successes in Caribbean and international cricket. It’s not for us to single out some idea of the ultimate Guyanese performance in any particular area because it’s important to recognise the validity of the many sports we play. Maybe qualifying for and performing well at the football world cup counts as success, maybe a West Indies victory in the cricket World Cup would, or a number one test cricket ranking. Time will decide

what path we follow if we keep an open mind and let our potential unfold. But what’s a bit different about Guyana’s long term thinking as oil revenue gradually rolls in, is that whereas before it seemed rather unlikely we could reach the heights wealthier nations could, now these may eventually be in sight. In the next ten years we can see many more synthetic tracks built around the country, football grounds having floodlights, and cricket training facilities increase five-fold. This should similarly be the experience with coaches, as potentially higher wages will attract more skilled personnel.

Many other areas of sports not given the fullest attention should also become far more robust due to such improved standards of coaching. Good nutrition, sleep and a generally healthy lifestyle are all elements of the life modern athletes must embrace to get the most from their bodies and good coaches play a big part in communicating this to them. More than mere capacity, however, thinking big about athletics asks us to imagine what Guyana’s international image might be. The little engine that could, like Jamaica? A bastion of diversity like the United States? Or maybe a symbol of discipline and consisten-

cy like China? Hopefully, we never project the image the Russian Olympic team has, which is unfortunately one of systematic doping. Instead, let us ask ourselves what a thoroughly successful Guyana might look like, and how that would be reflected in our national athletes. Guyana one way or another can lay claim not to universal success but near universal opportunity, as what national successes we do have tend to range right across the racial and economic spectrum. What if this was magnified tenfold due to this better sports

infrastructure? What might that say to the world about us? The final manifestation of Guyana’s identity will remain an engrossing mystery as we hurtle forward, navigating the pitfalls of the oil economy. It is a journey we must courageously embrace and it certainly seems that the result of this odyssey will be reflected in the quality and nature of our athletics, at least to some extent. Raise your flag high, Guyanese athletes; help the world understand what Guyana is really all about.

The Sedition Act and Cybercrime Dear Editor,

WHILE searching the internet as I am wont to do, the headline of an article written by Prasun Sonwalkar in Hindustantimes caught my eye. The Sedition Act and Cybercrime are of current interest and relevance in Guyana. The article was extremely informative and I decided that I had to share it with readers of this newspaper. Readers would no doubt discern the manner in which the two countries, one that has a republican system of democracy in place whereas the other has a system that is based on the doctrine of the sovereignty of Parliament, dealt with the issue of sedition, a topic which I daresay is going to be controversial in Guyana. “Sedition law in UK abolished in 2009, continues

in India” by Prasun Sonwalkar in Hindustantimes. A colonial era law intended to suppress the voice of freedom continues in force in India, the world’s largest democracy, but Britain itself abolished sedition as a criminal offence in 2009 as it was considered to be a relic of an era where freedom of expression was not considered a right as it is now. Legislation in India against sedition continues to be actively used despite the fact that they are relics of the British Raj. Sedition in Britain was abolished through the Coroners and Justice Act, 2009, under Gordon Brown’s Labour government. Three offences were abolished: the offences of sedition and seditious libel; the offence of defamatory libel and the offence of obscene libel.

The then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, Claire Ward said at the time of the Act’s enactment: “Sedition and seditious and defamatory libel are arcane offences – from a bygone era when freedom of expression wasn’t seen as the right it is today”. “Freedom of speech is now seen as the touchstone of democracy and the ability of individuals to criticise the State is crucial to maintaining freedom”. Britain’s Law Commission had recommended the abolition of the law of sedition in 1977. According to Claire, “The existence of these obsolete offences in this country had been used by other countries as justification for the retention of similar laws which have been actively used to suppress political dissent and

restrict press freedom”. “Abolishing these offences will allow the UK to take a lead in challenging similar laws in other countries, where they are used to suppress free speech”. In contrast to the above, “The Indian Constitution ostensibly guarantees freedom of speech to every citizen, but itself allows significant restrictions. In India, citizens are free to criticize the government, politics, politicians, bureaucracy and policies. However, speech can be restricted on grounds of security, morality and incitement. There have been landmark cases in the Indian Supreme Court that have affirmed the nation’s policy of allowing free press and freedom of expression to every citizen, with other cases in which the Court has upheld restrictions on freedom of speech and of the press”

Article 19 of the Indian Constitution states that: All citizens shall have the right – 1. to freedom of speech and expression 2. to assemble peaceably and without arms 3. to form associations or unions 4. to love freely throughout the territory of India 5. to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India; and 6. to practice any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business. These rights are limited so as not to affect – * The integrity of India * The security of the State * Friendly relations with foreign States * Public Order * Decency or morality * Contempt of court * Defamation or incite-

ment to an offence. “Freedom of speech is restricted by the National Security Act of 1980 and in the past, by the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO) of 2001, The Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) from 1985 to 1995, and similar measures. Freedom of speech is also restricted to section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 which deals with sedition and makes any speech or expression which bring contempt towards government punishable by imprisonment extending from three years to life. In 1962, the Supreme Court of India held this section to be constitutionally valid in the case Kedar Nath Singh vs State of Bihar”. Regards Julius Williams

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

Linden security guard-rape exposes shameful social issues Dear Editor, I AM appalled and deeply hurt by news reports about the vicious rape of a female security guard while she was on duty in Linden trying to make ends meet. This crime is most disturbing to me because the victim works in the security industry of which I am part, and also because she is a mature lady, old enough to be her attacker’s mother. This rape exposes two shameful social issues that are exploding in our society like dynamite. The first is the increasing risks faced by women who work as security guards. The other is the spate of violent crimes against women and girls of all ages. No matter what job you do, there will be occupational risks. If you work in an office or as a minibus driver or conductor on the road, or in a field, factory, mine, or hospital, you simply cannot help being exposed to certain risks while on the job. Some jobs have a much higher risk than others, like being an airline pilot, a police officer, a military officer, a bodyguard or a security officer. Jobs like these are called “highrisk employment” and the risks associated with them have to be carefully managed or else there will be a backlash. That is why I am particularly worried about the security industry. I am hearing about too many cases of female security workers being murdered, raped and assaulted. In many

cases these women do not get justice and their attackers go unpunished. The sad thing is that these attacks are happening at a time when there are more women in the security industry than ever before. Since many of these women have no other source of income to take care of themselves and their families, the security industry is a mainstay of many Guyanese families. Without the security industry, many women and their families will suffer and more people will be clamoring for financial assistance from the Government. Therefore, any increase in the occupational risks of female security guards will have far-reaching consequences to the nation as a whole. I remember a Minister of Labour once advocated the removal of female security guards from night duty. But is that really the solution? Isn’t security work, whether it involves males or females, whether it is done day or night, a risky business? There have even been cases where male guards were attacked and raped by bandits and thieves. In my company and others, there have been situations where security guards were attacked and murdered. There was one case in New Amsterdam where one of our personnel was attacked because the bandits thought he had in his possession a lot of money from overseas-based relatives. The point is that all guards are at risk, but female guards are perhaps the most vulnerable.

The attacks on female security guards put the spotlight on the plight of all women in Guyana. Women are truly God’s special creatures, but local menfolk often treat them like dirt. Men sometimes only use them, impregnate them and then abandon them in their time of need. They are left alone to care for their child or, in some cases, several children. What happens to children with no father figure to look up to, or no positive role model? Sometimes, all they see is a man coming to visit their mom for his pleasure and nothing else. This is a serious problem in this country. Single parents have produced some amazing, brilliant, outstanding children with whom they are unable to spend sufficient time as they have to work eight hours or more shifts. Neglected children often turn to criminality and take out their frustration on society. Maybe this is one underlying factor behind the horrific cruelty against women. Recently, in Berbice, an elderly woman in pampers was raped and the police did not even believe her. Old women in Wakenaam, Essequibo and even Georgetown were raped and murdered in their homes by young men. Of course, this wickedness occurs worldwide. We have seen the Hollywood case where Mr. Weinstein was allegedly raping his actresses and others involved in the production of his movies. We have even seen presidents of the United States

involved. But it worries us more when it happens in our own backyard. In the police force, we heard of boys being raped while being trained at TSU. We have also heard of a young boy being molested while being held at the City Constabulary. Boys, women and girls are being raped in the police stations when they go to report matters or are being held under suspicion. So where do we go, what do we do? I know people are going to hype up the attack of security guards. The provision of security is an important function and particularly helpful to the police force. Where would the police be without security guards? Could you imagine how much harder it would have been for them? So it is an occupational hazard that is unacceptable. When such people are caught they ought to be sentenced to life imprisonment or two or three lifetimes. There must be no way out again. I believe in jail time with hard labour for such people, as well as those who are involved in child molestation and rape. They must be made to work, breaking bricks at a quarry under heavy guard. To hear that someone’s wife or mother has been raped is painful and hurtful to me as an operator of a security company. I cannot fathom the terror in that woman’s head and the fact that her body and her soul were defiled by an atrocious male who she

probably knew and who was watching her. In the security industry in Guyana and in other industries, it seems to me that males do not want to work much. I see that males are more tempted to do wrong and tend to get involved in criminality more easily than women. That is why women make excellent security guards. There are some good men, especially the more mature ones. In my experience, young male security guards, often former soldiers or police officers or young muscular males that security companies seem to prefer to hire, are the ones who are more likely to steal or attack a client or molest a client’s wife. Female security guards, on the other hand, have proven themselves to be more professional, dynamic and enthusiastic. They are more committed to their jobs because they need cash to care for their families and most of them are single parents. To me, female security personnel are a most important component in security in this country because they are usually more trustworthy and reliable than men and would not risk jail time because they have commitments to their children. It hurts my heart that this has happened to a female security guard; but like I said, it happens everywhere. I remember a case at the Ministry of Education years ago under a previous administration when a Permanent Secretary

was replaced for trying to molest or for molesting a female at the ministry. I know of other cases in which women were targeted for sexual molestation by ministers of government. It is good that the security company for which this rape victim works has given her time off to recuperate, but there are questions to be asked about their operations. Do they issue whistles or batons to their guards? What did this female guard have to protect herself with and raise an alarm? As the head of a security company, I know that a whistle has great psychological impact in crime fighting. Also, if this guard had a baton in her hand, she could have hit her attacker and protected herself. Of course, the police might have turned around and charged her. Female security guards and male guards need to build a rapport with the neighbours around, keep an eye out for the neighbours. They have to think outside the box. For example, if there is no alarm system, no whistle, no baton, no firearm, they can keep a tin can to hit with a stick; hit to raise an alarm. As a society, we need to find innovative ways to deal with shameful social issues of the risks female security guards face and the cruelty to women and girls in our society. Regards Roshan Khan Snr.

Another survivor found 8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

-- after wandering for five days following brutal pirate attack By Nafeeza Yahya

SIX days after he was brutally beaten and thrown overboard by pirates in Suriname, a Guyanese fisherman identified as “Sherwin” has miraculously survived. He was rescued on Thursday. Reliable sources in Suriname confirmed the man was taken to the Academic Hospital in Paramaribo for treatment by Surinamese police and health officials. He is said to be in a semi-conscious state, and according to reports, he was on the same vessel with Glenroy Jones, 20, one of the 16 men who went missing following the brutal attack. According to reports out of Suriname, the man allegedly floated ashore and

wandered about for the past five days hoping to see another vessel. He eventually reached an area called Braamspunt where he was picked up by a boat and taken to Paramaribo where he is receiving treatment.

marks of violence about his body. His rescue has given renewed hope to family members who are still uneasy with the Surinamese authorities for not acting sooner. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Jennel,

she is praying that he too is alive. “Sherwin was on the same boat as my brother and if the police in Suriname had listened to us from the beginning they could have found more people alive instead of now trying to go and collect bodies,” Jennel said.

Sherwin

On Wednesday, four bodies were found and relatives have since gathered at the docks hoping to get a glimpse of their lost loved ones. However, this publication’s source in Suriname related that they are having a long wait since retrieval of the bodies is taking longer than expected due to their location.

keeping vigil found at the docks while others are using their boats, planes and other means to help in the search. The Federation of Surinamese Farmers has also started a fund-raising campaign after recognising that the men were the breadwinners of their families. They have set up Account#167163501 at the Surinamese Post Savings Bank where monetary donations can be made that will be used to help the relatives of

ey” of Number 2 Village, East Canje Berbice has been brought ashore. The missing includes Vickey Persaud, Ramesh Sanchara, Glenroy Jones, Tikaknauth Mohabir, Randy Burnette, Bobby Ibrahim, Bharat Heralall, Ralph Anthony Couchman, Rajkumar Bissesar, Sunil called “Paddock” and Olenski Maxwell. As the region mourns the horrific incident, there are reports of another attack in an area called Matapica

Missing: Olenski Maxwell

Missing: Ramnarine Singh

Missing: Bharat Heralall

“The police tell we that the bodies are on a flat and they have to wait until the tide raise before they can get there. I only hope by the time they reach the tide don’t move the body away,” the source revealed. In the wake of the tragedy, many corporate citizens have come on board to help in the search of the missing men. Some have been

those affected. In addition, persons can donate food items at their office in Letitia Vriesde laan No.9. Between Friday night and Saturday morning, four boats with 16 fishermen were attacked by pirates. Five have so far emerged alive while four have been discovered dead on Wednesday. Among the four, Ganesh Persaud called “Vick-

River, an area between the Wia Wia and Braamspunt where Sherwin was found. Reports indicate that the captain of the vessel was fatally shot. The whereabouts of his four-member crew are unknown and Surinamese Police and Coast Guard have been deployed to the location. They are expected to bring the boat ashore.

Missing: Tikaknauth Mohabir Missing: Rajkumar Bissesar

Missing: Sunil called “Paddock”

Sources have confirmed his clothing was blood stained and he had several

the sister of Glenroy Jones, said her brother was in the same boat with Sherwin and

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

The sedition clause is necessary

–Ramjattan CHAIRMAN of the Alliance for Change and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan said the sedition clause in the Cybercrime Bill is necessary, saying that it is already part of the country’s existing laws. In an interview with reporters on Thursday on the sidelines of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) workshop being held at the Pegasus Hotel, Ramjattan argued that the sedition clause is necessary. “It is necessary in my opinion,” Minister Ramjattan said, contending that a sedition clause is already part of the country’s existing laws. Section 320 of the Criminal Law Offences Act has Seditious Libel as an offence, the Minister further pointed out while noting that Sec-

tion 18 of the Cybercrime Bill will simply complement the existing law. “We have in the existing common law of Guyana—sedition--and the sedition is identical to what we have, except now because of this new stratosphere called…the internet, we have to make it a crime there,” he posited. Cognisant of the concerns being raised that the clause will criminalise persons criticising the government, the public security minister said that is not the case, noting that the clause in itself has limitation. “We were very careful to ensure that we put a sub paragraph there that says that if you are criticising the government and all of that, it is not sedition,” Minister Ramjattan said. Section 18 (1) of the

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan

Cybercrime Bill states that a person commits an offence of sedition if the person, whether in or out of Guyana, intentionally publishes, transmits or circulates by use of a computer system a statement or words, whether

Accused holds out he didn’t kill wife – says he himself wants to know who did By Lisa Hamilton AS both the State and Defence presented closing arguments on Thursday in the trial of Vindra Siriram, the accused once again denied murdering the mother of his three children, Shelly Ann Persaud. While making an unsworn statement before Justice James Bovell-Drakes and a 12-member jury in the Georgetown High Court, Siriram said: “I love my wife and my children a lot, and I’d like to know who killed her.” His comment was a part of his statement whereby he gave a detailed as possible account of events which led to the death of his reputed wife of nine years, who was found with her head submerged in a five-gallon bucket of water. A summary of Siriram’s statement indicates that after coming home drunk on the night of June 9, 2014, he got into an argument with the deceased, who he said bit him on the right wrist. He said that the scuffle which ensued led to their being parted by their daughter, and both sleeping in separate rooms. Siriram said he awoke the following morning, only to find his children’s mother dead on the back stairs. He said that on realising she was dead, he immediately he went in search of his reputed wife’s sister, who lives just next door, to tell

Murder accused, Vindra Siriram her what happened, and ask her to call the police, while he told other persons residing nearby what he woke up and found. He told the jury that after being taken into police custody for questioning, although he’d told investigators he was “uneducated”, he was subject to a severe beating and forced to sign to a statement written by another officer. Siriram’s attorney, Phillip Da Silva advised the jury that in making their final decision, they ought not to rely on assumptions, but allow the prosecution to provide substantial evidence. He said that failing to do so, and should there be any doubts, they should not convict, as they would need to prove the case beyond all reasonable doubt. Representing the State are Shawnette Austin and

Seeta Bishundial, the latter of whom poked several holes in recent and previous statements made by the accused. Bishundial opted to use the first statement made by Siriram to the police, whereby he admitted to getting into an argument with the deceased and later pushing her head into the bucket of water for 15 minutes. According to the remainder of the statement, after the accused let go of the deceased, she was seen panting for breath, at which point he went to bed, only to wake up at around 02:00h and find her dead. The State’s presentation read that Siriram committed the act between June 9 and 10 at the couple’s Friendship, East Bank Demerara home. Some of the points put forward by the prosecution were that it was impossible for the deceased to have held her breath for so long, and that marks of violence on the deceased told of the length of time and force used to submerge her. Bishundial also pointed out that the couple was known to fight very often; that domestic abuse is a commonplace in Guyana; and that the jury need not be experts to “put the pieces of the puzzle together.” At the end of the arguments from both sides, Justice Bovell-Drakes instructed the jury to return next week for a continuance of the trial.

spoken or written, a text, video, image, sign, visible representation, or other thing, that “brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law in Guyana.” Minister Ramjattan reminded that all parties represented in the National Assembly had Members of Parliament sitting on the Special Select Committee that considered the Cybercrime Bill including Section 18. Attorney General, Basil Williams said the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) are now objecting to the sedition clause of the Cybercrime Bill after their Parliamentary Representatives sat and endorsed the bill at the level of the Parliamentary Select Committee. For him, it is a case of negligence and poor leadership. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) workshop being held in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Gov-

ernment of Guyana at the Pegasus Hotel on Thursday, Minister Williams alluded to the fact that the bill was drafted more than two years ago. “The clause is there for well over two years, and it appears as though only the Leader of the Opposition has an issue with it because the rest of his party never objected to it,” Minister Williams said. He acknowledged too that the AFC Members of Parliament also sat on the Committee. Leader of the AFC, Raphael Trotman is now objecting to the sedition clause, reportedly saying that his party will vote against the clause if it is not deleted. But the Attorney General is maintaining that “everyone had ample time” to consider the clauses of the Bill including Section 18. “The fact that there has been no objection well over two years, everyone who is saying no now, had representatives there. They are negligent. It is poor leadership,” Williams said. According to him, Cabinet is now reviewing the sedition clause before determining the way forward.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams But while the leader of the AFC has reportedly said that the party’s Members of Parliament will vote against the sedition clause if it remains part of the Cybercrime Bill, it is clear that he will not get the support of Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, an executive member of the AFC. There have been a number of groups coming out against the sedition clause of the bill, although saying that they support the intent of the proposed legislation.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

Guyana seeks INTERPOL advice – on TIP best practices

MINISTER of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan said Thursday that Guyana has begun working with INTERPOL on putting a spanner in the wheel of Trafficking in Persons (TIP). The announcement comes in the wake of a series of INTERPOL-led operations in several Caribbean countries which saw the break-up of a well-organised Trafficking in Persons (TIP) ring in the region. The minister told the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday that Guyana has received a number of recommendations from INTERPOL on how best to strengthen this country’s investigative capacity, as it was noted that in many instances, victims of this crime are reluctant to provide statements, hence prosecution of those committing the crime are able to walk scotch free. One such recommendation, he intimated, is that “not every agency” has to be informed when raids are being planned on nightclubs and bars. As Ramjattan explained, the leaking of information has been one of the major issues affecting successful TIP operations. “Among the key recommendations,” he said, “is that when you are planning the operations, this and that ministry official does not have to know, because, as much as I am ashamed to say this, you are going to be sold out, because we sell and we leak information. “So, we would need to do some vetting of the officers who go on these operations.” He said, too, that there are cases when teams show up at specific nightclubs and bars, the girls are moved away before the team arrives because either the owners or their

handlers had been tipped off. He said steps will be taken to break the neck of this illegal activity, and that in doing so, it may lead in some cases to the revocation of the licenses of some establishments, since the very owners of these entities are in on the game and moving the girls away from the scene when operations are conducted. Minister Ramjattan confirmed that the INTERPOL operations took place a few weeks ago, where lots of nightclubs and bars were found to have women working there under questionable conditions. Many of the women were found to be Spanish-speaking, and according to the minister, one of the other challenges the authorities have with addressing this issue is the fact that it’s expensive to keep these girls here, as they have to be fed and accommodated. So, in most instances, the only option available is to send them back home. Another challenge is the reluctance of the women themselves to volunteer any useful information. The INTERPOL operations reportedly saw the rescue of more than 300 persons and the detention of 22. Among those rescued were children, and adults working in nightclubs, mines, factories and open-air markets, and in some instances even on farms, according to the Associated Press. Reports are that some of those rescued when interviewed revealed that they were working without pay, and in some instances small confinements as workspace. Brazil, Venezuela, Jamaica, Guyana and St. Vincent and the Grenadines were among the countries in which the operations were conducted.

Region 10 sweeper/cleaners to be regularised this month By Vanessa Braithwaite REGIONAL Executive Officer of Region 10, Orrin Gordon, has said effective from this month, sweeper/ cleaners in Region 10 will be paid what is due to them by the Ministry of Education. Last week, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) chided the Region 10 Administration for delaying regularisation of the sweeper/ cleaners and not following Cabinet’s decision which was penned in a circular submitted to the RDC. At the RDC’S statutory meeting held on Thursday, Gordon revealed that there were some minor setbacks relating to work timings in operationalising the decision, but that has been sorted out. “Whether nursery, primary or secondary, they are

all going to get the minimum wage which is subscribed by the Ministry of Education… the sweeper/ cleaners will get their monies and that will be sorted out in the month of May,” Gordon told councillors of the RDC. They will now work 40 hours a week, their National Insurance Scheme will be deducted monthly and they will receive no less than 12 days of annual leave which will be utilised during school breaks. The decision to regularise the sweeper/ cleaners came after the sweeper/cleaners protested several times in Georgetown and Linden, demanding to be paid the minimum wage and also for better working conditions. Instrumental in making representation for Region 10 sweeper/ cleaners was GPSU Industrial Relations Officer for Region 10, Maurice, who said the decision

is a stepping stone to better things. The cleaners, most of whom are single parents, expressed gratitude for what they described as a long fight for regularisation. “We need to give God praise and thanks, we fight hard for this, to God be the glory,” Coretta Braithwaite expressed. “We move from twenty four thousand to forty something thousand; we are thankful and giving God praise and thanks,” another cleaner celebrated. GPSU Vice President Dawn Gardener had noted that the union will continue to advocate for the sweeper/ cleaners to be entitled to sick leave, vacation leave and allowances in keeping with the Public Service rules. In addition, she said these workers upon reaching the age of retirement, should be paid benefits for the period of employment.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

‘Minor issues’ can’t break up coalition … Harmon says parties will meet soon to discuss Cummingsburg Accord, LGE By Svetlana Marshall

THE top brass of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) will meet to iron out existing issues in the Cummingsburg Accord, including those surrounding the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE). The decisions coming out of that and future meetings on the Cummingsburg Accord and Local Government Elections are not likely to negatively affect the “congeniality” that currently exists between the coalition partners, according to APNU General Secretary, Joseph Harmon, who described the issues as “minor.” When the AFC held its National Executive Committee Meeting for 2018 at the Georgetown Club on Labour Day, its leader Raphael Trotman reported that on April 30, he received a response to the AFC letter dated February 26, 2018 which was sent to the APNU leader and President of Guyana, David Granger, regarding the upcoming Local Government Elections.

this is a matter that was raised sometime before and the letter basically invites them to discuss the issues in relation to the Cummingsburg Accord,” the APNU General Secretary said. AFC OUTLINES POSITION ON LGE In a statement of its own Thursday evening, the AFC said its leader Raphael Trotman earlier in the day wrote to leader of A Partnership for National Unity, President David Granger in response to His Excellency’s letter of

Leader of the APNU and President of Guyana, David Granger

Leader of the AFC and Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman

APNU General Sec retary and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon The AFC letter outlined a number of matters, including the issue of the approach to Local Government Elections. The response from the APNU leader proposed a certain course of action. On the sideline of the opening ceremony of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) workshop which was organised in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Guyana, Harmon disclosed that President Granger in his letter to the AFC leader, extended an invitation to meet and discuss issues surrounding the Cummingsburg Accord, which brought together APNU and AFC as a coalition to contest the May, 2015 Elections, and the Local Government Elections. “The letter invited the AFC to discuss the matters in relation to the Cummingsburg Accord. As you are aware,

no formula which had been established under the Cummingsburg Accord to determine that, and these are some of the issues I believe we have to discuss,” he further added.

April 30, 2018. His Excellency’s letter was in response to Mr. Trotman’s letter of February 26, in which the AFC leader detailed issues of concern to the party and sought for the two parties to engage in discussions on these and other matters. “Mr. Trotman’s May 3 letter was mandated by the party’s National Executive Committee(NEC) which met on May 1. Mr. Trotman outlined to His Excellency that the AFC proposes a meeting of the two parties on Monday, May 7 with a view to commence discussions on the path to Local Government Elections. The AFC has named its team for these discussions. The team comprises David Patterson, Michael Carrington, Marlon Williams and Dr. Vincent Adams,” the ASFC statement added. According to the AFC, its NEC has stipulated that the party will allow additional time for the two parties to have a definitive written agreement in the form of a Local Government Elections Accord. The NEC also took a decision for all party groups to fully activate its campaign preparations protocols and this will commence in earnest. In addition to these matters, Mr. Trotman’s letter to His Excellency also details some AFC positions for negotiation of the LGE Accord. On the third anniversary of the Cummingsburg Accord on

February 14, 2018, President Granger had said that the AFC had several options--to proceed with the accord as it is; allow it to expire at 2020 or make a request for a meeting. He noted that a review was not compulsory. However, Trotman, on the same day, had underscored the importance of having the accord reviewed in its third year of existence. Trotman said while he would like to see the Accord continue, it should also be strengthened following a review process among the parties involved. “As we begin to go into the second historic Local Government Elections in this country in a few months, historic because this government was able to restore Local Government Elections after two decades of the absence of them, one of the glaring absences in the accord is the fact that the specifics for Local Government Elections are not taken care of,” the AFC leader had explained. It was noted that at the time of signing the accord, the focus was on General and Regional Elections and not Local Government Elections. On Thursday, Harmon also disclosed that the upcoming Local Government Elections will form part of the discussions when the leaders meet. While both parties have long signaled their willingness to contest the upcoming Local Government Elections as a coalition, AFC, following the holding of the historic March 18, 2018 meeting, expressed concern about the number of seats it received at the level of the town councils and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs). “The issues that are there are minor issues of timing and perceptions, and things like that. I don’t believe that they are so serious as to affect the congeniality which exists between our two parties,” he posited. “We have issues in relation to the number of seats that people get in relation to the Local Government Elections because there was

It is unclear how soon the leaders will meet but according to Harmon, the APNU is all set. In a statement on Thursday, the AFC said that it has

mandated its leader to respond to President Granger in a prescribed manner. Trotman was expected to respond to the President on Thursday.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

Nabacalis fire leaves six homeless By Navendra Seoraj

SIX persons, including three children were left homeless after their Nabacalis, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home went up in flames on Thursday morning. Siblings Royston and Zegrly Valentine shared the two-storey house which was destroyed by the raging fire.

Zegrly, a security guard and a mother of two, was at work when she got the call that the upper-flat of the house which she occupied was on fire. “I usually leave for work at 5:30am and today when I reach to work I settle in little bit and then received a call about the fire so I just reported the matter to the fire service and left for home,”

the distraught Zegrly told Guyana Chronicle. According to her, the children would usually be at school around the time when the fire broke. She is bewildered at what caused the blaze. “When I come home I see everything gone; we weren’t able to save anything,” she said, adding that her brother and his family

were home in the lower-flat of the house. Royston, who works at the City Constabulary, said he heard things shattering and cracking upstairs but he thought his sister was home so he did not act immediately. “After I hear the sounds ain’t stopping, I go upstairs and see the place on fire…. when I kicked the door open the blaze blow in my face,” he related, adding that he ran downstairs and got his wife and child out of the house. The Guyana Fire Service was alerted and they responded quickly but it was too late as the fire had already destroyed the house. “They come fast and work quickly but when they left a whole set of fire raise

Siblings Royston (left) and Zegrly (right) explaining what occurred up again because they did they could get back on not out the fire properly,” their feet. Persons who are interested in making a dohe said. Both brother and sis- nation to the family could ter are calling on persons contact them on cellphone to lend assistance so that number: 680-1742.

$1.5M bail on death driving charge The Nabacalis, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home destroyed by fire on Thursday (Samuel Maughn photos)

SADATH Newark on Thursday appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman on a causing death by dangerous driving charge. It is alleged that on February 6, 2018 at Kuru Kuru, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, Newark drove motorcar PRR 378 in a manner dangerous to the public, causing the death of Dexter Conway. The 28-year-old man denied the charge read to him.

According to the prosecutor, on the day in question, the defendant was proceeding east along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway when he collided with Conway who was standing on the road side. Conway was flung onto the road’s surface. He was then picked up and rushed to the Diamond Hospital. He was pronounced dead on arrival The magistrate granted bail in the sum of $1.5M and the matter was adjourned for May 8, 2018.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

CJIA check-in facility could open weekend – once all goes well

ONCE testing goes according to plan, access to the upgraded Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) could commence with the official opening of the facilities new departure checkin area. Senior airport officials told the Guyana Chronicle that testing of the airport’s check-in facility commenced Thursday to ascertain the operational readiness of the facility. “We are currently doing tests on one airline to see if the facility, all the workers, electronics and everything is functioning. And if all goes well, it could be opened by this weekend,” the official said. Word is that more than 10 check-in desks could be open by the end of the week, and all features associated with this area will be available. Numerous Caribbean Airlines passengers have had the privilege of being the first to depart from the airport’s new and improved facility, after the carrier made good on a promise last week to be the first to operate from the new-look departure lounge. A parliamentary tour hosted by Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson was held last Friday, where senior government personnel and other officials were taken

around the new facility as construction work is winding down for the airport’s grand year-end opening. The new-look CJIA airport takes into consideration additional space for aircraft parking, longer runway for takeoff and landing given the appeal for larger commercial liners in particular to land here. The facility caters for easier flight access with its two passenger boarding bridges, and larger passenger arrival and departure capacity, among other features, all in time to support the increased air traffic expected from the emerging oil-andgas sector and the commerce that will accompany this new industry. It was announced that while the multi-million-dollar airport expansion project is slated for completion by December 2018, sections of the facility that are done will be handed over by the contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), to the CJIA management in phases. Those sections include the modernised departure lounge, which is currently being tested; escalators and baggage carousels that are already up and running; and elevator installations that are expected to be completed soon. It is expected that by

Gov’t ever committed to upholding press freedom

–– sees media as crucial to dissemination of important information, minister says

THE media is crucial to the dissemination of important information and as such, the government will continue to work along with all media workers and agencies in support of their right to expression. So said Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson at a two-day Gender and Local Government workshop in Essequibo. “I see the press as a very important body, a very important association because, mind you, they work closely with the government to ensure that our messages are reported in a timely manner; to sensitise the general populace on Government’s activities and Government’s agenda,” she told participants at the workshop on Thursday, in observance of World Press Freedom Day, which evaluates and celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom around the world. The minister then wished media operators around the country every success, stating that President David Granger holds highly the advancement of press freedom. “Continue to do your profession at a high standard. This government is committed to working with all reporters, and I know His Excellency is big on this, when it comes to freedom of the press,” Minister Ferguson said, adding: “He firmly believes that the press has their role to play, but they must, at all times, act responsibly and in a professional manner.” Just recently, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) noted in a statement Guyana’s elevation by five places on the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index.

June, users of the CJIA will be able to access the new arrival terminal, while the fire and pump stations are expected to be completed and handed over the to the CJIA management around the same time. Minister Patterson said during the tour of the facility that sections of the CJIA would be used as phases were completed and handed over. He said the roof of the airport and the fencing are still in the works.

CAL passengers checking in at the CJIA (Minister Annette Ferguson photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

Ramjattan commits to providing children legal aid --as teen relives horrors of juvenile detention

By Lisa Hamilton THE provision of legal aid to children in Guyana must and will become a reality through the progression of the Juvenile Justice Bill, which will work in the interest of hundreds of youngsters in financially challenged situations. This is according to Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan who made these comments on Thursday at a press conference held at the Public Security Ministry. Present at the briefing was 19-year-old Eon Henry who, for almost seven years, was in State detention on remand, after being charged with murder back in 2011. Just recently, the office of the Director of Public Prose-

cutions (DPP) ‘nol prossed’ the matter, and Henry, who was 13 when incarcerated, was released for want of substantial evidence.

19-year-old Eon Henry (Photos by Delano Williams)

Invited to tell his story, Henry told the media that while at the Sophia Juvenile Holding Centre, he endured prolonged “horrible experiences” simply because he hadn’t the finances to pay for legal representation. SHATTERED DREAMS “During this process, I was denied my right to an education. My dreams have been snatched away from me; my whole future has been jeopardised by the system,” the youngster told reporters at the press conference. Present, too, was Rights of the Child Commission (RCC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Amar Panday who referred to the incident as “a gross violation of all the international minimum standards for prisoners on remand.”

At Thursday’s press briefing are, from left: UNICEF’s Ms Sylvie Fouet; RCC’s Mr Amar Panday; and Minister of Public Security, Mr Khemraj Ramjattan

The RCC met Henry in 2015 after commencing youth empowerment and personal development sessions with residents of the Juvenile Holding Centre. During that period, Panday says that over 95 per cent of the children there were denied their right to legal representation. Faced with this dilemma, Panday said the RCC approached the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) through which funding was provided to the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic (GLAC) commencing legal representation for several children. Many of these youngsters were housed at the Sophia Centre, the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) and the New Amsterdam and Timehri Prisons. TIMELY INTERVENTION “Had it not been for that diagnosis and the intervention of UNICEF and the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic,” Panday said, “this gentleman could still have been in State dentition, because the matter would still have been locked away from the attention of the key stakeholders.” He then expressed his eagerness for the realisation of the Juvenile Justice Bill, which was passed last month in the National Assembly after being

piloted by Minister Ramjattan. Addressing the matter, Minister Ramjattan said that though stagnant for many years, the Bill resumed progress with the change of government, and will soon become an Act, once approved by President David Granger. The Bill, the minister said, seeks to amend and consolidate the law in relation to criminal justice for juveniles and general reforms of the local juvenile justice system by providing for the custody, education and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. He said that it is due to cases such as Henry’s that work is being done to fast-track the reality of the bill to address these matters which pose major challenges to the judiciary system. “Poverty, impoverishment or because of a lack of the resources, coming from an interior area [and] not knowing the people, can make long detention periods for young kids,” Minister Ramjattan said, adding: “That is why, to a large extent, we are, with this new Juvenile Justice Bill, seeking to repeal that kind of regime from our legal system.” RIGHT TO COUNSEL Noting that young people deserve a right to counsel and legal aid, he said what the

Bill is also about is raising the age of criminal responsibility from ten to 14. Said he: “I do not want a jail-house nation for our children, and that is why we’re going to abolish a number of offences [such as] wandering, truancy and runaways, minor offences all because of your socio-economic circumstance.” Plans are also in train, he said, to build half-way houses, employ professional staff, and provide free legal aid for those in need. He, however, pointed out that all these developments will come at a price, which is why the government has begun right-sizing in areas such as the sugar industry to cater for the needs of other affected sectors. “We are on the cusp of another revenue stream in a couple of years; that is important, but when you have a number of the sectors not doing as well, you’re going to have all of these being pushed back to the back burner,” Minister Ramjattan said. “That is why we have to make strong decisions to right-size our sugar industry so that we can release some more funding for things like this,” he added. Making brief remarks, too, was UNICEF Representative, Sylvie Fouet who agreed with previous remarks, stating that detention should be the last resort, which is why the Juvenile Justice Bill is very important. The Bill’s passage repeals the archaic Juvenile Offenders Act of 1931, and will now allow the country to conform to several international conventions to which it is a signatory.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

Granger hails Portuguese contribution to Guyana THE 183rd Anniversary of the Arrival of Portuguese on these shores was celebrated on Thursday at the Sacred Heart Church Compound with President David Granger acknowledging their contribution to an integrated and plural nation. Soon after assuming the presidency, Granger took the initiative to designate days to celebrate the plural characters of the nation in order

liability. We are proud of belonging to a society of many faiths and many ethnicities. We are proud of the tapestry of ethnicity in our country,” President Granger said. He explained that social cohesion respects the differences between various groups and acknowledges that if left unattended, those differences can threaten mutual trust and can weaken people’s sense of belonging. “Portuguese Arrival Day

European people from the island of Madeira which had a 300-year history of sugar production. Their migration coincided with the birth of the village movement and the introduction of coinage which resulted in the banking system. Noting that when paid labour was introduced, it also stimulated commerce which the Portuguese picked up very quickly. The President

President David Granger and First Lady Sandra Granger being greeted by Honorary Consul for Portugal, Michael Correia, on their arrival at the commemorative event (Adrian Narine photo)

A Portuguese dance done by the National Dance Company to support the objectives of social cohesion. “We recognised that Guyana is and always will be multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural… our diversity is an asset, not a

is celebrated to pay homage to the people from Madeira and to their descendants and their continuing role in Guyana’s development,” the President said. The Portuguese are a

Witnesses begin to testify in teacher’s murder

THE preliminary inquiry into the death of secondary schoolteacher Kescia Branche commenced yesterday. A 47-year-old taxi driver, Matthew Munroe, is charged with her murder. On Thursday, Osafo Felix, a policeman who is attached to the Crime Laboratory as a photographer, testified in Magistrate Judy Latchman’s court. He told the court that on November 10, 2017 he was called to perform duty at the Georgetown Public Hospital and while there he took photographic exposures of a motionless body. The second witness was Officer Nedd Slatun who is attached to the crime lab. His evidence has been suspended until May 9, 2018. Branche, a mother of one, who resided in Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown, was last seen on November 4, 2017, when she left for a night out with friends. However, she was found in an unconscious state in the vicinity of Princes Street and Louisa Row the following day. Her left leg was broken and there was evidence that she had sustained multiple head injuries. The Richard Ishmael Secondary School teacher died at the Georgetown Public Hospital two days later. A post-mortem indicated death was as a result of brain haemorrhage.

said the roster of Portuguese entrepreneurs were extensive and goes all the way back to the 1860s. “Apart from being property owners, they were provision and commission mer-

chants, spirit shop owners, importers, ironmongers, shoe makers, leather merchants, saddlers, coach builders, timber merchants, cattle owners, porknocker, bakers, charcoal dealers and photographers,” the President said. The Portuguese were a Christian people of the Roman Catholic faith. Adding that Portuguese

were members of the executive and legislative councils of Guyana, the head of state said they were also mayors, doctors and enterprise- driven individuals. Honorary Consul for Portugal, Michael Correia said the first batch of 40 Portuguese immigrants arrived in Demerara on May 3, 1835 on the ship--Louisa Baillie.

Adding that they were brought to the colony to fill the labour shortage on the sugar plantation, Correia said upon completion of their indentureship, many opted to remain. They then established themselves in commerce; opening several retail shops and importing rum, dry goods and a variety of other commodities.

PI into drug addict’s shooting death begins THE preliminary inquiry into the shooting to death of Marlon Fredericks at the City Constabulary commenced Thursday before Magistrate Leron Daly. Two witnesses testified and the case will continue on May 31, 2018. On January 14, 2018, Fredericks of Tiger Bay,

Georgetown, was apprehended by law enforcement officers from the City Constabulary for a number of simple larceny cases during which he reportedly was beaten. Fredericks was kept in custody at the entity’s Bourda Outpost and it is alleged that he attempted to flee custody and was shot as a

result. His mother Claudette Fredericks had gone to visit him and she witnessed the shooting. A post-mortem revealed that the cause of death was as a result of complications to his lower back due to gunshot wound. Eyewitnesses said his death could have been avoid-

ed since he was in a weak state and could not have run away. Hence apprehending him should have been an easy task for Lance Corporal Gregory Bascom. Claudette Fredericks said her son was a drug addict who had relapsed twice, following stints at a rehabilitation facility.

Three years for having ganja in hoodie A 25-YEAR-OLD man was Thursday sentenced to three years in prison by Magistrate Judy Latchman for possession of narcotics. It is alleged that on

May 1, 2018 at 4-Mile Kaituma, Ravidave Mohan had in his possession 25 grammes of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. The miner pleaded

guilty to the charge. According to records presented by police prosecutor, on the day in question Police ranks stopped him while he was in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV)

HC 7328. They conducted a search and the ganja was discovered in a brown hoodie. Mohan was also fined $30,000 by Magistrate Judy Latchman.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

EU envoy meets local ‘reps’ of businesses with European ties – in bid to improve work relationship AMBASSADOR of the European Union to Guyana, Jernej Videtič last Monday hosted an inaugural breakfast meeting at his residence which saw in attendance representatives of businesses here with European ties. Some of the businesses at reference range from those in telecommunications, to oil and gas, consultancy, agriculture and pesticides, tourism and horticulture. The meeting, the first of its kind, saw an agreement being reached between Ambassador Videtič and the business representatives to engage

in regular follow-ups, with the primary goal being to promote Guyanese-European business relations, and improve the exchange of information between European companies operating in Guyana. Some of the discussions centered around the present status and the promising future of the local tourism sector, the key role of the private sector in the country’s economic development, and the importance of establishing synergies with the public sector to promote public-private partnerships. The relevance of developing business manage-

ment approaches, based on training activities, as a cross-cutting issued to strengthen the business sector was also considered. Additionally, the idea of supporting different activities to promote and share with the Guyanese society, the European cuisine and culture, was also mentioned. In order to enrich further meetings, all the participants concurred that it would be very useful to invite guests to speak about partnering on Guyanese and European business initiatives and relationships.

Ambassador Videtič (middle left) and business representatives during the breakfast discussions

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

STARR hosts seminar on ‘fourth industrial revolution’ –– to mark Girls in ICT Day

STARR Computer Inc last Thursday joined the Nation Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) in observing International Girls in ICT Day. To mark the occasion, the company held a seminar on the Fourth Industrial Revolution at its Brickdam office, and saw in attendance students and teachers of the East Ruimveldt Secondary, New Campbellville Secondary and Richard Ishmael Secondary Schools. Company Marketing Manager, Penny Francis said STARR would like to encourage girls to consid-

Secondary school girls in ICT flanked by STARR Computer representatives and teachers er careers in the growing field of ICT, as the sector presents tremendous opportunities. Its president, Michael Mohan said digital trans-

formation is happening almost everywhere in the world, from cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) to blockchain technology and automa-

tion, and the ‘Internet of things’ arising from smart vehicles and appliances, and technological advances are transforming nearly every aspect of business.

He said that the skills to adapt to these changes are essential, as well as access to control over and full use of technology. “That is why this year

for ‘International Girls in ICT Day’,” he said, “we are focusing on the theme for girls of ‘Expand horizons; change attitudes’.”

Prison wardens interdicted, suspended without pay –– for smuggling ‘ganja’ into Lusignan Prison THE seven prison wardens suspected of facilitating the smuggling of cannabis into the Lusig-

nan Prison have been interdicted from duty and suspended without pay. This was confirmed

by a senior prison source yesterday, and according to the police, legal advice is being sought about charges as investigations continue. Acting Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels recently called on prison warders to desist from trafficking contraband in the prisons, and warned An aerial view of the Lusignan Prison those guilty of doing so to understand the consequences, as the law will take its course.

He made the point that ridding the penal system of contraband should not be the goal of just a few, but

of everyone, as it needs to be done collectively. Noting that the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) has been tasked with creating an environment where the focus on rehabilitation is done with passion, Samuels said: “We are tasked with creating an environment where the people under our charge can respect us; respect our office, and see us as role models for whom they can become,” he said, adding: “If we support them and their families in contravening the laws of the prison, we are not helping them; we are in fact condoning the very activities that caused them to be in prison in the first place; we are telling them it is okay to be lawless.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

Shake it up! The Young Successful Life dance group of Linden

By Vanessa Braithwaite THEY may be young, but these dancers have what it takes to be adjudged one of the best upcoming dance groups in the mining town of Linden. Their slick moves, crisp wardrobe and well-choreographed dances, have given the seven young men who formed themselves into a dance group called Young Successful/Savage Life (YSL), the attention they deserve to be booked as dancers for private events. The members of YSL are Tyrone Newark, Anthonio Samuels, Colin Truthe, Orwin Henry, Walleed Webster,

YSL performing at a birthday celebration last Sunday at Linden’s Blue Lakes

Emmanuel Dover and Malachi Todd. These young dancers believe that this is just a start to the realisation of their dreams of big stage lights and hotel nights. The youths, who are between the ages of 13 and 15, all attend the New Silver City Secondary School in Linden and reside in communities across the Wismar shore. Little did they know that their afternoons of trial and error with various genres of music would land them the three-time champions of the Children’s Mashramani Schools Championship. In relating how they were formed, group member Tyrone related, “One bright sunny day while sitting on an old car tire in Half

Mile Linden, chatting with a friend, Anthonio, I shared the idea of forming a dance group. It seemed like a joke at first to us but we decided to try it and we did and we ended up performing at the Region 10 costume competition. There, we got first and then is when we started to take things seriously,” he related. “YSL actually has a double meaning, “‘Young Savage’ Life does not have its genesis in delinquency but represents fierceness, fearlessness and an unintimidating way of dancing which drives us to be successful hence living the Young Successful Life.” DANCING AN EXPRESSION OF ART For these youngsters, dancing is more than the gyrating of their bodies to capture the attention of the crowd. It is the expression of every phenomenon around them; channelling negative vibes into positive energy; it is an expression of art. “When I listen to music, the beat gives me a bounce especially African and soca beats- the literary devices, the rhymes, the poetry, the storytelling. All this we hear in the lyrics and are encouraged to dance every time we hear good music, especially hip-hop,” the dancers related. The young dancers emulate the likes of Young Thug, Meek Mill and Chris Brown and are optimistic that with continued push and determination, they can be big in the entertainment industry one day. With a very good support system made up of families and friends they are balancing this extra-curricular activity with academics as being academically inclined remains their number one priority. The group’s advice to other young people is, “Stop following people, be yourself, follow your dreams and whatever it is that you are passionate about.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

Positive message

Local rapper looking to uplift and inspire with his songs By Navendra Seoraj MANY artistes have found it difficult to make a name for themselves in the local music industry but, 21-year-old Mark Anthony Dawson who goes by the stage name “Marcus Mayhem”, believes that he has what it takes to rap his way to the top of the industry, once given the opportunity. As opposed to the stereotypical, vulgar and indecent style of rapping that is often seen and heard, Dawson has taken a softer approach to the art by rapping about life, particularly his. “I picked up my style of rapping from an early age because from the age of 10 years old I developed a passion for poetry and storytelling but, it was not until

age 14 that I actually took my work and transformed it to music,” said Dawson during an interview with the buzz on Wednesday. As he grew older, he felt that he needed to take his singing to another level, so at the age of 18 years old, Dodson recorded his first track called “Overdose”. Around the same time when he recorded his first track, he took up a job at Massy Gas and also played basketball but despite the time constraints he still dedicated some of his attention to enhancing his vocal skills. “I believe that finding time for your passion and dreams are important; I also never believed that you have to rely on one source of income,” said Dawson. In 2016, he had an opportunity to perform on

stage and share his dream with persons who were gathered for a pageant at the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA). One of the models who happened to also be a friend of his had invited him to perform at the pageant but, it did not go the way he wanted it to because of a faulty microphone. “I performed during the intervals of the pageant; at first I was nervous but as soon as I hit the stage I felt brave and started to do my thing then the microphone started giving feedback and I didn’t want to look bad so I told the DJ to cut the music,” he said, adding that if it wasn’t for the support and encouragement of his friends he would not have gone back on stage to finish his performance.

is searching for the right opportunity to reach the Guyanese listeners. Dawson believes that he will have to work double time to achieve his goal since he fears that the local market might not buy into his music because Guyanese have not fully grown accustomed to the hip-hop genre.

Upcoming rapper Mark Anthony Dawson aka Marcus Mayhem (Adrian Narine photo)

Since that day, he recognised the importance of support. Dawson said his biggest supporters are his mother and sisters. The rapper even started his own trend of calling his fans, “fams” because he believes that those are the persons who give him the extra push to stay in the game and do what he does best. To date, he has recorded a lot of songs, including some of his fan favourites, “Pain” and “New Day”

which are yet to be fully exposed to the listeners. “I think it was all on me not to fully come out and perform on stage since my first gig in 2016 but I believe that I had a lot of time over the past two years to grow and master what I am doing; I am ready to get back to the microphone,” said Dawson. He has already started working closely with AGS Productions and SPR Electronics to produce his music but, the young rapper

I AM READY The singer nevertheless is ready to take on the challenge by maintaining a standard of singing that would be recognised not just locally but internationally. As he grows locally, he said he will be mindful of protecting his music though he is mindful of the country’s lack of copyright laws. “But I won’t let that get to me, I need to break the ice because if you think there is no room for improvement or you cannot be a certain level to please people or show them what standard should be, you will just be a stereotype,” he said. “I don’t want to be a stereotype, I want to be different…my music should reach the audience of people who feel hurt and pain and need encouragement to keep going.” Although most of his songs will speak to pain and troubles, he said he will change it up at times to make persons “feel the hype”. Aside from sharing advice through his music, he encouraged persons who want to follow the same path to improve themselves by maintaining a quality that is recognised internationally. “You can be who you want to be, nobody is stopping you. The only person in your way is you…know who is around you and support you, believe in what you do,” he urged. The rapper reminded persons that not everyone will be supportive of them but they must stay committed and be positive. For persons who might want to listen to one of his songs just use this link: https://soundcloud.com/ marcus_is_mayhem187/ marcus-mayhem-x-blakerose-pain.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

In the age of drugs and damaged minds THE drug casualties in Guyana are a phenomenon of indifference and torment; from the landlord who allows his/her real estate to become a drug-yard; to the law enforcement officer who betrays a citizen to drug sellers, after that citizen has provided information; to the lawyer and accountant who guides his cartel client on how to escape his murders and hide his money under pseudo-legality. The Biblical differentiations of ‘Hell and Heaven’ exist right on earth, or parallels do. The purgatory of torment resides with the families who must live and endure the monster that drug addiction has created out of a relative. They must summon resources already depleted from meeting the demands of maintaining a reasonable home with its modernised economic impositions, combined with all the responsibilities of sustaining a family, then to be drained by the damaged and twisted drug mind that once was a brother, son, father, mother or sister. Eventually they must command the strength of the ancient age of shadows and abandon that loved one, a sacrifice to the creatures of the social pit, and then struggle to find peace within themselves as a family, after such a savage act done, to survive, else all be dragged into the pit. They pray and some contemplate revenge, the kind from the movies where the village folk storm the Vampire’s castle. The scourge of mind-altering drugs is not new to human history, it was used to destabilise populations by foreign states and to disable local populations in Asia by oppressive hierarchies millennia ago. It is a political tool, but it also does not discriminate, for it is a relentless scourge when unleashed. The declining economics of the mid 70s in Guyana saw the rise of marijuana first, then the cocaine dollar spiral in this country as an attractive portal out of an obvious cycle of poverty for many, and to finance business problems, when by 2001, Stabroek News published an article, ‘In 18 months 600 firms taken to court by banks’. But it also enveloped our consciousness with its nature and infused its laws and dictates of ruthlessness, enslaving, possessing and destroying with impunity, as it rendered the social consciousness impotent with its financial and machismo rewards, exposing the balance of morality versus callous, but never the less, the opportunistic excitement of meaningful glitter and glamour. To many who could not have conceptualised instant grandeur upon such a Genie’s wish before, the perfect ‘Crab Barrel’ drama unfolded in Guyana, where the result justified the means, where the consequences were somebody else’s contention and problem. The consequences of the ‘Crab Barrel’ fell upon the families and offspring of those with ego, the few with medical afflictions who saw no way out, and the ‘shut button’ naive with no restraint, with ‘wanna-be’ desires to fit in with anything that waved before them that professed ‘hype’, indulged and became the first wave of addicts. During that period, a former school friend came home with tremendous money and suave, bought a house in Prashad Nagar and invited me to a party there. I went. Literally, he had a silver platter with cocaine on a table and people, some I knew, were pulling this poison up there nostrils. I slipped out, not before pounding some related friends, some from boyhood. I refer to cocaine as ‘poison’ because I had read a lot on drugs. Cocaine is a product extracted from the coca leaf but the process is what terrifies. The leaves are soaked in a vat with sulphuric acid several times a day for about four days. The extracted liquid will be mixed with lime (which is also used in combat and mass graves situations on corpses to extract the body liquids). Then this mixture is added gasoline and ammonia, the latter is an agricultural item among other uses, that if handled without gloves can burn your hands - I saw that happen at Amazon Chemicals. Acetone, ether and hydrochloric acid are added to form a crystalline powder. In Guyana, this is further ‘cooked’ to make crack cocaine. Knowing this toxic process delivers you from ever wanting to touch that crap known on the streets as ‘de Jumbie’. More than one visitor to that party became addicted for years. My friend from Laing Avenue recovered enough to become a taxi driver before he migrated. Inhaling that contraption of poisonous fumes will affect normal brain activity for years, with constant relapses. I disagree with the medical people that drug addiction is a disease. I consider it from my experience an affliction of bad choices with terrible consequences, especially for family members. Some people use that stuff and never become addicts, while others for the first time become hooked. Our metabolism isn’t easily understood, it’s simply different strokes for different folks. I argued with a close buddy in business for years on the dangers of the ‘Jumbie’. A dealer with a long streetwise background from the Avenue told me he couldn’t sell drugs

anymore, because of what people were prepared to do for a hit. My ‘close buddy’ was a progressive businessman. All his ideas were innovative, but he couldn’t put the nexus between his party drug habit and why he screwed up progressive ideas. When he died, and he died alone, because relationships are turbulent with addicts, his cousin told me that “there was no evidence that anyone in that house ate.” I was so angry I didn’t go to his funeral, nor to meet his kids and their mothers, who I knew for most their lives. The fate of Guyana’s addicts and street walkers rest with the building of a facility somewhere in the Northwest, where they can be occupied in physical road building, be well fed and conditioned to recreate the rudiments of normalcy, with counselling sessions, rather than be hinged to the purgatory of the drug yards, betwixt life and slow death.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

Atif Aslam show mesmerised Guyanese Audience By Indrawattie Natram RAIN definitely did not stop the energetic performances of profound playback singer Atif Aslam on Tuesday, May 1 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. The entire stadium was transformed into a Bollywood arena as the Indian singer took the stage with his guitar and created everlasting memories for those who attended the mega concert. Atif Aslam, who was visiting Guyana for the first time, surely won the hearts of many

fans as they were seen with slogans, placards and displays demonstrating their love and appreciation for the singer. As he promised, he delivered a four-hour non-stop performanceone that will be remembered for a long time by his Guyanese fans. He displayed much energy, versatility and superb dancing skills on stage. Aslam wowed the crowd with his entire band which featured lots of guitars promoting his campaign, “Pick up guitars and put down guns.” The amazing sound and lighting effects surely set the mood for the night as

many persons were seen near the stage dancing and having a great time. The talented singer melodiously sang popular Bollywood songs as well as oldies and folk classics such as “Mast Kalandar”, “Qawalis” and some of his pop hits. Starting the night’s performance was Vivek Mishra out of

Part of the crowd that attended the mega concert at the Guyana National Stadium

Asif Aslam as he entered the stage dishing out his performances at the Guyana National Stadium (Photos by Javin Singh)

Indian Singer Asif Aslam at the Guyana National Stadium

India and the dancers from the Dharmic Nritya Sangh. Lighting and sound for the entire production were provided by Travellers Sounds. Aslam has taken the world of playback singing by storm in recent years by creating endearing hits songs such as “Pehli Nazar”, “Tu Jaane na”, “Tere Sang Yaara”, “Dil Diyan Gallan”, “Tera Hone Laga Hoon” and “Main

Rang Sharbaton Ka”. According to President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, the mega concert was a signature event for the Sabha in recognition of the 180th year for the Arrival of Indians to Guyana. She said that the concert was one that was held with a purpose and all proceeds will go towards the Dharmic Rama Krishna School Expansion Project which will involve the construction of a new Secondary School and additional facilities. Meanwhile, over the weekend the Sabha will be hosting several events. There will be a special Ramayan Festival at the Oceanview Mandir Compound tomorrow aimed at Celebrating the Ramayan Traditions. There will also be cultural events at the Tain Campus, Berbice today and at the Anna Regina Mandir and West Berbice tomorrow to mark the Arrival of Indians to Guyana.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

FIFA boss says Russia ‘absolutely ready’ for World Cup MOSCOW, Russia - FIFA boss Gianni Infantino said yesterday (May 3) Russia was “absolutely ready” to host the World Cup and thanked President Vladimir Putin for his commitment to the football showpiece.

Infantino met Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi as Russia races against the clock to put the finishing touches on preparations for the June 14-July 15 final. The first World Cup staged in eastern Europe will be the most expensive ever and comes in the heat of flaring tensions between Russia and the West. It has also been shadowed by stadium construction delays and fears ranging from hooliganism to racist chants at matches. But Infantino lavished praise on Russia’s preparations and said the tournament was shaping up to be the best one yet. “You are working to make this World Cup the best World Cup ever,” Infantino told Putin during a nationally televised meeting. “The feedback from all our experts at FIFA is extremely positive. “And this shows that Russia is absolutely ready to host the world to celebrate a sum-

mer of festivities here in this beautiful country,” he said. Putin and Infantino began the day by posing for the cameras and getting Fan ID cards issued for FIFA by the Russian authorities to supporters who pass a required security background check. The two then toured Sochi’s Fisht Stadium - scene of the 2014 Winter Olympics - and listened to leaders of regions where the games will be played. The tournament will span 12 stadiums and 11 host cities across the European part of Russia. “I am now involved in the organisation of major world events for 20 years and the level of commitment, of dedication, of professionalism that you have in the organisation of this World Cup is unique,” Infantino told Putin. The Russian leader also praised organisers and listed ways in which the tournament would benefit host cities in the

long term. But he sounded a sterner note when discussing the Russian team’s prospects once the games begin. “We all very much hope that our players will commit themselves to the game, will give all they got, playing to their full potential,” said Putin. “And the most important thing - they must show hard-nosed, uncompromising football, one which the fans love.” Russia have not made it past the group stage of an international tournament in 10 years and will be under intense pressure to perform at home. Putin is using the prestige of the event to showcase Russia’s superpower status and wants the national team to play its part on the pitch. But coach Stanislav Cherchesov’s men have been hit by a string of injuries and are seen as one of the tournaments underdogs. (AFP)

Republican Gym unveils six-man team for National Novices boxing tourney THE Guyana Prison Service (Republican Gym) last evening signalled its return to boxing in Guyana with the unveiling of a six-man team, who will participate in the Andrew Lewis National Novices tournament, set to punch off tonight at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue. The evidently-hyped team weighed in yesterday and boxers were soon after whisked away by management in order to save energy for the encounters tonight. The drum-beating Republicans are expected to go hard against the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) gym, also known to be accompanied by drums. However, one representative of the Prison Service declared that drums would be the only things the GDF would be beating at the upcoming tournament.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

41 days to go …

Football 1970 World Cup Finals Mexico: Brazil’s Jairzinho on the ball

tent. With his tremendous vitality and versatility, but in later years, showmanship, the lure of money, particularly

through advertising contracts, etc., would tend to take away the vote from him. Garrincha, Didi, Hidegkutti ... each one of them unimaginably versatile and yet, falling short of the norm, perhaps a wee-bit because each one had his shortcoming, like lack of temperament; of IN THE long history of the game, if one were to crystallise all the finer aspects of the game into one shape, the vision of Jairzinho flashes before the eye, making him ‘Mr Football’ Football found its finest self-expression through players of high skills, tenacity, intelligence and tough physique which could sustain all these concomitants. They came from Brazil, Uruguay, Hungary, Italy and other places. In this context, it is good to remember the gifted ones who played the game with great distinction and finesse and who lifted the game out of the rut or out of the quagmire that it tended to get into, at times. Who are these players, who represent the true spirit of football in all its pristine glory and its time-honoured purit?. Pele ... yes, to a large ex-

Jairzinho - Brazil’s Mr Football’ organisation or even a touch of selfishness; Di Stefano .... You hate his guts! Of the trio: Amidst all this, there is a trio who would be dead-heated in this hypothetical contest. Stanley Matthews. Britain’s incomparable winger; Djalma Santos, the cool-headed and almost self-effacing Brazilian full-back or the highest calibre and Jairzinho, the explosive Brazilian forward, who should get the photo-finish verdict from the other two. For his physical attributes, mental make-up and technical competence, which (all put together) were a little bit more than his illustrious predecessors. Mexico 1970 brought out t h e best in Jairzinho for he provided the craft and pace in the middle, which along with the criss-cross

of his high calibre colleagues Pele, Tostao. Rivelino, Gerson and the rest of them gave no chance to the opponents, particularly Italy in the final. Though many would rate him as the finest right winger the game has ever known, even above the magnificent Garrincha, his first and most ardent wish has been to play at inside-right, now known as right

striker. He was a truly exceptional striker of the ball, though his tremendous dash and facile crosses marked him out equally as a great winger.

TOP SCORER

Jairzinho was one of the

Jairzinho dribbles past two Uruguayan players during the 1970 World Cup semifinal. (Photo credit: The Hindu Archives)

shrewdest players ever to don the daffodil yellow of Brazil’s national team. Living in the shadow of Garrincha posed problems for him. Both were in that ill-fated Brazilian squad to Britain in 1966. Garrincha faded out and Jairzinho flourished after that and Mexico proved it to the hilt. As the team surged to what was probably the most technically satisfying of

their World Cup triumphs, the powerful Jairzinho scored in every match, and with seven goals in six matches, he topped the scorers’ list. Apart from ball-control, which seems to be inborn with the Brazilians, bravery of the highest order was displayed by this versatile forward on the field. He had been battered and bruised by almost all the best left-backs of the world. But they all lived to regret it as at one time or another, they were made to look stupid by a yellow express train that thundered past them, and was later identified as a human dynamo called Jairzinho.

EXPLOSIVE ASSAULTS

Jairzinho, like most of the Brazilian stars, started his career with Botafogo and straightway (in 1961) made his mark as a right winger of rare merit. But with Garrincha right there in the team as the established right winger, Jairzinho, moved inside, in the club matches and developed his prowess to unleash those explosive assaults on the goal. He was deadly in Mexico but as a right winger. In Munich in 1974 he got the role that he liked, that of leading the Brazil attack. But by then he had lost the punch that he showed in his play in Mexico. And finally when he withdrew from the game he was doing well in business through wise investments with the same efficiency and method that he used when playing percentage football in his heyday. He presented a picture of a well-conditioned footballer, taking the shortest route to the target, with fluent dribbles and precise and accurate passes, moving on electric heels with and off the ball and delivering the final blow with power and fluency from all directions and angles. Would a side want a more accomplished player or could the game itself ask for a greater exponent of all its intricacies!

Brazilian great Jairzinho

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

European leagues in ‘firm opposition’ to Infantino’s FIFA plans By Simon Evans COPENHAGEN, Denmark (Reuters) - Europe’s top football leagues are in “firm opposition” to FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s plans for two new international tournaments, the body representing them said yesterday. The European Leagues, which represents England’s Premier League and Spain’s La Liga among others, said they rejected proposals for an expanded Club World Cup and a new global Nations League in the first sign of a serious split in world football over the plans. The organisation called for a united front against the proposals in a statement issued yesterday. The statement urged European soccer’s governing body UEFA to ally with the World League Forum, the European Clubs Association and FIFPro (the International players union), to “firmly oppose and together stop this unilateral initiative from FIFA and the process which

lacks transparency and a proper consultation with the stakeholders.” FIFA’s plans for the Club World Cup would involve expanding it to 24 teams - including 12 from Europe - and staging it every four years instead of annually as happens at present.

European Leagues president Lars-Christer Olsson

The Nations League would be a global version of the new competitions which are being introduced by UEFA in Europe and CONCACAF in North and Central American and the Caribbean.

In both cases, the competitions involve all the national teams in the respective continents who are divided into divisions based on their rankings. There is promotion and relegation between the divisions, as in conventional domestic leagues. Each division is sub-divided into groups with the winners qualifying for a knockout contest. Infantino has said that he believes the deals together could be worth $25B (£18.4B) in a 12-year cycle and has put his plans to FIFA’s Council saying they are backed by an, as yet unnamed, international consortium of investors. Several national associations contacted by Reuters said they had not received any direct communication from FIFA on the plans. European Leagues president Lars-Christer Olsson said the approach was reminiscent of FIFA’s problematic past. “This process reminds me of the way the ‘old FIFA’ acted which I thought we had left

behind. What we have experienced is a clear lack of consultation and transparency, and an intentional manipulation of the decision-making structure by FIFA in presenting these proposals. “To present a long-term 12-year plan with lots of uncertainty and a lack of information sounds, to me, like a ‘can of worms’,” he added. Jesper Moller, a member of FIFA’s Organising Committee for FIFA Competitions, and president of the Danish Football Federation, told Reuters no vote could be held on the plans without Infantino revealing the identity of the backers, who wish to take 49 percent ownership in the management of the new events. “We want to see things and documentation. We have learned from the past. So now do it in a proper way,” he said. In a recent letter to FIFA Council members, Infantino said the investors came from Asia, Europe and North America but said he was unable to provide details as he had signed a non-disclosure agreement.

Kohli signs one-month deal to play for Surrey

India cricket captain Virat Kohli

(REUTERS) - India cricket captain Virat Kohli has signed a one-month deal to represent Surrey in June, the English county championship side announced yesterday. Kohli’s participation in county cricket means he will be unavailable for India as they take on Afghanistan in a Test match in June in Bengaluru. “It has long been an ambition of mine to play county cricket and I am thankful to Alec Stewart and Surrey for allowing me the opportunity to join them during their 2018 season. I can’t wait to get to the Kia Oval,” Kohli told the club’s website here Surrey’s director of cricket Alec Stewart said: “We are thrilled to have signed the biggest name in world cricket for the month of June. “Playing and training alongside Virat will be a massive benefit for our players who will have the opportunity to learn so much from him.” Kohli is the fourth Indian Test player in county cricket this year with batsman Cheteshwar Pujara currently at Yorkshire and fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and Varun Aaron playing for Sussex and Leicestershire respectively. India begin their tour of England in July with three Twenty20 internationals and three one-day internationals. They then take on the hosts in a five-Test series starting in August.

Character over cover drives - Langer takes charge By Ian Ransom MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - For much of a glittering playing career, Justin Langer was the foundation rock upon which Australia erected towering piles of runs during a golden

era of success. Eleven years on from the last of his 105 Tests, Langer returns to the national fold at one of its lowest ebbs in history, tasked with rebuilding a team from the ruins of disgrace. Yesterday he was named

head coach, filling a void after Darren Lehmann’s resignation in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal at Cape Town that stunned the cricket world and trashed the team’s reputation. Both Langer and Lehmann shared dressing rooms in Steve

Waugh’s Australia, a feared and brilliant team that made no apologies for crushing opponents with aggression and intimidation. Lehmann was recruited amid another crisis of culture five years ago, and weeks after David Warner punched England’s Joe Root during a boozy night out in Birmingham.

predecessor Mickey Arthur. Australia’s players might expect more physical demands when training under the intense Western Australian, who stepped in for Lehmann during two limited-overs series in the past two years. “JL’s a bit of a fitness freak and very intense with that, whereas Boof’s probably the opposite,”

Justin Langer speaks to the media in Melbourne, Australia, yesterday. (AAP/Luis Ascui/via REUTERS)

He was unable to select Warner for the first two Tests of the 2013 Ashes as the opener served a ban for the incident. Langer will be without Warner for a year, the disgraced opener suspended along with former captain Steve Smith and batsman Cameron Bancroft for their part in the tampering. Coincidences aside, Langer offers a different proposition to the larrikin figure of ‘Boof’, a beer-drinker and a smoker who helped repair the dressing room disharmony that festered under

Smith remarked in 2016. “(Boof) would probably prefer to be out drinking a beer somewhere.” While cleared of wrongdoing in the Cape Town scandal, Lehmann’s departure was greeted more with applause than mourning. His staunch refusal to criticise his players publicly, much less sanction them for on-field misconduct, won their loyalty but grew stale for an Australian public increasingly uncomfortable with the team’s image.

Langer, a gritty campaigner who retired as one of Australia’s greatest opening batsmen in 2007, will have little trouble commanding the respect of the dressing room. He also has a track record of fixing rotten cultures, having taken over a scandal-plagued Western Australia in 2012 and helped transform them into one of the country’s most successful states. “Character over cover drives” has been the mantra of the 47-year-old Catholic and father of four, who would mark a cross at the crease when he went out to bat. Redemption will also be offered for the fallen, and he was unequivocal about Smith, Warner and Bancroft’s right to regain their places in the side once they served their penance. Fans hoping for a gentler Australia, in manner, if not sport, are likely to be disappointed, however. Langer said he was no Adam Gilchrist, Australia’s revered wicketkeeper batsman who would walk even if not given out by the umpire. His team would still play aggressive cricket and sledging will still have its place. “We’ve always played hard, some of the best banter is amongst each other to try to get the opposition thinking of other things,” he said. “I think we’d modify our behaviours a bit so it’s not angry, or over-aggressive, but it’s aggressive in the mindset we play with the bat and ball.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

TO THE

ECB, GCB owe Ronsford Beaton an apology Dear Sir,

IT was with deep disappointment that I read an article in the 3rd May, 2018 edition of the Guyana Chronicle under the headline ‘Bacchus defends Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB), Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) on Beaton’s bowling ban’. (I am) disappointed, because over the course of over thirty years as a Club official at the St Francis Youth Club and the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, I have learnt that leaders must be compassionate and respectful to those whom we represent. It is simply unbelievable that acting president of the Guyana Cricket Board would push Ronsford Beaton further down the tunnel when all be needs is love, compassion and a helpful hand to overcome what is surely a temporary setback. The million-dollar question is why has Beaton been allowed to represent Essequibo, Guyana and the West Indies over the years if he is so undisciplined? Why has the Essequibo Cricket Board not provided

the necessary counselling for this talented player, who was the first player from the county to play for the West Indies as Ramnaresh Sarwan is identified as a Demerara player? I am in total shock that a National cricket leader would attack a West Indies player and say that you cannot talk to him. Respect is earned over a period of time. If a player has your full confidence and respect you, he would talk to you. In this modern world where youths have more independence than past generations, leaders have to show love, compassion and most importantly respect the opinions of youths. We must show patience when they are quick to react, to show compassion when they need it and as cricket administrators we must always put their development ahead of our own agenda. Our mission must be service to them and not the other way around. Cricket administrators when they leave their positions must be remembered for making positive differences and not for any selfish motives. As president of the Ber-

bice Cricket Board and CEO/secretary of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, I have worked overtime to develop working relationships with each one of the players. I want them to view me as a big brother, a friend and their biggest supporter. I would be there at any time of the day to offer love when it is needed, to lift up their spirit when it is down and to make sure that I do everything in my power to assist them to fulfil their full potentials. No amount of indiscipline would stop me or the Berbice Cricket Board from reaching out to our players as we should always remember that even if a clock stops working, it still carries the correct time two times per day. Berbice players like Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Anthony Bramble, Keon Joseph, Romario Shepherd, Eon Hooper, Clinton Pestano, Gudakesh Motie, Shemaine Campbelle, Shabika Gajnabi, Tremayne Smartt and others know they have a friend who would defend them at all cost and they have the full confidence that there is

North Essequibo calls for re-introduction of senior Inter-county cricket By Elroy Stephney

THE North Essequibo Cricket Committee (NECC), which is an affiliated member of the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB), is voicing its support for the re-introduction of the senior Inter-county cricket competition. According to a release, the Committee is concerned that the pride and passion of the game is being diminished since players have lost that honour of representing their respective counties.

The release further states that previously, Inter-county cricket was hugely successful because the best players were selected and there was great rivalry among players to gain selection and that the tournament proved to be a fitting stepping-stone to the national set-up. The NECC also stated that the current franchise system though plausible is not the best foundation for players to be properly nurtured. The NECC call comes on the heels of a

similar appeal from the Berbice Cricket Board recently, following a stakeholders’ meeting in the ancient county. The Inter-county competition was abolished by the GCB almost three years ago and was replaced by a franchise system that involves several teams. Most of the country’s top players graduated from the Inter-county system including Roger Harper, Clayton Lambert, Sudesh Dhaniram, Rabindranath Seeram and Clyde Butts.

Floodlight tapeball cricket set for Anna Regina Drying Floor tarmac AN action-packed evening is anticipated tomorrow at the Anna Regina Drying Floor tarmac in Essequibo. Members of the Young Achievers Sports Club of Anna Regina will host a 5 Overs-a-Side Tapeball Knockout competition for teams in Region 2. The popular venue has a concrete pitch and the faster bowlers will enjoy the surface in getting the ball to climb at face height. On the other hand, bats-

men, especially those who can hook well, will relish the opportunity of hitting a few out of the park. Among the teams expected to participate are Richmond Youths, Cotton Field, Walton Hall, Reliance Hustlers, Affiance, Charity and Mainstay. Meanwhile, several Essequibo inter-county players are also listed to be in action including Ramesh Narine, Basil Persaud, Narendra Mandolall, Latchmikhant Narine and Grayson Paul. Entrance

fee for teams is $5 000 with the first match scheduled for 14:00hrs. Attractive monetary prizes and trophies will be at stake including best batsman and bowler in the competition. Teams are required to be at the venue by 13.00hrs to be registered, No late entrance will be permitted, according to the organisors who will provide balls and tape for the duration of the competition. (Elroy Stephney)

always a shoulder to lean on. Of course, if they exceed the discipline level, they also know that the book would be thrown at them to face full penalties. This would be done within chambers and not in any daily newspapers. I would like to extend best wishes to Ronsford Beaton for the future and to reassure him that in the Berbice Cricket

Board and Hilbert Foster you have friends. We are willing to assist in any way possible and we would stand by your side in both bad and good times. Please put all your faith in the God you serve as he is the only one who would never fail you. Please feel to contact me on 337-4562 or foster_hilbert@yahoo.com if the need arises.

I personally think that the Essequibo Cricket Board president owes the young West Indies fast bowler a public apology. My simple advice is that love, compassion and loyalty do more than fear, disrespect or power. Hilbert Foster, President, BCB

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

BCB to host historic 100 balls-per-side cricket tournament

Gill’s maiden T20 fifty pushes Knight Riders past Super Kings

Shubman Gill batted at No.4 for the first time and found his range early to hit an unbeaten 57. (BCCI)

BCB president Hilbert Foster collects the sponsorship cheque from Javed Raffik.

THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) continues to break new ground in its quest to develop the game of cricket in the ancient county. The BCB has joined hands with popular Rose Hall Town contractor Mohamed Raffik to host the first-ever 100 balls-perside cricket tournament for clubs in the Lower Corentyne area. The tournament will attract 16 teams from between Courtland Village and No.42 Village on the Corentyne Coast.

President of the BCB, Hilbert Foster, at the simple launching ceremony stated that the tournament is another novel effort to renew the passion of both players and fans. He promised that more innovative tournaments would be unveiled in the future. The tournament involves the bowling of 14 six-ball overs while the last two overs would consist of eight balls each. The fielding side would have only two fielders outside the 30-yard circle and

the maximum of five for the rest of the innings. Only five persons would be allowed on the leg side for the entire duration of the innings. No non-Berbician would be allowed to play in the tournament and only one Under-21 first division player would be permitted to play. Under-19 players born on or after September 1, 1999, would not be considered first division players while those who participated in the Magic Moments 20/20 tournament would not be per-

mitted to play for any other club. The knock-out tournament would be played during the week from 15:00hrs while walkovers shall be granted half-hour after the starting time. The BCB president expressed gratitude to the management of Raffik Construction for sponsoring the historic tournament, the first of its type to be played in the Caribbean. Special mention was made of CEO Mohamed Raffik and his son Javed for their assistance.

Indian duo Pandya, Karthik named for hurricane relief T20 LONDON, England (CMC) – Indian stars Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik have been named in the ICC World XI for the Twenty20 International against West Indies later this month at Lord’s. The duo are the latest international players to confirm their participation for the May 31 fixture which will raise funds for five stadiums damaged in the Caribbean during the passage of hurricanes Irma and Maria last September. All-rounder Pandya is a rising star in the game while and wicketkeeper-batsman Karthik is a veteran of 241 T20s, and ICC board member, Giles Clarke, said both would strengthen the international side and enhance its appeal. “This is a fantastic opportunity for fans of the Indian team to come out and watch

these two flamboyant players, who bring both class and star value to what I’m sure will be a memorable match at Lord’s,” said Clarke, who has been coordinating the match. “People would remember Pandya’s valiant 43-ball

76 against Pakistan in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy last year while Karthik too has played Test cricket at Lord’s. “He has been in terrific form and recently blasted 29 off eight deliveries and sealed

Hardik Pandya in action during India’s one-day tour of the Caribbean last year

victory over Bangladesh in the final of the Nidahas Trophy with a last-ball six.” Pandya and Karthik join Pakistanis Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal of Bangladesh and the Afghan pair of Thisara Perera and Rashid Khan, who have all already confirmed their participation. The side will be led by England’s white-ball skipper Eoin Morgan. They will come up against a strong West Indies side which will feature the likes of superstars Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels and Andre Russell. Test venues the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in Antigua and Windsor Park in Dominica are among the stadiums set to benefit from the funds raised.

TEENAGER Shubman Gill clubbed his first Twenty20 half-century as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) moved up to third in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings. Having put the Super Kings in to bat, Kolkata reduced them to 177-5, with captain MS Dhoni’s 25-ball 43 pushing Chennai to a total they could at least have a chance of defending. But Gill (57 not out) and captain Dinesh Karthik (45 n.o.) helped Kolkata recover from a shaky start to successfully chase it down with 14 balls to spare. The Knight Riders are now four points clear of the fifthplaced Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have a game in hand, while the Super Kings have slipped off the top, with Sunrisers Hyderabad taking their place. Dhoni scored an unbeaten half-century in the Super Kings’ previous game as they defeated Delhi Daredevils, and it was he who ensured this Chennai innings did not peter out. He came to the crease with Chennai 101-3, and their situation worsened when Ambati Rayudu (21) was bowled by Sunil Narine to leave them on 119-4. But Dhoni took command from then, smacking three maximums in six balls as Shivam Mavi and Mitchell Johnson got the treatment. A fourth six came when Gill dropped him at the squareleg boundary, but the 19-year-old would more than atone for that error. There was no ‘Lynnsanity’ to power the Knight Riders, as opener Chris Lynn (12) fell, caught behind to Lungi Ngidi on review with the final ball of the opening over. Robin Uthappa (6) and Rinku Singh (16) both failed to inspire a turnaround and, despite the best efforts of Narine (32), Kolkata looked in a very poor position when the latter fell with the score at 97-4. But Karthik and Gill put on 83 for the fifth wicket to take the game away from Chennai. Gill needed only 32 balls to reach his half-century, as he hit to extra cover for two but, although he immediately followed that up with a boundary, it was Karthik who finished the job. Karthik hit three fours off Dwayne Bravo in the 18th over to wrap up the win, fortuitously sending an edge short of point and to the boundary to knock off the clinching runs. (Yahoo Sport)

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday May 04, 2018)

COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) 60 games (2) Suresh Raina-57* (CSK) Today’s Quiz: (1) Who was voted Man of the Series in IPL 2011? (2) Who was Man of the Match in the IPL 2011 final? ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 4, 2018

‘Lady Jags’ made progress – head coach Dr Joseph

Grave says Darren Bravo needs to clarify future with Windies cricket PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief executive Johnny Grave has warned there will be no immediate return to the international side for Darren Bravo, after the left-hander thrice rejected offers to end his exile from the senior squad. The 29-year-old Bravo has not played for West Indies in 18 months since he was sent home ahead of the Zimbabwe Tri-Series for an ill-advised Twitter rant ridiculing CWI president Dave Cameron.

of 40, having played 49 Tests and struck eight hundreds. He had made himself available for Trinidad and Tobago Red Force’s final first class match of the last season, along with the first eight matches of the Super50 campaign, but a communication mix-up saw him ruled out of selection. Grave said he and director of cricket, Jimmy Adams, intended to meet with Bravo to ascertain what his career plans were and if they involved representing West Indies.

Dr Ivan Joseph, Lady Jags head coach AS Guyana prepare for the CONCACAF Women’s Qualifiers in the latter half of May 2018, head coach of the National Senior Women’s football team, Dr Ivan Joseph, said the team’s objectives of the recently-concluded CFU Women’s Challenge Series have been achieved. This revelation was made in an interview, following the Lady Jags’ final match against Trinidad and Tobago of the CFU Women’s Challenge Series in Trinidad and Tobago. “As you would have noticed, each and every game, we had a more cohesive, more together unit going forward on the field,” said Dr. Joseph in response to

whether the objectives of the team had been achieved. “We used the week to build grit, build resilience, teach life skills and transform the lives of the people who are part of it. Those were some of the things we have done all week; getting people to stand up and talk about themselves and reinforce the best attributes about themselves and teammates, getting people to recognise and learn how different we are and yet how similar we are.” In summing up the tournament, Dr Joseph said the players executed the game plan for respective matches and this sets a firm foundation of a solid team, adding that “when you look at those

three games, you can say there was progress made. We continue to create our own chances and play the system that we were trying. “Each game we played, we started a different shape and formation and asked our players to do different things and each and every time they responded appropriately and we were able to execute the game plan. That’s a very firm foundation of a solid team that is coachable and will be able to execute.” Commenting on the way forward, Dr Joseph said the team is exploring adding some new players to the squad for the CONCACAF Qualifiers.

“May is one step in our long-term plan. We will be looking to bring in some new bodies. We had no true defensive centre-mid and no true defensive centre-back in the CFU Women’s Challenge Series. We are still looking for a right combination and fit in those spots. “People were able to perform them admirably but it’s still not our best players in those spots, the Canadian said. Guyana will host Group E of the CONCACAF Qualifiers and will play Bermuda on May 23, Suriname on May 25 and Barbados on May 27 at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora. All matches are scheduled for 19:30hrs.

Dave & Celina, Silver Bullets to clash in Linden Guinness final tomorrow

Pact of the action in Linden on Tuesday

DAVE and Celina and Silver Bullets will face off in the final of the Linden leg of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ small goal football competition, following the conclusion of semi-final action on Tuesday evening. After losing their first game of the tournament, Dave and Celina All-stars have managed to find their way into the final of the tournament. While not the easiest road to the final, scratching and clawing their way into the

ultimate game of the tournament, Dave and Celina’s grit and will propelled them past Swag Entertainment. The game ended 2-2, with Dave and Celina surviving a late onslaught from Swag Entertainment to get to a penalty shootout that they won 2-0. Earlier, Mortimer Giddings put Dave and Celina up 2-0 with back-to-back strikes in the ninth and 12th minutes, before Swag Entertainment came storming back with goals from Royston Fraser

in the 23rd minute and Shane Luckie in the 35th minute. Meanwhile, Silver Bullets were on fire against High Rollers, making it to the final with a 4-0 win. From the first whistle, Silver Bullets were in attack mode and struck early with a goal from Jermaine Samuels in the seventh minute. High Rollers missed a few chances that definitely cost them in the end, as Samuels struck again in the 27th minute to go up 2-0.

The fast pace of the game continued and High Rollers seemed the worse for wear, as they started shooting from all parts of the court. Samuels struck again in the 38th minute with the strike counting as a Guinness goal, which meant that the goal counted as two, because it was scored in the last three minutes of the match. The final between the two teams will be played tomorrow in Linden at the Mackenzie Bus Park Square.

Darren Bravo has not played for the West Indies in 18 months.

And though the stand-off between Bravo and the CWI was ended last July, the Trinidadian has continued to ply his trade on the international Twenty20 circuit. Grave said it was unlikely Bravo would be selected for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, especially having not played first class cricket for a protracted period. “He’s gonna struggle to get straight back in the side, so that probably rules him out of the summer tours,” the Englishman told the NewsDay here.

“It’s a question for Darren. We asked him if he wanted to be part of the England tour (last year), he said his focus was on the Caribbean Premier League (CPL),” Grave pointed out. “We asked him if he wanted to tour New Zealand and he said he was focused on the Bangladesh Premier League. We invited him for the qualifiers (ICC World Cup) and he said his focus was on Pakistan Super League), I haven’t gotten any further information.” He continued: “The onus is on him to tell Caribbean

Cricket West Indies chief executive Johnny Grave

“I don’t think, having not played any cricket in the long format for so long and just playing T20s, you can just walk back on a Test team and be expected to perform.” He added: “We’ve got an A-team tour to England coming up that maybe (he might be open to), if he wants to commit (to West Indies cricket). It’s a tri-series with India and England.” Bravo remains the Caribbean side’s premier Test batsman. He is the only one of the current crop with an average

people what his intentions are, whether he wants to play any other formats than T20. Jimmy Adams and I want to meet with Darren. “We want to sit down and have an open conversation so we can be clear of his plans.” West Indies host Sri Lanka next month for three Tests before Bangladesh arrive in July for a full tour. Later in the year, the Windies will tour Bangladesh and India for full series. The ICC World Cup bowls off next May in England and Wales.

FIFA boss says Russia ‘absolutely ready’ for World Cup

FIFA president Gianni Infantino (left) and Russian president Vladimir Putin visit the Fisht Stadium in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. (AFP/Alexey Nikolsky)

See Page 26

President Granger signals support for Republican Gym unveils six-man team for National Novices boxing tourney proposed Commonwealth cricket tournament See Page 26

Roger Harper receives the RHTYSC, MS Dolphin Award of Excellence for being a positive Role Model to Youths and an Outstanding Friend of the Club from Regional Here in this Adrian Narine photo, the Republican boxers pose just after weigh-in yesterday Chairman David Armogan. (Colin Bynoe photos)

afternoon. Today’s first punch is scheduled to be thrown at 19:00hrs.

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PRESIDENT David Granger yesterday received a courtesy call from Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland, who is currently in Guyana to attend the Workshop for Judges and Prosecutors, which is being hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF). The Secretary-General informed the Head of State of a proposal to host a Commonwealth Cricket Cup for 19-yearold boys and girls from Commonwealth countries. She explained that cricket is a game that is universally enjoyed in the Commonwealth and a championship like this will not only open doors for youths, attract people and investments to the Caribbean region, but will also serve as a vehicle for cultural exchange. Additionally, she said that the Caribbean leg of the series will raise money for a fund, which will be dedicated to the rebuilding of islands affected by hurricanes. Already, several CARICOM Heads have given their nod of approval for the plan to move forward and Baroness Scotland said that she has also reached out to cricket legends such as Sir Vivian Richards, Clive Lloyd and Mr. Keith Bradshaw from Australia, and they have all expressed their willingness to lend their support to this initiative. President Granger, too, after listening to Baroness Scotland, has signalled Guyana’s support for the venture.

FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2018