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Drug link seen in illegal airstrips No. 105058

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2017

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69 honoured

…President vows to reward notable Guyanese

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…U.S. to share intelligence

P Paaggee 33

GSEC CEO Charles Ceres

Ground Structures positioning self for oil take-off Page 16

Four arrested for killing elderly women Page 8

President David Granger decorates, veteran journalist of the Guyana Chronicle George Barclay with his Medal of Service at Friday’s Investiture Ceremony held at the National Cultural Centre (Delano Williams photo)

Man killed, burnt to ash

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Goldfields produces 41,000 ozs in third Page quarter 9

69 honoured

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 7, 2017

… President vows to continue rewarding notable Guyanese

PRESIDENT David Granger has vowed that this country will never again undermine and disregard the importance of the national honours system and promised to identify notable Guyanese every year to receive the accolades. The President was speaking at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) on Friday, after conferring 69 National Awards on some notable Guyanese and a CARICOM member. The awardees were identified back in May of this year, during the celebration of Guyana’s 51st Independence Anniversary. Among them were religious and community leaders, entrepreneurs, business executives, social workers, academics, artists, officers of the Defence Force, the police, prison and fire services, as well as other members of the community. According to President

Granger, the national honour system, which is ordained by the Constitution of Guyana, recognises persons who have committed themselves to serving, supporting and strengthening the country. “Service is about improving the lives of citizens; service is about increasing the country’s wealth and production; service is about innovation and education of science and technology; service is protecting the country and representing and safeguarding the national interest,” the President said. The national awards were held each year from 1970 to 2002. After a lengthy cessation, the award was again held in 2011, then again in 2015. Since 2015 it has been held annually. The Head of State said he does not intend to repeat the mistakes of the past in this regard. “I have promised that never again will the govern-

Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards receives the Order of Roraima

Reverend Raphael Massiah receives the Cacique Crown of Honour

Retired Nurse Joan Agnes Fredericks receives her Medal of Service

Renowned sculptor Winslow Craig is conferred with the Golden Arrow of Achievement

CARICOM Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque receives the honorary Cacique Crown of Honour

Owner of Austin’s Book Service Lloyd Austin receives the Golden Arrow of Achievement

ment of Guyana disregard or disparage this important national institution. The national honour system is a reflection and appreciation of a grateful nation,” he said. Delivering the statement regarding the orders of Guyana, Chair of the Advisory Council of the Orders of Guyana,

She said it is important that recognition and reward be given for valuable service, hard work, patriotism, courage and bravery. “It is evident that the conferring of national awards is a national acknowledgement of one’s service.” The event saw the audi-

Historian and educator Dr Tota Charran Mangar gets the Golden Arrow of Achievement

was Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards. According to her, the first honour of excellence was bestowed posthumously on Sir David Rose. Other honours were bestowed on Former Presidents Arthur Chung, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, Janet Jagan and Samuel Hinds.

ence observing a moment of silence for awardees who had passed away since the last investure. They include Dr Enid Denbow and Carmen Jarvis, both recipients of the Cacique Crown of Turn to page 3 ►

Drug link seen in illegal airstrips GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 7, 2017

…U.S. to share intelligence

By Ariana Gordon THERE is a link between the illegal airstrips, aircraft and drug trafficking here, says United States Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway. The U.S. Envoy during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday said the link must be addressed in the context of Guyana’s landscape. He explained that illegal airstrips and the discovery of aircraft in the country’s hinterland regions is a very complicated subject. “Guyana is a very large and very under-developed in terms of infrastructure, roads especially…so there are a lot of illegal airstrips out there,” said Ambassador Holloway who explained that while some of the airstrips are illegal, they may not be used for illegal purposes. Conversely, the opposite occurs given Guyana’s proximity to the source of drugs, namely: Peru, Bolivia and Columbia. The Ambassador believes that the problem is that no one knows the number of illegal airstrips that exists, because Guyana lacks the resources to determine same. “…you need planes that can fly regular reconnaissance missions…you need people out on the ground checking it out…and there are not enough police to do the basic crime-fighting,” he observed, noting that it would not be wise to strip the basic crime-fighting resources to look for what can be considered needles in a haystack. “A lot of these airstrips I would admit are just because, some rancher, some farmer, some miner, has decided that

was no sign of human beings anywhere. “You could build an airstrip and no one would know,” he said. Notwithstanding the complex nature of the matter, Ambassador Holloway told the Guyana Chronicle that U.S. intelligence on illegal airstrips would be shared with the Government of Guyana. “We have not seen an increase in the last two or three years so, I can’t tell you we have seen a big decrease either. There is no indication that it is getting worse. Most airstrips were built for a reason that you and I would say is almost U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway (Samuel Maughn) the only way to get things in here on a regular basis is to fly them in,” said the U.S. envoy, who noted that those residing and or operating businesses in the hinterland have failed to go through the procedure to have the airstrips recognised by the authorities. “Yes, there are a lot of illegal airstrips, but not all of them are there for narco-trafficking, but however Guyana is in a location that lends itself to using these airstrips for narco-trafficking and they are geographically very close to the source of drugs, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia,” he said, noting that there are vast lands which are unpatrolled by the police or military. Only recently, the Ambassador visited Lethem and as the aircraft in which he was travelling descended, he was struck by the vast landmass and the fact that there

Government has since said that it will be working with local and international partners to build capacity and strengthen security here. The government said too that it is making every effort to better equip its forces to monitor and secure the country. Meanwhile, in light of government’s announcement that it intends to establish a drone unit within the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to monitor remote communities and is likely to budget for same in the 2018 national budget, the U.S. Ambassador believes the technology can be useful in the long term.

The mysterious aircraft on an illegal Rupununi airstrip back in August legal, but some of the bad guys take advantage of it,” Holloway reasoned. ABANDONED PLANE In August, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) discovered an aircraft abandoned on the illegal airstrip it uncovered two weeks ago at five miles west of Santa Fe in the North Rupununi. The twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft which bears registration PRIMG is reportedly tied to an

69 honoured...

From page 2 Honour, Kenneth Joseph and Sharon Burnham, recipients of the Golden Arrow of Achievement, and Frank Charles, Compton Waldron and Stanislaus Jardine among others, who were recipients of the medal of service. Among the awardees of the Disciplined Services Medal for Meritorious service were Assistant Commissioner of Police Nigel Hoppie and Acting Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels. The Military Service Medal was awarded to Lt Col Lawrence Fraser of the Guy-

investment bank in neighbouring Brazil. The financial institution, Banco Bradesco, facilitated the sale of the aircraft between its owners, a Rio-based company and another private entity. The bank is listed by the Brazilian authorities as the owner, since the process of transfer of ownership is ongoing. President David Granger had stated that the incident is being treated as a public security matter. “We know that people were running away from the plane and if they were wounded or injured, they would not have been running…” President

ana Defence Force and Ramkarran Doodnauth. Among the recipients of the Medal of Service were Guyana Chronicle’s George Rupert Barclay, Erma Bovell and Julio Perreira. The Cacique Crown of Honour was awarded to Secretary-General of the CARICOM Secretariat, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, University of Guyana Vice Chancellor Dr. Ivelaw Griffith, Chief Justice Roxanne George and Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana’s Sheikh Moen-ul-Hack and Reverend Murtland Raphael Massiah. Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards was awarded the Order of Roraima.

Granger said on Wednesday. The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has also been instrumental in the investigation as it probed the authenticity of the Brazilian registration attached to the aircraft. The discovery of the twin-engine aircraft was made just a few weeks after soldiers had found another illegal airstrip, a chain saw, aviation fuel, 12 abandoned camps and several dug-out trenches in the same area.

“There is no doubt that some of the issues Guyana faces could probably be improved through the use of technology; drones are one of those technologies. I worked on programmes that have used drones for different things and they can do a lot,” he stated. Ambassador Holloway was however quick to point out that with the use of sophisticated technology such as drones, the government must take into consideration,

the training needed for those who are to operate the devices, as well as the maintenance of the drones. “…especially in the difficult environment in which they’d be operating here in Guyana, that is pretty expensive and difficult. There certainly is technology out there and I think due to the vast distances and the very low number of people that something like drone technology in the long term makes sense, but again, do you want to put money into that or you want to put money into hiring more police or building schools or hospitals? That’s the dilemma that the government and people of Guyana face,” said the U.S. envoy. Minister of State Joseph Harmon had said at a post-Cabinet press briefing early in September that the use of drone technology was something that is being actively considered and proposals have been made to Government. In fact, Harmon disclosed that some companies are scheduled to make proposals about the quality and type that can be utilised. “Drone technology is basically the way the world is going right now. We have been utilising some commercial ones for certain limited use, currently, but we are exploring the farther type drones that can stay in the air for longer periods of time and can give you more accurate readings,” he declared. “… [drones] allow you to cover greater ground which reduces the number of personnel or troops you’d have to use on the ground. It also gives you coverage of areas that are inaccessible otherwise,” Harmon stated.

Top officials, including President David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo at the Investiture Ceremony on Friday (Delano Williams photos)

Man killed, burnt to ash By Nafeeza Yahya

A YOUNG Berbice man was chopped to death and his body burnt after he was accused of stealing two sheep in the Number 55 Village, Corentyne area. Divisional Commander Lyndon Alves has confirmed that the three suspects in custody have since confessed to brutally murdering Mahendra Ghanie, called Azad, and chopping him to pieces and then tried to get rid of the evidence by burning the remains to ashes and burying them in shallow graves. The heinous crime was committed on Ghanie after he allegedly stole two sheep the commander said. The burnt and mutilated remains were found buried in two shallow graves a stone’s throw away from his former employer at Number 55 Village, East Berbice, Corentyne on Friday, a little after noon. Ghanie called “Sanjay and Azad” was last seen on Monday when he left his Lot 190 Bloomfield Village, East

Berbice-Corentyne home to his employer to collect payments that were owed to him. According to relatives, the young man was employed by a cattle farmer identified as “Bobby” who also owns a block making business. The young Ghanie was employed to make blocks and would usually stay over by his employer and return at the end of the week or fortnight depending on his workload. He reportedly left wearing a white shirt and pants and was to return with the money to give his mother who is due for a surgery on Monday. “He boss man call he and tell he fuh pick up greens and seasoning and suh when he coming, so he use his money to get it and then he went up to 55, but we didn’t hear from he,” Farine Ghanie a sister related. She explained that since it is customary for him to stay over they did not think too much of the situation, but got worried when they tried calling his cellphone the following day and it was

Burnt Bones at the Scene

forwarded to voicemail. The family also tried calling the employer but the calls went unanswered and they subsequently decided to visit the employer. However, when they arrived on the following day (Wednesday) in the afternoon they saw one of the sons of the employer and he started acting strangely and ran away upon seeing them. “After we ain’t hear from he and the boss man phone ring out we decide to go up the Wednesday afternoon. When we reach one a de boss sons did deh in front and when he see we he run away suh we start get worried and when we start fuh find out them say de boss man nah deh and they nah see Azad”

a relative related. The family returned home and explained to their sick mother who went the following day (Thursday) at the Number 51 Police Station and filed a missing person’s report for her son. The family managed to get in contact with “Bobby” and he denied knowing Azad and claimed he never worked with him. Police were subsequently notified and a search of Bobby’s place unearthed a hammock belonging to Azad in his back yard. Based on this piece of evidence he was detained on Thursday evening along with one of his sons. The family continued to search throughout the night and on Friday morning at around 04:00 hrs, Azad’s

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 7, 2017

…suspects accused him of stealing sheep older brother Razack Ghanie related he had a dream that his brother was in between two graves and he advised the family to search the burial ground for his little brother. The family returned on Friday morning and started searching in the burial ground in the vicinity of where his employer lived and noticed a strange scent as well as two smoking pits. Upon closer investigation they noticed a red and white shirt which was given to Azad by his mother on one of the smoking pits and what appeared to be human bones. “When we reach we start smelling this thing and we could not say for sure where it coming from, but we notice the smoke and we follow it and see like something drag and a red and white shirt that mommy did give Azad on top and in the other pit we see something like bones so we call the police.” When the police arrived they subsequently started digging the pits and found the chopped remains of a human that was almost burnt to ashes. This according to investigators was a carefully thought out plan to get rid of the body, since it was cut into small pieces and set alight with branches in one pit and after it was burnt to a certain extent it was dragged to the other pit where another fire was set with wood to completely burn it out. Among the bones were the remains of Azad’s cellphone which led the family to conclude that the

remains are his. As word spread more villagers started speaking out and recalled seeing “Bobby” and his sons acting strangely, especially with the fire, since they kept re-igniting the flames whenever it started to go out. “I see this thing blazing for days now, we had a funeral here yesterday and I smell the thing funny but didn’t think anything but now I remember seeing “Bobby” lighting back the fire every time it out and last night I see he small son moving funny,” a villager related to this newspaper. Another recalled that the usual talkative “Bobby” was very quiet and seems troubled. The police have since detained the son after the villagers spoke about his actions and he along with his brother and father remain in custody as investigations continue. INCONSOLABLE Meanwhile, the mother of Azad was inconsolable and kept telling relatives she wanted to join her son in the afterlife. “He was my mother favourite, them two had a real bond and they would do anything for one another, mommy ain’t want do the surgery now she saying she want dead…cause she feel like is she responsible since he left to go collect the money to give she fuh de surgery…My brother was very helpful he didn’t deserve fuh die suh cruel,” Farine Ghanie related amidst sobs.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 7, 2017

President reiterates call for Region to be zone of peace

-at memorial ceremony for Cubana Air Disaster victims PRESIDENT David Granger has said that the Caribbean cannot afford to be a theatre of warfare and terrorism, but instead must focus on being a zone of peace. However, he noted that this can only be realised if international law and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of small Caribbean states are respected. The Head of State made these remarks on Friday at a memorial ceremony in observance of the 41st anniversary of the Cubana de Aviación Terrorist Attack. “Guyana rejects, totally, the use of force to settle controversies between states. Guyana abhors the crime of international terrorism whenever and wherever it occurs. Guyana reassures the world of its commitment to making the Caribbean a zone of peace. Guyana remembers the victims of the Cubana terrorist attack. We assemble annually before this monument to memorialise the human cost of terrorism and warfare,” the Head of State told those gath-

President David Granger lays a wreath at the Cubana Air Disaster Monument, in memory of those who died aboard flight ‘CU 455’ on October 6, 1976

ered at the Cubana Air Disaster Monument at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, where the ceremony was held. The ill-fated Cubana de Aviación flight ‘CU 455,’ which originated in Guyana, had proceeded to Trinidad and Tobago then to Barbados, and would have been en route to Jamaica before its scheduled

final stop in Cuba. The President said that these four Anglophone Caribbean states had, four years earlier in December 1972, made the courageous démarche of establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba and noted that the bombing could not have been unrelated. Meanwhile, Ambassador of Cuba to Guyana, Mr. Julio Ce-

Cuba’s Ambassador to Guyana, Mr. Julio Cesar Gonzalez Marchante lays a wreath at the monument

sar Gonzalez Marchante, said that, “all of us and especially the new generations, must know the truth about how the evils against Cuba and other nations of the hemisphere were articulated in those times.” The Ambassador said that the act of terrorism perpetrated against Cuba is responsible for the mourning and pain for numerous Cuban families, as well

as, the destruction of property. He reminded that terror attacks in Cuba has resulted in the deaths of 3,478 people and over 2,099 maimed and or disabled. “Cuba rejects double-standards and unilateral actions contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and to the principles and norms of international law. May it serve at this commemoration, to reiterate Cuba’s un-

Kamla claims TT budget is bankrupt of ideas, no vision

Opposition Leader Kamla Perad Bissessar Friday dismissed the TT$50.5 billion (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) national budget presented by the Trinidad and Tobago government earlier this week as being bankrupt of ideas and contained no measures or vision to take the country forward. In a three hour 20 minute response to the fiscal package presented by Finance Minister Colm Imbert on Monday, Persad Bissessar said that the budget would also “bankrupt our country and its people at every level” adding that the budget “demonstrates a brutal betrayal of the people littered as it is with rehashed broken promises. “What the country got was a budget presentation essentially of the same old failed measures and the policies announced as new ones were in fact cut and paste from previous budgets and the PNM (People’s National Movement) manifestos. “So once again, we heard more of the same old, nothing new. And even those measures that may seem positive, are failing to convince the population of their ultimate effectiveness simply because this government has absolutely no track record of delivery

and keeping their promises,” she said, as some trade unionists, casino workers staged a demonstration outside the Parliament building protesting the recent increase in taxes contained in the budget . Persad Bissessar, who formed the government here between 2010-15, said that instead of providing some hope to citizens, the budget was “more doom and gloom” which the present administration has been telegraphing to the population since taking office. “The Finance Minister was unable to assuage the fears of the public about the country’s economic future. The regurgitated 2020 vision now 2030 Vision will remain just that a pie in the sky dream. The government has been campaigning for weeks at various public fora, boasting about achievements that are either not theirs, or haven’t actually materialized, and warning about “tough love” measures that would be necessary to fix the crisis they have caused.” She told legislators that during her period in office, expenditure increased from TT$45 billion to TT$62 billion and dismissed Imbert’s suggestion regarding plans to have a balanced budget. “In fact, at the moment they are unable to reduce ex-

penditure from the TT$50 billion level of last year when they are saying that they need to cut their cloth to

suit their coat. My government reduced expenditure to TT$57 billion in 2015 from the previous year’s TT$62

billion when the price of oil collapsed notwithstanding that it was an election year. (CMC)

wavering will to fight against terrorism and to state its firm rejection and condemnation of all terrorist acts, methods and practices in all its forms and manifestations, regardless of their motivation,” Ambassador Marchante said. In 2010, Cuba declared October 6 as ‘Day of victims of state terrorism’ in remembrance of those who died on the fateful flight on October 6, 1976, when a bomb detonated shortly after take-off from the Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados. Everyone on board the flight perished, including 11 Guyanese nationals, six of whom were going to Cuba to study medicine. The names of the Guyanese who died that day were: Mr. Raymond Persaud, Mr. Rawle Thomas, Ms. Jacqueline Williams, Ms. Rita Thomas, Mr. Harold Norton, Mr. Gordon Sobha, Ms. Anne Nelson, Ms. Margaret Bradshaw, Ms. Violet Thomas, Ms. Sabrina Harrypaul and Mr. Seshnarine Kumar. (Ministry of the Presidency)

Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 7, 2017

Cubana Air Disaster and the Caribbean FORTY-ONE years ago Sabrina Harrypaul, Eric Norton, Ann Nelson, Raymond Persaud, Margaret Bradshaw, Gordon M. Sobha, Rawle Thomas, Rita Thomas, Violet Thomas, Jacqueline Williams and Seshnarine Kumar were among 73 persons who perished when Cubana flight CU-455 was bombed and crashed off the shore of Barbados. This incident occurred in the heightened period of the Cold War that saw efforts to influence alignment to and support for the Western or Eastern bloc. Guyana distinguished herself during this period by embracing the Non-Aligned Movement and policies, which allowed for the pursuit of national interest on the international stage, independent of having to side with either bloc, though working with both in pursuit of our development agenda and making the world a better

place. The non-aligned principles allowed Guyana to play a leading role in the fight against apartheid in Southern African, a system the Western powers gave support to because those African governments supported that bloc. As the Fidel Castro government provided military support to fight against the apartheid system, Guyana made available its airstrip for planes to stop and refuel on their journey to and from Africa. While the West was distrustful of Cuba’s communist government - which came to power through a revolution that ousted the United States (U.S.) supported Fulgencio Batista government – and isolated the country and repeatedly accused its government of violating human rights, they embraced Southern African governments that practiced apartheid and denied the masses their fundamental rights and freedoms as a matter of law.

Guyana over the years has shared close relations with Cuba which was informed by our non-aligned policy. This relationship, more than any other, has resulted in scholarships for Guyanese in the field of medicine, veterinary science, engineering, pharmacology, agriculture and other technical areas. Such support contributed significantly in improving the intellectual capacity of the nation’s human capital to pursue our national developmental goals. The bombing of Flight 455 was an act of terrorism not unlike attacks the U.S. suffered on the 11th September 2001. The fact is that a few exiled Cubans who despised the Castro government had the support of the Venezuela Secret Police to commit a cowardly act designed to send a message. Undoubtedly the message to Cuba, Guyana and other Caribbean allies was a clear warning that there are forces prepared to destroy

you rather than talk with you if they dislike your politics, influence and relations. In that era the superpowers and their allies were jostling for world dominance. Cuba being in the backyard of the West, reaching into the Caribbean and on the Africa continent, presented a geopolitical threat to one bloc and empowerment to the other. Threats seen through the lens of the superpower in either bloc led to acts of violating others, including invading countries, on justification to crush or spread an ideology. In this environment newly independent small state societies found it complex and problematic pursuing political, economic, social and cultural self-determination having to navigate a bipolar politics that paid greater importance on alignment. The support and protection offered to the terrorists by Venezuela, while the U.S. intelligence agency though

possessing knowledge of the plan well in advance of the attack did not share the information with the Cuban Government, make the point of the nature of the politics at the time. During this period U.S. and Cuba relations were hostile. U.S. had severed diplomatic relations, imposed a trade embargo and restricted its citizens from travelling to that country. In revisiting Venezuela’s role, it is being recalled in 1962 that country made known to the United Nations it no longer accepts the 1899 Tribunal Award that settled the Guiana border dispute with Great Britain. Forty-one years hence, though the Cold War is considered over, acts of terrorism have grown more complex and continue to wreak havoc around the world. In reflecting on those who were never allowed to

live out their dreams and give of their contributions to the society’s development, it becomes more important to work harder to secure worldwide comity. The 6th October, 1976 should be integrated into the education curriculum, serving not only as knowledge but more so to underscore the importance of continuing the quest for global justice and not cowering in the face of adversity. Where the misplaced belief is held that someone has the right to determine for the other and there exists intolerance for the views and values of another, work remains to be done. Consequently, our eleven citizens who perished must not only be a marker in our history but a leading motivation to overcome.

PPP facilitated wholesale rape of taxpayers through corruption Dear Editor DONALD Ramotar took to the nation’s lying podium in another section of the media on October 06, to declare that “The years of the PPP/C were glorious.” To be fair, the man is correct if you happened to be a PPP government minister or acolyte, a business crony, or working higher up in the PPP’s crony organisations. Beyond that, Mr. Donald and Guyanese must know that this claim is a gross misrepresentation of the truth. During its 23 years in

office the PPP facilitated wholesale rape of taxpayers through its corruption mechanisms, and misappropriated billions of taxpayers’ money. Overpriced contracts like the toilet bowls for the CJIA became a national joke and organised crime became a mainstay of our culture. Moneys were shifted out of NIS improperly to finance the Berbice Bridge, a financially ill-conceived project. Today the NIS is encountering financial problems because of these investments, and will very likely have to be bailed out with taxpayers’ money.

The Marriott was built out of misappropriated funds from NICIL that were supposed to be transferred to the consolidated fund. Mr. Donald must also know that the PPP ran GUYSUCO into the ground, without any mechanism for relieving sugar workers, either through GUYSUCO itself or via the state. Today it seems the complete disembowelment of the company and its sugar workers are on the cards. Rice farmers were also given a shellacking over the years of PPP administration as a result of corruption

which was facilitated by the PPP itself in the major rice organisations. Surely Mr. Donald must know that the PPP crucified its own supporters left, right and center. It also minced the entire country with poor recovery mechanisms from the economic transformation of the 90s, leaving many Guyanese struggling in poverty for decades. Children were denied their right to proper diet and education under the PPP. This was not a glorious time, Mr. Donald, it was an economic crime. What about those well contracts, where the con-

tractor received tens of millions of dollars for nothing? Where were the governance systems under the PPP, Mr. Donald, under your foot? Yes Mr. Donald, the PPP, along with other governance systems were kept out of the law books so the PPP and its business cronies could go on siphoning off billions and billions of taxpayers’ money as part of the normal course of government operations Mr. Donald. I can go on and on Mr. Donald, but the point has been made. So stop peddling lies to a population that your PPP deliberately left in ig-

norance so that they were unable to fend for themselves at the policy level Mr. Donald, just so the PPP could continue conning and robbing them, as the white collar criminals the PPP members are, Mr. Donald. The PPP’s supporters would do well to start mustering their political and financial capital to create an alternative to the PPP, because if they don’t, it’s almost a certainty they’ll be thrown back into the PPP’s grinder. Regards, Craig Sylvester

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 7, 2017

Clear attempt at Popular culture has encouraged derailing GECOM disrespect to women Dear Editor DID Mr. Deodat Sharma and the Audit Office of Guyana ever investigate Gocool Boodoo procurement transactions after a Regional & General Elections? Mr. Sharma is accusing the present CEO, Mr. Keith Lowenfield of over stocking toners. For the records Mr. Boodoo purchased $25,000,000 in janitorial supplies for the 2006 General Elections from a company set up by Mike Brasse name Tri Star, which was registered at the Deeds Registry after supplying GECOM with the most expensive janitorial items all of these supplies

were dumped at Coldingen. Strange enough Mr. Sharma did not recommend a police investigation. Remember this company was registered after delivering the supplies to GECOM and 25,000,000 dollars was a Cabinet decision. Now Mr. Sharma is asking the Police to investigate GECOM for the purchase of toners, which were needed to print the voters list for an election that had a time limit. Are procurement regulations more important than preventing insurrection? Mr. Lowenfield acted in the best interest of the Nation. This was not a purchase for 25,000,000 in janitorial

supplies, which was left to waste at Coldingen. So what really bogles the mind is procurement breaches the real focus at GECOM or the present management that the PPP is accusing of rigging the 2015 regional and general elections. The public needs to pay urgent attention to Mr. Sharma GECOM finding, since Gocool Boodoo is not the Accounting Officer. In my next article, I will deal with Mr. Sharma’s refusal to call in the police for the purchase of OKI DATA Toners from Mike Brasse Mobile Authority in 2008. Regards, Former GECOM employee

PPP frets over enforcement of Broadcasting Act Dear Editor DESPITE calls from the Guyana Press Association (GPA), Caribbean Association of Media Workers (CAMW), Reporters without Broader (RWB) and other major organisations representing the cause of journalism and freedom of the press and the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) to the Government to withdraw the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2017, the Government ignored all these calls, passed the Bill in the National Assembly, the President assented to it and upon the directions of the Prime Minister, the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) has begun to enforce its provisions. We reiterate that this Act unduly restricts press freedom, expropriate private proprietary interest and is oppressive and unconstitutional; we intend to lead the constitutional challenge against it in the Courts. As a result of blundering incompetence, the Government has made the enforcement of the Act as draconian as the provisions themselves. Although the Bill was assented to and came into force since the 7th September 2017, this information was only

made public on the 24th September 2017. Then only on the 1st October 2017, did the GNBA inform broadcasters that they have seven days to submit their applications for a licence under the Act. Even then the incompetence continued: only late on the evening of the 3rd October 2017, were application forms for the licences made available. Therefore, broadcasters are now forced to complete application forms which require a massive amount of financial and other technical information before the deadline of Saturday the 7th October 2017. If they fail to do so then they would be forced to close down their operations or expose themselves to be charged with a criminal offence, which carries a fine of $1M and imprisonment for 1 year and their broadcasting equipment is liable to be forfeited by the Government, under the provisions of this law. This oppressive regime of requirements is another reminder of the harsh reality that we are careening down the road to political dictatorship. We say to the Government that it is not too late to withdraw this oppressive piece of law.

Regards, People’s Progressive Party

Dear Editor OVER the past week many highly-charged conversations and articles, as well as social action have been rooted in denunciations of misogyny and sexism culminating as a result of increased reports of abuse and in some cases resulting in murder of some women. Yet, in the midst of the outcry, we have unintentionally diverted the nation’s attention from the tragedy of violence against women. Notwithstanding all that has been said, the Youth for Change (YFC) deplores what continues to occur and believes such heinous crimes provide the catalyst for a deeper discourse on women’s rights and violence against women. Discussions at a national level have been intermittent at best, whilst popular culture has encouraged disrespect to women in a society where

such matters are too often covered up, unnoticed or ignored. Much has already been said about the response, the nature and scope of the reaction (locally) to the pronouncement, signals not only an awareness of the danger of this viral social trend but also a readiness to take action to save the society from its persistence. In order to move towards transforming our current laissez- faire approach to women’s rights into one of full respect for women, we must seek to understand and make known the extent of the problem and treat with the root causes of the proliferation of an ideology that holds a woman responsible for being a victim of violence. It is the same ideology that permits men and boys to make unwanted comments to women, on the verge of sexual harassment. YFC recommends that more be done at a national level, through offering programmes

in community centres, schools and workplaces to sensitise citizens about gender-based violence. Much more needs to be done in educating our boys and men to respect humanity with regard to women. Both men and women need to be involved in encouraging an institutional configuration that purposefully and systematically addresses the problem of gender-based violence and disrespect. YFC, through its chapters will continue to make itself available to assist and provide support to find lasting solutions to a recurring problem as we stand in solidarity with other NGOs and organisations in the bid to eradicate violence against women. Regards, Devin Sears General Secretary Youths for Change Guyana

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 7, 2017

More supplies for storm-hit islands …some 83 Guyanese to return home

TWO more containers with relief supplies are expected to leave these shores today for Antigua and Barbuda for distribution among the Caribbean islands hard hit by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, even as Guyana prepares to fly 83 of its citizens back home. A container of dressed lumber is also on standby to be shipped to Dominica as the Private Sector continues to answer the call. Minister of State Joseph Harmon said the government with overwhelming support from the private sector has been providing much needed relief to those devastated by the recent series of hurricanes in the Region. To date, 11 containers have been shipped to Antigua and Barbuda, and in some cases Dominica with millions of dollars worth of relief supplies. “Specifically, 29,000 pounds of disaster relief was air shipped to Antigua, nine containers have been packed, and another two would have been packed by the end of today, bringing it to a total of 11 40-foot containers that would have been sent to the territories of Dominica, and Antigua, (and) Barbuda,” Minister Harmon explained while addressing reporters at the Ministry of the Presidency on Friday. He said once the relief supplies arrive in Antigua and Barbuda, they will be distributed to the other territories ravaged by the spate of hurricanes. The items include wa-

ter, food and medical supplies. The first six containers had approximately $20 million worth of relief supplies while the second batch of containers was valued at $18M. Seaboard Marine and Tropical Shipping has been assisting government with the shipping arrangements, Minister Harmon noted, even as he used the opportunity to thank the companies for their support and the private sector by extension. “We were advised yesterday (Thursday) afternoon that a company called Bulkan Timber Works had actually packed a container of dressed lumber to go to Dominica. So this has basically kick started the second phase of the operation, the rebuilding phase,” he further noted. Other companies, the Minister of State said, have indicated their willingness to assist with the rebuilding process. In addition to the relief supplies provided by the private sector, the government had pledged an initial sum of US$100,000 to the affected countries through the regional disaster response mechanism, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDEMA). By the end of the week, the government with support from the private sector will commence the repatriation of 83 Guyanese, who have expressed their desire to return home from three affected territories – Dominica, British

Virgin Islands (BVI) and Barbuda. Those Guyanese will be flown to Guyana by Jags Aviation Inc., Roraima Airways, Fly Jamaica Airways, Air Services Limited, Hopkinson Mining Aviation and Trans Guyana Airways. “So far arrangements have been made for the flying home

That aircraft will take cargo as well, and will deposit that cargo in Antigua and on its way back, will also pick up another six passengers,” Minister Harmon said. The first flight is expected to arrive in Guyana this weekend from the British Virgin Islands. Government has been Minister of State, Joseph Harmon

What was left of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) after it was struck by Hurricane Irma (Photo: Pride News Magazine)

of the remains of Mr. Derek Ragnauth, the deceased and two of his family members.

working on providing identification documents for those who may have lost them

during the storms. Questioned on what mechanism is in place to cater for those persons who may not have a place to stay upon their return to Guyana, Minister Harmon said most of the affected Guyanese will be accommodated by their Guyanese relatives. “We will deal with each of these cases on a case by case basis, and from the information we have gathered on the ground in the territories where these persons are, we have been able to determine

that a large number of those persons who are coming back, will be coming home to relatives. For those who have not indicated that they have relatives, we are still working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Citizenship to ensure that we can find relatives for them,” Minister Harmon said. If government is unable to locate relatives for the remaining few, accommodation will be provided at several facilities. “Now these facilities as I did indicate are basically at the Hugo Chavez Centre and there are some facilities provided by the Guyana Relief Council.” However, he emphasized that every person or family will be dealt with based on their specific needs. Asked too about financial support, Minister Harmon said: “You can be assured that government will be lending as much assistance as necessary to ensure that they are comfortable once they are brought back.”

Four arrested for killing elderly women …victims were strangled FOUR persons, including a woman, have been arrested for the killing of two elderly women earlier this week at their South Road, Bourda home, police have confirmed. Police also said that post-mortems were conducted on the bodies of Constance Fraser and Phylis Caesar on Friday by Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh, who gave the cause of death as asphyxiation due to suffocation and manual strangulation, compounded by trauma to the head. The Ministry of Social Protection has since condemned the killing of the two women, 87-year-old Constance Fraser and 75-year-

old Phyllis Caesar. Their bound bodies were found in their Albert Street and South Road, Bourda home on Tuesday. Saying that it is deeply saddened to learn of the deaths, the ministry has called for swift apprehension of the perpetrators of the crime. “Our senior citizens should be treated with reverence and the utmost respect; we at the Ministry of Social Protection call on all Guyanese to honour the elderly, respect and protect them, and hold them in the highest regard, as we continue to recognise the elderly in the month of October under the theme, “Stepping into the future: Tapping the talents, contributions and

Fraser’s niece, 77-year-old Phyllis Caesar

87-year-old, Constance Fraser

participation of older persons in society.” The ministry said it hoped that the perpetrators of this crime are apprehended and the full extent of the law is handed down. “To the aggrieved families, the Ministry of Social Protection extends sincere condolences. May Constance Fraser and Phyllis Caesar rest in eternal peace,” the release added. Members of the South Road Full Gospel Assembly and friends and family of the elderly women were in tears Tuesday after hearing what had occurred. The women were found lying faces down in separate bedrooms with their hands and feet bound and mouths gagged. According to a relative, the house was ransacked, and items appeared to be missing. Persons who were close to the women said after several efforts to contact them had failed, they decided to contact the police, who made the gruesome discovery

around 07:00hrs. The police believe that the incident occurred between 19:20hrs on Monday and the wee hours of the morning on Tuesday. Reports from the police have revealed that a door of the upper flat of the two-storey building was opened. Relatives said this was the third time the women had been robbed. One recalled that during the last robbery, the intruders had made off with cellular phones and money. It is also the second time they have been robbed after receiving their monthly pensions. “This is a real tragedy, because those women were basically helpless because of their age,” said a pastor of the South Road Full Gospel Assembly, who pointed out that Constance had seven children but all lived apart. Caesar, who had no children, had been living with Constance for over 50 years. The police have launched an investigation into the double murder.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 7, 2017

Access to quality education remains an issue in indigenous communities - UNICEF report

ACCESS to a good quality education continues to be an issue for indigenous youths and this was proven during a study which revealed that students in the hinterland regions receive a very poor quality of education at both primary and secondary levels. The study was conducted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MIPA). Nine villages from the 10 administrative regions were studied by researchers who did comprehensive analyses of the lives of indigenous women and children who live in those villages. According to the findings, the gap between the coastland and hinterland has increased, indicating that improvements in the quality of education were more significant on the coast.

When the report was submitted to MIPA, the subject Minister Sydney Allicock said although the hinterland regions recorded good results at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), a lot is yet to be done in order to improve the quality of education those students receive. Until that is done, the minister expressed his belief that those students should not be judged equally to the youths who live on the coastland. He went on to point out that guaranteeing a good quality of education in primary and secondary schools for indigenous children is one of the main challenges for them. The report highlighted that deficiencies in the quality of education for children and adolescents in the hinterland are influenced by factors such as lack of qualified teachers and resources such as books and learning ma-

terials, among others; poor infrastructure at the schools, including buildings that are old, lack of computers and access to the internet and lack of labs in general.

President David Granger

In addition, in most of the schools that were visited, the washrooms were not in an ap-

propriate condition and many did not have doors, running water, and were dirty. “In some schools, students prefer to use the bushes rather than the sanitary blocks,” the

Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sydney Allicock

report pointed out. Those factors have led to

more worrying issues such as the reported increase of adolescents who are not completing secondary school. According to the report, for every 100 indigenous boys and girls enrolled in secondary school, only 53 would complete the final years of secondary education. Researchers found that school dropouts are common in the hinterland. Some students stop their formal education because they did not obtain sufficient marks at the NGSA exams to qualify for the national and regional scholarships. This reportedly adds to the “vicious” life cycle of inadequate qualifications and lack of skills, which contribute to low-paying jobs and poverty in the indigenous communities. President David Granger had said that government is committed to improving ed-

ucation in the hinterland regions. The President pointed out that many young people who are school dropouts are often left with no choice but to seek menial, low-paying jobs and this, in many ways, prevents them from getting out of the cycle of poverty. He noted that each region is endowed with wealth-creating resources, but for these to be developed, education is the key. “What we want is a generation of young people, who are educated, who can use computers, who can use machines and help themselves to make a good living… Once you get an education, you would be able to use your science and your skills and your technology to use the very products that are coming out of your region in what is called agro-processing. Anything you produce can be processed and exported,” he said.

Couple charged Goldfields produces 41,000 ozs in third quarter for scamming GUYANA Goldfields Inc. produced a total of 41,000 ounces of gold at its Aurora Gold Mine at the end of the third quarter – September 30, 2017. In a press statement on Friday, Guyana Goldfields said the gold production was as expected, noting that it is on track to meet the lower end of its annual production guidance of 160,000 –180,000 ounces of gold for the year. “In the third quarter ended September 30, 2017, the mill processed an average of 6,170 tonnes per day (“tpd”) of ore at an average head grade of 2.53 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) with gold recoveries averaging 90.3%,” the mining company stated. It said that due to mine sequencing and gold grade, gold production is expected to be the strongest in the fourth quarter as mining is focused on the hard rock diorite ore within Rory’s Knoll open pit. Guyana Goldfields President and Chief Executive Officer, Scott A. Caldwell said “after a slow start to the quarter with the inability to strip loaded carbon, the elu-

- via fake church-feeding plan

tion circuit boiler was fully repaired ahead of schedule and below the estimated budget. Due to the quick repair work, the company was able to strip the excess carbon in inventory and nearly all gold sales were realized within the third quarter for a strong finish.” He added: “the mill head grade and recovery steadily increased during the quarter and the grade in September increased to 2.87 g/t Au with recovery increasing to 91.3%. Management expects head grade and recovery to continue to increase in the

fourth quarter of 2017 and finish the year with its strongest quarter yet.” Mobilization is complete to the Wynamu site located approximately 40 kilometres north east of Aurora. Exploration has identified a series of auriferous zones over a wide area, the company stated. “A six-hole, 1,200 metre drill programme commenced this week that will test the tenor and side of these anomalous areas. The area of immediate interest, ZOI 4, is characterized by trench WYT3 which returned

6 metres of 4.21 g/t Au as well as 58 metres grading 1.21 g/t Au.” Additionally, the company is currently mobilizing to its Iroma group of properties, approximately 18 kilometres north east of Aurora. In this district, extensive soil sampling and very shallow drilling with a pack sack drill have delineated two areas for immediate investigation. It was noted that in both areas, gold mineralization is associated with NNW trending shear zones trending for hundreds of metres.

A COUPLE accused of scamming victims by inducing them to donate monies to a fake church-feeding programme was on Friday jointly charged on two counts of fraud. Kevin Smith, 34, and Tamika Times, 25, both of Dowding Street, Kitty appeared before City Magistrate Judy Latchman and denied both charges. It is alleged that the couple on September 29 at Georgetown obtained with intent to defraud from Nale Ramit $1,000 by pretending they were authorised to obtain money on behalf of the Full Gospel Assembly Children Feeding programme. It is further alleged that on the same day and location the duo obtained $1,000 from Claire Thomas under the same pretence. According to reports the duo had a form which was purportedly from Full Gospel Assembly asking for donations. The two accused allegedly managed to collect monies from two persons

Kevin Smith and Tamika Times

but on a third attempt, the victim noticed that the form did not have an authentic stamp from the church. The magistrate released the duo on $20,000 bail for each of the two charges. The matter is adjourned until October 20.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 7, 2017

Telecoms Act being enforced, agency approved THE Telecommunications Act of 2016 is now being enforced, and the Telecommunication Agency established, but Guyanese will have to wait a little longer before the sector is fully liberalised. On Friday, Minister of State Joseph Harmon announced that Cabinet had granted its approval for the establishment of the Guyana Telecommunications Agency and the commencement of the Telecommunications Act 2016. The establishment of the agency is the first of two phases that would allow for the full implementation of the Telecommunications Act. “This phase being implemented from October 1 to December 31, 2017 will involve the formation of the agency as a body corporate in accordance with the Act

as well as a number of essential administrative and organisational activities which will include staffing of the agency and the finalisation of licensing procedures in preparation for liberation and new licenses to be issued to telecommunication entities,” Minister Harmon explained. According to the Minister of State, at the end of the first phase the Guyana Telecommunications Agency is expected to be in a position to absorb the functions of the National Frequency Management Unit, and to have capacity to deal with the additional regulatory functions mandated by the Act. The Public Telecommunication Ministry has been negotiating with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) and Atlantic Tele-Network (ATN) with

the aim of ending GTT’s claim to a monopoly over

ister Harmon said he was not sure.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

Minister of Public Telecommunications Catherine Hughes

international voice and data transmissions and domestic wireline service. Questioned whether these negotiations have been completed, Min-

“I am not sure that the negotiations are complete because there are still some discussions that are being

undertaken with the Guyana Revenue Authority. But the Minister of Public Telecommunication has given Cabinet the assurance that her discussions with the affected companies are moving smoothly ahead,” he said. “It is expected that by the time we are ready to bring these things into actuality that we will have some conclusion to all of these matters,” he added. Minister of Public Telecommunications Catherine Hughes had publicly expressed the hope that the Telecommunications Sector would have been fully liberalized by May 2017. Telecommunications Legislation was passed in the National Assembly last July following extensive consultations with GTT, Digicel and other stakeholders, including the Private Sector Commis-

sion (PSC), the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the University of Guyana (UG) and several non-governmental organisations. The Telecommunications Bill was first introduced in 2011 but it was revised in 2013 before being sent to a Parliamentary Special Select Committee in the 10th Parliament, and was near conclusion when that Parliament was prorogued in 2014 by the then President, Donald Ramotar. When it was taken before the National Assembly by the Government, the Opposition, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had called for the bill to be sent to a Special Select Committee for further consideration, but Minister Hughes had argued that the bill had been long promised and was overdue.

Linden Utility Company board installed

THE board of the Linden Utility Company was on Friday sworn in, with Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson calling for an improvement in quality electricity supply to the mining town. The new board members are Chairman Mr. Tracy Johnson; members, Mr. Elwyn Marshall, Mr. Mortimer Mingo, Mr. Horace Williams, Mr. Leslie Gonsalves, and Mr. Renford Homer, who is serving as a representative of the Guyana Power and Light Company Inc. A member representing the parliamentary opposition is yet to be appointed. According to a Ministry of Public Infrastructure release, in brief remarks to the board, Minister Patterson encouraged the new mem-

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson (fourth, right); Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Mr. Kenneth Jordan (far right); and Mayor of Linden, Mr. Carwyn Holland (second right), with the new members of the Linden Utility Company Board. The board members are (left to right): Mr. Mortimer Mingo; Mr. Elwyn Marshall; Mr. Renford Homer (GPL representative); Mr. Horace Williams; Mr. Tracy Johnson (Chairman); and Mr. Leslie Gonsalves

bers to dedicate their time diligently and to work with a unified agenda. He further stressed the importance of innovation and suggested

that the board undertake new, feasible avenues, such as implementing renewable energy projects, where necessary. “Overall, I want you

to provide a higher level of service to the residents of Linden,” he said. Representatives of the utility company were also

praised for successes, such as relatively low technical and commercial losses and an impressive revenue-collection rate higher than 90

percent. While Minister Patterson noted that there was room for improvement, he applauded the company for its efforts and encouraged the board to aim for greater achievements. Representatives also shared that the company has plans to upgrade its decades-old network through the rehabilitation or replacement of equipment. Meanwhile, Mayor of Linden, Mr. Carwyn Holland, who was present for the ceremony, shared with Minister Patterson some areas that would need assistance from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, such as the provision of electricity to unserved areas in Linden. Insufficient drainage within communities was also raised as an area of concern.

Lawyer awarded $1M for false imprisonment

ATTORNEY Horatio Edmondson, who has his chamber in West Berbice, was on Friday awarded damages in the sum of $1M for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment. The ruling was handed down by Justice Navindra Singh during a sitting of the Civil Court in New Amsterdam. Mr. Edmondson was arrested by the police following an incident stemming from a land dispute between himself and some residents of Ithaca

at Shumaker’s Lust on the outskirts of the West Bank Berbice village, on April 17th 2016 last. The respondents were Mr. Ian Amsterdam, Assistant Commissioner of Police; Ryan Caesar, a Corporal of Police and Attorney General of Guyana. His constitutional motion was presented by Attorney-at-law Mr. Ramesh Rajkumar in association with Attorney-at-law Mr. Mursalene Bacchus. During the incident, Edmondson was

lashed in the head with a piece of wood by one member of an angry mob. Attorney Lloyd Thomas who was present at Shumaker’s Lust when the incident stemming from the land dispute occurred, had submitted an affidavit on the matter. In his motion, Edmondson complained that the assistant commissioner and the corporal had contravened his fundamental rights of free movement guaranteed under Article 148 (1) of the Constitution

of Guyana, when on April 17th as members of the Police Force, Caesar acting under the instructions of Assistant Commissioner of Police Amsterdam arrested him at the New Amsterdam Hospital, took him to the Central Police Station and detained him there. Justice Singh ruled that Edmondson had been unlawfully arrested and detained. He ordered the respondents to pay to Edmondson $900, 000 in damages plus $100,000 in costs.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 7, 2017

Stalemate over UG pay hike continues

THE University of Guyana (UG) Workers Union (UGWU) and the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) on Friday said employees are fed up and want an end to the stalemate between the UG administration and the unions with regards to the wages/salaries increase matter. President of the UGSSA, Jewel Thomas said they have been trying to reach an agreement on wages/ salaries 2017 with the UG Turkeyen Campus administration with talks commencing since July 10. Thomas said they had a series of meetings but since the end of August around that point of time the dialogue ceased. She related that at the time the administration said they were making their final offer of 6% and 8% for two different categories of staff and they asked for clarifications around that offer that was made. They wanted to know the breakdown, that is, how much it is going to cost for the different categories of staff. “We have asked for this information before for the very first time and it

was given to us in the context of UG budget for this year.” Thomas added that they could not involve the senior staff in the negotiations. They are not on the

of the 6% and 8% and it is only fitting that they know the cost of that, since there are some things written in the contract that they do not agree to on two clauses.

Jewel Thomas and Bruce Haynes on Friday following a meeting with employees of UG. pay scale as regular staffers who are higher and it is not known to them since they negotiated their salary when they were hired and the council approved same. She stated that at present they are trying to sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the pay-out

Thomas told the Guyana Chronicle that Vice Chancellor, Dr Ivelaw Griffith has indicated that he will not sign anything that will make them reveal how much the pay-out is costing, so at present everything is at a standstill because he refuses to say how much it

will cost overall. She related that they were determined to pay themselves even though they got a massive increase of 55% and they want to benefit from yet another increase. Thomas said a meeting with the executives is on the cards to decide on the way forward because the staff is very frustrated and want action since they have been waiting since February. She pointed out that they need to ensure there is movement from the current stalemate, noting that 753 employees of UG are waiting for their wages/ salaries increase. Thomas said, “We have no council, logical body to appeal to, it was dissolved in July 12 and the Ministry of Education is refusing to answer the question when it is going to be formed.” Meanwhile, Bruce Haynes, President of UG Workers Union said there has to be a breakdown so they will get an idea how much it will cost overall and all of that is supposed to be there before they sign-on to that agreement. Professor Griffith could not be reached for a comment on Friday.

NGO calls on civil society to step up –– help end rape, sexual violence

LOCAL NGO, CPIC Monique’s, is calling on members of civil society to get up and do something about the growing incidence of sexual violence here, particularly after the recent molestation and killing of 13-year-old Berbice schoolboy, Leonard Archibald. Using as their tag-line the slogan, ‘No More Leonardos’, so named after young Archibald, to launch their campaign, the group proposes to unite and strengthen communities all across Guyana in its quest to help end sexual assault and abuse on children. “Dedicated to inspiring cultural change and advancing societal progress, ‘No More Leonardos’ must create public awareness campaigns, marketing tools and communications resources for all civil society, large

and small,” says CPIC Monique’s CEO, Dr. Dawn Stewart in a recent press release. The idea, she says, is to encourage persons of all walks of life, and either sex, to be a part of the solution, and to understand that the underlying cause of rape and sexual violence is deeply rooted in early trauma. Noting that the young Berbician’s death has helped bring to the fore the issue of child abuse and trauma, Dr Stewart says in her missive: “Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) among males has frequently not been recognised, with a resulting underreporting of males as victims of CSA. “The lack of awareness of men as sexual victims has been accompanied by a dearth of empirical studies on male CSA and attendant issues, such as the long-term

psychological, behavioral and physical consequences experienced by such men. “It’s critical that we understand that distress from abuse can present itself in many forms, including somatic complaints, grief, and social problems, and that children and youth today face increased trauma, ranging from violence in the homes to sexual assaults.” She also advocates that we address the perpetrator as well as the victim, and what in sociological circles is called “The Dynamics of Bystander Effects”, which is another way of saying, in Archibald’s case for instance, that although neighbours heard the child’s anguished screams coming from the house of one of the two perpetrators, no one thought of going to his aid. Quoting Dr. Theresa Betancourt, lead author of

‘The Journal of Traumatic Stress study’, Dr Stewart said: “Helping families navigate their new environments successfully can be a critical step in engaging communities, and also building relationships needed to address unmet mental health needs due to past trauma and loss. “Some of the best models we have seen across the world employ outreach, family-based prevention and home visiting, and schoolbased models to meet families where they are and to help them build their new lives and hopeful futures. “I urge NGOs, community organisations, business leaders and all of Guyana to take up the mantle and let this movement be known as, ‘No more Leonardos: Leonardos against sexual violence’.”

Friends on shooting and discharging weapon charges A 35-YEAR-OLD licensed firearm holder accused of discharging his weapon in public and his best friend, who reportedly cleaned up the evidence from the crime scene, were charged on Friday. Reiz Ali appeared before City Magistrate Judy Latchman and denied that on September 30 at Sandy Babb Street he discharged a loaded firearm within 100 yards of the public view. He was released on $100,000 bail and ordered to return to court on October 20. Meanwhile, Ali’s friend was charged with perverting the course of justice by allegedly attempting to throw away the shell casings from the crime scene. Anthony Abdool, 29, denied that on the day in Anthony Abdool question with intent to pervert the course of justice he threw away four spent shell casings from a shooting incident. He was also released on $100,000 bail and ordered to return to court on October 20. However the men’s attorney, Bernard DaSilva told the court that four men were attempting to rob his client and Ali discharged his firearm at the robbers. DaSilva further added that Abdool thought that he was assisting the police with their investigation by picking up the shell casings. According to a police report, on the day in question at about 12:30 am Ali and his friend, Abdool were at G-Spot Bar at Kitty. While two police ranks on motorbike patrol were passing, Ali took out his firearm and discharged four rounds in the air. It is alleged that Abdool attempted to pick up the spent shells and throw them away before the ranks came to investigate the incident.

Cop says he found gun in TSU cupboard A 21-YEAR-OLD police constable attached to the Tactical Service Unit (TSU) accused of stealing a firearm from the Guyana Police Force headquarters was on Friday charged with simple larceny. Keon Johnson of Tain, Berbice appeared before City Magistrate Judy Latchman and denied that on August 27 at TSU headquarters, Eve Leary he stole a 9mm pistol valued $375,000 along with 10 rounds of ammunition worth $10,650, property of the GPF. Police prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves told the court that Johnson along with several others was caught by police in Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara gambling. Johnson was searched and the firearm was found in his crotch. Gonsalves further told the court that the accused confessed to police that he found the gun inside a cup-

Keon Johnson board at TSU and stole it. Magistrate Latchman released the constable on $200,000 bail since the prosecution made no objection and adjourned the matter until October 27. Meanwhile, Johnson is expected to be placed before the Leonora Magistrate’s Court charged for gun and ammunition possession.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 7, 2017

Land CoI

Best floats African descendants trust REAR Admiral Rtd Gary Best in a private capacity, gave his testimony before the lands Commission of Inquiry (CoI), where he suggested that a trust be established for the descendants of enslaved Africans. Best suggested to the commissioners that the purpose of the trust should vary from providing scholarships to persons who appear to be in a position to fund their studies and so forth. They must however enter a baseline in communities, he said. “In order to determine how people should benefit from the trust, we must first define who is a descendant of the enslaved Africans,” said Best. Chairman of the CoI, Rev. George ChuckA-Sang, said they need to define who are connected to enslaved Africans but more

evidence is needed. The trust can have many features, but even the commissioners agreed that it would be wise to define who the descendants are. Best said it would have been easier to define the descendants and their rightful communities if the British had conceded to the alleged request of the Africans for the lands they “humanised.” According to him, if that had happened, there would have been better rules about what makes a descendant qualify to be part of the trust. Africans instead had to reportedly purchase land which made them disperse to different parts of the country. “After Emancipation, Africans cleared drains and prepared irrigation for 15,000 square miles (9 million miles) of land

Gary Best gives his testimony before the lands CoI (Adrian Narine photo)

on the coast…That land is in addition to all the sugar plantations that were cleared and irrigated by the African

labour force,” said Best, who was at the time making reference to a study done by Sir Hilary Beckles.

He however pointed out that descendants cannot just return and say they want to reclaim land; instead, it calls for a lot of understanding and involvement of the political parties. Best told the commissioners that according to this research, African ancestral lands are not protected by legislation, so it needs to be held in a “perpetual trust” on behalf of the descendants for the purpose of productive development and the mitigation of the current and future conditions of Afro Guyanese. In addition, he pointed to evidence that shows Africans and their descendants occupied land for over 200 years, which should be enough for them to have titles. Best even went as far as suggesting that because of

the evidence of them occupying land for over 300 years, African descendants should consider themselves indigenous. He urged the commissioners to work within the mandate of the CoI to examine and make recommendations to resolve all issues and uncertainties surrounding the claims of Amerindian land-titling and the individual, joint or communal ownership of land by freed Africans. The commissioners concluded that the evidence presented by Best was solid and he agreed to make another testimony, which they are awaiting. The Commission includes Mr. David James, Mrs. Carol Khan-James, Professor Rudolph James, Mr. Lennox Caleb, Ms. Paulette Henry and Ms. Belinda Persaud.

CEO notes improvements at Linden Hospital Complex THE Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) has recorded significant improvements over the last few months pertaining to drug availability and the provision of services, Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Riyasat has said. On Wednesday, Riyasat told the Guyana Chronicle

that a recent article published in the media was filled with baseless and malicious allegations and according to the facts, there is far more good than bad at the medical institution, which remains committed to serving the residents of Linden with efficiency and standards. Riyasat said that for

2017, the hospital has so far completed 202 successful general surgeries. LHC, he said, has seven doctors, three of whom are specialists and four are general medical officers functioning at the surgical department. The consultants, he said, are on call every third week while the four junior

doctors are on call every four nights. None of the specialists, he said, has gone on annual leave for the year as was reported. In the X- RAY Department, the CEO said that for 2017, the six, 196 X- Rays were done on the hospital’s machines that are fully functioning. X-RAYS are done every day in three rooms simultaneously. The ECG machine that was out of paper for some time, is now functioning as it should and patients can now re-access this service. There is no shortage, according to the CEO, of blood pressure machines at the hospital and all departments are furnished with the requisite basic tools. There are currently 36 new BP apparatuses in stores, 12 that are functioning within the clinical area and five in the supervisor’s office. “There are blood pressure machines available in the Intensive Care Unit, Out Patients Department), Accident and Emergency, Male and Female Wards, Paediatric Wards, Operating Theatre and Maternity Ward,” Riyasat said. As it relates to the claim of victimisation of staff members, the CEO said that the LHC does not have the authority to transfer any doctor to other regions, since they are assigned by the

Ministry of Public Health through the Regional Health Service. The hospital has trained 64 Guyanese doctors who returned from Cuba. The LHC, he said, functions at a very high level of efficiency and standard and therefore there is the need for close monitoring, supervision and continuous training of the doctors. Drugs shortage significantly alleviated While the CEO admitted that some drugs are not available at the hospital, he said that the situation has improved significantly over the past months and the hospital is never negligent of its requisition of drugs from the Materials and Management Unit (MMU). For the drugs that are not available through the MMU, the hospital uses its emergency funds of $30 M appropriated by the Ministry of Health to purchase critical drugs. “The drug situation has improved, we still don’t have all the necessary and critical drugs that we need; we are getting more drugs that we use to get before, we are getting more items on the requisition,” Riyasat said. “The idea is to have the key drugs or the substitute in place, the case is now you can get three out of four drugs, we always make

sure that we have quantities of critical drugs,” the CEO said. He revealed that the laboratory’s chemical analyser is not functioning presently, therefore patients have to access these services at private institutions, but the situation should change soon. “Yesterday Dr. Shako (Director of Regional Health Services) told me, that they have already tendered and the contracts are already approved, so we are still waiting to have a new machine,” Riyasat revealed. “These things are out of authority, I just cannot go and buy a machine, we don’t operate like that, we are not allowed to.” Relative to the allegation that drugs are being sold to private pharmacies, the medical practitioner related that there were several audits done on the pharmacy in 2017; both internal and external. audits were done on the pharmacy, while a physical count was done of drugs on the ward. In addition to this, a special audit was done by the Office of the Auditor General. The audits all showed that all drugs were accounted for. Dr. Riyasat said that while all is not ‘rosy,’ there have been significant improvements in services offered at the LHC.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 7, 2017

COTED puts spotlight on impacts of recent hurricanes

MINISTERS of Agriculture within the Caribbean Region have been called upon to take stock of the devastating impact climate change can have on the agriculture sector and food security. The warning was given by Secretary-General (SG) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ambassador Irwin LaRocque as he delivered remarks at the opening session of the 71st special meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) at the CARICOM Secretariat Friday morning. LaRocque said the conference has come at a time when sections of the Caribbean community are currently reeling from the destructive hands of two Category Five hurricanes. While greater parts of those countries have been gravely affected, the

unprecedented. Never before had two Category Five hurricanes ravaged the Region in one season. And never before had a hurricane moved from Category One to Five in less than 24 hours, as was the case with Maria, he said. NEW NORMAL “Events like these are likely to become the new normal and provide poor positives in climate change. The devastation caused by the two hurricanes is a stark example of the fact about the new normal of climate change,” the SG told the regional officials. The meeting, he said, will have added importance with special focus on the need to build further resilience to the agriculture sector. “As Ministers responsible for Agriculture, you have a strong appreciation of the inherent fragility of the

CARICOM SG Ambassador Irwin LaRocque addressing Regional Agriculture Ministers

agriculture sectors have also been completely shattered. Hurricanes Irma and Maria last month wreaked havoc in some Caribbean islands. Hurricane Irma devastated Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Turks and Caicos and Anguilla, as well as St Maarten and St Barts. The islands of Barbuda and Tortola were also left in ruins. Irma also caused significant damage in The Bahamas and Haiti and affected St Kitts and Nevis. The hurricane resulted in 10 deaths within the CARICOM member states and associate members as well as a preliminary estimate of some U.S. $2billion in losses. Less than a few days later Hurricane Maria struck, leaving a streak of massive destruction in Dominica. That devastation is said to be unparalleled. It accounted for 27 deaths, and more than 13 persons missing, with 95 percent of the country’s buildings and infrastructure damaged in varying degrees. All vegetation was also wiped out. According to Ambassador LaRocque, the climatic events of the past month were

Regional Agriculture Ministers gathered for the COTED meet on Friday

establishment of a Regional Agricultural Emergency Subcommittee from representatives of regional and global partners. The committee will be responsible for the development of a regional emergency response protocol for safeguarding human and livestock health. It involves the containment of diseases and food-safety risks which may arise from hurricanes and other natural disasters. In essence, the committee will seek to get storm-affected agriculture sectors back on their feet. The conference on Friday heard discussions on a range of other issues including agricultural trade, research and human resource development, business and commodity de-

COTED Chairman and Suriname’s Minister of Agriculture Soeresh Algoe

sector, especially to climatic events. You now must priorItise climate change and risk management as one of your programmes,”the Ambassador said. Due to the recent hurricanes, the conference moved to consider a proposal for the

velopment, and agricultural health and food safety. All of these, the SG said, are relevant and are able to withstand challenges and ability to respond to emergencies. A strong and well adapted food and agriculture sector,

he said, means that countries are better able to guarantee food security and create larger economic challenges of the Region. Meanwhile, Chairman of COTED and Suriname’s Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Soeresh Algoe, said the

conference needed to address the unresolved issues on the COTED agenda. He said it is only by working together that member states would be able to address sustainable agricultural development for the Caribbean Region. He also warned member countries against obstructing trade

through the use of non-tariff barriers. “Despite these challenges, we can seek to improve our economies. I hope that through dialogue we can get new insight into issues that are long on the agenda and that we will overcome, not only in words but deeds.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 7, 2017

Ground Structures positioning self for oil take-off A GEOTECHNICAL engineering company is using its own funds to build local content here and could be ready to break ground when U.S. oil and gas giant Exxon Mobil moves into oil production in 2020. The Ground Structures Engineering Consultants (GSEC) located in D’andrade Street, Newton, Georgetown, has been in existence for almost 25 years, having been founded back in 1993 by U.S.trained Geotechnical Engineer Charles Ceres. The company has been offering geotechnical engineering and environmental services to a number of local and international companies.

GSEC CEO Charles Ceres

Ground Structures Engineering Consultants team of Geotechnical Engineers and Biologists From left to right: Zestnealia Kennedy, Pricilla Moore, Stefan Hamtftead Pagan Thompson Corren Paul, Abdel Ceres, Nicolette Stales and Shawn Henry

Today, the company has trained many Guyanese, some of whom have moved on to foreign countries lending their expertise. Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday, Ceres said the entity has been working with a number of projects and companies including Guyana Goldfields, Troy Resources and even the Amaila Falls Hydro project. “Our track record speaks for itself. Because we do not work for the government, persons might think we do not exist... we are not involved in public sector projects, people do not know that we are around,”Ceres told this newspaper. The company’s outstanding track record has seen it being selected in April this year by Fugro, a Dutch geotechnical company that offers survey, subsea, and geoscience services for clients, including oil and gas, telecommunications cable, and infrastructure companies. Currently, GSEC engineers are conducting geotechnical laboratory tests on soil samples recovered during the Liza 1 geotechnical drilling programme. The Fugro-GSEC partnership agreement is expected to build up the local content of Guyana to allow Fugro to train GSEC staff to provide services to the oil and gas market as they expand their presence in Guyana. The local company has provided six soil technicians and the engineers to work on the marine geotechnical investigation for the Liza Field development, for ExxonMobil. But according to Ceres, his company has been involved in what has been going on offshore, even before the discovery of oil by the U.S. oil company. He said the company’s geotechnical lab is the most modern in the entire Caribbean, including the University of the West Indies. LOCAL CONTENT According to Ceres, GSEC has been focusing on local content because it feels the need to provide that. The company, he said, has expended resources to ensure it is able to fulfil the need for local content. “Too often people think that they should be given opportunities because they are Guyanese. But we are saying that we are equipping

ourselves with the tools to be ready to respond,” he told the Guyana Chronicle. “A lot of people are talking about local content, but not about their ability to respond. You cannot expect people to come to you and say because you are Guyanese you are entitled to something. You have to be able to respond to the needs,” he said, adding that “if you need geotechnical expertise, we can provide that because we have the ability to respond.” The GSEC staff was trained globally by Fugro to enhance their expertise and competencies between the period of March to June this year. The training will continue to progressively extend GSEC capacity to respond to demands for local content providers. According to GSEC, the team will collect, organise and interpret project-critical, geotechnical and environmental data, both onshore and offshore for companies like ExxonMobil. Fugro’s partnership with GSEC has resulted in training in the Fugro Houston soils laboratory for six members of GSEC staff; basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET) certification for 10 members of GSEC staff; Panamanian Seaman Book training for six members of GSEC staff; and Protected Species (marine mammals and seabird) certification for two biologists on GSEC staff, provided by ExxonMobil. GSEC staff is currently conducting geotechnical laboratory tests on soil samples recovered during the Liza 1 geotechnical drilling programme. The intent is to confirm the competence of the laboratory technicians to replicate the results produced by Fugro and to utilise the laboratory for additional soil tests in the future based on that competence. GSEC is also constructing a new building at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, to meet the growing needs in Guyana. It is 10,000 sq. feet of new, developed office space that will have a soils and materials laboratory. All GSEC drilling operations will be operated out of the location. The building will also house an electronic lab and repository for the storage of all geotechnical, geosciences and environmental projects undertaken by GSEC/Fugro. Fugro is said to be the world’s leading independent provider of geo-intelligence and asset-integrity solutions for large construction, infrastructural and natural resources-based projects. It has been servicing the oil and gas sector in Guyana since 1991, when work was conducted on the Geochemical Survey of the Waini River area, Pomeroon Block.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday October 7, 2017

Holder talks up strategy to achieve food security sification, good agricultural practices, pest and diseases (control) and the promotion of value-added, among others.” Minister Holder said various projects are on stream to address accessibility of food. These include the Rural Agricultural Infrastructural Development Programme which seeks to improve farming communities in selected areas. There is also the Sustainable Agricultural

Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder

MINISTER of Agriculture Noel Holder has underscored the important role agriculture plays in the achievement of food security here and said government has embarked on a structured mechanism to address the issue. Holder was speaking on Friday at the 71st meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development at the CARICOM Secretariat. He said as a net exporter, Guyana has taken targeted steps to secure and maintain food security. To this end, government has devised a system to address food and nutrition security within the economy. He said the implementation of a food and nutrition strategy is vital to achieving the goal of improving the health and well-being of all persons

living in Guyana. Government, he said, has adopted a multisector approach to ensuring that all stakeholders play a significant role in addressing the key pillars of food security. “These are availability, accessibility, utilisation and stability. While we continue to face challenges to implement various initiatives, we support the integration of records that support food security,” he said. According to him, food availability continues to be a plus for Guyana, as food remains in high quantity. He said the ministry is committed to ensuring that availability is increased and sustained in both quality and quantity. “In this regard, some of our key institutions to enhance availability include promoting agriculture, crop diver-

Minibus driver granted $200,000 bail over after-lessons sexual activities ROUTE 40 minibus driver Quacy Sealey, also known as “Cayenne”, was on Friday charged for engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old school girl. Sealey appeared before City Magistrate Judy Latchman and denied that during February, 2017 at Sheriff Street, Georgetown he engaged in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16. Magistrate Latchman released Sealey on $200,000 bail and adjourned the matter until October 9. According to reports, during the month of February Sealey and the teen were involved in a sexual relationship during which he would pick her up from

Quacy Sealey called “Cayenne”

lessons in his minibus at Campbellville and go into a city hotel before taking her home. The teen’s parent only became aware of the activities after she became pregnant. The parents of the 15-year-old reported the matter to the police and Sealey was arrested.

Development Programme which will address measures to improve productivity and climate change challenges in the savannahs. There is also the Hinterland Environmentally Sustained Agriculture Development Programme which focuses on including agriculture and value-added products in specific communities in the interior region. To encourage the utilisation of food, the minister said government continues

to support capacity- building of agro-processing to meet international quality and standards of foods. He said his ministry collaborates with the relevant agencies with respect to the availability of the right quality, quantity and kinds of food for dietary needs and consumption. To foster sustainability, he said, several initiatives have been implemented and capacity-building has been

conducted in areas nationwide, along with nutrition security sensitisation. The minister said that recently, government has taken note of the challenges of the impact of climate change and changes in the trade environment. “The inclusion of all stakeholders is vital to the success of any food and nutrition programme, whether implemented nationally, regionally or internationally,” he added.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 7, 2017

Gayle committed to West Indies - Law

(ESPNCricinfo) - West Indies coach Stuart Law is open to showing “leniency” towards Chris Gayle as long as veteran opener can fulfil certain “guidelines”. Law said he had seen enough during the limited-overs leg of the England tour last month to convince him that Gayle had earned the right for the management to relax certain selection norms. Gayle played his first ODIs since the 2015 World Cup, having also made a T20 comeback earlier this year. Two instances in particular, during the T20 international at Chester-le-Street and the fourth ODI, at The Oval, assured Law of Gayle’s commitment. “There are certain players you give leniency to,” Law told ESPNcricinfo, during a wide-ranging interview. “Chris is one of our greatest-ever players. You have got to pay respect to that. Not saying it is an open draw, but there have got to be certain guidelines, which I am still trying to work out. What I saw in the T20 game in Durham and what I saw in the ODI at The Oval was a guy who was committed to the cause.” Gayle played the catalyst for the first time when he checked the emotions of his opening partner Evin Lewis in the T20I, which West Indies won. “In Durham he slowed the play down for a bit while Evin was batting at the other end,” Law said. “Evin was a bit twitchy facing Joe Root. Three dot balls. Chris realised Evin was going to try and hit the next ball for a six. Chris just stopped the play, walked down, had a quick chat and calmed Evin

down.” During the Oval ODI, which West Indies lost on DLS in a rain-affected match, Gayle was busy helping his captain Jason Holder setting fields in addition to motivating the bowlers. Law agreed that seniors like Gayle and fellow Jamaican Marlon Samuels were expected to perform, but the two most experienced players could also prove effective by mentoring team-mates during a match, which was the best form of coaching. Although Samuels has been struggling in the past few years, Law was certain he was committed to the job just like Gayle. “I have not spoken to them at any length about their involvement in the future, but as far as I am concerned, if they are not committed, why are they here? If they are just playing for the sake of playing, I don’t think that is Marlon or Chris. They are here to play because they want to be here. They have got to perform, yes. But imparting knowledge to the youngsters is invaluable. It is tough to build a team without that experience together out on the ground, talking through situations. We can send messages from the sideline, but those don’t have the same impact.” Law took over as West Indies coach in January and in the last eight months the team has won 11 out of 34 matches under his watch. Among the victories were two Test wins: against Pakistan at Bridgetown and then the thriller at Headingley against England. Law, along with the selectors and director of cricket, Jimmy Adams, has a lot of trust in the young Test unit, whose average age

is 23. However, Law’s priority is to make sure West Indies reach the 2019 World Cup. Having lost out on the direct entry route, West Indies will need to finish among the top two at the World Cup Qualifiers next March. With the amnesty put in place by Cricket West Indies recently opening up the potential for some of the best limited-overs players to return, Law is optimistic he will have the services of the likes of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Carlos Brathwaite. Law also agreed with the relaxed criteria put in place by Adams and CWI chief executive, Johnny Grave, in order for the players to qualify for selection for the ODIs. “I want the best players available,” Law said. “I am not a selector, but yes, I do sit in on the selection process. There are some qualification criteria that the players have to adhere to. Now the number of games (in domestic cricket) they have to play to qualify has been significantly reduced. That gives them the best of both worlds: they can go out and play certain (T20) tournaments they are already contracted to, but it also gives them time to come back and play the quota (of domestic cricket) they have to be eligible to play ODI cricket. “The Pro50 finishes about a week before the World Cup Qualifiers, so it would be good to have players play our domestic tournament. They would be playing 50-over cricket before the World Cup Qualifiers, which is essential.”

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Saturday October 07, 2017) 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) Jonny Bairstow-141* (Southampton) (2) Evin Lewis-176* (The Oval) Today’s Quiz: (1) What were the best bowling figures by an Englishman in the recent ODI series against the West Indies? (2) What were the best bowling figures by a West Indian? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 7, 2017

Karunaratne underscores Sri Lankan Innings SCOREBOARD

Dimuth Karunaratne lays into a reverse-sweep, Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Dubai, 1st day yesterday.

DIMUTH Karunaratne’s unbeaten 133 - an innings defined by its smoothness and control - ensured Sri Lanka’s first brush with day-night Test cricket was a success. They moved to 254 for 3 by stumps, after debutant Sadheera Samarawickreme contributed a delectable 38, and Dinesh Chandimal progressed to the verge of another cautious half-century. Earlier in the day, Kaushal Silva had hung around for 27 off 71 balls as well. Pakistan had got themselves in the match soon

after the tea break, when Samarawickreme and Kusal Mendis fell in quick succession. Though they had Sri Lanka 136 for 3 at one stage, no further wickets came in the second half of the day. Their frustrations were compounded in the last half an hour when Mohammad Amir pulled up in the middle of the 88th over and left the field clutching his thigh, prompting concerns over the state of his hamstring. Sarfraz Ahmed also burned their two reviews trying to dismiss the irritating Chandimal.

Though the quicks gleaned good movement with the new pink balls, it was Yasir Shah who was the most menacing bowler, getting faster and faster turn off the Dubai pitch through the day. He bowled 29.3 overs and returned figures of 2 for 90. Amir was the other bowler to make a breakthrough - his first in the series. While other batsmen advanced at varying rates around him, Karunaratne was Sri Lanka’s day one metronome. Samarawickreme produced a boundary-filled cameo; Chan-

dimal and Kaushal stonewalled, almost becoming completely inert at times. Karunaratne, however, progressed evenly, never getting pinned down, never pressing the attack for long. He struck three fours off one Mohammad Amir over just before the tea break, but that was as exciting as his day got. Otherwise, he was seen flicking balls to his favourite midwicket region, and working the spinners towards square leg. Over a hundred of his runs, and 11 of his 16 boundaries came on the legside.

SRI LANKA 1st innings Dimuth Karunaratne not out 133 Kaushal Silva c S. Ahmed b Shah 27 Sadheera Samarawickreme c & b Amir 38 Kusal Mendis c Shafiq b Shah 1 Dinesh Chandimal not out 49 Extras: (lb-1 nb-4 w-1) 6 Total: (for 3 wickets, 90 overs) 254 Fall of wickets: 1-63, 2-131, 3-136. Bowling: Mohammad Amir 16.3-5-59-1, Mohammad Abbas 18-5-48-0 (nb-1), Wahab Riaz 13-5-25-0 (nb-3) Yasir Shah 29.3-5-90-2, Asad Shafiq 8-1-16-0 (w-1) Haris Sohail 5-1-15-0. This seventh career hundred - his first in the first innings since 2015 - is an extension of his excellent run in 2017. Though he missed out on triple figures at Abu Dhabi, where he was run-out on 93, Karunaratne has nevertheless struck three high-quality centuries this year, all against good attacks. Following two years in which he constantly tested the selectors’ patience, this has been a long-awaited harvest. Gone from his game are the impetuous flashes that

frustrated him early in his career, and the tentativeness that plagued him twelve months ago. The Karunaratne that has emerged in 2017 is versatile and tempered - rarely short of scoring options for long, and often able to weather testing spells. Yesterday, he saw out some early swing from Amir, and defused Yasir expertly, though the spinner was already gaining substantial turn from this surface. Even late in the day, he would make calculated trips down the track, to the spinners.

Elgar, Markram help South Africa pressure Bangladesh (REUTERS) - Rookie opener Aiden Markram scored his maiden Test century for South Africa as they piled on the runs on the opening day of the second Test against Bangladesh and were 428 for three wickets at the close of play yesterday. Markram shared in a 243-run opening stand with Dean Elgar, who was the first to reach three figures as he marked his 10th Test century. Hashim Amla was closing in on a century as well as he was 89 not out at stumps, sharing in an unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 140 with captain Faf du Plessis, who was unbeaten

on 62. Elgar scored 113, becoming the first batsman to reach 1 000 Test runs this year, before being the first wicket to go down, caught in the deep off Subashis Roy in the 54th over of a difficult day for the visitors. Markram, who turned 23 on Wednesday, was bowled by Rubel Hoosain for 143 as he continued an impressive start to his Test career. Only Temba Bavuma missed out on the run feast, caught behind for only seven. South Africa’s run rate for the day was 4.76. Subashis took two wickets for 82 as Bangladesh used eight bowlers in an

effort to stem the tide. Elgar and Markram had put on a 197-run partnership at the start of the first Test in Potchefstroom last week before a mix-up

saw Markram run-out for a heart-breaking 97 on his debut. South Africa went on to win the Test by 333 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

SCOREBOARD

Aiden Markram makes his maiden Test century. (AFP)

SCORECARD SOUTH AFRICA 1st innings D. Elgar c Rahim b Roy 113 A. Markram b R. Hossain 143 H. Amla not out 89 T. Bavuma c Das b Roy 7 F. du Plessis not out 62 Extras: (b-4, lb-2, nb-1, w-7) 14 Total: (for 3 wickets, 90 overs) 428 Fall of wickets: 1-243, 2-276, 3-288. Bowling: Mushfiqur Rahim 18-3-78-0 (nb-1, w-5) Sub-

ashis Roy 20-2-85-2 (w-1), Rubel Hossain 18-1-91-1 (w-1), Soumya Sarkar 5-021-0, Taijul Islam 19-0-98-0, Mahmudullah 7-2-27-0, Mominul Haque 1-0-6-0, Sabbir Rahman 2-0-16-0. Umpire: Kumar Dharmasena Umpire: Bruce Oxenford TV umpire: Chris Gaffaney Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 7, 2017

Young and experienced hockey player Aliyah Gordon

Aliyah Gordon

Guyana’s Aliyah Gordon (left) in action back in 2013

Guyana bow out of South American Youth Games 3X3 basketball

AN embarrassing 21-2 defeat to Venezuela saw Guyana crash out of the South American Youth Games 3X3 basketball championship in Santiago, Chile yesterday. Guyana had suffered an antagonising 11-13 loss against Ecuador the previous day, and had hoped to win considerably against the Venezuelans, but, luck was

not on their side. Nigel Bowen, Isaiah Hintzen, Akeem Crandon and Shamar France were out-played by their South American rivals, and in some cases, overpowered. Hector Bolivar had a monstrous game for the Venezuelans, scoring 11 points, while Enderson Alcala was their next top scorer with four points. Omar Santana

and Emir Gordillo each had three points in the win. For Guyana, Bowen and France were the only players to register on the scoresheets. Guyana will now be spectators for the rest of the competition. The quarter-finals will be played today. The semi-finals and final will be contested tomorrow. (Rawle Toney)

AT 18 years old Aliyah Gordon will be the youngest player on the national women’s team to represent Guyana at the International Pan American Hockey Cups beginning next weekend here. However, notwithstanding her age, Gordon brings a wealth of experience to the team, as she has represented Guyana over the past four years. Being in the sport since the age of 12, Gordon has become one of the most versatile player for the Pizza Hut GCC Ladies. The former Queen’s College student first began representing Guyana at the age of 14 years, debuting on the 2013 National women’s team that took part in the Canadian Open Outdoor League. The League was a warm-up tournament for the team’s participation in the Pan American Outdoor Cup later that same year in

Argentina. In 2014 she was on the team for the Central America and the Caribbean Games in Mexico, as a result of her multiple impressive performances on the local scene. But coming from a hockey family, neither Gordon’s enthusiasm nor her talent really surprises. Despite only starting to play when she was 12 years old, Gordon’s passion for the sport was imbedded in her at a much younger age. “I was official on the team probably around 12, (but) I’ve been around hockey since I was like 5 years old,” Gordon recalls. Even then she just couldn’t wait to get on the field. “I wasn’t allowed to when I was 5 years old, I used to cry because my sister could practice and play in tournament but I couldn’t, but I really wanted to play.” Both of Gordon’s parents, Brennette and Keith,

played hockey, as did her sister, Brianna. Her mom had also taken up the sport when she was a teenager. So after watching from the sidelines as her entire family took part in tournaments, Gordon finally got her turn when she was 12, and it has been every bit of the dream come true that she had hoped it would be. She particularly enjoys being a part of the team, and the bond she forms with her fellow team mates. “For me, what I love most is the connection with the team. Whether it is training or playing matches, going out there with your team to try to accomplish a common goal is something I look forward to, especially when you enter a game not knowing what’s going to happen. Your team just have to trust one another and work something out,” she explained.

COURTS Pee Wee Football to continue today ACTION in the COURTS Pee Wee schools football tournament continues today at the Banks DIH Thirst Park playfield from 10:00hrs. In the first two games of the day, Tucville will face F.E. Pollard Primary while J.E. Burnham will take on Parfaite Harmonie on an adjacent pitch. Plaisance are up from

10:45hrs as they take on Goed Fortuin Primary while St. Pius Primary will lace up against Soesdyke Primary. At 11:30hrs, St Margaret’s Primary will go toe-totoe with Enterprise Primary while West Ruimveldt are expected to take on Supply Primary. St Angele’s Primary and Sophia Primary will do battle from 12:15hrs with North

Georgetown and Grove Primary competing on the other pitch. After lunch, South Ruimveldt and Victoria will meet while the other match at 13:00hrs will feature School of the Nations and Mocha Primary. St Ambrose and Den Amstel battle at 13:45hrs with Winfer Gardens and Marian Academy playing at the ad-

joining pitch. Smith Memorial and Colacco Academy are in the mix this weekend as well when they compete from 14:30hrs. Stella Maris and Timehri will play alongside that fixture. The final two games of the afternoon will pit St Stephen’s against Mae’s Academy at 15:15hrs while St Agnes play Redeemer.

Hamilton Green Cup KO football tourney

Triple-header on tonight at MSC ground THE Mackenzie Sports Club ground in Linden will come alive this evening as the round of 16 matches of the Hamilton Green Cup football tournament continues at the venue with a triple-header card. From 17:00hrs, home side Silver Shattas will face Georgetown Football Club which will be followed by another Linden side, Milerock, taking on Georgetown’s Western Tigers from 19:00hrs.

The feature game from 21:00hrs will bring together two Linden teams - Winners Connection and Eagles United. For their match against G e o rg e t o w n F o o t b a l l Club, Silver Shattas will be highly dependent on custodian Kellon Major, defender Romel Matthews, midfielders Michael Wilson and Dexter Garraway as well as strikers Damion Williams and Robin Adams. Milerock, for their

game against Western Tigers, will be looking to strikers Juel McKinnon and Kevin Beaton to do the job for them with support from midfielder Denzil Fordyce, Nellon Walcott and Lorenzo Miller. Colrick Beckles and Oswald Benjamin will assist custodian Jonathan Copeland in the defence. For the feature game, Shakell Frank will be between the uprights for Winners Connection with Derrol Dainty and Alan

Garnett lending support at the back. Strikers Marley Davidson and Rawle Gittens are expected to get valuable support from midfielder Keon Sears. Eagles United, for their part, will be looking to strikers Kellon Primo, Clive Nobrega and Omar Brewley as well as midfielder Quasey Quintin, defenders Benny Neblett, Julian Smith and Romain Adams to do the job for them.

Star-studded Trinidad line-up for charity match (CMC) - A star-studded Trinidad and Tobago squad has been named to face a Darren Sammy-led Regional Invitational XI, for next week’s hurricane relief celebrity charity match here. West Indies Twenty20 star Kieron Pollard will lead a side that includes the likes of off-spinner Sunil Narine, brothers Darren and Dwayne Bravo, along with former Test captain Denesh Ramdin and batsman Lendl Simmons. Evin Lewis, the hard-hitting West Indies T20 and one-day opener, is also in the line-up along with the exciting Nicholas Pooran and Windies one-day player Jason Mohammed. Baldath Mahabir, a member of the local organising committee for the match, said the T&T players had been anxious to participate in the venture. “The Red Force squad is one of the greatest Twenty20 team ever assembled. I am delighted that the team

is reuniting to play in the Charity T20 match to help raise funds for our Caribbean brothers and sisters affected by the hurricanes,” he said. “Every player was eager to be a part of this match and it shows how much they wanted to contribute to the relief effort and do their part to help those affected by the hurricanes.” The Invitational XI will feature T20 batting star Dwayne Smith, former Windies speedster Fidel Edwards and limited overs off-spinner Ashley Nurse. Olympic medallist, Jamaican Yohan Blake, will also be a part of the line-up. The match, scheduled for October 14 at Queen’s Park Oval, has been organised as a joint venture by Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT), the T&T Cricket Board and Queen’s Park Cricket Club, and hopes to raise TT$M (US$148 085) for Caribbean countries affected by the recent passage of hurricanes Irma

and Maria. SQUAD – Kieron Pollard (captain), Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Dwayne Bravo,

Nicholas Pooran, Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree, Ravi Rampaul, Kevon Cooper, Rayad Emrit, Jason Mohammed, Shannon Gabriel.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 7, 2017

13th Annual Hand-in-Hand Insurance 11-race cycle programme on today in National Park

CYCLE coach Hassan Mohamed will coordinate the 13th Annual Hand-in-Hand 11-race cycle programme in the National Park today, beginning at 09:00hrs. The feature event is the 35-lap race that is open to schoolboys and invitational cyclists and defending champion Hamza Eastman will be hoping to make it back- to-back victories. He won last year in a time of one hour 17 minutes 02.16 seconds, but he will have to be wary of in-form cyclists such as Andrew Hicks, Paul DeNobrega,, Orville Hinds, Shaquel Agard, Raul Leal, Alonzo Ambrose and Deoraj Garbarran just to name a few. The much-anticipated 10-lap race for juveniles is expected to be a scorcher as defending champion of the event, Dwayne Gibbs Jr, will be out to successfully defend his title which he won last year in a time of 24 minutes 24.16 seconds, and, like Eastman, he will be coming up against some stiff opposition. There will also be five-lap races for veterans under and over 45 years of age and here is where the more experienced and seasoned riders will do battle. The likes of Linden Blackman, Stephen Fernandes, Warren McKay, Kennard Lovell and others will vie for honours. Last year’s winner for the Under-45 category is Jaikarran Sukhai while the Over-45 winner was Walton Spencer. There will be the usual BMX races for boys and girls, six to 14 years old, as well as a five-lap race for mountain bikers.

American Racing Tips Belmont Race 1 Brattata Race 2 Copper Town Race 3 Disco Partner Race 4 Ambassador Jim Race 5 Krampus Race 6 Allured Race 7 Helooksthepart Race 8 Aveenu Malcainu Race 9 Frostmourne Race 10 Keen Ice Irish Racing Tips Limerick 08:25 hrs Daliyah 09:00 hrs Spanish Point 09:35 hrs Tony The Gent 10:10 hrs Zawraq 10:45 hrs Circling Moon 11:20 hrs Focus On Heaven 11:55 hrs Sea Of Hope 12:30 hrs Harry Speed

West Indies opener Evin Lewis is part of the star-studded line-up.

English Racing Tips Newmarket 08:30 hrs Knight To Behold 09:05 hrs Kassia 09:40 hrs Persuasive 10:15 hrs Just Brilliant 10:50 hrs Elysium Dream 11:25 hrs Shenanigans 12:00 hrs Blushing Rose 12:35 hrs Ebbesbourne

Redcar 08:40 hrs Rich Identity 09:10 hrs Tamkeen 09:45 hrs Rita’s Man 10:20 hrs Darkanna 10:55 hrs Jallota 11:30 hrs Father Bertie 12:05 hrs Road To Dubai 12:40 hrs Nuns Walk Ascot 08:50 hrs Waady 09:25 hrs Waldgeist 10:00 hrs Blue Point 10:35 hrs Mojito 11:10 hrs Eternally 11:45 hrs Lincoln South Africa Racing Tips Turffontein 08:45 hrs Cascapedia 09:20 hrs She’s A Giver 09:55 hrs New Predator 10:30 hrs Blue Sage 11:05 hrs Comme-CiComme-Ca Durbanville 08:55 hrs Red Ginger 09:30 hrs Magical Wonderland 10:05 hrs Always In Charge 10:40 hrs Gimme Six 11;15 hrs Al Mariachi 11 : 5 0 h r s C a p t a i n ’s Charm

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 7, 2017

Franchise League 3-day tournament

East Bank respond strongly to Upper Corentyne EAST Bank closed the opening day of their sixth round encounter against Upper Corentyne on 127-3, a promising position, after they dismissed the hosts for 262 on the opening day yesterday at the Port Mourant ground. At stumps, opener Sachin Singh was unbeaten on 40 while Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed was on 35. The visitors trail first innings by 135 runs, with seven wickets in hand. Earlier a gutsy 96-run eight-wicket partnership between Clinton Pestano and Eon Hooper rescued Upper Corentyne from a perilous

position as they battled to 262 all out. Pestano’s 82 and Hooper’s even 50 lifted the score to respectability after a calypso collapse had seen the hosts slump to 144-7 at lunch. On a wicket that offered the bowlers early help, the hosts progressed cautiously to 22-1. However, after Ali-Mohamed removed Kandasammy Surujnarine (11), they collapsed to 122-7 before Pestano and Hooper put them back on track. Surujnarine dismissal started the top order collapse, with David Latchaya

Clinton Pestano (left) with Eon Hooper

bowled by Keon Morris for six, before left-arm spinner Totaram Bishun claimed the wickets of Balchand Baldeo (38), Rajiv Ivan (14), Joshua Ramsammy (34), and Kevin Sinclair (0). Ershad Ali claimed the wicket of Andy Mohan for four, but Pestano and Hooper were able to bat the hosts out of trouble. The duo batted with great assurance, and at the time played some handsome shots, with Pestano hitting six fours and three sixes in 104 balls while Hooper reached the boundary on four occasions, and cleared

it once in his knock off 89 deliveries. Bishun was the most successful bowler for the visitors with 4-50 while Darshan Persaud had 2-46 and Ali finished with figures of 2-62. In reply, East Bank lost the wickets of Christopher Deonarine (12), Corwin Austin (18), and Mark Robe (6). Meanwhile, at Young Warriors, West Demerara at stumps were on 284-7, with Tevin Imlach unbeaten on 119. At Bush Lot Georgetown were bowled out for 155; West Berbice in reply were 226-8.

Experienced Guyana play Jamaica BVA Inter-School finale set for Monday today in ABCA Tri-nation T20

The Guyana unit will face Jamaica this evening.

AN experienced and balanced Guyana unit will come up against Jamaica in game two of the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) annual Independence Tri-nation T20 tournament from 18:00hrs this evening at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. The 15-man squad includes seven players who recently played in the Hero Caribbean Premier League. They are Guyana Amazon Warriors Veerasammy Permaul,

Gajanand Singh, Keemo Paul and Steven Jacobs; Jamaica Tallawahs’ Jonathan Foo, Trinbago Knight Riders’ Ronsford Beaton, and Barbados Tridents’ Christopher Barnwell. The remainder of the squad reads; captain Leon Johnson, Robin Bacchus, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Anthony Bramble, Sherefane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Ricardo Adams and Ramaal Lewis. Meanwhile, head coach Esaun Crandon is of the opinion that the squad is one of the most

well-balanced units comprising the maximum number of match-winners and he feels that Guyana’s chances are good. Crandon believes the team’s flexibility provided by the presence of batting and bowling all-rounders will be a major asset in the tournament. Hosts Antigua are the other competing team. Each team will play four matches with the top two teams advancing to the October 14 final at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

BVA president Mr Levi Nedd receives trophies for the BVA inter-school tournament from Assistant Director of Sport Brian Smith. By Colin Bynoe Jr THE Berbice Volleyball Association’s quest to identify new talents in the sport will intensify when the grand finale of its Inter-Secondary School tournament takes place on Monday. The day’s exciting matchups will be played at the Port Mourant Training Centre with action starting at 09:30hrs. The tournament com-

prised four zones namely New Amsterdam/Canje, Lower Corentyne, Central Corentyne, and Upper Corentyne. The two top teams from each zones qualified for the grand finals. The schools who qualified in the male category are Skeldon High, Tagore Memorial, Central Corentyne Secondary, Black Bush Secondary, Corentyne Comprehensive High, Port Mourant Second-

ary, Berbice High School and New Amsterdam Secondary. The teams who qualified in the female category are: Line Path Secondary, Skeldon High, Central Corentyne Secondary, Manchester Secondary, Corentyne Comprehensive, Berbice High School and New Ansterdam Secondary. Trophies were sponsored by the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the BVA.

COURTS Pee Wee action continues today at the Banks DIH Thirst Park ground.

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Gayle committed to West Indies - Law

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COURTS Pee Wee Football to continue today

Guyana bow out of South American Youth Games 3X3 basketball See page 29

Gayle and Evin Lewis added 77 together. (Getty Images)

Guyanaâ€™s Shamar France in action during the South American Youth Games 3X3 tournament

13th Annual Hand-in-Hand Insurance 11-race cycle See programme on todayPage in National Park 31 Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

See page 30 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2017