Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 03 06 2016 by Guyana Chronicle

No. 104571

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2016

Border shooting

Price: $80

(VAT INCLUSIVE)

Venezuela opens probe Page

… says soldiers claim GGMC boat was suspected of smuggling

Man kills wife at workplace Page

CANDACY PITT

Bandits tie up RDC guards, steal cash Page

Charged with robbing ex- British soldier 15 Page

The Guyana Public Service Cooperative Credit Union Limited (GPSCCUL) on Wednesday donated a sculpted piece to the National Art Gallery-Castellani House. The piece was unveiled in the presence of Members of the Board of the Art Gallery and the Board of Directors of GPSCCUL. The sculpture was done by Winslow Craig. The piece, sculpted from a mahogany tree trunk, displays a carved image of the map of Guyana embellished with the number ‘50’ on the face along with Jaguars at both sides. Supporting the map are the credit union ‘hands’ and a fleet of steps which represent Guyana’s journey to independence. Carved at the back of the figure are roots representing the origins of our nation. (GINA photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Two wanted men arrested

TWO men wanted for separate murders were apprehended Thursday after the police in ‘F’ Division (interior) made the arrests at separate locations. Leroy Ignacia, 21, of North Rupununi was want-

ed in connection with the murder of Terrence Robin on April 4, 2014, at Lethem. Ignacia and Robin had a quarrel over a woman in April 2014 and it escalated into a fight. Ignacia allegedly stabbed Robin to his chest

and he succumbed to the injury. Ignacia then fled to neighbouring Brazil and was caught while returning to Guyana. Meanwhile, Orin Paul, aka “Ants,” was wanted for the murder of Eric Angel on May 5, 2016, at Black Water, Cuyuni. The suspects were arrested at separate locations in ‘F’ and ‘D’ Divisions.

–– over separate murders at interior locations

The body of Angel was discovered after a botched robbery at Blackwater in the Upper Cuyuni. It was buried in the same district after a post-mortem was done. Angel was identified as a former Tactical Services Unit rank, a father of two, who previously resided at

Number 10 Village, West Coast Berbice. According to reports, two armed bandits at Blackwater, Upper Cuyuni, attempted to rob a Brazilian shop owner. The suspects attacked the shop owner and the man put up a fight. During the scuffle, one of the bandits accidentally stabbed his accomplice in the abdomen before escaping. The deceased bandit was previously employed as a security guard at a camp in the interior. However, he lost his job after an argument at the camp, but Dead: Eric Angel instead of returning home he partnered with others and executed the robbery in which he lost his life.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Border shooting

Venezuela opens probe … says soldiers claim GGMC boat was suspected of smuggling

VENEZUELAN soldiers are claiming that they had shot at a Guyana Geology and Mines Commission boat on Monday in the Cuyuni River owing to suspicion that the vessel was carrying smuggled fuel and other contraband. No one was injured during the incident which has prompted a protest by the Guyana Government which has since dispatched a Note Verbale to the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs “conveying the Government of Guyana’s grave concern over this incident and calling on the Venezuelan Government to desist from such provocative and dangerous actions on Guyana’s borders. The Guyana Chronicle was told by high officials that the Guyana Defence Force and the Venezuelan Military have launched separate investigations into the incident which took place on May 30th. The Guyana Chronicle was informed that a military team headed by a high-ranking Venezuelan officer has been dispatched to the area to investigate the incident which took place within Guyana’s territory. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) disclosed that Venezuela maintains an observation post at La Boca on Ankoko Island from where four shots were fired across the bow of the boat. At the time, the vessel was transporting four persons including three GGMC officials along the Cuyuni River. The

GGMC team was returning to Eteringbang after inspecting mining operations at Arau. After the shots were fired the boat stopped at the western bank of the Cuyuni River, at the Venezuelan outpost, and was allowed to proceed after the GGMC officials identified themselves. No one was threatened or injured during the incident, this newspaper was told. According to information, a GDF location commander at Eteringbang visited the Venezuelan outpost the following day and spoke to the Venezuelan ranks. There were seven ranks at the location, who explained that they fired two shots in the air to force the boat to stop as they suspected that it was transporting contraband fuel and goods. They, according to the information, expressed regrets over the incident. The incident had raised suspicion after a Venezuelan Military aircraft had landed weeks ago at a Guyana interior airstrip in the border area. A protest note was dispatched to Caracas and the incident was explained as a mistake. The subsequent incident on Monday took place amidst growing tensions inside Venezuela, which is experiencing acute food shortages and political instability. On Wednesday Guyana warned Venezuela about “provocative and dangerous actions” although President Granger does not see the issue leading to any confrontation. “We’re trying to find out exactly what occurred. I

wish to assure you that the situation is not deteriorating and it’s not going to be degenerating into any confrontation,” President Granger told reporters at his Georgetown office Wednesday. “There seems to be an error on the part of the Venezuelan National Armed Forces and we’re trying to get more information.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its part said in a letter to the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, that such actions can only lead to a destabilisation of relations. Though the attacks came at a time when the country is celebrating its 50th Independence anniversary, President Granger said “it is too soon to tell” if it was just a coincidence. On Independence Day (May 26) last year, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro promulgated a decree which not only reaffirmed the country’s claim over the Essequibo region, but also sought to annex Guyana’s maritime space, including the area where American firm ExxonMobil discovered a “significant” oil field. “It is too soon to tell. What occurred on the 26th of May 2015 was deliberate; the promulgation of that decree. And as you know, after the CARICOM Heads of Government[meeting], the decree was withdrawn under pressure from the Caribbean Community, and another decree was issued. “I do not see it as a continuation. I don’t think the two incidents are linked. Right now

it’s too soon to tell. I would like to await information from the Chief-of-Staff who is in touch with the Venezuelans,” President Granger said. He recalled that “there have been several incidents between the Venezuelan armed forces and the Guyana armed forces over the last 50 yrs. This is certainly not the worst and as I said, it’s too soon to tell, I’m trying to get information on the cause of the shooting and both the Ministry of the Presidency which is responsible for the Guyana Defence Force and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are working towards a resolution of this matter.” Maduro’s decree and his unfriendly stance represented a departure from the conciliatory stance of his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, who was friendly with the previous government and sold Guyana fuel on advantageous terms under the Petrocaribe initiative. Exxon, which is drilling in the so-called Stabroek Block, about 190 kilometres (120 miles) off Guyana’s coast, said its policy is to follow the host countries’ and international law, and that border disputes are a matter for governments. Guyana is seeking a lasting and juridical settlement to Venezuela’s claim that the 1899 arbitral award which settled the countries’ borders is null and void. The United Nations Secretary-General is tasked with determining the way forward.

Bandits tie up RDC guards, steal cash By Michel Outridge

NO arrests have been made as yet following a break and enter and larceny as well as robbery under arms at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) office at Triumph Public Road, East Coast Demerara, early Thursday morning. The police have reported that around 02:00hrs on June 2, 2016, four men armed with handguns stormed the RDC compound at Triumph. The robbers relieved one of the two security guards of cash and valuables, tied them up and proceeded to torch two safes in the building and carted off an undisclosed sum of cash. Regional Executive Officer (REO) Pauline Lucas told the Guyana Chronicle that she was the last person to leave the office after securing the building around 19:00hrs Wednesday night. She explained that she

received a telephone call around 06:05hrs Thursday morning from the police stating that the office had been broken into and robbed. She hurried to the scene and observed that the northern door to the upper flat of the building was prised open and the door to the Accounts Department was also forced open. In the Accounts Department Lucas said the two safes there were torched open and the money stored inside was missing.Cheques that were in the vault were scattered on the floor in the Accounts Department. Lucas told this newspaper that the auditors were with the staffers trying to ascertain how much money was missing.She estimated that the bandits would have spent more than two hours to torch open the safes. The money they had stored there belonged to Bladen Hall Secondary School.

The school had embarked on several fund-raising activities to garner money for enhancement purposes at the school and the RDC agreed to store the money for safekeeping following a request by teachers. Lucas said the school had uplifted a part of the money, but the rest was still stored in the safe until they needed it. She told the Guyana Chronicle that they don’t keep cash in the office, just cheques,as employees are paid through the bank or by cheque. Lucas, when questioned, said it was too early to say if it was an inside job and will allow the police to probe. Sleuths have since visited the scene and lifted fingerprints and talked with several employees. Lucas said the place is monitored by two guards attached to Home Safe Security Services at any given time and it is unfortunate that one of them was robbed.

Robbed: The RDC office at Triumph Public Road, East Coast Demerara.

Bandits take M&M snackette for a song

FIVE armed bandits on Wednesday descended on M&M Snackette at Peters Hall, East Bank Demerara, and carted off millions of dollars said to be equivalent to three business days of cash. According to reports, the bandits struck at around 02:00hrs Wednesday morning, tied up the security guard, and cut all the locks with nippers and crow bars. They gained access to the premises by cutting the fence at the back of the business. They eventually nipped all the locks and prized all the doors open with crow bars. None of the staff were injured. Last year, bandits created a hole in the wall and robbed the business.

One of the masked bandits caught on surveillance camera

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Transport, tourism hit hard --as floods worsen in France

THE world’s most visited museum, the Louvre in Paris, is to close today amid worsening flooding caused by days of torrential rain. The move will allow staff to move works at risk of damage to higher parts of the gallery, a statement said. The Seine, which runs through Paris past the Louvre, has risen five metres above normal levels. Heavy rains across Europe have left at least 10 people dead, most of them in Germany. More downpours are forecast right through the weekend across a band of central Europe, from France to Ukraine, with as much as 50mm (2in) of rain falling in some parts in just a few hours.

An evacuation in progress in Nemours, in southern Paris

d’Orsay, shut its doors yesterday. Rail operator, SNCF announced the closure of the RER C line, which runs alongside the Seine in central Paris, from 16:00 local time (14: 00 GMT). About 25,000 people are without power in Paris and central France. In Nemours, 3,000 people have been evacuated from the town centre. The town’s Loing River, a tributary of the Seine, now has levels not seen since the devastating floods of 1910. “The centre of town is totally under water. All the businesses have been destroyed,” said mayor Valerie Lacroute. Gwen Bonpaix, 18, who

TRANSPORT, TOURISM HIT Emergency barriers are being put up along the Seine, which burst its banks in places. Its levels are forecast to peak overnight. Announcing the closure, the Louvre said: “The aim is to move works situated in areas vulnerable to flooding to safety by moving them to higher floors.” Another much-visited attraction, the Musee

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lives in Montcourt Fromonville, 5km (3.1 miles) from Nemours, told the BBC part of the village was flooded. “The electricity doesn’t work, and we can’t use our toilet, because the sewers are also getting flooded,” she said. “My home hasn’t been flooded yet, but the water has already reached the garden, and it’s still raining. We’re going to leave before we get stuck here.” Six weeks’ worth of rain has fallen in three days in the Loiret department. It submerged roads, forcing drivers to abandon their cars. French President Francois Hollande is to declare a state of natural disaster in areas worst hit by flooding, which will free up emergency funds.

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GERMANY ‘IN MOURNING’ At least nine people have died in recent days in Germany, while several people are missing. “ We a r e m o u r n i n g those for whom help has come too late, and who lost their lives in the floods,” said Chancellor Angela Merkel. The worst incident was in Simbach am Inn in Bavaria, southern Germany, where a woman, 78; her daughter, 56; and granddaughter, 28, were all found drowned in the basement of their house. Another woman, aged 80, was found dead in the nearby village of Julbach, while a 75-year-old man was the latest to be found dead in Simbach. Earlier in the week, four people died in floods in southwestern Germany. Belgium has also seen heavy rainfall, and has reported flooding in many areas, including around Antwerp, Limburg and Liege. (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Farmers receive 50 leases as part of MMA/ADA jubilee observances By Clifford Stanley

OVER 40 farmers in the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ ADA) project area were on Monday given 50-year land leases to mark the 50th anniversary of independence. “People who received their leases Monday will be able to say that they got them during the jubilee celebrations,” Chairman of the Board of Directors, Ken Sealey said. The leases will expire during another major milestone for Guyana at the centenary celebrations of 2066. The beneficiaries were members of farming communities who had applied for lands varying in acreage between the Abary and Mahaica Rivers. Apart from individu-

als, including husbands and wives, at least one company, the Abary Cattle Ranch, was among the recipients at the handing-over ceremony at the headquarters of the MMA/ ADA Project at Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice, on Monday. The leases were distributed by Sealey and other members of the Board of Directors. Recipients were loud in their praise of the MMA/ ADA for expediting the processing of their applications and granting approval for the leases. One farmer, speaking on behalf of the others, said that the lease not only gave him a sense of security, but will serve as collateral in case he decides to approach a financial institution to acquire a loan to take his farming activities to higher levels of production.

Sealey said that the leases were expedited with the knowledge not only of the benefits to farmers in Region Five, (Mahaica/Berbice), but also the MMA/ ADA. “We know that people will now go fully ahead with their production and we also know that the MMA/ADA will benefit from getting additional income from rates and taxes, so that it can better fulfil its mandate of providing the services which are needed to take farming activity to a higher level,” General Manager Aubrey Charles disclosed. However, he noted that the MMA/ADA is constrained by a shortage of sworn land surveyors on staff, but this is being tackled urgently so that the Land Management Unit can pursue its mandate on an ongoing basis.

Some of the successful applicants who received their leases

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Op-Ed

Nigel Williams

Seasons change

Godfrey Wray

- Excerpt from the 1987 billboard hit song ‘Seasons Change’ by Exposé, from the album Exposure.

Editor-In-Chief Editor

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial

An incident-free jubilee THE recent spate of serious crimes leading up to Guyana’s 50th Golden Jubilee was of concern to the society. Citizens expressed fear and organisations called on the Government and the Guyana Police Force to get the crime situation under control. At the same time, the Force sought to inform the public that serious crimes were not increasing but decreasing. It provided statistics showing that in April 2016 serious crime decreased by 19 percent in comparison to April 2015. Though statistics provide evidence and offer a guide, scientific insights and analyses on subject matters, where fear, real or perceived, exist, statistics can be ignored. It is this complex situation in which the police and society found themselves. This to some extent informed conversations that serious crimes are on the increase and such will have negative impact on the jubilee celebration, persons will be attacked, and overseas-based Guyanese and visitors coming for the celebration were risking their lives. Concern about the crime situation was also seized on as an opportunity for political barbs. There is a perplexing feature of Guyanese culture, where it is not uncommon to find persons deriving gratification from unpleasant situations, which may be worthy of academic attention. Crime, regardless of political association, location, identity or socio-economic status hurts everyone, yet it is seized upon as opportunity to prognosticate doom for the country. When the Force, in its 3rd May press statement, responded to public angst and outlined a detailed strategy to ensure efficient security during the independence celebrations, this was a significant approach in policing. It is either a first in its public relations policy, or where the society has come to see the Force as having an adversarial relationship with the public, is inclined to think this display of respect marks a first. In the instant statement, it was made known a number of the planned initiatives for the celebrations, such as: additional manpower deployment, particularly in tourist hotspots, increased patrols along the East Bank Demerara corridor and other major arteries; increased collaboration with the Force’s auxiliaries and other partners; increased vigilance at all the Ports of Entry; increased immigration deployment at the ports for the faster

By Imran Khan AFTER months of blistering sunshine which led to drought in some parts of the country, Guyana has now entered the annual season of rainfall. Seasons change. They always do. It is an annual cycle with which we are familiar. Guyana is currently in the midst of another season. There is palpable and widespread public anxiety with regard to charges not having yet been instituted en masse following the many revelations in the various publicly released audit reports. A good deal of these audit reports have revealed to varying degrees gross mismanagement, corruption, fraud, unprofessionalism, malpractices and a complete disregard for rules and regulations. It is understandable that the long-suffering public is anxious for charges to be laid against those culpable. This government is, however, taking a methodical and thorough approach as outlined by His Excellency President Brigadier (Rtd) David Granger on The Public Interest television programme of May 19th, 2016. “Where the evidence is available, we will do prosecutions in the court. We want to make sure persons who have committed offences are taken before the courts, but we want to make sure the pros-

‘It feels like it’s forever No reason for emptiness’ ecutions are successful too,” His Excellency said, while being careful to note that the audit reports must not be tools for witch-hunting or to “dismiss people willy nilly.” Pursuing the charging of those who have committed offences to satisfy the public’s appetite without being adequately prepared legally to so do is an approach which, though unpopular, is not best advised. Is it not prudent and responsible to prepare well in an effort to prosecute successfully than to launch into instituting charges with haste for political expediency and just for the sake of prosecution, without reasonable assurance that such prosecutions would conclude in success? This is coupled with the fact that some of the audit reports, though having pointed to malpractices, have not in and of themselves provided sufficient evidence to allow for successful prosecution. There are indeed some reports which establish blatant acts of corruption. In some other cases the scope of examination needs to be broadened, and in yet other cases more work is required to assemble a greater volume of evidence to pursue this course of action. This process takes time. “Sometimes the evidence has not been sufficient to bring prosecutions in court and we have been

processing of passengers; escorts and close-protection will be provided for VIPs; efforts to maintain traffic enforcement to prevent congestion and deal with drunk driving and speeding; and Operation Dragnet activities that benefit from Joint Services collaboration will increase. Whether all or some of the above were fulfilled and to what extent, though the society needs to know, the Guyana Police Force ensured a relative incident-free jubilee and is deserving of commendation. Of course, when the Force messes up the society is quick to point this out and hold officers to account, rightly so, given that their job is to serve and protect. At the same time, when the Force lives up to its motto, it is deserving of public gratitude. On the matter of day-to-day management, the Force has advised that it is engaging in capacity-building, improving partnership relations (domestic and foreign), modernising crime fighting and solving techniques, and has increased personnel. Without being laboured by the details to improve its efficiency and effectiveness, going by recent efforts, results and the just concluded anniversary events, such are worthy of

concerned with that evidence and in some cases persons who are alerted to the findings of the reports have left the country, sometimes they are already citizens of other countries and we have not embarked on extradition procedures, because sometimes they are not warranted. I would say the main function of some of those reports is to prevent a recurrence or to prevent the continuation of any corrupt or improper practice,” President Granger added at the time he spoke to the issue, noting later in the programme that he is “not a reckless person.” The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana commissioned 45 audits into various state agencies. To date 26 of these audit reports have been released to the public. This, is therefore, still, the season of revelation. Another 19 reports are to be released. The season of charges will follow. No season continues forever. Life is not static. The season will change, as seasons always do. Note: Link to released audit reports: http://finance.gov.gy/ documents-publications/category/audit-reports Imran Khan is Director of Public Information and Press Secretary to Prime Minister The Honourable Moses Nagamootoo. imran.khan@opm.gov.gy

being maintained and where possible, improved and expanded. Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud has been vocal within recent days as to what he considered acts by the previous government that stymied the Force being able to perform at its optimum. It is believed that Vice-President and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, has taken note and is taking action to correct the anomalies. The recent experiences are bearing testimony that with institutional strengthening and support, the Force can deliver for the society and bring about the required security people need to go about their daily business. When persons feel secure in their environment they are less inclined to want to migrate, there will be improvement in police/community relations, businesses are more inclined to invest, and those who want to engage in criminal activities will be forced to rethink such actions. To the members of the Guyana Police Force, it is fair to say for the jubilee celebrations: ‘Yours was a job well done ...keep up the good work!’

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Huge potholes in Agriculture Road Dear Editor, AS a concerned resident and taxpayer living in Agriculture Road, I am concerned about some issues in this road that leads to the Guyana School of Agriculture and NAREI. Not very long ago, I saw a new road built in the NAREI compound in front of the gate. The length of that road is approximately 200 metres long. What bothers me most is those who came to build this road left three huge holes on the road just in front of the bridge. They also left another three bigger potholes in front the Guyana School of Agriculture bridge just a few blocks away from the NAREI gate. Those who building roads came to build

a road in Agriculture Road. On their way in the road of about two miles long they left over 30 potholes, some huge and some smaller; on their way out they just left all these holes and they are the road-builders. They just put a blind eye to this road because of their personal laziness and incompetence. I guess the administrators at NAREI didn’t remind them of these potholes because they probably felt that these guys building these substandard roads would have used their commonsense and sealed these potholes with some brick and bitumen, but they were shocked to know these potholes were left and get bigger daily since the rains. When

it rains these holes are filled and drivers drive and drop into these holes that can lead to accidents and serious vehicle damage, even injuring the driver’s back and passengers because these potholes are very deep. Just a about 10 days ago another set of road-builders came to build a new road through Market Street that leads to the Mon-Repos and BV NDC; they were no better, they did the same. They left all these potholes and just built the road through Market Street. This Agriculture Road is just a few years old and it’s breaking up gradually, because no one seems to care at the NDC or NAREI; they just drive on the road. Most of our roads are badly damaged because no one is

maintaining them. What I see in this country is we leave things to be destroyed when it could have been rescued and repaired before its complete destruction. Only when the Agriculture Minister is coming to the Guyana School of Agriculture or the President I will see those at NAREI or the NDC hustling to throw some sand in these potholes. Why hustle to build when someone in authority is coming? These educated folk can make representation to the Ministry of Public works to re-surface the bad spots in this road, but they just put a blind eye to it until it got worst. Another issue I see in this road is residents throwing their garbage in the trench.

Just in front of the Market Street not far from the GWI tank, residents living there dumped all their garbage just at the end of Market Street that leads to the NDC. I wonder if the chairman and those working at the NDC put a blind eye to this pubic menace from these residents and if they would not serve them a notice for ‘’littering’’ and take them to court. Schoolchildren walk this road daily and have to inhale the stench from this pile of garbage and the same residents who lives apposite this garbage heap has to inhale the stench, but they have become accustomed to their own filth, it doesn’t bother them much. Speeding is another issue in this road that needs some speed bumps, over five peo-

ple have already been killed on this road, including an eight-year- old boy that was struck dead by a speeding car just in front my house a year ago. Traffic police should be in this road and a speed limit sign should be erected to protect the lives of people from crazy drivers who speed as if they are at the racing track. I am calling on the Minister of Public works to get the Agriculture Road repaired and other relevant authorities to address this garbage dump by dealing with the residents living there who makes this environment a living hell for those walking and driving on the road. Yours truly, REV.GIDEON CECIL

The situation at Novar needs addressing Dear Editor, I AM the owner of two trucks doing transportation. I have to take the Novar school street to transport farmers to a rice mill at the end of the street. The road is in a terrible state; all over has potholes. Then there are some shops on both sides of the road, I can barely pass. There are hundreds of school- chil-

dren flocking these roadside shops. Sometimes I have to have someone ask them to remove and allow me to pass. The situation is very dangerous. One of these days something serious will happen to some of the children. From the public road to Novar School they occupy one-third of the distance. These people who sell there, only two people are

Not a good message to UK visitors Dear Editor, ‘GOODBYE Union Jack...Hello Golden Arrowhead’ was the headline for GTT independence full-page advertisement that appeared in the Kaieteur newspaper dated Thursday, May 26,2016. From an independent stand point and being a private tourism advocate, I will say that it was the most disgusting advertisement that I laid eyes on for Guyana’s 50th Golden Jubilee. How in God’s name can we attract potential visitors from the United Kingdom with such a message boldly advertised? Who in GTT authorised such an advertisement to appear in the press? To the British High Commission and all British nationals currently in Guyana, I do not endorse or support GTT with this advertisement for Guyana’s 50th Golden Jubilee (Independence.) Yours Faithfully T. PEMBERTON

from here, the rest come from Mahaica, De Hoop and as far as Mon Repos. They don’t pay taxes here. We the people who live here, it’s very unfair to us. Let them go and sell and litter where they belong. The part where they ply their trade the trenches cannot be cleaned. A hymac was doing some work and that part could not have been cleaned. The grass is thick

in the trench. The children are suffering, the mosquitoes breed there. My wife usually brings our grandchildren to the school and there is hardly any parking space in the morning. There are about 20 to 30 cars and buses bringing kids to the school. The village council is doing nothing to remove these people. On both sides of

the street are high heaps of mud and grass left after the hymac has finished working. It is messy and muddy. I know the government is trying to clean up the place. I am wondering if this area is exempted from this exercise. I was coming from Rosignol and noticed men removing erected stalls and shops from the roadside. It seems as if these people

are untouchable. Minister Ronald Bulkan should look into this mater as early as possible. These people can make movable things to sell; put on wheels and remove at the end the day and the people who don’t belong to this village should go back to their villages. Regards RESIDENT

Suspect in Guyanese girl killing identified POLICE identified a Brooklyn man Thursday as a suspect in the fatal shooting of a teenage girl in front of the 3-year-old boy she was baby-sitting. The suspect, Taariq Stephens, 24, allegedly used a .40-caliber submachine gun to fire three rounds at Shemel Mercurius, 16, on Tues-

Suspect Taariq Stephens

day while she was taking care of her young cousin in her sixth-floor apartment in East Flatbush. They found Mercurius semi-conscious in her apartment with multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said. Mercurius was taken to Kings County Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Mercurius’ aunt told NBC 4 New York that her 3-year-old son witnessed the shooting. “My son was in the apartment screaming, and the neighbors heard him crying and started banging the door, but Shemel wasn’t able to get up or move or do anything,” said Latoya Price. She also said Mercurius was able to describe the gunman to police before she died. Price’s 3-year-old son was unharmed. “They have to pay for it. Why would you want to take someone’s life?” Price said in tears. “She’s only 16. You took her whole life away from her. For what reason?” WNBC)

Shemel Mercurius

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Life’s many challenges And the chasm of cultivated labour

I HAD a meaningful conversation recently with a businessman friend of over two decades and the conversation revolved around the phenomenon of how difficult it is to attract staff that are honest; even though they would agree with the wages offered, once in, they morph negatively. As devil’s advocate I proposed whether the wages he was paying could inspire honesty? He was puzzled, and told me to elaborate, which I did, outlining housing, education, basic comforts, food, health-care and a reasonable stash for the variables, sudden sickness, visits for medical check-ups, to the dentist, and to the optician. My friend sucked his teeth, threw a few fish-market adjectives at me, and with human reasoning of self survival explained what the expectations of his family obligations were, against the fluctuating fortunes of his business. Recently I paid a visit to a hospital for a medical check-up, it was sponsored. The process was never completed for in a man’s world bills take precedence over himself, that inborn machismo and Kamikaze-like loyalty to the culture of duty in the majority of men, propel us towards self-neglect and the reality of too late. This is also true of women who find themselves in the

predicament of being all there is, to the family unit. In Guyana, the emphasis is on the empowerment of women, this is not a bad thing, but an entire perspective of data is relegated, shelved to the file room of indifference. The cause for collective gender empowerment reverberates with profound evidence. The crisis of the male in our cultural environment, hang the statistics of its dirty linen in the open for all to see, if we wish to see. For every one female that is destitute on the streets as a result of mental Illness, drug addiction, or homelessness, there are 10 males, and males at a younger age. For every one female incarcerated in both juvenile and adult criminal facilities, there are at least nine/10 males. In the public service, males are outnumbered by at least 60% females to 40/45% males. There must be no category of career choice that is restricted to any gender and Guyana has gone beyond that. To answer the employment statistic, public service jobs are not considered in a high-paying bracket, so men shy away. We then have to look at the emergence of sub-cultures and standing customs that generate such negative imbalances. The sub-culture that evolved during the Roger Khan-criminal/political culture has allowed

the formation of muscle-based criminalised militias, of two opposing factors. The recruitment targeted mainly males, the philosophy that prevailed was the short-cut to the social accoutrements of success without the work of skills training, illiteracy, or adherence to standard laws and principles, a local formation of the Oscar Dirlewanger Brigade of WW2, [a collection of psychopaths put together by the Nazis whose excesses angered even the SS leadership] in our case, murder became the access to all, with ‘Big Man’ Cartel-political support, that would provide immunity. I was actually threatened by one such late “trunker” thug over an incident when a young man ran to my home seeking sanctuary from this character, who was chasing him. It must be recognised at what period in our current history that the escalation of private persons wanting mother, husband, wife, etcetera murdered, began. 90% of the recruited were male. Then there is the other reality as mentioned in my article on March, 6, 2016 ‘The culture of managing the tribes of this era,’ where I elaborated on the disappearance of mass muscle based semi-skilled employment. In that article I also pointed to the secondment of elder sons [particularly in the matriarchal section of

our population] to fill the space of vacant fathers, who did not all leave through nefarious intent. Many such sons never recover, some can’t even analyse their predicament. Because the family they’re creating while being a surrogate father for siblings, end up suffering, and the social definition is the current poster definition of the delinquent father, a term not applicable to 60% of males. For the guilty others, upon a child’s registration to

play school, the Ministry of Education’s school welfare should establish biological parents and the support status of each child with a visit to that home, their findings should be handed over to other authorities to hear the father’s story, and act accordingly. That oversight is necessary, because if that work is done, then one will find the custom of practice to take sons out of school early to facilitate the schooling of daughters, who’re considered more

vulnerable, and are in many cases more vulnerable, and can be dangerous and inadequate if culturally damaged to the children she must raise. In closing, I wish to emphasise the need for a facility where cheap rent in comparison to today’s average can be established for men, many of whom have jobs but are homeless. I can’t help but see the old radio station building on High Street as fitting such a purpose.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Man kills wife at her workplace –– goes to police station and confesses By Rabindra Rooplall

THIRTEEN years of marriage ended in bloodshed Wednesday night after Candacy Pitt, called “Cindy,” was hacked to death by her husband Athlone Pitt while she was at work as a security guard at Bygeval Secondary School. The 31-year-old woman, who had no children, was on duty at the school located behind her Chelsea Park, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara residence. According to a police report, she worked as a security guard at the school and was attacked about 21:45hrs by her husband at her workplace where she was dealt multiple chops about her body. However,the police noted that he first attacked and chopped her cousin, security guard Brenda Thomas, 51, of Chelsea Park who had denied him entry into the compound to see his wife. Mrs. Pitt and her cousin Thomas were both on duty at the time of the attack. They were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where Mrs. Pitt was pronounced dead on arrival, while Brenda Thomas was admitted. The husband, Athlone Pitt surrendered to the police and confessed to the crime. He is currently in police custody assisting with the investigation.

The dead woman’s mother Evonne Andrews said her daughter began working almost two months ago at the school as a security guard. She explained that her daughter who lived in a

member the last time when he worked, he would normally be drinking all over the place and would threaten her whenever she is over here,” Mrs. Andrews, a mother of three, said.

The depressed mother Evonne Andrews

Candacy Pitt and her husband in happier times. neighbouring building would spend most of the time with the family. “Her husband was a lazy drunkard who hardly worked, he was a driver. I can’t re-

H o w e v e r, t h e c o u p l e never sought counselling, Mrs. Andrews said, but her daughter would attend church and hope for the best. The tearful mother said

she is seeking justice from the police and the courts, since such an act is barbaric, considering that the family was kind and decent towards him. “How do you describe a person who you fetch food from your parents’ house to give, they give you land to build a house, you treat him like a son, how do you describe a person like that when they turn around and kill your child. There are no words to express it,” a cousin of the deceased, Mrs. Pitt Shaundelle Singh said sadly. “He getting free everything, free water, free current, he getting from what ‘Cindy’ father and mother working for, the man is a waste.” The cousin further said that on each occasion that “Cindy” gets a cellphone her

husband smashed it up out of a jealous rage. She can’t even communicate with her family on Facebook. “He always threatening she with a gun, we don’t know if it’s real or toy, he always threatening her to kill her or her family.” Singh explained that the security guard Brenda Thomas who was chopped had spoken to Mr. Pitt about his unwarranted attack and behaviour when dealing with his wife. “I talk to him too, I told him off and I hear he say he would have killed me. He was a two-faced person, he pretending in front of his wife and behind her back he always talk foolishness.” She said that Mr. Pitt always was a jealous and insecure man because his wife was beautiful and simple. “The man is so stupid, if she wanted to leave she could have, because she had no children to remain in the relationship for any reason, and she could have packed and move because in 13 years they had no children,” she emphasised. The cousin added that she took Mrs. Pitt to the hospital to inquire about pregnancy options but it was never followed up because it appeared as if the husband was the problem. “I use to tell her she is getting old and it would be nice to have a child, he always drinking and damaging himself and doing everything to make the woman life hell.” She disclosed that Mr. Pitt six months ago did a surgery for hernia and his wife and relatives aided and assisted all they could during

the process. “How can he turn around and chop a woman who loved him so much,” Mrs. Singh questioned. “He had to plan what he would have done because he didn’t kill her when she was home, because he knew people would have dealt with him severely so he did it when she was at work.” She said after committing the act, Mr. Pitt had pulled a hoodie over his head and quickly jumped on a bicycle and made his way to the police station before residents and relatives caught him. “If he had walked, he wouldn’t have reach the police station alive…He does threaten to kill her mother and people in the family; that is why she does go home back with he, and try to be nice to him. But now, look what happened.” The dead woman’s sister, Isabelle Andrews, said every night for the past two weeks she saw Mr. Pitt walking with a cutlass in his hand going at the school compound threatening his wife and terrorising her outside the school compound. “He had said he would have killed my father and mother and the entire family. He treated her very bad and this is the result - he even assaulted her at a wedding one night because she dance with a relative,” she said. According to relatives, “Cindy” was always jovial and smiling and never showed anyone a bad face, although she was in an abusive relationship.

High seas pirates for court today … search still on for missing fishermen THE Chamber of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has advised that charges be laid against the five suspects accused of killing at least one fisherman on Saturday on the high seas. Late yesterday afternoon the advice was given to investigators in Berbice for them to institute charges against all five suspects. Between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, the pirates had reportedly robbed three fishing boats and threw the crew members of one of the boats overboard. As a result, one of the men, identified as 45-year-old Hemchand Sookdeo, also called “Dread” of Number 55 Village, was found dead, trapped in a seine, while Dochan Sukra, 54, also called “Butcher” of Number 55 Village, Dhanpaul Rampaul of Number 67 Village, and Munish Churman, 26, also called “Boyo” of Number 60 Village, are all

missing. The pirates first threw Sookdeo, who was injured and bleeding, into the water. Then the other three were bound and strapped to anchors. They, too, were thrown into the ocean. On Tuesday, investigators approached the DPP for advice, but were asked to review the file. Up to late Wednesday night, senior investigators in Berbice were putting the relevant information together, and yesterday the file was returned to the DPP. Based on reports received, the pirates were armed with cutlasses when they carried out the attack. The captain was rescued by another vessel after swimming for almost three hours. Meanwhile, six days after the men went missing at sea, there has been no trace of them. And while their relatives and friends are still searching for them, many have given up hope of ever finding their

loved ones alive. Divisional Commander, Assistant Commissioner Ian Amsterdam, says the Surinamese police have been assisting their local counterparts, and the law enforcement officers are seeking to bring justice to the five men in custody. “They basically helped us with the search on Wednesday, they searched a wide area but they were not successful. We are not sure now whether they are pointing to the same area. The day before they searched and they have not been able to retrieve those bodies. However, the Surinamese are still continuing the investigation working with us to see what is going to be the outcome as it relates to what has happened. Despite not being able to recover the three bodies, we still have one body that was recovered. Based on that, if we are going to institute charges it will be because we have recovered one body. Meanwhile, on Saturday morning, the police in Berbice were able to arrest five

persons, one of whom later confessed to the heinous crime and gave police a confession statement which implicates the captain and other crew members of the boat which is suspected to be the piracy boat. Amsterdam had indicated that the police were facing difficulty implementing charges against the five suspects in the recent piracy attack in which three boats were hijacked. However, today he said relatives and friends of those affected could breathe a sigh of relief, while mentioning that the Surinam authorities seem not to be interested in prosecuting the suspects. He explained that they are eagerly looking to see what advice comes from the DPP. We are looking at the new piracy act which gives local police the jurisdiction to implement charges against the five. In the past, several persons accused of piracy on the Corentyne River and also in Suriname waters have been freed by magistrates after being placed before the courts.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Derelict vessel slams into ‘Harbour Bridge’ THE management of the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) is assessing damage done to the structure after a derelict vessel slammed into the side of the bridge Thursday morning. General Manager of the

Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC), Rawlston Adams, told the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday morning that the vessel lost its anchor and drifted into the bridge. The incident occurred around 06:00hrs, closer

to the western side of the bridge at Schoonord, staff told this newspaper yesterday. The vessel, which was tied to the shore upriver from the bridge prior to the incident, carries the number TS52535. Adams said they were

The vessel was hauled away from the Demerara Harbour Bridge as the tide changed

still trying to determine the owner of the vessel yesterday. He said that two buoys were dislodged during the incident. The vessel was later hauled from under the bridge after it was lodged on the structure on impact. However, he added, the in-

cident had no impact on the flow of traffic on the bridge. The incident is being investigated by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD). In the past, there have been instances where vessels drifted into the bridge

with the most recent being in March, when the Ocean ATUN No. 66 drifted with the tide and slammed into the bridge. The vessel was moored closer to the mouth of the Demerara River at the time.

The vessel slammed into the southern side of the Demerara Harbour Bridge yesterday morning

‘Marble Slab’ opens second branch at ‘Footsteps’ ––creates jobs for more than 20 persons By Michel Outridge MARBLE Slab Creamery opened its second branch on the ground floor of Footsteps Mega Store at Camp and Regent Streets on Thursday, providing jobs for more than 20 persons. According to Marketing Director Navin Singh, they decided to open the store there to capture foot traffic at that central location. He noted that they have a branch at America Street and they have been operational for a year now. He told the media that the prices are very affordable and customers can get a cone for as low as $280 and a milkshake at $1,100. Singh stated that all ingredients are local and ice cream is made fresh everyday and topped with fresh fruits and customers can pick their flavours as well. He pointed out that Marble Slab Creamery is a customer-oriented store, where persons can mix and match any flavour of their choice and have it mixed in their presence. Marble Slab Creamery is a chain of independently owned and operated franchised stores that specialise in serving ice cream and a variety of other desserts. It is a franchise brand in the portfolio of Global Franchise Group LLC. Marble Slab Creamery has been serving fresh premium ice cream since 1983. With more than 75 flavours and mix-ins, the ice cream is always made daily in store. ICE CREAM CAKES The store opens daily from Monday to Sunday from 11am to 8:30pm. In coming weeks, ice cream cakes will be introduced to the market at Marble Slab Creamery. The combinations are limitless and the cakes will be served alongside milkshakes, waffle cones and bowls, with one-litre and two-litre options.

Marketing Director Navin Singh with staff at the official opening of Marble Slab Creamery at Footsteps Mega Store at Camp and Regent Streets

A sample of ice cream cake that will be introduced in the coming weeks

A sample of flavours to choose from at Marble Slab Creamery

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

CARICOM reiterates support for Guyana

SECRETARY-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, says the Community remains unwavering in its determination to preserve Guyana’s territorial integrity. The SG reiterated CARICOM’s support when he met with President David Granger at the Ministry of the Presidency. He was quoted in a release by the Ministry of the Presidency as saying, “The community has been resolute in always preserving the territorial integrity of Guyana. It is an issue that we are always on. At appropriate junctures, statements have always been issued. I have made statements; the Community has made statements. “The Chairman, at the appropriate occasion, and the matter of Guyana’s territorial integrity is sacrosanct. The Community will always be supporting Guyana in this issue. “There is no question about it. It is an issue which will, of course, be discussed in the next few weeks when the Heads are here, but in terms of Guyana, there can be no question in terms of the Community’s support to Guyana.” Three officers of the Guyana Geology and Mines

Commission (GGMC) were travelling on the Cuyuni River, along the border region, when they came under gunfire from Venezuelan soldiers. The officials were returning from a monitoring and inspection exercise at Arau when the chartered boat they were in came under attack approximately one mile from the Eteringbang Police Station. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a letter to the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, said that such actions can only lead to a destabilisation of relations. Meanwhile, according to the Office of the Presidency, the Venezuelan Ambassador has met with President Granger to discuss the status of the preparations, and the agenda for the upcoming Heads of Government Summit, which is being co-hosted by Guyana, since Dominica, which holds the current Chairmanship, could not assume that responsibility, as it is still recovering from the impact of Tropical Storm, Erika. “I was here to brief His Excellency the President on the preparations for the upcoming Heads of Government meeting,” Ambassador LaRocque said, adding:

Cops say miner had gun in his pocket A MINER was remanded to prison after he was allegedly found with an illegal revolver last Monday at his campsite. Roberto Higgins, of Citrus Grove, Port Kaituma, appeared yesterday in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. Higgins, 25, is accused of having a .38 revolver in his possession on May 31, at Hammer Top, North West District. It is further alleged that on the same day at the said location, he had five rounds of .38 special ammunition, along with a normal .38 round. The father of two, pleaded not guilty to the charges after they were read. Attorney Euclin Gomes petitioned for his client to be released on bail. According to Gomes, special circumstances arose surrounding his client’s arrest. He told the court that on the date in question police searched Higgins’s and found no illegal items. The lawyer explained that a while later lawmen searched the campsite and found the gun. His client was the only person around at the time. Gomes further informed the court that his client was not a flight risk and had an unblemished criminal record. However, Police Prosecutor Inspector, Neville Jeffers-Jones was opposed to the defendant being granted pre-trial liberty. He contended that no special reasons were put forward by the defence for bail to be considered by the court. Jones related that on the day in question, police acting on information, went to the defendant’s camp where they conducted a search on the man and found the gun in his pocket. Jones stated that Higgins orally confessed to ownership of the firearm and ammunition. This matter was transferred to the Matthew’s Ridge Magistrate’s Court for August 3.(Clestine Juan)

––after recent border incident

President David Granger in discussion with CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque and Chef de Cabinet, Office of the Secretary-General, Mrs. Charmaine Atkinson-Jordan “As you know, Guyana has graciously consented to host, along with the Secretariat, because of Dominica’s situation post Tropical Storm Erika…already we have begun to project some of the issues, which will be on the agenda when His Excellency assumes the chair of CARICOM in January.” Previously, President Granger had identified a number of the areas on which

he would like to focus when Guyana assumes Chairmanship of CARICOM in January 2017. Food security, environmental protection and the security and defence of small states, as well as the response to disasters, will be among CARICOM’S priority issues under his stewardship. The CARICOM Single Market Economy (CSME), an integrated development strategy aimed at promoting

growth in the member states, will also be addressed in the push for food security. Mr. LaRocque said that during his meeting with the President, discussions were expanded on those priority areas. “He already has some thoughts, which we will work on that are issues pertaining to the green economy, the economy in general and how we could look to how

the CSME can make more contributions towards job creation [and] the environment. Of course we spoke about geopolitical issues and challenges in our Region and hemisphere and those are some of the issues, which will be on the agenda,” Mr. LaRocque said. The Chairmanship of the Conference of Heads of Government is rotated every six months.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Canje schoolboy to be bedridden four months SCHOOLBOY Joshua Miguel Lionel, who claimed to have been pushed off a corridor of the Canje Secondary School, has to be confined to his bed for four months. He was discharged from the New Amsterdam Hospital last Friday. This means that he will lose valuable school time ahead of next year’s Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate [CSEC], which he is expected to sit. He will also not be able to attend the interview to allow him entry to the Guyana Sugar Corporation Training School, at Port Mourant, Corentyne. Speaking from his bed at his Cumberland Village, East Canje home, the teen, recalling events leading up to the May 10 incident, said a few days before he had

returned to school, after being suspended for wearing a tight shirt. “I went to school one day and I was sent home because the shirt was tight. My headmistress told me to go home. At that instance my mother could not purchase a shirt, so, she had me return to school the following day. However, on that day, I was told to return home and stay there until I have a better fitted shirt. I stayed home for five days before returning,” he said. The teen, who works after school hours at a nearby grocery shop, said on May 10 last, just at the end of the school’s lunch period , he was in his Form 4C classroom on the upper flat of one of the two-storeyed buildings , when his classmate ( name given) start to punch another student. Lionel said he proceeded to the corri-

dor when he was attacked and the student made good on a threat to push him off the corridor.

Joshua Lionel is pictured on his bed at his Canje home In the company of two teachers, he was taken by a Guyana Sugar Corporation ambulance to the New Amsterdam Hospital. He was examined by a doctor, who, subsequently transferred him to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he spent a week in the male surgical

ward , before an orthopaedic surgery was performed to his right arm and left hip in which a permanent metal was implanted . He was then resent to New Amsterdam Hospital where he remained until his recent discharge. His mother, Lorette Lindie, recalled being told by her son’s class teacher that he [ her son] was standing on the corridor, which was rotten, and he fell . The woman said she believed the story until she overheard the doctor asking her son if she was pushed from the stomach or back. According to Ms Lindie, she made a subsequent visit to the Canje Secondary school in an effort to make enquiries as to whether the child was suspended. However, students informed her that the child was never suspended, but that they, (the students) were collecting a donation on their peer’s behalf. A sum of $32000 was given to her by the Head Mistress Ms. Vanessa Jacobs. In addition, she told this newspaper that she is very disappointed with the staff of the school, “as no one ever visited to see how the child is doing. “I understand they may not have made it to visit him while he was in the Georgetown Hospital, but he was in New Amsterdam Hospital for almost two weeks and he has been home for a few days. No one has visited. It is so sad,” she lamented.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Bloated body of Linden bridge jumper recovered By Vanessa Braithwaite

THE bloated body of 24-year-old Tabhita Small, known as ‘Tambi’ of South Amelia’s Ward, Linden, who leaped to her death on Tuesday from the Mackenzie/Wismar bridge, has floated ashore. Passersby spotted the body floating in the river in

the vicinity of Wismar, less than a mile from where the woman had jumped overboard. Divisional Commander, Senior Superintendent Calvin Brutus told this newspaper that the body was found approximately 06:30 hrs Thursday and was taken to Georgetown for a post-mortem examination.

Gem Sanford-Johnson is third female Bar Association president

On Tuesday, the young woman jumped to her death shortly after being discharged from the Mackenzie Hospital, after spending one night. She was being treated for tuberculosis and was diagnosed with the infectious disease two years ago. The young woman was involved in a fight with a shop vendor minutes before

Guyana Bar Association President, Mrs. Gem Sanford-Johnson

she jumped. An eyewitness said she seemed unstable and was acting in a suspicious manner. The Guyana Chronicle understands that the young woman belonged to a very humble Rastafarian family, who depended on nature, mainly for survival. It was said that her father is skilled in herbal medicine.

One neighbour, who did not want her name mentioned, said that Tabhita was a very quiet and friendly girl whom she spoke to only Sunday. “She always smiling and she always call you by name and stuff, very quiet girl, but she is friendly…she would come and play with my niece whenever she visits the shop, it really breaks my heart to

know it was her, she was the friendly one among the bunch,” said the neighbour. This is the first case of suicide in Linden this year, even as other cases have been recorded across the country. In December 2013, Linden businessman Collis Mentis drove off the Mackenzie /Wismar Bridge to his death in a 4X4 Tundra.

NEWLY-elected President of the Guyana Bar Association, Gem Sanford-Johnson is the third woman to be elected to the position.

The former female presidents were Pearlene Roach and Avril Anande Trotman. Mrs. Sanford-Johnson also has the dis-

tinction of serving as Vice-President of the Bar Association for five years during the presidency of Joseph Harmon, Kashir Khan and Teni Housty.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Charged with robbing ex- British soldier - Lawyer claims mistaken identity THIRTY-FIVE-year-old José Barker of Howes Street, Charlestown was remanded to prison on Thursday by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for the offence of simple larceny. It is alleged that on May 30, at Croal Street, Barker robbed Edward John-Constant of his $180,000 gold chain. It is also alleged that the Charlestown man used personal violence during, before and after the offence was committed. The father of six denied the charge, while his lawyer, Adrian Thompson explained that he was wrongly charged. “This is simply a case of mistaken identity,” the lawyer told the court, pointing out that the media had already labeled his client a criminal, since police had named Barker as a suspect. JOSÉ BARKER According to Thompson, vendors in the Stabroek Market had provided the identity of the real culprit, who had committed the robbery. His name was given as ‘Quarters’ but the police still charged his client. However, Police Prosecutor Inspector Neville Jeffers strongly opposed bail based on the seriousness and prevalence of the offence. Jeffers disclosed that Barker was positivity identified by Constant during an ID parade at the Brickdam Police Station. Bail was denied and he was remanded to prison until June 16. The 70-year-old former British soldier was in Guyana at the time of independence in May 1966, and had vowed to return for the 50th anniversary celebrations. Constant was robbed of his cherished gold chain on Monday, while sightseeing around Stabroek Market. The thief carted off Constant’s chain, to which was attached a diamond-crested ring belonging to his late wife.(Clestine Juan)

Friday June 3th, 2016 - 14:30 hrs Saturday June 4th, 2016 - 14:30 hrs Sunday June 5th, 2016 - 05:00 hrs

Baramita mourns the loss of another life to suicide By Shirley Thomas THE community of Baramita, in Barima-Waini Region, has again been plunged into mourning, with the suicide by hanging of a young indigenous male. The body of the 19-year-old was found lying on the floor of an unoccupied house at Barama Line, a village in Baramita, around mid-morning yesterday. The lad did ‘odd jobs’, and when villagers made

the gruesome discovery he reportedly had a piece of rope tied around his neck. However villagers said they had no idea what led him to take his own life. They recalled that young men in the neighbourhood had been playing cricket until late Wednesday afternoon and the now dead young man had participated in the game. The house in which his body was found is said to be about 50 metres from the end of the Baramita

airstrip where the game was being played. The body was taken to the Port Kaituma Hospital, where a post-mortem examination will be done to determine the cause of death. In the meantime, police are continuing their investigations and have not ruled out foul play. The deceased became orphaned around age 10 after his father reportedly committed suicide in 2007, while his mother died of malaria about four years later.

He is survived by seven siblings. Following the deaths of his parents, his siblings were taken into the care of various family members in different parts of the country. Reports from a reliable source said that from 2006 to the present, 73 Carib persons from the Baramita community have committed suicide by hanging. The lad’s father is believed to have been among the first to have committed suicide in that manner.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

President Granger to attend ACS summit in Cuba PRESIDENT David Granger will be attending the Association of Caribbean States’ 7th Summit of the Heads of Government/States, which will be held in Havana, Cuba from June 2-4, 2016. The Head of State will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Carl Greenidge and Director General (acting) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Audrey Waddell. The President was expected to depart Guyana this morning and will return on Monday, June 6, 2016. According to the Association’s website, the Summit of the ACS is the most important meeting of the organisation – held periodically at the very highest level, facilitating the convergence of Heads of State and/or Government or their High Level Representatives President David Granger from the entire Membership of the organisation, being Member States, Associate Members, Founding Observer Organizations, Observer Countries, Social Actors, Observer Organisations, as well as Specially Invited Guests from other International and Regional organisations. The Association says that integral to its Summit’s proceedings, is the discussion of regional and global affairs, more specifically as they relate to regional cooperation on the focal areas of the Association, viz: Sustainable Tourism; Trade Development and External Economic Relations; Air and Maritime Transport and Disaster Risk Reduction.

Linden police find, destroy ‘ganja’ plants –– search also unearths gun, ‘ammo’ POLICE ranks in ‘E’ Division, acting on a tip-off, went to a West Watooka Hilltop, Linden residence and conducted a search. During the search, a .38 snub-nosed revolver and five rounds of 9mm ammunition were found, along with four grams of what is believed to be Cannabis Sativa. According to the police, the search was done at about 08:00hrs yesterday, a male occupant was arrested, and charges are to be laid shortly. Acting on another ‘tip-off’ soon after, the said team of officers went further up the West Watooka Hilltop and found a one-acre plot of land cultivated with Cannabis Sativa plants measuring 1-7 feet, along with 10x12 tarpaulin tent. Both plants and tent were destroyed. No one was arrested.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Motorcyclists without helmets endangering their lives ––Acting Traffic Chief

DO NOT ride on a motorcycle unless there is a proper safety helmet to protect the head in the event of an accident, acting Traffic Chief, Boodnarine Persaud advises all motorcyclists, as he noted the need for pillion riders, especially to heed this call. According to the acting Traffic Chief, for the year up to the beginning of June, 14 motorcyclists and 4 pillion riders were killed in accidents. For the same period there were 58 accidents resulting in 62 deaths compared to 36 accidents with 48 deaths for the same period last year. However, overall there has been a 29% increase in fatalities. ‘A’ Division is the leading division for fatal accidents, with 20 out of the 58 accidents, followed by ‘C’ Division with 13 and West Demerara with eight. Berbice has recorded a reduction in accidents. Persaud said that most of the persons on motorcycles, who were killed in accidents were not wearing helmets. “While there were some who were wearing, it was not properly strapped

so when the collision occurred, it flung off their heads and it could not have protected them.” This, he

The Motorcycles (Protective Helmets) Regulations, Section 3 (1) of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act Cap. 51:02 states that: “The driver of, and every person carried on, a motorcycle on a road shall wear a safety helmet capable of affording protection to the head of the wearer from injury in the event of an accident.” Many people can survive a broken limb, he said, but “we have to bear in mind the traffic on the road and that without the helmets; they (bikers) have no other form of protection.”

Acting Traffic Chief Boodnarine Persaud

CHILDREN AS PILLION RIDERS In the meantime, the Guyana Police Force has expressed concern about the practice of motorcyclists with children as pillion riders who do not wear safety helmets and have their feet dangling dangerously close to the spokes of the rear wheel of the motorcycle. While acknowledging the difficulty with transportation at times, the police

said, results in death or brain haemorrhage and other internal head injuries. The survivors are mainly those persons who were wearing a helmet. “Riding without helmets is dangerous; they (motorcyclists) are always the vulnerable group because they are injured in the slightest collision,” he explained.

are also expressing concern over the towing of too many persons on a motorcycle. Under such circumstances control of the vehicle will be difficult and this can result in accidents and even death. And while calling on road users to have a responsible attitude and to use all the necessary precautions to avoid accidents, the acting Traffic Chief noted that now the weather has changed and persons are driving on wet roads, they must reduce their speed because the stopping distances lengthen in wet conditions. Meanwhile, this newspaper recalls that motorcyclist Shemroy Anthony, 20 years, lost his life in April after he slammed into a horse that was also killed while he was heading out of Mocha/Arcadia, East Bank Demerara. In the same month another two persons were killed and three others were injured in a three-vehicle smash-up. The mangled bodies of 23-yearold Rudolph Bess of 620 Kaneville, EBD, who was riding motorcycle CH 378 and his pillion rider 16-year-old Hansranie

Persaud of Grove Housing Scheme, EBD, suggest that they died instantly at the crash site. Persaud’s right leg was found about 13 feet away from her body, while Bess’s skull was crushed.

In April also, 18-yearold pillion rider Major Cunjah died in a motorcycle accident on the Aurora Public Road, Essequibo Coast after the motorcycle crashed.

The wrecked motorcycle after the crash that claimed the lives of Rudolph Bess and Hansranie Persaud April last

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Trucks overturn on slushy, jagged Port Kaituma roads ––residents call for urgent remedy By Alva Solomon

SEVERAL trucks have overturned within the past three days on the slushy, jagged roads at Port Kaituma, and residents of the Region One community are calling on the authorities

FARE HIKE Reports are that the fare to travel around the community is high, while taxi drivers have been crying out at the costly maintenance of their vehicles. The fare to travel within the community ranges from $1,000 to as

much as $5,000. One resident said yesterday the fare of $1,000 applies to anyone regardless of whether the person is an adult or a child. ”It really unfair meh bai, really unfair,” another said when questioned on the state of the road.

He said that the slushy roadway is difficult to traverse, especially for schoolchildren and public servants. For years the roads in the area have been a major cause of concern for residents. Several accidents have been attributed to the poor condi-

tion of these roads.

PROTEST In August 2012, residents blocked the main roads in the community as they protested their poor condition. Two years later residents repeated their action out

The state of the roads in the community in recent weeks to urgently remedy the situation. The road networks within the area and connecting communities have been in a deplorable state for years and yesterday persons in the mining community noted that the rains, coupled with lack of maintenance, have caused the roads to deteriorate over the years . Responsibility for maintenance and improvement of the roadway lies with the regional administration and central government. A resident told this newspaper yesterday that two trucks which are operated by the Welcome family, and driven by a father and a son, were badly damaged after they overturned earlier this week. He said that in one instance, one of the men was driving along the ‘Teacher’s Quarters’ area when the vehicle careened onto its side along a slushy slope. Later, another relative was driving another of the family’s trucks at 18-Miles, Port Kaituma, when he lost control of the vehicle along a crater-filled, sloping section of the road. And another truck overturned on Wednesday near the Port Kaituma Waterfront area and several persons who were in its tray were lucky to escape injury after they jumped from the vehicle as it turned turtle.

The roads on the outskirts of Port Kaituma, including those which connect the area to the mining communities, have been in a deplorable state for years

of frustration as they demanded that the then PPP administration attend to their plight. Residents noted yesterday that if their calls are not heeded soon, they will resort to taking similar action by blocking the roadways.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Small women miners say ...

Tax relief, other benefits not trickling down A GROUP of concerned women miners are calling on government to consider small gold and diamond miners and revise proposals and tax benefits which pass through the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA). At a press conference Tuesday morning, the women pointed out that small-scale miners are excluded from several mining benefits included in arrangements that are processed through collaboration with the GGDMA. “These benefits have never filtered down to the

small miners. We need a level playing field so as to promote a better way of life for all,” a founding member of the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO, Judith David-Blair told the media. RAY OF HOPE The women do not endorse the condemnation of Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources Simona Broomes by the GGDMA, and said President David Granger’s positioning of Broomes within the Natural Resources

Ministry offers a ray of hope to small miners in the industry, who have been exploited by the very members of the GGDMA. They said while she was a miner, Broomes worked not only as a “boss” but also as a “jet woman, marack woman and even as a bahere (cook)”, and understands the ropes and suffering of small mining. “Minister Broomes was sent to this ministry because of her knowledge and experience in the mining industry,” they pointed out. She explained that con-

––Minister Broomes ‘offers ray of hope’

cerned women miners have now refused to stay quiet on the issue of ‘conflict of interest’ which was recently stirred by the GGDMA since the minister has no part in making recommendations for ownership of lands and permission to work, and is not directly attached to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). The women claimed however that the same organisation, which claims that the minister’s positioning is a conflict of interest,

has members who sit on the boards responsible for all decision-making in the industry, a situation which could possibly be considered instead as conflict of interest. T h e w o m e n ’s g r o u p which also includes GWMO Co-founder Carol Fredericks, also praised Minister Broomes as a respectable woman who deserves an opportunity to perform her designated duties. “It is time Minister Broomes be given a chance to perform her duty and allow the small man to be a real man. Minister Broomes came from a very respectable family. She is a fighter and true representative of the ordinary man. Minister Broomes is the founder of the GWMO along with Mrs. Carol Fredericks and Judith David Blair (presenter). This woman is a motivator!” They said her determination to set women and children free from being abused, enslaved, exploited and murdered which piloted her to be awarded by the USA even as the last government was in denial that TIP was prevalent in Guyana, should be considered. “Minister Broomes was a miner then; in fact, she was a miner for the past 28 years and was a successful miner, too. Who else in this country paid the price to enable young girls and women in the mining industry see life in a positive way than Minister Broomes?” APOLOGY REQUESTED They have called for an apology from the GGD-

MA for its disrespectful condemnation of Minister Broomes. “Sherwin Downer needs to stop being led into speaking non-factual things about Minister Broomes and immediately for defiling her character… he knows absolutely nothing about Minister Broomes in relation to her fighting in the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) scenario for women in and out of mining and our young girls who are sexually abused and enslaved in the mining areas.” The group strongly criticised members of the GGDMA as those who exploit small-scale miners for their own selfish gains. The GGDMA, David-Blair said, “is supposed to be a representative of the industry and not an organisation for a few people.” She explained that, “small miners never benefited from the doings of the GGDMA,” but instead its members “are the people who own all the lands and we call them the landlords who use small miners to prospect for them, then kick them off the land when the prospection is good. These are the people who put high tariffs as rental and make contracts to benefit themselves. These are the ones who receive tax exemptions for not only mining equipment but also luxury vehicles.” “Is it that some people are really concerned about conflict of interest or is it the cut in corruption and their involvement at GGMC that is of their concern?” the women asked.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 3, 2016

Amplify your playlist --with these local songs

Jackie Jaxx’s “Guyana” is a soulful ballad that speaks of love and devotion to her country GUYANA’S 50th Indepen- ventures. dence Anniversary evoked a countrywide overflow of JACKIE JAXX’S ‘GUYnationalism and euphoria, ANA’: Also on the list of bringing with it reactions favourites is this soulful love from Guyanese that have song by Jackie Jaxx. The not been seen in quite some Reggae/Dancehall singer put time. down her raunchy antics, and Among all the jubilation, belted out this ballad that it was the local music industry speaks of the love and devowhich, perhaps, experienced tion she has for her country. the biggest boost, as a large This song has also enjoyed number of local artistes paid immense popularity, both tribute to their beloved coun- on air, and on Social Media, try through song. with over 20,000 YouTube Ironically, whereas just views. Of course, Jackie is no weeks prior, local artistes had stranger to the music scene, complained that there was a and most recently has been lack of airplay of local music, celebrated for having her the airwaves have, in the last song, ‘Money’, featured on month, been inundated with VH1’s ‘Love and Hip Hop the Guyanese sound, with Atlanta’. many of the pieces achieving the quality that local DJs have JUKE ROSS ‘Not ah been calling for. blade ah Grass: This newSo, if you’re still expe- comer’s cover of Dave Marriencing the ‘Jubilee’ fever, tins’ classic, which includes a here are a few songs you may ‘world version’ produced by want to think about adding to Jamaican artist, Serani, has your playlist. met the Guyanese public with great approval. POONAM SINGH’S Juke Ross has been posi‘GUYANA’: This happy-go- tively identified for his charmlucky tribute to beautiful Guy- ing, husky vocals reminiscent ana is perhaps the most pop- of artists like Phil Collins, and ular among the locals, with has been turning heads on soexcessive radio play, over cial media among the young40,000 YouTube views, and sters. His recently-dropped hundreds of ‘shares’ on Face- single, ‘Home’. which pays book. It’s a catchy tune, with tribute to Guyana, also showsimple lyrics and a rhythm cases the passion that this you can’t help but dance to. unassuming but extremely Poonam is also the reign- talented singer has for his ing queen of the Miss Global country. International Pageant, and has over the months become GOLDEN CHILDREN quite popular on Social Me- PROJECT: This is an entire dia. So, in addition to her album of songs which was enthralling vocals, this tune launched for the Golden Jubigained popularity at a time lee, and includes songs by arwhen the young songstress is tistes such as Dublin, Remar, herself making waves in other Tamika Marshall and others.

The album also has a collaborative tune, ‘Golden Children’, where several of the artistes pay tribute to Guyana. The Golden Children Project was produced several original tributes, inby Jonathan Beepat of Wildfire cluding ‘City by the Tides’ Entertainment. and ‘Mashramani’. His entire album is a celeUNITY PROJECT: Like bration of Guyana, so ensure the Golden Children Project, you cop it soon! the Unity Project is a collaborative effort among several REMAR’S ‘WHERE artistes, including Lisa Punch, I’M FROM’: Adding to the Kwasi Ace, Calvin Burnett, mix of things is this rap tribGavin Mendonca, Lerone Sou- ute from Remar in which the venir, Josephine Mitchell, Ana- rapper gives continued praise sha Dutchin, Tiffany Bonner, to his country and the love he Ryan Samaroo, Christian and has for it. The introduction of Jeremy Sobers, Taylor Jones, the song features snippets of Nuriyyih Gerard, and Char- memorable speeches of Linmaine Blackman. den Forbes Sampson BurnIndeed, it’s a long lineup, ham and Dr. Cheddi Jagan. but the end product, ‘Together This song can be found on we can have it all’, is worth the Golden Children Album, giving a listen. of which Remar is also a GAVIN MENDONCA’S ‘CREOLE ROCK: THE BEGINNING’: Gavin didn’t just launch a song, but an entire album dedicated to ‘Guyaneseness’. Creole Rock is a mashup of Rock with the Guyanese culture, as Gavin infuses his accent into his original songs and covers on the album. The album includes his own version of ‘Not ah Blade ah Grass’, as well as covers of several other national songs, like ‘Small Days’, ‘Bamboo Fiyah’ and ‘Let us Cooperate’. Gavin has also included

critical contributor, having also penned the lyrics for the titular track on the Album. DUBLIN’S ‘GT WOMAN’: This funky love song can also be found on the Golden Children Album, and not only speaks to the beauty of Guyanese women, but is a metaphorical tribute to the love-hate relationship between the artiste and Guyana. On his Soundcloud account, Dublin says, “Guyana may not always be kind, but nothing will ever change how much I love it. After all, she

Poonam Singh’s “G.U.Y.A.N.A” is upbeat and catchy is my true GT Woman.” The begins on June 17. The Tour 27-year-old singer was born will take the artistes to Delin England, but spent most his aware, Washington D.C., life in Guyana. As such, it is Virginia, New York and other unsurprising that he considers locations. Guyana his home. Of course, this list is not exclusive. There are several other artistes who have TO N I EK A TH O M P- dropped memorable tracks, SON’S ‘50th JUBILEE’. and which are enjoying treOut of Ruff Kut Productions mendous amounts of airplay. comes Tonieka Thompson’s And while there still reSoca-ish tribute which speaks main the questions of whethof exactly that, and calls Guy- er or not this overflow of naanese from wherever they are tionalism will last, or whethto come home and celebrate er the radio stations will Guyana’s 50th Independence. continue to be so generous Tonieka herself is based with giving the Guyanese in Barbados, but has done artistes the valuable airtime exactly what her song aims to from which they have felt inspire: She has come home. deprived, it is still refreshing The songstress will also to know that at this very mojoin several other artistes ment, Guyanese music has on the Jubilee Tour, which again begun to thrive.

Duo Collection...

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Fashion designing with a twist

WITH Duo Collection, Guyanese get the best of both worlds: Unique designs birthed from two designers from two different generations and two different countries but with the same passion for fashion. Established by 25-year-old Natalya Thomas and 39-year-old Nadia Thomas-Winter, Duo Collection seeks to bring a different type of designing to Guyana, by infusing their creativity into the very prints from which they later sew their designs. “I believe Guyanese designers are very creative and talented; many of them latch on to the regular rules of fashion, so the industry hasn’t evolved much in that regard,” Natalya told The Buzz. “So, we went from textile and hand painting, to creating our own prints, which people have so far responded well to.” By that she means Duo Collection’s most recent line, ‘United and Free’, which was launched for the Jubilee Fashion Show at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre as part of the Jubilee Festival. The line consists of designs made from prints decorated with Monuments of Guyana, as well as significant buildings, Guyana’s Flora and Fauna and other local effects. “We wanted to pay trib-

ute to Guyana, but to move away from just using the colours of the flag, because most persons tended to lean towards that,” Natalya said.

FROM SCRATCH The two women started their designing from scratch by choosing the exact layout of the prints, having an external company print them on to the chosen fabric, then proceeding to create their awe-inspiring pieces which include dresses, skirts and bathing suits. Soon, the team will also launch a collection of shoes under the same line. “I think that by designing our clothes from the very fabrics we used, in a way that isn’t tie-dye or hand paint, has opened new opportunities. Designers may look at it as a challenge, but we are happy to be the first so that others can follow,” Natalya said. “We are trying to push fashion in a different direction, especially when it comes to manufacturing and producing original stuff. Bigger brands are internationally recognised because they stand out; so we want to take Duo Collection in a direction where we can put Guyana on the map.” Interestingly enough, the two women have thus far done most of the work, despite being located in two

separate countries. Nadia, who is also Natalya’s aunt and has been a designer for over 10 years, lives in the British Virgin Islands. Thanks to the provisions of the Internet though, they are able to communicate, and bring their vision to life, even while being thousands of miles apart. “We communicate every day for at least an hour via Whatsapp, Skype or any medium available to us, so we can put things together, and make our preparations,” Natalya said. Like many other young designers, Natalya’s stint in the fashion industry is not as long as the more prominent names, but with partnership and support from Nadia, and with her own savvy and determination, she has accomplished much. The young fashionista won Model Search in 2012, but was not selected for the Designer Portfolio, though she competed in that category as well. “I was very disappointed, because I put a lot of work into my designs, but I admit that I wasn’t as ready as I should have been,” Natalya said.

machine to teach herself how to sew that pushed her to making clothing for her mother, relatives and ‘family-friends’ who quickly realised she had talent. After posting her work on Facebook, Nadia, too, noticed her niece’s talent, and quickly partnered with her to form Duo Collections. In 2014, the pair staged their first fashion show at the Princess Hotel at Providence, and it received rave reviews. Though it has only been two years, ‘United and Free’ is the fourth line that Duo Collections has since launched. Soon, the pair hopes to sell their clothing, which they believe are as good as readymade ones, to stores in Guyana and the British Virgin Islands. “For ‘United and Free’, we were trying to actually create different beautiful aspects of Guyana, and make it into something wearable, not just for our Golden Jubilee, but so that they can be worn comfortably on a daily basis and feel beautiful,” Natalya said.

Nadia Thomas-Winter (left) and Natalya Thomas

ALWAYS SKETCHING Growing up, Natalya was always sketching. And when she got older, it was her decision to purchase a sewing

One of the swimsuits Two pieces from the ‘United and Free’ line

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 3, 2016

Urgent call

By Neil Primus HAVE you ever found yourself in a situation where, at the worst possible moment, you had a call of nature? Worse yet, have you ever been halfway through that ‘call’ when something goes horribly wrong; something dangerous, scary, and sudden overtakes you? How would you react? Here is the story of a man who faced both situations and lived to tell the tale. Winston was in a very happy mood. His mood had been heavily motivated by the liquor being distributed at the wedding reception. Out there in the country, weddings were an occasion for everyone to have a grand time. Winston had no intention of missing out. He’d started drinking shortly after his arrival, and had not slowed down ever since. Even though he did not know the couple personally, he operated as though he was a special guest. He ate and drank far beyond his heart’s content. Winston ate

‘seven-curry’ twice. He then demanded ‘cook-up’, ‘chowmein’ and ‘fried-rice’. Professional wedding crasher that he was, he was so bold that he decided to give a speech. But just as he rose to address the delighted gathering, the 14 curries, ‘chow-mein’, ‘fried-rice’ and ‘cook-up’ began to act up. I mean, REALLY ACT UP! IN REAL TROUBLE Winston abandoned all thought of a grand speech and made an undignified rush to the toilet. That was when he began to realise that he was in trouble. There were two toilets, one for females and the other for males. Each toilet had a waiting line of between ten to 15 people. Feeling himself slowly losing control of his bowels, he made a mad dash for the nearest bush. The countryside where the ceremony was being kept was remote, with little in the form of lights. Houses were

scattered far from each other, with families owning acres of land. It was a moonless night, and the bushes were very, very dark. It was in this environment that Winston got down to business. Things were looking good for him. The breeze

was a stiff one, moving the odour swiftly away from him, much to his satisfaction. There were no strange sounds or noises to interfere with his plans. That was when he saw a woman approaching. The first and most startling thing

about this beautiful maiden was that she was wearing a white wedding dress, which seemed to shimmer in the contrasting gloom. He stoops lower, hoping that she would move on. But the woman changed course, and headed directly for his

Jubilee Festival continues

Four in a row

--with ‘Till ah find a place: After the 50th’

THE Jubilee Film Festival continues this weekend, beginning with the well-known and well-loved play, “Till ah find a place: After the 50th” by Ronald Hollingsworth, which will be hosted at the Theatre Guild from 19:00hrs. Playing the lead roles would be Mark Kazim and Leslyn BobbSemple, with Michael Ignatius as the crazy boyfriend. Supporting roles will be played by Sean Thompson, Mark Luke-Edwards, Le Tisha Da Silva and Makini Harry. The play has entertained thousands over the years, ever since it was first staged in 1991 at the National Cultural Centre. The lead roles were played by Henry Rodney, Nicola Smith and Desiree Edghill. The original cast of 1991 toured Linden, Bartica, Anna Regina and New Amsterdam. The word got out that “Till Ah Find A Place” was the play to see, and Guyanese everywhere wanted it staged in their hometown.

Ronald Hollingsworth, writer of “ well known play Till ah find a place” In 1994, the play was staged again in Guyana, staged at the Billy Holiday with a new group of talented Theatre in Brooklyn, New actors. On this occasion, it York, with a cast of Carib- was rebranded “Till Ah Find bean thespians and Holling- A Place: In Sophia”. This sworth as the guest director/ time, the leads were played playwright. by Howard Lorimer, La The play was a hit, and Vonne George and Michelle was staged again in New Elphage, with support from York Off-Broadway at the the late Rudy Pateetdeo, Producers Club. who played Eddie, the crazy In 1998, the play was boyfriend, a crowd favorite.

In 2001, the play made its way to Texas, Hollingsworth’s new home, where it was staged in Dallas. The actors were all US citizens, except the lead role of Linden, which was played by Hollingworth himself. The play was then staged again in 2006 with yet another subtitle, “Till Ah Find a Place: After the Flood”. Again, Henry Rodney was cast as the lead male, alongside Sonia Yarde, the lead female on this occasion. However, it was Linden ‘Jumbie’ Jones who came out as the audience favourite, playing Eddie the crazy boyfriend. After being on a hiatus for ten years, the show has been revived for the Jubilee Theatre Festival with a new spin: “Till Ah Find A Place: After the 50th”. Hollingsworth is excited to see what the cast will do with it this time. “This current cast has the potential of making this the best rendition yet of ‘Till Ah Find A Place’,” he said.

place of hiding. Winston looked around to see if there was a better place to complete his task; there was none. With a sigh, he forced himself to abort the delicate operation. Then, the woman’s voice commanded his attention. “I WANT YOU!” When he focused on her the second time, his hair stood on end; his body went cold. He was looking straight into the face of a skeleton. What was worse was that the specter was making straight for him, with bony hands extended in an embrace that his instinct told him he had to avoid at any cost. Well instinct or not, Winston had seen and heard enough. With a growl and whimper, he pulled up his apparel and ‘giddi-upped’ from there, a strange glow in his wake. Winston didn’t look back. Had he done so, he would have seen the a telltale trail he left, from the wedding house to his home.

Drake

DRAKE’S new album, ‘Views’, has remained at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for four straight weeks, as it continues to rock up record-streaming numbers. The album sold an equivalent 189,000 album units to retain its top spot on the chart. 50,000 units of that sale equates to pure album sales, Nielsen Music reported. Let’s not forget that ‘Views’ sold over a million equivalent units in the first week of release, and was streamed over half-abillion times in that said week. Billboard reported that Drake spent more weeks at No. 1 than any other male artiste in the last four years. Michael Buble was the last male artiste to achieve five consecutive weeks at No. 1 in 2011 with his Christmas album. There are also reports that Drake’s third week streaming numbers were bigger than all other artistes’ first week streaming numbers in history. As at the time of this publication, the first four weeks streaming record now belong to ‘Views’. This is Drake season indeed. (urbanislandz.com)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Buzzing this weekend

LOOKS like a relatively quiet weekend… But that’s because the parties have made way for Cricket! So, there’ll be no shortage of entertainment nonetheless. Here’s what’s buzzing this weekend: TODAY Cricket fans get ready for the Tri-Nation One-Day International. The first round of the tournament will be hosted at the Guyana National Stadium. Today, the West Indies face number three-ranked South Africa. Game commences at 13:00hrs. Gates open at 11:00hrs. Tickets can be purchased from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) office at Bourda, and at the National Stadium. The last lap of the Jubilee Film Festival is here, so ensure that you support before it ends! Ronald Hollingsworth’s ‘Till ah find a place’ will be staged at the Theatre Guild from 19:00hrs. Tickets are on sale at the Theatre Guild, and at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Department, Main Street. TOMORROW The Theatre Guild again comes alive at 20:00hrs with ‘Sauda’, written by Mosa Telford. ‘Sauda’ is a thrilling tale about the pressures of black women in a society with westernised ideologies of beauty. Tickets are on sale at the Theatre Guild and at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Department, Main Street. SUNDAY The Tri-Nation One-Day International continues at the Guyana National Stadium. West Indies again faces five-time World Cup champions and number one-ranked Australia. Game commences at 13:00hrs. Gates open at 11:00hrs. Tickets can be purchased from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) office at Bourda, and at the National Stadium. Visit the Theatre Guild once more to witness ‘Green-Card Marriage’, written by Mariatha Causway. What would you do for a Green-Card marriage? Tickets are on sale at the Theatre Guild, and at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Department, Main Street.

Autopsy: Prince died of an overdose AFTER weeks of speculation, law enforcement officials confirmed yesterday that Prince died of an opioid overdose, according to the Associated Press. Leading up to yesterday’s announcement, news sites have speculated about Prince’s alleged drug use around the time of his death on April 21. Although the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office said initially that an autopsy on the artist was inconclusive -- it wanted to wait until the toxicology report came in -- investigators reported in late April that Prince had been in possession of prescription painkillers. The Drug Enforcement Agency and U.S. Attorney joined the investigation in early May. StarTribune reported that investigators were also researching what role painkillers played in the emergency hospital visit he made the week before his death. The Associated Press claimed that investigators were looking into whether or not a doctor was aboard the plane at the time. The news service also reported that Prince was unconscious at the time the plane landed, and that first responders administered a shot of Narcan, which offsets suspected opioid overdoses. At the time, news reports said that Prince was either suffering dehydration or fighting the flu. It was later revealed that he had been struggling with an addiction to pain pills. His friends attempted to get him help from an addiction specialist, Dr. Howard Kornfeld, who runs a treatment centre in Mill Valley, California. A lawyer for the doctor’s family told The New York Times that he had sent his son, Andrew, to Paisley Park to meet with the artist, but he arrived too late. He was the one who called 911. Prince was performing dates on his Piano and a Microphone tour in the months leading up to his death. In early April, he canceled a date in Atlanta, reportedly because of the flu, and made up for it with a pair of performances at the city’s Fox Theater on April 14. The artist’s lawyer, L. Londell McMillan, told the AP that he had spoken to Prince the Sunday before his death. “He said he was doing perfect,” the attorney said. “He said, ‘OK, I’ll call you soon.’” When the AP asked about substance abuse, McMillan said the artist was “not on any drugs that would be any cause for concern.” Michael Padden, a lawyer for Prince’s siblings Lorna and Duane Nelson, said that over a decade ago, Prince had “substantial” problems with Percocet and cocaine. “Lorna told me that her brother would die young … before his time, and of a heart attack,” he told StarTribune of his now deceased client. Prince leaves behind an estate worth millions, and reportedly no will. Lawyers for Prince’s six siblings and half-siblings attended a hearing in a court outside of Minneapolis in early May. The artist’s sister, Tyka Nelson, and a Carver County judge agreed to appoint Bremer Trust as a temporary special administrator for the estate. ‘Reps’ for Bremer Trust are still looking for a will. The company has already drilled open Prince’s vault of thousands of recordings. Prince’s remains were cremated after the autopsy, and a small group of family, friends and musicians gathered to pay their respects. “We ask for your blessings and prayers of comfort for his family and close friends at this time,” a ‘rep’ said at the time. “An announcement will be made at a future date for a musical celebration.” (rollingstone.com)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Child sexual abuse ...

EU, ChildLink take multi-disciplinary approach THE European Union [EU] has provided financial assistance, under the Empowering Children in Difficult Circumstances Initiative managed

by ChildLink, to train more than 45 members of the Multi-Disciplinary Teams to efficiently treat with Child Sexual Abuse cases at the Child Advo-

cacy Centres. The just-concluded two-day workshop, which opened May 30, at the Police Training Centre, focused heavily on the

––to treating with the matter

importance of Forensic Interviewing, according to a release from the EU. According to the release, Odran Hayes, Programme Manager at the EU delegation in Guyana,

The sessions were facilitated by Dr. Lisa Fontes of the University of Massachusetts, who has been working with Childlink on this initiative for more than a year now.

Dr. Lisa Fontes told the team of the EU’s concern about the number of cases taken to the Courts. Said he, “While the Child Advocacy Centres treat victims, we must, in parallel, work on stronger policing systems through which perpetrators are made to face the full force of the law, sending an unequivocal and resounding message that we are indeed serious about fighting child sexual abuse.” Under the Programme, the three Child Advocacy Centres (CACs) developed and operated by ChildLink have treated with 169 sexually abused children. “These numbers in no way reflect the number of cases taken to the Courts,” the release noted.

Dr. Fontes lauded the initiative, and thanked the EU for its support. She urged that the Government of Guyana continue to ensure the longevity and sustainability of the Child Advocacy Centres. According to the release, she explained that

since the last workshop in February 2015 she has seen tremendous growth in the counsellors. “They are committed and do so much with so little, they carry the pain of the children and their families.” Following the two day Workshop Dr. Fontes is expected to visit the three CACs in Regions 3, 4 and 5. Present at the training were representatives from the Guyana Police Force, the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ministry of Public Health, the office of the Director Public Prosecutions and Non-Governmental Organisations. The Empowering Children in Difficult Circumstances initiative is a two-year programme managed by Childink and funded by the European Union. The Overall objective is to strengthen policies, practices and approaches to ensure social welfare services.

Odran Hayes, Programme Manager at the EU delegation in Guyana

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 3, 2016

ODI Tri-Nation series

‘Our chances are good,’ says Holder … Maturity, team culture and experience, key for South Africa

By Rajiv Bisnauth ONCE cricket’s powerhouse in the 50-over format, the West Indies are now a pale shadow of their past. As they get ready for their first Tri-Series OneDay International (ODI) match against South Africa today at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, captain Jason Holder calmly believes that their chances are as good as his other two opponents. The West Indies are poised to clash with One-Day International (ODI) world champions Australia and the powerful South Africa in a ten-match series, with the first three matches set for Guyana. However, the hosts are ranked eighth in ODIs, 36 points behind table leaders Australia, with the Proteas 24 points ahead in the third spot. They haven’t played a single ODI this year and won only four out of their last 11 games, with two of their wins coming against Zimbabwe and the United Arab Emirates. Despite all their glories this year, and despite being hosts of the tri-series, they don’t start as favourites at home, but Holder is backing his charges to take advantage of the home conditions and execute to perfection. “We may be ranked lower than those teams (Australia and South Africa), but we are at home, so we need to take advantage of the conditions and just go out there and execute,” he told the Media yesterday. “I think we have a pretty good chance, we have a good squad; many of the guys were in the World T20 squad that just won the

West Indian players during Yesterday’s net session World Cup, some of which are in very good form in the recent Indian Primer League (IPL). We have Carlos Brathwaite, who did really well, we have Marlon Samuels, who is ready and raring to go, Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard, who have a statement to make, so I am really looking forward to this series,” the West Indies skipper divulged. The West Indies have not played a One-Day at the venue in over three years but have had mixed results at the stadium, winning four of eight contests. The series is the first for the West Indies since winning the Twenty20 World Cup in India in April. However, the 24-year-old Holder pointed out that the mood in the camp is good, adding that the entire squad is highly motivated ahead of the series, saying “We have our own plans; everybody

has his own plans, but what I stress with the guys is it’s all about executing.” MATURITY, TEAM CULTURE AND EXPERIENCE Meanwhile, South Africa captain AB de Villiers said while preparation was somewhat affected, they will rely on maturity, team culture and past experience in their bid to gain consistency in victories. Further, de Villiers says they will not underestimate the hosts, since they are a team with a lot of explosive power, play exciting cricket and based on that we respect them as a team. Spinners are likely to get more assistance from the pitch. However, pacers who can bring in their variations, especially the cutters and slower ones, could prove more than a handful. For the batsmen, it will be an interesting test. They may

not be able to score freely and will have to bide in their time at the wicket. Gates open from 11:00hrs, with the game set to commence at 13:00hrs. The West Indies then follow up with a clash against the Australians on Sunday at the same venue. West Indies squad: Jason Holder (capt.), Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Shannon Gabriel, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor. South Africa squad: AB de Villiers (capt.), Quintonde Kock, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, Rilee Rossouw, Jean-Paul Duminy, Farhaan Behardien, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Kyle Abbott, Imran Tahir, Aaron Phangiso, Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Djokovic and Serena avoid distractions of French Open ‘circus’ (REUTERS) - The French Open was lambasted as “one big circus” by Tomas Berdych yesterday as soggy weather once again exasperated players seeking a foothold in the semi-finals of the rain-hit claycourt major. Novak Djokovic was lucky to escape being defaulted and Austrian tyro Dominic Thiem provided plenty of entertainment as they finally caught up with the bottom half of the men’s draw by setting up a cross-generational semi-final.

With Andy Murray and defending champion Stan Wawrinka enjoying a welcome rest day after booking their last-four showdown a day earlier, world number one Djokovic was back on court for a third day running and again had to dodge the showers as he sealed a 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 win over a fuming Berdych. Only a few hundred shivering spectators felt able to brave a gloomy Court Suzanne Lenglen -which can seat more than 10 000 -- to watch 13th seed

Thiem’s racquet skills. The 22-year-old reached the last four of a major for the first time with a 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-1 win over Belgium’s David Goffin. Serena Williams dropped her first set of the tournament and came within two games of defeat before ramming home her title credentials with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 victory over little-known Kazakh Yulia Putintseva. “I didn’t think I was going to win that but somehow I did,” the hugely relieved 21-time grand slam champion

Two suspended after London retests

(BBC) - A Turkish boxer and a Russian cyclist have been provisionally suspended after doping samples from the London 2012 Olympics returned positive retests. Boxer Adem Kilicci and track cyclist Yekaterina Gnidenko both tested positive for steroids, their sports’ governing bodies said yesterday. Olympics chiefs an-

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nounced last week that 23 competitors at the London Games had failed retrospective doping tests. Retests focused on athletes who could compete at this summer’s Rio Olympics. The International Boxing Association (AIBA) said Kilicci had qualified for Rio, while Gnidenko is not listed on the Russian national team squad list for this season. Kilicci, 30 - who lost

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in the quarter-finals of the middleweight division in London - and the Turkish boxing federation have been notified of the findings and his suspension. AIBA said it is working with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) “to ensure that boxing is doping-free”. The Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC) said it was “extremely disappointed” by Kilicci’s positive retest.

Ali in hospital for respiratory issue

(BBC) - Boxing great Muhammad Ali is being treated in a hospital for a respiratory issue, a spokesman for the former world heavyweight champion has confirmed. Ali, 74, is being treated by doctors as a precaution and is described as being in a “fair condition”. A brief hospital stay is expected. Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984, after quitting boxing. The three-time world champion was last hospitalised in January 2015 following a severe urinary tract infection. Family spokesman Bob Gunnell confirmed Ali’s condition to the Associated Press but did not divulge which hospital was treating him or when he was admitted.

said after booking a semi-final with Dutch outsider Kiki Bertens, who beat Swiss eighth seed Timea Bacsinszky 7-5, 6-2. Joie de vivre fizzles out A week of wet weather and chilly temperatures - with the mercury topping out at 14 degrees Celsius yesterday has robbed the tournament of its usual joie de vivre. Hence it was little wonder that the smallest of incidents could tip players over the edge. Djokovic was fortunate

that a moment of petulance midway the third set did not scupper his chances of winning the only grand slam title missing from his collection. The top seed admitted he was lucky he did not injure a linesman after he slammed his racquet to the ground and it went flying into the baseline hoardings. Had it hit anyone, it would have been an automatic default. “I threw a racquet on the ground and it slipped and almost hit the line umpire. I was lucky there,” the 29-year-old Serb said after

reaching his 30th grand slam semi-final. But Djokovic’s momentary rage was nothing compared to how angry Berdych felt a few games later. The Czech seventh seed lost his cool when Australian official Wayne McEwen ordered play to be halted after Djokovic grumbled about the misty conditions. As the Serbian sauntered off court, Berdych shouted: “This is a circus. An absolute circus. We’ve been playing two and half sets like that.”

(REUTERS) - WHILE former world number ones Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy made erratic starts, long-hitting American Dustin Johnson charged into an early two-shot lead at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, yesterday. Taking advantage of pristine conditions with a superb all-round game at leafy Muirfield Village, Johnson racked up 10 birdies and two bogeys in the opening round of the prestigious event hosted by Jack Nicklaus. Johnson briefly got to nine under with four consecutive birdies on his back nine but he bogeyed the par-four

17th after hitting his second shot into a greenside bunker before posting eight-under 64, two ahead of compatriot Hudson Swafford. Americans Jason Bohn and Kevin Streelman opened with 67s, world number two Spieth carded a 70 and thirdranked McIlroy mixed six birdies with three bogeys and a double to return a 71. Johnson, a nine-time winner on the PGA Tour whose best finish this season was a third placing at the Houston Open in April, set the tone with an explosive birdie-birdie-birdie start. “I just played well right out of the gates,” Johnson, 31, told

reporters. “I hit great shots in the right spot on the greens and rolled in some putts. “This year, I’ve felt like I’m playing well. I just haven’t quite played up to my potential. With me, it has everything to do with the putter. “I rolled it well today ... I’ve been working pretty hard on the putter, and I felt like it’s finally starting to pay off.” American Spieth, who clinched his eighth PGA Tour victory at the Colonial tournament on Sunday, relied on his usually brilliant putting to offset an iffy display with his approach shots.

Early Memorial lead for Johnson in Ohio

Dustin Johnson tees off on the 14th hole during the first round of The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. (Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 3, 2016

Guardiola signs Dortmund midfielder

(BBC) - Manchester City have signed Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund on a four-year deal. The 25-year-old, who will miss Euro 2016 and the start of the new Premier League season through injury, becomes the first signing for incoming City manager Pep Guardiola.

City have reportedly paid a fee of about £20M for Gundogan. “When I learned of City’s interest, my heart was set on coming,” he said. “Things have moved very quickly.” The Premier League club’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain, praised Gundogan’s “work ethic and

Ilkay Gundogan

Infantino facing provisional suspension over Mexican audio files AUDIO files from a FIFA meeting in Mexico City were not destroyed, world football’s governing body has insisted. FIFA has insisted that audio files from a meeting in Mexico City do exist amid allegations that president Gianni Infantino asked for them to be deleted. A report published by Welt am Sonntag yesterday claimed that Infantino is facing a provisional 90-day suspension from FIFA’s Ethics Committee, with the German media outlet claiming to have seen an internal email chain at world football’s governing body suggesting he had ordered recordings of a council meeting held last month to be destroyed. According to the report, the meeting at FIFA’s latest Congress between May 9 and 10 included “a conspiracy to oust” ex-auditing and compliance chief Domenico Scala, who resigned from his post on May 14 in protest against reforms that he believed empower the FIFA Council at the expense of the independence of committees. However, in a statement released later yesterday, FIFA said: “In accordance with standard practice, all official FIFA meetings - including Council meetings - are recorded and archived. This was the case for the meeting in Mexico City in question. “The email exchange that makes mention of the deletion of audio files refers to a copy of the original audio file of the meeting that was improperly stored on a local drive. “This mention does not refer to the officially archived audio file. That file exists and is properly saved at FIFA.”

Guyana brushed aside 5-2 by Curacao GUYANA’S Golden Jaguars were outplayed by Curacao last evening in the first of their second-round matches in the Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup. bamboozle Playing away, the Guyanese were put on the back foot from early after Felitciano Zschusschen scored the

first of his three goals in the 7th minute. The Jaguars’ Sheldon Holder however evened things out in the 18th minute with his strike and it seemed to be heading for an allsquare halftime before Gina Van Kessel hammered home the second goal for the Dutch in the 42nd minute.

The second half brought consecutive goals for the Dutch island, a 61st minute strike from Zschusschen and a 63rd minute strike from Van Kessel as they pulled out a 4-1 score line in front of their fans. However, Guyana seemed on the verge of a comeback as Brandon Beresford slotted home in the 78th

to give Guyana hope. However, that was later shattered as Zschusschen completed his brace in the 89th minute. The Golden Jaguars will now travel to St Thomas where they will play the USVI on Saturday.. The top two teams will advance to the third round which is set for October.

WEST Indies star batsman Chris Gayle has accused organisers of the Australia Big Bash League (BBL) of ingratitude following what he deemed to be an overreaction to claims of sexism. Gayle, who will not take part in the next edition of the tournament, was the subject of a barrage of criticism following an incident with an Australian reporter during the last edition.

The batsman was fined S10 000 for the incident, which involved him asking out a reporter on live television. Gayle had claimed the incident was simply a misunderstood attempt at humour, but many had called for him to be banned from the competition, others competitions around the globe, and some even the sport. “I didn’t feel like I was

being treated right at the time. The way they were actually going about it; the media make a big mockery of it,” Gayle told BBC Radio. “To be honest it was a lot of double standard for someone who was a part of the Big Bash for so many years, who actually built the Big Bash from day one. The same name used to build the Big Bash was the same name they want to

tarnish. Chris Gayle was the actual name that started the Big Bash from the first tournament,” he added. “It blew up this big now and they want to say ban Chris Gayle; we should get rid of Chris Gayle from all leagues around the world. Chris is sexist and it’s just ridiculous. How can you brand me for running a joke like that!

Gayle accuses BBL of ingratitude

(Friday June 03, 2016) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: Kennington Oval, London, 1975 (World Cup) 135 ODIs

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

World Cup with a back problem that ruled him out for almost the entire 201314 season. “The opportunity to work with a coach like Pep Guardiola is something I am really looking forward to and I am flattered to be the first signing the club has made this summer,” he added.

Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup Round 2

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

Today’s Quiz: Who were the captains involved when the WI and Australia played an ODI against each other for the first time? Who was declared ‘Player of the Match’ in the first ever WI/AUST ODI encounter?

technical ability”. “He is an intelligent and versatile midfielder who can operate in a number of different roles,” Begiristain added. “He will be a very important player for us in the coming years.” Gundogan dislocated his kneecap in training at the start of May and was also sidelined for the 2014

Chris Gayle

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 3, 2016

Fowler, Adams claim bronze at Barbados swim meet

GUYANA’S Olympic hopefuls, Andrew Fowler and Inter-Guiana Games silver medallist Omar Adams, both captured bronze medals at the recently concluded Aquatic Centre International Invitational swim in Barbados. Fowler landed bronze in the Boys’ 15 and Over 50m freestyle in a personal-best time of 25.65s, when he finished behind Barbados Alex Sobers and Christian Selby, respectively, at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex Aquatic Centre-hosted event last week. Fowler, who was also at the meet with hopes of

reducing his timings ahead of possible attendance at this year’s Rio Olympics, later swam a time trial of 25.57

TORONTO, Canada -- Old habits die hard and getting used to new concepts in a new world can take a very long time, maybe forever unless those habits are allowed to continue unabated. These habits were outlandishly on display recently when the Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) 2016 season got underway at the Ashtonbee Number Two ground here. It also marked the commencement of the inaugural Elite Division and featured six-time successive Premiere League champions Hawaiian Arctic Cricket Club (HACC) and rivals Bawa Cricket Club. Like in previous encounters, the game, played in brilliant sunshine, lived up to its expectations but no one

present foresaw or expected what was to follow. Needing a mere five runs to complete an emphatic six-wicket victory over their opponents after Bawa were restricted to an inadequate 150 all out, the latter proceeded to disrupt the game in full view of the sprinkling of spectators present. It all started when an appeal for caught behind against HACC’s captain Hemnarine Chattergoon was turned down by the ruling umpire. During the course of the next over, Chattergoon urged the fielding side to “get on with the game,” sensing they were still furious that the decision did not go their way. Upon hearing Chattergoon’s comments, the bowl-

Omar Adams

Andrew Fowler

seconds. Sobers, also gunning to represent his country at the Olympics, took the win for the race in a time of 24.86s. The ‘B’ standard Olympic qualifying time for the event is 26.17 seconds with the ‘A’ standard being 25.28 seconds. Fowler is one of two swimmers from whom one will be selected to represent Guyana at the Olympics, if no swimmer manages to qualify in an event.’ Guyana will only be able to send one male swimmer if no swimmer meets the ‘A’

standard in their event, even if one of the swimmers meets the ‘B’ standard. The other male possibility is Goodwill silver medallist, Hannibal Gaskin, who is currently studying and training in the U.S. on an Olympic solidarity scholarship. Gaskin, who is also working to lessen his timings, had also recently attended the South American Swimming Championships in Paraguay towards that aim. Meanwhile, Adams laid claim to three bronze medals from his performance in the Boys’ 15 and Over butterfly

events. In the 50m butterfly, Omar touched the wall in 28.19 secs to come in just behind Sobers 27.69 secs second-place finish. Sobers compatriot Russell Oliver won the event in 26.32 seconds. In the 100m butterfly Sobers ruled with a time of 1:02.13s, but Adams made sure he made it to the podium after clocking 1:04.35s. For the 200m butterfly, Adams completed the race in 2:30.87s. First place was Luis-Sebastian Weekes in a time of 2:17.44s.

Unruly behaviour mars SCA season opener

… Authorities need to take drastic action, says Observer er promptly pulled out one of the stumps from the end he was operating and charged towards him in a menacing manner. The captain, who was also the wicketkeeper, instead of trying to calm things down, added fury to the proceedings by kicking down the stumps at the striker’s end and he reportedly told the umpires that his team had conceded the game. The umpires subsequently awarded the game to HACC. S u n d a y ’s i n c i d e n t brought back memories of similar ones which had occurred and raises the question as to whether the SCA is taking appropriate steps to prevent similar occurrences and also whether

India set to tour West Indies

THE West Indies will host India when they travel to the region for a total of seven weeks. During this period the two teams will play a f o u r- m a t c h Te s t s e r i e s and two practice matches from July 6 to August 23. The announcement came yesterday from The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI),

The four Tests are scheduled to be played in four separate territories inclusive of Antigua & Barbuda, Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago respectively. St Kitts is set to host both practice matches. The first practice match is scheduled for July 9-10 with the second played July 14-16. The first Test will run from July 21 to 25 in

Antigua, the second in Jamaica from July 30 to August 3, the third will be played in St. Lucia August 9-13 with the final Test in Trinidad and Tobago August 18-22. Head of Operations, Roland Holder expressed pleasure while stating “All venues scheduled to host games are ready to host the visiting Indian team and keen contests are expected.”

the penalties meted out are adequate. During the 2014 Premiere League final between HACC and East/West, a not-out decision for a vociferous caught-behind appeal off number three batsman Reyaz Prahalad, led to unsportsmanlike behaviour with the players storming and pleading with the umpire to change his original decision. When this was not accomplished the players turned their attention to the stumps at the batsman’s end, uprooting them in the process. The behaviour forced the umpires to award the game to HACC with the score on 27 for one in pursuit of the paltry 127 all

out in 42.1 overs made by East/West. Former Guyana opener Krishna Arjune was undefeated on 14 when the game was abandoned. The victory catapulted HACC to an unprecedented fifth consecutive title while soaring to 17 wins in a row this season. A similar incident occurred in the 2011 final, which featured the same two teams, and according to a very reliable source the league apparently failed to act. According to the source E a s t / We s t v e h e m e n t l y protested a run-out decision which went against them, and again uprooted the stumps and even went further by allegedly mak-

ing contact with one of the umpires. The source further pointed out that after intervention by the police, HACC agreed to continue the game although it was awarded to them and went on to win quite easily. The source disclosed that the league failed to take any decisive action and this may have given East/West licence to continue their unsportsmanlike attitude. The ball is once more in the SCA court and it’s interesting to see how it reacts to this latest misdemeanour. Unless drastic action is taken, these teams will feel they have the authority to continue their tirade. Over to you, SCA!

GCF’s national championships to commence on June 18 THE Guyana Cycle Federation (GCF) has announced the dates that its national championship will be staged and advises that all interested cyclists must produce their licences for 2016 in order to be registered. According to a release, time trials for all categories of cyclists (Juniors, Ladies, Veterans and Elite) will be held on

June 18 around the Mahaicony circuit, East Coast Demerara, beginning at 08:00hrs. The following day (June 19), the Ladies, Juniors and Veterans will contest a road race that will see the juniors and veterans compete in a 50-mile race (8.5 laps around the Mahaicony circuit), while the ladies will contest a 25mile race (four laps) around

the same circuit. T h e G C F ’s n a t i o n a l championships will conclude on June 26, with a 30-lap race (75 miles) around the outer circuit of the National Park, Georgetown, starting at 11:00hrs. Presentation of prizes to the respective winners will be done at the conclusion of each event.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 3, 2016

Athletes from over 15 countries to participate in AP International meet

Meet Director Aliann Pompey (third from right), flanked by (from left), Fly Jamaica representative; GOA president, K. A. Juman-Yassin; a Digicel representative; Director of Sport Christopher Jones; and Technical Director of the AP Invitational, Cluade Blackmore (Photo by Delano Williams)

“IT IS finally here, true international competition after a very long time!” is what president of the AAG, Aubrey Hutson, thinks of the upcoming Aliann Pompey (AP) Invitational track meet, which was officially launched yesterday at Olympic House, High Street. Athletes from over 15 countries, stretching from as far as Ireland to as close as Trinidad, are set to battle it out at the international meet, which is scheduled for June 18 at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora, West Coast Demerara. The meet is the brainchild and namesake, of Guyana’s Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Aliann Pompey, and is being held in collaboration with the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), the Guyana Olympic Asso-

ciation (GOA), and the government of Guyana through the National Sports Commission. The meet also has the blessing and support of a number of corporate sponsors including Digicel, Fly Jamaica, GuySuco, Ramada Princess Hotel among others “As president of the AAG we are happy to be associated with and be a part of this meet. This meet gives the opportunity for our local athletes to match their skills against international competition, and the chance for the Guyanese public to see those people that will be representing us internationally.” Hutson continued. Pompey herself shared that she is extremely overwhelmed by the support that the meet has garnered; not only from the sponsors, and sporting

organisations, but from the athletes as well. “The interest for (the meet) is there and it’s growing every day. When I started, I think I said 10 international athletes and then we’re moving ahead, and we’ve surpassed that. At this level it was very surprising,” Pompey remarked. “I expected some interest to be generated but I’m getting emails and calls from agents across the world trying to find out more about the event and even if not for this year for next year. We definitely can’t sustain all the interest, but there is still some room to have some more persons come in,” Pompey expressed. According to Pompey at the end of the day budget restraints will determine just how big the participation list will be. The organ-

isers currently have a list of 34 confirmed athletes, while there is a waiting list with another 25 athletes hopeful of getting in on the inaugural event. The participants include a number of Guyanese, both from overseas and at home, including Olympic qualifiers Aaliyah Abrams, Winston George and Brenessa Thompson. The meet will have a total of 14 track events and two field events. There will be four premier events (men’s and women’s 100m and 400m races) which will have cash prizes from first to third, amounting to US1000 for first place, US$600 for second and US$300 for third. Specific race branding like the Fly Jamaica women’s 100m, the GOA men’s 400m, the Ramada Prin-

cess Hotel 110m hurdles, Quality Plus men’s 200m, GuySuco men’s triple jump, the Digicel’s men’s 100m and women’s 200m were also announced. The other races, outside of the international races, are also expected to attract cash prizes for first place finishers with the amounts being worked out. One of the most attractive features of the meet is that it will be one of only two held in Guyana at which athletes can qualify for the upcoming Rio Olympics in August. It is also the lone inaugural meet that Guyanese athletes will have the chance to qualify at home. Both Hutson and GOA president, K. A. Juman-Yassin applauded the event for that. Additionally, for the first time in recent decades a meet in Guyana will feature hurdles race,

of which the meet will have three, - the men’s and women’s 400m hurdles, and the men’s 110m hurdles. Representatives from sponsor Digicel and Fly Jamaica, as well as Director of Sport Christopher Jones were also present at the meet and expressed their great joy at being associated with something so prestigious. “The NSC, and by extension the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, is only too proud to be associated with the AP Invitational. The fact that Aliann would have represented Guyana internationally and put Guyana’s name out there internationally, we see this most fitting as a tribute to not only Aliann Pompey but the men and women throughout the country,” Jones said.

GOA receives Olympic torch replica

THE Guyana Olympic Association has received a replica of the official Olympic torch which is currently making the rounds in Brazil, the host country 2016 Olympic Games from August 5 to 21.

President of the GOA, K. A Juman-Yassin, yesterday displayed the torch at Olympic House. He noted that the torch will find a permanent home as part of the artifacts on display at the GOA’s museum, when

it opens up. The GOA museum is set to be housed in the GOA headquarters, in Liliendaal, once the building is completed. The official Olympic torch is on a 95-day journey around Brazil, and is

expected to arrive at the Games city, Rio de Janeiro, the day before the Games are officially set to begin. That torch carries a flame that will be used to light the cauldron at the Games at the beginning of the event.

After being lit, the cauldron flame continues to burn throughout the Games, until the day of the closing ceremony and celebration, when it is finally put out, symbolising the official end of the Games.

The torch and flame are a symbol of the Olympic Games. The fire was introduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, and it has been part of the modern Olympic Games ever since.

‘Our chances are good,’ says Holder

Guyana brushed aside 5-2 by Curacao

See story on page 34

See story on page 31

South Africa squad at their first net session yesterday. Inset (left) South Africa captain AB de Villers and Jason Holder West Indies captain (right). Adrian Narine photo

Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup Round 2

Fowler, Adams claim bronze at Barbados swim meet

GOA receives Olympic torch replica

See story on page 33

Athletes from over 15 countries to participate in AP International See story on page 35

GOA president, K. A. Juman-Yassin (centre), Director of Sport Christopher Jones (left), and four-time Guyana Olympian, Aliann Pompey display the torch replica. See story on page 35

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FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016