TUESDAY 11th June, 2019
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No.105665
AKWAABA!
President Akufo-Addo SEE STORIES ON PAGES 03&14 ►
…Guyana rolls out red carpet for Ghanaian President
…to be conferred with national award
…several bilateral agreements to be signed today
President David Granger escorts President of Ghana, Nana Addo Danka Akufo-Addo shortly after he disembarked his plane at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport early Tuesday morning (photo by Keno George)
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 11, 2019
Guyana rated ‘Best in Sustainable Tourism’ …wins prestigious LATA’s award GUYANA has received the Latin American Travel Association’s (LATA’s) “Best in Sustainable Tourism” award. The country was awarded during LATA’s “Experience Latin America” conference in London, England- Europe’s largest Business to Business (B2B) travel conference, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) said in a statement. Now in its 9th edition, the LATA Achievement Awards recognise destinations, individuals and/or companies with exemplary case studies of tourism or those that have made an exceptional contribution to the development of sustainable travel to Latin America. Guyana was voted for by an expert judging panel which included Derek Moore, Chairman of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO); Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director of C&M Recruitment; Aneil Bedi, Founder of Brand Agents; Quinn Meyer, Founder of Crees Manu and LATA committee member; and Danny Callaghan, General Manager of LATA. The judging committee selected Guyana as the winner of this award for its impressive sustainable tourism practices and community-led tourism framework which promotes job creation, helps preserve local traditions and customs, promotes low-carbon lifestyles and provides a livelihood for indigenous
communities. “The LATA Achievement Awards celebrate and reward initiatives and efforts made by the tourism industry to bring the Latin American region closer to Europe,” said the GTA. The announcement was made on June 10, 2019 at London’s Chelsea Football Club with UK Guyana representative, Kate McWilliams of Lotus UK, collecting the award on behalf of Guyana. “Guyana has expended considerable effort in recent years not only to develop an eco-friendly tourism product, but also to incorporate sustainable tourism best practice into all aspects of its tourism strategy, policy, planning and programming,” said Director of the GTA, Brian Mullis, adding that Guyana is committed to maximising the positive socio-economic and conservation outcomes from tourism. He said it is a tremendous honour for Guyana to receive the award in recognition of all the work that was done. It was only in March that Guyana was recognised as the world’s number one eco-tourism destination and one of the top ten sustainable destinations by the Green Destination Foundation at ITB Berlin. The global recognition is promoting the tourism sector to take things to the next level and further advance its sustainable tourism efforts.
UK Market Rep, Kate McWilliams of Lotus UK, receiving the award on Guyana's behalf
Education Ministry can now diagnose learners with special needs STUDENTS living with disabilities now have a greater boost in their access to learning facilities, geared specifically for them, through several educational interventions. One such intervention by the Ministry of Education is the use of the Regional Special Education Needs/ Disability Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, to specifically diagnose the learners’ disabilities. This will allow the students to be provided with appropriate education delivery tailored to their individual needs. This programme comes as the Edu-
National Special Education Needs Officer, Savvie Hopkinson
cation Ministry continues to make provisions for Special Education Needs within the
mainstream education system. In this provision, all teachers at mainstream and Special Education Needs (SEN) schools are trained in the delivery of SEN content and approaches. National Special Education Needs Officer, Savvie Hopkinson, told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the ministry is making strides to ensure all learners have equal access to educational opportunities. “Even though their needs are identifiable, [previously] they were not given an official diagnosis but with the Regional Special Education
Needs/Disability Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, students are now able to have their diagnosis so that they can be provided with the right treatment with the right educational plans to support those needs,” Hopkinson explained. Currently, there are 10 SEN Schools and 3 SEN classrooms across Guyana. The SEN classrooms are located in Region 3 at the Wales Primary School; in Region 5 at the Number 8 Primary and in Region 4 at the Beterverwagting Primary School. New Amsterdam, Linden and Georgetown have
several SEN schools catering to the needs of all learners with special needs. Hopkinson added that private schools also benefit from partnership with the Ministry of Education, in relation to SEN programmes. “We do not limit our training to schools that fall directly under the Ministry of Education. In our programme, we include privately-owned schools,” she said. “Later down the road, we will see, having all these in place that the right support is put in place within the classroom and that programmes are developed to match those
needs so that our students can become more successful,” Hopkinson related. There are SEN Officers in Regions 3, 4, 6, 10 and Georgetown educational districts. “We envision that the whole process of providing education that is suitable for students to develop to their full potential and all that [is needed] would come in place,” she stressed. These initiatives are aligned with the objectives of the Ministry of Education which are eliminating illiteracy, modernising education and strengthening tolerance. (DPI)
GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 11, 2019
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Guyana rolls out red carpet for Ghanaian President
GUYANA, early Tuesday morning, rolled out the red carpet to welcome President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who arrived here for an historic State visit, with a delegation of over 40 officials. During the tour, President David Granger will bestow, on the West African leader, Guyana’s highest National Award-- the Order of Excellence-- and will engage in the signing of several bilateral agreements. President Akufo-Addo is also expected to take part in a series of activities and engagements. The Ghanaian President is visiting to deepen cor-
dial relations with Guyana, President Granger had said. Early this morning, President Akufo-Addo and contingent arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and were greeted by President Granger following several military and ceremonial procedures. The Ghanaian President was then accompanied by Prime Minster Moses Nagamootoo from the airport to the Guyana Marriott Hotel where he will stay for the day. Today, President Akufo-Addo will participate in wreath-laying ceremonies at the Non-Aligned Monument and the Square of the Revolution, site of the 1763
Monument. This is to take place between 10:00hrs and 11:00hrs, after which he will depart for State House to be received by President Granger for the signing of bilateral agreements. “We are confident that this visit will result in practical measures aimed at enhancing relations and cooperation between our two states, particularly in the fields of agriculture, culture, energy, environment, investment, petroleum production, private sector cooperation, tourism and transportation,” President Granger stated previously. The two heads are also likely to discuss strengthening of diplomatic relations,
President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo disembarking his aircraft
President David Granger and his Ghanaian counterpart, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo taking the salute at the CJIA (Keno George Photos)
President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo inspecting the Guard of Honour on his arrival this morning
air-connectivity and abolition of visa requirements. Following the signing, the Presidents will briefly interact with the press and then proceed to the Baridi Benab at State House for the state luncheon hosted by President Granger. At the luncheon, President Granger will confer the Order of Excellence on President Akufo-Addo. The Order of Excellence can be awarded to both citizens and non-citizens of Guyana and is bestowed for distinction and eminence in any field of endeavour of national or international importance. Other Presidents to be awarded Guyana’s Order of Excellence include former Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula in 2010 and former American President, Jimmy Carter. Former Barbados’ Prime Minister, Freundel Jerome Stuart was also awarded with Guyana’s second
highest award in 2016, the Order of Roraima. Today, President Akufo-Addo will also meet with Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo at the Marriott Hotel for brief interactions following the state luncheon. In the afternoon hours, accompanied by Guyana’s Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, he will visit the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and Banks DIH Limited. Later in the evening he will visit the Umana Yana in Georgetown where he will be welcomed by Minister of Natural Resources of Guyana, Raphael Trotman. When he returns to the Marriott Hotel, himself and contingent will interact with the Ghana Diaspora and representatives from African Group Organizations in Guyana. TURN TO PAGE 15
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday June 11, 2019
Senior Police Officer to stand trial for rape ASSISTANT Superintendent of Police, Seecharran Singh, was, on Monday, June 10, 2019, committed to stand trial at the High Court for the rape of a 13-year-old girl. Singh, 31, of Plantation Providence, East Bank Demerara, was on trial before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus where the trial was done in-camera, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. The cop is charged for allegedly engaging in sexual activity with the under-aged child, during the month of June, 2018, at his home. He is currently out on $250,000 bail.
The Guyana Chronicle had earlier reported that the teen was left in the care of Singh, during the month of June 2018. It is alleged that the police officer made advances to the young girl, while her mother was out with a friend, and raped her. Upon the return of the child’s mother and the friend, the incident of what took place between the teen and the police officer was recounted to one of the female adults and the police was informed. The Magistrate on Monday afternoon ruled that a sufficient case was made out against
Assistant Superintendent, Seecharran Singh (in stripe top) being led to the courtroom by police ranks
Singh for him to stand trial at the High Court. He will remain out on bail. As a condition for
his bail, the magistrate ordered Singh to keep 50 feet away from the victim.
Trial to commence for duo charged with bread vendor’s murder A 12-member jury was, on Monday, impaneled before Justice Navindra Singh to commence trial of Shakeil Grant, called Soldier Man, and Neville Forte. The duo was jointly
charged for murder in the course of a furtherance of a robbery. The indictment read to the court stated that, on May 5, 2017, in the County of Demerara, the duo murdered
Andre Melroy Alexander in the course or furtherance of a robbery. They both pleaded not guilty to the charge and trial is expected to commence later this week, with defence
attorneys Nigel Hughes and Adrian Thompson, and State prosecutors Tuanna Hardy, Sarah Martin and Teriq Mohamed.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday June 11, 2019
Mexico given 45 days to curb migrant flow to US
(BBC) The US has given Mexico 45 days to reduce the number of migrants crossing its territory on their way to the US. Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Monday gave details of a deal reached with the US to avert the imposition of tariffs on Mexican goods. Even though no specific target has been set, the measures taken by Mexico to curb the migrant flow will be evaluated in mid July, Mr Ebrard said. If the number was not down by then, a regional solution would be sought. ‘Buying time’ Mr Ebrard said the agree-
ment reached on Friday after days of “most difficult negotiation” bought Mexico time to show it could succeed in driving down the number of migrants. He said that US negotiators had wanted Mexico to commit to “zero migrants” crossing its territory, but according to Mr Ebrard, that was “mission impossible”. Mr Ebrard said the US side also wanted to designate Mexico as a “safe third country”, which would have required Mexico to take in asylum seekers heading for the US and process their claims on its own soil. The foreign minister said that he had averted that mea-
sure for the time being: “We told them - I think it was the most important achievement of the negotiations - ‘let’s set a time period to see if what Mexico is proposing will work, and if not, we’ll sit down and see what additional measures are needed’”. Mexico said it would deploy its National Guard throughout the country from Monday with 6,000 additional troops being sent to its southern border with Guatemala. How did we get here? Illegal border crossings on Mexico’s northern border with the US have been on the rise again after reaching a low in US President Donald
Trump’s first year in office. In February, Mr Trump declared an emergency on the US-Mexico border, saying it was necessary in order to tackle what he described as a crisis. In May, Mr Trump threatened that 5% tariffs on Mexican goods would be imposed on 10 June and rise by 5% every month until reaching 25% in October if Mexico did not take substantial action to curb migration. Mexico is currently one of the largest trading partners for the US, just behind China and Canada. After days of negotiations, a deal was reached on Friday which both sides hailed as a success.
But on Monday, President Trump warned that tariffs were not off the table completely, saying that if the part of the deal which required approval by Mexico’s congress was not passed, the tariffs would be reinstated. Asked about the tweet, Mr Ebrard said that he thought President Trump was referring to possible regional measures to be taken in conjunction with Central American nations from which most of the migrants hail from. He said those measures would only be taken if the planned actions by the Mexican government, such as reinforcing its border with Guatemala, failed.
“If these measures don’t work, we’d have to move to a regional model to be approved by the [Mexican] Congress, that’s what he is referring to,” Mr Ebrard told reporters at a news conference. President Trump also said that Mexico would soon make “large” agricultural purchases from the US. But when asked about that deal on Monday, Mr Ebrard said that there had been no additional agreement with the US and that the American president was likely referring to expected growth in trade following the migration deal.
Young: V’zuelans not major cause of crime (TRINIDAD NEWSDAY) NATIONAL Security Minister Stuart Young has accused the Opposition of a plot to promote xenophobia towards Venezuelan migrants. He was responding to an urgent question in the House yesterday from Oropouche West MP Vidia Gayadeen-Gopeesingh on what measures had been implemented to address the increase in robberies
involving Venezuelans. Young replied: “There is a very disturbing occurrence from those members on the other side. There is no doubt in our minds whatsoever (that) what they are promoting is xenophobia.” He said yesterday morning in his meeting with the heads of national security he told them, “There is a specific plot by certain persons....” Naparima MP Rodney Charles stood on standing or-
der 48:6 (imputing improper motives), but Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George allowed Young to continue. Young pointed out three of the four urgent questions yesterday afternoon were about Venezuelans. “The Venezuelans are not
National Security Minister Stuart Young
the major cause of crime in TT,” he said, adding that one of the issues at the heads of national security meeting was how to deal with continued suggestions that Venezuelans are the source of all crime. “We are also targeting human trafficking and
those elements of organised crime, and we are also targeting those elements who may be involved in criminal activities and are of a Venezuelan nationality. But they are not the only ones involved in crime.”
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday June 11, 2019
South-South Cooperation
THE issue of development has always been on the agenda of every nation and every generation. As a developing country, Guyana’s leaders and technicians have been socialised over the years, and dare it be said for far too long, to plan on the basis of the dynamics taking place in European and North American societies. If for any reason issues such as rice, sugar or minerals have to be addressed, it is not uncommon to see deference to and reliance on the business approaches and dynamics of Europe and North America form centrepiece for guidance in discussions in framing policies, with apparently little or no regard for indigenous realities and needs. And this is not for want of ability on the part of Guyana or like countries, but more because of the sense of historical conditioning that
others know what is best for us and should, by extension, guide us. This region, during the liberation struggle in Southern Africa, has seen some of its finest acts of self-determination and cooperation with allies in support of what was considered a common cause. The aeroplanes flying from Cuba to Southern Africa stopped over in Guyana to be refuelled, then onward to their destinations. Apart from this significant contribution to the liberation of Southern Africa, what has not happened is that this level of cooperation did not translate into activities to boost economic trade among the countries and regions. For years, the air links between the Caribbean and Africa are not direct. Travelling to Africa from the Caribbean and Guyana requires first going to the United States or Europe in order to get a
connecting flight to one’s destination. This in itself makes travelling tedious, which could have a negative impact on the economy, both in tourism and trade. South-South cooperation has been on Guyana’s and many other countries’ agenda for some time now. It is recognised that the economic structures that are in place and maintained by international and transnational companies, supported by several governments from the developed world, have contributed to developing countries such as ours being stymied or denied opportunities of exploiting business for our benefit at cheaper costs. As the society continues to deliberate on the state of the sugar industry and what ought to be done about its future, technical assistance from Europe and North America is being relied on. This reliance comes at the
expense of tapping into the technical capabilities of immediate neighbours such as Cuba and Brazil with similar experiences as ours. Cuba and Brazil’s experiences are more model-adaptable to Guyana’s experiences, given that these countries produce similar primary products. Cuba has been able to stabilise its sugar operation by putting in place various measures, inclusive of finding alternative means for the sugar produced, and the lands that have become available after the closure of some of its estates. What Cuba has been able to do, among other things, is to improve its confectionery industry. As that society opens its economy to trade, opportunities are presented to investors, local and foreign, to compete for a ready share of this new and improved industry. In Brazil, some of the defunct sugar factories are
being converted into restaurants. These restaurants serve as employment and economic opportunities for the society and its tourist industry. Factories converted to restaurants have been able to maintain their historical legacy through storytelling and leaving untouched aspects of its infrastructure. For instance, a diner entering the restaurant, outside of fine dining experience, is exposed to educational opportunities through anecdotes recounted about the era during which the factory operated, its activities and workers, and so forth. This is an innovative way of keeping alive the bitter-sweet legacy of sugar in the Brazilian society and to its economy, as these converted factories simultaneously provide new income opportunities. The majority of people who inhabit the Caribbean, South America, India and
Africa have shared historical experiences of colonisation. Recognising this reality, it augurs well for working with these countries having the benefit of cultural experiences, including common value systems. South-South cooperation has its benefits and can be exploited among the countries, providing that the beneficiaries to this process seek to be the initiators and executioners of any programme. To make this a reality, Guyana and other countries have to move beyond waiting for the developed world to conceptualise and present to them an agenda, and recognise that the pursuit of economic self-efficiency requires taking the initiative, inclusive of risks, to control our destiny. (Reprinted)
Good to see the Commissioner and team on the beat Dear Editor, IT was a real pleasure to see Commissioner of Police Leslie James and some members of his executive leadership team literally pounding the police beat at the Stabroek Market Square. It was so nice to observe so many boots of various sizes and quality on the ground at a crime hot-spot. Hot- spots are specific locations with high crime rates. A hot-spot can be a single address, a cluster of addresses, part of a block, an entire block or two, or an entire intersection. Although the police may tell us that according to their figures on reported crimes at the Market Square, crime is not high, and that there is a reduction in crime in that area as compared to the previous year, the reality is that crime is committed
regularly there during the day and night. Most of the crimes are not reported to the police for diverse reasons, particularly by victims living outside of Georgetown. The police should stop depending too heavily on their crime statistcs to measure how well they are doing in the fight against crime. In his maiden address to the Police Officers’ Annual Conference, President David Granger urged, “Stop boasting about how many cases you made; find out how many causes you were able to discover, and let us stamp out the causes. You stomp out the cause; then you stomp out the crime. If you don’t know the cause, then crime will continue to be repeated over and over again.” I can recall the Head of the City Constabulary bemoaning the high incidents of reported crimes at that
popular ‘Square’, and being bemused as to how to deal with that sad state of affairs. Perhaps the managing by walking about tactics adopted by the Commissioner and team, and his subsequent interaction with the Head of the City Constabulary have generated some amount of actionable intelligence, which will promote some intelligence-led policing to bring about peace and tranquility to that hot-spot. I cannot wait for such activity to be conceptualised, designed, developed, implemented and evaluated. Cohen and Felson’s Routine Activities Theory forms the basis for what is known as The Crime Triangle. According to them, there are three elements required for a crime to occur: A motivated suspect, suitable victim, and adequate location. They posited that law enforcement
officers must focus on all three sides of the triangle: The suspect, the victim and the location in order to reduce crime and the fear of crime. They argued that if the focus on any side of the triangle is removed or neutralised, crime will not be suppressed. However, in most cases, law enforcement officers spend most of their efforts on the victims and suspects, while the locations are left untouched. In many instances, political, economical, social, technological, legal, and environmental (PESTLE) issues and concerns are not properly addressed, thereby enabling crime to flourish at those locations. Police will dismantle one criminal gang, and almost overnight, another one will emerge. Braiden (1988) suggests another way to view the significance of locations: “The hunt and the habitat”:
“I can’t think of two special-interest groups more philosophically opposed to each other than hunters and animal rights activists, yet there are two things they totally agreed upon: The species will survive the hunt; it will not survive the loss of the habitat. How can policing learn from this basic principle of nature? Well, if the ultimate goal is to eliminate the criminal species forever, surely the best way to do that is to eliminate the habitat that spawns and sustains that species. Structured as it is, the criminal justice system puts 95 per cent of its resources into the hunt, while the habitat is left almost untouched. We can never win working that way, because the habitat never stops supplying new customers for the hunt.” In a subsequent article, I will address another triangle: The government, the police and
the communities as it relates to crime fighting. It would appear as though Commissioner Leslie James has shifted the paradigm in relation to crime-fighting strategies and tactics. At the Stabroek Market Square, he took a Tarzan swing in the right direction. However, more such visits to other hotspots, working in unison with the various stakeholders and taking condign actions against criminals, as well as deviant members of the GPF are useful tools required to reduce crime and the fear of crime. Such actions must be encouraged. Sustainability is the watchword. Regards, Clinton Conway
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday June 11, 2019
Writing columns in the newspapers cannot be used to satisfy academic fulfillment Dear Editor, REFERENCE is being made to Freddie Kissoon’s letter “Tattered credibility” (SN 9th June, 2019). Freddie’s response reminds me of the old saying, “Some people love to throw their ‘cuss’ on you.” His deflection can only fool the less objective amongst us. As he continues to write, readers are reminded that he is yet to debunk any statement in any of my responses to him. He, instead, engages in somersaults in the hope that his marbles, which are scattered all over, somehow hit a spot. But there can be no such luck, because the only effect malicious lies and distortions have in the face of rebuttals is to validate deceit, demonstrate an unconscionable lack of decency, integrity, the orchestration of chaos and, in his case, a mind driven to believe it is his role to determine in a free society who is good, bad and indifferent; who should lead and who should not; who one should associate with, and who not to associate with. This attempted puppetry of our politics, our activism, our social order, race and ethnic relations of the University of Guyana’s industrial environment is what drives him, and is the common thread in all of his nasty personality-driven little pieces. A cursory look at his performance is enough to conclude that his is a poor representation of what he said Antonio Gramsci stands for, and can bring out in a human being. I remind him that whereas I said I never studied Gramsci, this does not automatically translate, except conveniently in his head, to never having read Gramsci, a clear distinction he cannot differentiate. This Gramscian-educated academic makes a statement alluding to those who are, “unfortunate not to have an education,” as though unless one has read or studied at the level of Gramsci, one’s learning is not to be respected, and one is not educated. Freddie is reminded that as he seeks to make distinctions, so, too, can others, not only on the level of education and or certification achieved, but the integrity of one’s education. He must know that he is not flawless in this regard, and even his academic integrity and pursuit is characterised by the worst of the academic sins that a student can commit. He is a disgrace to the Gramscian concept he outlines. On another point of correction, he claims I held the position of
General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) “for over 25 years without being elected.” When the evidence was presented to him (June 2, 2019), he is now cowering behind another lie, claiming that I was “General Secretary of the TUC over the past 28 years. [I was] acting General Secretary in 1995 [as] the TUC’s representative on the UG Council; [and I] was confirmed in 1999 and acted for more than eight years prior to confirmation.” Freddie is reminded that one does not establish credibility merely by stating dates and sounding knowledgeable, presenting lies as statements of truth. These must be able to withstand scrutiny. For his information, and that of the public, the facts are: I was elected and served as President of the GTUC from 1993-1995. In 1995, Joseph H. Pollydore was General Secretary (GS) of the GTUC. I was elected and served as Principal Assistant Secretary (PAS) from 1995-1999. In early 1999, Pollydore resigned as General Secretary and, as PAS, I assumed the office of GS in an acting capacity until I was elected to serve, and at the Congress held in September 1999. These positions were all held consistent with the GTUC’s constitution. Contrary to what Freddie claims, when I served on the University of Guyana (UG) Council, I was not General Secretary of the GTUC. As it relates to the act of seeking to terminate his services at UG for representing the rights of the workers, I am not aware of this charge, neither was I there or aware of any such meeting. I was at the UG Council meeting where the proposal was made for Kissoon to be terminated due to matters pertaining to performance. Ethical reasons will not permit me to go into further details surrounding the issue. Readers must understand that writing columns in the newspapers are not criteria used to satisfy academic fulfillment. Another correction to Freddie’s lies, the proposal to terminate him did not come from the Council, but from the management, and it was discussed but not voted on, due to my intervention. This intervention argued that due process was not followed on the part of the employer ensuring documentation, warnings and compliance. The matter was withdrawn, and never went to a vote. Whilst I represented the GTUC on the Council, the issue in question was never brought to the GTUC for discussion, nor was a
mandate given to represent said issue. In yet another of his nasty little distorted pieces of writing, he seeks to misrepresent the process used by the GTUC to appoint its representative to boards and committees. In my letter of May 22, 2019, it was said, “English was appointed by the GTUC Central Executive Council. There is a long-held practice of the GTUC that unless one, who is placed to represent the organisation on any board or council, does not express the desire not to continue, he or she will continue when a new board or council is constituted. English, like others, is a recipient of this principle. In this specific case of UG, the Ministry of Education solicited from the GTUC, via a telephone call, whether or not English will continue as our nominee. As General Secretary, I responded in the affirmative.” Not only is the GTUC confident about this process, it has been recommended to this nation for the government to take on board to ensure continuity. As per Freddie, “When the facts are given to readers, Lewis’ betrayal of priceless trade union principles will be on show.” As I await the presentation of “the facts”, he is reminded to check his own lawlessness on show. I note one of his collaborators, whose name was mentioned, has written, and he is put on notice to anticipate my response. Now Freddie knows I have a right to respond, and will do so to place in perspective claims made, and debunk those outright distortions. Freddie is working on achieving his goal of dividing the GTUC and undermine its strength as he sets out in his self-driven agenda to determine who, what, when, where and how. Acts of collaboration in deceit are not surprising. I remind readers that many who walked before me have left memorable stories that can be captured in these famous last words, “Et tu...” and “before the rooster crows today…” And most famous of all to Judas Iscariot, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Such things are written and seem like second nature to many. History has judged these types of actions, and whilst I claim no comparison to these historic figures, the point should not be missed. Regards, Lincoln Lewis
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 11, 2019
GPL lays temporary submarine cable
THE Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) has been working around the clock to restore full power after last week’s incident that saw a cable link between Vreed-en-Hoop and Georgetown damaged. The operation to lay a temporary cable across the Demerara River within the Port of Georgetown is in its final stage. In an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) at the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling where the operation is taking place, GPL’s Divisional Director of Projects, Ryan Ross provided an overview of the works. “This cable is set to be a temporary solution to reduce the load shedding that has taken effect after a ship’s anchor damaged the 69-kilovolt cable”, he explained. To reduce the likelihood of an incident of this nature recurring, the GPL official pointed out some steps the company will be taking. According to Ross, “what we [GPL] are trying to do is to geo-reference this cable to ensure that, [at] all the points along the length of the river, we have specific coordinates
for it so that we are better informed now, and that the ships are better informed as to where exactly the cable is. What we’ll attempt to do is to add protection. We’ll attempt to bury it even further and to utilise metal pipes. We have never done that before.” The 13.8 kilovolt cable will be buried at a depth of 3 metres along the mooring area where the ship anchors tend to be lowered. Since traffic on the upper-end of the river is not as busy as the Port of Georgetown, GPL is exploring the possibility of running the 69-kilovolt cable between Wales and Garden of Eden. “So, there are two options. One is an overhead network, and one is a submarine cable”, Ross further explained. With respect to the impact of the cable laying exercise on power production, Director of Operations, Bharat Harjohn noted, “with the shortfall of 14 megawatts [from the damaged cable], this cable in place will help us with at least 6 megawatts that will help with the generation shortfall on the eastern side [of the Demerara River]”.
Divisional Director of Projects, GPL, Ryan Ross
Chief Executive Officer, GAICO Construction and Engineering, Komal Singh
Temporary submarine-cable that stretches across the Demerara River at Princess Street
The Director of Operations mentioned that the 13.8 kilovolt submarine cable that runs from Craig to Vriesland will be back in full operation soon. “They were able to attach it back to the feeder, so we have that circuit back into operation. They are energising it right now”, he related. Fortunately, the cable was not damaged after an anchor had pulled it off its connecting pole. Chief Executive Officer of the firm undertaking the works, GAICO Construction and Engineering, Komal Singh noted that, “since this incident occurred on Sunday, we have been on this project since Monday. We started in Kingston to salvage the cable and find where the damage was, and since Monday we were able to locate that between Monday and Tuesday”. The CEO said there are thirty persons working on the project. While the exercise to lay the cable from Vreed-en-Hoop to Princess Street is scheduled to conclude today, the permanent replacement will take place in August.
Mixed reactions to Griffith’s exit from UG By Vishani Ragobeer THERE have been mixed reactions following the move by Professor Ivelaw Griffith to withdraw his request to have his contract renewed for the post of Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana. “I just think that it was the best thing in the circumstances and for all parties concerned, including the council and the university,” Member of the UG Council and President of the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA), Dr. Jewel Thomas said. Over the past few months, both the UGSSA and the University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) had advocated for the removal of Professor Griffith, alleging that he was wasteful and poured money everywhere else except into developing the teaching space, under his leadership. A call was also made for an overhaul of the institution’s senior administration. Thomas opined that the university is now in a better position to “fix” a lot of the issues within the university and its administration that have been recently put in the limelight. “This particular episode
points to a lot of weaknesses in the university- some of which we knew existed- but this has just shown how weak they are and [that there are] various parts of the institution that need to be strengthened,” she said. She also opined that the UG council of itself is one body that needs to have its operations improved. Importantly, she reminded that the unions have advocated for council to implement a system of evaluation for the VC, and by extension senior management, from the very beginning. With Professor Griffith demitting office on June 14, a Transitional Management Team will manage the affairs of the academic institution. The team, which was duly approved by the University Council, is being chaired by Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Engagement, Professor Michael Scott; with Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Philanthropy, Alumni and Civic Engagement, Professor Paloma Mohamed serving as the Deputy Chair; and Registrar, Dr Nigel Gravesande will serve as Secretary to the Management Committee. Thomas indicated that this management body is one which already existed in the council’s statute, and indi-
cated that this body is tasked with reporting back to the council intermittently. She also shared that the UG unions would state their official position on Griffith’s withdrawal, via a statement, at a later time. Friday last, Griffith himself confirmed to this newspaper that he no longer wishes to renew his contract with the university. At the time, he did not wish to say why and instead promised to share his reasons at another date. Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on Monday, Griffith however said that he was no longer interested in having further discussions on the matter.
Professor Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith
“JUST LET IT BE, ” HE SAID. Professor Griffith was appointed the Tenth Principal and Vice Chancellor of The University of Guyana in June 2016, having served earlier as Executive-in-Residence at The University at Albany, State University of New York, and the Ninth President of Fort Valley State University in Georgia. Meanwhile, President of the University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS), Devta Ramroop expressed her sadness at Professor Griffith withdrawing his request.
“Professor Griffith, in my opinion, has the experience, grit, connections and a vision like no other to transform our national university,” she said, noting that the progress from 2015 (when he assumed the position) to now is evident. Importantly, she shared that the Professor engaged with the UGSS constantly, in order to listen to and address their complaints. “He wasn't perfect, but then who is? I hope this is reconsidered,” she said further. “I've always seen the bigger picture and it involved benefits to current and future
students.” Overseas-based Guyanese Dr. Terrence Blackman also expressed regret over the Professor’s withdrawal. “This is a bad day for Guyana,” he said, when he found out about Griffith’s decision, via his Facebook page. “This is a really unfortunate development.” Dr. Blackman is a mathematician and is currently the Dean of the School of Science, Health and Technology at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York. In a leadership position himself, he posited: “Professor Ivelaw Griffith evidenced the talent, the temperament, the expertise, experience and the academic network necessary to move us forward.” He also expressed that with the appointment of persons to lead Guyana’s university, there needs to be some “governing consensus” from the country’s leadership class, across the political spectrum. Other professors in the United States, Dr. Aubrey Bonnett, Dr. Edward Davis and Dr. Patrick R. Liverpool have expressed their support of Professor Griffith for the post of VC. “While the status quo is comfortable, we believe that for UG to evolve and grow and become the top notch institution it is capable
of becoming, transformational leadership is imperative,” the three professors wrote in a letter to this newspaper. They further said, “It is our contention that Dr. Ivelaw Griffith’s vision, energy, integrity and love for his institution and country make him the right leader at the right time to effectuate a renaissance for the University of Guyana.” The Alumni and Friends of the University of Guyana (AFOUG) has also publicly expressed their support for the renewal of Griffith’s contract. On May 23, the Council ordered Professor Griffith to proceed on terminal leave, effective May 28, 2019. The University’s Administration said the decision was in accordance with the terms and conditions of his contract. Before the beginning of his terminal leave, however, it was made known that Professor Griffith had expressed interest in renewing his contract. The UG Council had decided that before any decision is made on either the renewal or non-renewal of the contract, an evaluation would be done on Griffith’s performance- as long advocated for by the unions.
GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday June 11, 2019
CCJ to rule on confidence motion next week
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… decisio n o n G ECO M C h a i r m a n ’s a p p o i ntme nt also e xpected
ON Tuesday, June 18, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is expected to rule on the consolidated appeals, challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal to invalidate the vote of no-confidence against the David Granger Administration. A decision will also be handed down on the appeal challenging the President’s decision to appoint Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson, Chairman of GECOM. The decisions would be handed down, little more than a month after oral arguments were heard in both cases before a panel of judges led by President of the CCJ, Justice
Adrian Saunders in the Trinidad-based court. Last December, the Parliamentary Opposition, by way of a No-Confidence Motion, attempted to topple the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government. But while Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, in the High Court, upheld the decision of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland that the motion was carried by a majority of 33 votes, the Court of Appeal invalidated the motion on the basis that absolute majority of 34 votes were needed. The Opposition had secured
the support of then Government Member of Parliament Charrandass Persaud to get an edge over the Government in the House, but even with that extra vote, the Court of Appeal, by a 2-1 margin, ruled that an absolute majority of the 65-Member National Assembly is 34. The March 22 decision of the Court of Appeal was subsequently appealed at the CCJ. Those appeals are: Christopher Ram v The Attorney General, the Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon and the Guyana Elections Commission; Bharrat Jagdeo v The Attorney General, the Speaker
of the National Assembly, Joseph Harmon and the Guyana Elections Commission; and Charrandass Persaud v Compton Reid, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Attorney General, Bharrat Jagdeo, Joseph Harmon and the Guyana Elections Commission. During the hearing of the consolidated appeals on May 9 and 10, the Attorney General Basil Williams and his Attorney, Belizean Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay put forward a series of convincing arguments. Their arguments were supported by Senior Counsel Neil Boston, Attorney-at-Law Robert
Corbin and Attorney-at-Law Roysdale Forde. From the onset, the Attorney General admitted that the provisions in Article 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution have dire consequences for Government, explaining that if successful the motion can lead to the premature dissolution of the National Assembly, and an early end to Government. However, he argued that it has a very high requirement, that is, an absolute majority. In 65-Member National Assembly, Minister Williams submitted to the Court that 34 votes were required to unseat the Government and not a simple
majority of 33. He was keen on pointing out that a simple majority is a majority of the Members of Parliament present and voting while an absolute majority is half of the 65-Member of Parliament plus one. Because a fraction would be derived due to the House having an uneven number of MPs, the Attorney General submitted to the court that it must first be round up the fraction before one is added. Only then can an absolute majority be arrived at, he argued. The half plus one formula, as contended by Sir Francis Alexis TURN TO PAGE 13 ►
DEMTOCO urges full compliance with Tobacco Act … say s s o m e c ompanie s f louting r egulations
By Svetlana Marshall DEMERARA Tobacco (DEMTOCO), a subsidiary of British American Tobacco, said while it is complying with the Tobacco Packaging and Labeling Regulations, other suppliers within the tobacco industry are not. At the company’s 85th Annual General Meeting at the Pegasus Hotel held recently, DEMTOCO Chairman, Marcus Steele, and its Managing Director, Christopher Brown said the company is concerned that some suppliers of tobacco products such as cigarettes are not fully complying with Tobacco Packaging and Labeling Regulations. “DEMTOCO is fully compliant, but there are concerns, which have been brought to us by retailors, that some of the packs outside of our brands are not complying fully as it relates to the regulations. For example, the regulations require four images to be equally utilised across a case of cigarettes, now we are fully compliant with the images … (but) not everyone is, and that has emerged as an issue,” Brown told Guyana Chronicle. According to the Tobac-
co Control Act, companies and importers are required to rotate two schedules (A and B) comprising two sets of graphic health images on the packages of their tobacco products for a period of 12 months each. Each schedule comprises four images, and are required to be placed evenly across the packages with effect from February 25, 2019. The National Tobacco Control Focal Point, Dr. Kavita Singh, in a previous interview, had indicated that the Public Health Ministry had taken note that some companies and importers had favoured one or two images over the other but that would not be allowed. Dr. Singh said the legislation is clear and would be complied with or sanctions would be taken against defaulters. Despite the challenge of having to compete against importers, who are not ‘playing by the books,’ DEMTOCO Chairman assured this newspaper that the tobacco company is fully compliant with the Tobacco Control Act and the Tobacco Packaging and Labeling Regulations. “As a responsible company we will always comply with the law as we understand it,” Steele said while
DEMTOCO Managing Director, Christopher Brown (left) and its Chairman Marcus Steele (Photo by Carl Croker)
noting that DEMTOCO is working along with the Public Health Ministry and the National Tobacco Control Council to iron out some issues. “We have been implementing every single aspect of it to ensure that our trade,
the retailers, the consumers, the public at large, understand the dos and don’ts as it relates to the regulations but also to ensure that they are in full compliance,” the Managing Director added. Part VII of the Act stipulates that prescribed rotat-
ing pictorial and text health warnings must be permanently displayed on a minimum of 60 per cent of the top portion of each principal display area of any tobacco products’ outside packaging. These packages and labels are required to be in English. However, Brown said that the Public Health Ministry has recently raised concerns about the use of certain descriptors on packages such as “filters.” According to him, the issue with respect to certain descriptors was not raised initially. But the Public Health Ministry’s Legal Adviser on Tobacco Control, Kesaundra Alves has long said that the legislation is clear on what is required. She had said that
Boxes of cigarettes showing graphic health warnings on the exterior of packages (Photos by Samuel Maughn)
while most of the importers placed the graphic health images on the packages, there were other texts and images that were included in total contravention of the law. Part VII (5) of the Act states: “The unit package and outside packaging and labelling, and the design and appearance of any tobacco product shall not promote that product by any means that are false, misleading, deceptive or likely to create an erroneous impression about the product’s characteristics, health effects, hazards or emissions, including using – (a) any term, descriptor, trademark, figurative, colour, number, or other sign of any kind that directly or indirectly creates or is likely to create the false impression that a particular tobacco product is less harmful than another; including terms such as, but not limited to, ‘low tar’, ‘light’, ‘ultra-light’ or ‘mild’, ‘smooth’, ‘natural’, ‘fine’, ‘extra fine’, ‘extra’, ‘ultra’.” Alves noted that the remaining 40 per cent of a package should only comprise the name of the company and its logo.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 11, 2019
Giftland opens cambio …Chairman hints at addition of commercial bank soon THE Giftland Mall, located at Turkeyen, launched its own currency exchange centre on Saturday evening with the aim of making business easier for Guyanese. “The mall has been lacking this (currency exchange services) since its opening and it’s something that we’ve been working towards for the last three years,” Chairman of the Giftland Group of Companies, Roy Beepat said. He noted that the Giftland group of companies have been trying to offer this service for the past three years, but was only recently granted permission by the Bank of Guyana after meeting all the requirements of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Financing Terrorism Ac. “This is something that is sorely needed because as we all know in Guyana, it is illegal to accept foreign currency except at authorised places,” Beepat noted, adding that this was hugely demanded at the
The newly opened cambio located on the second floor of the Giftland mall
shopping complex which has seen some 12 million
persons visit since its opening almost four years ago.
Mobile money services recorded payments of $448.9M in 2018 THE Bank of Guyana, in its effort to monitor payment services, noted that mobile money accounts increased by 6.8 per cent in 2018, with a value of $449.7 million compared to $379.3 million in 2017. According to the bank in its 2018 annual report, mobile money services moved from 37,157 to 38,666 in 2018. The bank also noted that the number of merchants accepting mobile money payments also increased from 42 to 61, while MMG’s e-wallet increased from $175 million in December 2017 to $225 million in February 2018. As e-services continue to grow, the bank also intends on staying on track. It received support from the World Bank to the tune of US$6 million to modernise Guyana’s Payment System infrastructure. The support entailed implementing a new Payments System Act with supporting regulations and modernisation of the Payment System infrastructure. The modernisation efforts from paper-based instruments to electronic payments will result in significant cost savings and efficiency improvements while reducing operational, credit, legal, liquidity investment and custody risks.
The Project Implementation Unit (PIU) has been functioning and continues to execute its mandate since it was formed in fiscal year 2017 to implement the project which has a shelf life of four years (2017– 2021). During 2018, the project progressed well in line with its scheduled Work Plan. Its major accomplishment was the finalisation of the National Payments System Act 2018 which was signed into law by President David Granger in August 2018. “Work also commenced on procurement activities relating to the hiring of Procurement and Implementation Consultant and a Vendor for the supply and implementation of the RTGS and CSD systems. Additionally, the required fibre optic interconnectivity activity for networking is well under way,” said the bank. The oversight functions with respect to the Oversight Payments Unit within the Bank of Guyana along with the council for guidance are at the initial stage of development. During the planning and procurement phase of the project, which occurred in 2018, the Bank of Guyana continued to monitor the payment services that currently exist within the system.
He related that the cambio was the 95th conces-
sion in the mall, and it was something that the other
concessions’ owners have expressed appreciation for. Importantly, he also noted that the cambio also aims to make business easier for Guyanese returning home. “It cuts out the inconvenience of having to go to a cambio or a bank (instead) you can come up to the Giftland Mall and be totally legal and have your money changed at going rates,” he explained. The Chairman also noted that this is just one area of financial services that the complex is going to open this year. “We have another big surprise coming this year in terms of financial services,” he said, hinting that a commercial bank may soon be seen at the complex. This according to him, would make business transactions even easier. In light of this, he explained, “It’s a matter of having a very large range and diversity of products so that when you come to the Giftland Mall you can get most of your shopping needs.”
GECOM procurement 'bottleneck' resolved ––NPTAB Head says CHAIRMAN of National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) Berkley Wickham has assured that the procurement issues that previously hindered the acquisition of key equipment for house-to-house registration have been rectified. On June 4, 2019, Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner Charles Corbin relayed that the due to a previous “bottleneck”, enumerators were without the materials needed to commence registration on June 1, 2019 as planned. However, on Monday, Wickham told the newspaper that the issue creating the setback was administrative and the award for the procurement of the
materials has now been delivered. “The issue that was reported on last week has been resolved,” Wickham stated. “[The issues were] administrative issues. They sent through some things and we needed more information and there was a back and forth until we got it right. We’ve issued the award to them and they are proceeding.” Wickham said that NPTAB remains constantly in touch with the Commission in relation to other procurement matters and any delays experienced are unintentional. “I think it was a communication problem more than anything else. When any procurement entity sends things here it's not only
me, we have a Board. They have to be satisfied that everything is done right and follows the valid procedures," he said. Meanwhile, since the end of May, GECOM has reported that training for enumerators and other staff for the impending registration is completed. Already, some 200 cluster offices country-wide have been identified which are to serve as meeting bases for the verification of information gathered by enumerators. At the same time, the Commission continues on its voters’ education campaign on television, radio and in print, encouraging individuals to get themselves and their documents ready to be registered.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday June 11, 2019
AG, CH&PA in move to resolve decade-old land issue at Dochfour ATTORNEY General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, along with the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Lelon Saul, and other officials, on Sunday, held a community meeting with the residents of the Dochfour Housing Coop Society, with hopes of ironing out their decade-long issue with obtaining transport and titles for their lands. The residents complained of reaching a point of frustration in obtaining transports or land titles for lands that some of them have been residing on for over 20 years. Saul informed the residents that some 25 additional transports have already been completed and are ready to be uplifted, while other transports are in various stages of being processed, however the CH&PA was instructed by the Chief Cooperative Development Officer (CCDO), Perlina Gifth, to halt the distribution of transports to the residents. This stems from disputes within the Coop, following allegations of mismanage-
ment by a previous executive of the Society. Towards this end the Attorney General aided in helping the residents establish a five member representing committee tasked with meeting with the CH&PA and CCDO to hold elections at the soonest possible time. “I am here because the community Coop Society is experiencing challenges and in 2015 we know that your Executive of the Coop society was interrupted,” Williams told the gathering. Residents shared their elation at seeing their decade- long issue finally getting some attention, and being dealt with. “My story is since 1993,” noted Shaheed, a member of the Coop. “We have been going after this issue umpteenth times. It’s coming to a point where frustration is starting to step in.” Shaheed was among the almost 100 members and residents who attended the meeting at the Ann’s Grove Early Childhood Development Centre. The Coop has approximately 200 members. The Dochfour Housing Coop Society was reportedly established since 1971,
where some 35 house lot were allocated in the Clonbrook Housing Scheme. The community plan also included a section of reserved land that was put aside for the construction of a nursery school. The reserve was eventually used as a play field. However it was later decided by the Coop to parcel off the reserve and also offer it as residential lots, adding another approximately 40 house lots to the Clonbrook Housing Scheme Phase One. The Clonbrook Housing Scheme Phase Two has another 110 house lots. Saul noted that the first step would be for a survey to be done of the community to include the house lots of the reserve into the community plan. Additionally, since the application to have the reserve changed to residential land was never complete, the Coop’s newest executives would also have to re-apply for the change, so the persons living there can be regularized. The residents said they just want whatever needs to be done to get done so that
A section of the residents that turned out for the community meeting
Attorney General, Basil Williams (standing), with CH&PA CEO Lelon Saul (immediate left) and other officials at the head table at Sunday’s meeting
they can have the security of knowing they own their land. “It hurting me to know I am throwing out my stomach and my everything and can’t get one piece of paper,” noted Paula Carrington. “It hurting me to be going everyday like a dog. I’ve been going towards this transport so long, and people go after me and get their own. I cannot get no proper word from them about this thing. Is like you have to pass money under the table, I can’t pass money under the table I am a widow. Between you [AG] and Mr. Saul I am begging please help my situation.” Residents also pointed out that there is still some amount of dispute over who owns some lands, as a previous secretary of the Coop who was accused in an audit of mismanaging the Coop’s funds is still conducting Coop business and allocating lands that were already owned. It was noted that several persons paid over their money for their lands, as well as their rates and taxes over to the ousted Coop Society
secretary. “He appear as the secretary and he collect, and he collect, and he collect. And fetch way and we didn’t get anything. He was forced to hand over certain things belonging to the Society and not to represent the Society. Now at the end of the report it stated that the police must be called in, it never happen, over $23 million was embezzled,” Aubrey Thomas described of the previous situation at the Society. Members said they do not have a copy of the audit report. Thomas’ concern was if residents will have to once again pay for their lands given that money was not handed over by the then Coop secretary to the relevant authorities. “I overpay for my land. I pay over $200,000 for that land when I was only supposed to pay $68,000. My thing is I am not paying any more money. I work like hell here. I fetch dirt and tired on that road. I ain’t paying again,” he established. Saul noted that the CH&PA is limited in its ability to deal with the situation
without the establishment of an executive to deal with the affairs of the Coop. The residents noted that they too want to see a functioning executive returned to the helm of the Coop “We want a recognised committee to make sure the Coop society gets back to what it used to be with proper representation of all the issues that confront us,” Shaheed said. He was one of the five members elected to the representing committee. Williams immediately set about helping the members to select a temporary representing committee. “We have a grasp of the issues here,” Williams said. “You need to have a representing committee to represent your interests. It means therefore that we could appoint an ad hoc committee to represent you for interfacing with CCDO and CH&PA. I am not going to allow anybody to rob you in anyway.”
‘Don’t flout our laws’ Min. Felix sounds warning to Suriname ‘backtrackers’ AMID the suspension of the Guyana/Suriname ferry service, Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix has urged persons who are travelling to and from Suriname to present themselves to immigration officers for processing. According to a press statement, persons travelling through Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) must uphold Section 10 (3) and Section 7 (2) of the Immigration Act, Chapter 14:02 which states that persons entering the country are obligated to be processed by immigration officers. Minister Felix said the absence of the MV Canawaima
from regular service does not preclude persons from observing the law. “Persons arriving must first ensure that they check with the Immigration office on departing Suriname and report to the Immigration on arrival in Guyana. Failure to do so, if caught, will expose you to prosecution,” he said. Immigration processing in Region Six is being done at immigration offices located at Republic Square, Springlands or Port Moleson Creek. According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) release, Terminal Manager Gale Culley-Greene had explained that the M.V. Canawaima has been experiencing mechanical difficulties for some time, and a de-
cision was taken to have the vessel assessed and repaired. The Terminal Manager further disclosed that if the ferry is docked, a replacement vessel would be sourced. The matter is engaging the attention of both Guyanese and Surinamese authorities, the DPI release concluded. It is not the first time the ferry service has been suspended due to mechanical problems with the vessel. Back in January 2018, the ferry service was down from January 6-14, 2018, since at the time, the M.V Canawaima was scheduled for an emergency docking in order to restore both engines. “The M.V. Canawaima continues to experience extensive mechanical challeng-
es that prompted the hire of a tug to assist in the propulsion of the vessel,” then Terminal Manager, Deyne Harry, had told a news conference at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. The ferry vessel, which travels from Moleson Creek on the Guyana side of the border with Suriname to South Drain on the other side, has been reportedly delayed on several occasions due to mechanical problems. The Guyana Government has since dismissed speculations that it was mulling taking control of the Guyana/Suriname ferry service even as it lamented that the Dutch-speaking neighbour was not honouring its side of the agreement regarding the maintenance of the vessel.
Government was seeking an early meeting with the authorities to deal with the issue. In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminded that the operation of the ferry vessel, Canawaima, has been suspended to facilitate repairs and servicing by the joint company – the Canawaima Management Company – which is responsible for the service. “It would seem that timely action was not taken by the relevant authorities to initiate repairs to the MV Canawaima, when it sustained damage to one engine in September 2017. Since the company was unable to secure the funds intended to
meet the routine repair costs, the vessel had to be pulled by a tug-boat to facilitate passengers wishing to travel between Moleson Creek Terminal and the South Drain Terminal,” the ministry’s statement read. According to the ministry, the ferry service between Guyana and Suriname was officially launched on November 6, 1998. It is a joint venture and the financial and other arrangements for defraying operational expenses are outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Government of the Republic of Suriname.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 11, 2019
Man gets 25 years for cricket bat murder
JUSTICE Navindra Singh, on Monday, jailed 21-yearold Jonathan Budhan for 25 years after a 12-member jury returned a guilty verdict for manslaughter against him. The young man was initially charged for murdering 40-year-old Deon Manbodh, called Ramesh, who was the uncle of his girlfriend, Bena Manbodh. Reports are that Budhan, of Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, who was 19 at the time of the incident, lashed Ramesh, of 655 Best Village, West Coast Demerara, to the head on October 20, 2016. Ramesh was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital and was in a coma for five days, after which he succumbed to his injuries. From the testimonies given during the trial, on October 20th, Budhan was with his girlfriend Bena, when her uncle, Ramesh, approached
the two and ‘embarrassed them in public’, then took his niece away with him. The accused, who lived with his aunt, Basmattie Baksh, went home after the incident and complained to her about the public scene Ramesh created. He told his aunt that Ramesh would constantly harass him and call him names, and that he was embarrassed. He further noted that the man would continuously tease him and his gender, and call him an ‘anti-man’. The aunt, who testified in court, said that she and her nephew were waiting on the bridge of her home, to ask Ramesh what had transpired. Ramesh lived a few houses away, so he had to pass their home to get to his. When Ramesh came, the aunt said she was trying to find out from him what really happened, and they agreed to walk down to the place where he confronted
Jonathan Budhan hides his face with the Holy Bible, as police escorted him out of the courtroom
the teen-couple, to find out the full story from the people around. It was while they were walking that Budhan used his cricket bat and dealt a lash behind Ramesh’s head, causing him to fall to the ground, unconscious. Baksh told the court that she didn’t see the bat in her nephew’s
Alleged serial robber back in court SERIAL armed robber, Omalo Williams called ‘Mal’, was on Monday, June 10, 2019, remanded to prison on two armed robbery charges committed hours after being released on bail by a City Magistrate for similar charges. Williams, 27, of Leopold Street, Georgetown, and a former national footballer, appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Particulars of the first charge alleged that on May 25, 2019, at Smyth and Leopold Street, Williams, while being in the company of
Omalo Williams called ‘Mal’
others and armed with a gun, robbed LaToya Lowenfield of a $170,000 cell phone. It is further alleged that on the same day and location, Williams, while being in the
company of others and armed with a gun, robbed Orwin Lowenfield of a cell phone and cash totalling $91,000. Police Prosecutor, Adduni Inniss, strongly opposed to Williams being released on bail and told the court that the accused was released from prison on May 24, 2019, after being behind bars on remand for nine similar charges. Inniss explained that Williams committed the crimes hours after his release from prison. The Acting Chief Magistrate ruled in favour of the prosecution and remanded Williams to prison until June 24, 2019.
No bail for woman nabbed with ganja in panty liner box A 35-year-old woman, who was nabbed by police, in Mahdia, with a quantity of cannabis hidden in a Kotex Panty liner box was, on Monday, June 10, 2019, remanded to prison on a drug trafficking charge. Shaffen Donette of 111 Miles, Mahdia appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and pleaded not guilty to the charge. Particulars of the charge alleged that, on June 8, 2019,
Shaffen Donette
at 3 Miles, Mahdia, Donette had 220 grams of cannabis in her possession for the purpose of trafficking. Police Prosecutor Shellon Daniels told the court that, on the day in question, police in
Mahdia, while conducting a stop and search exercise, intercepted a minibus in which Donette was traveling. However, nothing was found in the minibus and the ranks searched a handbag Donette had in her possession. Prosecutor Daniels told the court that seven parcels of cannabis were found hidden inside of a Kotex Panty liner box which the accused had in her handbag.
hand, until the lash was fired. It was proven that Budhan had the bat all along, and even after Ramesh fell to the ground, he continued to hit him. The doctor who testified, Nehaul Singh, said that the post-mortem conducted showed that Ramesh was lashed three times, and that
the lashes had to have been dealt with force because of the damage it caused to the head. However, Budhan said he only hit Ramesh once with his bat, and that it was out of frustration, after a series of provocation he faced from the now deceased. The jury gave a notguilty verdict for murder, but a guilty verdict for the lesser offence of manslaughter. Justice Singh said that he believes the jury was lenient in their verdict, because he was prepared to impose the life sentence. Defence attorney Nigel Hughes pointed the Judge to the issue of provocation, and that his client was very young. Hughes said that Budhan had no previous interactions with the law, and that he was very remorseful. He posed the case of acting out of emotions, and long build-up of hate for the treatment he received from his
girlfriend’s uncle. When given the opportunity to speak, Budhan broke down in tears saying he was very sorry for what happened, and begged the judge for mercy. Justice Singh was unshaken by his tears, as he said that he doesn’t believe that Budhan is sorry for what he did, but rather, he believes he is sorry for himself. The judge said even though he would often be lenient with youths, to give them a second chance, he would have given Budhan a life sentence since it was proven that his actions were premeditated and not instantaneous. As such, Justice Singh sentenced him to 25 years in prison. His relatives, who were present in the courtroom, burst into tears as they watched him being escorted to prison by police ranks.
Muammar Jabbar finally charged for 2013 murder of customer AFTER almost six years on the run, Muammar Jabbar, accused of stabbing a man to death at James Street, Albouystown, was, on Monday, finally arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for the capital offence. Jabbar, also called Christopher Haynes, 31, of Number 41 Village, Berbice, appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus and was not required to plead to the indictable charge. Particulars of the charge alleged that Jabbar, on August 20, 2013, at James Street, Albouystown, while being armed with a knife, murdered Tolasicy Marshall called ‘Tala.' The unrepresented Jabbar explained that he is currently before a court in Berbice for armed robbery and has been on remand for the last few months. Inspector of Police, Prosecutor Shellon Daniels, told the court that Jabbar has been evading the police by using the alias of ‘Christopher Haynes.’ The Acting Chief Magistrate remanded Jabbar to prison until June 24, 2019. It is alleged that Marshall, of Hogg Street, Albouystown, had paid Jabbar a large sum of cash for him to make a gold chain. However, Jabbar did not fulfil the agreement.
Tolasicy Marshall called ‘Tala.'
Muammar Jabbar called Christopher Haynes
The Guyana Chronicle was told back then that Marshall had gone to Jabbar, formerly of James Street, Albouystown, and collected a gold chain, but it weighed less than what he had paid for. It is alleged that the man confronted Jabbar about the money owed, but this caused a dispute between them. On August 20, 2013, Jabbar, who was armed with a knife, confronted Marshall and stabbed him twice to his chest. Jabbar then made good his escape, while Marshall was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he died while receiving treatment. According to reports, Jabbar was arrested by police in March 2019, under the name of Christopher Haynes, for
the armed robbery committed on a 60-year-old cattle and rice farmer and his wife at the couple’s home in Corentyne, Berbice. He was reportedly nabbed in an abandoned house at Number 72 Village, Corentyne and placed before the Albion Magistrate’s Court, Berbice and remanded. It was while on remand that the true identity of the person known as Christopher Haynes began to unravel and the prison authorities discovered that he was Muammar Jabbar, who was wanted for murder. Police from the Major Crimes Unit was alerted and the wanted man was then questioned. He then reportedly confessed to the murder.
GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 11, 2019
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Guyana-born Venezuelan not allowed to register’ in TT
A Guyanese-born, naturalized Venezuelan, Greensley Lael Henry is hoping he can be registered along with other Venezuelan nationals at Achievors Banquet Hall, San Fernando. Photo: Lincoln Holder
BORN in Guyana, Venezuela citizen 43-year-old Greensley Lael Edson Henry is hoping to register today at the San Fernando centre for immigrants, two days after he said immigration officials denied him from doing so inPort of Spain. Henry said: “I am here not because I want to be here, but because of the political situation in Venezuela. I am a citizen of Venezuela and I want to register like other Venezuelans.” But, he added, “They told me to go back Guyana
because things are looking good now for that country.” Henry and scores of other Venezuelans waited outside Achievors Banquet Hall in Duncan Village yesterday to register in the amnesty drive. The father of four told Newsday that on Saturday, he and his family went to the Port of Spain centre, but he was the only one not allowed to register, because of his birth country. Showing his Venezuelan passport and identification card, Henry said he moved to that country as a child. His wife and FROM PAGE 9
CCJ to rule on confidence... in the Court of Appeal can be best described as a twostage formula. His Attorney, Senior Counsel Courtenay told the CCJ that the Opposition could not have tabled a No-Confidence Motion against Government because it simply is not provided for in the Constitution of Guyana. Both Courtenay and Boston argued that Charrandass Persaud was an intruder in the House, and was not eligible to vote, as such his vote was not valid. The Constitution prohibits Members of Parliament from being Dual Citizens but Charrandass Persaud occupied a seat in the House regardless. His Lawyer, Sanjeev Datadin had argued that he was unaware of the requirements of the Constitution but one day after the oral arguments in the CCJ concluded, Charrandass Persaud confessed that he knew he ought not to have been there. “I knew that people with dual citizenship could not hold a seat in parliament. That was a given, that’s a constitutional article that we can’t get away from. What I did in fact argue, and when I told Khemraj, I said that I have a Canadian passport, Khemraj said ‘rass with you, a lot of people have Canadian passports, look at Gail Teixeira’ and that’s what he said,” Persaud said on a programme broadcast on Youtube. The Attorney, through his attorney, has applied to the CCJ to admit the recording as evidence. Meanwhile, in the case Zulfikar Mustapha vs Attorney General, both the High Court and the Court of Appeal had ruled that Justice (Ret’d) Patterson’s appointment by President Granger was legitimate. In October 2017, President Granger swore in Justice (Ret’d) Patterson as Chairman of GECOM after rejecting three lists of nominees totaling 18 names submitted by the Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on the grounds that they were unacceptable within the meaning of the Constitution of Guyana. Faced with three unacceptable lists, the President resorted to the proviso found within Article 161 (2), which permits him to independently appoint a chairman.
two of their four children are Venezuelan by birth. “I was living there, went to school and everything there and became a naturalised citizen. There were many other people born in Caribbean countries, became citizens of Venezuela and could register. What about me?” Henry works as an air-conditioning technician and lives at Santa Cruz. (Trinidad and Tobago NewsDay)
Hydromet forecasts heavy rainfall over the next few days GUYANESE are asked to take the necessary precautions over the next few days as the Hydromet Office forecasts weather conditions may produce water accumulation or flooding in flood-prone areas and mudslides in hilly areas. According to the forecast, Georgetown will experience cloudy skies across coastal areas with scattered showers. Rainfall is expected to be at maximum 25mm. All other areas will see mostly overcast skies with frequent showers and thundershowers, and rainfall is expected to be between 20mm to 50mm. Small craft operators and marine users can expect moderate seas, with wave heights between 2 to 2.5m in open waters.
The Hydromet Office is cautioning citizens that over the next three days -- Monday to Wednesday-- overcast skies with moderate to heavy thundershowers and continuous rain will be observed throughout Guyana. Showery events are likely to be accompanied by gusting winds before and during downpours. Rainfall is anticipated between 50mm to 100mm within 24 hours with the highest expected on Monday and Wednesday along the coastal areas. On Thursday, citizens can expect cloudy to occasionally overcast skies with occasional showers throughout Guyana. Isolated thundershowers may be observed in some areas. Rainfall is expected between 15mm to 30mm within a 24-hour period.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 11, 2019
Throwing it back to BG ‘57 –– with Sister Penda Guyan, President of the Ghana Day Organisation By Naomi Marshall AS Guyana rolls out the red carpet in honour of visiting Ghanaian Head of State, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Guyana Chronicle took a little walk down memory lane with Sister Penda Guyan to the very first ‘Ghana Day’ celebrations that were held here in the then British Guiana(BG). For Sister Penda, who was but a slip of a girl back then,it was “a spectacular moment.” Though just 13 at the time, she distinctly recalls that the celebration took place on March 6, 1957, the date on which Ghana, formerly known as the Gold Coast, had the distinction of becoming the very first African country to gain its independence from Great Britain, to be followed some nine years later, on May 26, 1966 by the then British Guiana, with which it shared the same colonial masters. Now President of the Ghana Day Organisation, Sister Penda said the historic event took place under the stewardship of the legendary Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first ever Prime Minister and President. Such was the strong bond between Guyana and Ghana, she said, that when Ghana gained its independence, the entire BG rejoiced with it. “We like to think of ourselves as ethnic Ghanaians. I was a little girl, but I remember how excited we were, because it was a holiday, and it was a big celebration,” Sister Penda said, adding: “What they did was very significant. The evening before, they would go to the community grounds, and they would do a big ceremony. They did it exactly the way they would have done when they celebrated in Ghana. They would have drums, libations and rituals. It was grand; it was really grand.” But that was not the end of the celebrations, as there
was yet more to come. “The next morning,” Sister Penda said, “they would have the procession through the streets, and a Ghana Day
sun goes down. They would then disperse.” She recalled that the whole ‘Ghana Day’ idea was an initiative young Forbes
The monument erected in the Arcadia Cemetery to commemorate Ghana’s Independence
President of the Ghana Day Organisation, Sister Penda Guyan, with a replica of the Sankofa bird, a symbol of Ghana, which signifies ‘Looking back to gain wisdom to go forward’
Queen was chosen to represent her village. All around the villages, the horse carts would be decorated; they will put the ladies and the children all dressed in African outfits on the cart, and they would be going through the streets with drummers. Then they would come back at the community ground, where they would have cooking and eating of all creole foods. It was quite spectacular.” However, here in the city, celebrations were a little bit different, in that it took on more of a carnival-like atmosphere, with tramping and suck like. “In the city,” Sister Penda recalled, “the people would incorporate steel bands stationed on trucks, and would march until the
Burnham, who, like Nkrumah, was himself into politics and a staunch advocate of Pan-Africanism, and would later lead his country to independence, and become first, prime minister, then president. A CARIBBEAN T’ING What was remarkable, however, according to Sister Penda, was that ‘Ghana Day’ was not only celebrated in BG, but all across the Caribbean, and the African Diaspora. “It’s like we are celebrating ourselves, because here we got this freedom; it was like a big freedom rally that we were able, in one part of the world, to shake off colonialism.” Sadly, after a good num-
Villagers of Mocha- Arcadia celebrating ‘Ghana Day’ on March 6, 1957
ber of years, the celebration of ‘Ghana Day’ would unfortunately peter out, as it was no longer considered a holiday. It wasn’t until 2011 that it was revitalised and celebrated on the Sunday closest to March 6, Sister Penda said, “because if we celebrate it on the 6th , we won’t get the participation.” Today, the Ghana Day Organisation is working relentlessly on not just reviving the event, but retaining it as well, with the aim of “bringing back the spirt of culture, morality, community, respect
for family and oneself.” Sister Penda said, too, that she hopes for ‘Ghana Day’ to be a holiday once more, and that the strong bond once enjoyed by Guyana and Ghana will return. Long-time Mocha-Arcadia resident, Webblay Lupe, who was just six when Guyana first celebrated ‘Ghana Day’, remembers only too well the pomp and ceremony that surrounded the event, and the gatherings at the small village office in Mocha to engage in a cook-out, which invariably comprised of such creole dishes as fu-
fu, cou-cou and metem. Lupe noted that in order for the celebratory spirit to be reignited, the people of the village “got to cooperate; go back to the old days of selfhelp, and just don’t look for monetary rewards.” Lupe also recalls when a monument was erected in the village to commemorate Ghana’s Independence. That monument is located in the Arcadia Cemetery, and has a space reserved on it for the placement of a plaque.
GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 11, 2019
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Caribbean behind on FATF compliance, says anti-money laundering organisation BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, June 9, CMC –The Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) says the Caribbean has fallen behind on meeting standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). ACAMS executive director, Rick McDonell, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that up to half of the countries in the region are not adequately compliant in meeting FATF regulations. He said while countries have done a lot of work to ensure the passage of the required anti-money laundering legislation, a number
of them have been placed on the FATF’s grey list because there are still concerns about effectiveness of those laws. “So for money laundering or anti-money laundering, you need to have strong laws in place, you need to have a financial intelligence unit that receives suspicious transactions that are reported by the banks or other institutions, and other frameworks to help to make sure that there are tools available. “And in terms of Barbados and most other countries in the region, those tools are available to a reasonable degree. Barbados is in the process of increasing those tools and making them
stronger. “The other side of the assessment process is how well as the system been achieving its goals of deterring financial crime; deterring money laundering or proactively prosecuting people. It’s on that level that the compliance levels are not high,” he said. McDonell said that it will take “a long time” to prove that the systems are effective, given that the standards are relatively new. “You might have the right laws, you might have good supervisory capabilities, but are they actually showing results? That might take years and years to achieve.” He said there is no set
standard for compliance, and evaluations are conducted on an individual basis, and it will be a challenge for countries to prove they are compliant. “I can’t predict what the outcome of those evaluations will be because every country is different in the sense of what laws, what effective measures are in place, but the scorecard is looking like it needs improvement across the board in terms of all countries in this region and other regions. “The FATF standards are rigorous; they’re demanding, but they’re there for a purpose. That is to ensure that the financial system is clean, and stops crooked money
Guyana rolls out red carpet...
FROM PAGE 3
When President Akufo-Addo and team leave Guyana on Wednesday, the Ghanaian President will be escorted by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo to the CJIA. Prior to his departure, he will exchange farewells with President Granger and the official party. The entire Guyanese Government Cabinet will be represented during the visit as well as Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Carl Greenidge; Director General at the Ministry of the Presidency, Mr. Joseph Harmon; Director General at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, C.C.H, H.E. Audrey Waddell; Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Ivan Evelyn and Director of Bilateral Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Michael Brotherson. Accompanying President Akufo-Addo is a contingent of over 40 individuals from the Ghanaian government; government agencies and other offices. Ministers representing the government of Ghana include Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi. Also attending are: High Commissioner of Ghana to Guyana, H.E Abena Pokua Adompim Busia; Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante; Deputy Chief of Staff, Hon. Francis Asenso-Boakye; Director of State Protocol, H.E. Ahmed Hassan; Aide, Mr. Edward Akufo-Addo; Aide-de-Camp to the President Capt., Brig.
Gen. Bismark Onwona; Chief Security Officer, Edmund Kojo Koda and others. COMMON INTERESTS Guyana and the West African country of Ghana are tied in history and common interests. The ties between the two span four decades, the Department of Public Information reported. According to DPI, Guyana’s first Prime Minister Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham had a personal relationship with Ghana’s first Prime Minister and President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. The Transatlantic slave trade was no pleasant experience for Africans from the West. The British inhumane treatment of our ancestors was most undesirable. However, what came to Guyana through the bitter experiences have left a long-lasting legacy. Guyana and Ghana have been inextricably linked through many aspects including marriage, funerals, culinary arts, music and dance, among others. At the recent accreditation of Ghana’s new High Commissioner to Guyana Professor Abena Busia, President David Granger noted it is a favourable time for the deepening and strengthening of cooperation between the two states. “Guyana and Ghana have enjoyed cordial relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties on 14th May 1979, forty years ago. Our relations are founded on mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and
sovereignty, cooperation for mutual benefit, respect for international law and treaties and the maintenance of international peace and security,” he told the new Ambassador. Back in 1957, Guyana joined in heralding Ghana’s Independence. Some cultural organisations in Guyana today, join in the celebration of Ghana Day, on March 6, each year, paying homage to the millions of ancestors plucked from their homes through the Transatlantic slave trade. Remnants of African culture in the form of music, dance, food and dress in Guyana, were adopted from Ghana. According to President David Granger, the state visit of President Akufo- Addo will result in practical measures aimed at enhancing relations and cooperation between the two states, particularly in the fields of agriculture, culture, energy, environment, investment, petroleum production, private sector cooperation, tourism and transportation. “Guyana is in transition towards the establishment of a ‘green state’ which will see more emphasis being placed on the protection of our environment, the preservation of our biodiversity, the promotion of renewable energy generation, and practical measures to ensure climate adaptation. Guyana’s ‘green state’ will allow us to respond more effectively to the challenges posed by climate change,” President Granger highlighted.
proceeds crime [from] coming in to the financial system. And you know it’s where it isn’t stopped there needs to be detection mechanisms in place, follow up investigations where necessary, and prosecutions following those investigations.” The senior official of the anti-money laundering organisation, said however, he remains optimistic that the Caribbean will eventually achieve compliance. “There’s follow up mechanisms on regular basis, so if you’ve done poorly as a country in relation to some or all of the standards, then you must report back on a regular basis to the CFATF
in terms of the Caribbean. “The other thing that gives me room for some confidence is that the governments in the region are treating it very seriously. There’s commitment to ensure full compliance in due time. And I think I can say that in relation to all of the countries in the region that I’ve spoken to, officials in almost all the countries in the Caribbean region, the level of commitment and the allocation of prioritized work to be done is a serious one,” he said. The issue of compliance was the focus of a recent anti-financial crime symposium held here.
‘Republic’ records $3.1B after-tax profit for 2018
REPUBLIC Bank Guyana Ltd (RBL) achieved a profit after tax of $3.1 billion in 2018, compared to $2.7 billion in 2017. According to the bank’s 2018 annual report, apart from the normal banking operations which accounted for $2,951.4 million, the increase was due to an extraordinary gain realised from the sale of a fixed asset. Managing Director of Republic Bank Guyana Ltd, Richard Sammy in his report said against a challenging external environment, the bank focused on improving its operational efficiency by aggressively managing costs, restructuring workflow processes and reviewing systems and procedures. “A key project, which commenced in 2018 and will be completed in 2019, is the Information Tech-
nology Consolidation Initiative that will harmonise the Bank’s IT platforms with other members within the Republic Group, ultimately advancing our technology and improving our product and service offerings to our customers,” said Sammy. Chairman of Republic Bank Guyana Limited, Nigel Baptiste in his report said as Guyana prepares for first oil in 2020, Republic Bank is committed to supporting this emerging sector as well as Government-led initiatives to diversify some of the traditional sectors of the economy. International Oil and Gas companies are committed to further exploration which will require mobilisation of both foreign and local resources. “This is expected to bolster positive relationships with Small and
Medium Enterprises and further enhance prospects and perspectives of Guyana’s natural resource potential,” said Baptiste. Republic Bank, he said, remains committed to the long term sustainable development of the financial sector through enabling greater access to affordable financing options across all segments, improved deployment of technological solutions and meeting the market at the point of need, while at the same time supporting opportunities for economic growth. “A related ongoing focus is the reorganisation of the Credit and Sales functions and the development of the teams to understand, anticipate and meet emerging needs for a much improved customer experience,” said the chairman.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 11, 2019
O&G concerns, suggestions shared at Civil Society forum CITIZENS were able to express their concerns and share suggestions for the developing oil and gas sector as local civil society group joined hands to foster an open space for discussions and collaborative thinking. On Saturday, at the Marian Academy, civil society groups: Policy Forum Guyana, Transparency International Guyana Inc (TIGI) and the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) hosted a platform for discussions on the topic: “Fathoming the future: What to do about Oil and Gas.” “It’s a heavy topic, but the aim is to get- from this process and similar processes in the future- a consensus from Guyanese on what type of future we would like to have as we move into this new era,” Executive Member of the GHRA Kerry Anne Kansinally said. According to her, the idea of the forum was to provide a space where members of civil society could openly express how they feel about the developing industry and how they believe that revenues should be spent to effect a better life for all Guyanese. Saturday’s forum took an ‘Open Space’ setting which, according to the GHRA Executive, is like a “marketplace of discussions.” “The agenda is set by the participants in the group,” she explained, adding: It’s an opportunity for people to learn and share ideas.” The aim of the forum was to gather this information from participants through a series of democractic steps. Upon arrival, participants were immediately asked to detail some areas of focus in the sector. This was compiled and displayed for everyone to see, and then all participants would have voted for the areas of focus they were most interested in discussing. Subsequently, they divided themselves into
Participants of the ‘Open Space’ discussion voting on what areas of focus within the Oil and Gas sector they would like to discuss [Delano Williams photos]
Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Specialist Lawrence Lachmansingh
One of the breakout discussions at Saturday’s forum on the Oil and Gas sector
breakout groups focusing on the topics of their choice. At the forum, diversification through the oil and gas sector, oil spill preparedness, political readiness, corruption and greater education were among some of the areas of focus advanced by the participants. Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Specialist Lawrence Lachmansingh, who is currently a consultant for TIGI, also explained that the forum was fashioned in this way so that it would be as inclusive as possible. “It's very democratic in the sense that everyone who enters this
APOLOGY
room had the opportunity to say what their top priorities were and then when all of those were placed on a board, they could subsequently vote for the topics they wanted to discuss,” he said. And through this process, persons come up with positive recommendations themselves and when those are collected, they would be further distilled to identify what the major priorities are. “Whatever comes out from this we will be responsible afterwards to see how we will make it happen,” he said as well. Illustrating this aim,
Lachmansingh explained that if there is a consensus that there should be greater focus on the environmental aspects of the emerging sector, the recommendations given in this regard will be assessed, filtered and subsequently, worked on. The civil society groups would work to structure tangible projects that could deal with this. But Lachmansingh also drew attention to the leeway the forum provides for continuity. He stated that what a session like this does is start a conversation which will continue to happen, even as the bodies seek to operation-
Not Exxon THE Guyana Chronicle wishes to apologise for incorrectly stating that “Exxon Mobil” is among a number of investors financing projects at the Wales Estate as is
alise whatever the priorities advanced are. “It’s a process with no immediate ‘next steps’,” Kansinally said too. Instead, she explained, similar sessions will be held in an attempt to continuously gather information. “We will show and highlight the main recommendations or priorities that people feel oil and gas should be addressing and we can start deciding how to move from there,” the woman posited. GOVERNANCE AGENDA For TIGI specifically, it is
expected that a governance agenda could be crafted out of the discussions had. “Overarchingly, we want to fashion the agenda to include what people in society want done [vis a vis oil and gas and its governance] and if this is what people want the body will then fashion projects to match that,” President of the Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc. (TIGI), Dr. Troy Thomas said. He explained that through funding from the Open Society to do the planning aspect of creating that agenda, the body worked in collaboration with the GHRA and Policy Forum on this Open Space. Dr. Thomas noted that the aim behind this was to begin creating an oil and gas agenda, focusing particularly on governance, that civil society would be able to execute. This encompasses taking the suggestions made by citizens and members of civil society determining how these can be fashioned into legitimate projects, which funding can be sought for their implementation. Take for example, citizens want to rigorously monitor a specific process within the oil and gas industry; a project could be crafted around to allow for an independent regulatory body to do so. “As simple as those ideas are, when they [the participants] discuss them, they will go into an agenda and it is our job to fashion it in a way that works overall and seek funding to execute them,” the TIGI head said. He also noted that in crafting this agenda, the forum allows for the body to identify its potential partners. What this means is that based on what are the areas people want greater focus on, the civil society bodies would then approach the relevant stakeholders to chart the way forward.
published in the story “Exxon, others investing at Wales Estate” dated June 6, 2019. The Guyana Chronicle has since been informed that one of the companies investing is a company that is looking to manufacture equipment to sell to Exxon Mobil. However, the company is in no way affiliated to Exxon Mobil. Guyana Chronicle regrets the error.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 11, 2019
Stena Forth drillship en route to Guyana –– plans for future ‘multi well-drilling campaign’
THE Stena Forth drillship, to be utilized to drill two wells in the Orinduik Block, is now en route to Guyana from West Africa for a June 24, 2019 arrival. The drillship is expected to spud the Jethro Lobe prospect offshore Guyana on or around June 26, 2019 and the Joe prospect --- located nearby --- right after. Companies involved are anticipating a 40 per cent Chance of Success for both prospects being hailed as “potentially transformational wells” while there are plans to drill up to six additional wells on Orinduik across 15 prospects. This and more were announced on Monday by Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd. which holds a 15 per cent working interest in the Orinduik block and works alongside Total which owns 25 per cent and Tullow Oil, 60 per cent. “The Stena Forth is be-
tion well is to be drilled on the Jethro Lobe prospect, as announced on 5 December 2018. The second well is the Joe prospect, a few kilometres away. The two wells are not contingent and will be drilled immediately one after the other,” a release stated. The Stena Forth drillship has been operating for Tullow in West Africa on an existing contract and will now transition to Guyana, fully crewed and with experienced personnel. A smooth transition and with less rig-up and training time is expected. In a resource study, known as the competent person’s report (CPR), Eco Atlantic said the Orinduik block is estimated to contain a resource of around 2.9 billion barrels of oil and gas equivalent in 10 large prospects. However, the release added: “Whatever the outcome of the two planned wells, we have enough capital for a
The Stena Forth drillship (Daily Business Group photo)
main risks are the quality of the seal and the presence of a trap. Thanks to our successful
The location of the Orinduik Block offshore Guyana (Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd photo)
ing mobilized for Eco and its partners, Tullow Guyana B.V. and Total EP Guyana BV for a committed two well campaign. The first explora-
multi well-drilling campaign. We know that there are hydrocarbons on the Block, and good quality sands like those on Stabroek, therefore the
US$17 million placement and subscription in April, we have a cash balance today of over US$35 million so we are in the fortunate position
of being fully funded to drill up to six additional wells on Orinduik, across the fifteen identified prospects.” It was explained to the newspaper last year by Tullow Oil’s spokesman, George Cazenove, that after a period of 30-45 days post drilling, the results of the Jethro Lobe prospect should be available. In the meanwhile, the two wells will test both the Upper and Lower Tertiary aged turbidites, while Jethro will also be drilled down to the Cretaceous section. Studies show that much of the world’s heavy oil is found in Cretaceous reservoir rocks due to a combination of tectonic, climatic, geological, and biological factors. Eco (Atlantic) indicated on Monday that the focus is on near-term oil production while the exploration programme has been ordered around “risking, development and deliverability of oil for the people of Guyana and our stakeholders.” However, Eco Atlantic said that a further announcement will confirm the spud date of the first well.
Speaking on the mobilization, Chief Operating Officer at Eco Atlantic, Colin Kinley, stated that the mobilization of the Stena Forth is the final stage of a long, conservative and quality-controlled process. “Our team, together with Tullow and Total, have comprehensively interpreted the nearly 3,000 km2 of 3D seismic data we shot over and beyond Orinduik and have selected the first two targets that we feel will allow us to accelerate the Block’s development,” Kinley said. “With the Stena Forth now mobilizing westwards to Guyana waters, we are on course to drill a pair of potentially transformational wells for the Company, for the Block partners, and for Guyana.” The Chief Operating Officer further indicated that with 13 discoveries in just three years from ExxonMobil’s adjacent Stabroek Block totaling over 5.5 billion of barrels of oil equivalent, the commitment between Eco Atlantic’s joint venture partners has been recharged. He stated that the in-
volved partners have since expedited and significantly expanded their work programme far beyond committed requirements. According to a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) signed between the Government of Guyana, Tullow Guyana B.V and Eco (Atlantic) Guyana Inc, the country could benefit from as much as 60 per cent in oil profit. Benefits also include a one per cent royalty once the explorations are successful and the companies start pumping for oil. The Orinduik Block licence was applied for in March 2014 and was awarded to Eco and Tullow in January 2016 with a first well commitment for 2021/2022. Meanwhile, the Carapa prospect over in the Kanuku Block offshore Guyana, is expected to be tested on the Kanuku licence in the third quarter of 2019. In 2018, Tullow increased its equity share in the Kanuku licence from 30 per cent to 37.5 per cent through a farm-in deal with Repsol.
Police probe death of psychiatric patient POLICE are investigating the death of a patient at the National Psychiatric Hospital during a fight at the institution Sunday night. Steffon Francis, 28, formerly
of Kitty Public Road, Georgetown, was found motionless with a wound over his left eye just before midnight on Sunday. Director of Health Services, Mr. Jevaughn Stephens, while
confirming the incident, said that preliminary findings revealed that the incident occurred just before midnight during which period there was a fight. Meanwhile, reports revealed
that Francis was admitted at the mental health institution, on June 3 for substance abuse. During Sunday night there was an argument between Francis and another patient over a cig-
arette when the fight broke out. Following the incident, the police were notified before the unconscious Francis was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital where his death was confirmed.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday June 11, 2019
Regular polygraph tests for police commanders- Min. Ramjattan
MINISTER of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, has confirmed that the Guyana Police Force is moving in the direction of having frequent and random polygraph tests for its commanders, branch heads and other officers. The tests however will not apply to the Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, and his four deputies, Nigel Hoppie, Paul Williams, Maxine Graham and Lyndon Alves. Ramjattan confirmed this during an interview on Monday where he was asked to comment on the practice. He said regular polygraph testing is a feature which has been ongoing in many police forces and ser-
Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan
vices around the world. “It is part and parcel of the vetting process and to enhance the integrity of the organisation so that we prevent those kinds of things like what happened at SOCU- Special
Organised Crime Unit” Ramjattan explained. The minister said that the tests will target officers who are in some very key positions but those positions will not include those in the top command of the force. In fact, the Ministry of Public Security would be relying on the advice of those in the top command, namely the Commissioner and his deputies to recommend the officers who should be subjected to the tests. “That is something we will have to work out with the police administration because they are in a better position and better equipped to identify the individuals and areas which should be
focused on also,” the minister noted. Ramjattan told this publication that the process is a very expensive one but it nevertheless has to be done as the government wishes to prevent similar occurrences like the one that has taken place at the Special Organised Crime Unit. Last year the force commenced an audit into the operations of the Special Organised Crime Unit after claims that administrative funds were being mismanaged by the agency head, Assistant Commissioner Sydney James, a former Army senior officer who was seconded to the Guyana Police and made to head the unit
under the PPP administration. On Monday the security minister said that at the moment government is not in the position to internally conduct the polygraph tests of officers but assured that systems are being put in place to have a core group of persons locally who can conduct the tests as against Guyana outsourcing the service. Reference was made by the minister about utilising the services of the United States. He said assistance for this round of the examination would also come from specialists out of Jamaica. “It must be done, it’s an expensive exercise but I want to see it implemented,
look these things are best practices and they are done in almost every other police force around the world, those who do not want to do it will be in violation of the policy and those violations will have consequences” the Security Minister explained. This not the first time that persons involved in the local law enforcement arm would have been subjected to such tests. A few years ago the tests were conducted and resulted in a number of very senior officers from the Guyana revenue Authority and Customs anti-Narcotics being sent packing after they failed the test.
Teen travelling on skidder crushed to death A 15-year-old was crushed to death on Sunday, after he lost balance on a Skidder he was travelling on
while exiting the backdams of Region 10, (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice). Dead is Delroy
Welchman. The body is currently at the Kwakwani Burial Ground on ice, awaiting autopsy.
Welchman, a labourer, was travelling with h i s t w o c o l l e a g u e s a fter delivering their last trip of lumber on a truck. The trio decided to use the skidder to exit the backdams and on the way out, the skidder hit a bump downhill and the teenager who was standing on the
left side lost his footing and fell between the wheels. The driver immediately stopped but the skidder already ran over Welchman’s body. His two colleagues rushed him to the Kwakwani Hospital using a lorry and he was pronounced dead on arrival at 21:00hrs Sunday night.
The body was examined and it was observed that it had bruises to both sides of the temples, swelling to face and eyelid, bruise to left forearm, bruises to the upper left side of back. His colleagues were taken into police custody at the Kwakwani Police Station as investigations continue.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 11, 2019
FROM BACK PAGE
Golden Golden trio tightening grip on men’s tennis game Jaguars ready By Martyn Herman LONDON (Reuters) - It has been more than 15 years since Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic began their collection of Grand Slam titles and the bad news for anyone eyeing tennis’s big prizes is their stranglehold on men’s tennis is as tight as ever. Nadal, a few days after turning 33, proved unstoppable at Roland Garros for a 12th time on Sunday as he crushed Dominic Thiem with the same frightening intensity that he displayed when beating Mariano Puerta to win his first French Open in 2005. Federer, who will be 38 in August, played dazzling tennis to reach the semi-final before Nadal and a Parisian gale did for his hopes of a record-extending 21st Grand Slam title. The 32-yearold Djokovic, meanwhile, is stuck on 15, three behind Nadal, after falling agonisingly short of holding all four majors at the same time for the second time. Between them they now have 53 Grand Slam titles from the last 64 played dating back to Federer’s first Wimbledon triumph in 2003
Roland Garros, Paris, France - Spain’s Rafael Nadal poses with the trophy after winning the final against Austria’s Dominic Thiem on Sunday. (REUTERS/Charles Platiau)
when he was aged 21. What is more, the trio have shared the last 10 between them in their third era of total domination, having won 11 in a row between 2010 and 2012 and 18 in a row between 2005 and 2009. Austrian Thiem, ranked fourth in the world but still without a Grand Slam title, is now 25. By that age the three players above him were already multiple Grand Slam champions. Thiem said that he will strive to get better and better, but knows they will too. Their relentless desire to stay
ahead of the chasing pack is why only seven other men have won a Grand Slam title in the last 16 years. With the exception of Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka who have won three apiece, four of them have been one-Slam wonders. Marat Safin won his second major at the Australian Open in 2005 but that was before either Nadal or Djokovic had begun their count. After watching Nadal for the past two weeks, seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander believes
the Spaniard is still improving his game. “The way he hit his backhand against Thiem tells me he’s still working at his game, developing another way of playing,” the Swede, working for Eurosport, said. While chiefly motivated by his rivalries with Nadal and Djokovic, Federer says his enthusiasm to keep evolving as a player comes from watching the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev and the new challenges they bring. “It never gets boring, because every day plays different, every opponent plays different, every guy gives you different struggles,” Federer said last week. The way things look right now it might be Old Father Time that finally brings down the curtain on the current era, rather than the young pretenders stuck in the shadow of arguably the greatest three players ever to swing a racket. “Being in this era, it seems like it’s going to be hard for anyone to kind of do something the same that three of us did,” Djokovic said last week. “I don’t know what the future will bring, but I’m sure it will be bright.”
Women’s World Cup
Stubborn Argentina holds Japan to goalless draw (REUTERS) - Japan’s quest to reach a third consecutive women’s World Cup final began with a frustrating goalless draw against unheralded Argentina in Paris on Monday. Asako Takakura’s Japan kept almost two-thirds of ball possession in the first half but struggled to find a way past a disciplined Argentine centre-back pairing of Agustina Barroso and Aldana Cometti. Japan’s only meaningful chance came just after the interval when forward Kumi Yokoyama’s long-range effort forced goalkeeper Vanina Correa into her first save,
Japan’s Kumi Yokoyama in action with Argentina’s Miriam Mayorga REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
before Yuki Sugasawa blasted the rebound over the bar. The result ensured Carlos Borrello’s Argentina avoided defeat for the first time in a World Cup match, having lost each of their previous six games in the competition. Japan, who lifted the World Cup in 2011 by defeating the United States, will be disappointed with their sluggish display in the final third after recording just three attempts on target. The other game in Group D took place on Sunday, with England taking top spot after beating Scotland 2-1 in Nice.
to roar against Haiti tonight
GUYANA and Haiti will meet today for the first time since the French-speaking Island defeated the Golden Jaguars in 2012, as the two amplify their preparation for this year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. Haiti will open their Gold Cup campaign on June 16 against Bermuda, while Guyana will face defending Champions, USA, two days later in Minneapolis. However, tonight’s matchup, which takes place in Costa Rica, will be the last taste of international football for the Golden Jaguars before they wing out for St Pauls, Minnesota, to set up camp ahead of their Group D opening against the USA. According to a release from the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), they held their first training session on Sunday afternoon at the CAR Turrucares Playfield in San Jose. Johnson informed that despite just getting a few hours rest, everyone is fit and well and the session was satisfying. “We had to do something today, we knew the lads were tired but we knew we had to do something, bearing in mind that we have a game in 48 hours. So yes, it was a long journey but we got some good work in, a bit on how we want to play defensively without the ball, so it was a good session all in all, players have enjoyed it and now we are looking forward to (Monday’s) training session.” Touching a bit on team bonding, Johnson said it is getting better as the days go by, adding “I think the most important thing we see in camp is the unity. I’m not with all this local-based and international-based, what I’ve seen over the last week coming together is a unified group; a group that interacts well no matter where they’re from, we all pull on the same shirt to play for one common cause and that’s for Guyana.” Come the Haiti game, Johnson said they are looking to see improvements on a collective scale, reminding that it is not about the result at this juncture of preparations. “If it were about the result, I’d play the strongest team, I’d play everybody where they should be playing but for us, it‘s about learning and trying to keep something back and just making sure that the players are taking on board all the information we are giving them. The journey continues.” FROM BACK PAGE
Reifer says Barbadian Jofra Archer...
“So Jofra is a tremendous talent, we all know that. Like I said, we are looking forward to the game on Friday.” He added: “He obviously had the pace. He had a few injuries as a young guy but I’m guessing though he’s fully over those injuries and he is bowling very well for England.” Archer, in partnership with fellow speedster Mark Wood, has added a new dimension to England’s pace attack, making the hosts a
feared side. And with West Indies fortunes having fluctuated over the past two decades, there is no doubt Archer would have been an asset to the regional side. But Reifer reiterated that the issue of Archer’s allegiance was no longer up for discussion. “He made his choice,” the former West Indies captain smiled. Oshane Thomas, 22, had played just nine ODIs before the World Cup.
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Ferrari plan appeal after Vettel second-place Canada furore MONTREAL (AFP) - Ferrari announced on Monday their intention to appeal the controversial five-second time penalty that cost Sebastian Vettel his first victory of the season in the Canadian Grand Prix. In a move that requires the Italian team formally to support their decision with new evidence within 96 hours, Ferrari kept alive the controversy that followed the stewards’ mid-race penalty and resulted in a petulant demonstration of his fury afterwards by the German driver. Vettel was punished for making an unsafe re-entry to the action after 48 laps after running off track and across a strip of grass, his move squeezing Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes towards a wall and blocking him from trying to take the lead.
Vettel went on to win the race ‘on the road’, but after his time penalty was applied he dropped to second and Hamilton claimed a record-equalling seventh victory in Canada. In his annoyance, Vettel launched a tirade against the race stewards, stormed away from the immediate post-race interviews, moved a number two sign from his car to Hamilton’s vehicle and declared the race had been stolen from him and Ferrari. His team chief Mattia Binotto remained calm, but defiant, saying “we won the race.” Ferrari later notified the sport’s ruling body, the International Motoring Federation (FIA) of their intentions and now have until Thursday to supply fresh evidence. - ‘I would do the same’ -
Hamilton, who made clear Vettel’s re-entry was dangerous, later admitted if their positions had been reversed, he would have done the same. “I watched the replay,” he said. “It was obviously very close. If I was in the lead and I made a mistake and went wide, I probably would have done the same thing because it happened so quick and you’re just trying to hold your position,” he added. “When I say I would do the same, I would try to squeeze him too. That’s ultimately what happened.” Hamilton, however, defended the existence of the rule which led to the penalty. “Say you didn’t have that rule. I would have kept it lit and we would have crashed. So, one way or not, it was going to go badly,” he said.
He said Vettel’s move to squeeze his attack was understandable. “It’s a natural instinct that you have. You’re not going to go ‘actually, I better pull to the left and let everybody go by’. He did block me, but, unfortunately he went off-track,” he said. “Ferrari were so strong this weekend – a really formidable force. “We were lucky to be in the battle with them because they could have had a onetwo if they had a front row, for example, but, luckily, I was able to stop that.” Hamilton also rejected suggestions comparing Vettel’s mishap to the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix, where he was handed a post-race time penalty that gave a race win to Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, the last incident of this type to decide a race.
Sebastian Vettel swapped the number boards in front of his and race winner Lewis Hamilton's cars (AFP Photo/Dan Istitene)
“It was a lot different, but I do understand what it’s like to lose a race and it’s definitely not the way you want to win,” he said. It was the 12th time a driver who ‘won’ a Grand Prix race was stripped of victory. Hamilton’s fifth win of the season and third in succession was also the 78th of his career and lifted him
29 points clear of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas in the title race. Bottas finished fourth behind Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari, the first time this season Mercedes had failed to finish with both drivers on the podium. Bottas, however, did clock the fastest lap of the race to gain a bonus point.
Yuvraj ready for Buchanan earns Canada 1-0 win over Cameroon in Women’s World Cup fun after announcing
A header by Kadeisha Buchanan, voted best young player at the 2015 Women’s World Cup, ensured Canada opened their 2019 campaign with a win over Cameroon. The defender, who plays club football in France for Lyon, struck from a corner at the end of the first half to give Canada a 1-0 win in Montpellier. Cameroon, one of the lowest ranked teams at the tournament, went close through Claudine Meffometou’s header. Canada’s Nichelle Prince hit the post with a deflected shot at 0-0. Although the opening game in Group E lacked clear-cut chances, Canada did enough to go top before rivals New Zealand and the Netherlands meet on Tuesday in Le Havre (14:00 BST). “You could sense some nervousness but that’s because this means so much for the players,” said Canada’s boss Kenneth Heiner-Moller. “We knew it was going to be a battle and Cameroon were a hard team to play, especially when they were sitting that deep.” All eyes were on Canada’s captain Christine Sinclair, who is four goals away from becoming the outright all-time leading scorer in men’s and women’s international football. Sinclair, who turns 36 on Wednesday, went close with an early deflected header while Meffometou cleared off the line after the ball bounced off the veteran Canada player’s knee and rolled towards the net in the closing stages. However, Sinclair remains on 181 goals for her country - three short of record
Kadeisha Buchanan
international retirement
By Sudipto Ganguly
holder Abby Wambach, the retired United States World Cup-winning striker. The winning goal came after a perfectly timed run into the six-yard area by 23-year-old defender Buchanan, who now has four goals in 89 appearances for Canada. “We got the nerves out in this game,” said Buchanan. “For sure we are going to come back stronger for the next game and keep the momentum going. We will be better.” Cameroon, who appointed Alain Djeumfa as manager in January after sacking Joseph Ndoko, worked hard but with the exception of Meffometou’s header, rarely looked like equalising and managed just 191 passes compared to Canada’s 583. One worry for Canada coach Heiner-Moller, however, is his side’s lack of goals. Despite victory, Canada have not scored more than once in their last nine World Cup matches. (BBC Sport)
MUMBAI (Reuters) - Yuvraj Singh, India’s middle-over batting lynchpin in two World Cup triumphs, retired from international cricket with immediate effect on Monday although he will look to play on in Twenty20 leagues around the world. The 37-year-old all-rounder, accompanied by his wife and mother, told reporters of his decision at a city hotel close to the Wankhede Stadium where India lifted their last 50-overs World Cup title in 2011. “After almost 17 years of international cricket on and off, I have decided to move on,” he said after being reduced to tears by a video of the highlights of his career. “Cricket has given me everything and that’s the reason why I am standing here today. It’s been a love-hate relationship with the sport in retrospect.” Yuvraj, who played the last of his 304 one-day internationals two years ago, was a key cog in India’s World Twenty20 triumph in 2007 and was player-of-the-tournament at the World Cup four years later. In his heyday, Yuvraj was one of the cleanest strikers of the ball in the game — as England’s Stuart Broad discovered when he was bludgeoned for six sixes in one over during the 2007 World Twenty20. That was one of the highlights of his career, Yuvraj said, along with scoring his first test century against Pakistan at Lahore in 2004 and the 2011 World Cup triumph. His lowest point, he added, came in the
Yuvraj Singh
World Twenty20 final of 2014 when he scored 11 runs off 21 balls and was widely blamed for India’s six-wicket loss to Sri Lanka in Dhaka. Yuvraj revealed that his first love had been roller-skating and he only reluctantly played cricket because his father, one-test bowler Yograj Singh, would not let him take up any other sport. “FUN CRICKET” Part of the victorious Mumbai Indians squad in the recently completed Indian Premier League, Yuvraj played in only four matches during the 2019 campaign. That would be his last foray in the IPL, he confirmed, but he would seek release from the Indian board to play in other, lower profile, Twenty20 leagues. “At this age I can manage some kind of fun cricket,” he added. “I am going to go and enjoy my life, it has been too stressful just thinking about my international career, performing in big tournaments like IPL. “Hopefully I can just enjoy myself. Obviously with the BCCI’s permission I would love to go and play this year. Next year I don’t know.” Yuvraj made an emotional return to the game in 2012 after a lengthy fight with a rare germ cell cancer in his lungs and played the last of his 40 tests that same year. He scored 1,900 runs in the longest format of the game after making his debut against New Zealand in 2003 with three hundreds — all against Pakistan — and 11 half-centuries.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Nations League shows VAR reaching beyond its original scope By Brian Homewood PORTO (Reuters) - Former UEFA president Michel Platini always opposed the introduction of technology in football because he felt that, once it gained a foothold, it would quickly expand and change the character of the sport altogether. Football, he warned, was about to open Pandora’s Box. Several years later, the Frenchman may feel he has been proved right by the pervasive use of video assistant referees (VAR). When it initially presented VAR in 2016, soccer’s rule-making body IFAB said the purpose was to stamp out glaring refereeing mistakes such as Diego Maradona’s Hand of God goal in the 1986 World Cup. But, less than 18 months
after its introduction, it has turned into what seems a search for refereeing perfection. Matches are now stopped for two to three minutes and goal celebrations put on hold while VAR officials in a room full of television monitors conduct a forensic examination for the slightest hint of contact or offside in the build up. England had two goals disallowed after VAR reviews at the Nations League in Portugal when not even their opponents complained of an infraction. Callum Wilson’s late goal against Switzerland on Sunday was chalked off after VAR spotted that he pushed Manuel Akanji in the buildup while Jesse Lingard’s effort against the Netherlands was ruled out because part of his body was a fraction offside.
Similarly, in the women’s World Cup, Griedge Mbock Bathy had a wonderful strike for France disallowed against South Korea because the tip of her foot was ahead of the last defender even though the rest of her body was line. All three decisions were technically correct but was that what VAR was intended for? And were they in the spirit of the offside rule which is designed primarily to stop forwards goal-hanging? When preliminary testing began, IFAB’s technical director David Elleray said that “VAR isn’t designed to end referee mistakes but it’s to deal with those very clear match-changing ones.” As an example, he cited Thierry Henry’s goal, scored after he controlled the ball with his arm, which took France to the 2010 World Cup at Ireland’s ex-
pense — hardly the same as a player having their finger three centimetres offside. OBVIOUS ERRORS In a briefing to reporters earlier this year, UEFA’s refereeing chief Roberto Rosetti said that the incidents were reviewed if they obvious to VAR officials — not simply players, coaches or spectators. Linesmen are now told to keep their flags down when they suspect an offside so the incident can be reviewed in the studio once the move finishes, effectively reducing their role. Sometimes, VAR can be as controversial as a decision taken with the naked eye, such as the penalty awarded to England against Scotland in Sunday’s women’s World Cup match for handball by Nicola Docherty when there seemed
Fotmer UEFA president Michel Platini
no way she could get her arm out of the way. Equally contentious was a penalty given to Switzerland against Portugal in the Nations League for the slightest of tugs on Steven Zuber. Former World Cup final referee Arnaldo Cesar Coelho warned last year that slow motion could make fouls and handballs appear deliberate when they really were not. “Slow motion distorts the incident because it does not always the reflect the intensity of the movement,” he said. The Zuber incident raised another awkward
question — when to stop play for a review — after Portugal immediately broke down the other end and were awarded a penalty of their own. Amid huge confusion, Portugal’s penalty was revoked and a spot kick awarded to Switzerland. Portugal coach Fernando Santos suggested that VAR was a good idea — but only if properly used. “I think VAR is important, I think it can help but those who are in charge have to pay attention to this,” he said. “Otherwise we will all start saying that VAR is no good when it could be a really useful tool.”
Washout could leave S Africa World Cup hopes down the drain SOUTHAMPTON, England (Reuters) - South Africa’s hopes of a semi-final place at the Cricket
World Cup appear to have been washed out along with their fixture against the West Indies at the Rose
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER
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Bowl on Monday. The ‘no result’ has given them a first point of the competition from four matches, but they likely needed double that in order to compete for the knockout phase. West Indies now have three points from three games. With more bad weather predicted for this week across England and Wales, this might not be the only game lost though. After being sent in to bat under heavy skies, South Africa laboured to 29 for two from 7.3 overs before persistent rain throughout the day ensured there would be no more play. Seamer Sheldon Cottrell (2-18 in 4 overs) removed Hashim Amla (6) and Aiden Markram (5), both edged behind the wicket, but opener Quinton de Kock (17 not
out) looked in good touch before the rain came. It is more bad luck for the South Africans, who have endured injuries to key bowlers Dale Steyn and Lungi Ngidi, and lost their opening three matches to England, Bangladesh and India. “These are the worst,” South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said. “Both teams wanted to play and get results but you can’t control the weather.” He added they will be bolstered by the return of seamer Ngidi in their next fixture against Afghanistan in Cardiff on Saturday. “Lungi will be ready for the next match and it will be good to have him back. We haven’t played our best cricket so far and we’ve got to beat Afghanistan,” Du
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis
Plessis said. Rain had been predicted in Southampton, with the match the second of the tournament to be washed out after Sri Lanka versus Pakistan was abandoned without a ball being bowled in Bristol. West Indies captain Jason Holder was left to rue what might have been after his side’s clinical start. “Yeah, it was a really good start again by the bowlers, it’s unfortunate the weather came,” Holder said.
“So far we’ve been getting new ball wickets. It’s just a matter for our bowlers to hit the straps and continue doing what we’re doing. “We would have probably been happy with that (three points from three games) at the start of the tournament.” Holder added they hoped to have all-rounder Andre Russell back from injury for their next clash against England at the same Southampton venue on Friday.
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Windies pace attack harkens back to days of old By Karunya Keshav for ICC Cricket
WEST Indies’ pacers have shown sparks of the old Caribbean fire, but it needs to translate into more consistency, and wins for the team, before they can be truly compared to the greats of that era. There is a moment in the 32nd over of Australia’s innings, when Steve Smith, fending off one of Oshane Thomas’ rockets, is scorched on the hand and needs Australia’s physio to run out. Andre Russell, he of the original X-factor in a tournament full of prospects, is down as well, nursing the knees on which he’s been limping all day. Thomas, all young, pacy and hungry, waits for his turn with the physio. Then, they are all at it again. Against the background of Trent Bridge, if ever there could be a poster of the chaos that this West Indies pace attack could cause – and be consumed by – it is this
pause in play. And it is a theme that plays out all day. The West Indies pace fivesome of Thomas, Sheldon Cottrell, Russell, Jason Holder and Carlos Brathwaite accounted for all 10 Australian wickets, and all but five overs on Thursday, June 6. In the process, they gave away 24 runs through wides. Thomas’ delivery that Finch feathered to the ‘keeper was a peach. It was perfectly bowled: good length, angled in towards off, drawing the batsman forward, and just a little away movement off the seam. This, after his first ball of the day flew for five wides, and three balls later, he overstepped. Russell was exhilarating every time he came on. The set-up of Usman Khawaja was perfect: short, short, then full and wide. But between those game-changing spells, he limped off like a soldier worthy of a Cottrell salute, his knee protesting a fast bowler’s unforgiving grind.
Oshane Thomas, 22, had played just nine ODIs before the World Cup.
Cottrell and Thomas had bounced Pakistan out in West Indies’ opening game, and they set out to do it again against Australia. If not with the rising ball itself, then with the rising fear it sparked. Australia, with a glamorous top order of Finch, Warner, Khawaja, Maxwell – batsmen hardened on the country’s bouncy pitches – were reduced to 38/4, then 79/5. But they finished on 288 and West Indies went on to lose by 15 runs. For a while there – and for the second time in this tournament – West Indies sparked the imagination of
the romantics, for most of whom cricket was a Caribbean fast-bowling machine of four parts whirring in tandem. As was evident by their struggle for consistency and control, this lot isn’t at the same level as the masters whose names are being invoked — but, ah, the potential! Even as two of their best, Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach, are on the bench. “They’re quick. And they like the short ball – my chest still hurts a bit,” was the wry assessment of Australia’s left-arm speedster,
Mitchell Starc, of his opposing bowlers. “It’s much more enjoyable catching it than batting it.” Shai Hope, the Caribbean wicket-keeper said. “It’s very exciting seeing those guys charging in with the brand new ball, putting the batsmen under pressure. It’s a sight to see from behind the stumps.” Thomas, 22, had played just nine ODIs before the World Cup; Cottrell had featured in 14. This isn’t an experienced line-up. Yet, they have enlivened West Indies’ campaign. “[The pace attack] is going to be a huge weapon for
them going forward in this World Cup,” declared Starc, and captain Holder has left little doubt around his strategy. At the risk of slow overrates and being wayward, he wants more aggression – “smart aggression” – to get them the crucial early wickets. They know they need to tighten up. Adjust quickly. Find discipline. Be near the standards of greatness that they’ve reminded everyone of. The world has only now taken notice, but they have been backing themselves. “We don’t want to send messages, we want to win games,” said a vehement Brathwaite. “We scored 421 against New Zealand, everyone said we sent a message. We shot Pakistan out for 105, everyone said we sent a message. “And today we lost. The dressing room is gutted. We thought we had Australia on the ropes. Regardless of whether the message is sent or not, we want to win.”
Dhanpaul’s century carries Sheltez Tennis Club completes successful tournament West Coast Warriors on top of Commonwealth League AN aggressive century from Yutesh Avi Dhanpaul propelled the West Coast Warriors CC to the top of the Commonwealth Cricket League points table after they romped to victory number four on Sunday in New York. The Warriors, who are made up of local and USbased Guyanese players, are now on eight points from four wins in four games, while Game Changers and Colombia West also have eight points, but from five and six matches respectively. The Warriors are also the only unbeaten team, with three or more wins. Of the 26 teams, only three others are unbeaten. The Bronx Hydras have two wins in two games (four points), while Khyber and Legends have won their lone matches so far. In their latest clash at the Heckscher State Park, the Warriors batted first
Man-of-the-Match Yutesh Dhanpaul led the Warriors with bat and ball in their latest clash.
against the NY Eagles. Led by Zeeburg Sports Club cricketers, Dhanpaul and Balbinder Shivpersaud, the Guyanese side was able to blast their way to 330-7 in 30 overs. Shivpersaud,
who opened the batting, scored nine fours and one six in his 54. For the second wicket, he and Dhanpaul put together 114, with the latter taking on the bowling. In total, Dhanpaul struck 13 fours and six maximums in a top score of 117 from just 56 balls. R. Khan with 32, Rajin Rahaman with 30 not out and Cornelius Jaisingh with 26 not out added to the total. Although the Pakistani dominant side had some good fast bowlers, it was leg-spinner R. Shabaz with 3-18 who led the Eagles’ attack. In reply, the Eagles reached 213-9 before their 30 overs expired. Off-spinners, Dhanpaul and Anil Sookdeo, spun their side to victory with figures of 3-22 and 3-26 respectively. Jerry Khan with 67 and Sharaz Ali with 38 led the Eagles in the middle.
Participants and organisers after the conclusion of the Junior Independence Tennis tournament
THE Sheltez Tennis Club and national coach Shelly Daly recently completed a successful Junior Independence tournament. The tournament had featured four categories Under-10, U-12, U-14 and U-18. The U-10 category was included after a twoyear break while the U-14 category was played for the first time at international level. There were 45 participants from Guyana and Suriname. The U-10 and U-18 categories were played from May 4 to 11 at the National Racquet Centre and Le Resouvenir Tennis Club while
U-12 and U-14 categories were played at Le Resouvenir Tennis Club and GBTI tennis courts. The tournament was played on round-robin and knock-out formats. Results are as follows: U-10 Boys - Nathan DeNobrega and Atlav Ahamad. U-10 Girls - Kayesha Harding and Nakisha Williams. U-12 Boys - Iyaaz Posse and Jair Akaamba. U-12 Girls - Paula Kalekyezi and Menikshi Jaikisson. U-14 Boys - Vadeanand Resaul and Jeremiah Kalekyezi.
U-18 Boys - Viraj Sharma and Joshua Kalekyezi. U-18 Girls - Afruica Gentle and Kalyca Fraser. In the consolation category Bruce Chan won ahead of Aarush Moorjani in the U-12 Boys category while Vincent Akaamba won from Anish Sharma in the Boys U-14 category. Meanwhile, Sheltez Tennis Club and GLTA would like to extend sincere gratitude to GBTI for the use of its facilities, Blue Life Water for providing water throughout the tournament, Homesafe Security, BK & Sons Poultry Farm, and parents.
First training session in Costa Rica on Sunday afternoon (GFF photo)
Golden Jaguars ready to roar against Haiti tonight See Page 24
Reifer says Barbadian Jofra Archer holds no terrors for Windies SOUTHAMPTON, England, (CMC) – England’s Barbadian fast-bowling sensation, Jofra Archer, has already set the ICC World Cup alight with his fearsome pace but West Indies coach Floyd Reifer said Monday he held no terrors for the Caribbean side as they prepared to face the tournament hosts in the next fixture on Friday. A last minute call-up to the England side after playing just three One-Day Internationals, Archer topped speeds of 95 miles per hour in the 108-run victory over Bangladesh in Cardiff last Saturday and he picked up three wickets to move his tally in three matches to six. In fact, he was recorded as bowling the fastest-ever opening spell by an England bowler in an ODI after averaging nearly 91 mph on a helpful wicket. Reifer, though, said West Indies were not rattled by the prospect of facing Archer. “To be honest, we knew Jofra for a long time. He is from Barbados, where we are from. We knew him from the Under-15, Under-17, Under-19 [level] so he is not new to us,” Reifer told media here. “Yes, he’s bowling quickly, but there’s nothing that we are not accustomed to. We are
looking forward to the challenge so we will see how it goes on Friday.” The 24-year-old Archer could have easily represented West Indies but after playing a handful of matches for the Windies Under-19s and then being snubbed for the 2014 Youth World Cup, he turned his attention to representing England. He was born and raised in Barbados but always held a British passport through his father who is a UK citizen. Archer initially faced a wait up until 2022 to turn out for England but saw his dreams fasttracked earlier this year when the England and Wales Cricket Board reduced the eligibility criteria from seven years to three. He debuted last month against Ireland and was subsequently fast-tracked into the England side. Describing Archer as a “tremendous talent”, Reifer said his development had not been surprising as he had been always blessed with pace. “I knew him from the Under-17, Under-19 days. I actually played club cricket against him as a young guy,” Reifer explained.
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Jofra Archer, in partnership with fellow speedster Mark Woodhas, added a new dimension to England’s pace attack
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TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2019