Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 06 04 2016

51

Mabaruma gets first mayor No. 104513

WEDNESDAY APRIL 6, 2016

Price: $80

(Vat Inclusive)

…PPP walks out during voting process

Page

4

Members of the Police Military Band on Tuesday put on a spectacular display during the opening of the April session of the Demerara Assizes at the Supreme Court (Ivan Bentham photo)

Camp St Prison CoI

GRA seizes 9 Wardens accused Bai Shan Lin of smuggling 5 luxury vehicles illegal items in jail Page

Page

Businessman on bail over 10 jewellery seized at CJIA Page

2

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Critical Barabina Road being upgraded

THE contentious Barabina Road in the Mabaruma sub-region is currently being upgraded, and residents have expressed hope that the current scope of works will relieve them of a flooded pathway which has affected road travel for years. Regional Executive Officer (REO) Leslie Wilburg noted last weekend that upgrades to the roadway began last month. The works include the laying of laterite rocks along wooden planks and the roadway will then be layered and compacted with loam. Two revetments were constructed alongside the edges of the roadway under a contract that was cancelled

previously. Ongoing works are being done to raise the level of the roadway. In the past millions were expended on the roadway which provides a critical link between Barabina Hill and other communities in the area, including the administrative capital at Mabaruma. The affected section lies at the bottom of the hilly community. Residents noted yesterday that the roadway is being flooded by water that gets backed-up from a nearby creek which connects to the neighbouring business community of Kumaka. There, a wooden bridge was replaced with a concrete structure, which was built across the creek. It is

Isn’t this a traffic hazard?

THIS business that houses a vulcanising shop on Independence Boulevard and La Penitence Road occupies the pedestrian walkway to execute its business functions, while creating a traffic hazard for many weeks.

–– Mayor Chase-Green

Works ongoing on the Barabina Road recently. unclear if any works will be undertaken to remedy the cause of the inundation of the roadway. FLOODED FOR YEARS The landscape near the roadway has been flooded for years and works by the regional administration, which begun in 2011, could not remedy the situation. Responsibility for the roadway was handed over to the then Ministry of Public Works in 2012 and a contract to the tune of $21M was awarded to construction company Joshi Construction to rebuild the roadway in January 2013. Execution of the works fell behind schedule and

the following year the contractor reportedly ran out of money to complete the project which was approximately 70% completed at the time. It was indicated then that the company had spent some $15M on the project. The contractor was subsequently fired and the roadway was left in its flooded state until the regional administration commenced works recently. In the interim, the resi-

dents had resorted to the use of planks which were laid alongside the road shoulders in order to access Barabina Hill. This publication visited Barabina early last month and residents noted that smaller vehicles such as cars could not use the roadway. As much as three feet of water would leave the roadway inundated for hours, even as dry weather conditions persisted in the region in recent months.

3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Inmate testifies …

‘Everything went haywire’ By Shauna Jemmott ANOTHER prisoner who testified yesterday before the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the prison deaths said that after deceased prisoner Shaka McKenzie ran back into Capital ‘A’ and announced that officers were beating prisoners, “everything went AY (haywire).” Roy Jacobs, who has been a prisoner at the Camp Street penitentiary for five years on a murder charge, is incarcerated on the ‘Woods Division’ of the prison. Being led through evidence by the Commission’s Counsel, Excellence Dazzell, Jacobs said that on March 3rd, he saw Officer-in-Charge of the Georgetown Prison, Kevin Pilgrim, and three other prison officers visit Capital ‘A’ and were guiding prisoners out five at a time to accommodate a search. He said he observed the prison’s Task Force apprehending prisoner Steve Allicock and taking him to the front of the prison yard. After they also apprehended Collis Collison, popularly called ‘Juvenile’, prisoners all over the prison yard began shouting

to the officers to “leave Juvenile alone”; and Shaka McKenzie, who was already brought downstairs, ran back up the Capital ‘A’ stairs saying, “Officers beating prisoners!” IN CHARGE The prisoner said it was then that Deputy Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels “appeared from nowhere out of the blues and shouted aloud that he in charge.” He said Samuels brandished a firearm and “cock it” (place a bullet into the chamber) before he asked for an inmate by the name of Germaine Otto. Otto was one of the seventeen prisoners who perished in the March 3 fire which was lit by prisoners during a riot at the Camp Street jail. Jacobs said Samuels and Otto had a long-standing issue, and Samuels had previous issues with other prisoners too, including Jacobs. According to the prisoner, Samuels then went around the side and took out a bottle of tear gas and throw it into the building. “After he throw it in, smoke start coming more and the fire blaze up”. He said a prison officer by the name of Cozier

–– after reports of officers beating prisoners

went around to render help to the inmates, but backed off because of the heat. It was then that Samuels told him to “leave the door…they light it.” He said bricks were being pelted and words were being exchanged. “After that I hear bow! (sound of a gunshot) and big screaming start.” He said he and Samuels had had a confrontation in 2013, and the officer had drawn his firearm and pointed it at him. “He always advantage prisoners. He mocked at prisoners while punishing them. For instance, if prisoners are playing football and a ball hit him, he would put them to run around the tarmac, and mocked and laughed while they did as he ordered. While other officers were there, the prisoner said, Samuels was in charge on March 3. Under cross-examination by Attorney-at-law Dexter Todd, Jacobs said: “Nobody cares, and therefore prisoners light fires to get the attention of the bigger heads,” including Officer-in-Charge Kevin Pilgrim, to attend to their problems.

Jacobs said he saw little smoke emanating from the Capital ‘A’ building shortly before tear gas was thrown into the building, but the fire began blazing immediately after. At that time, prisoners from his dormitory were moved to the ‘Wire’ section of the prison, from where he was no longer able to see what was happening at Capital ‘A’. Jacobs said that at the time of the rebellion the prison yard was noisy, but he could have heard some of the officers speaking in the prison yard. Though he and Samuels had a problem previously, he would never mislead the commission about the officer’s attitude on March 3, Jacobs said. Jacobs said that after the blaze was put out and surviving inmates were rescued from the fiery Capital ‘A’ building, he and other prisoners were taken back into the Woods Capital, and he saw the dead being removed from the Capital ‘A’ dormitory. RECOOKING FOOD Jacobs said he was an inmate of Capital ‘A’ for

three years, but was removed sometime last year; and while he was resident in that dorm, prisoners had lit fires, using baby oil and tissue, to recook foods they were served because it was not always properly cooked. They cooked in the same ‘pan tops’ in which they were served the foods. Under cross-examination by Barrister-at-law Selwyn Pieters, who is representing the Joint Services, Jacobs said both senior officers and regular wardens were at Capital ‘A’ on March 3 before the fire started, supervising the exit of prisoners out of the department in an orderly manner. About 25 to 30 prisoners had already exited the building. He said that when Collis Collison, aka ‘Juvenile’, was snatched, some of the officers pulled him by the shackles and an officer had pressed Collison to the ground by placing his knee on the prisoner’s chest. Collison was hollering for Mr. Pilgrim, asking, “What is this going on here?” and sometime after, he noticed officers picking the prisoner up and taking

him away. “Shaka McKenzie was hollering, ‘they beating inmates!’ and he ran back up inside. After Shaka McKenzie went back into the building, everything went AY.” Jacobs said he could not remember which officer had locked the prison door, but he recalled seeing officers “Lyken and Shepherd” standing together at that point and “making laugh”. Jacobs said that OC Kevin Pilgrim and other officers were getting things done in a calm way, and while prisoners were making noise, there was no riot at the time. Samuels appeared, and Shaka McKenzie ran back up, and Capital ‘B’ was evacuated. “Mr. Samuels came from out of de blues and he tek ignorance and mix it with intelligence,” Jacobs iterated, adding that no officer attended to the fire, but instead an inmate had run to the prisoners’ rescue. Jacobs will take the stand again today, during which Pieters will continue his cross-examination of the witness.

conservation. The Economic Committee will examine all studies, plans, sectors and their sources, in addition to new human and material resources that would aid in the crafting of a sustainable

development plan for the region. The 2012 agreement was signed after the end of a five-week unrest on electricity tariffs which saw police the killing three protesters.

Fulfill promises made in August 2012 agreement ––Solomon urges Region 10 Administration By Vanessa Braithwaite

THE newly-elected representatives of Region 10 are being urged by former Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon to pick up the baton and have other crucial elements of the August 21, 2012 agreement fulfilled. The agreement between the Regional Administration under his tenure and the Donald Ramotar-led administration still has several promises that are unfulfilled and are legally required to be met even after a change in administration. Solomon, in a statement on behalf of the Region 10 television station’s board, on Saturday said the acquisition of the television and its functioning in the region is but a small part of the agreement signed, and it is fitting that the others

be granted to the people of Region 10. “Other crucial elements remain unfulfilled but are still legally required to be met. This includes the Technical Committee to look into the electricity issue and an Economic Committee to develop a plan for the region’s growth and development,” he posited. Solomon articulated that it is important that this agreement in its entirety be met as lives were lost in the 2012 struggle. “The people of Linden/ Region 10 in memory of the Linden Martyrs, Shemroy Bouyea, Allan Lewis and Ron Somerset and our struggles of 2012 which saw us united in purpose and commitment to end our marginalisation and denial of adequate and sustainable development ventures must

continue to focus their energies and time on unleashing the economic potential of the region.” The elements that were met in the agreement were the recent granting of the license for the television station to be operated and the Land Selection Committee. The Technical Committee when established will be tasked with reviewing the existing provision and consumption of electricity in Linden, including the history, the costs, the tariff structure, and the subsidies; consider arrangements to provide electricity to the Linden community and the tariffs to sustain such arrangements within a sustainable time frame; examine Region 10?s economic circumstances inclusive of the affordability of the increased cost; look at the

Former Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon advantages and disadvantages of the integration of the supply of electricity in the Linden area into the national grid; and, make recommendations on cost saving measures and options for alternative energy, including the facilitation of conservation education and

4

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Mabaruma gets first Mayor …PPP walks out during voting process By Alva Solomon

AFTER another deadlock was broken yesterday afternoon, former educator, Henry Rupert Smith was declared Mayor of Mabaruma, Region One’s first chief citizen. Smith’s APNU+AFC colleague, businesswoman Ashtrilla ‘Trilly’ Gammel was elected Deputy Mayor. The council met for the second time yesterday following last Saturday’s statutory meeting of the town council, which ended in a deadlock, at the Learning Resource Centre at Mabaruma. At 1:30 pm yesterday, voting for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor commenced at the same venue and both sides, the APNU+AFC and the Opposition PPP, nominated their respective candidates for the two top posts. Smith, a former Headmaster at the North West Secondary School and other primary

institutions in the sub-region, was nominated by his colleagues, while Victor Emmanuel was nominated by the PPP. At this point Town Clerk Ovid Morrison reported that there was a tie and he subsequently suspended the meeting for 15 minutes. The suspension was taken to chart a way forward based on advice form Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan. At this point the PPP councillors walked out of the meeting, deeming as unconstitutional the course of action taken by the Town Clerk. After the resumption, the meeting was called to order, and given the absence of the PPP councillors, Smith was elected to the post of Mayor, while Gammel was elected shortly after to be his deputy. The Mayor then acted in his official capacity for voting to commence to elect members to serve on the municipality’s finance committee. Those persons elected

Mabaruma’s first mayor, Henry Smith, (standing) addresses the council while Deputy Mayor Ashtrilla ‘Trilly’ Gammel (right) and others look on Emmanuel, who was voted ceremony at the Ministry of to that committee include to serve on the body as its the Presidency on Shiv ChanCouncillor Jude HernanVice-Chairman. derpaul Drive. dez, chairman of the body, Smith and Gammel are At last month’s Local Councillors Cleveland Deexpected to be sworn into Government Elections (LGE), cember, Lorenzo Daniels their respective posts today the Mabaruma Municipality and PPP Councillor Victor in the capital city at an official recorded a tie in the seats for

the six constituencies contested by the APNU+AFC and the PPP. As a result, each party obtained six seats each on the 12-member Mabaruma Town Council. At the March 18 LGE polls, the APNU+AFC gained the majority of votes at Mabaruma Settlement/ Barimanobo, Mabaruma Township/Mabaruma Compound, Broomes Estate and at Kumaka. The Opposition PPP on the other hand won the majority of votes at Hosororo Hill, Barabina-Koberimo and at Thomas Hill-Smith Creek. Meanwhile, reports are that the Opposition PPP may challenge the outcome of yesterday’s meeting in the courts. Mabaruma is one of three new areas across the country which has obtained township status. The others include Bartica and Lethem. The Mabaruma Town Council will meet again on April 20, 2016 at 10 am.

Toxic Caribbean-generated waste washes ashore in the UK DEADLY mounds of congealed palm oil are being washed up on British beaches, posing a serious threat to children and animals over the summer months. Known as ‘fat-bergs’, the rock-sized white blobs smell like diesel and are covered in killer germs. They have invaded Britain’s coastline, having been carried thousands of miles across

the Atlantic following storms in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad. So far, the yellow-white boulders have come ashore on beaches in Sussex and Kent, but have been found as far spread as the likes of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, the Isle of Wight and Hampshire. Television vet, Marc Abraham is now warning animal owners to take wide berth with

their pets when on a beach the ‘fat-bergs’ have invaded. He said: “Dogs will pick up anything on the beach, from pebbles, to food to palm oil. These things can cause twofold problems, the first is gastro, the second is foreign body obstructions. “As the palm oil is so gelatinous, it can get lodged in the oesophagus and require emergency surgery.

DATE: 02/04/2016 F 05 06 15 14 09 22 10

04/04/2016

12

1

18

“If you think your dog has swallowed something it shouldn’t, contact your vet immediately.” Penmellyn Vets surgery in Newquay, Cornwall, issued a warning earlier this year after staff had to give life-saving treatment to five dogs. The pets collapsed in agony after scoffing the waxy blobs scattered on beaches at Constantine Bay and Treyarnon.

10

16

05/04/2016

6

Dogs love the smell of the palm oil, but, laced with poisonous bacteria, even a small taste can kill them. When similar palm oil boulders were washed up in 2014, dozens of dogs needed treatment, and several died. In June of that year, Freddie, a three-year-old Labradoodle, was rushed to a canine hospital for a series of life-saving operations after he gulped down lumps of the tropical import on a walk along Kingsand beach near Saltash, Cornwall. His owner, Karen de Fraine, 52, said at the time: “My husband was walking him along the rocks in Kingsand when Freddie ran off and started to eat this large lump of palm oil. “It was the size of a boulder. When John realised what was happening, he shouted at Freddie, who ran away. “We were absolutely panic-stricken when we realised what it was that he had eaten.

9

9

05/04/2016

“We looked Online and were worried that we could lose him after seeing what had happened to other dogs, so my husband rushed him to the vets straight away.” He underwent £88 worth of vomit-inducing medicine, injections and a large dose of antibiotics before being sent home to rest, and is now in a stable condition. Karen said, “We were lucky; we are keeping him away from the beach for now, and I would warn other people to be very, very careful if they do go to the beach. “A dog died at Portwrinkle recently from the same thing, so it’s not uncommon.” A Cornwall Council spokesman said they have already received ‘blob’ reports from beach walkers and pet owners at Porthcothan, Treyarnon Bay, Constantine Bay, Harlyn Bay and Trevone this year.

18

15

07 10 16 12

13

5

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Camp St Prison CoI

Wardens accused of smuggling illegal items in jail By Shauna Jemmott Convicted prisoner Carl Brown has disclosed that corruption at the Georgetown jail is not new to the system, since for years prison officers have been smuggling and marketing prohibited items. Brown appeared for the first time before the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Georgetown Prison riots which claimed the life of 17 prisoners on March 3. Under cross-examination by Attorney-at-Law Dexter Todd, who is representing the interest of Marcellus Verbeke and the families of Delroy Williams and another prisoner, Brown said cell phones and marijuana are usually smuggled into the prison by prison officers, who would be paid to pass the items to prisoners. He was under sworn testimony. “De officers themselves bringing it and we buying it and we gon still buying it… This is me seventh phone you know,” the convicted prisoner said to the CoI. He said he had paid an officer $7,000 for a good phone, and when the items are seized, the prisoners would pay and get them back, he added. “And as soon as they’re taken away, you pay and yuh gon geh dem back,” Brown testified. The prisoner boldly alleged that one of the members of the Commission who was previously attached to the Georgetown Prisons should be aware

of smuggling by prison officers at the prison since it also happened too while he was employed with the prison. When Attorney-at-Law Selwyn Pieters, representing the Joint Services, objected to the prisoner making inflammatory statements before the Commission, the prisoner responded: “I don’t make no inflammatory statement, I just come here to speak the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” Chairman of the Commission, Justice James Patterson (retired), said the Commission could not know what would come out of the prisoner’s mouth before he spoke. Brown, a prisoner since 1997, who escaped twice from the penitentiary (including during a Mazaruni jail break), said he would always at any opportunity, try to escape imprisonment since he believes as an individual, he has a right to freedom. On March 2, Brown, who is resident on the Old Capital of the Georgetown Prison, said he observed officers doing a fire drill in the prison compound but he did not observe the fire which was lit in Capital A by prisoners, since he spoke with his girlfriend and went to sleep. He said prisoners lighting fire at the prison previously is public knowledge, but those fires were always “a lil fire just to draw their (prison authorities) attention”, and officers would

put them out or prisoners themselves would out the blaze in a bucket brigade. “This whole country know prisoners light fires. That’s how we does draw attention because nobody does pay attention to the prison.” BEYOND CONTROL On March 3, he said prisoners were not able to put out the fires because “it was beyond their control.” He said it was after prison officers threw tear gas into the building that “it was dark… fiery”. He said although he saw hose present at the prison, the officers never attempted to put out the fire, until the smell of human flesh permeated the atmosphere. He observed some smoke and heard prisoners saying they light a matrass before an order was given by Deputy Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels, to lock the door and let them burn. It was only after the tear gas was thrown that the fire blazed ‘out of control’, the prisoner said. He said he would not say officers did not do enough to save the prisoners, but would say instead that the prison officers did nothing because when they rendered assistance, the men’s flesh were already badly burnt. While “they does talking but killing people”, Brown said he never heard Capital A prisoners talking about committing suicide, but agreed that there were some

prisoners caught in the middle between police and prisoners, he said. One of such prisoners, he said would be Ashraf Ally, whom Brown described as “quiet… good man… never heard him curse yet.” He said too that Marcellus Verbeke, who was injured during the fire, always cooperated with the officers

Convicted prisoner Carl Brown (photo taken from Carl Brown’s Facebook post) and yet he was caught in the fire. Being led through evidence by CoI Counsel, Attorney-at-Law Excellence Dazzell, Brown said he has been a prisoner for eight years and is currently serving a 13 year sentence for murder. He said he spends most of his time in his hammock with his phone, and was in his hammock speaking with one of his girlfriends on March 3 when he heard of what was happening outside.

When he looked outside, he noticed inmates from Capital B coming out of their dormitory. He heard prison officers calling again for Capital A prisoners to come out and while the inmates were coming out peacefully, a prisoner named Steve Alicock was the first to be ‘snatched’ by prison officers. “All I saw was a set of officers with shields come around him and they snatched or pick him up,” Brown said. He then saw Collison too being snatched by the officers, but could not see what happened to Collison because the officers surrounded him and the shields were “tall”. Inmates who were next in line saw what transpired and ran back in, pulling the door while they announced that the officers were beating the prisoners. After then, he heard inmates saying they light a matrass. IN TEARS He then heard Gladwin Samuels saying, “You’ll lock de door deh let deh burn (expletives) leh deh dead!” At this point during his testimony, Brown broke into tears. The officers went up-

stairs with shields and he saw tear smoke coming out of Capital A and felt burning on his own skin. “Then I saw the lil fire start spread,” Brown said, and inmates in the Old Capital began “hollering for their skin”. He also heard the Capital A inmates hollering for help and he and other prisoners began kicking out boards from the old Capital to break out for the rescue. He returned to his hammock and watched through the window since he is asthmatic, but he saw when Steve Bacchus and other prisoners started breaking into Capital A with the help of a few officers. Brown had escaped from prison in November 1997 and was recaptured 25 days after. He escaped again in 2000 from the Mazaruni Prison but was recaptured 10 years later. He admitted telling prison officers more than once that he was suicidal, but never said he was mean and would burn the jail down and take other people with him. Brown said while he was on trial for murder, he represented himself, and even though he knew of the existence of the legal aid system, “It do not function with the prison”.

6

Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Editor

Godfrey Wray

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

Editorial

Prevailing against the odds

THE West Indies Cricket Team has, in the past two decades, had its ups and downs – in the majority of cases more downs than ups; but in all of its travails, the players have soldiered on, strong in faith, testing the extreme limits of the game. This was best on display in last Sunday’s World T20 finals at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India, where the Caribbean side stunned a rampant England side to become the first team to win the World T20 Trophy twice. Viewers watching the match from the comfort of their homes, a corner shop or a watering hole with a television set would have seen a practical demonstration of the adage “It is not over until it is over”. Going into the final over needing 19 runs to win, the odds were highly stacked against the West Indies, and it appeared that a blinder from either Marlon Samuels or Carlos Brathwaite, or both of them, was needed to ‘take it home’ for the West Indies. In these final trying moments of the game, staring down a defeat but inspired by the occasion, Carlos Brathwaite responded in a manner that can be compared to the biblical David’s response to the imposing giant Goliath. To astonished viewers worldwide, his action appeared to be the stuff of folklore, as this burly, chargedup Barbadian bludgeoned every delivery sent down by Ben Stokes -- until the final over England’s most economical bowler in the match -- high and hard into the electrified Eden Gardens stands. From the cusp of victory, England’s imminent glory was turned into shame, thanks to the belligerent grace of Carlos Brathwaite. But for the people of the Caribbean, this exhibition of power-hitting by Brathwaite and the rock-solid innings by his teammate Marlon Samuels were a demonstration of this indomitable spirit of ‘never say never’, regardless of how hard our backs are against the proverbial wall. This most inspiring victory has reignited hope in adoring Caribbean fans that their teams are again champions of world cricket. Going into the final, they had to contend with a number of put-downs, notably one from English commentator Mark Nicholson, who described them as a bunch of brainless men. By any standard, this description was not only politically incorrect, but given the composition of the West Indies Team, it reeked of

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Response to the Alexander accusation Dear Editor,

KINDLY give this response to Mr Vincent Alexander’s missive, “.....these students are misleading readers”, similar prominence in your publication. The caption to his letter is the mother of all ironies, because it is pregnant with inaccuracies aimed at discrediting one of the students, Mr Clairmonte Cox. Mr Alexander sought to inform the public about studentship on a Government-sponsored law programme at UWI. I am saying that Mr Alexander has acted in bad faith, because Mr Cox’s studentship at UWI is a matter between the UWI and Mr Cox. I don’t believe Mr

Vincent Alexander has any authority to speak for and/ or on behalf of the UWI. Whatever were those issues, they are irrelevant here and now, and his is clearly an unprovoked attack on Mr Cox, done in bad faith. What is to Mr Cox’s credit, but Mr Alexander has not mentioned, is that Mr Cox has discharged his contractual 5-year obligation by teaching at Central High School to this present day. Further, Mr Cox entered the Law Department at the University of Guyana to obtain a proper law degree. I wish to advise the r e a d i n g p u b l i c t h a t M r Cox has told me he has drawn to the attention of the editors of our dai-

lies, including their attorney(s)-at-law, that Mr Vincent Alexander had misled them into publishing wrong information that he, Cox, had taken a BA degree, graduated, and had not discharged his responsibilities in regard to loan repayment. Mr Sheik Mustapha and I read Mr Alexander’s publication and felt very disappointed in Mr Cox, but Mr Cox is vehemently denying Mr Alexander’s carefully chronicled assertion. My question is: who is misleading the reading public? On behalf of Mr Sheik Mustapha, Mr Clairmonte Cox and myself, I wish to thank Mr Vincent Alexander for informing the Govern-

ment and reading public that we were awaiting the approval of our loan applications by the Ministry of Finance, and that the Finance Ministry had sought to pay UG on our behalf. Ironically, Mr Vincent Alexander said the University of Guyana, an agent of the state, refused the payment offered by the Ministry of Finance. We know the payment arrangement was on the advice of the Ministry of Legal Affairs. We have been speaking the truth!

a hive of activity in the housing market, which would cause an automatic renewed vigour in this fledgling economy. I would use the first block of available land on the Linden Highway. This would create an immediate sprawling village, and the law of supply and demand would cause transportation, shops, and other goods and services to become available immediately. The soon-to-be-completed four-lane East Bank project, coupled with the construction of the newly

funded Diamond/Ogle bypass, would make travelling to the Linden Highway less time-consuming. This housing development should be monitored closely. If anyone were to breach the agreement and sell his/her land in less than the stipulated allotted time, and that breach is found out, the buyer should lose his/her investment, including whatever property in on the land, and the seller should be charged with an offence. The money needed for the initial infrastructural devel-

opments would come from the billions of dollars that the CH&PA has sitting in the banks. If need be, a loan from the international lending agencies can be obtained. It’s time we engage some out-of-the-box thinking. Guyana has too much land for there to be 25,000 potential home owners waiting indefinitely for a call.

Editor, this letter needs to be published. Thank you, Ras JOHN MARCUS

Time to think ‘out of the box’ Editor,

IF I were the Government of Guyana, I would do an amnesty and give the 25,000 waiting applicants their house lots with free and clear titles, with an agreement that there would be added to their yearly land taxes a percentage of the cost for the land. The free and clear titles would mean that they could go straight to the banks and lending institutions, borrow money and begin building. This would immediately create

a racist overtone. Nicholson should know that, during the dark days of slavery, his forefathers had aided in concocting and propagating the view that Africans were an uncivilised, barbaric race of people who were incapable of surviving on their own. What is astonishing in all of this is that, even though Nicholson later issued an apology -- which came after the Caribbean side had defeated England -- not one single English-dominated international media house had picked up on his crude remark, nor was he reprimanded by his employer(s). But rewind the tape and, earlier in January of this year, during a Big Bash match, West Indies star batsman Christopher Henry Gayle, playing for the Melbourne Renegades, made a ‘tackle’ on Australian reporter Mel McLaughlin in an interview with her, and followed up with this comment: “Don’t blush, baby”. Almost immediately, the English media labelled Gayle a sexist; he was called a rebel, was fined by his team; and former Australian Cricket Captain, now commentator, Ian Chappell went as far as to urge that the West Indian batsman be banned from international cricket.

PASTOR WENDELL P. JEFFREY Practical Christianity Ministries

While Gayle’s comments to McLaughlin were wrong and out of place, and he was fined and subsequently apologised, Nicholson’s remarks in print, accessible to millions worldwide, were silently swept under the carpet. It is in light of these situations that the West Indies’ win over England is special in more ways than one, as it has demonstrated the resilience of the Caribbean people against all odds, and has reinvigorated their passion for West Indies Cricket. Cricket occupies a special place in our history: it binds our people together, is a celebration of our cultures, and is our pride and passion. In a past era, it was the medium through which our brave Caribbean men showed their fans that on a cricket field they are as good as, and equal to, any among their oppressors. The triumph of the male, female and Under-19 teams on the international arena has signalled that the greatness of the Caribbean team has not been lost. Although it may have been absent for a long time, it is beginning to emerge again. We need a Cricket Board which does not have bosses, but leaders to shepherd the West Indies on the path to ascend the heights of greatness again.

7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Rest is recommended for the goodly doctor Dear Editor, ON A recent “In Perspective” television programme -- held on Sunday, 3rd April, 2016 on LRTVS Channel 10 and hosted by PPP/C MP Zulfikar Mustapha -- a lot of misleading information was given to the public by the guest, Dr. Luncheon. Dr. Luncheon seems to be disoriented on what is taking place in Guyana; and, moreover, he seems to be losing his memory about what took place under his corrupted watch and that of his government. He seems to forget that what is taking place now under this new regime is a transformational change -from bad and worse to good and accountable. He seems to forget that

this almost ten-month-old government has, on a daily basis, to deal with what the PPP had done in the past 23 years as a government. Dr Luncheon informed his viewers that this APNU+AFC government seems to be unaccountable for what they are doing. He blamed the state of the sugar and rice industries on the government, but failed to tell Berbicians that the PPP had created the crisis in the industries. He failed to say that the PPP-appointed GuySuCo CEO had, in May 2015, announced that the industry would be closed, and that he and the PPP had lied to the people when they were campaigning for the 2015 elections by telling the people that the sugar industry has a bright future.

Dr. Luncheon needs to remember that the rice industry started to decay under the PPP. Some persons were getting the right prices for their produce, while some were underpaid. He failed to tell the people the amount of money the RPA had borrowed towards giving the rice farmers, but the farmers never received a cent of it. Dr. Luncheon needs a memory stick to recount the things the PPP did to stifle the farmers, so that they can be the followers of the PPP. Dr. Luncheon failed to tell the people that he, a pensioner, was still hired by the PPP government, and that the PPP had many secret local and foreign deals with investors. He failed to say that the PPP had promised Berbice

an airport since in the days of Dr. Jagan, but it never became reality. He failed to say that his government had neglected Berbice, especially the youths, and had placed all the investors and employment in other regions. It seems like Dr Luncheon is in election campaign mode, but he needs to remember that everything, all the secret deals, are coming to light, and people are now getting to understand what had taken place during the 23-year-rule of the corrupt PPP. People are getting the bitter taste of what the PPP had done to Guyana, and are calling for them to be held accountable for selling out Guyana. He mentioned the forensic audits and said government has failed to make the

Most disappointed in the media Dear Editor,

AS AN avid stakeholder in the forestry sector, I am most disappointed in the way a section of the media is continuously publishing inaccuracies about the management of the forest sector, and hounding down a foreign forest company, despite numerous clarifications by the authorities. A section of the media quoted the forensic audit report on the Guyana Forestry Commission, but in the interest of transparency, was there any response from management as it relates to the inaccuracies in the audit report? It would be interesting to know from the Ministry of Finance, the agency which coordinated the audit, why the Commission wasn’t allowed to offer clarifications, as has been the norm with the audits of other agencies. Editor, I must say there is an allegation that Bai Shan Lin has opted for joint venture deals with other companies, to circumvent the GFC requirements. However, my experience within the sector says this is wholly inaccurate. The facts of the matter are that the GFC Board of Directors hosted meetings with stakeholder groups across the country, and one of the prominent concerns coming out of those meetings was the inadequate capacity of concessionaires to beneficially

occupy areas and produce sufficient quantities of logs/ lumber for the local construction industry, for the local added-value manufacturers, and for export. The unavailability of lumber in sufficient quantities was also expressed by the Ministry of Housing and numerous construction entities, hence the building expo was conceptualized to bridge the gap between lumber and quarry production against increasing construction and housing demands. As such, the concessionaires themselves proposed that the GFC allow joint venture arrangements after the requisite due diligence was done. Based on these requests by the sector and the need to improve log/ lumber/added value production and generate additional employment opportunities, with the assurance by the GFC that its monitoring systems would ensure that the allowable harvest levels would not be exceeded, the GFC Board approved both requests. I am of the belief that both requests were facilitated in accordance with the legislation, and a transparent and organized procedure was also highlighted by the Commission and explained to all stakeholders. From my research, Bai Shan Lin has entered into approved joint ventures following a process, contrary to the landlording and the illegal assertion

by some sections in the media. Another incorrect assertion by a section of the media is the continuous pronouncement that the said company has been granted a forestry concession that amounts to close to one million hectares of rainforest. However, the fact remains that the company has legal access to 618,902 ha. Mr. Editor, I believe the time has come for this particular issue to be properly ventilated at a forum to be decided, and it needs to be brought to a

findings public. Well, Dr. Luncheon, you will soon know about those audits, especially those done at places like Guyoil, NICIL, Public Service Ministry, MMA/ ADA and a host of other places. Soon those things will be revealed, and maybe you forget that things take time. Don’t rush the government to do things, and then when things go bad you will blame the government. Dr. Luncheon needs to understand that everything in this country was destroyed by the PPP, and it will take time to rebuild with a lean and clean administration; and this government is working towards that. Moreover, I heard the host of the programme saying that this government is unaccountable for its employment practices, but I have questions for the host: Under the PPP, what were you employed as at OP?

Why were you travelling every day to OP from the Corentyne Coast, with tax payers’ dollars paying your bridge toll, driver, fuel, meals, etc, but you only appear on PPP press conferences?. People understand that the Government has a lot to do, and it is in office for only almost ten months now. People understand that what the Government is doing is to clean up the mess that the PPP left. People understand that it will take time to get Guyana back to its real stage. Guyana will move positively forward under this APNU+AFC government. And here is a little advice for Dr. Luncheon: you need to rest yourself at this age, your memory is going. ABEL SEETARAM APNU+AFC Regional Councillor Region 5

conclusion because it paints a grim picture about investment in the forestry sector and the country as a whole. Ultimately, it is vital to have in place well informed members of the public who know the facts, and not have peddled inaccuracies which seem to be the order of a particular section of the media. Sincerely, SALEEM HAMID Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara

Wednesday April 6th, 2016 - 14:30 hrs Thursday April 7th, 2016 - 05:00 hrs Friday April 8th, 2016 - 05:00 hrs

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Guyana and its dress code By Akola Thompson

MOST of us know the significance of the year 2016 and the historic moment associated with it. This year marks 50 years since the Union Jack descended and the Golden Arrowhead rose. As much as I am excited about this year and all it entails, I cannot say that I am entirely impressed in how far from colonial mentality we have strayed since gaining our independence. Our tendency to accept things that have been handed out to us without question is something, which worries me about our country. We see many examples of this same mindset on any given day, but for this column, I will focus on one, the Guyanese dress code in public buildings. In a country with only two weather patterns, one would expect our clothes to suit them, but instead we have a stringent dress code, which takes none of this into consideration. Before I go on, I believe I should make the point that I believe that rules and codes

are necessary. However, if these rules serve no discernable purpose other than to please a society, which is slowly outgrowing the archaic ideology they were founded upon, then maybe these rules or codes need to be revisited. I know there are those who are quick to say that we have not outgrown these rules and they are there so as to not have persons going ‘overboard’ in their attire and wearing whatever suits them. My question to those is, so what? Why society continues to concern itself with the amount of skin shown and dictating what is considered ‘proper’ and what is not is beyond reasoning, with the only possible answer remaining that most of us remain slaves to tradition. I find it interesting that dress codes aside from being asinine tend to affect women more than they do men. Just look at any dress code plastered in the walls of our various government offices and public spaces and observe how many more restrictions there are for females in comparison to males.

A few weeks back I stepped into the door of the Land Registry building in central Georgetown. As if afraid I was trying to lower society’s morals by displaying my bare arms, two guards loudly stopped me and told me I could not go any further as there were rules to the building and I had to abide by them. A woman sitting inside almost had her entire breast outside, and while nothing is wrong with that, I considered it extremely unfair that I should be stopped at the door for showing my arms and I had a few choice words to say to the guards. I quickly regretted it and apologized and left because they were just doing their jobs. Because I had forgotten that I still live in an oppressive society and dared show my arms in a government building, my day’s plans had to be cancelled until the next where I, for the sake of business, dressed to the states liking. It is rather unfortunate that we are still being judged upon the way we dress and are even cautioned about it. Heaven forbid

a woman shows her calves and elicits sexual desires within a man. Even those sworn to protect us hold these same views about the way we should dress to avoid trouble. Remember Clifton Hicken cautioning us a few years back to “not to dress in a manner that encourages this illegal act (rape) that has claimed the lives of a few victims.” Now, my personal opinion is that pants are to be worn on hips and crocs are never to be worn at all, but in the interest of freedom of expression, it is not my place to tell someone what to or not to wear and the state should not either. I realise that the problem not only lies in the establishments but in our people as well and in order to truly fix it, we must hoist ourselves up from the mire of what is considered ‘proper’ and begin having original thoughts of our own. So the next time you feel the need to criticize someone for the amount of legs they show, don’t and do not let us go down that path where we begin to call our nation’s children wenches because they dare show their elbows.

Murataro mom fears for life …after threats from alleged rapists

By Vanessa Braithwaite A DISTRAUGHT mother and former resident of Murataro, an Amerindian community 25 miles up the Demerara River from Linden, is claiming that she is being threatened and tormented for having her daughter’s alleged rapist brought to justice. Opting to remain anonymous so as to reserve the identity of her three-yearold daughter, the hysterical mother related to the Guyana Chronicle in an exclusive interview that her decision to have a 17-year-old boy brought to justice for allegedly raping her daughter has resulted in her being threatened and tormented by residents of the little Amerindian village. The incident which reportedly occurred on the June 26, 2015 resulted in the alleged rapist being charged and is currently before the court for allegedly performing the illegal sexual act on the three-year-old girl. The incident was reported to the Mackenzie Police Station and the Child Protec-

tion Agency and a medical, along with a forensic interview was processed, which revealed that the child was indeed raped. The Director of Public Prosecutions recommended charges and the alleged rapist was brought before the High Court, after which the case was transferred to the Linden Magistrate’s Court. After receiving justice, the mother revealed that residents of the village started threatening her, which resulted in her fleeing from the village. “Persons were like if I don’t know to shut me mouth somebody gon out me light, why I don’t learn to keep these things quiet, these are community matters… I wasn’t supposed to say anything about it,” the mother related. She said that other residents want to come forward and make reports of rape and molestation but are afraid to do so, especially after she has received threats. Much to her surprise was the alleged response from the Toshao Laretta Fiedtkou, who she claims is a relative

of the accused. She said that upon the police’s arrival in the village to arrest the rapist, they were intercepted by the toshao who said that she should have been notified first of their visit. She said that Amerindian rights dictate police involvement in issues occurring in the village and the toshao has the right to decide whether the police should enter the village or not. With this power, many cases of rape and molestation in the village are not being reported and the accused brought to justice. HAS TO CHANGE “If the toshao never give permission, nothing will be brought to justice,” she said. The mother claims that she has been making reports for the past eight years and it was only after her daughter’s case that other alleged molesters were brought before the court. She said that a recent effort of a liaison officer attached to the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs has caused her to lose hope

in the system. She alleged that the liaison officer called the Mackenzie Police Station asking for the corporal dealing with her daughter’s case, and queried the reason the accused was incarcerated as he is underage. The mother claimed that the call stemmed from the toshao reporting the matter to the Ministry, expressing her disapproval at the arresting and subsequent charging of the rapist. “I was surprised when Corporal (name given) called me and asked me what happen with my toshao because somebody called from the Ministry asking why we lock up the boy and said that the toshao called them,” related the mother. She also claims that the liaison officer accused her sister, who is also a police officer, of influencing the case, but this is untrue. “The fact that she is my sister and she is in that department, we had to keep each other at arm’s length; at a distance because we don’t want people to accuse her of being part of it. I was under the impression that these min-

istries were there to protect us, the victims, us the vulnerable ones, not defending the accused.” She is of the opinion that the toshao is taking advantage of the Amerindian rights to cover up criminality in the village, which can be deemed irresponsible as several underage girls are being impregnated by relatives or other persons in the village. “I am hurt because I wanted to disclose other information to them and because of their attitude towards this, I am afraid to do so. If they are there to

protect the criminals, well fine,” she reasoned. Her daughter, she said, is now traumatised and has to undergo counselling. “I don’t know the next level to take for her to do her school work. She would dig the paper till it tear, stab it till in tear,” the mother said. The distraught mother is hoping that the issue is brought to the attention of the relevant authorities so that systems will be put in place to remedy it earliest, not only in Murataro but other Amerindians villages countrywide.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Surviving cancer

– and other potholes in Guyana APPROXIMATELY one year ago, a few blood tests and ultrasounds later, and I’m sitting in the office of an oncology surgeon at a prominent Kingston hospital, scheduling a lumpectomy. Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tumours and cancer. Surgical oncology is a specialty that focuses on the surgical treatment of a variety of tumours. Ephraim McDowell did the first reported resection of an ovarian tumour in 1809, but as early as the 7th Century, ancient Egyptians described techniques for removing breast tumours. A lumpectomy is a surgical operation in which a lump is removed from the breast, according to breastcancer. org. “Lumpectomy is the removal of the breast tumour (the “lump”) and some of the normal tissue that surrounds it. “Lumpectomy is a form of “breast-conserving” or “breast preservation” surgery. There are several names used for breast-conserving surgery: Biopsy, lumpectomy, partial mastectomy, re-excision, quadrantectomy, or wedge resection. “Technically, a lumpectomy is a partial mastectomy, because part of the breast tissue is removed. But the amount of tissue removed can vary greatly. “A quadrantectomy, for example, means that roughly a quarter of your breast will be removed.” HORROR STORY Got here pretty fast, it seems, right? Yep! I was thinking the exact same thing, but that’s how fast everything seemed to happen. What masqueraded itself as fibroadenoma, had ballooned in size in a short space of time. My ‘boob (keep word)’ was starring in its own horror story. I had started to experience short, intense, random bouts of pain in the

area. I was scared of having any surgical process carried out on my body. Pain was all I could think of. I had day-mares of waking up in a room surrounded by metal trays of torture devices and in excruciating pain. Or worse yet, waking up during surgery. For the week that preceded the scheduled date, I lived in my own personal nightmare, fraught with all the surgical errors that could ever happen, all playing in my head at the same time. Thank you all the stupid horror movies I’d ever watched! LOL! (It means laugh out loud, Grandma!) My family has always been positive and supportive to me in every sphere of my life, especially my mum: She’s the cat’s pajamas, the beez-neez, the bosslady... You get the idea. It’s with their unfathomable support I made the conscious decision to remain as positive as I could regarding the surgery and the biopsy results that would follow. ‘THE PRESENT MOMENT’ There’s this Eckhart Tolle quote that I like, “Whatever the present moment brings, accept it as if you had chosen it.” When I’m nervous about something, it calms my spirit to remember that, and a little deep breathing exercises never hurt anyone. So, when the present moment arrived and I was wheeled into surgery, I accepted it and whatever fate it would bring henceforth. Just before I got into the operating theatre, I developed a curious thirst to understand the history of all the medical words like ‘theatre’ and every other sign I read on my way to the room. Funny how your mind can pick the most inopportune times to pique your curiosity. As I was being wheeled in, a pair of kind eyes peered down at my face and introduced himself as the anaesthesiolo-

gist. He touched my shoulder-clad gown lightly as he assured me I would be fine. He asked whether this was the first time I had ever been under a general anaesthetic. I replied affirmatively. I had also discussed anaesthesia with my surgeon prior, so I understood what would be happening. I would be having both General and Local anaesthetics administered during surgery. An anaesthetic is a drug that causes anaesthesia, which is a reversible loss of sensation. There are three types of anaesthesia: Local, Regional and General. Local anaesthesia is any technique to induce the absence of sensation in a specific part of the body, generally for the aim of inducing local analgesia; that is, local insensitivity to pain, although other local senses may be affected as well. Regional anaesthesia involves injections that numb a larger or deeper part of the body. You stay conscious, but free from pain. General anaesthesia gives a state of controlled unconsciousness. It is essential for some operations. You are unconscious, and feel nothing. General anaesthetic drugs can be administered either through an injection into the vein through a cannula (a thin tube inserted into a vein or body cavity to administer medication, drain off fluid, or insert a surgical instrument), or by breathing anaesthetic gases and oxygen through a mask. Once you are unconscious, an anaesthetist stays with you at all times, and continues to give you drugs to keep you anaesthetised. THEATRE TIME I entered the theatre to the sound of Chester Bennigton’s voice, and thought ‘No way are they really playing Linkin Park rock music in here! How cool was the medical team!’ And then I immediately thought, ‘Do I really want the surgeon going at me

with a scalpel while listening to angst music?’ I’m sure the heart monitor they had me hooked up to had just spiked (LOL), because, soon after, the surgeon said he was injecting my cannula with something from the morphine family to help me relax. I had never had Intravenous Therapy, or, simply put, an IV inserted in my hand or any part of my body before until that day, so I really didn’t quite know how it would make my body feel. FYI: “Intravenous Therapy is the infusion of liquid substances directly into a vein. Intravenous simply means “within vein”. Therapies administered intravenously are often included in the designation of specialty drugs.” Instantaneously, it seemed, I felt as light as a feather. As for the other sensations, I don’t know how to describe them to this day, but they made all the nerves in my body do the happy dance. The surgeon dotted incision marks with a black sharpie around my breast; my hands were gently restrained at my sides, so they wouldn’t flail about during surgery. Even though I would be unconscious, my body’s normal physical functions wouldn’t stop. And for fear of patients squirming around or biting down during surgery, they are restrained, and often a guard is used on the mouth. This was it! The anaestheologist placed the gas mask over my face and told me to count. One, two, three I heard myself count out loud, and then nothing. Everything had faded to black. Post-surgery and Hospital woes cont’d next week. DISCLAIMER: I am not yet a breast cancer survivor; this is an ongoing story. Again, I am no medical expert; I share researched information, but I have no prior knowledge in the field of medicine. Always seek the advice of a medical professional.

GRA seizes Bai Shan Lin luxury vehicles CHINESE company Bai Shan Lin, which has been at the centre of controversies over the years, had two luxury vehicles seized yesterday afternoon by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). A Nissan minivan, PRR 3888, and a Lexus SUV, PRR 2888, were taken to the GRA storage bond at Eccles, East Bank Demerara following the confiscation. It was determined that Bai Shan Lin owed over $60 million in taxes on the brand new SUV alone. TAX EVASION PROBE The Special Organized

Crime Unit (SOCU) has been investigating the Chinese company for tax evasion. According to media reports, a senior government official had been caught up in allegations of reportedly halting the seizure of the vehicles by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). The new GRA administration has been trying to clamp down, without fear or favour, on all those who have been evading taxes. Reports revealed that Bai Shan Lin had failed to fulfill agreements signed with the previous PPP government, even as it enjoyed billions of dollars in conces-

sions. The vehicles were seized as the company failed to pay the required duties within the legally stipulated timeframe. The matter is also being looked at by the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU). When contacted by the Guyana Chronicle, Chairman of GRA Rawle Lucas said he was not privy to an update on the ongoing operation relating to the seizure. This newspaper understands that the tax agency also intends to look at a number of other vehicles and other assets that were imported by Bai Shan Lin over the years.

The luxury SUV in the GRA storage bond at Eccles.

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Businessman on bail over jewellery seized at CJIA A BETTER HOPE, East Coast Demerara businessman who was held at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri with $4M worth of jewelry, was on Tuesday charged with two counts of money-laundering related charges. Richard Ramjit, a goldsmith, was charged with exporting gold without a licence and failing to declare a gold band and gold neckwear which collectively weighed

Richard Ramjit

19.12 ounces and had an estimated value of $4.15M. The incident occurred on January 19, 2016 at the CJIA. Ramjit pleaded not guilty to the two charges before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. Representing the father of one was attorney-at-law Latchmie Rahmat who explained that her client had already filed a $10 million lawsuit against the government after he was detained at the CJIA.

The lawyer also noted that the matter was currently a subject at the Constitutional Court before Chief Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and was adjourned until April 14 following a motion filed by former Attorney-General, Anil Nandlall. Rahmat pleaded with the Magistrate for a report date

that would allow her to bring the ruling of the matter from the High court. Police Prosecutor Corporal Deniro Jones made no objection to bail, which was granted in the sum of $100,000. The matter was adjourned until April 20 for report. Ramjit in March moved

to the High Court seeking in excess of $10M in damages and a declaration that his detention was unlawful since he missed his flight as a result of interrogation and the eventual seizure of his jewellery which entailed questioning by various law enforcement officers. (Clestine Juan)

‘Rickey Scrawley’ wanted over Skull City stabbing fatality POLICE are on the hunt for Hemraj ‘Rickey Scrawley’ Bramdeo for questioning in relation to the murder of Dellon ‘Chicken’ Bradford, which occurred on March 23, 2016 at Skull City, Patentia, West Bank Demerara. On Monday police issued a wanted bulletin for ‘Scrawley’ in connection with the stabbing death of ‘Chicken,’ under conflicting circumstances. An arrest warrant had also been issued for Bradford after he had failed to return to court to answer a robbery charge. Relatives of the dead man disclosed that he was stabbed six times about the body and was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, but

Wanted: Hemraj ‘Rickey Scrawley’ Bramdeo was subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. According to some reports, the mother of

Bradford’s children, Anita Ramsundar, had accused him of breaking into her residence and stealing a quantity of cash while assaulting her in the process, causing relatives to retaliate by stabbing him. Another report indicated that Bradford assaulted his reputed wife after she refused to return home from a drinking spree to care for the children. Meanwhile, the Guyana Police Force is appealing for information that might lead to the arrest of Bramdeo. Anyone with information is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 268-2343, 2682298, 268-2222, 2252227, 225-6411, 911 or the nearest police station.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Jamaican remanded on series of charges

A JAMAICAN National was on Tuesday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on charges of forgery, possession of narcotics and overstaying in Guyana. Alfred Wellington, a poultry farmer, who resides at Friendship, East Bank

Demerara, is alleged to have had 1.324 kilograms of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking on April 2, 2016. It was further alleged that he failed to comply with the conditions of a permit and overstayed his time in Guyana. He is also accused

of conspiring with a person or persons unknown to forge a driver’s license in favor of himself to show that same was issued by the Licence Revenue Department. Wellington denied all the charges and was represented by attorney Peter Hugh, who told the court that on April

Charged with murder of Cuban engineer A 37-YEAR-OLD MAN was remanded to prison on Tuesday by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan after being charged with the murder of a Cuban engineer. Lawrence Lowe appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for allegedly murdering 47-year–old Joel Perez Laffita on March 8, 2016 at Providence, East Bank Demerara during a robbery. Lowe, a labourer of Park-

er Street, Providence was ordered to return to court on April 25. He was unrepresented and was not required to plea to the indictable offense. According to the report, Laffita arrived in Guyana on board the MV Tracy Coaic which docked at the Rubis Wharf on the East Bank Demerara and was found dead on the Providence roadway hours after he disembarked the vessel. (Clestine Juan)

Lawrence Lowe

Alfred Wellington 2, the police searched his client’s home and found no

drugs. He added that the defendant was taken to the lower flat of the building where the police showed him a bag containing the alleged narcotics. According to the attorney, Wellington did not accept ownership of the drug nor was it found in his presence. The lawyer claimed that the police stole a quantity of cash that was in his client’s passport during the search. Meanwhile, Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers ob-

jected to bail on the narcotics charge. He told the court that the cocaine was found in the presence of the defendant since he showed officers where the drug was located. Jeffers also pointed out that the man was a flight risk since he was not a Guyanese citizen. The Prosecutor also stated that the police were in possession of Wellington’s passport. Bail was denied and the case was adjourned to April 25. (Clestine Juan)

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Climate Change Office accelerating Bartica transition into a green locale

THE Office of Climate Change (OCC) intensified its efforts over the recent Easter weekend to transition Bartica, Region Seven into a thriving green locale. The OCC capitalised on the occasion of the Bartica Regatta to step-up its engagements with residents and visitors alike, providing pertinent information on initiatives to foster a green economy and informing them about their roles and responsibilities as citizens of a green town.

According to a Ministry of the Presidency release, a team from the OCC, which included Presidential Advisor on the Environment, Rear Admiral (ret’d) Gary Best, was able to cover a lot of ground. An information booth was set up where residents were able to collect brochures and other paraphernalia on a green economy and where they were updated on the transitioning process. According to the meeting the OCC has organised several activities to specifically

Engaging the youths on the importance of environmentally friendly practices in a green town target school children, who are seen as a major stakeholder group in this entire process. A debate competition is also scheduled for May with students of the Bartica and the ThreeMiles Secondary schools. This will be followed with a spelling bee competition for students at the primary school level, the release noted, adding that these activities will be done in collaboration with the Department of Education in Bartica.

Additionally, a mobile app, which is currently being developed, will also be launched in May. This application will ensure information on Guyana’s first green town is readily available to citizens all across the country. The public can also access additional information on the ‘Green Bartica’ Facebook page and Youtube channel or follow the transitioning process on Twitter by using ‘#greenBartica’.

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Norton warns against dishonesty in health sector

PUBLIC health care professionals must display honesty in the execution of their jobs, and uphold confidentiality with regards patient information, Public Health Minister Dr. George Norton has stressed. Stating that untruthfulness can cost a patient his or her life, Dr. Norton said, “Dishonesty in the public healthcare system will not be tolerated and healthcare professionals will be dealt with condignly if they are found guilty of such,” The Public Health Minister was at the time addressing the graduates of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s (GPHC) fifth batch of Operating Room Technicians on Friday. The 18 persons comprised technicians from the GPHC, the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), Davis Memorial Hospital, Georgetown Medical Centre and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, along with other healthcare workers stationed in Regions

2 and 10. The one-year programme saw the batch undergoing training in areas of infection control, code of conduct in the operating room, care and knowledge of operating room equipment and instruments, and confidentiality of patient information. Dr. Norton is hopeful that the knowledge and skills gained by the batch during their nine months of training and three months of preceptorship will be applied “to the best of your ability in your respective operating rooms.” He emphasised: “Your role in ensuring the efficient functioning of the operating rooms should not be underplayed.” He added, “As Operating Room Technicians, you contribute significantly towards ensuring that patients have the best quality of pre and post-operative care. The support you provide to patients, and the assistance you provide to surgeons intra-operatively, allow for improved out-

comes and overall recovery of patients.” The Public Health Minister further urged the technicians to work in harmony with their colleagues, to offer the highest quality of patient care. He also encouraged them to grasp at other training opportunities in the future. “Continuing Medical Education (CME) is very important and it’s something that I advocate for every

time I have the opportunity to do so. The Ministry of Public Health has, over the years, proven its commitment to supporting persons who pursue continuing medical education through training programmes such as this one,” the Minister noted. GPHC’s Operating Room Technician Programme has trained 67 persons over the past five years. (GINA)

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

PPP/C councillors boycott elections in Bel Air/Woodlands NDC PEOPLE’S Progressive Party Councillors at the Woodlands/Bel Air Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) in West Coast Berbice on Tuesday walked out of a meeting held to elect the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the NDC. This was one of the NDCs which have an equal number of seats allocated to both the APNU+AFC and the PPP. The walkout occurred after Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan, in keeping with the legal provisions, appointed APNU+AFC Councillor Carol Nurse as Chairperson. The minister’s intervention led to two of the PPP/C councillors immediately leaving the meeting. Then PPP/C observers Harry Gill, MP, and Faizal Jaffarally prompted the other two, as well as the Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal, who was there as an observer, to walk out. In the absence of the four PPP/C councillors, the APNU+AFC Councillors elected Winston Vyphius as Vice-Chairman.

In the LGE held in 1994, the PPP had commanded the majority of the seats in the Woodlands/Bel Air NDC. Meanwhile, the minister was again forced to intervene in a tie for the Chairmanship of the Woodlands/Farm NDC in Mahaicony. It comprises sixteen councillors. He appointed APNU+AFC Candidate Gersham Clarke as Chairman. The PPP councillors did not walk out though. There was then a tie in votes for the vice-chairman, and this tie remained unresolved up to late yesterday afternoon. The PPP/C had won the majority of the seats at the LGE at Woodlands/Farm NDC in 1994. In LGE 2016 results announced recently, of the ten NDCs in Region 5, the PPP/C won four and the APNU+AFC won four with ties in the remaining two. Despite boycotting the elections for chairman and vice-chairman at Woodlands/Bel Air, The PPP/C councillors can still retain their seats on the Council.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Duo gets jail term after gun, ammo find QUINCY Goodhart, called Ketay or Blackie, and Kevon Bunyon were each sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, following an earlier plea of guilty to charges of being in possession of a firearm along with matching ammunition. New Amsterdam Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus stipulated that the men serve a two-year sentence each, after the confessed to having a .38 revolver in their possession without the relevant licences. A further two-year sentence was handed down on the duo, who pleaded guilty to having ammunition in their possession without being the holder of the relevant licences. Along with the sentence, the men were fined a total of $100,000 each, with an alternative of 100 days’ imprisonment. The sentences will run concurrently. Detective Sergeant Lawrence Thomas had instituted the charges against the two men, along with Rudolph Mc Curdy, called Ruddy,

and Kurt Edwards, following intense investigations into a robbery committed on businessman Danny Sankar. However, with respect to the robbery under arms allegation, Mc Curdy and Edwards have denied the charge and were ordered to each post $100,000 bail. Police alleged that on March 15, last at Strand Road, the defendants armed with a dangerous weapon - a gun, robbed Nanda Ramkissoon Sankar of $646,340 in cash, a quantity of phone cards valued $90,000 and a gold chain which cost $420,000, totaling $1,146,340. Subsequently, the quartet had appeared before the court where police had instituted charges for them being in possession of a firearm along with matching ammunition without the relevant licences. On that occasion, Kevon Bunyan, was the number one defendant, followed by Quincy Goodhart, Rudolph Mc Curdy and Kurt Edwards respectively. Bunyan and

Goodhart had pleaded guilty to the charge with an explanation and were refused bail, while the remaining defendants were sent on $60,000 bail each. According to Bunyan, aged 32, he lived at Lot 620 Fort Ordinance Housing Scheme, Canje; he took the police to the home of #2 accused at Lot 52 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, where the police were given the gun, which was dug up from under a stairway. He told the Magistrate too, that Goodhart had given him the gun earlier in the day and that he had it in his possession because Goodhart had asked him for a favour. “I don’t have a job, and Goodhart did not pay me to keep the gun,” he posited. Meanwhile Goodhart, 23, claimed to have lived at Lot 540 East Ruimveldt, where he would attend the Kingdom Hall at that location. According to him, he went at the back of a ‘place’ and in an unpainted building, he collected the gun.’

Fine, community service for having narcotics

15

A 26-YEAR-OLD pork knocker was yesterday fined $15,000 and ordered to complete 100 days of community service by Magistrate Dylan Bess after he admitted to the possession of narcotics. Stefan Barrows admitted to the charge which stated that on April 3, 2016, at Charlestown, he had in his possession two grams of cannabis. According to the facts presented by the police prosecutor, on the day in question, the police were on a road block when the defendant along with others were stopped and searched. During the search, it was alleged, the drug was found in Barrows’ pocket, wrapped in a red and white bag. The defendant was told of the suspicion and was taken to the Brickdam Police Station where the drug tested positive for cannabis. Barrow, who was unrepresented, told the court that he had lost his appetite. As a result, he decided to use the drug to open his appetite. Considering his age and the fact that he did not waste the court’s time, Magistrate Bess handed down the sentence. Barrow is expected to complete his service on or before the April 30, 2016 or by default three months’ imprisonment. (Sherah Alleyne)

16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

‘Nasty Man’ committed to stand trial

CAREER criminal Dellon Henry, 25, known as ‘Nasty Man,’ of Houston, East Bank Demerara, has been committed to stand trial in the High Court. Henry is charged with the murder of 36-year-old Dexter Griffith, who was shot dead in ‘Warlock,’ East Ruimveldt on September 29, 2015. He appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and was committed on Friday when the Preliminary Inquiry ended in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. The matter was prosecuted by Police Inspector Neville Jeffers. According to the prosecution, the incident occurred as Griffith

was sitting in front of his house at Genip Alleyway, East Ruimveldt. Reports are that Henry approached Griffith with a gun and shot him about the body. Griffith managed to run a few feet before collapsing, while the accused made his escape on a bicycle. Griffith was then rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he was pronounced dead. During the preliminary inquiry the prosecution called several witness to testify, including the brother of the deceased, Keshawn Griffith who assisted in identifying the location where the incident occurred. Griffith also testi-

fied that he had pointed out his brother’s killer during an identification parade. A post mortem examination conducted on the body of Dexter Griffith at the Georgetown Hospital by Dr. Nehaul Singh revealed that he died from six bullets which riddled his body. However, Henry’s attorney, Adrian Thompson contended that the prosecution failed to prove its case while the sworn testimony given by the dead man’s brother was conflicting. According to Thompson, his client’s picture was shown to Griffith a day prior to the identification parade

and should have been deemed inadmissible. Nevertheless, Inspector Jeffers urged the court to consider the prosecution’s case since none of his witnesses were discredited.

The Chief Magistrate ruled in favor of the prosecution and committed Henry to stand trial in the next sitting of the Demerara Criminal Assizes.

Henry had been in and out of court since the age of 13, having been charged before for buggery, murder and illegal gun and ammo possession.

PM graces CPA reception

Teen girl is no show – man walks to freedom

FORTY-THREE-YEAR-old Arjune Reddi was Tuesday spared a jail sentence after the virtual complainant in a sexual activity with a child case failed to attend the Berbice Assizes. The unrepresented Reddi appeared before Justice Franklyn Holder where he pleaded not guilty to the indictment, which stated that between February 17, 2010 and December

31, 2010 at Albion Village, Corentyne, he engaged in sexual penetration of a ten-year old girl. Further, a second indictment revealed that between January 1 and 31, 2014, he sexually penetrated the same complainant, at that time aged 13 years. Following his plea of not guilty, State Prosecutor informed the court that she was

unable to lead any evidence as the virtual complainant could not be contacted. On a previous occasion the teenager, had been contacted and her relatives had promised that she would have been brought to court. But she never appeared. Consequently, the judge ordered the mixed jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty in favour of the accused.

Judge inspects Guard-of-Honour JUSTICE Jo-Ann Barlow yesterday inspected the Guard-of-Honour. It was

one of the acts to mark the occasion of the opening of the April Criminal Session

in Demerara. The judge also took the salute during the march-past

In photo, Prime Minister Nagamootoo is in discussion with some of the attendees at the reception. MEMBERS of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the United Kingdom, Canada and Guyana branches attended a cocktail reception at Public Buildings on Monof the traditional ceremonial parade, which comprised the Police Band and 60 ranks of the Tactical Services Unit. Justice Barlow, one of the three judges assigned to cover 153 cases for the session

day evening. The occasion was also graced by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Ministers of Government and members of the Opposition.

later empanelled a 12-member jury to commence the case of Dhupaul Singh called ‘Tailor’ for the murder of Balkissoon called ‘Balkie’ at Helena No. 2, Mahaica, on September 2, 2014.

This morning the Prosecutor will deliver the opening address to the jury on behalf of the prosecution. Thereafter, he will call witnesses who will testify on behalf of the prosecution.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Murder of Non Pareil pensioner …

Daughters among four arrested –– residents shocked By Rabindra Rooplall RESIDENTS of Non pareil, East Coast Demerara (ECD) are in shock that the daughters of a pensioner may have been the masterminds of his murder. On Sunday, the body of 64-year-old Roger Manikam was discovered on the Coldingen Railway Embankment, also on the East Coast, on the shoulder of the carriageway, and reports

indicate that he was killed Saturday evening. Divisional Commander Marlon Chapman confirmed to this newspaper that four persons are in police custody, including the dead man’s two daughters, aged 12 and 18, a boyfriend and another male accomplice, who allegedly transported the body. REAL CRAZY “I can’t believe some-

Charlestown executions…

Four in custody, as cops get detention extended THE police will be sending files to the Director of Prosecutions (DPP) this week after four men were arrested last weekend over the execution- style killings of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coastguard Kevon Payne and Gladston Taylor, both residents of Charlestown, Georgetown.

Charlestown, when two men armed with firearms rode up on a motorcycle and discharged rounds in their direction. Payne was hit about his body and Williams was hit to his right foot. As a result, Payne was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival, while Williams was admitted. Three days after that shooting, Taylor was sitting at Adelaide and Sussex Streets when two men rode up on a CG motorcycle and opened fire on him. He was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was

Dead: Kevon Payne Police source disclosed that two men were held for the execution of Lance Corporal Payne and two others were held for the gunning down of 57-year-old Taylor, called ‘Tuffy’, in separate incidents. Meanwhile, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was successful in its application to the High Court to further detain the four persons in connection with the murders in Sussex Street, Charlestown. It was reported that on Tuesday, March 29 about 22:20hrs, Payne and another man, Shakel Williams, 22, of James Street, Albouystown, were among a group of men standing on the roadway at Lyng and Sussex Streets,

Gladston Taylor, called ‘Tuffy’ pronounced dead on arrival. According to reports Payne’s brother Vellone Thorne is among the four persons who were arrested and is likely to be charged with the capital offence. He, along and another man, are fingered in the shooting of Gladston Taylor, called ‘Tuffy’, while two other men are fingered in the shooting of Kevon Payne.

one would do that to dem father; this is real crazy,” one resident noted. Meanwhile, many residents expressed confidence in the police and agreed that the horrible act cannot be justified in any way. “If they had a problem with the man, they should have left him alone and find another place to live, or get

Dead: Roger Manikam help to move out or move on. Killing him makes everything worse for them all now. This should be a lesson to others,” one woman com-

mented. According to reports, the two girls - 12 and years old lured the elderly man to the kitchen of his Nonpareil home last Saturday night, where a boyfriend of one of the girls chopped him with an axe. They then dumped his body on the Coldingen Railway Embankment, in the hope that the police would believe that the pensioner was the victim of a violent robbery. The Guyana Chronicle understands that the body was covered in construction plastic and a length of polythene was wrapped around it. There were also chop wounds to the back of the head. According to police

17

sources, the two girls (duaghters) lured him into the kitchen, where the boyfriend attacked him from behind with an axe. Another male accomplice was contacted and the body was placed in a car and subsequently dumped on the Railway Embankment. The killers had acquired the axe, construction plastic and rope from a storeroom in the backyard, the Guyana Chronicle understands. Initially, the daughters had claimed that the man’s 22-year-old girlfriend was behind the murder; something that police also found strange. The post-mortem examination revealed that Manikam died from head trauma and haemorrhage.

18

Singh still in critical condition By Shirley Thomas TWENTY-three-year-old Jose Singh of Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, who suffered life-threatening injuries when he fell from a coconut tree a week ago, remains warded at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in

a critical condition. Singh, who sustained spinal injuries; injuries to the head and neck; fracture to the left leg and internal concussions, earlier had surgeries, but was on Tuesday taken back to theatre for further surgical intervention. He has so far had Computerised Tomography (CT)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans for injuries suffered to the head and neck, but is not doing well. His parents are praying for his recovery. On March 24, Singh who sells pointer brooms to help his parents and five siblings eke out a living, went up into a coconut tree where he had The injured Jose Singh, with legs and abdominal region heavily strapped and wearing neck brace gone to cut branches. Unfortunately, unknown to anyone, he fell from the tree and was later spotted by his sister who saw his limp body – motionless on the ground.

An alarm was raised and Jose was rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, soon after being transferred to the GPHC, where he is currently still in a critical condition.

Four Indigenous communities’ electricity supply system to be extended THE extension of the electrical network systems in four Indigenous communities will enhance the capacity of the grid to serve a larger segment of the population residing in those communities. St Cuthbert’s Mission, in Region Four, Moraikobai in Region Five, and Orealla and Siparuta in Region Six are the communities that are expected to benefit from the intervention. As part of the Unserved Areas Electrification Programme (UAEP) which began in 2004, the four communities received electricity systems, using primarily diesel generation, with mini-grids, overhead transmission and distribution systems. The communities have expanded since then, hence the effort, to extend the grid in each, to supply more households, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Hinterland Electrification Corporation Inc. (HECI), Horace Williams explained in a recent interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA.) “It is actually the network in these communities that we are extending. Putting in more poles, extending the lines to other areas within the communities, where new houses have developed,” he said. “It is an expansion of the centre, so to speak,” he explained. “There are houses developed, just outside of the central area… we think it is feasible to extend the grid to supply these new households. But the people who are still on the peripheral, would have to continue to use solar system, until such time that we find it economical to expand the grid to these households as well,” he said. Over $100M is expected to be expended on the various projects, which also cater for a similar expansion exercise, in Lethem, Region Nine to supply the Culvert City new housing scheme with electricity. “We have to extend the grid at Lethem to capture that area,” Williams said. He explained that, “It is a new housing scheme, I do not know how many house lots but they are empty at the moment, and people are waiting for electricity to be able to move into the areas, so that is why we are taking that initiative in terms of providing electricity in the areas,” he explained. A total of 150 households are expected to benefit from these interventions. (GINA)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Govt readies National Tourism Policy THE draft National Tourism Policy (NTP) which is being perused by the relevant stakeholders, with some already sending in their feedback, will become a public document soon. Director-General of the Ministry of Tourism, Donald Sinclair said that, as soon as the responses are received from all the stakeholders, they will be reviewed and amendments made where necessary. Sinclair said that, “interestingly, cruise visits and yachting are a part of that National Tourism Policy because we recognise that those are growth areas for us. So as soon as we get the feedback it becomes a public document that we will be using to drive our tourism plans.” President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Shaun McGrath, said that 57 of the association’s members have sent in their feedback on the draft NTP to the Tourism Ministry. The NTP will address legislation and regulations towards advancing Guyana’s tourism which will include concessions, best practices, human resource development, infrastructure, promoting specific niche markets and other areas. Minister of Public Telecommunication, Catherine Hughes had said that the NTP will emphasise the role of tourism in providing jobs and boosting economic growth throughout Guyana, especially in the hinterland. “So within the tourism policy… we re-define Guyana as ‘Guyana, South America Undiscovered’… and tied into that is the beauty of our rainforest, our savannahs, its adventure tourism, its leisure tourism,” Hughes said. She added that hiking, sports fishing and sports tourism which includes fishing, yachts and rallies are also catered for in the NTP, as well as motor racing entertainment and cultural tourism. (GINA)

Protect the environment -govt urges miners THE Ministry of Natural Resources is calling on miners, particularly those operating large concessions, to work in an environmentally-friendly manner, while ensuring safety and adherence to the mining regulations. This call comes following a visit to the Konawaruk area, Potaro Mining District #2 by Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources Simona Broomes and a team from the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) on Saturday last. In a release the ministry said that the team was disturbed by the obvious damage that is being done to the environment due to mining activities being carried out in the area. In one instance an excavator operated by an employee of a large mining company was seen pushing material from the land of the Potaro River into the river. The bank of the river has already been destroyed and there is no buffer zone, as is required, but the excavator was making preparation for a land dredge to become operational. The Ministry calls on miners to be more responsible while urging the large-scale operators to set examples for smaller miners in observing best practices. Miners are also reminded about the reclamation process. All holders of large-scale mining are asked to lead the way in this process and ensure that the area is restored following their mining activities. This is important as Guyana moves towards protecting its environment. Meanwhile, during the visit the team also received several complaints from miners about the actions of the supernumerary constables employed by mining companies. The Ministry is well aware of the security concerns of miners and their resort to employing such constables, but it is also concerned about the complaints received from small miners who alleged that they are at times threatened with guns. In other instances, small miners complained about their equipment being destroyed and their camps overrun. After listening to the miners Minister Broomes advised them to take photographs and video recordings of such actions and to report the incidents to the Guyana Police Force.

19

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

21

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

23

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

25

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

UG impress at UWI Invitational

THE University of Guyana team produced an impressive performance last weekend in Jamaica at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Invitational at the Usain Bolt Track and Field facility at Mona Campus. Cleveland Forde dominated the 1500m class with a time of 4:16.93, dusting his second-placed team-mate and countryman Dane Johnson who finished 16 seconds off the pace. Third place went to Ovell Burton while fourth was picked up by Guyanese Salim Yusuf. On the field, Emanuel Archibald produced personal-best (PB) jump of

14.73 metres for the gold medal in the triple-jump class before picking up third place in the long jump with 7.20 metres. Team manager and UG sport coordinator Lavern Fraser-Thomas said, “I am very pleased with the performance of all the members of the team, Especially Emanuel Archibald who achieved his PB in both jumping events.” “The potential of student athletes of the University of Guyana was on full display especially considering that their peers are all athletes of specific programmes.” Another highlight of the meet was a seminar where

presentations were made by various lecturers including Dr. Klaus Werner Wolf, a senior lecturer at the Electron Microscopy Unit: Faculty of Science & Technology. He spoke of the musculoskeletal role in an athlete’s life. Dr Paula Dawson was the second presenter and showcased her knowledge and expertise on the cause and prevention of some of the more common injuries incurred by athletes. Another presenter, chiropractor Dr Neil Gardner, highlighted his profession’s role in sports and how necessary is the need for the interrelating of all three. (Stephan Sookram)

Day International (ODI) debut against Bangladesh in 2004, becoming the first person from the island of St Lucia to play international cricket. Ever since that time,

the St Lucian-born cricketer has made a name for himself, playing in multiple tournaments and showing off his skills on the international scene.

WICB salutes ...

From backpage

batsman and fast-medium bowler made his One

Bolt eyes ... From backpage with Yohan Blake, Michael Frater and Nesta Carter to clinch relay gold at London 2012. And Bolt, who has confirmed Rio will be his final Games appearance, believes he is on course to sign off in style. “Well the training has been going pretty well for the Olympic games. It’s been wonderful so far,” he said at a Nissan GT-R launch event in New York. “I’ve been on track. I’ve been working out pushing myself because it’s a big year, so I’m definitely looking forward to going out and doing my best. “For me, I never try to predict anything but I definitely said I’m going to go out there and defend my titles, to win three gold medals again. “Hopefully I can break a few more world records and stuff, so that’s my focus and we’ll see what happens.”

South Africa Racing Tips Greyville 08:35 hrs Nova 09:10 hrs Cape Speed 09:50 hrs Never Settle 10:25 hrs Leonard 11:00 hrs Diamond Coast English Racing Tips Catterick 09:00 hrs Fearbuster 09:30 hrs Faiseur De Miracle 10:00 hrs Layla’s Hero 10:30 hrs Azrur 11:05 hrs Nedxt Edition 11:35 hrs Adiator 12:05 hrs Sir Geoffrey Lingfield 09:10 hrs Togetherwecan 09:40 hrs Seek The Fair Land 10:40 hrs Southern Storm 11:15 hrs Inland Sea 12:15 hrs Surewecan Nottingham 09:20 hrs Stratum

09:50 hrs A Momentofmadness 10:20 hrs Spirit Quartz 10:50 hrs Clever Cookie 11:25 hrs Greenside 11:55 hrs Boutan 12:25 hrs Gawdawpalin Irish Racing Tips Leopardstown 10:25 hrs Claudio Monteverdi 10:55 hrs Va Pensiero 11:30 hrs Zannda 12:00 hrs Somehow 12:30 hrs Love In The Sun 13:00 hrs Whats The Plot 13:30 hrs Caigemdar American Racing Tips Gulfstream Race 1 Honorable Daniel Race 2 Spectacular Shirin Race 3 Artefacto Race 4 Cannot Stop Race 5 Makossa Race 6 Great Attack Race 7 Gunderson Race 8 True Diplomacy Race 9

28

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Sutherland wants standalone women’s WT20

AS women’s cricket continues to grow, Cricket Australia CEO says 2020 Women’s World T20 could be separate from the men’s. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland says the rapid growth in women’s cricket could allow the 2020 Women’s World T20 tournament to be held as a standalone event. All five Women’s World T20s so far have been held concurrently with the men’s tournament, giving the women’s game extra exposure and allowing female players to experience the big-game atmosphere of playing the final on the same day and at the same venue as the men. Following the 2016 tournament in India, the Women’s WT20 will continue to be played as a biennial event with the men’s tournaments now to be played every four years. W h i l e t h e w o m e n ’s events in 2018 and 2022 will be standalones, the 2020 tournament is scheduled to run alongside the men’s in Australia in 2020. Sutherland says the women’s game is progressing at such a rate that it too could be held separately, in February and March ahead of the men’s event in October and November. “I think this is fantastic to have the women on the same stage but I also think there’s a possibility that by hosting both events but having them separate, we might be able

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland to build something even more unique and create more focus for the women,” Sutherland said “In four years’ time, we might be at a stage where the World T20 for women can stand on its own two feet and in my view that might be a good idea to play that earlier in the year - having their own clear air at the end of our 2019-20 summer and then the men come in later in the year. “It’s not really our decision ... we need to talk that through with the ICC.” `Hosting the 2020 women’s tournament at the end of the 2019-20 season would allow organisers to build on the momentum of the Women’s Big

Bash League, which would be in its fifth season. ICC CEO Dave Richardson said the 2018 women’s tournament in the West Indies will provide an indication as to whether or not future women’s tournaments should also have standalone status. “We’ll see how that event goes in the West Indies,” Richardson told Cricket Radio. “It’s a matter for consideration. “There are two schools of thought; some say (the women’s players) benefit and they love being part of the men’s event, others say ‘no, it deserves to have its own standalone status’. “The women’s game is go-

ing from strength to strength. I think this tournament, the fact that it’s combined with the men’s, has done a wonderful job in helping the women’s game grow and increasing the profile of the women’s event. “To the extent that we might have to start thinking ... as to whether the Women’s World T20 justifies a standalone status. “Because we don’t want everyone to be focused on the men’s (tournament) and not on the women’s.” The inaugural WBBL and the upcoming Women’s Cricket Super League in England are further positive steps for women’s cricket and generally for women’s sport, which Sutherland believes has enjoyed a landmark few years. The full impact of the WBBL became clear on Sunday when the West Indies women’s team credited the new competition after their upset win over three-time winners the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars in the WT20 final in Kolkata. Windies opener Hayley Matthews, who played for the Hobart Hurricanes in the WBBL, was named player-ofthe-match in the decider for her knock of 66 off 45 balls “Coming from playing in Australia, it helped me to already know a lot of the bowlers a lot better (and) what they’re coming at me with,” the 18-year-old said.

Greece handed 10-day deadline by FIFA to reverse Cup cancellation By Graham Wood ATHENS, Greece (Reuters) - FIFA handed Greece’s government a 10-day deadline yesterday, to reverse its decision to cancel the Greek Cup or face an international suspension from football’s world governing body. FIFA sent a two-page letter to Deputy Minister for Sport Stavros Kontonis and the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) demanding that Kontonis change his ruling. The global body also ordered further talks to make changes to sports legislation

planned for May which contradicts FIFA’s statutes on self-governance of member associations. “The FIFA Emergency Committee decided to set a deadline of April 15 2016 for the decision to cancel the 2015/2016 Greek Cup to be reversed, failing which the EPO would face an automatic suspension of its membership,” said the letter published on the EPO website. The ultimatum follows a breakdown in talks held between Kontonis, the EPO and a FIFA delegation in Athens on March 30 to try

and resolve the issue. Kontonis controversially cancelled the cup after the first leg of the semi-final between PAOK Salonika and Olympiakos Piraeus on March 2 was abandoned due to a violent pitch invasion, with fans hurling flares and missiles before being dispersed by riot police. Kontonis declared his decision was a “legal move” and has insisted that no pronouncement will be made until the EPO’s appeal against the move is heard by the Supreme Court on April 19. FIFA said that any decision by Greece’s Supreme

Court will not be taken into account, saying it is “irrelevant as it could be withdrawn, and because regardless of the eventual decision, the issues linked to the implementation and the potential interference of the law would remain.” If Greece are suspended by FIFA, their hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup could be in jeopardy as they could be barred from taking part in the qualifiers which kick off in September. The 2004 European champions failed to qualify for this year’s continental competition in France.

“Also working with my coaches in Australia, they really helped me a lot with my batting, also my patience and even my confidence. “I do think that really helped a lot.” West Indies skipper Stafanie Taylor, who scored 59 to finish both the leading run-scorer and player-of-the-tournament, expressed similar sentiments. “It actually helped us. Hayley’s quite young and I think it was good exposure for her to go and build (on) what she’s actually doing now,” said Taylor, who helped steer the Sydney Thunder to the maiden WBBL title in January. “She matured. You could see that out there in the way that she played.” Sutherland said all women’s sport was currently enjoying a significant period of growth.

“I’m just projecting forward and 2015 was a big year for women’s sport around the world and the respect for women’s sport was something that changed in the tide I think,” he said. “The women’s World Cup soccer in Canada was huge. There were some great crowds and that’s something that we draw inspiration from to think, well the next time we host a women’s event we want it to be something like that. “Imagine playing a women’s World T20 final in the evening at 19:00hrs and how many people would you get to the ground, how many people would be watching on TV? “Especially if Australia got through to the final, it would just be enormous and to have it as a curtain-raiser in some ways might not do it justice.”

Platini’s Panama account was declared in Switzerland - lawyer in Le Figaro

Michel Platini’s (REUTERS) - Banned UEFA president Michel Platini’s Panamanian bank account was declared to the authorities in Switzerland, where he lives, his lawyer said in an interview published by French newspaper Le Figaro yesterday. “Holding bank accounts through companies is not illegal as long as they are declared, which was the case here,” the lawyer was cited as saying. The interview came a day after the ‘Panama Papers’ documents leaked from a Panamanian law firm triggered investigations into possible financial wrongdoing by politicians and other high-profile figures around the world. European soccer boss and former French international Platini is appealing against a six-year ban from taking part in international football activity. The ban is related to a payment of 2 million Swiss francs ($2.09 million) made to the Frenchman in 2011 and was imposed by world soccer’s governing body, FIFA.

29

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Suarez double sees Barca recover to beat 10-man Atletico By Richard Martin

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - Barcelona’s Luis Suarez netted twice for a 2-1 win over 10-man Atletico Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final, first leg yesterday after the visitors’ Fernando Torres opened the scoring and was later sent off. After a flurry of chances for the home side Suarez levelled from close range in the 63rd minute and then headed the winner in the 74th, giving the European champions the edge before next week’s second leg at the Vicente Calderon. Atletico got off to the ideal start when Torres fired Koke’s pass through the legs of keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen after 25 minutes but 10 minutes later he was dismissed for a second booking as

Luis Suarez scores the first goal for Barcelona (Reuters/Albert GeaLivepic) they suffered a seventh straight loss to Barca. Atletico had been in confident mood after thrashing Real Betis 5-1 in la Liga on Saturday and were looking to take advantage of Barcelona, who were reeling from a 2-1 home defeat by Real Madrid that ended their record 39game unbeaten run. Diego Simeone’s men

defended as a team and their organised play and high pressing interrupted Barca’s usual quick passing game. “We are still alive in the tie,” Atletico coach Simeone said. “They had a chance to score another goal with an extra man and they didn’t, so that gives us hope and belief. The second leg is going to be a great game.”

After Lionel Messi and Neymar missed the target in the early stages, Atletico pounced with their first proper chance. After a long spell of possession, Koke received a pass from Gabi and took a touch before threading the ball into the path of Torres, who got his 11th goal in 15 matches against Barcelona.

The former Liverpool and Chelsea striker received his first booking for a late tackle on Neymar in the middle of the pitch four minutes after scoring and got his marching orders for a second yellow minutes later for fouling Sergio Busquets. Simeone’s side had two sent off when they lost to the Catalans in La Liga and

were again punished for indiscipline. After the break Messi was inches away from his 500th career goal with a scissors kick before Neymar hit the far post and then sent a shot whistling just wide. Barcelona broke Atletico’s resistance when Suarez diverted Jordi Alba’s low cross home with his shin and then powered into the area to head Dani Alves’ cross past Jan Oblak to score the winner with his eighth Champions League goal this season. “The only downside is we didn’t score another goal, which would have helped us a lot,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said. “We feel positive because the result is in our favour, we have won again and beaten Atletico again, a team that makes things extremely difficult.”

Opposition leader congratulates victorious Windies

LEADER of the Opposition and former President of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo has issued a congratulatory message to both the men’s and women’s West Indies cricket teams following their triumphs at the World T20 on Sunday. In a statement, the Opposition leader said, “Just as the February victory of

the West Indies Under-19 Team stunned tournament favourite, India, to capture the ICC 2016 Under-19 World Cup and inspired the senior teams in their march through their tournaments, the ultimate success of our three teams will inspire our West Indian nations.” “As leaders, we are also inspired by the teams’

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday April 06, 2016) (Wednesday April 06, 2016) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & the City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Sri Lanka-3 (2009, 2012 & 2014) (2) Australia-4 (2010, 2012, 2014 & 2016) Today’s Quiz: (1) Name the Test-playing nations that have never contested an ICC T20 World Cup final? (2) When did the English women once win the ICC T20 World Cup? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

fortitude, resilience and true grit to overcome obstacles in all other aspects of the national endeavour,” continued the statement. The former president added that cricket has always been the glue that binds the mosaic of people in the Caribbean region together, in the aftermath of the country’s

colonial legacy - even as it played a major role in overcoming the scars of that legacy. “As a Region, together, we have achieved much on the cricket fields. Today, with the victories, against all odds, in all three ICC World Tournaments - the Trifecta of Cricket – we stand on the cusp of igniting another period of West

Indian cricketing genius on the world stage,” the statement read. He committed his party and by extension the government’s support in whatever form is needed to achieve that goal. He also acknowledged the role that our youths in the Under-19 Team played in inspiring their seniors in their tournaments and

offered the most heartfelt congratulations to those seniors in the Men’s and Women’s Teams for bringing the trophies of victory in the 2016 ICC T20 World Cups back to the West Indies. His statement came on behalf of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) as well as the left side of the house.

Phantom cop International dominoes title TEAM Phantom made light work of the rest of the competition in last weekend’s International dominoes tournament, hosted by the Guyana Dominoes Association. The Phantom team, comprising Forbes Solomon, Orin Favourite,

Rafuel Charles, Lennox Lee, Ackeem Soloman and Rawle Cameron among others, took the title after playing for than 100 games between them. They accumulated 96 points in the final after 6 rounds of action at three simultaneous tables. With the win, the Phan-

tom team came away $1M richer in the second edition of the tournament. Meanwhile, second place went to team Masters who had 69 points, three points ahead of their third-place finishers Mix Up. The 24-team tournament saw Masters walk off

with a $500 000 while third place Mix Up collected $250 000. Wild card team Unity took home the fourth place and $200 000 after 73 games. The defending champions Rage were nowhere to be found in the tally on the final day.

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

More reason, less emotion needed to drive WICB reform By Imran Khan AFTER the team’s ICC World T20 2016 win in Kolkata, Darren Sammy, the West Indies captain, delivered as bruising a postmatch interview as has been witnessed in any global cricket final since the advent of live television. Visibly emotional, the veteran captain let his views on the not-so-behind-thescenes issues stalking West Indies cricket finally come to the fore. Sammy was deliberate in his language and specific on the issues he discussed. He spoke of the team’s disappointment in the West Indies Cricket Board and how the players felt disrespected. He thanked the board’s contemporary arch-nemesis, the CARICOM Heads of Government, for their support, naming Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell, who is leading CARICOM’s interest in modernising West Indies cricket governance. His blistering comments underscore how toxic the relationship between players and the board is. “We had a lot of issues. We felt disrespected by our board. I want to thank the heads of CARICOM. Throughout this tournament they have been supporting the team, we’ve got emails, we’ve got phone calls. Prime Minister Mitchell sent a very inspiring email for the team this morning and I’m yet to hear from our own board. That is very disappointing.” Cricket fans around the world might have found it astonishing to hear a captain lay in to his own board at a moment of historic triumph. Followers of West Indies cricket were, in fact, anticipating it. West Indies cricket is a house divided. The palpable toxicity has its genesis in a governance system that was described as “antiquated, obsolete and anachronistic” in the report of the CARICOM Prime Ministerial Committee on the Governance of West Indies Cricket, headed by Eudine Barriteau and which was constituted following the infamous India tour debacle. This governance struc-

West Indies T20 captain Darren Sammy ture, embraced by the current and previous iterations of WICB, is at the centre of the players’ discontent. They, and CARICOM, believe how the hierarchy of West Indies cricket is arrived at is what most empowers the board of directors to effectively lord over them and West Indies cricket. The players feel what they describe as a deep sense of disrespect, a lack of support from a board which they and the public and CARICOM see as not being accountable to anyone. And until the advent of international Twenty20 leagues, the players felt entrapped by this arrangement. Regrettably, while there is broad consensus that the WICB’s governance structure and systems need modernising, even by the board of directors itself, the discourse has suffered from being focused on personalities and has been laced with emotive vitriol. On all sides – board, players (current and former), administrators and the West Indian public at large. Where there ought to be reason, good sense, good faith, negotiation, frank and respectful engagement and discussion, the irresistible temptation has been, consumed by distrust, to issue virulent press releases, pen accusatory articles, and address and throw shade at each other via the mass

media and on social media rather than across the table. Also in the mix is an unhelpful but generous serving of ego and intransigence, again on all sides. Most recently though, the ego and intransigence, compounded by a cavalier and infantile attitude, have been ballooning on the side that ought to have been providing leadership. There are those, well informed, who are of the not unreasonable conviction that had the WICB provided leadership rather than go AWOL, the Indian tour debacle would have been avoided. Nonetheless, none is without sin. Until the conversation is shifted away from personalities and fuelled less by emotion, the discord will persist. CARICOM presumably belatedly concluded that what West Indies cricket required is an intervention. Successive prime ministers have attempted to initiate reform with an impassioned zealousness that has offended the WICB hierarchy, which feels threatened by what it perceives to be an attempt to corral its influence. The old turkey and Thanksgiving dilemma. There are legal complications as well to CARICOM’s intrusion. As a regional body comprising substantively of the countries that form the core of those governed

Former WICB president Sir Julian Hunte by the WICB, the Heads of Government are hard-pressed to avoid the regional board’s challenges in administering the sport without rancour and acrimony being constant and unshakeable themes. It is the essence of why the CARICOM subcommittee on cricket is thought to be necessary. The first headed by PJ Patterson, the former Jamaican prime minister, and the second chaired by Charles Wilkin QC, eminent Kittitian attorney. While a considerable number of the recommendations in these two reports were implemented by the WICB, the transformational ones have not and the resistance to meaningful governance reform remains robust. What is not widely known and indeed may surprise many is that there are directors of the WICB who are in favour of governance reform, and not mere superficial reform but radical reform. Unsurprisingly however, they are in the minority. WICB did demonstrate some degree of good faith when it opted to include four independent directors to sit alongside the 12 from the six territorial boards. But with territorial directors dominating the board, the jockeying for power, privilege, hosting of international matches, regional matches

and tournaments, and funding, cripples meaningful and sustained progress. Development is stymied in favour of political platitudes. Recall that WICB presidential elections are every two years. Got to keep the electorate (two votes for each of the six territorial boards) happy. Often denounced as an old boys’ club, the WICB, to its credit, did, albeit subject to mounting public pressure, commission at least two high profile committees to examine its governance structure. While a considerable number of the recommendations in these two reports were implemented by the WICB, the transformational ones have not and the resistance to meaningful governance reform remains robust. It is this contaminated governance system, rooted in an electoral system of votes-for-rewards, which requires dismantling and reorganising. It is a system that is fraught with pitfalls and which lends itself to horse-trading on everything from where matches are played, to where (and how often) meetings are held, to what players and personnel are selected and what players and personnel are not. However, the approach essayed by CARICOM has been interpreted as belligerent by the WICB. The response was to lawyer

up and circle the wagons. Perhaps a softer, silken approach might lend to practical results. It must start with the recognition that the territorial boards are the shareholders of the WICB and must play a central role in any governance reconfiguration. Where the discussion can be usefully focused is on finding a middle ground that allows the territorial boards clout without domination. It is the domination of the WICB by the territorial boards (several that themselves are in need of reform) that results in chronic shortcomings in the governance and administration of the regional game. It is the fear of the wholesale discarding of the territorial board that paralyses the WICB directors from advancing. One pertinent untold story of West Indies cricket is that the former president, Sir Julian Hunte, contesting for a fourth term in 2013, lost to the current president, Dave Cameron, ostensibly because Hunte was intent on leading governance reform similar to what was had by Cricket Australia. He had already initiated the steps by commissioning the Wilkin Report and had been quietly organising to restructure the governance of the game. It was a route the territorial boards were unprepared to go down and opted instead to install Hunte’s then vice-president to the top post. That has kept the incumbent afloat. Resistance to governance reform is his raison d’etre, on the authority of those to whom he is beholden: the territorial boards. For as long as this status quo holds, CARICOM’s Heads of Government will continue to encounter defiance. And Sammy’s and his successors’ inevitable disappointment will live on. (Reprinted from Wisden India) (Imran Khan is a former WICB Marketing and Communications manager and is now the Press Secretary to the Prime Minister and Director of Public Information in his native Guyana)

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 6, 2016

Best phase in West Indies cricket Sarfraz replaces Afridi as Pakistan’s after our era - Viv Richards

HOW can any West Indies cricket achievement beat the period of dominance in which the Clive Lloyd-led teams won two World Cups (in 1975 and 1979) and were beaten in a Test series only once after 1975-76 (by New Zealand in 1979-80) till the time Lloyd quit the game in 1985? According to Sir Vivian Richards, the chief batting architect in that glorious period, Sunday’s ICC World T20 victories by the women’s and men’s teams come close. “This is the greatest period ever since that wonderful phase involving Clive’s team. Considering the success that West Indies team had on a consistent basis, this is the closest any West Indies team would have got in terms of pride among all nations that make up West Indies cricket,” Richards told mid-day from Antigua yesterday. ‘WI HAD BELIEF’ Richards, who took over

Clive Lloyd

Sir Vivian Richards

the captaincy mantle from Lloyd in 1985 and led the team till his 1991 retirement, didn’t lose a Test series. He reckoned self-belief played an important part in West Indies’ Sunday glory and the quality was aptly epitomised by Carlos Brathwaite, who hit four sixes in the last over to deny England their second World T20 triumph. Richards didn’t appear surprised by Brathwaite’s stunning show. “Carlos is a determined guy. I worked with him in the West In-

dies ‘A’ team (Richards was Technical Director in the Brathwaite-led team in Sri Lanka). He is strong, big and took it away from England. If someone has that kind of belief, anything can be achieved. “Belief is the greatest thing to have as a competitor. You may have talent and ability but the most important thing to have is belief and of course, enough ammunition and personnel to chase down anything that the opposition sets,” Richards, who kept abreast of West Indies’ progress while playing golf.

SUPREME CONFIDENCE He had expressed supreme confidence in the West Indies team before their semi-final clash against India. “I think it’s the best opportunity (to win) regardless of the fact that they are playing India at home. “These guys have got to believe that all things can be accomplished. I believe West Indies have a great chance,” Richards told this newspaper before the March 31 game. Is this the best time for the administrators to sort out their differences with the players? Richards is hopeful, but didn’t sound optimistic: “Judging from what Darren Sammy said in his post-match comments, it didn’t sound all that good. I am just hoping that the folks who didn’t play a huge role on the administrative side of things are not going to jump and start acclaiming that they have done this and that.”

HERSTELLING Raiders have continued their dream run in the STAG/East Bank Football Association Senior

League when they recorded yet another upset win as play continued last Sunday at the Grove Playfield.

Guyana Amazon Warriors congratulate Champions West Indies

THE FRANCHISE owner, management and members of the Guyana Amazon Warriors Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Team extend their heartiest congratulations to the West Indies Men’s team on emerging as Champions with their heart-stopping, spectacular and fantastic victory over England in the ICC World T20 2016 tournament. The fact that several players on the team were members of Guyana Amazon Warriors over the past two seasons makes the team’s success even more satisfying. In winning the trophy for an unprecedented second time, the West Indies T20 team have demonstrated they can proudly maintain the tradition of their illustrious predecessors. We also extend, just as effusively, congratulations to the West Indies Women for emerging victorious in their ICC World T20 tournament in the same trademark West Indian style of passionate cricket. Finally, we would be remiss not to cite the win of the West Indies Under-19 in their ICC World T20 tournament for leading the way to ignite the spark of West Indian cricketing victories in 2016. Both the Senior Men’s and Women’s teams took pains to mention at every stage of their triumphant tournaments, the victory of the youths inspired and challenged them to follow suit. Several of the players in the Under-19 team were also members of the Guyana Amazon Warriors as part of our commitment to nurturing and developing West Indies Cricket. Once again we of the Guyana Amazon Warriors salute our three winning teams for bringing our Caribbean nation together as only cricket can. Meanwhile, the Franchise Owner of the Guyana Amazon Warriors team, together with the management and staff of the franchise would like to extend sincere condolences to Sunil Narine and his family on the untimely passing of his father.

T20 captain

(REUTERS) - Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed has replaced Shahid Afridi as Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced yesterday. The 36-year-old Afridi quit as captain on Sunday after Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the recent World Twenty20, where they lost three of their four pool matches and failed to reach the semi-finals. Sarfraz was made vice-captain of Pakistan’s ODI and Twenty20 international squads last year and the PCB moved quickly to name him as Afridi’s successor in the game’s shortest format. “I spoke to Sarfraz this morning and conveyed to him that he was our natural

Sarfraz Ahmed choice for this position. His appointment is open-ended. I wish him good luck in his new role,” PCB Chairman Shahryar Khan said in a statement. Despite resigning as skipper, Afridi said he wanted to continue as a player for the Twenty20 side.

Herstelling beat Agricola Red Triangle to record another upset win

Damien Bacchus (left) and Ijaz Cave Latest Points Standings Team Grove Herstelling Agricola Kuru Kururu Mocha Soesdyke Diamond

P 3 4 4 3 3 3 2

W 3 3 2 1 1 1 0

D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

L 0 1 2 2 2 2 2

GF 10 6 10 4 2 6 0

GA 3 6 4 4 3 8 10

The Herstelling boys upstaged Agricola Red Triangle 2-1 to move into second place in the points table, a position they have never experienced before. Ijaz Cave who netted the winning goal in Herstelling’s 2-1 win over Soesdyke one week earlier, set the tone for the win this time around when he netted in the 28th minute. But Agricola, who finished second to Grove Hi Tech in the previous league and reeling from the two red cards issued to two key players in back-to-back matches prior to Sunday’s match, fought back to draw even in the 39th minute when Kacy ‘Boombie’ John fired past goalkeeper, Quazim Yussuf. With such an entertaining first half, the final 45 minutes served up even more excitement but it was not in favour of the more experienced Agricola side;

GD +7 0 +6 0 -1 -2 -10

Points 9 9 6 3 3 3 0

it was the Herstelling Raiders who raided Agricola’s barn. Full points were secured in the 55th minute when Damian Bacchus breached Agricola’s defence to nail his shot into the back of the net, past the hapless Shemroy Kendall, much to the delight of his fellow players and the dismay of their opponents. Herstelling stood firm in defending their advantage and did not allow Agricola to repeat their firsthalf exploits when they came back to equalise. When the final whistle sounded, it meant Herstelling had upset their more accomplished opponents by a 2-1 margin - a similar score line to their win over Soesdyke the previous week. Sunday’s other match saw Kuru Kururu Warriors walk away with full points by way of walkover over Mocha Champs. Defending champions Grove Hi Tech will play this Sunday’s feature match against Kuru Kururu Warriors when the League continues with opening play between Mocha Champs and Soesdyke Falcons at 13:30hrs.

Best phase in West Indies cricket after our era - Viv Richards See story on page 31

WICB salutes Sammy and Charles after St Lucia honours the stands will be named in Charles’ honour. Charles is also due to receive a plot of land. “Both are fitting tributes to the hard work and dedication of the players who just completed an exciting victory to win the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 Men’s title.” Sammy was also captain of the 2012 team and makes the West

Indies the only team to win this title twice. “The honour is fitting and we salute the players.” The announcement was made at a ‘welcome reception’ in St Lucia by Prime Minister Kenny D. Anthony yesterday afternoon. The Beauséjour Stadium cricket ground, which is located near Gros Islet,

has been officially renamed Darren Sammy National Cricket Ground, it was announced yesterday. The stadium which has a 15 000-seating capacity was completed in 2002 and had hosted domestic matches for the Windward Islands cricket team. The right-handed See page 27

Bolt eyes world records in Rio

West Indies captain Darren Sammy and opener Johnson Charles with the World T20 trophy. cia has bestowed on them.

T

H E We s t I n d i e s Cricket Board (WICB) yesterday congratulated West Indies

captain Darren Sammy and opener Johnson Charles for the honour their home country St Lu-

The Beausejour Cricket Ground will now be the Darren Sammy National Cricket Ground and one of

Bolt won three gold medals (100 metres, 200m, 4x100m relay) in both the 2008 and 2012 Games, and is confident of defending that trio of titles in Brazil. The Jamaican is also a world-record holder in all three events, having set the current 100m and Usain Bolt hopes to sign off his Olympic 200m markers at the 2009 career in style at Rio 2016. World Championships in RECORD-BREAKING even faster at this year’s Berlin before combining sprinter Usain Bolt believes Olympic Games in Rio de See page 27 he is capable of running Janeiro.

UG impress at UWI Invitational

This team represented the University of Guyana at the UWI Invitational. Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216.

(See story on page 23) WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016