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Overhaul wages structure No. 104556

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

‒ Public Service Commission of Inquiry recommends

Ready for the road!

JUMO “Rubber Waist” Primo, flanked by models in Digicel’s costumes for the Independence Day costume and float parade, entertained fans on Wednesday at the Georgetown Cricket Club Ground, Bourda, where the costumes were unveiled. The costumes were designed by Olympia Small-Sonaram and are titled “Phantom of the arts from whence we came” (Adrian Narine photo)

Police tracking Chicken, vehicles Jagdeo does among $114M not care when calls made to 8 in smuggled prisoners with PPP holds goods seized 8 mobile phones Congress 2 P.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 19, 2016

Jagdeo does not care when PPP holds Congress

By Fareeza Haniff OPPOSITION Leader Bharrat Jagdeo Wednesday said he does not care when the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) hosts its Congress. The former President categorically stated that nothing

will change if the Congress is held “tomorrow or next year.” The Congress is the highest decision-making body of the PPP, which lost its 23-year grip on power last year. The PPP is seeking to diffuse suggestions that there is internal wrangling about

who will lead the party into the next general elections. Jagdeo was seen as the powerhouse of the PPP and fronted the campaign of the party in the last two elections, when Donald Ramotar ran as the Presidential candidate. In 2011, the PPP lost control of Parliament, and

then last May, it lost the seat of government. “The congress is supposed to be held this year and it’s a Central Committee decision about when it’s held and the Central Committee has not met as yet and frankly speaking, if it’s held tomorrow or next year,

I don’t care. It does not make a difference to me, whether it’s held tomorrow or next year. What will change?” the Opposition Leader told reporters at a press conference held at the party’s Freedom House, Georgetown headquarters. The PPP’s last congress was held in Berbice in August 2013 and according to the party’s constitution, Congress is due to be held this year; however, GeneralSecretary of the PPP, Clement Rohee, had stated earlier in the week that the Central Committee has to decide whether the congress will be postponed to next year. Meanwhile, former PPP Executive Member Ralph Ramkarran has added his voice to the discussion by suggesting that Rohee and Jagdeo may not be too keen on having the congress this year. However, Jagdeo chastised Ramkarran’s suggestion and described him as an “opportunist” who is still upset he was not given the opportunity to be the PPP’s presidential candidate. “It’s interesting how these people…Ralph Ramkarran and the others, like to give us advice. Ralph Ramkarran is not the conscience of the PPP. In fact, I believe he is an opportunist because he did not get to run for the presidency; he left us. He can’t be the conscience of the PPP and talk about corruption,” Jagdeo said. Ramkarran in his recent weekly blog, had identified Jagdeo and Rohee as seeking to be the PPP’s presidential candidate in the 2020 national elections and having the most to lose if the congress

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

is held at this time. But according to Jagdeo, Ramkarran is in no position to choose who will be the next presidential candidate. “I have ignored him. He doesn’t wish us well. He was on the other side for the last elections. He wanted us to lose, so how come suddenly he is concerned about us? And he is picking who will be the next President.” The Opposition Leader said that the PPP has to keep “renewing itself” by listening to its support base and to improve the future of the party. “Let me tell you something, we can’t make the mistake in the PPP of listening to fossils…Ramkarran and the others come from a different era, they can’t be the future of the PPP. The future of the PPP is smart people, people with a clear vision, more women, young people, that sort of thing and more people of more races in the party,” the Opposition Leader noted.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 19, 2016

Absorb contract workers into Public Service, says Public Service CoI By Ariana Gordon THE three-member Commission of Inquiry assigned to assess the state of the country’s Public Service has recommended in their report that contract workers be “absorbed into the pensionable Public Service establishment, provided that they are suitably qualified to fill established positions.” The Commissioners have presented their report to the President, the Opposition Leader and the Speaker of the National Assembly. According to the Commissioners, the roles of contract workers in the Public Service appear to be in conflict with the roles of traditional public servants. Those contract workers, the majority of whom occupy very senior positions, “were not recruited through the established processes and procedures of the Public Service Commission.” PARALLEL PUBLIC SERVICE As such, the large numbers of contract workers found within the Public Service indicate more often than not that there is a “parallel Public Service in conflict with the official Public Service.” The Commissioners, Professor Harold Lutchman (Chairman), Sandra Jones and Samuel Goolsarran said reference made to contract

employees is to the recruitment and appointment of persons to established posts within the Public Service to serve for fixed and limited periods of time at the end of which their contracts are either renewed or ended. The employment arrangements for contract employees, therefore, differ significantly from that of those employed permanently within the traditional Public Service. “Contract employees may also be located at lower levels… In this light, they are usually placed into two broad categories: those that exist and are authorised and those that are creatures of convenience, specifically functioning behind facades intended to conceal the questionable nature of both their status and appointment,” the report stated. CONFLICT Therefore, the conflict which exists between the traditional Public Service and the contract employees is relative to the processes and procedures by which each type is recruited and accedes to their posts, especially senior levels. Notwithstanding this, the Commissioners believe that the traditional Public Servant is in an “advantageous position” over the contract worker. “… The weight of opinion is in favour of the traditional Public Servant as in fact is the strong and unrelenting position of the Guy-

ana Public Service Union exemplified in their portrayal of contract Public Servants as almost interlopers who are keen to invade turf which should be reserved for traditional Public Servants.” The Commissioners opined that the active participation of contract employees in the Public Service is “of recent vintage” and noted that this phenomenon is based on the acceptance of the Westminster model with its emphasis on values of impartiality and neutrality of public servants in their relations with incumbent governments. POLITICAL ELEMENTS In Guyana, however, it appears increasingly difficult to follow the aforementioned principle, given the “presence of dominant political elements” here. The reality is that the governments preferred to have in place “not neutral or neutered public servants, but those who are among their enthusiastic and active supporters.” “Once this pattern is established it is, in practice, difficult to eradicate, modify or change,” the report added. It was noted also that the issues relative to contract employees between the government and opposition rests not on the hiring of contract employees, but in the number of contract employees and the effects those numbers have on governance. “Relevant rules and

regulations are not obeyed, honoured or respected, as they should, because ways and means are easily found to avoid or neutralize their influence... At base, it represents a marked failure to act consistently with the law which is often quite clear.” The report also highlighted that contract employees are usually appointed outside of the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission (PSC), thereby avoiding the inputs of the latter in making appointments to the Public Service. Additionally, it was discovered by the Commissioners that there were cases of senior retired Public Servants being rehired on contract on “lucrative terms,” much to the displeasure of the traditional Public Servants who are not being paid handsomely.

and their indulgence in other practices deemed illegal and corrupt are also cause for concern. “One of the emerging concerns is that those in control of public resources and assets are allowed too much leverage in their management, resulting in serious losses to the public, clear indications that there is a dire need for tighter scrutiny and control in such matters.” It is understandable that there exists a need to employ persons outside of the Public Service who possess the skills not available within the Public Service. However, it is felt that in such circumstances, those contracts must be

DEMOTIVATION This, the Commissioners said, aided in the demotivation of the traditional public servant employee. As such, it has been recommended that “no Public Servant who retires before attaining the age of 65 years should be employed on contract in view of the proposed age of requirement on attaining 65 years of age.”

AN ENGINEER was on Wednesday ordered to post $500,000 bail by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan after he was slapped with a charge for swindling over $13M from a woman. Michael Persaud, of Public Road Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, was not required to plea to the indictable charge. The charge read that Persaud, between October 1, 2013 and March 31, 2015 at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of $13M from Gail

CONCERNS That aside, the issue of arbitrary use of public resources by the political directorate to win political support

drafted with specific terms by the Public Service Commission. “But even in such circumstances clear rules would be needed to ensure that interested persons who possess the qualifications are provided with fair chances to compete with others for appointment.” It therefore means that all employment within the Public Service must be handled by the PSC. The Commission also recommended that there needs to be an evaluation of the “optimum complement” of suitably qualified staff for all public offices by human resource and organisational audits.

Engineer charged with swindling $13M Tashera. The court heard that he obtained the money by falsely pretending to the woman that he was in a possession of a plot of land, could have constructed a house on it, pay Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) for the land claim, purchase a vehicle and retain a private investor, knowing same to be false. Police Prosecutor, Deniro Jones made no objection for the accused being granted bail. The matter was adjourned until June 15.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday May 19, 2016

Prisoner blinded by police pellets seeks assistance

A FORMER prisoner who claims he lost his vision in

both eyes when the police discharged pellets in the prison yard on March 4, Wednesday picketed the Ministry of the Presidency. Davendra Persaud, called “Eon,” told the Guyana Chronicle that he had clear vision until the morning of March 4, when the police fired the pellets, even after he, along with other prisoners, had exited the Capital C dormitory to save themselves from the effects

Davendra Persaud (second from right), and his family outside of the Ministry of the Presidency on Wednesday of tear gas. Persaud marched with his family in front of the office of President David Granger for hours Wednes-

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day, crying for help as he said his family is trying to raise US$3,500 for eye surgery in Trinidad and Tobago.

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Persaud, 27, who hails from Rosehall, Corentyne, said although his needs extend beyond regaining his sight, he would be satisfied if he could only see again. “I just need my eye mom. I would just love to have my eye. If I get my eye I would get to help myself. I’m a hustler yuh know mom. My mother does do business, since I lil [small] me mother just grow me up, she doing business.” Persaud said his mom, Anika Mangal, is a single

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parent, with him being the eldest of seven children, and it is financially and otherwise challenging to secure funding for his surgery which was recommended by the Georgetown Hospital. Removing the pellet from behind his eye through a surgical procedure he said, should cause him to regain his vision in his right eye. Persaud, who was committed to stand trial for rape at the High Court, was placed on $150,000 bail over a year ago but his family could not afford the surety. He was in Capital C, located just below the infamous Capital A dormitory, when a riot broke out again at the jail the day after 17 prisoners died in a fire of protest.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 19, 2016

National Museum Cuban admits to celebrates Good Ol’ Days overstaying time

THE Guyana National Museum is staging an exhibition titled “Celebrating Our Rich Legacy, Guyanese Culture and Identity, A Look Back at the Good Ol’ Days.” The exhibition was opened on Wednesday in celebration of International Museums Day and will run until June 18, 2016, and is being run in collaboration with the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology and The Museum of African Heritage. Museum Administrator Tamika Boatswain said the exhibition is intended to showcase the creativity of Guyanese in the olden days when they used what was available to make life easy.

She explained that the exhibition takes a look back at the creative and innovative aspects of Guyanese culture and tradition, and recognises their value to the Guyanese identity. It showcases arts and craft, food production, childhood games and pastimes, architecture, creole enterprises and entertainment.

A student tries out a wooden scooter; old tyres, seen next to him, were also used to play games

A 25-YEAR-OLD Cuban national was fined $20,000 on Wednesday by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for overstaying in Guyana. Luis Hernandez Rosales pleaded guilty to the charge, which stated that between April 30 and May 16 at Georgetown, he failed to comply with conditions, that is to say having been permitted to stay in Guyana during March 30 and April 29, he overstayed his time. The unrepresented man had to be assisted by a translator. He explained to the court that he came to Guyana to work and send money for his family. Police prosecutor Dinero Jones stated that on March 30, Rosales came to Guyana on vacation and was permitted to stay for one month until April 29. However, on May 16, Police acting on information went to Charlotte Street, Georgetown where they contacted the defendant. A search was conducted on his person and the passport found on his possession re-

Luis Hernandez Rosales vealed that he had overstayed his permitted time. The national was then arrested and taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, where he was later charged with the offence. The defendant, a computer technician in Cuba, will receive his passport after paying his fine. However, a default in paying the fine will result in three weeks’ imprisonment.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday May 19, 2016

OP-ED

Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Editor

Godfrey Wray

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

Editorial

Dialogue on Development By Ken Danns

THE Guyana Government is in the hands of a seemingly capable and caring coalition administration. No government is perfect and missteps have been evident, but not unexpected. There are however, solid indications that this one-year-old APNU+AFC government is undertaking programmes and policies geared to restoring credible administrative rule, rebuilding trust, improving the nation’s security and in general promulgating initiatives to positively transform the country’s economic, social and political fortunes. A particularly noteworthy achievement of this new Administration is the timely and successful restoration of local democracy by holding

local government elections after many years. The real importance of these elections for local self-governance is that the new leaders trust and are seeking to empower the Guyanese people to make the decisions about their own lives and the development of their communities. The topdown rule from the capital has failed Guyana over the past 50 years of its existence as an independent nation. The confidence this Government is showing in the capabilities, ingenuity and goodness of the Guyanese people is encouraging and an essential first step in galvanising the country’s development. What is needed now is a nation-wide dialogue on Guyana’s development. What are the key issues affecting the country’s development prospects and how can these be resolved or overcome? How do the people

at the local, regional and national levels see development? What are their plans? What resources: natural, human and other resources are available and/or are needed to bring about desired development? How can these be mobilised? The nation’s mantra should be “Development is everyone’s business. Development is my business.” If individual residents as a whole experience development, then their communities would be developed. If the communities are developing, then the country as a whole will become developed. This development orientation will induce positive nationalism and remove the malaise of negativity and hopelessness that characterise the existence of many in the nation, in particular its young people. The Guyanese people must come to see the

Taxi Driver Ranachal Singh

Cleavaughn Hamilton

Field Sophia. According to police reports, during the evening of April 16, Singh, along with Hamilton, picked up Hackett from UG Access Road. The court heard that Hackett was taken further down the said road and killed. Singh knew the man had killed Hackett, but still transported him to Mahdia, after the woman’s body was

dumped. The taxi driver was detained after his bloodstained vehicle was found last Friday in Mahdia. The accused had reportedly instructed his girlfriend to wash his car. The mother of one was reported missing by relatives on April 17, after she had not returned the previous night from going to collect a package allegedly sent from Mahdia by Hamilton.

nexus of development between “Me and Myself. Me and my Family, Me and my community. Me and my Country.” What is required is a transformation in thought and vision about Guyana’s development possibilities. There are indications that this is currently being fostered. The Guyanese people should cease to buy in to the fatalistic view that things will never get better in the country. Think positive. Act positive. Guyana’s development is everyone’s business. Commence the dialogue on the development of community and country. (Dr Danns is a former lecturer at the University of Guyana and now Chair, UNG Faculty Senate Professor of Sociology Department of Sociology and Human Services, University of North Georgia.)

Tackling failures in Math and Two charged with Sophia teacher’s murder English

THE National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results will soon be out and one will be hoping that the results are better when compared to the previous year, especially in the key areas of Mathematics and English Language. These two subjects have been the main problematic areas for Guyana and the majority of countries in the CARICOM region. Over the years, pupils’ performance in Mathematics and English at the NGSA have been very unfavourable to say the least, even though sound systems are in place at the primary school level to support weak students. Having a good system in place is all but one step in solving the problem; it has to be complemented by implementation, and this appears to be the main bugbear affecting the primary education system. The NGSA is unarguably the most strategic assessment designed to promote learning at the primary level, but poor implementation and forward planning on the part of teachers and education officers have stymied its success. The assessment is threefold. The first in Grade Two is designed to identify pupils’ weaknesses in literacy and numeracy; by Grade Four these should be corrected; and by Grade Six, they should be able master basic concepts in these two disciplines and pass their final examinations without much struggle. These assessments in other words are really diagnostic tools to identify pupils’ weaknesses and correct them before they leave the primary school. Yet, while they are in place, there is an unacceptable failure rate in Math and English at the final national primary school examinations. Every year about 15,000 candidates sit the NGSA and the data in the public domain point to a crisis if not a matter of serious concern. In 2010, some 34 per cent of pupils obtained a score of 50 per cent and more in Mathematics; in 2011, it increased to 38 per cent; in 2013 it increased again to an encouraging 43 per cent, but dropped significantly in 2014 to 31 per cent. With regard to English, only 24 per cent were able to muster a score of 50 per cent and more in 2010. This pass rate increased to 41 per cent in 2011; in 2013 it declined to 28 per cent; while it 2014 it jumped to 51 per cent. For some strange reason, no announcement was made of pupils’ performance in these two core subject areas in 2015; but generally, what these results show is that there is much work to be done if our primary schools are going to churn out pupils who are competent in the fundamentals of literacy and numeracy.

TWO MEN were on Wednesday jointly charged for the murder of Simone Hackett after an application by Police Corporal David Goodridge requested that the men be tried together. Initially, Hackett’s child father, Cleavaughn Hamilton, called “Quarters” was charged in April for the woman’s murder and a few days later Ranachal Singh was apprehended by the police over the same murder. Sparendaam Magistrate, Zameena Ally-Seepaul ruled in favour of the prosecution and reread the murder charge to join the two defendants for the offence and further remanded them until June 20. The men were not required to plea to the capital offence, which alleged between April 16 and 19, at Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara, they killed Simone Hackett of ‘C’

And corrective action has to be taken urgently, because the problem is compounded when these pupils enter the secondary school system. Year after year, it is evident in the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) examinations with apparently little or no change. In 2010, the pass rate at CSEC, counting Grades One to Three was 59 per cent; in 2011 it moved to 60 per cent; but declined in 2012 to 37 per cent; but increased to 45 per cent in 2013; before increasing again but marginally to 46 per cent in 2014. While students’ performance in English at secondary school has not been impressive, their performance in Mathematics is one to forget. Counting Grades One to Three, the pass rate in 2010 was 35 per cent; in 2011 it dipped to 30 per cent; in 2012 it declined further to 29 per cent; in 2013 it further declined to 28 per cent; before increasing to an encouraging 38 per cent in 2014. These statistics should not be glossed over by education officials, but must be the bases for careful planning and crafting of strategies to meaningfully address the heavy failures in these two subjects at both primary and secondary schools. And straight of the bat, greater attention needs to be

Simone Hackett Investigators had questioned a bus driver and conductor who had transported Hamilton to the City a day before Hackett went missing. The report of the post-mortem performed on Hackett indicated that she died as a result of incised wounds to the neck. Her body was discovered by two schoolboys on their way to school, and positively identified by relatives.

placed on proper implementation of the National Grade Six Assessment system, and probably re-look at the other core subjects offered at the primary level, namely Science and Social Studies. While these two subjects are important, in the scheme of things, they are secondary to Mathematics and English. But more importantly, they can be incorporated into Mathematics and English. If this is done, it will lessen the stress on pupils having to focus on four subject areas at the primary level, and increase the attention given to English and Mathematics, which will include general knowledge and strong focus on reasoning, understanding and comprehension. As long as students can master the basics of literacy and numeracy, a solid foundation will be set for them to excel in the other subject areas. And gradually, the high failure rates in English and Mathematics, both at the primary and secondary levels will progressively diminish. One hopes that this matter will be given due attention at the current Commission of Inquiry into the education system as well as the senior education administrators at the ministry’s central Brickdam office.

Overhaul wages structure

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 19, 2016

- Public Service Commission of Inquiry recommends Ariana Gordon

THE Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Public Service has recommended that there be an overhaul of the wages and salaries structure. There are 14, 466 employees in the public service, including 4,471 who are employed on contract. While the Commissioners discovered many anomalies, it has been recommended that the minimum salary of $50,000 in the GS1 grade be maintained while mid-point differences are recommended to be set at 20 per cent between all grades. The spread of the grades has been set at 50 per cent to allow for the movement between the minimum and the maximum to accommodate those employees at and above the maximum. The report called for the development of a performance-driven system aimed at measuring performance and matching same with payment. During its work, the Commission discovered that while public servants received over the past two decades a 5 per cent or 8 per cent across-the-board increase in salary by the government, allowances were never increased. “We have noted that apart from pay increases, allowances have not been adjusted to reflect current market rates for over 25 years. This appears to be most irregular and should be corrected.” The Commissioners noted that wages and salaries in the Public Sector “are well below acceptable levels” and the perceived growing number of contracted employees earing more pay relative to their counterparts has worsened the situation, negatively affecting job performance. Also of concern to the Commission, was the fact that contract workers benefited from the acrossthe board salary increases along with additional bene-

fits provided for traditional public servants. “Ideally, any increases in salary should be negotiated at the start of a new specific contract,” the report said. In the report, which has been submitted to President David Granger, the Opposition Leader and the Speaker of the House, cites the need for rationalizing the status of pensionable and contract employees and de-bunching employees, and another phase to continue that process by way of thoroughly conducting job-evaluation studies. The bunching of salaries is deemed a common feature of the Public Service and the annually imposed across-the-board increases , without regard to merit movements, have resulted in persons who have acquired years of service to be “closely aligned with new recruits coming into the Public Service.” That in turn creates a feeling of disenchantment among long-service employees whose years of service are not considered. Additionally, instances of red-circling, whereby persons are paid higher than the maximum amounts allocated under their grades, were cited as an area of grave concern. Based on a random sample conducted by the Commissioners, it was discovered that a large number of persons employed within the Public Service are benefiting from red-circling. “Red-circling is cause for concern, since this is a random sample and may well represent a case where most persons are bunched at the Maximum. This puts a heavy cost on the government’s salaries budget. These anomalies were evident throughout all grades in the salary structure,” the report states. Additionally, compensation management should be accepted as a key human resource management function that will see practices

such as the grading of jobs, to ensure that it delivand the computation of sala- ers services with high ry structures being managed. levels of efficiency and Further, it was recommended that the Department of the Public Service be solely responsible for wages and salaries administration, assuming the responsibilities undertaken by the Establishment Division of the Ministry of Finance relate to fixing salaries. The auditing of employee salaries was also a key recommendation made by the Commissioners, who noted the need for the selection of a small group of Human Resource specialists to comprise the Compensation Review and Advisory Committee. That Committee, it was recommended, should also include Permanent Secretaries, heads of departments, and Public Service Management staff and the union. It was also recommended that all wages and salaries agreements be in existence for a period of three to five years and that surveys be conducted between both private and public sector organisations in the CARICOM Region to compare the standards here. “We recommend that a wage and salary administration policy be given consideration for the implementation in the Public Service to provide a reasonable and workable framework within which employees can be paid fair and equitable wages and salaries, in order to promote productivity and overall performance,” the report added. The Public Service faces ever-increasing pressure to adjust to changing global, political, economic, social and technological trends and as such it is becoming increasingly important for there to be the restructuring of the Public Service. The restructuring, the report said, needs “to be treated as a matter of priority and urgency

effectiveness that must meet the expectations of the general public, the

national strategic objectives and international obligations.”

Police tracking calls made to prisoners with mobile phones THE police are seeking the assistance of mobile phone companies to determine whom prisoners were communicating with, Clifton Hicken, the Georgetown Police Commander said Wednesday, following a raid at the Camp Street prison that unearthed a quantity of mobile phones. Saturday last, a Joint Services search unearthed 44 mobile phones and 30 phone batteries, along with a large quantity of improvised weapons. Usually, a prepaid mobile SIM card is purchased with an ID before it is activated. “That investigation is ongoing; the phones are with us and there is a procedure

in the force where there is a documentation that passes through the policy-makers in the force, through the phone companies by way of application. “They [telecommunication providers] will send back the application after which we will proceed with the investigation which will be in the public domain,” Commander of ‘A’ Division, Clifton Hicken said Wednesday. The Commander said that any charges related to the phones would have to be based on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). It was also reported that the operation, dubbed ‘Op-

eration restore order’, netted a quantity of razor blades, lighters, files and tattoo machines. Director of Prisons, Carl Graham, had said that he is confident that measures are in place to prevent the flow of illegal items into prisons. The search Saturday followed the March 3, 2016 riots which left 17 prisoners dead. The riot started after prisoners protested the confiscation of their mobile phones, among other greivances. The prisoners had complained that one phone call a week was not enough, and following the riot, the authorities have begun to allow two calls per week.

Some of the cellphones found in the prison

Policeman who struck down schoolboy to be charged THE DRUNK POLICE constable, who killed a 10-year-old schoolboy Sunday last when his allegedly speeding car struck him off his bicycle at Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara, is expected to be charged today. Police source revealed that the Police constable, Raghunandan Bissessar, is expected to face the charge of causing death by dangerous driving, in addition to driving under the influence (DUI). Davin Sealey, 10, of Sisters Village, was pronounced dead on arrival at the West Demerara Regional Hospital. A post-mortem examination revealed that he died of multiple injuries.

The Policeman was found to have been over the drinking and driving limit. The vehicle only came to a stop after hitting a parked vehicle on the roadway and slamming into a utility pole, before turning turtle on the roadway. The lad’s grandfather, Titus Thomas, 57, told the Guyana Chronicle that the family wants to see justice as Police Officers are expected to set an example in abiding by the rule of law. One of the boy’s relatives said that when they showed up at the Wales police Station after the accident they were chased out into the rain by an officer there.

Dead: Davin Sealey

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 19, 2016

Chicken, vehicles among $114M in smuggled goods seized THE GUYANA Revenue Authority (GRA) has recovered in excess of $114M in smuggled items during the first four months of the year, as efforts continue to fight smuggling of prohibited goods into Guyana. The GRA, in a press statement, noted that between January and April this year, its Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) unearthed a significant quantity of foreign imported chicken, banned mosquito coils and motor vehicles among other items that are commonly smuggled

here. The discoveries were made during a countrywide compliance campaign and while it was also observed that many of those caught with the items were first time offenders, repeat offenders have been asked to pay triple the value of the duties as penalties levelled against them. Officers during the campaign also observed that several businesses are non-compliant with the GRA regulations, and while business owners were informed of their shortcomings, follow-up visits will be forthcoming.

The GRA statement said as the LEID operations continue, it will ensure that all businesses and individuals who are required to pay taxes comply with all necessary licensing and other requirements. “The compliance campaign is ongoing and persons are being encouraged to visit the GRA and get their relevant documentation in order,” GRA said. GRA Communication and Tax Advisory Services (CTAS) Division will also continue its public awareness campaign.

Police get 15 new vehicles MINISTER of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan has urged Policemen to take care of the vehicles under their control and to abstain from driving under the influence of alcohol. The Minister handed over 15 new vehicles to the Police at the Tactical Services Unit Square, Police Headquarters, Eve Leary. “Police drinking and driving as we have seen on many occasions is not going to do justice to the fact that we are spending millions and hundreds of millions of dollars on assets and then they are crashed, then they have to be repaired and the police are also injured in many cases,” Ramjattan underscored. Senior heads and officers of the GPF were present at the ceremony at which

Minister Ramjattan said that asset building is part of government’s plan to enhance the force to clamp down on crime. Minister Ramjattan also revealed that in budget 2016, his Ministry will be negotiating for 28 more vehicles. Pointing out that this is needed for the jubilee celebrations, Minister Ramjattan said the vehicles will definitely bolster the capacity of the GPF to aid in rapid response to criminal activities. Assistant Police Commissioner David Ramnarine urged the Commanders to enforce the system in place to improve vehicle maintenance. “I want to say that these vehicles obviously are now needed; and it’s once again a significant supply; and I want

to thank the Minister and by extension the government for realizing the need and many demands we in the force have to meet in our daily operations and operational efficiency and visibility,” he said. He explained that members of the public are always complaining about poor response to crime, but it has been well publicized that the police force has been making great strides in detection of serious crimes. According to Ramnarine, the detection and prevention of crime is hand in gloves and from a prevention standpoint, the vehicles are necessary since the police force wants to maintain a high level of security during the jubilee celebrations.

Some of the vehicles presented to the Guyana Police Force

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 19, 2016

Over 100 contract employees integrated into Public Service ‒ Speaker receives CoI report By Ariana Gordon THE report into the state of the Public Service was handed over to Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Barton Scotland on Wednesday. Minister of State, Joseph Harmon in handing over the report to the Speaker said it was laid before Cabinet on Tuesday and Cabinet is now in the process of considering the recommendations that have been made by the Commission established to investigate the state of the Public Service. Minister Harmon said Cabinet will express its opinion on the report and the recommendations therein after it has been thoroughly deliberated upon. “It is important that we allow for the Speaker to get a copy of the report even before Cabinet has completed its deliberations. We intend to hand a copy of this report to the Leader of the Opposition and to the Unions that have anything at all to do with the public service.”

The Minister of State said that copies of the report will be handed over to the President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), as well as the Federation of Independent Trades Unions of Guyana (FITUG) before the end of the day. Asked why he felt it necessary to give a copy of the report to Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, Minister Harmon said, “the Leader of the Opposition is a Constitutional office holder and he is in fact Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and we felt it important enough for him to receive an advance copy too.” He could not state specifically what has been stated in the report, relative to salary increases, but noted that the report provides a framework within which salaries are to be negotiated. “I don’t think the report actually says this is what you must do, because of course you know those are

issues that have to do with collective bargaining and the rights of the union and the government to negotiate on behalf of the workers.” He said notwithstanding the framework, it is important to note that it is negotiations between the government and the unions, by virtue of collective bargaining that will determine the increases public servants receive. Describing the document as a “very detailed report” the Minister of State said the media will soon have access to it when it is published online. Last Friday, Commissioners Professor Harold Lutchman, Sandra Jones and Samuel Goolsarran handed over the report to President David Granger, who called on Public Servants to relinquish “laziness” as they would receive increases based on their performance. PUBLIC SERVICE COLLEGE Meanwhile, asked to provide an update on the Public

The Minister said government is “anxious” to have the College up and running as it forms part of the reform of the Public Service. “This is a very important component,” he noted.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon hands over the report into the Public Service to Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Barton Scotland on Wednesday in the presence of Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs

Service Staff College, Minister Harmon said work is in progress. He told reporters that interviews have been done and the staff identified for the college. “It is now a question of having the actual location. We are working on that. As you know the president did indicate when we visited Ogle that that was going

to be a campus…there is some work to be done on the buildings.” Additionally, Harmon said that some equipment inclusive of computers have been acquired for the College. “It is just now a question of dealing with the physical facilities and that is what we are working on right now.”

INTEGRATION OF CONTRACT WORKERS Minister Harmon said more than one hundred persons who were once contract employees within the public service system have been integrated into the traditional public service. While he could not provide the exact number of persons, the Minister said salary scales have been taken into consideration. “What I do know for sure, is that once you are going to be integrated into the traditional public service it is going to be a question of interviewing people to ensure there is no loss when coming into the traditional public service.” The Minister of State said too that the issue of integrating contract workers into the public service has been addressed in the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report.

Durban Park Jubilee celebrations…

Police Cultural Extravaganza set for Saturday THE Guyana Police Force will be on display this Saturday as part of the police cultural extravaganza titled ‘Police Day’ at the Durban Park. At a press conference on Wednesday at Eve Leary, a team of senior officers revealed that the event will last for three hours, commencing from 15:00hrs. The initiative is being piloted by Assistant

Commissioner Clifton Hicken, who explained that the event is the Guyana Police Force (GPF) contribution to Guyana’s 50th independence celebrations. Admission to the event is free and will include displays from the SWAT and the Tactical Services Unit (TSU). According to Commander Hicken, the soft side of the force will be on display as

much insight will be given to members of the public on the skills of police operations. He said the police force does not only want to provide security for the events, but to also “sell” the force and their activities, apart from the annual gymkhana. Senior Superintendent Maxine Graham said the social aspect of crime prevention will be on display, as

25 youths from each division will participate. She said social crime prevention work has resulted in a decrease in crime. Meanwhile, Deputy Director of Police Music and Culture, Charmaine Stuart, said the police band “which is the best in the land” will also be a part of the event with the display of several musical instruments.

“We will have persons there, so you can ask questions and get information. We will also have brochures there to handout to students and at present we are trying to get into the schools to do our community relation work showcasing the work,” the Superintendent explained. Second in command at Operations, Senior Superintendent Whitney Bacchus,

From left to right: Acting Traffic Chief, Superintendent Boodnarine Persaud; Police Public Relations Officer, Ivelaw Whittaker ;Senior Superintendent Whitney Bacchus ( second in command at “Operations);Senior Superintendent Maxine Graham (General Office); Divisional Commander, Assistant Commissioner Clifton Hicken; Deputy Director of Police Music and Culture, Charmaine Stuart; Superintendent of IT training, Shivpersaud Bacchus; Officer in Charge of the Mounted Branch, ASP Rockwell Delph and TSU rank ASP Brian Lowenfield

said patrons can expect a diverse set of manoeuvres by the SWAT unit, which will display some of its tactics. Officer in Charge of Mounted Branch, ASP Rockwell Delph, said the police riding skills will also be on display, in addition to the usual musical chair with the canine section. Acting Traffic Chief, Superintendent Boodnarine Persaud, said his department will use the event to educate visitors on the operations of the traffic division and how persons can be safe while using the roadways. Additionally, Assistant Superintendent, TSU, Brian Lowenfield, said about 30 ranks will participate in a display that will highlight precision and coordination through military drills. He said a public order display will also be done to show citizens how the police operate within the confines of the law.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 19, 2016

Vreed-en-Hoop court supervisor charged for stealing $1.1M A 29-YEAR-OLD supervisor of the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court, accused of stealing a hefty sum from the court, was released on $100,000 bail by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Wednesday. Richard Boodhai appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and pleaded not guilty to the charge. The police claim that between January 16 and August 7, 2012, while being a public officer employed at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, he stole the sum of $1,127,000, belonging to, or in the possession of the state, property of the registrar of

the Supreme Court . Boodhai’s lawyer, Peter Hugh, said that his client lives at 410 Victoria Village, East Coast Demerara with his wife and child. Hugh further pointed out that his client had been under investigation since 2012 and was forced to lodge his passport with the police. Police Prosecutor, Corporal Deniro Jones, presented no facts to the court and had no objections to bail, but noted that Boodhai is currently being investigated in several other matters. Bail was granted with the condition that Boodhai report to the Criminal Investigation Department

fortnightly. The matter was adjourned until June 14.

Richard Boodhai

Thursday, May 19, 2016 - 14:30 hrs Friday, May 20, 2016 - 14:30 hrs Saturday, May 21, 2016 - 14:30 hrs

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 19, 2016

Expert says bigotry affects mental health of LGBT Guyanese out and are often hushed from expressing themselves,” she noted. ”Finding oneself and being comfortable in one’s own skin are some strategies and coping mechanisms for anyone, especially LGBT people, to build their own self-esteem

Dr Melissa Varswyk, Dr Janice Jackson and Mr Leroy Adolphus at Tuesday’s panel discussion (Theresa Campbell/APC photo)

Sexual minority groups in Guyana suffer from poor mental health as a result of bigotry meted out to them, the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), said Wednesday following an expert panel discussion on the topic. SASOD, on Tuesday hosted a Lunch Talk on Mental Health and Well- Being for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Guyanese, with discussions being led by Dr. Janice Jackson, Psychologist and retired University of Guyana lecturer; Leroy Adolphus, Policy and Advocacy Officer at the National Coordinating Coalition Inc (NCC); and Dr. Melissa Varswyk, Principal of Georgetown American University and Vice-Chair of Blue CAPS. The discussions were moderated by Ulelli Verbeke, Chairperson of SASOD’s Board of Directors. The discussion was held in observance of the annual International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) on May 17, and Mental Health Awareness Week 2016. SASOD reported Dr Varswyk as saying that given the scarcity of mental health professionals in Guyana, which impedes access to services for LGBT people, vulnerable communities such as the LGBT Guyanese should form groups in civil society for policy and advocacy and community support. This, she

said, will not be easy initially, but support mechanisms are essential for persons who are struggling. According to SASOD, Dr. Varswyk said that there is a significant lack of trained mental health professionals, and needs to focus heavily on investing in more skilled professionals such as psychiatrists and psychologists, to formulate effective policies. Dr. Jackson noted that given the self-stigma and internalized homophobia some LGBT people suffer, due to ingrained societal prejudices, it is important to know and find oneself, which is often times a struggle in anyone’s adolescent years. “Define for yourself who you are; know yourself, both internally and externally.” She explained that an internal definition of oneself is what we know we feel, how we know we will respond and how we feel about ourselves; external definition is what others know from how we behave, what we express how we are as a result of external factors molding us throughout our lives. She expressed that many people are raised hearing words like “Children must be seen and not heard”, and “Boys should not cry,” etc. which may cause damaging effects, due to those negative external influences. “We are raised in a society where people are afraid to speak; they may internalize their feelings and then lash

and improve their mental health and wellbeing,” Dr. Jackson added. Mr Adolphus noted that civil society has a leading role to play in advocating for national awareness on mental health. ”Mental health illness is a national crisis,” he

exclaimed. “Civil society needs to develop and implement community-based approaches which promote positive mental health and wellbeing for vulnerable groups, especially for LGBT Guyanese.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 19, 2016

West Bank churches in independence celebrations

AS Guyanese continue the 50th Independence celebrations, the La Retraite / Stanleytown Development Group held a joint church service Sunday last at La Retraite Primary School, West Bank Demerara. The observance brought together six churches in the community as they celebrated Guyana under the theme: Arise, Repair and Rebuild. The churches which participated were Benevolence Congregational, Stanleytown Seventh-Day Adventist, St. Francis Xavier Universal Scientific Church, Bethesda Congregational, St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church and Stanleytown Full Gospel Church. Chairman of the group, Gladston Joseph, in his opening remarks described the day as “amazing”, pointing out that it was a fantastic opportunity for all churches to come together to share in fellowship and praise. The programme included representatives of the various churches and pupils of

Pastor Marvin Smith, the Youth and Chaplaincy Director of the Guyana Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, addressing the audience

La Retraite Primary School entertaining the audience with wonderful renditions of national songs. A message was delivered by Pastor

Marvin Smith, who is also the Youth and Chaplaincy Director of the Guyana Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists. Joseph told the Guyana Chronicle that he was pleased with the response of the churches, noting that the event was well attended. He stated that the group has also planned other activities in observance of the country’s Golden Jubilee Independence celebration. These include a cultural explosion on May 22, comprising poetry, song, drama, interpretive dancing, physical display and other cultural items. They also plan to honour nine elders. Senior citizens would also receive a lunch sponsored by an overseas-based group. A fitness walk is also slated for later in the month. Pastor Smith, in brief comments, told this newspaper that the amount of support the group has galvanized and the nature of the programme speak a lot about the quality and the impact the group is making thus far in the community. He alluded to the fact that influential household representatives are part of the group, which he believes is a tremendous leap in the right direction towards community development. He applauded the group for the initiative in bringing together key stakeholders in the community and encouraged others to do the same.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 19, 2016

Cook set to become ... From Backpage from home. “We thought it was fair and right that we picked the guys who played in that series, which we won - sometimes people forget that.” What about Sri Lanka? Sri Lanka - seventh in the International Cricket Council Test rankings - won 1-0 on their last visit to England in 2014 thanks to with one ball to spare. “The fourth night of that game was the lowest I’ve felt as England captain,” said Cook, who faced calls for his resignation after the match. “That was as dark a time as I can remember.” This is the first time since 1991 that Sri Lanka have toured England without Sangakkara or Jayawar-

dene, who scored a combined 24 214 runs in 183 Tests. “We don’t have the two legends now - we’ve got to move on,” said Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews. “Now we’ve got a fearless set of players who are willing to take the English on.” They will be without seamer Dhammika Prasad,

who took five wickets in Leeds two years ago, because of a shoulder injury. “He is our premier fast bowler so it’s going to be a big loss,” added Mathews. Cook said: “We know how dangerous Sri Lanka are. They have always punched above their weight.” (BBC Sport)

GABA/Bristol to hold ...

From Backpage

much for Guyana and will continue to do our nation proud. It is only fitting that we have such a competition be it big or small. We owe it to the sport,” Bristol said from his home in Brooklyn yesterday. “I have said before that it would be an injustice to the sport not to have a boxing event around this time. I have spoken to the president of the GABA (Steve Ninvalle) and he quickly concurred. I’ll be in Guyana shortly to wrap up arrangements,” Bristol added. The competition is scheduled for May 28. However, a decision on the venue would be made today. “We are aiming to have this competition outdoors. It’s for the people to come and see boxing. To see where we are as a nation and where we plan to go. However, the inclement weather may force us to go

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indoors. The sure thing is that regardless of indoors or outdoors we will have boxing.” When contacted, GABA president Steve Ninvalle said that the proposed card would include only amateurs and the main focus is youth, juniors and schoolboys. Ninvalle disclosed that GABA Technical Director Terrence Poole and Chairman of the GABA Coaches Commission, Sebert Blake, have been tasked with formulating the card. “It is short notice but we welcome the gesture of Mr Bristol who has over the years been a staunch supporter of the sport,” Ninvalle said. Bristol is the nephew of former Commonwealth junior middleweight champion Kenny Bristol and has indicated that his uncle and Lennox Blackmoore, Guyana’s first Commonwealth champion would be advisers for the success of the card.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday May 19, 2016

Cavaliers dominate Raptors in game one

THE Cleveland Cavaliers embarrassed the Toronto Raptors with a 31-point win in game one of their NBA Eastern Conference final. A dominant second quarter from the Cavs set them up for a comprehensive 115-84 win on Tuesday. The Cavs outscored the Raptors 33-16 in the second quarter before going on to complete a 31-point victory at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.

LeBron James is on fire for Cleveland Cavaliers with 24 points.

LeBron James was on fire for the Cavs, posting 24 points, pulling down six rebounds and tallying four assists. Kyrie Irving topscored for the Cavs with 27 points while Kevin Love contributed 14. Surprisingly it was the Raptors who looked the better team in the first quarter, leading 9-2 and then 15-11 before the Cavs bounced back. The home side managed to sink 12 straight points to take a com-

manding lead early in the second quarter, and the Raptors struggled to get back into the game from that point on. Cleveland won both the third and fourth quarters and will head into game two today with a chance to take a commanding lead in the series in front of their home support. DeMar DeRozan (18 points) led the Raptors, helped by Bismack Biyombo (12) and James Johnson (10).

More Russian federations could be banned - Bach

MORE Russian sports federations could be banned if the latest allegations of state-aided doping are proved, Olympic president Thomas Bach says. Whistleblower Vitaly Stepanov has claimed Russian intelligence agents posed as anti-doping staff to cover up cheating at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. If true, it would represent an “unimaginable level of criminality”, Bach said. Russian Athletics is banned from global competition over separate claims. International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Bach said the latest allegations by former Russian anti-doping agency

worker Stepanov would be a “shocking new dimension in doping” if proved. Stepanov made the claims on CBS network’s 60 Minutes programme, saying he was told of the cover-up by Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Moscow’s anti-doping laboratory. In a separate New York Times report, Rodchenkov alleges dozens of athletes, including at least 15 medallists at the 2014 Winter Olympics, were part of an extensive state-run doping programme. Bach said the IOC would apply a “zero tolerance policy with regard not only to individual athletes, but also to all their entou-

UEFA sets date for presidential vote

UEFA will elect a new president on September 14, following Michel Platini’s resignation this month. The Frenchman, 60, quit on May 9, after failing to overturn his ban from all football-related activities. Platini was found guilty of ethics breaches over a 2 million Swiss Franc (£1.3M) payment he received from FIFA. Dutch football chief Michael van Praag, a UEFA vice-president, says he intends to stand for election, with the deadline for entries set at July 20. Other possible replacements include Slovenian federation

president Aleksander Ceferin and UEFA vice-president Angel Maria Villar from Spain. UEFA interim secretary-general Theodore Theodoridis said the 55 national federations would vote at an extraordinary congress in Athens, Greece. The new president will complete Platini’s term, which runs through March 2019, and become a FIFA vice-president. Platini, a former France captain and three-time Ballon d’Or winner, was initially banned for six years but had the punishment cut to four years. (BBC Sport)

rage within its reach”. “This action could range from lifelong Olympic bans for any implicated person, to tough financial sanctions, to acceptance of suspension or exclusion of entire national federations like the already existing one for the Russian Athletics by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF),” the German said. The IOC has asked the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to investigate the Sochi allegations, while Rus-

sia’s sports ministry has said it was “certain about transparency of doping control” at the Winter Games. Russia won 33 medals at their home Games, including 13 gold. The country’s athletics federation is due to find out next month if its athletes will be allowed to compete at August’s Rio Olympics. Bach added: “The results of the WADA investigation will also greatly influence the nature of the participation of

Russian athletes in the Rio Olympic Games. “Should there be evidence of an organised system contaminating other sports, the international federations and the IOC would have to make the difficult decision between collective responsibility and individual justice.” Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko wrote in the Sunday Times the country was “very sorry” and “ashamed” of cheat-

ing athletes who were not caught by its anti-doping systems. But he stopped short of admitting the athletics doping scandal was state-sponsored, saying athletes “tried to deceive us and the world”. Bach’s comments came the day after the IOC announced it had discovered 31 positive tests following the re-testing of 454 samples collected at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. (BBC Sport)

Alvarez vacates WBC title, will next fight Golovkin (REUTERS)-Saul “Canelo” Alvarez says he has vacated the WBC middleweight title he retained in Las Vegas earlier this month and is now making plans to fight undefeated middleweight Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin “as quickly as possible”. Eleven days ago, Mexican Alvarez improved his career record to 47-1-1 with 33 knockouts when he stopped Britain’s Amir Khan in the sixth round of their title bout at the T-Mobile Arena. Immediately after that fight, Alvarez invited WBA and IBF champion Golovkin of Kazakhstan into the ring, fuelling the

growing clamour for a clash between the two, and on Wednesday the Mexican confirmed that negotiations were under way. “Today, I instructed my team at Golden Boy Promotions to continue negotiating a fight with Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin and to finalise a deal as quickly as possible,” Alvarez, 25, said in a statement. “I also informed the WBC that I will vacate its title. For the entirety of my career, I have taken the fights that no one wanted because I fear no man. “Never has that been more true than today. I will fight ‘GGG’ and I will beat ‘GGG’ but I will not

be forced into the ring by artificial deadlines.” Alvarez, who claimed the WBC middleweight crown with a unanimous decision over Miguel Cotto in November, had been given a May 22 deadline by WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman to start negotiations with Golovkin or instead be stripped of the belt. “I am hopeful that by putting aside this ticking clock, the two teams can now negotiate this fight, and ‘GGG’ and I can get in the ring as soon as possible and give the fans the fight they want to see,” said Alvarez. Kazakhstani Golovkin, 34, is an aggressive count-

er-puncher who holds the IBO and WBC middleweight belts and boasts a remarkable 35-0 record that includes 32 knockouts. In his most recent fight on April 23 at The Forum in Inglewood, California, he flattened challenger Dominic Wade in the second round to post his 22nd consecutive knockout. The prospect of a matchup between power hitter Alvarez, whose only loss in 49 professional fights was to undefeated American Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013, and the always aggressive Golovkin is certainly one to savour for boxing fans.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 19, 2016

GAPLF to host Claude Charles Memorial on June 5

THE Guyana Amateur Power Lifting Federation (GAPLF) will be hosting its annual Claude Charles Memorial Intermediate and Masters Power-Lifting competition on June 5 at the Critchlow Labour College. Jamie McDonald of Fitness Express, a long-time supporter of power-lifting in Guyana and many other disciplines, has once again come in as the main sponsor for this event. The competition is expected to usher in the return of one of Guyana’s most seasoned and decorated power-lifters, Big John Edwards, after 3 years out of training. He will appear in Masters 1

Owner/Proprietor of Fitness Express Jamie McDonald hands over a sponsorship cheque to GAPLF PRO Paul Adams.

category. Patrons can also look forward to the likes of Winston ‘Little Master’ Stoby who will be competing in the Masters 2 category. Frank Tucker, president of the Guyana Weightlifting Association will also be competing in the Masters 3 category along with Farouk Abdool out of Hardcore Gym in Berbice. Several youngsters are expected to vie for supremacy in the Intermediate category while Best Lifter for Novices Unequipped 2016, Carlos Peterson, has already set the tone with his stellar performance in Berbice and aims to better his previous total.

Arif Immamdeen of Elite Systems will be competing but will face fierce opposition from sub-junior powerhouse, Romario Gonsalves of Life Gym. Meanwhile, seasoned bodybuilder and Ms Physique Nadina Taharally will be stepping on the platform to compete in the Masters 1 and Intermediate while much is expected of the 2 unequipped females Lisa Oudit and Melissa Tucker whose Novices performances were quite impressive. Weigh-In and Equipment check starts at 07:00hrs and ends a 09:00hrs. Athletes are advised that anyone who does not make this time bracket will

not be allowed to compete and they are also urged to be in accordance with the rules and regulations of the GAPLF. Athletes have already been invited to meet the GAPLF and were briefed on the requirements and regulations of this competition. Lifting will commence at 10:30hrs. Admission is $500. There will also be guest-lifting by members of the team selected to represent Guyana at this year’s Caribbean Powerlifting Championships in St Croix, USVI. They are Andrea Smith, Erwyn Smith, Rawndell Clementson, Karel Mars and Paul Adams.

no sign of abating as he plundered a stunning 113 off just 50 balls at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium his fourth century of the 2016 competition. Kings XI had no answer to Kohli as they lost wickets regularly before rain brought a premature end to the game, RCB handed an 82-run win by the Duckworth-Lewis method with their opponents 120-9 with one over remaining. Heavy showers had also delayed the start but it failed to hold the India captain back as he and Chris Gayle - 73 off 32 - systematically ripped apart the Kings XI bowling attack - the duo sharing a brilliant opening stand of 147. Even after Gayle had

been dismissed and AB de Villiers had come and gone for a duck, Kohli’s relentless onslaught continued, the ball sailing to all corners of the ground. His 12 boundaries and eight maximums saw him become the first player to reach 4 000 IPL runs - having scored 865 this year - and help his side to a daunting 211-3 off just 15 overs. The pressure of matching Kohli’s heroics proved too much for the Kings XI batsmen as they started shakily with the loss of Murali Vijay (16), Wriddhiman Saha (24) and Hashim Amla (9) inside the first five overs. Sreenath Aravind (2-18) led the way superbly for RCB with two of those early

wickets, and he was ably assisted by a disciplined bowling attack. As the run-rate grew so did the desperation for Kings XI and that resulted in the regular flow of wickets. Yuzvendra Chahal (425) caused most of the chaos with his leg-spin as he collected four wickets in the match, two of them caught by de Villiers to take his tally to 16 – the most by any fielder in an IPL season. When the rains returned it was too late for Kings XI as they became the latest side to succumb to Kohli’s magnificent run of form, the skipper lifting his team into second place in the table. (Sportsmax)

More magic from Kohli seals RCB win

ROYAL Challengers Bangalore climbed into second place in the IPL thanks to Virat Kohli’s fourth century of the tournament. A truly sensational innings from Kohli helped Royal Challengers Bangalore batter Kings XI Punjab by 82 runs in a rain-affected Indian Premier League (IPL) contest, yesterday. Kohli’s dazzling form in this season’s IPL shows

Virat Kohli’

Chinese businessman Xia agrees to buy Villa

(REUTERS) - Chinese businessman Tony Xia has agreed to buy Aston Villa, the club said yesterday. Villa’s American owner Randy Lerner, who put the club on the market in 2014, struck a deal, which is reported to be worth £60 million following their relegation from the Premier League last month. “Aston Villa Football Club is pleased to announce that an agreement has been signed today for the sale of 100 percent ownership by Randy Lerner to Recon Group owned by Dr Tony Jiantong Xia subject to the approval of

the Premier League and the Football League,” a club statement said. “Dr Xia’s immediate objective is to return Aston Villa to the Premier League and then to have the club finish in the top six, bringing European football back to Villa Park. He plans to make Aston Villa the most famous football Club in China with a huge fan base.” Xia’s purchase ends an unhappy tenure for Lerner, who bought the midlands club for £62.2 million in 2006. Fans openly demonstrated against his con-

tinued involvement with Villa who were European champions in 1982 and have won the English top-flight title seven times. The statement said Lerner had been keen to sell to the right owner, adding that the American believed Xia was “an excellent choice” who had become a fan of the club many years ago. Recon Group is Xia’s privately-owned holding company which owns a controlling interest in five publicly listed companies on the Hong Kong and Chinese stock exchanges.

Woodpecker Products Ltd Junior National` Squash Championships underway THE 2016 edition of the Guyana Squash Association’s (GSA)/Woodpecker Products Junior Championships served off last evening at the G/town club Courts. Accordin g to a release, players are vying to be crowned champions in their respective age groups in an effort to represent Guyana at the Junior Caribbean Championships which will be held in Cayman Islands from July 14-24. The local racqet wielders have won the team championships on 11 consecutive occasions and will be going all out to make it 12 in a row. Categories to be contested in the Woodpecker Products sponsored tournament are; Boys Under 9, Boys Under 11,13 Intermediate, Boys and Girls Under 11, Boys and Girls Under 13, Boys and Girls Under 15, Boys and Girls Under 17 and Boys and Girls Under 19.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday May 19, 2016

Canny Sevilla retain iron grip on Europa League trophy By Toby Davis

BASEL, Switzerland,| (Reuters)-Sevilla conjured up a dazzling comeback to clinch a record third successive Europa League title yesterday, flooring Liverpool with a 3-1 victory that showed why the Spanish side have become masters of Europe’s second-tier competition. Sevilla captain Coke lifted the trophy at Basel’s St Jakob-Park having been the architect of their heroics, scoring twice to leave Liverpool gasping on the canvas after Kevin Gameiro had cancelled out Daniel Sturridge’s opener. It was a remarkable turnaround after Liverpool had dominated the first half so completely that Juergen Klopp’s side should have been home and dry, but they failed to inflict further damage when their opponents were reeling. Unai Emery’s team hit

back with three goals in 25 minutes, the first coming just 17 seconds after the interval, to claim the trophy for the fifth time in 11 seasons and become the first side in 40 years to win three consecutive European competitions. “At Sevilla we love this competition and we love it so much and we want it so much that we won it,” Emery said. “It is our competition and we underlined that once again.” For Liverpool and Klopp, who has now suffered successive final defeats in his seven months in charge after February’s League Cup disappointment, it was a dispiriting occasion. His team’s hopes of Champions League qualification were dashed, leaving Liverpool to face up to a season with no European competition. “The players are still

young,” Klopp told reporters. “We will use this experience today and someday everyone will say Basel was a decisive moment for Liverpool FC.” It had looked, however, like being an entirely different outcome at the interval. The opening goal arrived after 35 minutes and was a genuine moment of class from Sturridge, who received the ball on the left edge of the area before expertly picking his spot with a pin-point curling finish off the outside of his left boot. The England striker had already had a header hacked off the line and Liverpool had two vociferous penalty appeals for handball waved away by referee Jonas Eriksson as they turned the screw on their opponents. The halftime whistle came to Sevilla’s rescue, however, allowing them to regroup before clawing themselves off the ropes

If they complained it was not to me - Ambrose

IN the wake of his sacking as bowling consultant on the West Indies team, Sir Curtly Ambrose said he never felt like he was doing a bad job during his threeyear stint. Coach Phil Simmons, in explaining replacing Ambrose with Roddy Estwick, said he needed someone who was more “technical” to work with the bowlers. But Ambrose said no one ever complained that he was not doing a good job. “We spoke a lot about bowling and no one has ever complained to me about not doing a good enough job,”

Curtly Ambrose Ambrose said. “I gave them my opinion, my ideas, my views, and they would say they agree with it or they don’t agree, so we had a very good working relationship

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER Thursday May 19, 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) Royal Challengers Bangalore & Chennai Super Kings (2) Murali Vijay (CSK) Today’s Quiz: (1) Who was declared “Player of the Tournament” at the end of IPL 2011? (2) Who scored most runs in IPL 2011? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

and that is what makes my job a little easier. If they complain, it’s not to me.” Ambrose believes many of the players have weaknesses that ought to have been addressed before they got into the team. He said professionals should not have people holding their hands at the highest level. “If you have technical issues, then you shouldn’t be in the team and I could be wrong but that’s the way I look at it,” he reasoned. “At the international level is where you are looking to get results. If a guy happens to lose his action or struggle with his run-up a little bit, which can happen, those are easy things to iron out. But if you have a serious technical issue, there is no way you can rectify that in one or two days in the nets. It’s almost impossible.” (Sportsmax.com)

Sevilla’s Coke celebrates with the trophy and team mates after winning the UEFA Europa League Final Reuters / Dylan Martinez with an immediate sucker number of occasions this seaThen it was Liverpool’s punch. son, darted hopelessly into a turn to hit the panic button Seconds had elapsed tackle on Mariano Ferreira, as Gameiro wasted two furbefore Liverpool left back who skipped past him and ther chances before Coke Alberto Moreno, whose mis- crossed for Gameiro to side- added a second after 63 takes have cost his side on a foot into an empty net. minutes.

`West Indies squad for first four matches of Tri Nation ODI Series ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The West Indies Selection Panel yesterday named the 14man squad for the first four matches of the upcoming Tri Nation One-Day International Series. The squad includes two players who are yet to play in ODIs for the West Indies. These are: off-spinner Ashley Nurse, who was a member of the West Indies team which won the ICC World T20 last month; and fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who has played 16 Test matches.

Jason Holder

The Tri Series will feature West Indies, South Africa and Australia and all matches will be day/night. The series

starts in at the Guyana National Stadium (June 3-7), then moves to Warner Park, St Kitts (June 11-15); and concludes at Kensington Oval, Barbados (June 19-26). FULL SQUAD: Jason Holder (Captain), Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Shannon Gabriel, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels and Jerome Taylor

Venue change for Track and Field segment of Golden Jubilee Day of Sports

THE track and field segment of the Golden Jubilee Independence Day of Sports, scheduled for Sunday, will now be staged at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora, West Coast Demerara instead of the Guyana Defence Force’s Camp Ayanganna ground due to the prevailing inclement weather. According to a release, the 5k and the 10km events, however, will be staged in the city at 06:00hrs, as was previously advertised. For the 5km race for athletes 14-16 years of age, the participants will move off from Carifesta Avenue opposite the National Park,

proceed into the National Park, exit onto Albert Street, proceed west along Lamaha Street to Camp Street, turn north, returning to finish at the point of origin. The 10km (open) event will start at Carifesta Avenue/Camp Road junction, proceed north along Camp Road to Seawall Road, turn east along the seawall up to the East Coast Highway to UG Road. The runners will then turn around at UG Road, proceed west to the Kitty Public Road to Carifesta Avenue for the finish in front of GNS Complex. Five hours later, the youth, junior and senior track and field athletes will swing into action

at Leonora at the Track and Field Centre, where they will compete in the 4x100m, the 4x400m relay races along with the 100m, 200m, 800m and 1500m and long jump events. The 60m and 80m events will also be contested for athletes 12 years and under. While the top three finishers in the Under-16 and U-20 events will take home bicycles, the top five seniors will pocket $40 000, $30 000, $20 000, $15 000 and $10 000 respectively. The top three Masters male and female finishers will be rewarded with cash prizes of $20 000, $15 000 and $10 000 in that order. Admission is free.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 19, 2016

GFF signs five-year MOU with NAMILCO

THE National Milling Company of Guyana (NAMILCO) has signed a five-year sponsorship agreement with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) for the development of youth football here. This signing was held at the NAMILCO office on Monday and was attended by Wayne Forde, president of the GFF, and Bert Sukhai, managing director of NAMILCO. This initiative will see the execution of the GFF-NAMILCO intra-association Thunderbolt Flour Power national Under-17 football league, scheduled for kickoff in May 2016. This signing, however, is part of a broader approach adopted by the executive committee of the GFF to address the issue of lack of long-term sponsorship for programmes and will involve engaging the business community to broker deals. Hence, the objectives of

Wayne Forde this approach are as follows: To enable each association to play consistent developmental football at these very critical U-13, U-15, U-17 & U-19 levels and to bring stability to the sponsorship environment by removing unhealthy competition among businesses within the developmental football programmes It also aims to ensure

that tournaments overlap between executive term-limits so that football is not disrupted by political transition as well as to create a structured national scouting programme and an academy training format that will enable each association to develop the strongest possible association squad at every developmental level. The deal will also ultimately produce national teams that are a true reflection of the nine associations. Each association will organise an intra-association league within the scope of the rules and age limits set out by the GFF. Coaches that have been trained to function as youth development officers will be deployed to each association to work along with the appointed association coach and together they will scout/ select the best players.

These players will be entered into the academy training programme and will train together once a week under the guidance of the youth development officer and the association’s coach. Each quarter the nine association teams will be brought together to play a two-day tournament during which a scouting panel, led by the national youth coach for that level and the youth development officers will identify the players for the national team. These initiatives will position Guyana as a formidable football nation within the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and the wider football world. “We are confident that in another four years Guyana will be exporting players to professional leagues throughout the world.”

Hetmyer, Joseph in WICB President’s XI squad to face South Africa

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – West Indies Under-19 players Shimron Hetmyer and fast bowler Alzarri Joseph have been named in the 13-man WICB President’s XI squad, announced by the WICB Selection Panel. The team will face South Africa in a day/night 50-over match at Queen’s Park Oval on Sunday, May 29 at 13:00hrs. Hetmyer was the captain and Joseph the leading fast bowler in the West Indies Under-19 team which won the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in February. The WICB President’s XI will be led by Test opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite. The squad also includes lefthander Evin Lewis, who was a member of the West Indies team, which won the ICC World T20 in India last month. Several other players with international experience have also been selected: batsmen Jermaine Blackwood, and Jason Mohammed; wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich; left-arm spinner Nikita Miller; and all-rounder Rayad Emrit. The Proteas are using the match as part of their preparations for the upcoming Tri Nation ODI Series, which also features West Indies and Australia. FULL SQUAD Kraigg Brathwaite (capt.), Shimron Hetmyer, Jermaine Blackwood, Damion Jacobs, Shane Dowrich, Jason Mohammed, Evin Lewis, Alzarri Joseph, Jon Russ Jaggesar, Andre McCarthy, Nikita Miller, Rayad Emrit and Delorn Johnson.

Hetmyer, Joseph in WICB President’s XI squad to face South Africa

Cook set to become youngest player to score 10 000 Test runs See Page 23

ENGLAND captain Alastair Cook could become the youngest player to score 10 000 Test runs when his side play Sri Lanka in the first Test at Headingley. Cook - aged 31 years four months 24 days today - needs 36 runs to break Indian Sachin Tendulkar’s record. He will be the 12th player to reach the milestone, and the first Englishman. “I have managed to score consistent runs for England over 10 years - and that gives me more pride than being compared to anyone else,” said Cook. Tendulkar was 31 years 10 months 20 days old when he scored his 10 000th run in 2005. Brian Lara, Kumar Sangakkara, Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid, Mahela Jayawardene, Sunil Gavaskar, Jacques Kallis, Allan Border, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Steve Waugh are the other batsmen to reach the milestone. “It will be a nice moment and you get to join an elite band of Test cricketers,” Cook told BBC Test Match Special. “Those guys are far

Cook said: “The way he has come into the one-day squads and fitted in really well and handled what’s around him, he looks a really mature guy and ready to play Test cricket.” Alex Hales, who averaged only 17 in his debut series in South Africa, will open the batting alongside Cook. Nick Compton made a in

Durban but did not pass 50 in the next seven innings, although he is expected to bat at three. “ I t ’s g o o d t h a t p e o ple come into the side and know they’re not going to get chucked out after a couple of games,” said Cook. “It’s very hard to judge a player in one series, away

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GABA/Bristol to hold 50th Independence card Alastair Cook (right) made his Test debut in 2006. better batters than me. If the moment does come this week it would be a great moment personally. “You’d be lying if you said you were not thinking about. Can I put it to the back of my mind and focus at the top of the mark? I’m pretty sure I can.” OUTSTANDING FINN

PREFERRED TO BALL Cook confirmed pace bowler Steven Finn will play in the first Test of the three-match series, ahead of the uncapped Jake Ball. Finn took 11 wickets at an average of 26 in the 2-1 winter Test series win in South Africa, but his tour was ended early by a side strain.

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“He has been outstanding for us when he’s been fit,” said Cook. James Vince, the 25-yearold Hampshire captain who has played one one-day international and three Twenty20s, will make his debut at number five following James Taylor’s retirement with a heart problem.

Boxing promoter Seon Bristol

FORMER amateur boxer-turned-promoter Seon Bristol is collaborating with the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) to realize a boxing card during the 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations. The USA-based Bristol believes that boxing must be included in the celebrations, because of its large and important contribution to Guyana over the last five decades. “The sport has done so

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THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016