Guyana Times Daily

“I have nothing to fear”

– says decision to send him on leave was "political"

BY MICHAEL YOUNGE

Government’s E-Governance Project Manager

Alexei Ramotar says that he has nothing to fear following a decision by the Ministry of the Presidency to send him on administrative leave to facilitate an audit into the operations of his department.

Ramotar, speaking with the Guyana Times during an exclusive interview on Saturday, said that the operations of his department were above board and can withstand any amount of scrutiny. “They could look all they want…we had good controls over how money was spent…it was not done illegally…I do not have any fears…,” he insisted.

He believes that the decision to immediately send him on administrative leave was political in nature as the new A Partnership for

National Unity/Alliance for Change Government had spent a lot of time attacking him personally and the projects he has spearheaded while on the campaign trail. “When I met with Minister Harmon he did not give me any indication that this would happen. I was told to work along with the advisor, Mr Levi, and this is what I have been doing. I believe the decision to send me on leave was politically motivated,” Ramotar told this newspaper.

Minister Harmon, in a media release on Friday, said that the decision to send Ramotar on leave was premised on the fact it would facilitate the commencement of audit of his project under his management.

But Ramotar told this publication that the audit had begun even while he was still heading the projects and present on the job.

He therefore dismissed the reasons proffered by the Government for sending him on leave.

He maintained the during the interview that no one is left to answer questions about the project that may arise during the auditing process as only technical staff are on the job. “I

– Alexei Ramotar

have all of the answers to their questions and now that they have sent on leave there is no that could guide them from the project’s conceptualisation, execution to its completion,” he remarked.

He also denied that the E-Governance Project was in shambles and poorly managed explaining that it was delivered to the Government within timeline and budget after work started on it back in 2009. “It is operational now. We had to design the project and build the infrastructure to accommodate it. We worked with Huawei Technologies Inc to deliver the project which literally started in 2012 and ended in 2014,” Ramotar, who is the son of former President Donald Ramotar, explained. He also expressed concerns that persons, and the media in particular, was confusing the Government’s

E-Governance Project with another aspect of the project dedicated to the laying of the fiber optic cable from Lethem to Georgetown, which was known as the Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) Project.

Ramotar said that this aspect of the project suffered some setbacks and delays, but the information was available to the new Government so that it can determine what the underlying causes for the problems encountered were.

In fact, the minor setbacks faced by the $32 million E-government Project have resulted in Guyanese being able to benefit from a highly technological and advanced e-governance project that will revolutionise the manner in which the Government offers critical services to the public, while reducing tremendously the time associated in accessing information and doing business with the Government.

Ramotar had told this newspaper back in January last year that the delays in the project did not cost Guyanese additional monies. He opined then that there appears to be a lack of understanding about the project, its design and the overall complexities that implementing such a diverse project would entail, on the part of some critics.

Ramotar had said too the type of technology being utilised should also be taken on board, arguing that back in 2009 when he started working on the design, they were looking at WIMAX abd EDVO version B, which are technical terms for access network.

“So we looked at those and we were gonna implement that, however as technology grew and so forth, we came to a conclusion that WIMAX abd EVIDEO will become niche market technologies…in that case, what happen is operational costs in the future will go up to buy terminal equipment, to fix issues… it is behind because it is only in the niche market, so we decided to make the switch to longterm evolution which is 4G cellular technology. It’s the same thing that’s being im-

plemented in many parts of the world,” he explained then.

According to Ramotar, this allowed the project to save money because there would have been the need to have two core networks, but only one was in place. He said that initially the project would have only seen about 30 sites being constructed but now Guyanese will benefit from 54.

“…so I think it worked out. The delay in that case was only by a month because we had to renegotiate with Norway on the technology and we had to go out and do new testing, new soil testing and so forth, the new sites, 24 additional sites we would have put in. So it’s not, that’s not, a major issue, as a matter of fact that delay was for the betterment, because we have more, better technology; 4G is a better technology. And we also have, a larger part of the population can have access to it,” he said back in January.

During that interview, Ramotar revealed that the other component to the overall project which is the dense wavelength division multiplexing aspect that comes at a cost of US$5 million had also suffered some setbacks, but they were being addressed. This component of the initiative aims to provide Internet access.

He said that there was no problem with the overall design of this aspect of the project but rather there were some challenges experienced in the roll out, mainly the laying of the fibre-optic cables in some communities. Ramotar explained then that when those problems were noticed, swift action was taken to ensure that they were corrected and advice sought on possible remedies that would not impact the expected completion of the initiative significantly.

A third-party consultant from Venezuela, who worked in DWDM fibre projects had also given expert advice on the design of the project. “The installation of the cable was the major issue,” he remarked, noting that the two local firms, Dax and Dynamic engineering nonetheless did “satisfactory” work. He reported then that a supervisor who was hired for the project was fired after it was found out that he was not properly supervising the work. Much of the problems encountered had to do with the type of equipment that was being utilised, Ramotar also admitted.

“I think the case was the capacity of the contractors to the do the actual installation, the DWDM equipment has been installed and we didn’t have a problem with that,” he stated.

The

WEATHER TODAY

are expected to range between 24 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East to East South-easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.47 metres per second.

High Tide: 06:18h and 18:40h reaching maximum heights of 2.62 metres and 2.52 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 12:16h reaching a minimum height of 0.62.

Forging of lasting public/private partnerships… CPL Underlines tremendous socio-economic benefits

BY MICHAEL YOUNGE

High-ranking officials of the Hero Caribbean Primer League (CPL) have underscored the important role that regional Governments can play in boosting the tournament while deriving positive socioeconomic benefits that could have long term impacts on their developing economies.

Speaking during an interview with the Guyana Times on Saturday, the Chief Financial Officer of the Caribbean Primer League, Barrie Corcoran, said that it takes a huge amount of investment to stage the tournament each year and to deliver on the exceptional standards associated with international cricket.

Corcoran stated that each year some US$25 million is invested into CPL just to ensure that it is hosted successfully as he explained that, if

this together…it is a partnership”, he insisted explaining that the venture will achieve all of its objectives if all come on board.

CPL’s Chief Operations

Officer, Pete Russell, also explained that Governments who are supportive of the ven-

of the Guyanese press recently.

“I have heard reports that Bobby Ramroop is the owner of CPL, but that is not the case. Bobby Ramroop is the owner of the Amazon Warriors. He owns the franchise down here…all his investment goes into the team, so there is no money that comes or that he gets from CPL,” he further clarified.

all Governments in the region were to get on board where necessary, the event could grow at an unprecedented rate, which in turn would see massive gains being derived by their economies.

“We offer a lot”, he said before listing that over the last three years, countries who have stakes in the tournament have managed to tap into the direct benefits associated from sports tourism, increased tourist arrivals and the promotion of their ecotourism products to an international audience.

He reasoned that Governments also benefit from the fact that over 66 million people view the tournament around the world. “It is important that Governments hold hands with us and build

ture stand to gain more than to lose in any instant.

Dispelling rumors that the local franchise holders reap enormous personal benefits or returns from CPL when Governments pay fees as part of established agreements, Russell said this was far from the truth.

He explained that CPL is a private/public partnership initiative that is owned by several stakeholders. “The league is probably owned, in collaboration with the WICB (West Indian Cricket Board), Digicel are the majority owners of CPL…there are one or two minority stakeholders who are individuals….the WICB also has its stakes,” he explained as he attempted to clarify a misleading report which emanated in a section

He said that CPL sees the role of the Government of Guyana as crucial because of the axiomatic relationship that exists between the sport and the interest of its citizens, as well as the direct benefits that are procured in the end.

He said that discussions between CPL and the current Government of Guyana was ongoing and cordial, while noting that the Government here is doing the right thing

to ensure that they are reaping the benefits that they should from existing agreements. “I think they have done the right thing. They have done their due diligence in full...They wanted to make sure that those agreements were delivered by CPL…We are obviously debating and discussing the long term future...For us it is very important that CPL is a major factor in Guyana,” Russell noted. He said that the new Governments in St Kitts and Antigua also ensured that they were getting value for money expended as part of their agreements with CPL, which predated their entrance into Government.

“It’s a learning curve for everyone,” he insisted before noting that Government remains a key part of the partnership.

Sunday Editor: Michael Younge

Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Jagdeo vindicated on EPA doubts

In an announcement that did not elicit any comment by the government or the usually effusive local commentators, during the opening of the Third Meeting of the joint CARIFORUM-EU Council, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström admitted that following the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) by the two regions, there had been a “significant decrease in trade over the past five years.” This was in direct opposition to the promises made by most leaders at the signing when then President Bharrat Jagdeo balked.

In 2007, the EU unilaterally broke the Sugar Protocol with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) nations, which had lasted for 32 years and was guaranteed in “perpetuity”. Moving beyond its 36% cuts in sugar prices, under cover of a WTO ruling - and a divide and rule tactic - it then demanded that the individual blocs sign more expansive EPA’s,to replace the Protocol. While the other regions refused, the Caribbean leaders, against the advice of Jagdeo, signed on.

Jagdeo’s point was that in the asymmetrical power distribution, between the two blocs, “It would be another instance of the European Union using its trade might and economic might bullying a developing country into an agreement … because it suits their interests.” He was the sole head of state in the region to object to the agreement. Barbados and Jamaica were especially vociferous supporters.

As is now admitted, Jagdeo asserted that the EPA would hinder the region’s economic development rather than assist in its positive integration into the world economy. The EPA had been negotiated by the CariCom Regional Negotiation Machinery (RNM), but Sir Shridath Ramphal, a previous head, said that regional leaders would be making a mistake if they go ahead and complete the signing of the EPA. He was backed by UWI Professor Norman Girvan and local Prof. Clive Thomas as well as the Caribbean Congress of Labour.

Jagdeo said he would only sign “under duress” and the EU, not backing down from its image of a Goliath among Davids, duly complied. It declared that products from Guyana would henceforth have the higher General Preference Tariffs, if the EPA was not signed. Jagdeo then insisted that two clauses be inserted into the EPA: the first that the foundational CariCom treaty of Chaguramas supersede any contrary provisions in the EPA and the second that there be a review of the EPA every five years.

The review was to examine the socio-economic impact of the agreement on the people of the region and a commitment by Europe to address the adverse impact. Even though the first clause had been “watered down” according to Jagdeo, Guyana signed the EPA in Brussels five days after 13 other Cariforum countries and the European Union had done so. Haiti had also balked.

After five years in 2013, then President Donald Ramotar speaking at 11th European Development Fund Caribbean Regional Programming Seminar said “I think it is time that the two-day meeting here take the time out to evaluate… whether any Caribbean country has actually benefitted in a tangible way from the implementation of the EPA, and if not, why.” Two years later, we have the answers the first part of the question and it is time that the second partwhy - be answered honestly.

Commissioner Cecilia Malmström did attempt an answer but it is far from satisfactory. She claimed that just the EPA was signed, the U.S. investment bank Lehman Bros. plunged the world into the most serious economic and financial crisis since the Great Depression. She admitted that with the Caribbean, having become more integrated into the world economy, which is what the EPA seeks to deepen, has suffered.

But she neglected to mention that the EU banks were just as complicit in the debacle and therefore the EU must do better to redress the consequences of breaking its Protocol. The EPA as it presently stands does not serve CariCom’s interests.

Bread

box opens its doors to the public

The untenable situation inherited by Opadeyi

Dear Editor,

When Professor Jacob Opadeyi became the Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana in February 2013, he inherited an untenable situation characterized by malpractices in financial management, cost over runs, and spending beyond the income of the University, creating an inherited deficit of over $500M in 2013 and reduced to $300M in 2014. Financial audits by the Auditor General’s Office discovered shady irregularities and transactions at IDCE whose annual income is $30M but spends $60M. There was also the payment of $1M annually without supporting documents and not for the approved designated purpose.

Generally, poor work ethic, minimum work, non-fulfillment of contractual working hours, and a general lack of accountability permeated the University. The MAD approach (maximum administrative delay) was employed in implementing or frustrating decisions, even some Council decisions.

The reasons why the unrepresentative and unrecognized Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) is motivating attacks on the integrity of the Vice Chancellor are primarily related to the Vice Chancellor challenging and correcting these bad practices, replacing them with comparative international best practices. As such, he is seen by the leadership of UGSSA as a “sell out”, upsetting the status quo, and bringing an “end to the good thing they had going”.

In a special audit commissioned by the Council under his leadership, it was discovered that the Bursary (prior to the appointment of the cur-

rent Bursar) was functioning without standard operating procedures and failed to practice basic accounting principles. It reconciled accounting activities once a year instead of on a daily or weekly basis while maintaining no accurate or current balance sheet, and shockingly using DOSbased accounting software which allowed for changes to be made to accounting records anonymously. Payment receipts could be changed or cancelled and the receipt number reused. Unclaimed salary cheques are neither reported nor queried and writing cheques is possible when there is no money in the account to support the payment. Other bad practices such as permitting overdraft without authorization and using student lab fees to support staff travels are frequent. Unwillingness to collect debts owed to UG withholding payments to Credit Unions, NIS, GRA after deducting same from employee salaries, payment of salaries without signed contracts; and providing cash advances with no record of spending accounts and receipts are also inclusive of these inconsistencies inherited by Opadeyi.

There is need for a Forensic Audit to recover the University financial assets and Professor Opadeyi is rendering the University accountable.

It is a known fact that the University is underfunded in many aspects, such as in infrastructure and learning facilities, subventions to cover the operating cost of some $350,000 annually per student, scholarships for staff development, benefits working conditions for staff, etc. Changes at UG since the Vice Chancellor was appoint-

ed twenty eight months ago, at his initiative and with the approval of the University Council, include increasing retirement age from 60 to 65 years so as to retain high quality lecturers and professors, introduction of technology/facility fee of $50,000 per year for all students; acquisition of a bus for field trips accommodating thirty persons; senior management responsible for hiring of UB and UA staff at the level of Lecture I and A.O, senior management to be responsible to disciplinary matters of both staff and students, generally no program allowed with less than ten student enrollments, the establishment of the first Ph.D programmes and the creation of an Audit Committee of the Council.

The Vice Chancellor further reduced the deficit, through negotiation of additional Government funding of about $800 million, and reduced expenditures on commuting lecturers. He improved financial discipline through spending along budgetary lines and established the first online degree programmes as well as the the first MPH programme. He increased graduate enrolment and revenue streams augmented from $1,092M in 2013 to $1,342M in 2014. Deficit was reduced from $619M in 2013 to $334M in 2014. He obtained 3100 classroom desks and chairs through the private sector, ending the chronic lack of classroom chairs that plagued the University for more than ten years. A first 3400 student lockers were installed in the University and 200 personal computers were acquires in the space of two years. Other technological investments such as software for statis-

tical analysis of student assessment, Smart ID card system, timetabling software, smart classrooms, free Wi-Fi for staff and students, electronic message board were also acquired. The Confucius Institute at UG as well as the revision of promotion criteria was implanted, resulting in the unprecedented promotion of staff for three new professors, eight senior lecturers and twenty lecturers II. Other achievements include the establishment of an honorary degree programme, the first campus wide CCTV cameras, the naming of University streets after former Chancellors, the effective and efficient management of the UG Science and Technology Support Project worth US$10M funded through the World Bank, the construction of the first basketball and lawn tennis courts. Also, an introduction of conflict of interest declaration for staff who have family members enrolled in the classes was done. The support of the Health Ministry was obtained to ensure the first posting of a medical doctor to the UG medical centre. Thirty three cleaners who have been working for thirteen years as part-time staff were promoted to full-time with full benefits. Opadeyi also supported the introduction and use of the Moodle teaching support system. Professor Jacob Opadeyi has served the staff and the University very well as Vice Chancellor over a short period of time with an outstanding performance of excellence which deserves the nation’s gratitude and vote of confidence.

Yours sincerely, Samuel J. Goolsarran

The issue of morality, response to Stacy Cheong’s letter

Dear Editor,

I would like to refer to Ms. Stacy Cheong’s assertion in her letter in the Guyana Times of Sunday, 12th July, in which she states that “There are as many morals as there are people in the world, since morality is a reflection of culture, education, social development and other particularities of a people”.

If we should accept this, then it means that everyone has a right to determine for himself what is right or wrong. Would this not obviously lead to chaos in any society, as everyone would make different judgements on what is

fundamentally right?

Maybe Ms. Cheong is muddling morality with the code of ethics that is formulated by any group to govern the nature of their interaction, but this also will have as its foundation, the sense of right and wrong that morality determines through the use of the conscience that all human beings are born with, and which is developed through conscious choices.

I would like to posit that it is a dangerous thing to propose to immature minds that we each have a choice on what is right and wrong, as then we each would have the

right to reject what even the authorities who govern us would include in the laws that rule our actions in our society.

It must be accepted that our birthright of conscience has instilled us with the ability to judge right from wrong, and we have been further endowed with a free will to develop this according to the basic acceptable values that we need to employ to apply these to our environment.

May we all understand this basic principle and use it to develop a morally good society.

Roy Paul

History programme not closed down

Dear Editor, The headline of the article claims that “UG” has closed down the History programme, but nowhere in the article do I see competent University of Guyana authorities being cited as the source of this claim.

Instead, I see many persons who are concerned about the continuation of the programme, one unnamed “lecturer”, the Ministry of Education, and the vaguely named “relevant public authorities” being referred to.

In brief, let me say that the programmes in History in the Faculty of Education and Humanities have NOT been closed down. Secondly, the programmes have not been reduced to a “mere diploma course”. This is a gross misrepresentation.

History is offered at two levels: the Associate Degree (two years) and Bachelors Degree (four years).

There is no “diploma course” in History. Moreover, the 2-year Associate Degree is a benefit to persons who, for one reason or another (migration, lack of finances, lack of further interest, switching to another programnme, and so on) cannot spend four years at UG.

Such persons can exit with the Associate Degree after two years once they have completed all the requirements, instead of leaving with nothing.

In addition, students can move smoothly from the Associate Degree to the Bachelors Degree.

The various persons

and the unnamed “lecturer” to whom your reporter referred could easily have checked with me, the Deputy Dean or the Head of the Department of Social Studies, which runs the programme, before publicizing a story which paints an erroneous picture of the university, and has caused much unnecessary confusion and concern.

Yours faithfully,

Alim Hosein Dean

EDITOR'S NOTE

Can Mr Hosein say whether a student possessing the "Associate Degree in History" can enrol for the 4-year Bachelor's Degree in the coming semester?

Remembering Air India’s Disaster

Dear Editor,

The Air India Boeing 747 ‘Kanishka’ crash of flight from Montréal for London en route to New Delhi on June 23, 1985 near Cork, off the west coast of Ireland after a bomb planted on the aircraft by Sikh extremists exploded, was the talk of Indo-Guyanese and Indian Americans in the greater Richmond Hill area. Memorial services were held in New York, Montreal and Toronto where Guyanese were in attendance to give support to friends who lost loved ones.

The plotters of the disaster were Sikhs, and the Richmond Hill (Queens) area is heavily populated by Sikhs who have developed a cordial relationship with the large Indo-Guyanese population. Richmond Hill (Toronto) is also populated by Sikhs and Indo-Guyanese who have good community relations attending cultural functions and inter-marrying.

Several among the 329 victims were Sikhs. Not unexpectedly, the Sikh community of Richmond Hill would have preferred not to remember or discuss the disaster because of the guilt and shame it brought the community since individuals from their group were responsible for the crash that claimed so many lives.

But the local Guyanese and Sikh community media have not forgotten the inci-

dent of 30 years ago and reported on memorial services held in the different cities. Guyanese also remembered the disaster.

Memorial services and rallies were held in New York although the victims were from Canada and the flight originated from there.

The crash was the subject of talk among the many Guyanese, Trinidadian and Indian nationals who attended a Lata Mangeshkar concert at Madison Square Garden the Saturday following the crash. Many said they were in tears commenting how the victims were robbed of their future and families.

Some recalled how a standing minute of silence was held for the victims at Madison Square Garden and the emotional and psychological support provided by Air India to families.

A memorial site was constructed in Ireland near the location of the crash, listing the names of all 329 victims. The site has become a place of annual ‘pilgrimage’ for the families of victims. Families meet and share their grief that is exacerbated each time there is a plane crash or a terror attack.

The plane’s debris was brought to Canada since the bomb originated from Canada. The majority of victims were Canadian citizens; the bombs were built in Canada and the criminal planning took place in

Canada.

The loved ones of the victims are still angry with the extremists who were fighting for a separate homeland, Khalistan, for Sikhs. The accused were put on trial but were acquitted worsening the grief. The trial lasted almost 20 years costing approximately CAD $130 million, one of the most expensive in history.

The families of the victims were told by a Commission of Inquiry headed by a former Supreme Court Justice that “the Canadian Government was responsible for failing to act upon credible information indicating that the attack was imminent”.

The report of the inquiry stated that “Government agencies were in possession of significant pieces of information that would have led a competent analyst to conclude that the flight was at high risk of being bombed by known Sikh terrorists.” Canadian Guyanese who followed the trial say that the Canadian Government and the airport staff were lax with intelligence on security operations and that the Canadian Mounties failed to gather necessary evidence to find and convict the perpetrators of the country’s worst aviation disaster.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Page Foundation

TAnu Dev

here’s absolutely nothing like cricket in Guyana. The atmosphere in the Providence Stadium is electric. There’s just so much energy pulsing through the stadium. In Guyana, we don’t ever have trouble ensuring sold-out matches and a jam-packed stadium, we›re always starved for more cricket. I›m not going to get into why we have to suffer from this «starvation» since this is a family newspaper!

It’s really a spectacle to behold when Guyana turns up for cricket- the traffic jam outside of the stadium, the throngs of people walking towards the stadium with flags in hand and the roar of voices chattering excitedly and expectantly about the match in the offing. Normally being stuck in traffic makes you bang your head repeatedly against the steering wheel, turn into the Hulk or shriek at the top of your lungs about the country needing better infrastructure to deal with the rapidly growing number of vehicles.

But seeing all of these people making the trek to rally around our team makes it really something special. We›re sharing in a mass ritual that builds nation and consolidates a people.

Stepping into the Providence Stadium, seeing our Warriors on the field,

Our Warriors!

“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won›t be worth a dime.”

Babe Ruth... NY Yankees

seeing the crowd wave their flags really gets your heart racing. I guess this is probably what had all those Romans screaming and showing thumbs down when their Gladiators entered the Colosseum. With my team named «Warriors», you know what role the Zouks were sup- posed to play in this

Hero CPL in Guyana…

Rain, fun and excitement at Providence National Stadium

the Zouks

periment that demonstrated this process decades ago at Stanford University. It›s been made into the eponymously named movie released this year.

But I have to say, there was more than a passing twinge of regret not seeing Santokie or Guptill on our team this year.

During the half time interval, spectators were entertained by several groups of revellers as they swayed to the sound of tassa drums and the vibes from the music system.

Thrills and spills

After the disappoint- ment of having our match against Jamaica washed out on Wednesday, the crowd was clearly hyped for this match. And our Warriors certainly delivered against the Zouks! There’s this indescribable feeling of pride you get when you’re looking at your home team play. Never mind that all of the players on the team aren’t Guyanese: they’re wearing our uniform, our colours, we feel that same sense of them being a part of our team, of being ours.

This is part of the success of professional sports in general, and the IPL and CPL in particular - taking the «club» approach and making it linked with a geographical city or region. Us humans have this built in inclination - amounting to a drive - to band into groups on very arbitrary criteria. Also these groups quickly assume the deepest “us” vs «them» feelings. There›s a famous ex-

After two years, you really do become attached to certain players and start to see them as being synonymous with

I was especially impressed by Ramdin on Friday night. To me his performance demonstrated perfectly the importance of having a strong, steady and calm leader at the helm of a team. When our bowlers were bleeding runs at the beginning of the match, he rallied his troopsGuyana began tightening the noose around the Zouks. As we were chasing, with wickets tumbling all around him, he kept his head, and stood firm. It was inspiring to say the least. Despite some poor umpiring decisions, our Warriors still triumphed. We were all on our feet as Permaulhit that winning six.

There are some moments in life that are forever etched in your memory and the Guyana Amazon Warriors are certainly providing us with many of those.

So let’s wave our flags, let’s scream and shout until we’re hoarse, “Go Amazon Warriors!”

The first match of the Guyana leg of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) that was scheduled to be played on Wednesday last at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence East Bank Demerara (EBD) between the Guyana Amazon Warriors and the Jamaica Tallawahs was wash out by rain, but the second match on Friday evening saw the St Lucia Zouks being washed away by an excellent bowling spell from the Warriors.

Thousands of excited cricket fans stormed the Guyana National Stadium, even though the weather forecast predicted rain, to witness the Amazon Warriors pull off a thriller to tie with the Jamaica Tallawahs on the points table of the Hero CPL.

cricket was played louder.

The logo of the Guyana Amazon Warriors was also neatly painted on the faces of diehard fans – the young, the old and the not so old.

The flags were also seen flying high even before the game got underway.

When the game began, the crown went wild, erupting every time a wicket fell for the visiting side, but fell completely silent when boundaries were stuck.

The whistles and horns echoed from the stands, as well as the music boomed through the speakers of the Fusion Sound System. Then electrifying atmosphere was also kept alive by the dancing cheerleaders who were all dressed in Amazon Warriors and Zouks colours, added to the exuberance that filled the stadium. They

However, as the Warriors chased 112 runs for victory, fans became silent as the wickets began to tumble but with a little poke from announcer Kirk “Chow Pow” Jardine, they waved but with worrying faces. Nevertheless, the game came down to the wire with Guyana having to score six runs from 13 deliveries.

A brilliant stoke from Veersammy Premaul for a six on the last delivery of the 18th over saw Guyana crossing the finish line, following by tremor created by the jubilant fans who started to party like crazy. As the fans left the stadium on Friday evening, they were blasting the Warriors’ theme songs from their vehicles.

Then on Saturday evening, another massive crowd turned up at the stadium as Guyana took on the Barbados Tridents and again, the stadium exploded with excitement.

With only one match to go, the Amazon Warriors will be looking to demolish the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel on Tuesday evening.

The electrifying atmosphere truly represented Caribbean cricket as music, food and drinks were in abundance. The stands were filled with Amazon Warriors fans, all dressed in their yellow and green outfits to show support for the home team. This created the carnival-like atmosphere as

did not hesitate to jump on elevated ramps to celebrate when a boundary was struck or when a wicket fell.

The Caribbean Airlines crew also brought Trinidad Carnival to the Providence Stadium with the beautifully costumed young ladies putting on a show, accompanied by sweet soca music.

The game starts at 18:00h. Tickets for the Guyana Amazon Warriors vs the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel match will be available at the OPCO office on Middle Street, Georgetown today from 09:00h.

Sophia murder suspect beaten to death

… as search for others continues

While two men were taken into Police custody for the beating to death of Sophia murder suspect Jerry Dalrymple, who reportedly stabbed shopkeeper Janice Paul to death on Wednesday evening, the Police are still hunting for a few other suspects.

According to reports received, the suspect was spotted in the area on Friday evening and was corned by residents who brutally beat him in connection with the murder of the woman. The man was then taken to the Turkeyen Police Station and was subsequently rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

A senior Police Officer told Guyana Times that the man was viciously beaten by a group of men who claimed that he deserved to die. The Police Officer stated that the man was handed over to the Police in a bloodied state while noting that he was reportedly beaten with pieces of wood.

He would have suffered severe head and bodily inju-

ries. He confirmed that one man was arrested on Friday evening and another was arrested early Saturday morning. The Police, he added, questioning several other people who might have committed the act.

Forty-year-old Janice Paul of Lot 38 D Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was stabbed to death by Dalrymple, while her husband was injured during the attack. The woman was stabbed 18 times to her body and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital while her husband, Eusi Paul, 40, received two stab wounds to his face and hand and was treated and sent away.

According to information received, at about 20:05h, the couple returned home in a taxi and due to the heavy rainfall, the husband exited the car and went to the house to collect an umbrella while his wife waited in the car.

After he returned to the car and his wife had exited, they proceeded to walk through the dark track to

their home. It was at this point that the suspect confronted them and and an argument ensured.

During the argument, the suspected reportedly pulled out a dagger and dealt the man two blows after which he turned his attention to the woman. Although the injured man screamed for the now dead woman to run, Dalrymple pursued her and dealt her several blows. The argument reportedly stemmed from the woman not answering her phone when the suspect was attempting to contact her.

Guyana Times understands that the stabbing incident occurred during the heavy down pour on Wednesday evening; hence persons in the area were unable to hear the dead woman’s screams. After committing the act, the suspect reportedly fled the scene. Reports received revealed that the injured man left his wife lying on the ground as he ran to the Turkeyen Police Station to get help.

Police are continuing their investigations.

International rice prices not profitable- DeGroot

– says Govt trying to salvage Venezuela rice deal

With the collapse of the PetroCaribe Agreement between the rivaling states of Venezuela and Guyana, the latter is now left to seek alternative markets for its bumper harvest.

Chairman of the Guyana Millers and Exporters Marketing Association Dr Peter De Groot however, asserted that the international prices for rice is almost half the price Venezuela was offering Guyana and, therefore, if Guyana is forced to depend on alternative markets, then the rice industry may very well suffer.

The PetroCaribe deal, which was sealed by the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela several years ago, saw Guyana receiving oil in exchange for rice.

The agreement was schedule to come to an end in November 2015 and the Guyana Government was trying to have the arrangement extended, however to no avail.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan, after returning from a PetroCaribe Ministerial Council Meeting, reported that Venezuelan authorities

indicated that the contract will not be reviewed. He noted that this was as a result of the fact that Venezuela would be taking rice from Suriname and as such, did not require the large amount which was currently being sent from Guyana.

Though the tension between the two nations is progressively intensifying, DeGroot disclosed that officials from Guyana are currently engaging those in Venezuela with the hopes of salvaging the rice deal so that farmers and millers can continue to benefit.

However, Guyana and Venezuela are presently involved in a century-old border dispute that is getting worse as the day goes by. Already, it is reported that oil-rich country intends to pass a legislation to make Essequibo into a State of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

While very cognisant of this, DeGroot maintained that Venezuela offered a price that was no match to the world’s market and it is against this backdrop that the Government will continue to negotiate with Venezuela to renew the PetroCaribe Agreement.

Businessman Beni Sankar had explained that

Guyana only exports roughly 75 per cent of its rice production, while the rest is being locally utilised. Of that 75 per cent exported, only some 40 per cent is going to Venezuela. Sankar pointed out that the problem with some farmers is that they are asking for prices based on Venezuelan price, which is not possible because Venezuela offers an exceedingly higher price than other countries.

Meanwhile, when asked what will be the fate of the rice industry should the rice deal with Venezuela fail to be restored, DeGroot assured that the association is currently trying to secure other markets in Europe and within the Caribbean. He noted that Guyana already exports rice to Jamaica and Panama and will continue to do so when the second crop is harvested.

Moreover, it was previously reported that a high-level team, inclusive of representatives from the Guyana Millers and Exporters Marketing Association, is expected to visit the Spanish-speaking country shortly to discuss the way forward for the supply of commodities in exchange for oil under the PetroCaribe Agreement.

Police destroy marijuana fields found at Mahaica

Members of the Police Narcotics Branch on Saturday morning conducted a drug eradication exercise in the Mahaica Backdam, East Coast

Demerara during which two fields of marijuana were destroyed.

According to information received, the two fields contained an estimated 200 plants, ranged from one

foot to 10 feet in height. In addition, a quantity of dried marijuana was also found and destroyed. No arrests have been made, as Police continue their investigation.

NA supermarket robbery…

Robbery planned in Stanleytown, mastermind tells Police

– three to appear in court

Police have received information on how exactly armed bandits planned and carried out a robbery at M Ali and Son Supermarket at Main

and Pope Streets, New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Thursday evening.

One of the masterminds, Andrew Davis, who

was arrested on Friday morning at Strand, New Amsterdam, has confessed to being part of the robbery and has supplied detailed information of what

transpired. Police were told that the suspects arrived at his 38 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam home on Wednesday evening and made final arrangements for the attack on the supermarket, which occurred on Thursday evening.

According to Davis, after the robbery, all of the men returned to his home and shortly thereafter, arranged for a car to pick them up.

The Police reportedly sought after the bandits but arrived at the Stanleytown home roughly five minutes after the gang had left for the New Amsterdam/Georgetown car park where they boarded a cab bound for the city. Police however intercepted the car shortly after it left the park and one of the men was apprehended.

Davis also reported that a close relative of his, who also lives in the Stanleytown, New Amsterdam house, distributed the three hand guns, which he reportedly owns, to the men who were recruited to carry out the robbery.

Davis told investigators that one of the men received an injury to his arm. It had been reported that as the men were fleeing the supermarket after executing the robbery, one of them discharged a round in the direction of a salesgirl which hit his accomplice instead. That man is still at large.

On Thursday evening, two armed unmasked men entered M Ali and Son Supermarket at Main and Pope Streets, and took away $350,000 in cash along with a quantity of phone cards before escaping in a waiting car. The men also took away a licensed 9mm pistol. Police have so far retrieved one of the guns used in the robbery.

Meanwhile, three men are expected to appear in court to answers armed robbery charges. Police are continuing their investigations.

TEyew tness

Different strokes...

...for poor folks

his $10,000 School Voucher issue isn’t going to be brushed aside so lightly as the Education Ministry hopes. There’s been a whole lotta bobbing and weaving going down on the status of the programme, which so excited parents last year. This Eyewitness has already expatiated on the Orwellian use of language by Education officials to hide the fact that the programme’s been scrapped. Remember? Not admitting that the ham was eaten but: “Some hams hanging in the kitchen were taken out for burial”!!

So the Chronicle, now finally “owned and operated by and for the people of Guyana” - presumably completely different from what prevailed before - had the Ministry accusing the GTimes of all kinds of journalistic improprieties for using the word “scrapped”. So what say they now to the Stabber News, which reported Minister of Governance (no, not Moses Nagamootoo - the Cummingsburg Accord’s being “re-interpreted”) Raphael Trotman announcing that the $10,000 Vouchers have been “shelved indefinitely”?

But the said report evoked another interesting Orwellian expression: “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” The Ministry of Education, with the most erudite scholar Rupert Roopnarine at its head, explained that they knew that programme was an “electioneering gimmick”.

And how did the goodly gentleman figure this out? Well, not because it sounded populist. He really couldn’t talk about “empty populism” because his party had made 21 populist promises to be kept in 100 days. All having as much a chance of being kept as a snow-cone has, of surviving in hell. But the PPP had DISTRIBUTED the $10,000 vouchers!

The Ministry announced that the smoking gun was the “kitsch branding of the grant with the ‘Because We Care’ slogan!! Now “kitsch” - for those of us who haven’t attended Oxford or Cambridge - is a put down for having “low-class” taste. You know...like looking down on us working stiffs for covering our new sofas with plastic. Or having all those little, stuffed bears behind our rear windshield.

So “Because We Care” is “kitsch”? What’s low brow (or “low class”, for that matter) about telling folks you care for those who’re taking the time and effort to send their children to school? Isn’t it the job of government to offer incentives to encourage citizens to “do the right thing”? And if this government insists that education is the foundation of a solid, secure society, what’s better than encouraging parents to keep their kids in school? And promising pay increases without commensurate productivity increases isn’t “kitsch”?

Evidently not to Oxbridge types.

...for folks in a democratic party

With all the snarky remarks about “democratic centralism” stifling free thinking in the PPP’s Ex-Co, Hydar Ali’s proof incarnate of the living democracy in the party. Like clockwork, the fella used to churn out letters to the Kaieteur News with opinions on every topic under the sun. Seems that the change in his party’s status from government to Opposition hasn’t changed Ali’s writing ways.

He recently weighed in on the Chief Justice’s ruling on the constitutionality of restraints on citizens democratic right to choose their presidential candidates. His opinion had to’ve been his own, because he focused on the EFFECT of the ruling and not on the issue before the CJ. Surely the PPP’s top brass wouldn’t have made such an elementary mistake.

Sure two thirds of the Legislature wanted to have term limits for presidents. But that’s not the issue, is it?

The question is whether - because of the foundational normative imperative of “democracy” immanent in the Constitution - a referendum doesn’t have to RATIFY such a decision.

Ali isn’t saying the Legislature in Guyana is supreme over the Constitution, is he?

...at City Hall

Sooba’s dismissed as Town Clerk for signing a $27 million tax waiver. She’s replaced by King who signed one for $36 million.

Serves her right: she should’ve thought bigger!

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

PPP could enter Parliament on July 30

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) could attend the July 30 sitting of the National Assembly, taking up its allotted 32 seats as the parliamentary Opposition.

This was disclosed by Executive Member of the Party, Dr Roger Luncheon, at a press briefing on Saturday, during which he explained that the Party has resolved to take up its seats and has even identified their Members of Parliament (MPs).

Dr Luncheon told media operatives that while he is uncertain about when the party will attend Parliament, the scheduled July 30 sitting of the National Assembly is the soonest time possible that they can do so.

“The when is a little bit different but it has a lot to do with the National Assembly’s routine. The 30th is the next sitting so (that is) the earliest that People’s Progressive Party could return to

Parliament… (However) I wouldn’t be able to be definitive,” he stated.

On the other hand, the Party’s Executive Member disclosed that they are yet to decide on a nominee for the Deputy Speaker position, given to them by the ruling Administration.

“If indeed, the People’s Progressive Party would be supporting the appointment from within their ranks or the Governing party will do the same, that has not been decided as yet,” Dr Luncheon added.

The PPP/C had won

32 seats in the 65-seat Chamber following the May 11 General and Regional Elections. Former President Bharrat Jagdeo is leading the list of members of Parliament, which includes eight new comers, such as Africo Sleman, Nigel Dharamlall and Collin Croal.

Former Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh and Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett already gave explanations for their absence from the list of MPs, citing that it is time for them to stay away for

now.

Meanwhile, the national top up list includes Adrian Anamayah, Frank Anthony, Indraine Chandarpaul, Nigel Dharamlall, Juan Edghill, Joseph Hamilton, Clive Jagan, Bharrat Jagdeo, Odinga Lumbumba, Ganga Persaud, Vindhya Persaud, Bheri Ramsaran, Charles Ramson Jr, Clement Rohee, Dharamkumar Seeraj, Africo Selman, Pauline Sukhai, and Gail Teixeira.

The Party had announced that Dr Leslie Ramsammy will no longer be returning as a MP because of his ill health and as such, his replacement has to be found.

Meanwhile, on the geographical constituency, the MPs include Colin Croal, Carnel Damon, Irfaan Ali, Komal Chand, Anil Nandlall, Neil Kumar, Gillian Persaud, Priya Manickchand, Vishwa Mahadeo, Zulfikar Mustapha, Jennifer Westford, and Alister Charlie.

Region 2 rice farmers still owed money – battling paddy bug infestation

It will soon be another harvesting season in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), and majority of the rice farmers living in the northern part of the Essequibo Coast are still owed millions of dollars. According to the farmers, they are owed by popular rice mill Ramlakhan and Sons Limited, located at

Exmouth Village in Region Two.

Guyana Times was approached by scores of rice farmers that stated that the miller owed them millions of dollars and, to date, the company cannot provide a proper explanation for the debt has gone unpaid. These farmers said that despite the Government claiming to

have released money for millers to pay farmers, they have not yet received any payments for paddy sold during the last crop.

The farmers are calling on the present Government to intervene and call for the Rice Factory Act to be implemented, noting that 60 days have already passed since they have taken up office. This

newspaper tried contacting a representative from the mill, however efforts proved futile.

Meanwhile, while some rice farmers are struggling to pay their loans at the bank, others are battling with paddy infestations caused by several fields within the region being bug infested. Farmers have been learning to combat this by receiving training from the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) on the right procedure to prevent such infestations. They have also recently received free grading training from GRDB Officials.

Rice harvesting will soon commenced in August and run until September.

A People’s Government

Satiricus’ face had a look of befuddlement. As a regular working slob without the time nor the ability to understand some of the back-and-forthing of the power elite, this was his default look. Take these criticisms that the new Government was spending too much time - and money - on “song and dance” routines.

“Well,” thought Satiricus, “what’s wrong with song-and-dance?” Here it was, before and during the elections, the now Opposition had worked themselves into a real lather because most of the top guns of the now Government were ex-military types. They had gone on and on about how these ex-aloo peelers would want to make us all into stiff unsmiling stiffs who couldn’t shuck and jive anymore. “And we Guyanese just love our shucking and jiving, don’t we?” smiled Satiricus as he remembered his old days at the village Saturday night “bubble sessions”.

Now, lots of folks had stiffened up when they heard that the new Government would have them marching up and down in the sun like Hitler’s Storm troopers in Jackboots. “Was easy for them in Germany,” grimaced Satiricus. “They didn’t have our hot weather.” It was clear to Satiricus that the new Government was trying their best to clear up this gross misconception. They wanted to show Guyanese people that army types could get down with the best of them! Jeez... they were Guyanese, weren’t they? Did anyone think that serving twenty years -fresh out of school - in the Disciplined Forces and doing things by Standing Operating Procedures (SOP’s) could change a person?

Hey, the army was a place where you could “be all you could be”… and Satiricus knew that all any right thinking Guyanese wanted to be, was to work as least as possible and jive and shuck as much as possible. And so, with all the Big Bashes since they took over, the army fellas now in change were just telling us not to get too stiff. They, like us, have jiving and shucking in their genes.

“And there was that nasty allegation that the new Government was spending too much on their songand-dance routines,” said Satiricus to himself. He always spoke to himself when he became worked up. Why didn’t the critics accept that ALL the hundreds of millions for the song and dance routines - here and in New York - was paid for by supporters of the new Government? They of course, being Guyanese to the bone, just loved their jiving and shucking.

And that’s all they were spending their hard earned hundreds of millions for. They didn’t expect anything back from the Government. Satiricus started practicing some jiving and shucking moves since he knew there would be a new Governmentsponsored “sport” coming up shortly.

Poor people will suffer if cash grant scrapped – Manickchand

– takes on Roopnaraine on mismanagement claims

Former Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, has expressed her disappointment over Government’s decision to scrap the “Because We Care” Cash Grant, noting that a lot of poor families will suffer since the $10,000 monetary assistance has helped many families.

Manickchand took to her face book page last week to say that she is truly saddened at the fact that the programme will be terminated. She pointed out that Cash Grant was initiated by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, which saw all public school children being entitled to $10,000.

According to the former Education Minister, the grant was meant to assist parents to send their children to school by helping with transportation expenses and so on. She noted that it had complimented similar programmes implemented by the previous Government such as the uniform assistance programme and the school snack programme.

“Parents from all over Guyana said how beneficial and welcoming the ‘Because We Care’ programme was to their families. The PPP/C fully intended to continue this program and said so in its 2015 election manifesto. Here’s hoping that the new Government who promised positive change will revisit its harsh decision and reinstate this programme,” she commented.

On the other hand, Manickchand more recently opted to take her predecessor at task for the outrageous attack spewed out at her. She noted that despite the Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and his administration previously denying that the programme was cancelled, nevertheless there has been an outpouring of public anguish.

The former Minister added that when the Education Ministry finally announced the discontinuation of the cash grant programme, they immediately launched an ad hominem attack against her. This, she noted, was done to distract from the resentment of the real people of Guyana regarding “the clumsy and cruel” breach of promise that the termination of this grant causes. Reasons are offered in that statement for the discontinuation.

“The reasons are nothing but spurious at best. For example, one of the reasons given for the discontinuation is that it is given to everyone and not only poor people. Another is that to administer it has administration costs such as security. Yet another reason is that nothing is built into the programme to show improved attendance and/ or enrollment. Other reasons are that photo ops were enjoyed by the then Government during the period of distribution and that too many Ministry personnel were involved. The happy announcement is made, however, that the uniform grant and school feeding, both programmes started under the PPP/C,

will continue and even expand,” she outlined.

According to Manickchand, these justifications given by the Ministry has proven to be of no help to its argument. In fact, she explained that this position has actually exposed Government’s position on the matter, that is, a disregard for the needs of the people of Guyana and recklessness as it relates to fulfilling promises made only three months ago.

The former Minister went onto highlight that even uniform grants and school feeding programmes are not targeted and is given to everyone. She further stated these two programmes also incur significant administration costs, as expected with any assistance programme around the world.

“There were no built in monitoring systems in place regarding enrollment or attendance although statistics would show that once those visionary programmes took off, those were exactly the results: improved enrollment and attendance as well as improved performance. As to the complaints of the grant being used for photo ops by the Ministers and utilising ministry personnel, these were matters that could have been easily remedied,” Manickchand remarked.

She ended her statement recalling what the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change coalition had said about the cash grant during their campaigning activities when they needed Guyanese votes. “Our parents of the school-aged children need more than the $10,000 per year. It cannot suffice... a one-off input cannot work. I urge the Government to… embrace the ‘C’ word, ... as in ‘continuity’...”

FFTP commences wheelchair drive in Berbice

Food For The Poor (FFTP), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has embarked on a countrywide free wheelchair distribution exercise. The NGO recently received a shipment of wheelchairs from the United States of America, and according to Gift and Kind Manager of FFTP Guyana, Jamal Davis, the organisation has been donating wheelchairs for the past 24 years. However, this is the first time that there is a shipment of wheelchairs which will be distributed countrywide.

‘Free Wheelchair Mission’, an NGO which distributed wheelchairs worldwide, and more particularly to third world countries, provided the wheel chairs to FFTP.

The project, Davis explained, is being conducted in collaboration with several other organisations. Davis in making the presentation to several families at the St Francis Community Developers building at Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Saturday, said there is a total of 550 wheelchairs to be given out and the FFTP is welcoming applications. More than two dozen wheelchairs were left with St Francis so that new applicants in the Berbice area could readily access the wheelchairs after making an application. “The more applications come in, it will be better for us. We will get to reach to the people so that their lives can become better. We are collaborating also with the National Disabled Persons Network [NDPN] which will assist us.”

The St Francis Community Developers through its President Alex Foster has been tasked with distributing the wheelchairs in Berbice. The NDPN local representative is Hilton Morris, who has been tasked with the responsibility of assembling the new wheelchairs on request.

Davis explained that FFTP played in integral part in the design of the wheelchairs which is the second shipment from Free Wheelchair Mission. “We are working on a third set of chairs and the third design would see some more modifications but we will not bring more that we need. I hope today that these wheelchairs will make your lives easier and bring joy to those who are suffering with disabilities,” the Gift and Kind Manager said.

According to the World Health Organisation, while there are more than 70 million people worldwide who require wheelchairs, only five to 15 per cent have access to such. While some persons are born with physical limitations that warrant the need of wheelchairs to enable their mobility, there are others who become disabled as a result of accidents and health conditions, such as diabetes, that could require the amputation of limbs.

It was because of the vast existing needs that an informed decision was made to collaborate with the Free Wheelchair Mission, and not only an increased number of wheelchairs will be made available, but according to Davis, they will be available in various sizes too.

Govt creating atmosphere of uncertainty

... tension rises among populace – Dr Luncheon

BY VAHNU MANIKCHAND

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has accused the Government of infusing uncertainties among the Guyanese people. At a press briefing on Saturday, Executive Member of the Party, Dr Roger Luncheon, pointed out that Government’s actions has caused increased levels of uncertainty and even went on to identify three broad areas which he said contributed to this rising level of uncertainties.

Firstly, Dr Luncheon spoke about discriminatory acts displayed by the new Administration against public sector employees, whom they perceived to be affiliated with the PPP/C. He specifically referred to the arbitrary dismissal of staffs and the denial of their benefits.

“These discriminatory acts are, as far as the People’s Progressive Party is concerned, cutting off the nose to spite the face. This is what the Granger-led Administration is encouraging and is doing as it pursues this discriminatory approach, in dispensing with the services of Government employees almost all based on a percep-

tion that they have that these are PPP people,” he stated.

According to the PPP Executive Member, this discrimination has even extended to the former Presidents who have been denied pension and other benefits that were allocated to them by the Constitution.

In addition, he noted secondly that the non-disclosure of information to the public and stakeholders, as well as the lack of consultations is another contentious issue, adding to the uncertainties of the public. Dr Luncheon posited that disclosure of information is a crucial aspect of exercising executive powers and when a ruling adminis-

tration opts to not embrace this then it leaves little imagination of what is expected to come next.

“Here you have a regime not informing stakeholders, not informing the general public about events that are of importance, the knowledge of which will go a far way in proving clarity and removing uncertainty, removing the possibilities all of the spit press and the social network getting involve in the deep conjecture just because the Government has either deliberate or ineptly prevented, not disseminated information about its actions and intentions,” the party’s executive member declared.

Dr Luncheon outlined that persons are very uncertain about the new Administration’s position on several projects initiated by the former PPP/C Government.

Furthermore, he accused the current ruling A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition of practicing authoritarianism coupled with “Burnamite” behaviour. He mentioned the fact that new Government officials are taking certain actions without giving an ex-

planation or justifying such, as the dismissal of the Region Six health officer and the subsequent transfer of staff across the region.

He also spoke about the recent attacks and dissolution of various Interim Management Committees (IMC) that were established by the PPP/C Administration without any consultation. He noted that the Minister of Communities had dissolved the IMC in the Corentyne and event went further to establish another one with members of his choice.

On the other hand, the PPP’s Executive Member supported his notion of these “rising uncertainties” by explaining that he does not need to do a survey or any polls to know that uncertainty exits. He noted the fact that persons want to know what will happen to the school feeding programme, the school uniform programme, and the pension subsidiary. All these issues, he stated, are sufficient grounds to determine that there is uncertainty.

Dr Luncheon noted that it is the responsibility of the Government of the day’s to reduce any uncertainties the people may have.

Bread Box opens its doors to the public

Fernandes Enterprise Inc officially opened their first physical location in Guyana on Saturday at the Bread Box on Middle Street opposite Hibiscus Restaurant in Georgetown. The Suriname franchise will be conducting business on a retail level, and they are also the wholesale distributors of many specialised items in Guyana. Some of these include peanut butter, jams, juices, breads, pastry products and a few other items from Suriname.

The Bread Box is just a small branch of the entire franchise. The Managing Director, Rochelle Parasram, explained that the new business is open from 8:00h to 21:00h from Monday to Saturday, and from 4:00h to 9:00h on Sundays. The twelve-member staff attached to the entity consists of young Guyanese individuals, and the company wants to keep providing employment for many more Guyanese to come. Parasram encourages people to come out and support the business “because of the great quality of bread and the affordability and availability”. She highlighted the fact that there are many products available to the public at a very affordable price and the products are fresh and healthy.

Alisia Katideen-Singh, who

is the Commercial Manager for Fernandes Guyana Inc, spoke about what the franchise has to offer the Guyanese people. She explained that they supply bread, snacks, jams, peanut butter, juices and other items at a wholesale price and she is encouraging retailers to cease this opportunity. She further added that the company provides delivery services for all persons who want to buy their wholesale products. They are located at VVB Durban Backlands, Georgetown and their number is 642-0092.

Raghnie Narain, the person responsible for all operations by Fernandes Guyana Inc, also explained that the company offers many products that the Guyanese public will surely enjoy. She explained that she is very committed to serving the Guyanese people and the opening of the Bread Box is just the beginning of their operations. She stated that “we want to serve other parts of Guyana” so persons from other parts of Guyana will be able to access the great products they have available.

The company boast of employing a “full Guyanese team, from the person holding the highest position to the lowest” so Guyanese have nothing to worry about, as it relations to at home employment.

No Sisterhood of Women

RYHAAN SHAH

No one should be shocked or even mildly surprised at the recent report of a woman being assaulted by female city constables. Women on women violence has actually been supported and encouraged within our society for decades. The behaviour was rewarded by certain political sectors where women learned that one way to vent rage and frustration is to turn on other women and assault them.

Ryhaan Shah

This kind of attack goes beyond disputes between female friends and neighbours that often end up before the courts. These are violations by women on women who are strangers, but who are perceived to be threats or as being obstructive in some way, and they have been part of the PNC’s arsenal of terror and violence that was readily carried out against the PPP’s Indian Guyanese supporters.

The Guyana Indian Foundation Trust (GIFT) compiled a report of the PNC’s post elections violence of January 12, 1998, which annotated attacks that included such women on women violence. Bhilari Shahanshah reported: “I was in a No. 42 bus when a Black female pulled me out saying, ‘This is a blackman bus.’ Another Black female passenger who was about to embark the bus joined her. As soon as I was pushed out of the bus a group of young Black men began beating me.”

In the Guyana Indian Heritage Association’s Crime Report, dealing with that post elections violence that spread and had its epicenter in Buxton Village, Mala Phagoo recounted her 2001 ordeal when she was travelling through Buxton in a mini-bus.

A channa bomb was hurled into the bus and her long hair caught afire. She ran and thought she was appealing to the female sensibilities of the African Guyanese women who lined the road when she screamed, “Help me! I have a little baby at home.”

The women laughed, jeered, and hurled racial pejoratives at her, instead. She said it was as if the scene of horror was a movie script that was being enacted for them and that an Indian woman on fire was entertainment. Ms Phagoo was rescued by villagers in Annandale. She was treated for her severe burns overseas and still bears the physical and emotional scars of her ordeal.

The GIFT and GIHA reports both recorded incidents of the women protesters assaulting and stripping Indian Guyanese women while hurling racial abuse and murderous threats at them. As in Ms Shahanshah’s case, the women protesters were often the ones who readied Indian women for beatings and, in a few reported cases, even for rape.

When one group of women are taught that violence against another group of women is acceptable as a legitimate form of protest, it is a natural progression that their violence will spread to include all women. So when Canadian citizen Suzanna Nichols was assaulted by female city constables last week the aggressors were simply behaving as they had been taught.

Ms Nichols was stripped down to her undergarments, suffered two perforated discs, a hairline fracture to her hip, and bruises and lacerations about her body. She reported that the female constable who started the assault said that she was “pissing her off ” and she noted the mob mentality as other female constables joined in the attack.

The irony is that Ms Nichols is here to help the Social Protection Ministry craft a social empowerment programme for girls and women. In Guyana, however, any kind of empowerment has come to mean unfettered authority to do as one pleases. Every petty official feels that it is their right to be deliberately obstructive, crass, offensive, and as in Ms Nichols’ case, abusive and assaultive.

There is no sisterhood among women here and, as Ms Phagoo experienced, no woman to woman sensibility that allows for empathy. But, perhaps, we are about to turn the corner. Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence, has launched the empowerment programme called “Be Good to People”. She stated that her ministry aims to “restore, renew and rebuild” and intends to provide women and girls with experiences that will enrich their lives and help them secure a better future for themselves.

Ms Nichols must be commended for staying the course and continuing with the programme. Her help and expertise are much needed and, given her firsthand experience, there is every expectation that the issue of women to women violence will be part of the programme’s agenda.

The Granger administration must also be commended for taking this first step to undo the damage that has been done with regard to women and violence.

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to shah@guyanatimesgy.com

Harmon claims “progress” made in State Assets recovery

– fails to disclose type, quantum recovered

Minister of State Joseph Harmon says the Government’s State Asset Recovery Unit is making significant progress in recovering assets of the state.

Harmon explained that the unit, headed by Presidential Advisor Professor Clive Thomas, was engaged in a lot of “behind the scenes” work. This, he said, has resulted in the recovery of several assets that were held by individuals.

He did not state the amount or type of assets recovered to date, and from whom exactly, when he made the statement. “The important thing is that we recover those assets. We are going to go after those persons who have them but I am advised that it is better that we take certain steps before you actually publicise the names and the companies that are involved,”

Minster Harmon said. He, however, added that there are certain individuals and a company that have been written to about the actual collecting of fuel by vehicles that did not belong to the state. Harmon said, “There is one company that we attempted to serve documentation to, only to dis-

RDC Councillors call on GPL to supply reliable power in Region 2 – no proper explanation given by GPL

BY INDRAWATTIE NATRAM

With the constant power outages that is being experienced in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Councillors of the region’s Regional Democratic Council are calling on the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) for a proper explanation.

The issue of the lack of reliable power supply was raised by People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Councillor, Subodh Kishore, who told the house that many businesses are suffering. Kishore made this suggest on Tuesday at the statutory meeting held by the RDC, where the Council had a detailed discussion into the matter.

The suggestion was made for a tour of all GPL outlets in Region Two. PPP\C Councillor Vilma Da Silva and A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change Councillor Samad Baksh called for the installation of a new Wartsila Plant, a leading lifecycle power solutions company in the energy market.

Da Silva and Baksh, who are business personnel, said that their businesses are suffering and although the region has experienced frequent power outages, no proper explanation is being given by GPL. The Councillors said the existing plant is obsolete and aged.

According to Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt, a letter will be written to the Guyana Power

and Light and meeting will also be convened with the relevant authorities to see a way forward from the situation.

Ramdatt said that Region Two used the 50-60 cycle to supply power; however there is need for a newer system.

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph landline phones in the region have also been affected by the with the constant power outages.

cover that the company had shut up shops. By the time we got to the registered office of the company, they had moved to some other location.”

According to the Minister, the Government’s resolve to recover state assets and to penalise those found guilty remains sharp, and its operations have widened. “But now we are more fortified, in fact we are now operating on a wider scale… in relation to the inter-agency collaboration on crime, we are having a greater level of coordination by agencies of the state in this regard. We are now in office; it’s the middle of July and you would recall that our election was only in May but in that short space of time we have benefitted from a wide level, a wide degree of consultation and information from agencies that we have not initially had access to,” he said. The Minister explained that things are now much clearer to the administration, and it is in a better position to take public action. “The work which we are doing to recover these assets is not just collecting it, but strengthening the institutional arrangements.”

Lindener on

$200,000

bail for alleged theft

Aresident of Linden was brought into Court Two of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday where he answered to charge of simple larceny. Orlando Brewster, 22 of Block 22, Linden was released on $200,000 bail after he denied stealing an item valued at $287,000.

The simple larceny charge stated that sometime in March, while he was at Wisroc Housing Scheme, Linden, he stole a $287,000 motorcycle from Virtual Complainant (VC) Mark Gorain.

The matter was indictable, thus initially he was unable to plead.

However, the Police Prosecutor, Inspector Neville Jeffers, asked that the matter be tried at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, which was allowed. Inspector Jeffers also objected to the release of the accused on bail, stating that the VC’s motorcycle had not been returned.

However, Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan allowed the bail, and ordered Brewster to make his next appearance at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court on July 27.

Former Magistrate educates unrepresented on their legal rights

“Itis of critical importance that every citizen knows the laws of his country and more so his legal rights, and to be able to recognise when these very rights are being infringed and the course of action which one can take to remedy the infringement.”

These were the strong words of former Magistrate Haymant Ramdhani on Saturday as he told Guyana Times about his aim to improve on the legal knowledge of persons through his website guylaws.com.

The site was recently launched with the specific task of educating the unrepresented in the land’s courts. The now defence lawyer stated that the unrepresented defendants in the criminal courtroom are the most underprivileged. He said that they are “clueless” of the relevant practices and procedures that occur in a courtroom and the way such practices can affect their case.

Ramdhani provided several examples of persons who had pleaded guilty to the charges before them and was sentenced immediately. He said they would then ask the sitting magistrate when they would need to go back to court. The attorney said that the defendants do not understand the impact a guilty or no plea may have or, more so, the impact of everything they say in court may have on their matter.

He explained that a defendant may plead guilty to a charge and thus be sentenced for the offence he committed. On the other hand, if the accused were to explain himself to the court, he may have a proper defence which can prevent a sentence. The lawyer said this, however, only happens when one pleads not guilty.

Thus, the attorney opined that many injustices are done when a person lacks the relevant knowledge of court and

legal matters and obligated to be his own attorney.

However, Guyana Times understands that magistrates do take it upon themselves to explain certain procedures to the accused or caution them about the penalty before they answer to a charge against them.

Nevertheless, the website does not only relate to the unrepresented but it provides

a legal platform where the public can easily access areas of the law and practice such as their constitutional rights and freedoms, bail considerations in both the Magistrates’ Courts and the High Court, issues of landlord and tenant, domestic violence and maintenance applications, and the drafting of legal documents such as Wills, Estates, Conveyance and Powers of Attorney. The website also provides relevant information on laws, practices and procedures of the courts that have been explained quite simply for the layman.

However, Ramdhani pointed out that the website does not aim to replace the need for an attorney, but simply ensure persons are properly educated about court and legal matters. Though, he stated that the website can provide enough information for a balanced decision to be made on the import of employing a lawyer.

The former Magistrate has ambitious goals regarding the website as he believes it can act as a forum for legal professionals, paving a path for the growth of Guyana’s Laws.

Big plans for Emancipation celebrations in Region 2

– youth talk, candle light parade, quiz competitions in the making

BY: INDRAWATTIE NATRAM

Youth interactions, quiz competitions and a grand candle light parade are some of the activities planned by the African Cultural and Education Association Incorporated (ACEA) to celebrate Emancipation Day in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

According to the coordinator of this year’s celebration, Desiree Charles, these activities will be celebrated under the theme “Coming Together to Achieve and Overcome”. The month long activity commenced with a grand youth interaction across the region at the ACEA building at Henrietta Village on July 12, followed by a cleanup campaign held at the Henrietta, Richmond and Anna Regina Housing Schemes on July 17.

Celebrations will further continue on July 22, where a quiz competition will be held for students of Grades Five and Six at the ACEA Headquarters, while on July 26 the Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, will hold a discussion with youths at the 8th of May Secondary School.

A grand candle light parade accompanied with a cultural programme and a libation ceremony will be held at Damon’s Square on July 31, from 20:30h to 21:30h. The parade, accompanied by African drumming and singing, will begin from Damon’s Cross at La Belle Alliance and proceed along the public road to Damon Square at Anna Regina.

On August 1, Emancipation Day, a religious service will be held at the ACEA Headquarter at 8:00h while a cultural extravaganza will take place at Damon’s Square from 16:30h. August 11 brings a close to the celebrations with a road race from Capoey to La Belle Alliance.

Younge’s Take

Stop this tango!

Since1899, Guyana’s overall socio-economic development in the Essequibo region has been undermined by the spurious and illegitimate ownership claims made by Venezuela to part of its official territory.

To date, the controversy remains largely unresolved because of Venezuela’s unwillingness to commit itself to any diplomatic or other agreement that would be binding on both parties, following a new high-level and independent inquiry into its claims.

Guyana is also to be blamed for the continuation of this controversy because it has failed to press Venezuela to see the benefit in moving away from the United Nations Good Offices Process to seek recourse in the form of a judicial settlement.

It is therefore not surprising that the two countries continue to willingly dance the tango, celebrating good relations and varying forms of bilateral deals at one time, and at other times expressing concerns over perceived acts that undermine the sovereignty of both countries in relation to the Essequibo controversy.

This time, the situation has gone too far.

Venezuelan President Nicholás Maduro, appears to have grown impatient and intolerant of Guyana’s fresh condemnations of his Government’s acts of aggression which seek to prohibit US Company ExxonMobil and others from drilling for oil in Guyana’s exclusive waters in the Essequibo.

Maduro is also using the controversy at home to create a distraction from other domestic issues in Venezuela which are apparently far too taxing on his Government’s bill of health.

He is therefore using this controversy to whip up political support for his Government and party while seeking to allegedly ‘unite’ Venezuela in its quest to reclaim Essequibo. But the opposition has outfoxed him again and has moved quickly to propose a legislation to create a new Venezuelan State in Guyana’s territory.

The opposition legislators are testing Maduro. They want to embarrass him because they are convinced that he is bluffing them with his hardline positions against Guyana in relation to the ownership of Essequibo.

Stakeholders will have to monitor the developments in Venezuela to see just how Maduro will respond, because he will be advised that any attempt on his part to support, enact and enforce legislation that seeks to create a State in another country’s territory is anti-international law, and will be strongly resisted by not only Guyana but Caricom, the UN, the Commonwealth and several other key actors in the international diplomatic and legal community.

Guyanese must also pay keen attention to pronouncements by Maduro that he has established a committee to explore what he calls ‘non-confrontational and fair means’ of fast-tracking the reclamation process. This includes the issuance of birth certificates and Identification cards to Guyanese in Essequibo and a host of other phase and subtle means in order to strengthen its claim to part of Guyana’s territory.

That aside, the Government here seems uncertain as to how it will address Maduro’s recent pronouncements and outright acts of provocation.

Lobbying the international community for support as if Guyana is in the wrong will not soften Venezuela’s heart or its claim to two-third of this country’s territory including its people.

Making sweet and nationalistic speeches to the legislature will also not convince Venezuela that is it in the wrong.

The Government needs to communicate in a clearer, more truthful and strategic manner with the populace. The public needs answers if it is to ready itself for any consequences that could result from further deteriorating relations with Venezuela because of the controversy over the Essequibo.

Has Guyana written the UN officially signaling its withdrawal and not ‘intention to withdraw’ from the Good Offices Process? Has Guyana formally written Venezuela and other stakeholders giving notice that it intends to seek binding judicial settlement to bring the controversy to halt? Has Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge sought a meeting with his counterpart in Caracas to dialogue on returning relations to normalcy as the settlement is being sought? Has Guyana embarked on a similar process to review key aspects of its relations with Venezuela to ensure that it will not be only negatively affected if that country suspends diplomatic ties? To what extent has security been reinforced at the border and how much more is being spent to ensure that security personnel there have all the necessary resources to safeguard this country’s territorial integrity? Will President Granger speak to President Maduro directly about the controversy?

Former Guyanese Ambassador Odeen Ishmael seems to know more than the current Government about dealing with this situation, and is serving as the chief informant to the people here about what is taking place in Venezuela and what it means for this country’s future.

The Government needs to stop giving Guyanese a history lesson on this controversy. They need to act within the law and smartly. Time is of the essence. The Government can ill-afford more platitudes and controlled public relations gimmickry. Essequibo belongs to Guyana! This David Granger administration must end what has proven so far to be an intense ongoing Tango dance with Venezuela via the courts.

Pedestrian killed on Queenstown Public Road

BY: INDRAWATTIE NATRAM

A63-year-old labourer of Queenstown in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) has tragically lost his life late Saturday evening after he was reportedly hit by a speeding car on the Queenstown Public Road. Dead is Derick Glasgow, also known as “Pudding”, of Queenstown Village on the Essequibo Coast.

The incident occurred around 16:30h and the driver is presently in Police custody. According to information received, the car, PMM 6118, is owned by instructor of the New Opportunity Corps,

Biseshuar Ramnauth. He was reportedly driving the car heading to south on the coast after returning from a wedding house, with three others inside, when he collided with the now deceased.

Residents converged at the scene moments after the accident, just as the Police arrived to conduct their investigation.

However some of the residents are contending that the owner of the car was not the driver, though he was present on the scene of the accident and sustained injuries to his left hand. According to all indication, all occupants of the car were intoxicated.

According to an eyewitness who asked to remain anonymous, he recalled seeing the pedestrian in the middle of the road when the incident occurred. “I saw him walking and there was a set of sand on the road, then the car was trying to overtake and picked up ‘Pudding’. He was pelted some distance away from the incident.”

According to wife of the deceased, Lucian Abrams, she last saw her husband Saturday midday. She stated that he had just finished working and took his earnings home, after which he decided to take a walk on the road. “He came home,

Region

6 has systems in place to prevent flooding – Armogan

Despite overnight heavy downpours on Wednesday and into the early hours of Thursday morning, which hit most of the coastal regions, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), did not flood.

bring home some money and a bottle poison, then left to go on the road.”

Abrams said she then received a call from residents in the neighbourhood informing her about the incident.

Still in shock, the saddened wife expressed that she could not believe her eyes when she reached the scene. “Pudding was lying on the grass. His right foot was smashed and his hand was injured.”

She described her husband as a loving man and a father of four. Police are continuing their investigations into his death.

Residents of the village of Whim on the Corentyne coast told Guyana Times that at about midnight on Wednesday, the water level in the village started to rise to the extent where water began to seep into the lower flats of some buildings. However, quick response by some residents who were able to clear a blocked drain; saw the water levels receding almost immediately.

Guyana Times observed that the villages of Manchester and Liverpool had a slight build up of water in some of the swamp lands.

In the Black Bush Polder area, water was being pumped into the community to raise the water level for farmers. According to Chairman of the Black Bush Polder Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC)

Thakoor Persaud, the Polders are in need of water despite the heavy rainfall over the past two days. Chairman of Region Six David Armogan says the regional administration is currently pumping water into farmlands in Black Bush Polder. “We are pumping water so that the rice farmers can get water for their crop. By tomorrow [Friday] we will monitor the situation to see if we have to continue pumping or allow some more time allow scope for the possibility of rainfall.”

Region 2 Rangers and D&I workers not doing their jobs – AFC's Naithram

– call for the implementation of water schedule

BY INDRAWATTIE NATRAM

Alliance for Change

Councillor Naithram has said that many rice lands in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) are constantly flooded, due to the lack of ranger supervision and monitoring of water release. Naithram was at the time speaking at the first statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) held on Tuesday in its Boardroom at Anna Regina.

Naithram, who was quiet vocal on the issue, said the Rangers attached to the Drainage and Irrigation Authority, are not performing their duties well; as such, an investigation into the activities of the Rangers

should be launched.

The Councillor during his address said many times, farmers vandalise drainage and irrigation structures in an effort to source water and no Ranger is on site to prevent or stop this activity, saying “they have motorbike riding careless, lots of idleness going on, they need to do their job or sack them”.

He said due to the lack of Ranger supervision at drainage and irrigation structures, water is being released carelessly, resulting in farm lands becoming flooded.

On that note, Naithram informed the RDC that there is a need for the reintroduction of a water schedules, with such posted on billboards within each

Neighbourhood Democratic Council Office. “There needs to be system if there is release of water... let water be released one place and one time, not carelessly,” Naithram reiterated.

He said that Rangers need to monitor the intake and the outflow of water in a more stringent manner for the benefit of rice farmers.

The call for the re-introduction of a water schedule plan was supported by People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Councillors Showkat Ali and Ravindra Mohan.

Region Two Chairman Daveanand Ramdatt also said that the proposed schedule will be discussed at the level of the National Drainage and Irrigation Board.

1 in custody as investigations into Crum-Ewing’s murder intensifies

One man was taken into Police custody and is being interrogated for the murder of Courtney CrumEwing who was gunned down in Diamond New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, in March this year.

According to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, the man was arrested on Friday after the Police would have received new leads in the execution style killing of the ex-soldier.

Blanhum noted that this is a major breakthrough as Police continue their investigation into the murder, which he claimed was not abandoned, as was speculated. The suspect, he added, was thoroughly interrogated on Friday and remains in custody.

He iterated that the evidence at their disposal is significant. The probe will continue, Blanhum stated. Only recently, the Crime Chief told Guyana Times that he met with a team of investigators that was assigned to the case and would have been briefed.

At least eight persons were detained and ques-

Courtney Crum-Ewing

tioned by the Police for the murder of the 40-year-old father of three, but all were released. Investigators have also reviewed several pieces of surveillance footage, with the hope of finding the car that was involved in the shooting.

Crum-Ewing, a father of three, came to the public’s attention after he held a one-man demonstration for 80 days in front of the Legal Affairs Ministry, pretesting for the removal of Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, following revelations of a taped conversation between that official and a senior reporter

of Kaieteur News.

Crum-Ewing was gunned down while urging residents of the Diamond Housing Scheme to go out and cast their ballots on May 11.

An autopsy report confirmed that Crum-Ewing was shot five times – three times to the head, one to the back of the neck and the fifth bullet entered under one of his arms. The bullets were fired from behind and at close range, with the exception of the one that hit under his arm and exited through his shoulder.

It was also reported that the bullet wound to the back of the man’s neck was at point-blank range and gunpowder residue was found on the collar of the shirt he was wearing. Two .38 warheads were removed from the dead man’s head.

Samples and pictures were taken by the family’s lawyer and were sent overseas to be analysed by a private Pathologist. Hours after the shooting, then Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee ordered a full investigation into the murder of the man, which has since been politicised.

18 Caribbean students arrive in Barbados for 4th SPISE

Some 18 students from various countries across the Region arrived at the University of West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus in Barbados on Saturday for the fourth annual Student Programme for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE).

SPISE is an intensive four-week residential summer programme in Barbados for gifted Caribbean high school students who are interested in studying and exploring careers in the fields of Science and Engineering. Through this programme, the Caribbean Science Foundation (CFS) is aiming to help address the low numbers of Caribbean students pursuing advanced degrees in Science and Engineering, while at the same time grooming the next generation of Science, Engineering Technology and business leaders in the Region.

Those who are accepted for the programme are said to be among the top scholars in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Under the programme, students were afforded the opportunity to attend classes, which were taught by leading Professors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The programme commenced on July 18 and

will run until August 15, at UWI Cave Hill Campus. The participating students are from 10 Caribbean countries: Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago.

Last year, three Guyanese students; Cecil Cox, Benedict Sukra and Lawrence Faria, attended the four-week residential programme.

The SPISE programme will see university-level courses in calculus, physics, biochemistry and en-

Region 6 has systems in...

He explained that the administration had put arrangements in place to alleviate possible flooding as a result of prolonged rain.

This he explained, was archived by utilising the 12 mini-excavators which the region received from central government. “The region has 16 NDC’s and we were able to deploy the mini-excavators and move them around to ensure that the internal drainage system was cleared.”

Armogan noted that larger machines were used to clear canals and outfall channels before the May/ June rains. “We also put in a large drainage pump at Rose Hall so after, the entire Rose Hall and surrounding villages is drained quickly and even before the water builds up, it is pumped out.” The main canals at Eversham and Number 43 Village were also cleared. According to the Regional Chairman, the flooding at Black Bush Polder which took place during the month of June, was as a result of clogged outfalls channels. He noted that although the canals were re-dug, the water accumulation from the rainfall was needed to flush out the outfall channels.

FROM PAGE 15

Meanwhile at Crabwood Creek, some cash crop farmers recently experience flooding which resulted in crop damage. Armogan explained that this was as a result of negligence on the part of the Waters Users Association. “The Ranger opened the Koka and did not close it. The Waters Users Association is now negotiating with the farmers to deal with the issue of compensation,” the Chairman said. Meanwhile, while no flooding was reported on the East Bank of Berbice, Armogan said the administration needs to pay some attention to some of the canals at Mara, where several farmers cultivate cash crops. During the month of June, a section of that community was inundated after two days of continuous rainfall. Farmers were forced to break sections of the empolderment to ease the flooding.

“The problem there is the D&I [Drainage & Irrigation] workers have stopped working in that area and as a result a small portion of farmers encountered a problem. We are currently working with Government to see if we can get to put the D&I system back in place at Mara,” Armogan said.

trepreneurship taught by eminent academic and industry Scientists and Engineers from the

Caribbean and the US.

The SPISE environment discourages rote learning, and teaches stu-

dents how to focus on understanding and applying the fundamentals, so as to achieve mastery of the material, critical for solving new and complex problems.

In SPISE, students also practise teamwork as they participate in handson projects to design, build and test systems in the areas of robotics and electronics (with a renewable energy theme this year).

The underwater robotic kits are a generous gift from the MIT Sea Grant Programme, made possible through the assistance of Tim Downes. In addition, SPISE 2014 included a biochemistry laboratory, an introduction to Mandarin, a course on Caribbean Unity, a career seminar series featuring technology role models from the Diaspora and the Region, and workshops on optimising CVs and strategies for maximising chances of admission to US universities.

At the end of the programme, students will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their handson projects, and present their business plans along with performing Mandarin skits at public forum at the Barbados Campus.

The participating students will also get assistance from CSF with their university applications. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to participate in research internships, organised by the CSF and Caribbean Diaspora for Science, Technology and Innovation (CADSTI).

The cost of sponsorship for each student is US$6000 plus airfare. All students are attending the programme free of cost as a resul t of the generous donations from the 2015 sponsors. SPISE’s key collaborators are UWI Barbados, the Caribbean Examinations Council and CADSTI.

Police frustrate Ruimzigt residents

... no end to noise nuisance

ARuimzigt resident has been complaining to the Police Officers at the Den Amstel Police Station for the last five years regarding his noisy neighbor, but he is yet to see justice.

On Saturday, Mark Chung, expressed his frustration and his feelings of helplessness to Guyana Times regarding the Police and his neighbour, Cecil Johnson, who has been damaging items in his home and affecting his peace every Saturday and holidays for the last five years.

Chung told this publication that his neighbour runs a bar, the “Ruimzigt Seaview Liquor Restaurant and Stock Bar” in his home. He said he has no problems with this venture; however, the owner has a huge set which he packs into his yard every weekend and plays music quite high, all night.

He stated that the noise vibrates his entire house which in turn upturns its contents. Chung said several of his ware articles have been damaged due to the noise. He has resorted to packing everything to ensure it remains whole.

The complainant stated that the noise would reach such extremes that his family and himself had to run from their home for several hours from 18:00h until the morning to escape it. He said their bedrooms, unfortunately, is closer to his neighbour’s premises.

Chung said he is “fed up with the music” as he has spoken with Johnson to no avail. The young father shared one incident he has had with his neighbor, where he at one time was pelted with glass bottles when he complained about the noise- his car windows were broken then.

Greece debt crisis: Reforms ‘will fail’ - Varoufakis

Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has told the BBC that economic reforms imposed on his country by creditors are “going to fail”, ahead of talks on a huge bailout. Varoufakis said Greece was subject to a programme that will “go down in history as the greatest disaster of macroeconomic management ever”.

The German Parliament approved the opening of negotiations on Friday. The bailout could total €86 billion in exchange for austerity measures.

In a damning assessment, Varoufakis told the BBC’s Mark Lobel: “This programme is going to fail whoever undertakes its implementation.” Asked how long that would take, he replied: “It has failed already.”

Varoufakis resigned earlier this month, in what was widely seen as a conciliatory gesture towards the

Eurozone Finance Ministers with whom he had clashed frequently. He said Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who has admitted that he does not believe in the bailout, had little option but to sign.

“We were given a choice between being executed and capitulating. And he decided that capitulation was the optimal strategy.”

Tsipras has announced a cabinet reshuffle, sacking several Ministers who voted against the reforms in Parliament this week. But he opted not to bring in technocrats or opposition politicians as replacements.

As a result, our correspondent says, Tsipras will preside over Ministers who, like himself, harbour serious doubts about the reform programme. Greece must pass further reforms on Wednesday next week to secure the bailout. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Athens fire: Two beekeepers arrested

Two men have been arrested for accidentally starting a fire that quickly spread on hills near Athens, the city’s fire department says. The fire started near Mount Hymettus, on the outskirts of the Greek capital, on Friday, leading to smoke spreading across the city.

Authorities say two men - a Greek and a Bulgarianwill be brought before a prosecutor. Greek media reported that the men were beekeepers. The men, aged 67 and 58, are accused of accidentally spreading a fire.

Tovima newspaper said the fire was started by tobacco, although it is not clear whether the men were smoking or using tobacco as smoker fuel for beehives - an occasional practice among bee-keepers.

The fire threatened homes in three different districts before being brought under control. On Friday, more than 80 wildfires started in Greece, with the Peloponnese district particularly badly affected.

Greek media reported on Saturday that most of the fires were now under control. (BBC News)

Chung said he went to the Police Station but they seem to be in cahoots with the Johnson as nothing is ever done about it.

He said he has already been to the Den Amstel Police Station and the Leonora Police Station several times but he never taken seriously.

The complainant stated that several officers frequent the “Ruimzigt Seaview Liquor Restaurant and Stock Bar”. He mentioned an Officer Griffith who he has seen there quite often. He believes that the Police refuse to lodge his complaint against his neighbour because they know them or because they go there themselves.

The fed up young man said reporting the matter to the media is the only thing he can think of in order for his family and himself to get some peace.

The management of the Guyana Amazon Warriors Franchise has announced that ticket holders for Wednesday’s rained out game between Amazon Warriors and the Appleton Estate Jamaica Tallawahs, who were unable to collect “exchange tickets” for Friday’s game between the Warriors and the St Lucia Zouks can obtain refunds.

Ticket holders for Wednesday’s game can present their ticket stubs, which will have their names on the stubs, and a form of identification (Passport or National Identification Card) only at the Ticket Outlet, CPL

Ticket holders for abandoned game in Guyana can obtain refunds

OPCO Guyana Inc Office, Middle Street, Georgetown between the hours of 08:00h and 17:00h from July 22-24.

Only persons who purchased tickets at the authorized ticketing outlets will be eligible for refunds, and tick-

Pele back in hospital two months after surgery

Brazil legend Pele has had treatment in hospital two months after having prostate surgery.

Local media reports say the 74-year-old was suffering from a trapped nerve and has had back surgery at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo.

Pele, a three-time World Cup winner, was treated for a urinary infection eight months ago after having kidney stones removed. He should be released in the coming days, according to reports.

Mirtes Bogea, a press officer for the Albert Einstein

hospital, said she was not allowed to say when Pele was re-admitted or why.

Pele, who was named Fifa’s Player of the Century, scored a world record total of 1,281 goals in 1,363 games during his 21-year career, including 77 in 91 appearances for Brazil.

He has only one kidney, having had one removed towards the end of his playing career.

Pele played in 14 games at World Cup finals, scoring 12 goals, and was awarded the Fifa Golden Ball as the best player at the 1970 tournament. (BBC Sport)

et holders must be present in person. Complimentary tickets will not be refunded.

The Ticket Office has a record of all those who purchased tickets, and hence

will be able to verify legitimate ticket holders.

The management of the Guyana Amazon Warriors had put in place a “ticket exchange programme” through which persons who purchased tickets for the rained out game could have claimed tickets for Friday’s game between the Amazon Warriors and the Zouks.

That decision was taken following the abandonment of the game between the Guyana Amazon Warriors and the Jamaica Tallawahs, as well as taking into consideration the passionate support of fans for the Amazon Warriors team in particular and the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) tournament in general.

This refund programme is yet another demonstration that the management of the Amazon Warriors Franchise is deeply appreciative of the support from the people of Guyana during the hosting of the CPL games in Guyana and, indeed, the rest of the Caribbean. (CPL Release)

Bravo brothers shine again as Red Steel beat Patriots

Trinidad and Tobago

Red Steel defeated St.Kitts and Nevis Patriots by 18 runs by the Duckworth Lewis method to improve their standings in the rain affected 28th match of the Caribbean Premier League here on Saturday

Chasing a revised target of 142 for victory, Patriots stumbled to 123 for seven from 14 overs after Red Steel posted 134 for five from the same number of overs in a match truncated because of two major rain delays.

Jacques Kallis again steered Trinidad and Tobago at the top of the order with a Brisk 31 while the in-form Darren Bravo enhanced the innings by scoring 40 runs in 15 balls.

Captain Dwayne Bravo and Derone Davis grabbed three wickets each to subdue the Patriots and force them out of contention of an intriguing race for title honours.

Kallis powered the Red Steel innings picking up frequent boundaries after they won the toss and elected to bat.

The prolific South African batsman choreographed an opening stand of 43 with William Perkins who was starting to settle in until he

top edged a delivery from Sohail Tanvir for Jomel Warrican to catch at midwicket.

His contribution of 15 included a six and a four

while Kallis who faced 29 balls struck five fours in an important innings for the homeside.

Red Steel plunged to 92 for four after losing some quick wickets including Kallis who danced down the track to Jomel Warrican and was stumped by Dowrich.

But by then Darren Bravo had taken charge and began an assault on the bowlers which climaxed with a last ball carnage that produce 33 runs for the home side.

Carlos Brathwaite started the last over but Shahid Afridi was called to complete it after the Bajan medium pacer was removed from the bowling, a penalty for delivering a second full toss above waist height.

Bravo smashed three sixes of that last over to finish with five sixes and one four while Cameron Delport completed the innings with two successive sixes in an exciting late cameo that yielded 20 runs.

Patriots, who desperately needed a win to stay in the competition, suffered an early set back as Martin Guptil was dismissed for a duck in the second over while driving a ball from Johan Botha into the hands of Kevon Cooper at midwicket.

SCOREBOARD

Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel innings (14 overs maximum)

JH Kallis st †Dowrich

b Warrican 31

WKD Perkins c Warrican

b Sohail Tanvir 15

Kamran Akmal† c Guptill

b Shamsi 16

DM Bravo run out (Thomas/ Shahid Afridi) 40

DJ Bravo* b Reifer 8

CS Delport not out 20

JPR Scantlebury-Searles not out 0

Extras: (w 1, nb 3) 4

Total: (5 wickets; 14 overs) 134

Did not bat: KK Cooper, J Botha, S Badree, DYA Davis

Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-56, 3-66, 4-92, 5-122

Bowling: Sohail Tanvir 3-0-181, CR Brathwaite 2.1-0-36-0, RA Reifer 3-0-29-1, T Shamsi

3-1-9-1, J Warrican 2-0-17-1, Shahid Afridi 0.5-0-25-0

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots innings (target: 142 runs

However Evin Lewis, with a top score of 40 runs from 22 balls, punctuated with five sixes and two fours, appeared to be setting his team on a course to victory.

Lewis, a Trinidadian, was fearless as he took on the top Red Steel bowlers including two sixes and a four from consecutive balls delivered by Samuel Badree.

Captain Bravo ended Lewis ‘reign when he had him caught at long on attempting to clear the

Hooper bemoans...

“If I can be honest with you I reckon both decks have been poor. I think the one today was a bit better, and I say that purely as somebody who wants to see West Indies cricket do well and the youngster develop. I think it is difficult to produce good cricketers on decks like that,” a candid Hooper said.

Prior to the start of this year’s CPL, Hooper had expressed reservations about the pitches that were prepared for previous editions

from 14 overs)

E Lewis c Scantlebury-Searles

b DJ Bravo 40

MJ Guptill c Cooper b Botha 0 MN Samuels* b Davis 25 Shahid Afridi lbw b DJ Bravo 21 RA Reifer c Botha b DJ Bravo 13

CR Brathwaite c

boundary, a major blow to the Patriots. Their run chase never regained momentum, despite the efforts of skipper Marlon Samuels who got to 25 but was beaten by a classic from Derone Davis which clipped the top of his off stumps after he misjudged the line. Bravo and Davis destroyed the middle order, the skipper taking three for 15 while Davis ended with three for 29 as the Red Steel prevailed on home turf.

(CMC)

from page 24

of the tournament when he worked in the coaching set-up of the Antigua Hawksbills.

He said last evening, “The St Lucia deck probably was the best deck [this year]. I think when we went to St Kitts last year it was a belter- nice deck, small ground. But this year, you probably saw the ball spun a lot. Barbados is okay, but obviously here is a bit disappointing.”

Despite the loss on Saturday, the Amazon

tridents prevail...

Even Pollard failed to make any notable contribution to the score as he perished off the bowling of Permaul. Jason Holder and Emrit did provide some form of decency to the total, with Holder hitting a 17-ball 30 and Emrit stroke a 21-ball 21. However, with the return of Wiese in the penultimate over, saw the South African, removing both Holder and Emrit to complete his five wickets haul. De Lange claimed the wicket of Ashley Nurse in an over which cost 13 runs.

In reply the Amazon

Warriors remain in the hunt for a spot in the playoff at number two on the points table with nine points, while defending champions Tridents are sitting pretty in pole position with 12 points.

The Amazon Warriors will play their final preliminary game against third place Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel on Tuesday from 18:00h, while the Tridents have completed their quota of matches.

from page 24

Warriors were off to a slow start, scoring 23 runs in the power play overs.

Both openers, Lendl Simmons and Brad Hodge were circumspect, despite the occasional boundaries.

However, the hosts’ progress was checked when legspinner Imran Khan and medium pacer Pollard accounted for both openers. Hodge was dismissed for a 28-ball 27, while Simmons went for 15 off 31 balls.

The loss of two established batsmen put the brakes on the Amazon Warriors, but with the ca-

pacity crowd urged the home team onwards Umar Akmal went on the attack, hitting two fours and a sin in his 22 before Pollard price him out. With 53 runs needed from 31 balls, Barnwell joined Ramdin but the skipper perished under pressure.

Barnwell made 24 off 13 balls and David Wiese (07) were the other batsmen to be dismissed.

The Amazon Warriors, who remained second place on the points table, will play Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday in their final preliminary game.

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Dominant Australia build vast lead

On every day of this Test Australia have tightened their grip further and so it was again on day three, a day on which Alastair Cook fought hard for 96 and Ben Stokes lashed 87. They were innings that, viewed in isolation, would appear impressive enough, but seen against the backdrop of Steven Smith’s 215 and Chris Rogers’ 173 looked

SCOREBOARD

then there are huge scores.

And England will need a huge total to win this match. By the close of play, Rogers and David Warner had cruised to 108 for 0, with Rogers on 44 and Warner on 63, and Australia’s lead was already 362. Michael Clarke had declined to enforce the follow-on, not surprisingly given his history, and all that remained was to decide how long to give his bowlers and how many to set England.

The one positive in the back of Cook’s mind, though, will be the knowledge that this pitch remains very good for batting and offers little sideways movement to bowlers either fast or slow. They should not view batting out a draw as an impossible task. It is worth noting that Cook himself survived for 351 minutes in the first innings. A little more support is what he will need.

unequivocally inadequate. There are big scores, and

Cook frustrated Australia for much of the third day, first during a 145run stand with Stokes and then as part of a 56-run association with Moeen Ali. He was patient and waited for the bad balls to score, and looked set for a 28th Test century. But with his 233rd delivery he drove at a Mitchell Marsh ball outside off stump and played on. Marsh has been responsible for more drag-ons than George R. R. Martin; he played on himself during Australia’s innings and then had both Cook and Stokes by that method on day three. Stokes had moved the score along briskly before lunch but on 87 he drove at a delivery that stayed a touch low and chopped on to give Marsh the first of his two wickets.

Stokes had gone for his shots and struck 13 fours and one six during his 128ball stay. He scored runs all around the wicket and brought up his half-century from just 67 deliveries with a four crunched through cover off Mitchell Johnson. Cook, meanwhile, was careful at the other end, anchoring the innings in the knowledge that eating up time was invaluable for England. (Cricinfo)

CPL’s growth as an international product

... “I think from a sporting perspective, it’s been fantastic!” – Pete Russell

BY AVENASH RAMZAN

Chief

Operations

Officer of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Pete Russell, believes the League has shown significant growth as an international product in its three years of existence.

The six-team franchise tournament, which started in 2013 with Limacol as the title sponsor, has enjoyed tremendous popularity with both players and fans.

Speaking at an open press conference in the Mazaruni Room of the spanking new Marriott Hotel in Kingston on Saturday morning, Russell was positive about the growth of the “Biggest Party in Sport”.

“I think from a sporting perspective, it’s been fantastic! I mean this season again, every game to the

end now is going to matter. The last game here in Guyana on Tuesday is probably going to decide

who tops the group I would think, and that’s a huge deal,” he reckoned.

He added, “I think from

a cricketing perspective, it absolutely stands up [to scrutiny]. The international numbers we are getting

around the world are fantastic. This year I think CPL has really grown as an international product, so there is no question when you start something like this you have no idea…you think you’ve got the right product, but obviously you have to come up against challenges, you have to change things, the model is always adjusted.”

In Russell’s view, the CPL has a bright future, given the current set-up and the massive success that has been derived both on and off the field.

“I think what we have got is the right combination- great fans, the game last night just showed under lights T20 cricket is the best form of entertainment. We’ve got serious cricket; we’ve made sure we’ve got the right players, coaches in place. There are still challenges ahead, but hopefully over time we’ve got the right partnerships with both the public and private sector. So I can only see this tournament getting bigger and better,” he envisaged.

Tapping into the multibillion dollar sport tourism sector is certainly an area of focus for CPL, but support from key stakeholders is also necessary, Russell suggested. “We have a product here that’s going to bring people into the region. Tourism is so

important to this region so that’s why we’re so passionate about it. That’s why we think the Governments’ support is a no-brainer.”

The CPL started three years ago with rivalry among the Antigua Hawksbills, Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, St Lucia Zouks and Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel. The Hawksbills were replaced by the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for this year’s competition.

The inaugural tournament was won by Chris Gayle’s Jamaica Tallawahs, while the reigning champions are Kieron Pollard’s Barbados Tridents. On both occasions, Guyana Amazon Warriors were the losing finalist.

Fernandes confident in the juniors at Caribbean Championships

The Guyana Squash Association (GSA) is fully confident that their juniors will do well in the Junior Caribbean Squash Championships set to start next week in Barbados.

Expressing confidence in the team was President of the GSA, David Fernandes, “I actually believe the team is better prepared than they were last year. The work that they did in the last few weeks was really good for them and they are fitter than they were last year.”

“I think this year we have the ability to win four titles in the individuals and I feel very confident if anyone works hard in their matches that we have a very good chance of retaining the overall team title this year,” Fernandes stated.

Fernandes also praised the captains, Nyron Joseph and Akeila Wiltshire, noting that they are “great leaders” as well as “good examples”

to the younger players.

However, with the other Caribbean countries working on improving themselves, he noted that it was imperative that Guyana maintain their focus and improve as well in order to continue to be victorious.

Fernandes also recognised the parents, especially those travelling, and thanked them for always supporting the sport of squash.

CPL medical policy in keeping with ICC standard

– CMO Dr Akshai Mansingh talks about care for players, officials and spectators

BY AVENASH RAMZAN

Aworld-class tourna-

ment as huge and successful as the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) no doubt requires meticulous planning. An even greater degree of execution is not only desired, but necessary to ensure those plans materialise and create the results that were intended.

Obviously, with so many areas to cover, there is the need for sub-groups to operate under the broader umbrella of CPL Central to guarantee all functions are carried out in an effective manner.

One such group, whose role is just as important as the

others, is the Medical Team, under whose purview is the medical care of players, officials and spectators.

Medical issues, both on and off the field, are the responsibility of a three-member panel, headed by Jamaican Dr Akshai Mansingh, who holds the title of Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the League. The others are Dr Anyl Goopesingh of Trinidad and Tobago and Dr Rene Best of Barbados.

During an exclusive interview with this publication, Dr Mansingh, who is currently in Guyana for the current leg of the Hero CPL, said the team of sports physicians and specialists is present at all the venues during the competition, catering to the medical needs of those in attendance.

“I think the most important thing is continuity of care- if someone has an injury we pick it up, we communicate with each other, we follow through, [and] we make sure that all [that is required] is done,” Dr Mansingh said of the basic function of the Medical Team.

He continued, “You will recognise in the Caribbean for example there are some places that have facilities that are more advanced or are better than others so we have to coordinate that as well. If I need to get an MRI scan done for example, Guyana is probably one of the best places to get it done, in terms of both cost and quality.”

The medical group may be small compared to the other sub-groups, but the task is enormous, stretching from on-field injuries, to dressing room casualties, and even medical care for players and officials at the hotel. There are also instances of sickness-

es that would require the intervention and support of Dr Mansingh and team.

“They are human beings; they get flu and all sorts of illnesses. We have had that sort of instance in all competitions we’ve had to deal with and so it’s looking after both onfield and off-field, players and match officials.”

Dr Mansingh, who has been a functioning member of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Therapeutic Use Exemption Committee (Anti-doping) since 2008, said the CPL’s medical policy is in keeping with the standards and regulations that are required by the world governing body for the sport.

“With the ICC medical panel we actually stipulated certain basic minimums and the West Indies has followed that straight through since its inception in 2008. So yes, there are standards that are required which means basic equipment to be present at the ground, certain protocols that if you have a problem where you go to etc. and therefore it requires people like myself who are coordinating and it requires local doctors and physiotherapists to be very much part of it, to ensure that whatever we need locally is looked after as well. So it’s along world standards, and along standards that are held in every competitionit stands up to scrutiny,” Dr Mansingh outlined.

CPL Operations

“The way it is divided CPL has our unit, which looks after the players and match officials, and then each territory and the Local Organising Committee looks after the spectator’s health,” Dr Mansingh revealed.

Given the high-octane nature of T20 cricket, Dr Mansingh and his team maintain a high level of vigilance, especially in a format where players are taking enormous risks.

“The game is played with such intensity, and CPL in particular or T20, has so much intensity that the players are throwing themselves all over the ground and they’re hitting the ball extremely hard,” he intimated.

“You know I’ve sat on the ICC Medical Committee and one of the deliberations we had many years ago was protective suits for the umpires because they’re really in the line of fire right now, and it’s only a matter of time before somebody is going to get hit, because the ball is hit with such veracity.”

Dr Mansingh and his colleagues have been quite busy this season, with St Lucia Zouks skipper Darren Sammy suffering a hand injury, which has ruled him out of the competition, while Guyana Amazon Warriors opener Tillekaratne Dilshan was hit above the left eye by a Kemar Roach delivery.

That apart, the team has been dealing with niggling injuries that occur from time to time.

“You might have seen Andre Russell being hit the other night by a straight drive

from Kieron Pollard, and it was just terrible to think what could have happened; luckily he’s a strong candidate and he was hit in such a way that it didn’t cause much damage, but that could have easily caused permanent damage. We had Darren Sammy being hit in the hand and being ruled out of the competition. The ball is being hit much harder, people are going after the ball- there was a time in cricket when if the ball was hit too hard they would just let it go, not anymore, you have to save every run, you’ve got to dive- so we’re having a lot of injuries,” the 51-yearold doctor explained.

According to Dr Mansingh, with the CPL being crammed into such a small window, education for players on injury

prevention is not possible, but rather the focus is on doping issues and anti-doping, which

is also part of the Medical Team’s responsibility.

“But if you’re talking

about education in general for the players in a West Indies perspective we actually start at the Under-15 level, and so when there is the Under-15 competition we have seminars with the players, at the Under-17, at the Under-19 and it goes through to FirstClass cricket. There is also medical screening of our players. Obviously we have contracted players and they’re screened on an annual basis and that also is done outside of playing time.”

Dr Mansingh is a very versatile individual, who has a passion for cricket and medicine. When he is not tending to medical matters, he can be found in the commentary box as an analyst for Grand Slam Sports radio coverage of the CPL games.

Hero Caribbean Premier League…

Tridents prevail in battle of nerves

BY RAJIV BISNAUTH

In front of a frenzied crowd, defending champions Barbados Tridents held their nerves to beat the Guyana Amazon Warriors by 14 runs on Saturday evening in the latest Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) game at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Chasing 126 for victory the Amazon Warriors reached 111-6 in the face of some tight bowling and fielding from the Tridents.

The chase had several enthralling moments, but Kieron Pollard (4-30) was the main danger for the Warriors batsmen. Ryad Emrit and Imran Khan claimed (1-20) and (1-22), while Ravi Rampaul and Robin Peterson were also economical in their spells. Their eight overs cost 39 runs.

Needing 33 from 12 balls, the task was definitely out of the reach of the Warriors.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Amazon Warriors kept the normally free-stroking Tridents batsmen in check.

South African fast bowler David Wiese set the template with 5-30 off his four overs, while his fellow pacer Marchant de Lange (128), along with the spinners Veerasammy Permaul (1-

27), Devendra Bishoo (2-23) and Sunil Narine (0-14) kept the pressure up at the other end.

But some indiscipline from the Amazon Warriors towards the end took Tridents to 125.

The Tridents got off to shaky start, losing Steven Taylor (13), Dwayne Smith (14) and Jonathan Carter

(7) with just 37 runs on the board. The trio fell in successive overs to Wiese.

Taylor, the debutant top edged to Ramdin, while Smith offered Omar Akmal a running catch from longon, to send the crowd into an animated celebration in Wiese’s first over.

The pacer returned in his second over and claimed the

wicket of Carter, caught behind off Ramdin. Pakistan Misbah-ul-Haq and South Africa Peterson try desperately to rebuild the innings, with Peterson hitting Bishoo for a six and

Total: (6 wickets;

Hooper bemoans poor Providence pitch

BY AVENASH RAMZAN

Guyana Amazon Warriors Head Coach, Carl Hooper, believes the pitches at Providence for his team’s two Caribbean Premier League home games against the St Lucia Zouks and the Barbados Tridents do not help with the region’s production of good cricketers.

The Amazon Warriors endured mixed fortunes on a low and slow wickets, Hero CPL 2015…

beating the Zouks by three wickets on Friday night before making heavy weather of a low target against the Tridents on Saturday afternoon.

The Tridents 125-9 on Saturday was the highest total of the four innings, and the Amazon Warriors could only manage 111-6 when the over ran out.

Hooper, speaking at the post-match press briefing on Saturday evening, was very critical in his assessment of the pitches served up by the ground staff.

7-110 (Holder, 18.4 ov), 8-110 (Emrit, 18.5 ov), 9-119 (Nurse, 19.2 ov)

Bowling: M de Lange 4-028-1, V Permaul 4-0-27-1, D Wiese 4-0-30-5, D Bishoo 4-023-2, SP Narine 4-1-14-0 Guyana Amazon Warriors innings LMP Simmons c Khan b Pollard 15 BJ Hodge b Khan 27 D Ramdin*† c Misbah-ul-Haq