Guyana Times Daily - February 10, 2015

Labour Minister says cannot intervene without UG’s 'ok'

Iwokrama operating with US$1.3M shortfall – CEO says int’l donors drying up

Essequibo family brutalised by bandits Ramsahoye wants bigger judgement against ‘libellous’ Lall

Take charge of community – Police tell Agricola residents

tuesday, february 10, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, February 10 – 08:30h-10:00h and

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, February 10 – 07:40h-09:10h and Wednesday, February 11 – 08:25h-09:55h

FERRY SCHEDULE

WEATHER TODAY

Remigrant duty-free scam...

Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) on Monday remained defiant amid criticisms that he would not disclose details of his settlement with tax evader, Glenn Lall, his wife, and a Guyanese-US remigrant couple, saying he has a right to protect his client’s privacy and would not compromise on this.

Sattaur also told this newspaper during a very testy telephone interview, that it was Lall, Publisher of the Kaieteur News who had approached him requesting to settle the case because he (Lall) was fearful that the magistrate would have ruled against him “due to the publicity that was given to the case by the Guyana Times”.

In addition to Lall, the multi-million dollar tax fraud case had embroiled Lall’s wife, Bhena Lall, and remigrants Narootandeo and Gharbassi Brijnanan.

“There are tax laws which say that I cannot give out that information. You must read up on it and see. That is confidential information. You would like if I reveal how much taxes Guyana Times and its employees pay to GRA?” asked Sattaur.

“The client had all rights to privacy and to decide to settle to avoid publicity. If he came to me and said that I am afraid to take the mat-

ter to court because I believe that the judge will rule against me because of the negative publicity Guyana Times is giving the case, then he has that right.

"How you would like if Kaieteur News go and start digging up things on Guyana Times and publish it? You need to stop publishing things about the case and stop calling me and asking me questions. This newspaper just publishing things, publicising everything. Leave me, let me do my job of collecting taxes from people,” Sattaur said.

Sattaur has come under severe criticisms for dropping the case against Lall who conspired with others to import two luxury SUVs under the Government-run remigrant duty-free scheme.

This newspaper was told that among the deals that were struck for the case to be dropped was for Lall to withdraw a complaint he had filed against Sattaur with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana (ICAG).

Lall had filed the complaint against Sattaur following the purported leak of confidential information on local newspapers by the GRA head had to Attorney General, Anil Nandlall.

On Sunday the Private Sector Commission (PSC) expressed alarm over the dubious settlement of the multi-million dollar case, urging that the tax body come clean on the transaction and explain to the Guyanese public the full details of the deal.

Objectivity

The PSC also said it will be writing the GRA on the issue as it raises serious doubts about the operations of the revenue body and its objectivity in applying the law.

The GRA over the years has taken court action against several businesses and in some instances levied on their properties for defaulting on their tax payments.

Chairman of the PSC, Ramesh Persaud said the dropping of the case in this particular instance and

tuesday, february 10, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

agreeing to a settlement raises doubt about the GRA within the PSC.

“We will be writing and will be seeking to make contact with the Commissioner General with our clear expectations. These clear expectations will be for the grounds and basis of the settlement to be made known, how does it affect other businesses and we would also want to know whether this settlement will be extended to the other persons who are in default. We will be asking for that,” Persaud declared.

“The PSC will be meeting soon to discuss the matter and we will be approaching the Commissioner General to enquire about the reasons for the settlement. We would like to know the grounds and the basics and whether they will be applying this to all the other businesses in default,” Persaud added.

President of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association GMSA) Clinton Williams, in an invited comment said: “I was told that several laws were broken in settling the matter and if that is the case then the matter has to be properly addressed. It will have to be addressed by the GRA,” Williams stated briefly.

Hiding

Another senior official of the PSC had said while Commissioner General has the powers to settle matters of this nature, he has to do it in a transparent manner.

“I am shocked that he is not saying or responding to reports on the matter. I am appalled that he has chosen to stay quiet. It is a very serious issue and he should he explaining to the tax payers, explaining to the people on what grounds he has settled the matter,” the PSC official said.

“But I think the question which should be asked is whether Lall has something on the GRA that they want hidden, that they are afraid will come out if they proceed that pushed them to drop the matter and settle it,” the official queried.

Similar observations were made on Saturday when this newspaper spoke

with a large East Coast Demerara businessman.

The businessman felt that the settlement of the tax fraud should have been handled in a much more transparent manner and that the people of Guyana are entitled to know the quantum of the settlement amount.

The businessman questioned whether Sattaur was the only individual in the GRA who decided on the “settlement” and opined that if the amount was significantly smaller than the taxes evaded, then this would give other individuals contemplating fraud an incentive to go in the direction of fraud and subsequent “settlements”.

The businessman also raised the issue of the status of the $500 million libel suit the GRA head had brought against Glenn Lall and the Kaieteur News for the publication of allegations on his hiring of his sons and some other matters that included duty-free allowances to Bai Shan Lin, a Chinese logging company.

The businessmen wanted to know if this was also dropped as was Sattaur’s earlier change against Lall for uttering “threats” against him. There were also questions as to whether a $30 million libel suit the Attorney General had brought against Lall had also been dropped.

Editor: Nigel Williams

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

Strife not strike

The threatened “total shutdown” of the University of Guyana (UG) by the University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) and the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) was launched yesterday.

If there was any doubt of the political nature of this action, beyond the real industrial relations challenges, it was removed by the presence of Mayor Hamilton Green. Green’s last contact with UG was when he directed the PNCcontrolled UG Council to remove the job offer to Dr Walter Rodney as Professor of History at that institution. And the rest, as they say, is history.

No one would question that UG has many challenges that need to be resolved. But over the last two decades instead of taking a position that the Administration and the unions should cooperate to tackle the challenges jointly, the latter have consistently operated to score political points. It could be called “cheap” political points if it were not for their invariable unreasonable financial demands.

Take the latest context within which the “total shutdown” has unfolded. What makes their complaints about the physical repair quite galling to any observer, and which was pointed out by a former employee in the letters page last week, is the complete disregard for routine maintenance by those in change of the everyday Administration.

Whatever state of disrepair and dishevelment presently exist, it is the result of deliberate neglect by staff. After much effort, a US$10 million loan from the World Bank was secured to fund the rehabilitation of much of the physical infrastructure. This work has already commenced and it is not unreasonable to assume that the unions should not be belabouring the state of the facilities until the work is complete.

Then there is the question of wages. Universities across the world, especially in the wealthy developed countries, now accept that universities must begin to pay more of their way in the world. It is for this reason that the modern Vice Chancellor (VC) who runs universities is now more of a business executive than an academic.

One move abroad to cut costs in universities has been to hire adjunct professors who are paid a flat fee per course per semester. This fee is at least one-tenth of that paid to tenured staff.

All the present VC has done is to request that before lecturers demand greater salaries - nearer to other institutions in the region, they should work commensurate hours and produce commensurate research.

Presently half of the lecturers do not work more than NINE hours per WEEK. The students themselves, many of them who are staying away from classes “in solidarity” with the staff, should look at the worldwide trend for students in Universities to pay more realistic fees that could support their institutions.

The demand of the unions for first a 60 per cent wage increase over three years to counter the 25 per cent offer of the Administration was not only made non-negotiable, but was in fact raised to 75 per cent even as the unions announced the strike action that began yesterday.

The VC had no alternative but to withdraw his offer in light of the unions being so intractable. And this is what brings us to the rationale of the shutdown. The unions’ demands are the occasion of the war, but not the cause.

The “cause” is the political mobilisation of youths, which the Opposition APNU and the AFC have announced will be the centre piece of their 2015 elections campaign. The UG shutdown is expected to galvanise the youths at UG who will then turn their energies into the broader attack against Government institutions, policies and plans.

This is being coordinated with the smaller protests, such as that in BV by APNU and in the sugar belt by AFC.

This is not just a strike at UG, but the beginning of a wider strife in the country. God help Guyana.

Freddie Kissoon is misinformed on Sergeant Hoyte’s promotion issue

Dear Editor,

The Guyana Police Force wishes to advise the public that in his column in the Kaieteur News on February 9, Frederick Kissoon has misinformed himself about the Sergeant Alwyn Hoyte promotion issue, and thereby communicated inaccurate information.

This is unfortunate, given that a press release was done by the Guyana Police

Force, which was published in all the print media, including the Kaieteur News, of which Mr Kissoon is a columnist, where it was clearly outlined that the acting Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud had nothing to do with the decision to promote and rescind the promotion of Sergeant Hoyte.

However, it is excusable, since like all of us Mr Kissoon is also only hu-

man and therefore imperfect.

The Guyana Police Force also wishes to advise that the last communication the acting Commissioner of Police received from the Police Service Commission regarding Sergeant Hoyte’s promotion was the letter rescinding his appointment to the rank of Inspector.

Prior to his promo-

tion, as was stated in the above mentioned press release, his personal file was requested by and was forwarded to the Police Service Commission. No other request for any other information regarding Sergeant Hoyte was made to the acting Commissioner of Police.

Ivelaw Whittaker Police Public Relations and Press Officer

As a UG student, I feel as though my rights are being affected

Dear Editor,

As a student, I feel as though my rights are being affected. My right to education and my right to benefit from the services I have paid for.

Both staff and Administration are directly benefiting from my tuition fee. I believe that they are therefore under a moral and legal obligation to ensure that I benefit from the services I have paid for.

As a law student, I am familiar with the cries of other law students. Some fellow law students share my view, that delay of the resumption of all classes will negatively affect their immediate ability to complete the programme on time, their careers and future plans.

Every year in the law programme may be seriously affected. First year exams are set by UWI Cavehill Campus. The UG Administration has no say in the date of those exams.

Hypothetically, if the dispute takes a month to be resolved, that

would mean that the first year students will have to learn three months material in two months because the date of exams cannot be postponed by the UG Administration. They are tied to the dates set by UWI Cavehill Campus.

Third year exam dates are set by UG Administration. Hypothetically, if the dispute takes a month to be resolved, the Administration could postpone the exams a month so the students have the full amount of time to prepare.

The issue is that those who wish to apply for entry to any regional law school need final semester grades to do so. They are therefore in danger of missing the deadline for submission of final semester grades. Consequently, they would have to wait until the application period reopens next year. Further, the 25 limited spaces that are offered will, in 2016, then be competed for by two batches of law students instead of

one batch.

Other final year students across campus may be similarly affected as it relates to applications for further education. If the semester is pushed back and the grades are released proportionately later; they are in danger of missing the application deadlines. Also affected are students who would have entered into commitments during the June-August period when they would have expected to be away from UG.

I have illustrated the personal perspective of a student from the Faculty of Law. I hope that other students similarly exercise their right to express their perspectives on how the current industrial action is affecting students’ right to education and their right to benefit from services that they are paying for.

Nicholas Carryl Final Year Law Student, UG

Disturbed at the use of innocent children by AFC

Dear Editor,

I have noted with concern the recent protest action lead by the Alliance For Change (AFC) Councillors on the issue of the shortage of teachers at the Princeville Primary School in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and other non-related issues. In the interest of balance and fairness the following should be noted.

I must place on record that I am disturbed by the use of innocent children, no older than 10 years old, to protest and picket to satisfy partisan political opportunism by a few. These students, like in the past were made to stand in front of the school for photo opportunity by the AFC ring leaders.

The recent protest by a few parents and the AFC councillors was aimed, of course, to chastise the Government and the Regional Executive Officer for issues that the said AFC councillors failed to address as members of the Education Committee of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC).

The councillors have miserably failed the said people they pretend to champion the cause of. A perusal of the minutes of the RDC meetings would show that very little or no solutions are posited to the Administration for issues affecting the region.

These issues are only

ventilated in the press. The Administration has never received a sound plan, proposal or solution to the issues that confront the residents of Region Eight. It is no secret that the reality of attracting qualified and willing teachers for hinterland locations remains a challenge. The Ministry of Education has launched its Hinterland Education Improvement Programme (HEIP) to aid in this regard.

At several community meetings held in 2013 and 2014, the residents were asked to provide names of persons within the community that could have been considered for appointment to the school, for a temporary basis.

We had also asked them to identify persons for the

appointment of Community Support Officers, to be based at the school. To date neither the village nor the Village Council has ever submitted same.

An application was made by an individual whom the Department of Education recommended. The application was subsequently forwarded to the Teaching Service Commission (TSC).

A letter of introduction was received by Department a few days before the protest action. The teacher, as well as well as the councillors, is fully well aware of this development. However, the Councillors choose to withhold this information from the residents and continue to use them for the ulterior motives. The Department of Education awaits the as-

Man’s inhumanity to man

Dear Editor, Last Friday, another newspaper carried a report of a most heinous example of enforced child labour in India which still haunts me, as I am sure it must have troubled any caring human reading it.

As reported, some 350 small children were virtually kidnapped from their hometown in the poor State of Bihar to be enslaved by a greedy employer in another state and made to toil endlessly in a leather factory in which they were forced to live in sub-human conditions.

When the children were discovered, they were severely malnourished and emaciated with sores covering their weary bodies.

Man’s inhumanity to other men is bad enough, but when such beastly behavior by the greedy, get-rich-quick multi-millionaires extends to hapless, hungry children, then one wonders if the perpetrators are not guilty of crimes against humanity and, therefore, should be put away from society for good, even hung in the public square and stoned by the very children they attempt to destroy in pursuit of their despicable greed?

As a layman and also from my many years of working within the United

Nations system, I know that there are international conventions which prohibit such dastardly actions.

Of course, enforcement is an ongoing challenge. While appeals to basic human values and feelings should be enough to discourage such breaches, there will always be the incorrigible. These must be dealt with condignly!

On reflection, as a Guyanese who has experienced poverty at first hand (having come from a large family of poor logie-living sugar workers, who actually picked up tennis-balls for the white plantation owners/managers, helped my mother complete her extratasks as an ambitious weeder and worked myself as a part-time labourer to defray my high school expenses, etc, etc), I can personally relate to the need for the poor to labour, but in and with dignity!

If my personal experiences is anything to go by, then I can truly say that even in the worst days of colonialism and the plantocracy, we never had it as bad as it seems to be in relatively rich and economically prosperous India.

So it all boils down to sheer greed in India and by the same token in places like Bangladesh where ‘sweat-

shops’ in the garment industry is another example of such greed.

Notwithstanding, as Guyanese, we cannot be selfrighteous about the way we treat the underprivileged, the vulnerable and the children in our own country.

For example, recent media reports have left us all aghast at the perpetuation of advantage being taken by the rich and politically powerful among us who seem to think that their wealth and power can insulate them from the law, as they pursue sex with teenage children for pittances and buy their way out of self-inflicted breaches of the laws of our country.

Furthermore, incidents like the recent ‘burial-alive’ of the teenager working (illegally/improperly underage???) as a porter, in a rice factory in Essequibo, also come to mind.

While the employer must be commended for assuming responsibility for the accident to the extent that compensation was offered to the parents, it behooves our colleagues in the relevant Government departments to ensure that the necessary safety/health/human resource measures are strictly applied in the workplaces of our beloved country.

Nowrang Persaud

sumption of this teacher in order to process an appointment.

The school had its fair share of movement of teachers. A Senior Assistant Master/Mistress (SAM) was appointed in September 2009 and was dismissed by the TSC in October 2010. An Assistant Master/ Mistress (AM) was transferred to Princeville in September 2011 and was transferred out in May 2012. A Temporary Unqualified Master/Mistress (TUM) was also dismissed from the school in December 2010.

Another teacher was sought after and recommended by the Department of Education, to be appointed. This teacher was appointed to the School from the Easter Term 2014, but

did not take up the appointment for reasons unknown to the Department.

Another teacher applied for a transfer from the Micobie Primary School to the Princeville School. However the Department could not have recommended this transfer at the time since, Micobie would have become understaffed.

Three volunteers were present during the year 2014. They assisted with the lower classes. Unfortunately this arrangement didn’t not follow through for 2015. The Department of Education was willing and remains willing to facilitate the appointment of the most suitable candidate for paid services. No names or interests were forthcoming.

Princeville Primary, while there is a shortage of teachers, continues to receive the full attention of the Department of Education.

In regards to supervision visits, there is provision of all necessary teaching and learning aids, juice and biscuit programme, free text and exercise books, free uniform among others.

The physical infrastructure has been upgraded with millions spent to for a complete rehabilitation of the school building, construction of a fence, and installation of a photovoltaic system for the provision of electricity, etc.

Additionally the

Education’s Welfare Officer has walked off the job in 2014. The Department of Education and the Regional Administration has since tried tirelessly to attract a new officer.

The Social Worker, who is a staff of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, has not reported for duty since late 2014. Fully furnished accommodation is available to both officers.

This chronicle of events has shown that the Regional Administration and the Department of Education were assiduously dealing with the situation, given the many limitations that existed.

The failure of the Regional Education Committee to offer its assistance and support on these initiatives aided in making the process more arduous.

The Regional Administration continues to be proud of the many interventions and tangible support given to all of the sectors in the region, with education receiving the largest share. The wellbeing of our students, staff and residents is paramount.

We remain committed.

Ronald Harsawack Regional Executive Officer Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni)

‘Rogue’ cops are not sent to interior locations

Dear Editor, Cognisant of an article published in the Kaieteur News on February 9, under the headline, “Stop sending rogue cops to interior locations – GWMO” [Guyana Women Miners Organisation], the Guyana Police Force observes with concern the efforts by Simona Broomes, President of the GWMO, appealing for resources by using the distasteful strategy of telling lies on the Police.

It is totally untrue that “most Police ranks operating in remote locations are those that have been involved in something or the other that is not in keeping with the lawful expectations of a cop”, as stated in the article.

The Guyana Police Force over the years has a number of ranks who were disciplined, some of whom were interdicted from duty and reinstated based on the outcome of a criminal charge.

For example, in 2014 a total of 750 ranks were disciplined in the Police Force. These ranks are continuing as members of the Force and have to perform duties at some Police location, and at the moment they are performing duties in every

Division and Department within the Police Force.

The policy of the Police Force is to transfer ranks who have committed breaches of discipline and are allowed to continue in the employment in the Force to locations where they could be properly supervised, and therefore, during 2014, no such person was transferred to remote areas.

We are aware that the level of supervision in the interior is not the same as on the coastland in view of the challenges with transportation and communication.

Conscious of the significant development that is being undertaken in the interior locations, the Guyana Police Force has been making every effort to ensure that its policing strategies are effective and that compatible ranks are transferred for duty in those remote areas.

The Guyana Police Force has trained 63 ranks of ‘F’ Division (Interior Locations), including all the Sub-Divisional Officers and ranks in charge of stations, in Trafficking in Persons, the Sexual Offences Act, the Mining Act, the Forestry Act, the Environmental Protection Act, Domestic

Violence, and the Protection of Children Act in order to build their capacity to operate in the Division. In addition, another 13 ranks from Police Headquarters, including Policewomen, who are conducting roving patrols in partnership with Officers of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), have received similar training.

The Guyana Police Force, also in 2014, held a Stakeholders Consultation Forum where individuals, including Simona Broomes who represented the GWMO, Government and Non-Government and Private Sector organizations, were represented, to develop the plan to police the interior that the Guyana Police Force is now implementing.

The plan is being implemented in partnership with many of the stakeholders inclusive of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA).

Ivelaw

Whittaker Police Public Relations and Press Officer

Page Foundation

How children learn to concentrate

It’s 11:00h, Sofia is totally engaged in the block area, as she has been since he arrived at school. Dechen can’t quite settle down and so flits from centre to centre. Samantha is on her fifth easel painting after working intently on a few puzzles. And the group in the dramatic-play area adds to the version of The Wizard of Oz they created the day before. It’s a spring day in kindergarten.

By the middle of the school year, you may notice a shift in the concentration levels of your four- and fiveyear-olds. Many have begun to focus on activities for longer periods of time and are even able to return to an activity after a break of a few hours or days. This is one of the major transitions that occur in kindergarten, and it is one that will greatly assist children in later schooling.

It may sound simplistic, but four- and five-year-olds learn to concentrate by doing things that interest them. However, what interests children can vary greatly. An ideal programme offers a balance of activities that effec-

tively teach the curriculum and reflect children’s interests giving everyone opportunities to make choices and time to get involved in the experiences.

Factors in concentration

Children’s cognitive, linguistic, and motor-skill levels also affect their willingness and ability to concentrate. If an activity is too challenging in any one of these areas, children either may choose not to participate or may stay with the activity only for a short time. For example, children who choose blocks over art tend to feel more confident in and comfortable with large-motor skills than small-motor skills. Our role as teachers is to support children in developing concentration for activities of their choosing (by providing ample time for them to choose each day). At the same time, we need to gently encourage children to experiment and stay with activities that challenge skills they’re not as comfortable with (by providing entry-level activities that are both inviting and potentially successful).

As you know, children’s moods also have an effect on their ability to focus. If a child comes to school upset, tired, or overly excited, he may be too distracted to concentrate on an activity, particularly a new or challenging one. By understanding that his lack of concentration is related to a mood, you can help him deal with the cause (the mood), not the symptom (the lack of focus). Once the cause has been sensitively addressed, the symptom just may improve.

What you can do

Here are some tips to help children learn to concentrate:

Provide extended periods of time for children to do independent activities Offer a wide variety of activities on different skill levels from which children can choose during independent activity time.

Be aware of individual differences Find ways for children who tend to do only those activities they feel comfortable with to be successful in a variety of learning experiences.

What to expect next

Many six- and seven-yearolds have an enormous capacity to remember the smallest details about what adults have said they can do and for how long.

(“But you promised...”) They can also keep going for great lengths of time when they are involved in something important.

(“Just a few minutes longer, p-l-e-a-s-e!”)

(www.scholastic.com)

5 values you should teach your child by age five

Many parents think that it’s premature to teach values to a toddler or preschooler. But that’s a misconception. Here are the values that all children should develop by their fifth birthday, and some easy ways to make them stick.

Value number one – Honesty

The best way to encourage truthfulness in your child is to be a truthful person yourself. Consider this story: Carol decided to limit the number of playdates between her three-year-old son Chris, and his friend Paul. The boys had been fighting a lot recently, and Carol thought they should spend some time apart. So when Paul’s mother called one afternoon to arrange a get-together, Carol told her that Chris was sick.

Overhearing this, her son asked, “Am I sick, Mommy? What’s wrong with me?” Carol, taken aback by her son’s frightened look, told him she had only said he was sick, because she didn’t want to hurt Paul’s mother’s feelings. Carol then launched into a complicated explanation of the distinctions between the various types of lies, and Chris was confused. All he understood was that fibbing is sometimes okay-and that, in fact, it’s what people do. Your child takes his cues from you, so it’s important that you try to avoid any kind of deception, even a

seemingly innocuous one. (Never, for instance, say something like “Let’s not tell daddy we got candy this afternoon.”) Let your child hear you being truthful with other adults. Carol would have been better off saying, “This isn’t a good day for a playdate. I’m concerned that the boys were fighting so much last week. I think they need a break.”

Another way to promote the value of honesty: Don’t overreact if your child lies to you. Instead, help her find a way to tell the truth. When the mother of four-yearold Janice walked into the family room one afternoon, she saw that her large potted plant had been toppled and that several branches had been snapped off. She

knew right away what had happened: Once before, she had seen Janice making her Barbie dolls “climb the trees,” and she’d told her daughter at the time that the plants were off-limits. When mom demanded an explanation, a guilty-looking Janice blamed the family dog.

Value number two – Justice At a recent family gathering, Amy and Marcus, four-year-old cousins, were making castles out of wooden blocks. Suddenly, Amy knocked over Marcus’s castle, and he started to cry. Witnessing the scene, Amy’s father chided his daughter and ordered her to apologise. Amy dutifully said, “I’m sorry.”

Janice’s mom reacted sensibly: She interrupted her child’s story and said, “Janice, I promise I won’t yell. Think about it for a minute, and then tell me what really happened.” After a moment, the child owned up to her misdeed. As a consequence, Janice had to help clean up the mess and was not allowed to watch television that afternoon, but her mom made sure to emphasise how much she appreciated her daughter’s honesty. In doing so, she taught the child an important lesson: Even if being honest isn’t always easy or comfortable, you-and other peoplealways feel better if you tell the truth.

Then her dad took her aside and asked, “Do you know why you pushed over his blocks?” She told him that she was mad because Marcus’s castle was bigger than hers. The dad told her that though this was no excuse for destroying her cousin’s castle, he could understand her feelings. He then sent her back to play. The father’s reaction was similar to that of many psychologically savvy parents: He wanted his daughter to identify and express her feelings and to understand why she behaved as she did. That’s okay, but it isn’t enough. In order to help children internalise a true sense of justice, parents need to encourage them to take some action to remedy a wrong. For example, Amy’s dad might have suggested that she help Marcus rebuild his castle or that she bring him some cookies as a gesture of apology.

Saying “I’m sorry” is pretty easy for a child, and it lets her off the hook without forcing her to think. Having a child make amends in a proactive way conveys a much stronger message. If you’re aware that your child has acted badly toward someone, help him think of a way to compensate. Maybe he can give one of his trucks to a playmate whose toy he has damaged. Perhaps he could draw a picture for his sister after teasing her all day. By encouraging your child to make such gestures, you emphasise the importance of treating people fairly-an essential value that will one day help him negotiate the complicated world of peergroup relationships. (Parents.com) TO BE CONTINUED

Ramsahoye wants bigger judgement against ‘libellous’ Lall

Neurologist Dr Walter Ramsahoye said he was still not satisfied with the $15 million judgment against Kaieteur News Publisher Glenn Lall for libelling him several years ago in two cartoons and an article in his news outfit, then a weekly publication, back in 2000.

“It was unprofessional. It was dictated by Lall who thinks freedom of the press means he could do anything to anybody,” Dr Ramsahoye told the Guyana Times on Monday in a reaction to a recent Court of Appeal judgement against the newspaper and its publisher.

Last month, the Appeal Court tripled a judgment against Lall after the Doctor had appealed a lower court decision to award him a mere $4 million for libel.

According to court documents seen by this newspaper, Justice of Appeal BS Roy and Justice Diana Insanally, in a majority decision, set aside the award of damages in the sum of $4.5 million and increased the amount to $15 million in the libel suit for “offending” words that were published in the January 21 to February 10, 2000 edition of the Kaieteur News.

Ramsahoye told the Guyana Times that he had no other means to reply to Kaieteur News than to file the lawsuit. He insisted that Lall took advantage of him, using his media outlet to abuse him. “He used it to abuse me without any

provocation or any good reason,” Ramsahoye said. He noted that the cartoon and article caused irreparable damage and hurt to his character and over the years, he was deeply affected by it.

Asked whether he has received payment from Lall, Dr Ramsahoye answered in the negative, adding that he was still awaiting the written judgement on the matter. “But I think the amount is inadequate and when I receive the written judgement, I will decide what to do. I have not ruled out a further challenge, but have not decided as yet,”

Dr Ramsahoye said.

Virulent attacks

Senior Counsel Rex Mc Kay, who represented Ramsahoye during the trial, had argued in the High Court that the defamatory words contained an unrestrained and viru -

lent attack upon the character, reputation and competence of Dr Ramsahoye as a medical practitioner, who has won distinction in his field. The Attorney further stated that the $4.5 million that was awarded by Justice Rishi Persaud in the High Court was derisory and a denial of justice given the severity of the libel.

Attorney-at-Law

Khemraj Ramjattan represented the Publisher and defended the defamatory publications in the lower court. The defence had pleaded fair and bona fide comment on matters of public opinion which the trial judge found were defences unknown to the law. He also argued that the words published were not defamatory and were a responsible exercise of the constitutional right to freedom of expression.

Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper, Adam Harris testified during the proceedings on behalf of the defendant and told the court that the publications were fair comments of public importance and generally fair. He added that the comments were accurate and were justified.

However, Dr Ramsahoye claimed that the publications were deliberately contrived to abuse the freedom of the press to his detriment and as a result, he was greatly injured and disparaged in his character, reputation and profession as a medical practitioner. The Doctor further stated that

DPP recommends inquest in CJIA worker’s death

Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Shalimar Ali Hack has recommended that an inquest be held to determine the cause of death of 26-yearold Chris Andrew Jacob who was found dead in a reservoir in the Civil Aviation Compound, Timehri, East Bank Demerara.

A senior police rank told Guyana Times on Monday that the DPP instructed the police to proceed with the inquest since the circumstances surrounding the young man’s demise remain unclear.

He added that the inquest, which will be done at the Magistracy level, will begin as soon as possible.

Such an investigation is only conducted when deaths are sudden or unexplained as in the case of the Haurauni, Soesdyke/ Linden Highway, East Bank Demerara man.

According to information received, Jacob was discovered “apparently drowned” in the reservoir after being involved in a reported al-

tercation at 23.00hs on the night of November 24, 2014 in the Works Maintenance area.

The body was discovered at 13:30h the following day after repeated efforts to locate him the previous night.

It was reported that the young man had fondled a female worker resulting in him being slap.

The internal security was subsequently called in but the young man left in a haste and was followed by

he was also brought into public ridicule, odium and contempt and suffered great distress and humiliation, and was lowered in the estimation of rightthinking members of society.

The lawsuit was filed after the newspaper pub -

tion of great doctors on the number of distinguished patients “who die under their care”. The trial judge found the full text revealed that the words were unprovoked and unlawful injury to the character and reputation of the Doctor, and he was effectively de -

lished cartoons and used the terms “Demi God” and “peerless”. It also depicted the Doctor as gloating about his achievements and basing the reputa -

meaned and humiliated in the eyes of the public. The judge further stated there was injury to his feelings and he was painted as incompetent.

In handling down the $4.5 million award, Justice Persaud took into account that Kaieteur News was not a daily publication at the time and was not available on the Internet. The defendant subsequently appealed the trial judge’s findings on libel. In the Court of Appeal, Ramjattan conceded that the published words were libellous but said that the damages awarded in the sum of $4.5 million were too high. But the majority of the Court of Appeal found that the findings of the trial judge justified a higher award and the Doctor had given distinguished service and the case was without precedent.

At the time, Dr Ramsahoye had over 27 years standing with various degrees, his qualifications were impressive and his Giglioli award recognised his personal sacrifice and dedication to the practice of medicine. It also recognised his supremacy in diagnosis, his obsession with perfection, and his abiding sense of civic responsibility.

two other colleagues.

The colleagues claim that Jacob went in the direction of the reservoir and was not seen until his body was discovered the following day. Upon the discovery, Jacob’s wallet, phone and other personal belonging were intact.

However, it was later reported that the now dead man was assaulted by two staff members at the Cheddi Jagan international Airport, who were reportedly upset about the incident involving the female worker.

The men were subsequently arrested and questioned by investigators at the Timehri Police Station but were released after the autopsy proved that the young man died as a result of drowning.

Jacob attended the Haurauni Secondary School where he wrote the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CXC) and went on to study Electrical Engineering at the Georgetown Technical Institute.

Duo refused bail on $370,000 robbery charge

Tambico Mc Kenzie and William Evans were brought before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on robbery charg-

es.

The charge alleged that on February 6 at Caneview, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, they robbed the Virtual Complainant (VC) Merissa Winters of one gold chain and a diamond ring, three gold bands and an Apple iPhone, which amounted to a total of $370,000.

The duo, allegedly armed with a knife, went up to the VC and demanded that she hand over her valuables. After relieving her of the items, they made good their escape. The matter was reported.

Shortly after they were arrested and charged. The stolen articles were recovered – the three gold bands were found on Mc Kenzie, while the other items were on Williams.

During their appeal to Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry, the defendants told the court that they were assaulted and that $60,000 in cash, along with a testament was stolen from

them by the Police.

However bail was refused and the men are scheduled to make their next court appearance on February 20.

Businessman remanded for unlawful possession of firearm

Leon Cotes, a 35-year-old businessman from Diamond, East Bank Demerara, appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on three charges.

The charges allege that on February 6, in Fifth Avenue, Diamond Housing Scheme, he had in his possession 13 grams of marijuana. It also alleged that on the same day, he had a .38 Smith and Weston revolver with three live rounds of ammunition. The defendant is not the holder of a firearm licence. Cotes pleaded not guilty to all three charges.

Attorney Gordon Gilhuys told the court that his client was arrested with five other persons, adding that the defendant never admitted to anything.

Police Prosecutor Michael Grant stated that on the day in question, Police Officers acting on information went to the defendant’s home, made

contact with him and told him of the reason for the search they were conducting. After uncovering the aforementioned articles, the defendant was arrested and charged. Also arrested were two female and three males persons who identified themselves are friends who were visiting. Cotes admitted to being the owner of the narcotic but not the firearm and ammunition.

The two females have since been released from custody, while the three men remain in Police custody.

Prosecutor Grant objected to bail on the grounds of the nature, gravity and prevalence of the offence, and that no special reasons were giving to the court for bail to be granted.

Cotes was granted $50,000 bail for the narcotic possession charge and remanded for the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition charges. He will make his next court appearance on February 13.

Eyew tness

T...from an old lion

he original “Lion in Winter” spent the twilight of his years fighting off the intrigues of his wife and sons to succeed him as King of England. It would seem that our own “lion in winter” Fenton Ramsahoye, long beyond his prime and now a toothless lion, is now feeding off the legal scraps of petty hustlers.

Recently, he jumped head first into the case of Joseph Rambarran, the Channel 13 owner who’s challenging the allocation of radio frequencies by President Jagdeo back in 2011. But somehow Ramsahoye’s gotten his foot into his mouth to utter a most ridiculous piece of legal twaddle heard in these parts for a while. And with all these lawyers in the Opposition, believe this Eyewitness when he says, we’re drowning in legal twaddle.

How else can you explain to a man who once drafted a Constitution for Dr Jagan back in the 1960s uttering this piece of nonsense?? (And yes...he’s THAT old!): The PPP/C lost the majority at the (2011) election and the new President and Ministers he appointed did not have the confidence of a majority of a National Assembly and (therefore) a lawful Government could not be formed!!! Say what???

You mean the Guyana Constitution Art 177 specifying how our Government is LEGALLY formed is of no consequence?? How much more simple can you get than this: “A Presidential Candidate shall be deemed to have been elected as President and shall be so declared by the Chairman of the Elections Commission –

(a) if he is the only Presidential Candidate at the election; or (b) where there are two or more Presidential Candidates, if more votes are cast in favour of the list in which he is designated as Presidential Candidate than in favour of any other list....”

But bootstrapping his own peculiar legal concoction, the old Ramsahoye then asserts that not being “legal”, Jagdeo’s allocation of the radio licences are “illegal”!! The senile lion is confusing the Jagdeo regime with RAMOTAR’s.

But even with the latter, even the Opposition - top heavy as they are with lawyers - didn’t dare suggest that! They would’ve been laughed out of Guyana. The problem is Ramsahoye is making an elementary mistake in conflating the ‘de jure’ status of the Executive/Government with the practical realities of how they could govern without a majority in the Assembly.

As Guyana’s learnt to its cost, such a Government - legal as it is - governs under duress. But all of this will end on May 11 when the PPP/C’s returned with a majority to the Executive!!

We hope the lion can be spared another winter of discontent!

...from the AFC’s dirty tricks dept

Lots of folks’ve been wondering who the heck’s behind that legal challenge to the mega constitutional changes of 2000. As the fella they blame for everything - including sun-flares - the Opposition pointed their fingers at former President Jagdeo. Ramkarran swore on his sainted father’s head this was the case. But it’s time to “pick sense from nonsense” as the old folls say.

Even if he wanted to run again (and there’s a whole lotta folks would like him to), why would Jagdeo bring up this matter now - when he’s already thrown his complete support behind President Ramotar?

Fellas like Ramkarran’re tripping themselves up in their haste to “blame Jagdeo”. First Ramotar was placed there by Jagdeo, and now Jagdeo want him out?? Make up your minds, wankers!

Word this Eyewitness has is the AFC wants to get their “constitutional change” card on the elections agenda and will accomplish this if the 2000 changes are voided!

...and gyrating Presidents

They can’t get past their name, but the PNC/APNU/ AFC’s inchoate coalition has floated the notion of “rotating Presidents” - first Granger and then Nagamootoo. We thought that would be “alternating Presidents”, no? But maybe they want to signal “gyrating Presidents”??

Govt slashes electricity tariffs by 10%

…PSC, GSMA anticipate positive changes in Guyana’s economy

President Donald Ramotar on Monday announced a 10 per cent decrease in electricity rates as negotiations between his Government and Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) has proven to be successful.

In light of the significant drop in fuel prices on the international market, the President last month lobbied GPL to reduce its rates.

The price for fuel has been dropping around the world since June, with the latest price of fuel in Venezuela being recorded at US$39.19 per barrel, the lowest in almost half a dec-

ade.

Monday’s announcement was made even as he commissioned GPL’s Vreed-enHoop power station. The decrease is expected to take effect from March.

However, the President expressed disappointment that operators in the public transportation sector are refusing to drop their fares amid falling fuel prices.

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) has also joined the President in appealing to operators in the public transportation sector to reduce their fares. PSC had also called on the business community to lower its

prices.

“Since the reduction in electricity costs will contribute to a reduction in production costs of both manufacturers and service providers, the commission would also like to see the cost of other energy-dependent goods and services going down. It is therefore calling on its members to pass on any reductions to their customers,” the PSC stated.

Both the Guyana Manufacturing Services Association (GMSA) and the PSC have expressed optimism in the future of Guyana’s economy in light of the drop in fuel prices.

They explained that the decrease will provide a relief, not only to businesses but also individuals who have struggled with high electricity costs.

“President Donald Ramotar’s announcement today will certainly be welcomed by Guyana’s manufacturers, service providers, commercial entrepreneurs, exporters and every other category of business owner,” GSMA said in a press release.

The association anticipates that the costs for raw materials, transportation and related factors of production would simultane-

ously decrease as well.

According to the PSC, the high cost of electricity has for a long time hindered the growth of the sector.

“The Private Sector Commission welcomes the announcement by the President Ramotar of a 10 per cent drop in electricity cost, effective March 2015. The cost of electricity has been one of the major stumbling blocks to the expansion of the industry and competitiveness of Guyana’s exports”.

This statement was reiterated by GSMA, which said “electrical energy is without doubt the most signifi-

cant input into most, if not all, production processes. Guyana’s large and small scale producers and exporters have long indicated that the prices for their products have made them (products) uncompetitive in the export market, a situation which has been attributed to high energy charges. Inevitably this situation led to some contraction in the manufacturing sector.”

GSMA said it hopes the announcement is the first step towards significantly alleviating the high overhead costs for production and distribution of the “made in Guyana products.”

Construction of hydropower project to start by yearend

The Government has identified a new company to build the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project. President Donald Ramotar, who made the announcement Monday, added that construction will start before the year’s end.

“We are working towards trying to start to build Amaila before the end of this year. A lot of work has already gone into it. Norway has already transferred US$80M to the IDB [Inter-Development Bank]. We have already identified another company to step into the shoe of Blackstone and Sithe Global,” he disclosed.

Ramotar, who was at the time addressing the gathering at the commissioning of the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL)

we cannot build on expecting that this will last forever…we need to try to ensure we have power at cheap prices,” he said.

The previous company, Sithe Global pulled out in August 2013 after the National Assembly failed to meet consensus on the necessary legislative arrangements to move the project forward. Sithe Global had already expended approximately US$16m on preparatory works.

The Amaila Falls Access Road is already approximately 95 per cent completed and is currently in a usable condition. The road is constructed in seven sections that cover a total of 162 kilometres of road, most of which had to be constructed from scratch. Each sec -

ready received US$150m from Norway.

Meanwhile, the Head of State said Guyana will be exploring other forms of renewable energy. According to him Guyana has huge possibilities to explore the various kinds of renewable energy such as using bagasse, rice

Power Plant in Vreeden-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, did not give details of the new company.

The President has pointed to the importance of cheaper energy in the face of growing demands, noting that the low fuel prices will not remain stable. “We don’t control that,

tion was awarded to a different contracting firm and with the exception of China Railway; the others are all local contractors. Moreover, President Ramotar stated that the administration has the necessary resources to go ahead with the project, noting that they have al -

husk and other waste material to generate power.

In fact, he revealed that the government is working towards purchasing a gasifier to generate electricity from the abundant agricultural waste and wood waste in the country. A gasifier is a

chemical reactor that converts wood, or other biomass substances, into a combustible gas that can be burned for heating, cooking, or for running an internal combustion engine.

Furthermore, the President explored the idea of wind power and solar energy, noting that

Guyana’s climate is well suited for those options. “I think we also have to look beyond our own needs and see the energy sector of having the possibility and potential to be an important revenue earner of this country,” he expressed

Ramotar noted that Guyana has enough ca -

pacity to start an industry to export electricity. “We can become a powerhouse in exporting electricity to our neighbours… There is even a talk now of building an arch of linking the electricity sectors from Brazil, Roraima state, through Guyana through Suriname through French Guiana and back again.”

uG strike…

Labour Minister says cannot intervene without UG’s 'ok'

Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul says he cannot intervene into the ongoing industrial dispute at the University of Guyana without the willingness of both parties to participate.

The University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) and the University of Guyana Worker’s Union (UGWU) say they sent letters to the Minister and President Donald Ramotar, after the Vice Chancellor, Jacob Opadeyi called off negotia-

tions last week.

Minister Gopaul told Guyana Times that while he has not received a letter, if such a request were to be made; he could only intervene at the behest of both parties. However, when contacted, the Administration insists that it will not participate in any talks unless the strike is called off, he indicated.

Further, the Minister noted that the continuation of strike action during negotiations is a breach of the regulation.

It has been seven days since the first day of protest by the unions for an increase in their salaries and six days since the last day of negotiation.

The unions have been pushing an increase in travel and book allowances among other demands.

However, the sticking point seems to be the amount by which salaries should increase with the unions requesting 75 per cent over three years and the administration offering 25 per cent for the same period.

GPL commissions 26 megawatt power plant at Vreed-en-Hoop

– President urges company to minimise blackouts

BY: DEVINA SAMAROO

The Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) on Monday commissioned its 26 megawatt Wärtsilä power plant at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara at the cost of $30 million.

As customer demand increases, GPL is embarking on new and improved ways to provide better services.

In fact, the electricity giant acknowledged Government’s committed efforts and subventions in assisting with the expansion of its services.

“This could not be possible without the substantial and financial support from the Government as shareholder. The Government, in the last decade, has provided well in excess of US$100 million to GPL,” the Chairman Winston Brassington noted during his remarks.

But despite the overwhelming financial support given to the company, the country is still plagued with constant blackouts; an issue President Donald Ramotar said must be addressed.

the plant interconnection, new feeders and future expansion, bulk storage tanks for heavy fuel oil (HFO), light fuel oil (LFO) and lube oil, a modern workshop equipped with all maintenance equipment and tools, a multi-layered fire fighting system capable of handling both electrical and fuel fires, a flood control system to cater for the highest recorded level of rainfall, a black start generator to allow the plant to start independently, noise mitigation measures, water processing systems and separation systems to ensure

can now transmit electricity between the two districts if one of the plant experiences difficulties.

President Ramotar said that the interconnected system significantly reduces the time it takes to transmit electricity.

“Let’s say something goes down in Berbice and you want send electricity from Demerara to Berbice, it use to take four, five hours before you could do that, now it takes about 10 minutes and it is because of the interconnected system and it’s because of the transmission

Who is Cowshid real boss man?

Every where yuh go in life, it always gotta boss man. At home, de boss man most times is de man. But some homes ain’t got no man, so de woman does have to be de boss man. Plus some homes got men who does only play men, so de women does have to tek over still.

Then it got some pickney who does wanna play boss fuh dem mammy and daddy. De one pun de East Coast de other day even thought he coulda also be boss fuh some body else pickney. He had to run back to de real boss, but this is one hole he daddy can’t tek he out from.

Not to mention some homes got two men and some got two women. That is a very popular ting nowadays, and both sides does be boss at de same time, regardless of who ever on top of tings or who ever wanna get to de bottom of every ting.

In de wuk place also got bosses. Some times it does have too many bosses and some times it don’t have no body to be de boss to tek responsibility fuh any ting, especially when tings go wrong. And some boss men does be boss fuh another man wuk place.

That is whah happening right now wid tings goin wrong at Gee-R-A. Cowshid de tax man suppose to know whah goin on because he is de boss man. But when yuh call de tax man to understand whah really happen, he tellin people to call de other other boss man.

Yet when it come de ordinary man who wanna bring in a small bus, de tax man does be a real boss man and stop dem from puttin it in ‘B’ or ‘G’. But another boss man bring in not one but two Lexus and he get it duty free.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! And Cowshid de tax man seh is not he fault, but he boss man. But Cowshid still not sayin who is he real boss man!

line,” he explained.

As the company continues to improve its services, Brassington underscored the importance of customers.

“More of our activities are looking to focus on the customers, not only to minimise blackouts or to respond to emergency calls or customer requests in a timely and courteous manner, but also to be more efficient and deliver a cost-effective service that all of us could be proud of,” the chairman said.

As such, he urged customers to desist from stealing electricity and report those who are. Consumers were also urged to practice energy conservation.

Meanwhile, this modern infrastructure will see significant improvement in the delivery of electricity to residents of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) as the plant allows the entire district to be self-sufficient.

Brassington disclosed that GPL’s customer base has grown enormously resulting in an increase in residential consumption. “There is no doubt that GPL is receiving increased demand even as we expand capacity”.

GPL recorded 127,000 customers at the beginning of 2005 and by the end of 2014 the customer base had increased to 177,000.

Additionally, in the last 10 years, the power company saw a 65 per cent increase in the residential sales. However, technical and commercial losses continue to be a challenge.

At the end of 2004, technical and commercial losses were recorded at 38.8 per cent however by the end of 2014 it had reduced to 28.7 per cent. Brassington said even though the task is quite challenging, the company is heading in the right direction.

With the construction of this new power plant, completed with the largest of the Wärtsilä 32 series machines and the latest version of the VAASA 18V32 that has been in use since 1993, the company is well on its way to raise its standards.

Additionally, the plant includes three 8.7 megawatt Wärtsilä 20V32 generators, heat recovery boilers, switchgear to accommodate

“When I hear about blackout…and when we look at how much we have invested…some of the criticisms on GPL are justifiable, they must do better, our people deserve better. We cannot be comfortable with the frequency and regularity of blackouts we have,” President Ramotar insisted during his feature address.

acceptable quality of waste water and multi-layer corrosion protection.

“The continued investment in new generating capacity serves to meet the ever growing demand for power while allowing GPL to remove old and unreliable capacity from service,” GPL’s Chief Executive Officer Bharat Dindyal said.

With a high voltage transmission cable through the Demerara River, connecting the Vreed-en-Hoop station to the Kingston plant, the power company

Iwokrama operating with US$1.3M shortfall

– CEO says int’l donors drying up

By Svetlana MarShall

The Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development said it has been operating with a shortfall of US$1.3 million for the longest while and welcomed the US$100,000 lifeline from Government through the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Iwokrama, Dane Gobin, during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Times, said the Centre needed an average of US$2.5 million to effectively execute its mandate which is to promote the conservation and the sustainable use of tropical rainforests in a manner that will lead to lasting ecological, economic and social benefits for the people of Guyana.

With the drying up of financial support from international donors, Iwokrama last year managed to rake in a total income of US$1.2 million, with the Government of Guyana contributing US$600,000. In 2013 and 2014, the Government provided a total of US$1.5 million to relieve the centre of its financial burden. It has since indicated that this year, it will once again bail out the Centre using some US$100,000 from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

Gobin pointed out that in 2013, the Iwokrama International Centre commissioned two financial reports which suggested that between US$750,000 and US$1.2 million was needed annually to meet its core functions.

In addition to the payment of renting fees, telephone and electrical bills, the core functions include the conduct of research and science, forest management and monitoring, business development in the areas of timber production and tourism, community and stakeholder partnerships, information dissemination and outreach.

Funds are sourced from earned revenues and investments (from

businesses and partners), donors, intellectual property and services including eco-system services.

However, Gobin said in recent years international donor priorities have shifted thereby putting conservation on the back burner.

“A lot of the donor priorities are changing, donors are more interested in things like anti-terrorism, money laundering and glob-

al health issues. So conservation has taken a little hit in donor funding,” he explained.

The Centre’s total income of US$1.2 million in 2013 was down by 38 per cent over 2012 levels of US$1.9 million mainly as a result of a 40 per cent drop in grants income.

As a result, total expenditure fell in 2013 recording levels of US$1.1 million against US$2.1 million in 2012 – a decrease of approximately 44 per cent. This decrease was also as a result of the Centre’s austerity programme which included a reduction in staffing levels and operational expenditure together with a consolidation of activities. Financial records for the year ending 2014 are pending.

In addition to the Government of Guyana, Commonwealth Secretariat, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, the European Union, the Inter-

American Development Bank, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, NORAD, the Caribbean Development Bank and Chicago Zoo were among the main contributors for the previous financial years.

While the Iwokrama International Centre is managing to keep its ahead above rough waters on a minimum budget, Gobin said there was “so much” more the Centre has to offer.

“Iwokrama was the first institute to receive Forest Stewardship Council Certification, that is international certification in Europe which shows best practices in forest management; we are the first one in Guyana to develop a community monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system, so while Government is moving ahead with a national MRV, Iwokrama is moving ahead with a community MRV which will then feed into the national MRV; we are the first ones to have done a climate change manual which is being used internationally, and is being translated into seven languages,” he pointed out.

However, if the Iwokrama International Centre is to maintain its effectiveness, it would require more than “bare minimum funding”.

Nevertheless, he said the Centre was reviewing its financial model with the intention of having donors match the core funds which were garnered mainly with the support of the Government and revenues from its line of businesses.

“That will put us in a very good position … Once the donors see that, they will come in and say that you have the administrative capacity to do it, what we will do now is come and fund special project. And that is what we really need.”

Gobin said with the assistance of its local and international trustees, the Iwokrama International Centre is aggressively pursuing several financial initiatives.

“We have made initiatives [bi-

laterally with] seven countries ...., we have approached three financial institutions, and we are also looking at the European Union which has been a healthy donor to Iwokrama,” he explained.

Already, the centre has secured a grant of US$278,000 from Gesellschaft für Internationale

our core money would be met from our earned revenues, which means that we still need some support from the Government of Guyana and from the Commonwealth Secretariat and other interested parties.”

The Iwokrama International Centre was established by

Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) also referred to as the German Agency for International Cooperation. The grant will be used to support Iwokrama’s FSC certified timber business. The first disbursement was made in January 2015 following the signing of the agreement in December 2014.

Additionally, the Centre is looking to rake in additional funds from its tourism activities which made approximately US$75,000 in 2014 from approximately 1200 visitors. Its sustainable timber programme made between US$200,000 and US$300, 000 to assist with its core functions for 2015.

“We expect about 40 per cent of

Guyana and the Commonwealth through the donation of approximately 360,000 hectares (one million acres) of intact tropical rainforest by the Government and People of Guyana to the international community.

The responsibility for management, conservation and sustainable development of this forest area (the Iwokrama Forest) has been entrusted to the Iwokrama International Centre, through the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development Act of 1996, and an Agreement between the Government of Guyana and the Commonwealth signed on November 9, 1995.

Accused walks free, but later rearrested

The two accused in the murder trial of a fireman were both set free by a mixed jury on Monday but still had to return to jail after State Prosecutor Judith Mursalin informed the court that the duo was on a list to be tried for robbery under arms.

On trial for the December 24, 2011 murder of 22-year-old Delon Collins of Vrymen’s Erven, New Amsterdam Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) were Hallman Hunte, 40, of Alness, Corentyne and Sohan Busjit, 26, of Limlair Village, Corentyne.

After more than a twohour deliberation, the jury returned a not guilty verdict. Before the verdict was read, Justice Brassington Reynolds addressed the jury for more than four hours giving them guidance on how to come up with a verdict.

The State’s case stated that the two accused killed fireman Delon Collins during a robbery on Christmas Eve night, 2011, at the home of his girlfriend Nadine Crawford.

Crawford evidence in the trial came under scrutiny by both defence Attorneys Ramesh Rajkumar and Horatio Edmonson who represented Hunte and Busjit respectively.

During the trial, the State called seven witnessed and the defence called four witnesses including the two accused.

In her evidence, Crawford said she gave six statements to the Police, claimed she knew Hallman Hunte for several years and that they once attended the Alness Living Water Church. She said that she had seen Sohan Busjit on two occasions prior to that Christmas Eve night.

The first occasion was when she was assigned to the New Amsterdam Prison as a Welfare Officer and he came in to the admission room and the second occasion was about two weeks before the night in question when he was in the prison yard.

In an unsworn statement from the dock, Hunte

said, “Your Honour, I am innocent. I never had a matter at the Whim Magistrate Court at 2011, neither was I in prison in 2010 .I never attended Alness Living Water Assembly Church with Nadine Crawford or Jane Hawker. I didn’t know where they lived. I never robbed Nadine Crawford or kill Delon Collins. I am innocent.”

Busjit, in giving his evidence from the dock denied the allegation and related that he left Guyana two weeks before Christmas in 2011.

“I do not know nothing about what Crawford talking about. I never see Nadine Crawford, I never knew her. Mr Persaud put me in the identification parade. Two minutes later the door opened and he say you all come out.

Mr Persaud call me saying Busjit come this way. Mr Persaud told me that I was the one that people pointed out. I ask Mr Persaud if I can see the people and he say the people jumped into a car and they drove away.

Mr Persaud took me to a table and had a seat. My fist was in a cuff. He placed a pen in my hand and told me to write my name Sohan Busjit. Since the middle of

November I left Guyana and went to Suriname. In January 2012 I was deported from Suriname. I am innocent of this charge. I never knew Hallman Hunte on the road. I met Hallman in 2012 February in prison after he went to court.”

After the two were set free of the murder charge, Prosecutor Mursalin told the court that both men had to return to jail since they had other matters pending. Both are on a charges of robbery under arms stemming from the December 24, 2011 incident while Busjit was on the list of matters to be tried at the Berbice Assizes during the February session.

He is to be tried for attempt to commit murder, wounding with intent and common assault. Busjit is currently serving a one-year sentence.

tuesday, february 10, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Essequibo family brutalised by bandits

By IndrawattIe natram

AZorg, Essequibo Coast businessman is nurs-

ing wounds after four masked bandits invaded his home Sunday night and beat, robbed and chopped him. According to businessman Asif Khan, aka Hanif,

back of the yard.

Police on the Essequibo Coast have since launched an investigation and are hunting for the men. Up to press time, no one has been arrested in connection with the robbery. Police visited the home and took statements from both the businessman and his wife.

four masked men brazenly entered his home Sunday night around 20:00h and held his family at gunpoint. His wife was also beaten by the bandits.

The bandits carted off $250,000 cash, phone cards, jewellery and groceries before escaping through the

Fingerprint samples were lifted from the scene. One of the men’s masks was left behind. Family members believe that the robbery was committed by someone from the Coast and are calling on the Police to step up their fight against crime. They contended too that

ranks at the Suddie Police Station were very slow in dealing with the report.

The traumatised businessman, from Lot 108 Zorg Village, said that despite his father, Amir Khan, making a report to Police during the ordeal, the officers arrived one hour after the report made.

Relating his ordeal, Khan said around 20:00h, he went upstairs to put his BlackBerry to charge when he was confronted by two masked men,” one had a gun, the other had a cutlass, they ordered me to go on the ground and began to beat me and fire lashes from the cutlass to my head”.

Khan said he was so scared he did not know what to do but to obey the bandits’ commands. He suffered injuries to his head. The businessman was later taken to the Suddie Public Hospital where he was treated and received a medical. His head has approximately eight stitches.

Khan explained that during the ordeal, the masked men kept demanding money and told him if he did not give them money, they would set him on fire. “They were asking each other to get gasoline and to throw it on me, I told him that’s all

the money I had.”

Khan said they also ransacked his house and his shop, which is housed in the bottom flat of his home. His two trucks were also ransacked. When asked if he had any security to protect his business place, Khan said the cameras were on.

Helpless

Meanwhile, his still shaken wife, Bibi Shaneeza Khan, said that the men gained entry via a wooden gate aback of their house. The 37-year-old mother of one said that she was mercilessly beaten and tied up by two armed men who had her son at gunpoint. She related that she was speaking to her mother from overseas at her lower flat when she looked at the door and saw the masked men. She said her mother heard the entire ordeal over the phone. Khan was in her kitchen when the men approached her with guns and cutlasses ordering her not to say anything.

“They started to ransack everywhere, I told them ‘look the bag with the money, take it and go’, I was begging to save my son, he is only 11 years, they started to beat me and told me to shut my mouth,” Khan’s wife related.

“The bandits shouted and took towel and started to tie us up. I cried and started to scream when they began to hit me, they then went upstairs to my husband,” the shaken businesswoman related.

The businesswoman related that she could not identify any of the bandit’s voices. The businesswoman also related the Police arrived one hour after the incident and asked them if it was a “joke”. She alleged that the

Khan said that they were in business for 18 years and this was their third robbery.

Father of 8 remanded for illegal possession of firearm, ammunition

Ronaldo Singh appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for having in his possession an unlicensed firearm and live rounds of ammunition.

Singh pleaded not guilty to both charges through his Attorney Sandil Kissoon who told the court that his client is a businessman who has eight children and is currently suffering from kidney and heart conditions.

He went on to say that while his client was in Police custody at Eve Leary, his doctor was trying to contact him but was unsuccessful.

He also told the court that his client was not present when Police raided his property.

After finding the firearm, Singh was subsequently confronted by the Police and told of the find.

The Attorney said his client’s business place is a public area and is accessible to any one of his employees.

Police Prosecutor Michael Grant, said that on February 6 at Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara, Singh had in his possession a .45 pistol and seven live round of ammunition without being the holder of a firearm licence.

Grant said that Police were acting on a lead and

Ronaldo Singh

went to the defendant’s home to conduct a search.

Upon arrival, the Police contacted him and told him

their intent and were allowed to conduct the search.

Prosecutor Grant continued, saying the gun was found in the living room and that Singh was the only person present on the property.

He told the court that Singh admitted orally to the Police that he bought the gun two years ago from a Police Officer.

Grant objected to bail on the grounds of the nature, gravity, prevalence and penalty attached to the offence.

He was remanded until the February 11 and will make his next appearance at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.

officers were intoxicated when they visited the scene. Relatives of the businessman also said that area where they live is “bushy” and persons can easily hide in the bushes. They are calling on the Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) Administration to help clear the bushes.

When this newspaper spoke with neighbours, they said that they did not hear nothing until the Police arrived. Neighbours have also called for the bushes to be removed.

Caricom Rice Mill tragedy

Teenager died from multiple injuries

The teenager that was killed at Caricom Rice Mill Limited, at Cotton Field in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) on February,5, 2015, died as a result of multiple injuries he sustained, an autopsy revealed.

The autopsy was conducted on Monday by Government pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh at the Suddie Mortuary.

Threeson Gittens, 18, aka Blackee of Richmond Housing Scheme lost his life

while at work, where a tank loaded with some 300 bags of paddy fell onto him. Two other workers escaped unhurt.

Gittens was said to be cleaning the tank when the “cone” attached to the paddy cylinder tank broke.

The company has since launched an investigation into the incident but there have been no reported findings to date.

Gittens was employed at Caricom Rice Mills for about a year.

DNA tests on headless corpse completed

The DNA tests on samples taken from a headless corpse suspected to be that of MFK Trading boss Mohamed Feroze Khan have been completed, according to a senior Police rank.

The results are expected to be collected by a member of the Guyana Police Force later in the week. The samples were taken to a lab in Trinidad and Tobago to confirm whether or not the headless corpse is that of the businessman who went missing a few days prior to

the discovery.

The senior rank indicated that the procedure was similar to that of the Nyozi Goodman case. “CID [Criminal Investigation Department] ranks will have to personally travel to that country to uplift the results which are normally sealed,” he added.

The decomposed, headless corpse was found on September 22, 2014 at Old Road, Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown. The head was reportedly found by workers attached to the

Public Works Ministry who were weeding in the area. It was reportedly in a black plastic bag and was being carried by a dog.

Upon the discovery, the men went to the area from where the dog came and stumbled upon the body.

The businessman who resided in Venezuela after selling his Hadfield business left that country on August 21, 2014 to visit his Guyanese attorney.

He was expected to spend five days in Guyana and return to his three children

and wife. After his disappearance, his family members contacted several of his friends, but they said that they had not seen him.

However, after the discovery, relatives of the businessman turned up at the Lyken Funeral Home and positively identified the remains as those of Khan by the underwear and a belt that was found on the corpse.

On July 9, 2014, the 54-year-old businessman was shot to his abdomen by a gunman at La Grange,

West Bank Demerara in a failed execution attempt. It was reported that a business deal of Khan turned sour. At that time, he claimed that he had sold a property, but the buyer wanted to rob him of millions and he thought that the execution attempt might have been orchestrated by the buyer. Khan left the business world about six years ago after he received death threats. Investigators believe that the man was beheaded before his body was dumped in the area.

Take charge of community – Police tell Agricola residents

– as rehabilitated community play field commissioned

Residents of Agricola, Greater Georgetown, will now be able to enjoy a good sport game in the comfort of their back yard as the Guyana Police Force rehabilitated the community’s play ground which was overrun by bushes.

The facility was commissioned on Sunday by acting Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, and Commander of 'A' Division, Clifton Hicken, in the presence of the residents. The Community Centre ground/play field is located at the end of the main access road in Agricola.

Speaking at the simple ceremony, Police Commissioner Persaud, called on the residents of Agricola to work together and take charge of their community. He urged them not to let people define the community but ensure that it is clean, safe and peoplefriendly.

The Police Commissioner pointed out that when the Force embarked on the Social Crime Prevention Programme, it recognised that crime is a social problem and while law enforcement services can go a long way in tackling it, they cannot deal with it comprehensively.

“We have to deal with social problems socially,” he said, as such they begun the Impact Albouystown project, involving Police with community leaders and the community as a whole. Persaud went on to say that there was a need for such an intervention in Agricola.

“Communities become what the people in the communities do or don’t do, they shape the community. And the peace or violence that obtains within those communities, the production or destruction that occur within communities has to do with

what the residents of those communities do or don’t do particularly those community leaders,” he remarked.

According to the Top Cop, among the first persons the Police targeted in the communities were religious leaders and then the Private Sector came on board to support the programmes. Persaud outlined that while sport is one of the major thrusts of what the programme aims to do, there are many other aspects they work on, such as life skills development and vocational skills development. He noted that the Police listen to what the community members want and are interested in and provide those services.

“In Albouystown, we started a whole lot of group businesses, small businesses. We help people to build beauty salons, hollow block making and a whole lot of

things. We engage you in an organised way and ask the community leaders to indicate what are some of the things you would like to see your community do. What is the future of your community? If you can picture that, then we can work with you to realise it,” Persaud mentioned.

According to the Top Cop, they are supposed to prosecute parents who do not send their children to school but they do not do that. Instead, the Police go to the homes and offer as-

Meanwhile, Commander Hicken pointed out that the project is the brainchild of the Police Commissioner and since he was put at the helm of Force almost a year ago, he has been implementing new initiates that are benefiting the Force. The most notable, Hicken said, are the community impact projects where the Police is working to strengthen its relationship with Guyanese.

He outlined that such interactions gives the Police a feedback as to what issues are plaguing the com-

said that the initiative was undertaken because the Police is concerned about the community and wants to it along with its people especially the younger ones to develop. Moore further urged the community members to work along with the Police to ensure that the field is maintained and does not return to its previous state.

sistance. Persaud said that they find out what are the prevailing circumstances that prohibit the parents from sending their children to school. “Children need play grounds, they have a lot of energy and if we don’t find positive ways for them to expend those energies then they will find destructive ways to do so. They will spend those energies destroying rather than building,” he mentioned.

Statement still to be taken from gang-raped teen

Family members of the alleged gang-raped teenager are furious that the Police have failed to take a statement from the victim who has been discharged from the New Amsterdam Hospital two weeks ago.

The teenager’s mother, speaking with Guyana Times during a telephone interview explained that while her son has regained mobility and speech, one has to listen keenly to understand. The woman is optimistic that her son will be fully recovered soon.

“Last week Friday, I call Leonora Police Station to find out what happening with de case, but someone tell me that they have to check in with the boss,” the woman related.

She further stated that her son is continuously calling the names of three of his friends who were involved in the incident. Two of them reportedly work at a Supermarket in Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank

Demerara.

Based on information gathered from the young man’s conversation with his mother, it is believed that the two staff members were having an affair and the teenager threatened to expose them. The incident might have occurred in an attempt to keep him quiet.

He told his mother that he was drugged at the party and taken to a strange place where the act was committed. His best friend reportedly took him to his house at Vreed-en-Hoop but was instructed by his step father to get rid of the injured teen.

The teenager reportedly told his mother that he was placed in a minibus where he managed to escape.

According to her, the young man is now fearful for his life after he found out that the perpetrators were still at large. Nevertheless, he is willing to give the Police a statement.

“He does call he brother and

brother-in-law name but the doctor say that he will tek he sometime to fully recover,’ the distraught mother informed. The teen is required to visit the Georgetown Public Hospital for regular checkups.

Attempts to make contact with a senior Police rank at Leonora proved futile.

On Old Year’s Night, the teenager was invited to a party at Vreed-en-Hoop after which he was allegedly gang raped by several men.

The incident reportedly took place at the Jetty at Vreed-enHoop Stelling. The best friend whom the teen claimed was involved in the incident was arrested twice but subsequently released on station bail.

The Police had said that a statement from the victim was needed before they could proceed with the investigations. Now that the teenager is discharged from the hospital, the family is hoping that justice can be served.

munity or how it is benefiting from programmes implemented by the Force.

The Commander added that the Commissioner is taking the Force forward at a time when it is necessary.

Deputy Commander of the A Division, Superintendent Deon Moore, in brief remarks reflected on the condition the field was in prior to the involvement of the Police to rehabilitate the facility. He

A resident, Iris Morris, expressed her excitement at the initiative undertaken by the Police. The mother of 12 said that most of her children are young and the play field provides a good recreational facility for the children to use. “They do a wonderful job. We can keep the youths in sports and bring out the talent in the children of Agricola,” she stated. Following the commissioning ceremony of the Community Centre ground, Commissioner Persaud kicked off a football match between the Agricola residents and members of the Police Force.

GECOM trains staff for disciplined services balloting

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) continues to intensify its preparation for Elections 2015 with the training of persons to work either as Ballot Attendants or Ballot Clerks for the Disciplined Services balloting.

In a release, GECOM said the training exercise took place last Saturday at St Joseph’s High School and was attended by trainers currently utilised by GECOM to train Polling Day staff.

Participants were taught the important duties of the Ballot Officer, Ballot Attendants, as well as those of the Ballot Clerk.

Moreover, they were given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the relevant content and methodology required for the efficient and effective conduct of the Disciplined Services balloting.

As the training session progressed, participants acquainted themselves with the relevant forms and envelopes required for the

proper conduct of the Disciplined Services ballot.

In addition, they were given practice on how to accurately complete the relevant forms and records that are part of the Disciplined Services balloting process.

Participants were also able to develop a deep appreciation for the organisational structure that will be utilised to facilitate the efficient, effective and transparent conduct of the Disciplined Services balloting.

Additionally, participants further enlightened themselves on all the activities to be conducted before the day the Disciplined Services cast their ballots, on the very day of the balloting during the poll, and after the close of poll.

This one-day training session was facilitated by three of GECOM’s most experienced trainers in election processes: Joseph Gilgeous, Roxanne RamdyhanLewi, and Nardeo Persaud.

Regional Resignation pressure mounts on Holness

Pressure mounted on Opposition Leader Andrew Holness to resign on Sunday when senior Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) parliamentarian Delroy Chuck requested an urgent meeting of the party’s MPs to discuss last Friday’s Constitutional Court declaration in the Senate resignation letters saga.

Chuck, who just over a week ago was appointed the party’s spokesman on justice and was asked to shadow the Attorney General portfolio, made the meeting request in a letter to Derrick Smith, the Leader of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives.

He also copied the letter to all Opposition MPs.

Chuck said that, after reading the judgements in the case, he believed “the matter to be of urgent national importance” and as such was urging his parliamentary colleagues to read them.

“In the Westminster System of Government, any constitutional office holder – be it Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Speaker of the House, Chief Justice, or others –

who the court rules or declares to act unlawfully and unconstitutionally would be obliged, in all good conscience and honour, to tender his or her resignation, unless there are good and compelling reasons not to do so,” Chuck said.

“I ask that you call an urgent meeting of all Opposition MPs to consider the matter,” he added.

On Friday, the Constitutional Court – comprising justices Courtney Day, Marva McDonaldBishop, and David Batts – declared unanimously that Holness’s request

for pre-signed and undated resignation letters from persons to be appointed Opposition Senators, and his use of those letters to oust Arthur Williams and Dr Christopher Tufton were “inconsistent with the Constitution, contrary to public policy, unlawful and, accordingly null and void”.

The Court made the declaration on a claim filed by Williams after he and Tufton were ousted from the Senate in November 2013 after the acrimonious leadership race for the JLP that pitted Audley Shaw against Holness. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Media workers to have input in Defamation Bill

Media workers across Antigua and Barbuda were given the opportunity to make recommendations to the Defamation Bill.

The Legal Affairs Ministry issued the invitation for the consultation between the media fraternity and the parliamentary committee on Monday that was set up to review the Bill.

The meeting, scheduled to take place at 10:00h on Monday at the Ministry’s Parliament Drive office will be chaired by head of the committee, Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin.

Last week, the committee, which includes mem-

bers of the ruling administration and the opposition, met with members of the legal fraternity.

Two media workers, who were present for that meeting, made a number of recommendations to the Bill to include the need to define ‘defamation’ and to add a ‘good faith’ clause in relation to the section that speaks to publication “of any matter which is not of public concern…”

Another recommendation, made by Queen’s Counsel Sir Gerald Watt QC, was for the statute of limitiations to be reduced from three years to two. He agreed with the media work-

ers that the defence of qualified priviledge needs to be made clearer.

The Bill will replace the current Libel and Slander Act which makes defamation a crime punishable by imprisonment to up to three years in addition to a fine, determined by the court.

The Defamation Bill seeks to address personal, false or derogatory attacks on a person’s character being made through print, online and broadcast media.

This does not refer only to work done by media organisations, but also to statements by any member of the public. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

Plane carrying Chile soccer stars found, 50 years on

Climbers in Chile’s Andes say they have found the wreckage of a missing plane that disappeared more than half a century ago with a team of soccer stars on board.

Images of the twisted wreck of the LAN Chile Douglas DC-3 that went down April 3, 1961 were shown on Chilean television Sunday, released by the climbers who said the find was in Maule, about 300 kilometres (190 miles) south of Santiago.

“The plane is more than

3,200 metres (10,000 feet) up the mountain. Quite a bit of the fuselage is still there, a lot of things scattered over the area including human bones. So this story is getting a rewrite since this is not where original accounts said,” one of the mountaineers, Leonardo Albornoz, explained.

The plane was carrying 34 people when it crashed, with all presumed dead. They included eight members of the Green Cross football squad, team coach Arnaldo Vasquez, and other

team staff and friends who were coming back to Santiago from a match in Osorno.

The plane has been missing ever since, but the story until now had been that a LAN pilot had spotted something he said was the footballers’ plane in another location – near the city of Linares.

The mountaineers declined to give the exact location to Chilean media, saying they feared the crash site could be desecrated, even though it is remote. (Yahoo! News)

Sexual health educator makes case for subject to be taught in schools

The HIV/AIDS Coordinator for the Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross is making a case for a more aggressive approach to sexual education in schools amid growing numbers of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

Elvis Murray-Watkins, who was the 2014 National Youth Awardee for Community Service, in acknowledgement of his work in educating youth on sexual health, said youth need to properly educated and guided as it relates to safe sexual practices.

“Parents teach you how

to say your ABCs, and the same thing happens at school – just at a more technical level – and the same applies to sexual education … the information just has to be age appropriate,” he charged.

Murray-Watkins said that Antigua & Barbuda needs to move away from considering sex as a taboo topic in an effort to ensure that each youth has the relevant information on sexual practices.

Last month, Education Minister Michael Browne was adamant that sexual education was a job for parents and not the ministry, whose focus is to strengthen students’ performance in core subjects.

But Murray-Watkins said guidance counsellors in schools should be used to fill the gap.

However, he noted that more schools and churches are approaching the Red Cross and other service organisations to host sexual education seminars.

Meantime, the youth who is a Behavioural Change Communication (BCC) educator of Population Services International (PSI) is calling for the development of a teen clinic where young people can consult a doctor without a parent or guardian being present. (Excerpt

Former AG calls for resignation of 3 senior TT Govt Ministers

Former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj has called for the resignation of three senior Government Ministers as the fallout continues from the Police investigation into former attorney general Anand Ramlogan on charges of seeking to pervert the course of justice.

He said the law states that “where persons are present witnessing the commission of a crime and even if they remain silent, they were present, they could aid and abet the commission of a crime.

Both the Prime Minister and the Commissioner of Police have a duty to the public to act swiftly,” Lawrence told reporters Sunday.

Media reports Sunday reported that dismissed National Security Minister Gary Griffith had presented Police with a report of a meeting at which he was being pressured to withdraw a statement he made in support of the Director of the Police Complaints authority (DCA) David West.

Griffith told the Police that Communication Minister

Vasant Bharath, Housing Minister, Dr Roodal Moonilal and Labour Minister Errol Mc Leod, who was then acting Prime Minister, were present at the meeting, but that McLeod and Moonilal kept quiet while Bharath sought to have him withdraw the statement that he had been asked by Ramlogan to contact West in relation to a witness statement filed in the lawsuit between the former Government Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Keith Rowley.

Dominica authorities probe crash of privately owned Venezuelan small plane

The Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation into an accident at the small Canefield Airport when a privately owned twin engine plane from Venezuela with seven people on board skid off the runway and crashed into a fence.

Minister responsible for Ports, Ian Pinnard, said that one person was treated and later released from the prince Margaret Hospital. He said the plane

had crashed into the fence, “almost into the containers on the side of the Canefield road”.

“The investigation is taking place within the Port (Authority) and the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority,” said noting that he expected to receive a report from the Chief Executive Officer of the Port Authority on Monday.

The airport, west of here, is due to be re-opened on Monday and Pinnard said he expects the investigation to be completed “very soon

and then we will have all the report as to what took place at Canefield Airport.

“The Canefield Airport will continue to operate as is, the Government has no plans in place for Canefield…but as far as I know the plan for Canefield is to remain open and operate with small aircraft.

The Canefield Airport was built in 1979 with British funding and used to accommodate regular schedule flights of the several airlines including the regional carrier, LIAT.

(Caribbean360)

Rape, acid attacks, kidnap: girls face rising violence in fight for education – UN

High-profile attacks

such as the abduction 300 schoolgirls by Boko Haram in Nigeria and the shooting of Malala Yousafzai in Pakistan are a fraction of what is suffered by girls trying to get an education, the UN human rights office said on Monday.

Many of the attacks are done in the name of religion or culture, while others are gang-related, notably in El Salvador and other parts of Central America, Veronica Birga, Chief of the women’s human rights and gender section at the UN human rights office, said at a presentation to launch the report.

Such violence is on the rise, the UN report said, citing acid attacks and poisoning by the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan, girls from a Christian school in India abducted and raped in 2013, and Somali girls taken out of school and forced to marry al Shabaab fighters in 2010.

“Attacks against girls accessing education persist and, alarmingly, appear in some countries to be occurring with increasingly regularity,” the report said. “In most instances, such attacks form part of broader patterns of violence, inequality and discrimination.”

Many of the attacks in at least 70 countries between 2009-2014 involved rape and

abduction, the report said.

“The common cause of all these attacks, which are very different in nature, is deeply entrenched discrimination against women and girls,” Birga told the news briefing.

In Mali, Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan “very strict dress codes have been imposed through the use of violence, including sexual violence on schoolgirls”, she said. Some attacks were based

on opposition to girls’ education as a means for social change and others because schools were seen as imposing Western values including gender equality, she said.

She warned that depriving girls of education has serious knock-on effects.

“They are more exposed to child marriages and forced marriages, they are more exposed to trafficking and the worst forms of child labor,” she said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

At least 29 migrants die of cold on Italian coast guard boats

At least 29 migrants died of hypothermia aboard Italian coast guard vessels after being picked up from an inflatable boat adrift near Libya, the mayor of the Italian island of Lampedusa said on Monday.

Two patrol boats picked up 105 migrants late on Sunday from the boat drifting in extreme sea conditions, with waves as high as eight metres (26 feet) and temperatures just a few degrees above zero, the coast guard said in a statement.

The migrants spent around 18 hours on the decks of one of the boats taking them to Lampedusa, buffeted by high winds and spray. At least 29 died en route of hypothermia, Lampedusa’s Mayor, Giusi Nicolini, told Reuters.

The number of dead may still rise, she said. One migrant had been taken by helicopter to the island of Sicily in critical condition, and the second patrol boat has yet to reach port.

Nicolini blamed the closure of Italy’s search-and-

rescue mission, known as Mare Nostrum, last year for the tragedy. Since then no navy ships capable of keeping large numbers of migrants below deck have patrolled the waters near the Libyan coast.

“Mare Nostrum was an emergency solution to a humanitarian crisis, so closing it was a huge and intolerable step backward,” Nicolini said in a telephone interview. Human rights groups repeatedly warned that ending the mission would endanger lives. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Somalia lawmaker shot dead in Mogadishu

Somalia’s al-Shabab fighters have shot dead a lawmaker in the capital Mogadishu, the latest in a string of assassinations of politicians in the war-torn country.

“Abdulahi Qayad Barre was shot dead, men killed him as he left his house to go to parliament,” fellow MP Abdukarim Hajji said on Monday.

At least five MPs were killed last year, but Barre was the first to have been assassinated in 2015. The al-

Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab rebels are fighting to overthrow the country’s internationally-backed government.

The fighters say they are targeting MPs as they allowed the deployment of foreign troops on Somali soil.

Uganda, Burundi, Djibout, Kenya and Ethiopia have contributed troops to the African Union’s peacekeeping mission called AMISOM.

“Shebab commandoes shot and killed Barre, and all the so-called MPs are

Around the World

Ukraine conflict: US may supply arms to Ukraine

President Barack Obama says the US is studying the option of supplying lethal defensive arms to Ukraine if diplomacy fails to end the crisis in the east.

Russia had violated “every commitment” made in the failing Minsk agreement, he added, after talks with the German chancellor on a new peace deal.

Obama has come under pressure from senior US of-

ficials to supply arms, despite objections from Angela Merkel. Russia denies accusations of sending troops and supplying the rebels.

The latest diplomatic efforts come amid renewed fighting between the proRussia rebels and Ukrainian Government troops, with fighting centred around the strategic railway hub of Debaltseve.

The rebels said on Monday they had cut off a

key supply road to the town, which is near the rebel-held city of Donetsk, but the military says the battle is ongoing.

Ukrainian Government officials say nine soldiers and at least seven civilians have been killed in fighting over the last 24 hours. The crisis in Ukraine has already claimed more than 5300 lives and displaced 1.5 million people from their homes.

Afghanistan drone strike kills IS commander Abdul Rauf

Adrone strike in Afghanistan has killed a militant commander who recently swore allegiance to Islamic State (IS), officials say.

The police chief of Helmand said that former Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Rauf had died in the NATO strike. It emerged last month that Rauf had sworn allegiance to IS after falling out with the Taliban. Tribal elders in northern Helmand say a car carrying up to six

people was destroyed while crossing the desert.

The car was loaded with ammunition and exploded, reports said. The Afghan Intelligence Agency also said Rauf had been killed. NATO confirmed the air strike, but not the intended target.

Afghan forces say it has been very hard to call in air strikes under the new Nato mandate since the beginning of this year. This was one of the first strikes to be approved.

The militant commander’s brother-in-law and four Pakistanis were also killed in the attack, Helmand Police Chief Nabi Jan Mullahkhel was quoted by Reuters as saying. Islamic State controls swathes of Syria and Iraq and has a small but growing presence in parts of Afghanistan. Correspondents say it poses the first serious challenge to the coherence of the Taliban leadership for many years.

China executes mining tycoon Liu Han

a legitimate target subject to be killed or captured, to face the justice of Allah,” alShabab spokesman Sheikh Abdul Aziz Abu Musab told AFP news agency.

“This [is] the fate of all non believers.”

Al-Shabab attacks in Somalia have targeted key government and security sites in an apparent bid to discredit claims by the authorities and African Union troops that they are winning the war. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

AChinese mining billionaire said to have links with disgraced former security tsar Zhou Yongkang and who once launched a bid for Australia’s Sundance Resources was executed for multiple murder on Monday, a court said.

Liu Han, his younger brother Liu Wei and three accomplices were con-

demned to death in May for “organising and leading a mafia-style group”, murder and other crimes.

Their appeals were unsuccessful and all five were put to death on Monday, the Xianning intermediate court in the central province of Hubei said on its verified account on China’s Twitterlike Sina Weibo.

The five met with their “close relatives” before the execution, the court said in a separate posting. “The executed criminals’ legal rights were fully protected,” it added.

Liu Han led private company Hanlong, which is based in the south-western province of Sichuan and launched a takeover bid of more than US$1 billion for Sundance, a listed Australian iron ore firm, in 2011.

But the deal collapsed in 2013 after the Chinese firm failed to follow through. Chinese media reports said at the time that Liu Han had been detained.

Sichuan is one of the power bases of Zhou, who once enjoyed vast power as China’s security chief but whose targeting in a corruption investigation was announced in July. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

VOX POPULI PUBLIC OPINION I SAY...

What do you think about the new petting zoo?

Tanek McPherson

“Oh well, from before, it’s really great. The petting zoo is great. It’s a great environment for children, it’s really great.”

Neville Welcome

“It’s great, I live overseas and it’s impressive. I brought my little daughter and she’s enjoying it a lot. It’s been great because I used to come, since I was a small boy and I see a lot of improvements, but we need a few more animals, because I miss the elephant and I miss the lions. We need a few more exotic animals.”

Natalie Singh

“It is much better. For a good while, you used to come here and be bored. It’s really good right now. They did a good job.”

Denise McKenzie

“Well, so far, I wasn’t really impressed with the beginning but coming down to the back, now I’m seeing all of this and it’s really nice. So if they want in front just as nice, it’s going to increase the excitement. Also there are still some cages that are empty, so they need to look into that.”

Cipriani Chandrawatie

“Compared to before – it was so boring, so now it’s exciting for the children. It’s like a nice outing. They have more activity; it has the children more busy. In terms of improvement, there’s just a little bit more like with the animals, they need a bit more grooming.”

Kevin Seeram

“Well the Guyanese zoo has improved a lot. It’s a long time I didn’t come here and I was blown away with what I see. I think they did a really good job and I thank them for that. But I would like to see much more animals next time I come. Everything is really good, the facilities, the pens and everything.”

Veerian Sammy

“First of all, I love the way how the place looks so nice, how all the pens them look so professional. I’m seeing a lot of improvement from coming here from months ago to now, I really want to congratulate the people them who working here for the job they’ve done here. So, if this is the beginning, then I think that we can look forward to more improvement to come. I am enjoying it.”

Dharshannie Kannan

“Oh, it’s so much better now. At first time, it was never really clean, it’s clean now. In every way that I can see, it’s just better.”

Andre Pooran

“It improved a lot. Normally when you come in here, you don’t see animals. I’m impressed: it has improved a lot. There are animals in some of the usually empty cages. You seeing jaguars and stuff, it’s nice. But there still got some empty cages, so they need more animals to fill them. But for now, it’s okay.”

Commuters give public transportation low grade

ASatisfaction survey revealed that only 41 per cent of the public is satisfied with the service provided.

The survey, conducted by the Ministry of Public Works (MPW), measured accessibility, timeliness, comfort, information and safety of eight major bus routes: 31, 32, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45, with Route 43 (Georgetown-Linden) delivering the best service with a 68 per cent rating.

Route 31 (GeorgetownWales) received a 55 per cent rating; Route 32 (Georgetown-Parika) 41 per cent; Route 42 (Georgetown-Timehri)

39 per cent; Route 44 (Georgetown-Mahaica)

32 per cent; Route 41 (Stabroek-South Ruimveldt) 31 per cent; Route 45 (Stabroek-Main, Lamaha-Alberttown) 31 per cent and Route 40 (Stabroek-Kitty/ Campbellville) 29 per cent.

In a release, the

Ministry said that its Chief Transport Planning Officer, Patrick Thompson,

during his presentation “An Imperative for Public Transportation Reform”

der the theme, “Defending Guyana’s Development With Engineering

noted that the eight routes account for 67 per cent of the total public bus fleet in Guyana, which amounts to 3513 minibuses. He made this disclosure on Thursday

at the fifth Engineering Conference at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. The Conference was held un-

Solutions”.

The Chief Transport Planning Officer gave a breakdown of the five most annoying scenarios passengers face on a daily ba-

sis: (i) the manner of soliciting passengers at bus parks; (ii) type and loudness of music; (iii) buses being readily available during peak hours; (iv) adequate space (seating and leg room) and (v) ease of boarding. An estimated 60 per cent of Guyana’s productive labour force uses public transportation daily, Thompson said, which was widely available and fairly reliable. However, he acknowledged there were limitations.

“The minibuses used [in Guyana] are not designed to public transport vehicle standards. With 15 seats, the vehicles are operating at the limits of their design capacity, even minimal overloading is an unacceptable strain on the suspension system,” Thompson explained.

He added that when overloaded, the vehicles’ centre of gravity would be elevated and when operated at high speeds, tend to become unstable and susceptible to roll-

ing over. Further, the age of the buses is a factor. According to Thompson, many of the vehicles plying the roadways are between 10 and 20 years old.

Larger buses the answer? In his presentation, Thompson informed the audience that minibuses have a marginally lower initial cost; however, other than this aspect, all the arguments – economic and operational – favour the larger vehicles. “From experience elsewhere, the operating costs per passenger, per kilometre of the 15-seater minibus may be about 20 to 30 per cent higher than equivalent to the cost to operate the larger (26-30 seat) vehicle,” he posited.

Recommendations for reformation of the transport system will be reviewed this year, Thompson added, when a Sustainable Urban Transport Study for Georgetown commences.

UG strike action:

Classes slowly resuming

...despite calls for widening protest

Several students and lecturers at the University of Guyana Turkeyen Campus turned up on Monday to begin the new semester in the midst of industrial action by the workers’ unions.

Guyana Times observed on Monday that students of the Health Sciences Faculty and Law Department were among the growing number who showed up to attend classes. Some found lecturers in their classrooms ready to teach at the allotted time.

Nicholas Carryl, a third-year law student, told this publication that he had a class as early as 08:00h.

Another student opined that while several full-time lecturers in the aforementioned departments have attended scheduled classes, the majority of those who showed up were part time.

The University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) and the University

of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) continued their strike and were gathered on the campus early Monday. They have refused an offer of 25 per cent increase from the administration which later called off negotiations.

Dr Melissa Ifill, President of the UGSSA, stated that lecturers still supported the protest actions for an increase in the salaries of both supporting staff and lecturers.

A number of students had expressed their opinions that the Unions were quite unrealistic in their decision to not accept the administration’s offer.

Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor (VC) Jacob Opadeyi has responded to the University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS) on a list of concerns that affect students at the Turkeyen Campus. But, according to him, while action has been taken immediately to address a few of the concerns,

some will require time.

On February 3, the UGSS sent a 15-point list of concerns to Professor Opadeyi for him to address, expressing that the students would not return to classes until these aims were met.

Through the pen of Economics Major Mario Joseph, the UGSS outlined several concerns that are obstacles to the efficient delivery of education at the university.

The young man detailed that the physical condition of the University required the immediate attention of the administration. He listed that the University should be properly bordered, have adequate ancillary staff to clean the washrooms, the plumbing situation should be addressed to avoid backups of the toilets, stray animals gotten rid, the grass cut for students’ safety and to also bolster security.

The students were also demanding an updated library,

proper teaching materials, tools for class practicals and among other things.

In a correspondence to the UGSS, the VC indicated that he was trying to ensure that some, if not all, of their concerns were addressed.

Elderly woman found dead, reportedly raped

A67-year-old Corentyne woman was found dead in her home early

Monday morning .The woman, who lived alone, was identified as Ramdai Mohabir called “Aunty Elsie” of 665 Topoo, Albion, Berbice.

The discovery was made by her son who lives next door around 05:00h. Deonarine Ramdeo said he was alerted by his wife who told him that the louver panes were missing from his mother’s single flat home. He told the Guyana Times that his mother would usually be up early and after not getting a reply to repeated calls, he decided to venture towards her house, it was then that he noticed a wooden window in her bedroom at the back of the house was also open.

The man related that as he approached the open win-

dow, he saw the naked body of his mother lying on the bed with her legs in an upward position and her fists clenched. She reportedly had marks of violence on her face, mouth and neck. He said he raised an alarm and immediately called out to his sister who

lived two houses away.

Mohabir’s daughter, Vinmattie Reddy, 38, said she was preparing breakfast when she heard her brother calling out for her. “I hear he calling me to see wha happen to mommy , I go over and she lying with she foot cock up in the air and she hands clenched. I couldn’t able see she, they rape she and choke she....”

She believes that her mother was raped before being strangled to death. She said her face was swollen, her mouth was bleeding and her neck was red. In addition, her genitals were covered in blood. Reddy went on to say after they opened the front door, she covered her mother with a sheet until the Police arrived.

Even though Mohabir was sickly, Reddy explained she

preferred to live alone and did many things on her own. She had been living there for the past six months by herself.

In tears, the grieving daughter said she was praying that the lawmen find the perpetrator who murdered and did such a horrific act to her mother. The intruder/s reportedly gained entry by removing several panes from a louver window on the side of the house and allegedly left through the wooden window at the back of the house.

According to the family, the only thing noticeably missing was $6000 that they knew Mohabir had in her possession from the previous day. A Police source said no one has been held in connection with the murder so far and they were continuing their investigation.

Buxton Pride wins Mash Panorama Steel Pan Competition

The Buxton Pride Steel Orchestra has done it again, taking top honours for the second year in a row and in its second showing at the Republic Bank Mashramani Panorama Steel Pan Competition on Sunday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Its supporters erupted with joy when the Chairperson, Russell Lancaster made the announcement of the win in the Large School Band Category at the seventh edition of the annual Steel Pan Competition.

Second place went to North Ruimveldt Secondary while the Bishops’ High came in third. Lancaster stated that the competition was quite close for these performers.

For the Small School Band Category, supporters of the Dolphin Secondary School were just as ecstatic as the school’s steel band took the

top spot for the first time since it was created in 2009. Lodge Secondary and West Demerara Secondary Schools took second and third place respectively.

Culture Ministry

Permanent Secretary Alfred King has revealed that the

competition was made possible through the collaborative effort of the Ministry and Republic Bank. He noted that “there has been tremendous growth in the art form in the schools as well as the senior band category”, emphasising that it was as a consequence

Currently, the VC has been able to make the grades of some students available; the outstanding grades are with protesting lecturers. Also, he said that the fields have been weeded.

Additionally, he stated that three new classrooms have already been constructed for students. Opadeyi said he planned to construct another auditorium for class delivery.

The VC stated too that he would immediately ensure the installation of toilet paper, dryers and other washroom amenities for students’ use. However, he stated that it would be a challenge to ensure that these necessities are not taken from the washrooms right after they have been put there.

With immediate effect also, VC Opadeyi stated that he will be ensuring that lec-

turers and students have adequate chalk, dry erasers, projectors, speakers and other needed teaching materials for classes and practical (labs).

On the UGSS’s other concerns, Opadeyi stated that he would need to consult with the administration, third parties on working with the cleaners for better washroom conditions and the security for a safer campus.

He said that by the end of February, he would be seeking the services of an electrician to evaluate the University’s wiring and thus would be able to cater for additional outlets and charging stations.

Also, by March, a plumber would be contracted by the University to evaluate the plumbing. The Professor had stated this should establish what was needed to improve the use of the washrooms as well as avoid water issues.

Electoral rules to test strength of small parties

Several new political parties have emerged and others have re-emerged expressing interest in contesting the upcoming General and Regional Elections. But the strength of these dreams may be tested as they seek to fulfil certain electoral requirements.

Concerning the list of candidates, contesting parties must contest a minimum of six of the Geographical Constituencies adding together at least 13 seats for eligibility to contest and submit Geographical Constituencies list and National Top-up List. Parties would need to submit two lists on Nomination Day.

Guyana Times understands that Lists of Candidates shall comprise registered electors who are eligible to be elected as members of the National Assembly. This list must be signed by not less than 150 and not more than 175 persons for each Geographical Constituency. This can pose a bit of a challenge logistically for some.

The United Republican Party (URP) stated that while it was yet to be officially informed of these requirements by the Guyana Elections Commission, it has already started to mobilise support though signatures and was pleased with the progress so far.

country.

The National Independent, which is led by Attorney Saphier Husain, is one party, which has indicated new interest in contesting the elections. Husain has revealed that the party was so far contesting in six of the 10 administrative regions, while efforts are ongoing to meet all other requirements for a seventh geographical constituency. He informed this publication that efforts are being made to finalise campaign funding, while the kinks in all other areas are being ironed out. Meanwhile, in accordance with the list requirements, parties must also ensure that at least one-third of the total number of persons on their lists is female.

The same requirement exists for the National Top-up List of Candidates for which signatures of no less than 300 and not more than 330 persons must be attached.

As it relates to the Regional Lists, members of Regional Democratic Councils shall be elected by persons residing in that region and registered as electors. This compilation of names must be signed by not less than 150 persons for each list submitted.

of strategic planning.

Meanwhile, for the Large Band Category, the Parkside Steel Orchestra and the Guyana Police Force Band tied for the number two spot, while the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport copped the first place prize.

The newly-formed Guyana Youth Movement is hoping that it could attract support to contest all of the 10 administrative regions. According to Guyana Youth Movement’s Robin Singh, the group has been fortunate to have gotten sufficient support for many of the regions already. He has acknowledged the difficulty in acquiring the same level of endorsements in widely dispersed regions such as One, Eight and Nine, but expressed optimism that based on feedback, it may very well be possible. Singh indicated that the team has capitalised on the availability of smartphones and social media sites such as Facebook to get connected with youth around the

These lists by contesting parties must be submitted no later than the 32nd day before Election Day to the Chief Elections Officer. According to the regulations, examination of the lists will commence immediately after the time allocated, at the office of the Guyana Elections Commission.

In the case of defective lists, the Chief Elections Officer shall inform the Representative and the Deputy Representative accordingly of the list, specifying the defects. This must be done not later than the 30th day before Election Day. President Donald Ramotar had declared May 11, 2015 as Election Day which means Nomination Day, as per the regulations, should be on or before April 10.

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

Through an agency or institution, you will find a worthwhile project or connection that offers excitement and adventure. The service you offer will bring monetary benefits.

Going the extra mile will result in added freedom and the opportunity to advance. Explain your intentions and show off your skills if you want to get the support you need to continue.

Don’t let down your guard. Be aware that someone will try to ruin your reputation if you share your secrets. Proceed with caution, and team up with those who are able to contribute as much as you.

You can raise your earning potential if you apply for a better position or pick up additional skills. Keep asking questions until you have a better understanding of what’s being offered.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Making your home the backdrop for group meetings will be beneficial and will allow you to inject your personal ideas into the plan. Think about making an excursion, alone or with another.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

Excess spending will tax your budget. Put all of your efforts into getting ahead professionally. Devotion to duty and dependability will raise your profile and lead to advancement.

A risk will bring unanticipated results. Don’t give up on a project that you’ve been working on forever. You will receive help if you attend creative seminars geared toward entrepreneurs.

You will not get the whole story unless you ask direct questions. Refuse to pay for someone else’s mistake. Get the facts straight before you confront friends, neighbors or colleagues.

Your track record speaks volumes about you and your talents. You can achieve your goals by forming an alliance with someone from your past. Don’t let responsibilities or insecurities hold you back.

An unsettled financial matter should be taken care of swiftly. Don’t get annoyed with someone suggesting you need help. If you are accommodating, you will achieve your objective.

A partnership is in the stars. Networking will lead to an interesting conversation. Good fortune will enable you to make the most of a financial contract or settlement. Put your skills to work by organizing an event. If you listen to the complaints being made, you will come up with a way to improve the situation you face, as well as your position.

Windies say there is more to them than Chris Gayle

It is a measure of Chris Gayle’s standing in West Indies cricket that he can steal the show even when absent.

At his best Gayle is one of the most destructive batsman in world cricket but he is also a commanding presence off the field.

A big personality, the Jamaican is highly influen-

Gayle is a “world beater” and has been a prolific run-scorer for the Windies, Holder had said.

“We just want him to be his normal self and get the best out of him,” Holder said.

Nor did Holder say he would be daunted by Gayle should the situation arise where he would have to tell the team’s star player to pull

Chris Gayle

tial in any dressing room he enters and, as his time at Sydney Thunder suggests, equally controversial.

An athlete by day and celebrity by night, Gayle has in his short time in Sydney rubbed shoulders with Tim Cahill at a Socceroos’ Asian Cup after-party, Brett Lee and pop star Guy Sebastian and been seen in several nightspots.

The role of managing Gayle in the World Cup has fallen to Jason Holder, who last month, at 23 years and 72 days, became the youngest man to captain the West Indies.

The Windies do not want the focus to be on Gayle, saying he is just one member of the team. But their exuberance at ensuring he remained out of the spotlight inadvertently had the opposite effect.

Unhappy at what seemed to be a benign line of questions to Holder about the former captain, the Windies media manager interjected, wanting attention diverted back towards the team’s World Cup preparations.

The response left Holder in an awkward position though he had been handling the situation comfortably, particularly for one so young with such little international experience.

his head in.

“I just don’t think it’s a huge thing; I have a good relationship with most of the guys,” Holder said.

“It’s not intimidating to me. No, we get on well as a unit, and we are trying to get the best out of everybody at the present time to do what’s best for West Indies cricket.”

Holder said the team was united though there remains tension between players and selectors over the controversial omissions of Kieron Pollard and Darren Bravo –two of the most explosive allrounders in the world game.

“Not having them would be a huge loss to any side but it’s beyond our control and we have to accept it and move on,” Holder said.

“They are two players who have done well in world cricket but it’s out of our control.”

The Windies, who play England in a warm-up game at the SCG on Monday, were in disarray in October after abandoning a tour of India over a pay dispute.

They were thrashed 4-1 in South Africa last month but are bullish about their chances of success at this World Cup.

“We are not short of talent,” all-rounder and former captain Darren Sammy said.

(Sydney Morning Herald)

After a somewhat successful fitness test on Sunday, the Guyana Table Tennis Association will be aiming to improve player fitness according to Technical Director Linden Johnson.

Speaking with Johnson during a telephone interview, the long-time coach noted that it was imperative to get the players fit,

GTTA aiming to improve fitness of players

“we had to have it so that we can know how to work with the players,” Johnson highlighted.

With over 20 players participating, Johnson noted that the GTTA would be aiming to get the players to the required level of fitness.

“Well, it’s something annual that we do so we can get them to at least

average fitness, some were not as good as we thought and all of the players did not participate, but we have a good idea of what to do and we will work with them,” Johnson noted.

Further, Johnson revealed that the GTTA is already in the process of developing plans to increase the fitness level of players.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid will win La Liga despite Atletico defeat

Cristiano Ronaldo is convinced Real Madrid will regain the Spanish league title from Atletico Madrid, despite the 4-0 loss at their rivals.

Real suffered their heaviest defeat in more than four years but still lead La Liga ahead of Barcelona and Atletico.

Barca are a point adrift, with Atletico four points back in third.

“In my opinion we are a better team than Atletico and we should be showing that on the pitch. I’m sure, in the end, we’ll win La Liga,” Ronaldo said.

European champions Real are aiming for their first La Liga in three seasons and took control after a 12-match winning streak in the first half of the season.

But their four-point ad-

vantage over Barcelona was reduced at the weekend as Atletico’s win, coupled with the Catalan club’s 5-2 success at Athletic Bilbao, reignited the title race.

team.”

Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes has defended the player for hosting his 30th birthday party shortly after the loss.

The Ballon d’Or winner was seen enjoying the celebrations in a video leaked to the Spanish media.

“Ronaldo was devastated after the defeat and people spent two hours trying to cheer him up,” Mendes told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser.

“The fact is that his birthday party had been organised more than a month ago and he had family coming from abroad.

Portugal captain Ronaldo added.

“We have to put this game behind us as quickly as possible because Real Madrid can’t lose 4-0 to any

“It was a day to forget but we are still top of the league and we know we’ll have to fight right until the end,”

“He didn’t want to cancel out of respect for the people that came. What is inadmissible is that somebody takes advantage of a private affair to release a video.” (BBC Sport)

Yaya Toure hails “unbelievable” Ivory Coast win

Ivory Coast and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure described winning the Africa Cup of Nations as “unbelievable” after the Elephants beat Ghana in a dramatic penalty shootout.

Goalkeeper Boubacar Barry scored the decisive spot-kick to seal a 9-8 win on penalties after Sunday’s final had ended goalless after extra time.

Toure, who won the Premier League with City last season, said: “When you win with your club, it’s quite amazing.

“With your country, it’s unbelievable.”

Ivory Coast’s only other Africa Cup of Nations success was in 1992, when they also played Ghana in the final and beat them on penal-

ties.

That year, Ivory Coast triumphed 11-10 after a goalless draw, but Barry’s heroics prevented as many spot kicks being needed this time. With the shootout in sudden death, Barry first saved Ghana keeper Brimah

Razak’s effort before firing in the winner at Estadio de Bata in Equatorial Guinea. It cemented a historic achievement for Herve Renard, who became the first coach to win two Africa Cup of Nations with different countries, following Zambia’s

success in 2012.

“Without the manager we would have won nothing,” Ivory Coast captain Toure added. “He made things difficult for me. He told me if I didn’t run he’d kick me out. He’s fantastic.”

Defeat for Ghana coach

Avram Grant revived memories of the 2008 Champions League final when his Chelsea side lost 6-5 on penalties to Manchester United, with John Terry slipping and hitting the post when he struck the ball.

Asked if he was cursed, Grant said: “I don’t believe in those kind of things.

“We did practise penalties on the day before the match, but it is not the same as when you take them in front of spectators. (BBC Sport)

Windies miserable in World Cup warm-up match

It would probably be an exaggeration to state that Phil Simmons, the Ireland coach, actually salivated while watching this match, but he can only have been encouraged by what he saw at the SCG. The man whose side take on West Indies in their opening game, on February 16, knows that they have an excellent opportunity to start with a win.

The days when such a result could be termed a giant

Poor Jason Holder. Being appointed leader of this side at the age of 23 is a little like assuming the captaincy of Titanic just after it hit the iceberg. While nobody will remember this game once the World Cup begins, there was evidence to suggest West Indies have issues to conquer with their battingthey were bowled out within 30 overs - their bowling - Moeen Ali was reprieved after carving to point when it transpired that Holder

SCOREBOARD

West Indies

D Smith c Bell b Woakes 21

C Gayle c Buttler b Woakes 0

D Bravo c Buttler b Woakes 0

M Samuels b Finn 10

D Ramdin+ b Jordan 6

L Simmons c Tredwell

b Woakes 45

J Carter b Tredwell 7

D Sammy c Tredwell

b Bopara 12

A Russell c Jordan b Woakes 7

J Holder* c Bell b Finn 1

N Miller not out 2

Total: All Out (29.3 Overs) 122

Extras: (lb 3, w 7, nb 1) 11

Did not Bat: S Cottrell,

K Roach, J Taylor.

Fall of Wickets: 1-1 (Gayle, 0.3 ov), 2-1 (Bravo, 0.4 ov), 3-35 (Smith, 6.6 ov), 4-35 (Samuels, 7.1 ov), 5-51 (Ramdin, 13.3 ov), 6-67 (Carter,

killing are gone. West Indies are now the sick old man of world cricket. They still have players of rare talent, for sure, but the system that produced perhaps the greatest teams of them all have long since been broken. The members of the last West Indies side to win the World Cup are now old men and are living to see the era they created tarnished and trashed. Bankrupt, divided, shambolic and dispirited, the current WICB may preside over the end days of West Indies cricket as we know it.

17.1 ov), 7-90 (Sammy, 22.5 ov), 8-119 (Simmons, 27.3 ov), 9-120 (Holder, 28.2 ov), 10-122 (Russell, 29.3 ov). England Bowling: C Woakes

7.3-1-19-5, S Finn 6-0-34-2, C Jordan 4-0-13-1, R Bopara

7-0-33-1, J Tredwell 5-0-20-1. England (Target; 123)

I Bell not out 35

M Ali c Bravo b Roach 46

J Taylor not out 25

Total: 1wkt (22.5 Overs) 125

Extras: (lb 2, w 11, nb 6) 19

Did not Bat: J Root, E Morgan*, R Bopara, J Buttler+, C Woakes, C Jordan, J Tredwell, S Finn, G Ballance, A Hales. Fall of Wickets: 1-70 (Ali, 11.5 ov).

West Indies Bowling: K Roach

5-0-31-1, J Holder 5-1-28-0, J Taylor 4-1-19-0, A Russell 4.50-31-0, N Miller 4-0-14-0.

had over-stepped - and fielding - when they did their chances of defending their meagre total little good by conceding overthrows. There was little Holder could have done to prevent the defeat. He waved his arms and coaxed his bowlers well enough, but it was telling that Chris Gayle - who can certainly not have been exhausted by efforts while batting - did not take the field when England made their reply. Holder, who both euphemistically and factually has a voice that makes

Jos Buttler sound like Brian Blessed, could have done with the show of support. Buttler, by contrast, has recently been appointed as England’s official ODI vicecaptain. That means that, should Eoin Morgan suffer an injury or be suspended for a slow over rate, he would assume the captaincy ahead of other candidates such as Stuart Broad, Joe Root or Ian Bell. The management - and Morgan in particular - rate Buttler’s cricket brain highly and, while his quiet voice may belie it, also his leadership potential. He is, in many ways, typical of this new England. It was another quietly spoken young man who let his cricket do the talking here. (Cricinfo)

South Africa overcome pressure test

South Africa got the pressure situation they wanted to practice ahead of a major tournament – they were without regular captain AB de Villiers due to tightness in the hip, were under the cosh for 44.4 overs in the field, weathered three rain delays and two reduced targets – and they rose above it.

They were 116 for 0 after 15 overs and the chase seemed fairly simple, but South Africa lost 5 for 51 and seemed in serious danger. Calm was needed and was found in Rilee Rossouw and Vernon Philander, who took them home with three balls to spare.

Sri Lanka will not be happy with how they let things slip, especially after Tillakaratne Dilshan scored his fourth century in eight matches against international opposition, albeit not in an official ODI, to set up a solid total. He set the platform for Angelo Mathews to accelerate and Sri Lanka would have soared above 300 had rain not curtailed their innings.

That didn’t matter when they left Lasith Malinga with just four to defend in the final over.

Malinga made his return after almost five months out of the game to recover from ankle surgery, bowled three overs upfront and two at the death but could not pull off the toe-crunching paralysis he is known for.

Maqsood and Irfan star in close win

Afive-wicket haul from Mohammad Irfan, followed by an unbeaten 93 from Sohaib Maqsood helped Pakistan edge Bangladesh by three wickets in their warm-up game in Sydney.

Bangladesh, opting to bat, lost two early wickets, but Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah counterattacked, adding 168 for the third wicket.

Tamim stroked five fours during his 81, as did Mahmudullah during his 83. The pair took Bangladesh close to the 200-run mark, but Mahmudullah was run out in the 40th over, triggering a collapse that led to the team losing its last eight wickets for just 62 runs.

Apart from Shakib Al Hasan, who chipped in with 31, none of Bangladesh’s last seven batsmen could make more than 15. Irfan collected 5 for 52, includ-

ing three scalps in the final over, to wipe out the tail and dismiss Bangladesh for 246. Pakistan’s openers departed early in the chase, leaving the team precariously placed at 8 for 2, but their middle order led a recovery.

Haris Sohail (39) first put up a 51-run partnership with Younis Khan (25), after which Maqsood took charge. With the asking rate rising, Maqsood and Umar Akmal eased the pressure by adding 63 for the fifth wicket. Bangladesh fought back with two quick wickets, but Shahid Afridi muscled three crucial fours to race to 24 off 20 balls, before he was dismissed by Shakib. It meant that Pakistan needed just seven more runs from three overs, and Maqsood, who hit nine fours and two sixes during his 90-ball knock, helped overhaul the target in 48.1 overs. (Cricinfo)

Although he maintained his pace and showed no discomfort, he conceded 12 runs in his second over and 13 in his fourth, which swung the pendulum South Africa’s

peared at ease coming back from his own ankle injury and was particularly harsh on Sachithra Senanayake, plundering 19 runs before the rains came down.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka innings (44.4 overs maximum)

HDRL Thirimanne c †de Kock

b Philander 1

TM Dilshan c Rossouw

b Abbott 100

KC Sangakkara c Amla

b Imran Tahir 31

FDM Karunaratne c Miller

b Parnell 46

AD Mathews* c †de Kock

b Abbott 58 LD Chandimal† lbw b Parnell 5

BMAJ Mendis not out 15

NLTC Perera c †de Kock

b Abbott 4

Extras: (b 4, lb 4, w 8, nb 3) 19

Total: (7 wkts; 44.4 overs) 279

Did not bat: HMRKB Herath, SL Malinga, RAS Lakmal, DPMD Jayawardene, KMDN Kulasekara, KTGD Prasad, SMSM Senanayake.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-77, 3-151, 4-211, 5-230, 6-275, 7-279.

South Africa Bowling: DW Steyn 7-0-40-0, VD Philander 5-1-24-1, KJ Abbott 6.4-0-37-3, M Morkel 8-0-40-0, WD Parnell

way at the beginning and end of the match.

Hashim Amla was the first to take advantage of Malinga’s rustiness with a couple of fours to kick off a 116-run opening stand.

De Kock, his partner, ap-

7-0-44-2, Imran Tahir 60-046-1, F Behardien 2-0-20-0, JP Duminy 3-0-20-0.

South Africa innings (target: 188 runs from 25 overs)

HM Amla* b Herath 46 Q de Kock† c Karunaratne b Herath 66 JP Duminy st †Chandimal b Herath 17 F du Plessis c Kulasekara b Malinga 19 DA Miller b Kulasekara 4 RR Rossouw not out 16 VD Philander not out 13

Extras: (lb 2, w 4, nb 1) 7 Total (5 wkts; 24.3 overs) 188 Did not bat: WD Parnell, DW Steyn, Imran Tahir, M Morkel, AM Phangiso, F Behardien, KJ Abbott

Fall of wickets: 1-116, 2-119, 3-142, 4-147, 5-167. Sri Lanka Bowling: SL Malinga 4.3-0-33-1, RAS Lakmal 5-036-0, SMSM Senanayake 5-0-47-0, NLTC Perera 3-030-0, HMRKB Herath 5-0-223, KMDN Kulasekara 2-0-181.

Repetitive showers were a theme for the day and they meant Sri Lanka were unable to bat their full 50 overs and South Africa’s target too had been reduced to 224 off 30 overs and then to 188 off 25 overs. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Bangladesh innings (50 overs maximum)

Anamul Haque c Sohaib

Maqsood b Sohail Khan 0 Tamim Iqbal b Yasir Shah 81

Mominul Haquec Haris Sohail

b Mohammad Irfan 7 Mahmudullah run out

(Ahmed Shehzad) 83

Shakib Al Hasan c Ahmed Shehzad b Mohammad Irfan 31 Mushfiqur Rahim† b Yasir Shah 0 Soumya Sarkar c †Umar Akmal

b Wahab Riaz 15 Sabbir Rahman c Misbah-ulHaq b Mohammad Irfan 6 Mashrafe Mortaza* c †Umar Akmal b Mohammad Irfan 2 Arafat Sunny c Shahid Afridi

b Mohammad Irfan 0 Rubel Hossain not out 0

Extras: (b 2, lb 2, w 17) 21

Total: (all out; 49.5 overs) 246

Did not bat: Al-Amin Hossain, Nasir Hossain, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed Fall of wickets 1-1, 2-16, 3-184, 4-190, 5-190, 6-231, 7-234, 8-244, 9-246, 10-246.

Pakistan Bowling: Mohammad Irfan 9.5-1-52-5, Sohail Khan 6-0-18-1, Wahab Riaz 100-51-1, Shahid Afridi 10-056-0, Yasir Shah 10-0-42-2,

Haris Sohail 4-0-23-0. Pakistan innings (target: 247 runs from 50 overs) Ahmed Shehzad c Anamul Haque b Mashrafe Mortaza 5 Sarfraz Ahmed c Anamul Haque b Rubel Hossain 1 Younis Khan c Shakib

Al Hasan b Taskin Ahmed 25

Haris Sohail c Soumya Sarkar b Mahmudullah 39

Sohaib Maqsood not out 93

Umar Akmal† c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Mashrafe Mortaza 39 Misbah-ul-Haq* b Taskin Ahmed 10

Shahid Afridi c Arafat Sunny b Shakib Al Hasan 24 Wahab Riaz not out 2

Extras: (lb 3, w 6) 9

Total: (7 wickets;48.1 overs) 247 Did not bat: Mohammad Irfan, Sohail Khan, Ehsan Adil, Nasir Jamshed, Yasir Shah, Rahat Ali Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-8, 3-52, 4-103, 5-166, 6-199, 7-240.

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Australia's coach Darren Lehmann has confirmed that captain Michael Clarke will play Wednesday's warmup match against the UAE in Melbourne, barring any mishaps at training before that. However, Clarke still appears a long-shot to take part in the World Cup opener against England on Saturday, and is instead more likely to return on his deadline date of February 21 against Bangladesh.

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Clarke's comeback from hamstring surgery in December has been a slow burn, and although he showed encouraging signs by batting in Sydney grade cricket last weekend then batting and bowling against a Bangladesh XI in Brisbane last week, it would be a push to rush him in against England. Lehmann said one of the remaining areas of improvement for Clarke was being 100% in the field.

"Michael, if he gets through training tomorrow, hopefully he'll play the trial game on Wednesday," Lehmann said on Fox Sports on Monday night. "So that's a pleasing thing for us. He's trained the house down ... now it's a case of getting up to speed with the fielding and away he goes from there."

Less than a week before their first World Cup match, Australia have more than just Clarke to worry about. Allrounder James Faulkner has no chance of playing at the start of the tournament after suffering a side strain during the tri-series final against England in Perth, but he remains in the squad and the Australians are hopeful he will play some part later in the tourna-

ment.

"He'll have a bat tomorrow in the nets," Lehmann said of Faulkner. "So he's going okay. He won't play the first game."

It means Australia will likely have only 13 players available for selection for the England game at the MCG, with Xavier Doherty and one of Pat Cummins or Josh Hazlewood the probables to sit out. Players such as Moises Henriques and Shaun Marsh, who took part in the tri-series, could yet be called into the squad if the injury worries worsen, but for now Australia will stick with their existing group.

"Everyone has them ... you just have to cope with it and deal with it," Lehmann said of the injuries. "We have some good depth. We have good players who have missed out, so that's a good sign. If we have some injuries and we have to replace them, so be it. But at the moment they're all ticking along nicely."

Lehmann was part of Australia's World Cup triumphs in 1999 and 2003, but did not play in Australia's

previous home World Cup in 1992. However, he has asked players from that tournament, including Geoff Marsh and Ian Healy, to speak to the squad about the pressures of taking on the world in front of home crowds.

"Just enjoy the whole eight weeks," Lehmann said of the advice. "We want to play the best cricket we possibly can and win as many games as we can, but at the end of the day we don't look much further than the England game, then we move to the Bangladesh game, and then New Zealand and see what happens from there. But we'll enjoy the packed houses and the crowd support "We'll change the way we play, depending on where we play and who we play. At the moment our focus is the MCG, hopefully 90,000 people there watching us and supporting us. We'll worry about playing England first and move from therethat's the way you have to go through the World Cup. You can't look too far ahead." (Cricinfo)

NBA roundup… Grizzlies halt hot Hawks

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Mike Conley had 21 points and six assists, Marc Gasol finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the league-leading Atlanta Hawks, 94-88, on Sunday at Memphis, Tenn.

The score was tied at 86 after Mike Scott's threepointer for Atlanta with 3:24 left, before Memphis scored the next eight points to put away the game.

Zach Randolph had 11 points and 15 rebounds, while Kosta Koufos finished with 10 points and seven rebounds as Memphis outrebounded the Hawks, 5537. One of those rebounds provided the tiebreaking basket, with Tony Allen tipping in Randolph's miss to make it 88-86 with 2:28 remaining.

Jeff Teague scored 22 points for the Hawks, who are 42-10 and in a tight battled with Golden State (429) for the NBA's best record.

At Toronto 87, San

Antonio 82: James Johnson scored a season-high 20 points in his return to the starting lineup, DeMar DeRozan had 18 and the Raptors denied Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich his 1,000th career victory. Toronto snapped a seven-game losing streak against San Antonio.

Portland 109, at Houston 98: LaMarcus Aldridge scored 24 points, Damian Lillard had 23, and the Trail Blazers overcame 45 points by the Rockets' James Harden to earn their first victory in their last eight road games.

Chicago 98, at Orlando 97: Pau Gasol rebounded Derrick Rose's missed layup and dunked with 9.4 seconds left, capping the Bulls' frantic rally in the closing seconds. Chicago trailed 97-91 with 32 seconds to play, but two Orlando turnovers, two Jimmy Butler free throws and a Rose three-pointer got the Bulls back in it.

Butler led the Bulls with 27 points, and Gasol had 25 points and 15 rebounds. Indiana 103, at Charlotte 102: George Hill's baseline layup with 4.9 seconds left won it for the Pacers, who battled back from a 21-point, third-quarter deficit for their third straight win.

Minnesota 112, at Detroit 101: Nikola Pekovic scored 29 points, Kevin Martin had 24, and the Timberwolves won their straight. Minnesota (1140) hadn't won consecutive games all season until the current mini-streak.

At Sacramento 85, Phoenix 83: DeMarcus Cousins made an awkward jumper that bounced off the rim and in as time expired, and the Kings recovered from a fourth-quarter collapse to hand the Suns their fourth loss on a buzzer-beating final shot this season. Cousins finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds. (The Los Angeles Times)

Dave Cameron gets Leeward Islands support

West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)

President Dave Cameron has received a further boost to his re-election campaign with the Leeward Islands Cricket Association (LICA) throwing their support behind the Jamaican.

Cameron also enjoys the support of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and the Windward Islands Board.

“I can confirm that the Leeward Island Cricket Association will be supporting the incumbent,” said LICA President Derrick Nicholas.

“In fact, our board is nominating the president, Dave Cameron, and Emmanuel Nanthan for the vice president.”

Nicholas said the formation of the LICA Secretariat in January 2014 was the main reason behind the association’s endorsement of the incumbent to continue in his post for at least an-

other two-year term.

The Secretariat had included “putting a team of professionals to look after (LICA) business and manage it year round. All of the six WICB territories have now made their intentions known ahead of the March 7 elections. Cameron’s challenger Joel Garner was nominated by the Barbados Cricket

Association (BCA) and, according to media reports, is expected to be seconded by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB).

Last week the Jamaica Cricket Association voted to support Garner but there have been reports of a possible change of position and a no-confidence vote being mounted against President Billy Heaven.

Sportsmax)

(Digicel

Roach ready and raring to go

West Indies fast bowler, Kemar Roach, is looking to put his best foot forward as the West Indies try to win the ICC World Cup2, which begins later this month.

The West Indies squad is currently in Sydney preparing for the upcoming World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Roach is back in the side after being sidelined for a few weeks with an ankle injury sustained on the recently ended tour of South Africa. He noted that he is feeling fine and relaxed as the West Indies prepare to vie for the World Cup.

“It is a very good environment to be in right now. In the dressing room everyone is in good spirits and that makes it even more comfortable for you.

“For the cricket we have to get the mental part right; the physical part is fine. So we just want to get our minds right for this very tough tournament and we will definitely go out there to do well and win some games and hopefully bring back the Cup,” said Roach.

Roach worked with Dr Renee Best, Marita Marshall and Jackie King when he returned home to Barbados to ensure that he would be in tip-top shape for the World Cup. He was full of praise of them, saying, “The work obviously got me back here, fit and ready for the West Indies.”

“It was mostly strengthening and balancing and the gym was a big part of it. Strengthening the ankle and making sure my balance is right so that when I land at the crease there wouldn’t be any more twisting, which is what happened last time. They did a fantastic job and I am ready and raring to go again for the West Indies,” said Roach.

This would be Roach’s second World Cup with the West Indies and he is hoping to emulate the good form he showed in the previous edition in 2011.

That tournament was jointly hosted by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and he had a hat-trick there. Roach is hoping to not only do that, but to win the tro-

Windward Islands seal historic win

Windward Islands Volcanoes pulled off their largest ever margin of victory in the history of modern regional first class cricket when they flattened struggling Trinidad and Tobago Red Force by an innings and 148 runs here Monday.

Led by their West Indies stars, off-spinner Shane Shillingford and left-arm

SCOREBOARD

Windward Islands Volcanoes 1st Innings 400/8 T&T Red Force 1st Innings 177 All Out

T&T Red Force 2nd Innings (Overnight; 6/0 | Trail; 217)

E Lewis b Matthew 10

ond innings – to achieve victory 17 minutes before lunch on the final day of the fifth round contest at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.

Shillingford finished with four for 25 to end with match figures of seven for 67 while Peters claimed three for 11 to end with match figures of eight for 32.

Left-arm speedster Delorn Johnson supported with two for 21.

Clair c

S Gabriel not out

Total: all out (32.1 Overs) 75 Extras: (lb9, w1, nb1) 11 Fall of Wickets: 1-21, 2-33, 3-40, 4-49, 5-51, 6-53, 7-61, 8-70, 9-73, 10-75.

Windward Islands Volcanoes 2nd Innings Bowling: D Johnson 8-1-21-2, S Shillingford 10-1-25-4, L Sebastien 1-0-3-0, M Mathew 6-3-6-1, K Peters 7.1-3-11-3.

seamer Kenroy Peters, the Windwards routed Red Force for 75 in their sec-

For Red Force, the total was their lowest ever in the modern regional game against Windwards, and it reiterated their poor campaign this season.

They picked up just two points from the encounter while the Windwards finished with 20 points – the first time a team has picked up maximum points since the new points system was introduced.

Yannick Cariah, who top scored in their first innings with 50, was the highest scorer again with 12 and was one of just four players in double figures.

Resuming the day on six without loss, Jeremy

Solozano (11) and Evin Lewis (10) pushed the score up to 21 before being separated.

Lewis had faced 28 balls in half-hour at the crease when he was bowled by pacer Mervin Matthew in the day’s fifth over. Johnson then struck two critical blows in quick succession, remvoing Kjorn Ottley for five and then Solozano, to leave Red Force on 40 for three.

As he did in the first innings, Cariah attempted another rearguard action but this time around he failed, lasting half-hour and 21 balls before becoming Peters first wicket of the morning.

Rocking at 49 for four, Shillingford was summoned to perform the final rites and when he prised out captain Jason Mohammed for two, the last six wickets crashed for just 24 runs.

Red Force followed on by 223 runs after they were dismissed for 177 in their first innings on Sunday’s third day in reply to Volcanoes’ 400 for eight declared. (CMC)

Pollard backs Gayle to fire in World Cup

West Indies and Barbados Tridents all-rounder Kieron Pollard says he backs Jamaica’s Chris Gayle to lead the West Indies with his bat during the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup that begins this coming weekend.

phy with the West Indies.

“I haven’t won any major tournaments with the West Indies, so for me to be able to win this World Cup would be one of the biggest highlights of my career and I am looking forward to it. I have put in the work and I would love to at the end of the World Cup, I would love to raise the Cup and bring some joy and hope back to the West Indies cricketers and the people in the Caribbean,” said Roach.

The West Indies won the 1975 and 1979 World Cups and made it to the final in 1983.

The West Indies are in Pool ‘B’ along with India, Ireland, Pakistan, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and Zimbabwe.

(Windies Cricket)

He also wished the team well as it goes in pursuit of its first World Cup title in 36 years. The last time the West Indies won the ICC World Cup was in 1979. The team returned to the final in 1983 but was upset by India.

Pollard said that despite his absence and that of fellow Trinidadian Dwayne Bravo, there are enough quality players, including Gayle, who can carry the team far.

“There are world-class players; Chris (Gayle) hasn’t fired recently, but I back him as the one to go into this World Cup and do well,” Pollard said.

“They have a very good chance to get out of the group stage. If they don’t get

Chris Gayle Kieron Pollard

out, then it would be a disappointment, but once you get out from there, it’s a lottery – quarter-final, semi-final and then the final – so we will see how they go.”

Non-selection

Meanwhile, Pollard said he has moved on from his non-selection to the Windies World Cup squad.

“I am not going to comment on that,” Pollard said.

“I’ve had enough time to get over that, and I just want to wish the team all the best and, hopefully, they can do well.” He also gave his blessings to new one-day captain Jason Holder, the man who replaced Bravo as the leader of the team.

“The selectors have made their choice,” said Pollard, who was in Jamaica for last Thursday’s Caribbean Premier League Draft. “I have spoken to Jason as a senior player. We have had personal discussions, and now he is back with the Tridents, so you can see there is no animosity there, so I hope he can do well.” (Windies Cricket)

Thomas wins cross country in Linden

Running Brave’s distance star Cleveland

Thomas produced a sterling performance to win the first cross country event of 2015, held by the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) on Sunday in Linden.

Thomas was the clear winner on the day, topping Linden’s Nathaniel Giddings who finished second and Police’s Kevin Bayley who crossed the finish line in third.

On the distaff side, Alika Morgan ran away with the event finishing ahead of Linden’s Cassey George

who took second. Running Brave’s Andrea Foster finished third.

In the junior category, Matthew McKenzie of Running Brave finished ahead of his older brother Carl for a Running Brave 1-2 finish.

Running Brave replicated the feat in the junior female category when Cluadrice McKoy won the event ahead of Maria McKenzie.

The next AAG event is expected to be this Sunday with another development meet at a venue yet to be decided.

A Ally and Sons on board with YWCC Mash Cup

AAlly and Sons

Showroom of Sheet

Anchor Public Road, Canje, Berbice became the latest entity to offer sponsorship for the third edition of

the Young Warriors Cricket Club (YWCC) Mashramani Cup.

The competition will be held on February 23 and targets second-division crick-

et teams in the East Canje/ East Coast Berbice area.

The Mashramani Cup, which is organised by the YWCC, is being promoted to develop young cricketers and to raise funds for the Club.

At a simple presentation ceremony held recently, Managing Director Waqar Sahid said that he was impressed with the work of the Club and was always willing to assist whenever the opportunity presented itself.

He added that he was a follower of the Club and observed that much progress was made over the years with the Club continuing to produce cricketers. He was high in praise for the way the ground was kept and the infrastructural work done.

Speaking on behalf of the Club, Senior Coach and Cricket Technical Director Hubern Evans thanked A Ally and Sons Showroom for its continued support and as-

BCB names InterCounty U-15 squad

After two intense trial matches, the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) junior selection panel, headed by Leslie Solomon, named a 14-man squad and six standby players for the upcoming Inter-county tournament.

The BCB appointed former national Under-19 pacer Kwesi Maltsy as team manager, while the coach is former West Indies youth captain and senior national player Andre Percival.

Players are asked to report to the Young Warriors Cricket Club Ground for practice sessions on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 15:00h.

The 14-man squad reads: Kevlon Anderson (Captain); Alex Algu; Junior Sinclair; Brandon Mangal; Andre Bissoondial; Seon Glasgow; Kelvin Omroa (Vice Captain); Antonio Kempadoo; Nivendra Persaud; Cheddie Boodhoo; Gevon Schultz; Haife Walters; Garfield Benjamin; and Davendra Somra.

The six standby players are: Melvin Singh, Aaron Beharry, Joshua Bacchus, Brandon Pydanna, Nigel Deodat, and Leon Swami.

Meanwhile, for the second day in a row, Kelvin Omroa XI defeated Kevlon Anderson XI by 69 runs in the second trial match on Sunday.

Batting first, Omroa’s XI made 159-8. Seon Glasgow Jr top scored with a responsible 44.

Junior Sinclair supported with 24 and Andre Bissoondial 22.

Bowling for Anderson’s XI, Aaron Beharry, Joshua Bacchus and Daniel Moses took two wickets a piece.

Anderson’s XI in reply were bowled out for a disappointing 90, with only Brandon Mangal and Garfield Benjamin reaching double figures with 17 and 15 respectively.

Nigel Deodat led the bowling with 4-29. He was supported by Glasgow and Gevon Schultz with two wickets each.

Former national defender inducted into Belmont University Hall of Fame

John Paul Rodrigues, a former defender in the national Golden Jaguars senior squad, was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Belmont University at a recent ceremony at the University’s campus.

sured the sponsor that proceeds from the Mashramani Cup will go towards continued development of the club and its resources.

Evans noted that a detailed financial statement will be sent to all sponsors and stakeholders at the end of the tournament.

In his acceptance speech, the now retired Rodrigues stressed the meaning of the moment: “This moment for me, I’m a bit speechless, I’ve had a lot of success here winning three championships, but this right here means more than any of that … this is a phenomenal

part of my life that I can’t wait to share with my kids.”

Amazingly, Rodrigues never graduated from Belmont University, instead choosing to pursue other dreams.

In addition, Rodrigues debuted for Guyana in 2006, a year after being named the Atlantic Sun Conference defensive player of the year.

The 31-year-old was capped 23 times for his country and played for Guyana during their qualifying bids for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.

Guyana Jaguars beat Jamaica to stay on top

In the end, a stubborn last-wicket partnership all but delayed the inevitable as the Guyana Jaguars surged to a commanding 105run victory over Jamaica in round five of the West Indies Cricket Board

R&R

International

(WICB) Professional Cricket League (PCL) Four-day competition to stay at the summit of the points table.

Chasing an improbable 340 on the Sabina Park track, the Jamaicans, resuming on 105-6, slipped to 150-9 before a fighting partnership of 84 between Odean Brown and Jason Dawes kept the Jaguars at bay.

The first session was even extended by half an hour, but even that couldn’t separate the pair. The innings finally ended minutes after lunch as the Jaguars collected their fourth win in five games.

The Jamaicans were dismissed for 234 in 81.3 overs when fast bowler Keon Joseph completed a fine match by removing Dawes for 33. Brown was left stranded on 45.

Joseph was the pick of the bowlers with 3-34 from 8.3 overs, while leftarm spinner Veerasammy Permaul claimed 2-37 for six in the match. Permaul now has 38 wickets in the competition, the most by a distance.

Fast bowler Ronsford Beaton claimed 2-47, while there was one each for Raymon Reifer, Christopher Barnwell, and Devendra Bishoo.

Guyana’s next match in the competition is against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, starting on Friday in North Sound, Antigua.

40-mile road race... “Fishy” Williams cops second win of 2015

New Year, new team, more success.

That’s how the 2015 season has been so far for Marlon “Fishy” Williams.

The former Roraima Bikers Club rider switched to the newly-formed Team Evolution at the start of the year, and started off with a sizzling win in the season opening Ricks and Sari 11-race programme at the National Park in late January, before taking top honours in the 24th annual R&R International 40mile road race on the West Demerara roadways on Sunday.

With a win in both of the formats being contested locally, Williams is by far the cyclist to beat, a tag

he would certainly look to hold firmly as the season progresses.

Sunday’s event attracted a massive group of 51 riders, competing from the

Demerara Harbour Bridge to Bushy Park, Parika, East Bank Essequibo, and back to the start point for the finish. The lead changed hands at several points along the course, but it came down to a fourman sprint with the finish line in sight.

Williams managed to pull away from the pack and cross the line first, clocking one hour, 38 minutes, 59 seconds (01h: 38m: 59s).

Williams’ former clubmate Alanzo Greaves placed second for the third time in four races this season, followed by the ever-improving Hamzah Eastman; Raul Leal; last year’s winner Michael Anthony and Christopher Holder,

who was fresh off of winning the National Sports Commission’s 40-miler on the same course the previous Sunday.

Jamal John continues to

be a force to reckon with in the Junior ranks, winning ahead of Berbice’s Andrew Hicks and Jaleel Jackson, while Junior Niles won the Veterans Under-50, leaving Talim Shaw and Kennard Lovell to settle for second and third respectively.

Keon Thomas, Seon Budhan and Ozia McAullay were 1-2-3 in the Mountain Bike division, while the females were out in their numbers, filling out the three podium spots. Marica Dick was the winner, with Crystal Lambert second and Toshawnna Doris third.

The day’s activity was organised by national cycling coach Hassan Mohamed, who will con-

tinue his programme for 2015 on Saturday with the staging of the R&R International 11-race programme at the inner circuit of the National Park.

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