Guyana Times Daily

thursdAY, october 16, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com

Residents: Diamond/Grove hit by spate of robberies

– call for heightened Police patrol

BY DEVINA SAMAROO

Anumber of residents in the Diamond/ Grove Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara have expressed grave concern about the many robberies occurring in the community at nights.

According to reports, most of the robberies occur between 18:00h-20:00h.

Only recently a distressed father of two told Guyana Times that the community is not a proper environment for children to grow up, as he noted his worry for his young daughter.

“She tekin’ lessons and does come home after dark, and with dem things this that going on, I don’t feel safe. I pray to God every night that she come home safe.”

Several victims told this publication about their experiences as they were going about their business.

One young lady, speaking under the condition of anonymity, related that she was on her way home from classes when a robber pounced on her.

“When I came off by the bridge, a man on a bicycle just casually came by and snatched my handbag off my shoulders and he rode away. The bag had my camera, important documents such as exam materials and my ID Card.

When I got home, I called the Police and they said they were going to come by my home but they never showed up.”

The young lady said she was very fortunate the man did not harm her.

But unfortunately for other victims, their experiences were not the same as they were attacked with force.

Roopnarine Kishun related that he was riding his bicycle on his way home from work when a few men pulled him off from behind.

Stabbed several times

He was badly beaten and stabbed several times in the chest. His bicycle and cellphone were taken away.

Several residents who spoke with this newspaper noted their disgust over the situation, pointing out that their complaints to Police in the community seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

“Like it’s every day I hearing somebody get robbed and people I know get robbed and they say they does go to the Police and report it and the Police does tell them that they will call them back and up to now they still waiting pun the call,” one resident said.

Another resident expressed a similar view. “When you call them, they always saying no Police available or no vehicle available. It don’t make

sense call them when something happen.”

However, A Division (Georgetown-EastBank

25,000

Demerara) Commander

Clifton Hickens told Guyana Times that he encourages residents to call the operations room or the A Division numbers if the Police station in their communities does not cooperate with them.

According to the Commander, the number of robberies is not as alarming as the residents believe, describing the situation as “a pea in the ocean”.

But he was quick to point out that this does not mean that he is downplaying their seriousness of the incidents that occurred.

Paul Gibbs, a resident in the community said the Police need to do more patrolling in the area to put a stop to the robberies oc-

curring.

But Commander Hickens said there are a few officers who patrol the community both in the day and night, and in light of the complaints, he will be looking to beef up these exercises.

Gibbs is also calling for street lights, noting that the community is too dark at night and is an ideal environment for criminals to prowl.

Residents are also calling on the Police to check persons idling at bridges and street corners in the community since they believe that some of them are up to mischief.

These simple measures they say will help to stop if not reduce robberies in their community.

Guyanese living illegally in TT

Some 25,884 Guyanese are living in the oiland gas-rich Trinidad and Tobago illegally, the National Security Ministry in that country has disclosed.

The Ministry said too that T&T serves as a haven for 110,012 illegal immigrants.

“You are talking about over 10 per cent of your adult population,” National Security Minister Gary Griffith said following the National Security Ministry’s release of the “alarming statistics” on Tuesday, the Trinidad Express has reported. Asked if there had been an increase in the number of illegal immigrants in recent years, Griffith said the problem did not start overnight. “It is just that I am opening this Pandora’s box. And I intend to put an end to it. It is totally unacceptable,” he said.

This disturbingly high number of illegal immigrants comes primarily from 16 countries, of which only six are members of Caricom. The highest number of illegal immigrants comes from Guyana – 25,884; followed by Jamaica. There are 19,500 Jamaicans living there illegally, while Venezuela has 10,574 illegal immigrants residing here. Next in line are people from St Vincent – 9606; Barbadians – 7169; Grenadians –6947; Colombians – 6388; Chinese – 4,593; Filipinos – 4437; St Lucians –4391; Indians – 3651; The Dominican Republic –2256; Surinamese – 1944; Cubans – 1434; Nigerians – 1071; and Bangladeshis – 167.

Griffith said he was not

on a “witch hunt”. But, he said he had met a very “untidy situation” and he intended to deal with all aspects of national security.

He said once Immigration officials are able to locate people, they are deported back to their country. He said in such instances this country had to provide for the costs associated with deportation.

“For example, for the 11 Africans we have to deport, we have pay the airfare plus Special Branch personnel to accompany them. It is going to cost us over $2 million to send back those Africans over the next two weeks,” he said, adding the State had to also charter an aircraft.

He said, though, many of the illegal immigrants “stay under the radar”, and sometimes information is brought to the Immigration Department which facilitates the location of these people. However, he also noted many Trinidadians hire illegal immigrants “and they abuse the situation because they don’t pay (National Insurance),

taxes, and sometimes pay them below the minimum wage”.

He said some of them worked in the security industry. Griffith said some were employed in the sex industry.

He said he wanted to reject statements coming from the Jamaican Opposition that it was a common practice for many people to overstay their time in different Caricom countries. “Because it is normal does not make it legal,” he said. “When these people are here illegally, they are sometimes unemployed and they turn to a life of crime and this could play a very big part in criminal activities in a country“ These individuals also consume our health facilities, education, because there is free access to all, as well as housing and employment opportunities.

“I am not saying that we intend to throw everyone out. Many of them have settled here and may be of value to Trinidad and Tobago, but they need to be regularised and registered. If not, they can be abused by their employers and taken advantage of by receiving ridiculously low wages,” he said.

Sources told the Express Tuesday the Jamaican influence on the gang activity was being looked at. Citing the recent case of Jamaican Tremin Thomas, who was killed along with gang leader Dillon “Bandy” Skeete last month, the source said there was infiltration into the gangs by some of these illegal immigrants. People who have overstayed their time in Trinidad and Tobago and have not yet departed.

Weather:

BRIDGE OPENINGS

Digicel building special needs school in Linden

Winds: East North-easterly between

WEATHER TODAY LOTTERY NUMBERS

and 2.68 metres per second.

High Tide: 10:11h and 22:38h reaching maximum heights of 2.06 metres and 2.08 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 03:32h and 16:05h reaching minimum heights of 1.05 metres and 1.20 metres respectively.

... sod turned to begin construction

By UtamU Belle

The sod was officially turned in Linden on Wednesday to mark the first step towards the establishment of the Linden Rehabilitation Centre for Children, funded by Irish telecommunications giant Digicel.

Following a brief ceremony at the Centre site on Purpleheart Street, Mackenzie, the sod was turned by Digicel Guyana Marketing Director Jacqueline James, Education Ministry Chief Planning Officer Evelyn Hamilton, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Chairman Sharma Solomon and Linden Interim Management Committee (IMC) Chairman Orrin Gordon.

This is the second such project for Digicel. The first was the construction of the new Mahaica Children’s Home.

James said the construction of the multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art facility is expected to commence before the end of the month and be completed by the start of the new academic school year.

She said the initiative came about after conversations with a member of the United Women for Children

with Special Needs, who indicated that there were schools or centres in Linden that needed some form of assistance, notably medical assistance and school or general supplies. “So we came for a visit to the Low Vision School in Wismar, we saw the children there and we realised that they do need some form of assistance even if its stationery or equipment, and then we were told of the Special School on Mackenzie.”

“So we visited here where we realised that the building needed some form of refurbishing. Originally, we planned to refurbish the building and do what we could for the Low Vision School and that turned out to us doing an entire building that will house both facilities at one location.”

The Centre is expected to cater for a minimum of 60 children with physical disabilities and will be run using normal school hours. It is also expected to have an established school curriculum.

Elated Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon, who thanked the company for making the commitment, noted that after officials in Linden were approached on the educational matter, they

saw it fitting to have the Centre constructed and as such, welcomed the initiative. “I think this is going to benefit our community tremendously, as it is going to fulfil that pillar of providing equal opportunities to our people. I think this is very good. We were approached by Digicel on the matter of education, to ensure that we have systems in place to be able to cater for our young persons who are disabled and our people in general. At the level of education, we recognised also what their needs would have been as it relates to facilities and we would have been working to assist them,” the Regional Chairman stated.

He added that the location was identified through the joint efforts of the Linden Town Council and the region. Gordon said both the Regional Democratic Council and the Linden Town Council were elated at the establishment of the Centre.

IMC Chairman Gordon added that although there is the Linden Centre for Disabled Children, there are many challenges in terms of limited space, and noted that the establishment of the Centre will assist in filling that void. He said others will now be given an opportunity through learning and development.

“One of the big issues we understand is that a lot of children (with disabilities) are at home and they are not really coming out, because their parents may be ashamed that they are physically challenged. So, a facility such as this will ensure that children are able to come out to school to learn and be integrated into society, rather than locked away at home.”

The IMC Chairman emphasised that the move was sincerely welcomed, and thanked Digicel for being a corporate citizen. He noted that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed by the entities involved, adding that officials expect to see continuity and consistency under the initiative.

“We are very elated by this development. When Digicel approached us on this matter, we were very elated about it because something of this nature, the municipality nor the Regional Democratic Council would not have been in the position to have done. It’s a good thing: it shows corporate, private ownership now coming into the picture. It also adds to the development of the community,” he said.

Driver beaten, thrown in trench by carjackers

Amoonlighting taxi

driver was on Monday beaten and robbed of the car he owned for two weeks. Tej Budhram, also called “Anil” of Main Street, Cumberland, East Canje, who also works as a salesman with ANSA McAl Trading Ltd, is now a patient of the New Amsterdam Hospital after being beaten by carjackers who tied him up and later left him in a trench along the Corentyne as they escaped with his car.

According to Budhram, on Monday evening, while working as a taxi driver in New Amsterdam, he picked up four men who said they were going to the Corentyne. “One of them had what looked like a baby in his hand and he and the other

three come in the car.”

He said he stopped at a service station at Palmyra to purchase gas and as he left and was passing an unlighted area a short distance away, the men attacked him: beating and then bounding him with his own shirt before throwing into the trunk of his car.

Budhram explained that the car stopped and shortly after, the trunk opened and he was thrown out and landed in a trench. “When I catch myself is at Courtland Village I was, and I had to untie myself and then I went to the Police Station.”

Meanwhile, sources close to the Police confirmed that Budhram made a report to the Albion Police Station of robbery with violence. Among the injuries hospital sourc-

es say Budhram sustained was a broken jaw. While details of the entire incident are sketchy, Budhram, at one point, said he was gun butted, which resulted in a laceration above his mouth. He also said he received his injuries as a result of being cuffed. The silver-grey Toyota IST was purchased two weeks ago and

apart from the number plate, the car only had the number PSS 8575 engraved on the headlamps.

The salesman had been moonlighting as a taxi driver to make money to pay the instalments for his new car. Police are investigating; however, no one has been arrested.

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

The school sex video

Even though it is less talked about in the public domain, teen pornography is not a matter new to Guyana. In fact, the recent video involving students from a city school is yet another example.

Some years ago, several volumes of a locally produced movie “Guyanese Girls Gone Wild”, featuring both students and teachers of an East Coast private school hit the local market, creating quite a stir.

Back then, social media was not as prominent as it is today, and even though the saga was widely covered in the media, the attention it generated was pale in comparison to that of the senior city students.

This was largely due to the fact that the 10,000-plus students in the school system who have access to a computer have a Facebook account, and once the video was posted on that forum, within minutes, it went viral.

This naturally attracted attention, both condemnation and glorification alike, but in essence brought a mountain of embarrassment to the students involved, their school, and worst of all, their families. What was unfortunate in all of this is that the misguided act of the minors was used by some on social media to more or less glorify what happened.

While no right-thinking Guyanese will condone the actions of the teenagers involved, from all indications, the posting of the video on Facebook was a malicious if not vengeful act.

The rampant sharing of the video was, therefore, imprudent, and in some cases as gleaned from the comments, was rank exploitation of an injudicious action by a group of teenagers.

Even more unfortunate was little regard was given to the fact that the persons involved were minors; the exposure could have been detrimental as Guyana has the highest suicide rates in the world; and the impact the stigma will have on their social lives.

In Guyana, there is practically no regulation of social media and blog sites; thus, it is quite understandable why a sensitive video did not take long to spread like wildfire.

However, in spite of general regulations which uphold sound ethics and good taste as expected from the mainstream media, one section of the state media appeared to have made a grave misjudgement on these guiding principles.

It is no folklore that it is under the incumbent administration that a series of legislation has been passed to protect children, and this aside, the Government continues to invest heavily in them as evident in the yearly national budget.

What such misjudgement indicates is an apparent lack of awareness of the thrust, work and efforts by the Government to not only protect the well-being, but also the image of children. And while it has subsequently apologised, the damage was already done.

The situation highlights the importance of greater parental involvement in children’s education. It is simply not enough for parents to send their children to school and monitor their grades. They must also know who the friends of their children are and their activities both in and out of school.

This would entail random checks of their bags and cellphones and periodic school visits and places of lessons. The sordid saga was another worry for the Education Ministry which is grappling with teachers’ absenteeism and poor punctuality, and paedophiles in the school system, among other issues.

Fortunately, Education Minister Priya Manickchand had, at the time of the incident, promptly confirmed that the Facebook video with the two boys and two girls engaging in sexual activities were indeed students of a secondary school in Georgetown, and according to her, this was very disturbing to her and the Ministry.

In light of the surfacing of the sex video, it is hoped that the Health and Family Life Education Programme relaunched a few months ago will now play a more meaningful role. Beyond that, a broader national discussion is needed to address the whole question of role models, leadership and direction for the youth of Guyana.

Happy 100th birthday

Are these two writers paid hands of the PNC/APNU?

Dear Editor,

I read a letter in another section of the media by Asquith Rose and Harish Singh under the headline, “Thanks to the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of Kaieteur News for saving Guyana”.

This is an interesting caption which is like saying, “Thanks to two black caimans for not devouring a tourist in a caiman-infested creek”.

By the way, these two writers seem to be kicking bricks in the United States and are only paid when they write rubbish against the Government of Guyana, its Ministers and officials through their frequent letters to earn their upkeep.

It would be interesting to know what is the deal per

letter written and who pays them. But they are more likely paid servants of the PNC/APNU and better cannot be expected from fringe elements, having been reduced to conduits of PNC/ APNU’s sewage.

In their letter, the two writers mentioned Guyana’s national Treasury, which is all they seem to be thinking about. Have they remembered their PNC party raped the National Treasury when it was in Government prior to 1992, which left Guyana in social and economic ruins? Thankfully, the party was removed by the people of Guyana in October 1992.

These two writers should be ashamed of writing about good governance when it was their party – the PNC,

when in Government –which rigged every General Election from 1968-1985 and caused the social and economic destruction of Guyana.

The people of Guyana lived in darkness and misery under the illegal PNC Government prior to 1992 which made a mockery of the Guyanese people. And people like Rose and Singh have the audacity to write trash in the Opposition sections of the media about the Government of Guyana?

This shows clearly that freedom of the press is flourishing in Guyana as a result of the restoration of democracy in 1992 when the illegal and authoritarian PNC regime was voted out of office by the Guyanese people.

But these two writ-

ers have their rights which show that they seem simply disgruntled for not receiving special favours from the Government, hence their garbage in the Opposition press for a fee in New York.

These two conduits of PNC/APNU’s waste are basically ashamed to acknowledge that Guyana’s social and economic affairs are well managed by the Government of Guyana, causing Guyana to be wellpositioned as a shining example of good governance in our Region.

But being political quacks, they are not interested in the truth, but the truth shall prevail.

Yours sincerely, Peter Persaud

Freddie offers no workable solutions to simple problems

Dear Editor,

My friend Freddie Kissoon has informed us of the passing of his mother-in-law Mrs Mohammed. My sympathy goes out to Freddie’s wife, Janet and his daughter and the Mohammed family.

Mrs Mohammed, I am informed by people who know her, was a very kind, generous and religious woman. She was disappointed in Freddie who often embarrassed and disgraced the family by his frequent uttering of his love for pork and beef – which violate the strict religious diet of the family.

Freddie is most insensitive to and contemptuous of Muslims and other religious people, attacking their beliefs, customs and dietary restrictions – incurring the wrath of the population.

I am told even Mrs Mohammed could not stand the sight of Freddie (not suh Fred?). Mrs Mohammed was a strong, courageous woman who could not put up with Freddie’s nonsense.

May she rest in peace and may the Mohammed family be comforted that through her good, decent life here on earth, she is assured a place in heaven. The same cannot be said of Freddie who curses and abuses everyone.

Freddie has condemned the dilapidated condition of the Le Repentir cemetery with “human bones strewn all over the place” – an exaggeration as no one else saw “human bones all over the place”.

Yes, the cemetery needs sprucing up and security. But the cleaning, security, disposal of human bones, and

upkeep of the cemetery falls under the purview of the Mayor and City Council.

How come Freddie has not called on his personal friend, Mayor Hamilton Green, and his other friends in the Council to do their job so that Le Repentir will not be “the saddest thing ever to be seen”?

Why doesn’t Freddie call on the City Council to hire a cemetery keeper to maintain the cemetery and to account for the millions allocated annually for the upkeep of Le Repentir?

How come other cemeteries are not in dilapidated condition? Freddie is quick to blame, but he offers no workable solutions to simple problems.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Guyana’s political Opposition have no vision for national development

Dear Editor,

Since the new political dispensation of the Guyana’s Parliament after the 2011 General Elections, we have witnessed on several occasions the combined Opposition using their one-seat majority to block funding to a number of projects, cutting the Government’s budget and in a general manner stymieing the development thrust of the Government.

Their objective it would seem is to flex political muscle to the detriment of all Guyanese. Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader Khemraj Ramjattan pronounced emphatically before the budget was even tabled that the cuts are going to be more “constructive”, thus admitting that the cuts before were far from “constructive” and their objective is to cut, by any means necessary.

It is not that cutting the national budget will take you to hell, but saying no to something should usually be followed by a good alternative. The latter would indicate commitment to national development and equally some visionary prowess.

But in Guyana’s case, the Opposition have cut the budget, vetoed the projects and have failed to offer alternatives. It is as if they’re saying: “You can’t eat the bread on your table but… we don’t have a meal to offer”. This demonstration of intellectual bankruptcy is nothing new to the Guyanese people, as it is reminiscent of the notorious PNC era, when a chronic drought of transformational ideas persisted.

Among the projects vetoed for political vindictiveness (economic sabotage may be more accurate), are the Amalia Falls

Hydro Electric project, the CJIA expansion, the aviation plan and the Marriott Hotel.

The reasons given for the veto are, at best, intellectually suspect. The Opposition have pronounced that the Amaila Falls project would run dry at some point. However, a hydroelectric plant was never meant to produce electricity all year round. Basic research would show only a small percentage of hydro falls projects can actually achieve this.

The CJIA expansion and the Marriott followed a similar logic. The Opposition argue that the CJIA expansion is pointless, given the limited international traffic. The same logic is extended to the Marriott: Stop the project because the other hotels aren’t performing well.

This is a sad case of an inherent inability to distinguish between cause and effect or synergy. Arguably an explanation for the limited international traffic is the state of modernity of the current airport infrastructure.

You would never be able to attract state-of-the-art carriers with dated infrastructure. A large new airport is necessary for these carriers to transit Guyana. These carriers aren’t landing in Guyana because we don’t have a modern airport, not the other way around.

The Marriott follows a similar flawed thinking. The average tourist would not risk staying in hotels where men turn up dead in swimming pools or mosquitoes and other parasites call home. To attract the tourists, we desire modern facilities. However, while flawed logic was used

to shaft these projects, no reason was given as to why the aviation plan was vetoed. One has to assume, given the modus operandi of the Opposition, there isn’t logic behind that cutting.

It is the vision of the incumbent which sees Guyana as an aviation hub: a nation placed between Central, Latin and South America, the Caribbean and North America would be able to provide aviation services that are unique.

It is the vision of the incumbent that saw Guyana as a tourist destination with the resources to offer something different. The other nations sell white sand, blue waters and clear sky as their biggest assets. The world has seen that 10 times over.

Guyana can tap into eco-tourism and capture a massive market. It is the vision of the incumbent that realised Guyana’s manufacturing prowess. The intermediate savannahs provide abundant land for production and hydro electricity would provide cheap renewable electricity to complete the manufacturing process.

Would we be seeing a Berbice River Bridge and the Providence National Stadium if the now political Opposition had possessed this one-seat majority? Or even more frightening, to contemplate were they in power? The sane mind thinks not.

We all know what the vision of the incumbent is. Can we say the same for the combined Opposition?

Sincerely,

Stephen Kissoon

God does not make mistakes: Kwayana should lead the way for reconciliation

Dear Editor, Historians are well aware that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”, as George Santayana so wisely wrote. When Mr Eusi Kwayana can completely clear his conscience about his role in Guyana’s turbulent history, similar visits to other Doobay Renal Centres may dispense need for his own Field of Akeldama.

The truth does indeed set one free. “A person who admits being wrong, pays less”, has been a well known Ugandan proverb; no doubt a very good reminder for a hefty deposit from Mr Kwayana for the usual black monument thing.

After his visit to the Doobay Renal Centre at Annandale, right next door to Buxton, he ensured it was made clear he was invited by Dr Budhendranath Doobay, the “worthy pioneer of the project”, who is a devout Hindu Brahmin Physician residing in Canada.

Writing in another newspaper, titled, “Doobay Renal Centre – a beacon of hope”, such “a visit seemed to me like a pipe dream” come through for the aging rebel on a crutch.

The Doobay Renal Centre can only continue to be an excellent credit to that magnanimous Annandale Indian Hindu family, regardless of who visits, regardless of race. Also noteworthy is the ageing Buxtonian pointing out that it was not him, but rather “Dr Doobay (who) had recalled what is lost to the wider history, but what to small communities was important.

His father, the eminent Pandit Ramsahai Doobay, and

I, a rural high school principal, separately accepted an invitation from the British Colonial Secretary Mr Duncan Sandys during his fact-finding visit to Guyana in early July 1963.

It was an invitation to meet at short notice on the big bridge between Buxton and Annandale and shake hands in the presence of large crowds from both villages, in order to help defuse tensions” due to the destabilising CIA financed TUC 80-day strike.

Mr Kwayana played his role all too well at that time to secure his objectives. God does not make mistakes. So beloved were Indians who predominantly supported the PPP that God first sent his beloved son Jesus Christ (John 3;16) to save them – who apparently failed?

Then on further reflection, God promptly dispatched his two-also-much-dearly-beloved Sandys and Kwayana to shake hands and make peace through a Hindu Pandit? God must have a very special interest in Guyana to have dispatched President Jimmy Carter to ensure free and fair elections which saw the PNC removed and the Jagans’ PPP/C re elected in 1992!

That Annandale/Buxton orchestrated drama did indeed take place and eased political tensions. But the record does not show that Mr Kwayana himself subsequently became and remained any more peacefully transformed by that specific public political encounter with the venerated Hindu Pandit whom he now extolls.

Lamentably, no significant proactive effort to influence UWI’s Dr Kean Gibson to

withdraw her scurrilous book attacking Hinduism after he originally shook the eminent Pandit’s hand has ever occurred.

It would still be an awesome signal most welcomed in gratitude for past Indian munificence, wouldn’t it?

Denied “critical support” by the Opposition African leadership, most timely when it is most needed by Indians on such issues, it still remains a nasty blot, fogging up better race relations in Guyana.

Indians who were vilified for practising “pagan” religions, have still endured within and outside Guyana. The Doobays have demonstrably moved on. Their Renal Centre has effectively debunked the racism charges against their treasured but maligned Hindu religious practices.

But Dr Gibson’s book still continues to perpetuate falsehoods. Is this the best way to engender trust? Mr Kwayana as a favoured earlier dispatched divine “chosen one”, still alive, can still work a miracle or two and restore our faith in local goods.

Now despite all the divine truth which the British and American archives have confirmed about their accurate and active role in Guyana’s affairs, how credible is Mr Kwayana’s misguided attempts to further hoodwink Guyanese about our history?

He still wants us to believe that both Anglo-American Governments were not, in cahoots, not guilty in destabilising the PPP Government with him as a star player? During that period, Mr Kwayana specifically attacked Mr Burnham and the PNC for conceding

First things first

Dear Editor, Parliament is to be reconvened shortly and according to the AFC, the motion of NoConfidence is to be discussed as a matter of priority.

Moses Nagamootoo who tabled the motion has made the request that this matter be dealt with dispatch taking precedence over all other matters pending debate in the National Assembly.

I must say this is a very bold move on the part of the minority AFC. Interestingly so is the fact that Nagamootoo is making that request to a Speaker who is locked in a court case for alleged rape and sodomy of a minor in the High Court.

So, my first question to Nagamootoo is, who gave him the bright idea that he “controls” anything in the National Assembly that he should dictate what goes on there?

On the second count who so told him that a NoConfidence Motion is priority? I would further add that Nagamootoo should be well advised that the court matter involving the Speaker takes precedence over any matter in this noble House.

That is priority, not what they think. It must be made pelucidly clear that no sensible government (and that is the PPP/C, not the AFC) would proceed with a Speaker embroiled in a very serious paedophile matter. It just won’t happen.

that should the PPP win the 1964 elections, they would be entitled to lead Guyana to independence.

So, simply put we are not in the least interested in Nagamootoo and Ramjattan’s idle threat of a No-Confidence Motion. What we are going to do is table a motion for the immediate removal of the Speaker.

And should they posit that there will be a constitutional crisis, there would be no such thing because there is a Deputy Speaker in the house who is ready and able to carry on.

Even if the rape and sodomy issue is settled out of court, Trotman still cannot hold office. A “settlement” means that the accused party has decided to drop the ignominy of being found guilty in a court of law, which in most cases requires a jail term. He might well opt for the less painful and less embarrassing route of public scrutiny. Therefore, the best option available is to resign.

Let me refer you to the situation in the USA with the Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi. He had to step aside while his matter was decided in court. As the court record shows he was acquitted of the charge and is seeking reinstatement. In fact, the latest news report states that he cannot hold office again.

The same goes for Trotman, he must vacate his post. He cannot convince anyone with any valid reasons why a person should hold such a high position while damaging allegations are leveled against him.

Respectfully,

What the PPP/C is doing right now is giving Speaker Trotman time to vacate gracefully. They are giving him enough time to go home and work out his moral compass, while there is time. It is the ethical and morally upright thing to do in such a highly charged atmosphere.

Neil Adams

Page Foundation

As the outbreak continues to spread, the fear of catching the disease is rising. Experts are learning more about how to contain the virus that has infected around 7500

* Don’t touch – Ebola is spread by direct contact with contaminated body fluids. Blood, vomit and saliva can all carry and spread the deadly virus. The relatives of sick patients and the healthcare workers who care for them are at highest risk of infection, but anyone who comes into close proximity potentially puts themselves at risk.

For that reason, contact should only be for essential medical care and always under the full protection of the right clothing. The virus can’t breach protective gear, such as gloves, a mask, goggles, a full body suit and tough rubber wellington boots, but too few have access to state-of-the-art kit.

* Cover your eyes – If an infected droplet does get on to your skin, it can be washed away immediately with soap and water or an alcoholbased hand sanitiser. The eyes are a different matter. A spray of droplets from a sneeze directly into the eye, for example, could let the virus in. Similarly, the mucous membranes of the mouth and inside of the nose are vulnerable areas, as is broken skin.

* Laundry – One of the most shocking symptoms of Ebola is bleeding. Patients can bleed from the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and rectum. Diarrhoea and vomit may also be tainted with blood.

A big infection risk is cleaning up.

people in West Africa.

The race is on to stop this deadly disease that kills more than half of those it infects. Here’s what is known.

Any laundry or other clinical waste should be incinerated. Any medical equipment that needs to be kept should be decontaminated. Without adequate sterilisation, virus transmission can continue and amplify. Minute droplets on a surface that hasn’t been adequately cleaned could, in theory, pose a risk. And it’s unclear how long the virus could sit there and remain a threat. Flu viruses and other germs can live two hours or longer on hard environmental surfaces like tables, doorknobs, and desks.

Soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitisers readily disrupt the envelope of this single-stranded RNA virus, and decontamination with dilute bleach is effective and readily available even in remote settings.

* Condoms – Generally, once someone recovers from Ebola and they have the all-clear, they can no longer spread the virus.

But according to the World Health Organisation Ebola can be found in semen for seven weeks and some studies suggest it can be present for up to three months.

For this reason, doctors say that people who recover from Ebola should abstain from sex or use condoms for three months. (Excerpt from BBC News)

BY MICHELLE LONGO

Internationally and across the country, we are being bombarded with stories of illness. Children are often faced with a flurry of incoming information which could be confusing or scary to them. Unless we ask, as parents we often have no idea just how much our children know about these difficult subjects.

The latest Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak has been all over the news. On September 30, 2014, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first travel-associated case of Ebola to be diagnosed in the United States. Newark Liberty International Airport has been named one of 20 Quarantine Stations around the country staffed with medical and public health officials who serve to limit the introduction and spread of diseases into the United States.

Children are curious beings. As word spreads about this serious illness, it’s only natural that children will want to know if they are at risk and what would happen to them if they got the disease. They may wonder about the safety of family members and friends who are in the health care profession. For those families with relatives living in or near the more seriously affected countries, concerns can be even higher.

Check your facts. Before

sitting down with your children, take the time to educate yourself on Ebola. Visit websites such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) or the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to find out information from a trustworthy source. Check your emotions. Children often learn how to respond to situations by modelling the behaviour of the adults around them. If you panic, they will panic. By staying calm and reassuring, you can acknowledge everyone’s fears while still presenting enough facts to help alleviate some of them.

Monitor your social media and news coverage. When reading about serious issues, it’s important to watch for little eyes nearby. If your child can read and would be likely to look at your computer, newspaper or

magazines, be sure sensitive or detailed information is tucked away until you’re ready to discuss it on an age appropriate level.

Consider the source Be wary of where you’re getting information from and what access your child has to the same information. Even when reporting all the facts, some stories are intentionally alarmist, aimed, first and foremost, at getting your attention. Satirical “news” websites like The Onion and The Daily Currant have already featured articles about Ebola and these stories often get shared around social media as though they are fact. Always check the source of the information you read and urge children to bring any fears and questions they have to your attention so you can address them.

Children should protect themselves from illness all the time. This is a good time to remind children that all of us should work to remain healthy and stop the spread of illnesses and diseases. Frequent hand washing, staying home when sick, coughing into an elbow or tissue (with proper disposal of used tissues emphasised for many children!) are all important especially at this time of year. Ebola, and many other illnesses, are spread through contact with bodily fluids of those infected, so children should be encouraged to never touch the fluids of their friends. Remind children that protecting their health and encouraging a strong immune system by eating properly, staying hydrated and getting plenty of rest are also good ideas.

There’s no doubt that Ebola is scary. Reassuring children that they are safe and the adults around them are taking every precaution possible to keep them that way is paramount. Stay calm, stay educated and stay healthy. (baristanet.com)

No breakthrough in probe of houselot scam

Weeks after the Housing Ministry announced a major scam in the distribution of houselots, Police are yet to make any significant breakthrough.

Housing Minister Irfaan Ali on Tuesday said investigations into the scam are ongoing, but he could not say whether anyone has been arrested by Police.

When contacted, acting Crime Chief Leslie James could not provide an immediate update on the investigations and subsequent attempts to contact him proved futile.

Early September, Minister Ali said he was offering amnesty to persons who were duped in the major houselot scam uncovered.

The Minister told houselot seekers that all persons who come forward with information would be given a reprieve and walk away from the scam without being prosecuted.

As part of the scam, persons have been collecting money to expedite delivery of houselots to citizens.

In a statement, the

Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) had said that information was received that the various players in the scam could not deliver on their promises and moreover, various persons who have been defrauded have since responded to the Ministry’s recent public notice.

The scam saw persons alleging that they are rel-

Essequibo River accident…

atives and associates of Housing Ministry personnel, including Minister Ali. Some even operated as staff of the Ministry, taking people to various housing areas and identifying plots of land that are vacant. Despite numerous warnings by the Ministry against entering into these transactions, persons continue to fall prey.

“Thus far, 49 persons are under investigation and if you did anything that is illegal to the service of the Ministry, I am asking you to give that information to the staff here… our internal system will catch each and every single crook. I can guarantee you that.”

He added: “If you give information, then you will have amnesty, we just need the information now.”

The Housing Ministry, in a recent release, noted that some of the parties to this scam are recent applicants who are being lured on the pretext of an expedited process to access their own land.

“The Ministry is once again encouraging persons to come into us and report

any instance whereby any individual or group would have collected monies from them in an effort to ‘expedite’ or ‘deliver’ any service provided by the Ministry.”

The Ministry warned that persons who are involved in scams of this nature are equally culpable, since they have willingly participated in these illegal activities and must have known that the transactions could not have been authentic.

“We would like to urge the members of the public to report any case in which they would have paid or were requested to pay or enter into any transaction in relation to any business of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA),” the Ministry said.

Persons are being reminded that the Housing Authority is the only authorised agency responsible for the allocation and receipt of payments with respect to houselots purchased from the authority, for which official receipts are issued.

Man charged for Tain resident’s murder

– Police continue search for main accomplice

Harrinarine Mathura, 52, was on Tuesday charged with murder when he appeared before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Albion Magistrate’s Court.

It is alleged that on October 5 at Well Tank Dam, Miss Phoebe, Port Mourant, he murdered Rajeshwar Ramdhani, 20.

Mathura called “Casreep” of 49 Haswell, Port Mourant, was not required to plead to the indictable charge. He was unrepresented in court.

Meanwhile, the Police are continuing their search for the main accused Das Ramdhani, 20, called “Peter” of Haswell, Port Mourant. According to reports, the fatal stabbing stemmed from an argument between Rajeshwar Ramdhani and the two accused. The incident reportedly occurred around midnight on the said day while the deceased was making his way home.

A post-mortem per-

formed on the body by Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh confirmed that he died from a stab wound to the chest.

According to Daniel Ramdhani, a brother of Rajeshwar reported that prior to the incident, the accused verbally abused him and his brother. He related that while on their way home, the two men followed and cornered them in a dark spot when Das Ramdhani pulled out a knife and stabbed his bother.

Daniel explained that he managed to run away while Mathura was in hot pursuit. He noted that Mathura did not catch up with him but threw a wood at him.

He went on to say that he attempted to save his brother but it was too late.

Mathura is expected to make his second court appearance on November 10 at the Whim Magistrate’s Court.

Boat that killed woman allegedly driven by neighbour

One of the boats involved in the marine accident that claimed the life of a Essequibo River woman was reportedly driven by her neighbour.

The dead woman has been identified as Lovina Braithwaite, 24, of Foulmouth, Essequibo River. The woman reportedly sustained severe head injuries and died upon impact sometime around 18:30h following the accident.

The 200 horse-power engine boat was allegedly piloted by her neighbour Brian Pollard, who has been taken into custody and is assisting with the investigations.

Contrary to initial reports by this newspaper that the woman was returning home after she had travelled to Bartica to uplift the Government funded

“Because we care $10,000 cash grant”, Braithwaite was in fact on her way to Bartica to pick-up one of her brothers, who worked at the Bartica Gas Station.

Another brother, Savrey (only name given) related to Guyana Times that they had no idea that Lovina was involved in an accident or had died.

The man said that just after 19:00h, he received a call from his neighbour who requested him to transport her over to Bartica because her husband was involved in an accident.

“That was all she tell me so I take her over with my boat and is when we reach the hospital then I see my sister dead body,” he recalled. Savrey said he immediately called home and informed his family.

The man noted that his sister sustained injuries to the face and top of the head.

He continued that he was told that his sister’s boat ran on top of the other boat after hitting it, pointing out that Lovina’s boat had a 15 horse-power engine.

However, he explained that from the damage, it is evident that the boat with the bigger engine was the one on top of his sister’s.

Lying unconscious Savrey said their neighbour told him that when they collided, he ended up on top of Lovina’s boat and after he dragged his boat back into the water, he saw the woman lying unconscious in her boat.

By this time, other boat operators came to their rescue and immediately rushed the injured woman to the hospital where she was pro-

nounced dead on arrival.

The brother claimed that his sister would usually travel to Bartica to pick up their brother and would even assist in transporting school children to and from Foulmouth.

This newspaper was told that persons on the shore heard the impact and went to the crash site where they found the woman unconscious in her boat. The woman’s face was badly damaged.

“She whole face smash up,” a boat operator from Bartica said. He explained that it appears as though the woman’s boat was hit from the back since the ‘engine-hood’ came off and the woman was still in the boat.

The boat operator added that the accident might have been as a result of poor lighting in the river.

“She didn’t had not light and he didn’t had any and then there was none in the river either, so maybe they

didn’t see each other and crash into one another,” the man said.

This concern was raised by the Officer-in-Charge of the Bartica Police Station, Assistant Superintendant of Police (ASP) Rudolph Banwarie.

Speaking to this newspaper, he said the fact that neither boat had no lighting was the major, if not the only cause, of the accident.

Banwarie pointed out that since there is no lighting in that area of the river, the Maritime

Administration had ordered that no boat operate there after dark.

However, some operators do not comply. The ASP added that this is a problem he is trying to curb.

The body of the woman is expected to be transferred from the Bartica Hospital to Georgetown today to facilitate a post-mortem examination on Friday.

Braithwaite leaves to mourn her nine-year-old son, along with her parents and siblings.

thursDAY, october 16, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com

Rebuilding of fire-bombed One Mile Primary on track – Clerk of Works

The reconstruction of the fire-bombed One Mile Primary School is on track, Clerk of Works, Gerald Whittington has said.

The $170 million project is being closely monitored by students, teachers, and parents. The school was fire-bombed by arsonists in August 2012, following a wave of protests in the mining town over electricity tariffs. Some 800 students have been displaced. Whittington said works are moving apace since the school is now about 55 per cent complete. He said the construction company, PD Construction, which was awarded the contract has proven to be quite "competent".

"The structure of the building is totally complete. Since we are constructing it in stages, we started from the North-South and we are coming around to the East-West section right now. Presently, we are claw boarding the roofs and the roofs located North-South are completed. Apart from that, everything else is on stream. We will deliver as promised," he said.

While the school is being rebuilt in its previous compound, it is not being reconstructed from its former structure, due to its structural integrity issues. Whittington said the team, which is an experienced one, is working under the stewardship of foreman Mohammed Baksh and project consultant Kalian Tiwari. He related that they are working feverishly to meet the April deadline.

April deadline

"We are on target. We have until April next year to hand over the school to Government and we will do so before. We have competent masons and carpenters working on site," he noted. Whittington said one of the advantages of the structure is its improved ventilation. He noted that the

cess, while he noted his optimism that all will continue to be on par.

"We would like to start painting this building by

job. Ninety-five per cent of the people working here are from Linden," he said.

Asked about challenges experienced since the start of

December, because I know that we are on track and we will fulfil our promise to deliver the school by April." He added, "I know a lot of parents are eager to have their kids back under normal conditions. Some even stop and ask questions and I would tell them that 'your kid will be back at this new school early next year'.

The project has seen the employment of mainly Lindeners on site. As a matter of fact, Whittington re-

the project, Whittington explained that there were no major challenges. "There are no major challenges. We had a break and enter here. Some tools were stolen, but we have put some measures in place and everything is ok now."

Junior Finance Minister

Juan Edghill recently paid a visit to the site and noted his satisfaction at how works are progressing. "I am satisfied with the progress so far. I've been getting reports and I wanted to come and see for

classrooms are currently being constructed and the doors to these rooms are yet to be completed. The Clerk of Works also expressed his satisfaction with the progression of the rebuild pro-

lated that 32 out of the 34 persons employed on the site are from Linden. Among the employees presently on site is a female steel bender.

"We have the necessary skills in Linden to do the

myself what is happening ... I would want to urge that we get this done within time, even before time, so that the people of Linden could get their school, particularly the students who have been re-

located to other places right now. We are keeping a close eye on all the developmental projects across the country," he said.

Meanwhile, parents of displaced students continue to look forward to the school’s re-opening. Many students attending the One Mile Primary hail from the Wismar shore where the school is located. Although it is situated at One Mile, it accommodates many students from neighbouring communities such as Wisroc, Block 22, Half Mile, Wismar Housing Scheme, Silvertown, and Canvas City.

Some parents of displaced students disclosed how anxious they were to have the students back at the location. "Most persons are anticipating, our expectation is that the school finishes for the next academic year, because the three locations in which the children are being housed are very uncomfortable. It’s very congested. We are just hoping and praying that One Mile schoolchildren get back the school in a timely manner," a parent stated.

The woman, who related that she has a son attending the school, said that due to a larger intake of students at the nursery school for this academic year, some more students were recently relocated to the Wismar Hill Primary School. The woman related that some Grade Five and Six students were also relocated from the Block 22 Multi-purpose Hall.

Guyana Times asked another parent how her child has been coping with the relocation and she replied, "The arrangement (students being housed at various school locations) is very uncomfortable, but we are trying and we have to motivate them. I wish if they can finish rebuilding the school on or before the April deadline."

She said despite the challenges faced by students, she was happy that the One Mile Primary School was successful at the last National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) Examinations.

Sub-optimal...

...bilge

Henry Jeffrey seems bent on providing grist for this Eyewitness' mill. The fella's been given a lifeline by the Stabber from the obscurity to which he was consigned after failing at four separate Ministries of Government. (This must be some sort of record, no??)

Now you'd think he’d use the opportunity to show he's not such the wanker he was made up to be – like giving away the Caribbean store to the Europeans during negotiations for the EPA. But all he's done is prove Jagdeo should be given some sort of medal for putting up with him for so looooong!

In his latest polemic against the Government, "Suboptimal policing", Jeffrey purports to look at our crime statistics. Which he claims should be "more longitudinal" to be "meaningful". Well, if Jeffrey would take the time to collate the data issued annually, wouldn't that be "longitudinal" enough for him?

But hold it!!! Isn't that what he did when he looked at our murder rates from 2000 to 2012?? This Eyewitness has heard of lies, damned lies, and statistics. But Jeffrey has invented a whole new category – longitudinal statistical goddamned lies!!

Just look at what the fella – who insists he has a "doctorate" – did with the statistics. First, he avoided comparing us with other South American countries –even though he conceded that Brazil’s, Venezuela’s and Columbia’s crime rates are higher than ours!! Says we're more "Caribbean". But with South American drugs being funnelled through our borders because of the American pressure in Columbia – you'd think we're comparable, no?? Well, "no" if you go by Jeffrey.

But even with the Caribbean comparison, he claims we had the fastest rise in number of murders since 2000. Yet Trinidad's murder rate rose by almost THREE times and ours less than TWO TIMES! So he makes the "exception" for Trinidad!! Hey! If Jeffrey's going to make exceptions in every category he creates, why the heck does he bother to "compare"?? The wanker just wants to appear "scientific" by throwing out "statistics".

But the final straw was his "explanation" for the rise in murders here – without once mentioning Hoyte's "slow fyaah, mo fyaah" strategy from 2001. Was it coincidence or serendipity that this was when the years of living dangerously in Guyana began?? So what happened in 20a02-2003 when the murder rate spiked to its highest ever?? Did it have anything to do with the bandits in Buxton??

Could it be that the guns brought in and handed out to child soldiers created a structural pattern of violence in Guyana??? Akin to what happened in Jamaica with the political creation of "garrisons"??

Enquiring minds want to know, Jeffrey!!

... Opposition coordination

Looks like the AFC and APNU have their signals crossed on the No-Confidence Motion. Here it is, the AFC'd declared with absolute confidence that Parliament was going to convene on October 16 - -and THEIR NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION WAS GOING TO BE DEBATED. They gloated about the Government weeping and wailing and gnashing their teeth. But today's the day – October 16. So where’s the motion?? Who's gnashing their teeth??

The only "motion" we're having today is the "bellywuk" of Ramjattan and Nagamootoo!! Nasty!!! Now we're hearing they "pressing" for October 22 or 24. We suspect they might be pressing some kind of plug into their nether orifice. Because it's obvious that APNU and Granger have an agenda of their own, and they're more than a little miffed that the AFC insists on upstaging them.

It's clear that APNU will make it clear to the AFC troglodytes as to "who is man". And it ain't Nagamootoo, for sure!!

...charges

After the Chronicle made it clear from their Mc Doom article that Mook Lall of the Muckraker was not a fella to make threats lightly, shouldn't the Police take his latest threats against the GRA Commish more seriously?? Or do they want to see another smoking gun??

Parliament’s reconvening not imminent

By Alexis Rodney

Even after a high level meeting with parliamentary representatives on Wednesday, members of the Parliamentary Management Committee could not decide on a date for the reconvening of the 10th Parliament.

This new development has placed the highly-anticipated No-Confidence Motion debate on the line. It also adds to the concerns raised by the Alliance For Change (AFC) that no effort has been placed into reconvening the next sitting of the Parliament, whose recess period expired some six days ago. Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs told Guyana Times that the Parliamentary Management Committee meeting held in the Chambers included Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman; Government’s Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira; A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Chief Whip Amna Ally, along with other representatives from both sides. At the meeting, it was decided that the two Chief Whips will meet and put forward proposals for a possible date for the reconvening of Parliament.

Contacted on Wednesday, Ally told Guyana Times that she was still in conversation with Teixeira for them to decide on a possible date. That date, it was explained,

will have to be confirmed by Government. The National Assembly Clerk explained that according to Standing Order 8 (2) “if during an adjournment of the Assembly, it is represented to the Speaker by the Government, or the Speaker is of the opinion that the public interest requires that the Assembly should meet a day earlier than to which it stands adjourned, the Speaker may give notice accordingly and

the Assembly shall meet at the time stated in such notice”.

He further explained that if a date had already been fixed for the next sitting and Government wanted an earlier sitting, representation would have to be made to the Speaker to do just that. He stressed that the Speaker could not on his own fix a date for the reconvening of Parliament.

Asked about what was discussed at the meeting, Isaacs said he could not divulge details, but hinted that “many matters” had come up for discussion. Guyana Times had also sought to find out, given the seriousness of the No-Confidence Motion, where exactly it stands on the parliamentary order paper. But Isaacs reiterated to this newspaper that the No-Confidence Motion was accepted by the National Assembly and set down like any other motion.

At odds

Meanwhile, as the day of reckoning on the NoConfidence Motion debate nears, APNU and the AFC seem to be at odds over the No-Confidence Motion. In fact, while the AFC is determined that the motion is top priority, APNU has been somewhat reserved on this. The two parties were on Wednesday quizzed on whether they were prepared to support motions put forward by the opposite party ahead of their own, whenever Parliament reconvenes.

APNU’s Chief Whip was asked if her party supports the call made by AFC’s Vice Chairman Moses Nagamootoo to give preference to the No-Confidence Motion. Ally assured this publication that her party had already registered its support for the motion. She said that she did wish not

TRINCHLORO SURE CASH Promotion gives away US$11,500 to lucky winners

to comment on the question put forward noting that whatever matters come up will be dealt with accordingly.

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan Wednesday told Guyana Times that everything else “will take the back seat” when Parliament resumes, as the No-Confidence Motion will take priority.

Ramjattan was responding to questions on whether his party would lend support to motions put forward by APNU, including the proposal referring Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh to the Privileges Committee. The AFC had in August submitted the No-Confidence Motion against the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government. If the motion is debated and passed, the Donald Ramotar

administration will have to resign and make preparations for national elections in three months time.

The AFC said it believes the delay is as a result of the tabling of the motion which was submitted to the Clerk early in August. The party said that its Vice Chairman, who had tabled the motion, had requested that it be placed on the order paper as a matter of priority, to take precedence over all other matters pending debate.

The party said that it had hoped that the sitting of the House would have been scheduled for October 16. However, according to the party, that seems quite unlikely given the fact that no order paper has yet been published. Giving the importance of the motion, the junior political Opposition party is pressing for a sitting to be called on October 22 or 24 which is permissible under the parliamentary standing orders.

Hemwantie Bissoondyal, of Golden Fleece Estate, Essequibo, is now US$5000 richer as her name was pulled for the grand prize in the second TRINCHLORO SURE CASH Promotion on Wednesday when ANSA McAL Trading Ltd held the final drawing.

The drawing was done at the company’s headquarters in Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara, during a simple ceremony.

The other grand win-

TRINCHLORO Manager Padma Prashad congratulated the winners and noted that it was wonderful that consumers were just required to spend approximately $500 to get the opportunity to win US$5000.

To enter into the promotion, persons were required to place one TRINCHLORO label with their name, address and telephone number into entry boxes provided countrywide.

ners in the promotion are D Balgobin, of Main Street, Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara, who won US$3000; Rozene Nurse, of Tucber Park, New Amsterdam, Berbice, who won US$1000; Nalinie Jagroop of Grove, East Bank Demerara who carted off US$500; and Parbatie (only name given), of Robb Street, Bourda, Georgetown, who also won US$500. This TRINCHLORO SURE CASH Promotion started on July 23 and concluded on October 10. There were three consolation drawings which saw 15 persons winning US$100 each.

Chile to open Embassy in Guyana – new Ambassador

Non-resident Chilean Ambassador Fernando Scmith presented his Letters of Credence to President Donald Ramotar Wednesday, at the Presidential Complex. His appointment was welcomed by the President who noted Chile’s stance on democracy and human rights.

The decision of the South American nation to establish an embassy locally was also welcomed by President Ramotar who noted that since the establishment of formal ties in 1971, relations have always been warm and cordial.

The fact that both countries recognise the value of “South-South” cooperation was noted by the President. “Our two countries are also as one with respect to the firm adherence to the value of democracy, respect for human rights, the rule of law and the sanctity of treaties”. Given the shared positions and interest of the two coun-

tries, President Ramotar added that together much more can be done towards achieving an “enduring dynamic partnership”. The decision of his

in relations between the two nations by Chile’s new Ambassador. This is consistent with his country’s proactive approach to enhancing its ties throughout the

of Understanding in mining, two of several areas being worked on. He also made mention of the forum organised by the Chilean Cooperation Agency, intended to promote South-South ties. Ambassador Scmith said the possibility that he may be the last non-resident Ambassador from Chile, “speaks categorically about the will of my country and Government to upgrade the level of exchange between us to benefit a more coherent and united continent”.

Also on Wednesday, Switzerland’s newly-appointed Ambassador, Sabine Ulmann Shaban presented her Credentials to President Ramotar. Welcoming the Ambassador, Ramotar said that the relationship with her country is viewed as an important one. “We anticipate your appointment will act will as a catalyst to strengthen and advance

Government to open its first embassy locally was described as a turning point

Region, he noted as he cited an “Open skies” agreement and a Memorandum

these relations through the development of a fruitful programme of cooperation that could benefit key sectors of both our countries.”

An invitation was also extended to Swiss companies to invest in Guyana by the Head of State. He explained that it was only through mutual cooperation and commitment that global challenges can be met. “Guyana also looks forward to working with Switzerland in the international arena and to contribute to the ongoing dialogue with a view to finding solutions, to the benefit of the world’s peoples.”

Ambassador Shaban said she would count on guidance and wisdom of the Guyanese President to help her as she works to deepen the relations between the two countries. She noted that despite the distance between Guyana and her country, they have a lot in common and these will be used as basis for improving the relationship between the two nations.

Lalloo finally getta lil lawyer wuk

Guyana gotta lotta wuk, but still some people ain’t gettin wuk. That is because some people just don’t like wuk. Other people don’t like hard wuk, but dem like easy wuk. Some don’t turn up fuh wuk. Some does turn up to wuk and don’t wuk. In this country, that just can’t wuk.

Rum Jhaat and Green Jah want de Prezzi wuk. Rum Jhaat and Green Jah can’t even do dem own wuk, but yet dem want de Prezzi wuk. So Prezzi end up wid he own wuk, plus he got to help out wid Green Jah and Rum Jhaat wuk.

Even some of de Prezzi ministers and other Guvament people don’t do dem wuk. So poor Prezzi got to also chip in wid dem wuk. That is why Prezzi get so fine now. Is simply because he doin too mucha wuk, since he leff wid every body wuk.

Green Jah can’t even do Linden wuk, and yet he want de whole of de country wuk. He try to shack out de Kiss Woman pun she Linden party wuk. After that, he even bring in he own people to do she wuk.

But de Kiss Woman is a strong woman who accustom to hard wuk. That is why Oscar de bite man couldn’ta handle she wuk. But she don’t allow any body to get she wuk up. So de Kiss Woman open she mouth and tell Green Jah to kiss she a** and keep he wuk.

Now de Kiss Woman used to damn well get up and do she wuk. So now is no wonder de Linden people fightin fuh she keep she wuk. And dem tell off Green Jah that he should leff de party wuk.

Rum Jhaat on de other hand ain’t able wid he own lil party wuk, but he fightin fuh de whole Guvament wuk. But de whole country know that Rum Jhaat can’t wuk, except to do a lotta wrong wuk.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! Well, finally Lalloo get some lawyer wuk after de Paper Man was tryin to block de Tax Man wuk.

Missing MFK boss:

... family to check headless corpse today

As family members frantically continue their search for missing businessman Mohamed F Khan who was last heard from on August 21, they are expected to visit the Lyken Funeral Home today to inspect the corpse that was found with the head separate from the body about three weeks ago at Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown.

A Police source confirmed that the skeletal remains of the man who was found might be of East Indian descent but to determine his identity, a DNA test would have to be carried out. On this note, the relatives have several of the man’s personal belongings which can help in the process.

Guyana Times was reliably informed that the man’s wife, who is in the United States of America is expected in the country soon. A source told this publication that the former MFK Trading owner had had spats with several persons.

The businessman who resided in Venezuela after selling his Hadfield business left that country on August 21 to visit his Guyanese at-

torney. He was expected to spend five days in Guyana and return to his three children and another wife. After his disappearance, his family members had contacted several of his friends, but, unfortunately, they claimed that they had not seen him. He was last seen by his close associates about a few months ago.

The 54-year-old businessman was shot to his abdomen by a gunman at La Grange, West Bank Demerara in a failed execution attempt on July 9.

Mohamed F Khan continue on page 11

Ebola fears may drive away students – Texila Medical School

By Alexis Rodney

In wake of revelations that a number of West African students are attending the Texila American University here in Guyana, the management of the institution said it was concerned that the wrong message may be spread, putting a damper on the University’s image.

The University’s administration has, therefore, sought to put to bed any misconceptions that may have been conveyed.

Chief Administrative Officer of the University, Dr Shreebalakumar (Dr Bala), along with Student Affairs Manager Claremont Frank; Registrar Francis Castillo; and Head of the Para Clinical Department, Dr Edna Cuaress on Wednesday sat down with Guyana Times to set the record straight. Dr Bala said that currently, the percentage of Nigerian students attending the University has been reduced from 10 to two per cent.

The few coming into the country now, he explained, are travelling with their Ebola certificate which they had obtained from their country before they left. The Ebola Certificate, he explained, clears the student of any suspicion of the Ebola virus.

Dr Bala said that the University has been taking

every precaution against the spread of the Ebola virus. “We have been working at the administrative level for Ebola as of now, there are now students coming from Nigeria at the moment, those who came have already gone through the 21-day incubation period. Students who travel are mostly from the UK.”

CDC protocols

He explained that the University has been following the protocols set out by the Centre for Diseases Control (CDC) “The students come though different ports of entry and take at least one and a half days. When they reach, they are checked for the basic symptoms at the various airports.”

He further explained that once they arrive here, they are taken to the hospital by the University and

continue their visits to the hospital once every three days.

“It is the precaution that is being taken from the administrative part. The University also educates the students on the basics of sanitation and hygiene,” Dr Bala said.

Dr Cuaress said that the University has been working in collaboration with the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to monitor those students who are coming from countries suspected to have Ebola.

Just last week some Nigerian students had said that while they were not defying health protocols across the country, too much emphasis was being placed on persons coming out of Nigeria, as opposed to other parts of the world.

The students and their representative had contended that the Ebola

virus which has sprung out of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to the United States and Spain has become a global issue. They say equal surveillance should be carried out on individuals coming from all affected countries. They claimed that there are persons who also travelled from the United States and other parts of the world and are not hassled as much as Nigerian citizens.

“It’s unfair because whenever someone realises that you are from Nigeria, they look at you like an Ebola patient.”

“If you want to ensure safety, then you should go to the extreme and take all the measures. These guys are also coming from California and the United Kingdom. Quarantine everyone,” medical student Nwanekezi Uganda Erastus said.

EBD woman killed by speeding pickup

Amother has become the latest road fatality on Tuesday evening after she was reportedly struck down by a speeding pickup at the New Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara Highway.

The accident occurred about 20:00h. Dead is 56-yearold Swarsatie Harripersaud, also called Joyce, of Lot 38 Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara. According to information received, the woman was attempting to cross the road in the vicinity of “Wajja” Street when she was hit by a 4Runner bearing registration number GRR 9735. Due to the impact of the hit, the now dead woman sustained several broken bones and wounds to her chest and head.

telephone call from someone who found her mother’s phone and instructed her to visit the Diamond Diagnostic Centre while informing her that her mother was involved in an accident.

The person on the other end of the line reportedly told her that her mother was crossing on the pedestrian crossing on the dark road when she was run over by the speeding vehicle which was heading to Georgetown. Persons in the area claimed that they heard screams.

medical facility where she saw her mother lying on a bed and from all indications her hands and legs were broken and there was a hole in the top of her head and one in her chest.

She said that while there, she saw the driver of the vehicle being accosted by Police ranks and whisked away. In tears, she said, her dad died a few years ago and it was just the two of them and now she was all by herself.

Trio on $750,000 bail for alleged break and enter

Ronald Fitzpatrick, Vishal Singh and Devon Bumbury were on Wednesday morning each placed on $250,000 bail on a charge of break and enter and larceny.

The trio appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine- Beharry.

It is alleged that between September 13 and October 11 at Culbert Square, Lethem, being together, they broke and entered the house of Reyaz Akbar and stole therein a quantity of electrical appliances worth $1,183,000 along with other articles valued $1,993,000 –a total value of $3.1 million.

The men denied the charge laid against them. The facts were read by Police Prosecutor Michael Grant

which stated that on the day in question around 13:30h, Akbar, who is a contractor, secured the business place and left for Georgetown. Upon his return on October 11, he noticed that the property had been broken into. The court heard that the matter was reported to the Lethem Police Station and acting on information, the defendants were confronted. Subsequently, the trio took the Police to an abandoned house in the village where some of the articles were recovered.

The Prosecutor did not oppose bail for any of the defendants, but asked the court to consider the value of the items before bail was granted. The matter was transferred to the Lethem Magistrate’s Court for December 1.

The driver of the pickup is reportedly the son of a popular Georgetown businessman and attempted to escape but was intercepted by the Police. Up to Wednesday, he was being interrogated by the Police.

It was reported that Khan may have entered a business deal that turned sour. At that time, he claimed that he had sold a property, but the buyer wanted to rob him of millions and thought that the execution attempt may have been orchestrated by him. The businessman left the

The woman’s only child, Shalisa Harripersaud, told Guyana Times that her mother was returning home from Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara where she had gone to visit her relatives. The young woman stated that she received a

business world about six years ago after he has received death threats. Meanwhile, the decomposed, headless corpse was found on September 22 at Old Road, Cummings Lodge. The head was reportedly found by workers attached to the Public Works Ministry who were weeding

A Police vehicle which was approaching from the opposite direction intercepted the hit-and-run vehicle after the ranks realised what had occurred. The woman was subsequently picked up and taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

The distraught daughter said that upon receiving the news, she hurried to the

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. Due to the state of the corpse, arrangements were made for a local pathologist to conduct the post-mortem

She recalled that after her father passed, her mother was the one who made sure she had everything at her disposal.

A post-mortem examination performed on the body of Harripersaud by Dr Nehaul Singh proved that she died from multiple injuries consistent with a vehicular accident. The autopsy was performed on Wednesday at the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary.

Duo charged for fraudulent conversion released on bail

Aduo were on Wednesday morning granted $250,000 bail each by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on charges of fraudulent conversion.

examination on the spot. This was not done but rather the remains were taken to the Lyken Funeral Home. Investigators believe that the man was beheaded before his remains were dumped in the area. Several plastic handcuffs were recovered at the scene and were taken as evidence.

Forty-two-year-old Andrew James, of Number 55 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, pleaded not guilty to the charge, which stated that between October 20 and November 1, 2013 at Georgetown, being solely entrusted with two flasks of mercury valued $4 million, property of Delmar Walcott, he fraudulently converted them for his own use and benefit.

Twenty-nine-year-old gold miner Johnny Harris, of Lot 5 Now or Never,

Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, denied a similar charge, which read that between October 20 and November 1, 2013 at Georgetown, being solely entrusted with one flask of mercury valued $2 million by James, to keep in safe custody and return to him, he fraudulently converted same for his own use and benefit.

The Virtual Complainant told the court that he did not want a court case, but insisted on getting his monies back. Police Prosecutor Michael Grant objected to bail, citing the quantum of monies involved. However, the objection was overruled and bail was granted. The matter was adjourned to November 14.

thursDAY, october 16, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com

Linden family still greaves over teen’s death

BY SHELDON FRASER-SEALEY

Asomewhat distressed and shaken mother

is trying to deal with the deep pain of losing her son.

The young man, Omar Mitchell, 14, of Half Mile, Wismar, Linden drowned on September 23 after he was pushed into the Demerara River by one of his friends in the vicinity of the McKenzie Bridge.

The tragedy occurred during a lime after his school, Harmony Secondary granted half day. His mother recalled the fateful day.

“When Omar came home, he went riding with the neighbour’s son and it was about 5 o’clock that same afternoon that I received the call that my son had drowned.”

One of Omar’s uncles said too that the family is still trying to deal with the loss.

The funeral service for the young man was held at the Faith Assemblies of God Church located at One Mile, Linden on September 30.

The service was well attended by friends, relatives and residents.

“My neighbour don’t even talk to me now since the incident. Normally they would come over and my son and my neighbour’s son would go playing and riding about, but I have not seen or heard anything from them since my son drowned,” Omar’s mother said.

She contended that her son was pushed in the river while he and friends were

playing.

He was allegedly shoved overboard by a 17-year-old.

According to reports, Omar panicked, much to the amusement of his friends, who thought that he knew to swim and was just playing around.

Omar struggled to remain afloat but sank even as his friend tried frantically to grab hold of him.

“The same day my son drowned when I was at the station, the 17-year-old boy who pushed my son in the river came in and said that is was him,” the mother said He was subsequently arrested and placed in Police custody. Police and residents searched for Omar to no avail, but his body surfaced along the Wismar Shore around 02:00h on September 25 in the area of the Titanic Boat Landing, located in Burnham Drive.

Neighbours, teachers and close friends say that Omar was a quiet, loving and kind-hearted person

who stayed away from trouble.

One concerned mother said she wonders what would happen to the boy who pushed Omar into the river and how his family is dealing with the matter.

Omar was a Grade Eight student at the time of his death.

The young man leaves to mourn his father, mother, two brothers, two sisters, five uncles from his father’s side and four aunts from his mother’s side, among other relatives.

Omar’s father Emmanuel Mitchell said he has not recovered from the incident that occurred two weeks ago.

He made a formal report on October 6 at the Wismar Police Station and reported that the Police said that they would talk to the family of the accused.

The accused has since been charged for manslaughter and will make a court appearance before the month ends

Omar’s two sisters Neekesha and Aliyah are also saddened by the death of their brother, and his mother is advising parents to be vigilant of their children’s activities.

Omar had lived in a relatively peaceful neighbourhood in Fox Street, Half Mile, Wismar, Linden.

He is the second child to have died by drowning in the mining community thus far in the year.

On August 1, Kassel Harlequin drowned while playing at Katapuli Creek, Bucktown, Wismar, Linden.

Caribbean healthcare workers must be equipped to tackle Ebola – PAHO

The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) wants healthcare workers throughout the Americas, including the Caribbean, trained in the use of personal protective equipment and early identification of suspected cases of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

PAHO’s call comes amid confirmation by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of a healthcare worker who became the first case of secondary transmission of Ebola in the US.

PAHO also reminded countries of the importance of maintaining surveillance and updating their procedures for any potential introduction of the virus.

The healthcare worker confirmed as having Ebola worked at Texas Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas, where she had been involved in the treatment of the first Ebola case diagnosed within the US, who died on October 8.

“Healthcare workers are at high risk of infection with Ebola unless they take adequate precautions,” PAHO said, noting that in Africa, healthcare workers have been one of the most heavily affect-

ed groups, with 416 cases and 233 deaths.

It said the virus is not airborne but is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people.

PAHO said it is working with its member states in the Americas to ensure preparedness for any possible introduction of the Ebola Virus Disease.

The organisation reminded member countries of the need for measures to ensure early detection of potential cases.

These include heightened awareness among both screening personnel at points of en-

try and healthcare workers on the clinical features of the disease, especially fever, and screening questions about history of travel to Ebola-affected countries or other means of exposure to the disease.

“Healthcare workers, especially should be prepared to report suspected cases immediately to the authorities and to implement the necessary protocols,” PAHO urged, reminding countries of the need to strengthen measures for infection prevention and control in their health services, including through training of healthcare workers in the use of personal protective equipment.

Rupununi farmer died of cirrhosis of the liver – autopsy

Apost-mortem examination conducted on the Central Rupununi farmer who was found dead on Sunday revealed that the man had died of heart and liver failure.

Fifty-two-year-old Clifton Clement, of Hiawa Village, Central Rupununi, Region Nine, was discovered around 01:30h. The Police had said in an initial release that “inves-

tigations so far have revealed that Clifton Clement was allegedly imbibing and was beaten by some men on October 1, 2014, in the vicinity of the Takutu Bridge, Lethem.”

Following the blows, Clement was admitted and treated at the Lethem Hospital before he was discharged recently. Investigators were awaiting the post-mortem report to determine a course of

action to take in the investigations. However, the PM was done on Tuesday by State Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh and the cause of death was given as “heart failure and cirrhosis of the liver”. Clement’s relatives had reported to the Police after his death that the man was beaten and claimed that the incident might have caused his death.

Guyana wrestles with high suicide rate

The young man responds all too easily when asked whether he knows anyone who has committed suicide in his village, a sleepy cluster of homes and rum shops surrounded by vast brown fields of rice awaiting harvest.

Less than a year ago, Omadat Ramlackhan recalls, his younger brother swallowed pesticide after a drunken argument with their father and died five days later. "I don't know what got into him," the 23-year-old said. "It just happened like that."

It wasn't the family's first brush with suicide. His stepmother, Sharmilla Pooran, volunteers that her brother hanged himself and the man's son tried to do the same but survived, with rope marks on his neck to remember it. She once contemplated killing herself.

The fact that self-inflected harm is such a presence in the lives of this family is not surprising given that they live in an area that Guyana's Ministry of Health has designated the "suicide belt," in a country that the World Health Organisation says in a new report has the highest rate of suicide in the world.

Guyana, a largely rural country at the north-eastern edge of South America, has a suicide rate four times the global average, ahead of North Korea, South Korea, and Sri Lanka. Neighbouring Suriname was the only other country from the Americas in the top 10.

"It's not that we are a population that has this native propensity for suicide or something like that," said Supriya Singh-Bodden, founder of the non-governmental Guyana Foundation. "We have been trying to live off the stigma of Jonestown, which had nothing to do with Guyana as such. It was a cult that came into our country and left a very dark mark."

Just before the WHO published its report last month, the foundation cited rampant alcoholism as a major factor in its own study of the suicide phenomenon, which has been a subject of concern in Guyana for years. In 2010, the government announced it was training priests, teachers and police officers to help identify people at risk of killing themselves in Berbice, the remote farming region along the southeast border with Suriname where 17-year-old

Ramdat Ramlackhan committed suicide after quarrelling with his father, Vijai.

More recently, the government has sought to restrict access to deadly pesticides, though that is difficult in a country dependent on agriculture. In May, authorities announced a suicide-prevention hotline would be established and Health Minister Bheri

Ramsarran said he would deploy additional nurses and social-service workers in response to the WHO report.

Some countries have had success with national strategies in bringing down the number of people who take their own lives, according to the WHO. The number of suicides rose rapidly in Japan in the late 1990s, but started to

decrease in 2009 amid government prevention efforts and as discussion of the subject became less taboo.

It has declined in China and India as a result of urbanisation and efforts to control the most common means of suicide, said Dr Alan Berman, a senior adviser to the American Association of Suicidology and a contributor to the WHO report.

"A certain proportion of suicides are rather impulsive and if you can restrict access to the means of suicide, whether it's by pesticides, or by firearms or by bridge, you can thwart the behaviour and give people an opportunity to change their minds," Berman said.

The WHO estimates there are more than 800,000 suicides around the world per year. Statistics on the subject are unreliable because in some places the practice is stigmatised, or illegal.

The agency found Guyana, which has a population of about 800,000, had an age-adjusted rate of just over 44 per 100,000 people based on 2012 data. For males alone, it was nearly 71 per 100,000. In raw numbers, there are about 200 per year and 500 attempts, ac-

cording to local health authorities. The U.S. overall rate was 12 per 100,000.

"Suicides tend to be higher in rural areas than urban areas," Berman said. "If I'm living in rural Montana, or if I'm living in rural India or in rural Suriname the question then is if I need help for whatever is going on with me how am I going to get it?"

"I don't buy into the argument necessarily that it's an ethnic thing, that Indo Guyanese are more susceptible to suicide," she said. "There has been a lot of suicide among mixed people as well. I honestly believe it's the hopelessness."

Pooran, describing her family's experiences, said her brother apparently killed himself after struggling with health problems for years and difficult home life. She said she thought about taking her own life while cleaning her house after a day's work at a local sawmill.

"One day, I picked up the poison and thought about drinking it but I called God's name and then realised my husband would just get another woman and soon forget me," she said. "Don't think I would do that today." (AP)

Keep the flame of reparations alive – PJ Patterson

Former Jamaican

Prime Minister

Percival Patterson in a rousing address to the opening ceremony of the Second Regional Conference on Reparations in Antigua and Barbuda gave the charge and entrusted the continuity of the pursuit of Reparations for Native Genocide and Slavery, to host Prime Minister Gaston.

“As one who belongs to the older generation of Caribbean leaders, I am here today to present that torch to a leader of the younger generation and to say: Never let that torch be extinguished,” Patterson said.

Prime Minister Browne at the start of his address accepted the charge and stated: “Let me assure you Mr Patterson that the current Caribbean leaders have accepted the torch and will never allow it to be extinguished.”

Patterson paid special tribute to the Rastafari brethren and ‘sistren’ in the audience whom he said “were among the first to carry on the struggle of indigenous and slave ancestors for reparatory justice. In the post-colonial period they stoked the embers and fanned the flames of the dying reparation fire. It has now become an unstoppable conflagration.”

Patterson focused his address on the issue of Africa’s role in the historic evil of human trafficking. He challenged critics who assert that Africans should share moral responsibility for the crime against humanity that was committed because they were complicit.

“One should not place on a victim the guilt for a crime; so we should stop putting the guilt of the collaborator on the shoulders of the victim. The African continent was the victim of imperial exploitation and slavery and suffered a massive loss. It resulted in a major depopulation of Africa, with its heavy male bias. It destroyed aged-old political traditions, undermined tribal systems, corrupted both moral and civil practices. In short, it crippled the poten-

tial for economic growth and social development,” he said.

Patterson also pointed out that the infrastructure established to support the heinous trafficking of Africans was not known in Africa before the mass exportation of Africans to the West. These included fortified forts along the African coast that directed the process of kidnapping; a booming shipping industry of floating prisons that transported the captured human beings; a system of production centres with forced labour plantations; the transport of the products from these centres to Europe; a distribution infrastructure for the consumption of these products and the banking and insurance sector to finance the whole process.

Patterson asserted that “The ideology of racism and the articulation of superiority and inferiority linked to race and colour were absent in Africa before the transAtlantic trade in Africans.”

He also posited that the history also showed that some African leaders were induced by intimidation or bribery or agreed to collaborate in the capture and transport of Africans destined for slavery. However, many African leaders opposed vehemently the capture and trans-shipment of their people.

“There is no principle in law which permits the organisers of a criminal enterprise to escape responsibility because others collaborated in carrying out the enterprise. Legal responsibility is not affected by any collaboration,” Patterson said emphatically.

Grand operation

“It was European nations who conceived the trade, put the enterprise into motion, controlled its operation and were massively enriched by it,” he concluded.

The opening ceremony also featured presentations from Prime Minister Browne, Caricom Reparations Commission Chair, Professor, Sir Hilary Beckles; Caricom Assistant Secretary General, Human and Social Development, Dr

Douglas Slater; Suriname’s Indigenous People’s Organisation representative Stanley Liauw Angie; and Dr Julius Garvey, son of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, national hero of Jamaica

The opening was held at the Multi-Purpose Centre in Antigua and Barbuda and attended by other Members of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, delegations from other Caricom member states and representatives of civil society groups and organisations.

The Second Regional Conference on Reparations is being convened under the theme “Scientific Engagement and Community Mobilisation”.

The objective of the conference is civil society engagement by widening the dialogue and intensifying scientific and popular discourse on the Caricom Reparations Commission’s 10- Point Reparatory Justice Plan. The conference continues on October 13-14.

The conference brings together a number of expert economists, lawyers, academics, historians, faithbased leaders, community activists, scientists, journalists and artists to further map out national and regional strategies to advance the case for reparations from Europe. Delegations from Martinique, Guadeloupe, the British Virgin Islands and representatives of civil society organisations from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom were also in attendance.

The Caricom Reparations Commission was established in September 2013 following a mandate from the Caricom Conference of Heads of Government at their 34th Regular Meeting held in Trinidad and Tobago in July 2013, to establish national committees and a regional commission to pursue reparations from the former European colonial powers for Native Genocide, the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and Slavery.

Twelve Caricom member states have established national reparations committees to date, namely: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

The First Regional Conference on Reparations was held in St Vincent and the Grenadines in September of 2013. Since that time, the action of the Caricom member states has re-energised the reparations movements on the African continent, the United States and the United Kingdom and has generated tremendous international media attention and interest.

Torginol Paints joins fight to erase domestic violence

Miss World Guyana Rafieya Husain on Wednesday received 28 gallons of paint to brighten up her Domestic Violence Outreach Centre in Essequibo.

According to a release, the generous and much needed contribution was made by the Torginol Paints Inc and Continental Group of Companies at the company’s headquarters in Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

At the symbolic presentation ceremony, Continental Group of Companies, Office Manager Ravi Brijnandan commended Miss World

Guyana Rafieya Husain for endeavouring to help victims of domestic violence in Guyana.

“It could not have been on a better and opportune time, as domestic violence and gender-base violence are on the increase in Guyana. We, at Torginol Paints Inc are very pleased to be collaborating with you in this venture and will remain committed in partnering with you in this fight,” Brijnandan said.

Husain expressed appreciation for the company’s commitment to seeing the project come to fruition.

“Thank you for all the work you’ve put in... this is a great cause and I’m glad that you can be part of it,” she stated.

Torginol Paints Inc and Continental Group of Companies also presented a quantity of putty and thinners to the Rafieya Husain Outreach Centre located at Land of Plenty on the Essequibo Coast.

Rafieya’s goal is to raise US$10,000 to open an outreach centre in Guyana that will serve to educate, correct behaviours and ultimately prevent domestic violence.

National Drama Festival 2014 opens

A scene from the opening play “Double take”

BY ROYDEN JAMES

The fourth Annual National Drama Festival sponsored by the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry in collaboration with Digicel got underway last evening at the National Cultural Centre with hundreds in attendance.

Digicel Events and Sponsorship Manager Gavin Hope said the company is proud to once again support the festival, which is a support of local talent, and will continue to do so in the future.

He said the telephone gi-

ant see the occasion as not only as a celebration of local talent, but an avenue to bring Guyanese together.

Festival Director Collette Jones-Chin said though there is still room for improvement, the festival has moved from strength to strength over the years.

This year, she said it has attracted participants from as far as Region One, noting that in all, 28 groups will be showcasing their theatric skills.

There are four junior acts, four short acts, three full-length acts, six debutantes, 11 secondary schools, and for the first time, the

New Opportunity Corps will be participating in the competition.

National School of Theatre Arts and Drama Director Al Creighton said the festival is a unique event showcasing local talent, pointing out that aside from the festival, the Link Show birthed many years ago, is one of the longest running plays in the Caribbean.

Link Show, Creighton said continues to make positive strides, and expressed the hope that the National Drama Festival will move in this direction.

Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, who declared the festival officially open, said the annual event has come a long way, despite the Ministry did not have enough resources.

The Minister said he sought help from Digicel, and even though it was a tough task, the phone company finally came onboard. He said too that persons should see the importance of the festival as it highlights the daily happenings in society.

Dr Anthony disclosed after the festival ends on October 22, a Shakespeare group from London will be performing in Guyana on October 24.

The competition kicked off with the first play entitled “Double take”.

Colombia, St Vincent and the Grenadines close border to West Africans as Ebola scare continues

Latin America country

Colombia has closed its borders to persons travelling from Ebolaaffected West African countries on Tuesday.

The measure applies to recent visitors to Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Nigeria and was taken in response to a recommendation by the National Health Institute to prevent the virus spreading throughout the country.

Guards at Colombian borders are expected to deny entry to persons whose passports show recent travel to the countries, and consulates will turn down visa applications to anyone who visited them in the previous four weeks, a Foreign Ministry document said.

Meanwhile, St Vincent and the Grenadines has placed a ban on nationals from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea entering the island, as Caribbean countries continue to put in place measures to deal with a pos-

sible outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the Region.

Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves said that the measure was taken given the lack of infrastructure

Dominica Opposition accuses ruling party of vote buying with state resources

Leader of the Opposition United Workers Party (UWP), Lennox Linton, has accused Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) of using state resources for vote buying in their political campaign for the next national election, which is only weeks away.

Linton gave several examples of what he deemed as an abuse of taxpayers’ money and other state resources for purposes that do not benefit the nation, but amount to nothing more than crass electioneering to further the interests of the ruling DLP.

He pointed to the Skerrit Administration’s admission that St Kitts-based computer expert Charles Jong is be-

ing paid over US$90,000 of taxpayers’ money as a communications consultant.

However, Linton contended that Jong is really being paid with the taxpayers’ money, to do the DLP dirty work, “to engage in IT warfare on citizens” in the run up to national elections.

Linton also noted that DLP Public Relations Officer, Dr Philbert Aaron, is engaged in a prolonged political smear campaign in the media and elsewhere against persons who oppose the Administration, yet all the while he is “being funded by the public purse” in his capacity as Dominica’s Ambassador to the Venezuela-based Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA). (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

on the island to deal with the Ebola virus for which there is no known cure. Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea are the three West African countries most affected by

the Ebola virus.

“Because we didn’t consider that we had the infrastructure, necessarily, to deal with an onrush of people if they were to come from any of those West African countries which we have named specifically,” Gonsalves said.

On Tuesday, the Grenadian Government said it was considering suspending travel visas to nationals from the West African countries, noting that with the mortality rates climbing in the affected countries and the potential of spread becoming more and more eminent, the move to suspend the visa could soon be taken.

“Amidst tougher immigration and border control restrictions currently being employed in some countries and contemplated by others, the Government has decided to adapt this measure in the best interest of safeguarding the Public Health of the country.”

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer and Caribbean360)

Brazil Police crack 'darknet' in child pornography crackdown

ABrazilian Police spokesman said they arrested 55 people during a year-long operation and issued 100 arrest warrants. Operation "Darknet" found child pornography made in Brazil being shared in four other countries.

Police found suspects in Portugal, Italy, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela.

Only the FBI in the United States and Scotland Yard in London have managed to crack into the Dark Web to trawl for pornography before and Brazil has been following their techniques, police said.

The operation was launched simultaneously in 18 Brazilian states

and the federal district of

The police said during the operation they had rescued six children from abusive situations in various places across the country.

The BBC South America correspondent says governments across Latin America are beginning to address the problem of child sexual exploitation.

Earlier this week Colombia broke up a childtrafficking operation in which it was thought that children as young as 12 were being smuggled out of the country for sex. Several people were arrested. (BBC News)

Trinidad and Tobago Security Minister confirms nationals fighting for ISIS

The Trinidad and Tobago Government has confirmed that “several nationals’ are fighting alongside supporters of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and is considering ways of dealing with those nationals.

Over the past week, there have been increasing media reports, including video clips of nationals, fighting on behalf of ISIS that has been deemed a terrorist organisation.

National Security Minister Gary Griffith, speaking on a radio programme, said there were “several nationals now linked to the group” and that the label terrorist has been changing and the Government has to treat with that.

Two nationals have already been identified as

Gonzalo wreaks havoc on farming in Antigua

The official assessment from the passage of Tropical Storm Gonzalo in Antigua and Barbuda is not yet complete, but the unofficial report card for the agricultural sector is that the storm decimated most of the crops on the island.

Extension Officer in the Agriculture Ministry Owalabi Elabanjo, gave his assessment following consultations with several farmers and visits to a number of farms immediately af-

ter the passage of Gonzalo, which battered the island on Monday.

He said it was the wind and not the water, which caused most of the damage.

“We did not have much flooding but the wind did us bad,” he said. “We visited McKinnons, Carlisle, Cassada Gardens, Pares Village and other areas and a lot of vegetables have been affected, especially crops like banana, mango, cashew, avocado and other crops like

sweet peppers.”

The agriculture extension officer also indicated that the crop devastation is likely to further affect the existing shortage of some vegetable and fruits.

“In the Old Road area and Body Ponds, where they grow banana trees, it’s a total loss for some farmers,” Elabanjo added. “Bananas, once you cut them, it will probably take a few months before they grow back. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

indeed fighting on behalf of the group. Joan Crawfpord told the

Trinidad Express newspaper over the last weekend that her son, Shane, 29, had gone to Syria to fight on behalf of ISIS, prompted by the inadequacy of what his life had become in Trinidad and the need to find a greater purpose.

“He is fighting, he does not believe in raping women and killing children. It is those crimes which were being committed in Syria which prompted him to go and fight. His life is better. He has purpose. He has his family and he is not coming back here,” she said. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Brazil’s Rousseff and Neves even ahead of October 26 runoff

President Dilma Rousseff and her probusiness challenger Aecio Neves are still running neck and neck ahead of the October 26 runoff to Brazil’s presidential election, a new poll showed on Wednesday.

Neves has 45 per cent of voter support against 43 per cent for leftist incumbent Rousseff, one percentage point less than each candidate had in the previous survey by polling firm Datafolha six days ago.

The difference is within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points and considered a statistical tie.

Excluding undecided voters, spoiled and blank survey responses, Neves has 51 per cent against 49 per cent for Rousseff, the same as last week.

Datafolha polled 9081 voters on Tuesday and

Ebola outbreak: Jet passenger alert over US nurse

US health officials are seeking 132 people who flew on a plane with a Texas nurse on the day before she came down with symptoms of Ebola.

The second person infected in the US, Amber Vinson, 29, fell ill on Tuesday.

Both she and nurse Nina Pham, 26, had treated Liberian Thomas Eric Duncan, who died a week ago in Dallas.

A nurses’ union has said those treating Duncan were not given full protection and had parts of their skin exposed.

More than 70 healthcare workers who may have come in contact with him at the hospital are being monitored for symptoms, the hospital’s director has said.

Around the world

Philippines Police file charges against US Marine in murder case

Police in the Philippines filed murder charges on Wednesday against a US Marine over the death of a transgender Filipino he met in a bar outside the former US naval base of Subic Bay.

The Philippine Government also wants to take custody of Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton while he stands trial, said a senior Philippine official, who warned that the case could damage military ties between the allies.

Meanwhile, the UN’s Ebola mission chief says the world is falling behind in the race to contain the virus, which has killed more than 4,000 in West Africa.

flight 1143 from Cleveland, Ohio, to Dallas, Texas on October 13.

On Wednesday, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it wanted to interview the passengers on Frontier Airlines

It said it was taking the measure “because of the proximity in time between the evening flight and first report of illness the following morning”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Nepal avalanche kills hikers and villagers

Asnowstorm in the Himalayan region of central Nepal has killed 17 people, including nine hikers and three villagers, while more than 100 remain unaccounted for, officials have said.

The avalanche hit the Mustang and Manang district on Tuesday, but it took Army rescuers from nearby training camps several hours to get there due to the severity of the storm. They were able to carry out efforts only after the weather

cleared on Wednesday.

“There has been heavy snowfall in the area, up to three feet (91cm),” local Police official Ganesh Rai told the AFP news agency.

On Wednesday, five bodies, which included four Canadian trekkers and one Indian trekker, were found in Manang after they were hit by an avalanche. The bodies of the three villagers were also recovered on Wednesday in a different area.

Nepalese army official

Niranjan Shrestha told the AP news agency that earlier four trekkers, two Polish, one Israeli and one Nepali, were killed after being caught in a blizzard caused by the snowstorm.

Their bodies were recovered on Tuesday from the Thorong La pass, about 160km northwest of the capital, Kathmandu. The Thorong La pass is on the route that circles Mount Annapurna, the world’s tenth highest peak. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Hong Kong Police use pepper spray on protesters, anger simmers over beating

Hong Kong Police used pepper spray early on Thursday to stop pro-democracy protesters from blocking a major road near the office of the city’s embattled leader amid public anger over the Police beating of a protester a day earlier.

At Police headquarters in the nearby district of Wan Chai, hundreds of people gathered outside into the early hours of the morning to express outrage at the beating, with dozens queuing to lodge formal complaints over the incident.

Authorities on Wednesday said Police involved in the beating of Ken Tsang Kin-chiu, a member of the pro-democracy Civic Party, would be suspended.

Footage of the beating has gone viral and injected fresh momentum into a protest movement that had been flagging after nearly three weeks of demonstra-

tions over Chinese restrictions on how Hong Kong will choose its next leader.

In the latest confrontation, Hong Kong’s public broadcaster RTHK said protesters rushed onto Lung Wo road next to the office of Chief Executive Leung

Chun-ying, dragging plastic barriers and other objects with them.

A Reuters photographer saw protesters later scuffling with a small group of Police on the side of the road. Police repelled them using pepper spray. (Excerpt from Reuters)

“Based on two witnesses’ testimonies, we believe we have a strong case against the US Marine,” said Pedrito delos Reyes, Police Chief of Olongapo City, where the body of Jeffrey Laude, 26, was found in a hotel room on Saturday.

Police Officers accom-

panied by the two witnesses and the family of Laude, who also went by the name Jennifer, went to the prose

cutor’s office to file murder charges, taking copies of an autopsy report saying the death was due to asphyxia by drowning. US authorities said the Marine was being held aboard the USS Peleliu, an amphibious assault ship, in Subic Bay. Three other individuals were also held as potential witnesses.(Excerpt from Reuters)

Cellar slave girl: Salford couple must pay victim £100,000

Adeaf girl from Pakistan kept as a slave for nine years by a millionaire couple from Salford is to receive £100,000 in compensation.

Ilyas and Tallat Ashar were jailed last October after the girl was found in their cellar in 2009. The victim was repeatedly raped and forced to work as a servant at the family’s properties as a child.

Manchester Crown Court ruled the couple must also repay £42,000 of benefits falsely claimed in

her name. The Ashars must also pay £321,000 towards the cost of their trials.

Now in her 20s, the victim, who cannot be named, is believed to have been as young as 10 when she was trafficked into the UK. She was found sleeping in a cot bed in the Ashars’ cellar by trading standards staff, who were investigating allegations of money laundering.

Police said the victim’s details were used on bank accounts linked to the couple.

But when officers tried to speak to her at the house, they realised she was incapable of communication and moved her to a place of safety.

Police said she could not read or write, and have accepted the benefit fraud was carried out by the Ashars. The victim had to learn a form of sign language to give evidence at the trial last year, when her progress was compared to “a butterfly coming out of a chrysalis”. (Excerpt from

Islamic State group making

‘substantial

gains’ despite airstrikes

The Islamic State (IS) group “has made substantial gains in Iraq” despite US-led airstrikes against the Islamic militants, Washington’s envoy to the international coalition fighting the jihadist organisation warned Wednesday.

Although Iraqi Government and Kurdish forces had succeeded in halting or pushing back the IS militants in some key battles including around Mosul dam, the group had “tactical momentum” in other areas, John Allen, a retired fourstar US General, told reporters.

Allen also said it will take time to build up local forces that could defeat IS in Syria and Iraq, where the group has conquered vast swathes of territory.

Although the United States and its allies were carrying out air raids in

both Syria and Iraq, Allen acknowledged the international coalition was most concerned with the situation in Iraq.

There, IS fighters have seized much of the western Anbar province and are closing in on the region west of the capital Baghdad.

“The emergency in Iraq

right now is foremost in our thinking,” Allen said, admitting that it was too early to say which side has the upper hand.

“I’d be careful about assigning a winner – winner or a loser,” said Allen, the former commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

thursDAY, october 16, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com

SVN schoolboy suicide: Father says situation could have been handled differently

The father of Alex Persaud, 16, of Lot 18 Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, who committed suicide after he was expelled from school following discovery of his involvement in a teacher/student relationship is holding out that the situation could have been avoided.

Guyana Times visited the school on Wednesday, but could not get a comment from any of the teaching staff. The principal was unavailable.

A distraught Harrynandan Persaud believes that as soon as the school found out about the relationship between his son and the teacher, the situation could have been dealt with instantly.

“These teachers know about the relationship for a while and I think that once the teachers know, they should have informed the principal … now because they withheld information, the entire story was blown out of proportion,” the father said.

He went on to say that

his son and the teacher were seen several times boarding taxis at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara and waiting for each other before catching a bus after school.

He believes this evidence was used to draw a conclusion that the young man and the teacher were dating. After it was brought to the attention of the school’s administration, the teacher tendered her resignation on October 4.

It was the same day that

when the telephone rang and his daughter answered before informing him that it was the Principal on the line.

Upon taking the call, he was told that he and his wife were to come to the school. He noted that his wife was not at home and as such, he went alone since he thought it was important.

While there, he was reportedly instructed by the Principal to find another school for his son. Persaud

the young man was expelled from the Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN) Secondary School at Cornelia Ida by Principal Swami Aksharananda.

The distressed father who buried his son a few days ago sat on a chair and related that his son was a respectable young man and could have differentiated between right and wrong. He recalled returning home from work on October 4

said he enquired if there was a problem, since it was a drastic decision. During his enquiries, he was told about the relationship that his son and the teacher shared. He also learnt that the teacher had tendered her resignation due to the situation.

He said that it was an indication that the Principal was not fully aware of the relationship, since he sought the help of another teacher (name provided) to

explain the situation and its ramifications.

The father said that after he listened to the arguments presented to him as reasons for his son’s removal from the school, he recommended that the affected parties meet. The meeting was agreed upon for the next school day – Tuesday. After he left the school, he claimed that the Principal and another teacher reportedly humiliated his son, causing him some embarrassment.

This, he noted, was relayed to him when his son arrived home a few hours later and announced that he does not wish to attend the school again. His son, on October 6, consumed the poisonous substance which he had bought from a shop in Leonora.

Since his son drank the poison, Persaud said he did not see anyone from the school visiting at the hospital nor did anyone call to find out what had taken place. It was not until after the young man’s death, a few parents came to the wake. They reportedly pleaded with him to contact the Principal to get permission for their children to attend the funeral.

The Principal reportedly stated that it was up to the parents to attend the funeral, but his classes would continue as normal. He then enquired if the family needed any assistance, but his offer is believed to have been turned down.

Alex was Persaud’s only son and had been attending the school for the past two years. He previously attended Zeelugt Secondary School. The young man leaves to mourn his parents and one sister.

Mother, son land in court accused of conspiracy

Appearing at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on Tuesday morning was a mother-and-son duo to face a charge of conspiracy.

Forty-nine-year-old Bibi Parmanand and 19-yearold Parmesh Parmanand, of Lot 6 Adelphi Street, Block 2, East Canje, Berbice, were accused of conspiring together at the United States Embassy to bribe an employee of the US Embassy to obtain two non-immigrant visitor’s visas for Parmesh Parmanand in September.

They both pleaded not guilty to the charge that was laid against them. They were both represented by Attorney Clyde Forde who

made an application for bail. He stated that Bibi is a vendor while her son is a labourer at the Rose Hall Estate. The lawyer further noted that Bibi has lodged all her travel documents to the Police making her less of a flight risk.

Police Prosecutor, Inspector Michael Grant had no objections to bail; however, he noted that there was a condition set by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) which the defendants must adhere to if bail is granted: the defendants must report every second Friday to the Department until the matter closes.

Bail was then granted

Man slapped with murder, other charges

Aman was on Tuesday morning remanded to prison after being charged with murder, robbery under arms and possession of firearm and ammunition without being the holder of a firearm licence.

Steve Mohamed appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

It is alleged that on Tuesday, July 15, at Kanawauk, Mowasi Backdam, Potaro, he murdered 31-year-old Quacy Thompson, also known as “Dark Sight”, of Linden, Region 10.

According to information gathered by Guyana Times, Thompson was in the company of two men at Mowasi Landing when an argument ensued over gold. It was during the argument, one of the men pulled out a knife and dealt Thompson several blows to the body, while the other whipped out a handgun and discharged a round at the injured man, hitting him in the abdomen.

The victim died almost immediately while the two perpetrators were seen leaving the scene on an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) immediately after committing the crime. The two men are popularly known in the area. Thompson’s body was then taken to the Bartica Hospital Mortuary where a post-mortem examination was performed.

It is also alleged that on Monday, September 1 at Mowasi Backdam, being armed with a gun, Mohamed

robbed Akeem Green of three ounces of raw gold, $75,000 cash in Digicel phone cards and $145,000 in cash, a total value of $1.2 million, property of Terry Ambrose.

It is also alleged that on October 6 at Friendship, East Bank Demerara, with intent to resist or prevent lawful apprehension, he discharged a loaded firearm at Leon Lindo, a Police Constable, who was executing his duty.

Mohamed denied the charges relating to the unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition, but could not plead to the murder charge since such an offence is indictable.

The murder and the robbery under arms cases were transferred to Mahdia Magistrate’s Court for October 20, while the matters committed on the East Bank of Demerara were called at the Providence Magistrate’s Court Wednesday.

in the sum of $100,000 each with the condition requested.

A20-year-old Brazilian national was on Tuesday morning granted $50,000 bail when she appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry to face a fraud charge.

It was alleged that on October 13 at Ogle, East Coast Demerara, with intent to defraud, Cassia Santos, a vendor residing in Lot 18 Laluni Street, Queenstown, uttered to Constable 21082 Banny, an Immigration Officer, a Brazilian passport with two Guyana stamps –one for departure and one for arrival.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge, but, based on her explanation that she was told by an officer about three months ago that the passport is unique, a not-guilty plea was entered. Her lawyer made an application for bail, stating her particulars. The facts were as charged according to the Police Prosecutor, Inspector Michael Grant. She was then granted bail and is scheduled to return to court on November 7 before Magistrate Dylon Bess for statements.

Why is the Culture Ministry having alcohol on sale at a Mash Launch?

Dear Editor,

I happened to be at the corner of Main and Quamina Streets, Georgetown, on October 10, at the same time the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry was setting up the launch event for Mashramani 2015.

There were many children in the audience, as well as on the programme of the event. I was appalled, therefore, to see large Banks Beer banners prominently displayed near the Ministry and stage, as well as by a tent selling Banks Beer in the public avenue.

I know that Banks DIH is one of the major sponsors of Mashramani programmes and I have no problem with adults consuming alcohol in a responsible manner. However, I find it extremely disturbing and irresponsible for alcohol advertising and sale to be done at what was effectively a Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport

event.

It’s no secret that alcohol abuse is sadly rampant in Guyanese society. It is a major contributor to many societal ills, such as domestic and other interpersonal violence, traffic accidents, suicide, etc.

I have personally witnessed children – some still in diapers – consuming alcohol, in the presence of adults and their parents, many of whom seem unbothered by such behaviour.

Children learn from the adults and the environment around them and mimic the behaviour they see. We adults have a responsibility to teach young people how to think critically, make good choices, and contribute positively to society.

Yes, unfortunately, the sale and consumption of alcohol is a common feature of the Guyanese landscape and something that children are exposed to in a variety

of formats – from songs that celebrate drinking, to massive billboards about which drink is more manly, etc.

A responsible Youth Ministry, however, should never be party to the promotion of alcohol. Some may say that I’m making a mountain out of a molehill, but it is small instances like these that add up over time to shape attitudes, behaviours, and cultural practices.

When the Culture, Youth, and Sport Ministry allows alcohol advertising and sale at their events, the message transmitted to the youth of Guyana is that alcohol consumption is sanctioned by the authorities, part of the ‘normal’ way of doing things, ‘we culture’, and nothing to question.

Banks DIH makes a variety of products – not just alcoholic beverages, and if the Youth Ministry and the Banks DIH corporation were committed to social re-

God does not make...

Under his “creole meche meche” broadside specifically blasting the PNC for “betraying black people and leading them into a new slavery”, the PNC promptly reversed its earlier commitment.

Moving into the 21st Century, and please forgive me, a mentally disconnected Mr Kwayana still perseveres by publicly regurgitating private well intentioned conversation to embellish and perpetuate fallacies in which he was conspiratorially involved.

How credible is Mr Kwayana who wants us to actually believe that “On Her Majesty’s Service”, the Englishman Sandys by “invitation made separately”, with both village elders, both without any available telephone service but just by mysterious “short notice” (jhandi conch or talking drum transmittal?), they were to coincidentally meet on “the big bridge” and “shake hands” in the “presence of large crowds” (plural!) from both villages, in order “to help defuse tensions” after the CIA, with British approval, had massively financed the PNCUF-TUC Opposition’s 80day strike to destabilise the 1960s PPP Government!

All the above many American-BritishOpposition goals were achieved, supposedly without any advanced premeditated planning, both in the 1960s and 1900s if Mr Kwayana is correct? All

successfully and completely achieved without Mr Kwayana’s whatsoever and whomsoever direct input?

Mr Kwayana will continue to remain a consummate political performer should he succeed anytime in convincing anyone that he was not in conspiracy with his former ancestral colonial slavemaster, both supposedly God’s own “redeeming divine peacemakers” sent to get rid of the PPP by a symbolical hand shake proclaiming peace on earth and goodwill among men with a pious Hindu Pandit.

It was Mr Kwayana who has testified that he was always a most welcome frequent visitor at his Indian friends’ homes before they fled Buxton in the 1960s. Reluctantly, he sheepishly admitted that the entire extended King family (his original slave name) were recipients of financial largesse from another elderly Buxtonian Pandit, Latchman Persaud, and subsequently, from his son Pandit Sama Persaud who later fled Buxton.

The latter and Mr Kwayana were both prominent pre independence PPP activists facilitating their reciprocal very warm and enduring personal friendships. When Pandit Sama passed away in the early 1990s, Mr Kwayana dutifully attended his Annandale funeral and paid him glowing tribute. “The axe forgets, but the tree does not forget”, reminds a Swahili

From page 5

proverb from Zimbabwe.

That engineered Sandys political drama featuring a venerated and highly respected Annandale Hindu village Pandit as the corresponding equal opposite the cunning and seasoned Buxton politician was not an equal meeting of minds to resolve a political dilemma. Not at all.

But the decision makers had made their day. Pandit Sama Persaud, the Buxton refugee, resettled in Annandale, popular and well known nationally as a PPP politician and Senator, and much more politically savvy, was obviously better “qualified” and prominent enough to meet the challenges. Obviously he was not good enough.

While that 1960s barbed wire fence which was erected like a Berlin Wall symbolically separating Buxton from Annandale was afterwards dismantled, it still remains embedded in some Buxtonian minds. The PNC Opposition which the external forces wanted to win the 1964 elections effectively took over, and the rest became all too familiar Guyanese history.

A well known Ugandan proverb reminds us that “the people who steal your millet at night are often the same people who help you look for it the next morning”. Most fascinating is that repeated drama on stage in today’s Guyana.

Exactly 50 (1964-2014) years later, the same ex-

sponsibility principles, they could have made sure that alcoholic beverages were not offered at this event.

It is disappointing and disturbing to see persons who should theoretically be caring for the youth of this nation so unthinking and clueless in their actions. Such serious lapses in judgment also bring into question their overall commitment to the youth of Guyana and their ability to provide proper guidance.

With misleaders like these at our helm, sadly, the only direction is down. I call on those responsible for decision-making at the Culture, Youth, and Sport Ministry to seriously re-examine their practices and to make a public commitment to not promote alcohol consumption at their events in the future.

Sincerely,

S Nageer

ternal Pied Pipers are helping us to find our way. Dr Doobay as a Physician is forever bound by his Hippocratic Oath to serve humanity; no doubt his Hinduism will significantly continue to enhance his professionalism and guide his personal karma for moksha (final liberation).

What moral firmament, either written or otherwise, fundamentally guides our Kwayanas in their continuing political mission?

How many other emancipations are Guyanese to be subjected to, with so many recalibrations constantly shifting the national goal posts? “It is the one whose leg you cure who kicks you with it”, another Ugandan proverb so wisely also teaches to equip us with vigilance.

Until our Kwayanas become courageous enough to confess, atone and make reparations for our violent misguided past, Guyanese can only wander in the desert for their elusive promised land – despite what they still possess.

A more peaceful future cannot continue to be held hostage by the those in automatic destructive mode. The usual refrain is to say “yes we can!” When the cocks soon crow in Parliament we will know for sure by which road lies our destiny ahead.

Sincerely,

Sultan Mohamed

Plaisance mobilised and empowered

Dear Editor, I challenge the leaders of all communities that are depressed or have been affected by marginalisation, discrimination and injustice over the years to follow in the steps of the community of Plaisance, on the East Coast of Demerara, to stand up and face the challenges presented with the aim of having a better resilient and productive people with one goal, following one vision and having one aim.

Let’s all remember the struggles of our foreparents.

On Tuesday, over 346 Plaisance residents packed into the Society Hall where the Eddie Grant Reading and Research Centre is also housed for a village meeting organised by their leaders.

The attendance was as expected with about another 60 persons standing on the street enthusiastically listening to the speakers with many saying: “Where there is unity there is strength.”

It was a scintillating scene that must have caused the spirits of the ancestors to be aroused. The meeting was opened with an inspirational and decisive bit of directions by its chairman Shawn Austin.

He was followed by a powerful presentation by Mrs Bernice Trotz who reminded the people that the village was blessed with potential and is a gateway to various places.

Plaisance, Mrs Trotz said, is strategically positioned and destined to be a self-sufficient community since it is located six miles from the capital city and is a ‘stone’s throw’ from the Ogle International Airport, which makes it a trans-shipment point for people, crops, livestock and manufactured products from its backlands that are now flooded.

Plaisance, she posited, opens up Guyana to the interior, Caribbean and the world at large. There was also tutelage about starting up cottage industries doing agro-processing as well as a macro plan to have industries set up. Plaisance is definitely on the move.

Further, the people were educated about their human rights and the roles and responsibility they have to their children, families and community, while being the vanguard of their interests in totality. The people were also reminded that in the hour of crisis they should be vigilant, intelligent, motivated and stay mobilised.

Subsequently, in the question-and-answer segment, the residents were charged up and asked a plethora of questions with

the issue of the appointment of the acting overseer Ms Debra Mc Dowell being raised.

This was met by an arousing chant of “Debra must stay, Debra must be appointed”. This chant was akin to a thousand slaves signalling massa of what is to be.

I am absolutely sure that Minister Whittaker wherever he was at that moment must have been shaken in the bowels by that angry cry of the people and visited by the ancestors demanding Ms Mc Dowell’s installation as overseer of the Plaisance/Industry District as so shall it be.

I challenge Minister Whittaker to verify Ms Mc Dowell’s certification and stay away from the dishonest and deceitful propaganda he has been peddling in the media.

Ms Mc Dowell has the following certification and if the Minister would like to challenge me, let him be my guest:

* Diploma in Computer Science, July 2012 from the Government Technical Institute Certificate in Computer Operating and Windows 98

* Certificate in Word Perfect for Windows

* Certificate in Computer Operations Dos and Windows 95/98 – all from the Institute of Computer Learning (April-May 2000)

* Certificate in Microsoft Excel 2000

* Certificate in Microsoft Access 2000 (AugustOctober 2002)

* Certificate in Microsoft Word 2000 from Computer World

* Certificate in QuickBooks Accounting from Global Technology Inc (April 2014)

* Certificate in English – Elementary and Intermediate from Pitman (July 1995, 1996 respectively)

* Certificate in the Introduction to Shelters and Management Planning –Civil Defence Commission (2014).

Finally, I say to the relevant authorities that you should withdraw the letter that was issued to the membership of the Plaisance Society Hall that insinuates your intention to confiscate the building under the pretext of the law. Do not open Pandora’s Box. Whoever intends to disrupt Plaisance, let them not provoke a people to anger. I rest my case.

Yours truly, Shawn Austin Concerned Citizen

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

CANCER

If you are feeling lazy or lethargic, make an effort to get some physical exercise. If you invite friends to accompany you, you will not find it so difficult.

It’s time to organize your paperwork and sort through any outstanding bills or legal documents. Keeping your personal papers in order will save you time and money.

Take a class, join a group or start a new hobby. Excessive spending will be your downfall, so look for hobbies that won’t stretch your budget.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

You will feel dissatisfied, but you shouldn’t take your bad mood out on family members. Complaints or criticism will only serve to make matters worse.

Be careful not to overdo it. You may start out with a burst of energy, but if you take on too much, you are likely to burn out before you finish. Pace yourself.

Today, it may seem as though everything is going wrong. Be patient and let the little things slide. Don’t get stressed out over matters you can’t change or control.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

You won’t need to look far for help. Your family and friends will do everything possible to assist you. Take the advice given to you seriously, without offense.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

It is easy to get carried away when you go out shopping or spend time with someone who has more money than you. Plan ahead, be prudent and limit your expenses.

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

You may have strong opinions, but you shouldn’t expect everyone to agree with you. The qualities that outsiders find so attractive in you may not be so appealing to your relatives.

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

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

Expect to encounter a troubling relationship issue. If you have been insensitive to someone who looks up to you, it’s best to do a little backtracking and make amends.

Protect your position and reputation. Think before you act, and keep your ideas to yourself for the time being. A rash decision will end up being a costly mistake.

You will be pulled in several different directions. It’s impossible to please everyone, so listen carefully to what others have to say and make the best choice for your situation.

'Day of Interaction' at Enterprise Community Centre Ground

Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport/National Sports Commission held yet another DAY OF INTERACTION which had an attendance of approximately five hundred and fifty persons from communities along the East Coast of Demerara.

As early as 08:00h participants began to assemble at the venue.

Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony addressed the gathering and declared the activities open. He emphasised the importance of exercise and sport for healthy lifestyle. The Minister also told the athletes that DAYS OF INTERACTION are held throughout the country.

The Director of Sport, Neil Kumar thanked the communities for participating and encouraged the athletes to continue play-

ing sports which will help with their physical fitness and their academic education.

Also present were Dr Pradeep Balram, member of the National Sports Commission, Dr Kissoon, Chief Medical Officer, Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and Mr Balkissoon, former Caribbean Table Tennis Junior Champion.

All three gentlemen lend of their expertise and time as their officiated at the Table Tennis competition.

The various sports disciplines were played at a highly competitive level.

The female softball competition included the likes of Kavita Yadram a National player at both Windball and Hardball, among other regular players who participate at national competitions.

Three school teams com-

Ajmal ready for informal bowling tests

Pakistan are hopeful Saeed Ajmal will pass a bowling test in time to play in the World Cup, starting in February.

The off-spinner was reported for a suspect action during the first Test with Sri Lanka in August, and banned from bowling the following month.

Ajmal, 37, has been working with former Pakistan bowler Saqlain Mushtaq and is ready to undergo informal tests.

"Ajmal is vital to our chances in the World Cup," Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan said.

"So we will follow all the permitted routes to get him cleared."

Ajmal's action breached the 15-degree level of tolerance allowed for bowlers to straighten their arm and the PCB chief added: "Once he clears the informal test we will than ask the

International Cricket Council to test so he can be cleared before the World Cup."

Ajmal is Pakistan's leading wicket-taker in all formats of the game over the course of the last three years.

During his absence, Pakistan were defeated by Australia in their lone Twenty20 meeting, and were beaten 3-0 in the three-match ODI series held in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month. (BBC Sport)

peted in Softball Cricket at the junior level while Bladen Hall Secondary School was involved in Football playing at the senior level.

Participants and spectators were high in praise for the organising of the DAY OF INTERACTION and encouraged the Ministry/ NSC to organise the activity on a regular basis.

The competitions included football, volleyball, table tennis, domino and softball cricket.

The final results are as follows:

1. Table Tennis

Twenty eight persons including three females participated in the competition. The final saw Ester Holloway of Buxton defeating her villager, Audia Morgan in the female category by 2 sets to 1. In the male version, Vikash Hori of Ogle got the better of John McAllister of Enmore

by 3 sets to 1.

2. Domino

Six teams were involved. After the preliminary games, Enterprise Centre Boys (40 games) were victorious over Enterprise Shop (23 games) and Enmore (20 games).

3. Football

Four teams were involved. In the first semi-final, Bladen Hall Secondary destroyed Buxton, 6 goals to nil, while Enterprise took care of Bare Root 3 goals to 2 in penalties after a 1-1 score at regulation time.

In the final, after a keenly contested match which ended nil all, Bladen Hall once again showed their supremacy by scoring 3 goals to Enterprise 2 in penalties.

4. Volleyball

Two teams played in the final. Enterprise legend came out victorious against Centre Boys.

5. Softball cricket

I. Females

In this two team affair, the crowd was treated to some fantastic display with elevated hitting, outstanding fielding and memorable catches. However, Enterprise Stars over-powered Enterprise Youth by 40 runs after scoring 124 runs and limiting their opponent to 84 runs. Kavita Yadram displayed she is at a higher level than the others.

II. Juniors

Eleven teams, including three schools played in this category. The preliminary matches were all exciting as there were no clear winners in any of the games.

In a gripping final, Bladen Hall Secondary School edged Coldigen by one run. Scores: Bladen Hall batting first scored 74 runs and in reply Coldigen reached 73.

III. Seniors

Five teams entered and

played cricket of a high standard. The games kept all on their feet. Fielding, catching and batting were breath taking. Again there were some tough and exciting games

All winning teams fought hard for their victories.

The final which went down to the last delivery in a do or die situation, saw Jailall Warriors with 58 runs just scraping home against Enterprise Legend who scored 56 runs. At the end of a successful DAY OF INTERACTION, teams placing first and second were rewarded with trophies.

Sports gears and equipment were also presented to all participating teams. The teams were encouraged to use the gears and equipment to develop themselves in their respective sport.

Alonso to leave Ferrari

Fernando Alonso is leaving Ferrari at the end of this season, the company's former President Luca Di Montezemolo has confirmed.

Alonso's departure is an open secret in Formula 1 but the team have not yet announced it, nor their decision to replace him with Sebastian Vettel. Di Montezemolo

told Italian television: "Fernando is leaving for two reasons. "One, he wants another environment. Two, because he is an age when he cannot wait to win again."

Alonso, 33, asked Di Montezemolo in the summer to be released from his contract, after losing faith that Ferrari could produce a winning car in the near future.

The Spaniard has been with Ferrari since 2010, and has finished runner-up in the world championship to Red Bull's Vettel three times in the last four years. He lost out in the final race in both 2010 and 2012. Di Montezemolo, who was speaking on a television show looking back on his 23 years with Ferrari, said: "He was disappoint-

ed that he has not won over these last years and wanted new stimulus."

Alonso is deciding between joining McLaren, who have made him a huge offer to lead their team into their new engine partnership with Honda next season, or taking a year off in the hope of finding a seat at Mercedes in 2016. The two-time world champion said at the Russian Grand Prix at the weekend that his choice would be "obvious" when it was announced.

He said he did not think he would be using a Mercedes engine in 2015, and added that there was "probably not a big risk" of him not being in F1 next year. Di Montezemolo this week officially left his role as president of Ferrari, which he has held since 1991.

He has been replaced by Sergio Marchionne, the chief executive officer of parent company Fiat. (BBC

Bravo, Hinds battle intensifies in email exchange

The growing impasse between West Indies players and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) has intensified with both sides exchanging bitter emails in the past week. After Wavell Hinds, who has been the direct target of the players' ire, vehemently refused to step down from his dual positions as WIPA President and Chief Executive, the players fired fresh salvos against him via a two-part letter highlighting the discrepancies in his response.

The biggest bone of contention between the warring factions is related to the issue of sponsorship payment that Hinds claimed all the West Indies players had agreed to forego towards enhancing the pay structure of 90 regional first-class cricketers during the WIPA annual general meeting on February 1 in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Hinds was responding to a letter signed by West Indies ODI captain Dwayne Bravo on behalf of the players, who alleged that the WIPA CEO had "hoodwinked" them by signing a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which amounted to taking a massive pay cut.

The proposal to forego the sponsorship fee was present by WIPA Director Michael Hall, who asked of the "players on the West Indies team to be an agent of change and give up his daily sponsorship money to help professionalise first class cricket," according to the minutes of the AGM as seen by ESPNCricinfo.

In his letter, dated October 8, Hinds started with a bold stroke: "I am compelled to first refute in the strongest possible manner all of your previous assertions claiming ignorance on the part of the "senior players" regarding the proposal to discontinue the payment of $35,000 per day of cricket for the benefit of members of the senior West Indies team, and the reallocation of these monies to help to fund retainer contracts for an additional ninety (90) members of WIPA."

Hinds said Bravo along with senior West Indies players Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan having "participated in a lively and lengthy discussion" on the issue had expressed "100 per cent support for the initiative" and authorised the WIPA executive to go forward with the "resolution". That move, Hinds said, "was passed by majority vote of the members present on the

floor. The minutes also reflect the only qualification to your support, which was to ask that the current WIPA executive make every effort to ensure that the shortfall in revenue accruing from the reallocation, be made up in other areas of player remuneration."

But Bravo expressed complete surprise that such a resolution was indeed passed, which he noted in the first part of his response, sent on October 10 to Hinds. "There is no mention whatsoever of such a vote taking place and that is in keeping

Gayle, Darren Sammy and Chanderpaul would be kept abreast of the updates. Instead Bravo claimed the players were always in the dark over the MoU, which they are yet to see.

"As is evident from the minutes of the AGM, Mr Hinds and Mr Hall promised to provide more information, meet with senior West Indian players, make up the shortfall if the sponsorship were taken away, even out the difference and certain conditions must be discussed one of them being no pay drop and more

Category A players would get US$135,000, compared to US$120,000 previously; Category B+ players US$125,000; Category B players US$115,000, compared to US$110,000 previously; and Category C players would get US$100,000, an increase of US$20,000.

Bravo said that Hinds' assertion was "inaccurate."

According to Bravo, the matter was never discussed at the AGM and a perusal of the minutes made that clear.

"Yet, you inaccurately stated that we got a 300 per

with what persons attending that meeting have said," Bravo said, referring to the minutes of the meeting as well as having consulted his fellow players present at the AGM.

Bravo brought to Hinds' attention the segment in the minutes of the AGM where he had clearly said that "he support(ed) 100 per cent the proposal but certain conditions must be discussed, one of them being no pay drop for the senior team and the other salary be raised to compensate the loss of sponsorship fee."

Bravo also pointed out that both Hall and Hinds had said before any final decision was taken WIPA would consult WICB to make sure that "to balance of the loss of sponsorship fee, a compromise MUST be reached to EVEN out the difference." Hinds and Hall, Bravo said, had made it clear senior players like himself, Chris

importantly discuss with the players before any final decision is made," Bravo wrote.

In the second part of his response, sent on October 12, Bravo objected to the fact pointed out by Hinds that under the new agreement with the WICB the players actually stood to earn more. According to Hinds, the players would get 15 per cent increase in their match fee across the board along with a hike in the retainer contracts ranging from 12.525 per cent. The Test match fee had been increased from US$5000 to US$5750; ODI match fee had been hiked to US$2300 to US$2000 while the Twenty20 International fee was raised to US$1725 from US$1500.

Also there were two new contract categories being including from this season: Category A+ and Category B+. An A+ player's retainer would amount to US$150,000;

Gatlin deserves redemption oppurtunity

Sprinter Justin Gatlin has a right to earn "redemption", says the man who led the Lance Armstrong investigation.

Travis Tygart, Chief Executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, believes athletes who are banned for doping offences deserve another chance.

Gatlin, who has served two drug bans, is the world's fastest man in 2014.

"If somebody commits a violation, serves a ban and comes back to the sport, part of the rule is this idea of redemption," Tygart told BBC Sport.

Gatlin has been a controversial figure since returning from his second ban in 2011, but his stunning times this year have provoked fury from many fans and rivals.

He ran the fastest 100 me-

Coe, the man likely to be the next President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), said he had a "big problem" with Gatlin, and told reporters he believed dopers enjoyed the benefits of their cheating long after their bans were over.

But Tygart told the BBC the Oslo study was not the first to show a long-term effect from steroids in mice, and that nobody had been able to demonstrate that the same applied for humans.

A revised version of the World Anti-Doping Code will nevertheless come into force from January 1, 2015, extending the ban for serious first-time offenders from two years to four, long enough to guarantee an athlete found guilty of cheating will miss an Olympics.

And Tygart, who was in

tre and 200 metre by a man in his thirties this summer.

London for the Leaders sports business summit, did not rule out further extensions.

cent increase in match fees when the truth is the players are in fact receiving 90 per cent less from what previously existed in our overall fees," Bravo wrote. Bravo also wondered why the 25 per cent participation fee paid to the players by the WICB for playing in various ICC tournaments was erased completely. "To cut the participation fee from players who play at ICC events from 25% to zero is unbelievable."

"Mr Hinds, we have asked for a comparative analysis of what the players earned last contractual year and what they would earn given this new purported MoU. Instead you have presented figures to signal that WIPA got an increase for the players. This is not correct. We once again call on you to provide this comparison," Bravo wrote, concluding a third part of his response would be sent soon.

This anger has only increased since research from Oslo University suggested athletes could benefit from steroids for years after they stopped taking them.

"There is some recent science on the effect of steroids on mice, but there is no proof yet it translates to humans," said Tygart, who in 2012 declared the "conclusive and undeniable proof" that American cyclist Armstrong was a drug cheat who was at the heart of a team-run doping conspiracy.

"We've looked at it and you have to be cautious about changing the goalposts in the middle of the game based on a few sound-bites in the press from one paper on mice.

"That's not fair. What's fair, and what athletes and the public rely on, is a set of rules that are enforced evenly."

For an athlete who commits a doping offence, Tygart acknowledges that "there is always a cloud that follows that person, but that's not a question for the rules, that's people's opinions".

Earlier this week, Lord

"Fairness dictates that we stick to the rules, but if the science says we have to change the rules then, absolutely, let's do that."

Gatlin is not the only American sprinter to run into doping trouble in recent years.

Tyson Gay, a three-time world champion, tested positive for a banned substance in 2013 but was given a reduced one-year ban by Usada –and stripped of his silver medal from London 2012 – because he cooperated with its investigation.

This plea-bargain approach brought criticism of Tygart, however, with some suggesting he was letting cheats off lightly. It is criticism he rejects.

"It is because we understand the bigger picture," he explained.

"To give young, clean athletes a chance, we have to get those dirty team owners, doctors and coaches out of the sport, because as long as they're still there it's not going to get any cleaner."

Shalom Enterprise Driving School, Lot 2 Croal Street, Stabroek. Obtain an International Driver’s Permit that covers 123 countries. Call 227-3869 or Like us on Facebook.

Used imported from USA office furniture in excellent condition; secretary, executive & office chairs, 2,3 &4 draws metal filing cabinets, Panasonic copier-fax, scanner and printer in one. Call: 623-3183, 625-5353, 227-1135. 1 Yamaha power generator. 7125 RUNNING WATTS - $299,000. 1 Haier 8000 BTU window AC - 65000. 1 MAYTAG 2000 SERIES

231-5930.

Caskets for sale, can also be done through orders. Call: 609-8964 One tractor and trailer (175 Massey Ferguson). Call 255-0343.

YELLOW PAGES

thursday, october 16,

Parfaite Harmonie( 100ft x 50ft)

$2.6M, Eccles(100ft x 50ft) $4.5M, Providence $4M & Herstelling $4M. Call 675-7292, 218-5591.

Da Silva’s Optical. For Your Eyes Only, Look Better See Better. Phillip A Da Silva OD, Shannon L Da Silva OD, Natalie Da Silva OD. 248 South Road, Bourda. Phone: 227-3529, Linden: 444-6376, Corriverton: 339-3536, Meten-Meer-Zorg: 275-0322, Grand Cayman Islands: (345) 943-1515 for the perfect trendy touch.

Sale Healthworld Holistic Centre offers clinical psychotherapy for suicidal thoughts, attempted suicides, depression, stress, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, homicidal thoughts, hallucinations, loneliness, conflicts, anger management, relationship & sexual problems, paranoia and much more. Call +592-621-0552 and make that appointment now before it’s too late. 12:00-6:00PM. Mondays-Fridays. Email: healthworldhc@gmail.com

USA and UK immigration and visa matters. Self sponsorships, holiday/visitor’s visas, work permits, students visas, family, class, immigration forms, embassy enquiries, appeals for refused cases, US green card lottery, business class waivers, pardons, etc. Get your visa approved. High success rate. Balwant Persaud & Associates. Certified Immigration Consultants, 68 Sixth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown (Between Cummings & Lights Sts) Tel: 225-1540, 622-8308, 655-3105. Email: balwantpersaud@yahoo.ca

l aND FOr Sale

32 Acres of transported land located at Lot 5 Plantation Content, Mahaicony, ECD; from the public road to sea shore. This property is ideal for residence, business, aquaculture, agriculture, etc. Price: $175,000(USD) or best offer. For more information or to make an offer please call Pooran at 813-319-4219 (Florida, USA) or email rpooran@tampabay.rr.com

HEPHZIBAH MINISTRIES. 24hrs miracle line 322-5081/337-4510/3374259/337-4021/337-3070/337-5103

For healing, deliverance, financial difficulties, marriage issues. Call now. Jesus cares.

Suriname’s Astrology, Palmist and Hindustani Spiritual Healer, solve all purpose problems, 100% confidential guaranteed. Phone: 679-4672

One furnished house at Lamaha Gardens suitable for office and residence in immaculate condition

US$2,500, 2 modern apartments -3 bedrooms each at Campbellville

US$1,300, grey flask mercury for sale 99.9999%purity. Contact office on 219-4533 between 08:00-17:00h.

Apartment in Central Georgetown, Fully Furnished, A/C Hot and Cold System. Contact Mr Joe Ishmael, Office: 227-1964, Cell: 667-9129 In Lamaha Street, can be used as office or Storage space. Contact Mr Joe Ishmael, Office: 227-1964, Cell: 667-9129

Small business space in Stabroek area. Phone: 691-7164/231-2619

One house with 5 bedrooms, (2 large, 1 small, 1 master and 1 guest), Laundry room with half bath, kitchen with island, living room, dining area, gym, storage/freezer room, generator room with exhaust, two storage rooms, one

Eccles: two flat executive concrete house; three bedrooms upper, two bedrooms lower (separate flats). Price negotiable. Tel: 602-2135 Windsor Forest 2 storey, concrete building $27M. Phoenix Park (90ft x 47ft) land $3.5M. Call: 675-7292, 2185591

One house at Parfaite Harmonie. Call 643-4740

Call 669-9342

For specialised repairs and servicing to all types of BMW vehicles, Lexus, Mercedes, Sedan etc. Diagnostic testing available. All job backed by three months warranty. Call 686-9995 for more information and location. Mobile emergency service available.

A-Z Building construction, Plan drafting, foundation, masonry, carpentry, plumbing, electrical installation, surveillance cameras, landscaping, insurance, roofing. Contact us for all your building needs. Chromium Investments: 225-8061 / 672-4090

Dutch spiritual healing in removing evil spirit; bad luck; evil sickness; spells; re- uniting lovers and prosperity to busi- ness etc, Call 612-6417, 220-0708, 687-5633.

Cleansing of spiritual problems of all kinds. Powerful Ifá protection against evil. Get help to overcome problems with love, relationships, legal, sexual, pregnancy, business, sickness, jobs, enemies, work, money. Call 592-6901824 from 10:00-16:00h Email:anewlife@live.com

Chucking controversy...

Secrecy the sticking point as ICC falls out with testing centre

The ICC's recent concerted campaign against illegal actions has brought it into a position of significant professional disagreement with the agency long involved in its tests. Experts at the University of Western Australia (UWA), whom the ICC relied upon for the last 20 years to develop models and protocols to test illegal bowling actions, have criticised what they call the "ridiculous" secrecy surrounding the new procedures and say they have raised doubts over the reliability of the recent tests that have seen several bowlers suspended from various levels of the game.

protocol has been provided to "a number of institutions".

The belief at the Perth centre, which was for so long the ICC's only resource in the fight against illegal bowling actions, that their methods have been unsatisfactorily adopted and adjusted is also officially rejected by the ICC, which states that "the new protocol is based on research, know-how and available literature".

What is undisputed is that the disagreement has brought about a breakdown in relationships between

tion after it had cleared the bowler in a previous assessment in 2009 – including comments it made to Geoff Allardice, the ICC's General Manager of cricket, earlier this year. The ICC, however, does not regard it as appropriate for a testing centre to pass comment on monitoring procedures, which it regards as outside its jurisdiction.

Marlon Samuels is another player whose action has been an issue. He was cleared by the ICC to bowl deliveries falling under a certain speed, a decision

JUST ARRIVED: TOP QUALITY RECONDITIONED VEHICLES; TOYOTA NOAH; TOYOTA VOXY; TOYOTA IST (NEW SHAPE); SUZUKI SWIFT; DAIHATSU MOVE (660CC); MERCEDES BENZ C200 KOMPRESSOR; COROLLA AE100 WAGON; TOYOTA HIACE MINIBUS RZ; PITBULL-STYLE FREEZER VAN; LAND CRUISER (FULLY LOADED); MAZDA PROCEED 4WD EXTRACAB PICK-UP; TOYOTA HILUX 4WD EXTRA CAB PICKUPS - 3RZ, 5L, 3L SOLID DEFFERNTIAL; MITSUBISHI CANTER TRUCKS 4 TONS FREEZER; 3 TONS OPEN TRAY; 2 TONS 4WD; NISSAN ATLAS 2 TONS OPEN TRAY TRUCK. PRE-ORDER YOUR UNITS EARLY AND GET THE BEST PRICES. FULL AFTER SALES SERVICES AND FINANCING AVAILABLE. DEO MARAJ AUTO SALES, 2 CHIMNEY ROAD, CHATEAU MARGOT, ECD. 624-0762, 220-5177. A NAME AND SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST

4x4 Nissan Titan fully powered Immaculate condition $3.5M. No reasonable offer refused. 622-7740

One PPP series Mazda Axela in excellent condition and one white 2007 unregistered BMW, Price negotiable. Call 679-5842.

One Toyota Allion (white) in excellent condition fully equipped with rims, DVD/CD player, TV, remote, alarm. Call: 629-6202.

Cashiers and salesgirls. Apply in person to Sachi; 136 Regent Street, Lacytown

Cashiers and salesgirls. Apply in person to Nirva, 49 Sheriff & Craig Streets, Campbellville. One chef, call 231-5866 or 231-5857 for more information.

We buy all low income land in Parfaite Harmonie, Schoonord, Eccles, Herstelling & Providence. Call 675-7292, 218-5591.

Ads $5+VAT per word Call: 226-9921

The dispute provides a disturbing backdrop to the sudden toughened approach towards the monitoring of potentially illegal actions by the ICC only a few months before the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Leading offspinners such as Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal and Sri Lanka's Sachithra Senanayake have been called in international cricket, while West Indies' Sunil Narine was reported in the Champions League T20.

As new ICC testing centres are rolled out in Brisbane, Cardiff and Chennai, UWA biomechanists have branded the ICC's approach as "extraordinary" and have expressed concerns that the testing could be carried out by relatively inexperienced staff with limited training.

The result, they fear, is that the recent tests may be based on unreliable evidence. Jacqueline Alderson, an Associate Professor in Biomechanics at UWA, suggests that her team is "astounded" by the limited opportunities for peer-to-peer reviews of the model used to measure elbow extensions, and by a general lack of information provided to the home boards or the testing centres carrying out the work.

The ICC, however, insists that a clean-up of bowling actions is both necessary and justifiable, and that it now has a system in place that is more scientifically advanced than the previous methods. It says it is utilising some of the best qualified biomechanists in the world to review its procedures and that the UWA has only been excluded due to the deteriorating relationship between the parties.

It also privately justifies taking the testing process "in-house" as an attempt to develop testing centres with a consistent approach around the world and to end a system of over-reliance on one provider. Most of all, it insists that the adapted process is more accurate and, while empowering umpires, also allows bowlers the opportunity to remediate and return to the game.

On the charge of secrecy, the ICC says that testing

UWA and the ICC to the extent that lawyers have been involved. As a result, UWA voluntarily withdrew its testing services to the ICCthe break is believed to have taken place in March this year. "We have withdrawn our services," Alderson told ESPNcricinfo. "We were initially aggrieved by the ICC leveraging our research without our knowledge or permission. However that is now compounded by the lack of transparency surrounding the current testing."

The UWA team also states that the ICC is throwing its support behind replicating already existing methods that rely on rolling out "old technology", and lacks "vision" with respect to the "holy grail of quantifying illegal actions during match play".

In search of that "holy grail", Alderson is researching the potential to compare 3D footage in laboratory tests with 3D footage in matches – although the current relationship with the ICC makes it improbable that such research will be utilised.

Biomechanists at UWA insist that they strongly support a clampdown on illegal bowling actions – to the extent that they freely contend that the ICC's laxer approach in recent years had been a contributory factor in recent events as they seek to make amends for years of relative inaction.

Specifically, UWA expressed concerns about the monitoring of Ajmal's ac-

the UWA now presents as flawed. As one academic told ESPNcricinfo, "We did not think his report was valid as he, in our view, appeared to not replicate his match action in the lab testing. But the ICC didn't act. We found it ridiculous that he was cleared to bowl deliveries under a particular speed given the error associated with measuring speed via speed guns during a match."

The ICC defends the decision to concentrate on Samuels' quicker deliveries by quoting from the report provided at the time by UWA, which stated: "It is the view of the UWA biomechanics testing team that Samuels should not be permitted to bowl until he has undertaken remedial work to address excessive elbow extension, specifically in deliveries where ball speeds exceed 80 km/h."

One of the key areas of mistrust concerns the methodology used to place markers on the bowlers' bodies to determine whether a delivery is illegal.

Alderson states that individuals conducting the testing are not fully aware of the influence that marker placement – or misplacement –might have on the result. "Indeed, the black box approach [software tests where the method of evaluation is not revealed to the testers] being rolled out means the testers can have no real understanding of how their actions might influence the results," she claimed. (Cricinfo)

GDF holds slim lead heading into final day of ISAC

By TreisTon Joseph

One point is what separates the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) after 19 finals on day two of the Inter Services Athletics Championships (ISAC) continued on Wednesday at the GDF Sport Club ground, Base Camp Ayanganna.

The GDF finished day two on 295 points while the GPF closed the eight point gap to finish Wednesday’s action on 294 points.

The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was a distant third with 38 points while City Constabulary trailed closely in fourth with 37 points.

The Guyana Prison Service brought up the rear with 26 points.

Meanwhile GDF’s Leslain Baird was in a class by himself jumping away with the men’s triple jump with a distance of 14.54 metres to rewrite the record books. Baird was also in top form with his Javelin throw, winning that event with a throw of 57.7 metres.

Another outstanding performance of the day came from GPF’s Kevin Bayley who has been continually neglected off of national teams as the talented

athlete ran away with the men’s 800 metres in a time of 1:54.7s.

Trevor Scotland had a revival race finishing second in a time of 1:55.3s while Ornesto Thomas was third in 1:56.4s.

GDF’s Letitia Myles, known for her sprinting produced a shocker by winning the female triple jump event with a jump of 11.32 metres to top seasoned campaigner from GPF Tracey Moses who registered a jump of 10.91 metres. Shinella Adams was third with a jump of 10.26 metres.

Jonella Jonas of GPF won copped a distance dou-

ble by claiming the women’s 800 metres on Wednesday after her impressive 3000 metres win on day one.

Jonas clocked 2:22.04s to win the 800 metres event leaving Carlissa Atkinson in second position with a time of 2:26.2s while Dellie Williams finished third in 2:29.8s.

GPF’s Julio Sinclair easily won the men’s Shot put with a throw of 13.58 metres to defeat GDF’s Cupido Pablino who threw 13.58 metres for second. Ronald Payne was third with a throw of 12.90 metres.

GPF’s Natasha Alder now has a field double after

winning the female Javelin with a throw of 33.91 metres. Andrella Asreham finished second with a throw of 32.40 metres while Stacey Wilson was third with a throw of 30.31 metres.

In relay action the GDF produced as classy 800 metres sprint medley exhibition to top the Policewomen in a time of 1:45.6s. Police was second in 1:46.5s while City Constabulary finished third in 2:21.2s.

In the men’s 1500 metres sprint medley relay GPF exacted some revenge with a comfortable win, clocking 3:18.5s. GDF finished second in 3:31.3s while GFS

Tiffany Smith finishes with a brilliant 400 metres leg to hold off Police’s Tiffany Carto to win the female 800 metres medley event

Digicel aims to win Inter-Corporation sports

The final day of the Inter-Corporation Sports is set for Sunday at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground with Digicel aiming to reclaim the title.

Telecommunication Giants Digicel has laid down the gauntlet for the finals of the Intercorporation sports as Events and Sponsorship Manager Gavin Hope notified the pubic of his company’s readiness.

“We want to invite all the members of the participating companies to come out and support their companies.

“Digicel will be there, we are in second right now

and we anticipate that we will rise to the top and reclaim the trophy,” Hope said enthusiastically. The event which start-

ed last weekend among Digicel, Ansa McAL, Wártsilá, Qualfon, Global Technology and Noble House Seafoods will conclude this weekend with a number of various sport events.

The finals for dominoes and table tennis will be on Saturday at the Malteenos Sports Club ground while on Sunday will be the grand finale at the DCC ground with athletics, football and cricket being played.

Wártsilá currently leads the points standing with 10 points while Digicel follows with eight. The third position is held by Ansa McAL. The competition is set for a 12:00h start on Sunday.

Invaders Masters pip Tiger Sports in close battle

The picturesque Imam Bacchus ground in Affiance, Essequibo Coast, came alive on Sunday last when home team Invaders Masters edged Tiger Sports of Enmore by the thin margin of three runs in a feature hardball match.

Batting first, Invaders Masters managed 169-8 from the allotted 25 overs, before Tiger Sports came agonisingly close, ending on 166-4 when the overs expired.

third in 3:50.1s.

Meanwhile in the 200 metres sprint prelims GDF’s Davin Fraser qualified with the fastest time of 20.7s to win his heat while Olympian Winston George of the GPF won his heat in 20.9s to set up an enticing final between the two athletes.

The final day of the championships also known as Joint Service Sports will culminate on Friday at the said ground from 14:00h, starting with the ceremonial march pass.

K Bacchus topscored for Invaders Masters with a match-high 62, with support from Balbadar, who stroked 36. Bowling for Tiger Sports, left-arm spinner Bashur Khan had 4-26 from five overs, while off-spinner Eon Abel picked up 2-24, also from five overs.

Tiger Sports were given a rousing start by openers Abel and former national Under-15 opener Javed Mohamed, who posted 71 for the first wicket in quick time. Abel made 46 and Mohamed 22, but once both were dismissed, only

captain and former national wicketkeeper/batsman Sheik Mohamed put up a resistance with a classy 52 not out.

The diminutive lefthander rolled back the years, striking seven fours, but his effort proved in vain as Tiger Sports came up short in the end.

At the presentation ceremony, Abel was adjudged Man-of-the-Match, while Khan was named Best Bowler and Bacchus Best Batsman. Both teams also received trophies, all of which were sponsored by Tiger Sports.

murray/Peers into round two

Gbeaten in under an hour. Grigor Dimitrov began the defence of his singles title with a win.

The Bulgarian, who beat Russia's Teymuraz Gabashvili 7-5 7-6 (7-4), is one of Murray's brother Andy's main rivals in the race for the last few places at the ATP World Tour Finals.

Andy Murray is playing in this week's Vienna Open, where he received a bye in the first round and will face Canada's Vasek Pospisil in round two.

Sweden's Brunstrom and American Monroe fared better in the second, but were

reat Britain's Jamie Murray and his Australian partner John Peers easily saw off Johan Brunstrom and Nicholas Monroe 6-2 6-3 in the first round of the Stockholm Open men's doubles. Murray and Peers breezed through the first set as their opponents doublefaulted three times.

One of the Scot's other rivals for a Tour Finals place, Croatia's Marin Cilic, beat Evgeny Donskoy of Russia 6-3 3-6 6-3 in the second round of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, after a first-round bye. (Cricinfo)

In-form Bramble spurs Albion to playoffs

Athird consecutive half-century from Guyana wicketkeeper/batsman Anthony Bramble powered Albion Community Centre into the playoffs of the 2014 Carib Beer First Division 20/20 cricket competition in Berbice.

In their Corentyne zone preliminary match, the first of a double-header at Number 69 on Sunday, Omesh Kumar slammed 51 to steer Guytrac Upper Corentyne to 131-8 in their 20 overs against Albion. West Indies Under-19 leftarm spinner Gudakesh Motie took 3-11 from four overs. Bramble then got into action, blasting 77 not out (8x4s, 3x6s) to lead Albion to an easy six-wicket victory with four overs to spare to give them three wins out of three matches with just one match left and assurance of a spot in the last six playoffs.

On Saturday, Bramble had scores of 54 against Port Mourant and 82 not out against Skeldon Community Centre. He has therefore, tallied 213 runs from three matches at an average of 213.

In the same zone, Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets also registered a third consecutive victory to give themselves a place in the playoffs. Spearheading them in their victory against

Skeldon Community Centre was medium-pacer Simion Lawson, who picked up 4-11 from four overs to bowl out Skeldon for 85 in 18.2 overs. Rose Hall then went on to win by seven wickets.

In the second match of the Guytrac Upper Corentyne double-header, Guytrac Upper Corentyne and Port Mourant played to a tie and went on to a Super Over which Port Mourant easily won.

Below are the summarised scores from the games played.

At Number 69: Albion Community Centre beat Guytrac Upper Corentyne by six wickets. Guytrac Upper Corentyne 131-8 in 20 overs (Omesh Kumar 51, Fiaz Mohamed 25, Victor Pedro 22, Gudakesh Motie 3-11) Albion Community Centre 132-4 from 16 overs (Anthony Bramble 77*, Narsingh Deonarine 21,

Omesh Kumar 2-25).

At Skeldon: Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets beat Skeldon Community Centre by seven wickets.

Skeldon Community Centre 85 in 18.2 overs (Simion Lawson 4-11, Keon Sinclair 2-10, Clinton Pestano 2-21) Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets 90-3 in 16.1 overs (Delbert Hicks 20, Ashkay Homraj 20*, Parmanand Narine 2-19).

At Number 69: The match between Guytrac Upper Corentyne and Port Mourant ended in a tie.

Upper Corentyne 113-7 in 20 overs (Latchman Roopchand 40, Lakeram Latchman 26, Avinash Wajib 2-23) Port Mourant 113-7 in 20 overs (Devindra Thakoordeen 39, Loyydel Lewis 30, Victor Pedro 2-18). In the Super Over, Port Mourant emerged the winner, scoring 16 runs and then restricting Upper Corentyne to just four.

GRFU receives donation to aid 7’s league final

The Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) on Tuesday at the 704 Sports Bar received a donation from Pomeroon Oil Mill to aid with the hosting of the current seven’s league final.

Record number expected for 5-Stage today

Arecord number of riders is expected to face the starting line this morning when the eighth annual ‘Ride for Life’ Five-Stage pedals off in the Ancient County of Berbice.

The close to 60 riders were sent on their way to Berbice on Wednesday by a team of officials, led by Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony at the Sport Ministry's headquarters on Main Street.

The team included Director of Sport Neil Kumar, national cycling coach Hassan Mohamed, President of the Guyana Cycling Federation Cheryl Thompson and Nazim Hussain of the Health Ministry.

Up to press time, 15 of those riders were from overseas, but that was number was expected to rise overnight with the addition of

a few entrants from neighbouring Suriname. The record number of entries for a single Five-Stage was in 2009 when 66 riders participated.

The opening stage will be held the today from Corriverton to New Amsterdam (46.6 miles) from 07:30h; while Stage Two will take place this afternoon from Rosignol to Georgetown (60.4 miles) from 14:00h.

Stage Three will take place on Friday from Wales to Parika (35 miles) from 09:00h, while the penultimate stage will be contested from 07:30h on Saturday from Supenaam to Suddie, covering a distance of 62 miles. The fifth and final stage will commence in Linden at 08:30h and finish in Georgetown on Sunday, covering a distance of 62 miles. As was the case in previous years, the event will be held with the objectives of increasing awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS among participants and the general public, and increasing HIV/AIDS activism and volunteerism among the participants and inspiring them to become ambassadors in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Team Coco’s Raynauth Jeffrey is the defending champion of the Open category, having won last year’s event in a time of 10 hours, 05 minutes, 33 seconds. Hamzah Eastman was the leading Junior rider with a time of 10 hours, 09 minutes, 56 seconds, while Raymond Newton was the top Veteran in a time of 10 hours, 09 minutes, 57 seconds. (Avenash Ramzan)

WJ enterprise onboard with guyana softball cup

Impressed by what transpired during the finals of the 2013 tournament, businessman Heralall Narine has aligned himself with the Guyana Softball Cup Four through the Croxley Copier paper and his entity WJ Enterprise.

During a simple ceremony at his business location on Regent Street on Wednesday, Narine presented a cheque for an undisclosed amount to Surendra Nauth of the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) to assist with expenses associated with the October 31 to November 2 competition.

On hand to witness the handing over ceremony were Vice President of the GFSCA, Ricky Deonarain, and Secretary Lalta Gainda.

Narine, in brief remarks, said he was enthused by the success of the 2013 competition and the impact the tournament has on the tourism sector. He lauded the GFSCA for including foreign teams, noting that it will lift the standard of the competition.

Nauth expressed gratitude to Narine for coming onboard, noting that sponsorship is critical to the success of a tournament of the magnitude of the Guyana Softball Cup.

Deonarain said all plans are falling into place for the country’s premier softball tournament, adding that the GFSCA welcomes the addition of WJ Enterprise to its list of sponsors.

Success story

some rewards at stake for the players.

As was the case in previous editions of the tournament, there will be two categories – one for teams contesting the Men’s Open and the other for the Masters players, aged 45 and over.

The champion team in the Men’s Open is guaranteed a whopping $800,000 first prize and a huge trophy, while the losing finalist will have to settle for $200,000 and a trophy. In the Masters’ division, the winning team will pocket $600,000 with the runnerup assured of $150,000. The Man-of-the-Match in both finals will receive a trophy.

pete in this year’s event, with 12 from Guyana, seven from New York, three from Florida and two from Canada. During the three-day championship, there will be a total of 36 preliminary games, followed by four semi-finals and two finals.

In an effort to expand the reach of the competition and ensure maximum participation from spectators, the organisers have increased the number of venues this year. Grounds earmarked to host games are Police Sports Club, Everest Cricket Club, Georgetown Cricket Club, Demerara Cricket Club, Ghandi Youth Organisation, Muslim Youth Organisation, Enmore Community Centre and Enterprise Busta Sports Club.

The Yamaha Caribs and the University of Guyana (UG) Wolves will meet in the final on Saturday in a much anticipated rematch.

noted the Oil Mill’s pleasure in being a part of the event.

Project Manager of the 704 Sports Bar Dustanni Barrow at the simple handing over ceremony was in full support of the sport and

Secretary of the GRFU, Terry grant was appreciative of the gesture shown by the company and highlighted that it will only boost the quality of the final that is already set to be a thriller.

The Guyana Softball Cup commenced in 2011 and instantly became a hit with players and fans alike, attracting massive crowds and also putting some hard earned cash into the pockets of those who entertained with bat and ball on the field.

This year promises to be even better, as the GFSCA is aiming to surpass the achievements of the previous three years in terms of spectators’ involvement and the hand-

As has been the case in the past, the Most Valuable Player of each category will become the proud owner of a softball bracelet, made of gold and diamond studs, compliments of Steve’s Jewellery.

On the day of the final, there will be lots of hampers and giveaways for spectators. Additionally, two spectators can win return tickets from Survival Travel Agency to the beautiful island of Aruba. All the spectators need to do is retain their half tickets and listen for their numbers to be called over the Public Address system during the final.

Two dozen teams will com-

Trophy Stall and New York Better are the defending champions of the Open and Masters categories respectively, while the previous champions were NYSCL New York (Open) and Savage Masters in 2012 and Cotton Field Wild Oats (Open) and Regal Seniors (Masters) in 2011.

According to information emanating from the GFSCA, this year’s tournament has an estimated budget of around $10 million.

Record number expected for 5-Stage today

IAAF VP uncomfortable with Gatlin's nomination

Lord Coe has admitted having "big problems" with the nomination of Justin Gatlin for World Athlete of the Year.

The sprinter, 32, who has served two doping bans, is one of 10 on a shortlist announced by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) last week.

This summer Gatlin ran the fastest 100 metre and 200 metre by a man in his thirties.

"What would you say if I said I felt comfortable about it?" said Coe, an IAAF Vice President.

"The only thing I would say is he is entitled to compete; but I'm not particularly comfortable about it.

"I think you'd be surprised if I said I was sanguine about it – personally I have big problems with that."

Coe, who is favourite to take over as President of the world athletics' governing body next year, was speaking at the Securing Sport 2014 conference.

The double-Olympic champion, who chaired London 2012's organising committee and is the current chairman of the British Olympic Association, has never made any secret of his belief that cheats should be banned for life.

But he said in London that he accepted "that particular train has left the station" and he realised lifetime bans would be unenforceable from a le-

gal point of view.

But he reiterated his support for the IAAF's unsuccessful attempt to persuade the International Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping Agency to increase bans for first-time offenders from two years to four years, a position the IAAF has now unilaterally adopted.

Coe's comments came on the day the BBC reported new research that proves muscles retain the benefits of anabolic steroids for decades after they were taken.

This, however, comes after he failed drugs tests in 2001 and 2006, the second of which initially brought him an eight-year ban that he was able to halve on appeal.

His return in 2011 was greeted with widespread unease.

Many in the sport were disappointed when the 2004 Olympic champion won a silver medal at London 2012. And that disappointment has now deepened as he emerges as a real contender for victory in Rio in two years' time.

Germany's Olympic discus champion Robert Harting reacted to Gatlin's inclusion on the IAAF shortlist by asking for his own name to be removed from it.

"The effect of anabolic steroids is certainly not transient," said Coe.

"I think sanctions have to take into consideration the extent of the effect that they can have on a career even when the athlete is clean."

An email poll for the IAAF prize closes at 23:00 BST today, when the three leading men and women will be announced and put forward for a vote by the Council of the International Athletics Foundation. Men's and women's winners will be revealed at the World Athletics Gala on November 21.

This casts a dark cloud over Gatlin's achievements this year. The American has gone unbeaten, running six of the season's best 100 metre times.