Berbice Times

Corentyne’s pain is bandits’ gain

Corentyne’s pain is bandits’ gain –

crime spree booty pegged at $10M

BY NAFEEZA YAHYA

During the recent spate of robberies in the Upper Corentyne, which began in December, criminals would have plundererd in excess of $10 million based upon the tally of the victims and even though there has been a lull following the flare up between the communities and police, residents still live in fear.

Vimlawattie Ramdeen, 62, was the last victim who bandits pounced on. She told Berbice Times she is very thankful to be alive, but she is very scared and sometimes has sleepless nights due to the memories of that fateful evening. “I even have to take medication to sleep, sometimes, it works; sometimes, it don’t”.

At one point, she said that she was frustrated to a point where she wanted to permanently close her business but was advised against it. However, she now closes the shop at 17:00h as opposed to 20:00h, a move which her customers were not too pleased with, but nevertheless understood.

On Sunday, January 26, at around 19:00h, four masked bandits, armed with guns, attacked and robbed Ramdeen while she was in her shop. One of the bandits jumped over the counter and demanded cash and jewellery. They took an undisclosed sum in money, jewellery and phone cards, but not satisfied with their takings, they beat the 62-year-old woman and demanded more.

The bandits then accosted the woman’s husband,who was in the kitchen, and stuck him up with a gun. The bandits then cut the elderly couple’s phone wire and ransacked the house. They then quickly made their escape after firing several shots.

She said she noticed that the new police officers are patrolling every night and she is thankful for that. Ramdeen also expressed gratitude for the support she has received from the community. Without the many visits, she said she would not have made it through. One resident, who was robbed in mid-2013, said he is hoping that the spate in crime in the small closely knitted community will stop, so that they can live and sleep in peace.

Broad daylight

He was robbed in broad daylight; during that incident bandits carted off $1.7 million from his premises and to date, no one has been charged or placed before the court. He noted that this is very frustrating, since persons are trying to make ends meet, and many times their earnings are taken away from them.

Since the incident, he was forced to do extra security work on his premises which included millions in grill work and other security methods. Dhanrajie Seenauth was robbed four times and estimated her losses in the hundreds of thousands. In addition, she noted she had to incur additional expenses barb wiring her yard and changing the locks on her house as well as fencing her back yard with a 10-foot high zinc structure just for security purposes.

She is hoping that their community can return to normalcy soon.

Seenauth, who is a vendor at the Bourda Market, highlighted that during the many robberies, she found it safer to sleep at Bourda Market than her home.

“Even when I sleep at home now, I can’t because any little noise I jump up. I even have people sleeping over just so that I can feel safe.” She added that the last robbery resulted in a setback to her business. Since she obtained a loan from a bank to restock her shop, she noted because of that, her business dropped. Since the last robbery, on Lallman Shop, there were no

other reported robberies.

Meanwhile, the upsurge in criminal activities has somewhat put the villagers on a shutdown. They said prior to this, businesses would usually close at 20:30h. However, by 18:00h, all shops are now closed and everyone is locked up in their homes. According to a resident, even though things have cooled down, residents are still fearful of anyone or any unusual activity in the communities.

The resident pointed out that he is satisfied with the move by the Guyana Police Force to have the ranks transferred. He added that the new ranks have been patrolling nightly. However, more needs to be done by government so as to equip police officers with the necessary means to fight crime.

The resident complained that the Number 51 Village police do not have a patrol vehicle whenever a call is made for assistance, and that is one important need to be addressed. Several villagers also called on the relevant authorities to investigate some community policing officers whom they believe also know about the robberies. The numerous robberies in the Number 45 to 50 villages were brought to light after residents blocked the roads to protest the robbery on Lallman Shop; which they believed was committed by several police ranks.

They believed that the ranks were criminally involved in many of the robberies in recent times. During the protest, the residents even accused the police of utilising the force’s vehicle which was a white Toyota 192 car bearing a number plate which was deliberately disguised.

Vigilante group

Residents said they found it strange that on numerous occasions, a blue and white patrol car was around at the time of a robbery. They took to the streets and demanded a full investigation and justice. The increase in robberies even forced residents to form a vigilante group to counter the attacks. According to the residents, many times their calls fall on deaf ears; when there called the Number 51 Village Police Station, they was never a patrol vehicle to respond to a robbery. In addition, they even complained of ranks hanging the phone up on them and sometimes saying it’s a wrong number.

The protest was followed by a meeting with residents the next day with the Commander of B Division, Brian Joseph and other high ranking officials in the region, to discuss their concerns. The meeting resulted in the commissioner of police meeting with the residents the day after, and he assured that a full investigation would be carried out; also the top cop ordered that the entire staff at the Number 51 Village Police Station be transferred.

Many residents expressed satisfaction with the move by the Guyana Police Force to have the alleged crooked ranks removed from the police station. They related that the new officers assured them they are safe and at night the ranks are seen patrolling the communities. Some residents who spoke on the condition of anonymity complained bitterly about the village being without streetlights, saying at night, the roads are very dark, and as such, they are asking if the relevant authorities can install street lights. “Because how the place dark, the bandits escape quickly, and it’s hard to track them in the dark,” one resident lamented. Some of the residents expressed satisfaction with the manner in which the new police are working. They said the ranks assured them that if they ever notice any suspicious activity, they should call and indeed when they call, the ranks report on time.

Jaffarally speaks out on Parliament

The non-passage of the antimoney laundering bill will affect all Berbicians and what happens when the bill is once again put before the National Assembly will determine what happens in the lives of all Guyanese.

Parliamentarian Fizal

Jaffarally says the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has done all it could to ensure the bill gets favourable support when the decision makers and politicians sit down today. “If we don’t pass it on the 10th, we will be in serious trouble. We will be placed on the blacklist,” Jaffarally said.

If that is allowed to happen, Jaffarally says persons in every sector will be affected. “Bank to bank relationship will be affected; places like Western Union Money Transfer in and out of the country will be affected.” Jaffarally says a blacklisting of Guyana will result in other financial institutions taking drastic steps.

Money transfer

“MoneyGram has already indicated that they are going to cease doing business in Guyana. Berbicians depend heavily on money transfer agencies. Some receive money weekly from overseas to send their children to school and run their homes, while others receive money through those agencies to pay mortgages. Many of the banks have already stopped doing business in terms of transferring money,” the parliamentarian said.

According to Jaffarally, Berbicians need to speak out and let their voices be heard in an attempt to get the bill passed. The opposition, he says, claims that it will only give its support to the bill if the president signs an opposition bill that was passed in Parliament.

“It tells us that the opposition does not have an issue with the bill, but want to bargain. I am saying that each bill should be decided on its own merit. The president did not assent to those opposition bills because in his opinion, those bills col-

lide with the Constitution. What will have to happen is that those bills go back to Parliament and be corrected and the president said he will be willing to sign it.”

Meanwhile, the parliamentarian has also expressed concern over a recent statement by Opposition Leader David Granger suggesting that government should not get involved in the private sector. Government, Jaffarally says, sees the private sector as the engine of growth in Guyana.

This is evident in the way government has allowed the private sector to grow. “Over the last 10 years, we have seen significant growth in the private sector.”

Difficulties

Granger, Jaffarally noted, was at the time making specific mention of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), which, was privatised under the Peoples National Congress (PNC) regime. “This government wants a free and level playing field for everyone. We believe that the more competition we get in this country will benefit Guyanese. When we had GT&T alone, the cost for local and international calls was fantastic; not only the price but the difficulties to just make an overseas call.”

He compared the previous situation with current conditions as it related to the cost for telephone calls and accessibility to international calls.

He is appealing to all Berbicians despite their political affiliation to support government’s decision to end the monopoly that GT&T has in the industry. “All the government is saying is look, let’s make the ITC (Information Technology Communications) area a level playing field and give all the companies that want to come in a chance, so that the Guyanese people will benefit. It’s a similar situation with commercial banks, the more banks that we have available to us, the more choices we will have.”

GPL struggles to contain electricity theft in Berbice

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Berbice branch is urging all consumers to desist from electricity theft, as this has been one of the major challenges facing the organisation.

In an exclusive interview with Berbice Times, Operations Manager for Berbice Ayube Bacchus disclosed that loss reduction continues to be extremely challenging for the company, with overall projected losses amounting to 31 per cent. However, GPL is working assiduously to decrease the amount this year.

“We are planning to bring that to a few digits down this year and we will continue to do our surveillance check on meter tampering and bypass… that would be ongoing… secondly, we will do a system improvement which would cover some of the technical losses,” Bacchus said, while highlighting some of the areas slated for these improvements.

“There are areas in Corriverton, Port Mourant, Rose Hall Town, Cumberland, Lochaber, and Edinburgh, those areas we will do system improvements since we are experiencing losses in those areas… and upon completion of that exercise during the course of this year, consumers will obviously benefit from a quality service… that is better voltage and also our losses would be reduced… the fact that we will be using larger conduc-

tors and in some cases ,new transformers will assist,” he said.

He disclosed that when the linkage of the Demerara and Berbice systems – earmarked for some time in July this year –materialises, GPL will be able to better manage its distribution networks because of the sub-station in Columbia, Mahaicony and the new sub-station that will be commissioned at Onverwagt. This, Bacchus said, will also help in loss reduction.

“On the technical side, there will be improvement not only in the quality of the services but also a reduction in our technical losses… we can be able to move power from Demerara across the new transmission line to Onverwagt and linking to Berbice through Canefield and Skeldon,” the operations manager said.

Bacchus further added that commercial loses are very challenging for GPL; however, there has been some reduction of meter tampering and bypass because of the strong presence of workers in the field. He said also that the company will be looking at new metering technology that would make it very difficult for tampering and bypasses.

“These would be new improved meters with new technology, because we want to rely on technology rather than human surveillance, that’s what the com-

Trucks parked along roadway can be deadly ... residents cite recent fatal accident

BY SHIRAN RAMNAUTH

RGPL’s Operations Manager for Berbice Ayube Bacchus

pany is aiming for this new year, to combat our commercial losses… pilfering, tampering and bypass of meter,” he noted, and explained that the other component is technical losses which will become more manageable with the system improvement, new transmission line and the sub-station. It was noted that Angoy’s Avenue is predominantly one of the most challenging areas in terms of electricity theft in Berbice.

Bacchus appealed to all consumers to desist from electricity theft as it is dangerous to life and limb, adding that in some cases, regrettably, innocent children lost their lives.

“Do not engage in these practices, these things can be avoided if you do not engage in those practices, pilfering is dangerous to the public and customers are asked to desist from this,” he advised.

esidents in Berbice are growing increasingly concerned with the dangers posed by large vehicles which are parked along the public roadways. They believe these vehicles can contribute to fatal accidents in the area.

Proof of these dangers has been seen in the recent death of a seven-year-old student of Number 70 Village on the Corentyne, who lost her life while on her way home from school. Reports are that the child was about to cross the road to meet her father on the other side when a speeding car struck her down. The girl’s father said that two trucks had been parked on the public road in the vicinity of where she was about to cross, thereby preventing his daughter from seeing the approaching car.

Inconveniently parked trucks were also the cause of two other fatalities which occurred at Canal Number Two Polder where two friends – ages 19 and 22 – died after their car crashed into the rear of a low-bed trailer that was parked on the public road some time ago.

Traffic chief of the B Division, Calvin Brutus is urging truck owners to desist from this practice. “Those persons who own a lot of vehicles, especially contractors, tend to park their vehicles anyhow on the road. We have been warning them to desist from such practices, since it encroaches upon the road and makes it difficult for both drivers and pedestrians to navigate their way while using the road,” Brutus explained.

He said that this scenario makes it dangerous, especially at night, and advised them that, since the parapets should not be used for parking, they should seek a reserved spot or fenced compound to park their vehicles and keep the roadways free. “When they are parked at the side of the road and there are instances of an eventuality, there is no room for motorists to manoeuvre. This can result in accidents... any swerving or so is into some parked machinery at the side of the road,” he stated.

But according to Brutus, parked trucks are not the only obstructions on the roadways. He stated that animals left to roam on the road also contribute to accidents. He called on the owners of these animals to take full responsibility and prevent them from straying onto the roads. “That includes dogs – dogs break your lights, bumpers, number plates, etc… we also have to be on our guard against this,” he stated.

Meanwhile, residents believe that rice farmers seem to be above the law as they

drive their muddy machinery on the public roadways, leaving large chunks of dirt in the way of vehicles, although they have been asked to desist from doing so numerous times.

Brutus, in addressing this issue, said the burden of it all lies heavily on the traffic department, while other stakeholders, such as the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC) that are directly responsible for this seem unconcerned. “We have been constantly appealing to persons driving their tractors on the road with lots of mud to at least wash a little off the wheels before going on the public road, but they continue to engage in this dangerous practice,” he said.

“The NDCs need to come on board and support us, to ensure they implement and enforce laws so that these dangerous and deliberate practices can be curbed. Let us work in collaboration to ensure a safe and secure roadway,” he said.

Berbice Times contacted an official at the Regional Democratic Council’s office and it was disclosed that this is an illegal practice. The official stated that they too have been appealing to farmers to wash off the excess mud from their machinery before driving on the roads. The official said up to date, he was not aware that any law has been implemented under which these farmers can be charged and have to a pay a fine. He disclosed that there have been discussions at the ministerial level to address these issues but he was unaware of any resolutions to curb the problem.

Brutus said: “2013 was not a pleasant year for the traffic department… the figures recorded were 19 accidents, 19 deaths as opposed to 2012, where we had 13 accidents, 13 deaths. This is an increase of 46 per cent for that period. When we do the examination, we find speeding as a main contributing factor followed by Drinking Under the Influence (DUI) and some are just plain inattentiveness and negligence,” he maintained. Brutus was hopeful that 2014 would be a better year for his department, but so far, things have not been looking too bright.

“This year, there were four deaths on the roads in Berbice. That figure compares with one for the corresponding period last year. “It is very disturbing,” Brutus said.

Agriculture Ministry promoting hydroponics

Berbicians can access free seeds, fertilisers and advice to cultivate a farm as small as 10 feet by 10 feet. In fact, the farmer will only have to source white sand and paddy shells.

This type of farm is ideal for persons living in housing areas who want to earn more even if they have a busy schedule. The Agriculture Ministry will support the project and supply the necessary materials apart from the white sand and paddy shells.

It is a new way of growing vegetables which is called hydroponics. This allows for vegetables to be cultivated in water, using a simple technique. Agriculture Ministry Consultant for Hydroponics Farming, Shazeena Seetayah says various crops in Guyana are already being grown hydroponically, including tomatoes, pak choi and cabbage.

“Hydroponics is ideally suited for Guyana’s climatic conditions, since it is usually hot and sunny on most days and the practice of hydropon-

ics require no ‘back breaking’ work in the garden. There is no forking and very little bending – if any,” she said.

Seetayah, who is promoting hydroponics says the programme provides all the material, including fertilisers, needed to cultivate the crops using the method of hydroponics. It is being funded under a special Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) project. “All that is needed by the farmer, individual or organisations, such as schools, is to build the infrastructure on which the cultivation will take place.”

The process involves a mixture of white sand and paddy shells and water. “Forty per cent of sand and 60 per cent paddy shells, mixed together,” she explained.

“It is set in the box or pot and after that you just put your seedlings inside and use the fertiliser to water the plants in the morning and evening – a specified amount, for six days and on the seventh day you use the plain water and the

cycle is continued. As the plant grows, you add a little more of the fertiliser.”

The goal of the project themed, “Sustainable Livelihoods and Community Economic Growth through Hydroponic and Organic Vegetable Production and Marketing”, is to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for low-income households in rural and coastal communities in Guyana by engaging smallscale producers in hydroponic and natural/organic cultivation of vegetables for domestic and export purposes.

“It’s about the people choosing this and we working with the people, whoever shows interest, we just work along with the group,” she added. Interested persons should make contact with the Agriculture Ministry to start farming using hydroponics. According to the ministry, some of those on board have been exporting their produce from just a little plot.

Omuch excitement as the Castle Night Club hosts its “Red Rose, White Dress” party.

This event will see several persons walking away with prizes and other giveaways. All ladies will be given a free rose to jump-start the night’s activities. During an interview with Berbice Times, the organiser said that she is pleased to be promoting such an event in the county which is aimed at providing clean fun for Berbicians on Valentine’s night. She also noted that patrons will be served a well balanced diet of entertainment.

In addition, there will be live cameras to capture every moment and persons are expected to dress with their red and white outfits, since there are many surprises in store for patrons.

DJs Agard and Alkapone are expected to keep the crowd on its feet while partying all night to the sound of sweet love songs. The Castle Night Club is located at Chapel Street in New Amsterdam and has over the years grown from being a small club to a hotel lounge and Night Club.

People from a diverse cultural background bring important knowledge of different traditions to community groups, which can help services to become relevant to all other communities. The thing to keep in mind is that young people are the future leaders of communities and their representation can build succession for community groups.

Even people with disabilities are great for community groups, because they bring knowledge about how to make services, groups and communities accessible to everyone. Every group would be made up of people from the different groups and sub-groups of society in a perfect world, but in reality it is a challenge.

However, being inclusive means people who participate in your community group can offer

Building better communities through social inclusion

the opportunity to tap into a rich pool of talent, bring in new voices, experiences and approaches, and add depth to existing skills and ideas. It is not uncommon to see that people are more likely to participate if they can see that they will be treated with respect and dignity. Being inclusive will also expand the networks available to your group and help you to reach a broader audience, and they will help to build the profile of your group which is important, because in a sense, the group can grow tremendously this way.

If for some reason you are struggling with being inclusive, perhaps you should try building support from your organisation first. Though not everyone will be supportive of any form of change, making people aware ahead of time will be a lot easier. One of the best ways to do this is to figure out ways as to why the group will benefit from being more inclusive. Once you have something concrete, you can then present the arguments to the decisionmaking members by pointing out that a more diverse organisation will demonstrate more success,

for example.

Show them how it will definitely increase the organisation’s access to new knowledge and networks, which can help to open doors and increase the group’s public profile. In addition, it will bring unique characteristics to the organisation. It can also improve communication channels and help to keep the organisation fresh. Keep in mind though, that it takes time and resources, but it will all be worth it at the end.

Usually no one wants to be part of an organisation just to fill a quota, because it makes them feel as if they have to work much harder and be twice as successful, to achieve the same respect and recognition as others. There can be problems, however, if a person recruited as part of an inclusion strategy is perceived as representing everyone, including males, females, young and the old, women, all people with disabilities, etc. This can happen with any group, including within a group’s sub-groups. The best method of avoiding this is to ensure that all people are welcomed into your group every single time.

BY SHIRTAN RAMNAUTH

Despite many difficulties encountered throughout the years, including losing two fingers in an industrial accident several years ago, veteran Calypsonian “Sweet Kendingo” says that life has still been fulfilling.

A born Berbician who grew up at Dingwall Farm on the Corentyne, Rudolph “Sweet Kendingo” Kendall ,in an exclusive interview with Berbice Times, said he was born a musician. “Both of my parents were musicians. When I was born, I started playing music so… music is in me, I always loved music,” he said.

He disclosed that back in those days, parents failed to encourage their children’s talent which caused him to suffer many setbacks in his musical career. “I could always sing well, but in those days, people didn’t recognise talent and I suffered much along those lines… I was a fantastic cricketer too, but I did not know how good I was until I stopped playing… I lost two of my fingers while on the job in 1978 working at the power house in Rose Hall Town,” he recalled.

you know these things... discover your talents,” he encouraged.

The three-time Calypso Monarch who started singing publicly at school concerts said he never liked calypso because he saw it as vulgar and unbecoming. That all changed in the years to come. “I won the Calypso and Road March and Soca Monarch… I am the only Guyanese who can boast this… I am also the only person who has represented Guyana in the world soca and calypso competi-

competition.

“I won at the quarter finals, I tear up the place man, but when I went to Linden ,they knock me out there, they walk with judges to knock me out, it was deliberate… in fact, they said some time ago that government banned calypso from a radio station and this never happened before… before it was worse, I remember when I won the monarchy..., a minister turn up there and asked to change the judges, because I sang the song with the contraband thing saying the people prosper with it and wanted Burnham back in power,” he alleged.

With singing as his only refuge, Kendall said he has to motivate himself by staying positive and focused.

“You have to be honest with yourself and say you can do these things and don’t wait for anyone to see your potential. People would never let

tions too… I am not into calypso now, it is too disgusting,” he said, adding that he encountered difficulties with poor organisation and other issues with the coordinators of the shows.

He claims that he was victimised in the last show in which he performed, alleging that his musical instruments were sabotaged, in an aim for him to lose the

Kendall said he is currently working on an album featuring another healing song for Guyana and some “sexy, soulful music”, which he hopes to release later this month.

“I have a ton of music to impart and I am working, living and breathing music,” he said. He noted that the most recent excitement in the music arena for him was at an event to honour the centenary birth anniversary of the late poet, AJ Seymour, where he performed “Beauty and beauty is not enough” and provided the musical refrain for “Lulu”. His advice to youths and aspiring musicians is to “Discover yourself, know your weakness and strength, know what you can do and what you have to do to excel,” he said.

Simply the

Truth

In our batch at the University of Guyana (UG), there was just one other Berbician. Like me, he was from Corentyne. I spoke up in classes; he seldom said a word. The rest of the students were from Demerara, mostly from Georgetown.

One of the things that kept us Berbicians relatively quiet was the fear that our language was simply not good enough – we speak deep Creolese, after all.

Because of my mother, primarily, my language was always quite formal. So when I spoke up in classes at UG, there was some surprise. I was asked straight up: “But you can’t be from Berbice!”

I insisted that I was not only from Berbice; I was from Corentyne! They all said that was impossible. “Berbice people don’t speak like you. You don’t speak like Berbice people!”

I said, “How ayuh dese waaan me fih taak? Lekka dis. Like abeh binna waan guh, but abeh nah worry go bin!”? I did not like the idea of us Berbicians being put into a pigeon-hole in terms of our language and behaviour. Demerara students tended to stereotype us,

and we tended to stereotype them.

I don’t know if this still happens or if it happens with such frequency. But while I found their stereotyping of Berbicians condescending and objectionable, it did not occur to me that we Berbicians are equally guilty of stereotyping other Guyanese. And we target people from Georgetown.

For instance, we all felt that “Georgetown people” were selfish and acted as if they were superior to us. We “knew” that if you go to a home in Berbice, you would always have something to eat and drink. We also “knew” that when you go to Georgetown, they never give you a meal. Even today, I still hear some of this.

We also “knew” that they could not play cricket. That we Berbicians had a monopoly on cricket excellence. And we were always at the ready to roll out the names: Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Joe Solomon, Alvin Kallicharan, the Ramnarace boys, the Etwaroos, on and on. And they were all from a small area called Port Mourant! Back then, Port Mourant was unbeatable. Now, it seems to have fallen

into a hole.

I smile at it all now. Because in Georgetown, I was mostly treated with kindness. Most of us from Berbice were kindly treated. Of course, there were the rough patches. But we always seem to remember the rough patches and forget the good things.

In Kitty alone, we all received kind treatment from the Sawack Store in Pike Street. From Parsatoon Pharmacy and from Si’s shop in Alexander Street. I remember! But I remember only vaguely. When I got beaten up or cussed down, I remember every detail. It is different now. It seems that everyone everywhere is treated with rudeness and that politeness and kindness have fled like the frightened birds of heaven.

The New Jersey Arya Samaj Humanitarian Mission (NJASM) in collaboration with the Human Services Ministry, faith-based organisations and other stakeholders are hoping to put a dent in suicide by hosting an event that will offer counselling and support for members of the public.

The event dubbed “Let’s talk initiative on suicide prevention and spirituality” will be held on February 12 from 11:00h to 13:00h at the Corentyne Comprehensive High School located at Port Mourant, Berbice. The seminar will offer in-depth information on suicide prevention, presentations on specific topics relating to suicide, signs a loved one may be at risk, and tips on how to intervene and report concerns.

Recognising the recent increase in suicide in Guyana, Director of NJASM, Pandit Suresh Sugrim said if someone is feeling suicidal, the first response is to try to help. “We need to offer advice, share our own experiences, and try to find solutions. We need to be quiet and listen. People who feel

suicidal don’t want answers or solutions. They want a safe place to express their fears and anxieties, to be themselves.”

He noted in cases where a person is suicidal, the most important step is to talk to someone. He believes that a suicidal person should not try to cope alone and should seek help as soon as possible. “Just talking to a family member or friend or a colleague can bring huge relief.”

Sugrim explained that if one is spiritual, at moments of trials and tribulations, that persons should turn to their creator. As such, that is where religion plays a very important part in the fight against suicide. He said religious leaders from all religions should work together to address the issue. He is urging all to come out to the event and listen to the talks, he assured that at the end, everyone will feel the love and be able to share that love so persons can live in harmony and be their brother’s or sister’s keeper. Pandit Sugrim’s message to all is, “face your challenges, do not fall below your selfesteem, Rise above, because you have a greater purpose in life”. After trials and tribulations, life becomes better, he added.

Meanwhile, the regional education department stated in its January report that there is an increased rate of suicide among secondary school students. The report noted that welfare officers are currently engaging parents in discussion, hosting seminars and having religious leaders speak with students.

New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court

By Royan aBRams

Banks DIH clerk lands in court for assault

A24-year-old man, Kenny Bassante of Goed Banana Land, East Canje Berbice appeared in the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court last Friday on an assault charge which he allegedly committed against a woman.

The accused, who is employed as a clerk at Banks DIH, pleaded not guilty to the charge during his arraignment before Magistrate Sherdell Marcus- Isaacs.

It was alleged that on February 1 at Main Street, New Amsterdam, the accused assaulted Tarmattie Bridgenarine. Since there were no objections to bail, this was granted in the sum of $10,000 and the accused was also placed on a bond until the conclusion of the matter. If he defaults, he would have to spend six weeks in jail. Bassante is expected to return to court on April 11 for trial.

Man fined for driving drunk, without seatbelt

Aman appeared in the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on Friday on two traffic charges. The 53-year old, Amid Duhkey of Good Hope, East Coast Demerara pleaded guilty to the charges which read that on February 6 at Palmyra Public Road, he drove motor lorry GDD 9620 while his breath alcohol level was above the legally prescribed limit. On the same day the accused also drove motor lorry GDD 9620 without wearing a seatbelt.

According to police prosecutor Godfrey Playter, on the day in question, police were on patrol when they saw the accused without his seatbelt on, the ranks then stopped and conducted a routine check on the vehicle when they observed that his breath smelt of alcohol. The prosecutor said the man was cautioned about not wearing his

seatbelt and was later taken into custody to have a breathalyser test administered. The results of the test proved his alcohol intake was way over the legally prescribed limit. The accused was then arrested and charged with both offences.

Meanwhile, the magistrate questioned the accused about both offences and he told the court that he had one Guinness and a couple of shots. He also apologised to the court for the offence committed.

Without much deliberation, Magistrate Sherdell Marcus-Isaacs fined the accused $7500 for the Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol charge and placed the accused on a bond for one month for driving without a seatbelt. If during the bond, the accused gets into any problem with the law, he will be sent to jail for one week.

Construction worker on bail for threatening father

Twenty-year-old Marley Ross of Tucber Park, New Amsterdam, made his first court appearance before Magistrate Sherdell Marcus-Isaacs charged with threatening behaviour.

The allegation is that on February 5 at St Magnelan Street, New Amsterdam, he threatened his father, Charles Ross. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and told the court that he did not threaten his father. He said his father is sick and was advised not to use any alcohol but refused and as a result, he talked to his father, who was hospitalised because of his alcohol intake.

Police prosecutor Godfrey Playter told

the court that the accused and the virtual complainant reside at the same address and that on the day of the incident about 22:00h, the virtual complainant was at home when he was confronted by the defendant during which an argument ensued after the complainant accused the defendant of stealing his cellphone. The accused then raised his hand against the complainant who became afraid and reported the matter at the Central Police Station after which the accused was arrested and charged. After hearing the case, the magistrate placed the accused on $10,000 and a bond to keep the peace until the conclusion of the case.

Unlicensed driver on bail

An overseas-based Guyanese was fined 13,500 after pleading guilty to driving a minibus without a licence.

Twenty-nine-year old Cordwell Bennard of Number 53 Village, Corentyne, made his first court appearance on Friday before Magistrate Sherdell

Marcus-Isaacs at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court. It was alleged that on January 29 at Strand, New Amsterdam, he drove minibus BPP 1471 knowing that he does not have a licence to drive the said vehicle. After requesting to speak with the magistrate, the accused told the court

that he is not from Guyana and that he was taking the vehicle to a technician to have it looked after. The magistrate then instituted her fine and added that if the accused cannot pay the fine, he will have to spend 20 days in jail.

Infrastructural works are rapidly moving apace as contractors race to complete the Belvedere Industrial Site by the end of this year, even as Region Six Chairman David Armogan is encouraging persons interested in applying for land available in the area to do so immediately, since spaces are limited and the deadline for applications is slated for August of this year.

“Before the end of the year, the industrial site at Belvedere will be completed and lands will be re-allocated to persons interested in setting up factories and other businesses…”, the Region Six chairman said.

Armogan stated that one of the complaints from residents has been that there is no specific area in the region that has been allocated for an industrial site. He said government then responded by allocating $50 million last year to further

develop the industrial site. “And so over the years, some amount of works have been done there but this year specifically, government has put in a lot of finance for infrastructural works that will, more or less, be completed before the end of the year,” he pointed out.

Applications and payments can be made at the chairman’s office. “All these people have to do is apply. I have forms where they can apply for spaces there and once they can prove that they are qualified business

people and they have an interest in establishing a factory or business premises in the area, consideration and or approval will be given before the end of this year,” he said. “We already have applications that we are looking at; however, we don’t want to give out large amount of lands to people that will not utilise it… we have a few people who have applied for large spaces but the investment they are looking at and document submitted does not justify the amount of acreage those persons have applied for,” he revealed.

Armogan assured that the site will in no way hamper the environmental aspect of the nearby communities as it is situated some distance away from the residential area and contrary to some media reports that electricity has already been installed there, the chairman told this publication that this will happen upon completion of the infrastructural works . “Contractors are currently at the site building the streets and soon electricity and portable water will be implemented. Infrastructural work will be completed by the government, so businesses will not be hampered in anyway by access roads or anything whatsoever… all they have to do is go in and set up their business and commence their manufacturing,” he posited.

Berbice Times visited the site and saw workers busy at their respective tasks with contractor Kris Jagdeo overseeing the operations. He is optimistic that work will be completed on time.

There is a call for the Guyana Amature Boxing Board not to leave Berbice out of its development programmes for 2014 with Coach of the Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym Orlando Rodgers saying that there is need for officials in the county to be trained.

He is calling on the board to put in place a plan to ensure that Berbice is not so dependent on Georgetown. “It is very hard to know whenever there is a competition or tournament in Berbice, you have to bring officials from Georgetown to officiate and it is a tight situation.”

He says the board could start by holding workshops and seminars for referees and judges. In the past, whenever cards were promoted in Berbice, all of the officials were from Berbice.

The gym coach noted that local promoters have to stand all the overhead costs of bringing all the officials to the county, inclusive of meals. This, he noted, however, is not applied when cards are staged in Georgetown. According to Rodgers, the boxing board should consider the success Berbice boxers had last year and place more emphasis on Berbice. Rodgers also praised both the amateur and profession-

al bodies for their input in the development of the sport in 2013. “We are hoping that we can get more work in 2014, because Berbice is kicking up a pace in boxing and we are also looking at the stakeholders which is the business community to come out in larger support for boxing.”

WICB VP pleased with new cricket leadership order

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has supported a new proposal from the International Cricket Council (ICC) which was approved at the board’s meeting in Singapore on Saturday.

The revamp plans for the ICC, piloted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and Cricket Australia (CA), won the support of eight full members. The cricket boards of Pakistan and Sri Lanka abstained from voting.

Among the decisions taken were the replacement of the World Test Championships with an ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 and 2021 and greater financial recognition of full members based on their contribution to cricket, particularly in terms of finance, their ICC history and their on-field performances in the three formats.

Several of the decisions taken would have to be considered and adopted by the ICC’s Full Council but they

provide a bit of relief for some member boards which expressed initial concerns on the plans. South Africa, which had initially objected to the revamp proposals, calling them "fundamentally flawed," decided to give support.

WICB’s Vice President Emmanuel Nanthan, who represented the regional board at Saturday’s meeting, said that the proposals will ensure that none of the full members will be worse off than they are at present and all will be significantly better off. “West Indies had budgeted deficits of US$20 million and $12 million for the last two years. Over the next eight years, we will have surpluses and play more regional and international cricket,” he told GrenadaSports.

“West Indies will play India, Australia and England more than we played them in the last eight years. It’s a saviour for West Indies cricket, not a letdown at all,” he said. BCCI’s president Narayanaswami Srinivasan is to become the first chair-

man of the ICC. His appointment is from July, 2014 as the game's governing body will see a new set of rules related to governance, competition and financial models. However, the ICC Board will continue to be the primary decision-making body.

“A new Executive Committee will be formed to report into the board. The initial chair of this Executive Committee (ExCo) will be Wally Edwards from Cricket Australia while the chair of the Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee (F&CA) will continue to be Giles Clarke from the ECB. These roles will be for an initial twoyear transitional period to 2016 only. Once this transitional period is completed, the chair of the ICC Board will be elected from within the ICC Board with all full member directors entitled to stand for election,” according to an ICC statement. “BCCI, CA and ECB – will be represented on both subcommittees, along with two representatives of the other full members (who will be elected by the board).” (CMC)

Bishop hails Holder and Carter

Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop is hoping that Jason Holder continues to improve in the NAGICO Super50 tournament.

The broadcaster has also hailed Jonathan Carter’s century as the highlight of the tournament so far. “I am a big Jason Holder fan and he just continues to go from strength to strength.

“Ronsford Beaton is one of the bowlers I also hope will have a good tournament and other guys like Quinton Boatswain need to get the chances to be exposed to a wider audience,’ Bishop said.

Holder had a decisive first spell – in which he took three wickets when Barbados beat Trinidad and Tobago a week ago in the biggest match of the

tournament. Beaton, who like Holder is a graduate of the Sagicor West Indies High Performance Centre, was the Man Of The Match when Guyana beat the Windwards.

Bishop is the lead commentator for ESPN, which is carrying the NAGICO Super50 for the Caribbean audience. The former Trinidad and Tobago captain and West Indies pace

bowler is also one of the most respected analysts in the world.

“There have been some good things; we had some special moments from the batsmen. [Keddy] Lesporis got a quality hundred against Jamaica and Jonathan Carter’s hundred has been the highlight of the tournament so far. We have also seen Ramnaresh Sarwan and

Dwayne Smith playing really well,” Bishop said. Carter made a matchwinning 109 off 111 balls as the Bajans whipped the Trinis, while Lesporis made 100 not out for Windwards against Jamaica in the opening match. Smith cracked the fastest half-century in regional 50-over history against Trinidad, and Sarwan made 89 not out

against Ireland and 62 against Windwards Barbados will have an all-important final preliminary match against Leeward Islands tomorrow at Queen’s Park Oval. Today, Trinidad and Tobago will play against Combined Campuses and Colleges with the winner of that match qualifying for the semi-finals later this week. (Barbados Nation)