Guyana Times Daily

Inexperienced judges, magistrates causing back log of cases –Justice Kennard

for CJIA

project Bandits rob business owned by Region Six chairman Businessman in critical condition after failed execution bid

Tourism can become Guyana’s largest source of employment – Ali

Acting tourism

Minister Irfaan Ali has expressed the view that the tourism sector has the capacity to become the largest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as well as becoming the largest source of employment here.

Speaking at the 11th meeting of the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) held at the Office of the President on Thursday, the minister said tourism cross-cuts every other sector and all Guyanese need to embrace it as a source of national pride and patriotism.

He added that government is fully supportive of the sector and that work will begin shortly on a stateof-the-art, internationally accredited Hospitality

Institute at the University of Guyana, where individuals from across the world can access high quality training in order to launch careers in the service and hospitality sectors.

Package deals

He also challenged the private sector to offer package deals and all-inclusive type events which would simultaneously benefit the local hotel, airline and entertainment sectors.

The meeting, the first for the year, was addressed by both government and private sector officials.

Finance Ministry, Project Cycle Management Division head Tarachand Balgobin; Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST) Director, Professor Suresh

Narine; and University of Guyana (UG) Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi made presentations on behalf of the government. They spoke on infrastructure, human resources and energy respectively.

Presenting on behalf

of the private sector were Private Sector Commission (PSC) members Ramesh Dookoo, who spoke on nonCaribbean trade; Michael Correia, who spoke on aviation; and Captain Gerry Gouveia, who touched on tourism.

Gouveia highlighted several areas that priority

should be given to including marketing, accessibility, nation branding, product development, pricing and safety and security.

AStabroek Market vendor was arraigned on Friday before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts

He also commended the Tourism Ministry and the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), particularly in the areas of accessibility to Guyana and nation

and employment

Vendor remanded for theft

charged with simple larceny. Leon Howard pleaded not guilty to the charge, which states that on Tuesday, February 11 in the vicinity of Georgetown, he stole one gold chain from Jameer Raghu valued $110,000.

Prosecutor Michael Grant said the accused was convicted for a similar offence in 2012. The police investigation is still ongoing. Bail was refused by the chief magistrate and the defendant is scheduled to make another court appearance on March 3.

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

A new multilateralism

In a very pointed lecture focusing on the challenges of the world’s economy and what are possible solutions to addressing these challenges, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde was quoted as saying that responding to current and future economic trends requires a renewed commitment to international cooperation. She referred to this concept as “a new multilateralism”.

Lagarde was at the time delivering the 2014 Dimbleby Lecture in London where she pointed to “two broad currents” that would dominate the coming decades. These are increasing tensions in global interconnections and increasing tensions in economic sustainability.

To address these emerging global tensions, she proposed a solution that builds on the past and is fit for the future – that is, a strengthened framework for international cooperation. In short, a new multilateralism for the 21st century.

The major elements of this reinvigorated multilateralism would include a renewed commitment to economic openness and to the mutual benefits of trade and foreign investment; managing an increasingly complex international monetary system; and building a global financial sector for the post-crisis era that serves the productive economy rather than its own purposes.

Lagarde noted that this new multilateralism would demand a stronger sense of global responsibility if major issues such as climate change and inequality are to be tackled effectively. She noted that there are already specific, working, forms of cooperation at hand, citing the United Nations (UN), the World Bank, the World Trade Organisation and the IMF. These institutions might be termed concrete, or “hard” forms of global governance.

There are also a number of “soft” instruments that include such groupings as the G20, as well as networks of nongovernmental organisations (NGOs). The IMF head said that these “hard” and “soft” forms of cooperation can complement each other. In her view, the new multilateralism must be made more inclusive – encompassing not only the emerging powers across the globe, but also the expanding networks and coalitions that are now deeply embedded in the global economy. The new multilateralism must have the capacity to listen and respond to these new voices.

She suggested that there is a need to get beyond the financial crisis, which began six years ago and is not yet over. She reasoned that this requires a sustained and coordinated effort to deal with problems that still linger – a legacy of high private and public debt, weak banking systems, and structural impediments to competitiveness and growth, which have left us with unacceptably high levels of unemployment.

Lagarde set the current crisis in the context of major longterm challenges facing the world in the coming decades. These include demographics, which is both a challenge of aging populations in the advanced economies, and the “youth bulge” in many emerging and developing countries. Almost three billion people – half the global population – are under 25. A great deal depends on generating enough growth and jobs to satisfy the aspirations of this rising generation.

Environmental degradation, as more people with more prosperity stretch natural resources to the limit. Phasing out energy subsidies that mostly benefit the relatively affluent and not the poor must be part of the solution. Reducing these subsidies and properly taxing energy use can be “a win-win prospect for people and for the planet”.

And income inequality, as skewed income distribution harms the pace and sustainability of growth over the longer term. Fiscal systems can help to reduce inequality through careful design of tax and spending policies.

Part of the solution also lies in ensuring greater equality and empowerment for women. She said enabling women to participate on an equal footing with men – can be a global economic game-changer.

Lagarde said that the risk is of a world that is more integrated – economically, financially, and technologically – but more fragmented in terms of power, influence, and decision-making. She warned that this can lead to more indecision, impasse, and insecurity, which requires new solutions; chief of them being strengthened cooperation among key players.

It is hoped that the post-2015 development agenda currently being finalised by the UN and other development partners will take into consideration these critical issues raised by Lagarde.

Vieira’s advocacy to dump constitutional rule

Dear Editor,

Did Tony Vieira commit treason by publicly advocating in another section of the press for the illegal removal of the constitutionally elected Guyana government?

Even if he inserts “subject to the opposition and the people’s interpretation of these thoughts, it is left up to them to decide if they will ask the Guyana Defence Force to enforce the Constitution by whatever means they have atzz their disposal”, it does not exonerate him from complicit guilt and the avalanche horror which will ensue threatening human safety.

Vieira has clearly established that he (Vieira) is not personally grounded in reality to be with us. Contrary to affirming that “we are a nation of laws, not men” as the second U.S. President John Adams elucidated, are Guyanese to be blindsided like a fool who rushes in where angels fear to tread?

Whatever Vieira may be, cannot be a mystery to bring otherwise comfort by what he embraces. All such advocacies stand automatically condemned to be terminated with conscious extreme prejudice by all that is legal and justified.

Picking and choosing which laws we obey or dismiss is not optional in a civilised society. Must the operational democratic system of government (Judiciary, Executive and Legislature) become com-

promised by every bizarre unsound state of mind by press freedom?

“A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse,” (Shakespeare’s Richard III) cried a desperate unseated King Richard, unable to escape, defenceless and vulnerable, on a battlefield just before he met his maker.

But safe in his yacht, the elderly coup advocate is hardly in possession of himself, or any kingdom to give away, or more so, is now a drowning man to clutch at a straw.

Anchoring his disagreement with the acting Chief Justice Ian Chang’s decision on the budget by clutching onto Eusi Kwayana’s affirmation that “sovereignty belongs to the people who exercise it through their representatives and the democratic organs established by or under this constitution” in no way nullifies the Judiciary’s decision and invalidates the constitution, nor does it endorse its violation.

That Kwayana’s opinion is based on a tiny part of the highest law of the land has significantly escaped poignant focus that it originated from within the constitution itself, not outside it.

None except the Judiciary has constitutional authority to overturn or invalidate the acting chief justice’s legal decision. If “Paradise Lost” has created the migraine headache,

then federalism is best for “Paradise Regained” (Milton).

A negotiated honourable cure is best for all without national chaos, contrary to the Armageddon which is now being openly invited to finalise the agenda of ethnic cleansing targeting some Guyanese.

Is it realistic to expect targeted Guyanese to acquiesce in their annihilation in the 21st century?

Vieira, who came into his own good fortune during British ownership of the sugar industry, amassed his wealth in high management on the sugar estates.

He had me almost convinced, if he should know, when he constantly wrote on sugar. Where is he located either mentally, economically or in the political reality of today’s Guyana to be so otherwise, is anyone’s guess.

But unlike his wealth of sugar experiences, he seemingly knows little or nothing about government and how it functions. In a democracy everyone has a right to their opinion, including to more than twice dismiss “drivel” of which he is not poor.

Most reluctant to originally engage the elderly gentleman in a tit for tat exchange, duty still requires re-emphasising of salient points.

The Guyana Constitution is the highest and supreme law of the land and nothing super-

sedes, alters, modifies compromises, it etc; its modification or change is only possible by the legalities specified within the same document and not by anything outside it.

Kwayana’s quote that “sovereignty belongs to the people who exercise it through their representatives and the democratic organs established by or under this Constitution” is directly found written in the Constitution.

But such sovereignty is only achieved when exercised within the perimeters of the same constitution and by no other means. Noteworthy are the clearly specified orbits where “sovereignty” is “exercised”, “through”, representatives”, “the democratic organs”, “established”, “by or under”, “this Constitution”.

How many times must this be repeated that rectification is only through the Judiciary authorised by the highest and supreme law of the land? One “part” does not subsume the “whole” to it.

If so then, an elephant’s tusk and tail can be interpreted by imagination to materialise and overshadow the entire elephant’s massive body. What is so hard to understand that adds or undermines anyone’s “drivel” stockpile into a cascading coup?

Sincerely, Sultan Mohamed

An open letter from the Russian ambassador to the opposition leader

Dear Mr David Granger,

I am confident that the situation around the amendment to the Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill in Guyana has not only been on the front burner of the local political agenda, but it has captured the attention of countries around the region and the world.

Largely, this is due to the fact that the issue of anti money laundering is of concern to many developed countries. The issue has been actively discussed at the G8 Summit at Lough Erne, United Kingdom in

June 2013 and G20 Summit in St Petersburg, Russia in September 2013.

From July 1, 2013 the Russian Federation has been presiding at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Our country strongly upholds efforts of the organisation aimed at effective implementation of FATF standards and encourages other countries to take measures to ensure they meet these standards.

I have noted concerns by the government of Guyana and various stakeholders, including the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), international experts

about the lack of agreement in the Parliament on passage of the proposed amendment to the AML/CFT Bill.

Being a friend to the people of Guyana and not having any intention to take sides in this matter, I hope that you as the leader of the opposition will take into consideration the reasons expressed in favour of the bill.

Sincerely yours, Nikolay Smirnov

Russian Ambassador Copied to Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan

I am willing to take some blame for the people of Lethem

Dear Editor,

In response to the letter by Mark Da Costa in another section of the press on February 13, please permit this response.

Concerning repairs to Moco Moco, there were three possible solutions considered after the landslide: just restore the piping (penstocks) $60-70 million; add some degree of ground engineering which would reduce the likelihood of another landslide to some extent but would increase the cost to $100-$200 million; or a total rebuild including relocation estimated at $500-$700 million. None of these was attractive.

We pursued electricity supply from Bonfim across the border. We were told that we would need to provide for a transmission line from a substation near Boa Vista – think of something in the order of G$500 million. At the time, some used diesel engines were being released at a number of small local generating stations on the Brazilian side, for which we could make offers. More recently, it was made known that a three way GuyanaBrazil-Venezuela agreement would be required and currently power is said to be in short supply.

We pursued agreement with INCOMEX for the re-development of Moco Moco. The price offer per kWh supplied was attractive. At a personal level, I would have grabbed it and I have no doubt that Winston Brassington would have too, but we needed the basis of their pricing to be very explicit and detailed to meet the expectations of transparency and accountability expected of us. It took a

while to get to an agreement with the explicit details required, which we were ready to enter into, but by then, INCOMEX had grown tired and moved on to other projects.

The government policy is to provide “a degree of electrification” to every household across Guyana. It takes account of location –opportunities at that location – density of houses, income levels, etc. Individual households and communities are free and encouraged to do more for themselves according to their circumstances and everyone has the right to self generate.

In practise, the policy is: government would put in capital costs (the capital cost per household being reasonable) and consumers/beneficiaries are expected to carry all operational costs including maintenance.

This policy is realised at this time in: providing distributed households in the hinterland, 65 watts PV SHS systems, about 9 kWh of electricity per month –a one-off grant of about $80,000 to $100,000 now; for large and dense enough cores of communities, an initial power plant – diesel or hydro or whatever is available which would do the job; and a pricing structure of the first 15 kWh/ month at no charge, every other kWh at full operational costs with a cap at a hundred dollars; government financed extensions of the GPL network from time to time, with a cap of $100,000 to $200,000 max per household benefited.

This policy in practise is not, “a one size fits all” – it provides flexibility in making use of local opportuni-

Police cricket and fun day was splendid

The Editor, I ashamedly must admit that it is the first time I attended the police 10/10 cricket and fun day, titled the “Leroy Brumell 10/10 Cricket Finals and Fun Day” at Eve Leary on February 9. I am not a sport fan, and decided to attend because of the courtesy of an invitation by Commissioner Brumell.

I always respect invitations from the commissioner. My late father had also instructed me to always respect the invitations of commissioners and ministers and presidents.

However, on arriving, the energy of the cricketers, male and female, the marathon runners, and others, along with the guests and attendees, was awesome and moving.

for a few hours to attend another pre-arranged engagement. Notwithstanding, I hurried back.

The action was so intense, the dynamo so overpowering, that on behalf of RK’s Security and Dragnet Satellite Tracking, I pledged $25,000 to the man of the match, and the champion truly deserved every dollar. It was a great feeling to reward that young man. In future, I pledge to reward the man or woman of the match.

The youths of the Felix Austin Training College were super, and it was a love to see the ‘babes’ giving bad bad licks to the elders and the more experienced. But more amazing were the joys of the more experienced of the elders to see the students win.

lice stations in districts as cash cows to enrich themselves and their seniors. They can be caught easily and examples made of them, especially in the traffic department.

But definitely in the traffic section, I have seen most professional and dynamic men and women interested in their job descriptions and to perform to the zenith. The corrupt and dishonest should watch themselves.

Congratulations to the men and women who participated in the fun day and the Leroy Brumell 10/10 cricket match. I always have an appreciation for the police, maybe because my father retired was a most senior police officer and served with zeal.

ties.

For persons not in a regular cash economy the 15 kWh at no charge guarantees lights for the children’s homework and a small radio. As and when money is available, some of that money could be identified and put aside for electricity at full cost, which at this time is capped at $100 per kWh but which according to the opportunities at the location could be less.

Customers in Lethem over the last three years have been receiving an average operational subsidy of $100,000 or more each year, which, with the present tariff structure is a grant of, from about $25,000 to $1,000,000 per year, from customer to customer; not sustainable; not fair across Lethem and connected neighbouring communities; not fair across Region Nine; not fair across Guyana.

Lethem truly has been without electricity for some days, but two new generators are on their way from port Georgetown. I am willing to take some blame for the people of Lethem (and elsewhere) not receiving the electricity service that they expect, to the extent that I have not been insisting that the policy be kept – a lifeline of the first 15 kWh at no charge and full operational costs (capped at $100) for every kWh more.

If I had been insisting so, the Lethem Power Company Inc (LMPCI) and other companies would be sufficiently resourced, to deliver what is intended and expected of them.

Samuel A Hinds Prime Minister

The enthusiasm of the cricketers and athletes was inspiring, and I got into the games, so much that it was difficult to contain myself, and like the others, soon I was screaming and yelling for every good hit, catch and maximums.

It was difficult to leave

While we shall always have some bad policeman and women, we will also have the bulk who will be professionals – those that will bring good repute and uplift the Guyana Police Force.

There are indeed certain cliques who use various po-

Let us always support our police for law and order, peace and harmony and the capture of criminals.

Sincerely,

Roshan Khan Chief Executive Officer/Founder RK’s Guyana Security Services

Page Foundation

Your body needs this steady supply of blood to keep it working right. Blood delivers oxygen to all the body’s cells. To stay alive, a person needs healthy, living cells. Without oxygen, these cells would die. If that oxygen-rich blood doesn’t circulate as it should, a person could die.

The left side of your heart sends that oxygenrich blood out to the body. The body takes the oxygen out of the blood and uses it in your body’s cells. When the cells use the oxygen, they make carbon dioxide and other stuff that gets carried away by the blood. It’s like the blood delivers lunch to the cells and then has to pick up the trash!

The returning blood enters the right side of the heart. The right ventricle pumps the blood to the lungs for a little freshening up. In the lungs, carbon dioxide is removed from the blood and sent out of the body when we exhale. What’s next? An inhale, of course, and a fresh breath of oxygen that can enter the blood to start the process again. And remember, it all hap-

pens in about a minute!

Listen to the lub-dub

When you go for a checkup, your doctor uses a stethoscope to listen carefully to your heart. A healthy heart makes a lub-dub sound with each beat. This sound comes from the valves shutting on the blood inside the heart.

The first sound (the lub) happens when the mitral and tricuspid valves close. The next sound (the dub) happens when the aortic and pulmonary valves close after the blood has been squeezed out of the heart. Next time you go to the doctor, ask if you can listen to the lub-dub, too.

Pretty cool — It’s my pulse!

Even though your heart is inside you, there is a cool way to know it’s working from the outside. It’s your pulse. You can find your pulse by lightly pressing on the skin anywhere there’s a large artery running just beneath your skin. Two good places to find it are on the side of your neck and the inside of your wrist, just below the thumb.

You’ll know that you’ve found your pulse when you can feel a small beat under your skin. Each beat is caused by the contraction (squeezing) of your heart. If you want to find out what your heart rate is, use a watch with a second hand and count how many beats you feel in one minute. When you are resting, you will probably feel between 70 and 100 beats per minute.

When you run around a lot, your body needs a lot more oxygen-filled blood. Your heart pumps faster to supply the oxygenfilled blood that your body needs. You may even feel your heart pounding in your chest. Try running in place or jumping rope for a few minutes and taking your pulse again – now how many beats do you count in one minute?

Keep your heart happy

Most children are born with a healthy heart and it’s important to keep yours in good shape. Here are some things that you can do to help keep your heart happy:

* Remember that your heart is a muscle. If you

want it to be strong, you need to exercise it. How do you do it? By being active in a way that gets you huffing and puffing, like jumping rope, dancing, or playing basketball. Try to be active every day for at least 30 minutes! An hour would be even better for your heart!

* Eat a variety of healthy foods and avoid foods high in unhealthy fats, such as saturated fats and trans fats (reading the labels on foods can help you figure out if your favourite snacks contain these unhealthy ingredients).

* Try to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

* Avoid sugary soft drinks and fruit drinks.

* Don’t smoke. It can damage the heart and blood vessels.

So now you know that your heart doesn’t look like a valentine, but it sure deserves to be loved for all the work it does. It started pumping blood before you were born and will continue pumping throughout your whole life. (Kids Health)

Let’s start stretching

Ben wants to start exercising regularly, but feels dumb asking how. He knows that in order to run or ride a bike he can’t just start sprinting or pedalling like a maniac. He needs to prepare his body for these activities, but has heard mixed things about stretching before working out.

Here are the cold, hard facts on warming up, stretching, and cooling down.

The basics of warming up

It’s important to warm up your body before any physical activity. Warming up for about five to 10 minutes goes a long way toward preparing the body for exercising, both physically and mentally. It also helps prevent injuries.

The term “warm-up” describes many light-aerobic and cardiovascular activities. When you warm up, you are literally warming up the temperature of both your body and your muscles.

Warming up also:

* increases your heart and respiratory rate

* boosts the amount of nutrients and oxygen delivered to your muscles

* prepares the body for a demanding workout

Types of warm-ups

You can use many types of warm-up activities to prepare your body for intense

physical exercise. Often a warm-up activity is simply the activity you are about to do but at a slower pace. For example, if you’re about to go for a brisk run, warm up with a light jog, and if you’re going to go for a swim, do a couple of slow freestyle warm-up laps. If you play a sport, focus on the muscles that are used for your particular sport. For instance, if you play baseball, you might focus on your shoulder for throwing.

Dynamic stretching uses many muscle groups in a sport specific manner and can be incorporated in your warm-up. In addition to warming up the body and preparing muscles that will be used in the activity, dynamic stretching allows for full range of motion of the joints.

Stretching

Stretching used to be considered the main activity before a workout. Recent studies have called into question the benefits of stretching before working out. Traditional, or “static,” stretching may lead to decreased muscle strength and performance. Consider doing dynamic stretches before and static stretching after a workout.

Stretching still can be a beneficial activity after you have sufficiently warmed up. The reason for this is that stretching cold muscles can directly contribute to pulled or injured muscles.

Stretching properly may reduce muscle injuries and improve athletic performance. In addition, stretching provides increased:

* flexibility

* joint range and motion

* blood flow to muscles

Stretching has to be done right to have benefits, though. Here are some tips on stretching properly: Stop if it hurts Stretching should never hurt. If you have reached a point in your stretch where it hurts, relax to where it feels comfortable and hold the stretch.

Maintain each stretch for 10-30 seconds. Holding a stretch for any less won’t sufficiently lengthen the muscle. Holding a stretch for longer may have negative effects on performance. Stretch the muscles gradually and don’t force it. Avoid bobbing. Bobbing or bouncing while stretching may injure the muscle you are stretching. This damage may even cause scar tissue to form. Scar tissue tightens muscles and can get in the way of flexibility.

Remember to breathe. Breathing is a necessary part of any workout, including stretching. (Kids Health)

Rice magnate Kayman Sankar laid to rest

Kayman Sankar

Kayman Sankar has been described as the ultimate rice magnate, and the man who revolutionised the industry on the Essequibo Coast, as he was laid to rest on Friday.

Rice Producer Association (RPA) General Secretary Dharamkumar Seeraj, speaking to Guyana Times immediately after the funeral service, said Sankar has left his footprint in the industry.

Seeraj said Sankar as a parliamentarian during the People’s National Congress (PNCR) administration represented all farmers and their interest.

He related that at one time, Sankar was the agriculture spokesperson for farmers on the Essequibo Coast.

During his time as parliamentarian, Seeraj said Sankar represented farmers at the grassroots level, raising all concerns affecting them.

The RPA general secretary said Sankar had a special ability to interact with farmers and was trusted to lobby for their betterment.

As a member of the Rice Action Committee, he said Sankar fought tirelessly for rice farmers.

Passion

The RPA general secretary said despite Sankar being a representative for farmers, he had a passion for farming himself. The passion grew, prompting him to invest millions of dollars in a rice mill.

Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) General Manager Jagnarine Singh noted when one thinks of rice in Essequibo, they think of Kayman Sankar. Singh said Sankar went through some of the most try-

ing times in the rice industry and despite his many challenges; he never wavered, always maintaining a high level of production.

The GRDB general manager said the businessman secured great markets and prices in Europe for farmers, and without doubt, was a trailblazer in the industry.

Speaking on the achievements of Sankar, Singh said when the rice industry was facing serious trouble in the 1970s-80s, Essequibo remained competitive despite the challenges, mainly because it was kept alive by a man named “Kayman Sankar!”

He said Sankar was a man with a vision, and the fact that the rice industry is now producing 500,000 thousand tonnes of rice, is because of the groundwork and contribution of Sankar.

Family struggle

According to Beni Sankar, son of the deceased, his father was a wise man and came from humble beginnings. Sankar, during his eulogy, related that his father emerged from being a simple farmer to a miller.

Kayman Sankar Rice Mill Limited is a household name for practically everyone on the Essequibo Coast.

Sankar was born on June 3, 1926 at Corneila Ida, West Coast Demerara to parents Sewsankar and Dooknie Sankar. He was the eldest of five siblings.

Beni said his father worked as a labourer on the Cornelia Ida Estate as a young boy after his parents could not have afforded to allow him to continue his primary education.

He began farming between 1956 and 1965 at Dunleld/Perth and Bounty

RPA General Secretary Dharamkumar Seeraj

Hall on the Essequibo Coast.

After a few years of farming, Sankar partnered with his brother Mahadoe and nephew Nandalall Sankar and they purchased a large piece of land at Dunkeld/ Perth.

The lands were cleared of bushes and converted into rice fields.

He related that initially, the family was not successful in cultivating rice; however, through courage and determination in 1966, the rice industry started to bloom after Sankar acquired 1556 acres of land at Hampton Court.

The family business started to develop in the year 1966. The first crop was cultivated in 1968 and all lands were fully developed in1968. The company was registered in 1975 and the second phase of expansion began soon after.

In 1984, two rice mills were built along with a rice sheller and length grader and Sankar was on his way to becoming the largest private rice miller in the country.

Expansion

In 1985, the company further expanded to include Sankar Air Division and in 1988, it established a drying and storage facility.

Over the years, Sankar employed a number of workers, many of whom he assisted in acquiring their own homes, especially from Hampton Court and neighbouring villages. Some of his rice lands were rented out to rice farmers throughout the coast.

The rice magnate passed away on Tuesday night at age 87. He had been ailing for some time. He is survived by his wife Seraji Sankar and their three children, Seeta, Beni Sankar and Sita.

Tourism can become...

Dookhoo outlined some of the challenges in the sector, including weak public-private dialogue on international trade negotiations, significant nontariff barriers from trade partners, poor infrastructure, outdated import/export procedures and weak institutional structures.

Among the recommendations highlighted were the strengthening of trade agreements, introduction of the single window system, a certification laboratory for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards, improved monitoring of ports for illegal drugs, investments in infrastructure, particularly the road to Lethem and the deep water harbour, re-engineering of Go-Invest and challenging consulates and embassies/ high commissions overseas to identify opportunities for trade.

Aviation policy

Correia recommended the drafting of a national aviation policy which should address inter alia airspace, the regulatory framework, market access for foreign carriers, efficient and user-friendly airports, international safety standards and regulations governing fuel and lubricants and systems for crisis and disaster management, including search and rescue.

Professor Opadeyi highlighted some of the challenges to human resources development, including the low level of adult literacy and numeracy, inadequate levels of performance in STEM subjects (science, technology, English language and mathematics), undertrained teachers and trainers and low Internet and information technology (IT) penetration due to high costs.

He outlined some of the proposed initiatives which included establishment of a National Education Planning Secretariat, support for online and distance education programmes, a

strategic IT penetration programme, resuscitation of the National Science Council, increasing the minimum qualification for a high school teacher to be a first degree and inclusion of more foreign languages and exchange programmes in schools, particularly in Spanish and Portuguese.

He added that the University of Guyana (UG) plans to launch four online degree programmes by March 2014 so that prospective students do not have to physically attend the university.

He added that this would be particularly beneficial for prospective student who live far away from the two established UG campuses.

Professor Narine noted that all of the issues related to energy are well documented in the public domain. These included high costs for energy and the need to develop alternative sources of power generation.

Taskforce

He added that the major recommendation of his group was the need for a taskforce to be set up by President Ramotar for the purpose of drafting a national energy policy.

He suggested that the taskforce should include a wide cross-section of members from the government, private sector, opposition, academia, the Guyana Energy Agency and the Office of the Prime Minister.

Balgobin, the other government representative, outlined urgent short-term actions (within two years) and long-term actions (10 years).

The key short-term actions included upgrading of the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, the Bartica/ Issano Road, the East Bank Essequibo Road and the Parika Backdam Road, which is to benefit from a Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) grant.

The longer-term actions include the Kurupukari/

Mora Road, paving of the Linden/Lethem Road, developing and alternative road between the East Coast and West Coast of Demerara (WCD), reconstruction of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, dredging of the Demerara River, establishment of a container terminal on the WCD and a deep water harbour.

President Ramotar empowered the aviation group to continue their work by drafting the policy for review and adoption by Cabinet.

He lauded all the groups for the work done and proposed that all recommendations by the thematic working groups be adopted across the board and that the responsibility for monitoring and implementation of these policies will rest with the National Competitiveness Strategy Steering Committee chaired by Minister Ali. This motion was unanimously agreed upon and carried by the NCC.

Proposal

On the conclusion of the presentations under the substantive agenda, Minister Ali provided an update on a proposal by the Shipping Association of Guyana (SAG), for the dredging of the Demerara River.

The minister advised that a local firm, GAICO, has offered to undertake the project, including the financing of all the capital infrastructure and equipment needed. He further reported that a presentation was done on Wednesday, by GAICO, to a high-level team of government and private sector officials.

President Ramotar tasked Dookhoo and Balgobin with preparing a presentation for Cabinet based on the GAICO presentation.

In closing, Minister Ali advised that the Lethem Authority had been formalised by the president and will be launched shortly.

saturday, february 15, 2014| guyanatimesgy.com

Inexperienced judges, magistrates causing backlog of cases – Justice Kennard

Former Chancellor of the Judiciary, retired Justice Cecil Kennard said the appointment of too many young magistrates and judges to the bench can be blamed for the current backlog of cases and slothfulness of the justice system

Speaking with Guyana Times in a recent interview, Kennard said bluntly: “We are appointing members of the judicial system when they lack the necessary experience,” pointing out that some of the magistrates and judges are somewhat tardy in their work.

According to Kennard, some magistrates are intimidated by the possibility of an appeal of their decision, and as such, take long to make a decision.

This, he said is creating a major accumulation of cases in the judicial system.

This comment by the former chancellor of the judiciary comes mere days after legislation was passed in court to allow for the proceedings to be recorded using electrical recorders.

This bill paves the way for the electronic verbatim recording of proceedings, moving away from a conventional system of manual note taking, which is time consuming.

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Carl Singh had previously expressed similar sentiments regarding the work of senior judicial officers.

Justice Singh in October said more judges were urgently required. If the judges needed were hired, then they would be able to deal

with the increasing backlog of cases and the sluggishness linked with the dispensation of justice in Guyana.

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall had said the executive had recognised the need for more appointments to be made to assist in improving the delivery of justice.

Singh is of the opinion that with the appointment of more judges, the backlog could be further addressed and possibly eradicated, giving rise to the rebirth of an effective judicial system.

He added that even as consideration is given to the appointment of more judges, stricter measures and action will have to be taken to get them to perform with some level of efficiency.

Nandlall said while government endorses the view that more judges need to be appointed to assist in fasttracking the delivery of justice, there are other factors that must be considered, which will not allow for an immediate intervention, unless they are addressed.

Three women caught fighting over an unknown man appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday, with two of them charged with unlawfully assaulting the third.

Shaline Hemraj, a housewife, of Lot 63 Enmore Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara and Surudi Jordon, also a housewife of Lot 633 Enmore, both pleaded not guilty to the charge. It was alleged that on Monday, February 10, Hemraj and Jordon unlawfully assaulted Sherry Ramsaroop, 21, at Station Street, Kitty, Georgetown.

Prosecutor Michael Grant said on the day in question, the women were caught red-handed in a scuffle after a party they attended by police ranks. The cause of the scuffle was an unknown male who attended the party, ranks discovered.

The trio were all placed on a bond to keep the peace by the chief magistrate, and the matter was transferred to Court 10 for trial. However, the case was later dismissed for lack of evidence, because the virtual complainant refused to testify against the defendants.

Housewives charged for assaulting woman Bus driver charged for assaulting police officer

Abus driver appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday charged with unlawful assault of a police officer.

Mark Hopkinson, of Lot 2878 North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge as it was read to him. It was alleged that on Wednesday, February 12 on Water and Croal streets at approximately 08:30h, Hopkinson unlawfully assaulted Police Constable 19833 Phillip Chapman, who is stationed at the Brickdam Police Station. Police also claimed that on the same day, he resisted arrest by ranks of the Guyana Police Force.

Hopkinson, the driver of minibus BMM 8591, when asked to give an explanation for his actions, said on the day in question he was working when ranks of the police force approached and trapped him in a chokehold to facilitate his removal from the vehicle, without giving a reason for their actions.

The defendant and the virtual complainant were both placed on a bond to keep the peace by the chief magistrate, and the matter was transferred to Court 10, where the parties explained to the court what happened. The trial was adjourned to Monday 17.

Eyew tness

Passages...

...of a pioneer

The rice industry’s a real homegrown one, in more ways than one. While planted during the slave period of our history, rice became a real “industry” with the coming of the Indians, brought to replace those slaves on the sugar plantations. While the planters never really planned it that way, it sure was a bonanza for them. It was even more profitable for them than the Indians who planted the rice!

Secret was, the money earned from the rice – not to mention the rice itself – helped mask the atrocious wages the planters was paying them to labour in the cane fields. That meant less strikes and riots for improved wages and working conditions. So it was, by the time rice supplies to Guyana from Burma was cut off by German warships in WWI, the small farmers could supply all of Guyana’s needs. And a hefty portion of the rest of the West Indians’ demand.

But then you were talking about a very intensive form of cultivation – with labour for all facets of the operation provided by human and animal (bullocks) labour. It was hard to tell who worked harder –humans or bullocks. But one of the untold heroic stories of Guyana was the one in which those same “untutored” peasant farmers, changed the industry into a completely mechanised one. After all, there is the standing libel that peasant farmers are “resistant” to change.

The ability of these peasants to adapt to change was exemplified in the life and times of a man who just passed away – and was cremated yesterday: Kayman Sankar. Born on the West Coast of Demerara, he moved over to the Essequibo Coast because he had the foresight to gamble that rice production could be taken to a higher level. The Tapacuma Irrigation Scheme in the 1960s had opened up thousands of acres for rice – and Kayman Sankar seized the opportunity with both hands.

Within a decade, his name was synonymous with rice. Hundreds of acres under mechanised cultivation, an integrated mill and marketing system ensured that he could get his product to the market. As a pragmatic businessman, he bent to the then prevailing political wind – which didn’t please everyone – obviously. His successors, unfortunately, haven’t moved with the same surefootedness as he did when confronted with the new challenges. And today, the company he built to such great heights is a shadow of its former glory.

But that does not deny the legacy of a pioneer of the rice industry: Kayman Sankar. And of the need for someone to fill his shoes as we push for a million ton production!

...in a circle

It’s pathetic as to how the more things change, the more they remain the same. If we knew French like Rupert Roopnaraine, we’d say “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”. We’re talking about politics this time. But we don’t, so we won’t. But more specifically, its about politics in the PNC – APNU. The (un)musical chairs that Granger unleashed in Parliament is the same old, tired and cynical game his mentor Burnham used to play.

The bottom line, of course, is to have only “yes” men and women around the leader – little saplings over whom the “great man” can tower like a “samaan tree”. Now we can understand the needs of some insecure minds to play these games...but supporters of the PNC have to ask, is it good for their future prospects? Aren’t the saplings going to wither without any sunlight?

How can you have a viable party that has thrown out all the “young lions” ....now getting long in the tooth out in the wilderness?

...of Republicanism

You’ll forgive the young’uns if they’re getting excited about “Mash” and draw a blank if you mention “Republic Day”. Who wants to talk about Cuffy fighting for freedom when they can backball instead?

GFC coach crushed by sand truck

Guyana Football Club (GFC) coach Peter Lashley was on Friday morning gruesomely killed in an accident in the vicinity of the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, Greater Georgetown around 06:30h.

The 54-year-old man of Lot 6 D Tucville, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown died on the spot after his motorcycle ended up underneath a truck, minutes after he left his home for his place of employment – John Fernandes Limited.

According to information received, Lashley rode out of the Meadow Brook access road reportedly without stopping and was struck down by motor lorry, GJJ 3700 that was proceeding along Mandela Avenue.

Driver

The driver of the truck, owned by S Lalbachand of Lot 4 Pigeon Island, East Coast Demerara, was taken into custody to assist with investigations.

At the scene, eyewitnesses claimed that the truck was speeding along the avenue and came into contact with the man who did not stop at the intersection.

Lashley reported slid with his motorcycle and ended up under the wheels of the truck. He suffered severe injuries to his head and upper body.

His son, Nicholas Graham, told Guyana Times that he

was at home on Friday morning when he received a call from his aunt who resides in Berbice informing him of an accident and asking him to check on it.

At first, he hesitated, but shortly after, his neighbour, Adam Harris, told him that his father was involved in an accident on Mandela Avenue.

He rushed to the scene where he saw his father lying under the truck with his body severely damaged. Upon seeing the condition of his father, he became dazed.

Loss

The grieving son recalled that the last time he saw his father was about 06:15h when he left the house. He said his father’s demise is a great loss to his mother and the football fraternity. He noted that his father dedicated his entire life to football.

Lashley’s distraught wife, Loraine Graham, said she was at home when she got the horrific news and rushed to the scene only to find her husband’s mangled body under the truck. She explained that his head was crushed and his upper body was badly damaged.

After 33 years of togetherness, she has now become a widow, the woman cried. In a state of shock, she revealed that they were high school sweethearts. She also described his love of football:

“Football was his first wife… loved football… he loved football… I would have been happy if they had called to say that he was involved in an accident and his hands and feet were broken, but they say that he dead.”

The widow said her husband’s absence will create a void in her life and the lives of members of his football team. Lashley was the former coach of Western Tigers Football Club and recently took up the same position at the Guyana Football Club.

A member of the Tucville Football Club expressed his sadness, and said Lashley was a well-respected man who has done much for the youths in his area. He will be missed, but the young man intends to carry on the legacy of his coach. He was furious at the way in which Lashley was stuck down, claiming that truck drivers have to be extremely careful on the roadways.

Lashley’s body was taken to the Lyken Funeral Home to await a post-mortem examination on Monday. He leaves to mourn his wife and three sons.

A few days ago, a pedestrian was killed in a similar manner on the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway, after he reportedly walked into a sand truck in the vicinity of Ideal Road.

“Old

Story Time” back again in 2014

Top Cat Theatre Productions, in collaboration with the Education Ministry, will spur the interest of students writing English Literature at this year’s Caribbean Secondary School’s Examination (CSEC) by staging the drama “Old Story Time” by Trevor Rhone.

These presentations will be taken around the country on various days commencing this weekend, and February 17 and 18 at the National Cultural Centre. It then goes to Anna Regina Multilateral School on February 25, New Amsterdam Multilateral School on February 26, Skeldon Line Path Secondary on February 27 and the Lichas Hall, Linden on February 28.

Living piece of art

This project started back in 2010 on the basis that a play is a living piece of art, performed and viewed by an audience and taking into consideration English Literature is primarily storytelling, the production group decided to implement a programme to garner the attention of the young minds.

The script is the written basis of the play through which the playwright attempts to convey an idea. When the

play is performed as is done by this intrepid group, the written word is fully explained through movement, emotion and dialogue that are so difficult to extract from simply reading of the play.

All the same time, these plays offer the students the opportunity to go through the text in one uninterrupted reading. Students would seldom read a text at one sitting.

The play is, at its core, about the attitudes to difference skin colour, both socially and economically in Jamaica for more than 35 years now.

It surrounds the character Miss Aggy, a blackskinned woman being expertly played by Nikki Moonsammy, who rejects the circumstances foisted upon her by colouration, but wants better for her black son Lennard, being played by Travis Chase.

Aggy who vehemently says “Nothing Black Nuh Good”, is staunch in her desire for her son not to wed a woman black in complexion, which he does anyway, behind her back.

Miss Aggy believes that only “obeah” can be responsible for her son’s disobedience. Lennard’s (Len) wife is being played

by Tashandra Inniss with much sensitivity. Miss Aggy is prepared to kill her son’s black wife, by “dark” means at the risk of her own self, so deep is her hatred for her own colour.

Brian Goodman portrays the character “George McFarlane” who is diabolically evil, and who has haunted Len from boyhood. McFarlane is swindling his own mom and blackmailing his wife “Lois” whom he has previously sexually harassed. Brian is a good new boy on the bloc.

The painful spectre of “easy” girls being sexually preyed upon is encapsulated in the character “Pearl”, poignantly played by Candacy Baveghens.

The enormity of the conflicts designed by Trevor Rhone; good versus evil, black versus not so white, common sense versus spiritual beliefs, are beautifully dealt with by this cast of experience and youth. This remains wildly entertaining and students will be thrilled while being educated.

Tickets are available at schools, venues and the National Cultural Centre. The shows begin at all venues at 10:00h. The entire tour is being sponsored by Digicel for the second year running.

Barbados authorities spearhead investigations into Caribbean Airlines’ terror threat

The Barbados security forces are heading the investigations into the recent terror threats

Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) received, the airline’s corporate communications manager, Clint William on Friday told Guyana Times

In a telephone interview from his Trinidad and Tobago office, Williams stated that thus far the authorities have not briefed the airline on their preliminary findings, but he was optimistic that the person(s) responsible will be brought to justice.

Once the findings are known, the media will be advised accordingly, Williams indicated, but reiterated that additional se-

curity measures are still in place.

The United States embassy in Guyana on Sunday, in an advisory posted on its website, warned all American citizens not to travel on Caribbean Airlines flights from Guyana to the

U.S. on Monday, February 10, citing an unconfirmed security threat.

line was not sure if it was a hoax or a ploy, it took precautionary measures in order to keep passengers safe.

The local authorities also took steps to preserve passengers’ safety, placing the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) under a heightened security alert for several days.

Investigations were then launched, which saw the involvement of Barbados, Trinidad, Guyana, and United States.

He reiterated that Caribbean Airlines remains one of the trusted carriers in the Caribbean and further afield.

The official added that all Caribbean Airlines flights out of the CJIA have not experiences long delays. With respect to passengers travelling out of Guyana, the response has been overwhelming, despite the negative publicity.

Multi-pronged probe

It was reported that the call originated out of Barbados and while the air-

“Out of an abundance of caution”, the embassy advised all U.S. citizens in Guyana travelling on Caribbean Airlines to the United States from Monday, February 10 through Wednesday, February 12, 2014, to make alternate travel arrangements.

Williams, in a previous comment, said this was not the first time the airline has received such threats and while he did not want to speculate, in the aviation business, anything is possible.

Caribbean Airlines, in a release after the incident, stated that it will be working closely with all authorities to ensure that security protocols are followed. The regional airline also thanked the travelling public for their understanding for any inconvenience.

Regional airlines identify areas of functional cooperation

Government-owned air carriers in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) have held their second meeting on how they can collaborate to provide more efficient, effective and safe transportation in the region.

Caribbean Airlines (CAL)

Chairman Phillip Marshall and acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Captain Jagmohan Singh and Consultant Ian Bertrand; LIAT, represented by acting CEO Julie Reifer-Jones and Advisor Lesroy Browne; Surinam Airways represented by Rudi Westerbord; and Bahamas Airlines, represented by Deputy Chief Financial Officer Claudius Rolle on Thursday met at the Caricom Secretariat to advance discussions that began on January 23, under the auspices of the secretariat. The meeting of regional airlines preceded inaugural deliberations of the Transportation Commission which were held later on Thursday.

In light of the ongoing concerns of the travelling public and the critical role transportation plays in the community, the confer-

ence of heads of government of Caricom established the Transportation Commission in September 2013.

The decision was taken following a special meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Transportation which was held in May 2013, under the chairmanship of St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, the lead head of government for transport in Caricom.

In approving the terms of reference for the commission, the Bureau of Heads of Government endorsed a proposal from the ministers of

transport that it would be in the best interest of the region for the government-owned carriers in Caricom – CAL, LIAT, Surinam Airways, and Bahamas Airlines – to collaborate on ways to provide a more efficient, reliable and affordable service to the region.

Areas of cooperation

The interaction of air carriers in January identified the procurement of equipment, training of personnel, scheduling of flights, and maintenance of aircrafts, as some of the areas where cooperation was possible.

The meeting agreed that while CAL and LIAT collaborated at the technical level, interaction at the corporate level would prove useful in cementing and increasing collaboration and improving efficiencies.

To this end, the acting CEOs of the two airlines met on January 31 and advanced concrete ways of collaboration in the areas identified. They shared the outcomes with their colleagues on Thursday.

Thursday’s half-day session, chaired by St Vincent and the Grenadines National Security, Air

Granger questions govt's seriousness in dismantling drug trade

AParty for National Unity (APNU) lead-

er David Granger is contending that the government is not serious in its endeavours to tackle narcotics trafficking here.

The opposition leader expressed the view at his weekly press conference at the coalition’s headquarters on Hadfield Street, Georgetown on Thursday.

Granger noted that narcotics trafficking is increasing and simultaneously with money laundering, gun smuggling, executions and armed robberies, claiming that the upsurge in crime is “driving away the intelligent elite”.

A 2013 U.S. report on narcotics indicated that Guyana plays a major role in the narcotics trafficking arena.

“Guyana is the passage country for cocaine destined for the Caribbean, Europe and West Africa,” the report stated. In the report, it was also highlighted that cocaine is often transported in legal properties and smuggled via maritime vessels, humans, air and postal transport services.

According to Granger, the drug trade is worth about 20 per cent of Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He said the prevalence of the trade is as a result of

poor strategies by the Home Affairs Ministry to address the problem.

Links Recently reports have linked Guyana to the New York drug mafia following a major drug bust in the U.S. Guyanese were fingered in a plot to smuggle over 500 kilograms of cocaine to the two countries. Reports indicate that 24 people had been arrested in the raids, with two more still being sought. Seventeen have been detained in Italy and seven in New York, the Federal Bureau of Investigations

(FBI) said.

They were rounded up in an exercise called Operation “New Bridge” , which effectively has dismantled a major criminal plan intended to facilitate the international trade of drugs, weapons and laundered money between Italy, the U.S. and Canada,

As a result of the twoyear investigation carried out by police on both sides of the Atlantic, investigators said they had thwarted the delivery of 500kg of cocaine to the Calabrian port of Gioia Tauro, Italy from Guyana. The drugs were scheduled to arrive on the Italian shores concealed in cans of pineapple, coconut and frozen fish.

The intercepted shipping containers originating from Guyana were found to contain more than US$7 million worth of cocaine hidden in pineapples and coconut milk.

On Wednesday, APNU called on government to replace the National Drug Strategy Master Plan which expired more than five years ago.

The opposition leader contended that owing to the absence of the National Drug Strategy Master Plan, cocaine trafficking continues to grow at an alarming rate in Guyana.

and Seaport Development Ministry Permanent Secretary Godfred Pompey, put more flesh to the earlier discussions and sought to pursue further deliberations on matters including training, ground handling and arrangements for smoother transiting by the travelling public.

Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque expressed his appreciation to the airlines for so willingly making themselves available for interaction and assured them of the secretariat’s commitment to facilitate such engagements.

The field in which they operated, he told the airline representatives, was a critical component in the success of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) and the development of the community as a whole.

He told the meeting that Prime Minister Gonsalves, chair of the conference of heads of government, was very encouraged by the efforts that were being pursued on the transportation front and looked forward to greater collaboration among the airlines and consequently an improvement in service to the travelling public.

No Gel Hugly is a good ole gambler

It gotta good ole Kenny Rogers song bout a gambler. De good ole Kenny advise gamblers that dem must know how to gamble. One of de piece a advice is that yuh must never count yuh money at de table wheh yuh playin. That is a piece a good ole advice.

It gotta a lotta gamblers around. It got some big time ones. No Gel Hugly is a big time gambler. He know good wheh to count he money and when to count he money. In fact, it look like is he who musbe give de good ole Kenny de lyrics fuh that good ole song way back in he first life.

No body never see No Gel countin he money. He does never do it at de table fuh people to see. No Gel prefer to count he money under de table. That was never de good ole Kenny advice. But No Gel is a master and he can teach de good ole Kenny a lesson or two bout gamblin…especially de part bout countin money.

By now No Gel he self turn a good ole gambler. Before he hit de sack he gon write he own song. De good ole Kenny mightn be around to sing it, so No Gel gon have to sing that one he self in he good ole age.

Site Globe gon be in that song. No Gel get ketch hidin a ace from Rum Jhaat, but no body see when he count de money. Buxton gon be in that song. No Gel get ketch hidin a ace from de pullice, but no body see when he count de money.

Lusignan gon be in that song. No Gel get ketch hidin a ace from de court, but no body see when he count de money. De school buildin gon be in that song too. No Gel get ketch hidin a ace from Mayflower. Again, no body see when he count de money.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! Now de word is out that No Gel still hidin aces, still countin money, and no body still ain’t seein!

Digicel surprises single mom on seventh anniversary

Last December, a story on Bridget Dundas and her nine children appeared in the news, highlighting her struggles with her children, and the difficulties she faced as a single parent.

On Christmas Day, Bridget and her children had a humble meal of boulanger and sausage. After reading the story, Digicel decided to sur-

prise this family with a complete Christmas meal, groceries and clothing vouchers in their “Brighten Someone’s Christmas Promotion”.

“On seeing the need in Bridget’s home, it was decided to surprise Bridget for our anniversary with a brand new gas stove complete with gas cylinder and fittings. When Digicel arrived at Bridget’s

home, she was at work, but her 18-year-old son Carl McKenzie and some of his siblings were totally shocked and surprised.

“This was the same reaction Bridget gave when we contacted her via phone when she exclaimed, ‘oh my God, Digicel, you have made my day, thank you, thank you for remembering me and my children, this will help us a lot’,” the telephone giant said in a release.

As part of Digicel’s seventh anniversary celebrations, customers will enjoy seven days of prizes and surprises starting on Friday, February 14 and ending Thursday, February 20.

Customers are encouraged to keep their phones on and to tune in to Digicel Morning Vibes on 100.1Fresh FM from 06:00h to 09:00h (Monday to Friday) to see if they are lucky winners of ‘Freebies’.

Seven lucky customers can win an identical Smartphone purchased for their Valentine in the anniversary phone sale promotion. Three lucky customers who receive top up from abroad will each receive a $50,000 voucher redeemable at Kings Jewellery World.

“Digicel wishes to thank all their customers for their continued support over the seven years of operation in Guyana,” the release concluded.

US$5.9M approved

for CJIA modernisation project

The Donald Ramotar administration has granted its noobjection for the release of US$5.9 million to facilitate aspects of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Expansion and Modernisation Project.

Transport Minister Robeson Benn said the US$5.9 million will facilitate the acquisition of supervision consultancy services for the expansion project.

Despite political opposition, the CJIA Expansion and Modernisation Project is progressing smoothly and is on target. Currently, work is ongoing on the runway. When completed, the runway will be able to facilitate Boeing 747-400 aircraft, expanding by 3500 feet to a final length of 10,500 feet.

In addition to extending the runway, a new terminal building measuring 16,000 square metres is incorporated into the design of the modernisation project. The terminal will be equipped with eight passenger boarding bridges, two elevators and CCTV and departures control systems.

The drafting of the final design for the terminal building has commenced. This is slated to be completed by March. The project also includes the erection of eight international parking positions, including a dedicated position

for cargo aircraft. On October 31, 2012, Guyana and China signed an agreement for the facilitation of the US$130 million (RMB 825 million) loan from the Chinese Exim Bank to fund the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Expansion and Modernisation Project.

Setback However, during the consideration of the 2013 national budget in the National Assembly, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) used their one-seat majority to cut the entire $5.6 billion, which was set aside for the project. The cut was made despite pleas by the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government, which stated that the state-of-art facility, when completed would be able to facilitate a larger influx of passengers.

Meanwhile, Presidential Advisor on Governance Gail Teixeira, who sat in the place of the head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon during the post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday, said Cabinet also granted its no-objection for other projects ranging in the millions.

In the area of education,

US$368,000 was approved for the design and supervision of civil works under the government of Guyana-World Bank funded Science and Technology Project at the University of Guyana.

Meanwhile, $19 million was released for the provision of a vehicle for the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) and $21.5 million for the provision of security services for the Agriculture Ministry’s head office and the Hydromet department.

Under the Local Government Ministry, $691.8 million has been approved for the rehabilitation of community miscellaneous roads in Regions Four and Six, while US$103,100 will be used for consultancy services for the revision of the national biodiversity strategy and action plan in preparation of the fifth national report to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

US$250,130 for the provision of consultancy services to conduct a study on Guyana’s tourism brand; $49.1 million for the rental of buildings to house offices to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM); and $113.6 million for the construction of core houses in Regions Three, Five and 10 were among other projects approved by the Cabinet.

Jamaican found dead in hotel had cocaine in stomach – autopsy

As the investigation continues into the circumstances surrounding the death of Beverley Anesta Gardner, a Jamaican national whose body was found at a city hotel on January 22, police have reason to believe that the woman might have been a cocaine mule.

An autopsy performed on the woman’s body on Friday by Dr Nehaul Singh confirmed that a number of cocaine pellets were found in her stomach.

The exact quantity of cocaine present in her system was not disclosed. Her cause of death is yet to be determined.

With this revelation, police are working on the theory that a few of the cocaine pellets burst in the woman’s body.

Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) has not been called in to assist in the investigation which is primarily been conducted by the Police Narcotics Branch.

Wanted: Anthony Morrison

Guyana Times understands that Gardner was to board a flight at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) some eight hours prior to her discovery in a room at the NY Car Wash and Guest House, located at Camp and Princes

Fraudsters rip-off Caribbean Chemicals with bogus $2.2M cheque

The Guyana Police Force is currently investigating a financial scam which rocked Caribbean Chemicals (Guyana) Limited last week.

A cheque for approximately $2.2 million was given to the company for 350 bags of fertiliser, but it was only until the fertilisers were delivered that the company uncovered that it was ripped off.

Caribbean Chemicals said the crime was committed by “a gang of fraudsters” who are using stolen cheques from a leading security company operating in Guyana.

The cheque was expected to be cashed at Demerara Bank Limited. The cheque book was reportedly stolen in November 2013 from the security firm. However, the company declined from disclosing the name of the security firm.

Speaking to Guyana Times on Friday at the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Caribbean Chemicals Guyana, Agriculture Manager Martin Lopez said a purchaser contacted the company indicating that he was interested in purchasing two sets of fertiliser; however, because of his location (Bush Lot, Region Six), his brother-in-law would submit the cheque and uplift the commodities.

During the telephone conversation, it was disclosed that the cheque would be in the name of the security firm.

Subsequently, on Thursday, February 6, the purchaser visited the Lot 45 Croal Street Caribbean Chemicals location and tendered the cheque of $2.2 million to the company’s retail department.

streets, Georgetown.

While the 31-year-old woman did not board her flight for some unknown reason, her companion might have done so.

It was after Gardner had returned to the hotel that she died. Police also confirmed that her male companion, Jamaican national, 37-year-old Anthony Lloyd Neville Morrison has not been arrested.

It was reported that Morrison and Gardner checked in at the hotel about a week prior to her death. Less than 48 hours after the discovery of Gardner’s body, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) issued a wanted bulletin for Morrison.

The police force is encouraging anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Morrison to contact the police on telephone numbers 2256411, 225-2227, 226-7065, 2271149, 911 or at the nearest police station.

The transaction was processed and the purchaser was instructed to uplift 250 bags of 15:15:15 mixed fertiliser and 100 bags of urea; a total of 350 bags of fertiliser at the Guyana National Industrial Company Inc (GNIC) and Muneshwers wharfs.

Something amiss

But it was only on Saturday that the company realised that something was amiss when it received a call from the delivery man. The delivery man was paid for the first truck load of fertiliser on Thursday, but was not paid for the second set which was delivered on Friday. As a result, he was seeking contact information for the purchaser.

“It was then we started our investigation and when we made contact with the company and we were informed that the cheque book was stolen since November,” he said.

The matter was immediately reported to the police. The cheque which was typed written, along with the invoice, video surveillance footage and statements from employees involved in the transactions were all submitted to the

police.

“The amount the cheque was typed written which made it looked very official, this is the sort of thing you would expect from a company, but in fact this is something someone can do, if they have gotten a cheque and forge a signature,” said Lopez.

Caribbean Chemicals Guyana Director Francesca Pires said there was a clear break down in the company's procedures, resulting in the cheque being passed.

She explained that at the level of the retail store which is responsible for the collection of cheques, there was no verification, noting too that the sales person did not even request the identification card of the purchaser.

She maintained that while systems are in place to protect the company from fraudulent activities, they were not followed.

Should not have happened

“It was a first time customer and that should not have happened! You don’t take a cheque from a first time person, much less to the tune of $2.2 million… you have to deposit that cheque and the bank has to tell you that the funds are in your account before you can proceed any further,” she lamented.

It was a short series of slips, starting with the issue of complacency at the level of the retail store, she added.

She told this newspaper that though one person tendered the stolen cheque, the crime was committed by an organised group of individuals who have not only scammed the company, but many other entities. “It is an organised gang, it is a group and these people do this thing for a living, everything about it is so smooth and based on our ongoing investigation… the police have indicated that other people have presented the same cheques, other people have already fallen victim, not only us and there are more cheques out there.”

The company is not of the opinion that there was an issue of collusion, as such, none of its 24 employees have been sent home, but disciplinary actions will be taken.

As Caribbean Chemicals awaits the completion of the police investigation, it is calling on businesses and individuals to guard against such fraudulent activities.

While systems may be in place, Pires said complacency may step in; hence, it is important to always keep employees informed about the procedures to follow when conducting financial transactions. Caribbean Chemicals is currently reviewing its system and has since taken corrective steps to prevent a reoccurrence.

saturday, february 15, 2014

Rodney Commission of Inquiry to be launched soon – Ramotar

President Donald Ramotar said the long awaited establishment of the Walter Rodney Comission of Inquiry will soon be launched.

The head of state, when contacted, recently was unable to relay any information at that point, but said a lot of work has already been done, and the body responsible for the commission still has a few minor matters to deal with.

He, however, stressed that those issues will soon be worked out, making way for the setting up of the commission.

Last week, Working People’s Alliance member (WPA), Dr Rupert Roopnaraine had said the party was still awaiting action from the head of state with regards to the establishment of the inquiry commission.

Dr Roopnaraine said since the revelation was made last year in New York by the head of state, the WPA is yet to hear from the government.

Rodney was killed on June 13, 1980, while he was in a car outside the

Georgetown prison. It is alleged that ex-army Sergeant Gregory Smith planted the bomb that killed the political activist.

It is also alleged that officials from the then Forbes Burnham government was responsible for his death, a claim that has been denied by his party, the People’s National Congress (PNC).

Former Foreign Minister Rashleigh Jackson in a recent letter in the press had also joined forces with others calling for the speedy establishment of the commission.

Jackson said he supports the call made by Rohee to “move expeditiously to establish the commission of inquiry”.

Stain People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary Clement Rohee made the call a few weeks ago at the party’s weekly press briefing. He had said that the circumstances surrounding the death of the politician had left a stain on the shores of Guyana’s political landscape and the nation.

On June 13, 1980, Dr Walter Rodney, along with his

brother Donald, was sitting in a car outside the Georgetown Prison, when a bomb in a walkie-talkie exploded in his lap.

He had gone there, upon the request of former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) electronics expert, Sergeant Gregory Smith, to test the device near the jail’s metal fence.

After the tragedy, Smith fled to French Guiana where he lived under the pseudonym Cyril Johnson until his death several years ago.

Twenty-five years after the incident, Smith was charged with murder in absentia.

Smith had said he would have returned to Guyana for a trial or inquiry only if amnesty would have been granted. However, France does not extradite persons to their native countries where there is a possible death penalty in the case of a conviction

The current administration believes that the matter of how exactly Rodney was killed, and by whom, needs to be settled once and for all since his family has come up with information that fueled the decision of the president to set up the international commission of inquiry.

The impending commission of inquiry will invite contributions from family members of the deceased, former political allies in the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), the WPA and international colleagues.

After his assassination, Rodney received several honours. He was posthumously bestowed the Order of Excellence in 1993 and subsequently, the Walter Rodney Chair in History was established at the University of Guyana.

All have a role to play in preventing suicide – Dr Ramsammy

Guyana has made great strides in trying to document suicide as a social problem in this country, former Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy said.

Addressing a forum in New Amsterdam organised by the Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA) on suicide, Dr Ramsammy, now Agriculture Minister, said, "All cases of suicide, all suicide attempts, and all the suicide deaths, we have made a real attempt, so Guyana reflects the truth".

The objective of last Wednesday’s forum was to brainstorm methods to deal with the issue and to adapt an approach on the way forward.

Referring to world figures on suicide, Dr Ramsammy said there are one and a half million suicide deaths that are not recorded.

He noted that a National Suicide Prevention Strategy was developed with the establishment of a National Prevention Suicide Oversight Committee.

That committee is now dormant. Dr Ramsammy is calling for the resuscitation of the committee with participation from all stakeholders.

He said suicide is not just a health problem and someone must take leadership to address the scourge.

Mental health is a major factor which results in selfharm. “The number one prob-

lem in the world is clinical depression among people. There are many persons around the world, including Guyana, who should be on medication, but are not… Those are the ones with the potential to harm themselves, they don’t know that they have a problem.”

On that note, he said Berbice should become the capital of a gatekeepers programme in Guyana.

This programme, Dr Ramsammy added, allows for teachers, police officers and religious leaders to be able to detect social issues affecting persons.

“That is what the gatekeepers programme is supposed to do,” he said.

Programme, reduction Even with such a programme in place, suicide will not be prevented totally, but it will result in a reduction of the problem.

“There are practical things to do; how we manage pesticides, we need to consider.” The minister called for enactment of legislation that stringently guards the sale of pesticides.

“We need to ensure that every family that used pesticides is registered so that if they go to any pesticide outlet to buy, they will have proof that they belongs to a family that needs it and uses it.”

According to Dr

Ramsammy, of the scores of persons he visited in the hospitals who attempted to commit suicide, he never met one who did not want the doctors to save him.

“The vast majority of people do not plan their suicide, there are some who do, but the vast majority does it impromptu.”

More women than men attempt suicide, but more men are successful in executing the act.

“This is because of our culture and genetic build up because men are supposed to be the brave one and goes through with the act.”

He said more persons opt for poison to harm themselves than trying to hang themselves because the latter is more difficult to carry out.

“If you have a minute to think, you think twice and don’t do it.”

He emphasised that the strategies needed to be implemented must be able to buy time.

“So if the chemical is locked away and one has to go for a key and also have to find another person for a second key, the chances are that by the time they get to the chemical, their minds would have been changed. Why is it that they don’t go and jump over the bridge? Because it will take time for them to go there and they will have to wait until no one is looking and that takes time,” he said.

Grove fire was electrical in origin – fire chief

Fire Chief Marlon Gentle said the fire which gutted the Higgins’s home at the Grove Public Road, East Bank Demerara on Monday last was electrical in origin, citing faulty wiring as a major contributing factor.

There was no safety device to tackle any electrical mishaps.

He explained that from all indications, sparks were seen on the electricity cables leading to the Lot 56 Grove residence, which also led to the destruction of a transformer in proximity. The power in the area was subsequently disconnected, thus there could not have been any further destruction to nearby buildings.

On the issue of safety measures, Gentle noted that it was observed that the house did not have the basic apparatus to deal with fluctuation of current, or in this case, a spark from an electrical wire.

“I must speak in general…. In most cases of fires, there are no circuit breakers which are recommended by GPL as a requirement when applying for electricity…. Once there is an electrical problem, the breakers trip and cut all electricity supply to the building.”

He also noted that the materials used to construct houses are more modernised, but are prone to attracting fire, making reference to pvc ceilings.

Nevertheless, he encouraged homeowners to safeguard their homes, by turning off all electrical appliances when not in use.

With respect to water scarcity on fire scenes, Gentle explained that on the day of the fire, the first unit that responded to the scene was from the Diamond Fire Station and they attacked the fire head on.

He praised the firefighters, noting that they were able to contain the blaze

from an early stage.

Gentle recalled that back in March 2011, a fire destroyed six buildings which were close together. At the time, there was no fire station in Diamond.

Quick response

“If we didn’t have a fire station at Diamond, this time around… it might have

been the same issue years ago… but due to the quick response, the Diamond firefighters did an extremely good job.”

However, he stated that the major challenges that the Guyana Fire Service faces at fire scenes is finding readily available water sources. And regarding the Grove fire, there were none in site as the

drains were all filled with either sand or mud.

At this time, the firefighters called in for backup with the West Ruimveldt Fire Station responding with a tanker and engine. Another challenge, he added was the fact the building was a wooden house and the breeze aided the blaze. The house was located in proximity to the

Demerara River.

In addition, he said the firefighters had difficulties getting into the house as the building was heavily grilled. Another two tenders were deployed to the scene by the Central Fire Station.

There were four tenders and a tanker at the scene and the firefighters managed to salvage two nearby buildings --- a dwelling house and a business.

No one was at home at the time of the fire. Vanessa Higgins, one of the occupants of the home, said she was at a funeral service at the Eccles Assembly of God church when she got the depressing news.

By the time she arrived at the scene, her house was already reduced to ashes. The other occupants of the house were her husband, two children and her mother, who was visiting from Linden. The blaze has left at least three persons homeless.

Guyana spared from full blacklisting

– has until May to get house on order

he Financial Action

TTask Force (FATF) on Thursday has accepted the recommendation of Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) to hold on blacklisting Guyana, pointing out that a decision will be made when CFATF meets again in May.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) release, the pronouncement is the substance of the CFATF public statement made in November 2013, when the National Assembly defeated the government’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill.

The government is advised that neither the FATF nor the CFATF will be issuing any statements emanating from the Paris meeting on Guyana. The decisions of the 2013 November CFATF meeting and plan of action remain unchanged.

“Further, Guyana has to file a report by February 28, 2014

to the CFATF for their review and report to plenary members in May 2014. This report will include Guyana’s plan of action to correct its deficiencies as part of the ongoing process.

"Guyana is expected to attach to that report the conclusions on the AML/CFT (amendment) Bill, bill number 22, 2013, which is before the parliamentary special select committee and a copy of the said enacted bill to be analysed, correlated to the deficiencies to provide the report to plenary in May 2014.

"Between February and May, it is expected that there will be dialogue and discussions with CFATF with regards to the preparation of the report for CFATF plenary,” rhe release said.

The government said if the May plenary is dissatisfied with Guyana’s progress, the 2013 November statement already provides the decision for the country’s referral to FATF, which is meeting in June 2014.

“The government wishes to

No sense charging proprietors of Rahaman’s Meat Centre – Sooba

…archaic municipal laws stipulate a fine of $300

The proprietors of Rahaman’s Meat Centre will not be facing criminal charges after some 444 pounds of beef not fit for consumption was discovered at the butchery on Wednesday.

The discovery was made by officials from the Food Hygiene Department and the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC), who swooped down on the Lot 7 James Street, Albouystown business place.

According to Town Clerk Carol Sooba, the proprietors would not be charged because the offence carries a meagre fine of $300. This, she explained, is owing to the archaic municipal laws.

She added that to charge the proprietors and have them appear in a court of law for the offence would be a waste of the council’s human resources. However, she said the owners of the meat centre were issued a stern warning.

A search conducted revealed that some 444 lbs (pounds) of beef that was salvaged from the carcass of a cow that had drowned some days prior was found in the storage facilities of the butcher shop.

Search

Officials say the search was conducted after they received information that uninspected meat was being sold at the establishment.

Investigations later revealed that the cow which belonged to Chander Bhagwandin of Kitty, Georgetown, had died a few days ago. The proprietors of the butcher shop Junior Rahaman and Seudia Halder later reportedly confirmed this information. The uninspected meat was later taken to the Municipal Abattoir in Water

Street, Georgetown, where it was destroyed.

Sooba had earlier related that the proprietors of the butchery were reportedly related to the principals of the JAPS meat centre, which was recently involved in an incident of a similar nature.

In November last, some 589 kilograms of decomposing meat was confiscated from the JAPS meat centre in Robb Street, Geogetown. The decomposing meat was found in 11 freezers at the establishment.

Shortly after that incident, Sooba had related that the Mayor and City Council’s (M&CC) Fit For Consumption stamp was not found on any of the meat that was checked during the raid.

Sooba also said that the meat centre was also not following the sanitary and phytosanitary requirements for meat storage and sale.

A senior City Council official, who spoke with this publication, said the meat centre was buying meat from countries that were not compliant with the standards of the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department.

“They have removed the meat and they are going to burn it,” the source had said, adding that it posed a serious threat to the lives of Guyanese.

go on record to thank Guyanese citizens, civil society bodies with particular reference to the business community and their organisations, the labour movement, the diplomatic community, the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the Caribbean Community (Caricom), all who publicly lent support to the government of Guyana’s efforts in what were and continue to be ‘unique and unprecedented circumstances. “The government calls once again on the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) leaders that the AML/CFT (Amendment) Bill must be passed in the National Assembly as urgently as possible before the end of February, 2014,” the release concluded.

CFATF had blacklisted Guyana in November last year. There have been intensified efforts on the part of government to pass the bill, but the parliamentary committee has made several last minute amendments which the government deems unreasonable and flawed.

AFC supports APNU’s AML/ CFT Bill amendments

Alliance For Change (AFC) leader Khemraj Ramjattan said his party supports the amendments proposed by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) for the anti-money laundering bill, but said the bill needs further strengthening.

Responding to questions from members of the media at a recent press briefing, Ramjattan stated that the principal act of the bill provides for a police or custom officer to seize someone’s money, but on reasonable grounds.

According to Ramjattan, he told members of APNU to make adjustments to the principal act and then invite the AFC to have talks about the adjustments made. He went on to state that on Monday evening, he met with APNU to discuss the changes they have made and noted that the position APNU has taken is a fantastic one, contending that it will not exploit the Guyanese public.

But the AFC leader said he has a slight grouse, that is, he would want the bill to be further strengthened, but did not say what he wants to see included in the bill.

He noted that the principal act states that “a police or customs officer must have reasonable grounds for stopping a citizen and conducting a search, which the AFC supports very strongly, and what the APNU is doing is limiting the grounds so that these officers will not abuse their authority, which the AFC supports fully.”

Meanwhile, in relation to the amendment for the director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to be appointed by the House, the AFC leader stated that he also supports this amendment.

“We will have an authority that is literally going to be supervised,” he said. Government has described the amendments proposed by the opposition as unreasonable and flawed.

There have been a series of meetings to pass the AntiMoney Laundering Bill and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Amendment Bill.

Meanwhile, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has recommended that no further action be taken against Guyana over the stalled antimoney laundering bill, following the conclusion of its plenary in Paris, France.

This means that the government and the opposition would have until May to resolve their differences on the bill when the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) meets again.

CFATF had blacklisted Guyana last November for failing to amend its anti-money laundering legislation to accommodate its recommendations.

He contended that the model is taken from Caribbean territories, and nothing is wrong in replicating it here.

Anti-Maduro protests persist in Venezuela, dozens jailed

President Nicolas Maduro’s government kept dozens of student protesters behind bars on Friday as unrest still rumbled across Venezuela following this week’s violence at political rallies that killed three.

Demonstrators gathered again in various cities, blocking roads and burning tires in some cases, to denounce the repression of protests and make a litany of complaints against Maduro ranging from rampant crime to shortages of basic products.

“We’re going to stay out in the streets for the same reasons as yesterday and the day before: inflation, insecurity and a repressive state that refuses to release our colleagues,” student Marcos Matta, 22, told

Reuters, in Caracas. Defying the president’s prohibition of demonstrations, about 500 peo-

ple gathered in Caracas’ Altamira Square, a heartland of past opposition protests, to chant slogans and

wave banners.

Maduro, a 51-year-old former union activist and bus driver, accuses his foes of seeking a coup against him similar to one that briefly toppled his predecessor Hugo Chávez in 2002.

However, there is no sign the street demonstrations threaten to oust him, nor that the military, whose role was crucial to Chávez’s 36-hour unseating, will turn against Maduro.

The protests might in fact give him a chance to unite competing factions within the ruling Socialist Party, divide the opposition where many moderates oppose the street tactics, and distract Venezuelans’ attention from economic problems. (Excerpt from Reuters)

TT wife burns husband with hot iron

Reports of men being physically and emotionally battered by their wives have been engaging the attention of the Victims and Witness Support Unit as more men have been finding the courage to seek help, head of the unit Margaret SampsonBrowne says. She says in some cases there are men who cannot touch their salaries because that would

spark ire from their wives.

“There are men who cannot talk to their friends when their wives are around and are being physically abused but they are not coming out enough as they should. Some have done it and have come to us and we have dealt with it,” SampsonBrowne said. She made the claim at the launch of a programme, titled Integrating Gender-based Violence

Services with Sexual and Reproductive Health Services for Young People, at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain.

Sampson-Browne said there was one case in San Fernando where a wife badly burned her husband on the chest with a hot iron. “His wife plugged in the heater and stamped him on the chest. He came in the station with a hole on the

chest and my team walked him through the process of what to do. “He also got a protection order but when we served her she thought it was a joke and she was laughing... she was like, ‘how dare you’,” SampsonBrowne added. She said last year 10 men came to the unit seeking help after reporting they were being abused by their wives. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Britain and Caribbean to partner for economic growth through PPPs

Britain says it is seeking to help Caribbean countries create the conditions for sustainable economic growth given the fiscal constraints they face.

Minister of State in the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mark Simmonds, speaking ahead of the February 19-20 meeting in Jamaica where British policymakers will share their expertise and discuss how public private partnerships (PPPs) can benefit countries across the Caribbean,

said London also regards identifying avenues for continued investment in public infrastructure is as crucial as it is challenging.

“Partnerships between the public and the private sectors can be an important enabler of sustained investment. They promote the provision of efficient and cost-effective public services, with modern facilities, with reduced risk and reduced upfront costs to government.

“They bring the best of business to bear on public sector projects: innovation,

risk management, discipline, and a culture of delivering on time, on budget and to specification. In short, they can provide value for money. It is no wonder that they are increasingly on the agenda of governments across the Caribbean,” said Simmonds.

He said one estimate puts the value of potential PPP projects in the Caribbean at US$17 billion. The British government minister said that the United Kingdom has pioneered the global development of PPP.

(Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

Canada expands chikungunya travel health warning for the Caribbean

The Public Health Agency in Canada has issued an updated travel health notice following a reported increase in the number of cases of chikungunya disease in the Caribbean.

According to the latest advisory from the agency, “there have been confirmed cases of chikungunya on the Caribbean islands of Saint Martin/St Maarten,

Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, SaintBarthélemy and the British Virgin Islands. These cases mark the first time that locally acquired transmission of chikungunya has been detected in the region of the Americas.”

Symptoms include a sudden high fever, severe pain in the wrists, ankles or knuckles, muscle pain, headache, nausea, and rash. Joint pain

and stiffness are more common with chikungunya than with dengue. The symptoms appear between four to seven days after the bite of an infected mosquito. The majority of clinical signs and symptoms last three to 10 days, but joint pain may persist longer. Severe cases requiring hospitalisation are rare. There is no vaccine or treatment for chikungunya, which has infected millions

of people in Africa and Asia since the disease was first recorded in 1952.

The Canadian health agency recommends that travellers protect themsleves from mosquito bites, “particularly during peak mosquito biting times around sunrise and sunset” and to see a health care provider if symptoms similar to chikungunya develop after returning to Canada. (Caribbean360)

Bahamas PM says VAT tax is fair

Prime Minister Perry Christie has defended the decision of his administration to introduce a Value Added Tax (VAT) in July this year saying it is the most suitable option for The Bahamas to enhance the revenue yield of its tax system.

Delivering the “Mid-Year Budget Communication” to Parliament, Christie told legislators that income taxes have been ruled out on the grounds that, based on the international evidence, they are less conducive to stronger economic growth and job creation than a broad-based tax on consumption.

“After carefully considering the range of new rev-

enue options at its disposal, the government decided that a sales tax, in the form of a Value Added Tax, is the most suitable option for The Bahamas,” he said. He said the VAT was chosen over a simple sales tax since, “again on the basis of international experience, its built-in system of checks and balances makes it less prone to fraud and evasion.

“As part of a broader reform of our tax system, the VAT combined with lower import duties and excise taxes, will also lead to fairer taxation under which the segments of society that spend a large share of their incomes on services will now pay taxes on those services.

Police in Jamaica apprehend alleged serial rapist

The police in St James have apprehended an alleged serial rapist who the lawmen say has been wanted in several parishes.

He is Patrick Green of Retirement, St James. The Mount Salem Police in St James reported that Green and another man were handed over to them on January 8 by residents who were suspicious of their activities.

Investigations have since led to Green being charged with six counts of rape, six counts of robbery, six counts

of abduction and six counts of illegal possession of firearm in Clarendon; one count of rape in Manchester; and four counts of rape and three counts of robbery in St James.

He is also being charged with kidnapping in the three parishes.

The police are now appealing to anyone who believe that they may be a victim of Green, or anyone with information to contact the May Pen, Mandeville, and Mount Salem police stations. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

UN urges probe into Venezuela violence

The United Nations human rights office on

Friday, deeply concerned about the escalation of violence in Venezuela, including the death of at least three people during protests on Wednesday, called on all parties to engage in dialogue to peacefully resolve the crisis.

Thousands of people in big cities throughout Venezuela reportedly participated in protests against the detention of student demonstrators earlier in the week, as well as against rising crime rates and increasing economic hardship in the country, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

On Thursday, the public prosecutor reported that

three people lost their lives, 66 were wounded and 69 detained, as a result of various clashes during and after demonstrations, the office added.

“We have also received worrying reports of intimidation of journalists, some of whom have had their equipment seized, as well as reports that some local and international journalists were attacked while covering the protests,” OHCHR spokesperson Rupert Colville told reporters in Geneva.

“In addition, some protestors have reportedly been detained and may be prosecuted on terrorism charges. It has also been reported that some protesters, including minors, are being denied contact with family or lawyers,” he added.

(Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Thousands flee Syrian town as major assault looms

Thousands of people have fled a rebel-held town in Syria after it was bombed and shelled in an operation that has prompted fears of a major assault by ground troops, the United Nations said on Friday.

The fighting came as peace talks in Geneva neared the end of a second

round with the government and opposition sides sticking to their positions and as far from agreement as ever. Violence has spiralled as each side seeks the upper hand. “Nearly 5000 people have been killed just since these talks began,” a senior United States official said in Geneva on Friday. Military action in the

town of Yabroud, in western Syria near the border with Lebanon, would fit with the government’s aim of securing a corridor linking Damascus with President Bashar al-Assad’s heartland on the Mediterranean coast.

“We have received reports from within Syria that there have been numerous aerial attacks and shelling along with a military buildup around the town, suggesting a major assault by land may be imminent,” UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said.

Some estimates suggested as many as 40,000 to 50,000 people were still in the town with thousands of others fleeing over the last few days, he said.

Electricity was cut off on Wednesday and field hospitals are short of medical supplies as scores of people require urgent treatment, Colville told a news briefing in Geneva. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Around the World

Delhi anti-corruption chief minister quits

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has resigned after an anticorruption bill was blocked in the state assembly.

Opposition politicians blocked the bill, which would have created an independent body with the power to investigate politicians and civil servants suspected of corruption.

They argued it was unconstitutional to introduce legislation that did not have the approval of the federal government.

His anti-corruption party made a spectacular debut in recent elections.

But correspondents say his refusal to seek prior approval for the bill is part of a power struggle unfolding between his local administration and the federal government.

Kejriwal, who spent 49 days in power, had been threatening to resign if the anti-corruption bill was blocked. He had also written to India’s Home Minister

UN finds "crimes against humanity in North Korea"

AUnited Nations panel has reportedly found crimes against humanity have been committed in North Korea and will call for an international criminal investigation.

The commission says it has found evidence of an array of crimes, including “extermination”, crimes against humanity against starving populations and a widespread campaign of abductions of individuals in South Korea and Japan.

The conclusion of the year-long inquiry will be released on Monday, but a copy has been given to the AP news agency,

The UN has not yet confirmed the report’s accuracy, but North Korea’s UN mission in New York has rejected the report’s findings.

North Korea’s ally, China, would be likely to block any referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The report does not examine in detail individual responsibility for crimes, but recommends steps to -

wards accountability.

It could also help build international pressure on North Korea whose parlous rights record has drawn less censure at the UN than its nuclear and missile programmes.

North Korea’s heredi -

U.S. allows banks to accept deposits from marijuana sellers

The United States government has offered guidance to banks that want to accept deposits from marijuana sellers, lowering their risk of prosecution.

Under the policies, cannabis sellers in states with medical or legal marijuana laws will have access to banking services.

Currently, sellers deal almost entirely in cash, increasing the risk of robbery and the ease of money laundering.

Colorado and

Washington State voted in 2012 to legalise cannabis. Other states are expected soon to follow.

“We hope today’s guidance will give banks the comfort they need to begin doing business with the legal marijuana industry in Colorado,” Michael Elliott, executive director of the Marijuana Industry Group, a trade organisation, said in a statement.

The changes out of Washington, DC, reflect the shift in political attitudes toward the

drug, says the BBC’s Rajini Vaidyanathan in Washington.

At present, federally insured banks which take deposits from the proceeds of marijuana sales risk drug racketeering charges.

The new guidance from the Justice Department and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), an office of the treasury department, does not provide immunity to banks who want to work with marijuana businesses. (Excerpt from BBC News)

tary regime has shrugged off years of continuous outside pressure, including tough UN and U.S. sanctions directed at its weapons programmes.

An outline of the report’s conclusions was provided to AP by an individual familiar with its contents who was not authorised to divulge the information before its formal release and who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A U.S. official, speaking anonymously for the same reason, confirmed the main conclusions to AP.

The three-member commission, led by retired Australian judge Michael Kirby, was set up by the UN’s top human rights body last March. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Sushil Kumar Shinde asking him to withdraw a 2002 order making federal consent compulsory for laws introduced into Delhi’s assembly.

Addressing hundreds of supporters outside his party headquarters on Friday, Kejriwal said his attempt to fight corruption by bringing in new legislation had been blocked by India’s two lead-

ing parties, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“My cabinet has decided that we are quitting. Here is my resignation letter,” he said.

The bill was blocked by opposition Congress and BJP MPs in a chaotic session at the Delhi Assembly earlier on Friday. (Excerpt from BBC News)

France sends more troops to unrest-torn CAR

France has announced plans to increase its 1600-strong military deployment in the Central African Republic by sending an additional 400 soldiers, as political and sectarian unrest continues to tear apart the African country.

The decision on Friday to boost French military presence in the former colony to 2000 soldiers comes as thousands of Muslims, who tried to flee the sectarian violence in the capital of the former French colony, were turned back by peacekeepers.

Tens of thousands of Muslims have fled for their lives in the Central African Republic, as Christian militiamen have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks.

French forces are working alongside nearly 6000 African peacekeepers.

President Francois Hollande’s office also urged other countries to show “in-

creased solidarity” and called on the United Nations Security Council to accelerate the deployment of peacekeeping troops in the country.

About a quarter of the population has been displaced by fighting and at least 2000 people have been killed, since the mostly Muslim Seleka rebel group seized power last March in the majority Christian country.

The fleeing Muslims, most of whom hoped to seek asylum in Chad, were surrounded by crowds of angry Christians shouting “we’re going to kill you all”, according to the Associated Press.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said earlier this week that sectarian violence was continuing to worsen in the landlocked country and that he was concerned it could spiral into genocide.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta resigns

talian Prime Minister

IEnrico Letta has resigned after just 10 tumultuous months at the head of a fragile coalition with the centre-right in which he struggled with a rampant economic crisis.

Letta submitted his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano on Friday after his own Democratic Party overwhelmingly backed a motion by its new leader Renzi calling for a new government.

Napolitano will now begin consultations with political leaders to pick a nominee to replace Letta, which the presidency said would

conclude on Saturday.

The resignation paves the way for 39-year-old centre-left leader Matteo Renzi to take the helm of Italy’s third government in less than a year.

Renzi, who is the mayor of Florence, still faces delicate days ahead before he can finally clinch his goal of becoming the European Union’s youngest prime minister and Italy’s youngest ever government leader.

Whatever the difficulties, analysts say a new Renzi government could be sworn in as early as next week.

Known for his informal style and his catchphrases,

Renzi enjoys high ratings in the opinion polls because he is seen as a relative political outsider, but his leadership has been criticised as brash and divisive.

Renzi has never been in the government or the parliament although he has extensive experience in local administration in and around Florence, where he has been praised for lowering taxes and promoting recycling.

Stocks on Friday jumped up 1.6 per cent as Letta resigned, also thanks to new data showing that the economy grew by 0.1 per cent in the fourth quarter. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Neal & Massy makes TT$213M first-quarter profit

Neal and Massy Holdings Ltd’s group revenue has increased by 7.4 per cent to TT$2.8 billion for the first quarter of the financial year 2014. The conglomerate’s condensed financial statements for the first quarter ended December 31, 2013, also show that group profit before tax (PBT) increased by 3.3 per cent to TT$213 million and group earnings per share increased by 2.2 per cent to TT$1.39 per share.

A report from the group stated: “The Energy and Industrial Gases Business Unit and the Distribution and the Consumer Finance Lines of Business in the Integrated Retail Business Unit rebounded well from a disappointing performance in the first quarter of financial year 2013. Many other subsidiaries also provided double-digit growth contributions towards first-quarter PBT.

“However, PBT declines from some subsidi-

aries slowed PBT growth to 3.3 per cent. Most of the declines are recoverable in the remaining quarters of the financial year. The group notes the cautious behaviours being adopted by consumers in Barbados in the wake of the austerity measures announced by the government and is adjusting its strategies.”

Chairman Arthur Lok Jack said the group’s strategic initiatives were beginning to show results. (Trinidad Guardian)

North America

Caribbean Asia

Cold weather slams u.s. factory output, likely to hurt growth

U.S. manufacturing output unexpectedly fell in January, recording its biggest drop in more than four and a half years, as cold weather disrupted production in the latest indication the economy got off to a weak start this year. Though consumer sentiment was steady in early February, there are worries the harsh weather, which has persisted in many parts of the country, could dampen the

Europe

morale of households when it starts to stretch budgets through high bills for heating.

“The big question is whether the U.S. economy is slowing significantly or whether it is merely going through a soft patch caused by extreme weather. The evidence points to the latter,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit in London.

Factory production fell 0.8 per cent last month, the Federal Reserve said

on Friday. It was the first drop since July and the biggest since May 2009, when the economy was still locked in recession. Output had increased 0.3 per cent in December.

The Fed attributed the first decline in factory output since July to “severe weather that curtailed production in some parts of the country.” Economists polled by Reuters had expected manufacturing output to edge up 0.1 per cent. (Reuters)

eurozone GdP growth gathers speed

he eurozone’s econ-

Tomy grew by 0.3 per cent in the final three months of 2013, up from 0.1 per cent growth in the previous quarter. It was the third quarter of growth since the end of an 18-month recession, the longest period of contraction to affect the single currency area.

The eurozone figures include 17 of the EU’s economies. Latvia became the currency zone’s 18th mem-

ber in January. Across the whole 28-nation EU, including the UK, growth for the October to December period was 0.4 per cent. The figures from Eurostat, the EU’s statistics office, also showed that during 2013, GDP contracted by 0.4 per cent in the eurozone, but increased by 0.1 per cent in the EU as a whole.

“The eurozone’s recovery has moved up a gear,” said

Chris Williamson, chief economist of Markit. “Not only has the pace of growth picked up to the fastest since the second quarter of 2011, but the recovery is also becoming more broadbased, encompassing core and so-called ‘periphery’ countries alike.”

Earlier, French government figures indicated the country’s economy grew by 0.3 per cent in the last three months of 2013. (BBC News)

Africa

Weakening currency worries Ghana

Ghana’s President John Mahama has said the country needs to make fundamental changes to its economy if it is to protect its currency. The cedi has dropped to a record low on foreign exchange markets.

The voice of popular preacher Nicholas Duncan Williams booms through a church in the capital Accra as he offers up a prayer for the recovery of the Ghanaian currency.

Messaging app Viber has been bought by Rakuten, the owner of online retailer Play.com. The Japanese company will pay US$900 million (£540 million) for the mobile application, which offers free calls and text messages from a mobile phone.

Rakuten, which also owns the Canadian e-reader Kobo, said the purchase would allow it to expand its digital content into emerging markets. Viber, which is based in

Middle East

“I hold up the cedi – and I command the cedi to recover! I declare the cedi will not fall any further. I command the cedi to climb. I command the resurrection of the cedi! In the name of Jesus I command a miracle for Ghana’s economy!”

That is just one indication of how seriously the fall in value of the cedi against major foreign currencies is regarded in the West African state, not only by churchmen and their con-

gregations, but especially by major trading centres and business owners. The cedi fell to a record low on foreign exchange markets when the United States scaled back its stimulus programme and investors ran shy of emerging markets. Ghana’s central bank responded by raising its main interest rate by two full percentage points on February 6 and the government has tightened foreign exchange controls. (allAfrica)

Cyprus, has 300 million registered users.

“This acquisition is a totally new strategy that will take Rakuten to a different level,” said Rakuten’s chief executive Hiroshi Mikitani.

“Developing this messaging system on our own would have been impossible,” he added.

He suggested that Rakuten users might be able to use Viber’s instant messages to contact an online store while considering a

purchase.

Viber’s chief executive and founder, Talmon Marco, said: “This combination presents an amazing opportunity for Viber to enhance our rapid user growth in both existing and new markets.

“Sharing similar aspirations with Rakuten, our vision is to be the world’s number one communications platform, and our combination with Rakuten is an important step in that direction.” (BBC News)

Al Habtoor promotes exec to oversee US$3B Dubai project

Al Habtoor Group, the Dubai conglomerate, said on Friday that it has promoted Henning Fries to managing director of the company’s hospitality division, adding that he will be responsible for overseeing the opening of the US$3 billion Al Habtoor City project.

The project, a multi-use development currently under construction, will incorporate three five star hotels – WESTIN, W Hotel,

St Regis – as well as three high-residential towers.

Fries, who joined the Group in early 2013, oversees the global hotel assets, and has been instrumental in driving growth in the hotels division, the company said in a statement.

The promotion, which takes place effective immediately, is part of a “realignment of a cohesive strategy” across the group, it added. Mohammed Al

Investors' guide

Habtoor, vice chairman and CEO, Al Habtoor Group said: “Mr Fries has been a great addition to our management team. He has been key in driving growth for the business and plays an important role in our business strategy.” Fries recently oversaw the successful opening of the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah, the latest addition to the Al Habtoor Group’s growing portfolio. (Arabianbusiness)

Six tips for developing a prototype

Building a prototype for your product is a key part of making your idea a concrete reality. This is the product that you will present to prospective investors to convince them that this is an viable business worthy of an investment. Let’s discuss some of the key points you should consider when developing a prototype.

Get started First of all, you’ll need

someone skilled in drafting software, such as CAD and its variants. Make a digital mock-up first of your product that can be viewed on a 3D plane. See if the balance, connections and angles are mathematically sound.

Keep it simple

When producing a prototype, remember the less parts it has, the better. If you’re producing an electronics prototype, make sure you don’t have

Business concept – Performance

ugly redundant connections. If you’re presenting a physical non-tech product, make it aesthetically pleasing and simple looking. A good rule of thumb is to use as few parts as possible to create the most cohesive looking design. If multiple components can be combined into one, then do it. If you can reduce connections, do it. Anything that makes your product look simpler when taken apart will create a better impression.(Business Dictionary)

“Monster Fish” documentary coming soon

The National Geographic Channel has completed filming a segment of “Monster Fish” during a two weeks expedition in Guyana’s hinterland waterways.

The documentary was based on the Hoplias Aimara fish, locally known as the Hymara or Wolf Fish.

The team began filming on January 30 and completed its work on Thursday last. Monster Fish is a programme on the National Geographic Channel.

It was premiered in 2007 and is in its fifth season. This documentary that was filmed in Guyana will be the show’s 30th episode.

At a press conference on Friday at the Tourism Ministry, the team related their experience in Guyana and talked about the documentary.

Producer and director of the documentary, Erin Buxton, said the time was too short to really do the film justice; however, they completed their work. She noted that Guyana exceeded her initial expectations.

“I had high hopes coming here. I heard a lot about Guyana’s species, diversity and the fact that so much of its rain forest is still intact,” she stated.

Buxton said the team had the opportunity to see various species of birds and fish. She added that it is sometimes hard to locate the fish. but they did not have many difficulties in the areas they explored. “It was easy to make a show here,” she said.

Fish biologist and presenter of the documentary Zen Hogan pointed out that while he did a lot of work in many

countries, filming in Guyana was his best so far.

“I think of the 30 shows we’ve done, this was the best fishing that we’ve had; the highest diversity of fish that we have seen.

"We saw a lot of large fish and I think that’s largely because the areas where we went were pristine.

"Pristine environment, the rivers are very healthy, there wasn’t a lot of over fishing going on so we were able to find a lot of different kind of fishes, including the one that we were really looking for,” he said.

Project

He added that he is working on a project studying the world’s largest fresh water fish and as part of the project and the show, he has travel a lot over the last 15 years and some the areas here are as of impressive as anywhere else.

Ground tour operator, Duane DeFreitas, who did the logistics work on the documentary, said the team was looking for the biggest Hymara fish they could find in different parts of the Essequibo River.

He noted that they explored areas such as Gunns in the Wai Wai territory, Apoteri, Iwokrama and the Buro Buro River.

According to DeFreitas, the team caught a lot of Hymara in Gunns; however, from Apoteri down, they did not get any of those species since that area is exposed to a lot of commercial fishing, but still had a healthy population of tiger fish and cat fish, among others.

He commended the hospitality of the people of Wai Wai

and Apoteri.

Meanwhile, acting

Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali lauded the work of the team and for choosing Guyana for the documentary.

The minister added that the praises from the team reflects the seriousness in which government protects and safe guards the environment.

Monster Fish is an amazing programme which will put Guyana within worldwide viewership.

“We here in Guyana will be able to reach into the homes of millions of viewers around the world and there is no monetary value that can be put to that. The advertising and promotional value that it brings cannot be costed.

"Prime time on any of these television stations, much less National Geographic, is something that is not cheap,” he said.

The minster told the team members that their work is noted by the Guyana Tourism Authority and will be one of the many documentaries that would be vying for the Tourism Award.

Ali explained that his ministry is working extensively to develop various tourism products. He noted that one area he is looking to develop is deep sea sport fishing, which will target cuffum fishes.

He disclosed that fishing ground for this activity has been identified, adding that a local investor is working on developing the sport.

He also challenged the team to return to Guyana not only for another episode of Monster Fish, but to explore other areas which they are fascinated with.

CCJ president meets Granger

Caribbean Court of Justice President, Sir Charles Michael Dennis Bryon on Friday paid a courtesy call on Opposition Leader, Brigadier (retired) David Granger at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Hadfield Street, Georgetown.

The opposition leader and a team of senior officials from the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) welcomed the Kittitian-born jurist to his office, and to Guyana.

The APNU team and the CCJ president engaged in a very amicable and productive discussion on local and regional issues. The APNU team comprised deputy leader, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine; Deputy Speaker Basil Williams; Opposition Chief Whip Amna Ally; and parliamentarians Joseph Harmon and Ronald Bulkan

CCJ sittings to begin on Monday

The full bench of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will travel to Guyana for the first time for itinerant sittings from Monday to Wednesday.

The sittings will be held at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown and will include a special sitting of the court in honour of the retirement of Justice Desiree Bernard.

This will be the third itinerant sitting of the court, with previous sittings being held in Barbados in April 2012 and Jamaica and Barbados in March 2013. The court views these itinerant sittings as important to ensuring that it is accessible to the people of the Caribbean community which it serves.

The court’s visit will begin with appellate jurisdiction hearings on February 17 and February 18, when three matters which originated

Bandits rob business owned

Several bandits armed with a gun and cutlasses on Friday robbed a business at Sheet Anchor Village, Canje, Region Six, of an undisclosed amount of cash, before making good their escape within the vicinity of the Canje River.

According to reports, about 13:00h on Friday, the bandits went into the business place of Region Six Chairman David Armogan and held up the employees.

In a telephone interview, Armogan, who was out of the region at the time of the incident, said he received a call from one of his employees, informing him of the incident.

“One of my workers called

me and told me bandits attacked them and they were trying to call 911 and the Central Police Station but were unable to get through,” he said.

He pointed out that he subsequently contacted B Division Commander Brian Joseph, who immediately responded by dispatching a vehicle with armed ranks to the scene.

Armogan said by that time, the bandits had already committed the act and fled the scene.

“According to the information I received from my employee, this was an organised crime since it appears that these bandits were dropped off by a vehicle on a road under the Canje Bridge,” he said.

The chairman said he has been

in Guyana will be heard.

During its visit to Guyana, the court will also facilitate a judicial education workshop for the judiciary of Guyana from 14:00h to 17:00h at the GICC on Monday.

The workshop aims to present themes on the improvement of justice delivery. This workshop will be led by CCJ President, Sir Dennis Byron and CCJ judge, Justice Adrian

Saunders.

The culmination of the court’s itinerant visit will be the special sitting in honour of the retirement of Justice Bernard, on Wednesday at the GICC from 10:00h. The full bench of the CCJ will sit, along with acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh. Various members of the local and regional legal fraternity have been invited to attend. The occasion will be addressed by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque, Professor Harold Lutchman of the Regional, Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC), Oswald Barnes of the CCJ board of trustees, Guyana Bar Association President Ronald Burch-Smith and Guyana Association of Women Lawyers President Simone MorrisRamlall.

by Region Six chairman

in the sand and stone business located at Sheet Anchor Village for the past 18 years, and was never robbed before.

According to reports, the three armed men entered the business of Armogan and one of the bandits gun-butted his 70-year-old cashier while the other employees were held up by another robber.

The bandits then stole the days earning from the cash drawer and made good their escape, but not before discharging a few warning shots.

The cashier was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he received medical treatment and was discharged.

The police have launched an investigation into the matter.

Meantime, in another incident, police ranks at Fort Wellington managed to foil an alleged robbery at Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice. According to police reports, about 20:30h on Thursday evening, several men attempted to break into the home of a resident in the area.

However, ranks at the Fort Wellington Police Station responded immediately to a call for help and the bandits were forced to flee.

Sources have disclosed that a Toyota Premio, bearing registration number PSS 1495 was held in the vicinity of the Berbice River Bridge. Several persons have been held for questioning.

SUDOKU

Get involved in talks that challenge you mentally. You will learn from a good debate. You have much to offer and much to gain if you just speak up and share your ideas.

20Feb. 19)

Gambling will lead to misfortune. Financial limitations are apparent if you aren’t careful with your cash. Hard work will be required to maintain your position; don’t trust any risky schemes.

Focus on children, creative projects or getting out and socialising. An older relative may be a burden. Offer help, but don’t let anyone take you for granted.

Don’t become too chummy with a colleague. You will be disappointed if this person doesn’t respond in the way you hoped. Expect delays with travel and communications.

Take on creative projects that you may have been afraid to attempt in the past. It’s time to move forward with your dreams, hopes and wishes.

If you limit yourself, you will have regrets later on. Don’t take what others say too seriously, and keep a steady watch on events transpiring in your work and home lives – things could get away from you if you aren’t careful.

By Bernice Bede Osol

21July 22)

Don’t be shy; take part in activities that are happening in your community. Don’t address matters that require legal, financial or medical input until you have more information.

23Aug. 22)

Work by yourself and at your own speed. Someone influential may try to hold you back. Do whatever it takes to complete your planned endeavours.

You will want to express yourself today, so don’t hold back. It would be best to say what’s on your mind and let others respond in whatever way they see fit.

Problems while travelling or dealing with authority figures can be expected. Make sure your documents are up to date before you venture out. Someone may have a hidden agenda.

You can make a difference if you get involved in an organisation that helps the underprivileged. You are likely to meet someone special who shares your concerns. Together, you will make a contribution.

23Dec. 21)

Watch what you say. Someone may use your words against you. Emotional matters will surface if you try to skirt issues. Be honest and don’t let anyone limit your freedom.

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FlOWERS

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The proprietor of Ram’s Auto Spares was up to late Friday afternoon listed in critical condition at the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital after a failed execution bid in Alberttown, Georgetown.

Fifty-eight-year-old Deonarine 'Ram' Sanasie was reportedly imbibing with his friends at Light and Fourth streets in front of the Hose and Bolt Store when

he was shot three times by two young men, once to his leg and twice to his abdomen.

When Guyana Times visited the scene, police ranks from the Alberttown Police Station were conducting their investigations. They have since recovered two warheads, which likely came from a revolver of unknown calibre.

The owner of the Hose

and Bolt store told media operatives that Sanasie was in the presence of his workers when he was attacked by the two young men.

He recounted that he was in the shop when he heard three shots go off about 18:15h. The man said as he ran out, he saw the businessman holding onto his abdomen and running towards the shop counter with blood oozing from his body. The injured man was subsequently placed in a vehicle and whisked away to the private medical institution.

The Hose and Bolt shop owner also revealed that a while ago, the said businessman was attacked and robbed in the same area. He does not believe robbery was a motive for the shooting, since within seconds, the two young men made good their escape on their bicycles.

Relatives of Sanasie declined to offer a comment. Police are continuing their investigations.

Businessman in critical condition after failed execution bid Guyana concerned over escalating violence in Venezuela

The Guyana government on Friday has expressed grave concern over the escalating political unrest in neighbouring Venezuela.

In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, the government said it is regrettable that the recent incidents have resulted in the loss of innocent life.

“The government of Guyana stands in solidarity with the government of Venezuela and fully supports its efforts at withstanding acts of destabilisation. The government of Guyana hopes that peace and normalcy will soon prevail in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that President Nicolas Maduro’s government kept dozens of student protesters behind bars on Friday as unrest still rumbled across Venezuela following this week’s violence at political rallies that killed three. Demonstrators gathered again in various cities,

blocking roads and burning tires in some cases, to denounce the repression of protests and make a litany of complaints against Maduro ranging from rampant crime to shortages of basic products.

“We’re going to stay out in the streets for the same reasons as yesterday and the day before: inflation, insecurity and a repressive state that refuses to release our colleagues,” student Marcos Matta, 22, told Reuters, in Caracas.

Defying the president’s prohibition of demonstrations, about 500 people gathered in Caracas’ Altamira Square, a heartland of past opposition protests, to chant slogans and wave banners. Maduro, a 51-year-old former union activist and bus driver, accuses his foes of seeking a coup against him similar to one that briefly toppled his predecessor Hugo Chavez in 2002. However, there is no sign the street demonstrations threaten to oust him,

nor that the military, whose role was crucial to Chavez’s 36-hour unseating, will turn against Maduro. The protests might in fact give him a chance to unite competing factions within the ruling Socialist Party, divide the opposition where many moderates oppose the street tactics, and distract Venezuelans’ attention from economic problems. Maduro has called supporters onto the streets of Caracas for Saturday and insisted unauthorised rallies will be stopped.

“This is not Ukraine,” he said, in reference to months of anti-government protests there in which six people have died.

Opposition activists say about 150 protesters have been arrested in the last two weeks, most after Wednesday’s violence, with most due to face charges of violence and about 90 still behind bars on Friday. The government puts the number of arrests at about 70.

However, hardline opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, whom the government is calling the “face of fascism” and the intellectual author of the violence, remained in his Caracas home on Friday despite a judge’s arrest warrant for him, party colleagues said. He said peaceful protests have been infiltrated by provocateurs and attacked by militantly progovernment gangs known locally as “colectivos”.

India surge through impressive Ishant

The much-maligned Ishant Sharma continued to confound his critics by registering his personal best figures of 6 for 51 - also the best figures by an Indian quick not opening the bowling - to bowl New Zealand out for 192.

Most crucial was his morning spell of 9-2-14-3 that helped India turn their morning around after the New Zealand openers had moved along to 23 without any incident. Despite New Zealand’s lower-order counterattack from 86 for 6, the Indian batsmen played stodgily to make sure that didn’t translate into any sort of momentum for the hosts.

India had to contend with the misfortune of having dismissed Kane Williamson twice off no-balls before eventually getting him for 47, but spare a thought for Brendon McCullum too.

He has been at the receiving end of MS Dhoni’s form at the toss, but this is where he needed Dhoni to call wrong more than ever. He had been delivered the green pitch he wanted, but he had to defend the series lead without the services of Ross Taylor who is away for his child’s birth.

Dhoni, though, has now won 12 in a row in completed international matches. He has won every toss on this trip, but not a single match, and needed the best from his bowlers to correct that. They had the conditions to play with, which were even tougher than those on the first morning in Auckland.

Almost every ball pitched up either swung or seamed or both. All you needed to do was bowl just short of halfvolley length and watches the ball trouble the batsmen. Strangely, though, the bowler who flies in the face of such strategies began the slide for New Zealand.

Hamish Rutherford, batting old-style in his new oldfashioned mo’, and Peter Fulton had negotiated seven overs without looking in trouble. In the eighth over came on Ishant, and he began to pitch short of a length. In his second, he bowled an accurate bouncer at Rutherford, who couldn’t get out of the way in time.

Fulton reprised his trade-

mark dismissal: neither forward nor back, and plumb in front. Out walked debutant

Tom Latham. Eight balls later he had nicked Ishant off, scoring exactly as many as Taylor had in the first innings in Auckland.

India’s strategy until then had been clear: Zaheer was doing the holding job, bowling eight tight overs in his first spell for 18 runs to facilitate attack from the other end.

However, now we were getting into the crucial partnership between Williamson and McCullum, the duo that had rescued New Zealand from a similar start in Auckland. The two batted with similar purpose here, and Mohammed Shami soon replaced Zaheer.

Despite a start here, McCullum soon found out his luck hadn’t changed much. He had added 19 with Williamson when he got a half-volley from Shami, but his manner of walking after hitting it in the air to mid-off suggested the ball still had time to stop in the pitch a little.

Williamson, though, is going through a prolonged spell of good fortune. In Auckland, he was dropped pretty early. Here he got a beauty from Zaheer last ball before lunch, edged it, was caught, but dis-

covered after TV replays that Zaheer had nothing behind the crease when he landed. Williamson was 15 then.

By the time he reached 23, Corey Anderson was fallen for 24 trying to counterattack and BJ Watling for a duck. When he reached 23, Williamson nearly made it 87 for 7 when he bat-padded Ishant to short leg.

Replays showed another act of over-stepping, Ishant had missed out on a sixth wicket, and New Zealand were on the cusp beginning a counterattack. The next 17.1 overs brought New Zealand 105 runs for four wickets.

Williamson found freedom, debutant Jimmy Neesham struck 33 off 35, and Tim Southee struck three sixes in his run-a-ball 32. Southee carried that over into his bowling, dismissing M Vijay with a vicious incutter in his first over.

Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara, though, batted with discipline, and saw off the new ball. He covered Southee’s swing towards him well, left Trent Boult’s away swing alone, and swayed out of Neil Wagner’s bouncers. Once settled, Dhawan unfurled some sensational shots to run away with the initiative. His cuts from just outside off, the body arching away to make room, were almost outrageous.

One particular over of Wagner, when he whipped, cut and upper-cut successive deliveries for four, four and six, would have been a small measure of retribution for that screamer from Wagner that turned the Auckland chase around. In all, Dhawan accelerated from 29 off 54 to 71 off 87.

Just when it began to look easy for India, though, Boult came back and removed Pujara with a beautiful inswinger to suggest there was life in the pitch yet. However, the last act belonged, fittingly, to Ishant, who negotiated 16 awkward deliveries to protect Dhawan and Virat Kohli. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand 1st innings

PG Fulton lbw b I Sharma 13 HD Rutherford c Vijay b I

david Warner rams home australia’s advantage on day three

D(Rutherford), 2-26 (Fulton), 3-26 (Latham), 4-45 (McCullum), 5-84 (Anderson), 6-86 (Watling), 7-133 (Williamson), 8-165 (Neesham), 9-184 (Southee), 10-192 (Boult)

Bowling: Z Khan 17-3-57-0, Mohammed Shami 16.5-4-70-4, I

Sharma 17-3-51-6, RA Jadeja 2-112-0

India 1st innings

S Dhawan not out 71 M Vijay c †Watling b Southee 2 CA Pujara lbw b Boult 19

Sharma 0

JDS Neesham c †Dhoni b Mohammed Shami 33

TG Southee c Vijay b I Sharma 32

N Wagner not out 5

TA Boult c Pujara b Mohammed Shami 2

Extras: (lb 2, w 8, nb 6) 16

Total: (all out; 52.5 overs) 192

(3.63 runs per over)

Fall of wickets: 1-23

I Sharma not out 3

Extras: (b 4, w 1) 5

Total: (2 wickets; 28 overs) 100

Fall of wickets 1-2 (Vijay), 2-89 (Pujara)

Bowling: TA Boult 9-4-18-1, TG Southee 7-0-20-1, N Wagner 7-036-0, CJ Anderson 3-0-14-0, JDS Neesham 2-0-8-0

avid Warner’s century and Mitchell Johnson’s sevenwicket haul put Australia in a strong position after day three of the first Test against South Africa at Centurion.

Johnson finished with 7-68 as South Africa were all out for 206 to concede a firstinnings deficit of 191 and Australia, led by Warner’s 115, reached 288-3 to increase their advantage to 479 at stumps.

Warner shared a doublecentury second-wicket stand with debutant No 3 Alex Doolan (89) on the way to his sixth Test hundred.

South Africa added 66 runs for their last four wickets at the start of the day, thanks largely to AB de Villiers’ 91.

Only the wicketkeeper-batsman could handle Johnson for long, resisting for 148 balls and hitting 10 fours and two sixes.

Eventually even he fell to the rampant left-arm seamer, but in contrasting fashion to his team-mates - ninth out, just failing to clear mid off rather than being bounced or bowled out.

Johnson, who took 37 wickets during Australia’s 5-0 Ashes whitewash of England after being recalled to the side, has now moved above former captain Richie Benaud into seventh in Australia’s all-time list with 249 Test wickets.

Australia’s second innings got off to a bad start in a short session just before lunch when opener Chris Rogers chopped Dale Steyn’s first delivery down on to his stumps in the second over.

But Warner and Doolan then began to put Australia out of sight.

Warner was dropped twice in the 20s, once by substitute fielder Dean Elgar running in from long-leg from a faulty pull at Vernon Philander and then head-high at slip by Alviro Petersen off Morne Morkel.

Captain Graeme Smith was also unable to hold on to another tough chance to see off Warner, who profited to reach his 118-ball hundred when he hit his 13th four to go with two sixes. By then Doolan, after an especially watchful start, also had a maiden Test 50.

Warner eventually departed via a sharp edge off slow left-armer Robin Peterson to Smith at slip, and 28-year-old Tasmanian Doolan fell short of a hundred on debut when he nicked a short one behind trying to cut part-time offspinner JP Duminy.

But first-innings centurion Shaun Marsh and Captain Michael Clarke helped Australia to 288 for three at stumps and South Africa are therefore sure to be set a mammoth target.

(Sky Sports)

Windies U-19s go down heavily in opener

West Indies failed to press home an advantage against South Africa and crashed to a 94-run defeat in their opening game of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 World Cup at Dubai’s International Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Three run-outs, in the space of four overs, reduced South Africa to 110 for 7 after they were sent in by West Indies who won the toss and chose to field.

A half century from Yaseen Valli revived the innings to 198 for 9, and set the stage for a devastating spell of fast bowling from Kagiso Rabada, which destroyed the Windies top order batting, as the young Caribbean cricket-

ers were bowled out for 104.

South Africa’s batsmen were also subjected to a pace barrage from Ray Jordan and Jerome Jones, as the West Indies gained the upper hand, but the Caribbean cricketers did not give a good account of themselves in the field, dropping catches and fumbling in the outfield.

Two chances were put down early, at backward point by Fabian Allen, and at slip by Ramaal Lewis.

Despite the let-offs, South Africa could not capitalise, and lost half their side for 98, despite a third wicket partnership of 65 between Jason Smith and Greg Oldfield.

Jordan and Lewis picked up two wickets each for 45 and 44 runs respective-

SCOREBOARD

South Africa Under-19 innings

A Markram*c Drakes b Jordan 3

C Fortuin+ c & b Jordan 4

J Smith c Moti-Kanhai b Lewis 29

G Oldfield st Pooran b Lewis 38

Y Valli lbw b McSween 53

B Bopp run out (Drakes/MotiKanhai) 4

D Bruwer run out (Solozano/ Lewis) 0

B Bosch run out (Allen/ Pooran) 5

K Rabada c Lewis b Jones 3

J Dill not out 34

N Sigwili not out 5

Total: (9 wickets; 50 overs) 198

Extras: (b 1, lb 12, w 6, nb 1) 20

Fall of Wickets: 1-3, 2-20, 3-85, 4-88, 5-98, 6-99, 7-110, 8-117, 9-179. Bowling: J Jones 10-1-28-1, R Jordan 10-2-45-2, P McSween 10-1-43-1, G Moti-Kanhai 101-25-1, R Lewis 10-0-44-2.

West Indies Under-19 innings

S Hetmyer c Bruwer b Rabada 0 T Chanderpaul run out (Dill) 0 J Solozano b Rabada 1 J Drakes c Fortuin b Rabada 0 N Pooran+ c Bruwer b Dill 12

F Allen c Fortuin b Dill 8

R Lewis b Bosch 37

G Moti-Kanhai b Valli 19

J Jones lbw b Bosch 0 P McSween c Bopp b Valli 15 R Jordan not out 0

Total: (all out; 35.2 overs) 104

Extras: (lb 2, w 8, nb 2) 12

Fall of Wickets: 1-0, 2-1, 3-1, 4-16, 5-25, 6-30, 7-79, 8-79, 9-104, 10-104.

Bowling: K Rabada 8-3-14-3, N Sigwili 6-1-18-0, J Dill 6-2-172, C Bosch 7-1-25-2, D Bruwer 7-0-24-0, Y Valli 1.2-0-4-2.

Sir Lanka wrap up Twenty20 series after thriller in Chittagong

Sly, while Jones and Preston McSween got one each.

West Indies struggled from the start of the chase as, Rabada, the 18-year-old right-arm fast bowler, clocked around 136 kph on an average and extracted disconcerting bounce on a fresh surface.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul was run out for a duck after diving and failing to make his ground when he and Shimron Hetmyer decided on a risky single on the first ball.

Hetmyer, who also did not get off the mark, didn’t last the over, edging Rabada to second slip.

In his next over, Rabada forced Jonathan Drakes, who also did not score, to edge a ball to the keeper.

Rabada’s pace attack left West Indies reeling at 1 for 3 as the top order struggled to adjust to his first spell of 6-39-3.

West Indies further crumbled to 27 for 5 after 12 overs, as the pressure mounted, forcing Nicolas Pooran to slashe Justin Dill to second slip for 12 and Allen edging to the keeper.

There was no fightback from the lower order except a top score of 37 from Lewis who hit five fours and a six.

Rabada constantly tested the middle order with his pace, one of which struck Pooran’s helmet.

Jeremy Solozano, who struggled for 20 balls for one run, was done in for pace when he inside-edged Rabada on to his leg stump.

West Indies will play Zimbabwe in their second match of the tournament on Sunday.

ri Lanka swept the two-match Twenty20 series against Bangladesh thanks to a thrilling three-wicket triumph in Chittagong.

Thisara Perera made an unbeaten 35 but it was Sachithra Senanayake who was the hero for the tourists, hitting the final ball of the match to the boundary to see Sri Lanka past the home side’s total of 120.

It was another tough defeat for Bangladesh to take –they had also been beaten in the series opener off the last ball, on that occasion Perera the hero with the ball in his hand when he took a return catch to dismiss Anamul Haque when two runs were required.

This time he made his mark with the bat, hitting three fours in his 28-ball knock that included putting on a crucial partnership of 46 with Kumar Sangakkara (37).

The pair had come together with the innings seemingly in tatters after losing six wickets for 27 runs. Kusal Perera made 21 at the top of the order but Sri Lanka slipped from 23 without loss to 50-6 following the opener’s departure.

After Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal both perished for three, Mashrafe Mortaza put Bangladesh in charge by claiming the wickets of Sri Lanka’s two Angelos, Perera and Mathews, in the same over.

Nuwan Kulasekara’s run out did not help the tourists’ cause, but Sangakkara and Thisara Perera kept their team afloat until the former was caught off the bowling of Rubel Hossain.

Yet Senanayake came out to put on a further 27 in nail-biting circumstances. He needed just two off the last delivery, bowled by Farhad Reza, but duly dispatched a short ball away to the fence.

Bangladesh had earlier been bowled out with a ball to spare in their innings, never recovering from leaving opening pair Shamsur Rahman and Tamim Iqbal with the score stuck on three.

Wicketkeeper Anamul made 24 from number three in the order before

Bangladesh innings Tamim Iqbal c Mendis b Kulasekara 2 Shamsur Rahman c †Chandimal b Dilshan 1 Anamul Haque† c MDKJ Perera b Senanayake 24

Shakib Al Hasan c Kulasekara b Senanayake 12 Nasir Hossain c Chandimal b Mendis 8 Sabbir Rahman c Kulasekara b Malinga 26 Mahmudullah run out (Dilshan) 9 Farhad Reza c Chandimal b Kulasekara 9 Mashrafe Mortaza* b Malinga 17

Arafat Sunny c Chandimal b Malinga 5 Rubel Hossain not out 0

Extras: (b 1, lb 3, w 3) 7

Total: (all out; 19.5 overs) 120

Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Shamsur Rahman), 2-3 (Tamim Iqbal), 3-35 (Shakib Al Hasan), 4-41 (Anamul Haque), 5-47 (Nasir Hossain), 6-59 (Mahmudullah), 7-80 (Farhad Reza), 8-101 (Mashrafe Mortaza), 9-120 (Arafat Sunny), 10120 (Sabbir Rahman)

Bowling: TM Dilshan 2-0-231, KMDN Kulasekara 4-0-32-

becoming one of two wickets for Senanayake, who saw his four overs go for a cost of just 11 runs. Sabbir Rahman topscored with 26 from 36 deliveries until perishing to Lasith Malinga, the paceman also bowling home skipper Mortaza for 17 on his way to figures of 3-20. The two nations will now turn their attentions to 50-over cricket, with a three-match series getting underway in Dhaka on Monday. There are further fixtures at the same venue on February 20 and 22. (Sky Sports)

2, SMSM Senanayake 4-0-112, SL Malinga 3.5-0-20-3, AD Mathews 2-0-9-0, BAW Mendis 4-0-21-1

Sri Lanka innings

MDKJ Perera lbw b Shakib Al Hasan 21 TM Dilshan b Arafat Sunny 3 LD Chandimal* lbw b Mahmudullah 3 KC Sangakkara† c Tamim Iqbal b Rubel Hossain 37 AK Perera b Mashrafe Mortaza 4 AD Mathews c †Anamul Haque b Mashrafe Mortaza 2 KMDN Kulasekara run out (Mahmudullah/†Anamul Haque) 2 NLTC Perera not out 35 SMSM Senanayake not out 12 Extras: (lb 1, w 2, nb 1) 4

Total:

Tage Chanderpaul: chip off the old block

West Indian batting great Shivnarine Chanderpaul will be one of the few cricketers fortunate enough to see his legacy prosper while he is still at the crease.

His 17-year-old son Tagenarine is already creating waves and is tipped as the future of West Indies cricket even as his 39-yearold father, who has made 29 centuries in 153 Tests, nears retirement.

Chanderpaul Jr is part of the U-19 West Indies team taking part in the youth World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He made clear that he is well prepared for the challenge ahead in the next couple of weeks by compiling an unbeaten 62 in his team’s warm-up match win against New Zealand.

“I’m really excited to be here and, hopefully, I can score some big runs. I managed a decent score in the warm-up and that was good to boost my morale.

“We arrived here early

and did some useful training in Abu Dhabi and that helped,” said the opener, displaying a subdued demeanour similar to his father.

The Chanderpaul fatherson combination made headlines in 2012 when they were involved in an unbeaten partnership of 256 runs while playing for Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) against Transport Sports Club in Guyana.

The duo remained unbeaten on 143 and 112, as their team finished with a total of 312-2 from 40 overs, which proved enough to win, as their opponents were shot out for 187.

Wonders

“Yes, I have been fortunate to partner my father in a few games and that has done wonders to my confidence. There’s no better feeling than having father besides you with loads of experience.

“He kept giving me vital tips all through that in-

nings,” Tagenarine recalled, adding that things changed for him drastically, ever since his father switched base from Florida and joined him in 2009.

“I was living with my grandfather [Khemraj] and training under him. However, since my father joined me, we have been training together. His presence has been the difference,” said Tagenarine.

He added that his father was constantly following his performances and he even texted him after his showing in the warm-up.

In terms of similarities between father and son, both are left-handers.

Tagenarine was originally a right-hander but trained to be a left-hander from an early age.

Unlike Chanderpaul Sr, known for his unorthodox batting stance which one wouldn’t find in any coaching manual and has even been described as crab-like, the son has a normal way of facing bowling.

But he takes guard ex-

actly the same way as his father, hammering the bail on the crease.

Most importantly, he displays a key trait of his father – patience. He is capable of spending hours at the crease and making himself very hard to dislodge.

“No, I have my own style. I don’t stand up front-on like my father,” says Tagenarine. “I stand normally and I have my own way of batting. I bowl a bit of left-arm spin, but batting is my strength,” he said.

Tagenarine represented Guyana at the Under-17 and U-19 levels, and even won the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) U-15 Cricketer of the Year Award in 2011.

Last year, he played club cricket in the Division Six of the Newark Alliance in England and scored three unbeaten centuries in a row for Stainsby Hall Cricket Club.

Learning experience

“In the regional U-19 tournament, I did well and the World Cup team was selected from that. The club cricket in England was a huge learning experience. It was good, tough cricket there on green tops and testing conditions.

“So, to play good cricket out there and get some runs was really nice,” said the teenager, who has taken a break from studies after high school and is concentrating fully on cricket.

Chanderpaul junior’s abundant talent prompts the obvious question: is the pressure of stepping into his father’s shoes weighing heavily on his shoulders?

“Not really. I try not to think about it. Taking that pressure won’t help. I have got this opportunity and want to play cricket to the best of my ability and see West Indies do well,” he added. (Gulf News article)

Son replaces dad as WBC boss

Mauricio Sulaiman, the 44-year-old son of the former President José Sulaiman, who died on January 16, was elected unanimously to succeed his father as president of the World Boxing Council (WBC).

The younger Sulaiman was elected at a meeting of the council’s board of governors and its affiliated federations last Tuesday at the Camino Real Hotel in Mexico.

No one challenged the younger Sulaiman, who has been the executive secretary of the organisation for the past 10 years.

He received the endorsement of every voting member present at the meeting, after which he pledged to carry on the legacy of his father, who, though revered, had his detractors.

The late Sulaiman was accused on many occasions of playing favourites, while carrying out his duties, an accusation he always denied.

José Sulaiman was president of the WBC for 38 years, and, although not in the best of health, was re-elected as president for life at the congress last year. Mauricio will serve the remainder of his father’s four-year term of office and then no doubt seek his own mandate.

His father was also 44 years old when he became president for the first time. Mauricio has a reputation for being knowledgeable in the sport.

“The WBC will not be the same because José Sulaiman is gone, but the WBC has its core, and we want to work to follow in the footsteps of my father,” he said in a statement after his election. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Ansa McAl

joins list of sponsors for YWCC Mash Cup

Ansa McAl became the latest entity to offer sponsorship for the second edition of the Young Warriors Cricket Club Mashramani Cup.

The competition will be held on February 23 and targets second division cricket teams in the East Canje/East Coast Berbice area.

Mashramani Cup, which is organised by the Young Warriors Cricket Club, is being promoted to develop young cricketers and to raise funds for the club.

Meanwhile, at the presentation ceremony, Ansa McAl Berbice Branch Manager Mark Bhikhai said his company is delighted to be part of the event for the second time.

He added that his company is fully aware of its role in community development and will support

events that will keep young people away from drugs and other ills of society.

Vice President of the Young Warriors Cricket Club Hubern Evans thanked Ansa McAl for their continued support and assured the sponsor that proceeds from this will go towards continued development of the club and its resources.

Ten teams will once again vie for the top price of $60,000, plus a trophy.

The second place team will collect $30,000 and trophy, third place finisher will collect $15,000, while the fourth place team will be presented with a trophy.

There will also be incentives for the man-of-thematch in the final.

The tournament will be played on a five-over-perside basis and teams will be allowed to field one first division player.

sports policy currently being implemented

Dr Frank Anthony

While there still is no physical evidence of the current sports policy in Guyana, Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony has assured that the policy is being implemented.

“On a yearly basis, there are things in the policy that we are implementing; a lot of these things are ongoing,” Dr Anthony told Guyana Times Sport in an exclusive

interview on Friday.

Further, the minister revealed what the policy will be focusing on, noting that it is an evolving programme.

“In addition to that, we have in the policy to look at sports education, and very shortly we will be opening the resource centre at Woolford Avenue, so that will compliment what we do in terms of sports education.

“So a number of elements that are in the policy that had timelines to them, we are following those timelines to implement …so it’s an ongoing process,” Dr Anthony stated.

In addition, the sport minister pointed out that tasks are also delegated to other entities in sport.

“In the policy itself, there are some things that the government would have to do, there are other things that associations would have to do, so those that we are in charge of, we have been working steadfast on getting those done,” he said.

(Treiston Joseph)

Goodwill amateur boxers, officials call on sport minister

By Rajiv Bisnauth

Amateur boxers

from Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, Jamaica and Guyana participating in the International Goodwill Boxing Championship, along with boxing officials from the four countries, on Friday paid a courtesy call on Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony at his office in Main Street, Georgetown.

The championship is organised by the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), in collaboration with the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA).

Billed for February 1416 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, the three-day event will see the visiting boxers matching skills with their Guyanese counterparts.

The tournament is being used by the GBA as preparation for the country’s boxers who would be competing at the South American championship, which is slated for March in Chile.

Meanwhile, Minister Anthony in his remarks, said Guyana is very pleased to host the event, adding that the country has a long boxing tradition.

Dr Anthony said the

and Floyd Trumpeth.

St Lucia will be represented by Linden Micillen (light welterweight), Ron Bastian (light middleweight) and Arthur Mangillur (super middleweight).

They are accompanied by David Christopher, who is president of the St Lucian Boxing Association, team manager Brian McDonald and head coach Conrad Fredericks.

Kia Motors sponsors Ravens

– Bounty Farm helps out Colts

tournament will not only serve to develop the sport in Guyana, but other Caribbean countries as well.

“We in Guyana would like to see the game improve and more of it happening in the Caribbean,” Dr Anthony said.

The minister added that while boxing has seen resurging in Guyana, the same cannot be said of some other Caribbean countries. He said he hopes that Guyana can play a role in helping to catalyse boxing across the Caribbean.

“It’s my hope that sometime we play host for a training facility, so that

boxers from the Caribbean who want to improve their skills can come to Guyana,” the minister said.

The tournament commenced last evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, with the opening ceremony, which was followed by 12 fights.

The Trinidad and Tobago team comprises Akmal Strode (52kg), Christian McDonald (56kg), Michael Alexander (60kg), Jean Paul Cooper (64kg), Aaron Prince (75kg) and a lone female in Chimbre Taylor (75kg).

The team manager is Cecil Forde, while the coaches are Reynold Cox

Jamaica’s contingent comprises Patrick Sahadeo (lightweight), Anthony Clarke (light welterweight), Kestna Davis (welterweight) and Michael Gardener (middleweight). The two coaches are Carl Grant and Godfrey Collins.

The locals selected to do battle with their regional counterparts are Bert Braithwaite, Eon Bancroft and Ron Smith (welterweight); Trevon King and Dennis Thomas (middleweight); Michael April, Stephen Nedd and Junior Henry (52kg); Delon Charles (56kg); Imran Khan and Clairmont Gibson (60kg); and females Dwon Thompson and Theresa London (75kg).

Kia motors on Friday blessed the Ravens Basketball Club with a much needed donation to support their trip to Suriname on Saturday.

The Suriname Basketball Association will be having a basketball knockout tournament, in which both the Ravens Basketball Club and the Bounty Colts will be participating.

Representative of Kia motors Christine Chowargir noted that Kia Motors’ is willing to give back to the Guyanese community.

“Kia motors is happy to be associated with Ravens and sponsoring the trip to Suriname. We wish them

all the best and this is Kia’s way of giving back to society for their support over the last two years,” Chowargir stated.

Darcel Harris, of the Ravens club, noted that his team was grateful for the assistance to make the trip for the exposure.

“We could not foot the bill ourselves so they organized through Kia to help us out. We are very pleased and thankful, it’s good to have companies like these helping you out,” Harris stated.

Meanwhile, Colts also received a monetary donation from Bounty Farm to aid their trip to participate in the tournament.

Alex Foster: outstanding youth leader cops inaugural Commonwealth Caribbean Youth Worker award

President of the St Francis Community Developers Alex Foster recently created history when he was named the winner of the Inaugural Commonwealth Caribbean Youth Worker award.

Foster, who has been serving the youths and less fortunate for over 30 years, was honoured by the Commonwealth Youth Programme for his outstanding contribution to youth development in the ancient county.

No stranger to receiving awards at either the national, regional and international levels, Foster over the years has copped the Guyana and Caribbean Youth of the Year award, has been honoured by the United Nations (UN), and has led his club to three Commonwealth Youth Service awards in 19921993, 1994-1995 and 19992000.

The St Francis group is the only one in the entire Commonwealth to have won the prestigious award three times, along with one commendation award in 1990 for spearheading the restoration of the Lower

Corentyne Secondary School.

Born on February 24, 1968 to his parents Claudette Foster and Hilbert Spence, he is the second of three brothers who have all excelled in public life.

Siblings Keith, the eldest, is a businessman and President of both the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) and the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), while Hilbert is the Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the RHTY&SC and chairman of the highly successful Special Events Committee of the BCB.

Alex and Hilbert, along with ten other young Roman Catholic youths in 1984, re-founded the St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Youth Club, with late editor of the Catholic Standard Father Harold Wong, serving as the group’s spiritual adviser.

Over the years, the achievements have been too many to mention, but the work of the club has touched and changed the lives of thousands

of Berbicians, especially youths, the elderly and less fortunate.

The formation of RHTY&S, the establishment of over ten major libraries, youth centres and the pioneering of projects, which have enabled over 10,000 young people to secure loans, equipment, tools, new skills and full time jobs, are some of Alex’s major achievements.

Projects have also included facilitating medical support, assisting over 200 schools, youths and sports clubs, promoting participation in the Commonwealth

Youth Credit Initiative, and enabling young parents to continue this education and work by developing and managing 12 pre-schools.

Cricketers like Royston Crandon, Assad Fudadin, Esuan Crandon, Shemaine Campbell, Erva Giddings and Shawn Pereira are among hundreds of others have fulfilled their dreams because of the vision of the St Francis Club to establish the RHTY&SC, while countless youths who play the games of football, volleyball, table tennis, basketball across the ancient county has also benefitted from Foster’s leadership.

Dynamic

The dynamic youth leader is also the chairman of the Friends of St Francis committee, which is a committee of over 50 groups, most of which were formed by St Francis across Berbice to assist youths and the less fortunate.

Most of these groups are involved in youth development, sports, operates libraries and children centers, skills training, model farm developments among others.

Foster who travelled to London, England in November 2013 to receive his award, stated that his success is based on the support of his loving and very closed knitted family, his strong Roman Catholic faith and upbringing, the support of all members of the group he works with and most importantly the blessing of god.

He is currently spearheading the massive construction of a village project in the compound of the St Francis head office.

Under this project, buildings are being constructed to accommodate the training of youths in different field trades, the establishment of a musical school, to accommodate counseling session for youths, the establishment of the largest conference centre in the entire Berbice, and a modern guest centre to accommodate visitors.

Most of the buildings have started and the Village, when completed, would be the only of its kind in the Caribbean for youths.

Foster stated that receiving the Commonwealth

Caribbean Youth award was a moment of pride and created a sense of satisfaction. He also disclosed that it would serve as an inspiration to even greater achievements in the future.

He said it is the aim of St Francis to make sure that youths fulfill their potential in school and in sports, to offer skills training to less fortunate youths, to develop programmes to assist youths to tackle the problems of suicide, drugs and teenage pregnancy, and to make positive difference in the lives of the less fortunate.

He expressed gratitude to his family, especially his wife Annie, and her family, mother Claudette, his brothers Keith and Hilbert, his sister-in-law Sylvie, niece Marissa and uncles Cliff and John, for their love and guidance.

Gratitude was also extended to the staff of St Francis and the RHTY&SC, members of the Friends of St Francis Group, members of the media and donor agencies and the numerous individuals who have offered advice over the years.

Goodwill boxing tourney off to grand start

By TreisTon Joseph

The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) and the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) punched off their four-nation boxing tournament in grand style on Friday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).

The first of its kind in the nation, President of the GBA Steve Ninvalle, speaking at the opening, noted that the tournament will kick start something special and will be the hallmark of the current executive of the GBA.

President of the GOA KA Juman Yassin was very optimistic of the tournament being the pathway to realizing a more unified English-speaking Caribbean nation, with hopes of forming their own qualifying tournament, so that boxers within the region can represent their respective nations at the Pan American games and the Olympics.

Sport Director Neil Kumar addressed the gathering on the government’s continued involvement in and support for sport throughout the country.

Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

said the development of boxing in Guyana is aimed at expanding the sport both in and out of Guyana, including to host more Caribbean tournaments

In declaring the event open, Dr Anthony said this will help to increase the skills and techniques of local boxers, thereby making them more competitive at all levels.

The night was carded with 13 bouts, and as of press time, Jermaine Kellman had won the first bout of the tournament. (See the Sunday TimeS for more reSultS.)

Sanjay Baijnauth reigns in Region Five cycle road race

Under the theme, “Cultural Folklore; Celebrating 44”, the Regional Democratic Council Region (RDC) of Region Five on Friday hosted a cycle road race.

The event, which is part of the council’s 2014 Mashramani celebrations, commenced from the Abary Bridge and culminated at the RDC’s Office, Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice.

The race, organized and sponsored by the RDC, started at approximately 09:00hm with explosive performances all around.

Sanjay Baijnauth reigned supreme in the senior category, cruising to the finish line ahead of his nearest rival Curt La Rose, while Delon Desa placed third.

Curtis Richmond won the junior category, with Shameer Hussain and Riaz Inshanally ending in second

The event saw 35 participants competing in three categories: senior, junior and female.

and third positions, respectively

In the female category, there were only two competitors. However, Deise Mars emerged as the winner.

Acting Deputy Regional Education Officer (DREO) Rajpattie Singh dubbed the event “successful and exciting”, and extended her gratitude to all the participants.

Singh congratulated the winners, whom she said competed to their best. She also commended the workers attached to the RDC

for their respective roles in making the event such a success.

She said Regional Chairman Bindraban Bisnauth, who was out of the area on a seminar in Georgetown, played a pivotal role in ensuring the reality of the event.

Trophies for the winners will be presented on February 22 at the Mashramani Flag Raising Ceremony at the RDC compound. (Shiran Ramnauth)