Thundery showers
Winds: Easterly between zero and 3.14 metres per second.
High Tide: 09:57h and 22:24h reaching maximum heights of 2.36 metres and 2.37 metres respectively.
Low Tide: 03:28h and 15:54h reaching minimum heights of 0.82 metre and 0.93 metre respectively.
only young people who were under the age of 40 to get involved in public-policy advocacy, even though it argued that it was a social-change organisation.
against the Government, while enjoying the support of the Opposition and a few youth bodies here.
the Opposition and the US Government. He said staunchly that the group was funding its own work.
There continues to be much concern and suspicion surrounding the agenda being pursued by the newly formed Blue CAPS group, which has been making several controversial statements in the public domain under the hands of some of its members.
It is widely felt that the organisation, which was formed since March this year, is being used as a vehicle to pursue its founder’s political ambition. Back in May, the group officially started its recruitment of
The group became engaged in heightened political rhetoric mainly against the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration after the Government rejected the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Leadership and Democracy Project (LEAD). One of the components the Government rejected was aimed at working with youth to create change through their involvement in various aspects of advocacy and politics.
As expected, key policymakers and stakeholders felt that the group headed by former Georgetown Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Chairman Clinton Urling was being funded by the USAID and had links to the leadership of the Opposition political parties. The group slowly turned into a pressure group and continued its broadside
Speaking during an interview with this newspaper on Friday, Urling attempted to defend the work of Blue CAPS while denying that he had any political ambitions. This view conflicts sharply with the widely held believe that Urling, having lost the bid to become the Private Sector Commission Chairman is now using the group to make a pitch to become Mayor or an independent stakeholder in the political sphere.
“Political organisations do two things. They either seek power or try to gain Government. There is nobody sitting in the Blue CAPS as an organisation [interested] in gaining any sort of political power through elections or campaigning,” he explained.
Urling also denied the charge that the Blue CAPS group was being funded by resources from
Asked how much the contribution of the members in dollars and cents was so far, Urling declined to say. He advised nonetheless that there were 150 youths in the group. He also denied that he was funding the group with monies earned from soup sales at German’s Restaurant, a business he owns.
Urling for the first time, when questioned by this newspaper, admitted that he would accept monies and resources from the US Government were they to approach the group to provide funding. He said that once the funding was in line with the group’s objectives, there would be no problem.
In fact, Urling said “If LEAD sees it as important to fund our group; we will take such funding and make it public, there is no need for us to be surreptitious... if any group wants to fund us in any of our objectives, we will take that funding.”
Sunday Times Editor: Tajeram Mohabir
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, letters@guyanatimesgy.com
Friday marked the second anniversary of the Oppositionsponsored protests in Linden that saw their Leaders encouraging Lindeners to illegally occupy the critical bridge connecting the coastland to the interior, and in effect, cutting off that region from the rest of the country.
This was the conclusion of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) that investigated the protests, which resulted in the deaths of three protestors after billions had gone up in smoke - including the largest primary school in the regionand business in the community had ground to a halt.
That CoI was assembled at great cost to this country. The government acquiesced to the opposition’s demand for a dominant foreign component. The chairman and two of the commissioners were eminent jurists from the Caribbean Community (CariCom). The government went along because they wanted justice not only to be done, but for it to also be seen as done.
It is critical that Guyanese remember the conclusions about what can only be described as an Opposition “Day of Infamy”, so that present-day efforts of that same Opposition to repeat it are rejected.
The CoI explained the genesis of the illegal protests. “The Lindeners applied to the appropriate regional police authority for permission and received same with conditions attached to ensure that the rights of the citizens were balanced. The evidence revealed that the conditions were breached and therein was the birth of the ensuing problems.”
The CoI was not shy about naming the Opposition instigators for “breaching” the law. “It is noteworthy that a Member of Parliament (Desmond Trotman) who was at the scene on July 18 when much of this was taking place or had already taken place stubbornly refused to accept that the protesters had resorted to unlawful means to carry out what would otherwise have been a lawful endeavour.”
APNU Member of Parliament and Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon and another APNU Member of Parliament Vanessa Kissoon, admitted that they knew they were encouraging protesters to do something illegal.
Yet, “both Assistant Superintendent Walter Stanton and Senior Superintendent Clifton Hicken testified that they approached Aubrey Norton, Lincoln Lewis and Kissoon to have the protesters leave the bridge, but without success. Assistant Superintendent Stanton further stated that he overheard the activists, Norton, Kissoon and Dr David Hinds, encouraging the protesters to remain on the bridge as it was a just cause.”
The CoI had no hesitation in concluding bluntly: “The organisers of the protest must accept some responsibility for what subsequently transpired on July 18, 2012.” And yet, just two years later, as if the entire nation is suffering from collective amnesia, the Opposition are trumpeting tributes to “the Linden Martyrs” without even a passing reference to their seminal role in the tragedy.
The role of the Police was also examined, especially after the Chairman of the AFC, in his role as a lawyer for some of the relatives of the deceased, claimed that the Minister of Home Affairs had given instructions directly to the police, prior to the shootings. In reference to those shootings, the bullets that killed the three men were proven by an independent expert, brought in by the AFC, not to be of the type used by the police. There wasn’t even circumstantial evidence for proving the police’s “guilt.”
But in what appears to be an act of mercy for the deceased the CoI, not bound by the strict rules of a court of law, said the police were “responsible” only because they could not find evidence of any other persons firing guns. In this way, the state could provide compensation to the survivors and estate of those killed, which it did.
But the AFC, which was the original instigator of the Linden tragedy, has not learnt anything. It went on to provoke riots in Agricola and most recently protests by rice farmers in Essequibo. Let us not forget the lessons of history.
Dear Editor,
As part of its anti-suicide campaign, the Caribbean Voice, through its social activism programme ‘Arise’, has identified billboards as vehicles to get the message out there. Guyana has 65 local government districts and we strongly believe that a minimum of one billboard per district would be a very significant anti-suicide strategy.
Now everyone knows that government probably does not have the money for billboards. But every local government district has a number of small businesses and professionals. Thus, if these individuals can come together and donate a few dollars, the cost of the bill-
boards would be easily covered. Every district also has carpenters and painters and these individuals can be approached to donate their services to construct and paint the billboards.
In fact, perhaps even the lumber may be obtained as donations from sawmills and lumber dealers or at concessions that would significantly reduce costs for the billboards. Finally, every community most likely has artists who can be approached to place the messages on the billboard. In this respect, The Caribbean Voice suggests maximal use of billboards with anti-suicide messages on one side and anti-abuse (domestic, sexual and alcohol) messages on
the other. In effect, each billboard can be a community effort and perhaps the community can come out when the billboard is erected and the occasion can be used to inform and educate the citizens on approaches to dealing with these issues.
The Caribbean Voice appeals to the various business and professional alliances –chambers of commerce and industry, manufacturing associations, lawyers’ and doctors’ associations and so on to spearhead efforts to create and erect billboards. We believe that in many cases a single business, family or professional may be able to cover the cost of a billboard. And the messages can be crafted by NGOs and indi-
viduals operating in suicide and abuse prevention – Help and Shelter, Red Thread, The Guyana Foundation, social workers, psychologists. The Caribbean Voice is also willing to craft and provide messages, if necessary, but this is rather unlikely.
Finally, in the event that certain districts cannot cover the costs of billboards, banners – more than onecan be cheaper alternatives.
Sincerely, Norkah Carter
Devv-Ramdas
Daniel
Judy Deveaux
Annan Boodram
Bibi Ahamad
Collis Nicholson
Anna Addie Odyssey
Donna Jennifer Ross
Dear Editor,
I read with much anguish Mr James Bond’s defence of PNC/R Leader David Granger as the ongoing Vanessa Kissoon incident is nearing its climax. Firstly, Mr Bond is living in a dismal world and is far removed from reality. Having being handpicked by David Granger for a parliamentary seat, which he does not deserve, Bond is in no position to speak on behalf of PNC members about how they view Granger.
Since Mr Granger’s rise to fame in 2011, the PNC/
R’s future took a turn for the worst. The party’s decline was eminent and it became clear to all and sundry that the PNC/R was no longer a place for grassroots people and their ideologies.
Bond, a junior in the political sphere and clearly a novice, is not fooling any one in or out of the party about its sordid state of affairs. He knows, like many of us do, that Granger is a dictator and a middle-class elitist who believes in top down decision making processes.
Who is Bond attempting to fool? Vanessa Kissoon is
merely one example of the inequality and injustice that continues behind the walls of Congress Place. There are many more Vanessa Kissoons who are unwilling to speak out. No attempt by Granger’s cabal will silence them in the near future.
Bond seems to know more about the matter and dispute between Kissoon and her General Secretary than Kissoon herself, the party leader and the public. Or is he trying to achieve relevance by commenting on the matter with a view of distracting the attention
from the real issues at hand. Bond knows, like many PNC/R members, that there is growing fear of Granger and his mite within the PNC and APNU spectrums. Granger is not governing by authority but by coercion and power.
I would challenge the young Attorney at Law to do so more research before attempting to represent Mr Granger again in the public fore.
Respectfully,
Name and address withheld
By Jillicia Pinder
Amid rising unemploy-
ment here and a population unwilling to take risks in business, the move by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to introduce “Entrepreneurship” as a subject at its Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) is seen as a step in the right direction, a possible gateway out of poverty for many, and the prime ingredient to unleash the country’s human and physical potential.
The traditional curriculum inherited from the British had been heavily weighted in favour of the “classics” which included Latin, Greek and Literature.
Viability
After independence, even though each administration had attempted to introduce subjects such as Agriculture, Accounting and other Business subjects, Guyanese youths were still not imbued with the willingness to evaluate risks so as to undertake them and transfer their knowledge into viable products and services. This is the lacuna that the course on Entrepreneurship would fill.
Back in May,the CXC launched the programme, along with four other subjects, dubbed the “New Generation of Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) Subjects”. Apart from
Entrepreneurship, CAPE will offer Agricultural Science, Performing Arts, Physical Education and Sport and Tourism. Guyana was chosen by the Caribbean examination body for the launching of the Agriculture Programme, which will form part of the curriculum for Sixth Form, when the new school term commences in September this year. However, up to Friday, some of the Sixth Form schools were still uncertain whether they will be able to offer all of the subjects, despite the Ministry having given the assurance that it did all the preparatory work in getting teachers set to administer the subjects.
Education Minister Priya Manickchand told Guyana Times that Guyana is currently a rapid developing state and the introduction of a subject such as Entrepreneurship
can be critical in assisting the development of the country. Manickchand also mentioned that teaching Entrepreneurship in schools is one way of informing young minds of ways to contribute to the traditional and emerging economic sectors of Guyana. She also stated that this is an opportunity to match the academic skills of students to that of what is required in the working world.
According to the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC)
syllabus, Entrepreneurship seeks to empower students by providing the knowledge, skills and attitudes to achieve entrepreneurial success in a variety of settings. It also places emphasis on the individual’s acumen to realise opportunity, assess risk, and apply the skills necessary to transform innovative ideas into vi-
During the interview, Urling noted that any similarities between Blue CAPS and the controversial USAID LEAD Project were purely “coincidental”, contending too that the fact that the group was formed mere days after Government voiced its objections about the project is irrelevant.
Urling told Guyana Times: “They don’t have any resemblance to us, some of their goals might coincide... even if there is a similarity, I don’t see any correlation between LEAD and us.”
He went as far as saying that “if anyone or any organisation” approaches it to fund its work, Blue CAPS would accept and then make the link public. This means that the resources of political parties also qualify as acceptable once they are in line with Blue CAPS objectives. Urling said
it not because Lloyd Haynes gave a presentation during a Blue CAPS event means that he is part of the US LEAD Project or was sponsored by the US.
Guyana-born Lloyd Haynes runs a financial advisory company in Washington, DC.
When contacted, the US Embassy here denied funding the group or having links to its principals.
The Embassy’s Public Relations Officer Alfred Razick told Guyana Times that the two bodies have “no relations”, adding that any speculation that the group was also linked to the LEAD Project was purely speculation.
He argued even after making that statement that the group was “non-partisan” and “not unique”.
But the ruling PPP/C and
the Government do not share Urling’s view. While protesting the damning and political rhetoric used by the controversial outgoing US Ambassador D Brent Hardt, the party said that the hidden agenda of Blue CAPS was exposed and it was being used as a handmaiden to “establish clear political objectives”.
No affiliation
PPP/C Executive and Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira in an invited comment on Friday said while the group may have started as a non-governmental organisation, it can no longer hide behind that description.
“While the group may have started out as a non-partisan group, everything that it has done recently is purely political.”
Meanwhile, Opposition
able, sustainable ventures. Additionally, the CAPE Entrepreneurship syllabus provides students with the mindset that supports creativity and innovation needed to transform ideas into ventures that create value and wealth. CXC said in developing the syllabus, consideration was given to the relatively high rate of unemployment; the constraints on job creation; the imperatives of globalisation in the Region, and the need to inculcate the entrepreneurial spirit .
Lack of knowledge
“Recent research has shown that one of the main obstacles to individuals starting their own business ventures is the lack of knowledge of how to transform an idea into a successful venture. Most aspiring entrepreneurs lack the ability to analyse opportunities, assess risk, develop and implement a business plan in order to get their ventures started. The CAPE Entrepreneurship syllabus seeks to fill that void in the continuum from idea generation to venture creation,” CXC said. According to the regional body, several Governments, as well as many non-governmental organisations in the Region have implemented entrepreneurial initiatives which offer training, tax incentives, funding and start-up support to individuals to assist them
FROM PAGE 3
Leader David Granger has debunked suggestions that his party is funding the controversial group. He said while he did not agree with everything put forward by the group, it is healthy to have debates.
Strangely, Granger said, “making political statements does not make you political”. That in itself appeared to be a silent admission that the group was making political statements. He nonetheless said that the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) had no affiliation with the group.
Similarly, the Alliance For Change (AFC) through its leader Khemraj Ramjattan has signalled its approval of the work being done by Blue CAPS. He told Guyana Times that it was important for every stakeholder to have a voice.
in actualising entrepreneurial ambitions. The syllabus apprises students of ways to access such training, technical support, funding and legislative incentives. The syllabus also addresses fundamentals of entrepreneurial behaviour and thinking and engages students in practical experiences through idea generation and opportunity identification to implementing, managing and harvesting a venture.
Weighing in on the subject, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) President Lance Hinds said critical to the growth of this economy, especially in the non-traditional sectors, is entrepreneurship and innovation. Hinds stated that for the introduction of the subject to be effective, the culture of entrepreneurship must be inculcated and
developed. He noted that the introduction of a subject like “Entrepreneurship” would certainly help with the developmental process of Guyana. The GCCI President also stated that subjects traditionally offered by CXC have generally prepared students to work for someone else. “Subjects like Entrepreneurship are one of the many ways to prepare students to participate in the world of 21st Century business,” Hinds added.
Paradigm shift African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) Executive Director and University of Guyana Lecturer, Dr Eric Phillips, also stated that this was a necessary introduction by CXC. He mentioned that even at the University of Guyana, conversations are ongoing about making it mandatory that students entering the establishment to pursue any business or management subjects, and later every subject, have an entrepreneurial background.
Phillips stated that the subject should be implemented in secondary schools in a sustained manner, so the young men and women would be completely aware of its importance. He noted that teaching entrepreneurial practices in schools further enhances Guyana’s development and helps the country to compete internationally.
Heading to the Guyana VS Trinidad (can we still call them that?) game on Thursday, we were all hoping for an exciting game. The previous games, elsewhere, seemed to be missing that special oomph! that we’ve come to expect from T20 cricket. Especially Limacol CPL cricket!
Well, we clearly got much more than we bargained for that Thursday night. The game had us all out of our seats, falling on
“The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money.” – Ernie Banks
When Simmons got out in the 10th over, it seemed like it might all be over. Six wickets down and 62 runs left to make? It seemed an almost impossible ask for Barnwell, and our bowlers. After all, at that point only one of our recognised batsmen had scored over 30!
But then Barnwell and Narine buckled down, taking singles and hitting the occasional boundary when opportunities presented themselves. And then hope (which I'm told, "beats eternal") started to flutter. We started to believe we could WIN this thing. They were bringing us so close! And
ging and jumping up and down.
Strangers were embracing. Flags were being waved like crazy. Boys were thumping their chests proclaiming that Narine was their hero. Expectant mothers were screaming that they’ll name their firstborn "Sunil". And people were demanding that the entire Guyana team be knighted. And I may be exaggerating - just a little bit.
But really, in that moment it felt as if we had just won a war, it was incredible.
As I write this, we’re about to head out to the
our knees praying, jumping into the air, biting our nails and screaming ourselves hoarse. And I really do mean hoarse: several cups of hot tea later at home, a few Strepsils and my throat still hasn’t recovered.
During the innings break there was an expectant, almost celebratory atmosphere - there was a nice parade with dancers and Tassa players and everyone was just milling about stretching from sitting down throughout Trinidad’s innings. We were sitting pretty - our bowlers dominated Trinidad’s batting and limited Trinidad to a paltry 118. The asking rate was under six runs per over! What could go wrong? Funny you asked. The answer was "plenty!"
Our wickets started tumbling like ninepins as soon as we went in - with each wicket like a sucker punch sending fans reeling into new depths of despair.
then we got to the 19th over- 16 off 12! And every fan in the stadium started chanting in unison: “Warri-ors!” "War-ri-ors"!!
We took things down to the last man, the last over, the last ball and we scampered towards a Super Over. The moment Beaton and Permaul crossed their creases to make the two runs the crowd erupted. It was absolutely insane!
But then when we gave Narine just 11 runs to defend, worries started to creep in again - will it be enough? After all, Trinidad just had to defend 11 in that fateful last over as well!
But then the first ball Narine bowled was a dot ball! And the crowd exploded! And we kept cheering after Narine kept bowling perfect deliveries and the over ended up being a wicket maiden. It was absolute pandemonium after that final ball was bowled. Everyone was on their feet screaming, laughing, hug-
Guyana VS St. Lucia game, so I have no idea yet what that game will bring. I remember the crushing sense of disappointment when St. Lucia beat us at home last year. I remember all too well the surge of enmity I felt towards Sammy and his Zouks.
Even now, as I write this, I’m frowning and fighting the urge to pummel something. So I’ll be going to this match hoping that we crush the Zouks into oblivion- maybe something like when Germany beat Brazil 7-1? I’d like that. I think looking at the FIFA World Cup this year has been a bad influence on me - I kept hoping for someone to tackle Badree to take him out of the gameI mean, his bowling figures were just too good.
I hope our top order gets their act together; so far our bowlers have been phenomenal as all-rounders ,but it’s time for our batmen to do their part.
Go Warriors!
In a coordinated effort to craft a model professional standards policy document for teachers, the Education Ministry is hosting a series of public consultations countrywide with a number of key stakeholders. This process is designed to gain feedback on ways to improve the standards, and to invite engagement from the profession.
To date, 61 consultations on the Professional Standards for Teachers have been held across the country. The last public consultation meeting is scheduled for Paramakatoi Secondary School on July 29.
Through the establishment of professional teacher standards, the Ministry strongly believes the teaching profession will be significantly strengthened, further recognised and aptly placed
among the other leading professions in Guyana.
Copies of the draft Professional Standards for Teachers were made available to teachers in printed form for their perusal and comments. The Ministry has also placed the document on its website, www.education. gov.gy to allow additional comments to be made and to facilitate those who would like to contribute, but are unable to physically be present at consultations. In addition, members of the public were invited to submit their comments on the document via email toeducationministry@gmail.com
Professional Standards for Teachers set expectations for achieving desired educational outcomes. These standards are not intended as a tool for punitive action. Rather, they re-
flect professional consensus of what is desirable in the supervision, leadership and delivery of education. They also provide a framework that permits professionals to engage in self-assessment. These standards are aligned to the Organisation of American States (OAS), Caricom and other international standards. Professional standards offer the professional community specifications against which teachers are able to set goals for personal development and progress in the profession. The standards are multi-dimensional and give cognisance to the key props for learning to take place, namely: (a) a motivated and willing learner; (b) effective teaching and learning and, (c) an enabling environment.
Russian energy companies, seeking to gain a foothold in the Region, concluded a number of preliminary agreements with Cuban and other Latin American Governments during President Vladimir Putin’s recent tour of several countries in the hemisphere.
In Cuba, Russian state oil companies Rosneft – the world’s largest publicly traded oil producer by volume -and Zarubezhneft signed an agreement with Cuban state oil company CubanPetroleo to develop offshore block 37.
Another Russian hydro-electricity company, RusHydro, and Cuba’s Union Electrica also signed a mem-
orandum of understanding.
Inter RAO -- one of the largest Russian public energy companies by market capitalization – will build power units at the Maximo Gomez and East Havana thermal power plants (TPP).
“The supply of Russian electric power equipment to Cuba is well under way,” Putin said in an interview with Latin American and Russian news agencies.
Inter RAO will also help build the turnkey Chihuido-1 and Chihuido-2 hydropower plants in Argentina’s Neuquen Province, Yury Ushakov, a Russian presidential aide, told reporters. The first plant will have capacity of 637 MW and cost $2
billion, and the second will have 296 MW.
Also in Argentina, following a state visit by Putin and a civil nuclear accord signed by him and Argentina’s president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina’s Atomic Energy Commission said that it would adopt pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology for its third reactor.
Sergey Kirienko, the head of Russia’s Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom), met with Argentina’s federal planning minister Julio De Vido to finalize details of the agreement, according to a report from Argentinean nuclear agency CNEA.(Caribbean News Now)
By Tajeram mohaBir
Many might have felt rattled looking at a scary movie, but what about living next to a house believed to be haunted, which happens to be overlooking a dead silent burial ground.
Sounds a bit chilling indeed. But there is a huge unfinished house, replete with elegant designs, standing as an immovable tower at what was once Church Street, in Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara, that some residents in the community look upon with some level of suspicion as they believe there is something creepy about it.
But not all share this view. A neighbour who resides on the Goedverwagting Railway Embankment, and claims to be living at her current residence for the past 43 years, told Guyana Times that no member of her family has ever complained of having any feeling of eeriness.
Michelle Williams dismissed the rumours about the house as probably untrue, but noted that she is speaking on the basis of her personal experiences living close to the unfinished edifice.
Guyana Times learnt that the house, which many
thought was a hotel, was erected about 17 years ago, but construction halted after the owner, who used to reside in Leopold Street, Georgetown, was shot dead by Police.
Residents in the community were tight-lipped about the cause of the shooting, but related that after the incident, family members of the owner halted construction and removed all building materials from the house.
According to the residents, the owner once resided in the US and had a thriving business there. This publication tried to get a contact number for a family member but was told that most of them live overseas. None of the residents had one at their disposal.
Strange From all indications, no family member decided to continue the project, and for about a decade and half, the unfinished, majestic house, remained in a still state, with the doors and roof intact.
Strangely, these did not apparently attract the eyes and hands of vandals, who have torn down abandoned houses in the community to the ground in the space of a very short time after they
were left in a state of abandonment.
Strangely too, though the structure has not been vandalised, it has never been a refuge for junkies and criminal elements, residents say, save and except for one person who took up residence in the building for some time.
Guyana Times inquired from the residents if the building is haunted as they
claim, why would someone still stay there, to which some of them said that the person who was there was not a normal character.
They contended that if the building did not exist, the occupant would have slept in the burial ground; even in a tomb if he had a chance.
It was at this point, one resident related that the oc-
cupant had beheaded his stepfather in Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, who use to abuse him but served a short time in prison because of the circumstance that led him to commit the act and due to his mental state.
The young man recently vacated the building following the placement of a sign on the well secured gate, “No
Trespassers Allowed”. This publication was informed that a local commercial airline recently bought the property.
One resident, who requested anonymity, told this publication that at the time of the construction, a family member related to him that thousands of local and US coins were mixed with the mortar and poured in the foundation.
He said if this was what indeed happened, it would have been odd. He also related that the family member also felt sick after reportedly urinating in the yard and eventually left the job after being bombarded by varying scents of cologne.
According to the 35-yearold resident, there is something special about the house, contending that perhaps it is a place where only the builder and his family can live, as no loiterer seems to want to get close to the building; it was never inhabited by junkies or criminal elements; and no one dared try to vandalise it.
But, unlike other residents, Williams said she sees nothing eerie about the building, and if there is anything of that nature, her belief and trust remain in the Lord.
The Mahaica businessman who allegedly carried out a brazen attack on Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) law-enforcement officers on Thursday evening in the vicinity of Dundee, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was arrested on Friday.
Heeralal Motilall, also called “Jigga Harry” of Helena, Mahaica, ECD, who was arrested at his home, is expected to be slapped with several charges, including smuggling, and is likely to make a court appearance at the Mahaica Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
According to information received, the GRA employees maintained that Motilall led a team of gunmen who attacked them while they were executing their duties.
The attack reportedly stemmed from the interception of three mini-buses containing 150 boxes of chicken suspected to be smuggled into the country.
The GRA ranks requested the documents for the chicken, which could not have been produced.
A Police source told Guyana Times that a number of Police ranks went to the home of the man at Mahaica and conducted a thorough search for arms and ammunition, but found nothing. They also went to another farm owned by the businessman, where they searched a container, but again, they did not find any.
Nevertheless, the source told this publication that the Police are on the hunt for the accomplices in the attack. He added that a number of spent shells, live rounds and war heads were recovered from the
scene, which proved that highpowered rifles were used.
The official related that statements have been taken from law-enforcement officers and the businessman. From reports received, the Guyana Police Force will proceed to institute charges against the businessman and is optimistic that by court day, the three other men will be arrested.
According to a GRA release, the Police are continuing their investigation into the gun attack. It stated at the time of the incident, the officers were conducting a surveillance exercise based on intelligence at their disposal, hence, their interception of the mini-buses with the illegal chicken.
Shortly after the mini-buses were seized and the occupants were taken into custody, Motilall and the three men pulled up in a grey Toyota Allion motor car, exited and opened fire in the direction of the Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LIED) officials.
This forced the officers to retreat and take cover, while the detainees escaped in sev-
eral waiting motor vehicles.
As a result of the assault, the motor vehicle used by the officers was badly damaged after being riddled with bullets, as well as two of the detained mini-buses. During the attack, one of the officers was hit by pellets, allegedly from a shotgun.
Meanwhile, GRA Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur has expressed grave concern at the extent to which persons are willing to go to ply their illegal trade, defraud the Government of revenues and endanger the lives of consumers with smuggled goods.
The GRA boss is heartened by the commitment of his officers to duty, even in the face of danger to life and limb.
“I commend the officials of LEID for so ably carrying out their duties inspite of the many challenges,” Sattaur added.
Further, he posited that the GRA will continue to play its role and take a strong stance against such nefarious activities and criminal elements. The Police are continuing their investigations.
The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is dismissing claims made by the Police that their investigations into the armed attack on its Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) officers “are being stymied by the non-submission of statements to the Police by GRA officials”.
A LEID official noted that they are in constant communication with the Police and finds it very disturbing that such statements were made. The official noted that they again met with investigating ranks on Friday and positively identified the suspect. The officers noted that while they were questioned, they sought to follow due process in order to avoid hearsay and ensure a proper case is made.
The officers, not willing to provide oral responses that can be misconstrued and contorted, indicated that they would provide written state-
The GRA in a release said it views such statements as wicked, malicious and atrocious, and is calling for a retraction of same; and for the Police to take swift action to have the criminal elements brought to justice. The revenue body said it has been working with the Police from the night of the incident following an initial report.
ments and were told to submit same.
GRA Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur said the actions of the Police leaves one to question their motives in delaying justice since LEID officials made initial reports and were being asked to provide the oral statements, which risks thwarting the course of justice and having a “known” smuggler go free.
“The GRA has nothing to hide or gain and we therefore find such statements mind boggling,” he further stated.
Sattaur said efforts to contact acting Police Commissioner Seelall
Persaud to have the statements retracted proved futile. “As a member of the Task Force on Narcotic Drugs and Illicit Weapons, I am surprised that the Police would seek to impugn the integrity of GRA officials who risked their lives daily to crack down on the illegal trade of criminals,” he said.
The GRA has always enjoyed amicable relations with the Police, given that the organisation has a mandate to enforce the laws it administers, and such attempts to mar the organisation’s image threatens to undermine the cordial relations that currently exists.
...with AFC and APNU
Poor APNU...or maybe its “poor David Granger”.
Looks like the pattern that began right after the elections has only intensified - with the teenyweenie AFC having PNC/APNU dancing to its tune. And the tune is certainly no lullaby - what with all the military -sounding clash of cymbals and the call to arms of trumpets. Now you’d think, with the PNC/APNU having five times more seats in parliament than the AFC they’d be calling the shots, won’t you?
But you’d be dead wrong, since it’s been the AFC tail wagging the APNU dog all the way. What gives? Well, you see, APNU - or more specifically, David Grangeris in a bind. Inheriting a party founded on brute force and violence - we don’t have to rehearse the CIA backed shenanigans of the PNC (1960s) after the British midwifed the birth of that party (1950s), do we??
Especially with the tradition of dealing “condignly” with the Opposition in the 70s being regurgitated in the Rodney CoI, as we speak, no?? And of course, most readers would’ve experienced firsthand, the excitement of “slow fyaah; mo fyaah”. So onwards we plough.
Granger wants to convince the Guyanese who haven’t voted for the PNC up to now that they’ve turned over a new leaf. That the stripes of the hyena have disappeared. He thinks he can lead the PNC back into power if he plays his cards right - no rough stuff. But this was exactly the stuff that’d gotten Corbin in trouble with the party’s base. You don’t convince your people their party’s motto is “wrong and strong” - and suddenly tell them the lion and the lamb will lie down together.
Corbin was accused of betrayal!. And as a matter of fact, the AFC in their first outing under Raphael Trotman in 2006 reaped a harvest from the PNC’s field. Granger brought them back because they thought with his “army” background he was going to be “bigger and badder”. The AFC called him out in Linden after he’d agreed to the tariff increase. He had to respond or lose his reputation. He backed down. They called him out in Agricola. They called him out on AML/CFT. And now the AFC’s calling him out on Ashni Singh and the NoConfidence motion.
Granger has gone along with Ashni Singh, because like with Rohee, that’s going nowhere. But with the noconfidence, that’s a horse of another colour, isn’t it?? Granger could lose corn and husk.
Let’s see if he has the cojones to tell Ramjattan where he could stick his “no-confidence” motion!!
...on race baiting
The Bar Association’s called out the Presidentas Information Minister - to denounce a letter and an editorial they claim constitute “hate speech”. Now we’ll leave it to the constitutional scholars to parse the cited comments to determine whether in fact they meet the definition of that term of art. Problem is we can’t even reproduce the comments - because the Bar Association took pains to point out, if the said comment were republished by any other publisher, they’d be just as guilty of promoting “hate speech”!
Puts us in a bind, doesn’t it. How the heck do we discuss something if we can’t spell it out? So we’re stuck with the Bar Association’s asseveration. The problem with this, however, is all the signatory members of the Bar Association that we recognise, are members of the Opposition.
So are we back to the usual politicking?? With the usual suspects?? What’s the Bar Association record in calling out “hate speech” from the Opposition? This will give us some confidence is judging the claimed “unmentionable”.
...in cricket
Well your Eyewitness is off to the ball game again. But he’s been told that Kevin Pietersen, promised as the “Franchise Player” of the Zouks, won’t be there. So we guess this tail won’t be wagging the St Lucia dog.
If Guyana strikes oil...
By Alexis Rodney
University of Guyana (UG) Registrar Vincent Alexander said the country’s premier tertiary institution may consider offering a degree programme in Petroleum Engineering, once there is a clear demand for it.
There have been numerous talks about Guyana striking oil in the near future with a number of private oil companies coming on board to feel out their prospects.
However, so far, there have not been any successes.
Companies such as Repsol, Adarko, Esso and CGX, the Canadian oil and gas exploration company, have been on Guyana’s doorsteps, hoping to find oil.
Alexander said the university has a responsibility to the nation and may at some point offer the programme, noting that the school is capable of providing the nation with the wherewithal to manage the new sector.
He said the school is however cognisant that the Government has plans to establish a technical-level school through the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry.
He said the university already offers a programme in Geology, which has some relevance to petroleum exploration. According to him, the Geology programme could be adjusted to deal more with oil exploration.
Demand
“When there is a clear demand for this programme, the university goes all out to meeting that need,” he told Guyana Times in an exclusive interview on Friday.
This publication was reliably informed that senior Government officials from Trinidad and Tobago have offered to help Guyana in this regard, but Guyana is yet to take up the offer.
Meanwhile, on another matter, Alexander said the university from September will be offering a distance programme which will be delivered on tablets to students in far- flung area, who are unable to attend the university.
“The course material will be delivered by tablet, and in the local area, there will be tutors to deliver the programmes at
tutorials. The programme will be delivered where you are,” he said.
According to Alexander, the materials will be downloaded on the tablet and each region will have a centre where students will attend at least once per week, to meet with a lecturer.
Programmes
Four programmes, namely Mathematics, Information Technology, English and Psychology and Criminology will be offered to students, who will be accepted using the standard entry criteria for the university.
He pointed out that it was this reason the university had visited the Lethem community and administered the entrance exam to facilitate persons who may be interested in doing the programme, and who may not have met the standard entry requirement.
Meanwhile, sources close to the university have described the increase in tuition fees as an adjustment, rather than an increase. In September, prospective and continuing students, especially those within the Social Sciences Faculty will be expected to pay an increase to the regular $127,000 per year.
Guyana Times understands that new students, rather than paying the previous $127,000, will now pay $160,000. Continuing students who are paying $127,000 will now pay $130,000. All students in all programmes will now be required to pay a facilities fee of 50,000.
This means that continuing students, who have to pay $130,000, along with the new facilities fee of $50,000, will pay a total $180,000 per year. New students will be required to pay $160,000 plus the facilities fee of $ 50,000, which together amounts to a total sum
of $210,000 per year.
Asked if he thought an increase in the fee will be able to offset the university’s deficit, Alexander said one of the objectives of the increase is to enable the university to pay its bills as opposed to its debts.
The new facilities fee is aimed at improving operations in a number of areas including sport, the library, and learning resources, among others.
It also covers students’ examination fees, students’ dues and the fee for identification
cards. Things that were considered miscellaneous are now part of the facilities fee, he said.
“On one hand, the fee adjustment will help the university to pay its bills; on the other hand,[it] will help the institution to improve the level of ser-
vice offered at the university.” In other matters relating to the loan agency, Alexander said the Finance Ministry is the deciding agency with the loan programme, noting that the university has no part in it.
The relatives of Candy Giddings-Rawlings, 30, are still in a state of shock and disbelief with the way the woman was allegedly murdered by her husband, claiming that they lived a happy life together.
The woman was found with a slit throat in the couple’s Lot 4 Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara home on Friday.
Speaking with the woman’s cousin, Dale La Rose on Saturday, he told Guyana Times that they were surprised upon receiving the news of the woman’s death.
The cousin said he saw the woman alive a few days ago at her home after he paid her a visit on his way home from a funeral.
He added that the woman at no point in time had complained to relatives that she was experiencing problems in the marriage. La
Rose explained that from all indications, his now dead cousin lived a normal marriage life, full of vigour and excitement; hence, he is not sure of the motive for her husband Vidol, wanting to take her life.
The young man explained that after they received the news, they rushed to her home where they saw
her motionless body lying on the floor with a stab wound to her neck.
He said that the woman’s daughter who found her body, had told him that on Thursday evening she was in her room and heard her mother and father playing “rough” as normal, and suddenly she heard her mother scream, but she ignored it.
The young woman claimed that she did not hear her mother’s voice again and thought that she had fallen asleep since she heard her father watching television.
However, it is speculated that the woman might have been struck to the head, causing her to faint when the man used the opportunity to bound her, but after she regained consciousness, he stabbed her to the neck.
The 11-year-old child said she woke up and called
Several groups have joined the search for missing 34-year-old St Stanislaus College teacher Nyozi Goodman, who has not been seen since leaving the National Sports Hall after a basketball game some two weeks ago.
The groups reportedly combed the Botanical
upon her mother, but there was no response, and it was then that the man tied her to the bed.
She managed to untie herself and found her mother lying on the floor with a wound to her neck. The suspect reportedly went into the yard and looked after the chickens before he was seen leaving in a taxi.
La Rose confirmed that the child is in their care, but is still traumatised by the incident. He also confirmed that the man has not been seen nor heard from since the killing.
Crime Chief Leslie James told Guyana Times that the Police are still looking for the suspect and are continuing their investigations.
The woman leaves to mourn her daughter and one sister. A post-mortem is expected to be performed on the woman’s body on Monday.
Gardens and Le Repentir Cemetery on Saturday for signs of the woman’s body, but to no avail.
The search will continue until the woman is found, relatives say. A sister of the woman had said that the Police are looking for a young man with whom Goodman refused to
Satiricus thought it was so unfair. Not because a fella couldn’t look you in the eye meant he was lying. If that was so, then it’d mean Rum Jhaat was lying through his teeth with every word he uttered. Even when he said “the” and “a”.
And being a lawyer didn’t help. Most people thought that the phrase “lying lawyer” was a redundant expression. “And becoming an Opposition politician wasn’t the best idea,” thought Satiricus. “Most people counted their fingers after they shook hands with the species.”
share a relationship. The man reportedly resides in Georgetown.
Police also confirmed that they are still looking at all the leads, with the aim of finding the woman alive. To date, they have detained a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer, but he was subsequently released.
Relatives are maintaining that the woman will not just disappear without informing someone of her location.
The 36-year-old St Stanislaus teacher was last seen on Sunday, June 3 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown, where she had accompanied her school’s basketball team to the National Schools Basketball Championships.
Goodman of William Street, Kitty, was last seen sending off the basketball team with another teacher. At her apartment, all her personal belongings were found intact, except for her two mobile phones and iPad.
The last time she used her mobile phone was about 23:00h two Sundays ago, her sister Nestor Thompson said. This information, she said would have been received from Digicel.
The telephone company also said that the sim card was either destroyed or removed from the handset. Anyone with information that can help in locating Goodman is asked to contact her sister Nikita Greene on 689 8981, Nestor Thompson on 692-4526 or the nearest Police station.
The “boys” were “throwing back” at the back street bar and had pretty much exhausted the topic of Warriors “Super Over” victory over the Red Steel. The general consensus was that some steel are brittle and crack under pressure. And did that Narine boy apply pressure!! The Steel just couldn’t read him. They’d taken a drink to Cappo’s explanation: “Budday!!! You doan see that chap always wearin’ long sleeve shift?? ‘E gat something up ‘e sleeve!!!”
So they were lazily discussing Rum Jhaat asking the Police to throw the Finance Minister in jail for spending money to keep the country going. “Hold it!” interjected Suresh, “you mean Minister didn’t spend the money on heself??”
“NAAH!! The money was fuh expand the airport and help Amerindians and thing,” explained Kuldeep. “$4.5 billion”
“And de Jhaat seh he gat fuh pay back dat?!!” blurted out Cappo. “Dat guh tek he 1000 years!!”
“Cappo my friend, Rum Jhaat full of you know what. And I’m not talking about liquor,” said Teacher Samad. “The Jhaat is so shiftyeyed he couldn’t tell the truth even to save his mother’s life!” And this was where Satiricus though that it was unfair to judge the Jhaat on looks.
“But if the Opposition in Parliament didn’t give permission to the Minister to spend the money,” asked Satiricus, “isn’t he wrong and should get some licks??”
“Budday, me is a canecutta,” exclaimed Cappo, “but me know dat only if de Minister do wrong thing when he a wan private citizen yuh can charge he! Like Rum Jhaat bin a law school in August, or wha??”
“And not only that,” said Teacher Samad. “Rum Jhaat making up his own law, for the police to follow against the Minister.”
“Is wha yuh mean,” asked Bungi.
“My friends, there’s no law on the books for what Rum Jhaat asking the Police to make the charge,” said Teach. “The Minister was doing his job.” He looked around the table, and the fellas looked uncertain. “
“It’s like if I tell the Police to charge Rum Jhaat not only because he shifty eyed, but he don’t shave and he scaring children too bad!” Teach continued. “He shouldn’t do it - but there’s no law in the books against scaring children because you look like a crook!”
Even Satiricus understood. They drank to that.
By Treiston Joseph
With the thrilling game on Friday between the Guyana Amazon Warriors and Red Steel shifting the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) into high gear, it was not surprising that thousands of Guyanese, with their flags and horns, descended on the Guyana National Stadium for the game between the Amazon Warriors and St Lucia Zouks on Saturday.
Excitement again filled the air and this time there was no testing moment for the faint of heart as the Amazon Warriors made light work of the Zouks to ensure that the crowd was satisfied with their performance and made confident of returning to the same venue today when the home franchise team comes up against the dangerous Jamaica Tallawahs led by the in-form Chris Gayle.
Guyana Times Sport caught up with some of the vendors, security personnel and Limacol CPL staff to get their thoughts on the tournament so far.
“Well judging from the amount of persons coming through here, I believe we have at least 8000 people. That’s just an average and it’s great for us because looking at the other games the crowds were poor.
“But we haven’t had any security problems at the gate, I can’t say for inside the ground... people have been coming with perfumes and that kind of stuff that they were able to get back after the game, but other than that it’s been a smooth go,” a security officer at the stadium entrance related.
One media operative noted that the games were fantastic. “It’s great to see the Guyanese fans come out and support like this, to come down here and see this I think is amazing for the game.”
As fans continued to cheer the Amazon Warriors as they dismantled the St Lucia Zouks, one food vendor who gave his name as Johnny shared his thoughts on the atmosphere. “Man the crowd reactions have been so loud sometimes I want to run and leave everything to catch the action, it has been really loud here and I could only imagine the games... however I do get to peep a bit of the action every now and again,” the vendor said while laughing.
Meanwhile, the game ended with a booming six from Martin Guptill to send the crowd on its feet.
Guyana has definitely brought the brightest and most electric atmosphere to the Limacol CPL so far and has also, over the two games held at Providence, had the largest crowds. Further, with Guyana set to face the Jamaica Tallawahs today a sold-out crowd is expected with an even greater atmosphere expected to set the Guyana National Stadium alight.
Guyana Amazon Warriors continued their unbeaten streak in this year’s Limacol Caribbean Premier League with a convincing nine-wicket victory over the hapless St Lucia Zouks on Saturday afternoon at the Guyana National Stadium. Avenash Ramzan takes a look at some highlights of the contest, which was played out in front of another large, colourful and vocal crowd.
Walking stumps
The sun was out, but its brilliance couldn’t outshine the hot red Zing stumps and bails, which went for a walk as early as the second over. A typical Krishmar Santokie deliverybang on target with some late swingmade its way through the defence, or lack thereof, of opener Henry Davids. A huge gap between bat and pad is never a good thing, and Davids paid the ultimate price; the ball crashing into the stumps to literally light up the stadium. A dreaded sight for Davids, delight for Santokie and the Warriors.
Lesporis, the sprinter Usain Bolt is the fastest man on the planet, but Keddy Lesporis emerged a contender for that title on Saturday. In the seventh over, Sunil Ambris turned a Mohammad Hafeez delivery to leg and ambled out his crease, as Lesporis sprinted off for a single. Martin Guptill, one of the Warriors best fielders, threw down the stumps at the non-striker’s end with both Lesporis and Ambris now stationed at the striker’s end. Television replays confirmed Ambris got back in the crease before Lesporis, leaving the latter to make the long walk back to the pavilion. Unlike Bolt, there was no celebration at the end for Lesporis.
The Guptill factor
Guptill’s effectiveness in the field is without doubt. Whether it’s groundfielding or catching, the big New Zealander is among the best in the world. He once again demonstrated his class to cut short a promising innings from Sohail Tanvir at the start of the 18th over. Running in from the mid-wicket boundary, Guptill had to cover a lot of distance before diving forward to take the catch inches from the ground.
Mervin Matthews played a blinder down the order for the Zouks, slamming a robust 21 from 10 deliveries.
The strappingly built right-hander went berserk in the penultimate over against Ronsford Beaton, hitting the Essequibian for 19 runs, including two sixes and a four. The second maximum was dispatched with disdain, straight back over the bowler’s head, shattering the glass edifice of the scorers’ area on the southern end of the ground.
The Guptill show
Brimming with confidence after his exemplary performance in the field, Guptill came out blazing, hitting the ball to all parts of the park as the Warriors raced to 53-0 at the end of the six-over Powerplay. He would go on to make an unbeaten 50, sealing the match with a single that brought up his 50. It was a welcome return to form for the right-hander ahead of the all-important clash with the Jamaica Tallawahs today. Two catches, a run out and a half-century were worthy of the Man-of-the-Match accolade, but Santokie took the honours for his four wickets.
The Zeelugt Breakthrough
Prophetic Apostolic/Centre is seeking the assistance of corporate Guyana for the completion of its new church and support centre.
Construction of the 54 feet by 44 feet three-storey concrete building is under way and will house not only the church, but a facility to assist the less fortunate in the Zeelugt community.
Pastor of the Zeelugt Breakthrough Prophetic Apostolic/Centre, Mohan Parsan, speaking about the services of the facility, said: “We have been here for the past 10 years as a church reaching out to the community, not only in the spiritual aspect, but also in terms of people’s welfare and social lives. We have been assisting victims of abuse and those facing other challenges in their social life.”
The Pastor said in those instances, victims were placed in the home of church members for a short period of time. “Now we are embarking on a project to build a three-storey building, so that we can use the second and third floors to facilitate those in the community in need of help.”
Coordinator of the building project and Treasurer Ravindra Parsan said the church management is confident that it can do much more to assist the vulnerable members of the community.
“In our effort, we have so far from our church membership raised over $8 million which already[has] been spent on setting up foundation columns, floors and other work for two stories.
One businessman from the church has already given over $5 million. We are in the process of casting the third floor.
The structure will house, among other things, a rehab and training centre and temporary accommodation for those seeking assistance,” the treasurer said.
Deodat Indar, church member and
business executive assisting with the construction efforts, said the budget for the remaining works exceeds $1.5 million
He said the church is inviting corporate entities to come on board and support what is a very worthy cause.
The Zeelugt Breakthrough Prophetic Centre is located at 352 Zeelugt Building Dam, East Bank Essequibo. Those wishing to contribute to the construction efforts are asked to make contact with Indar on telephone number 663-6343.
Barbados businesses, politicians call for more tax breaks
Government’s announced changes to the Municipal Solid Waste Tax have been welcomed by politicians and businesses, but they are saying the amendments did not go far enough.
On Thursday, the Cabinet decided to waive all payments of the Municipal Solid Waste Tax for pensioners with property valued under $190,000 (One BDS$ = 50 US cents) and pushed back the payment deadline for others.
This new tax was announced last year with a sweeping .03 per cent charge on the site value of every real estate property across the island, but there have been widespread complaints about the financial burden it places on residents.
But Opposition Leader Mia Mottley on Friday, described the changes as a “knee-jerk reaction”
“I welcome the news that some pensioners whose properties are valued at $190,000 or less will not now pay the
tax. But there are still thousands more pensioners who still have to pay the full tax if their properties are above this value,” Mottley said.
She also welcomed the 50 per cent cut for farmers, but asked, “What about the hoteliers and other tourism providers? They must still pay this tax, yet our economy’s return to growth largely depends on their ability to survive and thrive”.
“This is still a bad tax and the Barbados Labour Party still calls for the repeal,” the Leader of the Opposition Barbados Labour Party said.
Chairman of the Barbados Private Sector Association, Alex McDonald said the announcement shows that gov-
ernment is listening to concerns of taxpayers, but he also wants relief for hoteliers.
“I think that is something that is going to take some more lobbying to see if we can get [relief for] them, and for other businesses who are right now to the wall and, even the payment over time may not be enough,” he said
President of the Barbados Association of Retired Persons, Ed Bushell, said he was pleased that some pensioners got the waiver, but thinks all should get it.
“We appreciate this first step in alleviating the burden placed on pensioners and look forward to further considerations for those pensioners whose land value is more than $190,000.” (Caribbean360)
AUS court has ordered the country’s second largest cigarette company to pay $23.6 billion (£13.8 billion) to the wife of a smoker who died of lung cancer.
RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company was hit with the punitive fine in addition to $16.8m (£9.8m) in compensatory damages.
Cynthia Robinson took action against the firm in 2008, seeking compensation for her husband’s death in 1996.
An official at the company said the court’s verdict was “far beyond the realm of reasonableness and fairness”.
During the four-week trial, lawyers for Robinson argued that RJ Reynolds was negligent in informing consumers of the dangers of consuming tobacco.
This negligence, the lawyers said, led to her husband Michael Johnson Sr contracting lung cancer from smoking after becoming “addicted” and failing multiple attempts to quit.
A message for tobacco firms
“RJ Reynolds took a calculated risk by manufactur-
ing cigarettes and selling them to consumers without properly informing them of the hazards,” Robinson’s lawyer Willie Gary said.
“We hope that this verdict will send a message to RJ Reynolds and other big tobacco companies that will force them to stop putting the lives of inno -
cent people in jeopardy,” he added.
RJ Reynolds plans to appeal against the court’s decision, vice president and assistant general counsel Jeffery Raborn said in a statement.
“This verdict goes far beyond the realm of reasonableness and fairness, and is completely inconsistent with the evidence presented,” Raborn said.
The punitive damages awarded to Ms Robinson were said to be the largest of any individual case stemming from a class action lawsuit filed in Florida.
Several similar cases have resulted in smaller payouts after the state’s highest court ruled that smokers and their families only had to prove addiction and that smoking caused their illness. (BBC News)
Suicide is eating away at the social fabric of our society. It is undermining the strength of our human resources stock and capital. It is a patient killer that must be arrested, reduced and exiled from all communities where it is holding captives.
Research shows that Guyana is ranked fourth in suicides per capita worldwide, after about 40 per cent of the persons who commit suicide utilise poisonous substances. Research also shows that Guyana has the highest rate of suicide when compared with its Caricom, Caribbean and South American counterparts.
Surprisingly, there are still some stakeholders in our society that are wearing blindfolds. They are failing to see the detrimental impact that the increasing number of suicide cases are having on the family unit and the mental health situation in Guyana.
Apparently, the high-profile headlines that are appearing every week in various sections of the mass media, are not worrisome and disgusting enough to warrant a stronger national response which would see the launching of a new campaign to prevent suicide here.
It is more than passing strange, that there is a suicide hotline and an entire department within the Ministry of Health that is charged with tackling this scourge but there are no public declarations about its work and the development of new strategies and public education programmes to remove this cancerous sore.
The public relations policy can be “to work silently” while these deaths are reported “loudly” in the press. Or is one to assume that the screams of the parents who have lost their children to suicide are not piercing enough to break the Ministry’s new found policy of silence?
There is no justification for inaction. While some will rush to question the authenticity and accuracy of the research findings shared about, there will be no haste to render assistance to the families affected almost weekly at communities in Berbice, Essequibo and other outlying areas.
There is urgent need for the establishment of a National Commission on Suicide Prevention (NCSP) to be set up to tackle the scourge.
It must comprise health officials, sociologists, social scientists, persons of influence in the arts fields and politicians. This Commission should be tasked with recommending national policies to fight the scourge and must come up with credible medium and long term solutions to address the underlying causes of the disease.
Also, the Health Ministry needs to end its reliance on the National Communication Network to spread media messages in this respect. It must develop a media-master plan that would utilise the advent of social media, the press and those utilising the broadcast spectrum to send strong messages to the populace.
Suicide is no different from HIV or Cancer. It deserves an equal share of the pie as far as sending important messages is concerned.
These media messages must also seek to create behavioural changes among Guyanese, as it is widely believed that suicide is cultural.
There must be no time wasted in training a new batch of counsellors to render assistance to those in distress. These counsellors must originate from strategically placed communities so that home-based interventions could be made at the right time. These interventions must also see referrals being made for follow- up meetings with the health centres in nearby areas and at medical institutions.
Guyana needs to establish a strong forte against this scourge. Failure to do so now will result in the continued loss of life, shedding of blood and the proliferation of a patient killer.
This is the time to act....let’s remove the blindfold and exercise vision in battling the impact of suicide.
The main eyewitness in the shooting to death of Ashminie Harriram, 19, of Lusignan Railway Embankment has failed to positively identify detainee Ryan Ross as the shooter during an identification parade on Friday.
A senior Guyana Police Force ‘C’ Division rank stated that despite the description given to them matched that of the main suspect, the eyewitness could not have identified him.
Nevertheless, investigators believed that Ross might have been the driver of the car and not the person who actually pulled the trigger.
The Police are however continuing their investigation into the matter and are optimistic that they will apprehend the shooter. The source said Ross maintained his innocence throughout the parade.
The 25-year-old taxi driver was arrested on Tuesday for questioning into the murder of the teenager, but was released following the identification parade.
Reports are that the
young man used to operate a burgundy car in a taxi service at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara, but after the killing of the young woman, he stopped working, claiming that the vehicle had mechanical problems.
In addition, investigators have also taken statements from the mechanic who claimed that Ross contacted him about three weeks ago, informing him of the problems and promising to bring the car for an analysis.
The mechanic reportedly told investigators that Ross took the car to him on the day of the shooting, which
Iraised some eyebrows. He however told the man that he was busy at the time and the driver returned the car to the owner. Acting on information, Police arrested the young man.
It was reported that the burgundy car was parked some distance away from the teenager’s home for some time, and the shooter exited after recognising his target.
“Manisha”, as Hariram was also known, was a cosmetologist who operated from home. She was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital around noon last Thursday.
The teen was reportedly returning home from Georgetown with a cousin when a man emerged from a car parked along the Railway Embankment, some six houses from where she resided, snatched her mobile phone and shot her once to the neck.
She reportedly fell on the roadway after which the perpetrator entered the car and sped away, without anyone seemingly getting a look at the licence plate.
t is becoming more and more apparent that Guyana is bereft of adults with political talent and vision. This is a harsh truth, and it brings us no joy whatsoever to come to this conclusion; but this truth applies to all of the people in all the current political parties.
The reasons for political blindness and dumbness could be many, but one of the main reasons for this paucity of political vision is that the political gene pool has been rendered muddy from incest and endless duplication.
We recycle the same old people who bring up the same old ideas that they got elsewhere anyway. There is no creativity or originality so there can be no vision. This goes for both the two traditional parties. The newest party is made up of the flotsam and jetsam of the other two, and all they bring to us is bitterness and blame.
In recent years, the only time we had something like a visionary leader was Bharat Jagdeo. One may not agree with the way he may have gone about things or the manner in which he may have spoken on certain occasions, but he was a leader with a vision of economic advancement for the nation that he headed.
And he never held this entire nation up for derision by people outside of this nation. One witnesses with admiration of Bharat’s dignified silence in the face of much poison being spat in his direction.
People like me who are by nature hopeful have lost much of that hope. Change will not come from the current set of people that infest parliament. It is not that they are all bad people.
Some of them, we hope, mean well. But simply meaning well does not cut it these days. Once again, it is about the absence of vision. This poverty
Professor Daizal Samad
is compounded by shameful ego and self-service, no political sophistication, no diplomacy, and no communication in any direction.
For instance, it does not appear as if any single Ministry recognises how its work or failure to work affects every other ministry. If the Ministry of Education does not function, it affects every other Ministry— and therefore all Guyanese in every way. Each Tuesday, we have Cabinet meetings.
Then they try to tell us all what happened, what was decided, and why they decided what they decided. The thing is that no one that I have met in or out of Guyana understands what their spokesman is saying. It is all gibberish to us, and we feel it is the usual run around. This is not how one motivates a nation, especially not how we motivate our Youths!
How can any of this be changed? That’s the question!
The answer: A NEW political party in Guyana. By “new”, we do not mean a whole set of wet-behindthe-ear people with no experience whatsoever.
If this new political party builds a platform for progress, one that is built on solid ideas in all areas and for all Guyanese, we can then attract those competent and experienced people from other parties and from abroad.
If they have the good sense to see the Vision of the New Party, then the new party will have the good sense to utilize their expertise, experience and good sense for the benefit of all. The corrupt and bitter and divisive and foolish can stay with their tired old parties. At the same time, the New political party can, at the same time, make full use of the fresh ideas and energy of the Youth of this Nation.
The most important newness is a sense of service to this nation, a sense of service that makes all politicians the servants rather than the masters of the people. If the people want to see any of the leading members of this NEW Party, those leading members MUST make time to see the people and address their concerns or explore their ideas immediately. This alone would be revolutionary.
The New Political Party can advance a platform and a vision in key areas, including education; medicine and medical delivery; internal and external security; investment/business; infrastructure; research and development; international relations; the utilities sector; agriculture and post-agriculture sectors; Sports; job creation; Youth Projects; and social security. In the next few weeks, we shall explain exactly what we mean by these key areas and the plans for advancement.
The New Party can put together a team of bright, visionary, and honest people to go before the people of Guyana and say: “We want to be given a chance to serve you.” Any takers? Just let us know.
Ramjattan on a fishing expedition
.... says no-confidence motion frivolous, vexatious, specious and without merit
Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General
Anil Nandlall, has again denounced the Alliance For Change (AFC) for threatening to bring a noconfidence motion against the Government because Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, has used money from the Consolidated Fund to restore funds cut from the 2014 budget.
“The basis or the reason offered by the Alliance For Change for threatening a noconfidence motion is one that is frivolous, vexatious, specious and without merit,” the Legal Affairs Minister said.
Expressed provision
Speaking on a recent programme on the National Communications Network,, Minister Nandlall rejected the basis of the no-confidence motion, on the ground that the Finance Minister did not act of his own volition, but instead, in pursuance of legal advice and a decision of Cabinet, and of the Government of Guyana to restore the sums that were cut from the budget.
“... it is not Dr Singh who is responsible. It is a collective responsibility; it is a Government action that Dr Singh simply executed. Dr Singh acted in accordance with expressed provision of the Constitution which were interpreted by the constitutional courts of this country (by the Chief Justice of this country) and Dr Singh was essentially advised to
act accordingly to the Chief Justice’s interpretation of article 218 of the Constitution,”
Minister Nandlall said.
Article 218 of the Constitution allows for money to be spent and a statement of excess to be laid by the Finance Minister in the National Assembly.
Minister Nandlall noted that a person cannot in law act in conformity with the constitution, and then at the same time, for that very action, contravene any principle of criminal law.
“It is a legal impossibility and Mr Ramjattan as a lawyer must know that, so he is on a fishing expedition. He feels frustrated, that his actions are being defeated... so he is going down that road and we are prepared to deal with it,” Minister Nandlall said.
Minister Singh had twice before, acting in accordance with Article 218 of the Constitution, restored funds cut from the Budget in 2012 and 2013, and subsequently laid in the National Assembly, financial papers on the statement of excess. The Minister in those two years received the support of the AFC and the A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) in passing these financial papers.
Minister Nandlall said therefore that he cannot comprehend the “significant outrage” that is now being expressed by the Opposition with regard to the Finance Minister following similar action on the issue of the restoration of the 2014 budget cut sums.
“They lent their support to this identical thing in 2012 and 2013. I do not know whether they are now telling the country that they were asleep in 2012 and 2013 because they did this exact thing,” Minister Nandlall pointed out.
Public spectacle
The Attorney General also slammed the AFC for making “a public spectacle” of their intention to move the no-confidence motion. He noted that while the party had a constitutional right to move the motion, the Constitution did not however require the party to make a spectacle of their intention to do so.
“There is no require-
ment to issue a threat publicly, there is no requirement for them to write to the Government, they simply have to draft a motion and lay it in the National Assembly so this whole public spectacle that is being created by Mr Ramjattan about his threat to lay this no-confidence motion is one that is uncalled for, it is completely unnecessary.”
Minister Nandlall, noting that the Finance Minister is being condemned for simply restoring the budget monies which Government has allocated for the people of this country, said that if it is that the Government has to go to the electorate, then it will.
He said that the Government is not afraid of the AFC’s no-confidence motion. The no-confidence motion, if tabled by the AFC cannot be passed without the support of the APNU.
“We in the People’s Progressive Party is a party that is 60 years old, we have gone to the polls more than any other political party in this country, perhaps more that most others in the Caribbean. The record will show we have never lost an election... so we are not afraid of the electorate, we work with the people of this country everyday to improve their lives and livelihoods and that is our record... so we are not ruffled,” the Government Information Agency (GINA) quoted him as saying.
He said if Ramjattan wants to go ahead with his threat, as the President explained in his response to him (Ramjattan), it will give him an opportunity to explain to Berbicians why he partnered with APNU to attempt to close down the sugar industry, jeopardising hundreds of thousands of
people’s lives.
“He will have to explain why he opposed the amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Bill, and the sanctions which he has exposed us to, and exposed the Guyanese people to economic hardship. He will have to explain why he cut the budget from all the important developmental projects including hydro power, and denying the people of this country a cheap, alternative source of energy. He will have to explain to the people of this country why he wants to deny them proper health care by opposing the specialty hospital.”
Additionally, Ramjattan will have to explain the role his Chairman played in allowing or causing persons who were charged for slaughtering 12 people of Lusignan to walk free from the legal system, and to the Amerindians, why he is denying them developmental projects. He will have to say why he denied young people their student loans at the university, and others their uniform vouchers and transportation expenses.
“So there is a lot of explanation which he will have to do, so if he is prepared at this point in time and he feels ready, to offer those explanations, then it is his right to lay that no-confidence motion, and then he will have to deal with the consequences as well.”
By Rajiv Bisnauth
Defeated by St Lucia Zouks on their home ground in the first edition of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the Guyana Amazon Warriors, cheered on by yet another massive crowd, exacted sweet revenge with a nine-wicket win over the visitors at the Guyana National Stadium on Sunday.
The Amazon Warriors had followed up a tidy display in the field with a professional chase of a paltry 118 with 24 balls remaining in game seven of the Limacol CPL. The home side did a commendable job in restricting the visitors to a modest 117 after electing to bowl.
Chasing the target, the Amazon Warriors batsmen sent the opposition bowlers
on a leather hunt to maintain their clean slate in the marquee tournament of shortest versions with three wins from similar amount of games.
Prior to the game, the Guyana Amazon Warriors top-order batsmen received criticism from some quarters for their below-par performances. However, they came to the party on Saturday with openers Martin Guptill and Lendl Simmons giving them a
Amazon Warriors made no changes in the team that beat the Red Steel in the previous game.
Left-arm seamer and Man of the Match Krishmar Santokie finished with the best figures of four for 11 off 3.2 overs and was responsible for removing the top order batsmen. Poor shot selection also contributed to the demise of several of the Zouks batsmen.
Pakistan’s Sohail Tanvir (32) and Mervin Matthew
great start.
The pair was positive from the onset and provided a solid 76-run foundation in 9.1 overs. They counter-attacked brilliantly with Guptill finishing unbeaten on 50 from 47 balls, inclusive of three sixes and two fours.
Simmons made 32 off 27 deliveries with three fours and two sixes and was the only batsman to be dismissed, bowled by Darren Sammy. Mohammed Hafeez was unbeaten on 17 when victory was achieved.
The victory was particularly sweet, since the Amazon Warriors had suffered a three-wicket loss to the Zouks at the same ground during last year’s tournament.
At first, the host bowlers excelled once again in the helpful conditions after their captain, Denesh Ramdin, chose to bowl first on winning the toss. The
(21), were the principal scorers for St Lucia Zouks
The visitors were off to the worst possible start, losing Henry Davids off the ninth ball of the innings, when he was castled by left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie.
He then removed Andre Fletcher in his second over before left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul bowled Johnson Charles as the Zouks slumped to 29-3 after 5.3 overs.
The Amazon Warriors had the Zouks on the mat, reducing them to 53-5 at the end of the 10th over. A mixup between Sunil Ambris and Keddy Lesporis saw the demise of Lesporis after which a hostile-looking Ronsford Beaton shattered the stumps of South African all-rounder Rolef Van Der Merwe.
Sunil Narine had another impressive outing with the ball and finished with
Simmons gave
figures of two for 21 off four overs. He first ripped the heart out of the Zouks fans when he had their beloved captain Sammy caught by Christopher Barnwell at long-on.
Tanvir and Sunil Ambris added 21 for the seventh wicket but Neesham, who held a tight line and length, removed Ambris. Narine struck again with the wicket of Shane Shillingford before Tanvir and Mervin
Matthew hit and hoped with an increasing level of desperation towards the end.
Tanvir’s innings lasted for 25 balls with three fours and a six, while Matthew’s 10-ball innings was inclusive of two sixes and a four which came off Beaton in the penultimate over. Guyana Amazon Warriors will face Jamaica Tallawahs today from 16:00h.
St Lucia Zouks innings (20 overs maximum)
J Charles b Permaul 13
H Davids b Santokie 4
ADS Fletcher† c Neesham
b Santokie 4
K Lesporis run out
(Guptill/M. Hafeez) 11
SW Ambris b Neesham 13
RE van der Merwe b Beaton 6
DJG Sammy* c Barnwell
b Narine 2
Sohail Tanvir c Guptill
b Santokie 32
S Shillingford lbw b Narine 0 M Mathew c Guptill
b Santokie 21
TL Best not out 3
Extras: (lb 1, w 7) 8
Total: (all out; 19.2 overs) 117
ov), 8-80 (Shillingford, 15.4 ov), 9-94 (Sohail Tanvir, 17.1 ov), 10-117 (Mathew, 19.2 ov)
Bowling: M. Hafeez 4-0-240, K Santokie 3.2-0-11-4, V Permaul 3-0-15-1, SP Narine 4-0-21-2, RR Beaton 3-0-301, JDS Neesham 2-0-15-1 Guyana Amazon Warriors innings (target: 118 runs from 20 overs) LMP Simmons b Sammy 36 MJ Guptill not out 50 Mohammad Hafeez not out 17
Extras: (b 4, lb 10, w 1) 15
Total: (1 wicket; 16 overs) 118
Did not bat: LR Johnson, D Ramdin*†, JDS Neesham, CD Barnwell, SP Narine, V Permaul, K Santokie, RR Beaton Fall of wickets 1-76 (Simmons, 9.1 ov)
Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Davids, 1.3 ov), 2-16 (Fletcher, 3.4 ov), 3-29 (Charles, 5.3 ov), 4-34 (Lesporis, 6.4 ov), 5-52 (van der Merwe, 9.4 ov), 6-58 (Sammy, 10.6 ov), 7-79 (Ambris, 14.4
Bowling: TL Best 4-0-200, Sohail Tanvir 4-0-28-0, M Mathew 1-0-17-0, S Shillingford 3-0-17-0, RE van der Merwe 2-014-0, DJG Sammy 2-0-8-1
By Avenash Ramzan
At the post-match press conference last Thursday when the Guyana Amazon Warriors sneaked home with a Super Over win against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel, Head Coach Roger Harper had cut a worried and contemplative figure.
He was adamant the batting was a major concern, as he demanded an improvement from the misfiring top order going forward.
On Saturday evening, Harper was much more relaxed, smiling as he greeted the press for the postmatch briefing following the Amazon Warriors’ sensational nine-wicket win over the St Lucia Zouks.
It was the batting turnaround he was looking for and his top order did not disappoint, executing with efficiency after they had made heavy weather of a similar total against the Red Steel and struggled to a two-wicket win over the Antigua Hawksbills in the
opening game.
“We said before that the bowlers have been doing their job and we displayed good teamwork in bringing it home, but I think
this time the batsmen were committed and determined to show their quality and they did that. So it seems like everything is coming together and we just want
to take this momentum as we go forward,” Harper said.
The Head Coach pointed out that while the batters did not deliver as he would
have liked, he was optimistic that a performance as the one on Saturday night was around the corner.
“Two guys at the top got in and played very well and that must give the rest of the team confidence. The thing is batsmen have been making runs, but generally when you watch them in the nets they’re batting pretty well, so it’s just a matter of them getting some runs. We know it’s going to come together and this is the start of it,” Harper asserted.
Captain Denesh Ramdin, who had also expressed concerns about the batting, was enthused by the way the top order responded to the challenge.
“Yea, I’m very happy with the batting display, I would have loved not to lose a wicket…Lendl Simmons and Martin Guptill’s partnership was excellent, they went out there, took a few overs, got themselves in and then expressed themselves at the end. Unlucky for Simmons, but Hafeez saw it home with Martin,”
a smiling Ramdin reflected.
The skipper also commented on Martin Guptill’s contribution in the field, taking two catches and effecting a run-out before making an unbeaten halfcentury to lead the victory charge.
“He’s a phenomenal guy on the field; he always wants to go to a position where the ball is. If we have three more like him we can run out a lot of teams and take many catches. He works hard on his game and he always encourages the other players to work hard. I think in this particular game he wanted to be more inside the circle and do spectacular things for the team,” Ramdin said.
Batting first, the St Lucia Zouks were stifled by good bowling, led by Krishmar Santokie’s 4-11, as they mustered 117 all out. In reply, Guptill (50*) and Lendl Simmons (36) added 76 for the first wicket to pilot the Amazon Warriors to victory at 1181 with four overs to spare.
By Rajiv Bisnauth
Jamaica
Tallawahs
captain Chris Gayle expects the Guyana Amazon Warriors to be back to their best when the teams meet in game eight of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament from 16:00h today at the Guyana National Stadium.
Gayle’s side beat the Warriors by seven wickets in the final of the inaugural tournament last year.
However, the Guyana Amazon Warriors will get a chance to take sweet revenge, but it will not be an easy task for the Warriors outfit, especially with the ‘Chris Gayle factor’ looming.
Gayle, speaking at a prematch press conference on Saturday, told reporters that he is looking forward to the challenge since it’s an important game for his team.
“I am looking forward to it, it’s an important game for us; the Warriors is the only team to beat us twice
last year, so it’s an important game for us to go three up so tomorrow (today) is a key game for us playing a
top team. The overall effort is great and I am happy with the performances so far.. Just hope that the guys will
continue in that same vein,” Gayle said.
The former West Indies captain acknowledged that while the Amazon Warriors possess a great bowling line up, he is confident of smashing mystery spinner Sunil Narine for a quartet of sixes.
“It would be nice to get four sixes off Sunil Narine and I know Guyana will be supporting the Tallawahs as well. The Guyanese people will always say they want Jamaica to lose but it is not so they want Jamaica to win and they will come out and support us, They want entertainment and they want good cricket”, said an elated Gayle as he tipped the contest between himself and Narine as a competitive, exciting encounter.
He added “We just have to take things into strides because we know the conditions wouldn’t be easy batting wise… I thing the
Warriors have one of the better line-ups in the Limacol CPL and it’s something we will be looking to, but once we can execute our plans there is no doubt we can actually beat them.
“They are a very good team and I am sure they want to rebound from what happened in last year’s final. They have a lot to play for and they will want to give their own crowd something to cheer about,” the left-hander added.
Head coach Mickey Arthur pointed out that the team was indeed in high spirits coming off of their two consecutive wins in the tournament thus far.
The former Australia and South Africa head coach also stated that he was happy to be a part of the team and is equally happy with the team’s performance in the tournament, lauding the players for their teamwork.
Marlon Samuels top scored with 84 off 54 balls, but it was not enough to prevent his team’s third defeat in the tournament as the Antigua Hawksbills went down to the Barbados Tridents by 5 wickets and 4 balls to spare in St John’s, Antigua on Saturday.
next over saw Hyatt play out a maiden over as he couldn’t find a way to get off strike. This pedestrian beginning to the innings was ended with Hyatt’s departure when he fell to Ravi Rampaul, bowled by a ball that kept low that he should have come forward to.
The arrival of the
The runs flowed in the Limacol Caribbean Premier League match between the two sides with the number three batsmen for both sides making significant contributions. However, the Antiguans’ innings lost momentum in the face of some excellent death bowling from Ravi Rampaul. Instead it was Pakistan’s, Shoaib Malik, who played the match winning innings - his 72 runs seeing the Tridents to victory.
The Hawksbills started slowly with Danza Hyatt struggling to give his team any momentum, especially against the spin of Akeal Hosein. The slow left armer could have picked up the wicket of Hyatt in his first over when he failed to hold a relatively simple caught and bowled chance. Hosein’s
Hawksbills captain Samuels changed things as he wasted no time in increasing the
ing 58 of those runs. The most striking of the shots that Samuels played was a short arm pull off Rayad Emrit that disappeared over straight long off for six.
Samuels’ innings was not without fortune. He should have been run out on 48 when he attempted a high risk run and was sent back by his partner. He would have been five yards short of his crease, but instead two overthrows brought up his fifty. He may have departed on 59 when a ball he edged off the bowling of Kieron Pollard fell agonisingly short of the wicket keeper.
The Tridents’ big fast bowler Jason Holder was the man that took most of the punishment, his third over proving his most expensive, going for 17 runs as David Hussey hit him for two fours and a six. Ravi Rampaul also came in for some tap, with his penultimate over going for 20 runs. This was followed by an excellent final over of his spell, where he picked up three wickets for just two runs, dismissing both Samuels and the well set David Hussey. But for
scoring rate. He put together a partnership of 83 with Australian Ben Dunk, but Samuels was very much the main contributor scor-
this excellent bowling at the death, the Tridents could well have been chasing closer to 200 rather than the 173 they were set. Ultimately
this low scoring end to the Hawksbills innings was the difference between the two teams.
From the very start of their innings, the visitors seemed to have this chase under control. Barbados Tridents openers, Shane Dowrich and Dwayne Smith, both got away to flying starts in an attempt to break the back of this target in the power play. Dowrich was bowled by the pacey Sheldon Cottrell, while Smith was brilliantly caught at third man by Miguel Cummins.
Pakistani overseas player, Shoaib Malik, took over where the openers had left off, even matching Samuels amazing pulled six over long off with one of his own. He paced his innings perfectly, as the Hawksbills struggled to exert any control over the visitors. Only veteran wrist spinner Brad Hogg found a way to check the scoring, as his wily googlies and leg spinners went for 28 runs off his four overs.
Malik was ably supported in his efforts, first by Jeevan Mendis and then Kieron Pollard as the Tridents completed the victory with four balls to spare. When Pollard
fell in the 17th over to a ball that would have been called wide but which he edged behind, there would have been some concern for the Tridents that they would fall short. Those worries would
have intensified when Malik was run out going for an ill judged two. Jason Holder had other ideas as he hit two sixes to finish the game, including the winning runs which were hit over the rope off Cottrell.
Antigua Hawksbills innings (20 overs maximum
BR Dunk c †Dowrich
b Holder 33
DP Hyatt b Rampaul 7
MN Samuels* c Holder
b Rampaul 84
DJ Hussey b Rampaul 32
DC Thomas† c Smith
b Rampaul 0
SS Cottrell c Pollard b Emrit 3
SE Thomas not out 2
Extras: (lb 3, w 6, nb 2) 11
Total: (6 wickets; 20 overs) 172
Fall of wickets: 1-16 (Hyatt, 3.5 ov), 2-99 (Dunk, 12.4 ov), 3-163 (Samuels, 18.1 ov), 4-166 (DC Thomas, 18.4 ov), 5-166 (Hussey, 18.5 ov), 6-172 (Cottrell, 19.6 ov)
Bowling: AJ Hosein 4 -1 -22 -0 , R Rampaul 4 -0 -32 -4, JO Holder 3 -0 -35 -1, AR Nurse 2 -0-21-0, RR Emrit 3 -0 -25 -1, KA Pollard 4 -0 -34-0
Barbados Tridents innings (target: 173 runs from 20 overs)
DR Smith c Cummins b Brathwaite 21
SO Dowrich† b Cottrell 17 Shoaib Malik run out (Cottrell/Brathwaite) 72
BMAJ Mendis c Cummins b Hogg 16
KA Pollard* c †DC Thomas b Brathwaite 21 JO Holder not out 19 AR Nurse not out 1
Extras: (lb 1, w 5) 6
Total: (5 wickets; 19.2 overs) 173
Fall of wickets: 1-31 (Dowrich, 2.3 ov), 2-61 (Smith, 6.2 ov), 3-97 (Mendis, 11.3 ov), 4-142 (Pollard, 16.4 ov), 5-158 (Shoaib Malik, 18.3 ov)
Bowling : SS Cottrell 3.2 -0 -32 -1, MN Samuels 4 -0 -39 -0, CR Brathwaite 4 -0 -37-2 , Laughlin 3 -0 -26 -0, ML Cummins 1 -0 -10 -0, GB Hogg 4- 0 -28 -1
sunday, july 20, 2014
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Lewis Hamilton crashed in qualifying for the German Grand Prix and will start the race 15th with teammate and title rival Nico Rosberg on pole. The Mercedes driver lost control in the first knock-out session after a front-right brake failure at 130mph sent him smashing into the barriers.
Hamilton was able to walk away and was taken to the circuit’s medical centre.
Williams’ Valtteri Bottas will start second, followed by team-mate Felipe
Massa and McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen.
Mercedes said Hamilton was left “sore” after the crash, while Team boss Toto Wolff said the driver’s knees “hurt a bit”. Wolff added that the failed brake disc was a brand new piece of equipment.
Hamilton officially qualified 16th, but a penalty for Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez moved him up one place.
The crash happened as he entered the Sachskurve hairpin. Sounding shaken over the radio immediately afterwards, Hamilton said:
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Hamilton is four points behind Rosberg after closing a 29-point deficit with victory in the British Grand Prix two weeks ago at Silverstone, where the German retired. At Hockenheim Rosberg took a comfortable pole, 0.219secs clear of Bottas.
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Close to four dozen young aspiring cricketers from Enterprise and surrounding areas on Friday graduated from the fourth annual cricket academy hosted by the Sport Ministry in partnership with the National Sports Commission.
The one week event, which attracted youths from Lusignan to Enterprise on the East Coast of Demerara,
Yadram.
At the simple closing ceremony on Friday, the youngsters received certificates of participation from Director of Sport Neil Kumar. He encouraged the teenagers to stay in school and earn a solid education, even as they pursue success in their cricketing endeavours.
Kumar told the gathering that reading is critical
your upbringing as an individual,” Kumar intimated.
Yadram, in his remarks, outlined that the aim of the academy was to educate, promote and develop young cricketers, both male and female, and instill in them a high level of discipline.
Apart from the cricket sessions, which were both theoretical and practical, the adolescents were exposed to lectures on
and Bhaskar Yadram and Amanda Persaud.
Yadram expressed gratitude to Kumar and other officials of the National Sports Commission and the Sport Ministry for seeing the need to focus on cricket development among the youths, while he also thanked the various sponsors who supported the programme, as well as the instructors.
Among the benefactors
took place at the Enterprise Busta Sports Club and was coordinated by Coach Latchman Yadram.
During the five-day academy, the group of 45, which included five females, was tutored on the fundamentals of the game by a group of instructors, led by
to one’s personal development, as he urged them to exercise the highest level of discipline, dress properly and aim to always be physically fit and mentally alert.
“You must also show respect to your parents, coaches and teachers, because that is reflective of
Leadership, Discipline, HIV/Aids and Road Safety.
Yadram said the academy was another major success this year, as it was during the first three years.
He added that the academy has produced quite a few national players, namely siblings Kamesh, Kavita
Dr Steve Surujbally is well known in his capacity as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, but he is also an avid, veteran tennis player and a great fan of the sport. As a member of the tennis fraternity, he has offered to pass on his knowledge of the game to the younger generation by providing a one-day training session on Tennis Umpiring for the Guyana Tennis Association (GTA).
The GTA said in statement, “In the game of tennis, a prominent element of competition is making fair calls and giving the benefit of the doubt to your opponent. This is the way that players should be thinking, especially in a sport where trained umpires are no longer easily secured in abundance for tournaments.”
In matches where a higher level of tennis is being played with more powerful strokes, players sometimes take strong positions in defense of what they perceive as an ‘in’ ball in their favour or an ‘out’ ball played by their opponent.
Dr Steve Surujbally
ous about their personal development.
“If players are made aware of what is expected when they play with or without an umpire, then greater sportsmanship will prevail,” the GTA head pointed out. With this in mind, she approached Dr Surujbally, who readily agreed to conduct the session.
were Guyana Beverage Company, Boodram’s Bakery, Navin and Sons Construction, Vishal’s Construction, Tiger Sports and Samaroo Jailall, while the instructors were Gervy C. Harry, Joshua Williams, Richard Albert and Romel Putilall. (Avenash Ramzan)
GTA president Grace McCalman said, “This dialogue can be the spoiler for a high quality match with no umpire where a player is not willing to concede where often their behaviour degenerates into one of bad taste.”
McCalman said she intends to enhance discipline among players who are seri-
Dr Surujbally is the most qualified tennis umpire currently residing in Guyana, having umpired for decades in several ITF Davis Cup and other Regional tournaments, as well as national finals. His love for the game has kept him up to date with the progression of the rules of tennis over the years. The session will be conducted today at the National Racquet Centre from 09:00h to 13:00h and 25 candidates, including executive members are expected to participate in the theoretical and practical exercises.
Guyana is once again performing at its optimum in squash as both male and female squash teams made their way to the final of the Team Competition on Friday in the Junior Caribbean Squash Championships being held in Hamilton, Bermuda.
The girls, who surprisingly fell to Trinidad and Tobago in their final group game faced top seeded Jamaica in their semi-final and battled competitively to a 3-2 win to reach the final.
Guyana’ Victoria Arjoon made quick work of Ashley Lynch, winning in three straight sets at 11-4, 11-6 and 11-3 to set the tone for Guyana.
Taylor Fernandes, re-
placing a slightly injured Larissa Wiltshire, fell to Alyssa Mullings in three straight games at 9-11, 2-11 and 8-11 to tie the match at one apiece between the two nations.
National junior champi-
Liam Plunkett took two wickets in two balls to keep England's hopes of ending their nine-match winless streak alive in an absorbing second Test against India at Lord's. Just as India were assuming control with a second-wicket partnership of 78, Plunkett removed Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli before Stuart Broad benefitted from an umpiring error to add the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane in the evening session of the third day.
Murali Vijay held firm to reach 59 not out and captain Mahendra Dhoni rode his luck to make an unbeaten 12 as India closed on 1694 in their second innings, 145 ahead.
Plunkett's unbeaten 55 earlier helped England add 100 to their overnight 219-6 to post 319 in reply to India's 295.
Much will now hinge on the opening exchanges of Sunday's play as England seek to take the final six India wickets quickly and give themselves a manageable target in the fourth innings on a pitch starting to bounce unevenly.
Only two sides have chased more than 218 to win a Test at Lord's - the West Indies' 344-1 in 1984 and England's 282-3 against New Zealand 10 years ago.
Plunkett's burst has given England an opportunity they will be desperate not to squander after the 5-0 Ashes whitewash, the 1-0 home series loss to Sri Lanka and the draw at Trent Bridge in the first Test of a five-match series. After Joe Root had taken a spectacular catch at backward point to remove Shikhar Dhawan for 31, Saturday was
in danger of becoming another frustrating day for captain Alastair Cook and his men with Vijay and Pujara steadily building India's lead in the late afternoon sunshine.
But three wickets for five runs in 19 balls brought England right back into contention.
First, Pujara got a faint nick through to Prior from a full delivery, then the out-ofform Kohli shouldered arms at his first ball and lost his off stump. Although Plunkett's hat-trick ball drifted harmlessly wide of off stump, England did not have to wait long to take their next wicket, albeit in fortunate circumstances.
A Broad bouncer struck Rahane in the middle of the arm guard and Matt Prior sprinted to leg gully to claim a diving catch. At 123-4, India's lead was only 99 runs and England wanted more, but their efforts were frustrated by a frenetic innings from Dhoni.
Looking anything but convincing as he survived numerous lbw appeals and was almost bowled around his legs, Dhoni somehow survived, adding a potentially pivotal 46 with Vijay. At the start of the day, England lost Prior, Broad and Ben Stokes in quick succession but were bolstered by a lastwicket partnership of 39 between James Anderson and Plunkett, who completed his first Test fifty.
Prior was caught off a topedged pull for 23 by Dhawan, back-pedalling from first slip, before Bhuvneshwar Kumar completed his six-wicket haul by bowling Stokes and having Broad caught at slip off an expansive drive. (BBC Sport)
on Akeila Wiltshire would prove her mettle against Mary Mahfood with a back and forth game that ended 3-2 at 11-7, 11-5, 7-11, 8-11 and 11-3 to give Guyana a 2-1 match lead.
Jamaica’s Mia Mahfood
took on Makeda Harding, winning a hard fought 3-2 at 2-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5 and 11-2 to even the match at two apiece. With the match down to its final game, Rebecca Low took the court for Guyana,
showing her class against Sarah Conway to win the game 3-1 at 11-5, 11-4, 8-11 and 13-11 to move Guyana to the final.
The Guyanese women will now face Trinidad and Tobago in the final of the tournament for a chance to avenge their early group stage loss.
Meanwhile, the Guyanese males won easily after topping their group with a 3-2 win against Barbados to reach the final.
The Guyanese team wasted no time in securing their berth in the final as Nyron Joseph started the ball rolling with an easy 3-0 over Dean Starker at 11-4, 12-10 and 11-6.
Benjamin Mekdeci went the distance with
Benjamin Griffith but prevailed 3-2 to give Guyana a commanding 2-0 lead in what was termed as the best match of the day, with both players having back and forth rallies that ended 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11 and a thrilling finale of 17-15. Canada-based Guyanese Jean Claude Jeffrey made it 3-0 for Guyana, thus securing the male team’s place in the final as the game finished 11-3, 11-7 and 12-10.
However, both Shomar Wiltshire and Alex Cheeks lost the final two games of the match, which did not matter in the end.
The male team will now face Jamaica in the final of the Team tournament as Guyana aim to make a clean sweep of titles.
