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Suriname gold smuggling trio out on $15M bail
- fourth man out on further $5M
By Telesha Persaud
THE three Guyanese men detained for questioning about 16 kilogrammes of smuggled gold recently confiscated by the authorities in Suriname, yesterday walked out of the precincts of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court after paying a total of $15M bail.

The men - Isaac Sarjoo, 30, of Lot 90 Second Street, Alexander Village; Richard Sarjoo, 30, of Lot 81 Second Street, Alexander Village; and Roy Arjune, 34, of Lot 267 Success Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, were granted bail when they appeared before Principal Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle yesterday.

Another man, Albert Sarjoo, a 54-year-old cambio dealer of Lot 87 Second Street, Alexander Village, also appeared in the same court charged with conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor with Richard Sarjoo.

The first three defendants pleaded not guilty to a joint charge, which said on last March 3 at Moleson Creek, Springlands, Corentyne, Berbice, they exported a quantity of gold from Guyana, that is, 35 pounds of raw gold.

The charge read to the fourth defendant said between December 1, 2007, and March 3, 2008, he conspired with Richard Sarjoo to export the said amount of raw gold.

Attorney-at-law Mr. Nigel Hughes represented the men, in association with Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan.

Hughes said in a bail application that the charge read to the 54-year-old defendant is a minor one since it is conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor and not a felony.

Hughes said this defendant has been a businessman for in excess of 40 years and his business, ‘A&N Sarjoo’ located at America Street, Georgetown, has been in establishment for over 20 years.

Hughes argued that it is not illegal for persons to export gold from Guyana but a percentage must be paid to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

At the end of the trial, Hughes said the only offence that will be left against the defendants is that they failed to pay the royalties to GGMC.

The lawyer further stated that the exhibits that would be presented for this case is in the custody of the Republic of Suriname who has forfeited that gold and will not be sending it back to Guyana. He said authorities from that Country have confirmed that.

Hughes also stated that the men were not deported to Guyana but travelled back at their own expenses.

He added that the men were not detained there and that no evidence is there of the existence of this gold. As such, he said the chance of success for the Prosecution is marginal.

Hughes further argued that persons appeared with similar offences in Court previously and was granted bail because these are classified as fiscal offences.

He said the men has strong ties to the community and contributes significantly to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) as both Isaac and Richard Sarjoo are licensed gold dealers/traders.

Hughes further argued that when the men were released in Suriname, if they did not want to face the authorities here, they would have stayed in that Country. Since they were not deported, he said, they could have also gone into hiding.

He said he wished to single out the oldest defendant for bail as he is a diabetic and suffers from chronic hypertension. Hughes argued that the man’s health is such that he would not be able to endure any form of incarceration.

He also stated that this defendant never left the shores of Guyana.

Police Inspector Denise Griffith, prosecuting, however objected to the grant of bail for all of the defendants because she said the investigation into this matter is not yet complete.

She said the first three defendants paid a fine in Suriname and were subsequently sent back to Guyana.

Griffith said the value of the gold is $96M.

Hughes responded that he was happy that the Prosecutor disclosed that they were already punished in that foreign country and that they came back voluntarily.

He said the men spent six days in custody so far and, as such, Police would have had enough time to investigate the matter.

The lawyer said it is not as if the Government of Guyana lost $96M as they were only entitled to the taxes.

The Magistrate released the defendants (the three sent back from Suriname and the elder Sarjoo) on $5M bail each and the matter was adjourned to April 11.

Hughes then asked the Magistrate to consider a reduction in bail because he said it was 3 O’clock on the day after which there would be a six-day holiday.

He said all the Banks would have been closed and there was no way for the men to obtain a manager’s cheque at that time.

After this application was turned down, Hughes asked if they could lodge ‘like surety’ instead of cash for the bail.

This application was again turned down.

According to a source, smuggling is viewed in Suriname as an ‘economic offence’ and persons caught, do not have to stand trial if they can pay a fine that is imposed by a Prosecutor. It was under this circumstance that the three men chose to pay the fine.

The source further stated that the men told the Suriname Police that they had bought the gold in Guyana and went there to sell since the price they would have gotten would have been much higher than what they would have gotten in their homeland.

GRA takes tough action against defaulting VAT Registrants
- obtains $37M in civil judgment
THE Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has once again filed a statement of amounts due as Value-Added Tax (VAT) from Friendship Hotel and Restaurant Holdings Limited of Lot 1 public Road, Ruimveldt in the High Court, apart from sixty (60) charges on nine other businesses.

The statement filed against Friendship Hotel and Restaurant Holdings Limited revealed that the company owed the GRA $37,648,739 as VAT and interest for three consecutive periods: September to November 2007.

The company, which has the franchise for KFC and Pizza Hut was previously slapped with a similar judgment for $45.1M also spanning a three month period; and has since appealed to the VAT Board of Review, which decision is pending a 32 percent payment of the outstanding taxes before the board hears the matter.

Additionally, five persons appeared at the Linden Magistrate Court to answer charges of failing to issue Tax Invoices in conformity with the VAT law.

Four (Star Bonnet Hotel, Paddy’s General Store, Majid’s Esso Service Centre and Richard’s Cheap Corner) pleaded guilty to the charge while one, ‘R. Foredyce and sons’ entered a not guilty plea and is to return to court on the 6th of May for trial.

Meanwhile, GRA said it has filed sixty charges against nine other businesses for failure to file VAT returns in addition to numerous other VAT related charges currently engaging the attention of the court.

Legal Officer for GRA, Mr. Andrew Girdhari, said they are preparing to file another two hundred and twenty-two charges against twenty-four businesses for also failing to file VAT returns.

He noted that the ratio of offences to businesses shows that there is some disregard for the law, as many persons repeatedly commit the same offence.

Commissioner-General of the GRA, Mr. Khurshid Sattaur, is adamant that the authority will continue its aggressive enforcement action against businesses who think they can break the law with impunity and get away with it.

He said that the GRA has an obligation to ensure that the various tax laws are upheld and that the revenue of the state is protected, noting that while the non issuance of Tax Invoices has been a prevalent infraction of the law, there continue to be breaches of several other sections such as failure to remit tax and file returns.

The VAT Act calls for strict accountability and compliance on the part of businesses as the system is one that allows registrants to assess their own tax liability.

The GRA will continue to work with businesses, providing training and assistance where necessary to ensure compliance before resorting to the court.

CARICOM Security Chiefs in three-day brain-storming meeting
WANTED: URGENT SOLUTIONS TO REGION’S CRIME SCOURGE
By Wendella Davidson
POLICE Commissioners and military Chiefs of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and representatives of regional institutions with responsibility for security, yesterday began a three-day brain-storming meeting against the back drop of an urgent need to find solutions to stem the increase of criminality across the Region.

While structures and elaborate plans are necessary, our situation in the Region requires immediate solutions to the high incidents of violent crime especially when it takes the form of armed aggression against State Institutions which is the case in Guyana’ - Commodore Gary Best
The joint meeting at which Antigua and Barbuda; The Bahamas; Barbados; Grenada; Jamaica; Montserrat; St Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Trinidad and Tobago; Anguilla; Bermuda; Regional Security System; Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre/Regional Intelligence Committee/Regional Information Technical Committee (RIFC/RIC/RITC); CARICOM Secretariat and Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) are represented, is being held at the Grand Coastal Inn, Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara.

The forum will serve as the catalyst for a "strategy and action plan" which will be formulated at a "special summit" on crime and security, billed to be held in Trinidad and Tobago, shortly.

The summit to be hosted by Prime Minister Patrick Manning who has lead responsibility within CARICOM for such issues, was one of the decisions which was taken by the Heads of Government at their recent meeting in The Bahamas.

Host Commissioner of Police (Acting), Henry Greene, in brief remarks at the opening ceremony, noted that the convening of the meeting, as well as the upcoming summit, is a signal of their intent to solve the regional problem of crime and security.

He also reminded the participants, numbering about 34, that with the free movement of skills as a result of the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market, there is now a greater demand on security and military chiefs for ensuring the security of all the Caribbean people.

&The, it is our duty to ensure that the drug dealers, terrorists and criminals cannot commit rampage from territory to territory unhindered and or unstopped,” Greene said.

people cannot go from territory to territory as wanted persons without us having the capability to have them arrested and extradited to any one of our territories and more so, to territories outside of the region,” he declared.

And with the heightened concern for Guyana’s security as of recent, the CoP said Guyana welcomes the meeting at which it expects to hear some experiences from its sister CARICOM territories on how to approach the problem.

And, as he welcomed security and military chiefs attending the meeting for the first time to the fold, Commissioner Green said the fold is categorized by a special connotation called ‘The Licks Team’, adding “you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”

And in remarks which can be viewed as setting the tone for the deliberations, host Military Chief, Commodore Gary Best of the Guyana Defence Force told those in attendance that the timing of the meeting is “when human safety and security is significantly threatened by violent crime,” with the host country having its own equivalent of the now infamous 911, recently, two successive incidents of slaughter of civilians.

Noting that crime has no face, colour and knows no boundaries, Commodore Best said it is the context of no known boundaries, that security and military chiefs of the region need to adopt a regional approach to crime solutions.

must now consider the harmonization and maximization of our total resources to provide for crime solutions.”

“While structures and elaborate plans are necessary, our situation in the Region requires immediate solutions to the high incidents of violent crime especially when it takes the form of armed aggression against State Institutions which is the case in Guyana,” Best declared.

He suggested that the meeting address practical and immediate mechanisms that would allow security forces to acquire real time communicative information relating to criminal violence.

“To this end, it is now necessary to consider a longer period of detention for suspects of certain very serious crimes while at the same time protecting those who would be required to provide that critical evidence,” Commodore Best posited.

In addition, the Head of the GDF underscored the crucial importance of timely intelligence, and said information bases should be integrated across the Region and should be based on capacity and location.

But he cautioned that none of the suggestions would succeed if the participants, as a collective, do not work towards providing an enabling environment for effective policing. Media and Public Relations positives are absolutely critical to success in combating crime, he said.

, they must be prepared to invest significantly in constantly testing the integrity of all our systems including human operatives in order to be successful in the fight against crime,” he added.

Along with chairperson of the opening session Mr. Francis Forbes of IMPACS, the other participants were Commissioner of Police,-- Mr. Gary Nelson, Chief of Defence Staff – Colonel Ivor J. Walker ( Antigua and Barbuda); Commissioner of Police – Reginald Ferguson, Commander -- Commodore Clifford Scavella, Aide-de-Camp Lieutenant Charles Eric Strachan (The Bahamas); Commissioner of Police – Mr. Darwin Dottin, Chief of Staff - Colonel Alvin Quintyne (Barbados); Commissioner of Police -- Mr. Winston James, Chair Immigration -- Mr. Jessmon Prince (Grenada); Colonel Antony Anderson -- Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, Deputy Comissioner -- Mr. Linval Bailey (Jamaica ); Commissioner -- Mr. Steve G. Foster (Montserrat); Commissioner of Police (Ag) -- Mr. Austin Williams (St Kitts and Nevis); Mr. Wesley Wharton -- Chair, Regional Information Technical Committee (RITC); Assistant Commissioner of Police -- Mr. Vernon Francois (Saint Lucia); Chair, Commissioner of Police – Mr. Trevor Paul

Chair Chief of Defence Staff – Brigadier Edmund Dillon, Chair Customs -- Mr. Fitzroy John (Trinidad and Tobago); Mr. Vejai Sammy – RITC; Commissioner of Police – Mr. Keithly Benjamin (Anguilla); Commissioner of Police – Mr. George Jackson (Bermuda ); Mr. Grantley Watson --Regional Security System (RSS); Commander Louis Baptiste -- Director, Joint Regional Communication Centre (JRCC); Major Colin Millington -- Director, (RIFC/RIC/RITO); Colonel Fairbairn Liverpool – (CARICOM Secretariat); and Ms Lynne Anne Williams -- Executive Director, Mr. Herman Browne, Ms Cheryl Lewis, Ms Selicia Douglas, Ms Barbara Ann Hutson, Ms Kizzann Lee Sam and Ms Vernice Seebaran, Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), were others in attendance.

Moving pension eligibility age from 60 to 65 just a recommendation
- Dr. Luncheon
HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) and Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, yesterday assured Guyanese, particularly persons concerned about the rumours in the public domain, about the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) considering moving the eligibility age for pensioners from 60 to 65 years.

is simply a recommendation by the NIS reform committee,” declared Dr. Luncheon, who is also Chairman of the NIS Board.

Some citizens have, over the past few weeks, been expressing concern about this move and have stated that they do not agree with it as some pensioners may not even live to see the age of 65, having to wait ten years after they retire at 55.

“What the reform committee did or what it was set up to do was to examine comprehensively what was in the public domain, what the public wanted or the views of its current management operations and in light of the statutes that said, foremost, you have to maintain an economically and financially valuable scheme to make recommendations on the way forward, and this is what they have done. They have made recommendations,” the HPS explained.

He opined that it is unfortunate that there seems to be a presumption that the recommendations of today will be the policy of tomorrow.

“I hasten to assure Guyanese and particularly, those who have been disturbed about age 65 being the new age of eligibility for pension being put into place tomorrow or next week or next month, that that is not so. This is a recommendation made by the reform committee and for those who are familiar it will be taken to Cabinet, and from Cabinet to Parliament to form a Legislation,” he stated.

Dr. Luncheon further noted that this evening at 20:05 hrs (8:05 P.M), he will be part of a panel on the TV programme ‘NIS and you’ aired on NCN Channel 11 where NIS matters, including the pensionable age issue, will be addressed. He said persons can call in on the live programme and express their concerns on the matter. (GINA)

NEWS

Calls for VAT reduction baseless - GRA
THE Guyana Revenue Authority has said it is very appalled at continuing calls for the Value Added Tax (VAT) to be reduced to 10 percent.

“This indicates that those who are calling for the reduction are unfortunately still unaware of how the VAT works and do not seem to understand the realities of the Guyana situation as it relates to pricing,” the GRA said in a statement.

The agency indicated that it has, in the past, put forward many reasons why VAT is necessary and it would have expected that members of Parliament, the least, would have understood the legislation since it was deliberated upon for a substantial amount of time in the National Assembly before it was passed and accented to.

Commissioner-General of the GRA, Mr. Khurshid Sattaur said: “Persons fail to understand or remember that VAT replaced six taxes and that the VAT alone was not introduced but that an Excise Tax was also introduced simultaneously with the VAT on four commodities.”

The items which attract Excise Tax are petroleum products, alcoholic beverages, motor vehicles and tobacco products.

The Commissioner-General said that while there have been much harping about the VAT collection being a windfall for the government, persons have failed to comprehensively and effectively analyse the facts.

“The Excise Tax has made a substantial contribution to revenue collection for last year but this is being totally ignored,” Sattaur declared.

He added that the VAT was introduced at a rate lower than that which existed under the Consumption Tax regime hence it is difficult to understand why the opposition and other parties continue to attribute statement to the ‘high rate’ of VAT.

Mr. Sattaur further stated that it has been coincidental that high prices of some basic commodities have been plaguing the international market at the same time when VAT was introduced leading in some instances to increased prices but not necessarily because of VAT.

“If there were no VAT and the 30 percent Consumption tax had prevailed what would have happened, wouldn’t there have been far higher prices, more so since businesses had no means of recovering the taxes they would have paid to acquire those goods?” he asked.

Arguing further why the call is baseless, Mr. Sattaur said the GRA has been very concerned about the prevailing high prices and in an effort to cushion the effects has zero-rated several items last year and an additional 32 items this month and expressed disappointment that these benefits are not being passed down to consumers.

He said this alone bears out the GRA’s position that there is no guarantee that it will be a relief to consumers if the rate of the tax is lowered.

He made reference to the National Milling Company again which increased its flour price at the same time when the government zero-rated flour resulting in higher flour prices and that of bread as well.

Mr. Sattaur said the GRA hopes that there could be greater analysis before such careless and baseless statements are uttered.

Cabinet agrees to Guyana’s accession to UN Convention against corruption
CABINET, at its regular weekly meeting on Tuesday, agreed to Guyana’s accession to the United Nation’s (UN) Convention against corruption and the protocol of the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, said Cabinet also approved Guyana’s Ratification of the Beijing Amendment to the Montreal Protocol of Substances that depletes the ozone layer.

He told a post-Cabinet news conference yesterday that the amendment introduces new control on the production of substances that reduces the ozone layer, hydro chloro-fluorocarbons (HCFCS) by extending controls beyond consumption to manufacture.

On the other hand, Dr. Luncheon noted that the protocol against smuggling of migrants by land, sea and air requires state partners to prevent and combat trafficking in persons, in order to protect and assist victims of trafficking and to promote cooperation among states in order to meet those objectives.

He said the UN Convention against Corruption is global and covers both Government and the Private Sector.

It seeks to prevent, deter and detect the various forms of corruption through transparency, adherence to the Rule of Law, accountability, international cooperation, technical assistance, sharing of Information and asset recovery, Dr. Luncheon said. (Sarada Singh)

National Assembly sitting slated for March 26
THE next sitting of the National Assembly will be on March 26 and the session will see a number of Motions by the main Opposition party, the People’s National Congress /Reform and Government being debated and these would include ratification of Guyana’s accession to some Conventions, motions on the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Company, debt relief, debt forgiveness and torture among others. 

This was disclosed to the media yesterday by Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) and Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon during his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing at the Office of the President.

The Cabinet Secretary pointed out that Cabinet also noted the Prime Minister’s submission of a Motion calling on Parliament to accept the output of President Bharrat Jagdeo’s meeting with stakeholders which sought to prioritise its implementation on the parliamentary agenda.

“Cabinet also noted that Members of Parliament would be discussing the piracy and the time limit to judicial decision Bills that are being tabled in the National Assembly,” the HPS said.

Vandals again cut GT&T fibre cable
- disrupt service to customers as far as Linden, Kwakwani and Mahdia
DESPITE an appeal to customers and the general public earlier this week by the Guyana Telephone & Telegraph (GT&T) Company to be on the look out for acts of vandalism against facilities provided for their use and convenience, the company has reported another ‘cut’ in the Roxanne Burnham area, Georgetown.

This latest act of vandalism, according to a GT&T statement, has affected the southern link and is disrupting calls to approximately 6,082 customers served off exchanges at Soesdyke, Long Creek, Amelia’s Ward, Linden Central, Wisroc, Christianburg, Kwakwani and Mahdia.

This act, which was carried out in the early morning hours, resulted in the loss of service to approximately 6,082 landlines and undetermined amount of cellular customers fed by the southern link fibre.

Emergency personnel were immediately mobilised, and GT&T said work to have service restored was feverishly undertaken.

Preliminary investigations by the Company’s security department suggested that the perpetrators used climbing spurs to mount the pole and cut the fibre cable.

The Company said it finds this act very disturbing since it follows several acts of vandalism in the city over the last weekend, one of which was carried out a stone’s throw from the location of yesterday morning’s cut.

GT&T said it cannot over emphasise the significance of the damage of these facilities.

from putting customers out of service, it represents a threat to their security since the absence of telephone service at critical times could prove fatal,” the telephone company posited.

The Company said it is being forced to absorb unexpected expenditure in remedial costs when time and material could be better spent in expanding service to other communities.

GT&T is continuing to appeal to residents in all communities to be vigilant and to report any suspicious happenings with respect to the infrastructure provided for their benefit.

Reports of any suspicious or illegal acts can be made to either the company’s emergency hotline at 0908 or to the Police at any of their emergency numbers.

Hectic weekend holiday events anticipated
-some 3,000 to 5,000 foreigners expected for Lethem Rodeo
By Michel Outridge
MINISTER of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Mr. Manniram Prashad yesterday announced that a large turnout is expected for the long holiday weekend events which had been planned across the country.

The announcement was made yesterday at a press conference at the Ministry’s Boardroom, South Road, Georgetown.

He said that the Rodeo at Lethem which is scheduled for Friday is anticipated to attract about 3,000 to 5,000 foreigners and the hotels in the area are all booked.

“Rodeo being a calendar event, people are coming in from all over including the Caribbean because the Guyana Rodeo has developed over the years and is something people look forward to,” he explained.

Prashad said that the Ministry has co-sponsored the event in collaboration with the Rodeo Committee in Lethem.

In light of all the accommodation, he noted that the residents of Lethem have decided to adapt the “Bed and Breakfast” pattern to facilitate the influx of visitors to their community for the event.

The minister remarked that plans are underway to develop the Lethem Industrial Estate and while there he will be visiting the site.

The Rodeo in Lethem is slated to be bigger and better this year, he added.

On Sunday the much anticipated Bartica Regatta is to be declared open by Prashad.

“This event is expected to attract a lot of foreigners as well as locals despite the recent massacre in which 12 people were killed,” he noted.

Prashad pointed out that Barticians particularly look forward for the event in light of the massacre from which the community is still recovering.

He reported too that there are two yachts in Bartica for the Regatta and while there he will present the prize of a laptop computer to Miss Bartica Regatta 2008.

Prashad also disclosed that on Easter Monday, Number 63 Beach in Berbice will come alive with the turnout of about 7,000 people who are expected to show up for the biggest kite flying competition. He explained that there will be the biggest and smallest competition for the biggest and smallest kites for which the prize is a trip for two to Kaieteur Falls.

“Number 63 beach is the longest beach in the Caribbean of 14 miles and up to about five miles people can actually drive in their vehicle on the beach when the tide is out to reach the water,” he remarked.

As for Berbice he announced that the Belvedere Industrial Estate is expected to be fast tracked to boost business and he encouraged Berbicians to get on board and invest in the spots which will be allocated to them soon.

The minister said that they are also in the process of re-possessing unoccupied plots that were allocated at Industrial Estates and given to others to open businesses.

He indicated too that the Pakaraima Safari 2008 is billed for March 28 and will run for eight days.

Message of religious events teaches us to make a positive contribution--PPP
THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has joined in extending best wishes to all followers of the Muslim, Hindu and Christian religions in Guyana on the occasion of Youman Nabi, Phagwah and Easter.

In a release, the party said it is a happy coincidence that these anniversaries which are celebrated by the three major religions in Guyana are occurring almost simultaneously.

“The message of these events teaches us that we should work towards making a positive contribution to our country and to mankind generally. All make the strong point that good must triumph over evil,” it noted.

These holidays are occurring at a time when diabolical criminals have unleashed brutal crimes on our society and executions, including children, have been committed wantonly on innocent people, it said.

“However the lessons from our great religions offer us great hope and optimism, for we know that all support the general view that good will vanquish evil,” it pointed out.

“This message must galvanise us to intensify the struggle against the serious crime wave that has done such evil in our society and we are confident that united we will rid our country of evil,” the party declared.

The party urged all to celebrate these events and extend best wishes to all Guyanese on the occasion of these great religious holidays.

Youman Nabi an appropriate occasion to demonstrate tolerance, sacrifice, harmony-GAWU
THE Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) has joined the Muslim Community in observing Youman Nabi.

In extending a happy Youman Nabi to all Muslims, the union said it recognises the steadfastness, zeal and passion with which true Believers Worship the founder of the Islamic Faith since its members include a significant number of Believers in Islam.

Since Youman Nabi focuses on the Birth, Life, Work and Teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, GAWU suggests that this observance is most appropriate for Muslims to demonstrate the values of tolerance, sacrifice and harmony which the Prophet’s teachings advise, it reads.

“We in Guyana, despite our differences, can teach the world how to co-exist in peace together. We disagree but we still live, work, play and worship together in tolerance,” the union pointed out.

It further added that in some Arab and Islamic States, at this time tolerance seems in short supply as the media headlines broadcast. In a multi-ethnic, multi-religious Guyana however, Muslims have led relatively exemplary lives contributing to a national cohesion that too many wish to disrupt at this time it seems.

“As we do on every occasion, GAWU urges the Muslim community to continue to inspire the rest of the nation with its good, charitable works and the continuous manifestation of the message of peace and love which is the real corner stone of the Prophet’s Universal teachings,” the release said.

Army donates $2M to family of two fallen soldiers
- construction of memorial site underway
THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF), in its continued commitment to members of the Army has donated $2M each to family members of two soldiers who died in the line of duty in the Community of Buxton on the East Coast of Demerara.

In a press release from the GDF, it was stated that Chief-of-Staff Commodore Gary Best, handed over the cheques to the families on March 18. The disbursement of funds was made possible by the government, according to a statement from the Government Information Agency (GINA).

In 2004, Lance Corporal Shemton Dodson was shot and killed while in an operation in the volatile and violence-prone village of Buxton. He is survived by two children. The two minors were recipients of $300,000 each which was deposited into fixed bank accounts.

The mother of the late Corporal Ivor Williams, in addition to previous benefits, received $100,000 which was donated by the GDF Corporals’ Club.

Corporal Williams was killed in January this year when the Army vehicle in which he was travelling came under attack on the Buxton railway embankment.

Meanwhile, the release noted that Commodore Best said the GDF is currently in the process of developing a physical site to pay tribute to fallen heroes.

Preparation will commence shortly for the construction of a memorial site at the roundabout at Base Camp Ayanganna.

The GDF has been embarking on several initiatives to cater for family members of soldiers who died while on duty and for those who have retired. 

In 2005, the sod was turned for a veterans’ hospice in Lamaha Springs Housing Scheme.

In August 2007, the Joint Services received a donation from retired Warrant Officer Gordon Winter to aid in the effort.

World Water Day observances begin
INTERNATIONAL observance of the World Water Day will be on March 22, however this year, the United Nations has identified March 20 (today) as the day of observance for World Water Day under the theme “Sanitation Matters’.

The international observance initiative grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNICED) in Rio de Janeiro.

In a statement, it said WWF Guianas office in Guyana, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Ministry of Health, the University of Guyana and Guyana Water Inc will join the global community in observing this day by organizing a number of activities under the local theme ‘Sanitation is vital to human health’.

One of the activities include the publication of a series of articles featuring issues relating to how poor sanitation practices can affect our health, household practices that can improve sanitation and maintain clear water, how wetlands (the natural environment) contribute to clean water and how we can practice improved sanitation in our environment.

The release said that sanitation is the hygienic means of preventing human contact from the dangers posed by waste and vital to human health.

“It has economic benefits and contributes to dignity and social development, helps the environment and also it is something we can achieve, it said.

It noted that sanitation is a growing issue for heavily populated areas carrying the risk of infectious disease particularly to vulnerable groups such as the very young, the elderly and people suffering from diseases that lower their resistance.

Poorly controlled waste also means daily exposure to an unpleasant environment and a build-up of faecal contamination in rivers and other waters, is not just a human risk. Other species are affected, threatening the ecological balance of the environment, it explained.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 5.30 percent of all deaths and 6.8 percent of all disabilities worldwide are caused by poor sanitation and 1.8 million people die annually from diarrhoeal diseases, 90 percent being children.

It noted that water plays a key role in sanitation since it is used to keep ourselves and our surroundings clean; poor sanitation can also threaten the cleanliness of this precious resource.

The release pointed out that designating a special day for water with a theme on sanitation shows how important it is for everyone to take care not to pollute our resources of water as it is crucial that water stays as clean for all the uses we may have for it.

“Without clean water we would not be able to keep ourselves and our environment clean and most importantly, the water we need to sustain our bodies must remain unpolluted in order to prevent many diseases.”


Listen to the words of the Prophet and live as one
THE Leader of the Justice For All Party (JFAP) Mr.C.N. Sharma and members join in extending Youman-Nabi greetings to the entire nation especially the Muslim community.

In a release yesterday, Sharma said on the occasion of Youman Nabi, Muslims are taught extensively about the work and life of the Prophet Mohammed.

He urged all Guyanese to listen to the words of the Prophet and live as one.


Corpse of De Hoop man discovered at Mahaica Bridge
POLICE are awaiting the post mortem examination of an East Coast Demerara man whose lifeless body was discovered next to his motor car near the Mahaica Bridge, also on the East Coast Demerara.

Dead is Suresh Hanoman called Mulchand Bissoon, 45, of De Hoop, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara.

Police said the discovery was made about 22:35h on Tuesday night but no marks of violence was observed on the corpse.

The remains are at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) mortuary.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident a man is in custody following the murder of a city resident.

Police said Kurtland Kendall, 28, of Hill Street, Georgetown was brutally stabbed to death in a bar at Pollydore Street, Lodge, Georgetown on Tuesday night during an argument with another man about 22:25h.

He was stabbed several times about his body with a knife.

Police reported that the alleged assailant has been arrested and the suspected murder weapon recovered.

Lessons of Youman Nabi teach understanding each other’s religion, moral values-IAC
THE Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) said it joins with our Muslim brothers and sisters in commemorating the festival of Youman Nabi.

In a release, the IAC said that this auspicious occasion, not only marks the birth and death anniversary but also the sacrifices and challenges of the Holy Prophet Muhammad encountered in spreading Islam to the world.

It said that the lessons of Youman Nabi teach practical ways, understanding each other’s religions and moral values.

“It is not the propagation but the permanency of his message that deserves and is practiced throughout the world,” it reads.

In the Holy Quran God Almighty says “indeed there is for you in the Messenger of Allah, an excellent exemplary.

The IAC extends a peaceful and blessed Youman Nabi to all Muslim brothers and sisters.

Prophet Muhammad’s mission was to relieve man from sins - President Jagdeo
President Bharrat Jagdeo in his Youman Nabi message has reiterated his government’s recognition of the teachings of all faiths.

The full text of the message reads:

Once again our Muslim Brothers and Sisters in Guyana join with millions around the world in commemorating the observance of Youman Nabi.

On behalf of my Government and people of Guyana, I extend to the Guyanese community, especially our Muslim Brothers and Sisters, sincere greetings on this auspicious occasion.

The Prophet Muhammad’s mission was to relieve man from sins and offer him a way of life which would transform this world into one of peace and tranquility. He is an example of total perfection, his image influences the whole world, his radiance continues to illuminate the hearts of believers, and his teachings still stand as divine guidance.

Therefore, every grateful heart finds it necessary to commemorate the memory of this historic day.

Today, the world still faces the same problems as those that were faced at the time of the birth of the Holy prophet.

My Government will continue to recognise the teachings of all religious faiths, so our country can flourish and prosper in peace and happiness.

I urge all Guyanese to let the day be one of assessment of our own action and mediations, as we join the Muslim community in commemorating the occasion of Youman Nabi.

The Holy Prophet was sent as a mercy to the world
- CIOG
Youman Nabi is the occasion where Muslims throughout the world commemorate the birth anniversary of the final Prophet to mankind, Prophet Muhammad (SAS), who was sent as a mercy to the entire world with a message of mercy. His coming was foretold by his predecessors like Prophet Jesus (A.S) among others.

The Holy Quran, the final revelation to mankind was revealed to him. His explanation of the scripture in words and actions are referred to as the SUNNAH which is the second source of guidance in Islam. For someone to become a Muslim he/she must testify to the oneness of Allah and that Prophet Muhammad (SAS) is the final messenger of Allah.

God Almighty has commanded us to believe, obey, honour and love him even more than ourselves, pray for peace and blessings on him and having an intimate knowledge of the teachings of the Holy Prophet both in spirit and in word outwardly and inwardly. These among others are some of the rights of the Holy Prophet and Muslims obligations toward Him.

Youman Nabi gives us an opportunity to understand the message he brought, his private and public life and its relevance to our lives.

In this regard George Bernard Shaw, a famous writer and non-Muslim wrote:

“He must be called the Saviour of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness.”

The world has seen a lot of thinkers, who have propounded moral theories on different occasions in history but they are of no consequence whatsoever as they are devoid of practical examples. The philosophies of Aristotle and Plato could not make anyone good. Whereas the moral teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAS) are not mere theories but practical manifestations of moral principles which are universally relevant and applicable for all times.

He taught us that the power of peace is stronger than violence.

When Prophet Muhammad (SAS) conquered Mecca, the war criminals were brought before Him, He said to them, “GO, you are free”.

His message of peace is further emphasised in the statement, “you cannot change someone’s heart by use of force, but through humility and kindness you can win his heart.”

Eradication of Racism
How did Prophet Muhammad (SAS) deal with Racism and prejudice?

He informed us “All of you are from Adam (AS) and Adam was created from soil.”

Therefore, if all humanity belongs to the same parent, we are all one and the difference in our complexion, language and culture are only a sign from Allah and a means of knowing one another, this is unity in diversity which was promoted vigorously by the Holy Prophet.

In addition, he never permitted anyone to exploit racial insecurities, in this regard he said:

“Wealth, social position and racial superiority do not give special status to anyone; all of you are equal in the eyes of God. It is only the path of righteousness which makes you a distinguished human being.”

The success of his mission has been confirmed by both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Michael H. Hart wrote in his book: “The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History.”

He states, that the most influential person in all history was Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him, with Jesus second.

Examine his actual words: “My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and maybe questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level.”

Mahatma Gandhi, speaking on the character of Muhammad, Peace be Upon Him, says in ‘Young India ’:

“I wanted to know the best of one who holds today undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind… I became more than convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the second volume (of the prophet’s biography), I was sorry that there was not more for me to read of the great life.”

Sarojini Naidu the famous poetess of India says:

“ It was the first religion that preached and practiced democracy; for, in the mosque, when the call for prayer is sounded and worshippers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day when the peasant and king kneel side by side and proclaim: ‘God Alone is Great’… I have been struck over and over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that makes man instinctively a brother.”

The Prophet was a fighter for human equality, freedom, dignity, love and brotherhood and a revolutionary against evil and social order.

His life is all inclusive and therefore an answer to all problems, individual and social which confronts all mankind.

When Muhammad (SAS) died at the age of 63, the whole Arabian Peninsula had changed from paganism to the worship of one God, from tribal quarrels and wars to national solidarity and cohesion; from drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and piety; from lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living; from utter moral bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral excellence. Human history has never known such a complete transformation of a people or a place before or since.

The greatness of this human-being and the impact of His message can be sighted in the fact that Prophet Muhammad (SAS) died more than thirteen hundred years ago and the Muslim population in the world today is approximately one billion and rising, almost one third of the world population and can be found in every country. None of them saw Him but they believe in Him and strive to implement His message in their daily lives.

On this important occasion, I call on all Guyanese to reflect on the message and life of Prophet Muhammad (SAS) given its universal relevance to mankind.

 
The Holy Prophet has left a legacy of a religion universal in scope
- PNCR
The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) wishes to extend greetings to our Muslim brothers and sisters in Guyana and to the Muslim community throughout the world on the important occasion of Youman Nabi, the birth anniversary of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the final messenger of God to mankind.

The Party takes particular note of the fact that the Holy Prophet Muhammad has left a legacy of a religion that is universal in scope and purpose, which promotes an end to human suffering, disease and poverty. More particularly this legacy is consistent with the promotion of peace and harmony in our country and the rest of the world.

This legacy is important not only for the spiritual development of this nation but also for its commitment to ending disease, poverty and backwardness and the promotion of harmony in Guyana. Guyanese can benefit from this legacy by using it as an instrument not only for the promotion of understanding among our various ethnic groups but also and more importantly for bringing a healing touch to the dilemmas and challenges which afflict the nation at the present time. The PNCR is referring in particular to the spiralling drug culture, the scourge of violence and the spate of brutal murders, a situation which has scarred the social landscape and has earned us a certain degree of regional and international disrepute.

The PNCR, therefore, wishes to suggest to the nation that as we reflect on the significance of the birth of the Holy Prophet we take to heart the message and lessons of the doctrines of this great religion and use them as important instruments for improving our society in such a way that we can begin to see the end of the vicious cycle of violence and witness the creations of conditions for racial harmony, peace and the real development in Guyana.

Bandits rob Vlissengen Road Texaco Gas Station
THE Texaco Gas Station located on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown, was once again the target of bandits who broke into the premises and carted off with an undisclosed amount of brand name colognes and other items.

According to the proprietor, Mr. Steve Chung, sometime after 23:00 hours last Tuesday while the lone security guard was on duty, it is believed that bandits who managed to get on to the roof of the building gained entry by removing a zinc sheet.

Chung said they quickly lifted off the inner ceiling and entered the office where they spent quite some time and ransacked the place.

Mr. Chung added that the robbers had time to select the items they wanted to take from the showcases and drawers.

The businessman pointed out that the robbers also exited the building the way they arrived without being spotted.

He said the robbery took place as the lone unarmed security guard was outside since the pumps close off 23:00 hours every night.

“This is unbecoming because it is the fifth break-in my business has suffered and each time it is only when the employees show up for work they find out the place was robbed,” Mr. Chung added.

He said that the police was summoned and are investigating.

Rice now too costly to give away
By Marwaan Macan-Markar
BANGKOK - Soaring global rice prices are hitting the stomachs of Asia's poorest citizens.

The people of East Timor, where nearly 40 percent live on less than 0.55 U.S. cents a day, have just been told they may not receive their annual quota of food aid.

"We have been forced to provide less food to East Timor; provide less rice than we intended to," Paul Risely, Asia spokesperson for the United Nations food agency, told Inter Press Service (IPS).

"We have requested the people of East Timor to look for local substitutes."

Part of the problem stems from poor planning with the Dili government urging the World Food Program (WFP) to step in only after finding that it could not afford to purchase sufficient quantities of the grain from Vietnam, due to high prices.

"Any chance to reduce high malnutrition rate is severely curtailed," added Risley of a country that suffers from chronic malnutrition, where some 46 percent of the children are stunted and 42 percent of children below five years are underweight. Currently, the WFP has pledged to feed one in five people in East Timor which has a population of 1.1 million people.

Vietnam, the world's second largest exporter of rice, shipping out nearly 4.5 million tons of the grain annually, has been a major supplier of rice for the WFP's global program.

Neighboring Thailand is the largest rice exporter, shipping 9.5 million tons to the global market, which was 30 million tons in 2007.

But last year, Vietnam placed limits on rice exports in order to meet domestic demand, triggering a spike in the price of its grain in the world market. The ban stemmed from national food security concerns in the communist-ruled country. Hanoi wanted to avoid a local food shortage due to flooding in the rice-growing central regions.

Yet, such a weather-related feature, which some are attributing to climate change, was only one reason to push global rice prices to new heights. Another trigger includes the steady rise in oil prices, making fertilizer more expensive, pushing the cost of harvesting up, and increasing the cost of transporting the grain.

A weakening US dollar has also been singled out as a reason, in addition to demand from the increasingly affluent China for more food to feed its population. In 2007, China marked a shift away from being a net exporter of rice and wheat, raising the export taxes on the grains to keep local produce at home. In the meantime, import tariffs were removed for easier access to the two staples from the world market.

And the prospect of early relief for the world's poor for cheaper rice this year appears remote. "It is very likely that the price of rice will drop this year. The prices will not stabilize until the end of 2008," says Sumiter Broca, policy officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Asia and Pacific regional office, based in Bangkok.

But the price of rice, which rose by 40% last year, is not an exception. "This time around, all other commodity prices have also risen, like cereals, vegetable oils, meat, sugar and bananas," added Broca in an interview. "It is part of a natural long-term trend, but this time the peak is worrying. There is no reason for any let up in this price increase in the future."

The current rise in rice prices began in 2002, following a six-year downward trend. Yet at the same time, rice stocks today are "at an all time low; the lowest in 20 years", says Broca of a grain whose major producers are Bangladesh, China and India.

The world's total rice output reached 420 million tons during the 2007-08 harvest season, with the end of season stocks being 102 million ton for the same period, down by 1% from the 2006-07 harvest.

This means that in Asia, the world's largest rice-growing region, rice production is "increasing very slowly, [with] rice production in 2007 [being] only 0.5% higher than in 2006", states the FAO. "A major underlying reason for this is that yield growth is plateauing."

Land, too, is limited to increase rice cultivation to meet new demand for the grain from Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

And as China's rice story reveals, land that was once allocated for rice has been taken away from farmers to meet the country's other economic needs.

China's rice growing area saw a three-million-hectare loss during a decade, beginning in 1996, because of "economic pressure", states the latest issue of the Rice Today magazine.

"Although there may be some potential for expansion of rice area in other countries, the total area in Asia will unlikely increase much beyond the current estimate of 136 million hectare," writes Sushil Pandey, of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in the magazine.

"Rice production is facing increasing competition for land, labor and water from other economic activities and the recent growth in bio-fuel production is likely to exert additional pressure."

Consequently, organizations like the IRRI, based in the Philippines town of Los Banos, are making a push for a repeat of the Green Revolution (1968-81), during which high yield varieties of rice were distributed to increase rice output by 42 percent over a 13-year period.

"A second Green Revolution to reverse the rising trend in rice prices and to keep process low is needed now as much as the first Green Revolution was needed earlier to avoid famine and mass starvation," Pandey argues.

Yet activists who work with local farming communities are not impressed with such a call. "We are cautious about such solutions, because hybrid rice depends on a lot of water and is only grown in irrigated areas.

This isolates the other farmers," says Neth Dano, a research associate at Third World Network, a Penang-based think-tank. "There has also been much hype about GE [genetically engineered] rice for the last 10 years, but we have not seen a good product."

A better route, she told IPS, is for governments to increase investments for local farmers to produce better rice yields. "Governments are not doing this; these farmers are neglected financially. It is these farmers that best know the rice varieties that need to be produced now.''

EDITORIAL

We are looking forward for positive results
Guyanese from all walks of life welcome the arrival of two consultants from the United Kingdom who will be engaged in the implementation of the British-funded security sector action plan here in Guyana. To most Guyanese the two UK Consultants could not have come at a better time to assist in the setting up of the action plan.

The majority of Guyanese are of the view that most of our local lawmen are not sufficiently equipped to handle very important aspects of crime fighting for example in the area of intelligence. Gathering of intelligence is one of the key components in crime fighting, and any assistance in this regard is most welcome.

We appreciate the arrival of the two men, Tim Hanley and David Mc William from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and hope that their tour of duty here will enhance the capability of our local police to fight crime which has since taken on a more dangerous dimension. Only recently in January and February this year we witnessed two sets of gruesome massacres, one at Lusignan on the East Coast Demerara in which eleven people including five children were brutally murdered, some in cold blood, and the other at the usually quiet mining town of Bartica on the Essequibo River in which twelve people were murdered, some in execution style. More than two months have passed since these brutal slayings and so far only one man has been arrested and charged in connection with these murders. Following these two sets of murders, President Bharrat Jagdeo set up a joint forces task force to track down the killers, but so far they have come up empty handed, and Guyanese, especially those from the two areas where the murders were committed have been living in fear and trauma since.

Guyanese say they could now breathe a sigh of relief with the arrival of the two British experts, since they feel that the two Britons could make a difference by helping to implement the right strategies and tactics in the ongoing fight against crime, if not in the short term, then in the long term.

The people appreciate the presence of the two men here who will work with the Guyana Police Force in helping to develop crime intelligence, advise on structures, provide training and conduct a needs analysis for the setting up of the new expanded Criminal Intelligence Unit.

Guyanese are deeply bothered over the fact that too many crimes in this country have gone unsolved, and have expressed renewed hope now that the two British Consultants are here to train and help our local lawmen.

We are confident that after the setting up of structures and training of our men would have been completed, Guyanese could look forward to a new breed of crime fighting team from our local force, and the desired results would be accomplished to the satisfaction of all Guyanese.

At the same time we must continue to give our lawmen all possible assistance in their fight against crime which has taken on frightening proportions. But we know all is not lost, and it is only a matter of time before the mysteries will unravel and peace, brotherhood, care and understanding will once again prevail.

FEATURES

Whispering Mabel
It is evident that what was clearly a faux pas on the part of Hamilton Green, the Mayor of Georgetown, in facilitating a one-time most wanted criminal, Oliver Hinckson, to share a mayoral press conference, has passed without deserved open condemnation. Mabel is astonishingly perplexed over the seemingly acceptance of the disgraceful spectacle, but due note is taken of the action taken by the police authorities.

Then again, it is a case of irrelevance to whatever is attributed as being the making of His Worship, the Mayor of the principal city? How has the mighty fallen!

Sinister rumors abound once again and Mabel has consciously attuned herself to remain calm, despite the gravity of the gossip. The rumor mongers and gossip messengers will not succeed in upsetting the equilibrium of her beloved Guyana.

An anomalous situation affecting tourists desiring to do their person driving while visiting has come to the attention of Mabel. The law requires that a TIN number be stated, which to acquire takes forever, which tourists will spend time and hassle, is the question.

Mabel is positively against any undue prolongation of the talks to end GT&T’s monopoly, as was hinted by someone from the two negotiating teams.

If she wasn’t the sister of a notorious killer, would her funeral be qualified for front page news? What an absurd society! exclaims Mabel.

A team of medical doctors (Doctors beyond Borders) has arrived in Guyana, quite unobtrusively at their request, to conduct clinics in the country. Mabel extends warmest welcome and trust that Guyanese will make full use of the services being offered by these specialists. On behalf of the Guyanese public, Mabel thanks these doctors for their kind gesture and expresses the hope that these clinics will be continued in the future.

COURTS
LETTERS

Kudos to Chronicle
Kudos to the Daily Chronicle for their editorial "Stop it".  One of the questions asked was "when there are support systems to encourage agriculture and a voracious and expanding global market why should people with so much land cry marginalisation? I have written letters which were not published advocating that the President’s offer of land to Caribbean citizens, be made first to our own unemployed and underemployed within the agriculture diversification program.  

Small loans to individuals or groups directly in some kind of partnership with government or investors, along with technical help from the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) and Ministry of Agriculture will offer opportunities for self-employment.  Probing questions, constructive comments like "Stop it" and fact based reporting  will give Guyanese confidence in the fairness and independent voice of  a newspaper and best serve the nation and followers of all parties. 
AUGUSTUS

Extended holiday period
I refer to L. J. Suseran's letter in yesterday’s Chronicle in reference to the extended period of holidays in Guyana and I am concerned that the world would be blocked out of news from Guyana. On the internet one would be receiving news from every part of the globe, except Guyana! This happens continuously whenever there is one of the many holidays in Guyana.

Mr. Editor, when will the newspapers in Guyana treat themselves with the respect they deserve? They are an essential service, just like the hospitals, police, water, electricity, etc. These entities cannot afford to take a break; they have internal arrangements to facilitate holidays. When will you give yourself that honour and respect? People need to be informed. Holidays are when things happen.

Please don't take Guyana off the map for nearly a week.
HARI NAUTH
NY

Editor’s note:
In every democracy one has to respect the rights and freedoms of the people. The long holiday weekend you refer to is of great religious significance to all Guyanese. However please be informed that the world will not be blocked out of news from Guyana as we at the Chronicle would be working on all the days with the Exception of Good Friday. So you can look forward to seeing your news on the net.

Dismayed over alleged stabbing
I read with dismay, a report in a section of the media about the alleged stabbing of a youth by a young man identified as being deaf.

From that report, it was a clear case of the communication barrier which exists between the silent world of the deaf and the hearing world of the rest of the population being the root of the unfortunate incident.

In their pursuit of some form of perverse satisfaction through the act of mimicking, those misguided youth may have made signs that were offensive to the young man. Who knows, the signs may have been insulting to the virtues of the attacker’s mother or quite possibly may have described him as a thief.

It is a known fact that persons with disabilities are often the targets of malcontents who derive some sort of ego boost from making this important group of human beings feel uncomfortable. This is a dangerous practice and, as Mr. Anthony. found out, can lead to violent retaliation.

The persistent teasing as reported in the article also represents a conscious desire by the young men to socially exclude deaf persons from the society. The article stated that the deaf young man’s objections were ignored.

The few available studies on the relationship of hearing loss to violence indicate that the prevalence of brain damage, learning disability, communication disorders, educational retardation, unemployment, and underemployment in the deaf and hard-of-hearing population creates frustrations which tend to manifest in disproportionate aggression, violence, and hostility. Deaf and hearing-impaired people are often given a raw deal in terms of access to employment, social services, etc. They are often mocked as being “dumb” (stupid). This is often far from the truth.

On the positive side, Mr. Editor, during the past four years, Guyanese have become more supportive of deaf persons and have been working to ensure their continued inclusion in the Guyanese society.

The Support Group for Deaf Persons of the Guyana Community Based Rehabilitation Programme, the Guyana Deaf Mission, the National Commission on Disability, the Voluntary Services Overseas (Guyana) and the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons With Disabilities are some of the organisations involved in this effort.

Any individual or organisation needing assistance in communicating with deaf persons can call any of these telephone numbers: 226-2880, 226-5780 or 229-6238.
LEON WALCOTT
Director – Support Group for Deaf Persons

Lucid future for Guyana
I am an overseas based Guyanese living out of Toronto and I would like to share my comments as it relates to food security globally. 

It is alarming to note the rising prices for food internationally, especially in developed countries with advance technology to maximize yields and reduce production costs. The true importance of agriculture can now been seen in and around the world as food prices continue to soar on global markets. 

I am however pleased to see so many products from Guyana on supermarket shelves in Toronto. This is proof that my homeland country enjoys food security, and not as a poor Third World country as some with ulterior motives may portray it to be. 

Consumers and relevant authorities in Guyana must take note of the rising food prices in far off countries as shown on the BBC News on a regular basis.  

I believe Guyana has strategically positioned itself to provide food at affordable cost to the general populace and at the same time reap economic benefits by exporting to other countries.  

Many Guyanese take the food security they enjoy for granted and that should not be. We should all think about the millions that go to bed hungry without anything to eat. The availability of food is a basic element for the development of any country as stated by the United Nations and I can see a lucid future for Guyana. 

Finally, I urge all farmers/businessmen, relevant government bodies and all Guyanese in general to continue to expand their agricultural activities as your contribution to humanity will be noted in the fight against hunger.
ANIL SYLVESTER  

Drop the reward
I think the wanted poster of the murderous 'low life bum' has served its purpose. This bum is now enjoying looking at himself in our national papers. I would also suggest that the 50 million dollar reward be offered to the Police and Army personnel. I don't know if this is the case presently.

Let it be known that people should have the choice of reporting the whereabouts of the wanted man to authorities other than the police or army because there may be an inherent fear for their lives since it is no secret that ex-police and ex-army personnel are involved in these crimes. Yes, a leak is possible. 
FAROUK KHAN
(Canada)   

Stop misleading the world
The Stabroek News reprinted in its issue of Thursday, March 13, 2008, an editorial from the Trinidad Express with the caption: “Will Guyana ever truly be free?” no doubt on the urging of the Stabroek.

But let me say in response to the caption that Guyana will really truly be free, when that very freedom which is so cherished and is currently being enjoyed, experienced and propagated by the PPP/C Government, stops being abused by newspapers like the Stabroek News, to mislead the world that freedom of the press is being suppressed in our Guyana.

Has it not yet occurred to the Stabroek News that their chances of being reprieved on the issue of placement of advertisements are for them to withdraw their false and wicked allegations against the government?
DAVID DE GROOT

GWI must put its house in order
I am still at a loss as to how the Guyana Water Inc. can give estimated water consumption for metered consumers. Why does GWI attach meters and still gives (over)estimated readings? What then is the use of the meters? 

Recently, my father and sister had their water supply disconnected for non-payment of water bills. In December of last year they were told that they owed GWI $19,000. Lo and behold, the disconnection crew turned up on March 17 and told them they owed $181,000 and then proceeded to disconnect the supply. The crew told my relatives that the meter reading of 00954.618 is different from the ‘figure reading’ on the receipt. I am still trying to figure out exactly the mysterious numeracy of a ‘figure reading’ and why it should differ from the meter reading.  

Commonsense would dictate that actual meter readings should be reflected on the water bills, as the Guyana Power & Light sensibly does for its meter readings and electricity bills. Perhaps something other than commonsense is at work at GWI. If there is a conversion factor that GWI uses to convert meter readings to the ‘figure readings’, then they should clearly explain it to the public. Can they justify the fantastic estimated readings and high bills they send to consumers in light of the fact that consumers do not get a 24-hour water supply – it varies unpredictably from 8-12 hours or even less? Does GWI personnel know how to measure and calculate water variables and quantities? It is not political science or economics; it is basic elementary mathematics that a primary school child can do.  

A month ago I telephoned GWI and found out from a very helpful and courteous female voice that the meter readings are in cubic metres. One cubic metre is not a small amount of water as some might think; it is equivalent to 4.5 barrels or 220 gallons. GWI needs to put its own house in order before it tries to put the houses of consumers in order. Or are they trying to force domestic consumers to foot the water bills for Government agencies and institutions? Something is oxidised at GWI and it’s not the meters.
M. XIU QUAN-BALGOBIND-HACKET

Do not lose your faith through ignorance
A little boy while on his way to school saw a man chipping away at a block of marble. On his way back home he was surprised to see that out of that block came a beautiful angel. The boy admired the skill of the sculptor who had been able to see the angel in that shapeless marble block. Similarly, Christ spotted in Simon Peter a solid but shapeless rock. By chipping and chopping away at this ‘hard mass of stone’, he moulded him into the chief shepherd of his flock – the first head of his One Church.

Presently Christ’s Church founded on the Rock of Peter, is passing through some very turbulent times. It is at the centre of many crises. The barque of Peter is constantly tossed about and challenged by powerful forces from within and without. The Church’s teachings on morality are being openly questioned, its dogmas ridiculed and its learned documents ignored on all sides. As a result, quite a few Catholics are confused. Many are even leaving the Church and flocking to several untested sects and groups, promising instant prosperity and easy paths to salvation, in order to satisfy their spiritual and temporal needs.

With a view to clarify the position of the Catholic Church in such a situation, our Parish Priest, Fr. Joseph M. Dias, has brought out a very enlightening little booklet entitled, “THE ONE FAITH THAT CAN MAKE US ALL ONE.” Almost every aspect of the Catholic faith is explained in a simple, lucid manner, so that even simple people can understand it. Many common doubts and misconceptions can be clarified by reading it. On the basis of the documents of Vatican II, the importance of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, as the two sources of divine revelation, is explained with great clarity. The role of the Magisterium or Teaching Authority of the Church, in interpreting both Scripture and Tradition, is also well spelt out. The place of the Catholic Church and its relationship with other Christian groups, as well as with non-Christian religions, in the Biblical plan of God, is systematically presented.

There are three attractive pictures to highlight the three prominent pillars of the Catholic Faith, viz., the Papacy, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Eucharist. The passages showing how the Church spread through the teaching of the apostles and the witness of the martyrs; the contribution of the Church, down through the centuries, to science, civilization and culture; and about its great historical figures – like Pope St. Leo the Great, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Joan of Arc – make one proud to be a Catholic. The four quizzes (with answers) at the end of the booklet are sure to generate a lot of interest. They offer to the reader a quick and attractive method of brushing up his knowledge of the Bible, Catholic Doctrine, Church History and the Liturgy. The enormous breadth, richness, depth and universality of the Catholic Faith, as presented herein, stands in sharp contrast to the narrowness and anti-intellectualism of many of today’s fundamentalist sects and groups.

Know your faith better and make sure you do not lose it through ignorance or the lure of superficial attraction to fads and fashions that do not last.
DUNSTAN NUNES,
Holy Family Parish,
Mumbai

GHRA practises double standards.
The Guyana Humn Rights Association (GHRA) like the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) seems convinced that the charges against Oliver Hinckson should be withdrawn. Their reasoning is that this should be done in the “national interest.”

This Non-Governmental Organisation which should be representing the rights of persons (who for some reason are being denied due process and thereby their rights) have evolved into a criminal defendant’s outfit.

Their references to charges against other persons being dropped or withdrawn, without stating all the facts that led to that action being taken is mischievous and demonstrate the double standards and confusion in their decision-making process.  How could they compare a vehicular accident with premeditated murder or conspiracy to commit murder?

Why is it that the GHRA feels the need to defend a person who has had a history with the law, having served time previously on similar charges.

Did the GHRA meet with the Director of Public Prosecution to review the evidence against Hinckson before making these statements? Why the quantum leap assumption that he is innocent of the charges?

Why is the GHRA calling on the political directorate to interfere with the Judicial arm of Government when it suits them? This is an organisation that has been critical of the President when he expressed his opinion on the rulings of the courts. They have often accused the political directorate of meddling in the investigations of the Police Force. Why the sudden change in their stance?

There seems to be some confusion in the minds of the ‘thinkers’ in that organisation or they know more than they are saying. Their first call was after that massacre at Lusignan was for the Government to have dialogue with the criminals. Now they are asking that charges be withdrawn against one of the accused!

The Guyana Human Rights Association needs to be directed to the persons who are in need of representation, and stop being used as an element of the “Opposition political parties.”  I am still to hear them defending the rights of Ms Bowen who is now before the High Court - the 17 year-old student of the Richard Ishmael Secondary who is facing charge of murder committed in the school yard two years ago when three adults attacked her. That is a case for the GHRA
ALBERT JACOBS

That Bakewell price increase
I am a lover of Bakewell products and to my surprise when I went to buy my favourite bread, the price rose to $240.  When I enquired about the rising prices, I was told that the increase was due to a number of things including electricity cost.

I was very upset upon hearing this. First of all Bakewell should have notified its customers who support them everyday and keep their business alive.  Secondly, if the cost of these commodities rises, why did the other businesses not raise their prices?

Yes, I agree that food prices are on the rise and this is not only in Guyana but globally and is affecting everyone.  The prices are affecting Bakewell and yet they appear to be doing well?

Bakewell should remember that everyone is trying to survive and these constant increases will make it harder for people, especially the poor.
TIM STUART

Three significant religious occasions
This weekend will be a grand one indeed. I cannot remember a year that the three largest religions in our country have celebrated such significant holidays so close together.

It’s such a wonder that our diversity can be celebrated together. The importance and meaning of these sacred days, Youman Nabi, Phagwah and Easter should not be taken lightly. We are after all one people, and in our times of hardship it must be remembered.

I must mention that in many countries across the world religion is used to cause conflict which in most cases creates devastating results.

Guyanese on the other hand, use their diverse religious culture to bind their country together. We can be an example to other countries, because we respect and celebrate the beliefs of our brothers and sisters.
SHANEEZA KHAN

Leaders must come together
I would like to suggest that some time over this weekend, our major political leaders come together on one platform and join in the celebrations of the three major religions Youman Nabi, Phagwah and Easter.

I think that such a thing will show selflessness on each other’s part, and the occasion could do well to clear the way for a new beginning in solving some of the problems facing the country, above all the crime situation which needs to be addressed collectively.

We must throw differences behind our backs, and in the interest of all the people of this country, work for genuine peace and love among each other.
SIMON

SPORTS

2010 football World Cup
Golden Jaguars receives $2M boost
By Michael DaSilva
GUYANA'S Golden Jaguars got a shot in the arm worth $2M, compliments of Church's Chicken (Guyana).

In making the presentation of the sponsorship cheque yesterday at the Church's Camp and Middle streets location, the company's Managing Director Gregory De Gannes said it is his company's commitment to support the development of sports in Guyana.

"If Guyana reach the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, it will be the greatest achievement for Guyana since independence and I know it will bring a lot of emotion to the Guyanese people and even tears to their eyes, so this is a long-lasting relationship we have developed with the Jaguars and the Guyanese populace.

"Chairman of the Guyana Football Federation's (GFF) World Cup Committee, John Yates, said. And in receiving the sponsorship cheque Yates thanked Church's Chicken for coming on board his committee's drive for funding to ensure the Golden Jaguars reach the 2010 finals in South Africa.

He pointed out that Church's Chicken is not `sitting on the fence' like other prospective corporate sponsors might want to do, waiting on someone to make the first move before they (other corporate sponsors like to do) follow suit.

The former IDB employee who was based in Jamaica said "we have to find money to prepare the team and we don't need it next week\, we need it now to ensure the Golden Arrowhead flies in South Africa in 2010.

"The former FIBA-qualified referee informed that US$3M is being sought to ensure the Golden Jaguars are well prepared leading up to the 2010 finals.

The committee which Yates leads was established on January 7 at the Umana Yana and includes Troy Mendonca, Director of Sport Neil Kumar and Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo who is the Patron.

Yates who returned to Guyana last month had told Chronicle Sport that in order to get things rolling leading to 2010, he decided to pay his way to come home in order to try and get corporate Guyana to come on board Guyana's quest of reaching their first-ever World Cup final.

Yates said while he was in Jamaica working with the IDB, he was amazed at the support corporate Jamaica gave to the Reggae Boyz leading up to the 2002 World Cup.

According to the former Eagles Basketball Club player, the Jamaica Football Federation is currently paying its technical staff approximately US$8M to prepare its team for the 2010 World Cup. "We need to do like the Jamaicans and we hope the business community will respond to our plea for help so that we'll be in a position to do positive things.

"GFF's president Colin Klass yesterday said Church's contribution is the first step "and I'm very happy for Church's to be in the first round. It's significant.

But it has always been a case in Guyana where everyone wants to wait to see someone start and then they will follow.

"Klass took the opportunity to call on Guyanese to support Church's Chicken. The more you support Church's Chicken, the more Church's will put into local sports.

Telecommunications giant Digicel also played a part in the Golden Jaguars' preparations for the 2010 World Cup by supporting the GFF for two warm-up matches earlier this year.

In that phase of preparation, the Golden Jaguars edged the Caribbean's number one rated team Cuba 2-1 in the opening encounter of a two-way tie then held them to a 0-0 stalemate in the closing fixture.

Yates said his committee desperately wants to bring more Guyanese players from North America and Europe to have them try out with the local-based ones to ensure Guyana gets the best representative team leading up the World Cup qualifiers, and this is the reason why the committee will leave no stone unturned in garnering the necessary funds to do the job.

According to Yates, since the website (www.GoldenJaguars.com) has been set up, the committee has been able to make contact with 11 Guyanese footballers in North America and Europe who have all indicated an interest in representing Guyana.

"So once we get money in our accounts here in Guyana and in the U.S., we'll be in a position to bring these players here to showcase their talent.

Gayle says first Test team is a balanced one
WEST Indies captain Chris Gayle thinks that he has the combination of players to do well against the visiting Sri Lankan team in the Digicel Test Series starting on Saturday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Gayle made the comments shortly after arrival late Tuesday night at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport where he was welcomed on behalf of the series sponsor by Donovan White, Head of Marketing at Digicel Guyana.

“It is a pretty balanced team, it’s a good all-round team, the expectation is high and we’re looking forward to it. Sri Lanka is a good team, they have been playing terrific cricket and it is up to us now to play some good cricket and back our talent,” Gayle said in response to reporters.

When asked about any advantage which the West Indies may have given injury to lead fast bowler Lasith Malinga and recently retired opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya, Gayle expressed caution.

“They have a good bowling attack without Malinga, they have (Chaminda) Vaas as well and those two (Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan) have been taking most of Sri Lanka’s wickets so hopefully we can make the adjustment necessary; in the batting department they have a whole lot of experience with their captain (Mahela Jayawardene) and (Kumar) Sangakkara as well so it’s going to be a tough task and once we can match up and play some good cricket then we can come out on top,” Gayle reasoned.

While the Sri Lankan batting line up has formidable batsmen Gayle feels that he has the necessary weapons to counter it.

“We have top bowlers, Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell, Fidel Edwards, these guys have been around for some time now and they know it’s not going to be easy; it’s going to be tough but the expectation is very high out there. We’ve played Test cricket long enough to know their strengths and weakness, we have to plan well and go out there and execute,” Gayle assessed.

Commenting on some of the new faces in the West Indies squad the powerful 28-year-old left-handed opener said it is an opportunity for the younger players to step up and take command.

“We have Sulieman Benn and Ryan Hinds is back with us …. Ryan has been out for quite some time so it is an opportunity for guys to stamp their authority and try and make a name for themselves and capitalise on whatever starts they get, we (senior players) have to support them and welcome them,” Gayle advised.

And with two specialist spinners in the squad Gayle hinted that the West Indies could employ a spin-based attack for the First Digicel Test.

“If the wicket is suitable I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t include a spinner, who knows, we’ll wait and see,” Gayle said. (Digicel.com)

Cuba dominates in return to international boxing ring
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (Reuters) - Super-heavyweight Robert Acea beat American Michael Hunter on Tuesday to cap off a dominating display by Cuban boxers at the Americas Olympic qualification tournament with nine fighters earning tickets to Beijing.

The results marked a stunning return to the international ring by the powerhouse Cubans, who did not send a squad to Chicago for last year's world championships where the first Olympic qualifying spots were up for grabs, following a string of defections.

Of the 23 Olympic spots on offer at the Jean Pierre Complex, Cuban boxers claimed nine from 11 weight classes, Acea, the 2007 Pan-Am Games champion, securing the last with a convincing 12-4 victory over Hunter in the 91+kg gold medal bout.

Ecuador, Venezuela and the U.S. were next best with three qualified boxers apiece.

Acea will be joined in Beijing by team mates Andry Laffita Hernandez (51kg), Yankiel Leon Alarcon (51kg), Idel Torriente (57kg), Yordanis Ugas Hernandez (60kg), Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo (64kg), Carlos Banteaux Suarez (69kg), Emilio Correa Bayeux (75kg) and Osmai Acosta Duarte (91kg).

American light-welterweight Javier Molina, lightweight Sadam Ali and heavyweight Deontay Wilder all secured berths in Trinidad joining U.S. team mates light-flyweight Luis Yanez, flyweight Rau'shee Warren, bantamweight Gary Russell, Jr., featherweight Raynell Williams and welterweight Demetrius Andrade who had already clinched Olympic spots.

Boxers from the Americas will have one more opportunity to book an Olympic spot at the final qualifier scheduled for April 23-30 in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Warnapura presses for Test recall with solid half-century
… three wickets for leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo
SRI Lanka opening batsman Malinda Warnapura staked a claim for a Test recall with a solid half-century while Guyanese leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo grabbed three wickets on the final day of the drawn three-day practice match between the tourists and a Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) President’s X1 team yesterday.

The 28-year-old Warnapura, who stroked 132 in the first innings, retired out for the second time in the game after hitting 50, with seven boundaries at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.

He batted 125 minutes - facing 93 balls - and the Sri Lankans had reached 177 for six in their second innings when the game was called off at tea.

Bishoo took all three of the wickets to fall in the second session on the final day.

Chaminda Vaas hit an unbeaten 40 with four boundaries to support Warnapura, who played his only two Test matches against Bangladesh last year but was not selected when Sri Lanka played England in their last Test series.

Sri Lanka began their second innings in sunny conditions with a 244-run first-innings lead and quickly lost Michael Vandort for one, spectacularly bowled by the 19-year-old Jamaican pacer Jason Dawes with just three runs on the board.

Dawes, who played in the Youth (Under-19) World Cup in Malaysia last month, only bowled 2.1 overs in the first innings due to a leg strain but looked very impressive on Wednesday.

He soon had Kumar Sangakkara, who just managed 22 in the first innings, taken at slip for 17 at 47 for two.

Warnapura was joined by Prasanna Jayawardene, who was dropped at slip by Steven Jacobs off Dawes on two with the score on 53 for two.

The pair saw their team to lunch at 84 for two as the weak home team was further depleted due to the absence behind the stumps of skipper Patrick Browne and fellow Barbadian Kemar Roach, a former West Indies U-19 pacer.

Manager of the team, GCB vice-president Alvin Johnson, said Browne was off the field resting a sore knee and Roach was suffering from an upset stomach.

Rajendra Chandrika and Shamarh Brooks, who assumed the role of captain, shared the wicket-keeping duties.

The young West Indians wasted another opportunity to separate the third-wicket pair before lunch when Kieran Powell at slip, put down Warnapura on 46 at 72 for two, 14 minutes before lunch.

By lunch Warnapura was unbeaten on 50, with Prasanna Jayawardene on 12 and the overall lead stood at 328.

Chaminda Vaas joined Jayawardene after lunch when Warnapura ‘retired out’.

Watched by a very small crowd, Vaas pulled the gentle medium pace of Powell for three consecutive fours just after lunch.

Roach returned after the interval but it was the 22-year-old Bishoo who picked up the three wickets to fall in the second session, leaving Vaas 10 short of a half-century from 76 balls with four fours when the game was called off.

Jayawardene, who hit three fours in his 36, was neatly stumped by Brooks as Bishoo struck with the score on 134 for four.

The leg-spinner, with seven wickets from his solitary first-class match, then removed skipper Mahela Jayawardene for a duck 10 runs later and also got rid of Thilina Thushara for six at 150 for six after the fast bowler had opened his account with a six off the spinner.

Bishoo recorded solid figures of three for 25 off 13 overs with three maidens.

Nuwan Kulasekara was unbeaten on 14 while Dawes supported Bishoo with tidy figures of two for 36 off 15 overs.

An assortment of young Guyanese players took turns as substitute fielders, while 17-year-old former Guyana Under-15 leg-spinner Royston Alkins even had two overs for five runs.

The Sri Lankans will return to the national stadium this weekend to start their series of two Tests and three One-Day Internationals against West Indies on Saturday with the opening Test match. (CMC)

SRI LANKA 1st innings 492 for 5 declared (M. Warnapura 132 retired; S. Brooks 1-20)

GCB PRESIDENT’S XI 1st innings 248 (S. Brooks 68; R. Herath 5-67)

SRI LANKA 2nd innings

M. Vandort b Dawes 1

M. Warnapura retired out 50

K. Sangakkara c Powell b Dawes 17

P. Jayawardene stp. Brooks b Bishoo 36

C. Vaas not out 40

M. Jayawardene c Roach b Bishoo 0

T. Thushara c Jacobs b Bishoo 6

N. Kulasekara not out 14

Extras: (w-1, b-5, lb-1, nb-6) 13

Total: (for six wickets, 63 overs) 177

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-47, 3-84, 4-134, 5-144, 6-150.

Bowling: Dawes 15-2-36-2, Barnwell 5-1-24-0, Powell 13-3-32-0, Jacobs 11-1-35-0, Bishoo 13-3-25-3, Roach 4-0-14-0, Alkins 2-0-5-0.

Langeveldt withdrew due to politics - players' union
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) - Pace bowler Charl Langeveldt withdrew from the tour to India due to political interference in selection, the South African players' association (SACA) said yesterday.

Langeveldt, who is of mixed race, had been controversially included in the South African squad instead of fellow fast bowler Andre Nel to satisfy a racial target of six players of colour amongst the 14 players.

The 33-year-old Langeveldt withdrew on Tuesday from the three-Test series, which begins in India on March 26.

"South Africa stands to lose two of its premier fast bowlers, Charl Langeveldt and Andre Nel, because of political interference in selection," SACA chief executive officer Tony Irish said in a statement yesterday.

"Charl Langeveldt's request to be removed from the squad to tour India is the desperate unhappiness of a player who knows that he has been selected for this tour for quota reasons."

Irish called for Cricket South Africa (CSA) president Norman Arendse to relinquish his right of veto over team selection.

Bitter infighting broke out within South African cricket in February when Arendse refused to approve the squad initially chosen to tour Bangladesh because it included only four black players.

His veto was eventually sidestepped when CSA chief executive Gerald Majola released the team, leading to am impasse between the country's two leading cricket administrators.

ABOLISH INTERFERENCE
"Any form of veto, interference or involvement in the selection of the Proteas by anyone who is not a selector should be abolished," said Irish. "The players' association recently made that recommendation to Cricket South Africa's Transformation Review Committee.

"The players believe in the goals of transformation, but all of them -- black and white -- are adamant that this should not be achieved by interfering in the selection of the national team."

Langeveldt confirmed he did not feel he deserved his place in the Test squad on merit.

"As players, we all have a good idea of when we are clearly in the running for selection and when we aren't," said Langeveldt.

"You just have to look at Andre's Test record compared to mine and the fact that he has been part of all the Test plans while I haven't played a Test for over two years.

"I have always fought for a place in the team, but I don't want to be put there because of my colour.

"Up to now I have been very happy in my role in the ODI team and I know my value there. I'm quite upset by this now and I'm going to need a bit of time to consider my future."

Nel's future was also uncertain.

"I'm as upset for Langes as I am for myself," said Nel. "We are good team mates and I have a lot of respect for him. We are both passionate about playing for South Africa and neither of us deserves to feel like this. It is hard to just shrug it all off."

No decision has yet been made by the selectors as to whether Langeveldt will be replaced.

Hair unlikely to umpire Pakistan matches - ICC official
By Mike Collett
LONDON, England (Reuters) - Darrell Hair is unlikely to officiate at matches involving Pakistan despite being restored as a Test and one-day international umpire, an International Cricket Council (ICC) official said yesterday.

The ICC announced on Tuesday that Hair had been restored to their elite panel but general manager Dave Richardson said the world governing body would act to prevent Hair from standing in matches involving Pakistan.

"We would have to take a sensible approach," Richardson told the BBC yesterday. "We will probably keep him away from Pakistan matches where we can."

Australian Hair, 55, was sacked from the ICC's elite panel of umpires in November 2006 for his role at the Oval in August that year when Pakistan became the first team to forfeit a Test.

Pakistan refused to return to the field in protest at being penalised for alleged ball-tampering and England being awarded five extra runs.

Shaharyar Khan, who headed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) at the time of the Oval Test, said the ICC could face problems over Hair in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in September.

"I just hope the ICC realises the potentially explosive situation it could create by posting Hair for any matches involving Pakistan," Khan told Reuters in Karachi.

Pakistani officials said they had made their views known to the ICC.

"The PCB's views and opinions and position on Hair have been made clear in the ICC meeting," PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf said.

Shafqat Naghmi, the board's chief operating officer, added: "I don't think he will ever be officiating in matches in which Pakistan is a party."

ELITE PANEL
Richardson hinted, however, that Hair would not be barred from officiating in all matches involving Asian teams.

"It's pointless having an umpire on the elite panel who is excluded from umpiring certain teams," he said.

"There are always going to be stages in an umpire's career when he is not flavour of the month but he will come up against an Asian team at some stage.

"Darrell Hair, over time, seems to polarise opinion but a lot of his supporters will feel it's justified to bring him back and that he was unjustly kept on the sidelines in the first place."

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was quoted by the BBC as saying he was shocked by Hair's reinstatement.

"What more proof did they require that Hair was not fit to stand in international matches?" he said.

ICC president-elect David Morgan told reporters on Tuesday the council's decision to reinstate Hair, taken at a board meeting in Dubai, had been unanimous.

"Darrell Hair is a good, competent umpire and his position will be reviewed after March 31, 2009 as is the case with other umpires at the end of their contracts. It was a unanimous decision (to reinstate him)."

The move came after Hair underwent a rehabilitation programme devised by the ICC and umpired less important fixtures.

Mamby wants another world title at 60
By Larry Fine
NEW YORK, NY (Reuters) - Saoul Mamby trains himself at John's Gym, a South Bronx oasis suspended in time -- a perfect fit for a former world champion who is fighting on at the age of 60.

It is not just to stay in shape that Mamby is skipping, working the speed bag, sparring and pounding a heavy bag hung from the rafters of the musky, converted postal station.

He wants a shot at winning another title.

"I fought the best in the world. At one time I was the best in the world," the grandfather of 11 told Reuters at the gym, where old timers visit and schoolchildren take their first steps towards learning the craft of boxing alongside professional wannabes.

"If I can reach that level again, there's no harm in trying. I don't want to sit back and be one of those shoulda, coulda, woulda people. I want to give it a shot."

Earlier this month, Mamby, who was first crowned WBC light welterweight champion 28 years ago, became what is believed to be the oldest boxer ever in a sanctioned bout when he lost a 10-round decision in the Cayman Islands.

Mamby, lean and articulate with no grey showing in his braided brown locks, said he was rusty against 32-year-old Jamaican Anthony Osbourne, whose dismal record rose to 7-25-1.

"I need fights like that to bring myself to where I was," said Mamby, whose record dropped to 45-34-6.

"I hadn't fought in eight years, fighting a fighter who has been active. I was in good shape but my tools were rusty."

ALPHABET SOUPS
The native New Yorker, a superb defensive boxer who failed to go the distance only once in his remarkable career when he was stopped at the age of 46 by American Derrell Coley, is not impressed by the current crop of fighters.

"With all the titles out there today, it's not like when I was champ before. I was WBC, Aaron Pryor was WBA," said Mamby, who made five successful defences in two-and-a-half years as champion.

"Now they have multiple alphabet soups. So my theory is one of them belongs to me."

He said he was not worried about getting hurt. "I don't have any injuries. I don't have any damage to myself. I've never been knocked out cold."

Mamby won the World Boxing Council (WBC) light welterweight title from South Korean Kim Sang-hyun in February 1980 by stopping him in the 14th round in Seoul.

He made his first defence against Esteban De Jesus of Puerto Rico, the only man to beat Roberto Duran over the Panamanian's first 73 professional fights.

Mamby, who frequently fought overseas, also defended against Thomas Americo in his native Indonesia and against Nigerian Obisia Nwankpa in Lagos before relinquishing the title to American Leroy Haley in a split decision in June 1982.

He traces his determination to a haunting tour of military duty in Vietnam.

"I used to sit down with the guys," he reminisced about his fellow soldiers. "I would listen to everybody, what they were going to do. Maybe a month later, a few days later, they put them in body bags.

"Whatever you want to do, you do it, I vowed. This is what I like to do, so I'm doing it."

Mamby, son of a Jamaican father and a Spanish mother, takes his freedom of choice seriously.

"When I was a kid, 20 years old, they sent me to war. I survived. Now that I have a little age on me you're going to tell me what I fought for I'm not allowed to participate in?

"I fought for freedom, justice and equality. Now here I am, 60 years old and you're going to tell me 'you can't fight, you're too old?’"

HARDEST FIGHT
Surrounded by the yellowed newspaper pictures of boxing greats taped to the dingy walls of John's Gym, Mamby recalled some memorable opponents, including Duran.

"He was knocking everybody out but I lasted for a decision (1976)," he said. "He was a good fighter but he wasn't the hardest fight I had.

"The hardest fight I had was a guy from Indonesia named Thomas Americo, I fought him 15 rounds (1981) in the first championship bout in Indonesia. My god, he was so strong."

Mamby grinned when he thought of De Jesus. "Every Puerto Rican in New York lost money, because they all bet I was going to lose and I knocked him out in the 13th round."

The best current boxer, according to Mamby, is Floyd Mayweather Jr.

"Mayweather is a good fighter but realistically, he wouldn't have stood up to Duran."

Mamby thinks that after two or three warm-up fights he would match up well against Briton Ricky Hatton, recognised by Ring Magazine as the world's best super lightweight, who lost to Mayweather in a welterweight title fight.

"It would be a good fight and I might beat him because I have the style to beat him," Mamby said. "Ricky Hatton, if you want to give me a shot then fine. I'm available."

Mamby said he was not picky. "I'm looking to win a title. With all they got out there, one of them belongs to me. If I get one, I can say 'no mas' with dignity."

Celtics snap Rockets' 22-game winning streak
By Jeff Franks
HOUSTON, Texas (Reuters) - The Boston Celtics rode a second-half surge to secure a 94-74 win over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday, ending the Rockets' 22-game winning streak in a battle of the NBA's top two teams.

Houston's streak had been the second longest in the NBA. The NBA's longest winning run was 33 games by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers.

Kevin Garnett scored 22 points to pace the Celtics as the Eastern Conference leaders -- who have won 13 of their past 14 games -- raised their league-best record to 54-13.

The Rockets, who came into the game in sole possession of first place in the Western Conference, dropped to 46-21 and into a tie for first with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Rockets went toe-to-toe with the Celtics in the first half, with both teams playing smothering defence and going into the locker room tied at 40.

But the Celtics capitalised on their superior size to outscore the Rockets 32-16 in the third quarter and waltz home from there with an easy win.

"We didn't want to have the streak continue on us," said Boston forward Paul Pierce, who scored 20 points.

"This was a game that we wanted and we took care of business," he said in a happy Celtics locker room.

Luis Scola, who led the Rockets with 15 points and eight rebounds, said his team were outplayed by the Celtics.

"It's just basketball, it happens. We've got to give them credit, they played a great game," he said.

Rockets coach Rick Adelman said the Rockets' streak had been "a great run" but now the team must focus on the remaining 15 games of the season and try to secure a playoff spot in the tightly-bunched West.

Only 4.5 games separate the top eight teams in the Western Conference. Each conference has eight playoff spots.

"Sure it was great and we rode it a long time, and my perspective today is we've got a one-game losing streak," Adelman said. "You've got to forget about it."

NSW's all-round power delivers Pura Cup title
By Brydon Coverdale
NEW South Wales became the Pura Cup champions for the third time in six years with a 258-run win over Victoria after Beau Casson grabbed four wickets on the fifth day.

Nick Jewell looked set to pick up a consolation century but his dismissal for 99 was indicative of Victoria's season - so near and yet so far.

The Bushrangers were consistent enough to make all three domestic finals, however for the second summer in a row they had to settle only for the Twenty20 title.

The Blues, on the other hand, had a terrible limited overs campaign yet completed the Pura Cup undefeated and deserved the triumph.

Even without their Australian stars returning for the decider, New South Wales would have been hard to beat. As it was, Brett Lee picked up five wickets and made 97 in his first Pura Cup final, Stuart Clark grabbed handy victims and Michael Clarke contributed a useful 64.

The Blues had batted Victoria out of the contest on the fourth day and they began the final morning wondering only if they would secure the title with a victory or a home draw.

They knew how the Bushrangers felt as New South Wales started the fifth day of last year's decider 567 behind, with ten wickets in hand away from home against Tasmania; Victoria had eight wickets up their sleeve and were down by 532.

It looked like being a quick kill when David Hussey (31) drove Lee to cover in the first over of the morning without adding to his overnight score.

However, Jewell and Cameron White combined for a handy 115-run stand, Adam Crosthwaite chipped in with a half-century, Bryce McGain posted his highest first-class score and the last pair of Dirk Nannes and Shane Harwood combined for 52 to extend the match to within ten minutes of tea.

Casson bowled 29.3 overs unchanged on the fifth day and finished the job with McGain caught at bat-pad for 25 before finally trapping Nannes lbw for 32.

New South Wales celebrated and as their major contributors, including the captain, Man of the Match and Player of the Series, Simon Katich, and the centurion Phillip Hughes, grabbed stumps, the injured Doug Bollinger and those who made way for the international stars, such as Mark Cameron, joined the fun on the SCG.

Katich made 86 and 92 and passed the all-time record for most runs in a season during the decider, but said the only thing that mattered was the title. "The main thing is we've got this trophy in the cabinet," Katich said. "It's nice to have done well but this is what means the most. I'm just so proud of the boys."

The Blues had endured a longer wait for the party than they anticipated after White and Jewell frustrated the hosts through most of the first session. White entertained the crowd with consecutive sixes pulled and slog-swept off Casson before he skied a catch to mid-on on 57, giving Clark a wicket in his first over of the day.

That started a mini-collapse as Casson had Andrew McDonald (4) caught at silly point and Jewell was lbw to Clark from the last ball before the break. It was a disappointing end for Jewell, who wanted a healthy score to help him confirm his spot as Victoria's No.1 opener for 2008-09 after averaging 31.31 for the season before this innings.

He was in a more positive frame of mind than usual, freed of the burden of expectation as Victoria knew they could not win the match. Jewell narrowly missed his first six of the summer when he pulled Stuart MacGill marginally short of the midwicket boundary, and he cover-drove and flicked through the legside with confidence.

Like Jewell, Crosthwaite could not afford to throw his wicket away as he aimed to stay in front of Matthew Wade as Victoria's preferred wicketkeeper. He helped himself to 50 - he previously had only one half-century from a first-class career spanning four seasons - before Casson's wrist-spinner stayed low and struck the stumps.

The win was the 45th domestic first-class title for New South Wales - the first 42 were Sheffield Shields and the remaining three were Pura Cups.

They will return in 2008-09 as defending champions of a competition that will have either a completely new name or an old familiar one, as the Pura Cup is farewelled and the Sheffield Shield could be reinstated. (Cricinfo)

Hamilton hoping good times roll in Malaysia
By Ossian Shine
SINGAPORE, (Reuters) - Formula One front-runner Lewis Hamilton has said "bring it on" while faltering Ferrari seek a fresh start in Malaysia on Sunday at the second grand prix of the year.

McLaren's Hamilton took the chequered flag in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix last Sunday, a performance the 23-year-old Briton described as the best race of his career.

Now he is eager to build on that momentum at Sepang.

"I felt fantastic. I never thought it would have been as physically a breeze as it was," Hamilton said of his victory in Melbourne. "It is great preparation for Malaysia so bring it on. I am really looking forward to it.

"Going into the next few races, we obviously need to try to continue with the momentum that we have. We could have gone quicker, so I am not particularly bothered about the Ferraris' pace.

"I am probably twice as fit this year compared to last year. But also the car was really fantastic to drive and it was quite easy to drive."

For the red cars of Ferrari, the Australian Grand Prix proved a black day.

Neither Kimi Raikkonen nor Felipe Massa managed to finish the race, although Raikkonen went away with a point for eighth place after Honda's Rubens Barrichello was disqualified on an afternoon with just seven cars still running at the end.

WORST START
It was the worst start to a season for Ferrari since 1992 and Massa acknowledged that the team must scratch that poor start from their record and begin anew.

"Our championship will have to start again in Malaysia. We know we have a good car, we have to work to be able to use it as intended," said the Brazilian.

Hamilton is fully aware of Ferrari's pedigree.

"We can't forget that they are a great team and they have a very good car and two great drivers as well. One bad weekend. I'm sure everyone could have had a bad weekend at some point during the season," he said.

"There are still 17 races to go. As a team, my team, we have to work hard making sure these problems don't happen."

Williams' Nico Rosberg achieved his best finish in Australia, a first podium place in third. He told Reuters he now had the momentum heading into Sepang but was remaining realistic.

"What we target when we get to the track is about seventh or eighth place, unfortunately that's the way it is, because there are six or seven cars in front that we can't beat," the German said in an interview.

"Ferrari, McLaren and BMWA … what we can try and do is get close and occasionally beat one of them, but otherwise we just have to hope for them to have reliability problems.

"That's just the way it is in F1, it sucks but that's the way it is.

"Ferrari and McLaren are still going to battle it out at the front, I haven't given up on Ferrari yet, we'll see in Malaysia but I think they're going to come back pretty strong."

Hugh Ross bodybuilding Classic
Muscleman Perry receives Ragaman sponsorship
By Michael DaSilva
TOP Linden muscleman Mark Perry yesterday received sponsorship from Top Brands Distributors through its Ragaman brand for the upcoming Hugh Ross Classic bodybuilding contest.

Perry who returned from the USA late last year will promote the energy drink which is flavoured with the ancient Chinese nature plant Ginsing.

According to Top Brands representative at yesterday's presentation ceremony, Samantha Khan, Perry is sure to be very competitive at the inaugural Hugh Ross Classic event which is billed for the National Cultural Centre on March 20, so the company sought it wise by offering him close to $250 000 in sponsorship for his preparations.

The money also includes the cost of printing T-shirts for Perry and his supporters who are expected to come out in large numbers.

Perry, in accepting the sponsorship cheque yesterday at the Kashif and Shanghai Georgetown head office, said he feels great about everything his supporters are doing for him and he cannot wait for the April showdown. "I'm ready right now. I cannot wait for April 20. This gesture will make me work even harder."

Perry's manager/coach who operates the Upper Demerara Barbell Club in Linden and who is mainly responsible for the success of many local champions coming out of the mining community, expressed his gratitude to Top Brands Distributors and more so the Kashif and Shanghai organisation for arranging the sponsorship deal.

"It's fitting that we in Linden benefit from some good deed and it's good to know also that Ragaman is doing this. They will benefit in the long run." Barker stated.

The Hugh Ross Classic event which is being sponsored mainly by Banks DIH Limited under its Plus Energy brand is being put together in honour of Guyana's most successful bodybuilder, Hugh Ross, and is intended to be used as a catalyst in reviving the sport locally.

Nine categories will be contested including categories for females.

According to Leroy George, the coordinator for the event’s athletes, a great number of musclemen and women from all over Guyana have stated an interest in participating in the mega event.

Ross, in whose honour the event is being staged, and who is a former Mr Musclemania and a Central American and Caribbean gold medallist (heavyweight) will do guest-posing at the event and is expected in Guyana one week prior to the night of the competition.

While here, Ross will visit and have talks with students of the Eversham Primary School on the West Coast Berbice which he attended in his youthful days.

A Hugh Ross Fitness Walk is also being planned and will be held before the bodybuilding showdown.

India fielding coach Singh to stay - BCCI
NEW DELHI, India (Reuters) - The Indian cricket board said yesterday that fielding coach Robin Singh would be retained for the home Test series against South Africa, denying media reports that said he would be fired.

"Yes, he will be there. We will put out a release on this," board secretary Niranjan Shah told Reuters when asked about the reports. He did not elaborate.

The Hindustan Times reported that Gary Kirsten, who has taken over as India coach before the series against his home country, had told the board that Singh's services would not be required.

The former India all-rounder joined the team along with bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad last year following their shock first-round exit from the World Cup in the West Indies.

Prasad and Singh had a dispute with the board over their involvement with the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), due to be launched next month, the paper said.

The first match of the three-Test series starts in Chennai on March 26.

Players will be allowed up to four Hawkeye challenges
LONDON, England (Reuters) - Players will be allowed up to four unsuccessful challenges per set at any tournament that uses electronic line-calling systems, tennis officials said yesterday.

The four tennis governing bodies -- ITF, ATP, WTA Tour and Grand Slams -- said in a statement they had agreed to adopt a unified challenge system in all professional tennis tournaments and team competitions.

Since the arrival of electronic line-calling review systems -- using Hawkeye technology -- tournaments have been allowed to set their own rules for using the system.

While some allowed players to have an unlimited number of challenges in every match, other tournaments limited them to two or three unsuccessful challenges per set.

The governing bodies said players and teams would now be allowed a maximum of three unsuccessful challenges per set plus one more if the set reached a tiebreak.

Next week's Sony Ericsson Open in Miami will be the first tournament to use the unified challenge system.

Three of the four grand slams use the technology. The French Open is the only major not to use the system as the ball leaves a mark on the clay surface.

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