71%
Diesel tax cut
THE Finance Ministry yesterday announced that the consumption tax on diesel was being cut from 35% to 10% to help businesses in sectors hard hit by rising world oil prices.

Gasoline is now retailing at more than $600 per gallon and diesel had reached more than $575 a gallon.

The diesel tax cut, which took immediate effect, followed a meeting yesterday between President Bharrat Jagdeo and other top government officials and representatives from the Guyana Manufacturers’ Association, the Guyana Rice Producers Association, the Guyana Forestry Producers Association, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association and the Trawlers Owners Association.

The ministry said they discussed the impact of recent increases in the acquisition cost of fuel on these sectors and the economy as a whole.

Mr. Jagdeo directed the Finance Ministry to reduce the consumption tax on diesel, widely used in the fishing and other sectors, the ministry said in a press release.

It said the significant tax reduction “is expected to provide much needed relief to the affected sectors.”

The Finance Ministry noted that the government earlier this year reduced the consumption tax on gasoline and consumers “continue to enjoy” this cut.

It also said that the government had earlier removed the consumption tax on kerosene and cooking gas.

The government delegation at yesterday’s meetings included Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Head of the Budget Office, Dr. Ashni Singh, Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Mr. Kurschid Sattaur and Presidential Adviser on Investment, Mr. Maniram Prashad.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, projected the tax cut Wednesday when he told reporters the government was considering several proposals and possibilities aimed at bringing relief to consumers, industries and the commercial sector.

Luncheon told his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing that measures under consideration include remission on the consumption tax on the various categories of fuel.

However, he explained that based on the levels of costs identified by the target groups for their operations to be financially viable, even the “most liberal of measures” would not suffice at current fuel acquisition costs.

President of the Guyana Petrol Station Dealers Association (GPSD), Mr. Steve Chung had called on the government to address the fuel price increases with urgency by lowering the consumption tax on gasoline and diesel.

Members of the Guyana Trawler and Seafood Processors Association had decided not to resume fishing after the annual closed season citing the high cost of fuel.

The 17 trawler operators and seven seafood processors, who had not reopened operations, employ thousands of people and said they contribute some US$55M in foreign exchange to the local economy.

Prime Minister Hinds, who has responsibility for the energy sector, has issued a call for a more “frugal” use of fuel in the face of steady price increases.

He earlier this month recalled that since 1999 there have been steady rises in oil prices resulting in increased marine, land and air transportation and utilities costs.

He said that even the higher price for cement was being attributed partially to the increased fuel prices.

Mr. Hinds noted too that increased fuel prices will impact negatively on the bauxite industry, increasing the cost of production by an estimated 15%-20%.

Prices for oil on the world market have reached US$55 a barrel.

Guyana pursues oil deal proposals with Venezuela
GUYANA is pursuing talks with Venezuela on accessing oil under the concessionary Caracas Energy Accord that country is extending to others in the region.

Prime Minister Sam Hinds earlier this month explained that Guyana could not access oil under the accord because its conditionalities run counter to World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) prescriptions under which finances must be managed so that the future of the country is not compromised.

He indicated that negotiations were under way to “soften up” the conditionalities.

Guyana’s Ambassador to Venezuela, Dr. Odeen Ishmael, told the Chronicle this country had submitted proposals to Venezuela and that Mr. Hinds wrote Venezuelan Minister of Energy Rafael Ramirez this week, urging him to quickly bring final resolution to this matter.

“I think the hurdles have been crossed and we are now awaiting a final response to our proposals”, he said.

Under the agreement, Venezuela sells to participating countries at the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) price.

Participating countries have to pay 70 per cent of the cost and the remaining 30 per cent is regarded as a loan to be repaid in 15 years.

Interest rates for the repayment of the loan have to be kept within IMF specifications under Guyana’s agreement with the fund.

Dr. Ishmael noted that another Venezuela initiative being pursued is PetroCaribe, the brainchild of President Hugo Chávez, aimed at reducing the effects of high oil prices on the region by offering petroleum products to Caribbean countries at reduced costs.

“One of the objectives of PetroCaribe is for upgrading refineries in the Caribbean region”, he said.

He said the Jamaica refinery will be expanded and upgraded with the help of Venezuela under the initiative.

 “When PetroCaribe is established, it will have its own tankers delivering fuel to the participating countries.

“It hopes to also set up its own storage tanks and sell fuel in competition with established oil companies.

“It is possible it may set up its own gas stations in the participating countries to retail fuel”, the ambassador said.

He said Venezuela was mandated by several Caribbean countries to draft a multilateral agreement to fast-track the implementation of the PetroCaribe initiative.

This was one of the decisions at the last meeting between Venezuela and Caribbean energy ministers in Jamaica.

The draft of this agreement will be presented to the next meeting of the energy ministers in the Bahamas in November, Ishmael said.

The Jamaica meeting also appointed a technical commission comprising Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Cuba, Jamaica, Suriname, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with the CARICOM Secretariat and OLADE (Latin American Energy Organisation) participating as observers, he said.

He also said that OLADE ministers are meeting on Margarita Island in Venezuela this weekend to examine the implications of rising energy costs and increased oil prices on the world market.

Jeffrey warns about rising violence in schools
EDUCATION Minister, Dr. Henry Jeffrey has warned about rising violence in schools and has declared that the ministry will not tolerate attacks and abuse on its employees.

His warning came Thursday at the 2004 National Awards Ceremony at which the ministry honoured top performers in the Secondary School Entrance Examination; the National Third Form Examination; the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examination; the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination; the General Certificate of Education Examination and the Guyana Technical Education Examination.

At the function at the National Cultural Centre in Georgetown, the minister said the problem of violence in schools, which is part of the overall problem of violence in society, “has become a pressing educational issue.”

“In communities where violence is more rampant, concerns about it have surpassed concerns about academic achievement, which has traditionally had priority.”

He said he wanted to send a wider message to teachers and all educators, but most of all to parents, “about the seriousness of the increasing violence in our schools and to remind all of us of our responsibility to do all we can, to use whatever legitimate means at our disposal, to curtail this growing trend.”

He recalled the recent death of Georgetown student Kevin Savory who was allegedly hit in the head with a brick by another student and said, “It must be a startling reminder to us but particularly parents, to pay attention to the issue of violence.”

“Let me make it quite clear: the ministry will not tolerate our employees being routinely attacked and abused. We call upon head teachers and all education officials to take quick and decisive action when such incidents occur.”

Jeffrey said administrators of disciplined schools understand that appropriate school discipline must be a part of every programme, curriculum and practice.

“The entire school organisation must be designed to support and encourage student responsibility and address those issues and behaviours that are not conducive to instructional and academic success.

“A school that fosters high expectations for student behaviour sets the foundation for a safe school: a safe environment frees students to focus on academic achievement and performance”, he noted.

The minister said a logical violence prevention strategy is to promote improvements in academic achievement.

“Students with good language skills and analytic abilities are less likely to use force to achieve their goals. The principal of a safe school values staff, student and community partnerships and provides the school community with opportunities to help fashion solutions to various problems”, he said.

He argued that this cooperative environment permits the staff and community to spend more time helping the students to accomplish.

The Ministry of Education recognises that the school is a logical setting in which to implement interventions designed to reduce the problem of violence in the society, he told the gathering.

Schools, he added, provide access to virtually all children on a consistent basis over most of a child’s formative years, and most parents and guardians can be accessed through them.

“Teachers are encouraged to take the necessary steps to help children with behavioural problems by speaking with parents and using our school welfare system.

“The Education Departments, for their part, should try as best they can to improve the staffing of school welfare departments and introduce parenting education as standard”, the minister urged.

He said the ministry has in place a comprehensive manual on discipline in schools and this should be used to encourage good practice and nip incipient negative behaviour in the bud.

“Those who are drafting our new Education Act will have to make more stringent and up to date rules for dealing with this growing trend.

“We are also in the process of implementing the life-skills based, Health and Family Life Education programme throughout the schools system. This programme teaches children to understand and deal with their emotions and feelings. More specifically, among other things, it teaches conflict resolution and issues relating to HIV and AIDS.”

Jeffrey said the ministry recognises that the prevention of adolescent violence calls for creative approaches in schools and communities.

It requires long-term intervention strategies which focus on adolescent behavioural change and environmental modifications, he said, adding that the ministry is organising a broad-based national arrangement to consider these issues.

“In this context, you can rest assured that the Ministry of Education is taking the initiative to make all schools safer and to improve the quality of education for all our children”, he said.

The minister said the tests and assessments for which the students were honoured at the ceremony “represent our collective efforts to provide our people with the correct tools and approaches to make a decent life as we strive to develop and modernise our society.”

“Congratulations to all of you who are recipients of awards. Your hard work and dedication have paid off. You have done exceptionally well and I trust that you will continue to excel as you utilise the same focus and determination which brought you success at this level.”

He also congratulated the teachers, principals and staff, saying, “Without your dedication and experienced guidance little would have been possible.”

“And, of course, congratulations to the parents and guardians. We insist that without your support success would have been all but impossible. This is why the Ministry of Education continues to implore parents to pay greater interest in their charges.”

PPP condemns PNCR attack on GECOM database
THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP) yesterday charged that continued attacks by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) on the integrity of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and its database indicate that it wants to frustrate preparations for smooth elections.

At a press conference at PPP Freedom House headquarters in Georgetown, General Secretary Donald Ramotar said the PNCR “has been engaged in a big attack on the database at GECOM.”

“Whatever their motive it is certainly one of the most unjustified pieces of criticism on their part.”

The PNCR claims that the GECOM database is inaccurate and needs to be corrected.

At a recent press conference, PNCR Leader, Robert Corbin said his party believes work must begin now to review the system used in the 2001 elections and correct the problems at GECOM.

He also called for the activation of the Constitutional Review Committee to look at the system of governance to avert serious problems that could be ahead.

However, Ramotar stressed that the current database was compiled house-to-house in the run-up to the 1997 elections, and this process was scrutinised by political parties working alongside GECOM personnel.

He added that after the 1997 elections, because of organised violence and disruptions by the PNCR, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) sent a team of specialists who did a forensic audit of the elections, including the database, which held up to scrutiny.

Similarly, in the run-up to the 2001 elections, the process was under scrutiny by the political parties and all were satisfied with the database, Ramotar recalled.

In the post-2001 elections period, GECOM invited the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) to do an audit and systems review of the 2001 electoral process, and they concluded that the database is an accurate representation of the official list of electors, he related.

Immediately, after the PNCR again raised the issue of the database being tampered with, however, a clone that was held at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was compared with GECOM database which was found to be in order, he said.

This, Ramotar claimed, only quieted the PNCR for a while and it subsequently brought one of its experts from Canada who made charges against the database.

In response, GECOM brought an Information Technology forensic auditor who along with all the stakeholders gave the database the “green light”, he pointed out.

According to Ramotar, the forensic auditor reported that he investigated all the allegations of the PNCR but found no evidence to support the contention that the security of the database was breached or that the system of security at GECOM was at risk.

He further asserted that all the post-2001 problems that arose were in relation to presiding officers not signing statements of poll, or had these locked away in sealed ballot boxes, and that IT problems that arose were mostly in relation to field work.

“The PNCR is strangely quiet about those issues. Maybe those are the problems they do not want corrected for it offers them the excuse to beat up and bruk up in post-elections,” Ramotar charged.

He added: “The attacks of the PNCR are unjustified and are without basis. They should stop it, and let us work towards another free and fair elections in Guyana.”

The PPP General Secretary also accused the PNCR of using delaying tactics to frustrate the holding of local government elections, because that party is afraid of facing the electorate.

The two parties are deadlocked on the system to be used for local government elections which were last held in 1994.

Ramotar explained that the deadlock has been caused over the proposal by the PNCR to have 70% of seats on the basis of a constituency system and 30% under Proportional Representation (PR).

He said the PPP’s position is a reversal - 30%/70% constituency/PR. This is because it feels, in view of the formula for national elections where 38% of seats are allocated on a geographic basis, its advocacy would bring a greater sense of proportionality.

However, he is optimistic that ongoing discussions between the two major parties would result in a compromise which should bring the stalemate to a closure sooner than later.

Asked about the party’s view on the criminal activities in Buxton, he said that on the basis of what was found during the recent shootout with the police there, there is a motive beyond pure criminality.

He said it is clear that the criminals are being supported and protected by other forces.

“Clearly, the PPP cannot benefit from such activities,” he said.

However, he said the PPP is calling on the “intellectual authors to desist forthwith from such irresponsible actions”.

Young mother gets custody of 5-year-old daughter
‘I am capable of providing for, caring for, maintaining, educating, loving, protecting and guiding Aliyah.’
By George Barclay
THE attempt by a woman to permanently deprive 24-year-old Celia Vincent of her five-year-old daughter Aliyah Khan, backfired yesterday.

Agricultural development in Region Two
GINA - Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Crops and Livestock Satyadeow Sawh last Wednesday visited Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), where he commissioned a mechanical seed paddy dryer and a quality assurance laboratory at the Guyana Rice Producers Association facility at Anna Regina.

The seed paddy drying, cleaning and storage facility was funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and executed by partners in Rural Development through the Building Community Capacity Project (BCCP) and the Guyana Government.

Guyana exports more than 70 percent of its rice. More than 80 percent of the residents in Region Two depend on the rice industry for their livelihoods.

Over $12M was allocated for the construction of a laboratory and drying floor, also for the training of staff and the acquisition and installation of equipment.

Some $7.4M was spent on the mechanical dryer. This project was effected over a three-year period to the tune of $35M.

This year, which is designated the Year of Rice, has as it theme, "Rice is Life".

Minister Sawh also said rice is the backbone of the country's economy and has been sustained throughout the years.

Addressing the ceremony, Canadian High Commissioner Mr Bruno Picard said the facility will generate income for farmers in that community and the country, and will be able to sustain itself.

The Minister also commissioned an office extension at the National Plant Nursery at Charity, Essequibo.

The sum of $5M was spent in building the extension as well as sheds.

The nursery, which produced 10,000 plants when it was established in 1997, is now expected to increase its annual output of plants to 40,000. (Government Information Agency)

Catholic Charismatic Renewal members call on President Jagdeo
MEMBERS of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement yesterday paid a courtesy call on Head of State President Bharrat Jagdeo at the Presidential Complex. Here, President Jagdeo (right) shares a pleasant moment with the group during the visit. At left is popular City florist and former Mayor of Georgetown Mr Compton Young, who is a leading member of the Charismatic Movement. Picture by Winston Oudkerk)

Gunmen steal outboard engines
POLICE in Essequibo are investigating the theft of two outboard engines from a boat by gunmen on Thursday.

A police press release said two watchmen were in a boat at Aberdeen when they were attacked by three men armed with guns.

Police said the watchmen were keeping guard over the boat which had two 75 HP Yamaha outboard engines when the three gunmen turned up alongside in another boat.

The trio up stuck them up and hit them several times with their guns, police said.

They then removed the outboard engines valued at $800,000 and escaped.

The wounded watchmen were treated at the Suddie Hospital, police said.

National policy paper on orphans due soon
GUYANA is drawing up a national policy paper on orphans and other vulnerable children and a draft is expected by the end of next month, paving the way for a budgeted action plan.

An assessment report on the children, a collaborative work by the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, the Ministry of Health and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), was launched yesterday in the presence of representatives of the different stakeholders.

As a result of the findings, outlined at Emba-Sea Courtyard in Pere Street, Kitty, Georgetown, the legal system, policies and services linked to the target group will be reviewed and strengthened to protect, care and support those children and their families.

Among the findings are that the 153 children interviewed shared similar needs and that HIV/AIDS is the highest ranked cause of others in this country becoming orphans and vulnerable.

The report found, too, that about 1,148 orphans and other vulnerables had approached 31 organisations, in Regions Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Five (Mahaica/Berbice), Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) and 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice), for help.

Speaking at the forum, Minister within the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Ms. Bibi Shadick said the tripartite recommendations would seek to strengthen and support the capacity of families to care and cope, mobilise and bolster community-based responses.

These will also help children and young people meet their own needs and ensure that the government develops appropriate policies for the beneficiaries and raise public awarness to HIV/AIDS, murder, suicide and abuses, including sexual, in the society.

She remarked that the report was concise and will definitely make people conscious of the causes and effects of the social and economic factors which contribute to children becoming orphaned or vulnerable.

“I have always felt to myself that children are vulnerable because they are children and, in society, there are many simple vulnerabilities. For example, when parents send their children to buy rum and cigarettes, they are exploiting them,” the minister stated.

She said good education can help make vulnerability less prevalent and, as such, a number of decisions will be made in collaboration to ensure that each child in Guyana gets a proper education and a bright career start.

According to Shadick, her ministry has always tried to help people, especially youths and a number of organisations were established to provide temporary and permanent accommodation, counselling, health and other services, among them skills training, life skills and feeding, to orphans and the other vulnerables.

Another speaker, Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, noting that problems concerning those targeted will never go away, agreed an environment must be created in which the children have support and are safe.

Others present were UNICEF Representative, Ms. Maria Ribeiro; Child Care Counsellor, Ms. Violet Speek-Warnery, also of UNICEF; Child Care Counsellor from Linden Care Foundation, Ms. Maxine Fredericks; consultants Ms. Donnette Hope Ramsay and Ms. Lisa Thompson and Acting Deputy Chief Probation and Family Welfare Officer, Ms. Patricia Gray.

Grenadian children back in school
THE United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) yesterday applauded the government of Grenada as thousands of children began returning to school just over a month after Hurricane Ivan battered the island nation.

Schools have reopened thanks to the clean-up efforts of school administrators, teachers, government officials and children, as well as to assistance provided by several neighbouring governments, UNICEF said.

“This is a miraculous turn-around under extremely demanding conditions,” said Ms. Karin Sham Poo, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director.

“Grenada is setting an example for other countries by making children paramount.”

When Hurricane Ivan struck the island on September 7, what should have been the second day of the new school term, it left nearly 30,000 children out of school.

Many of the island’s 79 schools were either severely damaged or had to be used as shelters for those whose homes were destroyed.

UNICEF said children are resuming schooling in classrooms whose roofs have been temporarily sealed with plastic sheeting provided by the United States government.

A shipment of 74 UNICEF-provided tent classrooms will provide more classroom space and is expected to arrive next week.

Some of the schools will need heavy repairs, the organization reported.

It said that for Grenada, returning to school represents more than just bricks and mortar.

“School is not a building, it is the space to learn, to teach and to perform,” said Mr. Victor Ashby, Principal of the Grenada Boy’s Secondary School.

“It is a combination of brains and brawn that is putting the education system back on track,” said Ms. Jean Gough, UNICEF country representative.

Ms. Gough praised the teachers and the children, parent-teacher organisations, education officers, district education officers, the Ministry of Education and the military forces of Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.

“They literally rolled up their sleeves and dug the schools out of the mud,” she said.

Twenty-two government schools were reopened on October 11, UNICEF said.

It noted that severe weather conditions also affected other islands in the Caribbean.

While children are back in school in Jamaica, parts of Haiti are still reeling from the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Jeanne, it said.

UNICEF, national authorities and other partners in education are working together to get children into school in the northern city of Gonaives in Haiti as soon as possible.

UNICEF said it marked the school openings by handing over 223 Schools-in-a-Box for primary school students, school supplies for secondary schools, and recreation kits as well as 12 Sport-in-a-Box kits donated by FIFA for nearly 25,000 primary and secondary schoolchildren at a ceremony yesterday at the Grenada Boys Secondary School.

“Today, Grenadian children are one step closer to regaining a sense of security and stability in their lives,” Poo told the gathering.

One week after the hurricane, UNICEF began working with volunteers on a psycho-social programme designed to help local children recover from the upheaval in their lives.

The programme, called ‘Return to Happiness', reached out to 400 children in the first one-month long workshops.

UNICEF said Grenada still needs more supplies, including:
• tents for temporary schooling

• tarpaulins for temporary shelter of the roofs of the 106 pre-schools

• the re-initiation of the school feeding programming for all schools

• text books for primary and secondary schools

• furniture to replace those damaged at all levels of schooling (pre-school, primary and secondary)

• upscaling of the Return to Happiness programme which aims to provide psycho-social rehabilitation to about 20,000 children.

Government taking special care of orphans in Guyana
GINA -- “EDUCATION is the key to eradicating poverty and eliminating vulnerability of children in Guyana.”

This is what Minister within the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Bibi Shadick, told the audience at the launching of the assessment report on orphans and other vulnerable children in Guyana at the Emba-Sea Court Yard, Kitty, Georgetown, yesterday.

The report focuses mainly on children who are on the streets and are unable to access education since they are easy targets for exploitation and abuse.

Minister Shadick said that community involvement is needed to fight the problem of children's vulnerability. “We have to form child protection committees in communities in the country to assist in the fight,” she said.

Poverty is said to be the main cause of children's vulnerability in Guyana. The report seeks to highlight cases of HIV/AIDS in Guyana, saying that after Haiti, Guyana has the second highest incidence of HIV/AIDS.

He said, “The world is changing and more children are becoming more vulnerable and Guyana has come a long way in fighting this.”

“Guyana has reached that state of maturity to say that we have vulnerable children” he noted.

“As a Government we don't have all the answers. We have to work together in finding them,” he said.

Representative of UNICEF, Ms. Maria do valle Ribeiro, told those at the launching, “When we talk about vulnerable children, we are talking about children who cannot help themselves.”

A National Plan of Action for Orphans and other vulnerable children will soon be developed.

Minister Nokta to visit Wakenaam
GINA -- MINISTER of Local Government and Regional Development, Harripersaud Nokta and a team will make an outreach visit to the island of Wakenaam, Region Three (Essequibo Islands/ West Demerara) on Monday.

While there, Minister Nokta will meet with community members and the Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) of Maria's Pleasure Primary School, Sans Souci Secondary School and Bonasika School.

The team will include Mr. Devindra Jaglall, Project Manager of Basic Needs Trust Fund, and Regional Chairman Esau Dookie and other regional officials.

PYO echoes support for police, urges more pro-active crime fight
THE Progressive Youth Organization (PYO) views with “tremendous concern” the criminal activities resurfacing in Buxton and joins the many voices supporting the Guyana Police Force, urging it do all in its power to rid society of “these heartless and gruesome murderers.”

“'We view with concern, the threat issued to peace minded Buxtonians and wish to express our solidarity with those law-abiding persons that seek peace and normalcy,” the youth arm of the ruling PPP said in a statement yesterday.

The PYO said “criminals should not be tolerated anywhere in our society. They should not be safeguarded and given hiding grounds, nor should their deaths be idolized and marked with acts of martyrdom.

“These acts serve to inspire the murderers and only fuel them to continue on their path of destruction and evil. Now is the time for us to bond together and rally with one voice – ‘our society has no place for these tyrants’.

“We must never tolerate the killings of our police officers, disruption of normal life along the East Coast and killing of peace minded citizens. And those that seek to defend these criminals and justify their actions must accept responsibility for the chaos that is occurring.”

The PYO said it still remembers clearly those "leaders" who attended the funerals of murderers and dishonored the national flag, the symbol of pride, by draping the coffins with that flag.

“We urge all those with information on these criminals and their associates to continue sharing such information with the police force as it seeks to drive them from our society. As an organization we pledge our support in all efforts aimed at freeing our society of these criminal and anti-social elements.”

The PYO urged the police force to be even more proactive in the fight against what it called “terrorists” and said it was confident that good would prevail.

Bust of outstanding Guyanese scholar unveiled at CPCE
By Shawnel Cudjoe
FROM this year, the best graduating student of Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) will be receiving US$1,500 for his or her performance.

This announcement was made yesterday by Mr. Denys Vaughn Cooke.

The Francis and Doreen Vaughn-Cooke Award will be an annual event and the family also disclosed plans to make contributions to the college library. The event was one of those to mark CPCE's 75th anniversary.

Director of the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) Mr. Samuel Small said that as Principal of the Government Training College, to which he was appointed in 1957, he was very instrumental in requiring competence in academic performance and professional ability.

According to Small, Vaughn-Cooke was also responsible for replacing the old Education Department Library, which consisted of three presses of ancient and outdated books by a library of over 7000 volumes of the most modern texts, including works of Guyanese and Caribbean authors.

"Vaughn-Cooke tried to make the college the focal point of education in Guyana. He arranged seminars and courses for teachers who would be able to take back what they had acquired to their colleagues".

Small told the gathering that Vaughn-Cooke inspired both his staff and students and had a vision for the development of education.

"His leadership skills and his managerial competence have earned him a place in the hall of fame in the edifice of teacher education in Guyana."

Vaughn-Cooke was born on April 4, 1913 at Vergenogen on the East Bank of the Essequibo River and got his early schooling from his parents - his father, the head teacher of Great Troolie Island School, and his mother, taught at the same school.

At the age of 10, the elder Vaughn-Cooke obtained a place at Queen's College and throughout his secondary school life was always the youngest in each form and performed brilliantly.

Cooke was admitted to the Teachers Training College (then the Teachers Training Centre) in 1932. He acquitted himself with great distinction as a student of the third batch of students.

He carried his brilliant academic performance from high school over to college and was first in his batch for two years.

Upon graduation, he was appointed to St. Stephen's Church of Scotland School in Georgetown where for many years he taught pupils for the Blair Scholarship, which was awarded on the basis of performance at the Preliminary Cambridge Examination, an overseas secondary examination, for which primary schools competed.

This scholarship was won by a student of St. Stephen's the year Mr. Vaughn Cooke joined.

Through correspondence courses, he secured an external Bachelor of Arts Degree of the University of London in 1947.

Five years after becoming Assistant Master of the Government Teachers Training College, Vaughn Cooke was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship. He proceeded to London where he completed a Diploma in Education at the University of London.

He retired from college in 1965 and died at the age of 88 in 2001.

National Drawing Competition winners collect prizes
WINNERS in the National Drawing Competition received their prizes at the opening of the National Drawing Exhibition on Thursday at the National Gallery.

The competition, sponsored in its fifth consecutive biennial by the
National Bank of Industry and Commerce Limited (NBIC), attracted ten entrants,
ranging in age from 15 to 77 years of age, who submitted a total of 23 entries.

The first prize in the competition of the Castellani House gold medal and a cheque for $50,000 was won by Garfield Gillis, for his drawing ‘Looking Fo’ Mama’. Gillis is a graduate of the Burrowes School of Art who had earned a Judges’ Special Mention at the 2002 biennial.

The second prize of a silver medal and $30,000 was awarded to Travell Blackman, a July 2004 graduate from the Burrowes School, for his portrait composition, ‘Holly’. Blackman had received the Young Person’s Prize at the 2002 competition.

The third prize of the bronze medal and $20,000 was won by Walter Gobin, an artist and art teacher living in the Bahamas, for his work, ‘Mahaica: Friends’.

The special prize of a bronze medal and $10,000 for an entrant between the ages of 16 to 18 years was awarded to Troyden Bonds for his work, ‘Entrapment’. Honourable Mentions were also won by Garfield Gillis for ‘Story Telling’ and by Walter Gobin for ‘Wild Things: Anteater’. A Special Judges’ Mention was awarded to the youngest entrant in the competition, Vernon Lallman, for his drawing, ‘Driftwood’.

Competition prizes were awarded by Ms. Magda Pollard, member of the Board of

Directors of the NBIC. Judges of the competition were the sculptor Winslow Craig, the painter Merlene Ellis, and the architect and painter Michael Leila. The drawing exhibition features the entries submitted in competition and additionally work from the National Collection and artists’ collections, to highlight the range and expressiveness of skills within the discipline of drawing.

The exhibition will continue until Thursday, November 4 next.

The public is invited to view this exhibition. Gallery hours are 10 am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 2 to 6pm on Saturday. The gallery is closed on Sunday. (National Art Gallery)

Family planning outreach at Anna Catherina
THE Family Planning Association of Guyana (FPAG) in collaboration with the Sunshine Women and Youth Centre conducted a free outreach programme at Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara on October 14.

More than 50 persons, including doctors and nurses attached to the FPAG attended the outreach, which included discussions on several aspects of sexual and reproductive health activities, among them contraceptives, termination of pregnancy and HIV/AIDS.

Project Coordinator of the FPAG, Gwen King, said emphasis was also placed on encouraging women to do Pap smear.

After the discussions, the FPAG, which is a non governmental organization, distributed condoms and leaflets and also did blood pressure testing.

Coordinator of the Sunshine Women and Youth Centre, Sandra Persaud, who was also present, stated that the level of participation was very high. However, she noted that men did not attend the outreach.

Sunshine Centre was established in 1999 and currently has a membership of more than 150 women and youths.

Guyana's constant battle against the sea
A GINA Feature
THE low-lying coastline of Guyana is approximately 430 kilometres and so there is need for sea defences to protect the land from the Atlantic.

The Ministry of Public Works has to rehabilitate and maintain approximately 340 kilometres of sea defences between the Pomeroon River in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) and Crabwood Creek in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne). This includes defences on the islands of Leguan and Wakenaam in the Essequibo River.

Within the Works Ministry, a Sea Defence Board is tasked with the responsibility of maintaining the sea defences with a Sea and River Defence Division - supervised by Mr. George Howard.

There are several types of sea defences. These include concrete walls (approx. 100 km); mangrove forests with earth embankments (approx. 145 km); natural sand reefs (approx. 80 km) and riprap (approx. 15 km).

What are the functions of the sea defences? They prevent the loss of land caused by erosion and stop saline flooding of the protected area. Land levels on the coastal plain are about one metre below the high tide level.

Over the last 12 years, there has been funding for sea defences from the Government of Guyana; USAID (PL480); European Union; Inter-American Development Bank; the International Development Association; the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme. From 1992 to 2004, Government has spent more than $5.7B, while international funding has amounted to over $5.6B.

"We are doing our best to protect communities along the coastal plain and riverain areas, and I hope persons appreciate it," said Minister of Public Works and Hydraulics, Anthony Xavier.

The River and Sea Defence Officer, George Howard supplied GINA with the major works completed over the past few years.

According to Howard, with the exception of works at Queenstown, and L'Union on the Essequibo Coast, which was done with direct labour - all other works were executed by contract. Additionally, all proposed major works will go to tender.

How does the River and Sea Defence Board operate? Howard said that to execute the works, the Division has 19 technical staff, trained at tertiary level between undergraduate diploma level to post graduate level, in Civil and Mechanical Engineering.

They design new and improved sea defences; prepare tender documents; assess bid documents submitted and supervise construction.

There is the Finance and Accounting Section at the Head Office, Kingston and in each of the regional offices, a record is kept of the expenditure.

The vast majority of the staff are field workers or rangers responsible for executing works by direct labour or ensuring the quality of work executed by contractors. The River and Sea Division employs about 300 field officers.

"These persons are like the Police. They oversee everything. The Ministry provides living accommodation to senior staff in the various areas," added Minister Xavier.

Solid waste call centre established
A PILOT call centre (PCC) has been established by the Solid Waste Management Public Awareness and Education Project to promote support for environment-friendly garbage disposal in Georgetown.

The centre is expected to serve an extensive range of functions in support of public education and awareness of solid waste issues.

Though the centre falls under the auspices of the Lodge/Regent Street Pilot Project, it will accept calls from anywhere within the city, a programme statement yesterday said.

“The just-installed facility…is intended to contribute to the solving of various problems (citizens) experience with respect to municipal departments,” the statement said.

The Mayor and City Council has endorsed the initiative, with Mayor Hamilton Green and Deputy Mayor Robert Williams participating in a solid waste seminar that sought to make citizens even more aware of the importance of disposing of garbage in accordance with the law.

Any facts on offences and penalties can be raised.

Initially manned by a staff of two, the centre is open for calls, mails and/or visits from 9:00 hours (9.00 a.m.) to 18:00 hours (6.00 p.m.), Monday to Saturday.

Procedures must be followed – Home Affairs Ministry
GINA -- THE Ministry of Home Affairs wishes to inform all persons or agencies living or operating in Guyana who may require visas on arrival for relatives and employees and extensions of stay or work permits that applications should be made in writing to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Lot 6 Brickdam.

A release from the Home Affairs Ministry stated interested persons should apply at least one month before the intended date of arrival, the expiry date of stay, work permit or date of commencement of employment.

Failure to comply with the procedure may result in delays in processing applications.

The release also said that persons living overseas who desire to visit Guyana are asked to go through the Guyana Mission in their country or the nearest country where there is a Guyana Mission to process their applications.

Guyana wins tourism essay competition
GUYANA has won the "My Caribbean" Conde Nast Traveler Essay Contest for the first time.

Eleven-year-old Roshan Morris of Marian Academy got the top honours with her essay on the "Magnificent Kaieteur".

The Conde Nast Traveler Essay Contest is a collaborative effort by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine Group and the Caribbean Tourism Organization and is facilitated by the Tourism and Education Ministries in each nation.

Ms. Morris was selected from a group of entries garnered from eleven public and private schools by the Guyana Tourism Authority. Mr. Donald Sinclair, Head of Guyana Tourism Authority, said that as soon as the authority saw the essay, staffers knew it was a winner.

The winning article will be published in the next issue of Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. Ms. Morris has won US$2,500 and will also be featured in the magazine. She also traveled to Aruba to collect her prize.

Ms. Morris will narrate her essay for a video that will be produced by the Guyana Tourism Authority, featuring the Kaieteur Falls. The essay will also be displayed at the world travel market in London next month which the Authority attends annually.

Bandits rob watchmen in Essequibo
POLICE in ‘G’ Division, Essequibo, are investigating a robbery under arms committed Thursday on two watchmen at Aberdeen, Essequibo Coast, by three men, two of whom were armed with a shot gun and a handgun.

Enquiries by the police disclose that the watchmen were keeping guard over a boat which had two(2) 75 HP Yamaha outboard engines fastened to it, when the three men, who were in another boat, came alongside theirs, boarded, stuck them up and dealt them several blows with their guns.

The bandits then removed the outboard engines, valued $800,000, and escaped.

The watchmen sustained injuries and were taken by the police for medical attention at Suddie Hospital, where they were treated and sent away.

Investigations are continuing. (Police press release)

Lifeline Counselling celebrates eighth year
Lifeline Counselling Services yesterday celebrated its eighth anniversary with the launch of the video documentary "Coping with Puberty".

The girl remembers that her boyfriend touched (hugged) her and immediately presumes that she is pregnant. She confides in her school friends, who find her concerns amusing.

The documentary uses the young girl’s plight to examine many myths surrounding puberty.

A peer educator meets with a group of young friends to clarify the myths. This encounter encourages a candid discussion that allows young people to clarify myths.

They also can develop a better understanding of the physical and emotional changes that they experience during puberty.

Lifeline Counselling Services, a registered non-profit, non-governmental organisation, was established in October 1996 to respond to the insufficient provision of HIV and AIDS counselling.

Its co-founders are Mr Dereck Springer, Mr Philip Vanderhyden and Ms Jennifier Rosenzeig.

Lifeline Counselling Services was officially launched on December 3, 1996 by the then Minister of Health, Gail Teixeira

The Mission of Lifeline Counselling Services: "To reduce the psycho-social impact of HIV/AIDS on persons living with and affected by the disease through counselling and education".

Programmes and Services include care and support for persons living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, condom distribution, counselling for persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families, Public awareness through visual flyers, pre and post-test counselling, risk assessment and reduction, sexuality, relationships, suicide, training of trainers, educators and counsellors.

Present at yesterday’s event were Patron, Mrs Kayleigh Burgess; Goodwill Ambassador, Ms Olive Gopaul; Ms Julia Ruwrinkle; Managing Director of Courts, Mr David Burgess; Co-founder, Mr Dereck Springer, and other invitees from the Ministry of Health.

Facing the rising oil prices crisis
THE government has moved to ease the impact of rising world market oil prices by cutting consumption tax on diesel from 35 per cent to 10 per cent.
The Finance Ministry yesterday said the 71 per cent decrease in the tax will bring the retail price of diesel down to about $480 a gallon.

The announcement of the measure followed meetings between President Bharrat Jagdeo and other top government officials and representatives from the rice, forestry, fishing, mining and manufacturing sectors.

The Finance Ministry said the reduced tax on diesel is expected to provide “much needed” relief to these sectors and noted that the government had earlier reduced the consumption tax on gasoline, kerosene and cooking gas.

Despite the relief measures the government is implementing to ease the pressures, there may be tough times ahead.

Crude oil prices rose for the third straight day yesterday, hovering near US$55 a barrel as heating oil futures hit another record high over supply concerns ahead of the Northern Hemisphere winter.

The rising fuel costs have prompted fears of the toll the winter cold will take on those who may not be able to pay for the vital heating supply in North America and other countries in the Northern Hemisphere.

Reports say that many in these countries face a choice of `eat or heat’ in the coming winter with the climbing crude oil prices.

Disruptions in production and turmoil in key producers Iraq, Venezuela, Nigeria and Russia continue to haunt the market, according to reports.

Oil prices have gone up more than US$10 in the past month because of production snags in the Gulf of Mexico, where more than 23 million barrels have been lost since Hurricane Ivan hit in mid-September.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard yesterday joined German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as the latest in a string of world leaders to express fears over how skyrocketing oil prices will affect economic growth.

"If it goes on indefinitely, of course it will have an effect on the economy," Mr. Howard said on Melbourne radio station 3AW. "It will mean that we have slower growth than might otherwise be the case."

Smaller and poorer countries like Guyana face even grimmer prospects because they have to buy oil and have no control over the prices.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, noted Wednesday that based on the levels of costs identified by the target groups here for their operations to be financially viable, even the “most liberal of measures” would not suffice at current fuel acquisition costs.

Prime Minister Sam Hinds, who has responsibility for the energy sector, has issued a call for a more “frugal” use of fuel in the face of the steady price increases. He earlier this month recalled that since 1999 there have been steady rises in oil prices resulting in increased marine, land and air transportation and utilities costs.

He said that even the higher price for cement was being attributed partially to the increased fuel prices.

The grim reality is that Guyanese would have to conserve on the use of fuel and electricity and be sparing in other high-energy consumption areas to be able to cope with what lies ahead.

They may not be facing the daunting `eat or heat’ choice of people in the Northern Hemisphere, but the rising oil prices are throwing up some equally grim prospects for those in struggling, developing countries.

Before 1992, the demand for housing in the towns was at an all time high due to urbanization trends. Hundreds of people were moving to urban centers only to find poor and limited housing, high rentals and a mal-functioning Government housing policy.

Squatting became a large-scale trend with over 200 squatting areas springing up across the country. Thousands of people were living without basic infrastructure such as water, electricity, roads and drainage.

Houses sprang up in a haphazard manner on private lands and Government reserves. Living conditions were poor and residents endured crowded, insecure shelter, as well as flooding and no access to potable water. They also had to cope with the spread of diseases, with little help from the Government.

A high demand for land for housing that was affordable for every Guyanese continued unabated, even as the standards for land distribution remained shrouded in ad hoc practices. This lack of transparency opened the door for subjectivity and favouritism in land allocation.

To compound matters there was no ministry of Government mandated to focus on housing. The Government of the day did not see an effective housing policy as integral to national and human resource development. There was no obvious housing policy and residential housing development came to a virtual standstill.

Squatting was out of control and nothing was being done to improve the situation. That’s the scenario that prevailed when the PPP/C took office in 1992.

The new Government immediately began to formulate a housing policy that placed public land distribution as a key factor in the social and economic development of Guyana.

A squatter regularization programme was drafted to provide basic services and improve the quality of life of people living in these areas. Land distribution and allocation remain a key part of this programme.

The new housing drive is intended to ensure that people own the land they occupy and have basic infrastructural facilities. The issuance of land titles became a huge part of Government policy. This drive has resulted in over 60,000 land titles being distributed in the last 12 years.

The Ministry of Housing, which the new Government established on assuming office, reduced the processing fee for land titles from $12,000 to $8,000 to be paid in two installments of $4000 over a three-month period.

All the land that squatters occupied was not owned by Government and efforts had to be made for land divestments from organizations such as GUYSUCO.

As part of the regularization programme, the Ministry of Housing and Water assesses the squatting communities and surveys are carried out. Through this process, house lots are allocated. This is in an effort to correct the haphazard manner in which the houses have mushroomed in these areas.

Government has also allocated land in these areas for social services such as health centers, schools and playfields.

A large part of the problem is that many people have occupied land that cannot be regularized, such as sea defence reserves, Government reserves, and cemeteries; these cannot be converted into housing areas.

In these instances, Government embarks on a re-location programme that provides residents with house lots in an alternative area. The relocation programme seeks to place people in areas that have been allocated for housing and which will benefit from infrastructural works.

An example of successful relocation occurred when the Ministry of Housing and Water completed relocation of residents of Ogle Squatting Area to the Enmore/Haslington Housing Scheme. Residents were given a $50,000 incentive to relocate and the neediest of the group were able to access housing from Food For The Poor. These individuals are now living in a housing scheme that is being equipped with basic infrastructure. Residents already have access to potable water.

The Ministry of Housing and Water has a zero tolerance policy for those who do not follow regulations in squatting settlements. Basic infrastructural works cannot be completed if these areas are not regularized.

This year, some major squatting areas, including those at Tuschen, Zeelugt, Sophia, Liliendaal, Turkeyen, Pattenson, Williamsburg and Hampshire are benefiting from the Government of Guyana/Inter-American Development Bank (GOG/IDB) infrastructural development programme.

Infrastructural works will continue in 2005, incorporating all 145 squatter settlements nationwide. Minister Baksh said, “It is the ministry’s objective to complete basic infrastructure works in (many) squatter settlements by December 2005.” Laying water mains, drainage, roads and electricity are priorities.

The Government of Guyana is working with Guyana Water Incorporated to ensure that all regularized squatter settlements receive a potable water supply at their homes. While there have been some problems, GWI has an ongoing campaign to correct leakages in the system and clamp down on the wastage of water.

A Government of Guyana/IDB’s $300M Un-served Areas Electrification Programme will be implemented next year. Under this programme, squatter settlements will be electrified in two phases: older communities will be the first to benefit from this programme. But the newer communities still have the option of forming committees and, at a higher cost, having their areas electrified.

The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Housing and Water, is continuing to work to ensure that all Guyanese have access to affordable housing with the necessary infrastructure to improve their quality of life.

At Berbice Assizes…
Judge rejects motion to quash murder indictment
THE trial of Dennis Edwards called ‘Shabba’, who is indicted for murder at the Berbice Assizes, continued yesterday after Justice James Bovell-Drakes rejected a motion to quash the indictment.

The judge overruled a submission, by Senior Counsel Marcel Crawford, that the committal procedure was bad in law and began taking evidence in the case as State Prosecutor James Bond called the first witness, Mohandir Sugrim.

Edwards is accused of unlawfully killing Khemraj Singh, who was fatally wounded with a spear on May 8, 2002.

Sugrim testified that the victim was his brother-in-law, at whose home he was on that night, before leaving to purchase cigarettes at Ivan's shop on Kildonan Public Road.

The witness said he was leaving the business place when the accused, who was with three other men, held on to the bicycle he was riding and the others lashed him with wooden pickets.

Sugrim said they were about 90 metres from Ivan's shop when Edwards pushed the blade in Singh’s stomach and the injured man fell in a trench.

The wounded man’s brother took him to Whim Police Station in a car but was referred to Port Mourant Hospital, another part of Corentyne, where the wound was dressed with the weapon still in the man’s body.

Sugrim said an ambulance transported Singh to New Amsterdam Hospital, also in Berbice, where the latter was x-rayed before being taken into the operating theatre.

The witness said at 01:45 hours (1.45 a.m.) on May 9, 2002, a doctor reported that Singh had died.

Sugrim said the death weapon, made of steel, was five feet in length, with a six-inch part of a cutlass welded on in the form of a hook.

Cross-examined by Defence Counsel Crawford, the witness said he could not read or write although he attended Kildonan Primary School up to Standard Three.

However, on seeing the signature on his deposition, he said the record was correct.

Sugrim admitted that, on May 8, 2002, he was charged with wounding Ewart Mendonza and paid a fine after pleading guilty to the offence.

The witness said that wounding took place in front of Sankar's shop, on Kildonan Public Road, as well.
The trial is continuing.

Drug defendant granted bail
TONY Sookram, 24, was granted $10,000 bail yesterday on a drug charge.

Before Magistrate Kim Kyte, at New Amsterdam Court in Berbice, the defendant was charged with being in possession of three grammes of cannabis (marijuana) at Overwinning, a village on the outskirts of New Amsterdam.

Police said the labourer, from Abary Creek, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, had the prohibited substance in a trousers pocket.

Sookram will make his next Court appearance on October 26.

Prison wounding case…
Manslaughter convict faces new charge
POLICE have substituted a charge of felonious wounding against a convicted woman prisoner who was previously charged with having unlawfully wounded another inmate.

The accused, Melissa Beveney faced the new allegation before Magistrate Kumar Doraisami at New Amsterdam Court in Berbice yesterday and the case was adjourned to Novemebr 29 for report.

Police said several wounds were inflicted on Jennifer Harris in the kitchen of the New Amsterdam Penitentiary last July 25, while the victim was serving a three-year jail sentence for a drug conviction.

Harris was transferred from New Amsterdam Hosptial to Georgeotwn Public Hospital where she remained a patient until August 10.

Beveney is currently on a 15-year sentence for manslaughter.

Remanded two granted bail in nightclub shooting, sodomy cases
THE two men who were remanded overnight on Thursday, in the nightclub shooting and sodomy cases, were granted bail yesterday when they returned before Chief Magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen.

One of the prisoners, Curtis Robertson, of Lot 59 Cross Street, Werk-en-Rust, who is charged indictably with attempting to murder Warren Forrester in David Street, Kitty, was ordered to post a $65,000 bond.

The virtual complainant suffered gunshot injuries to his back following an argument with the accused over the removal of a parked motorcycle outside Bollywood where Robertson, a Strategic Action Security (SAS) guard, was on duty Saturday, October 16.

The preliminary inquiry (PI) in that case will begin on November 18.

The other man previously denied pre-trial liberty, William Daly, of Lot 2 Hadfield Street, Lodge, in Georgetown, as well, was allowed freedom on a $45,000 recognisance.

He is charged with sodomising his wife in their matrimonial home after accusing her of infidelity last Tuesday.
Daly has to be back in Court on November 23.

Mahaica Robbery under arms accused freed on no-case submissions.
JUSTICE Winston Moore yesterday accepted defence no-case submissions in the Mahaica Robbery under Arms case and directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty in favour of the accused Richard Argyl.

The accused Richard Argyl and two other men not before the Court had allegedly committed the offence at Mahaica on December 30, 1998

State Prosecutor Mr. Audranauth Gossai had presented four counts for consideration - Break and Enter and larceny, Robbery, Rape and wounding.

But after the close of the Prosecution's case yesterday afternoon, defence counsel Mr. Michael Somersall and Mr. Lawrence Harris elected to make no-case submissions. (George Barclay)

Accused in Hague poison case freed on no-case submissions
By George Barclay
JUSTICE William Ramlal, the trial judge in the Hague Poison case yesterday accepted no-case submissions from counsel for the three accused and directed the mixed jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty.

The accused Deodat Doobay called 'Pillar' or 'Milkman', Kemchand Kissoon called Morgan and Roopchand Singh called 'Black Boy' were on trial for the murder of Chaitranjan Dass Mahase called 'Custom' who was allegedly poisoned to death for stealing $5, 000.00 from 'Pillar.

There was no eye-witness evidence and the Prosecutor Miss Faith Mc Gusty had set out to prove her case with, among other things, evidence of cause of death and an alleged 'Dying declaration' by the deceased "Custom'.

But during the hearing, defence objections were made against the cause of death and a statement, which purported to be a dying declaration.

Separate voir dires were held by the judge to determine the issue. And it was found that both the dying declaration and the cause of death as contained in the post mortem report were inadmissible.

Prosecutor Mc Gusty did concede that cause of death had not been proved.