Express thursday july 16, 2009

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Investigators shield arrested colleagues at court Page 5 Express Issue No. 2 Thursday July 16, 2009 St. Vincent and the Grenadines $0.75 Protecting freedom of expression Acting Prime Minister Mike Browne says PM Gonsalves ordered to rest Burn out? Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is suffering from fatigue and has been advised to rest, acting Prime Minister Mike Browne told reporters Tuesday, but ... Story on Page 2 DPP says Privy Council ruling has left him virtually hand-tied Page 4 SVG Ambassadors in forum to sensitize on operations Story on Page 2 Former Health Minister under the Sir James Mitchell administration, Burton Williams may be charged with criminal libel under sec- tion 74 of the Laws of St. Vincent and the Grenadines or with causing public alarm under under section 64. At a political rally in Vermont last month, Williams, made certain statements against Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves in relation to the gunning-down of three men by law enforcement officers at Vermont during operation ‘Vincy Pac’. Following the rally, Police Commissioner Keith Miller sent a transcript to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Colin Williams. “I have seen his comments and I think he has crossed the border. And, I do think it is a matter for the police,” the DPP told SVG Express on Monday. “His comments are outra- geous,” the DPP added. More on page 4 Opposition candidate may be charged

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Transcript of Express thursday july 16, 2009

Page 1: Express thursday july 16, 2009

Investigators shield arrested colleagues at court Page 5

ExpressIssue No. 2 Thursday July 16, 2009 St. Vincent and the Grenadines $0.75

Protecting freedom of expression

Acting Prime Minister Mike Browne says PM Gonsalves ordered to rest

Burn out?

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is suffering fromfatigue and has been advised to rest, acting PrimeMinister Mike Browne told reporters Tuesday, but ...

Story on Page 2

DPP says PrivyCouncil ruling hasleft him virtually

hand-tied

Page 4

SVG Ambassadors in forum to sensitize on operationsStory on Page 2

Former Health Ministerunder the Sir James Mitchelladministration, BurtonWilliams may be chargedwith criminal libel under sec-tion 74 of the Laws of St.Vincent and the Grenadinesor with causing public alarmunder under section 64.At a political rally in Vermontlast month, Williams, madecertain statements againstPrime Minister Dr. RalphGonsalves in relation to thegunning-down of three menby law enforcement officersat Vermont during operation‘Vincy Pac’. Following the rally, PoliceCommissioner Keith Millersent a transcript to theDirector of PublicProsecutions, ColinWilliams.“I have seen his commentsand I think he has crossed theborder. And, I do think it is amatter for the police,” theDPP told SVG Express onMonday.“His comments are outra-geous,” the DPP added.

More on page 4

Oppositioncandidatemay becharged

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2 SVG Express Thursday July 16, 2009

Libel or public alarm?- NDP candidate may be charged

Director of PublicProsecutions, ColinWilliams hinted Mondaythat Burton Williams, theNew Democratic Party’scandidate for the SouthWindward constituency, islikely to be charged withpublishing false statementslikely to cause public fear oralarm. The DPP said proceedingwith a criminal libel chargeunder section 74 requiredhis written authorizationwhile a charge under section64 (causing public alarm,did not require his authori-zation. Asked about rumours that

he had given instructionslast week for the arrest andcharge of the NDP candi-date, the DPP replied, “Tosay that I have given theinstruction is a bit anticipa-tory.”The DPP also hinted that itwas more than likely thepolice would proceed bysummons and not by arrestwarrant.Williams left theDemocratic Party over tenyears ago following a fall-out. He recently returnedand was elected to contestthe next general elections inhis former South Windwardconstituency.

Prime Minister Dr. RalphGonsalves is obviously notwell these days.The Prime Minister, who isalso Minister of Finance,was absent from Tuesday’sceremony at Cabinet roomwhere Taiwan’s Ambasadorto this country, Leo Lee pre-sented two cheques to thegovernment for the YouthEmpowerment Service(YES) program and com-munity development.Prime Minister Gonsalveswas due to travel to London,but acting Prime Ministerand Minister of SocialDevelopment, Mike Brownesaid he had postponed thattrip.“He should have been goingto London over the weekendbut he had to postpone itbecause, essentially -fatigue,” the acting PrimeMinister told reportersTuesday.“You know our PrimeMinister. He goes non-stop.And, we’ve been asking himto take a vacation and ... it’sat a point now where hisbody just simply needs arest. It’s nothing, as far as

we are aware, graver thanthat. And I think he will beon his feet and it’s not any-thing dramatic that weshould be overly concernedabout. And, I think thenation will be happy toknow he can get a little bitof a rest, a little bit of a timeoff,” acting Prime MinisterBrowne stated.Prime Minister Gonsalvesrecently went on a long-winded trip to various desti-nations over an almost two-weeks period, returning onJuly 5th. Dr. Gonsalves left here onTuesday June 23 for theALBA summit inVenezuela. He then traveledto Trinidad and on to NewYork to participate in theUN summit on the globaleconomic crisis and for atown hall meeting after. Hethen went down to Guyanafor the start of the CARI-COM Heads of GovernmentConference in Guyana onJune 2nd.Prior to that he had anotherlong trip visiting theVatican, Iran and othercountries.

Prime Minister told reporters lastmonth he was scheduled to visitLondon for a formal launch ofthe multi-million dollar Buccamaproject.The Prime Minister has beenlooking forward to that projectand could not hid his excitement.He told reporters once theBuccama project comes tofruition it would be the largestemplyer as far as employment inone place was concerned. He saidhe had met with investors andofficials from Oasis - the compa-ny which would be managing theproject. He said up to 1,000 per-sons are expected to be employedat the 350 room facility.Meanwhile, some persons havebeen speculating about his healthwhile others have wished himspeedy recovery.Prime Minister Gonsalves hasbeen in office since 2001. He cel-ebrated 40 years in active politicslast November.

PM missing in action

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is said to be suffering fromfatigue and has been ordered to rest,

Proceeds of Crime Act motionhearing set for todayHearing on a motion challeng-ing the constitutionality of avery important piece of legis-lation is scheduled to continuebefore the High Court today,Thursday July 16, 2009 andthe outcome has the potentialto spark off debate as far asconvictions under that legisla-tion are concerned. Trinidadian defense counsel,Theodore Guerra S.C. andlocal experienced attorneyKay Bacchus-Browne earlierthis year filed a motion chal-lenging the constitutionalityof this country’s Proceeds ofCrime and Money LaunderingAct.The motion stemmed from thebiggest money launderingcase here which began beforethe Serious Offences Courtlast year and is yet to be com-pleted.The lawyers are representingconvicted drug-runner

Winston Robinson Robinson,Trinidadian Kent Andrewsand Vincentian Antonio ‘QuePasa’ Gellizeau - a man theFinancial Intelligence Unitand external law enforcementauthorities said they had deepinterest in.Robinson and Andrews werearrested and charged jointlyfor allegedly bringing into thiscountry aboard the yacht Jo-Tobin at Calliaqua the sum ofUS$1, 733, 463.00 whichwere the criminal proceeds ofanother, and concealing on thesaid yacht Jo-Tobin US$1,733, 463.00 the criminal pro-ceeds of another on April 5th,2008, at Calliaqua. After a major regional moneylaundering investigation,Gellizeau was taken intopolice custody on Saturday20th December and Chargedunder the Proceeds of Crimeand Money Laundering Act

Gellizeau was charged withconcealing aboard the yachtJo-Tobin US$1, 733, 463.00which in whole or part direct-ly or indirectly represents hisproceeds of criminal conduct.He was also charged withtransferring or bringing intothe State US$1, 733, 463.00which in whole or part direct-ly or indirectly represents hisproceeds of criminal conduct.Their lawyers are contendingthat the the Proceeds of Crimeand Money Laundering Actwas draconian as it gave lawenforcers the right to searchpersons property and itinfringes the rights of the indi-vidual to own property.Tomorrow’s hearing isexpected to take place beforesenior Judge, Justice FredrickBruce-Lyle at the High Courtin Kingstown.The lawyers are expected topresent their arguments.

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Ambassadors sensitize public on operations

Significant decline in remittance flowto Caribbean, World Bank predictsSt. Vincent and the Grenadines isamong Caribbean countries to beaffected by a significant reduc-tion in remittance flows for thecurrent year. The World Bank releasing a newmigration and remittances briefto coincide with an InternationalDiaspora and DevelopmentConference running from July13-14, said on Monday thatremittance flows to developingcountries are estimated at $304billion in 2009, down from anestimated $328 billion in 2008.The World Bank said remittanceflows to Latin America havebeen falling in large part becauseof a slowdown in the US con-

struction sector and the new fore-casts show a minus 6.9 percentdecline in remittances for theLatin America and Caribbeanregion. "Remittances provide a lifelineto many poor countries.Although they remain resilient,even a small decline of 7 or 10percent can pose significanthardships to the people and togovernments, especially thosefacing external financing gaps.Reducing remittance fees anddeveloping innovative tools toleverage remittances for finan-cial inclusion and capital marketaccess should be a part of ourresponse to the financial crisis,"

said Dilip Ratha, LeadEconomist in the DevelopmentProspects Group of the WorldBank.According to the World Bank,remittances are relativelyresilient because, while newmigration flows have declined,the number of migrants livingoverseas has been relativelyunaffected by the crisis.However, sources of risk to theoutlook include uncertaintyabout the depth and duration ofthe current crisis, unpredictablemovements in exchange rates,and the possibility that immi-gration controls may be tight-ened further in major destina-tion countries.Director of the World Bank'sDevelopment Prospects Group,Hans Timmer stated, "There isa risk that rising unemploy-ment will trigger further immi-gration restrictions in majordestination countries. Suchrestrictions would curb remit-tances more than forecast andwould slow the global recoveryin the same way as protection-ism against trade would endan-ger a global upturn."The financial institution saidsmaller economies such asTajikistan, Moldova, Tonga,Lesotho, and Guyana are thetop recipients in terms of theshare of remittances in GDP;which exceeded a quarter oftheir GDP.

CRSC, NESDEC hold constitution consultationAs this country moves closer tothe November national referen-dum on the draft new constitu-tion, the National Economic andSocial Development Council,NESDEC, in collaboration withthe Constitutional ReviewSteering Committee (CRSC)held a public consultation at thePetit Bordel Secondary SchoolWednesday.The consultation was aimed ataddressing public concernsabout the draft constitution asthe reform process continued.The consultation was facilitatedby Barrister at Law Andrew

Commissiong QC and JoelAbraham of the CRSC.The second reading of theConstitution Bill is scheduled forSeptember 1st.The draft Constitution was pre-sented to Speaker of the House,Hendrick Alexander earlier thisyear. The constitution Bill waspresented to Parliament late Mayfor the first reading. Following the first reading, aninety-day period was set duringwhich recommendations foramendment may be made.The CRSC is chaired by legalluminary Parnel Campbell Q.C.

Three of this country’sambassadors attended aforum Tuesday at theMethodist Church Hallin Kingstown to sensitizethe public on their opera-tions overseas.The forum, attendedmostly by students, heardopening contributionfrom each ambassadorfollowing which theyfielded questions.Questions raised by stu-dents ranged from educa-tion to world politics.Among the interestsraised by were; the pro-cedure to getting an OASscholarship, why schol-arship winners had to bebonded, challenges con-fronting our ambassadorsand how do they solvethem, the advantages anddisadvantages of beingan ambassador, the quali-fications necessary for anambassador and whatwould happen if a coun-try decides to bombanother.Ambassador to Cuba,His Excellency DexterRose in his contributionsaid the Cuban peoplewere grateful for the sup-port by, and relationshipwith Caricom countries.He said Cuba had beengiving assistance in theareas of education, healthand construction of thiscountry’s biggest project,the Argyle InternationalAirport.

He noted that three per-sons who initially atud-ied in Cuba now holdimportant positions. Healso noted that the VisionNow program had assist-ed numerous Vincentians- far more than anticipat-ed by the CubanPresident, Fidel Castro.P e r m a n e n tRepresentative to theOAS, Her Excellency LaCecelia Prince raised theissue of the the Hondurascrisis where the leaderwas deposed and analternative governmentput in place. She said theOAS played an impor-tant role in Honduras asit voted to suspend itsmembership and not torecognize the alternativegovernment in light ofthe fact that the deposedleader was democratical-ly elected.Ambassador to the UN,His Excellency CamilloGonsalves said thiscountry has been gettingmore active at the UnitedNations. He said that ear-lier the world had seenthe rise of Europe and theUnited States butwhatwas very evident was therise of the rest of theworld. “Now, the rest of theworld is rising and St.Vincent and theGrenadines has to take itsplace at the table,” hestated.

Left to right - Ambassador to Cuba, Dexter Rose; Ambassador/Permanent reppresentative to the OAS, La Celia Princeand Ambassador to the UN, Camillo Gonsalves during yesterday’s forum at the Methodist Church Hall.

Students from the St. Vincent Grammar School and St. JosephConvent applauding.

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Privy council ruling leavesCaribbean Judges,Prosecutors hand-tied

Questelles man gets life forcommon law wife’s murder

A recent ruling by the London-basedPrivy Council on a death penalty appealmatter is stirring concerns in the regionand complaints are that it has tied thehands of prosecutors and judges as far asthe possibility of imposing or seeking thedeath penalty is concerned.As recent as last Friday the recent PrivyCouncil’s ruling, which upheld an appealby local lawyer on behalf of former deathrow in-mate Daniel ‘Compay’ DickTrimmingham, had its impact on the pro-cedings of a murder case before the HighCourt here.At last Friday’s sentencing of thirty yearold Rudolph Lewis for the murder of hiscommon law wife Marcia Quammie,Director of Public Prosecutions ColinWilliams told Justice Fredrick Bruce-Lylehe had served notice that he intended toseek the death penalty. He said subse-quently the Privy Council delivered a veryinteresting judgement on the ‘Compay’appeal. He said that at ‘Compay’s trialcounsel for the defense conceded that thebeheading of the accused’s uncle, Albert‘Bertie’ Browne was gruesome and so didthe Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal.He said that althogh the Privy Council

also conceded that the Bertie Brownekilling was gruesome, they concludedthat it was not the worst-of-the-worst.“In both circumstances my lord, myhands are virtually tied,” the Director ofPublic Prosecutions told the Judge.The DPP said that in a case where aman (Rudolph Lewis) lured his girl-friend into a situation and inflicted 21stabs on her, such matter deserved thedeath penalty. But, he said, it would befutile and a burden on the State and tax-payers if he was to seek the deathpenalty in that matter.“That decision (by the Privy Council)has virtually closed the door on thedeath penalty,” he stated.Justice Fredrick Bruce-Lyle in responsereferred to the case of the Cathedralmurders in St. Lucia where members ofthe clergy were hacked in an attack.That case went to the Privy Council butthe decision was not in favor of theCrown.“I think there needs to be some seriouseducation of the public. The publicseems to think that Judges can do any-thing,” Justice Bruce-Lyle stated.Justice Bruce-Lyle noted that theEastern Caribbean Court of Appeal wassitting in St. Lucia. Asked later if he thought the London-based Privy Council’s decision wouldencourage the islands in the region tobetter embrace the Caribbean Court ofJustice (CCJ), the Director of PublicProsecutions said it might cause theregion to take a closer look at control-ling its jurisprudence. He said that theCCJ must not be seen as a hangingcourt, noting that one a renownedJudge, Justice Adrian Saunders, wrotethe lead judgment in the NewtonSpence appeal matter.

DPP Colin Williams at the High Court

Thirty year old Rudolph Lewis ofQuestelles was last Friday sen-tenced to life imprisonment for themurder of his common law wife,Marcia Quammie.Quammie received twenty-onestabs to her body in March, 2008at her home in Questelles.Lewis admitted murdering her atthe stage of the preliminaryinquiries, but the process of a trialtook place and during the sitting ofthe criminal assizes in May, thisyear, a formal guilty verdict wasdelivered. The matter was thenadjourned for a psychiatric and asocial inquiry report to be done forthe sentencing.At last Friday’s sentencing, psy-chatrist/Senior Registrar stationedat the Mental Health Centre, Dr.Ann-Marie Morris-Patterson saidshe examined Lewis on two occa-sions - March 25, 2008 and May28, 2009 and prepared a report oneach occasion.She said during the first interviewshe found Lewis was an alcoholicbut he was able to beat the prob-lem, restricting himself to drinkbeers only on occasions.She saidshe also found out that he and hissiblings were abandoned by theirmother at a very young age and hisfather brought him up.According to Dr. Morris-Patterson, Lewis answered herquestions appropriately andshowed remorse.In her second report, Dr. Morris-Patterson said Lewis repeatedlyspoke about his girlfriend ceatingon him and his mother abandoninghim at an early age. She concludedthat he did not showabnormality ofthe mind.Camille Mc Intosh of the FamilyAffairs Division, in her socialinquiry report, said Lewis told herhe never meant to kill his commonlaw wife. She said he told her hiscommon law wife was soft-headedand she cheaed on him. She saidhe, however, stated that villagerstold him she was cheating but henever caught her.She said persons in the communitysaid he was quiet and they wereshocked by the incident.Mc Intosh also told the courtLewis was never admitted as a

patient to the Mental Healh Centreand, according to police, he had noprevious criminal record. Shehowever concluded that hisprospect of being rehabilitated was“remote” at present.In cross examination by defensecounsel Grant Connell, she saidshe did numerous reports for theFamily court but it was her secondfor the High Court and the first formurder.Mc Intosh said she agred thatdespite his troubled childhood hewas able to stay out of trouble. Shehowever said she would give himcredit up to the time of the inci-dent.Mc Intosh also said she agreed hewas “overwhelmingly polite” andthat from his qualities mentionedhe “wouldn’t be a disruption tosociety.”When asked the basis for her con-clusion that his prospect for reha-bilitation was remote, she replied,“That would be due to the incident- the matter before the court beingmurder.” She added that in heropinion, once somebody commitsmurder the prospect of rehabilita-tion would be remote and that shewould view any man who stabs awoman with a knife as a murderer.Defense counsel Grant Connell inoffering mitigating circumstances,said Lewis had cooperated withthe police from the beginning anddid not waste the court’s time. Hesaid the DPP had addressed theissue of the death penalty and theworst case scenario in the recentPrivy Council ruling. He contend-ed that if the beading of Albert‘Bertie’ Browne by Daniel‘Compay’ Trimmingham was not aworst-case scenario then he didnot know what was. He said theMc Intosh’s social inquiry report,in some aspects, was “fuelled byemotion.”Presiding Judge, Justice FredrickBruce-Lyle said that having notedthe comments by the PrivyCouncil in the ‘Compay’ matter,he was left to consider what appro-priate sentence to impose. He saidhe had listened to the reports and itwas clear that Lewis had a roughlife. He said what stood out wasthe fact that despite the odds he

remained a virgin to the law. He notedthat he deserved credit for pleadingguilty at th first opportunity but whatwas most aggravating was the fact that,by deception, he lured his common lawwife from Evesham where she went tospend time and he killed her in the pres-

ence of children who overheard whatwas happening in the house. Justice Bruce-Lyle said that under thecircumstances the most appropriate sen-tence he could impose was life imprison-ment because Lewis needed to feel thepenalty for the crime he committed.

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Page 5: Express thursday july 16, 2009

SVG Express Thursday July 16, 2009 5

Police officers charged in teen’s brutal attack- reports say boy’s lung collapse, almost suffered heart failure

Three detectives havebeen charged in connec-tion with the brutal beat-ing of fifteen year oldJomark Jackson.Detective corporalKosanki Quow, detectiveconstable HadleyBallantyne and detectiveconstable Osrick Jamesare accused of assaultingthe fifteen year old andcausing him actual bodilyharm on November 18,2008, at Kingstown.When the officersappeared before ChiefMagistrate Sonya Youngat the Serious OffencesCourt last Friday, theypleaded not guilty andwere each released on bailin the sum of $800.00. The matter has been trans-ferred to the KingstownMagistrate Court and theofficers are scheduled toappear there onSeptember 22, 2009. Theyare being represented byveteran lawyer, ArthurWilliams.During last Thursday’sappearance, Williamsraised question of a med-ical report, saying therewas none. When the courtwas adjourned, few detec-tives in court also ques-tioned the whereabouts ofthe medical report, alsoclaiming there was none.However, SVG Expressunderstands that there aretwo medical reports and athird is being sought.Also, police commission-er Keith Miller stated lastDecember that he hadreceived a medical reportand was awaiting anotherfrom the doctor whoexamined Jackson. Miller later said thataccording to the medicalreports, Jackson had noexternal injury.At a press conference atthe law chamber of JomoThomas last December

Jackson related a story ofan alleged brutal attack onthem by law officers.Thomas, who wasrepresentingJackson then,said he was arrestedalong with his sixteenyear old friend KemronMc Dowald outside of JPEustace Memorial Schoolin Kingstown, near theVictoria Park as law offi-cers questioned him inrelation to his testimonyin the Cell World burglarycase."They took them into cus-tody and savagely beatthem. Kemron will tellyou that at one time oneof the police officersstruck him so hard on hisright ear that it began tobleed," Thomas toldreporters."And, they were takeninto cells... Kemron stillsays he still feels pain inhis neck from the chokingthat the police officersadministered on them. Ifthat is not serious enough,this young man JomarkJackson, not only was hekicked and beaten, but thebeating was so savage thatthe police had no alterna-tive but to take him to thehospital. And, as Jomarkwill explain, "even whenthe beating was going onand he started throwingup and said that he wantedto go to the hospital - inhis wisdom he thought heshould go to the hospital

Police officers, uniformed and in plain clothes, shielded their colleagues outside the SeriousOffences Court last Thursday to ensure newspaper photographers and a television cameramandid not get pictures of the accused officersbecause of the way he was feel-ing - one officer said there is noneed for him to go to the hospi-tal and he got some water onhim," he said.Thomas said after Jomark wastaken to hospital, "the next dayhe collapsed into unconscious-ness and as the advisory said hewas in a state of unconscious-ness for seven days. He couldn'tmove, he wasn't responding totouch, his eyes were shuttered;clearly, he had no control overhis faculties."When I did coming downEmmanuel (formerlyEmmanuel High School now JPEustace Memorial School) dey,they come and they scuffle meup by me shirt and then theycarry me by a red Suzuki jeepand they pushed me in on it,"Jomark stated. He said a policeofficer (Ballantyne) slappedKemron and pushed him in thejeep."He was crying on the waydriving and then they hunchedhim in he belly and tell him shutup in he ears. And then tey tookwe to CID ... a next officer tellthem there is too much peoplethere, 'squeeze they neck and

carry them down the corridor'.And then they squeeze we neckthey carry we down and throwein de cell."Jomark said while they were inthe cell, an officer (Quow)came, "pull a gun off he waistand tell we he feel like fuhshoot we." He said a Trinidadian in policecustody gave them a hundreddollars to help with retaining alawyer but later that day theywere removed from the cell andput to sit on a chair where theywere interrogated about a CellWorld burglary case. e said anofficer (Quow) struck him witha hose, causing a lacaeration toa finger."They put me pon a table andhold down me hand and me footand they start to beat me withthe hose all in me head, allover," he stated.Jomark said two officers thenheld him by his hands and feetand slammed him on theground."They lift me up and do it twomore times, three times. Theystart to kick me up all in mebelly and me chest and thing.When he (Kemron) say why

they doing me so they tek thegun off the table and geh himone shot (blow) in he neck andlick him out pon de grond.Hebin kicking up pon de groundand then they run and lift himup and carry him bathroom,"Jomark stated, tears streamingdown his face.Jomark said they were beatenrelentlessly by police officersand then taken back to the cellwhere they eventually fellasleep. He said when he awokehe was in pain and he requestedthat he be taken to the hospitaland a lady called the officerstelling them of his request butinstead he got more beating."Three ah dem come and startto kick me up and ah start tovomit. And one come and carryme hospital," Jomark stated.The fifteen year old said, how-ever, before he left for the hos-pital two officers held his handsout wide ahile another kickedhim in the chest.Meanwhile, a fourt police offi-cer, detective corporal ElmoreAlexander had his charge ofassault dropped after heappeared before the Court withhis colleagues last Friday.

File photo of JomarkJackson as he appearedat at the press confer-ence last December

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6 SVG Express Thursday July 16, 2009

SVG Express

Managing Editor (Ag): Ashford Peters

Publisher: Ashford Peters

Address: Sion Hill, Kingstown, St. Vincent.

Phone: (784) 546-2488

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.vincylive.com

Our opinion

The press from early beginnings has been recognizedas the fourt estate of the realm in some societies. In democratic societies the press or media have beenplaying a pivotal role in preserving democracy overthe years and as such media entity owners, publishers,editors and journalists have been respected and treatedas special. But, times are changing as situations, eco-nomic and political, become more and more challeng-ing.What we are seeing today in some so-called democra-cies is evidence of a covert move by some wealthypersons and politicians to control or influencethe pressor media. That move did not begin overnight and itwill certainly not end overnight. In fact, it is a moveinfluenced or orchestrated by those who so boldly pre-tend to be proponents or advocates of press freedomand freedom of expression or freedom of speech, thosewho espouse the importance of freedom of informa-tion but who withold or bar access to information thatis timely, relevant and important. Their drunken ideaof free access to information is limited to only the typeof information that assist their public relations.When their biddings are not met, media owners, pub-lishers, editors and journalists come under fireandadvertising and other sources of revenue are either cutoff or threatened with termination.As such, media owners/operators are challenged tobecome accountants while editors and journalists areforced to practise self-censorship. But now is no time for self-censorship. Now is thetime for self-examination!Now is the time to ask ourselves seriously whether weare playing our roles, whether our function is conformto the principles, ethics and required standards of theprofession. True, the media perform a quasi functionbut we owe it to those trailblazers who fought, died orwere imprisoned for what they believed in and thatwhich have made us beneficiaries. We owe it to ourconscience, not to the powerful or power-hungry.They will flit across the stages of life but the truthstays with us. We must ask ourselves who are the worst threat or bar-riers to press freedom - the powerful or power-hungry,or, those amongst us in the media?

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Page 7: Express thursday july 16, 2009

SVG Express Thursday July 16, 2009 7

RegionalSt Kitts GG could be imprisoned overOpposition injunctions, says PM

The Executive Board of the InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF) on Friday July 10,2009 approved a disbursement in an amountequivalent to SDR 3.28 million (aboutUS$5.1 million) to Dominica under the rapid-access component of the Exogenous ShocksFacility (ESF)."Following the damage to crops and infra-structure from two hurricanes in 2007-08, theDominican economy has been further affect-ed by the global downturn. Tourism earnings,FDI inflows, and remittances have beenreduced significantly, leading to slowergrowth and a weaker external currentaccount."The authorities are dealing with the effectsof the exogenous shocks on several fronts.These include post-hurricane rehabilitation,accelerated implementation of capital proj-ects to contain unemployment, and increasedsocial spending to protect the most vulnerablegroups. A temporary increase in publicexpenditure was needed to ease the economiceffects of natural disasters and, more recently,of the global slowdown," Mr. MuriloPortugal, Deputy Managing Director andActing Chairman of the Board, said in state-ment.Mr. Portugal said the authorities wereresponding appropriately to the deteriorationin the fiscal position. He said they planned "amodest recovery in FY 2009/10, and havereiterated their commitment to target, in sub-sequent years, annual primary surpluses of atleast 3 percent of GDP so as to place the still-high public debt on a robustly downward tra-jectory." This he said can be achieved by fur-ther prioritizing capital projects and financingthese projects largely with external conces-sional resources. He said the governmentintends to continue to move towards adoptinga medium term expenditure framework toimprove the predictability of capital expendi-ture and its consistency with the medium-term fiscal objectives. He also said efforts toreduce debt-related vulnerabilities and weak-nesses in the nonbank financial sector are alsoplanned to continue."In the near term, Fund financing will helpreduce the decline in external reserves andcatalyze support from the international donorcommunity to help mitigate the exogenousshocks. Over the medium term, the govern-ment's economic recovery strategy willimprove the business climate and criticalinfrastructure, so as to place the economy ona path of higher growth and poverty reduc-tion," Mr. Portugal said.

IMF approves US$5.1million loan forDominica St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister

Dr. Denzil Douglas has accusedthe opposition People's ActionMovement (PAM) of trying to pre-vent general elections in the twin-island federation and warned of thepossibility that the country'sGovernor General could be impris-oned as a result of their manoeu-vres, a story on caribbean360.comsaid on Monday.According to the story publishedon the website, the latest accusa-tions came as the war of wordscontinued between Douglas andPAM over two injunctions filed forand granted to the Opposition, pre-venting government from makingchanges to the electoral bound-aries, as recommended in theBoundaries Commission Report,ahead of upcoming elections.The article said the most recentinjunction named Governor

General Sir Cuthbert Sebastian,Attorney General and Minister ofJustice and Legal Affairs DennisMerchant and other key officials."There is a serious attempt bysome persons to prevent thesmooth process of general elec-tions," Douglas was quoted as say-ing, making reference to theattempts to stop the Commissionreport on changes to the con-stituency boundaries being laid inParliament and also to prevent theGovernor General from acting onthe recommendations fromParliament arising from the report. The report was presented to thePrime Minister and the GovernorGeneral hours before the injunc-tion. The Proclamation passed bythe National Assembly on Fridaywas also assented to by theGovernor General and Gazettedbefore the latest injunction was

filed in the Court.Douglas said Sir Cuthbert is nowsubjected to the terms of theinjunction and he could thereforebe found to be in contempt ofcourt."This is a very grave develop-ment," he said. "Someone is seek-ing to stop these elections frombeing called. It is a 'pappy show'business," Douglas continued,adding that the "business of thepeople that must not be frustratedin this way".The Prime Minister reiterated anearlier position outlined in theParliament that he has beenadvised that a High Court injunc-tion does not prevent him fromcomplying with his obligationsunder the St Kitts and NevisConstitution.

Venezuela imposes new media curbs New regulations in Venezuela willrequire cable and satellite TV chan-nels to carry speeches by PresidentHugo Chavez on a regular basis. The measures will apply to thosestations that produce more than70% of their content withinVenezuela. The BBC correspondent in Caracassays this will apply to dozens ofinternational broadcasters, whichwill be considered national sta-tions. Government opponents said it wasan attack on freedom of speech.

The BBC's Will Grant in Caracassays when Mr Chavez deems itnecessary, all national broadcastersin Venezuela must carry the presi-dent's speeches. 'Democratising' the airwavesThe broadcasts, known as "cade-nas", are part of Venezuelan lifeunder Mr Chavez and can last up tofive hours. For those who do not want to watchthe socialist leader, cable televisionhas been a refuge whenever a cade-na interrupts their favourite soapopera or a baseball match, our cor-

respondent says. But not any more, he adds. The Venezuelan governmentdefended the new regulations. The minister overseeing broadcastlicensing, Diosdado Cabello, saidit was all part of bringing greaterdemocracy to Venezuela's medialandscape. He told the National Assembly thatthe new rules affecting cable TVwould take effect on Friday. But opposition MP Ismael Garciasaid: "This law seeks to persecute,increase control and intimidate. "Those radio stations that have sofar not come under state controlwill now have to cease operationsor practise self-censorship, likesome have already done." Some analysts believe the meas-ures are aimed at a private broad-caster, RCTV. It re-launched content on subscrip-tion television after being denied alicence to broadcast on a publicchannel in 2007. The government refused to renewRCTV's licence as it accused thechannel of having supported afailed coup against Mr Chavez fiveyears earlier.

St Kitts and Nevis PM hints at election callPrime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglashas given his strongest hint that hewill this week announce the datefor the general election in St. Kittsand Nevis."The date is very very soon despitethe frustrations by the opposition, Ishall advance to that date and it isvery soon,' Prime MinisterDouglas told the Caribbean MediaCorporation (CMC) in an exclu-sive interview on the weekend."You may have to return in lessthan a week," he added.Douglas acknowledged that there

were still some electoral chal-lenges pending before the courts, areference to the move by the mainopposition people's ActionMovement (PAM) to file twoinjunctions to prevent the govern-ment from making last minutechanges to the constituencyboundaries in the twin-islandFederation.He said he had been advised thatthe High Court injunction does notprevent him from complying withhis obligations under the St. Kittsand Nevis Constitution.

Page 8: Express thursday july 16, 2009

8 SVG Express Thursday July 16, 2009

International

UK cuts Israel weapons contracts The UK has revoked five exportlicences for equipment to the Israelinavy because of actions during Israel'sOperation Cast Lead in Gaza this year. The British Foreign office said theexports would now contravene its cri-

teria for arms sales, but denied that ithad imposed a partial embargo, theBBC has reported. The UK says it does not sell weaponswhich might be used for internalrepression or external aggression.

Israel says its troops complied fullywith international law during missions. The 22-day operation which ended on18 January has been widely con-demned as disproportionate by critics. The British government has been chal-

lenged by human rights groupsand members of the UK parlia-ment over concerns raised byAmnesty International thatBritish-made equipment wasused illegally in Gaza. Amnesty says both Israel andHamas committed war crimesduring the conflict. In April, the British governmentissued a statement saying it hadnot contravened its own guide-lines, which it described as"stringent", but said it was wasreviewing existing licences. On Monday, the Foreign Officesaid in a statement that it hadconducted the review, and found"in a small number of casesIsraeli action in Cast Lead wouldresult in the export of thosegoods now contravening the…criteria". An unnamed Israeli official saidfive of 35 contracts for navalequipment had been cancelled. Media reports quoted Israeli offi-cials as saying these all related tothe Saar 4.5 gunboat. 'Not bothered'In April, the British ForeignOffice said there were "crediblereports" that the vessels had beenused in a "naval fire supportrole" during Operation CastLead.The British Foreign Office saidfuture decisions would "take intoaccount what has happened inthe recent conflict". "We do not grant export licenceswhere there is a clear risk thatarms will be used for externalaggression or internal repres-sion," it said. Israeli Foreign Minister AvigdorLieberman told Israeli publicradio: "We've had many embar-goes in the past... We can man-age. This shouldn't bother us." Palestinian rights groups sayabout 1,400 Palestinians diedduring the operation. Thirteen Israelis died during theconflict, nine of them were sol-diers serving in Gaza. Israel said its operation aimed toreduce rocket fire from Gazaaimed at its southern towns.

Obama 'examining Afghan killings' The US president says he is examiningan alleged massacre in Afghanistanamid allegations the Bush administra-tion resisted efforts to investigate it. Barack Obama told CNN he had toldofficials to "collect the facts for me"and could order a full inquiry. The allegations concern the deaths ofhundreds or even thousands of Talibanfighters who had surrendered to theUS-backed Northern Alliance in late2001. They were in the custody of a US-backed warlord, Gen Abdul RashidDostum. The allegations that the prisoners weredeliberately left to suffocate in ship-ping containers, or were shot deadthrough the container walls, first sur-faced in 2002 but there has been noformal investigation. On Friday the New York Times quotedgovernment officials and human rightsorganisations as saying that "Bushadministration officials had repeatedlydiscouraged efforts to investigate theepisode". The issue has gained fresh urgencysince Gen Dostum was reinstated asmilitary chief of staff to the Afghanpresident last month.

At present he remains in exile inTurkey after being suspended last yearover allegations he threatened a politi-cal rival at gunpoint. 'We have to know'Now Mr Obama says he is looking intothe affair. "The indications that this had not beenproperly investigated just recently wasbrought to my attention," Mr Obamatold CNN in an interview. "So what I've asked my national secu-rity team to do is to collect the facts forme that are known, and we'll probablymake a decision in terms of how toapproach it once we have all of thefacts gathered up," he said, accordingto excerpts released in advance. On the question of whether he couldorder a full investigation, he replied: "Ithink that there are responsibilities thatall nations have, even in war. "And if it appears that our conduct insome way supported violations of lawsof war, then I think that we have toknow about that." According to Newsweek and NewYork Times reports published in 2002,the prisoners died in crowded contain-er trucks while being transported fromKunduz in northern Afghanistan to

Sheberghan prison, west of Mazar-e-Sharif. The prisoners were allegedly left tosuffocate to death, or were shot insidethe containers, before being buried inmass graves. The estimates of the number who diedrange from several hundred to 2,000. At the time Gen Dostum was on theCIA payroll and his militia was work-ing closely with US forces, the NewYork Times said. It said the US government was alsoworried about destabilising the govern-ment of Hamid Karzai, in which GenDostum was serving as a defence offi-cial. The newspaper quoted Pierre Prosper -who served as the envoy for warcrimes under President George WBush - as saying that, at the WhiteHouse, "Nobody said no to an investi-gation, but nobody ever said yes,either. "The first reaction of everybody therewas, 'Oh, this is a sensitive issue; thisis a touchy issue politically.'" Gen Dostum has admitted that up to200 prisoners died in containers whilebeing transported to prison, but insiststheir deaths were unintentional.

North Korea leader Kim has pancreatic cancer: reportSEOUL (Reuters) - North Koreanleader Kim Jong-il has life-threateningpancreatic cancer, South Koreanbroadcaster YTN said on Monday, cit-ing information gathered from Chineseand South Korean intelligence sources.The report fueled speculation aboutKim's health while raising questionsabout the future of Asia's only commu-nist dynasty and who will make deci-sions about its nuclear programs.It also comes after a gaunt Kim, whowas suspected of suffering a stroke ayear ago, made a rare public appear-ance last Wednesday at a memorial forhis father and state founder Kim Il-

sung. The stark figure he cast height-ened speculation the 67-year-old leaderwas still ill.Kim's health is one of the most closelyguarded secrets in the reclusive state.There has never been official confir-mation of him falling ill.YTN said the diagnoses of the cancercame around the same time as thestroke.South Korea's National IntelligenceService declined to confirm the reportsand the Unification Ministry said it hadno information to back up the report. The news hurt sentiment on Seoul'smain stock index, which posted its

biggest loss in more than four monthsamid renewed U.S. financial and earn-ings worries."Such news highlights South Korea'sgeopolitical uncertainty and risks andone thing that investors hate is anyuncertainty," said Lee Kyoung-su, amarket analyst at Taurus Investment &Securities.North Korea has been raising tensionin Asia through missile launches and anuclear test on May 25 which was metby U.N. sanctions aimed at cutting offit arms trade, one of its few sources ofhard cash.

Page 9: Express thursday july 16, 2009

SVG Express Thursday July 16, 2009 9

Vincy Mas ends with display of costumesCulture

SVG Players International,scoring 563 points with itsp r e s e n t a t i o n " E x p oZargoza", did the Beavertrick as captured the Band ofthe Year here for the fourthconsecutive year in its ninthcompetition.Blondie Bird and Friendsplaced second (547 points)with "Cuisine" and DragonsCultural Organization camethird (532 points) with"Razzle Dazzle: Throughthe eyes of a Dragon"Nelson Bloc - "FutureShock" (530 points). MirageProduction placed fourth(514) with "Show Time".Twelve bands participated inVincy Mas 2009.Shertz 'Problem Child'James won the 2009RoadRoad March title with

"Mad House". 2009 SocaMonarch, Gamal "SkinnyFabulous" Doyle placed sec-ond with "Beast Let Go" andRamon 'Friktion' McDowald came in third with"Yo Woman Butting Me".In the King of the Bandscompetition, Atiba Lockhartportraying "Wild MeatCook-up" (Blondie Bird andFriends) placed first, KevinDickson with his portrayalof "Blood Diamond" (SVGPlayers International),placed second and Gordon"Taya" Boucher with "LastEmperor of the AztecEmpire" (Blondie Bird andFriends) came third.In the Queen of the Bandscompetition, JenileeGlasgow with her portrayalof "St. Vincent My

Homeland" (SVG PlayersInternational), placed firstfollowed by SimoneRichardson with "Sorrel"(Blondie Bird and friends)and Paulette Culzac portray-ing "Beautiful Butterfly"(Dragons).In the Section of the Bandscompetition, SVG PlayersInternational placed first fol-lowed by Blondie Bird andFriends, Nelson Bloc andDragons placing second,third and fourth respectively.Calypso Monarch was cap-tured by Bridgette "Joy C"Creese. In 2nd place was Alvin 'Zion I'Dennie followed by Carlos'Rejector' ProvidenceSoca Monarch 1st Gamal "SkinnyFabulous" Doyle with "The

Beast Let Go", 2nd Delroy'Fireman' Hooper with"Rags Invasion", 3rd Shertz'Problem Child' James with"Mad House" and 4thMontgomery 'Demus'Laborde with "Rum Junkie"In the Miss Carival 2009pageant, Miss Grenada -Asheida Charles won. 1stRunner-up went to MissAntigua and Barbuda -Derri-Ann Browne, 2ndRunner-up was Miss St.Kitts and Nevis - SamanthaBoone.Best Swimwear went toMiss St. Lucia - CathyDaniel, Best Talent MissGrenada - Asheida Charles,Best Evening Wear MissAntigua and Barbuda -Derri-Ann Browne, BestInterview Miss Grenada -

Asheida Charles, MissPhotogenic Miss St. Lucia -Cathy Daniel, Miss CongenialityMiss St. Lucia - Cathy Daniel,Most Community-Spirited MissAntigua and Barbuda - Derri-AnnBrowne.J'Ouvert Fanatics took the toppositions in the J'ouvert competi-tion.The group took the top three posi-tions in the J'ouvert King catego-ry and the Queen of J'ouvertCompetitions. In the King com-petition, J'ouvert Fanatics wonwith their portrayals of 'PotHole', 'Financial Bail-Out' and'Ruler in I-Ran', respectively. Inthe Queen of J'ouvertCompetition, they won with theirportrayals of 'Dem ah cock up','Human Trafficking' and 'SwineFlew in Tongs.In the Individuals category,Beach Front was first with SwineFlu and J'ouvert Fanatics placedsecond and third with 'Ken'sProgression' and 'No Chance',respectively.In the couple's category, LedsonSeaton and Company was award-ed first position, while J'ouvertFanatics again took the secondand third positions with 'DBarbados Arm-Nasty' and 'Futureof Kaiso'.In the couples category, J'ouvertFanatics took the first positionwith 'We Liming', Verna Arthurand Company was second with'Rain-O-Rama' and the PoliceForce was third with 'CrimeBusters'.And, in the traditional category,J'ouvert Fanatics placed first with'Under D Microscope', Green Hillwas second with 'Wen D daycome' and Sharpes Massive wasthird with 'Games for J'ouvert'. In the paint bands category, Outah Trouble’ won with their pres-entation 'Country Meets Town'.

Attorney Ronald Marks (center) and wife Tamara (front) Caramel Delight section from the mas band Adrelin

Section from the mas band Singer lynx

Fiery Peppermint from the mas band AdrenalinSection from the band Mirage Productions

Moulin Roiuge from the band Mirage Productions

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10 SVG Express Thursday July 16, 2009

Entertainment

Fans pay tribute toMichael Jacksonat O2 arenaMichael Jackson fans fromall over the world congregat-ed at London's O2 arena,where the star had been dueto begin his run of 50 con-certs on Monday, the BBCreported.Fan sites and Facebookgroups had been encourag-ing fans to bring candles andflowers for the vigil. According to the BBC,about 600 people are at thevenue, adding messages to awall of tributes and conduct-ing Jackson sing-a-longs.Others are sitting in contem-plation. There is a "light-hearted,celebratory" mood, saysBBC reporter MichaelOsborn. Fans held a minute's silenceat 1830 BST to mark thetime when the doors to theconcert would have opened. "I've come here to celebratehis life and I want to feel abit closer," Alison Pyman,27, from Cleethorpes toldthe BBC. "We've been reminiscing

and sharing memories witheveryone. When more peo-ple arrive there will quite aparty atmosphere." Thirty-one-year-old JasperHaughton is one of the fanswho had been expecting tosee his hero on stage tonight. "We should have been goingto the concert but we'restanding here instead," hesaid. "It doesn't make anysense." Haughton, who lives inCopenhagen, Denmark, willbe in London for a week,having bought tickets for thefirst five of Jackson's 50comeback shows. "We're here for grieving, butthe main thing is a celebra-tion of Michael," he added. 'Last masterpiece'Following Jackson's deathon 25 June, floral tributes,cards and messages havebeen left outside the O2. Another London locationwhere a shrine to the singerhas built up is the LyricTheatre in the West End,home of Jackson tribute

show Thriller Live. Jackson's string of This Is Itshows completely sold outshortly after going on sale inMarch.The singer told fans that theconcerts would be his finalperformances in London. Following his death, footageof his rehearsals in LosAngeles just days before hedied was released. While no concerts are cur-rently scheduled to replaceJackson's performances,organisers are discussing thepossibility of staging a showusing the production for theThis Is It concerts. "I think at some point we'llshow Michael's last master-piece, This Is It, to theworld," AEG presidentRandy Phillips toldBillboard. Phillips added that 29August - which would havebeen Jackson's 51st birthday- would be an ideal time forthe event, but he was unsureif it would be ready in time.

The Dallas Cowboys quar-terback sparked fresh break-up rumours when the singerwas noticeably absent froman entourage of pals whojoined him on a night out inHollywood on Friday, July10, Simpson's 29th birthday. According to People.com,Romo ended the pair's rela-tionship the day before, justfour months after the pairfought off rumors of a splitamid reports Simpson'sfather disapproved of theirrelationship. A source says, "He had quite

a few girls stop by his dancefloor table. Romo was sip-ping Grey Goose and havinga fun time with the boys. "She is heartbroken. Sheloves Tony. But it's been dif-ficult lately. He's busy withhis career and she's gettingready to shoot her show ThePrice of Beauty. They decid-ed to part ways." Simpson, who was previ-ously married to singer NickLachey, has been datingRomo since November2007.

Simpson and Romo Split?

Bruno - a $30million busterA phenomenal marketing campaign that had the Bruno nameand likeness virtually everywhere paid off huge as the filmearned an expectation busting $30,426,240 in 2,756 theaters,the hollywood.com website reported Monday.According to the website, it eclipsed the $26.5 million debutof Borat, which opened in just 837 theaters in November of2006. Star Sacha Baron Cohen was a one-man marketingmachine who stayed in character and traveled the world as the"Austrian gay fashionista," thus engendering a massivecuriosity on the part of the audience. Not to mention a hilari-ously effective trailer that had people buzzing both on and offthe internet. A multi-tiered marketing blitz, coupled with agreat release date made Bruno a hit with audiences, giving ittwo enthusiastic "Vassups!" In second place with $28.5 million is Fox's Ice Age: Dawn ofthe Dinosaurs, which dropped a nominal 32 percent in its sec-ond weekend, crossing the $120 million mark. The PG-ratedanimated film is a favorite for families looking for a nice dayat the theater. In third is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which hasnow become the highest-grossing film released this year andthe first to cross the $300 million mark. With its sights setfirmly on the $350 million mark, the film earned $24 millionthis weekend and its cumulative domestic total is nearing the$340 million mark. This is yet another amazing weekend per-formance from this summer juggernaut. Fourth place belongs to Johnny Depp in Public Enemies asthe Michael Mann-directed period crime drama earns $14.1million against a 44 percent second weekend drop. Look forthe next milestone at the $75 million mark as its current totalafter two weekends in release is over $66 million. Rounding out the top five is Disney's perennial comedy TheProposal with $10.5 million in its fourth strong weekend ofrelease as this date-crowd favorite that now stands at $113.8million and counting with a micro-drop of just 18 percent. The sixth place film, Warner Bros.' The Hangover had thesmallest drop of any film on the top 12 chart with a weekendgross of $9.93 million and, wait for it ... a 12 percent drop inits sixth weekend! This R-rated comedy lives in a perpetualbox-office Happy Hour and has $222.4 million in the tip jarto prove it. Amazing! A "down" weekend at the nation's theaters, but not enough toput a dent in our year-to-date and summer-to-date advantagesas we look toward the onslaught that is Potter-mania nextweek.

THREE-DAY ESTIMATES:1. NEW! Bruno (Universal) - $30.4M; 2756 theaters; $11,040 PTA 2. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Fox) - $28.5M; 4102 theaters;$6,948 PTA; -32%; $120.5M cume 3. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Paramount/Dreamworks) -$24.2M; 4293 theaters; $5,590 PTA; -43%; $339.2M cume 4. Public Enemies (Universal) - $14.1M; 3336 theaters; $4,230 PTA;-44%; $66.5M cume 5. The Proposal (Disney) - $10.5M; 3158 theaters; $3,327 PTA; -18%; $113.7M cume

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SVG Express Thursday July 16, 2009 11

Sports

WICB ready to proceedwithout stars for 2nd TestCMC - The West IndiesCricket Board (WICB) hasdeclared its commitment tothe current makeshift teamcontesting the first Testagainst Bangladesh at ArnosVale.With the regular team-mem-bers staying on the sidelinesover a contractual dispute,board members decided at aspecially convened meetingin St Vincent Saturday togive "unswerving commit-

ment and support" to the cur-rent team while sending avery stern message to thefirst-choice players they areprepared to proceed withoutthem.The WICB said in a pressrelease that the West Indiesteam for the ChampionsTrophy in South Africa start-ing in September, will beselected from the currentsquad participating in theseries against Bangladesh

and other players who werealso available for this series.The release added that "allthose players who indicatedthat they were available forthe match, have also beenassured of the board'sunswerving commitmentand support"."The Board said their contin-ued commitment to thisgroup of players, ensuresthat there will always be asolid pool of approximately

29 contracted players fromwhich to draw for theBoard's future tour commit-ments," the release added.The perennial squabblebetween the WICB and theWest Indies PlayersAssociation (WIPA) escalat-ed last week, resulting inindustrial action by the WestIndies first choice playersand the selection of a secondstring side for the openingTest against Bangladesh.

WICB president Julian Hunteinsists that his board has been"trying to negotiate with WIPA"without success.WIPA says one of the issuestriggering the industrial actionwas the fact West Indies playershad played four tours withoutany contracts and they hadreached breaking point. Hunte contends the WICB waswilling to offer the players con-tracts but they had refusedthem. A meeting between the two par-ties late last week failed to findany solutions as talks collapsedafter just 23 minutes.Following WIPA's "strike"action, the WICB had taken thedecision to refer the matter tothe WICB's negotiating teamfor their consideration and rec-ommendations, which will sub-sequently be further reviewedby the WICB's ExecutiveCommittee.Another decision taken by theboard was that prospective cap-tains of the West Indies cricketteam will be interviewed by acommittee of the Board as partof the appointment process.The WICB also agreed to insti-tute a policy of regular meetingswith the West Indies team toensure better rapport betweenboth parties and to establish asupport team for the benefit ofthe personal development ofplayers and their welfare.The WICB stressed in itsSaturday night press release thatall players must participate inregional tournaments in order tobe eligible for selection, whichwill be done without prejudice. "Each case will be determinedon an individual basis and fac-tors to be taken into considera-tion by the selectors, stated theWICB release, will be conduct,attitude, performance and over-all value."

Five formerchamps in fieldTORONTO -- Wimbledonchampion Serena Williamswill headline the women'sfield for the Rogers Cuptournament next month,along with top-ranked DinaraSafina.The Aug. 15-23 tournamentat the Rexall Centre will alsoinclude Venus Williams, wholost to her younger sister inthe final at the All EnglandClub recently..All of the top 25 players onthe WTA Tour and 33 of thetop 35 will play in the $2million tournament, includ-ing Canada's AleksandraWozniak, ranked 22nd.She's the first Canadian toget a direct entry into themain draw since 1996.Five former champions willbe in the field: Safina (2008),Ana Ivanovic (2006), KimClijsters (2005), AmelieMauresmo (2004, '02) andSerena Williams (2001).

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ExpressIssue No. 2 Thursday July 16, 2009 $0.75

Windies yet to win test atArnos Vale Playing Field

The West Indies cricketteam lost the first of a two-Test series against the tour-ing Bangladesh team onMonday afternoon. It was only the second TestMatch to be played at theArnos Vale Playing Fieldwhere millions were spentfor its upgrade to hostwarm-up games for therecent World Cup. WestIndies drew the first everTest to be played there in1997 in a match against SriLanka. In a rain-delayed matchwhich began last Thursday,Bangladesh with scores of238 & 345 beat West Indies

by 95 runs on Mondayafternoon. West Indiesscored 307 and 181.Debutant off-spinnerMohammed Mahmudullah,with a superb bowlingspell, clinched victory forBangladesh as they wonwith a 95-run win against ahastily put together WestIndies team following apayment row between themore seasoned originalteam and the West IndiesCricket Board (WICB)which led to a boycott. Set 277 to win, the WestIndies fell for 181 all out asMahmudullah rippedthrough the batting order

with 5-51. David Bernard scored witha score of 52 - not out wasthe only batsman to getamong the runs.. Earlier, Darren Sammymade a haul of 5-70 asBangladesh lost their lastfive wickets for 23 runs tofinish on 345.Tamim Iqbal scored hismaiden Test century to helpBangladesh build a 252-runlead over West Indies. Thetouring team reached 5 for321 at the close of thefourth day with JunaidSiddique making a smart78.Siddique joined Iqbal and

the pair put on a 146-runpartnership.The 20-year-old Iqbal,reached his first century inhis 11th Test match. The left-hander wasdropped twice and hisinnings was characterizedby some ambitious strokesas he looked to hit over thetop.It was only Bangladesh’ssecond victory in their 60thTest since becoming a fullTest-playing nation nineyears ago. They won theirfirst Test in 59 attempts athome to Zimbabwe fouryears ago.

The West Indies lost the second Test match to be played at the Arnos Vale Playing Field twelve years after the first ever Testto be played on that ground ended in a draw. The first Test began there on June 20, 1997. Photo Saturday July 11, 2009.

Tevez moves toManchester City

Manchester City have agreed a dealto sign former West Ham andManchester United striker CarlosTevez, the BBC has reported.The 25-year-old Argentine forward,who left Old Trafford last month, willsign a five-year deal subject to amedical. "It's terrific news...."He is an interna-tional of the highest class who pos-sesses all the attributes to help driveus forward. "This is yet another deal that showsthe commitment of the owner tomake this club the very best it canbe,” the BBC quoted City boss MarkHughes as saying. The Premier League has ratified allthe paperwork regarding his move toEastlands having been assured Cityhave sole registration of the striker.Tevez, the only player to win theSouth American player of the yearaward three seasons running, won theOlympic gold medal with Argentinain Athens in 2004. He was at Old Trafford as Sir AlexFerguson's side lifted successivePremier League titles, becoming acrowd favourite as he scored 34 goalsin 99 league and cup starts. United said in June that they werewilling to pay the £25.5m to turn thestriker's two-year loan move into apermanent five-year deal but Tevezdecided to move on. Argentine international Tevez scored15 goals last season but was often onthe bench for key games and waswary of not getting enough first-teamfootball ahead of the 2010 World Cupin South Africa.