Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 10-06-2022

FRIDAY 10th JUNE, 2022

No. 106749

Caribbean nations can access funds

SEE PAGE

3

US Vice-President, Kamala Harris

- for infrastructural projects to address energy security, climate crisis through PACC 2030

US Vice-President, Kamala Harris (ninth left); President, Dr Irfaan Ali (right of Vice-President Harris) and Caribbean leaders at the Los Angeles Convention Centre. The leaders are attending the Ninth Summit of the Americas being held under the theme, “Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future” (Office of the President photo)

Scotia terminates sale to First National Bank SEE PAGE

10

Pomeroon to benefit Musicians: from improved drainage Gov’t-sponsored studio time 17 ‘opens doors,’ promotes local talent 18 SEE PAGE

SEE PAGE

2

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Caribbean nations can access funds

- for infrastructural projects to address energy security, climate crisis through PACC 2030 CARIBBEAN nations have been offered the scope to access funding for their energy infrastructural projects through the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) 2030, a mechanism initiated by the US to address energy security and climate crisis within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

The first major climate change adaptation initiative in the pacific region, the initiative will see the US supporting Caribbean countries’ energy infrastructure and climate resilient projects from beginning to end.

US Vice-President, Kamala Harris made the announcement on Thursday, when she met with regional leaders on the sidelines of the Ninth Summit of the Americas underway in Los Angeles, California.

Guyana’s President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali is leading a delegation, which includes Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Hugh Todd; Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud and Ambassador, George Talbot, to the five-day international meet.

The US Vice-President said the climate issue remains an existential crisis for the entire planet, stressing that “the Caribbean is on the frontline of the crisis.”

She said the US will work with Caribbean countries to identify new clean energy projects, and will provide technical assistance to ensure the projects are viable and appealing to investors, a release from the Department of Public Information noted.

“We will bring them (investors) on road shows to showcase, and we will improve access to development financing which will make these projects a reality. We will engage with the private sector at every stage of this work because their involvement is essential to making this productive and meaningful,” Harris assured the Caribbean leaders.

DPI also pointed out that the US Vice-President said when the transition to clean energy is accelerated; economic opportunities for the entire region would be unlocked.

“When we work together to address this urgent threat, it benefits the people of the United States and the people of the Caribbean, and all of us of course benefit by reducing emission.”

The US-Caribbean relation remains a priority, Harris noted. She said while the climate crisis is one of the US’ highest priorities, there are still other issues that are important and must be addressed together.

CARICOM’s Secretary

President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali (right); CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett and US Vice-President, Kamala Harris (left) at the launch of PACC 2030 (Office of the President photo) General, Dr. Carla Barnett relayed that energy security in the Caribbean is a critical matter as countries seek to transition their energy systems to more modern, clean and reliable supplies of renewable energy. She said member states are heavily dependent on fossil fuel for energy needs, and are predominantly net energy importers.

“Our position is to optimise our indigenous sources as we make that judicious transition to renewable resources. We are therefore, pleased to have this conversation.

We are aware that our

own public sector’s fiscal constraints limit the extent to which our governments can finance a transition to renewable resource and therefore the undertaking to provide sources of financing that our private sector can access is very important.”

Dr. Barnett said the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, has also im-

pacted the Caribbean’s energy and resilience and the already fledgling climate crisis.

Guyana has been at the forefront of calls for a more hands-on approach by developed nations in the handling of the climate crisis, particularly since it has damning effects on developing countries.

President Ali has also

called on his regional counterparts to contribute to the global solution.

“We have the capacity, we have the capability and we must now work together to find our place and space in bringing global solutions,” he had said at the recent International Energy Conference and Expo held in Guyana in February.

4

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

No ‘cheating of the system’ this time around - Minister Mustapha engages Essequibo rice farmers, fisherfolk on assistance programmes

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

AGRICULTURE Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Thursday met with rice farmers and fisherfolk from Region Two to discuss the planned relief initiatives recently announced by President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.

With the closure of many factories across

the world as a result of the global pandemic and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, farmers have been finding it hard to purchase inputs such as fertiliser.

Additionally, fisherfolk have also been faced with hardships, given the low level of catches received at sea over the past few months.

After taking note of the struggles of farmers and fisherfolk, the government, upon reviewing its economic standing, announced a $1 billion allocation to procure fertilisers for farmers, along with a $150,000 one-off relief grant for fisherfolk.

While speaking at a meeting in the Regional Democratic Council’s boardroom, Minister Mustapha said rice farmers on the Essequibo

Coast will benefit from $250 million worth of fertiliser to be used in time for the coming crop, and that a committee comprising farmers from the various areas was tasked with compiling a list of beneficiaries.

“The last time we were here, the Vice-President announced that the government will allocate $275 million to procure fertiliser to help the TURN TO PAGE 5

June 8, 2022

G 11 12 13 15 16 23 9 9/06/22 - 14 15 16 22 24 9/06/22 - 4 7 1

9/06/22 - 8 6 9

9/06/22 - 4 10 12 13 14 16 18

5

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

No ‘cheating of the system...

FROM PAGE 4 farmers in Region Two; $250 million will be used to purchase fertilisers for the rice farmers, and $25 million will be for the cash-crop farmers. We decided to have a non-partisan committee selected by the farmers to guide the process, so that at the end of the exercise, we will not have the same issues we had with the flood relief,” Minister Mustapha said, adding: “Based on feedback from the farmers, it was recommended that the farmers should receive fertilizer, based on the acreage they are cultivating. I’ve received a report, and it is being suggested that the $250 million be divided by the amount of fertiliser that will be required for the crop. We’ll then source the fertiliser locally. So, for example, if a bag is $11,000, we’ll minus the amount that the government will subsidise, and the farmers will pay the balance.”

One farmer suggested that farmers should receive monies to assist with returning to the land.

He noted that as a result of last year’s flood, many farmers are still unable to return to the land.

FOR PROCUREMENT OF FERTILISER However, Minister Mustapha said that the allocation was for the

procurement of fertiliser, given the rising cost of the commodity globally. He maintained that farmers will not be receiving the monies directly, but rather the fertilisers, based on what will be cultivated in the coming crop. He also reminded the farmer who made the suggestion that many farmers were given flood relief assistance and seed paddy last year, and that the government was in the process of completing that programme.

“Let us take our minds off of giving people cash.

This money was allocated for fertilisers; we are not going to change that. The fertiliser will be distributed directly to the farmers; we are not giving cash.

If we have two or three distributors of fertiliser on the Essequibo Coast, we’ll purchase from the most affordable supplier, so that we can have more.

We want a transparent process, and we have to ensure that the committee captures accurate information,” Minister Mustapha said.

EVERY LANDING SITE Meanwhile, during his meeting with fisherfolk from the region, Minister Mustapha said that committees will be established at every landing site, and the list of fisherfolk will be available for examination at the landing sites.

He told the fisherfolk

present that the various fisheries officers will work along with them and officials from the Regional Democratic Council to form the committees.

This process, he added, should be completed in two weeks, after which the verification process will commence, ahead of the payout scheduled to commence in July.

“We’ll take the entire month of June to verify the names; do not try to smart the system. The Fisheries Department will work to ensure a committee is set up at every landing site to verify the names, so that there can be transparency. There are five major landing sites on the Essequibo Coast; altogether, we have about 16, because there are other small areas where boats come out,” Minister Mustapha said.

He told the fishermen that a study to determine the reason behind low catches was conducted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and once it is finalized, that study will be made public.

“We are seeing increases in some species,” Minister Mustapha said, adding: “While engaging fisherfolk across the country, I made a commitment that a study will be conducted to determine the cause of the low catches. We

A fishermen making a comment during the meeting (Ministry of Agriculture photo) engaged the FAO, and they conducted a study.

I received the second draft, which shows that Guyana is not the only country affected by low catches; it is a phenom-

enon around the world that is mostly due to climate change. That report will be shared as soon as the final draft is completed.” (Ministry of Agriculture)

6

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

The Depp/Heard trial THE verdict is in, and the jury of seven was unanimous in their decision to award actor Johnny Depp over US$10 million in damages in his defamation lawsuit against his former wife, the actress, Amber Heard.

Depp sued Heard for character defamation following an op-ed she wrote for the Washington Post two years ago, portraying herself as a “public figure representing domestic

abuse”.

Though his name was not mentioned in the article, the popular ‘Pirates of the Carribean’ star claimed it cost him “lucrative acting roles”, and the jury found that Heard did indeed defame Depp in three separate statements in the Washington Post piece.

Heard was awarded a much smaller sum of US$2 million in her counter-suit for defamation over statements made by Depp’s attorney, suggest-

ing she had concocted a false story.

The verdict was seen as a victory for Depp, and an indication that the jury did not believe Heard’s claims of abuse, though this trial primarily centred around the defamation claims.

Depp denied all allegations of abuse, and Heard’s testimony was shown to contain inaccuracies and outright fabrications.

During the trial, a tide

of support for him arose on social media, with fans vilifying Heard, and dismissing her claims of physical abuse as blatant lies.

It is important to note, here, that persons who are victims of physical abuse must report such violations to the police. Legal practitioners regularly stress that these measures provide essential evidence that the abuse did indeed occur, particularly where there are recurring incidents.

If this highly-publicised celebrity trial has shown nothing, it has certainly underlined the necessity for accusers to be truthful in their allegations, and to try to remember as accurately as possible when the abuse occurred, and what actually happened.

Here again, official reports help, as they provide a bona fide record of the abuse, along with important details for building a case.

In addition, people who are abused should not suffer in silence, but should seek professional help, and let trusted people know of their abusive relationship.

The more people who know, the more can step forward and confirm that at least they were made aware of the abuse, and, in some instances, may even be able to vouch for having seen injuries sustained by the victim.

Would the AFC be able to recover from its blunders?

Dear Editor, THE central questions that the Alliance For Change (AFC) political party must address at its June 11th Congress are: “Would the party be able to recover from its blunders?” and “could it recover as a APNU coalition partner or as a separate entity?” The AFC Congress is not about who becomes the Leader but rather how the leadership team is constituted to provide a new direction that places them on the path to recovery.

As a separate political party, the AFC did show some sparks of visionary leadership between 2006 and in 2015 when they expanded their electoral support by 44 per cent. In 2006, for example, they won five seats, in 2011 they won seven seats and it is estimated that they won eight - nine seats in 2015 when they penetrated the PPP/C’s traditional strongholds in the sugar and the rice belts.

However, the AFC’s coa-

lition with APNU, the terms of which are embedded in the February 2015 Cummingsburg Accord, has prepared the conditions that derailed their focus as well as their political vision. In consequence, their (AFC) electoral support began to plummet from 2016 onwards until today. The AFC Congress must decide whether it could rise again and become an influential third force or a major player whether as an APNU coalition partner or a separate political party.

Much of the problems of the AFC as a coalition partner have been self-inflicted.

They were more pre-occupied with an insatiable desire to pursue a higher cause: i.e., to keep the PPP/C out of State power. In their obsession, they have lost touch with their constituents, and their electoral base began to whittle away. If they did have a role to play as a third force that was quickly evaporated in the coalition arrangement, as they had no demonstrable positive impact (e.g., no

transformative project) on their constituents as well as the country.

The AFC committed several blunders that precipitated their dramatic decline.

First, consequent to the passage of the no-confidence motion (NCM) in 2018, AFC’s Moses Nagamootoo (then Prime Minister), told the country: “The outcome has to be accepted and we want our supporters in particular to understand that we are going back to the polls.”

Less than 24 hours after that statement to the country, the AFC recanted under pressure from APNU. There followed a prolonged court battle to determine if 33 MPs constitute a majority in a 65 House Chamber. Their sluggish position that 34 was the majority of 65 instead of 33, incurred the wrath of rational thinking people, including many of their supporters.

When leaders do not understand simple math, and try to vulgarise formulas, what faith would their supporters have in them?

Second, the AFC’s credibility took a pounding again when they sided with President David Granger to unilaterally appoint Justice James Patterson as GECOM Chair contrary to the Constitution.

AFC leaders Mr. Raphael Trotman and Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan were with the President when he made that terrible decision on the darkest night of the year; a decision that was subsequently overturned by the Caribbean Court of Justice.

Third, AFC members had been complaining about their marginalisation as well as of breaches of the February 2015 Cummingsburg Accord (CA) and its revision, by the APNU leadership.

They pointed out, for example, that Prime Minister Mr. Moses Nagamootoo (AFC) was not allowed to chair Cabinet meetings as per the CA. Other AFC members complained that the APNUappointed Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, had too much power, while the AFC Secretary for Region Two,

Mr. Karam Chand, claimed: “AFC leaders were feathering their nests—with gold bangles, expensive furniture, and self-serving contracts— I wrote numerous letters... about sidelining of the AFC by the PNC/R.” Increasingly, their members had become disenchanted and view their leaders as carrying out the orders of APNU. Fourth, the APNU+AFC Coalition won the 2015 elections because of the cross over votes they received from the sugar workers and rice farmers, who were duped by the coalition’s promise of hiking sugar workers’ pay by 20 per cent and securing $9,000 per bag of paddy.

Rejecting their own Commission of Inquiry (CoI) that the sugar estates be given a three-year turnaround time, they immediately closed four sugar estates and placed 7,000 workers on the breadline. AFC Leader Mr. Ramjattan proclaimed that it was one of their greatest achievements! Had they acted with compassion and provided

alternative jobs, they (coalition) might have improved their showing at the 2020 polls.

Notwithstanding that the AFC made several blunders and has been hemorrhaging (as partly evidenced by their poor showing at Local Government Elections (LGE) 2018 when they received only 4.2 per cent of the total votes cast), a new youthful and visionary leadership could ease or even stop the hemorrhage.

But a new leadership must admit their party’s mistakes, apologise, and put forth a new plan of action that would assert their identity. They must alter their relations with APNU. And if they are thinking of breaking away from the APNU coalition, this might happen after LGE 2020 results when they will get a good insight into their electoral strength.

Yours sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

The PPP/C Government saved sugar from the guillotine

Dear Editor, IT is with great disappointment and utter consternation that I read a letter captioned, ‘Losing sugar workers’ support again could be permanent’. I wish to strongly point out to this letter writer and put it very bluntly that if ever sugar workers withdraw their support from the PPP, GuySuCo will suffer a sudden death and this time around the sufferings will be unbearable and will escalate to the point of no return. In life we need to be cognisant of the fact that whenever something bad passed us, it is always close by and can return with venomous rage.

When I was a child I could recall vividly a saying from my grandfather (God rest his soul) that some people are like yard fowls they eat and wipe their beaks and forget that they had eaten and when you throw some paddy again and they will eat hungrily as though they never ate at all. Some people are like that. Since this government took office

in August 2020 this country has taken off on a development trajectory as never seen before and the government has done a lot to ease the burden of the people: wages and salary increases to all workers, reduced taxation and in some cases no taxation, increasing the income tax threshold, removal of VAT on essential items, reducing excise tax on fuel to lower the cost of living, reduced licence fees, COVID cash grants (some received twice) to every Guyanese, cash grants to disabled children, flood relief to all affected even those who plant kitchen gardens, education cash grants (Because We Care), school uniform allowances, cash grants to severed sugar workers, electricity and water subsidies to pensioners, grants for small businesses, reduced cost of borrowing, cash grants to all fisherfolk and creating part-time jobs for the unemployed. The list goes on and will go on. Should we not be thankful for all these and more? The Coalition did the exact opposite of this and

yet some who are vociferous now were silent then.

President, Dr Irfaan Ali in January this year was pellucid and affirmative that his government’s budget is about removing burdens to Guyanese citizens and ‘creating opportunities, reducing burdens, enhancing welfare, giving back more to the population, enhancing livelihood, improving living conditions, and improving the quality of life of the Guyanese people’.

This is being realised day after day even though the government has had to deal with the deadly and costly COVID-19, soaring global prices due to related supply chain issues and a series of devastating countrywide floods. He committed his government to ‘more investment in people, more allocation to the vulnerable, [and a] better quality of life for the Guyanese people’. This commitment is kept alive as Guyanese continue to be buffered from the fallout from the crippling issues mentioned. Guyanese for one moment must not feel that rising

food and gas prices are only experienced in Guyana. It is worldwide phenomenon. Just call your relative in the USA and find out what is happening there. We must show our gratitude to this government instead of decrying its efforts.

What the Coalition had done to the Guyana Sugar Corporation deserves special mention. Let me just outline the mass devastation which the Coalition wreaked on this entity alone and one which sugar workers must never forget. Imagine one morning 7,000 sugar workers woke up and had to deal with not only being jobless but with no economic alternative and the stark reality of their families going hungry, children unable to go to school, loans became unpayable and for some suicide was the only option. That is for dismissed workers. Then after three years when the PPP/C Government made the decision to reopen four closed estates it was found that tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure, factories, machinery, equipment and cane culti-

vation were lost. These estates were in grinding mode when they were maliciously closed.

Mr Jordan had promised that these closed estates will be kept operational for selling.

However, it was found that Wales and Enmore were unsalvageable and Skeldon and Rose Hall were targeted for reopening with Rose Hall Estate being the first to be reopened by 2023. Not only this but the operational estates, Uitvlugt, Albion and Blairmont were starved for vital capital investments and the $30 billion dollars bond secured by the Coalition never went to ‘revitalise’ the sugar industry as Mr Jordan had claimed. It is still to be accounted for. It was just an excuse to make the fat cats fatter.

To make matters worse the sugar workers were not given a dollar increase by the Coalition – this means that from 2014 to 2020 no wage increase was given. However, in the late 2020 and 2021, the sugar workers received five per cent and seven per cent wage increase from this

government; this is in addition to the COVID-19 cash grant.

This what a caring government does.

It became crystal clear that the intention of the Coalition was to close the remaining estates and had it managed to rig the 2020 Elections then that closure would have been imminent. Therefore, despite GuySuCo being unable to achieve its target primarily due to the disastrous floods, sugar workers have benefitted from wage increases under this government and will continue to do so but above all everyone one should be thankful that severed workers are once again being employed and those in employment have their jobs secured.

There will be no closure under this government and sugar workers lives can only keep improving.

In conclusion, whenever a negative letter like the one mentioned is penned, let the writer pause and reflect on the facts written here.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

$2B in contracts awarded

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

- for rehabilitation of miscellaneous roads in Regions Three and Six

THE Ministry of Public Works on Thursday signed a total of 57 contracts valued at $2,088,644,072 for the rehabilitation of miscel-

laneous roads in Regions Three and Six. The sum of $1,567,065,060 has been allocated for Region Three (Essequibo

Islands-West Demerara), and $521,579,012 for Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne). In total, 57 miscellaneous roads will

be rehabilitated, spanning the length of 27km across Regions Three and Six. The design features

ensuring a level playing field for opportunities for every person and business, regardless of size.

opment in communities must not leave a bitter taste in the mouth of the beneficiaries; it must be

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Works Vladim Persaud (first left) with representatives of the contracting companies that were awarded contracts for the roads (Ministry of Public Works photo) rehabilitation of existing alignments to either asphaltic concrete or concrete pavement, a release from the ministry said.

Among the grouping at the signing were several new contractors who tendered for projects.

Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill, while delivering brief remarks, welcomed the new contractors to the fold, and emphasised the need for quality work. He said the new contractors represent the government’s continued commitment to

He assured the nation that the government will continue to implement its budget, to advance its infrastructure development agenda, and bring much-needed relief to communities nationwide.

The minister also urged contractors to work on their community relationship, ensuring respect and cordiality with the residents of those communities to which they are assigned.

“Government’s intervention in bringing devel-

a pleasant experience,” Minister Edghill said, adding: “Again, I am emphasising that before work starts in a community, the engineers must go with the contractor and meet the leaders of the community to talk to them about the project, and to give them a copy of the unpriced Bill of Quantities; the people must be able to have that, and I want to emphasise that again.”

The duration of work, on average, is two to ten months.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Zero tolerance for violence in schools - says Education Ministry following incidents at Lodge, Campbellville secondary schools

THE Ministry of Education has implemented measures to ensure the safety of staff and students at city schools where issues recently occurred.

Interventions at the Lodge Secondary School and Campbellville Secondary School came as a result of recent incidents occurring at both schools.

Teachers at the Lodge Secondary School on Wednesday participated in a peaceful protest demonstration as they raised concerns about their safe-

“This triggered from a previous altercation where they would have [sic] come to the compound and these teachers who were attacked made a report and these teachers continue to video them as they come into the compound to rob our children and so they’re now going to the teachers,” the senior teacher told this publication.

Ministry of Education Public Relations Manager Murtland Haley said on Wednesday, following a meeting with the teachers, that a number of meas-

that the discovery is being dealt with by the Guyana Police Force.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, a number of videos were circulating on social media of a reported incident occurring at the Campbellville Secondary School.

According to the Ministry of Education representative, there was a confrontation between two students of the said school and one of the students brought in friends who were not students of the school, to settle the matter.

Education officials leaving the Lodge Secondary School following the incident on Thursday ty in the work environment.

When the Guyana Chronicle visited the school, the teachers were making their way inside for a meeting with representatives of the Guyana Teachers Union and the ministry, even as there was a police presence at the school.

According to a senior teacher, the issues stemmed from an incident a day earlier which saw intruders entering the school with weapons to attack a teacher.

ures were implemented at the school beginning on Thursday.

“These initial measures are geared towards making the school environment safer for teachers, students and staff of the school,” said Haley.

As a result of one of the measures implemented, which included the searching of students’ bags before they enter the school, staff on Thursday discovered an air gun in the bag of a Grade 11 student. It was later revealed

As a result of this, the police were then called into the school. Haley told the Guyana Chronicle that while there were no serious physical injuries from the incident, teachers and students in the lower grades were traumatised.

“Our welfare officers as well as the Chief Education Officer and Assistant Chief Education Officer (Secondary) visited the school after being informed of the incident,” he said, He iterated the min-

istry’s zero-tolerance policy on violence in schools, even as the min-

istry urges parents to be more involved in their children’s lives in order

to steer them away from being involved in such activities.

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Scotia terminates sale to First National Bank SCOTIA Bank on Thursday announced that the agreement of sale of its banking operations in Guyana to Trinidad’s First Citizens Bank Limited has been terminated in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

According to a statement from the bank, the agreement of sale has expired.

“Scotiabank remains committed to providing the highest level of customer service and quality banking solutions to our customers

in Guyana and across the Caribbean,” the company said in a statement issued on its website.

This would have been Scotiabank’s second failed attempt to sell off its Guyana operations, after a previous bid to sell to another Trinidad-headquartered bank, Republic Bank Financial Holdings (RBFH), also fell through in 2019. This was due to the requisite approvals for the sale not being given by Guyana’s Central Bank, the Bank of Guyana (BoG).

The BoG had related that the denial of the application for takeover by RBFH was due largely to the high level of concentration of the banking system, which would have led to systemic issues and would have affected the health of the financial system here.

ScotiaBank subsequently announced, in March, 2021,

that it had reached the agreement with First Citizens for sale of its Guyana operations. However, the agreement was subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.

The bank had said the sale supports Scotiabank’s strategic decision to focus on operations across its footprint where it can achieve

greater scale and deliver the highest value for customers.

However, the BoG earlier this year say that First Citizens does not hold a banking/financial licence from BoG and therefore is not permitted to conduct banking/financial business in Guyana, leaving the state of the sale in jeopardy.

Police, mechanic in custody over stolen Premio A MECHANIC and a police rank are among several persons in custody over the alleged theft of a white Toyota Premio on Sunday.

It is alleged that police ranks in Regional Division 4(B) responded to a report of an alleged simple larceny committed on a 34-yearold taxi driver, Rameshwar Singh of #70 Village, Correntyne, Berbice, of a white Toyota Premio motor car with registration number HD 2132 (valued at $2,400,000).

According to a police report, it is alleged that on Sunday, at about 18:00 hours, a party of police ranks acting on information received, proceeded to the home of a 27-year-old mechanic of Patentia, West Bank Demerara (WBD) and conducted a search for the stolen car but nothing of evidential value was found.

However, after an interview was conducted with the said mechanic and based on information received, the police ranks proceeded to the residence of another mechanic who resides in La Grange, WBD where a search was carried out on his workshop and several car parts belonging to HD 2132 were found and positively identified by the taxi driver as his.

There were also documents from a shipping company which were found and positively identified by the

The stolen car which was stripped and sprayed over in black victim, Rameshwar Singh.

As a result, the workshop owner from La Grange was arrested and subsequently escorted to Diamond Police Station.

The police noted that acting on ‘further information received’, police ranks proceeded to Kuru Kururu, EBD where HD 2387, a white old-model Premio, was found in a yard abandoned. This motorcar was allegedly used to hit Rameshwar Singh’s car from behind, which caused him to stop in the vicinity of Providence, East Bank Demerara. When Singh exited his vehicle to check on the damage, he was pounced on and robbed of

his car and cash.

Meanwhile, at about 08:00 hours on Wednesday, a police rank on seven days sick leave was contacted by the investigators and questioned. The police rank then took the investigators to Canal #One, West Bank Demerara and pointed out a freshly sprayed-over ‘gun metal’ Toyota Premio to be the said car that was stolen from Rameshwar Singh.

Despite being in a different colour, the victim and the investigators were able to identify the car from the chassis number. Some of the parts were missing from the said car.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Help for M&CC to handle drainage woes

P R I M E M i n i s t e r, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips on Thursday reassured the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) that the government is committed to working with them to ensure that the city’s drainage infrastructure is working at optimum levels at all times.

Prime Minister Phillips made the comments during a meeting with Mayor Ubraj Narine; Deputy Mayor, Alfred Mentore; Town Clerk (ag), Candace Nelson and other technical staff from the M&CC, at the Office of the Prime Minister, a release from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The Prime Minister noted that the meeting comes at an important juncture as the city and the entire country are facing an above-normal rainy season. He recalled checks that were done by officials that showed there were cases where no pump attendants were present and other pumps had no fuel.

“Unless there is unusual rainfall I am confident we have in Georgetown the infrastructure to drain the water,” the Prime Minister said, while noting that once the infrastructure is properly managed then there should be no significant issues.

He added that he would request assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. “I would certainly convey the request to the ministers,” he said.

During the meeting, Mayor Narine stated that the City Council is ready to work along with the government to fix the pending issues. He admitted that this is not the first time the city has experienced issues and the

reports that were made to the Prime Minister are true.

Mayor Narine highlighted that one of the pressing issues that the City Council is currently facing is the shortage of staff to manage the sluices and pump stations, the release said.

Currently, the workers work a seven-dayper-week shift. This, the Prime Minister pointed out, should not be and it should be changed into a five-day-per-week shift system. To help with this, he said that he will consult with the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall to forge a way forward to assist the Town Council.

“We are dealing with an emergency situation here and you need staff to ensure the pumps and sluices operate,” Prime Minister Phillips stated.

Another issue raised was a silted sluice door, which the Prime Minister also committed to assisting to fix through the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).

The mayor also noted that they are looking for additional assistance with fuel from the government. Currently, the NDIA also assists the City Council with fuel to operate their pumps during the rainy season.

At the end of the meeting, the Prime Minister reiterated his commitment to addressing the three main issues of staffing, the silted koker door and additional fuel assistance.

The mayor also committed to having stern conversations with the city’s Engineering Department to ensure that they are functioning at an optimum level, the release said.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips and Mayor Ubraj Narine during the meeting (Office of the Prime Minister photo)

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

US announces multi-million-dollar aid package for Central America - at Summit of the Americas, IICA calls for a ‘hemispheric partnership’ to tackle the food crisis

DIRECTOR-GENERAL of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Manuel Otero, has called for the creation of a hemispheric partnership to tackle growing food insecurity, even as the United States announced millions of dollars in humanitarian aid for Central American countries.

He was at the time addressing a forum of the Summit of the Americas.

Samantha Power, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and former US Ambassador to the UN, made

the announcement at the “Global Food Crisis and the Americas” forum, which was convened by the non-governmental organisation, Pacific Council on International Policy. Other participants in the forum were Enrique Eduardo Reina, the Honduran Minister of Foreign Affairs; Gael Pressoir, renowned scientist from Quisqueya University in Haiti; and Renata Segura, from the International Crisis Group.

The panelists discussed actions and proposals that must be implemented in the Americas, by governments, the private sector, civil society and academia, in the face of mounting crises

posed by the war in Eastern Europe, the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. The situation is triggering increases in the prices of food and energy, as well as disruptions in the trade of fertilisers, putting the people of the most vulnerable countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in a precarious position.

Samantha Power remarked that, “I cannot imagine any more important issue in the world today. We are witnessing the highest food prices seen in a generation and the crisis is grave. Societies are appealing to leaders in the public and private sectors to work together to con-

front the problem.”

She also pointed out that, “Even before the war in Europe, the number of people suffering from hunger and malnutrition was on the rise – a clear indication that we were moving in the wrong direction.”

ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE The high-level authority announced that an additional US$331 million of food and humanitarian assistance would be given to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, specifically in what is known as the Northern Triangle of Central America—El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras— “where millions are facing food insecurity”.

Moreover, assistance has also been earmarked for Haiti, where 40 per cent of the population is in need of food assistance, and for Colombia, where food inflation between 2021 and 2022 was in the double digits.

Powers advised that further announcements will be made in the coming days regarding food assistance to Venezuela, not only for vulnerable persons living in that South American country, but also for Venezuelan migrants and refugees in other countries in the region.

“The Russian invasion removed 27 million tonnes of wheat, corn and barley from the global food market. This year alone, this war will cause as many as 40 million people worldwide to be pushed into poverty and hunger,” warned Power.

“We know that food aid will not resolve the crisis,” she said, adding: “because it calls for long-term solutions, investing in farmers so that they can produce more. On the other hand, this crisis also represents an opportunity for the Americas, which already produces one third of the food in the world and has the capacity to produce even more”.

Power also confirmed that the government of President Joseph Biden is working to sever the countries of the Americas’ dependence on Russia for fertiliser supplies, and to increase their output, using science and innovation, despite climate change.

JOIN FORCES On the other hand, Manuel Otero insisted on the need to forge a hemispheric partnership to tackle food insecurity, “which would enable the Americas to increase its global visibility and assume its responsibility as a guarantor of global food security and environmental sustainability.

This would also result in more employment, more income and an improved quality of life. We

Manuel Otero, Director-General of the IICA, and Samantha Power, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) (IICA photo)

need more institutions and more investment”.

Otero explained that Latin America and the Caribbean was the region that had been most affected by the pandemic, economically and socially. This had been further complicated by increasingly frequent extreme climate events, coupled with the war in Eastern Europe, which had led to increased prices for food, energy and fertilisers.

The IICA Director-General explained that the region of the Americas is heterogeneous, comprising large food producing countries, such as Brazil, Argentina, the United States and Canada, as well as food importing countries that are also grappling with the consequences of climate change, for example, in the Northern Triangle of Central America, the Eastern Caribbean and Haiti.

He stressed that, “It is vital that we sever the connection between the war and the production, exportation and supply of food. The right to food is sacred. We must ensure access to financing for our 16.5 million farmers, particularly small farmers.”

Finally, Otero mentioned the need to increase intraregional trade and investment in research and science, as a means of boosting productivity.

Honduras’ Minister of Foreign Affairs advised that his government “was heartened by the United States Government’s announcement regarding food and humanitarian aid to Honduras. It sends a positive message of support for all the Americas and strengthens the relationship with the region. What is important now is to see how we can work together to ensure that this assistance translates into benefits for our poorest and most needy sectors”.

MOST VULNERABLE Reino stated that Honduras is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, explaining that the most recent hurricanes had battered the country, producing millions of dollars in losses in its most productive regions.

“We are aware of this reality,” the minister said, adding: “and we know that the State has to work on this. But we also believe that cooperation projects by IICA and the USAID are very valuable in building resistance.”

Finally, he warned that, “We need action, investment and communication. If we fail to act and invest, the situation will not change. And if we don’t communicate to jointly identify cooperation mechanisms, it will be very difficult to transform this reality.”

Renata Segura spoke about how the food crisis is affecting migration from the Northern Triangle countries of Central America. The International Crisis Group is an independent organisation working to prevent conflicts.

Haitian scientist, Gael Pressoir, described the situation in Haiti in the face of increases in food prices internationally.

Pressoir is Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (FSAE) of Quisqueya University and senior scientist of the Chibas Foundation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The latter is an organization focusing on sustainable agriculture.

Prior to this panel discussion, and as part of his agenda at the Summit of the Americas, the IICA Director General led a discussion on Strategic Policies for Food Security at the CEO Summit of the Americas, organised by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The forum also enjoyed the participation of Mónica Bauer, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at PepsiCo; Augusto Pestana, CEO of the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (APEX); Helga Flores, Vice President of International Public Affairs at Bayer; María Nelly Rivas, Vice President of Government Relations for Latin America at Cargill; and Andrés Peñate, Global Vice President of Regulatory and Public Policy at InBev. (IICA)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

CPCE set to reopen dorms Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Thursday met with the principal and senior staff members of the Cyril Potter College of Education (Ministry of Education photo)

‘Ms Esther Rawlins was a consummate educator’ - Senior Finance Minister pays tribute to late Deputy Headmistress of Queen’s College

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh was one of the pallbearers at the funeral service of the late Esther Cecelia Waveney Rawlins SENIOR Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh on Thursday paid tribute to former Queen’s College Deputy Headmistress, Esther Cecelia Waveney Rawlins.

He was at the time speaking at her funeral service at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Rawlins retired from the college in 1989 as Graduate Deputy Headmistress and she was a teacher during the period that the Finance Minister attended the institution, a release said.

“Indeed after her retirement in 1989, Miss Rawlins, a consummate teacher, continued to teach hundreds for many, many years to come and indeed after the turn of the century. She literally shaped and molded the minds of the thousands of students who passed through her hands,” Dr Singh related.

He added that he came to know Rawlins when he joined Queen’s College in 1982 and she taught him French at CXC. “She not only imparted language lessons. Miss Rawlins was not just a teacher of French grammar, but she taught us lessons that would prepare us for life. She was an outstanding teacher and a caring and compassionate human being.

The love that she extended to her nieces and nephews, I have to say to members of the family you may not have realised it, but you were enjoying the care and passionate love that literally hundreds and thousands over successive generations also enjoyed. Because of the disciplinarian that she was, each and everyone of us will look back at the role Miss Rawlins played in shaping our lives.

We will all forever be indebted to Esther Rawlins, not only for the formal education that she gave us, but also for the very important lessons in life that she imparted upon us. She was an educator of the highest calibre,” Dr. Singh said.

The Finance Minister, on behalf of President Irfaan Ali’s administration, further recognised the contributions the teacher would have made over the years to the teaching profession in Guyana as a whole.

Rawlins was a dedicated teacher who began teaching in 1955 as an assistant teacher at Tutorial High School. She later joined Queen’s College in 1973 as a foreign language teacher prior to retiring in 1989 as Graduate Deputy Headmistress with a total of over 25 years of service in the profession, the release concluded.

EDUCATION Minister Priya Manickchand on Thursday met with the principal and senior staff members of the Cyril Potter College of Education to discuss the institution’s readiness to accommodate pre-service teachers in the dorms.

According to a release, from Sunday some 92 firstyear students from Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine will be staying at the Turkeyen Campus.

During the meeting, it was

13

Education Minister Priya Manickchand noted that all systems are in were Chief Education Officer, place to accommodate the stu- Dr Marcel Hutson; Education dents over the next few months. Specialist, Dr Olato Sam; Also discussed was expan- Deputy Chief Education Ofsion of the college’s capacity ficer (Development), Volika to train more teachers from the Jaikishun; Director of School next academic year which starts Boards, Deonarine Hardat and Chief Inspectorate, Sain September.

Present at the meeting adam Hussain.

14

$150,000 bail for Sophia resident accused of attempted murder

A 20-year-old construction worker was granted $150,000 bail on Thursday for attempted murder allegedly committed on a ‘B’ Field Sophia, Georgetown resident.

The accused, Earl Kelvin McAdams, called ‘Baby

Boy,’ also of ‘B’ Field Sophia, appeared before Magistrate Rushell Liverpool at the Sparendaam Magistrate Court.

McAdams was not required to plead to the charge which alleged that on April 10, 2022, at Red

Road, Sophia, he wounded 43-year-old Evan Rose with the intent to commit murder.

M a g i s t r a t e L i v e rpool granted McAdams $150,000 bail. The accused returns to court on July 5.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

‘Hot Skull’ denies killing Better Hope pensioner

A MIXED 12-member jury was empanelled on Thursday for the trial of Sherwin Clarke, called ‘Hot Skull,’ who is accused of killing 76-year-old David Ramkissoon during a home invasion in 2016.

Clarke appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court.

He denied murdering Ramkissoon on August 21, 2016, at the now-deceased man’s Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home.

DEAD: David Ramkissoon

MURDER ACCUSED: Sherwin ‘Hotskull’ Clarke’ Clarke was represented by attorney-at-law Damien DaSilva, while the state was represented by prosecutor Muntaz Ali. The trial commenced on Thursday with the evidence of the victim’s daughter-inlaw Nalini Kissoon, and an-

other civilian witness. The trial continues on June 13.

According to the prosecution’s case, on the day in question, the victim was at home when Clarke along with others invaded the building and robbed him.

During the robbery, his throat was slit.

The matter was reported to the police after relatives returned from the creek and discovered Ramkissoon’s body.

Clarke was later arrested and charged with the murder.

GDF ranks robbed on seawall

A 39-year-old woman corporal and a 23-year-old male private of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) were on Wednesday robbed on the seawall at the Rupert Craig Highway.

According to police reports, the victims were sitting on the seawall along the Rupert Craig Highway in the vicinity of the pump station, at around 19:45 hours when they were confronted by the suspects, two identifiable males, one armed with a knife, who approached them from the western direction on foot.

One of the two suspects

pointed a knife at the victims demanding that they handed over their valuables. Fearful for her life, the female victim ran and left her bag, while the male victim was relieved of his cash.

It is alleged that the victims were robbed of one black handbag valued $4,500, one black Alcatel cellular phone valued $25,000 and $19,000 cash.

The suspects then made good their escape. Several persons in the area were questioned but no useful information was received.

Further investigations are ongoing.

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

16 special needs schools, organisations to benefit from guidance counselling Ali was approached by GCOPD to provide funding for two counsellors who would provide psychosocial

First Lady Arya Ali shares a moment with a child with disability during a meeting last week at State House (Office of the First Lady photo) SIXTEEN special needs schools and organisations will begin benefitting from guidance counselling services this month through a programme being funded by the Office of the First Lady.

The guidance counselling programme was implemented last year by the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) with support from First Lady Arya Ali. Mrs Ali prioritised persons with

disabilities (PWD) upon her assumption of office in 2020, implementing several projects and programmes which directly benefit them through her ‘InclusAbility’ initiative.

Last year, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mrs

support to young people living with disabilities.

“This was a programme that was needed during the

pandemic because of the devastating effects it was having on children and young TURN TO PAGE 16

16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Bahá’ís to host conference on ‘Building Vibrant Communities’ work constructively among diverse perspectives and viewpoints in the effort to build safe neighbourhoods and strong communities.

Participants will also learn about the vision of world peace and a unified humanity as set forth

by Bahá’u’lláh, who Bahá’ís be-

lieve is the Manifestation of God for this age. Key elements of this vision as it has unfolded over the past 100 years will be shared, the release noted.

The conference programme includes plenary and small group discussions, as well as planned

FROM PAGE 15 persons with disabilities.

Life was already difficult for them, so the disruption that the pandemic brought compounded the issues they face,” GCOPD programme coordinator, Ganesh Singh disclosed.

So far, the programme has been introduced in nine Special Education Needs (SEN) schools and organisations in Regions Three and Four. However, it will be introduced in seven

more SEN schools and organisations beginning this month.

Group sessions have been held at those schools and organisations, focusing on social issues, and more personal matters, including navigating adolescence and accepting and coping with a disability. Apart from those group sessions, individual sessions have also benefited more than 70 persons from Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six. The individual sessions are

activities for children, junior youth and youth. There will be a strong focus on music and the arts throughout the conference, said the release from the Bahá’í community.

The event is one in a series of worldwide conferences sched-

uled by Bahá’ís to mark the launch of efforts to engage meaningfully with the wider community. The new plan challenges Bahá’ís to intensify efforts aimed at releasing the society-building power of their faith in the life of their communities.

16 special needs schools...

BAHA’IS from Georgetown, Linden, and East Coast Demerara, along with their friends, neighbours, and other wellwishers of humanity, will gather at the School of the Nations, North Cummingsburg, on the weekend of 11-12 June to consult on the theme, “Building Vibrant

Communities”.

According to a release, the conference participants will have the opportunity to share their views on the characteristics of vibrant communities and the importance of both the spiritual and material wellbeing of communities. The gathering will explore ways to

between six and 12, depending on the progress and willingness of the beneficiary. Those sessions deal with personal issues affecting those individuals in their domestic, social and academic life. Singh explained that most of the sessions were done virtually due to the pandemic, but that there were some in-person sessions which were held. The lifting of COVID-19 restrictions will allow for more in-person sessions to be had. The First Lady shared that her decision to support this programme was one which required little thought, as she believes it is “absolutely necessary” to provide these persons with this kind of support.

“These counsellors can enhance the understanding and knowledge of issues relevant to the needs of persons with disabilities and their families, by highlighting the various forms

of personal and societal barriers they often encounter and advising them how to navigate them,” Mrs Ali said.

She added that it was important too for the individual needs of these persons to be taken into consideration so they can influence policymaking at the national level.

The First Lady noted too that this is also part of the strategy to ensure persons with disabilities have access to the kinds of opportunities, tools and resources which would support their empowerment.

Last week Mrs Ali announced that her office will be establishing a business centre to be run exclusively by persons with disabilities.

It is expected to provide at least 25-30 jobs in the short term and another 30 in the medium to long term. (Office of the First Lady)

17

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

$144M in machinery commissioned to improve drainage in Pomeroon

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, shares a light moment with a farmer AGRICULTURE Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, on Thursday, commissioned a pontoon and two-long reach excavators to assist with executing a series of muchneeded drainage works in farming communities along the Pomeroon River.

The pontoon worth $84M and two Hyundai excavators worth $30M each were handed over to the Region Two Administration.

Speaking at the commissioning held at Charity, Minister Mustapha said the delivery of the equipment was a fulfilment of a promise made to the people of Pomeroon to boost drainage and irrigation in the Pomeroon River. Over the last two years the Pomeroon has suffered from instances of flooding and the equipment will be used to improve the river defences there.

“I want to tell you we will continue to make critical investments in the agriculture sector [because] we recognise the importance of agriculture,” said Mustapha, as he underscored the importance of the sector in maintaining food security.

A committee comprising toshoas, Neighbourhood Democratic Council officials, farmers and residents will manage the machinery and Minister Mustapha urged that they be put to good use.

“As a government, we will continue to invest in the interest of the population,” said Mustapha.

Chairman of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth said the project was conceptualised to improve drainage and irrigation in the Pomeroon River.

The pontoon and excava-

tors can be used to access difficult terrains in the riverain communities.

The communities that will benefit from the machinery include Lower Pomeroon, St. John, Greenfield, Aberdeen catchment areas, Hackney catchment areas, Kitty, Windsor Forest, Friendship, Malborough, Martindale Areas and Providence.

Toshoa of St Monica, Eve Samuels said she was happy with the delivery of the equipment as her community needed proper drainage and irrigation.

Randolph Williams, another resident, was also thankful for the machine.

“This is what we need and we got it in no time, thanks to the government,” Williams said.

Also at the commissioning were Regional Chairperson, Vilma De Silva; Regional Vice-Chairman, Humace Oodit and Regional Executive Officer, Susannah Saywack.

While in Region Two, Minister Mustapha met with groups of fisherfolk there to discuss the $150,000 one-off relief grant that was recently announced by President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali. During the engagement, Minister Mustapha said that, since assuming office, the government had been working to improve the lives of citizens and will be making the funds available after the verification process was completed.

The minister also said that although reports suggest that the catches have been improving, fisherfolk were still finding it difficult to afford basic household items for their families and that the grant will be able to assist with those needs.

He also met with rice

farmers in the region to discuss the rollout of the fertilisers assistance programme.

Some $250 million in fertilisers assistance had been allocated for rice farmers of the region.

Minister Mustapha told the farmers that a committee comprised of farmers from across the region will work with representatives from the Guyana Rice Development Board, the Rice Producers’ Association and the Water Users Association to guide the process of distribution.

Minister Mustapha assists this student in cutting the ceremonial ribbon to commission the equipment

18

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Gov’t-sponsored studio time ‘opens doors’, promotes local talent - Musicians thankful to President Ali

By Jared Liddell SEVERAL Guyanese musicians have lauded the government-sponsored studio time initiative, which they said is “timely and transformational” for the local entertainment industry.

The talented Carlvin Burnett, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, said that this initiative now opens the door for local musicians to walk right through and share their craft.

Government will spend some $9 million on free studio time for Guyanese artistes to record their music. President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, after making the announcement had related that the plan is to cover studio time costs for the next 12 months at three local studios, for musicians to record their music at no charge to themselves.

Burnett stated that he believes that the initiative will be especially impactful as it would give artistes the chance to focus

on crafting the perfect sound to represent their talent and capturing their target audience without having any financial burden.

“I think it’s a great initiative because as creatives what the president did is create that space for us where we could now have complete access to studios and we would be able to produce albums and the government will fund and be fully invested in,” he said adding that for the first-time artistes will not have to worry about studio costs and

Musician, Carlvin Burnett can now focus more on the creative process.

Award-winning psalmist and gospel singer, Samuel Medas

Tennicia De Freitas, the artiste known as “NEKEITA”

Burnett noted that he is proud to see the recent move by the government to not just promote local talent but also to invest significantly in creating a platform for all local persons in the art and entertainment sector, to showcase their talent.

According to the singer, the initiative will see artistes getting the opportunity to market themselves locally while bringing a wide-range of music art styles to Guyanese.

Burnette stated that the government’s commitment to have these recorded songs played on local radio stations, would significantly increase the reach of local artistes and in many cases make them household names.

“Based on conversations, the President is going to engage certain radio stations to have more Guyanese music being played and that is great too because it gives us a chance now for the music to be heard, for the music to be played all over, so now whenever we hit the stage, we can have the same reaction and the same results as the foreigners we bring here,” he added.

Meanwhile, award-winning psalmist and gospel singer, Samuel Medas, told the Chronicle that the announcement and President Ali’s plans for the government-sponsored studio time, came as a “surprise” as it was something that has never been done locally before.

He opined that the initiative will allow for a wide myriad of opportunities, more than what is anticipated.

The ‘Stadium’ singer stated that he believes that this initiative will open up doors for not just the singers or vocalists but will allow writers, producers and instrumentalists to share their talents while boosting the local arts.

“The process of recording a song doesn’t just start and end with the singer, it includes the writing. There are great singers that don’t write so writers will also be employed, instrumentalists would also be hired because some of the music [will be] recorded with the live instrument. Also, there’s the recording session and the mixing session,” Medas said.

He added: “If they have to get backup vocalists for

the track then we have to hire backup vocalists too and then there’s the mastering, so, it’s a process of getting the music composed, written, recorded, getting it mixed, and then getting it mastered so this money is not just going just to the studio, it’s creating space for everybody.”

Tennicia De Freitas, who goes by the stage name “NEKEITA”, also lauded the initiative, noting that this removal of the financial burden will open the door for the younger artistes to enter the sector as many musicians have been forced to not follow their talent due to financial constraints.

“Being able to have quality work produced is one of the most important things for any artiste but this usually comes at a steep price. It brings some relief knowing that many would be able to afford this and be encouraged to continue working on their craft. Many younger and upcoming artistes have been afraid of pursuing a career in the arts field because of this same factor of not knowing how they will be able to afford studio time. This initiative will also assist them in a major way,” she said.

De Freitas told the Chronicle that she believes that the work government has been doing to provide a platform for the growth of the local entertainment and arts scene is tremendous. She noted that there is much to offer in this sector and she believes that this adds to Guyana’s tourism product.

“I’m very happy about His Excellency’s decision to assist our creatives with free studio time. I’m grateful that he is genuinely interested and heavily invested in the future of Guyanese entertainment……As a performer of over 19 years, I’m truly grateful for any effort made to promote Guyana’s creatives. I believe that arts and entertainment add significantly to a country’s tourism sector.

It’s how we showcase our love for our culture and impacts how our visitors experience what we have to offer,” she added.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

19

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Meet the photographer behind the viral ‘BlackGirlMagic’ photos were truly the stars of the viral images.

‘Love a black woman, from infinity to infinity’ Michael said he worked closely with the models to execute every aspect of the concept: the styling, the fashion, and the makeup artistry.

He said one of the models, a seamstress, pulled the outfits together while the others worked on makeup and other arrangements.

Beginning his photography journey five years ago, Michael said he noticed his

By Naomi Parris EARLIER this week, 25-year-old Linden resident, Michael Bonds posted several photos on his social media accounts. The collection titled “BlackGirlMagic”, which was professionally photographed by Bonds, immediately went viral on social media.

Michael’s popularity grew. The creative in an interview with BUZZ said he had been working on a concept to promote ‘black women’ for some time, and finally decided to engage models he had worked with in the past.

Creating a vision board of ideas, Michael, along with the models, selected a colour scheme and brainstormed several concepts which led them to the ‘BlackGirlMagic’ theme and aesthetic.

“I specifically went about looking to feature dark skin models,” he added, noting that while he was able to capture the essence of the models through his lens, they

interest after a friendly competition.

“I first started when I use to go to UG [University of Guyana]. It started off as this little competition between me and my friend.

“I had all the latest Samsung [cellular phone], [and] he had one of the latest iPhones, and we started comparing,” Michael related.

“We decided to make it a challenge to come up with photographs at the end of the week,” Michael said, adding: “It moved on from photos of

flowers and then I started to take pictures of people and I went on to buy my first camera… I started from there.”

He said the Arts have always been an interest to him.

He felt that content creation was always his calling.

“I have always been interested in art in general...

[There was a time] when I used to draw, I use to paint and I also used to partake in music. But, photography just stood out to me,” the young content creator said.

Photographer, Michael Bonds

“BlackGirlMagic” (@michaelbondsphotography photos)

21

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Mariah Carey is sued over ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’

Singer Mariah Carey poses as she attends Variety’s 2019 Power of Women: Los Angeles, in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., October 11, 2019. REUTERS/ Mario Anzuoni/File Photo

(Reuters) - MARIAH Carey was sued, last Friday over her 1994 Christmas classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, by a songwriter who said he co-wrote a song with the same title five years earlier.

In a complaint filed in New Orleans federal court, Andy Stone is seeking at least $20 million in damages from Carey, her co-writer, and Sony Music Entertainment for copyright infringement and misappropriation, among other claims.

Stone, who performs as Vince Vance with the country-pop band Vince Vance & the Valiants, accused the defendants of having illegally exploited his “popularity and unique style” and caused confusion by recording the newer song without his permission.

Carey’s and Stone’s songs have different lyrics and melodies.

Spokespeople for Carey and Sony Music did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Carey’s song appeared on her album “Merry Christmas,” and has long received widespread play on the radio and in retail shopping environments during the holiday season.

It has also topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart every year since 2019, despite having been recorded a quarter-century earlier. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” was Carey’s 19th No. 1 song, one fewer than The Beatles.

Stone said his own song had received “extensive airplay” during the 1993 Christmas season, and also appeared on Billboard charts.

It wasn’t clear from the complaint when Stone first learned about Carey’s song.

The complaint said Stone’s lawyers first contacted the defendants in April 2021 about their alleged unauthorised use, but were “unable to come to any agreement.”

Stone’s lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.

The case is Stone v Carey et al, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, No. 22-01616.

‘I’m too talented to not make it’

…says singer, songwriter Romel France SINGER and songwriter Romel France who goes by the stage name ‘Rxxdical,’ believes that it is definitely worth pursuing a career in the local entertainment industry if only Guyanese would give their own artistes 100 per cent support.

Many in the field have often expressed disappointment at how their fellow Guyanese would lend their support to regional and international artistes, but would not give the same to the local one.

But Romel doesn’t believe that this is too big a challenge to overcome. In fact, he has a great deal of confidence in himself and his fellow artistes.

“This new generation carries your music to a different level,” he told BUZZ this week, adding, “We are almost there; we just need some more support from Guyana and we are there.

Guyana just needs to give us this 100 per cent support.”

Even as the country has

many talented performers, Romel pointed out how the lack of certain things in place often affects the artistes negatively. “We have countries listening to our music and even stealing it but there’s nothing we can do,” he observed.

The entertainer, of Plantain Walk, West Coast Demerara (WCD), has been a big fan of music ever since he was four years old.

“My mom is an incredible singer, so listening to her and the music she played in the home contributed to my music style. I started doing ‘Dancehall’ till I was in Fourth Form and, [then decided] to write music at the age of 16,” he shared.

Romel spends most of his time writing songs and poetry, which he said comes easy for him. He is almost never at a loss for words when writing his lyrics, something he says comes from his love for reading.

And the story around why he developed such a

love for reading is quite interesting. “My punishment used to be reading dictionaries and encyclopedias,” he recalled.

Furthermore, his mom would often put him to stand against a wall when he misbehaved and he thought to himself: “Why not read in the meantime?”

“I am a big fan of finding out new words. Up to now, I would read the dictionary.

I did a whole lot of reading through punishment and that’s how I became a big fan of reading,” he laughed.

Romel said his music helps him feel unafraid of expressing every emotion and saying how he really feels. Although he loved being an R&B artiste, he had to adapt to other genres like Dancehall and Soca because he realised that that was what connected with the Caribbean audience more.

“In the times we’re living in, no one is interested in positive lyrics; people are into the ‘bruk out’ kind of

music. So, you have to give them what they want.

“But I still release the positive ones in between,” he related. “I take my music very seriously. If I get a line wrong, we would go over and over until it’s right,” he added.

Romel, who sees himself being able to live his dream e v e n t u a l l y, said: “I am too talented not to make it.” He enjoys working with local and international artistes, and deeply appreciates the help he receives from his producers Adrian Johnson and Jonathan Tailor.

“AJ guided me and contributed a lot to my career.

He’s the best; he knows what he’s about and he knows this industry as [well as] the back of his hand.

He always wants things to be perfect. He puts in the work. In the wee hours of

the morning, he might be in the studio mixing someone’s song,” Romel shared about his producer.

H i s latest song

called “Blu-Ray” on the ‘Bed Rock riddim’ by AJ Records was released last week. It features such artistes as Acidic and Naomi, Kurtlee, Jonathan Tailor, DanJahv, Azariel, Stiffy Stiff, ADDL, Gaddie G and Mud Water.

Romel’s latest song called “Blu-Ray” on the ‘Bed Rock riddim’ by AJ Records was released last week

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Prince Harry libel claim against Mail on Sunday has High Court hearing

(BBC) - DETAILS of the Duke of Sussex’s latest legal claim against the publishers of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday have been aired at a High Court hearing.

Prince Harry is suing Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) for libel over a February article about a dispute over his family’s security arrangements.

His barrister said the story falsely suggested he had “lied” and “cynically” tried to manipulate public opinion.

But ANL said it contained “no hint of impropriety” and was not defamatory.

The story, published in the Mail on Sunday and online, referred to the prince’s separate legal case against the Home Office over security arrangements when he and his family are in the UK.

In a written statement to Thursday’s preliminary hearing, Prince Harry said it had caused him “substantial hurt, embarrassment and distress, which is continuing”.

The prince’s barrister, Justin Rushbrooke, said the article suggested he had “lied in his initial public statements” by claiming to have always been willing to pay for police protection in the UK. The story suggested “he had only made such an offer recently, after his dispute had started and after his visit to the UK in June 2021”, Mr Rushbrooke said.

He added that the Mail on Sunday story claimed he had “improperly and cynically tried to manipulate and confuse public opinion by authorising his ‘spin doctors’ to put out false and misleading statements about his willingness to pay for police

Prince Harry said he had suffered “substantial hurt, embarrassment and distress” (Reuters photo)

protection immediately after the Mail on Sunday had revealed he was suing the government”.

He said the story also claimed the prince “tried to keep his legal fight with the government secret from the public, including the fact that he expected British taxpayers to pay for his police protection, in a way which was improper and showed a lack

of transparency on his part”.

ANL is disputing the claim, and the company’s barrister Andrew Caldecott said the print and online versions of the article were “essentially identical” and were not “defamatory” to Prince Harry in the eyes of “the reasonable reader”.

“There is no hint of impropriety on any sensible reading of the article,” he

said. “The claimant is not portrayed as seeking to keep the whole action secret.

“The article does not accuse the claimant of lying in his initial statement about offering to pay for his security.

“The article does allege that the claimant’s PR team spun the story (or added a gloss unduly favourable to the claimant) which led to inaccurate reporting and confusion about the nature of the claim. It does not allege dishonesty against them.”

Judge, Justice Nicklin, oversaw Thursday’s hearing and must now decide a number of things before the case proceeds, including the meaning of parts of the article, whether they are a statement of fact or opinion, and if they are defamatory.

He will deliver his ruling at a later date.

The Duke and Duchess

of Sussex announced last year that they would step back as “senior” royals and work to become financially independent, dividing their time between the US and UK. Last year, he accepted an apology and “substantial damages” from ANL after suing the company for libel over claims that he had “turned his back” on the Royal Marines.

Meghan won a privacy claim against the company after the Mail on Sunday published a handwritten letter that Meghan sent to her father Thomas Markle in 2018.

Last weekend, Prince Harry and Meghan attended their first royal event since leaving the UK, at St Paul’s Cathedral, to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Jah Cure’s lawyers file appeal (Jamaica Observer) - REGGAE singer Jah Cure’s legal team has now filed an appeal to have his conviction on an attempted manslaughter charge overturned, the Netherlands Prosecution Service is confirming.

“There is no date yet scheduled for the hearing as the appeal case is still in a rather preliminary phase. However, both prosecution and defence have appealed the lower court’s verdict,” Tuscha Essed, press officer of the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service told the Jamaica Observer.

In March 2022, Jah Cure, 43, whose real name is Siccature Alcock, was convicted of attempted manslaughter in relation to the stabbing of a show promoter over unpaid money in October 2021.

He was sentenced to six years in prison in the Netherlands. He was, however, acquitted of an attempted murder charge.

Continued on page 23

Jah Cure (Credit to Jamaica Observer)

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Bill Cosby accuser describes going to Playboy Mansion with the comedian

(Reuters) - A WOMAN who accused Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1970s began her court testimony on Monday, describing how she and a friend met the comedian as teenagers and accompanied him to the famed Playboy Mansion.

Judy Huth, who has filed a civil lawsuit against Cosby for unspecified damages, told jurors she was playing “Frisbee” at a public park on a weekday when she noticed a movie filming nearby.

She and a friend, Donna Samuelson, walked closer and recognised Bill Cosby, Sidney Poitier and other actors.

Cosby approached the girls and they “bantered,” she said, before he invited them to meet him the following Saturday at a tennis club. She and Samuelson were “excited,” she said.

“We were kids. It was a celebrity. It was out of the norm, that’s for sure,” she said.

Huth said she and Samuelson met Cosby at the tennis club, then followed him by car to his home, played a few games of pool, and followed him to another location.

Huth realised it was the Playboy Mansion when Cosby pointed out a picture of Hugh Hefner on the wall.

Huth, 64, is set to continue her testimony on Tuesday.

In her lawsuit, Huth said Cosby forced her to perform a sex act while she was at the mansion.

She previously said the

Bill Cosby is welcomed outside his home after Pennsylvania’s highest court overturned his sexual assault conviction and ordered him released from prison immediately, in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, U.S., June 30, 2021. At left is lawyer Jennifer Bonjean. REUTERS/ Mark Makela

incident occurred in 1974, when she was 15, but recently said she now believes it was 1975.

The civil trial in California, one of the last legal cases against Cosby, is taking place 11 months after Cosby was freed from prison when Pennsylvania’s highest court threw out his sexual assault conviction in a different case.

Cosby’s lawyer, Jennifer

Bonjean, said in opening statements that the alleged assault of Huth was a “fabrication,” though Cosby did not dispute that he invited Huth and her friend to the mansion.

“The evidence is going to show that Ms Huth is not telling the truth,” she said.

Huth’s friend, Samuelson, recounted her recollection of events earlier Monday.

Jah Cure’s...

From page 22

Following the singer’s sentencing, Dutch prosecutors appealed to the court against the acquittal of the attempted murder charge. The defence has now followed suit.

An appeal is lodged by submitting an application to the court of appeal. The time within which an appeal can be lodged is, in principle, three months, commencing the first day after the judgement date.

In the notice of appeal, the court of appeal is requested to (partially) reverse the judgement of the court by which that judgement was delivered.

The lawyer of the appellant is not immediately under any obligation to explain why the judgement is being disputed. The lawyer is required to explain in a statement of appeal why the court’s judgement should be reversed in the summons proceedings.

The respondent’s lawyer is then required to respond to that statement of appeal in a statement of reply.

On May 17, a pro forma court date to decide if the suspect should be kept in detention, (Dutch law dictates and is reviewed every 90 days) was held. The date was a short formal/ procedural matter.

Jah Cure’s attorney Jan-Hein Kuijpers has not yet responded to a request for comment, from the Jamaica Observer.

Jah Cure is known for his hit songs “Longing For”, “Love Is” (2005), and “True Reflection” (Prison Walls). His 2015 album, The Cure, which included the songs “That Girl”, “Rasta” and “Life We Live”, earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Reggae Album that year.

Bonjean challenged her account of the mansion visit,

noting that Samuelson had recalled playing a Donkey

Kong arcade game, which was not introduced until 1981.

Cosby, 84, is not expected to attend the trial.

The comedian and actor is best known for his role as the lovable husband and father in the 1980s television comedy series “The Cosby Show,” earning him the nickname “America’s Dad.” But his family-friendly reputation was shattered after more than 50 women accused him of sexual assaults over nearly five decades.

In 2018, Cosby was found guilty of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand, an employee at Temple University in Philadelphia, in his home in 2004.

Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court overturned Cosby’s conviction in June 2021, after Cosby had served more than two years of a three- to 10year sentence.

The court said Cosby should not have faced the charges because a previous district attorney had publicly promised in 2005 not to prosecute him. In March, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review that decision.

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

25

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

`RACING TIPS American Racing Tips Belmont Race 1 Artorius Race 2 Quaria Thunder Race 3 Obligatory Race 4 Prisoner Race 5 Ready To Venture Race 6 Full Compliment Race 7 Baba Race 8 Loft Canadian Racing Tips Woodbine Race 1 More Harder Race 2 Papa Dobles Race 3 Sea Scout Race 4 Pretty Rachel Race 5 Soberano Race 6 Funiculi Race 7 Wentru Race 8 Captivating Art English Racing Tips Sandown 08:10 hrs Michaela’s Boy 08:45 hrs One Nation 09:20 HRS Hodler 09:50 hrs Cet Horizon 10:20 hrs Jewel In My

Crown 10:55 hrs Perseus Way 11:25 hrs Balgowan York 09:00 hrs Hotspur Harry 09:30 hrs Explicit 10:00 hrs Arousing 10:30 hrs Brunch 11:05 hrs Russco 11:40 hrs Your Spirit 12:10 hrs Charging Thunder Goodwood Lady Manyara 12:49 hrs Simply Sondheim 13:24 hrs Saratoga Gold 13:59 hrs Rosa Mystica 14:34 hrs Charles Street 15:09 hrs Ascending Irish Racing Tips Fairyhouse 11:45 hrs Apache Outlaw 12:20 hrs Super Cub 12:55 hrs Big Gossey 13:30 hrs San Andreas 14:05 hrs Sheishybrid 14:40 hrs Mercury Mission 15:15 hrs Storm Steps South Africa Racing Tips Fairview 08:25 hrs Verified 09:05 hrs Find Me Unafraid 09:35 hrs Musical Glitch 10:05 hrs Phoenix 10:35 hrs Quick Count

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Shericka Jackson triumphs over Thompson-Herah in Rome

SHERIKA Jackson played spoiler in a race that included the three women who combined to win the last seven Olympic flat sprint titles, taking the 200m at a Diamond League meet in Rome yesterday.

Jackson, an Olympic 100m and 400m bronze medallist for Jamaica, clocked 21.91 seconds, just four hundredths off the world’s top time this year set by Olympic 200m silver medallist Christine Mboma of Namibia.

Mboma wasn’t in the Rome field.

Elaine Thompson-Herah, who swept the 100m and 200m at the last two Olympics, was a distant second in 22.25, outleaning world champion Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain by .02. Shaunae Miller-Uibo of The Bahamas, who won the last two Olympic 400m titles, was fourth.

Allyson Felix, the 2012 Olympic 200m champion in her farewell season, was

seventh in 22.97.

Athletes are preparing for national and world championships. For Jamaica and the US, nationals are June 23-26 with the top three in most individual events in line to qualify for the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July.

Jackson established herself as a medal contender in the 200m in addition to the 100m. At the Tokyo Olympics, Jackson followed her 100m bronze medal with a

ICC congratulates India legend Mithali Raj for an outstanding career

THE International Cricket Council (ICC) has congratulated India ODI captain Mithali Raj for an outstanding 23-year international career during which she broke several records.

The 39-year-old middle-order batter, who announced her retirement from all international cricket on Wednesday, led India in this year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. She had retired from T20Is in September 2019.

ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said Raj is a ‘hero’ for cricketers around the world and hoped she would continue to contribute to the game in the years to come.

ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice: “Mithali is one of the all-time greats of the game. Over the past 23 years, many young girls and boys will have been inspired to take up the sport after watching her.

“Mithali has played a huge role in raising the profile of women’s cricket during a crucial period of its growth and I sincerely hope she will stay involved with the game in the coming years. On behalf of the ICC, I congratulate her for a fantastic career.”

Raj, who led India to the finals of the ICC Women’s World Cups in 2005 and 2017, is the only woman, and only the third cricketer ever, to appear at six ICC (50-over) Cricket World Cups.

Raj is the most capped woman player in ODIs and holds the record for most runs in the format, having aggregated 7 805 runs in 232 matches with seven centuries. In Tests, she has scored 699 runs in 12 matches with one century while in T20Is, she has 2 364 runs from 89 matches with 17 half-centuries. (ICC Media)

Wimbledon men’s, women’s champions will win £2M this year

TOTAL prize money for this year’s Wimbledon will be a record £40.3M, tournament organisers have announced.

The winners of the men’s and women’s singles will each win £2M, a decrease from £2.35M the last time full capacity crowds attended in 2019.

The pot is an increase of 5.4% compared with 2019, when prize money totalled £38M, and an 11% increase on 2021.

In 2020, players who would have qualified received £10M in lieu of prize money for the cancelled event.

Last year’s Wimbledon was played in front of reduced crowds because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Wheelchair tennis has received a significant increase, more than 40%, reflecting both an increase in prize money as well as the fact there will be double the number of wheelchair players competing this year.

Wimbledon has said the 2022 pot “continues to place importance on supporting players in the early rounds of the event,” and has increased prize money in the qualifying rounds.

Qualifiers who make it through all three qualifying rounds will get £62 000 and will receive £50 000 if they win their first-round match in the main draw.

(BBC Sport)

lacklustre opening round of the 200m, running 1.44 seconds slower than she did at trials and failing to advance.

Felix, 36, is expected to race at least the 400m at her final nationals, bidding for a spot in the eight-woman

final that would likely be enough to get on the world championships team in the relay pool. Felix ranks fourth among Americans in the 400m this year with a top time of 50.71.

She is tied for sixth in the

US in the 200m, which has been less of a focus than the 400m in recent years.

The Diamond League moves to Oslo for the Bislett Games next Thursday.

(NBC Sports)

28

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

England v New Zealand:

Captain Ben Stokes bringing back the ‘fun’

CAPTAIN Ben Stokes says he is looking to bring the “fun” back into playing for England.

Last week’s five-wicket triumph over New Zealand ended a run of only one win in 17 Tests and England can seal the series with victory in the second Test.

Spinner Jack Leach has been passed fit to play for the home side at Trent Bridge on

make sure you have as much fun as you possibly can.”

Stokes highlighted the impact of McCullum, citing the “energy” of the New Zealander.

On the field, England’s fielding was vastly improved during the first Test at Lord’s.

Off it, they began Thursday’s training session in Nottingham with a penalty shootout.

“That energy Baz has

Stokes. “He was so excited to get the summer going.

“We all know that one of Baz’s things is for fielders to chase the ball right to the boundary. He made a very good point, and made Leachy stand out, that one little thing epitomises what this team is all about.

“He was obviously bitterly disappointed, but then throughout the week saw the

Ben Stokes’ England team took part in a penalty shootout in training on Thursday

Friday.

“If we can’t enjoy doing this, I don’t really know what we can enjoy,” Stokes told BBC Sport.

“Results and stuff will look after themselves. Let’s just try to enjoy this as much as we possibly can. It will all be taken away from us one day.”

Despite its reputation for bowler-friendly conditions and a partisan crowd, England have not won any of their past three Tests at Trent Bridge.

Their last success in Nottingham came in 2015, when Stuart Broad famously routed Australia with figures of 8-15.

Stokes, who is new to the role alongside head coach Brendon McCullum, added: “One of the great things I’ve found over the last couple of weeks is how much fun it’s been.

“Sometimes the pressure of being an international cricketer, delivering performances on a weekly basis, can get challenging.

“At the end of the day, when you’re playing for your country, first and foremost is to

brought has been a lift for everyone,” added Stokes. “It’s been great having his enthusiasm around the group.

“Baz’s input into this team has rubbed off very quickly and easily.”

One of McCullum’s mantras - for England to chase every ball all the way to the boundary - may have been a factor in the injury sustained

by Leach at Lord’s In only the sixth over of the match, Leach took a heavy tumble when trying to make a stop on the boundary and had to be withdrawn from the Test with concussion. His place was taken by leg-spinner Matt Parkinson.

The Somerset left-armer has served a minimum seven-day period of gradually returning to play and retains his place in an unchanged England side.

Despite a green-tinged surface at Trent Bridge, Stokes confirmed England had not thought about leaving out the frontline spinner in favour of Craig Overton’s seam.

“It was very unfortunate for Jack last week,” said

commitment that everyone was giving in the field.”

New Zealand will make a least one change to their side after all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme suffered a heel injury at Lord’s. Batter Henry Nicholls missed the first Test but is the most likely replacement if he is passed fit.

Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel only bowled two overs in the first Test and could be replaced by pace bowler Neil Wagner.

England: Zak Crawley (Kent), Alex Lees (Durham), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham), Jack Leach (Somerset), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), James Anderson (Lancashire).

New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Cameron Fletcher, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Will Young.(BBC Sport).

29

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Jaylen Brown’s hot start ignites Celtics’ home win in Game 3

BOSTON Celtics have taken a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals after defeating Golden State Warriors 116-100 in Game 3.

In front of their raucous home fans, the Celtics started red-hot on the offensive end, highlighted by Jaylen Brown’s 17 points in the first quarter to carry his side to a 33-22 lead at the quarter-time.

Boston’s offence did not slow down in the second quarter, either, putting up another 35 points, but Warriors were able to put up 34 themselves to stay within touching distance, down 6856 at half-time.

Brown led the way with 22 points, 7 rebounds 3 assists in the first half – nearly matching his regular season averages of 23.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

F o r Wa r r i o r s , K l a y Thompson had 15 points, Stephen Curry had 14, and Andrew Wiggins had 13, while the rest of the team combined for 12.

Jaylen Brown led the way for Boston Celtics with 22 points 7 rebounds 3 assists in the first half

As has been a theme with Warriors, they exploded once again in the third quarter, winning the frame 33-25, as Curry scored another 15 points in an eight-minute stretch.

Warriors took the lead, 83-82, with Curry’s 15th point of the quarter, before Celtics settled and fought back to take a 93-89 margin into the final break.

This Celtics team will be remembered as one of the finest defensive units of the modern era, and they relied

on that end of the floor to pull out the win, holding Warriors to just 11 points in the fourth quarter, while Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with eight down the stretch.

After setting a career-high of 13 assists in Game 1 of the Finals, Tatum showed it was no fluke, dishing out another nine assists to go with his 26 points (nine-of-23 shooting).

Brown cooled off late to finish on 27 points (nineof-16 shooting) with 9 rebounds 5 assists, while Marcus Smart put up similar

numbers, scoring 24 points (eight-of-17 shooting) with 7 rebounds 5 assists.

The game-changer for Celtics, however, was Robert Williams III. The injury-plagued centre showed exactly why he received Defensive Player-of-the-Year votes and NBA All-Defensive Second Team honours, finishing with 4 blocks 3 steals to go with his 8 points 10 rebounds. Williams also finished with a game-high plus/minus of plus 21.

For Warriors, Curry was terrific, scoring an efficient 31 points on 12-of-22 shooting, hitting six-of-11 from long range, while Thompson had his best game of the Finals with 25 points on seven-of-17 shooting.

Public enemy number one in Boston was Draymond Green, and the crowd gave him a fitting send-off when he fouled out in the fourth quarter with just 2 points 4 rebounds 3 assists in his 35 minutes. (Yahoo Sport)

Afghanistan survive scare to complete clean sweep AFGHANISTAN survived a huge scare in pursuit of a small target in the final ODI against Zimbabwe before eventually toppling the hosts to complete a clean sweep yesterday.

The 3-0 result gave them 30 World Cup Super League points and as a result, they are now currently in the second spot in the table.

Afghanistan’s decision to bowl first paid off as they kept striking at regular intervals. Fazalhaq Farooqi broke the deadlock in the seventh over when he knocked off Wesley Madhevere for an 18-ball 5 and that opened the floodgates.

Skipper Craig Ervine departed in the very next over for a duck and the likes of Innocent Kaia and Dion Myers followed suit.

Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl, to an extent, stopped the procession for a brief period but Afghanistan’s spin duo took charge. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi ran through the lineup and shared five wickets between them

Blatter says FIFA payment to Platini followed a ‘gentleman’s agreement’

FORMER FIFA president Sepp Blatter has denied approving fraudulent payments to Michel Platini, saying that a 2011 transfer followed a “gentleman’s agreement” between the pair.

Prosecutors claim a 2-million Swiss francs (£1.6M) payment made by Blatter to ex-UEFA president Platini was unlawful.

Both men, who deny wrongdoing, are on trial in Bellinzona, Switzerland.

The start of the trial was delayed by a day on Wednesday after Blatter said he was too ill to testify.

He told the court he had chest pains and was having “difficulty breathing”.

The 86-year-old gave his testimony yesterday and said he asked Platini to be his adviser when he was first appointed president of football’s world governing body in 1998.

He said former France captain Platini wanted 1 mil-

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter (left) and ex-UEFA president Michel Platini

lion Swiss francs (£816,030) per year but Blatter told him FIFA could not afford that fee.

They instead settled on 300 000 Swiss francs (£244 809) per year, with the outstanding total to be paid at a later date.

“I knew when we started with Michel Platini that is not the total, and we would look at it later,” Blatter told the court, adding they shook hands on their “gentleman’s agreement”.

He added: “It was an agreement between two

sportsmen. I found nothing wrong with that.”

Three-time Ballon d’Or winner Platini, 66, said: “I trusted the president, and knew he would pay me one day.”

Platini stopped working for FIFA in 2002 but did not pursue the payment until 2010, telling the court he had not needed the money at the time of his departure, when - according to Blatter - FIFA was in any case “broke”.

However, Platini later heard that two former em-

ployees had received substantial payments and approached FIFA, who he said told him to send an invoice. He did so in January 2011, with the money paid 10 days later after approval by Blatter.

The pair were banned from football in 2015 and indicted in November last year.

(BBC Sport) The Swiss Office of the Attorney General accused Blatter and Platini of “fraud, in the alternative of misappropriation, in the further alternative of criminal mismanagement as well as of forgery of a document”.

Platini, who was also charged as an accomplice, said he felt the ban was a deliberate attempt to stop him from becoming FIFA president in 2015.

The trial is due to conclude on June 22, with a verdict expected on July 8.

If the defendants are found guilty, they could be jailed for up to five years or fined. (BBC Sport)

Rival captains greet each other at the completion of the threematch series

as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 135.

A target of 136 looked like a mere formality at the halfway mark but Afghanistan almost made a mess of it. Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell early and Ibrahim Zadran endured a torrid stay out in the middle, failing to get going. Blessing Muzarabani struck twice to reduce the visitors to 39/3 and Najibullah Zadran’s wicket in the 21st over gave the hosts more hope.

However, skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi and Nabi then managed to steady the ship with a vital 45-run stand. With plenty of time at their disposal, Shahidi was content in taking the innings deep and once the 100-run mark was breached, Afghanistan became favourites again.

Zimbabwe did strike a couple of times late into the chase but a monstrous six from Nabi got the job done with more than 12 overs to spare. (Cricbuzz)

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Miller, van der Dussen pull off South Golden Green powers Australia Africa’s highest chase in T20Is

DAVID Miller (64* off 31) and Rassie van der Dussen (75* off 46) put on an unbeaten 131-run stand off just 63 balls as South Africa hunted down India’s 211 to record their highest successful chase in T20Is. By taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, they also ended India’s quest for a record-setting 13th straight win in T20I cricket.

Anything but that, really! Miller had to handhold Rassie van der Dussen through a particularly patchy phase in the middle that saw the visitors needing 126 off the final 10. van der Dussen, struggling for his timing, had crawled to 20 off 21 when Miller hit a six and a four off Harshal Patel in the 12th over and followed that up by plundering 19 off the next from Axar Patel.

Those two overs had followed a particularly troubling phase for South Africa when they managed just 25 runs between overs six and 10.

Miller, who hit another six and a four off Bhuvneshwar Kumar to bring up a 22-ball 50, allowed his partner to find his hitting range. He eventually did but not before a stroke of luck allowed him to do so, as Shreyas Iyer put down a straightforward chance at deep mid-wicket. A chase of

A to first-up win

TEST all-rounder Cameron Green sent selectors a timely reminder of limited-overs credentials with an unbeaten century to guide Australia A to a thumping seven-wicket victory against their Sri Lanka counterparts.

After being sent in by ‘A’ skipper Alex Carey, the hosts posted a competitive 297-7 from their 50 overs at SSC Grounds with Australia left to rue a handful of dropped catches in what was a sloppy fielding performance in Colombo’s sweltering heat on Wednesday.

But Australia’s Test-quality middle-order made the ensuring chase look easy as Green and Carey shared an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 116 to see the tourists home with 14 balls to spare.

David Miller and Russie van der Dussen added an unbeaten 131-run stand

this magnitude needed firepower from both end and van der Dussen provided just that post his reprieve.

He clubbed Harshal Patel for three sixes and a four in an over to cut the chase down to size. 34 off 18 became 12 off 12 before South Africa romped home with five balls to spare.

While Miller and van der Dussen were the centrepieces of the chase, South Africa were well served by a tactical move to promote Dwaine Pretorius to No.3.

The all-rounder set the tone for the chase with a 13-ball 29, effectively taking down Yuzvendra Chahal, who was bowled in the power-play

as a match-up ploy against Quinton de Kock. Pretorius’ cameo meant South Africa had 61 in the power-play, 10 more than India had achieved when they were put in to bat.

India displayed a refreshing side to their T20 batting as they kept attacking through the innings.

Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 51 in the power-play despite looking scratchy on a pitch that proved tacky at the start of play.

There was no let-off for South Africa after the fielding restrictions, as overs 6-10 brought another 51 runs. Both Kishan and

Shreyas Iyer were particularly effective in taking down the pair of left-arm spinners in South Africa’s ranks, their combined five overs costing the visitors 70.

Kishan fell for a 48ball 76 after adding 80 with Iyer off just 6.4 overs. He passed on the baton to the likes of Pant (29 off 16) and the returning Hardik Pandya (31* off 12) who helped India post their highest score against South Africa in the format. Against the hitting prowess of Miller and van der Dussen, it proved insufficient. (Cricbuzz)

Paris Police chief admits possible error on Champions League final ticket fakes

PARIS, France (Reuters) The Paris police chief said yesterday that he might have been wrong when he said up to 40 000 Liverpool fans tried to enter the Champions League final with fake tickets and that there was no scientific evidence to support the claim.

Didier Lallement added during a hearing in the French Senate that the police action around the match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France was a “failure” both because fans were harmed and the image of France was degraded.

The final, which Liver-

pool lost 1-0, was delayed by more than 30 minutes after police officers forcefully held back people trying to enter the ground. Riot police sprayed tear gas on fans, including women and children.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that much of the blame lay with Liverpool fans and that 30 000 to 40 000 arrived without valid tickets, which led to a crowd crush at the stadium and people trying to force their way in.

He was later backed by President Emmanuel Macron.

Darmanin’s version of events has been challenged

by Liverpool fans who attended and say the vast majority of their supporters were well-behaved but were treated in a heavy-handed manner

by French riot police.

“I might have been wrong on the figure of 30 000 to 40 000 (fans with fake tickets) I gave to the (interior) minister,“ said Lallement.

“From an operational standpoint, it doesn’t change anything if it was around 40 000 or 30 000 or 20 000,“ Lallement said.

French senators pushed Lallement to explain the empirical evidence behind the figure for fake tickets, which

he said had come through reports from police officials on the ground.

“It was I who gave this figure to the minister, and I fully stand by it,“ he added.

During the parliamentary hearing, Lallement said he was the only one responsible for police action during the crowd trouble around the Stade of France, which is located just outside Paris.

L i v e r p o o l ’s m e t ro mayor Steve Rotheram, who attended the final, during which he said he was robbed, was due to give testimony to senators later yesterday.

Cameron Green brought up his second List A ton off 93 balls (SLC)

Former Test opener Matthew Renshaw also contributed 68 off 69 balls in a 121-run partnership with Green.

Josh Philippe, who also has 10 T20I and three ODI caps for the senior Australia side, was the only batter to miss out, bowled by 19-year-old left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage for five.

South Australian opener Henry Hunt got the visitors off to a good start with 36 from 45 balls before Green took control of the match The 23-year-old right-hander, who didn’t bowl during the first innings of the match, crunched nine boundaries and three sixes in his 111-ball 119 not out.

The West Australian, who played in all three of Australia’s recent ODIs in Pakistan and is in the squad for this tour’s five-match 50-over series, was especially destructive with the pull shot through mid-wicket, while Carey (52 off 51) showed his class with several delicate ramps and reverse lap shots off the Sri Lanka A fast bowlers.

The Aussie Test and ODI keeper brought up his half-century with a four off the second-last ball of the match before sealing the win with a single to cover the following delivery.

Earlier, young Victorian off-spinner Todd Murphy, a bolter in the ‘A’ squad with only two first-class matches under his belt, was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 2-53 from his 10 overs.

Mark Steketee, who toured with the Test squad in Pakistan in March this year, picked up a wicket in the first over of the match when Lasith Croospulle edged behind to Carey.

The Queensland quick was Australia’s most expensive bowler with 2-72 from his 10 overs, while Aaron Hardie (1-52) and Matt Kuhnemann each picked up a wicket.

Sri Lanka A captain Dhananjaya de Silva, a 42-Test veteran, was the top scorer for the hosts with 68, while Oshada Fernando, also with 15 Test caps, contributed 65.

The two sides meet again in another 50-over contest at the same ground today. (Cricket.com.au)

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday June 10, 2022)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Kyle Hope-120 (Third ODI, Amstelveen) (2) Maxwell O’Dowd-89 (Third ODI, Amstelveen) Today’s Quiz: (1) Which WI bowler claimed most wickets in the recent ODI series versus the Netherlands?

(2) Which Netherlands bowler took most wickets?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Reggae Boyz cruise to comfortable 3-1 win over Suriname

JAMAICA’S Reggae Boyz cruised to a comfortable 3-1 win over Suriname in group A of the CONCACAF Nation’s League at the National Stadium on Tuesday.

After a fairly even opening stanza, which saw Suriname slightly shade the scoring chances, it was Derby County midfielder Ravel Morrison who gave the Jamaicans the lead, with an inch-perfect freekick, in the 16th minute.

Plucky Panama, however, mounted an almost immediate response and were back on level terms five minutes later. The speedy Yanic Wildschut,

who was played in over the top, from just over the half-line, left a flat-footed Jamaica defence trailing in his wake before blasting the ball wide of Jamaica custodian Amal Knight 6 yards away from goal.

The Reggae Boyz refused to be kept quiet and took the lead again in the 43rd minute. The influential Morrison found himself involved again.

This time the midfielder showed off a silky touch to bring down a lofted pass into the area and played the ball back to Junior Flemmings, who drifted across the area before firing a shot that wrong-foot-

ed Suriname goalkeeper Warner Hahn.

The Jamaicans were a much more dominant unit in the second half and capped that advantage off with another goal in the 70th minute. This time, Jamal Lowe was played through on goal by Shamar Nicholson, following Suriname’s loss of possession, and easily placed the ball wide of Hahn.

The win saw Jamaica move to the top of the three-team Group A, after a 1-1 draw between the teams on Sunday.

Mexico, the other team in the group, are yet to play a match. (Sportsmax)

Reggae Boyz latest win saw them move to the top of Group A.

Salah, Kerr win PFA player-of-the-year awards

LIVERPOOL’S Mohamed Salah and Chelsea’s Sam Kerr have won the men’s and women’s PFA players’ player-of-the-year awards.

The pair won the Golden Boot in 2021-22 as top scorer in the Premier League and Women’s Super League respectively.

Manchester City’s Phil Foden, 22, won the young player-of-theyear award for the second consecutive season.

Lauren Hemp, 21, who plays for City in the WSL, was named the young player-of-the-season for a record-breaking fourth season in a row.

That makes the England in-

ternational the most decorated PFA award winner ever across all categories.

Egypt’s Salah becomes the sixth male player to win two PFA player-of-the-year awards, after Mark Hughes, Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Gareth Bale and last year’s winner Kevin de Bruyne.

Salah scored 24 Premier League goals, level with Son Heung-min, as Liverpool missed out on the title by one point to City.

He also provided 14 assists in the league - and won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. “I have my room with trophies in a cabinet and I made sure I had

space for one more,” said Salah, who also won in 2018.

“I always keep space and just try to imagine the trophies are going to come.”

Chelsea’s Kerr is the first Australian to win the senior player award, after scoring 20 WSL goals and helping the Blues to the double.

“It’s a massive honour whenever you’re voted by your peers. I think that’s the highest honour as a player,” she said.

Foden - who helped City to the title - is the sixth player to win backto-back young player awards after Ryan Giggs, Robbie Fowler, Wayne Rooney, Dele Alli and Hemp, who

has won four in a row.

“It’s an honour to get this again,” said Hemp, who won her first one as a 17-year-old in 2018.

“I look to many of them (players) as role models so it’s an honour to be picked by them.”

Former England managers Roy Hodgson and Hope Powell were given the PFA Merit Award for their outstanding contributions to football.

Six of the Premier League team-of-the-year came from Liverpool, with only three from champions City. Champions Chelsea provided four of the WSL team-of-the-year. (BBC Sport)

Mohamed Salah (left) and Sam Kerr both won the Golden Boot this season

32

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 10, 2022

Shericka Jackson triumphs over Thompson-Herah in Rome See story on page 27

Babar makes history with three ODI tons in a row – again

Sherika Jackson clocked 21.91 seconds for her 200m win

ICC congratulates India legend Mithali Raj for an outstanding career See story on page 27

Wimbledon men’s, women’s champions will win £2M this year See story on page 27 Babar Azam proved why he is the world’s No.1 ranked batter in men’s ODIs, scoring three consecutive one-day hundreds for the second time.

Mithali Raj, the most capped woman player in ODIs, holds the record for the most runs in the format.

Australia’s Ashleigh Barty won the 2021 women’s singles tournament, before retiring from the sport. Barty and men’s champion Novak Djokovic each won £1.7M prize money.

BABAR Azam has become the first batter to achieve the feat of scoring three consecutive hundreds in oneday internationals on two separate occasions after his 103 helped Pakistan beat the West Indies by five wickets on Wednesday.

The Pakistan skipper shared a 103-run partnership with Imam-ul-Haq (65) and a 108-run stand with Mohammad Rizwan (59) as the hosts chased down a target of 306 in Multan to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

The 27-year-old made two centuries against Australia before Wednesday’s match and also racked up three tons in a row in 2016, all against the West Indies.

Babar hit nine fours in his 17th ODI century and the world’s top-ranked ODI batter also surpassed former India skipper Virat Kohli to become the fastest player to reach 1000 runs as captain.

Babar achieved the feat in 13 innings compared with Kohli’s 17.(Reuters)

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limited, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 226-3243-9 (General); Editorial: 227-5204, 227-5216. Fax:227-5208

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022