Guyana Chronicle E-paper 8-30-2020

30th August, 2020

’ No. 106107

Contractor paid $199M –– for work on Leguan Stelling valued at $50M –– Edghill says lackadaisical behaviour, under coalition, will not be tolerated

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COVID-19 hospital ready to house positive cases

Phase one of the re-purposing of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has been completed, allowing for the housing of COVID-19-positive patients in the facility’s isolation section (DPI photo, see story on page 9)

Mingo to make court appearance Monday

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 30, 2020

Mingo charged – set to make court apperance on Monday

CONTROVERSIAL Returning Officer (RO), Clairmont Mingo, on Saturday, was slapped with four charges in relation to allegations that he committed fraud during the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Mingo is expected to appear in court on Monday.

Mingo has been accused of attempting to alter the March 2 elections results in favour of the APNU+AFC Coalition.

His attempts to alter the results of the elections led to the national recount exercise, which ultimately proved the significant differences in the figures being called by the RO compared to the actual numbers of votes cast.

The Guyana Police Force had noted it has launched a “comprehensive investigation” into allegations of criminal conduct by Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, and RO of Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, in relation to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and the events that followed.

Lowenfield is already facing criminal charges in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court relating to fraud, misconduct in office and breach of the public’s trust by providing results of the March 2 elections which he knows to be false.

Also in police custody as investigations continue into electoral fraud are IT technician, Enrique Livan, and three assistants of the RO Clairmont Mingo.

The four persons are being represented by Attorney Eusi Anderson and they remain in custody.

Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo in police custody at Criminal Investigation Department

Mingo was, on Tuesday last, arrested after court marshalls had been looking for him to serve a warrant for his arrest on criminal charges; charges which were filed by a private citizen, but he’d somehow managed to give them the slip for weeks.

The charges at reference were filed in March by Charles Ramson Jr. not just against Mingo, but PNC/R Chair, Volda Lawrence, as well, alleging they all had to do with the controversial results for District Four.

On Monday last, Mingo did not appear in court as was expected, but Lawrence did, and she was placed on $100,000 bail after appearing before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, on private criminal charges, including conspiring to forge documents to show a win for APNU+AFC at the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The charge against Lawrence states that she conspired with persons to forge 24 documents to show a fraudulent win.

Lawrence is also charged with ‘procuring’ Mingo to, on or about March 4, 2020, at Hadfield and High Streets, Georgetown to undertake this task.

She is also charged with uttering to the Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield, a Form 24 Representation of the People Act Regional Elections Return dated March 5, 2020, knowing same to be forged, with intent to defraud the people of the State of Guyana.

Lawrence is expected to return to court on September 11.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 30, 2020

Contractor paid $199M –– for work on Leguan Stelling valued at $50M –– Edghill says lackadaisical behaviour, under coalition, will not be tolerated

By Navendra Seoraj RESIDENTS of Leguan should have been the beneficiaries of a proper, rehabilitated stelling, almost one year ago, but, not only is the rehabilitation project incomplete, an audit has uncovered that the contractor undertaking the project, S. Maraj Contracting Services, received $199 million for work valued at $50 million.

The former A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government, in August 2018, had awarded a contract valued $413 million to S. Maraj Contracting Services for the rehabilitation of the dilapidated Leguan Stelling Although the contract was awarded in August 2018, it was reported that, due to a number of hiccups, the contractor recommenced work only in October 2019.

“To date, the contractor has been paid $199 million of taxpayers’ money… the Audit Office of Guyana is looking at the project and examining what is going on… but, from what I was told, work only to the tune of about $50

(PPP/C) administration that his culture of work is different from what obtained before.

WILL NOT TOLERATE EXCUSES The minister assured residents that he will not tolerate excuses or ‘lackadaisical’ behaviour because the stelling is an asset to the people of Leguan.

“The main purpose of being here is to make sure we continue the process of remedying the situation and ensuring that residents benefit from the rehabilitated stelling, that will enhance your own safety and wellbeing and ensure that you have a place where you could move to and from, and do so in a manner that is befitting of what you are entitled to,” said Minister Edghill.

The contract signed in August 2018, had established a timeframe of six months, but is now the end of August 2020 and the project is yet to be completed. Work on the stelling recommenced only two weeks ago after being stalled for months.

It is evident that the project was badly

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar (first from right), listens to concerned residents of Leguan million has been measured,” said Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, during an engagement with residents of Leguan, following an inspection of the stelling, on Friday.

Based on what was revealed by the audit and what was seen, the minister said the contractor got more money than the work done.

And, while there are reasons for this, Edghill said Auditor General, Deodat Sharma, will have to deal with those.

“There is no impediment, financially, on the part of the contractor from preventing the work from going ahead. He has received $199 million and work completed is just over $50 million… what has to be done must be expedited because the issue is not money, the issue is management,” the minister lamented.

The contractor was asked if he will continue the project to which he responded in the affirmative, but Minister Edghill made it clear that the contractor will be closely monitored, and he will have to prove to the new People’s Progressive Party/Civic

managed and administered by the past administration, said Edghill, adding that there was untimely decision-making and lack of settlement on matters of dispute, while residents were suffering.

Residents, while wanting an expeditious completion of the project, had raised concerns about old materials being used on the stelling.

But, the minister said the contract signed by the past administration, stipulated that materials, which could be salvaged and re-used, should be salvaged and re-used.

Minister Edghill has since assured residents that he will engage engineers of his ministry on the materials being used on the stelling.

“Also, I am not satisfied with the way the stelling is being kept and I want to see it being tidied up so that people who have to use it, they must be able to do so without endangering their lives or being injured in any way,” said the minister, urging the contractor to utilise safety signs.

Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, addressing residents of Leguan (Adrian Narine photo) Residents will also have an opportunity died within the context of the contract so that to be “overseers” of the project, since Min- the process can move forward. ister Edghill ordered that the ‘unpriced’ Bill “The stelling must be finished… during of Quantities be placed in a public place so the political process I visited and I promised that people could examine it and ensure that when we get into government it will be fixed, everything being done is done in accordance so that promise still stands,” said Minister with the contract.

Indar.

“We want no excuses… this project was The absence of a proper stelling has to be completed in six months, and since stymied economic activities on the island. we restarted work just 10-11 days ago, I Residents, particularly businessmen have expect that, in a matter of months, it will been unable to take or bring their usual ‘load’. be completed… this is not going over to One businessman, Shalim Haniff, said the years, I could live with the original six the ramp used to accommodate four to seven months, but it cannot go on and on,” said tonnes, now they can only transport about the minister. three tonnes at a time. This, he said, also depends on the tide and other factors.

WORK PLAN “One time the thing even break away with As it is now, the contractor is required me and it cost me $500,000… the situation is to submit a revised work plan which will critical and it has been so since 2018,” Haniff include the date of completion, among lamented. other things.

Similar concerns were echoed by othMinister within the Ministry of Public er residents but they are all hoping for Works, Deodat Indar, who also inspected the a speedy and proper completion of the stelling, said the issue will have to be reme- stelling.

Rehabilitative work ongoing at the Leguan Stelling

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE , August 30, 2020

Asymptomatic patients not infectious after 13 days

-- Min. Anthony says persons tested positive once do not need follow-up test PERSONS who have tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) but have shown no signs or symptoms for over 13 days, can no longer transmit the disease, said Resident Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow.

According to the WHO, COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly-discovered coronavirus.

Most people, who fall sick with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment.

The disease, while being categorised as highly infec-

Resident PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow

tious, has proven to be less infectious in asymptomatic patients.

Dr. Adu-Krow told the Guyana Chronicle that advice coming out of the WHO, says that after 10

Sunday, August 30, 2020–– 03:00hrs & 04:30hrs

days in quarantine, once a person goes three more days without symptoms, he/she can be sent home because he/she no longer sheds the virus.

“If someone is already in quarantine and they go through the 13 days and authorities ascertain that the last three days symptom-free, the person is free to go,” said Dr. Adu-Krow.

Guyana has so far recorded 1,184 cases of COVID-19, but 636 of those persons have since recovered while 35 persons

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony

have lost their lives. Of the remaining cases, 96 persons are in institutional isolation and 413 are in home isolation, while nine persons are being treated in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit.

As the country moves forward in its fight against COVID-19, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, said that persons, who had initially tested positive for COVID-19, are no longer required a follow-up test to be medically cleared for the

disease.

Dr. Anthony, during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), said: “There is no need for another test because all the guidance that we have received from PAHO/WHO has been for about a month and a half now that there is no need for a second test. We have incorporated that into our guidelines and that is what we have been using.”

He said once persons are tested positive, they will be monitored for ten initial days. Once they are symptom-free, they will be monitored for three additional days and if they continue to be symptom-free then they will be discharged from institutional isolation facilities.

The minister also said it may be out of an abundance of caution, persons are submitting themselves for a second test. However, he suggested this is needless and these follow-up tests would con-

tribute to a backlog.

“This is absolutely unnecessary and …what you will be doing is clogging up the system because you do not need to retest. And for those persons who actually need the test, you are creating a backlog. So, we remind people once you have been in isolation after 13 days you can be discharged if you have no signs or symptoms,” said Dr. Anthony.

DPI reported that, on Monday, August 31, a special flight is scheduled to arrive in Guyana to deliver much needed COVID-19 supplies.

The flight will also be transporting 500 COVID-19 test samples to Trinidad and Tobago. These test samples are being sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) as they will be assisting Guyana in delivering COVID-19 test results in a timelier manner.

Due to a backlog of COVID-19 test samples, persons have to wait more than 48 hours for results.

The National Public Health Reference Laboratory has boosted its capacity over the last few weeks to correct this.

Dr. Anthony said that the solution has materialised after engagements with CARPHA, as the Ministry sought ways to clear the backlog. The Minister noted that several measures have been explored and executed to clear the backlog of COVID-19 test samples.

These include more Medical Technologists being trained to run samples, 24-hour shifts being implemented to have more samples processed along with the procurement of an automated Polymerase Chain Reaction Machine which will cut down the testing time from on average of about nine hours to two hours.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE , August 30, 2020

Colonel Beaton promoted to brigadier

-- Hercules, Skeete, Khan and Roberts now substantive colonels CHIEF-of-Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess, has announced that President and Commander-in-Chief, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, has approved the promotion of five officers effective immediately.

A release from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) said the promotions were made in accordance with Part III, Section 16, of the Defence Act 15:01 of 1977.

Topping that list is Colonel Gary Beaton, who has been promoted to the rank of substantive brigadier. Additionally, Lieutenant Colonels Ronald Hercules, Julius Skeete, Omar Khan and Kenlloyd Roberts have been promoted to the rank of substantive Colonel.

The chief-of-staff, officers and ranks of the Guyana Defence Force extend congratulations to all the newly-promoted officers.

Colonel, Ronald Hercules

Brigadier, Gary Beaton

Colonel, Omar Khan

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE , August 30, 2020

GECOM and electoral fraud

Pre and post-elections 2020 in Guyana created such turmoil in the land that law-abiding citizens feared no declaration would have made, a state of emergency would have called allowing De facto President Granger to have been sworn in as president and dictatorship, undemocratic rule and anarchy would have prevailed in Guyana.

The synergy in Guyana’s socio-political landscape, post-2020 elections was reminiscent of the earlier days when the Patriotic Coalition for Democracy (PCD) was established, with all stakeholders joining forces against the despotic, dictatorial PNC regime.

All observers, then President Granger and members of his Cabinet, as well as GECOM Chairwoman Justice (R’td) Claudette Singh declared the 2020 elections free and fair and conducted within constitutional boundaries. The Statements of Poll were posted outside every polling station and provided to every contesting party and GECOM, so within hours of closing of polls every contesting political party knew who had won the elections, and by what numbers.

However, while declarations of every Region, except Region Four were conducted in an orderly manner and accepted by everyone without dissension, what transpired during the tabulation of Region Four votes precipitated a dark blot in the history of Guyana.

The blatant fraud committed by Clairmont Mingo, the Returning Officer of Electoral District #4 in relation to the tabulation of the results of that District, acting in a conspiracy with others, within and beyond GECOM, catalyzed a series of incidents that clearly indicated an intention to declare the results of the elections in favour of the APNU+ AFC, when the SoPs revealed that the PPP/C had won the elections.

Exacerbating this contretemps was the refusal of the coalition partners, as well as GECOM, to show their SoPs, even while making claims of electoral fraud, accusing GECOM polling clerks of erroneously tabulating votes by dead persons and people who had migrated.

Investigations showed that these allegations were not based on facts, and the people named by the coalition partners angrily refuted claims that they had died or migrated.

Acting beyond her remit, the GECOM Chair, as revealed in a news report published in the Chronicle newspaper of 23rd May 2020, had invited Joe Harmon of the APNU-AFC to submit evidence in support of multiple allegations that dead and migrated persons voted at March 2nd General and Regional Elections.

This was a flagrant violation of the Constitution of Guyana, which dictates the High Court to be the arbiter of such matters by way of an Election Petition.

The blatant fraud committed by Clairmont Mingo was further

revealed in a Kaieteur News article entitled “Recounted Grove, Providence Boxes expose more of Mingo’s manipulation” which included a table showing Mingo’s manipulation of Region Four figures.

Also indications that plans were afoot to derail the elections were revealed by a Kaieteur News article dated 6th May 2020, captioned, “Mingo had instructed POs to leave documents out of ballot boxes” for the PPP/C areas in the lower East Coast Demerara.

This referred to 41 ballot boxes without statutory documentation, with evidence also allegedly implicating his clerk.

The article states in part, “The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is in possession of the missing statutory documents from Region Four ballot boxes on the East Coast of Demerara, documents that were ‘missing’ because Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo had passed instructions that they be left out of the boxes since Elections night.”

The Deputy Returning Officer (DRO) from Chateau Margot Primary, Paul Jaisingh, had made this claim in a letter to GECOM Chair, Justice Claudette Singh, in which he explained that the instructions came from Miss Carlyn Duncan (Clerk to the Returning Officer Mr. Clairmont Mingo-District # 4).

PPP/C candidate, Mr Peter Ramsaroop, said in an online interview that “…“It’s the fact that they rigged the system when they found out that they are not going to win the elections. They went in the top floor in the Ashmin’s building and figured out how they were going to fake the numbers,,, in total, APNU+AFC lost the elections by 25,000 votes and there was no room for cheating based on those numbers…. Mr. Clairmont Mingo, making declarations from a spreadsheet and not from the SoPs. He (Mingo) then took the results presentation the said afternoon to the GECOM offices in Kingston…

And again another parade of false declarations from SoPs. All the political parties there asked to examine the SoPs so that we can see that you are presenting results from authentic SoPs, and that was refused.”

During the tabulation process, Mingo apparently faked illness and this began a series of machinations by GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield and other GECOM staffers, most caught on camera, in plain attempts to derail the elections.

Illegal signatures on Mingo’s false declarations by APNU Chairperson Volda Lawrence and member Carol Joseph further decelerated the process and created great chaos.

The slew of arrests and consequential court appearances of those embroiled and implicated in electoral fraud charges keep increasing daily, but none has given as much satisfaction as the arrests of Mingo and Lowenfield, whose flawed and erroneous reports, subsequent to

Mingo’s charade, further agonised the nation.

Among the multiplicity of frivolous and vexatious court cases, all at taxpayers’ expense, brought against GECOM in attempts to derail the elections was an appeal filed by A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change, (APNU+AFC) Counting Agent, Misenga Jones to block the final elections declarations, whereby Justice Claudette Singh asked the Court to ensure that electoral fraud is not perpetuated in Guyana.

A statement by ANUG clarified the elections imbroglio, in part: “The election was conducted in a fair and orderly manner by the electorate. The count of ballots by the Presiding Officers at Places of Poll was done in the presence of GECOM officials, international and local observers, and representatives of the two large political parties, the APNU and the PPP. Their Statements of Poll were distributed to the party representatives, and sent by GECOM to the Regional Officers for each region.

In each region except Region 4, the Regional Officers assessed the SOP’s and declared the results of the elections for their regions.

The result was that PPP enjoyed a lead in excess of 50,000 votes before the SOP’s for Region Four were assessed. APNU required 50,000 votes to win in Region Four in order to win the election.

APNU has never won Region Four by such a large margin before.

The Regional Officer for region 4 fraudulently assessed the SoP’s and declared a win for APNU by over 60,000 votes. David Granger, Basil Williams, David Patterson, Kathy Hughes and most APNU officials dismissed PPP assertions of fraud, and claimed a victory on the count of the SoP’s by Mingo. They began to celebrate their ‘victory’. Granger declared to his followers that ‘The APNU have won the election’.

Then litigation resulted in a recount of the ballots. In that recount, the nation learned that Mingo had lied, that Granger had lied, that Williams, Patterson, Hughes and the entire contingent of the APNU leadership had lied. On the count of the ballots, PPP leads the APNU by 15,000 votes.

In an unprecedented unity of purpose, all of Guyana, except APNU+AFC, the international community and CARICOM joined together in standing up for democracy throughout the process and consequently democracy prevailed in the end.

However, as a priority, constitutional reform, with changing the configuration of GECOM an imperative, should be an engagement undertaken with alacrity so that the Guyanese nation would never again be held to ransom and endure such an agonising series of gimmickry to keep a despotic, dictatorial regime in power as transpired pre and post elections of March 2020.

ANUG sees no conflict of interest with Ramkarran accepting gov’t adviser post Dear Editor,

PLEASE allow me to respond to the letter written by GHK Lall “The acceptance of advisory roles call into question motives of small party leaders” (Kaieteur News, August 25, 2020, pg4) and the article by Peeping Tom “Conflict or Conflation of Interest?” (Kaieteur News, August 26, 2020, pg9).

Insinuations were made that the leadership of the smaller, I prefer newer, parties have placed themselves in conflict of interest positions by accepting advisory

roles with the present PPP/C Government.

We take this opportunity to inform your readers and the nation at large, of a few things which have occurred recently within the A New and United Guyana (ANUG) political party.

1. Mr. Ralph Ramkarran, on August 5, 2020, informed the ANUG executive that he will not be seeking re-election as the General Secretary of the party, at the upcoming elections. He encouraged the executive to hold the election of new office bearers as early as possible within the

parameters of the COVID-19 regulations. 2. Mr. Ramkarran, on August 12, 2020, informed the ANUG executive that he had received correspondence from the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Ms. Gail Teixeira, requesting the submission of the names of five ANUG representatives for inclusion on the boards of State agencies. ANUG views this as an early step toward inclusive governance by the new governing party. Mr. Ramkarran recommended that ANUG accept the offer since it offered an opportunity for the promotion of transparency and

accountability within the realm of the state apparatus. 3. Mr. Ramkarran, on August 17, 2020, informed the ANUG executive that he was asked by the PPP/C Government to continue to serve as an Adviser on Border Issues to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The ANUG executive sees no conflict of interest with Mr. Ramkarran accepting the position of, and serving the present government and the people of Guyana, as an adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the following reasons: A) This is a position he has served in

for the past 26 years, under both the APNU+AFC and the previous PPP/C Governments.

This is a position in which Mr. Ramkarran has vast experience and remains an asset to any Guyanese Government.

B) Mr. Ramkarran will not be seeking re-election as the General Secretary of ANUG at its next internal election of office bearers. C) Mr. Ramkarran will not be representing ANUG in Parliament when ANUG assumes its seat as per the Joinder Agreement. It is for the above reasons that we, the

ANUG executive, support Mr. Ramkarran’s acceptance of the offered position as Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and anticipate that he will provide sterling support to the minister in whatever capacity required.

Yours sincerely, Jonathan Yearwood Nadia Sagar Mark France Laura Singh Akanni Blair Aruna Budhram Carlos Gonsalves

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE , August 30, 2020

Illegal loggers and high fees affecting investment in forestry sector

Dear Editor,

IT comes as no surprise that the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), a semi-autonomous Government Agency, with the oversight mandate to regulate the sustainable harvesting of one of our most valuable natural resources, had to be bailed out from the verge of bankruptcy by the newly-formed government.

While the GFC has been experiencing financial difficulties for a few years now, two of the main contributing factors to its many problems are: the ineffective implementation of

certain aspects of the forestry regulations, and the enormity of its fees structure, both of which hinder sectorial investment.

According to a published article titled: “Forestry Commission struggling to pay staffers” in the Kaieteur News on April 13, 2019, “staffers claim that when they find illegal operations they are told to stand down, and there are likely no payments of the hefty fines, money that is needed to pay staffers” – an indisputable statement.

Illegal loggers continue to enjoy a free pass, while legal concession holders bear the bur-

den of hefty regulatory costs to set up and maintain their operations in accordance with the various categories of agreements with the Forestry Commission.

These concession raiders consist of known individuals and rogue companies who conspire to manipulate and cheat the system to its disadvantage.

Now, the impact illegal logging has on the sector should never be taken lightly. For years, this problem has plagued the sector, and although it was highlighted as a major sectorial issue, it never garnered the attention and action of the administration; all the while,

President acted wisely in seeking Payara review Dear Editor, GENERALLY speaking, it is very difficult, though not impossible, to break a contract with a multinational corporation. Breaking a contract is fraught with serious consequences, some political.

Anyone who studies political science would know how MNCs shape domestic politics. Nevertheless the government must attempt to seek some kind of additional benefits for Guyana and certainly enforcement of, as well as variation in, local content agreements.

It requires best negotiation skills and strategies to get Exxon to give more benefits to Guyana without actually billing Guyana for them. Guyana is today the most profitable asset of Exxon. It has been dumping various assets around the globe but retaining Guyana’s, that is described as “new frontier”. In fact, Exxon has been de-listed on the NY Stock Exchange. Guyana is its saving grace for now – the best deal it ever got globally.

The least President Ali can do is to review Payara and reset it.

People must put aside all the bad press and innuendoes and allow the government to proceed with the completion of the review of the FDP. It is only fair that a new government be given some leeway over the review and its negotiations with Exxon. Suggestions can be made to reset it.

The government is looking at the bigger picture of the long term future of the oil industry in seeking a review. It will set the model for future reviews of FDP and there may be another dozen over the next 30 thirty years, the term of life of oil extraction. Review of Payara gives government an opportunity to set its own standards based on world recognised best practices on FDP. And

the government will not disappoint.

While Payara FDP is being reviewed as committed, the government has no choice in the selection of the reviewer. The Canadian donor selects the reviewer which is led by Ms. Allison Redford and comprises of Guyanese Canadian as well.

Payara is a complicated project.

I can’t imagine Redford would rubberstamp things. I expect a professional review. Further independent review of the FDP can and should be undertaken by the government to the satisfaction of critics to maximise benefits to Guyana.

As revealed, Bayphase did the technical review of the Payara FDP for the Granger government and Redford team is conducting a review of the FDP. As reported, the Redford Team is reviewing the methodology used in the FDP. When completed, it is hoped that it would be a framework for future negotiations – creating a model that would work for Guyana and perhaps other countries in similar predicament as Guyana.

Contrary to what is rumoured, there is no conflict of interest between the Redford team and Exxon.

It is noted that the lawyers retained by the preceding government for the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) and preparation of earlier FDPs were blatantly conflicted with Exxon. They were lobbyists for Exxon; that in and of itself raises legal questions about the contract.

The lawyers failed the preceding Guyana government in oversight role. Its report is due by weekend.

The emphasis on Payara review is not on PSA but on issues pertaining to the environment and role of local stakeholders in supplying materials and resources and providing service to Exxon. So far, under the previous regime, Guyanese have minimal role in local content other than supplying bhajji and bora. The

last government did not listen to public views on local content.

The Ali government is listening. The PSA concluded by the Granger administration in 2016 is lopsided in favour of Exxon. The government had an opportunity to negotiate a fair contract (with higher royalty and profit sharing) but failed in that mission. We read that it refused sound advice and that the negotiator, Minister Trotman, was instructed to sign the contract. Who instructed him to sign the contract, we don’t know and he won’t reveal the name(s).

Was Exxon contract negotiated in good faith? Did the government send a competent team to do the negotiation? Was independent technical advice proffered? Trotman should not have negotiated and or sign the contract unless it was reviewed by experts acting on behalf of the interests of the nation. He said he didn’t read it.

He should have. One cannot enter into a contract without reading it. Why wasn’t it read? It was irresponsible behaviour – he was acting on the nation’s interest.

Was he forced to sign it? And if so, by who? Somebody (ies), not the Ali administration, must be held accountable for this PSA and conflicts of interests associated with it. The Ali government has to honour the contract unless it can legally be shown to be unfair and Exxon was at fault. One has to make a strong, legal case for renegotiation. The Exxon contract was negotiated and signed in the US. So American court has jurisdiction.

President Ali has acted wisely to recover an unjust situation on oil development. He deserve support for present course of action.

Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

most concession holders continue to lose stock in their forest-block-inventory.

Further, forest raiders take advantage of loopholes in the system. Although reports are made of illegal activities, when caught by concession holders during routine boundary surveillance, the illegal loggers are operating with impunity.

Not to mention, the unsustainable and destructive manner they use in harvesting logs, for example, the cutting down of small sized trees for logs along with endangered species of trees, thereby destroying the environment. Eventually, their loot makes its way to the open market selling at lower rates than legal concession holders, and the cycle continues.

Operating in the forestry

sector is by no means easy.

There is the constant need to conform to onerous regulatory controls against the backdrop of intensive capital investments and volatile markets.

But the enormity of the fees structure in place for certain category of operators is by far one of the biggest hurdles.

Because of this, illegal loggers take advantage of the situation and undermine the highly regulated concessionaires. In other words, certain categories of operators incur high cost of production and even pay for the lost logs through high fixed acreage fees and royalties, while having to compete against their looters. The playing field is uneven thus leading to the decimation of investment and revenue stream

in the forestry sector.

Indeed, there is significant loss of revenue through the pilfering of forest resources coupled with investment shrinkage such as, in the case of Barama and other large companies. However, for the Forestry Commission to dig itself out of debt, it needs to clamp down on illegal logging and restructure its plethora of burdensome fees that is creating an unfair advantage. These changes will raise more revenues, attract more investments, and contribute to the longterm economic success of the forestry sector.

Yours faithfully, Capt. Ahamad Mazahar Ally Director for AMSL

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Take it over

SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 30, 2020

–– former AG, Basil Williams pushes gov’t to acquire Ocean View Hotel

FORMER Attorney-General (AG) Basil Williams says with the increase in COVID-19 deaths and surges in positive cases, it is necessary that the government secures acquisition of the Ocean View Hotel Limited in combatting the pandemic.

In a letter to the press on Saturday, Williams stated that this compulsory acquisition has its genesis in the search by the Ministry of Public Health, under the APNU+AFC government, for quarantine facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel was renovated under the Coalition government to the tune of $1.6B. Williams’ call came amid a demand from owner of Ocean View Hotel Limited, Jacob Rambarran demanding that the current government pays him one year of rent at a monthly rental of $13M. The former attorney-general, in justifying his call to the current government, explained that the former Cabinet had found during its deliberations that the Ocean View Hotel Limited is presently indebted to the Guyana National Co-operative Bank (GNCB) to the tune of in excess of $1,069,425,886 .

The debt, he said, was incurred pursuant to several loan transactions, firstly with the Guyana Co-operative Agricultural and Industrial Development Bank (GAIBANK), and then with its successor in title, GNCB. The former AG noted that the APNU+ AFC Government had submitted the requisite authority, under the hand of the relevant minister, authorising a sworn land surveyor of the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission to deposit the documents contemplated

Former AG, Basil Williams under Section 9 (1) of the Acquisition of Lands for Public Purposes Act, Chapter 62:05, with the exception of the Certificate of Compensation, to the effect that the National Assembly has voted the sum necessary for compensation for the acquisition of the Ocean View Hotel.

“The Parliament having been dissolved for the holding of the General and Regional Elections, the said Certificate of Compensation could not have been deposited; instead, a Letter of Undertaking, under the hand of the Minister of Finance, stated that when the National Assembly is convened, the appraised sum of the Chief Valuation Officer will be voted on,” Williams explained.

The Chief Valuation Officer, he said, had appraised the said hotel in the sum of $1,144,100,000.00 (one billion, one

Ocean View Hotel proprietor, Jacob Rambarran hundred and forty-four million, one hundred thousand dollars), cost-rounded approach, and for-sale value would be the sum of $850M. Reflecting on the procedure, Williams explained that there were consultations between the Public Health Ministry and the Pan American Health Organisation and World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO).

This determined, he said, that the capacity of the current medical facilities was wholly inadequate to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

MOST SUITABLE The Ministry of Public Health, he noted, then immediately embarked on a search for a suitable place, and found that the Ocean View Hotel Limited was the most suitable, given the circumstances.

A presentation, he said, was made to Cabinet, based on advice proffered by Mr. Andrew M. F. Pollard, of the Hughes, Fields and Stoby Law Firm, which caused Cabinet to consider whether to lease or own the property in question.

The former AG said it was determined by Cabinet that the best option would be to own the property through compulsory acquisition. The debt was secured by several Debentures.

“A First Debenture Registered No. 1134/1993 in favour of GAIBANK as a floating charge on the assets of the company to secure $143,563,500; a Second Debenture Registered No. 1182/1993 in favour of GAIBANK as a (fixed and) floating charge on the assets of the company to secure $55,436,500; and a Third Debenture Registered No. 1305/1995 in favour of GNCB as a fixed and floating charge on the assets of the company to secure $20,000,000,” Williams stated in his letter.

Acknowledging that the Ocean View Hotel defaulted on payment of the sums due, Williams said that by an instrument dated the 29th day of May, 2009, GNCB appointed a Receiver of the Ocean View Hotel’s undertaking, a Mr. Courtney Perry, with a view to taking over the management of the hotel, and a sale of it to recover the debt.

Mr. Perry remains the Receiver up to the present time, and is still active in this Receivership.

The former AG stated that several civil proceedings were instituted in the High Court against GNCB and the Receiver by Winston Rambaran, the sole shareholder, and a Director of the Ocean View Hotel Limited.

On the 10th day of March, 2016, the former AG said, Justice Rishi Persaud gave judgment in the High Court in Winston Rambaran & Ocean View Hotel Limited v. GNCB & Courtney Perry (Receiver); Civil Action No. 899-CD of 2009 (Demerara) in favour of the Receiver.

“The court ruled that the appointment of the Receiver was lawful, proper and effective. It was further ordered by the court that the receiver recover the sum of $223,800,000 against the Ocean View Hotel, together with interest thereon at 17.5 per cent (seventeen decimal five percentum) per annum from the said 10th day of March, 2016, until fully paid. [Jacob] Winston Rambaran has appealed to the Court of Appeal, but the appeal has not yet been heard.

There was no stay of execution, nor any cross-appeal by GNCB,” Williams noted.

DEMAND Meanwhile, in the first week of August, owner and sole shareholder of the Ocean View Hotel, Rambarran demanded that the new government pay one year of rent at a monthly rental of $13M. Rambarran has written the new government, through his Attorney, R. Satram, four days after President Dr. Irfaan Ali was sworn in and one day after the new Cabinet was appointed. The letter is dated August 6th, 2020.

However, Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo had said that Rambarran “will have a long wait” for any payment for the property.

Jagdeo has justified his position by saying that the new PPP/C administration plans to launch an investigation to determine how the previous government arrived at the deal, and the manner in which public funds were utilitised for the hospital, which was dubbed the Centre for Disease Prevention.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 30, 2020

COVID-19 hospital ready to house positive cases

PHASE One of the repurposing of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has been completed, allowing for the housing of COVID-19-positive patients in the facility’s isolation section.

In recent weeks, key works were implemented to ensure the roll-out of Phase One. Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony on Saturday told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that hospital beds, bedside cupboards and other necessary items have been acquired to ensure that isolated patients

lar section for isolation is now in a state of readiness.

“Our challenge has been electricity to the building; there was no connection to the main power supply, and I have asked the ministers responsible for both electricity and water, and they have been very responsive by speaking to their technical staff,” Minister Anthony said. “So I am optimistic that we will get electricity into the building today (Saturday).”

The minister noted that with the isolation

Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony being given a guided tour of the COVID-19 hospital by Director of Medical and Professional Services, Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey, and CEO of the GPHC, Brigadier Retired George Lewis. Also in the photo is Minister of Public Affairs within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, along with other officials from the GPHC (DPI photo)

Some of the beds at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (MoH photo) are housed comfortably.

More importantly, key utilities which were not previously installed are expected to be fitted (by the close of today) to power the rooms in the isolation section. With this in place, the minister said that this particu-

section up and running at the facility, with at least 47 beds, the burden will be removed from the Georgetown Public Hospital, thereby allowing them to cater to more severe cases.

It was disclosed that another section of

the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has been dedicated to housing pre-andpost-natal maternity cases.

GPHC Medical and Professional Services Director, Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey, who took the health minister and a team on a guided tour of the facility, explained that official capacity for the maternity section is 42 beds; however, that number can be increased, since as much as two beds can be placed to a room.

Remaining works will continue, and persons being housed there will not be in contact with staff working on site. He also said that GPHC has in place a skeleton staff that will attend to patients there.

Providing details on Phase Two, Dr. Jeffrey said, “We will start activating the Intensive Care Unit and the High-Dependency Unit, which is called the HDU. But to do that, we need to have piped oxygen, [therefore] we need to get equipment like ventilators, patient monitors, and electrocardiograph machines, and we would also like to have the operating suite ready and activated.”

According to Dr. Jeffrey, the current budget set aside only allows for Phase One to be rolled out, and indicated that Phase Two will progress over a three to fourmonth period. This will eventually see the complete facility being fully utilised. (DPI)

Guyana receives US$46M for third crude lift GUYANA has received US$46 million as proceeds from the sale of its third million-barrel of crude, taking the country’s total earnings from the oil-and-gas sector to over US$140 million.

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat told the Guyana Chronicle that the Bank of Guyana confirmed Guyana’s receipt of US$46,046,937, which was deposited in the country’s Natural Resources Fund (NRF) at a US Federal Bank.

Guyana, new to the

oil-and-gas sector, sold its first million-barrel of crude on February 19, 2020, raking in nearly US$55M. In its second million-barrel sale, the country received US$35M. Along with the new deposit and the US$4.9M in royalties received from first-quarter gross production and interest, Guyana has over US$140M in its NRF. It was reported that the country could expect its fourth shipment of crude in November 2020, as the Ministry of Natural

Resources is working to secure a suitable firm to market Guyana’s crude by October.

Recently, the government decided to re-tender the Request For Proposal (RFP) for companies to market Guyana’s crude, with the aim of correcting bids made under the then “illegal” APNU+AFC Government. Previously, 34 large oil traders had submitted proposals, and 19 were shortlisted. It is likely that many of these companies or more will re-submit proposals.

“We’re trying to wrap up this process sometime early October; the process of selecting the company, because the next lift will be some time in November. So we need to give the company some time to be ready,” Minister Bharrat said.

Guyana is entitled to five crude cargoes for this year, as part of its profit share with ExxonMobil and its Joint-Venture (JV) partners. This means that with Shell having received its three cargoes, the country can market its

crude to another company or location.

This will be in addition to a two per cent royalty on all crude produced at the Liza Phase 1 Development; 12.5 per cent profit oil; withholding taxes; foreign direct investments and benefits from JV initiatives, employment and jobs for service suppliers.

As ExxonMobil liquidates its costs, by 2025, 50 per cent of all Guyana’s oil sold will come to Guyana, rising up to 52 per cent return on every barrel of oil sold.

Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 30, 2020

Understanding Energy…

Tapping gas to power the future IN recent days, the new government has stated it would refocus its attention on the much-talked-about concept of bringing natural gas from the Stabroek oil field offshore to power Guyana’s electric grid.

The PPP is understandably eager to make its own mark on Guyana’s development, and has pledged its commitment to projects that bring quick and tangible benefits to our people. Taking advantage of the gas resources found in the Stabroek Block, and transitioning to gas-to-power infrastructure is one way that the new government can accomplish exactly that.

Gas-generated electricity has significant positive benefits over the heavy fuel oil plants that Guyana currently uses, and has been shown to decrease the cost of electricity, provide a more reliable power supply, and contribute to cleaner air and a better business environment. Although increased government revenues is the most immediate and significant benefit from Guyana’s new oil development, lower energy costs for Guyanese consumers and companies would be a major bonus for us all.

ExxonMobil Guyana President, Alistair Routledge told reporters recently that about one-fifth of the resources discovered so far in the Stabroek Block contain natural gas, most of which would be associated gas produced with the crude oil.

High energy prices have been highlighted by CARICOM as a limiting factor in the cost of doing business, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated that a gas-to-power plant is a potential bonus from the oil development of Guyana. Furthermore, lower emissions with the use of a gasto-power plant will benefit residents, commercial businesses, and international industrial consumers operating in Guyana.

At a recent press conference, Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo made it clear that the government will make approving a pipeline to shore and a new power system a priority.

While the development of this project, and the construction of a subsea pipeline would take a number of years in Guyana, the IMF reports that switching to gas could save Guyanese customers up to G$29.01 per kilowatt hour. This decreased cost will not only

make life easier for local residents by making energy more reliable and cheaper, but will also make the cost of doing business lower for local companies. One of the main concerns among businesses has long been the high cost of energy and regular blackouts. Those costs make it hard for many energy-intensive industries to thrive here.

An efficient fast-tracked approval process for gas-to-power could further expand the gains that have already been made in local content. With dozens of Guyanese returning from international training programmes ready to work in the energy industry, adding gas and gas power plants to Guyana’s expanding energy sector could offer additional opportunities for workers and companies to get involved.

In addition to lower costs, the project is also likely to have the positive secondary impacts of lowered emissions and efficiency. Natural gas plants release less than half the carbon dioxide emissions of heavy-fuel oil plants, and almost none of the dangerous particulate emissions. They’re also considered highly compatible with renewables development, since they can rapidly cycle on and off to make up for periods of time when the wind isn’t blowing, or the sun isn’t shining.

Former Trinidad & Tobago Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine, who was recently named by the government to serve on a panel to review Guyana’s local-content policy, said the “real potential (of gas) lays with power generation, which will ultimately lead to cheaper and cleaner electricity for the country.” He told industry publication, OilNOW that there could be enough resources in the Stabroek Block to supply a 180-megawatt power plant.

The gas-to-power plant opportunity that Guyana has will significantly improve the long-term development of Guyana by lowering energy prices, making electricity more efficient and reliable, and decreasing emissions.

These impacts will be tangible for not only families in Guyana, but for businesses working and investing in the development of the country.

These benefits will also open new doors for new industries, especially manufacturing, to enter the Guyana market and create more economic activity, positively effecting people, and businesses.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 30, 2020

German technician to activate asphalt plant

By Navendra Seoraj

WITH an anticipated increase in infrastructural development across the country, government is working to get a German technician into Guyana, in order to complete work on the modern Eco 2000 Batch Mix Asphalt Plant.

The $488 million plant arrived in Guyana in July 2019 and once completed will be able to produce 160 tonnes of material per hour.

This is in contrast to the present plant in operation which produces only 30 tonnes of material per hour. The plant was purchased using revenues generated by Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC) so it did not require funds from the Consolidated Fund.

The mechanical installation of the plant is about 98 per cent complete, with just one piece of equipment yet to be installed by a German technician.

years to come, as it will cater to the needs of the infrastructure sector.

“We intend that with the passage of budget 2020, there will be accelerated procurement and in that environment, roads and development in communities will have to accelerate, so we want to ensure we have this plant up and running,” said Minister Edghill.

The minister said a $488 million investment cannot just be sitting around, gathering dust, when it can be utilised by both the private and public sectors. At the same time, he believes that the mandate of this facility is to ensure that the prices are competitive when compared to that of private sector operators, who are in business of a similar nature.

Being competitive also means ensuring that there is no shortage of asphaltic concrete to help with the development agenda of not just the government, but other sectors.

“We have to work out ways and means of

The Eco 2000 Batch Mix Asphalt Plant (Adrian Narine photos) other things.

“From then onwards, this becomes an important facility…so training of operators is key and the maintenance schedules must be kept because this is a key asset of the country,” said Minister Edghill.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, also advised manage-

Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, and Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, along with Plant Manager of the Asphalt Plant, Troy Halley, inspect the Asphalt Plant “My instructions are that a German technician has to come in for the completion and installation of the necessary equipment,” said Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, following a tour of the plant, on Friday.

He said the technician should arrive in Guyana, very soon, on one of the chartered Eastern Airline flights out of New York.

The asphalt plant, which operates under the DHBC, will be critical in the months/

ensuring that we are always in supply of bitumen which has to be shipped by containers out of Geneva…we have to ensure that we have the quality stones, sand and other raw materials on site,” said Minister Edghill.

The facility will be under the ‘spotlight’ so management is expected to be proactive at all times. It will be used to service miscellaneous roads, urban roads, and the potential bypass road from Ogle to Diamond, among

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, queries something with manager of the Asphalt Plant, Troy Halley

ment of the facility to always have support services because it is an automated plant.

Support services will be pivotal in ensuring that when Guyana experiences its economic boom, there is no technical glitch which will hamper the progress which will come in the form of roads, bridges, interconnection of highways and so forth.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 30, 2020

Six new REOs appointed ON Monday, six new officials will be taking up office as Regional Executive Officers (REOs). The new appointments were announced, Saturday, by Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall.

Former Deputy Regional Executive Officer for Region One, Teka Bissessar, was appointed REO by the minister for the region.

Devanand Ramdatt, who has a wealth of academic achievements to his name and held the positions of Assistant Director of Youth and former regional chairman of the region, was appointed Region Two REO. Region Three, Five, Six and Nine will be headed by Jagnarine Somwar, Genevieve Blackman, Narindra Persaud and Karl Singh respectively.

Somwar has been serving

the government since 2004 and was also appointed Justice of the Peace and Commission of Affidavits by former President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo. In addition to his work experience, his academic qualifications boast of several certificates.

Narindra Persaud, an educator for more than 20 years, previously served as a regional councillor for Region Four and manager of the Materials Management Unit, Ministry of Health.

Blackman previously served as deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education (2012 – 2017), chief executive officer for the Board of Industrial Training (2011), and Coordinator for the World Bank-funded HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control project at the Ministry of Labour, among other positions.

Holding several management certificates, Karl Singh

would have been the regional vice-chairman for Region Nine (2015-2020) and will now be REO for the region.

Meanwhile, the REOs for three regions have been retained from the previous APNU+AFC Administration.

Pauline Lucas, Kerwin Ward and Mitzy Campbell will be continuing their tenure as REO for Region Four, Seven and Eight, respectively.

An REO for Region 10 has not yet been appointed; however, this is expected to be done soon.

The minister’s list has showcased several competent and qualified individuals.

He has expressed his wishes that the appointees will participate in building the nation.

“We wish them well and we look forward to their profound administration of our regions as we forge ahead to rebuild the regional de-

The Regional Executive Officers appointed by the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development. From top left, Karl Singh (Region Nine), Narindra Persaud (Region Six) and Devanand Ramdatt (Region Two). From bottom right, Jagnarine Somwar (Region Three), Teka Bissessar (Region One) and Genevieve Blackman (Region Five) (DPI photo)The Regional Executive Officers appointed by the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development. (from top left) Karl Singh (Region 9), Narindra Persaud (Region 6) and Devanand Ramdatt (Region 2). (from bottom right) Jagnarine Somwar (Region 3), Teka Bissessar (Region 1) and Genevieve Blackman (Region 5) velopment system in Guyana,” Minister Dharamlall stated. (DPI)

Massive ganja fields in Berbice River destroyed

–– guns, ammo, motorcycles and vehicles discovered at camps A DRUG-ERADICATION operation, led by a senior officer in B Division, accompanied by several ranks, successfully destroyed three fields of cannabis sativa, in De Veldt, Berbice River, on Friday.

The exercise netted some 30,000 plants that weighed 20,168 kilograms, with a street value of hundreds of millions of dollars.

According to police sources, the plants were discovered some three miles into the Savanah from a landing in De Veldt and were under cultivation in three fields with different stages from as small as two inches to five feet in height.

The guns that were found at the camps at De Veldt, Berbice River on Friday They were cut down and subsequently burnt. In addition to the plants, there were four camps that had some plucked cannabis, mold, seed and other cultivation materials that were also destroyed by the ranks.

A search of the surrounding areas led to the discovery of two tractors, two motorcycles, 1 ATV and a Toyota Tacoma. A further search of the Tacoma unearthed a .32 revolver and a Magnum Rifle, along with three 12-gauge shotgun cartridges and one live 9mm round.

The Berbice River area is known for being under cultivation of the illegal plant. Numerous raids have been conducted, over the years, that destroyed billions of dollars worth in plants but this has not deterred the ‘Ganja Farmers’ from continuing to find new areas and methods to continue the cultivation. Use of drones and other modern surveillance techniques by the Guyana Police Force has brought them tremendous success in recent times.

However, given the remote locations of the fields, they are usually unmanned at most times, so, while the police destroy the fields they seldom get to make arrests as no one is usually around.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 30, 2020

Harmon makes risky call to supporters

APNU General-Secretary Joseph Harmon has put his party supporters in a compromising situation with a call for them to gather in their numbers to support the filing of two elections petitions at the High Court on Monday.

“The petition will be filed on Monday 31st August, 10 am, Supreme Court Building. We are asked to mobilise in numbers to lend support to our party. We want a big manifestation against this persecution that is going on,” Harmon stated in a Facebook post.

As of August 29, 2020, forty new COVID-19 cases were recorded, bringing the total number of known cases to 1,184.

Three new COVID deaths were announced on Friday, bringing the total to 35.

In light of this situation, a few Coalition parliamentarians are expected to participate in the opening of the 12th Parliament virtually.

The A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) will be filing two election petitions to challenge the declaration of the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections.

In catering for failure, Alliance For Change (AFC) Chairman, Raphael Trotman on Friday, during a virtual press conference, said filing multiple petitions is necessary, given the

Motorcyclist kills toddler in North-West District accident A TODDLER of Kariako Village, Barama River, North-West District, is now dead after she was struck by a motorcycle while on the road with her teenage sister.

Dead is one-year-old, Nesiha Alexander. The accident occurred on Wednesday at Kariako Village around 19:30 hours. The matter was reported to the police on Friday night.

The suspect, who was riding the motorcycle at the time, has been identified as 25-year-old, Cain James.

He is yet to be arrested.

Police are making preparations to visit area, which is remote.

Reports indicate that Neshia was with her 13-yearold sister, Charmaine Samuels, standing in the corner of the roadway. Charmaine was holding her little sister’s hand when the motorcycle, which was proceeding along the said road, collided with them.

As a result of the impact, the toddler fell onto the roadway and sustained injuries to her head and body.

She was picked up in an unconscious condition and taken home, and then rush to the Kumaka District Hospital by her parents.

Nesiha was pronounced dead at about 09:00 hours, on Thursday, by a doctor.

The body of the one-year-old girl is currently at the Moruca District Hospital mortuary awaiting a post mortem examination.

success rate of such applications.

“It’s not the first time that multiple petitions are being filed following an election, and with good reason. Should one fail, there’s another to stand up, because the law, with respect to petitions, is very strict, and many petitions, in fact, have failed. I believe there has only been one successful petition,” he explained.

The former minister said that it is also always important to have multiple petitions, so if there is a defect in one, that defect will not be found in the other.

The application was made on Thursday last by Attorney-at-law Roysdale Forde, on behalf of the applicants Claudette Thorne and Heston Bostwick, both residents of Georgetown.

The filing attorneys are Forde, along with Trinidad Se-

APNU General Secretary, Joseph Harmon

nior Counsel John Jeremie, Raphael Trotman (who is also chairman of the opposition party, AFC), and Olayne Joseph.

A national recount of the elections results, which was agreed to by former President David Granger and then Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, showed that the PPP/C secured 233,336 votes, while the APNU+AFC obtained 217,920, a difference of some 15,416 votes.

Despite the certified results of the national recount, the Coalition still insists on alleged voter irregularities, claiming dead and migrated persons had voted at the March polls.

But after five months of a series of litigation and delaying tactics, the PPP/C was finally declared winners of the March 2, 2020 elections by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), and Dr. Irfaan Ali was sworn in as Guyana’s ninth Executive President on August 2, 2020.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 30, 2020

Farmers taught climate-smart techniques during pandemic THE climate smart agriculture solution provided by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) is seen as ‘a learning-by-doing’ tool for farmers and their children who are home from school due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to FAO Communication Consultant, Shara Seelall, this engagement had provided an opportunity for improved skills and economic gains during the pandemic while allowing farmers and their children to be more meaningfully occupied in a safe environment.

She explained that the FAO and IICA provided technical guidance and materials to support over 30 farmers affiliated with the Parika/Namryck Farmers Association.

The farmers benefitted from two weeks of training on the construction management of shadehouses, how to grow plants in a structured setting and making the best use of small spaces. Materials such as wood and greenhouse plastic were provided to offset the cost for farmers.

One farmer of Parika noted, “My son is learning and helping me to produce more and his friends are asking him for assistance.”

Seelall noted that since COVID-19 emerged, life has changed for everyone around the world while transforming food systems to maintain food security became one of the biggest challenges in this global pandemic, especially with the climate change.

She explained that the FAO and IICA facilitated a pilot project on Climate Smart

Agriculture for farmers in the Parika/Namryck communities of Region Three.

The communication consultant said that these communities are prone to floods while the rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns increase soil vulnerability.

“Added to climate variability are pests and crop diseases and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide all of which add more stress to farmers,” she noted.

The FAO-IICA pilot offered, she said, is an affordable greenhouse solution known as a shadehouse that is effective on a small, sustainable scale to mitigate some of the effects of climate change and provided strategies for small farmers to adapt to the changing environment.

ADAPTIVE CAPACITY Seelall said greenhouses cannot reverse climate change, but they are well suited to increase the adaptive capacity for farming.

Adding that greenhouse crop production is a growing reality globally, she said the degree of sophistication and the technologies applied depend on local climatic conditions.

She explained that a range of materials and techniques are available for shading such as external shade cloths, coloured nets, partially reflective shade screens, water film over the roof and liquid foam between the greenhouse walls.

The FAO communications consultant said the use of shade houses in the tropics has increased in recent years.

“They are very effective in managing

One of the many shaded areas developed by the Parika/Namryck farming communities air and crop temperature, provide a better environment (micro-climate) to increase the rate of photosynthesis (photosynthesis minus photorespiration) and reduce mitochondrial respiration thus contributing to a more suitable environment for better yields,” she said.

She continued: “The COVID-19 pandemic reminded us that our food systems are vulnerable to external shocks. While we are trying to keep agriculture safely operating as an essential service, accessing

agri-food is challenging for those who have lost their income and jobs as well as vulnerable groups such as single female-headed households, indigenous communities, rural dwellers, the elderly, the unemployed and under-employed and persons living below or on the poverty line.”

FAO and IICA share similar agendas relating to sustainable farming and economic growth, increasing resilience to See page 15

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 30, 2020

‘PressPlay’ brings IPTV to Guyana –– giving consumers more entertainment options in this restrictive COVID-19 season

WITH the ever-changing trends the world over in technological development, various business owners here are hard at work to flood the local market with new and innovative options, as PressPlay Incorporated

has done by introducing IPTV here.

IPTV, short for Internet Protocol Television, according to the ‘techies’, is the delivery of television content via Internet Protocol networks, as opposed to delivery through

Farmers taught climate-smart ...

From page 14

climate change in rural farming areas and food security.

Added to the training, IICA Representative in Guyana, Wilmot Garnett, advocated that, “it is important to understand that agriculture is a business and farmers should do basic book keeping to track cost of production and yields to ensure profitability for their efforts.”

Garnett reinforced: “we also want to demonstrate conservative use of water and urged farmers to use drip irrigation instead of the sprinkler system which not only waste water but also invite fungus and other pests and detracts from what were strive to achieve-Sustainable Farming”.

Communication Consultant, Shara Seelall, said in a recent visit to the communities, beneficiaries described their first-time experience with the shade house as an opening of many opportunities for learning and improving the way they farm.

She said they also learnt about the safety of crops against climate change and pests, and planting wholesome, high quality crops.

“Parsley, broccoli, lettuce and celery were identified as some of the delicate crops which are grown in the shadehouses and exceeded expectations in production and sales,” she said.

One Parika farmer noted, “I made full use of the five months at home during this COVID-19 and I am enjoying the time planting with the help of my sons.

I always wanted to plant celery and lettuce and now I can do it.”

NEW TECHNOLOGY Dr. Gillian, FAO Representative in Guyana advised, “this is a new technology for these farmers.

It gives them many advantages in their efforts to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change. It also helps them to diversify their production. As they continue to work with the shade houses, they will innovate and achieve much more effectiveness. Together with partners like IICA, we can work to improve agriculture production.”

Among other measurable benefits is the ability to farm consistently during the rainy season and balancing economic gain with sustainable environmental practices.

FAO and IICA plan to expand the small greenhouse farming solution to other locations in an effort to foster long-term viability and food security while building resilience to climate change.

Further, farmers will also benefit from market and price stability through shared agriculture programmes, access to farmers’ markets and local distribution networks.

Overall, small greenhouses offer a safe way to protect livelihoods during this COVID-19 pandemic, improve resilience to climate change and create opportunities for lifelong farming and healthy eating habits.

A resilient agrifood system will support Guyana’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG Two – zero hunger which aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

the traditional terrestrial, satellite, or cable television formats. Unlike downloaded media, IPTV offers the ability to stream the source media continuously.

So what PressPlay Inc is essentially doing here is offering users the opportunity to have over 120 premium ‘high-definition’ channels by optimising the use of their Internet connection.

Since the service’s official launch on August 15, 2020, ‘PressPlay’ Director Amanda Bhaichandeen told the Guyana Chronicle, it has already been having “rave reviews” from customers who have been able

to access it.

She said that the whole idea behind the introduction of this novel IPTV service was to utilise something that almost everyone has access to, which is Internet connection. Noting that what the company is essentially trying to do is make Guyanese more tech-savvy, Bhaichandeen said: “We have created an amazing package that is fully portable; it’s not confining you to your home the way that a cable service would, so you can take your favourite channels on-the-go. Wherever you are, as long as you have a stable Internet con-

nection, you are able to take your favourite TV channels with you.”

Noting that the service is “simple” to access, Bhaichandeen said: “Persons can have access with ease, since all you need is good Internet connection.

You don’t even need to spend money for any extra equipment; you don’t even need anyone to help install it. You just do it yourself.”

She explained that the PressPlay Connect app can be downloaded on any ‘smart’ device, such as a Smart-phone, ‘Tablets’, Smart-TV, and even an Amazon FireStick.

When asked why the company chose to move in this innovative direction, she stated, “Internet is life!

To complement your Internet, we are bringing you a way to use your Internet to be entertained. Everyone is home; all of the children are at home. Those who are working, they want to go home and look at a variety of shows.”

The initial cost of the IPTV Ultimate HD service is $5000, but the company has since added a Select HD service, which is a bit

PressPlay Inc., Director, Amanda Bhaichandeen cheaper at $3500 for 60 HD channels.

And in order to facilitate ease of payments, the company has partnered with local billers in Guyana such as MMG, SurePay, Bill Express, and PayPal. “Everything is done through the website, further promoting a more futuristic experience,” Bhaichandeen said, adding: “PressPlay allows persons to use their service on multiple devices.”

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Essequibo pensioner to get more habitable home PENSIONER Latchmin Ramnauth and Abdool Kareem of Anna Regina New Housing Scheme were smiling with a sigh of relief when Region Two Chairman, Devanand Ramdatt, reached out to them on Thursday.

The pensioners are currently living in a dilapidated wooden house which is on the verge of collapse.

Despite their poor living conditions, the couple makes much and enjoy a peaceful life. On Thursday, the

Region Two Chairman, Devanand Ramdatt, reaching out to the pensioner regional chairman reached out to the couple and during the discussion, the couple told him that they had applied to the Ministry of Housing for a residential house lot, and based on a reply seen by this newspaper, they qualified for a low income lot.

They are, however, waiting on documentation to acquire the same.

They also told the chairman and his team that they are hoping to renovate their home.

The chairman, who was at the time with the Regional Engineer, Kawan Suchit, asked for the building team to be dispatched in the area to help repair the couple’s house.

He also assured them that he will seek other donations to assist them. Ramdatt also encouraged the couple to continue to stay healthy during the pandemic and advised that they use their medications to boost their immune system.

After hearing Ramdatt’s proposed plans, the couple almost broke down in tears.

They were happy that soon they will be living in a better structure they will call home.

Anyone who wishes to donate to this worthy cause can contact the family on 689-3892.

EU stands firmly with Guyana on security matters

AMBASSADOR of the EU to Guyana, Fernando Ponz Cantó, on Friday, met with Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, as part of a series of ongoing courtesy visits to ministers of the new government.

During the meeting, the excellent cooperation between the EU and Guyana was highlighted.

Ambassador Ponz Cantó congratulated the minister for his past and current responsibilities and wished him all possible success, reiterating that EU stands firmly by Guyana to deepen cooperation on any security areas that Guyana identifies, or to assist in mobilising EU member states to cooperate in the same regard.

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First Lady joins ‘Un Dubai group in talks futur –– to increase opportunities for women

FIRST Lady, Arya Ali, on Saturday, participated in the first of a series of meetings organised by the Dubai Vigilance Group (DVG) to reflect on the role of women in today’s society.

The meeting, which was initiated by Her Royal Highness Sheikha Afra Dalmook of Dubai, was the first of its kind between the UAE and leaders of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM).

It was held under the theme: “A moment of reflection for women in this current state of global affairs.”

The inaugural discussion sought to create a foundation for the building of a clear and defined partnership between the UAE and the Caribbean, as the two seek to deepen their relations.

In this regard, two ideas were proposed and will be up for discussion in the coming weeks. The first

First Lady, Arya Ali, during her meeting on Saturday is the establishment of a UAE-CARICOM Women’s Association; and the second, the formation of a Caribbean-Dubai Chamber of Commerce.

These initiatives are expected to be the starting point of a robust relationship between the two parties.

During the discussion,

Her Royal Highness, Sheikha Afra Dalmook, reflected on the role of women, their journey, and accomplishments over the last few decades.

She highlighted that women can be the compass for success since they are the centre of gravity of each society.

She also noted that in or-

der for women to overcome current challenges which they face, strong commitments must be made to ensure that women are put at the centre of development.

For her part, First Lady Arya Ali believes that women across the world continue to navigate societal challenges which disproportionately

affect them, and restrict them from climbing the social and economic ladders.

She is of the unwavering view that serious work must be done to increase opportunities for women and respond to their changing needs.

To support these commitments, the First Lady intends to champion several causes which are aimed at providing social and economic support for women and other vulnerable groups across Guyana.

One such initiative involves the provision of startup capital for micro and small scale businesses owned and operated by women.

The First Lady believes that women must have access to the same kind of resources and opportunities to guarantee not just their participation, but their survival in an increasingly competitive global economy.

Onderneeming receiving water –– water woes temporarily fixed

By Indrawattie Natram RESIDENTS of the Onderneeming Sandpit Area in the Pomeroon-Supenaam region are satisfied they are now receiving potable water.

Recently, Region Two Chairman, Devanand Ramdatt, along with a team, visited the area where the residents complained that the well in the area was not working. Due to this problem, residents were just receiving water from 22:00 hours to 05:00 hours in the morning.

Due to the intervention of Region Two administration, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) dispatched a team of workers to the area where they distribute water to residents as a temporary relief.

The residents explained that they are happy to receive water and the assistance is of great help to them.

“We are thankful to the current administration for prompt interventions. It has brought great relief to housewives in the area and we can now store water and use it when we want,” a housewife related.

Those who had containers collected water and stored it. During a recent public meeting conducted by regional officials in the community, residents said as of the beginning of 2020, the community has been suffering from water woes.

Residents, predominately housewives, are severely affected since they cannot conduct their routine chores. They have also called for the minister of housing and water to review the bills until the metering system is introduced.

GWI Regional Manager, Brionne Gangaram, said efforts are being made to fix the well in the community.

Workers distributing water to residents at the Onderneeming Sandpit Area

By Rabindra Rooplall GREAT entrepreneurs have the ability to change the way we live and work. If successful, their ideas may improve standards of living, and in addition to creating wealth with entrepreneurial ventures, they also create jobs and contribute to a growing economy.

One such entrepreneur is Greggory Vincent called “Uncle Greg” of Gangadeen Street, Matthew’s Ridge.

Matthews Ridge is a small town within Barima-Waini, Region One with approximately 2,000 residents.

Greggory Vincent called ‘Uncle Greg’ With plans to invest in a hardware store soon, Vincent moved to Matthews Ridge after a trip with his brother nine years ago, realising the potential for development and expansion.

“God has a purpose for me and I went there with a vision,” the businessman who was born and raised in Buxton, East Coast Demerara, told this newspaper in an exclusive interview.

He reflected that when he first visited the district, he noticed that there was no business or entrepreneurial endeavours in the area.

“The place was like a ghost town and I decided to go there and create employment,” he said.

Taking a big leap to start a new life in Matthew’s Ridge, Vincent entered the mining, trucking and mechanic businesses which employ almost 100 persons.

He emphasised that mining is a major employer in the district and more opportunities are

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ncle Greg’ sees great re for Matthews Ridge needed to stimulate the sector for its revival since more people can be employed.

He added: “I got into the trucking business, I got a piece of land and I built a workshop. I started training within the workshop so people could learn to be gainfully employed, persons come and learn welding, we made porters into drivers and everyone was given an opportunity to earn.”

The businessman highlighted that most of his profits are reinvested into the community to promote and stimulate development.

BUILDING PROJECTS After assisting residents in the community with jobs, he said he decided to assist with building and maintaining some of the roads in the community.

“I took trucks and bulldozers and we did the road.

I built a ballfield with floodlights at night for the community, many people use the venue to have their recreational activities and I try to assist the region in the best way I can,” he said.

However, he explained that the general road infrastructure and inner roads need to be done, especially if the community is to expand.

Adding that regional officials and those in authority are aware of his contributions, Vincent noted that he is also a friend of the Guyana Police Force and has always extended a helping hand with

his mechanic shop and other activities in the area in order to support law enforcement.

However, the businessman explained that more investors are needed in Matthews Ridge.

“We need more businesses and other forms of employment, we need programmes for the youths in the area since many need to be educated about the negative consequences of drugs and alcohol.”

Noting that his wife is a school teacher for the past 20 years, the businessman said he ensures that all children are equipped with kites for Easter, along with meals, packages and other activities that he can assist with.

He said the community should benefit from social

workers and probation officers since there are too many children and youths out on the streets late at night.

Further, he noted that his workers go around cleaning up the community once every month as time permits and he also dug a large pit where residents can throw their garbage for burial.

The father of three explained that there is also a need for the development of the nursery and secondary schools, as construction and upgrade of the secondary department has been left incomplete.

X-RAY MACHINE He explained that another item that is needed in the district is an x-ray machine to compliment the medical services offered in

Matthews Ridge.

Vincent explained that Matthew Ridge is approximately an hour and half from Port Kaituma, and the community is accessible by river, air and road, and as such, needs an upgrade in water and electricity systems.

Matthew Ridge, he contends, could be promoted as a tourist destination.

He acknowledged that Matthew’s Ridge was without electricity for five months since March. However, the new government is trying to rectify the problem.

“I tried to assist using my own finances by rebuilding the old engine but it could not have held the load, the community previously had electricity from 16:00 hours to 07:00 hours in the morning,” Vincent said.

The businessman uses his machines and workmen to ensure tracts and pathways are created to benefit residents of Mathews Ridge

Workers dumping garbage after a monthly cleanup of the community in a pit dug by the businessman for the community to bury its garbage

Remarking that he has invested heavily in solar generation, Vincent said government has also announce that it intends to invest in solar panels for the district, which is a welcomed initiative.

Further, he noted that what is also needed in Matthews Ridge is the promotion and authorisation of lands to be used for large-scale farming, cattle rearing and poultry.

He said many people are willing to work but opportunities are needed in order to enhance economic devel-

opment.

The businessman explained that the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic development is important to understand for policymakers and business owners.

He said understanding the benefits and drawbacks of entrepreneurship allows a balanced approach to nurturing entrepreneurship, which can result in a positive economic and societal impact.

A welder works in the workshop that has trained many persons in metal fabrication

The businessman uses his resources, trucks and workmen to assist in maintaining the roadways by patching holes that may surface overtime

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Pollard’s brutal 28-ball 72 extends TKR unbeaten run T20 has evolved to the extent that teams now back themselves to chase two runs a ball over the last eight - or even last ten overs of matches.

Those sorts of chases, however, usually involve flat pitches and line-ups packed with hitting talent. Yesterday, Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) probably wouldn’t have backed themselves when Kieron Pollard walked to the crease on a slow Queen’s Park Oval pitch with 87 runs needed from 44 balls, with five wickets in hand.

This was a Knight Riders line-up that lacked Sunil Narine at the top and Dwayne Bravo in the middle. This was a pitch on which Lendl Simmons, the batsman at the other end when Pollard came in, had hit three sixes but no other boundaries while scoring 31 off 26 balls.

Simmons fell soon after Pollard came in, in the 15th over, for 32 off 29. That over, bowled by Mitchell Santner, and the 16th, bowled by Rashid Khan, brought Knight Riders only six runs in total. That left them 62 to get off 24 balls.

Only a handful of players are capable of pulling off such a task, and Pollard has shown repeatedly - despite having been written off on multiple occasions - that he’s one of them.

This, given the modest support available to him from the other end, would be one of his best knocks if he could pull it off, and he did, laying waste to the Tridents’ death bowlers as if he were a 16-year-old ringer in an Under-12s game, launching nine massive sixes in a 28-ball 72 to ensure the Knight Riders stretched their perfect start to the tournament

into their sixth game.

Seventy-two, off nine balls. When Pollard was at the crease, the batsman at the other end, plus extras, combined to score 7 off 12 balls.

TRIDENTS’ ALL-ROUNDERS COME TO THE FORE Before Pollard’s innings, a different T20 game took place, and it would be prudent to note at the outset that Pollard played a key role in that game too.

With Dwayne Bravo absent, he assumed the role of slower-ball specialist, mixing up his pace, changing his angles constantly - going over and around the wicket every alternate ball against the left-handers - sending down four overs - including the 16th and 20th of the Tridents’ innings - and conceding only 27 runs.

That apart, though, the most influential performers were Tridents’ all-rounders. They had begun sluggishly with the bat, but Ashley Nurse, Rashid and Santner - spin bowlers primarily, but excellent hitters at the death too - clattered a combined 39 off 18 balls to give them a more than fighting total of 148.

Jason Holder, the Tridents’ premier all-rounder, had failed with the bat, but he got his short ball to behave unpredictably off the pitch and delivered a double-wicket maiden in the second over of the chase.

Rashid then bowled a single-wicket maiden, and the Knight Riders ended their Powerplay 27 for 3. Santner, for his part, used his seam-up variation cleverly and kept forcing the batsmen to hit the ball where he

wanted them to hit it.

Nurse had made an important contribution with the bat, but his one over went for 13, with Simmons launching two half-volleys for big sixes.

When not handed freebies on a platter, though, Simmons struggled to score quickly, and with the rest of the top order utterly failing to get going, the Tridents were soon in a seemingly unassailable position.

POLLARD ENTERS Hayden Walsh, Patriots’ fourth spinner, was also having a pretty good game. When he dismissed Akeal Hosein in the 13th over, his figures read 2.4-0-12-1. Not bad at all.

But his first ball to Pollard was a sign of what was to come. It may have been a pretty good wrong’un to most other batsmen, but Pollard’s reach allows spinners only the smallest margin for error, and he slog-swept it for an emphatic first-ball six.

When the 17th over began, Pollard had only hit two sixes - the other a ridiculously effortless loft over long-off, off Rashid - in 13 balls. By the time it ended, he had hit four more. With each, Pollard made the young leg-spinner doubt himself a little more, and by the time the over ended he was firing in quickish darts with little spin on them. That isn’t to say he would have held Pollard back if he’d bowled differently, of course.

The contest now took on an entirely different complexion, and the next over brought the Knight Riders the sort of luck a winning team often needs in T20. Sikandar Raza had

sacrificed his wicket off the first ball, just to get Pollard on strike, but only two runs came off the next three balls as Raymon Reifer tied Pollard and Khary Pierre down with his leftarm angle and changes of pace.

The fifth ball was a pretty good ball too, a slower bouncer, but a top-edge got Pollard four runs.

Then came a leg-side swipe off a blockhole ball on the stumps - it was a bit of a miscue, off the inside half of the bat, but all that mattered was that it sped away for four.

It also brought up Pollard’s fifty, off 22 balls.

The Knight Riders needed 31 now, off 12 balls, and there was nothing fortuitous about Pollard’s next two significant interventions.

Holder had set a field for the wide yorker, and he got his line right and his length almost right, but almost isn’t enough sometimes.

He erred in both line and length next ball, and Pollard launched him for another big straight six.

There was still one final twist, of course.

Pollard lifted the first ball of the final over beyond the long-on boundary to bring the equation down to 9 off 5, but was run-out next ball, Holder firing in a spectacular throw - no bounce, straight into the keeper’s gloves - from long-on, to catch him short of retaining the strike.

It could have gone either way, but the big error came from the bowler, Reifer, who sent down a wide and possibly high full-toss with 7 needed off 3. Pierre slashed it over point for six, and all but sealed a wildly improbable win. (ESPN Cricinfo)

Look Loy wants CONCACAF Qualifiers postponed

KEITH Look Loy, the driving force behind the formation of the United T&T Football Association (TTFA), is calling on the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), being led by Barbadian Randolph Harris, to seek the postponement of the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers which are scheduled to begin in October.

Look Loy yesterday said he believes the postponement of the tournament until next year is something that Harris and CFU should be arguing for because of the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which has already claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands around the world.

“Asia has already pushed

its qualifiers back to 2021 (next year), and CONCACAF has postponed the CFU Club Championship, so why doesn’t Harris do it in the interest of saving lives. It will be impossible to adhere to quarantine regulations because of the regularity at which matches are to be played,” said Look Loy. The former FIFA Youth Development Officer pointed to a FIFA statement which prohibited players from being released from their clubs to represent their countries in UEFA World Cup Qualifiers because of the coronavirus. The draw for the qualifiers took place last week and it pooled T&T in a group with St Kitts/Nevis, Guyana, The Bahamas and Puerto Rico,

with only the winner progressing to the second round of the qualifiers.

National coach Terry Fenwick told Guardian Media Sports last week he sees the group as a promising one to emerge from, but financial constraints have put his team in an unfavourable position.

Fenwick said he was told by Robert Hadad, chairman of the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee, that his hands are tied from providing financial assistance to the team because of the ongoing court battle between the ousted United TTFA elected officers and the sport’s supreme body - FIFA. However, Look Loy took a swipe at the normalisation com-

mittee, calling on its members to access the more than $20M sitting in FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland because of the reluctance of FIFA to hand it over because of the ongoing court battle.

“For Hadad, FIFA and the normalisation to say their hands are tied is an outright lie. They paid office staff and they have right now, in excess of $20M, which represents grants and COVID Relief Funds etc. I am appealing to the normalisation committee to access the funding for the qualifying tournament in October.”

He said the reluctance of the normalisation committee to access the funding is a deliberate attempt to frustrate the United

TTFA in its battle with FIFA to have the appointment of the normalisation committee overturned. He explained that when they took over the management of the sport in November last year, the country saw for the first time in five years, a proper technical department.

He said, “For the first time we had national teams fully staffed and training.

And at short notice, we had the Under-20 women’s team compete in the Dominican Republic at the CONCACAF Tournament and reach the quarterfinal round, so our plans were working but then came FIFA and mashed up everything.”

Messi to sign for Liverpool? No chance, says

(REUTERS) - Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp says he would be interested in adding Barcelona captain Lionel Messi to his Premier League-winning squad but there is no chance it would happen because of the astronomical amount of money involved.

Messi stunned world soccer earlier this week when he ex-

pressed his desire to leave Barcelona after nearly two decades with the Catalan club.

When asked if he would like to bring the Argentine forward to Anfield, Klopp said: “Interest?

Yeah, who doesn’t want Messi in their team. The numbers are absolutely not for us. We don’t even start thinking about it. No chance!

But... good player.”

A study by French newspaper L’Equipe earlier this year said Messi earns 8.2 million euros per month from Barca, way more than Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Paris St Germain striker Neymar, who earn 4.5 million and 3 million respectively.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who finished 18 points

behind champions Liverpool last season, appear to be the favourites to sign the six-times world player of the year who has won every major title with Barcelona.

Some of Messi’s best moments on the Camp Nou pitch came under the guidance of former Barca coach Guardiola.

“It would make it even more difficult to beat them (City) which was already very difficult,” Klopp told a news conference ahead of Saturday’s Community Shield clash with FA Cup winners Arsenal at Wembley.

“For the Premier League, it would be great having the best player in the world in the league.

I’m not sure the Premier League needs a boost but it would be.

“It would be interesting too

because Messi has never played in another league apart from Spain.

I would like to see it but I’m not sure if I will.”

Both sets of players will take a knee at Wembley in support of the Black Lives matter campaign which has again been in the news after the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin on Sunday — an incident that has provoked widespread protests in sports across the U.S. “I’ve followed it in America, racism, Black Lives Matter, all these things, dealing with it all will stay with us for a long time,” Klopp said. “As long as people don’t really get or understand it, we have to mention equality.”

Klopp confirmed centre back

Virgil van Dijk is fit to face Arsenal after recovering from a head injury sustained during Liverpool’s pre-season friendly with RB Salzburg.

“He looks not good because he has the cut there, but apart from that it should be fine,” Klopp added.

Jordan Henderson is also set to play but Trent Alexander-Arnold may miss out because of injury. “Trent’s very close but we have to make a decision about him tomorrow,” Klopp said.

With the transfer window open until October, Klopp said Liverpool would “look constantly for improvement” but is satisfied with the size of his squad.

“We will see how much we can and want to spend,” he said.

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Arsenal beat Liverpool on penalties to lift FA Community Shield

Arsenal players celebrate with the trophy after winning the FA Community Shield vs Liverpool at Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - August 29, 2020, (Pool via REUTERS/Justin Tallis)

LONDON, England (Reuters) - Arsenal beat Liverpool 5-4 on penalties yesterday to lift the Community Shield, the curtain-raiser for the English domestic season, after the two sides played to a 1-1 draw on a chilly afternoon at Wembley.

Gunners captain and match goalscorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang blasted home the final penalty of the afternoon to complete the north London side’s second win over the league champions in the space of six weeks following a shortened summer break.

“We are improving.

There is still work to do but I’m really happy and it’s an exciting time to be an Arsenal player,” Aubameyang told BT Sport after the match. It was the Gunners’ second trophy within a month following the side’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea on

August 1.

The game was a very even and at times rather slow affair, with Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk having an early strike ruled out offside before Arsenal’s opener, a well-worked move to break out of the champions’ high press.

Bukayo Saka took the ball up the field on the right, crossed all the way over to Aubameyang on the far left, and the Gabon striker skipped forward and curled an inch-perfect shot beyond the reach of Liverpool keeper Alisson into the opposite corner.

The Liverpool attack appeared disjointed by contrast.

While they pushed Arsenal right back up the field for long stretches in the first half, they were unable to put together a single shot on goal.

Liverpool’s Japanese substitute Takumi Min-

amino levelled the tie in the 73rd minute with a shot from close range, picking up his first goal in 15 appearances since arriving on Merseyside in January.

Mohamed Salah, Fabinho, Minamino and substitute Curtis Jones all scored for Liverpool in the shootout, but fellow substitute Rhian Brewster blasted his shot - his first touch of the ball onto the bar.

Reiss Nelson, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Cedric Soares and David Luiz all scored for the Gunners before Aubameyang stroked his shot past Alisson to seal the victory for the Londoners.

When asked about whether he will renew his contract with Arsenal, Aubameyang - their leading scorer for the last two seasons - remained enigmatic: “We’re going to see in these days. Today we take the trophy, that’s it.”

England/Surrey batsman Ollie Pope out for four months ENGLAND and Surrey batsman Ollie Pope has been ruled out for up to four months with a dislocated left shoulder.

The 22-year-old suffered the injury when diving in the field on the fourth day of the third Test against Pakistan.

He will have surgery in the next few weeks and it is hoped he will be fit for England’s scheduled tours of Sri Lanka and India in early 2021.

Pope dislocated the same shoulder in 2019 and missed the majority of the season follow-

ing an operation.

He will be unavailable for Surrey’s remaining matches in the Bob Willis Trophy and the Vitality Blast.

Pope has played 13 Tests, including England’s most recent nine, and scored his maiden Test century in January against South Africa.

He averaged 26.87 in six Tests against West Indies and Pakistan this summer.

(BBC Sport)

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Tour de France

Kristoff wins stage one as Pinot crashes have to go through this for the good of everyone and the fact

Alexander Kristoff secured the yellow jersey with a superb sprint finish.

By Julien Pretot NICE, France (Reuters) Alexander Kristoff won the opening stage of the Tour de France while Thibaut Pinot, who is hoping to end the home nation’s 35-year wait for a local champion, was one of several riders to take a tumble during a rain-hit ride yesterday.

Norway’s Kristoff outsprinted Danish world champion Mads Pedersen after 156 km around Nice. Pinot trailed by some distance but was credited with the same time as the winner since the massive crash occurred within three kilometres of the finish line on the Promenade des Anglais.

“For the moment he’s fine, but you always need to wait a few days to see if there have been consequences or not,” Pinot’s sports director at Groupama-FDJ, Philippe Mauduit, told Reuters.

Dutchman Cees Bol finished third.

Colombian Nairo Quintana, twice a Tour runner-up, fell earlier while Pavel Sivakov, one of defending champion Egan

Bernal’s key lieutenants, hit the ground twice.

Pre-stage favourites Sam Bennett, Caleb Ewan and Giacomo Nizzolo also crashed on slippery roads as rain wreaked havoc during the stage.

Organisers postponed the start of the Tour de France by several weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

STRICT RULES The race got off to an eventful start as rain made the roads extremely slippery.

“There must have been 100 riders crashing. Everyone struggles, everyone got scared,” said Pinot’s teammate Valentin Madouas.

“It was like an ice rink.”

The multiple incidents had prompted the Jumbo Visma team to ask the peloton to take it slow in a descent, but Astana refused to take the foot off the gas pedal.

Their decision backfired, however, as their team leader Miguel Angel Lopez aquaplaned head first into a road sign. The Colombian got back on his bike.

In another descent, Primoz

Roglic’s team mate George Bennett also crashed, meaning riders from the top two teams - Jumbo Visma and Ineos Grenadiers - were nursing bruises after the first day.

Pinot, who is considered one of the title contenders behind favourites Roglic and Bernal, sustained bruises on his leg and shoulder.

The race started in front of scarce crowds in central Nice amid fears of a coronavirus second wave as the number of daily cases has been rising within France at an alarming rate in recent weeks.

Riders and their staff are part of a race bubble in order to minimise risks of infections and French health authorities yesterday imposed stricter regulations in the event of coronavirus cases.

They ruled that a team should be withdrawn if two or more of its members - including riders and support staff - tested positive within seven days, race organisers said yesterday.

Riders, however, put on a brave face.

“I think nobody imagined 2020 to be like this. But we

Cricket South Africa sack chief executive Moroe

SOUTH African cricket’s governing body has sacked its chief executive Thabang Moroe for what it says were “acts of serious misconduct”.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) says the decision was based on legal advice after an independent investigation.

Moroe was initially suspended in December over the allegations.

In a statement CSA said Moroe had “sufficient opportunity” to make representations to the CSA board which he “failed and/or refused to utilise.”

Acting chief executive Kugandrie Govender is to continue in the role until a

permanent replacement is appointed.

In December, a number of journalists had their media passes revoked, with Moroe saying he was unhappy with their reporting on the governing body.

The passes were later reinstated, but the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) called on Moroe and the CSA board to resign, saying poor leadership had put South African cricket in a “disastrous position”.

Standard Bank also decided not to renew its sponsorship deal of the men’s team because of the issues at CSA. (BBC Sport)

that the Tour is starting is already a good thing,” triple

world champion Peter Sagan told reporters.

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Ricky Ponting’s parting gift for Gary Pratt

... Former Australia Test skipper reveals meeting with substitute fielder Gary Pratt at end of 2005 Ashes series THE epilogue to the major flashpoint of the greatest Test series this century came not with a terse exchange of words, but with a gift.

More than two weeks after one of the most famous run-outs in Ashes history, Ricky Ponting finally came face-to-face with the man who played an unexpected role in handing Australia their first Ashes defeat in 16 years.

“Gary Pratt came into our rooms after the last Test at The Oval ... and I wanted to grab him by the throat and throw him off the balcony!,” Ponting recalled with a laugh to cricket.com.au last year.

“Obviously, I say that tonguein-cheek. It was all part of what had happened. It was all done and dusted and over.”

Pratt had shot to fame during the fourth Test of that unforgettable series when, as a substitute fielder, his pinpoint throw ran Ponting out in Australia’s second innings of the nail-biting Trent Bridge Test.

The 23-year-old Pratt was regarded as one of the better fielders in England and despite not

Ponting remembers.

“We’d been watching them for two years beforehand and we knew what they were doing; they’d bowl an eight-over spell, go off the field for a while, come back and in time would be ready to bowl their next spell.

“I wasn’t comfortable with the way they were playing their cricket like that so I let the referee know and made sure I monitored it where I could.

“They would just bring their

Gary Pratt became an instant national hero. (Getty) being part of his county Durham’s first XI at the time he was one of a handful of players who were drafted into the England squad as specialist fielders for the series.

Ponting and the Australians had been aware for some time that England’s Test side had been tactically deploying their substitute fielders to replace fast bowlers during a game, allowing the quicks to have longer stints at the bowling crease with the promise of an extended break in

the rooms to follow It was a move from the hosts that while not against the rules of the game, had riled up the Australians, particularly Ponting.

And when Pratt made his decisive play on that day at Trent Bridge, weeks of frustration that had been bubbling beneath the surface finally boiled over.

“I’d talked to the referee before the first Test match about the way we knew they were going to be handling their fast bowlers,”

Aussie batsmen find form before warm-up washed out

AUSTRALIA’s opening batsmen made the most of a truncated first warm-up match on their tour of England with Aaron Finch, David Warner and Matthew Wade finding form before the intersquad game at the Ageas Bowl was abandoned due to rain.

The contest between a Finch XI and a Cummins XI had already been cut to a 20-over affair because of a poor forecast and the weather closed in after 5.5 overs of the Cummins XI chase when they were

racing along at 60 for 0 in reply to the Finch X’s 150 all out.

Warner had resumed the T20 form that lit up the Australia season during which he averaged 138.33 with a strike-rate of 142.12. He struck 42 off 35 balls in an opening stand of 75 in 9.2 overs with Finch who made 40 off 29 deliveries.

The innings fell away once the stand had been broken when Ashton Agar bowled Finch. Josh Philippe (20), one of three uncapped players on the tour, and

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (SUNDAY AUGUST 30, 2020) COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK - STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) &CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz (1) 224 runs (2) Jamaica Tallawahs Today’s Quiz: (1)How many times Kieron Pollard has captained in CPL matches to date?

(2)Who were the captains involved when the Warriors and the Trinidad franchise once played to a tie in CPL cricket?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Mitchell Marsh (23) made starts but the final eight wickets fell for 38 runs.

Kane Richardson struck twice in an over to remove Marnus Labuschagne and Daniel Sams - the latter for a first-ball duck. The lower order was wrapped up by Pat Cummins (2 for 26) and Adam Zampa (2 for 18).

The Cummins XI were soon out of the blocks in the chase as Wade cracked three sixes in an unbroken stand with Marcus Stoinis both players in the positions where they have enjoyed considerable Big Bash success. AJ Tye’s first over back in Australia colours was taken for 22.

“It was nice to get out there and play some cricket, unfortunately the weather has closed in on us,” Wade said. “The bowlers got some overs under their belt and managed to have a little hit “Starcy was certainly flying in so it was nice to get a couple out of the middle. Just to stand in the middle with no nets around you is valuable. The bowlers haven’t had a lot of match practice, it’s all good bowling in the nets but then go and stand in the field is always the hardest part so these matches are vital for us.”

The Australians hope to fit in at least three more intersquad games before the opening T20I on September 4.(ESPN Cricinfo)

Ricky Ponting was furious after being dismissed. (AAP)

best fielders in from anywhere in the country. It wasn’t just their 12th man fielding; it wasn’t the big quick whom they didn’t pick out there fielding. They had their best fielders from anywhere in the country doing their fielding for them.

“And it wasn’t unusual to have two or three (substitute) fielders on the field at the same time in that series.

“It was getting to all of us.”

The fallout to Pratt’s run-out is part of Ashes history.

Ponting’s verbal spray at England coach Duncan Fletcher as he walked off Trent Bridge that day led to the Australian skipper copping a fine as the home side won the match by three wickets in a nail-biting finish.

But despite his frustration at series end, Ponting made sure his Trent Bridge conqueror walked away from the campaign with more than just happy memories.

“I actually signed a pair of my shoes and gave them to him and said ‘well done’,” Ponting said.

“And that’s the last I’ve seen of him.” (Cricket Network)

Two players among 13 COVID-19 positive cases in IPL, Raina out MUMBAI (Reuters) - Two players and 11 other people have tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in the United Arab Emirates for the Indian Premier League (IPL), while all-rounder Suresh Raina has pulled out of the tournament for personal reasons.

This year’s IPL will be played in the UAE from Sept.

19 due to the situation of the pandemic in India where there have been a reported 3.46 million cases and 62,550 deaths due to the virus.

The Indian cricket board (BCCI) said 1,988 tests had been carried out between Aug. 20 and 28 across the teams and other officials in the UAE as part of its health protocols.

“Thirteen personnel have tested positive of which two are players,” the board said in a statement.

“All the affected personnel as well as their close contacts are asymptomatic and have been isolated from other team members. They are being monitored by the IPL Medical Team.

“As per the IPL 2020 health and safety protocols, testing on all participants will be conducted regularly throughout the IPL

CSK’s Suresh Raina has returned to India for personal reasons.

2020 season.”

The board did not specify who the 13 personnel represented in the 13th edition of the tournament but local media in India said all of them were from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp.

Three-time IPL champions CSK also lost Raina, who is second, after India captain Virat Kohli, in the all-time list of highest run-getters in the popular tournament.

“Suresh Raina has returned to India for personal reasons

and will be unavailable for the remainder of the IPL season,” Chief Executive Kasi Viswanathan said on the team’s Twitter feed.

“Chennai Super Kings offers complete support to Suresh and his family during this time.”

A fluent left-handed batsman and handy off-spinner, Raina retired from international cricket this month, minutes after his CSK captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, announced he was quitting playing for India.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE , August 30, 2020

Hero CPL 2020…

Warriors in must-win battle versus last-placed Patriots

By Clifton Ross THE under-pressure Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) will be looking to come out of the woodshed today against the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and possibly keep their 2020 title campaign alive.

Amazon Warriors whipped Patriots by 3 wickets just a few matches ago. The instrument of Patriots’ destruction was Shimron Hetmyer who clobbered 71 while his mate Keemo Paul snapped up 4 wickets to complete a clinical performance.

Since then Warriors have endured a mixed tournament, winning some and losing a few games which they shouldn’t have even missed out on in the first place.

The spectacle of Warriors downfall this season is their woeful batting approach which has resulted in just a few batsmen peaking, but in a must-winall-games situation today, all eyes will be on Guyana.

Brandon King Hetmyer will no doubt look to launch into the attack after thumping around a few of Patriots bowlers. If Warriors batting order should be restructured, Chandrapaul Hemraj and Hetmyer might have some success.

Leading batsman last season, Brandon King, has yet to announce himself and could possibly show up this afternoon,

given the axe is likely dangling over his head.

Ross Taylor has been notching some 20-odd scores, and seems to be settling into his role in the middle-order and could deliver the type of innings Guyana will need from the Kiwi.

If the Warriors manage

Mohammed Nabi any changes, it could likely be ceptional to date, with South the return of spinner Ashmead African leg-spinner Imran Tahir Nedd or possibly the debut of leading the way. Skipper Chris Green has not yet played to his all-rounder Kevin Sinclair.

Nicholas Pooran has just full potential but remains a key played one big innings thus far, part of the bowling attack.

Fast-bowling for Warriors 68 but needs to step up as one of has not been that impressive this the team’s West Indies stars and season as Romario Shepherd has a veteran CPL player.

The bowling has been ex- been in and out of the XI while Naveen ul Haq will continue to

play his role as a wicket-taking strike option.

Patriots are last on the points and like the Warriors, they too suffered a loss in the last game.

Rakeem Cornwall and Andre Fletcher have similar woes to that of Hemraj and King, who have shown intent, but failed to produce as Windies internationals.

Mark Deyal, Roston Chase and Zadran Najabullah are the keys to any chance of victory St Kitts & Nevis may have. Afghanistan’s Mohammed Nabi, who grabbed a record 5-15 recently, will be the equaliser and could cause trouble for Warriors.

With just 2 wins from 6 games, the 4th-placed Warriors are desperately in need of a win today while the last-placed Patriots will look to add to their one win.

Meanwhile, defending champions Barbados Tridents battle St Lucia Zouks in the first match at the Queen’s Park Oval ground.

Former Trail Blazers star Robinson dies at 53 FORMER NBA All-Star and Sixth Man-of-the-Year Clifford Robinson has died at the age of 53. Known for his trademark headband, Robinson played the first eight seasons of his 19-year NBA career (1989-2007) with the Portland Trail Blazers.

His death was announced yesterday by the University of Connecticut, his alma mater.

“The UConn Basketball family mourns the loss of a legendary player and person, Clifford Robin-

son,” the school’s men’s basketball programme posted on Twitter. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Cliff’s family at this difficult time. Rest in Peace, Cliff.”

Portland’s second-round pick in 1989, Robinson was the Sixth Manof-the-Year in 1992-93, made the All-Star team in 1993-94 and was named to two All-Defensive teams (1999-2000, 2001-02).

He helped Trail Blazers reach two NBA Finals, losing to Detroit Pistons in 1990 and Chicago Bulls

in 1992.

“The Trail Blazers organisation is deeply saddened by the passing of Trail Blazers great Cliff Robinson,” the team posted on Twitter. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to Cliff’s family and loved ones.

Uncle Cliffy will be greatly missed

by Trail Blazers & all of Rip City.”

Playing with Phoenix Suns, Robinson scored a career-high 50 points in a 113-100 victory against Denver Nuggets on January 16, 2000.

Robinson averaged better than 20 points per game three times and retired with 19,591 points 6,306 rebounds, 3,094 assists 1,402 steals 1,390 blocked shots and 1,253 made 3-pointers in 1,380 games with the Blazers, Suns (1997-2001), Pistons (2001-03), Golden State Warriors (2003-05) and New Jersey Nets (2005-07).

He won an NIT championship at UConn, which retired his jersey No. 00 in 2007. Field Level Mediaf

Known for his trademark headband, Clifford Robinson played the first eight seasons of his 19-year NBA career (1989-2007) with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Credit: Twitter/@NBAalumni

Phillips’ unbeaten 79 leads Tallawahs to third win

JAMAICA Tallawahs secured their third win of the CPL and tournament and ahead of the pack into third place thanks to Glenn Phillips’ 79 not out and a polished bowling performance on a slow surface at Queen’s Park Oval.

Rovman Powell opted to bat first, anticipating that the pitch would get slower as the game went on, and was vindicated by a XX-run win as his side defended 147 with complete ease.

(Scores): Jamaica Tallawahs 147 for 6 (Phillips 79*, Emrit 3-32) beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 110 (Brathwaite 3-11) by 37 runs They had struggled to score in the first ten overs, inching to 53 for 1 at the halfway stage, but after spending 16 overs grinding between first and second gear, Phillips suddenly slipped into sixth and floored the gas on his way to his highest CPL score since the equivalent fixture last season.

Patriots’ run chase never get

going after Fidel Edwards cleaned up Chris Lynn in his first over, with Edwards, Veerasammy Permaul and Sandeep Lamichhane finishing with two wickets and Carlos Brathwaite grabbing three.

Fabulous Phillips Phillips struggled badly early in the Tallawahs’ innings, making 14 off the first 23 balls he faced before eventually hitting his first boundary at the end of the 11th over. He had little of the strike after a sedate Powerplay, camping on the back foot against the spinners throughout and scraping his way to 38 off 44 balls with 21 balls left in the innings.

The nadir came in the 14th, when he played out a maiden against legspinner Imran Khan after Nick Kelly had shelled a sitter off the last ball of the previous over.

But he managed to launch a late-innings explosion against the Patriots’ wayward death-bowling pair, Sheldon Cottrell and Rayad Emrit. First, he whacked Cottrell for

Glenn Phillips made a half-century Randy Brooks - CPL T20 / Getty three sixes in as many balls, all three of them in the ‘V’ down the ground.

Emrit was the victim for his last two sixes, both over long-on, and was then heaved through midwicket for four even as Phillips collapsed with cramp.

He eventually ended unbeaten on 79 off 61 balls, scoring more runs from his final 17 balls (41) than his

first 44 (38). It was the first time he had ended not out in his CPL career, and he revealed afterwards that he had been desperate to take the innings deep after failing to take Tallawahs over the line at any stage in the tournament to date.

Patriots’ post-Powerplay problems ESPNcricinfo’s predictor gave

the Patriots a 73.4% chance of winning after they had reached 39 for 1 after six overs of the chase, but they fell away in dramatic style in the following five overs.

Chadwick Walton, standing in for Phillips for the first half of the chase after his cramp while batting, took a great catch off Permaul to dismiss Denesh Ramdin, before Ben Dunk chopped on to begin a wicket maiden for Brathwaite.

Kieran Powell was left stranded as he skipped down the wicket against Permaul at the start of the 10th over, Walton taking four or five seconds to dislodge the bails as he cruelly taunted the batsman, and Brathwaite’s legcutter accounted for Emrit in the 11th. That meant they had lost four wickets for 14 runs in five overs after the fielding restrictions were lifted - before Lamichhane had bowled a single ball.

Lewis in limbo Both teams had injury problems

to cope with. Andre Russell missed a second game in a row due to his knee flare-up which will have Kolkata Knight Riders sweating, and had Phillips’ cramp to contend with too.

Dunk went off the field in the second over for the Patriots with a thumb injury, though was soon back on and was fit to bat, but Evin Lewis hobbled off after the end of the innings nursing his groin. He had opened in 140 out of his 149 career T20 innings, but found himself sliding down to No. 7 today due to his tweak.

He signalled early on that he had few intentions of knocking the runs off in ones and twos, whacking a Lamichhane googly for a towering six over wide long-on and then slapping Edwards for another huge blow down the ground.

But he fell to Lamichhane in the 16th over trying to repeat the trick, and took any lingering hopes the Patriots had with him. (ESPN Cricinfo).

Pollard’s brutal 28-ball 72 extends TKR unbeaten run

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Keith Look Loy T&T Super League president

Kieron Pollard clubs one over long-on. (Randy Brooks - CPL T20/ Getty)

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Look Loy wants CONCACAF Qualifiers postponed

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said a deal is out of the question due to the astronomical amount of money involved to sign Lionel Messi (AFP photo)

Messi to sign for Liverpool?

No chance, says Klopp 31 PAGE

Warriors in must-win battle versus last-placed Patriots Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

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SUNDAY,AUGUST 30, 2020