Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_08_29_2020

SATURDAY 29th August, 2020

' No.106106

Mingo must pay the price –– unless he is willing to disclose intellectual authors behind electoral fraud, says Ramsaroop –– small parties call for reform of GECOM before next elections

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US$1.4B oceanfront mega-project unveiled An artist’s impression of the condos that will be built at Maraiko Bay Golf & Country Club in Mahaica, East Coast Demerara

‘No more extensions, get it done!’

SEE PAGE 08

–– public works ministers tell contractors working on CJIA expansion project SEE STORY ON PAGE 02

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Gov’t met empty treasury, says President Ali

Guyana has been without a budget for close to two years and the extraordinary spending that occurred between March 2 and August 2 has left the treasury in an empty state, President Irfaan Ali said.

According to him, the mis-management of many state institutions and decision- making processes of Guyana resulted in the tremendous loss of finances, compared to pre-2015.

“We are going to ensure that we do a comprehensive report on every aspect of the economy, every sector, so that the Guyanese population can understand what is taking place,” the President told Newsroom in a recent interview.

Parliament will be convened on Tuesday and the emergency budget will be laid within two weeks. It will focus on making resources available to tackle a number of pressing issues.

“The first few weeks have been used for bringing together the pieces to have a full assessment of the situation, and developing strategies in the emergency budget to address the immediate concerns and needs, as we

move towards the planning of a full budget next year,” he said.

He also noted that Vice-President (VP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, will be reading the budget in Parliament, as government continues search for a minister of finance.

To generate jobs, create wealth and opportunities, the President said a series of incentives will be launched for various sectors such as the hotel industry, manufacturing, industrial development and livestock, among others.

He said when capital is raised there will be public, private partnership to deal with the housing sector which will also create thousands of jobs. As such, works have already started on the 2021 budget.

Meanwhile, he noted that jobs will also be created when the sugar industry is up and running.

Government is also committed to creating opportunities at the sugar estates with a special investment regime set aside for the Wales Estate, since all the equipment were sold out.

“This will create wealth, opportunity, build capacity

and bring back life and economic prosperity to communities,” Dr. Ali said.

He said the sugar industry is not about workers working in estates but the socio-economic impact of the estates on the regions and communities, as those far outweigh any subsidies government will give.

He noted that the government will inject some $600M into the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to assist with the payment of wages and salaries for employees.

The President also noted he has seen many files of expressions of interest for the sugar estates.

“These are sophisticated international private investors. If they see a dead opportunity why would they go after it. It’s about finding the right model and we are going to find that model to keep those jobs and sustain those communities,” the President said.

He noted that, in all regions of Guyana, government will be seeking to create and stimulate employment and economic development.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29, 2020

‘No more extensions!

Get it done!’

–– public works ministers tell contractors working on CJIA expansion project –– say government stands ready to facilitate importation of needed resources

Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill (centre); Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar (first left); along with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Ramesh Ghir and other officials during an inspection of the ongoing work at the airport

By Navendra Seoraj EXPANSION of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) has been ongoing for almost seven years, moving from one deadline to the next, but government believes that “Enough is enough!” And it is in light of this that Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill firmly said he will not be granting any further extension to the project.

In 2011, the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) inked a $31.2B (US$150M) contract for the CJIA expansion. This project was reportedly due for completion in December 2017, but was reviewed by the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government, and a deadline of December 31, 2018 was set.

Now, almost two years later, the project remains incomplete. And, while the new PPP/C administration believes that concerns and problems related to the project are many, their intention is to see the project to its completion, in keeping with the agreed scope that was signed on to.

This position was made clear by Minister Edghill following an inspection on Friday of the work being done on the facility.

Minister Edghill, who was accompanied by Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar, said government will be working closely with the contractor and other technical

staff to ensure that they get the desired results as outlined in the scope of the project.

In doing so, the contractor will have to work within a strict timeframe, as the minister said government will not be granting any further extension of the project.

Minister Edghill has given the contractor five days to prepare and present a revised plan for the project. This plan is expected to include agreed timelines for completion, among other things.

“We are way past the completion date, and are in the period of liquidated damages… So, anything that could have gone wrong has already gone wrong,” the minister lamented.

The approximately US$150 million project was signed as an agreed package, including design, building and handing over. Edghill said over US$144 million has already been expended on the project, and the work is yet to be completed.

GET THE RESOURCES The minister said government stands ready to facilitate the importation of resources that are needed to complete the project. The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) had presented travel barriers, but this should no longer be used as an excuse, said Edghill.

“We need to get on with it… COVID-19 will no longer be used as an excuse,” the minister said, adding: “Government has given instructions for all works to recommence… So, getting Chinese technicians and experts into the country is no longer a problem.”

The Guyana Civil Avia-

tion Authority (GCAA) has already granted permission for chartered flights to land here, and Minister Edghill said the same courtesy will be leveraged to the CHEC, once they follow the necessary COVID-19 protocols and guidelines that are in place.

“We have to get all materials imported; get personnel, and get done what needs to be done… I am advised that all the requisite letters for corrective and remedial work have already been issued to the contractor,” said the minister.

THE BIGGER PICTURE While the immediate focus is the expeditious completion of the project, the “bigger picture” is how the project has been ‘mismanaged’ and ‘corrupted’.

“What should have been a new airport has turned out to be a renovated airport…

The old terminal buildings were supposed to be for the purposes of cargo. But, as you saw, those things were renovated, and just one section was built,” Minister Edghill lamented.

Blame was, however, not placed on the contractors, as the minister said the contract was remodelled by the past administration. It excluded a large section of work, but the price did not change.

The initial project included the extension of the runway from 7,500 to 10,800 feet. This is to accommodate the BOEING 747-400 aircraft. It also included eight passenger boarding bridges, among other things.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29, 2020

Mingo must pay the price –– unless he is willing to disclose intellectual authors behind electoral fraud, says Ramsaroop

–– small parties call for reform of GECOM before next elections Guyana wants to move forward but justice must prevail in the aftermath for those guilty of electoral fraud, and the need for reform at GECOM must be a priority before the next elections.

This sentiment was agreed and shared by businessman, Peter Ramsaroop; presidential candidate of The New Movement (TNM), Dr. Asha Kissoon; and executive member of the United Republican Party (URP), Rawle Aaron, during an online interview on Friday.

“If Mingo was told to put the nation at risk and as a hostage, he has to pay the price, unless he brings out who made him do it, and those that are behind the scenes must know that somebody will talk of the fact that they did cheat the elections,” Ramsaroop said.

District Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, was, on Tuesday afternoon, arrested at his home at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara in connection with allegations that he committed fraud during the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Ramsaroop said allegations of fraud will be investigated by police and many statements were taken from persons who were in the Ashmin Building on Hadfield Street, when Mingo went rogue.

“There is no witch-hunting going on, we want democracy to prevail in Guyana continuously, we should never have to wonder why one person in GECOM should hold an entire country hostage for five months; it is about justice and democracy,” he said.

Adding that the young generation will know of the struggle for democracy, Ramsaroop said such will remain intact and GECOM must be reformed.

“The Mingos and Lowenfields of the world should never be allowed to do what they have done to Guyana again,” Ramsaroop said.

The businessman said there is no legal right for any GECOM staff to hide SoPs [statements of polls] from the nation and if there is then GECOM has to change such in its reform.

“To have to go through

a recount process to prove what was the March 2 results, tells me something is wrong with the process,” Ramsaroop said. “When Mr. Mingo

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 building and

Presidential candidate of TNM, Dr. Asha Kissoon

decides to talk and I hope he does, the intellectual authors of this electoral fraud must come to justice and with that we will learn more of what needs to be changed before the next elections.”

Further, he said technology should be embraced for the rapid declaration of elections results based on the use of fingerprints in the voting process.

He said there are many ways that can be explored before the next elections and voting on paper can still remain for audit purposes.

Adding that the recount process showed that Guyana has a robust electoral system, Ramsaroop said “APNU has to be in a dream world in saying thousands of persons voted that should not have voted, dead people and migrant voters; it’s impossible for that to happen even with the paper system, but if we automate it we will take out the subjective issues out of that process and get to a much number-driven elections.”

SYSTEM NOT FLAWED He said the elections results delay stemmed from Mingo’s refusal to use the SoPs which show that the system is not flawed.

“It’s the fact that they

Dr. Kissoon said civil society needs to play a more active role on the GECOM board when it comes to commissioners, which is tradi-

Executive member of the URP, Rawle Aaron

figured out how they were going to fake the numbers,” Ramsaroop said.

He said in total, APNU+AFC lost the elections by 25,000 votes and there was no room for cheating based on those numbers.

Meanwhile, Dr. Asha Kissoon, who was presidential candidate of The New Movement (TNM), said the March 2, 2020 election went downhill after Mingo started getting sick and later tried to announce false declarations from a spreadsheet.

“That’s where all the parties had a clash with the APNU+AFC because they tried to support those numbers.

My party and other parties that were there stood up and said we would not accept it.

Of course, it all came down to fake signatures, prominent party members putting their signatures on declarations that were not officially made, and it was a pin in everybody side at that moment,” Dr. Kissoon said.

Picking the positives out of the scenario, Dr. Kissoon said the struggles brought about unity for the parties standing up for democracy and throughout the process, along with the support of the international community and international observers, democracy prevailed in the end.

tionally ruled by two political parties.

“Through the process we noted the deadlock vote, it was so obvious that whichever political party the commissioner was assigned from would vote on that side. We need to get rid of the sides, that is the problem with GECOM right now,” the TNM leader said.

She said there was also a need for constitutional reform to fix flawed laws making room for civil society and joinder parties that are in opposition.

MUST BE REMOVED Adding that all the corrupted staff at GECOM should be removed, Dr. Kissoon said the cancer must be removed from GECOM before it spreads.

“Start afresh, we have five years to prepare,” she said. “With time and constitutional reform, there is hope for Guyana.”

Executive member of the United Republican Party (URP), Rawle Aaron, said a new government has been sworn in and there are many issues that occurred during the five-month period that need to be investigated and presented to the public.

“People must not fall asleep and forget what were

the events that took place or transpired during that period of time, we had the representative of Region Four, Mr. Clairmont Mingo, making

Businessman, Peter Ramsaroop

declarations from a spreadsheet and not from the SoPs. Persons are beginning to forget that and we must remember the judge ordering Mr. Mingo to ensure that the declarations were done in a transparent way,” Aaron said.

He continued: “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.”

The URP executive said society must wake up and recall that it was a fight and a struggle by a collective set of political parties that resulted in the swearing-in of President, Irfaan Ali. Discarding the alignment of smaller parties being supportive of the PPP/C in the fight for democracy, Aaron said the URP was aligned with the truth and any political party “worth their salt” will not allow the trampling of democracy.

“Of course, persons are going to label you, but they are labelling us in relation to an act that the URP participated in and believed will cause democracy to prevail

in Guyana, and if we had the opportunity to do it again we would do that again in relation to democracy,” the URP executive said.

MOVING GUYANA FORWARD Noting that President Ali had stated, before and after, that he was willing to work with stakeholders who are willing to move the country forward, Aaron said the URP stance had always been committed to moving Guyana forward.

“I believe that Dr. Ali wants to ensure that every Guyanese participates in this country and enjoys the benefits,” Aaron said.

Focusing on GECOM and sharing recommendations, he said once a political party is acknowledged as a contestant, that party should have a representative on the GECOM board.

“If there were other political parties sitting on the GECOM commission and it was acknowledged that democracy was under siege then they would have been able to vote otherwise and there would not have been any deadlock,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Asha Kissoon noted that only in togetherness Guyana can move forward. TNM, ANUG and LJP hold an independent seat in parliament.

“We would not be joining with any of the major parties and that alone discredits any talk that we are a part of the PPP/C or the APNU+AFC. What we have been doing is uniting our efforts with the current government because it extended that hand and we have been saying it from the beginning, a time needs to come for inclusive governance where the strengths of the political parties are put together,” Dr. Kissoon said.

She explained that, throughout the campaign trail, her party had been touting the idealism of opposition working with the current government to find solutions to make Guyanese lives better.

“Of course we are paying attention, and the relationship that is being built now allows us to speak out if something happens that we believe is not in the best interest of Guyanese, so it’s a way forward,” Dr. Kissoon said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29, 2020

COVID-19 death toll reaches 34

THE Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has claimed two precious lives, taking the death toll to 34. The Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that the recent victims were 45-yearold Keisha Jarden and a senior citizen, James Downer.

This publication understands that both persons were patients of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Reliable sources said both patients died, Friday morning, while receiving treatment.

This newspaper was informed that Jarden had no known underlying condition,

but Downer had several.

According to the World Health Organisation (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.

But the COVID-19 disease has proven to be a “real killer”, especially in cases involving persons who have co-morbidities. This was according to doctors of the GPHC. At that time, Guyana had recorded six deaths due to the COVID-19 disease and,

while the loss of life is never pleasant, doctors had said most of the persons who died had co-morbidities.

In medicine, comorbidity is defined as the presence of one or more additional conditions co-occurring with a primary condition; in the countable sense of the term, comorbidity is each additional condition.

The WHO had said that 81 per cent of persons, who contract COVID-19, will have mild symptoms, while 14 per cent will have severe symptoms and five per cent will need intensive care.

“Most of the people who passed, have [sic] co-mor-

bidities… some had diabetes, hypertension, asthma and one of them even had severe pneumonia, which, without COVID-19, can also cause death…these, coupled with the complications related to COVID-19 can be dangerous,” said Head of the Department of Internal Medicine at GPHC, Dr. Genellys Camps, during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

Among the persons who lost their lives to the deadly disease was local drag racer, Deryck Jaisingh, called “Mad Dog”. It was reported that Jaisingh was also being treated for malaria and reports are that he was diabetic. Guy-

ana’s first COVID-19 victim, 52-year-old, Ratna Baboolall, was also hypertensive and a diabetic. Jermaine Ifill, an emergency medical technician (EMT), who had also succumbed to the dreaded COVID-19, was also being treated for pneumonia.

Two other persons who died from the disease were OSA Collins, a 78-year-old resident of New Amsterdam and 77-year-old Colonel John Percy Leon Lewis. Forty-fiveyear-old, Lennox Williams, who also had underlying conditions, also died because of COVID-19. And, a diabetic patient, 67-year-old, Samuel Morris, also lost his life.

As a safety measure, the Ministry of Public Health had encouraged members of the public to observe the COVID-19 Emergency Measures put in place: to practise physical distancing of at least six feet; to use a face mask correctly and consistently when leaving home, and practise good hand-washing hygiene to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers 231-1166, 226-7480 or 180/181 for assistance.

Exciting times ahead for all teachers –– as MoE unveils innovative plans to make education delivery virtual MINISTER of Education Priya Manickchand announced Friday that training for teachers to be better equipped to teach using Online methods are on the cards, given the current COVID-19 situation forcing the prolonged closure of schools, driving the need

for alternative and innovative means of education delivery.

Minister Manickchand said that the situation will also be addressed at the level of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), so that teachers coming from that institution are equipped to

deliver virtual education.

“We’re looking at en-

mass training exercise, where we will make sure every sin-

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand meeting virtually with the Grade Five and Six teachers and other stakeholders last Friday

suring that our teachers can be trained, because many persons have said to us they don’t know how to teach Online. So, very shortly, you would see us rolling out a

Saturday, August 29, 2020 –– 02:00 HRS & 14:30HRS

gle teacher in the system is trained presently to deliver education using various new methods,” Minister Manickchand said, adding: She added that: “We’re

making sure that nobody leaves CPCE, going forward, without the ability to appreciate and use the various forums that exist, and are likely to come into being.”

The Minister was at the time speaking during a virtual meeting with Grade Five and Six teachers and other education stakeholders, where possible plans for the holding of the 2021 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) among other novel ideas were discussed.

During the meeting, which was attended by over 1000 participants, many of the teachers shared about the difficulties encountered in their attempts to administer virtual teaching to those students who had access to receiving materials.

Teachers in Guyana were forced to begin administering virtual teaching methods after schools were closed indefinitely since March 16, as a measure to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) here.

Many of the teachers have been utilising the social

media platform, WhatsApp, to communicate with, and send and receive work from their students. However, the practice was largely voluntary, as all teachers did not have access to the necessary devices and reliable Internet supply.

During Friday’s forum, Minister Manickchand commended those teachers who, during the months of closure, have been finding ways and means of reaching out to their students and continuing work in whatever ways.

“Most schools have been closed since March and teachers without direction or assistance from the Ministry were left to determine the way forward. I am extremely impressed what teachers have done to reach our children and we want to say thank you very much because that required your own input and desire to teach the children,” she said.

As the school closure continued after March, many of the private schools began investing in interactive learning platforms such as Zoom, Edmodo, Google Meetings, Google Classroom and Abeka Academy, as well as social media platforms such as WhatsApp, so that they could’ve reopened their doors, virtually speaking.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29, 2020

Attorney withdraws case for Mingo’s release

–– controversial GECOM official expected to be granted bail today

By Clestine Juan ATTORNEY-at-Law Darren Wade on Friday, withdrew proceedings filed against the State at the High Court, through which he was seeking to have his client, controversial Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo released from police custody.

On Thursday, Wade and colleague Attorney-at-Law Roysdale Forde had filed a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of Mingo’s wife, Waveney, and had it served on custodian-in-chief, Commissioner of Police Nigel Hoppie.

Mingo was arrested by the police on Tuesday at his sister’s residence at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, pending investigations into his alleged involvement in altering the course of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. According to the application seeking Mingo’s release from detention, there is no basis in law or fact for him to have been detained in the first place, pursuant to inquiries or investigations into the commission of any act of fraud or conspiracy so to do by him.

His lawyers are also contending that the police breached his fundamental right to his liberty, pursuant to Article 144 of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

The application was

heard on Friday morning by Acting Chief Justice Rishi Persaud.

Heading the legal team on behalf of the Commissioner of Police was the Attorney-General himself, Mr. Anil Nandlall. With him were Solicitor-General Nigel Hawke; Deputy Solicitor-General Deborah Kumar; and Assistant Solicitor-General Beverley Bishop-Cheddie.

State Counsel Teriq Mohamed appeared for and on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The Attorney-General, in his oral presentation, contended that Mingo’s detention was not unlawful, as Article 139 (4) of the Constitution permits the Police to detain a citizen for a period of 72 hours before being released and taken before a Court. At the time the application was filed, the 72 hours had not yet expired.

That being the case, Justice Persaud advised Wade that his best course of action was to withdraw the proceedings and await the expiration of the 72 hours.

Wade did as asked and withdrew the proceeding, since the police was also allowing him access to his client.

The young attorney however begged that the court make certain amendments to the application he’d filed in relation to his submissions regarding Article 144 of the

Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo

Attorney-at-Law Darren Wade

Constitution. What he was essentially asking the court to do was to amend the application to reflect Article 139 of the Constitution rather than Article 144, but unfortunately, it did not find favour with the judge and was denied.

Prosecutions (DPP) and the Force’s Legal Adviser.

Court Marshalls had been looking for Mingo to serve him with 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

DETAINED 24 HOURS MORE Hours later, the acting CJ granted the police permission to hold Mingo 24 hours longer, which will see him in custody until 14:20 hrs today.

Once released, Mingo will, from Sunday, August 30, 2020 have to report to the CID Headquarters in Eve Leary, Kingston at 09:00hrs daily. He has also been ordered to lodge his passport with the CID Headquarters.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that Mingo was arrested days after the Police Force announced that it was launching a comprehensive investigation into reports of electoral fraud, as advised by the Director of Public

Charles Ramson Jr. not just against Mingo, but PNCR Chair Volda Lawrence as well, and they all had to do with the controversial results for District Four.

On Monday, 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 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. Mingo is also expected to attend court on the date that has been fixed.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29, 2020

(ag)

The Ponzi scheme WITHIN the human condition, the dream of quick, easily-acquired money that can fulfill wishes goes beyond class, or any other divide; thus fraudsters throughout time have found easy prey in every community through every scamming stratagem mankind can devise. One such ruse is the Ponzi scheme.

A Ponzi scheme is defined as a form of fraud in which belief in the success of a non-existent enterprise is fostered by the payment of quick returns to the first investors from money invested by later investors.

It has been explained as a fraudulent investing scam promising high rates of return with little risk to investors. This is similar to a pyramid scheme in that both are based on using new investors’ funds to pay the earlier backers.

In Guyana a Cuban, Yuri Garcia Dominguez, teaming up with a Guyanese woman, was arrested for running a Ponzi scheme where hundreds of ordinary Guyanese, as well as some business persons are said to have been fleeced of millions of dollars.

Authorities have issued dire warnings to citizens of the risks involved in falling for the plausible encouragement to invest their money in such schemes by Ponzi scammers.

Anti-money laundering laws have caused one local bank to close the bank accounts of the suspected fraudsters, which had minimal amounts of money.

Yuri Garcia Dominguez of Accelerated Capital Firm Inc. is denying allegations that he and his Guyanese partner are defrauding people.

However, the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) have advised citizens to be cautious of pyramid and Ponzi schemes.

The notifying statement from CCAC cautioned, inter alia: “The warning from CCAC is being issued in the wake of several enquiries made to the Commission about the investment “scams”.

The commission has also been told of approaches made to persons with the “get rich quick” through investing in these groups that will earn them multiple times their investment. Part of the scheme is for them to also engage in continuous recruitment of persons to join this pyramid scheme.”

CCAC apprised citizens that Part V of the Guyana Consumer Affairs Act, No. 13 of 2011 speaks to the issue of “pyramid selling” as it clearly states a person shall not promote or operate a pyramid selling scheme and any person who contravenes the subsection of this act commits an offence.

“The Act spells out that the term “pyramid selling scheme means a scheme that (a) provides for the supply of goods or services or both for reward; (b) that, to many participants, constitutes primarily an opportunity to sell an investment opportunity rather than an opportunity to supply goods or services: and (c) that is unfair, or is likely to be unfair, to many of the participants… ” According to CCAC “Just because a promoter of a plan makes a claim doesn’t mean that it is true! Ask the promoter of

the plan to substantiate claims with hard evidence. Beware of “decoy” references paid by a plan’s promoter to describe their fictional success in earning money through the plan.”

An advisory issued in October 2019 by the Guyana Securities Council warned of fraudsters fleecing unsuspecting persons by asking them to invest in business in the securities market, even though they have not acquired the requisite licence for such ventures.

The name, Ponzi scheme derives from Charles Ponzi, who was arrested on Aug. 12, 1920 and eventually convicted and imprisoned for swindling thousands of persons in just such a scheme; years later scammer Bernie Madoff suffered the same fate.

However, these two infamous gentlemen were preceded by Sarah Howe in Boston in 1879, when she created the Ladies’ Deposit to help invest money for women. She was eventually charged and convicted of her crimes and served three years in prison. Upon being released, she managed to perpetrate an identical scam for two years before getting caught again.

Although the multi-stakeholder group established by the Government of Guyana to investigate the allegations of fraud and other criminal activities, allegedly perpetrated by Accelerated Capital Firm Inc. through its principals, Yuri Garcia Dominguez and partner, has confirmed that no company bearing the name “FK Choice” is registered with the local or the international Registry of Companies in that jurisdiction, as was

alleged by Dominguez. Those at the top of the pyramid are convinced that Accelerated Capital Firm Inc. is a legitimate operation.

In spite of all these revelations and cautionary warnings, those at the top tier of the pyramid, who most likely received some returns from their investments, as well as some who are awaiting their promised gains, staged protest action for the release of the two principals of Accelerated Capital Firm Inc. Attorney General Anil Nandlall, the Head of the multi-sectoral Task Force established by the government to probe the suspected Pyramid Scheme, told ACFI’s Attorney, Glen Hanoman, by way of a letter that, inter alia: “… you are free to inform me of any other measures, excepting the release of your client from police custody during the investigations, which may assist in the return of the funds to the jurisdiction.”

Although the couple claims that they have funds ready to be disbursed to their investors, it seems unlikely that this is possible because the monies Dominguez had disclosed that was abroad in accounts in the United States, Switzerland, Belize, Germany and Greece, the Bank of Guyana, the Guyana Securities Council and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) – three of Guyana’s major financial regulators and investigative agencies – say they are unable to locate any money.

It is incumbent on Guyanese to take warning from the old adage: “All that glitters is not gold.”

Update the mental health ordinance

THE Caribbean Voice (TCV) is thrilled that the need for an updated Public Health legislation will be addressed during the next sitting of the National Assembly, according to Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall. We sincerely hope that this process will also see two other things: A legislative framework for the integration of mental health into the current health care system as advocated for by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which stated in a 2008 report on Guyana that, “The current mental health system in Guyana is fragmented, poorly resourced, and not integrated into the general healthcare system. Care of the mentally ill is provided under the legislative framework of the Mental Health Ordinance of 1930, which is antiquated and fails to make provisions for the protection of the rights of people with mental disorders.” This situation remains basically true 12 years later.

According to the LANCET Psychiatry website, “The need to integrate mental and physical healthcare is indisputable.

Healthcare professionals know that people with severe mental illness are dying up to 20 years earlier than the general population partly due to physical ill health and they now know that this mortality gap is widening despite current efforts. Meanwhile, a high proportion of people with long-term physical conditions continue to be diagnosed with mental illness, around 30 per cent, and as many as one in three primary care consultations can concern medically unexplained symptoms.”

With an estimated 25 per cent (empirical evidence suggest that this figure is much higher today) of the Guyana’s population affected by mental illness, this integration is especially critical for developing nations like Guyana where mental health specialists are in very short supply, but the need for the delivery of mental health care is acute and the cost of private mental health care is astronomical. According to the WHO, “By making healthcare workers sensitive to the presence of mental health problems and by equipping them with skills to deal with those problems, much

wastage of efforts in general healthcare can be avoided and health care can be made more effective. Furthermore, “research has shown that emotional and psychological distress may be an early manifestation of physical disease processes, or may itself cause such diseases (the mind/body connection).” Thus, “an important concept in primary healthcare is that health activities should develop horizontally to involve other sectors working within the community…intersectoral collaboration, involving governmental and non-governmental organisations is important in all areas of health.”

We are aware that this process of integration was started under the previous PPP/C government but it has been travelling at snail’s pace while the mentally ill, by and large, continue to be abandoned, isolated, ignored and suffer acutely, while issues like suicide, sexual and gender based abuse and alcoholism continue to bestride Guyana at great costs.

Meanwhile, TCV hopes that as Attorney General Nandalall pilots the updating

of Public Health legislation. Cognisance will also be taken of the need to update the 1930 Mental Health Ordinance not only to protect the rights of the mentally ill as the WHO pointed out, but also to ensure that outdated practices will no longer have legislative support. New technology, including virtual and telehealth practices will be embraced, and attitudes to mental health will be ‘updated’ so stigmas, taboos, myths, misinformation, labelling, discrimination and lack of understanding, empathy and compassion will all be coherently and consistently addressed. Protocols to license counsellors must be put in place to prevent all sorts of quacks from portraying themselves as clinical counsellors and causing greater harm, a reality that TCV can testify to with numerous examples.

And reputable NGOs with the requisite skills ought to be embraced and their work fostered so as to make mental health care accessible across the land.

Sincerely, The Caribbean Voice

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29 2020

Previous government should have taken action in Ponzi scheme to protect Guyanese Dear Editor, IT is rather ironic to see so many Guyanese embark on an apparent campaign by turning up to protest publicly to have the couple fingered in the alleged ACFI Ponzi scheme, reportedly located on the East Coast Demerara, released from police custody. And this being so, although hundreds of millions of dollars owned by their fellow Guyanese are at stake and possibly at risk of not ever being recovered.

Some 57 persons have made reports to police with claims amounting to over $31.5 million in investments, but further reports seem to indicate that approximately 17,000 Guyanese have invested a whopping US$20 million in the company. This is therefore no ordinary case and all efforts must be made to ensure the Guyanese people are protected against such scams, and those responsible must be brought to justice and made to face the full force of the law.

Ongoing investigations have revealed that the accused couple is apparently deliberately giving erroneous information regarding the overseas company’s name, under which they claim to have been operating. This is strong enough justification to prevent them from leaving Guyana, until there is verifiable information as to the whereabouts of the funds, as well as the return of those funds to the rightful owners.

It was reported that, at the time of the arrest, the Cuban national implicated in the scheme, Yuri Garcia Dominguez, told Police that the name of the overseas umbrella company under which they were operating was “FK Choice”, and that it was located in Belize.

As police and other members of the government appointed investigating team proceeded to conduct research into the company bearing the name “FK Choice”, it was revealed that no such company existed in Belize as claimed by Mr. Dominguez, nor does such a company exist elsewhere in the region or internationally.

Specifically, information obtained from reliable counterparts in Belize confirmed that no company bearing the name “FK Choice” was registered with the local or international Registry of Companies in that jurisdiction, as claimed by Mr. Dominguez, who is married to a Guyanese woman, Ateeka Ishmael.

However, cognisant that local investigations were revealing his falsehood, and fur-

ther anticipating that this information would become public, Mr. Dominguez proceeded to send out a press release indicating the name of the overseas company was instead “FX Choice”, a name, which obviously bears close similarity to “FK Choice”, but for the letter ‘K’.

The apparent conclusion therefore is that when Mr. Dominguez began to realise that research would reveal that no such company with the name “FK Choice” existed, he proceeded on a misleading exercise to change the name to “FX Choice”.

The previous APNU+AFC Government had been made aware of the allegations, but had embarrassingly not taken any action before demitting office. The view is that had they moved decisively, it is highly unlikely the situation would have escalated so far as to ensnare thousands of citizens.

What became even more appalling was the denial of the former Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, of a letter alerting him of the illegal scheme, and that one of the operators had applied to become a Guyanese citizen.

In a now widely circulated letter dated October 24, 2019, the Legal Counsel for the Guyana Securities Council informed Mr. Felix about the scam, but he denied ever receiving it, only to be refuted when the letter was made public. No doubt therefore as to the reason why Mr. Felix has remained silent since the letter surfaced with a signature of receipt from someone at the ministry.

The letter, among other things, alerted Felix about two pyramid-like investment schemes, giving names of the two persons in the scam, their specific addresses on the East Coast Demerara, and the names of the companies being used.

Sadly, absolutely nothing was done with the information submitted, but thankfully, it was the new government, having received complaints from members of the public, convened a high level multi-agency investigating team involving the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, the Commissioner of Police, the Governor of the Central Bank, the Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Head of the Guyana Security Council.

One dictionary defines a Ponzi scheme as “a form of fraud in which belief in the success of a non-existent enterprise is fostered by the payment of quick returns to the first investors from money invested by later investors.”

At this stage, clearly there is hardly any

Righteousness exalts Dear Editor,

ALMIGHTY God has restrained violence in our governmental transition. We ought to be grateful.

Whoever is put in office needs to receive the Counsel of God as to how he should rule in order to be” the President of All the people”. This is the principle: Righteousness exalts a Nation, (a government, a leader). Sin brings reproach, not just from among one’s subjects whom one is mandated to serve, but, above all, from the One who has put you in office, God Himself!

For instance, it is not righteous for a po-

litical leader to micromanage any state entity, directly or indirectly encouraging disrespect for the rule of law. This is the path down the slippery slope.

God has demonstrated to both the PPP/C and the PNC/R His ability to set up and put down according to His purpose. Heed His voice and learn wisdom. Righteousness exalts.

Sin is a reproach and brings God’s judgement.

Sincerely in Jesus Christ’s Service, Bernice Walcott

hope of “quick returns” on the investments made, and one can only hope that at least there will be a quick return of the principal sums paid by thousands of Guyanese.

Rest assured that there will likely be many other similar attempts and the people of Guyana should therefore not let their guard down again. Thankfully, with a more

alert and proactive government in place, there is good reason for greater hope that the people of Guyana will not fall prey to similar scams in future!

Yours sincerely, Khoy Semple

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29, 2020

US$1.4B oceanfront mega-project unveiled

TWO businessmen, on Friday, unveiled a plan to construct a US$1.4B oceanfront megaproject called Maraiko Bay Golf & Country Club in Mahaica, East Coast Demerara.

The project is expected to be completed in 14 months.

The Construction and Investment Management Group (CIMGRO) is headed by Ragindra Persaud of Nand Persaud Investments and Sudama Ramalingum of New Trend Auto.

The magnificent Maraiko Bay will be over 1,000 acre and will have the first of two Championship PGA-standard golf courses.

The luxurious estate homes of Maraiko Bay Golf & Country Club will be set amid the backdrop of a spectacular David Hemstock Signature golf course.

According to the Administrative Assistant of CIMGRO, Nadia Kalika, the venue is designed to be an up-scale community of tree lined streets, fine homes and modern amenities, just a short drive from the heart of Georgetown or using the conveniently located on-site heliport.

In a press statement, she explained that the megaproject will be located along two miles of fabulous beach on the Atlantic Ocean and bordered by the Mahaica River.

“The stunning course under the masterful hands of world renowned golf course designer, David Hemstock and member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects, will offer magnificent vistas of waterways,

canals, and of course, challenging Atlantic Ocean finishing holes! The addition of ex-Ryder Cup Captain, Mark

on economic growth and job creation, Kalika said President Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister, Brigadier Mark

sands of construction, tourism and sports related jobs that we desperately need as the country grows. We have put together a team that we feel has the ability to deliver a project of this magnitude."

Persaud stated that an MoU had already been signed with the Petroleum Club, headed by John Moore Chair-

Georgetown! The championship golf course will be a part of a US$1.4B development that will eventually provide top-notch medical facilities, internationally rated schools, fine hotels, world-class shopping and fine dining. Maraiko Bay definitely will be the gold standard of living for the thousands of expats and

Thomas is a highly-trained ex-US military personnel and is dedicated to ensuring that the highest standards are provided to the project.

Chairman of the National Development Council for Region Five, Henry was demonstrably excited at the growth the project would bring to the area in terms of direct em-

Prime Minister flanked by Sudama Ramalingum (on right) and Rabindra Persaud

James scheduled to establish his National Golf Academy, there will only enhance the quality of the facility,” she said.

Kalika noted that Guyana is expected to be an oil-rich nation and this has led to an influx of major industry players such as Schlumbergers, Haliburton, Repsol, Saipem and Baker Hughes.

“The ocean's warm waters and wide sandy beach are key features in the country's first mega real estate project that offers green economy strategies, solar power, underground utilities, top security and amenities, and where for a fraction of Miami South Beach prices, you too can call this home,” she noted.

With a newly-installed government that is focused

Phillips, both wished the developers every success as this massive project will guarantee the rebirth of Guyana’s economic dominance in the region, since it addresses several key growth sectors and provides thousands of varied skill-set jobs.

REALISATION OF A DREAM According to CIMGRO Chairman, Ragindra Persaud, “this is the realisation of a dream that will put Guyana on the map as a top investment, tourist and second home destination. I am proud of our entire team that has been working for more than four years to create a masterpiece that will showcase our country's natural beauty. This allows for creation of thou-

Another artist’s impression of the mega-project

man of Agraria Inc. for a 75-unit luxury housing complex including a clubhouse, restaurant and leisure facilities.

In addition, Phase I will encompass 150 condos, 200 luxury homes and 50 executive homes, commercial centre and other amenities all set for completion within 14 months.

According to Rudy Ramalingum, COO of CIMGRO, "The project is one with many firsts in the developing country - first 18-hole golf course, first marina, first all-inclusive secure community and first mega real estate development project that is almost 30 per cent of the size of the capital city

re-migrants who are set to call Guyana home for the next 50+ years.”

Additionally, sea defence and environmental protection, (budgeted at more than G$430M) will be overseen

by Earth and Marine Environmental Consultants one of the world's most reputable companies in modeling sea defence, ocean rise and environmental impacts.

EAME has managed and consulted for hundreds of similar projects in more than 35 countries worldwide.

CIMGRO has engaged Dallas Thomas of Praetorian Executive Protection Services Inc., a USA-Guyanabased security firm to handle its security implementation.

ployment and development of local businesses.

“I am happy to be at the forefront of this incredible project as we see Region Five as the next growth centre for the country and with many projects slated for this area, this will be the catalyst for our phenomenal job and business development.”

CIMGRO plans to immediately engage several local and regional contractors to ensure that they can meet the tight delivery schedule for infrastructure and construction due to the demand for quality housing (starting under US$150,000) in a country that is struggling to keep up with the influx of expats and re-migrants.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29, 2020

Strong systems will be in place before re-opening of country –– President Ali assures the nation PRESIDENT, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, has assured that strong systems will be put in place and enforced before his government moves to fully re-open the country.

President Ali gave this assurance during an emergency multi-stakeholder meeting held on Tuesday, August 25, where he emphasised that any decision taken will be made to ensure a crucial balance is met, and only after careful consideration of all the factors.

“The balance requires very strong protocols and, I think, therein lies the trick to this pandemic - the protocols and enforcing the protocols. Now, we can move to re-opening once we have strong protocols that can be enforced and once we have the institutional mechanism to support those protocols,” the President said.

The head of state also reiterated the call made from the PAHO/WHO Country Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, that countries need to consider both the

health and well-being of the citizens as well as the health of the economy.

“As my brother from PAHO will tell you, we don’t want to find ourselves in a situation where we have the pandemic, dealing with the health side and then you have a major socio-economic disaster on the other side; we will be completely destroyed.

So, we have to find the balance,” President Ali said.

With regards to the input from other stakeholders at the meeting, the head of state pointed to the vital role that the private sector will play in relation to any decisions moving forward.

WIDE SUPPORT “As President, I thought that I have a responsibility to provide leadership on this issue and that leadership must be supported by a wide cross-section of the Guyanese population and their views.

So, at the end of this interaction, we will have to revisit some issues and charter the way forward,” President Ali said.

The head of state also provided an update on the investments made and his government’s efforts to ensure that all steps taken to mitigate the impact of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are undertaken collaboratively.

“I have spoken to many organisations individually and collectively. I know that

2

‘No more extensions! ...

“We still have issues that have to be addressed, because of the reworked scope which was crafted by the Granger administration, which lessened the footprint,” said Minister Edghill.

Provisions will also have

to be made for vendors for restaurants, and spaces will also have to be created for adequate office accommodation for commercial airlines.

CJIA, at this time, is also seeking to do things that were listed in the initial contract,

ensure that the decisions taken will be made only after extensive consultation with stakeholders. This also includes the plan to re-open the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

and how we can be on an early list for that. We have been having conversations with CARICOM. There is a lot happening. Together; we can develop a strategy that is National COVID-19 response to protect the Guyanese people,” President Ali said.

The President convened the stakeholder meeting to

RIGID GUIDELINES The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) also issued a number of rigid public health guidelines and regulations to airlines, ground handlers and airport authorities ahead of the re-opening of airports. Passengers can be fined from $50,000 to $3M and jailed for five years if they breach the COVID-19 regulations stipulated by the GCAA. The Government of Guyana has assured that strict protocols will be instituted and enforced prior to the re-opening of the airport.

Earlier this week, the PAHO/WHO country representative noted that he was not opposed to the government’s plan to re-open airports mid-September, given that the planned systems in place to detect positive COVID-19 cases upon arrival are enforced.

Dr. Adu-Krow also said that, with the exception

but, in effect, government, through the revised contract, is getting less than what was presented to the past PPP/C administration at the time of the signing.

“Even though we are paying the same amount, we did

not get on time what the contract stipulated for us to get,” said Minister Edghill.

Likening the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project to “adding lipstick to a pig”, Minister Indar said the “reno-

President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali

FROM PAGE

Through the revised contract, only four air bridges were installed, because no new building was built for the apron. Additionally, the four bridges malfunction from time to time, so those will have to be fixed.

PAHO is also having conversations on our behalf, in relation to a possible vaccine

of Guyana’s patient zero, the majority of the other COVID-19 cases resulted from community transmission.

The Government of Guyana continues to enforce mask-wearing along with the other preventative measures, including handwashing/sanitising and social distancing, which are key to halting the severe impact of COVID-19.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, earlier this week, warned that persons who choose not to wear a mask, when in public, can be fined.

The minister emphasised that the revised emergency protocols for August 16-31, 2020, provide for persons found flouting the measures to be fined and even imprisoned.

In addition, a curfew is imposed throughout Guyana from August 16 to August 31, 2020 between the hours of 21:00 hours and 05:00 hours.

A special curfew has also been imposed from 18:00 hours to 06:00 hours for Regions Seven, Eight and Nine. vation” is a burden on taxpayers, and not much was gained.

He too, however, advised that government must move past the impasse and get everything done and remedied in a timely manner.

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Cabinet approves $29M for emergency D&I works –– over 1,800 rice and other farmers set to benefit CABINET has approved some $29M for the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to commence rehabilitation works to several access dams in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Five (Mahaica-Berbice); and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

This is according to Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha who said that the works are considered urgent, as some 91,580 acres of rice fields are currently under threat due to the inaccessibility of dams.

“Farmers have been complaining about the current state of these dams,” Minister Mustapha said, adding: “Due to the severity of the last rainy season, the NDIA and the various regional administrations were unable to carry out much-needed repairs and maintenance to over 227,000 rods of access dams. Farmers will suffer millions in losses, if we do not carry out these works immediately for them to be able to harvest their rice

for the upcoming autumn crop.”

The funds will also facilitate repairs to an additional 101,942 rods of dams that were damaged due to continuous use by farmers who made efforts to save their crops and recover expenses from what they could have harvested.

With fields yielding an average of 40 bags per acre, farmers are expected to harvest over 3,663,000 bags of paddy, with an estimated value of G$10.2B. Rice remains one of Guyana’s largest export earners, grossing over US$222M in 2019.

Government is currently in the process of preparing a four-month budget that will see the Ministry of Agriculture carrying out additional emergency works to a number of drainage and irrigation (D&I) structures and access dams across the country. (DPI)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29, 2020

Man wanted for murder of marketing ‘rep’ shot, arrested THE suspect wanted in connection with the murder of Navindra Samaroo, 23, was on Thursday evening shot and arrested by policemen on patrol duty in Genip Lane, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

He has been identified as Dwayne Castello, 27, called “Top Cat” of East Ruimveldt.

He is being treated for gunshot injury under guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The 23-year-old Samaroo was gunned down while in his car, PPP1645 on July 23, 2020 at Middle Road, La Penitence. He was a marketing representative of G&J Phone Cards Investment on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.

Police have confirmed that Castello is also wanted in connection with a series of robberies.

Reports are that the patrol ranks, acting on information received, proceeded to Genip Lane, East Ruimveldt where they saw the suspect, who, upon seeing them, attempted to flee on a black motorcycle.

By this time, the police

ARRESTED: Dwayne Castello

DEAD: Navindra Samaroo

The firearm and bullets seized by the police

had already stopped and disembarked the vehicle, and Castello, realising he’d been cornered, pulled out a firearm from his pants crotch and discharged several rounds in the lawmen’s direction.

One rank, who was quicker on the draw than his col-

leagues, returned fire, hitting the career criminal in his left foot below the knee.

Thus incapacitated, Castello fell to the ground and was arrested. When searched by the police it was discovered that he had in his possession a 9mm pistol with six

live matching rounds in the magazine.

He was escorted to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he is currently being treated and remains under police guard as investigations continue.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29, 2020

‘COVID-19 test kits safe, secure’ –– PAHO-WHO ‘rep’ reassures public, asks that they refrain from doing test privately that is why the government is sticking to PCR, “ Dr AduKrow said, adding: “That is also why the WHO has not pre-approved any of the antibody-antigen tests as yet.”

He noted that since widespread testing has been increased, the number of pos-

PAHO/WHO’s Dr. William Adu-Krow

By Naomi Parris IN the last few weeks, Guyana has seen a significant increase in the discovery of positive (COVID)-19 cases, and with the enormity of the situation finally beginning to register, anxiety levels are at an all-time high.

Adding to the fear and already tense atmosphere is the bizarre rumour going the rounds of contaminated testing kits being used to infect the population with the virus.

Said rumour having no doubt come to the attention of Dr. William Adu-Krow, the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO)’s envoy here, he hastened to reassure the public by way of an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Thursday that both organisations he represents ensure that the testing kits

that are being used here and elsewhere to detect the coronavirus meet all the necessary standards before they are dispatched to the various countries for use.

“I can assure the public that the tests being done in Guyana are secure, safe and quality- assured,” Dr. AduKrow said, adding: “So if you get a positive; it’s a true positive… All the testing kits that we have go through a quality assurance first, then go through PAHO. And then it comes here, monitored, temperature-sensitive monitored. So by the time we get them, we know they are in good stead.”

As he went on to say, “To the best of my knowledge, the kits that were graciously given by the Government of China came to us about six to eight weeks ago. Those were used, and we did not have any problems. Now, there is

someone suddenly saying we are getting increases because of that; that is a lie.”

He said that to prove the accuracy of the test results obtained here, the PAHO/ WHO has advised that the government send the last of every 50 tests, which would be the 50th one, to a laboratory outside of Guyana to be re-processed.

He is also advising the public against entertaining the notion that being re-tested at a private health institution will produce a different result. As he was at pains to explain, the testing provided by the government is a PCR one, short for polymerase chain reaction, which, in medical ‘lingo’, means it is a molecular-driven test with about a 99 per cent accuracy. “If you go and test at a private institution, with an antibody-antigen test they may use, it is not as sensitive as a PCR test, and

Miner with vomiting, diarrhoea dies at Port Kaituma Hospital

A GOLD miner who suffered from diarrhoea and vomiting died on Thursday at the Port Kaituma District Hospital after he fell sick at Hymacururu Backdam, North West District, earlier in the week.

Police are investigating the death of Roy Conyers, 46, of Canal Bank, Port Kaituma, North West District.

Reports indicate that Roy Conyers was employed by a man who operates a six-inch Land Dredge at Hymacururu Backdam, North

West District and while working on Monday last, he became sick with diarrhoea and vomiting.

On Wednesday, his employer contacted his reputed wife via cellular phone and told her that Conyers was not feeling well.

On Thursday, a speedboat was chartered to carry Conyers out of the backdam.

On arrival on the same day around 15:00 hours, he was taken to the Port Kaituma District Hospital where he was seen and examined by

a doctor on duty, who pronounced him dead.

His body was examined by the police for marks of violence but none was seen on the exposed parts of the body.

He was subsequently taken to the Port Kaituma District Hospital Mortuary for storage, awaiting autopsy.

Police confirmed that a COVID-19 test was not done on the Conyers at the hospital.

itive cases being identified is a true reflection of the COVID-19 situation in the country.

Nevertheless he is urging all Guyanese to pay heed in the statics, and refrain from sharing unconfirmed and false information about the virus,

as such information will only incite fear and anxiety in an already uncertain situation.

He also urged Guyanese to adhere to the necessary guidelines to protect themselves and others from contracting the virus.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29, 2020

Teachers 'plug' holding next NGSA in July ––– during instructive but very interactive ‘Zoom’ meet with Education Minister on way forward

By Tamica Garnett HAVING the writing of the 2021 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) being done in July instead of in April, as well as adjusting the Grade Five and Six curriculums were among some of the suggestions made by teachers on Friday when they met with the Minister of Education Priya Manickchand during a virtual meeting.

Approximately 1100 persons were in attendance at Friday’s forum, which centered on garnering feedback from Grade Five and Six teachers on the way forward for the writing of the NGSA, and the return of their young charges to school.

Minister Manickchand emphasised that the meeting

was an opportunity for the Ministry to hear from the teachers as they go about crafting a plan for the future delivery of education.

“It is not a forum where I am going to be talking a lot; we want to hear from you. We are here to listen to you about how best we can plan for you in the classroom,” she told the gathering as she delivered opening remarks.

Given that the meeting was a voluntary one, the Minister said she was heartened by the response from teachers, and the rich contributions that were made during the engagement, particularly by the teachers from far-flung areas.

Aside from the Grade Five and Six teachers, participants at the meeting included head-teachers; Regional Education Officers (REDOs); and

istered to the students, so as to gauge how far behind they are, while there was also a call for some level of training to be done with parents, so that they can be better equipped to teach the children at home.

With schools closed, and the students at home, even with the assistance of teachers electronically, parents have had to play a bigger role in their children’s learning over these past few months, leaving teachers to now wonder how the methods implemented by the parents may clash with what they now will teach the children when they return to school.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand

other Ministry of Education Officials such as Head of the

National Centre of Educational Resources Development (NCERD), Ms. Jennifer Cumberbatch, who also re-emphasised the Ministry’s readiness to listen to its teachers.

“We are really happy about the rich contributions we are getting; it shows that persons are really thinking, and we thank you,” Cumberbatch said.

CLOSED SINCE MARCH With schools closed since March 16, due to the spread of COVID-19 here, and no structured plan or assessment being put in place during the closure, Ms. Manickchand has literally had to hit the ground running when she took up her ministerial post earlier this month.

The Minister noted that Friday’s meeting was the first of many engagements with teachers that the Ministry plans having going forward.

“We cannot continue as a ministry to fail to give direction or assistance to you, so we are here to talk and hear from you. There are many things you may be thinking of that we have not thought about on how we could best serve our children, and not be unfair to them or their teachers,” she said.

The Minister disparaged reports that the Ministry has nothing planned on the way forward, emphasising that the magnitude of work that needs to go into crafting an ideal plan will take time.

“Sometimes people say we take too long, and we seem to not know what we want,” she said, adding: “We know exactly where we are, and we know what’s missing. Unlike what we usually do, where the MoE makes decisions alone, in this case,

there’s a lot of intricate things that we need to consider.”

She reiterated that because of the nature of the situation, education is not the only area involved.

“We have a responsibility to make decisions not for one set; not for one region; not for one group, but for a large number of persons,” she said.

“This particular pandemic period puts us in a place where any decision we take is not taken solely by the MoE, or is solely based on information we garner. It’s not just education: It’s health; it’s social services,” she added.

‘JOB WELL DONE!’ On that score, she commended those teachers who, during the months of closure, have been finding ways and means of reaching out to their students, and continuing work in whatever way possible.

“Most schools have been closed since March, and teachers, without direction or assistance, were left to determine the way forward.

There was no central direction or assistance, and I am extremely impressed by what teachers have done to reach our children. And we want to say thank you very much, because that required your own input and desire to teach the children,” the minister said.

Early into their discussions on Friday, teachers highlighted that emphasis needs to be placed on crafting programmes which specifically cater to those pupils and students who were most affected by school closures over the past few months, and would’ve been exposed to little or no learning during that time.

One teacher called for diagnostic testing to be admin-

INVOLVING PARENTS “Many parents want to help, but they don’t know how to help. We need study guidelines for parents, so that parents can follow along and be relevant. A closer relationship is needed between the ministry, the teachers, the students and the parents, as we have to get into guiding the parents,” noted one teacher from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

Teachers also suggested the possible implementation of subject teachers at the primary school level akin to what obtains at the secondary school level, as opposed to the current class-teacher structure at primary schools, where one teacher is expected to teach all the subject areas.

“I advocate that we use subject specialists, so that teachers would be able to focus more on the areas that are their strong points, rather than continuing to do so many subjects under a strain. If we embrace the subject specialist in the primary schools that could be something good,” suggested the head-teacher of St. Mary’s Primary School on the East Bank Demerara.

Other suggestions from those in attendance included the possible restructuring of the NGSA to place more focus on multiple- choice questions, as well as the restructuring of the curriculum.

“Can you review the curriculum, given the lost time and the difficulties encountered with learning Online, since it’s new for everybody? Secondly, could the final exam be based on multiple-choice and continuous assessment,” offered Natasha Anthony, who teaches at a private school.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29 2020

Ambassador Srinivasa meets Ministers Croal, Rodrigues and McCoy HIGH Commissioner of India, Dr. K J Srinivasa met Ministers of Housing and Water, Colin Croal and Susan Rodrigues on Friday.

The high commissioner discussed various areas of support that India could offer to Guyana, and exchange of best practices in the housing and water sectors between

India and Guyana.

The high commissioner also met Mr. Kwame McCoy, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, and

together they exchanged views on various matters, and offered to continue the long-term collaboration between India and Guyana.

During Ambassador Srinivasa’s meetings on Friday with Ministers McCoy, Rodrigues and Croal (Photos courtesy DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29, 2020

Phase two airport re-opening awaiting approval

By Lisa Hamilton WHILE the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has made a proposal for phase two of the re-opening of Guyana’s airports to commence on Tuesday, September 1, the body must await the approval of the Nation-

al COVID-19 Task Force before this takes place, as every stakeholder must be at a state of readiness to ensure the safety of all during travel.

“The airport is ready; the Civil Aviation Authority is also ready but we cannot do things in isolation. We have to make sure that everybody

is on the same page and everybody is ready. If one part is not ready then it cannot happen,” GCAA's Director-General Lt. Col. Egbert Field said on Friday. He added that the Ministry of Health is an important stakeholder in this decision.

Phase one of the planned re-opening included the read-

iness of Guyana’s aiports and other stakeholders while phase two would facilitate flights, apart from repatriation flights, catered to permanent residents, international workers and diplomats.

Phase three will include limited flights and flights open to foreign nationals, and the final phase, phase four,

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill

GCAA Director-General, Lt. Col., Egbert Field

will include the removal of travel restrictions on various states.

Later, on Friday, during a tour of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, also confirmed that no approval had been given as yet.

“That is a matter that will come from the COVID -19 Task Force as it relates to readiness but, from my standpoint, as the minister responsible, everything that is necessary to be done, the day we get the greenlight for re-opening, must be completed for re-opening, including the possibility of testing on arrival. That is something that is being explored,” he said.

Earlier in August, Minister Edghill had stated that while everything on Guyana’s side would soon be ready for phase two of the reopening, whether commercial airlines would be ready to fly the Guyana route is another matter.

Field agreed, noting that airlines must first assess whether there would be steady interest in passengers for commercial flights before they decide to operate a route on a set schedule, profitably.

He said that repatriation flights are different because those are chartered flights for which a passenger pays divided portions of the charge for the aircraft to fly. In the case of scheduled flights, whether or not there is a low number of passengers, the aircraft must fly. “[Reopening] doesn’t mean that when you open the airport they [international airlines] will follow suit in running commercial flights.

They’re going to look at the amount of people who will be moving and assess if it’s profitable,” Field said.

As it relates to regional travel, Trinidad and Tobago remains an important player as it is the home of Caribbean airlines but the country has not yet relaxed its airport restrictions to a notable level.

As of August 27, Trinidad and Tobago reported a total of 1,476 cases with 867 being active cases and 44 non-nationals testing positive for the virus under their phase two of the epidemic.

“Caribbean Airlines, they have their crew based out in Trinidad and their aircraft are based in Trinidad. So, the opening of Port of Spain is vital to them too, otherwise they would not be able to run the kind of commercial operation they want to,” Field said.

Meanwhile, plans are still on schedule for Caribbean Airlines to operate a repatriation flight from Port of Spain, Trinidad to Guyana on September 9.

The proposed flight is one in a series that the local authority has approved to get stranded Guyanese back to their homeland.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29 2020

Canadian citizen’s murder…

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Alleged mastermind, accomplices remanded THREE men were on Friday remanded to prison for the murder of Canadian Citizen Nicholas Jaipaul, whose badly burnt remains were ound in a clump of bushes on the Moleson Creek Public Road, East Berbice Corentyne days after he was reported missing.

The alleged mastermind, Monasar Beharry, called ‘Brickhead’, and his two accomplices, Charran Shedhan, called ‘Vickey’, and

Canadian Citizen, 23-year-old Nicholas Jaipaul Aszim Shivgobin, called ‘Blackie’, appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where the case was heard via ‘Zoom’.

The trio was not required to plead to the capital offence, which alleged that between August 16 and 20, at Moleson Creek, they murdered Jaipaul.

Beharry was represented

by Attorney-at-law Bernard DaSilva, in association with Attorney-at-Law Sanjeev

Datadin, while Shivgobin was represented by Attorney-at-Law Patrice Henry.

Shedhan was unrepresented.

The men were remanded to prison until October 15, 2020, when the case will be called at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court.

Nicholas Jaipaul, 23, a Canadian citizen, arrived in Guyana in January and was scheduled to return in May. However, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions here and elsewhere, he was unable to leave the country.

While here, he stayed at his 86-year-old grandfather, Ramkissoon Jairam at his Number 69 Village home on the Corentyne.

Nicholas reportedly went missing on August 16,2020, and his badly burnt remains was found some four days later, among some old burnt-out tyres in a clump of bushes, some 30 meters from the Moleson Creek Public Road.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the heinous act has to do with a matter currently engaging the attention of the court; essentially an old feud between Beharry and the victim’s grandfather.

Sources have revealed that Beharry owes Nicholas’ grand-daddy money for some rice land he rented from the old man some time ago, but feels he’s under no obligation to pay him for.

He allegedly contracted Shedhan to befriend, kidnap and kill the grand-

Man granted bail for stealing fuel from employer MOHINDER Persaud, a front-end loader operator attached to Caricom Rice Mill Limited at Anna Regina in Region Two, was recently charged for allegedly stealing fuel from his employer.

He made his first appearance before Magistrate Esther Sam at the Charity Magistrate’s Court. It is alleged that Persaud stole fuel from his employer and resold it to another employee within the said company. He sold some $1,000,000 worth in fuel to his colleague.

The operator pleaded not guilty to the charge and was placed on $150,000 bail.

He will make another court appearance on September, 16, 2020.

son of his archenemy as reprisal for his daring to take him to court and embarrassing him in the eyes of his family and fellow villagers.

Shedhan also implicated Shivgobin in the crimes.

The two men had allegedly told investigators that Beharry promised to pay them $500,000 for doing the deed.

Monasar Beharry, called ‘Brickhead’

Aszim Shivgobin, called ‘Blackie’

Charran Shedhan, called ‘Vickey’

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29 2020

Thiago Silva joins Chelsea (BBC) - Brazil centre-back Thiago Silva has signed for Chelsea on a one-year deal, with the option of another.

The 35-year-old has joined the Blues on a free transfer having left Paris St-Germain after their Champions League final defeat on August 23.

He will bolster the Blues’ defence, which conceded the most goals (54) in the Premier League top 10 in 2019-20.

“I am so happy to be joining Chelsea. I am delighted to be a part of Frank Lampard’s exciting squad,” Silva said.

“I’m here to challenge for honours and I look forward to playing at Stamford Bridge very soon.”

Silva, who has made 88 international appearances, played more than 200 games for PSG during his eight years in the French capital, winning seven consecutive Thiago Silva played his last game Ligue 1 titles. for Paris Saint-Germain in their He is manager Champions League final defeat Frank Lampard’s

by Bayern Munich on August 23. fifth major summer signing, following former Nice defender Malang Sarr, England left-back Ben Chilwell from Leicester and forwards Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner.

In the first window since the Blues’ transfer ban was lifted, Chelsea have also been linked with 21-year-old Bayer Leverkusen and Germany winger Kai Havertz.

Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign away at Brighton on Monday, September 14 (20:00 BST).

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Saturday August 29, 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) Colin Munro-TKR: 567 (2018) (2) 24 matches

Today’s Quiz: (1) How many runs Shimron Hetmyer scored in last season’s CPL? (2) Which franchise lifted the CPL title in 2016?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29, 2020

India player among at least ten COVID-19 positive CSK contingent (ESPNCRICINFO) - An Indian player is among at least ten members of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) contingent who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Dubai.

ESPNcricinfo understands there is only one player among those who tested positive, with the rest of them comprising support staff members and a few net bowlers.

One of those found positive is the wife of a senior Super Kings official, though the official himself has tested negative.

The infected persons are understood to have been moved to a different hotel from the team hotel, and are being monitored by medical personnel behind closed doors.

As a result of this development, Super Kings have been forced to postpone the start of their training in Dubai to September 1.

According to the IPL’s Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs), all those who tested positive will now need to undergo at least two weeks of further quarantine and clear two more tests before they can rejoin the group.

ESPNcricinfo understands the positive test results are from the final round of testing in the UAE, which is part of IPL’s COVID-19 protocols comprising three tests that are mandatory for every person who is part of the tournament.

As per the protocol, every person would get tested at the airport upon landing in the UAE, followed by two tests at the hotel on days 3 and 6.

The protocol also makes it mandatory for everyone to undergo a six-day quarantine after landing, when they are not supposed to even mingle with team members or colleagues. Once the squad members clear all the mandatory tests only then can teams start their training.

As per the original schedule, Super Kings would have started their training yesterday. However, their preparations are now in disarray. So far neither the franchise nor the IPL has made any public comment.

The IPL is to start on September 19, but the schedule is yet to be finalised.

The development is bound to put the IPL on alert simply because Super Kings, who finished runners-up in 2019, are expected to play defending champions Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener.

Super Kings landed in Dubai on August 21 after part of their Indian contingent underwent a six-day conditioning camp in Chennai.

That group included most of the senior Indian players in the squad including captain MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Deepak Chahar and Piyush Chawla.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW? According to tournament’s SOPs, those who test positive have to be “immediately isolated from rest of the squad”, and it is understood this has been done with the infected persons having been moved out of the team hotel. The SOPs also say “contact tracing” should “commence immediately”.

If the person is “asymptomatic or has mild symptoms”, then he/she would need to be isolated outside the bio-secure bubble for two weeks from the “first day of symptoms or a positive PCR test report whichever is later”.

The individual cannot also train during the 14-day isolation period and is advised complete rest. If the symptoms worsen then he/she would be shifted to a tournament-accredited hospital.

“After the 2 weeks isolation, the in-

dividual must return 2 negative PCR test reports done 24 hours apart before being permitted to re-enter the Bio-Secure Environment.

After recovery, players must undergo a cardiac screening before resuming any team activities,” is what the IPL said while distributing the SOPs to franchise recently.

HAD ‘RESERVATIONS’ ABOUT CHENNAI CAMP - SUPER KINGS CEO Incidentally, Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan revealed he was skeptical about organising the camp in Chennai and that it was Dhoni who convinced him that the camp was necessary.

“When we announced that the tournament (IPL) is going to happen, I had reservations about conducting the camp here because of the bio-bubble which we will have to observe,” Viswanathan said in a Super Kings video published on YouTube on August 26.

“In fact, I even sent a message to him whether it will be worthwhile having a camp of five days before we leave for Dubai. But captain (Dhoni) was crystal clear in his thoughts.”

Dhoni reasoned that the Chennai experience would also help players understand the basics of what being in a bubble meant.

“He said: ‘No, Sir, we have not played for nearly 4-5 months. All of us need to get together. We should be in Chennai, in a bio-bubble, so that we get used to that when we land in Dubai. And also will help the boys getting in shape.’ This camp, though we had some reservations, has really helped. And I am very happy we were able to host the camp’.”

Ali fined over Keemo Paul incident

Asif Ali (L) of Jamaica Tallawahs expresses disappointment at being dismissed

by Keemo Paul (R) of Guyana Amazon Warriors during the Hero CPL match 12 at Queen’s Park Oval on August 25, 2020 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

(Photo by Randy Brooks - CPL T20/CPL T20 via Getty Images) JAMAICA Tallawahs batsman Asif Ali has been found guilty of breaching the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Code of Conduct.

During the Tallawahs’ match against the Guyana Amazon Warriors on August 25 at Queen’s Park Oval, Ali swung his bat in the direction of opposition bowler

Keemo Paul when he was dismissed in the eighth over of his team’s batting innings.

Ali was charged with being in breach of Section 2.18 of the Code of Conduct, acting contrary to the spirit of the game. Ali admitted the offence and has been fined 20% of his match fee.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29 2020

Red Bull fastest in second free practice

(BBC) - Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was fastest in second practice at the Belgian Grand Prix, with Daniel Ricciardo’s Renault also ahead of Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton was third fastest as the top three were separated by only 0.096 seconds.

Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas was down in sixth, behind Red Bull’s Alexander Albon and Racing Point’s Sergio Perez.

The times are unlikely to be representative of real performance.

Ferrari, in particular, were out of position, with Charles Leclerc 15th and Sebastian Vettel 17th.

The Italian team were always expected to be off the pace around the high-speed Spa-Francorchamps circuit, given their straight-line speed deficit this season, but it is unlikely they will be that slow come qualifying today.

Even Alfa Romeos, who have been significantly slower than Ferrari so far this season, were ahead of them in this session, and there is no obvious reason why the form of the two teams, who use the same engines, would have switched so dramatically.

The same is likely to be the case for Mercedes, who have dominated qualifying so far this season and would not be expected to be in third and sixth places.

But Hamilton said he believed the field had closed up on Mercedes.

“It has been a good day,” Hamilton said.

“I love driving around this track, it’s incredi-

ble. Got plenty of running in.

“It is very close out there. I think the Red Bulls are just a little bit quicker at the moment but even the Racing Point are right with us and Daniel Ricciardo in the Renault was very close. That makes it exciting. We have some work to do to try to dial in the car a bit more.

“We are only in the seventh race. The field is going to get closer and closer and it is already showing that. We seem to be so close with everyone and we have to understand why, whether they have taken a step or we have taken a step back or downforce levels, who knows? But I am excited for an interesting race.”

Verstappen said: “I think they are still struggling a bit with the balance. I expect them to be stronger tomorrow. You can see in the long runs they are very competitive, I am not expecting to fight for pole position but if we can be a bit closer that would be good.”

The fragmented nature of the race-simulation runs made it even harder to define a clear picture of relative pace.

Hamilton, who leads the championship by 37 points after six races, did only one lap on soft tyres on his race-simulation run before a virtual safety car caused by Ricciardo’s Renault stopping out on track with a loss of hydraulic pressure.

That one lap by the Mercedes was almost identical to the first time set by Verstappen on his race-simulation run.

After that, Hamilton switched to the hard tyre, but managed only one lap on that before

Liverpool rules out Messi moves (BBC) - Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has ruled out a move for Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, but admits the Argentine would be “great” for the Premier League.

Messi’s future has been surrounded by speculation since asking to leave Barca but Klopp says there is “no chance” he will join the English champions.

Asked if he was interested in signing the 33-year-old, Klopp said: “Who doesn’t want Messi in their team?

“The numbers are not for us, but a good player, to be honest.”

Messi has been linked with a reunion with former Barca boss Pep Guardiola at Manchester City - something Klopp says will “obviously” help his rivals and make them “harder to beat”.

City, who were Liverpool’s closest rivals in the top flight last season and their predecessors as title-holders, have remained tight-lipped on the rumours and have ruled out letting first-team regulars Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus leave in any exchange deal for Argentina international Messi.

“For the Premier League, it would be great, but I am not sure the Premier League needs that boost,” added Klopp.

“He’s never played in another league.

Football is different here. I’d like to see it but I’m not sure I will.”

Liverpool continue their pre-season preparations against FA Cup winners Arsenal in the Community Shield today (16:30 BST), and Klopp says he is “happy” with his squad.

Klopp says Messi would be “great” for the Premier League, but is unsure whether it will happen.

However, while remaining coy on the subject, he did not rule out further transfer activity before the Premier League window closes on October 5.

“Numbers in the squad make sense, we have a big squad at the moment with a lot of young boys, and the size of the squad is OK,” he said.

“I’m happy with what we have but we look constantly for improvement - internally too.

“It will be interesting to see what other teams do but we will deal with our situation as we always have. The philosophy of this club is clear and we will see how much we want to spend.”

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands drives the (33) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB16 on track during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium, at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps yesterday in Spa, Belgium. (Photo by Dan Istitene - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images) the session was stopped because of debris on track from a sponsorship hoarding.

It restarted but only in time for a final seven minutes of running.

Behind Bottas, McLaren’s Lando Norris was seventh fastest, ahead of Renault’s Esteban Ocon, McLaren’s Carlos Sainz and Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29, 2020

Ashmead Nedd, a star on the rise, sees representing West Indies as his main goal THE CWI selectors knew that there was something special about Ashmead Nedd quite early on.

Ashmead is a player who has been constantly improving since he introduced himself to the world at the Under-19 World Cup of 2018, when he was only 17 years old.

He played five matches at that tournament and his four maidens were the most by the West Indies team. Nedd then went back to the regional youth tournaments and worked on his craft, knowing that experiencing a world tournament at such a young age could only be a benefit.

“It was a challenging competition as a spinner because the conditions were not favourable. However, it gave me an idea of the work I needed to do and I was able to come back home and get that done.”

He introduced himself to the senior regional circuit by performing impressively at the 2019 Colonial Medical Insurance Super50

competition, as a part of the eventual championship team, the West Indies Emerging Players.

Reflecting on his journey, Nedd credits this regional tournament as the preparation he needed to attain the performance he did at the following ICC U-19 World Cup earlier this year, stating that: “Playing against top-level West Indian talent was a needed challenge. Just being around such quality coaches and players was one of the best experiences we could have had going into a World Cup.” West Indies Under-19 and Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) fast-bowling standout, Jayden Seales, was also in that squad, along with wicketkeeper-batsman Leonardo Julien. Nedd picked up 11 wickets at an average of 10.27, achieving a remarkable economy of 3.27 throughout the tournament and caught the eye of many in the region.

Banton’s heroics in vain as rain washes out T20 (BBC) - Tom Banton marked his arrival on the international stage with a thrilling 71 off 42 balls before rain washed out England’s first Twenty20 against Pakistan at Emirates Old Trafford.

The 22-year-old became the youngest England player to score a T20 half-century as he hit four fours and five sixes.

His departure was the first of four wickets to fall for 14 runs, shortly before rain intervened with England 131-6.

Play was abandoned at 21:00 BST, although better weather is forecast for the

second game of the three-match series at the same ground tomorrow.

One of the most devastating limited-overs batsmen on the county circuit, Banton had a solitary fifty to show from his opening nine games for England in one-day and T20 cricket.

There was little early on in Manchester to suggest he would buck that trend, put down

by Iftikhar Ahmed - a regulation chance at slip - on five and struggling for timing on a two-paced pitch after seeing Jonny Bairstow drill the fifth delivery of the game back to Imad Wasim.

That England’s first 50 runs took 49 balls - their slowest start since the last T20 World Cup - betrayed Banton and Dawid Malan’s lack of fluency.

The next 50 came off only 19 deliveries, thanks largely to Banton’s brilliance.

If three leg-side sixes off leg-spinner Shadab Khan demonstrated his reach and power, the casual ramp over fine leg for six off Haris Rauf, Pakistan’s quickest bowler, was nothing short of astonishing.

Having seen Malan stranded midpitch and run-out for 23, Banton skied a leading edge to cover as he aimed across the line.

Eoin Morgan was lbw on the sweep moments later, Moeen Ali was caught behind attempting to cut Shadab, and Lewis Gregory was stumped advancing to Imad.

The impact of England’s slide from 109-2 to 123-6 was such that they will arguably have been the Tom Banton hit four fours and five sixes in happier of the sides when rain arhis innings rived at 19:20hrs.

That confidence shined through via performances in the 2020 ICC Under-19 World Cup, where he managed to grab 11 wickets and was West Indies top wicket-taker and a tied 10th in the entire competition. Nedd achieved this feat with an economy of 3.54.

“Having an idea of the level of competition and knowing the work I put in over those two years and the improvements I had made, I was very confident going into the tournament.”

He has now taken his talents to the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and is performing admirably so far, having played three matches. On August 22, 2020, Glenn Phillips of the Jamaica Tallawah’s became his first T20 wicket, “I was relieved! It was a proud feeling to get my first T20 wicket on debut, especially on the first ball of my spell.”

He then spoke vividly about his plans for the rest of the ongoing CPL and his future as

a professional cricketer.

“My goals are simple. I just want to continue to do the right things, trust my skills and believe in myself. Once I am consistently given the opportunity to play, I want to play free, happy and continue to put my best foot forward, not only for myself, but for the team.”

Nedd, however, made it clear that his eyes are set on putting on the West Indies jersey at senior level. He expressed that he has a deep love for the longest format of the game.

“I see myself progressing to play for the West Indies, hopefully sooner rather than later. Mostly, I would love to play Test cricket.

The unit have been performing really well recently and the unit looked so happy to be together in England, despite the challenges.”

“Whatever happens before, during and after, we will see, but representing the West Indies is my main goal and priority.”

(Windies Cricket)

NFL club Baltimore Ravens promise to ‘drive change now’ (BBC) - NFL side Baltimore Ravens say the United States must tackle racism “head-on” and have promised to use their platform to “drive change now”.

In a powerful statement on social media, Ravens called for those responsible for the shooting of Jacob Blake to be brought to justice.

Blake, a black man, was shot and injured by police last Sunday in Wisconsin, near Milwaukee.

“This is bigger than sports,” the Ravens statement said.

“Racism is embedded in the fabric of our nation’s foundation and is a blemish on our country’s history.”

The statement also highlighted the killing of Breonna Taylor, an African-American woman shot during a drugs investigation in March.

Several NFL sides cancelled practice on Thursday, while sports across the US boycotted matches in protest at Blake’s shooting.

“It is imperative that all people - regardless of race, religion, creed or belief - come together to say: ‘Enough is enough,’” the statement continued.

“It is time to accept accountability and acknowledge the ramifications of slavery and racial injustice.”

Meanwhile, seven MLB matches were called off on Thursday, and there was a poignant protest at the New York Mets v Miami Marlins game.

Both sets of players took the field in silence for 42 seconds - the number of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in the league - before walking off.

A Marlins player also left a Black Lives Matter T-shirt on home plate.

The NBA has held talks to discuss when to resume matches after the play-offs were postponed on Wednesday and Thursday.

NBA executive vice-president Mike Bass said the league was “hopeful to resume games either Friday or Saturday”.

The WNBA also postponed Thursday’s games, having done the same a day earlier.

The Baltimore Ravens have called for the police officers responsible for the shooting of Jacob Blake to be brought to justice.

WNBA team wore T-shirts with ‘bullet holes’ to protest over Blake shooting In the MLS, an investigation into the potential use of racist comments by Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen has been launched by the league.

In the report by The Athletic, the club’s former head scout Andy Williams recounts incidents of racist comments allegedly made

by Hansen.

“We are deeply concerned about the allegations made in a report published this evening concerning language used by and the conduct of Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen,” MLS said in a statement.

“Major League Soccer has zero tolerance for this type of language or conduct and will immediately commence an investigation.”

The NHL announced that four games scheduled for Thursday and Friday had been called off.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 29 2020

Inexperienced Green should surrender captaincy … Hetmyer should take over leadership role

By Clifton Ross WITH every passing match Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) seem to be on a casual downward spiral, having squandered a few opportunities to reclaim their number one spot and it seems a change in leadership could help ease the pressure and enable the former 5-time finalists to get their championship campaign back on track.

The Warriors’ season has been plagued by mixed performances by some of their key members. Thursday’s match against the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) was basically a lopsided battle, with the undefeated stars of the bubble handing the Warriors a 7-wicket loss.

Again it seems that Chris Green’s inexperience as captain is being exposed by more seasoned leaders such as Kieron Pollard, a former CPL championship title winner.

Pollard’s marshalling of his troops on a familiar battleground was of the highest class as he managed to restrict Warriors to another record season-low score.

The Aussie has been doing a fair job but the pressure of playing in the Caribbean against seasoned Regional captains, more so heading into the later stages of a championship hunt; could be telling on a young, novice skipper in the making.

GAW had a pretty odd outing due to the mere fact that Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul and Ross Taylor all had 20-plus scores.

At this point, it seems an overhaul is needed especially in the batting department which has been misfiring terribly. The meagre contributions provided by the local franchise were some of the positives as they looked more comfortable than they have ever been since the tournament commenced.

Pundits have been calling for a change in the Warriors’ batting order after a number of failures. Hetmyer stroked two fifties early on but has since gone cold by his standards.

One could argue that the inconsistencies exhibited by the batters have been the main reason for their failures to date.

Albeit the lack of individual runs or no substantial partnerships, especially by their two West Indies players Chandrapaul Hemraj and Brandon King; at the top of the order.

Another downfall is that the coaches and captain seem to be still searching for the right combination, although a few other experienced franchises have managed to blend faster inside the bio-bubble.

West Indies youth spinner Ashmead Nedd had a few good games but was dropped for the TKR battle. Wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble and all-rounder Romario Shepherd have also been played on a rotation basis, with neither player fully hitting their maximum form.

One surprise is the exclusion of Guyana Jaguars all-rounder Kevin Sinclair. Sinclair remains on the bench despite being one of Guyana’s premier West Indies U-19 players.

Given his skills being tailor-made for limited overs cricket and how much success off-spinners have been reaping thus far, Johan Botha, a former limited overs ace spinner in his own right; should fancy adding Sinclair to the mix for the next match against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

Looking at the Green dilemma, the Australian has been bowling well and his economy has been good but his skills as an inexperienced captain have put Warriors in a tight must-win every game situation going forward.

Should Green be relieved of the captaincy,

Chris Green (L), Shimron Hetmyer (2R) and Brandon King (R) of GAW celebrate the dismissal of Tion Webster of TKR (not in frame) during the Hero CPL match 16 at Queen’s Park Oval on August 27, 2020 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. (Photo by Randy Brooks - CPL T20/CPL T20 via Getty Images) he could perform to the superstar level with ball and bat, to which he did in previous seasons.

Hetmyer reclaimed his spot as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 169 runs and should therefore be given the responsibility of leading Warriors for the latter, more crucial half of the tournament.

His leadership as a captain cannot be disputed as he’s a proven champion having won the West Indies U-19 World Cup a few years ago. Nicholas Pooran, Paul and Hetmyer also share a special bond having won the U-19 World Cup together, further adding to their synergy.

Also, his familiarity with the likes of his countrymen and National teammates, in Sherfane Rutherford, Paul, Bramble, Shepherd, Sinclair, Hemraj and King, with whom he plays international cricket for the West Indies,

is a huge tactical plus as Warriors search for a new game-plan.

With West Indies born and bred, experienced leaders like Pollard, Darren Sammy, Jason Holder, Rovman Powell and Rayad Emrit all leading their respective franchises and not much international influx due to COVID-19 this year; first-hand knowledge of local teammates, grounds and Caribbean-style cricket tactics is a huge plus for any team.

As such Green, who is a star performer, would be more effective as a regular player than a leader of a team consisting of 70 percent West Indies players.

His value as a spinner and a handy lower-order batsman is essential and with Hetmyer leading Warriors, the local franchise could regain some momentum and claw their way back into a championship-winning position.

Inexperienced Green should surrender captaincy

See story on page 27

Shimron Hetmyer (L) and Brandon King (R) of GAW celebrate the dismissal of Tim Seifert of TKR during the Hero CPL match 1 at Brian Lara Cricket Academy on August 18, 2020 in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago. (Photo by Randy Brooks CPL T20/CPL T20 via Getty Images)

‌ Hetmyer should take over leadership role

Chris Green (L) and Naveen ul Haq (R) of GAW talk during the Hero CPL match 8 against Jamaica Tallawahs at Brian Lara Cricket Academy on August 22, 2020 in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago. (Photo by Randy Brooks - CPL T20/CPL T20 via Getty Images)

Ashmead Nedd, a star on the See story rise, sees representing on page 26 West Indies as his main goal

Members of the Chennai Super Kings contingent en route to Dubai. (Twitter/Chennai Super Kings)

India player among at least ten COVID-19 positive CSK contingent

See story on page 24

Ashmead Nedd is ecstatic as he gets his first CPL scalp from his very first delivery.

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2020