Kaieteur News

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Woman faints Tuesday Edition NEWS after magistrate remands her, others for son-in-law’s death AIETEUR

August 24, 2021 - Vol. 14 No. 32

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Price $80

p.

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Online readership yesterday, 83,993

2 traders vying to market Guyana’s crude banned

by Mexico over fresh corruption allegations p.

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- Corrupt companies should not be here

- Mexico’s Energy Minister

Elections fraud case…

Trial for Mingo, Lawrence, Smith-Joseph slated to commence Friday p.

8

Yarrowkabra man gets life imprisonment for stabbing teen to death

p.

3

CGX resumes From Berlin, another Guyanese oil hunt offshore ExxonMobil has joined the protest calling on to “free Guyana” while Guyana insisting that “2% royalty is criminal.” p. 2

A brother drops dead while chasing away his brothers eking on Kaieteur out a living on a foreign gold mining concession. @11:00hrs Radio 99.1/99.5FM

Kaieteur News

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Tuesday August 24, 2021

CGX resumes oil hunt offshore Guyana C

anadian based, CGX Energy Inc., along with its joint venture partner, Frontera Energy Corporation, have begun drilling its second exploration oil well offshore Guyana resuming its Guyana campaign.

The announcement was made yesterday by the company, as it re-engages its exploration programme in Guyana.

The company has already submitted a bill to Guyana for some US$155M for its first dry well spud, and currently controls the

Demerara and Corentyne Blocks.

M a k i n g t h e announcement the Joint Venture partners noted that it has exercised its option to drill a second well with Maersk Drilling Holdings Singapore Pte ("Maersk") through the use of Maersk Discoverer, drill ship.

Co-Chair of CGX's Board of Directors and Chairman of Frontera's Board of Directors, Gabriel de Alba, in making the announcement noted that “today is an important day for CGX and Frontera as we continue to make substantial

progress in realising the value of our investments in Guyana.”

He said “the Joint Venture has spud the Kawa-1 well, which we believe is one of the most exciting exploration wells in the world. The Joint Venture has also exercised its option to drill a second well offshore Guyana under similar terms and conditions.”

According to de Alba, “I am pleased with this major operational milestone for CGX and Frontera and appreciate the ongoing support of the Guyanese government, our employees,

34,000 doses of Johnson and Johnson, 5,000 doses Sputnik V vaccines arrive

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esterday, the Minister of H e a l t h , D r.

Frank Anthony, announced that 34,000 doses of the single-shot Johnson and Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 Va c c i n e t h a t t h e Government procured are scheduled to arrive in country.

Hours after making that announcement, officials witnessed the arrival of a quantity of the first batch of J&J vaccines along with 5,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V component two vaccines.

The J&J vaccine was earlier in the year given emergency use authorisation by the United States of America Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This vaccine is said to prevent COVID-19 in persons 18

The Maersk drill ship that has spud the kawa-1 exploration well.

and our other various partners as we work together to maximise benefits for all of our stakeholders."

T h e J o i n t Ve n t u r e expects the Kawa-1 well to reach total depth in the first (continued on page 8)

Sinkhole causing havoc for motorists since April The Toyota Tacoma in the sinkhole

The shipment of the Johnson & Johnson and Sputnik V vaccines that arrived in the country yesterday years of age and older.

The Health Minister during a previous interview had stated that Guyana was able to source the vaccine through a partnership between CARICOM and the

African Union. He noted that the African Union had allocated a total of 1.5 million doses to the Caribbean and out of that set; Guyana is slated to receive 150,000 doses.

With the arrival of the J&J vaccine, the country now has four types of vaccines for the adult population. The other vaccines are AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Sputnik V.

T

he sinkhole seen in these photos was formed since April this year, and since then, it has been causing havoc for motorists. It is located just at the junction of Princes Street and Mandela Avenue. The driver of the white Toyota Tacoma (seen in photo on phone) is one of the sinkhole's latest victims.

Kaieteur News was told that the driver was not aware of the sinkhole and while driving along the road Sunday, his vehicle fell into it. Not only did the pick-up sustain some damage, but according to the driver he felt as if his neck had “snapped”.

Luckily for him it was nothing severe and he is only nursing a slight pain in the neck.

A bobcat machine was required to remove the pickup from the sinkhole.

According to reports reaching this publication, the pick-up was not the only vehicle to suffer damage due to a sinkhole encounter on Sunday.

Residents said that later the same day, a car driven by a woman had fallen into the sinkhole and they had helped to remove the vehicle out.

The residents related that almost daily a vehicle using the roadway to access Mandela Avenue or Princes Street would fall into the sinkhole.

Since the sinkhole formed in April, residents revealed that the relevant authorities have made no effort to fix or repair the road.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday August 24, 2021

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Two traders vying to market Guyana's - Corrupt companies crude banned by Mexico over should not be here fresh corruption allegations - Mexico's Energy Minister G

u y a n e s e evaluators are currently reviewing bids from 15 companies which are interested in marketing the country's next lift of one billion barrels of Stabroek Block oil which is due in September. But two of the traders on that list were on Sunday banned from receiving new work in Mexico.

The ban came on the heels of fresh corruption allegations. The two global traders in question are: Vitol Group and Trafigura Group.

Though Mexico has not released the details of the new corruption charges, its Energy Minister, Rocío

Nahle said both companies will remain under the ban until 2024 while the government reviews the conduct of other oil operators and traders. The Mexican government has also declared that it will suspend work with any company found to have committed wrong doing.

In recent years, the world's most powerful commodity traders have faced bribery and corruption investigations in a worldwide crackdown that has spanned jurisdictions from the US and Switzerland to Brazil and Mexico. Lopez Obrador swept to power on pledges to revive Mexico's state oil giant to its former glory and

reduce the influence of private energy operators that he often characterised as corrupt. In agreement with his line of thinking is Nahle, Obrador's longtime ally and Chair of Mexico's state owned oil company, Pemex.

Just last Thursday, Nahle told Mexican press, “Those who are carrying out corruption shouldn't be in Mexico,” while adding, “We are working to leave a country with good practices.”

Trafigura was keen to note that it sees no basis for new business to be suspended, while adding that its compliance policies and procedures have been fully reviewed and found by an independent external counsel

Yarrowkabra man gets life imprisonment for stabbing teen to death

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nthony Jones, a businessman f r o m Y a r r o w k a b r a , Soesdyke/Linden Highway, was yesterday sentenced to life imprisonment for stabbing a teenage boy to death in 2018.

During the proceeding, the State was represented by Senior State Counsel, Lisa Cave, while Jones was represented by attorney-atlaw, Stanley Moore, SC. According to the facts of the case, 19-year-old Nyron Vyphuis, was fatally stabbed while protecting Jones' wife

Sentenced to life, Anthony Jones

Dead Teen, Nyron Vyphuis

from being abused. Reports are that on the day in question, Vyphuis was at a

liquor shop owned by Jones and witnessed Jones abusing (continued on page 17)

Domestic worker remanded for allegedly stealing child

A

35-year-old domestic worker was yesterday remanded to prison for allegedly stealing a child.

The woman, Gangadai Rhajcoomar of Coverden, East Bank Demerara, appeared in the Leonora Magistrate's Court before Magistrate Zameena AliSeepaul.

Rhajcoomar was not required to plead to the indictable charge which alleges that on July 9, 2021, at Tuschen, East Bank

Essequibo, she stole a child from Joyce Hutson, 43, a housewife of Naamyrick Backdam, East Bank Essequibo.

The charge was laid under Section 8, Chapter 91, of the Criminal Law Offences Act, which stipulates that, “Everyone who, with intent to deprive any father, mother, or guardian of any child of the possession of the child, or with intent to steal any article upon or about the person of the child, to whomsoever the

article may belong, unlawfully.”

The law further states that anyone who leads, or takes away, or decoys or entices away, or detains, the child; or receives, or harbours, the child knowing it to have been dealt with as aforesaid, shall be guilty of felony and liable to imprisonment for seven years.

Magistrate Ali-Seepaul remanded the woman to prison and the matter was adjourned to October 7, 2021.

to meet the highest standard required by law across all jurisdictions in which Trafigura operates. It also strongly refuted any allegation or suggestion of corruption.

Representatives from Vitol did not immediately respond to requests for comment by Bloomberg and other foreign press members.

In the past however, Vitol has said it is committed to upholding the law and has anti-bribery and anticorruption policies, procedures and controls across its business activities.

Those statements have been deemed questionable by industry stakeholders since in December last year, Pemex's trading arm PMI had suspended new business with Vitol. The firm had agreed to a US$160 million settlement over charges that it plotted to pay bribes in Brazil, Mexico

Mexico's Energy Minister, Rocío Nahle and Ecuador. The allegations included bribes paid to Pemex officials. The government and the Mexican producer have launched their own investigation into Vitol on this matter.

The other companies which have submitted bids to

market Guyana's crude, include western oil majors such as Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron Corp, France's Total Energies SE and Norway's Equinor ASA. Hess Corporation, a partner in the consortium that operates the oil rich Stabroek Block, submitted a bid, while lead partner ExxonMobil did not.

Other companies submitting bids included, commodities trading houses like Mercuria, as well as, units of Saudi Arabia's Aramco and China's Sinochem.

The proposed commissions ranged from two cents per barrel in the case of Sinochem, to 26 cents per barrel in the case of a joint bid submitted by the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago, and Trinidadbased Heritage Petroleum Company Limited.

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Tuesday August 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Corruption - who cares?

Countless Guyanese from both sides of the divide found the energy to come out in strength against obvious elections corruptions. The stage was set with a piercing no confidence motion that provided the run-up to what was arguably the most sharply contested elections in this country’s history. For a long five-month interval following the casting of ballots, the final outcome hung in the balance, while the claims and counterclaims of electoral corruptions, from every mouth, raged unceasingly. In the pursuit of power, under the banners of free and fair elections and the fruits of democracy’s ideals, Guyanese pulled no punches, spared no effort, to undo attempts at what corrupted process and result.

As most Guyanese, who can read and write, or listen and hear, actually know with a powerful degree of certainty, corruptions in this nation do not end with the closure of the elections season. In fact, the closing of the door on yet another squabbling elections exercise has long been, and continues to be, the opening for endless corruptions on a massive scale in almost every walk of life in this country.

However, of those, Guyanese speak nothing today, not even a whimper. Not even from those, who were once in the forefront of the battles in the trenches to safeguard against elections corruptions, to guarantee some quality in elections integrity.

The same sturdy bulk of citizens inhabiting the tribal camps are busy lining up themselves for their piece of the plentiful corruption actions that litter Guyana’s environment. Having fought the good fight for a good cause, Guyanese rest on their couches, content to count their leadership blessings. Crooked leaders who falsify and twist themselves into knots to deceive still more. There is scant concern with that kind of corruption. For to speak out against that risks attracting the wrath of leaders with memories longer than an anaconda, and heavier than that of elephants. So, it is look the other way, and live to enjoy the day.

As proof, there is the story of another instance of leadership secrecy on this most corrupting of commodities, Guyana’s oil blessing. Secrecy breeds corruption; it is founded on corruption, and driven and replenished by corruption. There is the still secret Payara report, the secret audit report, and now the newly secret Local Content report.

There should be no need for any secrecy with these reports, not one speck. But here we are, and it says so much of the corrupt bargains, and the continuing practices of corruption, compliments of a broad cabal of political leaders, that deep and lengthening secretiveness prevails. It should not be lost on Guyanese that we say “broad cabal of political leaders” which is what it is, since there is no genuinely objecting voice from anywhere in opposition quarters, other than for the occasional lame attempts, which insult citizens, and make the opposition itself look more disturbingly compromised.

Today, the same Guyanese, once so spirited in the defense of democracy’s ideals during elections season, suddenly discover that they have no energy left in store, no stomach anymore, to speak of, speak out against, to speak anything, about corruption, even when it bludgeons on the head. Not government fighters for democracy. Not opposition defenders of democracy, as interpreted and believed by them. Clearly, without saying a word, a great many Guyanese now confess to being senseless where corruption is concerned, without moving a muscle.

Their very actions condemn them, and this is regardless of which side of the divide houses. Too many Guyanese are now so indebted to leaders that crass corruptions do not disturb. Too many Guyanese have lost touch, no longer have a care, about what incorruptibility means. This is hard to say, but we steel ourselves to place it on the public table: it is likely that, despite our pretenses, and notwithstanding our public shouting, we were no less corrupt than the craven political leaders, who are swooned over, and fallen for, in some form or the other. Truth be told, whether professional or partisan, follower or worshipper, civil or commercial, Guyanese may stand as more corrupt than their champions. Thus, they get where they wish, so now they have nothing to say on corruption.

Farewell to Randy Bess Dear Editor, Saturday last, two ladies drove to my home to bring bad news. Our colleague, Randy Bess died. Randy was a Trade Union official who served up to the level of the TUC. He like many, served here then went overseas and then returned to his roots and

died.

While we were both in Néw York, Randy was instrumental in arranging regular meetings of Trade Unionists living and passing through.

We met regularly in my wife’s house basement for discussions, gaffs and drinks.

We sent support to the TUC regularly.

I also visited his and Hazel’s home.

When I returned, I started a Sunday run where I interacted with some stalwarts on an ad hoc basis including Randy, Oscar, Henry, Joan, Desmond and others. I know

Norman is in Berbice.

Recently I invited a “young” colleague to join me but he declined citing “busy.” We are leaving one by one. To the family and friends of Randy, I offer sad condolences. RIP. Yours truly, LA Camacho

Nation-building imposed from outside was bound to fail Dear Editor, Reference is made to Shamshun Mohamed’s brief letter on Afghanistan (Aug 20). There is limited relevance to Guyana. As soon as the US withdrew from Afghanistan, the regime collapsed. That should have been expected.

A somewhat similar situation was played out in Libya and Iraq, where utter chaos has been the manifestation post withdrawal of US troops. The US has maintained an interest but not kept troops in Guyana.

As a student, teacher, and analyst of American foreign policy, the US made a serious errors in Afghanistan (and also in Iraq) in deciding to remain in the country after ‘dismantling’ the terror threats that impacted on American national security interests. In 1990, the US invaded Iraq to remove Iraq forces from Kuwait and quickly withdrew after mission achieved. That was a success. The US also erred in toppling the Jagan administration in 1953 and 1964 but that was a different circumstance when communism posed a threat.

With regards to Afghanistan, the invasion was to remove a terror threat that not only posed a danger to the US but the globe as well.

However, US policymakers decided they would stay on and pursue nation building and impose

democracy. In Guyana, the US was only interested in removing Jagan and keeping him out till communism collapsed in 1990 and then demanded a restoration of democratic governance.

Afghanistan and the Middle East region never had a history of democracy. A strong leader was historically in control of geographic areas that allowed for stability not democracy; people historically accepted authoritarian rule. In addition, the local people historically resented foreigners and rejected imposition of outside ideology on them. Thus, nation building imposed from outside was bound to fail especially when it was dependent on military intervention.

Afghanistan, like Iraq and other countries in the region are multi-ethnic states with a history of enmity among the different groups. They resented being controlled by another group and did not seem to object much about being governed by authoritarian figures within their own group. Even if an outside group were to offer them the best form of governance, as democracy is touted, such features as equal rights, free press, first world status, etc. would all be rejected in favour of governance by their own even if it is the worst form of

governance. We have seen such attitude displayed right here at home at various times in our history.

The twenty years experiment to institutionalise democracy and purse nation building in Afghanistan has failed, and it has largely failed in Iraq. It has also failed in Libya and in several other countries in the region. The US, and no outside power, did not, cannot and will never succeed in imposing democracy or an alien political culture in historically feudal or authoritarian states in Asia, Middle East, and Africa. Democracy imposed from outside cannot be institutionalised in these kinds of nations. The nature of these countries, with multiethnic groups, makes it virtually impossible for democracy to survive and take root through outside intervention. The people themselves have to demonstrate a yearning for democracy and fight for it locally and seek outside assistance as we did in Guyana between 1966 and 1992. And even so, democracy is not absolute in Guyana as we saw the kind of governance that played out in 2019 and 2020, authoritarianism can be imposed. Democracy was restored in Guyana in August 2020 because Guyana is in the US backyard and Washington was not prepared to tolerate defiance of its demand for democratic

governance. Middle East and Africa are too far away for US to impose its will demanding democratic governance.

In the case of Afghanistan and Iraq, the US (and the West) sought to impose democracy thinking the locals would appreciate it because it is the best form of government. The US and the West apparently did not understand the fractured nature of the country in which each tribe and geographic unit that it occupies wants to be governed by their own. A ruler in the capital cannot impose his will in far off areas on people not of his ethnicity.

What the US should have done was to decentralise power away from the capital city and of the dominant groups – similar to what exist in the US and Switzerland, Belgium, etc. Let each region or area run its own affairs – with maximum local autonomy. In this way, The Tajik, Uzbek, or Turkmen would not feel threatened and oppose the Pashtun, etc.

The Kurd would not feel threaten by Arabs. The Sunni should not or would not be worried of Shia marginalising him, etc.

Such decentralisation of power should also have been introduced in Guyana at the time of independence to reduce ethnic animosity – if each group were allowed a degree of autonomy to run and manage its own affair, Guyana would have been (Continued on page 6)

The opposition must be congratulated for its first year Dear Editor, If the PPP has done poorly in terms of performance and it has when it comes to governing Guyana to the benefit of all its people, let us take a moment to recognise, appreciate and congratulate the opposition for its tremendous and laudable efforts in holding the government accountable.

The opposition coalition has done in the one year it has been out of power an excellent job albeit with limited resources at its disposal. It has been shut out of the mainstream media. The persecution of its Members of Parliament and supporters especially continue, yet the opposition coalition

demonstrated a sort of rare passion in navigating the difficult political storm and is seen as robust in its representation of not only its constituents but the Guyanese people in general.

If the coalition’s performance in the first year is to be measured against the backdrop of a return to the seat of power in four years’ time, we may be seeing a government that will transform Guyana in ways never seen before.

Recognition must also be given to activists, opposition supporters and the diaspora for bolstering the work of the opposition by relentlessly and tirelessly taking the fight to the confined,

uncomfortable and oppressive yard space of a racist dictatorship.

Never before in the history of our nation have we experienced the improvisation of positive retaliation with little or no financial support. While the doors of mainstream media have been closed to the opposition and activists; social media platforms have exploded in ways that we see the masses immersed themselves into its “so called talk-shows” and other captivating fiery programmes exposing the evils of the PPP. The PPP and its government seems glued to social media and its ever increasingly popularity thus rendering their well-financed

mainstream media entities, impotent.

The first year for the opposition with regards to its sterling performance in representing the Guyanese people must not go unnoticed, but it is most encouraging that on the commencement of year two, the winds of mass protests and demonstrations are on the horizon hinting to the corrupt PPP that Guyana will not tolerate mismanagement and the shutting out of a section of society from the social and economic bounties there to be shared equitably.

One is forced to wonder what year three will yield.

Yours truly, Norman K. Browne

Tuesday August 24, 2021

Guyana is rapidly becoming the country of have-nothings and those who have too much Dear Editor, In the month that our VP Bharrat Jagdeo, was showboating in Houston and talking up Guyana’s impending wealth, a medical team from the United States flew into Mabaruma and Port Kaituma in Region One. While Jagdeo’s team of hangers-on - some of whom have zero involvement in oil were sipping champagne and slurping oysters at the swank Joey Uptown, the medical team had discovered numerous cases of malnutrition among Region

One adults and children. As medic Roberto Ruiz Acededo recalled, “A majority of the cases ...had to do with malnutrition and severe dehydration and intestinal parasites, and a large variety of bacterial infections.”

Photos of the event show hundreds of Guyanese waiting for these services. So much for adequate healthcare in Region One! It is of interest that the US Ambassador, Sarah Ann Lynch, was on hand to witness the work of the team and that the results of this

visit have now been revealed, thanks to this newspaper.

The Ambassador must realise that after last year’s elections that true democracy is not about who wins power, but whether all of a country’s citizens are represented and cared for.

The contrast could not be starker. Guyana is rapidly becoming the country of have-nothings and those who have too much. Moet for some, malnutrition for the rest. Carry on smartly.

Yours truly, Francis Newton

Natural gas is used as a cheap source of energy around the world Dear Editor, The headline in Kaieteur News today read in bold red letters - Gas is not a Bridge to cleaner Energy; it’s a wall.

After reading the article, I wondered what was the intention of this message in your Kaieteur News and to whom was it intended? This message is more appropriate to North America where I live and where Natural Gas use is ubiquitous, yet I must confess this is the first time I’ve seen this message or heard of Greg Muttitt and the IISD. Are you sending a message to the government because of their plans to use the vast abundance of Natural Gas coming from petroleum production (that is now being “flared” by Exxon) to generate electricity?

If this is the case then your message smacks of hypocrisy. If you care so much about greenhouse gas production and feel that this message is important enough to be headlined in KN, then you need to call on the government to cease oil

production. It is that plain and simple.

If you are so worried about the greenhouse gas production then look at the big picture.

The oil Guyana produces and will produce in ever increasing quantities, will result in greenhouse gas production magnitudes higher than what would be produced from gas fired generators in a country of less than a million people. Why direct a message to a people to whom this message was not intended?

Natural Gas is indeed a greenhouse gas producer but compared to Coal, Bunker C and other fossil fuels used for power generation, it burns cleaner and has less adverse effects on the environment. In fact, hundreds of millions of homes and businesses use Natural Gas and I don’t know of an alternative fuel we have on hand that is as readily and

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Kaieteur News

cheaply available as Natural Gas. Natural Gas is used to heat homes, cook food, fuel gas-powered generators, power vehicles and in industry to manufacture other products.

Russia supplies Northern Europe with Natural gas which, ever increasing demand has prompted the construction of the Nordstream 2 pipeline and I have not yet even factored in China’s demand and consumption.

You do the math and you’ll soon realize that Guyana’s intended use of Natural Gas for power generation is negligible compared to the rest of the world. Instead of galvanising your readers with an eyecatching, irrelevant headline, you need to first realise your message has no relevance to Guyana.

Sincerely, Dennis Balgobin

Unethical practices at GPL Dear Editor, After reading the letter printed in your Tuesday August 17, 2021 edition of your newspaper under the caption “My neighbour has illegally used my address to set up a GPL meter,” I felt the need to share my experience with your readers also. I too have had a similar experience with the Guyana Power and Light as it relates to having a meter placed on my building without my consent.

I reside overseas and I have a two-flat building, which is occupied by me whenever I am in the country, and a tenant who occupies the bottom flat of the said property.

Sometime in 2019, my tenant’s meter was removed because they were found to be in breach of their obligation to satisfy their contractual terms and conditions with the power company (they were caught stealing electricity).

The tenant was sent a bill for an amount that they refused to pay and the meter was removed. On my last visit to Guyana about four months ago, I noticed that my tenant was receiving lights via a metered service. Assuming that they had cleared the bill off, I paid that no mind. A few

days after, I noticed a GPL bill in my mailbox with someone else’s name and it had the location of the service as being attached to the bottom flat back apartment.

As I mentioned above, my building only has a top and bottom flat, there is no separation of the apartment below.

I asked my tenant how was this possible and they indicated that since they couldn’t get a meter back in their name at the apartment, they were advised by person(s) at GPL on ways that they can acquire one by cheating the system. I was told that a portion of the money that they had owed was paid to a male supervisor who told them that he can get the meter for them and that all they needed to do was get a rental agreement endorsed by a Justice of the Peace along with the electrical wiring system certified and they will take it from there.

At no point in time did I sign any document(s) giving permission to the person whose name was now on the new meter to do so or to rent my property. My tenant has since removed from the apartment for an unrelated matter and the meter was

...Nation-building imposed from outside From page 4 better off. Such autonomy would have addressed the cries of discrimination and marginalisation.

So while promoting democracy in Middle East and Afghanistan was/is morally right, clearly it has not worked. The US will have to look to encourage another form of government. Perhaps

it should consider a system that would give each group autonomy without carving out new independent states.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

subsequently removed for non-payment. I was also told that it would be hard for any new tenant to acquire a new meter at the address since there are two separate accounts for one apartment that owes GPL a large sum of money. Since I reside out of the country, I do not have the time nor energy to follow up with this since I don’t have any immediate plans to rent the apartment and it is my belief that these persons who are intent on defrauding the company are being protected by senior officials who are aware of what is going on.

This is something that upper management needs to look at to prevent future occurrence and to discipline those staff that are involved in this unethical practice.

After reading that letter, I felt the need to share this since it seems that persons employed by the company are using loopholes in the s y s t e m t o defraud the company of revenues and that loss is then passed down to the general consumer.

Yours truly Name provided

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Tuesday August 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

Ahead of September reopening...

Ed. Ministry urges parents to get children vaccinated against COVID-19 In response to the majority of parents calling for schools to be reopened, the Ministry of Education has restated its intention to reopen schools on September 6, 2021.

The Ministry in a release said that it is compelled to support this call because of “what we are aware is happening to our students since the school doors were closed back in March 2020.

We have seen our students suffer great learning loss and we have lost some of them from the sector who have essentially ‘dropped out’ of school. We have embarked on an ambitious exercise to find these students and bring them back into the formal education system.”

These outcomes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry, are highly undesirable and any circumstance or situation that promotes this must be addressed for any continuation will have longlasting negative effects on our students, the education sector, the country and the global community.

Studies, the Ministry added, have also shown that the longer schools are closed,

Education Minister, Priya Manickchand. the greater our students will be affected. However, while schools were closed several initiatives were implemented by the Ministry to help students remain engaged in learning at home. “We are very proud of what we were able to do under the prevailing circumstances and challenges,” the Ministry stated in its release.

The Ministry had printed thousands of worksheets for each grade, which corresponded with the

curriculum and what each child should have been learning if they were in the classroom. The Guyana Learning Channel undertook the production of recorded lessons done by local teachers on the various topics outlined in the curriculum. This content has been airing on the channel according to a timetabled schedule to ensure children across the grades are engaged. The videos were also uploaded to the GLC’s

YouTube channel so that they can be streamed at any time.

Further, the Ministry’s website has been zero-rated by the major internet providers so that parents and students do not have to pay or use their data when accessing all of the learning resources that are available on the platform.

To assist the Grade Six students to write this year’s National Grade Six Assessment, the Quiz Me Platform was developed to allow pupils to practice examination quality questions. Grade Six pupils also received study packages containing textbooks, notes and worksheets for each subject and a special television series dubbed the “NGSA Booster Programme” where a video was created for each and every topic in the consolidated curriculum was aired.

“Our teachers also stepped up and worked to ensure they kept those students under their charge engaged in learning online as much as possible. We thank them,” the Ministry noted.

However, despite these measures geared towards the continuity of learning, the

Ministry stated that “the fact remains that it was not enough and not as effective as face-to-face learning. Our students are suffering.

Learning at home is not as effective as students sitting in a classroom with their teacher in front of them teaching a lesson. This is the reality.”

Noting the plan to reopen schools in September, the Ministry added, “We are cognizant that some schools will have different challenges and needs regarding a reopening and as such, individualised plans tailored for each school will be implemented to ensure the safety of our teachers, students and support staff.”

This plan, which will be informed by all the science and learning about COVID-19 including social distancing, sanitising and mask wearing will benefit from the input of teachers and the ParentTeacher Associations of each school and will be announced in the coming days, according to the release.

Important in the process to reopen schools is the vaccination programme for pupils 12 years and over.

Taking note of the fact that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States of America gave full approval for the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, the Ministry stated that in May of this year, the FDA had expanded the emergency use authorisation for the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine to children 12 years and over.

Today, Tuesday August 24, 2021, Guyana is slated to receive its first shipment of Pfizer vaccines, a donation from the United States of America. This vaccine will be administered solely to the Guyanese population within that age group, according to the Ministry which went on

to note that “while vaccination of children will not be mandatory, we are urging parents to consider the benefits that this vaccine will provide to their children and consent to the vaccine being administered to their children.”

Parental consent forms for this vaccine have been delivered to schools and can be downloaded from the Ministry’s website at: https:/ /education.gov.gy/covidvaccine.

Parents can also fill an eform, which can be submitted to indicate their consent. This can be accessed at: https:// education.gov.gy/ PfizerRegistration.

In addition, if parents are unable to submit the physical copies, they can take a photograph of the completed form and submit same via WhatsApp to telephone number: 652-9144. Since the consent forms were circulated to schools and made available online, children, numbered in the thousands, have received consent from their parents to have the vaccine administered to them. “We commend them for making this decision and urge other parents to consider the benefits,” the Ministry added.

Teachers were also urged yesterday in a separate press statement to take one of the available vaccines since the reopening process will depend on how the adult population of the school respond to being vaccinated.

Parents, who choose not to send their children to school on the days they are scheduled to attend, will have the responsibility of ensuring that they are continuously engaged at home and, to this end, will be able to access all of the Ministry’s materials on its website.

New housing developments should have recreational areas Dear Editor, With the global focus more urgent on a shift towards green technologies and climate change, and with certain few in government, seemingly advocating to take climate change urgently and getting rewards for it; as a country, we have to convert all the speeches on these subject matters into actual implementation of policies.

It is a delight to see in places like Providence some residential buildings that appear to come straight out of the coveted Architectural

Digest magazine, however development in such areas is speeding up, and what is sure to happen in one or two years, are areas that transform into downtown Georgetown; congested, tightly packed and an eye sore.

Providence and every upcoming and developing housing scheme should also have plots of land allocated to those areas to be developed into horticultural miniparks, with gazebos, benches, including walking/ jogging paths for our healthy (Continued on page 16)

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BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Tuesday August 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

What does it say of leaders when they see amending a cross dressing law as urgent, while nothing is being done to stop the nation from haemorrhaging millions of US dollars by the day?

We don't need leaders who feign progress by focusing on the side attractions while the main event passes by without needed attention.

We don't need schemers as leaders; we need statesmen and women with a vision for this nation that doesn't leave us trapped, to the tune of billions upon billions of US dollars, for generations to come.

If our current leaders are worth their salt, they will put their backs into ensuring that Guyana becomes a developed nation rather than being left in a developing loop for eternity.

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Tuesday August 24, 2021

… e s a c d u a r f s n io t c le E

Trial for Mingo, Lawrence, Smith-Joseph slated to commence Friday T

he trial for the election fraud case which involves Chairperson for the People's National Congress, Volda Lawrence; former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo; and A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) activist, Carol Smith-Joseph, is expected to commence on Friday in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts.

The trio's trial will be conducted by Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan.

Earlier this year, the Chief Magistrate had ruled on the mode of trial for Lawrence, Mingo and Smith-Joseph's court matter.

The Magistrate had ruled that the matter will be tried summarily – her ruling paved the way for the trial to

commence.

The Defence Attorneys had asked the court for the matters to be tried indictably, which means, that a preliminary inquiry (PI) will be conducted in the Magistrates' Courts and if sufficient evidence is found, the matter will then be sent to be tried before a Judge and Jury in the High Court.

However, the special prosecuting team objected to the matter being tried indictably and had asked the court for the matters to be tried summarily, which means, that the matter will be tried and disposed of in the Magistrates' Courts.

The Chief Magistrate had then ordered both the prosecution and the defence attorneys to make their submissions, and had set a date for the ruling on the mode of trial. This resulted in her ruling in favour of the

prosecution, and as such, the matter will be tried in the Magistrates' Courts as opposed to going to the High Court for trial.

The trio is facing multiple electoral fraud charges. All the matters are currently being heard in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts.

Some of the defendants were slapped with a number of joint and individual charges. Some of those charges are, misconduct in public office, conspiracy to commit fraud, forging a document and forgery.

Mingo and Lawrence are facing a joint charge, which alleges that on March 5, 2020, in Georgetown, with intent to defraud the public, they uttered a certain forged document, that is to say, a report purporting to be a true declaration of all votes cast in District Four for the

Former GECOM Region Four RO, Clairmont Mingo

APNU+AFC activist, Carol Smith-Joseph

PNC Chairperson, Volda Lawrence

March 2, 2020 general and regional elections, knowing said report to be forged.

Mingo also faced another joint charge with SmithJoseph. That charge alleges that on March 13, 2020, they uttered a forged document purporting to be a true report of all votes cast in the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections, while knowing that the report was forged.

Additionally, SmithJoseph faces two individual charges, which state that on March 13, 2020, at High and Hadfield Streets,

Georgetown, she conspired with Mingo and others to declare a fraudulent count of votes for District Four for both the general and regional elections.

On their first court appearance, Mingo was placed on $60,000 bail for the two charges he faced, Lawrence was placed on $30,000 bail for the joint charge she was slapped with, and Smith-Joseph was placed on a total of $90,000 bail for the three charges that were read to her.

The Police had

announced in August 2020, that they will be conducting a comprehensive investigation into the criminal conduct of former Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield; former Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers; Mingo and others, in relation to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and the events that followed.

During the ongoing probe, several GECOM officials were arrested and placed before the court for electoral fraud charges.

Pensioner critical after accident

A

pedal cyclist is now critical after he was struck down while heading home on Friday along the MetenMeer-Zorg Public Road, We s t C o a s t D e m e r a r a (WCD). Involved in the accident was a car owned and driven by Khemraj Hira, a 23-year-old of McWatt Street, Vergenogen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

According to police, the cyclist is, Harrychand Dhanraj, 56 years old of 52 Prem Nagar East, MetenMeer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

Dhanraj's relatives stated that he had gone to visit his brother. After leaving his

brother's residence, he reportedly called home to enquire about his daughter's whereabouts.

Reports suggest that he then visited the Lucky Supermarket in the area to purchase a snack before heading home. It was while on his way home that the tragic accident took place.

According to police, Dhanraj was struck down by the vehicle around 19:00hrs. It was revealed that Hira was travelling along the public road when Dhanraj rode out of the Water Pump Street, onto the public road.

He had come off his bicycle and was attempting to cross the road from south

to north but ended up instead in the path of the vehicle, which struck him down.

The accident, according to police, resulted in Dhanraj falling onto the bonnet and smashing into the front windscreen of the car before coming to a rest on the thoroughfare. He sustained multiple injuries to his head and foot.

He was rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital by Hira where he was seen and examined by the doctor on duty before being transferred to West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was admitted in a critical condition.

Investigations are ongoing.

CGX resumes oil hunt offshore...

From page 2 half of December 2021. The Maersk Discoverer, which is on station, is pictured below.

The Kawa-1 well is located in the northeast quadrant of the Corentyne Block, approximately 200 kilometres offshore Georgetown.

The water depth is

approximately 355 metres (1,174 ft) and the expected total depth of the Kawa-1 well is 6,685 metres (21,932 ft).

According to the Joint Venture partners, “with multiple opportunities based on internal geological studies, the Kawa-1 well targets light oil in

combination structuralstratigraphic traps in large Santonian and Campanian slope fan complexes.”

Additionally, the Kawa-1 well is expected to de-risk multiple other prospects on the Block which also have stacked reservoirs and similar structural geometries.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday August 24, 2021

PAGE 09

Jagdeo is taking us down the same road he curses T

rinidad and T o b a g o ' s economy has revolved around oil for the past 70 years. Sugar production would have ended regardless of oil. In fact, it was not oil, which killed the sugar industry in Trinidad and Tobago but other factors.

Trinidad and Tobago's present economic problems are as a result of underproduction of oil and over-dependence on Natural gas. However, Trinidad and Tobago is still the richest economy in the English speaking Caribbean and its leading industrial manufacturer.

Jagdeo has to be wary that in analysing Trinidad's problems he does not take Guyana down the very road, which he curses – the route of overdependence. Oil and gas accounts for about 40 percent of Trinidad and Tobago's nominal GDP. But guess what? Guyana is going to find itself in no different a position in the short term.

The International Monetary Fund projects that oil production is going to account for than 40 percent of Guyana's GDP by 2024.

So is Guyana within the next three years going to suffer from an overdependence on oil production?

The Dutch Disease, which Jagdeo refers to, is said to occur when sudden development leads to problems in the overall

economy. But in the case of Trinidad, its economy has been dependent on oil for the past 70 years and this dependence alone does not fully explain the present recession in the twin-island Republic. GDP per capita is almost three times greater than that of Guyana. So for one moment do not assume that Trinidad is a poor c o u n t r y. I t m a y b e e x p e r i e n c i n g d i ff i c u l t economic circumstances but it has not been counted out.

Trinidad's problems were caused not merely by the decline in oil prices but by the lack of sufficient local production to keep its refinery going. When PETROTRIN was structured, its refinery was producing at one-third of its capacity. And the reason for this was not a dependence on oil but the lack of oil caused by inattention to ensuring new discoveries to sustain production.

Jagdeo has more to fear from this problem because his philosophy can lead to a similar situation as faced by Trinidad and Tobago. Jagdeo is so keen on maximising oil production in the shortest possible time that Guyana may well find itself exhausting its reserves too quickly, thus throwing the economy into a tailspin.

But Jagdeo also misses an important dimension of Trinidad's economy. For the past three decades, Trinidad has become increasingly

reliant on gas exports. The economy moved from being dominated by oil to being dominated by Natural gas at the turn of the century.

In addition, while the decline in oil prices, undoubtedly hurt Trinidad and Tobago's economy; the decline in Natural gas exports hurt the economy even more. Last year, the country announced a significant decline in Natural gas production. But T&T is hoping for a boost in production in the postCOVID period. But its plans are dependent on new investments.

Guyana too seems to be hedging its future, at least its energy future, on Natural gas. The world however is moving away from this nonrenewable source of energy.

And so like Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana is taking a big gamble on the development of Natural gas.

Not only are there concerns about there being insufficient Natural gas to make the proposed gas-toshore power plant feasible, but the high costs of pumping the gas from different wells to shore is prohibitive and may well render the entire project riskier than the Skeldon Sugar Factory.

While Jagdeo is nudging Guyana towards Natural gas, the world is moving in the opposite direction. The world is moving away from Natural gas and coal. But

Gail let out secret! boys Dem

seh...

G

ranny Gail talk nuff story de other night with de Real Marks. She get ask when de post-Cabinet Press briefing gan recommence but she didn't answer. But she let out a lil secret.

She said how dem aint got no Cabinet Secretary but someone deh in Cabinet at Prezzie's behest.

Well dem boys wan know de significance of saying dat de Prezzie gat someone in Cabinet, because Cabinet is only suppose to comprise of de President, de Prime Minister, de other Vice Presidents (if any) and

de Ministers who belong to Cabinet but de Prezzie can invite dem other Ministers, like dem junior Ministers.

So dem boys interested in knowing who is dis other person wah attending and what is dat person's role.

But even if dat was known it still nah answer de Real Marks question. What happen to de appointment of de Cabinet Secretary? Dem suppose to gat one according to de Constitution.

And it suppose to be a public office. And de duties listed under de Constitution is a mandatory position and one year pass and nobody nah get appoint. Dat is wat yuh call slackness.

Dem boys seh de Real Marks and all dem other

journalists nah realise also dat de country nah gat a Head of de Presidential Secretariat.

Dem boys always seh dat there was no need for dis position.

De President give out nuff of he portfolio to other Ministers and de Vee Pee and so it ain't got need for no Head of de Presidential Secretariat who also use to be, at one time, de Cabinet Secretary.

De Lunch man mind might be alert but like Prezzie nah wan give he de Head of de Presidential Secretariat or de Cabinet Secretary wuk.

Talk half and wait another year and see wah gan happen!

Jagdeo is only concerned with the speculation that gas may be the transition fuel in the post-COVID period.

At present, despite the recent rise in the price of Natural gas in Europe, the future remains uncertain.

The present rise in prices is associated with the recovery from the pandemic but this will abate within a year or two and once again, concerns will arise about the long-term future of Natural gas. Already such concerns are discouraging new

investments, especially in the context of a zero emissions future.

Bharrat Jagdeo was in Washington last week. He must have been sobered by the remarks of John Kerry, former US Secretary of State, who pointed out that Natural gas, was not a longterm solution to help address climate change.

Jagdeo may be leading Guyana into an economic cul-de-sac with his plans for maximising oil production and diversifying energy into

Natural gas. If his limited understanding of the causes of the economic decline in Trinidad and Tobago has taught him anything, it should be that he is taking Guyana down the same route which they have gone and the very one which he attributes to Trinidad's present problems.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Tuesday August 24, 2021

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

African Guyanese deserve intellectual honesty from their leaders T

he most potent analogy I can think of on the PNC's recent electoral loss is a dishonest coach in test cricket. If the team's bowlers and batsmen lack technical competence, the only way they can acquire those necessities is by the coach telling them where they went wrong in losing the test series. If because of his ego he lays the blame on umpire bias and faulty video review then continued defeat will occur.

Over the years, I have penned several analyses of the published letters of UG lecturer, Sherwood Lowe, in all of which, I have condemned his shameless endorsement of partisan

politics that rest on the fulcrum of support for the PNC and ethnic bias.

In fairness to Mr. Lowe, he has an interesting piece in the newspapers recently in which he has turned himself into the third voice in the African community in the Caribbean; the other two being UG lecturer, Charlene Wilkinson, and UWI Vice Chancellor, Professor Hilary Beckles. I don't know why Mr. Lowe has chosen this pathway but as an academic, I have to provide answers when asked. My belief is that in each human there is a limit to which one is not prepared to sell their dignity to others who are too deceitful and immoral.

Mr. Lowe, writes, “The

coalition must confront the reality that a majority of its supporters have accepted, at various stages since March 2020 that it lost the last election properly.

Should the coalition leaders therefore admit electoral defeat, expect no great drama and trauma among party supporters.

The claims of “cheated not defeated” have long worn thin. Most supporters now see it as only political posturing rather than a sincere assertion.”

We must not expect any quick recognition of reality because the PNC and AFC leaders have boxed themselves in from which saving face is not an easy option. The people who

should join Mr. Lowe (and Ms. Wilkinson and Professor Beckles) are those intellectuals, middle class folk, and other educated people from the African Guyanese world to explain to African people throughout the world why the electoral defeat came about.

As a public intellectual over the long years, I know the ordinary folks yearn for answers to macro-political issues. African people must be educated into the loss of the election by the PNC in 2020, an election, which they honestly thought would have seen the return to power of Mr. Granger. Mr. Lowe did not enumerate his variables but he and others should.

African Guyanese have at their disposal, since March 2020, many analyses of the poor performance of the APNU+AFC in office when political observers began to write about Frederick Kissoon the defeat of the PNC 2020 but still there is more and AFC. But one suspects they want that ground to traverse as to why assessment and critique the voters turned away from from folks in the Black APNU+AFC. The analysis must be holistic. It must not community.

It is becoming sickening center on the personality of to see criticism of the Granger alone. His massive g o v e r n m e n t , F r e d d i e shortcomings did contribute Kissoon, Vishnu Bisram and to the results on March 3 but the media by these Black the entire fortress was fetid.

I end with an idea that I voices but not a word of reflection as to why the have toyed with but have not APNU+AFC was defeated. done an entire column on. It These Black voices have a is possible from day one, moral obligation to PNC both the PNC and AFC (the voters to explain why it went AFC has a deadly man in its wrong during the five years hierarchy that is far more when their leaders were in violent and dangerous than any PNC leader, past and office.

I believe Mr. Lowe has present, except Hamilton opened the door to this long Green) decided that they overdue obligation. His don't have to be good guys in words are pellucid – “a the government and to please majority of PNC voters African people or sugar believed their leaders workers or the business properly lost.” The next step world.

They will not lose power is the explanation and analysis. The young people for decades to come because in the PNC will take over the rigging will guarantee party in the next 10 years permanent power. Then the given the age of Guyana's riggers became clowns and population. They are entitled idiots because they didn't to a fair and dispassionate have a Forbes Burnham to thesis on where their leaders show them how to make went wrong that led to the rigging invisible.

(The views expressed in ouster from office in March this article are those of the 2020.

The contributory factors a u t h o r a n d d o n o t are countless. I have covered necessarily reflect the much ground since March opinions of this newspaper.)

COVID-19 claims three more lives

T

he Ministry of Health reported yesterday that three more persons, who tested positive for the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, have died. As a result, the total number of deaths has moved to 597.

The latest fatalities are that of a 63-year-old woman from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), a 71-year-old man from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and a 75-year-old man from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica). The Ministry

reported that all three persons died over a four-day (August 19 to 22) period while receiving care at a medical facility. Further, in its daily COVID-19 dashboard, the Ministry recorded 36 new infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 24,372.

Presently there are 19 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 100 persons in institutional isolation, 1,247 in home isolation and six in institutional quarantine. To date, a total of 22,409 persons who tested positive for the virus have recovered.

Tuesday August 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Tuesday August 24, 2021

UG to host COVID talk by Pfizer Scientist Friday

G

uyana-born scientist and University of Guyana alumni, Vidia Surendra Roopchand, who is a Principal Research Scientist at Pfizer, will return to speak virtually to his alma mater, the University of Guyana, where he got his foundational degree in Chemistry in 1990.

According to a UG release, the son of Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWe s t D e m e r a r a ) w a s integrally involved in the development of the PfizerB i o N T e c h Va c c i n e (BNT162b2) to help fight the Coronavirus pandemic which will soon be rolled out in Guyana. Mr. Roopchand's talk is entitled “SARS-CoV2 ( C O V I D - 1 9 ) Vi r a l Physiology and Vaccine Development." The talk will be open to the public online on August 27 from 5pm to 8pm.

Mr. Roopchand is a Principal Scientist for Vaccine Research and Development at top American firm, Pfizer. He has been with the company for 28 years and spent his career supporting the efforts of the research and development team to develop innovative vaccines that prevent diseases and to

Pfizer Scientist, Vidia Surendra Roopchand

help treat people globally – including the research to develop the COVID-19 vaccine.

Mr. Roopchand has been contributing to vaccine development for the last 28 years at Pfizer. He was part of the “Kick Polio out of Africa” movement initiated by the late great South African President, Nelson Mandela. His efforts have contributed to the reduction of polio and pneumococcal disease around the world.

He was also on the Pfizer team, which made the COVID-19 vaccine.

Originally, from the

island of Wakenaam, Mr. Roopchand says that what drives and fuels him is the commitment and impact Pfizer has made to developing countries around the world, especially where children would otherwise not have access to vaccines.

The internationally respected scientist successfully completed a Degree in Chemistry at the University of Guyana in 1990. He then moved to New York, USA, where he did a master's degree in Immunology at the New York Medical College and another master's in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University.

He then joined the team at Pfizer and in 2020 was part of the team that made history in the midst of a global pandemic. “I also feel honoured and fortunate that I was able to contribute to the team effort that delivered the first COVID-19 vaccine to the world,” the 53-year-old scientist was quoted by News Americas as saying during an interview last December.

He highlighted that the team that worked on the project “knew that the world was depending on us to deliver this vaccine and this motivated and inspired us to do our very best.”

Drunk driver arrested after crashing into tree The car crashing into the tree

Mitchell Debideen, the driver of the car

A

drunk driver was yesterday arrested after he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a tree, which resulted in his passenger sustaining injuries to his head.

The driver has been identified as 37-year-old Mitchell Debideen, of Hosororo Hill, North West District (NWD), Region One, and the passenger involved is Edger Adams, 54,

of Hosororo Hill, NWD. According to police, at 13:00hrs. Debideen was proceeding along the Wanina Public Road when he lost control of the vehicle, which ran off the southern side of the road and crashed into a tree.

As a result of the collision, the passenger received injuries to his head.

The passenger was picked up in a conscious condition by police and

medical personnel, and was taken to the Mabaruma Regional Hospital where he was examined.

Although Adams sustained head injuries, he is said to be in a stable condition.

Meanwhile, police revealed that the driver, who is currently in police custody, was initially determined to be intoxicated because of the behaviour he demonstrated.

An investigation is ongoing.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday August 24, 2021

PAGE 13

“We are here to support all Guyanese” - Minister Persaud tells Region 10 residents

I

n her latest outreach to communities across Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) on Friday, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, assured residents that her ministry is constantly working to improve the services being offered and will stop at nothing to ensure that access is made easy to them.

In a release, it was noted that at Coomacka, one of the areas visited, Minister Persaud emphasised, “each one of you is to be supported, provided for. The entire team is here to ensure that you not only know of the services we offer, but that you are able to access the services right in your community,” she added.

Making her first stop at a village called Old England, Minister Persaud and her team engaged with residents, sensitising and updating them on the numerous programmes being offered by the ministry including for persons living with disabilities, public assistance, foster care, among others.

As the team was in the process of distributing hampers, several persons signed up for the Women's

Human Services Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, during her outreach to Region 10 on Friday.

Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) programme and benefitted from one-onone interactions with Minister Persaud.

“We, my team and I, are here to troubleshoot, problem solve and tell you all about the good programmes that are ahead,” Minister Persaud told residents in the company of Linden Childcare and Protection Officer – Huette Moore, Senior Training Officer of the Guyana Wo m e n ' s L e a d e r s h i p Institute (GWLI) - Sanjay Pooran, Deputy Director of Social Services Hamwanttie Bissesar, and

other officers.

By taking the ministry's services to the people of Region 10, residents were able to benefit from the ministry's spectacles programme of free eye tests, get their questions about the COVID-19 vaccines answered, sign up for several programmes, and iron out issues that have hindered them from receiving certain services.

Training was also done with the Local Boards of Guardians during which members were trained on public assistance programmes and how cases should be handled.

“Government has been focused on development across the country. The President and all of the ministers have been addressing every sector and today I am focused on the human services sector,” Minister Persaud told residents.

She pointed out how the ministry has shortened the time for providing pension books, how pensioners can now present their life certificates via WhatsApp if they cannot attend an office, how alternative venues for payment have been established, and how the banking system for delivery was made possible. All of these new systems, Minister noted, were put in place to cater for the issues that pensioners have been having.

“I have always been concerned about the long lines at the post offices, so this triggered me to push all

Self -proclaimed devout Catholic looks to overturn sentence for rape of girl, 6

M

ichael Abrams, who had told the court in 2017 that he, is a devout Catholic moments before he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of a six year old girl, has petitioned the Court of Appeal in a bid to overturn convictions and sentences.

The matter is presently engaging the attention of acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards, and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud at the Court of Appeal in Kingston.

T h r o u g h h i s l a w y e r, G l e n Hanoman, Abrams is contending that, among other things, the verdict is “unreasonable” and that the sentence imposed was “manifestly excessive.”

The convict argues too, that the trial judge failed to put his defence to the jury “fairly and adequately or at all” which he says resulted in a miscarriage of justice.

On December 20, 2017, Abrams was unanimously convicted on the two counts of child rape by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall in the High Court.

Michael Abrams is serving a life sentence

Before handing down the sentence, the judge noted that the man was not remorseful of his actions; rather he was

trying to deny it in the face of all the evidence. As such, the judge imposed a life sentence with possibility of parole after 35 years, after he was found guilty on two counts of rape committed on a child under the age of 16.

Yet, Abrams expressed shock and maintained his innocence.

The man, who claimed to be a devoted Catholic Church member, told the court that there is no way he could have committed the act, nor would he have ever committed such an offence.

“I will maintain this now and forever,” Abrams told the court.

One charge before Abrams stated, that between January 1, 2013, and January 19, 2013, he engaged in sexual penetration with the girl who was six years old at the time.

The other charge stated that between January 2, and January 19, 2015, he engaged in sexual penetration with the girl who was eight years old.

Kaieteur News understands that on both occasions Abrams had anal sex with the child and inserted his fingers in her vagina.

of this,” she reflected, as she encouraged residents to get to know the members on the Board of Guardians and share concerns with them.

“If we are doing all of this in one year, you can be assured that there's so much more to come. We want you to keep abreast with what we're doing and take advantage of

the opportunities,” Minister Persaud urged.

She also outlined the recent measures announced by the President that will benefit pensioners, those receiving public assistance and living with disabilities at each of the stops including Three Friends, the final stop in the visit.

Pomeroon woman found dead at 'bathing spot'

T

he body of an elderly woman was found on Sunday morning last at Kumero Mission, Wakapoa, Lower Pomeroon River. Kaieteur News understands that the body has been identified as that of Sarah Smith.

Based on information from the community, the woman resided with her daughter and son-in-law, who live some 400 feet away from where her body was found.

Reports are that around 08:00hrs. on Sunday morning, the woman went to take a bath at an oasis like water source.

Some 45 minutes later, her

body was discovered by her daughter and son-in-law who were about to take a bath at the same location. Reports are that the elderly woman's body was found facing down in the water, which was about one foot in depth. There was reportedly a bruise above her left eye and bruises on her upper lip and left hand.

The body was taken to the Charity Hospital where it awaits a post mortem examination.

There are suspicions that the woman may have slipped on one the planks at the location. Police nevertheless are investigating the matter.

Man stabbed several times by drinking buddy

A

20-year-old man was on Sunday night stabbed several times about his body by his drinking buddy, while they were out imbibing alcohol at a shop located in Belle West, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

The injured man has been identified as Yodesh Paul, a resident of Line Dam, Sisters Village, WBD. According to police, the incident occurred sometime around 19:40hrs. Based on information received, the men were out imbibing at a shop in the area when an argument ensued between them. This led to the suspect only known as 'Banga' arming himself

with a broken bottle.

According to reports, the suspect inflicted several stabs to Paul's body causing him to bleed profusely after which he fell to the ground in a semi-conscious state.

Efforts were made to summon police ranks to the scene even as public-spirited citizens rushed Paul to the West Demerara Regional Hospital. He was treated and then transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he remains hospitalised.

Meanwhile, 'Banga,' the suspect, remains at large as police continue their investigation.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Tuesday August 24, 2021

nd

Wakenaam resident wins 2 SUV in Digicel's 'Summa Rush' promotion O

verjoyed was how Mahase Bu d r a m o f Belle Plaine, Wakenaam, Essequibo, described his mood after learning that he was the second winner of an SUV in the Digicel 'Summa Rush' promotion.

However, before being told that he was eligible to be a winner, Budram said that he had paid little attention to the promotion and only learned that he was a contestant when Digicel contacted him.

A D i g i c e l representative, he recalled, had contacted him and revealed that he had collected all the letters to spell the word 'RUSH' as required by the promotion.

Budram in response had concluded that the representative had the wrong number and immediately hung up the phone.

Three Digicel customers will be owners of Toyota Rush SUVs by the end of the promotion.

When contacted a second time, Budram was told that he had qualified for the promotion and his name will be part of the drawing last Saturday at the Movie Towne tarmac.

Although he admitted that he “didn't go with the

mind to win the vehicle,” Budram said that he is nevertheless grateful for the opportunity.

Among those who competed with Budram for the SUV were Treyon Griffith, Alesha Gibson and Komal Cheddie.

They all walked away with cash prizes of $250,000, $200,000 and $300,000 respectfully.

T h e f i r s t w i n n e r, Mahendra Somar, became the owner of a Toyota Rush on August 7 last, after his name was

An overjoyed Mahase Budram, Digicel's second 'Summa Rush' promotion winner

selected during a drawing ceremony that was also held at Movie Towne.

There are three qualifying periods for the promotion: July 16 – August 5; August 6 – August 19; and August 20 – September 2. A top up of

$1,000 will constitute one entry and the customer will receive a letter; if the customer tops up $5,000 all at once, he/she will still receive one letter, but if he/she tops up $1,000 five times, he/she will receive five letters.

Govt. to build two eight-door sluices to prevent massive flooding in Regions 3 & 6

G

overnment plans to build two eight-door outfall sluices to mitigate flooding in Region Three and Region Six. This is according to a Government release issued by the Department of Public Information.

The release noted that, according to Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, MP, this is one of the long-

term solutions the Government will be investing in to prevent flooding.

“The technical work has already begun to identify optimal location to identify the channels that will be connected to it, to design, to determine the optimal alignment, and to design the physical structure, do the engineering design. That work has already started, it is already ongoing.”

“We can't just rush and

build a canal just like that.

We have to first of all determine what is the best location for the outfall, what are the optimal connections with the channels, what's the optimal capacity to be built, both in relation to the outfall track, the channel, and as well as the outfall, the koker, the sluice capacity. So, the engineering work is happening right now. Once that engineering work is completed the construction work will start.”

A flooded yard in Region Three in June. (DPI) Minister Singh said that the Government recognises that the country's current drainage capacity on the coast is insufficient, as the above normal rainfall and high tide caused severe flooding from May-July.

When the major sluices are completed, the lands will be drained efficiently, preserving the agriculture sector, which is usually

severely affected.

Dr. Singh said too that the outfall sluices would resemble the Hope Canal Project on the East Coast of Demerara.

That project was conceptualised by the PPP/C Government after repeated flooding in villages along the East Coast of Demerara, which wiped out many crops and livestock.

While this is the Government's long-term solution to flooding, it has already begun rolling out the short-term solution, distributing flood relief grants to farmers who suffered losses during the unprecedented flooding.

On Sunday, a team of ministers visited Region Six, to oversee the distribution of over $970 million in cheques to farmers. The initiative is aimed at assisting the farmers to restart crop and livestock production.

More than $7 billion has been earmarked to be distributed to the floodaffected farmers.

This is in addition to the almost 60,000 food and sanitation hampers distributed by the Civil Defence Commission.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday August 24, 2021

PAGE 15

M o to r c y c le c o u rie r

J o b re s p o n s ib ilitie s · O p e ra te m o to r cycle to tra n sp o rt a n d d e live r d o cu m e n ts a n d sm a ll p a cka ge s to clie b u sin e ss o r h o m e a d d re ss a n d fo llow b e st p ra ctice s fo r sa fety o n th e ro a d w a ys · O p e ra te e le ctro n ic d e vice s to re co rd u p lift d elive a n d ry o f co n sig n m e n ts w ith re ce ive r’s sig n a tu re · M a in ta in con sta n t co m m u n ica tio n w ith o ffice d isp a tch e r · M e e tin g sta n d a rd d e live ry co m p le tio n tim e lin e s · In te ra ct w ith cu sto m e rs a n d p ro vid e se rvice in fo rm a tio n w h e n n e ce ssa ry · E n su re sa fety a n d g o o d coio nd n ito f co n sig n m e n ts u p to fin a l d e live ry · P e rfo rm in g b a sic ve h icle m a in te n a n ce ta sks B a s ic re q u ire m e n: ts P o sse ss a va lid ve h icle d rive r’s lice nse m ofo torr cycle ; H a ve a m in im u m o f 2 ye a rs d rivin g e xp e rie n ce o p e ra tin g m o to r cycle B e in ro b u st h e a lth a n d a b le to lift ite m s w e ig h in g a p p ro xim a te ly 7 0 lb s.

S tro n g d rive to a ch ie ve d e live ry ta rg e ts w ith in spe cifie d tim e P re p a re d to w o rk n-osta n n d a rd h o u rs fo r te a m a ch ie ve m e n t

C o m p e n s a tiop na c k a g e : A ttra ctive p a cka g e o f sala ry a nndebfits e A p p lic a tio n s : A p p lica n ts are re q u ire d to p ro vid e tw o re fe re n ce s a n d a va lid G u ya n a P o lice F o rce clea fo r e m p lo ym e nE t.m a ilto H u m a n R e s o u rce s M a n a g e r e m a il a d d h relgu ss ya n a @ g m a il.co; m C lo sin g d a te: A u g u st31, 2 0 2 1 .

PAGE 16

Tuesday August 24, 2021

Kaieteur News VACANCY WANTED Auto Electrical apprentice age 19-25 yrs.Apply in person, Lot 120 Forth Street Albertown G/Town or call 610-0340.

Woman faints after magistrate remands her, others for son-in-law’s death

Person to assemble bicycles. Apply in person at Alabama Trading.65 Robb Street Bourda.

VEHICLES FOR SALE Toyota Tacoma (year 2011) GXX series excellent condition. Call:610-4242 or 6266722.

SERVICES Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040

WANTED Experience welders between ages30-45.MechanicDoosan & Excavator operator. Tel:223-5273/74.

Taxi driver & dispatcher at Princess taxi.Located at RamadaPrincess Hotel.Tel:616-5419,2657075,265-7076.

S e a m s t r e s s , Ta i l o r w a n t e d . Te l l : 6 9 1 - 1 9 1 8 whatsapp.

Wanted Masons, Carpenters, Labourers & Welders.

Contact: 602-9469, 657-5800, 666-2887.

Counter attendants.Apply @Shanta’s,225 Camp & New Market St.

FOR SALE Pure breed german shepherd pups,11 wks old. Price $100,000.Call:615-6589/ 650-0347.

1 6x6 Truck,1 Freightliner,1 Sylphy,1 Hilux LN 172,1 JCB loader.Tel:673-4002/ 665-3676.

One mature general domestic.Must be able to cook.Must be COVID vaccinated.Tel:628-6724;MF,5-7pm.

Experienced cook,bartender and waitress for newly openedLounge Bar. Attractive salary.Call:610-3974.

Taxi and Minibus drivers to work and keep. Call: 2253234/628-1183.

Able body porters needed.Apply@Why Pay More Trading,7 Public RD Houston E.B.D with application.

Live in domestic,Lusignan E.C.D. Tel:662-1883.

FOR RENT Business:Hadfield St,Garden of Eden & Paradise.Residence: Meadowbank,Ogle & Paradise. Contact Ray's Realty 627-9685.

Chowmein machine operator/steamer.Apply in person R.P Enterprise area 'k' L e R e s s o u v e n i r E.C.D.Call:220-2818/3710.

Boy and girl to work in factory. Applyin person. R.P E n t e r p r i s e a r e a 'k'LeRessouvenir E.C.D. Call: 220-2818/3710.

Motor Lorry drivers needed and Porters. Tel:627-1835.

LAND FOR SALE C a r m i c h a e l St,Queenstown,Middle Rd,Bartica,Friendship,Garden o f E d e n , Ya r a k a b r a Soesdyke Highway. Ray's Realty 627-9685.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Robb,Charlotte,Norton,Mc Doom,Betterhope, Enterprise,East Coast,Zeelugt, Uitvlugt & Adventure Essequibo.

Ray's Realty,627-9685.

VACANCY C l e a n e r, m a i n t e n a n c e worker,labours to work with P.S.G.C.S.Call:621-6969 or 615-7784,7-4pm.

Porter and Welder/Serviceman. Applicants must be experienced. Call: 231-2250.

One female cashier & one malewelder/fabricator@Del ice Co.Call:642-9191/2311408,8am-1pm.

Cook/Baker,Kitchen assistant & Pitmen for interior location.Applicants must be experienced.Call:231-2250.

One clerk for TSI Eccles office.English& Mathematics,grade 1 or 2.

Email application:techserigy @yahoo.com or call 6429823.

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles,age 25-50,Car/Van licence.Call:642-9823.

Maid to cook and clean for East Bank.Call:615-9132.

1 part time experienced canter driver.Call:626-6722.

Security officers male & female 18+. Lamaha St between Waterloo & Parade.

Call:223-4172/632-0510.

Devon Harry, Nicholas Hercules and Peter Lam, the three men who are jointly charged with Nurse for killing McPherson.

A woman, who is accused, along with three others, of murdering her son-in-law, fainted yesterday after the magistrate remanded them to prison.

Brenna Nurse and three of her son’s friends, Devon Harry, Nicholas Hercules aka “Bucko,” and Peter Lam appeared at the Sparendaam’s Magistrate Court before Magistrate, Alisha George, and were jointly charged for the murder of Keron McPherson, 24, of ‘D’ Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

McPherson was killed from a gunshot wound to his abdomen sometime between 23:50hrs. on Saturday August 14 and 04:00hrs. on Sunday August 15.

Nurse, his mother-in-law, and the three men pleaded not guilty to the joint murder charge and Magistrate George remanded them to prison until September 17, 2021.

While being escorted out of the court, Nurse reportedly fainted and fell onto the walkway. Her relatives, who had gathered around, tried to revive her. As they fanned her with rags and jerseys, they called out “Brenna Brenna.”

A woman even started to pray, “Bring down the fire Lord…Bring down the fire.”

They eventually revived

Murdered, Keron McPherson

Remanded for the murder of her son-inlaw, Brenna Nurse.

Nurse and she was taken away by the police.

According to reports, it is believed that Nurse along with her three co-accused, had conspired to murder McPherson. McPherson was reportedly lured to his death by a phone call.

His relatives had told Kaieteur News that McPherson’s girlfriend, Nurse’s daughter, had called him close to midnight on Saturday August 14. They claimed that he was reluctant to go at first but she kept calling him and McPherson eventually heeded and left home to meet her.

He never returned and at around 04:00hrs. the following morning his body

was discovered lying in a yard at ‘C’ Field Sophia with gunshot wounds.

It is alleged that McPherson was killed in retaliation to an altercation he had with Nurse and the three men during the early evening hours of Saturday.

Kaieteur News was told that he had gotten into a heated argument with his girlfriend over money she had squandered. The argument had turned physical between him and Nurse, along with the three men, who had allegedly attacked him.

Nurse had reportedly lashed McPherson to his head with a beer bottle while one of the men had chopped him to his chest.

...New housing developments should From page 6 development. To have such areas developed and maintained by the government in the long run will be a failure. A recipe for a disaster. To fast track this concept, final year UG students should design and develop these areas, with funds allocated by the government. (Think outside

the box). All and any residents in these specific areas should be in charge of the entire upkeep in these spaces.

It is an undisputed fact that the residents in these areas come with a wide range of personal abilities and interests; and can maintain these areas in perpetuity. We can’t keep making the same

shortsighted failing decisions concerning urban and land development - Year in, year out.

Guyana is a small country, with relatively few selections of outdoor relaxation areas.

Why not have “green” areas within our own living communities to go to. Talk is talk and cheap when it comes to advocating for climate change and modern urban development in Guyana, but we have to walk the walk as well - if we really want long lasting change.

Yours truly, Chi Kansi

Tuesday August 24, 2021

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

‘They are hungry’: Haiti quake Brazil’s Bolsonaro wants date survivors fear for children’s future for ending mask use BRASÍLIA - (Reuters) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said yesterday that he will ask his health minister to set a date to end the use of face masks as a means of reducing transmission of COVID-19 in Brazil.

Masks have become a political issue in Brazil, with Bolsonaro long ranting against their use and frequently refusing to wear one in public despite a legal requirement to do so.

In the radio interview, the president argued that with much of the population already vaccinated or having caught the virus, masks are not needed.

But epidemiologists say it is too early for such a move, especially due to the rise of the Delta variant in Brazil. Although nearly 60% of Brazil’s population have received their first dose, only 25% are fully vaccinated.

Bolsonaro said he had

also commissioned a study into the use of mask wearing with a view to recommending an end to their widespread use.

At over 570,000, Brazil has the world’s second highest coronavirus death toll behind only the United States, propelled - according to epidemiologists - by a lack of coordinated national social distancing measures.

Any federal government position on the matter would likely only function as a guideline, though it would be considered a victory by Bolsonaro’s far-right base.

...Yarrowkabra man gets life CAMP-PERRIN, Haiti (Reuters) - Many survivors of an earthquake that killed more than 2,200 people in southern Haiti are worried about providing for their children, with more than half a million minors feared to be at risk from the fallout.

The Aug. 14 quake hammered infrastructure, destroying or damaging some 130,000 homes, cutting off roads and pitching thousands of families in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country into an uncertain future.

Over half a million children were affected by the earthquake, the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF

said.

The temblor claimed the lives of at least 2,207 people, injured 12,268 more and left 344 missing, according to Haitian authorities Still, there are a few encouraging developments.

Late on Sunday, civil protection authorities said 24 people who had been reported missing, including four children, had been found and taken by helicopter to Camp-Perrin to be looked after.

Recovery efforts have been impeded by flooding and damage to roads, feeding tensions in hard-hit areas. In the past few days, residents have looted aid trucks in several towns across the

south, stirring concerns about security.

Deep in the mountains of Haiti’s southern peninsula, in the department of Grand’Anse, near the town of Duchity, about a hundred farmers are living in slender tents of wooden poles and bedsheets they erected along the highway.

The quake destroyed their homes, crops and the deep concrete-lined holes used to collect and store rain water.

Now, with scant food and water, many of the young children suffer from hunger, fevers and infections At least a dozen children had broken out in rashes.

From page 3 his wife. The young man, upon realising what was happening, intervened and attempted to stop Jones from harming the woman.

Jones, however, became annoyed and armed himself with an axe. The weapon was eventually taken from him by other persons who were at the shop at the said time. Jones went into his house and armed himself with a knife, which was later used to stab the teenager to the stomach. The teen managed to run a short distance before collapsing in a clump of bushes. He (Vyphuis) was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital

Corporation (GPHC), where he was pronounced dead.

Last Friday, Jones opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter, when he appeared before Justice, Sandil Kissoon, at the Georgetown High Court.

He essentially admitted that on October 13, 2018, at Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, he unlawfully killed Vyphuis. His sentence was deferred to (yesterday) August 23, 2021.

When he was given the opportunity to address the court, Jones begged for forgiveness from the family of the deceased teen as well as mercy from the Court. He told the court that should he be

granted a second chance he would do right by society.

In imposing the sentence, however, Justice Kissoon noted that Jones had “ruthlessly and violently” ended the life of the teenager. The judge took into consideration a number of factors including the fact that Jones premeditated the act, used a deathly weapon to carry out the senseless crime, and that there were elements of domestic violence—a prevailing social ill in Guyana.

As such, Justice Kissoon handed down the life sentence with the possibility of parole after serving 20 years in prison.

PAGE 18

Kaieteur News

Tuesday August 24, 2021

Tuesday August 24, 2021

PAGE 19

Kaieteur News

Afridi, Abbas give Pakistan a shot at 1-1 scoreline ESPNcricinfo - The weather on day two and the farce around a damp patch near the pitch on the following day brought out the worst of Test cricket. But on day four, chasing a game to salvage the series and precious World Test Championship points, Pakistan ensured we saw the best of the grand old format, too.

Shaheen Afridi, among the brightest stars in world cricket, lit up the contest with a career-best six-wicket haul in the first innings, rolling West Indies over in a little more than a session. It allowed Pakistan a lead of 152, and permission to put on their T20 boots as they hurtled to 176 in 27.3 overs, ensuring West Indies would bat for 18 overs. They must

now prevent Pakistan from taking nine wickets on Tuesday if they are to cling on to the series. West Indies, mind you, need 280 more runs for a clean sweep, but on the evidence of events on Monday, it seems a remote possibility.

The elements seemed to have conspired to lead this game down the cul-de-sac of a pointless draw, but emboldened by having nothing to lose, Pakistan made it an engrossing viewing. Afridi made short work of nightwatchman Alzarri Joseph in the morning, drawing a meaty outside edge that Babar Azam snaffled at third slip to further underscore Pakistan’s dominance in the contest.

The spell that followed

was perhaps Pakistan’s most wayward, with Afridi, in particular, going too far down the leg side as he tried to exploit the angle into the righthander. Abbas prowled and menaced, but through a combination of Blackwood’s flamboyance and Bonner’s steel, West Indies were finding a way of settling down.

Hasan Ali went after the stumps, too, perhaps to exploit Bonner’s tendency to get out bowled or lbw, his mode of dismissal in six of his nine Test dismissals. But it gave away easy runs to fine leg and the pair soon brought up the 50-run partnership for the fifth wicket. At that point, it appeared to be the hosts’ session.

Abbas changed all that in

Tuesday August 24, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Is the stock market taking a nosedive again? Is this causing you to worry about your investments? Relax!

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Your love partner may be experiencing some minor conflicts with colleagues today, Taurus, and may seem distant and preoccupied.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Recent overindulgence may have you to feel a bit under the weather this morning, Gemini. Avoid coffee and other stimulants. Try to sleep in if you can.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Feelings of love for a romantic partner could be so overwhelming today you might be moved to tears, Cancer.

You will experience a lot of sensual passion, so an intimate evening together is definitely called for if you can arrange it.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today the walls may seem to be closing in around you, and you're anxious to get out for a while, Leo. Your significant other could want nothing more than to stay in.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Some wonderful news may come to you today, Virgo, and this could send you into such excitement that it's difficult to concentrate on the situation at hand. This is OK for a while. Your friends and loved ones will probably understand.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A friend or colleague may pay you back a small sum of money that's owed to you. You'll be thrilled, but you might feel a little guilty that you plan to spend it on something frivolous instead of putting it toward your bills.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Your home may seem lonely today, and love may seem to be absent. A family member, perhaps your love partner, could be away for the night, making the place seem far colder and emptier than it is.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Are you preoccupied today?

Something that means a lot to you could require some careful consideration so you might be quieter than usual.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Money worries may plague you today. There might not be any real reason. You may just be fretting over possible troubles that could come up.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) A friend could seem distant today, Aquarius, and probably won't be communicating with you much. Don't jump to the conclusion that your friend is upset with you.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Are you picking up on some unsettling feelings from a friend who lives far away, Pisces? You may wonder if there's something wrong in this person's life.

Perhaps you'd better give your friend a call.

two deliveries. Not exactly two, because he had worked on softening Bonner up with inswinging deliveries before moving one away that kissed the outside edge. Kyle Mayers, yet to score a run this series, saw his wait extended by another innings after Abbas went around the wicket and induced him to poke at one.

West Indies were suddenly six down and Afridi was steaming in, enjoying a second wind. He went short to Blackwood, and even though the batter pulled him away for four once, he kept plugging away. A beast of a bouncer threatened to lodge up the batter’s nostrils, and as Blackwood desperately fended it off, it flew up towards gully. Fawad Alam took an excellent catch as he leapt to his right, and both set batters had departed.

Jason Holder exuberance saw Abbas targeted early after lunch, going for two fours and a six off his first seven deliveries. But it was only a matter of time before Afridi got rid of him, the Bajan coaxed into playing a loose drive that only took a feather off his outside edge. Azam held onto a sharp chance at midwicket to give Afridi his maiden Test six-wicket haul, and Pakistan sprinted out to bat with a spring in their step.

Abid Ali and Imran Butt have had difficult tours, but neither worried too much about their personal numbers in the manner they approached the innings.

Recognising that time in this Test remains a precious commodity, they got Pakistan off to a flyer, with Abid setting the tone by smashing three boundaries off his first four balls. West Indies, until now impressively consistent with the ball, didn’t help themselves either, allowing four byes and as many leg byes inside the first three overs as the run rate shot up to nine.

West Indies are at their best when attacking the batters, but Pakistan’s fast start put them immediately in defensive mode. Searles went for three more boundaries in his third over, and as negative, wide-line bowling seeped into the hosts’ game, Pakistan continued to press the issue. The openers and Azhar Ali fell before lunch in pursuit of further quick runs, but it didn’t stop Pakistan bringing up the hundred in the 17th over on the stroke of tea.

Not that the break offered the hosts any respite.

Pakistan continued to go hell for leather as West Indies receded further into

defensive, negative tactics. It prompted the umpires to clamp down on wide bowling, but either way, the runs were flowing freely. Hasan Ali was sent up to bash a few, and Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf all joined the fun. When the captain Azam holed out, though, he decided enough was enough, and gave West Indies the last 90 minutes of the day to survive.

West Indies’ top order resistance came to the party for the first time, seeing off the new ball.

Abbas and Afridi weren’t quite at their spellbinding first innings best, but Pakistan would still have wanted to break through into the middle order tonight. But Kraigg Brathwaite left everything that wasn’t on the stumps and kept out the rest, while Powell, fighting for his place in the side, took a cue from his captain and turned out his most assured performance of the series.

He would survive for more than an hour in hostile conditions, but no one will ever really remember that for how it ended. A classy cover

drive from Brathwaite meant an easy three was on, and while Brathwaite jogged through to the non-striker’s end, Powell was equally blasé at the end the ball was thrown to. Afridi’s lob was headed directly for the stumps, and Rizwan, recognising that, let it go. Powell had never bothered to ground his bat, and a West Indies partnership Pakistan were struggling to break dissolved all by itself.

Unlike Sunday, however, there were no further wickets to fall. Nightwatchman Joseph ended the day as he started it, batting to keep his side in the game, and alongside his captain, lived to fight another day. Another day is all that it’ll take, but if Pakistan’s pace bowlers are at their best, it’ll feel like a rather long one.

Scores: Stumps West Indies 150 (Bonner 37, Blackwood 33, Holder 26; Afridi 6-51, Abbas 3-44) and 49 for 1 (Brathwaite 17*, Joseph 8*) trail Pakistan 302 for 9 dec & 107 for 3 (Butt 37, Abid 29, Brathwaite 1-8) by 280 runs.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Pele brings sporting stars together for charity auction LONDON, (Reuters) Want a Brazil jersey owned

by Pele? An All Blacks shirt signed by Dan Carter? A New York Yankees photo autographed by Derek Jeter?

David Beckham’s AC Milan shirt?

Those items, plus others from Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe, are among 229 that will be up for sale next month at an auction organised by Pele for the foundation he created in 2018 to help underprivileged children.

The Brazilian, the only player to claim three World Cup winner’s medals and a man often called the greatest footballer of all time, said all monies raised will help Brazil’s fight against and recovery from the COVID19 pandemic.

So far 575,000 people have died in Brazil from COVID-19, the second highest death toll in the world after the United States.

“Pele is such a legend, he’s an icon and other sports stars look up to Pele,” Martin Nolan, Executive Director and CFO of Beverly Hillsbased Julien’s Auctions, told Reuters.

“Because he was at home in his bubble he had the time to focus on this project.”

Pele has provided some of his own items for the Sept.

22 auction but he has also called in favours from friends in the sport and entertainment worlds.

There are Brazil, Santos and New York Cosmos jerseys and photos autographed by the 80-yearold Pele, and others signed by ex-Brazil team mates such as Rivellino, Jairzinho and Clodoaldo.

Mario Zagallo, the coach of the revered 1970 Brazil World Cup-winning side, who turned 90 earlier this month, also contributed as did Neymar, Roberto Baggio and Roger Milla.

PELE’S FOOT World Cup winner Franz Beckenbauer signed a number of photographs from his New York Cosmos and West Germany days; there’s a match ball from the 2015 Champions League final; and shirts and equipment used in basketball, American football, field hockey and water polo are also up for grabs.

One of the items

Karishma Ramharack

SportsMax - Up-and-coming West Indies Wo m e n ’s t e a m s p i n n e r, K a r i s h m a Ramharack, expects the unit to maintain its recent momentum heading into the upcoming series against South Africa.

After losing five consecutive T20 series, a new look Windies Women bounced back in strong fashion with a dominant 3-0 win over Pakistan, in July. Several of the players, including team captain Stafanie Taylor, pointed to fresh approaches taken by the team to fitness and the work of a new coaching unit led by former West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh. Ramharack a relative newcomer to the squad expects the team’s improvements and resurgence to continue.

“I think the girls are really fired up. They

expected to fetch a high price is a gold-plated bronze cast of Pele’s foot made by celebrity sculptor Dante Mortet.

Outside soccer, Justin Timberlake, Maria Sharapova, Mark Wahlberg and the NBA all donated items.

“Anything from Pele people will want, but you mention Ronaldo, you mention Mbappe, those icons will be sought after,” said Nolan of the Portugal and France forwards.

“But because it is a charity auction people always show up, they are always extremely generous and they pay more than in a normal auction because they know it is going to a good cause.”

This is not the first auction organised by Pele. In 2016 he auctioned more than 1600 items from a collection he accumulated over six decades in the limelight and raised 3.6 million pounds ($4.90 million).

This latest auction will take place at the Mall Galleries in London and is also open to online bidders. ($1 = 0.7341 pounds)

Tuesday August 24, 2021

Auguste century the highlight of U19 high-performance camp match SportsMax - Akeem Auguste made the most of excellent batting conditions to record a sparkling century as the West Indies Rising Stars U19s HighPerformance Camp continued this past weekend.

The tall right-hander played a captain’s knock of 104 to lead his team to 270 all out. They then bowled out the team led by Giovonte Depeiza for 227 to win by 43 runs at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, on Sunday.

Auguste looked in full control from the moment he stepped to the crease. He came in with two wickets down for 30 runs in the seventh over and went on the attack, making his century off just 81 balls and included six fours and six sixes.

He shared a fourthwicket stand of 74 in nine overs with Rivaldo Clarke, who made 22 off 23 balls.

After Clarke departed,

Akeem Auguste Auguste added a further 76 in 11 overs with Justin Beckford, who scored 29 off 39 balls.

The second half of the match was dominated by Onaje Amory, who took 4-47 off 10 overs. The tall offspinner continued to show great control and skill as he made it difficult for the batsmen to score freely.

He broke the opening stand of 81 between Shaq Parris (21) and Anderson Armudan (59) when he had

Parris caught at cover by Beckford.

Armudan, the powerful opener, again played a wide range of shots and his top score came off 49 balls with nine fours and a six. Teddy Bishop looked in good touch with 38 off 49 balls before he was run out by Amory, while Kyle Kissoondath made 36 off 41 balls before he was bowled by Amory.

The West Indies Rising Stars U19s HighPerformance Camp is a key part of CWI’s investment in developing and preparing the players for the ICC U19 World Cup to be played in the West Indies from January 4 to February 3, 2022. The West Indies Rising Stars U19 tour of England will feature s i x Yo u t h O n e - D a y Internationals at The County Ground, Beckenham and The Polo Farm, Canterbury from Saturday, September 4 to Friday, September 17.

Nine members of World U-20 delegation test positive for Covid-19, left behind in Nairobi

Rejuvenated Windies Women on course to keep momentum against South Africa are really looking good in the nets and stuff like that,” Ramharack told SportsMax.TV’s InCaseYouMissedIT. “I expect us to continue from where we left off in Pakistan and I think we will do really well and head in a positive direction from here,” she added.

The regional team will face South Africa in three T20Is and 5 ODIs, beginning on August 31. The West Indies last faced South Africa in 2018, in the Caribbean, when the teams played to a 2-2 series draw after the hosts took a 2-0 lead.

The spinner made her debut in 2019 has so far played 5 One Day Internationals and 6 T20 Internationals for the regional team. She has claimed four wickets in each format.

Nine members of Jamaica’s delegation to the World Athletics World Under 20 Championships have tested positive for Covid 19.

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portsMax - Nine members of Jamaica’s successful delegation to the World Athletics World Under 20 Championships have tested positive for Covid 19, the Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association announced yesterday. Four tested positive earlier in the week, while five more persons tested positive in the final set of tests that were done before travelling yesterday.

All are asymptomatic and are in isolation and will not be able to depart Nairobi until September 2. The Jamaica team medical staff

have remained with the nine persons and they will be accompanied home by senior staff including the medical personnel who have also remained with the group.

The main body of athletes and staff are now on their way home, the JAAA said.

Jamaica won 11 medals - three gold, six silver and three bronze - at the championships that concluded on Sunday, their second-best medal haul at the championships. Seven of those medals were won on Sunday’s final day when the girls 4x100m relay team set a new world record of 42.94.

Tuesday August 24, 2021

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Tuesday August 24, 2021

CWI partners with Horizm in bid to Guyanese-born Ramiz Mohamed monetize social media popularity slams 201* in ORSCA 20-overs

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Cricket West Indies (CWI) has forged a new partnership with digital inventory management specialists, Horizm.

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portsMax - ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) has forged a new partnership with digital inventory management specialists, Horizm to value and unlock revenues from CWI’s website and social media channels. Founded in 2019, the Horizm is revolutionizing the way rights holders operate in the new digital era and fully support them across their digital commercial lifecycles. The company provides a new, real-time solution to digital inventory management, leveraging artificial intelligence to help sports and entertainment better track, value and monetize their digital media.

Cricket West Indies boasts one of the fastest growing online and social media audiences in sport w i t h t h e www.windiescricket.com website, over 4 million followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and over 2.5m subscribers on YouTube.

This growth is a result of the West Indies teams being one of the most successful, innovative and loved teams in world sport. Innovating

the way that cricket has been played in every format of the game, the West Indies have one of the most impressive records in Test cricket, are the first-ever two-time winners of the ICC ODI World Cup, and are current two-time back to back ICC T20 World Champions.

Cricket West Indies will benefit from access to H o r i z m ’s A I - p o w e r e d , digital asset management platform, providing a realtime valuation of CWI’s social media, website and mobile activity and helping to understand how additional value in CWI’s content can be unlocked to generate new revenues. ”The West Indies website and social channels have seen incredible growth in the last three years as fans across the Caribbean and around the world follow one of the most loved and followed teams in sports,” said Dominic Warne, CWI’s Commercial Director.

“As we have increased the quality and quantity of West Indies content, it has become a major source of value for our sponsors and potential new sponsors to reach and connect with West Indies and cricket fans. This new agreement

with Horizm will help us better understand the value of our digital assets, create new commercial content opportunities and unlock untapped revenue potential.”

CWI will join a number of other high profile cricket organizations working with Horizm, including New Zealand Cricket, IPL side Delhi Capitals, the Caribbean Premier League, Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Middlesex Cricket.

“We are honoured to be working with Cricket West Indies with such a storied past and an exciting future,” said Head of Commerical at Horizm Sam Grimley.

“The skill and flair with which their teams play the game have won them many fans around the world and together we can help them capitalise on the digital potential of their fan base.

H o r i z m ’s a w a r d winning digital asset services are now used by more than 50 rights holders across eight different sports, most notably in football where they work with 30 clients including Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and the Portuguese Football Federation.

Griffith is Guyana Amazon Warriors lead Coach

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uyanese Rayon Griffith has been appointed as the Lead Coach for the Guyana Amazon Warriors for the 2021 Hero CPL season.

The 42-year-old Griffith is currently in Jamaica with the West Indies team and will join the Guyana Amazon Warriors squad at the conclusion of that series.

The fast bowler played the first of his 22 First-Class matches in 2000 and has 56 wickets with a best of 6-44.

He has one fifty in an

unbeaten 84 against the Leewards when he shared a record Guyana eight-wicket stand with wicket-keeper Vishaul Nagamootoo.

Griffith, who played for the West Indies ‘B’ team, was the Assistant Guyana Coach to Head Coach Esuan Crandon during the last six seasons in which Guyana Jaguars won the first five titles.

Griffith played 22 List ‘A’ games and the last played for Guyana was in 2017 against Barbados in a four-

day game.

He was appointed on the Coaching staff of the West Indies team by the Dave Cameron Administration and was retained by the current Ricky Skerritt Administration.

Defending Champions Trinidad Knight Riders has won the most titles (4), while the Warriors has reached five finals (2013, ’14, ’16, ’18, ’19) since the CPL was inaugurated in 2013 but has never won a title. (Sean Devers)

uyanese-born Opening batsman Ramiz Mohamed slammed a belligerent 201 not out on Sunday for Sunshine against Island Boys in the 2021 Ontario Round-Arm Softball Cricket Association (ORSCA) 20-overs Regular Season competition.

The right-hander cracked 18 sixes and 11 fours as his team whipped Island Boys by a massive 271-run margin at Firgrove Public School ground in North York, Toronto on Sunday.

Sunshine raked up a formidable 341-2 from the allotted overs and then dismissed the oppositions for 70 in 17 overs.

Mohammed also got solid support from Hemnarine Chattergoon, a former national youth player, with 74 decorated with four sixes and a similar number of fours.

Chattergoon was forced to play second fiddle during Mohamed’s entertainment at the other end. The pair also featured in a flamboyant 256-run second-wicket stand. Skipper Anil Mahadeo joined the runs-fest as well by scoring a rapid 28 not out, while the aggressive Mohamed’s opening partner Anil Etwaroo scored 21. Shazim Ibrahim claimed both wickets but conceded 50 runs off three overs.

When Island Boys batted, Raymond Abedeen and Ahmad Khan made 16 and 15 respectively to be the only players hitting the double-digits. Khemraj Dhoray grabbed four wickets for 18 runs from four frugal overs, while Rajesh Willie and Navin Sookhu supported with two scalps each.

Ramiz Mohamed

Meanwhile, only recently Sunshine won the ten-over knockout competition which was also organized by the ORSCA. They have been unbeaten in the Regular Season and are now the grand champion having copped the most points at the conclusion of the preliminary round. The Playoff segment is slated to bowl off soon. Sunshine had done well in the flip-bowling category over the years.

Mohan and Chester appointed FIBA commissioners Guyana’s male Youth National Team coach and former FIBA Referee; Lugard Mohan, and Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) Table Official Shanna Chester have become the first male and female Guyanese to be approved by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) as FIBA Commissioners.

Basketball world governing body recently confirmed their approval after Lugard, and Shanna successfully completed a series of educational training and tests in which both passed with perfect scores.

Guyana was awarded one FIBA Commissioner license for the 2021-2023 period, and after the GABF General Secretary and FIBA 3x3 Commission member Patrick Haynes wrote to the FIBA Technical Commission requesting an additional allocation for a female Commissioner license which represents one of FIBA’s pillars - “Women in Basketball”, the additional license spot was awarded to Guyana before

Chester was nominated to complete the course.

In the official letter affirming their approval, the FIBA Technical Commission analysed the data provided by the GABF as part of the licensing of FIBA Commissioners for the period 2021-2023 along with their test scores, “We hereby inform you that the FIBA Technical Commission has decided to issue a FIBA Commissioner License to the candidates selected by the Guyana Basketball Federation.”

The letter continued, “In accordance with the FIBA Internal Regulations, the FIBA license will be valid for two years, at as of September 1, 2021 and will expire on August 31, 2023 (subject to the indicated in Articles 3-173 and 3-227 of the FIBA Internal Regulations).”

A s F I B A Commissioners, the duo will represent and act on behalf of the GABF General Secretary to ensure that the games are conducted in accordance with the spirit and the letter of the Official Basketball Rules; Ensure

the full cooperation of the Referees, game organisers and the teams; Provide information to the Referees if they are requested to do so during or after the game; and be primarily responsible for the smooth running of the scorers’ table, being seated between the timekeeper and the scorer.

T h e F I B A Commissioner has full authority to resolve any problems that may arise between all parties involved.

In particular, they have the right to require adequate police (or professional security service) presence to ensure the smooth and sportsmanlike running of the game. Having completed their duties, the FIBA Commissioner shall make a report on the competition and send it to the GABF within the given deadline, together with all required documents.

The GABF in a release to the media, expressed thanks to both Mohan and Chester for their efforts made to complete and pass with distinction the FIBA Commissioner License exams.

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Tuesday August 24, 2021

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Students and teachers with members of the GGA after a practice session.

School of Nations Partners with Guyana Golf Association School of the Nations, Guyana’s leading private school, offering rounded quality education to students from Nursery School through Secondary School and Sixth Form, has partnered with the Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy to provide the over 1,000 current students and 4,000+ alumni access to the sport of golf.

The partnership will take effect immediately and be available for the upcoming academic year as the school maintains its vision - ”We see education as a means of realizing individual potential and as a powerful force in the transformation of society, with a focus on a rounded approach to academics, arts and sports.”

Parents, students and teachers joined members of the senior administration team (Ms. Phillips and Ms. O’Toole) for a opening ceremony at the Nexgen Golf Academy on Woolford Avenue where they were treated to a firsthand experience of the sport. As expected, all were immediately engaged and stayed for almost two hours to practice.

School of the Nations (SON) was opened in 1996

by Dr. Brian and Mrs. Pam O’Toole.

According to Ms. O’Toole, “I am extremely happy to welcome golf to our school since I personally know the benefits of the sport, and I feel this will definitely help our students, all of whom will have access

to the life skills that golf offers, physical fitness, mental focus, problem solving, social and business networking and competitiveness, even when they graduate.”

The school, which recently added Archery to its list of activities, sees golf as a solution to the need for students to maintain an active physical lifestyle with a sport that is fully compliant with the COVID-19 guidelines.

“The manner in which golf is being managed by the GGA and Nexgen Golf Academy with social distancing, individual equipment and in an outdoor environment made us feel comfortable with including the sport for our students,” said CEO Dr. Phillips. “We

are all tremendously excited about this opportunity and fully support the efforts by Mr. Hussain to bring golf to a dominant place in Guyana’s sports.”

School of the Nations will take advantage of the existing structure being developed by the Guyana Golf Association and MOE Allied Arts Unit and compete with the other secondary school teams for the national title. Students will also be eligible for selection to the national team that will eventually represent the country internationally and hopefully at the Olympics.

Physical Education Teacher Mr. Kenrick Cheeks said he too was excited about the partnership and felt it would be a welcome

addition to his department since it was a non-contact sport and much needed during these trying times.

President of the GGA Aleem Hussain said, “Tthis is a partnership that we feel will enhance the growth of the sport and bring the best that the country has to offer to the arena. Golf opens many doors to players and the fact that it is on the school curriculum gives students a chance to earn scholarships to top universities worldwide, especially young women.”

Since the establishment of the GGA in March 2020, the development of Golf has seen tremendous success as more than 100 secondary schools will give their students access to the sport, over 10,000 potential

players in a very short time.

Hussain stated that talks are ongoing with other private schools and universities to bring the game to their students and alumni as he hopes to fulfill his goal of making Golf the most played sport in the country by end of 2022.

There are plans to build at least 5 scaled courses so that every region has access to a quality facility (the first is underway on the West Coast Demerara) for training and tournaments.

To find out more about the sport, how your school can be a part of the program or simply learn to play, stop by the Academy on Wo o l f o r d Av e n u e i n Georgetown, call 645-0944 or visit nexgengolfacademy on Instagram and Facebook.

David Persaud Memorial Cycle Race held T

he inaugural David Persaud Memorial Cycle Road race sped off Sunday last from the western end of the Demerara Harbor Bridge, riding up to Bushy Park, Parika before returning to the Demerara Harbor Bridge for the finish, covering a distance of 46 miles.

The event saw the participation of a total of thirty-five riders, six of whom are club riders, while there was a solitary female all competing in five categories namely Seniors, Juniors, Veterans, Female and Oldest Rider.

The race, which started at 08.30 hrs and concluded at 10.00 hrs, enjoyed cool weather conditions and saw Christopher Griffith pedalling away with the top honour in the Seniors’ category followed

by Andrew Green and Kemal Moses in second and third place respectively.

In the Juniors’ category, Mario Washington came in first, while Sherwin Sampson and Alex Leung came in second and third respectively, while in the Veterans’

Chief Executive Officer of David Persaud Investments, Mr. Christopher Persaud (third from right) is flanked

by Mr. Hasan Mohamed, staff and winners with their trophies and cash prizes at the presentation ceremony. category Kwame Ridley took the top prize with Alexis Minde and Warren McKay coming in second and third respectively. The solitary Female was Clavice Spencer.

The event was sponsored by David Persaud Investments Ltd, a

company which was founded by the late David Persaud, an astute businessman and a sports enthusiast who throughout his career always ensured sports of all discipline received the corporate support they needed with he

himself playing representative cricket in Guyana back in his youthful days.

The Chief Executive Officer of David Persaud Investments Ltd, Christopher Persaud, Operations Manager Pameshwar Babulall and

Supervisor Ronald Mootoo were on hand to start the race and also to hand out trophies and cash prices which were up for grabs.

The event was organized by National Cycling Coach Hasan Mohamed and his team.