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Monday Edition August 31, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 36

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ExxonMobil desperately needs Guyana to improve financial standing after losing US$184B in six years Int’l Lawyer says...

Mom furious after Sending EPA Head on newborn infant is left leave at this critical with a hole on his - civil juncture is unwise society hand at N/A Hospital Accusations of fake certificates presented...

P.15

SOCU investigator writes to US university asking

for an explanation Govt. retains Mingo’s detention three APNU+AFC appointed REOs, lawful- AG Anil Nandlall

appoints six others - Refutes Harmon’s claim that charges “trumped up”

Belladrum residents use old shop and car to block road in protest of Mingo’s detention

Monday August 31, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Sending EPA Head on leave at this critical juncture is unwise – civil society

Since the Irfaan Ali administration took the decision to send Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on leave last week, several individuals have expressed frustrations over his removal at this critical time, as the government reviews Exxon’s third intended development in the Stabroek Block, the Payara project.

Concerns revolve around the fact that Dr. Adams sought to bring Exxon’s operations in line where a series of its environmental infractions are concerned Eight civil society professionals in the diaspora, including regular letter writer Darshanand Khusial wrote a joint note describing the frustrations best. They stated

“A patient with cancer would want an experienced worldclass oncologist to give the diagnosis and prescribe the treatment. For a life-changing event, one wouldn’t fire the oncologist in the middle of their assessment and then seek advice from a replacement with much less qualifications and experience.

But it appears the Government of Guyana has done just that in forcing EPA Head Dr. Vincent Adams to take his vacation at a critical period in the assessment of the Stabroek Block oil operations.”

Dr. Adams has championed several environmental issues plaguing ExxonMobil’s operations at the Liza Destiny Floating Production, Storage

and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, and has noted that he had actively been rewriting permits to ensure they are sufficient to ensure Guyana’s natural environment is safeguarded.

These issues include ExxonMobil’s refusal to pay paltry fines for small hydraulic fluid spills, flaring of billions of cubic feet of natural gas, and dumping of thousands of gallons of reservoir water into the oceans.

Up until the government’s decision to send him on leave, Adams held up the approval of the Payara permit because he wanted to ensure that ExxonMobil conducted its due diligence to protect Guyana’s environment, lest it

be allowed to proliferate such hazards in more projects.

Despite ExxonMobil’s threats that it would take its money elsewhere, “Dr. Adams has stood his ground and was not intimidated by the oil companies,” the civil society professionals stated.

“We need strong leadership like that demonstrated by Dr. Adams to protect Guyana from being exploited by the oil companies in their pursuit of shareholder profits,” they stated. “Dr. Adams has 30 years of experience in the US Department of Energy with key leadership roles ranging from nuclear to environmental. He earned his PhD from University of Tennessee. If we reject our

Belladrum residents use old shop and car to block road in protest of Mingo’s detention

By Shikema Dey Belladrum, West Coast Berbice residents yesterday vented their frustration and anger at the detention of controversial Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo in protest, blocking the main access roads and demanding that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) release him.

Mingo and three of his assistants were arrested last week, after investigations into the protracted General and Regional Elections commenced. Mingo has been hit with a slew of charges including fraud and misconduct in public office for his role in what has been shown to be manipulation of Region Four votes in March 2 General and Regional Elections.

Over 200 Belladrum residents in response, packed onto the Paradise Bridge, even with the continued hike in Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Guyana. Some wore masks but many others did

not as they chanted, sung gospel songs and danced to drums, all while denying commuters on both sides of the thoroughfare leave to pass.

Police presence including officers from the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) was heavy on the grounds but appeared to only serve as a precaution incase the crowd got too out of hand.

In full view of officers, the residents placed large boulders on the road, burnt tires, and old materials. They even took it a step further and fetched out a large old shop, placing it in the middle of the bridge. The residents also brought out old cars to aid the blockage.

The Force in a statement later last evening categorically stated that not only are the protests illegal but they also represent a threat to public safety due to the riotous behaviour of those involved in the illegal protests.

“Such behaviour can only

cause harm to the wellbeing of innocent citizens,” they said.

Further, they added that the continued blockage constitutes a denial of the rights and freedoms of tens of thousands of citizens who need to use the public roadway in the exercise of their constitutional freedom of movement.

“Moreover,” the Force stated, “the gathering of protestors and the miles-long build-up of traffic on both sides of the road at Belladrum are a clear violation of the Covid-19 guidelines which are currently in place as part of Government’s efforts to mitigate the effects and spread of the global pandemic in Guyana, thereby endangering the lives of tens of thousands of Guyanese.”

The Force urged those residents to desist and made it clear that they will use all means necessary to clear the public roadway of all obstructions.

The protestors’ actions

however got the full support of incoming Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon who urged them on.

Harmon said “I have said to Mr. Mingo and the people of Belladrum from whence he came, I spoke to his wife and his brother…that we are fully supporting the village and that we will not allow our supporters, for that matter any Guyanese people to be abused, their rights violated under the direction of this fraudulent government.”

Harmon is contending that the Returning Officer is being unlawfully detained by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) but Attorney General, Anil Nandlall denied these claims, stating that the RO will remain in police custody until his court appearance today to answer the charges.

EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams

best, how can we escape the resource curse?”

The Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. also recently wrote asking the Government to explain why Adams was being sent on leave.

“We see no reason for removing our best qualified person for reasons other than misbehaviour,” TIGI’s Director, Alfred Bhulai stated, “especially when ExxonMobil wants to release reservoir water into the ocean instead of injecting it into the wells.”

He noted that Dr. Adams has sharply opposed the continued occurrence of these environmental hazards, and posited TIGI’s view that it is for Adams to decide on the approval of the Payara permit that if anyone else is handed the decision to make, it would not have confidence in the agency.

One letter writer, Mike McCormack, head of the Guyana Human Rights Association, noted the demoralizing impact of the Government’s decision on many Guyanese who have been impressed with Adams’ leadership of the EPA, and his drive to protect the environment “Recruitment of the best professional services of

qualified Guyanese requires they be protected from the absurd assumption that they are ready to abandon years of professionalism to partisan politics.” McCormack stated, adding that whether Adams is still an executive of the Alliance for Change (AFC) should have no impact on how he is expected to perform at the helm of the EPA. Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan had expressed disappointment last week, calling Adams’ removal a “most egregious development”. He had called on journalists, politicians and civil society to condemn and mobilise politically against the development.

McCormack said that while there is room for improvement at the EPA under Dr. Adams, the understanding is that this is due to inadequate resources and staff, rather than his own performance.

He concluded that unless convincing evidence is provided that Adams is exhibiting less than professional behaviour, it could only be assumed that it is his professionalism that the administration takes issue with.

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Monday August 31, 2020

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

The Guyana Elections Commission After five months of alternatively being pedestalled

and pilloried, depending on which side of the political divide found her actions (or lack thereof), retired Justice Claudette Singh must be enjoying her retirement from the public eye for now.

As the public eye shifts this week to the charges brought against GECOM personnel involved in what international consensus has labeled an attempt, thankfully failed, to hijack the March 2 elections, what is now, and will become increasingly clear is that the model that we currently have for the Guyana Elections Commission is clearly not working.

If there is no other lasting legacy of the Granger presidency and there certainly is none positive that readily comes to mind the testing of the many fault lines of the Guyana Elections Commission, legally and functionally, is certainly one.

The first assault came with the fiasco of the former Presidents fit and proper criteria that he invented out of his own personal, pseudo-constitutional concept of his powers under the Carter formula. To the logical, compromise-focused mind, the formula is simple: a list of six persons who are qualified to be Chair of GECOM, and who are otherwise not disqualified to be Chair of GECOM, is submitted by the Leader of the Opposition. The President then picks one of those persons who are qualified (and not disqualified) to become the Chair. What we had instead, as our recent history records, an unnecessary complication that it took hundreds of millions of dollars and a recourse to the Caribbean Court of Justice to correct.

While the other issues with GECOM are legion, the CARICOM Observer Teams brutal assessment of the Commission as an electoral management body (EMB) is telling.

Most notably, it diagnoses in the chapter of its report called GECOM, A Problem the fundamental problem.

“In essence, legally, the Commission is not subjected to the direction of any government department or the political executive or parliament. However, quite apart from the unusual power granted to GECOM, most noteworthy is the fact that GECOM is like most other regional EMBs, a creature of political parties. That is to say, that while GECOM is described as an independent body, it is undoubtedly a political Commission, and herein lies most of the problems, the paralysis, and the factionalism experienced by that body. Whereas the nature of the appointment of commissioners of EMBs in other Caribbean jurisdictions has not given rise to the level of internal discord which is acutely manifested in the public posturing of individual commissioners, this is the norm in Guyana and unfortunately was on full and ugly display in the 2020 elections and its aftermath. This is unsurprising given the tribalised nature of politics in the country and the appointment process of commissioners. Their subsequent behaviour, and their public posturing are functions of the ethnic based politics in the country combined with the zero-sum politics of the intrinsically Westminster arrangements which are deeply embedded in Guyana despite the more significant post-independence alterations to the political model of government.”

Of course, while the CARICOM team is spot on in this sort of macro-analysis of the problem of GECOM, that larger diagnosis should not blind us to the fact that what was decidedly criminal behaviour took place at GECOM at an operational level, one for which the Commission, for all its vaunted powers, had no apparent ability to self-corrected.

Indeed, if anything, powers that were ostensibly meant to guarantee operational autonomy were combined with the apparent unfettered ability to shield the public from what should be public records, the Statement of Poll in particular, to provide cover for fraud.

When Clairmont Mingo who is thankfully facing the courts today for his part in what took place defied a court order to display manipulated and fraudulent figures on a bedsheet at GECOM, it was because he was allowed to do so without immediate consequence from the Commission.

As the situation currently stands, nothing technically pre-

I do not trust the integrity of the Ministry of Housing and Water’s Vreed-en-hoop office DEAR EDITOR, I wish to bring your attention to the worrying situation explained below and seek speedy resolution by the relevant authorities.

In 2017 I commenced building my house at Schoonard West Bank Demerara.

Upon preparation of the land it was discovered that the occupant on the lot before me erected an old wooden structure to the back on a section of my land.

The husband of the landowner acknowledged that the structure is on my land and said he will be removing it since it is temporary and he will commence building his actual house shortly. Sometime after, he removed the pall and came to me saying that the section of land is actually his, claiming that Housing measured the boundaries incorrectly. He even proceeded

to erect a shed and fence as well as planted fruit trees on the disputed area.

On Friday July 24, 2020, I received a call from the Ministry of Housing and Water’s Vreed-en-hoop office informing me that their Surveyors were in the area on the said day and it was discovered the encroaching land owner is approximately sixteen feet (16ft) on my land, a pall was inserted to reflect this. It was also discovered that the encroaching land-owner has to shift his fence five (5) feet towards the neighbour on his left lot, a pall is there reflecting this.

The Regional Housing Officer (RHO) of Region Number Three invited me to a meeting on Monday July 27, 2020, but the encroaching land owner did not show up for the meeting, but via a telephone call asked for time to move. At that meeting the

DEAR EDITOR, Tipped-to-be Leader of the Opposition - the soon to be recognized as honourable, by virtue of his pivotal office - has promised to give the government hell, meaning trouble. Or what may turn out to be his version of that hospitable habitat. I wish that the famed (or notorious, depending on point of view) of Li’l Joe will bring to bear all the jousting and jostling that is due, not only for the inspiration of his party’s dispirited core supporters, but for all Guyana. This country needs a viable opposition.

But now I must depart and dump a bucket of cold water on expectations, since mine are at a low ebb. A long time ago the redoubtable Mr. Harmon may have had something in him that instilled strong belief in his public promise to make life difficult for the new government. But that was a while back, and I don’t have any such confidence. Whatever he may have had on the plus side is now so far gone, as to be in negative territory. I regret this, and I regret that many in

Guyana share this sentiment.

They are not from the government tribal camps.

I am convinced that there are the most solid of grounds on which to rest my position.

I tender one, and only one, which should suffice to clear the air and register where I stand, and how other Guyanese see the returning big man and his bigger obligations. Mr. Joseph Harmon, learned attorney at law, retired Army Colonel, ranking advisor at the highest power elevations in this land, and citizen of extraordinary standing is not the choice that appeals for Leader of the Opposition.

He is not the ideal. He would be unable (maybe unwilling, too, public pronouncements aside) to rise to the hard and sensitive occasions that are sure to develop and deliver.

And it is because, at the core, he is too much of a spitting image of the people at leadership levels in the new government. For those with convenient myopia and amnesia, I urge to recall that long listless interval when the PNC languished in the doldrums, compliments of another leader

RHO informed me that an eviction notice will be served.

The irony of this matter is that the lot to the left of the encroaching land-owner belongs to a regional official.

Sometime back this man was told that he has his makeshift fence on the official’s land and he was forced to remove it to the extent that his water connection is now out of the area of his new fence.

Based on the surveyor’s recent demarcation, approximately five feet (5ft) of land that the official claimed is hers actually belongs to the encroaching land- owner. The official recently commenced building her house which is about four feet (4ft) from her correct boundary. Instead of the encroaching land owner reclaiming his five feet (5ft) of land that the official had previously bullied him off of, the pall was removed five feet (5ft) back on my land once

more and it was alleged that the ‘housing people’ moved it back.

After several weeks of following up with the official, I was asked to once more visit the Vreed-en-hoop office for an update.

To my enragement, the official along with her Assistant told me that this is a private matter since I was already issued my land title. I was told to hire a private surveyor and tell the people to remove from my land. Upon enquiry the two officers also told me that the encroaching land-owner does not have a title for his land since he has not completed paying for it.

I am kindly asking that the relevant authorities look into this matter since I do not trust the integrity of the Ministry of Housing and Water’s Vreed-en-hoop office.

Yours faithfully, Telesha Whyte

The convergence of those human elements that make for a perfect storm

vents ten Mingos from repeating his performance come 2025.

When Keith Lowenfield repeatedly defied the Commission, granting himself “constitutional” powers that he did not have, stretching out an already artificially lengthened process, it was because of the intrinsic flaws in the Commission and its establishing legislation.

As the dust settles over the next year or so, as we limp inevitably to local government elections, after what we hope is time taken to breathe and recuperate, Madame Justice (Retired) Claudette Singh will take the lead in using the tremendous constitutional powers that GECOM has to start the Commission fixing its own flaws, and healing itself, to avoid us being thrown into a similar nightmare as took place over the first half of this year.

that did the party’s interests and priorities one egregious injustice after another. It was when the personal took precedence over paramountcy.

Many PNC loyalists know what I mean by that; almost all Guyanese know, too. And I think that Mr. Harmon appreciates where I come from, and what buttresses my position.

He may not like it, far from it, but I am prompted to be open on this one. The PNC

could have done better in its decision about a leader, chosen otherwise for the way forward. This society has absolutely no use for a lame duck opposition, a presence rendered the merest of tokens due to the studied vacillations and helpful arrangements of its esteemed leadership. I sense collaborating and compromising (so much petitioned for by me, among a few others) coming, but not of the (Continued on page 5)

Exxon and Guyana’s wealth

By Harold Beharry We have concluded a very pain staking and stressful election And the new word in the air for everything is “renegotiation” Turning to Exxon’s presence in Guyana We have concluded that they are taking our wealth to America We choose unqualified people to negotiate a deal And now we are saying Exxon is walking away with a steal Please stop blaming Exxon for everything that has happened When we signed a contract that is nothing less than rotten I think we should peacefully go back to the drawing board But for heaven’s sake, don’t go there with a sword We need to confess that we have made a big mistake Giving Exxon almost the entire cake Yes, with this contract Exxon probably took us for a ride Therefore, we have to go back and ask them to work with us side by side We understand and appreciate that Exxon invested a lot of money But with this oil wealth, our country is looking for better financial security No one is going to win if we continue with this kind of attack But it will make a world of difference if Exxon agrees that we need a new contract We know the bible says “there is life and death in the power of the tongue” Exxon, you won but please don’t say to this lopsided contract we are bound Exxon, please understand that we do not want a fight But are simply asking you to do for Guyana what is right God has blessed Guyana with wealth, and we want to be in this together All we are asking for is a great relationship that will last forever.

Monday August 31, 2020

The elections are over and petty partisanship must be put aside DEAR EDITOR, Each individual or group has a vote and a right to determine that vote based on their needs and perspective and this includes the right to freedom of association. This right when an election is over, and the government sworn in, does not create any right to deny any who did not vote for that government from involvement in the decisionmaking processes of this nation.

The principal political objective of this country mandates a system of “inclusionary democracy” as outlined in Article 13 of the Guyana Constitution. Under the constitution no government and no citizen have the prerogative to determine who will participate or be excluded (this includes the dull, the ignorant, and misguided). The ancestors of Guyanese fought for nationhood. No Guyanese must therefore allow themselves to be deprived of what their ancestors fought for, they inherited, have a duty to preserve, strengthen and bequeath to their

descendants.

The initiator of the struggle for the right to vote (universal suffrage) and internal self-government was Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow and the trade union movement. As a trade unionist and citizen, I guard these not only for myself but for every citizen of Guyana.

Voting and self-government allow for the right to freedom to associate, participate with and or vote for a party of choice, and when a new government is installed to meaningfully participate in ensuring good governance.

The trade union’s vision was never to allow any group to be bystander (excluded) in the development of this country. Therefore, I continue to advocate for “inclusionary democracy” to take its rightful place i.e. at the centre in this nation’s development.

Whereas the responsibility for governance is that of those elected to the Executive and National Assembly, citizens have a corresponding responsibility to ensure every political operative function within the

confines of the laws, respecting our rights, and managing the national resources in our best interest.

This we must take seriously and execute without fear or favour.

Notions by any that if the group/party they voted for is not in the Executive, National Assembly or Regional Democratic Councils, this precludes them from involvement in any aspect of this nation’s development or they must remain silent to events of the state impacting their well-being, should be disabused. We are all Guyanese and the Constitution guarantees us the right to participation which we must zealously guard and defend.

To those advocating exclusion of others from involvement in the nation’s management and decisionmaking, on whatever pretext, such action is not only promoting discrimination and alienation of sections of society, but could eventually lead to destabilisation and social unrest. Purveyors of (Continued on page 6)

We will become a minority in our own country if we do not adapt sensible immigration policies DEAR EDITOR, The contract that foreign investors sign with Guyana Government to buy prime resources such as gold, oil, Bauxite, lumber, fish and land should all have a “ No Sale” clause for at least 50 years. In the event that your investment is not profitable, file for bankruptcy and we are allowed to retain our resources.

This is a huge scam been perpetuated on the Guyanese population by greedy investors and corrupt Government officials.

The Chinese are among the worse exploiters of this type of corruption. Africa is a prime example of legal rape and pillaging of natural resources by foreign companies.

In addition we should adapt immigration policies as in UAE. You cannot be a citizen here unless you have lived here continuously for at least 15 years, crime free and paying taxes.

We will issue you a work permit and legal residence.

You cannot own property, you can lease for business purposes for a maximum 20 yrs where the lease is renegotiated to deal with inflation This is even if you are married to a Guyanese citizen since this is another scam.

The demographics of this country is changing rapidly and within 15 years Guyanese will be a minority in their own country if we do not adapt sensible immigration policies.

We are not the USA, a coun-

try with a huge and solid foundation that can withstand mass immigration and strain on there infrastructure and resources. Even they are crying.

This new Government needs to have advisors who have the best interest of the citizens of Guyana and have a vision 100 yrs ahead. Not this kind of mediocre thinking that we see, putting band aids on huge problems.

Even to this day we are fixing sea defences by piling rocks this is a 500 yr old idea.

Somewhat effective, but you will have to fix again.

There are hundreds of examples you can go through.

Thank you.

Regards, Aryan Ghosh

The convergence of those human ...

From page 4 kind intended. I believe, with whatever regard is due to Mr. Harmon, that the party’s brain trust, visionaries, and strategists erred mightily with this selection.

Because of it, I detect already from this early vantage point, this youngest of hours, that Guyana is in for a long walk and a hard ride. For what we have in the rare elevations of both government and opposition is

the convergence of those human elements that make for a perfect storm that blows an ill wind across the length and breadth and depth of this country. Guyanese are fully familiar with what I mean on this also, be they PPP diehards or PNC hardheads.

I do not think I know of any other country that has made so many mistakes in the misplacements of its trusts; or of any other society that is more poorly positioned; or

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Kaieteur News

lesser equipped to absorb the troubling storms that come. I urge remembering when the agitations and writings and regrets pour out later and condemn this nation to where it should not be.

I regret the utter waste of it all, for a place so richly endowed. Guyana goose is as good as cooked, with the rest of us serving as the varieties of seasoning.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

No Role for Diaspora in oil as promised?

DEAR EDITOR, I salute KN and all who played a role in saving democracy in Guyana. I know of a few New York based individuals who devoted several hours daily on strategies to have the right declaration made over that five months period. They were heroes just like the diplomats.

The nation can never compensate them for their service, commitment and devotion to the homeland. And it won’t be surprising if the government does not acknowledge their role or those like KN that saved democracy.

The government has made a quick start in cabinet selection though slow in removing political appointees from the previous regime. The new President has been heavily criticized for some appointments and for not consulting the expertise or appointing members of the diaspora especially those who were deeply involved in the struggle for the right count of the 2020 election and for free and fair elections during the PNC dictatorship between 1966 and 1992. I am very disappointed that the government has not tapped into the human resources capacity in the diaspora, some of whom are far more talented and qualified than those appointed in Ministries or as political advisors.

There is so much engineering talent as well as Hu-

man Resources in the oil sector and to guide local content.

The government promised to utilize the talents of the diaspora, but has blanked them. The government chooses some political appointees who failed and embarrassed the PPP in earlier office instead of choosing talented professionals from the diaspora.

While they may hold dual citizenship, making them ineligible to serve in parliament, members of the diaspora can serve as technocrats to various ministries or as diplomats.

It was most annoying that the government rehabilitates a former Foreign Minister to serve as Ambassador at the UN when she is still based in Rome with a year still remaining in her contract. She could have remained in Rome completing the contract and perhaps even getting re-appointed while a new face in the diaspora serves at the UN. There is so much Guyanese talent in New York and Canada. The Ministries also need advisors – tap into the diaspora.The former CEO for GUYSUCO has not been appointed as yet. Is a message being sent?

In New York, several individuals worked daily to bring about political change in Guyana from May 2015, all through the no confidence motion of December 2018 and its aftermath, during the campaign, and the five months after the March 2 election.

Others were in the struggle from the 1970s combating elec-

toral fraud resulting in the restoration of democracy in October 1992. Guyanese owe their freedom to these activists or overseas freedom fighters. I know of one particular individual who worked behind the scenes that helped bring about that shocking declaration on August 2. When others had given up all hope that change was coming, he assured some of us it would come on August 2 or 3 because he was in constant communication with forces and providing guidance to those who would eventually help to bring about the change.

Others worked behind the scenes in Guyana. It is most unfortunate that the hard work of the diaspora giants was never recognized, they were never rewarded, and their services are not being utilized.

I note that some of the new Ministerial faces are very refreshing. But some are not competent in their fields and some are recycled and discredited when they served as Ministers. Some of the appointees are not in the right field or misplaced.

Almost most Guyanese, I spoke to voiced concerned with the misplaced ministers.

I am surprised that Guyana cannot produce a finance m i n i s t e r .

The Ministers would need assistance which can be obtained from the skills and expertise of the diaspora.

Yours truly, B. Rambrich

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Monday August 31, 2020

Kaieteur News

Don’t let the APNU+AFC Party ANUG executives support Ralph Ramkarran’s acceptance be the Pied Piper to certain disaster and wrong doing of the Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs position DEAR EDITOR, Please allow me to respond to the letter written by GHK Lall “The acceptance of advisory roles call into question motives of small party leaders” (Kaieteur News, 25.8.2020, p.4) and the article

by Peeping Tom “Conflict or Conflation of Interest?”

(Kaieteur News, 26.8.2020, p.9). Insinuations were made that the leadership of the smaller, we prefer newer, parties have placed themselves in conflict of interest positions by accepting advisory roles with the present PPP/C Government. We take this opportunity to inform your readers and the nation at large, of a few things which have occurred recently within the A New and United Guyana (ANUG) political party: 1. Mr. Ralph Ramkarran, on August 5th, 2020 informed the ANUG executive that he will not be seeking re-election as the General Secretary of the party, at the upcoming elections. He encouraged the executive to hold the election of new office bearers as early as possible within the parameters of the COVID-19 regula-

tions.

2. Mr. Ramkarran, on August 12th, 2020 informed the ANUG executive that he had received correspondence from the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Ms. Gail Teixiera, requesting the submission of the names of five (5) ANUG representatives for inclusion on the boards of State agencies. ANUG views this as an early step toward inclusive governance by the new governing party. Mr. Ramkarran recommended that ANUG accept the offer since it offered an opportunity for the promotion of transparency and accountability within the realm of the state apparatus.

3. Mr. Ramkarran, on August 17th, 2020 informed the ANUG executive that he was asked by the PPP/C Government to continue to serve as an Advisor on Border Issues to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The ANUG executive sees no conflict of interest with Mr. Ramkarran accepting the position, and serving the present Government and the people of Guyana, as an Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the following

reasons: A. This is a position he has served in for the past twenty-six (26), under both the APNU+AFC and the previous PPP/C Governments.

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

B. Mr. Ramkarran will not be seeking re-election as the General Secretary of ANUG at its next internal election of office bearers.

C. Mr. Ramkarran will not be representing ANUG in Parliament when ANUG assumes its seat as per the Joinder Agreement. It is for the above reasons that we, the ANUG executive, support Mr. Ramkarran’s acceptance of the offered position as Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and anticipate that he will provide sterling support to the Minister in whatever capacity required.

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

DEAR EDITOR, It is time that all skilled, abled and knowledgeable people, independent of party affiliation, that can aid in the revitalization and turnaround of GuySuco start to get involved and help. If we are all serious about helping the worker, the recent graduate and building back the village economy that has been the back bone of our country for so many years, then it is time that we accelerate the process to making GuySuco a profitable and sustainable business. The level of urgency to do so has to be sustained and those on the sidelines who have the ability to get engaged in the process.

There are four fundamental objectives that should be pursued over the next five

years: 1. Making the business financially independent & self sustaining while reducing the weighted average cost of capital and improving the debt structure 2. Increasing the margin of finished goods, value added products & services while growing the top line and diversifying the revenue streams 3. Reducing the cost structure and cost of goods & services while increasing capacity and improving operational efficiency & effectiveness 4. Building a sustainable resource base that provides a continuous source of skills & capabilities to sustain the business and its long term goals.

By implementing the strategy and the supporting strategic initiatives that support

these 4 key goals we will effectively turnaround GuySuco within a five year time frame.

The recent dispute with Exxon should be a clear wakeup call to our citizens that we can not limit our revenue streams while building a sustainable economic structure for the country. No one wants to be in a holdup situation and have to succumb to the whims of uncaring management in companies such as Exxon. It is time that we quickly rebuild our village economic structure and increase the employment opportunities for our citizens.

GuySuco is one of the means to accomplishing this objective.

Best regards, Mr. Jamil Changlee Chairman The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana

The Urgent Revitalization of GuySuco!

DEAR EDITOR, As the fourth perspiring week for the busy and tireless PPP/C Party comes to an end since wrenching power after a protracted delay from the stubborn and obstinate APNU+AFC Party, the heat is turning up in Guyana as more political fireworks are exploding with removals, replacements, resignations, scandals and exposed malfeasance. On the bright side, it is reassuring to see the Police asserting the law and being proactive in the forefront, embellishing their image, especially with the Mingo/Lawrence/ Lowenfield and GECOM staff affair and the alleged Ponzi scheme.

Their involvement is anticipation for a smooth flow in justice, unlike an undulating past exercised under the discriminative previous administration.

The harsh reality of COVID-19 continues to pose a major obstacle and challenge for the PPP/C Party Government as the 12th sitting of Parliament is scheduled for next Tuesday at the ACCC. More cases are rapidly being recorded, the death rate is dangerously climbing and positive confirmations are alarmin g l y r e v e a l e d a s country-wide texting continues. Taking over from a careless and uncaring COVID-19 Task Force Committee led by Joseph Harmon, this new Health M i n i s t r y i s tasked and heavily overburdened with prioritizing testing, distribution of the pandemic kits, curbing and slowing its spread, preventing its growth, strengthening its facilities, educating Guyanese, implementing the protocols and enforcing the rules and regulations.

Acknowledging that this team is in uncharted water, it needs all the help it can acquire, both domestically and internationally.

Guyana is deemed the epicenter for the Caribbean and as such, it has to implement a professional and fast moving programme to stem the flow and flatten the curve, bearing in mind that time is

against them and they are deep above their knee in this inherited pandemic mess.

The President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, was quoted by the Ministry of Presidency’s Public Information and Press Services Unit as saying, “The balance requires very strong protocols and I think, therein lies the trick to this pandemic; the protocols and enforcing the protocols. Now, we can move to reopening once we have strong protocols that can be enforced and once we have the institutional mechanism to support those protocols.”

But there is no trick or short cut as an answer to this problem.

Only a disciplined nation committed to the rigid rules and regulations, respecting and implementing all the protocols may contribute to any degree of success in harnessing this virus.

Masks, sanitizing, washing, social distancing and citrus fruits in-take are good attributes along with virtual gatherings versus physical conferencing. Guyanese need to be serious and not carefree with their behaviour in order to save lives.

The callousness and recklessness of the APNU+AFC Party continues as they deliberately endanger the entire Guyana with their horrendous and unscrupulous call for Guyanese to come out in large gathering to support their mischievous and selfish agenda.

As reported in the news media, from Joseph Harmon’s Facebook, his message of “Message from DG Joseph Harmon, Good afternoon Comrades the petition will be filed on Monday 31st August, 10 a.m., Supreme Court Building.

We are asked to mobilize in numbers to lend support to our party.

We want a big manifestation against this persecution that is going on.”

How heartless and irresponsible can the former head of the COVID-19 Task Force be? This appeal confirms that he and his cabal did not have the interest of the Guyanese people at heart during their

reign and again, they were only drawing down large sums of money for not doing the job they were appointed to do and the poor taxpayers money was again being squandered.

Will their supporters not wake up and see how they are being used and abused perpetually and allowing the APNU+AFC Party to put their lives at risk? What do the people in the street hope to achieve from any participation? Petty bribes and then potential death?

The police will again come into the limelight in dealing with any illegal gathering and the confrontation of devious political leaders.

Here is a transparent and unambiguous living proof of the leader of a group, orchestrating disobedience of the COVID-19 regulations, inciting and instigating the illegal gathering of a mob that is potentially dangerous and fatal to the entire nation.

How can such a character hope to be a leader for an opposition party, setting all the wrong and unethical examples, hoping to muster command and guide the rest of the flock?

Over a cliff, yes, to another dungeon where immorality pervades and lies and deceits continue to corrupt the minds of the innocent young people.

Where are the voices from the churches to condemn this type of unforgiving and ruthless behaviour?

The APNU+AFC Party in any form or shape can never represent their supporters to teach, guide or have them indulge in the practice of any manifestation of truth, honesty, integrity and dignity that will honour any concept of a religious principle.

Wake up Guyana, do not allow the APNU+AFC Party to be the Pied Piper to attract and lead you again to certain disaster and wrongdoing! Is this what you really and truly want?

Please, do your soul searching, listen to your conscience and do not answer their illogical call.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

The elections are over and petty...

From page 5 this attitude are reminded should similar treatment be meted out to them they will shout violation, demanding their rights be respected, and will be in order to do so.

The elections are over and petty partisanship must be put aside. It is time to govern wisely in the interest of all.

Those who expressed their views during the election period, whether perceived to be right or wrong, were entitled to such, for all

are equal participating members of society and the electoral process. None has the sole right to speak or participate at the exclusion of others. No group or citizen must be excluded from this nation’s development. One does not have to like a person, his views or politics to respect that person’s right to participate. Where the constitution already guarantees this it is the responsibility of all to respect and abide by.

Lincoln Lewis

Monday August 31, 2020

PAGE 7

Kaieteur News

Mingo’s detention lawful – AG Anil Nandlall - Refutes Harmon’s claim that charges “trumped up”

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall

Incoming Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon

Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo

Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Anil Nandlall yesterday put on record that there was nothing unlawful about the Guyana Police Forces’ (GPF) further detainment of controversial Returning Officer (RO) Clairmont Mingo and refuted claims by incoming Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon that Mingo was being unlawfully held and that the fraud charges were “trumped up.”

Attorneys-at-Law Roysdale Forde and Darren Wade along with former Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson and Harmon paid a visit to the RO at the Spaarendam Police Station and it was after that the incoming Opposition Leader made his claims.

“Mingo has been unlawfully detained for over 72 hours in spite of a High Court order. So what we are basically dealing with is a rogue administration that keeps giving illegal directions to the police…they have brought up four trumped up charges against Mr. Mingo and certainly, these are matters we will address fully,” Harmon said.

Minister Nandlall, in proffering an explanation reminded that the RO’s legal counsel by way of a “premature and misconceived” habeas corpus application had asked that the High Court order his release from police custody on Friday but this was later withdrawn.

After that, the police made an application for extension

of Mingo’s detention time and this was granted for 24 hours, with the RO expected to have been released the following day at 2:30 pm on several conditions.

Acting Chief Justice, Rishi Persaud had ordered that he report to Police Officers Mitchell Caesar, Nigel Stephens and/or Rodwell Sarrabo or the next senior officer at the CID Headquarters Eve Leary, Kingston, Georgetown, at 9:00 am daily. Mingo was also ordered to lodge his passport with the CID headquarters, and to report any change of residence to one of the officers mentioned.

However, when his Attorney-at-Law, Darren Wade, turned up at CID with the passport in hand, he was told that Mingo was slapped with four new charges by the

police. The new charges reportedly have to do with mischief in public office.

The Attorney General clarified that it was because Mingo was slapped with those new charges that his detention period extended automatically.

Wade had reportedly filed another habeas corpus application that very afternoon demanding that the High Court order Mingo’s release, but this application was dismissed by the acting Chief Justice Rishi Persaud

who made it clear that Mingo was slapped with four new charges from the police themselves and will have to remain in police custody until his court appearance today.

The AG added, “There was nothing unlawful and there is nothing unlawful with the police keeping him in custody until he is taken to a Magistrate where those charges will be read and where he will be put before the jurisdiction of a Magistrates court.”

Nandlall continued that as a fellow man of the law, one would expect Harmon to be aware of “the most basic and elementary principles of law.”

“…So Mr. Harmon’s contention that Mr. Mingo is being unlawfully detained is completely preposterous and must be rejected out of hand.”

Mingo was nabbed by police on Tuesday last after investigators commenced their probe into the protracted March 2 General and Regional Elections.

Later on, investigators swooped down on three of Mingo’s assistants and also arrested IT Technician Enrique Livan who was fingered in the March 4 flash drive scandal. They all remain in police custody as investigations continue.

PAGE 8

Kaieteur News

Monday August 31, 2020

Blossom Inc. receives UK grant to strengthen Child Sexual Offences Court

British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn (left) and Founder of Blossom Inc., Ayo Dalgety-Dean.

Blossom Inc., a family trauma support organization, recently received a grant from the British High Commission to help strengthen the Child Sexual Offences Court during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Blossom Inc. is a nonprofit organization that has been providing a critical service to child victims of sexual and other forms of abuse.

During an interview with Kaieteur News, founder Ayo Dalgety-Dean said that the organization along with the United Nation Children’s Funds (UNICEF) reached out to the British High Commission for a grant to help strengthen the Child Advocacy and Child Sexual Offences Court and it was granted.

Dalgety-Dean added that the organization runs six child advocacy centers in Guyana: in Mabaruma – Region One; Land of Plenty, Essequibo Coast – Region Two; Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara – Region Four; Bartica – Region Seven; and Linden and Kwakwani – Region Ten. The most recent location was the one opened at Kwakwani.

Despite the pandemic, Dalgety-Dean said, the police and the Child Care and Protection Agency still bring children who are victims of trauma for therapy. DalgetyDean posited that their work at the organization does not stop because of a pandemic, since children are still being affected by the different types of abuse.

The aim of Blossom Inc. is to make the centers more child-friendly and to develop other ways to deal with mental

health. Blossom Inc was establishment in 2014, the service born after DalgetyDean responded to a call for collaboration by the Child Protection Agency of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security to help victims of child sexual abuse cope with their trauma.

Back then, it was evident that a gap existed in the childcare system for support and Dalgety-Dean a passionate child and family services advocate, moved quickly on the opportunity to help. Since then, Blossom Inc. has evolved into one of the premier providers of child protection support services in Guyana, catering to hundreds of clients annually.

Blossom Inc. works with children and families affected by severe trauma: child sexual abuse, children who have suffered and witness extreme violence, children who have witnessed a parents’ death, and migrant children and families.

According to DalgetyDean the service at Blossom Inc. includes providing forensic interviews, trauma focused therapy, court support, victim advocacy/ support, psychosocial support, education and outreach services, migrant and host community service, and coordination of a multidisciplinary team to support victims of child sexual abuse.

Schoolchildren are also engaged in the awareness activities. Every year Blossom Inc. receives $12M from the Government, along with other funds from UNICEF, Emerge BPO and other organizations to help support abuse victims.

Monday August 31, 2020

Kaieteur News

More than 300 persons are now likely to die On Saturday, Guyanese breathed a sigh of relief when only four positive coronavirus cases were recorded. Yesterday, their relief turned to despair when it was announced that there were 50 additional positive cases and three more deaths, including that of someone who cannot be considered elderly.

In one of his earlier interviews, President Irfaan Ali had questioned the testing policy of the previous administrations, pointing to the high positive cases one day and the next day low cases. His inference was that this reflected a problem with testing.

It is now established that the former administration has left this country in a COVID19 quagmire. The low rate of testing under the previous government has resulted in the virus percolating in society.

Just before the former administration demitted office, the numbers had begun to rise, even with its low testing.

Those numbers are now skyrocketing but so too are the rate of infections.

Yesterday was a prime example. Yesterday, there were 216 tests done of which there were 50 positive cases. This means that almost one in every five cases came back positive. But what was disturbing was that on Saturday out of the more than 150 tests done, there were only four positive cases. The very yo-yo effect which the President had bemoaned is now taking place.

The public is circumspect about these large variations.

It is not helping the government’s case when it

cannot explain them.

The PPP/C does not have a handle on the present situation. The death rate would have doubled in a mere month since the PPP/C came into office. This is a frightening statistic, especially considering that the number of active cases since then has also increased three-fold. The projection would seem to suggest that more persons are going to die, including very young persons. This is not good news.

The other strange development is that Guyana will be sending samples to the CARPHA - Caribbean Public Health Agency. It was said that the samples will be sent there to reduce the backlog of cases.

What about local laboratories? Why can the government not be paying them to undertake some of the tests, once quality standards are established? This would help reduce the backlog.

This flies in the face of what the President had promised. He had indicated that additional testing machines would have been in the country last week and that this would have reduced the testing times from nine hours to two.

We were supposed to be capable of doing 300 tests in one day and obtaining the results in the same day. This is not happening and therefore clarification is needed as to just why results are not being returned the same day. Some persons are waiting more than a week for their test results.

This is totally unacceptable.

This should not be allowed to

happen.

It also needs to be explained why samples are being sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to reduce the backlog?

CARPHA should have ideally been used to validate a sample of the tests already done here.

It is strange that we are doing less than 300 tests per day and yet there is still a backlog.

Backlogs in testing cannot be entertained. Persons have died and it was only after they died that it was confirmed that they had the virus. The danger of delays in results is that delayed treatment can be costly in human terms.

Given the large numbers of cases over the past three weeks, there needs to be some serious remodeling. Initially, it was projected that Guyana could have had as much as 1,200 cases. This would probably have resulted in about 60 deaths.

With the more than doubling of both deaths and positive cases over the past three weeks, it could mean that Guyana can end up with about 6,000 cases since a vaccine is not expected to be available until March next year. This would leave us with more than 300 deaths.

The government has a tough call to make since APNU+AFC left it with a calamiity. But sooner rather than later, it will have to make that call.

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

Dem boys seh ...

Who pick de mangoes?

Dem boys seh you can’t tek a man wah never run a cake shop or sell a buns fuh negotiate with dem big multinationals.

Dem company gan mek rings around yuh.

Dat is why dem boys seh some of we leader should never have been negotiating anything since dem never even run a cake shop in dem life.

De Rig-adier never even sell a phone in he life. Jagdeo never sell icicle in he life. He used to buy dat at school.

Dem boys hear dat Li’l Joe bin try he hand at mekkin

pholouri but de thing come out as bake. Dem boys seh Moses try fuh mek persad and leff only with de sad.

Dem boys wondering wah Mingo gan try he hand at next. He finish with de Bingo business. He gan gat a long time fuh think about wah he gan do fuh mek a living… a long, long time.

Dem boys feel if you want see dem foreign company dance, put dem fuh negotiate with de boss man of de Waterfall paper. By the time he finish with dem, Guyana gan get de best deal ever.

Dem boys hear Trotty seh

how dem had to sign de Exxon deal because we neighbour had dem eye pun we oil. He seh was like if you gat a mango tree and yuh neighbour gat he eyes pun de mangoes, yuh gan hustle fuh pick them before he does.

But dem boys wan know if we bin hurry fuh pick de mango before Venezuela, how come Exxon get de best mango and we get de rotten one? Like we bin holding the wrong end of the stick.

Talk half and ask Trotty if he get any mango from de tree.

PAGE 9

PAGE 10

Monday August 31, 2020

Kaieteur News

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

CONFESSIONS: Nigel Hughes and my greatest character lapse There are times that you do things and years after you say to yourself: “Why did I do that, this is not who I am?”

But as the medieval philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas once wrote, everything has a rational, logical explanation.

I look at what the Alliance for Change has become and I look back with deeply piercing angst at my active support for that party. I believe deep in my political soul that Khemraj Ramjattan and Raphael Trotman are two of the most dangerous, undemocratic, conspiratorial, narrow-minded, and unprincipled politicians this country’s history has produced.

Each time these men open their mouths, there are echoes of fascist rhetoric. Were these the two men this nation put its faith in to carve out a progressive future?

I knew long before 2015, things about Trotman that cannot be published here and one day I hope I can do that.

Ramjattan was always a devious human and I saw graphic manifestations of that instinct long before 2015.

I saw all the faults of these two men and their shameless middle-class acolytes way back in 2011 yet I campaigned for that party in

2015, and no doubt my columns and social activism between 2011 and 2015 must have, in some small way, helped to propel it to an election victory. Why did I do it?

I confess to all those who may have a positive opinion of me that I supported the AFC in 2015, campaigned for it and wanted it to have power essentially because of Nigel Hughes.

Now that the AFC has become semi-fascist, I apologize deeply from my heart. But if I didn’t believe in Hughes, the way I did from 2011, I perhaps may never have entered the doorway of the AFC. I became close to Nigel during the libel writ filed by then President, Bharrat Jagdeo. After the first few days, Ramjattan left the trial and never returned even for a fleeting second. Nigel endured with me for eight years. I came to know him closely from 2011 when the case began.

Nigel reminded me of the politics of Walter Rodney.

Nigel was a middle-class guy alright, but his politics transcended race and class.

From 2011 as the libel trial went on month after month, year after year, we interacted personally and as WPA

colleagues. Nigel was different from your typical middle class “jive ass” politicians that I interacted with in the WPA in the seventies and in the AFC after 2011.

He had ideological orientations that derived from the struggle of the seventies and resembled those that Rodney embodied. If I trusted anyone with state power that would not turn his back on working class people and pursue democratic governance, it was Nigel. In my activism with the AFC, particularly after 2012 when the opposition cut the national estimates of the PPP government, I found people in both Georgetown and in the countryside gravitated toward the AFC because of the large presence of Nigel.

It was like Rodney in the seventies. The youths went in the direction of the WPA because of Rodney. It was the same with Nigel. In fact, between 2012 and 2014, I detected a certain amount of jealously in Linden by the PNC over the towering personality of Nigel. I sensed most definitely that the PNC felt that Nigel was a threat to them among urban youths.

But even among Nigel’s own friends in the AFC, there were thoughts of creating

distance which climaxed when he showed his Rodneyite approach to power.

Nigel felt the local people should be left alone to run their communities and the parties in central government should not contest in certain areas of the 2016 local government election. With this kind of perspective, he did not support his own coalition formation contesting in Bartica.

In 2015, I believe I had no choice but to campaign for the AFC. Nigel was the chairman.

I owed him a tremendous debt. The libel writ lasted eight years and Nigel never charged me a cent. I figure with his standing, I owed him more than four million dollars.

No one in my entire life has been that nice to me except Yesu Persaud.

I honestly felt that if the APNU+AFC had won power, then Guyana with Nigel’s influential presence in government we could see an innovative approach to good governance. Looking back, I think I did the right thing in 2015 given what Nigel did for

Frederick Kissoon me. But I know in my heart I had suspicions of Trotman and Ramjattan. I guess it all ended well. Guyana will never see Ramjattan and Trotman back in power. I wish Nigel well in whatever he does.

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

CORRUPT, INCOMPETENT OR PLAIN MORONS? The country’s three main political parties – the PNC/R, AFC and the PPP/C– are no different in their mentality and attitude towards foreign investors.

It is either they are corrupt, incompetent or plain morons. How else does one explain their actions?

They have given foreign investors to secure tax concessions, to the tune of billions of dollars, and rights to our bauxite, gold, timber, oil, etc.

In turn, these investors then resold these resources to others and walk away with hundreds of millions of US dollars in profits, while the Guyanese people get nothing in return.

A number of our oil blocks were distributed to cronies of the pre-2015 government who in turn sold the rights to those blocks for hundreds of millions of US dollars. What did Guyana get? Nothing!

Foreign investors come here with fancy talk, twisted tongues and fat promises. They spend a few dollars establishing “bare bone” facilities (tarpaulins). And after a few

mornings, they turn around and sell the same rights and concessions to others for hundreds of millions of US dollars. And what Guyana gets? Nothing!

This is the trend in the agricultural, mining and other sectors. This is what is happening with our prized real estate, including waterfront properties.

Investors are paying our governments chump change in Guyana currency and, in some cases, nothing at all for these rights.

And what Guyana gets? Nothing!

When the original investors walk away, they leave with us scavengers with whom our governments have had no negotiations.

Kaieteur News will continue to expose how foreign investors, together with our corrupt politicians, are making a fortune by raffling out our resources while our people are barely scratching a living, according to President Irfaan Ali. Pls read Page 2 to learn how Guyana is forced to borrow its own money from overseas investors!

Monday August 31, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Monday August 31, 2020

PAGE 15

Kaieteur News

SOCU investigator writes to US university asking for an explanation

Accusations of fake certificates presented...

Days after news surfaced that she allegedly supplied the Ministry of Home Affairs with falsified documents to secure her position as Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Althea Padmore has written to the US-based university seeking an explanation.

News surfaced last week that raised questions about the authenticity of Padmore’s qualifications. In particular, a copy of her MBA certificate showed it was signed by Gary M. Keisling, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Georgia, US-based Ashworth College.

However, Keisling passed away since 2012, making it impossible for him to have signed the certificate that was awarded to Padmore in 2015.

Padmore has since issued a statement, through her

SOCU Head, Althea Padmore attorney Nigel Hughes noting that she has engaged Ashworth College about the allegations which have been made and is awaiting their response.

“I was unaware of any issue in relation to either Ashworth College or the authenticity of the certificate I received. I have been informed that Ashworth College has been taken over

by Penn Foster University. I will share any future communications from Penn Foster with the press upon my receipt of their communications,” Padmore said in the statement.

Additionally, she debunked the accusation that the certification she received from the university was part of any consideration undertaken by SOCU in the review of, through the Ministry of Home Affairs, for her employment.

The SOCU investigator explained that that the time of joining SOCU she was the holder of a BSC in

Purple Sweet Potatoes in Guyana’s...

From page 14 functions in the body. As a result, these foods perform both nutritive and pharmaceutical functions and are therefore referred to as “nutraceuticals.”

According to IAST’s Deputy Director, Mr. Deonarine Jagdeo, the institute’s collaboration with Guyana’s Amerindians, stretching back since the tenure of IAST’s founding Director, Dr. Neville Trotz, has been a source of inspiration, ideas and ensuring partnership. The birth of SAK was similar; institute staff were intrigued as to the ancillary benefits of the very tasty fly which is often only sampled by coastlanders during Amerindian Heritage month.

Because of its indicative brilliant purple and the claims from Macushi and Patamona partners regarding its health benefits, the IAST was motivated to further investigate the nutritive and pharmaceutical benefits of the purple potatoes. The Institute’s collaboration with the Trent Centre for Biomaterials Research at Trent University in Canada allowed what is described as a “bioprospecting” project to be undertaken.

Readers would all be familiar with the figure of a Guyanese Pork-knocker – headed off to brave the hinterland, “prospecting” for gold and diamonds. Mahendra Rampersaud, who is the Head of the Institute’s “Bioprospecting” Department and who holds a BSc. in Chemistry from the University of Guyana, indicated; “the array of solutions that nature in general and Guyana’s botanical biodiversity in particular offer makes searching for nutraceuticals in Guyana’s hinterland similar to prospecting for diamonds and precious metals.”

Rampersaud indicates that the IAST staff were astounded when initial analytical reports from the Trent Centre for Biomaterials Research of the components of purple sweet potato samples collected in Paramakatoi, Region 8, were received. The report was compiled by Navindra Soodoo, a Guyanese student pursuing his Doctoral degree in Environmental and Life Sciences at Trent University under Narine’s supervision.

Soodoo and Narine’s analysis indicates that purple sweet potatoes used in fly by Guyana’s Amerindians contain among the highest levels of phenolic compounds called anthocyanins ever reported.

Anthocyanins are phenolic compounds

that perform important antioxidant functions in our bodies; they are super-components for combating cardiovascular disease, improving circulation, and preventing cancer.

Blueberries are, for example, one of the world’s better-known sources of antioxidants.

Remarkably, among the several varieties of purple sweet potatoes used by Guyana’s Amerindians in fly, there are more than 200% of the number of antioxidants found in blueberries.

Rampersaud enthused, “finding these high levels of a nutritional component in a plant which can be cultivated and has been used for more than 7, 000 years is like striking a major gold vein, in the world of bioprospecting.”

The IAST therefore wasted no time in conducting field investigations in the Rupununi Savannahs and the North Pakaraima Mountains to identify and characterize the various types of purple sweet potatoes indigenous to these regions. Six (6) dominant varieties were identified and their taxonomy characterized as well as their types and levels of anthocyanins and other nutritional components.

Mr. Brijesh Singh, an agriculturist who has worked on the project with the IAST, indicates; “we are currently completing a groundbreaking report to an academic journal of the various varieties found and their husbandry, taxanomy and other agricultural details. Several of these varieties are unknown to the scientific literature and all of them are novel as they have never been reported on before.

KN has become accustomed to Narine saying, “Anyone can make a good thing; it takes many hands working in collaboration and with a combined focus to make a good thing.”

“These astounding findings”, Narine says, “are sufficient to make any scientific team break out the Eldorado or XM 15-year-old Rum. However, to make a good and useful thing out of this finding requires much more work, planning, and many more hands than just a scientific project.” KN will next week detail the work that went into creating a product that is already in its beta testing phase has acquired a loyal and enthusiastic following, and will explain why the product’s marketing tagline is “Purple is the New Blue!”

Accountancy from the University of Guyana (UG), a Diploma in Accountancy from the UG, and a Certificate in USA federal taxation from Indiana University School of Continuing Studies.

She said further that she also had previously worked for an accumulated period of 12 years in the areas of auditing, taxation and bank supervision.

“The requirements for the post to which I was appointed

at SOCU included full vetting, background checks, and successful passing of a polygraph test.

Prior to joining SOCU I had commenced two online programs; an MBA and a diploma in event planning.

Both programs were offered

by Ashworth College.

These programs were not part of my application to SOCU neither were they taken into account prior to the retention of my services by

SOCU,” Padmore said.

According to the statement, the SOCU investigator claimed that she never had any reason to doubt the authenticity of the documentation issued by the university and made n o e f f o r t t o v e r i f y t he status of the signatories of the certificate or the institution other than her initial inquiries prior to the commencement of the MBA program.

Monday August 31, 2020

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

Chopped man drives himself to hospital and dies The victim of a chopping attack drove himself to a hospital but died while receiving treatment for his wound on Saturday. Dead is Kishan Persaud, 29, of Buzz Bee Dam, Craig, East Bank Demerara.

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Persaud was driving home in his car when he made a turn on to First Street Craig at around 21:35 Hrs and saw a vendor with a fruit cart blocking his path.

According to police, he told the man to remove the cart but the vendor, ignored and delayed a little. Persaud grew impatient and stepped out of his car to confront the Vendor. An argument ensued between the two during which the vendor found a

cutlass and chopped Persaud to the left side of his neck before running away.

The injured Persaud then ran into his car, turned it around and drove as fast as he could to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre. At approximately 22:30Hrs, Persaud passed away while being treated by doctors. The suspect was later captured by police, just after midnight at his home located at 79 Second Street, Buzz Bee Dam.

From page 16 mistake made in this regard, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is headed by Dr. Vincent Adams, wants ExxonMobil to put systems in place for the re-injection of the produced water for the Payara project.

Kaieteur News was able to confirm with key officials close to the project that ExxonMobil is not pleased about this request and has rejected it.

Dr. Adams, who has been instructed to proceed on more than 120 days leave, had noted in an interview with this paper that he is not a proponent for the dumping of produced water into the

ocean. He said that the Liza Destiny vessel is already dumping 4,000 barrels of produced water daily and in about six years, it will get to about 300,000 barrels.

Dr. Adams said, “I have worked in the oil fields as a Production and Reservoir engineer and we injected every single drop of water. If you are onshore, the water would obviously have to be re-injected. Also, the World Bank has made it clear that you should only dispose of produced water into the ocean when it is not technically feasible [to reinject].”In ExxonMobil’s case, Dr. Adams said, it is more than feasible.

ExxonMobil desperately...

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Kaieteur News

Monday August 31, 2020

Monday August 31, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 19

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Gov’t retains three APNU+AFC appointed REOs, appoints six others

The officers that were retained from the previous administration

The six newly appointed REOs

The government has appointed six new Regional Executive Officers (REOs) with effect from today, Monday, August 31, 2020, retaining three appointed by its predecessor.

The appointments followed one week after the new People Progressive Party /Civic (PPP/ C) administration ousted REOs for the six regions.

The new appointments were announced by Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall on Saturday.

Dharamlall noted however that the Government has retained REOs for three Regions appointed by the previous A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance for Change(APNU+AFC) administration.

The new appointees will replace former REO of Region Two, Denis Jaikaran, Jennifer Ferreira-Dougal from Region Three; Ovid Morrison from Region Five; Kim StephenWilliams from Region Six; Carl Parker from Region Nine and Orrin Gordon from Region Ten who were all issued letters of termination by the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry about two weeks ago.

The REOs that have been retained from the previous APNU+AFC administration are Pauline Lucas, Kerwin Ward and Mitzy Campbell – the three will be continuing their tenure as REO for

Monday August 31, 2020

Kaieteur News

Regions Four, Seven and Eight, respectively.

The REO for Region Ten has not yet been appointed, however this is expected to be done soon.

In an invited comment immediately after the termination, Dharamlall told the press that the Ministry had lost confidence in the ability of the dismissed REOs to perform.

He noted that “their deportment was inimical to the effective and efficient functioning of the regions, they managed. Moreover, they practiced heavy partisan politics… they were void of professionalism and impartiality.”

According to information disseminated by Local Government Ministry, Deputy Regional Executive Officer for Region One, Teka Bissessar, has been appointed REO by the Minister.

Devanand Ramdatt, who held the positions of assistant director of youth and former Regional Chairman of the region, was appointed as Region Two’s REO. Regions Three, Five, Six and Nine will be headed by Jagnarine Somwar, Genevieve Blackman, Narindra Persaud and Karl Singh respectively.

The Ministry also shared briefly on the educational background and qualification of the new appointees.

According to the statement, Somwar has been serving the

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

As it relates to Persaud, he is an educator for more than 20 years who previously served as a regional councillor for region four, and manager of the materials management unit, Ministry of Health.

Blackman previously served as deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education (2012 – 2017), Chief Executive Officer for the Board Of Industrial Training (2011), and coordinator for the World Bank-funded HIV/ AIDS prevention and control project at the Ministry of Labour, among other positions.

Meanwhile, Singh who holds several management certificates, and served as the Regional Vice-Chairman for Region Nine (2015-2020) will now be REO for that Region.

Minister Dharamlall expressed best wishes and optimism that the appointees will participate in building the nation. “We wish them well and we look forward to their profound Administration of our Regions as we forge ahead to rebuild the Regional Development System in Guyana,” he stated.

One of Guyana’s prominent paediatricians, Dr. Seepersaud Chatterdeo passes away Dr. Seepersaud Chatterdeo, one of Guyana’s leading paediatricians passed away early yesterday morning. Reports are that Persaud was rushed to the Balwant Singh Hospital for emergency treatment where he subsequently died.

Chatterdeo was once the head of the Paediatrics Department at the Georgetown Public Hospital and was also a lecturer at the University of Guyana’s School of Medicine. He would have attended Queen’s College and from there he started his career as a pharmacist and then later pursued a Masters of Medicine at the University of Guyana.

Chatterdeo was said to be a great influence to his medical students and interns and also made great contributions to continuing medical education programs form practicing physicians within the country.

Many of his students took to social media to express their grief over his passing and stated that he was one of the best in the industry. Some described his contribution to their lives and Guyana on the whole as greatly significant and almost irreplaceable.

One of his old students, a Kashif, stated in a post that hundreds of young doctors in Guyana looked up to him during his many years as a professional in Guyana. He highlighted that Chatterdeo would’ve not only educated and set an example, but he

Dr.Seepersaud Chatterdeo

also treated thousands of children in the country. The student described Chatterdeo as one of the kindest and most comforting professionals one could’ve ever met.

Guyana’s Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony took to social media as well to express his grief over the doctor’s passing. In a statement on his Facebook page said that “Guyana has lost a

valuable citizen, his place will be challenging to fill. At a time when our best is needed, Guyana has truly lost one of our best, and his death diminishes us”.

The doctor leaves behind to mourn two children, his wife Indra Chatterdeo, his mother, Golo Singh, his father, Dillip Chatterdeo, and his brother and sister Jetendra Chatterdeo and Rani Persaud.

Guyana records 3 COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours Guyana yesterday recorded three new COVID-19 deaths within 24 hours bringing the total death toll to 38.

In spite of the alarming number of deaths for the month the Ministry of Health (MOH) has been failing to give adequate information on the deaths.

Former Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy disclosed in a Facebook post that he has recently engaged with current Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony and they both agreed that more effort can be placed into properly communicating with the media.

He stated that he subsequently held a meeting with the relevant staff at the MOH and a decision was made to have the daily COVID-19 dashboard and a press release published punctually at 04:30pm every day.

He stated that the dashboard will comprise of data that was gathered up until the

Former Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

previous midnight and the press release will include data that was recorded from midnight up until the dashboard was published.

It was reported that an 80 year old man from Region Four first passed away on Saturday evening and his death was followed by two more persons, yesterday – a 78 year old woman from Region Nine and a 53 year old woman from Region Four.

It was not revealed whether these persons had underlying conditions, if they were tested before or after their death and other relevant information. The Ministry also failed to provide ad-

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony equate information on three other deaths that occurred earlier last week.

Monday August 31, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Zouks shellshock Tridents to make history CPL - The St Lucia Zouks smashed the record for the lowest total ever defended in Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), as Kesrick Williams and the spinners strangled an anxious Barbados Tridents batting lineup to leave Jason Holder’s men reeling. The Tridents, and in particular Hayden Walsh, were outstanding with the ball to skittle the Zouks, but manage to lose despite not even being bowled out.

Joshua Bishop came in for his second senior T20 game, replacing the injured Mitchell Santner, and just as he had in his first match, last year against the same opposition, he dismissed Rakheem Cornwall in the first over.

Andre Fletcher’s innings was dramatic but brief - he smashed Holder for six first

ball, but the Tridents captain trapped him LBW second and after eight balls the Zouks were 12/2.

Bishop bowled an impressive second over, beating both Leniko Boucher and Roston Chase and having Chase dropped at point. Holder showed faith in Walsh after his mauling at the hands of Kieron Pollard yesterday, and Walsh should have dismissed Boucher but Shai Hope missed a simple stumping.

Rashid Khan was as accurate as ever, and the Zouks reached the Powerplay at 35/ 2 .

Boucher was frenetic before Walsh bowled him with a quicker ball. Chase was able to free his arms and sweep Ashley Nurse for four, but Walsh was visibly growing in confidence and beat Chase in

the flight with a slower googly to bowl him. Nurse continued, Rashid again held back for the second part of the innings, and the Afghan pair went boundary-less. The Zouks reached halfway at 58/4.

Nabi for once failed, skying a flighted Walsh googly to the captain at long-off, and with him gone Rashid returned and troubled both Najibullah Zadran and captain Daren Sammy. Bishop’s return over was also accurate, and a frantic Sammy ran himself out to leave his team 65/6 in the 13th. Javelle Glen though started in style with a gigantic Hero Maximum that landed on the roof.

Najibullah late-cut Rashid with just enough pace to find the boundary, but the rest of the over went scoreless.

Nurse got a third over with

Monday August 31, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today you may feel bored and frustrated with your life's direction, Aries. You feel buried under responsibilities, with no time left to do what you really want to do.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Don't take everything at face value today, Libra. Information you receive might not be accurate. Someone could be repeating gossip or even creating it just to have something to talk about.

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GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You may be discouraged about money matters today, Gemini. Perhaps a raise you'd been hoping for didn't come through.

Perhaps a professional project didn't work out as you expected.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) If work is beginning to feel more like a burden than a joy, it may be time to rethink your job, Cancer. Your personality is such that you need lots of room to stretch and grow.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You're especially in tune with the environment and the people around you today, Leo. VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22) You're drawn to public service, Virgo. This desire propels you to volunteer your services with a group of some kind. You may feel a bit awkward at first, but your natural leadership abilities will soon kick in.

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AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) This could be a particularly stressful day, Aquarius. Your workload is heavier than ever, thanks to the increased responsibility you've taken on.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your self-confidence may be a bit low and you could doubt your abilities right now, Pisces. Don't get depressed or disheartened.

Your skills are excellent.

two left-handers at the crease and picked up Glen, albeit it was a full toss whipped straight to Walsh at deep midwicket.

Holder went to his seamers Nyeem Young and Raymon Reifer, and a restless Najibullah fell to the latter thanks to a good low catch

by Joshua Bishop at deep square leg. Reifer got a second thanks to Walsh expertly judging a mistimed Scott Kuggeleijn pull to juggle and hold near the rope.

Rashid was, predictably, too good for the tail and finished his spell with the wicket of his countryman Zahir Khan.

Young with a tight over of 0/3 was the only one of the Tridents bowlers not to take a wicket, and they hadn’t even needed all 20 overs.

Hope and Johnson Charles

started cautiously. The first aerial shot didn’t come until the 4th over, Charles almost holing out to mid-on, but a smattering of fours saw the Tridents score at a run a ball.

Hope fell LBW to a good ball from Williams, but the Tridents reached the Powerplay at a steady 34/1.

That became 37/2 when Zahir bowled Kyle Mayers with a beauty that turned from middle to take off-stump, the no.3 again struggling against wrist-spin. Williams and Zahir snuck through a few tight overs, and even Charles’ third boundary was a controlled leg glance. Williams wasn’t giving up, beating Holder’s waft to pick up a second LBW, but at the drinks break the Tridents were 48/3 and needed barely over four an over.

The Tridents though continued to bat nervously Chase and Glen, the latter bowling for the first time in senior T20 cricket, were tidy, and the leg-spinner Glen got his first wicket when Charles sliced to long-on where Williams took a good catch.

The Tridents suddenly found themselves 67/4 off 14, and Zahir, Nabi and Chase bowled tidily against a nervy Nurse and Corey Anderson. When Nabi beat Anderson in the flight and bowled him, the Tridents found themselves suddenly five down and needing over a run a ball. Sammy gave Glen the nod for the 19th, and Rashid fell clubbing the leg-spinner to Nabi, leaving Chase nine to defend off the last over.

Nurse fell to a good catch from Najibullah, but most importantly Chase started with three dot balls. Reifer missed a full toss and only managed three off two balls, leaving Young needing to hit his first ever ball in Hero CPL over the ropes to seal a win that seemed a formality at almost every stage. He couldn’t do it, and while the Zouks bowlers deserve huge credit, for the second day in a row the Tridents found themselves wondering how on earth they had lost.

Scores: St Lucia Zouks 92 all out (Najibullah 22, Boucher 18, Chase 14; Walsh Jr 3/19, Reifer 2/5, Nurse 1/ 15, Rashid 1/17, Bishop 1/ 17) beat Barbados Tridents 89/7 (Charles 39, Hope 14, Nurse 12, Anderson 11; Glen 2/11, Williams 2/12, Chase 1/ 14, Nabi 1/18, Zahir 1/21) beat by 3 runs.

Megan Tapper ...

From page 22 Edward clocked 20.69 but was beaten into second place by the USA’s Justin Robinson who clocked 20.67.

However, the outright winner was Josephus Lyles who stopped the clock in 20.32 to win the first of the two heats.

His time meant Edwards finished third overall.

Elaine ThompsonHerah, Julian ...

From page 25 provided good quality with 2019 World Champion Tahjay Gayle leaping to 8.04m to win the long jump. Meanwhile, World Championship silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts produced her second-best jump of the season, 14.37m, to win the Women’s Triple Jump.

World Championship silver medallist Fedrick Dacres won the discus with a best throw of 61.44m. Chad Wright (59.87m) was second.

PAGE 22

Monday August 31, 2020

Kaieteur News

Hamilton wins Belgian GP, now 2 behind Schumacher’s record

Hamilton says he feels “better than ever” at the age of 35 in his racing career as he leads the field. (Getty Images)

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain pours champagne and celebrates on the podium after winning the Formula One Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Spa, Belgium, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. (Lars Baron, Pool via AP) S P A FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) — Lewis Hamilton led from start to finish at the Belgian Grand Prix to clinch his 89th career win and move two behind Michael Schumacher’s Formula One record yesterday.

The world champion was untroubled from pole position, beating his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by eight seconds and finishing 15 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

It’s great for Hamilton, but he understands F1 fans might be getting a little bored. ‘’You generally know I don’t make too many mistakes. I can imagine it’s definitely not the most exciting (race),’’ Hamilton said. ‘’Of course I would love a wheelto-wheel race. I hope we have more of a race moving forward.’’

The only thing to elude

him was the extra point for the fastest lap, which he had until Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo took it on the final lap on his way to fourth place.

Hamilton’s fifth win from seven races also extended his championship lead over Verstappen to 47 points with Bottas drifting 50 back in third. Hamilton is favorite to win a seventh title to tie Schumacher’s record. ‘’I do feel that I’m driving at my best ... I am 35 going towards 36 but I feel better than ever,’’ Hamilton said. ‘’Last year was one of my best years, if not the best year, but in qualifying I had a bit of a slump. Every year the goal is to improve physically and mentally.’’

Bottas vowed, before this season and last, that he could take Hamilton’s crown.

Yet he’s won only one race.‘’It’s not over, there are 10 left. I had a puncture in

Silverstone, lost a lot of points with that,’’ Bottas said. ‘’If I gave up now, I’d rather stay home.’’

Schumacher won five of his F1 titles consecutively during a glorious era for Ferrari, but the proud Italian team is struggling badly now.

Sebastian Vettel finished 13th and Charles Leclerc 14th.

They are not anywhere close to Hamilton in terms of speed, let alone challenging him.Having secured a recordextending 93rd career pole, which he dedicated to American actor Chadwick Boseman, Hamilton made a clean start and Bottas was unable to exert pressure on the long straight up to Turn 2.Verstappen, meanwhile, would love a faster car to take the fight to Hamilton, but Red Bull has yet to bridge the gap with Mercedes. ‘’It was pretty boring to be honest, not much to do,’’

Megan Tapper closes year with seasonbest run at Drake Blue Oval Showcase

SportsMax - Megan Tapper clocked a season-best time in the 100m hurdles on Saturday at the Drake Blue Oval Showcase where Bahamian star Shaunae Miller-Uibo failed to finish the 200m won the USA’s Lynna Irby.

Tapper, running in the second of two heats, clocked 12.96 while finishing behind Tiffany Porter, who also had a season-best 12.90 to win the heat. Meanwhile, heat-one winner Payton Chadwick was third overall with her time of 12.97s.

The 26-year-old Jamaican was elated at the time.

“Finally! A race to call home about,” she posted on Instagram. “The last one was definitely the best one.”

Heading into the meet, many would have been looking forward to Miller-Uibo’s run in the 200m. Unbeaten over the 200m for the past two seasons, the towering Bahamian sprinter boasts season-best times of 10.98 and 21.98 over the 100m and 200m, respectively, set in Clermont in July.

However, any chance of her going faster was dashed when she failed to complete the second of two 200m heats. Winner of the heat, the USA’s Lynna Irby, crossed the line first

Megan Tapper

and was the overall winner in 22.52.

Her compatriot Kyra Jefferson, finished second in 22.69, a time good enough for second overall. Miller-Uibo’s compatriot, Tynia Gaither, finished third in the heat in 23.08, however, her time saw her finish fourth overall behind the USA’s Shakima Wimbley, who won the opening heat in 23.07.

In the men’s 200m Panama’s Alonso (Continued on page 19)

Verstappen said. ‘’It was not really enjoyable out there.’’

Early into the 44-lap race, Williams driver George Russell and Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi crashed heavily but were both unharmed.

A minute’s silence was held before the race in memory of French driver Anthoine Hubert, who died here last year following a horrific crash during an F2 race.

F1 driver Pierre Gasly, who was close friends with Hubert, and other drivers gathered solemnly around a picture of Hubert on the grid.

His racing helmet was placed on a stand.

Giovinazzi lost control of his car and Russell swerved into the barriers to avoid a loose tire from Giovinazzi’s car bouncing across the track.

Both climbed out unhurt, while other drivers crawled at snail-like pace slowly over the debris on their way into the pits for new tires while the safety car was deployed. ‘’Feeling unlucky and lucky right now,’’ Russell said. ‘’Gutted, as we were having a great race, but really glad we have the halo on these cars now or it could have been much worse.’’

Ferrari’s mechanics were not even ready to fit tires onto Leclerc’s car.Inefficiency from Ferrari, and muddled messages too. ‘’Why do we need to keep doing these stops?’’ Leclerc asked after being asked to pit again.‘’We’ll let you know after the race,’’ his engineer replied evasively.

Vettel is a four-time champion but has not even fin-

ished in the top five this season - and has been 10th or lower in four races - heading into next weekend’s race at Italy’s famed Monza circuit.

Influential Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport ran a scathing headline on the team’s ongoing shortcomings, saying: ‘’Ferrari deserves no fans at Monza’’ in reference to the fact no spectators have been allowed at races because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Last year, 90,000 fans turned up each day to the Spa-Francorchamps track in the Ardennes forest, with the area turned into makeshift campsites and stands jampacked with raucous fans.

When Hamilton crossed the line, the forest was eerily silent and the only sound was his engine.

Peerless Pooran pummels Patriots From page 21 went for 11.Emrit called for Tanvir, but Pooran launched him over his head for a Hero Maximum to bring up the first hundred partnership by any team in Hero CPL 2020 and followed up with a fierce pull for four to leave the Amazon Warriors needing 16 off the last 18 balls.

Fittingly, Pooran sealed victory with 15 balls to spare and reached his century by hammering three sixes in a row off Sodhi.

The Patriots’ batting showed promise, but it looks a struggle now for them to make the semi-finals.

Following a break today matches return to the Brian Lara Academy ground for the next three days, Tuesday through Thursday, with the Guyana Amazon Warriors in action on all three days in back to back competition as they look to continue winning ways and advance to the grand finale and win the tournament this year.

Fixtures: Tue 01 September 2020 Match 21 Jamaica Tallawahs v Trinbago Knight Riders Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad 10:00am Tue 01 September 2020 Match 22 Guyana Amazon Warriors v Barbados Tridents - Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad 05:30pm Wed 02 September 2020match 23 Trinbago Knight Riders v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad 10:00am Wed 02 September 2020 Match 24 St Lucia Zouks v Guyana Amazon Warriors - Brian Lara Points Table TEAM TKR 6 ZOUKS GAW JT 6 BT 7 STKNP

M 6 7 3 2 7

W 0 5 73 3 5 1

Cricket Academy, Trinidad 05:30pm Thu 03 September 2020 Match 25 Jamaica Tallawahs V St Kitts & Nevis Patriots - Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad 10:00am Thu 03 September 2020 Match 26 Barbados Tridents v Guyana Amazon Warriors Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad 05:30pm Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 153/3 (Pooran 100*, Taylor 25*, King 14; Jaggesar 2/33, Joseph 1/24) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 150/5 (da Silva 59, Ramdin 37*, Dunk 19; Green 2/31, Sinclair 1/9, Shepherd 1/13) by 7 wickets.

L 12 2 4 6 4 6

PT 0.64 10 6 0.015 0.026 2

NRR 0.488 0.077 -1.014

Monday August 31, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Peerless Pooran pummels Patriots CPL - Nicholas Pooran smashed the first hundred of Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2020, the third fastest in the tournament’s history at just 45 balls, and the first of his T20 career, to rescue the Guyana Amazon Warriors from another shaky start with the bat and make a mockery of what looked like a competitive St Kitts & Nevis Patriots total. ‘Smashed’ belies the class and timing with which Pooran struck the ball to all parts of the Queen’s Park Oval.

Amazon Warriors’ captain Chris Green won the toss and chose to field, and bowled Kieran Powell sixth ball of the match. Kevin Sinclair got the second over on his senior T20 debut and went for just a single.

While Evin Lewis took Green for 10 off two balls, he chopped on to become Sinclair’s first career T20 wicket.

Ben Dunk started with an edged four off Green, and Joshua da Silva was busy at the crease. But three singles were all the two could manage as Sinclair bowled a third in a row, and after the Powerplay the Patriots were 33/2.

Imran Tahir nearly had Da Silva stumped, but a swept four by Dunk saw the over go for 8. Sinclair bowled out in one go, and with 17 dots and no boundaries it was a fine first T20 spell. Tahir’s second went for just three, and Dunk lost patience against Green and was bowled to leave the Patriots 51/3 at

the drinks break.

Ashmead Nedd came on, and off the 25th ball he had faced Da Silva finally found the boundary. Da Silva found the fence off Nedd again, and when Keemo Paul came on to break a run of 13 straight overs of spin the Patriots were 69/3.

Da Silva attacked Paul, hitting his first two career T20 sixes, the first a loft over the bowler’s head and the second a pull into the stands. He continued to hit powerfully down the ground, although Nedd dropped a sharp caught-and-bowled chance, and Ramdin joined in with a Hero Maximum over midwicket.

Da Silva drove Tahir, who for once went wicketless, over cover, and off Naveen’s first ball brought up his first T20 half-century off 42 balls. He used Naveen’s pace to close the 17th over with back to back fours, and with three overs left the Patriots had moved to 118/3.

Romario Shepherd though broke the stand, bowling the impressive Da Silva with an excellent yorker.

Ramdin improvised to hit Paul for six, but Sohail Tanvir was caught napping and Paul ran him out. Shepherd started and ended the 20th with good yorkers, but in between Nedd didn’t even get a hand on a swirling Ramdin top edge and the Patriots keeper smashed a Hero Maximum to get the Patriots to their highest score of Hero CPL 2020.

Brandon King edged an Alzarri Joseph yorker past the stumps for

Joshua Da Silva made his first T20 half-century, Nicholas Pooran frees his arms, Guyana Guyana Amazon Warriors v St Kitts and Nevis Amazon Warriors v St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Patriots, Port-of-Spain, CPL 2020, August 30, Port-of-Spain, CPL 2020, August 30, 2020 © 2020 © Randy Brooks - CPL T20 / Getty Randy Brooks - CPL T20 / Getty four, but was fully in control of a cover drive in the same over. King’s latest opening partner, Sinclair, was scratchy; he was dropped off by Tanvir off his own bowling and was lucky to survive a maiden from Imran Khan, That put pressure on King who skied a Joseph bouncer to give Ramdin a simple catch.

Sinclair’s dismissal followed soon after, chipping softly back to the bowler Jon-Russ Jaggesar, who followed up with the wicket of Shimron Hetmyer who top-edged a cut to Ramdin. After the Powerplay,

the Amazon Warriors were 26/3 and in need of a partnership between Pooran and Taylor. They got one, and how.

Pooran hit two Hero Maximums over Jaggesar’s head and Taylor pulled a third hard and flat off Emrit, but at halfway the Amazon Warriors still needed over nine an over.

Pooran sensed the urgency, hammering Imran for four then six over the off-side and closing with an enormous six over midwicket to take 18 off the 11th.

Pooran didn’t relent, dismissing

Jaggesar over long-off and slicing Joseph behind square to bring up 50 off just 25 balls. Another four made it 12 off the over, and the Amazon Warriors had surged to 99/3 off 13 and the rate had fallen to under seven-and-a-half.

Ish Sodhi did well to only go for six off his first over, including two byes, and Emrit also went boundary-less. But Pooran made the equation far easier with a slog-sweep clean over the fence, his sixth Hero Maximum, as Sodhi’s second over (Continued on page 20)

Djokovic rallies past Raonic to win US Open tuneup title

World number one Novak Djokovic celebrates after defeating Milos Raonic in Saturday’s final of the ATP Western & Southern Open.

AFP - Top-ranked Novak Djokovic rallied to defeat Canada’s Milos Raonic 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in Saturday’s ATP Western & Southern Open final, remaining unbeaten this year only two days before his first US Open match.

The 33-year-old Serbian star won his 80th career title, improving to 23-0 in 2020 and 11-0 all-time against Raonic, while capturing his 35th ATP Masters Series crown, matching Rafael Nadal’s all-time

record.

“It was not easy, definitely, especially the last three, four days,” Djokovic said. “Has been challenging mentally and emotionally for me to stay sane and be able to compete on the highest level and win this title.”

Djokovic credited physiotherapy for getting him able to play after a grueling three-hour marathon semifinal victory Friday over Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.

“Was a bit slow at the beginning, but I thought I did well, considering the form that Milos is in,” Djokovic said. “He’s serving rockets on the court and it’s really hard to return.

“You need all the freshness mentally and all the focus you can possibly have. So I did struggle with that, I must say.”

Djokovic launches his quest for a fourth US Open title and 18th career Grand Slam crown against Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 107thranked Damir Dzumhur on Monday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka won the WTA title by walkover when Japan’s Naomi Osaka withdrew from the final with a left hamstring injury.

“It’s not the way we wanted it,” said Azarenka. “It’s not easy times in the world right now but we’re here and we’re trying to do our best.”

The US Open tuneup event, usually played in Cincinnati, was moved to New York due to the COVID-19 pandemic and played inside the same quarantine bubble at the National Tennis Center where

the US Open will be staged.

Djokovic has also had to deal with a leadership role in a group trying to develop a players union.

“It was not the most ideal situation for me, to be competing in the last four of a big tournament and have to deal with a lot of stuff off the court, but those were the circumstances. I accepted them,” Djokovic said.“I was fortunate to get the title, but it’s a great lesson learned.”

The victory gives Djokovic a double career sweep of all nine ATP Masters Series titles while Raonic has gone winless in 63 Masters Series starts.

“He does what Novak does. He puts in a few more balls. He makes things a little more difficult,” Raonic said. “First few moments there I was stepping up, but there were a few lapses that I had, and he made the most of it.”Raonic broke to lead the third set 2-0 when Djokovic sent a forehand long, but Djokovic broke back at love, Raonic netting a backhand on the final point, and broke again in the fifth game, seizing a 3-2 edge when the Canadian netted a

forehand.

Djokovic held serve from there to claim the crown after two hours when Raonic netted a forehand.

Raonic, who dropped his serve only twice this week before the final, rolled through the first set in 30 minutes. Djokovic made the most of his first break chance in the sixth game of the second set and then held twice to force a third set.

- Azarenka revitalized Azarenka took her biggest victory since the 2016 Miami Open and her first since a break to become a mother.

“It has been a long time since I felt like I wanted to play and go after every point and I’m very thankful for that,” Azarenka said.

“I’ve been going through a lot of personal things. I wanted to give myself an opportunity to try.

I worked really hard. I’m glad it’s paying off.”

The 31-year-old Belrussian captured the 2012 and 2013 Australian Opens and lost the same years in the US Open final.

PAGE 24

Monday August 31, 2020

Kaieteur News

Masterful Morgan leads England Messi contract is valid, says La Liga, after he fails to attend medical to victory in record chase v Pakistan England’s Eoin Morgan in action in the Second T20 International against Pakistan.

(Mike Hewitt/ Pool via REUTERS)

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Captain Eoin Morgan belted a blistering halfcentury as England chased down a record target at Old Trafford to beat Pakistan by five wickets in the second Twenty20 international yesterday.

Pakistan posted 195 for four in their 20 overs on a flat wicket, but the home side completed their victory with five balls to spare and a take 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Morgan blasted 66 from 33 balls to secure the win in what is the highest chase in any form of 20-over cricket at Old Trafford.

Jonny Bairstow (44 from 24 balls) and Tom Banton (20 from 16 balls) got their side

off to a fast start with an opening stand of 66 in 38 deliveries, but when they fell in consecutive balls to spinner Shadab Khan (3-34), the home side appeared to wobble.

But Morgan and Dawid Malan (54 not out in 36 balls) led the counter-attack and accelerated as their third-wicket partnership grew, finishing with 112 in 62 balls before the skipper was caught in the deep with the side still needing 18 runs to win.

Pakistan also got their runs at the top of the order as opener Babar Azam smashed 56 from 44 balls in an opening stand of 72 with Fakhar Zaman (36 from 22 balls).

Number three Mohammad Hafeez carried on that momen-

tum with a blistering assault on the home bowlers, who struggled to find the right length and too often dropped too short, exposing the square boundaries.

Hafeez struck four sixes in his 69 from 36 balls before offering a simple catch to Morgan at cover.

The pick of the England bowlers was leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who recorded figures of 2-32 as he picked up the wickets of both openers.

The third and final match in the series will be at the same venue tomorrow. The first match was abandoned due to rain.Scores: England 199 for 5 (Morgan 66, Malan 54*) beat Pakistan 195 for 4 (Hafeez 69, Azam 56) by five wickets.

BARCELONA (Reuters) La Liga yesterday released a statement saying Lionel Messi’s Barcelona contract was still valid, days after his shock announcement that he wants to leave the club and hours after he failed to attend a pre-season medical.

Messi’s failure to show for his medical underlined the 33-year-old’s determination to leave the club he has been with throughout his career.

The six-times world player of the year insists he has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave on a free transfer — a claim disputed

by Barcelona and now by La Liga.The ruling body said the only way a club can sign the Argentine forward is if he triggers a release clause of 700million euros ($833 million).

“In compliance with the applicable rule, La Liga will not approve a request to be de-registered as a player with the Spanish football federation, unless the amount in the release clause has been paid,” La Liga said.Reuters footage showed players arriving for coronavirus tests yesterday morning and Messi did not appear. He had been due at Barcelona’s training ground at 10.15am local time but a club source confirmed to Reuters he had not arrived.

La Liga’s stance is a blow to Messi’s hopes of a quick departure and to those clubs wishing to sign him.

Premier League Manches-

A woman takes a selfie with a mural of Lionel Messi dressed as Che Guevara as FC Barcelona’s squad arrive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test, ahead of the resumption of training on August 31, in Barcelona, Spain August 30, 2020. (REUTERS/Nacho Doce)

ter City are the favourites which would allow Messi to link up with his former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola but even the Abu Dhabi-owned club might find a 700 million-euro fee, plus Messi’s huge salary, a dealbreaker.Messi, who has won more than 30 major trophies with the Spanish club and scored more than 600 goals, earns around one million euros per week.He informed Barca on Tuesday he wished to leave immediately, plunging the club into new turmoil less than two weeks after their humiliating 8-2 Champions League quarter-final defeat by Bayern Munich.

Messi’s lawyers plan to invoke a clause in his fouryear contract, signed in 2017, which would have allowed the forward to leave the club for free if he had requested it

by June 10.They will argue

that that date — nominally the end of the season — is now irrelevant after the coronavirus pandemic forced an extension of the La Liga season deep into August.Messi’s adoring fans at Barcelona were split over his apparent determination to force a move.“A captain cannot abandon ship if it is sinking, but there isn’t much time left until the end of his career and he has the right to choose what he wants,” Eva Domingo, 39, said as she took a photo of graffiti depicting Messi as Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara pulling along a suitcase saying Manchester.

“I think he should sit down and talk if he wants to go, he should pay 700 million, and if not, then one more year here,” said Pablo Garcia, wearing an FC Barcelona face mask.

Cold-blooded Alaphilippe does it again on the Tour de France NICE, France (Reuters) A year after capturing French hearts, Julian Alaphilippe claimed the Tour de France yellow jersey again when he kept his composure to win the second stage yesterday.

Alaphilippe, who last year wore the coveted jersey for 14 days, prevailed in a three-man sprint ahead of Swiss Marc Hirschi and Briton Adam Yates.

Dark horse Dani Martinez, winner of the Criterium du Dauphine, lost three minutes 38 seconds after cracking in the last climb of the day shortly after crashing in a descent.

He could not sustain the sudden change of pace when Alaphilippe broke clear in the short ascent to the Col des Quatre Chemins before being joined by Hirschi, and further up the road by Yates.

“I wanted to try something. It was like a one-day race and it suits my profile,” Alaphilippe said.

“It’s a big emotion because I’ve won on the Tour. I haven’t won (a race) since the

start of the season. It’s great to make it. It was tough but I’m super happy to have won.”

The trio opened a 20-second gap but with the peloton closing in rapidly, Alaphilippe launched his triumphant sprint in front of a handful of fans as Nice is on red alert amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The Deceuninck Quick Step rider pointed his finger to the sky before collapsing in tears after the line, dedicating his win to his father, who died two months ago.

Last year, Alaphilippe took the yellow jersey for the first time after the third stage. While he relinquished it on stage six, i t w a s back in his possession following stage eight and unexpectedly he held on to it till stage 19, surrendering it only two days before the finish in Paris.

“You have to respect the yellow jersey so of course I’m going to defend it again,” said Alaphilippe.

Thibaut Pinot, tipped as the rider most likely to end France’s 35-year wait for a home-grown winner, said he was worried by a back problem after a crash on Saturday, but he had a quiet day in the bunch.

His key lieutenant David Gaudu, suffering from a lower back injury, looked to be on the verge of abandoning the race after being dropped on the flat in the first kilometres but the Frenchman grinded on and rejoined the peloton before the first climb of the day to the Col de la Colmiane (176.3 km at 6.3%).

Another pre-race favourite, Tom Dumoulin, hit the ground on the last climb after touching Michal Kwiatkowski’s rear wheel but the Dutchman appeared unhurt.

Overnight yellow jersey holder Alexander Kristoff lost touch with the peloton five kilometres from the top of the Col de Turini, a 14.9-km climb at an average gradient of 7.4%, way before the action started.

Deceuninck-Quick Step rider Julian Alaphilippe of France wins the Tour de France - Stage 2 ahead of Team Sunweb rider Marc Hirschi of Switzerland from Nice Haut Pays to Nice - France. (Pool via REUTERS/Sebastien Nogier)

Kaieteur News

Monday August 31, 2020

PAGE 25

Minister Ramson meets Region 10 athletes, tour facility

S

p o r t Minister Charles Ramson Jr. recently journeyed to Region 10 where he conducted a visit to the synthetic t r a c k u n d e r construction and met with athletes of the Mining Town.

During the visit, Minister Ramson Jr. held discussions with the project contractor and consultant on the way forward for the

project.

Wo r k s o n l y recently resumed after months of delay and allegations of theft of materials from the location.

The visit was intended to properly evaluate the ongoing works and determine what is required to bring the project to completion.

The completed facility will boast an eight-lane synthetic

track, a football pitch, security fencing, drainage and restroom among other features.

Construction had also commenced on a similar facility in Berbice.

G u y a n a ’s f i r s t synthetic track and field facility was constructed at Leonora, West Coast Demerara, and is considered the premier venue for local and regional meets.

Elaine Thompson-Herah, Julian Forte, among the winners at Velocity Fest 7 SportsMax - Elaine Thompson-Herah and Julian Forte were among the winners Saturday at the Velocity Fest 7 meeting at the National Stadium in Kingston.

The meets that have provided athletes with an outlet for competition after months of uncertainty have produced a number of worldclass performances including world-leading times over the past few weeks.

However, while there were no world leads on Saturday, the quality of the competition was still quite good.

Thompson won the 200m in a smart 22.79 seconds, more than a second clear of Bahamas’ Anthonique Strachan, who stopped the clock in 23.87. Srabani Nanda was third in 24.06.

Rusheen McDonald, who holds Jamaica’s national 400m record at 43.93, won the 200m in 21.48, getting the better of Trinidad and To b a g o ’s E m m a n u e l Callender (21.88) and Glenmore Biggs (25.37).

Julian Forte has been enjoying a welcome return to form after overcoming injuries that have stunted his progress over the past two years. He enjoyed another win on Saturday, edging 2011 World Champion Yohan Blake, to win the 100m in 10.20s. Blake was also given 10.20s in the race that was run into a stiff headwind of 1.3m/s.

Nigel Ellis was third in 10.45.

The field events also (Continued on page 19)

Elaine Thompson-Herah

Minister Charles Ramson Jr. (center) recently visited region 10’s athletics facility that is currently under construction and met with some of the athletes of the region.

Peerless Pooran rt pummels Patriots o p S Nicholas Pooran bludgeoned the first hundred of Hero CPL 2020 off just 45 balls to lead the Warriors to victory. (CPL)

Kevin Sinclair celebrates his maiden T20 wicket, Guyana Amazon Warriors v St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Port-of-Spain, CPL 2020, August 30, 2020 Š Randy Brooks - CPL T20 / Getty

The St Lucia Zouks players celebrate as they smashed the record for the lowest total ever defended in Hero Caribbean Premier League. (CPL)

Zouks shellshock Tridents to make history Hamilton wins Belgian GP, now 2 behind Schumacher’s record p.20

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