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ExxonMobil to put in five FPSOs in 5 years - IMF says such production ramp-up “unprecedented”

FIVE DEAD IN SMASH-UP - Pregnant Medex, Nurse

Anaesthetist among casualties

Dead: Driver of the minibus Seechan Lall Chandilall

Dead: Alana Vaughan

Dead: Keon Sealy

What remains of the bus and lorry involved in the accident

Trump impeached in historic vote by sharply divided House

Cop shoots man Bureau of Standards US$6.4B Liza II field to monitor oil who called him measurements under development plan- Energy Dept. “fully dunce” guidance of 38-yr-old law essentially complete

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Kaieteur News

Thursday December 19, 2019

Thursday December 19, 2019

Kaieteur News

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2600 receive awards at Police Force's annual prize-giving ceremony - Sgt. Gladwin Hanover is 'Best Cop' for 2019

This year's best cop, Sergeant Gladwin Hanover, receiving his prize

Commissioner Leslie James (sitting second from right) and Force top brass with some of the awardees

Y

esterday the Guyana Police F o r c e recognized some 2600 ranks, including those from community policing groups, rural constables and members of the Joint Services. This was the first prize giving ceremony that went beyond the Force.

Commissioner Leslie James stated that the awardees continued to perform exceedingly well over the years in keeping with the force's mandate.

It was highlighted by the Top Cop that in serious crimes across the Police Regional Divisions there has been a decrease of 1.3% which was described as “a form of progression”. “They have managed to capture culprits and cease numerous malicious crimes that were planned to be executed.”

“The recent divisional alignment is now taking shape and it is expected to see changes in the overall management of our resources, human and

otherwise, our strategic implementation to tackle crime and other lawlessness,” the Commissioner told those gathered.

He further spoke about the current traffic laws, which he opined are sufficient enough to deter drivers.

“On several occasions, the Guyana Police Force has received complaints about policemen stopping persons on the roadways, telling them of the manner in which they drive,

Bureau of Standards to monitor oil measurements under guidance of 38-year-old law

T

he Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) will be the main agency tasked with ensuring the accurate measurement of Guyana's oil from the Stabroek Block. It will be tasked with handling, in particular, issues related to calibration and instrumentation.

But GNBS is without any updated laws or guidelines that specifically address measurement issues for the petroleum sector. In fact, the Weights and Measures Act which it uses is 38 years old.

This legislation speaks nothing of how Guyana should go about monitoring measurements of oil and gas.

In fact, Guyana is without any piece of legislation or regulation for such. In other countries such

a s U g a n d a , N o r w a y, Trinidad and Tobago, and the USA, there are strict laws, regulations and guidelines for offshore oil metering which, for example, outline penalties for bypassing metering systems, and outline how investigations would be carried out for any irregularities detected.

In the meantime, Kaieteur News understands that the Energy Department is working with this agency to ensure it secures the requisite technical assistance for training on oversight of the oil measurement process, effective calibration and testing functions.

According to Energy Department Director, Dr. Mark Bynoe, GNBS is receiving assistance from the American Petroleum Institute (API).

Headquartered in Washington D.C, API is said to be a world-renowned organization on such issues, and is the largest trade association for the oil and gas industry in the USA. It claims to represent around 400 corporations engaged in oil production, extraction (including hydro-fracking), distribution, and other aspects of the industry.

Dr. Bynoe had said, too, that it is the desire of the government to pursue a third party verifier to preserve the integrity of the systems being used as well as to reduce potential value leakage. Dr. Bynoe added that this watchdog would be crucial in the event there is an issue whether with quality or quantity of the oil, Guyana would have its own evidence to challenge the operators.

but it is their job, and they will continue to do so. “On behalf of the force, we will continue with our forward thrust and to engage in social prevention changes.”

Meanwhile, 'Best Cop' for 2019 was awarded to Sergeant Gladwin Hanover.

The 33-year-old, with six years of service, received three awards from the

Roraima Group of Companies.

It was noted that Sgt. Hanover has not only contributed to Guyana through his policing duties, but he also heads the Zara Computer School at the Police Training Centre where he trained approximately 2700 civilians, mostly youths, in Personal Computer repairs and maintenance, and where they gained a recognized certificate.

Sergeant Hanover has also taken over the training of recruits at the Richard Faikal College on the Essequibo Coast.

In his remarks, the top

awardee said that he looks forward to further evaluate within the Force and encouraged his colleagues to continue working to show d e d i c a t i o n a n d determination as they execute their duties.

Present at the ceremony were the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Deputy Commissioners, ranks of the G P F , r e t i r e d Commissioners, retired officers and special invitees.

In all yesterday, a total of $21.3M in prizes were distributed to the ranks.

Awards given were both i n c e n t i v e s a n d commendation.

Kaieteur News

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Thursday December 19, 2019

Kaieteur News

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Bus parks and an embankment It is any port for a storm, as the old saying goes. There is a serious limitation when that is contemplated, for there are few very few - ports in Georgetown that offers the ease of a welcoming, much needed harbour that rescues from the daily traffic storms and turbulences. To their credit, the planners and thinkers at the Guyana Police Force scouted around and extracted just such a port out of seemingly nothing: the Lamaha Street railway embankment as space for a bus park.

But is it right for what is involved, and could it work?

This is not even a question of what is most appropriate, since that is sure to encounter one handicap after another and, the environment be surveyed, the options are few to nonexistent.

Or does this simply lateral the problem from one tight space in the city (Stabroek) to another (Kingston/Cummingsburg)?

For starters, the former railway embankment represents that scarcest of commodities in the capital city - an open plot of land, long enough and opportunistic enough, to stir thoughts of an area of relief from the heavily congested and sharply contested spaces around the Stabroek square. Without much more accurately, no detail - to work with, this appears to have some pluses and its share of negatives.

The first plus, to express the obvious, is that the terminals around the market get some degree of ease. That sprawling area of riverfront, fire station, speedboats, small business vendors, a liquor establishment of some legend, and unending throngs of commuters and shoppers should (should) experience a slight decline in foot traffic, and some noticeable drop in vehicular presence, especially buses.

The East Coast and Berbice bus parks make sense to consider moving, since the more central hub of the railway embankment can be the ending and starting points for those travelers, and from which to proceed along the different spokes to various parts of Georgetown for business and the host of other matters requiring attention.

The same could be envisioned for those buses that ply the intra Georgetown city routes, such as Kitty and Campbellville while, on the other hand, it may not be the most constructive thinking to move the Timehri, Linden, and East Bank, West Demerara buses away from around Stabroek.

Now, while the Stabroek area is largely uninhabited by residences, and is in a quasi-commercial zone, the immediate northern and southern surroundings of the railway embankment is more of homes and less of anything else. In fact, there are four hospitals, with their own traffic flows of vehicles and people, within a stone throw, which only compound what has to stand as a negative. Thus, the essence of the question and concern is this: is an already very tight situation transferred to a point that may be unable to accommodate it?

In addition, around Stabroek, there are the following entry and exit points: Avenue of the Republic, Hadfield Street, and Croal Street to name a couple. To and from the embankment, there is Lamaha Street and Camp Street, both of which are screamingly overpopulated at most hours. Those two streets identified can become nightmarish in the extended bottlenecks and tensions created.

Further, there are several huge public schools (private ones, too), with several thousands of children, who are never among the most disciplined of pedestrians, that could add to a serious, perhaps untenable, scenario. In sum, there is an existing crowd and very crowded thoroughfare in existence in an extremely limited area of operation.

To heap additional layers of people and vehicles in that small space could snarl it into unending, if not insoluble, knots. Still further, there is a culture at work in this country that should neither be ignored nor dismissed. It is that wherever those buses go, the platoons of touts and vendors are sure to follow, which place the implications of their aggregate presence in the centre of the table.

Does the tighter neighbourhood of the railway embankment provide the cover and opportunity for other criminal operators to target residences and schoolchildren with unwanted attention and goods? Additional scarce police resources would have to be deployed. The GPF stated that bridges would be built, some different ones must be built with the communities living around there.

Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.

We cannot continue to squander our human resource DEAR EDITOR, There has been a lot of debate surrounding the recent spate of vehicular accidents in Guyana.

The arguments and suggestions ranged from more speed bumps, importing big buses and increasing fines to charging drivers with vehicular homicide, putting more policemen on the road and importing only new minibuses.

However, do we as a country want band-aid, quick fixes or are we searching for solutions that would revamp our transportation system

and result in changed behaviours and a rewiring of the psyche of drivers and all road users.

I believe that with the revocation of their licenses with reasonable discretion based on the circumstances of the incident, persons who take to the wheel will be more circumspect and would practice the five ‘Cs’ without having to be compelled by a speed-bump or a traffic police.

We a l l k n o w w h a t happens when these drivers pass the police and the speed hump. A driver will be more willing to adhere to road

rules if he knows he is likely to lose his licence due to an accident caused by him.

A large percentage of minibus drivers have no other source of income and therefore a revocation of their licences would become a bread-and-butter issue that would force them into compliance. Others would comply simply to retain their right to drive.

Another issue of concern is the tinted vehicles that the police would target during their sporadic campaigns.

Can we not regulate the tint shops by requiring them to see a tint permit before they

apply tint to someone’s vehicle? They will comply once they know the police can come after them.

I think it would make for less time spent by the police pursuing tinted vehicles and other traffic violators. In other parts of the world, drivers are greeted with their violations when they try to renew their licence, insurance and access other services.

We cannot as a country, continue to squander our human resource in this manner.

Very perturbed road user Danielle Campbell-Lowe

What else matters in life?

DEAR EDITOR, Mosa Telford’s article, ‘A culture of begging’ in another newspaper caught my eye.

The author, endowed with compassion and selfawareness, while judging Guyanese to be possessed of a culture of begging which fuels a condition of living above our means, tried to reconcile those attitudes with the desperate need to survive.

So, which is it? Are Guyanese beggars? Wanton materialists and spend thrifts? Or could we just be poor people who cannot afford the cost of living, hence the need for a supplement since remuneration is inadequate?

I agree with the author that the old woman begging on the street is not much different from the rest of us who must seek assistance from friends and relatives.

Guyanese are coping with poverty in various ways.

Some will justify stealing, some will justify prostitution, some will justify corruption and bribery, some will beg on the streets while some will find the help from the dual citizens overseas to be a great ease.

The combination of p o v e r t y, i n a d e q u a t e education and poor mental health is a lethal one. Poor mental health and inadequate education usually go hand in hand, rendering the weakest the most vulnerable.

It has been my experience in Guyana that the Government of Guyana, under any administration, fails to offer any real support to the most vulnerable.

We have a tradition of

successive Governments misusing the resources of state to enrich themselves and further the interests of their political parties. With the focus of national leadership being selfinterested, there is no systematic effort directed at improving the living conditions of the poor and vulnerable.

W h e r e i s t h e Government Official who had a solution for the homeless man who found himself sleeping on the street with his netting? That Government Official does not exist, and herein lies the giant-sized policy gap that dual-citizens and extended family are filling with their remittances and other forms of support respectively.

Some, like Octogenarian Fitzherbert Grimes, pay dearly for our acts of generosity.

Where is the politician who would pass an old woman begging and go back and inquire of her circumstances? We are a small country of less than a million.

Only a small fraction of our small population is destitute. Support from the Government that can make a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable is only a matter of political will.

Politicians will not change their approach to governance.

Guyanese must therefore demand that our politicians put their focus on the wellbeing of our citizens. We deserve to thrive in our homeland, not just barely survive.

We need to hear concrete strategies that are to be implemented fairly and

transparently for helping the poor and vulnerable because this is the heart of most of our interconnected social problems. Government of Guyana is still operating like a colonial administration - it is very good at persecuting offenders, but we need significant improvements when it comes to preventing offences, supporting families and the needy and breaking the cycle of poverty.

Of a certainty though is that the culture of ‘remittances and barrels’ reflect the love that Guyanese have for each other and the strength of the Guyanese family units. A barrel usually consists of 100% love.

All the Guyanese dual citizens, year after year, who are supporting Guyanese at home, are closer to a true

reflection of who we are as people.

All of us locally, those of us who stop and lend a hand, offer a dollar to family and friends and beggars, pay our zakat, and offer food and a little shelter to the homeless – we are the true heroes of this land. It will be a great day in this land when the politicians can come into alignment with the true generous Spirit of our nation.

When we look upon the shopping going on at this Christmas Time, perhaps we can also see the extra bit of love that family overseas sent via MoneyGram and We s t e r n U n i o n , t h e Christmas Gift, to put a smile on the faces of their loved ones. What else matters in life?

Sincerely, Sandra Khan

Big TATA model buses needed DEAR EDITOR, Allow me to express my heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones in yesterday’s gruesome accident. These persons are ordinary people who use buses to go to work or home.

They have no other option than to use these buses. They would have held their breath every day in those minibuses until at last those same buses took their breath away.

We know, how unruly the bus drivers and conductors behave when passengers ask them to lower the music or reduce speed.

I want to appeal to the authorities to introduce 45 seats buses so that this road

carnage will come to end.

That is only solution for to put an end to these killing machine minibuses. Besides, let these big buses commute with scheduled time and stop only in bus stations. An immediate introduction of big buses with time and bus station is needed to resolve road fatalities.

Let us put an end to the minibuses which have killed enough people thus far. If government cannot afford these buses, at least allow the private companies to import these big buses so that our people can be safe and alive. I have written letters to the editor on this subject before but no action, I beg let this letter not go in vain.

Kevin Ram

Thursday December 19, 2019

No bonus for the NDC workers this Christmas DEAR EDITOR, Yesterday, I was informed that none of the workers at the NDCs across the country will be receiving bonuses this Christmas. Letters were sent in the traditional way to the Local Government Commission (LGC) by the NDCs, stating the amount of monies intended and seeking permission from the LGC to disburse as bonuses to the workers - a common practice for all the years gone by.

Lo and Behold!

Correspondence were received from the LGC that no bonuses should be paid to workers but rather these funds requested should be used to provide services to the residents. This is after continuing in the tradition of approving bonuses to the NDC workers from 2015 to 2018.

This year, with elections

less than three months away, the Coalition, through the LGC, has decided to take away this little fruit (bonus) that the workers have become so accustomed to at Christmas time. How does that resonate to the “good life” promised by the Coalition? You have to cringe at this deranged logic. No wonder the opposition leader said that the most valuable election campaigner for the PPP is the Coalition Government and the president. Why would the Government “shoot itself in the foot” by taking away a few crumbs (bonuses) from these lowly paid workers with elections three months away?

How should these workers and their families respond to the campaign for the re-election of President Granger and the Coalition?

Rudolph Singh

A step in the right direction DEAR EDITOR, The decision by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to verify the 20,000 names of new registrants emanating from the House-to-House registration is a positive step.

This will certainly help in terms of voter confidence and the credibility and integrity of the electoral process.

It is now for the GECOM Secretariat to put in place the necessary mechanisms to ensure that the field verification exercise is completed within the timeframe allocated.

Elections must not only be free and fair but must be seen to be free and fair. It is

the responsibility and duty of GECOM to ensure that there is free, fair and transparent elections in Guyana. This most recent decision by GECOM is a step in that direction.

Hydar Ally

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Kaieteur News

We must benefit from foresight and not only hindsight DEAR EDITOR, The recent flooding that occurred in Region # 2 and # 3 is certainly cause for all residents to be concerned, and while I am not in a position to pronounce the cause, effect and cure or remedy for what occurred in Region # 3, I am in a position to say that the grave situation in Region # 2 was in no small way man made.

The two first paragraphs of a newspaper report of Friday 13-12-2019 with headline ‘C.D.C. on standby as floods hit Region Two and Three tells it all. There was

gross negligence on the part of the Regional Administration.

I was a Regional Democratic Councillor for seven consecutive years and further to being an R.D.C. Councillor, I served as a member of the Works and Agriculture Committees for almost all of those years. The Drainage and Irrigation System falls directly under the Works and Agriculture Committee a Statutory Committee of the R.D.C. and is chaired by no less a person than the Regional Vice Chairman, and the D & I Engineer reports directly to that Committee which in turn have the R.D.C. ratify or

The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution DEAR EDITOR, The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution calling on Iran to end its ongoing human rights violations against the Bahai’s community of Iran.

The General Assembly voiced its call by approving the final resolution at the plenary, which passed with a vote of 81 to 30, with 70 abstentions. The draft (Continued on page 6)

approve all decisions made by that Committee.

To hear that no fuel was at the pumping station until after 09:00 hrs the Thursday morning and the pump attendant on that fateful day reported late for duty, is both unbelievable and unacceptable, any part of the world except in Guyana and these thing has being going on for decades, but only in the Public Sector. I worked in the Private Sector in various capacity or to be more precise B K International at Tiperu Quarry, Region Seven in the Mazaruni River, for years and nothing close to what was said to be responsible in no small way for the extensive flooding in the cultivated areas and elsewhere would never happen.

This Region has several Committees, the Agriculture, the D & I Committee with many Engineers, the Water Management Committee, Water Users Association, but

the question is, are they serving the purpose for which they were intended for?

The APNU/AFC Administration spend hundreds of millions of dollars to purchase and install pumps at strategic locations, but lo and behold when it matters most, no fuel is available at these locations when it was a reasonable expectation that at least eight hours before they got started they should have been in action, Those that contributed significantly to this flooding by their actions or inactions must face the consequences, a full-scale investigation must be held, mainly to prevent a reoccurrence and let the chips fall where they may. Whether you are a rice farmer or not, in the end, we all will be losers and we all must be overly concerned. We must benefit from foresight and not only hindsight.

Archie W. Cordis Former R.D.C. Councillor Region # 2

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Kaieteur News

Thursday December 19, 2019

FAREWELL BASIL B This we must get- lest we forget -the true reason for the season

DEAR EDITOR, It is with great sadness that I learnt of the passing of Basil Butcher.

Butcher was one of the world’s best batsman in his day.

Cricket lovers who had the good fortune of seeing him bat would never forget his beautiful on-drive. When he played, not a fielder moved as the ball, more often than not, raced to the boundary.

Basil B, as he was fondly known, came to prominence with Rohan Kanhai and Joe Solomon, all from Port Mourant, all world-class batsmen.

I fondly recall his 209 not out at Trent Bridge in England in which he not just saved the West Indies, but snatched, for his team, victory from the

jaws of defeat!

I still recall the screaming headlines in our newspaper the next day ‘Butchery at Trent Bridge’ a most apt headline.

Later in his career, he also became a deadly spin bowler.

Maybe his biggest misfortune was that he, a giant, came to prominence at a time when two other giants were dominating West Indies batting, Rohan Kanhai and Garfield Sobers. At his best, he was their equal.

I extend deepest sympathy to his family and would forever be thankful for the joy he brought to our lives.

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar Former President

DEAR EDITOR, Remember that the holidays can be a toxic time of the year for some.

It is that time of the year when we get inundated with Christmas special reruns, inundated with holiday cheer, remakes of old jingles and advertisements encouraging us to find the best gift for that special someone, not to mention every other person in your life. Strange but true Xmas is also that time when people are expected to tolerate borderline abusive behaviour from people in their lives, in the name of holiday spirit.

There appears to be (origin unknown) an unspoken rule that the holidays are the time of the year when people are expected to “put their differences aside”, and be happy and grateful for everything in their lives.

However, not so fast— while family support and involvement are touted as important facets of one’s well-

being, in the short term family can be a source of stress.

What happens if your relationship with your family – (if you are fortunate to have one) is strained? What if you do not have any family at all?

What happens if the Xmas holidays are linked with some life altering tragedy that plays havoc with your mental health every time December rolls around?

Let’s face it, many of us have strained relationships with relatives, siblings, etc., and being forced to sit around the dining table at Xmas facing Uncle Jim and Auntie Iris and listening to their sick comments, especially when she reverts to the schemas that governed your behaviour and thinking during your adolescence is tiring to say the least.

Trouble is you are not an adolescent any more. You are an adult with a wife and children, with no desire for exhumation.

On the other hand, what

happens if you do have a family, and also a good relationship with them all, but due to circumstances you are unable to make it home for Xmas? For example, there are foreign students at university, college, exchange programmes, etc. who cannot afford to go home for the holidays. Spare a thought for them as around this time of the year can be very lonely.

There are also many people who have lost loved ones during the holiday season, which makes this time of the year either bittersweet or totally unbearable. The context cues cause unpleasant memories to come flooding back.

It is difficult not to notice the insane amount of people flooding the shopping malls and the department stores.

We all feel pressured to have a gift for everyone, as if it is a sign that we really care. More often than not, we buy useless gifts just for the sake of giving a loved one something to unwrap and enjoy for two minutes or less on Christmas Day. If we know

the reason for the season, why do we keep making it about material objects?

Let us commence being cognizant of the ways in which the holidays can be a toxic time of the year for others. There is more to Christmas, (although it is not apparent) that just lighting up homes and engaging in conspicuous consumption. It is about lighting up lives; it is about reflecting on the core teachings of Christ. There is, I wish to respectfully posit, no greater and nobler way of celebrating Christmas than that of reaching out to the poor and the needy and spreading joy to where it matters the most, that is, among the so-called “wretched of the earth.”

Remember that each time a hand reaches out to help another – That is Christmas.

Every time someone puts anger aside and strives for understanding – That is Christmas. May this Christmas bring us closer to the spirit of human understanding.

Yvonne Sam

TRANSPORTATION NONSENSE IN CANAL # 2 (PART 3) DEAR EDITOR, Permit me for the 3rd time to express my opinion of the present-day situation in the small village of Canal #2 Polder on the West Bank of Demerara.

As I would have pointed out in my last two letters [part 1 in August & part 2 in

September], the gist of the situation remains that the public buses that are committed to the transportation of residents halt their services at 6:00pm.

Now given the working demands of the current economy, passengers/ residents would be eligible

The UN General Assembly...

From page 5 resolution was first approved by the Third Committee of the General Assembly on 14 November 2019.

The resolution calls on the Iranian government to “eliminate, in law and practice, all forms of discrimination on the basis of thought, conscience, religion orbelief,...including against persons belonging to recognized and unrecognized religious minorities…

The resolution also

expresses “serious concern about ongoing severe limitations and increasing restrictions on the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief… against persons belonging to recognised and unrecognised religious minorities, including ... members of the Baha’i faith”.

Forty-five Member States co-sponsored the resolution which was led by Canada.

Yours, Rooplall Dudhnath

for late hours and much needed overtime.

With that benefit being offered to many inhabitants of this hidden village, the informal car park located at the head of the road, seems to be taking back its share of contentment.

The car drivers instantaneously demand that the fare be changed to $200 when 7:00pm strikes. The disgusting part of this situation is that drivers would (without any complaints) accept $100 during the day (to go in and out), but after the given time has approached, they would refuse to even look at you if you do not have the new fare in place for them.

My concern is currently not with the drivers of the public transportation or the cars; it is with the authorities and what they are doing.

NOTHING!!!

This problem has being going on for two years and nobody has seen it fit to investigate the circumstances.

The citizens are struggling at an unfair disadvantage. I would not

have been so disappointed in the authorities if there was another method of being transported into the village.

However, with the absence of the public buses, residents have no other choice.

I am asking the authorities to take a stand on this. Make the fare right or disband the car park and provide another mode of public transport. It is hurting hard working people and giving extra fortune to the selfish drivers who want to exploit the situation.

I see no valid reason for having to raise the fare to $200 at 7:00pm. Nothing changes on the road as far as I can see. If they are taking a premium for their inability to focus properly at nights then maybe they should have their licences revoked for being in-capable drivers. Maybe if they propose a proper and valid reason for this increase, I will rest my case. But until then, this nonsense needs to be stamped out.

Regards, Ganesh Persaud, Concerned Villager

Thursday December 19, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Govt.s takeover of Berbice Bridge deemed legal by Chief Justice

The Berbice River Bridge

Chief Justice Roxane George

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson

Governments decision to temporarily takeover the operations and functions of the Berbice River Bridge have been deemed lawful by Chief Justice Roxane George. In a ruling handed down yesterday at the Victoria Law Courts, Justice George said she found that the takeover was done for a legitimate public purpose. As such, she said the court found no reason to interfere with the decision made by Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, as there was no evidence to support he acted arbitrarily.

In the wake of a 360% increase in tolls, which was demanded by the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BBCI) in November 2018, Government announced that it was taking temporary control of the bridge in the safety of the public. By way of a Toll Order issued in the Official Gazette, Minister Patterson, in accordance with Section 11(b) (i) of the Berbice River Bridge Act Cap 51:06, ordered that

the functions of the concessionaire, BBCI, were to be maintained and operated by Government.

BBCI then moved to the High Court where it filed a Statement of Claim in which it requested that the Minister justify the reason for the takeover. In its application, the BBCI had noted that Section 15 of the Judicial Review Act provides as follows: “It is the duty of any person or body making administrative decisions, if requested in accordance with this section by any person adversely affected by the decision, to supply that person with a statement setting out the findings on material questions of facts, referring to the evidence or other material on which those findings were based and giving the reasons for the decision.�

BBCI was granted an order compelling the Minister to validate his actions. In submissions, among other things, it was stated by the Minister that the decision was arrived at, since the bridge serves as a major link between two counties, and as a result of

the burdensome toll increase, citizens may resort to other means of crossing the river which may result in death. In her ruling, the Chief Justice held that based on certain provisions of the Berbice River Bridge Act, BBCI had no authority to unilaterally impose new tolls. In fact, Justice George said such a decision has to be discussed with the Minister, as he is charged under the Act for authorizing the tolls. Furthermore, she said that pursuant to the Act, the Minister is empowered to issue orders setting the maximum amount of toll that can be charged by BBCI. The Chief Justice was specially referring to Sections 4 (1) and (2) of the Act. Further on in her ruling, Justice George pointed to the fact that the Act stipulates that government will have ul-

timate control over the bridge.

She therefore found that the Ministers issuing of the Toll Order was not unreasonable, as it was done as a result of the proposed toll increase announced by the concessionaire. In this regard, she held that the Minister has the power to approve or reject any proposed toll increase by BBCI. In concluding, the Chief Justice noted that BBCI cannot act carte blanche in relation to the operations of the bridge. In the circumstances, she dismissed the action filed

by BBCI, which was ordered to pay costs in the sum of $50,000 to the Attorney General and Patterson who were listed as Respondents.

The BBCI was previously reported as saying that the toll increase was necessary to

ensure that it continue to execute its mandate. It had argued that it had applied to government for an adjustment in tolls on three occasions, being March and August 2015 and January 2016, but received no response. The BBCI had also said that it had accumulated billions of dollars in losses and faces bankruptcy.

The Berbice River Bridge was constructed through a public-private partnership between the then Bharat Jagdeo Government and sections of the Private Sector. It was opened to the public in December 2008. The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and the New Building Society (NBS) are two main investors in the bridge.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday December 19, 2019

ExxonMobil to put in five FPSOs in 5 years - IMF says such production ramp up “unprecedented”

The Liza Unity

By Kiana Wilburg ExxonMobil has said on several occasions that by 2025, Guyana is expected to produce up to 750,000 barrels of oil per day. But it would not achieve this by solely relying on the three Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels for the Liza Phase One Project, Liza Phase Two and the Payara Project (which is still await-

ing governments approval).

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has found that ExxonMobil would be introducing two more FPSOs into the Stabroek Block, bringing the total to five. The first FPSO, Liza Destiny, is expected to be in operation this month. The second FPSO, Liza Unity, is projected for hook up by 2022. The FPSO for Payara has a 2023 dead-

line.

The IMF noted that a fourth FPSO would be in Guyanas waters in 2024 with the fifth vessel hooked up in 2025.

In a special report prepared for Guyanas authorities, the IMF said that bringing on stream, five oil production projects in five years is “unprecedented.” It said that if this were to be realized,

Guyana would reach one of the highest ratios of oil daily production per capita in the world. The Fund did caution, however, that ExxonMobils production estimates could very well turn out to be “too optimistic.”

As the government continues efforts to recruit a Third Party Reviewer for the Payara Field Development Plans, ExxonMobil and its partners,

Hess Corporation and CNOOC/NEXEN, are steaming ahead with plans to extract Guyanas oil as quickly as possible from the Stabroek Block.

Oil production was initially projected to occur between January and March of 2020, but due to ExxonMobils impressive progress on all the necessary installations, that target has been brought for-

ward to this month. While these plans are moving ahead for oil production from the Liza Phase One Project, ExxonMobil is ramping up its development plans for Liza Phase Two. During its third quarter earnings, Hess Corporation had disclosed that development drilling of Liza Phase Two will commence in the first (Continued on page 11)

Thursday December 19, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Georgetown is a stinkhole Georgetown was once known as the Garden City.

That was more than thirty years ago. It is now a stinkhole.

A popular slogan which is being bandied about is about a green state. But while one part of the government is moving in one direction, the other part is moving in the complete opposite. Instead of protecting the green parapets and malls, these are disappearing or being destroyed at a rapid rate in the city.

The green trees which lined streets in the city are dying out. The green parapets alongside most city streets are now destroyed due to vehicular parking. The green perimeter around the city is being turned into housing and commercial zones.

If you can’t even protect the once Garden City, how are

you going to have a green state?

Many years ago, businessman Yesu Persaud recognised what was taking place. He had the vision to recognise the dangers which commercial expansion would pose to the green areas in the city. He knew that eventually all the green areas would be taken over and Georgetown would lose its traditional flair.

There was once a green section of the Bourda Mall between Alexander Street and Orange Walk which was popularly referred to as the Walter Rodney Mall. The area has large Saman trees which provided shade. Lanes for walking intersected the usually well- kept greenery.

The Georgetown City Council levelled this area many years ago and turned into a concrete jungle and established a vendors’ mall on

it. It is now one of the ugliest parts of the city.

The same fate would have befallen the area just west of the former Walter Rodney Mall, had it not been for Yesu Persaud, who helped raised funds to turn it into the Monument Gardens and thereby preserve one of the few remaining green areas in the city. The business community - the same section which some people like to lampoon about their lack of social responsibility - helped with donations to develop and maintain the Monument Gardens.

David de Caries, one of the founders and a former publisher of the Stabroek News saw other forms of decline. He saw the neglect of the walkways which separate the eastern and western carriageways of Camp Street. And so he

Dem boys seh...

Dem oil company picking up a speed Guyana got oil and from de way things looking, dem oil company want to dry up all de oil in labba time. Exxon did threaten to do dat if Soulja Bai did refuse to renew de oil contract when de time come in 2016.

De Public Relations Officer, when asked if Exxon could not have given Guyana a better deal, seh de contract didn’t expire and it didn’t have to do nutten.

And if Soulja Bai did insist de company would hold on to de old contract, increase de pace and bring up oil before anybody could seh Jack Robinson.

Well dem give Guyana a top-up and dem tek dem time.

De contract coming up again

fuh review next year and Exxon speed up again. It already got one FPSO in de Lisa I field. By next two years, it gon put in two more at de same well.

And dem boys find out dat ain’t all. In anodda two years is six more FPSO gon be in dem well.

De whole world seh dis is unnatural because it never happen.

Wha people don’t realize is dat Exxon want suck out all de oil as fast as possible because dem know de time coming when oil mightn’t have value. Cars coming dat gon be using electricity. More countries using solar power and wind power and hydropower.

Dem boys seh dat once things like dis happen, oil gon run into serious problems. De price gon drop just like how it drop when some countries produce nuff. To dis day, de price never go back up to what it was. Dat was when Trinidad smile.

One man when he hear bout dem nuff FPSO seh is just like when a man was using a half-inch pipe to suck out water from a black tank.

Then de next day he decide to use a five-inch pipe. Nobody got to ask how fast de barrel gon empty.

Dem boys seh de oil gon done suh fast and Guyana gon still owe Exxon.

Talk half and slow down dem oil company.

started a project to resurface and upgrade those particular walkways, which incidentally just happened to be opposite his home. Today, now that he is dead, it is falling once again into decline.

Against this background, one may be easily deceived into thinking that the I Love Guyana Monument is a wonderful corporate gesture, aimed at restoring the beauty of the city and preserving the expansive green lawns in that area. The monument is located opposite the Umana Yana and the Court of Appeal, and is in front of the Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry (GBTI) and near to the Pegasus Hotel.

The I Love Guyana Monument does more for GBTI than it does for the city.

You see, that area where the new monument is located is being used as a parking area, especially by the weekend nightly patrons of the Pegasus Hotel. As a result of the combination of the

parking of vehicles on the sprawling parapets and the wet weather which makes the soil soggy, the parapets had been destroyed and become an eyesore.

The City Council was never going to designate that area as a no-parking zone, so as to protect the wide green parapets. And so, one suspects, the idea of the monument emerged as a substitute. Better to have a monument than a hundred cars parking every Friday and Saturday night on the greenery and destroying the parapet.

The private sector and social organisations are playing their part in rescuing Georgetown from falling into ruins. Had it not been for the efforts of private citizens, supported by corporate Guyana and others, the situation in the capital city would have been more decadent.

‘Local democracy’ – a most popular catchphrase

these days – has not brought restoration to the city. So long as lawlessness – including squatting and illegal vending – is pervasive, then the city will continue to be a stinkhole.

The private sector and non-governmental organisations can only do so much.

Those entrusted with maintaining the city have to shoulder the responsibility for restoring the city. But how can they be expected to do so when none can recall what the Garden City used to look like. If you do not know what the Garden City used to look like, how can you restore it?

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

Kaieteur News

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Thursday December 19, 2019

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

The street lamp outside my home was fixed at 2pm yesterday

D

efinitely one of my favourite songs is from the Broadway play “Cats” currently being made into a movie. The song, the most famous one from the play, is titled “Midnight” and has become a classic covered by dozens and dozens of artists.

My preferred version is by Barry Manilow, though most people prefer the Barbara Streisand cover.

The song features the lamplight several times, and the use of the lamplight is to convey a subtle meaning of changing forms of life with fatalistic overtones. When I think of what happened with the lamp outside my home, I thought the song was appropriate, in trying to understand the tragedy that has engulfed this nation long before Independence.

Yesterday, I looked at the clock and it said 2:18 pm.

That is when I saw the technicians fixing the lamppost outside my home,

which I wrote about yesterday and that the satirical column, “Dem Boys Seh” touched on yesterday too.

Of course, I don't know if they were pretending to fix it. This piece is being written at 4pm, so I have to wait until evening hours to see if the lamplight that features so consistently in the song will shine its beams on my home.

No columnist wants to use the adjective, “asinine” to describe the use and abuse of power since President Janet Jagan retired in August 1999. But it is appropriate to describe our autocrats since 1999 onwards, up to this moment in time, as asinine.

Let's rewind the tape to President Jagdeo and his public works minister, Robeson Benn.

Both of these men's attitude was asinine when they left my part of the trench outside my home in 2010 unclean. Their explanation was asinine. It did not make

sense. If you are cleaning from west going east and the day is finished and only one parcel is left to dredge, then it has to be the last parcel or the last two parcels or the last three sections.

But Jagdeo and Benn skipped the second to last section and cleaned the very last one. Jagdeo and Benn claimed that the work was to continue the next day.

So why did they skip the second to last and complete the last parcel which was my neighbour to the west? Only fools whose heads were buried deep in the backsides of Benn and Jagdeo believed their explanation.

We c o m e n o w t o President Granger and his Public Works Minister David Patterson. In discussing the lamplight incident with my publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall, he suggested that I lay blame also at the doorstep of the President because like Jagdeo, he is in charge of his ministers.

At the time of writing, I haven't seen any explanation from the Ministry of the Presidency or Minister Patterson. How it could be a mistake when in the long stretch from Sheriff Street to Industry, every lamplight was expressing its brightness except the one outside my home?

I swear on my life, I checked all the lamplights in that long stretch – only the one outside my home was not on. So why come and fix it after I wrote about it? Why was it not fixed with the others? I refer to the attitude of Jagdeo and Benn as asinine, and I am saying unapologetically the attitude of Granger and Patterson on this streetlight thing outside my home was asinine.

Please read the lyrics of “Memory” maybe twice or thrice. They are so pertinent to understanding the permanent tragedy of this lifeless nation. In one line, it says that “in the lamplight,

the withered leaves collect at my feet.” I can replace “leaves” with broken minds and broken souls that have collected at my feet in the fifty years that I am have been a human rights activist.

Midnight, not a sound from the pavement Has the moon lost her memory?

She is smiling alone In the lamplight, the withered leaves collect at my feet And the wind begins to moan Memory, all alone in the moonlight I can smile at the old days I was beautiful then I remember the time I knew what happiness was Let the memory live again Every streetlamp seems to beat A fatalistic warning Someone mutters and the

Frederick Kissoon street lamp gutters And soon It will be morning Daylight I must wait for the sunrise I must think of a new life And I mustn't give in When the dawn comes, tonight will be a memory too And a new day will begin Burnt out ends of smokey days The stale cold smell of morning The street lamp dies, another night is over Another day is dawning (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Thursday December 19, 2019

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Thursday December 19, 2019

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Thursday December 19, 2019

US$6.4B Liza II oilfield development essentially …finished subsea systems awaiting complete shipping to Guyana - Energy Dept.

By Gary Eleazar

W

ork on the second oil field being prepared for production in two years' time is substantially complete, according to Guyana's Director of the Ministry of the Presidency's Energy Department, Dr Mark

The Liza Unity is designed to produce up to 220,000 barrels of oil per day.

Bynoe.

The government director gave the update on Monday last and told media operatives that the Hull for the Liza Unity is about 97 per cent complete—the name given to the second FPSO—is about 97 per cent complete and is being built in Shanghai.

The second Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel is set to come online within another 24 months in the Stabroek Block which is preparing for first oil from the first FPSO—the Liza Destiny, in Guyana's first developed oilfield at the Liza I discovery.

According to Dr Bynoe, the topsides fabrication for the Liza Unity is continuing at Dynamac and Keppel in Singapore, “and good progress is being achieved.”

As it relates to the subsea aspect of the of the Oilfield Field Development, Dr Bynoe told media operatives several of the 'XT' trees and tubing heads have been completed and are awaiting shipment to Trinidad from

Brazil and then into Guyana.

The Energy Department Director told members of the media that the line pipe fabrication which is being undertaken in Japan is 99 per cent complete while pipe insulation is ongoing.

He said too that the buoyancy modules for the FPSO are 80 complete and is being undertaken in the UK. Dr Bynoe reported too t h a t t h e Operator—ExxonMobil Guyana—is working with the Department to “include Guyanese expertise in various stages of the Unity's completion as per the FDP ( F i e l d Development/Preparation Plan) approval.” Projected (continued on page 19)

GECOM hires US firm to provide technical support

A

n independent body, the International Republican Institute (IRI), through the US Embassy, has been contracted to provide technical support to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), by aiding the civic and voter education package.

This entails providing the Commission with assistance in delivering free, fair and efficient elections.

During a Press Conference held yesterday at GECOM's head office, Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield highlighted that the Commission has had deliberations with the Institute, particularly Mr. David Hamilton.

A c c o r d i n g t o Lowenfield, “The content he (Hamilton) will be using for the education practice is enshrined in our laws, therefore the processes that he will be articulating

Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield through the many groups that he will be hiring is that the content is one and the same as our laws prescribe.”

Lowenfield indicated that these advisors will not be impeding on the role of the commission, but rather, provide support on the most suitable practices. The (continued on page 22)

Thursday December 19, 2019

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Thursday December 19, 2019

Guyana, Serbia partner to create geographical database

Darko Vucetic

T

he Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) is partnering with the Government of the Republic of Serbia to produce a sustainable plan for a National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) and geospatial policy. This is in line with the United Nation's Mainstreaming Sustainable Land Development and Management Project.

At a press conference yesterday, GLSC Manager of Information Systems Division, David Cole disclosed that the commission has held fruitful discussions with Darko Vucetic, who is the Head of the Centre of Geospatial Information Management, Republic Geodetic Authority of the Republic of Serbia.

According to GLSC, these talks are anticipated to lead to the development of a sustainable technologybased geospatial information strategy.

Cole hopes it will be completed within the next five years.

He also mentioned that a geospatial information policy is currently being devised at the Cabinet level.

This is important, especially with the prospect of a changing economy and Guyana's first oil production, which is expected in 2020.

Geospatial information

David Cole will also help GLSC and the government to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), as well as, the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) and manage the activities that are happening in all the sectors including education, business, infrastructure, health and land sectors.

Cole said the GLSC can use the information gathered to solve challenges that a community or the country may face.

“The specific areas of cooperation that we are exploring currently concerns helping to get support to create what we call a 'National Spatial Data Infrastructure', which is essentially a platform…of policies and standards and arrangements between institutions to leverage geospatial information,” he remarked.

He added that the Commission has developed a roadmap towards the finalisation of such an act.

Vucetic said he is pleased to work with GLSC and the government on this venture and also pointed out the importance of such an operation.

“Geospatial data is very important and can help to unlock the power of the potential of all governments around the world”.

He also said in Serbia, having leverage on geospatial data has helped to bring a swiftness in delivery and quality of services in several sectors. Services which would usually take months to complete can now be done in a matter of days and he hopes that Guyana will be on the same level soon. (DPI)

Thursday December 19, 2019

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Thursday December 19, 2019

Guyana briefed on Suriname's political situation

G

uyana's Foreign Ministry has been briefed on the political situation in Suriname. Late last month, Suriname's President Desi Bouterse, was jailed for 20 years for the 1982 murders of 15 of his political opponents.

Bouterse was overseas when the sentence was handed down by a local, three-judge court.

Suriname is the eastern neighbour of Guyana, with thousands of Guyanese living there for years.

The almost informal border crossing has boosted trade and travel between the two countries, with a ferry system in place for vehicles, passengers and goods.

Bouterse has had a good relationship with consecutive governments in Guyana.

With this country even thinking of building a bridge to link the two countries, there would be worry.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday,

(From left) – Ambassador of Suriname to Guyana, Ebu R. Jones; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings; Ambassador and Special Envoy to Guyana, Harvey Naarendorp, and Desk Officer, Nicol Colle.

File photo: President David Granger and embattled Suriname President, Desi Bouterse Ambassador of the Republic of Suriname to Guyana, Ebu R. Jones, called on Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings. “During the courtesy call, the Ambassador briefed Dr. Cummings on the current political situation in

Suriname. He gave the assurance of continued bilateral cooperation between Guyana and Suriname.”

The ministry did not give details. Ambassador Jones and was joined by Ambassador and Special

Envoy to Guyana, Harvey Naarendorp, and Desk Officer, Nicol Colle. Formal diplomatic relations between Guyana and Suriname were established on November 25, 1975.

Bouterse has said that he will be seeking reelection in May despite the conviction.

A two-time coup leader,

two-term president and convicted drug-trafficker, Bouterse has been at the front of that country's politics since in the 1980 military coup. He was charged after his government was accused of arresting and executing 13 civilians and two army officers. The killings have

been dogging Bouterse for decades.

Bouterse is seeking legal advice on the legal way forward. His party is also examining seeking a pardon.

The president has denied he ordered the killings, rather, insisting that the 15 men had been killed while escaping after plotting a counter-coup.

Comfort Sleep cops Corporate Citizenship Award at GCCI ceremony

C

omfort Sleep was recently recognised by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) for their demonstration of ethical leadership, good corporate governance and continuous community development. The prestigious award was

handed over at the GCCI's 130th Annual Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner, held at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Georgetown on November 28.

In the photo, President of the GCCI Nicolas Boyer presents the award to Comfort Sleep's Managing Director Dennis Charran.

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Thursday December 19, 2019

FIVE DEAD IN HORRIFIC SMASH-UP - Pregnant Medex, Nurse AT MAHAICONY Anaesthetist among casualties

Dead: Driver of the minibus Seechan Lall Chandilall

By Shikema Dey

A

t 11:11am yesterday, residents of Fairfield, Mahaicony, West Coast Berbice heard a loud crash. No one was prepared for the gruesome scene they were about to witness.

As persons stepped out of their homes and businesses, they were confronted with bodies strewn across the public

Dead: Alana Vaughan road; some hurt and screaming in pain, blood, wreckage and mangled body parts lying on the roadway. A smashed bus and beverage truck metres apart from each other, with hundreds of broken beer bottles strewn on the ground.

Five persons were killed when the bus in which they were travelling smashed into the beer-laden vehicle.

Dead are 33-year-old Keon Sealy, a registered Nurse Anaesthetist attached to the Mahaicony Cottage

Dead: Keon Sealy Hospital; 31-year-old Alana Vaughn, a Medex, who was pregnant; driver of the minibus S eechan Lall Chandilall; 76-year-old Maxwell Disreali Thom and 64-year-old Ewart Reynolds.

Vaughn was reportedly expecting her third child.

Those seriously injured were identified as 46-yearold Cecil Gordon of Farm, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD); 60-yearold David Jacobs and 15year-old Angela Jacobs both of Moraikobai, Mahaicony,

A closer look at the mangled bus ECD; and also the driver of the lorry Shurlan Wills. They were all rushed to Mahaicony Cottage Hospital and later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Up to press time, their conditions were listed as critical.

Kaieteur News was told by eyewitnesses at the scene that four of the victims were already dead at the scene, while one died en route to the hospital.

According to a police report, the bus was proceeding west along the southern side of the public road when it experienced a 'blow-out' of the left side rear wheel. The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle and collided into the left front portion of the lorry that was proceeding in the opposite direction.

Traffic Chief Linden Isles when contacted disclosed that the bus was said to be travelling at a fast rate when a blow out occurred.

Sources said the lorry was heading to the Banks DIH New Amsterdam branch and was packed with over $3M worth in Banks

The crashed lorry from a different angle

Beer. As a result of the crash, the beer cases spilled on to the road causing a temporary halt in the flow of traffic.

Police, with the assistance of public-spirited residents, spent hours clearing away the broken debris to allow vehicles to pass.

It was only on November 30 that four persons were killed in a gruesome crash on the Nismes Public road while five were killed in the October 15 Friendship smash up just mere weeks

apart.

This gruesome crash comes only one day after the Commissioner of Police, Leslie James announced the launch of 'Operation Safe Roads' - implemented to address the recklessness seen over the past months on Guyana's roadways.

The Commissioner pleaded with the general populace to “adjust their attitudes� and exercise caution when using the roadways.

The beverage truck

Thursday December 19, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Trump impeached in historic vote by sharply divided House (Yahoo News) Donald Trump became the third sitting president in U.S. history to be impeached, as the House of Representatives approved yesterday the two articles of impeachment against him: that he abused the power of his office by pressuring Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election on his behalf, and that he obstructed Congress in its inquiry.

The House approved the first article of impeachment, on abuse of power, by a vote of 230 to 197 at 8:34 p.m. after a daylong debate. Of the 233 Democrats, 228 voted in favor, along with the House’s one Independent. Two Democrats opposed the measure.

No Republicans voted in favor.

Eighteen minutes later, the second article, charging obstruction of Congress, passed by a vote of 229 to 198 with three Democrats voting no, and again no Republicans in favor.

Trump came to the stage for a rally in Battle Creek, Mich., just as the vote was being called and told the crowd, “It doesn’t really feel like we’re being impeached.

The country is doing better than ever before. We did nothing wrong. And we have tremendous support in the Republican Party.”

Moments after the second article was approved, Trump called his impeachment “illegal, unconstitutional and partisan.” Democrats, he said, “are declaring their deep hatred and disdain for the American voter.”

Democrats “have branded themselves with an eternal mark of shame,” he said.

Eight hours earlier, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi laid out the Democratic case: “The president violated the Constitution. It is a matter of fact that the president is an ongoing threat to our national security

and the integrity of our elections: the basis of our democracy.”

Pelosi said that Trump “used the power of his public office to obtain an improper personal, political benefit at the expense of America’s national security.”

The only other two presidents to be impeached in American history are Andrew Johnson, in 1868, and Bill Clinton, in 1998. Both survived their Senate trials and served out their terms. The House began impeachment proceedings against Richard Nixon in 1973, but Nixon resigned before he was impeached.

During the day, Trump railed against the impeachment on Twitter in the same vein as the six-page, angry letter he sent to Pelosi on Tuesday. In one early morning tweet, he wrote, “I DID NOTHING WRONG!” In a midday tweet, he called his impeachment “AN ASSAULT ON AMERICA, AND AN ASSAULT ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!!!!”

The proceedings on Capitol Hill were historic, but lacked suspense and drama for much of the day. The outcome unfolded just as most had expected since the day Pelosi announced the opening of an official impeachment inquiry on Sept. 24.

After a prayer by the House chaplain for “wisdom and discernment,” and an hour or so of procedural delay by Republicans, the House chamber was filled all day with short speeches — typically just one minute — by hundreds of representatives, alternating between the two parties.

The chamber was mostly empty for most of the day’s six hours of scheduled debate — which ran to more than eight hours — making what should be the most high-profile moment of the impeach-

ment process the least substantive. It was a striking contrast to the last several weeks of in-depth hearings in which fact witnesses laid out a detailed storyline of the president’s actions.

Democrats kept to a disciplined set of talking points, reiterating that they were reluctant to impeach the president, but his abuse of the power of the presidency left them no choice.

Impeachment is an act of censure by the House, a recommendation that the president be removed from office.

But the Senate decides in a trial whether to actually do so, and Republicans in the Senate — who hold a 53-to-47 majority — are not expected to defect from the president.

He will therefore almost certainly remain in office, even if the stain of impeachment lingers.

“Donald J. Trump is president of the United States. He is president today. He’ll be president tomorrow, and he will be president when this impeachment is over,” House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy told the chamber.

The impeachment vote was the culmination of a process that began in early August when a whistleblower filed a complaint to the inspector general of the intelligence community, alleging that Trump pressured Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to open an investigation into a political rival.

The report became public in mid-September.

The House Intelligence Committee conducted an investigation, calling over a dozen witnesses to testify in closed-door depositions, and then moving on to a series of public hearings with a majority of those witnesses. The White House refused to cooperate and blocked another dozen witnesses from speaking with Congress.

That stonewalling gave

Democrats the grounds to charge the president with obstructing an investigation by Congress, a co-equal branch of the federal government.

The witnesses who did testify said that Trump pressured Ukraine to announce an investigation into Democrat Joe Biden, a rival for the presidency, using a White House meeting the new Ukrainian president wanted, and also withholding nearly $400 million in military assistance to the country.

Ukraine, a former Soviet state that became independent in 1991, has increasingly sought to align itself with the West since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea, a peninsula in southern Ukraine, and began supporting a separatist conflict in the east of the country. Russian and Ukrainian forces are still engaged in an active military conflict.

Republicans on the Intelligence Committee mounted a series of often-changing defenses to explain why the president withheld assistance, but settled around a few explanations. They pointed to actions by indi-

vidual Ukrainians critical of Trump to argue that president had a justified bias against the nation.

And Republicans said Trump was concerned about giving aid to a country that had problems with corruption.

Yet the new Ukrainian government had met benchmarks set by the U.S. government to qualify for the funding, even before Trump decided to freeze the congressionally authorized aid.

Republicans also said, despite evidence to the contrary from Pentagon officials, that Ukraine didn’t know the aid had been withheld when Trump spoke to Zelensky by phone on July 25 and asked him to investigate Biden.

In an angry six-page letter to Pelosi sent Tuesday afternoon, Trump also lodged a series of criticisms, starting with the fact that there are “no crimes, no misdemeanors, and no offenses” in the two articles of impeachment.

Trump, in his letter, also insisted that Biden “used his office and $1 billion of U.S. aid money to coerce Ukraine into firing the prosecutor who

Bartlett says that the projected expansion projects in Kingston, as well as those currently underway, are a signal of the city’s potential to be the primary hub of the Northern Caribbean.

The minister made this announcement Tuesday during the inaugural Caribbean Airlines flight from Kingston to Grand Cayman.

“With the changes that have taken place in Kingston and the expansion we are anticipating, we are hoping that Kingston will become a hub for the Northern Caribbean so that connectivity – be-

achieved from here. I think Caribbean Airlines is well positioned to be that carrier that makes those connections, utilizing Kingston as a hub,” the minister said.

This sentiment is shared by the airline’s CEO, Garvin Medera, who said, “Caribbean Airlines has a clear vision to connect the region, which is a major element in strengthening our Caribbean identity”.

The minister shared that currently the region is growing at 6.1 per cent, but lack of connectivity within the Caribbean has hindered tourism

“To d a y ’s f l i g h t t o Grand Cayman is expanding the airline’s range of connectivity and is helping to sunder those dividing elements that prevent us from connecting. The 300 additional seats to Jamaica, with two weekly rotations, add a significant amount to the growing number of seats that are coming on stream,” Bartlett said.

According to the ministry, improved air connectivity is one of the minister’s pillars in achieving growth in the industry.

Donald Trump became the third sitting president in U.S. history to be impeached

Narcotics cop transferred Bartlett calls for Kingston to be the after woman found with premier hub of the Northern Caribbean KINGSTON, Jamaica — tween Jamaica and Havana, arrivals to grow to double drugs at Ogle airport Tourism Minister Edmund Santiago, Cancun – can be digits.

A female passenger nabbed with drugs at the Ogle airport on Sunday morning has led to the transfer of a rank of the Police Narcotics department.

According to officials, the incident has raised alarm bells. On Sunday morning, the rank allegedly escorted the female passenger to the airport, located on the East Coast of Demerara. He is stationed there and well known.

There he told officers at the security area to search the luggage of the woman.

According to officials, there were suspicions by an

official.

The female passenger was taken inside a room by a Customs Anti Narcotic Unit rank, and was searched. Reportedly, over one kilo of coke was found on her.

According to officials, a probe has been asked for, as there appeared to be collusion among the police ranks stationed at the airport.

The female passenger was headed for the Cayman Islands, via Barbados.

The Narcotics rank has reportedly been posted to the Tactical Services Unit of the Police Force.

was digging into the company paying his son millions of dollars.”

This is a reference to Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden, and to Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company with a history of corruption. Burisma added Hunter Biden to its board in April 2014, not long after the British government had frozen $23 million in assets belonging to Burisma’s owner, Mykola Zlochevsky, on suspicion of money laundering.

The Ukrainian prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, was fired three months later.

But Biden’s demand that Shokin be fired actually increased the likelihood that Burisma would be investigated for corruption, according to the most authoritative reporting on the subject, because the prosecutor had failed to pursue corruption cases.

Nonetheless, Hunter Biden’s presence on the board of Burisma, which paid a significant amount of money to him, has created a massive political headache for his father and the Democratic Party. Hunter Biden has admitted he exercised “poor judgment” but maintains he did nothing illegal or unethical.

Like Trump’s attacks on Hillary Clinton in 2016 about her speaking fees and her private email server, the criticisms of Biden and Burisma is becoming a mantra for the president that he will likely repeat over and over as long as the former vice president is the leading Democratic candidate for president.

PAGE 22

‘Lucky charm’ lands teen in court

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Thursday December 19, 2019

Kaieteur News

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A teenager was yesterday placed before the court after he was allegedly caught by the police with illegal ammunition which he claimed was a decorative piece on his band for protection.

Shemroy Williams was arraigned in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty.

It was alleged in the charge that on December 16, 2019 at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, he had one live round of 9mm ammunition when he was not the holder of a firearm licence enforced at that time. The 19year-old labourer of 74 Section ‘B’ Sophia, pleaded not guilty to the charge after it was read to him.

The defendant was represented by attorney-at-law Adrian Thompson, who told the court that based on instructions from his client, he was told that the ammo was attached to a band, given to the defendant as a gift.

The lawyer said that the item was a decorative piece with all sorts of items on it, “and it’s more of a ‘lucky charm’” as the band was

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Shemroy Williams given for protection.

Attorney Thompson stressed that the item was

not intended for criminal purposes and this was clear, as it was found on a band.

According to Williams, the item was stripped from the band when he was brought to the police station. However, the police prosecutor objected to bail being granted to Williams based on the penalties of the offence and the fact that the item was found by the police in the d e f e n d a n t ’s r i g h t s i d e pants pocket on the day in question.

Nevertheless, Magistrate McGusty upheld the submission of the attorney and granted bail in the sum of $50,000. The matter was then adjourned to January 22, 2020.

GECOM hires US firm...

From page 14 International Republican Institute (IRI) is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing freedom and democracy worldwide by helping political parties to become more issue-based.

Additionally, Chair of the Commission, Justice (Retired) Claudette Singh stated that the agency intends to contract two persons from the Commonwealth Secretariat as “Senior Electoral Advisors”.

Tw o o f t h e o ff i c i a l s , Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, former chairman of the Ghana Electoral Commission and Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi, former Elections Commissioner of India are expected to be here as of early January to be advi-

sors to the Chairman as well as to oversee the election process. Furthermore, former Canadian Chief Electoral Officer, JeanPierre Kingsley will also be retained to provide technical assistance to the Commission.Dr. Zaidi worked in regulatory framework both at national and international levels and has been associated with the conduct of fair and free General Elections in over 20 states.

Dr. Kodwo is a Ghanaian academic, political scientist and election administrator. He was Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Ghana from 1993 to 2015.

The civil and voter education package is expected to commence in January.

Thursday December 19, 2019

Cop shoots man who called him “fully dunce” A West Ruimveldt Front Road resident is now a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital after he was reportedly shot by a police officer.

The incident was said to have occurred yesterday around 12:30hrs.

A relative identified the victim as 32-year-old Brian Dean, a construction worker, of Lot 50 West Front Road, Georgetown.

According to eyewitnesses, two police ranks were patrolling the aforementioned area, and saw Dean and another man in a scuffle. They decided to intervene.

The ranks told the men to stop fighting, and they did.

However the men then began arguing with the police officers. Dean reportedly called one of the police ranks “fully dunce”, and this apparently provoked the policeman, who allegedly took his handgun out and shot the man in his left shoulder.

The injured man was immediately transported to the hospital, where he is currently being treated for the wound.

When contacted, a police source told Kaieteur News that the matter is being investigated.

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Kaieteur News

The injured Brian Dean being wheeled into the hospital on a stretcher

Man caught jumping fence with stolen loot over his shoulder, remanded A 49-year-old man was yesterday remanded to prison

by Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty after he appeared before her in the Georgetown Magistrates Courts on a charge of break and entry.

Cecil Forde pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on December 8, 2019, at 747 Avocado Place, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, he broke and entered the dwelling house of Sonia Aaron and stole two gas cylinders valued at $50,000; 12 zinc sheets valued $12,000 and a quantity of clothing valued at $80,000 - a total value of $142,000.

According to Police Prosecutor Seon Blackman, who related the facts of the charge, on the day in question the alleged victim secured her home and went to sleep. She was awoken by a noise and upon checking to determine the source, she saw a man in her

Cecil Forde yard with the items mentioned in the charge. The prosecutor mentioned that at the time, despite the fact that the incident took place in the night, the area was well lit, which caused the woman to have a

good look at the accused. She then raised an alarm. However, Forde allegedly threw some stuff over the fence. He then placed a bulky bag over his shoulder, jumped the fence and made good his escape. Forde was later arrested and charged for the offence.

The alleged victim who was present in court for the hearing said, “When I saw him in the yard with my stuff and I shout out to him, the man just look back at me, then continue what he was doing.” Prosecutor Blackman made strong objections to bail, based on the prevalence and the punishment of the offence. He also objected based on the value of the articles and the fact that the defendant was positively identified by the victim.

Forde was then remanded to prison until January 15, 2020 for the continuation of the matter.

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Kaieteur News

Pro-impeachment protests span the country ahead of historic vote

An anti-President Donald Trump crowd gather at a rally to protest and call for his impeachment.

CNN) Hours before the House votes on whether to impeach President Donald Trump, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Times Square Tuesday night chanting “Tell me who’s above the law? Nobody is above the law!” They weren’t alone. Rallies sprang up from Oregon to Florida on the eve of the vote on two articles of im-

peachment against Trump, charging him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Democrats say Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals in exchange for security aid and that he obstructed a congressional investigation by refusing to allow key officials to testify. Trump has asserted that Democrats’ attempt to im-

peach him is part of a larger effort to avenge the results of the 2016 election.

Protesters in favor of his removal from office took to the streets by the thousands on Tuesday.

Demonstrators in Times Square lined up to stretch a sign for those above them to read. It quoted Article II Section 4 of the Constitution:

Thursday December 19, 2019

Mormon Church accused of stockpiling billions, avoiding paying taxes (CNN)The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as the Mormon Church, responded Tuesday to a recently-filed whistleblower complaint that accuses the church of stockpiling $100 billion in accounts intended for charitable works, misleading members and avoiding paying taxes.

A whistleblower alleges in the complaint, filed with the IRS, that billions of dollars collected in tithes — mandatory donations by members — were invested in an investment arm of the church — Ensign Peak Advisors — but in 22 years, has not been distributed to charitable causes in accordance with IRS rules, according to a report in the Washington Post.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Fast Facts The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Fast Facts “Claims being currently circulated are based on a nar-

row perspective and limited information,” the LDS Church told CNN in a statement. “The Church complies with all applicable law governing our donations, investments, taxes, and reserves. We continue to welcome the opportunity to work with officials to address questions they may have.”

The complaint was first reported by the Washington Post. The whistleblower is a Mormon who worked for the church until September. He is a former investment manager at Ensign Peak Advisors, the Post reported. He has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.

According to the Washington Post, the whistleblower wants the IRS to strip the Mormon church of its tax exempt status. He is also seeking a reward from the IRS. Under IRS rules, whistleblowers can be awarded up to 30 percent of any taxes and penalties collected.

Philip Hackney, a former IRS official who teaches tax

law at the University of Pittsburgh, confirmed the veracity of the document, which was posted online.

An IRS spokesman declined to comment citing federal law prohibiting the agency from discussing any specific case. Ensign Peak Advisors declined to comment.

Sam Brunson, a professor of nonprofit tax law at Chicago’s Loyola University who is a member of the LDS church, said under Ensign’s Articles of Incorporation, “it is both a supporting organization,” which means it has to make charitable donations “commensurate in scope” to its funds, and an “integrated auxiliary” which means it might not have to. An integrated auxiliary organization can legally sidestep paying taxes by being a non-profit.

“My guess is that the IRS will probably do nothing” and even if it does, “chances are very small we will find out,” he said.

Thursday December 19, 2019

Kaieteur News

ExxonMobil to put in five FPSOs...

The Liza Destiny

From page 8 quarter of 2020 with first oil expected by mid-2022.

Pending government approval, ExxonMobil is also eager to start oil production from the Payara field which is expected to utilize a Floating Production Stor-

age and Offloading vessel with a gross production capacity of 220,000 barrels of oil per day.

As it awaits a green light from government, ExxonMobil has been grating several contracts related to the construction of

the FPSO to ensure it meets the 2023 deadline. And as it pushes ahead with those plans, ExxonMobil is also conductin g d r i l l i n g a n d appraisals of other wells to determine their productivity, all in an effort to maximize profits for its

shareholders as quickly as possible.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday December 19, 2019

Thursday December 19, 2019

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Kaieteur News

‘Santa’s finger bone’ among medieval treasures given to English monastery (CNN)Santa Claus’ finger bone and a piece of the manger that served as Christ’s crib were among the relics gifted to an English monastery, a new analysis of a medieval manuscript has revealed.

Michael Carter, a historian at English Heritage, an organization that manages more than 400 historic buildings, found the objects listed on a 580-year-old inventory for Battle Abbey in Sussex, southeast England.

Highlights from the list of 175 individual objects include a hair shirt and finger bone believed to have belonged to St. Nicholas — better known as Santa Claus — and relics from Christ’s birthplace.

The relic inventory is one

of roughly 30 to have survived from medieval England.

The inventory of relics from Battle Abbey, now housed in the Huntington collection in California William the Conqueror, who seized the English throne

by winning the Battle of Hastings in 1066, is believed to have built Battle Abbey on the site of his victory over Harold II, the Anglo-Saxon king.

Among other objects, William the Conqueror is

thought to have gifted relics of several of the Holy Innocents — infant boys slaughtered in Bethlehem on the orders of King Herod — to the monastery, according to a statement from English Heritage.

PAGE 28

Thursday December 19, 2019

Kaieteur News

Convicted killer sentenced to death Nandlalls Law Reports charge stands

Although Guyana has not carried out any execution since 1997, Justice Sandil Kissoon yesterday imposed the death sentence on 29year-old Imran Ramsaywack, who was found guilty of murder by a 12-person jury.

Ramsaywack, also known as, “Kevin Jones” and “Coolie Boy” was found guilty of the March 2015 murder of USbased citizen and boutique owner Samantha Benjamin.

Ramsaywack, who was represented by lawyer Ravindra Mohabir, denied the allegation which stated that between March 25 and March 26, 2015 at Buxton, East Coast Demerara, he murdered Benjamin.

According to reports, Samantha Benjamin was killed in a house at Middle Walk, Buxton, on March 25, 2015 and her body was dismembered and subsequently dumped into the Atlantic Ocean, along the same village. It was discovered the following morning.

Justice Kissoon in imposing the death sentence told Ramsaywack that there were no mitigating factors. In fact, Justice Kissoon said that Benjamins death was a coldblooded, calculated robbery which escalated into a murder. Justice Kissoon took into consideration the manner in which Benjamin met her demise, as well as the efforts of

Ramsaywack to get rid of her body. Benjamins relatives who were present in court rejoiced. They believe that justice has been served.

Prosecutors Abigail Gibbs and Mandel Moore presented the case for the State.

During Ramsaywacks trial, police rank Deoraj Ramdeholl testified via Skype. He told the court of an interview he had with Ramsaywack. According to the police witness, on March 26, 2015 at around 07:30hrs, he received an anonymous call from someone. As a result of what was related to him, Ramdeholl said he visited the Annandale foreshore where he found the body of a woman which was stuck between two rocks.

The body, according to him, was clad in a blue bra and pink skirt; it had no head, arms and legs. He added that upon examining the body, there were chop wounds on the abdomen. He said that he retrieved a head, two arms and two legs from the sea. The police rank told the jury that on April 03, 2015, he received certain information and as a result he and a party of policemen went to 103 Middle Walk Buxton, East Coast Demerara.

Once there, he made contact with Ramsaywack, who gave his name as “Kevin Jones.” Ramsaywack, he said, told him that he and Benjamin

resided at the property and that he last saw her on March 27, 2015 around 10:00hrs.

Ramdeholl told the court that he searched Benjamins bedroom where he found what appeared to be blood on a beam and mirror. At this point, he testified to cautioning the murder accused before putting a murder allegation to him.

The police rank recounted that he searched a fowl pen in the yard and found a brown-handled cutlass before escorting Ramsaywack to the Vigilance Police Station.

There, he added, Ramsaywack was shown the cutlass and admitted that he and two other men, “Itchy” and “Zakari”, used it to chop off Benjamins head, arms and legs. These two men, he said, were arrested but later released.

The police witness recounted that the murder accused was taken back to the house where he pointed out a yellow wheelbarrow that was used to transport the womans body to the foreshore. The police rank also told the court that Ramsaywack took him to an area at the foreshore the womans head was chopped off. He added that the remains were transported to Memorial Gardens. Other police ranks and civilians were also called to testify by the prosecution in this trial.

Revised List of Electors by December 24 – GECOM CEO The Revised List of Electors, (RLE) will be ready by December 29, Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Keith Lowenfield told a media conference yesterday.

Lowenfield explained that GECOM is pushing towards getting the revised list circulated and vetted in 21 days. The 21 days of claims and objections are set to commence on January 5, 2020. The CEO stressed the need for GECOM to produce a credible list of electors.

He said that for this reason GECOM is at pains to ensure that the list is adequately scrutinised. Speaking on the five-day verification exercise for the list of new registrants, Lowenfield told reporters that he will meet with the scrutineers to operationalise the conduct of the exercise.

He said that the Commission will need all hands on deck to complete house-to-house verification of 16,000 names in the space of five days.

“We have permanent staff on board as well as those persons who worked with GECOM during the recent truncated house -to -house exercise. They will work over the course of the five days.”

He said too that the Commission will, at the next statutory meeting, deliberate on the new names as well as the list that was subject to claims and objections exercise.

“For those persons who are not found, GECOM will determine what course of action will be taken at the next statutory meeting.

On Tuesday, GECOM in a majority decision agreed to conduct a house-to-house verification of new registrants, which number approximately 16,000 persons. PPP-nominated Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, told the press that the verification of the data will be conducted within the next five days.

He noted that “Our hope is that the

GECOM staffers will pursue this exercise with the type of diligence that it requires to provide satisfaction to the electorate, to the public and all those concerned who have an interest in our having free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections,” he said.

He explained that there has been a list of 20,000 unverified new registrants. Of the 20,000, Gunraj noted that about 4,020 of the persons were duplicates on the preliminary list of electors. That brought the list of new registrants to about 16,000.

Government-appointed Commissioner Vincent Alexander, expressed his disappointment at the decision, calling the verification process “useless”.

He told reporters that there is no need for the verification exercise.

“As far as I am concerned, nothing else is to be done, because those duplicates could have been investigated and hearings conducted.”

It got to the point where we have done an internal side-by-side comparison of the information… Field exercise has nothing to do with duplicates,” Alexander said.

He noted, “It’s a decision GECOM could have made, but I wouldn’t say it is illegal; it is useless,” he added.

Last month, GECOM launched a verification exercise after it noticed striking disparities in the cross-matched data that had returned from the overseas supplier.

Gemalto, an international digital security company, was contracted by GECOM to cross-match the house-to-house data.

Both tranches of data were returned and they appeared to indicate that there are about 60,000 total new registrants. This unusually high figure prompted the Secretariat to conduct its own assessment of the cross-matched data.

- as Appeal Court dismisses application to have it quash Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall has failed in another bid to have a charge against him for the theft of Law Reports quashed. Yesterday, the Court of Appeal dismissed the application.

In his court action, Nandlall had requested a judicial review of a decision by Magistrate Fabayo Azore to overrule a no-case submission in his trial into a charge which alleged that between May 18, 2015 and May 29, 2015 while being a bailee, in his then capacity as Attorney General, he fraudulently converted 14 Commonwealth Law Reports valued at $2,313,853, property of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, to his own use and benefit.

Following the Magistrate ruling, Nandlall was called on to lead a defence in his trial.

The Court of Appeal in its ruling said that it will not intervene in the matter as the trial is already underway. While the court said it can exercise its supervisory jurisdiction to review such a decision by a Magistrate, this is only in extreme and limited circumstances. The ruling of the Court of Appeal now paves the way for Magistrate Azore to continue hearing evidence in the trial, unless Nandlall appeals to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

In the meantime, the former Attorney General, who has pleaded not guilty to the charge, is out in self bail.

Before approaching the Court of Appeal, Nandlall had taken his issue with the Magistrates decision to the High Court before Chief Justice Roxane George. Through his lawyers, Senior Counsel Neil Boston and Attorney-at-law Devindra Kissoon, Nandlall sought a declaration that the charge against him does is an offence unknown to the laws of Guyana, and therefore it is in violation of Articles 40, 144(4) and 149(d) of the Con-

Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall stitution of Guyana.

The Chief Justice, however, was not in agreement. In fact, she held that the offence is one provided for under Section 165 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, which states, “Everyone who commits larceny or any felony hereby made punishable like simple larceny, shall (except in the cases hereinafter otherwise provide for) be liable to imprisonment for three years.”

Nandlall had contended that Magistrate Azore erred in law when she overruled the no-case submission made by his lawyer and when she failed/refused to give any sufficient reason for her judgment as required by the Judicial Review Act Chapter 3:06 and that her ruling is contrary to, and in violation of, Articles 40, 144(4) and 149(d) of the Constitution of Guyana.

In addressing this, the Chief Justice stressed that Nandlall failed to outline how his constitutional rights were being violated.

She said that from the evidence before her, the Magistrate made a judicial decision, and was not inclined to provide reasons on why she

overruled the no-case submission. The Chief Justice had explained that Magistrates usually give reasons for decision at the end of trials through a Memorandum of Reason. The Chief Justice outlined that the Magistrate was not in violation of Section 15 of the Judicial Review Act, which speaks of providing reasons for administrative and not judicial decisions.

Section 15 (1) of the Act states, “It is the duty of any person or body making an administrative decision, if requested in accordance with this section by any person adversely affected by the decision, to supply that person with a statement setting out the findings on material question of fact, referring to the evidence or other material on which those findings were based and giving the reasons for the decision.”

Nandlall was previously reported as saying that when he took up post as Attorney General, he did so at a loss and it was for that reason he agitated for the State to pay for the Law Reports.

He had said that the arrangement received the blessings of then Head of State Donald Ramotar. However, investigators are contending that because the books were bought with State funds, they cannot be the property of Nandlall, and in fact the State should not have entered into such an arrangement in the first place.

The Ministry of Legal Affairs is contending that there is no evidence of an agreement between Nandlall and Ramotar, and even assuming that there was such an agreement, the use of public funds in this manner is a flagrant violation of the Financial Management and Accountability Act. Nandlall was charged after SOCU, an arm of the Guyana Police Force, completed investigations.

GECOM’s CEO to meet with 19 political parties today Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will be meeting today with representatives of some 19 political parties contesting the 2020 General and Regional Elections, to brief them on, among other things, the statutory requirements that pertain to the their participation of the next regional and general elections.

The briefing session will be held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.

On Monday, Public Relations Officers, PRO of G E C O M Yo l a n d a Wa r d

listed the names of 19 parties which have submitted their symbols for approval, 14 of which are new parties.

The parties to contest include: A New and United Guyana (ANUG), the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Federal United Party (Fed-Up), the Citizenship Initiative (CI), Change Guyana, the New Movement (TNM), People’s Republic Party (PRP), Kingdom Liberal Movement (KLM), Destiny to Oneness, National Congress of Progressive Peoples’ Alliance, the Cooperative Republicans of Guyana , the Guyana United

Democratic Party (UDP), Guyana National Service Party (GNS); the Democratic National Congress (DNC); the United Republic Party (URP), Horizon and Star and Organisation For the Victory of the People.

They will join the country’s better-known parties, A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance for Change (APNU+ AFC) coalition and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic.

As Guyana heads closer to General and Regional Elections, nomination’s day is scheduled be on the January 10, next year.

Thursday December 19, 2019

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

Late Firmino strike sends Liverpool into Club World Cup final

Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino scores their second goal against Monterrey at the Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar. (REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach)

Thursday December 19, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) There's a great deal of fuel for your fire today, so go for it. Spend time with children and be creative.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) It may be hard to make a decision today. You're so bombarded by facts and information that you're unsure how to proceed.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) This is a great day for you.

You're able to get a lot done.

You might find a marked seriousness to your emotions that helps you stay on track with everything you need to do.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) It may be difficult to fit in with the current trends of the day. The energy is light and airy, while you feel the need to get more deep and penetrating. Take a break from your usual intensity and try to keep things light.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You may experience an emotional climax today. Things could come to a head. Don't be surprised if you run into some serious opposition.

Disperse your energy freely, but don't be surprised if other people try to pull you in the opposite direction.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may want to go in many directions today, yet something seems to keep you from going anywhere. This annoying conflict of energies may make it difficult to make the most of your day.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) There's a somber mood hindering your emotions today, but things favor you generally.

The contacts you make now can be extremely valuable.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) It may seem like people have lost their sensitivity today.

Meanwhile, you're left feeling indecisive and unsure about which way to turn.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Your emotions may be dampened today, but don't let it get you down. To make the most of this day, it would behoove you to work with the energy.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) There's a fast-paced frenzy to the day that might leave you feeling a bit left out. You may want to take things more slowly, yet the day's energy doesn't allow for hesitation or delay.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) This is an excellent day for you. People are on your wavelength more than usual.

You can get quite a bit accomplished. You might want to take a disciplined approach today.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) This is a much better day to get out and be with people than it is to sit at home. Communicate with others on a personal level and share some of your wisdom. At the same time, open yourself up to receiving important knowledge from others.

DOHA (Reuters) Substitute Roberto Firmino grabbed a stoppage-time winner as Liverpool beat Mexico’s Monterrey 2-1 yesterday to reach the final of the Club World Cup, where they will play Brazil’s Flamengo.

Juergen Klopp’s side took a 12th-minute lead when Mohamed Salah split the Monterrey defence with a clever reverse pass which Naby Keita raced on to and confidently slotted home.

The lead, however, lasted only two minutes as Liverpool’s defence failed to deal effectively with a high ball into the box. A shot from Jesus Gallardo was blocked, but the ball fell to Rogelio Funes Mori who fired home to make it 1-1.

Liverpool’s Alisson Becker was the busier of the two goalkeepers after the break but with the game heading for extra-time, Firmino, who only came on in the 85th minute, settled the

Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino celebrates scoring their second goal against Monterrey at the Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar. (REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach) encounter, turning in a low ball from Trent AlexanderArnold at the near post, after

good work from Salah.

The final takes place on Saturday.

PAGE 30

Kaieteur News

Thursday December 19, 2019

RHTYSC Christmas Programme

KSM Investment, Minister Trotman, Bakewell, Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh, Ansa Mcal, PPDI on board Plans by the ten cricket teams of Guyana number one youth & sports organisation, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS to host their 30th Annual Christmas Outreach Programme continues to attract support from donors. The teams during the period 16th to 24th December, 2019 would be sharing hundreds of food hampers to low income families, thousands of toys to children, make donations to numerous NGO’s and clubs, assist students with educational materials while they would also host the 5th Edition of their Annual Christmas Village.

The cricketers under the guidance of Club Secretary/ CEO Hilbert Foster, Asst Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu and Cricket Managers Ravindranauth Kissoonlall and Tyrone Pottaya started preparation for the packed programme in early October.

The multi-million programme has benefitted from sizeable donations from Mr. Mahadeo Panchu of KSM Investment, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman, Bakewell, Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh of Texas, USA, Dr. Aaron

Fraser of Power Producers and Distributors, Namilco, Ansa Mcal and Club Patron, His Excellency President David Granger. West Indies player Shimron Hetmyer also contributed to a hamper project for Umpires and Retired Players, which is a joint venture with the Berbice Cricket Board.

Other donors to date include Chandradat Chintmani, Canadian Surplus, Donna Todd, First Lady Sandra Granger, Farfan & Mendes, V NET Communication, Hardware Depot, Bissan Trading, WR Enterprise, Toucan Industries, Busta, DDL, Bounty Farm, Harris Paints, CIDI, H.A Smacks, F & H Printery, DeSinco Trading, John Lewis Styles, The Gift Centre, Chief Brand, Len’s Craft, A. M Khan, 4R Bearings, Karen Nero, Moonish Singh, Anamayah Hospital and A.M Khan General Store.

Foster stated that for 2019, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS Cricket Teams have donated toys to large groups of schools and organisations including the Guyana Prison

Minister Raphael Trotman hands over donation to Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster.

Service, Belvedere Day Care Centre and Lesbeholden Primary School. This, he stated allows the teams to make sure that children across Region 6 benefitted and not those from Lower Corentyne alone.

Donations of food items would also be made to orphanages, children homes and senior citizens homes, less fortunate students would also benefit from donations of pens, pencils, exercise books, rulers and other items as part of the ten teams “Say Yes to Education Campaign”. The teams had earlier in the month feted over 200 Old Age

Letter to the Sports Editor

Eusi Watkins the 2003 Absconder Dear Sports Editor, Hello Mr. Devers and Kaieteur News staff, I recognized that you are the journalist behind the July 21, 2019 Kaieteur News story on the GBA 4th Annual Caribbean Schoolboys and Junior Boxing Tournament story. (https:// www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/ 2019/07/21/cbeanschoolboys-and-juniorsboxing-set-for-cash-aug-

16-18-10-nations-onechampion-tickets-on-salefrom-tomorrow/) As I proceeded to read your article, the name ‘Eusi Watkins’ was mentioned.

Many remember Watkins for his wrong doing, his disappearance after the PanAmerican Box-off, but I remember Eusi Watkins for other revolting acts here in the USA. Is Watkins still being sought after?

STSC football tourney on this Sunday Veteran sport organiser Johnny ‘Overseas’ Barnwell is back again with another community football tournament under the South Turkeyen Sports Club’s (STSC) banner.

The competition is slated for this Sunday at the

40

Vryheid’s Lust Community Center ground where teams from the surrounding communities will engage in a four-a-side football match and a penalty shootout.

Entry fee to the competition is $6,000 with cash prizes and trophies up for grabs.

The sponsors of this oneday tournament include Sleepin Hotel, Brands Security, Carry Cargo, Tent City, the National Sports Commission and Trophy Stall.

I once read in an April 2003 news article (Stabroek) that Watkins and Crandon put their country in shame when they absconded in Miami International Airport, while on their way back to Guyana.

Is the Guyanese government and/or the GBA looking to show their upcoming boxers/athletes ‘what NOT to do’ when granted the opportunity to travel abroad for an event?

If so, I’m sure the bureau (FBI) will want to hear from them, and hopefully the deceitful Eusi M. Watkins will be returned to Guyana - a message to your future boxers/athletes.

(FBI Headquarters 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 205350001 (202) 324-3000) (FBI 26 Federal Plaza - 23rd Floor New York, N.Y. 10278 (212) 384-1000) Regards, N. Martin

Pensioners to breakfast, while hundreds would receive a box of hot meals for the holiday.

The highlight of the programme would be the hosting of the Christmas Village in the compound of the Rose Hall Town Primary School from the 21st to 24th December, 2019. The Teams have transformed the school compound into a dreamland for children and their parents with thousands of fairy lights, 20 feet Christmas Tree, The Nativity Scene, Christmas Star, Santa and his Sleigh, inflatable and plyboard cut out Christmas Characters,

A representative of KSM Investments hands over donation to Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster. bouncy castles, trampolines, children games. The teams have also received donations of two plastic toy outdoor houses from Pastor Ravi Singh and Lindon Lewis of the USA. Construction of another Toy House and a family Photo Bridge has also started with support from Tony’s Sawmill of East Bank Berbice. The main objectives of the Christmas Village are to promote the true tradition of Christmas, to promote social cohesion, the value of family time, to promote a safe entertainment place for kids and to promote the Say No/

Say Yes Message.

Director of the Village Simon Naidu expressed gratitude to all of the donors and expressed confidence that the Village and the charity programmes would be a huge success. The ten teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS are Poonai Pharmacy Under-12 and Under-13, Farfan & Mendes Ltd Under-15, Bakewell Under-17 and Second Division, Metro Female, Pepsi Under-19 and Intermediate, Namilco Thunderbolt Flour Under-21 and First Division.

Lucky Star shines brightly to win at Port Mourant As if to prove that its victory at the Guyana Cup Horserace meet was no fluke, Lucky Star did it again to take the feature B and lower event at the Port Mourant Turf Club (PMTC) Horserace Meet which was held at the club’s entity, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice.

Lucky Star, running out of the Cheefoon Stables with Jockey Colin Ross in the saddles, once again showed its opponents that it is a force to be reckoned with as it whipped the field for a gate to pole win in a dominant display.

Challenged briefly during the race the animal picked up speed down the homestretch to blow away the field in the 1600M event. The win was worth $600,000 and trophy compliments of Banks DIH Limited. Running in second was the much fancied Don’t Overlook with T and T placing third and Just call Me Boss fourth.

The H and lower event saw Silver N Things of the Cheefoon Stable with Colin Ross in the saddles making it two wins for the connections of that entity as it out dueled Santa Cruz Lady to win the

Connections of Lucky Star collect their winnings for the racehorse victory in the feature B and lower event. $300,000 and trophy on offer.

Goodwill Boy ran in third ahead of Storm Dancer in fourth.

Perfect Storm had a good day as it ran away winner in the event for 2-year-old animals to take home the $240,000 and trophy. The animal won the 12-horse event from Perfect Pleasure who came in second, and Perfect Dream was third with Awesome Bandit fourth.

Touch D Cash did not only touch the cash but ran

away winner in the K and L class event from Cherish Me, Massapequa Doctor and Perfect Return.

L Non-Winners’ event was won by Rickey with Call She Royal second, TP 360 third and Awesome Again fourth. The Cheefoon Stable was adjudged the champion stable with Jockey Colin Ross the champion jockey.

Among the sponsors on board were Banks DIH Limited and Nand Persaud and Company Limited.

Thursday December 19, 2019

PAGE 31

Kaieteur News

KFC Goodwill football tourney

Shiva boys’ and DC Caesar Fox top respective groups Calvin Chapman story and photos Inaugural Champions; Shiva boys’ Hindu College of Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) marched into the semifinals of the second annual KFC Goodwill football tournament after dumping Annandale Secondary 6-2 yesterday at the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) National Training Center at Providence.

The Trinidadians continued to prove that they are a cut above the local lads with a good demonstration of football in their come from behind win and their target man; Adica Ash, led the charge from the front line with both guile and power, dribbling and forcing his way through Annandale’s final third on numerous occasions but only scoring twice.

Jamal Lewis also netted a brace for the 2017 T&T school league champions, while Flex Lewis and Nigel Carraby netted once each.

Annandale, 2018 Guyoil/ Tradewind Tankers school league champions, were never

From right, Shiva boys’ goal scorers Adica Ash, Jamal Lewis, Flex Lewis and Nigel Carraby. going to just lay off and they ensured they netted two goals before being booted from this goodwill tournament that will conclude this Sunday at the Ministry of Education (MOE) ground on Carifesta Avenue.

Junior Harrigon scored the first goal of the match in the 13th minute and he would have eventually been disappointed to see his team go on to lose 6-2 in a match

that they needed to win to ascend to the semifinal round.

Omari Glasgow with all his flair on the wing managed only one goal in the contest which was his side’s second and when he netted in the 73rd minute, the East Coast lads had already conceded five goals at that point.

DC Caesar Fox Secondary, which is more popularly known as Waramadong, like

Shiva boys’ Jamal Lewis attempts to test Annadale’s keeper from outside of the box. the T&T lads, won their second game of the grouprobin stage after putting an expected 4-0 thrashing on Marian Academy to send them packing out of the tournament.

Waramadong had four different scorers in the 4-0

win; Carlito Joseph (15th), Yasir Abraham (51st), Melee George (57th) and Odvid Andrews (85th).

The semifinal round is slated to be contested under lights tomorrow at the MOE ground beginning at 17:00hrs. The first match will

see Shiva boys’ matching skills with Lodge Secondary that won the just concluded Guyoil/Tradewind Tankers school football tourney.

The feature showdown will be anticipated face-off featuring Annai Secondary and DC Caesar Fox.

PAGE 32

Kaieteur News

Thursday December 19, 2019

Yadav’s hat-trick leads India to victory against West Indies V I S A K H A PAT N A M , India (AP) — Kuldeep Yadav’s hat-trick led India to a convincing 107-run win as the West Indies were bowled out for 280 in the second oneday international yesterday.

The decider will be played in Cuttack on Sunday. West Indies won the opener by eight wickets in Chennai.

Chasing a mammoth total of 388 the West Indies lost five wickets for 18 runs in the space of 23 balls as Yadav (352) snared Alzarri Joseph for a golden duck on his hat-trick ball. On a day of batting feats, he became the sixth bowler to take two or more ODI hattricks having done so against Australia two years ago.

“It was a perfect day for me, with a second hat-trick,” Yadav said. “We knew they would come hard, 380 was a safe target.”

Mohammed Shami also finished with three wickets (339), but he didn’t even need to complete his 10 overs as India controlled the contest after the prolific Rohit Sharma (159 runs) and Lokesh Rahul (102) shared a massive opening stand worth 227 runs in a total of 387-5.

Nicholas Pooran’s whirlwind 75 off 47 balls and

Shai Hope’s 78 runs anchored the West Indies innings. But the collapse cost them momentum at a vital time, and No. 8 Keemo Paul’s defiant 46 off 42 balls came far too late.

Earlier, Sharma led the way with his 28th ODI century as he and Rahul put on India’s fourth-highest opening partnership in ODIs. It helped India tally its second-highest ODI total against West Indies, after 4185 eight years ago.

“We gave away too many runs in the last 20 overs,” Pollard said. “It was a good batting wicket and they got away from us at the backend.

But it showed that in order to win against us, India have to score big.”

The imposing total could have been even more daunting if not for a rare golden duck from the prolific Virat Kohli. The owner of 70 hundreds for India, including 43 in ODIs at an average of 60, he at least walked off amused after being caught off a slower short delivery from captain Kieron Pollard in the 38th over.

Put into bat by West Indies again, India got off to a careful start on a good batting surface and the first

50 runs took 58 balls.

Rahul was the more aggressive, striking eight fours and three sixes in reaching 50 off 46 balls.

Sharma was steadier, needing 67 to reach his 50 as India passed 100 in the 21st over.

West Indies kept searching for wickets as runs started to arrive quicker for India, with 200 coming up in the 34th over.

Sharma was the first to reach three figures, off 107 balls. It was his seventh ODI hundred in 2019, moving him an equal second with Sourav Ganguly (India) and David Warner (Australia) for most centuries in a calendar year.

India great Sachin Tendulkar scored nine in 1998.

His eighth score of 150 or more in one-day cricket is the most for any batsman and he hit 17 fours and five sixes in another fine knock.

Rahul scored his third ODI hundred and first on home soil from 102 balls. He was out straight afterwards and then India immediately lost Kohli.

Sharma and Shreyas Iyer (53) put on 60 runs for the third wicket as India’s momentum resumed and then escalated.

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are starting to have fun real as a partnership, India v West Indies, 2nd ODI, Visakhapatnam, December 18, 2019 © BCCI Iyer and Rishabh Pant laid siege to the West Indies bowling with 72 runs off 25 balls for the fourth wicket.

Their partnership included 31 runs off the 47th over bowled

by Roston Chase (0-48), setting a new record for the most runs scored by an Indian pair in a ODI over.

Pant smacked 39 off 16 balls, including four sixes, and Iyer also smashed four sixes as he raced to a fourth consecutive ODI 50 off 28 balls.

Minister Norton expresses condolences on the passing of Basil Butcher In a Media statement minister Dr. George Norton has expressed condolence on the passing of Guyanese West Indies cricketer Basil

Butcher who passed away this week.

The statement read, “The Hon. Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton wishes to express sincere condolences to the family, relatives, friends and fans of legendary Guyanese and West Indian cricketer, Basil Fiztherbert Butcher, AA. Butcher passed away on

Monday, December 16, 2019 in Florida, United States after a period of prolonged illness.

He was 86-years-old.

During his career, the cricketing star played 44 Test matches for the West Indies from 1958 to 1969.

During that period, he scored seven centuries, with a high score of 209 not out.

Named one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year for 1970, Butcher also played an

integral role in organizing the first-ever Mashramani celebrations in Linden.

At a time when Guyana is gearing up to celebrate its 50th Republic Anniversary, Butcher’s contributions to Guyanese society becomes even more significant.

Butcher is survived by his wife, seven children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. His legacy, however, will live on for many generations.”

Thursday December 19, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 33

NAMILCO top brass and staff get a glimpse of locally crafted GFF Super 16 trophy The handiwork of Brass Aluminum and Cast Iron F o u n d r y, t h r o u g h t h e manufacturing of the GFF Super 16 Trophy was on display and welcomed by the Managing Director – Mr. Bert Sukhai and staff of the National Milling Company of Guyana (NAMILCO) on Tuesday afternoon last.

The trophy which is the first of its kind, conceptualised and manufactured locally would be making the rounds at a number of the Guyana F o o t b a l l F e d e r a t i o n ’s sponsorship partners for this year end’s Super 16 Cup which kicked off last Sunday and will continue this weekend.

During the first stop of the trophy tour, Mr. Sukhai commended GFF President Wayne Forde for the vision in coming up with such a trophy that is unique and also brings to the fore the quality local craftsmanship of BACIF which is comparable with similar companies, internationally.

In highlighting the work of the GFF under the stewardship of Forde, Mr. Sukhai informed his staff that his company was pleased to be associated with the body which has been charting new and solid course for the game in Guyana.

NAMILCO is the single largest sponsor for the GFF through the NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power U17 Intra Association League which is played amongst the nine (9) Regional Members

Association of the Federation. The contract is in the second year of five-years and is worth over 30-Million dollars.

“We’ve played a very prominent role in the development of football and now we are part sponsoring this tournament.”

Forde in his remarks expressed profound gratitude to Mr. Sukhai and NAMILCO for the massive support they have been giving to the sport not only at the GFF level but to many other entities even outside of football.

Mr. Brentnol Bourne of BACIF was on hand to go into detail in terms of the manufacturing of the trophy and informed all that they, along with the GFF are working on producing a booklet that would contain the details of the trophy from conceptualisation to the final product.

Also offering remarks at the Tuesday’s activity was N A M I L C O ’s F i n a n c e D i r e c t o r, M r. F i t z r o y McLeod who disclosed that supporting sports to the company is part of its corporate and social responsibility, pointing that they did not get involved in the sport from an entertainment standpoint only but also for it offers from a developmental perspective.

“For a long time we did not have a wide based, cohesive developmental programme that could reach every region in the country; so while we are pushing our

product and getting to our markets, we have had the opportunity to also be involved in the development of young people.”

McLeod also told his staff that the high level of accountability displayed by the GFF is one of the main reasons that NAMILCO continues to partner with the Federation and will continue to do so.

He also commented on the production of the trophy: “We are happy to see that we have utalised our own resources to put something together that again is of international standard and we hope that this kind of thinking, this kind of approach would be demonstrated in a lot of our other endeavours.”

NAMILCO staff members were encouraged

by Mr. Sukha to support the Super 16 matches, once they attend and present their ticket stubs as proof to the management, they would be refunded.

NAMILCO Managing Director Mr. Bert Sukhai (left) and GFF’s Wayne Forde during their remarks to the staff.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 34

Thursday December 19, 2019

Dragon Stout Street-ball ‘Community Cup’ football continues with quarterfinals tonight Sparta Boss oppose Future Stars, Leopold Street battle Gold is Money, Rio All-Stars tackle Avocado Ballers and Bent Street engages Festival City tonight in the quarterfinal section of the inaugural Dragon Stout Street-ball ‘Community Cup’ at the National Gymnasium.

The respective teams advanced to the final eight section following opening night victories on Tuesday at the same venue in front of a sizable crowd.

According to a brief comment from the Dragon Stout Brand Manager Jamal Baird, “Despite the intermittent showers, an exciting and incident free night of action occurred which boasted several upsets, a sign of the competitive nature of the event. I want to thank all the fans and players that were present and I am expecting a scintillating quarterfinal section, which will precede

the always captivating final night of play. This is the start of a wonderful project and I am very excited about the future.”

Bent Street overcame Broad Street 3-2. William Europe bagged a double in the fourth and ninth minutes, while Daniel Wilson netted in the 16th minute.

On target for loser were Ryan Dowding and Akeem Sam in the seventh and 18th minutes respectively.

Similarly, Leopold Street edged Ansa McAl 2-1.

Darren Benjamin and Omallo Williams scored in the 15th and 17th minutes respectively.

For Ansa McAl, Mavlvis Alcala netted in the 14th minute.

Likewise, Future Stars squeaked past Albouystown 3-2. Jamal Cozier, Selwyn Williams and Dellon Kelly scored in the eighth, 13th and 16th minutes.

For Albouystown, Moses Grittens and Andre Webber

netted in the 14th and 18th respectively.

Meanwhile, Gold is Money defeated Mocha 3-1.

Jamal Pedro, Michael Pedro and Stephon McLean scored in the seventh, ninth and 15th minutes each.

For the loser, Amos Ramsay found the back of the net in the 18th minute.

Also, Rio All-Stars battled past Alexander Village 2-0.

New recruit Trayon Bobb recorded a double in the eighth and 18th minutes.

In other results, Avocado Ballers dismantled Sophia 51, while Festival City crushed North East La Penitence 4-1. Meanwhile, Sparta Boss received a bye to the quarterfinal section.

Winner of the tournament will pocket $300,000 and the championship trophy. On the other hand, the runner-up will collect $150,000. The third and fourth place finisher will receive $75,000 and $50,000 respectively

Action in the Alexander Village and Rio All-Stars [white] clash at the National Gymnasium in the Dragon Stout Community Cup Championship. and the corresponding accolade.

Below list the complete fixtures and results for the previous match day.

Quarterfinal Fixtures Festival City vs Bent St20:00hrs Rio All-Stars vs Avocado Ballers-20:30hrs Leopold St vs Gold is Money-21:00hrs Sparta Boss vs Future Stars-21:30hrs Complete Results Game-1 North East La Penitence1 vs Avocado Ballers-4 Avocado Scorers Travis Henry-8th and 16th Sherwin Caesar-5th Dexter Marshall-14th North East Scorer Shaquille Browne-15th Game-2

Festival City-5 vs Sophia-1 Festival Scorers Jermaine Tinch-1st, 9th, 17th and 18th Mickel Brandt-14th Sophia Scorer Tskedi Sealey-2nd Game-3 Leopold St-2 vs Ansa McAl-1 Leopold Scorers Darren Benjamin-15th Omallo Williams-17th Ansa Scorer Mavlvis Alcala-14th Game-4 Gold is Money-3 vs Mocha-1 Gold is Money Scorers Jamal Pedro-7th Michael Pedro-9th Stephon McLean-15th Mocha Scorer Amos Ramsay-18th Game-5

Future Stars-3 vs Albouystown-2 Future Scorers Jamal Cozier-8th Selwyn Williams-13th Dellon Kelly-16th Albouystown Scorers Moses Grittens-14th Andre Webber-18th Game-6 Rio All-Stars-2 vs Alexander Village-0 Trayon Bobb-8th and 18th Game-7 Bent St-3 vs Broad St-2 Bent Scorers William Europe-4th and 9th Daniel Wilson-16th Broad Scorers Ryan Dowding-7th Akeem Sam-18th NB: Sparta Boss received a bye to the quarterfinal round.

Thursday December 18, 2019

Kaieteur News

GFF-Always Championship 2019

Santos claw back to earn a draw against Foxy Ladies

F

oxy Ladies Football Team and their counterparts from Santos Football Club battled to an exciting draw in the lone second-round match of the GFF-Always Championship Cup 2019 on Tuesday at the GFF National Training Centre, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

The two teams along with Fruta Conquerors and Lady Panthers all made in to the second round at the expense of the Guyana Police Force Female team which lost all their matches. Going into this match, Santos were on a high having defeated Foxy Ladies 4-1 in the final first round match on Sunday last.

But this encounter saw a much improved and confident Foxy Ladies intent on turning tables on Santos and that they almost accomplished even without a full complement of players.

It was the Den Amstel based Foxy Ladies who cantered into the lead on six minutes when Stacy Adams found the back of the nets much to the delight of her teammates. Santos did not look the clinical team from Sunday and Foxy Ladies were focused on upsetting the apple cart.

The match ebbed and flowed at both ends as the teams sought to get shots off.

It was Santos’ turn to draw level in the 20th minute aided by a lapse from the Foxy Ladies goalkeeper who was caught a bit high.

The extra space behind

was all that the nippy Makisha Stewart needed to draw her team level when she broke away from the defenders, found the goalkeeper almost at the top of the 18 yard box and caught between two minds of advancing or getting back.

Within that critical moment, Stewart had the presence of mind to slot the ball past the keeper and into the back of the nets for the equaliser. The second half did not produce any goals even as the teams tried their best to break the deadlock; each team walking away with an equal share of the spoils.

With Fruta Conquerors ahead on three points following their win over Lady Panthers in the opening second round match, the Panthers, which qualified as the second team after first r o u n d p l a y, n o w f i n d themselves at the bottom of the table without a point.

They {Lady Panthers} will have a chance to change that stat when they face Santos on Saturday from 13:00hrs at the same venue when competition continues.

The high flying Conquerors will then take on Foxy Ladies in the main attraction from 14:30hrs.

On Sunday, when the finalists would be decided, the top two teams earning that right, Lady Panthers would be locked in battle against Foxy Ladies followed by Conquerors coming up against Santos.

Stacy Adams (right) Foxy Ladies and Santos’ Makisha Stewart.

GFF Super 16 Cup double header set for BV Ground tomorrow The battle lines would be drawn again tomorrow evening when the GFF Super 16 Cup moves to the BV Ground, East Coast Demerara.

Set to defend East Coast territory is the duo of clubs from the village of Buxton. Last year’s finalists, Buxton United would be taking on New Amsterdam United in the feature match at 21:00hrs.

The curtain raiser pits GFF Elite League champs, Fruta Conquerors against Buxton Stars from 18:30hrs. Double headers are also slated for Saturday and Sunday.

Foxy Ladies on the attack against Santos on Tuesday afternoon at the GFF National Training Centre.

PAGE 35

An attacking corner set-piece for Shiva boys’ during their 6-2 mauling of Annandale Secondary yesterday afternoon.

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Waramadong on the attack against Marian Academy (right) during their 4-0 win yesterday at the GFF National Training Center.

KFC Goodwill football tourney

Shiva boys’ and DC Caesar Fox top respective groups

India’s Kuldeep Yadav, center without cap, celebrates with teammates a hat-trick during the second one day international cricket match between India and West Indies in Visakhapatnam, India, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Yadav’s hat-trick leads India to victory against West Indies Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.