Kaieteur News

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AIETEUR NEWS

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

Man shot dead fighting off gunmen for motorcycle

Tuesday Edition December 08, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 49

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Price $80

p. 24

Online readership yesterday, 97,211

David Granger authorised Orinduik Oil Block deal - But contract was already prepared by PPP - Raphael Trotman p. 2

Former President, David Granger

p. Mozambique Crabwood Creek DPP appeals Ghana 15 communities residents burn suffer injustices tyres, demand dismissal renegotiates from corrupt 13p. removal of p. of Gary Best’s unfair energy 17 management deal to tackle fatal accident NDC chairman, of gas projects p.

rising debt case Husband found in car trunk… More worrying concerns Wife walks free for COVID-19 survivors of murder charge - says Report

overseer

2

p. 11

p. 12

- Emergency Medicine Specialist reveals

PPP/C dancing to ExxonMobil’s tunes p. 3

- As country remains without robust oil laws, policies - Ram Oil contract renegotiation can happen! Hear about it on the Glenn Lall show ...11:00am today on 99.1/99.5FM Kaieteur Radio (Rebroadcast)

Kaieteur News

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Tuesday December 08, 2020

David Granger authorised Orinduik Oil Block deal By Kiana Wilburg

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n numerous occasions, former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, has been challenged by the media to explain why he signed an agreement for the Orinduik Block that allows the contractors, Tullow Oil, Total S.A and Eco Atlantic, to recover a one percent royalty on any discovery made. At every occasion, the AFC Chairman would say, “I acted on directions…” Though he never disclosed where the “directions” came from, a recent interview with Trotman over the weekend suggests that these directions came from former President, David Granger. Kaieteur News had contacted the former Minister regarding his comments to a parliamentary sub-committee on natural resources on the agreement

- But contract was already prepared by PPP - Raphael Trotman in question. During that May 2018 meeting, Trotman noted that it was the People's Progressive Party (PPP) that negotiated the deal and that the coalition only signed it. When contacted on Sunday, Trotman insisted that his comments were grounded in truth and that he stands by them. He even noted that one diplomatic official, former British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn, along with others, had lobbied back in 2016 for the deal to be given government's blessings. Following this appeal, former Head of State, David Granger, gave the green light for the contract to be signed by Trotman. Trotman specifically said, “…It was Greg Quinn and others who lobbied and

the President said ok. But it was negotiated by the PPP. That is on the record. What was agreed to is what was signed. There was no insertion of any clause.” This newspaper also reached out to the former High Commissioner yesterday and he was keen to note that he simply supported a UK company that was seeking to do business in Guyana. “(This is) exactly the same as I did for many other companies. As you know, part of my job was to support UK companies to progress their investments and activities in Guyana (and Suriname),” Quinn noted. Since the release of the Orinduik contract in 2018, Kaieteur News has been at the forefront of exposing its

damning provisions, one of which allows for UK based Tullow Oil and its partners, to enjoy a tax free ride. According to the contract signed with the Granger administration in January 2016, Tullow, Eco Atlantic, Total and all their subcontractors, non-resident or otherwise, shall be permitted to import all equipment and supplies free of duty, Value Added Tax (VAT) or all or any other duties, taxes, levies or imposts. It also has a pre-approved list of over 330 items which is with the authorities. In addition to this, the companies are free to export these items as they deem fit without any tax or fee being applied. Joining them on this tax free ride are all the expatriate

Former President, David Granger

Former Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman employees of the oil companies and their subcontractors. The expats of affiliated companies and their subcontractors will benefit too. They all shall be able to import into Guyana, free of duty and taxes. They will

also enjoy the right to export from Guyana, free of all duties and taxes and at any time. In addition to its tax free ride, the UK based multinational and its partners have billed Guyana US$300,000 or $64M in precontract costs, while noting that this is what it incurred prior to the date its contract was signed. Details of the pre-contract costs were not stated in the deal.

DPP appeals dismissal of Gary Best's fatal accident case

Dead: National cyclist, Jude Bentley

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he Department of P u b l i c Prosecution (DPP) yesterday filed an appeal for the dismissal of the ruling for Former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Rear Admiral (ret'd) Gary Best, causing death by dangerous driving charge in which national cyclist, Jude Bentley, was killed. The notice of appeal was filed in the Court of Appeal. The appeal came days after Magistrate Rondell Weever, in the Georgetown

Former GDF Chief of Staff, Gary Best Magistrates' Courts, upheld a no-case submission that was made in October by Best's attorneys, Nigel Hughes, Ronald Daniels and Sophia Findlay, based on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove the key elements of the offence. As such, Magistrate Weever on Thursday last, ruled that the prosecution failed to establish that Best was driving dangerously, therefore the charge was dismissed. However, based on a (continued on page 11)

Tuesday December 08, 2020

Kaieteur News

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PPP/C dancing to ExxonMobil's tunes - As country remains without robust oil laws, policies - Ram By Kiana Wilburg

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here is a mad rush by American oil g i a n t , ExxonMobil, to monetize the nine billion barrels of oil and gas resources it has discovered to date in the Stabroek Block. As a testimony to the record speed with which it wants to deplete the nation's resources, the company revealed that it intends to have at least four oil vessels operating offshore by 2026. Taking note of this, local and international stakeholders have called on Guyanese authorities to hasten steps to not only strengthen the country's capacity to audit the oil giant's costs and to properly review field development plans, but also, to quickly revise archaic oil laws along with the implementation of new ones. In the absence of these fundamental mechanisms to

ensure proper governance of the sector, stakeholders have warned that Guyana would be leaving itself wide open to massive corruption and abuse by the oil giant. During his first appearance on Kaieteur Radio's programme, Guyana's Oil and You, Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram, shared that he is in agreement with those who have pressed for Guyana to pursue legislative reform for the sector. He said, too, that the PPP/C should have demonstrated more interest in strengthening the legal protection for the sector. Instead of doing this, it is dancing to ExxonMobil's tunes, the same way the APNU+AFC did, expressed the Chartered Accountant. Ram said that the government's hurry to grant the approval for ExxonMobil's Payara project in the Stabroek block

is evidence of this. Ram said, “…APNU+ AFC and the PPP have both allowed Exxon to call the shots…ExxonMobil has been allowed to go through with a mad rush of developing multiple oil projects and we are still working with old oil laws and no depletion policy. So we are dancing to Exxon's tunes…” The Chartered Accountant added, “We are not in a normal situation where you can say 'let's take the usual time, Guyanese time, we will do this in due course.' The reality is that we don't have time…If we are not in control of the major sector of our economy then we are really not in control of the economy.” Ram stressed that by now, Guyana should have had a Petroleum Commission in place or at least some movement on its establishment. He said too that there should have been

'Bread bins' of contraband seized at Lusignan Prison - department charges for three officers; criminal prosecution likely - 15 cartons cigarettes; rum and Guinness in water bottles found stashed

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recent seizure at the Lusignan Prison has raised the eyebrows of authorities with a number of prison officers in deep trouble. It has long been known that it is big business being a prison officer. A seizure on November 17 reinforced this. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday, Minister Robeson Benn has been briefed by the Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, regarding the recent discovery of a quantity of prohibited items, inclusive of suspected narcotics, concealed in bread bins/containers at the Lusignan Prison. Based on the report from the prison chief, about 14:50hrs on the day in question, two prisoners,

under the supervision of a prison officer were transporting four bread bins from the prison's kitchen to the holding bay. The gate officer on duty conducted a search and made a startling discovery. He found 553 grams of marijuana; a quantity of 'Fronto' leaves; one carton 'slow burner'; 10 packs of 'Bamboo'; a quantity of small zip-lock bags; 15 cartons of cigarette; five lighters; one cell phone charger and four packs Winter Fresh gums. The discovery also included one Tropical Mist water bottle containing El Dorado Five-Year-Old rum; one Tropical Mist water bottle containing Guinness; one small bottle vodka and one bottle hard wine. According to the Ministry, the police have

since been called in and an investigation has been launched. “Additionally, three officers, so far, are under specific investigation with respect to this incident. While the police investigations are continuing, three prison officers have been charged departmentally for neglect of d u t y. H o w e v e r, t h e s e departmental charges will in no way prevent these officers from being charged criminally if the investigations find that they were involved in the illegal act,” the Ministry said. There have been frequent searches and seizure. Recently, one prison officer was charged after a quantity of marijuana was found in his barrack room, next door to the prisons.

stricter environmental guidelines in place. Further to this, the transparency advocate said it is important for readers to bear in mind that the PPP was in power from 1992 to 2015. “So they aren't novices, they ain't just come in. They should have come in with a clear policy. They used to say 'we gon hit the ground running.' But its handling of the sector in the first 100 days in office has been disappointing,” Ram concluded. STUCK AT COST AUDITS Along with the sloth to strengthen the nation's legislative framework, the country is still to see the completion of the report on the audit of US$460M which ExxonMobil said it spent prior to 2015 for exploration works offshore Guyana. In September 2019, the APNU+AFC regime had awarded the contract for the audit to a UK firm called IHS Markit. Questioned on the progress of this audit a few weeks ago, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, told the media that the government is

still reviewing the 2015 precontract costs while adding that it is still to get around to auditing an additional set of pre-contract costs. ExxonMobil had said it racked up the additional costs between January and October 2016. The Vice President was not in a position to say how much the second set of precontract costs totals. He had noted, however, that the costs for projects that started being developed after 2015 such as Liza One, Two and Payara, will run into approximately US$20B while adding that Guyana needs to keep its eyes on this. The Vice President stressed, nonetheless, that the government will ensure every cent ExxonMobil has to recover would be accounted for. US$900M ESTIMATE International lawyer, Melinda Janki, was one of the first persons to note that the country could be neckdeep in as much as US$900M in pre-contract costs. During one of the many panel discussions held

Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram on Guyana's oil contract with ExxonMobil, Janki had reminded that the country has to pay US$460M in precontract costs. This covers the period 1999 to 2015. But there is a second lot. Janki had said that the contract specifically states that Guyana is to pay contract costs from January 2016 to when the deal was signed on October 7, 2016. The international lawyer had said: “The costs for the whole of 2016 were about US$583M and if you apportion it to October, you get roughly US$400M. Again, (former) Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, has agreed for Guyana to pay this. As at October 7, 2016, Government's attempt to sell our oil costs us US$900M.” She added, “I have found no law which gives the minister the authority to burden the nation with this, so it is quite possible that he acted illegally.” (See link for m o r e d e t a i l s : https://www.facebook.com/j erome.edwards.925/videos/ 2144978259094356/)

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 08, 2020

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Why did former Minister Trotman not defend himself? Something is rotten in Guyana, which is nowhere near Denmark. There is too much troubling silence from our politicians on anything concerning the questions that rage over their handling of this nation’s oil wealth. The situation on our oil becomes more sinister, when political people who are always loud have all lost their voices on anything related to Guyana’s oil patrimony. There is the Former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman. Without a doubt, Mr. Trotman has been dealt more insulting and wounding blows than any other political figure in this country over our oil. There is no comparison, with what he has had to absorb; no one even in the vicinity of the number of sharp public piercings that would leave any man ragged and hurting. Yet, Mr. Trotman has never made a concerted attempt to defend himself. Like Joe Frazier of old, he simply leaned on the ropes and took what rained on him from everywhere. Unlike Smokin’ Joe, however, this former very important Minister of Guyana did not even put up his arms to block the thunder and furies battering him. Mr. Trotman, in some form or another and at one time or another, has been called every dirty name that could be found. We are prevented from printing the unmentionable ones. But we can present to the public the verbal and printed ordeals that this man was subjected to, but against which he did not lift a finger to defend himself, to resist the tide drowning him in offal and slime. The then minister was, under the umbrella of various words and phrases, called the equivalent of sellout, traitor, conman, moronic, less than useless, and much more. These are the kinder and gentler ones. We at this publication thought it was all deserving and in complete order. Yet it is now coming to light that, all along, Mr. Trotman was leading a double life, he was playing hide and seek with oil truths and with Guyanese to whom he owed a responsibility for the kind of maximum openness that comes from total honesty. That is, no holding back, no playing of slick games, no commission of the unacceptable by engaging in what reeks of omission. But this is precisely what Mr. Trotman did; he was all of those things listed above, and then some more. But most of all, it is what he omitted to tell the angry, disappointed and disgusted public. He hid from the truth; and in so doing he hid the truth from citizens, who had to know. For there he was, in front of a parliamentary subcommittee asking questions about the Orinduik Oil Block, and he opened up and spoke a mouthful. The former minister shared a number of things, which we will accept as factual, since they were in the legislative house of the people, and a place where nothing less than honourable business is expected to be conducted. Mr. Trotman stated that other than a single award to Tullow Oil, his APNU coalition group was not involved in any oil awards. And the reason for the Tullow Oil award in early 2016 was to honour a commitment made by the former PPP government (KN December 7). This is worth repeating: the former Minister asserted that his APNU coalition was not involved in any way or to any degree with what transpired with the other oil blocks and any arrangements and their related terms and conditions. This was back in May 2018 (KN December 7). But, despite being cruelly and relentlessly beaten up publicly by one and all, Mr. Trotman never wavered from his standing line that he was not prepared to say anything on oil matters. While the painful cuffs and kicks connected, the man did not budge. While the taints to his reputation stockpiled, he did not blink. What did he know? What did former Minister Trotman know, but would not speak about at all in public? What was he hiding? Who, and how many, was he defending? What could be involved that he gave more than his life to keep oil secrets that protected even political adversaries? Indeed, something is rotten with oil Guyana.

Despite political commitments, extractive industries information has not been published Dear Editor The Legal Supplement B to the Official Gazette of 30 November 2020 carried a Government Notice setting out the names of the Guyana Forestry Commission Board for November 2020 to November 2021. As the Government Notice is signed by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, I ask Minister Teixeira to say whether Article

7 of the Guyana Forestry Commission Act has been officially amended and, if yes, where I might find a record of that amendment. Article 7(2) (a) states: ‘no vice-chairman shall be appointed to the Commission.’ The Government Notice of 30 November 2020 names Mr. James Singh as ViceChairman. Simultaneously, Mr. Singh is using letterhead

of the GFC to send official communications as from the GFC, although he was reported to have retired as from December 2019. Secondly, I note that politicians of both the PPP/C and APNU+AFC have often promised to publish the various investment agreements and licences for extraction of Guyana’s natural resources. Most of these licences

and agreements have not yet been published. Our membership of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) requires that these shall be published, and confirmed in the current round of EITI reporting. I look forward to demonstrated compliance by the current PPP/C administration. Yours truly, Janette Bulkan

Congressional Chair Meeks will support democracy in Guyana Dear Editor, Reference is made to news items on Greg Meeks being selected as Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee of the US Congress; it is a very powerful position. Meeks has a long history with Guyanese. He is a man of integrity who will support consolidation of democracy in Guyana and continue to abhor fraudulent elections as he did from March to July. I know Meeks well with a history going back to late 1997. We would meet at public events where he was an invited guest and speaker; he is a terrific speaker who capture your attention with a strong, lucid voice. The last constructive meet was in February in Richmond Hill where we talked about selection of the Democratic nominee. I asked him publicly if he would endorse Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination; he was noncommittal and in fact seemed to be supporting another candidate. He in turn asked publicly who I would support because he knows I volunteered for every election campaign. I indicated I was volunteering for Joe Biden and that he would win the nomination as well as the Presidency. Both are now facts. Meeks represents the 5th Congressional District that includes greater Richmond Hill and areas where Indo-Guyanese predominate – over 100K of them. Guyanese would recognize the name as the African American Congressman, who along with a few others, called on the Granger government to accept the outcome of the recount of votes undertaken by the High Level Caricom team; two other Black members of Congress, Yvette Clarke

(Jamaican American) and Hakeem Jeffries purportedly opposed the recount and its outcome and USA’s involvement to pressure the Granger administration to accept the outcome of the elections. Jeffries and Clarke represent districts where thousands of Afro Guyanese are settled. Clarke and Meeks along with Albio Sires of New Jersey, the White Chair of We s t e r n A ff a i r s s u b Committee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, visited Guyana late January 2020 to assess the situation for free and fair elections meeting the President and Opposition figures. On their return, Meeks and Clarke met Guyanese in February in two separate meetings — Richmond Hill and Flatbush — reporting on their visit; they both said that Granger committed to and they themselves called for free and fair elections. Meeks was consistent in his position on FFE in Guyana throughout the five months ordeal while C l a r k e ’s position disappointingly shifted. I know Clarke when she first ran to replace her mother in the City Council from Brooklyn. I attended her first fundraiser in Richmond Hill for City Council. She returned to Richmond Hill for fundraisers when she ran for Congress; she raised substantial funds. IndoGuyanese political leaders in Richmond Hill were disappointed that she was not very supportive of the community. Meeks and I have a long history. He is grateful for Guyanese support – votes as well as funding, staff, and volunteers. I am perhaps the first Guyanese

to have worked for him (volunteered for his campaign and he said so publicly on several occasions as he recognized my presence at functions) in late 1997 and January 1998 when he sought the 6th CD seat to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the powerful Floyd Flake. (Boundaries later shifted and the seat became 5th CD). He once told his daughter in my presence and that of others that he owes his election to Congress to me. Despite working on several campaigns and assisting many politicians to get elected, none was as forthright as Meeks in expressing gratitude for voluntary work done. I would never forget his comment to his daughter. He said to her: “This is the gentleman who is responsible for my getting elected to Congress”. In earlier encounters, he said the same to his charming wife. A c t u a l l y, Meeks exaggerated my role and contributions in his first run for Congress. Others played far more important role than me. Indeed, I volunteered for his campaign. We met a few times in his office in Jamaica as I would go there almost daily after my teaching duties and on weekends; he had few volunteers and a skeletal staff of 3. Funds were tight. I helped organized fundraisers in Richmond Hill. Ram Jodha, Ed Ahmad, Philip Baldeo, among others also organized fundraisers. The real estate community and some lawyers offered financial support. He told me, “I never saw so much donations for any of my campaigns”. He was very thankful and grateful for the

support. He asked for my CV. He said it was most impressive that I had completed several post-graduate degrees and whether I would be interested in working for him should he win. I was not interested. My skill in conducting opinion polls caught his attention and he said he would be interested in finding out his support in the district and chance of winning the seat. I did conduct an informal survey querying thousands of people and making telephone calls on how they would vote. I reported to him that he would win a landslide. In addition to polling, I went around with a paid staff member putting up posters all over Richmond Hill, Rosedale, Jamaica, Queens Village, etc. and also on fences of Black churches. I spent several afternoons leafleting at subway stations days, in mailboxes, and on the streets. Closer to Election Day, I distributed palm cards. I accompanied him to several public meetings and introduced him to the audience. I took him to several mandirs on Sunday mornings in Richmond Hill and Jamaica and I prepped him that he had to take off his shoes and begin and end his talk with “Namaste” (his pronunciation was off then but perfect now). He would never forget my introduction to him on Indo-Guyanese culture and Hinduism and on traditional strong curry that he partook at fundraisers. (His wife is Guyanese American – I recall him telling me his father-in-law lived in the Bronx (?). And the few times I interacted with his wife, she talked about the father and Guyana). Meeks replaces Elliott Engel as Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and would continue in the footsteps of his predecessor, a strong advocate of FFE; (Continued on page 6)

T N U L B . . . T B N U T L N T B . U . L . L T B . N . U . N U T L N B . U . T . L N T U N B . N U . L U L LUNT. B . T . . T T N N B U B . U . L . L T B . B . . N . . . T U T L N N T U U L N L B U . B . . L . . . T B T . . N . N T U L N LU B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . U .B L NT LUNT..Guyana, N B . . U . L T B N demand . . B . U . . T L . N T B . . U N . L N T renegotiation B U N . . L . U T L B . . N B . . . T U . of all our L N T B U . . L . UN T B U . . L N . contracts and T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . deals signed . L B U UN .BLUNT. by bothUN . . L . T B . . . PPP T . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . and Coalition . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . Governments! T B U . . L N . LU ...BLUNT LUNT...B NT...BL T B U . . L N . T B BLU T...BLUN BLUNT... UNT...B . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B BBLU T...BLUN BLUNT... ...BLU . T . N . N T T U L U L N L B U T...BLU U B . L . N . B T . . . N T U N N N L U U U B L . L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Tuesday December 08, 2020

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Kaieteur News

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Tuesday December 08, 2020

Bharat Dindyal back as GPL CEO B

harat Dindyal h a s b e e n reappointed the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Power and Light Incorporation (GPL). He replaces Albert Gordon, who had held the position from February 2018. According to a statement from GPL, the appointment of Dindyal forms part of the company's plans to “modernize, expand and improve electricity supply in support of the development of Guyana.” Dindyal has 26 years experience in engineering services and operation of electric utilities, and is no stranger to GPL having served as its CEO from 2006-2015. Notably, during his previous tenure at GPL, Dindyal was accused of mismanaging projects. In fact, days after the Government had announced his termination, an explosive report revealed a battle that was waged within that state company. The report by Former GPL Chairman, Winston Brassington, was dated December 22, 2014, weeks after the CEO had written the former PM to renew his contract. The report on Dindyal would be the first

CEO. Dindyal had signalled his intentions to the Board of Directors that he wanted a renewal of his three-year contract despite earlier intentions to leave. He had even asked for a US$1,500 increase, on top of his $6.1M monthly pay, as part of his arrangements to stay on as CEO. TEN GENERATORS

GPL Boss, Bharat Dindyal public disclosure of the power struggle within GPL which had come under fire for years now for spates of blackouts, high tariffs and costly projects that just could not reduce the amount of electricity theft that have caused losses. According to reports, Dindyal was reportedly a power by himself, clashing with the Board of Directors, and mismanaging the multibillion-dollar projects the company had embarked on. Brassington, in an ev alu atio n r ep o r t las t December, recommended that Dindyal, a qualified engineer, not be rehired as

His poor management style had led to the write-off of at least 10 generator sets and hundreds of millions of dollars in additional monies being spent to fund projects, like the 26 megawatts Vreeden-Hoop power station facility. Dindyal had failed to return with a project summary of the Vreed-enHoop project, which foundation costs ballooned from $483M to $1B. Among other things, it was reported that Dindyal had “treated the board with disrespect, refusing to carry out instructions or decisions of the board and instructed management to ignore board decisions”. He failed to report to the board on a routine basis – in fact not submitting monthly reports or even major reports on key matters for decision.

Brassington had even claimed that the Board was left in the dark on how well projects were being implemented. AUTOCRATIC AND AD HOC As a matter of fact, Dindyal had told the directors to leave him to do his work, as there was no technically competent person there to instruct him. He had even told this to the former Cabinet of Ministers under

the former People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) regime. “The CEO's style of management had been autocratic and ad hoc leading at times to an almost dysfunctional level of organization,” the 25-oddpage evaluation report had said. Dindyal's style of management had caused former Director of Operations, Elwyn Marshall, along with Director of Projects/Operations, Colin Singh, to resign.

RENTALS D i n d y a l ' s mismanagement of GPL's assets had also forced the company to shell out millions to rent Caterpillar engines, with customers also being forced to wait on explanations over what caused shutdowns. Brassington, also in the report, said that the former CEO's remuneration was based on comparable rates being paid to CDC/ESBI, a former partner of GPL.

Guyana affected for hours after outage to region's internet

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wo of the country's main i n t e r n e t companies yesterday experienced outages as a result of problems in the region's network. H o w e v e r, b o t h t h e Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) and E-Networks Inc. said that back-up systems helped to restrict the fallouts. According to GTT, the internet outage affected the region, with some customers likely experiencing service?interruption.? “Due to our significant investments in building the maximum resiliency available to serve our customers, no widespread outage should be

expected,”?said P u b l i c Relations Manager at G T T , Jasmin Harris.? “Customer s should not have a n y significant challenges during this period.”?? She said that her team was? monitoring the situation closely. Privatelycontrolled E-networks Inc., also acknowledged the outage which occurred in the morning hours and which lasted approximately two hours. The company blamed a

region-wide shutdown w h i c h affected multiple internet providers i n Barbados, Tr i n i d a d and other islands. “ We w e r e able to re-route our internet traffic to our backup path and are pleased to update you that all internet services are fully restored. We once again apologize for the inconvenience caused and would like to express our sincere gratitude for your patience and understanding during this time.”

Tuesday December 08, 2020

Kaieteur News

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The Mayor does not need government's help

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eorgetown is a dying city. It is decayed and degraded; and has no future. The PPP/C realizes the impossibility of renovating Georgetown. This is why it is thinking about a second city, near to Soesdyke. The decision of PPP/C to move towards a second city rather than secondary town, has nothing to do with the need to respond to new population centers. If this was the case, then the place identified for the new city should have been Diamond or Parfaite Harmonie. Yesterday, the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown re-elected Mayor Ubraj Narine for another year. The Mayor extended the olive branch saying that he was interested in working with the government for the development of the city. Then almost in the same breadth, he threw some broadsides at the very government which he says he wants to work with. The government is not interested in local government. It never was. One of the reasons why Donald Ramotar lost the Presidency was because the movers and shakers within the party were not interested in spending G$4B to hold local government elections. They saw that as a waste of time and resources. The PPP/C's refusal to hold local government elections had nothing to do

with the fear of losing those elections. The PPP/C did not lose the popular vote in local government elections in 1994, 2018 and 2016. It humiliated the APNU+AFC and the PNC/R and the AFC in local government elections in 2016 and 2018 respectively. The PPP/C views development strictly in financial terms. It has no reverence for local democracy, seeing local government elections as a financial burden on the Tr e a s u r y. I t p r o b a b l y calculates that the cost of executing local government elections is not worth the while and that the same money can be used to provide another G$25,000 per household. The PPP/C would have looked at Georgetown and the mountain of problems it faces. It would have recognized that putting money into the City Council is like pouring it down a bottomless pit. No amount of money can rescue what is essentially a leadership problem in the city. The Mayor and City Council of Georgetown does not need the help of Central Government. It has the tax base to be able to operate at a surplus. It, however, faces two sets of problems. First, its tax policies are imbalanced and heavily against businesses which are unfairly and harshly taxed. The bulk of the G$6B which is said to be owed to City

Hall are owed by businesses who are being sabotaged by the inability of the Council to remove unfair competition from vendors. The vendors are not paying any taxes. Even the cleaning fee, which they are charged is less than the cleaning fee paid by businesses. City Council can never collect that G$6B since much of it are penalties owed by businesses. The taxes and penalties are so severe that if you own a business and you miss a year's payment of rates of taxes, this then becomes compounded by the heavy penalty, which makes it even more difficult to pay the next year. The penalties rather than encouraging people to pay their arrears end up encouraging not to pay since they simply cannot afford the compounded arrears and prefer to await an amnesty which in recent times is lacking in transparency and has to be negotiated. In the meantime, residential places in the city are undervalued for rates and taxes and purposes. The taxes, which most residential properties pay barely cover the cost of garbage collection. They certainly cannot pay for the other services such as roads, streetlights, drainage and weeding. City Council does not need the Government to help it to develop Georgetown. All it has to do is to get its act together and be realistic and

Talk de way people boys gan understand seh... Dem

D

em had an e l e c t i o n yesterday. And one man win by a mudslide. No sooner he win, he start throwing shade at de government. It remind dem boys of a story about a man who house falling down. Yet he tek it pon he own fuh deh criticizing oder people homes. Dem boys seh talking is about communicating, not about sounding good. If you does communicate better using Creolese, den stick to dat. People gan understand yuh de same way dem used

to understand Bagee from Essequibo. Dah man nag gat fancy English in he mouth but when he talk, even if is stupidness, people understand what he seh. So dem boys wan seh dat dere is no fallen glory in trying fuh communicate de best way yuh know how. It important to get yuh message across. Is not de words you use but how dese words are received. One morning, I was going out of meh house when I met my neighbour's daughter who was pregnant. When I returned home, I saw her fader closing de door. I

told him: “Your daughter hasn't married yet I wonder how it is possible a girl without any husband be pregnant?� For a moment, her fader with a bitter smile said: "She isn't pregnant; it is all wind in her belly. When she farts, she would recover." De next year, I saw de same girl with a baby in her arms. Next day when I was going out, I saw her fader and so I told him: "I saw your daughter with her fart in her arms." Talk half and see who gan try to talk thing with sense.

fair in setting taxes. The markets should have been a money-spinner for the Council but more business is now done outside the perimeters of the markets than inside and so Council cannot even begin to contemplate charging market rentals. Instead of taking the vendors off the pavements and into the markets, City

Hall is burdening the business sector by taxing containers. This tax is not borne, however, by the businesses. It is borne by the consumers who have to pay it. The government realises that it a waste of time to try to redeem the city. Things have gone too far down the drain. Georgetown is going to die a slow death. It will still be the capital of Guyana; its sunken

investments will mean that business will continue. Twenty years from now, there is going to be a second city, which is going to surpass Georgetown. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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Tuesday December 08, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Rotting duck meat: How the people of Guyana think about it T

he Director of Veterinary and Public Health (DVPH) of the Ministry of Health and the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) of the Ministry of Health within a span of four days were in action. Expired duck found was confiscated. Imported meat from Brazil was seized. The DVPH and GLDA then did a strange thing. I used the word strange to avoid libel but readers must read between the lines. They publicly identified the Brazilian supermarket the stuff was removed from. But the very people who exposed the Brazilian establishment

are refusing to name the importer of the rotting duck. I could identify the importer which is a big business firm but libel will visit me because when the company sues, for obvious reason, GLDA and DVPH will not testify on my behalf even if I subpoena them. Now brace yourself for a country, perhaps the only one in the world, where the society is stuck in mental bondage. I called the DVPH, Dr. Dodson, on a Saturday afternoon. Dr. Dodson was polite but then I got a rude awakening. He said he was in Alberttown and do not want to give me the name because

he wants to get the spelling correctly. He indicated he would do that on Monday when he peruses the document in his office. I contacted him in his office the Monday. He informed me he will be in touch. I liked his tone just before he came off the phone. He said, “I will be in touch, my brother.” I like that. In my 32 years in journalism no interviewee has ever called me, “brother.” Now just to get the name of the importer of an action he was involved in days before, he couldn't give me. I called again. He said he had work to do. From there on Dr. Dodson was impossible to

contact. The next stop was deputy head of GLDA, Dr. Dwight Walrond. He said “no comment” because he has to get permission from his boss, Dr. Grayson Halley, to talk. I asked Dr. Walrond if it was not unprofessional for GLDA to name one firm but not the other. That did not go down well. Dr. Walrond said I want to write about the issue so I can stay relevant in Guyana. He then put down the phone so I didn't get to tell him that once Guyana has people like him, his boss (Dr. Halley) and their colleague, Dr. Dodson, columnist like me will always be relevant and newspapers will continue to sell. For two weeks I have been phoning Dr. Halley; about five times each day, u s i n g d i ff e r e n t p h o n e numbers but I cannot get in touch with the gentleman. For two weeks now, I left several messages with his secretary. Two companies' meats were seized and those were the only names revealed to the public. My next stop was the Ministry of Health. I called the Permanent Secretary, Malcolm Watkins, a former UG student of mine. I

explained the unfairness and indicated to him these are the kinds of action from public officials that would lead people to think something unsavoury went down. After 20 minutes, he called to say that he has been informed

Frederick Kissoon that the investigation on the stink (my adjective) duck meat is still ongoing. I told Mr. Watkins that I cannot accept that explanation for the simple fact that another importer's identity was revealed to the public and that was unfair and discriminatory treatment by the state. Now that I have revealed the discrimination, I would urge the Brazilian Embassy to get in touch with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President to lodge a

complaint. This is where the Americans stand out in the world. The US Embassy in Guyana would have seen red if the DVPH and the GLDV had sanctioned an American firm for an illegality by publicly identifying the American business place in Georgetown but refused to do the same for another importer. I guess it is up to the Brazilian Embassy to protect its citizens in Guyana. Guyana has had excellent relations with our colossal neighbour since Independence and it is certainly unsatisfactory that a Brazilian business place could be so shabbily treated. I guess readers will shrug their shoulder and say this is how Guyana is and do what most Guyanese do - harbour that intense desire to leave. But there is another set of Guyanese who would say the following, “What is Freddy writing about such a trivial matter when look what James Bond and Gary Best got away with.” I guess they are right. I will have to write on the luck of Gary Best. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Tuesday December 08, 2020

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Tuesday December 08, 2020

More worrying concerns for - Emergency Medicine COVID-19 survivors Specialist reveals A

fter being unleashed on the world, one year ago, COVID-19 has been wreaking tremendous havoc in just about every facet of our existence. The capacity of health sectors particularly, have been pushed beyond their limits over the course of t h e y e a r, f o r c i n g t h e introduction of innovative means to attend to those in need of care. But there is even more troubling news emerging about the impact this disease can have on health. Sharing on this recent development in his column of Sunday December 6, 2020 in this newspaper, Emergency Medicine Specialist, Dr. Zulfikar Bux, revealed that even if infected persons survive the disease, there can be worrying times ahead. Dr. Bux made reference to the possibility of recovered patients being subjected to complications from organ damage caused by

the infection. This he had shared in a previous column, but had quite a bit more to add. “A few months ago, I had highlighted that there are long-term effects of COVID-19 that are showing up in patients and may be a worrying trend for survivors o f C O V I D - 1 9 . Unfortunately, studies are showing these effects in more survivors than previously thought,” Dr. Bux revealed. Some studies, he said, have shown effects in up to 70 percent of survivors but the common consensus seems to be around 10 percent of the population showing these long-term effects. Patients affected by this are called “long haulers” and scientists, the medical practitioner said, are calling this new phenomenon PostCOVID-19 syndrome. He noted that while PostCOVID-19 syndrome is seen more commonly in those with the severe form of the

disease, doctors are seeing increasing numbers of patients who were asymptomatic or had the milder form of the disease. In sharing what he described as “scary facts about life after COVID-19,” Dr. Bux said that his aim is to ensure that people can better understand and help support those who develop PostCOVID-19 syndrome. In addition to organ damage complications, PostCOVID-19 syndrome may present a range of symptoms. The most common ones, Dr. Bux revealed, are: fatigue, difficulty breathing, joint pain, chest pain, brain fog (including an inability to concentrate and impaired memory), loss of taste and/or smell and sleep issues. According to Dr. Bux, since people who have severe symptoms of COVID-19 often have to be treated in a hospital's intensive care unit with mechanical assistance such as ventilators to breathe,

“simply surviving this experience can make a person more likely to later develop post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression and anxiety.” Since it is not the easiest task to predict long-term outcomes from the disease, Dr. Bux said that scientists are looking at the long-term effects seen in related viruses, such as the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). “Many people who have recovered from SARS have gone on to develop chronic fatigue syndrome, a complex disorder characterized by extreme fatigue that worsens with physical or mental activity but doesn't improve with rest. The same may be true for people who have had C O V I D - 1 9 , ” D r. B u x theorized. Dr. Bux noted that although the disease primarily affects the lungs, it can damage many other organs increasing the risk of Post-COVID-19 syndrome.

Among the organs that can become damaged are the lungs, heart, brain, kidneys and liver. Post-COVID-19 syndrome can be seen in people who had to visit a hospital with concerning symptoms or who had advanced symptoms that required a brief hospital stay, Dr. Bux revealed. It can also occur in people who had mild symptoms and self-treated at home, he added. But according to him, “The actual frequency of Post-COVID19 syndrome is still largely up for debate, and different studies find this condition to be more or less common in various groups of people.” Those most at risk for developing Post-COVID-19 syndrome, according to Dr. Bux are: adults over the age of 50; people who experienced a more severe case; individuals with underlying health conditions, particularly cardiopulmonary issues,

Emergency Medicine Specialist, Dr. Zulfikar Bux hypertension, diabetes or obesity. Given the far-reaching health impact, Dr. Bux has concluded that “COVID-19 is more than just overcoming a bout of flu-like illness. The lasting effects are too common and can be dangerous. The best way to avoid Post-COVID-19 syndrome is to avoid COVID-19 itself.” To achieve this, the Emergency Medicine Specialist said, “practice preventative measures and avoid getting the virus so that you do not have to face life with Post-COVID-19 syndrome.”

Tuesday December 08, 2020

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Mozambique communities suffer injustices from corrupt management of gas projects - Report C

ommunities in Mozambique report suffering injustices because of the way gas developments are being implemented, according to information compiled by an international nongovernmental organization called Friends of the Earth (FOE). T h e N G O h a d discussions with affected communities of gas developments, over 20 Mozambican civil society organizations and other individuals working in the area. Mozambique discovered substantial offshore gas reserves about a decade ago, giving rise to hopes that Mozambique would become an energy superpower in that region, working with companies like Shell, Anadarko and ENI. The country is said to have over 100 trillion cubic feet of gas. In order for these fields to be developed, the government saw that substantial investments needed to be made in infrastructure. For Mozambicans, that meant having to sell some of their lands to facilitate the path of the infrastructure to be established. Appropriately, there would be adequate consultation processes and locals would receive compensation at a fair price. This was reportedly not the case in many situations. Friends of the Earth reported that there were land grabs with inadequate settlement plans. “Communities report having their land taken from them without consultation or adequate compensation; the rare times compensation is given, it is extremely low,” the NGO said.

On top of that, resettlement plans for displaced populations were reportedly blind to cultural issues, which could end up causing conflicts. As in many situations linked to petroleum extraction and production, the respondents to the surveys of the NGO alleged corruption and malfeasance on the part of government officials, the private companies, and even con artists. “Local villagers shared documents revealing paltry sums provided for land taken and stories of being lied to about what was being offered to them… Communities said that even where companies had provided money for land taken or destroyed, the government had pocketed portions of it,” Friends of the Earth said. Furthermore, the villagers had fallen prey to scammers who capitalized on their desperation to get jobs, as Anadarko – one of the involved oil companies – failed to properly inform the public about local content opportunities, the NGO said. When it comes to local content, the people reported not getting what they were promised. The Government and Anadarko reportedly promised many high paying jobs, which got the support of many young, unemployed men. “Unfortunately,” Friends of the Earth said, “local communities have already reported that the companies are hiring foreigners and urban Mozambicans, and that when they do hire local villagers, they are allegedly paid less even for equal positions. Some locals have asserted that they are hired at

A Mozambican villager tells the Friends of the Earth project team how the gas developments have affected him. (Photo: Friends of the Earth)

low salaries to fulfill local employment mandates without being given any actual work.” Even from the supporting industries of the development, villagers reported problems that they were being displaced. Their land was reportedly unjustly exploited by companies supporting the gas project to extract materials for their infrastructure, such as sand for construction. “Villagers say they have been told they could no longer farm their land, or that they would be punished if they tried,” FOE said. “Others reported going to their land only to find that a road or structure was being built without any consultation or warning. This displacement has left them unable to feed their families.” The issues Mozambicans are facing provide lessons so Guyana knows what to guard against, as it works out the details of its gas-to-shore project. The Guyana government intends to start work on the project by late 2021, with a view of reducing the cost of power for Guyanese and providing reliable electricity.

34-year-old woman is country's 154th COVID-19 death

T

he Ministry of Health yesterday reported that a 34year-old wo m a n f r o m R e g i o n F our (DemeraraMahaica) is Guyana's 154th COVID-19 death. This was announced in a press release which also said that the w o m a n s u c c u m b e d w hile receiving treatment at a medical facility. According to the

Ministry too, there are 32 new COVID-19 cases. This was represented in the Ministry's daily dashboard update w h i c h s h o w e d t h e t otal number of confirmed cases increasing to 5,679. The dashboard revealed that Regions One, Four and 10 recorded t h r e e o f t h e c a s e s , Region Two - 11, Region Six - four, Region Seven - seven and Region

Nine - one. The dashboard further states that four persons are in t h e C O V I D - 1 9 I n t e n s i v e C a r e Unit, 40 are in institutional isolation, 720 in approved home isolation and 44 in institutional quarantine. To date, 4,779 persons have recovered from the virus and a tota l o f 3 2 , 2 2 1 p e r s o ns have been tested.

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Tuesday December 08, 2020

US Group discusses waste to renewable energy project in Guyana T

he Hoskinson Group, a leading United States company involved in the conversion of waste to energy held discussions this week with Government and private sector officials about developing a waste to energy project here. The company, which has technology in use in several waste to energy operations in the United States, Canada

and other countries, is in the process of conducting a feasibility study which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, following which a detailed proposal will be submitted to Government for consideration. Hoskinson's Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Gustavo Solorzano, accompanied by its representative for

Guyana, Wesley Kirton, last week held a series of fact finding m e e t i n g s w i t h several government agencies including the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Guyana Power & Light (GPL), the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as the

Hoskinson Group Wesley Kirton (left) poses with Prime Minister Mark Phillips (centre) Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown. They also held meetings with Prime Minister Brigadier (ret'd), Mark Phillips; Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon; and US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch. In addition, the team toured the Haag Bosch landfill at Eccles and the operations of Puran Brothers Incorporated on the West Bank of Demerara, where discussions were held with off i c i a l s a b o u t t h e volumes of waste collected and methods of collection and disposal of various categories of waste. Hoskinson is proposing to invest entirely in the

project without any requirement of financial investment on the part of the Government. The sustained viability of the proposed multi-million US dollar project is dependent on the successful negotiation of a power purchase agreement between the company and GPL, as well as a guaranteed supply of a specific volume of waste on a daily basis to the conversion plant. “We are very encouraged by the initial response of all the stakeholders and now have a basis for moving forward with a detailed proposal for consideration b y t h e G u y a n a Government,” Mr. Solorzano said.

He added that this project would be a transformational one in terms of the way Guyana handles its waste disposal resulting in significant environmental benefits and financial savings for the country. “Given Guyana's projected development in the near and long term, the volume of waste is expected to quadruple and this project will provide for tremendous benefits in relation to ensuring clean communities and the reduction in contamination of ground water and air that emanate from landfill operations quite often resulting in illnesses among the population including cancer,” he pointed out.

Wife walks free of murder... From page 11 to discontinue at any stage before judgment is delivered any such criminal proceedings instituted or undertaken by him or her or any other person or authority.” As such, Magistrate Azore discharged the murder case against the woman, and she was set free. Alli was represented by attorney-at-law Bernard DaSilva. According to reports, the police had first charged Sadeek Mohamed Mitchell, a taxi driver, for Ramzan Alli's murder. It is alleged Mitchell had given a caution statement in which he admitted to killing the fuel dealer on a woman's orders. P olice sources had

indicated that Alli was slain at his Good Hope, East Coast Demerara home and then his body was placed in a rented car and transported to the Coldingen Railway Embankment Road. The woman, who Mitchell implicated, had allegedly plotted the murder the same day that the victim and his relatives were having a religious service for Alli's brother, Akbar Alli, who was gunned down on July 24, 2008. Ramzan Alli, 45, was discovered dead around 08:00 hrs. on Sunday, July 12, 2009, in the trunk of his rental car which was on the Coldingen Railway Embankment Road. While his limbs were not bound, a plastic bag was

duct-taped over his head. A post mortem had revealed that he died from suffocation compounded by blunt trauma to the head. Relatives had launched a search after several calls to Ramzan Alli's cell phone went unanswered. The father of two had reportedly left his home to buy meat for the aforementioned religious function. A relative eventually spotted the rental car on the Railway Embankment, and reportedly saw blood dripping from the trunk. He then forced the trunk open and found the body. Relatives had ruled out robbery since they said he never wore jewellery and did not have any money on his person.

Tuesday December 08, 2020

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Ghana renegotiates unfair energy deal to tackle rising debt T

he Republic of G h a n a successfully renegotiated an energy deal in September, to make the terms more competitive and to tackle rising debt. Ghana's Ministry of Finance reported that the Government managed to secure improved terms, including a reduced capital recovery tariff, resulting in savings to the government of US$200 million over the remaining life of the agreement. “The tariffs agreed were not competitive and have contributed significantly to the buildup of debt in the sector and oversupply of energy,” the Government said in a statement. “We are committed to building a competitive and dynamic energy sector where private investments can thrive, and the interests of the Ghanaian people and businesses continue to flourish,” Ghana's Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta said. The contract between the independent power producer, CENIT Energy Limited, and the Government of Ghana, is one of several power purchase agreements (PPA) which oversupply Ghana with power and threaten the financial stability of the energy sector. Ghana said that that the new terms will produce a favourable outcome for both parties and result in reduced electricity costs for the people of Ghana. T h e M i n i s t e r encouraged other independent power producers to collaborate with the government to help bring down crippling debts and ensure Ghanaians have a stable power supply.

gas. The World Bank has come under scrutiny for the role it played in Ghana's energy sector, especially for its funding and endorsement of the Sankofa gas project. The Bretton Woods Project, a UK based nong o v e r n m e n t a l organization, said in a 2018

Ghana's Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta “At present,” the Finance Ministry said, “Ghana pays over US$500M a year for unused electricity. Most of t h e P PA s a r e l e g a c y agreements, entered into under the previous administration in an uncoordinated and hasty attempt to end dumsor.” Dumsor means 'off-on' in the Akan language. In Ghana, it is used to refer to frequent blackouts. Ghana had worked to bring reliable power to its millions of citizens. However, it ended up hastily signing poor deals which oversupplied electricity to the country and forced the government to pay hundreds of millions every year for unused gas. In response to this issue, the current administration was forced to create the Energy Sector Recovery Task Force to execute a programme that would make the energy sector financially sustainable, get better deals, and find uses for the excess

article that Ghana's offshore gas is rapidly becoming a fiscal burden amidst the country's debt crisis, and that this raises questions about the role of the World Bank in the country's gas development. It said that the publicprivate partnership (PPP) for the project is backed by a total of US$1.2 billion in

World Bank guarantees and debt financing. As early as 2015, Ghana Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), like the African Centre for Energy Policy, criticized the contract's terms as unfavourable. The Bank noted the considerable criticism in the media, and pointed to t h e n e e d f o r a

communications strategy ahead of major resource projects so the public understands the benefits of intended developments. Oil governance advocates, including i n t e r n a t i o n a l l a w y e r, Melinda Janki, have written to the World Bank, challenging it to prove that Guyana's project will not end up like Ghana's. The World Bank is assisting Guyana with the development of its petroleum sector, through a US$20M loan.

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Tuesday December 08, 2020

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Tuesday December 08, 2020

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Crabwood Creek residents burn tyres, demand removal of NDC chairman, overseer S

everal furious residents of Crabwood Creek, Upper Corentyne yesterday morning converged outside the Crabwood Creek Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) to protest for the removal of the NDC Chairman, Terbhawandat "Tero" Arjune, and the Overseer, Fizul Ally. The residents, who braved the early morning sun with placards in hand, lined the roadway with tyres and set them on fire, interrupting the flow of traffic for a while. One of the placards read "Crabwood Creek NDC needs new management. All uneducated councillors must go. CWC has smart and educated people". Another read, "Tero Arjune must go" in bold letters. Shortly after the fiery protest began, armed police arrived at the location and managed to clear the roadway to allow the smooth flow of traffic. However, the residents continued to protest and chant for the removal of the two officials. Razika Singh, a resident of Crabwood Creek, told reporters that the NDC Chairman has not been doing a good job and has not been serving the residents as he should be. "This chairman has not been doing a good job for the Crabwood Creek people; he doesn't have the interest of the people at heart. He is a dictator and whenever a problem goes to him, he don't find a solution, he tries to create enemies instead," she stated. "Is this the way a leader should be?" Singh asked, before making the call to have him removed from the position, which he has held for the past 13 years. Jalil Singh, another angry resident, said that the NDC has been victimizing persons within the community and have chosen persons that they assist. "It have friends with benefits in this council here, and the council is uneducated and is making uneducated decisions so we need a change in this NDC. We are asking for the Chairman and the Overseer to be removed by the government because we vote

for the PPP and Mr. Ali as president, we didn't vote for Mr. Arjune to rule on us for 13 years till now and not fixing our problems," he argued. One of the main problems raised by the protestors, which they said was not being addressed, is the need for better streets. They stressed that many of

The residents in front the NDC building

The aftermath: Some evidence still remains of the yesterday's protest the streets are in desperate need of fixing but the NDC has not been "putting the people first". "When there are savings from the subvention, they fixing the office. They chose

themselves over the people before they take the savings from the subventions and keep it when the street “gonna� get bad and fix them. They dictating and they hardly attend meetings,

the attendance book will show how often they come," Singh said.

The residents are calling on the government to intervene and have the

Chairman and the Overseer removed and replaced with "educated people".

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 08, 2020

Uitvlugt struggles to 18,599 tonnes - GuySuCo on course to industry low of 89,000

U

itvlugt Estate, We s t C o a s t Demerara is rapidly winding down for the second crop of 2020 bringing the corporation's total annual production of sugar to 85,531 metric tonnes (MT) as of Sunday, December 6, 2020. According to the stateowned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), the industry is on course to achieving 89,000 MT of sugar before the crop closes in two weeks. Uitvlugt Estate, one of the three operational estates managed by GuySuCo, has concluded its production for the second crop of 2020 with a total of 18,599.4 MT as of Sunday. With complaints that the factory has been beyond inefficient for this crop, Estate Manager, Yudhisthira Mana, explained that while the estate experienced several challenges in the cultivation as a result of inclement weather during the latter part of the crop and the factory due to a lack of timely access to spare parts, employees must be commended for working diligently for harvesting all of the available sugar cane.

Uitvlugt estate's dam and field badly flooded

Uitvlugt cane harvester resorted to the cut-and-carry method to salvage cane ahead of heavy rains This resulted in zero amounts being carried over into the first crop of 2021. The Uitvlugt Estate cultivates and manages a total of 6,006 hectares of sugar cane of which several members of the Private Cane Farmers' Association are controlling 1,750 hectares. In outlining the

challenges of the second crop, the Estate Manager disclosed that as a result of the massive factory downtime earlier in the crop (some 430 hours mainly due to lack of spares), sugarcane grinding was stalled for more than eight days which impacted the tonnes cane to (continued on page 20)

Tuesday December 08, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Appeal Court upholds 20-year jail sentence for 'Dusk Till Dawn' murder convicts

T

he Court of Appeal has upheld the 20year jail sentence of Joshua Persaud and Raphael Morrison; the duo found guilty of the 2013 murder of 18-year-old Marlon

Ramcharran. According to the facts of the case, the two were sentenced to jail in 2014, following a trial before Justice Diana Insanally at the High Court in Georgetown. Based on previous

reports, Persaud and Morrison while armed with a cutlass and pieces of wood, inflicted several wounds on 18-year-old Ramcharran at 'Dusk Till Dawn Nightclub' of Tain New Housing Scheme, Corentyne where

the fight broke out. Ramcharran's cause of death was later given as shock and haemorrhage resulting from multiple incised wounds. Both, Persaud and Morrison had filed their

appeal on the same day they were sentenced and convicted. The matter took six years to be heard. As such, part of their appeal, the duo had argued through lawyers Murseline Bacchus and Kim

Kyte, that the five-year delay in the hearing of their clients' appeal is a breach of their constitutional rights. Additionally, it was argued by attorney Bacchus that the trial judge failed to properly put the defence of his clients to the jury. The lawyer contended that the prosecution's star witnesses gave a statement to the (continued on page 22)

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Tuesday December 08, 2020

Uitvlugt struggles to... From page 18 tonnes sugar ratio (tc/ts). Yesterday, farmers told Kaieteur News that this impacted them as it took 18 tonnes of sugarcane to produce one tonne of sugar, an unacceptable ratio. “However, all technical issues are actively being addressed going forward with the support of G$3 billion in capital investments from the Government of Guyana,” GuySuCo said in a statement yesterday on the state of

affairs of the industry. “In 2021, there will be a continuation of these capital investments after three years of minimal investments under the prior administration. During the latter stage of harvesting, sugar production at the estate was also threatened due to the inclement weather that prevailed resulting in the fields being inundated and the inability to burn the canes before harvesting and operation of the bell loaders.”

GuySuCo said that in acknowledging the favourable industrial relations climate, it also wanted to express gratitude to all workers for their commitment to improving sugar production despite the many challenges. GuySuCo also said that it is assuring “that all measures are taken to improve both infrastructure and other conditions for 2021 and beyond.” At present, Uitvlugt Estate employs a total of 1,403 workers.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 08, 2020

Husband found in car trunk…

Wife walks free of murder charge

Dead: Ramzan Alli

A

fter spending 20 m o n t h s incarcerated for the alleged murder of her husband, whose body was found in a car trunk in 2009, 50-year-old Milaimi Alli yesterday had the murder charge withdrawn against her. Ten years after her husband was murdered, the police had issued a wanted bulletin for the woman and, in April 2019, she was arrested at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport after returning from the United States of America (USA). Alli was subsequently put before Chief Magistrate

Freed: Milaimi Alli Ann McLennan, in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts, after being implicated in the crime. Alli was not required to plead to the indictable charge which alleged that in the c o m p a n y o f a n o t h e r, between July 11, 2009 and July 12, 2009, at Coldingen, East Coast Demerara, they murdered Ramzan Alli. However, yesterday when the matter was called at the Vigilance Magistrate's Court before Magistrate Fabayo Azore, the court was informed that based on advice from the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP), the murder charge against

Remanded: Sadeek Mohamed Mitchell Alli will be withdrawn. According to article 187:1, “The Director of Public Prosecutions (referred to in this article as 'the Director') shall have power in any case in which he or she considers it desirable to do so – (a) to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any court, other than a court martial, in respect of any offence against the law of Guyana; (b) to take over and continue any such criminal proceedings that may have been instituted by any other person or authority; and © (continued on page 14)

DPP appeals dismissal of... From page 2 court document seen by this publication, the Magistrate's ruling for that case must be set aside or upturned, since the ruling will be appealed and Best, was also ordered to pay the cost of the appeal. The document stated, “Take notice that this Court will be moved on a day and at an hour of which you shall be informed by the Registrar by Mrs. Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, Director of Public Prosecutions, Counsel on behalf of the Appellant that the decision given in the above matter by Her Worship, Magistrate Ms. Rondell Weever at the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts on the 3rd December 2020, be set aside and/or reversed and the respondent be made to pay the costs of this appeal.” Best, during an interview outside of the courthouse moments after the ruling, said, “I would like to express that I'm happy that the matter is dismissed and what played out in court is exactly what happened.”

During the interview, Best also stated that now that the matter is over both families can heal. He said that it was an accident and the facts that were presented to the court showed that he was not driving dangerously and did not deliberately kill Bentley. Best was placed on $500,000 bail and was not required to plea to the indictable charge when it was first read to him. The charge stated that on February 8, 2020, at Clive Lloyd Drive, Georgetown, he drove motor vehicle, PRR 8182, in a manner dangerous to the public thereby causing the death of Bentley. The People's National Congress (PNC) executive member, who lives at Pradoville Two (Sparendaam), East Coast Demerara, was also charged for driving under the influence of alcohol. He had denied the charge, which stated that on February 8, 2020 at Clive Lloyd Drive, Georgetown, he drove motor vehicle PRR

8182 while his blood alcohol level was at 0.85 micrograms. Best was granted self-bail on that charge, while the trial for that matter is ongoing in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Senior Magistrate Clive Nurse. In a previous hearing of the matter, the court learnt that Best served his country for nearly 35 years and that he also served as a presidential advisor, a member of the Legal Aid Clinic and is the recipient of a Medal of Service. Kaieteur News has reported that the accident occurred at around 5:00 am on February 8, 2020. Bentley was allegedly struck by a black Toyota Land Cruiser, which was being driven by Best. Reports indicate that Best and Bentley were heading in the eastern direction (along Clive Lloyd Drive) when the former slammed into the cyclist, taking down a utility pole located on a median at the same time.

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Tuesday December 08, 2020

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Yesterday, the day set aside globally for Aviation, Guyana and Suriname signed a historical agreement which will allow for easier travel between the two neighbouring states. Signing the Agreement on behalf of Suriname was Albert Jubithana, Minister of Transport, Communication and Tourism, and on Guyana’s front, Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill. The agreement will improve production and economic growth between the two countries. Moreover, it will connect communities, create economic growth and contribute to sustainable development, as was pointed out by Minister Jubithana. The Suriname Minister of Transport quoted the famous saying “without connectivity, there is no productivity.” Against this backdrop, he pointed out that the framework has been set for productivity. The agreement will release restrictions on aircraft

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, signs the Air Services Agreement alongside Minister of Transport, Communication and Tourism (Suriname) Albert Jubithana. time and restrictions on aircraft cargo among others. Minister Edghill during brief remarks said the day was “fitting” for the occasion. He said, “This agreement is truly a historical agreement and it is an unimpeded move to ensure that there is collaboration between both countries.” The Minister added that not only will individuals be

able to move by a new bridge soon, but also via air transportation. “In this Open Skies Agreement, we have agreed to remove all restrictions on market access, capacity and pricing to create for a more open market and to give route rights to our respective airlines,” Minister Edghill added. He noted that this

initiative is in keeping with the Government’s goal of connecting Guyana to the rest of the world. Given that Suriname has good connectivity to Europe and the Dutch Caribbean and Guyana is connected to the Caribbean and North America, the airlines operating in both countries can benefit from traffic and growth opportunities.

Man charged with murder of Linden vendor Larry DaSilva of 119 J Wismar Housing Scheme was yesterday charged with the murder of a 54-year-old vendor, Dwane Williams, whose body was found behind a shack with gaping wounds to his throat and right wrist. The defendant appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Wanda Fortune where he

was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleged that between the hours of 21:00 hrs. on November 26 and 05:45 hrs. on November 27 last, at Wismar Housing Scheme, Linden, he murdered Williams. The man was remanded to prison and will return to court on January 11, 2021. Reports are that the nephew of the deceased,

reportedly told police that Williams had visited him and his mother, where he spent some time then later, informed them that he was leaving to go home and cook. The man’s body was later found by residents lying behind a shack with wounds seen to the throat and another to the right wrist. Based on the police statement, a knife which is

suspected to be the murder weapon was discovered in a drain a short distance away from the body. Williams’ body was taken to the Linden Hospital Complex and later to the GJetsco Funeral Home awaiting a post mortem examination. An autopsy report later gave the cause of death as an incised wound to the neck.

...Appeal Court upholds 20-year jail sentence From page 19 police in which they said certain things that were inconsistent with their testimony. In fact, the lawyers submitted that the inconsistency does not only relate to their credibility but also to the evidence of identification. Among other things, he argued that the trial Judge made an error in law when she rejected the no-case submission made by him on behalf of his client. In fact, the lawyer said that the records of appeal do not reflect the trial judge providing reasons for rejecting the no-case submission. The attorney insisted that reasons must be recorded so that the higher court could consider whether the submission was properly rejected/admitted. However, yesterday the Appeal Court Bench comprising Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justices of Appeal Rishi Persaud

Murdered: Marlon Ramcharran. and Dawn Gregory Persaud, delivered a ruling that rejected the convicts' contentions that the trial Judge erred in law when she refused to uphold a no-case submission made on their behalf. In reading out the decision, Justice CummingsEdwards noted the Court agrees with Senior State Counsel, Mercedes Glasford, who submitted that there was

sufficient evidence for the trial judge to send the evidence to the jury for deliberation on a verdict. Further, the Chancellor said that the court was of the view that the trial judge provided the jury with adequate directions on how they should deal with the evidence of the prosecution and defence. The Chancellor noted that the records show that the trial judge reminded the jury of their duty to reject part or all of a witness's testimony. Justice CummingsEdwards noted therefore that the trial judge had cautioned the jury that in this regard. She noted that the Judge was specific to state that “if they had any doubts that it was Persaud and Morrison who committed the crime based on the evidence led by the two witnesses, one whose sense might have been impaired due to alcohol consumption, then they have to set them free.”

Meanwhile, on the issue of fair trial within a reasonable time, Justice CummingsEdwards conceded that it has “some merit.” However, she pointed out that the defence counsel failed to justify that the sixyear delay in the hearing of the appeal amounted to an abuse of the court process. The judge admitted that all appellants are faced with delays in their appeals as a result of the case backlog the judiciary is faced. Lawyers for the murder convicts had asked the court to release them from prison if the conviction and sentence were affirmed. They cited the local case of Mark Fraser vs the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). However, the Appeal Court reasoned that the circumstances of the two cases are different; hence the precedent could not be applied or used to successfully challenge the imprisonment of Persaud and Morrison.

Tuesday December 08, 2020

Exxon makes $32M COVID donation it can take back later

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, receives a $32M donation from President of ExxonMobil’s Guyana, Alistair Routledge. ExxonMobil Guyana yesterday made a donation of G$32M to the Ministry of Health for the acquisition of 2,000 COVID-19 antigen testing kits. President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge presented the cheque to Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, at the Ministry’s Brickdam office yesterday morning. Notably, ExxonMobil and

its partners, as well as its consortium of oil companies operating on the oil block, can recover any of the money spent on donations, sponsorships and other contributions to various local organisations. According to the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for the Stabroek Block, the former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman,

Missing Canje man found floating in trench A 52-year-old man who went missing on Sunday from East Canje, Berbice was yesterday discovered partially submerged in a trench at No.5 Bramfield Public Road, Number 19 Village, Berbice. Dead is Chubbylall Kumar of New Area Canefield, East Canje, Berbice. Police have disclosed that the body of a male East Indian was discovered sometime around 07:30 hrs., in the trench that runs East to West and is situated on the Northern side of the said public road. The body was found floating face down by a passer-by and the police were immediately contacted. When the police arrived on the scene, persons had already gathered to get a glimpse of the corpse with the intention

of possibly identifying him. He was fished out of the trench by a policeman who examined the body and determined that there were no marks of violence on the exposed parts of his body. The body was clad in a cream coloured shorts with a green face mask still covering his mouth and nose. A dark blue vest which is believed to be his, was found some 35 meters away from the body along with a peach coloured shirt about 20 meters away. His body was taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. Based on preliminary investigations conducted in the fields, several persons were questioned from the area where his body was found, but no-one could identify the body. No foul play is suspected. The body is

Dead: Chubbylall Kumar presently lying at the Arokium Funeral home where he was later identified by a relative as Chubbylall Kumar. Kaieteur News was informed that he was a former plumber attached to the Rose Hall Estate. There are suspicions that Kumar’s death was the result of drowning.

signed with Exxon’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), it has the privilege of recovering funds that it has channelled into corporate donations. Last year, ExxonMobil had committed that it would not seek to recover monies it had then so far spent on donations, but it is unclear whether a similar position will be taken in this case.

GABI warns of pandemic related fraud schemes targeting the vulnerable The Guyana Association of Bankers Incorporated (GABI) is warning the general public of pandemic related fraud schemes targeting the vulnerable. In a notice published in this newspaper, the association noted that fraudsters are currently using the economic troubles, which the COVID-19 pandemic might have brought upon individuals to take advantage of them. The first scheme that they highlighted was one where fraudsters would place unsolicited calls/text messages to the intended victim about overseas packages, which they never ordered. The next scheme, according to the GABI, involves them pretending to be relatives/friends in need, without any direct or previous contact with the intended victim. Further, they said that perpetrators may also approach persons, asking them to pay for employment, lottery wins, prizes and sweepstakes. The GABI is also cautioning persons about paying these fraudsters for items upfront from unknown or vague websites.

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Kaieteur News

Police and onlookers surround the body after it was fished out.

Teen in Hillfoot accident succumbs

The association warned against pyramid/Ponzi schemes, which involve persons being asked to recruit additional members with the promise of being paid for each recruit and persons investing money which is usually paid to earlier investors, leaving many later investors without money when new investors cannot be found. Kaieteur News understands that the authorities have been receiving several reports of local pyramid/Ponzi schemes encouraging persons to give large sums of money with the promise of gaining more upon recruiting persons. Additionally, persons are being urged by the GABI to desist from directly

depositing money into bank accounts of potential fraudsters because once it is deposited into that account, it is now their possession and can only be recovered with a court order. “Fraudsters typically want you to pay upfront for a product or service that is usually free or paid upon completion/receipt. Fraudsters also want you to act quickly and request payment directly instead of through official channels,” the association noted. In light of this, they said, if it sounds “too good to be true”, all necessary measures should be exhausted to ensure persons are not defrauded out of their hardearned money.

The teenager who was saved by her ponytail following a car accident on November 22 last on the Hillfoot Public Road, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, has succumbed to her injuries. This was confirmed by a source at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). The teen is identified as 18-year-old Aalliyah Norton of Kuru Kururu, SoesdykeLinden Highway. When this publication contacted the Norton family, a relative said that the girl passed away Friday evening. The relative further revealed that the post mortem results showed that Norton died from pneumonia. “Her lung was punctured and it got infected,” the relative said. She described Norton as a very loving and caring person, who always carried a smile on her face. Speaking with Kaieteur News, Commander of Region Four ‘B,’ Linden Isles, disclosed that he is currently preparing a report that is to be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions, for

Dead: Aalliyah Norton further action into the case. Reports are that the motorcar in which Norton was an occupant, was proceeding west along the southern side of the road. The driver of the motorcar told police that while proceeding, an unknown vehicle, which was coming from the opposite direction –

overtook another vehicle and ended up in his path. The driver alleged that upon seeing that, he pulled south to avoid a collision, when the right side back tyre “blew out.” The driver reportedly lost control resulting in the vehicle toppling over and ended up off the road in a trench. As a result, Norton who was seated in the back seat of the car received injuries to her head and was taken out of the vehicle in an unconscious state. According to Norton’s sister who spoke of the accident with this publication stated that it was a bus driver, heading up the highway, who had noticed the injured Norton. While looking at the car in the water, the bus driver saw Norton’s ponytail and pulled her out from the water and rushed her to the hospital along with another person. She was taken to the Diamond Hospital then later transferred to the GPHC where she was admitted to the ICU. Norton leaves to mourn her sister and younger brother with whom she resided.

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Tuesday December 08, 2020

Kaieteur News

Man shot dead fighting off gunmen for motorcycle

The scene of the crime last night. An errand to buy cigarettes turned into tragedy for a 60-year-old man after he was riddled with bullets last evening while fighting off gunmen for his Black and White Honda XR motorcycle. Dead is Peter Gonsalves, 60, a construction worker of Pere Street, Kitty, Georgetown. According to eyewitnesses, Gonsalves was shot dead some time after 21:00hrs in front of Red Bar, located on Garnett Street. Kaieteur News was told that minutes prior to his demise, Gonsalves had left home on his motorcycle with one of his workers, Ravindra Ramlakhan, 18, to purchase some cigarettes. Eyewitnesses detailed that Gonsalves and the pillion

rider, Ramlakhan, rode pass them on Garnett Street and stopped in front of Red Bar. Another motorcycle pulled up beside them and one of the males (the pillion rider of that motorcylce) jumped off and walked up to Gonsalves. The bandit reportedly pushed Gonsalves and Ramlakhan off of their motorcycle and took hold of it. However, according to eyewitnesses, Gonsalves put up a fight. After a brief scuffle, the gunman drew his weapon and shot Gonsalves several times. One eyewitness said he stumbled twice before falling facedown to the ground. The bandit then hopped on the bike, started it and rode off together with his accomplice.

Ramlakhan was not injured but was left in a state of shock. Eyewitnesses recalled that all he kept saying was “we just come out to buy cigarette and dem kill this man”. When Kaieteur News arrived at the scene, Gonsalves was seen lying in a pool of blood. It was revealed that Gonsalves observed that he was being trailed by the gunmen and decided to stop at Red Bar. There are speculations that he stopped there because there were bright lights in front of the bar and persons outside “setting up Christmas decorations”. He must have taught, eyewitnesses said, that the gunmen would have aborted their mission but they did not.

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NFL Roundup: Surging Giants stun Seahawks Wayne Gallman Jr. rushed for a career-high 135 yards, Alfred Morris scored twice and the suddenly resurgent New York Giants, behind backup quarterback Colt McCoy, upset the host Seattle Seahawks 17-12 on Sunday. The Seahawks (8-4), who entered the game first in the NFC West and third in the NFL with 31.0 points per game, didn’t get their offense untracked until late in the fourth quarter. Seattle reached the Giants’ 46-yard line on its final possession, but three incompletions and a sack ended the threat. The Giants (5-7) won their fourth consecutive game to remain atop the NFC East. Seahawks quarterback

Russell Wilson was 27 of 43 passing for 263 yards with one touchdown and one interception. McCoy was 13 of 22 for 105 yards, also with a touchdown and an interception. Chiefs 22, Broncos 16 Patrick Mahomes completed 25 of 40 passes for 318 yards and a touchdown as Kansas City clinched a playoff berth and at least a share of their fifth straight AFC West title by outlasting Denver at Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs (11-1) failed to score TDs on their first four trips into the red zone, settling for field goals from Harrison Butker and allowing the Broncos to maintain their upset hopes behind their tough defensive effort.

Drew Lock went 15 of 28 for 151 yards passing and Melvin Gordon provided a spark with 131 yards rushing for the Broncos (4-8). Saints 21, Falcons 21 Taysom Hill threw for two touchdowns as visiting New Orleans became the first NFL team to clinch a playoff berth by beating Atlanta for the second time in three weeks. Alvin Kamara added a rushing touchdown for the Saints (10-2), who won their ninth consecutive game and clinched their fourth consecutive playoff berth after Chicago dropped a 3430 decision to Detroit. The victory gave the firstplace Saints a three-game lead over idle Tampa Bay (7-5) in the NFC South. New Orleans

Tuesday December 08, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Take charge of your health today, Aries. You'll likely wake up feeling energetic. Take advantage of the energy boost from the planetary movements to actively do things that maintain your sense of well-being. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) If you saw something in a craft shop or art studio that you'd like to buy but can't afford, consider making it. Even if you don't think you're artistic, you could surprise yourself if you try. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) It's the perfect day to head outside, Gemini. You'll likely be feeling positive and energetic, and the fresh air, sunshine, and physical activity may be long overdue. CANCER (June 21–July 22) It won't be surprising if you're frustrated with a close friend or partner who's far less ambitious than you, Cancer. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) See about using your good relationships with friends and loved ones to get future group activities going, Leo. You're probably feeling great, and the idea of socializing appeals to you. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) If you lack a regular exercise routine, Virgo, today's a great day to remedy that. Exercise doesn't have to exhaust you or hurt. Even activities like walking or yoga are excellent ways to stay healthy.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Put your ambition into action today, Libra. The day's planetary aspects should find you feeling energetic and positive, so take steps to achieve your goals. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Don't hesitate when it comes to taking on a project or making plans today. Extra energy will complement your organizational skills, making a perfect combination for handling almost anything. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today should go well for you, Sagittarius. Expect to feel a renewed energy and fresher perspective, especially concerning anything work related. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Today you may feel very creative and ambitious. You might want to use this energy to work on an artistic project, or you may choose to channel it into such activities as organizing your home or workspace. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Don't be surprised if you feel super today. Chances are good that you'll enjoy renewed physical strength, with energy to spare. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) The influence of the planetary aspects will bring an end to any lethargy you've been feeling, Pisces. It's an excellent day to head outside and do something active. Gardening or landscaping can make great use of your energy and creativity.

is seeking its fourth consecutive division title. Atlanta (4-8) got 273 passing yards and a touchdown from Matt Ryan, who was sacked three times after taking eight in the first meeting. Rams 38, Cardinals 28 Jared Goff passed for 351 yards and one touchdown, and also ran for a score, as Los Angeles moved back into a first-place tie in the NFC West with a victory over Arizona at Glendale, Ariz. Goff was 37 of 47 in the air without a turnover for the Rams (8-4), bouncing back from a home loss against the San Francisco 49ers last week when he threw two interceptions and also lost a fumble. The fifth-year QB had 10 turnovers (six interceptions) in his previous four games. The Cardinals (6-6)

Seattle Seahawks defensive end L.J. Collier (91) tackles New York Giants running back Wayne Gallman (22) during the first quarter at Lumen Field. (Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports) struggled to sustain a consistent offense against a stifling Rams’ defense but managed to take advantage of opportunities to stay close.

Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray completed 21 of 39 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns. Raiders 31, Jets 28 Derek Carr connected with wideout Henry Ruggs III on a 46-yard touchdown in the final seconds to help Las Vegas stun New York at East Rutherford, NJ. Carr finished the day 28 of 47 passing for 381 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those scores went to tight end Darren Waller, who snagged 13 catches for a robust 200 yards and two touchdowns. The Raiders’ (7-5) big offensive showing helped them snap a two-game losing streak. New York (0-12) found a way to blow a late lead and remain winless despite three total touchdowns from quarterback Sam Darnold, who finished the afternoon with 186 yards and two TDs while also adding a rushing score. Ty Johnson led the Jets on the ground with 104 yards and a touchdown. In other results: Packers 30, Eagles 16 Colts 26, Texans 20 Dolphins 19, Bengals 7 Browns 41, Titans 35 Vikings 27, Jaguars 24 (OT) Lions 34, Bears 30 Patriots 45, Chargers 0 (Field Level Media)

...Roach and Dowrich miss From page 26 Roston Chase (vice-captain) Jermaine Blackwood Kraigg Brathwaite Darren Bravo Shamarh Brooks John Campbell Rahkeem Cornwall Joshua DaSilva Shannon Gabriel Shimron Hetmyer Chemar Holder Alzarri Joseph Keemo Paul Standbys: Nkrumah Bonner, Preston McSween

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Tuesday December 08, 2020

Floyd Mayweather-Logan Paul farce just another low blow to boxing world Yahoo Sports (Kevin Iole) - No thank you, Floyd Mayweather. Hard pass, Logan Paul. This is starting to turn boxing into a farce. The superstar ex-boxer and the social media celebrity are apparently planning to, ahem, box each other on Feb. 20 in an exhibition match. When Mayweather wanted to fight Conor McGregor in 2017, I didn’t care for the idea, but two overriding points made me feel better toward that event than I do toward this one, if it actually comes together. First, while McGregor was not a professional boxer and had next-to-no shot to win, he was a professional fighter and knew how to take punches and defend himself. Such is not the case with Paul. And second, it was obvious that the fight between Mayweather and McGregor was going to do big business. So how do you argue against someone making a nine-figure payday in one night? There were some UFC fans who felt McGregor had a chance; if it were an MMA fight, he would have embarrassed Mayweather, but he never stood a chance

Floyd Mayweather went 50-0 in his professional boxing career. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) in a straight boxing match. But they were the two biggest fighting celebrities of the generation and people would watch. Paul is actually a pro boxer, but his resume consists of one fight against a fellow YouTuber, KSI, which he lost. Paul is a cruiserweight who will have roughly a 50pound weight advantage. But he’ll have about as much of a chance of winning the fight as he would beating Usain Bolt in a 100-meter

Roach and Dowrich miss 2nd Test with DaSilva added to the West Indies squad ST JOHN’S, Antigua — The Cricket West Indies Selection Panel has advised that fast bowler Kemar Roach and wicketkeeper/batsman Shane Dowrich are unavailable for the second and final Test Match against New Zealand. Both players will return home — Roach due to the death of his father and Dowrich for personal reasons, a release from the Cricket Board. Additionally, left-hander Shimron Hetmyer is still under concussion protocols following the blow to his head sustained in the second T20 International, while allrounder Keemo Paul is still being treated for a groin injury. They are both being closely monitored by the team’s medical staff and

decisions on their availability will be made at a later date. The panel has called up y o u n g w i c k e t keeper/batsman Joshua DaSilva as a replacement for Dowrich, while middle-order batsman Nkrumah Bonner and left-arm fast bowler Preston McSween will remain with the squad as cover. The second Test will be played at the historic Basin Reserve in Wellington, starting on Friday (Thursday 6pm Eastern Caribbean Time/5pm Jamaica Time). West Indies trail 0-1 after New Zealand won the first match by an innings and 134 runs. WI SQUAD FOR 2nd TEST Jason Holder (captain) (Continued on page 25)

dash. Mayweather and Paul are showing yet again that boxing is no longer about talent, training, conditioning and winning one’s fights. Rather, it’s name recognition and treading on celebrity. Mayweather is one of the greatest boxers who ever lived. He’s clearly the best of his era and he’ll rightly be elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame sometime this month. They’d need four or five plaques in the Hall of

Champions to fit his many accomplishments. Paul is a skilled and talented marketer with a shrewd sense of what young people want, and he’s a good businessman. But if he actually steps into the ring against Mayweather, he’ll be the farthest thing from a boxer that Mayweather has ever met. They’ll probably sell significantly well on payper-view; there are going to be people who will insist that those who say Paul has no chance are haters and that Paul’s size will give him a chance to win. As a result, they’ll purchase it to see it. Two of boxing’s best fighters competed for the unified welterweight title on Saturday in Arlington, Texas. Errol Spence Jr. was brilliant and routed Danny Garcia, who had never in his illustrious career been handled so easily. Spence retained his IBF-WBC belts by defeating Garcia by scores of 116-112 twice and 117-111. But the Spence-Garcia fight will come nowhere near the pay-per-view numbers generated by the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones card put on by Triller a week earlier. That fight, because of the nostalgia for Tyson and the notoriety of Paul’s brother, Jake, who fought an ex-NBA player on the

undercard, sold well over 1 million. Mayweather and Logan Paul will suck the oxygen out of professional boxing in late January and throughout February, if it indeed happens. They’ll garner an overwhelming amount of media attention and then people will be angry and disappointed at what they got for their money. Even at nearly 44 years old and at 3 1/2 years out of the ring, Mayweather will box rings around Paul, despite the weight gap between them. And if Mayweather wants to knock him out, he’ll do it and he could almost pick the round. The fight will line their wallets, but it will continue to harm boxing because it will make it appear to be even more of a sideshow than many casual and nonfans already believe it is. There are many great young talents in the sport as well as elite world champions who are well worth watching every time out. Bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue is a breathtaking fighter whose speed and power would play in any era. Spence is a shrewd, strong and agile fighter who has the perfect foil in WBO champion Terence Crawford to make a super fight. Canelo Alvarez remains

a compelling figure and the lightweight division, including unified champion Teofimo Lopez, Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia, is outstanding. There are business issues that prevent boxing from being run the way the NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball are run in which athletes and owners can both profit and have the ability to become fabulously wealthy. The ugly truth is that the overwhelming majority of boxing shows lose money, and large amounts of it. There are a handful of fighters who consistently earn large purses, but many, many more boxers struggle to get by. Mayweather and Paul will exploit their celebrity and get rich, but it will be boxing that takes the hit. This fight has nothing to do with boxing and everything to do with opportunism, but when the torrent of criticism arrives after the fight, it’s going to be this sport that takes the brunt of it. Hopefully, the fight won’t happen and the stakeholders can go about fixing boxing’s myriad issues. But if it does and you feel the need to criticize, don’t blame boxing. Place the blame on Mayweather and Paul solely, and nowhere else.

IOC bans Belarus president Lukashenko from Games

B

ERLIN (Reuters) - Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko is banned from attending the Olympic Games as head of his country’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) as part of provisional sanctions imposed by the International Olympic Committee yesterday. The IOC banned two other officials from the NOC, including Lukashenko’s son, Viktor, who is the first vice president of the national Olympic body. Belarus, a country of 9.5 million that Russia sees as a security buffer against NATO, has been rocked by mass protests since an Aug. 9 presidential election which Lukashenko said he won. His opponents claim the vote

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko visits a polling station during the presidential election in Minsk, Belarus August 9 last. (Sergei Gapon/Pool via Reuters/file photo) was rigged and want him to quit. Many Belarussian athletes have written to the IOC demanding urgent action, citing political discrimination and imprisonment by the authorities. “The IOC has come to the conclusion that it appears that the current leadership has not appropriately protected the Belarussian

athletes from political discrimination within the NOC, their member federations or the sports movement,” IOC President Thomas Bach said. “This is contrary to the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter therefore seriously affecting the reputation of the Olympic movement,” he added, saying the measures

were provisional. The IOC also froze any payments to the NOC while scholarships for athletes to prepare for the Olympics will now be paid directly to them. Any plans for events to be hosted in Belarus should also be put on ice by all international federations, Bach said. Belarus is scheduled to co-host the 2021 World Ice Hockey Championships. Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years, has shrugged off the scale of protests, saying they are sponsored by the West, and shown little signs of willingness to start a dialogue with the opposition. Tokyo will host the summer Olympics next year and China’s Beijing will stage the 2022 winter Olympics.

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Changes must be made for 2nd Test, Hetymer could be asked to open batting - DaSillva, Pooran & Shepherd could make debuts

Say Sean Devers Since 1995 West Indies have not won a Test match in New Zealand and in the last decade they have lost five of six Tests they have played in the Island Nation including last week’s innings and 134run loss with more than five sessions to spare despite rain which washed the entire first session. In the last 25 years West Indies have lost nine of the 13 Test matches they have played in New Zealand and another defeat looms later this week unless there is a miraculous turn around in fortunes for the West Indies top order. Since making his debut last year against England the 27-year-old Jamaican John Campbell has batted 20 times in Test cricket, scored 410 runs with 55 being his only half century. He has an Average of 24.11. Campbell has been selected as one of only two openers in the Test squad and seems very fortunate to be retained after the West Indies tour to England. With scores of 26 & 2 in the first Test, Campbell has to be replaced at the top of the order and either Joshua DaSilva or Shimron Hetmyer could be asked to open with Kraigg Braithwaite.

While making just 21 & 10 in the first Test, the 27year-old Braithwaite, with 63 Tests, eight centuries including a highest of 212 and 19 fifties and an average of 32.76, is the most experienced opener at present and his temperament is more suited to Test cricket than anyone else in the team. With Shane Dowrich being hit on his mouth, DaSilva, who scored the only century on the tour of England, should be brought in from the reserve list to make his Test debut as Keeper/ batsman. Nicolas Pooran, despite playing only three Regional First Class games for Trinidad & Tobago, played against the ‘A’ team which suggested that he is interested in playing at the highest level. He is defiantly talented and his inclusion should strengthen the struggling top order. With Kemar Roach returning home for his f a t h e r ’s f u n e r a l , A l l Rounder Romario Shepherd, who recently scored his maiden First-Class century, should replace Roach in the West Indies pace attack. For Hetymer to regain his Test spot, Shamarah Brooks who made 1 & 2 in the first Test, is the only batsman that can be dropped

Darren Bravo

since Roston Chase is also needed for his off-spin and Jermaine Blackwood registered his second Test ton in the last Test. It could be mentally tough for DaSillva to open the batting and Wicket-keep and Hetymer, an opening batsman at youth level for Guyana, could be asked to open as was the case with fellow Guyanese Leon Johnson who was never an opener. This could force the very naturally talented but most times reckless Hetymer to bat with focus and responsibility, attributes more often than not missing in his batting.

Despite scoring 2 & 9 in the first Test, on ability, the 31-year-old Darren Bravo, one of only three West Indian batsmen to score a double century in New Zealand, is the best batsman in the West Indies and should be an automatic pick although his form has dropped since his brilliant 218 back in 2013. This is his first overseas tour since 2016 and he has played 29 of his 55 Tests at home for an average of 26.78, but when he’s not playing at home, that average goes up to 50.39. Only one of his eight Test hundreds have been scored at home. The fast bowling should

Joshua DaSilva

be led by the genuinely quick Shannon Gabriel and Alzarri Joseph, whose confidence should be high following his batting performance in the last Test and should make an impact on his bowling. Skipper Jason Holder would hope to contribute with both bat and ball and should be the fourth pacer in the team. The second Test is scheduled to commence on December 10 and West

Indies should be keen to avoid a series sweep and their top order needs to bat ‘time’ and go on to big scores when set as we saw with Blackwood. My X1: Kraigg Braithwaite, Shimron Hetymer, Darren Bravo, Joshua DaSilva (WK), Roston Chase, Jermaine Blackwood,Nicolas Pooran, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Alzarri Joseph, Shannon Gabriel.

Kane Williamson joins Virat Kohli Blackwood heaps praise on Alzarri Joseph: “He takes pride in his batting.” at No. 2 in Test batting rankings SportsMax - West Indies middle order batsman was full of praise for Alzarri Joseph following their 15run seventh wicket partnership against New Zealand albeit in a losing cause on Saturday. The pair came together on Friday with the West Indies in dire straits at 89 for 6 and staring down the barrel of a swift and savage defeat. However, the two set about to resist the muchvaunted New Zealand bowling attack to take the match into a fourth day. Joseph scored a career best 86 before he was the eighth wicket to fall as the West Indies plummeted to defeat. Blackwood, who scored his second Test hundred during the partnership, said he and the Antiguan fast bowler agreed to try and stretch the game as much as they could.

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Jermaine Blackwood was full of praise for Alzarri Joseph (right) following their seventh wicket partnership. “When Alzarri came to the crease I just told him to play his natural game and that I would try to bat as long as possible,” Blackwood said. “We agreed to stay here with each other. I hit two balls in the air and then I told myself that I need to stay here with Alzarri and bat. “He takes pride in his batting, as well as his fielding. It’s good to see him come out and bat the way he

did. I’m pretty proud of myself as well the way I went about things today. A mixture of aggressiveness and then try to get a good selection (of shots) as much as possible.” West Indies will be hoping for Joseph to be better with the ball and at least as good with the bat when the second Test begins at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Thursday, October 10.

SPNcricinfo K a n e Williamson, who began New Zealand’s Test summer at home with a career-best 251 in the first of two Tests against West Indies in Hamilton, has jumped to joint-second with Virat Kohli in the ICC Test rankings. The two of them are on 886 rating points, 25 behind the top-ranked Steven Smith. Smith, however, might be in with a shot of extending his lead, because while Australia, India and New Zealand are all scheduled to play Test cricket over the next six weeks, Kohli is likely to miss three of India’s four Tests in Australia as he goes on paternity leave. Williamson, too, could miss some Test action at home against Pakistan to be with his partner for the birth of their first child. He should,

however, play the second Test against West Indies, and could be back for the second Test against Pakistan, starting January 3. A little distance below the top, Tom Latham has jumped to a career-best No. 10 following his knock of 86, the best behind Williamson’s double-ton, in New Zealand’s only innings. The bowling chart too saw a big change with Neil Wagner shading Stuart Broad to take the second spot behind Pat Cummins, though there is a big gap between Wagner (849 points) and Cummins (904). Wagner made the jump after finishing with a match haul of 6 for 99 in Hamilton. Incidentally, Wagner had also become No. 2 in December 2019. Doubts over the possibility of England’s Test series in South Africa could

mean Broad might now have to wait until February, when they are due to play India in four Tests away, to improve his ranking and tally of 845 points. Wagner’s colleague Tim Southee is now ranked No. 4, his best position since his Test debut in 2008, while Kagiso Rabada rounds off the top five. Jasprit Bumrah, who is expected to spearhead India’s pace attack in the upcoming Tests in Australia, is currently ranked ninth. Meanwhile, a wicketless first Test in Hamilton has cost Jason Holder the top spot in the allrounders’ table. Ben Stokes is on top there, 12 points in front of the West Indies captain. Stokes briefly held the top spot during the summer, having snatched it from Holder after the second Test against West Indies at home, before Holder reclaimed it.

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Tuesday December 08, 2020

GGA/Nexgen GA host fund raiser for Enmore Orphanage

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ll lights are dimmed in comparison and that was evident from the look of sheer joy on the faces of the children from the Enmore Orphanage at Sunday’s Curry-Q hosted by The Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy. The successful event saw several hundred of Guyana’s top businesspersons, expats and members of the diplomatic corps expressing their support for the Enmore Orphanage by enjoying a day of relaxation, food, fun and golf in the heart of Georgetown. The Curry-Q was proposed by Ramesh Dookhoo and Christopher Ram and Hussain quickly adopted the idea to host it at the Nexgen Golf Academy on Woolford Avenue. Persons were able to experience different types of curries and also have the opportunity to participate in a covid compliant event to relax, learn to play golf absolutely free all day and support a worthy cause. Director of the Orphanage Kenneth Finlayson summed it up in brief remarks, “We wish to thank everyone and especially Mr. Hussain, for all you did on Sunday for our

Children from the Enmore Orphanage trying their hands at the sport.

children. The children really enjoyed the golf experience and the meals that were provided when they got home. God bless you all for caring for the less fortunate children.” Prime Minister Mark Phillips was unable to attend owing to a last minute schedule conflict but expressed his gratitude and support for the activity that he felt was important, especially at this time of the year. Mexico’s Ambassador to Guyana, his Excellency José Omar Hurtado Conteras, who attended

with his family and benefitted from Golf l e s s o n s w i t h Av i n a s h Persaud, Guyana’s 10-time national champion said, “This is one of the most important things we can do for the less fortunate children, give them the opportunity to be treated as a family and open our hearts to them. I am grateful to my good friend Aleem Hussain who allowed myself and family to be part of this event.” Hussain said, “The tireless efforts by a dedicated team who worked together was the reason this event was a success and they are the

ones who really deserve the thanks- Rudy Ramalingum, Michelle Codrington, Al Junior Wilson, Nadia Kalika, Ashley Chu, Philip Haynes, Niketa Ashby, Reaz, Richard, Vicky, Banks DIH S p e c i a l E v e n t s Te a m , members of the Queenstown Mosque, Andrew Ramcharitar and Ramsey Ali, Scouts Association of Guyana, Steve Mohitram

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great results, with over one million new followers added and over 300 million social media video views achieved during the tournament period alone. From the point that the lockdowns started earlier in 2020 Hero CPL worked tirelessly to keep fans entertained. From broadcasting archive matches with new commentary from the likes of Tom Moody and Ian Bishop, to arranging for the player draft to be done remotely with a world-class punditry panel, keeping fans entertained and engaged was at the centre of the tournament’s thinking.

During the tournament itself, live CPL games were broadcast into 77 countries on Facebook and YouTube as well as sending out highlights clips worldwide. The tournament also worked with broadcast partners Sunset+Vine to create fun and engaging content so fans could learn what it was like inside the tournament’s biosecure bubble. Hero CPL also launched the “Life Stories” films on the tournament’s social media channels. These beautifully made films focused on the lives of up and coming Caribbean cricketers and won plaudits from around the world. Hero CPL has also started sharing content on a number of new social media channels such as TikTok, Tw i t c h , T r i l l e r a n d Instagram Reels.

who helped to bring it into reality in a very short time. The Guyana Golf Association, under Hussain’s leadership has been active in creating events to promote the sport and assist worthy causes. The current location in the heart of Georgetown lends to the ability to pull off well attended events and many more are in the plans in the near future. Being able to provide food and beverage along with Golf in an open air, covid compliant manner has given the Academy a great opportunity to promote the game to new players and that was evident by the wide spectrum of people who attended. Information on how you can learn the game or host an event at the Nexgen Golf Academy is available on their Facebook page or by calling 645-0944. Proceeds from the event will go towards hosting a Christmas party for the Enmore Orphanage children.

Europe’s top sides handed straightforward routes to Qatar

Hero CPL wins ‘Best Use of Social Media’ at International Sports Awards portsMax - The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has won the award for “Best Use of Social Media” from the prestigious International Sports Convention (ISC) for the league’s social media and content strategy during 2020 at the annual International Sports Awards. The tournament took place between 18 August and 10 September 2020, and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic it was played behind closed doors. Because of this, the use of social media to keep fans engaged was more important than ever. CPL achieved

and family, Panco and staff, Coretta McDonald and the Executive of Guyana Teachers Union, Yogindra Arjune and Team Assuria, and golf coaches Avinash Persaud and Joaan Deo.” This is the third year that the Orphanage has benefited from support though the efforts of the golfing community and current president of the LGC Pur Persaud expressed his feelings to Mr. Finlayson saying, “We definitely have to do more activities like this and I am glad that Aleem continues to push to get this done and I will continue to support his efforts. But at the end of the day, the real hero is you who work every day to take care of these kids.” Hussain credited immediate response from entities such as Maraiko Bay Resorts, Hits & Jams 98.1 Real Radio, the Guyana Critic, Toolsie Persaud, Assuria General, New Trend Auto, AR Printery, Banks DIH, Crown Mining, the Shafura Hussain Foundation, and Panko Steel

General view of the Al Rayyan Stadium. (Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy/Handout via REUTERS) ZURICH (Reuters) Europe’s top sides all appear set for straightforward routes to the 2022 World Cup after being placed in comfortable groups in the draw made at FIFA headquarters in Zurich yesterday. Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Croatia and England all avoided each other thanks to the seeding system and, barring major upsets, should qualify comfortably for the tournament in Qatar. Instead, the main excitement is likely to be the scramble among the middleranking teams to finish second in their groups and qualify for the play-offs. Under a revised format, the 10 group winners qualify directly for Qatar while the runners-up go into a play-off

system along with the best two teams from the Nations League, a separate competition. Those 12 teams will be divided into three paths of four, with the winners of each also going to Qatar. The group stage will be played between March and November next year with the play-offs in March 2022. World champions France were drawn in Group D alongside Ukraine — a side they recently beat 7-1 in a friendly — Finland, Bosnia and Kazakhstan in European Group D. Old rivals England and Poland will face each other again as they were placed in Group I along with Hungary, Albania, Andorra and San Marino. Spain must get past Sweden, who qualified for the 2018 World Cup at the

expense of Italy, in Group B, although even if they finish second, they will still have another bite of the cherry in the play-offs. Greece, Georgia and Kosovo are the other teams in that group. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, the current European champions, must face Serbia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan in Group A while Belgium meet Wales, Czech Republic, Belarus, Estonia in Group E. Even off-colour Germany should be able to get through Group J where their opponents are Romania, Iceland, North Macedonia, Armenia and Liechtenstein. Group F appeared to be the most evenly-balanced group featuring Denmark, Austria, Scotland, Israel, Faroe Islands and Moldova.

Tuesday December 08, 2020

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Farrell ‘golden’ penalty wins Nations Cup for England in sudden-death extra time

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O N D O N (Reuters) England won the Nations Cup final in the most dramatic way Sunday, as Owen Farrell landed a “golden point” penalty in sudden-death extra time to secure a 22-19 victory over a young French team who had been seconds away from a glorious Twickenham triumph. Farrell converted a Luke Cowan-Dickie try with the last kick of normal time to level the scores, hit a post with a penalty 80 seconds into extra time - where the first points scored would win the match - but then made no mistake with six minutes left on the clock from wide on the left. “We just had to keep fighting,” said England coach Eddie Jones. “Owen had one of those rare days, so we had to find other way to score points.” “Our performance wasn’t as sparkling as we wanted it to be but it was a great game of rugby, and we’ve won the Six Nations and now the Eight Nations and we can’t do any more.” Fittingly, there were fans on site - albeit only 2,000 of them - to witness the drama,

England’s first taste of extra time since winning the World Cup final in 2003. In that match it was Jonny Wilkinson who held his nerve and this time it was Farrell, who missed four kicks in all but will be remembered for the two that made the difference when it mattered most. It was tough on France, who played with all the confidence of youth and silenced those who ridiculed the game due to the unavailability of so many key players. “It was not the French farce but the French force t o d a y, ” s a i d f l a n k e r Cameron Woki. “We wanted to show that there was only one French squad. There’s no B team or C team. We showed we could compete with England. There’s a bit of disappointment obviously, but we can be proud of ourselves.” France looked pacy and positive in the early stages and though Farrell and Elliot Daly slotted a penalty apiece it was the French who claimed the first try as flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert found a gap to feed fullback Brice Dulin, the only man in the team with double-figure

England’s Owen Farrell lifts the trophy as England celebrate winning the Autumn Nations Cup. (Pool via REUTERS/Adam Davy)

caps to his name. Two Jalibert penalties stretched the lead to 13-6 and France held it via a fantastic tryline defence of relentless England forward attacks at the end of the half. England’s backs then began to find their feet and as the pressure built, the penalties began to arrive. Farrell slotted one but missed two, then England lost their lineout after opting to kick a fourth to the corner. France were short of

senior international experience but many of the team featured in the back-toback under-20 World Cupwinning teams and they showed great tenacity under pressure to start forcing turnovers. They then lost Jalibert to injury but his replacement Louis Carbonel stepped in smoothly to land two penalties that looked to be enough. However, England still had time to launch one more attack and they duly won a

lineout and mauled CowanDickie over the line and Farrell nailed the pressure conversion to take the game to extra time - raising a huge roar from the fans. The captain had another kick from a similar distance to win it 80 seconds into extra time but hit a post. England then defended carefully as France tried to set up a drop goal, and won another penalty to quell the danger. Wi t h s i x m i n u t e s remaining, the prospect of a

penalty shoot-out was looming large but France winger Allivereti Raka was trapped by Tom Curry and penalised for holding on as Maro Itoje wrestled for the ball. From wide on the left Farrell made no mistake and though it was England’s players celebrating wildly, everyone involved with the French team will take a huge amount from the game where, as coach Fabien Galthie said, they did the shirt proud.

West Indies ‘A’ beaten by Pakistan set to train in New Zealand after entire squad found Covid negative in final round of testing an innings and 143 runs

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SPNcricinfo Pakistan’s jumbo contingent of 44 players have all tested negative for Covid-19 during the fifth and final round of testing on Sunday. This allows them to start training, subject to a final clearance from New Zealand’s Ministry of Health. The squad is expected to leave their managed isolation facility in Christchurch and fly to Queenstown today, where they will train in the lead-up to the three-match T20I series that begins in Auckland on December 18. Prior to the T20Is, Pakistan A, who are on a shadow tour, will feature in two four-day games against New Zealand A in the buildup to the two-Test series, which is part of the World Test Championship. The first four-day game begins on December 10 in Queenstown, with the second one from December

17 in Whangarei. Both squads - the T20I and Pakistan A - will be staying in separate hotels in Queenstown and training at different times according to their match requirements. “The member of the Pakistan squad who tested positive on day six will remain in managed isolation until departing - negative tests permitting,” a New Zealand Cricket release said. “Additionally, the member of the squad who was taken into quarantine in Auckland after arriving from Dubai feeling unwell - but subsequently testing negative - has also been cleared to leave the facility.” The news comes as a relief to the Pakistan camp, with many of the players having already spent extended periods in a bubble at different times since July, when they resumed playing cricket during the England tour after a coronavirus-induced lockdown. Subsequently,

they also conducted their domestic season under a biobubble at home, followed by a short limited-overs series against Zimbabwe and the PSL playoffs. Pakistan were to start training in New Zealand on December 5, but were sent into extended quarantine after six members returned positive tests upon arrival. When a number of players were found to have mingled in groups at their isolation facility, Wasim Khan, the PCB CEO, had spoken to the players, asking them to refrain from such acts that could put the tour in jeopardy. On Sunday, head coach Misbah-ul-Haq praised his players for making sacrifices, while also stating how spending time in isolation without being given the concession to train was both “mentally and physically” draining. “I want to compliment my players and the management team for their patience, sacrifices and the

hardships they have endured to ensure they not only lead the safe resumption of international cricket during the Covid-19 pandemic since the series in England, but also try to give their best every time they step on the field,” Misbah said in a PCB release. “Top professional athletes require a certain environment to prepare so that they can perform at the minimum expected levels every time they represent their countries. While we completely respect and understand the New Zealand Government Laws which have been put in place for the health and safety of their public, there is no denying the fact that the implementation of certain regulations has affected our athletes, both mentally and physically prior to an international series. The three-match T20I series between New Zealand and Pakistan is followed by two Tests, starting December 26 in Mount Maunganui.

after final day implosion SportsMax - West Indies “A” followed their senior counterparts in the manner of defeat on Sunday going down by an innings and 143 runs to New Zealand ‘A’ at the Bay Oval in Mount Manguanui in New Zealand. Resuming the final day on 57-3, the visitors could only muster 109 in the second innings. West Indies ‘A’ actually batted two men short as Raymon Reifer, who had retired hurt early in the day was unable to complete his innings while Oshane Thomas was also unable to bat due to an injury. Meanwhile, Nicholas

Poran top-scored with 35 off 61 balls with four fours but was also a casualty in the team’s collapse. The only other batsman to come to grips with the situation was wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva who battled for 90 minutes remaining unbeaten on 15 having faced 51 balls. Scott Kuggeleijn was the best bowler for the hosts with 3-18 as he generated pace and got the ball to move both ways. Scores: West Indies ‘A’ 322 and 109, New Zealand ‘A’ 574. New Zealand ‘A’ wins by an innings and 143 runs.

The players leave the field following the conclusion of the match.

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Maximizing Media Seminar - A transformative approach for sports men and women Aliann Pompey will spearhead the seminar.

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ome of Guyana’s most talented athletes are gearing-up for a busy 2021 and the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), tomorrow night, will be hosting a webinar in an effort to help local athletes maximize the Sports Media. Juman Yassin, president of the GOA, said, “The aim of this virtual seminar of Maximizing Media is to enlighten our sports athletes about the importance of the media which takes the form on many fronts.” Guyana’s four-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games 400M gold and silver medalist, Aliann Pompey, will take the lead among the facilitators, which also includes multiple award-winning sports journalist Rawle Toney and Ishaka Jackman, Social Media Consultant and ICT Manager. Yassin is of the view that, “As technology extends, it is important to understand how it works and how to use it so as to develop each athlete’s branding.” The long-serving GOA head is encouraging every athlete and

coach to register in order to benefit from exposure to the media. Meanwhile, Pompey, who also serves as the Pan Am Athletes Commission president, believes that, “The state we’re in provides unique opportunities for us to fine tune certain things, including how to effectively use social and news media to help us reach our athletic goals.” “The content is timely and presenters are knowledgeable. With the Olympics and qualifying events on the calendar for next year and our athletes looking to attract sponsorship and agents, this seminar aims to teach participants how to raise their visibility and market and brand themselves,” Pompey said. Jackman, having worked with a number of professional sports teams, specifically in the area of social media management, highlighted that, “The opportunity is now at the fingertips of the athlete and association to influence their future. The vehicle is already

available come get your keys.” For Toney, a sports journalist for over 15 years and Sports News anchor, the timing is perfect, as he pointed to the fact that, “Being active in the realm of social media; using it as the avenue to build my brand, it is something as a journalist that our athletes don’t truly understand.” “With the Olympic Games about seven months away, we know that athletes will be making a push to qualify for the biggest sporting event globally, and allowing the public to know more about them is important, not just for their sake, but also for the GOA. So I think I would bring a unique understanding of the sports media for the participants, taking my years of experience into consideration and the fact that I’m well-travelled and fully understand the landscape of the sports Media,” Toney added. Registration is on-going and persons are asked to visit the GOA’s facebook page for a copy of the registration form.

Nicholas Pooran. (Business Standard)

Shimron Hetmyer

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Romario Shepherd

Changes must be made for 2nd Test, Hetymer - DaSillva, Pooran & Shepherd could be asked to open batting could make debuts

GGA President Aleem Hussain (left) with sponsors of the event and members of the Enmore Orphanage.

GGA/Nexgen GA host fund raiser for Enmore Orphanage Roach and Dowrich miss 2nd Test with DaSilva added to the West Indies squad 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.