Kaieteur News

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AIETEUR NEWS

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

Winston Brassington p.

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Tuesday Edition December 15, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 50

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

heads gas-to-shore taskforce

Price $80

Online readership yesterday, 99,913

ExxonMobil plans three well campaign on suspiciously awarded Canje Oil Block Govt. fails to publish Redford’s p.

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Payara review, three months after promising to do so p.

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Houston shorebase unable to handle Liza Phase 1 demands - Raphael Trotman Man found dead after visiting girlfriend p.

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p.

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Suriname threatens to Bodies of teen and forcefully evict Cubans woman recovered p. watery graves camped out at border 18 from See stories on pages 11 and 20

The seven leading sons of Guyana

We at the Kaieteur News Network say to the seven leading sons of Guyana: oil is our future. It is not a seven-day wonder. And neither are we at Kaieteur News a seven-day wonder.

We tell all Guyana why, as we enlighten these seven men, too.

This oil is Guyana’s future; it is many people’s hope for generations to come. It is more than gold, timber and fisheries combined.

Silence and sitting on one’s hands are not options for the seven of them: not Former Presidents David Granger or Donald Ramotar or Bharrat Jagdeo; not former Ministers Robert Persaud and Raphael Trotman; not President Irfaan Ali; and not Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon. Silence is not an option for us either.

Many powerful companies, powerful people, and powerful places around the world pin a significant part of their future prospects on this oil of ours. They know more about our oil than we do. We must know much

more; told more. We, who are poor, have more of our future invested and dependent on this oil. Silence is not an option for us. Playing hide and seek is not an option. Playing at ignorance is not an option; not for them, not for us.

We point to Trinidad, which a world class expert noted left a loophole open, and our neighbours lost a staggering US$17B in under a decade. We do not want to, nor should we, lose that kind of money because of our leadership’s negligence, or failure to have political will.

The silence of these seven political figures confirms negligence, incompetence, and things that do not speak to either prudence or intelligence.

We want to hear about this oil. We call on the sitting president, former presidents, and former ministers: tell the nation everything! Tell all the people all the truths about our oil. And remember: we are not going away, or fading away.

ExxonMobil makes pledge to reduce its global emissions output by 2025 p.

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- but continues to pollute local air space with hundreds of toxic chemicals in the meantime

Listen to how our politicians believe we are dumb, deaf and stupid. 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 15, 2020

Murder of money changer and daughter‌

Escaped prisoner causes delay in Preliminary Inquiry E

scaped prisoner, Mark Rufino, called 'Mark,' 25, a labourer of Parika Facade, East Bank Essequibo, has caused a delay in the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the murders of Better Hope money changer, Aaron Latchman, and his 18-yearold daughter, Arianna Latchman, who were killed last year during the course or furtherance of a robbery.

As the manhunt continues for Rufino, Magistrate Alicia George at the Sparendaam Magistrate's Court has put the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the murders of the father and his daughter on hold.

The five accused of the

Still at large murder accused: Mark Rufino double murder are: Rufino; Paul Chan called 'Long Hair' or 'Anthony,' 37, a conductor

of 10 Dennis Street, Sophia, Greater Georgetown; Troy Abrams called 'Troy ' or 'Rasta Man,' 44, a vendor of 34 Middle Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara; Lloyd Sadloo, 37, self-employed of 220 Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara and Sean Thomas called 'Yankee,' 41, an electrician of 59 William Street, Kitty, Georgetown.

The PI for the matter commenced in February this year, but since then it has been faced with several delays. Yesterday when the matter was called, Magistrate George contacted Chan, Abrams, Sadloo and Thomas, who are still incarcerated, via Skype and updated them on the new

proceedings.

She told them that the matter would be further delayed, since Rufino is still at large. The Magistrate explained to the accused that the delay is out of the court hands and that the prosecutor has asked for one month to recapture Rufino and seek advice from the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP), on the way forward since they are jointly charged with Rufino and in his absence the matter cannot continue unless he is either recaptured or removed from the joint charge.

When the Magistrate finished explaining the issue, some of the accused expressed dissatisfaction

Dead: Aaron Latchman Dead: Arianna Latchman with the matter being further delayed. Magistrate George then adjourned the matter to January 29, 2021, for report.

It is reported that between Tuesday October 20, 2020 and Wednesday October 21, 2020, Rufino was among three-murder accused who escaped from the Holding Bay at the Lusignan prison. On October 23, swift and tactical action by members of the Joint Services, acting on information received, resulted in two of the

escapees being recaptured, while police are still trying to locate Rufino.

Kaieteur News had reported when the five accused made their first court appearance, that they were not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleged that on July 4, 2019, at Robert Street, Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, they murdered the money changer and his daughter during a robbery.

According to reports, on the day in question, Aaron Latchman arrived home (continued on page 8)

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 03

ExxonMobil plans three well campaign on suspiciously awarded Canje block E

v e n a s i t continues to lay the groundwork for two critical projects to pump thousands of barrels of oil out of the Stabroek block, American oil giant, ExxonMobil, still remains laser focused on executing an aggressive exploration campaign for its other offshore concession called Canje.

In fact, the oil king has already begun spudding the Bulletwood-1 prospect, which is reported to have a channel complex that is similar to the Liza geology in the Stabroek concession.

This prospect will target approximately 500 million barrels of oil equivalent resources. The next two wells on the Canje block will target Sapote-1 in the east of

the block and Jabillo-1 in the northwest of the block, which is reported as a billion-barrel class basin floor turbidite fan.

Kaieteur News understands that back in 2016, ExxonMobil had acquired in excess of 6,100 km2 of 3D seismic on the Canje block.

Subsequent processing and interpretation of this dataset were used to define a substantial prospect inventory on the block with the three prospects (Bulletwood, Jabillo, and Sapote) high graded as the most promising potential targets for the initial drilling campaign.

Even though a 2018 DeGoyler McNaughton Competent Persons Report on the Canje block remains

unpublished, the offshore concession is reported to contain more than a dozen prospects in the Canje portion of the Liza play fairway, representing more than 10 billion barrels of prospective recoverable oil resources, with a number of the prospects exhibiting the same DHI (Direct Hydrocarbon Indicator) characteristics as the neighbouring Stabroek discoveries.

In a series titled 'The Fleecing of Guyana,' Kaieteur News exposed in great detail, the suspicious circumstances that led to the giveaway of the block to industry unknowns by the PPP/C regime.

In the comprehensive series, this newspaper noted that the Canje Block was

Bagotstown man freed of murder over illegal water connection

S

heldon Anthony Bowen called 'Muslim' was yesterday acquitted of the murder of his neighbour, Mark Ifill called 'Yankee,' after a trial by jury before Justice Navindra Singh.

The father of six from Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was freed after his lawyer, Siand Dhurjon, made a submission of no case to answer which was upheld by the judge.

In his submission, Dhurjon relied on precedents from Guyana's High Court and Court of Appeal to ground his submission that the prosecution had failed in their duty to negative or to disprove the defence of accident and/or self-defence.

The lawyer highlighted that the prosecution had led no evidence to substantiate that Ifill's actions did not result in his own death.

Dhurjon on behalf of the defence explained that his client (Bowen) was attacked

by Ifill with a knife after trying to push him out of his premises.

He explained that Bowen had a duty to prevent the commission of an offence by Ifill who was trespassing on

Freed: Sheldon Anthony Bowen called 'Muslim' Bowen's property, damaging Bowen's pipes and trying to steal water.

Additionally, the lawyer placed a medical certificate into evidence which explained that Bowen himself had abrasions and swelling to his body.

Added to that, he noted that State Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh, confirmed that an abrasion and fracture to Ifill's thumb could have been caused by him falling to the ground.

Bowen was charged with murder after it was alleged that on 25 April, 2017 he

Dead: Mark Ifill called Yankee murdered Ifill by stabbing him to his side with a knife during an argument over an illegal water connection at Bagotstown, EBD. The State, which was represented by lawyers, Tyra B a k k e r a n d Te r i q Mohammed, presented nine witnesses who testified about the incident.

Following the decision, Bowen was not asked to say anything but he broke down in tears after hearing the verdict virtually over Zoom from the Lusignan Prison.

He was incarcerated for over three years.

Map showing the suspiciously awarded Canje block awarded by the Donald Ramotar administration on March 4, 2015, days before the elections, to local company, Mid Atlantic Oil and Gas, which was incorporated in 2013 by Hewley Nelson, a management professional and Nicholas Chuck-ASang, a geologist. The former has served on several public boards, including on the board of the Marriot Hotel's parent company, Atlantic Hotel Incorporated.

He was appointed to that post in 2017 by the David Granger administration.

This newspaper also found that Nelson would dedicate many years of service at the Hand-in-Hand Trust Corporation Inc., even serving as its General Manager.

Chuck-A-Sang, a petroleum engineer currently serves at the Department of Energy, and has a long history of service with the Government, dating back to the early 1990s.

Dr. Edris Kamal Dookie, who was not officially a Director at the time the company received the block, came on later and is the sole

shareholder.

Kaieteur News would have been at the forefront of exposing as well, that MidAtlantic had sold away shares in the block, a mere six weeks after it received it.

This sale was executed with JHI Associates Inc., a private, Ontario-registered, company.

It was set up in 2014, to focus on oil exploration opportunities in the emerging Guyana-Suriname Basin.

The Natural Resource Governance Institute (continued on page 12)

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 15, 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

Shared values and reciprocal recommitment Today we share extracts from an opinion piece by Marc Morial in USA Today dated October 13 and titled: “To heal our nation, America needs to recommit to shared values.”

We think that this is relevant to Guyana. For we can learn and grow, if we look at ourselves critically, appreciate frankly the existing gaps, and then work tirelessly to close. Unless we actually commit to doing so, then we waste time, energy, and deceive ourselves. We condemn ourselves to exactly where we are stuck.

Up north, Americans are battered by a combination of extraordinary crises: a stubborn pandemic, severe national angst and anger over racial injustice and inequality, and the massive economic dislocations. These are the current raging contexts of Guyana. We can allow to overwhelm, or we can resolve to respond powerfully.

As stated by Mr. Morial, “One of the most powerful means of assuring racial and social justice lies in building a shared sense of American values and commitment to each other.” From our perspective that is universal, has sweeping application to all Guyanese willing to embrace that ethos.

The ethos that, indeed, we possess an identical sense of values across our racial wounding and hurting. The ethos that is driven by visions and passions for “racial and social justice.” It is an ethos that, if sincere, starts at the presidential level, courses downward through cabinet and public service, and spreads out in the manner of an inspiration to touch and move countless citizens. If that maxim about a lie repeated often enough transforms into infallible truth, then the same must hold about an ethos of values and commitment. It helps us to rediscover the beginnings of when we were simpler people, not less wise, only more truthful and authentic in the unalterable values of the dignities that were inseparable.

Shared values and commitment to each other highlights those features that were cemented by unselfishness, selfrespect, and respect for one another at a very fundamental level. This was the essence of an older, vanished Guyana, which, if we are truly serious, we must stop shallow speechifying and start exemplifying in the many walks of our lives. Look at us: we have oil in abundance, but dire scarcity in anything that could offer hope in removing the grinding frictions in our society. We have democracy, as chorused by president, pundit, and a pantheon of the powerful, who find comfort in such shallow platitudes, which shelter the glaring inequities and injustices in this land. It is where the law is what the rich and powerful decides; and justice a prostitute without a blindfold and a nakedness that reveals numerous untruths.

We have COVID-19, and we calm and cure ourselves through cursing each other. We used to titillate ourselves about the urgency of truth and reconciliation. Now we are content with the divisive democracy that pierces, and then parcels us out into lots and segments. This makes us happy and secure in the hypocrisy of our intellects, our manifestoes, our programmes, our spiritual beliefs, and our very beings.

But, as the USA Today writer reminded us: “We can and will overcome these challenges if we as a nation face them head-on with shared values and a commitment to helping each other in our role as fully committed citizens.” Specifically, there must be ”a new commitment to civics and democracy education at true scale across the nation” so that we Guyanese can “achieve a new level of genuine democracy and effective self-governance.” To date, we have not come anywhere near to the genuine. We are openly hostile to neighbour, and on this we pin self-governance.

Nationally, “we have lost tolerance for diverse views,” we have lost patience with each other, even basic regard.

On this, we erect new bridges, new cities, and new physical facilities, while ignoring the national decays that destroy us.

We can proceed with the arrogance and self-assurance of reckless minibus drivers, to our lasting detriment.

Alternatively, we can pause and probe for that peace that binds and builds from the bottom up. It begins, continues and ends with shared values and reciprocal commitment to each other. Otherwise, we trick ourselves. We at this paper so believe.

Poor, inept and one-man leadership led to the Coalition defeat Dear Editor, The 2020 regional and general elections which the PPP won is history, but the truth must be told as to why APNU+AFC, hereafter referred to as ‘the Coalition’, lost the elections after being in office for only five years.

One of the reasons is that the Coalition lost the elections because it wasted an entire year in court fighting to rescind the “no confidence motion” of December 21, 2018.

The Granger administration’s refusal to call elections within the threemonth period prescribed in the Constitution for an election was because it was ill-prepared to go to the polls.

Instead, they put forth the most foolish and bogus case that 34 and not 33 votes were needed to pass the no confident motion. Not only were they wrong but they were more illogical than the person(s) who proposed such daft arithmetic. At the time, polls had shown that if the Coalition had called an election by May 2019, it would have won because of public sympathy. Needless to say, none of the courts— Guyana’s High Court, Guyana Court of Appeals or the Caribbean Court of Justice— validated the coalition’s voodoo arithmetic.

However, the primary reason why the Coalition lost the 2020 elections was due to poor, lackluster, and visionless leadership and also because the entire cabal in the PNC and AFC allowed one person—the leader—to dictate how the elections should be run. It was a colossal error on the part of

the PNC and AFC executives not to confront the leader on his weaknesses and ineptness. But they were afraid of retaliations from a vindictive, indolent, boring and selfish leader who believed that he had absolute power to do as he please. He is a self-centered and an elitist leader who does not care about problems affecting the masses.

The silence displayed by the PNC and AFC cabal and being out of power have caused some to imbibe to the extent of becoming alcoholics, others are behaving like zombies and a few have indulged in babbling.

Losing the election could spell the end for the AFC which is near to death as many of its senior members across the country have either resigned their positions or have quit the party alltogether.

Other than being immature, what other reasons could the leaders provide for refusing to attend the meeting between President Ali and the former presidents and for not attending the farewell party of the out-going Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana?

Many in the public are of the opinion that the PNC is in political turmoil and this is largely due to the shunning of one of the stalwarts of the party who the leader refused to assign as a Member of Parliament (MP).

Not only is she a devoted and very popular member of the PNC, but she is also the Chairperson of the party and the Women’s Auxiliary Group. Ostracizing the standard bearer of the PNC

from the decision-making process could be the demise of the party, which many believed would be in opposition for a very long time, if not forever. From the inception, many, including a large number of PNC supporters felt that the socalled six-party coalition put together by the leader was a sham due to the fact that it was comprised of four-oneman parties, which together could not even obtain 1,000 votes at the polls. At the time, only the AFC and the PNC had a support base, but as evident in the last election, the AFC support base which is mainly on the Corentyne has dwindled. In addition, the senior members of the AFC are always in disagreement over who should be the leader of the party.

For example, there has always been a struggle for the leader of the party between its current leader and the chairman and there were some major and bitter conflicts between the former Prime Minister (PM) and the leader over the Prime Ministerial candidacy in the last election.

We all know who emerged as the AFC PM candidate.

It is time for the senior members of the PNC and its support groups in the New York Diaspora to speak-up against the assault on the party by its leader and his surrogate. Following the murders of the two Henry cousins at Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice the two senior leaders of the party visited the area and prodded their supporters into riotous acts without knowing the reasons for the murder. However,

neither the executives of the PNC nor its ten diaspora groups in the Tri-State area condemned them for such shameful behaviour. The Chairperson of the PNC was the lone voice to tell her party supporters to stop the mayhem against their Indian sisters and brothers in the area who are their neighbours.

The public as well as the PNC groups in the diaspora felt that the leader of the party did not have the talent, wisdom, ability and the political and requisite skills, talent and personality to be president. One reason is that as president of the country, he held only three press conferences in five years.

Another reason is that he was aloof and an elitist who lived in his ivory tower and did not care about the people who elected him. A third reason is that as the president of a country with only 780,000 people, he appointed 26 ministers; more than the number of ministers in Jamaica with a population of roughly three million and Trinidad and Tobago with more than one-and-a-half million.

And to add insult to injury, the leader approved a 50 percent increase for ministers while he gave civil/ public servants, including nurses and teachers a meager ten percent increase. If this is not moronic and asinine, then we do not know what is?

Truth be told, the former president gave up his quest to stay in office on August 2, 2020 after a protracted five intense and awful months of fighting to stay in office and (Continued on page 6)

Upgrading the NIS Dear Editor The National Insurance Scheme was established in Guyana by the relevant Act in 1969. It remains such a creative piece of legislation that one does not recall any subsequent administration substantively upgrading it, particularly in the face of the incidence of the appreciable number of non-compliant employers.

One recalls its Chairman, Dr. Roger Luncheon, years ago appointing quite a large representative team to review the management and operationalities of the Scheme and to make recommendations for general and specific improvements.

During the process arrangements were made for an attachment to NIS Barbados to observe what administrative practices that could be usefully adapted in

Guyana. One outstanding feature which would have addressed the substantive membership contribution gap which still obtains in Guyana, was the provision by the Barbados Management of t e c h n o l o g i c a l accommodation for not only actual, but also expectant employees, to register their personal particulars, ahead of the employer.

As appropriate, the Scheme’s management would then relate to the relevant employer, who would have little choice but to confirm the information recorded at the time of employment. The Barbados management boasted about 80 percent success rate of this intervention and in the collection of employer/ employee contributions.

Needless to say, the initiative has never been

explored in Guyana, where too high a percentage of private sector employees, and indeed some public sectortype colleagues, are resigned to non-membership of our National Insurance Scheme.

Female employees are usually the bulk of the sufferers.

Not many of the following institutions involved would recall an internationally funded project some years ago that was intended to fast track the registration of new employers, particularly from overseas.

It was a time of the introduction of technology aimed at connecting i) GOINVEST, ii) Guyana Revenue Authority, iii) Deeds Registry and iv) NIS, with the effect of the last named agency being alerted to implications for necessary new contributors.

The undersigned was directly involved in the above

exercises. It is for reflection as to what extent the findings provided have been beneficially utilised, if at all – that is since 2004.

There is no indication as to whether the NIS had ever been alerted to these initiatives.

With the current and anticipated future flow of new (local and foreign) employers, the relevant authorities can do no worse than revive these thoughtful trails with a view to giving the Management of NIS the financial support so much needed. Incidentally our Barbados counterpart had a Legal Section of five highly motivated attorneys-at-law (whom I met). Just compare the respective populations with which the respective schemes must interact.

Yours truly, E.B. John

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Lincoln Lewis’ dismissal of President Ali’s past-president invitation shows Lewis’ irrelevance Dear Editor, Reference is made to Mr. Lincoln Lewis’s December 13, 2020, missive in Kaieteur News denigrating the effort of President Ali’s overture to past presidents to an initial open forum discussion on nation building.

The conjectures penned

by Mr. Lewis are fraught with emotional threads rather than objectively driven.

Juxtaposing scenarios with condemnatory phrases seem to be screams for recognition in its irrelevance.

For 50 odd years Guyana suffered from partisan politics, and our motto of ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION,ONE DESTINY seemed to be palpably cast asunder.

President Ali and his Cabinet are the CHANGE AGENTS. Mr. Lewis emasculated attempt to denude Dr. Ali’s Olive Branch initiative at comprehensive nation building is disingenuous and laic at best as past paradigms should evolve into pragmatic solutions for ALL Guyanese. Over 60% of the Guyanese population, OF ALL RACES, are the young and President Ali is initiating a willingness to open dialogue, and Mr. Lewis, using the “de facto” phraseology, ad nauseam, is irresponsible, and a raw

testament of his deep anachronism and reluctance to nation building. Terminological inexactitudes, dogma and h y p o t h e c a t i o n b y M r.

Lewis are the aberrations that have and will continue to retard a nations growth, if left unchecked.

In his narrative, Mr. Lewis seems to be speaking for past President, Mr G r a n g e r, which is e g r e g i o u s l y c o n d e s c e n d i n g a s M r.

Granger has clearly stated his reasons for non acquiescence.

Dismissing the meeting of the Presidents as a “dinner gaffe” (my words) is patronizing and self serving.

SPELLING PRESIDENT ALI’s NAME I N C O R R E C T LY, i n h i s missive can be a Freudian slip or downright hypocritical and demeaning. Like it or not, Mr. Lewis, President Ali has been democratically elected and his mantra of “CHANGE GUYANA” for all has accelerated rapidly and unswervingly.

Negative connotations will not dilute or derail this dynamism. Open your mind, Sir, and allow all Guyanese to add gravitas to OUR Motto: ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION, ONE DESTINY !

Yours truly, Jonathan Subrian

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Kaieteur News

There is enough to indicate that gender-based violence is a men’s issue Dear Editor, “Familicide,” is described

by Wikipedia as, “a type of murder-suicide in which a perpetrator kills multiple close family members in quick succession, most often children, relatives, spouse, siblings or parents. “ On Saturday 12th December 2020, Carolina Kennedy, 48, and her two daughters, 5 years old Marianna and 3 years old Gabriella Kennedy met their untimely demise in a fire allegedly set by Kenford Downer, the reputed husband of the late Carolina Kennedy.

It was reported that the late Carolina was abused by Downer in the past, and in fact, he was even convicted of abuse. Just last week, Downer threatened to burn the house down and kill Carolina and little Marianna and Gabriella. He made good on those threats. His “justified” reason for this inhumane act is one that baffles me.

It was mere speculation, several newscasts reported, that Downer was annoyed that Carolina spoke to another man! This seems to be the senseless motive behind

many of the killings of our women. It saddens me that Carolina had all the signs.

There were many red flags. He was jealous, possessive, controlling, he had a bad temper and he was abusive, “Then why didn’t she leave?” many would ask. The answer though simple is far too complex.

While I cannot speak directly to the situation in which Carolina was in, I believe in some ways the reasons why some women remain in abusive relationships are the same.

Some women are so fearful of their partners that they stay.

While this doesn’t make sense to some, it makes perfect sense.

It starts with emotional control. Victims are made to feel worthless and alone.

Often times they feel as though they are responsible for the abuse meted out to them. Some women spend their entire lives in abusive relationships that end in death while some are lucky to get out alive.

It was reported that Carolina planned on reporting Downer’s threat to

burn the house with her and the little girls to the police.

Had Carolina reported this threat earlier, would this have saved her and the little girls?

I have my doubts about that.

Domestic violence cases do not receive the appropriate response from the relevant authorities as it should until it is too late. I have heard it many times before that the police sometimes leave the cases as is because of the victim’s withdrawal of complaints and refusal to testify against the abuser.

When would violence against women be given the importance it ought to be given? Are the authorities taking the right approach to tackle this issue?

When will the national discussion be held? Why is it, that the most important element to fight against violence against women has been excluded? When will men actively join the discussion? When will they be invited to participate in empowering their brothers and when will they join the call to strengthen our women?

It is my hope that GenderBased Violence and Abuse in

any form be given the importance it needs to be given. I believe we have a capable Minister of Social Services. The Honorable Minister needs to closely look into ways to decrease and eliminate Gender-Based Violence. What was done hasn’t worked. More of our girls were raped and our women killed. Over the past few months, we have seen the most atrocious acts of abuse being perpetrated against our girls and women. Enough evidence to conclude that Gender-Based Violence is a men’s issue!

I pray for the souls of Carolina and those two beautiful angels Marianna and Gabriella to find a resting place. I pray for the families of the deceased to be comforted and trust God to bring them through their devastating loss. It is my hope that their killer is dealt with to the full extent of the law. Furthermore, it is my wish that this is the last we read of something so barbaric and inhumane to be done against our women and girls.

Yours truly, I. Ram

Grateful for Digicel entry into South Rupununi but service recently has been poor Dear Editor, It is with great dissatisfaction that I pen this note, to highlight communication issues that we are currently experiencing in the South Rupununi.

Foremost, I thank Digicel Guyana, for rendering its services to the peoples of the South Rupununi. It has been a good initiative by the

company, providing connection between far flung villages and the wider area.

To provide the readers with a better understanding of the problem, let me explain the nature of the issue: Digicel has its main (only) tower installed in Aishalton, the main village of the South Rupununi. Other villages, some which extend

approximately 30 miles from Aishalton, have been previously connected to the network. Since being upgraded about a year ago (to be able to provide 4G

internet services) some of these communities were unfortunately disconnected.

While this initiative has its merits, editor, I must highlight (Continued on page 6)

PAGE 6

Triumph man was beaten to death - Autopsy reveals An autopsy report has revealed that the 50-year-old man, who was found dead in his home on Friday last, was beaten to death.

Christopher Findlay of Agriculture Road, Triumph, East Coast Demerara was discovered by his neighbour lying motionless in his bed around 12:00hrs that day.

Experts who visited the scene noted that he sustained wounds to his left eye, face and elbow. A post mortem yesterday confirmed that he died due to blunt trauma to the head.

Detectives believe that the killer used a heavy object to hit Findlay’s head sometime between 08:00 and 12:00hrs that day.

Cops have since arrested a suspect they believe might have beaten Findlay to death.

The man has since been identified as a labourer, 29, of Kadoo Street, Triumph. The suspect and Findlay reportedly had a misunderstanding prior to the discovery of his body.

He remains in police custody as investigations continue.

Murdered: Christopher Findlay.

BEC: National minimum wage should be research-based Daily Nation - Following is a statement from Barbados Employers’ Confederation (BEC) on the issue of implementing a national minimum wage.

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley announced during a press conference last week that Government plans to move in this direction.

Mottley said that by April next year, Barbados could, for the first time, have a national minimum wage along with fixed amounts for different sectors.

“On March 1, 2012, the minimum wage was raised to $6.25 per hour for shop assistants and household domestics in Barbados.

Legislation at the time did not allow for a national minimum wage, however many sectors utilise the rate as a benchmark.

“In 2012, the business sector agreed that the rate of $6.25 was less than ideal.

“However, considering the poor economic landscape, there was recognition that if a higher rate was declared, some businesses would be forced to reduce their staff complement in order to continue operations. The business community therefore supported that the introduced rate be followed by incremental annual increases. Since then, the

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

Minimum Wage Act 2017-4 was passed, which established a Minimum Wage Board, which is tripartite in nature, with the expressed purpose to advise the minister on all matters relating to the fixing of a minimum wage including the: • National minimum wage to be paid to an employee; • Minimum wage to be paid to a specified group or sector of employees; and • Terms and conditions of service and the minimum work conditions of an employee to whom a minimum wage applies.

Over eight years have elapsed since the last increase to wages for shop assistants.

From recessions to unemployment, and increases in bus fare, taxes, and inflation, changes to the socio-economic climate mean that the current minimum wage is considered insufficient to allow workers to meet basic living standards. Conversely, there is concern from employers, in particular small businesses, with respect to the impact of a stipulated minimum wage.

Not all businesses would be able to maintain their employment levels (either their staff complement or working hours).

“A national minimum wage is more common across the world and is featured in some of our Caricom neighbours as well. It ensures that there is a fair standard below which no worker should fall and market rates and employer discretion will determine wages above the threshold. Sectoral minimum

wages ultimately outline which sectors/industries are perceived to be more valuable depending on various factors – for example, private versus public sector; or in respect of working hours where some sectors may work longer hours, such as health care.

“As a sectoral minimum wage is applicable by industry and not by job, the result could be a division into multiple pay brackets as is seen in some countries.

This can lead to confusion as workers may not know what applies to their sector, as well as greater difficulty in monitoring and ensuring compliance. It can also result in large pay divides and in sectors being perceived as less valuable.

Therefore, the introduction should be carefully considered and advised by research, economic and social analysis.

“The Barbados Employers’ Confederation and the business community have always supported a research-based method to determining a national minimum wage that will allow businesses to grow and employees to be compensated fairly. We are aware that the Minimum Wage Board requested research to ensure that such an approach would be taken.

Therefore, the BEC supports methodologies that allow this to occur, and which would ensure that every Barbadian works for a wage which supports a decent standard of living.

Merry Christmas Dear Editor, It is the middle of December, still ten days to Christmas Day, but I treat myself: may all my fellow citizens experience a true Christmas Season starting from now, if not earlier.

Because I am where I am, and who I am, this is extended to those who harbour hate in their hearts, be it for me or for any other. May the good tidings of the 2020 Christmas Season and spirit surround and lift up all; may there be joy to the world of Guyana, that is of Guyanese.

Today, I help myself to holiday goodies earlier than later, since this time, it is really of a celebration of two in one.

Last year, the bottom fell out of December from an early hour, which I will not taint this moment with, except to say that instead of the traditional festivities, there were the furious frenzies, of a kind we know all too well.

I will not singe this moment of sharing, of what is spiritual to me, with reference to the political or prejudicial.

The time is too sacred to sully it with recollections of what still sizzles (furiously) and is now celebrated (rapturously).

I prefer to say, as we shop and soak in the scenes, let us be wary of those hanging out and shopping for the innocent and naïve, the careless and thoughtless.

For, because of our oil (it is not ours, come to think of it, but the sole inheritance of the political class), there are the schemers and the deceivers, who come to separate us from

the little we have. And, in the streets, the locals waiting to rush forward with their preying. The environment is conducive: already the streets are clogged, with traffic inching along in tortured crawls. May the silver bells in the city fuse smoothly with the rainbow of colors and sounds that are so much part of the treks and travels reduced to the trickle of trudges. Yes, the city sidewalks and busy streets are alive and active, with the hum of excited voices and music in the air.

This much I observe from my rare forays into the heart of the city, where there is much pent-up energy (stashed away money, too, by those who do have it, and not from constitutionally permissible labours), so many jammed vehicles and jostling bodies (pandemic or otherwise), so much yearning for so many of the out of reach things in this hard guava season of Guyanese life. Some will settle for even one cracked front tooth, if there are two, then no refusal will occur.

I hope that we will be generous this year, this season of goodwill, where fellowship will ascend acrimony. I think of those three kings that came and comes the wonder of how and what we could be, if we only but tried. We could be three kings in one, black and brown and the rest in the perfect blends in between.

There is so much to like about Christmas, which is why I

came back here every time at this time for decades in what I dare to call faithful pilgrimage. Like those humble shepherds, there was coming to the stable, if just for the splendor of the promise.

That is what we Guyanese have, should reach to touch and cherish, even when our sense of feeling has been numbed.

It is what this special time does to me: the disappointments and angers recede, the disillusions disappear. There is a season under the sun for everything.

It is this different one now, of peace on earth and goodwill to all men, even those who care not, who shrug off disdainfully, and who turn their backs sullenly.

As they do so, I still come forward, for it is how I am made. It is what I think we need here, holiday season or no holiday season. It is what can carry through the travails, past the obstacles, beyond the darkness, in this dark night of the national soul.

As Guyanese, as people, as individuals, we must see light, be about light. We must light up our world. I try.

Peace and goodwill.

It is Christmas time in the city and the whole country, too.

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine on one and all. I believe, not in pathetic earthly princes, but in something else altogether. To all citizens: have a jolly holiday.

Yours truly, GHK Lall

...Grateful for Digicel entry into South Rupununi but service recently has From page 5 a few disappointing struggles that we endure daily, namely: i.

We are mandatorily paying for 4G mobile internet services, however for most of the day (at Aishalton) we have no choice but to accept the meager internet service that is offered to us. With this type of service, the exchange of media is a struggle, and even more so, it is almost impossible to stream videos. ii. Since being

upgraded to provide 4G services, other previously connected villages have now been unfortunately disconnected from the network. iii. For those other villages that are still connected, the internet services provided is a total farce. It is almost impractical to exchange WhatsApp messages, and even more so, media.

This is a common issue

shared among all users of this particular area, which I know for certain is unfair; it’s simply paying for poor service.

This situation is placing those who rely on the use of this internet service, at a great disadvantage. I soon hope that we can have better and improved connection services at least in the connected villages.

Yours truly, Immaculata Casimero

...Poor, inept and one-man leadership led to the Coalition From page 4 several court cases which failed to overturn the election.

Many PNC supporters and its ten groups in the Tri-State had thought they had won the election.

However, the loss has led many of them to

criticize the President and characterized him as a misfit who is incapable of leading the party and the nation.

To d a y, t h e P N C i s fractured, thanks to its leader and his surrogate whose support in the New

York Diaspora has melted away while the Chairperson has a groundswell of support, which means that sooner rather than later, both of them will have to migrate in the wilderness.

Yours truly, Dr. Asquith Rose

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L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Tuesday December 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

Russia had Ivan, the Terrible.

On oil, Guyana has Joe Harmon with this horror show of his.

Three months later, he is a no-show on oil.

Three months later, the Opposition Leader continues with this 'pappy show.'

Guyana's oil is now a game show, with Jagdeo as host, and Harmon as co-host.

Harmon has joined with Jagdeo to change Guyana's oil into a peep show.

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Tuesday December 15, 2020

ExxonMobil makes pledge to reduce its global emissions output by 2025 O

ne of the industry's b i g g e s t contributors to greenhouse gases, American oil giant, ExxonMobil, announced yesterday that it will be rolling out a plan to reduce the intensity of its upstream gas emissions by 15 to 20 percent. In its statement on the matter, ExxonMobil said that it would be able to achieve this by 2025.

It said that this will be supported by a 40 to 50 percent decrease in methane intensity, and a 35 to 45 percent decrease in flaring intensity across its global operations.

Further to this, the company said it plans to align its operations with the

'World Banks initiative to eliminate routine flaring by 2030.

The oil giant was keen to note that the emissions reduction plan is the result of several months of detailed analysis and includes input from shareholders.

Other measures it said the market can expect to be implemented include continued investments in lower-emission technologies, such as carbon capture, manufacturing efficiencies, and advanced biofuels; increased cogeneration capacity at manufacturing facilities; continued support for sound policies that put a price on carbon and continued a c c o u n t i n g f o r

- but continues to pollute local air space with hundreds of toxic chemicals in the meantime environmental performance as part of executive compensation.

Even as the company notes its intentions to reduce emissions, its actions offshore Guyana send a completely different message to local and international stakeholders about its interest in protecting the environment.

Since December 2019 to now, the oil giant has been flaring millions of cubic feet of gas as a result of its inability to fix a

malfunctioning gas compressor system for the Liza Destiny oil vessel.

Kaieteur News was able to confirm with Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Sharifah Razack, that the company flared 16.496 million standard cubic feet of gas per day in October – up from its previously publicized rate of 15 million cubic feet per day.

This information is consistent with statements m a d e b y H e s s ' representatives during its

2020 third quarter earnings call.

The Stabroek block coventurer had indicated at the end of October that it was happy to inform its shareholders that production rates at Liza Phase One have increased to 105,000 barrels of oil per day in the past few weeks.

Before that, public knowledge was that Exxon's production was hovering around 80,000 to 90,000 barrels of oil per day, as was the case in September, last.

In September, Kaieteur News had reported that Guyana stands at number six in the world per capita for countries emitting toxic gas by flaring.

The newspaper had projected that with the rate of flaring at the time, Exxon would have emitted 12 billion cubic feet by the end of 2020.

However, since the rate of flaring increased in October, the volume flared at the end of the year will be much higher.

Misconduct charges withdrawn against Ashni Singh, Winston Brassington T

he misconduct in public office charges against Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, and Head of the Gasto-Shore Taskforce, Winston Brassington, yesterday had charges withdrawn against them.

The two high-ranking Government officials were charged on May 8, 2018 for allegedly selling State lands without first obtaining a valuation and selling the lands way below their value under the Bharrat Jagdeo administration.

The charges were filed by the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) under the A Partnership for

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition.

However, yesterday when the matter was called in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann M c L e n nan, the SOCU special prosecutor informed the court that the organization no longer wishes to proceed with the charges against the two officials.

As such, six charges were withdrawn against Singh and Brassington.

The first charge had alleged that Singh, being and performing duties of Minister of Finance, and Chairman of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), a company owned

by the Government of Guyana; and Brassington being and performing duties as the Chief Executive of NICIL, on May 14, 2011 at 126 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown sold a tract of land being 10.002 acres of Plantation Turkeyen, East Coast of Demerara, property of the State of Guyana, for the sum of $185,037,000, without first having procured a valuation of the said property from a competent valuation officer.

It is further alleged that Singh and Brassington on December 30, 2008 at the same location, by way of Agreement of Sale and Purchase without due diligence, sold to Scady Business Corporation a 4.7 acres tract portion of Plantation Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara for $150M knowing that the said property was valued at $340M by Rodrigues Architects Associate, a competent valuation officer.

The last allegation against the two stated that Singh and Brassington on December 28, 2009, at the same location, by way of Agreement of Sale and Purchase, acted recklessly when they sold to National Hardware Guyana Limited a

tract of land at Plantation Liliendaal, Pattensen and Turkeyen, situated on the East Coast of Demerara, being 103 acres, being property of the State of Guyana for the sum of $ 5 9 8 , 6 5 9 , 3 9 8 ( VAT exclusive) without first procuring a valuation of the said property from a competent valuation officer.

After they were charged, Singh and Brassington had challenged the legality of charges noting that their positions specifically excluded them from being considered or described as 'public officers' under the Constitution of Guyana.

However, on November 25, one year after the charges

Head of the Gas-to-Shore Taskforce, Winston Brassington were challenged, Chief Justice (ag) Roxane GeorgeWiltshire dismissed the challenge and ruled that the duo must return to the Magistrates' Court and face the charges.

Escaped prisoner causes...

From page 2 around 15:15 hrs. and was attempting to park his car in his yard when two gunmen struck.

One of the gunmen reportedly entered the house and shot Latchman's daughter. The other, meanwhile, attacked Latchman. The two men got into a scuffle, which resulted in a bag ending up in a neighbour's yard.

The gunman who had shot Latchman's daughter then exited the house and came to his accomplice's aid, shooting

Latchman as well. After Latchman fell to the ground, the attackers snatched up a bag of cash and fled. The killers escaped in a car. The money changer and his daughter were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where they were both pronounced dead on arrival.

The matter was reported and an investigation was launched. The five accused were later arrested and subsequently, jointly charged for murder.

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 09

The COVID-19 pandemic is becoming more serious T

he Ministry of Health is now saying that in keeping with the protocols developed by COVAX, frontline workers will be the first to receive the vaccine when it becomes available next year. It was not stated when next year, but at the rate at which things move within that Ministry, it could be anywhere from January to next August.

In the interim, people have to remain safe. The least the Ministry could have done was to use whatever databases it has to identify high-risk individuals or at least start a registry of them so that two things can happen.

The first is that intense monitoring of these persons take place so that in the eventuality of them contracting the coronavirus, treatment can be immediate.

The second is that such a database will help when the distribution begins.

Guyana is fast approaching 6,000 cases.

Given the smallness of the population and the still low levels of testing taking place, one can safely multiply this number by 10 to determine how many have and have had the virus. This would mean that more than 60,000 are infected locally, the majority of whom may be

Dem

boys seh...

D

em who rig elections or intended to benefit from rigged elections should not be preaching de sermon of racial unity. Dem boys can't understand how yuh can talk about racial harmony when de party to which yuh belong bin neck deep in de conspiracy to rig de elections.

And if yuh said nothing to suggest dat you bin in disagreement with this plot, how yuh can speak bout ethnic harmony?

If yuh rig de elections fuh mek me lose, it means dat yuh want to cheat me.

Yuh spreading disharmony not harmony! Yuh try fuh disenfranchise me; first with

asymptomatic. This would mean that Guyana's actual infection rate could be as high as one in every five persons.

No one has to date indicated just who are the epidemiologists advising the government. But clearly by now someone should have realized that in terms of new cases, Guyana's per capita rate is almost double that of Canada, parts of which are now in a lockdown.

But while places like Germany is going into lockdown, Guyana is opening up more and more.

The Minister of Health is advising the public to limit window-shopping. But he appears oblivious to the actions of some of his colleagues who continue to engage with groups of members of the public.

Why are the elderly being brought out to meet with Ministers in Essequibo?

Why are young children being brought out to receive gifts? Give it to the parents!

At Wales Primary School, young children were seated three in a bench and it is one of those short benches. The photographs do not lie.

Where was the COVID-19 distancing rules? The same thing happened in Patentia.

What sort of recklessness is taking place? Parents should not be condoning

this. No gift is worth the life of a child and therefore parents should keep their children away from these gift-giving exercises.

Why are these things happening? How is it that the average citizen is being urged not to do any windowshopping but Ministers are photo hopping all over the country?

Guyana's COVID-19 numbers are not reassuring.

Daily new cases are high and for every 100 cases, it can now be safely predicted that at least three of those are going to die. The positivity rate is still high. It is still above 17 percent despite the massive increase in testing.

It needs to be brought down to under one percent before the public can feel relieved.

But this is not going to happen unless there is mass testing.

The antigen tests are now available. They allow for quicker results. It means that the daily number of tests should be more than 500 every day. This will give the authorities a more accurate estimate of the total infection rate in the population. Given the long time that the rate has stickled around 20 percent, it is safe to assume that one in every five Guyanese are at risk. This would place us about the most high-risk countries for infections.

De riggers not fit to talk about ethnic harmony bed sheet, den with spreadsheet. Wat racial harmony can come out of a diabolic plot to rig de elections?

The Ethnic Relations Commission can't be serious when it includes discredited individuals in its race relations talks. These persons will do more damage dan good to race relations!

How can some persons talk bout racial harmony when dem own words bin stir fire and brimstone in West Berbice. How can dem who incite become the peacemakers?

There can be no ethnic harmony unless there is respect for democratic

norms.

You cannot demand that de ballot boxes be dumped simply because yuh party lost an election and den tun round and now want call fuh shared-governance. Those who tried to steal de elections cannot be at any negotiating table. Their very presence there creates disharmony.

Marriages cannot be formed with lies and hypocrisy. In the ancient days, those who ran afoul of public morals and rules were exiled. Those who tried to send Guyana back to the dark ages of dictatorship should consider self-exile.

Talk half and wait fuh see who tekking leff!

The indigenous community has been disproportionally affected and to date we have heard nothing from the Minister of Amerindian Affairs. There needs to be far more testing taking place in these communities, which because

they are isolated means that, the infected cannot easily access medical services.

The time has come for the blow-blow parade to cease. We are dealing with a local outbreak that is worrying. People are dying and the vaccine is not going

to be administered to the elderly, probably until next February. God help this country!

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Tuesday December 15, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Decoding the Nassau cipher of Granger and Trotman P

owerful political underlings, so enamoured with the blank cheque they possess from their presidents and prime ministers, sometimes open their mouths and say things without thinking. Their career ended because their bosses didn't like what they heard.

The examples from the Trump administration are literally plenty. The most intriguing one was the invincible advisor of the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. He fired Dominic Cummings two weeks ago.

Raphael Trotman as a senior minister put his foot in his mouth on two occasions immensely embarrassing his friend, the president, David Granger.

Both were fascinating disclosures that remain mysterious. One wonders if

the truth will ever come out because no one in the PNC and AFC shows the type of culture that will galvanize them to disclose it.

In March 2017 at a press conference to speak on his election as head of the AFC, Trotman revealed that the AFC did not select him, Dominic Gaskin and Noel Holder as ministers after APNU+AFC won the election.

He said it was the president himself who selected the three of them (see my column of Wednesday, March 15, 2017, “A country overrun with dishonestly infinitesimal minds.”) Both Granger and the AFC denied the presidential appointments but declined to describe Trotman as a liar.

In the 2016 local government election campaign in Bartica,

Tr o t m a n a d d r e s s i n g a meeting waxed lyrical about Granger's qualities telling the crowd that after APNU+AFC won the 2015 poll, Granger called him and said, “Raphael this is Nassau,” referring to a conversation both had while waiting to fly out of the Bahamas. To date, none of our so-called journalist possesses the curious mind to ask Granger or Trotman what is meant by that “Nassau thing.”

Since 2016, I have gathered bits and pieces about the Nassau cipher. I have spoken to several persons including someone who was very close to Trotman.

It appears that Trotman and Granger because of their connections to US colleges run by the intelligence agencies of the US government became close

friends. Both men did courses at those colleges and are close friends to someone the US government consulted (former UG Vice Chancellor, Ivelaw Griffith).

Politically both Trotman and Granger had one thing in common – they didn't like Desmond Hoyte at all; Granger because Hoyte bypassed him for Joe Singh to head the army and Trotman because Hoyte kicked him out of the PNC. They discussed the idea of a liberal, democratic third force joining with a new-look PNC to contest the election with the possibility of defeating the PPP, which both saw as vulnerable under Jagdeo.

Granger suggested to Trotman that he would work the PNC angle while Trotman should use his middle class connections to form the third force. Their efforts came to reality.

Granger became head of the PNC and Trotman formed the AFC with Sheila Holder and Khemraj Ramjattan with money from the US government.

It was Bryan Hunt of the US embassy that literally chaperoned the AFC into power. Hunt literally advised Granger and Trotman during

the minority presidency of Donald Ramotar.

Hunt and Hunt alone hunted down GECOM to ensure that APNU+AFC won. It was Hunt who insisted that GECOM must not agree to a PPP request to recount the ballots of the Region Eight election when

Frederick Kissoon the PPP was losing by one vote. It was US money that poured into the AFC's coffers during the 2015 campaign with Alstrom Stewart being financed to come to Guyana to advise the AFC. It was Hunt who had identified Stewart to Sheila Holder as a person of interest.

There is a strong possibility that the 2015 elections was won by the PPP. I guess Hunt and then

GECOM chairman, Dr. Steve Surajballi, will never speak about it.

As 2020 draws to a close we will continue to hear from the APNU and AFC and their surrogates, especially people like UG's Deputy Vice Chancellor, Dr. Melissa Ifill and Eusi Kwayana's clone, Dr. David Hinds, that the American favoured the PPP and helped it in power in the March 2020 election. But one of the greatest ironies in Guyanese history is that the American government installed the APNU+AFC in 2015 courtesy of Byran Hunt.

Trotman was at heart and will always be at heart a PNC man. His friendship with Granger has cemented that embrace. He threatened to sue me when in the 2016 local government election in Bartica, I reported him as telling the crowed, “the prodigal son has returned.”

I withdrew the remark and apologized. In doing so, I lived to fight another day and ensured that the Nassau code along with Granger and Trotman were things of the past, never to be remembered.

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

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Govt. fails to publish Redford's Payara review, three months after promising to do so A

fter promising transparency in its management of Guyana's oil and gas sector, the Government of Dr. Irfaan Ali is shirking a key aspect of that mandate: the release of the US$9B Payara project review, done by controversial Canadian consultant, Alison Redford.

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, promised that the findings of the review would be made public in September, weeks before the government approved the Payara Field Development Plan (FDP)

submitted by ExxonMobil.

The new government, after being installed in August, decided to complete the review started by the D a v i d G r a n g e r administration's consultant, Bayphase Oil & Gas Consultants. That company is a client of ExxonMobil.

Using a grant from Canada, the Government hired a team headed by Redford. The team's job involved reviewing Bayphase's work.

Redford, an expolitician, resigned from her post as Premier of Alberta, Canada in 2014 for

inappropriately spending Canada's tax dollars.

She was also found to have benefitted from money donated to her former political party by an ExxonMobil subsidiary in Canada, called Imperial Oil. Redford's team completed its review in six weeks. Pivotal issues include the cost of the Payara project. Notably, Exxon stated in a release that the Payara development will cost US$9B to produce 600 million oil-equivalent barrels.

This is US$3B higher than its US$6B estimate for

ExxonMobil plans three well...

From page 3 (NRGI) has warned on several occasions that the quick flipping of blocks without having done substantial work, is a major red flag that should require inquiry into possible corruption.

It is notable that the

principals of JHI and MidAtlantic, Edris Dookie, and the Canadian John Cullen had co-founded CGX in 1996. That company has benefitted from several licences, but was never successful in finding oil.

Both men have left CGX. Exxon only farmed into

the Canje in February 2016, becoming the operator with 35 percent of the shares later that year. The sum Exxon paid for its share is unknown.

In February of 2018, JHI and Mid-Atlantic also struck a deal with Total, which resulted in Total having a 35 percent stake.

the Liza Phase Two project, which will be producing at a similar peak rate from a reserve with a similar volume estimate. Exxon is yet to justify this significant cost difference.

There are also two major environmental issues, which were not brought to finality.

Government said it has strictly prohibited routine flaring without approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and explicitly stated that any flaring to maintain oil production is not allowed at the Payara project.

ExxonMobil's local subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), will be expected to compensate the government for the cost of wasted gas during flaring and will be subject to fines under the EPA, which are related to emissions from flaring. It is also expected to establish a framework for a carbon price in line with international standards.

The EPA can grant permission on a month-bymonth basis after taking into account, a study of the circumstances and a detailed report for requiring same.

This is not a departure from the situation occurring at the Liza Phase One project, where ExxonMobil has flared over 12 billion cubic feet of natural gas.

As for the dumping of produced water, Government said that it has now required EEPGL to include tie-in points and space for produced water injection equipment, in its base design, consistent with its commitment to advocate for discharge of produced water at internationally accepted standards.

Government is supposed to oversee a study to be conducted by Exxon by the first quarter of 2021 to examine the safe and efficient reinjection of the p r o d u c e d w a t e r, a n d determine the effects of the reinjection on the reservoir.

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat The licence states that the study will also seek to determine how the effects of dumping produced water in the ocean can be minimized.

Government said that this is in keeping with its commitment to preserve marine life and water quality.

The dumping of produced water at Payara has not been prohibited.

ExxonMobil has also been dumping thousands of barrels of produced water into the ocean at its Liza Phase One operations.

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 13

Houston shorebase unable to handle Liza Phase 1 demands – Trotman A

ccording to former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, the Muneshwers' shorebase erected at Houston (Demerara-Mahaica) is unable to supply the needs for Liza Phase One. These and other details were revealed to the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources in 2018.

During that meeting Trotman had told parliament, “What we have at Muneshwers Limited, now, which is already causing major traffic accidents and traffic jams every day, is only to service the Liza-1 field.

The Liza-1 field has approximately 1.8 billion barrels of oil because it is going to be tied with another field, Payara, but we are still talking about another two to three billion barrels of oil that would have to be developed.”

He had also noted Muneshwers' shorebase is already at its capacity, and for this, Trotman had indicated that the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) had initiated the process of scouting other locations which could also serve as shorebases.

“This is why I am saying that Government wants to

ensure that, from the Essequibo to Berbice, there is something in each so that the country grows in a balanced way and that everything is not centralized in Georgetown,” Trotman had indicated.

Notably, former Trinidad and Tobago Minister of Energy, Kevin Ramnarine, had warned Guyana about its need to prepare for the intense shorebase demands.

During his first appearance on Kaieteur Radio's 'Guyana's Oil and You,' Ramnarine had noted that Guyana is expected to have five floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels in the next five years. Ramnarine had said that the shorebase demands that these oil ships will need is expected to be significant.

Expounding further, the former Minister had said that Guyana has the Liza Destiny FPSO offshore and another, the Liza Unity, is under construction. Along with the Liza Destiny, there are four drill ships and about 25 support vessels.

“So there is quite an armada out there. Support is being provided by the Muneshwers shorebase at Houston, but there will be a need for more shorebase services by 2025,”

The Guyana Shore Base Incorporated (GYBSI) which was established

by Muneshwers Limited to service the needs of offshore vessels Ramnarine had expressed.

The former minister had said that Guyana has to lend serious thought to getting shorebase infrastructure in place. Further to this, Ramnarine said that Guyana is expected to reach its production peak, which would be sometime in the later part of this decade.

In this regard, he recalled that international consultancy firm and trusted data provider, Wood Mackenzie, had said that Guyana would become the 11th nation in the history of the world to produce over one million

Govt. launches Childcare Subsidy for essential worker

F

rontline workers who are providing an essential service or key public services during the COVID19 pandemic can apply for the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security Childcare Subsidy Programme.

Dr. Vindhya Persaud, the Minister of Human Services, made the disclosure during the launch of the Ministry's 914 emergency hotline on Thursday, December 10, 2020. The Childcare Subsidy Programme will assist essential workers who have children of ages seven and under.

Categories of groups that qualify include members of the Guyana Police Force and Guyana Fire Service; frontline health workers; Human Services workers; domestic workers; security firm workers and supermarket employees,

- Domestic, security firms, supermarket employers among those targetted among others.

According to Minister Persaud, the Programme is “an all-rounded approach to not only facilitate day care subsidy for essential workers but to improve the conditions of the 224 registered day care centres nationwide ensuring they open safely under the COVID-19 guidelines.”

“The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has created an unprecedented health and financial crisis.

We've certainly all been impacted, but none more so than our essential workers who put their lives on the line every day to protect us.

Many of these workers have to balance their jobs, maintain a household and oftentimes have to cover child care expenses or find a

safe place to leave their children,” Minister Persaud noted.

The detailed application form, which includes the criteria for eligibility, can be downloaded on the Ministry's website: https://form.jotform.com/20 3022779944056. A hardcopy version of the application form will be available at the Ministry's Lamaha or Cornhill and Water Streets locations, Childcare Protection Agency on Broad Street or any Probation Office in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and 10.

Throughout the programme, the ministry will make direct payment for services, per term, to the childcare facilities.

barrels of oil per day.

Ta k i n g t h i s i n t o consideration, he had said that Guyana has to prepare its industry to be equipped with robust institutional capacity and legislation. He had acknowledged that the Energy Department has made some moves in this direction

but noted at the same time that it should have been in place since 2015.

The country is therefore a bit behind the curve at this time,” the now business studies lecturer said.

Ramnarine also said that it is critical that Guyana does not find itself in a place where

the industry grows exponentially, but the capacity to manage it does not. He said this was one of the blunders made by his home country while adding that Guyana has the good fortune of having borrowed experience as it endeavours to do better.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Elderly Region 10 man is country's latest COVID-19 fatality

A

7 2 - y e a r- o l d man from Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) has been recorded as Guyana's 156th COVID19 death.

This was revealed by the Health Ministry yesterday, which in its daily update stated that the

man died while receiving treatment at a medical facility.

The Ministry also announced 23 newly recorded COVID-19 cases, pushing the total number of confirmed cases to 5,943.

According to the Ministry's COVID-19 dashboard, 657 persons are

in approved home isolation; 45 are in institutional isolation; 22 are in institutional quarantine and eight are in the Intensive Care Unit at the Liliendaal Infectious Disease Hospital.

To date, 5,077 persons have recovered and 34,038 persons have been tested for the virus countrywide.

Tuesday December 15, 2020

High Court to rule on President's power to appoint Senior Counsel

H

igh Court J u s t i c e Nareshwar Harananan is set to hand down a decision on Thursday, in the case filed by Attorney-at-law, Timothy Jonas, to quash former President David Granger's appointment of four Senior Counsel.

During a hearing into the matter yesterday, the Court heard submission from several attorneys involved, including Jonas' attorney and President of the Bar Association, Teni Housty, who argued the decision of whom is appointed to the S.C. inherently lies with the Full Bench of the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature and not the President.

Housty stressed as the President and a member of the Executive, Granger's decision to appoint Senior Counsel, trespasses into the realm of the judiciary and violates Article 122 of the Constitution of Guyana which speaks to the doctrine of the separation of powers.

As such, the attorney is arguing that there is no statutory or other power conferred on the President of Guyana whether as President or otherwise, to make any such decision to appoint attorneys-at-law to the dignity of Senior Counsel.

He therefore noted that if the presidential appointment is permitted to stand, the effect of the administration of Justice would be devastating.

However, in response, Attorney General (AG), Anil Nandlall, who was recently selected to be S.C. by President Irfaan Ali argued

Attorney, Timothy Jonas against the case claiming that it lacks merit and should have never been filed.

Nandlall held that the President has had the power to confer silk since independence. He explained that after Guyana gained independence the power was transferred to the President as the Head-of-State from the queen. The queen, he said, would appoint lawyers to the higher dignity of the bar before Guyana gained independence.

“That power,” he argued, “was transferred to the President, where it remains and was never vested in the judiciary.”

As such, Nandlall said that no case can be made out against the clear authority of the President. The AG had noted in a previously filed response that while Jonas' application may bear some veracity, he does not embrace compendiously and comprehensively all the virtues, qualifications, advantages and privileges and status which the

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall conferral of the dignity of silk accords.

Nandlall also expressed disagreement with the notion that the President, as a member of the Executive, cannot promote members of the bar as it breaches the doctrine of the separation of powers.

Jonas, a lawyer who was also recently selected by President Ali for appointment to Senior Counsel had moved to the High Court to challenge Granger's appointment of Attorneys-at-Law, Jameela Alli, Roysdale Forde, Mursalene Bacchus and Stanley Moore as Senior Counsel (S.C).

In this case, Jonas wants an Order of Certiorari to be directed to the Attorney G eneral to quas h the decision by the President to appoint the members of the bar. Jonas is contending that the President, in making the appointments, acted ultra vires or outside the realm of his functions.

Following yesterday's hearing, Jonas was asked for a comment on the reasoning of his stance in the matter given the fact that he too benefited from an appointment to S.C. by a President.

In reply the lawyer said that “the judiciary has approved me so in my opinion all is well.”

He noted, nonetheless, that the court has to pronounce on the case before he decides what he can do.

The lawyer opined that “People tend to forget that is the purpose of the court. To tell us, what the law is and what we should do. So let us await the court ruling.”

Further, he said that “The important issue is that, the process must be transparent and any formal decision must lie with the judiciary.”

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 15, 2020

PAGE 17

Rotary Georgetown Central distributes holiday hampers T

he Rotary Club of Georgetown Central (RCGC) on Saturday, December 12, 2020, commenced its second annual Hampers for the Holidays Distribution Project geared to support and spread cheers to households within vulnerable communities and non-governmental groups.

In a release, it said, “This year, with the invaluable support of sponsors, RCGC

managed to prepare and distribute 230 hampers filled with grocery and other items to families of three communities and two NGOs.” The hampers, it revealed, also included facemasks and fanny packs provided by GTT. Communities benefiting from this hamper distribution project were the Grove River Dam Community, which are

Scenes from the distribution exercise p r i m a r i l y Ve n e z u e l a n Migrants, the South Sophia Community, and the Kimbia, Berbice River Community.

Meanwhile, 20 families of the Ruimveldt Children Home and 30 teenage mothers will also benefit from hampers during this week.

Last year 100 families of the Plastic City, West Coast Demerara community benefited from the RCGC Hampers for Holidays Project.

Over the last few weeks, Rotary Georgetown Central worked closely with Mattai’s Supermarket, which is also a leading contributor this year, to assemble the hampers.

Other sponsors of this year’s Hampers for the Holidays Project are Eureka Medical Laboratories, Metro Office Supplies, Chung Global Enterprise, A&S Construction, KP Thomas, 360 Construction, Romel Jagroop Construction and JR Ranch Inc.

“Rotary Club of Georgetown Central, communities and groups, which have benefited extend special thanks to each of these sponsors,” the release added.

As a club, Rotary Georgetown Central noted that it continues to put “Service Above Self” despite the prevailing pandemic, to provide relief to vulnerable groups and to execute other community projects.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 18

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Suriname threatens to forcefully evict Cubans camped out at border

Cubans gathered at the South Drain, Nickerie area, Suriname, hoping that the ferry with Guyana will restart

A

fter almost two weeks of being on a pier in western Suriname, in Nickerie, several hundred Cubans were informed that

they must abandon the site or else they would be evicted, even by force, if necessary.

According to the migrants' versions, in a meeting with the head of the

police and the government of Nickerie, they were informed that Guyana has officially denied their entry into the country.

"The meeting passed

without incident, very organized and in the midst of a strong military presence, even with uniformed agents carrying long weapons," Yissel, a young woman who has kept collecting and spreading the word on social networks, told Radio Televisión Martí.

Faced with the threat of the authorities, some Cubans from family groups with minors decided to abandon the sit-in and return to Paramaribo, the capital, more than 200 kilometers from Nickerie.

“From a group of 462 people who started camping on November 30, between 200 and 230 remain on the dock,” Yissel reported,

according to news from radiotelevisionmarti.com.

They still keep alive their hope that the ferry service connecting that country with Guyana will resume.

Guyana cancelled plans to reopen the ferry service with Suriname which was scheduled for yesterday, fearing a deluge of Cubans and others.

Representatives of the Surinamese government said that before acting, they would once again consult the central government in the capital. So far, they have not responded to the migrants.

“We are determined not to leave the site voluntarily.

They want to take us back to Paramaribo, the capital.

There we have nothing to do, we have no place to live, or resources for a rental," said the young woman.

The group intends to start a caravan in Guyana to Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and cross the Central American isthmus to Mexico.

Last weekend the word spread that Guyana had restored the ferry service, and that the Cubans would be transferred to that country in groups of 20.

“Everything has been a lie, the uncertainty continues. Our needs persist, although we receive very little help from the government of Suriname, (continued on page 20)

Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 15, 2020

PAGE 19

GAWU Credit Union recovering after major dent from closure of four sugar estates T

he Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Cooperative Credit Union Society Limited, known as the GAWU Credit Union, concluded its 26th and 27th Annual General meetings on Saturday.

The meeting saw a small number of members gathering, in keeping with the COVID-19 guidelines, at the society's registered office, 59 High Street and Wight's Lane, Kingston, Georgetown.

According to GAWU, other members were able to participate in the meeting virtually.

Chairperson of the society's Management Committee, Gaietri Baron, touted the success of the Credit Union, which faced a massive loss in membership after four sugar estates were indiscriminately closed in recent years, resulting in the loss of thousands of members. She noted that despite the setback, the society was steadily gaining membership as more and more workers are encouraged by the benefits and opportunities offered by the society. She noted that while this is pleasing, there was still more work that could be done.

She encouraged members to be ambassadors of the society and to assist in furthering the membership

GAWU Credit Union officials and members during the recent AGM

drive.

She reminded those gathered that the society continues to be prudently managed and every effort is being made to maximise benefits offered.

The society's secretary, Sattie Basdeo, reported on the work and activities of the Credit Union. She noted that while there have been challenges, there is optimism as the re-opening of estates will offer the opportunity for increased membership.

She noted too that

despite the difficulties, the Credit Union remained financially sound though remittances from GuySuCo to the society have been d e l a y e d .

The society is actively engaging GuySuCo on the matter and the Corporation's indebtedness had started to decline. She drew attention to the fact that despite GuySuCo was not promptly making payments, members are able to conduct their transactions and receive their savings.

The society's Treasurer,

Seepaul Narine, disclosed that for the years 2018 and 2019, the society recorded surpluses $4,918,076 and $2,355,663 respectively.

He said that in both years, the Co-operatives Department of the Ministry of Labour had sought to have the society pay one percent of its working capital as Audit and Supervision fees.

“The significant fees demanded would have left the Credit Union with little or nothing to distribute to members, and as a result, representation was made to

the Co-operatives Department to accept 10 percent of the surplus as it outlined in the law. The Cooperatives Society Act requires Societies to pay either 10 percent of their surplus or one (1) percent of their working capital as Audit and Supervision Fees to the Co-operatives Division.”

According to Narine, following the demand of the Co-operatives Division, the society represented for a 10 percent of the surplus to be paid to allow an appropriate

sum to be available for distribution to members. “ A f t e r s o m e consideration, the Cooperatives Division approved our request. On this matter, the GAWU had represented to Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, that the act should be amended to require Credit Unions to pay 10 percent of their surplus as Audit and Supervision Fees.”

Apart from Audit and Supervision fees, statutorily the society is obligated to set (continued on page 20)

Insurance brokers band together to offer services in oil and gas A

t a recently held G e n e r a l Meeting of the Guyana Insurance Brokers Association (GIBA), Peter Abdool was unanimously elected to serve for the 2020/2021 term as President.

According to the body, Abdool is experienced in the insurance industry and wellpositioned to lead the organization during this p e r i o d o f i t s h i s t o r y.

He is the Managing Director of Abdool & Abdool IncInsurance Brokers and Financial Consultants which has been in operation in Guyana for 46 years.

- Peter Abdool elected President of Insurance Brokers Association GIBA also announced that the brokers have signed off on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the formation of a “Brokers Alliance” called Syndicated Oil and Energy Brokers Alliance (SOEBA).

“This MOU has been in discussion for the better part of two years and has culminated in this historic signing which occurred on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at GTM's Conference

Room. The Alliance is in the process of incorporation and application to the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance for a broking licence to facilitate the consortium's mandate.”

The news would come as Guyana gets ready to complete one year since oil production started offshore Guyana.

According to GIBA, Immediate Past President, Bishwa Panday, was also

unanimously elected to serve as the Vice-President of GIBA for the forthcoming year.

Panday has served the insurance community for close to 50 years and is the Chief Executive Officer of P & P Insurance Brokers & Consultants Inc. Meanwhile, Raj Singh, a Chartered Insurance Practitioner, was appointed as the Honorary Secretary of GIBA for the 2020/2021

year.

According to GIBA, he is the CEO of Raj Singh Insurance Brokers & Risk Management Consultants Inc. in Guyana and Risk Solutions Insurance Brokerage LLC out of Florida, USA. He has served the insurance industry for 37 years.

Managing Director of Insurance Brokers Guyana Ltd, Ewart Adams, was elected to serve as the Honorary Treasurer. He too boasted over four decades of service within the insurance industry.

R o n a l d Wi l l i a m s , Director of Apex Insurance

Elected president, Peter Abdool Brokers Ltd, was elected to represent GIBA with the Insurance Association of Guyana and Bish Panday as his alternate.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Man found dead after 6-year-old found unconscious in mud swamp… visiting girlfriend Police, CPA probe underway

L

ast seen alive leaving his girlfriend's home, a man was yesterday found dead along the Bachelor's Adventure Access Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

According to police, the body of Keith Andrew Willis, 23, a mason of Bachelor's Adventure, was discovered around 06:10hrs.

Crime scene experts reported that the corpse was found lying on the roadway with a single stab wound to the neck.

Detectives believe that Willis was attacked and murdered sometime after 23:00hrs on Monday.

Willis popularly known as 'Ghandie' had left his home on Sunday afternoon to attend a football tournament in the Bachelor's Adventure community.

Around 20:30 hrs, police were told, the competition ended and Willis went to visit his girlfriend in Paradise Housing Scheme also on the East Coast of Demerara.

He spent a few hours

Murdered: Keith Andrew Willis

T

there and around 23:00hrs that night he left for home.

Willis, however, never reached his destination.

E a r l y y e s t e r d a y, a resident of the Bachelor's Adventure community saw Willis lying motionless on the roadway while on the

way to work.

That resident alerted police who arrived shortly after to remove Willis' body.

It was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to be examined by a doctor before being sent to the morgue.

GAWU Credit Union recovering after major dent from closure of four ...

From page 19 aside 20 percent of its surplus towards its Statutory Reserve allowing the remainder to be distributed as the AGM approves.

“To that end, the AGM approved the payment of a 1.75 dividend to all members who had ordinary savings balances at the end of 2018.

Apart from that, the meeting approved a 21 percent interest rebate of interest payments paid by members during 2019. These two measures will see members benefitting from nearly $5,000,000 in their accounts. This is testament to the

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation

commitment of the GAWU Credit Union to give back to its members.”

The meeting also elected a nine-person Committee of Management comprising: Gaietri Baron, Seepaul Narine, Aslim Singh, Harvey Tambron, Julius Nurse, Bhikram Singh, Sattie Basdeo, Lochan Khandai, and Orison Walcott.

A three-person Supervisory Committee Kavita Bishun, Poorandatt Narine, and Jennifer Persaud - was also elected.

The Management Committee, at its first meeting, will approve the

election of Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer of the society. The GAWU Credit Union has been in existence for nearly three decades and continues to be an important avenue for workers to set aside monies for savings, GAWU said.

“It has enabled many members to acquire items for their homes, to assist in rainy days or even to set aside for their older days. We are proud to continue to provide this valued and valuable service as we recognize we are making a marked difference in the lives of many members and their families.”

he Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Child Care and Protection Agency (CPA) are investigating an incident where a six-yearold girl from Goed Bananen Land, East Canje, Berbice, was found unconscious in swampy mud.

The police confirmed their investigation in a press release issued yesterday, while CPA Director, Ann Greene, informed Kaieteur News that her agency would be liaising with the police force. However, the CPA will only be examining the protection of the child, based on the findings.

According to the GPF's report, their initial enquiries revealed that the child lived with her 25-year-old mother, who shares an address with her grandparents, but they

live in separate houses. They said that the girl's parents are separated, but her father was given visitation rights to spend time with her every Sunday.

On Sunday at around 08:00 hrs., the child's father contacted the mother and arranged to collect the child since it was his day for visitation. The mother told police that she prepared the child for when her father arrived and left her in the yard playing. It was further stated that the child's grandmother was at home doing chores and last saw the child about 11:30 hrs.

The grandfather who was also at home at the time, decided to make checks for her around 12:30 hrs., but did not find her.

Subsequently, a search party was formed by the

child's relatives and friends, who checked the entire area.

The police stated that around 14:00 hrs. her grandfather found her submerged in a swampy area, which is approximately 500 feet away from the house and she was covered in mud.

When she was picked up out of the swamp, she was in an unconscious state and was rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.

There she was seen, examined by an on-duty d o c t o r, a n d a d m i t t e d .

However, she was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation ,where she is currently undergoing treatment.

The police have since said that further investigations will be carried out on the matter.

Suriname threatens to forcefully evict Cubans camped out at border From page 18 including food," said Juan Norgis Alonso.

However, the esplanade on the dock that served as support for dozens of multicoloured tents, grocers and makeshift kitchens, has been cleaned.

“They want us to get out of here, because we

collected everything, tents and belongings.

We have been sleeping on the floor for two days, out in the open.

This is a jetty and we are passengers waiting for the resumption of the service,” declared Yissel.

For the moment and at least three times a day,

Cubans demand that they be allowed to continue their journey.

They also put tape in their mouths and do sit-ups.

An email was sent to the Surinamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking information on the case and as of press time, there was no response.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 15, 2020

PAGE 21

Minister Bharrat denies Govt. rehired controversial Canadian, Alison Redford M

inister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, on Sunday denied that the Government of Guyana has rehired the controversial Canadian consultant, Alison Redford to do additional work.

Kaieteur News reached out to the Minister after another newspaper quoted former Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee, as saying that the government hired Redford for technical assistance in the oil and gas sector, based on Canada's recommendation.

Bharrat said that the report is “not true.”

Kaieteur News also reached out to Chatterjee on Sunday, but the former envoy to Guyana did not offer a comment. She had already

left Guyana.

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, could not be reached. Prime Minister, Mark Phillips referred Kaieteur News to Minister Bharrat.

Redford recently headed a team for the review of the US$9B Payara Field Development Plan (FDP).

She was expected to review the work already done by the consultant hired by the David Granger administration on the project, Bayphase Oil & Gas Consultants.

That company is a client of ExxonMobil and some of its subcontractors have raised concerns about a conflict of interest.

Redford's re-hiring would have been problematic for multiple reasons.

Scandal plagued Redford's former political career.

As Premier of the Canadian

province of Alberta, she drew widespread public controversy in Canada when it was discovered that during her attendance of the funeral of Nelson Mandela the State footed the CAD$45,000 cost of her trip, including about CAD$10,000 for a privately chartered return flight from South Africa.

Redford reportedly refused several calls to repay the money spent for the South Africa trip, but eventually bowed to pressure in 2014 and delivered the funds back to the public purse, with a public apology.

Redford announced her resignation in March 2014 as Alberta Premier, and as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in August, a day before an Attorney General (AG) report on her spending practices was

scheduled for release.

The AG report found that she and her office had “used public resources inappropriately”; “used public assets (aircraft) for personal and partisan purposes” and that Redford “was involved in a plan to convert public space in a public building into personal living space.”

The AG determined, in short, that Redford abused her power and fostered a culture of entitlement.

A month after the Government's approval of the Payara project, reviewed by Redford, Kaieteur News discovered that she, like Bayphase, appears to have had a conflict of interest in the execution of her review.

Elections Alberta, an independent, non-partisan office of the Legislative Assembly there,

Former Alberta Premier, Alison Redford. (Stuart Gradon/Postmedia News/Files) keeps records of donations made to political parties.

According to its data, Redford's party, Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta (PCA), received donations from an Exxon subsidiary called Imperial Oil over many years, while she was a member.

In the period during which the donations were received, Redford quickly moved up in the PCA, eventually becoming its leader and Premier of the Canadian province of Alberta.

The donations to the party, since Redford became active in the party, up to the months after her departure from politics, amounted to nearly CAD$70,000.

Body of female found Winston Brassington heads floating in Essequibo River gas-to-shore taskforce

F

ormer Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL), Winston Brassington, now heads the gas-to-shore taskforce, which will be responsible for bringing natural gas to shore.

According to the Minister of Natural R e s o u r c e s , Vi c k r a m Bharrat, during the Consideration of Current and Capital Expenditure for the 2020 budget debates, this taskforce, “Will look at the previous study to see how it fits into our policies and programmes to bring gas to shore.”

The working group will focus on the enhancement of the legal framework,

Head of the Gas-to-Shore Taskforce, Winston Brassington capacity building of key institutions, and project management.

“It will also look at power generation utilized from this project as early as possible, so Guyanese can have cheaper and more e ff i c i e n t s u p p l y, ” t h e Minister had said.

The task force will comprise members from key agencies.

The cost of consultations and logistics for the group has been allocated in the budget.

“The task force will be members who are already in the system, for example, EPA, GGMC and other agencies, so they will not be paid a salary, the expenses will basically be for logistics, project management, consultations and meetings, but not remuneration,” the Minister had said.

EU corrects budget support figures

T

he Delegation of the European Union to Guyana yesterday said that there was an error in the budget support figures announced last week.

A 7.9M Euros was reported as US$90M-plus.

The correct figure is 7.9M Euros, EU said yesterday in a clarification note.

“While the amount in Euro and the conversion into USD were correctly announced, and correspond to the figures agreed with the

authorities, the conversion into GYD was unfortunately wrong due to a typo in the briefing materials, and should have been approximately $2B. We sincerely apologize for this human error and any inconvenience caused.”

O

n Sunday, residents of Parika Sea Dam, East Bank Essequibo, managed to pull the body of a female who was found floating in the Essequibo River.

According to police reports, the dead woman has been identified as Lashmine

Etwaroo called 'Nadia,' by the father of her child.

It was revealed that around 16:30 hrs. on the day in question, the Guyana Police Force received a call that a body was seen floating in the middle of the river.

Acting on information received two ranks left and went to the scene. Upon

arrival, the body of a female wearing a pink top and blue jeans was seen floating face down in the river.

Reports are that the body was removed and taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home, awaiting a post mortem examination.

An investigation is underway.

PAGE 22

Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 15, 2020

ERC’s national conversation on improving race relations…

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Some of the panelists at the ERC discussion yesterday.

Presenters at the opening session of the Ethnic Relations Commission’s (ERC) virtually hosted twoday national conversation on improving ethnic relations, have made several proposals on the solution to bridge racial division.

The conversations, which kick started yesterday under the theme: “How can we improve ethnic relations in Guyana,” was streamed via selected radio and television stations as well as on various social media platforms.

Particularly, the ERC’s Facebook page saw participation from a number of prominent Guyanese of varied ethnic and political affiliations.

Among those sharing their views on the topic, were Opposition leader, Joseph Harmon; prominent attorneyat-law and former Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC) party, Nigel Hughes; Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and Liberty and Justice Party Leader, Lenox Shuman; Working People’s Alliance (WPA) Executive Member, Dr. David Hinds; newspaper columnist, Ravi Dev; local communications specialist, Kit Nasciment o ; Vi c e Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Dr. Paloma Mohamed-Martin; former Speaker of the National Assembly and leader of A New and United G u y a n a ( A N U G ) p a r t y, Ralph Ramkarran; and businesswoman, Renata Chuck-A–Sang.

United Nations (UN) R e s i d e n t C o o r d i n a t o r, Mikiko Tanaka, also made a presentation at the opening of the UN-

supported initiative.

During the discussions, the panelist held the overarching view that r e f o r m s t o G u y a n a ’s legislative and institutional framework is needed to address the current struggle over racial division.

In his address, Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, called for a structured approach to building harmonious race relations in Guyana.

“We should start first, by looking at the system built by slavery and indentureship and the unequal opportunities thereby presented to our fore parents and handed down to us.”

Harmon noted that the blame lies at the feet of the “colonial masters.”

He posited that this type of systematic racism practiced in Guyana in the pre-independence era that have trickled down to this generation has had a direct impact on governance and the management of State entities.

At the time, the Opposition Leader was referring to the post elections dismissal of over 1,000 workers by the new government.

“We must also see as critical, the need to incentivize inclusivity and tolerance and disincentivize intolerance and discrimination,” Harmon said.

The opposition leader also addressed the need for the ERC to be held to a higher standard.

“It disappointing for us, as Guyanese, to note that

there were insensitive statements made by a c u r r e n t c o m m i s s i o n e r, which recently served to fan the flames of ethnic disharmony…We cannot tolerate that type of behaviour… Since we are striving for greater social cohesion in our society, our commissioners will have to be held to a higher standard of accountability – this is an absolute necessity,” the Opposition Leader stressed pointing to an incident involving ERC c o m m i s s i o n e r, R o s h a n Khan.

In her remarks, ChuckA -Sang who shed light on the issues faced by persons of Chinese descent in Guyana, called on the government to adopt an action plan that will address the issues of racial tension.

Chuck-A-Sang noted that while there are provisions in law to address ethnic and other types of discrimination, these are rarely used.

“I can point to at least three pieces of legislation that address the problem, the Racial Hostility Act, the Prevention and Discrimination Act and a paragraph in the Constitution that tackles racism, but there is no evidence that these laws have been effective in dealing with racial discrimination,” the panelist said, adding that it is the responsibility of the State to ensure that the legal provisions are enforceable. “…Because in my view we all belong to one race and that is the human race. Yes, we may have our ethnic

differences but we must remember and be reminded that what we have more in common is more than which differentiates us,” she added.

Meanwhile, in his presentation, Attorney Nigel Hughes, called for more accurate national data on the topic of race and ethnicity.

Hughes said it was critical before the commencement of any rational discussion on equal opportunity is possible.

According to the lawyer, collecting, analyzing, and publishing data on the economic, social, and political indicators on race and ethnicity must be forthcoming.

The two-day event is intended to generate a national conversation to capture the views and recommendations on the topic. Presenters drawn from Guyanese residing here and abroad will reflect diversity.

As such, Guyanese social media users are urged to access the links from the ERC Facebook page to follow and participate in the inaugural conversation on improving ethnic relations in Guyana.

The event continues today and will start at 9:00 hrs. and culminate at 13:00 hrs.

Additionally, television viewers can watch the programme on TVG Channel 28, HBTV Channel 9 and HGPTV Channel 67.

Radio listeners can tune in to Newstalk Radio 103.1FM which will live stream the conversation on both days.

The link can also be accessed by visiting the News Source Guyana and Gordon Moseley’s Facebook pages.

Tuesday December 15, 2020

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Tuesday December 15, 2020

Tuesday December 15, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Europa League last-32 draw: Man Utd face Real Sociedad, Benfica test for Arsenal

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

SportsMax - Manchester United have been drawn against Real Sociedad in the Europa League, while Arsenal will face Benfica in the last 32 of the competition.

United are one the Champions League teams to now be involved in the knockout rounds of the competition, though the draw was far from kind for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ’s side despite being seeded.

Sociedad sit top of LaLiga and have only lost twice so far this season in all competitions.

The Spanish club – whose squad includes former United player Adnan Januzaj,

Tuesday December 15, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) It's possible that a big change is in store for you in the near future. It may be that you've come to realize that your current home and neighborhood are no longer a good fit.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You will probably encounter a bit of opposition along with today's planetary energies, Libra. Even those who are usually right behind you will seem uncooperative.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Don't plunge headfirst into work mode, Taurus. The cleaning and tidying up can surely wait for another day. Today's energies indicate that talking with friends and family should be your main priority.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Your thoughts today are likely to turn to setting goals for the future, particularly concerning your career.

While you've made a lot of progress in recent months, you'd like to see even more forward movement.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) It's likely that your thoughts are completely turned to work.

Much as you should devote your time off to family, you can't help the way you're wired CANCER(June21–July22) This is a good day for financial matters, Cancer. With your credit cards maxed out, you may be thinking that your bank account isn't as healthy as it could be. But today you're likely to receive some news that indicates otherwise.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You could be feeling quite lazy today, Leo, and you definitely deserve to feel this way!

You deserve some time off after all of the activities of the past week. Give yourself the gift of a true day off.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You think of yourself as a practical person, Virgo, but today your thoughts may turn to the mystical and spiritual.

Your intuition is strong now, letting you tune in to the feelings of your loved ones.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today's planetary energies are stimulating your ambition, Sagittarius. Issues connected with your professional life may be very much on your mind.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) You've been so busy these past few weeks that you may have inadvertently neglected the special person in your life.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) It's possible that a big change is in store for you in the near future, Aquarius. It may be that you've come to realize that your current home and neighborhood are no longer a good fit.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Perhaps you spent quite a bit of money lately and you're holding your breath waiting for the bills to roll in. Some quick reckoning of receipts today likely yields some wonderful news.

as well as ex-Manchester City captain David Silva – will have home advantage in the first leg next February.

Arsenal, meanwhile, will go on the road first in their tie with Benfica, who qualified from Group D behind Rangers.

The Gunners have prospered in Europe this campaign but are struggling badly for form in the Premier League, Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Burnley their fourth in a row at home.

As for their north London neighbo u r s To t t e n h a m , they will go up against Austrian club Wolfsberger when they resume their Europa League campaign in early 2021.

Leicester City will be on the road for the first leg of their tie with Slavia Prague, while Milan will have to get past Red Star Belgrade if they want to remain on course to lift the only European trophy that has eluded the club so far.

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers go up against Royal Antwerp, Roma face Braga and Napoli will take on Granada.

...Columbus Crew 3-0 From page 29 their lead just after the halfhour mark, Zelarayan picking up a poor clearance before laying off to Etienne, who placed a smart side-footed finish into the bottom corner.

Crew became the first team since DC United in 2004 to hold a multi-goal lead at halftime of the MLS Cup, according to Opta.

The Sounders pushed in the second half and Jordan Morris hit the crossbar in the 80th minute for the defending champions.

But Columbus sealed their win through the impressive Zelarayan, who powered a finish into the top corner after a fine run by Luis Diaz Espinoza.

Zelarayan became the second player to be involved in three goals in a single MLS Cup, joining Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who achieved it with Columbus in 2008.

...Danram leads Movements From page 31 Rajkumar Singh were not out on 18 and 11 respectively.

Ricardo Adams made 15 and Ershad Ali 11.

T. Newton took two wickets. Captain of the Movements Family team Rajkumar Singh thanked Minister Pauline Sukhai and congratulated his players.

As for Ajax, who finished third in a Champions League group that included Liverpool and Atalanta, the Dutch club have been drawn with Lille.

The first legs will be played on February 18, with the return fixtures to take place the following week.

Spurs will play their home game on Wednesday February 24, however, so to avoid a clash with Arsenal.

Europa League last-32 draw in full: Wolfsberger v Tottenham

Dynamo Kiev v Club Brugge Real Sociedad v Manchester United Benfica v Arsenal Red Star Belgrade v Milan Royal Antwerp v Rangers Slavia Prague v Leicester City Salzburg v Villarreal Braga v Roma Krasnodar v Dinamo Zagreb Young Boys v Bayer Leverkusen Molde v Hoffenheim

Kaieteur News

PAGE 26

NFL roundup: Bills hand Steelers second straight defeat

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs out of the pocket as Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt (90) and nose tackle Tyson Alualu (94) pursue in the fourth quarter at Bills Stadium. (Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports)

J

osh Allen passed for 238 yards and two touchdowns Sunday night as the Buffalo Bills handed the Pittsburgh Steelers their second straight loss, 26-15 at Orchard Park, N.Y. Buffalo (10-3) spotted the Steelers (11-2) a 7-0 lead, then scored 23 straight points.

Pittsburgh was the NFL’s only undefeated team at 11-0 before losing to Washington 23-17 on Dec. 7 and then Buffalo on Sunday.

Allen was 24 of 43, with touchdown passes to Stefon Diggs (10 catches, 130 yards) and Gabriel Davis.

Taron Johnson had an interception return for a touchdown.

Eagles 24, Saints 21 Rookie Jalen Hurts threw a touchdown pass and rushed for 106 yards in his first NFL start as host Philadelphia ended New Orleans’ ninegame winning streak. The Eagles prevailed after leading 17-0 and 24-14.

Hurts, a second-round draft choice from Oklahoma, started in place of struggling C a r s o n We n t z a n d completed 17 of 30 for 167 yards as the Eagles (4-8-1) ended a four-game losing streak.

Taysom Hill passed for 291 yards and two touchdowns but threw an interception and lost a fumble as the Saints (10-3) lost for the first time in his four starts in place of injured Drew Brees.

Chiefs 33, Dolphins 27 Tyreek Hill scored touchdowns on his first two touches, leading Kansas City to a division-clinching comeback win at Miami. Hill scored on a 32-yard end-

around and on a 44-yard reception as the Chiefs (121) clinched the AFC West championship for a fifth straight season.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who had thrown just two interceptions in his first 52 quarters this season, was picked off twice in Sunday’s first 14 minutes.

However, Mahomes recovered to pass for 393 yards and two touchdowns (with a career-high-tying three interceptions). Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce caught eight passes for 136 yards and one touchdown.

Miami (8-5) was led by rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who passed for a career-high 316 yards and two touchdowns — both to tight end Mike Gesicki, who left the game in the fourth quarter due to a shoulder injury.

Colts 44, Raiders 27 Philip Rivers passed for 244 yards and two touchdowns and rookie Jonathan Taylor rushed for a career-high 150 yards and two touchdowns to lead Indianapolis past host Las Vegas.

Indianapolis (9-4) moved up to the sixth seed in the AFC playoff race with its fifth road win in seven tries this season.

T.Y. Hilton caught five passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns for the Colts, who had 456 yards in total offense against Las Vegas (76).

Packers 31, Lions 24 Aaron Rodgers passed for 290 yards and three touchdowns — including a record-setting score to Davante Adams — and ran for another TD as visiting

Green Bay clinched its second straight NFC North title with a victory against Detroit.

Green Bay (10-3) vaulted into possession of the top seed in the NFC with the New Orleans Saints’ loss at Philadelphia. The Packers, who own the tiebreaker against the Saints, play two of their final three regularseason games at home.

Detroit (5-8) saw its flickering NFC playoff hopes take a hit as quarterback Matthew Stafford exited the game with a rib injury late in the fourth quarter. Stafford was shaken up on a hit by Kenny Clark and later was replaced

by Chase Daniel.

Washington 23, 49ers 15 C h a s e Yo u n g a n d Kamren Curl scored defensive touchdowns as Washington overcame a minor injury to quarterback Alex Smith in the first half to claim first place in the NFC East by defeating host San Francisco in Glendale, Ariz.

Dustin Hopkins kicked three field goals and the Washington defense stopped the 49ers (5-8) on four potential game-tying, fourth-quarter possessions to secure a fourth straight win.

Washington (6-7) sits alone atop its division with three games remaining after the New York Giants lost on Sunday.

In other results: Bears 36, Texans 7 Cowboys 30, Bengals 7 Buccaneers 26, Vikings 14 Broncos 32, Panthers 27 Cardinals 26, Giants 7 Titans 31, Jaguars 10 Seahawks 40, Jets 3 Chargers 20, Falcons 17 (Field Level Media)

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Roger Federer may miss Australian Open to continue recovery from knee surgery PA Media Sports - Roger Federer has cast serious doubt on his participation at the Australian Open as he continues to recover from knee surgery.

The 20-time grand-slam champion has not played since losing to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals in Melbourne in January and called time on his 2020 season in June after a second operation on his right knee.

He had hoped to return to the tour at the start of next season but progress has been slow and the 39-year-old admitted he is now in a race against time.

The expected three-week delay to the year’s first grand slam until February 8 is a factor in his favour but travelling to Australia means

committing to a two-week quarantine period.

Speaking at the Swiss Sports Awards, where he was named the best athlete from his country since 1950, Federer said being fit in time for Wimbledon is his priority.

In comments reported by tagesanzeiger.ch, the world number five said: “I would love to be in Australia. But I’m very close with my knee.

“After the second operation I said to myself: ‘I want to take my time. I don’t want to take the next step until I’m ready’. These three weeks might help me a bit.

The summer with Wimbledon, the Olympic Games and the US Open is my priority.”

Federer made a

triumphant return to Melbourne in 2017 following surgery on his left knee, winning his first grand-slam title since 2012, and there had been hopes of a similar renaissance this time around.

But the tone is very different and Federer, who will turn 40 in August, floated the idea that he may not return at all.

“I hope there is still something to see from me in the New Year,” he said. “We will see. But, if that was it, it would have been an incredible end to these sports awards for me.”

Confirmation of the Australian Open’s change of date and rejigged schedules for the ATP and WTA Tours are expected imminently.

Red Bull look with hope to 2021 after ending Mercedes’ Abu Dhabi stranglehold Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrates winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race. (Pool via Reuters/Hamad I Mohammed)

(Reuters) - Max Verstappen broke Mercedes’ stranglehold on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with victory in Formula One’s season finale on Sunday, but his Red Bull team will want to wrest a bigger prize from the dominant champions next year.

The 23-year-old Dutchman converted pole position to an unchallenged victory nearly 16 seconds ahead of Mercedes pair Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton.

That ended a run of six successive wins and qualifying one-twos for the Brackley-based team, who this weekend tasted their first Abu Dhabi defeat of the turbo hybrid era.

“You’ve only got to look

at every pole, every race winner for the last six years has been a Mercedes car,” Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told reporters.

“So to break that stranglehold here with them finishing behind us second and third, that’s a great result for us at a venue that has been probably one of their very strongest.”

Red Bull, who started the season with a car that its drivers found difficult, can take encouragement from their performance in Abu Dhabi.

Honda, who supply their power unit, is also the only engine manufacturer other than Mercedes to win this season.

With the cars staying largely the same barring a

few minor aerodynamic tweaks, Red Bull hope to be able to give Mercedes, who won 13 of this season’s 17 races, a run for their money in both title battles next year.

Red Bull, the last nonMercedes winners in Abu Dhabi with Sebastian Vettel in 2013, have a history of closing the gap at the end of the season before falling back again at the start of the following year.

“We need a car that performs at a whole variance of circuits which Mercedes have been very good at producing,” said Horner of next season.

“I think that, particularly at a circuit like this, to take that kind of performance into the winter is very, very encouraging.”

Kaieteur News

Tuesday December 15, 2020

PAGE 27

Rugby - England face contrasting World Cup challenge from Argentina and Japan L

O N D O N (Reuters) England should go into the 2023 World Cup confident but wary after being grouped with Argentina and Japan,

plus probably another Pacific island nation, in a pool coach Eddie Jones has described as the most contrasting of the four in terms of style.

Although the tournament

England head coach Eddie Jones before the Autumn Nations Cup match England v France at Twickenham.

(Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers)

is still three years away and much can change in terms of form and personnel, it is reasonably safe to assume that England will arrive in France with the bulk of the squad that is dominating Europe after reaching the World Cup final in 2019.

England comfortably overcame Argentina in the pool stage in that tournament, albeit helped by an early red card for the Pumas, but the South Americans have kicked on strongly since, beating New Zealand for the first time and drawing twice with Australia in the recent Tri Nations Championship.

Japan’s status remains something of an unknown, having not played since they brought so much joy to the game with their exhilarating displays when hosting last year’s World Cup, but it is again a fairly safe assumption they will continue to develop the highspeed approach that blew Scotland away in Yokohama.

“It’s probably the most contrasting pool in terms of style and philosophy and

Jamaica name 15-player squad for four-match series against England

Netball Jamaica has named a 15-player squad to face England in the Vitality Netball Legends Series in England next year.

SportsMax - Netball Jamaica has named a 15-player squad to face England in the Vitality Netball Legends Series in England in January 2021.

The Vitality Netball Legends Series is a new tournament, which has been named to represent the netball players who are making their mark on the international stage.

England Netball announced in November that it planned to host a fourmatch test series against Jamaica at the end of January 2021, which will be the first international competition on home soil in a year. The Sunshine Girls have also agreed to travel to the UK for a period of isolation

before facing England.

Jamaica’s team was announced on Saturday with Jhaniele Fowler retaining the captaincy. Star defender Shamera Sterling has been named vice-captain of the squad for the very first time.

The full squad also includes Jodi-Ann Ward, Adean Thomas, Latanya Wilson, Kadie-Ann Dehaney Rebekah Robinson, Shanice Beckford, Shadian Hemmings, Nicole Dixon, Shannika Johnson, Stacian Facey, Malysha Kelly, Khadijah Williams and Gezelle Allison.

Paula-Ann Burton has been named as a training partner.

playing element and that’s what makes it the most interesting,” Jones told a remote news conference.

“We’ve got Argentina, who have a great World Cup record, and Japan, who are the most improved team in the game. It’s going to be tough as we don’t get many chances to play against teams like Japan so we are going to have to be really well prepared. And then you have the contrast of Argentina, who played probably the most physical game of rugby in 2020 against the All Blacks.”

Australian Jones gave a nod of respect to Tonga, potential members of Pool D along with an Americas qualifier, but his face really

lit up when discussing Japan.

His mother is Japanese and he coached them to their famous victory over South Africa in the 2015 World Cup Pool stages.

Jones laughed off the suggestion that he might be feeling emotional at the time of the match in 2023 but said he was delighted that clips of Japan had featured heavily in the organisers pre-draw highlights video.

“I’m just so pleased they’re doing well,” he said.

Should England progress, they will play a team from Pool C - probably Wales, Australia or Fiji - in the quarter-finals, with a potential repeat of the 2019 semi against New Zealand, widely regarded as their

Marc Marquez is out of hospital after third operation on his arm.

Autosport - Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez has been released from hospital in Madrid following a third operation on the arm he broke at the Spanish Grand Prix.

The Honda rider crashed heavily in the latter stages of July’s season-opener at Jerez, breaking the humerus bone in his right arm, which required an immediate operation.

He made an aborted comeback attempt just a few days later for the Andalusian G P, w h i c h u l t i m a t e l y weakened the plate in his arm to the point it broke when he opened a patio door at his home.

Requiring a second operation, Marquez would not return to racing for the rest of the season as his recovery proved slower than expected - likely a result of an infection found in the fracture after he had a third operation earlier this month to have bone grafted from his

greatest-ever performance, looming large.

Jones, of course, declined to look anything like that far ahead but did acknowledge that, for all his hunger for winning the next game, he was also taking the longer term view.

“We had nine new caps in 2020 so that’s a good progression for us,” he said.

“We’re going through a rebuilding phase. We’ve had a fairly mature side for the last four seasons... those young guys have just to keep working hard.

“We won nine out of 10 games this year but never felt we played rugby where we were at our best so it’s exciting that we can keep improving.”

MotoGP’s Marquez leaves hospital after third operation on arm

hip to his arm.

Honda is yet to give a recovery time for Marquez after his latest surgery, but it is anticipated he will be out of action for at least another six months.

Sunday afternoon, Honda confirmed Marquez’s progress after the surgery and the start of the antibiotic treatment on the infection in his fracture was deemed satisfactory and he has been discharged from hospital.

A short statement read: “Marc Marquez’s progress after the surgery performed on 3 December and the start of antibiotic therapy has been deemed satisfactory by his medical team.

“Today he has been discharged from the Hospital Ruber Internacional to continue his recovery at home, where he will continue with the specific antibiotic treatment.”

With the 2021 MotoGP season scheduled to begin on 28 March in Qatar, with testing beginning a month

prior, Marquez is likely to miss the start of the new campaign.

Marquez was replaced by HRC test rider Stefan Bradl from the Czech Grand Prix onwards this season, with Honda boss Alberto Puig praising the 2011 Moto2 world champion’s efforts in pulling double duty in 2020.

However, a potential sixmonth lay-off for Marquez could open the door for exHonda rider Andrea Dovizioso to make a surprise return to racing in 2021.

The 15-time MotoGP race winner will take a sabbatical next year instead of signing on with a. manufacturer as a test rider after quitting Ducati, leaving him without ties should Honda approach him.

Honda will field a revised line-up across both of its teams in 2021, with Pol Espargaro joining Marquez at the works squad, while Alex Marquez steps over to LCR alongside Takaaki Nakagami.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 28

Missigher cops first SA 10k title

Sheama Tyrell won the women’s open 10k and pocketed $150,000 for her success.

P

olice Progressive Yo u t h C l u b ’ s (PPYC) Winston Missigher’s win in last Sunday’s all-local South America 10k road race could’ve been predicted but the hard-working athlete still had to put in the work.

Missigher pocketed $150,000 for the triumph in the men’s division and it was a sweet victory since he has been a consistent performer for the best of the last halfdecade. More so, last year, Missigher finished second behind a seasoned Kenyan competitor Alex Ekesa in the Guyana leg, while always finishing in the runner-up position in the Suriname leg.

Although his time of 34 minutes 22 seconds was slower than his timing of 32 minutes 57s in 2019, Missigher seemed in control from the start and was followed by Cleveland Thomas (34 minutes 53 second) and Kennard Hartog (36 minutes 06 seconds) in second and third positions

respectively.

On the distaff side, Sheama Tyrell, who only managed a fourth place finish in last year’s Guyana leg, ran an impressive time of 43 minutes flat in overcast conditions to win in the alllocal race due to the travel restrictions forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following Tyrell, who also received $150,000 for her success, in the 10K trek from Mary to the National Track and Field Center (NTFC) in Edinburg on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) were Shaquka Tyrell and Aliyah Moore in second and third with respective times of 47 minutes 27 seconds and 49 minutes 56 seconds.

Meanwhile, Francis King (male) and Carla Adams (female) were most dominant in the Masters’ category.

The runners up in the open races received $100,000 each.

(Calvin Chapman)

Winston Missigher crossing the finish line.

Tuesday December 15, 2020

GFF, Argentinian Ambassador and Pegasus Hotel pay tribute to Diego Maradona with life-size exhibit Georgetown:- The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has partnered with the Argentinian Embassy and Pegasus Hotel to pay tribute to Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona, exhibiting a life-size image of the maestro in the hotel’s foyer for one week.

Argentinian Ambassador Felipe Alejandro Gardella officially unveiled the tribute at the 2020 GFF Ordinary Congress on Saturday at the Pegasus Hotel. Delegates observed a minute’s silence in memory of one of the game’s finest players who died aged 60, on 25th November.

“I am very grateful for the invitation from the Guyana Football Federation to the Argentine Embassy and for the tribute to Diego Armanda Maradona,” the Ambassador said. “Football continues but it has lost an irreplaceable artist.”

“Diego was a product of the humble neighbourhood in which he was born, but if soccer is universal, Maradona is also. He was a player who, to his natural ability, knew how to add a huge heart to never give up

Ambassador Gardella accepts a GFF pendant from President Wayne Forde.

and lead his team,” he said.

“He was a great captain, a driving force, a great inspiration to everyone who played in his team. And he was excessive, in the game and in life. Rest in peace, dear Captain.”

GFF President Wayne Forde presented Ambassador Gardella with a

personalised Guyana men’s senior national team jersey and Federation pendant at the Congress – the first attended by an Argentinian government official.

“We were honoured to host Ambassador Gardella at our Congress and to have the opportunity to honour Diego Maradona’s memory in this

way. We encourage football fans to have a photo taken with the portrait in celebration of his life and remarkable achievements on the pitch,” said GFF President Forde. “We would like to thank the Embassy and Pegasus Hotel for helping us to bring this idea to life.”

Barnwell to play in 2020 US Open T20 Cup - Says players must show responsibility during pandemic period

By Sean Devers The ICC sanctioned oneweek 2020 US Open T20 Cup is scheduled to commence today at the Broward County Stadium in Florida.

The 33-year-old former West Indies T20 All-rounder Christopher Barnwell, who left Guyana yesterday for North America, will make his debut for 22 Yards Sultans.

Apart from Barnwell, who was born in the Mining Town of Linden, 22 yards Sultans also include Guyanese players; Trevon Griffith, Kevin Sinclair, Ashmead Nedd, Sherfane Rutherford, Anthony Bramble and Devendra Bishoo.

22 yards Sultans will face Atlanta Param Veers at 13:30 hrs in one of three first round games.

Barnwell is an experienced T20 player and has scored 1,160 runs with highest score of 88 and taken 25 wickets in 94 T20 matches.

The batting all-rounder

played six T20 Internationals for West Indies after making his debut against Pakistan in 2011; scoring 78 runs and taking one wicket.

He made his IPL debut for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2013. He has also represented Guyana Amazon Warriors, Barbados Tridents and St Lucia Zouks.

Barnwell informed that his DCC teammate Trevon Griffith initiated his selection on the 22 Yards Sultan side since the lefthanded Griffith was playing with that side in the 15match tournament in which the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.

The Final of the tournament in which rejected West Indies T20 left-hander Chris Gayle and fellow Jamaican Andre Russell, who made himself unavailable for the West Indies tour to New Zealand, is set for December 20.

Barnwell told Kaieteur Sports that he aims to give a good account of himself since it has been a long time

Barnwell being congratulated by GSCL President Ian John at Everest.

since he played any cricket.

“As you know no one is safe but the Sporting authorities are trying their best to put things in place to have sports up and running so we as players just have to be responsible and follow the Covid-19 guidelines,” the

big hitting right-hander responded when asked if he thought it was safe to travel to the USA at this time during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Somerset Cavaliers Cricket Club are the defending champions.

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 29

If players can travel Gerard Houllier dies: Carragher and Owen and quarantine, lead tributes to former Liverpool boss why can’t umpires, asks Jason Holder

A pensive looking Jason Holder after West Indies lost the Test series, New Zealand vs West Indies, 2nd Test, Wellington, 4th day, December 14, 2020 © AFP ESPNcricinfo - Kieron Pollard wasn’t terribly pleased by the umpiring during the three-match T20I series in New Zealand, and while Jason Holder had no major complaints about the umpiring in the two Tests, he has been left wondering why umpires can’t travel during the Covid-19 pandemic if players can.

“The umpiring, Polly [Pollard] for sure had a few question marks over the umpiring in the T20 series.

But look, I try to be as far down the line. What I would say about the umpiring, or the situation of the umpires, is that if we can travel and do a quarantine, I don’t see why an opposing (overseas) umpire can’t travel and do the quarantine,” Holder said after West Indies were beaten by an innings and 12 runs in the second and final Test in Wellington on Monday’s fourth day.

Since cricket resumed after the initial global lockdown, local umpires have officiated in all international matches to keep inessential travel in check. For the New Zealand vs West Indies Tests, for example, the on-field umpires were Chris Gaffaney, Wayne Knights and Chris Brown, while Shaun Haig and Ashley Mehrotra were the reserve umpires, and Jeff Crowe the match referee. “I still don’t understand a situation where we’re just having home umpires. If players are making the sacrifice and going on the road and continuing cricket then I feel as though the umpires should do the same,” Holder said.

“Even if it’s a case where you get a home and an opposing umpire to do a Test match then I think that’s fair.

“The umpiring in the Test

series, I can’t really say it’s been horrible. Obviously, in any Test series, you get decisions that you would always question, but the umpires put up their hands and did a reasonable job.”

Holder, who scored 103 runs in four innings with one half-century (in the final innings) to average 34.33 but went wicketless over 58 overs of bowling in Hamilton and Wellington, said he was pleased with the team’s “good patches” in the series, but disappointed overall - New Zealand had won the first Test by an innings and 134 runs.

“I thought our bowlers were outstanding, just tough that we didn’t take our opportunities when they came. Just shows that if you give quality players twothree-four hands in one Test match, they will make you pay for it,” Holder said.

“Then the way we batted in the first innings definitely didn’t set up the game well.

Pitch was a really good pitch, but I was really, really pleased the way we played in the second innings. The way John Campbell (68) went about it; I gave him nice support (61) because I thought he was just shaping to put something together big for us. It was good to see him knuckle down again, go through the same processes and get a score. Would like him to go on a little longer, but still pleased with the way he applied himself.

“Likewise Joshua da Silva (57) in his second innings - I was really, really pleased with both debutants actually - though Josh was outstanding and Chemar Holder (2 for 110) was very, very outstanding for us as well. Positives: good in patches, but still not good enough.”

SportsMax - Jamie Carragher, Dietmar Hamann and Michael Owen were among those to pay tribute to Gerard Houllier yesterday after he died at the age of 73.

The former Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and France manager passed away after recently undergoing heart surgery.

Houllier was an assistant with Les Bleus before taking the top job in 1992 and left the post the following year after failing to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. The French Football Federation tweeted: “The @FFF would like to express its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Gerard Houllier, former coach of the French national team and DTN (National Technical Director), who passed away at the age of 73.”

He is perhaps best remembered for his spell in charge of Liverpool, having steered the club to five trophies - including an FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup treble in the 2000-01 season.

Owen was leading scorer for Liverpool during that hugely successful campaign, one that climaxed with Houllier’s side sealing third place in the English top flight and thereby qualifying for the Champions League.

“Absolutely heartbroken to hear that my old boss, Gerard Houllier, has sadly passed away. A great manager and a genuinely

caring man,” the former England international wrote on Twitter.

Carragher was also a regular in 2000-01, having come through into the first team under the Frenchman’s guidance.

The one-club man - who sits second on the all-time list of appearances for Liverpool - thanked Houllier for the impact he had on his career, revealing they had only recently spoken to each other with regards a visit to the city again.

“Absolutely devastated by the news about Gerard Houllier, I was in touch with him only last month to arrange him coming to Liverpool,” Carragher tweeted.

“Loved that man to bits, he changed me as a person and as a player and got Liverpool back winning trophies.”

Hamann, who was signed by Houllier, used Instagram to share his condolences following the news, posting a picture of his old boss holding the UEFA Cup trophy in the aftermath of the stunning 5-4 victory over Deportivo Alaves in Dortmund.

“Devastated to hear the news that our former manager Gerard Houllier passed away.

Great manager and an even better man. You’ll never walk alone Gerard,” Hamann wrote.

Sami Hyypia, another key signing during

Gerard Houllier

Houllier’s successful spell on Merseyside, fondly remembered “an absolute gentleman”, who had an impact not just on his career on the pitch.

“Sad to hear Gerard Houllier passed away.

Football world has lost an absolute gentleman and lover of the sport today!

The man, who had faith in me to bring me to Liverpool and gave me confidence to become who I am right now, is no longer with us.

Lot of strength to his family,” the former Finland defender - who spent over a decade at Liverpool - posted on Instagram.

Liverpool legend Ian Rush tweeted Houllier was a “true gentleman of the game” who “always put others first”, while England legend Gary Lineker described him as “one of the smartest, warmest and loveliest people”.

Houllier left Liverpool in 2004, replaced by Rafa

Benitez, and went on to manage Lyon and Aston Villa, where the Frenchman stepped down by mutual consent due to health issues after a solitary season in charge.

“All at Aston Villa are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Gerard Houllier, our manager during the 2010/11 season,” Villa said on Twitter, along with a picture of Houllier during his t i m e i n c h a rg e . “ O u r thoughts are with Gerard’s loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.”

Houllier also worked w i t h F I FA , p r o v i d i n g “invaluable input” while serving on the organisation’s technical committee.

FIFA posted: “We are saddened to learn of the passing of Gerard Houllier.

Besides his outstanding work with the likes of L i v e r p o o l , Ly o n a n d France’s national team, Gerard provided invaluable input to FIFA’s technical study group.”

Columbus Crew 3-0 Seattle Sounders:

Zelarayan stars in MLS Cup win SportsMax - Columbus Crew clinched their second MLS Cup and first since 2008 with a 3-0 win over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.

Lucas Zelarayan and Derrick Etienne scored during a dominant first half by the hosts at MAPFRE Stadium, where the former sealed the win in the 82nd minute.

Seattle – playing their fourth MLS Cup in five years – improved in the second half, but Crew were too good.

Columbus, in their first decider since 2015, became the seventh team in history to win the MLS Cup more than once.

Columbus Crew players celebrate during the contest.

Crew made the stronger start and Gyasi Zardes forced an excellent reaction save from Stefan Frei in the

17th minute.

Just eight minutes later and Crew went ahead, Zelarayan squeezing a

volley under Frei after Harrison Afful’s cross from the right. Columbus doubled (Continued on page 25)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 30

Tuesday December 15, 2020

New Zealand achieve first objective of domestic - Sweeps summer beating West Indies in 2nd test series 2-0 WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand achieved the first objective of the domestic summer when it swept the West Indies in a two-test series to join Australia atop world cricket’s test rankings.

After winning the first test in Hamilton by an innings and 134 runs, New Zealand won the second at the Basin Reserve by an innings and 12 runs inside the first hour of the fourth morning on Monday.

The West Indies resumed their second innings at 2446, trailing New Zealand by 85 runs after being forced to follow-on 329 behind.

Wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva (57) provided some late resistance, achieving a half century in his debut test, before the tourists were all out for 317, their highest innings total of the series.

The series win lifted New Zealand level with Australia on a rating of 116 points in first place on the ICC world test standings, the first time in its history it has achieved that ranking.

New Zealand also moved past England into third place in the world test championship standings, a more pressing objective as it attempts to claim a place in next year’s final at Lord’s. A clean sweep of Pakistan in a

Jason Holder congratulates the New Zealand players after they beat the West Indies in 2nd test to sweep the series 2-0.

two-test series starting later this month will give New Zealand a chance of competing with Australia and India for a place in the June final. The ICC test championship started last year and involves nine teams each playing six series for points on a home-and-away basis, with the top two meeting in the final.

Australia and India are meeting in a four-test series starting Thursday.

New Zealand is now unbeaten in its last 15 test

Paris St Germain’s Neymar reacts after sustaining an injury versus Olympique Lyonnais.

(REUTERS/Charles Platiau)

PARIS (Reuters) - Paris St Germain were given some relief after learning yesterday that Neymar’s ankle injury was not as bad as first feared, after the forward was carried off on a stretcher during Sunday’s 1-0 defeat by Olympique Lyonnais.

Neymar, who suffered serious foot injuries in 2018 and 2019, was seen crying as he left the pitch in stoppage time following a tackle from Lyon’s Thiago Mendes, who was shown a straight red card.

But luckily for Neymar and his club, PSG’s medical report said the first scan on the Brazilian was “reassuring”, stating that he had twisted the ankle rather than fractured it and would undergo further tests in the next two days.

The news means Neymar is likely to

matches at home, giving it one of the most formidable home advantages in world cricket.

“Looking at the world test championship, it’s nice to get the full points from this series,” New Zealand captain Tom Latham said.

Latham took over the captaincy for the second test from Kane Williamson, who missed the test because his wife is expecting their first child, and New Zealand showed depth in its ability to w i n i n W i l l i a m s o n ’s

absence.

“As far as the world rankings go, it’s nice to go there but that’s a by-product of the effort these guys have put in time and time again over the last couple of years,” Latham said. “We’ve got another test series starting (soon) and so the focus now will turn to that.”

The secret of New Zealand’s success is an open one. It has an extremely solid batting lineup, especially

with Williamson in his regular place in the top order.

But it is the work of the bowlers which is the key ingredient: New Zealand’s four-pronged seam attack, led by Tim Southee and Trent Boult and with Kyle Jamieson now a key member, is relentless and gives batsmen very little respite from pressure.

Jamieson finished with a match analysis of 7-77 and Southee with 7-128.

The second test win was also set up by Henry Nicholls’ career-best 174 which allowed New Zealand to reach 460 in its first innings after losing the toss and being sent in on a green pitch. Nicholls held together the New Zealand innings, forming five partnerships worth 50 or more.

Southee took 5-32 and Jamieson 5-34 as New Zealand bowled out the West Indies for 131 in the first innings, enforcing the follow on. It was only the third occasion and the first in 36 years that New Zealand bowlers have completed five-wicket hauls in the same innings of a test.

T h e We s t I n d i e s produced its best batting effort of the series in the second innings but fell short

of making New Zealand bat again.

“The fight we showed in the second innings was what we were looking for in the first test match and even in the first innings here,” West Indies captain Jason Holder said. “Generally we let ourselves down in the field and if we had held chances it would have been a different game.”

New Zealand made a positive start Monday after a short rain delay, with Southee bowling Holder for 61 in the fourth over and ending his 82-run partnership with Da Silva.

Alzarri Joseph hit two sixes and three fours in a bright innings of 24 before being caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper B.J. Watling from Southee’s bowling. That lifted Southee’s test tally to 296 wickets, leaving him poised to become the third New Zealander after Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori to take 300 test wickets.

Da Silva posted his half century from 77 balls before falling lbw to Neil Wagner.

That heralded the end of the innings; last man Shannon Gabriel was bowled for a duck by Wagner shortly afterwards.

West Indies ‘A’ go down by 101 runs Neymar despite 50s from Pooran and Moseley

twists ankle but PSG say results of scan ‘reassuring’ recover in time for the first leg of PSG’s Champions League last 16 tie against former club Barcelona in February. It will be his first meeting with the Catalans since leaving them in 2017 for a world record fee of 222 million euros ($269.95 million).

“My tears were from the pain, desperation, fear and anxiety of surgery, crutches and other horrible memories,” Neymar wrote on Instagram.

“It could have been worse, but once again God spared me something more serious.”

Neymar’s father, meanwhile, said his son needed more protection.

“How long will this curse last? We speak about it a lot, but we still permit excessively violent tackles,” he wrote on Instagram. ($1 = 0.8224 euros)

S

portsMax - Half centuries from Nicholas Pooran and Shayne Moseley were not enough to prevent the West Indies ‘A’ from going down to a 101run to New Zealand at Nelson on Sunday.

Chasing 357 for what would have been unlikely win, the West Indies were bowled out for 256.

Resuming from their overnight total of 26 without loss with Brandon King on eight and Kyle Mayers on 15, the West Indies ‘A’ added only five more runs before Doug Bracewell had Mayers caught behind for 19.

King and Moseley managed to stage a 43-run partnership when Ravindra claimed the first of his six wickets bowling King for 32.

Rovman Powell joined Moseley but he didn’t last long as with the score at 106, he became Ravindra’s second wicket, caught by

Nicholas Pooran Bracewell for 18.

The first 50-run partnership of the innings followed as Moseley and Pooran took the score to 159 when the former fell to Michael Bracewell for 54.

A 77-run partnership followed between Pooran and Fabian Allen that took the score to 236 when Ravindra had Pooran caught behind for 69. That dismissal marked the beginning of the

end of the run chase as the next five wickets fell for 20 runs with Allen the next to go for 35 by similar route.

Of the remaining batsmen, only Romario Shepherd managed to get into double figures before he was out for 11 by Blair Tickner.

Ravindra cleaned out the tail to finish with 6 for 89.

Tickner got 2 for 28 in the comprehensive victory.

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 31

Minister Ramson to give full support to the safe return and development of Volleyball in Guyana

H

o n o r a b l e M i n i s t e r Charles Ramson ( J r . ) o n November 30 met with the executive members of G u y a n a Vo l l e y b a l l Federation (GVF) at the Guyana National Gymnasium to discuss the way forward on the development and revival of volleyball in Guyana.

Attendees at the meeting from the Guyana Volleyball Federation were Mr. Levi Nedd (President), Mr. Rodney Fredericks (Vice President), Mrs. Kim ChanBagot (General Secretary) and Mr. Yannick Chase (Technical Advisor), along with Hon. Minister, his Secretary and Sports Commission Personnel. The meeting led by the Hon. M i n i s t e r R a m s o n J r. highlighted several issues faced by the federation and give guidance on how to take volleyball to the next level.

Ramson, who was very participative in the sport during his school days, agreed that for several years much support was not given

for volleyball development, however, the Minister assured that this will change under his administration.

Guyana are the defending champions for the under-21 male Inter Guiana Games and the federation continues to show promising potential to up their game in the volleyball arena.

“We need to produce more Champions,” said the Minister, following his statement to give support on provision of facilities and training availabilities for each club.

He also stated that, “Clubs are expected to maximize the use and availability of the National Gymnasium with the training times that will be allotted to them.”

The Minister placed much emphasis on youth development in the sport, “Coaches need to focus on the next generation of potential volleyball athletes because they will be the nursery who will take up the sport when the senior players are gone.”

More participation and

Honorable Minister Charles Ramson (Jnr.) poses with executives of the Federation. Centre is the Minister: to his immediate right is Mr. Levi Nedd President, extreme right Mr. Rodney Fredericks – Vice President. Immediate left is Mrs. Kim Chan -Bagot – Secretary, extreme left Mr. Yannic Chase – Technical advisor. popularity of the sport is also needed.

Volleyball is set to make

a return following the approval of the COVID-19 task force.

The GVF has prepared a full schedule to facilitate several activities and

competitions which follows the safety guidelines of COVID-19.

Danram leads Movements Family to five-wicket win

Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai with the victorious Movements Family team.

A shot-filled 72 from Omesh Danram led Movements Family of Mahdia to a five-wicket v i c t o r y o v e r Te a m Corruption when the teams collided in the final of Ministry of Amerindian Affairs T20 Tapeball cricket competition on Sunday last at Durban Park.

Raydon Austin made early inroads picking up three quick wickets to reduce Team Corruption to 24-3 after they opted to bat.

However, Travis Fung and Nizam Khan added 78 for the fourth wicket to repair the early damage. Khan hit four sixes before he was bowled

by Ricardo Adams for 33 off 15 balls.

Fung continued to play his shots and put on a further 73 for the fifth wicket with Carlos La Rose. La Rose made 32 off 19 balls with four sixes, while Fung was taken off Adams after hitting two fours and four sixes in a top score of 68 off 52 balls as Team Corruption made 1899. Austin claimed 3-27, Adams had 3-48 and Ricardo Poloram 2-39.

Movements Family lost Adams early in the chase,

bowled by Ricky Sergeant for three, but Andrew Gibson and Danram steadied the chase well with a second wicket stand of 101.

Gibson was caught off Nicholas Persaud for 27 of 27 balls with two sixes, however Danram continued to time the ball well and added 46 for the third wicket with Paul Tyrell before Tyrell was bowled by Ntini Permaul for 20 off 16 balls with a solitary four.

Danram struck three fours and seven sixes before he was run out for 82. Ryan Adams with 14 not out saw his team home as they finished on 192-5 in 17.4 overs. Permaul took 2-52.

O n S a t u r d a y, Movements Family beat South Side (duckworth Lewis method) after rain intervened at Meten-MeerZorg ground. Batting first South Side made 77 all out in 18 overs. T. Mohabir scored 27 with two fours and two sixes, while Ricardo Poloram captured four wickets and Raydon Austin two. Movements Family were 66-3 when the rain came. Paul Tyrell and (Continued on page 25)

Ambassador Felipe Gardella (left) and GFF President Wayne Forde unveil the tribute to Diego Maradona.

rt Spo

GFF, Argentinian Ambassador and Pegasus Hotel pay tribute to Diego Maradona with life-size exhibit Christopher Barnwell hits for Guyana.

Barnwell Missigher cops first SA 10k title to play in 2020 US Open T20 Cup - Says players must show responsibility during pandemic period

Cleveland Thomas led the race for a period by Missigher (second in photo) ran a controlled race for the win.

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