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Wednesday Edition Lethem Police NEWS Commander intercepted

by GRA with over 30 cases - claims he was bringing out of liquor for family and staff members

AIETEUR

December 16, 2020 - Vol. 15 No.48

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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Guyana’s laws do not allow oil regulator to act independently ...do not compel adherence to industry norms - IDB Missionaries Christopher St. Ignatius Prison killed in Ram resigns man killed in Chief highway from NICIL Region Eight sent on smashup mining pit leave Board Canje mom admits to beating, dumping child, and then reporting her missing

Drunk Ministry Agricola residents driver in custody concerned over proposed after hitting chemical warehouse down salesman - EPA says no impact assessment required

Jagdeo yet to honour promise to release all oil permits p.

8

Two months later…

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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Wednesday December 16, 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

Guyana’s leadership culture Among Guyana’s many challenges, there is one that sticks out in the face and disturbs clear thinking, conscientious citizens. It is where the right kind of political leadership need to take this society some place better, that is so glaringly lacking. Corruption - who is clean? Oil - which one is the bigger trickster? Transparency - who can so be? It is almost a sin, since with the right kind of leadership - clean and incorruptible, resourceful and inclusive - this country can do so much, go so far, with what it has. What we have for political leadership is what we have in its many deficiencies and the smell is of the worst kind of rot.

Look closely, and whoever wants to disagree is free to do so. They ought to remind themselves that some situations apply to some leaders - most of them - indicate an alarming absence of those elements and character traits that could make so much of a difference. We acknowledge that there are skills in some of them. But it must be pointed out that when those same skills are used to trick the population with false cover stories, while ripping it off through under the table practices and backdoor arrangements, then those skills are not just misused and wasted, but they might as well not be there for all that they mean to a poor society.

A simple example should assist. A family or a fellow worker has all the personal tools needed, but when he or she only puts them into action for the self-enriching, then more than material loss occurs. Great disappointment and hopelessness result from the trusts betrayed and the disillusionments that follow.

Much irreparable damage is inflicted, when there is an obvious lack of any moral dimension; there is no moral inhibition or consideration that weighs heavily against and is obeyed. Immoral leadership at the highest is what we have had, haven’t we? Similarly, when there is no ethical leadership feel for what is good, actually doing good, and being for the good of others, then enduring disasters come one after the other. Look at the monies spent, the contracts awarded, the debt accumulated, and then reconcile those against where we are as communities and as a country. For the kind of money and time we spent, we should be going on to newer and bigger things. Instead, we are busy dragging ourselves down, correcting and spending still more. And when our political and civic leaders lack spiritual content and spiritual visions, then there is not the basis to inspire to those clean and constructive imperatives that could be so productive for the many peoples of this country. What we have had has been all about the self, the self-enriching, thoroughly exploitative.

Our gold, our timber, our bauxite, and the sprawling sum of our natural resources are not the personal property of PPP/C leaders or coalition leaders to do with as they please, be such carelessly or crookedly.

When they do right by getting the most for us (not for themselves) from those God-given natural resources, then the spotlight shifts from them and what once used to be suspicious actions and distrusted standards to applaud and support for the benefits that come into the pockets of the people. The people own the national patrimony, not any political party. And that is why, the biggest inheritance, the largest prize and blessing of all, our oil, must be what is out in the open, and not conducted like some cheap back alley affair. Our oil, our future, is not any leader’s or party’s birthright; it is a sacred asset that belongs to this country and its children. It is not a personal possession obtained by dint of industry or wisdom or special grace. It is of the people and is always due to them, their aspirations, their trusts vested. Leadership is what can be trusted to rise to the duty to country first and evermore. But this is what we have not had over and over again.

What we have is zero inclination towards the required leadership, self-sacrifice so hopeful citizens can benefit.

What we have are leaders reviled for doing wrong and cheating us, after lying to us.

We must be more proactive to end gender based violence DEAR EDITOR, Guyana and the rest of the world just concluded 16 days of activism for the elimination of gender based violence on the 10th December. Two days after a mother and her two children lost their lives in a gruesome way. In a way, I can’t fathom anyone meeting their demise in such a gruesome way, I have no emotions for what that mother and her young children suffered.

This should remind us that there is need for the conversation on violence to be intensified, more public awareness sessions using survivors, more hand holding for victims, more

resources such as safe houses for victims, economic empowerment, trauma informed counselling, stricter penalties for perpetrators, development of an emergency response action plan on gender-based violence.

Let the theme, “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!”, be an opportunity for us to make real changes against violence and an opportunity for us to be forward thinking. Now is the time, if we are going to end violence against our women and our girls and not forgetting our men and boys who suffer too, sometimes equally. Our response needs

to start at the communal level.

We n e e d t o s t a r t educating the community on how they must respond to violence and every member of their community must be an activist against violence and we must hold them accountable. We need to challenge cultural norms when it comes to gender inequalities.

We need to educate our children that no is no, to walk away doesn’t mean you have lost.

We need to reach out to our males - boys and men, and include them in our discussions; we need to be open about the importance of

gender equality. As a mother of two children, I dread having to raise my children in an environment that seems hopeless, one in which I would like my children to not be victims or perpetrators, one in which they smile on the outside not silently cry on the inside.

I call upon those in authority and other interested parties, to let us save the lives of our people by being more proactive in our efforts to end this violence. May the souls of all those who we have lost as a result of gender based violence rest in peace.

Regards, Shaundell Shipley

Give the Sharma Solomons, James Bonds, Ubraj Narines and Amanza Waltons a chance to lead DEAR EDITOR, I reminisce on a time not so long ago during of the rule of the Coalition when calling a spade a spade made politicians in our own camp disliked us.

Though, I had to speak from a principled position reflecting the cries coming from the impoverished in our midst who made it possible, after 23 years in the political wilderness, to crush the PPP at the 2015 polls, the pain I felt from attacks by some local leaders, supporters and the dismissive silence from our ruling politicians caused me a degree of depression.

It is love coupled with maturity and understanding that caused me to continue my trod on the raggy road of Guyana politics. It is being

comforted by the fact that if my voice could cause one child to escape physical and sexual abuse, one destitute family to find food on their table, one youth to put a gun down and be inspired to be a good citizen; my trod would continue with my shoulders erect and my head raised.

What concerns me today is our preponderance to shout that the 2020 elections were stolen from us. Even if we believe or are led to believe that is the reality, we must not slight the opportunity to treat as if that’s not the case. We are in opposition now.

The fight should not continue along a trajectory of ‘victory will be ours at the next elections’. I cannot put it nicely but if we are to have

a chance of winning (and it is possible), we have to confront and ask some of our leaders hogging the opposition benches and sitting in Parliament and in the hierarchy of Party leadership to go home, equip themselves with a computer and mobile phone and be prepared to offer advice and guidance from the comforts of their living room.

We have to, rather now than later, be prepared to take the chance with the Sharma Raheem Solomons, James Bonds, Amanza Waltons, Ubraj Narines, et al, and the relentless fighters and younger strategists that gave us victory at the time when it was most needed.

It is my hope that we begin to look beyond loyalty

to some who have crowned themselves leaders in the Party and commence the battle to defeat the Jagdeo’s, Ali’s, Phillips and Nandlall’s at the polls.

There are thousands of Indo-Guyanese who are not enamoured with them as much as thousands of Afro Guyanese who are no longer impressed by the Harmons, Ramjattans, Williams and Trotmans. There is a space and golden opportunity to see a new PPP and new PNC that will charter the wealth and the people on a road to prosperity. Our every effort is to work assiduously to bring them to the fore.

I am reenergised and excited by the prospects.

Norman K. Browne Political and social activist

Worrying COVID-19 testing arrangements DEAR EDITOR, On my business travel to Georgetown, Guyana from New York, JFK International Airport, via Miami International Airport to Guyana, everyone had to get a COVID-19 PCR test done, with results uploaded to the Ministry of Health Website for approval.

On doing so, I was granted approval via email confirmation.

I did the Rapid COVID19 test in NY, by CityMD and got my results with a negative test results in 15 minutes via email confirmation.

At the CJ International Airport, it’s a total different scenario.

On arrival at the CJ

International Airport, myself included, many more passengers were told that we had to get the COVID-19 test redone at a cost of US$80.

My response was that I got a COVID-19 test done less than 24 hours before my travel and also I was approved to entering CJ International Airport by the Guyana Government.

Then why didn’t the Guyana Government let everyone know on entering Guyana that there will be a fee of US$80 to get the COVID-19 test done on arrival.

T h e G u y a n a Government and the company doing the COVID19 test at CJ International Airport is like a Fish Market.

One take your money, another gives you a receipt, another gives you the test kit, then you have to take it to the technicians to get the test done.

I was precisely told by the person in charge of the COVID-19 test that the results would be available directly to me via email within 24 hours.

I received my results 96 hours after it was taken, with test results being Negative.

The system is not working.

This administration seems to be doing everything backwards and very cumbersome for traveling to Guyana.

The entire system with the Guyana Government and

this Laboratory, Eureka Inc. is worrisome and this is why I’m requesting that this letter be published so the public and passengers like myself can be heard.

This, in my opinion, is all profiteering from innocent Guyanese people and foreigners.

Most of the people, if not all of them got their Covid19 test done for FREE on departure at country of departure.

For my understanding of the country as a whole, it’s going in the wrong direction with lots of corruption and favours.

On my return to NYC, I will seek assistance from my State Representatives to (Continued on page 6)

Wednesday December 16, 2020

ERC’s national conversation on race DEAR EDITOR, I note with interest what I believe may be the first ‘national conversation’ on race, which is covered under the caption, “Ethnic Relations Commission forum… Hughes advocates data gathering on impact of gov’t policies on each race” (SN December 15).

What follows should in no way be construed as a criticism of the learned man’s advocacy. I merely take it elsewhere, add something, hope for more of the same from others.

Mr. Hughes is reported to have spoken about “huge arguments” and “assumptions” hurled and “perceptions” and “arguing assumptions.”

Mr. Hughes is right. But he is also going about this i n t h e w r o n g w a y.

Arguments and assumptions are fine products of his finer legal mind, refined by decades of training and experience.

But there is so much more to that and of what is involved than what Mr. Hughes went to lengths to enlighten us. Like I said, he is on the right track, but journeying on the wrong train.

I agree wholeheartedly that perceptions and assumptions have twisted us into knots. But from my humble untutored (perhaps, un-Guyanese) perspective, race relations in this society proceeds on much more than perceptions and assumptions.

For the sharp underpinnings of those are powered by emotions and passions, which are mathematically and scientifically elusive to quantity and qualify. I think that as much as

numbers and expert interpretations and conclusions would be infinitely helpful (and needed), we at the individual level are the best mathematicians and scientists and experts on how and where we are and what to do about our racial mysteries.

The first mystery is that they are not mysteries at all, because we are so emotionally volatile, and politically gullible, on matters of race, we reflexively fallback on the race solution for our up-to-now insoluble race equations. That much is obvious, beyond denial; though, we hide from our responsibilities to such a truth. We make up our own self-serving comforting truths. In sum: we lie and f a l s i f y t o o u r h e a r t ’s content and the perpetuation of our anguish. But we use leaders as scapegoats; they, in turn, made a nice living, blaming the men across the divide.

The accepted, but unadmitted, reality is that political parties - earlier blatant race groups, now more careful entities (still racist to the core) meaning governments have cultivated some of the stormy race relations within us, and capitalized powerfully on the bitter fruits. For our part on the individual plane-at the beginning and during the middle, we were content to belong and liked contributing to the disfigurements that now run amok across our fixed countenances. To a great extent, we have loved who we are in this regard; and how it has rewarded when our turn came.

And

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Kaieteur News

because of this, I fear distortions to our mathematical and scientific models and endeavours, as honest as they may be intended. As citizens, we have learned well from now cautious political leaders, where no word is out of place; where political correctness negates the degree of openness and bluntness that we need to get to the bottom of who we are and why we like being how and where we are. In many respects, how we are in terms of race relations is no longer even exclusively and primarily about the political or the racial. It is spiritual.

And that is precisely what I have sat before, listened to, observed about, and concluded relative to our supposed impregnable bastions.

Those would be our sanctuaries of worship, where frankness, fearlessness, and truthfulness should all be non-negotiable.

Instead, the earthly, the secular, the political, and the racial saturates and conquers the sacred spaces of the divine and heavenly. Believers are so overwhelmed by allegiances to princes and parties that they cannot speak to truth; they will not allow the kind of examination that could lead somewhere. They hedge around and defend flagrant wrongdoings; they erect semantic barricades to protect racial and political comrades and, in the process, extend the circle of the racial wantonness that yoke us and condemn us.

These are not mathematically definable.

As I see it, to get

somewhere, the following handful of harsh questions and self-analyses are vital: Who am I in this ongoing Guyanese Gothic horror?

What role am I living (or performing)? What do I want to do about where we are?

Where I am? What difference do I want to make by speaking to truth, embodying truth and projecting truth? About me? How different do I want to be? In the living and practising beyond the words and postures and ringing combinations that we find so temporarily endearing? Because I am you and vice versa. We have to stop pussyfooting and sheltering, dissembling and reciprocally devastating each other continuously with half-truths and hypocrisies, omissions and overtures that tantalize, but lead to the same place that none of us truly desire to face.

This is what I offer to Mr. Hughes and company.

This is what I bring before the ERC and its wellmeaning start - don’t sputter. That is where I am before all Guyana. If I have offended anyone, I don’t give a damn.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

The Mayor and City Council of Georgetown must be respected DEAR EDITOR, I have seen comments emanating from Mayor Narine upon his re-election to serve the municipality of Georgetown for the ensuing year 2021.

He encouraged officers to not engage in politics since they were hired to execute an administrative responsibility.

I found that surprisingly interesting, since one would think in 2020 such matters did not need to be dealt with publicly, due to several prior events playing out in the press.

Nevertheless, I listened and observed his comments hoping that no local government officer would act in such a way that it can be perceived in such a manner.

While watching the news, I saw a staff of the Mayor and City Council

stating that she does not take instructions from the Council.

I was shocked since I know that Cap 28:01 states clearly that instructions can be given to any local government officer by the Council.

I m m e d i a t e l y, I remembered Ms. Sooba’s tenure as Town Clerk with her regular confrontations at the Council and I hoped this was not the eve of her ‘Second Coming.’

I was pleased that the Council opted to change the individual from acting in the post, since she acted out of her legal remit and placed the Council in an unnecessary and uncomfortable situation.

Kudos to the Mayor and Councillors for their leadership in handling that matter swiftly.

Regards, Rohan Jagnarine

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Wednesday December 16, 2020

Kaieteur News

I am shocked beyond measure Granger could have set an agenda DEAR EDITOR, Like all conscientious Guyanese, I’ve been observing the many court cases and the rulings that emanated from them.

Consequently, I’ve paid special attention to the cases involving Messrs. Ashni Singh and Michael Brassington, both charged in relation to the sale of several plots of state lands Editor, let me categorically state that I am shocked beyond measures to learn about the withdrawal of these charges based on a prima facie case having been upheld by the high court. I am no legal eagle but I do not have to be one in establishing a conclusion that these two gentlemen should have been required to prove their innocence in a court of law. It is indeed unfortunate that the prosecutorial arm has decided to abort the case after their attorneys had argued that the charges were politically motivated, frivolous and had no merit.

I find that the withdrawal of such serious charges is unacceptable and has established a dangerous precedence. Further, it gives the impression that a selected section of the society is immune from prosecution.

May I point out that the principle of rule of law clearly establishes that “every man, irrespective of rank or status, is subject to the supreme laws of the land and is amenable to the jurisdiction of the ordinary tribunal.” Further, any action taken by government under this principle must have a legal foundation.

Hence, it is prudent that the prosecutorial arm inform Guyanese on the basis of such a withdrawal.

It must be noted also, that the principle of the rule of law is fundamental to peace, security, political stability, economic and social progress and the protection of rights and freedoms. As such, it is a serious issue and should not be taken lightly.

It is unfortunate that Guyana is deeply divided along racial lines and perhaps, this anomaly has shaped the prosecution’s attitude towards a particular ethnic group. Over the past four months we have witnessed the insatiable appetite of the police to prosecute members of the specified ethnic group, evident by the commonality of ethnicity of scores of GECOM employees, politicians, and civil servants that are being harassed and charged by the police. One is forced to draw the conclusion that the actions of the police are influenced by the executive.

It is my adamant view that the government is not conforming to the principles of good governance forcing me to conclude that there seems to be undue influence by the executive arm of government over prosecutorial bodies. This should cease forthwith!

Yours truly, L. Saul

Boorish and classless DEAR EDITOR, Harmon excuses for not meeting with Canadian High Commissioner was boorish.

The High Commissioner of Canada, Mrs. Lillian Chatterjee, recently requested a meeting with Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Joseph Harmon, to bid him farewell but it was turned down in the most boorish and classless manner for someone of his station.

It shows, the class and

deportment of Mrs. Chatterjee that despite the fact of being physically present and totally aware of who was the mastermind behind the attempted orchestration of rigging the elections when Mingo was doing his threecard trick of disappearing votes that she rose above the situation and requested as a courtesy to say goodbye to the office of the leader of the opposition.

If it were not for the

intervention of like-minded persons of the caliber of High Commissioner, Mrs. Chatterjee, who believes that the citizens of all countries have the right to choose their government by periodic elections via secret ballot in a multi party system through universal and equity suffrage.

We definitely would have had a failed state with perpetually rigged elections.

I want to surmise among the reasons that the Canadian High Commissioner, Mrs. Chatterjee, wanted to say farewell to the leader of the opposition was to have a last look at someone who was capable of stealing a whole election and fervently hope that she would never again have to encounter the likes of a similar character for the rest of her diplomatic career.

Yours Sincerely, Reggie Bhagwandin

...Worrying COVID-19 From page 4 highlight such things with the Guyana Government immediately.

This is our country and we as citizens and the media, need to highlight issues.

I’m not affiliated with any political parties and I’m not asking for favours.

All that I’m trying to do is get my voice heard for the public to understand what’s happening.

Best Regards, Frustrated Passenger

DEAR EDITOR, Ex President, David Granger, should have accepted the President’s invitation to attend the Presidential summit. It is an excellent opportunity to discuss issues the opposition feels warrants addressing.

Granger could have dictated the agenda.

The former President missed a golden opportunity to bring national healing, transform his image, and boost his favourability ratings after the failed attempt to rig the March elections. As a political scientist, I learn that the office of Presidency, whether in America or Guyana or any country, transcends any one individual and one must respect the office and be willing to go to extraordinary measures to make the office and country better. One must not show partisanship and be willing to embrace all regardless of party. President Ali has done exactly that – took the initiative to bring all ex-Presidents together for support and advice on building a better nation. Regardless of party affiliation, all political leaders (Presidents) must at times be willing to work or come together for the wellbeing of the nation. It is an act of patriotism, showing that one cares about country more than party and politics. But there is hardly any reciprocity from the opposing side to Ali’s invitation, and that does not augur well for the future.

Relations between government and opposition have been strained as a result of the publicly attempted rigging of the last election.

This consultation or Presidential summit would have narrowed resentment and bridged gap between the two opposing sides. A lot of goodwill would have flowed from this extraordinary summit. A fantastic photo opportunity was missed – that brings former and current political leaders together, a rare occurrence, a showcase for the nation on working together for national reconciliation and development.

Mr. Granger could have helped to end the political acrimony and bitterness that followed the APNU+AFC

defeat and unite the nation as it goes into the holiday season – would have been a great holiday gift to the entire population. The excuse of a lack of an agenda for declining an invitation to meet with President Ali and other exPresidents is described as ‘lame’ and not accepted by a large majority of the population. The population feels Mr. Granger could have showed up and dictated terms, his agenda, for the gathering of ex-Presidents and current President. He could even have come with a few assistants (including Opposition Leader) and insist that they be present for and partake in the proceedings. It is doubtful President Ali and or any ex-President would have objected. It was a historic opportunity for constructive conversation and fellowship. It would have been an opportunity to transform the bad blood politics of the country and contribute to the institutionalization of democracy.

Generally, ex-Presidents meet at funerals, gala events, Republic or independence days, Indian High Commission Phagwah celebrations, special functions, banquets, swearing in ceremonies, among others. This was a unique invitation by President Ali to meet to discuss any issue, to offer advice to the President, to discuss policies.

He values their experience, advice, and recommendations. President Ali did not invite the exPresidents for a partisan political discussion. He did not set an agenda.

The ex-Presidents could have asked for or set one or suggest what they would like to discuss. Ali would have found himself in a bind to discuss it. The President left the agenda open for ‘an open discussion’ – known as ‘no holds barred’ say in political science. An incomplete discussion would have led to follow up meetings. If President Ali had failed to meet expectation, then President Granger and other ex-Presidents would have had justification to assail him for breach.

The language of the ex-

President and Opposition Leader in their responses to the invitation was not warm.

It’s not good for the future.

Granger finds himself the odd man out, at least in terms of popularity. Supporters of both political sides interviewed by poll workers, as well as my own personal conversations with people, suggest that more than threequarters of the public thinks Granger should have accepted the invitation; few opposed the meeting while some supporters of APNU prefer not to give an opinion.

Had Granger consulted with his supporters rather than party clique, he would have gotten their perspective on why he should have attended the parley. A majority of APNU supporters are in favour of the meeting.

Almost everyone praised President Ali for his initiative of parleying with exPresidents, saying he demonstrates class and willingness to work with opponents.

Ali feels confident in meeting and working with ex-Presidents regardless of party affiliation.

The public’s rating of President Ali’s leadership skills has been soaring ever since he swore in on March 2, and this initiative of a meeting makes him look even better. He inspires confidence among the population, demonstrating he has been able to get things done and willing to work with the opposition for the betterment of country. The President should not give up on reaching to ex-President Granger and Opposition Leader Joe Harmon for a national dialogue.

The ex-Presidents who accept the invitation for the confab have won the support and admiration of the population — people see them differently now than when they were Presidents; Donald Ramotar and Sam Hinds are being praised like never before. Bharrat Jagdeo, as usual, continues to tower above the others in popularity ratings because of his charismatic leadership qualities and his vast knowledge of issues and policies.

Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

Heartbreak in Guyana DEAR EDITOR, We are losing lives, losing dignity and losing our minds.

Gabriella and Mariella, innocent children, burnt to death; Carolina, a mother, was engulfed in flames with her children. Guyana seems unmoved.

It has to be now, a call to

everyone; please do something.

The problems: 1. Lack of protection: None or not enough safe homes with funds, food, resources for families in violence.

2.

Lack of counseling services

3.

Lack of early warning signs monitoring 4.

Lack of funding 5.

Lack of people to help 6.

Lack of Policy/ advocacy/education 7.

Lack of long-term programmes for families Manohar Deochand

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 16, 2020

Jagdeo yet to honour promise to release all oil permits … r e t a l s h t n o Two m

V

ice President, D r. B h a r r a t Jagdeo, said on October 2 that the Government would release all the permits granted to oil companies for their development operations, but more than two months later, the production licences remain elusive.

At the time of making this commitment, the VP had been touting the Payara production licence as superior to the ones handed out by the David Granger administration for the Liza P h a s e s O n e a n d Tw o developments.

Not only did the former Government keep the permits hidden, it also refused to conduct sufficient due diligence checks on the i n t e g r i t y o f E x x o n ’s

developments. This is evidenced by the fact that the Granger administration approved the Liza Phase One permit on the same day that it received the 1,500-page environmental impact assessment from ExxonMobil.

The Payara project is a US$9B development and the third of its kind to be spearheaded by the supermajor.

Dr. Jagdeo was so adamant that the Payara production licence is superior that he insisted that media operatives comb through the three permits to find the differences.

“So look at the petroleum licence for Liza that Trotman signed, and do a comparison with the petroleum licence for Payara that we signed,”

he said… “and therein, you will see the massive improvements and how we have moved to protect our patrimony.”

He said that the improvements are there to ensure that the Payara development would be executed in a more environmentally safe manner, among other critical considerations.

When informed that the media did not receive these d o c u m e n t s , t h e Vi c e President said that he will ensure they do.

This is not the first time the new government has made promises of transparency and failed to keep them.

Despite publicly releasing the Payara production licence and

a c c o m p a n y i n g environmental permit, the Government has kept the Payara review report in the dark. The review was done by a team led by the controversial Canadian consultant and ex-politician, Alison Redford.

She had been forced to resign from her post as Premier of the Canadian province of Alberta after facing staunch criticism for what was later identified as mismanagement of public funds.

Kaieteur News also discovered that Redford has benefitted from tens of thousands of Canadian dollars donated to her political party by an ExxonMobil subsidiary, called Imperial Oil. These issues raise doubts about the integrity of Redford’s work.

Her review led the government to approve a licence with terms which did not outright prohibit the dumping of produced water in the ocean and the flaring

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo of toxic gas.

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, had said that the findings of the review would be made public. Three months later, it has not been published.

Politicians on the other side of the aisle have also made promises to fess up to the nation, but ended up not keeping them.

O p p o s i t i o n L e a d e r, Joseph Harmon, was pressed on the matter of the

Coalition’s silence on oil and gas matters three months ago, and he told reporters that he was assembling a team of persons with responsibility for the petroleum sector for a special oil press conference.

Pressed on this oil issues multiple times, the politician later insisted that Kaieteur News seems to know more than him on these issues.

When the Alliance for Change (AFC) was asked about this promised press conference, its General Secretary, David Patterson, said that he did not know about such a press conference, despite being shadow minister for oil and gas.

The promised press conference is especially urgent, since the Coalition’s failure to properly investigate the giveaways of the Canje and Kaieteur oil blocks has signaled complicity in the loss of billions of dollars in much needed revenue to the state.

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 09

The masks have fallen off I

n A Way in the World, the late Nobel L a u r e a t e , V. S .

Naipaul, narrated an incident when he had just left school and was waiting to travel overseas for studies.

The same story had appeared in more detail in another of his books; it may have been a House for Mr. Biswas.

One of Naipaul’s school friends took him to meet his father, who was then a wellknown local lawyer, who many felt wanted nothing much to do with his own people, but wanted instead to be White.

We have those types in Guyana who are nonEuropean in ethnicity but behave more European than European. Someone once said it was traditional.

After the courtesies were extended and there was some light but uncomfortable talk, the mask came off. The lawyer blurted out a remark about his race. It was an uncomfortable but highly revealing moment. In that one instance, the mask of colonial respectability fell off and the local lawyer was exposed for what he truly was.

Beneath the façade which he was presenting to the world, as man of cultured European values, lay a grand racial cause.

This cause festered at the subterranean level, not shown in public but always there brewing.

In multi-racial societies, ethnic tensions simmer at the subterranean level. People put on their mask, pretending

to be above the fray but this is only the face which they present to the public.

Below that are different beliefs.

And sometimes, it takes just the right trigger for the true self to emerge.

The General and Regional Elections of 2020 was one such trigger locally.

The elections saw a number of political activists shedding their political masks. For decades some of these persons had projected themselves as pursing a multi-racial cause.

What you saw is not what was there.

They pretended also to be democrats. But when the moment of truth time came for them to take a stand against dictatorship – the very system under which they have suffered in the past and which they had railed against – their masks fell off and they were left exposed as ethnicists.

They showed that what they were less interested in democracy than they were in self-rule.

They would have no objections had the elections’ results been different.

They were not interested in fair play.

They were not concerned about the effects of the rigging on ethnic relations; they were only interested in a particular outcome.

For years, they wanted the people to believe that they were multi-racial and opposed to all forms of ethnic domination.

But during the elections, the masks fell off and they

were exposed as ethnicists.

They had fooled the people for a long time.

But the elections brought to the fore their ethnic nationalism.

There is nothing wrong with someone championing his or her own race.

But what is detestable is the pretence of having people think you are one thing, having them believe you are multi-racial, when in truth and fact you are an ethnic nationalist and probably always was.

The elections have exposed them.

It has revealed to the nation the true character of these persons.

They were never interested in power-sharing; they were after power grabbing and were prepared to manipulate ethnic tensions to achieve this goal.

Some of these persons are seeking to remain relevant.

They are offering solutions but they are part of the problem.

They should be exposed for what they are. They have deceived the people and stand naked as they were born.

They have no credibility anymore and should not be taken seriously.

They have never had any solutions to the ethnic problem facing Guyana. And this was because they always saw the problem from their own blinkered perspective, the very one which they tried to hide for decades from the people.

The elections have

Dem boys seh...

Christmas cancel De way things going with de coronavirus in Guyana, it looks like we gan gat to cancel Christmas. For the past seven days dem had 270 cases. This means that we can expect a deadly Christmas weekend with about 10 persons dying from coronavirus complications.

Dem boys thinking that perhaps we should join dem other countries wah decide fuh cancel Christmas. The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany are moving into lockdown mode. Some of the biggest cities in the world, Toronto and London deh pun lockdown till the early weeks of the New Year.

America had almost 200,000 cases yesterday

alone and nearly 3,000 persons fall dead.

California, one of the worst affected states, is going on a limited lockdown. Other places in the world are throwing a damper on Christmas.

A wet blanket thrown pun Guyana Christmas since March.

Dem wah try fuh thief de elections fuh five months put de whole country in problems.

Dem had a virtual lockdown fuh five months during which time people suffer and de economy get battered. And things get so bad that even without a lockdown, Christmas looking like a damp squib.

And some of dem

scamps wah try fuh steal elections, still looking forward fuh gift. Dem get accustomed over the past five years to dem businessmen sending liquor and other gifts fuh Christmas. Dem fridge does be overflowing Christmas Day. Dem hoping de same thing happen this year.

Dem nah know that when it comes to dem businessman, out of power mean out of sight. Dem gat nothing fuh get because dem businessman know way fuh hang dem mouth and deliver dem gifts.

Talk half and nah sorry fuh election thief man wah pot gan empty this Christmas.

unmasked them. The young generation can now see them for what they truly are – fraudsters who speak with forked-tongues.

(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

Wednesday December 16, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Nostalgia from the 1970s made David Granger the head of the PNC Every Guyanese in and out of the land was totally surprised when President Granger named Halim Majeed ambassador to Cuba in 2015. With Guyana’s very young population (70 percent under 40), no one knew who Majeed was. He was a close loyalist serving President, Forbes Burnham.

Like hundreds of similar PNC servants, they migrated from Guyana after President Desmond Hoyte lost power.

Two such persons remained in Guyana and studied law – Robert Corbin and Winston Murray.

By 2015 when Granger became president, the name Halim Majeed would not have been known among even persons in the PNC hierarchy. So how did it happen? Granger worked closely with Majeed during the cultural phase of paramountcy of the party under Burnham.

The army and the National Service had an ideological/education programme, the curriculum

of which was shaped by Granger from the army, and Majeed from the Ministry of National Development.

Most of the teaching material centered on Marxist and Third World literature.

Forty years after they became comrades, Granger became president and Majeed was resurrected from obscurity to be assigned to Cuba.

It was these identical circumstances that brought Granger to the top of the PNC’s pyramid. By the time Hoyte died, the PNC had no living organism that remained in Congress Place during the Burnham era except Oscar Clarke whom Hoyte kept for reasons that may never be known.

Robert Corbin was retained

by Hoyte because he was grateful to Corbin. Corbin’s vote against Hamilton Green succeeding the deceased Burnham as president was crucial. But Hoyte never liked Corbin.

As president and subsequently, opposition

leader, Hoyte with singlehandedness extirpated the Burnhamites in the PNC. They were guillotined en mass.

The PNC under President Hoyte and under Opposition Leader, Hoyte, was a party that bore no resemblance to the PNC before 1985, the year of Burnham’s death.

The hierarchy in the government was not Burnhamite. The hierarchy in the PNC as a party was not Burnhamite.

When Hoyte suddenly passed way in 2002, only one Burnhamite was left in the PNC’s leadership - Robert Corbin.

He was therefore the natural choice. It was a troubling time for Corbin, both as Opposition Leader and PNC bossman. An entity named Team Alexander (led

by Vincent Alexander) tried to oust Corbin while Aubrey Norton had an internecine fight with Corbin that ended up in court.

Under Corbin, the PNC

had its worst electoral showing in the 2006 poll, losing seats even in Georgetown.

It was the end of the road for Corbin. But there was no Burnhamite from the seventies to succeed him except Alexander and Norton and both were declared persona non-grata.

Corbin turned to a man whom he knew from the seventies when he was the chairman of the PNC’s youth arm and whom he worked closely with during the ideological indoctrination of the army – David Granger.

The brutal fact is that Corbin had no one to turn to. To make things worse, the two persons vying to be party leader – Carl Greenidge and Dr. Faith Harding were unacceptable to Corbin because they left Guyana when the PNC lost power in 1992. Corbin controlled the delegate selection system and out-manoeuvred Greenidge and Harding. The rest is history.

When Granger became

PNC leader, then PNC executive member, Clarissa Riehl gave off a reaction that has gone into the history Frederick Kissoon books. She told me at the entrance of the All three were newcomers High Court on South Road that she did not know to the PNC. One of the Granger at all and never greatest ironies in the history heard about him in politics. of the PNC is that the man Corbin was gone and the selected to be the leader of Hoytean degutting of the the PNC for the future was P N C c o n t i n u e d u n d e r not even in the PNC’s Granger. But there is a very e x e c u t i v e c o m m i t t e e . crucial difference. While Granger ousted a longHoyte literally chased away standing PNC stalwart, the PNC figures from the Volda Lawrence, to make As seventies, Granger didn’t way for Harmon. have to deal with them president, Granger was a because they were not disaster. As PNC leader, Granger was a disaster. He around anymore.

Granger turned to his was just not suited for army buddies from the politics. He caused the PNC seventies to help him. In the to lose power in 2020, power presidency, he began to that they may never see groom a few ministers to run again either through election the government in the event or insurrection.

(The views expressed in he couldn’t continue.

His picks were Joe this article are those of the Harmon and Winston Jordan a u t h o r a n d d o n o t and maintained a close necessarily reflect the relation with Ronald Bulkan. opinions of this newspaper.)

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Former presidents mull tougher Racial Hostility Act, stronger penalties President Irfaan Ali said one of the key issues discussed during yesterday’s engagement with the former presidents was the achievement of national unity and the strengthening of mechanisms to support it.

The Head of State disclosed this following the high-level meeting held at State House, which saw discussions between the sitting President and former Presidents, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Donald Ramotar and Samuel Hinds.

Former President David Granger did not attend the engagement.

Key among the mechanisms discussed to bolster National Unity was

the existing Racial Hostility Act, a statement from the Office of the President disclosed.

“The whole issue of national unity, how do we achieve national unity were discussed. What are some of the targeted things we can do? How do we look, for example, at the Racial Hostility Act to make it stronger with greater penalties for those who are bent on creating mischief and dividing our people?”

Since assuming office, President Ali has been vocal on the prevalence of race baiting, as well as the increase of racial hatred and hostility, particularly on social media.

Former presidents meeting at State House: L-r- Donald Ramotar, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and Samuel Hinds

During an address to the nation in September, the President issued a stern warning that perpetrators and instigators of race baiting will be persecuted to the fullest.

“It deeply grieves me, therefore, when I see almost every day on social media, the degree of race baiting, racial hate and racial hostility, which pervades the social media platforms. I want you to know that it is my determination to do everything within my power and to use all the laws at my disposal to put an end to this behaviour, which can only

result in dividing our country and our people,” President Ali had stated.

He had also reminded Guyanese that while freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Constitution as a fundamental right, it does not relate nor extend to hate speeches or other expressions capable of exciting hostility or ill-will

against any person or class of persons.

“I further remind that such conduct, publications and utterances constitute grievous criminal offences under the Racial Hostility Act, Cybercrime and other similar penal legislation; and the State will not hesitate to resort to these provisions in our laws in appropriate circumstances.”

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 13

Agricola residents concerned over proposed chemical warehouse - EPA says no impact assessment required

R

esidents living around the environs of Agricola, East Bank Demerara are objecting to the planned construction of a ‘Chemical Oil Services Facility’, after it was discovered that the project requires no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) be conducted prior.

The Environmental Protect Agency (EPA), via a public notice, announced that Falcon Logistics Inc., plans to construct the facility for storage, handling and transportation at Area MM Rome Industrial Area.

An EIA is done to evaluate the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, taking into account inter-related socioeconomic, cultural and human-health impacts, both beneficial and adverse.

However, the EPA in its notice stated, “In accordance with Section 11(2) of the Environmental Protection Act, Cap 20:05, Laws of Guyana, the application for the project listed above has been screened by the agency to assess the potential environmental impacts, and it has been determined that the project will not significantly affect the environment nor human health, and is therefore exempted from the

requirement for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).”

Be that as it may, it is still allowing the general public a 30-day period to lodge any objections or concerns about the project. Appeals and objections can be submitted to the Environmental Assessment Board at the EPA’s Sophia, Georgetown office.

Residents in the area, however, are more concerned over the fact that the EPA is not mandating that an impact assessment be conducted.

“Over the last few months, it has become clear that the EPA does not perform their due diligence and require a proper Environmental Impact Assessment for oil and gas service companies,” one resident pointed out.

Even more concerning, the residents noted, is the fact that the EPA would post a public notice, “and hope it goes unnoticed by citizens of the impacted community who most times do not have the representation or knowledge base to respond.”

Prior to this, several other objections were made to petro chemical related projects.

Back in 2019, Nalco Champion had proposed a chemical plant be constructed at Houston,

Industrial Site, Ruimveldt – a residential area.

However, after residents objected noting the carcinogenic nature of the chemicals to be stored there, the company abandoned plans and took their operations over to Trinidad.

Then in October of this year, residents of Peter’s Hall objected to another proposed ‘Chemical Storage Warehouse Facility’ to be constructed by GLASS Holdings Inc. GLASS Holdings Inc. had stated that they planned to store chemicals such as “Asphaltene Inhibitor, Corrosion inhibitor, Biocide, Hydrate Inhibitor, D e m u l s i f i e r, C h l o r i n e Scavenger, Defoamer and Hydrate Inhibitor.”

But even with those chemicals on the list, the EPA stated that the project did not require an EIA. The project was later halted after residents raised similar concerns as the facility was going to be constructed in close proximity to residential neighbourhoods.

A resident from Peter’s Hall had lamented to Kaieteur News that, “The EPA ruled that the analysis is not needed, so they are not requiring it. Well, that is very unsettling. It seems to me that petroleum waste and (Continued on page 25)

The Rome, East Bank Demerara proposed site for the chemical facility.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Missionaries killed in highway smash-up Dead: Bernice and Cornelis Rozema

A couple, well known in the Christian community, both died in a tragic accident last evening on the Linden/Soesdyke highway.

Kaieteur News was told that the car in which they were travelling in ended up in the path of truck around 20:00 hrs.The couple has been identified as Christian missionaries, Bernice Rozema, 75 and Cornelis Rozema, 79, of Hauraruni Village, a community located a mile off the Linden highway.

Cornelis was said to be the driver of the

car at the time of the accident. Kaieteur News understands that the couple was heading up the Linden Highway, when Cornelis reportedly missed a turn and drove into the path of a truck that was travelling in the opposite direction. Based on a live video on Facebook seen by this publication, the couple was lying on the road covered with sheets, while persons were at the scene.Cornelis is said to be from The Netherlands, Europe, but moved here years ago.

95 long-serving GuySuCo employees honoured Ninety-five (95) employees of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) were yesterday awarded for 40-plus years of service.

The awardees are from the Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt estates and the Head

Office.The ceremony was hosted at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, delivered the feature address, while GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer, Sasenarine Singh made brief remarks.

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

Kaieteur News

PAGE 16

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Bids opens for Health Ministry’s head office; Environmental Assessment of Kumu Hydro-electric Project The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), on Tuesday, opened 60 ——-bids for six government ministries at their Ministry of Finance (MoF) office on Main and Urquhart streets.

Notable projects included the procurement of consultancy services for design and supervision of civil works: Upgrade of three regional hospitals on the West Demerara and in Bartica; the Environmental Assessment and Management Plan for

Guyana Defense Force (GDF) - Supply and delivery of motor vehicle and ambulances

Beharry Automotive Limited

90,703,458

Andrew Vincent Construction Service Sodar Tech & Electrical Services Engineer’s estimate

8,227,450 12,544,411 13,826,800

Ministry of Health (MoH) - Consultancy services for design and supervision of civil works: upgrade of three regional hospitals, namely on the West Demerara and in Bartica Bidder’s name ENARCH Consultant Limited (New Delhi)

Provision of services for the maintenance of air condition units

Amount GYD ($)

Bidder’s name

Amount GYD ($)

Bidder’s name

14,422,000

Webster’s Engineering & Consultancy

2,358,000

D&R Construction & Machinery

9,316,080

Emerald’s General Contracting & Distributors

3,545,400

YR Engineering Solutions

3,798,480

Akini Olamina Building & General Procurement Services

5,077,560

AYN Construction & General Services

2,994,000

Construction of concrete/ chain-link fence and guard hut at Kamarang, Region Seven

Construction of remaining works to Head Office, phase one

Amount GYD ($) 878,794,671 613,901,367 616,434,111 789,750,774

Engineer’s estimate

626,701,613

Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) - Construction of concrete/ chain-link fence at Fort Wellington Bidder’s name

Bidder’s name

Amount GYD ($) 3,914,820

DR Engineering

3,758,780

R. Kissoon Contracting

3,030,951

CK Construction

9,830,810

Sherry Mohamed Construction

6,231,410

Ayeni Halton Construction Company

9,469,856

Construct It

15,759,211

N&S General Engineering &Contracting Service

2,326,569

VN Contracting Services

4,616,850

Ayeni Halton Construction Company

2,855,129

Webster Engineering & Consultancy

3,409,455

Advance Environmental Solutions

2,708,612

JR Engineering Solutions

2,862,483

D&R Construction & Machinery Rentals

3,082,107

Foam Future Builders

3,757,887

Engineer’s estimate

2,999,399

Provision of services in one lot: sanitary disposal services; lot two: termite treatment/ pest control services Amount GYD ($)

Termite & Weed Control Services

Lot 2

1,126,000

1,028,000

Redopost Incorporated

808,260

1,701,720

Pestex Environmental Supplies

750,000

Western Pest Control

630,000 -

1,166,000

Terminex Pest Control

756,000

1,116,000

4,680,071

Engineer’s estimate

10,056,519

Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) - Environmental Assessment and Management Plan for Kumu 1.5HW Hydroelectric Project Bidder’s name

Lot 1

Amount GYD ($)

D&R Construction & Machinery Rental

C. King Construction

Bidder’s name

Amount GYD ($)

Modern Industrial Supplies & Services

Financial proposal submitted

Bidder’s name R. Bassoo & Sons Construction Company PD Constructing International Imports & Supplies Nabi Construction Incorporated

Kumu 1.5HW Hydroelectric Project; as well as the construction of remaining works to the Ministry of Health’s Head Office.

Below are the companies and their bids.

Amount USD ($)

Environmental Management Consultant

122,550

Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) - Enclosure of canteen at their head office

Bidder’s name

Amount GYD ($)

Andrew Vincent Construction Services

13,826,800

Solar Tech Electrical Services

12,544,411

Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) – Supply, delivery and testing of one new super long reach hydraulic excavator for the MMA/ADA Bidder’s name Guyana Tractor Equipment

Amount USD ($) 2,900,000

General Equipment Guyana Limited

38,921,542

Machinery Corporation of Guyana (MACORP)

33,480,000

Farm Supplies Limited

32,000,000

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 25

St. Ignatius man killed in Region Eight mining pit Deceased: Clavor Paul

A

20-year-old miner lost his life on Friday morning after the mining pit, which he was working in collapsed and buried him alive at St. Elizabeth Backdam, Region Eight.

Dead is Clavor Paul of St. Ignatius Village, Rupununi, Lethem, Region Nine.

According to a release issued from the Ministry of Labour, the incident occurred at around 08:30hrs.

Paul was working on an operation owned by Fitzroy English of Region Eight.

Based on the information received, the miner, Paul was at the time in the mining pit operating a “Marrock engine” when a section of the pit collapsed and covered him.

In a telephone interview

with Kaieteur News, the Police Commander of Region Eight, Michael Kingston, disclosed that the body has been recovered and a post mortem examination was done.

The young miner died from multiple injuries.

He also revealed that no other workers were injured, but several statements were taken as the investigation continues.According to the Ministry, the Occupational Safety and Health Department is currently collaborating with the Mines and Environmental Department of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) in conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the incident.

Agricola residents concerned...

From page 13 products have high vapour pressures and consequently will leak into the immediate atmosphere and surroundings with the best of intentions.

This means that air quality and its effects on our health and our homes are of a major concern.”

With that in mind, the residents from Agricola are demanding that the EPA conduct an impact assessment

before construction commenced.

“If the EPA previously determined that such an operation should not be established close to nearby residential communities, then why is it acceptable now?

Would the residents of Houston, Rome, McDoom, Agricola and even communities on the West Bank not be impacted in a similar manner?”

Guyana’s laws do not allow oil ...

From page 18 reforms, and the general needs of an evolving sector.

The design of this operation considered lessons learned from IDB-financed operations, including the importance of close collaboration and coordination with other agencies geared towards building the capacity of the government to manage the sector.The bank is also implementing an investment operation that has synergies with this Programmatic Policy-Based Loan (PBP).

This newspaper understands that the Energy Matrix Diversification and Institutional Strengthening

of the Department of Energy (4676/BL-GY; 4676/BLGY-1 and 4676/BL-GY-2), for US$21.16 million in 2018, will diversify the energy sector with renewable energy and strengthen the nascent oil and gas institutional capacity.

This newspaper also understands that this support has been designed to address the needs of a country that has never been an oil producer.

However, there is still significant work to be done in national sector planning at the governmental level, but the IDB has helped the government build a foundation to manage this emerging industry.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 26

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Cop now slapped with manslaughter charge in Mandela shooting One of cops who was previously on remand for the murder of an unarmed civilian, Cecil Sampat, 39, was officially slapped with a manslaughter charge y e s t e r d a y .

Sampat, along with three other individuals, were in a car which came under rapid gunfire from patrol ranks on July 25, along Mandela Av e n u e , G e o r g e t o w n .

Sampat and the driver of the car, Winston Frazer, received multiple gunshot wounds.

The driver survived but has been left paralyzed.

Sampat, however, had died on August 5, while being treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Appearing at the Georgetown Magistrate Court yesterday, for a second time, to answer for his death was Constable Troy Monroe, 25.

The manslaughter charge was read to him by Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan.

It is alleged that on July 25, he participated in the wrongful killing of an unarmed man.

He was granted $150,000 bail and is expected to return to court on January 5, 2021.

Monroe and another officer, Corporal Godwin Thomas, were previously charged on August 14 with Sampat’s murder. After spending two months behind bars on remand, they were

released on November 27.

Kaieteur News had reported that the Director of Public Prosecutor (DPP) instructed that their murder charge be reduced to manslaughter. The case against them was discontinued and they were released on $500,000 bail each as they waited to be officially recharged.

This newspaper learnt, however, that the DPP sent back the case file with specific instructions for investigators. DPP ad ised that only Monroe be charged with manslaughter.

The detectives were further instructed to complete their investigations by including the ballistic evidence of the

Dead:Cecil Sampat shooting. When that is completed, they must return the file for further advice on what charge is suitable for Thomas.

This media house was informed as well that a third cop is expected to be charged for Sampat’s death. Sources

Manslaughter accused: Troy Monroe

Awaiting on DPP’s advice: Corporal Godwin Thomas

told Kaieteur News that he is a presidential guard who was reportedly off duty at the time of the shooting.

Sampat and his friends v had reportedly gone bar hopping that evening on July 25. He was reportedly heading home at the time

when cops opened fire on the car, which he was traveling in.

Cops had claimed that men in the car opened fire on them but no firearm was f o u n d i n t h e m e n ’s possession to corroborate their statement.

scene of the accident Plantain Walk public road where the accident occurred.

Drunk Ministry driver in custody after accident with salesman A salesman is now in a critical condition, after he was struck down by a speeding driver, who was driving under the influence of alcohol.

It so happens that the minibus forms part of a fleet of vehicles owned by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.

The incident occurred on Monday evening, at Plantain Walk, Public Road, West Bank Demerara.

The injured man has been identified as Basil Persaud, 57, of Lot C Middle Street, Pouderoyen.

According to a police report, the accident occurred at around 20:20 hrs. on Monday.

Reports are that minibus, PWW 1958, was being driven by Joshua Charles, 40, of Best Village, West Coast Demerara.

Based on information received, the bus was traveling north along the

The damaged Ministry’s minibus that was involved in the accident.

western side of the road at a fast rate. The vehicle collided with Persaud, who was reportedly crossing the road at the time. As a result of the collision, Persaud fell.

He was subsequently picked up in a conscious state and taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he

was admitted. As a result of the accident, Persaud’s left hand and foot are broken.

The police later conducted a breathalyzer test on the driver - his alcohol content was 60 and 61 micrograms - over the legal limit. He was taken into custody.

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Teacher jailed for sexually assaulting student appeals conviction Three weeks after he was jailed for sexually assaulting one of his students, Mohammed Wazir Khan, an economics teacher at a private city s chool is appealing his conviction.

Khan was sentenced on November 26, following a trial conducted by Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Magistrate Daly ruled that there is sufficient evidence against the accused for him to be convicted for the offence and he was sentenced to three years imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of $1M. Khan was charged with committing sexual activities with a minor and abusing a position of trust. The incident, he was charged with, occurred on March 9, 2019. It is reported that Khan braced his penis on the child’s private part and squeezed her.

H o w ev er, throug h attorney-at-law Dexter Todd, Khan is asking the Court of Appeal to overturn his

Jailed: Mohammed Wazir Khan conviction based on the quality of evidence that was led at his trial. He is seeking bail pending the hearing of the appeal.

According to the lawyer, Magistrate Daly showed emotions with the victim’s evidence and thus was biased. He stated that the Magistrate made an error of law when she showed emotions.

The lawyer also asked the court to fix an early date for hearing the appeal. The matter comes up for hearing this Friday.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 27

‘Flushing’ remanded killing Triumph man A 29-year-old labourer of Kadoo S t r e e t , Tr i u m p h , E a s t C o a s t Demerara, was yesterday remanded for the murder of Christopher Findlay called ‘Andy,’ a 50-year-old man of Agriculture Road, Triumph, East Coast Demerara.

The accused, Parmanan Rambarran called ‘Flushing,’ made his appearance in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Roshell Liverpool.

He was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleged that on December 11, 2020, at Agriculture Road, Triumph, East Coast Demerara, he murdered Findlay.

Findlay was discovered in bed with wounds to his body.

Rambarran was remanded and the matter was adjourned to February 1, 2021, for report.

According to the police, Findlay was killed between 08:00 hrs. and 12:00 hrs. at his home.

The man was last seen alive around 08:00 hrs. by his neighbour. On the day in question, the defendant and Findlay had a misunderstanding, with resulted in a physical altercation.

The defendant reportedly armed himself with a knife, which he used to allegedly stab Findlay several times about his face and hand.

Remanded, Parmanan Rambarran called ‘Flushing’ After the altercation, Findlay walked into his house and sat on his bed. When the neighbour returned from work about 12:00 hrs., he decided to check on Findlay and that’s when he discovered the man lying in bed, motionless.

An alarm was raised and Findlay was taken to the Beterverwagting Health Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His body was transported to the Lyken’s Funeral Home and the matter was reported.

The defendant was later arrested and subsequently charged with murder.

Dead: Christopher Findlay

PAGE 28

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Kaieteur News

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The Director of Prisons, Gladwyn Samuels, has been sent on leave.

This publication contacted Samuels and he confirmed the development. He told Kaieteur News that he is on vacation. He detailed that he was sent on 132 days accumulated leave.

He pointed out that the letter, which he received stated that he is to resume duties after the leave ends.

In his absence, the Deputy Prison Director, Niclon Elliot, will act in his capacity. Samuels has been in charge of the Guyana Prisons for a number of years now.

He was appointed as Deputy Prison Director in 2017.

He then received another substantive appointment in January of 2020, but this time as Prison Director.

Samuels has been on a stormy watch. In 2017, riot broke at the Camp Street Prison where two inmates were wounded and a police officer shot dead.

The prison, which housed at least 1,000 inmates, went up in flames.

This setback caused major overcrowding, especially at Lusignan where a significant number of the prisoners were shifted.

A number of prison officers have been fired and charged for smuggling contraband to inmates. Millions were allocated to rehabilitate, upgrade and rebuild the prison facilities.

Works started but then they were stalled. Politicians blamed the no-confidence motion and later the fivemonth elections saga.

The COVID-19 pandemic also fell in the mix as one of the reasons why the prison

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troubles could not be fixed.

The prison escapes became frequent as did the unrests.

In 2020 alone, there were two major unrests at the Lusignan Prisons.

In July, prisoners protested because their goodies were seized. Parts of the prison were set afire. One month later, the country was under a new administration, and unrest broke out again after 120 inmates tested positive for COVID-19.

It was madness again and prison officers were forced to use their weapons to bring things back to a state of normalcy.

Two inmates were killed in the process and several others injured.

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, during a recent press conference sought to shift the blame on poor administration.

However, Samuels continued to single out what he called the root cause of the

Sent on leave: Director of Prisons, Gladwyn Samuels

problem.

He explained that with the lack of proper facilities, little resources, fewer staff-

ers, little or no technology, curbing the prison problems will continue to pose a major challenge.

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 29

Youth panelists support call for aggressive data collection to address issues ERC‘s discussion on improving race relations …

T

he youth panel w h i c h participated in the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC)’s twoday national conversation on improving ethnic relations in Guyana has supported the call for national data collection towards finding realistic solutions to address the race issue.

The speakers on the panel included former University of Guyana valedictorian, Elsie Harry, local youth advocate Derwayne Wills, journalist Vi s h a n i R a g o b e e r , Indigenous youth representative, Kyle Joseph and A New and United Guyana party (ANUG) youth representative, Kiran Jabour.

The panelist collectively added their voices to the recommendations of prominent attorney, Nigel Hughes, who in a previous presentation, made strong case for the national data collection towards addressing racial divisions and discrimination.

Hughes explained how such data would help policy makers analyse and add a dollar value to the contributions of various ethnicities to the making of colonial and independent Guyana.

This, he suggested will help in leaving no group feeling left out or disenfranchised.

In his contribution to the panel discussion, Wills called on the ERC to take a closer look at perception of race, class and gender in society.

The ERC, he said, has an important role to engage in an aggressive data collection exercise to better understood the issues of inequality, discrimination and racism.

“We can use this data to understand the distribution of political power across ethnic groups, including their access to state boards, representation in elected offices…

The recommendations of Mr. Hughes are an excellent example of how to use the data to disaggregate myths or perception from the reality,” Wills said in his presentation. ANUG’s youth representative made similar suggestions.

Jabour noted that if we are to delve into the issues, rather than using the perception that racism is systemic, there must be accurate data that supports this view.

Jabour asserted that: “We

Panelist: ANUG’s representative, Kiran Jabour

Panelist: Elsie Harry

Panelist: Derwayne Wills need to do a little bit more data analysis on wealth distribution for instance, how contracts were awarded both by the private and public sectors to benefit the various ethnic groups.

Unless this data is generated comprehensively, then we can never really understand the extent and the depth of the problem here.”

The ANUG panelist stressed therefore that there needs to be a lot of understanding of the analytics behind race issues before the people can see the clear impact it is having on society and systems can be put in place to fix the flaws.

Harry, who gave an overview of the origins of deep-seated racial issues, explained the colonist ideals implemented by Europeans to drive division between the various groups still exists today.

She emphasized that the “anti-blackness” notion, which was created by the colonist systems does not relate to Africans only… all the other ethnicities suffered some form of indentureship at the hands of the colonists.

“What made matters worse,” she added, “is the fact that our modern day politicians use this same sort of strategy to drive division between ethnic groups and achieve their agenda for power and control.”

“It is therefore our responsibility to have honest conversation about what transpired during the colonial era …

Only then can we start to make amends for it. If, we are trying to achieve national unity, then we must take a look at what caused the breach to begin with,” she posited.

Added to this, the youth panelist called on the ERC to be empowered to conduct its mandate.

“Perhaps legislation will have to be revised to empower them to attach sanctions to the acts of racism in Guyana, beyond asking them to apologise plus the persons on the Commission must be held to

the same standard because if they breach their own code of conduct then other persons in society will not listen to them, in any case.”

Kyle Joseph who represented the interest of Indigenous people on the panel, spoke of need to remove perception that

Indigenous people are far removed from the issues of modern day society.

He called for open dialogue with the more efforts to meet the people.

He agreed with the position by Harry, that ERC must do more.

“I think as a society as a

whole, we can do more to educate, we need more messages on our radio and that confronts the issue of racism and the kind of words, which we use to describe each other because of ethnicity and we need to outrightly condemn it,” he said.

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President Ali: Granger has open invitation for meeting -former leaders discuss border security, local content, other critical issues

P

resident Irfaan Ali y e s t e r d a y disclosed that the meeting with the former Presidents of Guyana was fruitful as key issues of national, regional and international importance were addressed.

Due to the headway following the initial discussions, it was decided that the group will now reach quarterly, a release from the Office of the President said, The Head of State made this announcement following the three-hour long engagement which was held at State House between himself, former Presidents, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Samuel Hinds, and Donald Ramotar.

Notably absent from the high-level meeting was David Granger, whose Coalition government lost the troubled March 2 elections.

“Today’s meeting was intended to bring all the former Presidents together in a free-flowing discussion, one in which they could have all placed issues they have a passion about, national issue, on the agenda for a free-flowing discussion.

After which we would have characterised all the discussions into various

categories in an effort to move forward.”

According to President Ali, key areas discussed included border security, Guyana’s sovereignty and Electoral and Constitutional Reform, which he noted were of high importance. In addition, the former Presidents also discussed environmental concerns and spoke at length about the current Low Carbon Development Strategy (LDCS) framework.

“We have the Low Carbon Development Strategy as our framework and the former Government had a green strategy paper…

So engagement on the environment, covering issues of climate change, climate adaptation, mitigation, these are all issues that would have been encompassed on the discussions on the environment.”

On the absence of former President Granger, the Head of State expressed the hope that Granger would understand the necessity in attending the meeting and being part of the discussions.

He noted that the former President would again be invited when the group meets in the first quarter of

next year.

“It is a national effort in ensuring that we harness the ideas of our former Presidents who are still available to us.”

LOCAL CONTENT, JOB CREATION According to President Ali, job creation invariably came up in all the discussions.

He explained that the former Presidents also shared ideas and strategised on ways that would ensure strong local content and strong local participation, which would in turn guarantee our human resource base opportunities in oil and gas.

He said too that the participants also deliberated on national security concerns and examined strategies to enhance Guyana’s security sector.

ELECTORAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM Electoral and Constitutional Reform and National Unity were topics for much discourse during the engagement.

“Those are all the things that came up in the discussions; the whole issue of governance and how do we strengthen governance

(L-r-clockwise, Former President Bharrat Jagdeo;President Irfaan Ali and former Presidents Samuel Hinds and Donald Ramotar.

and ensure that governance is more accountable and responsive, easier to access.”

President Ali emphasised that the engagement would not be a “one off” occurrence, but rather the first of many high-level discussions among the former Presidents, which will allow for the sharing of

information and more importantly dialogue to help c h a r t t h e c o u n t r y ’s development agenda.

“This is not a one off engagement, this is an engagement that will occur once every quarter and will involve all the former Presidents. It is focused at a very strategic level. It is not

at an implementation level.”

Alluding to the impact of the meeting, Former President Samuel Hinds said, “I think this was a good first step.

And, yes, there needs to be [an] agenda … For me, I think this is more an opportunity to meet and talk freely and easily.”

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Wednesday December 16, 2020

Wednesday December 16, 2020

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Kaieteur News

...Man City held to Eight Sunderland players isolating after one tests positive for COVID-19 home draw by lowly (Reuters) - Sunderland were without eight first team players against Wimbledon yesterday after the League One club said one player tested positive for COVID19, forcing seven more who were in close contact with him to go into selfisolation.

The third-tier club said they discussed postponing the match but could not reach agreement with the English Football League (EFL) “due to the “lack of clarity” regarding any potential sanctions they would face if they could not fulfil the fixture.

“After displaying symptoms of coronavirus on Sunday, one senior player has

A member of staff wearing a face mask disinfects a ball in the stands at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland.

From page 32 against great players, we knew we are not going to see much of the ball. We defended brilliantly, it’s a great point, but more than that, it shows we know what we have to do in every game,” said the Croat.

“We are defending for our lives, ready to die for

each other on the pitch and that’s all I can ask.

“Sam Johnstone made some great saves at the end, the two headers.

I said before the season we will need a great goalkeeper and he is doing that for us. Every time we need him he is there. And we need him.”

...Johnson Charles smashes 76 to fire Jaffna Stallions into LPL returned a positive test for COVID-19 and is currently observing a period of isolation,” Sunderland said in a statement.

“In line with government advice, seven other first-team players are also self-isolating

at home – two of which have displayed symptoms – after coming into close proximity with the individual that has tested positive.”

The club did not name the players who were selfisolating.

Wednesday December 16, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today is a terrific day in which you should find that things work very smoothly.

You have a hardheaded approach that will help you get down to business and get things done.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Finish whatever you didn't wrap up yesterday. Use the morning to plan, the afternoon to execute, and the evening to relax. Be conscious of time and your physical and mental limitations.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) There's a serious tone to the day, Taurus, so take this into account when you get the urge to play a practical joke on a friend. Keep things real.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Give it a rest today. Recharge your batteries. Stick close to home and take a load off your feet. Convince someone to give you a massage, or better yet, go to a professional.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Bring stability to your emotions today, Gemini. You have the tendency to take things to extremes, swinging from incredible highs to rockbottom lows.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Take care of your home today. See that bills are paid, and the bedroom is tidy.

Don't forget to clean the dust from under your bed and the demons from inside your mind.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Go ahead and act confidently, Leo. You will probably find that you're more stable and grounded in general, leaving you free to explore and take more risks than you normally would.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) It may be hard for you to get a project off the ground, Virgo. Perhaps this is a sign that it needs to stay there.

Take it back to the drawing board. Do some more planning and testing.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Feel free to move forward with your plans. This is a great day to act. You've done a great deal of data collecting and analyzing lately.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You may have a hard time getting started today, Capricorn. This might be a better time to plan. Be realistic and thoughtful in your actions.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Bring your emotions down to Earth today, Aquarius.

Your imagination may run away with you. If you don't take a hard look at reality, you may find yourself in big trouble later.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Try not to be extravagant today. You're much better off lying low. Focus on you and what you need to do. Don't waste your time trying to attract others' attention. Let them deal with themselves while you concentrate on your goals and chores.

The news comes two weeks after local rivals Newcastle United were forced to close their training ground after several players and staff members tested positive for COVID-19 and had their Premier League match against Aston Villa postponed.

The two clubs are in the North East of England which was placed under the British government’s Tier 3 (very high alert) restrictions following the national lockdown.

...Couchman shines at From page 37 Councillor of Youth and Sport, Brian Nobrega, was keenly contested in three categories on Saturday, December 12 on the tornelo.com chess platform, commencing at 14:00h (2pm).

The Under-Twenty (U-20) division was won by Keron Sandiford, with Johnathan Stephny ending up second and Jessica Callender copping third. In the U-16 section, from a field of 17 players, Queen’s College’s 15-year-old Kishun Puran had five points followed by Saint Stanislaus College’s Italy TonChung with five points and Aniyah Couchman, also of Queen’s College, with five as well.

A scintillating tie-breaker determined the final standings, with Puran getting the win.

In the U-12 category, 30 children participated and as expected, Marian Academy’s Kyle Couchman once again emerged victorious with six wins and one draw against Nicholas Zhang for a total of 6.5 points. Queen’s College’s Maliha Rajkumar was second with six wins and one loss and School of Nations student Nicholas Zhang was third with five wins and one draw.

After what could be considered a 2020 season-ending tournament, the GCF extended appreciation to all the parents, players and sponsors for their support in 2020, as they looked forward to the New Year.

From page 36 24 from his four overs.

Despite losing two wickets in the first three overs for just 18 runs, Dambulla Viikings, through Niroshan Dickwella and Upul Tharanga got back into the chase getting to 62 by the start of the ninth over.

However, once Dickwella fell lbw to Asalanka for 29,

they lost five wickets for 34 runs and eventually 8 for 54 in a dramatic collapse.

Upul Tharanga top scored with 33 in the losing effort.

Wanindu Hasaranga was the chief destroyer with 3 for 15 and and Usman Shinwari, who created multiple run outs fielding at short third man hastened the collapse.

PAGE 34

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Soccer-’We’ve all tested Man City held to home negative for COVID-19' says draw by lowly West Brom relieved Newcastle boss Bruce

Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce reacts after the match against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. (Pool via REUTERS/Daniel Leal-Olivas) (Reuters) - Newcastle United have overcome the COVID-19 outbreak that stalled their season this month and everyone at the club has now tested negative ahead of today’s Premier League match at Leeds United, manager Steve Bruce said yesterday.

Newcastle’s training ground was closed after several players and staff were stricken by the COVID-19 earlier this month, forcing their game against Aston Villa to be postponed.

A depleted squad managed to beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 over the weekend, with many players playing out of position, and Bruce was relieved to have first team regulars back in

contention ahead of a fixture crunch with six games in 18 days.

“Thankfully, we’ve all tested negative, that’s three negative over the last six days so it does seem like we’ve overcome it. The crucial thing was shutting down the training ground and it’s paid dividends,” Bruce told reporters.

“Federico Fernandez has tested negative and he is back. The big thing we are seeing from Saturday is fatigue so we’ll see how they are but I’m going to make changes. Ryan Fraser is fully fit and ready to go, he will be involved.

“We’re going to have to monitor it and approach it in the right way. The response

from the players to get the win on Saturday was terrific. The first time we trained was on Wednesday so their attitude was there for everyone to see.”

Newcastle, 12th, are three points ahead of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds and Bruce said he expects a physical contest against one of the fittest teams in the league.

“Physically they’re number one in the Premier League. They have the ability to run long distances very quickly and that’s something Bielsa has brought in,” Bruce said.

“He’s a top class coach and manager. They’ve blown teams away doing that and we have to be ready.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo: Milwaukee Bucks star signs ‘$228.2m’ deal - The richest in league history BBC Sport - Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has signed a contract extension worth a reported $228.2m (£170.1m) the richest in NBA history.

The two-time Most Valuable Player, 26, has agreed a five-year deal.

His agent confirmed the details of the contract to ESPN, with the total value beating the mark of $228m (£169.9m) set by Houston Rockets guard James Harden in 2017.

“This is my home, this is my city,” said

Antetokounmpo on social media. “I’m blessed to be able to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next five years.

“Let’s make these years count - the show goes on, let’s get it.”

Greek forward Antetokounmpo, who was drafted 15th overall by the Bucks in 2013, would have been eligible for free agency after the 2020-21 season if he had not signed.

His new contract permits him to opt out of the deal after four years.

The Bucks finished top of

the Eastern Conference last season, with the best record in the NBA, but were upset by the Miami Heat in the conference semi-finals during the play-offs.

Antetokounmpo was named the MVP for the second successive season in September and also won the Defensive Player of the Year becoming only the third player, after Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon, to earn both in the same season.

The delayed 2020-21 NBA campaign, which has been reduced to 72 regular-season games because of the coronavirus pandemic, is set to begin on 22 December.

Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling misses a chance to score against West Bromwich Albion at Etihad Stadium. (Pool via Reuters/Clive Brunskill) MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -Manchester City’s hopes of closing the gap on the Premier League pacesetters were frustrated as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to lowly West Bromwich Albion yesterday.

City took the lead on the half hour when Raheem Sterling did well to work his way to the byline and pull the ball back to Ilkay Gundogan who expertly side-footed home.

But West Brom, second bottom of the league, drew level two minutes before the break when a shot on the turn from Semi Ajayi hit City defender Ruben Dias and deflected past wrong-footed goalkeeper Ederson.

The hosts camped in West Brom’s half throughout

most of the second period but Slaven Bilic’s side showed tremendous determination and defensive solidity.

City had late chances though — Kevin De Bruyne went close with a free kick that West Brom keeper Sam Johnstone did well to reach while Sergio Aguero blasted wide from a good position.

Johnstone did well again in stoppage time to keep out a close-range Gundogan header and denied another great opportunity for Sterling who headed straight at the keeper.

After 12 games Pep Guardiola’s City are in sixth place, five points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool who both have 25 points and face each other at Anfield on Wednesday.

“It is not about the points (off the top), you have to win games like this,” said Guardiola.

“We know it, we drop points. These are the ones you have to win. It’s not far away to the top of the league but you have to beat West Brom at home,” he added.

“You don’t have to be so clever to see the gap between this year and previous years (in our results). It is not confidence, Sergio Aguero is injured for four months, but we create chances, we are there we just can’t score.”

Bilic was proud of the way his team stuck at their task for 90 minutes.

“The team was working hard, a great defensive performance. We are playing (Continued on page 31)

World Athletics partially upholds corruption charges against UAE Federation chief (Reuters) - President of the UAE Athletics Federation Ahmad Al Kamali has been suspended for six months and fined 5,000 euros ($6,080) for gifting watches to delegates in an attempt to win votes, the World Athletics ethics board said yesterday.

The Athletics Integrity Unit had provisionally suspended Al Kamali from any athletics-related activities last October, preventing him from standing in election for the vice president’s role at World Athletics, formerly known as the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

World Athletics said in a statement that Al Kamali was alleged to have gifted Rolex and/or UAE branded Continental watches to delegates at the Confederation of African Athletics Congress in 2015 while he was a member of the IAAF Council.

Al Kamali admitted giving watches to the delegates but said the retail value of the gifts did not exceed $40 to $50.

“Mr Al Kamali has been found to have violated the Code of Ethics by his conduct... in giving gifts of more than nominal value and failing to act with dignity and respect for his opponents as a candidate for IAAF office,”

World Athletics said in a statement.

“The purpose of the prohibition on giving valuable gifts is to maintain the integrity and impartiality of IAAF officials and of the IAAF as an institution...

“Accordingly, the Panel considers it appropriate to impose a 6 month ban upon Mr Al Kamali from taking part in any athletics-related activity including holding any relevant office in athletics (whether at national, regional or world level).”

Al Kamali has three weeks to appeal against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Wednesday December 16, 2020

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Singapore promoted to global qualifier for 2022 T20 World Cup - Hong Kong will be demoted down to the regional qualifiers ESPNcricinfo - A recalculation of the ICC T20I rankings has seen Singapore awarded automatic qualification to the global qualifiers for the 2022 T20 World Cup. Hong Kong have lost out as a result, falling back into regional qualifying.

Hong Kong have suffered from the absence of a year of cricket, with the rankings calculated on the basis of results over a set period of time. With Hong Kong having a year of relatively favourable results wiped out, coupled with their loss of ODI status, they find themselves needing to battle an additional hurdle if they are to make it to the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022.

Singapore, meanwhile will play the global qualifier, after having previously advanced to the global qualifier for the first time in 2019 where they upset Scotland in the opening match of the tournament.

Coupled with a victory over Zimbabwe ahead of the October 2019 qualifier, it has given their ranking a sharp spike to have them leapfrog their regional rival Hong Kong.

The 16 available spots in the global qualifiers will be filled by one team each from the Africa and East AsiaPacific Qualifier respectively.

They will be joined by two teams each from the Americas and Europe qualifiers. It will be the first time one of the competing teams - Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Philippines, Samoa, South Korea, Vanuatu and hostnation Japan - at the 2021 regional qualifier from EastAsia Pacific gets to that stage.

Papua New Guinea, the side that has regularly emerged from that section of regional qualifying, has already been granted a berth in the global qualifier after having secured a spot in the 2021 T20 World

Cup field to be played in India.

The four teams that finish bottom at the T20 World Cup in 2021 will be granted automatic qualification to the global qualifier for the event in 2022, as will Zimbabwe, Nepal and the UAE along with Singapore, based on the T20 rankings. With the two upcoming T20 World Cups effectively switched around (the 2021 event takes place in India while the 2022 edition will be hosted by Australia), the teams that qualified for the 2020 World Cup in Australia will take their place at the 2021 event in India.

Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Ireland, Namibia, Oman and Scotland will join ten Full Members at the World T20 in 2021, with Zimbabwe missing out as they were suspended by the ICC at the time.

The global qualifier had been a 14-team event in 2019

South African star Madisha dies in ‘horrific’ car accident

Motjeka Madisha (R) playing for Mamelodi Sundowns against Kaizer Chiefs in Pretoria last year.

AFP Mamelodi Sundowns and South Africa defender Motjeka Madisha died early Sunday after crawling out of a burning car wreckage following an accident, a club official told AFP. The 25-year-old star was one of two occupants of a car that went out of control, hit an advertising board and burst into flames in eastern Johannesburg, according to the official, who requested anonymity.

“I spoke to someone who arrived at the crash scene soon after the accident and he described a horrific scene

with one body burnt beyond recognition,” he said.

“Motjeka apparently managed to crawl out of the burning vehicle, but was declared dead by medical personnel at the scene of the accident.”

Madisha is the second Sundowns defender to die in a car accident within two months after Anele Ngcongca, near the eastern city of Durban.

Ngcongca spent nine years with Belgian club Genk and was loaned to French outfit Troyes before returning to South Africa four years ago.

Madisha was capped 13 times by South Africa on the back of becoming an established first choice centre-back in a Sundowns team that has been among the strongest in Africa during the past five years.

Known as ‘The Brazilians’, they won the 2016 CAF Champions League and have been semi-finalists once and quarter-finalists twice since.

Sundowns won the Premiership-FA Cup-League Cup treble in South Africa last season and are top of the table after six rounds of the new league campaign.

Singapore captain Amjad Mahboob erupts after the final ball. (Peter Della Penna) in the UAE. But the 16 teams that advance to the next global qualifier ahead of the 2022 T20 World Cup will be split

into two separate 8-team events. The top two finishes from the dual 8-team global qualifiers will secure their

places in Australia. The host sites for each of the 8-team dual global qualifiers have yet to be determined.

Mushfiqur Rahim apologises to Nasum Ahmed for misbehaving on the field; fined 25% of match fees ESPNcricinfo - Mushfiqur Rahim has apologised to his Beximco Dhaka team-mate Nasum Ahmed for misbehaving with him twice during the Bangabandhu T20 Cup Eliminator against Fortune Barishal on Monday.

In a match that Dhaka eventually won by nine runs, to remain in contention for a place in the final, Rahim’s behaviour with his teammates, notwithstanding their fielding errors, was bizarre. *The BCB on Tuesday issued a statement saying Rahim was fined 25% of his match fees for breaching the BCB code of conduct. One demerit point was also added to Rahim’s disciplinary record as he was found guilty of “showing insulting gesture towards a teammate,” the release said. If Rahim reaches four or more demerit points in the tournament, the points will be converted into match suspension and he will be banned.

In the 13th over of the chase, when the Barishal batsman Afif Hossain started counter-attack, Rahim seemed to lose the plot.

When the left-hand batsman turned one towards the vacant short midwicket area for a single, both Rahim and Ahmed chased after the ball and after reaching there first, Rahim made a threatening gesture towards Ahmed, seemingly for not reaching before him. Dhaka started to make more errors. Yasir Ali

Mushfiqur Rahim threatens to throw a punch at Nasum Ahmed after a light collision while going for a catch. (Getty Images)

Mushfiqur Rahim apologised to Nasum Ahmed via a Facebook post the next morning. (Mushfiqur Rahim/Facebook) couldn’t cut off and later chase down Hossain’s simple push to cover, resulting in a gifted boundary. Al-Amin fumbled a throw from the

deep, with Hossain halfway down the crease. Then when he mistimed a scoop, resulting in a simple catch for Rahim, the Dhaka captain lost it.

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Wednesday December 16, 2020

Kaieteur News

Jackson, Ravens stun Browns with wild comeback Lamar Jackson returned from cramping issues to revive Baltimore and Justin Tucker booted a 55-yard field goal with two seconds left to help the Ravens post a wild 47-42 victory over the host Cleveland Browns in an AFC North clash on Monday night.

Jackson rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries and completed 11 of 17 passes for 163 yards and a big touchdown as Baltimore (8-5) completed a season sweep of the Browns to move within one game of second-place Cleveland (9-4) in the division.

Nick Chubb rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns and Baker Mayfield completed 28 of 47 passes for 343 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for Cleveland, which had a fourgame winning streak halted.

Jackson missed most of the fourth quarter due to the cramps before returning for a fourth-and-5 play when backup Trace McSorley injured his left knee with two

minutes remaining and Baltimore down 35-34.

Jackson rolled to his right as if he was going to run before tossing the ball to wide-open Marquise Brown, who finished the 44-yard play to put Baltimore ahead with 1:51 left.

J.K. Dobbins converted a two-point run to make it 4235 but the Browns answered with a four-play, 75-yard drive as Mayfield threw with a 22yard scoring pass to Kareem Hunt to knot the score at 42 with 1:04 left.

Jackson then moved the Ravens into field-goal range to set up Tucker’s decisive field goal. Baltimore added a safety on Cleveland’s gameending lateral fest.

The Ravens appeared in control when Tyus Bowser intercepted Mayfield with less than five minutes left in the third quarter and returned the ball 17 yards to the Cleveland 1-yard line.

Dobbins scored on the ensuing play to make it 34-20 with 4:21 left in the stanza.

The Browns responded

with a 12-play, 75-yard drive in which Mayfield tossed a 21yard scoring pass to Rashard Higgins and followed with a two-point conversion to Donovan Peoples-Jones with 13:36 remaining in the contest.

With Jackson in the locker room getting treatment, Baltimore went three-and-out and was unable to move the ball with McSorley on the field and punted the ball back to Cleveland. The Browns took advantage and drove 70 yards in 12 plays with Mayfield scoring on a 5-yard run to give Cleveland a 35-34 lead with 6:33 left.

Jackson rushed for two first-half touchdowns as Baltimore held a 21-14 lead at intermission. The Ravens added on another score on the opening drive of the third quarter when Gus Edwards scampered 19 yards for his second score of the game.

The Browns answered with Hunt’s 5-yard run but Cody Parkey missed the extra point with 9:06 left in the third quarter.

(Field Level Media)

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) scores a touchdown during the first quarter against the Cleveland Brownsat FirstEnergy Stadium. (Ken Blaze-USA Today Sports)

Ronaldo honoured to be Olympic flame will still visit every named in All Time XI alongside Messi, Maradona and Pele corner of Japan - organisers

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Olympic flame will still visit all of Japan’s 47 prefectures during the torch relay starting on March 25, organisers said yesterday, sticking to the original plan before the Games were postponed until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Days before the torch relay was due to begin in March this year, the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government took the unprecedented decision to postpone the Games.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions and rising cases in Japan, organisers announced on Tuesday that the 121-day tour, which starts in Fukushima and ends in Tokyo’s National Stadium during the Games opening ceremony on July 23, will go ahead.

The announcement came after a poll by

The Tokyo Skytree is illuminated with the color of the Olympic Torch to mark 100 days until the start of torch relay for the postponed Olympics, Tokyo, Japan December 15, 2020, in this photo taken by Kyodo. (Kyodo/via REUTERS)

NHK broadcaster showed a third of Japanese residents want the Tokyo Olympics to be scrapped amid fears that an influx of foreign visitors may cause a further spike in COVID19 cases.

As Japan grapples with a third wave of infections, the NHK poll, conducted from Dec. 11-13, showed 32% of respondents wanted the Summer Games to be cancelled entirely.

Only 27% said they should go ahead as scheduled and 31% favoured another delay.

To mark 100 days until the start of the tour, Tokyo Skytree, the tallest tower in the world and an iconic part of the Japanese capital’s skyline, was illuminated on Tuesday in the pinkish gold hue of Tokyo’s Olympic torch.

Organisers said the full relay route would be announced in February.

SportsMax - Cristiano Ronaldo said he was “honoured” to be included in France Football’s All Time XI. The French publication presented its all-time dream team on Monday, with Juventus superstar Ronaldo named alongside Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Pele and Diego Maradona – who died last month. Brazil great Ronaldo, former Milan captain Paolo Maldini, Xavi, Bayern Munich legend Franz Beckenbauer, Lothar Matthaus, Cafu and goalkeeper Lev Yashin completed the XI. Reacting to his inclusion, five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo tweeted: “I’m very honoured to be part of France Football’s All Time 11.”

“What an amazing Dream Team... They all deserve my respect and admiration and I’m obviously proud to be amongst such extraordinary players. Thank you!”

Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrid’s record goalscorer – has won five Champions League titles, three Premier League trophies, Euro 2016 glory, two Serie A crowns and as many LaLiga triumphs to go with numerous other silverware.

Ronaldo celebrated his 100th Juventus appearance with a brace in Sunday’s 3-1 Serie A win over Genoa.

Not only was Ronaldo making his 100th Juve

Cristiano Ronaldo appearance, he also became the first player to reach 400 wins across Europe’s top five leagues this century.

Additionally, Ronaldo – who has netted 77 times since joining Juve in 2018 – reached 31 goals for the calendar year, making him the third

Bianconeri player to reach this milestone in the top flight, and the first since Omar Sivori in 1961.

Serie A holders Juve face Atalanta today, with the 35year-old Ronaldo looking to add to his 10 league goals this term.

Wednesday December 16, 2020

PAGE 37

Kaieteur News

Wolves stun Chelsea with late winner BBC Sport - Pedro Neto scored an a d d e d - t i m e winner as Wolves came from behind to earn a dramatic victory and stop Chelsea going top of the Premier League.

Daniel Podence had levelled in the second half after Olivier Giroud put the Blues ahead.

The Portugal forward tiptoed through the Chelsea defence before wrong-footing goalkeeper Edouard Mendy with a shot that deflected in off Reece James.

It came after a fierce Giroud volley from Ben C h i l w e l l ’s c r o s s c r e p t t h r o u g h R u i P a t r i c i o ’s gloves to open the scoring for the visitors.

Neto was denied a late penalty for the hosts after r e f e r e e St u a r t A t t w e l l reviewed his original decision on the pitch-side monitor and judged the Wolves forward was not fouled by Reece James.

But the 20-year-old broke away in the 95th minute and fired a low strike into the far corner beyond Mendy to earn Wolves only their second win in six games.

It is a second successive defeat for Chelsea after they were beaten at Everton on S a t u r d a y, w i t h F r a n k L a m p a r d ’s s i d e a g a i n missing an opportunity to go top of the table.

Lampard said his side did not “have enough answers” in that 1-0 defeat against the Toffees, with Tottenham also frustrating

Olivier Giroud opened the scoring in the 49th minute with Chelsea’s first shot on target. (Getty Images) his side in a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge last month.

It was a similar story at Molineux as the Blues failed to have a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes, Kurt Zouma hitting the crossbar and Giroud heading over from a corner.

The visitors made amends immediately after the break as Giroud beat Willy Boly to Chilwell’s low ball to fizz a left-footed volley underneath Patricio.

It was the in-form Frenchman’s seventh goal in as many games in all competitions, but it was not enough to stop the Blues losing consecutive top-

flight matches for the first time since December last year.

Lampard may have had reason to feel aggrieved at Wolves’ leveller, which followed a corner awarded to the hosts despite the ball having appeared to go out off Boly.

But Chelsea failed to create any serious chances after Giroud’s goal and were picked off on the break by the hosts’ pace and trickery in attack.

Wi t h To t t e n h a m visiting Liverpool today, this was a chance for Chelsea to move briefly into top spot and apply pressure.

Instead, the Blues

West Indies to tour Bangladesh in January for three ODIs, two Tests ESPNcricinfo - West Indies will tour Bangladesh for three ODIs and two Tests in January, CWI confirmed yesterday after their inspection team reported back to the board of directors on what they saw during their short trip earlier this month. The tour will be a shortened one from what was originally scheduled, as there will be one less Test and no T20I series.

The visitors will arrive in Dhaka on January 10, after which they are likely to do in-room quarantine for the first three days, followed by four days of training among themselves. They will play a warm-up one-day game at the BKSP in Savar, some 40km to the north of the capital Dhaka.

The ODIs will be played on January 20, 22 and 25, with the third game to be held at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, which will also host the first Test from February 3.

Ahead of the Test series, West Indies will also play a four-day warm-up game at the MA Aziz Stadium (also in Chattogram), a ground just across the road from the team hotel.

The second Test is in Dhaka from February 11, and West Indies are expected to leave the capital on February 16.

This will be Bangladesh’s first international series since the pandemic put most of the world into lockdown.

Bangladesh have already had bilateral series against

Pakistan, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and Sri Lanka postponed indefinitely, although the BCB has maintained that they are trying to rearrange all of these matches.

The revised draft tour schedule is: January 10: West Indies arrive January 18: One-Day warm-up match, BKSP, Savar January 20: 1st ODI, SBNCS, Dhaka January 22: 2nd ODI, SBNCS, Dhaka January 25: 3rd ODI, ZACS, Chattogram January 28-31: Four-Day warm-up, M.A. Aziz Stadium, Chattogram February 3-7: 1st Test Match, ZACS, Chattogram February 11-15: 2nd Test Match, SBNCS, Dhaka

remain fifth and could lose ground on the top four with all the teams in the Champions League places still to play this week.

Wolves find goalscoring solution

Wolves had failed to score in their previous two games after l o s i n g t a l i s m a n i c striker Raul Jimenez, who suffered a fractured skull against Arsenal.

The Mexican played in

every Premier League match for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side last season, scoring 17 goals.

Against Chelsea the manager turned to 18-yearold club-record signing Fabio Silva in his search for goals.

Silva, who joined for £35m from Porto, did have the ball in the net but only after straying offside and generally found it a tough evening up against an experienced defender twice his age in Chelsea’s Thiago Silva.

Portuguese duo Podence and Neto produced the main goal threat for the hosts, who also sold Diogo Jota to Liverpool in the summer, and looked capable of shouldering the attacking b u r d e n i n J i m e n e z ’s absence.

Wo l v e s a l s o l o o k e d solid at the back, with Nuno reverting to three central defenders after playing with a back four in their past four games.

The results lift his side to 10th in the table.

Benzema sends Real level at top of La Liga BBC Sport - Karim Benzema scored twice as Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao to move level on points at the top of La Liga.

Athletic’s Raul Garcia was sent off early on after two bookings for fouls on Toni Kroos, who put Real ahead with a first-time drive before the break.

Ander Capa equalised for Athletic at the second attempt after he had a shot saved by Thibaut Courtois.

Benzema scored twice to win the game for Real, heading in and then drilling an injury-time second.

That clinching goal came moments after Courtois

denied Mikel Vesga an equaliser with a fine save.

Real have now won four games in a row in all competitions as they continue to turn their season around.

Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid are all on 26 points at the top of La Liga.

Barcelona, who are nine points behind the trio, host Real Sociedad today

Karim Benzema has now scored 13 La Liga goals against Athletic more than he has against any other team. (Getty Images)

PAGE 38

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Kaieteur News

Belgium defender Big Bash League: Brisbane Heat’s Chris Lynn & Dan Lawrence Vertonghen suffered for nine months after concussion fined after Covid breach

Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence (far right) could not join the team huddle before the match. (Getty Images) BBC Sport - Brisbane Heat’s Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence have been fined A$10,000 (£5,640) for breaching coronavirus protocols by posing with a fan for a photograph.

The pair had to keep distance from team-mates during the Big Bash defeat by Sydney Thunder after the breach.

Lynn and Lawrence, who was called up to the England Test squad last week, have accepted the punishment.

In an apology, Lynn said he was “lulled into a false sense of security”.

The pair were heavily reprimanded for the conduct and given the fine, which sees A$4,000 suspended for the rest of the BBL season.

Heat were also fined A$50,000 - with A$20,000 suspended - following an investigation by Cricket Australia.

In a statement yesterday, Lynn admitted to taking a photograph with a member of

public at a licensed venue and catching a taxi.

“I would like to say sorry to my team-mates, the club and the Heat fans for being careless and not observing the protocols that were put in place to ensure the continuity of the competition,” said the 30-year-old batsman.

“I was probably lulled into a false sense of security that because everything has been improving around the country we were getting closer to normal behaviour.”

Johnson Charles smashes 76 to fire Jaffna Stallions into LPL final with victory over Dambulla Viikings SportsMax - Johnson Charles produced a Man-ofthe-Match performance on Monday that provided the Jaffna Stallions with a platform to victory over the Dambulla Viikings and into the final of the Lankan Premier League where they will meet the Galle Gladiators today.

Charles smashed 76 from 56 balls as the Stallions scored 165 for 9 from their 20 overs. Their bowlers then combined to dismiss the Viikings for 128 in 19.1 overs.

In what was topsy-turvy semi-final, the Viikings won the toss and sent the Lions in to bat. Charles and Avishka Fernando laid the foundation for a competitive score putting on 68 before Fernando tried to shovel a length delivery from Anwar Ali over long-on only to be caught by Angelo Perera just inside the boundary rope.

Charles dominated the second-wicket partnership of 43 with Charith Asalanka,

Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen receives medical attention after sustaining an injury. (Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge) (Reuters) - A blow to the head in the Champions League semi-finals last year left Jan Vertonghen dizzy and suffering from headaches for nine months, and ruined the last season of his contract at Tottenham Hotspur, the Belgium international said.

Centre back Vertonghen, who left Spurs for Benfica on a free transfer in August, was involved in a sickening collision with team mate Toby Alderweireld in the fixture against Ajax Amsterdam.

He had concussion symptoms for months, and was left fearing every coming together in training or a match.

“Lots of people don’t

know it but I suffered a lot from that hit: dizziness and headaches,” he told Belgium’s Sporza TV yesterday.

“This is now the first time I tell about it. It affected me in total for nine months and that’s why I couldn’t bring on the field what I wanted to.

“I just didn’t know what to do. It was game after game and training after training.

Every time there was a new impact. Then the lockdown came and I was able to rest for two months, after that it was a lot better.”

Vertonghen admits he felt compelled to keep on playing for the sake of his career, even though he knew it was

affecting his performance.

“I had only one year of contract left, so I had to play.

But when I played, I played badly. Not a lot of people knew about it, that was my own choice.”

Vertonghen’s admission comes on the same day lawyers for a number of former rugby players sent a letter of claim to World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union in a class-action suit that alleges a failure to protect them adequately has led to early onset of dementia.

The combined claims are expected to amount to millions of pounds in damages.

Letter to the Sports Editor

Kudos to Hon. Minister Charles Ramson Jnr for ending impasse paving the way for Upper Demerara Cricket Association Johnson Charles produced a Man-of-the-Match performance. who on the last ball of the 13th over, charged Malinda Pushpakumara but failed to get the necessary elevation and picked out Ali at long-on.

He made 10.

At the fall of Asalanka’s wicket, the Stallions crumbled losing five for 36 in the next four overs including that of Charles, who tried to smash a wide thigh-high full toss from

Lahiru Kumara only to see Anwar Ali covering 10 yards to his left on the ring at midoff before diving to pull off a sensational catch.

The Lions only added 19 runs from the next four overs having lost the earlier momentum from the top order.

Pushpakumara was the best of the bowlers with 2 for (Continued on page 31)

Dear Editor, As citizens of Linden and fighters for the legitimate place of the Upper Demerara Cricket Association, we are thankful for a space in your column.

First, we would like to congratulate the Hon. Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Hon. Charles Ramson Jr, even though a bit late; and second to thank him for ending the impasse between the Guyana Cricket Board and the Demerara Cricket Board, which saw many court battles since the Cricket Bill was passed in

2014, making way for the Upper Demerara Cricket Association to be the fifth Association and possibly the tie breaker for the Demerara Board.

However, the UDCA was sidelined by the GCB, making it impossible for the clubs to be engaged in cricket ‘proper’.

As recent as February 2020, a group of people headed by Mr. Jermaine Figueria M.P. formed an illegitimate body calling themselves the Upper Demerara Cricket Association and received gears and other assistance

from the GCB. Fortunately, an injunction was filed prohibiting them from functioning, thus another court matter. With the intervention of the Hon. Minister this matter was dealt with expeditiously.

We are now looking forward to an early resolution to this matter, so that the youths in Linden and Region Ten can play cricket more often and on better grounds.

Yours truly, Executive Members of the Upper Demerara Cricket Association.

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 39

‘Bring it on’ - Australia plot India’s downfall under Adelaide lights A F P - To p - r a n k e d Australia are plotting revenge in their first daynight Test against fellow powerhouse India tomorrow, as both teams grapple with injuries and selection dilemmas.

Vi r a t K o h l i ’s m e n clinched their maiden series in Australia in 2018-19, triumphing 2-1, but the hosts were without leading batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner who were serving year-long bans for ball-tampering.

S m i t h , t h e w o r l d ’s number one batsman, is back and in form, although in a massive blow Warner has been ruled out of the opening Test with a groin injury.

“It’s a great rivalry... bring it on,” Australia coach Justin Langer said Tuesday ahead of day one at Adelaide Oval, where more than 20,000 fans — 50 percent capacity, due to coronavirus restrictions — are expected.

“We have a very senior team now and can’t wait to get the show on the road.”

Despite losing the last series, Australia head into the four-Test showdown, where the Border-Gavaskar trophy and ICC World Test Championship points are at stake, with an apparent advantage before a ball is bowled.

They are the world’s most successful team in daynight Tests, having played seven and won the lot, including four in Adelaide.

In contrast India, who were long reluctant to embrace the concept, remain novices, playing just one day-night Test in Kolkata last year.

They thrashed Bangladesh in just over two days, limiting their exposure

to twilight conditions where visibility can be an issue and the ball tends to swing as the sun sinks.

India did enjoy a daynight warm-up in Sydney at the weekend, where Shubman Gill (65), Mayank Agarwal (61), Rishabh Pant (103 not out) and Hanuma Vihari (104 not out) all capitalised.

India’s two best batsmen, Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, sat out the match but Vihari insisted their lack of pink-ball cricket would not hinder them.

“We’ve played a pinkball Test before, so they’re used to it... I’m sure being the professionals they are, they’ll be very well equipped,” he said, while admitting getting used to day-night cricket was “a challenge”.

“The twilight time when the lights are on, it (the ball) does a little bit in the air and off the wicket.”

But Vihari added: “I feel as a team we are very well prepared.”

- ‘Tough decisions’ Warner’s injury is one of a series of setbacks Langer has faced in recent weeks w i t h c o n c u s s e d Wi l l Pucovski, who was set to take his place, also ruled out.

Marcus Harris has been recalled as cover, but who opens remains to be seen.

Incumbent Joe Burns is horribly out of form with Matthew Wade firming as the best option to replace him.

That would open the door for red-hot young allrounder Cameron Green, who Langer said would definitely play if he recovers from a mild concussion. “ We ’ v e g o t t o u g h decisions to make, but tough

Couchman shines at RDC 4 chess tourney A group of young chess players got in on some much-needed competition action over the weekend as the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Four sought to sponsor a Youth in Chess tournament which was organised through the efforts of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF).

The tournament, which was the brainchild of (Continued on page 31)

decisions are good decisions because it means there is competition for spots,” Langer added.

Their all-star bowling attack is set in stone with quicks Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins complemented by s p i n n e r N a t h a n Ly o n , Australia’s top wicket-taker in the last series.

India won the opening Test at Adelaide in 2018 largely on the back of Pujara, who ground out 123 then 71 to set up a 31-run win.

He again shapes as key, particularly with Rohit Sharma out injured.

Superstar skipper Kohli will want to make his mark in his only Test of the series, before heading home for the birth of his first child.

Ajinkya Rahane, who will assume the captaincy when Kohli leaves, is a lock in the middle order alongside Vihari.

But their opening combination remains in flux.

Prithvi Shaw and Agarwal are the current openers but Gill’s composed 65 under lights gave selectors plenty to ponder.

Like Australia, India have what Sachin Tendulkar last week called “a complete” bowling attack, despite missing the injured Ishant Sharma.

H e a d l i n e d b y Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav is tipped for the third seamer’s spot with Ravi Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav competing to be the frontline spinner, with Ravindra Jadeja injured.

After Adelaide, the series moves to Melbourne for the traditional Boxing Day Test, before games in Sydney and Brisbane.

Kyle Couchman

The India and Australia captians pose with the trophy.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 40

Friday December 16, 2020

Demerara U-19 Inter Association Cricket

Mohabir, Boele shine as GT beat W/ Dem at Everest Nandu, Dindyal bowl E/Bank to win over E/ Coast

Canadian based Nat U-19 off-spinner Matthew Nandu followed up his 40 with 3-19 at Enmore.

Georgetown and East Bank notched up contrasting wins when the opening round of the four-team Demerara U-19 Inter Association 50-over cricket tournament commenced on Monday at Everest in the City and Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara.

Alvin Mohair’s unbeaten 72 and an incisive spell which produced 3-9 from Marlon Boele, powered Georgetown to a 101-run victory over West Demerara at Everest, while East Bank where spearhead by National youth players Movindra Dindyal and Canadian based Matthew Nandu who spun East Bank to a five wicket victory against host East Coast at Enmore.

At Everest, Georgetown elected to bat and reached 167-6, off their allotted 34 overs in the rain affected game caused by overnight showers and a wet out field.

Mavin Dindyal had 3-13 at Enmore.

Mohabir top scored with a well-constructed 72 not out, Dwain Dick supported with 36, while Jaden Campbell (19) and Georgetown based Berbician Aaron Beharry (14) chipped in with the bat.

Opening bowler Jeffrey Blair took 2- 40 for West Demerara who were dismantled for 68 off 24.4 overs as only Andre Seepersaud (15) and Vishal Persaud (14) reached double figures as Boele was supported by Bryon Bowen who had 2- 24.

All-rounder Alvin Mohabir hit an attractive 72 at Everest.

At Enmore, East Bank scored 161-8 off 50 overs with Yeudistir Persaud scoring 44 decorated by three fours and along with Nandu, who contributed 40, shared a in half-century opening stand.

National U-19 lefthander Sachin Singh contributed 27, while Orlando Giddings made 16 as Chitram Balgobin had the best figures of the round bagging 4-17 from five overs and was supported by Tr e v o n C h a r l e s w h o claimed 2-32.

East Coast, in a thrilling run-chase, were bowled for 156 off the last ball of the pulsating contest with Andre Samaroo top scoring with 26, while Romel Datterdeen and Alexandra Persaud made 23 each.

Dindyal and Nandu were backed up by Bissu who took 2-32.

In the second round, East Coast face Georgetown at Enmore, while East Bank will take on West Demerara at Everest today.

Both matches will start at 09:30hrs.

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 41

Humanitarian Volunteer Network joins GGA/Nexgen GA for charitable event T

Dr. Dolapo Ipinniwa

his Friday and S a t u r d a y, t h e Humanitarian Volunteer Network joins with the Guyana Golf Association (GGA) and Nexgen Golf Academy to help send ‘Portions to Orphans’ this Christmas.

This is part of a global outreach programme to make the holidays brighter for thousands of orphans who otherwise would experience a bleak Christmas.

Dr. Dolapo Ipinniwa, a Medical Doctor who is head of the Guyana HVN Chapter said “this allows us all to make a difference to those who are desperately in need of our help. We look forward to seeing all those who care about orphans out at the Academy this weekend.”

The activity runs on Friday from 15:00hrs and 18:00hrs and Saturday from10:00hrs to 16:00hrs.

The organisers are asking for contributions of unopened cans or packages of foodstuff that will make the faces of dozens of orphans light up this Christmas, especially after a tough year filled with stress, anxiety and uncertainty.

And to top it all off, players will be able to play for one hour for free and a lesson for beginners when they drop off donations at the Golf Academy, Scouts Association Ground on Woolford Avenue. Interested persons can call 6172722/681-5890 to find out how to render assistance.

This event was put together by Kimberly Jaikarran and other members of the Guyana Chapter of the HVA which is part of a global network of Christian social and development experts, practitioners, and students committed to delivering psychosocial solutions to

indigent children and families in Guyana.

“This year we wanted to do something on a larger scale and found a willing partner with Mr. Hussain, President of the Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy who has donated the use of their facility for the collection of the foodstuff along with giving every donor a chance to play Golf for free,” according to Kimberly Jaikarran, who complements her medical studies with Volunteering.

Members of HVN Guyana Chapter visited the Amerindians Hostel in Georgetown Guyana and distributed clothes, plates, cups, other utensils, beverages, toiletries, snacks and drinks as part of their first year of operations in Guyana.

The Guyana Golf Association, under

Hussain’s leadership has been active in creating events to promote the sport and assist worthy causes.

Hussain said “our central location in the heart of Georgetown, due to the partnerships with Scouts Association of Guyana and the Guyana Teachers Union, allow us to pull off such activities. Our facility is perfect for all ages and events ranging from charitable to weddings on the green, in open air.”

He added that now they were able to provide food and beverage along with Golf in an open air, covid compliant manner has given the Academy a great opportunity to promote the game to new players.

Information on how you can learn the game or host an event at the Nexgen Golf Academy is available on their Facebook page or by calling 645 0944.

Demerara U-19 Inter Association Cricket

t r o Sp

West Indies to tour Bangladesh in January for three ODIs, two Tests

Yeudistir Persaud top scored with 44 at Enmore.

Darren Bravo congratulates Shakib Al Hasan after his match-winning century.

(Getty Images) Giannis Antetokounmpo has been one of the most dominant players in the NBA over recent years. (Getty Images)

Mohabir, Boele shine as GT beat W/ Dem at Everest - Nandu, Dindyal bowl E/ Bank to win over E/ Coast

Wolves stun Chelsea with late winner Pedro Neto’s strike, at 94 minutes 39 seconds, was the latest winning goal scored in a Premier League game against Chelsea since Opta began recording exact timings in 2006-07. (Getty Images)

Giannis Antetokounmpo: Milwaukee Bucks star signs ‘$228.2m’ deal - The richest in league history

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