Ill-prepared K NEWS Guyana mulls new bid rounds for oil blocks AIETEUR
Wednesday Edition December 23, 2020 - Vol. 15 No.49
Online: www.kaieteurnews.com
Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
Price $80
Online readership yesterday, 99,129
Guyana makes no use of UNDP report
to avoid corruption, abuse in oil sector After Four years
Former priest found SOCU digging murdered in his home into James The Vlissengen Road property of the church where the body of the former priest was discovered.
Bond’s finances … as land giveaway probe continues
Opposition to abstain from Parliament today Murdered: Former Anglican priest, George Chuck-A-Sang.
FIU reports reduction in suspicious transaction reports
JHI makes more cash on Canje block - 29 new reporting agencies registered
Chinese contractor agrees to foot US$9M bill for additional works
US$150M CJIA airport extension fiasco…
Don’t miss it! Tonight on Kaieteur Radio 99.1/99.5FM, VP Dr. Bharrat
Jagdeo answers critical questions about Guyana's oil sector at 19:20 hrs.
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday December 23, 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
Minimum moral measurement Only the starry-eyed and ostrich-like would deny that much of this society exists in a state of decay. Any conscientious and honest presence, local or foreign, conducting only a superficial review of our way of doing things, would be compelled to conclude that we are consistently going about things in the wrong way. At the highest levels in this land, we earmark people for appointment to ministerial positions. Whether they are qualified and suitable is not of interest or objective today. Rather, it is what should have been done that is not done, the steps to be followed that were ignored or given the shortest of thrifts. Appropriate due diligence is the start, and even when not detected (or disclosed) upfront, but when discovered later with everybody having egg on their faces, then certain curing actions become necessary, definitely compulsory. The first is not to circle wagons and put out defences that insult citizens and create new problems. It is better to regroup, hit the pause button to afford time, get to the bottom of the matter and, if there are gaps, then plug those first and only then proceed. As an example, it would have been better, far more credible and satisfying, if the appointment of the minister in the middle of the dual citizenship dispute was held up temporarily, until such time that all questions, concerns, and issues were resolved. The quibbling over date(s) is unseemly and somewhat unbecoming for someone who is to number among the ranks of lawmakers. As things have unfolded and been responded to, a cloud remains over the head of this particular budding legislator. In sum, there should have been and must be a process to deal with contingencies such as these, and of which we have had our share through different matters developing over the years. When we persist in attempts to stuff things down the throats of opponents and a largely passive population, more harm than good is the result. Let there be minimum ethical and moral standards, which are inviolable, hence nonnegotiable. And if this means that there is necessity to start over with somebody new, then that is that.The same standards, which must become the prevailing norm, must be brought to bear for the people we hire as professionals to fill key slots in our public service system. Even when it is obvious that political workers are being recognized and political favors are being granted, the screening process in place must be so robust and ethical in itself that contaminated people do not make the grade. In other words, they do not measure up and, thus, must be overlooked, however regrettable that may be. It just has to be, if the people who lead this country are going to stop talking about ethics and principles, and make a beginning at practicing what they preach with a straight face. It goes without saying that the local and foreign companies with which we do business must be held to the identical yardstick. If we are to get anywhere, we have to commit to an irreversible start somewhere, make every effort to be consistent, and hold to the same standards before friend and foe. If not, then all we will ever amount to is so much hot air, which is always on the hunt for higher and wider air to take up lingering residence. As an example of this, is where a private sector body took objection to the application of restraining measures on one of its own. It is on record of uttering allegation about selective implementation with pandemic regulations, which opens it to claims of some cherry picking of its own. Sometimes, feathers of friends have to be ruffled if any real progress is going to be made. When there is this rush to protect constituencies, the broken norm becomes the result. The way we go about things - the order, the process, the decision-making, the truths they reveal about what kind of governance we hold dear (not just mouth off about), the kind of society we wish to build and in which we would like to live. We have to start somewhere; we must do so now, and constantly.
Religious communities should come together to train corruption hunters and resisters DEAR EDITOR, Over the next 25 years as an oil-producing country, most of us do not want Guyana to become a country where corrupt politicians and officials provide unfair advantages for their families (nepotism), friends and business associates (cronyism) at the economic e x p e n s e o f t h e overwhelming majority of the population who are farmers, workers, the unemployed, the underemployed, the dispossessed, the marginalized, the poor and the hungry. The result would be a nation where rich people get richer and poor people get poorer. At its core, corruption is about greedy and dishonest persons who come from all political parties, ethnicities, classes and genders. In addition to the grand corruption by some politicians, officials and business people, there is also petty corruption by some average people and small businesses that, for example, pay bribes to avoid traffic
fines, or to get preferential treatment for a public service, or they sell expired and substandard goods and services. Therefore, as our National Poet Martin Carter a d v i s e d : “ We a r e a l l i n v o l v e d . We a r e a l l consumed”. Most Guyanese are good people, including in the government and in the political opposition. Unfortunately, because of political loyalty, ethnicity and the fear of personal risk, most of us just watch and do nothing about corrupt behaviour. While it is absolutely necessary to strengthen laws, to improve public services, to increase incomes and to make gender equality a reality, a legal and material approach is not sufficient. There also has to be a spiritual approach. Religions provide a moral compass to cultivate the values, principles, ethics, attitudes and skills for strengthening character so that we the people can end
the culture of silence and stop corrupt politicians and officials who, with impunity, break laws and escape fines, sanctions and dismissal. Corruption is clearly condemned in religious texts. The Christian Bible states: “A bribe corrupts the heart.”; “The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the way of justice.”; “Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They loved gain from wrongdoing.” The Hindu BhagavadGita states: “Bribe takers are thieves.”; “Persons who praise bribers and justify them are also corrupt.”; “A dishonest person is not reliable, sincere or consistent and has no integrity.” All Hindus are expected to practice aparigraha (nonacceptance of bribes) and asteya (non-stealing). The Islamic Qur ’an states: “Damned is the bribegiver (or ‘corrupter’), the bribe-taker (or ‘corrupted’) and he who goes between them.”; “And Allah does not like corruption.”
The Baha’i Kitab-iAqdas states that a person who “unlawfully exacts money from the people, be it even a single penny, to secure private gains, will surely be deprived of the blessings of the Almighty.” All religions should come together and train corruption hunters and resisters to speak out with “strong minds and hearts” against all corrupt practices and ill-gotten wealth. Anti-corruption activities must become acceptable and a normal way of doing things. Whistleblowing (passing on information about wrongdoing) by public and private sector employees must be protected by law. Joint anti-corruption activities should be organized together at the grassroots across churches, temples and masjids such as prayer days, seminars, debates, participation in government / civil society consultations and committees, media (Continued on page 6)
Mr. Kissoon’s Unhealthy Obsession with Guyanese of African Descent DEAR EDITOR, It appears as if Mr. Freddie Kissoon has developed a rather unhealthy obsession with a number of Guyanese of African descent and that long list includes me. I initially opted to not respond for three reasons: First, I hardly read Mr. Kissoon’s columns since they don’t entertain me or intellectually inform and stimulate me. I therefore had no idea, what he was writing – either about me or anyone else unless it was brought to my attention. Second, I was mindful of our previous association. I had considered him an ally and my preferred approach to disagreements with persons I consider allies, is direct personal engagement to see if any breeches could be repaired. Third, I am aware that responses to his baseless contentions simply give fuel to Mr. Kissoon’s imaginary fire. However, following a recent chance encounter during which I sought to engage him in person but he cowardly scurried away to retreat behind his computer to predictably pontificate his piffle, I decided that since he is desperately seeking a public response, the least I could do is pen one response,
provide content for another 15-20 of his daily articles and thereby assist him to earn a clearly needed pay. I must confess though, that I have no desire to descend to the level and type of discourse in which Mr. Freddie Kissoon seems most comfortable. It is antiintellectual, shallow, selfindulgent, self-absorbed and repetitive to the point of inanity. He revels in slander and character assassination from behind a computer screen even though his irrational musings have long lost their value - if they ever had any. For an assumed intellectual, Mr. Kissoon seems curiously unable to understand the structural and relational theories and analytical tools offered by inter-sectionality and multiple dimensional identities. I am of African descent. I am black. I am a woman. I am feminist. I am Guyanese. I am West Indian/Caribbean. These identities don’t contradict each other, nor do they cancel each other. They intersect and they shape my experiences in Guyana and the world. That Mr. Kissoon failed in our past association to recognise my blackness
and my feminism is his conundrum, not mine. These are identities that I have always embraced, including when I fought for his right to be treated with dignity and respect and led marches in the hot sun on his behalf when his contract as a lecturer at the University of G u y a n a w a s unceremoniously terminated and when I vehemently condemned the hurling of faeces in his face. That Mr. Kissoon is incapable of appreciating the contextual nuances of identity formation is a manifestation of his intellectual deficit. If he is interested, I will point him in the direction of multiple excellent sources to aid in his understanding. Moreover, Mr. Kissoon is either intellectually dishonest or he is being manipulated and used to further someone’s unknown agenda as his focus is interestingly selective. Apart from expressing my identity as a black woman, in one Facebook post that he distorts, I also articulated other identities and noted my resolve to fight for the working class and the exploited. That Mr. Kissoon seems preoccupied solely with the issue of my
blackness is more likely a reflection of his thought processes about blackness and black people, not mine. Please allow me to produce verbatim for the readers’ consumption, the first part of the post I made on April 12, 2020. These are views that I will forever embrace: “I am unapologetically black - always was and always will be! I am unapologetically feminist always will be! I march through this life and world as a black woman. There is a systemic situational position characterised by oppression that this dual identity - black and woman - engenders. I understand that the issues I confront are intertwined in the dynamics of race, gender and class. I will therefore forever fight against racism. I will fight against any system/structure - local or global - that kills, exploits and/or relegates people of African descent to the margins, to second class citizenship. I will also forever fight for gender equality and the elimination of unequal gendered power relations wherever and however they manifest themselves. I will (Continued on page 6)
Wednesday December 23, 2020
Reboot of CH&PA is underway DEAR EDITOR, “Guyana is a diverse nation; 39.8 percent of the population is of Indian origin (see Indo-Guyanese), 30 percent African (see Afro-Guyanese), 19.9 percent multiracial (almost all part African, including Dougla, Creole-Mulatto, Zambo-Maroon, and Pardo), 10.5 percent Amerindian and 0.5 percent other, mostly Chinese, Europeans (most notably Portuguese): Wikipedia. That private land ownership in Guyana is sharply skewed in favour of Indo Guyanese is the product of an historically based psychology. Africans were brought to Guyana and forced to work the land and so resented it all. Indians came to Guyana fleeing life challenges and desirous of better - so accepted low wages and poor living conditions, to save and return free to India after the expiry of their indentures. In time the colonial administration and planters found that the cumulative cost of return passages had become unmanageable and so developed land settlement schemes to lure the ex-workers into accepting land in lieu of their free passage. Having no resentment attaching to the land, and with most coming from agricultural castes, many took up the offer whilst many others on their own volition used their savings to purchase freehold land. A
fricans also purchased land, founding villages, however they often faced disincentivising policies and actions executed by the colonial administration upon lobbying by powerful planters. In the post-colonial era, Africans were slow to convert
the ‘land to the tiller’ opportunity made available to all by former President Forbes Burnham. The tenure of Irfaan Ali MP in the office of Minister of Housing and Water, had no precedent and has not since been bested in terms of making the ownership of (residential) land available to all Guyanese. Indications are that this trajectory will be resumed under the current tenure of Dr. Irfaan Ali in his current office of President of Guyana. In outreaches early in his term, the President has personally facilitated the expedition of lagging CH&PA processes after listening to persons waiting for several years, and also presented scores of persons with long-awaited titles. Not productive land, but the psychology of land ownership is much the same. I have seen the new Housing Minister approve within weeks, the removal of a ludicrous clause in the Agreement of Sale presented for purchasers’ signature after paying for one of the CH&PA’s highest priced house lots in the Re-migrant Scheme at Providence Gar-
dens. Removal of the offending clause inserted some time during the 2015-2020 period, and which I had been trying to have removed for several months, would suggest, at least on paper, that a wellstructured residential setting will be developed and maintained – without the emergence of a vulcanizing shop, sports bar or short time hotel ever being likely! For the declared intent of the new Agreement of Sale to become more than just paper but comprehensively legally meaningful to all parties, the CH&PA must fulfil its promise to deliver “an investment of value, location and prestige” with “well landscaped sidewalks and roadways” and “concrete drains that will allow for quick and easy runoff of surface and storm water” – in short a residential area “geared towards satisfying the needs of overseas based Guyanese and re-migrants who are desirous of securing their future here in Guyana”: Providence Gardens Report. At 7.0 on page 13 it is noted that infrastructural development started in September 2011. Current owners and prospective purchasers of the “Exclusive residential living” promised by CH&PA to those having both eligibility and the depth of pockets, will be watching with interest. Ronald Bostwick
Country’s spending focus DEAR EDITOR, I thought Parliament was on a holiday recess, however I learnt today our Representatives will meet on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 and are not going to do this short policy paper until the new year to contribute to National Policy Development. Finding the right balance for country spending - sitting on a pile of cash in the treasury and utilization of various credit facilities must be very carefully considered. The credit risk money management factors of debt to income ratio, cash reserves and projected income from all sources, look for the optimization point on country spending or at least a sort of
acceptable equilibrium. The People’s Progressive Party Civic are either ignoring some fundamental principles or practicing some type of voodoo or Russian economics, they have three former Finance Ministers on Board certainly these gentlemen should know better former President and current VP Dr. Jagdeo, former Finance Minister Dr. Kowlessar and Finance Minister Dr. Ashni K. Singh who has resided in Canada With respect to local content policy, we need more than Corporate social welfare in certain sectors and industries, by now most should know job creation will have to come from a wide cross section of
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various development projects with the oil funds windfall mainly, so for example in my local area the people I have seen and spoken to don’t want to move, instead they
want to stay where they are and be re-zoned with better human development environment and safer living structures, employ a construction company, employ people within the neighbourhood to do work on a model multi unit building, if this goes well then do more developments. Take care for now, this is a quick note, correct any grammarly errors or expand on the vision, more policy ideas to follow Ronald Thompson
COMICAL NARRATIVE DEAR EDITOR, Isn’t Karma a bitch. Two discredited top brass of the moribund AFC took to the airwaves right after the March 2nd, 2020 elections to spread the most ridiculous fake news that they have found some Russians in Guyana who were going to hack our manual paper and pencil elections. They were virtually foaming from their lips with this comical narrative as they huffed and puffed their way on the media. Now today we have one
of the asinine character shouting that someone faked a degenerate and racially inciting posting on Facebook. We have the originator of fake news claiming to have been faked. Well isn’t karma bitch! Why should we now believe this narrative coming from such an untrustworthy source. The urban bourgeoisie is supposed to embody the creole culture of refinement, suave, polish and grace. It is under this rubric
that this duplicitous charlatan is hiding under, since being of that class, such a crude and vulgarly insensitive statement cannot possibly emanate from that person. But like they say action speaks louder than voice. We just need to remember the ardent advocate of spreading fake news in order to rig the 2020 elections to indicate the quality of the character. Yours sincerely, Reggie Bhagwandin
People who change the world DEAR EDITOR, I want to share with you some stories of people who change the world. First, who can forget the picture of an unknown Chinese man blocking a tank in protest. He has become a global symbol of freedom and defiance, immortalized in photos, television shows, posters and T-shirts. But three decades after the Chinese Army crushed demonstrations centered on Tiananmen Square, “Tank Man” — the person who boldly confronted a convoy of tanks barrelling down a Beijing avenue — is as much a mystery as ever. Tank Man was photographed on June 5, 1989 in the immediate aftermath of a deadly government campaign to clear Tiananmen Square of protesters.Second, who can forget these lyrics from the Rapper 2Pac. “It’s just me against the world. Nothin’ to lose. It’s just me against the world, baby. I got nothin’ to lose, it’s just me against the world. Stuck in the game. Me against the world, baby.” Third, there was the story of a military veteran who set himself on fire near the Georgia State Capitol while “wear-
ing a vest lined with fireworks and flammable devices” to protest the Veterans Affairs system. Officials identified the man as John Michael Watts, he was “disgruntled” with the VA system. Fourth, there was the story of the Arab spring uprisings. The Arab spring was triggered in Tunisia when Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire. Here is what was reported. Manoubia Bouazizi has grown used to the idea that her son Mohamed no longer belongs to her but to the Arab world. In the streets near where she lives on the outskirts of Tunis, she is stopped by people who recognise her, who have heard she is the mother of the market trader who set himself on fire in protest against an authoritarian regime, who kick-started the Jasmine revolution, and so the Arab spring. Editor, I can see a parallel between these stories and what Glenn Lall is doing in Guyana. Mr. Lall is one of a few who are fighting against the giant oil companies. He is laying it all out to get the oil companies to change the bad oil contracts. He is the nation’s “Tank man.”
He is boldly confronting the oil companies. Like 2Pac, it’s Glenn Lall against the oil companies. He has nothing to lose. He is angry with the opposition and government officials for refusing to fight against the oil companies. Like Mohamed Bouaziz, Mr. Lall was a market vendor so he can identify with Mohamed. Like Mohamed, Mr. Lall is protesting against an authoritarian regime and maybe hoping to kick-start Guyana’s revolution. Editor, he has become a national symbol of freedom, defiance and a pariah of the oil companies, opposition and government.He is willing to fight for the Guyanese people until he takes his last breath. Editor, put differently, Glenn Lall is a man fighting against the giant oil companies, the odds and the world. Observer
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Wednesday December 23, 2020
THE COALITION WAS KIND OF RELIEVED DEAR EDITOR, The comments below the online version of my last letter printed in Stabroek News on December 17 (under the caption “Assurances by Minister Edghill over airport project”) have come to my attention and I thankfully respond to them. They give me a chance as a commentator to account for my actions. First, it is very true that after twenty-three years of the PPP, the coalition was to me a kind of relief. Why? I was one of the persons in the WPA who, after the 1992 general elections which brought the PPP back into office and sparked an urban uprising, drafted in television advertisements appealing to the people to support the elected government. It included the words, “Fight with development plans in hand.” Mr. Ravi Dev will remember those words, as he somehow saw them as some kind of threat. The passing of Dr. Jagan brought a few changes and eventually gave us President
Jagdeo of whom I had remarked,” Give the young man a chance.” Fast forward to the era of Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo the former finance minister who it later leaked out had ordered the repression of a Commonwealth study that had raised the levels of pay of public servants closer to those prevailing in the private sector. This improvement had been a condition of the debt forgiveness given by the creditor nations, including Trinidad and Tobago, and the Caribbean Credit Facility. Apart from things not relevant to the subject of this letter, financial irregularities began to surface and attracted the attention mainly of Mr. Christopher Ram and Ramon Gaskin, who were well located to obtain information. My own criticism as I recall before the armed pandemic following the jailbreak in 2002 were mainly concentrated on the Procurement arrangements through which contracts were awarded and new wealth was redistributed. All decision-makers in the
contracting machinery were by law directly or indirectly chosen by the minister. My criticisms were frequent. Under the coalition government from 2015 I did not keep up the same stream of attack partly because I was no longer present and partly because I did not have the same stream of information. From mid 2016 to mid 2017 I was dealing with my wife’s illness and her death with its usual consequences. I also remember asking Mr. Christopher Ram whether the new government was not entitled also to what is called a “honeymoon period.” I forgot that he was an auditor and would be responsible if he saw slippages in accountability and failed to call them out. However, I did raise issues that were obvious to me at a distance. I think the first was the hefty pay increase given by the new ministers to themselves compared to the pittance offered to the mass of public servants. I asked in a letter whether
Mr. Kissoon’s Unhealthy Obsession... From page 4 forever fight for the rights of the working class, the underclass, the exploited, the marginalised and the forgotten. I will always be an ally and a supporter of any group that seeks and fights for equality and justice in their particular spaces.” Precisely because of my comprehension of the multiple sources of structural oppression that employ intersecting identity markers, I state unequivocally, that there is no individual – dead or alive – who can point to any occasion when I acted in a discriminatory manner against anyone or any group or when I failed to treat someone who approached me in a personal or professional capacity with anything less than decency, equality and respect. I treat everyone the same, irrespective of their ethnicity, gender, class, religion, nationality or sexuality. I trust that Mr. Kissoon can unequivocally state the same.I’d further like to advise Mr. Kissoon that my Facebook page is public. All my views are available for anyone to peruse, including my views on the rigging of the March 2, 2020 elections and my considered opinion on how the ethnic insecurity and conflict that have overwhelmed our country and its democratic processes could be addressed–incidentally, the subject of my successfully defended PhD thesis from the University of Sussex, UK. Prior to the March 2nd
election, I wrote the following within a longer post [February 29th], “For me, not voting has never been an option. I don’t think voting is the ‘be all and end all’ of democracy. In fact, I don’t believe that this minimalist liberal democracy serves our multi-ethnic context at all. It is however the system that we have and until it changes to one that facilitates genuine inclusion of all groups (for which I continue to advocate), I will participate to try to steer the electoral outcome in a direction that I believe is better for Guyana.” My reading of history tells me that both major political parties have historically manipulated their internal and the national electoral systems and structures to greater and lesser degrees to generate particular electoral outcomes. Nonetheless, on March 5, 2020, I wrote the following (again extracted from a longer post), “APNU/AFC - If yuh lose, yuh lose. Give up, recalibrate and live to fight another day.” I repeated this comment on June 7, 2020 when the recount totals were revealed. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Kissoon’s Facebook spies seemed to have conveniently missed those comments. Since Mr. Kissoon seems so fascinated by my views, he really ought to join Facebook to view for himself. As a self-described historian, he must be aware of the cardinal rule that one must go directly to the source rather than relying on truncated,
second-hand information as he is wont to do via screen shots. Alternatively, he can email or call me and ask me to send the text of any of my posts to him. I’d be most willing to do so. Finally, let me say this about Mr. Kissoon. As one who obeyed when his boss instructed him regarding the untouchable subjects and individuals about whom he cannot offer an opinion, he has absolutely no legitimacy to speak about anyone’s silence on any matter. As one who fails to call out those who assisted him in building his home, or who gave him free legal services, he has absolutely no legitimacy to speak out on anyone’s silence on any matter. As one who publicly begged for jobs for himself and spouse from the political elite and then lashed out when they did not respond to his shameless appeals, he has absolutely no legitimacy to speak to anyone’s character, integrity or decency. Mr. Kissoon’s self-described greatness, integrity and intellectual prowess exist only in his narcissistic and bullying mind. Thank you, dear Editor, for allowing this sole response to Mr. Kissoon. I wish Mr. Kissoon good luck in what appears to be his current desperate angling for relevance, friends, allies and earnings. Sincerely, Mellissa Ifill
the two groups were not part of the same economy. Another passing issue I raised was the coalition’s apparent reluctance to approve the issue of a stamp to mark the 100th anniversary of Dr. Jagan’s birth. The third that comes to mind was the protest by some of us men and women of the former WPA over the attempt to send home thousands of sugar workers without severance pay. I had never seen the coalition itself as responsible for the decline of the sugar industry which President Hoyte had employed Booker Tate to bring back to life. It was Mr. Jadgeo and his comrades who got rid of Booker Tate and embarked on the Skeldon flagship project that is now regarded by some competent but unfair persons who have treated it on Global Span as a pardonable disaster. It is not widely known for example that during the Jagdeo presidency industrialists in Guyana had to import molasses to be able to produce their commodities. I want to recall for the benefit of all concerned that I had never been impressed w ith the way the coalition was devised and that I said so in writing when I wrote more than once that I had never read the Cummingsburg Accord, the coalition’s founding document as I do not believe that those signing it had read it either. I turn now to my persistent refusal to join the chorus over the Region Four fiasco
in the March 2020 general elections. Those who read the letter signed by Moses Bhagwan and me published on March 10, 2020, may wish to return to it and see in it not only our perhaps premature call for a solution in the face of incidents of violence, but also was a very clear welcome to the presence of international observers in such a hotly contested election. To say that those who signed that letter are callous of the integrity of our elections is really to invent absurdity. Speaking for myself I do not jump down the throats of subordinates. The mismatches in Region Four between the spreadsheet and the basic original documents sealed in the ballot boxes do not require comments from an exile unless those at home present in the process and monitoring it are unsure of their own judgement. As a person also interested in drama the picture in my mind is that of a miserable subordinate n ow charged
with offences, standing in a pillory while his elated accusers feel justified in calling on passersby to stop and throw stones at the poor
wretch. This child don’t do that. Not far away, on the wharfs as though to celebrate the end of one regime and the beginning of another, container vessels leave our shores with record tonnages of the white substance with no expression of complicity on the part of anyone.
Let me explain. I began cultivating locks after sitting at the press table in a court and hearing a magistrate order that a prisoner’s locks be cut off. Secondly, I once became very unpopular in my home village because I dared to attend the funeral of a young coconut thief fatally shot in the act by the village ranger in the village backlands. That is one side of it. The other side is that one election list of candidates which did not spend thirtyfour million dollars to hire MERCURY from the USA has been complaining that its opposite number engaged in documented irregularities and as I believe, used these accusations in an election petition that is now before the courts. Please note that I have never denied or try to excuse the allegations made by the anticoalition parties about their observations. Are my critics telling me that I, as a sensitive human
being must ignore the fact that allegations of irregularities by the winning list are yet to be investigated by the courts as prescribed by the constitution? I repeat that, assuming I still have the physical ability to do so, I shall at the end of the issues before the court, especially the unexplored election petition, offer my own opinion of the conduct of the major contestants in the March 2, 2020 general elections. Yours respectfully, Eusi Kwayana
Religious communities should come... From page 4 interviews, peaceful protests and the production of booklets, posters and videos. Corrupters must realize that many people ‘see right through them’. Religious texts warn that “There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; and nothing hid, that shall not be known” because God is always knowing and watching corrupters. Our wise Guyanese Elders warned wrongdoers that “moon ah run till daylight ketch am’ which means that a person may think that they are getting away with misdeeds but one day they will be caught; and “bush get ears and dutty get tongue’ which means that a person may think that nobody sees or hears what they do, but yet their secrets are known. Religious texts teach us that one of the most effective ways to prevent and minimize corrupt behaviour is to ostracize corrupters by shunning them (the ‘cold shoulder’) and shutting them out from friendship and conversations until they recognize their guilt, seek
repentance and change their ways because we do not want their bad company to ruin our good morals. When corrupters are found guilty, they must face the consequences, regardless of their political affiliation, ethnicity or gender. At the same time, religious texts also teach us to avoid being self-righteous, arrogant or partisan because all persons accused of corruption are innocent until proven guilty. We have to follow the Golden Rule of Religions: “Do to others what you would have them do to you” because although we may think we are standing firm, we may also be tempted to deviate from our good character. Even some persons who are advanced in spiritual understanding and intellectual ability sometimes fall prey to temptations. Money and a corrupt system can turn honest people towards shady dealings. Our focus must be on eliminating wrong behaviour and not the persons. There-
fore, after the guilty ‘pay the price’ and repent, we must forgive and gently restore them, and protect their families from disrespect, shame and fear. Hopefully, the repented wrongdoers will become the strongest corruption hunters and resisters. The next letter will explore the critical role that the Guyanese diaspora must play in fighting corruption. The immediate priority for Guyanese, at home and in the diaspora, is to prevent corruption in the campaign against the COVID-19 pandemic. Guyana is receiving grants and loans in the billions of Guyana dollars. Corruption would hamper and weaken Guyana’s response to the pandemic. Every Guyanese needs to know how each dollar is used. The international donor and loan agencies must publish what they are funding. The Ministry of Health must publish how they are spending the funds. Yours sincerely, Geoffrey Da Silva
T N U L B . . . T B N U T L N T B . U . L . L T B . N . U . N U T L N B . U . T . L N T U N B . N U . L U L LUNT. B . T . . T T N N B U B . U . L . L T B . B . . N . . . T U T L N N T U U L N L B U . B . . L . . . T B T . . N . N T U L N LU B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . NT LUNT...B NT...BLU N U L B . . B . U . . T L . N T B . . U N . L N T B U N . . L . U T L B . . N B . . . T U . L N T B U . . L . UN T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L B U UN .BLUNT. . . L . T B . . N . T U . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . LU ...BLUNT LUNT...B NT...BL T B U . . L N . T B U BL T...BLUN BLUNT... UNT...B . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B BBLU T...BLUN BLUNT... ...BLU . T . N . N T T U L U L N L B U T...BLU U B . L . N . B T . . . N T U N N N L U U U B L . L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Wednesday December 23, 2020
Kaieteur News
We have received excuse after excuse on why our oil blocks have been given away or handed over cheaply.
We have been given excuse after excuse why we are receiving peanuts in proďŹ ts. What nobody is talking about is how our national debt from oil operations is mounting, while the companies who were given the blocks started out with nothing, but are now hundreds of millions of US dollars richer, even before they started drilling for oil.
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Wednesday December 23, 2020
Chinese contractor agrees to foot US$9M bill for additional works
US$150M CJIA airport extension fiasco… Government yesterday announced that it penned a new agreement with troubled Chinese contractor, China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC), to the tune of US$9M for supplementary works to be completed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). The catch is that the contractor will have to solely foot the bill. Since taking office, the Irfaan Ali government has been under pressure to resolve the almost-decade long project. CHEC was contracted to build a new and modernized airport since late 2011. But Guyanese would have to wait a little longer as the new agreement signed, gives CHEC until end of next year. According to a release from the Ministry of Public Works, the new works will include an extension of the airport’s boarding corridor in
order to accommodate two more passenger boarding bridges, providing the airport with a total of six boarding bridges capable of servicing aircraft such as the Boeing 777, Dreamliner, the AirBus and similar transAtlantic aircraft. It will also entail the terminal building being extended to provide accommodation for additional commercial space, including food courts and duty-free shops. The extended building will feature a modern airport façade covering the full length of the Departure Te r m i n a l , t h e r e l e a s e outlined. It stated too, that CHEC agreed to “rectify and complete all outstanding remedial works” within prescribed timelines. The new agreement was reportedly signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Public Works Ministry
Vladim Persaud, on behalf of the Government of Guyana and Liu Keliang, Project Manager for and on behalf of CHEC. That contract was controversially signed back in late 2011 under then President Bharrat Jagdeo and later passed through the short presidency of Donald Ramotar. In fact, it was not till in early 2013 that the sod was turned. The project chugged along under the David Granger presidency and now is being inherited by the Irfaan Ali administration. W h e n G r a n g e r ’s administration took over in 2015, it claimed that the plan was in need of adjustments. Then Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, had said that only seven percent of the work was completed, with claims for US$90 million equating to more than half of the contract sum.
Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill He laid the blame on the PPP/C’s management of the project. But the adjustments made were kept hidden from the public for several years and were only revealed after consistent reports by this newspaper of several red flags related to the project.
In addition, while different aspects of the construction works were completed, several issues pertaining to quality of materials and work required dire attention. Those issues and more are listed among the reasons why the project has been delayed for years. Now it is back with the new Irfaan Ali-led People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration. The issues with the renovation only worsened over the years. It was only in early July of this year that the CJIA sought bids for additional works to be completed. Invitations for bids advertised indicated that the airport needs a new fence for its public car park and an access control security hut. These intended projects, which stand outside of the US$150 million contract, are not alone. There are also plans for a
new parking lot valued at GYD$122 million, a cargo facility, a commercial centre, an office area and a parking lot, all advertised last year. However, many were of the contention that the added projects should never have been excluded in the first place. Numerous contractors had revealed that the amount and quality of work being done to renovate the port were inflated many times over…and it is all for the taxpayers. Moreover, CHEC was caught using its equipment illegally on a private job. Officials had reported that the company used its trucks and other vehicles and possibly even sand from the airport project on the MovieTowne construction at Tu r k e y e n , E a s t C o a s t D e m e r a r a . CHEC’s trucks, more than 25 of them, were granted (Continued on page 30)
Wednesday December 23, 2020
Kaieteur News
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THE PROBLEM IS CLASS O
ne of the nauseating traits that have developed is the rigid divide and compartments in which we judge others. This has to do with the nature of local politics. There are two main political parties in Guyana, both of which draw the bulk of their support from one or the other of the main ethnic groups. The PNC’s support base has historically been Afro-Guyanese. The PPP, since the split of 1955, has been supported primarily by the Indo-Guyanese section of the population. These cleavages have caused a great deal of problems for Afro-Guyanese who wish to be associated with the PPP, and for East Indians who wish to join with the PNC, now the PNC/R. Once a prominent African is seen as associated with the PPP, he or she is pasted with all manner of illmeaning tags. The same happens if a prominent East Indian joins the PNC. But what is sadder is that the viciousness against these individuals derives mainly from the rank and file supporters of both parties. Extreme nastiness is directed against individuals who are perceived to have gone against the grain. Some Indian leaders within the PPP have been alienated and slandered by PPP supporters. Similarly, Afro-Guyanese who are associated with the PPP are treated with hostility. Ten years ago, there was a concocted controversy
about a mining concession. And it heated up only because some persons saw it as an opportunity to get at one individual whom they disliked because he was then associated with the PPP. Never mind the individual got the concession during the final days of the PNC rule. The fact that he was no longer associated with the PNC, but had defected to the PPP, made him a target for bad-mouthing. Within the mining, forestry and agricultural sectors, when we deal with personalities, we are deflecting from the source of the problems. The problem, for example, in the mining industry has nothing to do with the acquisition, partnership, joint venture or sale of interests in the concessions granted years ago to any individual. The problems within the sector are better considered in terms of who are the primary beneficiaries of concessions and how concentrated are concessions in the hands of a few individuals. We have always had a great deal of minerals in this country. And for centuries, it has been exploited. Yet, Guyana still remains a poor country. So for all the gold, all the diamonds and all the other precious minerals that have been taken out of Guyana, it has done scarcely little for the vast majority of Guyanese. For all the millions of tons of bauxite that have been dug out of the mines at Linden and Everton and Kwakwani, where is the
wealth in those communities? And we can go on in the same vein about timber. How many trees have been felled over the past one hundred years? And what has that done for the ordinary citizen? Many years ago, Jagdeo jumped on a bandwagon, an international bandwagon. He assumed that Guyana could actually earn money for not cutting down its forests. The country did earn some money from Norway, but that is as good as it gets. The question is where did Norway’s US$250M end up. What has been the impact for the ordinary citizen? Do you really believe that things will be any different than it was in the heyday of state capitalism/co-operative socialism? Do you really believe that the present model of economic development that Guyana is pursuing will allow the ordinary citizen to become a millionaire overnight as a result of oil? The problem is one of class and not of race. The problem is who benefits. There is one class that has always benefited, regardless of which government is in power. They held sway over the PNC and they are holding sway under the PPP. In the meantime, the working class is fuming over fishing licences and all matter of trivialities. Instead of demanding that the resources of Guyana be used more for helping poor people than for the rich, the working class is allowing
Dem boys seh...
Nah judge wan book by he cover Another 40 plus cases yesterday and one more person died. And people are like de Duracell battery… they just keep going and going. De main shopping areas were jam-packed. Cars were jostling with each other. De police, as usual were doing a fine job in de morning but by midday, many of dem were standing at de side of de roads. There are simply not enough ranks to sustain de type of operation dat is needed. Some of dem police nah like sun. So dem does be
standing at side observing de confusion rather dan trying to solve it. Yesterday dem boys hear a story about a lil boy going in a barber shop. When de lil boy enters de shop he whisper to his customer, “This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you.” De barber puts a hundred dollar bill in one hand and two coins in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, “Which do you want, son?” De boy takes
the coins and leaves. “What did I tell you?” said the barber. “That kid never learns!” Later, when de customer leaves, he sees de same young boy coming out of de ice cream shop. “Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the coins instead of the one hundred dollar bill?” The boy licked his cone and replied: “Because the day I take the dollar the game is over!” Talk half and nah get outsmart by lil boys.
itself to be divided along racial lines. And while they are doing this, the propertied class is smiling all the way to the bank.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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Wednesday December 23, 2020
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Granger ignored Lewis, will Trump ignore Flynn? Lincoln Lewis of Guyana and Michael Flynn of the USA are two dangerously ignorant men. Flynn of course is far more educated than Lewis and is far less crass and intellectually empty than Lewis so one expected better of him. Flynn was an awardwinning general in the US army. Lewis on the other hand is a one-man army in the trade union congress. Why are they insipidly stupid? Let’s quote Lewis first. After endorsing the work of the GECOM chairperson, Ms. Claudette Singh, Lewis suffered a mild mental stroke when in late July, Ms. Singh accepted the CARICOM observed
election recount thus accepting an opposition victory – the incumbent PNC-AFC was defeated. Anticipating Singh’s declaration of a PPP win, here is what Lewis publicly said on the radio station run by Mark Benschop who lives in the US, “If the Elections Commission’s actions are inimical to the interest and intent of the Constitution and the ethos of this country, then President Granger will have to take action. Whatever form it is. We can’t have an election that is marred with discrepancies that we consider as rigged… Mr. Granger will have to take action, if the Elections Commission fails the people of the country.” If he wasn’t so ignorant and if he had done elementary research, Lewis would know that in all the countries that have free and fair elections and a written constitution, the president is not above the constitution. In Guyana, during his presidency, the High Court and the Caribbean Court of Appeal ruled that President Granger was not above the
constitution seven times. U nder G uyana’s constitution, the president cannot even select the chairman of the election body much less intervene and reject the decision of the election commission. Interesting to note is that Lewis avoided any mention in his gesticulating morbidity that the man he was urging to confront GECOM was a presidential candidate in the very election, the result of which he lost. That very loser Lewis appealed to, for him to scrap the result and stay in power. So a presidential candidate loses an election and he just decides to guillotine the body that ran the election and pronounced on the results and stays in power. Maybe that is how the trade union congress runs its elections with Lewis at the helm. It doesn’t work like that in Guyana and Guyanese did not give Lewis and Granger even an inch to touch GECOM. Granger of course being more intelligent and educated than Lewis knew better and
a c c e p t e d M s . S i n g h ’s declaration. Over in the US, close confidante of President Trump, former National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, is advising Trump to declare a state of emergency so as to undermine the assumption of the presidency by the winner of the 2020 election, Joe Biden. We know in Guyana that the president did not accept Lewis’ asininity and thus conceded victory. Will Trump embrace Flynn’s advice? The world has to wait and see but the implications of the exhortation of Lewis and Trump are horrible and horrific. When an incumbent loses, he/she must not accept the result. This is what Lewis told Guyanese. This is what Flynn is telling Americans. If humans behave the way Lewis and Flynn want them to, then this world, since the birth of free and fair elections after the 19th century, would have just a handful of leaders. Why? Because government simply
would not change hands because you do not have losers only winners and since the winners cannot lose then the world will see only a small amount of leaders. It is interesting to note that the circumstances of the advocacy of Lewis and Flynn are identical. In Guyana, not one major Frederick Kissoon organization accepted G r a n g e r ’s c l a i m t o victory even the rabid anti- stations, you PPP entity, ACDA did not tend to see the mentality of proclaim a PNC triumph. s u c h p e o p l e a s m o r e There wasn’t even a lone enlightened. That is a fallacy and has voice in Africa, Europe, no scientific basis. People Asia, South America that endorsed Granger’s claim of are all the same no matter where they live, no matter re-election. I n t h e U S , t h e how rich or poor they are, no Republican Party has not, in matter which race they were a united front accepted born into. Flynn from the richest country in the world Trump’s claim of victory. We tend to judge people offered his president the very by the society they live in. advice that Lewis from a When you belong to a rich, poor Third World country industrialized nation with did. (The views expressed in untold wealth, post-modern this article are those of the infrastructure, hundreds of a u t hor and do not universities, thousands of newspapers, magazines, necessarily reflect the radio stations, television opinions of this newspaper.)
Wednesday December 23, 2020
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Wednesday December 23, 2020
GPL’s submarine cable repaired to the tune of $100M - power company to go after ship owners to recover costs P The Prime Minister and others inspecting the repairs to the submarine cable yesterday.
rime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, was satisfied yesterday afternoon, after inspecting the repairs done to the Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) recently damaged 69kV submarine cable. T h e P M w a s accompanied by Minister within the Ministry of Public Wo r k s , D e o d a t I n d a r ; Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Cui Jianchun; CEO
of GPL, Bharat Dindyal; Deputy CEO – Strategic Operations, Samaroo Ramtahal and representative of China National Machinery Import and Export Cooperation, Andrew Jin. The 69kV submarine cable links GPL’s Vreed-enHoop and Kingston substations and allows for the transfer of electrical power into the DemeraraBerbice Interconnected System (DBIS). Prime Minister Phillips said the repairs to the damaged cable have been completed and will be tested later in the evening. “We will be testing the cable tonight, into tomorrow and based on what I’m told, by tomorrow evening, it should be up and running and we will be able to have the balancing of the (electrical) load from Vreed-en-Hoop into the rest of the DemeraraBerbice Interconnected System.” The PM said this means that Guyanese on the coastland can now expect a stable supply of electricity for Christmas. The Prime Minister also expressed his gratitude to the Chinese Ambassador for bringing a team of four engineers from China to Guyana, to assist with the repairs. Ambassador Cui said that he was happy to help. He added that China and Guyana are good friends and that it is expected that friends help each other in difficult times. “We always say that China and Guyana share a strong relationship and we
are good friends… This is not about the money; this is really about needs and I commend the Government for being a p e o p l e - c e n t r e d Government,” the Ambassador said. Minister Indar said the cable was severely damaged and the Government will be seeking to recover the costs spent on the repairs. He said the cost has already been estimated at around US$500,000. “It’s not plug and play, it’s a serious job that required logistics… We’re going to go after the ship owners, the insurance and the agents, to recover every single dollar that we spent. It was not our fault that this happened.” The Minister added that the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) has already issued instructions to maritime operators that Area B (the vicinity in which the cable is situated), is now a restricted zone and operators are prohibited from anchoring their vessels there. “Because the cable has been damaged four times, every time it is severed it gets shorter… ships can’t be anchoring there, we have to monitor that,” Minister Indar said. The 69kV submarine cable was damaged in late November after it was struck by the anchor of a vessel in the Demerara River. It has been damaged in similar manners in the past, with GPL signaling intentions to lay the cable even deeper in the Demerara River.
Wednesday December 23, 2020
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Wednesday December 23, 2020
New NIS board challenged to improve services - make entity viable on long term - improve processing of claims and payments of benefits
T
he recently announced new N a t i o n a l Insurance Scheme (NIS) Board on Monday held its first meeting at the NIS complex, Carifesta Avenue. Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, was in attendance, advising
the scheme’s board of the level of work needed and the challenges ahead in relation to the various problems to be addressed at the scheme, a Finance Ministry statement said yesterday. The Minister, in thanking the Chairman, Ramesh Persaud and Board members for accepting the appointments, also outlined
some of his Government’s expectations in terms of the work necessary to return NIS to financial viability. “Over the last several years, we have seen the progressive decline of the scheme. The NIS faces a number of challenges at the macro level and has come under severe threat.
Senior Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, meeting with the new NIS board members on Monday. It is therefore going to take a lot of work to return the scheme to long term financial viability,” the Senior Minister reiterated. He also emphasized the level of importance his Government has placed on NIS, reminding the board that pensioners and retirees look forward to their pension in a timely manner while current contributors expect to receive their benefits promptly. Minister Singh related the Government’s grave concern at the number of complaints received from
contributors about delays in receiving their benefits and entitlements, sometimes as a result of incomplete records of their contributions to the scheme. “As such, he tasked the board with addressing this problem immediately, with a view to ensuring that public satisfaction with the level of service provided by the NIS improves urgently.” Just over a week ago, the Minister announced the appointment of former Private Sector Commission (PSC) Chairman, Ramesh Persaud as new Chairman of
the NIS Board. Persaud is also currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED) and also serves as a member of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Board. The other members of the Board are General Manager, Holly Greaves (Ex-Officio); Faizal Jaffarally; Yvonne Pearson; Maurice Solomon; Satanand Gopie; Kathleen Jason; Seepaul Narine and Gillian Burton-Persaud.
Wednesday December 23, 2020
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JHI makes more cash off Canje block J
HI Associates, one of the initial owners of the Canje block, offshore Guyana, has benefitted yet again from its ownership of the block through a sale of shares to UK investment firm, Westmount Energy. We s t m o u n t a n n o u n c e d yesterday that it bought 250,000 common shares in JHI Associates Inc. at an aggregate cost of USD$400,000. The purchase was completed on December 21, 2020. JHI Associates is one of the companies that participated in the suspicious handling of the Canje block, following its award to a local company with no experience or money, Mid-Atlantic Oil & Gas, in March 2015. This was just days before the 2015 elections. Mid-Atlantic and JHI planned to control the block even before it was awarded.
Together, the two companies sold interests in the block to ExxonMobil and Total SA without doing any work. JHI was a key player in setting the stage for secrecy as the two companies handled the Canje block licence, because of its incorporation in the British Virgin Islands – a secrecy jurisdiction and tax haven. ExxonMobil is now the operator of the Canje block, and is currently drilling its first prospect there, Bulletwood. With just over a dozen prospects, Exxon expects to find 10 billion barrels of oil. It’s following prospects in the block - Jabillo and Sapote. As a result of the 2018 farm-out to Total, JHI is carried for the drilling of up to four wells and is funded for the drilling of additional wells.
Westmount touts that the Canje block is located adjacent to the Stabroek block, which has yielded 18 commercial discoveries since 2015 of about nine billion oil-
equivalent barrels, and is in the same geologic basin. Its recent purchase takes Westmount’s ownership in JHI to 5,363,770 shares, representing approximately 7.2 percent of the issued common shares of JHI as of November 13, 2019, Westmount said. It added that its holding in JHI equates to approximately 67 percent of the value of its assets as of June 30, 2020. The UK firm has slowly been buying up shares in companies, which own oil blocks in the
Guyana-Suriname basin. This allows it to make money from successes in the basin without directly owning oil blocks or having to interface with the Guyana government. It owns shares in four companies with interests in blocks offshore Guyana. Westmount owns shares in JHI Associates, which has a 17.5 percent stake in the Canje block,
Eco-Atlantic Oil & Gas Limited that has a 15 percent stake in the Orinduik block, as well as Cataleya Energy Corporation and Ratio Petroleum, which each have a 25 percent stake in the Kaieteur block. Westmount says its board considers the Guyana-Suriname basin a major emerging hydrocarbon province and so seeks exposure to opportunities in the basin.
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Wednesday December 23, 2020
‘Hot skull’ gets 43 and a half years for Albouystown footballer’s murder Alvin Jones, called ‘Hot Skull,’ a fish cleaner of Castello Housing Scheme, Georgetown, was yesterday sentenced to 43 years and a half years in prison for the murder of Albouystown footballer, Paul Daniels. The sentence was imposed by Justice Priya
Sewnarine-Beharry, after the presentation of a probation report on the Jones’ upbringing and life. The report outlined that Jones is a secondary school dropout, who grew up in a single-parent home at Castello Housing Scheme, We s t L a P e n i t e n c e ,
Georgetown. According to the report, Jones’ mother worked two jobs to provide for the family, when he was a child. The report also indicated that residents described Jones as being well mannered as a child. As such, the resident
concluded that Jones might have been negatively influenced by peers in his teenage years. Meanwhile, a victim impact statement by relatives of the deceased provided the court with a perspective of how their lives were affected, after he was murdered. Daniels’ girlfriend, Ashley Castello, whose statement was tendered through State Prosecutor, Nafeeza Baig, detailed that after his demise, she could not sleep for weeks and she felt like she lost everything. Added to this, the victim’s sister, Patricia De Abreu, told the court that her brother’s untimely death, left their family without both of their male role models, since their father had also died. When he was given the opportunity to address the Court, Jones claimed: “I did not think I get a fair trial.” He claimed too, among other things that the witnesses had identified the shooter as a “red man.” However, Prosecutor Baig who presented the matter along with State Counsel, Shawnette Austin, urged the court to consider the prevalence and nature of the offence. She noted specifically that a dangerous weapon was used during the commission of the offence. As such, Justice Beharry
Killed: Albouystown footballer Paul Daniels. imposed the 43 and half years prison sentence on Jones. She told him that he has the option to appeal the sentence, if he so desires. Jones fatally shot Daniels during a robbery at Independence Boulevard, Albouystown, Georgetown on February 2, 2017. Media reports had
indicated that Daniels, 39, a painter and plumber of Schoonord, West Bank Demerara, was shot in the chest by one of two men who had robbed him of a chain and a small sum of money shortly after he had followed his companion to her Lot 253 Independence Boulevard, Albouystown residence. Back then, the police had said that Daniels was shot when he attempted to pursue the two bandits. It was reported that on the day in question, Daniels picked up his girlfriend from work on a CG motorcycle and dropped her off at her residence. Based on the reports, the bandits entered the home and demanded cash and jewellery from Daniels. Before fleeing on a motorcycle, the bandits discharged several rounds hitting Daniels.
Jailed: Alvin Jones, called ‘Hot Skull’
Boat captain committed to stand trial for death of father-in-law A boat captain was yesterday committed to stand trial in the High Court for the murder of his father-in-law. He is accused of ramming his boat into the man. The accused, George Vansluytman, 38, of Port Kaituma, North West District (NWD), Region One, appeared via live video before Magistrate Dylon Bess. At the end of the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the murder, the magistrate ruled that there is sufficient evidence against Vansluytman for him to stand trial in the High Court for the murder of 67-year-old Dennis Welcome. He is expected to go on trial on the next sitting of the Demerara Assizes. Vansluytman was not required to plead to the indictable charge on his first court appearance. The charge alleged that on July 28, 2018, at Canal Bank, Port Kaituma, he killed Welcome. According to facts of the charge, around 03:00hrs. Vansluytman, who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, returned home and threatened his wife. It is alleged that Vansluytman held on to the throat of the woman and placed a spoon to her neck and told her that he would kill her. The woman then raised an alarm and her father rushed to her aid and later carried her to his home. Around 07:00hrs, Vansluytman travelled
by boat to Welcome’s residence. Upon arrival, Vanslytman saw Welcome sitting in a boat and allegedly used his vessel to ram the other. As a result of the impact, Welcome fell into the water and failed to resurface. An alarm was later raised and Welcome’s body was subsequently retrieved and taken to the Port Kaituma Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The matter was reported and the accused was later arrested and charged with murder.
Committed to stand trial: George Vanslytman.
Wednesday December 23, 2020
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Former priest found murdered in his home Well-known, former Anglican priest, George Chuck-A-Sang, 82, was found murdered in his home on Monday, shocking church members and sparking an outpouring of sentiments. His partially decomposed body was discovered with multiple stab wounds around 15:00 hrs. in his two-storey concrete house located on Vlissengen Road, Lodge. The house adjoins St. Sidwell’s Anglican Church. Police believe that he was probably slain over the weekend. Chuck-A-Sang’s daughter, Renata Chuck-ASang, who is also wellknown as a humanitarian activist, told investigators that she last spoke to her dad via telephone on Friday around 08:00 hrs. On Monday morning, she decided to check up on him again by calling him via Whatsapp, but his phone rang out. Later that day, she decided to visit his residence and called out for him but got no answer. She reportedly grew worried and decided to visit the home of the current priest, Monsell Alves, who
Wednesday December 23, 2020
COVID-19 death toll mounts to 160
Murdered: Former Anglican priest, George Chuck-A-Sang. resided in North East La Penitence. Police further stated that Renata told Alves that she was unable to make contact with her dad. The priest accompanied her back to Chuck-A-Sang’s home, located in the compound of the St. Sidwell’s church. Together they entered the house and made the gruesome discovery. Chuck-A-Sang’s body was found in the upper flat of
his home. He was clad in his brief. Crime scene experts noted that the former priest forehead was also swollen. The body was taken away to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. Investigations are ongoing. Yesterday, the Anglican Diocese expressed condolences with social media filled with memories of the former priest.
T
he Ministry of Health (MOH) has recorded its 160th death as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic. The latest fatality, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH), is a 73-yearold male from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) who died while receiving care at a medical facility. Meanwhile, the MOH yesterday recorded 45 new COVID-19 cases. According to the updated dashboard, 34 of those new cases are recorded in Region
10. The other cases were recorded in Region Four with three new cases and Region Seven with eight. The MOH noted, too, that there are 741 active cases of COVID-19; 635 patients in home isolation; 31 in institutional isolation with five in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at the Infectious Disease Hospital.
Uitvlugt pedal cyclist struck down, killed by speeding car A pedal cyclist of U i t v l u g t , We s t C o a s t Demerara, on Monday lost his life after he was struck down and killed by a speeding car at the Stewartville Public Road. The dead man was identified as Rajendra Doodnauth, 55, of Uitvlugt Pasture. Based on the police report, the accident occurred at around 10:40 hrs. Police said that motorcar, PGG 8096, driven by George Douglas, 44, of Lot 112 Section ‘D’ Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara, was travelling east along the northern side of the road at fast rate. The driver reportedly told police that the pedal cyclist was traveling in the same direction in front of his car; the driver claimed that cyclist made a sudden turn to go across the road and ended
up colliding with the left side of the car. As a result of the collision, the cycle ended up into a nearby trench. The man fell onto the front window screen of the car and onto the road. He was dragged some distance away before the vehicle came to a complete stop. Kaieteur News understands that Doodnauth’s right leg was severed. He was picked up in an unconscious state and taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where he was seen and examined by a doctor, who pronounced him dead after. His body was taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Parlour awaiting a post mortem examination. Reports are that the driver is in police custody assisting with investigations.
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Wednesday December 23, 2020
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One Laptop Per Family initiative to be re-introduced next year
Bus slams into court fence after colliding with car
At the scene of the accident.
O
ne person was taken to the h o s p i t a l following a collision on Monday night between a minibus and a car at the intersection of Brickdam and High Street, Georgetown. The injured individual was a female passenger of the motorcar. The accident reportedly took place close to 23:00 hrs. It is understood that the bus was heading east along
Brickdam, while the car was heading north along High Street. It is unclear as to what really transpired, but eyewitnesses recalled seeing the car colliding with the right side of the bus. As a result of the impact, the car spun once while the driver of the minibus lost control and slammed into the fence of the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court. If it was not for the fence,
said the constables guarding the court, the bus would have crashed into their guard hut, injuring them as well. Both police and ambulance arrived at the s c e n e s h o r t l y a f t e r. Paramedics removed the injured female passenger who was stuck in the car, placed her in a wheelchair, took her to the waiting ambulance, and sped off to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
President Irfaan Ali has announced the reintroduction of the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) initiative. The Head of State told residents of Kato in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) yesterday that the programme would re-start in 2021 with the aim of placing Guyanese on par with the rest of the technological world.The issuing of laptop computers would go handin-hand with access to the internet, which the President indicated is earmarked for interior locations. “Next year we will also restart the One Laptop Per Family programme to ensure that every child has the
opportunity to not only be connected to the hub but has the instrument through which they can pursue their studies.” President Ali noted that technology is important in an advanced world and that Guyana would not be left behind. “The pandemic has taught us how important it is to be in line with technology…And we have to increase our investment to bring greater technological access through our hinterland and riverine areas.” The President, who had journeyed to Kato to assess the needs of its residents, told the gathering that they
will soon benefit from an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) hub. “I’m very happy to report to you that very soon, we will commence the building of your ICT hub and put the infrastructure in that hub, so that you will have access to good internet facilities and you can pursue the opportunities that come with that.”The One Laptop per Family programme was launched in January of 2011 with the aim of providing ‘athome’ Information and Communications Technology to tens of thousands of Guyanese families. (Office of the President)
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Wednesday December 23, 2020
Guyana makes no use of UNDP report to avoid...
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From page 2 field development plans for oil projects and subsequent production will require very significant human and other resources. Paul pointed out, however, that Guyana has a very limited capacity in this area, while adding that its laws, contracts and institutions are outdated and underresourced to meet the demands of upcoming activities. The industry expert was keen to note that improving the foundational components of the country’s petroleum governance system, that is to say, its legal and institutional frameworks are fundamental to managing oil money successfully. If the country fails in this regard, Paul noted that Guyana would be left wide open to risks of corruption and abuse as well as losing very significant value. Among his many recommendations was a call for the frequent use of Guyana’s parliamentary sectoral committees on natural resources and economics. Paul stressed that these committees can be effective regulatory tools for the sector. In capturing value, Paul said that Guyana needs to implement systems which will allow it to make the proper decisions on various issues such as the right rate of production and depletion of the resources, getting the best possible contract terms for Guyana, ensuring the
actions of companies are done in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, and ensuring there is maximum cap acity development among locals to enable their participation. In managing revenue, the Trinidadian Strategist said
that Guyana would also have to urgently put mechanisms in place, which will allow for the effective collection of all oil revenue due to the State, while ensuring that there is prudent spending by enhancing infrastructure, services and capacity for future sustainability along with ensuring savings for future generations. Further to this, Paul was keen to note that the authori-
ties of the day must make every effort to ensure that it is informing Guyanese of how and when they are making decisions about the oil resources. He said that it is required of the citizenry to make sure that these decisions are in their best interest. He said, too, that Guyanese must demand that the government implements systems to ensure transpar-
ency and accountability for each institution tasked with spending the oil money and regulating industry performance. Overall, Paul’s report highlights the need for Guyana to make urgent reforms, otherwise, the nation stands to lose billions more, and that is outside of what is already lost by way of the lopsided Stabroek Block deal.
Ill-prepared Guyana mulls new bid... From page 3 renegotiated. Yet, the government is considering awarding new deals. It was the PPP/C that signed several deals with oil companies, more than the Granger administration did, giving away oil blocks at extremely generous terms. The most controversial of these were the Canje and Kaieteur blocks, which were given away by former President Donald Ramotar under suspicious circumstances, just before the 2015 elections. Any new awards made to companies which are unqualified and which do not demonstrate proper track records
of petroleum exploration and development would raise major red flags. One of the major issues, which had plagued the awards of the Canje and Kaieteur blocks, and still does, is beneficial ownership. The Extractive Industries Transparenc y Initiative
(EITI) has given a deadline of year-end for the revelation of all beneficial owners, but the Irfaan Ali administration is yet to provide such a register to the public and the EITI. The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) has said that when rights are awarded, governments
should ensure that certain information about the companies is made transparent, including who owns them. NRGI also urges governments to develop reliable and consistent mechanisms to keep track of the owners of oil blocks and other extractives licences. The Guyanese public has learnt a lot from the controversial Kaieteur and Canje
awards, and would expect much improvement from any new licensing process. If President Ali intends to licence new blocks in 2021, he will have a lot of preparatory work to do in a very short time.
Chinese contractoragrees to foot US$9M... From page 8 duty free concessions and reportedly received tax waivers on at least six pick-ups and four SUVs. Somewhere along the line, the company’s sister company, China Harbour Engineering (T&T) Ltd (CHEC) also managed to win the contract to construct the MovieTowne project in December 2014 for US$30 million. However, it appeared that CHEC decided to use the equipment that it has stationed at the airport, including the trucks, to work along with the MovieTowne project. Under the terms of condi-
tions for the granting of concessions, equipment and vehicles have to be utilized specifically for the purposes it was granted – in this case the airport project.For the airport project, CHEC was allowed use of three sandpits, two loam pits and two pagasse pits. A few pieces of equipment including a tower crane that came for the CJIA project was put into use at MovieTowne.In fact, the MovieTowne Mall has since been completed and put into operation while construction at CJIA still awaits completion.The company
later denied the allegation and added that it sought at all times to be compliant, and it will continue to make “compliance a priority for as long as we operate in this territory.”However, the noncompliance only continued as the months went by and the PPP/C tried several avenues in attempts to force CHEC to complete the airport per the initial contract specifications. The lucrative concessions that the contractor benefited from were halted by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) after it failed to meet the contract obligations.
Wednesday December 23, 2020
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ICJ delivered careful judgment on Guyana, Venezuela border case – Int’l lawyers International lawyers who represented Guyana at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last week, have fired back at criticism from Dr. Bertrand Ramcharan, a Guyanese and former United Nations (UN) official, who reportedly said that the decision by the UN-supported World Court, to entertain the border case was reckless. In a missive issued yesterday, attorneys Paul Reichler and Professor Philippe Sands, QC lauded last week’s careful court judgment by the ICJ. The lawyers said in response to a letter by Dr. Ramcharan, which was carried in the Stabroek News that they do not understand “…Quite how that approach may be said to be “reckless” is unclear, and it may be that on carefully re-reading it, Dr. Ramcharan will come to a clearer understanding of what it has actually said.” In the piece, Dr. Ramcharan was highly critical of the decision by the ICJ’s ruling that it has jurisdiction to hear the validity of the Arbitral Award of October 3,
International Arbitrator, Paul Reichler 1899 and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary dispute between Guyana and Venezuela. According to Ramcharan, on a closer look, there are perplexing features of the decision that warrant serious scrutiny. “With great respect,” he said, “the decision of the Court is a reckless one.” The first issue is how the Court framed the issue that must now be addressed in the
final stage of the case, the Guyanese diplomat added. In reply to the critique, attorneys Reichler and Sands, QC, who were on the team that defended Guyana in the border case, noted their considerable surprise at the article written by Dr. Ramcharan. “This is all the more so,” the lawyers added, “having known Dr. Ramcharan for many years. He has expertise and experience in many areas, but the practise of the Inter-
Essequibo mystery shooting… Lone witness charged for killing friend Cordel Grimes, 25, who is said to be the only witness to the shooting of his friend, Reeaz Khan, on September 29th, outside a hotel on the Essequibo coast, was charged for his murder last Monday. Grimes made a virtual appearance before Magistrate Esther Sam, at Charity Magistrate Court, Region Two. He was not required to plea to the indictable charge which alleged that he shot and killed his friend Khan. He was remanded and expected to make his next court appearance on January 7th, 2020. The matter will be transferred to Suddie Magistrate Court for disclosure of statements. According to reports, Khan was shot multiple times, and was taken by Grimes in a car to the Suddie Public Hospital. Police had stated Grimes was the driver and owner of that car. Grimes, too, was reportedly shot to the arm, and was admitted at the same hospital. Grimes had told investigators that the shooting occurred in front of a hotel in the village of Aurora sometime around 19:30 hrs. The 25year-old claimed they were shot at by person/s unknown while walking towards the car. Khan was shot to the face and in the arm. When contacted, how-
Professor Philippe Sands, QC
Guyanese diplomat, Dr. Bertrand Ramcharan national Court of Justice is not, as far as we are aware, one of them.” The attorneys explained that the Court was faced with a novel situation, in which its jurisdiction was premised on a decision of the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations. Both Reichler and Sands noted that the Court has ruled, by a large majority, that “it has jurisdiction to entertain the application filed by the Cooperative Republic of Guyana on March 29, 2018, in so far as it concerns the validity of the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899 and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary dispute between the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.” They said that the ruling follows the careful and considered approach of the Court, as reflected in its practise.
“The Court has expressed no view on whether there is or is not a land boundary dispute between Guyana and Venezuela. Rather, it has decided to exercise jurisdiction on the question of whether such a dispute has been subject to a “definitive settlement,” a question that turns on the validity of the Arbitral Award of 1899,” the lawyers added in the statement. As such, the attorneys stressed that given the careful judgment “quite how that approach may be said to be “reckless” is unclear, and it may be that on carefully rereading it, Dr. Ramcharan will come to a clearer understanding of what it has actually said.” Further, the lawyers emphasized that having between themselves practised before the Court for more than six decades, in their view the judgment appears to be reasonable in its approach, and
one that is entirely favourable to Guyana. The attorneys said that it was an honour to represent Guyana to argue the jurisdictional issues on its behalf under the leadership of Carl Greenidge and Sir Shridath Ramphal, and accompanied by a team of distinguished international lawyers. As a result, they held that the Court’s decision of December 18, 2020, is a historic victory for Guyana. “It gives Guyana exactly what it has been seeking since independence in 1966, an opportunity to obtain a final and binding judgment from the world’s highest court on the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award, and the boundary that was fixed in accordance with it, and to confirm Guyana’s exclusive and undisputed sovereignty over the entire Essequibo Region,” the two attorneys said in the statement.
Seepersad’s ruling ripped apart in court Murdered: Reeaz khan
Murder accused: Cordel Grimes
ever, the hotelier as well as persons living nearby told Kaieteur News that they heard no gunshots during the time and date in question. About a day after the incident, Grimes took self-discharge, and momentarily went under the radar without offering an official statement to the police. His friend, Khan, on the other hand, succumbed six days later. Doctors had told family members that the bullet he received was lodged between his nose and forehead. Sometime later, Grimes finally re-appeared. He was questioned by police and had told investigators that he cannot remember seeing any one shooting at them. He was subsequently re-
leased as detectives continued to investigate the case. It was later revealed too, that Khan’s spectacles and slippers were recovered from Grimes’ car but his wallet, driver’s licence and two cellphones were missing. One spent shell, which matched a .32 caliber weapon, was also found. Kaieteur News learnt that Major Crimes Unit had stepped in to solve the case which was being labeled as a mystery shooting with only one witness who could not recall anything. Grimes was later re-arrested and senior police sources had told this newspaper, that there is enough circumstantial evidence, which can be used in a case against him.
Trinidad Express - Justice Frank Seepersad came in for a severe tongue-lashing from the Appeal Court yesterday over his handling of an application for injunctive relief brought by the mother of an 11-year-old Venezuelan girl.In the judge’s eventual ruling on December 1, he refused to grant the injunction and instead cleared the way for the State to deport the girl to her home country.The criticisms came from Justices Ronnie Boodoosingh and James Aboud as they set aside the ruling, and instead granted the girl the interim injunction allowing her to remain in Trinidad and Tobago pending the determination of her constitutional claim at the High Court.While Justice Boodoosingh, who delivered the oral judgment, was more reserved in his words, Justice Aboud held nothing back in comments he made following the delivery of the ruling. In addition to overturning the decision, both judges also agreed that a directive given by Seepersad to the Registrar of the Supreme Court to forward a copy of his ruling to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Police Commissioner for the possible laying of criminal charges against the girl and her mother also be set aside. Further to that, Justice Aboud also suggested that the matter be remitted to the High
Justice Frank Seepersad Court before a different judge since it appeared to him that Justice Seepersad, based on his ruling, had already pre-determined the constitutional claim which was not yet before the court. Justice Aboud made reference to a paragraph in Justice Seepersad’s ruling, in which he said the conduct of the claimant in arriving illegally in this country constituted a “brazen and bold disregard for immigration laws” and should never be condoned. But in response to this and the order to the registrar Justice Aboud said: “What this suggests to me and with all respect to the judge, it suggests that he is certain in his mind that crimes had been committed, crimes that no constitutional argument can absolve.
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Wednesday December 23, 2020
Guyana poised to yield economic benefits - retired from arbitration laws judge
Justice Courtney Abel, a retired judge of the Belizean Supreme Court, says Guyana’s quest to establish itself as an arbitration centre for the Caribbean could dramatically transform its economy. Justice Abel told a webinar on Tuesday, that he has witnessed how the service industries can dramatically transform economies through arbitration. “I am saying that with the Government’s support and with the support of the Bar Association, the Supreme Court and the people, this system of arbitration will be the means by which the economy is transformed,” he told the webinar. “Guyana – the next arbitration hub: The journey begins” - the webinar’s theme, was a joint venture by the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Guyana Bar Association The Guyanese-born jurist explained that arbitration is a special kind of legal arrangement, which forms part of al-
ternative dispute resolution or a way to resolve disputes outside the courts. In the process of arbitration, one or more persons decide the resolution, which renders the ‘arbitration award.’ An arbitration award is legally binding on both sides and enforceable in the courts. As such, Justice Abel noted Guyana’s recent ascent to a major oil-producing nation, is among the reasons that the new dispute resolution process could be beneficial to Guyana. He said disputes arise frequently in the oil sector, and will undoubtedly surface in Guyana. “Disputes in oil and gas amount to very large numbers and they are expected to grow. They are between commercial companies, investors and states, and between states. The subject matters include different issues including contracts, national statutes, international treaties, et cetera. The issues raised are all complicated and highly
specialised,” he noted. Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall S.C, had announced that Guyana is pursuing a model that could see it becoming the hub of arbitration in the Caribbean and Latin America. He explained that the process would involve the modernization of Guyana’s Arbitration Act, to address both domestic and international arbitration. The AG said as Guyana emerges as a petroleum nation; it will attract a host of multinational companies. Therefore, he stressed, the country has to prepare its legal architecture to accommodate the new influx of investors. During the seminar, Nandlall said that the intention is to first build a foundation. “Right now, we are examining the arbitration architecture to make it modern and there is a model legislation promulgated in the world and we are in the process of ad-
justing it to meet Guyana’s expectations and to also link it to the Judiciary, while at the same time having arbitration as a process available to the parties outside of the legal system, if it does not wish to go into the formal legal system,” he said. As it stands, the AG noted that in every contract, particularly those with the oil and gas companies there are arbitration clauses, which mean that the matter will have to go to arbitration, and Guyana not having an adequate arbitration will delay the dispute process. “In the contracts now, they say that if there is a dispute between the parties including the Government of Guyana, they have to go to Brussels or London or New York or Texas to resolve these disputes. We can resolve them right here by arbitration once we put the requisite mechanisms in place and the statutory framework in place that is modern and responsive as
Attorney General (AG), Anil Nandlall S.C.
Justice Courtney Abel.
those in the destinations chosen by these contracts,” the AG had explained. Nandlall noted, too, arbitration is just one of the means of alternative procedures to the Courts. As such, he disclosed that work is also underway to upgrade the local mediation process. Guyana’s arbitration structure is over five decades old, archaic and cannot meet the demands of new and dynamic industries. As a consequence, the
AG Chambers has been seeking to review the international treaty arrangements related to arbitration, and develop and upgrade the local laws, rules, practices and cultures relative to arbitration. It is also looking to develop training protocols and programmes to establish and maintain international standards of best arbitration practices and cultivate confidence in international investors that the country is a competent, gold standard arbitration venue.
Wednesday December 23, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday December 23, 2020
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FIFA files criminal complaint in connection with Museum... From page 38 FIFA CHF 360 million by the date of expiration in 2045. That is half a billion Swiss Francs that could and should have been channeled into the development of global football. “Given the massive costs associated with this Museum, as well as the general way of working of the previous FIFA management, a forensic audit was conducted in order to find out what really happened here,” said FIFA Deputy Secretary General (Administration) Alasdair Bell. “That audit revealed a wide range of suspicious circumstances and management failures, some of which may be criminal in nature and which therefore need to be properly investigated by the relevant authorities.
We came to the conclusion that we had no choice other than to report the case to state prosecutors, not least because the current management of FIFA also has fiduciary responsibilities to the organisation and we intend to live up to them, even if those before us dismally failed to.” The highly complex investigation of all documents pertaining to the ‘Haus zur Enge’ project – a building that occupies ten floors with 3,000
square metres of exhibition space, events and dining areas, 34 apartments and office space with approximately 140 workstations in the Enge district of Zurich – has now resulted in a criminal complaint being delivered by hand to Zurich’s cantonal p r o s e c u t o r . The current FIFA administra-
tion also intends to submit all documentation related to this matter to the independent Ethics Committee so that it may instigate whatever investigation it considers appropriate given the circumstances.
In addition, FIFA will continue to cooperate with the authorities in Switzerland and elsewhere so that those people who damaged football are held accountable for their actions.
Brentford stun Newcastle to... From page 38 assignment against a very good Championship side. Newcastle did not even come close to taking advantage. Yes, the Magpies suffered with a Covid-19 outbreak in their camp recently but there can be no excuses for the lack of drive, ideas and quality served up in west London on Tuesday. Newcastle laboured throughout and were reduced to the desperate ploy of launching long balls towards
substitute Andy Carroll in the closing stages while their opponents still carved out chances for lively substitute Toney with smart passing football. Bruce has struggled to win over the Toon Army despite some respectable league placings, but this result and performance will go down terribly on Tyneside - a glorious opportunity squandered with a performance devoid of energy and inspiration. This was a very, very bad night for Bruce and Newcastle.
Rizwan’s 89 off 59 ... Wednesday December 23, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You're conscientious where your health is concerned. You're one of the rare few who exercise and eat nutritious meals. Today you might want to expand your repertoire of medical remedies. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) This is bound to turn into a silly day if you let it, Taurus. Your best bet is to give in to the strange patterns at work. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) This isn't a day to make firm commitments, Gemini, especially concerning relationships. Today's atmosphere highlights unification and reconciliation, but don't take this as a sign that you're now bound for life. CANCER (June 21–July 22) You're so upbeat and optimistic by nature that it's difficult for you to accept certain failures. That may be what you're thinking today as you reflect on re-
cent humanitarian efforts. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You're usually very good at concentrating and getting your chores done, even when chaos reigns around you. This likely won't be the case today. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You have strong psychic vision, Virgo. Some people might say that you're prophetic, but your gift is a combination of creativity and intuition. You can use this to benefit others, and in fact have often done so.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) The element of water predominates today. You will likely be aware of it by the strong tides of feeling in your household, Libra. Some family members may be unhappy. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) There's a carefree, almost childlike atmosphere to today that suits you just fine, Scorpio. You've been working extraordinarily hard lately and need to relax and unwind a bit. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) This is a day for rest and relaxation, Sagittarius. Take advantage of the calm atmosphere to center yourself and focus on
what's important in your life. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You're on top of the world today, Capricorn. Enjoy the view! You're unstoppable. Friends and family alike revel in your good mood. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) This dreamy day is tailor made to your sensibilities. You may find it hard to focus on the daily issues when you're caught up in your fantasies. Go ahead and give in to the day's dreamlike state. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your artistic side likes to communicate with people who are a shade off normal. You call them eccentric other people call them crazy! From your viewpoint, the crazier the better! You feel such people add interest to the lives of anyone they come in contact with.
From page 40 starts and thrown it away in both previous matches of this series, was determined not to make the same mistake again. He was also helped by a twopaced pitch turning into a batting beauty thanks to the dew. Still, some of his strokeplay was hair-raising good. Any time the New Zealand bowlers strayed even slightly on his pads, he was ready with a range of shots. The scoop over fine leg. The flick over square leg. The pull over midwicket. He got 70 of his 89 runs on the leg side. Rizwan controlled the chase from start to finish and though his wicket in the last over did create a little excitement, Pakistan needed only three further runs to win and those were struck in emphatic fashion as Iftikhar Ahmed calmly sent the ball into orbit above McLean Park. Pakistan 177 for 6 (Rizwan 89, Southee 2-25) beat New Zealand 173 for 7 (Conway 63, Ashraf 3-20) by four wickets.
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Wednesday December 23, 2020
Holders Man City hammer Arsenal to book EFL semi-final spot BBCsport - Holders Manchester City piled on the misery for Arsenal with a ruthless performance at Emirates Stadium to reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals. There were barely two minutes on the clock when Gabriel Jesus nodded City ahead, the Brazil forward completely unmarked inside the six-yard area when he met Oleksandr Zinchenko’s cross. The Gunners were desperate for the first 25 minutes, French defender Aymeric Laporte heading a great chance wide before the hosts levelled with their first serious attempt. Nineteen-year-old Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli provided an excellent cross for Alexandre Lacazette to head home but City scored twice in five second-half minutes to seal victory. Keeper Runar Alex Runarsson allowed Riyad Mahrez’s free-kick to squirm through his gloves and into the net before Phil Foden added the third with a dink over Arsenal’s Iceland stopper. Foden looked offside after Fernandinho’s pass but with no video assistant referee system in operation, the goal was allowed to stand.
There was nothing controversial about City’s fourth goal, Laporte meeting Foden’s lovely curling cross to head home unmarked. With no wins in seven in the Premier League, Arsenal’s problems continue to mount after being turfed out of the EFL Cup following a catalogue of errors against a City side which had been misfiring in recent weeks. They showed some character after falling behind in the third minute but were architects of their own downfall as City took complete control in the second half. Arteta was seeking a big performance after a wretched run of form left them languishing 15th in the table, just four points above the relegation zone. Instead poor marking was to blame for the first and fourth goals, while a glaring goalkeeping error gifted City their second. If there was any positive for Arteta, who now trails Pep Guardiola 3-1 in the battle between the City boss and his former assistant, it came in the shape of Martinelli. Having recently returned from a serious injury, the teenager looked sharp and hun-
Gabriel Jesus scored his first goal since netting against Liverpool on 8 November
gry, while his assist was one of the best moments of the game for the hosts. However Martinelli, who had earlier been caught by keeper Zack Steffen, was forced off early in the second half after picking up another knock. City, seeking a fourth successive EFL Cup triumph, join Championship Brentford in the semi-final draw which will
be made following Everton’s tie with Manchester United on Wednesday. They have been far from their best in the Premier League but moved to within two wins of a ninth trophy since Guardiola took charge in 2016 after exposing Arsenal’s frailties. The City boss named a muchchanged line-up yet they were still too much for their oppo-
nents and in the end coasted to victory, so much so that the services of Raheem Sterling, who was on the bench, were not required. Jesus looks to have his swagger back. He proved a handful while both Mohamed Elneny and Shkodran Mustafi were booked for fouls on City’s number nine.With Foden
scoring and providing an assist, it was a near perfect night for City, who had been fortunate to finish the first half with 11 players on the pitch after Fernandinho’s hand made contact with Dani Ceballos’ face. With no VAR, City escaped and can now look forward to a one-leg semi-final in two weeks’ time.
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Big Ramy wins the Mr. Olympia 2020 After years of potential and fan hype, Egyptian pro bodybuilder Big Ramy has finally won the Mr. Olympia 2020. After a hard fought battle between a four-way of threatening pro bodybuilders, Ramy stood tall above the rest as champion. Mamdouh Elssbiay, more commonly called Big Ramy, had been a fan favorite to win the Mr. Olympia for years now. True to his name, he brings a level of size that is hardly seen by even the top pro bodybuilders currently competing. Due to his massive size, some fans even hoped he would be the second coming of Ronnie Coleman. Big Ramy represented the pinnacle of a growing bodybuilding Mecca coming out of Kuwait. Though originally from Egypt, Ramy moved to Kuwait to train in Oxygen Gym – a location known for transforming pros into massive titans. Over the years, many pro bodybuilders moved temporarily to Kuwait for a reboot to their training. This included Mr. Olympia 2019 champion Brandon Curry. But the initial hype behind
Big Ramy did not come to fruition immediately. Shortly after, Big Ramy quit Oxygen Gym and changed his entire training regimen. Under a new trainer, Neil Yoda Hill, he aimed to take a new approach towards prepping for the Mr. Olympia. With ever year, Ramy showed bigger and bigger muscle during his prep leading up to the competition. But with each year he would fall short. Most notably, his conditioning was often criticized as the reason he could not bring in an Olympia victory. As of today (Saturday Dec. 19) that all changed. Second Place went to Brandon Curry, 3rd Place: Phil Heath, 4th Place: Hadi Choopan, 5th Place: William Bonac. Prize monies Winner —$400,000, Second Place — $150,000, Third Place — $100,000, Fourth Place — $45,000, Fifth Place — $40,000. Big Ramy’s first Mr. Olympia competition was in 2013. He placed eight just a few notches below the top 6 highlights. But even with the lower placing, he immediately turned heads. His mammoth
Party Castle Candy Express support GGA/Nexgen GA charitable event The Party Castle Candy Express has made a timely donation towards the Guyana Golf Association (GGA)/ Nexgen Golf Academy charitable event. At a simple ceremony held at their location, 35 King Street, Georgetown, Owner, Ms. Diane Innis presented a quantity of candies which will be donated to Hope Enmore Orphanage. Receiving the donation as President of the GGA and Nexgen Golf Academy, Aleem Hussain. Innis, an overseas based Guyanese said it’s an honour to be a part of the event and lauded the golf association for rendering assistance to the children. “This is home; we always give back to the community. We love doing this because Guyana is where we come from and we love to give back to the underprivileged children, especially around Christmas time,” she added. ”Everyone has a sweet tooth but there is only one place to satisfy your craving, The Candy Store. It’s a magical place where the children in you can come out and experience your sweetest fantasies.” ”The golf association is doing a great thing to help the community and it’s a pleasure
to be part of it. The aim is to help the children and I will continue to give back to the community and support the sport of golf,” Innis stated. The businesswoman also explained that the hand crafted boxes of candy were designed to bring a smile to the faces of the children, many of whom would normally not enjoy a sweet Christmas. She felt that every child should be able to taste the wonderful treats that she personally selects and packages. Innis also felt that such ventures can help to get more children involved in the sport. Hussain expressed gratitude to Innis and said her efforts will help to give the children an enjoyable holiday season. “The usual holiday dinner party for Orphanages was disrupted this year due to Covid-19 but we found a way to keep hopes alive by joining forces with Kimberly Jaikarran of the Humanitarian Volunteer Network to help raise donations of foodstuff for Christmas dinner for the Enmore Orphanage,” he said. Recently, children of the Hope Orphanage were given a chance to play the sport of golf at the Academy which is situated at Woolford Avenue.“
Mamdouh Elssbiay ‘Big Ramy’ (2nd left) Mr. Olympia 2020 with the other three finalists.
size was hardly seen in current crop of competitors. It wasn’t long before the hype train build up steam. Fans were clamoring – with time, will he become a powerhouse reigning champion? Over the following years, Ramy improved in placing with each Olympia competition. This came to a head at the Mr. Olympia 2017 where Big Ramy placed 2nd. It was at this competition that his promise seemed to turn into a reality. For what seemed like the first time in forever, Phil Heath actually appeared threatened. With his massive size, Big Ramy looked like a real possibility to win standing next to Phil Heath. The competition was so close that many fans believed that Big Ramy was the right-
ful winner. Similar to the 2007 Mr. Olympia with Victor Martinez, the competition became controversial for potentially making the wrong call. With Big Ramy so close to victory in 2017 and Phil Heath appearing to slightly fade – fans were excited more than ever before the Mr. Olympia 2018. Anticipation was in overdrive as fans expected to see an even more improved Big Ramy. With his conditioning issue seemingly under control – victory was just around the corner. Unfortunately, more bad news was on the horizon as Big Ramy announced in 2019 that he would not compete in the Mr. Olympia. Original reports of injury seemed to be the reason behind his absence – though he initially denied these reports. After a lacklus-
ter appearance in 2018, fans were disappointed to see him miss a full year. Of course, this story ultimately has a happy ending. It seems his year break helped further improve Big Ramy’s physique. Still sporting incredible size and a renewed conditioning – Ramy towered over the competitors at the Mr. Olympia 2020. Brandon Curry, Hadi Choopan, and especially Phil Heath had to fight tooth and nail against him. Their efforts were not enough to take him down and the judges crowned Big Ramy the victory of the night. Pro Bodybuilding is often a long and intense journey. For a wide variety of reasons, competitors often take much longer to come into their prime than in typical sports.
This also leads to the average age of prime athletes being much older than mainstream sports such as Football or Basketball. This would not end up being the case. In 2018, Big Ramy dropped down to a disappointing 6th place at the Mr. Olympia. His conditioning was off and he appeared to fade as the competition went on. Fans were so disappointed that Big Ramy himself issued an apology immediately after the event. Big Ramy’s perseverance and dedication to his craft showcase how slow and steady can win the race. He shut out a comeback attempt by Phil Heath and defeated an improved returning champion Brandon Curry. A well earned victory and one for the history books.
Atletico go clear at top of La Liga BBCsport - Atletico Madrid moved three points clear at the top of La Liga thanks to victory at thirdplaced Real Sociedad. Mario Hermoso’s header broke the deadlock early in the second half before Marcos Llorente’s cool finish sealed victory for Diego Simeone’s men. Atletico, who have conceded just five goals in 13 league games this term, comfortably kept an eighth clean sheet. Real Madrid could draw level on points if they beat Granada on Wednesday but will have played two games more. Zinedine Zidane’s Real are the only side to have inflicted a domestic defeat on Atletico this season and Sociedad rarely looked like becoming the second. Their only shot on target came late on and Atletico keeper Jan Oblak was equal to Martin Merquelanz’s strike
Marcos Llorente’s goal was his fifth of the season for Atletico
from just outside the box to preserve the visitors’ impressive defensive record. Central defender Hermoso went close with a first-half
header before nodding Atletico ahead from Yannick Carrasco’s cross after the break for his first league goal for the club.
Llorente then fired home left-footed strike to extend Sociedad’s winless run to six games after a promising start to their season.
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Anthony Joshua helps fund British amateur boxing Anthony Joshua won gold as an amateur at the London 2012 Olympics
BBCsport - World heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has made a substantial donation to help fund amateur boxing in Britain saying he hopes “we have not lost the next generation” of fighters. Some clubs have closed and boxing was not included on a list of sports that received a £300m bailout in November. Briton Joshua, 31, gave a sixfigure sum to the amateur boxing federations of England, Wales and Scotland. ”Without grassroots boxing, there is no Anthony Joshua,” he said. “The doors to these gyms are always open to any kid from any background,” Joshua, who turned professional after winning Olympic gold at London 2012, told BBC sports editor Dan Roan. ”If I was 18 again and I was in a position where the gym was closed and it might not open, I would be devastated. “It’s not just financial help. I will often try and motivate these kids by being among them, bringing my belts down and training with them. ”I believe in the next 10-15
years, you are going to see the leaders of tomorrow, but I hope it’s not 25-30 years because we have lost this next generation.” Funding will be provided to the clubs most in need. Gethin Jenkins, chairman of England Boxing, said: “We are delighted and we thank Anthony for this muchneeded financial support and for drawing attention to the role and support the clubs offer in their local communities and with it the need for greater government support to grassroots boxing clubs.” Although boxing was not included in the government’s bailout last month, Sport England has distributed £2.5m to local clubs since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Joshua first became world champion in 2016 when he beat American Charles Martin to win the IBF title. His most recent fight was a ninth-round stoppage of Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Arena on 12 December. Joshua, who holds the IBF, WBA and WBO titles and compatriot Tyson Fury, who is the WBC champion,
currently occupy all of the world heavyweight titles between them, and the former says he is “certain” the pair will meet in a unification bout in 2021. Both fighters have progressed from the amateur ranks and Joshua says “the world’s eyes will be watching” their fight. “I’m certain [it is going to happen], I’m keen and I’m ready,” said Joshua. ”It’s about me challenging myself and getting my hands on that WBC belt because I want to be an undisputed heavyweight champion. That is legacy.” With rumours of the fight being agreed in a lucrative deal overseas, Joshua said he “prays” the bout happens in Britain, but he is “more interested in the fight than where it happens”. “We are aiming for some time in June so it gives us a window to assess the situation with the [Covid19] pandemic here. ”I will do it any time and any place, but until that fight is reality and his signature is on the dotted line, I’m not really going to talk about it.”
FIFA files criminal complaint in connection with Museum project that landed football with a bill of CHF 500 million FIFA has lodged a criminal complaint with Zurich’s cantonal prosecutor as evidence of suspected criminal mismanagement by FIFA’s former management and companies appointed by them in relation to the ‘Haus zur Enge’ has surfaced following an investigation by external experts. The complaint identifies the direct involvement of former FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter together with other persons in relation to activities relating to the agreements that were signed in relation to the facility, which is located in downtown Zurich.
Wednesday December 23, 2020
Kaieteur News
The complaint includes the entire project costs at CHF
organisation doesn’t own, while also locking itself into a
500 million, and identifies that the previous FIFA administration poured CHF 140 million into renovating and refurbishing a building that the
long-term rental agreement on unfavourable terms when compared to standard market rates, which, in total, will cost (Continued on page 35)
Brentford stun Newcastle to reach EFL Cup semi-finals for first time BBCsport - Brentford reached the semi-final of a major tournament for the first time with a fully deserved victory over Premier League side Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup. Thomas Frank’s in-form Championship side came into this quarter-final on the back of a 13-match unbeaten run and missed a host of good chances before man of the match Josh Dasilva put them in front with a crisp, left-foot volley after 66 minutes. It was the breakthrough the Bees merited as they dominated, with Saman Ghoddos hitting the bar and Sergi Canos heading wide with the goal at his mercy in the first half. Callum Wilson threatened briefly for visitors Newcastle but all the urgency and progressive football came from Brentford, who made six changes from their
weekend win over Reading, including leaving the second tier’s top scorer Ivan Toney on the bench against his former club. In the surroundings of their new Brentford Community Stadium, Frank and his players demonstrated how well they have rebuilt from the bitter pain of defeat by Fulham in the Championship play-off final and the loss of key players. Last season’s main striker, Ollie Watkins, and attacking creator, Said Benrahma, have left for Aston Villa and West Ham United respectively, but Frank still has a progressive, attractive side. This game could have been over in the first half had Brentford taken those opportunities, but it was no more than they deserved when Dasilva finally broke the deadlock.
The Bees are back in the top four in the Championship, three points off the automatic promotion places, and are shaping up once more as serious promotion candidates. And this was all achieved with a muchchanged team. Frank insisted before Tuesday’s game that, despite the changes, Brentford had the quality and inspiration to win and no-one can begrudge them a historic victory. Newcastle’s players made for the sanctuary of the dressing room very quickly at the end of a grim night that is sure to bring a storm of criticism down on the head of manager Steve Bruce and his players. They got the kinder end of the quarter-final draw by avoiding the Premier League big guns, even though this was still a difficult (Continued on page 35)
The winner was Josh Dasilva’s second Carabao Cup goal this season after also scoring in a 2-0 win at Southampton
Three Guyanese Match Officials make 2021 FIFA International List Sherwin Johnson, Maurees Skeete and Kleon Lindey have been reselected to represent Guyana on the prestigious FIFA Refereeing International Lists, enabling the Guyanese trio to wear the FIFA badge and officiate at international matches in 2021. The FIFA lists are updated each year with approved and qualified referees and assistant referees from all over the world, on the basis of nominations from national federations which are reviewed by the FIFA Referees Committee, chaired by 2002 FIFA World Cup Final referee Pierluigi Collina. ”The GFF is extremely elated by the re-nomination of our three match officials to the 2021 FIFA list of referees,”
said GFF Executive Committee member and Head of Refereeing - and former FIFA match official - Dion Inniss. “Because of the pandemic, no opportunities were presented to them for officiating even at the local level, much less the international level. We know how distressing this was for them – they were not able to showcase their talent. We wish them the very best as soon as we are allowed to return to play in 2021, and we know that they will go out and represent Guyana proudly on the field.” Referees Johnson and Skeete have been part of the FIFA list since 2012 and 2014 respectively, while assistant referee Lindey has featured in the selection since 2015. Guyana
Defence Force Staff Sergeant Skeete has been nominated for Concacaf female referee of the year on two o c c a s i o n s . ”I’m very elated to have been re-nominated to the FIFA 2021 list,” Johnson said. “With hard work and determination comes success but I feel as though this one was given to me too easy because little football was played due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but I’m eagerly awaiting the return to play so that I can once again showcase my talent with the Golden Arrowhead flying high. I want to thank God for his continued protection and my family for their never-ending support.”
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Big Bash League: Sydney Thunder beat Perth Scorchers by seven wickets Callum Ferguson, 36, retired from first-class cricket in November
BBCsport - Captain Callum Ferguson’s unbeaten 61 led Sydney Thunder to a seven-wicket win over Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League in Canberra. Ferguson, along with 36 from debutant Oliver Davies and 29 not out by Ben Cutting, carried the Thunder to their target of 153 with three balls left. Mitchell Marsh earlier made 52 not out in the Scorchers’ 152-5. The Thunder climb to fourth in table with two wins from three games, while Perth are winless after three matches. The Thunder also took the Bash Boost point for having the higher score after
10 overs. Perth’s slow start at the Manuka Oval included Joe Clarke being run out for a two-ball duck by Nottinghamshire team-mate Alex Hales. After Marsh added an unbroken 61 with Cameron Bancroft, who made 34 not out, Hales himself fell for a duck at the beginning of Thunder’s chase, bowled by Jason Behrendorff. From there, Ferguson marshalled the pursuit, first with the help of 20-year-old Davies, playing his first game of professional cricket. Davies struck three huge sixes in his 22-ball innings
Andy Murray beats Cameron Norrie at Battle of the Brits BBCsport - Andy Murray continued in promising form at the Battle of the Brits, beating Cameron Norrie in straight sets. The world number 122 claimed victory against British number one Dan Evans on Sunday and two days later beat Norrie 6-4 76 ( 7 - 5 ) . Before the tournament in London, the 33-year-old had not played since withdrawing from a Cologne event in October because of a pelvic problem. The all-British event is taking place in Roehampton. Norrie started slowly and Murray took advantage to seal the first set, before Norrie fought back to take the second to a tie-break.
The British number three had a set point at 6-5 but Murray saved it and sealed victory as his lob landed perfectly on the baseline. Evans bounced back from his defeat to Murray, beating beating Liam Broady 6-0 62, while Jack Draper followed up Monday’s victory over Norrie with a 64 6-1 success against Jay Clarke. There were also wins for Anton Matusevich, Katy Dunne, Francesca Jones and E d e n S i l v a . The Battle of the Brits was organised by the Lawn Tennis Association to help British players prepare for the 2021 season with competitive matches after their schedules had been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Andy Murray returned to tennis in June 2019 following career-saving hip surgery the previous January.
and, after he was stumped off the leg-spin of Fawad Ahmed, Cutting arrived to hit four fours and a six off o n l y 1 6 b a l l s . Perth Scorchers 152-5 (20 overs): M Marsh 52* (41). Sydney Thunder 156-3 (19.3 overs): Ferguson 61* (53), Davies 36 (22). Sydney Thunder won by seven wickets
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Wednesday December 23, 2020
Rizwan’s 89 off 59 the centrepiece of Pakistan victory ESPNcricinfo - Pakistan really rate Mohammad Rizwan. Their followers might continue to doubt him. But the team itself is firmly behind the wicketkeeperbatsman. And that belief is a powerful thing. It lifts people and makes them do extraordinary t h i n g s . That was the case in Napier, where Rizwan led his team to one of their best ever wins in T20Is. His 89 off 59 was the centrepiece of Pakistan’s fourth-highest chase in the
shortest format. New Zealand did well to get a strong total on the board thanks to Devon Conway’s half-century at the back end of the innings and as hard as they tried to defend it, the dew that came down in the evening, along with a hamstring injury to Ish Sodhi, were odds too great to overcome. The change bowler Faheem Ashraf started his spell with a lot of wobble seam deliveries. Mostly because he was bowling at a
time when the pitch offered grip to virtually every kind of change-up delivery. This is what has been missing from Pakistan’s game all series. The ability to read the conditions early and adapting to them quickly. The allrounder’s impact was immediate. He took out captain Kane Williamson with a back of a length ball that kept a touch low and didn’t come onto the bat. Then he produced a flash of genius when he went through the in-form Tim
Seifert with a ball that decked in off the pitch and took out the top of off stump. New Zealand had made a strong start - 47 for 2 at the end of the powerplay - but Ashraf dragged them back beautifully. The Con man - New Zealand found themselves having to re-start their innings all over again. But they suffered a serious blow in the 15th over when they lost Glenn Phillips - once again the slower ball doing the trick. The score was 109.
There were only 35 balls r e m a i n i n g . Ti m e w a s r u n n i n g o u t . Being out there batting in a situation like that can feel suffocating. But Conway, playing only his sixth international game, stepped up in a way that suggests he will be a long-time presence i n t h i s t e a m . He is electric through the off side, as Shaheen Afridi found out immediately after taking that Phillips wicket. Two scorching cover drives kickstarted New Zealand’s push in the slog overs. And it also featured an effortless flick for six off the extreme
pace of Haris Rauf. Conway does seem vulnerable at the start of his innings - as most batsmen do - but once he’s through that tough period he really knows how to make it count. Because of him, New Zealand hit 64 runs in the last 5 . 5 o v e r s . The match-winner - It began in discomfort. Trent Boult’s inswingers buzzed around his pads. Tim Southee very nearly had him bowled. The new ball under lights was doing some tricky things. But Rizwan, having made (Continued on page 35)
Mohammad Rizwan lines himself up to swat one away Getty Images.
Devon Conway acknowledges the applause on getting to his fifty AFP/Getty Images
Wednesday December 23, 2020
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Tokyo Olympics to spend
Brandon Hendrickson wins $900 million on coronavirus second Men’s measures Physique - budget Olympia title Brandon Hendrickson Men’s Physique Olympia 2020
To k y o ( R e u t e r s ) Organisers of the Tokyo Olympics will spend $900 million on measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus at next year’s Games, they said on Tuesday, as they unveiled their latest budget for the delayed tournament. The organisers repeated their projection that the total cost of the postponement, including the COVID-19 countermeasures, would come to about $2.8 billion, bringing the entire cost of holding the Games to about $15.4 billion. ”We want to build the best possible system by continuing to interact with the relevant organisations of doctors and nurses,” Tokyo Olympics chief executive Toshiro Muto told reporters. ”It’s still a big issue for us to secure as many medical staff as we hope for when faced with a situation where private medical institutions are struggling with management because of the coronavirus,” Muto said. The organisers took the unprecedented step of postponing the Olympics in March because of the pandemic and the government of Prime
Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori
Minister Yoshihide Suga, who has declared he will host the Olympics “at any cost”, is pressing ahead with the preparations. The Games are the legacy of the ex-premier Shinzo Abe who resigned in September. Under his watch, Japan secured the Olympics and invested billions of dollars in their organisation, having gathered more than $3 billion in domestic sponsorship. Even before the postponement, the Olympics had gone above the initial budget with almost $13
billion already spent, according to the organisers. T h e C O V I D - 1 9 countermeasures will include PCR testing infrastructure, setting up a clinic, as well as creating remote coverage set-ups and countermeasures at food and drink processing centres, the budget summary showed. Some of the extra costs would be covered by additional sponsorship and insurance, organisers said this month. They would also tap a contingency fund detailed in last year’s budget to cover some costs.
E
OB - Brandon Hendrickson has managed to defeat defending champion Raymont Edmonds to win the 2020 Men’s Physique Olympia title. Brandon won the title in 2018 and fell to a shocking fourth place in 2019. Dedicating most of the year preparing for 2020, Brandon’s hard work earned him his second Men’s Physique title. 2019 Men’s Physique Olympia winner Raymont Edmonds had to settle for second place while Kyron Holden placed third, keeping the same position from 2019. Men’s Physique Mr. Olympia 2020 Results - 1. Brandon Hendrickson, $35,000, 2. Raymont Edmonds, $12,000, 3. Kyron Holden, $8000, 4. Jeremy Potvin, $4000, 5. Andrei Deiu, $2000.
Kleon Lindey
Maurees Skeete
Sherwin Johnson
Big Ramy wins the Mr. Olympia 2020
Three Guyanese Match Officials make 2021 FIFA International List t r o Sp President of the Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy Aleem Hussain accepts some of the Candies from Ms. Dianne Innis.
Mamdouh Elssbiay ‘Big Ramy’
Party Castle Candy Express support GGA/Nexgen GA charitable event
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