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GTT pays NEWS money to Court Registry AIETEUR

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Saturday Edition February 01, 2020 - Vol. 14 No. 05

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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

Price $80

Online readership yesterday 126,166

EXXON'S DEAL AND OPERATIONS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE...

Tax Chief to keep watchful eye on all costs submitted Trotman had no legal authority to give a new contract - Chris Ram p. 7

p. 12

Every Guyanese will lose $15M if oil deal remains as is - Global Witness p. 3

GRA working on CCTV for oil vessel - will have permanent presence in the meantime

p. 14

The modified bus used by Lakram and workers

Dead: Parmanand Lakram

Cattle rearer riddled with bullets at …had gone to untie No. 67 Village backdam two unbranded cows p. 2


Kaieteur News

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Saturday February 01, 2020

Cattle rearer riddled with bullets at No. 67 Village backdam …had gone to untie two unbranded cows

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haos erupted in the Number 67 V i l l a g e Backdam, Upper Corentyne, Berbice, when three cattle rearers ventured to the location to untie two unbranded cows that were grazing in the area yesterday morning. One of those men met his demise when he was approached by two individuals on a motorcycle armed with guns. They pumped several bullets to his head and about his body just after he reportedly

recognised their faces, while the other two workers hid in the bush. Dead is 40-year-old Parmanand Lakram alias “Bachan”, a father of four, of Lot 52 Number 68 Village, Berbice. A police source has since informed this publication that one person is presently in custody assisting with investigations, while a modified bus with blood splatter on the left rear tyre and rim, belonging to Lakram, has been impounded at the Springlands Police Station.

Kaieteur News was reliably informed by the source that Lakram, who is known to the police, along with two men who worked with him, ventured to the location yesterday morning with the intention of “bringing two cows from the backdam which we understand are stolen cows”. The source added that when the men arrived at the location where the cattle were, two persons on motorcycle approached them and began to fire shots at Lakram. During the hail of

The modified bus used by Lakram and workers

gunfire, Lakram reportedly recognized his killer before he died since he “called out the person's name before he was shot”. “What normally happens

is that they take these wild cows (unbranded) and brand them to make them their own. So apparently these men were traced there and when they were about to load the cows in the open back bus, two men pulled up on them and shot at them several times”, the source (continued on page 12)

The left rear wheel that the victim was found slumped next to

Dead: Parmanand Lakram


Saturday February 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Global Witness says…

Every Guyanese will lose $15M if Exxon deal remains as is A

nti-corruption a d v o c a t e Christopher Ram is demanding that Government publicly apologise to the Guyanese people for what he describes as “colossal mistakes” in its management of Guyana's fledgling petroleum sector. Ram said President David Granger should rethink his position on the 'sanctity' of the Stabroek Block license granted to ExxonMobil and its partners, and renegotiate the “improper” agreement which was signed under the “ s t r a n g e s t o f circumstances”. “He has a duty to this country to show leadership, commonsense, strength, patriotism – a duty to restore… our patrimony

which his Government meekly surrendered,” Ram wrote in a letter. The lawyer's call to the President is, this time, specifically prompted by the entrance of global anticorruption nongovernmental organization, Global Witness, into public discourse about the sector. The organization has set its sights on Guyana's oil industry, as it is well established for its record of exposing corruption and fraudulent goings-on in extractive industries around the world. It has already issued a stern message to ExxonMobil. The firm has urged Exxon, pursuant to a report it is set to publish soon, to renegotiate the controversial Stabroek Block Production

Sharing Agreement (PSA), so that Guyana gets a fair deal. The agreement has been widely criticised as lopsided and unfair. The media corps has reported copiously on the many aspects of the agreement which have been deemed in contravention with the law, lopsided and/or have loopholes that will cause billions of dollars in revenue losses for the Guyanese people. Several sections of the public have called for it to be renegotiated as well. ExxonMobil has a 45 percent stake in the Stabroek license, for which it is the lead operator. Hess holds a 30 percent stake, while CNOOC holds the remaining 25 percent stake. By the estimation of a

GTT pays money to Court Registry

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aieteur News published yesterday, an article with the headline, “Sale of Govt. 20% shares in GTT… High Court orders seizure of US$3.2M from GTT bank account.” In response to that article, the telephone company informed Kaieteur News that it complied with the ruling of the court, contrary to the inference in the published article. The newspaper acknowledges that the publication, coming as it did, created the wrong impression. In a letter signed by Vice President and Legal Adviser, Mark Reynolds, the company paid the money on January 27, last, in keeping with the order, of the court. The money represented dividends accruing to the

Hong Kong-based company that reportedly bought the 20 per cent shares. The Hong Kong-based company, according to the B h a r r a t J a g d e o administration, acquired the shares for US$30M. It paid to the Jagdeo administration US$25M, and declined to pay the balance. The money from the shares should have gone to the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL). Sometime later it offered to pay US$3M, but NICILrefused the sum and opted to go to court. The result is that dividends payable to the Hong Kong-based company must now be paid to NICIL. The Kaieteur News article resulted from a court ruling issued January 13, 2020.

The company was given 14 days to honour the order of court, which the telephone company did, according to the letter from GTT. I n t h e l e t t e r, G T T explained that the primary respondent to NICIL's claim is Hong Kong Golden Telecom Company. GTT was joined in the proceedings as an interested party. It did not owe NICIL. GTT was at pains to point out that the court did not order the seizure of any money from the GTT bank account. It said that the suggestion that the telephone company was reluctant to pay was baseless. There was no attempt by Kaieteur News to “denigrate the public image of the financial standing and reputation of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company”.

Attorney-at-Law and Accountant, Christopher Ram firm Global Witness has consulted, Guyana is set to lose about US$55B over the 40-year life of the Stabroek license. That's nearly US$1.4B per year. Ram has calculated with OpenOil's figures that every Guyanese would be losing over $15M if Government refuses to renegotiate the controversial agreement. That number doesn't even include the 16th find that ExxonMobil recently released. “To put that figure into some context, it means that at the national minimum public service pay of G$70,000 per month, this Government has given away 222 months' or roughly 18 years and six months' worth of earnings for every single man, woman and child in Guyana,” Ram said. In a letter to ExxonMobil's local subsidiary, Esso Exploration

ExxonMobil Country Manager, Rod Henson and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), Investigator for Global Witness, Jonathan Gant, told the company's Country Manager, Rod Henson, about the report. Gant indicated that it commissioned OpenOil, a Berlin-based firm that conducts financial analyses on natural resource assets. Global Witness intended for the firm to update its fiscal analysis of the Stabroek license. Global Witness, in the

January 29 letter stated that OpenOil used data from Rystad Energy and ExxonMobil's public disclosures, along with an oil price of US$65/barrels for its analysis. The firm also assumed that the life of the license would see ExxonMobil producing the current estimated 7.9B barrels in proven reserves. O penO il reportedly found that Guyana will only get a 52 percent share of oil revenues, though Global Witness has noted that a 69 percent share is considered reasonable. Global Witness noted that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) set the reasonable government take between 65 percent and 86 percent. Guyana is set to get an estimated US$168B over the course of the license, instead of a reasonable US$223B, the NGO indicated. That amounts to a significant loss for Guyana, a difference of US$55B. Global Witness noted the (continued on page 7)


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Kaieteur News

Saturday February 01, 2020

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

EDITORIAL

Punishment, perpetrators and perspective What did this, perhaps wiser than us, convicted robber mean when he uttered those arresting words? What did that young man intended to relay, when he publicly articulated the remarkable position that “jail time is waste time” when he was sentenced? However looked at, there is a huge range of interpretations that are possible, with none of them offering much of what is comforting for the reeling peoples of this crime-ridden society. It is as if being punished to the tune of one and a half years in prison does not mean anything. It is as if this specific individual is shouting out to the world that is Guyana that if this is the worst that could be meted out, then do your damnedest. It is more than thumbing nose at society. It is spitting upon it and holding in complete disdain that which it inflicts as penalties, intended to serve as not so much punishment, but as part of a lengthy rehabilitation process. Clearly, it (jail) is neither registering nor making an impact with regards to punishment, fails to function as a deterrent, and is not feared for either stigma nor loss of freedom nor the trials of confined hardship. In other words, it is part of the price for following a criminal program, and it is one that if it has to be paid, then it will be with all the nonchalance and boredom of another day at the office. This is not only bewildering, but intensely alarming. For if perpetrators - youthful or seasoned, of the misdemeanor variety or felonious class - are neither impressed nor troubled, in the least, by the regular and most applied punishment for guilt in our justice system, then there is not much left to restrain the criminal hordes from running rampant in society. For, when examined carefully, it seems that they multiply daily and operate at will, however they wish, and at any time and place of their choosing. Other than imprisonment for everyday violations of the law that reek of the callous and violent, and sometimes lethal, there is little else. There is little else to hold back the tide that rages relentlessly, that comes randomly and in numbers, that rears its head with intensifying barbarities and results. What is there to hold them in check, to make them pause and think twice, and then some more, before immersing themselves in a life of crime? What is there to bring soothing to the peoples of this society, peoples troubled and fearful and living in dread? Now, here is a young offender expressing the sentiments of what it is hoped is not the culture of the street and criminal havens. Because, if it is that a bottom feeder, a small-time petty criminal operator, has this untroubled mentality, it is disturbing to contemplate what the veterans and hardcore and serial criminals think of the spectre of incarceration. One has to wonder whether the penal regime is considered to be so ineffective, so much water on a duck’s back, that it amounts to naught. It just may have become, in some respects, a home away from home. Among the considerations that have to be given weight is the probability, if not the unsettling reality, that the prison system can be gamed from the inside and made to dance to the tune of those who have broken the law. From the continual reports of smuggled contraband, compromised prison personnel, the almost perpetual threat of jailbreaks and escape - and all the perils that those hold for apprehensive society - it is clear that there are unflagging efforts to undermine what can only be described as a shaky holding system. When the jails of a country lose their sting, and the dread of being locked away for over a year is greeted with indifference, if not disdain, then something new and drastic has to be put on the table. The other day, one of the new parties - the religious one - contesting this year’s elections shared with the Guyanese public their thinking and call for the return of the death penalty and the cat o’ nine tails. The latter was once held in great dread. Perhaps, it is time that it be reintroduced here.

Suriname’s discovery should be wakeup call for Guyana DEAR EDITOR, I wish to draw attention to a topic which has garnered increasing attention and interest over the past week. The recent announcements of the first significant offshore oil discovery in Suriname has further cemented the GuyanaSuriname Basin’s global reputation as an oil hotspot. The discovery in Block 58, just next door to the Stabroek, has prompted great international interest and skyrocketed the stock prices of the companies involved. This discovery should serve as a reminder to Guyanese that offshore territorial borders are merely theoretical constructs of the modern nation state. The potential for significant oil reserves does not simply stop at Guyana’s border. Suriname’s offshore territory has much of the same geologic promise and potential as Guyana’s. This first discovery likely signals

more to come. But the increased reputation of the GSB may not be all good news for Guyana. The reality is that our neighbour is vastly more prepared and established when it comes to oil industry governance. They have a history of production, albeit small, which has led them to build a refinery and establish their very own national oil company, Staatsolie. Leaders and citizens are familiar with the industry and have built up the knowledge and experience that comes with managing it over time. This forces me to ask the uncomfortable question of what would happen should Suriname enter a similar streak of exploration success as we have enjoyed here in Guyana? Might we not suffer a decrease in status and appeal as a result? It is no secret that the international community now regards Guyana with a

wary eye. The United States was sufficiently concerned by our political stability to send a congressional delegation urging our leaders to hold free and fair elections and, most importantly, to respect the results. Our political leaders have also failed to signal stability in the oil space, prevaricating on vital questions. For example, it seems that the opinion of various leaders regarding how to treat the ExxonMobil Stabroek contract shifts as frequently as the wind. One day, we recognise that it reflects ExxonMobil’s unique status as a pioneer explorer here in Guyana. The next, we plan to force a renegotiation of the contract. Meanwhile, plans and proposals for how to spend oil revenues remain vague and opaque. While I share the opinion of my fellow Guyanese that the current contracts for our offshore blocks are poor, the unfortunate reality is that our

leaders have squandered our considerable lead. This sentiment is comprehensively addressed by a Kaieteur News editorial from January 26th, “The Exxon oil contract”. International investors and companies may see Guyana as a risky investment and Suriname, should they see a few more successful discoveries, will surely be beckoning. We are now forced to acknowledge that any decisions to hold up or halt development offshore will not occur in a vacuum. Our international reputation matters now more than it ever has before. I implore our leaders to fight the urge to shift with the political winds when it comes to our oil industry. Rather, we must endeavour to make measured and well-communicated decisions. This is the only way to protect our status and future. Yours Respectfully, Gregory Lynch

Guyana belongs to all – no forest area giveaway before election DEAR EDITOR, Please allow me a small space in your newspaper so I can voice my concerns and the concerns of many of my friends who are operating in the forestry sector in Guyana. Over the months there were countless letters by concerned citizens in the different newspapers of Guyana talking about the challenges facing the forestry sector in Guyana. These challenges range from what is taking place internally at the Guyana Forestry Commission and what is happening in the forests. Almost all of these concerns it would seem went unnoticed by this government. It has reached to a stage where the concerned citizen of Guyana has no place to voice their concern. Many of my friends in the forestry sector would have written letters to Minister Trotman and the Chairwoman of the forestry board, concerning many problems but to date have not received a reply. I myself attended many meetings in Kwakwani where there are a number of problems being faced by citizens however, Minister Trotman just sat, listened and used his famous line “I will take note of your concerns and investigate.” To date there has been no action or solution to our problems. What has been observed is that after many of these meeting, the Minister and his team are seen socializing with the same people guilty of and involved in many forestry wrongdoings.

Editor, forestry in Guyana is in a mess. We the poor people living in the forest suffer daily and only the rich is getting richer. They are the ones who can pay their way through the forestry system. This clearly shows this government does not care about our forest and the role it plays towards national development. It is so heartbreaking to hear the talk of sustainable forest management, and good forest governance has been a big joke on the streets of Guyana. Today, we as loggers can see the lawlessness which has been going on in our forests and at the places where forestry operations are being carried out (sawmill, lumber, export ports, etc). Before this government came into power, forestry in Guyana was so highly praised. Now I realize the system then allowed for everyone to be able to make an honest living from the forest, and also respect the law of Guyana. Today what we are seeing is that the one who can pay their way or who is well acquainted with someone in government or the GFC Board can do what they want in the forest. Editor, right now there is a lot of talk on the streets about the forestry commission giving out more forest concessions before election. Persons are saying those forests lands are already earmarked for individuals and companies who are friends of this government or friends of members of the forestry board and persons in high office in the

forestry commission. We the poor hard working loggers think this is unfair and we should be given equal opportunities to have access to these new available forest areas. In order to understand our concerns l would like to highlight these few points and ask a few questions so our readers can understand our situation: 1. The forest area identified for allocation before election in March was supposedly taken back by the government from big investors. 2. There are noticeable changes to the requirements for forest area. These changes were made by the forestry board. 3. The areas will not be advertised for one month as per the norm over the years by the forestry commission. 4. Can the Minister and Cabinet legally allocate any state forests areas before election in March, knowing there is no Parliament in Guyana?

5. Are the international bodies like DFID, EU, FAO, ITTO, Etc. who would have provided millions to the Guyana Forestry Commission to help develop good sustainable forests management system and support good governance in Guyana forestry sector going to sit back and remain quiet? 6. Are the NGOs in Guyana going to sit back and watch corruption and lack of transparency in the forestry commission? 7. Is this what Norway is supporting in Guyana? In closing, I am calling on all the honest hard working staff of the forestry commission and law abiding stakeholders to reject the fraud which is ongoing at the forestry commission. The Guyana Forest belongs to all and not a chosen few. No forest area should be distributed before elections. Sincerely, Terrence Nedd

ERC condemns behaviour of political supporters on campaign trail DEAR EDITOR, The Ethnic Relations Commission, (ERC), condemns the unacceptable conduct of purported supporters of contesting political parties over the past few days, which have resulted in heated confrontations in different parts of the country, such as at Wismar and Non Pariel.

The Commission calls on political leaders to urge their supporters to immediately stop and reject any inclination by their supporters to taunt, confront and intimidate others of opposing sides. The ERC is engaging political leaders on those developments and its proposed Code of Conduct (Continued on page 6)


Saturday February 01, 2020

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Kaieteur News

What is vital is to have in charge of the Ship of State, a person whose integrity cannot be questioned DEAR EDITOR, Guyanese are being inundated with pedantic pronouncements by certain people, who claim knowledge about the Oil and Gas Industry. These have come from near and far. We have the petroleum academics experts from University of Uitvulgt to Ulverston, from Babu Jaan to Britannia – all ignoring the complexities of the petroleum world. Over the past twenty-four hours, as a continuum of these persistent pontification, Dr. Jagdeo now poses the question as headlined “Are Exxon’s costs bloated, Jagdeo says billiondollar cost reduction in Liza 1 alone worrying.” Another sensational headline – “Guyana stands to lose US$55b in bad oil deal” and so the crusade continues. It is an old technique to pose such questions only designed to create confusion and doubts among the populace. None of us believe that these Oil giants are Angels, but while we can forgive market vendors and others from expressing views and be part of the round of rumours, senior political personalities have a duty to be responsible in order to cause neither confusion nor discontent. In an earlier contribution, I noted that over time that petroleum has been the source of Confusion, Coups and Corruption. Only sincere committed

leadership can avoid the above three pitfalls. Petroleum is new to Guyana and I believe those who are really interested in the well-being of our Cooperative Republic, should work together so that this and succeeding generations can share the bounty that beacons. We have just found oil and some people believe that this Administration will just wave a magic wand and create ideal conditions over-night; conditions that has taken others years to achieve, while dealing with the vagaries of a tricky international environment. Dear Editor, I ask that you share this information extracted from the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, Trinidad & Tobago, so that we can all appreciate the dynamics of change in the Petroleum Industry and pointing to the reality that ideal conditions are not achieved overnight. Following, are the historical facts of the Petroleum Industry of Trinidad & Tobago: 1857: First well drilled for oil in Trinidad – 61 metres deep in the vicinity of the Pitch Lake by the Merrimac Company; 1865: Walter Darwent founded the Paria Oil Co. to drill for oil in south Trinidad 1866: First successful oil well drilled by Walter Darwent at Aripero 1901: Randolph Rust and Mr. Lee Lum drilled and

tested a well which produced 455 liters of oil in 2 hours 1903: Guyaguayare No. 3…first well to be drilled with rotary equipment. 1904: A Mines Department instituted as a branch of the Public Works with the production of manjak. 1908: Commercial oil production begins in Trinidad near the Pitch Lake, La Brea 1910: First export cargo of crude oil was shipped by tanker at Brighton, La Brea 1911: Discovery of Tabaquite field most northerly oilfield found on land, to date. 1912: Small refinery built at Point Fortin 1914: Production reached 1 MMB/year and the oil industry employed 1,200. 1919: Refinery capacity increased to 9,000 barrels of oil per day. Sixty-six percent of crude oil produced was refined locally. 1921: Production began from Trinidad Leaseholds Ltd.’s Cat Cracker Unit at Pointe-a-Pierre. 1930: Crude oil production increased to 10 million barrels per year. 1930: First importation of oil from Venezuela for refining locally. 1930: First geophysical surveys made in the Brighton area.

1932: Electrical well logging introduced in Trinidad. 1933: Trinidad Oilfields Ltd. introduces gas injection in the Forest Reserve Upper Cruse sand. 1937: Widespread labour unrest in the oilfield area. 1940: Refining capacity increased to approximately 285,000 bbl/day 1954: Marine drilling for oil began in the Soldado Field by Trinidad Northern Areas Limited (TRINMAR) 1954: Deepest well drilled on land Apex, Fyzabad Well No. 560 drilled to 16,155 feet. 1955: Discovery of the northern-most gas field in Trinidad at Mahaica, by Dominion Oil Limited. 1955: Production from Soldado oilfield at Trinmar initiated. 1958: First well started on platform 1.2 miles offshore from Brighton. The platform was designed to accommodate 36 wells, which was a world record for this type of platform. 1959: Federation Chemicals Ltd. pioneered the use of natural gas in Trinidad and Tobago as a chemical feedstock in the manufacture of ammonia. 1961: Galeota No. 1 first exploratory well drilled offshore the East Coast of

Trinidad. Well produced oil but considered uneconomic. 1962: Formation of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mines. 1963: Appointment of Commission of Enquiry into the Oil Industry. 1967: A new production high of 65 million barrels per year was achieved. 1968: First commercial oil discovery off the East Coast of Trinidad (off Pt. Radix)well OPR-2. 1968: Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the United Nations carried out a seismic survey off Trinidad’s North Coast. 1969: New Petroleum Legislation enacted Act No. 46 of 1969. 1969: On July 1, Government in a joint venture with Tesoro Corporation acquired the local assets of British Petroleum; GOTT’s first venture into national ownership of an oil company. 1969: The National Petroleum Company was established by law. 1970: First Marine

concessions under the new petroleum act were given out (North Coast Marine Areas). 1971: Drilling began off the North Coast of Trinidad…..natural gas discovered. 1972: Trinidad and Tobago National Petroleum Marketing Company created. 1972: Commercial production began offshore the East Coast of Trinidad … from AMOCO’s Teak Platform. 1972: Delta Exploration Co., contracted to conduct a seismic survey of 2 million acres of offshore territory in East Coast and Gulf of Paria. 1974: On August 31st, Government acquired the local operations of Shell Trinidad Limited and formed the Trinidad and To b a g o O i l C o m p a n y Limited (TRINTOC) 1974: Petroleum Taxes Act revised the taxation methods in the petroleum industry and introduced the Refinery Throughput Tax. 1975: Formation of the (Continued on page 24)


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Saturday February 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

Sentence for illegal Bangladesh Nationals unusually harsh DEAR EDITOR, It appears as if visitors to our shores from Bangladesh are being treated unfairly compared to others. Your news item, “Bangladesh Nationals jailed for illegal entry” (Jan. 20) is a case in point. The KN article on 09-02-19 states that “Chinese trio gets two months for illegal entry – allegedly fled murder charge abroad”. The Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan sentenced the men to two months in prison for the offence of illegal entry and they are to be escorted to the nearest port of exit at the conclusion of their sentence. In another KN article titled, “Six Haitians appear in court on immigration charges” (21-11-19), the Haitians overstayed their

permitted time, and “all six defendants to pay $40,000 fine or, in default, serve three weeks’ imprisonment. After paying the fine or spending the time, the defendants will be deported to Haiti.” Similarly, another article, “Seven Haitians fined for illegal exit” (14-01-20) states that the Haitians were in Guyana illegally, and Acting Chief Magistrate Marcus fined each of the defendants the sum of $30,000 or in default 40 days imprisonment. The sentence for the illegal Bangladeshis, however, is remarkably different. The news report stated that the Bangladeshis were jailed because they failed to report to an immigration officer upon landing in Guyana at Springlands – and

that they were heading to Brazil. Chief Magistrate McLennan then sentenced the defendants to three months imprisonment and ordered that upon serving the time, they are to be deported to the nearest port of exit. There was no opportunity for a fine; there was a straight sentence and then sent to jail for three months. This sentence seems unusually harsh. I suggest that religious bodies (Hindus, Muslims, Christians) reach out to these hapless souls who will be languishing in jail for 3 months – unable to communicate because of language difficulties, and being unfamiliar with the culture and food of Guyana. Yours truly, Dr. Devanand Bhagwan

GTT responds to article DEAR EDITOR, We r e f e r to our conversation on January 31, 2020 and to the article published in the Kaieteur News on January 31, 2020 by Kiana Wilburg entitled “Sale o f G ovt. 20% shares in GTT…High Court orders seizure of US$3.2M from GTT bank account’ (hereinafter referred to as the ‘article’). The title of this article is libellous as it intimates to the public that there was resistance on the part of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (‘GT&T’) to pay the sum of US$3,200,000 to the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (‘NICIL’). Firstly, GT&T has been compliant with the Court Orders that have been made

in this matter. We are able to confirm that the monies have been paid into the High Court Registry on January 27, 2020 in accordance with the order. The primary respondent to NICIL’s claim is Hong Kong Golden Telecom Company. GT&T has been joined in the proceedings as an interested party. As you should be aware, garnishment orders provide direction to individuals or companies to make payments to a creditor in a matter of this nature on behalf of this debtor. To impute that GT&T’s monies had to be taken from it or seized from its bank account is misleading, spurious and baseless. Your article denigrates the public image of the financial standing and reputation of

the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company. To that end, further to your discussions with our Jasmin Harris, you have agreed, on behalf of Kaieteur News, that the newspaper will issue the following: i. a retraction and apology pertaining to the contents of the article by way of electronic media within twelve (12) hours of receipt of this letter by way of email that is to be sent to Messrs. Adam Harris and Nigel McKenzie; and ii. a retraction and apology within contents similar to that noted in (i) to be published in February 1, 2020 edition of the Kaieteur News. We trust that the aforementioned steps will be taken. Your unwillingness to do so will unfortunately result in us commencing legal proceedings against Kaieteur News. We trust that you will comply as we work towards building meaningful relationships with Kaieteur News and the media fraternity. Sincerely, Mark Reynolds VP, Legal & Regulatory Affairs GT&T Editor’s note: Our lawyers told us that the article published on January 31, 2020 was not libellous and therefore did not warrant a retraction.

The obsession continues DEAR EDITOR, Mr. Christopher “Kit” Nascimento continues his obsession with NCN. When the infamous Jonestown incident happened, Kit was dispatched by the then government. He appeared on US Television and said the same three things all the time. Repetitive propagation of a particular point in his usual obsequious manner. He is doing just that with NCN. NCN is aware of an

incident that involved the Editor in Chief and the Head of the Department of Public Information. NCN is a company separate from the DPI that is an agency of Government. Two separate entities that share a space in D’Urban Park. The matter is under investigation and NCN will not be drawn into commenting on a matter that is under investigation. Mr. Nascimento proceeds to theorize without data about Mabaruma. NCN is a Public

Broadcasting Service. The Government Information Agency aka DPI, continues to provide content that can be aired on all radio and television entities. Mr. Nascimento should know he started the compulsory insertion of Government of Guyana information on Radio and TV during his Executive Chairmanship of a Corporation sole GPCA in the 1990’s. Regards, Enrico Woolford

Robin Singh’s response to GHK Lall DEAR EDITOR, It comes as no surprise that GHK Lall had to be informed of my missive condemning his attempt at ‘spin’ by a taxi driver; based on the lack of fact or research present in his writings, I have long concluded he is a ‘gaff man’ not a writer given to research and accuracy. I will concede that GHK writes with style, however, that should be accompanied by responsibility. GHK Lall gets his information from the common man and seeks to translate the same through his esoteric musings; these are the ‘opinion’ pages after all. I will admit to misreading the ball bowled, it would seem it was not ‘spin’ but an attempt at ‘reverse-swing’ delivered at too slow a pace. I am pleased to see the affirmation from GHK that he condemns Volda Lawrence for her coded call for intimidation of voters and interference with the electoral process. I am also pleased that GHK has come out of the closet and declared himself “an acknowledged coalition supporter”, it was obvious to all despite the protestations over the years and claims of belonging to the team of independent arbiters. GHK should now (at this late date) consider resigning the Chairmanship of the Guyana Gold Board given that his bias as an APNU supporter clouds his judgment in a position he holds that has regulatory oversight for Guyanese of all political persuasions. GHK speaks eloquently about comprehension and values, I would ask if he possesses either to a high degree, how he can openly

support a regime that openly ignored clear provisions of the Constitution, in what has been described by the United States as “actions by Guyana that may undermine democratic principles, including apparent misapplication of the Guyanese constitution and certain court rulings’ or is it that GHK is weak in mathematics? For the largescale sell-off of our Gold reserves under his tenure for a USD 1150- 1363 per ounce was foolhardy and premature; today’s Gold price is USD 1579.50 per ounce. GHK Lall advised on the sale of over two and a half million ounces of Gold that would be worth USD216.50 more than the peak price received, a loss to our nation totaling well over USD 500 Million. Wall Street must be celebrating the loss of this ‘analyst’. Editor, to reply to the esoteric, GHK speaks of advising the firing of Ministers, surely he did not expect the President to do so without presenting facts. GHK should have presented Granger with facts about the oil giveaway by his subject Minister Raphael Trotman, if Global Witness could calculate USD 55 Billion in losses, I am sure a Wall Street

whiz could do something similar. Lall should have used his self-appraised moral authority to speak about his former subject Minister Broomes giving herself and friends mining land under the guise of syndicates; to urge the release of the Exxon PSA Bridging Deeds; for release of the contract for the sale of Oil by/to Shell Western. GHK would well know that these are issues being discussed by taxi drivers, vendors and all other Guyanese, but Lall may well be suffering from the muzzle made famous by Martin Carter. I would stand by my original interpretation that GHK Lall has attempted to deflect and provide succor to Volda Lawrence for her odious call for a ‘nightshift’. GHK now talks about “the law of unintended consequences” of Bar-B-Q and alcohol at or around polling stations. I would posit that Volda Lawrence knew exactly what actions and consequences could/would flow from her call and it is GHK who seems to be unable to comprehend what for all others, needs no gloss and is understandably upset that his trademark delivery has been hit for six. Respectfully, Robin Singh

ERC condemns behaviour... From page 4 as well. The ERC wishes to remind that under the Laws of Guyana, campaigning by political parties during the elections period is allowed, but wants citizens and supporters to reject outright all attempts at provocation, and instead concentrate on issues being put forward by the candidates. The ERC will continue to monitor the political campaigns with vigilance and play its role in promoting harmony, good relations and peace in our society. Ethnic Relations Commission


Kaieteur News

Saturday February 01, 2020

PAGE 07

GPHC insists ambulances must Tax chief to keep have free access to compound watchful eye on all

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he issue of vendors and taxis, hampering the free flow of ambulances into the compound of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), has proved to be a major issue. This problem has reached the level of the hospital board, which has taken a decision to have the taxis and vendors removed from the hospital's surroundings. This is in light of a

- Taxis, vendors to be removed number of persons, including doctors, and Emergency First Responders (EFR) filing objections with the Complaints Department. A senior official at the hospital told this publication that they have taken drastic steps to have the taxis and vendors removed. Police ranks at the hospital's outpost have

already been briefed on the situation. When Kaieteur News visited the city hospital yesterday morning, the congestion of vehicular traffic in front of its New Market and East Street entrances was clearly evident. Taxi drivers were seen parking their vehicles in

front of the hospital entrance. While there, they were soliciting passengers. There were also persons selling snow cones and plantains chips among other items on the sidewalks. According to hospital officials, even though the issue has been a prevalent one over the years, (continued on page 23)

Every Guyanese will lose $15M... From page 3 IMF saying in 2018 that Guyana's oil licenses “enjoy royalty rates well below what is observed internationally”, and OpenOil saying in the same year that Stabroek yields relatively low government take by almost any standard.” Categorically, the anticorruption body stated that the terms of the license are 'exploitative' and 'unjustifiably bad'. “Exxon can afford for Guyana to get a better deal. If Guyana obtains a 69 percent share of Stabroek reserves, Exxon will still obtain a return on its investment of 18 percent under [the analysis'] assumptions…” Global Witness has given ExxonMobil the opportunity to respond to the points it has made by January 30 (two days ago), and intends to consider including the gist of the oil major's response in its

report. Kaieteur News reached out to ExxonMobil's Public and Government Affairs Advisor Janelle Persaud, to determine whether the company had responded to the letter, since the afternoon of Thursday last. There has been no response. On the government's side, Foreign Minister turned Foreign Secretary, Carl Greenidge is reported to have criticised Global Witness, calling them “a set of jokers” even before the publication of its report. An online publication reported that Greenidge went to a New Amsterdam rally for the governing coalition just days ago, where he told supporters that the Global Witness report “will claim that this government has been managing its business i m p r o p e r l y, c o r r u p t l y, inefficiently” and that “billions of dollars have been lost to the poor”.

Greenidge reportedly cast aspersions on the integrity of Global Witness and the upcoming report by telling the crowd not to get diverted by “false news”, and by claiming that there are “people” trying to undermine the work of the governing coalition. Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo discussed Greenidge's comments during a press conference at his Church street office last Thursday. The former President said that Greenidge must already have been privy to the contents of the report. Ram made a similar comment: “Political strategists will be wondering whether Greenidge knew in advance about the announcement and more ominously, about the source of the information.” He added that the answers the NGO's questions could get would

probably embarrass ExxonMobil and the Government, and that Greenidge's “attack” might be a pre-emptive strike to prejudice public opinion against Global Witness. Ram described this as troubling, seeing as “ExxonMobil and the Government of Guyana might be consorting on matters prejudicial to Guyana's interest”. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, has committed a grave and embarrassing injustice to the Guyanese people, Ram said in his letter. And what compounds that mistake, the lawyer posited, is the “aloofness and detachment” that Granger has shown for the sector.

costs submitted by ExxonMobil

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ommissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Godfrey Statia has given all assurances that he and his team will be keeping a watchful eye on all costs submitted by ExxonMobil for its operations in the Stabroek Block. The GRA boss gave this commitment at a press conference that was held yesterday afternoon at his Camp Street office, following an update from Kaieteur News that the American company revised its development cost for the Liza Phase One Project from US$4.4B to US3.5B. He was asked to say if he found the billion-dollar shortfall to be suspicious. But the official answered in the negative. He said that in the oil industry, it is normal that there would be overestimations when companies are going into projects. The official said, however, that audits of the development costs would be ongoing. Statia said too, that he and his team are relying

on the expertise of IHS Markit Limited, a Londonbased firm, which is currently working alongside the GRA in the audit of the controversial US$900M pre-contract costs Guyana is expected to pay ExxonMobil. That audit, he said, will be completed in three months. The CommissionerGeneral said, “What we have done is we have mirrored the external auditing firm. If they have two petroleum engineers, then we have one there with them so that they can learn. Every skill they brought in, we have someone there so we can learn. We have also been doing our own training as well as training with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).” While noting that he is pleased that the costs are down since it means that less money would have to be recovered by the contractor, he insists that GRA will still do its rigourous audits to ensure the development costs are what ExxonMobil says they are.


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Saturday February 01, 2020

GTT has to pay its fair share Guyana's first lift of crude set for February of outstanding taxes - GRA Boss

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h e l l We s t e r n Supply and Trading Limited will lift Guyana's first share of oil from the Liza Phase One Development this month. This was disclosed by the Director of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe during an interview on the radio programme, 'The Hot Seat'. “I am sitting here and I can definitively say that Guyana's first million-barrel entitlement will be shipped in February,” he stated. The Energy Head was at the time responding to questions surrounding the deal Guyana has with ExxonMobil and its coventurers Hess and CNOOC. Bynoe used the opportunity to shed some light on Guyana's Public Sharing Agreement (PSA). “Within the petroleum industry, we have what we call a royalty and tax regime or you can have net production-sharing arrangements plus royalties, which is what Guyana has, or you can have Gross Production Sharing agreements and royalties,” he explained. Guyana's PSA states that the country receives two percent royalty in addition to

Director of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe 50 percent of profit oil. This means, after 75 percent of the investment cost has been recovered, Guyana will receive 12.5 percent of the remaining 25 percent, with ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC receiving the other 12.5 percent. But before profits are divided, Guyana's two percent royalty is calculated on the overall 25 percent of the profit oil. The royalties are paid to the country by ExxonMobil and its coventurers, making Guyana's share of the crude 14.5 percent or 52 percent of

profit oil. “The beauty about what Guyana has is that from day one, you start receiving benefits. If you were to go with the Tax Royalty Regime, which is what Suriname has, that is what they have been comparing and neglecting in its totality, the discussion around profit oil,” the Energy Director stated. Guyana commenced oil production on December 20, 2019, and the first lift of crude was carried out by ExxonMobil in early January. (DPI)

ommissionerGeneral of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Godfrey Statia, is insisting that the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has to pay its fair share of taxes which are outstanding since 1991. At a press conference held yesterday, the tax chief said that if he allows the company to pay just a portion of it, then he would have to engage in such settlements with all taxpayers. His comments in this regard followed questions by this newspaper as to what action it intends to take since Atlantic Tele-Networks Inc. (ATNI), which has an 80 percent stake in GTT, had told the Securities Exchange Commission in the USA of the matter.

GRA Boss, Godfrey Statia ATNI in its 2019 filing to the SEC noted that GTT is also involved in several legal claims with the Guyana Revenue Authority dating back to 1991. ATNI said that the disputed tax assessments amount to $44.1 million. But it does not agree

with this. Kaieteur News was told by the GRA boss that indeed GTT had objected to the assessment and it is before the court. In the meantime, GTT, he said, has offered to pay a reduced sum, but he is not accepting this. The tax chief said, “...They were trying to negotiate a settlement and I told them 'No it should be negotiated based on tax principles, because you are looking at consistent treatment of all taxpayers and if you negotiate with one you have to do it with all.' And we are still stuck at that stage.” Statia said the court has given both sides a chance to see if an agreement can be reached, but the Commissioner-General is adamant that he cannot agree to something that would see a large reduction in taxes for the nation.

Brazilian charged for killing Lindener

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Brazilian national was yesterday arraigned for murder, after it was alleged that he killed a miner. Deon Jonas, 23, appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts, where the murder charge was read to him. Jonas was not required to plead to the indictable offence which stated that on October 26, 2019, at Cuyuni River, Essequibo Magisterial District, he murdered Linden resident David Atkinson. According to reports, on the day in question, Atkinson was at a mining camp when he was attacked by Jonas and another man, who held him at gunpoint, while Jonas

was armed with a cutlass. It is alleged that Jonas then demanded that Atkinson hand over a quantity of raw gold. However, Atkinson refused to comply and that annoyed the defendant who then dealt Atkinson several chops to his body. Atkinson was later found with multiple lacerations and a wound. Atkinson told the police that Jonas chopped him. While Atkinson was being escorted to the Bartica Hospital, he succumbed. Principal Magistrate McGusty remanded Jonas to prison until February 13. The matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate's Court.


Saturday February 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

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The Steal of the Century: How Guyana was sold for a horse

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he oil agreement signed between the Government of Guyana and Exxon Mobil should no longer be renegotiated. The agreement should be annulled; scrapped, since it constitutes the swindle of the century. Global Witness, a nongovernmental organization with excellent credentials, has reportedly analyzed the deal and found that Guyana stands to lose US$55B in revenues because of the poor deal signed. I cannot begin to calculate what that sum converts to in Guyana dollars. This is not Kaieteur News saying this. This is a respected and credible nongovernmental organization

which is making the pronouncement. On its website, Global Witness explains that it is committed to protecting human rights and the environment by fearlessly confronting corruption and challenging the systems that enable it. It says that it desires a better world where corruption is c h a l l e n g e d a n d accountability prevails, all can thrive within the planet's boundaries, and governments act in the public interest. The NGO hired a consultancy to examine the deal, and its findings confirmed what this newspaper has been saying all along. Guyana has gotten

50% profit oil while a reasonable sum would have been between 65% and 85%. The median would be 75% which means that Guyana shortchanged itself of about 25%. The consultancy also indicated that the royalty rates were below what prevails internationally, something that this newspaper had long pointed out. According to a Stabroek News report, published in yesterday's edition, the terms of the license were described as exploitative and unjustifiably bad. This newspaper has been saying it all along. What Global Witness has not yet picked up on is the fact that there is a resource

Dem boys seh...

Stop travelling, stop de virus

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verybody talking b o u t d e coronavirus. This virus so bad that all anybody got to do is call de name and people start to get worried. This thing start in one part of China and it now spread all over de world, except Guyana. Dem boys want to know how that can be when Guyana is de one country that has people coming from all over. People coming from Cuba and Brazil and Dominican Republic. People coming from China, too, but now de Ministry of Health want to discriminate. Somebody read how Trump want to stop anybody from China visiting

he country. He got a big notice at all dem immigration port. Canada is de same thing. It decide that once a plane coming from China it will divert that plane. Now de only plane that coming out of China is dem wha some farrin countries send in. Dem boys now telling Guyana to send in a plane to Chine to bring out de two Guyanese students who deh in de heart of de coronavirus. This is serious business. Guyana don't have no jet suh it gun have to charter some one of dem small plane. Gerry Gouveia or BK already challenging fuh de contract to fly to China and back.

De elections coming and all dem political parties trying to get every possible person to vote. Dem boys see how representatives from dem party does deh at de airport welcoming people, nuff of dem who dem don't even know. Dem boys want to know if people thinking that dem plane travelling all over and carrying people from everywhere. Some people probably travel from China and lef de virus in de plane. That is how de thing does spread. Is de same way AIDS spread. People travel all over de world and share it. Talk half and tighten up pun travelling.

which is just a lucrative as the oil which is in the hands of Exxon. That is the natural gas which usually is associated with petroleum production. When the oil comes up, so too does this gas which is just as or far more valuable than the oil. Guyana knew this when it signed the deal with Exxon. Yet, it has done nothing to force Exxon to capture this gas, or at least most of it, so that it can be sold. I am saying that Guyana can earn just as much if not more for the gas than it will for the petroleum. But there is no compulsion to force Exxon to capture and transport the gas for processing. Instead, what we are learning is that the gas is being flared. Which means that it is being released into

the atmosphere - this is what is called flaring. This makes a mockery of the plan for a green state. How can a country which is projecting itself as respecting the environment, allowing for the flaring of such massive amounts of natural gas. Instead of reducing global warming, Guyana is contributing to it by not outlawing the flaring of gas and demanding that the gas be processed and sold on the international market. This is the double whammy which Guyana faces. Not only has it been robbed blind by the terms of the contract which was signed, but no provision is being made to earn the billions which can be earned from the natural gas. The deal with the oil companies is so rotten that it

is beyond rectification through renegotiation. The entire agreement should be scrapped. A new deal should be renegotiated, this time by experts. It cannot be done by the present government. They have lost the moral standing to sign any future oil agreements. It is time to ask Exxon and company to halt production until a new agreement is signed. This is the only way out. No selfrespecting nation will go along with the scandalous agreement which has been signed by the government. (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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Saturday February 01, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Claudette Singh, Lenox Shuman, GECOM and tragic Guyana

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have always had a good relationship with GECOM chairman, Justice Claudette Singh. Over the years we would encounter each other in public places and we would chat. I recall a very fruitful conversation on Merriman's Mall six years ago. Last month we encountered each other in

DSL supermarket and we had a very meaningful exchange. I would appeal to Ms. Singh to be very careful how she handles the Lenox Shuman dual citizen controversy. She is quoted in the Stabroek News of Friday, January 31 as telling the newspaper that the commission wrote to

Shuman about his nationality status. If she did that, then she has to answer the question why she didn't write to Gail Teixeira, Carl Greenidge and Joe Harmon. They have, like Shuman, announced they will be renouncing their foreign citizenship. Why didn't she write them? Enter Vincent Alexander and

Robeson Benn. One represents the PNC, the other the PPP in GECOM. This alone is a 27 year old Guyanese tragedy. Why would the body that runs a country's national elections have party high priests administering the election machinery? It is not only a farce and a tragedy. It is one of civilization's current

disgraces. Benn and Alexander told the Stabroek News that the commission became aware of Shuman's status because of reports in the media. So GECOM now makes decisions based on what the commissioners read in the media rather than independent verification. The obvious asininity in what Benn and Alexander said is that we have now in Guyana, removed institutional obligation to verify information that exists in the air. I am afraid for my country if Benn and Alexander's methodology is accepted, then Guyana will not survive as long as March 2 to have elections. The police will charge you because its officers read in the newspaper that you confessed to killing Monica Reece. No verification, but you will be charged. A judge will charge you for contempt because he heard over television that it was reported you said all judges are fools. Is this the route GECOM went when it contacted Shuman? Well let's see how Claudette Singh, Alexander and Benn are going to react to what was carried in the media a week and a half ago. Part of the media landscape is Kaieteur Radio. I was on air when I asked PNC candidate, James Bond, if there was documentary evidence submitted to G E C O M b y Te i x e i r a , Greenidge and Harmon that they are no longer dual citizens. This is what Bond said on air which was recorded, therefore the audio is available. He said he has accepted the word of his two PNC colleagues that they have given up their foreign nationalities. My reaction was that I want to see the proof of all three. So it is now in the media that there are calls to see evidence that three candidates, one PPP leader and two PNC leaders, are no longer dual citizens. By way of this column, I am asking Justice Singh to make contact with these three candidates and request the paperwork. Let me report on more

Frederick Kissoon things I said on that radio show with Bond. I offered my belief that the PNC and PPP always find common ground and conspire together when other forces threaten their power base. The PPP and PNC have a historical pattern in this regard. It is the hardened opinion of this columnist that Shuman's participation on March 2 will deny a victory to both PNC and PPP. What they have done is find common ground to isolate Shuman. Shuman's campaign manager, Ms Cole, called me when I was in the National Park at 9.30 am yesterday. While she spoke, I did ask her if Shuman has proof that he has relinquished his citizenship. She said yes, and GECOM will be given the paperwork. She also added in reply to a question of mine, that her party is confident of gaining parliamentary seats. I report on this so the headaches for the two leviathans can increase. I plan to reveal the results of separate professional polls, one commissioned by the PPP, the other by the PNC. It doesn't look good for majority rule. The PPP and PNC are in dire straits. Just one seat can create a minority government. I conclude with the danger of Guyana continuing with the Carter/Price structure for GECOM. Party mandarins, high up in their parties' command structure, running the election machinery of a country, is a caricature and an act of insanity in any part of the world. There may be more convergence between Benn and Alexander as the prospects of minority government loom large. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)


Saturday February 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Saturday February 01, 2020

Woman accused of Christmas Day Trotman had no legal authority fatal stabbing appears in court to give ExxonMobil a new

contract - Chris Ram

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Dead: Latoya Haywood

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wenty-three yearold Sheleza Ellis appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts yesterday to have a charge for the capital offence of murder read to her in connection with the death of Latoya Haywood. This was one week after the victim succumbed (January 23) to injuries sustained as a result of a stabbing that had occurred on Christmas Day, When the charge was read yesterday by Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty, the accused was not required to plead to the indictable

offence which stated that on January 23, 2020, at Georgetown, Ellis murdered Haywood called 'Toya'. Ellis is being represented by attorney-atlaw Siand Dhurjon. The court was told that the accused hails from Charlotte Street, Georgetown. The woman was remanded to prison until February 3, for her next hearing. Kaieteur News had reported that Haywood of 57 Leopold and Cross Streets, Georgetown, succumbed to her injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital

Remanded: Sheleza Ellis Corporation (GPHC) one month after being stabbed. The victim, a 29-yearold mother of two, was nursing injuries after receiving a stab wound in the region of the heart, on Christmas Day last. Reports indicated that the incident took place around 07:30hrs on the day in question. The victim, who was in company of her family members, had attended a Christmas Eve party in Leopold Street.

inister of N a t u r a l Resources, Raphael Trotman, had no legal authority to grant a new petroleum agreement to ExxonMobil in 2016, according to Attorney-atLaw and Accountant Christopher Ram. He (Ram) was able to get his hands on the bridging deed which seeks to renew the expired 1999 agreement granted to ExxonMobil by the then President Janet Jagan. The Government has kept the Deed hidden from the Guyanese people for four years, refusing to publish it, despite countless calls for its release. In yesterday's edition of his Stabroek News column 'The road to first oil', Ram noted a section of the Deed, which appears to state that the Deed is grounded in law. This, Ram refuted. Kaieteur News has seen the Deed, which states “Pursuant to section 10 of the Act, the Minister has entered into this Deed together with the Contractor parties to set out the process whereby the 1999 License and the 1999 Petroleum Agreement will be replaced by a new petroleum prospecting license and petroleum agreement in respect of the Contract Area.” While the Deed seeks to ground itself in section 10 of the Act governing the oil and gas sector, the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act, a perusal of that section shows there is no mention of a Deed. Ram explained this, writing that “[it] gives the Minister no power to enter into any Deed

and certainly not one to breathe life into an expiring agreement”. Ram noted that the section goes even further to state categorically that the Minister is granted the power to enter into an agreement “not inconsistent with the Act” i.e. the four specified matters, namely the granting of a license, the conditions attaching thereto, the procedure to be followed in exercising any discretion granted to him under the Act and any matter incidental thereto. The lawyer hopes Minister Trotman would explain how section of the Act gives him the “supernatural” power to revive a “dead” agreement. At the time of the signing of the Deed and the 2016 petroleum agreement, Trotman could have told ExxonMobil and its partners, CNOOC and Hess, that his authority was constrained by the law, Ram posited. The Minister, according to Ram, had a golden opportunity to correct the wrong “inflicted” by the 1999 agreement, as the acreage granted to ExxonMobil is many times more than the law allows. Trotman did not. The Petroleum Contract mentions the deed, for which, the purpose is to replace the 1999 Agreement and the 1999 Petroleum Prospecting Licence for the Stabroek Block. The first agreement was signed by the late Janet Jagan, in her capacity as Minister of Petroleum in 1999 and the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) currently in force was signed by

Attorney-at-Law and Accountant, Christopher Ram Trotman in 2016. Activist Ramon Gaskin had last year questioned the secrecy surrounding the bridging deed. Ram had long condemned Minister Trotman for not immediately revealing the 2016 Stabroek license to the public, explaining that he had acted against Section 16(2) of the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act, which requires the Minister to publis h notice of the agreement in The Official Gazette as soon as is practicable after the licence is granted. By failing to observe this aspect of the law, Ram had said that Trotman has set a worrying precedent. Now, years after the release of that PSA, the Government has not itself taken the initiative to release the bridging deed, although some like Ram have managed to get their hands on it. Local commentators have said that, by not releasing the bridging deed, Trotman is still in contravention of the Petroleum Act.

Cattle rearer riddled with bullets... From page 2 disclosed. Lakram's workers were reportedly in the thick vegetation when they heard the gunshots and saw the lights from the motorcycle. They remained in the bush until the gunshots had ceased, and when they were sure that the attackers had left, they ran towards Lakram who was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the head, chest and torso “slouched on the bus wheel”. Meanwhile, at the home of Lakram, relatives' information differed from the police. His mother, Kuntee Hulasia, 72, who was in Suriname when she got the

message, could not contain her tears as she spoke about the incident and what she was told. She told reporters that she got the message around 8:00 am yesterday that there was a shooting “in the backdam”. She told this publication that her son went to the back-dam with the workers to open pumps. His brother, Omesh Lakram, 47, a rice and cattle farmer, related that two workmen came to their home and informed his wife that “somebody buss shot pon me buddy at the back deh”. He said he immediately took his bus and went to the location. There he was met

by a jeepload of police ranks who immediately took control of the area, preventing him from getting close to his brother's bulletriddled body. “From where me was standing I just see me brother brace back pon de tyre… de bus back wheel, and just blood all over he body”, the dead man's sibling recalled. When asked if he was aware of any issues his brother may have had with anyone, he told reporters that they are not troublesome people and his brother was not known to have issues with anyone. Police are currently probing the matter.


Saturday February 01, 2020

Persons travelling from China to Guyana “likely” to be denied entry - Foreign Affairs Minister

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he Foreign Affairs Ministry declared yesterday that persons from China who plan on travelling to Guyana are “likely” to be denied entry, as the life-threatening Coronavirus continues to spread at a remarkable rate. Further to this, the Ministry advised those in Guyana who wish to travel to China, to postpone their plans. The Foreign Affairs Minister of Foreign Ministry was also important Affairs, Karen Cummings to highlight that persons arriving in Guyana from W h i l e t h e d e a t h r a t e China will be subject to associated with the virus is quarantine protocols in a low at around two percent health facility or at their the infection rate, its spread, home, depending on the has been termed “worrying” outcome of the Health by the WHO. Common symptoms of Ministry's risk assessment. As the deadly virus the virus include fever, continues to spread, Foreign cough, shortness of breath Affairs Minister Karen and breathing difficulties, Cummings, is mulling over with more severe infections the decision to cease issuing can cause pneumonia, kidney v i s a s t o C h i n a , a n d failure and even death. Guyana's Public Health temporarily close the Guyanese Embassy located Ministry along with the Pan American Health in Beijing. But more importantly, Organization - World Health Minister Cummings revealed Organization (PAHO- WHO) that the Government is had emphatically stated that looking to bring home two the country's health sector is Guyanese students on prepared to screen, detect, scholarships in Wuhan, isolate and treat the deadly where the virus was first virus, should it arrive on the country's shores. reported. During a press conference “Of course efforts are being made to bring them held on Monday, Minister of over. I think they have to Pu b l i c H e a l t h , Vo l d a work with the Chinese Lawrence confirmed that advisory. Where [these there are no cases of the Guyanese students] are in deadly virus in Guyana. Nevertheless, those who Wuhan, if they want to move from station to station… they must travel to and from China have to be quarantined for we r e a d v i s e d t o t a k e about 14 days. They are safe p r e c a u t i o n s a g a i n s t up to now, we have not heard contracting the virus by anything and we hope that avoiding close contact with they will continue to be people suffering from acute safe,” Minister Cumming respirator y i n f e c t i o n s , stated to this publication on crowds and the consumption Friday. She added that the of uncooked food; universal Government is in with direct precautions to take include contact with the students and the frequent washing of they plan on meeting with hands, especially after direct the parents of those students, contact with ill persons or their environment. today. Travelers with symptoms T h e Wo r l d H e a l t h Organization (WHO) and the of acute respiratory infection Chinese authorities confirmed should also practice cough that the Novel Coronavirus, etiquette, that is, maintain similar to the virus that causes distance from others, cover the common cold, Severe coughs and sneezes with Acute Respiratory Syndrome disposable tissue or clothing, (SARS) and Middle Eastern and also frequently washing Respiratory Syndrome their hands. Should flu-like (MERS), has afflicted over 7,000 in the Chinese mainland symptoms arise within 14 days after return to Guyana and other territories. Although the infected from China or another highly cases have been confirmed in affected country, persons are several other countries asked to call the hotline on including the USA, fatalities +592 227 8683 extension have been limited to China. 215.

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Kaieteur News

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Saturday February 01, 2020

GRA working on CCTV for ExxonMobil's oil vessel - will have permanent presence in the meantime

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he Guyana R e v e n u e Authority (GRA) intends to have closed circuit television (CCTV) systems transmitting a live feed at all times from the Liza Destiny Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel back to Georgetown. This is to ensure that the Authority gets a full view of everything happening on the ship. Commissioner-General of the tax agency Godfrey Statia, and Head of the Customs Petroleum Unit, Lancelot Wills, discussed those plans during a press conference at the GRA's Camp Street headquarters yesterday. The Liza Destiny is currently producing oil in the Stabroek Block, pursuant to the Liza phase one project which came on stream last December. For CCTV to be up and

running, a fibre optic cable has to be laid. As Wills said yesterday, “we are stymied by the lack of internet feed facilities from the Liza Destiny to shore.” The agency has had to rely heavily on vessels which come to shore, for whatever reason, to report on what's happening offshore, through various forms, according to the regulations in the Customs Act, Wills told reporters. But the agency will have a CCTV feed as soon as it becomes practicable. In the absence of that, the GRA will have a manned presence on the vessel at all times. Asked how soon that would happen, Statia said that they are currently working out the modalities of such an arrangement. The GRA has already given Exxon notice, and has

informed of the GRA's requirements. Statia said that there should be four people on the vessel on a continual basis. “So they're going to see what's going on,” he said. GRA would be sharing facilities with its sister agencies who also have regulatory authority in the sector, namely the Environmental Protection A g e n c y ( E PA ) , t h e Department of Energy, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards, and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). He explained that, when there is a lift, members of all five agencies must be present. But the GRA will be responsible for maintaining a presence on the Liza Destiny in the period before CCTV is up and running. In November last, GRA advertised in Kaieteur News that the FPSO had been

Head of GRA's Customs Petroleum Unit, Lancelot Wills (left) and GRA Commissioner-General, Godfrey Statia appointed a sufferance wharf and private warehouse, pursuant to the Customs Act issued under Section 2 and Part 4 of the Act. A sufferance wharf is a place other than an approved

place of loading and offloading by the Revenue Authority, where a senior customs officer may by discretion and under certain conditions, allow the loading and offloading of goods.

That subjects the Liza Destiny vessel to all customs regulations which concern sufferance wharves. It is the appointment that gives GRA the authority to conduct its surveillance.


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Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Saturday February 01, 2020

EU Observer Mission, Private Sector to collaborate on elections

From left: Chairman, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, Nicholas Boyer; Election Analyst, EU Observation Mission, Eric des Pallieres; Political Analyst, EU Observation Mission, Michael Lidauer; PSC Chairman, Capt. Gerry Gouveia and PSC Executive Members, Edward Boyer and Wesley Kirton.

A

commitment was made yesterday between the European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission Guyana 2020 and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) to collaborate relative to the observation of the

General and Regional Elections. According to the Commission, the commitment was given at a meeting held at the PSC's Boardroom. Present were representatives of the EU Election Observation Mission. The Private Sector delegation was

led by the Chairman, Captain Gerry Gouveia. “Both parties have undertaken to continue collaborations for the successful implementation of their respective observer projects,� PSC said. Elections are set for March 2nd.


Saturday February 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

Gold medallions for Guyana's 50th Republic anniversary

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s Guyana prepares to celebrate its 50th Republic Jubilee Celebrations on February 23rd, 2020, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) in partnership with the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) has announced that it intends to commemorate this milestone event by unveiling a Golden Medallion. Each medallion is 99.99% pure gold, with a diameter of 30 millimetres and a nominal metal weight of 31.10 grams, equivalent to one troy ounce. The medallions have been struck by the Royal Canadian Mint and have a limited mintage of 100 medals worldwide. “The medallions have been crafted to depict the theme “Continuous development – committing to a Green Guyana through sustainable mining”. The artwork portrays the growth of the mining industry through a green state. The symbols used are a stock of gold, a batel, a pick-axe, the map of Guyana, leaves and a patch of land,” The pile of gold depicted, represents the large gold and mineral deposits in Guyana. “The pick-axe and the batel are two very important tools used to conduct mining. The M symbol is an indication of the country's rich lands. The two leaves were placed to represent unity and togetherness between the Guyana Gold Board and the Ministry of Natural Resources. The Map represents green Guyana while the gold flowing from the batel speaks to the growth of the gold stocks as the years progress.” It was disclosed that in 2018, the MNR and the GGB extended an invitation for the creation of the design for face of the medallion through a competition. Artwork submitted was judged on the clarity of the theme, creativity and originality, quality of composition and design and effect of the project on the first look.

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Three in custody for Berbice man found floating in canal

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One of the Golden Medallions The winner emerging from the competition was Mr. Dillon Craig, a young and talented twenty-one year-old artist from Melanie Damishana on the East Coast of Demerara. At the time of the competition, Mr. Craig

was a student at the E.R Burrowes School of Arts.” According to the ministry, the medallion is set to be presented to President David Granger, prior to its unveiling to the public in conjunction with the

Department of Culture's Central Mashramani Committee events. A limited number will be made available for sale to members of the public. Details will be made available.

olice are currently grilling three persons in connection with the death of Cleon Outar whose body was found partly submerged in the Republic Canal in New Amsterdam on Monday. The 29-year-old was found dead by passersby, and an alarm was immediately raised. Details of the events leading up to the time of his demise, given to police by his wife Shamdai Savichar, did not provide clarity. The lawmen reportedly found several loopholes in her statement, and she has since reportedly gone into hiding. Outar, a labourer, went out with his wife and friends on Saturday night on a drinking spree before going missing and ultimately ending up dead. His body was found and fished out of the canal located near the Region Six RDC building.

His wife had told police that herself and Outar left home Saturday night to have a few drinks at a popular drinking s p o t i n N e w Amsterdam. According to the woman, the couple and Outar's friends, bar-hopped for part of the night, and subsequently she was left at another drinking spot in Charles Place, New Amsterdam. She said Outar and his friends then ventured to another bar. The wife claimed that she did not see her husband subsequently. She told police that she left for home but while calls to his phone over the weekend went unanswered, it was on Monday afternoon that she was informed that a body had been found in the canal. A visit to the police station had her directed to the Arokium Funeral Home where she positively identified his body.


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Saturday February 01, 2020


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Conductor attempts suicide after stabbing wife to neck By Shikema Dey

A

24-year-old year old minibus conductor is currently under police guard at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre after he ingested a poisonous substance, mere moments after stabbing his reputed wife to her neck. The incident occurred on Thursday in the compound of the Elim Christian Fellowship Church located at Timehri Public Road, East Bank Demerara, sometime after 9pm. The injured woman was identified as 22-year-old Bank Teller Sheria Khalil

called “Sherry” of Lot 25 Timehri Public Road, East Bank Demerara. A c c o r d i n g t o information reaching Kaieteur News, Khalil and the suspect, her reputed husband Clifton Richmond called “Steve”, shared a common law relationship and lived together with her parents. Kaieteur News was informed that Khalil and the suspect had made arrangements to meet up at her place of work - Republic Bank's Water Street branch at 7:30pm. However, when he showed up, the woman was nowhere to be found.

Richmond was said to have returned home and waited for her to arrive. At around 9:15pm, Khalil arrived home, disembarked a bus and her husband went out to the public road to meet her. The two engaged in conversation, but this turned sour and quickly developed into an argument. Kaieteur News understands that Richmond lifted his reputed wife up and ran with her to the nearby church yard. Shortly after, family members heard her ear-piercing screams and rushed to the location. They found Khalil lying

Man fined for stealing 315 lbs tamarind - alleged accomplice released on bail

“I don't know this man, they're trying to frame me,” 39-year-old Robert Henry shouted from the prisoners' dock after three break and enter charges were read to him. Henry, of Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara, along with Ruel Watson, 31, yesterday appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly. Henry and Watson were jointly charged for three offences. It is alleged that between January 25 and January 27, 2020, at Russell Square, Stabroek, Georgetown, they broke and entered the stall of Davina Goodings and stole a quantity of items, property of

Annette Adams, Denise Charles and Davina Goodings. Henry denied the charges and denied even knowing Watson. Henry said, “I don't know about anything dem talking about... I don't even know this man (Watson) hay.” However, Watson said, “I didn't steal anything; he [Henry] open the stall and tell me to come around and collect it, so I just help out, I didn't thief.” It is alleged that Henry and Watson broke and entered the stall of Goodings and stole 315 lbs of tamarind valued $164,000, and an ice cooler valued $70,000. After Watson admitted to the charges, he said to the

court, “Is me and he [Henry] thief de things dem; he [Henry] know me.” Magistrate Daly then asked Watson what he did with the items that they stole. He said that he sold the tamarind to a woman, before he turned around and pointed to a woman who was seated in court. Police prosecutor Goodman made no objection to bail being granted, but asked that conditions be attached. Magistrate Daly fined Watson $25,000 on each charge or in default he will spend 6 weeks in prison. Henry, meanwhile, was placed on $40,000 bail. The matter was then adjourned to February 3.

in a pool of blood, bleeding profusely from a gaping wound to her neck. The suspect, who was still standing there, allegedly proceeded to ingest a poisonous substance from a bottle, and then jumped into the Demerara River. He was subsequently rescued in an unconscious state. Both Khalil and Richmond were rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, but Khalil was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital to undergo surgery for her injury. Both are said to be in critical but stable condition, Police sources disclosed that a knife and a bottle with suspected poison were retrieved at the scene of the crime. Investigations are still ongoing.

Sheria Khalil and Clifton Richmond in happier times


Kaieteur News

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Saturday February 01, 2020

NP wins TT$5M in lawsuit for supply of products for distribution in Guyana Trinidad (newsday.co.tt) - Two local companies have been ordered to pay to National Petroleum Marketing Company (NP) close to TT$5 million owed for the supply of products for distribution in Guyana. The order was made by Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh

who ruled that NP had proved it was owed US$731,624.09 by Lincoln and Associates (LAL) and Dooks Dynamics Inc. Tacked on to the judgment sum was Interest of two per cent, per annum, from May 1, 2013 to January 29, 2020. In a decision delivered at

the Port of Spain High Court, Boodoosingh said there was no dispute that products were handed over from NP to Dooks Dynamics Inc., and once the items were received, it was Dooks Dynamics Inc.'s obligation to pay for the products. The judge was asked to

NP gas station in Charlieville, Trinidad determine a claim by NP for payment owed in an arrangement it had with LAL and its director Lincoln Dookhran, who is also a director of Dooks Dynamics Inc., to distribute products in Guyana to Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO). The parties entered the arrangement on August 2, 2012, and a condition of the agreement was that LAL and Dookhran would incorporate a company in Guyana to conduct the distribution. This led to the incorporation of Dooks Dynamics Inc. on October 11, 2012. In its claim, NP pleaded that Dooks Dynamics Inc. began buying products from NP from November 2012 to April 2013. According to NP, a term of the contract provided for 60 days credit on all purchases from NP and in the event Dooks Dynamics Inc. failed to liquidate the invoiced amount within that time, Dooks Dynamics Inc. incurred a finance charge of one per cent each month on the sum. This was later

increased to two per cent. Because Dooks Dynamics Inc. did not liquidate certain sums from June 2013 to October 2016, NP applied the finance charges. When Dooks Dynamics Inc., according to NP, failed to make full and timely payments the supply of products was suspended. This happened on two occasions in December 2012 and May 2013. The companies admitted it owed NP, but in a counter-claim contended the marketing company breached its contractual obligations by suspending supply and the amount outstanding was not close to the TT$3 million credit limit in the contract. The companies alleged economic duress by NP to agree to the debts and caused the company substantial losses, as it could not supply GUYSUCO with products. In his decision, Boodoosingh said while NP made out its case for payment, it could not sustain its claim for US$100,322.62 in finance charges. He also declined the

request by NP to pierce the corporate veil, saying there was no justification for it, as there was no evidence of any deliberate attempt to evade its obligations. The piercing of the corporate veil is used sparingly by the courts and only where there is evidence of an attempt to avoid a legal obligation. In describing the contract between the parties, Boodoosingh said it was not properly vetted and there existed a mix of letters and oral discussions between them, further describing it as a “loose arrangement.� In ordering LAL and Dooks Dynamics Inc. to pay the outstanding money owed, Boodoosingh dismissed NP's claim against Dookhran. He has also granted a stay of the execution of his judgment for 28 days. NP was represented by attorneys Kelvin Ramkissoon and Nizam Saladeen while Navindra Ramnanan and Shivanand Ramnanan represented LAL, Dooks Dynamics Inc. and Dookhran.


Saturday February 01, 2020

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Saturday February 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

LEGAL NOTICE CONT’D

FOR RENT One bedroom apartment, furnished, AC, washing machine, internet, light & water included. Parking. Call: 682-6238/617-2666 SERVICES

FOR SALE

Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040

Lot 14 - 10,204 Sq ft Ph#264-2948/615-2270.

ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, AIR CONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINE, FREEZER, SALE OF AC’S. TEL#629-4946,225-4822 LAND FOR SALE Transported land 11.6 acres, Lot 15 Public Road #2 Village W.C.B/ce 5 mins from B/ce bridge.Contact#686-4818/6487109. Parfaite Harmonie front $4M,$3M,$2.5M, Providence $5M, Herstelling $5M. Call: 666-2326 Transported land for sale in Rose Hall Town.Call#603-1441

Freezer & Quality used restaurant equipment. Call: 618-5080 Prime piece of hand at La Grange Public Road 300ft X 100ft $100,000 US Dollar.Contact Annie 6950333. 99 Mining permits- Cuyuni Mazaruni. Contact #683-9756 Computer with webcam. CD/ DVD, Print adaptable. 9" x 12" screen size, Owner migrating $40,000 neg. Tel #592-6390436 8 week old pure pit bull pups. Female only, Excellent guard dogs. Tel#612-2258 Foreign used heavy machinery. Trucks & spare parts for sale. Contact PartZone Gy. #694-4489 PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 89 Robb street Lacytown, Georgetown. Next door to Mike’s Pharmacy.Land size-3431.25 Sq.ft.Phone:617-5323/6668052. One 3 Story building at 97 Sugar Cane St.S/Rveldt Gdns $125,000,000.Tel#674-9905/ 695-1365/225-2971. 3- Storey unfinished building, Lot 1486 Plot B Herstelling EBD. 2 storey unfinish building, Lot 1488 Onderneeming WBD. #6093777/697-4557/641-3893/6860522

CAR RENTAL DOLLYSAUTO RENTAL CALL: 225-7126 & 2263693 -DOLLYS AUTO RENTAL@ YAHOO.COM/ W W W . D O L L Y SAUTORENTAL.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL & TOW TRUCK SERVICE:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE#698-7807. EDUCATION Care for elderly, care for children, First Aid & CPR. Call: 227-4881 ACCOMMODATION Aracari Hotel -WBD (Near Bridge)-Pool etc.Open 24 Hours.From $25 USD.Phone 264-2946/8

House and land available at Parfaite, Tuschen, Diamond etc. Contact Pacific Development Inc. 223-6035/ 604-4909

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Snackette for rent, Mobile snackettes, price $20,000 monthly. Tel# 697-6311 Ransom (Concrete mixers), Scaffolding, Power washer, compactors, hire truck service etc, free delivery. Telephone: 610-5360. Email: dmdscaffolding@yahoo.com 2 bedroom concrete fully furnished apartment. Two story, family preferred, $800 US per month Peter’s Hall Public Road. Tel# 671-1441 2 bedroom house in Herstelling $40,000 monthly, 1 month rent, 2 month security. Call: 696-1680 TO LET Available from 1st Feb,2020Decent working couples, One bedroom apartment in Georgetown, Parking, $50,000. Tel# 623-8759 Self contain rooms for working couple/single person $35,000 monthly, Light & water, Lodge. Call: 623-0076, 2 months security Lodge Apartments (Vlissengen/Durban): Unfurnished $40,000-$60,000 p/m. Furnished ( For Visitors) $600 US p/m. #633-8514/668-7305/ 697-6421 WANTED Maid. Requirements: person must be living on the East Bank. Contact# 600-6887 Porters to work in Grocery Stall, Attractive Salary at Stabroek Market. Tel#2269800/683-9500. Experience an asset One experienced welder to work in the interior, must have experience. Contact Imran # 226-9416/502-8587

VEHICLE FOR SALE

Mason & Carpenter. Tel#6029469/687-2506

1 Suzuki Escudo.Excellent condition, Low Mileage (50,000Km).$3.6M Neg.Call #649-0956.

Bond Clerk 25-55 yrs old, East Bank area preferable. Please call: 616-6988

LEARN TO DRIVE

Driver 30-55 yrs old, must have mc/mv/ml/ license. Please call: 616-6988

N.Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way @ Cuffy Square.Affordable Package.Call#644-5166/6912561/681-2808.

One Accounts clerk must be writing CAT, Previous work experience necessary, send application to P.O Box 16005

WANTED Barman, Waitress and cook. Tel# 619-2877 Needed Labourers & Chainsaw operator to work on concession. Tel# 690-3535/ 651-1115 Wanted land to buy in Parfaite Harmonie on the West Coast and East Bank. Tel# 697-6311 Wanted One cook for a family, must be 25-35 years old. Call: 231-8737 Wanted one maid between the age of 25-35. Call: 231-8737 Excavator operator to work with mining firm, must have experience. Contact Imran #226-9416/ 502-8587 Diesel Mechanic to work in interior, experience with perkins, duetz, doosan engines necessary. Contact Imran #226-9416/502-8587 Wanted experienced hire car drivers at Ramada Princess Georgetown Hotel. Contact # 265-7075 / 616-5419 1 Lorry Driver, must be able to work flexible hours. Contact Annie #233-3512 / 264-3720 Bus, Car & Lorry Drivers #2253234/225-9223 Senior Kitchen assistant, Primary education & Experience driver & cashier, Apply at Hack’s Halaal with H/written application Wanted land to buy- Parfaite Harmonie, Providence, Herstelling,Tuchen, Uitvlugt & elsewhere. Call: 666-2326 Bar/Beer Garden to rent. Tel# 695-9140 VACANCY 1 Female Office Assistant. Must have knowledge of NIS, Payroll & computer literate, Age 30 +. Contact PSGCS #621-6969, serious enquiries only Female cleaner office & home. Call: 642-9823 Domestic. Contact# 2235273/223-5274 Female Cook/Baker for interior location. For further details. Call: 618-2020 Soup Cook & Kitchen Assistant, Mon-Sat, Job location in town, Good pay. Call: 660-9983 between 8am-3pm for interviews Security Officers $85,000, Apply within @ 47 Croal St. Tel# 226-9905 or on FB page, Atlas Security Services Inc Driver/Expediter. Contact# 223-5273/223-5274 Labourers & Maintenance workers. Contact #621-6969, serious enquiries only.

VACANCY Salesman, good verbal/ excellent attitude, knowledge in stocktaking, computer literate & team player.Keyfood McDoom. Nail Technician. Contact# 223-5273/223-5274 LEGAL NOTICE 2014-Hc-Dem-Civ-W-407 In the High Court Of Judicature Probate And A d m i n i s t r a t i o n (Administration) In the matter of the Deceased Person’s Estate Administration Act, Chapter 12:01 -andIn the matter of the Estate of Surujpaul Mohan a/k Surajpaul Mohan, deceased. Between: Gansham Mohan individually and in his capacity as the Executor and beneficiary of the estate of Surajpaul Mohan a/k Surajpaul Mohan, deceased, represented herein by his duly constituted Attorney in Guyana Raouti Rajpaul agreeably with instrument of Power of Attorney executed on the 27th August, 2014 and registered in the Deeds Registry on the 27th August,2014 and numbered 8829/2014 Applicant/Plaintiff -andDonald Khemraj Respondent/Defendant To: Donald Khemraj Notice of Publication Take Notice that an Amended Statement of Claim has been filed in the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana by Gansham Mohan for the following: (a) A Declaration that Transported conveyed in the name of the Defendant in respect of the property situated at East half of Sublot Lettered “A”, being portion of cultivation lot numbered 22 (twenty two) Plantation Lancaster in the MahaicaUnity Local Government District, East Coast Demerara passed to the above named Respondent/Defendant on the 17th September, 2014 is a nullity and is void, same having been obtained by fraud. (b) A Declaration that the property situate at East half of Sublot Lettered “A” being a portion of cultivation Lot numbered 22 (Twenty two) Plantation Lancaster in Mahaica-Unity Local Government District, East Coast Demerara, forms part of the Estate of Surajpaul Mohan a/k Surajpaul Mohan, deceased. (c) An order recalling the Order of the Honourable Justice Roxanne George dated the 10th December,

2008 made in Action No. 217S of 2008, same having been obtained by fraud and it be deemed null and void. (d) An Order directing the Registrar of Deeds to recall and cancel the aforesaid Transport and to make all such relevant entries in the records of the Deeds Registry in relation thereto. (e) An Order Injunction restraining the Respondent/ Defendant by himself, his servants and/or agents from entering upon, trespassing and/or remaining on the property situate at East half of Sublot Lettered “A”, being portion of cultivation Lot numbered 22 (Twenty two) Plantation Lancaster in the Mahaica-Unity Local Government District, East Coast Demerara subject matter of these proceedings. (f) An Injunction restraining the Respondent/Defendant by himself, his servants and/ or agents or whomsoever from pledging, mortgaging, selling, encumbering, leasing or alienating in any way whatsoever the property situate at East half of Sublot Lettered “A”, being the portion of cultivation Lot numbered 22 (Twenty two) Plantation Lancaster in the Mahaica-Unity Local Government District, East Coast Demerara. (g) An Order for specific performance of the Agreement of Sale and Purchase dated the 20th May, 2008, entered into between Surujpaul Mohan a/ k Surajpaul Mohan and the Defendant Donald Khemraj, touching and concerning the property situate at East half of Sublot lettered A portion of Lot numbered 22 Plantation Lancaster, situate on the East Coast Demerara, County of Demerara, Republic of Guyana, the said Sublot containing an area of 0.1376 (nought decimal one three seven six) of an acre as shown and defined on a Plan by Colin J.H Bowen, Sworn Land Surveyor dated the 3rd day of June, 2008 and recorded in the Department of Lands and Surveys as Plan Number 43171. (h) An Order that the Registrar of Deeds do convey Transport for the property situate at East half of Sublot lettered A portion of Lot numbered 22 Plantation Lancaster, situate on the East Coast Demerara, County of Demerara, Republic of Guyana, the said Sublot containing and area of 0.1376 (nought decimal one three seven six) of an acre as shown and defined on a plan by Colin J.H Bowen, Sworn Land surveyor dated the 3rd day of June, 2008 and recorded in the Department of Lands and Surveys as Plan Number 43171 into the name of (Continued on the page 23)


Saturday February 01, 2020

‘Straight right’ lands in court for $5,000 A court was yesterday told by an accused that he ‘straight right’(cuffed) a man who later went to the police and claimed that he was beaten and robbed of $5,000. Denzil Todd was arraigned before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where he denied the charge made out against him. It was alleged that on January 30, 2020 at 111 Miles, Mahdia, Todd robbed Michael Peters of $5,000 cash, and at the time of, during or after the said incident, he used personal violence on the same victim. The man, who was not represented by an attorney, told the court that he is 22 years old. He mentioned that he is a dredge owner who resides at Moblissa, Linden Highway. The Police Prosecutor objected to bail based on the serious nature of the offence, the penalty it attracts, the prevalence of such acts in society ,and the fact that the defendant allegedly used

several cuffs and punches to relieve the victim of the money. Furthermore, the prosecutor mentioned that Todd was pointed out to the police and upon being arrested he was searched and the $5,000 in question was found on him along with other monies. According to Todd, “He [Peters] disrespected me. I was drinking with some friends and he just come rushing up to me so I ‘straight right’ he and he fall down on the ground. Then I just pick up my things and walk out.” The defendant further indicated that he was outside another bar when the police arrived. “I tried to walk away and they come and surround me. They take away all my things and today nothing they can’t find for me. The money that find on me is mine, because I got my dredge.” Magistrate McGusty then granted bail in the sum of $50,000. He was instructed to make his next court appearance on February 3.

GPHC insists ambulances must have free access to... From page 7 something has to be done to ease the congestion. Apart from this, the officials revealed that a new vendor takes up a spot at the hospital almost every day. The officials even pointed out that the hospital's complaints department has received complaints about taxi drivers telling ambulance drivers to wait on them to remove their vehicles before the ambulance can transport a patient into the compound.

“The Georgetown Public Hospital is a very busy place, the majority of the time there are ambulances and other vehicles bringing sick people to the hospital. So as a result of that we cannot have taxi drivers and vendors blocking the entrance into this hospital.” Firefighters trying to go into the hospital's compound in order to put out a blaze at the psychiatric unit experienced difficulty last Tuesday, as the entrance was blocked by taxis and vendors.

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Kaieteur News

Miner remanded for allegedly trying to break into Post Office Linden Flavious, who allegedly tried to break into a Post Office located in Mahdia, was yesterday remanded to prison by a city magistrate. Flavious pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on January 30, 2020 at 111 Miles, Mahdia, he attempted to break into the Mahdia Post Office living quarters. At the time that the charge was read, the 52-year-

old defendant of Pepper Hill, 111 Miles, Mahdia, appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The police prosecutor objected to bail based on the prevalence of these offences in society and the fact that Flavious was reportedly arrested at the scene of the crime. Moreover, more objections were based on the fact

Inquest into death of cop killed in Leguan accident underway An inquest is currently ongoing into the death of Shaquille Woolford, a police rank who was killed after the motorbike he was riding slammed into a reversing car on May 20, 2017 at Success, Leguan. The inquest commenced yesterday before Magistrate Esther Sam at the Leguan Magistrates’ Court. According to reports, Woolford, 20, of Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, was riding his motorbike, allegedly at a fast rate, when he collided with a car that was reversing from a yard. The young policeman was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital. At the time of his demise, he had been a member of the police force for only two years. A total of 13 witnesses,

Dead: Shaquille Woolford comprising mostly police ranks, are to testify in the inquest proceedings.

LEGAL NOTICE CONT’D

Gansham Mohan, the Applicant/Plaintiff herein if the Defendant Donald that upon being arrested, Khemraj fails and/or neglects Flavious said he resided at the to convey the property. Post Office living quarters, when in fact only a woman And Further Take Notice that working with the Post Office on the 26th day of September, 2014 and Interim Injunction lives there. Based on the final objec- was granted against you, the tion, the prosecutor said that Respondent/Defendant, by the defendant posed a flight the Honourable Madam risk as he gave a different ad- Justice Sandra Kurtzious (in dress to the court and if Chambers) whereby it was granted bail he would not re- ordered that the Respondent/ Defendant be restrained, turn for his trial. The magistrate upheld the whether by himself, his submission of the prosecutor servants and/or agents from and remanded the defendant entering upon, trespassing to prison until February 3, and/or remaining on the when he will appear before the property situate at East half Chief Magistrate Ann of Sublot lettered “A”, being McLennan, for the case to be portion of cultivation Lot transferred to the Mahdia numbered 22 (Twenty two) Plantation Lancaster in the Magistrate Court. Mahaica-Unity Local Government District, East LEGAL NOTICE CONT’D Coast Demerara subject matter of these proceedings before the Honourable Chief until the hearing and Justice Madam Roxanne determination of the Summons returnable for the George. 21st day of October, 2014 at 9:00am. And Further Restraining the Respondent/Defendant whether by himself, his servants and/or agents or whomsoever from pledging, mortgaging, selling, encumbering, leasing or Dated the 15th day of alienating in any way whatsoever the property January, 2020 situate at East half of Sublot lettered “A:”, being the portion of cultivation Lot PEN PAL numbered 22 (Twenty two) Indian Overseas male seeks Plantation Lancaster in the female 30/35, must have good Mahaica- Unity Local personality. Call: 602-9975 Government District, East Coast Demerara until the hearing and determination of the Summons returnable for the 21st day of October, 2014 at 9:00 am. Upon Application in person or by letter to Ms. Rishi R. Kissoon, Attorney-at-Law, whose address for service and place of business is at the Chambers of Kissoon & Kissoon, Attorneys-at-Law Lot 99, Hadfield Street, Werken-Rust, Georgetown, Demerara, Guyana, a copy of the Amended Statement of Claim would be delivered or sent to you. If you desire this action, you must enter an appearance to the Amended Statement of Claim either personally or by Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of the Supreme Court of Judicature at Georgetown, within twenty eight (28) days after the date of the second and final publication of this Notice. If within the said twenty eight (28) days no application has been made or no appearance has been entered, the Court shall proceed to hear the said action and pronounced judgment against you in your absence. And Further take notice that this matter do stand adjourned to the 17th day of March, 2020 at 11:30 am


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What is vital is to have in charge of the Ship of State, a... From page 5 National Gas Company for the transmission and sales of natural gas. 1977: The Government of Trinidad and Tobago takes its option of an additional 20 per cent participation in South Coast Consortium as a commercial discovery is announced. 1977: TringenCommissioning activities were completed and the shipment of ammonia destined for the U.S.A. and Europe was begun. 1979: FERTRIN – Sodbreaking ceremony January 1979. 1980: Formation of the National Energy Corporation. 1980: Commissioning of the Iron and Steel Company of Trinidad and Tobago (ISCOTT) 1981: TRINTOC granted an Exploration and production (Public Petroleum Rights) Licence over Block 9North of the NW Peninsula of Trinidad. 1982: TRINTOC enters into a processing agreement with TEXACO Trinidad Inc. for the processing of 1 million bbls of crude oil. 1982: Installation work begins on the second cross country pipeline by the National Gas Company. 1983: Cassia Gas Field comes on stream in May 1983 1983: Urea plant at Point Lisas commissioned in December 1983 1983: Decline in world crude oil prices. OPEC marker crude price cut from $34/bbl., which adversely affects the local oil industry. 1983: Supplemental Petroleum Tax for land operations reduced from 35% to 15%. 1983: Offshore section of NOC 760 mm (30 inch) pipeline completed and put into service. 1983: Seismic survey using the vibroseis method initiated by Western Geophysical Co. (of USA) 1984: Crude oil production registers its first increase since 1978, production increased from 155.078 bbl/d to 163,937 bbl/d. This represents an increase in average daily production of 6.0% above the 1983 average. 1984: Data from the marine seismic new areas off the North and East Coast of

Trinidad and Tobago, put on sale. 1984: Joint UNDP/ World Bank Assessment of Trinidad and Tobago undertaken. 1984: Methanol Plant at Point Lisas begins commercial production. 1985: AMOCO produces its 500 millionth barrel of crude oil i.e. 22.6% of total crude production for the country at that date. 1985: Submarine production allowance terminated with effect from 31.12.83. 1985: TEXTRIN is integrated with TRINTOC as some of its assets are acquired by GOTT. 1985: Fire on TRINTOC, Pointe-a-Pierre jetty kills 14 employees. 1985: GOTT acquired Tesoro Corporation’s 49.9% equity in Trinidad-Tesoro Petroleum Company Limited for 3.23 million barrels of residual fuel to be paid over a period of 18 months: May 1986 to November 1987. Name of the Company changed to Trinidad and Tobago Petroleum Company Limited (TRINTOPEC). 1986: OPEC failed to agree on an oil production policy that could have reversed the collapse in world oil prices. This decline in oil prices had a negative impact on the local oil industry. 1986: Compressed natural gas (as a substitute motor car fuel) pilot project is launched and the first CNG filling station inaugurated. 1988: Trintomar Limited incorporated to develop and operate acreage held by the SECC. Comprises Trintoc 40%, Trintopc 40% and NGC 20%. 1988: Three offshore blocks: 511, Lower Reverse ‘L”-shaped and “U”-shaped blocks put up for competitive bidding. 1988: GOTT revises Supplemental Petroleum Taxes and announces major tax incentives for workovers and marine heavy oil production. 1989: Bidding invited for four new blocks off the East Coast – Block 89/2, Block 89/ 3, Block 89/4 and Block 89/5. 1989: Introduction of the lease operatorship and farmout programme. 1989: Exploration and Production Licence signed for Block 5-11 (Trintopec/Mobil). 1989: Signing of the joint venture agreement for the formation of the Phoenix Park Gas Processors Ltd. 1989: Caribbean Ispat commenced operations in May 1989. 1990: Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago sign an oil cooperation agreement. 1991: Block 89/2 and 89/3 awarded to BHP (Americas)

Inc. and Unocal Corporation respectively. 1991: Norsk Hydro-Agri Trinidad Limited commenced operations in January 1991. This company operates three ammonia plants in Point Lisas. 1991: Phoenix Park Gas Processors Limited commenced operations. 1992: EOG Resources started operations. EOG is currently contracted to sell gas to NGC and condensate to Petrotrin. 1993: The Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Petrotrin) is registered on January 21, 1993, with an authorized share capital of TT$1,500 million. Petrotrin is the single entity formed as a result of the merger of the state-owned oil companies – Trintoc and Trintopec. 1993: British Gas signed a revised production sharing contract with the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on September 09, 1993. 1993: Enron and British/ Texaco lease marine fields Keskidee and Dolphin respectively. 1995: LNG Consortium forms Atlantic LNG. 1996: Start of construction of Atlantic LNG facility at Point Fortin. 1996: Government opens 3rd round of competitive bidding for 13 offshore leases for deep water production sharing contracts between itself and international companies 1996: Trinidad Exploration and Development Company Limited (TED) signed an exploration and production licence with the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in February 1996 1996: Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP) signed a production sharing contract and started operations in Trinidad and Tobago in April 1996. 1996: Talisman (Trinidad) Holdings Limited signed a production sharing contract with the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in April 1996. 1996: ELF Exploration Trinidad B.V. signed a production sharing contract with the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in November, 1996. 1997: Repsol Exploration signed a production sharing contract with the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in January 1997. 1997: AGIP Trinidad and Tobago Limited signed a production sharing contract with the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in March 1997. 1997: Deminex Trinidad Petroleum GmbH signed a

production sharing contract with the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in March 1997. 1997: Farmland MissChem Limited commenced operations in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. 1997: Messer Trinidad and Tobago Limited entered into a joint venture with Neal and Massy and was incorporated in 1997. It operates three industrial gas plants in point Lisas. 1997: PCS Nitrogen Trinidad Limited acquired Arcadian’s operations. 1998: Petrotrin’s Pointe-aPierre Refinery Upgrade, a US$355 million project is completed and commissioned. 1998: EXXONMOBIL Exploration & Production Trinidad Limited signed a production sharing contract with the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in February 1998. 1998: Trinidad Shell Exploration and Production B. V. signed a production sharing contract with the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in February 1998. 1998: New Horizon commenced operations in September 1998. 1999: Venture Production (Trinidad) Limited entered into a joint venture with Petrotrin on October 1999. 1999: Atlantic LNG starts production with Train I. 2000: Agreement reached for expansion of Atlantic LNG trains 2 and 3. 2001: BHP Billiton announces that wells Canteen1 and Kairi 1 encountered significant oil and gas columns in previously untested, undiscovered Oligocene sands. 2001: Titan Methanol Company first production was in April 2001. 2001: Caribbean Nitrogen Company commenced operations. 2002: Vermillion entered into a joint venture with Petrotrin in August 2002. 2002: First commercial gas produced from British Gas North Coast Marine acreage. 2002: Trinidad’s 9th ammonia plant comes on stream. 2002: Phoenix Park Gas Processors signs a train 2 and train 3 natural gas liquids agreement with Atlantic LNG. 2002: Atlantic LNG train 2 first commercial shipment September 2002. 2002: bpTT begins installation of the world second largest natural gas processing/production platform in Kapok Field. 2002: Production of natural gas begins from Hibiscus field on the North

Coast. 2002: BHP Billiton declares commerciality of the Greater Angoustra Structure, reserves estimated at 1 billion barrels oil & 1 tcf gas. 2 0 0 2 : B G / Te x a c o announces Dorado 1 gas discovery in block 5a. 2002: bptt announces that Iron Horse 1s1t has found 1tcf natural gas. 2002: TED spuds first exploration well on southwest penninsula lease. 2002: Block U-b awarded to Primera and EOG. 2002: Vintage Petroleum announces gas and condensate discovery at Carapal Ridge 1, onshore Trinidad, 1st since Navette in 1957. 2002: Block 3A awarded to the consortium of BHP Billiton (operator), TFE, BG & Talisman. 2002: Eastern Block awarded to Talisman (joint venture). 2002: EOG announced commercial gas discovery with Parula 1 in the SECC block. 2002: EOG awarded Reverse L block. 2002: MOE begins acquisition of Ultra deep water 2D seismic survey. 2002: Venture Petroleum began exploration and development drilling on the Point Ligoure Joint Venture. 2002: Commercial production began from Osprey Field (EOG) 2002: Exxon-Mobil drilled 2 wells in blocks 25(b) and 26, bptt in Block 27 (deep water). 2002: bptt announced Red Mango 2st1 as a gas/ condensate discovery. 2003: BPTT commissions the world’s largest offshore gas processing facility, Cassia B, capable of producing 2 billion cubic feet of gas a day. 2003: BPTT installs Bombax, BP’s largest diameter marine pipeline worldwide (483 ) and one of the largest in the world. 2003: Cross border talks with Venezuela- signing an MOU and Letter of Intent. 2003: Offshore competitive bid rounds held for 9 shallow water shelf and deep water blocks 2003: A Draft of the Quarry Policy Green Paper was prepared. 2004: Six blocks were awarded from the “2003 Competitive Bid Rounds”: 1(a), 1(b), 3(b), 4(a), 5(c) and 22. 2004: Stimulation of production of onshore acreages via 1. PETROTRIN surrendering individual “Deeds of Surrender” and being re-awarded “Core Areas” licences incorporating new terms and conditions. 2. Establishing a consortium of companies for the Southern

Basin onshore exploration project. 2004: Two new petrochemicals plant established: Atlas Methanol and the N2000 2004: Formulation and implementation of a “Local content policy”. 2005 ALNG Train 4 was completed ahead of schedule in December 2005 2005: Start of construction of the 56" Cross Island Pipeline (largest in the Western Hemisphere) from Beachfield to Pt. Fortin. 2005: Construction of four offshore platforms at LABIDCO: Oilbird, Cannonball, Cashima and Mango. 2005: the “2005/6 Competitive Bid Round” began which offered 8 onshore and 8 deepwater blocks. 2006: The Petroleum Fiscal Review was implemented which made amendments to major pieces of legislation including: Supplemental petroleum Tax. A new model PSC emerged from this review. 2007: The “Unitization Framework Treaty” for the cross border gas between Venezuela and TT was signed. 2007: 9 blocks were awarded in the “2005/6 Competitive Bid Round”. 2009: BPTT Savonette platform installed and 1st gas produced. 2010: BPTT Serrette platform installed I have faith in the leadership of Guyana Government. The government is certainly not perfect, but clearly by far the best given the circumstances of Guyana today – A Guyana with a young population eager and sometimes impatient to benefit from our natural resources. We live in a world, where the human species from as far back as we know has been characterized by change. Change itself designates a conspicuous and rather pervasive feature of both our introspective and sensory experiences. The Pretenders of wisdom and knowledge of Oil and Gas must know and understand the inevitability of change. In our circumstances, what is vital is to have in charge of the Ship of State, a person whose integrity cannot be questioned and whose relationships are underlined with a level of civility and compromise. These qualities will allow our Leadership to dispel doubts and to utilize our Godgiven resources for the benefit of all of the people. Hamilton Green


Saturday February 01, 2020

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Saturday February 01, 2020

Helicopter company in Kobe Bryant crash not certified to fly in poor visibility: reports (Reuters) - The charter company whose helicopter crashed and killed basketball star Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others on Sunday last was not certified to fly in conditions requiring pilots to fly using only cockpit instruments, media reports said. Island Express Helicopters, which owned the Sikorsky S-76B that crashed, was only certified to operate under visual flight rules, which mean pilots must be able to clearly see outside the aircraft in daylight, Kurt Deetz, a pilot and former safety manager at the company, told the New York Times.

The aircraft is equipped for instrument flying, however, the report said. “There is only one way you can be in the clouds, on an I.F.R. flight plan or by accident,” Deetz told the newspaper, referring to instrument flight rules. The helicopter’s pilot, Ara Zobayan, was licensed for instrument flying, most likely had little experience in doing so given the c o m p a n y ’s operating limitations, Deetz told Forbes separately. The twin-engine helicopter slammed into a hillside in Calabasas, California, amid visibilitylimiting clouds and fog. Air traffic controllers had given Zobayan

“special visual flight rules,” or clearance to fly in the less-than-optimal weather around the Burbank airport. The pilot had reported that visibility was sufficient for visual flight, the Times said, adding that the weather appeared to have worsened as the flight continued. In a separate statement, Island Express Helicopters said it was suspending all services. “The shock of the accident affected all staff, and management decided that service would be suspended until such time as it was deemed appropriate for staff and customers,” the charter

Saturday February 01, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) More than likely there was at least one time in your life in which you felt like the ugly ducking, Aries. Perhaps this had something to do with your weight.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Be careful about getting caught up with people who are careless or fickle, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Your tender emotions are too sensitive to endure the thoughtlessness.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Duels of love and romance are apt to come to a critical climax, and you’ll find that the person who is challenging you has quite a bit of gunpowder at his or her disposal.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Your luck has just turned with regard to issues of love and romance, and wow! Has it turned for the better.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your extremely overpowering emotions are apt to scare people off today, Gemini, especially when it comes to matters involving intimate relationships. CANCER(June21–July22) While long-term trends in your life may not be going exactly the way you want them to, Cancer, you certainly have plenty of short-term pleasures to enjoy, especially today. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You may be anxious to fit things in your life into pigeonholes, Leo. When it comes to matters of love and romance, this may be hard to do, especially on a day like today. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may feel like going back to being a student in junior high, Virgo, just going through puberty and joining the other kids in animated discussions about who likes whom and who’s going out with whom.

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SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Romance is in the air, Sagittarius, and all of a sudden you notice that all around you couples are walking hand-in-hand, exchanging longing gazes. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Your upbeat and active nature is exactly what turns people on to you. Attention is apt to turn in your direction today when social acquaintances realize what an incredibly capable person you are. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Today is one of those days when you could feel lethargic and downbeat, Aquarius. For some reason, even if you have a driving urge to get up and do something, it seems as if there’s a two-ton weight sitting right on top of your head. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your heart is apt to beat much more rapidly than usual. Love is in the air, the trees, and the people around you. Love is apt to be very expansive for you

company said. The death of Bryant, 41, an 18-time NBA all-star and one of the most admired athletes around the globe, sent shockwaves through the sports and entertainment worlds.

Deonarain, Ramnauth... From page 30 Keyron George 3 for 17. Deonarain, Ramnauth lead outstanding performances, five teams advance to playoff Edinburgh 118 all out Jonathan Edwards 37 and David Fraser 35; Delon Endore 4 for 24. 6. Rose Hall Canje breezed past East Bank by 159 runs at Canje. RH Canje 225 all out in 37.3 overs - Avishkar Persaud 83, Romario Ramdehol 34 and Sanjay Algoo 19; Joash Sampson 5 for 42. East Bank Blazers - 66 all out in 16.4 overs - Shamar Semple 16, Deosarran Sookram 14; A. Persaud 5 for 6 and Romario Ramdehol 4 for 24. 7. RH Canje breezed past Edinburgh by ten wickets at the Young Warriors Ground. Edinburgh -149 for 7 from 40 overs - L. Fraser 32 and Darren George 28; Zadeem La Rose 2 for 23. RH Canje 150 in 26 overs Avishkar Persaud 55 not out and Zadeem La Rose 58 not out. 8. Achievers defeated Bush Lot United by 262 runs. Achievers 292 for 4 from 40 overs: Tulsieram Ramcharran 104 not out, Tousant Consielly 55 and Javon Duncan 34. Bushlot United 30 all out; Christopher Ogle 5 for 8. 9. Paradise defeated Achievers by five wickets. Achievers - 97 all out in 20 overs. P. Mc Donald 3 for 14 and R. Wilson 2 for 08. Paradise 98 for 5 from 13 overs O. Fordyce 28 and R. Mc Donald 17; T. Connelly 3 for 25.

Berbice Basketball Association to pay tribute to Basketball legend Kobe Bryant The Berbice Basketball Association will be holding a minute’s silence today, 1st February, at the New Amsterdam Basketball Court before the game between Pacesetters and Rose Hall Town Jammers. The association stated in a release, “We well be holding a special tribute to Kobe Bryant we are asking all past

and present basketball players to be there.” Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, Bryant entered the National Basketball Association directly from high school, and played his entire 20-season professional career in the league with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Let’s Bet Sports onboard with Mocha... From page 28 off from 19:00hrs with ten matches slated for the opening day. Money Hunters will collide with Upsetters in the night’s first game, while Front Side will take on Young Stars and Front Side will do battle with Young Stars. Also competing on opening night - Ballers Empire tackle Future Stars, Church Boys will go headto-head with Old Boys, Nelson Street Warriors

battle Big Ballers, Touches and Xtra Mature will lock horns, and 2020 Winners match up against 6 Boss. In the night’s penultimate game, Lack the Scene faces Wild Ones and in the final match will bring together Hill Side and Family. The tournament will continue on February 5 and 12 with the group matches, while the quarter-finals will be played on February 15, and the semi-finals and finals on February 22.


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Saturday February 01, 2020

Mexico named host for 2020 Concacaf Women’s U-17 C/ship - Guyana among 20 MAs to play for regional title & 3 available spots in FIFA U-17 Women’s WC India 2020 Miami – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) yesterday announced that Mexico will host the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship. The competition will take place April 18 – May 3, at the Mexican Football Federation Headquarters, in Toluca, Mexico. “The Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship is a significant competition in our region, and we know the Mexican Football Federation will prove an excellent host. The tournament will see the b e s t w o m e n ’s u n d e r- 1 7 teams from across the Confederation compete for the right to represent Concacaf at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India,” said Concacaf General Secretary Philippe Moggio. “ Wo m e n ’s f o o t b a l l continues to grow in Mexico and the Federation

Guyana’s U-17 starting X1 against Curacao in August 2019. has been extremely supportive of Concacaf W – our program to develop women’s football at all levels of the sport,” added Moggio. “We are proud to host t h e C o n c a c a f Wo m e n ’s

Under-17 Championship for the first time. We welcome all of the national teams that will be looking to secure a spot in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2020, as

well as all the fans that will join us at the Mexican Football Federation Headquarters in Toluca, a city that is characterized by its history and mysticism; and that also has one of the most beautiful landscapes in the country, the Nevado de Toluca,” said Concacaf Vicepresident and Mexican Football Federation President Yon De Luisa. “Our facilities, which have been a core part for the formation of talents, will have the privilege of hosting this great experience for the U-17 women’s teams and continue contributing to the growth and development of women’s football in this region,” concluded De Luisa. The 2020 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship will be disputed in two rounds, beginning with 16-team group stage (April 18-23). After round-robin play, the top three teams in each of the four groups will advance to the knockout stage, joining the four qualifier winners, Belize, Cayman Islands, Guyana and Honduras. The 16 teams participating in the group stage have been divided in four groups of four teams and

will play as follows (listed in the order drawn): Group E: Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda and Nicaragua Group F: Canada, Jamaica, Panama and Dominican Republic Group G: United States, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Cuba Group H: Haiti, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and Grenada The knockout stage of the competition will begin on April 25 with the round of 16, followed by the quarterfinals on the 29th, semifinals on May 1, and the third-place match and final on Sunday, May 3. All matches will be played in a single elimination format, with the finalists and third place match winner qualifying for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2020. In the previous edition of the Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship, played in 2018, the United States won its fourth title at this age level, with a 3-2 win over Mexico in the final. The 2020 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship is part of what is set to be a year of Women’s Football at Concacaf. In total, more than 1,400 girls and women from the entire region will have access to top level football tournaments, including the Women’s Olympic Qualifiers, Girls’ Under-15 Championship and Women’s Under-20 Championship. Participating Countries (listed in alphabetical order): Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago and United States. Competition schedule *Kickoff times to be announced at a later date Saturday, April 18, 2020 – Group Stage 01: Trinidad and Tobago vs Bermuda

02: Guatemala vs El Salvador 03: Mexico vs Nicaragua 04: USA vs Cuba Sunday, April 19, 2020 – Group Stage 05: Jamaica vs Panama 06: Costa Rica vs Puerto Rico 07: Canada vs Dominican Republic 08: Haiti vs Grenada Monday, April 20, 2020 – Group Stage 09: Nicaragua vs Trinidad and Tobago 10: Cuba vs Guatemala 11: Bermuda vs Mexico 12: El Salvador vs USA Tuesday, April 21, 2020 – Group Stage 13: Dominican Republic vs Jamaica 14: Grenada vs Costa Rica 15: Panama vs Canada 16: Puerto Rico vs Haiti Wednesday, April 22, 2020 – Group Stage 17: Bermuda vs Nicaragua 18: El Salvador vs Cuba 19: Mexico vs Trinidad and Tobago 20: USA vs Guatemala Thursday, April 23, 2020 – Group Stage 21: Panama vs Dominican Republic 22: Puerto Rico vs Grenada 23: Canada vs Jamaica 24: Haiti vs Costa Rica Saturday, April 25, 2020 – Round of 16 25: 1E vs Guyana 26: 1G vs Cayman Islands 27: 2E vs 3G 28: 2G vs 3E Sunday, April 26, 2020 – Round of 16 29: 1F vs Belize 30: 1H vs Honduras 31: 2F vs 3H 32: 2H vs 3F Wednesday, April 29, 2020 – Quarterfinals 33: W25 vs W28 34: W26 vs W27 35: W29 vs W32 36: W30 vs W31 Friday, May 1, 2020 – Semifinals 37: W33 vs W34 38: W35 vs W36 Sunday, May 3, 2020 – Third place match and final 39: L37 vs L38 40: W37 vs W38


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RHT Namilco Thunderbolt Flour 1st Division Team launch “Paying it Forward” Programme

Financial donation in presented to GVF President Levi Nedd. Since 1995, the Management of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS has mandated its different cricket teams to make a positive difference in the lives of youths, the elderly and less fortunate. Over the last twenty-five years, the teams have hosted thousands of activities/programmes under a series of sub-headings including sports education, culture, charity, religious, social among others. On Wednesday last, the members of the Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolt Flour First Division team launched another programme to add to the long list of activities they host under their sponsorship with the National Milling Company. The programme “Paying it forward” was inspired by popular American Television

hostess Ellen DeGeneres, who encourages her worldwide audience to love one another and to make a difference in the world. Under the Paying it forward programme, the team would donate a large percentage of its financial prizes to individuals, churches, NGO’s, sports organisations and schools. Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster, who encouraged the team to launch the programme, stated that since it’s started in 1990, the RHTYSC has operated with a motto, that the more you give, more blessings would come your way. The RHT Namilco Thunderbolt Flour over the last two weeks clinched three first division titles as they continue to dominate cricket in the Ancient County. They

Some team members hand over Namilco hampers to residents. defeated Tucber Park by 58 runs at the Port Mourant Ground to win the Stag Beer 50 overs title, edged Albion by 5 runs at the No69 Ground to take home the Ivan Madray Memorial 20/20 title, while last Sunday, they won a thriller last over final against Albion at the Port Mourant Ground to capture the Busta Champions of Champions tournament. Additionally, Kevin Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Sheneta Grimmond and Shemaine Campbelle are currently with either the Guyana or West Indies teams. The RHTYSC membership, Foster stated

strongly believes that faith in their God is responsible for the club’s remarkable success story over the years. The team under the leadership of Eon Hooper and Shawn Pereira handed over fifteen Namilco Food Hampers to residents of their township and made financial contributions to the Guyana Volleyball Federation, Flying Ace Cycling Club and Mr. Govindra Sahadeo, a resident of Port Mourant. Sahadeo received a financial contribution towards purchasing a plot of land to construct a house for his parents, while Cycling Coach Randolph Roberts collected a donation to

purchase trophies for an upcoming Awards Ceremony. The GVF thru its President Levi Nedd benefitted from a donation towards participating in an InterGuianas Under-21 Volleyball tournament in French Guiana. The long time Secretary/ CEO congratulated the cricketers for successfully launching the paying it’s Forward Programme and announced that during the year, over $1M worth of educational materials, bicycles, footwear, cricket gears, clothing, food hamper and financial assistance would be shared out by the cricketers.

Asst Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu, who also serves as team Manager, stated that the team fully understands the need to give back and to make a positive difference in others. He disclosed that Foster is a big fan of the popular Ellen Show and was inspired by her work and as such encourages others to reach out to others. Teams captain Eon Hooper dedicated the triple championship victory to the Management of Namilco, especially Managing Director Bert Sukhai, Finance controller Fitzroy McCloud, Afeeze Khan and Jamie Schwiers.

Thiem shoots down young gun Zverev to reach final MELBOURNE (Reuters) Dominic Thiem overcame Alex Zverev 3-6 6-4 7-6(3) 76(4) to reach his first Australian Open final yesterday and set up the ultimate test against Melbourne Park maestro Novak Djokovic. In an enthralling semi-final featuring a rain interruption, a lighting failure and a plenty of drama besides, the fifth seeded Austrian shrugged off a sluggish start and was courageous on the big points to triumph under the roof at Rod Laver Arena. He thrashed two blazing forehands to earn three match points in the final tiebreak, then sealed it with a crosscourt volley to book his third Grand Slam final after losing the last two French Open deciders to Rafa Nadal. “Both of us could have won this today,” the powerhitting 26-year-old said on court. “Maybe (I have) a little bit of experience, little bit of something else. He’s just 22, maybe not long before he makes it to his first Grand Slam

Austria’s Dominic Thiem celebrates after his match against Germany’s Alexander Zverev. (REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji) final. “It was an unreal match, again two tiebreaks, so tough and so close. It was almost impossible to break him.” With the men’s Grand

Slams dominated for years by the ‘Big Three’ of Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer, Thiem will bid to become the first man born in the 1990s to win a major title.

Defending champion Djokovic, bidding for a record-extending eighth Melbourne title and fresh after a three-set stroll against an injury-hampered Roger Federer, stands in his way. Ye t , h a v i n g p l a y e d magnificently to dump top seed Nadal from the quarter-finals, his first victory over the Spaniard at a Grand Slam, Thiem may dare to dream. “For sure, he’s the favorite. I mean, he won seven titles here, never lost a final, going for his eighth one,” he said of the Serbian second seed. “I’m playing great tennis. So (I’ll) try to be at my absolutely best on Sunday.” Zverev bowed out with head held high after what many would hope a watershed tournament for the German wunderkind, who has struggled with the huge expectations heaped on him at the majors. But having converted only five out of 14 break points and let two set points go begging in the third, the

loss stung. “Yeah, just got to execute better next time. But credit to him. He’s playing unbelievable tennis right now,” the seventh seed said. As first-time Melbourne semi-finalists, both players were in uncharted territory and nine breaks of serve in the first three sets betrayed their nerves. After a brief rain delay, Thiem, who looked to be still shaking off his four-hour 10minute slog against Nadal, dropped the first set in a flurry of unforced errors. Thiem nudged ahead to 53 in a madcap second set laden with sparkling rallies and a few bone-headed shots from each. In an outrageous game of net-rushing, botched overhead smashes and thumping groundstrokes, Thiem fought off two break points before blasting an ace down the ‘T’ to take the set and level the match. LIGHTFAILURE The pair had literally shot the lights out, and play was halted for a second time early

in the third set due to roof lamps failing. After a seven-minute pause, the circus tricks resumed, with Thiem ripping a backhand past Zverev to take his serve. Though thrown around the court by Thiem’s power, the young German hung tough, claiming a spellbinding rally with a searing pass after Thiem had dived like a goalkeeper for a volley. Zverev broke back with some superb tennis but his line call challenges were appalling. He blew his quota by the ninth game and with frustration spilling over, he earned a code violation for an audible obscenity. The frustration mounted as Thiem saved two set points then raced away in the tiebreak, converting it with a sumptuous backhand winner from an absurd angle. There was no glorious dash to the finish line, with the final set a grind but Thiem was majestic in the tiebreak to earn another chance to rock the Grand Slam establishment.


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Saturday February 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

Go for Glory cycle ride continues in Suriname today The Professional Key Shop, Go for Glory Guyana/ Suriname cycle group ride, pedaled off from the National Park Thursday Enroute to Corriverton, Berbice for its first leg, and the riders arrived safely on the Corentyne and have crossed over to Nickerie, Suriname (the second leg) where they will commence the third leg today. Organizer, Quincy Kwame Ridley of the Professional Key Shop, which is situated at 125 Carmichael Street, informed that they reached the Corentyne and moved over to Nickerie in Suriname for the second leg and will continue this morning with the third stage of the noncompetitive ride to Suriname’s Capital, Paramaribo. The first leg covered 115 miles and the second leg from Corriverton to Nickerie in Suriname covered a distance of 80 miles. The third and final led starts today at Nickerie and proceed to Paramaribo for a

The cyclists stop for a photo in Nickerie, Suriname from where they will be pedaling off to Paramaribo today. distance of 80 miles; a total of 275 miles or 348km. The cyclists are in fine spirits and are enjoying the trek to the neighbouring country.

Those taking part are Paul Choo-Wee-Nam, Khemwell Moses, Adeli Hodge, Paul De Nobrega, Walter Grant-Stuart, Marcus Keiler, Deeraj

Let’s Bet Sports onboard with Mocha Village Cup Football

Gabarran, Alanzo Ambrose and Kwame Ridley. This event is the first of its kind and is the brainchild of Ridley. He is hoping that this event will help to promote the athletes and had informed that there are three other

events slated for 2020 under the Go for Glory brand. Thanks was expressed to the cyclists, sponsors and clubs which include; Team Evolution, United, Alanis, Coco’s and Continental. Among the sponsored

are: KGM Security, Gomes Mining, Atlantic Marine Mining Supplies, Geo Tech, Smart Click, Asif Auto Import, Taj Mahal Hotel, Smart Click, Ansa McAl, Totness Palace Hotel and Savore Hotel, both of Suriname.

Krammer double leads Waramadong male U-15 to victory - Waramadong female U-15 triumph

Niomi Paul Ballerz Entertainment PRO Clayton Reece (left) and Let’s Bet Sports Brand Ambassador Rawle Toney at the presentation ceremony. The Guyana Lottery Company, through their sports betting brand – Let’s Bet Sports – yesterday January 31, presented $250,000 to the oganisers of the Mocha Village Cup football tournament, which gets on the way tonight at the Mocha Community Centre Ground. The 20-team tournament is being organised by Ballerz Entertainment, and will see the winners pocketing $200,000, second place $100,000, while the teams finishing third and forth will go home with $50,000 and $25,000 respectively. At a simple presentation held at the company’s Ogle office, Let’s Bet Sports Brand Ambassador, Rawle Toney presented the groups Public

Relations Office, Clayton Reece, with the cheque. According to Toney, the sponsorship shows Let’s Bet Sports’ commitment to not only giving back to the communities that support them, but more so helping in the development of sports. Toney pointed out that the Sports Betting brand has been in existence for a year and they have made a solid imprint in Guyana with regards to honouring their corporate social responsibility, by supporting almost every single discipline in the country’s robust sports arena. Meanwhile, Reece, upon thanking Let’s Bet Sports for their more than timely intervention, said his “organization has been

dedicated to youth and community development and the Mocha Village cup in its third edition has been one of those marquee events that help us to stay on track in maintaining our vision and carrying out our ongoing mission.” “This event began in a time where competitive football was absent and we took it upon ourselves to revamp the competitive spirit by starting our own small goal tournament starting with eight teams and a little cash prize. Fast forward three years later, We have Lets bet sports on board as our main sponsor which is testament to the growth of this event,” Reece lamented. The tournament will kick (Continued on page 25)

Raydon Krammer scored twice to lead host Waramadong male U15 team to a 3-0 win over Imbaimadai U15, while Waramadong female U15 overcame Imbaimadai female U15 1-0 when the teams collided recently in Region seven. Carrington Isaacs put Waramadong male U15 ahead in the fourth minute when he headed home a pass from Withney King just on the edge of the 18-yard box. Urged on by the members of the community which included students from DC Caesar Secondary School, both teams created several chances, but failed to finish as the game gained momentum. However, Krammer stretched Waramadong lead in the 25th minute when he converted from the spot after he was brought down inside

Raydon Krammer (left) and Carrinton Isaacs the area as the first half ended 2-0. Imbaimadai increased their pace following the break, however it was Waramadong who went further ahead as Krammer headed home his second in 35th minute. Imbaimadai continued to attack and created several chances, but were denied by their opponents defence and goalkeeper. In the female category, Waramadong U15 and Imbaimadai U15 gave the fans much excitement, but couldn’t find the back of the net in the first half despite being presented with several opportunities. However, following the interval, Waramadong won a penalty and Niomi Paul made no

mistake from the spot in the 31st minute to hand her team a hard fought victory. The games were organised by DC Caesar Fox Secondary (Waramadong) as part of their Sport for Development and Culture programme, and was contested for 25 minutes on either half. Prior to the fixtures, grade eight students of DC Caesar Fox Secondary were involved in a class room session which highlighted bullying in school. This session was conducted by Niel Henrito. On Sunday next, the programme will focus on stealing and will switch to the U-13 category for the football matches.


Saturday February 01, 2020

PAGE 31

Kaieteur News

6th Kares Caribbean Fitness Challenge officially unveiled - Over 4M in cash at stake; Guyanese preparing for Barbados, Suriname T&T and Canadian challenge By Franklin Wilson The National Park Tarmac will be the place to be on Sunday next (February 9th) when the 6th edition of the Kares Crossfit and Lotus Hardware Caribbean Fitness Challenge is contested with well over Four Million dollars in cash up for grabs. Boasting the largest prizes for a single day event, this year’s fitness challenge will welcome some of the best exponents of the sport for neighbouring Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados as well as Canada; overall, thirty-one athletes have made the cut and will be contesting. Defending male champion Dillon ‘The Beast’ Mahadeo will again be the athlete to beat as he goes after his fifth successive title while there would be a new female champion as 2019 winner, Suriname’s Ava Zalman will not be making the trip. At the official unveiling of this year’s edition on Thursday evening last at Kares Crossfit located in Queenstown, Georgetown, Jordana Ramsay-Gonsalves, representative of Guyana Fitness Games, organisers of the event expressed gratitude to Kares Crossfit and Lotus Hardware for being a part of the event which continues to evolve noting that their sponsorship has certainly resulted in the sport going to another level. Ms. Ramsay-Gonsalves stated that they are well aware of the challenges athletes face when it comes to adequate prize monies and were very pleased that the CEO of KaresCrossFit and Lotus Hardware, who is also a CrossFit athlete, acquiesced

Jamie Mc Donald (2nd left) during his presentation at the unveiling of the 6th Kares 2020 Caribbean Fitness Challenge on Thursday night. and welcomingly decided to increase all the cash prizes. “These huge cash prizes are some of the largest cash prizes ever awarded in local sports, if not the largest. Male and female athletes will receive; 1st place $500,000, 2nd Place $400,000, 3rd Place $300,000, 4th Place $200,000 and 5th Place $100,000. Every other athlete will be given a participation award of $15,000. KaresCrossFit and Lotus Hardware would also like to recognise athletes over age 30. In this category we will have 1st place receiving $100,000, 2nd $75,000 and 3rd $50,000.” Conscious that there must be continuity in the sport, organisers Guyana Fitness Games last year introduced a Teen Challenge segment which would again be part of the Fitness Games. “This year we have 15 teens competing in one event, all in the under 17 category. Teen athletes will receive 1st place $30,000, 2nd place

$25,000 and 3rd place $20,000.” At the unveiling, Ansa McAl’s Lucozade and Icool Water representative, Triston Freeman said they are very pleased to be on board once again. “Over the years we have sponsored this event and we will continue to support this event and youth development in Guyana. I would like to wish the athletes a successful and safe competition.” Chetram Bux who represented Berkinstock Guyana said it is a pleasure for his company to be part of the event. “Berkinstock is extremely pleased to be a part of this exciting event once again. I know the last event was an astonishing success and I know this one will be even better and more exciting as there will be more athletes competing from various countries. We will be giving away cash vouchers worth $15,000 to the winners of this

competition to be redeemed at Berkinstock Guyana located at the newly opened Movie Town Shopping Mall. We are always excited to be a part of anything that relates to the quality of product we offer to the Guyana populace, in extension, fitness fans. I wish that all athletes competes safe and do their best.” Another long time sponsor from the inception of the event, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, celebrating its 75th year in service to Guyana was represented by Mr. Terry Mohamed who said they will continue to provide quality care for the athletes as they have been doing over the years. “We do other outreach exercises but crossfit has been one of our major events on a yearly basis. What we do at these games, we provide doctors, nurses and physiotherapists to assist our athletes. Before the event starts, we would normally do pre-checks of all our athletes,

on their blood pressure, vital signs to make sure they are ok, record it and we monitor them throughout the activity.” Another of the organisers, Jamie Mc Donald informed that there would be a total of five events on the day commencing with the first at 06:00hrs, this event is not for the public he stated as it is more athlete centered. The remaining four events will lift off at 13:00hrs: “This is going to be basically a mix of gymnastics, weightlifting, and athletics sort of events. The big difference this year is we have Caribbean athletes coming in.” Last year, Mc Donald said was a dry run with seven Surinamese competing and it went very well as they were competitive. The Dutch’ #1 athlete, like Mahadeo would be going to the 2020 Reebok CrossFit Games. It was also reported that the Bajan and Trini athletes are the best in their nations and the level of competition they’ll be

bringing makes next Sunday’s event even the more exciting. “What we are looking this year is a much higher caliber of competition so all of the events are going to be slightly harder than the year before and its going to be a little bit more grueling, a little bit more technical but also a lot more crowd friendly.” Mc Donald also noted that the better the athletes get their movements become more entertaining for the fans. Tickets for next Sunday are on sale at KaresCrossfit in Queenstown, Genesis Fitness Gym on Durban Street, and Fitness Express on Sheriff Street at the cost of $1000, while children Under 10 would be free. Partners and sponsors for the event are KaresCrossFit, Lotus Hardware, AnsaMcAl with their I Cool Water and Lucozade brands, MVP Sports, Berkinstock Guyana, Pollo Tropical, Star Party Rentals, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Fitness Express and Genesis Fitness Gym.

ICC U-19 World Cup Plate Semi-Final 1 Go-Kart season speeds off next West Indies face-off with South Africa month Go-karters will have an extended calendar for the 2020 Georgetown Grand Prix season, with the first of four rounds set to kickstart on March 21 at GT Motorsports located on Thomas Lands. Since the event started in 2017, the norm has been three rounds, but this year an additional round has been added. According to organiser, Mahendra ‘Raj’ Boodhoo, the extended time table is aimed at giving more chances to the younger generation to develop their skills. Boodhoo also stated there is the possibility of two Endurance races, but those

dates have not been set. Apart from the race in March, the other three will be May 9, June 27 and October 17. Last season, the main attention was on the 125cc Juniors, given the stakes- a trip to race in Florida; Zachary Persaud won that after being chased by cousins Nathan Rahaman and Rayden Persaud. They were also some impressive performances from Paige Mendonca and Jeremy Ten-Pow. Based on the returns from the 2019, 2020 should be even more exciting and competitive. The Kids Cup has been dominated by Justin TenPow; he even travelled to

Barbados, where he made a clean sweep in the Winter Cup. Ben Phang and rising talent Nicholas Sawh would hope they can cut the gap with the young Ten-Pow. The seniors’ battle should again evolve around Kristian Jeffrey, Steven Nobrega, John and Matthew Phang. The Easy Cup Rookie had it excitement with Ackeem ‘Flat Top’ Thomas and Luis Kumar bringing both off and on track excitement, but it was Naresh Alves who took the title. Raymond Seebeeran dominated the final round, but Shan Seejatan was the champion driver overall.

today

The fifth Place Playoff Semi-Final 1 of the ICC U-19 World Cup 2020 will be played between West Indies and South Africa at the Senwes Park in Potchefstroom from 04:00hrs. While West Indies were beaten by New Zealand by two wickets in the Super League quarterfinal, South Africa were beaten by Bangladesh in their Super League quarter by 104 runs. Earlier, West Indies topped Group B in the ICC under 19 World Cup 2020 with wins in all their matches. As a result, the team finished with six points.

South Africa ended at the second spot in the Group D points table with two wins and one loss from their three games and finished with four points. Bryce Parsons has been the most impressive batsman for South Africa and would hope to fire again, while Achille Cloete will be the one to look out for with the ball. Nyeem Young, Kirk McKenzie and Guyanese Kelvon Anderson will be depended on with the bat, while All-rounder Young and Jayden Seales should spearhead the pace attack with left-arm spinner Guyanese Ashmead Nedd and Trinidadian off spinner

Ashmead Nedd Matthew Patrick expected to continue their good work with the ball.


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Saturday February 01, 2020

Kaieteur News

Hive of activity at Gymnasium as Magnum Tonic Wine Mash Cup Futsal continues Spartacus. Okeene Fraser and Raphael Edwards netted for Leopold Street in the eighth and 19th minute respectively. Meanwhile North East La Penitence and Avocado Ballers battled a 4-4 draw. Travis Henry bagged a double in the seventh and ninth minute for Avocado Ballers, while Cedric Osbourne and Seon Perez netted in the 15th and 17th minute each. For North East La Penitence, Colin Peters recorded two goals in the third and 20th minute, while Delon Ferdinand and Shaquille Browne scored in the 18th and 19th apiece. Also Future Stars and Spot-7 contested a scoreless affair. In other results, Bent Street downed Showstoppers 2-0. Jermaine Beckles and Colin Nelson scored in the seventh and ninth minute respectively. Also Mocha downed Alexander Village 3-1. Amos Ramsay tallied a double in the third and 16th minute while Dellon John netted in the ninth minute. For the loser, Orville Stewart scored in the 12th minute. Esan Griffith, tournament coordinator and Co-Director of San Sports said, “Another exciting night of action was witnessed by the sizable crowd which descended in the venue. Once again the

The National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue will be a hive of activity this evening when the Magnum Tonic Wine Mashramani Cup Futsal Championship resumes with the penultimate group stage round. In the opening match, Mocha lock horns with Spot7 from 19:00hrs, while Melanie battle Spartacus at 19:30hrs and Sophia oppose Kingston from 20:00hrs. Broad Street will then match skills with Island All-Stars from 20:30hrs, while Albouystown oppose Stabroek Ballers from 21:00hrs and Gold is Money take aim at Belfield Warriors at 21:30hrs. In the final two matches, Back Circle battle Ansa McAl at 22:00hrs and Rio All-Stars face-off with Leopold Street from 20:30hrs. Meanwhile, it was an evening of drawn encounters on Thursday, as heavyweights Sparta Boss, Leopold Street, North East La Penitence and Future Stars battled to respective stalemates. Sparta Boss battled to a 1-1 result with Ansa McAl AllStars. Reon Hopkinson handed Ansa McAl the lead in the third minute, while Deon Alfred equalized in the fifth minute. Similarly, Leopold Street came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with newcomer Spartacus. Simeon Moore bagged a double in the fourth and seventh minute for Point Standings Group-A Team GP Ansa McAl 2 Sparta Boss 2 Back Circle 2 Bad-A-Yard 2 Group-B Team GP Spartacus 2 Leopold St 2 Rio All-Stars 2 Melanie 2 Group-C Team GP Future Stars 2 Alex Village 2 Mocha 2 Spot-7 2 Group-D Team GP Bent St 2 Showstoppers 2 Avocado 2 N/East LaP 2 Group-E Team GP Sophia 1 Broad St 1 Kingston 1 Island All-Stars 1 Group-F Team GP Gold is Money 1 Belfield 1 Stabroek Ballers 1 Albouystown 1

Action between North East La Penitence (red) and Avocado Ballers in the Magnum Tonic Wine Mashramani Cup Futsal at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue. results which culminated with several drawn encounters, is testimony to the rising quality of the respective competitors. This clearly illustrates that the gap between the elite teams and the emerging sides is dwindling and this certainly bodes well for the advancement, excitement, unpredictability and overall experience of the championship. We want thank the fans once again for their continued support.� Winner of the event will pocket $700,000 and the championship trophy, while the second place side will collect $400,000 and the respective accolade. On the other hand, the third and fourth place unit will receive

W 1 1 2 0

L 0 0 1 2

D 1 1 0 0

GF 3 2 12 2

GA 1 1 3 14

GD +2 +1 +9 -12

Pts. 4 4 3 0

W 1 1 1 0

L 0 0 1 2

D 1 1 0 0

GF 5 4 3 1

GA 4 3 3 3

GD +1 +1 0 -2

Pts. 4 4 3 0

W 1 1 1 0

L 0 1 1 1

D 1 0 0 1

GF 3 7 5 1

GA 2 4 4 6

GD +1 +3 +1 -5

Pts. 4 3 3 1

W 1 1 0 0

L 0 1 0 1

D 1 0 2 1

GF 3 2 5 5

GA 1 3 5 6

GD +2 -1 0 -1

Pts. 4 3 2 1

W 1 1 0 0

L 0 0 1 1

D 0 0 0 0

GF 4 2 1 1

W 1 1 0 0

L 0 0 1 1

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GA 1 1 2 4 GA 3 1 4 2

GD +3 +1 -1 -3 GD +1 +1 -1 -1

Pts. 3 3 0 0 Pts. 3 3 0 0

$200,000 and $100,000 respectively and the corresponding trophy. Complete Results Game-1 Future Stars-0 vs Spot-70 Game-2 Alexander Village-3 vs Mocha-1 Mocha Scorers Amos Ramsay-3rd and 16th Dellon John-9th Alexander Scorer Orville Stewart-12th Game-3 Leopold St-2 vs Spartacus-2 Spartacus Scorer Simeon Moore-4th and 7th

Leopold Scorers Okeene Fraser-8th Raphael Edwards-19th Game-4 North East La Penitence4 vs Avocado Ballers-4 Avocado Scorers Travis Henry-7th and 9th Cedric Osbourne-15th Seon Perez-17th North East Scorers Colin Peters-3rd and 20th Delon Ferdinand-18th Shaquille Browne-19th Game-5 Sparta Boss-1 vs Ansa McAl-1 Ansa McAl Scorer Reon Hopkinson-3rd Sparta Scorer Deon Alfred-5th Game-6

Bent Street-2 vs Showstoppers-0 Jermaine Beckles-7th Colin Nelson-9th Fixtures-Day-4-Saturday February 1st Mocha vs Spot-719:00hrs Melanie vs Spartacus19:30hrs Sophia vs Kingston20:00hrs Broad St vs Island AllStars-20:30hrs Albouystown vs Stabroek Ballers-21:00hrs Gold is Money vs Belfield Warriors-21:30hrs Back Circle vs Ansa McAl-22:00hrs Rio All-Stars vs Leopold Street-22:30hrs

BCB/Lewison General Store Under-15 Tournament

Deonarain, Ramnauth lead outstanding performances, five teams advance to playoff The Berbice Cricket Board organised Lewison General Store Under-15 tournament continued last week with five teams - Albion, Port Mourant, RH Canje, Tucber Park and Blairmont advancing to the playoffs. Albion and Port Mourant emerged from Zone C, Rose Hall Canje and Tucber Park from Zone B with Blairmont from Zone A. Paradise and Bush Lot would square off today at Paradise to decide the other team that would advance from Zone A. The third and fourth rounds of matches featured numerous outstanding performances with both bat and ball. West Indies Under15 player, Rampertab Ramnauth stroked two majestic centuries- 179 not out and a record 265, while centuries were also registered by Rashaad Gafoor, Romeo Deonarain and Tulsieram Ramcharran. Christopher

Olge, Salim Khan, Kumar Deopersaud, Sajaad Ishmael, Joash Sampson and Avishkar Persaud took five wickets hauls. Scores from the rounds: 1. Port Mourant defeated Rose Hall Town by 224 runs at the Area H Ground. PMCC - 295 for 2 from 40 overs - Rampertab Ramnauth 179 not out and Romesh Bharatt 47. Rose Hall Town 71 all out in 26.3 overs - Steven Reddi 21 and Matthew Pottaya 16. Jaikishun Latchman 3 for 12. 2. Port Mourant defeated No73 by 447 runs at the Jai Hind Ground. PMCC - 448 for 2 from 50 overs - Rampertab Ramnauth 265 and Romesh Bharatt 86. Extras 66. No73 - 47 all out; Salim Khan 5 for 25, Romel Budwah 3 for 10 and Jaikishun Latchman 2 for 11. 3. Albion defeat Rose Hall Town by 10 runs at the Area

H Ground. Albion 81 all out - Kumar Deopersaud 21, Damion Cecil 13 and Afraz Ramphal 12; Matthew Pottaya 4 for 7 (10 overs), Khemraj Tika 2 for 14 and Steven Reddi 2 for 17. RHT- 70 all out from 26.5 overs - Raphael Fraser 13. Kumar Deopersaud 5 for 17 and Afraz Budhoo 2 for 21. 4. Blairmont beat Bush Lot United by 261 runs at Blairmont. Blairmont- 348 for 1 from 43 overs: Romeo Deonarain 156 not out, Rashaad Gafoor 110. Bush Lot United- 88 all out. Kenny Budhoo 33, A. Parmanand 21; Sajaad Ishmael 5 for 6 and Romeo Deonarain 3 for 18. 5. Tucber Park recorded a 24 runs win over Edinburgh at Edinburgh. Tucber Park - 142 all out Delon Endore 37, Dravid Paladin 16 and C. Arokium 10; Troy Dover 3 for 20 and (Continued on page 25)


Kaieteur News

Saturday February 01,2020

PAGE 33

AAG first CARIFTA Trials run off tomorrow The first AAG CARIFTA Games trials runs off tomorrow at the NTFC tomorrow.

Javelin throw Carifta Gold medalist Anisha Gibbons will be looking to make the qualifying standard early this time round. The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) will run off the first of three CARIFTA Games trials tomorrow at the National Track & Field Center (NTFC) on the West Coast of Demerara as the local athletes look to make the qualifying mark for the 49th edition of the competition that will be hosted in Bermuda this Easter weekend. For the past few years, Guyana have been turning in decent performances at the regional track and field meet that sees 26 nations participating and it is anticipated that the upward c u r v e o f G u y a n a ’s

competitiveness can continue this year. Guyana will be without the likes of regular medalists the likes of Joanna Archer, Claudrice McKoy and Chantoba Bright, who would have all contributed significantly throughout the years, but the Track team’s senior coach believes that the current crop of under-20 athletes Guyana has, will make us proud. Tomorrow’s meet will get underway from 10:30hrs and will also serve as the fourth development meet of the AAG for this year. However, this meet will not feature odd-distances races namely the 60m, 150m,

300m, 600m etch but it will be contested using the traditional distanced events. Apart from the youngsters who are hungry for success, there will be action amongst the open athletes. Fans are eager to see the battle between sprint duo Davin Fraser and Akeem Stewart continue. They thrilled fans during the previous development meets at Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ground, Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) and Enmore Community Center respectively and the rivalry is set to continue on the West Side tomorrow. At the ECC last week, Fraser of the Police

Leslain Baird will continue his comeback to competition tomorrow.

Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) and National Javelin record holder, Leslain Baird of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) club turned in

the most notable performances. In the men’s open 60m dash, Fraser clocked a blazing 6.90s in a big win over the

field. His club mate Stephon Boodie was second in 7.04s while Yannick Williams of GDF was third in 7.11s. In the open men’s Javelin event, Baird, who missed the business end of last season after suffering from internal hemorrhoids, continued his positive rehabilitation with an impressive performance. Baird registered a distance of 64.90m, spearing into the heavy Atlantic Ocean breeze while using a short run-up. The Tokyo Olympics hopeful will be in action tomorrow as well as he aims to get into competition shape with the Olympic Standard of 85m his target. (Calvin Chapman)

GFF approves East Coast Jubilee Republic Tournament

Members of the head table at the launch of the East Coast Jubilee Republic Football Tournament.

T

he Guyana Football Federation has approved the “East Coast Jubilee Republic Football Tournament” scheduled for February 2 – 28, 2020 at the Ann’s Grove, Buxton and Golden Grove Grounds. The tournament will feature 12 clubs from the East Demerara Football Association (EDFA) including Buxton Stars, Golden Stars, Ann’s Grove United, Plaisance, Paradise, Victoria

Kings, Buxton United, BV Triumph United, Melanie, Mahaica Determinators, Dynamic and Victoria Scorpions. At the launch of the tournament yesterday at Punter’s Place, Ann’s Grove, GFF’s President Wayne Forde congratulated the coordinators and indicated GFF’s availability for any support needed. He also outlined some of GFF’s infrastructural projects, which are s c h e d u l e d f o r implementation/expansion this

year, including the GFF’s Training Centre, the Durban Park Facility and the land earmarked for the Berbice Football Association. He also urged good conduct throughout the tournament: “I wish every participant success and also want to encourage each and every team participating in this tournament to give of your best to ensure that the standard and reputation of the sport is maintained both on and off the field. I wish the organizers do

everything in their power to ensure the matches are organized at a particular level and, if I may, at a very high standard. We must have, at all game days, medical personnel and adequate security personnel so that the fans, players and officials can be protected in the event that there is any unwanted behavior or someone is injured or fall ill during the conduct of a game.” According to a correspondence from the EDFA, the tourney is

geared to foster the development of football on the East Coast Demerara. Additionally, the GFF has also approved “Magnum MASH Cup Futsal Competition” in progress at the National Gynasium, Mandela Avenue. The GFF has instituted the publication of approved tournaments in an effort to enable its stakeholders, including players, the opportunity to make informed decisions relative to support and participation.


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6th Kares Caribbean Fitness Challenge officially unveiled

The head table at Thursday night’s launch with some of the competitors, from right, Taslikyah Fox, Jordana Ramsay-Gonsalves, Triston Freeman (Ansa McAl), Terry Mohammed (St. Joseph Mercy Hospital), Chetram Bux (Berkinstock Guyana), Jamie McDonald and Noshavyah King.

- Over 4M in cash at stake; Guyanese preparing for Barbados, Suriname T&T and Canadian challenge P. 29

Go-Kart season speeds off next month

The go-kart season will be extended in 2020.

GFF approves East Coast AAG first CARIFTA Jubilee Republic Tournament Trials run off tomorrow P. 27

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