Wednesday February 05, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Global Witness Report offers absolutely no evidence Trotman prepares to release report in attempt of corruption - says Govt. Exxon deal controversy…
to clear his name
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman
Attorney-at-Law, David Hesse, coauthored the new report
Attorney-at-Law, Phillip Mace co-authored the new report
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, is at the centre of controversy surrounding Guyana’s poorly negotiated deal with ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC for the re-ignition of the expired Stabroek license. A widely discussed Global Witness report levels sharp criticisms at him, but he has told the New York-based publication, Bloomberg, that he is preparing to release a report about the signing of the unpopular deal. It was during a recent press conference that Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, told reporters that he received information of the Government’s hiring of the firm to purportedly discredit the Global Witness report. This suggests that the Government started to prepare early on and anticipated that Global Witness would not compliment its handling of the negotiation process, as it hired a firm to prepare the report since September last year. In a statement, the British law firm, Clyde and Co reported that it was retained by the Government of Guyana to conduct an independent investigation, and prepare a detailed assessment of the process which led to the signing of the new agreement in June 2016. Clyde and Co said that it completed the investigation and subsequently submitted a report to the Government on January 30, 2020. Kaieteur News has seen the report’s executive summary and key conclusions, which paint Trotman in a much less critical light than the globally respected anti-corruption watchdog, Global Witness,
did. For instance, the Clyde and Co report states that the Government saw a strategic relationship with Exxon and its partners as important for the development of the sector. It states that Exxon’s local subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) and its Chinese partner, CNOOC, acted as deterrents to Venezuela. On the other hand, Global Witness said that the dispute with Venezuela cannot be used as adequate justification for the exploitative nature of the Stabroek deal. The Clyde and Co report, authored by partners Philip Mace and David Hesse, found no evidence that the steps taken by Trotman were inconsistent with the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act and the regulations. But Attorneyat-Law Christopher Ram has already brought the legality of the Bridging Deed, which seeks to give life to the new agreement, into question. Ram said that the Act gives Trotman no legal authority to enter into such an agreement. The previous agreement had already reached its end, and the relinquishment of some of the acreage was supposed to be executed in accordance with the Act. The Clyde and Co report states that both the Ministry of Natural Resources (MoNR) and the Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) made several attempts to negotiate improved terms for Guyana, and that the Exxon-led consortium was “not receptive” to the proposed amendments.
“It objected to most of the MoNR’s and GGMC’s [proposals,” the Clyde and Co report said. It also said that it is likely ExxonMobil strongly advocated for the new agreement to be signed before the Government could get details which would reveal to them, the “world class” nature of Exxon’s second discovery in the Liza field. This is because the Government would have had a stronger negotiating position if it knew. But Global Witness stated that Trotman, by not waiting a few days, failed to capitalise on Guyana’s strong bargaining position. It said that he knew the country was analysing a new oil find, and that he thought it would announce its results on a specific day. “But the Minister did not wait for these results, which would have allowed Guyana to assess Stabroek’s true value and which turned out to be one of the world’s largest recent finds,” Global Witness revealed. The Clyde and Co report’s key conclusions section states that its “understanding” is that all the relevant documentation was filed with the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority. However, the section did not say whether those documents were filed immediately, or whether they were filed at all. What is known to the public is that the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) took a year to be released to the public, and the Bridging Deed took four years before it was leaked to the media. The ‘escrow letter’ mentioned in the deed remains elusive.
The coalition administration is of the firm conviction that the Global Witness Report called “Signed Away” is nothing but a “baseless, sensationalist, agenda-driven and extraordinarily speculative” piece of reporting. In its statement to the media fraternity last night, the government said that citizens need to pay keen attention to the fact that the international organization offered no evidence of corruption or malpractice on the part of its officials, even as it sought to place a cloud of suspicion over the negotiations that took place between Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman and ExxonMobil. The Government said it views the report as a cunning and calculated attack on a sovereign state that is mere weeks before an election, while noting that the timing cannot be seen as a coincidence. It is of the view that Global Witness is seeking to influence the electoral outcome. Turning its attention to some of the specifics in the report, the government seemed offended that the non-governmental organization suggested that Guyana “should allow no additional drilling in the Stabroek license” and “should also cancel its nine other allocated licenses and not award any new licenses”. The coalition administration said that this
is not only arbitrary but utterly absurd. “On what basis does Global Witness seek to impose its proposition that the people of Guyana must not benefit from our natural resources as the peoples of other countries have done freely for millennia?” the government questioned. Contrary to the beliefs o f G l o b a l Wi t n e s s , t h e government stressed that it entered a fair agreement for the people of Guyana which has resulted in numerous benefits, namely: a 50 percent profit oil cut, a two percent royalty, withholding taxes, an US$18,000,000 signing bonus, over 1900 persons directly employed in oil and gas sector to date, over US$300M in foreign direct investment to date, and over 700 service providers to date. It also refuted contentions by Global Witness that geo-political issues with Venezuela were not as serious as the government made it out to be. It maintained that there were national security imperatives which could not be ignored. The government said that, unable to establish any corruption, Global Witness then pivots and engages in a flight of fancy by stating that Guyana’s lopsided deal cost it US$55B. “The figure of $55B is random, arbitrary and highly speculative,” the government said, while
adding, “the people of Guyana are assured of earning tens of billions of United States dollars in the years ahead and would have unprecedented and bountiful amounts for investment in their wages and salaries, pe n s i o n s , education, h e a l t h c a r e , s e c u r i t y, infrastructure, sea defence, agriculture, hinterland development, and for future generations through Guyana’s already established Natural Resource Fund.” The government also noted that to date, countless organizations have shared its optimism based on sound economic analysis of Guyana’s projected growth and development. In this regard, it noted that Nasdaq, and other regional and multinational agencies such as the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), have noted that Guyana is the fastest growing economy in the world and expected to experience vast wealth as a result of its oil and gas agreement. Furthermore, the government said that these agencies have hailed the positive steps taken in setting the foundation for the prudent fiscal management of the resource. In conclusion, the Government maintained that it acted decisively in allowing for first oil to have been celebrated in less than five years, an unprecedented and historic achievement.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday February 05, 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
The ERC hobbles… but it is all we have The Ethnic Relations Commission struggles in its roles to maintain the peace, keep things calm, search for acceptable balance. It is an uphill task in the hysteria and madness; it is a losing battle, since nobody is listening. No side is even pretending at lip service, since to do so would appear weak, as though yielding precious yardage, and thus must stay the course that only promises to unravel this society still more. Some have called for getting rid of the ERC, which is not altogether unconstructive, but merely an indication of recognition that it is reduced to a toothless poodle barking at shadows, while failing to move its political objects through puny chastisements and feeble exhortations. As well-intentioned as those disgusted calls are for the disbanding of the ERC, it is the position of this paper, that it is better to have a watchman with a torchlight and nightstick on the job than none at all. We understand clearly and fully that its main constituency, if it can be called that, the hostile and aggressive political groups, are determined and possess at their disposal arsenals that easily overwhelm the ERC’s weak presence and its limited deterrence intent. But if there is no ERC, then there is nothing. There is no sanity check, however circumscribed that may be. There is no civility in a land now increasingly overrun by coarse and vulgar Huns, barbarians, and assorted verbal, symbolic, and budding vandals. When there are adversaries like these in the mix, there is great potential for lack of control, for the floodgates to collapse, for the worst of impulses to run amok and reign supreme, to the detriment of all. As this society prepares feverishly, at least the warring political tribes, one thing has become very clear to this publication. It is that there will be no winner, regardless of which party emerges triumphant. For, once again, any existing social ambience and any already stressed racial tolerance have evaporated. In the aftermath of ferocious elections tussles, the Guyanese people as a group lose. There are only pieces to pick up, and that is what the ERC is trying to hold together in a vain attempt to prevent from getting to that ugly, devastating stage. It is forbidding vision and prospect, but there is not much else on which to grasp, is there? Because whoever wins and extends the offer of olive branches will be hated and denounced and dismissed out of hand, and with the most visceral of intensities. This is the Pandora’s Box that we nurture at this time, and it seems every time, except that on this occasion, the oil has made lunatics and fanatics of even the usually soberminded. Temperateness and prudence have almost vanished, with celebrations in anticipation of more of the same to be unleashed. This is what the paltry ERC comes up against, the groundswell that is a tsunami of tortures for an electorate rooted and cultivated in malice, in the toxic, in the destructive. The ERC is not and cannot be the antidote against the swarms that are representative of our own homegrown coronavirus that is of a political and not viral variety. This is said, though its reach is viral and its effect no less lethal. The one ingredient that held the strains of some hope, of some respite, of some comfort, is missing. There are some thin numbers, but the requisite bulk is simply not there and so, too, is the interest and following and commitment that matters be different. The heinous Mr. Hyde is our nature’s rise to the fore and with strength and vigour. That missing essence is the presence of a viable centre. There are the new political groups, but most are not listening to them and observe them as objects of curiosity, if not untimely distractions. That is most regrettable, since so many had cried for change and those who would and could make a difference. The current environment and upcoming results should prove whether we are truly conscientious and about country, or only the usual crocodilian hypocrites which art has been mastered. The ERC hobbles, it is handicapped, but it is all we have.
Start spilling the beans on these suspicious actions DEAR EDITOR, Newell Dennison and others in GGMC should start spilling the beans on all these suspicious actions by politicians and companies, which may have defrauded the ordinary people of billions of US$. Such actions of disclosure might be viewed as very patriotic, and might be remembered for steering Guyana away from its nasty exploitative past with natural resources. What has all the gold, hardwood, etc. done for the ordinary people, and now oil? This is a turning point for Guyana, and people need to choose between right and wrong, else we can say goodbye to the oil and forever be damned. Look at former Minister
Robert Persaud (PPP), and then we have Minister Trotman (Coalition Government). Is this stuff not blatant enough for ordinary citizens to comprehend, and when will people start to act like real citizens, with a responsibility to their children and grandchildren? From the Global Witness report, on Robert Persaud: “... Global Witness interviewed Persaud in July and August 2019 and asked him about the Kaieteur and Canje licenses. The former-minister said the awards were made based upon “briefing reports” prepared by GGMC lawyers. Asked who owned the winning companies, Persaud stated that he “did not know who the beneficial owners
are” and that it was not necessary for him, as a minister, to know. He did, however, say he knew some of the people who had signed documents for the companies, such as Dookie. Persaud has said he cannot provide the reports upon which he relied when awarding Kaieteur and Canje. Now out of government, Persaud stated that he did not have access to them. He also said he could not remember the names of who in the GGMC had prepared the documents. The Kaieteur and Canje licenses were awarded just before an election to companies that appear to have little experience in oil production and which quickly sold shares in the blocks to
Exxon. They were also awarded by a minister – Robert Persaud – who claims to be ignorant of legallyrequired information about the companies’ owners. ...” It seems the people of Guyana are choosing to ignore these giveaways of their own billions of US$, because they are choosing not to act. Why is it justified to deprive your children and grandchildren of a prosperous and bright future because you are an IndoGuyanese voter? Why is it justified to deprive your children and grandchildren of a prosperous and bright future because you are an Afro-Guyanese voter? Yours faithfully, Dr. Jan Mangal
Oil & Gas contract renegotiations are a must! DEAR EDITOR, Based on the findings of Global Witness and the recommendations of the IMF and Industry Experts, CRG is left with no other choice but to support th e f u l l renegotiation of the oil & gas contracts currently in place. CRG also fully supports the key recommendations of the Global Witness report which are the following: 1. Renegotiate Exxon’s Stabroek license to get the revenues Guyana needs to build a strong economy following the country’s Green State Development Strategy. 2. Ban all drilling and extraction in areas other than the 15 discoveries Exxon has made to help fight the climate emergency. 3. Investigate the process by which the Stabroek license was negotiated. 4. Investigate officials and companies involved in the
Kaieteur and Canje licenses to determine if there were any irregularities in the awarding of those blocks. For this reason CRG is also calling on a moratorium on the drilling of new wells prior to the renegotiation of the oil contracts. In addition, a Commission of Inquiry (COI) that is manned by an external independent and transparent body should be initiated as soon as possible into the process & people involved in the contract negotiations that have led to the one sided deals given to our country. As for the terms of the new contract, the appropriate benchmarks should be taken to ensure the minimum terms for the contract are clearly established. Whether it is: a) a change in the legal jurisdiction to the CCJ, b) a 20% to 25% royalty payment, c) a gross margin sharing agreement with a 70%
minimum in favour of Guyana, d) ring fencing of wells, e) a cap on production expenses, f) an inclusion of decommissioning costs in operating expenses, g) ExxonMobil’s full ownership of interest expenses & financing costs, h) an environmental commitment (ongoing project liability) that is a percentage of output or based on worst case scenarios for potential environmental damage. These are just a few examples of the contract elements that should be benchmarked to facilitate the renegotiation process. It is also the position of CRG that a multi party & multi discipline body should be involved in soliciting the US State Department’s support for the COI and ultimately the reopening of contract renegotiations. CRG is also convinced
that prior to further sale of our oil & gas it is in Guyana’s best interest to better prepare for the Industry’s disposal of byproduct waste which is substantial (approximately 13 times the level of production) during the production process. The issue of our gas resources also needs to be clearly addressed before further production is authorized. In the pursuit of national growth and individual prosperity our leaders must keep in mind that by ensuring proper preparation they will also ensure better long term prospects for their prosperity if it is well aligned with the objective of sustainable long term prosperity of Our Nation. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. Best regards, Mr. Jamil Changlee Chairman The Cooperative Republican of Guyana (CRG)
The Global Witness Report invokes betrayal and hurt DEAR EDITOR, It is with deep sadness and hurt that I pen this letter highlighting the gross corruption, mismanagement, weak leadership and small mindedness of this APNU government. Could it be true that they sold our future for limo rides, fancy hotel and restaurants? The Global Wi t n e s s Report highlighted how we lost USD$55 Billion due to weak negotiations led by APNU. It was uncaring too when our gold was given away to Omai for 5%, ATT got a monopoly of 80% that over charged us and now the oil agreement that gave
away USD$55 Billion. When Brazil got over US$700 million signing bonus for less oil and Suriname got US$100 Million for even lesser oil, we got a pocket change of US$18 Million for discovering the world’s largest reserve in 2019. And to add insult to injury, APNU was initially not forthcoming about the signing bonus. Every Guyanese should be angry and alarmed by this never before seen scale of corruption in Guyana’s h i s t o r y. To p u t i t i n t o perspective, US$55 Billion can pay all public servant
wages for 540 years with bonus or finance Guyana’s national budget for 40 years at the current rate without lifting a finger. This is all thanks to APNU and its leadership. They have placed a burden on Guyana so heavy that it will take generations to lift it off and if they are to return to power on March 2, that burden will just get heavier. Its either APNU understood what they were doing and made decisions for their self interest and not the interest of the people or they simply got outsmarted. We were in a position of parity before negotiating the agreement
and they threw it out the window either deliberately or because they were too weak to represent us. Either way, it would seem they have failed us in the worse way imaginable. Over the past five years, APNU raised the cost of living by, among other things, increasing VAT on essential items that raised the prices for food, racked up billions in loans, put the Bank of Guyana into over draft, strained the auto industry by enforcing a ridiculous eight years maximum on imports and banning used tyres. They collected over $200 Billion in taxes a year (Continued on page 5)
Wednesday February 05, 2020
All of us should have been living the good life DEAR EDITOR, The binary challenge of the dimensionality of place and consciousness often influences the application of ethical principles. The moral challenge of truthfulness affects us all in our daily lives. The imperatives of “not to lie” and “do unto others as we want to be done to us” are strong inputs to how we act. In our small nation-state, we have a culture of compassion and love. Although there are events that cause us to question this, we still maintain the peace and tranquility that we share with our family, friends, and community. Guyana has many social and economic challenges. However, we carry on with our daily lives and religiously hope for better. Like ordinary folks, this hope is placed on our elected officials. We expect them to carry on with the mandate of strategically leading our nation. Their strategic decisions must consider our social and economic wellbeing. We must also consider the wellbeing of others across the various regions. In recent times, we have observed the challenges of miners, nurses, rice farmers, sugar workers, teachers, among others. These challenges are direct results of globally shaping events that ripple the world economy and impact our internal value chains. Since most of us are occupied with our personal and family lives, these activities may not mean much. This is particularly true if we are not directly involved with or depend on those sectors. There is no right or wrong way to think about the economic wellbeing of others especially when we are
comfortable. We may be enjoying the good life that we work to achieve. This life is often predicated on the stability of our employers and business. In this case, the stability is maintained by the prudent management and strategic decision-making abilities of our managers. Like our political leaders, we expect them to help the organization achieve superior efficiency, quality, innovation, and responsiveness to existing and forecasted challenges. The inability to do this would result in a direct and negative impact on our financial freedom. Our good life can suddenly be impacted by mismanagement. If we reflect on the current challenges, thousands of our countrymen are impacted by poor management, ineffective strategies, unethical behaviour, and the lack of integrity. All of us should have been living the good life. This was a promise. The reality is that thousands of Guyanese are experiencing untold hardships. The current “lived experience” influences our knowledge and understanding of those who lead our nation. It also influences those who keep the “checks and balances.” The lack of morality forced the expression of moral judgment and ethical principles – as expressed in the no-confidence vote. A group of our leaders, particularly one, rejected the conformity to this new norm. He signaled the moral sentiment and corrected the leadership dilemma. Although he competed with the values of “individual versus community,” the words
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“action thy duty, reward not thy concern” were his imperatives. These imperatives hold firm to the famous vote in our national assembly. The biases against others and poor strategic decision-making cause our government to follow heuristics that fail to make sense. The failures create events and narratives about the people of Guyana that are reminiscent of decades past. The personal codes that we have developed – consciousness, compassion, empathy, love, and peace – shall also be the imperatives that help us to reconcile the cross-pressures of conflicting accountabilities. As we explore our lived experiences and those of others, let’s consider the following: How would I want to be treated in tough circumstances? As we consider the views of others. Let us consider: “everybody else does it,” “that’s the way they do it at,” and “that’s the way it has always been done.” Thank you, Dustin Fraser
GECOM’s job is not to investigate dual citizens DEAR EDITOR, In reference to your several news reports and commentaries on dual citizenship (KN varied dates), it is not GECOM’s remit to check the nationality of candidates seeking public office. The candidates make a declaration that they are eligible for office and that they have not sworn loyalty to another state. That is enough, along with back up signatures, to run for office. If there are issues with the candidates, that has to be addressed through election petitions. GECOM’s task is to manage the elections and give the country a free and fair election and one that is free of intimidation and violence. So far, according to voters interviewed, GECOM has not lived up to this expectation. Also, GECOM cannot investigate and make decisions on eligibility of candidates to run for office based on media reports. And if GECOM is checking on dual nationality of candidates, then it must do so for all of them (numbering a thousand). It cannot pick and choose a few candidates and send letters to
them to query dual nationality status or whether their names should remain in the ballot. If through the election petition, it is determined that candidates are ineligible to hold office, then they will be removed from (or replaced in) parliament as happened almost a year ago following the no confidence vote. Furthermore, it seems unfair that each set of three politicized election commissioners, representing the two larger parties, is determining which minor
party leader or candidate can run for office. The major parties have been trying to knock off the minor parties from the ballot; they are gloating in knocking off candidates from lists. Failing an election petition, the decision on eligibility of candidates for public office should fall exclusively within the jurisdiction of the ‘politically unaligned’ Chair, Madame Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh. Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram
The Global Witness... From page 4 while giving away $12 trillion in the oil deal. How more diabolical can you be as a government towards your people? Now, they stand in front of us saying they will share out cash from oil, what cash? Where is it? It’s all empty
promises; the only people getting cash in Guyana are the APNU big boys and girls and their allies, not me and you. The APNU Presidential candidate must tell the people what he was doing while all this nonsense was going on. Malcolm Watkins
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Wednesday February 05, 2020
Our major parties must lose for Guyana to win DEAR EDITOR, I have decided to continue my advisory role for Guyanese to foster better outcomes in our national welfare. As we digest the news of the estimated US$55 billion signed away by the coalition administration to Exxon, we should also reflect that, as I have been saying recently, we are indeed a rich, wealthy people. It is also worthy to note that US$55 billion just relates to one contract alone. This money can only be recovered through renegotiating the contract. In light of the upcoming elections, given our own recent experience with the coalition administration with Exxon and Tullow, we have ample time to consider our alternatives. One of the things we are reminded of is that Trotman long ago cleared himself of the responsibility for his signature on the Exxon Contract by publicly declaring that he was ‘instructed’ to sign the contract. He [further] assured that the quintet (Ministers of Natural Resources, Foreign Affairs, Business, Finance
and Public Infrastructure) was formed by President David Granger to review matters relevant to the oil and gas industry. (https://dpi.gov.gy/ min-trotman-was-dulyadvised/) In the absence of Trotman saying exactly who ‘instructed’ him to sign the Exxon contract, since Granger had put together the group of individuals to administer the Exxon contract, it would be very unlikely that Harmon or any other individual might have had the authority to ‘duly advise and duly instruct’ Trotman on the signing of the contract. Even if this was so however, David Granger must therefore take full responsibility for this US$55 billion give-away. This nonsense about honesty, security and whatever is absolute rubbish, and we know it. On the score of the PNC, David Granger and our oil, traditional supporters have ample guidance to judge Granger’s performance by asking themselves if Burnham, for all his faults, would have stooped so low as to engage in a virtual giveaway of our oil wealth and
other natural resources, as is currently been done. This is just one of the many aspects of betrayal endured. That we have the PPP vying for government in its current form is another. The thousands of voters fed up with our two major parties will from their experience of preparing for elections this time around, learn that politics cannot be left to our friends, family or others, but involves us all actively paying attention and educating ourselves regarding the policies and programmes of political parties, and helping to build those which represent citizens’ welfare and properly articulate a vision for all Guyanese. As frustrated as we are with our major political parties, we have the opportunity to protest their administration by voting to change them at polls. As the Coalition administration has demonstrated, our governments have very easily been giving away our national wealth to foreign companies. The reason Guyanese public and private sector workers are essentially
forced to survive on depressed wages and salaries, why retirees and elderly persons cannot get an adequate pension to enjoy their latter days is in fact because, as we have seen with Exxon, that our governments have been taking money that is supposed to fund national development which would promote higher salaries and afford more than adequate pensions, and giving it away to unscrupulous companies like Exxon, Bai Shan Lin and others. This is not to mention the reported entrenched corruption. A sad reality of our population is that even as approximately 131,000 adults are in poverty, many are also unemployed, and still many are not familiar with discussions in our national newspapers (maximum newspaper circulation for each of the dailies is around fifty, on the internet, less than one hundred and forty thousand per media site, a lot of which is generated from abroad) much of which does not reach public television. Many are also locked out of traditional social media as a consequence
of their financial conditions. It is hoped that this article reaches them also, because they in particular are the ones upon whom the outcome of our national elections hang. Our upcoming elections, unless we commit to voting for a third party, gives us the opportunity to decide who we want to give away our money, since Irfaan and Jagdeo have also themselves committed to leaving the Exxon contract intact. The major parties are prone to beat their chests and promise their supporters. This is fine, and supporters should be wary of such claims nonetheless. Regarding the outcome of the March 02 elections however, we should consider that the AFC had won seven seats, with just over thirty-three thousand votes in 2011, and that the AFC/APNU alliance had realized a victory with only around 4,700 votes. If we therefore consider the residual strength of the AFC going into the 2020 elections, the outcome becomes a bit clearer. But even as we
DEAR EDITOR, As the March 2nd election date draws near many disturbing realities we all know to be true are being made manifestly clear to all. Unfortunately many are unable and unwilling to confront the plain sad truth being confirmed to all who choose to see. The attempted
conspiracy to disqualify Lenox Shuman and to prevent him from seeking office is the ugly truth of what’s wrong with Guyana and why we can’t move forward as a nation. Shuman was the first politician to declare his intent to give up his citizenship over 1 year ago. He confirmed the renunciation of his Canadian citizenship last December. The Canadian High Commissioner has confirmed he is no longer a citizen. He signed the declaration in good faith and compliance with the Constitution of Guyana, and he seems to know the Constitution chapter and verse. Yet GECOM now appears to be acting outside its legal capacity in trying to illegally
disqualify Shuman when there are so many others who are known and suspected dual citizens and whose verbal assurance seemed to have been enough. Why aren’t the others being held to the same standard? Why is the bar being continually raised on Shuman? What will be the next requirement, a certificate signed by Justin Trudeau and the Queen? The integrity of some is at stake. Will they be remembered as those who acted with reason and fairness or will they join the footnote references for political corruption? It stinks of conspiracy and sabotage and it is offensive on so many levels. Shuman is the type of politician we desperately need in this country. He is a man of integrity whose faults are relatively minor compared to his political opponents. We should be doing everything we can to encourage leaders like Shuman who are willing to sacrifice everything for his
country. Not to mention he is an Indigenous leader, where every single Indigenous politician has been attacked and sabotaged everywhere in the Americas. The first sad truth is our political system is broken. It is monopolized by the two dinosaurs locked in a winner take all contest of race politics. The second sad truth is that both the PPP and APNU are equally guilty of selling out and negotiating our oil contracts. And the third sad truth is the average working-class Guyanese is traumatized and depressed and keeps getting screwed regardless of who is in power and surviving on the hope that the oil money trickles down to them. The good news is oil money is coming. The bad news is unless we change the political system it is unlikely to benefit us as Guyanese the way it should. The way to change the political system is (Continued on page 29)
DEAR EDITOR, I don’t know why it is taking the government so long in dealing condignly with this bully of a company. First off they are alleged to have been retailing duty free fuel to the public. By this time the GRA would have closed down any local company doing same. In Russia Putin would have long ago jailed the directors/managers and closed down the business. When we remember Khodorkovsky we wonder what this government is doing with these people. On a recent visit to the Kwakwani area a few days ago, I found a resilient people who are willing to go head to head with the management of the company. The people are not afraid of the layoffs. They are willing to take over the company and run it even better providing government looks for the markets for the product. Kwakani is principally a logging community and they
recognize that many of us might be wasting our vote on a losing party, now is the time to think about how to cast our ballot to recover the US$55 billion given away. Our elections have occasionally been marred by violence in the past. Guyanese, supporters of both major parties are urged to resist any calls by party officials to get involved in such activities. Party officials should themselves be reminded that it is a criminal offence to incite violence at any time, elections or otherwise. Political violence does not win elections. Sound ideas, good governance and leaders do. Supporters, the man-in-thestreet, must understand and accept that they cannot hope or expect their respective parties to win if these parties have engineered their own defeat. For Guyana, Guyanese to win, our major political parties must lose. Craig Sylvester, Party Leader, Democratic National Congress
Our state apparatus GECOM, Shuman and our broken political system must act NOW will survive Rusal. What they urgently need are some medium scale wood processing factories where kiln dried lumber can be produced and high-end furniture assembled for external markets. NICIL needs to look in to this community urgently and see what forms of assistance they can render the people immediately. People with great industrial skills reside in the community and with good organizing they will overcome Rusal. The GRA needs to look into the allegation of the sale of the duty free fuel. If found to be true they need to start seizing Rusal equipment and also fining them huge sums of money to compensate for the loss of revenues. A salutary example must be made of these people. If we are truly a sovereign state then our state apparatus must act NOW. Regards, Cyril Walker
Wednesday February 05, 2020
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Kaieteur News
More research needed to ensure awards of Kaieteur, Canje blocks were above board- Global Witness Report By Kiana Wilburg While the corruption fighting body, Global Witness, unequivocally states that it does not have evidence proving that the Kaieteur and Canje Block licenses were awarded illegally, it still recommends that the local authorities conduct more research to ensure, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the awards were above board. Global Witness made this call in its damning report called “Signed away.” That document which was released on Monday, places under the microscope, the lopsided Stabroek Block deal which sees Guyana being cheated out of US$55B due to poor negotiations Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman conducted with ExxonMobil. The report also placed the spotlight on the Kaieteur and Canje licenses which were awarded to four companies by former President Donald Ramotar before he lost the General and Regional Elections to the APNU+AFC coalition in May 2015. The Kaieteur license was granted to Cateleya Energy Corporation (CEC) (formerly
Ratio Energy Limited) and Ratio Guyana Limited, a subsidiary of Ratio Petroleum Energy Limited Partnership headquartered in Israel. The Canje license was awarded to JHI Associates Inc. and Mid Atlantic Oil and Gas. But these companies are not the operators of the blocks they were awarded, ExxonMobil is. The acquisition of the majority interest by Exxon is what concerns Global Witness. It is not clear to Global Witness, whether ExxonMobil did enough due diligence to ensure it was buying into legally awarded blocks. Global Witness said it sent a request for comment to Exxon regarding its purchase of shares in Kaieteur and Canje. But the company provided only a broad statement regarding Global Witness’ findings. Exxon said, “We consider the accusations unfounded and baseless. ExxonMobil is committed to the highest standards of business conduct, and we follow all local laws and regulations wherever we operate.” Apart from issues of due diligence, the Global Witness was particularly concerned that the companies that were awarded the licenses, had
Map showing the location of the Kaieteur and Canje blocks as well as their proximity to the Stabroek Block
little to no experience in the oil industry. KAIETEUR’S INVESTIGATION Prior to the Global Wit-
ness report, Kaieteur News was the first to seek answers on whether the awards of the oil blocks to the four companies were above board. In this
vein, this newspaper interviewed Commissioner for the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Newell Dennison, who was central to
the said awards. Dennison was keen to highlight what Guyana’s laws state as to who qualifies to have a license in the oil industry. Guyana’s Petroleum Exploration and Production Act says, “No licence shall be granted to an individual unless he is a citizen of Guyana or to a body of persons, unless it is – (i) a company; or (ii) a corporation. A licence may be granted to two or more persons associated together in any form of joint arrangement, if each one of them is qualified to hold the licence under subsection (1).” (See link for the Act: http://parliament.gov.gy/doc uments/acts /8170-a ct_no _3_of_1986_p etroleum_(ex ploration_and _productio n)_act_1986.pdf) Considering this, Dennison said that newcomers, particularly the small companies which were granted licenses received same in accordance with the foregoing law. He had further noted that apart from this, GGMC even went above and beyond by doing due diligence and holding several rounds of discussions regarding the proposal (Continued on page 28)
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday February 05, 2020
Damning Global Witness Report… Granger should demand Trotman’s removal from electoral list until inquiry is completed - Charles Ramson Jr. By Kiana Wilburg In light of the shocking details of the Global Witness report called “Signed Away”, Attorney-at-Law and Opposition Member, Charles Ramson Jr. says it would be in the best interest of the nation for President David Granger to launch an immediate investigation or Commission of Inquiry into the role that Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, played in the Stabroek Block negotiations with ExxonMobil. “Signed Away” which was released on Monday and has sparked a national debate, states that Trotman may have ignored critical advice that could have saved Guyana US$55B as well as secure better financial terms than those which exist in the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA). During an interview with Kaieteur News yesterday, Ramson said that the damning findings of the report are more than enough for Granger
to demand that Trotman step down from the electoral list until an independent investigation or inquiry can clear his name. The Opposition Member said, “An inquiry has to be done to determine whether any or none of this is true, and if it is true, then ‘sellouts’ should never offer themselves to be candidates on the list for elections. They should never be able to put themselves forward to be elected representatives.” Further to this, Ramson said that if Guyanese are to truly see the benefit of its natural resources, it needs to have elected officials who possess the courage to stand up for their interest, as well as the technical expertise to understand the value of the nation’s natural resources. Ramson also said it is important for the nation to bear in mind that the Global Witness exposé vindicates the few individuals and media houses such as Kaieteur News which have been standing up for Guyanese on these
matters, irrespective of the severe ridicule, pressure, and criticisms received from the sellouts and blind supporters. TROTMAN’S ROLE The Global Witness report that was released on Monday calls for an investigation into Trotman, since his actions prior to the signing of the Stabroek Block deal raise numerous questions. According to Global Witness, the negotiations and subsequent signing of the ExxonMobil-Guyana deal was done quickly. From evidence it saw, negotiations began April 4 or April 5, 2016 at the Exxon headquarters outside Houston, Texas, with Trotman and other officials from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). The international NGO said that the trip was a glamorous affair. The transparency body said, “Trotman flew first class, slept in pricey hotels, ate at Joule – Exxon’s exclusive Wolfgang Puck restaurant – and was chauffeured
around in limousines. Exxon paid for it all. During this trip, it appears that the Minister and his colleagues did not negotiate a new Stabroek licence.” Interviewed by Global Witness in July 2019, Trotman stated first that he did not visit Exxon during the Stabroek negotiations, then said he would need to check his notes. The Minister subsequently sent Global Witness a memo summarising his late April 2016 trip, prepared by the visiting officials. The memo shows Trotman did visit Exxon’s headquarters while a new deal was being discussed, but makes no mention of negotiations during the trip. Instead, Trotman’s all-expense paid visit to Exxon’s Texas headquarters was spent listening to technical presentations and visiting a facility where drilling samples were kept. “What was most striking,” the visiting officials wrote, “was the very strong
Charles Ramson Jr. smell of oil that filled the room, and which the geologist present indicated was a strong indicator of large deposits of oil on the Liza 1 well.” Global Witness said it is not suggesting that Trotman’s Texas trip violated US or Guyanese anti-corruption laws. However, given the Minister’s legal responsibility for negotiating Exxon’s oil licence at the time he visited the company’s headquarters,
Exxon’s apparent generosity does raise questions about the company’s compliance with its Gifts and Entertainment Policy. Asked in July 2019 whether he felt uncomfortable having Exxon pay for such a luxurious trip, Trotman told Global Witness that he did not, because other Guyanese officials were with him. A December 2019 request by Global Witness for further comment went unanswered.
Wednesday February 05, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Bridging deed causes the dead to rise My question is this: Why did the government not make the Bridging Deed public earlier? It was forced under intense public pressure to release the contract signed between itself and the oil companies, 18 months after the fact. So why then was the Bridging Deed, which is mentioned in the contract, not made public at the same time as the contract? Wait! Don’t tell me it was because of Venezuela. I can hardly see how Venezuela could have been the excuse for the belated release of the contract or how it could be the reason for the non-release, up to now, of the Bridging Deed. Let me make a confession. I have some knowledge – indeed I would say a fair knowledge – of contract law. And I have never heard of a Bridging Deed. Never. But perhaps this document, which seems to have miraculous power of
resurrecting dead agreements, was formulated after my time. The Janet Jagan administration granted an exploration license to Exxon in 1999. By the time June 2016 came around, that agreement was dead, since any further renewal would have been in contradiction to the Petroleum Act. The Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act of 1986 provided that there can be more than two renewals of a petroleum prospecting license. A prospecting license is what is needed for exploration. A company may apply for renewal, but the license cannot be renewed for more than two occasions. The argument has been made that the prospecting license was effectively expired by the time Exxon came to apply for its production license. What all of this may suggest is that Exxon would have had to relinquish its blocks
which had been assigned to it, and to apply for a new prospecting license, and then apply for a new production license which is a different license. It would appear that in order to circumvent this, a Bridging Deed was used. The Bridging Deed effectively brought back the dead agreement to life and linked it to Exxon’s application for a production license. It is for the courts to determine whether that can be done, and if it is in violation of the law. Some persons have threatened to challenge the legality of the Exxon deal. But they said they could not proceed because they did not have the Bridging Deed. I really cannot say whether there is any such thing known in contract law as a Bridging Deed. I have never heard of it. It would be interesting to learn if it is a novel instrument in the oil and gas industry.
DEM BOYS SEH
Special medicine deh fuh de politicians Guyana got nuff sick people. Once you go to de public hospital you would get de impression that half de country sick today and de odda half gun sick tomorrow. Of course nuff of dem sick in dem head. Dem have people who just have to hear de word sick and dem does get sick. If somebody cough near to dem, right away dem does believe dem got a cough. These are de people who does believe dem ketch every germ that pass by. De English people got a word fuh such sickness. Is a big word. Hypochondriac. Dem boys seh de public hospital does see people like that every day and in de dozens. At one time de hospital use to treat dem. A nurse give
dem a container of coloured water and right away de person does seh how he or she get cured. Doctors use to give de people sugar pills and de people does get better, because as old people seh, dem believe in de medicine. Belief kills and belief cures. But dem only got so much sugar pills—de word fuh dem is placebo—suh de hospital adopt a new method. It sending dem same sick people to de clinics that deh near where dem live. De only thing de hospital don’t do is tell dem “Out de place.” De only people who don’t sick often is de politicians. Dem always frighten that when dem off de job somebody gun tek dem place. But when dem do feel li’l funny,
some of dem does go overseas fuh treatment. Dem don’t trust de local nurses. Dem boys seh de nurses don’t really like de politicians because dem same nurses believe that is de politicians who does keep down dem pay. De police was in de same boat as de doctors. Dem use to keep away from de public hospital because some of dem did mek mistake and shoot some nurses wid pellets during a strike in 1999. When dem get sick de only two places dem could go was home or to dem private hospital. But times change. Dem boys got de medicine to cure any politicians.Talk half and get medication from de Waterfalls paper.
The bottom line is that there is this. The Bridging Deed, in my opinion, appears to be intended to give legal cover to the agreement which was inked between Exxon, her partners, and the government of Guyana. But why was such an instrument needed? The government should do the right thing and make public the Bridging Deed. But things also get complicated because in the Bridging Deed, a copy of which some persons have managed to obtain, there is mention now, of an escrow letter. These letters are known in business law. In lines of credit, escrow letters provide the banks with authorization as to the terms and conditions under which funds are to be released to the seller. So, for example, if you are buying
something from a supplier in China, the escrow letter would authorize the bank to only pay when the goods reach the buyer’s country. It is really a safeguard to ensure good faith in business transactions. Having the escrow letter provides comfort to both buyer and seller than neither of them can seek to rob the other, since in that case the funds would not be released. Similarly, when dealing with shares, the escrow letter instructs the legal firm holding it, as to the conditions to be in place before a transaction involving shares. I really cannot say why there was need for an escrow letter or even an escrow agent in respect to the Exxon deal, but perhaps when the letter is made public we will know. The government is digging a deep hole for itself. It
will only end up in further controversies unless it releases all the releasable documents concerning this deal, and for those which cannot be released, explain why this is so.The government should also explain why it never released the Bridging Deed. For that matter it should explain whether it knew that there was a Bridging Deed, notwithstanding it being clearly stated in the contract. (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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Kaieteur News
Wednesday February 05, 2020
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Which of these things is more dangerous for Guyana’s future? A friend of mine comes to Guyana annually from Florida. He would call for us to have a lime. Yesterday he said he wanted to lime in downtown Georgetown to be with the ordinary folks to eat and drink at the ordinary restaurants. I said that was not on because we would get no parking. We were not in the heart of the city and the traffic was chaotic, so I said; “You see this, you know what will happen in downtown?” We settled for a quiet place where I parked, right inside Everest Cricket Club ground. I cite this conversation to emphasize the point of the nightmarish
traffic world in Guyana, especially Region Four. The madness is not confined to Georgetown, but is more frightening in the capital. Why then would GWI officials paint road signs on Vlissengen Road at the junction with North Road? I don’t have to describe the confusion that went down. We put different emphasis on different things depending on how we see life. There is a spate of school violence and the newspapers are carrying frequent letters lamenting this situation. The manifestations of school violence are indeed
shocking, but here is my perspective on life in Guyana. School violence, though an upsetting development, doesn’t pose more of a threat to Guyana than ignorant bureaucrats who have no commonsense. Do people not see the danger for the future when you have leaders and politicians that do not understand basic things about their country? I will never deny that a solution to school violence should not be a priority. My point is, I do not see it as bigger threat than other social maladies that I believe will
become more intractable to solve and which will have frightening implications. I am simply offering my perspective and I will adhere to it. Let me repeat it for emphasis. The logic behind painting road signs at one of the busiest junctions in Guyana at rush hour is an irrationality which is a larger dystopian act than school violence. I believe Guyana has capable social workers, academics and teachers that can confront the increase in school violence. I don’t see in the near future indications that the mentality that went into
that sign-painting exercise will diminish. On the contrary, we will long solve school violence, while the irrationalities like the sign –painting insanity will continue to dominate life in Guyana. Take concerts in open spaces where thousands of people live. I am subject to correction, but I think it started at the extensive car park at Giftland Mall. Look what is happening now. At Turkeyen, MovieTowne is renting out its car park for open air events in which music permeates the environment for several miles. Yes, several miles. Don’t take my word for it; just drive past MovieTowne and look at the communities in close physical proximity to that structure – Liliendaal, Pattensen, Turkeyen, Cummings Lodge. How can you arrange a concert in that facility where mega speakers blast decibels that are immeasurable? Is that an insignificant thing? It is not. It poses a greater danger to Guyana than school violence. School violence has sociological determinants that society can address. The car park concert is a manifestation of a nihilistic society gone in uncivilized directions. Here now is another nihilistic ugliness that has far more dangerous implications than school violence. Since MovieTowne opened up, every Sunday evening about eighty motor cycle riders congregate outside the structure. They rev up their engines creating unbearable noise. They race from UG Road to Liliendaal. They hinder law-
Frederick Kissoon abiding citizens entering the MovieTowne complex either to dine or see a movie. They hinder the flow of traffic on the highway. These young men see movies of motorcycle gangs in the US that have eight-lane highways where people do not live, and they are doing their thing in Guyana that does have even a highway in the real sense of the term. These misguided fools cannot understand that all along the so-called highways in Guyana, even at the beginning of the Linden highway at the junction with Soesdyke, those are where Guyana’s population can be found. When you drive on the East Coast and East Bank highways, you are closely passing the homes of countless numbers. You will not see letters in the press often about openair concerts in car parks. There are no letters in the newspapers about these motorcycle gangs, but a few violent fights break out at some schools and there is a deluge of letters. This country is selfdestructing. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
Wednesday February 05, 2020
Kaieteur News
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$630M estimated for services required by NDIA The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) yesterday opened —— bids for services required for the National Drainage & Irrigation Authority (NDIA). The engineer’s estimates are $630M in total. Ministry of Agriculture: National Drainage & Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Operation, servicing and monitoring of NDIA hydraulic mini-excavators in Region 3
Transportation of fuel and lubricants for NDIA : Lot 1- Region 3; Lot 2, Region 4; Lot 3, Region 5
Operation, serving and monitoring of NDIA hydraulic excavators, track type dozer and motor grader in Region 3
Operation, servicing and monitoring of NDIA hydraulic excavators and pontoon to dredge outfall within Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10
Operation, servicing and monitoring of NDIA hydraulic excavators, track- type dozer and motor grader along EBD in Region 4
Operation, servicing and monitoring of NDIA hydraulic mini-excavators along ECD, Region 4
Operation, servicing and monitoring of NDIA hydraulic mini-excavators, track- type dozer and motor grader along EBD, Region 4
Operation, serving and monitoring of NDIA hydraulic excavators and pontoon to dredge outfall within Georgetown, Region 4 Operation, serving and monitoring of NDIA hydraulic excavators, track-type dozer and motor grader along ECD in Region 4
Operation, serving and monitoring of NDIA hydraulic excavators, track- type dozer and motor grader in Region 2 Operations and security of NDIA mobile and fixed pumps within Regions 2, 3 and 4
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 29)
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Home owner slams down window on intruder’s hand
A
n intended home intruder had more than a painful experience yesterday around 14:30hrs, after he was severely injured while trying to gain access to someone’s home. Due to the injuries he sustained, the suspect, who has been identified as 23-yearold Jerold Shaw, is presently under police guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Reports indicate that Shaw was trying to enter the home of 58-year-old Janice Leitch, located at 158 West
Wednesday February 05, 2020
Kaieteur News
Front Road. However, while trying to gain access to the woman’s home through a window that was left open, the suspect got an agonizing surprise. In an interview, Ms. Leitch stated that at the time of the incident she was sitting in her home watching television when she saw someone pushing their hand into her home. Seeing this, she went over to the window and slammed it shut. According to sources, after the window came down on his hand, Shaw fainted due to
the excruciating pain, and later regained consciousness. He reportedly suffered three fractures in parts of his left hand.Ms. Leitch further stated that after the incident the police were contacted and they assisted in taking the injured man to the hospital. When contacted, a police source told Kaieteur News that when ranks arrived at the scene of the incident, the suspect was lying on the ground, beneath the window, crying out for pain. The matter is being investigated.
Following death of patient in 2014 … Medical Council head had recommended periodic exams for doctors In 2014, head of the Medical Council of Guyana, Dr. Vivienne Mitchell had recommended a system where local doctors be mandated to take routine examinations to keep them sharp.The recommendation was one several contained in a report by the official, following the death of a patient. The patient, 74, died after a botched colonoscopy.A scathing report which was leaked recently found a private hospital and two prominent doctors culpable, and they were told to settle the matter out-of-court with the family of Edward Subryan, the Enterprise, East Coast Demerara man who died. The family has been seeking closure in the matter, but claimed that they abandoned efforts last year after being given the royal runaround by the Medical Council. They said that representatives of the council kept telling them for a number of years that the matter was being handled at the council level.“It is time for the Caribbean to emulate the USA which requires physicians to undergo periodic examinations in order to maintain their board certification,” Dr. Mitchell recommended in her report, a copy of which has been seen by Kaieteur News. She proposed that refresher examinations be created for general physicians and specialists. “This aims to ensure that physicians remain updated in their specialty,” the report said.Both the private hospital and the Medical Council have been silent on the matter, not returning messages and requests for comments.The two doctors in question are
Died from complications: 74-year-old Edward Subryan still in practice.The family said they are now examining legal recourse and even contemplating releasing the document publicly to ensure that no other families suffer. In January 2014, Subryan, from Enterprise, East Coast Demerara, was rushed to the private hospital after not feeling well. There was no internal bleeding and nothing serious. Doctors ordered a colonoscopy. During the examination, which involved sending a camera via the rectum, the man’s colon was perforated.The investigation by Dr. Mitchell blazed the doctors for not providing proper post-colonoscopy care. The repair of (Continued on page 28)
Election ballots set to arrive tomorrow – GECOM CEO
Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield told media operatives yesterday that the commission is anticipating the arrival of printed ballots by tomorrow, even as steps are taken to gazette the polling stations identified for elections. According to Lowenfield, there are 2,352 polling stations, inclusive of 131 private residences. He said that most of the polling stations that are private residences are in Region F o u r ( D e m e r a r a / Mahaica), and along the East Coast Demerara Corridor, there are 91 such stations.Giving an update on the preparations for the joint services polls, Lowenfield disclosed too that members of the disciplined forces are scheduled to cast their ballots on February 21, 2020. According to GECOM‘s calculation approximately 7,000 officers from the Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Police Force and Guyana Prison Service were expected to vote at 63 locations countrywide. “So, as far as our arrangements go, we are at a safe place,” Lowenfield said. Meanwhile on the topic of dual citizenship, the CEO said that the commission is still to make a determination
GECOM CEO, Keith Lowenfield
on the way forward as it relates to the three candidates whose nomination declarations have raised concerns. The three candidates – Lenox Shuman, Dr. Vishnu Bandhu and Dr .Valerie Leung – were identified as the Presidential candidates of the Liberty and Justice Party, (LJP), United Republican Party, (URP) and People’s Republic Party (PRP). However according to the Constitution of Guyana persons who are holders of dual citizenship cannot be Members of Parliament. The Act reads, “No person shall be qualified for
election as a member of the National Assembly who is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.” All three party leaders were expected to present an explanation on the issue to the Commission Both Shuman and Bandhu have since told reporters that they had relinquished foreign citizenship—something GECOM has said is disputable. As it relates to Dr. Leung, it is unclear if she had ever made any attempts to relinquish her citizenship.
Wednesday February 05, 2020
Kaieteur News
Coronavirus fightback… Foreign vessels required to send crew list in advance to Maritime The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) has announced a number of measures to help reduce the possibilities of Coronavirus from entering Guyana.According to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, all international vessels calling the Port of Georgetown and Berbice will be required to provide a crew list and their nationalities in advance before coming. Among the information required before hand will be the vessel’s last port of call and records of the shore leave within the last 21 days. “Ship crew who feel unwell, experience respiratory symptoms or feel feverish should inform the Master of the ship immediately. The Master of the ship should then contact his ship’s agent and make the necessary arrangements to seek medical attention.” According to the ministry, crews with recent travel history in Hubei, Wuhan, or with People’s Republic of China (PRC) passports will not be allowed entry into Guyana. “Also, vessels that refuse to comply with the aforementioned instructions maybe denied entry into the country’s waters. In the interim, MARAD will continue to monitor the evolving situation and work closely with the industry to implement additional measures if needed.” There are reportedly 425 deaths from Coronavirus, with 176 confirmed cases in
24 countries, excluding China, according to remarks made Tuesday by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization.Several countries, including Guyana and the US, have restricted direct travel from China.According to Marketwatch yesterday, about 20,000 people have been sickened, based on the latest figures from China’s National Health Commission.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is reporting 20,630 cases, as of February 4th. The novel virus was first identified in December in Wuhan. Since then, the World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency of international concerns, airlines have cut flights to and from China, and some returning U.S. citizens are being quarantined to prevent the spread of the virus.
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Wednesday February 05, 2020
West Demerara Hospital continues to offer 24-hour service - RHO insists West Demerara Regional Hospital
- in wake of reports of nightly closures By virtue of being a regional hospital, the West Demerara Regional Hospital [WDRH] is mandated to offer secondary level care to patients on a 24-hour basis. However, there are reports that suggest that the Region Three Hospital may be veering off course when it comes to its designated mandate. There have been reports reaching this publication that the hospital usually closes its gates to the public by a certain time at night, thus causing a number of patients to seek care at alternative health facilities. In addition, reports suggest that by virtue of the hospital being closed, some doctors scheduled to work at the hospital instead render their services at the country’s tertiary institution – the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC]. The complaints about the regional hospital come at a time when the Ministry of Public Health is pushing primary health care nationally.
Given the gravity of the purported situation, this publication decided to seek answers from Regional Health Officer, Dr. Cerdel McWatt. In commenting, Dr. McWatt called reports of the hospital being closed to the public by a certain time “malicious”, and went on to proclaim that “I don’t know where the claim is coming from that we don’t provide 24-hour services. We have our on-call rosters, and an observer can also clarify that yes, we do have services offered on a 24hour basis.” When asked of the possibility of rostered doctors offering their services at the GPHC, Dr. McWatt admitted, “There might be isolated cases where doctors may do overtime at GPHC, but I can’t think of none presently.” He further explained “...as far as I am concerned, our doctors here, whenever being rostered, do have an on-call facility – a building in which they are forced to remain
within the confines of the hospital to attend to patients.” Insisting that the hospital’s gates are opened to the public on a 24-hour basis, Dr. McWatt made it pellucid that regardless of the time of day, patients can seek the services at the West Demerara Hospital. The hospital has in place a ‘round the clock’ emergency department which offers services promptly to patients in need, Dr. McWatt insisted. “It can be 10:30pm, 1am or 1:30am we are always opened,” Dr. McWatt assured, adding that “In addition to West Dem Hospital, the Leonora Cottage Hospital [also in Region Three] functions on a 24-hour basis, and patients can visit there; it doesn’t matter the time, the
options are wide in terms of what can be acquired.” In fact, the RHO revealed that within Health Services Region Three, the two facilities [West Demerara Regional and Leonora Cottage] offer level three and level four health care which translate to secondary health care. Referencing the West Demerara Hospital, Dr. McWatt added “We have our main departments which are gynaecology, general surgery, orthopaedic, paediatric, internal medicine and those give services on a 24 hour basis; there are on-call doctors – general medical practitioners and consultants.” Speaking of the wide array of services offered at the regional hospital, he revealed “I was actually talking to [the] Obstetrics and Gynaecology Head of Department, who would have related to me that in the ward we only have one bed to spare. In our surgery department, we have a lot of patients rostered in terms of surgical procedures every week...we have more than 50odd cases pending to be done. We even have patients from Bartica in Region Seven, Region One, Region Two who have been receiving services here...we do deliveries; we do c-sections and not only for patients in Region Three,” said Dr. McWatt. The hospital also offers other services that are not provided on a 24-hour basis
Regional Health Officer, Dr. Cerdel McWatt such as rehabilitation and dentistry. “In terms of needs assessment, if a person should visit within the hours when those services are not offered, alternative care is given until that specialty area can be granted within hours,” Dr. McWatt added. As he debunked claims of a scaled-down operation at the hospital, the RHO added “Wherever these claims are coming from, they have other motives, but most certain I am not bothered by those motives, because I know that we are here to meet the needs of our patients and our mandate is to provide health services that are acceptable to all seeking services here.” Should the hospital not have the wherewithal to offer all services required by patients, Dr. McWatt said that
Shot bandit from botched Tuschen Robbery makes first court appearance Almost one month after two of his accomplices appeared before a court for the botched robbery at Tuschen on January 3, last, Shaquille Wilbury who was nursing a gunshot wound to his leg made his first court appearance on Monday. Wilbury appeared before Magistrate Zameena AliSeepaul at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court and was not required to plea to the indictable charge read to him. The charge stated that on January 3, 2020, at 5 Star Chinese Restaurant, Wilbury while in the company of others and armed with a gun and a cutlass, robbed Guang
Hong Wang of cell phones and cash.It was also alleged that on the same date and location, while in the company of others and armed with a gun and a cutlass, the gang robbed Navindra Lakahalall of a silver chain and cash.Earlier in January, Police constable Jonathan Harry, 24, and Akande Ross, 20, of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, were charged. Mark Prince, another member of the gang , was shot dead by a resident who went in aid of the victims. Police are still on the hunt for the female suspect who was with the men at the time of the robbery.
turning to the GPHC is sometimes warranted. He said for example, “In isolated cases, we may probably not have particular services offered which we would have budgeted for in 2020, and if I can look at some aspects, let’s say CT scan, we don’t have the service within the region, and oftentimes what we would do is go to the GPHC and have the scan done and the patient would return to the region and continue care here.” But even as he considered the “unfounded” complaints about the West Demerara Hospital’s operation, Dr. McWatt said “I think some of these instances can be misinterpreted by the public to state that we do transfers, and basically it is not a transfer, but it is accessing complementary services within Region Four, and the patient will return to the West Dem Hospital and continue care.” The operation of the WDRH, like other health facilities, Dr. McWatt said, is guided by the Ministry’s Standards and Technical Department, and all procedures are governed by the said department. In light of this he revealed that the hospital was earlier this year forced to rely on the GPHC for support for a few days when its main operating theatre was closed, in keeping with the standard operating procedure prescribed by the Standards Department. “It [the closure] concluded within a few days, and for that period we would have had our patients seeking services at GPHC, and in most instances where surgery would have been offered, the physician at the regional hospital would have accompanied those patients to Georgetown Hospital and intercepted the much-needed surgical intervention with physicians at the GPHC,” said Dr. McWatt. He has moreover concluded that “There are a lot of things that are happening at the West Dem Hospital; it is vivid [but] I guess the public has been misguided about some of the aspects that go on. The ambit of services of the West Demerara Hospital is being overshadowed by various misconceptions, but that is not the order of the day,” he insisted.
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Two years later…Inquest into teen found dead in cemetery begins Two years after the gruesome discovery of a 17year-old receptionist’s body, in a cemetery at Triumph, East Coast Demerara (ECD) Magistrate Alicia George yesterday commenced hearing an inquest into the teen’s death. Rainella Benfield, of 99 Canterbury Walk, Beterverwagting East Coast Demerara was discovered on December 11, 2017, lying on her back with her hands on her stomach. She was clad in a white jersey and blue jeans, which was pulled to her knees. It is believed that Benfield might have been struck in the head with a heavy object which disfigured her face exposing the flesh. Between December 2017 and July 2018, police had arrested several persons who were later released without being charged. Four witnesses yesterday testified in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court before a three-member jury. Prosecutor Tyndall called the first witness, 19-year-old
Dead: Rainella Benfield Josiah Bristol, an employee of Qualfon. In Bristol’s testimony he told the court on December 9, 2017, around 15:30hrs was the last time he saw Benfield alive. Bristol said that he and the young lady left work together and were on the road waiting on a bus when she received a phone call. He added they board a bus and while on their way to
town, Benfield took out her phone and started messaging someone. While he’s unsure as to whom she was messaging, he suspected it was the girl in the front seat. According to Bristol, every time Benfield sent a message, the girl in the front seat would turn around make eye contact with her, and then they both would laugh. Bristol told the court that when the bus arrived at Parade Street, Kingston, he exited the bus, and that was the last time he spoke to and saw Benfield. Bristol said that on December 11, 2017, he received a phone call indicating that he was wanted for questioning at the Beterverwagting Police Station. It was at the Station that he learnt that Benfield was dead. Bristol said he was placed in custody for a few days. The second person to testify was Cove Bowman, 28, a friend of the deceased teen’s boyfriend [Mark Edwards]. Bowman told the court that Continued on page 23
The area where the teen’s body was found.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday February 05, 2020
Region bids farewell to Brynmor Pollard, SC
An overhead view of the thanksgiving service on Monday.
President David Granger signs the book of condolence at the Thanksgiving Service for Mr. Brynmor Pollard as two of his children, Mr. Andrew Pollard, S.C., and Ms. Catherine Pollard look on. President David Granger on Monday afternoon, attended the Service of Thanksgiving celebrating the life of Brynmor Thornton Inniss Pollard, OR, CCH, SC at the Smith’s Memorial Congregational Church, Brickdam. Pollard worked at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as General Counsel. At the Secretariat, he assisted in the harmonisation of the region’s Companies Law, and provided assistance to the Constitutional Assembly of Namibia, South West Africa, which was poised to attain independence at the time. He was also a leading participant in the efforts of the Council of Legal Education and its two law schools in Trinidad and Jamaica. Pollard served as the Vice-Chairman of the Juridical Committee of the Organisation of American States (OAS) from 2000 – 2002 and the Judicial Service Committee of Guyana; he demitted that office in 2010. For his outstanding contributions in the field of law at the national, regional, Commonwealth and international levels, Pollard was conferred the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH) and later in 2015, with the Order of Roraima. He died on January 24. Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley also attended the Thanksgiving Service.
Wednesday February 05, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Two years later…Inquest into teen found dead in... From page 17 he, along with another friend [Ruel], was at the 44 bus park when Benfield approached them. Bowman shared that he and Ruel were imbibing while Benfield was with them. He said Benfield told him that Mark (Edwards) didn’t like when she is at the park liming and it would cause a problem if he found out she was doing so. According to Bowman, he then reassured her that he would contact Mark and explain to him that she was with him at the park. Around 20:00hrs, Bowman, Benfield and Ruel left the park in route 44 mini bus name “Split in the middle” to go home. Bowman said that he gave Benfield his phone number in the bus and five minutes into the journey he fell asleep. He then mentioned that Benfield touched him to wake him up to tell him that she was almost home. Benfield was the first person to exit the bus at the cemetery near Beterverwagting Police Station when he told her to message him when she got home. However, he received a phone call on December 11, 2017 that she was missing and later that day he received another phone call from Mark Edwards, that Benfield was found dead in the cemetery. After Bowman’s testimony, the prosecutor called on 56-year-old Rainsford Benfield, the father of the deceased. He said the last time he saw his daughter alive was the morning of
December 9, 2017 around 7:15hrs when he reached home from work and she was preparing to leave for work. He said no concerns were raised when his daughter didn’t return home that Saturday night since she told them that she would spend the night at one of her cousins in Plaisance, East Coast Demerara. However, when she failed to come home the following day or make contact them, they immediately tried to reach her. They called her phone but it went to voicemail. The father said that his wife contacted their daughter’s cousin who told them that the teen had called her Saturday night and told her that she was in a bus going home. Contact was then made with her boyfriend, Mark Edwards, who told them that he hadn’t heard from or seen Rainella. Rainsford added that he and his wife had planned to make a missing person report the Monday, but before they could’ve made the report, a group of policemen visited their home around 07:15hrs. One of the officers told him that he needed to come with them to see if he could identify a body that was found in the cemetery. He said that when the police removed the cloth from the body he recognised his daughter even though the left side of her face was bashed in. After Rainford Benfield’s testimony, Shamar Kingston was the last to testify. Kingston told the court
that he and Rainella Benfield went to school together. He added that on December 11, 2017, while he was on his way home he saw a commotion, so he went to check it out, and that was when he found out that Benfield was dead.
He said that on December 9, 2017 he was at a friend’s house that lives about 100ft from the cemetery. Kingston said that Saturday night, he and his friends were using the internet and during the period he was there, neither he nor
any of his friends left, or heard any screaming coming from the cemetery. Kingston then said that he couldn’t recall seeing Rainella passing that night, but mentioned that he and his friends were arrested but later
released from custody. After each testimony by the witnesses the members of the jury then asked a series of questions. The inquest into the death of Rainella Benfield was adjourned to March 12, for continuation.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday February 05, 2020
Wednesday February 05, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Appeal against murder conviction, 66-year sentence…
Judge’s “unbalanced, inadequate summing up of trial” cited By Feona Morrison
O
n appeal against his conviction and subsequent 66 years jail sentence for murder, businessman Mark Assing is complaining that the summing up of trial Judge Navindra Singh was unbalanced and inadequate. Assing, a father of five, was in December 2014, found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for the 2012 murder of his neighbour, Abiola Eadie of McDoom, East Bank Demerara. Reports indicate that on June 20, 2012, Eadie, her son Martin Barker, 21 and a relative Ayesha George, 33, were shot during an argument with Assing, who had accused Barker of stealing his “fowl cock”. Following the incident, Eadie was hospitalised and later succumbed to her injuries on July 2, 2012 at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Assing was charged one year after the killing, as he had fled the jurisdiction. The murder convict, through his lawyer, Glen Hanoman is challenging his conviction and sentence at the Court of Appeal; the court continued hearing arguments in the case yesterday. Chancellor of the Judiciary Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justices of Appeal Rishi Persaud and Dawn Gregory are on the panel of judges. Continuing with his arguments from last December, Hanoman contended that the manner in which the trial judge dealt with inconsistencies between the prosecution and
Murdered: Abiola Eadie defence’s case was unbalanced. In fact, Hanoman submitted that the judge was not fair in that regard. According to him, the issue of inconsistency was first raised by the trial judge when he was referring to the defence’s case, in which “he was quiet harsh.” Hanoman said that those inconsistencies pointed out by the judge were “manufactured” as he failed to provide any factual example in that regard. This, he submitted may have led the jurors to think they can reject the defence’s case in its entirety. Turning his attention to the case for the prosecution, Hanoman argued that the testimony of Onika Welch was riddled with inconsistencies, all of which the judge sought to justify. As in the case for the defence, Hanoman said that the judge, when summing up the evidence of this witness to the jurors, failed to put to them that they also had the
option to disregard her evidence. Against this backdrop, he is contending that the failure of the trial judge amounted to a misdirection. Responding, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Diana Kaulesar-O’Brien relied on the records of appeal, in which she said the judge did indeed point out the inconsistencies and discrepancies in the cases for the defence and prosecution. According to KaulesarO’Brien, there was no misdirection, as the trial judge told the jurors that it was up to them to accept some, part, or all the evidence in relation to both cases, bearing in mind if they believed the witnesses were lying, had a faulty memory, or a difference in observation. In his initial arguments delivered on December 4, 2019, Hanoman accused the trial judge of “trying to destroy the defence’s case” as all he did was flood it with criticisms. He had argued that the judge failed to adequately direct the jury on the defence of provocation, which arose from the circumstances of this case. If the judge had done so, he said the trial may have had a different outcome—the possibly of the jury arriving at a verdict for the lesser offence of manslaughter. Against this backdrop, the lawyer submitted that there was evidence to support that his client was provoked, not only by Eadie, but by two of her relatives. But the State Prosecutor contended that there was nothing in Assing’s unsworn
statement to support that he acted out after losing his selfcontrol. Although this was not inferred in his client’s unsworn statement, Hanoman insisted that the trial judge ought to have directed the jury to consider the defence of provocation, as there is evidence to support that his client was called a name other than his name during the argument with the deceased and her family members. He also said that there was evidence to support that racist remarks were also hurled at this client. Hanoman had also argued that the Judge erred when he asked the jury to consider if a reasonable man would resort to shooting someone in the circumstances. This, he said, was not
Murder convict: Mark Assing only archaic, but illogical. In this regard, he added that the trial Judge ought to have directed the jury to consider manslaughter in the first instance, as he believes a
provoked man may still intend to unlawfully kill, or cause serious bodily harm to s o m e o n e . Assing’s lawyer also took issue with the length of time the trial judge spent on recapping the prosecution’s case to the jury. In fact, he pointed out that the trial judge went through the prosecution’s case verbatim, but failed to do the same thing for his client, who opted to give an unsworn testimony. According to Hanoman, of the 20 pages allotted for directions of the prosecution and defence’s cases, only two were used to sum up the defence’s case, which he said was riddled with pointless criticism by the trial judge. While the Chancellor of the (Continued on page 27)
PAGE 26
Wednesday February 05, 2020
Kaieteur News
Ecuadorian jailed for illegal entry
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The court was yesterday told that an Ecuadorian national, upon being arrested for illegal entry to Guyana, told the police that he did not have a passport, after arriving here from three countries. Julio Marceas appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. When the charge was read to the defendant through the aid of a Spanish interpreter, he pleaded guilty to the offence. It was stated that on December 15, 2019, at Lethem, Marceas entered Guyana by crossing a land frontier and did not present himself to an immigration officer. According to the facts of the prosecution, the 25-yearold accused was stopped on February 1, last. He was a passenger in a route 94 minibus which police ranks from the Mabura Police Outpost intercepted while carrying out a stop and search exercise. The accused was asked to present his travel documents, however he told the ranks his passport was lost. Marceas was then escorted to the Central Immigration and Passport Office. Investigations were carried out, and it was revealed that he was illegal in the country. He was later charged for the offence. When given a chance to address the court, Marceas, with the Spanish interpreter’s assistance, stated, “I came
Julio Marceas
through from Brazil to Lethem in search of employment. I didn’t know I was committing an offence.” He further mentioned that he has been in Guyana for six weeks and the same for Cuba and Brazil. Following questions asked about having any details of the accused from Interpol, it was noted that no checks were made as yet. The magistrate ordered that this should be done, as she imposed a two-month prison sentence on the accused. VACANCY She then told him that after serving his sentence he Vacancy for General Manager at Akash People's Variety Store will be escorted to the nearlot 4 Robb Street.Tel#656- est port of exit to be deported back to his country. 3350.
Wednesday February 05, 2020
Video footage sends bag snatcher to jail
T
he Guyana Police Force is calling on citizens who possess surveillance cameras on their homes and businesses that may have captured a crime to keep the footage and hand it over so that it may be used as evidence. This was after a bag snatcher was yesterday sentenced to six months in prison after he was unable to dispute his face being caught on closed circuit television (CCTV) while in the act. Nineteen-year-old Quesi Jordon, a labourer of lot 123 Hill Street, Albouystown, appeared before Magistrate Annette Singh at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to the charge read to him. The court heard that the suspect, on December 6, 2019, snatched one Guess handbag containing personal items from a woman’s car. The theft occurred on Ruimveldt Public Road while the victim was proceeding south in slow-moving traffic. Kaieteur News was informed that the traumatized female victim promptly reported the matter and a Detective Sergeant commenced an investigation during
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Kaieteur News
Quesi Jordon which CCTV footage was retrieved some distance from where the crime occurred. That footage showed a male riding through a street with a bag identical to that stolen from the victim. The suspect was arrested and appeared in court on December 9, 2019, where he pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded to prison.
When the case was called again for the disclosure of statements and the video footage, the accused sung a different tune and pleaded guilty to the offence, apparently realizing that the evidence gathered by the prosecution was very compelling. He was sentenced to six months in prison. None of the items stolen were recovered.
Judge’s “unbalanced, inadequate... From page 25 Judiciary reminded Hanoman of the volume of witnesses called by the prosecution, the lawyer was adamant that the trial Judge should have gone through Assing’s unsworn statement verbatim, as it was not lengthy. He added that in relation to his client’s defence, the trial judge selectively told the jury that Assing had denied killing the woman, and that he said it was “Buck Man”, her brother, who shot
at him and missed, and the bullet ended up hitting her instead. Furthermore, Hanoman argued that the trial judge admitted highly prejudicial evidence. That evidence, he added, came from the prosecution’s main witness, Ayesha George, who testified that she saw when Assing raised a gun and fired two shots at Martin. He said that the woman never documented this in her statement to the police. Although the trial judge
conducted a Voir Dire and deemed George’s evidence as admissible in accordance with the principle of res gestae, Hanoman maintains that it is prejudicial, as it did not come from Martin, himself. The lawyer contended that the judge failed to consider that this evidence came from someone else [George], and that she could have concocted it. The Court of Appeal has reserved its judgment in this case.
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Gambling dispute leaves one dead An argument after a gambling session between two shop owners has left one dead and another arrested with the possibility of facing a murder charge. The dead man was identified as 28-yearold Raymond Leitch, a miner, of 2022 Amelia’s Ward, Linden. The incident reportedly occurred on Monday at Quartzstone Backdam, Cuyuni, Region Seven. According to police, the men are both shop owners in Quartzstone Backdam, and their shops are located a mere 50 feet from each other. On the day in question, the two men were engaged in a heated gamble session along with two other men. The suspect’s reputed wife told police that an argument ensued between the two shop owners over the payment of winnings earned during the game. That argument quickly turned physical and the men were said to have returned to their respective businesses, while the two others returned to their camps. But the argument did not stop there. The two men continued to hurl expletives at each other for a few minutes before things got bloody. Police stated that the suspect, identified as a 34-year-old Haslington, East Coast Demerara resident, pulled out his work-issued 9mm Taurus Pistol and shot Leitch to his chest. Workers in the area summoned a helicopter to transport the injured man to receive medical attention. His body was transported to the
Travel restrictions could cost U.S. $10.3 billion in Chinese visitor spending WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Travel restrictions related to the novel coronavirus from China could impact city and state economies across the United States, which have benefited from a huge jump in tourism from China in recent years, analysts say. Riverside, California, known for its citrus groves, mountain scenery and art galleries, and Buffalo, New York, the closest big town to the vast Niagara Falls, would be among the hardest hit in a list of places from big cities to tourist towns particularly popular with Chinese visitors. Major U.S. airlines have suspended flights from China, and the Trump administration is barring foreign visitors who
Dead: 28-year-old Raymond Leitch Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The suspect was arrested at the Ogle Airport and police took possession of the firearm. Investigations are ongoing.
Wednesday February 05, 2020
have been to mainland China over the past 14 days. A fall-off in visits from China represents the “most immediate and direct link between the U.S. economy” and the virus, said Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. He projects real GDP growth at 1.7% this year, just below the U.S. economy’s 2% potential growth rate. Visits from China to the United States have increased 1,270% since the SARS virus outbreak in 2002, to 2.8 million in 2019, according to Tourism Economics, part of research firm Oxford Economics. The figure includes students and tourists both. About 15% of visitors from
China indicate “education” as the purpose of their visit in the Department of Commerce Survey of International Air Travelers, Oxford Economics said. The virus will result in a $10.3 billion loss in Chinese visitor spending in the United States, most of that in 2020, Oxford Economics estimates. Each visitor spends an average of $6,000 per trip, not including airfare or money spent on education, the research firm says. The impact of those losses won’t be spread evenly around the country. Visitors from China tend to flock to big United States cities like Los Angeles and New York City, Tourism Economics found:
Arrest warrant issued for former South Africa President Jacob Zuma Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) A South African judge said she was left with no choice but to issue former President Jacob Zuma with an arrest warrant after he failed to appear in court on Tuesday. Zuma’s legal team said he was receiving medical care outside the country. But Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Dhaya Pillay was skeptical of the document they submitted as evidence of Zuma’s illness, calling it “puzzling” and questioning if it was even signed by a medi-
cal doctor. “What this court requires is evidence. Some authentic, reliable proof that Mr. Zuma is indeed ill and when he will be available to stand trial,” said Pillay in her ruling. Pillay suspended the warrant until May 6, the next date Zuma will be required to appear in court in pre-trial proceedings related to his long-running corruption case. Zuma is accused of multiple counts of fraud, racketeering and money laundering related to a contro-
versial 1999 multi-billion dollar arms deal. The former president was formally charged in April 2018 barely two months after his own party, the ruling African National Congress, forced him to resign office. Even before then, his presidency was dogged by a series of corruption related scandals. Zuma is accused of receiving questionable payments related to the deal but has always affirmed his innocence in the case.
Regulator recommended periodic... From page 14 Subryan’s colon appeared not to have been done properly and he developed sepsis.The family claimed they asked questions and were given different answers at different times.He s u b s e q u e n t l y died.According to the post mortem report, Subryan was found with the chest cavity filled with pus, a clear sign of sepsis.Dr. Mitchell determined that the two
doctors did not do proper post-colonoscopy checks and there were other records that should have been checked in keeping with proper medical procedures. She also found that the two practitioners did not meet the standards of being doctors.The Medical Council head also recommended disciplinary actions against the doctors.It is unclear whether this was done. What is known is that
several families are now coming forward, claiming malpractice at a number of private hospitals.Not only are patients being sent for tests they may not require, but there are claims on unnecessary operations. There are even accusations that two private hospitals are forcing mothers to undergo caesarian operations (csections) in a money-making racket. One c-section can cost $300,000 on average.
More research needed to ensure... From page 7 and work plan of the small companies as it relates to raising financing and attracting more operators. The GGMC Commissioner said, “We have entertained people who did not have an established presence like other majors but, they came and were able to bring the expertise and a solid financing programme to the table. CGX is a typical example of that. When it came, it brought experts who were well known in Calgary; it brought the financier, John Cullen, and was able to say, ‘while we are not a company
that has 40 years experience in the game, we are going to form this consortium which has cumulative experience in drilling, geology, business, geophysics etc.’ and that is one way we have been able to get people to the table in the early stages to explore Guyana’s basin.” Looking to awards made after the 90s, Dennison pointed to the offshore concession that was granted to Ratio Petroleum of Israel and Ratio Energy Limited in Guyana. The Commissioner noted that Ratio was in talks with the Government for the Kaieteur Block licence since
2012.He said, “Their application had been in the pipeline for a long time…They came with their people and put their proposal to us and our team hammered it out to a T. After rigid due diligence, passing our litmus test, we were satisfied that they were legitimate, that they were going to do legitimate work and attract the funding and oil majors to get the job done. And this was way before we even conceived the notion of becoming an oil nation. They were also willing to take the risk, knowing that they could only explore 40 percent of the block.”
Wednesday February 05, 2020
US, Amcham explore energy collaboration
From left to right, Amcham TT directors, Matt Ciesielski and Karrian Hepburn, Amcham CEO Nirad Tewarie, US deputy assistant secretary for oil and gas Shawn Bennett, Amcham TT president Patricia Ghany, Amcham TT director Nicholas Galt, and TSL Group CEO Stuart Franco. NEWSDAY - Shawn Bennett, US deputy assistant energy secretary for oil and natural gas recently met with members of the board of the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham TT) at its office in Newtown, Port of Spain. Amcham TT, in a release, said the meeting focused primarily on the impact of the US becoming a major gas exporter and the structural changes to the industry as a result. Bennet emphasised the US govt.’s interest in collaborating with TT, even as private sectors in both countries compete in the market. He also gave suggestions on how Amcham TT could play a role in exposing independent producers in the US to potential opportuni-
ties in the local onshore oil and gas sector. The US is TT’s largest trading partner, providing 28 per cent of its imports, and accepting 48 per cent of its exports. Amcham TT president Patricia Ghany welcomed the exchange of ideas and business interests with Bennett. “We are grateful to have been paid this special visit by such a high-ranking member of the US Energy Department,” she said. “Our continued engagement with the US remains vital for our longterm growth and development.” she added. At the US Energy Department, Bennett administers oil and gas programmes, including research and development, analysis, and natural gas regulation.
$630M estimated for services required... Operation, serving and monitoring of NDIA mini-excavators, Region 5
Operation, servicing and monitoring of NDIA hydraulic excavators, track- type dozer and motor grader
GECOM, Shuman and our broken... From page 6 to elect some of the small parties to break the winner take all cycle. In a divided country like Guyana, a minority government is forced to cooperate and govern for all. The ability to change the system is in each of our hands through our vote. It is exactly this kind of
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Kaieteur News
disruption that APNU and PPP are fearful of and why a man like Shuman threatens to disrupt their broken game and bring some sanity back to Guyana. We need to look ourselves in the mirror and take stock of ourselves. The change depends on each of us. We can all try to regain our human
dignity and act in the best interests of our nation. We stand on the precipice of great change. Let’s not mess it up like we have so many other times in our history. Let us do it for the sake of our children and grandchildren. Respectfully Yours, Dr. Govind Hind, PhD
Nigeria to receive a further US$308M stolen by ex-President Washington (AFP) - Nigeria is set to receive around $308 million seized from former military dictator Sani Abacha under a deal backed by the United States and the island of Jersey, US prosecutors said Monday. The sum is the latest to be recovered from the accounts of Abacha, an army officer who ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998, aged 54, which sparked an ongoing search for hundreds of millions of dollars he stole and hid abroad. The repatriation of the money from Jersey, in the English Channel off the coast of northern France, follows a 2014 US court ruling authorizing the seizure of $500 million of cash laundered by Abacha in accounts worldwide, the US Department of Justice said in a statement. The $308 million recovered represents “corrupt monies laundered during and after the military regime of General Abacha” together with his son and a number of associates via US financial institutions and the purchase of bonds, the Justice Department said. After several court challenges to the 2014 ruling, the government of Jersey seized the $308 million located on the
island. “General Abacha and his cronies robbed Nigerians of vast public resources and abused the US and international financial systems to launder their criminal proceeds,” Brian Benczkowski, an assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice’s criminal division, said in a statement. “Today’s landmark agreement returns to the people of Nigeria hundreds of millions of the embezzled monies through a lawful process that ensures transparency and accountability.” The agreement includes provisions to ensure “transparency and accountability,” the Justice Department said, and after the US and Jersey transfer the money to Nigeria
it is set to be spent on three major road projects across the country which has long struggled with waste and fraud in infrastructure projects. In April 2018, Nigeria announced that it had received more than $300 million from Switzerland as part of money seized from the family of Abacha.Those funds went to pay part of the bill of a government welfare scheme targeted at the country’s poor. The Justice Department is also seeking to recover other sums linked to Abacha, including $30 million in Britain, $144 million in France and $177 million located in trusts that name Abacha’s associates and relatives as beneficiaries, according to the statement.
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Trial of accused in murder of Jason Cort aborted again Yesterday, Justice Brassington Reynolds aborted the trial of Clifton Gibson, Linton Eastman and Stancey Rodney, who are accused of the June 17, 2015 murder of Rubis accountant Jason Cort. The judge came to this decision after it was reported to him that a relative of one of the murder accused, while in the courtroom, waved to the jury forewoman who she knows.
As a result, the judge conducted an inquiry with the murder accused’s lawyer, after which it was concluded that the trial had to be aborted in the interest of justice. This is the second time in less than a month that Justice Reynolds was forced to abort the men’s trial. The trio was scheduled to go on trial from January 15, after they had each pleaded not guilty to murder indictments.
However, the trial was aborted. In the words of Justice Reynolds, there was an “unfortunate development.” According to the judge, it was reported to him that a witness overheard a conversation at the courthouse on January 13. The Judge said that the nature of the conversation, which he did not disclose, could result in the trial having a prejudicial outcome. Further to that, he said
that there is the likelihood of a bias, and as a judge of the law, he has to ensure fairness to sides, the prosecution and defence. Following an inquiry, the judge said that the interest of justice demands that that course be taken—the trial being aborted. In the meantime, the three murder accused were remanded to prison. It is unclear when they will be brought to court again. Cort, a 27-year-old accounts executive, was gunned down in front of his 262 Jamoon Drive, Meadowbrook Gardens, Georgetown home by guntoting bandits, shortly after he had arrived home with his fiancée. He was shot to the chest and died subsequently at Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital.It was reported that the bandits took Cort’s licenced firearm, cell phone, gold band, chain and ring and an X Box console. According to reports, Cort and his fiancée had just come from a Kingston location, and were preparing to head to another venue on the East Bank of Demerara, when the attack occurred.It was on February 21, 2017, that the three murder accused were committed to stand trial for the offence following a preliminary in-
quiry before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman. The Magistrate had ruled that there was sufficient evidence against the three men for a trial. When called on to lead a
defence, Rodney and Gibson remained silent, Eastman, on the other hand, testified that he was beaten by police ranks to give a caution statement.
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Wednesday February 05, 2020
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No Coronavirus detected in Guyana - Health Ministry assures No suspected, probable or confirmed case of the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has been detected in Guyana. The novel Coronavirus has been detected in two other countries – the United States and Canada in the Region of the Americas, but no case has been detected in the Caribbean-Sub Region of the Americas. “Let me assure the Guyanese public that all efforts to maintain vigilance and monitoring of the virus are in place,” Volda Lawrence, Minister of Public Health (MoPH) said yesterday. “We have put several measures in place and have increased surveillance at the country’s ports of entry with strengthened specialised training in all categories of workers,” she said. The Coronavirus outbreak started in city of Wuhan
in Hubei Providence, China in December 2019. The source of the virus has not been confirmed. There is a worldwide effort by scientists to develop a vaccine. “While this virus started off in China, as a Region we are flagging all high-risk countries,” Lawrence said. She further indicated that the situation here is being addressed at an Inter-Ministerial level with her Ministry being the focal point. Port health authorities at the main official points of entry have commenced screening of all travellers from highrisk countries who will be monitored for 14 days by the MOPH officials as stipulated by the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO). Among the menu of measures put in place by the Ministry officials is to conduct
follow-up assessments via telephone calls and through daily visits over a two-week period to all persons who travelled from China to Guyana over the last month. This is to necessitate checks on their state of health. The Ministry also advised Guyanese to “avoid travelling to high-risk countries and maintain established handwashing and hand-hygiene measures and to report to the nearest health facility should you experience any respiratory (BREATHING) problems”. The Ministry is also appealing to Guyanese and other nationals here to stay
informed and seek information from reliable and reputable sources such as the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA); the hemispheric Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), and the global World Health Organisation (WHO). Minister Lawrence is cautioning the nation not to fall victims of questionable or unverified information, but rather, to contact the Ministry on telephone numbers: 226-1224, 226-7457 or the Ministry’s Hotline: 223–7139/ 9. For further information persons can also visit the Ministry’s website:
Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence
www.health.gov.gy; its Facebook page @Ministry of Public Health-Guyana; on
twitter @Ministryofpubl1 and on Instagram @moph_guyana.
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Wednesday February 05, 2020
Greek PM to meet UEFA, FIFA officials in bid to end turmoil ATHENS (Reuters) Greece’s prime minister will meet the head of UEFA, government officials said yesterday, in a bid to undertake a complete overhaul of Greek soccer which has been mired in corruption and violence for decades. Amid dwindling attendances and the damaging effects of a debt crisis, Greek soccer has been in turmoil despite government assurances that issues would be tackled, with top teams relegated due to financial problems and frequent closed-door matches because of crowd violence.
The meeting in Athens between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Aleksander Ceferin, the president of European soccer’s ruling body, comes after parliament passed legislation last week easing sanctions on soccer clubs whose bosses own shares in multiple teams. “It is a positive first step that the President of UEFA Ceferin has accepted the prime minister’s invitation and will visit Athens in the coming period,” government spokesman Stelios Petsas said. The amendment passed by parliament was met with protests and rejected by
Greece’s Kostas Mitroglou (11) celebrates his goal during an International Friendly at Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands between the Netherlands and Greece. (REUTERS/Michael Kooren) opposition lawmakers and some ruling party members,
Wednesday February 05, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Take charge of your overall health today, Aries. You’ll likely wake up feeling energetic and well. Seize this opportunity to be active in doing things that will help continue your good feelings. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) If there's something crafty or artsy you've had your eye on and would really like to get but can't afford, Taurus, consider making it. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) It's the perfect day to get up and head outside, Gemini. You’ll likely find yourself feeling positive and energetic, and some fresh air, sunshine, and physical activity may be long overdue. CANCER(June21–July22) It won't be surprising if you find yourself getting frustrated with a close friend or partner today who is far less ambitious than you, Cancer. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) See about using your good relationships with friends and loved ones today to get some group activities going, Leo. Chances are you'll feel pretty good and the idea of socializing will appeal to you. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) If you're lacking a regular exercise routine, Virgo, today's a great day to turn that around. Exercise doesn't have to wear you out or hurt. Even relaxing activities like walking or yoga are excellent ways to keep you in good shape.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Put your ambition into action today. The day's planetary aspects should find you feeling energetic and positive. Make the most of this by taking steps toward your goals. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Don't hesitate when it comes to taking on a project or making plans today, Scorpio. Extra energy will complement your organizational skills, making the perfect combination to handle almost anything. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today should go well for you. Expect to feel a renewed energy and perspective on things, especially those that are work related. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Today you may notice that you're feeling very creative and ambitious. You might want to use these strengths to work directly on an artistic project. Or you may choose to channel that energy into activities like organizing your home or workspace. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Don't be surprised if you wake up feeling super today. Chances are good that you'll feel a renewed physical strength with energy to spare. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) The effect from the planetary aspects will bring an end to any lethargy you've been feeling, Pisces. It's an excellent day to get up and head into the open to do something active.
prompting Mitsotakis to expel from his party European Parliament deputy Theodoros Zagorakis, a former captain of Greece’s national team. Mitsotakis also plans to meet Gianni Infantino, the president of world soccer’s governing body FIFA, this month, a government official said. Mitsotakis, who came to power in July, wants to show that his conservative government is determined to introduce reforms in the way soccer is organised in Greece. State Minister George Gerapetritis met Ceferin and other officials in Geneva this week to discuss ways to crack down on match-fixing and soccer violence, Petsas said. Greece were crowned European champions in 2004 and qualified for the World Cup finals in 1994, 2010 and 2014.
Dazzling De Kock helps... From page 36 addition of another 57 runs as their top-order crumbled. Jason Roy (32) looked in good touch before he picked out to Hendricks at long-off from the bowling of spinner Jon-Jon Smuts, and Jonny Bairstow (19) fell to Andile Phehlukwayo. Root (17) was brilliantly run-out by sharp work from Rassie van der Dussen at backward square-leg, and when captain Eoin Morgan (11) was caught by Bavuma at slip from leg-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (3-38), the home side were on top. Shamzi also picked up the wickets of debutant Tom Banton (18) and Sam Curran (7) to leave England reeling, but Denley and Woakes (40) put on 91 for the seventh wicket to help the visitors post a sizeable total for the home side to chase. Scores: South Africa 259 for 3 (de Kock 107, Bavuma 98) bt England 258 for 8 (Denly 87, Woakes 40, Shamsi 3-38) by seven wickets.
Honda reveals 2020 MotoGP livery with Marquez brothers Autosport - The Repsol Honda team has unveiled the 2020 livery for its MotoGP bike, which will be campaigned by brothers Marc and Alex Marquez. In a season launch presentation taking place in Indonesian capital Jakarta where title sponsor Repsol is based, the Honda factory team showed off a pair of bikes sporting a largely identical colour scheme to its predecessors. The 2020 livery, made up of the familiar red, orange and white colours of Repsol Honda and branding for major sponsor Red Bull, features no obvious major differences from the 2019 specification, while the aero devices on the fairing of the new RC213V likewise appear very similar. Alex Marquez steps up to the premier class after having won the 2019 Moto2 title, with Honda picking him as a late replacement for the retiring Jorge Lorenzo, who chose not to see out his two-year deal with the outfit. “I’m really excited and really happy to be here in this team presentation,” the younger Marquez said. “Coming form Moto2 to be in this Repsol Honda team is a
pleasure for me, I will try my best.” While Alex Marquez has already been riding the bike in the official Sepang shakedown due to his rookie status, his brother Marc has spent the winter recovering from a shoulder operation. Last week, the elder Marquez rode a bike a Honda NSF250 Moto3 - for the first time since his surgery, but he does not expect to be at more than 70 percent fitness for the Sepang pre-season test on February 7-9. “Of course the 2020 season will be hard, like every season,” Marc Marquez said. “Our competitors will try to improve and to beat us, but we’re working very hard with all the Honda HRC staff, to try to fight again for another world championship. “This is the main target, 2019 season was very good, and we will try to improve our performance for 2020, to arrive to the last races fighting for the title.” Honda had completed a clean sweep of MotoGP titles in 2019, winning the riders’ crown with Marquez, the teams’ title with the works Repsol-backed outfit, and the manufacturers’ title.
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NBA roundup: Heat’s Butler hangs 38 on Sixers Five-time All-Star Jimmy Butler — playing against the team that traded him last year — scored a season-high 38 points in just 29 minutes to lead the host Miami Heat past the Philadelphia 76ers 137106 on Monday night. It was the secondhighest-scoring regulation game in Heat history. Miami shot 56.5 percent from the floor, including 16 of 32 on 3point attempts. Goran Dragic added 24 points and six assists, and Bam Adebayo had 18 points, a game-high 11 assists and eight rebounds for Miami. Heat starting power forward Meyers Leonard (sprained left ankle) and backup shooting guard Tyler Herro (right foot) left with injuries and did not return. The 76ers were led by Joel Embiid, who had 29 points and 12 rebounds. F e l l o w A l l - St a r B e n Simmons added 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Mike Scott added 17 points off the bench, but Philadelphia fell for the 10th time in its past 12 road games. Los Angeles Clippers 108 San Antonio Spurs 105 Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points and Paul George had 19, leading Los Angeles to a come-from-behind win over visiting San Antonio. Leonard, who also had seven assists and six
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) shoots over Philadelphia 76ers forward Al Horford (42) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. (Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports) rebounds, had scored at least 30 points in each of his previous nine contests. George finished with game highs in rebounds (12) and assists (eight). LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 27 points and nine rebounds while DeMar DeRozan had 26 points. Patty Mills had 18 points off the bench, and Trey Lyles scored 10 for San Antonio, which led by 15 points in the second
Intensity key for.... From page 35 the remaining games to surrender the series 2-1. The Windies also pushed India in the T20 series, winning the second game in Thiruvananthapuram but losing the series also by a 2-1 margin. “I think the important thing in this series is for us to adjust quickly to the conditions that’s why we are going there a few days early,” Simmons said. “How we played in Lucknow against Afghanistan – that’s the sort of wicket we’ll be getting there [in Sri Lanka] and we have to play in the same way, we have to train in the same way, we need to prepare [in the same way] and [have] the same attitude we went there (India) with. “It was the same way we played against India and I think if we can get that attitude right, we can come out of this series on top.” West Indies selectors on Monday announced a 15man squad for the ODI phase of the series, with left-handed strokemakers Shimron Hetmyer and Evin
Lewis left out on fitness grounds. The side will be led by allrounder Kieron Pollard and sees the recall of experienced left-hander Darren Bravo, allrounder Rovman Powell and fit again left-arm spinner Fabian Allen. Chief selector Roger Harper said he expected the side would use the recent gains made to carve out positive results against Sri Lanka. “I look forward to the team building on its recent performances against Afghanistan and India in the subcontinent and against Ireland at home – playing consistent, smart cricket to win the series,” Harper said. “Sri Lanka are a very good team in their own conditions. I do not expect it to be easy but our team has shown that it is very capable. These are the series we will have to win in order to move up the rankings.” West Indies have never won an ODI series in Sri Lanka and suffered a 3-0 whitewash on their last tour there four years ago.
quarter. Sacramento Kings 113 - Minnesota Timberwolves 109 De’Aaron Fox scored 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting to help Sacramento post a victory over visiting Minnesota. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 23 points and Buddy Hield tallied 16 off the bench for the Kings. Harrison Barnes had 14 points and seven assists, and Nemanja Bjelica scored 12 points for Sacramento, which never trailed while winning for the fourth time in the past six games.
Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Timberwolves. Minnesota’s Shabazz Napier had 17 points and seven assists, and Robert Covington scored 15 points. Dallas Mavericks 112 Indiana Pacers 103 Kristaps Porzingis recorded season highs in both points (38) and 3pointers (six) as Dallas posted a victory over Indiana in Indianapolis. Porzingis added 12 rebounds and sank all 12 freethrow attempts en route to surpassing his previous season-high point total of 35.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had 25 points and Dorian Finney-Smith added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks, who improved to 17-7 on the road. Domantas Sabonis collected 26 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for the Pacers, who have dropped three of their past four games on the heels of winning seven of their previous eight. Orlando Magic 112 Charlotte Hornets 100 Nikola Vucevic scored 22 points as Orlando snapped a five-game losing streak by defeating host Charlotte. The Hornets were the last team that Orlando had beaten, on Jan. 20 in Charlotte. Evan Fournier racked up 17 points while Aaron Gordon had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Magic, which shot 53.8 percent from the field. Orlando had assists on 35 of 43 baskets, helping the team reach the 100-point mark for the first time in five games. Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 18 points. Cody Zeller had 17 points, Miles Bridges scored 16 and Devonte’ Graham had 15. New York Knicks 139 Cleveland Cavaliers 134 (OT) Marcus Morris Sr. came up big down the stretch when he scored 16 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as visiting New York overcame a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to outlast Cleveland. Elfrid Payton (17 points, 15 assists, 11 rebounds) had the first triple-double of the season for the Knicks, who have won two straight — just
their third winning streak of the season. Julius Randle scored 20 points while Dennis Smith Jr. (15 points), Bobby Portis (12) and Kevin Knox II (12) each got into double digits off the bench. Kevin Love scored a season-high 33 points for the Cavaliers, who have lost 11 of their past 12 overall. Collin Sexton scored 29 points while Larry Nance Jr. had 18 and Cedi Osman 15. Darius Garland added 14 points and reserve Kevin Porter Jr. had 12. Golden State Warriors 125 - Washington Wizards 117 Alec Burks scored a team-high 30 points, including a key layup that stalled a Washington rally with 4:05 to play, as Golden State held off the host Wi z a r d s f o r a s e c o n d straight win. Glenn Robinson had 22 points and Baltimore native Damion Lee had 19 as the Warriors followed up on a win at Cleveland with another high-scoring performance, this one without D’Angelo Russell, who sustained a right quad injury in the victory over the Cavaliers. Bradley Beal continued his recent surge with a gamehigh 43 points for Washington, who had won two straight to begin a fourgame homestand. In other scores: Boston Celtics 123 Atlanta Hawks 115 Memphis Grizzlies 96 Detroit Pistons 82 Brooklyn Nets 119 Phoenix Suns 97 (Field Level Media)
FIFA Disciplinary Committee sanctions four players for involvement in Match Manipulation - GFF issues reminder to local stakeholders in issue The President and Executive Committee of the GFF wishes to remind all players and officials of their Constitutional obligation to adhere to article 13n of the GFF Constitution by reporting any information that comes to their attention regarding corrupt match practices. All categories of the GFF Membership are obligated to adhere to the Constitution of the Guyana Football Federation. This reminder is being issued against the ruling of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee against four African players found guilty of match manipulation. The GFF wishes to assure the fans and general public that all measures will be taken to protect the integrity of the
Sport. A FIFA news release read as follows: “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has found several players guilty of having been involved in match manipulation in violation of art. 69 par. 1 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (2017 ed.) (unlawfully influencing match results). “In particular, given his central role in the conspiracy, the player George Mandela, Uganda, has been banned from taking part in any kind
of football-related activity at national and international level (administrative, sports or any other) for life. Moreover, the following individuals from Kenya have been banned from taking part in any kind of football related activity at national and international level (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of four (4) years. Mr. Moses Chikati, Mr. Festus Okiring and Mr. Festo Omukoto. The formal disciplinary proceedings against the aforementioned individuals stemmed from an investigation into various matches from the Kenyan Premier League in 2019. This investigation was conducted by FIFA through its Integrity Department with the consent of and in cooperation with the
relevant stakeholders and authorities. The findings of the relevant decisions were notified to the concerned individuals today, the date on which the relevant bans come into force. The grounds of the decisions, if requested, will be published on legal.fifa.com in accordance with art. 51 par. 7 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.”
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Asian Champions League fixtures put back by coronavirus HONG KONG (Reuters) Chinese clubs have had their matches in the Asian Champions League postponed until April due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said after an emergency meeting yesterday. Twice champions Guangzhou Evergrande along with Shanghai Shenhua, Shanghai SIPG and Beijing FC were due to begin their campaigns when the group phase of Asia’s most prestigious club competition kicks off next week. Guangzhou and the two Shanghai clubs will now begin their involvement in the continental competition in April, with their group matches due to be played by the end of May. Beijing’s meeting with Thailand’s Chiangrai United will go ahead as originally planned on Feb. 18 because the Chinese club were
A man who arrived from Hubei province talks with police at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China, February 4, 2020. (REUTERS/Thomas Peter) preparing for the new season camp in South Korea. “We came together in
difficult circumstances to find solutions to allow us to play football while ensuring we
protect the safety and security of all players, officials, stakeholders and
fans,” AFC general secretary Windsor John said in a statement. “We also accept that this coronavirus is a much bigger issue than just football, and we wish all those who have been affected a speedy return to health.” More than 425 people have died and thousands have been infected with the coronavirus, which broke out in the central city of Wuhan, leading to a growing number of countries imposing bans on travellers arriving from China. The AFC last month rescheduled Champions League matches involving Chinese clubs, changing games slated to be played in China in the first half of the group phase to away fixtures. However, an Australian government ban on all arrivals from China, which only allows citizens, residents and their immediate family members to enter the country,
complicated matters. As a result, Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai SIPG, who were due to face Perth Glory and Sydney FC in their opening group games next week, canceled plans to travel to Australia and continued their pre-season preparations in Dubai. The outbreak has already had a significant impact on Chinese football and sport more generally. The Chinese Super Cup and the start of the Chinese Super League were both p o s t p o n e d i n d e f i n i t e l y, while the hosting of the qualifying tournament for the women’s competition at the Olympic Games in Tokyo later this year was shifted to Australia. In 2003 during the outbreak of the SARS virus in China, the Asian Champions League semi-final second leg involving Dalian Shide had to be postponed for four months.
2020 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship
Guyana among 20 Concacaf MAs whose Provisional Rosters announced
Guyana’s Under-20 Lady Jags pose for a group pic after downing Bermuda last July at the Leonora Track and Field Facility. Miami, FL – Concacaf revealed the preliminary player rosters submitted by the 20 participating Member Associations for the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, scheduled for Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from the February 22 to March 8, 2020. In accordance with the competition regulations, the submitted rosters will serve as the basis for the final 20-player lists for each team. The final 20-player rosters will be revealed by Concacaf a week prior to the start of the competition.
After the official announcement, only injury-related changes will be allowed, up until 24 hours before each team’s first match and any injury replacements must come from the preliminary player roster. The provisional rosters have been selected and submitted by each Participating Member Associations and are published as such. In order to be eligible to play in the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship all players are subject to and must fully comply with the criteria stipulated in the applicable FIFA player eligibility regulations.
The 2020 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship will kick off with an initial group stage between 16 teams. After round-robin play, the top three teams in each of the groups will advance to the knockout stage, joining the four qualifiers winners - Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Grenada. All knockout round matches (round of 16, quarterfinal, semifinal and final) will be played in a single match elimination format, with the finalist and the third-place match winner qualifying to the FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup 2020.
Guyana’s preliminary player roster: Position First name Common name Date of birth Midfielder Horicia Adams 04.09.2001 Forward Shanice Alferd 29.08.2001 Forward Alleia Alleyne 28.06.2003 Midfielder Samantha Banfield 17.02.2004 Midfielder Jaida Brooks 19.07.2004 Goalkeeper Deekola Chester 04.04.2003 Forward Shamya Daniels 8.08.2004 Defender Hailey David 15.03.2002 Midfielder Tori Denobrega 09.05.2002 Midfielder Brianne Desa 06.07.2000 Midfielder Ashaya Doobay 03.08.2003 Goalkeeper Raven Edwards-Doedall 14.05.2000 Defender Shontel Greene 09.03.2001 Defender Hasha Holder 12.11.2003 Defender Anaya Johnson 01.01.2003 Defender Kiana Khedoo 16.12.2002 Midfielder Jenea Knight 25.05.2003 Midfielder Stefani Kouzas 10.01.2002 Midfielder Serena McDonald 01.08.2002 Defender Jessica Myers 04.09.2002 Forward Aubrey Narine 24.05.2002 Goalkeeper Anessa O’Brien 27.04.2002 Goalkeeper Sonaya O’Neil 06.08.2003 Midfielder Nyla Oppenheimer 19.07.2002 Defender Sydney Puddicombe 02.01.2002 Midfielder Nailah Rowe 10.09.2001 Forward Makalya Rudder 01.07.2001 Rory Scott 26.02.2003 Defender Midfielder Tiandi Smith 24.11.2001 Midfielder Latesha Sutherland 31.05.2003 Forward Shanic Thornhill 26.11.2003 Defender Rylee Traicoff 09.11.2001 Forward Jalade Trim 27.06.2005 Midfielder Jade Vuyfhuis 27.11.2001 Goalkeeper Taylor White 11.10.2000
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2019 BCB/Let’s Bet Sports 100 balls Lower Corentyne Final
Rose Hall Town Bakewell defeat Albion by 36 runs to clinch title
Man of the Finals Kevin Sinclair receives his award. Rose Hall Town Bakewell overcame their nine-wicket defeat by Albion in the Raffik Construction 100 balls tournament to turn the table and lift the BCB/ Let’s Bet Sports 100 balls Lower Corentyne cricket final. They defeated their arch- rivals Albion by 36 runs at the Albion Ground to clinch their club’s fifth Berbice title this year. Playing at the historic venue, Rose Hall Town, batting first, were given a flying start by openers Kevin Sinclair and Junior Sinclair. The opening pair added 83 in nine overs as they took the attack to the Albion all spin attack. Junior Sinclair was the first to be dismissed when he was caught off the bowling of Sharaz Ramcharran for 29 from 25 balls, which included two boundaries. Keith Simpson was then caught off Joshua Harrichand for 04 at 92 for 2, Former national
2019 BCB/ Raffik Construction 100 balls cricket
The winning RHT Bakewell Team. junior batsman Brandon Prashad made 12, Ravi Narine 08, Sylus Tyndall 04 and Surendra Kissoonlall 01 as the visitors ended their innings on 145 for 6 of their allotted 100 balls. Kevin Sinclair carried his bat for a well-played and matured 82 not out. Sinclair innings included 7 boundaries, a six and came off 47 balls. Bowling for Albion, Ramcharran took a wicket apiece for 24 and 19 respectively. Needing to score 146 from 100 balls to become the
Lower Corentyne Let’s Bet Sports 100 balls title, openers Ritesh Umroa and Adrian Sukhwa added 25 in four overs before Kevin Sinclair, who would be debarred at the end of the 2019 tournament, rocked back the stumps of Umroa for 16. The inform Sharaz Ramcharran joined Sukhwa at the crease but was then beaten four balls in a row by the pacy Sylus Tyndall before he was caught by Ravi Narine off Tyndall for 04 at 30 for 2 in the fifth over. Ramesh Kasinauth was dismissed at 47 for 3 in the 9th over but
Manoj Poornauth and the ultra-aggressive Sukhwa brought Albion in the game by adding 45 for the fourth wicket before the former was run out for 15. Kevin Umroa was then run out for nought as Albion’s chase faltered. The big blow for the Albion team came when Sukhwa was caught off left arm spinner Ravi Narine for 46 off 32 balls. Sukhwa struck two fours and two huge sixes. Narine ended with 2 for 12, while Tyndall, Kevin Sinclair and Junior Sinclair took one wicket a piece for 12, 18 and
play each other in the overall Berbice championship on a date to be announced. BCB/ Secretary Angela Haniff expressed gratitude to the Guyana Lottery Company for their support of Berbice Cricket. Mr. Ian De Barros of Let’s Bet Sports stated that his company was pleased to be associated with Berbice Cricket and indicated that the success of the 2019 tournament would result in a renewal in 2020. Both the winner and runner up team received financial prizes and trophies.
Albion beat RHT Bakewell to claim title
Sharaz Ramcharran receives winning trophy and prize from Mr. Omarnauth Outar of the BCB Selection Committee. Albion lifted the 2019 Berbice Cricket Board/ Raffik Construction 100 balls tournament by easily defeating Rose Hall Town Bakewell by nine wickets. Playing at the Port Mourant Ground infront of a fair size crowd, Albion won their second title in 2020 after two days earlier winning the BCB/
29 respectively. Kevin Sinclair was named Man of the Final. Chairman of the BCB Competition Committee Leslie Solomon hailed the tournament as a massive success and noted that it was the completion of the four sub-zone tournaments. D’ Edwards won the West Berbice Zone, Rose Hall Canje emerged winner of New Amsterdam/ Canje, Rose Hall Town Bakewell won the Lower Corentyne Zone, while Dukestown took home the Upper Corentyne title. The four champions would now
Ramnaresh Sarwan Under-17 title at the Area H Ground by 42 runs. Rose Hall Town won the toss and elected to bat first. Openers Junior Sinclair and Surendra Kissoonlall added 32 for the first wicket in six overs before Kissoonlall was LBW to Leon Cecil for 13. Rose Hall Town batting then
The Winning Albion Team. collapsed to a disappointing 74 all out from 97 balls. Sinclair top scored with 29 runs from 28 balls before he was caught off Sharaz Ramcharran to start a slide with four batsmen being run out - Jonathan Rampersaud 08, Chanderpaul Govindhan (00), Kevin Sewraj 03 and Erva
Giddings (00). Bowling for Albion, Kevin Umroa took 3 for 19, while Leon Cecil, Ramcharran and Sarwan Chaitnarine took a wicket a piece for 13, 9 and 12 respectively. Needing to score 75 from 100 balls to lift the title for the first time, Albion raced to 23
without loss in 2.3 overs. Jetendra Outar was run out for 06 via a brilliant throw by Jeremy Sandia. Adrian Sukhwa and Sharaz Ramcharran then added 55 runs in seven overs to take Albion home. Sukhwa was unbeaten on 45 (4 sixes, two boundaries), while Sukhwa
was named Man of the Final. BCB President Hilbert Foster congratulated Albion on winning the title and expressed thanks to Mr. Mohammed Raffik for his support of Berbice Cricket. Albion and Rose Hall Town both received trophies and a cash prize.
Wednesday February 05, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Yashasvi Jaiswal century leads India to third straight Under-19 World Cup final ESPNcricinfo - Having been deflated with a collapse of 6 for 26, Pakistan Under-19 could pose no challenge to the India Under-19 opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Divyaansh Saxena, who shared an unbeaten stand of 176 to lead the defending champions to a thumping ten-wicket win in the first semi-final of the Under-19 World Cup in Potchefstroom. India’s victory took them to their third straight final and closer to a fifth Under-19 World Cup title; they will play the winner of New Zealand and Bangladesh in the final on February 9. Jaiswal reached his first hundred in the tournament with a six to seal India’s win while Saxena remained unbeaten on 59. Pakistan, who opted to bat, seemed on course for a respectable total as their opener Haider Ali and captain Rohail Nazir put on a halfcentury stand for the third wicket. The duo helped Pakistan recover from 34 for 2 in the ninth over, but Haider fell soon after reaching his fifty while trying to cut parttimer Jaiswal. At 96 for 3 in the 26th over, Haider’s wicket pegged Pakistan’s progress significantly, as Nazir saw four more wickets fall in front of him. India’s two quicks Sushant Mishra and Kartik Tyagi did most of the damage - sharing five wickets between them - while legspinner Ravi Bishnoi finished with two from his 10 overs. Pakistan’s collapse began in the 35th over, with the score
at 146 for 4, and it took a spectacular effort from Saxena at deep square to trigger the slide. Mohammad Haris’ shot off left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar seemed destined for a one-bounce four, but Saxena ran across and dived full length to complete the catch just inches from the ground. That effort pushed the other India players to raise their game, and Tyagi delivered a yorker three overs later to bowl Irfan Khan. Five balls later, Bishnoi trapped Abbas Afridi lbw with a contentious decision as Pakistan slumped to 163 for 7. Nazir was dismissed for 62 three overs later and by the 44th over, they were bowled out for 172. India’s chase of 173 started with caution, with Saxena and Jaiswal scoring at under four per over for more than ten overs. They played out the new ball under overcast conditions with a strong crosswind blowing across the ground, offering no chance for Pakistan to come back into the game via an early wicket. After Jaiswal got his fifty in the 22nd over, he started using his feet against the spinners to hit over long-on or pull the pacers behind square. Saxena, on his part, stroked the ball along the ground for the most of his innings, letting Jaiswal be the aggressor. He reached his fifty in the 30th over by driving to deep cover, the Indian dugout, including head coach Paras Mhambrey, applauding his feat. Saxena hit six fours
Intensity key for Sri Lanka tour: Simmons
Head coach Phil Simmons (centre) wants West Indies to maintain intensity against Sri Lanka. ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Head coach Phil Simmons wants to see West Indies display the same level of intensity on the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, which they used to good effect on the tour of the subcontinent last year. Last November, the Caribbean side swept
Afghanistan 3-0 in a one-day series played in Lucknow, a city in northern India, before losing the subsequent Twenty20 series 2-1. Pitted against India weeks later, West Indies comprehensively beat the powerhouses in the opening ODI in Chennai before losing (Continued on page 32)
while Jaiswal struck eight fours and four sixes, including one that brought up his hundred and India’s victory. After sealing the chase, Jaiswal raised both arms in the air, looked upwards and kissed the chain around his neck. Nazir praised India’s bowlers for their effort but said that Pakistan’s batsmen failed to live up to their potential. “It’s hard, but cricket is all about the game. One team wins, and we didn’t play good
cricket today. India were better in the field and with their bowling. They outclassed us,” Nazir said in the post-match press conference. “When me and Haider were batting, we were going really nice. But after Haider’s wicket, we didn’t build partnerships. “That’s the reason why our batting line-up could not get the big runs. With the batting, our shot selection was poor in the crucial time. Three middle-order wickets fell cheaply in crunch
situations. Because there weren’t enough runs on the board, our bowlers could not penetrate either.” The game had the best attendance of all the matches in the tournament thus far, with Pakistan supporters twice as many as India’s. Chants, both of the friendly and not-so-friendly kind, rang through the JB Marks Oval from both sides, the Pakistani voices diminishing as the game progressed. India have now pulled level with Pakistan as far as the sides’
U-19 World Cup head-to-head record goes. Jaiswal is leading this edition’s runscoring charts, having earned his fourth fifty-plus score in five games. India’s victory was also the first ten-wicket win in the history of U-19 World Cup (non-Plate) knockouts. Scores: India Under19 176 for 0 (Jaiswal 105*, Saxena 59*) beat Pakistan Under-19 172 (Nazir 62, Haider 56, Mishra 3-28, Tyagi 2-32, Bishnoi 2-46) by 10 wickets.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday February 05, 2020
6th Kares Caribbean Fitness Challenge
2018 champion Delice Adonis going after her 2nd title this Sunday By Franklin Wilson Come Sunday February 9th, 2020, Crossfit 592 athlete, Delice Adon i s , w h o h a s finished on the podium ever since her debut in the sport of Crossfit, will be going for her second title at the 6th Kares Crossfit and Lotus Hardware Caribbean F i t n ess Challenge comes off at the National Park Tarmac. One of Guyana’s most decorated females in the sport which is relatively new to Guyana; Adonis also has the distinction of representing
the Golden Arrowhead at the Reebok CrossFit Games, the world’s premier event which she has again qualified for this year having made her debut last year. In 2017 Adonis was 2nd, one year later she copped the first place, while last year she had to settle for the 3rd place but this year, the modest Adonis has eyes set on the top podium position, once again. The 22 year-old disclosed that a few weeks ago she picked up an injury which has curtailed her training
schedule somewhat: “Training has been slow due to an injury sustained a few weeks ago but obviously, the intention every time I compete is to make it on to the podium and that still remains the same goal this year.” The 2019 winner, Suriname’s Ava Zalman will not be here to defend her title so the battle to this spot will be amongst Adonis and nine (9) other females (including other Surinamese) who will all be hoping to gain the upper hand after event one which is
set for Sunday morning from 06:30hrs at the National Park, registration commencing at 06:00hrs. With a time cap of 30minutes, athletes would be involved in a one mile odd object carry (20lbs, 40lbs); 75 overhead squats (55lbs, 75lbs) and cap it off with a one mile run; this event would be only for athletes. Competition will continue from 13:00hrs where spectators are expected to be out in their numbers to absorb the action and cheer the athletes on.
Delice Adonis being urged on by reigning Kares Caribbean Fitness Challenge male champion, Dillon Mahadeo at the 2019 competition.
Dazzling De Kock helps South Africa ease to victory against England CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Captain Quinton de Kock smashed a sparkling century as South Africa eased to a seven-wicket victory against world champions England in the opening OneDay International at Newlands yesterday. After being put into bat, England overcome a toporder wobble to post 258 for eight in their 50 overs, helped by a well-constructed 87 from Joe Denley in the side’s first ODI outing since lifting the World Cup at Lord’s last July. But De Kock (107) and Temba Bavuma (98) put on 173 for the second wicket as South Africa reached 259 for three to secure victory with 14 balls to spare. The second ODI will be played in Durban on Friday, with the three-match series ending in Johannesburg on Sunday. England fielded just five players who featured in last year’s World Cup final having rested Ben Stokes
and Jos Buttler for this series, with seamer Chris Woakes the only survivor from the bowling attack. South Africa lost Reeza Hendricks for six early in their chase, caught by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow off Woakes. But De Kock and Bavuma played risk-free cricket, rotating the strike superbly, while hitting boundaries when presented with the opportunity to do so. De Kock reached his 15th ODI century in 106 balls before he was bowled by the part-time spin of Joe Root. Bavuma, playing in only his third ODI, was trapped leg before wicket by Chris Jordan just two runs short of what would have been a deserved maiden ton, but played a crucial role in sealing the win. England started their innings brightly, reaching 51 without loss in the 10th over, but lost five wickets for the (Continued on page 31)
Wednesday February 05, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Murray & Bushell capture second Trophy Stall doubles title at Le Resouvenir Court - Despite spirited challenge from ‘Squash pair’ Fernandes and Jeffery Watched by a large and raucous crowd, the multitalented Nicolette Fernandes and Kristian Jeffrey, her partner on the squash court, lost a gruelling encounter against Ronald Murray and Fiona Bushell in the Trophy Stall Mixed Doubles tennis final on Sunday afternoon at the Le Resouvenir Tennis Court on the East Coast of Demerara. The Squash champions and former Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year, Fernandes, (who also plays Hockey) and Jeffery, a top motor racer, threw everything they had at their skilful opponents but the squash champions failed to negotiate the big serving and superior net play of their opponents. Murray in particular, with his heavy spin serves was more than a handful for the Tennis debutants and they won the first set 6-3 as they effectively countered the heavy slice and retrieval game of their ‘squash’ opponents. The experienced tennis pair maintained their intensity and easily won the second set 6-1 despite some entertaining play from the extremely fit Fernandes in particular, who had energy to spare despite the sweltering heat. This was Murray’s second title in two days after he had emerged victorious in the
Kristian Jeffrey & Nicolette Fernandes. Men’s Over-35 Doubles category with Leyland Leacock. The pair overcame a spirited effort from former winners Sandeep Chand/ Andre Lopes as each player held serve in the first set up to 5 all before a single service break determined the outcome at 7-5. Good serving and volleying by Murray and Leacock helped the pair secure the title with a 6-2 scoreline as their opponents also had problems with their big serves. Both teams had previously scored two wins each in the round robin format for the Over-35 category. In third place was Vladimir
Permyakov / Navinith Hedge who turned back the challenge of Steve David Lange/ Rafael Nunez in a competitive match 6-4 7-5. In the other matches played over the weekend, Andre Lopes and Sandeep Chand booked a spot in the Men’s Doubles final overcoming Javed Khan and Kevin Mattai 6-1 6-2, while in the other semi-final Leyland Leacock and top junior Jordan Beaton overcome the talented pair of 16-year-olds Joshua Kalekeyzi and Viraj Sharma. However, despite some excellent points by the youngsters, they were not able to put together good
From left - Sandeep Khan and Andre Lopes beat Devon Gonsalves and Aubrey Younge in the Men’s doubles. games and lost 6-2 6-1. Kalekeyzi and Sharma had earlier defeated David Lange and Rafael Nunez 6-3 6-3 in their quarter finals match, whilst Khan and Mattai defeated the father and son pair of Surendra and Adesh Khayyam. The Men’s Doubles finals will be played at the Le Resouvenir Tennis Courts from 7:00 PM today and will feature Leyland Leacock and Jordan Beaton facing off with
Andre Lopes and Sandeep Chand. Results Men’s Doubles Joshua Kalekyezi /Viraj Sharma def Steve David Lange / Rafael Nunez 6-3 6-3. Men’s Doubles Javed Khan/ Kevin Mattai def Surendra Khayyam /Adesh Khayyam 6-1 6-1 Over 35 Men’s Doubles Leyland Leacock / Ronald Murray def Andre Lopes /
Sandeep Chand 7-5 6-2. Over 35 Men’s Doubles Vladimir Permyakov / Navinith Hedge def Steve David Longe / Rafeal Nunez 6-4 7-5. Mixed Doubles Finals Ronald Murray/ Fiona Bushell def Kristian Jeffrey/ Nicolette Fernandes 6-3 6-1. Men’s Doubles SemiFinals Leyland Leacock/ Jordan Beaton def J o s h u a . K a l e l y e z i / Vi r a j . Sharma 6-2 6-1. (Sean Devers)
Way back for Hetmyer, Lewis as Grave underscores fitness standards
Shimron Hetmyer … has been a fixture in the Test squad.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Lefthanders Shimron Hetmyer and Evin Lewis could find themselves in with a chance of redemption shortly, after failed fitness assessments ruled them out of this month’s one-day tour of Sri Lanka. Cricket West Indies chief executive, Johnny Grave, revealed Monday that fitness assessments were conducted on a biannual basis with the next one scheduled for June, but players who failed assessments could also be reappraised. “In our strength and conditioning policy, they’re tested twice every year. Obviously, players will be retested if they fail,” Grave told the Newsday publication here. “The next testing is due in June. Players have to be at a minimum standard in order to be considered for selection.” In announcing the 15-man squad for the Sri Lanka series on Monday, chief selector Roger Harper said both Hetmyer and Lewis had
“come up short in the fitness test”. He added: “Hetmyer appeared to be getting his act together and was an integral part of the team’s batting group.” If Hetmyer was forced to wait until June for the second fitness assessment, he would almost certainly miss out on West Indies’ three-Test tour of England from June 4-29. The 23-year-old has been a fixture in the Test squad ever since making his debut two-and-a-half years ago, playing 16 matches and hitting five half-centuries. Both he and Lewis featured in the Ireland series last month with contrasting success but then failed fitness tests conducted last week by Windies men’s team strength and conditioning coach, Ronald Rogers and
CWI’s sports science and medicine manager, Dr Oba Gulston. Lewis emerged as Manof-the-Series following the Ireland ODIs but Hetmyer was dropped after failing in the two opening matches in Bridgetown, though he retained his spot for the three T20 Internationals which followed. And with West Indies set to undertake a hectic itinerary this year – including the T20 World Cup in October – both players will be under pressure to prove their fitness under the new minimum requirements. Grave said the fitness assessments were a critical component of the selection process and stressed the importance of players meeting the required standards. “The fitness tests do two
things. One, [it makes] sure that you fit the minimum standards required for selection. The other one [is that] every player has a personal target to hit,” the Englishman explained. “If you miss your personal target, you can be fined two weeks’ wages. So, there are two elements to the fitness tests. “In terms of injuries, players will conduct what is called a return-to-play policy. So, the medical screenings are for players who are carrying injuries [separately].” As such, left-arm spinner Fabian Allen and left-handed batsman Nicholas Pooran – both of whom recovered from recent injuries to be included in the ODI squad to Sri Lanka – did not undergo the recent fitness assessments.
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Wednesday February 05, 2020
Three children receive monetary donation from Edward ‘Screw’ Richmond Foundation
The three children and their parents at the presentation of the monetary donation from the Edward ‘Screw’ Richmond Foundation.
The Edward ‘Screw’ Richmond Foundation, which is based in New York but has chapters in Guyana and Canada, last Saturday showed their appreciation for students who have excelled from Linden at last year’s National Grade Six Assessment Examination when a ceremony was held at the Kingdom Style Restaurant in Amelia’s Ward. The three chosen to receive the cash donation are all twelve year olds attending Queens College, in Georgetown. They are Taniya Spencer of Danjou Alleye, Wismar, Ravi Rayman of 838 Redwood Crescent Mackenzie and Jasmine Simpson who lives at 126 One Mile Wismar. The Coordinator for the local chapter of the Edward ‘Screw’ Richmond Foundation in Linden, Mr. Kevin DeJonge, gave the children and their parents/ guardians a background to
the man who was Linden’s first national player and about his football prowess on the field and his achievements off the field. He told them that even if they were not excelling in the field of sport they can be involved in becoming an administrator or even a physiotherapist. He told them that they should be proud recipients for being awarded the tokens for their excellent performances at the National Grade Six Assessment last year. DeJonge said, “The overseas Chapter congratulates you and urge that this is an opportunity of a life time. All of you attending Queens College and you are representing a rich community
All set for Rising Sun... From page 39 $300,000 and trophy over 1400M. The race for three years old Open Guyana Bred animals will also be contested for a winning purse of $300,000 and trophy over 1100M. The K and lower event will see the animals racing over 1100M for a winner’s take of $200,000 and trophy. The L and lower Open animals will be galloping for a bounty of $150,000 and trophy in an 1100M contest. The L class maiden horses have a winning prize of $125,000 and trophy to aim for as they compete in another 1100M event. Last minute information can be had by contacting Fazal Habibulla on Telephone 657-7010 for any details on the meet. Entries closed on Sunday last. Race time is 13:00hrs.
Wednesday February 05, 2020
Kaieteur News
6th Kares Caribbean Fitness Challenge
Berbice’ Randolph Leitch backing himself to do well on Sunday Despite not being able to put in the work that he would have loved to, given the fact that he has to work, Elite System Gym (Stanleytown, Berbice) athlete, Randolph Leitch is backing himself to be among the best this Sunday when the 6th Kares Crossfit and Lotus Hardware Caribbean Fitness Challenge is held at the National Park Tarmac. Speaking with Kaieteur Sport on his preparations, Leitch was quick to point out that it was challenging but he is persevering. Competing in the sport for two (2) years now, Leitch shared that he is still working on perfecting the gymnastic movements since the required equipment is not available in the Ancient County. “Training for me has been mostly after work in the afternoons and whenever I get the time to come to
Georgetown, I train in Bel Air at Crossfit 592 Gym. I know I have the ability to perform at the same level as the other athletes but my only issue is learning to pace myself.” The increased prize money on offer this year compliments of marquee sponsor, Kares Crossfit and Lotus Hardware is welcome news according to Leitch. “The sport is a wonderful sport, it challenges you to give it your all despite the feeling of wanting to give up sometimes and the increased prize money will definitely encourage more persons to try out the sport. I really welcome the equality in terms of the prize monies for both male and female athletes.” The top five in the male and female categories are set to pocket $500,000, $400,000, $300,000,
Randolph Leitch in action in 2019 at the National Park.
All set for Rising Sun horserace meet on Sunday - Banks DIH Trophy Stall among major sponsors All systems are in place for the Rising Sun Turf Club in collaboration with Banks DIH Limited, Trophy Stall, Jumbo Jet and some other sponsors horserace meet on Sunday at the Rising Sun Turf Club, Arima Park, West Coast Berbice. Six races have been carded for the event and close to $3M in cash,
trophies and other prizes are up for the takings. The Main event will be for animals classified G and lower for a winning take of $400,000 and trophy over 1400M. The other events listed on Sunday are - The event for H3 maiden and lower which has a winning take of (Continued on page 38)
$200,000 and $100,000, respectively. Tickets for the event from 13:00hrs on Sunday are available at KaresCrossfit Queenstown, Genesis Fitness Gym - Durban Street, and Fitness Express - Sheriff Street at $1000 each; children Under 10 would be admitted free of charge. (Franklin Wilson)
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6th Kares Caribbean Fitness Challenge rt o p S Murray & Bushell capture second Trophy Stall doubles title at Le Resouvenir Court - Despite spirited challenge from ‘Squash pair’ Fernandes and Jeffery
Delice Adonis competing at the 5th Kares Caribbean Fitness Challenge.
2018 champion Delice Adonis going after her 2nd title this Sunday Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock were fluent in their partnership © AFP/Getty Images
Dazzling De Kock helps South Africa ease to victory against England
Ronald Murray and Fiona Bushell the Trophy Stall Mixed Doubles Champions.
Yashasvi Jaiswal century leads India to third straight Under-19 World Cup final
Yashasvi Jaiswal drills one through the off side. (Getty Images)
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