Kaieteur News

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AIETEUR Exxon violated p.Thursday Edition Liza One EIA by 2 NEWS producing 130,000 barrels per day - Dr. Vincent Adams February 18, 2021 - Vol. 14 No. 06

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday 105,860

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

Demerara, Corentyne

oil blocks hold potential- report 4.8B barrels Govt. probing reports p.

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Patterson says Opposition

received no ‘invite’ to of persons entering p. p.

Draft Local Content 13 Guyana with fake 3 Policy Consultation COVID-19 test results

Repairs commence on Exxon's defective gas compressor Ex-MP quits Bristow currently sole AFC over ties operator for offshore with APNU helicopter support to p.

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- AFC says “you will have Guyana/Suriname oil sector people coming off” - Poised to see“highest growth rate” this part of the region

The Opposition Leader cannot remain silent!

Several months ago, newly-minted Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Joseph Harmon, indicated to this publication and, by extension, the nation that he would not be saying anything on the Oil Sector at that time because he was waiting on comprehensive and accurate information from overseas.

Weeks later, the same Mr. Harmon said he was still waiting, as he wanted to get the right information and speak authoritatively.

Still later, the same Mr. Harmon said that apparently Kaieteur News knows more about Guyana’s oil than he and his coalition group do. And now, the very same Mr. Harmon is telling Guyanese that he will not be saying anything on this country’s oil. When it comes to the country’s most lucrative resource, the Opposition Leader is strongly not saying much.

To say that we are disappointed at the silence of the Leader of the Opposition is an understatement. As the representative of a

s u b s t a n t i a l constituency, we would have expected Mr. Harmon to have been more strident in his comments on the oil blocks giveaway and on the failure of the government to claw back significant concessions during the Payara negotiations.

The Opposition is beholden to its supporters to adopt a position on these issues.

It has a duty to let the nation know where it stands on the issue of Guyana’s oil wealth. It is obligated to hold the g o v e r n m e n t accountable for its actions.

The failure to speak on such a matter of public importance, unfortunately, may be perceived as a dereliction of its responsibilities.

The Opposition needs to be forthright with its supporters, the nation and with itself.

Its silence is sending a deafening signal, which runs the risk of being perceived as sharing a common understanding with the PPP/C government and the oil companies!

Understanding what qualifies as “local” in the draft Local Content Policy (Pt.1) p.

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“Drill baby drill, pump baby pump, it’s all yours” - our leaders tell Exxon. Tune in @11:00 hrs to 99.1/99.5FM on Kaieteur Radio!

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Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

Exxon violated Liza One EIA by producing 130,000 barrels per day B

y producing 130,000 barrels of oil per day, ExxonMobil Guyana violated the terms set out in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for its Liza Phase One project. This is according to to Dr. Vincent Adams.

According to the EIA, the Liza Destiny FPSO was designed to receive the full production well stream from the development wells and will process crude oil at a design rate of 100,000 barrels of oil per day (BOPD) with potential to

safely operate at sustained peaks of up to approximately 120,000 BOPD. But it was only up until a few weeks ago that Exxon had cut back production to 120,000 BOPD due to another gas compressor malfunction now resulting in 16 to 18 million cubic feet of gas being flared per day.

ExxonMobil's Guyana President, Alistair Routledge, had revealed that detail only after being pressed by the media. The oil giant had claimed that after the gas compressor malfunction, it had reduced

- Dr. Vincent Adams production levels to accommodate flaring above pilot levels – the minimum level of flaring required for a safe operation.

However, no numerical details of what production levels were at that time was provided in that February 5 update. In fact, when asked at the time to provide the figures, ExxonMobil's Government and Public Affairs Advisor, Janelle Persaud, refused to do so.

Details provided to this paper by Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, and Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, indicated that the company had been producing at 120,000 BOPD as late as two days before the operational update was provided.

ExxonMobil had been flaring above pilot for about a week, by then.

This appears consistent with statements made by

Dr. Vincent Adams

Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Hess Corporation, Gregory Hill, during an earnings call last month that ExxonMobil intends to evaluate options to increase the nameplate capacity of the vessel.

Routledge had also stated that ExxonMobil was already conducting higher production tests in January, but sought to note that the equipment failure is not linked to any higher production capacity test that ExxonMobil was doing.

But Dr. Adams, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), did not share the same view.

“Why were they producing at a 130,000 BOPD when the seal went bad this last time,” he asked, adding, “They were producing at 130,000 BOPD when the EIA itself said that they are hanging themselves

on, the EIA said that the safe operating limit was 120,000 BOPD… an important question is whether it had anything to do with the failure of the seal?”

Dr. Adams pointed out too that of equal concern as well is the fact that the company planned to ramp up production despite having issues with the gas compressor on the FPSO. “How high were they going to take this thing? And that 130,000 bpd, it exceeded the safety envelope of course.

And if they have done this in terms of violating this safety envelope, how many other safety provisions are they violating?” he had asked as well.

It is on that premise that t h e f o r m e r E PA h e a d recommended that it was high time for the government to conduct an independent investigation into ExxonMobil's claims.

Possible murder charge for man who forced wife to drink poison

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amesh Nandlall, a 28-year-old fisherman, who is currently on remand for attempting to murder his wife by forcing her to drink poison, could face a possible murder charge. The woman succumbed yesterday.

His wife, Sattie Jagmohan, 27, of lot 24A Cotton Tree Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), Region Five, died around 11:30hrs while receiving treatment at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Nandla l l , s o m e t i m e around 18:00hrs on February 3 last, had allegedly beat Jagmohan and pushed her against a wall in their home. He then

Ramesh Nandlall allegedly placed a cutlass to her neck and ordered her to drink a poisonous substance from a bottle. Jagmohan, (continued on page 13)

Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Demerara, Corentyne oil blocks hold potential 4.8 billion barrels - report T

he joint venture, Frontera Energy Corporation and CGX Energy, on Tuesday announced the results of a completed independent Prospective Resource study of the Corentyne and Demerara blocks. McDaniel & Associates Consultants Limited, an independent external qualified resource evaluator contracted by the venture, identified a combined median estimate of 4.84 billion oil-equivalent barrels in the two blocks.

Most of the prospects (27) were identified in the Corentyne block, which hold a potential 4.3 billion oilequivalent barrels.

The study split the Corentyne acreage into two parts, the North area with a

median estimate of 3.3 billion oil-equivalent barrels, and the Main area with a median estimate of one billion oil-equivalent barrels. The remaining five prospects were indentified in the Demerara block, with a median estimate of 525 million barrels.

The joint venture said its plans are proceeding on the Kawa-1 exploration well in the Corentyne block. “ We l l d e s i g n i s complete, procurement of long lead items is in advanced stages and key technical staff has been recruited.”

The venture is expected

to spud the well in the second half of the year, drilling to water depths of approximately 1,100 feet.

It targets the C a m p a n i a n Santonian-aged stratigraphic trap, which is interpreted to be analogous to the discoveries immediately to the east on Block 58 in Suriname, where several discoveries have been made.

As for the Demerara block, the joint venture is advancing preparatory work, it said, for the Makarapan-1 exploration well, “an Aptian stratigraphic prospect.”

Other prospects are being indentified and matured by the joint venture in the northern portion of the Corentyne block and in the Demerara block.

CGX is the operator of both blocks. Frontera said that it's direct working interest in the two blocks and its CGX share ownership combine to result in a total

consolidated working interest of 82.6 percent in the blocks.

Frontera's Chief Executive Officer, Richard Herbert, said "The independent prospective resource study reaffirms our excitement about the worldclass prospectivity of the Corentyne and Demerara blocks offshore Guyana.

With the support of the Guyanese government in rephasing our exploration plans, we are eagerly progressing our work programmes for Corentyne

and Demerara."

Chairman of the Board of Directors, Gabriel De Alba, said “We thank the Government of Guyana for its continued support and partnership, which are essential to the long-term success of this strategic initiative for the benefit of all stakeholders.

As confirmed by the independent resource evaluation commissioned, the Guyana basin offers the Joint Venture access to a leading offshore oil opportunity.

We expect a robust Guyana work programme with the advancement of our exploration wells, as we continue executing on our plan to realize this value for our shareholders.”

Govt. probing reports of persons entering Guyana with fake COVID-19 test results T

he government is c u r r e n t l y investigating reports of fake COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test results being used by persons entering Guyana.

This was revealed by the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, while delivering the COVID-19 update yesterday.

The Minister said, however, that specific reports have not been received of persons attempting to leave the country with fake results.

“We have had some reports not so much of people going out but we've had reports of people coming in where they were forging their PCR results. Because remember, we require PCR to come into Guyana,” Dr. Anthony disclosed. The Health Minister did not disclose which countries the reports came from.

Last year, as airports reopened to international traffic, the government established strict measures for incoming passengers, which included them being mandated to produce a negative PCR test before entering Guyana. The incoming passengers would take the test in their country of origin, which is the country they are currently in, at least seven days before

The interior view of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport

their scheduled flight and are required to produce those results when boarding it. If

the results exceed a week, those persons cannot board the flight.

Another established measure was that persons who produce negative PCR

test results exceeding 72 hours will be required to take another test when they arrive in Guyana, which is usually conducted by the Eureka Medical Laboratories Incorporated at a cost of $25,000.

According to the Health Minister, the government has alerted the airport authorities of the respective

countries. He said that, “this is something that we have heard of and we would like them to be extra vigilant.”

The government has also alerted airlines that are bringing in passengers from these destinations to Guyana.

“So we have done some of that work to heighten the (continued on page 11)

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Kaieteur News

Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL - Tel: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Social media and unrest, or worse Social media is this double-edged sword, this multiheaded monster that can mean so much good, but can be misused to do so much harm. We saw it, read it, learned about it, relished it, and shunned away from it during Guyana’s elections traumas; and it came back into the sharpest spotlight recently with what happened in the United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. Though there is scant interest in revisiting again Guyana’s own stormy electoral passage, or that of the presidentially inspired American riot (some say insurrection, even attempted coup), it is timely, even necessary, that another look be taken at social media as a whole, and its power to devastate and cause incalculable destruction.

In its Special Features section, under the banner of Tech Tent, the question was asked: “Did social media inspire Congress riot?” (BBC, January 9). On the face of it, the immediate response has to be that it played a significant part in what unfolded.

To be sure, the American leader in the White House bears the brunt of the blame for what took place, but this is not about him and his objectives, but about how social media contributed, through what it made possible, and what it could have done, but did not do. What it could have done early and what it could have done efficiently and authoritatively.

When the powers that control giant social media platforms had to act, they hesitated and give up on their obligations to the larger public and wider society.

After almost a lifetime of inaction, when the decision makers in charge of Facebook decided to move and shutdown some people, it was too late, as a lot of damage was already done.

In fact, the furious feeds had started months before the American elections, leading to much groundwork done and in place.

The same infuriating and roiling messages were repeated, and with the inevitable results ballooning forth before a disbelieving world to see.

It is regrettable that there are all these filters and protocols and checks and balances against certain kinds of incendiary speech, and yet it was allowed a free pass for the longest while, and to sprout wings. By the time action was taken on groups and content was curtailed from others, the wildcat was out of the bag and could not be controlled any longer.

The disinformation spread had taken a firm grip, and many of those who travelled to the U.S. Capitol truly believed that they had been victims of widespread elections rigging, and that which conflicted with American democratic standards. And for each one of those physically present in Washington, there were tens of thousands more who felt the same way.

However looked at, there is likely to be close to 80 million American voters, who think that they have been cheated, which is what they made known on one social media platform after another, and in increasingly strident, take no prisoners manner. To quote from the BBC article, “A lot of people who attended Capitol Hill felt so passionate about this - and really genuinely believed these false claims spreading online about voter fraud.” Guyanese do not have to make too much of an effort to identify with that, since it was so much part and parcel of our own elections passions and misgivings.

As Dr. Alexei Drew of King’s College London said, “this is something that a lot of us have been saying (and) has been a real risk for quite some time.” More pointedly, Dr. Drew had this to say about social media groups and their leadership failures: “They’ve had the controls and the ability to stamp down on group recommendations and these closed groups - and the content in these groups - since they were created.”

That is unsparing by itself, and to which she added, “They’ve just not done it until now.” We associate closely with what this social media watcher and expert had to say.

I am appalled by what we have in this country for a political opposition DEAR EDITOR, I must say that daily I am more and more appalled by what we have in this country for a political opposition.

More specifically, the stalwart figure that pretends to be some semblance of an Opposition Leader. It is not even a running joke anymore, but a stale one that brings jadedness.

I had promised myself that I would leave this column alone for the Lenten Season, and now I will have to pray for some more forgiveness; a real serial sinner I am.

As I look at the opposition, through its inspiring shadow of a leader, I cannot help but think that he is rather flummoxed about what the responsibilities and obligations of that significant and pivotal – if not, powerfully sensitive and crucial office – incorporates and must come to project day in and day out.

I understand that the Vice President is not a sleeper, so consumed is he by the contours (what I call it today) of a certain kind of governance. On the other hand, what we have, from all

appearances, in this country is a sleeper of an opposition, as best embodied in the form of the Opposition Leader.

Formless, he is; contented, too, to let other people carry the weight. I refer to that media article where the Hon. Opposition Leader is beside himself with joy in letting Dr. Vincent Adams speak about gas flaring; that is, there is nothing left for him and his group to say (KN February 17). In the army that would be tantamount to dereliction of duty (gross and unprecedented dereliction), and a case for the stockade.

As an indication of my utter disgust, I tender that the stockage is just too good for the likes of what we have masquerading here as an opposition from the leadership on down.

I must wonder who they are dancing with and in which chambers. For clearly, what we have from the Opposition Leader is pure “nonsense on stilts.” It can be from that paltry and pathetic offering on the budget to gas flaring to oil in general to the PPP government’s increasingly

blatant prowess and engagements with what is destructive to this country, and nowhere more so than how the PPP leaders prime the pump for financial crookedness starting from now.

As I share all of this, I take the opportunity to remind the Leader of the Opposition, and all citizens, that the essence of that role is not that of a monk (with vows of silence strictly followed); or that of belonging to a political harem (to not only not be heard, but not to be seen either); or to engage in self-consignment to the darkness and desolation of the outer wilderness, where the only communication is with the spirit world, or that of abandonment of the world of the living.

To be clear, I have no use for an opposition that is only about reflexive objection and criticism for the sake of going through the motions, and leaving something for the record. But there is so much that strikes the brow and consciousness of the governance excess of an even more subtle and more

cunningly skilled PPP, and with which is allowed to get away and flourish. Like the COVID-19 cash stimulus that creeps up by the billions.

Like the firing of competent and clean public service professionals. Like the insulting treatment and standards meted out in parliament to the party’s representatives.

No amount of financial collaboration could make right those insults to intellect and soul; indeed, to standing among peers. Clearly what we have today is a disgrace for an opposition starting with its hamstrung leadership, and one that grows more hobbled and helpless by the day.

The Opposition Leader is not allowed to put himself out to pasture (step down and save face).

The Opposition Leader is not permitted the extended bliss of unending long leave.

If that is what is appealing, then throw in the towel and let ‘Auntie’ Volda lead the way forward. She is sure to be better.

Yours truly, GHK Lall

Budget 2021 presents opportunity for providing redress in the Walter Rodney affair DEAR EDITOR, The State regardless of the political party in power, has as one of its attributes “perpetual succession.” Its duties and obligations as well as its entitlements normally remain unchanged.

During the post noconfidence period 2019-2020, I engaged in a brief public exchange in the newspapers with former President, Mr. Donald Ramotar.

He disagreed with my argument that his proroguing of parliament after a noconfidence motion had been tabled was against the spirit of the Constitution.

However, he readily agreed that it was an omission on his part not to include in the Terms of Reference of the Walter Rodney COI, the issue of redress once it was found that state inflicted violence had been established. We reached this agreement after

I had pointed out that in the Terms of Reference for the Commission of Inquiry in the Linden shooting of 2012, he had correctly included the issue of redress for victims of established and unlawful state-inflicted violence. A welcome precedent had been established.

The Walter Rodney COI report was tabled in the National Assembly and was subject to a debate, which left essential issues in the whole episode where they had been before.

As I argued in the exchanges referred to above, the debate opened to any member of the National Assembly from any party to introduce a motion committing the government, in fact instructing the government to act in accordance with the terms of such a motion. During that debate the Prime Minister, Mr.

It is that the social media giants had no excuse for not moving more rapidly against groups which are spreading dangerous lies.

It is postured that we are limited in Guyana by how much we can do and how effectively we can act to contain social media excesses.

Still, we say that if we monitor enough and know what we look for, then the trends and people and groups become easily identifiable. The heart of the matter is to take what is known, draw some conclusions, and go from there. That is, close people down by acting early and firmly.

Nagamootoo, expressed the opinion that in spite of the enquiry no one knew who killed Walter Rodney. Such debates are open, like the enquiry itself, to adversarial positions sometime resting on mere semantics.

The Prime Minister would recall that in spite of arguable issues that could be raised, the enquiry unquestionably established that the State was a prime accomplice certainly after the fact of the suspect, Gregory Smith, whose existence it had sought to deny. An accomplice ranks equally in the eyes of the law with the felon.

Parliament could, for example, order the executive to compensate the dependents of the victim Walter Rodney, aged thirtyeight years, by referring the issue of the quantity of compensation to a committee fittingly composed of persons expert in those matters.

After the new government was sworn on August 2, 2020, it brought to the National Assembly an emergency budget with a stated object of filling gaps and correcting defaults that had occurred and piled up during the impasse.

Understandably, that was not the time to address the

issue raised in this letter.

That issue, however, falls naturally and by timely succession into the recently presented budget for 2021, presented to the National Assembly last Friday.

It is not necessary for me to say much more on this matter. Both sides of the National Assembly in my opinion are bound by the guarantees of the Constitution and the conventions to which Guyana is a signatory.

The issue is no longer a partisan one. I fully understand the reservations of those parties which, although they voted in the National Assembly for an International Committee of Inquiry were not consulted

by President Ramotar, whose party had abstained for stated reasons at the time when the motion for the inquiry was put to the vote.

I am not claiming that the issue specified in this letter is the only one of its kind staining our human rights record.

However, it is the only one that has been the subject of a Commission of Inquiry authorized by a unanimous parliamentary vote and subject to public hearings at which various interests had (Continued on page 5)

Thursday February 18, 2021

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Kaieteur News

The Guyana National Assembly should pass the Protected Disclosures Bill (‘Whistle-blowers Bill’) DEAR EDITOR, In every country, there are varying degrees of corruption, not just in government and the public sector, but also in the private sector, in civil society organizations, and also in international development agencies.

In a 2013 Gallup International Survey of 70,000 persons from 69 countries, corruption was identified as the world’s number one problem. In a 2014 World Economic Forum Survey of 1,000 young people (18 to 34 years) from 102 countries, 72% believed that corruption is “holding back their country.”

In contrast, there are people who ignore, downplay or deny that corruption is a significant problem. They incorrectly believe that “it is human nature, it is how business and politics work, and, it is not a major issue because there is no massive public outcry.”

Consequently, they argue that preventing corruption is an impossible task because, even in many countries where there are state-of-the-art laws, codes of conduct and specialized agencies, anticorruption activities have not been as effective as hoped for.

Enforcement is either weak or selectively applied in a politically-partisan way.

However, there are many successful anti-corruption programs that can be viewed on the internet. An example is Denmark, although one of the least corrupt countries, corrupt activities were exposed in the awarding of fishing licences, and in the granting of tax refunds. A Minister of the Government was removed. A Chief Executive Officer and sales directors were convicted.

Ministries and public agencies in Guyana should examine how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Denmark is implementing an Anti-Corruption Policy that forbids favorable treatment by staff for their relatives, friends and business associates. All Ministry employees are required to report any reasonable suspicion of corrupt activities by other staff members.

Corrupt activities negatively affect the quality of life of every single Guyanese at home. There are less public revenues to expand social and economic programs because of badly negotiated natural resources contracts. Many roads, bridges and drainage and irrigation facilities are poorly constructed. Many public services are inefficient and ineffective. Health and educational services are inadequate. Electricity and water utilities are unreliable.

There is gender inequality and unfair ethnic and class competition for jobs, land and business support.

Corrupt persons exist in all political parties, ethnicities, ideologies, classes, genders, religions, ages, sizes, shapes and colors. Therefore, corrupt behavior is a national problem and should not be selectivity used as a ‘political or ethnic football.’ We must heed the advice of our National Poet Martin Carter: “all are involved, all are consumed.”

In the diaspora and at home, we have to start a conversation in the newspapers, on radio and TV, and on social media about where we should focus anti-corruption activities. This conversation should be open for anyone who wants to participate, regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity, class or gender.

Should we focus on improving the systems in Ministries and agencies that award contracts at the national, regional and local levels to build infrastructure such as energy projects, roads, bridges, drainage and irrigation facilities and water and electricity services? As we know, many of these projects are funded by foreign loans which have to be paid back with interest by present and future generations.

Should we also focus on the natural resources sector

Budget 2021 presents opportunity...

From page 4 the right to be represented by counsel.

In the light of what has been said above, it seems to me that Budget 2021, not yet debated by the National Assembly, is the occasion for bringing to a head and conclusion the matter of redress for those who bore the brunt of the act of June 13, 1980.

Such a step indeed will not bring to an end outstanding issues of this nature of which

both sides have in their time been held suspect.

It will however open the way to continue the investigation and resolution of outstanding issues affecting citizens at all levels of the social scale.

For readers of a new generation, I state that this is not my first raising of this issue.

Apart from being one of those who testified for several days at the hearings of the COI in 2014, I am on

record as filing in 1987 a private prosecution for murder against Gregory

Smith, only to have it thrown out by the sitting magistrate. The evidence I relied on was the well published statement made by survivor Donald Rodney on his r ecovery from the shock after recovering from injuries sustained in the explosion of June 13, 1980.

Yours truly, Eusi Kwayana

to minimize corruption in the issuance of permits, licences and concessions to oil, mining and forestry companies?

What about the systems to purchase medications, medical equipment and school supplies?

Through a nonconfrontational relationship with the authorities in Ministries and agencies, accountants, auditors, lawyers, business people and other interested persons, in the diaspora and at home, should jointly review and regularly publish reports on government systems to ensure that: [1] all contracts are published, and files and other records are properly maintained; [2] bidding is competitive with no ‘surprise winners;’ [3] no companies are favored through links to the government in power or to other bidders; [4] prices are market-based and not

unjustifiably increased after the awarding of contracts; [5] there are few emergency and sole-sourced contracts; and [6] politicians and officials do not interfere to gain unfair advantages for their families and associates.

To do this successfully, the Guyanese diaspora is strategically located to obtain support from foreign governments, foreign civil society organizations and international organizations such as [1] the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Global AntiCorruption Initiative {Google: Undp anti-corruption}; [2] the World Bank’s International Corruption Hunters Alliance (ICHA) {Google: icha@worldbank.org}; [3] the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and their Offshore Leaks Database {Google: offshoreleaks.icij.org}; and [4] Tax Inspectors Without

Borders {Google: tax inspectors without borders}.

Guyanese at home would use cellphones (including audio and video taping), WhatsApp, Twitter, other social media, the internet (see www.ipaidabribe.com in India;), letters to the newspapers, and phone-ins to local and diaspora radio and TV shows to confidentially report on Ministries and agencies where bribes are demanded such as the Police Force, Customs, and those authorities who process, for example, applications for house lots, state land, construction permits and environmental assessments.

Through customer surveys and confidential information from officials, scorecards of how Ministries and agencies perform would be published. For those that (Continued on page 6)

Think about confidentiality in the colleagues and clients. keep that information private. work place their Why must a person inform These employees should not DEAR EDITOR, I wish to ask your readers to think about confidentiality.

In the workplace, employees are privy to certain personal and other information about

divulge this information to others!

When information is entrusted to an agency or business, their employees with access to it are supposed to

What a mess with the unauthorized land sales DEAR EDITOR What a mess! Lands sold by the one who had no authority to so do. Purchasers who thought they had engaged in legal transactions are now being told their purchases are null, void and of no legal effect, having spent

huge amounts in developmental works, and being issued with ultimatum to vacate.

What a mess indeed! Should purchasers be disadvantaged? Can compromises be found out of this morass?

Yours truly, Shamshun Mohamed

me that they can call an agency (NIS) to find out particulars about myself (because they got a “link” in there) and then inform me that they got the information they had wanted?

It was trivial information, to be sure, but my problem is with the principle.

The lack of confidentiality.

Is this the mentality of some in our workforce?

What about medical and financial status information where those are kept? Are those safe?

Respectfully, Name Provided

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Kaieteur News

Another senior citizen added to COVID-19 death toll

The Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday recorded a 69-year-old female from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) as the latest COVID19 fatality. In its update, the Ministry stated that the woman died on Tuesday while receiving treatment at a medical facility. Her death has since increased the COVID-19 death toll to 189.

The Ministry also revealed 51 new COVID-

19 infections yesterday via its daily dashboard. The total number of cases has increased to 8,313.

The dashboard also shows that eight patients are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit, 17 in institutional quarantine, 42 in institutional isolation and 555 in home isolation. Additionally, a total of 7,519 persons have recovered to date.

Thursday February 18, 2021

No consistency in going after delinquent contractors DEAR EDITOR, It appears that the current administration is politically selective in its enforcement of contractual rules. There is no consistency or uniformity in bringing down the hammer on government hired engineers or professionals and or contractors.

The persecution and or prosecution of engineers and contractors is not executed on a level playing field across the board, especially for those who were in cahoots with the previous administration.

Some are targeted for punishment while others escape unpunished.

This administration goes after some contractors and engineers, while others are left unscathed. Politics and contract tax are the determinants in who faces government ire and ultimately the axe. Regrettably, it was also so under the previous regime.

Clearly, change in administration does not mean change in policy. Bad governance and lack of accountability continue. On mal-administration, both sides behave almost the same.

Justice can be bought at the right contract tax. Those who were too politically involved with the last regime are being taken to court, while those willing to pay the right “contract fees” escape punishment. Some who were guilty as any other scoundrel under the previous regime

have been embraced by the current administration while others are left to hang.

As an illustration, the contractors for the shoddy COVID-19 hospital and several other projects that are still to be delivered are not punished. Several contractors or conmen received payments for work not done or for incomplete projects.

They are now embraced and are untouched, because they make restitution with fees, while others are being sued for similar contractual malpractices.

A big contractor is being sued for a wharf because of his political financial association with the predecessor regime; that contractor was with the biggest financier of the current regime before the change in administration in 2015. O ther contractors who supported the previous regime are not sued because they opportunistically now embrace the current administration and pay their contractor fees.

You pay to play.

Similarly, some professionals are sent home for having aided in the passage of monies through contracts (real or fictitious) to politicians and political parties.

Government picks and chooses which engineer to send home and how to exploit them. For instance, one very senior engineer in the NDIA has been kept on month to

month contract for facilitating huge over payments to a mechanical and civil works contractor at Bush Lot, Corentyne. The proceeds were used to help finance a small party that teamed up with a big party. The said contractor was seen hosting the small party’s executives at lavish parties at his premises at Bush Lot. That contractor was persona non grata by this administration when it was in opposition. But the contractor is now fully embraced by the new administration because he pays to play while the engineer is left to dry out.

That is the nature of our politics. How low it has sunk because of greed of political leaders!

Related to above, the service of some engineers or other professionals were/are terminated for turning a blind eye to situations over which they had/have no control given the depth of corruption under previous administration. If they didn’t facilitate corruption, they lost their “wuk.” Nothing has changed from then to now.

While all malpractices must be addressed and the culprits brought to justice, this must be done on a level playing field to foster trust in the government in dispensing justice fairly regardless of political affiliation or amount of contract fees paid.

Yours truly, Nigel P Blake

The Guyana National Assembly...

Mabaruma toddler’s ‘sudden death’ caused by pneumonia - Autopsy reveals The sudden death of a Mabaruma toddler on Sunday was caused by pneumonia. This is according to an autopsy conducted on the child’s body yesterday.

The toddler was pronounced dead at around 00:00 hrs. by doctors at the Mabaruma Regional Hospital. Police had launched an investigation, after the medical professionals could not explain why the child died.

Based on information they received from

the child’s mother, Nicola Campbelle, he had suffered a high fever on February 9, while at their home in Kariabo Village, which is located some miles away from Central Mabaruma.

On February 13 last, the infant’s condition grew worse, and at around 23:00 hrs. his mother noticed that he was lying motionless.

Campbelle told police that she rushed him to the Kariabo Health Centre, but was referred to the Mabaruma hospital.

From page 5 have improved, proposals would be made for the staff to receive financial rewards and other incentives.

The objective is to support each Ministry and agency to implement more transparent, accountable, simple, timely, consistent and affordable procedures, including egovernment and e-banking.

The reports and scorecards on real and suspected corrupt activities would be published from overseas to protect sources in Guyana. The Guyana National Assembly should pass the Protected

Disclosures Bill (‘Whistleblowers Bill’) [Google: Guyana Bill No.12 of 2017].

This Bill will protect the identity of public servants who report wrongdoing in Ministries and agencies and ensure that they do not face any type of victimization.

Because of their citizenship overseas, the diaspora would be protected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the USA and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Canada from any retaliation.

Kaieteur News, Kaieteur Radio and Stabroek News must be highly commended

and supported for their courageous and inspiring work to end the culture of silence on corruption by empowering Guyanese to report on real and suspected corrupt activities. A shining example is the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN) which is a partnership of Guyanese diaspora in the USA, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean with Guyanese at home.

They are fighting for better oil deals so that all Guyanese would receive more benefits from the oil and gas sector.

Yours truly, Geoffrey Da Silva

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L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

“This budget is another jet… a jet which the wheels are taken off, the cockpit ain't functioning and the pilot flying, flying a dream.”

- Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon (February 16, 2021)

If this is Mr. Harmon's idea of an effective rebuttal to the PPP/C's Budget proposal, and an indicator of what the Opposition's arguments will be like, when time comes for budget debates, it is unacceptable.

Now is not the time for the Opposition to present useless anecdotes and metaphors when the PPP/C is trying to pass a $383B budget.

Mr. Harmon, you are abdicating your duty to this country if you are not mounting an effective, critical analysis of the PPP/C's budget.

Get it together!

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PAGE 08

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 18, 2021

Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 09

Jagdeo should state what he did in relation to the affront on Guyana's sovereignty V

ice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, should cease the blow-blow politics. The people of Guyana are not interested in any monthly or daily reports of oil production; they are interested in knowing what measures the government will put in place to ensure that what is being declared is what is actually being produced.

What possible benefit can citizens obtain from information about how many barrels of oil Exxon says it is producing? What the people want to know is whether more oil is being produced than what the oil companies are declaring.

At present, Guyana has no way of independently verifying what is being produced. The country has to take the word of the oil companies.

And this is a woefully unsatisfactory state of affairs, which is compounded by the fact that Guyana has to give Exxon one week's notice in order to observe the petroleum operations and is not allowed to interfere with the operations. With such oppressive provisions, it is not sure how Jagdeo intends to verify the production data provided by Exxon.

Jagdeo himself has expressed reservations about the long notice which is required to be given. He is reported to have said during

Dem

boys seh...

D

em boys bin cut some time at Sibley Hall. Dat is wah you used to call de political section of de Mazaruni Prison.

And dem boys know a little about de Solitary Block weh dem high-profile prisoners does get hold. De place was built by de British.

And you know when de British build something is not like some of de cock wuk wah some of we contractors does do.

De Solitary Block solid.

It is an impregnable fortress.

It impossible fuh escape from deh without help from

a discussion on Kaieteur Radio, “I do have problems with making it seem as though Exxon has sovereignty within a sovereign nation. I do have problems with that kind of configuration. He went on to state that “some parts, wording of the contract confers or creates that impression that they have sovereignty over the country.”

The notice which Guyana has to give to the oil companies has been described as being restrictive. Jagdeo, however, said that it was only reasonable that companies be notified of the intent to audit or inspect. He said any business would expect to be provided with notice.

However, he went on to state, “I have issues with the long-term notice, because we are a sovereign country and companies that operate here must comply with our law.”

But if he was as concerned as he claims he was about long-term notice, he needs to tell the Guyanese people what he did about it during the negotiations over the permit for the Payara Field Development Plan. As far as reports go, the nation has not been told that the country is now free to assert its sovereignty over local oil operations. Jagdeo should state why he did not revise the prior-notification period.

The Production Sharing

Agreement does not only require advance notice in order to observe operations.

To add insult to injury, if the government wants to observe the operations, it has to bear the cost associated with doing so. This too is an affront to Guyana's sovereignty.

Jagdeo should explain whether during the negotiations over Payara, if he attempted to change those conditions.

The nation wants to know whether the Minister is still required to bear the cost of inspecting the petroleum operations.

In making this commitment to make public production data, Jagdeo appears to be overlooking the confidentiality terms of the contract. The Production Sharing Agreement specifies that all production data is considered confidential. It insists that before any data is published, reproduced or disclosed in any way whatsoever, that both parties have to agree to this. Jagdeo therefore does not have the authority to release any production data unless Exxon gives his permission.

Not only are there limitations on observing petroleum operations but these also extend to audits.

As was reported earlier this year by this newspaper, the Production Sharing Agreement states that the Minister may audit, examine and verify, “at reasonable times during normal

Disappearing Acts! the outside and de inside. De place secure and even if yuh manage to get out yuh cell, it hard fuh escape through de inner and outer gates.

Dat is why dem boys feel de Minister should appoint a Commission of Inquiry to find out if this was an inside job. Dem man wah escape got only two routes open to dem. Dem either head fuh de swamp weh dem snakes gan get dem before dem get far or dem gat fuh gat some boat waiting fuh dem.

Dem boys smile when dem read about a boat being adrift with decomposed corpses in de Atlantic. Dem boys hear dat it was 120 miles offshore and was

spotted by a passing barge or tug. De fuss question dem boys ask is wah de tug or de barge doing so far offshore.

But dem boys nah feel is mek up story.

De boat nah disappear.

De boat out deh.

Dem fishermen wah bin at sea long enough does talk story about ghost boat and ghost ship. And nuff of dem young sailors does feel is gaff story. But when yuh deh pon de water long enough, yuh does see and hear things wah does mek yuh nah want go back to sea ever again!

Talk half and ask yuh self, how a boat wah stay afloat so long suddenly disappear?

business hours but not more than once per Calendar Year, all charges and credits relating to the Contractor's activities under the Agreement and all books of accounts, accounting entries, material records and inventories, vouchers, payrolls, invoices and any other documents, correspondence and records necessary to audit and verify the charges and credits.”

Yes, no more than once per year! Can the Vice President therefore inform

this nation whether there have been any changes to this arrangement since his government came into office and if no, why not? Is the once a year restriction not a further affront on our sovereignty?

What Guyana needs is a nerve centre linked directly to the production operations.

Such a centre would allow for real time monitoring of production and real time auditing.

Such a system exists in Saudi Arabia. Should such a

system be brought to Guyana, there would be no need for the Vice President to be getting excited about revealing unverified production data to the public.

And while he is in his transparency mode, perhaps he can make public the review which was undertaken by the Canadian expert.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Thursday February 18, 2021

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

My experience with Lelon Saul, Trevor Benn and Colvern Venture T

he first named person in the caption has been removed as the CEO of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA). The second name is no longer CEO of the Lands and Survey Commission. The third person listed in the headline of this column is the City Engineer, Colvern Venture, who is trying to avoid dismissal by the Georgetown City Council.

For previous articles on these three gentlemen, two of which thankfully are no longer in public service, see my three columns - Tuesday, January 22, 2019, “Central Housing and the woman who

peed in the Botanical G a r d e n s ” ; T h u r s d a y, February 7, 2019, “CH&PA and the City Engineer and you know what?” and Sunday, June 30, 2019, “ Tr e v o r B e n n d o e s n ' t impress me.”

I have my conversation with Lelon Saul on tape so I will advise him to be careful how he denies what is written here before he embarrasses himself before his fellow Guyanese. A friend had told me it had been almost a year and he did not hear about his application to operate a little business where he lives in Kitty.

I tried for three weeks to speak to Saul by phone. I

went to see then Minister of Housing, Valerie Patterson.

The Minister told me that she will make enquiries. She called me at my home to tell me the permit was denied and she said that a formal letter will follow. Even for the letter I had to contact the CH&PA to get it done weeks after the minister requested it.

In a heavy business district in Georgetown they told the man it was a residential area. I contacted, then Minister Ronald Bulkan, whose portfolio CH&PA fell under. Next thing I knew, I got a call from Saul, a conversation I recorded. He conceded that the man was wrongly treated.

I am not going to repeat the

details here because they are in the February 7, 2019 column mentioned above.

CH&PA did not correct the injustice.

I am not going to repeat my conversation with Venture. It is in the same February 7 column cited above. What I am prepared to say is that if the City Council removes Venture then as a human rights activist, I will concur.

Venture moved to the courts for an injunction and got it. So at this point the organization he works for cannot dismiss him. Assuming that Venture is right, that City Council cannot terminate his employment, only the Local Government Commission can, and the court agrees, I still find the High Court's decision strange.

I am no lawyer but can the court stop an organization from firing one of its employees on the basis that the organizational head publicly said that he would like to dismiss the officer in question? If that is so, it is strange case. I would like to think it is when you receive the termination letter, then, you ask the court to injunct the decision in the letter. Let's move to Trevor Benn.

Again it would be redundant to repeat what is

already contained in the named column above where I criticized Benn. So we come to the point of this article. Why do another piece on these gentlemen when the same contents can be read in the three columns stated above?

Frederick Kissoon Here is my answer. These three men presided over very, and I repeat, very important state institutions – the CH&PA, the City Engineer's Office and the Lands Commission. All three are important to the economy.

All three are essential to the success of private investment.

All three are crucial to the development of small business people and hardworking working class folks who want to put a roof over the heads of their families.

It is the contestation of

this columnist, and I am inflexible and insane about my attitude, that these three institutions have not worked under the APNU+AFC. You will ask me if I am dishonest to say that they functioned competently under the previous PPP/C presidencies.

The answer is I am not dishonest. I agree they did not.

But this is why we voted in the APNU+AFC, so ordinary folks who are building a home or want a small plot of land to invest did not have to wait one million years before they receive a reply. And as they waited, they ended up having to beg the autocrats of these three institutions.

As a human rights activist, I have received complaints from people who have gone through mental torture over their mistreatment by these three institutions. I am elated that Saul and Benn are gone. I say to Guyana; let's make sure Venture goes too so that poor house-builders and small business people can live happy in Guyana. They deserve to.

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

Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

Full court throws out application to prevent Demerara Cricket Board elections A

n appeal, which was filed to p r e v e n t tomorrow's election of the executive members of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB), was yesterday thrown out by the Full Court.

According to court papers, the appeal was filed

by Anand Kalladeen, President of the East Coast Cricket Association, and Anand Sanasie, President of the West Demerara Cricket Club, following a ruling by

High Court Justice, Navindra Singh, on Monday.

In his ruling, Justice Singh had ordered that the DCB elections be held in accordance with the provisions of the Guyana Cricket Administration Act on February 19, 2021.

Kalladeen and Sanasie, who are among the list of cricket stakeholders opposing the elections, had appealed the decision of the Full Court on the grounds that the Judge inter alia had

misunderstood the evidence of the case and incorrectly assumed jurisdiction to hear and determine their notice of application.

However, Full Court Justices, Fidela Corbin and Nareshwar Harnanan, dismissed their contentions after a hearing at the Supreme Court in Georgetown yesterday.

A t t o r n e y - a t - l a w, Arudranauth Goosai, who represented Bradley Fredericks, President of the

Upper Demerara Cricket Association; Roger Harper, President of the Georgetown Cricket Association and Davteerth Anandjit, Secretary of the East Coast Cricket Board in the case, explained that the ruling of the appeal court simply means that the DCB can hold their elections unhindered.

“As a consequence, the DCB is free to proceed with voting for its delegates in accordance with the original court order which stipulates

that the elections must be held on Friday, February 19 2021,” he said The attorney noted that the legal battle between the parties over the holding of elections dates back to 2017; one which saw the Cricket Administration Act being suspended.

After that suspension

was lifted by the court, Gossai had filed an application before Justice Navindra Singh, to fix a date for the election of the Demerara Executive Board to be held. That ruling, which was handed down on Monday, states that the election should be held this Friday.

Fraud charge for man who allegedly collected millions to ship machinery and parts

A

man, who allegedly collected over $11M to ship machinery and parts, was on Monday slapped with two fraud charges.

The defendant, Micah Sonaram, 25, of 2273 Flying Fish Street, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.

The first charge alleged that between October 24, 2020, and January 21, 2021, at Georgetown, while being solely entrusted with $3,744,000 by Clive Jordan to purchase and deliver one 2017 DX225 excavator, one 2019 Honda ATV and excavator parts, he converted the money to his own use and benefit.

The other charge alleged that between November 3, 2020 and January 12, 2021 at Georgetown, while being solely entrusted with $7,700,000 by June Ann Daniels to purchase and deliver one DX 225 LCA excavator, he converted the money to his own use and benefit.

Sonaram denied both charges and he was placed on a total of $300,000, bail. The matter was adjourned to March 15, 2021.

The court heard that Sonaram is the owner of a fly-by-night business named PA RT Z O N E G Y I n c . , located at North Road, Lacytown, Georgetown. The defendant's business is one that claims to import and sell new, refurbished and used heavy-duty machinery.

Sonaram also has a Facebook page that he uses to promote his business.

It is alleged that Jordan made contact with the

CHARGED: Micah Sonaram defendant via social media and made arrangements for him to purchase the items for him. The court heard that Jordan made a down payment of $3,744,000 and the items were scheduled to arrive in Guyana 30 days after. Sonaram signed and provided Jordan with a receipt for the money that was paid.

A w e e k l a t e r, t h e defendant reportedly indicated to Jordan that the items were on the wharf and were ready to be uplifted.

However, the items were never delivered to Jordan and S o n a r a m e v e n t u a l l y, promised to refund the amount that was paid to him, but he failed to do so.

In November 2020, Daniels contacted Sonaram and later met with him and handed over $7,700,000 as a down payment for the item, which she wanted. Daniels was given a signed receipt for the money that she paid.

She was scheduled to receive the excavator, which she ordered on January 12, 2021 but never received the item. Sonaram later (continued on page 16)

Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 13

Patterson says Opposition received no 'invite' to Draft Local Content Policy Consultation

S

hadow Oil and G a s M i n i s t e r, David Patterson, yesterday disclosed that the Opposition received no invitation to the draft local c o n t e n t p o l i c y consultations which started on Monday at the Arthur Chung Conference Center (ACCC).

Patterson gave this answer in response to questions posed by Kaieteur News during an Alliance For Change (AFC) press conference yesterday.

“The Opposition was not even invited to the consultations to make a presentation on our views on it. We were not even given an advanced copy of the policy,” he stated.

With the A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition representing over 200,000 of Guyana's voting population, one would have expected to see it being represented at the consultation.

Patterson said too that despite the political differences with the c o a l i t i o n p a r t y, t h e government should have invited it (APNU+AFC) to make a meaningful presentation at the forum.

Nevertheless, Patterson explained that the Opposition is reviewing the policy and had intentions to hold similar consultations.

“We will make our comments known and enshrined and maybe forward them via the

be given opportunities for training and employment, and there must be a transfer

AFC's David Patterson National Assembly as a notice paper to the Minister since obviously the government has not seen it fit on no front whatsoever to engage the Opposition,” he added.

Continuing, the Shadow Oil and Gas Minister revealed that the Opposition will also prepare a draft policy with comments to be submitted to the National Assembly.

President Irfaan Ali and the Vice President had led consultations on the draft policy on Monday at the ACCC. The policy seeks to ensure each Guyanese, regardless of race, religion or sex, is well-positioned to benefit the most from their oil wealth.

Put another way, this means, Guyanese must have preferential treatment in the award of contracts for goods and services in the sector. They must also

Possible murder charge for man who forced wife to drink poison From page 2 before passing, had told police that she was fearful that he would have chopped her to death and thus decided to drink the poison.

She was left to die but persons living nearby took her to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital where she was admitted.

A report was lodged with police against Nandlall and he was arrested on February 9 last.

Three days later, he was slapped with an attempted murder charge at the Blairmont's Magistrate's Court and remanded to

prison.

Jagmohan's condition, however, grew worse and she was later transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she passed away.

Following her death Region Five Commander, Kurleigh Simon, updated reporters that further investigations will be conducted and a file will be resubmitted to the Director of Public Prosecutor (DPP) for legal advice. It is possible that the DPP could recommend that Nandlall be recharge with murder, a source told this publication.

of technology to support capacity building in the industry and beyond.

The consultations will continue throughout this month. The policy can be

found on the Ministry of Natural Resources' website (www.nre.gov.gy).

PAGE 14

Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

M&CC to engage vendors on improving vending conditions today

Mayor Ubraj Narine speaking with one of the roadside vendors during the inspection exercise

By Alliyah Allicock

T

oday, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council of Georgetown (M&CC) is expected to meet with all street vendors to discuss ways of improving and enhancing the vending conditions around the city.

The meeting will be held in the forecourt of the City Hall compound at 13:00hrs.

This meeting, this publication was informed, aims to deal with matters concerning vending such as: illicit dumping of garbage in drains, ensuring vendors clean their respective vending areas, and ensuring food vendors are properly equipped with the requisite food handler's certificate.

On Tuesday, the M&CC conducted a walkabout and inspection exercise in and around the major shopping centres within the city.

During the exercise, officials checked for vending

structures, which may be erected illegally and sought to ensure that food vendors have valid food handler's certificate. They also sought to verify complaints of clogged and littered drains and called upon vendors to ensure the general cleanliness of the environment in which they operate.

Commenting on Tuesday's exercise, Mayor Ubraj Narine disclosed that several storeowners, who were erecting tents on the pavement illegally, were given a seven-day notice to remove these. He said that the drains in the entire Robb and Regent Streets area were clogged with garbage.

“I decide to walk about because of the complaints from the residents and businesses from those areas,” he noted.

In addition to that, the Mayor said there were a few food vendors who were operating without the relevant food handler's

One of the clogged drains that was inspected on Tuesday

certificate. They have been cautioned by the M&CC. While there is no fine attached, the Mayor said persons found without these certificates can have their goods seizes, bringing an end to their operation. They can also face prosecution, he said.

For this reason, the Mayor has advised vendors to abide by the rules and regulations set out by the M&CC. According to Mayor Narine, such exercises will form part of the Council's regular outreach schedule to ensure that businesses around the city maintain a good standard of service to customers.

The Mayor also called on Government to review the Public Health Ordinance, noting that it is important and outdated. “I believe it should be reviewed as soon as possible, so that it can include different measures and systems so it can fix the issues in this era that we operate in,” said Mayor Narine.

Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

Bristow currently sole operator for offshore helicopter support to Guyana/Suriname oil sector - Poised to see “highest growth rate” this part of the region

I

n spite of the economic pains felt last year from the COVID-19 pandemic, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bristow Group Inc., Christopher Bradshaw, was thrilled to report to shareholders recently that the company is poised for massive growth thanks to the Guyana/Suriname market.

During his company's latest earnings call, one participant said it seems like almost every day, there are new wells being drilled offshore Guyana and Suriname. With this in mind, the CEO was asked to say how many common copters Bristow has in that region, and how it foresees that support growing over the next three to five years.

In this regard, the CEO said that the Caribbean triangle has certainly been

one of the key growth engines for the company while adding that it remains a bright spot globally.

Expounding further he said, “First, in Trinidad, where we've had the leading presence for more than 60 years now, that market has been fairly stable over the last 12 months despite the overall challenges in the broader oil and gas industry…”

Bradshaw added, “In Guyana and Suriname, which you mentioned, where Bristow is currently the sole operator today of offshore helicopter support to the oil and gas companies who have had such success finding the prolific reserves in those two countries thus far.”

The CEO said Bristow currently has a handful of helicopters servicing the customer in Guyana while a few are servicing a variety of

customers in Suriname on their exploration projects.

He said that market has grown during the last downturn. He added, “It's growing now, and we expect it will continue to grow.”

In terms of a specific number, Bradshaw said Bristow is not quoting or targeting a specified aircraft count by a certain date. Be that as it may, he said, “I do think globally, this will be

perhaps the highest growth rate offshore oil and gas region that we see.”

Kaieteur News would have previously reported that the offshore helicopter services provider had

secured a multi-year contract to provide helicopter offshore crew change and search and rescue (SAR) services to support ExxonMobil in Guyana. The (continued on page 20)

PAGE 16

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 18, 2021

KFC donates 250 tablets Court action intended to to Education Ministry discourage violators - ERC

T

Minister Priya Manickchand receiving the tablets from KFC's Paul Subrya

Y

esterday, Mr. Paul Subryan, G e n e r a l Manager of KFC Guyana, handed over 250 Amazon tablets to the Ministry of Education.

Subryan, according to a release from the Ministry, said that the company is happy to join the Ministry in its mission to ensure the continuity of education, especially for those children who have challenges in accessing the virtual

classroom platforms.

He said that these are indeed difficult times that require a different mind-set and approach.

“This pandemic has forced us to approach education differently and we are grateful to play a role in supporting our children's academic development,” he remarked.

Receiving the tablets on behalf of the Ministry of Education was the Minister of Education, Priya

Manickchand.

S h e t h a n k e d M r.

Subryan and the KFC family for coming on-board at this time to offer a solution for those children who have difficulty accessing school work and staying connected.

She said that this gesture will go a far way in ensuring the Ministry facilitates access to education and learning resources for students in communities across Guyana.

he Ethnic R e l a t i o n s Commission (ERC) has moved to the courts recently, and is working vigorously to stop the spread of racial incitement among Guyanese, especially on social media.

In a statement, the body noted that it has commenced legal action against eight defaulters – three in December 2020, four in January 2021 and one so far in February, 2021.

When their cases were called in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts, five persons pleaded guilty to offences committed separately. The charges filed were for exciting hostility or ill will on the grounds of race under the Racial Hostility Act and for causing racial or ethnic violence or hatred under the Representation of the People Act. The five defendants who pleaded guilty – John Gobin, Lashonna Chester, Stacy Smartt, Glynis Gibson and Tiffiny Greene, were all fined for the offences committed on separate dates.

- calls on Guyanese to avoid making racially insensitive statements

The two defendants who pleaded not guilty Surendrapaul Rampersaud and Steve Anthony Barakat will attend court separately when their cases resume.

Barakat's case at the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts was adjourned by Magistrate Leron Daly to March 1, 2021 for trial while

Rampersaud's matter was adjourned to March 19 by Magistrate Peter Hugh at the Fort Wellington Magistrate's Court, West Coast Berbice.

The ERC is again urging citizens to promote tolerance and understanding, especially towards those of different ethnicities for a better country.

Fraud charge for man who allegedly...

From page 12 promised to refund her, but never did.

Both matters were reported to the police and an investigation was launched.

The defendant was later

arrested and subsequently charged.

Sonaram is no stranger to the police since he was previously charged in 2017 for allegedly defrauding a man of over $5.8M under the

pretense that he was in a position to grant him a firearm, a motor pick-up and a National Identification Card. The man is also being investigated for similar fraud related charges.

Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 17

Teen driver placed on $600,000 bail for Valentine's Day accident Y

By Renay Sambach

esterday, Rayon Alves, the 19year-old driver of the motor vehicle that was involved in the Homestretch Av e n u e , G e o r g e t o w n accident on Sunday which claimed the lives of two teenagers, made his first court appearance. He was placed on $600,000 bail.

Alves, the defendant, of Lot 1, East La Penitence, Georgetown, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly.

He was slapped with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving charges and these were read to him in the presence of his lawyer, Dexter Todd. Alves denied both allegations.

The first charge alleged that on February 14, 2021 at H o m e s t r e t c h Av e n u e , Georgetown, he drove motor vehicle PVV 1289 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of 19-year-old Dakera Gittens of Nutmeg Street, Festival City, Georgetown.

The other charge alleged that on the same date and at

the same location, he drove the same vehicle in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of 18-year-old Tonika Halley of P h a s e Tw o , E a s t L a Penitence, Georgetown.

During Todd's address to the court, he made an application for bail in a reasonable amount and said that his client would abide by any condition attached to the bail.

P o l i c e P r o s e c u t o r, Richard Harris, told the court that after the accident, Alves went home. The prosecutor also asked that Alves' driver's licence be suspended, that his passport be lodged and that he reports to the East La Penitence Police Station every M o n d a y, u n t i l t h e determination of the trial.

Senior Magistrate Daly granted Alves bail in the sum of $300,000 on each charge and ordered the prosecutor's request. The matter was adjourned to March 15, 2021.

According to a police report, the accident occurred at around 00:30hrs on Va l e n t i n e ' s D a y. T h e accident victims were all

travelling in the car (PVV 1289) which Alves was driving.

The report stated that the teen driver was proceeding west on the northern carriage of the road, reportedly at a fast rate, when he lost control of the motor vehicle. As a result, the car crashed into a utility pole on the parapet before tumbling a few times and coming to a stop in a nearby trench.

Passengers of passing vehicles stopped to render assistance to the occupants of the car, while others alerted the police and the ambulance service.

Kaieteur News had reported that public-spirited persons removed the occupants from the vehicle and rushed them to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Based on video footage seen by this publication, Gittens was lying in the grass while his friends and other persons stood around him. One man was heard saying, “The man gone oh S@*#%.” Followed by another man saying, “Nah, nah he good.”

A woman then started calling his name, while she

Men busted with guns and ammunition granted bail

The illegal firearm and ammunition that were found in the men's possession

T

hree men, who were busted with illegal guns and ammunition on February 11 last at a house in Berbice, were on Tuesday granted $250,000 bail.

Appearing at the Whim Magistrate's Court before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh were Romeo Singh, a businessman of Port

Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice; Deon Poonai of Number 73 Village, and Sammy Kristamma of Number One Road.

It is alleged that on February 11, 2020, the trio were found in possession of two illegal firearms and a quantity of live ammunition.

The men pleaded not guilty to the charge and are

expected to return to court on March 25, 2020.

According to police reports, the men were busted during a search ranks conducted at Singh's (the businessman) Port Mourant home. Police unearthed two 9MM pistols along three magazines and 32 live 9MM rounds. A box of 50 12-guage shotgun cartridges were also found.

DEAD: Dakera Gittens reached down and touched his face. The shirt Gittens was wearing was torn and bloodied, his hands had multiple cuts and he was panting for breath while blood gushed from the side of his face.

The woman continued saying, “Dakera, Dakera,” and rubbed his cheeks.

In another video, some

CHARGED: Rayon Alves

DEAD: Tonika Halley

persons were seen near the corner of the trench in their attempt to ascertain if anyone else was in the vehicle. At the same time, (continued on page 22)

PAGE 18

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 18, 2021

Migration Profile launched to help inform policy decisions Minister Hugh Todd and others during the virtual launch of the Migration Profile

T

he Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in collaboration with the International Organization of Migration, on Wednesday launched the Migration Profile in Guyana: Promoting Evidence-Based Policy-Making project.

This is according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs release, which noted that Guyana stands to benefit

from the IOM-backed project, which will centralize, share and analyze data collection on migration and compile existing data to better inform migration policy.

During the launch, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, emphasized the Government's efforts to use science to inform public

policy.

Further, the Foreign Minister noted that “the evidence-based approach helps us to determine our population demographics, which will in turn aid our development drive.”

According to the IOM, a Migration Profile is “an analysis of available accurate and disaggregated data on some or all migration-relevant aspects

of a country's national context, prepared in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, which can be used to enhance policy coherence, evidencebased policymaking on migration and the mainstreaming of migration into development plans.”

IOM Regional Coordination Officer for the Caribbean and Chief of Mission, Robert Natiello,

expressed that Guyana is on the cusp of great change.

Included is a changing migration dynamic, the IOM Guyana Chief of Mission stated. He emphasized that migration is steadily being recognized as a “key promoter of sustainable development.”

United Nations Resident C o o r d i n a t o r, M i k i k o Tanaka, attributed Guyana's rich ethnic diversity to migration.

She noted that around the world, hundreds of millions of migrants are living outside of their country of birth.

The UN Resident Coordinator stressed the importance of the explicit inclusion of migration in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This, she stated, further demonstrates the growing recognition of clear links between migration and its positive impact potential on global development.

Tanaka highlighted the positive contribution of migrants to their new host communities in the form of skills, the strengthening of the labour force, and the enhancement of cultural diversity.

According to the R e s i d e n t C o o r d i n a t o r,

migrants also contribute to their communities of origin through the transfer of acquired skills and financial resources, thereby contributing to positive development outcomes at home.

The Migration Profile includes a component for capacity-building and coordination across Government Ministries, Civil Society, and Academia to foster greater country ownership. The output of the study will involve consultations with stakeholders to help identify gaps, strategies, and evidence to inform policy on economic, developmental, and social aspects, among others, that impact migration.

During the launch, stakeholders from Government Ministries, UN agencies, international partners, and local nongovernmental organizations were briefed on the Migration Profile process and their role in the success and development of the project.

Once completed in 2022, a report will be launched detailing the findings.

To d a t e , o v e r 1 0 0 Migration Profiles have been developed around the world.

'On premises' water access for De Willem Housing Scheme - improved water quality in the pipeline for Golden Grove

A Golden Grove resident gets Minister Rodrigues' undivided attention

N

ew home owners residing at De Willem Housing S c h e m e , We s t C o a s t Demerara (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) can comfortably access water on

Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, who visited the area on Tuesday upon the invitation of residents.

Prior to her visit, Minister Rodrigues received complaints from members of the community regarding the lack of infrastructure to Minister Susan Rodrigues make it liveable. During her interacting with De Willem residents meeting with them, the Minister explained that the t h e i r p r e m i s e s , w h i l e n e w w a t e r n e t w o r k , water system that was prospective occupants can according to information recently installed is just a consider building their released by the Guyana temporary solution.

She noted that her homes, now that a water Water Incorporated (GWI), distribution system is in c o m e s f o l l o w i n g a n Ministry is on a quest to intervention by Minister ensure new housing schemes place.

The realisation of this within the Ministry of are developed with the basic

amenities such as water and given that this scheme has been in existence for over five years, such services should have already been in place.

As part of plans to provide immediate relief, Minister Rodrigues informed residents that the provision of water supply to the community, which consists of more than 300 lots, was realised through the connection of a six-inch transmission pipeline to the De Willem water distribution network, which is supplied by the Uitvlugt

Water Treatment Plant. This is a short-term mechanism that would see residents receiving water at the stand pipe level on their premises.

T h e M i n i s t r y, i n collaboration with the GWI, is expected to undertake a permanent solution, which entails a direct connection to t h e U i t v l u g t Wa t e r Treatment Plant, using an eight-inch transmission line.

This would allow a significant improvement in the level of service to each household.

In order to benefit from (continued on page 22)

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 18, 2021

PAGE 19

Inspection of Regions Five and Six projects…

Contractors warned to complete works within specifications C

ontractors engaged in projects in Regions Five and Six have been warned to complete their work within the specifications of their contracts. Vocalising this warning on Tuesday was Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, when he visited ongoing projects in the Regions.

It was noted in a Ministry release that in Region Five at De Hoop, the Minister inspected works which are progressing well.

In Region Six, however,

in Brehaspat Street, Number Two Village, he was told that the contractor had demobilised, due to allegations of physical abuse by residents.

During the meeting, residents explained to Minister Edghill that the contractor had used "sappy materials" as a base for the road being built in the area.

The initial contract sum for the project was $31.6 million.

The residents were also unhappy over the fact that the road was not graded before loam was layered.

It was later explained by the Ministry's Engineer that sections of the road, which were not deteriorated were not removed but was used as a foundation for the layer of loam.

On the issue of the "sappy materials" being used, Minister Edghill warned that if the allegations are found to be accurate, the Engineer, Clerk of Works and the contractor will be held accountable for rectifying same at no cost to the Ministry.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e Minister urged residents

Minister Juan Edghill tours a section of the road being rehabilitated in Black Bush Polder

Public Service Minister to hold staffers accountable for spending

S

pending within the P ublic S ervice Ministry will consistently be under the microscope. According to the Minister that sits at its helm, Sonia Parag, she intends on holding her employees accountable for “every dollar that is spent”.

Parag made this pronouncement on the “Budget in Focus” programme which was aired last Tuesday.

The Minister stated that the PPP administration would have campaigned heavily on accountability and transparency and therefore every effort will be made to practice what was preached.

According to Parag, President Irfaan Ali would have committed to having his administration extend accountability and be held accountable to the public. As such, the Minister said that she plans on keeping that promise by holding the public servants in her Ministry accountable.

Further, Parag stressed the need for the development of a code of conduct and code of ethics within the public service. “When you have professionality…or professionalism, you will have transparency, you will have that accountability,” Parag said.

By transforming her own Ministry, and not just her Ministry, but the rules that govern the public service in terms of code of ethics and code of conduct, Parag believes this can contribute to holding persons or public offices accountable.

Public Service Minister, Sonia Parag

Parag also noted that the employee management system that was supposed to start last year, under provisions made in the emergency budget, has not yet implemented. “It was my idea to implement this right away, however, I thought it best (that) myself and a team from the Attorney General Chambers and very soon the relevant stakeholders will be included in that discussion, but we want to implement that as a section in the revised public service rules,” she added.

Kaieteur News was informed that the employee management system was set to be a guide for best practices in the public service. However, it will no longer be a guide, but a rule, meaning that the provisions in that statement will be mandatory. “You will be held accountable; there

are consequences to the breach of any of those rules.

And performance management system is what?

It is not simply when someone is coming to renew a contract or asking for a promotion that you automatically just produce a document giving an evaluation or an analysis of that person's performance," Parag said during the programme.

Minister Parag added that it is something that will continue year-round, and the employees may not know when it is coming or there may be a specific period where an evaluation may be done, coming out of that assessment. In light of that, she believes that an improvement in

performance in the public service will be seen.

She also acknowledged the improvement in the conduct of persons in the public service thus far. According to the Minister, they are taking a deeper interest in the way they present themselves and the way that they represent their respective ministries.

Additionally, on the topic of public spending, Parag said, “Who wouldn't want to save in one area where you can? These are taxpayer dollars that are spent at the end of the day and no person out there who is paying taxes wants to know that t h e i r m o n e y i s b e i ng squandered.” If this occurs, she said, persons would expectedly feel violated and exploited.

during the meeting to be respectful in voicing their concerns to the contractor.

He noted too that they should not halt development plans while continuing to be the eyes of the community.

En route to Black Bush Polder, Minister Edghill stopped and inspected

construction work being done by the Guyana Defence Force in Lesbeholden, Region Six. The team was busy constructing a 90 feet heavy-duty timber bridge to benefit the residents.

Over in Black Bush Polder, the Minister (continued on page 22)

Minister Juan Edghill watches on as a resident digs a section of the road to ensure it meets the required thickness in Number Two Village

PAGE 20

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 18, 2021

Ex-MP quits AFC over ties with APNU - AFC says “you will have people coming off”

By Kemol King

F

ormer Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament, Reynard Ward, on Monday tendered his resignation from the party over its “broken, abusive and one-sided relationship” which AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, yesterday acknowledged referred to the party's ties with the larger A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

Wa r d s e r v e d i n Parliament from April 2019 to the end of the last administration's term, as a replacement MP, after court battles following the December 21, 2018 NoConfidence Motion determined it unlawful for some Coalition dual-citizen MPs to sit in the House.

Ramjattan, during a We d n e s d a y p r e s s conference, noted his disappointment with Ward's decision to exit the party.

Ramjattan added, “You will have people coming off for a variety of reasons,” and “I rather suspect that there might be other reasons why he came off, but all the best to him in the future.”

The AFC had plans for

Reynard Ward (center) being sworn in as a Member of Parliament, April 2019. (Photo: DPI) Ward, Ramjattan explained, because “he is an extremely bright guy… [who] performed very commendably.”

While Ramjattan hoped Ward would stay on to assist as shadow Minister of Agriculture and to write articles on the subject matter, he said, “I noticed they come off and they write more about their resignation, rather than a couple letters and articles on the things that they are trained to do.”

The party leader hopes to hear from Ward in the future on possible “re-visitation” with the AFC.

Ramjattan told reporters that these matters may get “tremendous sensationalism in the press” but that hundreds of people are joining the AFC all across the country through the party's recent recruitment drive.

Party Executive, Cathy Hughes, posited that it has been difficult to be associated with the AFC following the August inauguration of President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, and his Cabinet, and that persons will leave or want to keep their membership a secret for their survival and that of

their families.

She said, “I think also if we are honest, we need to realize that it's very difficult to be in politics in Guyana, and sometimes, we forget the reality.

We have seen since August of 2020, a clear indication that if you are part of any political party, you are more than likely to lose your job, be denied employment opportunities regardless of your qualifications and how

AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan

Former President and Leader of APNU+AFC, David Granger

good a fit you are for any particular position, and of course, and there are issues that surround quite often the maligning of your character.

I talked about fake news but when it comes to fake news, that is also a huge challenge in that there is information that is purely not accurate, that is put out, that is designed just to malign an individual's character.

And I say that to say that it's very, very difficult for

persons to be publicly associated with parties, especially our party at this point in time.

And so for their own survival, to ensure that they can feed their families, that they can continue to live in Guyana, many of them have recognized that they need to show, in a very demonstrative way, that they're not part of the AFC.” General Secretary of the (continued on page 22)

Bristow currently sole operator for offshore...

From page 15 contract was renewed on January 1, 2018 and lasts for five years.

Based out of the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, located near the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, Bristow at the

time had said it would operate three existing Leonardo AW139 helicopters.

ExxonMobil is the operator of the giant Stabroek Block offshore Guyana which contains the Liza oil discovery.

The oil company is working to

aggressively develop its over nine billion barrels of oil equivalent resources.

It believes that the discoveries thus far can support as many as 10 floating production storage and offloading vessels.

Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

Baramita menace remanded for chopping farmer to death A known menace to residents of Baramita, Region One, 32-year-old Ruben Calvis, a pork knocker of Aranka, Baramita, is now behind bars on remand after he allegedly chopped a farmer to death in November of last year.

Calvis appeared yesterday at the Matthew’s Ridge Magistrate’s Court and was charged with the murder via Zoom (online platform) by Magistrate Dylon Bess.

It is alleged that sometime on November 6, 2020, Calvis murdered Jonah Williams popularly known as “Wammick” on a trail at Cassse Creek, Baramita.

Calvis was not required to plea to the indictable charge and is expected to make his next court appearance on May 3, 2020.

According to reports, the bloodied body of Williams was discovered lying in a trail at Cassie Creek by a 10-yearold girl who had rushed home to notify her grandparents.

Her grandfather had returned to the scene to confirm her report. He saw the badly chopped Williams and reported the matter to the Baramita Village captain who then notified police.

Crime scene experts who had visited the scene and reported that Williams’ body bore a chop wound to his left arm and another to his abdomen.

An investigation was launched and detectives soon identified a suspect who had disappeared from the area after the discovery of Williams’ body.

That suspect was Calvis, who Baramita residents described as a menace. Police had also reported that he was also wanted for other crimes such as rape and unlawful wounding.

He somehow managed to evade lawmen for some three months until he was finally trapped and caught Sunday last. Calvis, according to Bartica residents, is no

stranger to the law and has in the past been accused of being a “serial chopper”.

“He would normally get in to fights and chop people and call himself a badman,” said one resident.

In fact, Calvis was remanded before in December of 2015 for threatening to kill a Baramita resident with a shotgun.

It was alleged that Calvis had gotten into an argument with the resident over a stolen solar battery on December 14, 2015. The argument soon became heated and Calvis reportedly went home and returned with a shotgun and threatened to shoot the resident.

The resident had called the police who arrived in time to see Calvis still holding the gun. Calvis had runaway but the cops gave chase and nabbed him with the weapon.

He was later charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm and threatening language.

Cop dies after collapsing in barrack The Guyana Police Force has launched an investigation into the strange death of one of its ranks, who collapsed suddenly in his barrack room on Tuesday.

Dead is Constable 24530, Rockliff Cozier, of Supply, East Bank Demerara.

According to police report, Cozier who was stationed at Police Division 4 ‘B’ collapsed around 18:15 hrs. He was immediately picked up in an unconscious state by colleagues and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. There he was placed in incubation, where he suffered a relapse along with two seizures and subsequently died.

Based on police enquiries, Cozier was reportedly infected with chicken pox and had received two injections around 08:30 hrs. that day. Later around 14:30 hrs. he reportedly ingested filaria pills as well.

Investigations are ongoing.

Dead cop: Rockliff Cozier.

Join a retirement pension plan, Montague urges transport operators KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Transport and Mining, Robert Montague is urging transport operators to ensure they have a pension plan for retirement.

Montague was speaking at the stakeholders meeting for the “Ribbon First Responders Training and Certification Project” in Half Way Tree yesterday morning.

The minister said that while there are not many structures in place to encourage transport operators to start a pension plan, there are several financial institutions that offer independent plans.

He noted that many transport operators would have handled varying sums of

money throughout their careers and urged them to consider saving some for retirement.

As a joint initiative between the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODSS), the Transport Authority and the FirstCaribbean International Bank (CIBC), the Ribbon First Responders Training and Certification Project will certify transport operators as first responders so that in the event of crises, assistance can be rendered immediately.

According to Montague, there have been numerous instances when taxi and bus operators have had to act as emergency responders, when

Robert Montague ambulances and other emergency services are unavailable.

The transport minister also said that changes are going to the Transport Authority Act which will require a more partnered approach between the regulatory body, the transport authority, and the taxi associations.

PAGE 21

PAGE 22

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 18, 2021

JAMCOVID protocols strengthened following discovery of security vulnerability

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sion are mandated to download the JAMCOVID-19 app and are required to supply the authorities with information such as their daily temperatures and their whereabouts, among other data.

The Ministry says the security vulnerability was immediately rectified upon discovery.

According to the Ministry, a thorough investigation was immediately initiated to determine if there were any

spread accusations of electoral fraud. The Coalition most notably attempted to have the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) declare results, which would have granted it a second term, but were exposed as fraudulent.

The AFC, like APNU, has accused the new government of embarking on a vindictive purge of public servants considered to be affiliated with the immediate former David

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breaches in travellers’ data security, if the vulnerability had been exploited, and if there was a breach of any laws.

At present, there is no evidence to suggest that the security vulnerability had been exploited for malicious data extraction prior to it being rectified, the Ministry stated.

It said, nevertheless, out of an abundance of caution, it has contacted travellers

whose data may have been subject to the vulnerability and have assured them that steps have been taken to ensure the integrity and the confidentiality of the data.

The Ministry noted that the Government is assuring all travellers that it takes data privacy and security extremely seriously and remain committed to stringent security protocols in keeping with local and international standards.

Ex-MP quits AFC over ties with APNU From page 20 AFC, David Patterson, said that he can attest to that, as persons are asking the party not to release their membership because, for instance, getting certain approvals in the mining sector require them to answer whether they are affiliated with a political party.

The APNU+AFC Coalition relationship has been strained, following a contentious five-month electoral saga, characterized by wide-

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to water quality were raised.

Minister Rodrigues had explained that the GWI is conducting assessments to address the quality of service, which they are receiving. The community is supplied with a 24-hour water service but there is a high concentration of iron. To tackle this issue immediately, GWI will be flushing the pipelines. Minister Rodrigues noted that she would see to it that a schedule is implemented to ensure flushing is done regularly.

Plans are also in train to repair leaks along the network, which would help to prevent contamination and further improve water quality.

A long-term solution, however, is to install in-line filters to treat the water. The Housing and Water Minister pointed out that 52 percent of Guyana is currently receiving access to treated water and government is committed to providing treated water for at least 90 percent of the population by the end of its current term in office.

Granger administration, such as former Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams, who as an Executive Member of the AFC, appeared during yesterday's press conference.

Ward's resignation from AFC is not the first since the APNU+AFC was unseated by the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) in August last year. Former Region Five Councillor, Abel Seetaram, left the party in October last, and noted in a letter to Ramjattan that he was disgruntled with the AFC's relationship with the APNU, particularly its largest constituent, the People's National Congress Reform (PNC/R).

Similarly, Ward, in a resignation letter addressed to the party's General Secretary, said that his best time in the AFC was when it was the “public's Pitbull and not as the PNC's puppet.”

“However, sadly,” he added, “post 2015, the implementation of the vision was tunnelled.

The vision for the new

Contractors warned to complete...

From page 19 inspected ongoing road works. Residents thanked him for his visit and for ensuring that the road is being built.

Accompanying Minister Edghill to a community meeting was the Regional Chairman, Mr. David Armogan; Regional Vice Chairman, Mr. Zamal Hussain, and NDC Chairman, Mr. Ubraj Matadeen.

During remarks, the Min-

Teen driver placed on...

From page 17 police ranks were busy inspecting the scene as Emergency Medical Technicians were preparing Gittens, Halley and others to take them to the hospital.

Gittens reportedly died at the scene and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital by a doctor. Halley, on the other hand, reportedly passed away while receiving medical attention. Their bodies were taken to the Lyken Funeral Parlour.After the ac-

Guyana girdled with wishes and dreams of the 1970's and 1980's hopefuls.

This started the deterioration of hope and trust of party supporters and that of the people, even those who did not voted for us but supported what we aimed to achieve.”

In his resignation letter, Ward told Patterson, “The AFC that consumed me, my then young friends, likeminded associates (intellectuals, professionals and others), family and even other party supporters was a political force to reckon with.

The party was full of energy, hope and diversity. It was what the new Guyana wanted; it was what the majority of youths wanted; it was what the diaspora wanted.”

The AFC, Ward said, has towed the line with APNU despite the “abusive” relationship, hoping for better, but that “Unfortunately, there seems to be no hope for a better tomorrow with the current players even with a reshuffle.”

cident, Alves was arrested at his home. A breathalyzer test conducted on him revealed no trace of alcohol in his system.Two of the other occupants of the car, Delvern Luthers of Wortmanville, Georgetown, and Troy Glen of Laing Avenue, Georgetown, are still hospitalized while another, Joel Rose of Durban Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown, has since been discharged.accident last Sunday.

ister pointed to the importance of farm to market roads.

He stressed the importance of Agriculture even in the birthing years of oil production, here in Guyana.

The Minister, however, used the opportunity to highlight the importance of trucks adhering to the weight limits.

In fact, one resident said he feels that rice millers should be held accountable for damaging the road due to overloading in Black Bush.

One resident who attended the meeting from Yakusari North complained that farmers are converting the residential house lots to farmlands, much to their discomfort.

The resident said that due to the farming activity, heavyduty trucks would frequent the internal streets and cause damage.

Moreover, it was noted that chemicals also affect them. Minister Edghill said he will be looking into the concerns raised during the meeting.

Thursday February 18, 2021

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Kaieteur News

Repairs commence on Exxon’s defective gas compressor

By Kemol King ExxonMobil said that repairs and upgrades have commenced on its defective gas compressor which is currently with its manufacturer, MAN Turbo, in Germany.

This followed a detailed inspection by the technical experts at the MAN Energy Solutions workshop, ExxonMobil said in an operational update.

“We do keep spare equipment in Guyana to support maintenance activities, including the seals for the flash gas compressor which had failed at the end of last month and spare rotors,” ExxonMobil said. “However, our initial examination determined that the necessary repairs required equipment and expertise at the manufacturer’s workshop in Germany. Last year, we ordered a new spare flash gas compressor, but it will not be available until later this year due to the complex nature of the equipment.”

The company has given operational updates to the press for the past week. The compressor was cleared with customs in Germany, according to a February 12 update, and was unpacked and disassembled for inspection and assessment. ExxonMobil said that it met with stakeholders on February 12 to provide an operational update, and spoke to more than 120 participants from business associations and other civil society groups.

According to another operational update, by Tuesday the team on the Liza Destiny Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) had already completed visual inspection of piping and pipe supports, and the mechanical rework of the defective compressor’s casing had been undertaken in Germany.

ExxonMobil has been flaring above safe pilot levels – the minimum amount of flaring required to maintain a safe operation – since January 30 after it encountered issues with the compressor. It has been flaring about 16-18 million cubic feet of natural gas every day.

The company’s position is that it has not breached any of its permits or the law: “We operate under a robust regulatory system and comply with all laws, regulations and permits; dedicating thousands of hours monitoring, validating and documenting our compliance to these regulations and our permits.”

ExxonMobil noted prominently in its update “MAN Energy has confirmed there is no linkage between the pro-

The equipment after clearing customs in Germany.

duction optimization activities and the technical issues with the flash gas compressor. At the time of the incident with the compressor, it was only operating at 70 percent of its design capacity.

Production optimization is a normal process for operations around the world. A comprehensive safety evaluation took place prior to the optimization process.”

Government and Public Affairs Advisor, Janelle Persaud, did not immediately respond to a question from Kaieteur News last night about what the actual cause of the technical issues was.

Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), had decided to commence higher production capacity tests on the Liza

Destiny to raise its nameplate capacity above 120,000 barrels per day, and started doing so as early as January.

Chief Operations Officer at Hess Corporation, Gregory Hill during a January 27 earnings call for the fourth quarter of 2020, had said that ExxonMobil would be evaluating options to increase nameplate capacity of the Liza Destiny operation, but he had said that those options would be pursued in the third quarter of 2021, not the first.

The press only found out during a February 8 press conference, that ExxonMobil had already been doing higher production capacity tests and that it had been producing as high as 130,000 barrels per day in January. ExxonMobil officials said that the Liza Des-

tiny is able to produce as many as 158,000 barrels of oil per day.

On the sidelines of a press conference held by Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, on Tuesday 9, Kaieteur News had asked whether the company had informed the government about its higher production plans. Dr. Jagdeo said that it did not, but he didn’t mind the higher production capacity tests either way. His policy for the depletion of Guyana’s reserves is that production should be done as quickly as possible, to beat the energy transition to renewable sources.

This is why the Government has not mandated a reduction in ExxonMobil’s production, as was done by former Executive Director of

the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams, when it was discovered last year that ExxonMobil was flaring way longer than it should have, following the start of oil production in December 2019.

ExxonMobil had flared gas for an entire year, also due to an issue with its equipment, and had taken an entire year to resolve the issue. By then, it had already flared more than 12 billion cubic feet of gas.

The compression casing.

This year, it has already flared upward of 300 million cubic feet of gas, according to this newspaper’s calculations. “ExxonMobil Guyana maintains a high level of safety, which is a core value at all of our operations and facilities,” it said.

“As the teams work to complete repairs as quickly as possible, we continue to safely manage production and flare levels on the Liza Destiny FPSO.”

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Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

‘Visitors’ remanded for murdering Priest Two regular visitors of former priest, George ChuckA-Sang, who was murdered last December, yesterday made their first court appearance and were remanded to prison.

The defendants, Rawle McPherson, 45, of Victoria, East Coast Demerara, and Mohanie Mohabir, 43, of Corentyne, Berbice, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

The duo was not required to plead to the indictable charge which alleged that between December 18, 2020, and December 21, 2020, at the St. Sidwell’s Anglican Church, Vlissengen Road, Lodge, Georgetown, they murdered 82-year-old Chuck-A-Sang.

The Police Prosecutor told the court that McPherson and Mohabir are known to the former priest and they would often visit him.

The court also heard that another person is suspected to be involved in the murder of the priest.

The Chief Magistrate remanded the duo to prison and the matter was adjourned to February 25, 2021.

According to reports, the well-known, former Anglican priest was found murdered in his home on Monday December 21, 2020. His partially decomposed body was discovered with multiple stab wounds around 15:00hrs in his two-storey concrete house located on Vlissengen Road, Lodge, Georgetown.

The house adjoins the St. Sidwell’s Anglican Church.

Kaieteur News had reported that Chuck-A-Sang’s daughter, Renata Chuck-ASang, who is a well-known humanitarian activist, had told investigators that she last spoke to her dad via telephone on Friday December 18, 2020 around 08:00hrs.

The following Monday morning, she decided to check up on him again by calling him via WhatsApp but his phone rang out.

Later that day, she decided to visit his residence and called out for him but got no answer. She reportedly grew worried and decided to visit the home of the current priest, Monsell Alves, who resides at North East La Penitence domicile.

A police report further stated that the woman told Alves that she was unable to make contact with her dad and the priest accompanied her back to Chuck-A-Sang’s home.

Together they entered the house and made the gruesome discovery. Chuck-ASang’s body was found in the upper flat of his home and he

Dead: George Chuck-ASang.

Remanded: Mohanie Mohabir.

Remanded: Rawle McPherson.

was only clad in his underwear.

His body was taken away to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and an investigation was launched into the matter.

For more than a month, the police investigators have been trying to make contact

with the defendants but all efforts were proven futile.

However, acting on information recently obtained, police were able to apprehend McPherson and Mohabir.

The duo was arrested, cautioned and subsequently charged for the murder of the former priest.

Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Sustained awareness critical to helping women access safe abortions at GPHC S

u s t a i n e d awareness of the services offered at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)'s Family Planning Clinic is critical to helping women access safe abortions.

During an interview with Kaieteur News, Dr. Natasha France, an Obstetrician/ Gynaecologist (OBGYN) at GPHC's Family Planning Clinic, explained that counselling and sensitizing women about the dangers of self-induced abortions as well as making them aware of the safe abortion option that is available to them via the hospital is among the essential services offered by the clinic.

Dr. France, who is also

Dr. Natasha France, OBGYN at GPHC's Family Planning Clinic the Director at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Residency Programme, explained however, that while the safe

abortion service is open to the public free of cost, continuous education and awareness about its availability is important to helping women choose that option.

At present, Dr. France noted that many women still opt to “self-administer” treatment to terminate pregnancies, which results in a variety of health complications.

She explained that most times they would have used Misoprostol (or Cytotec), to self-induce the abortions.

“These drugs can be obtained from a pharmacy or sometimes the women would use other concoctions to induce an abortion but they can result in excessive bleeding and a host of other

Govt. probing reports of persons entering Guyana with fake COVID-19 test results From page 3 vigilance in terms of coming in, but here going out, I have not had any specific cases,” he added.

Notably, the sale of fake negative COVID-19 test results in the United Kingdom was highlighted by the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol). See link for full report: https://www.cnbc.com/2021 /02/01/fake-covid-testscriminals-try-to-profit-fromtravel-restrictions.html.

According to the Europol, persons have been seeking to profit from the travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic.

The law enforcement agency reported an increase in fraudulent COVID-19 test being sold to travellers.

“It comes as an increas i n g n u m b e r o f countries in the European Union and beyond oblige travellers to present a negative coronavirus test in order to be allowed

entry, when travelling from a high-risk area,” the CNBC report noted.

A warning was issued to European Union member states and noted that the latest case of this crime had been detected at the Luton Airport in the UK where a man was arrested trying to sell fake COVID-19 tests results.

It was also noted that elsewhere in the UK, persons were caught selling the fraudulent documents for 100 pounds/US$137.

life-threatening complications,” she said.

At the time, she was making reference to a recent survey on women who were diagnosed at GPHC with health complications related to self-induced abortions.

The study revealed that the primary reasons for the self-induced abortions by the women were due to a lack of knowledge of the free family planning services in the public health care system and the inability to afford safe abortions privately.

According to the study, of 25 women diagnosed with self-induced abortion, 96 percent used Misoprostrol.

The study revealed too that the most common reason given for selfinducing is a lack of stable finances to access the service privately and the lack of

awareness that abortion services are available at the GPHC. A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e research revealed that 68 percent of women were not on contraception at the time of conception because of concerns over side effects, or inability to afford, and lack of knowledge of where to access contraception.

As such, Dr. France stressed that education is essential to helping persons understand the importance of accessing the service offered via GPHC's Family Planning Clinic.

“There is need to improve public awareness of the availability of the services to improve access to safe abortions and effective contraception,” the OBGYN added.

She noted too that many women have benefited from

the safe abortion service since GPHC started offering it.

She stressed, nonetheless, that educating women on the facts of how contraceptives can help them avoid unplanned pregnancies also helps safeguard them against having to terminate their pregnancy.

“We continue to provide them with the information on contraceptive methods many of which are available to them at GPHC free of cost… ”she said of services offered at the GPHC. In addition, the OBGYN said that local family planning and reproductive health NGO--the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA), has been instrumental in helping the clinic provide the list of essential services.

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Kaieteur News

CG Insurance Regional Super50 C/Ships... Unbeaten Red Force continues to be a potent force with victory over Hurricanes The Leewards Hurricanes, who beat Barbados and lost to Guyana Jaguars and the Windwards Volcanoes, lost their third game yesterday by nine wickets when unbeaten Trinidad & Tobago Red Force won their fourth game in this year’s Regional Super50 cricket tournament at the Coolidge Cricket ground in Antigua.

Kieran Powell (29), Nitish Kumar (24), Hayden Walsh (26), Devon Thomas (14) and Quinton Boatswain unbeaten on 12 all reached double figures but failed to go on to something more meaningful as the Leewards were bowled out for 129 in 46.1 overs.

Man-of-the-Match Ravi

Rampaul took 3-17 from seven impressive overs, off-spinner Sunil Narine bagged 3-36 from 10 overs and leg-spinner Imran Khan had 2-16 from 7.1 overs.

The Red Force, with a galaxy of International stars in their line-up despite missing the services of Daren Bravo and Lendl Simmons, reached 130-1 in 24.5 overs with Kjorn Ottley unbeaten on 47 from 68 balls with six fours and six, while Jason Mohammed was not out on 40 from 55 balls with four boundaries.

Evin Lewis, the tournament’s leading runscorer, was again off to a positive start, hitting a 27-ball 28 decorated with three fours

and two sixes before he was removed by fast bowler Boatswain at 37-1 in the eighth over, as he captured his ninth wicket in the tournament.

But Ottley was joined by Mohammed, with a century in this tournament, and with some enterprising stroke-play in an unbroken 93-run second wicket stand.

Mohamed, who shared in 117-run stand with Lewis in their win against Barbados, again looked in good form.

The 100 was posted in the 21th over before Ottley celebrated the land mark by striking Boatswain for consecutive boundaries, the first one being an effortless six over long off to reduce the target

Thursday February 18, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Changes in your home could cause temporary frustration that creates some tension with family members. Perhaps you're moving, cleaning, or refurnishing, and everyone is getting in everyone else's way.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Miscommunication with someone far away could lead to bruised egos, heightened emotions, and angry phone calls. Don't get sucked into a quarrel, Taurus.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your psychoanalytical talents could be put to work today when misunderstandings come up. Your friends aren't likely to be thinking clearly and may not respond to reassurances, Gemini. .

CANCER(June21–July22) A person you're attracted to may seem to be interested in someone else. This could bring up your insecurities and jealousy. Don't make yourself crazy, Cancer.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Someone is keeping secrets from you. We all have private issues we don't wish to share, Leo, but this affects you. Your intuition will probably tell you who this person is.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Perhaps you planned to attend a group event but circu mstances beyond your control got in the way. Maybe it was canceled. This could cause some disappointment for you and others, Virgo.

Find something else to do.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A visitor who needs a little sympathy could visit you today. Your friend probably wants some advice about some problems.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Some important plans, perhaps for a vacation or involving education in some way, could be temporarily blocked by circumstances beyond your control, Scorpio.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) A letter or phone call could bring upsetting news about money, Sagittarius. Your first reaction may be to blame yourself or someone else, but the circumstances are probably beyond anyone's control.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Jealousy could rear its ugly hea d today, Capricorn. This may involve a romantic relationship. Jealousy is often groundless. If you want to avoid an upset, try a little communicating.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Nervous tension could cause a temporary malaise that keeps your energy low today. Tasks and chores need to be done, Aquarius, so you will probably drag yourself up and try to finish them in spite of

the way you feel.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) A group with which you're affiliated may be temporarily torn apart by politics and quarrels.

If so, Pisces, it's best to stay out of it.

to 16 runs from 27 overs when rain again halted proceedings.

When play resumed Boatswain bowled Ottley a beamer which went past the keeper and the free-hit, another high full-toss, was taken at mid-on as Ottley failed to get enough bat on it.

A pulled boundary by Ottley then finished the contest in emphatic fashion.

Earlier, when the Hurricanes began their innings on a good track and sluggish outfield in the rain affected encounter, Ross Powell (4) was quickly removed by the impressive Rampaul who soon bowled Kacey Carty (1) at 16-2 in the eighth over.

Powell and Canadian born Nitish Kumar who hit two fours from 38 balls, added 39 with a stand that took the score to 55-3 in the 18th over before the left handed Kieran Powell was lbw off Narine after facing 51 balls in an innings which included three boundaries.

Kumar departed at 67-4 when he edged left-arm spinner Khary Pierre to wicket-

keeper Denesh Ramdin, while Terrance Ward was bowled by Narine at 75-5 and it was soon 80-6 when Devon Thomas was trapped in front by Narine for 14 from 25 balls with two fours.

When Colin Archibald (5) was removed by Imran Khan and Guyanese Ashmead Nedd (5) was lbw to West Indies ODI Captain Jason Mohamed the Leewards were in a deep hole at 96-8.

Walsh, whose innings included two fours and lasted 57 balls, was finally dismissed as the home team lost their ninth wicket at 127 before Sheeno Berridge (1) fell to Khan leaving Quinton Boatswain unbeaten on 12.

The Hurricanes with four points from four matches, oppose Jamaica Scorpions with no points from three losses tomorrow.

While Red force, with 16 pointsfrom four matches will clash with the Jaguars, with 12 points from three in their last preliminary match on Saturday.The Jaguar’s final preliminary game is against

Ravi Rampaul the Windwards Volcanoes on Monday at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in their only day game.

Tour postponement: CSA lodges ...

From page 34 instructed their men’s team not to tour Zimbabwe on political grounds, the ICC adjudged that decision to be acceptable non-compliance.

Similarly, in 2008, the ICC found that India’s decision not to tour Pakistan on government advice constituted acceptable non-compliance.

Neither Australia nor India faced sanctions at that time.

CA has maintained that its decision not to travel to South Africa on this occasion was made on “overwhelming” medical advice.

Moseki cited a clause from WTC competition terms that calls for independent experts to determine whether the health risks are severe enough to prevent Australia from touring, and asked for those experts to come from within South Africa. “It would seem inappropriate to appoint a health and safety consultant outside of South Africa given that such an expert consultant would be unlikely to properly and accurately comprehend the Covid-19 related risks within South Africa and how they may be adequately managed,” Moseki wrote.

“Given the nature of the pandemic, it will inevitably require location-specific advice.”

South Africa has passed the second-wave peak of the coronavirus pandemic, and although the country remains on level-3 lockdown (with level-5 being the most strict) restrictions were eased on February 1, the day before Australia announced their decision to pull out. South Africa’s infection rate is falling, although it is still recording more than 1,000 positive cases of Covid-19 each day in the last few days compared to Australia, which is registering cases in single digits daily.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 30

Australia’s Warner enters Hundred draft Australia batsman David Warner is available to play in the inaugural edition of The Hundred.

AFP - Australia star David Warner is on a list of more than 250 players vying for the seven remaining overseas places in the draft for the inaugural edition of English cricket’s Hundred competition.

The 100 balls-per-side franchise competition was meant to have been launched last year but was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Most selections from last year’s draft have been retained by the eight teams but there are still seven overseas and 28 domestic

positions to be filled.

Hard-hitting batsman Warner is one of 10 overseas players in the highest reserve price bracket of £100,000 ($139,000) along with Pakistan’s Babar Azam, South Africa’s Quinton de Kock and West Indies’ Jason Holder.

The final player picks will be decided in a virtual draft on Monday.

Warner was a first-round pick by Southern Brave in 2020 but withdrew in the early stages of the pandemic due to scheduling issues.

He had not been expected to re-enter this y e a r ’s d r a f t , b u t t h e postponement of Australia’s tour of South Africa has eased his schedule.

Australia team-mates Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc, both of whom initially signed up with Welsh Fire, are no longer involved.

Three members of England’s Test squad in India are taking part in the draft, with wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, off-spinner Dom Bess and fast bowler Olly Stone all seeking a place.

Nadal’s grand ambitions thwarted in Australia again M E L B O U R N E (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal shrugged off his derailed bid for the Grand Slam record with a pledge to keep “fighting” but the Spaniard leaves the Australian Open with familiar regrets after bowing out to a rising talent yesterday.

World number two Nadal appeared set to cruise into the last four at Melbourne Park but was overhauled 3-6 2-6 7-6(4) 6-4 7-5 by Stefanos Tsitsipas, an opponent he destroyed in the 2019 semi-finals.

The 34-year-old has now lost in the quarter-finals two years running, having been outplayed by eventual finalist Dominic Thiem last year.

Level on 20 Grand Slam titles with Roger Federer, Nadal will hope to set the record straight at his beloved French Open but there may be queries about his chances of another major win on hardcourts as the next generation of baseline pounders matures.

“Just another story in my tennis career,” Nadal told reporters with a rueful smile.

“That’s it. Another match I lost here in Australia with important advantage. (I) just accept and keep going.

That’s the life.

“I am playing against one of the best players of the world, so you always have to expect the best from the opponent and be ready for anything.”

Nadal, who won his only Australian Open crown in 2009, had a disrupted preparation for the Grand Slam this year, with a lower back strain putting him out of the ATP Cup. He said more matches in the leadup may have helped but denied he was short of fitness as Tsitsipas took their match into a fifth set.

Nadal has had plenty of injury problems at Melbourne Park in the past and been stopped four times in the finals. He snorted when asked if he was cursed Down Under.

“No, no, no. Not at all feeling unlucky for me and not at all am I complaining about my luck here in Australia,” he said.

“Everyone have what (they) deserve. Tennis isn’t a

sport that is fair. I have what I deserved in my career, and over here in Australia I had chances, but I was not able to convert it. That’s all. I didn’t deserve more.”

On the fifth and final day of lockdown in Melbourne, there were no fans at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday but defending champion Novak Djokovic may have been cheering Tsitsipas from his hotel room as he knocked out Nadal.

The Spaniard’s elimination not only removes a roadblock in the Serb’s bid for an 18th Grand Slam title but also ensures Djokovic will celebrate his 311th week as world number one next month, surpassing Roger Federer’s all-time record of 310.

Djokovic will meet Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev in today’s semifinal, while Tsitsipas faces Russian Daniil Medvedev in the other semi tomorrow.

Nadal will head off and regroup, he said.

“Life continues. I hope to keep having chances. Well, I (am) going to keep fighting for it.”

Thursday February 18, 2021

Tokyo Olympic committee to select woman as new chief after sexist comments furore: NHK TOKYO (Reuters) - The Tokyo 2020 organising committee will ask Japan’s Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto - a woman who competed in seven Games as a skater and a cyclist - to be its new president following the resignation of the former head over sexist comments, public broadcaster NHK said yesterday.

Yoshiro Mori quit as committee president last week after saying that women talk too much, dealing another blow to an Olympic Games already marred by a year-long delay and strong public opposition due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The panel will ask Hashimoto if she wants to take the position, NHK said.

“The selection panel is moving towards asking her,” it said.

Kyodo news agency said the Tokyo 2020 organising committee would meet on Thursday to select a new president.

Hashimoto declined to comment on the report.

“The selection committee has been set up and procedures are underway. I have nothing to say beyond that,” she told reporters.

Born days before Japan hosted the 1964 summer Games, Hashimoto is named after the Olympic flame. She took part in four Winter Olympics as a speed skater and three Summer Olympics as a cyclist.

A 56-year-old lawmaker in Japan’s ruling party, she has served as the Olympics minister, doubling as minister for women’s empowerment, since 2019. The Asahi Shimbun said that if she took the post she would have to quit as Olympics minister.

Hidemasa Nakamura, Games Delivery Officer at Tokyo 2020, said he had nothing to say beyond a press release that said the selection committee had discussed specific candidates.

“Members of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee have probably had all sorts of feelings in the past three days,” he said. “But I saw that Tokyo 2020 was more determined than ever to hold the Summer Games, and I found that very encouraging.”

Tokyo 2020 said in a statement that at a first meeting on Tuesday, the committee agreed on five criteria for the new president,

Japan’s Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto attends a news conference at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s official residence in Tokyo, Japan September 11, 2019. (REUTERS/Issei Kato) and discussed specific candidates on Wednesday. It will meet again today.

Media reports said the new president could be announced later this week.

The criteria for a new leader include a deep understanding of gender equality and diversity, and the ability to attain those values during the Games, organisers have said.

MORI FURORE ANOTHER SETBACK A former prime minister, Mori, 83, resigned last Friday after causing an ouctry by saying during an Olympic committee meeting that women talk too much. He initially defied calls to step down.

The International Olympic Committee said at the time it was as dedicated as ever to holding the Games and would work hand-inhand with Mori’s successor.

The Games are set to begin on July 23.

Organisers have said they will go ahead despite the pandemic, while opinion polls have persistently shown most Japanese oppose holding the event this year.

Medvedev wins Russian duel against...

From page 33 breaking for a 5-3 lead and then seeing out the second set.

With his energy sapped and frustrations growing there was no way back for Rublev in the third set as Medvedev jumped out to a 40 lead before sealing the contest with a forehand winner.

“We had some unbelievable rallies, I’m one of the first players to make Andrey so tired ... It’s hard to play (a friend) but we’re all

so competitive, just need to win, get to that Grand Slam semi-final,” Medvedev said.

“That was one of my best matches ... I beat him in three sets not even with a tiebreak so I’m really happy.”

Next up for the ATP Finals winner will be a lastfour meeting against either second-seeded Spaniard Rafa Nadal or fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.

Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev will meet world number one Novak Djokovic in the other semi-final on

Thursday, with the prospect of an all-Russian men’s final looming on Sunday.

“It’s unbelievable, I’m so happy for Aslan, he’s made history. I don’t know what he did in the pandemic, probably just worked hard I guess,” Medvedev said of 114th-ranked Karatsev, who at 27 is making his Grand Slam main draw debut.

“If we have an allRussian final, it’s going to be a dream come true, but we both have tough matches. It’s so good for Russian tennis.”

Thursday February 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 31

Anand Sanasie confirms challenge to Ricky Skerritt for CWI presidency Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board, Anand Sanasie will be contesting the Cricket West Indies (CWI) presidency. Sanasie confirmed his nomination to challenge current president Ricky Skerritt at next month’s elections.

Sanasie has been serving as a Director of Cricket West Indies for over a decade and is the Chief Executive Officer of Cricket Guyana Inc. It was disclosed that Vi c e - p r e s i d e n t o f t h e Barbados Cricket Association and CWI director Calvin Hope will be running for the Cricket West I n d i e s Vi c e - p r e s i d e n t position.

Nominations for the CWI posts will be closed on February 18 and the elections will be held on March 28.

Skerritt and Dr. Shallow won the previous elections which were held in 2019, defeating Whycliffe ‘Dave’ Cameron and Emmanuel Nathan by 8 votes to four.

In a release to the media late yesterday, Sanasie officially confirmed that he and Hope will be up for election as President and Vice President.

In his statement on his CWI Presidential bid Sanasie informed: “West Indies cricket is not just a sport but it is a pillar of social and psychological fortitude for our region. The passion and energy which our players exude on the field has captivated the world and cemented West Indies Cricket as a global brand and source of enjoyment and inspiration for cricket loving people everywhere. The

excellence of our players and the West Indies Team is not only infectious, it is our core product. Love and passion for West Indies cricket is innate in every West Indian.

It runs deep in our veins and it has long been established that our collective mood is enlivened when West Indies win and dampened when they don’t.”

“Like so many millions of people in the Caribbean, my love and passion for West Indies cricket has been lifelong. It was this love and passion which drove me into becoming a servant of the game through cricket administration. I served for over two decades at the community club level, the district and county levels and then for over ten years at national level in Guyana and as a Director of the West Indies Cricket Board and Cricket West Indies.”

“While my professional endeavours have allowed me to enjoy a comfortable life, it is my service to cricket and playing a role in and seeing young boys groomed into world champions and world beaters which bring me the greatest satisfaction and joy.”

“For the past ten years I have served CWI faithfully and steadfastly without much fanfare or pursuit of publicity or the limelight. I have made my contribution because it is the success of the West Indies team and the strengthening of regional cricket that have been my unwavering focus. I must admit that I am what you might classify a low key director who is not prominent in the regional media.”

GFF begins “ground breaking”...

From page 32 monitored closely by the GFF and FIFA to ensure the timely and high quality delivery of the upgrades.

“This is a historical moment for us as a Federation,” said GFF General Secretary Rev. Ian Alves.

“We are endeavouring to

make our football environment the best we can, especially for our stakeholders and members.”

The selected contractors are East Bank-based firms H&D Investments and Romano Builders Contractors and Berbiceb a s e d Te a m Wa n t e d Construction.

Shakib, Warner, Pollard...

From page 34 H u n d r e d ’s h e a d o f operations, said: “We are delighted with the level of interest we’ve had from both overseas and domestic players.

The calibre of the players involved means that it’s going to be an exciting men’s draft, with a lot of competition for spaces amongst really top-drawer names.”

Anand Sanasie

“Over the past year several directors of CWI along with many stakeholders across the region have reached out to me and sought to persuade me that I should consider serving as CWI President.

Over the past months I have given it deep thought and consideration, discussed it with my family and the executives of the Guyana Cricket Board and today I consider it a distinct honour to announce that I will be contesting the CWI presidency.

I am equally honoured to also announce that I will be contesting along a stalwart of We s t I n d i e s C r i c k e t administration, my colleague Mr. Calvin Hope of Barbados. Calvin and I have consulted widely across the region and out of these consultations we have developed a detailed manifesto which we will be unveiling in the coming weeks.”

The veteran cricket administrator further highlighted key issues of note that his team will look to accomplish as they seek to improve the fortunes of the game in the region.

“I would like, however, to highlight the three central

pillars of our campaign: Elite Team Performance First we recognize that the performance of the West Indies Team serves as a barometer for the state of West Indies Cricket and as the only constant in the regional psyche. Therefore the West Indies Team Performance is one central pillar.

Strengthening Regional Cricket Secondly regional cricket is what supplies and fortifies the West Indies Team. The territorial boards manage the production line of elite players for the West Indies teams. We believe that regional cricket requires greater investment from the CWI level and will implement a system of greater (i) sponsorship share and (ii) larger annual subvention to each territorial board.

Revolutionize Grassroots Cricket Thirdly, regional cricket and ultimately the West Indies Team are only as strong as our grassroots cricket programmes. We believe that there needs to be renewed focus, a revitalization and a revolution in grassroots and

Linden’s Sports Plus Store recognises...

From page 35 overall National Schools Track and Field, Cycling, Swimming Champions, Upper Demerara/ Kwakwani.

The presentation was made outside SportsPlus Store and those thirteen outstanding Queens College students were presented each with a backpack, the historic

50th Anniversary ‘Best of Linden Magazine’, retractable pencils, pens and notebooks.They are Britney Peters, Shanel Storm, Ariel Mohanlall, Kesyne Bagot, Jasmine Griffith, Kenroy Jameer, Syesha Frser, Yohance October, Rhean Retemeyer, Shania, Lawson, Janesia Rodney, Ashley Inniss and Dimetra Gordon.

Calvin Hope (Twitter)

school cricket all across the Caribbean.

Our manifesto will detail our plans for each of these central pillars.

Decentralize Power We recognize, critically that over the past two years, there has been a systematic centralization of power and decision making and the ostracization and miniaturization of the territorial boards who are the shareholders of West Indies Cricket acting on behalf of the people of the Caribbean.

Women’s Cricket Our team will place renewed and heavier emphasis on the development of women’s cricket, focussing on girls cricket in the form of training, competition and tournaments, camps and succession planning. The West Indies Women’s Team must be consistently among the best in the world and we will ensure there is a comprehensive strategic measurable programme in place to achieve this.

Expansion and transformation Cricket globally is in the throes of rapid transformation from the perception of a lethargic past time to a high energy,

desirable entertainment.

West Indies cricket and CWI must be at the forefront of this transformation.

West Indies Cricket must also meaningfully and purposefully pursue expansion into the vast and lucrative North American market as a critical plank of augmenting and guaranteeing financial stability. This requires a planned strategic approach which our Team will pursue with the United States cricket authorities through partnership, collaboration and synergies. The US market is poised for transformative and explosive take off and as the leading cricket governing body in this hemisphere CWI can both partner with and offer support and guidance to Cricket USA for our mutual benefit.

It is not long before T20 cricket and other variations of the shorter game become staples on the US sporting and entertainment calendar.

It is now time for the executive leadership and governance of Cricket West Indies to transition from raw political horse-trading and a centralized hoarding of power to professional, visionary and astute policy making based on equity, transparency, fairness and demonstrable competence.

This is what Calvin and I bring to the table and what we humbly offer to the people of the region. We believe that our record and reputation of service and dedication to West Indies Cricket from the grassroots to the boardroom will stand us in good stead and we look forward to the support of the territorial boards.

We give our solemn commitment to serve with fairness, integrity and inclusivity of the players and officials, the territorial boards, governments and the people of the Caribbean.”

Inter Ministries Tapeball set for Sunday The Georgetown Office Assistants promotion team, headed by James Lewis will be hosting the Inter Ministry/ Government Agencies Republic Cup Tapeball competition on Sunday at Durban Park starting at 09:00hrs.

Approval has been given by the covid task force and the competition will be played on a seven – side basis, and will be of four overs. Teams will battle for trophies and medals and other attractive prizes. Entries will be closed tomorrow and teams can contact Lewis on 628-1656 for entry.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 32

Thursday February 18, 2021

GFF begins “ground breaking” improvements for BB Eccles playfield, GFF HQ, Ann’s Grove and New Amsterdam The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) yesterday kick started major infrastructure upgrades at GFF headquarters, BB Eccles Play Field, Ann’s Grove Community Ground on the East Coast and New Amsterdam – a big leap forward for the Federation’s strategic goals to improve football facilities across the country.

The projects which are funded by the FIFA Forward programme and Concacaf”s One Concacaf Programme (OCP), will include the installation of a perimeter fence at a Playfield in BB Eccles Housing Scheme on the East Bank, the rehabilitation of the GFF office building in

GFF officials along with the respective contractors’ representatives at the signing of the agreements for the work to be done at the venues.

Campbellville Georgetown and the construction of changing rooms suitable for both male and female players and match officials at Ann’s Grove Community Ground and the Vryman Erven Ground in New Amsterdam.

“This is ground breaking for us because the whole rehabilitation process is part of the Federation’s strategic plan,” GFF First VicePresident Brigadier (rtd.)

Bruce Lovell said at a signing ceremony at GFF headquarters. “One of our strategic goals is to deal with the issue of infrastructure.

The paucity of infrastructure has continued to hamper the effective development of

football in Guyana.”

“An important aspect of the works in Ann’s Grove and New Amsterdam has to do with ensuring that there are female-friendly facilities,” Lovell said, urging the selected contractors to strive for the highest quality standards in construction and to deliver the projects on time to ensure value for all stakeholders.

The projects will begin as early as next week and are due to be completed in June.

In line with strict FIFA Forward regulations, the contracts were awarded following a thorough tender process, overseen by the global governing body of football. Progress will be (Continued on page 31)

Swiss prosecutors appeal acquittal

Barty heartbroken of ex-FIFA executive, Qatari by loss but happy to businessman in media be back in the game rights bribery case M E L B O U R N E (Reuters) - Ash Barty confessed to being heartbroken at coming up short in the Australian Open quarter-finals yesterday but did not want the shock defeat to distract from her successful return to tennis after a year on the sidelines.

The world number one returned to the tour for the Melbourne Park warm-up tournaments after staying at home to try to sit out the COVID-19 pandemic, running up an eight-match winning streak before Wednesday’s 1-6 6-3 6-2 loss to Karolina Muchova.

“It’s heartbreaking, of course,” said Barty, who was hoping to become the first homegrown Australian Open champion since Chris O’Neil in 1978.

“But will it deter me?

Will it ruin the fact we’ve had a really successful start to our season? Absolutely not. The sun will come up tomorrow.

“We go about our work again. You’re either winning or your learning. We won’t let ... this particular hour of tennis deter us from what we’re trying to do.”

In her news conference, Barty channelled her time as a cricketer to repeatedly bat back suggestions that

Ash Barty

Muchova had gamed the system by taking a medical timeout after losing the opening set.

She instead focused on her inability to take back the momentum once the revitalised Czech started playing her best tennis in the second and third sets.

“I felt like I lost control of the ball a little bit,” Barty said.

“I felt like I lost my way with overplaying, overpressing, not letting myself work into the points and really construct points as well as I’d like to.”

Barty said she had entered some upcoming tournaments in the Middle East and would make a final call on where to play after assessing the health risks.

“I think the health of my team and myself will always be the priority ... we’ll make the right decisions for the right reasons,” the former French Open champion added.

“Being back on the tour has been fantastic. I’ve loved every second, even though at times it is frustrating. That’s the name of the game. That’s the sport that we play.”

ZURICH (Reuters) Swiss prosecutors have appealed against court verdicts clearing former FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke of bribery and Qatari sports and broadcasting executive Nasser Al-Khelaifi of offering him incentives in a case involving World Cup media rights.

The prosecutors also sought further charges against Valcke.

The Attorney General’s Office had accused AlKhelaifi and an unnamed businessman of committing criminal mismanagement by offering Valcke undue advantages, including the use of a villa owned by AlKhelaifi in Sardinia rentfree.

Both Valcke and AlKhelaifi have denied wrongdoing.

“Our client was fully acquitted in October, after the most exhaustive fouryear investigation, the most comprehensive two-week trial, and where the prosecution presented every shred of evidence and put forward every possible theory, but proved nothing,” lawyers for Al-Khelaifi said in a statement.

“Absolutely nothing has changed since October, either in fact or in law.”

Former FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke leaves the Swiss Federal Criminal Court (Bundesstrafgericht) in Bellinzona, Switzerland September 14, 2020.

(REUTERS/ Arnd Wiegmann)

Valcke could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

F I FA s a i d i t w a s assessing the matter and was not in a position to comment further.

Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court in October cleared Al-Khelaifi, who is chairman of Qatari media group BeIN sports and also president of French soccer club Paris St Germain, of the charges after a two-week trial.

Valcke was acquitted of accepting bribes and criminal mismanagement.

He was given a suspended fine of 24,000 Swiss francs ($26,500) for the lesser offence of falsifying documents.

On Wednesday, the Attorney General’s Office said it had filed an appeal

seeking to have all three men convicted on the original charges it had filed.

Prosecutors allege Valcke exploited his position as FIFA secretary general between 2013 and 2015 to influence the awarding of media rights for various Wo r l d C u p a n d F I FA Confederations Cup tournaments to take place in the period between 2018 and 2030.

Valcke was secretary general for eight years until 2015, when he was banned

by FIFA’s ethics committee for 10 years for ethics violations.

The Frenchman was ordered by the Criminal Court in October to pay the Zurich-based FIFA around 1.65 million euros ($2 million) in restitution. ($1 = 0.83 euros)

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 18, 2021

PAGE 33

Sport Ministry upgrading four community Sport gear also grounds in Region Five handed over Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Hon. Charles Ramson Jr. has committed to enhancing several recreational grounds in four communities along the Region Five corridor. He also presented a quantity of sport gear to the communities to ensure that the Region’s youth are occupied in productive a c t i v i t i e s .

During an outreach to Bush Lot, Bath Settlement, D’Edward and Blairmont on Saturday last, Minister Ramson assured residents that tangible assistance would be provided to manage community grounds and in other areas as needed.

In an invited comment, he told DPI that provisions have always been made for ground enhancement, through line items in the national budget.

However, he said, “No one, especially the previous administration, ever saw fit that they should visit these grounds, if they are allocating resources to these grounds, to know how they can best make decisions to allocate these resources.”

Minister Ramson said this Administration is doing more now with the resources available, despite the fact that most of the sums in the last budget had been spent. ”In fact, maybe as much as three quarters of the budget was already spent so even though we only had a fraction of the resources, we are doing a lot more because it’s not the amount of money that you have, it’s how you use your money,” he said.

Minister Ramson believes that the people want to build a network of partnerships, which is now being explored in a meaningful way.

”So, I’m very pleased that in attempting to do things this way, we have been able to awaken a spirit of nation building through communities and through community participation that never really existed before or was never really explored before. It already existed, but was never really explored before,” he said.

The Minister pledged that funds would be made available to upgrade grounds with the necessary facilities residents requested.

Meanwhile, several persons expressed appreciation for M i n i s t e r R a m s o n ’s i n t e r v e n t i o n .

Ms. Seeta Palloo, a student of the University of Guyana, usually hosts classes for children at the Blairmont Community Centre Ground.

She has made several requests for the facilities to be enhanced and was pleased that the Minister pledged to address her concerns. ”I’m very excited. I’m very I’m grateful. He promised us a lot of things that I believe will help with the youth development and the development of sports within the community, which I believe is what Blairmont needs, especially at a time like this when you have a lot of social issues rampant. I believe that this will keep the youths engaged and it will be beneficial and fruitful for the members of Blairmont,” she said.

Mr. Heralall Darasan a cricketer of Bush Lot is also optimistic that the conditions at his community’s playfield will get better. “Over the years, we have had a lot of problems with management and also the facility is very poor and I’m very pleased and I welcome the Minister

Minister of CY&S, Hon. Charles Ramson Jr hands over a quantity of sporting gear during his outreach in Region five on Saturday last. for taking this time off and assist us with making things solidified and I endorse whatever he is doing and we are very much thankful as a c o m m u n i t y . ” Meanwhile, Mr. Krishna Sewlall of Bath Settlement said his community also welcomes the Minister’s i n t e r v e n t i o n . ”For a long time, we have not had a Minister of Youth and Sport visit this community.

This ground was neglected for the past five years so I’m happy that Minister is here and he already made some commitment in terms of ground enhancement,” he s a i d .

Mr. Sewall noted that more than 1,200 youth would benefit from improvements to the ground. (DPI)

The unkempt D’Edward ground, which would soon be upgraded

Medvedev wins Russian duel against Rublev for semis spot MELBOURNE (Reuters) Russian Daniil Medvedev outclassed friend and compatriot Andrey Rublev 7-5 6-3 6-2 in sweltering conditions at Melbourne Park yesterday to secure a spot in the Australian Open semi-finals and extend his winning streak to 19 matches.

The pair rose up through the ranks together, playing against each other on the junior circuit, and two weeks ago combined to hand Russia the ATP Cup title.

At senior level Rublev has enjoyed little success against Medvedev and yesterday marked a

fourth consecutive straight sets defeat by the 2019 U.S. Open finalist.

Following his victory at a scorching Rod Laver Arena, Medvedev, at 25 two years Rublev’s senior, needed a massage on his left thigh before proceeding to his oncourt interview and said he was cramping towards the end of a contest lasting two hours and five minutes.

“Super tough, if you come to Australia and it’s 40 (degrees) each day, it’s tough but you get used to it but we’ve had a couple of days when it was 20 degrees,” said Medvedev.

Rublev hit plenty of heavy groundstrokes at the start but struggled to find a way past his opponent’s defence. After a mid-set trade of breaks, Medvedev took the opener with a break to love in the 12th game.

The rallies grew longer as the match progressed and Rublev won a gruelling 43-shot rally in the sixth game, then slumped down beside his towel on the side of the court.

Rublev held serve for 3-3 and had three breakpoint opportunities in the next game but was unable to convert.

Medvedev sensed his opportunity, (Continued on page 30)

Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in action during his quarter final match against Russia’s Andrey Rublev. (Reuters/Jaimi Joy)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 34

Thursday February 18, 2021

Shakib, Warner, Pollard, Pooran, de Kock among overseas players in the Hundred draft 252 overseas players will compete for seven spots in next week’s draft ESPNcricinfo - 252 players will compete for the seven remaining overseas spots in next week’s draft for the men’s Hundred, with Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Shakib Al Hasan and David Warner among those to have put their names forward for selection.

The Hundred, the ECB’s new 100-ball competition, will finally launch in July 2021 after its inaugural season was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Teams were able to retain as many players as they wished from the squads selected at the initial men’s player draft in October 2019, at a mutually agreed salary band.

Wages have been cut by 20% from their original level, with the highest salary now set at £100,000 ($140,000 USD approx.) rather than £125,000.

Most teams opted to retain the majority of their squads, with Rashid Khan (Trent Rockets), Andre Russell (Southern Brave), Aaron Finch (Northern Superchargers) and Kane Williamson (Birmingham Phoenix) among the overseas players to recommit to the competition.

35 players will be selected in next week’s draft - 28 domestic, seven overseas with Manchester Originals and Welsh Fire making nearly half the picks between them after opting for overhauls.

As revealed by ESPNcricinfo, the draft will be staged virtually and behind closed doors, rather than in a live studio setting, with picks due to be announced on Tuesday, February 23, the day after the draft itself.

The availability of overseas players will be a major factor in who is picked up in the draft.

New Zealand and South Africa currently have clear schedules for the tournament’s window from late July to late August, though the pandemic has left the Future Tours Programme unclear.

West Indies are due to play home series against Australia and Pakistan which overlap with the start and end of the Hundred respectively, but Pooran and Pollard could be picked up for short stints with a view to long-term retention.

Steven Smith and Mitchell Starc, who were both contracted to Welsh

The top guns in the draft. (ESPNcricinfo Ltd) Fire for the 2020 season, have not put themselves forward for the draft.

Trent Boult is another notable absentee, after he went unpicked in the first draft, while AB de Villiers has again opted not to enter.

10 players have entered with a reserve price of £100,000, meaning at most four of them will be picked up. They are: Shakib, Babar Azam, de Kock, Lockie

Ferguson, Jason Holder, Tamim Iqbal, Pollard, Pooran, Rabada and Warner.

Teams may be wary about selecting Warner due to the overlap with Australia’s series in the Caribbean, and following his withdrawal ahead of the 2020 season after Southern Brave had selected him.

Other players who might attract interest include Shahid Afridi, Jhye

Richardson, Imran Tahir (all £80,000 reserve price), Shadab Khan, Chris Morris, Dan Christian, Dale Steyn (£60,000), Dwayne Bravo, David Miller and Mitchell Santner (£48,000). Colin Ingram, Heinrich Klaasen, Ta b r a i z S h a m s i a n d Rahmanullah Gurbaz are among those without reserve prices.

Overseas players from 13 different nations have entered, including Ireland, Netherlands, Oman and USA. Sandeep Lamichhane, the only Nepalese player involved, was previously retained by Oval Invincibles.

No Indian players have put their names forward, after Harbhajan Singh’s late withdrawal from the 2019 draft.

254 domestic players have registered for the draft.

Several players who were not retained including Saqib Mahmood, Tom Abell, Harry Gurney, Ravi Bopara, Danny Briggs, Ben Foakes and Richard Gleeson will feature on teams’ shortlists, while those who went undrafted in 2019 - including Olly Stone, Tom Lammonby, Ian Cockbain, Jamie Overton, Colin Ackermann and Samit Patel - will also attract interest.

Only three domestic players have entered with reserve prices: Tim Bresnan, Ryan ten Doeschate (both £48,000) and Richard Levi (£32,000). Agents have been in discussions with teams for several months, and it is understood that a handful of players have been given assurances that they will be picked at certain salary bands in the draft.

After the draft, each team will have 14 players in their men’s squad, including three overseas players, as well as either one or two England players with red-ball central contracts who will be available for a handful of games at the start of the season and for Finals Day, depending on the biosecurity requirements in place for international fixtures.

They will pick one final player following the group stage of the T20 Blast as a ‘wildcard’ selection.

Recruitment in the women’s competition falls under a different system, with players able to negotiate directly with teams and agree deals until the end of June.

Further players will be announced next week.

Rob Hillman, the (Continued on page 28)

Tour postponement: CSA lodges official complaint against Cricket Australia with ICC CSA is invoking both the WTC and the FTP agreement terms in search of points on the table, as well as financial compensation from CA ESPNcricinfo - Cricket South Africa (CSA) has lodged a formal complaint with the ICC over Cricket Australia’s (CA) decision to indefinitely postpone next month’s three-Test series.

Last week, CSA wrote to both the ICC and CA expressing its dissatisfaction at the tour being pushed back, also asking for means of redress after CA cited an “unacceptable” level of Covid-19 risk in South Africa as the reason for not travelling. But now, CSA has escalated the matter and asked for it to be heard at the

ICC’s dispute-resolution council.

In a letter sent by acting CEO Pholetsi Moseki, seen

by ESPNcricinfo, CSA is invoking both the World Test Championship (WTC) and the FTP agreement terms in search of points on the WTC table, as well as financial compensation from CA. It has asked the ICC to look i n t o w h e t h e r C A’ s cancellation amounts to acceptable or unacceptable non-compliance as per the WTC terms, bearing in mind that the series cannot be rescheduled before the end

of the WTC window, which is April 30, 2021. It also wants the ICC to obtain a report on the health situation in South Africa to determine if Australia breached the terms by not travelling.

According to the ICC’s FTP agreement, which has been in place since 2004, member countries are obliged to fulfil their fixtures unless there are circumstances which prevent them from doing so, including government instruction. In 2007, when the Australian government (Continued on page 29)

South Africa were due to take on Australia at home after their tour of Pakistan. (Getty Images)

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 18, 2021

PAGE 35

Dinar Trading supports GSCL Inc President’s Cup Following the ceremonial launch of the newest softball tournament, corporate entities began aligning themselves with the prestigious President’s T20 Softball tournament.

The three-day tournament which is organized jointly by the Honourable Counsel of Guyana to Florida, Ramzan Roshanalli and the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Incorporated (GSCL) was launched on Sunday February 7 at the Everest Cricket Club banquet hall with Guyana’s President His Excellency Dr. Ifraan Ali delivering the feature address and officially committing to the mega tournament.

Also joining the tournament but from the corporate side are gold and diamond dealing giants Dinar Trading of Lamaha street Alberttown, Georgetown. The entity’s representative Clifton Singh recently handed over the sponsorship cheque to Secretary of GSCL, Telesha

Ousman. In response, Ousman reminded them of the tournament’s commitment to their brands and to the sport of softball cricket.

She informed that teams have until Sunday to deposit their refundable $60,000 which is to ensure their participation.

According to the GSCL Inc, the growing list of corporate partners includes Regal Stationery and Computer Supplies, Banks Beer, Crown Mining Supplies, Regal Sport, popular Youtuber Danny Persaud with It’s our life ARD, Elegance Jewellery, Roraima Airways, Barama and Star Party Rentals.

The inaugural President’s T20 Softball tournament will be played under the auspices of the GSCL in three categories; Open (All ages), Masters (over-40 years old) and Legends (over50 years old) from March 5 to 7 at venues in and around Georgetown.

Sponsorship continues to pour in for Inaugural Speaker’s Cup The inaugural Speaker’s Cup International Softball C r i c k e t To u r n a m e n t continues to gain the backing of the business sector with a number of sponsors coming board. The tournament will be played from April 2 to April 4, 2021, Easter Weekend at venues in and around Georgetown. Those that presented sponsorship cheques to President of the Club Manzoor Nadir on Friday last are Lisa Gulamoidin, Power Producers and Distributors I n c . , C o l i n Ta l b o t Contracting Services, New Dimension Services, Vishal Auto Toy Store, We Care Health Supplies, Friends of Everest Masters and Movements Family.

Linden’s Sports Plus Store recognises Region 10’s top Grade Six Assessment students All now attending Queens College

Mr. Basil Bedessie (left) of Power Products and Distribution Inc hands over his sponsorship to Manzoor Nadir.

Preparing Preparing to to present present aa track track suit suit Mr Mr Victor Victor Wright Wright at at left, left, Mrs Mrs Eileen Eileen Wright Wright centre centre and and Ms Ms Britney Britney Peters Peters at at right. right.

T

The tournament will be hosted by the Everest Masters Cricket Team in partnership with the Honorable Speaker of the N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y, Manzoor Nadir.

It will be held in two categories, Masters Over 45 and Legends Over 50 with sixteen teams expected to participate, including six from overseas. Attractive cash prizes and trophies are up for grabs along with man

Telesha Ousman (centre) receives the sponsorship from manager of Dinar Trading Clifton Singh while his colleagues share the moment.

of the match award for each preliminary game, final and player of the tournament.

The Everest Cricket Club takes this opportunity to thank the sponsors and also look forward a long and fruitful relationship in the

interest of sports.

All covid regulations will be in place. The finals will be played at the picturesque Everest Cricket Ground. A Bar B Que and lime will also be held as a fundraiser for the club.

he thirteen top students, who all won places at Queens College last year after performing excellently at the National Grade Six Assessment Examination, were celebrated by Sports Plus, the sports equipment store which is situated at the Haynes Mall in Amelia’s Ward, Linden.

Co-owner Mr Victor Wright during the presentation quipped: “When we were growing up some of the brightest people were the best athletes and

when you go to the higher level like the NBA, what distinguishes the regular players from the superstars is the mind.

And as you develop the mind, and you put it in that great body, the achievements will go to the highest heights.

This is why we believe in supporting educational institutions in what they do, because we would like to see them do more sports in schools.”

Mr Wright was assisted by his wife Mrs Eileen Wright in making the

presentation to the thirteen students.

When asked why they wanted to show their appreciation he continued: “We believe in excellence, we believe in the mind and body connection. If you have a great mind you need to have a great body to support it.”

Britney Peters, who topped the list, was given a custom made Upper Demerara Schools black and gold track suit, which was used by the most decorated (Continued on page 29)

Anand Sanasie t confirms challenge r o p S Nadal’s to Ricky Skerritt for CWI presidency grand ambitions thwarted in Australia again Rafa Nadal

Anand Sanasie has confirmed that he will challenge incumbent Ricky Skerritt for the presidency of Cricket West Indies.

Shakib, Warner, Pollard, Pooran, de Kock among overseas players in the Hundred draft 252 overseas players will compete for seven spots in next week’s draft

Pollard, Rabada, Pooran, Shakib, Steyn and de Kock are among the 252 overseas player to have entered the Hundred draft. (ESPNcricinfo, Getty Images)

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