Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 08, 2020

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Kaieteur News

GECOM has no legal obligation to Another MMA/ADA chairman verify candidates’ eligibility - PRO benefits from thousands of acres of state lands The Guyana Elections Commission, (GECOM) has laid the responsibility of ensuring that declarations made by candidates of political parties at the feet of the politicians themselves. Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward explained yesterday that despite concerns over the eligibility of candidates to contest the elections arising from a court ruling which affirmed the ban on persons having dual citizenship, “the onus is on the politicians themselves to ensure that they are honest on the statutory declaration form. Ward told media operatives during a mid -day press meeting that “as it stands GECOM has no legal obligation to verify the information.” “I understand the concerns arising out of events leading to these elections, but GECOM has to work within the confines of the law, and the law is vague as to the legal requirements of GECOM’s role in this regard. The commission has

Yolanda Ward

swearing allegiance to another State, an MP is not eligible to be elected to serve in the National Assembly. The court ruling reaffirmed Article 155 (1) (a) of the Constitution of Guyana which states, “No person shall be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly who is, by virtue of

“The onus is on the politicians themselves to ensure that they are honest on the statutory declaration form…as it stands GECOM has no legal obligation to verify the information.” limited powers. But then again, if a candidate is not truthful in making the sworn declaration before a Commissioner of Oaths or Justice of Peace, he /she must keep this in mind that there are consequences,” she added. The PRO was at the time responding to queries about the verification of the information supplied by candidates contesting for a seat in the National Assembly. The issue of verification came to the fore last year after a court case filed by Compton Reid, a private citizen, challenged the legitimacy of the no confidence vote of former Alliance For Change (AFC) parliamentarian Charrandass Persaud. Persaud, who also holds Canadian citizenship, was expelled after voting against his party in the House. However in February, Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George made it clear that by

his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.” But the question of who held responsibility of verifying the information still arose. Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs has since noted that parliament is not mandated to check on the eligibility of politicians entering the House. He said that it is for the parties to check to ensure the persons on their list are operating within the rules of the House. Meanwhile, Attorneys-atlaw, Anil Nandlall and Sanjeev Datadin, both of whom argued the case, pointed to the consequential effects such a decision can have on other Members of the National Assembly. Both lawyers noted that the future of MPs holding dual citizenship may be uncertain.

The unbelieving man can have no peace, and how can there be happiness for one who lacks peace of mind.

Nandlall pointed out that in a scenario where the life of the Parliament should be extended, the decision can have dire effects for persons in that peculiar position. “Let us assume that we have to extend the life of parliament, for whatever reason, because these ruling persons who are in that peculiar circumstance should not be sitting in the Parliament. And this has nothing to do with elections. Of course, at an election, leaders of the lists must henceforth have to ensure persons placed on those lists comply with the constitutional provisions as it relates to dual citizenship.”

The first post-2015 elections chairman of the Mahaica-Mahaicony Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA), Dr. Kenneth Sealey, also benefitted from state lands. According to documents of the MMA-ADA, its Land Sub-Committee on May 20, 2016 considered applications for Albertha Investment Inc. That company applied for two areas for agricultural purposes. The company had as its directors Dr. Sealey and Selma Sealey, who is the Secretary/ Director. One area was for 2,000 acres and it is situated north of the Herstelling Drain, east of the MMA-ADA main canal, and on the West Bank of Berbice. Albertha was said to be in occupation of the land with cattle on it. The business was also reportedly planting permanent crops. Albertha also on the same date had another application for 152.425 acres. These lands were said to be located in the Abary area. This tract of land was previously occupied by Belmont Investment Limited, which was defunct. MMA-ADA documents to the Lands Sub-Committee indicate that Albertha started occupying the lands which also once housed an army

MMA-ADA’s former chairman, Dr. Kenneth Sealey farm. The two applications had been filed just two days before the Land Sub-Committee of MMA-ADA considered the transactions. Both transactions were approved for rental of 50 years with $1,000 per acre charged annually. The disclosures would come as questions about possible conflict of interest situations were also raised recently when it was learnt the current chairman, Kelvin Saul, who took over from Sealey in 2018, would have benefitted from 10,000-plus acres. Saul has since defended the transaction of those lands, explaining that it was forested lands that he had

with some partners which was converted to agriculture. The applications for the conversions had to be processed by the MMAADA as the lands are said to be located in the area. He said that he had recused himself. Sealey would have been appointed as Chairman in late 2015. There has been increased scrutiny into the allocations of lands and other transactions involving state properties, within recent times. The Opposition has said it is compiling a list of land transactions which appear to be highly illegal and improper. Kaieteur News was unable to make contact with Sealey.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 08, 2020

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

EDITORIAL

Oil and Gold One is good for Guyana, while the other does not bode so well for struggling citizens, as it has a certain kind of history that runs amok at the first sign of pressure. There is gold that brings in, and then there is oil, which takes out, as we are still buying the latter from others as of this date. First, with the US-Iran development as a backdrop, the gold markets skyrocketed, as is the norm, where investors seek the accepted and traditional safe haven provided by the commodity. It is the place to put one’s money, while the storms rage and until the dust, hopefully, blows over. Until then, it is any port for a storm, and gold is the best harbour that is known. That is a positive for this country, since gold sales - as officially sold to the responsible state agency and declared and exported by subagents through recognized channels are then in a position to capitalize on a rising price environment. The offshoot of positioning for, and taking advantage of such higher prices, is that more precious foreign exchange flows into the coffers of the Treasury. Every dollar counts and there is so much work to do for each of those scarce dollars that come. From all indications, the tensions, threats, and fears originating from that drone strike are not likely to be tamped down anytime soon, by either of the parties. In fact, it would appear as though the American side, sensing a rare opportunity to double down, has done just that through ratcheting up the pressure in a relentless squeeze play that speaks towards aggression and readiness to unleash hostilities in very tangible forms. The Iranians have contented themselves with a few sharp, but sparse words, as they lick their wounds and seek to recalibrate for a strong response. Yet before they can even get to that retaliatory point, the indications are that the American leader is determined to take the fight to them and stuff things down their throats, come what may. The same belligerence that is now lauded in some quarters, is also feared in many others, both domestic and foreign. To be clinical about this, all of these developments are good for the gold and other commodities markets, as matters stand poised over a tinderbox. That is the upside, in terms of what could come back to this country from gold proceeds. Then there is the negative, relative to the same forces that catapulted oil where it was over $70 a barrel momentarily. It has settled back to below $70 and hovers in the mid-$60 range. The expectation is that trading is sure to be volatile, with prices gyrating and whipsawing with every development that points to intensifying tensions and the greater probability of confrontation, if not armed conflict. Everything has to be looked at, with nothing left unaccounted for, or to the chance that it does not feature. Oil infrastructure - rigs, pipelines, tankers - are due the most severe tests, since they make for such vulnerable and indefensible targets. The Strait of Hormuz itself is a hotbed of crude traffic and other activity, as well as virtually a Persian lake, which makes it tempting to be utilized as a launching pad for armed escalation, and armed is what it is going to be, if any retaliation is to be recognized as possessing teeth. While oil prices bubble and blow (hard), the irony is that Guyana is an oil producer, but currently still subject to importing its needs, at least for the near future. Recently, it was reported in the media that there are multiples of the nation’s need for cooking gas coming from its wellheads, the flares of which can be captured. That alone is a difference maker, where it counts, which is in the pocket, but still not accessible domestically just yet. Meanwhile, the people operating what passes for the transportation system are watching silently, with a view to revisit their prices. It is never downward, to the dismay of the travelling public. Perhaps, given where we are, government could reduce some of the related taxes, should oil prices hit the roof, if only to give the suffering public some relief before the floodgates open.

We are obviously in deep, unchartered waters DEAR EDITOR, The recent case of the EPA only now seeking to review the law which restricted them to fining Repsol the absurd equivalent of US$ 5,000 for a recent mud spill reveals how woefully unprepared we are for the myriad complexities of the oil and gas industry. In her recent book “Blowout”, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow provides an expose on Big Oil. This book should be required reading for every politician and concerned Guyanese. Here are a few excerpts: “….... government officials who, relying too much on industry’s assertions of the safety of their operations, failed to create and apply a program of regulatory oversight that would have properly minimized the risks of

deepwater drilling.” (The EPA is only now lobbying the government to push for 24/7 oversight.) “What Putin did not fully appreciate …...was that ExxonMobil was in the habit of getting final say in all of its partnership ventures.” (If Russia was unable to negotiate favourably with ExxonMobil, what chance has Guyana?) “.....countries dependent on oil as their major resource for development are characterized by exceptionally poor governance and high corruption...often devastating economic, health and environmental consequences at the local level....In sum, countries that depend on oil for their livelihood eventually become the most economically troubled....”

“Even with less rapacious elites, there is still the baseline problem …...with big swings in the price of oil, any effort at long-term sane budgeting and investment for the population’s basic needs is impossible in a country newly dependent on oil revenues for its cash.” (My emphasis.) “(Oil and gas companies).....make big expensive investments that cost a ton upfront, and they need to be assured they’ll be able to collect the promised payout after all that work and expense. So the longer the relevant foreign ruler is in power, the better.” (Does this perhaps indicate which party ExxonMobil’s money is on?) But the most damning of all: “How about the details of the production agreement ExxonMobil had negotiated with Guyana, which included

an $18 million signing bonus to the Guyanese government..... …....Exxon has its secret special menu of which exact government officials or proxies an American oil company must pay off - and how well – in order to secure the right to profit from a country’s natural resources. Without hassle from said government.” So if Oil and Gas is the panacea for all Guyana’s economic woes, what prompted the founder of OPEC to say, “Oil is the excrement of the devil”? Or why did a former Saudi Arabia oil minister remark, “I wish we’d discovered water”? We are obviously in deep, unchartered waters. And we only now realize we don’t know how to swim. Clairmont Lye

Cornelia Ida residents under flood threat because of lawlessness DEAR EDITOR, I beg of you to allow me space to highlight a burning issue that is affecting the residents of Cornelia Ida, SeaView Housing Scheme W.C.D. I have been pleading with government(s) for over 20 years to give us wider drains and more water out-let to alleviate the effects of high tide over-topping water. Our present government, who was opposition then, promise to do it when they got in to power. Indeed, in 2016, the present government dug a 15 feet drain and planned to further widen it as time goes by. They also removed a 4 feet culvert and replaced it

with an 18 feet bridge. This was done to allow faster water exit from the over-topping. These new developments handled the last high tide reasonable well. Just when we thought all was going well, the unthinkable happened. A woman whose house was built on government’s reserve next to the drain decided she wanted more land. She “pal-off “7 feet of the drain (see pic). Editor, not 6 inches or a foot, 7 feet. This lawlessness was aided by workers working on the sea defense upgrade. We keep hearing about various sums of money paid to different individuals to facilitate this

illegal activity. Editor, I reported this matter to the Stewartville NDC chairman personally. He didn’t even move a muscle. It was further reported to officials at the RDC. Still, nothing happened. I subsequently spoke to a government sea defense Engineer who assured me that instruction was given to an engineer to remove it, nothing happened. Instead, a concrete fence is now being allowed to be erected on this piece of land. This main drain is now severely reduced in capacity. Editor, 28 legal residents of Sea-View, Cornelia Ida who pay rates and taxes will now have to brace ourselves once again to endure the devastation of high-tide

flooding due to lawlessness to the highest extent. It is a terrible shame that we have to beg the subject minister responsible to intervene and save us. We have enough law to charge and place people before the courts for these unlawful acts. But why isn’t it done. Maybe corruption is part of the deal to facilitate this land grabbing exercise. Until those entrusted to uphold the law start losing their jobs for dereliction of duty, these kind of nonsense will continue to destroy our country. We are eagerly awaiting to see what course of action will be taken to protect the law abiding residents of Sea-View, Cornelia Ida. Yours sincerely, Concerned resident

Freddie’s penchant for bandwagoning is annoying DEAR EDITOR, I like reading FK’s column. I have great respect for the man but sometimes I find his penchant for indiscrete bandwagoning annoying. Take for instance; when the local commentators were out to literally crucify Clifford Krauss for writing,” Guyana is a vast, watery wilderness ……. children….. play naked in the muggy heat.” Freddie, despite having written that Guyana is a “waste land” and “dead zone” on numerous occasions couldn’t resist the temptation to join in with his proverbial hatchet in hand. Freddie was there, condoning the “vitriolic anger from Guyanese with the New York Times correspondent, Clifford Krauss, and rightly so” and “People like Krauss, though they come from rich

countries, don’t necessarily have a perspective on life that is a healthy one”. I honestly haven’t got the gist of his last statement above to this day. Freddie’s latest indiscrete bandwagoning escapade occurred in his January 5th column where he claimed to take the side of a Mike McCormack’s missive, “GGDMA’s power- drunk election strategy.” While McCormack kept his critique mainly to the GGDMA, Freddie! After a lengthy foray about the “ tagnation of socialism” and “runaway capitalism”, in his usual egotistical persuasion, went straight to what he perceived to be “the Alphonso Empire”, which he considers, “stupendously wealthy and has extensive mining rights”. I had the pleasure of working for Mr Alfro Alphonso, he is

a wonderful human being. In 2002 he told me that he was paying over 100 million per year to GGMC as revenues for the upkeep of his mining blocks. So while people like Freddie are zealously eyeing the man’s “extensive mining rights”, those rights were no gifts, Alphonso was contributing handsomely to the state over the years for his mining blocks. What is wrong about an entrepreneur having vision for the future? Mr Alphonso, being in mining knew he would need mining blocks in the future and the state facilitated him in acquiring same at a yearly upkeep price which he had honoured through the years. If, due to the dynamics of change, the state so required him to relinquish a few blocks, he should be well compensated for same.

Freddie quoted a statement from McCormack’s missive where, apart from a host of other undesired actions, he accuses GGDMA of “engaging in widespread tax avoidance.” Who pays their taxes if they can avoid doing so? The integrity commission requires the ruling class to declare their assets yearly. This does not require paying a dime, yet many of them are reluctant to do so. I wonder if Freddie does not consider these people as being in the “wealthy class” that he is clamouring for the youths to reject. The onus is on the government to set reasonable tax regime and safeguard to collect same. Over taxation kills the source for these taxes and causes great discomfort to the general (Continued on page 6)

Wednesday January 08, 2020

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Kaieteur News

A major issue that must be faced DEAR EDITOR, Before the 2015 General Elections, APNU+AFC vigorously denied its intention to close SUGAR and, in fact, promised “to energize SUGAR and return it to former glory years”. APNU+AFC was forced during the 2015 elections campaign into denying its intention to close SUGAR because, during 2013 and 2014, various spokespersons had leaked APNU’s intention to close SUGAR if it got into government. Consequently, in the 2015 campaign, APNU+AFC had to go out of its way to deny it would close sugar estates and vigorously promised the country and sugar workers that “SUGAR was too big to fail and that SUGAR must remain the foundation of the economy”. This all changed in May 2015 as APNU+AFC took control of the government. Four estates were closed, more than 7,000 workers lost their jobs and the remaining ones have been treated as second-class citizens. They have not had a wage increase for five successive years. The annual production incentive (API) has virtually disappeared. After an encouraging production achievement of 233,000 tons of sugar in 2015, GUYSUCO barely was able to produce 90,000 tons in 2019, a whopping 17,000 tons below

an already low target of 107,000 tons. This is the worst production in almost 100 years and the worst production since 1876 if we leave out years of severe droughts and floods. Through NICIL/SPU, GUYSUCO took a loan of $G30B ($US150M). No one is accounting for the money. But APNU+AFC, NICIL/SPU and GUYSUCO are justifying 2019 disgraceful production by blaming workers, the weather and factory downtime. The evidence tells a different story. The workers did not strike more in 2019 than they did in 2015 or 2016 or 2017 or 2018. In fact, fewer days were lost because of workers’ strikes in 2019 than were lost in any of the previous years since 2014. Thus, accusing workers is not only a bogus excuse, but insulting to workers. The weather did not affect cultivation and harvesting any more than it did in any of the years for more than a decade now. In fact, rice production in 2019 which is far more sensitive to bad weather was able to surpass production for 2016, 2017 and 2018. This excuse is not just incomprehensible, but is clearly out of desperation. It is true, however, that factory downtime, accounting for close to 800 days, especially at Albion and Blairmont, did contribute to

the dismal production in the estates. In combination with poor management of the industry, the downtime played an important role in GUYSUCO’s worst production for almost 150 years, outside of those years when weather brought the industry to a halt. Starving GUYSUCO of the resources they need to effectively manage the industry is no accident. Demoralizing the workers is deliberate. The intention is to create a failing industry as an excuse to finally close SUGAR. If APNU+AFC continues in Government, there will be further closures of estates. Blairmont and Uitvlugt are on the chopping block in 2020-2021. I had predicted the Wales closure for 2015-2016 and it happened. When I raised the abandonment of the sugar fields in West Canje as a sign that Rose Hall will be closed in 2016-2017, I was accused of fear mongering. It turned out to be true. I also predicted the Enmore-LBI closure in 2017-2018. The deliberate sabotaging of sugar production in Guyana is setting the stage for the eventual closure of SUGAR, just as APNU+AFC had vowed in 2013 and 2014. I harbour no doubt that APNU+AFC will close estates in 2020-2021, leaving only Albion to meet local

demands. APNU+AFC, NICIL/SPU and GUYSUCO have no excuse for the dismal 90,000 tons of sugar production in 2019. There was no major strikes, no serious weatherrelated conditions, but GUYSUCO fell more than 17,000 below its own target. In 2015, GUYSUCO produced 233,000 tons, meaning under APNU+AFC leadership, GUYSUCO’s production has fallen to less than 39% its 2015 production. In fact, since 1876, this is the worse ever production in a year not affected by massive flooding or drought. Every year since 1876, the first year Guyana reached the milestone of 100,000 tons, Guyana has consistently reached that milestone, outside of years of debilitating droughts and floods. But 2019 is only the harbinger - unless there is a change in government, GUYSUCO has more dreadful years ahead. Guyana, reached 100,000 tons sugar production for the first time in 1876, that is 144 years ago, as Ian McDonald reminded us a few weeks ago. Between 1876 and 1926, a period of 50 years, Guyana failed to surpass 90,000 tons only ten times, in 1878, 1899, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1919, 1920, 1923, 1924 and 1926. All of those years, Guyana suffered from massive multi-year droughts and floods. For

example, in 1878, Guyana produced 76,525 tons of sugar, but suffered from a debilitating drought that totally obliterated agriculture, a drought that began in 1877 and ended in 1879. Between 1910 and 1914, Guyana suffered a drought that began in 1910 and ended in 1914. The point is that production below 90,000 tons in the 50-years period between 1876 and 1926 was mainly due to either catastrophic droughts or floods. From 1926 to 2018, Guyana maintained production that never fell below 100,000 tons. Guyana’s sugar production had ramped up to a level that even severe floods and droughts did not result in production falling below 100,000 tons, until 2019. For 95 successive years, Guyana maintained production way above 100,000 tons. Even with the catastrophic floods of 2005, Guyana produced more than

200,000 tons of sugar. Thus, if we leave out the years where national production was affected by severe droughts and floods, the 2019 production of 90,000 tons, was last achieved in 1875, almost 150 years ago. That is the record of the APNU+AFC-led GUYSUCO. It is disgraceful and a reason why we must put an end to this shame. For the upcoming elections, this is one of the major issues facing us. Will we allow SUGAR to end in Guyana or will we allow SUGAR to resume its role as a major employer and as a major player in the socioeconomic architecture of Guyana? The choice has become clear - APNU+AFC will end the important socioeconomic role of SUGAR, several small parties, like Badal’s party support this move, while the PPP is vowing to reopen sugar estates and restore the glory days of SUGAR. Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

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Is Mr Ramjattan saying the Coalition wants to close sugar? DEAR EDITOR, A newspaper on January 06 quoted Coalition’s Prime Minister hopeful Mr Khemraj Ramjattan, we must emphasize ‘hopeful’ given no mention of his hopeful title has been officially announced, to have said at the January 03 campaign launch activity that ”[w]e want to wane the next generation away from cane cutting…”. It appears to us that the ‘hopeful’ Mr Ramjattan really is a very confused person. So apparently, Mr Ramjattan in offering a justification for the Coalition’s justification for its cruel and heartless treatment of the sugar industry and the thousands who depend on it now says he and his colleagues want to bring an end to cane cutting in this country. While it is known that cane cutting tasks are generally one of the more demanding and backbreaking jobs in our nation, it allowed many families to be

able to put meals on the table, put a roof over their head and allowed their children to go on to reach for the stars. Many prominent Guyanese have roots in their sugar industry. Their academic accomplishments were on the backs of their parents, grandparents and other relatives whose work in the industry supported their pursuits. Their work and efforts should not be demeaned but be celebrated and are a sterling example of hard work and perseverance. But it appears, in Mr Ramjattan’s mind an end to cane cutting really means that those who engage in such tasks should be put out of jobs and placed on the breadline without anything to do. As this is what has happened. Certainly, any Government, any leader, or even any ‘hopeful, worth their salt, would not fathom such an approach. But then Mr Ramjattan and company, are not known for their contemporary and rationale

approaches to issues. Just remember half of 65 being 34. But we see the ‘hopeful’ statement as a more ominous indicator. If Mr Ramjattan wants us Guyanese away from cane cutting, is it that he is saying that the Coalition, if re-elected, will bring an end to the sugar industry and thus cane cutting? When it comes to the sugar industry, like many other things, from our experience, it is hard to take at face value what is being said by the now caretaker Administration. The recent newspaper article reminded that the same ‘hopeful’ in 2015 said ”…I want to tell you that the propaganda that you are hearing the APNU/AFC coalition is going to ground both industries to the dirt is all lies! We are not going to in any way close the sugar industry”. Well it remind us, time is the greatest judge, as not even fully five (5) years later, the sugar industry has seen four (4) estates closed; many made jobless, and the industry last year recording its worst production since 1926. While the Government

has said it is committed to maintaining the minimized sugar industry, such expressions, we are aware, have not been translated into any tangible measure. The Guyanese public is well aware that $30B has been borrowed to improve the industry’s standing yet after nearly two (2) years the projects earmarked that funding have not broken ground. A January 03 report in another newspaper quoted a GuySuCo statement as saying ”[t]he Industry will continue to face challenges to achieving reliability in the factories if … capital investments continue to be delayed”. Clearly, in our view, the industry though having monies available is being starved of the investment that is desperately required at this time. And, now Mr Ramjattan says a Government he is a part of wants to end cane cutting. It’s hard not to connect the dots. Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU

Keep up the good work DEAR EDITOR The massive enhancement and development works done at Supenaam/Good Hope, is a project that the Coalition Government certainly must be applauded for. I was sitting there one morning enjoying the atmosphere and the beautiful scenes of the surrounding, not forgetting the sound of the rippling waves. My understanding is, that

project is managed by a Committee appointed by the Regional Administration of Region # 2, but while I was sitting there I saw three men cleaning the entire area. I had a conversation with them during which I encouraged them to keep up the good works that they were doing. They told me they are employed by Mr. Morris Bovell to clean the entire area as often as possible and not

the Management Committee. I know Mr. Bovell well, he is a businessman, and owner and operator of several boats also a popular person, so I was not surprised that he was paying them. I also know that this gentleman has volunteered to maintain the compound of the Good Hope Health Centre, slashing the grass, painting the fences, among other things and have been doing that for years, and he is also involved in the

maintenance of the Play Ground and various other Community Projects. Some praises and accolades to him and I hope that others not only in that area or village can get on board, but also in other villages as well. Keep up the good work Mr. Bovell, and I sincerely hope that your actions would be emulated by others. Archie W. Cordis

which they provide similar services, for me to make an online purchase and/or transaction I must first make contact with the b a n k ’s h e a d o ff i c e i n Trinidad and Tobago for them to provide access to my account, which was opened in Guyana. It is burdensome to make calls to Trinidad and Tobago every time one as to do an online transaction because access is given only for 24 hrs. Hence, a subsequent transaction would necessitate another call and note that not all time you will get through easily or may have wait and go through extensions to get to the individual authorized to open the account. In addition to the inconvenience, the cost to call to Trinidad and Tobago must be borne by the a c c o u n t h o l d e r. T h e account holder is no way at fault if the bank cannot

provide proper security for the transaction and payment; that is the responsibility of the bank and as such should be the one to provide such calls free of cost to the account holder or return the remittance. It is unfair because I did not apply to any office outside of Guyana to initiate any process to open my account and I was never told subsequently, that I would need to make contact with its headquarters in Trinidad for any transaction. Through this medium, I am calling on the Bank of Guyana to make the necessary declaration to protect the citizens from being unfairly treated and ensure that Republic Bank Ltd (Guy) compensate for all the calls made for this purpose over the years. Yours sincerely, S. J.

Wednesday January 08, 2020

We need a more efficient system to work with DEAR EDITOR, As our clock ticks away towards the March 2nd general elections, Guyanese should be paying very keen attention to what I regard as confusion over the voters’ list. In recent weeks, GECOM has announced that the so called Revised Voters’ List contains an astonishing 671,000 out of population which is officially listed at 750,000. This simply cannot be even if we deploy the most creative and dishonest forms of calculation. Far as I know, Guyana’s schools population of students under age 18 is listed at about 260,000. Therefore, if you subtract this number from 750,000, the revised list cannot be anywhere 671,000. Editor, this situation could represent what people around the world refer to as the perfect storm for controversy and political unrest. I have read letters and commentaries from people in both the dailies and in social media platforms, blaming last year’s ruling by the Chief Justice that qualified people cannot be removed from the list. How GECOM will manage this looming level of confusion in the coming

days as the date nears and as the political tension rises, is beyond me. I do fear some level of confusion on elections day. Going forward, I look forward to the day when the major parties, in and out of parliament, will sit down like knights at the roundtable, and clean up this sordidly confusing and overly bureaucratic electoral system of ours. We sit in front of our television sets and watch as results from places on the globe with far larger populations being announced within hours of an election. Ours is fraught with objections from parties, recounts and disputations of the statements of polls. We simply have to find a more efficient system to work with. Also, we do not hear of the political strife that accompanies preparations for general elections in other places as is the case here with our electoral scroll. I am dearly hoping that the system is revised in the near future so it could make more sense to ordinary Guyanese. I look forward to the publication of the final voters’ list and the numbers on that list therein. Peter Joseph

Patriotic pensioners The BoG must make the necessary declaration deserve their due to protect citizens DEAR EDITOR, It is out of frustration that I have decided to make public the travesty one has to go through when making online transactions Republic Bank Ltd (Guy). I have noticed that the bank has decided to compensate for the inconvenience caused due to

the transition and upgrade of its electronic system, for which they should be applauded. However, one issue that needs urgent attention is the online purchasing system using its card. As a Guyanese, I am not sure if it is applicable to other territories as well in

Freddie’s penchant for... From page 4 populace. It is evident that the Coalition is guilty in this regard hence Andron Alphonso’s motive to inspire the mining fraternity into some sort of “affirmative action” should be seen as a patriotic stance.

Freddie saw it otherwise and call for the “rejection” of the “wealthy class” to save Guyana. Audacious! Freddie would always be Freddie! Yapping at anything to keep his daily column running. Rudolph Singh

DEAR EDITOR, I have read a letter published in one of the national newspapers dated January 7, 2020 penned by a senior citizen who was perplexed about the future of senior citizens as to their benefit now that oil production has come into the equation. I am in total concurrence with the writer. The pregnant silence which surrounds this topic by all political parties is disturbing. We must recognise that for the last fifty years the now pensioned sector of society had the Herculean task of getting to work each day by walking, riding bicycles or bus, through sun and rain. This was done because of their belief that one day things would get better and they also had to feed their families and contribute to their great nation. I had, for about four

hours, listened attentively to the 2018 budget presented to the nation by the Honourable Finance Minister who in his closing statement made it clear that due to calls received from concerned pensioners about the poor recompense given for their commitment to this country. He promised then he would have addressed that issue in the 2010 budget. I am aware that his hands are restrained due to the extant political situation that had been foisted upon this nation in December 2018. I, in my usual pessimistic nature hope that with oil now being considered in the economic sphere of things that some mention about this situation be made by all stakeholders to give those patriotic pensioners their due. Regards, Orin Major

Wednesday January 08, 2020

Girl, 12, dies after choking in hammock at friend’s home

Dead: Ashley Agard The police in Number 1 sub-division in Region Six have launched an investigation in connection with the sudden death of a 12-year-old Vryman’s Erven Secondary School Student from Rotterdam, East Bank Berbice. Dead is Ashley Agard who was at her friend’s house at Lonsdale, East Bank Berbice having a play date, when the unfortunate incident took place. A senior police source in Region Six told Kaieteur News that a post mortem has been conducted and it was revealed that Agard died from Asphyxiation due to Broncho-aspiration of Gastric content, compounded by compression injury to the neck. The autopsy was carried out by Government Pathologist Nehaul Singh at the Anthony Funeral Home, West Coast Berbice. According to Commander Calvin Brutus, based on what the Pathologist has indicated, he has given instructions to carry out an extensive probe into the circumstances sur-

rounding the death of Agard. As such, the mother of the other pre-teen has been detained and is being questioned by investigators. Meanwhile, reports are that Agard had visited the home of her friend on Monday and they were “playing” in the hammock in the lower flat of the two-storey building while the mother of Agard’s friend was upstairs. It was not long after that the little girl noticed something was wrong with Agard since she was unresponsive in the hammock with her head hanging. The little girl reportedly rushed upstairs and informed her mother who ventured to the lower flat, only to see Agard frothing from the mouth with her head hanging, police sources said. The woman immediately contacted the mother of the child who showed up as fast as she could. The pre-teen was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Kaieteur News

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‘Everyone’s scared’ - Puerto Rico declares emergency after earthquakes SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Reuters) - Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez declared a state of emergency yesterday after a series of earthquakes killed at least one person, toppled buildings and knocked out power to nearly the entire island of more than 3 million people. The largest of the quakes in the U.S. territory registered at magnitude 6.4, the most powerful to hit the Caribbean island in 102 years.With two large power plants shut down, drinking water was cut off to at least 300,000 customers, Vazquez told a news conference.She said power should be restored to most of the island within 24 to 48 hours. Puerto Rico schools will remain closed and public employees, other than health workers and police, will stay home today while checks are made on the structural safety of buildings, Vazquez said. “There are people who have lost their lives, there are people who have lost all their property,” She told reporters, without giving further details on the extent of damage and injuries. Puerto Rico’s electricity authority said it hoped to re-establish services during the night in the metropolitan area of San Juan, the capital, which is home to about 2.3 million people. At least 346 people were left homeless, officials said, after homes were flattened, mostly in the south of the island. Many damaged buildings sat next to piles of rubble. Bottled water, batteries and flashlights ran low at San Juan supermarkets and ice was scarce as residents tried to keep food from rotting, said resident Luis Borri, 31. “Water is running out, people are grabbing like 10 boxes,” said Borri, who recharged his cellphone at San Juan’s international airport where he works and where backup generators allowed normal services to continue. Puerto Rico’s emergency declaration will facilitate federal financial aid. President Donald Trump has been briefed on the earthquakes, and administration officials were monitoring the

impact in coordination with Puerto Rico officials. HURRICANES AND BANKRUPTCY Puerto Rico has been rocked by hundreds of quakes since Dec. 28, including 10 of magnitude 4 or greater, the U.S. Geological Survey said.Powerful quakes are rare in Puerto Rico. A 7.3 magnitude quake that occurred in 1918 triggered a tsunami and killed 116 people, according to the island’s seismology office.“Everyone’s scared, it’s the first time anything like this has happened,” said San Juan resident Patricia Alonso, 48, who with her 13-year-old son was heading to her mother’s apartment building, which had power from an emergency generator.Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 killed about 3,000 people and destroyed a significant amount of infrastructure. Puerto Rico is also working through a bankruptcy process to restructure about $120 billion of debt and pension obligations.“We are a resilient people. We have responded to many difficult situations. Now this has been asked of us one more time,” said Vazquez, who assumed office in August after Ricardo Rossello stepped down over a scandal involving offensive chat messages and government corruption. One of Tuesday’s quakes triggered an automatic shutdown of electricity across the island as a safety measure and a later, more powerful quake damaged power plants in the southern part of the island, Vazquez said. A 73-year-old man died after a wall fell on him, and a power plant worker was hospitalized after he was hit by debris, the governor said. Yesterday’s magnitude 6.4 quake struck at a depth of 6 miles (10 km) at 4:24 a.m. (0824 GMT) near Ponce on the island’s southern coast, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Witnesses on social media described it as “super strong” and lasting up to 30 seconds. It was followed by a number of hefty aftershocks, including two measuring 5.6.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 08, 2020

January 17 is final day for parties to coalesce Political parties have until January 17, 2020, to coalesce if they so intend. During a Nomination Day Press Briefing jointly hosted by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and Guyana Press Association (GPA) at Moray House Trust, GECOM Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward made this and other revelations about the nomination process. Nomination Day is slated for Friday, January 10, 2020. January 11, the following day, is the last day for the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield to be notified of withdrawals or deaths of candidates.

Then, on January 12, Lowenfield is expected to make notice of defective lists, after which January 13 is provided as the deadline for corrections. On January 15, GECOM will provide information about whether it approves or disapproves of the lists declared. On the following day, appeals may be made to the High Court if persons are unsatisfied with GECOMs judgment(s). Ward said that January 17 is the final day on which persons may decide that they would like to merge their lists. An information session was recently held by GECOM

to apprise parties of their roles and responsibilities for participating in the General and Regional Elections of March 2, 2020, during which Kaieteur News observed that a total of 19 parties were interested in contesting. Some coalitions already exist, and few others have said that they are open to making partnerships. A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is a coalition of several small parties, led by its largest constituent, the Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR). That coalition has, in turn, coalesced with the Alliance for Change (AFC). This March will make the second General Election in which the APNU+AFC will contest as a coalition. It had formed in 2015, as the leaders thought it would be the best bet to unseat the then Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) government. It is the largest coalition in Guyanas history, in which parliamentary seats, local government and other posts have been delegated, detailed in a secretive agreement, the

Some media representatives at the GPA/ GECOM briefing yesterday

Revised Cummingsburg Accord. What is known is that David Granger is the partys presidential candidate, while AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan is the prime ministerial candidate.

A New and United Guyana (ANUG) has also announced a coalition with the Federal United Party (FEDUP). The details of that coalition are also unclear. The two parties coalesced because, they indicated, they see ethno-political voting as a common enemy. Several religious parties have been announced, and those have shown some in-

terest in forming a religious partnership. However, none has yet been announced. The PPP has made no indication of an intention to coalesce with another party, as the General Secretary has said on several occasions that it can win the election on its own. It has, however, welcomed persons to partner with the PPP, by joining under its banner.

Wednesday January 08, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Who gave the orders to sign the contract? We live in a strange country. One man denied a link between debt and oil. Peeping Tom demolished the denial and yet the man rebutted that Peeping Tom had vindicated his position. Guyana has to repay the pre-contract costs for oil exploration. This costs runs to almost half of what Guyana’s external debt was when it was classified as a highly indebted poor country. Yet, we are now being told that there is a difference between the pre-contract costs and sovereign debt, since the former would only become due if oil was found. These rebuttals remind me of the argument that 34 is the majority of sixty-five. Well, Guyana has found oil and it has to repay the precontract costs. You can call it

what you want, it has to be repaid. And we know that the pre-contract costs alone will amount to more than 3 times the amount which Guyana is expected to earn in its first year of oil production. The generous terms of the Production Sharing Agreement between Exxon and the government of Guyana, was not the only bonanza that the oil giant received. The company also was able to negotiate a mere US$18M signing bonus. At the time of the signing bonus, Exxon had struck oil. The government knew and accepted a mere US$18M. The French Company Total recently agreed to pay Suriname US$100M as a signing bonus for a 50% stake in an oil block in that country. No oil had been found in the block at that time and

Suriname received more than five times what Guyana got. Out of the US$18M, it is believed that US$3.7 has already been spent on legal fees for prosecuting Guyana’s case in front of the International Court of Justice. The case has not yet gotten past the jurisdictional stage and already almost G$800M has been spent. Imagine what will happen if it does get past that stage. Last October, Brazil received US2.2B in signing bonus for twelve oil blocks. This works out to US$183M per block. Guyana accepted 10% of this sum as its signing bonus for the Stabroek Block, and this after oil had been found. Those who were responsible for signing the Production Sharing Agreement and the signing bonus between

DEM BOYS SEH

City Hall is de best place fuh Nomination Day Friday is when all dem political parties, new and old, will signify dem intention to contest de elections. Of course, dem boys seh is every time elections come around some [political parties does born and as soon as elections done dem does disappear. Dem reporters hear is fourteen parties present dem symbols to show that dem interested. When Friday come dem have to provide dem list of de candidates wid 65 names supporting each candidate. Over de years that has always been a problem because some of dem couldn’t even find five names from dem own house. De last couple times dem had elections GECOM use

to ask all dem parties to present dem list wid de Presidential candidate at City Hall. Dem parties would dance through de streets till dem meet City Hall. Dem boys want dem do de same thing this year. De Waterfalls boss man know that City Hall is a death trap. That is why he was smiling till he hear that dem parties gun present dem list at Umana Yana. De man nearly cry because he seh wid all de stupidness that going on it woulda be nice fuh all dem parties and dem candidates to go inside City Hall. Because it is a death trap de Waterfalls boss man seh that is de right place fuh all of dem.Anodda thing that dem boys talking about is de se-

crecy wid de Cummingsburg Accord. De last time APNU and Hay Hef See sign de accord dem was quick to point out everything that was inside. Now dem decide to keep whatever dem sign really secret. Dem boys believe it got to do wid de oil. Dem boys believe Hap New and Hay Hef See agree to keep people guessing about de oil money. Dem know Jagdeo want put he hand on de money. That Cummingsburg Accord is like a marriage contract. Dem boys believe that it got a clause about who gun sleep wid who and when. Because of jealousy nobody ain’t talking. Talk half and watch how things happening.

Exxon Mobil and the government Guyana must be held accountable after the elections. There must be an inquiry into the entire process which led to the signing of those agreements. The country is still not sure who gave the instructions for the agreement to be signed. And no journalist seems keen on asking. They know why they are so cagey about discovering the truth about what took place with the negotiations. This newspaper has reported a former petroleum adviser to President David Granger as saying that when

he told the President about the signing of the contract, he seemed surprised. The Minister of Natural Resources was quoted by Kaieteur News as saying that he was instructed to sign the contract. So who instructed him? If the matter was considered by Cabinet, then the official record of Cabinet would disclose the discussion. It would be strange for Cabinet not to have been involved in discussing and approving the contract. And as Guyana prepares to begin to sell its share of oil, the caretaker government

is yet to advise the public of what will be the terms of the sale. So why the secrecy? If a good hand has been dealt in the negotiations, the government should have been excited to reveal the details. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 08, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

The African-Guyanese woman many Indians wrongly dislike Yesterday, I was in an early morning telephonic conversation with David Hinds when I alerted him to a beautiful, incisive, insightful, reflecting, contemplative expression of thought by Professor Kean Gibson in the form of a letter in another newspaper yesterday. Just a brief digression; I knew her attorney father very well and he will always remain fondly in my memory as one of the few courageous human rights lawyers this nation produced. Dr. Gibson is generally seen by many ordinary folks, politicians and intellectuals in the Indian community in

Guyana as Afro-centric, racist and contemptuous of Hindu culture. I have had one expansive disagreement with her on the influence of Hinduism on PPP leaders a few years ago. Her take is that Hindu culture intoxicates PPP leaders to see African Guyanese as inferior. I do not think there is evidence to support that thesis. I don’t believe any of the major religions have had and have a deterministic presence in the major parties that have had power and used it in depraved ways. From 1957 to now, in Guyana, I think power-drunk-

enness, corruptibility and racial manipulations have been the overriding characteristics in the use of state authority. A PPP Hindu leader, PNC Christian leader and an AFC Muslim leader have all ruled Guyana in identical ways, in which possession of state authority derecognizes patriotism, humaneness, love for people and elevates selfishness and power-lustfulness. Religion plays no part and has played no part in this ongoing Faustian journey of Guyanese holders of state power. Dr. Gibson researches the Hindu religion. For this research she has been emo-

tionally condemned by Hindu worshippers from all types of social classes in the Hindu community. This is not my area of study, so there will be no polemical confrontation between us. She could be right or wrong in her theories about Hinduism. I am more concerned with the politics of Professor Kean Gibson. Over the past ten years, Dr. Gibson’s pronouncements on Hindu culture have led countless Indians to see her as an African Guyanese that does not like Indian people. I know the way that thought has evolved. I have been a victim of Indians’ castigation of me as a self-hater. What crime did I commit to earn that title? Because as an Indian I had to hate myself for criticizing an Indian government while the alternative waiting in the wing was a Black political party. People like Ravi Dev and Dr. Baytoram Ramharack even explained why I was selfhater. I was never born into or exposed to Indian culture. I had to pen a column to educate Dev and Ramharack about my childhood; that I had more exposure and saturation with Indian culture than they ever experienced. My mom and dad were Hindu

worshippers. My mom had her own private altar in our home. I married an Indian Muslim woman and my only child has a Hindu name. This is what happens to you in Guyana when you choose not to belong to tribes and rage over and embrace the politicians from your tribe. Indians think David Hinds is racist. He is not. I know him. He is my friend. Indians think Mark Benschop is racist. He is not. I know him. He is my friend. I don’t know Kean Gibson. We went to UG at the same time and belonged to the same faculty. Ms. Gibson and her Indian classmates snubbed me because I wasn’t middle class. but I didn’t care. because I was always reckless, crazy and unbothered with what people said about me. Yesterday, Professor Gibson shut the mouths of Indians who dislike her and thinks she doesn’t like Indians. She came out with a statement that was powerful and engaging. She heaped scorn on race voting and condemned politicians from all sides of the ethnic divide who nurture racial consciousness in the Guyanese people. She didn’t take sides. She showed her superior

Frederick Kissoon thinking to those among us who can never bring themselves to admit that the major parties encourage tribal endorsements and Guyanese ought to save their country from such destructive tendencies. Those Indians who long resented Ms. Gibson must now replicate her character decency. They must proselytize the young people of this country into rejecting race voting. Over seventy percent of this nation is in the age group below 40. Indians must put their money where their mouth is – advocate, like Professor Gibson did, the need to save Guyana by exorcising tribal voting. I end on a personal note. I am not voting for PPP or PNC+AFC. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

Wednesday January 08, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Frenchwoman charged for illegal entry - Claims to be friend of U.S. President, Popes secret agent By Trishan Craig A French national who yesterday told the court that she is a Secret Agent for Pope Francis and her children were kidnapped by Mafia members, was yesterday remanded to prison for allegedly entering Guyana without presenting herself to an immigration officer. Sylvie Janine Dubose was brought before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates Courts to have the charge read to her. This was done with the assistance of a French interpreter. It was alleged that be-

Remanded: Sylvie Janine Dubose

tween December 15, 2019 and December 20, 2019 at Springlands, Corentyne, Dubose entered Guyana by sea and disembarked without the consent of an immigration officer. A not guilty plea was entered on the defendants behalf after she said that she went to an immigration officer, but they did not give her an entry stamp as there was no immigration stamp in her passport from Suriname. Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield related the facts of the charge which stated that on January 4, last, the defendant was arrested at the Eu-

gene F. Correia International Airport after it was observed by an immigration officer that there was no entry stamp in her passport. Dubose was placed in custody at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters, where further investigations were carried out. These revealed that she entered Guyana via port Springlands from Suriname. The prosecutor also said that her passport only has stamps from Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil.

At the Ogle airport, she was allegedly an outgoing passenger heading to the United States of America (USA). The present charge was then made out against her. With further assistance by the interpreter, the defendant told the court that her children were kidnapped, because she is a member of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for the past 14 years. She also added that she is a Secret Service agent for Pope Francis.

Furthermore, the defendant indicated that she is a French and American citizen. Dubose related that her children were kidnapped five months ago by members of a Mafia gang in Brazil and the father of her children was murdered. The defendant told the court that she came to Guyana so that she can get an airplane ticket to travel to Brazil and also seek assistance from the United States (US) embassy, since she is a friend of US President Donald Trump who

had assisted her to get her children. This was after she met with difficulties in French Guiana to obtain airplane tickets. After listening to both sides, Chief Magistrate McLennan remanded the defendant and adjourned the matter to January 13, when she is expected to make her next court appearance at the Springlands Magistrates Court. Efforts will also be made to contact Interpol for details on the defendant.

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Kaieteur News

Clerk committed to stand trial for rape of girl, 10

A

43-year-old clerk was yesterday committed to stand trial in the High Court for the 2014 rape of a 10-yearold girl. The accused, Jomo McDonald of Republic Drive, Triumph, East Coast Demerara, was the subject of a preliminary inquiry before Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool in the Sparendaam Magistrates Court. At the conclusion of the PI, the Magistrate ruled that there was sufficient evidence for him to be tried be-

fore a judge and jury at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Assizes. According to information, McDonald returned from Antigua in 2012. The young girl would visit his home. He is being accused of locking the doors to the home and having sex with the child. One night after the child had finished bathing, McDonald allegedly called her into his bedroom and had sex with her. It is alleged that he and a friend, Keno Todd, took turns

in raping the minor. It is alleged that the child later told her friend what McDonald was doing to her and the matter was later reported and an investigation was launched. Ever since the incident, McDonald had been on the run. He was only captured by police last year. In April 2018, Todd, who is also charged for engaging in sexual activity with the same 10-yearold girl, was committed to stand trial at the High Court.

Wednesday January 08, 2020

Bail for former MP charged with sexual assault, bribery Former Peoples Progressive Party Member of Parliament (MP) Alister Charlie was yesterday released on bail for the two charges leveled against him, in which he was allegedly involved in sexual misconduct with an underage child and perverting the course of justice. Charlie denied the charges which stated that between August 1, 2019 and August 31, 2019, he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old boy. Also it was alleged that on August 5, 2019 at Lethem, South Rupununi, he attempted to pervert the course of justice by paying $500,000 to the victims grandmother. At the time the charge was read, Charlie appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates Courts before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus. He is being represented by attorney-at-law Latchmie Rahamat. The magistrate granted bail of $100,000 for each charge and adjourned the matter to January 31, when Charlie will make his next court appearance at the Lethem Magistrates Court. According to reports, Charlie met the teenager at a birthday party that was held for one of the MPs young relatives. It was alleged that the MP first made advances toward the teen at the party and later accompanied the teen to a nearby bar, where they were imbibing. It was during this time that he allegedly made a second proposal to the teen. In an interview with this publication, the accused MP had refuted the allegation, while suggesting that attempts were afoot to tarnish his character. The man confirmed, nonetheless, that a group of teenagers had attended his relatives 16th birthday party. The MP said that he was shocked to learn that there was a social media post, the next

Charged: Alister Charlie day, which implicated him as having indulged in sexual misconduct with one of the teens. According to the MP, he met the alleged victim for the first time at the birthday party. He said he later learned that some of the teens bought alcohol at a shop.

Wednesday January 08, 2020

Kaieteur News

Umana Yana is new venue for Nomination Day proceedings The Umana Yana in Kingston is the new venue for Nomination Day proceedings. Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)’s PRO Yolanda Ward confirmed yesterday that the day’s activities were moved from its regular location at City Hall, owing to concerns about the deteriorating conditions of the municipal facility.“We’re looking at safety and other concerns; we want to ensure that the parties are properly accommodated,” Ward said. She confirmed too that GECOM received 19 symbols from political parties hoping to contest the upcoming Regional and General Elections on March 2. She revealed that 14 of the symbols were from new parties. Ward was addressing media personnel yesterday at the Guyana Press Association (GPA)’s Lunch-Time Lecture Series which was facilitated by GECOM. The event focused on how media workers could provide responsible and proficient coverage of elections

with the discussion centered on Nomination Day, slated for Friday. Warde went through the relevant sections of the laws governing elections, particularly those focusing on guidelines for Nomination Day and a brief look at the Representation of the Peoples Act. She stressed that accurate information needed to be disseminated to the public around this time. “And for you as media operatives who will be the source of channeling that information into the public domain it is important that you are equipped with the information, so it will aide your reporting,” Ward stated. Earlier, GPA President

Nazima Raghubir encouraged her colleagues to take full advantage of the session by asking questions and raising matters of interest to them. “Some of you are covering elections for the first time; this is an opportunity for you to ask all questions about the process; ask about anything you are not certain about. It is also an opportunity, if you haven’t done so, to familiarise yourself with the elections laws and other literature on elections,” Raghubir advised.

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Wednesday January 08, 2020

GECOM will be available to Gold Board revenues increase by correct any misinformation - PRO $2.2B in 2019

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, has committed to making herself available to the press during election season to correct any misleading information being spread. Ward gave the assurance during a media briefing at Moray House Trust, jointly hosted by the Guyana Press Association (GPA) and GECOM, to inform reporters about the workings of Nomination Day, and what is expected of them in their coverage. The PRO had been asked how GECOM intends to contend with misleading information being spread, especially in light of the growth of social media, to which she responded that it is a concern of GECOM, and that the organization will elaborate more on the role of and relationship between GECOM and journalists in this regard, during a comprehensive training exercise set for January 25-26 on election coverage. One GPA member, Denis Chabrol, made the remark that with the popularity of social media, it is very easy to be misled. He explained that corrections are not as effective as the initial reports, adding

GECOM PRO, Yolanda Ward that once a false report is made, it is very difficult to take it back. In response, Ward stressed the importance of copious research by journalists, to verify information. GPA President Nazima Raghubir had told Kaieteur News in December that this is the age of “disinformation”. And due to that, she advises that the role of journalists is even more pronounced now. The upcoming General and Regional Elections sea-

son is often described as “the mother of all elections”. Raghubir had said that what happens during this period “will drive home the importance of real journalism.” Fact-checking, she had said, is vital, because “[journalists] have to be the persons citizens come to for the truth.” Ward stated yesterday “It is a very sensitive period. A lot will be happening.” Reporters continue to be instrumental in (Continued on page 26)

The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is lauding what it says is another recordbreaking year of gold declarations. Updated figures indicate that 634,905 ounces were declared, about 18,000 ounces more than the 2018 figures. “The actual declaration for the year totals 634,905 ounces and amounts to 18,682 ounces above what was declared in 2018 (616,223). Of the declarants, Guyana Goldfields and Troy Resources stand as two large scale investors which, despite severe challenges and constraints, managed to have reasonably good production. Correspondingly, licensed gold dealers who purchase from small and medium scale gold miners, contributed approximately 57.69% of actual declarations.” According to the ministry, it is important to also note that the revenue earned by the Guyana Gold Board, on behalf of the Government of Guyana, has also increased. “For 2019, this has amounted to US$ 111,971,234.84, equivalent to 79,702.849 ounces. This exceeds the revenue earned in 2018 (US$ 100,143,596.40) by US$11,827,638.44 (11.81%).” The ministry lauded the miners who made declarations despite the many challenges and constraints faced in the industry, not least amongst

The Guyana Gold Board recorded more than $2B in revenues last year. which, are a prolonged wet season and labour unrest, and said it is pleased that the country has surpassed the declarations of 2018. “The MNR also acknowledges the efforts and responsible conduct of the declarants and praises the Board of Directors and staff of the Guyana Gold Board who have been key facilitators of this process. As the year 2020 progresses, it is hoped that the practice of increasing these declarations continues through the recommended and accepted pro-

cesses.” According to the ministry, it recognizes mining as a critical component of the Guyanese economy. “As such, the Government of Guyana, and the MNR in particular, continues to promote the growth of the sector in the most sustainable way by providing regulatory, fiscal and infrastructural support to aid miners in their worthwhile endeavours.” El Dorado Trading led the dealers in declarations, followed by Mohamed’s Enterprise.

Wednesday January 08, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday January 08, 2020

Kaieteur News

Unauthorised persons continue Speeding bus driver threatens to put out passenger to occupy regional houses

The issue of unauthorised occupants living in government-owned buildings in Region Four, and not paying rent has been highlighted in the Auditor General’s most recent report. The Auditor General found, in 2018, that out of 300 buildings controlled by the regional administration, 138 are occupied by various persons, of which a mere 18 are authorized personnel; only eight of them pay rent. From the records presented for audit examination it could not be determined whether those persons occupying rent-free quarters were entitled to such. This situation was reported in previous Auditor General’s Reports. Public servants are required to pay rent of 10%

and 12% of their salary for unfurnished and furnished accommodation respectively, except where entitlement to rent-free Government Quarters had been previously approved, as a condition of service. According to the Public Service Rules, “Government quarters provided to public servants as a condition of service, [for example] in the case of hospital staff, where presence on a hospital compound may be required on a continuous basis, shall be free of rent.” It further states; “in lieu of quarters, a house allowance may, with the approval of the Permanent Secretary, Public Service Ministry, be granted to a public servant who is entitled to free quarters but for whom

quarters are not available.” In response to the Auditor General’s findings the regional administration said; “The Head of Budget Agency indicated that the Regional Administration continued to collaborate with the relevant agencies including the State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA) with the view of identifying occupants of Government quarters to bring them into compliance.” The Audit Office recommends that the regional administration take steps to ensure that: (i) only Officers entitled to government quarters are accommodated there; and (ii) all outstanding amounts for rent are collected and deposited into the Consolidated Fund.

A passenger who rebuked a driver for going beyond the speed limit was hastily asked to exit a minibus yesterday around 12:26pm, on Camp Street, Georgetown. The route 44 minibus, BXX 9516, was travelling at a rate of 120kmh (approx 75mph) along the Ogle Public Road to Turkeyen, when a female passenger who was seated next to the conductress asked the bus driver to slow down. The passenger told the driver that he was driving beyond the speed limit and “nobody in this bus is in a hurry”. The passenger insisted that the bus driver slow down on the road since there have been recent accidents that took many innocent lives. The driver then slowed down and got into an

argument with the passenger. He said to the woman, “Am I the only bus driver on this road that does drive fast… eh woman? I wasn’t even speeding.” The passenger replied, “I saw your speedometer; I’m seated right behind you. Wait man, like I can’t see properly?…Because now you trying to argue with me that you weren’t speeding.” While the man was driving he continued to quarrel with the passenger. Eventually the argument stopped and while the bus was at the traffic light at Camp and Lamaha Streets, the passenger turned to the conductress and told her, “we can only ask him to slow down now, but you’re with him every day on the road, so you have to talk to him.” That annoyed the driver

who exclaimed, “Woman! Woman! If you ain’t stop talking, I gon put you out my bus yeah.” After the bus driver said those words, a man who was seated in the front seat said, “She is a passenger you can’t put her out of the bus… if the woman talk about you speeding you can’t want behave bad on the woman… she has a right; it’s our lives you putting in danger when you drive at that rate.” The rest of the passengers in the bus then started to quarrel on the bus driver who remained quiet until the passenger who first complained about his speeding exited the minibus. The driver then started to use a series of expletives until he reached the bus park. A report has since been lodged with the police.

Lombard St. families to receive support upon relocation - CH&PA to collaborate with other agencies to provide help

CH&PA’s Chief Executive Officer, Lelon Saul [left], Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Annette Ferguson [centre] and Chief Executive Officer of FFTP, Kent Vincent presenting the signed MOU for the project. Twenty (20) Broad and Lombard Street squatting area families will receive additional support from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) to ensure a smooth transition as they move into their new homes before the end of the first quarter. According to Deputy-Director of Community Development Donnel BessBascom, they are collaborating with several government ministries and agencies to provide tangible support to the families. “As much as the housing structure comes modified, it is very important that these individuals, especially the children, are safe and comfortable. We are not going to just build the house and stop there. We are seeking to collaborate with the Ministry of Education to ensure the children are transferred to schools closer to the new location,” BessBascom explained. She added that the Department of Social Cohesion and Childlink Guyana would soon come on board to assist in the distribution of school uniforms and offer support to the

adults. The CH&PA’s efforts also extend to selfsufficiency. “Each house was constructed on good land space, and we decided to bring in the Ministry of Agriculture to work alongside them, so that they can use the remaining land space to farm. This way, they can put food on the table and generate an income by selling the agricultural produce at nearby markets,” the Deputy-Director stated. In July 2017, a court order was issued in favour of the De Freitas and Gonsalves company ordering more than 140 persons to vacate the Lot 17-18 Broad and Lombard Street property. Two years later, an MOU was signed between CH&PA and Food for the Poor (Guyana) Incorporated to relocate the residents. Phase one of this MOU saw an initial 20 families being housed at Prospect on the East Bank Demerara; while Phase two will see homes for the remaining 50 families constructed at Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara.

Wednesday January 08, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Iran attacks U.S. forces in Iraq in retaliation for killing of commander

B A G H D A D / WASHINGTON (Reuters) Iran said it launched a missile attack on U.S.-led forces in Iraq in the early hours today in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike on an Iranian commander whose killing has raised fears of a wider war in the Middle East. Tehran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles from Iranian territory against at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S.-led coalition personnel at about 1.30 a.m. local time, the U.S. military said on Tuesday. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps confirmed they fired the missiles to retaliate for last week’s killing of Qassem Soleimani, according to a statement on state TV. The statement advised the United States to withdraw its troops from the region to prevent more deaths, state TV said. The Pentagon did not provide reports of casualties in the attack. “We are working on initial battle damage assessments,” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement, adding the bases targeted were al-Asad air base and another in Erbil, Iraq. “As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the region.” U.S. President Donald Trump, who visited the alAsad air base in December 2018, has been briefed on reports of the attack and was monitoring the situation, White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said. “We are aware of the

reports of attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq. The president has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team,” Grisham said in a statement. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper arrived at the White House following news of the attack. It was unclear what response, if any, the United States was planning. Hours earlier yesterday, Esper said the United States should anticipate retaliation from Iran over Friday’s killing in Iraq of Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force. “I think we should expect that they will retaliate in some way, shape or form,” he told a news briefing at the Pentagon, adding that such retaliation could be through Iran-backed proxy groups outside of Iran or “by their own hand.” “We’re prepared for any contingency. And then we will respond appropriately to whatever they do.” Stock markets in Asia fell sharply on news of the rocket attack, while investor safe havens including the Japanese yen and gold shot higher. U.S. crude prices surged almost 5% on worries any conflict could cut oil supplies. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it would prohibit U.S. civil aviation operators from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Singapore Airlines had already diverted all flight routes from Iranian airspace. ‘WE WILLTAKE REVENGE’ Soleimani, a pivotal figure

in orchestrating Iran’s longstanding campaign to drive U.S. forces out of Iraq, was also responsible for building up Tehran’s network of proxy armies across the Middle East. He was a national hero to many Iranians, whether supporters of the clerical leadership or not, but viewed as a dangerous villain by Western governments opposed to Iran’s arc of influence running across the Levant and into the Gulf region. A senior Iranian official said yesterday that Tehran was considering several scenarios to avenge Soleimani’s death. Other senior figures have said the Islamic Republic would match the scale of the killing when it responds, but that it would choose the time and place. “We will take revenge, a hard and definitive revenge,” the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, General Hossein Salami, told throngs who crowded the streets for Soleimani’s funeral yesterday in Kerman, his hometown in southeastern Iran. Soleimani’s burial went ahead after several hours of delay following a stampede that killed at least 56 people and injured more than 210, according an emergency official quoted by Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency. Soleimani’s body had been taken to holy Shi’ite Muslim cities in Iraq and Iran, as well as the Iranian capital, Tehran, before arriving to be buried in the city cemetery’s “martyrs section”, according to the semi-official news agency ISNA. In each place, huge numbers of people filled thoroughfares, chanting:

“Death to America” and weeping with emotion. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wept as he led prayers in Tehran. Prompted by the strong public backlash over Soleimani’s killing on Iraqi soil, lawmakers in Iraq voted on Sunday to demand a removal of all foreign forces from the country. More than 5,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq along with other foreign forces as part of a coalition that has trained and backed up Iraqi

security forces against the threat of Islamic State militants. Some 115 German soldiers are stationed in Erbil and all are fine, a spokesman for Bundeswehr operations said. A NATO official told Reuters it would move some of its several hundred trainers out of Iraq. Canada said on Tuesday some of its 500 Iraq-based forces would be temporarily moved to Kuwait for safety reasons. U.S. officials have said

Soleimani was killed because of solid intelligence indicating forces under his command planned attacks on U.S. targets in the region, although they have provided no evidence. Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said 13 “revenge scenarios” were being considered, Fars news agency reported. Even the weakest option would prove “a historic nightmare for the Americans”, he said.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 08, 2020

UK’s Johnson to tell EU chief: Oil jumps as Iran rocket strike No extension to trade deal talks on U.S. forces jolts markets Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Reuters photo)

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson will tell European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen that Britain will not extend its transition out of the European Union beyond Dec. 2020, and is not seeking a new relationship based on alignment with existing rules. The British leader is due to meet von der Leyen in London on Wednesday for the first time since the commission president, who will play a pivotal role in talks to thrash out new arrangements between Britain and the EU, took office in

December. Johnson won an election last month by promising to deliver Brexit on Jan. 31 and use an 11-month transition period to negotiate a deal that will define terms between the world’s fifth-largest economy and its biggest trading partner. A statement from Johnson’s office ahead of the visit said he would “stress the importance of agreeing a confident and positive future relationship by the end of December 2020.” It added: “The prime minister will

likely underline that the upcoming negotiations will be based on an ambitious FTA (Free-Trade Agreement), not on alignment.” Von der Leyen has previously cast doubt on the chances of concluding such a complicated trade agreement within a relatively short space of time, with similar deals having taken years to thrash out and implement. British Brexit minister Stephen Barclay, and EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier will also take part in the meeting.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped to their highest in months today after Iran attacked American forces in Iraq in response to a U.S. strike that killed an Iranian general last week, raising the specter of a spiraling conflict and disrupted oil supplies. But prices cooled a fraction after the early heat as analysts said market tension could ease as long as oil production facilities remain unaffected by attacks. Brent crude futures rose $1.56, or 2.3%, to $69.83 by around 0207 GMT, after earlier rising to $71.75, the highest since mid-September 2019. West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbed $1.25, or 2%, to $63.95 a barrel. It earlier reached a high of $65.85, the most since late April last year. Iran’s missile attack on U.S.-led forces in Iraq came early on Wednesday, hours after the funeral of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the country’s elite Quds Force killed in a U.S. drone stroke on Jan. 3. Tehran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles from Iranian territory against at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S.-led

coalition personnel, the U.S. military said on Tuesday. “It’s getting really serious ... but there is a feeling of achievement in terms of technical charts as Brent has surged to above $70/barrel and near a high in September, 2019 after attacks on Saudi Arabian oil sites,” said Hideshi Matsunaga, analyst at Sunward Trading in Tokyo. “We have to see how much and what damage the latest attacks have caused, but oil markets may come down, just like last September, if we can confirm that oil facilities have not been affected,” he said. Iranian news agency Mehr said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had targeted the base. Tehran has vowed retaliation for the killing of military commander Soleimani. Sirens were heard and American helicopters were seen flying over Iraq’s Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar province early on Wednesday, according to Iraqi broadcaster al Mayadeen. “We are working on initial battle damage assessments,” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in statement, adding that the bases targeted were at Al-Asad air base and another in Erbil, Iraq.

Wednesday January 08, 2020

27 bids opened for six governmental projects The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) yesterday opened 27 bids for six governmental projects. National Parks Commission Rehabilitation of northern stand

Ministry of Legal Affairs Design and implementation of a management information system (MIS) for the justice sector of Guyana

Ministry of Public Security Remodeling and rehabilitation of police stations at Wismar (Lot 1) and Mahdia (Lot 2)Bidder

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Kaieteur News

Every Guyanese should be given a share in a National Oil Company - Badal Recently formed political party, Change Guyana’s Presidential Candidate, Robert Badal, is of the view that every Guyanese citizen should be assigned shares in a stateowned National Oil Company (NOC). During a press conference yesterday, Badal in outlining his plans for Guyana’s oil sector, extensively criticized the APNU/AFC government’s management of the oil and gas industry, particularly commenting on the “lopsided contract negotiations.” Badal pointed out that the party intends to manage the oil sector well if it is elected to Government on March 2, 2020. In his plans, he highlighted that all unassigned oil blocks would be under the authority of a National Oil Company. Further, the said blocks would be auctioned to the highest bidder, garnering attractive signing bonuses. According to Badal, the process of assigning shares will ensure that revenue ema-

Change Guyana’s Presidential Candidate, Robert Badal nating from the oil and gas sector benefits all Guyanese. He highlighted that the said shares will then appreciate in value due to the auctioning of state-owned oil blocks and the signing of any subsequent agreements. The Presidential Candidate asserted that contracts governing these blocks will be royalty-based, with the investors subjected to taxes just

like local companies. Thus far, even with oil production underway, the government is still to say what will be the way forward for Guyana with regard to having an oil refinery and a National Oil Company. Meanwhile, Prime Ministerial Candidate of the party, Nigel Hinds when questioned on whether the party is open to making all contracts within the oil sector public, pointed out that the group fully supports the full disclosure of all prior and subsequent contracts within the petroleum industry. Earlier, Activist Ramon Gaskin had said that no contract, arrangement or deed should be confidential. Other plans outlined for the use of Guyana’s oil and gas revenue include the reduction in income taxes, improvements in the health care and education sector, infrastructural works including a bridge across the Demerara River, among others.

Woman’s declines to testify against CJIA deputy CEO Guyana Energy Agency Engineering, procurement, construction and installation, commissioning and turn-key delivery of solar PV power plants, including battery energy storage system for the hinterland at Bartica and Lethem in two lots

Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Landscaping and maintenance of indoor and outdoor plants

Parliament Office Electrical overhauling of the public building

-sexual assault case dismissed Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Andre Kellman, yesterday walked out of the Georgetown Magistrates Courts free of the sexual assault charge which was brought against him last year. His matter was before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty and he was out on bail as the case was progressing. According to information, when the matter was recalled the alleged victim told the court that she did not wish to proceed with the case. As a result she was placed in the witness box and she swore, citing that she was not forced, threatened, promised, or paid anything to take the action of dropping the matter. With this done, it forced the prosecution not to proceed with the case for lack of evidence by the Virtual Complainant (VC). The matter was then dismissed against Kellman. The 56-year-old Kellman of 67 Craig Street, Campbellville, had been released on $70,000 bail for the charge which alleged that on July 30, 2018 at Timehri, East Bank Demerara, he made sexual contact with a woman without her consent.

Deputy CEO of CJIA Andre Kellman

ERC to investigate multiple campaign attacks

I

n an effort to combat the recent rise in social conflict with the coming of Re gional and General Elections, the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) is set to investigate the multiple campaign attacks. Speaking with Kaieteur News, Public Relations Officer of the Commission, Shiv Nandalall said that the issues have been brought to the attention of the Commission, and that they are presently conducting investigations into the matter. Numerous videos have been making

rounds on social media showcasing persons attempting to hamper political supporters from campaigning in some communities as well as coalition supporters removing flags belonging to the opposition. Most recently a video began circulating on Facebook in which a vehicle belonging to the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) was prevented from going through Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown. Another video highlights supporters of the PPP/C being attacked and (Cotninued on page 26)

PAGE 26

Wednesday January 08, 2020

Kaieteur News

ERC to investigate multiple...

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From page 25 chased in Sophia The party has since written a letter to the Commissioner of Police calling for an investigation into the attacks. Meanwhile, A Partnership for National Unity (APNC) has condemned attacks on PPP/C supporters, declaring that the party believes in civil campaigning. The ERC has since being putting out numerous public service announcements urging persons to be tolerant and

Pensioner, 81, dies after struck... From page 22 southern side of the pedestrian crossing to check for oncoming traffic. It appeared that the road was clear enough for her to cross but then came the car, ploughing into her body while she was halfway across the crossing. As a result of the impact, her body landed near the parapet on the southern carriageway in a crouching position. By that time passersby and residents in the area rushed to her assistance.

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She was taken to the Port Mourant Hospital in an unconscious state and was pronounced dead on arrival. Traffic ranks who were at the scene marked several meters after the pedestrian crossing as the point of impact, although the surveillance video clearly shows that she was hit on the crossing. The driver of the car who stopped a few metres away after the impact was arrested and is currently in custody at the Albion Police Station.

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respectful of each other’s political preference and to not let the coming Elections cause division. Additionally, the Commission is currently in the process of hiring and training elections campaign monitors to ensure that no racial hostility is incited at political meetings in the run up to the upcoming polls. The training and deployment of monitors is also aimed at ensuring that the environment before, during and after the elections, is free from fear and intimidation.

duct transactions as part of the Claims and Objections exercise. Ward had notified the public, through a release, that such matters should be reported to GECOM and to the police. Kaieteur News highlights the need for social media users to ensure that what they read on social media is factchecked and/or taken from credible sources, and that persons purporting to be GECOM field staff are properly vetted to ensure the truth of their identities. GECOM has made available a well of information related to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections on its website: https:// www.gecom.org.gy/

Wednesday January 08, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Schoolboy beaten Ebo man accused of fatally stabbing wife to for not allowing stand trial peers to write on his uniform A third form student of Campbellville Secondary School is now a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital, after he was allegedly beaten by several of his peers for not allowing them to write on his school uniform. The incident reportedly occurred on Monday at the South Ruimveldt Bus Park in the vicinity of the Stabroek Market. The beating allegedly stemmed from an altercation the teen had with some of his schoolmates. He had initially refused to have them write on his school uniform at the end of the Christmas school term. However, after returning to school on Monday, the teen was approached by the same group of students who demanded to write on his school attire. When Kaieteur News spoke with the teen from his bedside at the city hospital, the child who had visible marks of violence on his body stated that, after returning to school on Monday, his attackers told him that since he did not allow them to write on his school uniform for the previous school term, he had to do so now. “ Monday morning soon as I go to school dem (peers) keep telling me that dey have to write on my uniform and I tell dem no, because is new thing my mother bought for me to go back to school with.” According to the teen, af-

ter school ended on Monday, he went to the South Ruimveldt Bus Park to board transportation to head home when he was attacked by the said group of students. “I stand up waiting for a bus to go home and then I feel someone grab me from behind, and when I look back, one of my classmates was standing behind me with a red marker in his hand. I tried to run away, but several of them start running behind me. And when they caught up with me they started to beat me and write on my school clothes.”The teen further related that he was only freed after adults intervened. The victims mother, who was also at the hospital, told Kaieteur News that when her son arrived at home he was bleeding from his mouth and scrapes on his body. “At first I was not going to take him to the hospital, but he keep crying out for headaches and I was wondering if they (bullies) knock him to his head. I take him to the hospital Monday around 19:30hrs. He was admitted due to the headaches he is experiencing.” The woman said that after taking her son to the hospital, she went to the Stabroek market police outpost and lodged a report. When contacted, a police source at the outpost stated that the matter was indeed reported and an investigation has been launched.

A 50-year-old chainsaw operator who is accused of stabbing his wife to death was yesterday committed to stand trial before a judge and jury at the next practicable sitting of the Essequibo Assizes. Devanand Narine is accused of the May 16, 2019 murder of 39-year-old Farida Khayum, whom he had been married to for some six years. Following a preliminary inquiry at the Anna Regina Magistrates Courts, Magistrate Esther Sam ruled that there was sufficient evidence for Narine to be tried. Police Prosecutors are contending that on the day in question Narine and his wife were at home when an argument broke out between

Devanand Narine

Farida Khayum

them. An angry Narine then went into the kitchen and armed himself with a knife which he used to stab his wife multiple times about her body. It was reported that after the

incident, Narine ingested a poisonous substance. Both he and his wife were rushed to the Suddie Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. During the preliminary

inquiry, Narines lawyer argued that his client went home intoxicated and met his wife in the company of a male. The lawyer said that his client inquired about the individual and allegedly met with resistance and violence. The attorney added that his client was then attacked by the visitor and Narines stepsons. During the process, the stepsons allegedly forced a poisonous substance down his clients throat, the lawyer added. Narine was later hospitalised for the poisoning and the injuries he sustained at the hands of his alleged attackers. Prosecutor Mansfield further mentioned that based on his facts of the allegation there was no mention of the male individual the attorney spoke of.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 08, 2020

Wednesday January 08, 2020

Kaieteur News

Major offshore oil find in Suriname PA R A M A R I B O , Suriname - CMC – The USbased Apache Corporation (AC) and the France-based Total S.A yesterday announced they had made a significant oil discovery at the Maka Central-1 well drilled offshore Suriname on Block 58. They said the well was drilled using the drillship Noble Sam Croft with both Apache as operator, and Total S.A each holding 50 per cent working interest. “We are very pleased with results from Maka Central-1. The well proves a working hydrocarbon system in the first two play types within Block 58 and confirms our geologic model with oil and condensate in shallower zones and oil in deeper zones. “Preliminary formation evaluation data indicates the potential for prolific oil wells. Additionally, the size of the stratigraphic feature, as defined by 3-D seismic imaging, suggests a substantial resource,” said John J. Christmann, President and

John J. Christmann chief executive officer of Apache. “Block 58 comprises 1.4 million acres and offers significant potential beyond the discovery at Maka Central. We have identified at least seven distinct play types and more than 50 prospects within the thermally mature play fairway. In partnership with Total, we look forward to advancing both exploration and development of discoveries on the block,” Christmann added. The Sam Croft will drill the

next wells in Block 58, starting with the Sapakara West prospect. Sapakara West-1, located approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of the Maka Central discovery, will test oil-prone upper Cretaceous targets in the Campanian and Santonian intervals. The two companies said that Maka Central-1 successfully tested for the presence of hydrocarbons in multiple stacked targets in the upper Cretaceous-aged Campanian and Santonian intervals and encountered both oil and gas condensate. They said the formation evaluation programme included logging-while-drilling and wireline logs, formation pressures, and preliminary core and fluid analysis. Apache Corporation is an oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States, Egypt and the United Kingdom, while Total SA is described as a French multinational integrated oil and gas company founded in 1924 and one of the seven “Supermajor” oil companies in the world.

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Kaieteur News

Mechanic charged for stealing employers equipment A 33-year-old mechanic was yesterday hauled before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, after he was charged for stealing equipment from the mining camp at which he was once employed. The defendant, Ruanda McDonald, of Middle Road La Penitence, Georgetown, was arraigned in the Georgetown Magistrates Courts when the charge was read to him by the Magistrate. The unrepresented man denied the charge which stated that between December 21 and December 22, 2019, at Amamuri Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven, he stole two chainsaws and two chainsaw bars valued at a total of $392,342 - property of

Innovative Mining Corporation. According to the facts of the charge, the defendant was employed by the company as a mechanic and before the incident happened, he asked to travel out to Georgetown to attend a funeral.Between the days mentioned in the charge, McDonald was observed loading the items onto a truck, after which he left the camp. A search was conducted and an inventory was done and it was later discovered that the items mentioned in the charge were missing. The matter was reported and McDonald was contacted in Georgetown. He was later arrested and

charged with the offence and put before the court. None of the stolen items were recovered. Police prosecutor Gordon Mansfield made no objection to bail being granted to the defendant but asked that if bail was granted, conditions must be attached. Chief Magistrate McLennan granted McDonald bail in the sum of $150,000. The matter was adjourned to January 17, and transferred to Bartica Magistrates Court. McDonald was ordered to report every Friday at 9am at the Region Seven Office, Rabbit Walk, Eve Leary, to the subordinate officer, until the completion of the matter.

Wednesday January 08, 2020

Man nabbed with unlicensed firearm at party

The unlicensed firearm found

A 25-year old construction of Area B, Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara was nabbed Monday night with an unlicensed firearm at a party in Prince William Street, Plaisance. Police said that they acted upon intelligence information they received and made a stop at the party. Upon seeing the ranks, the construction worker became “nervous� and began act suspiciously. Noting his suspicious behaviour the ranks decided to approach the young man. Being gripped by the fear the man decided to immediately dispose of the firearm but was caught in the process of doing so. He was immediately arrested and taken to the Sparendaam Police Station for

The Live Rounds further investigation. The firearm discovered is said to be a Glock 19 pistol with seven matching live rounds. Also found in his posses-

sion was six grams of marijuana. He is currently detained and being processed for Court at the Sparendaam Police station.

Region 5 planted crops, sold to hospitals and schools -can’t account for money

T

he leaked Auditor General report of 2018 has pointed to a number of questionable projects and how accountability and transparency appeared to be missing. For example, state auditors found Regions 2, 5 and 6 operated economic projects on a cost recovery basis with the objective of making a profit. However, these ventures were inadequately managed

and supervised. For example, Region 2 (Essequibo coast) had 356 advances totalling $21.093M outstanding, while Region 6 incurred a loss of $7.568M. That region, for 2018, did not present payment records to state auditors, to substantiate expenditure of $1.355M. However, perhaps the most shocking was West Berbice. That Region 5 area oper-

ated a farm to provide agrosupplies to schools and hospitals and offer employment for persons in the region. It was found that the farm planted and sold cash crops. However, there were no records or cash to substantiate the operations of this venture. State auditors, in other words, were unable to say if the region or individuals collected the proceeds and what happened to it.

Wednesday January 08, 2020

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Berbice beach hotel double-murder…

Five persons released from custody The five persons who were arrested by police last week for questioning have since been released from custody after investigators found no credible evidence to keep them detained. The men were arrested a few days after the owner of the Sunsplash Holiday Resort and Hotel, Vivekanand Brijbassi and an employee of his, Harriprashad Persaud, were found dead in the hotel by lawmen on the upper Corentyne. Their bodies, which were in an advanced state of de-

composition, were found in the upper flat of the building, tied by the hands and with body parts missing. The horrid crime scene along with the desolate location of the building posed a challenge for investigating ranks, and with no eyewitnesses or neighbours living nearby, the possibilities of cracking the case were and still remain very difficult. However, Regional Commander Calvin Brutus is confident that there will be a breakthrough in the highly publicized matter that has added to the growing list of

Miner killed after boat crashes into tree

- friend hospitalised By Shikema Dey A 25-year-old miner was killed just after midnight on Tuesday in the Pomeroon River after the boat he was travelling in crashed into a tree. A friend who was with him is hospitalised. Dead is Renny France called ‘Kelly’, a father of two, of Friendship Canal, Lower Pomeroon River. According to police reports, France was travelling in a wooden boat measuring about 15 feet in length. His friend, Dennon Lyte, was piloting the boat at the time of the mishap. It was said that the two men, who live at the same address, were making their way home when the boat struck a tree along the canal causing both men to pitch out of the vessel, receiving injuries about their bodies. The men were subsequently rescued by close neighbors who heard the impact and rushed the men to the Oscar Joseph District Hospital where France was pronounced dead on arrival. Lyte was treated and later admitted to the hospital. France’s family members are in a state of shock over the incident as the man was scheduled to celebrate his wife’s birthday on Friday. His sister-in-law, Natasha, relayed that instead of planning a birthday party, the family has to now plan a funeral. “He is usually in the interior, but came home for the Christmas season and her birthday… Kelly was hardworking and a good provider for his family, he loved his children. She was planning a birthday, now we have to plan a funeral for him.” She told Kaieteur News

Renny France that they last saw France on Monday when he left to accompany his brother-in-law to Charity. “My brother, Glenroy, saw Kelly yesterday at Charity when he accompanied another brother to the hospital for an injury. When Glenroy finished his business at Charity, he was told Kelly already left for home, but when we got home Kelly was not home as yet. Glenroy said he later heard that Kelly and Kelly’s neighbour Dennon were hanging out at a shop at the mouth of the canal. He (Glenroy) thought that it would be a good idea to go and pick up Kelly, but changed his mind saying they would come home, the water is high and they should have no trouble getting home.”According to her, her brother is still shaken up over the incident saying that “if he had gone for Kelly, he would have been safe.” The woman stated that the canal the men had to travel is very narrow and has trees on both sides. It was unclear whether both men were imbibing before making the journey. Investigations are continuing.

murders committed in the county of Berbice recently. Brutus stated that while there were several leads, they did not turn out fruitful, but his ranks are still working to bring justice to the families who lost their loved ones. Meanwhile, the hotel owner was laid to rest on Sunday. The funeral service was held at the hotel where he spent most of his time when he was in the country. It was his desire to refurbish the building after he returned to Guyana in early December 2019 but his plans were cut short. He was last seen by his sister Krishna Boodhoo on December 16th when he visited her home and had dinner with her and her in-laws. He left and told her he would be spending the night at the ho-

The Sunsplash Holiday Resort and Hotel tel in the company of two other friends who included Prashad. Prashad was last seen in the first week of De-

cember, he worked as a watchman at the hotel when Brijbassi was overseas. Anyone with information

that may assist investigators with this case is asked to make contact with the nearest police station in Berbice.

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Wednesday January 08, 2020

Wednesday January 08, 2020

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Osaka sees off Sakkari challenge to advance... League Cup final in... From page 32 number four Osaka said. “I think in the second set I was just complaining a lot in the tiebreak. I was just trying to calm down and stay positive.” Former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens, 24th in the WTA rankings, fell at the first hurdle to Liudmila Samsonova, who is ranked more than 100 places below her. The 129th ranked Russian won 6-4 2-6 6-3. Samsonova next faces former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova who overcame a slow start and reeled off 12 of the last 13 games to down another Russian in Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2-6 6-1 6-0. Wildcard Maria Sharapova, playing her first match since losing in the first round of last year’s U.S. Open, was beaten

Japan’s Naomi Osaka in action during the match against Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova. (REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo) 3-6 6-1 7-6(3) by Jennifer Brady. The American qualifier will

take on world number one Ash Barty in the second round. Eighth seed Madison

Keys advanced with a 6-3 6-2 win over the Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova.

AAG 2019... Wednesday January 08, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Too much food and drink could have you feeling a little out of sorts today, Aries. Some friends might have taken you out and exposed you to the most tempting of food and drink. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Right now you might be in the process of moving from one job to another. This might even be a total change in career. Your hard work is paying off, though it may not show up in your bank account for a while yet. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Right now you could be overwhelmed by conflicts among your own needs, the needs of your family, and your responsibilities toward your job. CANCER(June21–July22) A close relative may be ill or otherwise troubled, Cancer, and you might worry a bit too much today because of a lack of communication from this person. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) This is not the day to make financial investments of any kind, Leo, although someone may present you with some possible opportunities. They may sound good, but caution is called for. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You should be looking especially attractive today, Virgo, but you may feel that it's wasted because your beloved isn't around to appreciate it. Cheer up! It will only be for a few days, and you'll still look pretty good by then.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your ingenuity and imagination may seem to have deserted you today, and this isn't making it easy for you to produce the high level of quality you're used to at work. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Money matters might require your attention today, Scorpio. Unusual expenses may have depleted your reserves, so you might have to cut a few corners. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) A lack of contact with a romantic partner could have you feeling a little down right now. You may be wondering if you've said or done anything that offended your beloved one in some way. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Excesses in food and drink yesterday may force you to cancel a social eng a g e m e n t t o d a y. Yo u probably aren't feeling up to it. This might be a bit irritating, and somewhat embarrassing as well. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Tension between a married couple who are both your friends could have you situated in the most uncomfortable place of all, Aquarius: right smack in the middle. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Gloom over the absence of a family member or romantic partner could come upon you today, Pisces, and your usually exuberant nature could be far more subdued than is normal for you.

From page 37 finished in 1m 52s. India’s national record holder, Siddhanth Thingalaya, as expected, won the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.57s. In the field, Chantoba Bright bounced back after losing to Ruth Sanmoogan in the National Athletics Championships the previous weekend, to win the long jump event with a meet record of 5.83m ahead of Sanmoogan 5.82m. In the men’s 200m Winston George (GUY) won in 20.75s. T&T’s Kamaria Durant completed the sprint double after winning the 200m in 23.21s.

Tropical Shipping... From page 38 opportunities for persons with vision disabilities to be involved in sports, as part of Tropical’s corporate social responsibility. Among the items to be purchased are blind cricket balls, cricket bats, batting gloves, wicketkeeping gloves, gears and equipment bags, among others for the playing of blind cricket. Tropical Shipping is a shipping and logistics company that has over 50 years’ experience in the business arena. They have weekly seven-day transit sailing from Florida to Guyana and provide Guyana with complete shipping services to and from Canada and across the Caribbean. For further information, please contact: Ganesh Singh Programme and Communications Officer, GCOPD 1-592-652-8975.

From page 36 threading the ball to Riyad Mahrez who rounded goalkeeper David de Gea and slotted home. City then punished United on a counter-attack, which ended with De Bruyne leaving Jones on the floor and blasting goalwards before De Gea’s parry ricocheted off United midfielder Andreas Pereira into the net. United looked more solid after the introduction of midfielder Nemanja Matic at the break and got a foothold in the tie through a 70thminute goal from Marcus Rashford.

The England striker was picked out by a perfectlyweighted pass from Mason Greenwood and coolly slipped the ball past keeper Claudio Bravo. “We could have gone in four or five up at halftime, we had the chances. They pressed us higher in the second half, we got tired but overall we are happy,” said Bernardo Silva. “I enjoyed my role because it worked and we won. Pep wanted one more man in the middle.” Leicester City face Aston Villa in the first leg of the other semi-final today.

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NBA roundup: Spurs hand Bucks worst loss of season DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points, and Patty Mills had 21 off the bench as the San Antonio Spurs routed the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 126-104 on Monday night to snap a two-game losing streak. The Spurs led by 10 points after three quarters and ran their advantage to 16 points early in the final period. Milwaukee closed to within 100-89 with 8:12 to play but never made a serious run down the stretch. LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Gay scored 17 points each for the Spurs, with Dejounte Murray scoring 13 points and Trey Lyles pulling down 12 rebounds. San Antonio set its season high with 19 3-pointers (on 35 attempts) in the win. The loss snapped a fivegame winning streak for Milwaukee, which had not lost by more than 12 points all season. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 24 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists but missed all five of his 3point attempts. Dallas Mavericks 118 Chicago Bulls 110 Luka Doncic registered a triple-double for the second straight game, contributing 38 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to boost Dallas to a victory against visiting Chicago. Doncic scored a careerhigh 21 points in the third quarter, capping the flurry with a deep 3-pointer. Dwight Powell (16 points), Tim Hardaway Jr. (15) and Dorian Finney-Smith (11) also finished in double figures for the Mavericks. Lauri Markkanen scored 26 points to lead six Bulls in double figures. Tomas Satoransky (11 points, 14 assists) notched a doubledouble for Chicago, which has lost four straight and five

San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan (10) scores over Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and Milwaukee Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) in the fourth quarter at AT&T Center. (Stephen Spillman-USA TODAY Sports) of six to fall a season-worst 11 games below .500. Denver Nuggets 123 Atlanta Hawks 115 Nikola Jokic scored a career-high 47 points, and Will Barton added a seasonhigh 28 to help visiting Denver outlast Atlanta. Jokic was 16-for-25 from the field, with four of the made baskets 3-pointers, and surpassed his career previous high of 41 set against the Brooklyn Nets in 2017. His best previous output this season was 31 points against Memphis on Dec. 28. Jokic also had eight rebounds and five assists. Barton went 12-for-20 from the field, including three 3-pointers, to eclipse his season-best 26 against Philadelphia on Dec. 10. He also added nine rebounds and five assists. Jokic and Barton combined to go 7 of 14 from 3-point range. Philadelphia 76ers 120 Oklahoma City Thunder 113 Josh Richardson scored

23 points, and Ben Simmons added 17 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists as host Philadelphia held off Oklahoma City. Tobias Harris scored 18 points, and Joel Embiid had 18 points, nine rebounds and a season-high eight assists for the Sixers, who improved to 17-2 at home and also snapped a four-game losing streak. Al Horford scored 13 points. Steven Adams led the Thunder with a season-best 24 points to go along with 15 rebounds, while Dennis Schroder added 21 points. Chris Paul and Danilo Gallinari had 18 points each for the Thunder, who had their fivegame winning streak broken. Utah Jazz 128 - New Orleans Pelicans 126 Bojan Bogdanovic scored 35 points, and visiting Utah knocked off New Orleans to win its sixth straight game. The Jazz held the Pelicans scoreless for the final 1:27. Rudy Gobert, who finished with 19 rebounds, disrupted

Osaka sees off Sakkari challenge to advance in Brisbane (Reuters) - Two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka began her 2020 season with a 6-2 67(4) 6-3 victory over Maria Sakkari in the opening round of the Brisbane International yesterday. Osaka fired 16 aces and broke her Greek

opponent four times in the two hour, seven minutes encounter, but struggled in the second set tiebreak when Sakkari won five points in a row before squaring the match on an unforced error from theJapanese. The pair traded breaks in the

opening stages of the final set before former world number one Osaka clinched victory, despite double faulting on her first match point. “I knew going into it that it was going to be a really hard match,” world (Continued on page 31)

Brandon Ingram’s attempted tying layup with one second left. Joe Ingles finished with 22 points, and Donovan Mitchell scored 19 for the Jazz, including the winning bucket with 1:12 to play. Ingram had 35 to lead the Pelicans, who played without second-leading scorer Jrue Holiday, who has a left elbow contusion. JJ Redick added 23, Lonzo Ball had 21 and E’Twaun Moore came off the bench to score 13. Indiana Pacers 115 Charlotte Hornets 104 T.J. Warren helped ignite a big third quarter and finished with 36 points as

Indiana won at Charlotte for only its second victory in the last six games. Warren, a forward playing in his home state, posted 13 points in Indiana’s 37-point third quarter, the most points in a quarter this season for the Pacers. Warren finished 15for-24 from the field and 6-for6 on free throws. Domantas Sabonis racked up 18 points and 12 rebounds, Myles Turner had 15 points and Jeremy Lamb added 11 points for the Pacers. Washington Wizards 99 Boston Celtics 94 Ish Smith scored 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, and Washington beat visiting Boston. Jordan McRae added 19 points for the Wizards, and Isaiah Thomas scored 17 against his former team. The undermanned Wizards won their second straight game and have posted home wins against the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets and Celtics in an eight-day span. Jaylen Brown had 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Celtics, who never led. Jayson Tatum had 17 points, and Gordon Hayward finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Orlando Magic 101 Brooklyn Nets 89 Markelle Fultz scored 12 of his career-high 25 points in the fourth quarter, and Orlando made all the plays down the stretch to beat

visiting Brooklyn. Reserve D.J. Augustin added 16 points for the Magic, who outscored the Nets by a 26-18 margin in the fourth quarter. Wes Iwundu contributed 12, while Nikola Vucevic went scoreless until midway through the third quarter but finished with 11 points and 24 rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris scored 16 points apiece to lead the Nets, who continued to struggle in fourth quarters. After getting outscored 38-22 in the final 12 minutes of Saturday’s loss to Toronto, the Nets shot 7 of 23 in the fourth. Sacramento Kings 111 Golden State Warriors 98 Trevor Ariza contributed 3-pointers to second- and third-quarter runs that allowed host Sacramento to pull away from Golden State for a blowout, in a game that saw the ejection of Warriors coach Steve Kerr. Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox led five players, including two reserves, in double figures with 21 points apiece as the Kings made quick work of their opponent on the opening night of a back-toback. Sacramento visits Phoenix on Tuesday. The Warriors, who rested Draymond Green and had D’Angelo Russell out for the fourth straight game, trailed by as many as 31 before dropping their fifth straight. (Field Level Media)

Liverpool’s Mane named African Footballer of the Year (Reuters) - Sadio Mane was named African Footballer of the Year for 2019 yesterday after winning the Champions League with Liverpool and leading Senegal to the Africa Cup of Nations final. Mane, 27, wins the award for the first time after finishing runner-up to his Liverpool team mate Mohamed Salah of Egypt in 2017 and 2018. He was third in 2016. He is only the second Senegalese to win the award after El Hadji Diouf, who was the winner in 2001 and after joining Liverpool in 2002. “Football is my job, I love it. I am really happy and proud to win this award,” Mane said. “I would like to thank all the Senegalese people, they push always me. I must also thank my (Senegal) coach, Aliou Cisse and Liverpool, all my team mates there.” Mane finished ahead of Riyad Mahrez and Salah in a poll of national team coaches and captains, and was

Senegal’s Sadio Mane receives the men’s player of the year award at the African Footballer of Year Awards ceremony in Egypt. (REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh) handed his award at the Confederation of African Football’s annual gala in Hurgada, Egypt. It is the second successive year that the top three are all from English clubs and only the third time since the award was introduced that the leading

trio all play in the same league. In 1991, the top three all came from French clubs. Mahrez, 28, captained Algeria to Africa Cup of Nations success in July and won the Premier League with Manchester City. He was African Footballer of the Year in 2016.

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Confusion over South African position on four-day Tests AFP - Cricket South Africa issued a oneparagraph statement yesterday stati n g i t w a s official policy to support f o u r- d a y Te s t m a t c h cricket. But the statement appeared to surprise both the acting chief executive of Cricket South Africa and the chief executive of the South African Cricketers’ Association. The full statement by CSA read: “In view of an unsourced and misleading report in the media this morning please be advised that it is Cricket South Africa’s official policy to s u p p o r t f o u r- d a y Te s t match cricket. “We, in fact, hosted the first official four-day Test match between ourselves and Zimbabwe a couple of years ago.” Asked to elaborate, a spokesman for CSA said he was not aware whether CSA had taken a formal decision

Captain Faf du Plessis batting against England on the fifth day of the second Test on the day that Cricket South Africa issued a statement in favour of four-day Tests. (AFP / Marco Longari) to support a suggestion that the World Test championship should consist of four-day

matches from 2023. The proposal appears to have the support of England

and Australia. The statement was made in response to an article in the

London Daily Mail which claimed South Africa was opposed to four-day Tests. Jacques Faul, the acting chief executive of CSA, said he believed all stakeholders needed to be consulted before an official position was taken. “I was not privy to any discussions which might have taken place on this issue before my appointment,” he said. Andrew Breetzke, chief executive of the SA Cricketers’ Association, said SACA aligned itself with the position of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (Fica). “We believe this is an issue which needs extensive research and discussion,” he said. CSA has been hit by controversy in recent months, with SACA, at least two sponsors and two former chief executives all calling for the board to resign.

Three of five independent directors resigned in the wake of the withdrawal of accreditation, quickly rescinded, of five journalists who had been critical of the organisation. In the wake of the controversy, the chief executive, Thabang Moroe, was suspended and Faul was appointed for a six-month acting period, while former captain Graeme Smith was appointed interim director of cricket and former international Mark Boucher was named head coach of the national team. It was not clear whether Smith, Boucher or captain Faf du Plessis had been consulted on the issue of four-day Tests. Ironically, the statement was issued shortly before play started on what promised to be an intriguing fifth day of the second Test between South Africa and England at Newlands.

Inspired Stokes seals dramatic England victory CAPE TOWN (Reuters) Ben Stokes took the last three wickets as England subdued a stubborn South Africa to win a thrilling second test by 189 runs late on day five yesterday, their first victory at Newlands since 1957. Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen had frustrated England for 44 overs before Stokes provided late drama to finish the match with 8.2 overs to spare and level the four-match series. The win will be especially pleasing for England for the way they stuck to their task on a flat fifth-day wicket, with Stokes’s superb burst earning the all-rounder figures of 335. “A great day’s play and a great test match,” England seamer Stuart Broad told Sky Sports. “We had to work incredibly hard, we knew we were going to have to do that. “It was incredible discipline from South Africa throughout the day but we kept saying one bit of magic. “We s e t s o m e f u n k y fields. One breakthrough and we could apply some pressure. You need a lot of character and skill to chase 10 wickets. We are proud of taking our chances.” Chasing a test record 438 to win, South Africa looked relatively comfortable as they reached 237 for five with 26 overs remaining in the match.

For the second time in the innings, however, a key man gave his wicket away. De Kock (50) attempted to pull a dragged down delivery from part-time leg spinner Joe Denly and succeeded only in picking out Zak Crawley at midwicket. It was an unnecessary stroke that opened the door for England and when Broad removed the obdurate Van der Dussen (17 from 140 balls), it was well and truly ajar. Stokes accounted for Dwaine Pretorius and Anrich Nortje in successive balls, both caught at slip, and sealed the victory in front of an ecstatic Barmy Army when Vernon Philander was caught fending a lifting delivery to Ollie Pope. South Africa had given themselves a chance with some stern resistance, not least from debutant opener Pieter Malan who lasted 288 balls for his 84. But England looked on course for victory at lunch after grabbing the key wicket of South Africa captain Faf du Plessis (19), who will be disappointed with his shot selection as he tried to take on spinner Dom Bess with a powerful sweep and picked out Denly at square leg. “The boys fought very hard. They bowled really well and congrats to them,” De Kock said. “Obviously we tried to push them as far as we can.

South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada in action. (REUTERS/Mike Hutchings) Unfortunately we fell just short. I was disappointed because we had a good partnership going and I smoked one straight to a fielder.” South Africa won the first test in Pretoria by 107 runs. The third match in the four-test series starts in Port Elizabeth on Jan. 16. Scores: England 269 (Pope 61*) and 391 for 8 (Sibley 133, Root 61, Stokes 72) beat South Africa 223 (Elgar 88, van der Dussen 68, Anderson 5-40) and 248 (Malan 84, de Kock 50) by 189 runs.

Ben Stokes claims his second wicket in as many balls, that of Anrich Nortje. (Getty Images)

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BCB seeks players’ consent for Pakistan tour, decision expected soon ESPNcricinfo - Amid uncertainty over Bangladesh’s scheduled tour of Pakistan, it has emerged that the BCB has started taking consent from players to travel to the country. While this is a standard government-mandated procedure for every overseas tour, this is the first concrete sign of preparations for this particular one. Equally significant is that a Test specialist confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he had signed up to tour Pakistan; the BCB had earlier said that the national team is unlikely to take part in the Test series - and only play T20Is - and also denied reports that it had offered to play one Test in Pakistan and the other in Bangladesh. It’s understood that the BCB will likely take the final decision after their board meeting on January 12. If the tour does go ahead, the departure date will be January

18, the day after the BPL final. It’s also learnt that BCB president Nazmul Hassan will meet some of the team’s senior players yesterday evening for a final round of discussions on the matter. There have been question marks around the tour since the BCB said it wanted to split the tour in two legs - it wants to play the T20Is first - but the PCB has been firm in its stance that the series must be played in one go, promising state-level security for the visitors like it did when Sri Lanka toured last month for a two-Test series. Nizamuddin Chowdhury, the BCB’s chief executive, said last week that the BCB wanted the squad to travel for the T20Is first and get a clear idea of the security arrangements. “We want our players, coaching staff and security team to see what it’s like, after which we want to decide if we want to play Tests in Pakistan or at a

neutral venue,” he had said, while Hassan had said earlier that a few senior players had voiced their concerns over touring Pakistan even for the T20Is. While Sri Lanka’s tour to Pakistan was always going to be split in two legs, with an Australia tour thrown in between, the PCB swapped the formats to give Sri Lanka time to think about the Test series after a second-string side toured for the T20Is. The full Test side toured thereafter. But Pakistan’s packed schedule may not allow them to split the Bangladesh tour. The PSL is set to run from February 20 to March 22, after which the PCB will host its domestic one-day competition. Early in the summer, Pakistan will tour the Netherlands and Ireland, followed by an England tour. They then play the Asia Cup in September in preparation for the T20 World Cup.

Coach Russell Domingo speaks to some of the players during a training session. (BCB)

Simmons outshines Gayle in Kyrgios keeps calm to outlast Tsitsipas at ATP Cup Challengers win

SYDNEY (Reuters) Australian Nick Kyrgios outlasted world number six Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(7) 67(3) 7-6(5) after an intense duel to seal the tie for the hosts against Greece at the inaugural ATP Cup team event in Brisbane yesterday. Kyrgios slammed a backhand winner on matchpoint and fell on his back to celebrate his second win in as many meetings against the ATP Finals champion as the partisan crowd at the Pat Rafter Arena roared on. His win ensured Australia will go to the knockouts having won all their ties in the $15 million ATP Cup, which features 24 nations competing in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney over 10 days. “Exhausting! It was lot of fun. Knew it was going to be a tough match,” Kyrgios said in a courtside interview. “He’s an amazing player and he’s so young. He’s going to do some special things in the sport.” Kyrgios had missed the tie against Canada with a back problem and yesterday replaced Australia number one Alex de Minaur, who sat out with an abdominal strain. While Kyrgios, who has been placed on probation by the governing body of men’s tennis over his behaviour, losing his cool on court is not surprising, it was Tsitsipas who was docked a point for hitting a ball at the Greek Team

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios during his Group F singles match against Germany’s JanLennard Struff. (REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy file photo) Zone. The 21-year-old also broke his racquet in frustration after losing the opening set which earned him a berating from his mother, who was present in the team zone. Kyrgios stayed unfazed and kept his focus on his own game, which consisted of his usual through-the-leg tweeners, no-look drop shots and one underarm serve. “I am on probation, so I got to stay in check. I’m trying, I’m trying (to be a good boy),” he said as the crowd clapped in appreciation. Canadian Denis Shapovalov earlier picked up his second win against a top-

10 player with a 6-2 6-2 thumping of Alexander Zverev as the German continued to struggle with his serve ahead of this month’s Australian Open. Shapovalov, 20, needed just 70 minutes to brush aside world number seven Zverev, who lost his third straight singles before the year’s first Grand Slam starting in Melbourne on Jan. 20. Zverev, the 2018 ATP Finals champion, served seven double faults against Shapovalov to take his total for the tournament to 31. “There’s a lot of things that I still need to improve, but it’s the start of the season,” Zverev said. “I need to find my rhythm.” Shapovalov, who beat Tsitsipas in his opening match, returned with team mate Felix Auger-Aliassime to win the deciding doubles rubber against Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies 6-3 7-6(4), earning Canada a 2-1 win in the tie to keep them in the hunt for the quarterfinals. All six group winners and the two best second-placed teams will advance to the final eight in Sydney. Besides the hosts, Serbia, Britain and Russia have already qualified. Russian Daniil Medvedev, the U.S. Open finalist and world number five, won his third straight singles rubber in Perth, beating Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-3 7-6(6).

Lendl Simmons top-scored for Challengers.

DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – Left-hander Chris Gayle sparkled briefly in his first appearance of the season but it was Lendl Simmons’s second halfcentury in three innings and third of the campaign which fired Chattogram Challengers to their second win on the trot, a convincing sevenwicket victory over Rajshahi Royals. In a top-of-the-t a b l e clash at the Shere Bangla National Stadium here y e s t e r d a y, C h a l l e n g e r s cruised to their target of 167 with nine balls to spare, with Simmons stroking 51 off 43 deliveries at the top of the order. He punched two fours and four sixes, adding an important 77 for the

second wicket with Imrul Kayes who top-scored with 67 off 41 deliveries with three fours and five sixes. Veteran Gayle made 23 from 10 balls and looked to be teeing off after he crunched a four and three sixes. However, he was first to go in the fifth over when he was caught at the wicket off seamer Kamrul Islam, after posting 35 with Simmons. The West Indies righthander was eventually run out in the 13th over but Imrul saw his side home in a 40-run, unbroken fifth wicket stand with Windies stroke-maker Chadwick Walton who finished unbeaten on 14.

Fast-bowling all-rounder Andre Russell finished wicket-less from his three overs which leaked 30 runs but had earlier made a 10-ball 20 as Royals posted 166 for eight off their 20 overs. Opener Liton Das topscored with 56 from 45 deliveries. Challengers lead the Bangladesh Premier League standings with 16 points, two clear of the Royals. In the other match of the doubleheader, Johnson Charles scored 26 and captain Andre Fletcher, 22, but their Sylhet Thunder went down by five wickets to Cumilla Warriors to lose their 11th game in 12 outings and remain bottom of the standings on two points.

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Guyana International Kyo-kushin-kai Martial Arts Academy ends 2019 on a high The Guyana International Kyokushinkai Martial Arts Academy at the year 2019 was once again on a very high note for the organisation. With a simple ceremony, on Sunday December 29 last, 11 students along with two Masters N. Khedeo (of Suriname) and Christopher Norville (of Guyana) received their certificates from Shihan A. Nazim Yassim. The 11 students of Shihan Yassim competed their exams in October last, they were: From 3rd to 4th Dan black belts…Sensei Kelvin Walcott and Sensei M. Lynda Yassim. From 2nd to 3rd Dan black belt…. Maranda Bennett and Tadious Edun. From 1st to 2nd Dan black belt…. Vikash Samwaru and Umisha Parasram. From 1stKyu brown belt to 1st Dan black belt… Ravi Samaroo, Bisram Ramnarain, Gonvid Ramkuar, Parashuram Persaud and Shakeel Rahat. These are all registered and certificated members of the International Kyokushin Budokai Kan Federation (IKBKF) and the Kyokushin Schools of Karate Worldwide Union (KSKWU). Professor Nowieldath Khedeo, (of Suriname) and Prof; Christopher Norville,

(of Guyana) received their certificates from the International Kyokushin Budokai Kan Federation (IKBKF). Shihan Ya s s i m congratulated his students on their achievements in obtaining their black belt certificates in Kyokushinkai karate. Noting that it was not an easy journey, he also noted that he was not an easy person to deal with at times….And furthermore, extend his appreciation to his students for their patience with him, and for the hard work that they have put in, and are carrying out for the A c a d e m y, (Guyana I n t e r n a t i o n a l Kyokushinkai Martial Arts Academy) saying, Together with our members in different parts of Guyana, we will make Kyokushin-kai karate the biggest and strongest in our country, as it is in the world. And to do this we have to continue to be loyal to G r a n d m a s t e r O y a m a ’s Philosophy of...”Keep your head low (modesty), eyes high (ambition), mouth shut (serenity); base yourself on filial piety and

Shihan Nazim Yassim and team of black belts along with Shihan Khedeo from Suriname and Prof: Christopher Norville. benefit others.” He urged his students to continue their daily training and hard work. With only one goal in mind, to be the best they can be and to make Guyana proud. He said, “If you do not give up, your dream will definitely become true. However, a dream will not become true without a strong will and hard work” as he wished them good luck on their new journey. Shihan Yassim closed the programme saying Kyo kushinkai Guyana is steadily heading towards the

future, with big dreams that nobody could stop. Together with you all, your hard work and Strong spirit, we will make our country Guyana a Kyokushin power in this region. Generally Guyana International Kyokushinkai Martial Arts Academy, has done extremely well for 2019. Having competed in 4 tournaments: -Guyana International Kyokushinkai Martial Arts Academy National Martial Arts Championships May 19, 2019. Kyokushinkai Guyana Team: with 23 students won

45 Medals; 25 golds, 12 silvers and 8 Bronze. -Shuriken Karate Suriname 5th International Karate Tournament August 19, 2019. Kyokushinkai Guyana Team: with 5 students won 8 Medals; 7 goals, and 1 silver. -The Guyana International Kyokushinkai Martial Arts Academy 7th Open International Martial Arts Championships 15th September, 2019. With 28 students won 60 medals, 38 goals, 14 silvers, 6 bronze, and 2 4th place. -The Guyana Mix-Martial

Arts Karate Association in house karate tournament; at the end of September; GIKMAA with 4 students won a total of 7 medals 4 golds & 3 silvers From these tournaments, GIKMAA won120 medals inclusive of: 74 = Golds, 30 = Silvers, 14 = Bronze. Also they had two 4th places. Other Activities for 2019 were…A Health and fitness Walk, 2colored belts and 1 Black belt exams (All Students passed exams), 3 outdoor training sessions and 5 successful fund raising activities.

Olympic hopeful Chance to compete at Gamecock opener - “Hard work, prayer and God; keys to success”

Arinze Chance is looking to make a big splash on the NCAA scene again this year with one eye on the Tokyo games.

By Calvin Chapman Kaieteur Sport caught up with U.S. based studentathlete and Tokyo Olympics hopeful, Arinze Chance, who shared with us that he will begin his 2020 season next weekend at the University of South Carolina’s Gamecock opener in Columbia. The sprint ace, who also attends South Carolina University (USC), had given himself a wonderful birthday present at this meet last year when he broke Guyana’s National indoor 400m record at the USC’s remodeled Indoor Track and Field Complex. Chance, who will be 24 years on January 20th, registered an official time of 46.15s seconds at the 2019 Gamecock opener, the best time by a Guyanese on a normal indoor track, bettering the previous best of 46.49s by Jermaine Griffith in 2017.

The South Carolina senior who is majoring in Global Studies; specialising in leadership and economic development, also broke his university’s 400m record which had stood for 16 years last season and, with his aim of making the Tokyo games this July-August, he will be pushing hard to make the 44.90 Olympic standard. Although the Olympic Standard (OS) of 44.90s is some way off of his best time (PB) of 46.05s (outdoor), Chance explained to Kaieteur Sport that he will be digging deep this season to shave off the 1m 15s off his PB; “A difficult task but nothing good ever comes easy,” the athlete noted. He furthered shared that, “I’m of the belief that through hard work, humility and faith in God, I’ll achieve all that I have to in this upcoming track & field season.”

2019 was a great year for Arinze, his 46.15s was the fastest 400m time in the NCAA setup last season and the final year student had also broken Guyana’s 300m record with a blistering 33.00 seconds at the Orange & Purple Elite track meet. The former Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) athlete praised the efforts of his Coach Curtis Frye who has brought him a far way and he emphasised that as an athlete you don’t get much support in Guyana when you have proven yourself at the top level and the situation is even worse when you are now developing. The current Aliann Pompey Invitational 400m champion posited that he is trying to get as much international exposure. Exposure that he believes will build his confidence moving forward.

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Wednesday January 08, 2020

Kaieteur News

Evin Lewis’ unbeaten 99 caps dominant win for West Indies ESPNcricinfo - Evin Lewis fell agonisingly short of a hundred, but his immaculate unbeaten 99, which followed Alzarri Joseph’s feisty fourfor, helped a dominant West Indies brush Ireland aside in the first ODI in Bridgetown. Batting on 93 with three required for a win, the opener managed to slice one wide of third man for two runs. That left a straightforward equation - a six to win the match as well as get his hundred. Lewis managed to smoke the length ball that followed, but it landed a few metres short of the extra-cover boundary and left him on 99 as West Indies took a 1-0 lead. Lewis’ innings was nearly chanceless. He began solidly, offering a vertical bat as much as possible on a good batting surface that showed glimpses of being slow every now and again. The only chance he offered, a chip against Mark Adair in the ninth over, was put down by Kevin O’Brien lunging low at mid-off. Either side of that ball, Lewis bludgeoned short pitched bowling from the mediumpacer. That early plan to put away horizontal-bat shots was a theme throughout for Lewis, whose other highlights were blistering drives through extra cover, and nonchalant lofts over mid-off against the spinners. Occasionally he brought out the sweep - such as when he brought up his fifty - and, in a short chase, he anchored the innings without compromising on his scoring rate.

In his company, all batsmen made starts without building on them. Brandon King struggled in a 71-run partnership as Ireland cramped him for room, Shimron Hetmyer lasted eight balls before top-edging a slog sweep, and Nicholas Pooran played one of the shots of the match - a glorious straight hit that slammed the edge of the roof - before finding backward point with a cut. Roston Chase, West Indies’ new ODI floater, brought calm after a middle-order wobble and took West Indies to within three runs of victory before falling. Shai Hope had begun in similarly pristine fashion to Lewis, but Adair had his revenge after being hit for two fours, hurrying him with a short ball that he sliced high in the midwicket region where William Porterfield took a diving catch running backwards. That wicket was something of an extension of the first innings, when Joseph and Sheldon Cottrell made effective use of a bouncy pitch that was on the slower side. Ireland’s top three pulled and hooked well against the new ball as West Indies kept their lengths on the shorter side. The extra time because of the surface’s slow pace helped in that regard, but as the lacquer progressively went out, horizontal-bat shots became tougher. Paul Stirling was at his flowing best, piercing the off side early on, and got great connection on his pull shot against Joseph

in his first over, but he couldn’t keep it down. At midwicket, Pollard took an easy catch. Andy Balbirinie, who had won the toss in his first match as ODI captain, played three pristine shots within minutes of coming in - one a drive through the covers, one watchful pull caressed to fine leg, and a gorgeous hook for six. But Pollard’s gamble with the offspin of Chase inside the Powerplay worked immediately. Balbrinie reached out, first ball of the tenth over, and got a thin edge as the ball held its line. Hope held onto the first of his four catches behind the stumps. The free-flowing nature of the innings stopped there. Debutant allrounder Gareth Delaney, who was picked to open ahead of James McCollum, was next to fall, getting an inside edge trying to pull Joseph’s back-of-alength delivery after a sustained period of dot balls, and moments after a mix-up had nearly ended Porterfield’s innings at the non-strikers end. In his next over, Joseph pinned Kevin O’Brien deep in the crease trying to flick a full ball, and Cottrell returned shortly after to find Porterfield’s outside edge with a short delivery outside off that he appeared too eager to cut. Ireland were 80 for 5 at that point, and slipped to 88 for 6 when Simi Singh was strangled down leg side. Twenty-three-year-old wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker, who played ahead of Gary Wilson, then dug in with

Paul Stirling taps one on the off side. (Getty Images) Mark Adair for just over 13 overs. They weren’t extravagant in putting up the only half-century stand of the innings, but at just over four an over, they didn’t open up the danger of a complete slowdown. But two balls after the drinks break, Adair jumped down the track to a length ball from Hayden Walsh that was delivered from well behind the crease and ended up being beaten in flight completely. Joseph got another one to kick up from the surface in his last over to account for Tucker, and might have had a fifth wicket if Barry McCarthy hadn’t had the option to overturn an lbw decision using DRS.

League Cup final in sight for Man City after 3-1 win at United MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) Holders Manchester City took a big step towards a return to the League Cup final with a 3-1 win over Manchester United in their semi-final, first leg at Old Trafford yesterday. City outclassed their neighbours in the first half, going in 3-0 at the break before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side regrouped and avoided what could have been a more emphatic defeat. United suffered a blow before the kickoff with central defender Harry Maguire failing a fitness test and Phil Jones was handed a rare start. City boss Pep Guardiola opted to play without a recognised striker, giving Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva licence to push forward centrally. With Raheem Sterling and

Bernardo Silva is the first Manchester City player to score in consecutive appearances against Manchester United at Old Trafford since Sergio Aguero between 2011-2015 (three games). (Getty Images) Riyad Mahrez on the wings, the approach worked superbly against a flimsylooking United defence. It was a brilliant strike from Bernardo Silva to put City

ahead in the 17th minute, the winger cutting in from the right before unleashing a superb shot into the far, top corner. The busy Portugal

international then created City’s second, collecting a poor headed clearance from Victor Lindelof and dancing past a challenge before (Continued on page 31)

There was one final bit of resistance from the lower order, with McCarthy and Boyd Rankin adding 30 for the last wicket. But they could

only stretch the score to 180, which didn’t prove nearly enough as the hosts won with a third of their overs to spare.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 08, 2020

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AAG 2019 review (Pt. 1): Local meets Calvin Chapman story and photos It was business as usual for the Amateur Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) in 2019 on the local scene. And, while there is always room for improvement, the Aubrey Hutson headed sport body successfully hosted the National Youth and Junior Championships, while managing to run off a fair amount of developmental meets. In addition, the AAG sanctioned Aliann Pompey Invitational continues to grow from strength to strength. Senior Championships (June 29-30) The National Senior Athletics Championships was nothing short of thrilling at Leonora, as National Long Jump record holder; Emmanuel Archibald, completed the 100m-200m sprint double with a razor sharp finish in the 200m final on the last day. Meanwhile, Kenisha Philips came out strong and gapped the field in the women’s 200m final to avenge her loss to the Barbados based Guyanese; Jovanna Gustave, who had won the 100m on day ahead

of the Running Brave Athletics Club (RBAC) athlete. Archibald, 25 years, had a great start but he was reeled in superbly by the 19-yearold Daniel Williams of Linden. Archibald, who won the 100m in a time of 10.26 seconds on day one, finished the 200m final in 20.92 for a photo-finish ahead of Daniel Williams 20.94. Arinze Chance was third in 200m with a time of 21.53 but he wasn’t too displeased after winning his pet event; the 400m, on Saturday; day one, in 46.42 seconds. On Saturday, Keliza Smith of RBAC won the 400m women’s final in 59.50s. In the field events, Chantoba Bright suffered yet another defeat, this time in her favoured event, the tripled jump. She was beaten by the lanky Natrena Hooper who leaped 12.71 meters. Princess Browne was third. And, in the middle distances, as has been the case for the past seasons, Devaun ‘Scooby’ Barrington (GDF) won the men’s 800m race in a time of 1m 51s ahead of Anfernee Headecker of Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) 1m 54s.

Daniel Melville of Police Club led the boys’ under -20 800m from start to finish at the Junior Championships. Joanna Archer, who is on a sport scholarship at Munroe College in the United States, won the women’s 800m in 2m10s. Junior Championships (June 28-29) The AAG was unmoved by the intermittent showers of the eminent May-June rainy season and all the scheduled events for the second and final day of the National Youth and Junior Championships were completed at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC), Leonora. Among the winners were

Damon Williams won the men’s long jump ahead of National record holder Emmanuel Archibald at the National Championships.

The women’s 100m final at the Senior Championships which was won by Jovanna Gustave (fourth left).

2019 Carifta games gold medalists Anisha Gibbons and Matthew Gordon, while Adriel Austin, who was also part of the AAG’s team that finished fourth overall in the Cayman Islands, also picked up a win. Austin, who is a member of the Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC), won the girls’ under-18 800m. Gordon (Hopetown Flames) won the boys’ under-18 3000m by some distance after registering a time of 9 minutes 38 seconds with Cordell Charles coming in second almost an entire minute slower in 10 minutes 25 seconds. Gibbons threw a top distance of 37.18m to stand out in the girls’ under-18 Javelin. The 800m event wasn’t short of entertainment; Daniel Melville (PPYC) won the boys’ under-20 division in 1minute 59 seconds ahead of Jevon Harris of RBAC. Shaquka Tyrell, Princess Browne, and Keliza Smith, all of who had participated in the 48th edition of the Carifta in April 2019, also had

standout performances on day one. Also in the winners’ row on day one was Daniel Wi l l i a m s - U 2 0 1 0 0 m (10.68s), Daniel MelvilleU-20 400m (49.81s), Kenisha Phillips- U20 100 (11.83s) and Deshanna Skeete- U-20 100m (11.84s). AP Invitational (July 6) The fourth Aliann Pompey Invitational Athletics meet ran off on time despite the imminent threat of rain but a GPL power outage put the brakes on the event during the men’s 1500m final that had to be completed in the dark. Despite the hiccup, the AP maintained its high standard and fans were highly entertained with over 20 international competitors on show. In the marquee men’s 100m final, Joseph Amoah of Ghana won the event with a new meet record of 10.20s a h e a d o f G u y a n a ’s Emmanuel Archibald 10.33s and Winston George 10.40. In women’s 100m final, Kamaria Durant of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) was way

too quick with an impressive 11.39s. Arinze Chance had set out to break the national 400m record last evening but rain had intervened and the overcast conditions wasn’t conducive for fast times but the US-based athlete still managed his second fastest time of the year, 46.12 seconds, to win the event. The women’s quartermile sprint saw Aliyah Abrams (GUY) winning in a scorching 52.16s ahead of Candice McLeod of Jamaica (52.28s). Jamaican Rushell Clayton got a good warm up for her Diamond League appearance the following week with a 55.25s meet record win in the women’s 400m hurdles. The battle between local stars Devaun Barrington and Anfernee Headecker brought fans to their feat in the men’s 800m final. Headecker ran a good 750 but was beaten again on the homestretch. Barrington registered a personal best e of 1m50s, while Headecker (Continued on page 31)

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Sixth KARES Caribbean Fitness Challenge set to unfold at National Park on Feb. 9th - Male and Female winners to pocket $500,000 each

The lineup of male and female athletes at last year’s 5th KARES Caribbean Fitness Challenge. With the biggest cash prizes ever up for grabs, the 6th annual Kares Caribbean Fitness Challenge, under the theme: ‘Bring Out The Beast In You’ is set to unfold at the National Park Tarmac on Sunday February 9th next where the local athletes led by the defending male and female champions will be putting their titles on the line against overseas competition. Five-time defending male champion, Dillon ‘The Beast’ Mahadeo competing out the Crossfit 592 will be going after a fifth successive triumph and will surely be eying the top prize of $500,000, the biggest ever, sponsored by Lotus Hardware under the Kares Group of Companies. Even the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place athletes will leave the National Park arena smiling as they would be pocketing $400,000, $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000, respectively; prize monies in some instances being doubled from last year. Additionally, all competing athletes would be awarded a Participation Fee while all Over-35 competitors would also be rewarded with a cash prize. Certainly, reason (s) to get into the act of participating at the Sixth KARES Caribbean Fitness Challenge.

Displaying their silverware following the presentation at the 5th KARES Caribbean Fitness Challenge. Registration will close next week Friday, January 17th and based on reports, defending female champion, Suriname’s Ava Zalman might not be making the trip which would make the likes of Semonica Duke and Delice Adonis favourites to take back the

title. Adonis won in 2018. However, there will be female competitors coming from the Dutch nation. The other nation confirming participation to date is Barbados, invitations have also been sent to Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad &

Tobago. Mahadeo would be tested by the likes of last year’s runner-up and third place finishers, Kelvin Baul (Fusion Fitness) and Omisi Williams of Perry Fitness Gym, Linden among others. Registration

fee for each athlete is USD $25.00. The events have not been revealed to date but are expected to be testing for the male and female gladiators who are all getting themselves in shape for what is anticipated to be grueling

contests. Fans are in for a treat with competition scheduled to get underway at 13:00hrs on Sunday February 9th, only the fittest will survive and be able to pocket the lucrative prizes on offer. (Franklin Wilson)

Tropical Shipping supports Blind Cricket The Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) has once again received a financial donation from Tropical Shipping which is located on High Street Kingston. Yesterday’s timely donation will be utilised to facilitate the establishment

of two blind cricket nurseries and to further the development of blind cricket in Regions 4 and 10. The funds received will go towards the procurement of blind cricket gears and equipment for their developmental initiatives. GCOPD in partnership with the Guyana Blind Cricket

Association (GuyBCA) will expose children and adults who are blind and visually impaired to the fundamentals of blind cricket through the nurseries and other blind cricket development activities. National and West Indies blind cricketer and GCOPD Programme Coordinator,

Ganesh Singh, thanked Tropical Shipping for its timely donation. Singh also highlighted the importance of sports in the rehabilitation and empowerment of persons with disabilities. He further outlined the impact of blind cricket on the lives of persons who are blind and visually impaired, since

the sport was introduced to Guyana in November 2005. Singh, who is a current National and West Indies blind fast Bowler, articulated the impact blind cricket had on his life after he lost his sight as a teenager and was at home depressed. He said blind cricket was the vehicle of his rehabilitation,

reintegration into society and acquisition of confidence as a blind person. Also speaking at the presentation ceremony, Ms. Glenis Hodge, Country Manager of Tropical Shipping, said the Company was happy to play a role in helping to provide (Continued on page 31)

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 08, 2020

Builders Lumber Yard renews ties with athlete D’Andrade

Nafeeza Salim presents the cheque to Lionel D’ Andrade in the presence of Paul Nunes also of Builders Lumber Yard. Satisfied with his performances in 2019, Builders Lumber Yard has renewed their sponsorship of local athlete Lionel D’Andrade as part of their corporate responsibility. At a simple ceremony held yesterday at one of the e n t i t y ’s l o c a t i o n , 1 2 Lombard and Deeroy Streets, D’ Andrade was presented with the sponsorship cheque by Nafeeza Salim of Builders Lumber Yard. Apart from Guyana, D’Andrade, who competes mostly in Trinidad and Tobago, also plies his trade in neighbouring Suriname where he placed second in the Bigi Broki Waka 10k on Sunday last. Builders Lumber Yard, dealers in all local lumber, rough and dress, and treated pine lumber in all sizes, also has branches at 9-12 Water and Deeroy Streets and 66 Bent Street, Werk-en-Rust. Speaking with Kaieteur

Sport, Nafeeza Salim said they have seen lots of improvements by the athlete and they are happy to lend support. “He is good at what he does, we have seen his success and he has been doing a great job so we have decided to continue with our sponsorship of the athlete so that he can continue raking in the top prizes at these meets,” adding that they are pleased with his performances. She urged him to remain committed and continue to train hard so that he can maintain his high standard in competitions; Miss Salim also pledged their continued support and noted that D’Andrade performances also serve as a motivation for younger athletes. D’Andrade informed that Builders Lumber Yard has been his sponsor for almost 10 years and he has expressed gratitude to the entity, singling out its Chief Executive Officer Mr. Salim

for special mention. He said that his next race will be held on January 18 in Trinidad and his preparation has been going well; he expressed confidence of winning the event. “My upcoming event is a 5k so I will place more emphasis on speed leading up to this race.” D’Andrade was plagued somewhat by injuries during the last season and he is looking forward to better his performances in 2020. “I sustained an injury to my ankle, but that has healed now and I am looking forward to compete in more marathons and half marathons this year; I am also hoping to take part in more races locally.” He pointed out that the competitions in Trinidad and Tobago are usually of a high standard with athletes from a number of countries taking part, stating that he has to ensure he is always on top of his game in order to succeed.

GAPLF AGM set for Feb. 8th next; venue to be confirmed The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) is set for Saturday February 8th next at a venue to be confirmed according to a release from the Federation. The meeting will get underway at 09:00hrs with the agenda as follows: 1. Renewal of Affiliation 2. Review of 2018 AGM Minutes 3. President’s Report for 2019 4. General Secretary’s Report for 2019 5. Treasurer’s Report for 2019 6. Election of 2020 Office Bearers 7. Any Other Business. The current executive committee which was elected en block last year is as follows: Ed Caesar – President, Nadina Taharally – Vice President, Colin Austin – Treasurer, Andrea Smith – General Secretary, Runita White – Public Relations Officer/Organising

Ed Caesar Secretary, David Gomes – Committee Member, Martin Webster – Committee Member, Erwyn Smith – Committee Member.

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Guyanese Lionel D’Andrade places second in Bigi Broki Waka 10k in Suriname

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uyanese athlete Lionel D’ A n d r a d e continues to make a name for himself on foreign soil when he took the runner up spot in the Bigi Broki Waka 10k which was held on Sunday last in Paramaribo, Suriname. D’ Andrade finished the race in a time of 36 minutes and 38 seconds; the event was won by Janiek Pomba of Suriname who crossed the finish line in 36 minutes and 01 second. Shaquille Pikintio also of the host nation placed third in 37 minutes and 38 seconds. D’Andrade said he is satisfied with his performance, adding that in the 2019 edition he finished 2nd overall and improved with his timing in the event this year, while Pomba placed sixth in 2019. He informed that his next event is the KISS Baking Company 5k which is set for January 18 in Trinidad. When quizzed about his performance in 2019, the athlete said that he is pleased

Lionel D’Andrade (right), Janiek Pomba (C) and Shaquille Pikintio with their accolades on the podium following the race. with his achievements, indicating that he took part in 64 races and won 23.

D’Andrade expressed gratitude to his sponsor Builders Lumber Yard.

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port

Evin Lewis’ unbeaten 99 caps dominant win for West Indies

Evin Lewis slices the ball over mid off. (Getty Images)

Alzarri Joseph claimed four wickets in a fiery spell for the Windies. (AFP file photo)

Tropical Shipping supports Blind Cricket

Country Manager of Tropical Shipping, Glenis Hodge, presents the cheque to West Indies Blind Cricketer Ganesh Singh for Blind Cricket Development. Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.