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Lands seized from NEWS BaiShanLin should not be allocated in a hurry - Jagdeo AIETEUR

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Saturday Edition January 25, 2020 - Vol. 14 No. 04

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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

Price $80

Online readership yesterday 685,459

Guyana’s minimum share of oil resources must be between 15 and 20% - IMF p.

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Bus driver to spend 6 months Cane Grove man arrested for in jail for allowing students to jump out of moving bus slashing wife’s throat p.

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There are some communities in Guyana that are so peaceful that it is a wonder they are not tourist resorts. Sand Hills up the Demerara River is just one.

Man crushed by Father of one jailed 23 yrs truck in Sophia over execution-style killing

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Guyana could rake in $$billions if data is made available - Industry on relinquished oil blocks Experts p.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday January 25, 2020

Kaieteur News

Saturday January 25, 2020

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Former chairman, councillor still signing off on cheques of new Buxton /Foulis NDC - matter under probe by LGC

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ouncillors of the Buxton/Foulis Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) are raising concerns over what they believe is a deliberate ploy by former members of the committee to undermine their work.

Former Chairman of the N D C a n d C o u n c i l l o r, Nerpaul Purai, told Kaieteur News that the NDC which represents the interests of thousands of people in the two villages on the East Coast Demerara is being held to ransom by the old members of the Council.

The problem, he said, started after the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won control of the Council at the Local Government Elections, in 2018. He said that it was the

first time the PPP had won the local authority area at the LGE and there was obvious disappointment from members of the former Council.

However, the Councillor said the disappointment became more evident at the handing over of books and financial records.

Purai said that when the Council changed hands, he obtained several documents including a letter signed by the Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, to make changes to signatures on the Council's bank account.

He said that documents were presented to Republic Bank requesting a signature change but the bank asked for additional documents such as the Tax Identification

GRA wins chicken smuggling case - defendants ordered to pay $5.7M

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hree chicken smugglers were on Thursday found guilty of chicken smuggling and ordered to pay $5.7M to the Guyana Revenue Authority by Magistrate Alicia George.

Jimmy Ferguson, Antonio Robertson and Sohan Beisabhan were told that if they fail to pay the fine, they will spend one year in prison.

The three defendants

were caught in August 2019 with the chickens.

It was reported that the men had in their possession 200 40-pound boxes of chicken that they smuggled from Suriname.

The ruling of the matter was handed down in the Sparendaam Magistrates' Court.

The men were given one week to pay the $5.7M to GRA or they will be jailed for one year.

Number (TIN) of the NDC , financial statement and proof of address for the NDC. Purai said that the request for the documents was forwarded to the overseer, who also sat on the former NDC. “The documents were never handed over. She basically refused to give us the documents needed to make the change. We suspect collusion between her and members of the old Council.”

As a result, the Councillor noted that NDC has encountered its fair share of difficulties dealing with financial matters.

“For example, when any payment is required whether it is the payment of stipend for members of NDC, there is a hold up because the former Chairman and Councillor from the old Council have to sign off on it.” He said, too, that certain elements of the NDC work

These cheques were signed off by members of the old Buxton Foulis NDC are also under threat due to this.

“It is the first time that the PPP is leading Buxton /Foulis NDC but we are being hindered by certain elements of the old Council.”

Purai noted that complaints have been lodged with the Minister of Communities and the Local Government Commission, (LGC). Kaieteur News understands that the matter

has been under probe by the Local Government Commission for some time now.

However, Purai says that LGC is yet to take firm action in the case.

GTT records increase in fraud complaints

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he Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) is urging customers to be more vigilant and to seek verification of promotions.

Recently, the company has seen an increase in fraud reports during 2019.

According to GTT's Vice President of Customer Experience and Quality, Orson Ferguson, the number of fraud reports has increased despite the company's effort to put measures in place to reduce scams, as he believes scammers are evolving.

“We are constantly putting measures in place to

reduce the likelihood of customers being scammed.

The problem is that it all comes down to people trusting the person on the other end of the line to give them enough personal information so that they can use it to take monies out of their accounts, or even sending them the money directly,” Ferguson said.

He explained that recently the scammers have taken a move to landline users seeking their National Identification numbers. “All of our promotions are on our website with the complete details which includes what winners should expect.

“We also would never

ask customers to provide sensitive information like PINs or to have them send us their ID,” Ferguson said.

He added: “If anyone sends you a SMS or calls about being a winner, the first and only thing you should do is check our

w e b s i t e a t www.gtt.co.gy/promotions or call our customer care service at 0488 to query.”

The VP of Customer Experience and Quality reminds that the company has no ongoing promotions currently.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday January 25, 2020

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

The political realism

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sense of realism has taken hold of the newer, smaller political groups that have qualified to participate in the looming national and regional elections fixed for Monday, March 2. As can be expected, the focus is exclusively on the bigger picture, as in the contest for the helm in the national arena.

Of recent, there was some talk of banding together by a few, but not all, of the groups to be able to present a broader front, a more appealing team, before those who would turn out to vote.

It is a wise way of going about matters, evidence of commonsense. This is said, because there is the reluctant recognition that going it alone would not be enough and promises to result in nothing.

This is despite the loud and insistent clamours from many Guyanese about tiredness and disgust with the longstanding PNC and PPP. The settled wisdom is that it is all talk, and nothing else, with all indications pointing to voting patterns largely along the same lines of the same old way.

This is posited also because, most citizens now discern that the big chiefs, the old sharpies, and political head cases are still pharaohs in Guyana’s empire and nothing and no one is going to dethrone them or disturb them.

More accurately, there is some thinking and evidence-not conclusive in the least--that the PPP and PNC, whichever one emerges triumphant, can be disturbed, if only a smattering of voters cast a ballot for the one of new blocs of political people.

To remind fellow country folks, this paper did editorialise during the last quarter of last year, that it would be the pinnacle of pragmatism, and indicative of thorough commonsense, if some of the new entities were to group together so as to be a more formidable force, one to bring pausing by the frontrunners, and one that brings the cautioning of: don’t count us out.

Be prepared to reckon with us and deal with us.

The cautioning also extended to the alerting that it would not be the regular old political business practices, but a whole new dispensation, a real and unprecedented one.

This publication also went ahead in the earlier days to postulate that a well-represented and well-intentioned new bloc could manage to be a world of trouble for the stale and settled and suffocating, through the winning of some seats, a few seats only.

The thinking then, and even more so today, is that in a very close national election, that those seats could function as difference-maker, troublemaker, icebreaker, game breaker, and all-around unattached spoiler that answers to no one, and which is beholden to none.

This, of course, would come alive and come to light, in the setting of the National Assembly. Big men would be compelled to lean down from their elevated perch and listen to and adjust to the smaller people, who occupy the lower rungs.

It should be a humbling experience, and a new one, for the old wayward, unheeding schemers, who have had their way and work their wiles for an eternity, it seems at times.

Somebody may have been listening, for late last week, a trio of hopefuls decided on going forward separately, but blending any electoral returns for purposes of aggregating seats.

It is a little awkward and runs the risk of some voter confusion and uncertainty.

But that should not amount to much of an issue, since the voters anticipated to respond affirmatively could be from among the more educated and savvier set.

The concern from some interested corners might be the combination itself.

Regardless, this grouping of three has signaled that it is managing its expectations and is focused on coming out of the battle with something, however little. For that little something of several seats is envisioned to make a presence, a powerful participant of them.

Mr. Narine has allowed his political bias to cloud his interpretation of what I said DEAR EDITOR, My attention was drawn to a letter by Mr. Seepaul Narine, using the appellation “General Secretary GAWU”, which appeared in the media on January 23.

Being a PPP party candidate, it is easy to see how Mr. Narine has allowed his political bias to cloud his interpretation of what I said at a huge coalition mini-rally in my home village, Whim.

Context is important. I told my villagers, (many of whom including my family members, worked in the sugar estate) that the PPP (Jagdeo) regime knew that the sugar industry was dying. By 2013, sugar production had fallen to 200,000 tonnes (FAO report).

The decline set in after the guaranteed price for sugar in the European market was discontinued. The sugar industry in Guyana and other Caribbean countries were “not restructured to improve competitiveness” (ECLAC Report 5th May, 2008 - Impact of Changes in the EU Import Regimes for Sugar, Banana and Rice).

In anticipation of this crisis, Guyana had retained Booker Tate on a management contract for services which included preparation of plans for “rehabilitation and rationalization” of the sugar industry. It was noted in the National Development Strategy that while repairs and up-

grades were done, “the sugar mills in Guyana are not only old, but obsolete”.

The ECLAC Report cited above, had warned that the EU price cut would have a harmful impact on the sugar industry as it was not restructured “to improve competitiveness”. Later, it was reported that the cost of production of sugar was three times the world market price (Kaieteur News 2/7/17), and it was generally the situation that we were producing sugar at just under 50 cents per pound, and selling for 16 cents per pound.

It was in that context that then President Jagdeo grabbed an estimated $50 Billion allegedly to modernize the Skeldon factory, saying that without Skeldon “sugar is dead”.

The EU was also pumping monies into Guyana under its sugar programme “to improve competitiveness or to diversify out of sugar”. The EU disbursed between 2007 and 2013 a whopping $34.8 Billion, but the PPP regime is yet to show how much of those funds had been used to modernize operations in the sugar industry.

Besides, Guysuco had chalked up a debt of some $85 billion. These facts are known to Mr. Narine, who knows that the Jagdeo-Ramotar PPP regimes had bankrupted the sugar industry and had

placed the livelihood of 17,000 sugar workers and other families in jeopardy.

When GAWU protested against management incompetence and the “square pegs in round holes”, it was served with notice of de-recognition in 2010. It was then that I made a public statement – “light a candle for sugar workers” for which the Jagdeo Stalinist cabal threatened to expel me from the PPP. Sugar workers are dear to me. Over many years I had fought for the recognition of the union of their choice. I will not be silenced for exposing the PPP and cohorts in GAWU for betraying sugar workers. Since taking office in 2015 our Coalition government made all reasonable efforts to ensure that the sugar industry does not collapse.

We gave some $38 billion in bailout money to pay sugar workers, which amounted to one billion per month. Our Coalition took the decision to close non-profitable estates thereby saving the jobs of 10,000 sugar workers. Those workers who were affected by the closure were given almost $6 billion in redundancy payments, and some of them opted for alternative work.

Our government has rescued the sugar industry and even though production remains low, Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt factories are grinding sugar from cane from

some five cultivation areas.

The sugar industry is not dead as Jagdeo had expected, though the Skeldon factory became a white elephant.

However, re-opening of the closed sugar factories is not the answer to job-creation in the sugar belt.

Even the Stabroek News (23/01/20) conceded this in its editorial in which it dubbed as a ‘pipe dream’ the suggestion to re-open those estates.

It stated the obvious that ‘slashing the red into which sugar had dipped had been necessary for a long time’.

When the Coalition returns to office after the March 2 election, it will continue to support the sugar industry and to ensure diversification that would enlist involvement of sugar workers. Sugar workers will be given plots of land on the estates to pursue farming, aquaculture and rearing of livestock, and will receive assistance to make them productive partners in Guyana’s development.

In the meantime it is heartening to know that the discredited and corrupt PPP is running scared of me, as I hit the campaign trail in the sugar belt! Sugar workers must know the truth!

Yours sincerely, Moses Verasammy Nagamootoo Prime Minister of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana

The Prime Minister’s idle talk exposes his deception on sugar DEAR EDITOR, The GAWU has considered the letter of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo which was published in the January 24, Stabroek News and Guyana Chronicle. It is the first time that the Prime Minister has taken time from his ‘schedule’ to offer a response to our Union.

Usually, such responses would come through one of his cohorts. It seems that on this occasion, one of Mr Nagamootoo’s nerves must have been touched and this prompted him to sign a response himself. Indeed, what the GAWU says must have been important to him.

The Prime Minister contends, wrongfully too, that as a candidate of the PPP/ C my judgment may be clouded. My candidacy has nothing to do about calling a spade a spade. I should add that I am not the first, and I doubt not the last, trade unionist to enter the political world.

Two of my colleague trade unionists are on the list

which also contains Mr Nagamootoo’s name. I do not believe their trade union interests are clouded. He too would know well that the political arena allows unionists to advocate even more strongly on the workers behalf. Many politicians have their roots in the trade union movement, including the Prime Minister’s mentor, and our Union’s former Honorary President, Dr Cheddi Jagan.

Moreover, our letters are signed by the General Secretary of GAWU, as they reflect the position of the Union and no one else. I should add that those letters and/or statements benefit from the input of the GAWU’s leadership and are signed by myself as the authorized official.

While Mr Nagamootoo may dislike or not agree with what is said, that is his problem. We will not be daunted from speaking up and speaking out on matters which affect the Union’s membership and workers generally.

Mr Nagamootoo says ”[c]ontext is important”. Is it that he is saying that he didn’t utter that the closed estates were useless? Or is it, he didn’t say before that NICIL-SPU was actively looking to engage investors to acquire the estates with a view to create jobs? Which context is the Prime Minister speaking about; he cannot blow hot and cold.

The PM next says he spoke to his villagers. But the January 22, Stabroek News said ”…the crowd was bussed from Eversham Village, Auchlyne Village, Skeldon and New Amsterdam…” Who were these villagers he was speaking to, or was it just his family members as he shared in his letter?

The Prime Minister says that by ”…2013, sugar production had fallen to 200,000 tonnes”. However, Mr Nagamootoo didn’t say by 2014 sugar production improved to over 216,000 tonnes and by 2015 production surpassed 231,000 tonnes.

We recall, the Government

in a statement issued on December 18, 2015 expressing delight that 2015 sugar target was surpassed. The PM, in that statement, is quoted to say that he is ”…pleased that they [the workers] have all worked diligently and as hard as they usually do and to help realise the target.”

We recollect too, in a November 28, 2015 statement, the Administration said ”GuySuCo will recover!

This year will mark a turning point in the performance of the industry!”

Mr Nagamootoo points to the reforms in the EU market which posed difficulties for the sugar industry. But the industry was undergoing transformation. Several ventures such as packaged sugar, electricity generation and bottled molasses were being pursued to produce income inelastic products and diversify the industry’s product base in an effort to strengthen it after the EU reforms. Moreover, as the PM would well know, Guyana has a comparative advantage relative to many Caribbean sugar producers. We have (Continued on page 6)

Saturday January 25, 2020

Re-allocations of vacant forest areas transparent; in keeping with sustainable management practices DEAR EDITOR, The Guyana Forestry Commission noted the publication in Kaieteur News dated 23rd January, 2019 bearing the caption ‘Hurried allocation of over one million acres of State Forest will be a national environmental disaster’.In the article there were a number of assertions made by the author V. Li, suggesting that ulterior motives for the proposed reallocations will have a negative impact on the principles of sustainable forest management.

The Guyana Forestry Commission Act 2007 and the Forests Act 2009 have given a clear mandate to the GFC for the management and administration of State forests. The vacant areas as advertised were repossessed by the GFC in 2016 after significant transgressions of the Forest Act 2009 by the previous concession holders.

The areas as advertised will be issued in accordance with the Forest Act 2009 and as embraced in the Guyana

Timber Legality Assurance System (GTLAS) which is internationally recognised as being a transparent and legitimate system of allocating state forest; by donor partners including the European Commission and the Kingdom of Norway.

The article cited the proposed re-allocations as ‘a significant development’ but attempts were then made to suggest that the Commission was guided and or motivated by political considerations.

The GFC unequivocally states that the timing of the advertisement has no bearing on the impending electoral process. The areas have been held in abeyance since their repossession.

Their reallocation was based on submissions recommended by the GFC, which were duly studied and carefully considered by the Board of Directors of the GFC. It should be noted that a portion of the Barama concession was allocated in 2018 under and the very process being following to reallocate the current areas and

no concerns of forest degradation or ‘ e n v i r o n m e n t a l disasters’ were expressed by anyone. Therefore, it is ludicrous to conclude that the impending re-allocations will have any dire effect on the environment or be contrary to the principles of sustainable forests management practiced by the sector.

The writer confused the notion of forest protection with non-use and or nonissuance of forest areas. It must be remembered that Guyana has been sustainably harvesting its forests for more than a 100 years and yet deforestation rates remains one or if not the lowest in the world. A fact that has been confirmed by the Forests Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) REDD+ process and the Monitoring Reporting Verification System (MRVS) reports which have resulted in Guyana receiving approximately GY$9B in December, 2019 from the Kingdom of Norway.

Guyana Forestry Commission

BIASED COLUMNISTS DEAR EDITOR, I have noted with some consternation that for the past two weeks, at least, three of your Sunday feature writers have been unashamedly militating against the main political parties that are contesting the upcoming elections.

The distressing thing about this is that each one has written denouncing the leaders and parties that are contrary to their race. This must surely give the impression that these writers are intent on influencing the electorate to register their votes along racial lines, which must certainly be unacceptable at this stage of our history.

This also demonstrates that these writers, who have previously taken pains to have us believe that they are impartial, are indeed onesided, if not downright racist.

One of those against Bharrat Jagdeo, and the PPP, who claims to represent the

labour sector, has now come out brazenly and displays what must be an ulterior motive. The other, who claims to possess wisdom from his past experience, now exposes his true hand and proves that he is also one-sided.

I am also surprised that the editor and publisher of this newspaper have allowed this political campaigning when, from my close association with them over the years, I know that they have worked assiduously to have an independent and impartial organ.

I hope for all who exert some influence over the populace to be impartial, and not allow their individual and bi-

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Kaieteur News

ased preferences to influence our people at this time, when we need to foster good judgement and impartiality in the coming pre-election period.

Yours sincerely, Roy Paul

A plea to humanity amidst the brutality DEAR EDITOR, The recent upsurge of deadly brutality wrought by citizen against citizen leaves one with the disturbing thought that the oil-rich country, the famed Eldorado is now occupied by beings not worthy of the nomenclature “human”. No longer are disputes settled amicably, instead they have been replaced by the utilization of weapons of mass destruction as the common form of dispute resolution, and age does not diminish the rage.

Who’s taking stock of the rising horrendous senseless crimes being perpetrated by one against each other?

Needless to say the acts, as horrific as they may be, are in themselves the symptomatology undergirding a larger underlying problem. Plainly stated, fully related they are the manifestations of untreated, unnoticed and undesired social issues.

A Toronto-based Guyanese hotel owner, 71year-old Vivekanand Narpatty and his employee Harry Persaud Prashad were discovered hacked to death, bound and gagged with parts of their limbs cut off.

Narpatty, recently returned to Guyana, dreamed of a new life under the sun, and was in the process of restarting Sunsplash Holiday Beach Resort in Corentyne, which overlooks the beach. The hotel was not in operation at the time of the slayings.

A similar demise befell Deochand Ramsahoye, 72, of

Lot 109 Pump Road, Strathspey, East Coast Demerara. The pensioner was allegedly beaten with a music amplifier and an equalizer, suffered severe head injuries and succumbed days later.

The beating stemmed for allegations that one of the deceased man’s sons had removed an undisclosed amount of gold and cash from his employer.

There is a whole lot of truth in the old African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child”. Nowadays, this proverb seems to be even more relevant, with working parents and single parents, and the accompanying family “busyness”. And, even though it seems that the support of a “village” is so desperately needed, it often seems like this concept has somewhat disappeared from Guyanese society.

Age serves as no deterrent, as it is blatantly obviously that the village is no longer living up to its obligations as regards raising children. The lifeless body of 18-year-old Wayne Anthony George of Kaneville, East Bank Demerara, was found in a trench at Craig, with injuries to the head. It is believed that the teen and a group of young men were previously involved in a confrontation of unknown cause.

To further highlight the mentality and thought process of the children raised by the village, a family member of the deceased stated that while the deceased was being beaten, there were onlookers

watching on, not lending a hand, just videotaping the dastardly inhumane act.

A 15-year-old student of the Linden Foundation Secondary School was stabbed to her back with a long “Rambo” knife during an after-school brawl within close proximity of the school.

It was confirmed by a hospital official that the student underwent five hours of emergency surgery and was transported to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) early on Friday morning.

According to the official, the student suffered extensive injuries to her muscles, tendons and several of her internal organs including her lungs, spleen, diaphragm and stomach.

There have also been other cases in Linden, involving school children being stabbed by classmates.

Schools are no longer places of learning, but instead breeding grounds for criminals.

As Guyana stands on the verge of benefitting from oil, (Continued on page 22)

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Kaieteur News

Together we can fix our problems DEAR EDITOR, One of the things I wish to clear with my fellow Guyanese is that I had in fact been instrumental in the formation of the APNU-AFC coalition in February 2015.

The Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, as well as David Granger, will confirm that I visited Congress Place late in 2014, about three times, and formulated a strategy with Mr. Felix to manage and encourage the alliance of the AFC via email under the pseudonym of Marcel Johnson, and via text message.

This clarifies in large measure my relations with both major political parties, and should make it clear to die-hard supporters of the People’s National Congress that I harbour no ill-will against their political representation, but object to the manner of this representation by their so-called political leaders, and the political security of their constituency, as well as that of traditional PPP supporters.

Even as I navigated the alliance of the AFC and APNU in 2015, I contemplated my explanation to my fellow men should the PNC return to its old ways of party paramountcy and economic domination, not to mention its penchant for managing national elections below the table.

I satisfied myself at the time that should this be the case, there could be no better way to explain to our Guyanese youth the nature of our political and economic problems during the first fifty years of our Independence, as the PNC seems once again set on reliving our past.There however can be no question in the minds of Guyanese that Guyana was in dire need of a change of government at the time, the reasons for which are already copiously documented.Since early 2018, as the coalition systematically continued to alienate traditional PPP supporters, I had made it clear to the nation that Guyana was heading into a political crisis with the failure of both of our major political parties at administering our national affairs. I had emphasized the need for a new political third force as a means of ensuring that we did not again slip back into another 23 years of chaotic management and pillaging of our natural resources, the revenues from which since 1992 should have gone to delivering welfare gains for the entire country and raising Guyanese out of poverty (this stands at an estimated 36% or 262,500 Guyanese men, women and children).

It is worth noting here that notwithstanding the sound policy framework I had developed, the Democratic National Congress which I established as a bulwark and fortress for Guyanese did not secure candidates in time for the arbitrarily imposed Nomination Day by a GECOM management clearly in bed with the government and/or the interests of the major political parties.

Charles Sugrim’s letter (KN Jan 21/2020) underlines the fact that the management of GECOM has been effectively bullying the smaller third parties, effective representatives of Guyanese in our national politics, and makes it pellucid that smaller parties have until 25 days before polling day (February 06th) for the submission of a winning combination of smaller parties.

Also, these parties should rely on their constitutionally granted (Nomination Day) deadline of 32 days prior to polling days (January 28th, 2020) to file any changes to their candidates’ lists, if so desired. This said, our problem remains: providing a strong political alternative to secure harvesting of the untold value of our natural resources and eradicating our government-sponsored poverty across Guyana.

Guyanese are a rich, wealthy people.

Penultimately, I close by observing the wisdom of rich people: they do not put thieves and criminals to manage their affairs. The DNC’s Motto, by which all Guyanese should live, is: A Nation Which Fails To Defend Its Democracy, Consents To, And Justifies The Abuses Of Its Government.

By way of notice, and to foster intelligent debate on our future, I cannot in all good conscience support or vote for either of our major political parties, both of which have been instrumental in debasing the welfare of Guyanese, and facilitating the virtual giveaway of revenues from our natural resources which could be used to develop our country.

Finally, I close by noting that Guyana, Guyanese, are in an ‘economic war’ for our natural resources, and through global competition. It is important that our political leaders represent our interests and not be proxies from the pillage and plunder of our resources by unscrupulous foreign companies.

Yours Faithfully, Craig Sylvester, Party Leader, Democratic National Congress

Recipe for corruption at CJIA check in counter DEAR EDITOR, On my departure from Guyana, I was required to pay baggage fees. I was asked if I would be paying with a credit card or cash. Not being too sure that Guyana had successfully transitioned with the capable of handling credit card transactions, I had long before premeditated payment in local currency. So, to answer the check in agent I said cash. I barely heard her say ‘seventy-five dollars for your two bags’. From experience I know currency purchases at foreign airports mean change will be in the country’s local currency. I am mentally reminding myself our currency is only spendable here, therefore I need to use up my local currency. My response was, “don’t you take local currency for payment? If so, what is the amount?”She said $14,740. I gave her $15,000, expecting change of $260.The agent told me, she didn’t have

change, drop my bags off and come back, by then she would have my change. I did, still no change. I told her I would wait. She miraculously hands me $100. I thought for the remaining $160. I could make life easier if I gave her $40 and she gave me $200.She looked at me like a deer frozen in the headlights of a car! Now she tells me all she has is $500! I asked her to check with her colleagues. She comes back and advises no one has change; she will be working the gate and will bring it to me. Mind you this is our local currency.

Being a person of integrity, I trusted her. She never turned up at the gate, the jetway, or on the plane.

I comforted myself with the thought that G$160 wasn’t much it was less than US$1.Around 3.30am, I was jolted out of my cat nap with the realization that if one check in agent randomly se-

lected 10 travelers with the excuse of not having change and would bring it to the gate and doesn’t, at the minimum of G$100 she will collect G$1,000 per night. 7 nights=G$7000. A minimum of 28 days in the month=G$28,000. For 12 months =G$336, 000.Most importantly, other agents may be running the same game.American Airlines accommodates 2 daily flights 268 passengers in total. These flights are booked to capacity, and this is only one carrier. Imagine, what is happening with the collection from the other carriers and those intending to service our country.The agents at the check in counter are already overripe with corruption.

They are not direct employees of the various airlines, they are contracted to handle check in.So, I have thought about this and came up with (Continued on page 22)

Saturday January 25, 2020

The Prime Minister’s idle talk exposes...

From page 4 flat, arable land, access to fresh water, a knowledgeable and capable workforce, among other things.

The PM speaks about the National Development Strategy (NDS) which underlined the state of the industry’s factories. Of course, such a finding was not unsurprising considering that the industry’s excess cash flow, which would have allowed for adequate and suitable investment in the fields and factories, were channeled to the Treasury in the form of the Sugar Levy.

Mr Nagamootoo, who likes to speak about his long association with sugar and its workers, would recall the GAWU’s struggles on the levy. In fact, in the absence of the levy, the diversification which is so necessary now, could have been pursued decades ago. GuySuCo Annual Reports in the 1980’s have revealed that the industry has studied, as far back as then, diversification into electricity production and ethanol. The issue was always the wherewithal to realize those goals.

We are also told about GuySuCo’s cost-ofproduction vis-à-vis selling price. While production costs were high, the PM may be aware that they were plans to address this issue. For instance, mechanization of certain tasks provides significant scope to reduce costs.Mr Nagamootoo should consult the Sugar Commission of Inquiry (CoI) which pointed to the benefits of such initiatives.

Disappointingly, the Coalition, when it took office, refused an already approved CDB loan to further mechanization, though this was recommended by the CoI.Of course, as we all know, the Commission also recommended that no estate be closed and we saw what happened there. So there were considered and rational attempts to address costs and revenues all of which benefitted from several studies to determine their viability.Mr Nagamootoo criticizes the Skeldon investment.

But, as we said before, it represented the first step in modernizing the industry in the post-independent and postnationalisation period. It was a project that was not only supported by the Government of the day, but the international financial institutions.

While there have been difficulties, in spite of those the factory’s electricity plant raked in $9B in 2016 when Government support to the entire industry was $11B. If Mr Nagamootoo’s government had endorsed

the CoI’s recommendation to return the electricity plant to GuySuCo, imagine the difference it would have made to the bottom-line.

The PM spoke about the EU funds. Of course, as we pointed out before, monies from that programme were spent to upgrade the Enmore factory and to construct the packaging plant, which today lies idle. Monies were also used to convert cane fields for mechanized operations while large areas benefitted from tillage and planting.

Of course, those investments now lie useless as Mr Nagamootoo had an active role in shutting down what he deems “useless” estates. On this score, could the PM tell us about the approximate $5.5B his Government received in 2016 from the EU for the sugar industry. The Prime Minister reminds us about his infamous ”light a candle for sugar workers” call in 2010.

Does he also remember saying too ”Zero is an insult, not an option”? But during his stint, so far, as PM, the sugar workers have been insulted time after time with zero. Yet Mr Nagamootoo says ”[s]ugar workers are dear to me.” If this is how he treats those dear to him, we don’t want to see how he treats those he despises.

We are also told about the monies the Government put into the industry. But what did it get for that investment - four (4) closed estates and 7,000 workers on the breadline. Also production fell from over 231,000 tonnes in 2015 to some 91,000 tonnes last year.

In that period too, workers’ wages were frozen and their benefits disregarded, while they were treated with disrespect. So preach all you may about the support, how effective was it when the workers and their families suffered.

Mr PM also spoke about the severance pay the displaced workers received after a court battle we must add. The point is that the workers were entitled to those payments, it was not gratuitous or a gift, as one Minister said he thought the Exxon signing bonus was.

Mr Nagamootoo says when his Government returns to office it ”…will continue to support the sugar industry…” But, before it took office, his colleague, Mr Khemraj Ramjattan told sugar workers, in March, 2015, that ”…we will not in any way close the sugar industry…”The PM in a statement of November 28, 2015, is quoted as having said ”[t]here should be no discussion or debate regarding the importance of the sugar industry to

Guyana’s economy… in fact we have said this on a number of occasions, that this Government sees sugar as too big to fail.” He went on to say too ”[t]he industry and workers remain important to us, and we are working to ensure that we have a modern industry”.

Of course, a few days after that, the announcement was made that Wales was to be closed at the end of 2016.

But talking about support, we urge the PM to use his voice to have the proceeds secured through the sugar bond released to the industry. President David Granger had promised to address this issue since June, last year. Maybe the next time Mr Nagamootoo and Mr Granger meet, he could remind the President of his commitment.

We hasten to remind the Prime Minister that the industry needs the help. It said in a statement factory performance will remain unchanged unless there are the required investments. As far as we know this is the intent of the bond.

Remember too Mr PM, the President said in June, he wanted the industry not only to survive but to thrive. Such hopes have to be connected to timely and adequate investments and we have learnt that in front of the Government currently is a plan from the Corporation to realize such feats. The PM also says ”[s]ugar workers will be given plots of land on the estates…”.

Mr Nagamootoo is quoted in January 27, 2018, Guyana Chronicle assaying ”…sugar workers will be able to have at least one acre of land if you want to plant…” So now nearly two years have gone by and the talk about land remains just talk and idle talk if you ask us.

Mr Nagamootoo says persons are scared that he is on the campaign trail. We do not believe that is the case, but that is not our concern either. The PM is free to be on any trail he wishes, be it the campaign trail; the Linden-Lethem trail, something his Government promised to make into a road; or the trail into the sunset where ostensibly he has a golden parachute unlike the thousands he has put into misery. The PM speaks about appellation, but it seems his apparitions are coming back to haunt him. We also do hope that the Prime Minister will use his influence at the Guyana Chronicle, to ensure that our response receives similar prominence as his.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU

Saturday January 25, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 07

UN to review Guyana's human rights record on Wednesday G

uyana's human rights record will be examined by the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group for the third time on Wednesday.

The meeting will be webcast live, according to the UN. Guyana is one of the 14 states to be reviewed by the UPR Working Group during its upcoming session taking place from 20th to 31st

January. Guyana's first and second UPR reviews took place in May 2010 and January 2015, respectively.

Among other things, the documents on which the reviews are based will include the national report information provided by the state under review.

The reviews will examine information contained in the reports of independent human rights experts and groups, known as the Special

Procedures, human rights treaty bodies, and other UN entities.

The UN group will also examine information provided by other stakeholders including national human rights institutions, regional organizations and civil society groups.

The review will take place in Geneva, Switzerland.

The UPR is described as a unique process, which

Bus driver jailed for allowing students to jump out of moving bus - Conductor charged

T

he 2019 road madness was hell for the Guyana Police Force's Traffic Department.

The road madness reigned, from minibus drivers and conductors dancing out of moving buses to them dancing at the top while it was in motion, to speeding, to putting passengers out for complaining about the speed to a whole list of other traffic violations.

It appeared as if that very madness seeped into 2020 when a video surfaced on social media showing a route 44 minibus driving along the roadway and allowing students to jump out of the moving vehicle.

The shocking video, lasting for one minute and twelve seconds, showed a

young schoolgirl falling on to the public road after jumping out. She was followed by a number of other students who cheered as they jumped off.

But the Traffic Department was quick in their action and that very driver was located and thrown before the court for his reckless actions. The driver of the minibus BVV 7920, Omkar Rambharose, yesterday pleaded guilty to all the charges read to him.

Those charges were dangerous driving, failure to ensure the safety of his passengers and breach of insurance. He was then sentenced to six months imprisonment and his driver's licence was suspended.

The conductor however, made good his escape and a

search has been launched.

H o w e v e r, a n o t h e r conductor who was in the bus at the time was also charged. He was slapped with two charges; being an unlicensed conductor and breach of insurance to which he pleaded guilty.

He was fined a total of $40,000 or he will have to spend two weeks in jail if the payment is defaulted.

Traffic Chief Linden Isles had previously called for commuters to be proactive and call out those errant and reckless drivers who continue to blatantly disregard their safety.

That campaign, started last year, has continued into 2020 with more and more persons coming forth and making complaints leading to those reckless drivers being charged.

Minister engages Linden teachers, students following stabbing incident

M

inister of Education, Dr. Nicollete Henry, yesterday travelled to Linden, where she met and engaged in talks with students and teachers of the Linden Foundation Secondary School.

Her visit was prompted by a stabbing incident involving three students of the school on Thursday.

The Minister also visited t h e L i n d e n Te c h n i c a l I n s t i t u t e a n d Wi s b u rg Secondary, where other incidents of violence by students, have been perpetrated in the past.

On Thursday, a 15-yearold student of the Linden Foundation Secondary School, was stabbed by

another student of the school.

The incident occurred during a fight, involving the 15-year-old and the attacker's sister.

The victim was rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex, where she underwent emergency surgery, to remove a hunting knife that was lodged in her back.

The student reportedly suffered a broken rib, and damage to her lungs and spleen.

Video footage of the incident, which was circulated on social media, clearly showed two students fighting on the ground, when the one on top, was attacked from behind by another student.

Later, the injured student could be seen staggering away, with bloodied clothing and the knife, which was protruding from her back, clearly visible.

According to a police report, Shashamani Williams, of the Linden Foundation Secondary School was wounded in an incident that occurred about 15:00 hours on Thursday at Third Corner, Central Amelia's Ward, Linden.

Two students, 12 and 14 years old respectively, and who are reportedly sisters, were yesterday morning arrested at their home, and taken into police custody, in relation to the incident.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

involves a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 UN member states.

“Since its first meeting was held in April 2008, all 193 UN member states have been reviewed twice within the first and second UPR cycles. During the third UPR cycle, states are again expected to spell out steps they have taken to i m p l e m e n t

recommendations posed during their previous reviews which they committed to follow-up on, as well as to highlight recent human rights developments in the country.”

The delegation of Guyana will be headed by Ambassador John R. Deep Ford, Permanent Representative of Guyana to the UN Office at Geneva.

The three country representatives serving as rapporteurs (“troika”) for the review of Guyana are: Australia, Chile and Pakistan.

The webcast of the session will be at http://webtv.un.org T h e U P R Wo r k i n g Group is scheduled to adopt the recommendations made to Guyana at 17:00 on 31 January.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Saturday January 25, 2020

Guyana could rake in $$billions if oil data made available on relinquished blocks - oil experts

By Kemol King

O

il companies would prefer it if the data they have accumulated on areas they have studied are kept secret, even after those areas ceases being theirs to operate.

That's because the revelation of that data to other oil companies and the general public could lead to billions of dollars in signing bonuses for Guyana,

particularly for parts of the Stabroek Block.

This was told to Kaieteur News in discussions with several industry experts.

ExxonMobil is slated to relinquish 20 percent of the behemoth 6.6 million-acre Block on October 7, 2020.

The Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) it signed with Government in 2016 requires such a relinquishment after the first renewal period, which is four years.

Map showing blocks in which ExxonMobil owns stakes. The company's 15 material discoveries have so far been concentrated in the southern end of the Block It is typical for data to be kept confidential when a contract covers the concerned area. But after the relinquishment clause of the PSA is fulfilled, 1.3 million acres of the current contract area will no longer be covered by the agreement.

That acreage could form several new blocks. And the data that concerns it will be the sole property of the State.

At this point, many oil companies will fork up attractive offers for the rights to the relinquished areas.

The area that is now the Stabroek Block has been proven to contain billions in high quality oil-equivalent barrels.

Government's opportunity to get more value for the people doesn't

end there.

It is likely that ExxonMobil has already studied the data to determine which Blocks it intends to farm into in the future.

Government can do whatever it wants with the data ExxonMobil will relinquish, including publishing it.

If it does that, other oil companies can study it and determine which parts of the relinquished area are more attractive and likely to contain commercial reserves than others.

All that does is give some of ExxonMobil's competitive advantage to other companies, and makes it easier for Guyana to rake in billions of dollars.

When pressed about the

meager US$18M signing bonus it collected for handing over Stabroek Block rights to ExxonMobil, one of Government's justifications was that it didn't know just how much value was there.

This time around, Kaieteur News would have already pointed out how other nations were able to collect large sums for acreage that was less valuable.

Stabroek Block acreage isn't the only acreage that relinquishment concerns.

ExxonMobil has already relinquished 20 percent of the Canje Block. Others are to be relinquished in the coming years.

Guyana's future opportunities are vast.

Guyana's minimum share of petroleum resources must be between 15 and 20% - IMF

By Kiana Wilburg

U

pon the request of the Minister of Finance, Wi n s t o n J o r d a n , t h e International Monetary Fund (IMF) was invited last year to advise on what reforms would be needed for the fiscal regime of the petroleum sector.

Following this, the IMF visiting team provided a n u m b e r o f recommendations, a key one

being that a reasonable, minimum share for the government should be between 15 and 20 percent.

The international organisation which aims to promote global economic growth and financial stability said that Guyana can achieve a 15 to 20 percent take from a combination of royalty and a monthly limit on cost recovery (with excess costs carried forward).

Given the terms of the

Guyana-ExxonMobil contract, the cost recovery limit is 75 percent. This means that the contractor is allowed to recover 75 percent of his expenses from annual oil production earnings. The 25 percent that remains is called profit oil.

According to the agreement, this shall be shared 50/50.

Guyana therefore receives of 12.5 percent of the total production. When the two percent royalty is (continued on page 9)

Saturday January 25, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 09

THE BALLOT BOXES ARE NOT OF MUCH RELEVANCE AFTER THE COUNTING OF THE BALLOTS

O

nce the ballots have been counted at the places of poll, the ballot boxes really do not matter much anymore. The concern over the integrity of the ballot boxes and the need to protect them after the count are nothing but useless gaffe.

At the end of the polls, the Presiding Officer at each polling station would initiate the process of the counting of the ballots. The ballots are counted in the presence of the polling agents who represent the respective political parties. Each party is allowed a counting agent to witness the count of the ballots.

At the end of the count, the totals for each party are

compared with that which the polling agents and counting agents would have recorded.

This is to ensure that there is no dispute as to the number of votes which each party receives.

After this is completed, the result would be recorded on a Statement of Poll. On the Statement of Poll, the Presiding Officer will record the number of valid votes cast for each list of candidates, the number of electors voting at the Polling Station, the tendered ballot papers used, the spoiled ballot papers, the destroyed ballot papers and the rejected ballot papers with the reasons for rejection.

Those who are witnesses to the counting of the ballots

are then required to sign the Statement of Poll, copies of which are then given to them.

Once a political party has a representative in the polling station that party should have a copy of the signed and certified Statement of Poll.

The Statement of Poll is the official record of the result of the election at each polling station and not the ballot box.

It is then transmitted to the Deputy Returning Office, Returning Officer and the Chief Elections Officer. The Statements of Poll are used to compile the results for every region, not the ballot boxes.

This nonsense, therefore, about having supporters outside of the polling stations to work the dayshift and nightshift is poppycock.

Dem boys seh...

De Waterfalls paper calling some shots

I

f is one thing people can seh about de Waterfalls paper is dat it always tekking on dem big companies who come to rob Guyana.

Dem got a saying dat if people don't be careful all who was dem colonial master gon come back posing as investors.

Everybody know wha de colonial masters do. Dem wuk de people and tek out de riches. All de country use to get was salt fish, dry potato, and dem farrin food like sardine and corn beef.

Now de investor coming back. He does ask fuh concession. Then when he get wha he come for like de gold or de bauxite or even de oil, dem does try to mek all de money from whatever

dem doing and at de same time dem want Guyana to pay for it.

De Waterfalls paper does check all of dem and as soon as dem slip, de paper does ready to expose wha dem doing. When de farrin gold company bring in its own plane to cut out de local operators, de Waterfalls paper talk.

It talk when de Russian bauxite company decide dat it gon smart de whole country. It get concession fuh fuel; dem boys hear how it use to sell fuel. Dem even get receipt from some of de people who buy de fuel.

Now de Waterfalls paper watching de people in de oil industry. Dem get a contract dat give dem all de advantage. Dem get de oil

and dem get de money. Dem give Guyana little or nutten and when de people talk, dem seh how is dem money in de first place.

Puppy does tun dog.

Guyana wake up; it asking fuh a fair share. It like a love relationship.

When two people meet, one of dem does try to outsmart de odda. But when de second one learn, is a different story.

Dat is when somebody does call fuh some conditions. Dem boys know de story. People got to give a n d t a k e . To d a y d e Waterfalls paper demanding dat de oil company give because Guyana fed up of tekking bull crap.

Talk half and give thanks to de Waterfalls paper.

Guyana's minimum share of...

From page 8 added, Government gets 14.5 percent of the production. The Fund has therefore recommended that going forward, Guyana should increase its take.

E n e rg y D e p a r t m e n t Head, Dr. Mark Bynoe, has said on several occasions that he is desirous of increasing the Government's take from its oil resources.

Not only does he want an increased royalty for future contracts, but more profit oil too.

HIGHER ROYALTY In the eyes of Fitch Solutions, an industryleading provider of macro

intelligence data, Guyana's two percent royalty in the ExxonMobil deal for the Stabroek Block is quite low especially when it is compared to other countries in the region like Brazil and Mexico.

The industry analyst noted that for the two nations identified, the minimum base royalty rate for deepwater acreage is 10% and 7.5%.

In fact, the company believes that even a doubling of the current rate will not discourage oil producers, especially after the recent oil discoveries.

At present, Guyana's

arrangement with ExxonMobil sees the country receiving a mere two percent royalty and 50 percent of the profit oil from the Stabroek Block.

Importantly, Guyana has agreed to pay Exxon's taxes out of its share of the profit oil. This simply means that Guyana is accepting way less than 50 percent of the profit oil.

And while there have been numerous calls for Guyana to get a fair deal, ExxonMobil has remained adamant about not returning to the table for the renegotiation of these and other terms.

There is no need for anyone outside of the polling stations to protect the ballot boxes after the counting since the principal document for the count is the Statement of Poll which bears the signatures of the Presiding Officer and those who witnessed the count, including the party representatives.

Copies of the Statements of Poll are supposed to be pasted up outside each of the polling stations so that the public can view the results.

As mentioned before, the party polling agents also receive copies and this result is often transmitted by them to their command centers which then do their own tallies. The political parties therefore know by the next morning who won the elections.

The call therefore for persons to protect the ballot boxes is sheer nonsense. The ballot boxes become immaterial once the Statements of Poll have been completed.

The call is mischievous and can lead to problems as

was the case in 2015 in Sophia where ignoramuses spread malicious and false rumours about ballot boxes being stored at a location which was being used as a Command Centre of the PPPC. There also is no need for party supporters to be outside of any polling station during the hours of polling. In fact, it is not lawful for them to be within a certain perimeter of the polling station. Their presence can constitute more than just campaigning; it can place voters under duress.

The call for the massing of party supporters at polling stations caused problems in the 2015 elections when the party supporters outside of a polling station in Lodge accosted a PPPC candidate who was going to check on his polling agents.

The PNCR Leader had to arrive to escort the PPPC candidate to safety. That incident alone should have deterred the PNCR from even thinking about having their supporters work the 'dayshift' and the 'nightshift'.

Politicians must desist from careless and useless talk. In 1997, there was all manner of loose talk about ballot boxes floating in the Demerara River.

A man who bought empty bottles was accused of having ballot boxes stored in his house. The poor soul was kidnapped by PNC thugs and taken to Congress Place where he was interviewed by none other than PNC leader, Hugh Desmond Hoyte.

Troublemakers are out there looking for a reason to cause problems. They are anxious to seize the chance to burn, beat, loot and rob. The politicians must not inadvertently create the environment for them to do so because innocent people will suffer.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Saturday January 25, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Nigel Hinds cannot salvage his tattered credibility

N

igel Hinds published a letter o n m e i n yesterday's Kaieteur News that is almost a page. There are fictions and omissions.

But the intent of his publication is no doubt to regain some amount of credibility after his descent into the arena of clownish self-destruction.

On Wednesday evening, I was on a panel discussion on Kaieteur Radio with PNC candidate, James Bond, and presidential candidate, Rhonda-Ann Lam of The Citizens' Initiative.

When the subject of GECOM's ruling on the nationality of presidential candidate Lennox Shuman came up, the consensus around the table was that

there is no one in their right mind in Guyana who does not know that you cannot compete in elections if you hold dual citizenship.

Why? Because for more than one year, the subject was talked about daily in all parts of Guyana because of the noconfidence motion (NCM).

This entire country knew a parliamentarian from the government benches named Charrandass Persaud voted for the opposition motion.

This entire country became familiar with the dual citizenship debate because the government disputed the NCM in the lower court to the highest court, the CCJ, in an effort to deny the legality of the NCM because Charrandass was a Canadian citizen and thus should not

have been in parliament and thus should not have voted.

After the CCJ's decision that Guyana's parliament cannot have sitting MPs who are dual citizens, the entire country knew that four senior ministers had to resign including the minister that runs the office of the presidency, Joe Harmon.

Let us trace the behaviour of Nigel Hinds and even a school boy will reach either one of two conclusions – deception or asininity.

Hinds formed a party with businessman Robert Badal.

Hinds became his party's PM candidate. Hinds had to know when his party perambulated the corners of Guyana announcing his PM candidacy that it was a national deception because

he could not sit in parliament much less be the PM because he has dual nationality. More antics were to come from Hinds.

He sat at the table opposite the Chief Election Officer and other GECOM officials and handed in his list of candidates. Up to that point, Guyanese knew him to be the PM candidate for his party. Up to that time, citizens whose votes this man is asking for did not know he had two types of citizenship.

And when did Guyanese come to know this? Less than two days after he sat opposite the Chief Elections Officer. He handed in his list on Friday afternoon, the Sunday morning, he announced he was quitting

his candidacy because he was a dual citizen.

But hold on, there are more stupidities to come. In making his Sunday morning announcement, he said he withdrew because a medical condition has forced him to travel to the US where he would need the superior treatment thus his revelation that he is a US citizen.

So there are two questions to be asked, the answers to which will prove that this man is unfit to enter the halls of parliament.

First, didn't he know that he could not contest elections because he was a dual citizen? The answer is he had to know. Almost a hundred percent of this nation would have heard about this issue that was running in the eyes of the public for more than a year. Secondly, on that Friday when Nomination Day arrived, did he not know that his medical condition would have forced him to travel to the US? In response to this circus that Hinds created, I did a column captioned, “Only the Guyanese nationality can produce a Nigel Hinds.” His letter in yesterday's KN is a response to that.

Running to almost a full page, Hinds failed to devote even one word to his conduct after he formed his party and two days after Nomination Day when he dropped his

Frederick Kissoon bombshell.

The entire missive is about the mind of Freddie Kissoon in which unsavoury adjectives like “faecal” are used to describe me. What a silly human! Attacking Freddie Kissoon using nasty adjectives will not help to salvage the political career of Hinds. Post mortem cannot bring back the dead.

People all over this country are seeing Hinds for what he is – deceptive and clownish.

The sad victim of Hinds's journey is his party leader, Robert Badal. Badal is going to suffer voter haemorrhage.

And yet, Badal persists with the presence of Hinds in his party keeping him on the campaign where his new designation is chairman of Change Guyana.

If Badal cannot change Hinds how is he going to change Guyana?

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

g 2020 Saturday January 25,

Kaieteur News i

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Saturday January 25, 2020

GECOM maintains changes to the RLE are legal

T

he Guyana E l e c t i o n s Commission has refuted statements that the agency believes are being used to discredit its work to ensure its production of a credible Official List of Electors, (OLE) for the conduct of General and Regional Elections 2020.

A statement issued by Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, outlined that while some are pointing fingers at the Commission, making false accusations of “deliberate ploy to create confusion and mayhem,” the Guyana Elections Commission, (GECOM) is cognizant that their sole

intention is to disenfranchise thousands of eligible electors who participated in the House-to-House Registration Exercise.

The PRO noted that regulation 37 of the National Registration (Residents) Regulations Act, Chapter 19:08 provides for the Commissioner of National Registration to make corrections to the Revised List of Electors, (RLE).

It states, “If within the period of twenty-one days after he had certified lists, the Commissioner is satisfied that any entry or omission in any list as revised pursuant to regulation 35 is incorrect through inadvertence in the

GECOM PRO Yolanda Ward course of such revision, he shall make or cause to be made the requisite correction to that list and such copy thereof as is open for

inspection at any registration office and the Commissioner shall give to the person to whom such correction relates notice thereof, which may be sent by registered post to his last known address.”

Considering the legal provision as outlined above, Ward said GECOM is confident in its system which is vital to ensure that persons who would have had changes done to their addresses, during the House-to-House Registration exercise is in accordance with the law and does not fall outside of the statutory period.

“GECOM has a duty to ensure that the information of

all electors is accurately reflected on the Official List of Electors to avoid confusion.

“If that process is not done, electors would be required to travel to their old addresses to vote. As such, those persons would be d i s p l a c e d a n d disenfranchised which could result in low voter turnout and questionable election

results.”

Ward said that the Commission is urging the electorate to be extremely vigilant of the attempts by a few to create confusion, mischief and derail the level of public confidence in GECOM to conduct free, fair, transparent and credible elections. GECOM is working in the best interest of the electors.

Nandlall moves to CCJ to over law books

F

ormer Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, yesterday told the court that he will be approaching the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Guyana's last court of resolution, to overturn the ruling of the Appeal Court.

Last month Nandlall failed in another bid to have the charge against him quashed. He had approached the Court of Appeal to request a judicial review of a decision by Magistrate Fabayo Azore to overrule a no-case submission in his trial for the alleged theft of Law Reports.

Following the Magistrate's ruling, Nandlall was called on to lead a defence for his charge which alleged that between May 18, 2015 and May 29, 2015 while being a bailee, in his then capacity as Attorney General, he fraudulently c o n v e r t e d 1 4 Commonwealth Law Reports valued at $2,313,853, property of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, to his own use and benefit.

Ye s t e r d a y N a n d l a l l indicated that the order from the Appeal Court will be challenged at the CCJ. He added that a motion of leave was made to the Appeal Court and this will be heard next week Tuesday.

“I am respectfully asking for the matter to be stood down so that I can exhaust my constitutional rights as a citizen of this country.”

A number of documents including letters from his lawyers were then presented to the court. Nandlall then asked for a six-week period to have sufficient time to approach the CCJ and report on it proceedings.

However, the matter was adjourned to February 21, next, for the defendant to report on what they were able to get done so far.

The Court of Appeal in its ruling had said that it will not intervene in the matter as the trial is already underway.

While the court said it can

Anil Nandlall exercise its supervisory jurisdiction to review such a decision by a Magistrate, this is only in extreme and limited circumstances.

The ruling of the Court of Appeal paved the way for Magistrate Azore to continue hearing evidence in the trial. In the meantime, the former Attorney General, who has pleaded not guilty to the charge, is out in self bail.

Nandlall was previously reported as saying that when he took up the post as Attorney General, he did so at a loss and it was for that reason he agitated for the State to pay for the Law Reports.

He had said that the arrangement received the blessings of then Head of State Donald Ramotar. However, investigators are contending that because the books were bought with State funds, they cannot be the property of Nandlall, and in fact, the State should not have entered into such an arrangement in the first place. The Ministry of Legal Affairs is contending that there is no evidence of an agreement between Nandlall and Ramotar. And even assuming that there was such an agreement, the use of public funds in this manner is a flagrant violation of the Financial Management and Accountability Act. Nandlall was charged after SOCU, an arm of the Guyana Police Force, completed investigations.

Kaieteur News

Saturday January 25, 2020

Lands seized from BaiShanLin should not be be allocated in a hurry - Jagdeo

O

pposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, is warning the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) to not hurriedly reissue a number of forestry concessions that had been seized from Chinese investor, BaiShanLin. The areas to the investor involved hundreds of thousands of hectares.

The forest concessions had also included a number of concessions that BaiShanLin had entered joint venture agreements with.

On Thursday, Jagdeo made it clear that the People's Progressive Party (PPP), will not sit idly by at this time, just five weeks before general elections and allow any transactions to be hurried through. The GFC, a few weeks ago, disclosed that it is moving to allocate concessions it had seized from BaiShanLin. Commissioner (ag), Gavin Agard, in a statement, announced the GFC's intentions to advertise and receive applications for the allocation of State Forest Authorisations (SFAs) and

State Forests Exploratory Permits (SFEPs) over a number of areas.

The areas include concessions formerly held by Kwebanna Wood Products Inc, Woods Associated Industries Company Ltd, Baishanlin International Inc, Puruni Wood Products Inc and Haimorakabra Logging Company Inc. “The decision to advertise these areas is premised on the fact that the GFC had revoked the above forest concessions because of serious breaches of the Forests Act 2009. In the case of Barama Company Ltd the forest concession was surrendered,” it was explained then.

Agard explained that the seizures affected the revenue performance of the GFC, especially over the last three years. “To this end, the Board of Directors, Guyana Forestry Commission – at its last statutory meeting held on 30th December, 2019, by way of resolution, expressed its no objection to the areas being advertised for (continued on page 14)

PAGE 13

Labour Dept. working to have Rusal workers reinstated

Workers of Rusal standing in solidarity at the Kwakwani river front area, Upper Berbice River area, Region 10, yesterday, where a number of them are camping out in defiance.

O

fficials from the Ministry of S o c i a l Protection have met with workers union and company representatives to discuss the reinstatement of 142 bauxite workers who were recently let go.

Minister with responsibility for Labour, Keith Scott, disclosed that he and Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle, met with representatives of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers' Union (GB&GWU) and executives of BCGI, a subsidiary of the bauxite company Russian Aluminium (RUSAL), on Thursday.

“We do not support the workers being laid off. They have families to care for and bills to pay.

There must be consideration for the persons employed with the bauxite company and we will ensure that this matter is resolved soon,” Minister Scott told DPI. He explained that RUSAL claimed the firing was a result of a fuel shortage which affected the

company's operation. The Labour Department will be investigating those claims.

Describing RUSAL's action as legally and morally wrong, Minister Scott said the company never provided the necessary legal and statutory notice to either the Labour Department nor the union as the law requires.

The workers have since blocked the upper Berbice River and are demanding reinstatement.

Last February, some 60 workers downed tools to protest a randomly imposed one percent salary increase.

They were dismissed for striking but were all subsequently reinstated.

RUSAL has a history of clashing with the workers' union since coming here in the mid-2000.

It is being investigated for abuse of its tax concessions, among other things.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Saturday January 25, 2020

Cane Grove man arrested after slashing wife's throat

A

Lands seized from BaiShanLin should...

From page 13 re-allocation.� The Commission said that more information is available on its w e b s i t e : www.forestry.gov.gy GFC is currently in a reform mode, after complaining that its cash reserves had dwindled amid a number of questions loans and increased cost for monitoring. It was announced in 2016 that GFC was moving to repossess over 600,000 hectares from BaiShanLin International Forest Development Inc., a Chinese logging company that had been under fire for its operations here.

The news of the concession seizures came as the commission continued to

assess the operations of a number of large concession holders to ensure that they were in keeping with regulations and that commitments made in agreements were being honoured.

According to GFC, the decision was taken after the cash-strapped BaiShanLin failed to deliver on agreed actions to introduce investors to the commission and failing, despite being given time, to prove that it had an acceptable plan to clear an approximately $80M debt.

It was announced earlier that year that BaiShanLin's partner, Long Jiang Forest Industries Group, was set to take over management of the company in Guyana after it became clear that monies had

dried up for the company that had over-extended itself in too many sectors.

BaiShanLin was not only involved in logging and exports. It had also branched off to gold mining, housing, river transportation, ship building and even property acquisition.

Several of the ventures, including its unfinished luxury homes and a mall, would tell a stark tale of an investment that went all too wrong‌all too quickly. The company was even accused of burning down a large swath of forest up the Berbice River and never reporting it.

It owed the government of Guyana hundreds of millions of dollars for properties it bought.

Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara man was yesterday nabbed by police while trying to hang himself, hours after slashing his wife's throat at their home on Thursday evening following a quarrel.

The dead woman was identified as 44-year-old Somattie Keosoram, a mother of six.

According to reports, the woman suffered years of abuse at the hands of her husband, 56-year-old Terrence Jackson. She recently took him to court for the same.

It was reported that Thursday evening, Jackson, a rice miller returned to the couple's Lot 36 Virginia Vi l l a g e , C a n e G r o v e , Mahaica, East Coast Demerara home and quarrel ensued.

According to one of the woman's daughter, this was a normal occurrence so they paid no attention to it. During the quarrel, Keosoram reportedly informed her husband that she will not sleep with him in their

Terrence Jackson bedroom so she took a mattress and proceeded outside to the living room.

Hours later, her husband followed and asked to sit next to her and she agreed but the quarrel still continued. The woman's daughter tearfully relayed that all she saw was her father running to kitchen and returning with a knife.

Before she could have reacted, the man was already on the floor slashing her mother's throat and stabbing

Dead: 44-year-old Somattie Keosoram her. Bravely, the girl tried to intervene and reportedly (continued on page 24)

Saturday January 25, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

Kaieteur News

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Saturday January 25, 2020

Man crushed to death by trailer at 'C' Field Sophia

A

Meadowbrook G a r d e n s resident was on Thursday crushed to death by a trailer truck while heading to a construction site at “C” Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

The dead man has been identified as 36-year-old Sheldon Chance of Lot 103 C Meadowbrook Gardens, Georgetown.

According to sources, Chance was employed by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure as a porter.

Kaieteur News understands that at the time of the incident Chance was on the trailer of the moving truck, removing hanging telephone phone wires strung across the street. These were hindering the vehicle from moving.

However after climbing to the highest point on the truck to remove a wire, Chance slipped and ended up under the wheels of the truck. Unaware, that this had

Sheldon Chance

The truck that drove over the victim

happened, the driver of the truck drove over him.

When contacted, his mother, Thericia Chance, stated that although she was not at the scene of the incident, she was told that someone that knew her son called out to him while he was doing his work and that caused him to lose focus.

“It's about three years now he working with the M i n i s t r y a s a p o r t e r.

Whenever they got road work going on, he does go there. Thursday morning, he left since about 07:30hrs to go to work and now look what happened to him,” the grieving mother related.

“Thursday evening

around 18:30hrs, I was at home when I heard somebody calling for me so I went to see who it is. When I go outside, a man was standing in front the gate and when he saw me, he asked if I is Sheldon mother.”

“From since he asked me that, I know something wrong because Sheldon is not a problematic person.

When that man told me that my child is dead, I almost

fainted.”

An eyewitness, Mark Williams, said that while on the truck, Sheldon was distracted by someone who was “hailing him up” and did not see a phone wire which was in the path of the moving vehicle.

According to Williams, this encounter caused the now dead man to lose balance as the wire caught his neck.

He then fell onto the floor of the trailer where his legs got caught in the fast moving rear wheels of the truck.

Sheldon, who was described as a loving and hardworking individual, leaves to mourn his mother and four siblings.

The body of the deceased is at the Lyken Funeral Parlour awaiting a post mortem. An investigation has been launched into the matter.

Saturday January 25, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday January 25, 2020

Saturday January 25, 2020

Newspaper vendor's murder...

Court clears cops to hold suspects for another 72 hours

P

olice have been given a bit of breathing room to try to build an air-tight case against three youths suspected of murdering newspaper vendor Shawn Mannilall.

Yesterday, a High Court judge granted investigators a further 72 hours to detain the trio. The initial 72 hours that police were allowed to keep the suspects in custody ended yesterday. On Thursday, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) instructed the police to conduct further investigations before any charges could be instituted.

The detained youths are among four who were held during the early stages of the investigation. They were released and then re-arrested after an associate came forward with what appears to be implicating evidence.

Police have been unable to locate another youth, who is alleged to have provided the gang with a firearm.

Meanwhile, Carl Carter, Delhoya McKenzie and Carlton Carter remain on remand in connection with the same matter.

They were charged for murdering Mannilall during the course or furtherance of a robbery. Shawn Mannilall, 48,

Dead: Shawn Mannilall of Parcel 61 Queenstown, Essequibo Coast, was shot dead on January 10, 2020.

It is alleged that the vendor and his family were about to enter their home when two men, who wore helmets, confronted them.

The robbers, who had a gun and cutlass, reportedly demanded some $125,000 from Mannilall, who was said to have recently uplifted the cash from a bank.

One of the bandits shot Mannilall in the chest, shoulder and abdomen after he resisted. The gang reportedly fled emptyh a n d e d . Mannilall was pronounced dead on arrival at the Suddie Public Hospital.

House jumper caught, beaten

A

2 4 - y e a r- o l d Albouystown r e s i d e n t received the beating of his life after he was caught by a home owner trying to break into his house. Due to the beating he received, the suspect is currently a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) under police guard.

The incident occurred Wednesday around 02:30hrs at 'D' Field Sophia.

Police have identified the victim as Kishon Miles of Lot 15 King Edwards Street, Albouystown.

Kaieteur News understands that the home owner, Tyrell Greene, of Lot 148 'D' Field Sophia was asleep in his home that he shares with his wife and four kids, when he was suddenly awaken by a loud noise coming from his front door.

Upon, investigating the loud noise, Mr. Greene saw the suspect shaking the locked grill on the door with the aim of getting it open.

After realising what was

happening, the man raised an alarmed that caused several youths in the community to attack the suspect.

Miles sustained a broken left arm and cuts and bruises to other parts on his body.

Speaking with the suspect yesterday at the city hospital, Miles stated that he is no bandit and that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When asked why he was shaking on the iron grill of another man's home, Miles said that he was in Sophia on his way to his aunt home when he noticed a light shining on Mr. Greene's front door. Fearing that it was something suspicious, he walked up to the door to investigate the unusual light and ended up shaking it for no known reason.

When contacted, police sources stated that Miles is no stranger to the law and was recently released from prison on a break and enter charge.

The matter is being investigated.

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Saturday January 25, 2020

India's Climate Change Policy: Towards a Better Future Shyam Saran

A

s a populous, t r o p i c a l developing country, India faces a bigger challenge in coping with the consequences of Climate Change than most other countries.

Climate Change is a global phenomenon but with local consequences. There are both external and domestic dimensions to India's Climate Change policy which has been articulated through two key documents. One is the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) adopted on June 30, 2008.

The other is India's Intended Nationally Determined Commitments (INDC) submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in October 2, 2015.

The NAPCC has an essentially domestic focus.

The INDC is a statement of intent on Climate Change action announced in the run up to the Paris Climate Change summit held in December the same year.

T h e N A P C C incorporates India's vision of

ecologically sustainable development and steps to be taken to implement it. It is based on the awareness that Climate Change action must proceed simultaneously on several intimately interrelated domains, such as energy, industry, agriculture, water, forests, urban spaces and the fragile mountain environment.

This was the backdrop to the eight National Missions spelt out in the NAPCC. This need for inter-related policy and coordinated action has been recognised, only several years later, in the adoption by the UN of the 17 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).

The National Missions a r e o n S o l a r E n e rg y, Enhancing Energy Efficiency, creating a Sustainable Urban Habitat, C o n s e r v i n g Wa t e r, Sustaining the fragile Himalayan Eco-system, creating a Green India through expanded forests, making Agriculture Sustainable and creating a Strategic Knowledge Platform for serving all the National Missions.

T h e N A P C C acknowledged that Climate

Change and Energy Security were two sides of the same coin; that India had to make a strategic shift from its current reliance on fossil fuels to a pattern of economic activity based progressively on renewable sources of energy such as solar energy and cleaner sources such as nuclear energy.

Such a shift would enhance India's energy security and contribute to dealing with the threat of Climate Change. Thus, a cobenefit approach underlies India's Climate Change strategy.

The NAPCC constitutes India's response to Climate Change based on its own resources but recognizes that it is intimately linked to the parallel multilateral effort, based on the principles and provisions of the UNFCCC, to establish a global Climate Change regime.

It was India's hope that the ongoing multilateral negotiations under the UNFCCC would yield an agreed outcome, based on the principle of Common but D i f f e r e n t i a t e d Responsibility and Respective Capabilities (CBDR), which would

enable developing countries like India, through international financial support and technology transfer, to accelerate its shift towards a future of renewable and clean energy.

While India has made significant progress in implementing several of the National Missions, its expectations of a supportive international Climate Change regime based on equitable burden sharing among nations, has been mostly belied.

It is in this context that one should evaluate India's subsequent NDC submitted on the eve of the crucial Paris Summit on Climate Change of December 2015.

Prime Minister Modi has been one of the world leaders who has taken a keen interest in Climate Change issues.

Under his leadership, India decided to adopt a more proa c t i v e , a m b i t i o us and forward looking approach in the run-up to the Paris Climate summit.

This is reflected in the country's INDC. It links India's commitment to ecologically sustainable economic development with its age old civilisational values of respecting nature, incorporating a sense of intergenerational equity and common humanity.

The targets India has voluntarily committed itself to are unprecedented for a developing country. The energy intensity of India's growth will decline by 3335% by 2030 compared to 2005 base year, which means that for every additional dollar of GDP India will be

using progressively and significantly lesser amount of energy.

There is confidence that based on the achievements of the National Mission on Enhancing Energy Efficiency, this target will be met. India being one of the world's largest emerging economies, which already has a large energy footprint globally, this constitutes a major contribution to tackling global Climate Change.

The INDC has set a target of 175 Gigawatt of renewable energy by the year 2030 on the strength of the outstanding success of the National Solar Mission.

It is reported that this capacity may well be achieved 10 years in advance. The government may raise India's target to 227 Gigawatt for 2030.

The target of achieving 40% of power from renewable sources by 2030 is likely to be achieved several years in advance.

The figure is already 21% as of date. India is actively reducing the component of coal based thermal power in its energy mix.

It is not widely known that the country has a very high cess on coal, of the order of Rs.400 per tonne, proceeds from which go into a Clean Energy Fund.

India is also committed to not building any new thermal plants, which are not of the most efficient ultrasupercritical category.

India played a major role in assuring the success of the Paris Climate summit and Prime Minister Modi's

personal intervention in the adoption of the landmark Paris Agreement was acknowledged by several world leaders. His initiative on the setting up an International Solar Alliance for promoting solar power worldwide was welcomed.

India is advancing on a broad front to ensure a clean energy future for its people, drawing upon its ingrained civilisational attributes and putting in place a wide range of policy interventions under the legal framework of the Energy Conservation Act. This Act covers 15 energy intensive industries and the Energy Conservation Building Code, covering all new urban infrastructure.

Thirty-two states of the Indian Union have formulated and begun implementing their own State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCC).

There is also an active and vibrant civic society, which i s p r o moting citiz e n s ' awareness of the threat of Climate Change and what each of us can do as individuals to meet this threat.

It is hoped that India's leadership in dealing with its own challenges of Climate Change and Energy Security will act as a spur to other countries to raise their own contributions to meeting this global and e x i s t e n t i a l challenge.

Failure to do so condemns humanity to an uncertain and possibly catastrophic denouement.

(Mr. Shyam Saran was a former Foreign Secretary of India)

Saturday January 25, 2020

High Court to rule on legality of Presidential respite for Minister Jordan

H

igh Court Judge Nareshwar Harnanan has fixed February 17, for ruling on the legality of a Presidential respite which pardoned Finance Minister Winston Jordan from 21 days’ imprisonment after he was held in contempt of court over failure to pay out a US$2.2M judgment which represents monies owed to DIPCON by the previous government for road construction works.

In the proceedings filed on July 18, 2019, in which the Attorney General and President David Granger are listed as Respondents, DIPCON asked the court to issue an Order of Certiorari quashing the decision of the President to grant Jordan a respite for the indefinite period terminating upon the expiry of all appeals from the execution of the punishment of imprisonment for 21 days imposed by the High Court Judge Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

In October 2015, Justice Gino Persaud had ruled that DIPCON recover the sum from Government as monies due to the engineering company for infrastructural works done under the previous administration. Obviously dissatisfied with the judgment of Justice Persaud, Attorney General Basil Williams filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal.

The appeal was a belated one and the Court of Appeal

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

Minister of Finance: Winston Jordan

President David Granger

dismissed it. But Williams then sought redress from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The CCJ, too, dismissed the appeal noting that it was not filed within the prescribed time limit.

Notwithstanding these, the monies were still not paid and DIPCON by way of an action applied to the court and was granted an Order of Mandamus by Chief Justice Roxane George directing that the monies be made to DIPCON on or before January 15, 2019. This was not forthcoming and DIPCON instituted contempt of court proceedings against the Minister.

On June 24, last, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry issued a contempt order to have Minister Jordan imprisoned for 21 days if he fails to pay the

monies to DIPCON on or before Monday, July 8. Following the contempt order, Attorney General Williams appealed to the Full Court to set aside and/or reverse the order of Justice SewnarineBeharry.

However, the Full Court, in a ruling dated July 5, 2019 held that Williams’s application had no merit and dismissed the appeal and even rejected a stay of the contempt order which was requested by Williams. But four days later, the President issued a Grant of Respite in the Official Gazette signed by Minister of State Dawn Hastings which gave Jordan in his personal capacity, and as the Minister of Finance, respite of the execution of punishment imposed on him (Continued on page 23)

Father of one jailed for 23 years over execution-style killing

KILLED: Christopher Wharton

JAILED: Rickford Jones

MURDER ACCUSED: Brian Mohan

A 28-year-old father of one was yesterday sentenced to 23 years’ imprisonment for the execution-style killing of Festival City, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown resident, Christopher Wharton, called “Taps.”

Appearing before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court in Georgetown yesterday was Rickford Jones, formerly of Lot 3093 North Ruimveldt, Georgetown.State Prosecutors Tuanna Hardy,

Tiffin Lyken and Nafeeza Baig presented a murder indictment against Jones to which he entered a plea of not guilty. He, however, opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, thereby admitting that on November 18, 2015, he unlawfully killed Wharton.

Jones was represented by lawyer, Maxwell McKay. According to reports, Wharton was shot to his hand, left butt and groin area by gunmen, known to him. It

was reported that the dead man’s five-year-old son was hit on his left leg by one of the six shots fired by the men, who left Jones’s home on bicycles. Wharton’s killing was said to be of a drugrelated nature.

Another man, Brian Mohan, also known as ‘Abdool,’ was also charged with Wharton’s murder.

Following a preliminary inquiry in the Magistrates’ Courts, he was committed to stand trial for the offence.

College of Excellence launches multi-course programmes The College of Excellence, Management and Business (C.E.M.B.) in collaboration with Critchlow Labour College has launched its ABE Endorsed and Awards, High School Diploma in Matriculation Studies (Grade 9/CSEC Level, English, Mathematics, Law, Principles of Business, Accounts, and Management).

The aim is to put young and matured students who do not have CSEC or good grades, on a path to university and/or the world of works.

The principal of the institution, Dr. Stanley A. V. Paul, says that the institution recognises the fact that there is a segment of students who exit the Secondary Schools’ Systems prematurely or at Grade Nine without any formal qualifications or good grades at CSEC, every year.

“We have decided to develop this high school diploma and got ABE-UK, involved to give the qualification local and international

recognition,” Dr Paul said.

“Moreover, not being satisfied with ABE’s Endorsement, alone, though same is adequate for the purpose, we wrote to the Ministry of Education and Public Service and asked them to recognise the qualification as a result of which they did a comparative study of its curriculum and quality assurance of delivery that culminating in them formally recognising the qualification as a Grade Nine Exit Qualification,” he added.

Deliberate efforts were also made to recruit lecturers from Queen’s College and President’s College who are not only CPCE-trained and qualified with good grades in the respective subject areas for which they were recruited to teach but also have degrees, in them as well.

He added, “Because the qualification is awarded by ABE-UK. Students can seamlessly transition over to ABE level four/level five Diploma or matriculate straight

into a Bachelor’s degree programme from one of ABE’s hundreds of affiliated universities”.

Students also have the option to write four of CSEC subjects or be qualified for an entry-level job in the public and private sector.

The College of Excellence Management and Business prides itself in striking balance between Access to Education and Quality of Education via offering and delivering, accredited, accessible and affordable, world-class education and training, in student-centered classrooms.

PAGE 22

Saturday January 25, 2020

Kaieteur News

Recipe for corruption at...

SERVICES

FOR SALE

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

(1) 320 CL Caterpiller Excavator low mileage. Never work interior. 15M Neg. 6851237,609-1237

ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included.

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Jacob’s Jewellry and pawnshop, friendly money lenders. 16 Pike Street Kitty, Georgetown. Tel#227-8748/ 622-4970 We repair Fridge, Freezer, AC, Washer, Dryer-Call#231-0655/ 683-8734 Omar.

(1) Oil tanker boat 11,000 gallon GM engine. (1) Oil tanker 20,000 gallon GM engine. 6851237/609-1237

FOR RENT

WANTED

2 bedroom concrete fully furnished apartment. Two story, family preferred, Master bedroom with A/C, Peter’s Hall Public Road. Tel# 671-1441

Wanted experienced hire car drivers at Ramada Princess Georgetown Hotel. Contact # 265-7075 / 616-5419

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Snackette for rent, Mobile snackettes, price $20,000 monthly. Tel# 697-6311

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

Self contain rooms to rent in Prashad Nagar. Tel#227-2993

(3) Mack Garbage trucks, 1 Skip Truck. Tel#683-6814/4420162

Fully furnished lower flat 2 bedroom apartment @ South Turkeyen. $70,000 monthly including wifi, hot & cold water. 661-8958

Copra Meal for sale.

Contact#223-5273/2235274 Freezer & Quality used restaurant equipment. Call: 618-5080 Prime piece of hand at La Grange Public Road 300ft X 100ft $100,000 US Dollar.Contact Annie 6950333.

Corrugated steel rods 1/2 ‘’ (12mm) $745 = + 14%vat, 5/8 (16mm) - $1,310+14%vat at Alabama Trading, 27 Lombard St or call #231-3345/227-4234

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

Shalom Enterprise Driving School, 2 Croal St. Call: 2277560/227-3869-6. Join us on Facebook

Massey Ferguson Tractor 283 $2.5M(Foreign Used) MF 165 $1.5M, MF 135 $1M,MF 165 Loader Tractor $2.1M.6825230/615-4414.

Pick-up from Truck Canada Extra-Cab, 2005 Tacoma $1.750M, Ford-F 150 Sport $1.1 M, Ford Ranger Sport $1M.682-5230/615-4414.

ACCOMMODATION Aracari Hotel -WBD (Near Bridge)-Pool etc.Open 24 Hours.From $25 USD.Phone 264-2946/8 TO LET Lodge Apartments (Vlissengen/Durban): Unfurnished $40,000-$60,000 p/m. Furnished ( For Visitors) $600 US p/m. #633-8514/6687305/697-6421

Maid to work in Georgetown, must know to cook and household work. Tel# 6613317 Sales girl. Apply in person at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb Street 1 Live-in male, multi-tasking & 1 live-in domestic female, experience in cooking creole foods. Tel# 675-2550/656-9313 Live in, Live out family, Husband - Office duties, accounting, Computer literate.

Wife- Salesperson, Domestic.

Tel# 227-1813/ 227-1830 Receptionist, Handyman and maid to work at Hotel, 25 years & older, able to work shifts, Apply in Person. Tel# 2259211

Senior Kitchen Assistant, must have a minimum Primary education, 1 Experienced Driver & Cashier. Apply @ Hack’s Halaal Restaurant. 5 Commerce St

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

1 RZ minibus for sale, series BSS Newly spray over, hardly work $1.3M Neg. Contact# 603-2640

1 Lorry Driver, must be able to work flexible hours.

Contact Annie #233-3512 / 264-3720

1 Office Clerk, Computer Literate. Tel# 233-2725/2332439

VEHICLE FOR SALE

Nissan Juke 2010, Blue, PTT series, fully loaded, excellent condition. Call: 681-4208/ 2206262

One experienced female cook for a family, must be between 25-35 yrs. Call: 231-8737

CAR RENTAL LAND FOR SALE Transported land 11.6 acres, Lot 15 Public Road #2 Village W.C.B/ce 5 mins from B/ce bridge.Contact#686-4818/6487109.

DOLLYSAUTO RENTAL CALL: 225-7126 & 2263693 -DOLLYS AUTO RENTAL@ YAHOO.COM/ W W W . D O L L Y SAUTORENTAL.COM

Transported land for sale in Rose Hall Town.Call#603-1441 PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 89 Robb street Lacytown, Georgetown.

Next door to Mike’s Pharmacy.Land size-3431.25 Sq.ft.Phone:617-5323/6668052.

Female Domestic wanted for light housekeeping $3000 Daily, Male skill labourer $4000 daily Vreed-En-Hoop 682-5230/615-4414.

1 male cook for interior $100,000 monthly. Tel# 6723359 One driver for residence at Montrose, must have 10 years experience within the age 35-45 years. Contact #608-2440

Parfaite Harmonie $1.4M Schnoord $3.6M Farm Main road $6.5M Covent Garden (100ft x 50ft) $4M Tel# 6481635/656-0701

VACANCY WANTED Maid. Requirements: person must be living on the East Bank. Contact# 600-6887

Porters to work in Grocery Stall, Attractive Salary at Stabroek Market. Tel#2269800/683-9500. Experience an One 3 Story building at 97 asset Sugar Cane St.S/Rveldt Gdns $125,000,000.Tel#674-9905/ One Accounts clerk must be writing CAT, Previous work 695-1365/225-2971. experience necessary, send House and land available at application to P.O Box 16005 Parfaite, Tuschen, Diamond etc.

Contact Pacific Wanted land to buy in Parfaite Development Inc. 223-6035/ Harmonie on the West Coast and East Bank. Tel# 697-6311 604-4909

From page 6 the following possible solutions There are about 10 agents - no single agent should handle credit card, local and foreign currency. Break the agents into groups:2 - credit cards 2 - local currency 2 - foreign currency.

Instead of having everyone in one line, lanes can be opened up leading directly to the agents, depending upon the traveler’s method of payment.

Upon entering the building, there are 3-4 agents stumbling over each other and travelers asking “what’s your final destination?” Those same personnel can ask “how will you be paying for your bags?

And direct the travelers to the specific lane of the check in agent best suited to their form of payment.

Or…Set aside a booth Similar to the now defunct departure tax booth - with at least 2-3 personnel knowl-

Labourers & Maintenance workers. Contact #621-6969, serious enquiries only.

Driver- must have sound secondary education, for more information. Please Call: 223-0090 Security Officers $85,000, Apply within @ 47 Croal St. Tel# 226-9905 or on FB page, Atlas Security Services Inc Front end loader operator.

Contact#223-5273/223-5274 General domestic. 3 Days work. Must know to cook.

Apply with 2 references.

KeyFood McDoom village

edgeable in math to transact the fees collection after the bags have been weighed.

These people in the booth must have enough currency to facilitate the return of change, and there should be no excuses for not having change.

We are not playing dolly house, or running a cake shop. At the end of the day, each agent must be accountable for fees collected against the number of bags processed.Another observation: - there was a party of 5 persons checking in - each person should only pay for their 1 bag - $30. Not 1st bag - $30; 2nd bag - $45; 3rd bag $75; 4th and 5th bags different prices. It’s 5 persons, not 1 person with 5 bags.

Being spoilt so long with 2 free bags, inexperienced travelers are confused with the baggage fees and getting ripped off at the counter, due to lack of knowledge and the underhand savvy corrupted gate agents.These “get rich quick” schemes have got to go; we are a people of integrity and in the international arena, transparency, accountability and honesty is a must.

Farida

A plea to ...

VACANCY Salesman, good verbal/ excellent attitude, knowledge in stocktaking, computer literate & team player.Keyfood McDoom.

1 bodywork technician. Tel# 668-7033 Maid to cook and clean for East Bank area. Call: 615-9132 Soup Cook & Kitchen Assistant, Mon-Sat, Job location in town, Good pay.

Call: 225-6927 between 8am3pm for interviews Pump Attendant & Cashier, shifts rotated weekly Shell Service station Providence.Email: Shellramsburg@gmail.com.

Female cleaner office & home.

Call: 642-9823 Factory Workers- Must have sound secondary education, for more information. Please Call: 223-0090 Experience Goldsmith needed at Jacob’s Jewellery and Pawnshop. Address 16 Pike St, Kitty Georgetown.

Tel#227-8748/622-4970 One male Janitor. Apply at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb St Bourda One General Domestic, must be able to prepare vegetarian meal. Apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street Bourda

From page 6 the country is concurrently facing an undesirable spoil a metastasizing scourge of heartless fiends. This issue must be addressed at the earliest opportunity from a mind-altering perspective, starting from the root. These young murderers did not suddenly spring up overnight; there were cues all along the way, just that the adults did not any attention pay.

Dear Guyana—Say what do you see? You may be a land of many waters and many people, but you have now become a land of many problems, chief of which is the genre of brutality among even the very young. Take a good look at our wounded nation.

What is needed now is e v i d e n c e - b a s e d interventions to address crime and violence at all school levels, and above all the related communities in which they are situated. The justice system needs to treat each crime with the severity it merits, sending messages that would serve as lifealtering deterrents.

There is obviously a lack of unity manifested in the displayed brutality, Guyanese must work to right it, the battle may be long but the nation must fight it, otherwise the very oil of which we now boast may serve as a stain on the nation from coast to coast.

Yvonne Sam

Saturday January 25, 2020

PAGE 23

Kaieteur News

Injury to juror caused attempt murder, robbery trial to stop, because there were only 10 left the accused. After the jury was empanelled, it was reduced to 11. However, before the trial commenced the following day, the court was in-

Cort Batson A man who was on trial in the Berbice High Court on a charge of attempted murder and on three counts of robbery under arms will have to face a judge and jury again.

His trial was stopped even before it began after it was deemed a mistrial.

Cort Batson, 24, of New Market Street, Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice was on trial before Justice Simone Morris Ramlall and a mixed Jury. He is accused of robbing Parsaram Sukraj of cash and two cell phones to a total value of $344,000.

He is also accused of robbing Anil Kumar Sookraj of a wallet and cash totaling $510,000.

The robberies are said to have been committed on May 9, 2016 on the Rose Hall Town Public Road.

Attorney-at-Law Seeta Bissondyal appeared for the state while attorney-at-law Surihya Sabsook appeared for

High Court...

From page 21 by the judge.Under Prerogative of Mercy at Article 188(1) (b) of the Constitution of Guyana, the President has the powers to issue such a grant of respite. According to Section 188 (1) The President may— (a) grant to any person concerned in or convicted of any offence under the law of Guyana, a pardon, either free or subject to lawful conditions; (b) grant to any person a respite, either indefinite, or for a specified period, of the execution of any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence.

Anyway, the grant of respite remains in effect until all appeals and remedies available to the Finance Minister and the State have been exhausted. Before Justice Harnanan, DIPCON, through its lawyer Timothy Jonas contends that the President’s decision is so flawed in law that it amounts to nullity and is improper, unreasonable, irrational and ultra vires and in excess of jurisdiction.

The company contends that no reason or respectable argument has been or can be advanced in support of the President’s decision.

formed that one of the jurors had met with an accident and would not be able to attend court The two attorneys were

subsequently consulted and agreed that it would be better to have the full component of 12 jurors instead of 10.

Justice Morris-Ramlall

had informed the jury that there are provisions in the law to proceed with only ten jurors; however, she wouldn’t continue with the trial be-

cause the two attorneys preferred to have the full complement present.The jury was thus discharged and the trial deemed a mistrial.

PAGE 24

Market porter collapses, dies A 45-year-old man is now dead after he unexpectedly collapsed and died in the presence of vendors and shoppers at the New Amsterdam Market yesterday morning.

Dead is Rasheed Gobin of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, Berbice.

The step-daughter of the deceased, Leila Kumar, told reporters that her step-father had consumed a soda and smoked a cigarette just minutes prior to collapsing.

According to her, “he was drinking a drinks and he carry the bottle to throw it away and then he smoke a cigarette but then he start vomit and bleed through he nose.”

Saturday January 25, 2020

Kaieteur News

She added that he continued to vomit with blood emanating from his nose profusely. He was put to sit on the ground while they washed his face with water. Within seconds, he collapsed and appeared lifeless.

Persons who witnessed the entire episode rushed to his assistance but he was already dead. His body was taken away to the New Amsterdam Hospital not long after.

Meanwhile, relatives have said that Gobin was a healthy man that did not have any apparent sickness. They are unsure what may have

2016 murder of Prospect woman…

Victim’s mother testifies in PI

F

Rasheed Gobin caused his death but are depending on the post mortem to provide answers.

ollowing the disap pearance of her daughter four years, Dhanrajie Murray, yesterday flew into Guyana to take the witness stand and testify in the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) against Devindra Ramdiah.

Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore is presiding over the PI in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The 34-yearold accused, also known as ‘Duckman’, was charged two years ago. For the murder of Shawnette Savory.

He was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleged that on August 30, 2016, at Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, he murdered Shawnette Savory.

Murray was accompanied by several family members who sat quietly in the courtroom as she told her story to the court.

Following the witness’s testimony, the magistrate indicated that she will go over all the evidence as she heads into the committal stage of the case.

The matter was then adjourned to February 28, 2020.

The accused remains on remand until that time.

Shawnette Savory, 37, was last seen alive by her relatives on August 28, 2016. She had reportedly left her apartment at 222 Prospect, East Bank Demerara, to pay her electricity bill. According to information, the woman was last seen in the company of the accused.

Remanded: Devindra Ramdiah The court was told that the accused admitted to killing the woman and burying her body somewhere in Soesdyke. The accused then took police officers to a location where he allegedly buried the body but the police were unable to locate any body.The accused then carried the police officers to another location in Skull City Diamond, East Bank Demerara and they still were unable to locate the missing woman’s body.

Shortly after Savory’s disappearance, the police issued wanted bulletins for Patrick

Missing: Shawnette Savory Bannister and his wife, Ritesha Rahaman. Savory and Rahaman were said to be best friends.

Just after the wanted bulletins were issued, investigators went to the couple’s home at Belle West, West Bank Demerara (WBD) and dug up the concrete floor of the one-bedroom shack after they were informed that Savory might have been buried there, however, nothing was found.

According to reports, the case was reopened after ranks received a tip from a relative of Savory.

Labourer killed by fallen log A labourer attached to Bacchus Logging Company met his demise last Thursday after he was reportedly crushed by a fallen log while on duty.

Family members have identified the victim as 64-year-old Edland Benjamin of Hururu Mission, Aroaima, Upper Berbice River (UBR).

The incident occurred around 17:00hrs at Bisooruni Backdam, Upper Berbice River.

Kaieteur News understands that on the day in question, Benjamin was at the Backdam “tagging off some logs” and putting them on

a ramp. While moving a log to place at the top of the others, it rolled off the ramp, crushing the man’s feet.

After the incident, the man was picked by his colleagues and transported to the Kwakwani Hospital Complex where he was examined by a doctor. He had sustained injuries to his feet, back and left arm.

He succumbed to his injuries Friday morning.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.

'Carjacking victim' parked 'stolen' ...

From page 11 Police Station. There, he allegedly said that he had located the vehicle around 08:30 hrs at the back of Hague Village, West Coast Demerara.

Police then accompanied him to the area where the car was allegedly abandoned.

However, none of the residents that the

ranks questioned recalled seeing an abandoned vehicle in the area.

Police then took the 'victim' to the station, where he allegedly made slight changes to his carjacking tale.

This time, he reportedly stated that the 'carjackers' had attacked him when he slowed down at a speed bump.

Cane Grove man arrested after ...

From page 14 'cuffed' her father.

But this turned his attention to her, sending her scrambling for the nearby door to call on the neighbours for help. Jackson then used this opportunity to flee the house, leaving his wife in a bloodied mess on the floor.

Keosoram, with an ounce of strength left in her body managed to get up and walk downstairs, out of the yard where she later collapsed on the dam. Neighbours immediately

rushed to her aid, and transported her to the Mahaicony Cottage Public Hospital but the woman was pronounced dead on arrival.

The man had reportedly made several threats to kill the woman.

According to the Divisional Commander, Assistant Commissioner Royston AndriesJunor, the suspect was nabbed in the Mahaicony backdam attempting suicide.

An autopsy is expected to be conducted soon.

Kaieteur News

Saturday January 25, 2020

'Carjacking victim' parked 'stolen' vehicle outside relatives' home

P

olice have reportedly established that a West Coast Demerara man who claimed he was a carjacking victim had actually hidden his 'stolen' vehicle at the home of relatives.

The 32-year-old is being investigated for what police say appears to be a false report, in which he claimed to have been attacked and relieved of his car last Wednesday night.

The man had claimed that he recovered his car the following day in an abandoned area at Hague, West Coast Demerara.

However, when investigators visited the area yesterday, some residents reportedly informed them that the man had parked the vehicle outside his grandparents' home. The residence is unoccupied.

One resident even recalled speaking to the 'victim' and informing him that the vehicle was badly parked.

In addition, police also questioned a driver who said that he took the 'victim' to the area on Thursday to uplift his car.

Despite being confronted with this evidence, the alleged 'victim' is said to be holding out that he was carjacked.

He was released on station bail yesterday, as police continue further investigations. Police are

contemplating filing charges.

The 'victim' had turned up at the Den Amstel Police Station around 23:30 hrs on Wednesday.

He alleged that he was driving in the vicinity of a bus shed in Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara, when three men flagged him down.

The 'victim' said that when he slowed down, one of the men drew a handgun, pointed it at him, and ordered him out of his vehicle.

He allegedly complied, and the men entered and drove off with his car.

Police reportedly became suspicious after noticing contradictory aspects in the man's story.

However, the 'victim' allegedly became annoyed when the ranks began to q u e s t i o n h i m f u r t h e r.

Sources said that he stormed out of the station, while stating that he would file a report with “bigger people.”

Ranks then went to the scene of the 'carjacking', but failed to locate the 'stolen' car.

Yesterday, policemen who were continuing the investigation visited the area where the alleged victim resided. They were surprised to see the same man driving his 'stolen' car.

A source noted that the 'carjackers' appeared to have left the vehicle undamaged.

Police escorted the 'victim' to the Den Amstel (continued on page 24)

PAGE 25

Sisters arrested for stabbing Linden teen with Rambo knife during fight - Male in cutlass assault released on bail

T

wo sisters were arrested early yesterday morning after a fight between three students from the Linden Foundation Secondary school ended with a young girl being stabbed with a Rambo knife in her back.

According to the Commander of the division, Superintendent Hugh Winter, the sisters were arrested and will be questioned in the presence of their parents and the school welfare officers.

The student who was stabbed underwent surgery Thursday evening at the Linden Hospital to have the blade removed. According to reports, the young girl sustained severe injuries to her ribs, her left lung, spleen and her stomach as a result of the wound. She is said to be in a critical condition but should count herself lucky to be alive.

The 15-year-old of the Linden Foundation Secondary school was stabbed in her back with a Rambo knife on Thursday afternoon by another female student. In a horrific video captured and posted online, students were seen cheering as the fight went on and even formed a circle around the two girls.

According to reports, the fight occurred at around 15:00 hours, moments after classes were over.

The boys from the Linden Technical Institute

The knife used to stab the 15-year-old student

Things took a turn for the worse, after another female student pulled out a jagged black Rambo knife from her bag and stabbed the 15-yearold girl. The surrounding onlookers scattered and the video showed the injured student with the knife stuck in her bloodied back as she

pleaded for help.

One adult could be heard saying “Ah tell ayo go home…Y'all doan hear.”

While most of the students ran away from the scene, a few with the help of an adult managed to flag down a passing taxi to transport the injured girl to the hospital while pleading with her not to remove the knife to prevent further damage.

There was also another fight later on, among three male students attached to the Linden Technical Institute where one student was assaulted with a cutlass.

Commander Winter disclosed that the young assailant was arrested and has been released on bail.

According to him, the relevant statements were obtained and the file will be sent to the Office of the

Director of Public Prosecution for advice on the way forward. That male student from the Linden Technical Institute was assaulted by another student from the school with a cutlass in full view of adults who appeared too scared to intervene.

That video was also uploaded to social media; the student was being punched to the face by another, when another student wearing a white shirt ru s h e d i n brandishing a cutlass.

He fired several chops towards to the student who desperately tried to evade the blows. Surrounding students were frantic and could be heard pleading with them to desist but this cry fell on deaf ears. Brave students then attempted to block the assailant who quickly left the scene.

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Kaieteur News

Turbo knockout football tourney

Fruta versus GFC tomorrow The final of the Turbo Knockout tournament that is sponsored by Guyana Beverages Inc. kicks off tomorrow night at the Ministry of Education (MOE) ground on Carifesta Avenue where the arguably the two best teams in the tournament will face off at 20:30hrs for the grand cash prize of $400,000.

Pre-tournament favourites, Fruta Conquerors (FC) under-20 will match skills with Georgetown Football Club (GFC) that lost the final of the last competition to Northern Rangers in 2018.

Conquerors youths, who are in the charge of Wayne St. Jules, have the stronger

team on paper with four players having represented Guyana and five players that feature in the club’s senior men’s side.

However, GFC’s outspoken forward, Deon Alfred, during a press brief yesterday shared that he is not scared of any opposition because both teams have to play football so he wouldn’t write off his side’s chances as yet.

Coach of GFC, Delon Cadogan, posited that he b e l i e v e s t h e w i n n er of tomorrow’s final will be the team that makes the least mistakes. “You can’t afford to make a mistake in a final after

playing good all tournament, you will surely be punished,” Cadogan shared with the media.

Guyana senior men’s team, Golden Jaguars’ forward Kelsey Benjamin, who outfits for GFC, is relishing the clash with Fruta Conquerors.

He explained that the stars of the opposition in Nicholas McArthur and Ry a n H a c k e t t h a s b e e n teammates of his since school days and are current teammates for the National team. So it will be an interesting battle because they both have an idea how each other play so the tac-

SaturdayJanuary 25, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today you're likely to be feeling especially passionate, sexy, and desirous of a romantic encounter, Aries. You might even have a hot date scheduled.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) A female visitor who might have a few problems might come to your door wanting advice and sympathy, Taurus. She could have some other news that could come as a shock to you.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Tasks of any kind are all likely to seem like the labors of Hercules today, Gemini. Overwork and nerve strain could have you feeling a little bit under the weather today, and it might be a good idea for you to take some time alone to rest.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Money matters might be weighing on the mind of a close friend or lover and your advice could be sought.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You might have visitors, Leo, or even a hot date scheduled for tonight, but by mid-afternoon you might be feeling too tired to go through with it and wondering if you should cancel.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Deliveries you may be expecting could be delayed or held up. Today you might learn something shocking about a neighbor or relative, and gossip might spread very rapidly through your community.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Some good but surprising news about a group with which you may be affiliated could come your way today, Libra. Perhaps fundraising activities have been more successful than you thought.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Some upsetting news regarding money could throw you into a bit of a dither today, Scorpio. Perhaps a check you've been expecting hasn't arrived on time, or maybe the bank has made a computer error regarding your account.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) A temporary setback with regard to your career might have you feeling a bit disoriented right now, Sagittarius.

Modern equipment of some kind might be involved.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Today may start out being a very frustrating day, Capricorn. Be prepared! Some equipment with which you work might suddenly go out of order and it could take a while to get it fixed.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Your level of artistic inspiration is very high today, Aquarius.

Dreams or meditation may have brought up some spiritual insights and revelations for you.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) A delivery of some kind that you were expecting to come from far away might be delayed, causing you to wonder if it might have been lost. It hasn't, Pisces; it's just delayed.

From left, GBI Raymond Govinda, Deon Alfred, Kelsey Benjamin, Nicholas McArthur, Ryan Hackett and Jackie Boodie of Petra pose for a photo yesterday following the media brief. tics employed tomorrow will be interesting to watch.

A win for the favourites

Fruta Conquerors will see them winning their second consecutive Petra

Organisation promoted football tournament after playing unbeaten in last year’s Limacol football tournament.

Apart from the Champions’ purse of $400,000, the runners up will pocket $200,000, third place $100,000 and fourth place $50,000.

Cricket Stake holders Lawyer...

From page 35 parties and the flouting of orders granted, the attorney made his case on behalf of his clients.

He closed by stating, “Your urgent intervention into this crisis is of fundamental importance. I wish, on behalf of my clients, to thank you for your intervention in this matter.”

It is now left to be seen the response of Mr. Skerritt to this matter. He has from the start of his tenure indicated that he will try to ensure that cricket in the region is governed fairly and that issues will be looked at and the game is promoted to higher levels here.

QPCC begins...

From page 31 Philip Fernandes, expressed similarly the huge benefit to the local hockey-playing community that this visit brings.

For the first time the junior boys of this age group will be exposed to foreign competition which builds relationships and character along with bringing great motivation and excitement to the young players of Guyana.

Fernandes was very complimentary to Coaches R o b b Wy a t t a nd Darren Cowie for initiating this tour and says that the clubs of Guyana are all committed to making the effort to have the young Guyanese players pay a return visit to Trinidad to continue the exposure.

PAGE 30

Saturday January 25, 2020

Kaieteur News

Lady Panthers and Fruta Conquerors to contest final today

GFF-ALWAYS Championship Cup

Lady Panthers FC - GFF-ALWAYS ‘Super 6’ Cup Finalist.

The final of the Guyana Football Federation-Always Championship Cup is set to be contested this evening at the Georgetown Football Club Ground when Fruta Conquerors and Lady Panthers will collide.

The third place clash which pits new kids on the block, Santos Football Club and Foxy Ladies, based at Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara; this match will kick off at 16:00hrs. ”Tomorrow’s finals will issue a statement that the women are here and are ready to play football,” said Delon Williams, Head Coach of the Fruta Conquerors Football Club in an invited comment.

Speaking directly to his team’s preparation and chances in the finals, Williams said his team’s chances of winning the tournament are strong: “We’re training very hard as a team all season long. The girls are eager and ready to go out there, we are not underestimating any team, especially Lady Panthers…we’ve played them before with mixed fortunes, we just need to go out there and play to our game plan.”

Meanwhile, Captain of Lady Panthers Patsy Walker, is also optimistic about her team’s chances against Fruta Conquerors FC: “We have had several encounters with Fruta Conquerors but everyone knows tomorrow (today) it’s a final so

GMR&SC Endurance Championships Roshandin returns to action tomorrow Shairaz Roshandin is the latest driver to confirm his participation in the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) first race meet of the year; round one of the Endurance championships which speeds off tomorrow at the South Dakota Circuit, Timehri.

Roshandin, a former group 2 champion, has thrown down the gauntlet, sharing with Kaieteur Sport that he is looking to take the Endurance field by storm with his Toyota Levin motor car that is sponsored by M.S. Roshandin Professional Diesel Works, Total Lubricants and RUBIS. The daredevil vowed to usurp current and multipletime 1600cc and overall champion Adrian Fernandes, “The other competitors should just prepare themselves to be beaten. I know the guys have been working hard but my camp has been doing work double time.”

Along with brother Shadab and nephew Saif, Shairaz believes that he has a formidable team.

Like all of the other competitors, Team Roshandin confirmed that they will be using tomorrow’s meet to

Team Roshandin’s Totota Levin ahead of the pack. (www.ackeemthomas.com’s photo) gauge their machine’s level of preparedness for next month’s National Race of Champions (NROC) meet which will see at least eight international competitors jostling for top honours.

Roshandin didn’t compete in last year’s Endurance championship, in fact, last November’s Clash of Champions was the only meet that the team was able to be a part of, but that will not be the case in 2020 as Team Roshandin aims to make the podium in each race meet.

Following tomorrow’s

Fruta Conquerors FC - GFF-ALWAYS ‘Super 6’ Cup Finalist.

meet, the tentative schedule has the National Race of Champions Circuit showing set for February 16th, while the drag championship boosts off on March 15.

Circuit racing returns in July on the 5th with August 16th being the highly anticipated international drag racing meet.Round two of the Endurance Championship is set for September 13 with the last round of Drag racing is set for October 4th.

The highly anticipated International Circuit-racing event is set for November 8.

we are looking forward to a competitive match. We have been in preparation mode since the year started. The competition so far has been good and placed the ladies in the spotlight so tomorrow (today) our intention is to win the final even though we known Fruta Conquerors is a strong team.”

The tournament kicked off on November 30 with five teams/ clubs from the Georgetown Football Association and West Demerara Football Association: Santos FC, Fruta Conquerors FC, Lady Panthers FC, Foxy Ladies FC and the Guyana Police Force FC. It was played on a round robin basis with each team playing eleven vs eleven side.

Teenager Gauff stuns Osaka in Melbourne MELBOURNE (Reuters) - With composure that belied her age, Coco Gauff claimed the biggest win of her young career yesterday with a stunning upset of defending champion Naomi Osaka at the Australian Open to reach the fourth round.

The 15-year-old American took advantage of a misfiring Osaka for a brutally efficient 6-3 6-4 win in just 67 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

Gauff, who had beaten seven-times Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in her Australian Open debut on Monday, said the win over Osaka ranked “somewhere around the top” of her biggest scalps.

“I thought I played really well today and I was pretty composed and really calm,” she told reporters.

After losing to Osaka 6-3 6-0 at the U.S. Open last year, Gauff said she felt less pressure and more confidence this time around against the Japanese third seed, whose aggressive and heavy groundstrokes had troubled her in their previous meeting.

“She definitely plays faster than most players. I think at the U.S. Open, I wasn’t really prepared for that.”

“I feel like now I’m more playing, just having fun. And I mean, winning is a cherry on top but I’m honestly having a lot of fun on the court, even in those tight situations,” said Gauff.

Gauff, who said she took a break from homework to play her night matches, dazzled the crowd with her poise, holding serve efficiently before a string of backhand errors off Osaka’s racket gave the teenager the break midway through the first set.

Osaka appeared to stem the tide after fight-

Coro Gauff of the U.S. celebrates after winning the match against Japan’s Naomi Osaka at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park. (REUTERS/Hannah Mckay) ing back from a break down early in the second set, but could not keep up the momentum against the steady Gauff.

Gauff won a second break to go up 4-3 amid another flurry of errors from Osaka, before serving out the victory with aplomb.

She next plays either China’s Zhang Shuai or American 14th seed Sofia Kenin for a place in the quarter-finals.

Osaka was the third former women’s champion to bow out at Melbourne Park on Friday after her immediate predecessors Caroline Wozniacki and Serena Williams lost their respective matches earlier in the day. German Angelique Kerber, who won in 2016, remains in the draw.

Saturday January 25, 2020

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Kaieteur News

CWI’s Regional four-day Smith, Permaul destroy Red force for 98 as Jaguars take control

By Sean Devers Guyana Jaguars, led by incisive fast bowling from Nail Smith and clever spin bowling from Veerasammy Permaul, were large and in charge in their own backyard when the second day of their third round Regional FourDay match against T&T’s Red Force ended at Providence yesterday.

Jaguars, with a lead 225 were 53 without loss in their second innings, enjoying and overall lead of 278 with all of their wickets in hand.

Watched by about 25 spectators, Tagenarine Chanderpaul (29) and Chanderpaul Hemraj (22) batted 22 overs to see their team to the close.

Earlier, Guyana began the day on 263-6 and despite a 45run partnership between overnight batsmen Anthony Bramble and Devendra

Bishoo, the host fell for 323 with off-spinner Bryan Charles taking 5-87 and Skipper Daren Bravo 2-18.

The Red Force were bowled out for 98 with only Jeremy Solozano (27), Kjorn Ottley (22), Akeal Hosein (13) and Terrence Hind (10 no) reaching double figures.

The 24-year-old Smith had 5-12 from eight overs; his second five wicket haul in his third First-Class match. He was supported by fellow Berbician, left-arm spinner Permaul, who took the last four wickets to end with 4-29.

When play resumed on another sun-kissed day, Bramble carried his overnight score of 63 to 91 from 77 balls, 119 minutes with 14 fours and three sixes, while Bishoo, unbeaten on 10 at the end of the first day, reached the boundary four times from 63 balls and 85 minutes.

When nine short of his fourth hundred at this level, Bramble edged Hinds to the Keeper at 296-7 before Odean Smith bowled Bishoo at 3198.

Permaul (7) was caught and bowled by Charles to give him his fifth wicket, while Bravo bowled Smith (8) as the two wickets fell at 323.

In reply, Red Force reached 10 without loss from three overs by Lunch.

After the interval pacer Keon Joseph bowled Kegan Simmons (2) at 12-1 to trigger a dramatic collapse which saw the Red Force capitulate to 205 as Smith, charging in and bowling fast and straight, ripped apart the Red force top order by taking four quick wickets.

Smith, the son of former National youth and senior Coach Albert Smith, scattered the stumps of the inform

Magnum Mash Cup futsal kicks off tonight The third Magnum Tonic Wine Mashramani Cup Futsal Tournament, which is promoted by SannSports, was officially launched yesterday at the Windjammer Hotel and Restaurant with play set to kick off tonight at the National Gymnasium, located on Mandela Avenue and Princes Street.

Twenty-four teams will feature in the competition.

The competing teams will be divided into six groups of four, with the top two finishers as well as the best four third placed teams advancing to the knockout round.

Apart from tonight, the other playing dates are Tuesday January 28th, Thursday January 30th, Saturday February 1st, Tuesday February 4th, Thursday February 6th [Round of 16], Saturday February 8th [Quarterfinals], Saturday February [Semifinals] and Saturday February 22nd [Final].

The groups are Group-A: Back Circle, Sparta Boss, Ansa McAl All-Stars and Bad-A-Yard, Group-B: Rio All-Stars, Leopold Street, Spartacus and Melanie, Group-C: Future Stars, Alexander Village, Spot-7 and Mocha, Group-D: Bent Street, Showstoppers, North East La Penitence and Avocado Ballers, Group-E: Sophia, Broad Street, Kingston and Island All-Stars and Group-F: Gold is Money, Albouystown,

Stabroek Ballers and Belfield Warriors.

The winner of the event will pocket $700,000 and the championship trophy, while the second place side will collect $400,000 and the respective accolade. On the other hand, the third and fourth place unit will receive $200,000 and $100,000 respectively and the corresponding t r o p h y .

Complete Group Stage Fixtures Day-1 Bad-a-Yard vs Ansa McAl-19:00hrs Alex Village vs Spot-719:30hrs Showstoppers vs North East La Penitence-20:00hrs Melanie vs Leopold St20:30hrs Rio All-Stars vs Spartacus-21:00hrs Bent St vs Avocado Ballers-21:30hrs Back Circle vs Sparta Boss-22:00hrs Day-2 Sophia vs Island AllStars-19:00hrs Broad St vs Kingston19:30hrs Albouystown vs Belfield Warriors-20:00hrs Mocha vs Future Stars20:30hrs Rio All-Stars vs Melanie21:00hrs Gold is Money vs Stabroek Ballers-21:30hrs Back Circle vs Bad-a-Yard22:00hrs

Day-3 Melanie vs Spartacus19:00hrs Future Stars vs Spot-719:30hrs Alex Village vs Mocha20:00hrs Leopold St vs Spartacus20:30hrs North East La Penitence vs Avocado Ballers-21:00hrs Sparta Boss vs Ansa McAl-21:30hrs Bent St vs Showstoppers22:00hrs Day-4 Mocha vs Spot-7-19:00hrs Sophia vs Kingston19:30hrs Broad St vs Island AllStars-20:00hrs Albouystown vs Stabroek Ballers-20:30hrs Gold is Money vs Belfield Warriors-21:00hrs Back Circle vs Ansa McAl-21:30hrs Rio All-Stars vs Leopold Street-22:00hrs Day-5 Kingston vs Island AllStars-19:00hrs Belfield Warriors vs Stabroek Ballers-19:30hrs Showstoppers vs Avocado Ballers-20:00hrs Future Stars vs Alex Village-20:30hrs Broad St vs Sophia21:00hrs Sparta Boss vs Bad-aYard-21:30hrs Gold is Money vs Albouystown-22:00hrs Bent St vs North East La Penitence-22:30hrs

Nail Smith celebrates another Red Force wicket yesterday.

Bravo (1) and trapped Jason Mohammed for a first ball duck to leave the score on 133 and Smith was on a hat-trick.

Smith then trapped Joshua DaSilva (1) with one the cut back at 20-4 before breaching Yannick Cariah’s forward prod and crashing into his stumps before he had scored and Red Force were beginning to look like a spent force at 20-5.

Ottley and Solozano of-

fered some resistance and took the score to 51 before Smith, in his second spell, struck again when Solozano, who batted for 94 minutes and struck three fours, played back and was adjudged LBW at 51-6.

Permaul removed Ottley at 70-7 before removing Hosien, Odean Smith and Charles in quick succession on the slow track to end the innings.

Scores: JAGUARS 323

(Anthony Bramble 91, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 68, Chris Barnwell 58, Chandrapaul Hemraj 36, Devendra Bishoo 27; Bryan Charles 5-87) & 53 without loss (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 29 not out, Chandrapaul Hemraj 22 not out).

RED FORCE 98 (Jeremy Solozano 27, Kjorn Ottley 22; Nial Smith 5-12, Veerasammy Permaul 4-29).

“We are moving in the right direction” say CPL’s Chief Operations Officer Pete Russell

“There is nothing like watching cricket in Guyana, and we were so pleased with how welcome we were made once again. The Guyanese economy is moving forward rapidly and we are very pleased to be playing our part in that success. We are already looking forward to putting on more matches of exciting cricket in the country in 2020,” said Chief Operations Officer of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Pete Russell at a press conference at Providence during the lunch break on day two of the Guyana versus T&T yesterday.

“We’re break-even now,” Russell told the media yesterday. “Everything is moving in the right direction and that’s down to a lot of hard work from the commercial people.

If you look at our TV numbers across the world, we’re now 312 million. Last year (2018) we were 210 million. That’s a massive leap.”

Russell feels that social media has had a huge impact on viewership and popularity, thereby sending the numbers up.“In fact we met the head of Facebook India who said that our engagement figures were second best across all the Leagues, obviously IPL just because of the numbers and because it’s in India but

Chief Operations Officer of CPL Pete Russell at yesterday’s press conference at Providence. he said we’re not that far behind IPL and way ahead of any other league.”

In addition to that economic impact figure the Hero CPL employed more than 1,500 staff, filled 36,830 hotel rooms and saw an overall increase in arrivals into the host countries by those arriving to watch CPL 2019 matches.

The 34-match 2019 tournament took place in six Caribbean countries, with games taking place in Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.

The tournament increased the positive economic impact it made on each of those countries in 2019 compared with the figures

from 2018.The 2019 event, which took place between September 4 and October 12, created a total economic impact of US$136,542,868 in the region, a 7.21% increase on the results from 2018.

This figure has been calculated using organiser spend, visitor spend and media value and was collated for the tournament by world-renowned researchers, YouGov Sport.

With regards to Guyana, the tournament created a total economic impact of US$29,514,926 in the country, a 15% increase on the results that were achieved during the 2018 event.In addition to the economic impact figure, the tournament filled 7,664 hotel rooms in Guyana saw an increase in overall arrivals into the country during the Hero CPL and 608 jobs were created.Working closely with the local tourism authority, CPL also created content that showed why people should visit Guyana and experience the country.Russel informed that the three-year contract with Trinidad for hosting the finals ends this year and hopefully by the next three years the finals could be hosted in Guyana.

The window for the 2020 tournament is August 19 to September 26. (Sean Devers)

PAGE 32

Pride hold the edge vs Scorpions – 2nd day, 3rd round KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Barbados Pride, leading by 81 runs on first innings, reached 179 for six in their second innings at the close on the second day of their third round match in the Regional Four-Day Championship at Sabina Park here yesterday.

Scores: BARBADOS PRIDE 219 (Shayne Moseley 64, Kyle Mayers 53, Kraigg

Saturday January 25, 2020

Kaieteur News

Brathwaite 25; Marquino Mindley 4-31, Rovman Powell 3-65) and 179 for six (Shane Dowrich 73, Kyle Mayers 53; Nicholson Gordon 3-27, Patrick Harty 2-25).

JAMAICA SCORPIONS 138 (Denis Smith 35, John Campbell 26, Derval Green 25; Chemar Holder 5-45, Kemar Harding 2-29, Kemar Roach 2-37).

Former GFA executive Ronald Lee-Bing laid to rest The football fraternity, family, relatives and friends on Thursday last paid their final respects to the late Ronald Phillip Lee-Bing, a former Executive Member of the Georgetown Football Association and President of the Western Tigers Football Club.Lee-Bing who was born on January 2, 1956 was given the final whistle by the ultimate Referee on Monday January 20, 2020. Viewing of his remains took place at the Sandy’s Funeral Home while the Home Going Service where his life was celebrated took place at the Newtown Assembly of God Church, D’Andrade Street, Newtown Kitty.Lee-Bing’s daughter, Lisa who read the eulogy recalled that her dad, above all, believed in family, faith, hard work, independence, community and was a very compas-

sionate individual. ”He always said, family is the most important thing in life, you get out of life what you put into it, and life is short so enjoy it while you can. These are words of wisdom that I will always cherish.”

Lee-Bing attended the St. Stephen’s Primary School before going on to the East Ruimveldt Secondary and Kuru Kuru College where he completed a Diploma in Accounting; much of the knowledge he brought to the fore during his years of service as a Football Administrator at the club and association levels.

He also played the sport as a secondary school student, whilst at the Kuru Kuru College and at the club level. In his later years, Lee-Bing as he was fondly referred to, took to coaching, sharing his knowledge especially in Re-

Ronald Lee-Bing gions one and nine.

He also served as a Projects Coordinator at the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs where his knowledge of the sport was utilized. The late Lee-Bing leaves to mourn his five children, Lisa, Lindsay, Teona, Rhonda and Nichola; relatives and friends.

The remains of the Late Ronald Lee-Bing is carried to the hearse from Sandy’s Funeral Home for the Church Service.

Saturday January 25, 2020

PAGE 33

Kaieteur News

QPCC begins junior hockey tour of Guyana today For the first time ever, Junior hockey players in the U13 and U16 boys’ divisions from the Queens Park Cricket Club (QPCC) in Trinidad & Tobago (T&T), will be visiting Guyana to enjoy friendly competition against the local youths. It is the first time that the club has embarked in taking juniors overseas for competition to play in an indoor and outdoor hockey tournament.

The historic visit which is scheduled for 25th and 26th January 2020, is made possible by their sponsors C3 Centre, BMW Trinidad, Terra Caribbean, 10 Sixty-One Consulting and Prosport Caribbean.

QPCC’s Junior Hockey Academy was founded by Rob Wyatt about 5 years ago, with Darren Cowie (Former National Captain) as the Head Coach of the programme.

From very humble beginnings the QPCC Junior

Academy has grown from strength to strength, winning a number of domestic national club titles in Indoor and Outdoor Hockey.

Rob Wyatt, founder and Head of the Academy Programme indicated that,” It is critical for the development of all our Junior players in the region to gain some exposure to overseas competition. It gives us an opportunity to assess how our players are developing and to learn from other programmes in the region, so that collectively hockey in the Caribbean region can continue to improve.”

It is hoped that this is the start of more regular fixtures between T&T and Guyana, with the Guyanese Junior Players reciprocating a visit to the twin-island republic later in the year. Wyatt added, “This is the first time that Junior Club Hockey Players in Trinidad have been

Robb Wyatt (on extreme left is) along with Darren Cowie (white cap) pose with the QPCC under-13 lads. supported by a number of corporate sponsors. This is a direction that we have to head in to enable us to better facilitate and fund our programmes. We are extremely proud to be representing our sound sponsors who are responsible for the success of our efforts and the development of our academy.”President of the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB), (Continued on page 25 )

Hero CPL makes record economic impact of US$136million on the Caribbean The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has announced the tournament’s economic impact across the Caribbean. The 2019 event, which took place between 4 September and 12 October last year, created a total economic impact of US$136,542,868 in the region, a 7.21% increase on the results from 2018.

This figure has been calculated using organiser spend, visitor spend and media value and was collated for the tournament by worldrenowned researchers, YouGov Sport.

The 34 match tournament took place in six Caribbean countries, with games taking place in Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago. The tournament increased the positive economic impact it made on each of those countries in 2019 compared with the figures from 2018.

In addition to that economic impact figure the Hero CPL employed more than 1500 staff, filled 36,830 hotel rooms and saw an overall increase in arrivals into the host countries by those arriving to watch CPL matches.

The CPL takes place at a time (August/September) when there are fewer tourist arrivals into the Caribbean and it is therefore pleasing to see the tournament help increase the in-bound

numbers across all the markets where CPL is played.

We are also delighted that Caribbean nationals who live overseas choose CPL as a time to combine visits home to see family and friends reinforcing our objective of uniting local communities through their love of cricket and country.The tournament also worked to decrease its impact on the environment, with positive results from a recycling scheme in Trinidad which the CPL will be looking to replicate across the region.

It also raised money for hurricane relief efforts in the Bahamas with the help of fans and commercial partners.

Speaking about the report from YouGov Sport the Hero CPL Chief Executive Officer, Damien O’Donohoe said: “With Hero CPL showing the Caribbean in the best possible light in continues to be a wonderful way for the region to promote itself to the rest of the world. We have now had seven editions of the CPL and our total economic impact on the region is now worth hundreds of millions of US dollars. This shows we are making a positive impact in all the countries we host games in. We are here to stay, making

a positive economic contribution, improving our environmental impact and developing cricketers who are going to succeed in West Indies colours.”

About the Hero Caribbean Premier League: First started in 2013, the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is a franchisebased T20 format cricket tournament that combines two of the most compelling aspects of Caribbean life – dramatic cricket and a vibrant Carnival atmosphere.

Combining broadcast and digital viewership over 200 million fans watched the 2018 season to make it one of the fastest growing leagues in world cricket.

In 2019 the tournament made a positive economic impact across the Caribbean of US$136million. Barbados Tridents are the current Hero CPL champions and the other competing teams are Trinbago Knight Riders, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, St. Lucia Zouks and Jamaica Tallawahs. The 2020 tournament will take place between 19 August and 26 September. For further information visit www.cplt20.com.

PAGE 34

Saturday January 25, 2020

Kaieteur News

BCOS Guyana Masters Squash Tourney

Players turn back the clock on opening night The BCQS Guyana Masters three-night Squash Tournament commenced on Thursday evening at the Georgetown Club as the Guyana Squash Association (GSA) held its first tournament to get 2020 going with 10 matches including a single female encounter in the Women’s over-35 category.

Watched by a fair sized gathering of both local and foreign supporters, the veterans showed that although they had lost their fitness of times gone by, they had accumulated a wealth of experience from their younger days on the Squash Courts.

The opening match between Barbadian Errol Pilgrim and Douglas Beckford from Jamaica was a battle of attrition as the pair of over-65 players treated spectators to an exhibition of experienced play in a match that went to five games.

Pilgrim moved out ahead to earn the first game to win 11/5 but Beckford came back with plenty of spirit and although Pilgrim began strong, the Jamaican used his experience to level the score 10-all before pushing his opponent hard to win 12/10.

The third game was similar to the second as Beckford

again took the win 12/10 before a close fourth that could have gone either way saw Pilgrim emerging victorious.

The final and deciding game saw some thrilling shots, but Pilgrim prevailed to triumph 11/7.

In the men’s over-35, Regan Pollard hardly broke a sweat as he toyed with Gregory Biddle, a foreigner working here but playing for Guyana.

Biddle made many unforced errors and missed balls he should have kept in play and frequently crashed into the glass before losing 11/1, 11/1, 11/0.

The final game of the night was also entertaining with Marlon White of Barbados taking on Guyana Squash Association (GSA) President David Fernandes in a spirited match.

A strong Fernandes showed glimpses of brilliance with well-placed shots and timely drops to take the first game and home fans reacted with raucous applause.

White came back fighting and fitness prevailed as he stayed ahead for a 3-1 victory finishing 9/11, 11/5, 11/6, 11/ 7. Both men showed great sportsmanship and humour throughout the match which is at the heart of these Masters’ competitions.

In the lone women’s match of the night a strong Lydia Fraser (GUY) defeated Tian Edwards (GUY) in three straight sets. Former Junior Squad member Fraser moved easily around the court and dominated the games for a solid 11/2, 11/5, 11/5 win.

Results from Thursday

Diego Perdomo (right) was beaten by Bajan Mark Sealy on Thursday night.

David Fernandes (right) in action against Marlon White of Barbados on Thursday night.

Night.

MEN’s Over 65 Errol Pilgrim defeated Douglas Beckford 11/5, 10/12, 10/12, 11/9, 11/7 Orson Simpson defeated Tony Farnum 11/6, 9/11, 11/3, 11/5 Over 55 Narendra Singh defeated Wayne Alphonso 11/5, 11/3, 11/9 Sanjay Amin defeated Lloyd Fung A Fat 4/11, 12/10, 11/6, 11/7 Over 45 Joe Mekdeci defeated Duane Burke 11/4, 11/2, 11/6 Mark Sealy defeated Diego Perdomo 11/3, 11/5, 12/10 Marlon White defeated David Fernandes 9/11, 11/5, 11/6, 11/7 Tony Mackenzie defeated Robert Natiello 11/4, 11/3, 11/ 5 Over 35 Regan Pollard defeated Gregory Biddle 11/1, 11/1, 11/ 0 WOMEN Over 35 Lydia Fraser defeated Tian Edwards 11/2, 11/5, 11/5 The tournament was scheduled to continue last evening and concludes tomorrow with two sessions; the first starts at 11: AM and second from 2: PM.

Regan Pollard (foreground) was all over Greg Biddle at the GT Club on Thursday night.

Joe Mekdeci plays backhand shot in his win over Duane Burke of Barbados.

Kaieteur News

Saturday January 25, 2020

PAGE 31

Guyana face Barbados away in first clash on March 26th; return game on 31st

2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Qualifying

I

t’s a matter of 60 days away for qualifying for the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup (back to back) for Guyana’s ‘Golden Jaguars’ and their first assignment on this trail

finish in the group propelled them into a two-round qualifier which would be a direct elimination format against the League C (Group A) winners, Barbados.

Given the fact that the

Leonora, Tuesday March 31st.

Kick off time in Barbados would be 19:00hrs with the return fixture kicking off at 20:00hrs.Head Coach Márcio Máximo had

The ‘Golden Jaguars’ would be aiming to go the full stretch and qualify for the 16th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2021. would be against the ‘Barbados Tridents’ on March 26th in the Land of the ‘Flying Fish’.

The Guyanese team has been training consistently even after the conclusion of the 2019-2020 Concacaf Nations League (League B), which was won by Jamaica and this gave the ‘Reggae Boyz’ automatic qualification to the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup. Guyana’s second place

matches would be contested during the FIFA international window, all the nations would have access to their international players.

The high percentage of Guyanese living in Barbados are expected to be out in their numbers to cheer on the ‘Golden Jaguars’ on Thursday March 26th and five days later, it would be the return match here at the Leonora Track and Field Centre,

Cricket Stakeholders Lawyer seeks intervention of Windies/CWI President Attorney for several Cricket Stakeholders, Attorney-At-Law Arudranauth M. Gossai of the Law Firm Gossai & Gossai of Lot 8 St. Ann Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice, has written to President of Cricket West Indies (CWI) Mr. Richard “Ricky” Skerritt, seeking his intervention in the long standing issues affecting Guyana’s Cricket at the administrative level with the numerous court matters and infighting for several years now.

Attorney Gossai in his missive highlighted the long history of legal challenges, giving the CWI President a detailed rundown of the players and issues involved. “…my clients represent a majority stakeholder in the administration of cricket in Guyana. My clients have instructed me to write to you seeking the urgent intervention of the WICB/CWI into the grave travesty that is ongoing, unabated, in the

Mr. Richard “Ricky” Skerritt administration of cricket in Guyana,” Mr. Gossai wrote in his missive seen by this newspaper.He further wrote, “The persons holding themselves out as the Executive Committee of the Guyana Cricket Board were all declared by the High Court to have been unlawfully elected to that office. That was the ruling by the Honourable Madam Justice Fidela Corbin – Lincoln in High Court Action FDA 1200/2018.”

Continuing to cite several court challenges by various (Continued on page 29 )

indicated in an earlier release that the team was already in training mode five days weekly and they are leaving no stone unturned as they want to be in pristine shape for both matches in this first phase.GFF President, Wayne Forde had also indicated that his executive and members are fully behind Coach Máximo and t e a m .

The winner of this twomatch series would go on to

play Trinidad and Tobago in June with the winner of this two-match series punching their tickets to the 16th edition of the CONCACAF

Gold Cup in 2021.

Meanwhile, the 12 nations that have already qualified for the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup are Canada, Costa Rica,

Curacao, El Salvador, Grenada, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Suriname and the United States.

2020 ConcacafRedWomens Under-20 C/ship Force’s Jeremy Solazono, who made

t r o Sp

a fighting27, is comprehensively beaten

by Smith before he was LBW yesterday.

CWI’s Regional four-day

Smith, Permaul destroy Red force for 98 as Jaguars take control The lively Nial Smith traps Joshua DaSilva LBW yesterday at Providence to capture his 2nd five-wicket haul In three matches. (Sean Devers photos)

Bryan Charles took 5-87 at Providence yesterday.

Magnum Magnum Mash Cup futsal kicks off tonight

Team representatives and members of the organising committee pose for a photo during yesterday’s launch.

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