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Tuesday Edition January 12, 2021 - Vol. 14 No. 02

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‘Pot of gold’ Guyana

being promised

is an illusion of the worst sort - Energy Expert

Global Witness 31 businesses Election fraud cases…

Mingo and withdraws warned for others to report on bad breaching return to Exxon deal, COVID-19 but stands by court on measures January 28 its integrity

Instructions by Patterson caused delays to $124M sea defence project - BK insists

3 mutant COVID-19 strains right in Guyana’s backyard Listen how the PPP/C, APNU+AFC are running this country to benefit themselves, friends, family and cronies today @ 10:30AM on 99.1/99.5FM Kaieteur Radio.

Kaieteur News

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Tuesday January 12, 2021

Global Witness withdraws report on bad Exxon deal, but stands by its integrity I

n redirecting its efforts to fight the main drivers of climate change, namely deforestation, the extraction and burning of fossil fuels, and the corporate capture and other abuses of power driving these destructive activities, Global Witness has withdrawn its Signed Away report.

In this damning report, the international nongovernmental organization (NGO) had detailed how a poor negotiation process and questionable behaviour by government officials had led to the inking of a lopsided oil deal with an Exxon-led consortium for operations in Guyana's lucrative Stabroek block. As a result of the unfair fiscal terms, Global Witness had estimated that Guyana stands to lose US$55B over 40 years.

“Our February 2020 report on Guyana's oil sector, S i g n e d Aw a y, i s n o t consistent with [our] focus and for this reason we have decided to remove it from our website and stop using it in our campaigning work,” G l o b a l Wi t n e s s s a i d yesterday in a statement.

Global Witness

reminded that since its advocacy work began in 1993, it has sought to end the environmental destruction that harms millions around the world, holding the powerful accountable, while advocating for people who have lost their livelihoods or lives.

However, the NGO noted, as the destructive impacts of the climate crisis – flooding, desertification, famine – have become more acute, it has become clear that its work needs to change.

To this end, it said, “It is no longer enough for Global Witness to demand that oil and gas businesses operate in a more transparent and accountable manner.

We firmly believe that to save the climate, we need to work with others to achieve a just and equitable phase out of fossil fuel extraction. To do this, we need to elevate the voices of activists fighting the forces driving the climate breakdown around the world.”

It continued, “Our Signed Away report focused on how much revenue Guyana could obtain from oil if the government

negotiated a fairer deal with Exxon, an oil major. Our revenue analysis assumed that the Paris Agreement climate commitments would not be implemented – leading to an overestimation of the amount of oil Guyana would likely produce and the value of that oil. Under

the new organisational strategy we have rolled out this year, this is not a scenario that we would accept because greenhouse gases have to fall by half over the next decade, for the sake of the planet and all of us living on it.”

Global Witness also highlighted that since its

publication, oil prices have dropped by more than a third. As COVID-19 continues to depress demand for fossil fuels and as countries implement policies to restrict the use of fossil fuels in order to tackle climate change, the prospects for sustainable income generation from new

oil projects are increasingly questionable, it added.

“These factors led us to overestimate the potential economic benefit of oil extraction,” the NGO said, while recognizing that its report has made it more difficult for civil society to argue the case for cessation of oil production in Guyana.

But even as it withdraws its report, Global Witness insisted that it stands by the integrity of the evidence presented in its report. In fact, the NGO was keen to note that its decision to withdraw Signed Away is not an endorsement of the way Exxon or Guyanese officials negotiated the oil licences awarded to the company.

“We also stand by the fiscal model produced by OpenOil that was

commissioned by Global Witness. Expert, transparent, and instructive, OpenOil's work and its fiscal model are standard-setting,” it added.

But “most importantly,” the NGO has given strong support to the “inspiring” investigations and campaigning that Guyanese reporters, campaigners, and experts have undertaken in recent years, all with the aim of increasing accountability around the deals between Guyana's government and Exxon, and other oil companies.

“It is this work that will hold the powerful to account and Guyanese people should be proud to have such relentless advocates working for them,” Global Wi t n e s s a d d e d i n i t s statement.

Local Govt. Minister commissions $5M medical boat This medical boat worth $5M was This medical boat commissioned on S uworth n d a y$5M b y was the Minister of Local commissioned on G oSunday v e r n m eby n t the and RMinister e g i of o Local n a l Development, Government Nigel and Dharamalall.

Regional The boat will be used by Development, t h e R e g i o n Tw o Nigel health Dharamalall. authorities in The boat will be the Pomeroon River.

used by the Region Two health authorities in the Pomeroon River.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 12, 2021

PAGE 03

‘Pot of gold’ Guyana being promised - Energy is an illusion of the worst sort Expert A

s Guyana hurtles headfirst into approving multiple ExxonMobil field d e v e l o p m e n t s , e n e rg y transition advisor, Gerard Kreeft, warns that the billions of dollars, or the pot of gold that Guyana is being promised is an illusion of the worst sort.

Kreeft appeared on a virtual forum on Sunday last, during which International Lawyer, Melinda Janki, delivered a scathing rebuke of Guyana's relationship with ExxonMobil. The forum was aptly titled 'Oil and the betrayal of Guyana's working people.'

During that address, Janki spoke of how former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, has left Guyana in an oil deal with ExxonMobil, which has not secured value

Energy Transition Advisor, Gerard Kreeft (left) and International Lawyer, Melinda Janki for the Guyanese people, from the production of its Stabroek block crude.

Kreeft thought it important to emphasize that Exxon needs Guyana more than Guyana needs Exxon.

He is not the only one that has made this observation.

Seeking Alpha, a forum of international investors and financial industry experts, published an article in August last year stating that ExxonMobil has bet so much on Guyana that the oil major may very well need Guyana more than Guyana needs

ExxonMobil.

“It's basically a case right now of the tail wagging the dog,” Kreeft said of the Guyana-Exxon relationship.

Guyana cannot do oil exploration and production by itself, but there are other oil majors it can turn to with the technological expertise and track record for the job.

In an article titled 'Whisky Galore: Developing an Energy Roadmap for Guyana,' Kreeft wrote that there are companies, which would swoop in and take charge in Guyana if ExxonMobil begins to flounder.

Exxon's share price has been unstable lately, and Kreeft said that a stable share price is what will guarantee the resilience of oil majors to a i d d e e p w a t e r developments, like Guyana's, in the future. In

this regard, he pointed to companies like Equinor and To t a l S A , w h i c h a r e perceived to be 'greener' than ExxonMobil. On the other hand, ExxonMobil has shown itself to be a laggard in its commitment to be a sound environmental steward, causing investors to dump stocks out of dissatisfaction, in the past few years.

The company has placed its bets on Guyana, hoping to pump as much oil as it can to rake in a lot of revenue due to a lopsided production sharing agreement (PSA), with the support of Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, who has said that he is in favour of aggressive production of Guyana's oil.

Kreeft pointed to a report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), which states that revenues from the

oil will be insufficient to cover Guyana's deficits, support new spending and build wealth.

How can Guyana help itself, then? Kreeft gave advice Guyana's leaders have read in the newspapers many times but are yet to implement. He advises the strengthening of the Natural Resources Fund (NRF) to ensure it can fulfill its mandate, and having an agency established to be Guyana's eyes and ears in oil with responsibility for its concessions.

Kreeft also advises having a state energy company to be the negotiating partner of all oil and gas activities and that advice is taken from countries, which have properly managed their petroleum sector, such as Norway.

Instructions by Patterson caused delays to $124M sea defence project - BK insists G

anesh Sawh, the Chief Engineer under BK International Incorporated, has alleged that instructions from the former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, resulted in delays in works of a $124M sea defence project.

Sawh made these and other comments yesterday, in response to a story recently carried by Kaieteur News. In that story, it was revealed that BK International had received 70 percent of payment for a $124M project awarded over a year ago, but only 15 percent of the works had been completed by January 21, 2020.

It was the Junior Minister of Public Works, Deodat Indar, who made known these revelations, during a visit on Sunday to Plantation Andrews, the site of the sea defence project.

According to Minister Indar, the project was aimed at repairing 1,000 feet of riprap sea defence at the Region Two village, with the completion date set for August 21, 2020.

However, during the Minister's visit to the site, it was observed that a meager 150 feet, or 15 percent of works had been completed

by the contractor.

However, when Kaieteur News spoke with BK's Chief Engineer yesterday, he indicated that it was 24 percent of works that had been completed, and the delay was in the remaining 76 percent. This, he said, was due to instructions by former Minister Patterson.

According to Sawh, when BK began mobilizing works last February at Plantation Andrews, Patterson had told the contractor to focus efforts on repairing a breach at Danzig, Region Five. The engineer

explained, “There were two other contractors fixing the breach at Danzig, but they weren't doing a good job. So, Patterson and his Chief Hydraulics Officer had instructed us to move over to Danzig to take over the repairs.”

However, as works began to mobilize at Danzig, the engineer had observed that a large amount of filter fabric was needed to start the works. “Filter fabric was used as a foundation for the repairs. On this fabric, you

would first lay the sand on it and then place the bounders on top.

It helps water to pass, while preventing the soil from migrating through the fabric,” Sawh explained.

Because all of the equipment had been available for works at Plantation Andrews, Sawh said the former Minister told BK to use its filter fabric at Danzig, instead of the site it was intended for.

When it was time for BK to recommence works at the

Region Two site, the team had realized that it had depleted all of the fabric, so an order had to be placed for more, the engineer says.

“We had placed the order for the fabric, but because of COVID-19 restrictions, it arrived until September of last year,” he added.

Notwithstanding this, Sawh said that now that the shipment has arrived, and if good weather prevails, the repairs at Plantation Danzig could be completed within six weeks.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 12, 2021

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

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

EDITORIAL

Ponzi scheme repayment The toll is for US$20M (over G$4B) and involves over 17,000 Guyanese investors. The latest coming out from the alleged Ponzi mastermind is that 85 percent of the bilked investors had their monies returned to them. This is not what his own attorney, Mr. Dexter Todd, said on December 18, a mere three weeks ago, when he noted that a paltry G$3M was paid out and that the number of investors to be repaid remains in the thousands (KN January 8). Something is not adding up here, or there is a communication problem, or somebody is not good at counting. Whatever it is, these crossed wires and mixed messages lead to one place: are the cheated Guyanese investors going to get their money back? In view of these recent developments, what is the likelihood that they will get back something, if anything at all, from the funds so naively invested?

It would appear that attorney Todd has a problem on his hands.

That is, a client who cannot help himself, who fancies himself an impeccable oracle who must be listened to, and who just cannot keep his mouth shut. As any decent attorney knows, a talkative client is his own worst enemy, since nobody knows what will be said next. However, aside from that, where is this matter heading? Specifically, there is this seesaw as to how many are actually repaid and these latest outlandish claims about some 85 percent of the tricked investors being made whole.

This is more than the troublesome matter (between the two of them, which is their business) of the relationship and responsibilities for communication between attorney and client. It is about whether there is any really serious and genuine intention on the part of alleged Ponzi schemers to do the right thing by waiting Guyanese investors and moving on to whatever lies ahead for them. For what we, at this paper can detect, is some verbal sleight of hand from the schemer, over who was paid and when, and all that jazz that nobody has much patience left for anymore.

A tremendous wrong was done, which has cost thousands of Guyanese many anxieties and embarrassments.

The people out of pocket want to be repaid, so that they can put this sordid episode in their lives behind them and get on with the business of breathing a little easier and living a bit wiser. It is not helpful in the least, when the alleged schemer takes to the airwaves either to advocate or proselytize about how well he has done on behalf of those that were shortchanged. What is helpful, what means something in all of its hard significance and value is cold cash and nothing else.

The alleged Ponzi schemer has to stop trying to score points or engage in defensive strategies that fool no one.

There is only one thing that matters and nothing else: the people have to be repaid, all of them and time is running out on him. In fact, if he continues at this rate, whatever goodwill there was that was remaining would be exhausted and he would be the worst for it. Guyanese authorities, all the way up to the Hon. Attorney General, are looking on and listening closely at every development in this affair. The Ponzi schemer is not doing himself any favours, when he goes off on these tangents with these tall tales about 85 percent of the people being repaid.

That one came out of nowhere and was all the more surprising, since it clashed severely with what his legal representative had been saying repeatedly, which was that the investors would be repaid and that there is good faith behind that assertion.

So, to turn up out of nowhere and say now that most of them had been repaid comes across as more than selfserving. It comes across as deceptive and damning. We caution: it is better to cease and desist from playing these silly games, for they are counter-productive and can prove to be more costly in the long run. It is more prudent to sit down and work quietly with the named attorney and solidify whatever it is that is in mind. Doing otherwise will backfire.

No offer was made to me to view West Coast Berbice murders autopsy videos DEAR EDITOR, A report carried in both the Stabroek News and Kaieteur News on January 6th states, that an offer had been made to me to view the video of the autopsy conducted on the youths murdered on West Coast Berbice and that “the authorities are awaiting a response on this from Dr. Fondebrider”. For the benefit of your readers, I wish to clarify that at no time did I receive such an offer.

During my visit to Guyana a formal meeting with the Minister constituted my only contact with officials since my efforts to meet the pathologist who performed the autopsy and to the Crime Chief were not successful.

Since returning to Buenos Aires I wrote to the Minister of Home Affairs on December 21st, Mr. Benn, communicating to him my appreciation of the opportunity to meet with him and for the offer of an exchange of information. A list of the Reports that I would need to make a professional assessment of the murders

was also made available by me.

I have not received any replies to these communications from any official. In these circumstances I am at a loss to understand when and how the offer to view the video was made. Finally, to be clear, this is the list of documents that I am requesting to analyze the forensic work done related to the case: Reports requested by Dr Luis Fondebrider to the Guyana Police 1.Crime scene report, which should include: a. Date and time of arrival at the scene of the CSI team b. Name and background of people composing the CSI team c. Departure time from the scene d. Description of the scene, size, if extended, explain why e. Weather, temperature, vegetation f. Map with GPS coordinates of the scene g. Photo of scene before removing bodies

h. Description of methodology followed at the scene i. Location, position and condition of conservation of the bodies j. Description of clothes and personal belongings k. Description of fluids, as blood, at the area and surroundings l. Search for fingerprints at the scene m. Sings of shoes, car tyres, etc. in the area n. Body removed in body bag? Hands and head protected? o. Type of transport used to carry the body to the mortuary p. Description of all objects collected, how they were packaged? q.Chain of custody of all the evidence (body + objects taken from the scene. r. Map of crime scene + objects + body, with exact location s. Pictures (general and detail) + Videos 2. Criminalistic lab results: a.Objects, fluids and what type of analysis was

done b. Samples taken from the body (Toxicology, Chemistry, Histopathology, DNA) c. Results d. Time for the results?

3. Autopsy a. Date and time of autopsy b. Location of mortuary c. People present, background d. Starting e. Finish f. Time between crime scene and autopsy? g. External analysis: results h. Rx taken: results i. Weight, Height j. Health condition k.Clothing analysis: dressed? relation between injures in body and clothes? l.

Fingerprints analysed? Samples taken?

Results m. Analysis for Alcohol and Drugs: sample and results n. Internal analysis: results o. Photos of the autopsy Yours truly, Dr Luis Fondebrider Director (EAAF)

Sam Hinds helped to eradicate poverty of Afro demned electoral fraud; other ever elected to office (on its Guyanese and others African leaders are yet to own). What productive meaDEAR EDITOR, In another media, PNC strongman Hammie Green, queried Mr. Sam Hinds, former President and Prime Minister, to explain what he (Hinds) did “to lift up AfroGuyanese”. I am sure Hinds will respond with a list of items he delivered to the nation that benefited all Guyanese irrespective of race.

When Hinds delivered goods and services, he did not think of one race, he thought of Guyana and of all races. Sam Hinds did much for Africans that could hardly be surpassed by any African leader. Hinds was a true Guyanese nationalist and patriot. He was not an ethnonationalist like Green, Burnham, Hoyte, and other African leaders.

After he became PM in October 1992, Hinds helped to rescue the national economy after two decades of economic malaise and deep distress.

The turn around of the economy subsequent to 1992 benefited Africans and other ethnic groups tremendously.

While PNC leaders, including Green, hurled Blacks and the nation into destitution, Hinds helped to pull Africans out of poverty.

He transformed their lives reducing poverty from 80% under the PNC, to under 40% at the end of the first term of the PPP government. He eliminated starvation that was

prevalent prior to 1992; the country once again became self sufficient in food production under the Jagan/Hinds leadership.

Clive Thomas concluded in a study that it was under the PPP government that Sam Hinds served (October 1992 to May 2015) that Africans made the greatest economic strides. In contrast, under the PNC government, (December 1964 to October 1992), of which Green was a Minister almost all of that time, the standard of living of Africans and other Guyanese drastically declined to a fifth of what it was when Jagan was ousted from office in December 1964.

It was Jagan, Hinds, Janet, Jagdeo, and Ramotar Presidencies that improved the lives of Africans and the rest of the nation.

Hinds also taught Africans to respect democratic governance and accept the outcome of elections, something Green and PNC leaders opposed. Hinds is no electoral criminal, no murderer, no thug, and no racist unlike several other African leaders who rigged elections and who ordered the murder of Africans like Rodney, Koama, and Dublin, and who sent thugs to terrorize opponents. Prominent individuals of other ethnic groups, Portuguese and Indians were also killed by Burnhams thugs. Green should know about the killings and thuggery. Hinds con-

condemn fraud. And obviously, that angers Green who has been linked to electoral fraud since the 1950s. Was he also linked to political murders? Hinds is a role model, an exemplar for Africans on such qualities as character, integrity, honesty, and professionalism, and good governance.

Green asked Hinds whether he is qualified to speak on behalf of Africans.

The same question can be directed to Green can he speak on behalf of Afro-Guyanese?

Hinds is far more qualified because of his life of morality and decency. Hinds has credibility; can anyone say the same for Green?

Green says one needs to understand what happened in Guyana from the 1960s as a consequence of the Cold War. Does the Cold War justify rigging of elections and murdering of political opponents?

Does it justify apartheid or racist or minority rule in Guyana? How can the White man be condemned for racist rule in South Africa and Rhodesia and at the same time Green justifies rigging and racism in Guyana because of the Cold War? Green asked what Hinds did for Afro-Guyanese? The same question can be posed to Green who held the second highest position in the country, Prime Minister, though neither he nor the PNC was

sures did Green put in place for Africans?

Green claimed that Hinds did not speak out when what he claims that hundreds of Africans were killed in Guyana. What did he do when these alleged killings took place? (He was Mayor).

Green accused Hinds of telling Africans to forget the history of slavery in response to others who sought reparations from the White man.

That is not correct.

What Hinds said was, it would be almost impossible to get reparations from the White Man, and therefore, Africans should not depend or wait on reparations in order to rebuild their lives. Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, and Amerindians are not tying their future to reparations; they have rebuilt their lives wherever they are found. Also, most Africans have moved on from slavery and dont condition their future on reparations.

The nation has some pertinent questions for Green that can help to bring closure to some unsolved crimes.

Who shot Dr. Joshua Ramsammy? Who killed Shirley Field Ridley? was she cremated so quickly? Was it to eliminate evidence to cover up the murder and the murderer?

Who killed Vincent Teekah? Who killed Walter (Continued on page 5)

Tuesday January 12, 2021

United States stark racial inequality was on display that fateful day DEAR EDITOR, On January 6, 2021 the entire world looked on in unmitigated disbelief, if not embarrassment at what was playing out on their television screens, and of all places, at the Capitol Building. A mob of thousands of Donald Trumps extremist supporters pushed their way into the U.S. Capitol, breaking windows, running through the halls of power, violently trying to reverse the outcome of a democratic election.

The most striking part of it all was the joy, and sense of entitlement emblazoned across the faces of the protesters, insurrectionists, domestic terrorists or whatever name may eventually be applied to them on account of their behaviour and their skin colour.

In remarks from Wilmington, Delaware on Thursday, President-elect Joe Biden said, “They were a riotous mob.

Insurrectionists! Domestic terrorists! It s that basic. Its that simple”.

If nobody ever understood what White Privilege is, then look at the entire incident. What un-

Sam Hinds helped to ...

From page 4 Rodney? Who planned the failed kidnapping of Dr. Clive Thomas? Who put sugar and sand in the gas tank of Rupert Roopnarine and other WPA activists?

Who rigged elections between 1966 and 1992? What was his relationship with Rabbi Washington, head of the notorious House of Israel terrorist group? Why did Green urge Hoyte not to deport Rabbi? Green is asking a prominent African what he did for fellow Africans. Is it okay for Indians to ask their Indian political leaders what they did for them?

Yours truly, Dr Vishnu Bisram

folded once the protesters got inside the building is one for the history books.

Pictures show White protesters standing on statues inside the building, even placing a MAGA (Make America Great Again) hat on the statue of Gerald Ford, holding a Trump flag and posing for pictures.

Others can be seen sitting at the elected officials desks, smoking E-cigarettes, feet propped up and making phone calls. Conversely, more photos show armed guards barricaded with lawmakers on the Senate floor, with a desk against the door trying to keep protesters outside, while pointing guns but not shooting.

Repeated for emphasispointing guns not shooting.

Just for a nanosecond, lose sight of reality and imagine if the protesters were Black. Like the Notorious B.I.G. said in one of his songs, “Theres gonna be a lot of slow singing and flower bringing,” because there would have been many funerals to attend.

How prophetic!

Let us refrain from asking the inane and vacuous question, what if President Trump was Black?

And even worse, what if the protesters were Black? He is not, will never be, and the obvious answer is well known by us all. Get this straight, on your plate and consider it your fate—If hundreds of Black folks would have stormed the Capitol Building, then hundreds of body bags and toe tags would have been on the scene. Plainly put, it would have been a different story.

Joe Biden in a post-action speech said, “No one can tell me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protest-

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Kaieteur News

ing yesterday, they wouldnt have been treated very, very differently from the mob of thugs that stormed the Capitol.”

Black people should clearly see that they can never do what white folks do.

Many Black people havent realized what Black Power really means.

Racism remains on the rise in America and it requires both a “Miracle on 34th Street” and an “Act of Congress” to put the country back on track, or at least, better than its been the last four years.

As Black Lives Matter protests persist worldwide, hatred and hostility toward Black people continue to leave deep scars.

President-elect Joe Biden will have his hands full, trying to hop over the muddy puddle left in front of the White House by its former tenants.

The world watched on as the unfolding chaos displayed not only white privilege but also white supremacy in action, a stark reminder of the gross disparities in the manner how Black people and white people are treated by law enforcement.

The response from law enforcement was a blatant display of systemic racism.

Take it or leave it. Blacks need to be aware as the truth becomes even more clear: that there are two Americas with two standards, one where the Whites are always Right and the other where Blacks are always under attack, and repeatedly made to pick up the slack. Confirmation of this latter playing out in predominantly Black Capitol workers cleaning up the destruction left behind by the insurrectionists.

Yours truly, Y. Sam

Proposed response to Venezuela’s renewed efforts to take Essequibo Dear Editor, Venezuela’s recent unanimous announcement to defend its rights to Essequibo by its Government in the presence of its Millitary Commanders should be a rallying cry for all Guyanese to be united against this threat.

It is time that we also take the necessary preventative actions to protect the patrimony of our citizens and their families during this heightened period of tension between neighbouring Nations.

The infiltration of Venezuelans into Guyana via prostitution, illegal immigration and drug trafficking points clearly to part of their strategy to accomplish their covert efforts.

Over a Million Venezu-

elans are part of their National Militia and as a result they can easily pose as distressed immigrants in need of aid.

The large presence of Venezuelans in prostitution and drug trafficking is a clear attack on the morality of our society and has led to the weakening of our law & order.

This allows for easier penetration of our borders and easier integration into a lawless society where money is valued more than patriotism.

It is imperative that Our Parliament takes the unified action to rescind the Homestead in Essequibo that was

recently allotted to Venezuelan immigrants under the previous administration. In

Continued stance DEAR EDITOR, The continued stance of non-recognition of the government by OL is yet again made glaring in his response on the Venezuela leader’s decree. It was carefully worded not to say the government but rather the people of Guyana (Demerarawaves).

And the leader wants the government to dialogue with him.

Shamshun Mohamed

LGE must be held this year, notwithstanding the fixing of GECOM DEAR EDITOR How goes the preparation for Local Government Elections (LGE)?

LGE must be held this year, notwithstanding the fixing of GECOM. While I am in agreement that GECOM needs to discipline those who were engaged in skullduggery during the 2nd March 2020 General and Regional Elections I do believe that Claudette Singh has not done so because it could prejudice

the case against them.

GECOM needs to be in a state of readiness to hold elections at all times. Let those who were charged with election skullduggery have their day in Court as we look forward to holding LGE this year.

Yours truly, Sean Ori

addition, the establishment of a Joint Military Base with the USA on our half of Ankoko Island would be prudent.

The removal of Venezuelan immigrants from within Guyana and their peaceful return back to Venezuela needs to also commence as soon as possible.

We are on the verge of a major military and covert effort by the Venezuelan Parliament to retake a significant part of our territory.

There must be no delay in our joint efforts to prevent this from occurring.

No Venezuelan should be allowed to hold a political office or any high office in our society during this period.

President Maduro and the leaders of Venezuela have made it clear that their position is against the sovereignty of Our Nation.

Guyana continues to belong only to the Guyanese people and we must protect it better than we have done in the past while the International Court of Justice decides definitively on the future of Essequibo.

“Not a Blade of Grass” Best regards, Mr. Jamil Changlee Chairman The Cooperative Republic of Guyana

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 12, 2021

JANUARY 12 IS NATIONAL YOUTH DAY IN INDIA DEAR EDITOR, The 12th of January is celebrated as “National Youth day” (Yuva Diwas) in India, to commemorate the birth, the contribution and to pay obeisance to the universality of Swami Vivekananda, a world renowned outstanding Indian Hindu monk, a bridge between the East-West gap in religion, a modern-day teacher and a practical social reformer, having born on 12th January, 1863, in Kolkata, West Bengal India.

The name Swami Vivekananda (the bliss of discerning wisdom), is a household name in India, any Hindu home throughout the world and in the home of any student, devotee or lover of Hinduism.

The name is again synonymous with the Vedanta philosophy. The four famous signature words, “Sisters and brothers of America,” is his hallmark and, Swami Vivekananda was given a standing two minutes ovation accompanied by a thunderous applause from the crowd of seven thousand participants, as he addressed the Parliament of the Worlds Religions in Chicago on 11th September, 1893. With

those opening words as the Hindu representative from India, he introduced Hinduism and Yoga to the West and immediately became famous and popular.

This opportunity was made possible through his introduction letter by Professor John Henry Wright from Harvard University, having arrived from India without any credentials from a bona fide organization, a prerequisite for any delegate.

That opened the door for him and he was immediately accepted to speak as a guest at universities, colleges and other simple gatherings in churches and homes.

Swamijis 473 words speech blew everyones mind.

He spoke about the basic yet important things one should follow in life: being patriotic; loving all religions; analyzing religion; being acquainted with science; knowing the importance and necessity of rituals, being aware of the roots of Hinduism; being aware of the goal of science; being aware of the cause of the downfall of India and being against religious conversions. After listening to him, Harvard psychology professor

William James said, “that man is simply a wonder for oratorical power. He is an honor to humanity.” When in doubt, despair or delusional, Guyanese youths of all ethnicity should embrace his advice, “Anything that makes you weak physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject it as poison.”

Considered as one of the greatest 19th century spiritual leaders of India, he was a “great Indian youth icon.”

Swamiji paid a lot of emphasis on youth power towards nation-building and universal brotherhood. According to The University Grants Commission (UGC), “Swamiji considered education to be a continuous process in which all aspects of life, such as physical, intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual, should be imbibed. His contribution to the creation of a new modern India is incredible.”

Born as Narendranath Datta at 3, Gourmohan Mukherjee Street in British Calcutta, Swamiji was the sixth child of nine siblings (a sister died) to his father Vishwanath, an attorney, and his mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi. She was the bed rock of

the home, a pillar of foundation, a house wife and self-taught English scholar, who counselled her children to always be truthful, chaste, dignified and humane, imprinting the eternal values of healthy living, education, morality and religion. She instilled and emphasized the same interests for both sons and daughters.

The progressive, rational attitude of his father and the religious temperament of his mother helped shape his thinking and personality. Of her molding, Narendra paid tribute exclaiming, “I am indebted to my mother for the efflorescence of my knowledge.” Perhaps, fathers and mothers especially in Guyana, may take a page from his story and the crime rate may not be so high. At age eight, Narendranath enrolled at Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagars Metropolitan Institution and was the only student to receive firstdivision marks in the Presidency College entrance examination in 1879. He was an avid reader in a wide range of subjects including, Indian and Western philosophy, religion, European and Indian history, social science, art and

literature. His Alma mater was University of Calcutta (BA 1884). He was also known for his prodigious memory (shrutidhara), the ability at speed reading and fluent in English, Hindi and Bengali.

From a young age he used to meditate before the images of deities such as Shiva, Rama, Sita and Hanuman. Growing up, his interest increased in Hindu scriptures, including the Vedas, Upanishads, Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas. Regularly, he would participate in physical exercises and sports. Swami Vivekananda pointed out that, “The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourselves strong.”

As this youthful lad (naujawan), he circumambulated as a roving seeker, he dabbled as a member of a “Freemasonry lodge,” followed “Sadharan Brahmo Samaj,” active in “Band of Hope,” joined “Nava Vidhan” and finally settled with Ramakrishna after reconverting from “Christianity.” During this tenure as an adventure in his exposure to life and reality, he became acquainted with Western esotericism and his burning question to all whom he met remained unanswered if not dissatisfied, have they seen and come “face to face with God?” The young man in his twenties found solace in the comfort of Ramakrishna and his wifes company and conversation and resonated in the answers and explanations to his burning queries and questions. He accepted Ramakrishna as his Guru, becoming his chief disciple and when Ramakrishna died in 1886, Narendra and 8 other disciples took the monastic vows, formed the Ramakrishna Math in Baranagar Math, Kolkata, and

he took up the mantle for the Ramakrishna Mission.

They adopted the monastic lifestyle and Narendra became Swami Vivekananda. From 1888 to 1893, Swamiji became a wondering monk living on alms and travelling the length and breadth of India; experiencing the fruits of diversified culture, people and system; exposure to concepts and principles of different philosophies; observing and absorbing the political and economic stagnation of India under British harsh domination; and the poverty, suffering and limitation of prejudice victimization and discrimination pervading as social injustices. As he made all these pilgrimages while visiting historical sites and holy shrines, staying with leaders of Hindu, Muslim and Christian religions and meeting and greeting with Indians of all walks of life, including the high society, politicians, teachers, social workers, farmers and “lowcaste workers,” he advocated the awareness of freedom from this strangulation of tyranny, inequality and high level of illiteracy and inculcated a beginning process for India to gain independence from England.

His work bore fruition, nationally and internationally recognized, acknowledged and awarded. During his first visit to the West from 1893 to 1897, he toured many states in the USA, including Chicago, Detroit, Boston and New York while establishing the Vedanta Society, lecturing, giving classes in yoga and making important and influential friends and acquaintances with politicians, professors, teachers, businessmen, (Continued on page 16)

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L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Tuesday January 12, 2021

Kaieteur News

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, claims he understands that the tax-free ride given to Exxon, its affiliates, sub-contractors and partners is too liberal.

Yet, he will do nothing about the fact that nine billion barrels of the Stabroek block oil will be produced with no income or other taxes to benefit the Guyanese people.

What good is admission if it comes with no action?

Talk is cheap, Dr. Jagdeo.

What Guyana needs is action!

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Tuesday January 12, 2021

Election fraud cases‌

Mingo and others to return to court on January 28 O

n January 28, 2021, Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo; the Chairperson of People's National Congress, Volda Lawrence; and A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) activist, Carol Joseph-Smith are scheduled to make their next court appearance for the continuation of the electoral fraud cases.

The trio made their last court appearance on December 21, 2020, in the Georgetown Magistrates Court before Principal Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.

Mingo and Lawrence are facing a joint charge, which alleged that on March 5, 2020, in Georgetown, with intent to defraud the public, they uttered a certain forged document, that is to say, a report purporting to be a true declaration of all votes cast

in District Four for the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections, knowing said report to be forged.

Mingo also faced another joint charge with Joseph-Smith.

That charge alleged that on March 13, 2020, they uttered a forged document purporting to be a true report of all votes cast in the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections while knowing that the report was forged.

Additionally, Smith-Joseph faced two individual charges, which stated that on March 13, 2020, at High and Hadfield Streets, she conspired with Mingo and others to declare a fraudulent count of votes for District Four for both the general and regional elections.

They denied the charges and Mingo was placed on $60,000 bail for the two charges; Lawrence was placed on $30,000 bail for the joint charge she faces.

Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo

APNU+AFC's activist, Carol Joseph-Smith

Meanwhile, Smith-Joseph was placed on a total of $90,000 bail for the three charges.

The trio is being represented by attorney-atlaws, Nigel Hughes and Ronald Daniels. Meanwhile, the matters are being prosecuted by a team of special

prosecutors, attorneys-atl a w, G l e n n H a n o m a n ; George Thomas; Mark Conway and Ganesh Hera.

On October 28, 2020, the special prosecutor team presented a fiat to the court that they received from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, S.C., giving them the legal permission to prosecute the trio.

Member of Parliament (MP) and attorney-at-law, Sanjeev Datadin, was initially on the fiat. Objections were made by Hughes to Datadin being a part of the special prosecution team, since he is an MP for the People's Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) and by giving him

PNC Chairperson, Volda Lawrence the responsibility to prosecute the matter that is highly political in nature, would result in his clients not having a fair trial.

However, during November 2020, Datadin wrote a letter to the DPP withdrawing himself from the special prosecution team, saying that he does not want to be the source of delays in the matters.

Kaieteur News had reported that some other issues were also discovered on the fiat and the fiat was sent back to the DPP to be corrected. The fiat has since been corrected and the matters are currently ongoing.

Kaieteur News had reported that on August 31,

2020, Mingo was slapped with four individual charges alleging that he misconducted himself in public office by failing to disclose the number of votes that were counted during the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. He was placed on $600,000 bail for those charges.

On September 11, Mingo and Lawrence were slapped with a joint charge, which alleged that Mingo, having been procured by Lawrence on or about March 5, 2020 at the Command Centre for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on High and Hadfield Streets, uttered to the Chief Elections O ff i c e r ( C E O ) , K e i t h Lowenfield, the election results for Region Four, knowing it to be forged, with intent to defraud the people of Guyana.

Police had announced last August that they will be conducting a comprehensive investigation into the criminal conduct of Lowenfield; the Returning Officer of Region Four, Mingo; and others in relation to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and the events that followed.

During the ongoing probe, several GECOM officials were arrested and put before the court for electoral fraud charges.

31 businesses warned for breaching COVID-19 measures

T

he National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) over the weekend issued warning letters to 31 businesses for breaching the gazetted COVID-19 regulations.

Kaieteur News understands that the NCTF conducted an enforcement exercise where several businesses were issued with warning letters and notices of closure for breaching the COVID-19 protocols.

This was confirmed yesterday by the Director of the NCTF Secretariat, Colonel Nazrul Hussain.

Hussain explained that the businesses were served with letters because they were found to be noncompliant with the measures outlined in the Official

Gazette.

Among the 31 businesses were bars, indoor dining facilities and Chinese Supermarkets also operating bars at their businesses, according to the Director.

Hussain said that from last year to present, over 100 businesses were served with letters – both first warning and final warning.

On Sunday, a CafĂŠ, which is located inside of the Movie Towne complex was given a notice of closure because it was reportedly operating indoor dining, which is a breach of the measures outlined.

Additionally, back in November last Kaieteur News had reported that the Task Force had threatened to revoke the licence of a popular Main Street

restaurant and bar because it breached the same measure.

The warning was issued in a letter given by the Director informing the establishment that they have once again been found breaching the measures, after being given a previous warning on October 30.

The Official Gazette of COVID-19 Measures states that bars and rum shops are not permitted for opening and indoor dining and social gatherings are prohibited.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips had also addressed the issue of businesses not complying with the gazetted measures and firmly stated that once they are continuously found to be non-compliant they will be shut down.

Tuesday January 12, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 09

In the eye of the storm G

uyana is an oil producer and when oil comes up, it does so with gas. The gas-to-shore project is a major infrastructural project, which is being planned.

The project, however, has run into a storm of criticisms. These range from the location on the other side of the Demerara Harbour, the lack of information about the technical and economic studies, the 'worthlessness' of natural gas at this time, the implications for the public debt of undertaking such a major project and the fact that Guyana does not appear to have the capacity to utilize all the gas which is being produced during petroleum production.

No one has yet answered what is going to happen to all the additional gas, which cannot be utilized by the proposed plant. Will this be flared or will it be both flared and re-injected back into the seabed. These are by no means moot concerns.

However, there appears to be another reason why there are so many reservations about the project. And the real reason it appears is because it is felt that this is yet another pet projects of Bharrat Jagdeo whose track record of largescale projects is nothing short of calamitous.

Jagdeo is a big thinker.

But his big thinking has gotten the country nowhere.

He was President when the Amalia Falls Hydroelectric

Dem

boys seh...

U

ncle Sam nah playing. Trump try a fascist move and it backfire pun he big time. He crossed de proverbial red line when he said things, which were viewed as inciting de storming of de Capitol.

America doesn't play when it comes to crossing de line. Dem bin give Trump a long rope when he try a Granger pun de American people. But de moment de 'insurrection' was launched; dat was when de American people said enough is enough.

Dem nah mekkin joke.

Already dem Facebook and

Project had commenced.

That project was fraught with controversy and ended up having to be abandoned after criticisms by the Opposition APNU forced the developer to back away from the deal. The PPP/C for some inexplicable reasons still wants to resurrect this project thereby raising concerns as to why it would need both a hydroelectric project and a gas-to-shore plant, each of which can meet the country's energy demand.

The public is wary of Jagdeo and his big plans.

They remember the fiasco at Skeldon.

The Skeldon Sugar Factory is the biggest failure of the Jagdeo administration.

The project plunged the already tottering sugar industry further into financial misery and has saddled the country with more than US$185M in additional debt. That monumental failure alone should have forced Jagdeo into political retirement.

Among the other failures were the Marriot Hotel project and the Berbice River Bridge. Both of these projects were completed behind schedule and both h av e in v o lv ed f law ed financial models, which effectively give preferences to favoured shareholders.

The National Insurance Scheme's investment in the Bridge is in jeopardy, thereby threatening the viability of the Scheme.

The future of both the

Marriot and the Bridge remains uncertain. The APNU+AFC had nationalized the Berbice River Bridge and continued with the Marriot Hotel. If both crash, the economy can crash with them.

The pushback against the gas-to-shore project must be assessed in light of the miserable track record of Jagdeo in orchestrating large projects. People are jumpy that Jagdeo and the PPP/C may be attempting again another project, which will become an environmental risk and which can bankrupt the entire economy.

It is not clear why the Wales area was identified for the project. Considering the population density of the West Bank, and the volume of marine traffic, it is incomprehensible how, from a safety perspective, that location can be suited for such a project.

How does one run a pipeline along a river on which vessels have been known to crash into the bridge and in which GPL cables have been severed?

The proposed location of the plant is too close to population centres; it poses an extreme risk to life and limb as well as to the Demerara harbour on the other side.

The project is going to come in for stinging rebuke from environmentalists. It makes a mockery of the talk about a low carbon development plan. Natural gas is not a clean source of

Trump might not get he pension Tw i t t e r d e a c t i v a t e h e account. Congress trying fuh impeach he and if dem succeed he pension and other benefits gone down de drain.

Trump finished politically and he fortune fuh sure affected. You can't try dem sort ah stunts he bin try and get away with it.

America living up to its reputation -- de land of de free and while it gave Trump a lot of latitude when he was questioning de vote-count, dat latitude done now after wat happen last week.

It hard to understand just how he think he would go unpunished after wat was

attempted. America was never going to allow it democracy to be overrun by supremacists and fascists.

De sanctions gonna come down fast and heavy on Trump and he will not escape scotch free.

Guyanese should learn.

Some of we leaders cross de line last year. Dem boys ain't even sure if some of dem get back dem visas.

That should never happen and people should lobby Biden not to reverse de visa sanctions on dem wah try fuh steal de elections in Guyana.

Talk half and wait fuh see what gan happen to Trump!

energy; it is a greater pollutant than carbon dioxide, which is primarily responsible for rising global temperatures.

As was mentioned on a recent radio programme on Kaieteur News, Guyana has made commitments under the Paris Agreement to move to 100 percent renewable by 2025. The gas-to-shore project is an affront to those commitments, and will cause disrepute to Guyana's environmental standing.

But the greatest fear is that Guyana should not at this stage of its development be expending huge sums to finance a gas-to-shore project. There is always a possibility that the PPP/C will move towards a Public Private Partnership model for this project, but this does not remove the need for a massive investment on the part of the government.

It appears that every major project, which Jagdeo has touched, has attracted its

fair share of justifiable criticism. His involvement in chaperoning big projects in Guyana over the next five years will cause further apprehensions, most of which cannot be dismissed easily.

(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

Tuesday January 12, 2021

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Guyana 2020: Massy Supermarket, 007 and strange homosexuals W

hen I read that M a s s y Supermarket was opening across the road where I live, I jumped so high with elation that I got stuck and couldn't come back down. The store would save me on gas and I could avoid the nightmarish traffic that characterizes driving in Georgetown.

But Massy not only disappointed me but also caused me to crash my car.

Maybe the company should fix my damaged door. Here is what happened. Armed with ebullience, I entered the supermarket named “Massy Mega.” I was nonplussed at the word, “mega.” The car park was colossal. It was

larger than Singapore. Then disappointment came.

It was not a retail outlet.

You couldn't buy one or two or three items of any product you like. You had to buy a carton of chocolate, a carton of cereal, a box of snacks, a two-litre tub of ice cream, a tray of three dozen eggs, a packet of six cucumbers, etc.

Every product was sold in large quantities.

So Massy wasn't for me. It was back to the traffic nightmare. I just bought a new reconditioned, cheap car, named Vitz. I drove into the jam-pack car park of Survival Supermarket and turned into the backside of a huge truck and mashed in my rear left side door. On seeing the

damage, my wife stood motionless.

As 2020 wore on, the Massy bosses got scared. No one was shopping. Then one day, I looked out from my upper verandah that looks straight unto Massy's, and saw the Massy bosses running out of the supermarket shouting; “eureka, eureka, we discovered Guyanese society.”

Today, Massy Mega is one of the most patronized outlets, where you can buy one bubble gum if you want to. It is now a retail supermarket.

What is the lesson to learn from the Massy supermarket fiasco?

How can any company venture into such an

expensive undertaking without studying the economy? Massy did not do its homework. This lapse is ubiquitous all over Guyana.

People are putting down stores in Georgetown that will flop because parking is a nightmarish deterrence.

The Massy mistake was small compared to other egregious happenings in Guyana in 2020. Take the licence to kill man, James Bond? How can any citizen make G$220 million by just getting some public land from an incestuous political relation and selling it within weeks? How can that ever be justified in any part of the world?

Now if a private landholder gets a silly billionaire to buy his cow pen for $220 million, then, that is nobody's business. But the land Bond got belongs to the children of this country.

In 2020, the election took place, the rigging was stopped, and democracy was saved but outside of the political sphere, Guyana remained a sad land. Here is a sample of the clouds of sadness that blow over. A vicious criminal gang invaded a home after they found out there was a visitor from overseas in the house.

They shot dead one of the

occupants. One of the accused was convicted but freed for time served during remand - three years.

A man murdered his three children and appealed his 30year sentence. The Court of

Frederick Kissoon Appeal should have extended the sentence. In which country a man could murder his three children without either being executed or assigned a life sentence? But this was Guyana in 2020. The courts continued to be a mess in 2020.

A teacher appeals a magistrate decision of three years imprisonment. The High Court agrees to hear the bail petition, but the judge wants to see the magistrate's written decision to guide her.

The magistrate simply did not respond even after three weeks had passed. That

magistrate was never called to give an explanation.

What about my own profession – the media? The year 2020 was one of the worst years for incompetent journalism. A lady walked into one of the Caribbean's oldest retail stores. She published a claim of discrimination in a daily newspaper. The editor allowed the cry of racism to be printed without the required investigation, which is basic to journalism. In the publication, the only evidence provided was that the lady said she was ignored by attendants.

Surely, in Guyana, where the racism accusation is always conveniently used and where racism cries could prove dangerous, this was a bad display of faulty journalism.

Finally, the homosexual and bi-sexual folks never protested in solidarity with any other oppressed groups in Guyana, but suddenly found out they were interested in f o r e i g n p o l i c y. T h e y protested the visit of Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, to Guyana last year.

Strange homosexuals!

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

Tuesday January 12, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 12, 2021

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 12, 2021

Sir Ronald Sanders to serve on London University Committee

PAGE 13

50 COVID patients benefit from plasma treatment at GPHC

- to focus on future of Commonwealth Studies ( Wa s h i n g t o n , D C , January 11) - Veteran Caribbean diplomat, Sir Ronald Sanders, has been named to a 10-person committee to conduct an inquiry into the future of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London.

The announcement of the Committee members was made yesterday by the University's Vice C h a n c e l l o r, P r o f e s s o r Wendy Thompson.

The Committee will be chaired

by Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a former Defence and Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary of the British Government.

Sir Ronald, who is Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador to the United States and the OAS, has been involved in Commonwealth matters in various capacities since 1982. His scholarly work on the Commonwealth has been widely published and he was the Rapporteur of the Eminent Persons Group, created by Head of Government to make recommendations on reform

Sir Ronald Sanders of the Commonwealth in 2011.

Ambassador Sanders said yesterday: “I am delighted to serve on this important Committee. The Commonwealth has been a significant actor in world politics – for instance in ending Apartheid in South Africa.

Because of its diverse membership, it has the capacity to help the world negotiate solutions to global

problems.

Therefore, Commonwealth studies are important to University teaching and research”.

Other members of the Committee are drawn from the academic community and include Professor Asha Kanwar - President and CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning and Dr. Joanna Newman, Chief Executive and Secretary General of The A s s o c i a t i o n o f C o m m o n w e a l t h Universities.

From the practical world of Commonwealth relations, other Committee members are Mr. Stephen Twigg, Secretary-General of the C o m m o n w e a l t h Parliamentary Association and Mr. Michael Kirby, former Justice of the High Court of Australia.

The Committee will hold its first meeting on January 21 under Sir Malcolm's leadership. It is expected to take evidence from across the Commonwealth and submit its report and recommendations by June 2021.

GDF Corporal delivers baby at Tshau Creek, Kaikan

A

Guyana Defence Force (GDF) rank, Corporal D o m i n i q u e Gonsalves Sabola, on Saturday last delivered a healthy baby boy at Tshau Creek, Kaikan, Region Seven. The infant, according to a GDF release was born around 05:45hrs.

The GDF also congratulated the child's mother Yancelis Dias,35, and Sabola for doing a wonderful job.

Sabola is attached to the Medical Corps and is one of the GDF's frontline medical personnel serving the interior of Guyana.

The Corporal is a Grade Two medical assistant who joined the GDF in 2013.

Corporal Dominique Gonsalves Sabola posing for a photograh with the newborn and his mother, Yancelis Dias

Head of NBTS, Dr. Pedro Lewis

A

t least 50 persons have benefited f r o m t h e COVID-19 convalescent plasma treatment administered via the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Under the treatment option, the convalescent plasma is collected from a recovered COVID-19 patient by the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS).

The plasma, which contains the anti-bodies against the virus, is then used to treat critical patients who are suffering from the infection with the intention of it fighting the same viral infection.

The blood/plasma goes through a rigorous filtration process at the NBTS before it is administered to the patients.

Head of Medical Services at the GPHC, Dr. Mahendra Carpen, had confirmed with Kaieteur

Head of Medical Services at GPHC, Dr. Mahendra Carpen

News that the method of treatment has been highly successful with patients battling the deadly disease.

In his most recent update, Dr. Carpen noted that at least 50 patients were able to benefit from the successful treatment of plasma from COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Carpen is one the leading healthcare providers treating patients with the disease.

He had explained previously that while the convalescent (recovered) plasma treatment remains a viable option for patients who are in extremely critical condition, treatment has been restrained by the compatibility issues.

He noted that the hospital must ensure that the blood that is collected from the recovered patients is compatible and can be used on those who are critical.

“That's where we face a restraint because it's not always a match,” the doctor

had stressed.

However, Head of the NBTS, Dr. Pedro Lewis, explained that while there were some initial issues with recovered patients donating their plasma to the cause, the NBTS has been encouraging more recovered patients to donate.

As a result, Dr. Lewis confirmed that some 70 percent of plasma collected from the recovered patients has been used to treat those still sick with the ailment. He explained that, the process of collecting the life-saving bodily fluid is safe.

“We do all the regular screening that is associated with the regular process of donating blood. So the entire process is safe,” Dr. Lewis revealed during a Kaieteur Radio's Your Health Matters yesterday.

He noted nonetheless, that the success rate of the recovery of COVID-19 patients should not be (continued on page 15)

PAGE 14

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 12, 2021

COVID-19 death toll now at 170

T

he Ministry of Health yesterday reported a new COVID-19 fatality. It was a 65-year-old man from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica).

In a release, the Ministry revealed that the man died while receiving treatment at a medical facility and is now

Guyana's 170th COVID-19 death.

It also reported that 14 new cases.

This has increased the total number of reported cases to 6,588.

Based on the Ministry's dashboard update yesterday three persons are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care

Unit, 52 are in institutional isolation, 323 are in home isolation and an additional 30 persons are in institutional quarantine.

Four more recoveries from the virus were also recorded bringing the total number of recoveries to date to 6,040, according to the Ministry.

Man who ran from cops nabbed with illegal gun

A

man, who saw the cops and ran away on Sunday, was nabbed moments later with an illegal firearm and matching ammunition.

According to police, ranks had received a tip off and went down to D'Urban and Cross Streets, Werk-enRust around 11:30 hrs.

Upon their arrival, a man spotted them and ran into an apartment.

The cops gave chase and cornered him in the building.

He was searched but the lawmen found nothing illegal on him.

However, they proceeded to search the apartment and located a .32 Taurus Millennium pistol with a magazine, along with

The gun and ammunition found in the man's apartment four live rounds.

The man was arrested,

and taken into police custody.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 12, 2021

PAGE 15

Murder of Bartica gold miner…

Lawyer to introduce expert reports in appeal against death penalty for ex-GDF coastguards

D

efence Attorney, Nigel Hughes, is expected to present some fresh information to the Appeal Court to support his arguments against the death penalty which was imposed on three ex-Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ranks who were convicted and sentenced for the August 20, 2009 murder of Bartica gold miner, Dwieve Kant Ramdass.

Ye s t e r d a y d u r i n g a hearing of the case before Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings Edwards, and appellate Justices Rishi Persaud and Dawn Gregory, Hughes sought the leave of the Court to introduce studies from experts who have done extensive research on the death penalty.

State Counsel and Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Dionne McCammon, told the courts that she has no difficulty with the introduction of the new evidence as long as it is the documents and not the actual experts presenting their findings.

Given the State's decision not to oppose the submission, the Court has set a fresh timeline for the ventilation of the case. Hughes was given until February 11, 2020 to have the new submissions filed and served. The State was granted until March 2, 2020, to file a response and the Court is expected to hear oral arguments for the matter

by March 15, 2020.

The appeal for the three former ranks has been met with several delays. The last time the case was called at the Appeal Court was in 2019. Back then, there were setbacks owing to some missing records.

Initially, the Court of Appeal had fixed October 18, 2019 for the hearing of the appeal. At that hearing,

Convicted: Devon Gordon

Murdered: Dwieve Kant Ramdass

Convicted: Sherwin Hart

Convicted: Deon Greenidge

lawyers Nigel Hughes and Latchmie Rahamat raised preliminary issues as it related to the state of the records of appeal. Hughes had brought to the court's attention that the records of appeal do not reflect a ruling on a Voir Dire made by the trial judge in relation to two of the appellants.

Gordon's lawyer, Rahamat, who represented him at the trial stage, had told the court that she could recall the judge making a ruling after the Voir Dire was concluded. She, however, pointed out that this ruling could not be cross-

referenced with the court's type-written records of appeal.

Apart from this, Rahamat pointed out that some of the evidence in the judge's summing up was inaccurately reflected. For example, among other things, Rahamat said that what was said by one of the witnesses is recorded as being said by another witness. At that hearing, too, McCammon admitted that in the type-written records of appeal the judge's summing up seems disjointed and “some of the pages do not flow.”

50 COVID patients benefit from plasma treatment at GPHC From page 13 credited to convalescent plasma treatment alone, since there are other medications used to treat the patients.

The doctor noted, that convalescent plasma is not a substitute for full treatment; rather it is a supplement to the other medications used to

treat COVID-19 patients.

Supplementary treatment includes the administration of oxygen, vitamins, hydroxychloroquine and other types of medications.

Since last March, Guyana has been exploring the treatment options recommended for patients affected by the Coronavirus

disease.

Among them was the convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 patients a recommendation by the Ministry of Health (MOH) following approval from the Pan-American Health Organization/ World Health O r g a n i s a t i o n (PAHO/WHO).

PAGE 16

Tuesday January 12, 2021

Kaieteur News

January 12 is National Youth Day...

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From page 6 religious leaders and ordinary people from all walks of life.

He visited Europe twice in 1895 and 1896, meeting Max Muller in the UK, Paul Deussen in Germany, Romain Rolland in France and of host of other personalities. Swamiji was offered lecturing positions at Harvard and Columbia Universities but declined.

He also met Margaret Noble, an Irish woman, writer and social worker, who later became Sister Nivedita and accompanied him back to India in 1897, remaining there to work with Indian women, immersed herself in activities pursuing the interest of the Swadeshi movement. Back in India, he went on to establish various monasteries throughout the country, paying special attention to the propagation of education, promoting science and industrialization, addressing widespread poverty and suffering and ending colonial rule. He returned to the West in 1899 to 1892 to complete his overseas commitments, specifically raised

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interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status as a major world religion during the 19th century. Sailing back to India, he aroused a new awakening in India and her people. Many international figures have paid tribute to his legacy and were easily influenced by his work, including Mahatma Gandhi, Subash C. Bose, Rabindranath Tagore and Sri Aurobondo, among many more. His works, writings, lectures and speeches have been preserved in volumes of books authored by a number of writers. Many sites and institutions are named after him. Last November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Swamijis original first name), unveiled a statue of Swami Vivekananda on the

campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar Said, “Swami Vivekananda is one of the most beloved intellectuals and spiritual leaders India has been fortunate to produce.

He enthused the youth with his message of freedom, development, harmony and peace in India. He inspired citizens to take pride in Indian civilization, culture and its industrious spirit.” On July 4th, 1902, Swami Vivekananda went to his room to meditate at 7PM and asked not to be disturbed after a hectic day of teaching, yoga, discussion and planning. He died at 9:20 PM from a rupture of a blood vessel in the brain, the rupture due to his brahmarandhra

(an opening in the crown of his head), being pierced when he attained mahasamadhi (the act of consciously and intentionally leaving ones body at the time of death).

He gave of himself for 39 years, 5 months and 22 days to the world, whereby fulfilling his prophecy that he will not live 40 years. Swami Vivekananda was cremated on the bank of the Ganga in Belur, opposite where his guru, Ramakrishna, was cremated 16 years earlier. His inspiring, motivating, captivating and famous perpetual quotation remains yet to be exhausted and replaced: “Arise, awake, stop not until the goal is reached.”

Respectfully, Jai Lall

Time is of the essence for patients awaiting kidney...

From page 11 experience, the kidney transplant survivor is highly supportive of legislation that will facilitate cadaveric or brain dead patient donor transplants, an undertaking that Dr. Persaud and his team have been pushing for more than eight years.At present, Dr. Persaud is in consultation with the European-based Donation and Transplant Institute (DTI). The organization based in Spain, is a leading authority on organ harvesting and transplant worldwide.

Last November, Executive Director of DTI, Dr. Maria Paula Gómez, told a virtual roundtable discussion that a series of planned action is expected to be rolled out before Guyana's first donor transplant legislation is introduced and implemented.Dr. Gomez is

among an international team lending support to local doctors lobbying for the passage of the new law. Dr. Gomez, via the virtual meeting, noted that while transplant law is important for the country, it is equally important for policymakers and citizens to be educated and aware of the subject.

As such, Dr. Gomez said that a series of webinars will be conducted to assist in spreading awareness to policymakers and other types of stakeholders on the issue.

The virtual discussion was facilitated by Dr. Persaud and his team at the Kidney Transplant Department from GPHC, as well as Dr. Hassina Mohamed of Trinidad and Tobago, an anesthesiologist and lobbyist for organ donor transplant in the twin Island Republic.

Tuesday January 12, 2021

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

3 mutant COVID-19 strains right in Guyana’s backyard

By Kemol King As COVID-19 vaccines develop and are used around the world, Guyana looks set to receive its own share in the first half of the year.

The government had prepared for a resurgence of cases after the Christmas holiday, but it will now have to prepare for a possible resurgence for other reasons.

Three particularly worrying mutant strains of the novel COVID-19 have been detected, and all of them are right in Guyana’s backyard, the Federative Republic of Brazil. These three mutant COVID-19 strains have already swept across the planet, and have been detected in every continent in

the world, except for Antarctica.

One of them emanated from the United Kingdom (UK). The European country last month recorded a surge in cases, and scientists have attributed it to a new strain of COVID-19 that preliminary studies indicate is way more contagious.

The UK government said that it is found to be 70 percent more infectious. Detected early in December, the mutant has shaken the UK again, forcing a fresh wave of lockdown measures. About 40 nations had responded quickly last month by banning entry from UK travellers.

The new strain has not been proven to be more

PM Johnson says UK in ‘race against time’ as it faces worst weeks of pandemic LONDON - (Reuters) Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday Britain was in “a race against time” to roll out COVID-19 vaccines as deaths hit record highs and hospitals ran out of oxygen, and his top medical adviser said the pandemic’s worst weeks were imminent.

A new, more transmissible variant of the disease is now surging through the population, with one in 20 people in parts of London now infected, threatening to overwhelm the National Health Service (NHS) as hospitals fill up with patients.

The death toll in the United Kingdom has been soaring and now stands in excess of 81,000 - the world’s fifth-highest official toll while more than three million people have tested positive.

In a bid to get on top of the pandemic and to try to restore some degree of normality by the spring, Britain is rushing out its largest ever vaccination programme, with shots to be offered to about 15 million people by the middle of next month.“It’s a race against time because we can all see the threat that our NHS faces, the pressure it’s under, the demand in intensive care units, the pressure on ventilated beds, even the shortage

Prime Minister Boris Johnson of oxygen in some places,” Johnson said on a visit to a vaccination centre in Bristol, in southwest England.

“This is a very perilous moment. The worst thing now for us is to allow success in rolling out a vaccine programme to breed any kind of complacency about the state of the pandemic.”

The government’s chief medical adviser Chris Whitty earlier said the situation was set to deteriorate.“The next few weeks are going to be the worst weeks of this pandemic in terms of numbers into the NHS,” he told BBC TV.“Anybody who is not shocked by the number of people in hospital who are seriously ill at the moment and who are dying over the course of this pandemic, I think, has not understood this at all. This is an appalling situation,” he told BBC TV.

Indian lenders’ bad loans may rise significantly - financial stability report MUMBAI - (Reuters) Indian banks may see bad loans double despite signs of an improvement in the economic impact of the COVID19 pandemic, a report from the Financial Stability and Development Council said yesterday.

The gross Non-Performing Assets of banks may increase from 7.5% in Septem-

ber 2020 to 14.8% under a severe stress scenario. Even under a baseline scenario it may rise to 13.5% by September 2021, the council said.

“It is assessed that the worst is behind us, though the recovery path remains uncertain,” the council’s Financial Stability Report released by the Reserve Bank of India said.

deadly than usual, but it has already spread to more than 30 countries and territories, including Denmark, Italy, Gibraltar, the Netherlands, Australia, South Africa and Brazil.

Guyana’s large, populous neighbour announced its first cases of the UK strain more than a week ago, in its Sao Paulo state. The distance between Guyana and Sao Paulo state is over 3,000 km, on the Eastern side of the continent.

The second worrying strain is one that came from South Africa.

That country’s authorities announced the case mid-December, 2020. It was found to be highly infectious like the UK strain, causing a surge in cases in South Africa. It has already started spreading to other countries.

On January 9, Reuters reported that Brazil had detected the South African variant in a re-infection case in Rio de Janeiro. This was notable as it is the first such detected case in the world, in which someone was re-infected with the South African variant. The individual’s symptoms, this time around, are more powerful. Rio de Janeiro is on the Southwestern side of the continent, over

Map of South America showing Guyana near Brazil, the COVID-19 hotspot of South America.

3,500 km away from Guyana.

But there is another much closer mutant in the Brazilian Amazonas state. On Sunday, Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases said that it detected a new COVID-19 variant in travellers from Amazonas.

The Institute’s head, Takaji Wakita, said that there is no proof that the new Brazil variant is high in infectiousness, though CNBC reported that the strain shares some mutations in common with the UK strain, as well as another highly infectious strain originating from South Africa. Japan’s scientists did not pronounce conclusively on the infectiousness of the strain traced from Amazonas state.

Brazil has been suffering

from one of the deadliest outbreaks of the virus in the world, behind the United States. It has detected over eight million cases of COVID19, and more than 200,000

people have died as a result.

Like US President Donald Trump, Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro has been criticised for diminishing the gravity of the pandemic.

PAGE 18

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 12, 2021

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 12, 2021

PAGE 19

Time is of the essence for patients - but awaiting kidney transplant donors not readily available

By Rehanna Ramsay

W

h i l e adolescents and young adults constitute a small percentage of patients diagnosed with End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD), their stories of survival can be just as impactful as that of an older person battling the illness.

In Guyana, at least 15 persons below the age of 25 are listed among the patients who are in need of urgent transplants due to acute kidney failure.

These young persons, like 23-year-old Rahaim François and his 18-year-old cousin Riquan Robertson, have an average of two to three years on dialysis treatment before their condition worsens and becomes fatal.

Bo t h F r a n c o i s a n d Robertson have been living on dialysis treatment, which is administered three times per week at $12,000 per session. Together, the two young men have been on treatment for more than a year. They are both listed for transplant operation, but are having trouble identifying compatible donors.

The two young men are patients of local Kidney Transplant Surgeon, Dr. Kishore Persaud, who has been using his portfolio to highlight their plight with the hope of getting them the help they need to recover and lead normal lives.

Dr. Persaud recently

On dialysis: Rahaim François

GPHC'S Transplant Surgeon, Dr. Kishore Persaud

Recovered: Malika Dey is one of the fortunate ones to benefit from a transplant operation

“

The trouble is and always has been that kidney donors are not easily identified, even if they find someone who is willing to give them an organ, in many cases these persons are not compatible or match the patients.

– Dr. Kishore Persaud

”

spoke to Kaieteur News about the problems faced with the treatment of his young patients.

He explained that like most acute kidney failure cases, these youngsters would each have to undergo a transplant operation.

“The trouble is and always has been that kidney donors are not easily identified, even if they find

On dialysis: Riquan Robertson

someone who is willing to give them an organ, in many cases these persons are not compatible or match the patients,” said Dr. Persaud, who heads the Kidney Transplant Department at the Georgetown Public Health Corporation (GPHC).

Dr. Persaud has been pushing for a legal framework to cover cadaveric or brain dead organ donor transplants; a mechanism he believes can be highly effective in helping to ease the burden of finding compatible donors.

With the legislation in place, he explained that organs will be more readily available for patients in need of transplants.

In the meantime, given the scarcity of organ donors, he noted that in some instances, if patients are lucky, they would be able to switch donors and get a match. This process is called pairing. According to Dr. Persaud, having a compatible match is critical to a successful operation. It is so important that if the patient and donor are not compatible then the operation cannot be conducted.

In i n s t a n c e s w h e r e patients would have to

switch donors just to get a match, Dr. Persaud said this ends in the successful completion of the transplant exercise.

An example of this is the case of Malika Dey, who was diagnosed with ESKD

approximately two years ago. Dey was one of the more fortunate patients Dr. Persaud has had.

Though her journey to survival was not easy, she told Kaieteur News that she is grateful to have successfully pulled through.

Dey said that she noted that it was not without prayers, dedicated family members and the transplant team from the GPHC. “I had no health complications prior to the diagnosis with kidney failure,” said Dey who started experiencing dizziness and vomiting before she found out about her life-threatening condition. She noted that she was skeptical about going on the treatment given the cost attached to it but she had no choice after she suddenly collapsed and fell into a coma.

She was placed in the Intensive Care Unit of the

G P H C for close to two weeks. The renal failure survivor noted that it was then she was immediately placed on dialysis. “I had no choice but to go on dialysis until I was able to undergo the surgery,” she shared.

Her father, Mark Nelson, decided to be her donor but he was not a match.

However, she explained that she was paired with another patient Michael Totaram, whose donor matched her and her father, was able to donate to him.

“Our respective donors did not match us but we were able to help each other because when we compared my father matched Totaram and his donor matched me.”

Dey added. Given her (continued on page 16)

PAGE 20

Tuesday January 12, 2021

Kaieteur News

Venezuela criticizes joint US, Guyana determine which has rights to certain offshore oil and naval exercises gas fields.

CARACAS (REUTERS) Venezuela on Monday criticized joint naval exercises by the United States and Guyana, with which it has a territorial dispute.

Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, told a news conference that the manoeuvres were an attempt by the outgoing Trump administration to “create provocations, threats.”

The Pentagon did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The World Court in December ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear a dispute be-

Vice President Delcy Rodriguez tween Guyana and Venezuela over the course of their land border, which may ultimately

Venezuela does not recognize the court’s authority, and insists on a bilateral negotiated solution.

Offshore oil discoveries in recent years have given Guyana, which has no history of oil production, the potential to become one of the largest producers in Latin America.

The U.S. oil company, ExxonMobil, is in a consortium with Hess Corp. and CNOOC Ltd. of China that produces crude in Guyana’s offshore Stabroek block, part of which is located in waters claimed by Venezuela.

Tuesday January 12, 2021

Support from former players continues for...

From page 25 tournaments and developmental programmes his board intends to host this y e a r .

Chattergoon, a former Guyana and West Indies under-19 batting star who also represented Canada at the first class level, would be sponsoring a one day three team 20/20 tournament in his home village of Fyrish. The home team, Courtland and Kilcoy would face off to win the Chattergoon Brothers Challenge Cup and a winner take all prize. Gordon, who still plays the game in Canada and played for Canada at the international level, would be sponsoring another one day, three-team tournament at the Edinburgh Ground.

The teams would be

Edinburgh, Tucker Park and G u y m i n e .

The winner would take home the Gordon Cup. Foster stated the main objectives of the one day tournaments are to take the game to areas where the passion for the game has dropped to attract youths to the game and to inspire clubs to be more o r g a n i s e d .

The BCB is hoping to run off at least eight of these one day tournaments in Late February under very strict Covid 19 rules. No spectators would be one of the rules in place.

Meanwhile, the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association has been able to attract sponsorship for the hosting of a round robin 40 overs tournament. A total of twenty eight teams within the sub as-

sociation would be playing in the tournament.

The BCB has also confirmed a sponsorship deal with Government Member of Parliament Faizal Jafferally to host a knockout 20/20 Cup for eleven teams in the West Berbice Sub Association.

Both of these tournaments would be launched shortly.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) If you're currently romantically involved, expect your relationship to reach a new understanding and sense of unity, Taurus. If you aren't involved, you could meet someone special today, and it might be like love at first sight.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

An old friend you haven't seen in a long time could turn up. This should be a pleasant surprise, Gemini, as you will have a lot of catching up to do.

CANCER(June21–July22) Some great news could come today that turns your life upside down momentarily. Cancer, you will find it very exciting. New neighbors could move in and you might spend some time getting acquainted.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) News might bring exciting opportunities for increasing your income, Leo. Perhaps you will learn of ways to start your own business.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Discussions could bring some exciting information your way that alters your thinking slightly. You tend to be oriented toward social, political, or humanitarian issues, Virgo. Today you might have the chance to put your talents to work.

Hussain optimistic as GGA/Nexgen...

From page 25 GGA is confident that it will be able to deliver on its promises.

Hussain explained that a lot has been accomplished through generous donations of equipment and services by overseas Guyanese including Bill and Aleena Knight, Anwar Shaffie, Danny

‘Golden Jaguars’ undergo Fitness ...

From page 24 where they will join the winners of the five other groups.

The pre determined matchups would see Group A winner vs Group F winner, Group B winner vs Group E winner and Group C winner vs Group D winner.

The teams will play home and away in a direct elimina-

Tuesday January 12, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Books and conversations with friends could take up most of your day, Aries. The intellectual stimulation could have positive and negative effects on your health.

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today you may take up the study of astrology, numerology, alchemy, or other occult discipline. Your intellectual abilities are particularly sharp, Libra, so you may want to combine them with your tendency toward mysticism.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

New friends, new goals, and new attitudes could all appear on the scene, Scorpio.

Unexpected developments within a group are likely to require reevaluating a course of action.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) If you've been aiming for a specific career goal, Sagittarius, it might suddenly manifest with the current planetary energy.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) This should be a stimulating day, Capricorn. The possibility of a journey might arise unexpectedly. This could be exciting as some close friends or a romantic partner might accompany you AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Unexpected economic developments might make a sudden and positive difference in your situation, Aquarius.

Perhaps your field becomes more competitive, and people with your skills are more in demand.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your social life might suddenly be busier than you expected, Pisces, perhaps because of the appearance of some interesting new people.

tion format. The Final Round of the Concacaf Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will see the three winners from the Second Round join the Concacaf Member Associations ranked 1-5. The eight teams will play each other home and away, with each team playing 14 matches.

Ramnarain, Imtiaz Haniff and locally by Colin Ming, but that with the explosive response from the schools so

far, the need for as many as 3,000 golf clubs and 50,000 balls would arise to support the school p r o g r a m m e .

Because of these contributions, it currently only costs $500/hour for children

to learn the game at the Academy and Hussain said that with the support from corporate Guyana, he expects that the cost for a nine-hole round for kids should be not much h i g h e r .

For more information about Golf, the Academy or lessons, you may visit Facebook: Nexgen Golf Academy or call 645-0944.

Football has badly damaged...

From page 24 to take four wickets in four consecutive balls and the historic three Day/Night matches during the 2016 Tri Series involving West Indies, Australia and South Africa.

This series represents the first time that every ODI match was played under floodlights in the Caribbean.

Providence hosted its first Test Match in 2008, with Sri Lanka as the visiting team

and another in May 2011 when the West Indies defeated Pakistan. With the advent of the Caribbean Premier League the stadium became the home ground for the Guyana Amazon Warriors franchise.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 22

Tuesday January 13, 2021

India frustrate Australia to Four Windies stars selected hold on for draw in Sydney in Sunday’s PSL draft

S

portsMax - India held firm to deny Australia and secure an incredible draw in the third Test in Sydney yesterday.

Australia looked in position to take a 2-1 series lead, needing eight wickets on the final day at the SCG, but were left frustrated by a stubborn India batting lineup and costly dropped catches.Rishabh Pant (97), Cheteshwar Pujara (77), Hanuma Vihari (23 off 161 balls) and Ravichandran Ashwin (39 off 128 balls) helped ensure India were level heading into the final Test in Brisbane starting on Friday.

The SCG pitch played few tricks on day five, and Pant even had India dreaming of an amazing win, the tourists eventually finishing at 334-5, 73 runs adrift of a victory they stopped chasing after Vihari hurt his hamstring.

Josh Hazlewood (2-39) and Nathan Lyon (2-114) made breakthroughs, but Australia were unable to do enough in a Test they looked destined to win as Tim Paine dropped three catches.

Australia landed an early blow as Lyon had Ajinkya Rahane (4) caught at short leg by Matthew Wade.

But Pant – who suffered an elbow injury on Saturday – was put down twice by Paine, on three and 56, off

Lyon, and he counterattacked superbly to put the pressure on the off-spinner.

Pujara brought up 6,000 Test runs, the 11th Indian to achieve the feat as he continued to frustrate Australia.Pant looked capable of leading India to a

the injured Will Pucovski (shoulder) – unable to hold onto a tough chance.

Vihari and Ashwin, showing no intent to score, remained stoic and defended well against an increasingly desperate Australia.

Paine dropped another

Chris Gayle, Sherfane Rutherford, Chadwick Walton and Carlos Brathwaite were selected for the PSL.

Job done: R Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari walk off © Cricket Australia/Getty Images shock victory before falling just short of a third Test century, caught by Pat Cummins at gully after trying to attack Lyon again.

The second new ball brought a key wicket for Australia as H azlew ood produced a wonderful delivery to bowl Pujara.

A pair of reviews were unable to get Ashwin, who was dropped on 15, a diving Sean Abbott – on for

chance after Vihari edged a Mitchell Starc (0-66) delivery and it proved to be the final opportunity as India held on for a draw.

Scores: Australia 338 (Smith 131, Labuschagne 91, Pucovski 62) and 312 for 6 dec (Green 84, Smith 81, Labuschagne 73) drew with India 244 (Gill 50, Pujara 50, Cummins 4-29) and 334 for 5 (Pant 97, Pujara 77, Sharma 52).

SportsMax - Chris Gayle, Chadwick Walton and Sherfane Rutherford and Carlos Brathwaite were the four West Indies players selected to play in the Pakistan Super League following the 2021 Draft held in Lahore on Sunday.Each of the six teams was required to select 16 players in the draft; three from the platinum, diamond and gold categories, five silver, and two each from the emerging and supplementary categories.

Gayle, arguably the best T20 batsman of all time, was a platinum selection for the Quetta Gladiators, while Rutherford was a diamond selection for Peshawar

Zalmi.Chadwick Walton was selected from the gold category by the Karachi Kings.

Multan Sultans selected Brathwaite as a supplementary player.

Most notably, Dwayne Bravo and Evin Lewis, players who had reportedly registered for the draft went undrafted.

Ninety players from the West Indies registered for the draft, the most from any country or territory . Eighty players from England registered for the draft while there were 40 from Sri Lanka and an estimated 30 each from South Africa and Afghanistan.

Hero CPL delivers record exposure...

From page 21 are delighted that so many people got to see Guyana in the best possible light.”

Carla James, Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, shared: “It was really great to see the support by the Hero CPL

organisation and the fans. Although the event was highly virtual this year, the reach and excitement was exceptional. We look forward to the 2021 season and hope to continue to showcase Guyana’s beauty on this platform to inspire travel.”

Lusignan Golf Club promoting golf as a family sport T

he Lusignan Golf Club (LCG) was established in 1965 and continues to operate as a Members’ Club and is the only golf club in Guyana with a complete 9-hole course.

As the premier golfing entity in Guyana we are not associated or affiliated with any Golf Association in Guyana, a release from the entity informed.

Despite the Covid 19 pandemic, reduced sponsorships and above normal rainfall this year, the Club’s Committee has achieved the following: · Maintained and improved grounds; · Received approval from the Covid Task Force to restart tournaments, · Organized approximately 4 club tournaments per

month (where all members play regularly included past champions!); · Spruced up clubhouse, and

a Christmas Tournament and Awards Ceremony.

More importantly the new committee has rebuilt trust

and confidence in the leadership of the Club.In addition to the abovementioned, the Club

continues to fulfill the needs of its membership and to strengthen the social fabric within the community by

providing gainful employment for several residents of Lusignan Village.

Unfortunately there was no Guyana Open in 2020 as this tournament had to be postponed due to travel restrictions and most importantly the Pandemic and related Covid restrictions.

We are of the firm belief that the wellbeing of our players takes precedence over any golf tournament.

The club will continue to adhere to guidelines as set out by our Ministry of Health and WHO regarding the pandemic.

We are confident we will have a great Open in 2021.

Happy Golfing from LGC, the release concluded.

The current Executive Members are:

Tuesday January 13, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Bangladesh Cricket Board makes extensive bio-bubble plans as West Indies land in Dhaka ESPNcricinfo - The 38m e m b e r We s t I n d i e s contingent arrived in Dhaka on Sunday morning to become the first international side to arrive in Bangladesh since the Covid19 outbreak.

The pandemic has already had a direct effect on the tour after fast bowler Romario Shepherd, who was part of the tourists’ ODI squad, returned a positive result in Guyana prior to their departure.

Keon Harding, the 24year-old Barbados fast bowler has been named as Shepherd’s replacement, making it nine uncapped players in the 15-man ODI squad. Owing to the pandemic, a number of senior West Indies cricketers have opted out of the tour for both the ODIs and Tests.

Those who have arrived on Sunday will undergo

Covid-19 tests, after which they will isolate themselves in their hotel rooms for the first three days before being tested again; if they test negative on both tests, they will be allowed to train from the fourth day.

West Indies will play a warm-up one-dayer at the BKSP ground in Savar on January 18, some 40km from Dhaka, before the first ODI on January 20.

A third round of testing will take place after day seven of the tour and also once before the start of the ODI series. The Bangladesh board will reportedly also provide local net bowlers who will be kept in a “mirror bubble” alongside other service providers and ground staff, in accommodation facilities inside the Shere Bangla National Stadium.

Both sides will also be tested upon arrival in Chattogram

for the third ODI on January 23, and there will be more testing before and during the Te s t s e r i e s , w h i c h i s scheduled for next month.

T h e B C B ’s m e d i a committee chairman Jalal Yunus said that they have taken into account every contingency when planning the bio-secure bubble for the tour. He said that the BCB P r e s i d e n t ’s C u p a n d Bangabandhu T20 Cup in October and November gave them a clear idea about what to expect.

“We are really happy to return to international cricket after a long time,” Yunus said. “It is definitely a challenge to host a series during a pandemic.

We are very much confident that we can complete this series without any hindrance. We are prepared to handle any form of crisis in both venues. We

The West Indies contingent get their belongings sanitised in Dhaka. (BCB/Raton Gomes) have gained experience of a bio-bubble having already held two domestic tournaments. Hopefully, it will be a very smooth tour.

“They [West Indies] have agreed to be compliant. The agreement includes all the dos and don’ts. We will be strict about the entire tour.

The biggest thing is that there will be a number of

tests. All the floor attendants at the hotel and catering staff have been tested, and the same applies for any service provider including net bowlers and the board’s photographer.”

This upcoming ODI series will be Bangladesh’s first international assignment since Zimbabwe toured the country in

February and March last year, when the T20I series had limited entrance with Bangladesh not yet feeling the full force of Covid-19.

Since then, Bangladesh have had tours to Ireland, England (for the Ireland ODIs), Sri Lanka and New Zealand postponed, apart from home tours against Australia and New Zealand.

Hero CPL delivers record exposure for destination Guyana Participants during the launch of the Air Badminton programme at St Roses High School.

Air Badminton introduced at St. Roses

National & International Player Priyanna Ramdhani making the presentation to Mr. Alque Stanley.

The Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) launched Air Badminton, the new outdoor version of the sport, at the St. Roses High School making it the second promotion since the first Launch at the National Park two weeks ago. The GBA donated a number of Rackets, Shuttlecocks and Nets to help in the running of this programme.

“I am pleased that St. Roses Sports coordinator, Mr. Alque Stanley came on board with helping us to promote the Air

Badminton and also help the Students of St. Roses High School to have an interest in Badminton and especially as some of them will be writing Physical Education for CSEC. Mr. Stanley has been part of this CSEC programme in the past few years.

We will continue to introduce the AIR Badminton with the Covid-19 Guidelines,” stated Gokarn Ramdhani, President of the GBA in a release.

During the 2020 tournament the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the Guyana Amazon Warriors partnered with the Guyana Tourism Authority to showcase Guyana as one of the premier destinations for eco and adventure tourism. This partnership generated a r e c o r d sponsorship value of US$41million with a focus on some of the great places to v i s i t i n Guyana such as the world famous Kaieteur Falls and the other natural wonders that the country has to offer.

G u y a n a To u r i s m Authority’s partnership included branding on the team kit and within the stadium alongside bespoke footage of the country that was integrated into the live broadcast and shown throughout the tournament.

The independent report created by YouGov Sport confirmed that Guyana received 352 hours of brand exposure across the tournament – a significant

year on year increase.

The 2020 tournament was played behind closed doors in Trinidad as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Amazon Warriors and Hero CPL used the TV broadcast and social media channels to highlight Guyana as a ’must visit’ destination.

With record viewership o f 523million, a 6 7 % increase on 2019, there was a huge audience watching CPL, who enjoyed seeing and hearing all about what Guyana has to offer.

Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s COO, said: “There are few countries as vibrant and fascinating as Guyana and it was a great pleasure to use the platform of the Hero CPL to showcase what it has to offer to our viewers around the world. The success of the 2020 Hero CPL showed the world that the Caribbean is open for business and represents one the most interesting and diverse places to visit. We (Continued on page 21)

Kaieteur News

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Tuesday January 13, 2021

‘Golden Jaguars’ undergo Fitness Tests ahead of return to full scale training FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

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iven the all clear by the National Covid-19 Task Force to commence training ahead of crucial FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) kicked off preparations of the ‘Golden Jaguars’ with the first phase of the players’ physical evaluations on Sunday last at the Federation’s National Training Centre, Providence, East Bank Demerara.The Senior Men’s National Team (SMNT), the nation’s flagship team will be battling neighbours and fierce rivals Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday March 25 in the Twin Island Republic as they seek a winning start to Group F of the Concacaf qualifiers which also includes St. Kitts & Nevis, Bahamas and Puerto Rico.According to a GFF release, the fitness tests provides important information for the coaching staff and will inform of individual and squad training regimes in the run up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The evaluation, conducted over two days with different cohorts of

Members of the locally based Golden Jaguars in action during the fitness test at the GFF facility at Providence.

Members of the locally based Golden Jaguars in action during the fitness test at the GFF facility at Providence. players, follows testing of the domestic-based squad and backroom staff for the covid-19 virus last week as part of protocols put in place under the UEFA Assist 100day “Bounceback” programme. The Federation has also informed that the National Covid-19 Task Force granting of permission to resume training hinges on strict measures being in place and followed to defend against the spread of the virus. ”Today’s rigorous tests give our coaches a clear idea of the fitness levels of

individual players and what we need to work on to ensure the squad is in peak condition come March,” said GFF President Wayne Forde.

“Considering the lack of competition over the past year, we are pleased to report that the squad is already looking in good shape thanks in part to the individual training plans they were given by the GFF technical team during the lockdown.” ”Going forward, we will be taking every precaution necessary to ensure that the squad and staff remain safe

and well during this time, including regular testing for C O V I D - 1 9 . We l o o k forward to the full resumption of training in the coming days, as long as conditions allow, and remain ready to take any action required if the pandemic enters another difficult phase.”GFF Fitness Coach Wilson Toledo and Golden Jaguars’ Assistant Coach Charles Pollard oversaw the fitness evaluations on Sunday, with a total of 25 players going through the paces. The locally based

‘Golden Jaguars’ who were part of the successfully concluded ‘Bounce Back’ Football Fiesta organised by the GFF, Ministry of culture Youth and Sport and the Kashif & Shanghai Organisation will be seeking to be in the best shape of their lives as they aim to make the final cut for the Guyana team.Guyana, ranked 167th in the world, will throw down the gauntlet to T&T (103) on March 25th which would be the first of four matches in Group F knowing that only the group winner

would be advancing.

March 30th would see the Guyanese playing at home when they welcome to these shores, Bahamas, ranked 196. In the June window, all things being equal and covid-19 under control, the ‘Golden Jaguars’ would be away to the 140th ranked St. Kitts & Nevis on Friday June 4th and return here for their final group match against Puerto Rico (179) on Tuesday June 8th.

The winner of the group will proceed to the second round (Continued on page 21)

Football has badly damaged Stadium informed Stadium Manager Guyana’s preparation for Regional Super50 affected - Anand Sanasie

By Sean Devers The Guyana Football Federation (GFF), the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport collaborated for the return of football after the shut-down of sports since March due to pandemic.

The Bounce Back Football tournament which included Linden All-Stars, East Coast All-Stars, West Side All-Stars and Georgetown All-Stars, was contested at the Providence S t a d i u m , o n Tu e s d a y, December 29, and New year’s Day. The parties involved were showered with praises for a job well done while the tournament provided plenty of entertainment for Football fans in and outside of Guyana watching the on two local TV networks and streaming live.

GCB’s Anand Sanasie The only negative aspect of the highly successful venture was that the matches were played at the Providence Stadium, Guyana’s lone International cricket venue and badly damaged by the Footballers.

Secretary of the Guyana Cricket (GCB) Anand Sanasie is up in arms that a club Football Tournament

was played in the rain at the Providence Stadium which was built to host the Super Eight matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup held in March and April 2007.

“Nowhere in the world would anyone play club football on an International cricket ‘Square’ (area where the pitches are laid) in the rain. We wrote to the Stadium last week to seek permission for usage to prepare the 50-over Regional Squad with some game assimilation sessions.

We are yet to get a response,” Sanasie stated.

When contacted, Stadium Manager Anthony Xavier confirmed that he had received the request letter from the GCB but indicated that their request could not be granted because of the extent of the damage caused by the Footballers at the only ground in Guyana where

Providence Stadium Manager Anthony Xavier senior Regional Cricket is played.

“The six pitches on the square and almost the entire playing area on the ground, including the bowler’s runups are in a terrible condition due the Football which was played there in the rain,” lamented Xavier.

Xavier disclosed that according Head Curator at the Stadium Wazim Habib, it

should take at least six weeks to get the venue back to a suitable condition host cricket.

Habib,who was named best Groundsman of the 2018 CPL, is one of the best Curators in the West Indies and a couple of years ago spent time in Christchurch and Auckland in New Zealand where he witnessed how pitches are prepared from an international perspective.

The GFF’s National Training Centre at Providence hosted matches during the Petra/KFC goodwill tournament in December 2019 and could have hosted the two-night football event while International Football has not been played at Providence Stadium since the National Track and Field Centre hosted matches in CONCACAF qualifiers in

Head Curator at Providence Stadium Wazim Habib 2018 and the two night tournament could have been played there underlights.

Providence has hosted two Tests and 22 ODIs including the historic match between Sri Lanka and South Africa in the 2007 World Cup when Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga became the first bowler in international cricket history (Continued on page 21)

Kaieteur News

Tuesday January 12, 2021

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Hussain optimistic as GGA/Nexgen Golf Academy explore new heights “Never accept what was always done by others if you want to create something spectacular,” says Aleem Hussain as he laid challenge to the normal design and layout of Golf courses that have shaped the game worldwide.

The avid golfer and entrepreneur said that two things have always hampered the growth of the game - the amount and cost of land required close to populated areas and the cost of maintenance of such a large tract of land, leading to exclusion of the majority of our population due to affordability.

“The fact that we have been told that a golf course should be nine or 18 fairways don’t mean that is the only way we can design a course.

This unique approach allows us to minimize the cost and size of land (just 10 acres required), whilst drastically reducing maintenance cost and passing those savings onto players, especially new ones,” Hussain stated.

“New players should be encouraged to learn the game under the best conditions and experienced

Aleem Hussain players face a challenging course yet reap the rewards if they manage it well. This innovative design will accomplish both goals since it provides for three fairways and nine greens, with lots of sand traps and water hazards that will increase the difficulty for good players.”

By playing from different tee boxes and finishing up the holes on varying greens, it can be a different course each time it’s played, effectively giving players more of a challenge than a traditional course. Elevated tee boxes and greens that will be as

much as eight feet above the fairways, well guarded by bunkers and challenging shots across water hazards will test the nerves and skill of every Tiger Woods wannabe.

It is estimated that a course will accommodate approximately 300 rounds per week or 600 players per month assuming an average play of twice per month. As such, even though Nexgen Global expects to complete three new courses in 2021, with the volume of new players and influx of remigrants and expats, the demand for as many as 10 courses will be created by the end of 2022.

Wi t h o v e r 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 school children in Guyana, and golf being a covid-19 compliant sport that allows great scholarship potential and excellent networking opportunities for young players to meet and mingle with top managers and executives of the burgeoning oil and gas industry, the circumstances are perfect for the growth of the sport.

Seeking to make golf one of the top most recognized sports in Guyana, the

Support from former players continues for Berbice Cricket as Chattergoon and Gordon comes on board -UCCA to launch 40 overs cricket tournament, Government MP to sponsor 20/20 cup in West Berbice

Hemnarine Chattergoon

O

ver the years, one of the main p r o b l e m affecting the development of Berbice Cricket was the lack of support the Berbice Cricket Board received from former cricketers, who after they finished playing the game that made them famous, simply turned their back on it. Those days seems to be in the past now as the Hilbert Foster led administration is convincing

Faizal Jafferally MP

Jeremy Gordon

them to come on board and be a part of the rapid development taking place in the game in the Ancient County.

Former cricketers like Clayton Lambert, Leslaine Lambert, Ray Joseph, Jerry Angus, Kevin Darlington, Troy Halley, Narsingh D e o n a r i n e , Vi s h a l Nagamootoo and Mahendra Nagamootoo have recently contributed to the development of the game,

while present players Shimron Hetmeyer, Kevin Sinclair and Romario Shepherd have become sponsors of cricket tournaments.

Two more former players Hemnarine Chattergoon and Jeremy Gordon have become the latest to join the growing list as Foster spearheads a massive marketing drive to attract sponsorship for cricket (Continued in page 21)

Nine greens allow for par three course for the beginners and provides challenges for the establish players by bringing water into play. president of the Guyana Golf Association has leveraged partnerships with many organizations and companies to help realize this dream. “It all started with the Scouts Association of Guyana and the Guyana Teachers Union grounds in

Georgetown on Woolford Avenue that allowed several hundred new players to be exposed to the game in just a few short months.”

And with the support of longtime sponsors such as Giftland Mall, Macorp, Assuria General Insurance,

Guyana Beverages, AR P r i n t e r y, B a n k s D i h , Vivaanta Spa, Trophy Stall, Nesha’s Flowerland, and Copa Airlines, amongst others who have been firmly behind the development of the sport for many years, the (Continued on page 21)

Members of the locally based Golden Jaguars jog during their fitness test at the GFF facility at Providence.

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FIFA Worl Cup Qata d r 202 2

‘Golden Jaguars’ undergo Fitness Tests ahead of return to full scale training

Hanuma Vihari keeps Australia at bay, Australia vs India, 3rd Test, Sydney, 5th day, January 11, 2021 © AFP/Getty Images

India frustrate Australia to hold on for draw in Sydney

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