Kaieteur News

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Thursday Edition Venezuelan AIETEUR NEWS woman fearful for life after stalker tries to throw her in car trunk p.

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July 01, 2021 - Vol. 14 No. 23

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday, 85,131

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

Exxon installs upgraded gas compressor system on Liza Destiny - EPA approves application to flare more gas until tests completed p. 12

$88M subvention disbursed to NDCs, municipalities in Regions Five, Six Opposition MP arrested over cybercrime allegation p.

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CHANGE ALL THESE OIL BLOCK CONTRACTS NOW

N OUR CHILDRE N NEED FOOD O THEIR TABLE

Two UG Professors win Guyana Innovation Award p.

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Dispute over birthday dress lands 2 in court

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Govt. launches $15,000 p.

Child Care Subsidy 2 for essential workers

World Bank approves additional US$6M for COVID-19 response, vaccines in Guyana p.

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VP Jagdeo, Brassington allowing Economic Hitman to take Guyana down at any cost.

Listen @11:00am on Kaieteur Radio 99.1/99.5FM

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Thursday July 01, 2021

Kaieteur News

Govt. launches $15,000 World Bank approves Child Care Subsidy for additional US$6M for COVID-19 response, essential workers vaccines in Guyana

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Children seven years old and younger who are attending a licenced daycare or night care facility will be able to benefit from the grant.

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s a way of giving back to persons w h o a r e working above and beyond the call of duty, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security has launched a $15,000 Child Care Subsidy for essential workers.

This means that a child who is seven years old and younger and is attending a licenced daycare or night care facility, will be able to benefit from the facility, the Ministry noted in a release.

“We've recognised that some workers have been working throughout the pandemic even though they may not be seen as conventional frontline workers,” Minister Vindhya Persaud observed.

These individuals may

be sales girls in supermarkets; persons cleaning schools and doing many other jobs for which much attention is not usually paid to.

“We are starting in this small way to give back to them some help at this point, and while this is going on, we are working with daycare centers who are not licenced to become licenced, so that more persons can benefit from the services,” Minister Persaud informed.

The subsidy will also come in handy for persons who are working at and below minimum wages, and at night need a safe place for their child or children. “We recognised this, so this service will be of benefit to them,” Minister Persaud noted, adding, “We are

conscious of the need for safe environments for children and that many parents cannot afford this.”

The $15,000 subsidy grant will be paid directly to the care facility monthly for up to three months per child.

Applications can be accessed and submitted online, and hard copies to be filled out can be obtained at the Ministry's central and regional offices. The closing date for applications is August 9, 2021.

The list of essential workers include junior ranks of the Joint Services, frontline health workers, domestic workers, security guards, sales clerks, and vendors.

For more information, persons can call 223-1745, Mondays to Fridays from 13:00 to 16:30 hours.

he World Bank (WB) approved yesterday, US$6 million in additional financing for the Guyana C O V I D - 1 9 E m e rg e n c y Response Project to support affordable and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and ensure effective vaccine deployment in Guyana.

In a release the World Bank noted that the project will also support general preparedness, resilience, and overall health system strengthening.

“An efficient and equitable rollout of COVID19 vaccines will be critical to save lives and restore economic activities in Guyana,” said Ozan Sevimli, Wo r l d B a n k R e s i d e n t Representative for Jamaica and Guyana.

“The World Bank is closely coordinating with development partners and

Government of Guyana counterparts to support the vaccination campaign, and long-term improvements to the country's healthcare system.”

The pandemic has had socioeconomic impacts, including job losses, which disproportionately affect women. This additional

financing to the Guyana C O V I D - 1 9 E m e rg e n c y Response Project, the World Bank noted, will fund the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines. According to the Bank too, “It will help the Government of Guyana strengthen health system functions that are necessary for immunisation, such as vaccine awareness

communication, human resources, information systems, and waste management. The additional financing to this project also aims to increase overall health system preparedness to tackle future emergencies.”

According to the release, the original project was approved in November 2020, to support Guyana's pandemic response and strengthen the country's health system. US$5 million of the additional financing that was approved yesterday comes from the International Development Association (IDA).

Guyana receives interest-free financing from IDA, with a maturity of 40 years, including a grace period of 10 years. An additional US$1 million is a grant from the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Multi-Donor Trust Fund.

Venezuelan woman fearful for life after stalker tries to throw her in car trunk

By Shervin Belgrave

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n evening “gaff” at a roadside with friends on Sunday, almost turned into a

tragedy for a Venezuelan woman who was almost abducted by her stalker and his accomplice.

Fearful for her life after her harrowing experience is Kristina, (not her real name).

She recalled, during an interview with this publication, that it was around 21:40hrs when the men pulled up in a white car and stopped in front of an apartment building located at the corner of Cummings Street and North Road, Georgetown.

Kristina said she had gone there to meet with her female friends who had recently returned from a mining area in one of the interior locations of Guyana.

As they were chatting, the men reportedly stepped out of the car and approached them. She said that she recognised one of men as a “tall, fat, brown skin man,” who had robbed her of a cell phone some three months back and had been stalking her since then.

Kristina related that she had not seen his accomplice before, but described him as a “bearded, skinny, negro man”. The stalker, she claimed, walked up to her,

said something in English which she did not understand before dragging her to the car.

She reportedly began to scream and tried to fight him off, but he was assisted by his accomplice and together they took her to the car. Her friends reportedly began to plead with the two men to let her go but they “popped” the car trunk and tried to place her inside.

Kaieteur News was told that another man who at the time was sitting on the balcony of a nearby building saw the commotion and decided to intervene.

Kristina said, that she recalled him peaking with the men in English and shortly after, they let go her, re-entered their car and sped off.

The man who intervened to save her from the abductors, according to Kristina, identified himself to her as a Cuban national.

She said that he took her inside of his yard and reportedly told her that the stalker claimed that she had robbed him (the stalker) of $300,000 sometime back and he had been looking for (continued on page 10)

Kaieteur News

Thursday July 01, 2021

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Opposition MP arrested over Cybercrime allegation - Opposition, Govt. MPs weigh-in

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partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), Member of Parliament (MP), Annette Ferguson, was yesterday arrested after a senior member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) made an allegation against her in relation to one of her Facebook posts.

According to police, the GDF rank's allegation is that Ferguson falsely alleged in a Facebook post that the said GDF rank will be in charge of a 'killing squad'. As such the MP was arrested for a breach of the Cybercrime Act 2018. She was arrested by members of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and taken to CID Headquarters at Eve Leary, Kingston, Georgetown.

The charge was put to her and she denied it. According to Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, Ferguson was

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn later released on her own recognisance [self-bail].

A police report stated that the investigation into the matter is ongoing and upon completion the file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, for legal advice.

Kaieteur News understands that Ferguson's post which refers to “setting up of Death Squad and Black Clothes groups” stemmed from discussions had during the considerations of Financial Paper 2/2021 during the parliamentary session on June 14, 2021.

During the debate, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, told the House that the concept of the Regional Joint Support Teams is a new crimefighting initiative formulated in April, 2021, and that the supplementary provision for the period ending December 2021 is to “set up” the initiative.

The Government MP had explained that the Regional Joint Support Teams will not denigrate or usurp the functions of the GDF or the GPF, but is intended to enhance the capacity of the law enforcement agencies in Guyana to fight crime,

Taxi driver found dead after suspected robbery

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taxi driver was yesterday found dead by police after he was reportedly robbed. According to a police report, the man, who has been identified as 53year-old Kenrick Trim of Belfield Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was found lying in some grass at the end of Cul-De-Sac Street, Block One, Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Police without giving too much detail, revealed that the man was dumped from a silver grey Toyota Premio bearing number plate HC 5311 which was parked a short distance away.

Trim's body was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Cooperation (GPHC) where he was pronounced dead before being transported to the Lyken Funeral Home. A post mortem examination is expected to be conducted on Friday.

When Kaieteur News reached out to the family of the deceased, his son, Kenrick Trim Jr., said that

Dead: Kenrick Trim his father would usually leave home at 07:30hrs every day for work. The man, according to his son, would normally use Quality Plus Fast Foods and Bakery located at 33 Hinck Street, Georgetown, as his base.

He stated that his father would usually drop his mother off at her Transport and Harbour office before continuing his daily routine.

The son told this publication too, that his father was never a confrontational person and

would always come straight home from work, which is usually around 18:00hrs.

He stated that his father could have been robbed since his phone was missing, along with a gold chain and band that he would usually wear. The deceased also had a few puncture wounds a b o u t h i s b o d y, t h i s publication was informed.

Kenrick Jr. further told this publication that his father was always a hardworking man and very joyful.

regardless of the type of crime, with the support of the GDF. However, following that parliamentary session an online news agency published a story headlined, “Exclusive: PPP secures $250million budget to resuscitation Black Clothes Death Squad.” The O p p o s i t i o n M P subsequently shared the article with her own commentary. Both the Joint Services Coordinating

Opposition MP, Annette Ferguson Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon Council (JSCC) and the Ministry of Home Affairs had condemned the

Opposition MP's post and cautioned citizens against the “reckless and irresponsible social commentary.”

Leader of the (continued on page 13)

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Thursday July 01, 2021

Kaieteur News

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

We alone must fix ourselves “Senate Republicans block Democrats’ election bill,” was the headline of the June 22, story in the BBC’s online edition.

As we reflect on this development in the highest legislative chamber in America, two questions come to mind. The first is why? And the second is this one, which has relevance for us Guyanese: why are/were these people providing electoral reform guidance for us?

Every Republican senator stayed with the party line, which led to the inevitable 50-50 deadlock, since Democrats were not going to abandon their own bill. There was no hope of proceeding further, since the filibuster rule could not be overcome, and of which more will follow. Regarding the why, we can be sympathetic with objections to absentee voting and mail-in voting, which both open the door to much behind the scenes tinkering and manipulating for partisan purposes. The same could be said of automatic voter registration on the basis of possession of a driver’s licence only. That needs to be rethought and revisited with steeper requirements.

We can support 15 days of early voting, but only with the tightest of vigilance and provisions for clear corrective bipartisan action should fraud come into play. This has been a norm (alleged) in Guyana. Campaign financing is always a much-disputed hot button issue, and one that needs serious and honest attention, not what conveniently gives an upper electoral hand. Again, this is something that plagues Guyana, with questionable private sector money filling the coffers of both major parties, and which neither wish to change.

Passage of the bill, however, could have also sounded the death knell of the Republican Party’s electoral prospects with waves of newly registered and newly engaged minority voters voting. The stakes cannot be higher, with gun control, healthcare, and the environment all under the microscope and due for radical overhaul, and all dear to Republicans.

Historically, the Republican Party has not been fair with the voting rights of vulnerable minority voters, with Black Americans subjected to terrible oppressions for decades.

So, our position stands: why was the heavily Republican influenced IRI engaged, and relied upon, by the current government to assist this nation with electoral reform?

Republicans have not been kind to minority voters, so why these helpers? Voting obstacles, as experienced by African Americans, especially in the Deep South, and in the more broadly rebranded ‘Red States’, have alarmed Democrats and energised Republicans to keep the status quo in place. Republican-controlled state legislatures have moves aggressively to roll back the clock through voting rights bills, with restrictive clauses that negatively impact minorities. Restrictive voting bills those are clearly racially discriminatory. Hence, the question persists and would not letup: why should Guyana be relying on a somewhat subtle and, at times, openly racist party to help with local electoral reform, where there are wars between minority peoples in major demographic segments?

The Democrats’ For the People Act sought to remove the more nettlesome provisions in current electoral processes. Republicans in the evenly balanced Senate would have none of them. This meshes well with the position of the recently defeated Republican holder of the White House (he was cheated) and his visions (ideas of returning). Both former president and party strategists would like voting rights to be more restrictive, if only to give candidate and party a fighting chance in 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential race. With all of this said, it was still a remote, if not a drop dead, possibility that the Democratsponsored bill could not attract enough Republican votes in the Senate to overcome the 60-vote filibuster. Even two Democratic Senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Krysten Sinema of Arizona have signalled resistance to the elimination of the filibuster rule, which was termed, “The Biggest obstacle to Biden getting his way “(BBC April 26).

All things considered, we were and remain concerned that Republicans could be so pivotally involved in electoral reform here. When so, doubts arise about the real objectives.

Vishnu Bisram presents contrasting visions of future of sugar industry DEAR EDITOR, In a wide-ranging interview on Globespan Television in February 2021, the GUYSUCO CEO Sasenaraine Singh, speaking on the topic titled “GUYSUCO and the Future of Sugar”, articulated a vision for the sugar industry which represented a paradigm shift in the approach to sugar production at GUYSUCO. The CEO responded to a question on production (at 8:38 min in YouTube video), “…in the older days GUYSUCO had a business model bigger is better, rubbish. Bigger is better selling US$300 per MT when your cost of production is closer to US$600 per MT doesn’t make any economic sense, it does not take the industry to viability.” The CEO further said “…the new GUYSUCO will be focused on 100,000 – 150,000 MT, the days of 300,000 MT is gone…”.

The production goal described by GUYSUCO CEO seemed very similar to the coalition government’s sugar production target for the downsized sugar company.

100,000 – 150,000 MT per year of sugar production does not require seven sugar estates for this level of production.

Many governments in the Caribbean closed underperforming sugar estates to focus on their better-performing estates when European price supports ended.

Unfortunately, sugar estates in the Caribbean continue to

be closed as continued financial losses are too large to sustain.

The GUYSUCO CEO defined how success in the sugar industry should be measured, i.e. financial viability. GUYSUCO’s key tactic to achieving financial viability centered around improving sales margins by selling more packaged sugar and less bulk sugar, which is produced at negative margin.

The jury is out whether this tactic will be successful; the CEO could not predict when the company will be profitable when asked by the moderator.

Alternatively, there are individuals who hold the view GUYSUCO should continue 300,000 MT per annual sugar production even with appreciable financial losses for many years if not decades.

Financial viability of the industry is not a priority for these individuals. They attack others who believe financial viability should be an important measure in business operations. Such attacks are irrational in this global market environment.

As an example, in recent days Vishnu Bisram accused Clive Thomas of championing the closing of underperforming sugar estates.

By his own admission, Bisram was not present in any meetings with Clive Thomas that discussed the closing of sugar estates. Bisram tells us to trust his reporting of meetings he did not attend but in a letter of 26th June,

not to trust Tascuma Ogunseye’s account of a meeting Ogunseye supposedly did not attend.

Bisram is a proponent of distributing or leasing land to the local workers who will grow sugarcane and provide the cane to second party owned factories for processing and marketing sugar. Bisram wrote that,with local workers responsible for growing sugarcane, efficiencies will be realized magically. Bisram cited India as an example of how this system works. Barbados would be one country that downsized its sugar industry which has a system with local farmers growing sugarcane for privately owned factories.

Bisram does not understand why India has a viable sugar industry and the coalition government was correct to reject his proposal.

India, US and the majority of sugar-producing countries cannot produce sugar below the world market price.

However, countries with large internal sugar demand protect their markets from cheap imported sugar, selling their citizens locally produced sugar above the world market selling price which allows their sugar industry to be financially viable. India sells 80% of the country’s sugar production internally at prices that are profitable.

The remaining 20% of sugar is exported at a loss and the government subsidizes farmers and millers. In November 2020, Bloomberg

News reported that the Indian Government was encouraging its citizens to consume more sugar to reduce/end sugar exports in order to eliminate government sugar subsidizes.

Guyana has a very low internal sugar demand. The internal sugar market is 22,000 MT annually; 12,500 MT of sugar is sold at improved pricing in the US protected market. 89% of 300,000 MT annual production will be exposed to the world market price requiring appreciable government subsidizes. In reality at this production level, shutting GUYSUCO down and paying all the workers to stay home would still leave money to fund valuable projects.

In closing, Bisram presented two versions of who would own the factories that will be supplied sugar cane by local farmers. His first version he wrote “the government or GUYSUCO or private investors” as likely owners.

In the second version five days later, Bisram wrote private investors would own the factories and he added that government investment in the estates would be minimal for` maintaining canals and irrigation. These are not trivial differences in presenting his plan to previous government officials, how can this narrative change in five days.

Yours truly, D. C. Daly

The Ombudsman found that I was illegally dismissed from UG Dear Editor, I refer to Mr. Vincent Alexander’s letter on my contract termination in December 2011 in your June 30 edition. With due respect to the education of Mr. Alexander, I am not aware that he was ever trained as a lawyer. There is a huge omission in Mr. Alexander’s output- he left out the legal position of my contract termination as investigated by the office of the Ombudsman.

Two senior counsels were employed to advise the Ombudsman – Miles Fitzpatrick and Stephen Fraser.

In lengthy submissions that were detailed and erudite, the

findings of both lawyers are replete with citations from case studies. They both argued that the termination was a violation of several statutes of the University, particularly Statute 25.

I would suggest that the research of both of these lawyers be made available to UG law students because they were absolutely brilliant and should be made available to the University because it will guide the UG administration in future terminations that could save them hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Please contact me for a copy of each.

All civil lawyers need to read what these two attorneys researched.

When fairness is needed, when integrity must be painted all over the process, and when coloured people are involved, including overseas voters. These have plagued us, and will continue to do so. We alone must fix ourselves to our satisfaction.

Both senior counsels unambiguously stated in their submissions to the Ombudsman that I should litigate against the University.

I did not simply because it is not within my character to sue people. At the time of my contract termination, several lawyers agreed to sue UG but I had no stomach for another court case given all the libel cases I was enduring at the time.

Here is an interesting dimension of the Ombudsman’s involvement that I never published before.

I met the Ombudsman, Justice Winston Moore, and asked him what the difference was between the Ombudsman’s position and the two lawyers’ submission. It was then I learnt that the Ombudsman does not investigate but sources out the investigation.

Justice Moore told me that the Ombudsman never comes to conclusions on his

own but seeks the paid consultancies of lawyers so that that Ombudsman would not be accused of personal bias. I didn’t know that. He then told me that since he accepted the detailed report of Messrs Fitzpatrick and Fraser, then it becomes the Ombudsman’s findings. I left his office with deep chagrin when I asked him, “Where do we go from here?” I remember his curious smile so vividly.

He replied; “The findings are out there – what more do you want from me?”

Finally, deep down in my heart I could never accept that President Ramotar did not have anything with my contract termination. It had just five months remaining.

My removal came ten days after President Ramotar was sworn in as President at the end of November 2011.

Surely, that could not be coincidental. Why did Jagdeo (Continued on page 6)

Thursday July 01, 2021

It is now three months since TIGI asked for daily oil production figures with no response Dear Editor, You do not buy a bottle of water that is not properly full, because you can see through the container. But if you buy a bottle of cooking gas, you cannot see if you are getting value unless the bottle is weighed on a standard scale, or unless you believe the seal has been properly set and has not been tampered with.

The less the transparency the more (good, open) regulations are required to recover the transparency.

Transparency Institute Guyana Inc (TIGI) has shown in many essentially uncontested articles, in 2018 and 2019, that the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with the oil companies violated Guyana’s laws.

Moreover, the PSA adds regulations, not to increase transparency, but to deny verification of production figures, not only of oil, but also of gas and how much is reinjected, vented or flared.

It is now three months since TIGI has asked the Ministry of Natural Resources to provide the daily production information for the oil we are paying the companies to explore for, to drill for, to store and mostly to sell for us. There is still no information. Is eyepass.

Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) has severely limited

any Guyanese oversight of production, storage and offloading, requiring 7 days’ notice of inspection. So they and the Government they colonized are not worried when we debate about this and that percent of productions, ventings and flarings. There are no figures to use percentages on and no times with corresponding oil prices. So the Guyanese citizen remains in ignorance and cannot check what we are told. Even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) doesn’t know, because they said to me recently, they will remind the Ministry of Natural Resources for TIGI. The point is, the EPA, by virtue of its mandate, must be required to know. How else can they assess any threat to the environment?

It is highly unsatisfactory for citizens to have to cajole, so far unsuccessfully, publicly funded authorities like the Government and the EPA, to provide the necessary information, despite constitutional and international commitments. If this continues, we will have to conclude that the Government and the EPA are deliberately making (bad, secret) regulations in order to prevent transparency.

Yours truly, Alfred Bhulai TIGI

Thanks to President Ali and his officers for ensuring equality in speedboat operations Dear Editor Please permit me a space in your letter column. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to His Excellency President Irfaan Ali, his ministers, honourable Juan Edgehill, Deodat Indar and Robeson Benn and Director-General of the Maritime Administration Department, Mr. Stephen Thomas for granting approvals of turns in the

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Kaieteur News

various speedboat turn systems and for breaking the monopoly that was controlled by individuals who have lots of boats in the various turn systems across the country.

We the beneficiaries wish to thank the government for their stance on equality and see the need for a level playing field. I must commend the President for standing up to his independence night (Continued on page 6)

Anil Nandlall and other lawyers saved the PPP from the jaws of an attempted stolen election Dear Editor, In my travels around Guyana to conduct surveys, the public from all walks of life, supporters and opponents of PPP, lavished accolades on Anil Nandlall as among the best lawyers in the country. The Attorney General is one of the most revered and celebrated Guyanese legal minds of the last decade. Even his critics told me they admire him. He is well known all over the Caribbean, the diaspora, and internationally. He is viewed as a distinguished defender of electoral rights and among the best known lawyers during the five months election fiasco that wound its way to court almost on a daily basis.

His contributions to defending the victory of Irfaan Ali and the PPP were monumental and legendary.

As party supporters told me, Nandlall and other lawyers saved the PPP from the jaws of an attempted stolen election. Without Nandlall’s legal courage and acumen, the PPP would not have been declared the winner of the 2020 elections.

I met, interacted, read about (of), and listened (in court and TV) to all Attorneys General of Guyana from 1992 till now. Nandlall impressed me the most with his articulation of legal issues and his performance in parliament.

Also, I listened to presentations during no confidence court cases, Gecom chair appointee court cases, Gecom registration court cases, election-related court cases, and other judicial matters, and his press conferences with media houses. Nandlall was outstanding, absolutely brilliant, cunning, witty, and sharp.

I was at the CCJ in person in Trinidad listening to him on the NCM; he was formidable.

I read of the Luckhoos, JOF Haynes, Stanley Hardyal, Rex McKay, Shridat Ramphal, Doodnauth Singh, Peter Britton, Fenton Ramsahoye, among other lawyers, who were phenomenal in the court room ages ago. I place Nandlall in the same category.

I interacted quite a bit with Ramsahoye who told me he was most impressed with Nandlall’s lawyerly skills; he also praised Nigel Hughes among the best lawyers in Guyana. The late Ramsahoye would have commended Nandlall for his erudition in arguing election and Gecom matters in the courts.

Once I had a conversation with a Trinidadian lawyer who I consider the most brilliant in the West Indies about his impression of Nandlall.

This Trini lawyer has appeared before the law lords in England more than anyone else and has won almost all of his appeals and court cases in Trinidad and Caribbean courts and the Privy Council.

The lawyer told me he met Nandlall once, very briefly on a plea to appear as the PPP lead lawyer on the 2015 election petition case.

The lawyer, who appeared on election matters in other jurisdictions, politely declined the brief saying he was extremely busy and suggested another prominent lawyer from Trinidad. But he said his impression of Nandlall, based on his articulation of the 2015 petition, was that of a most brilliant lawyer. Nandlall did not disappoint as he and the public saw him in action from February 2019 till now.

Nandlall’s reputation relating to his expertise in constitutional matters and law and his skill in presenting arguments is one that lawyers would only dream about attaining in their lifetimes.

Nandlall was/is flamboyant, charismatic, erudite, eloquent, and articulate (not fumbling for words in press conferences and in court).

During my post August 2020 travels throughout Guyana conducting election and ministerial performance related surveys, Nandlall shone above everyone.

Nandlall also received highest ratings among Guyanese in New York for his performance as AG and Ministerial performance and for his articulation before the court and the press on judicial and legal matters. The

diaspora elsewhere also applauded his performance. The public notes that Nandlall has a drive for success and that he does not shy away from c o n t r o v e r s i a l matters. People are dazzled by his communication skills and his courageous advocacy at court hearings.

Some of the words the public used to describe the AG include: professional, experienced, legal eagle, competent, top notch, ace lawyer, learned, scholastic, highly skillful, adroit, silver tongue, ambitious, selfmotivated, committed & dedicated, passionate, goal-oriented, high powered, veteran, super l a w y e r, well educated, legendary legal mind, well read in law, wellinformed, well-schooled (Queens College, UG, and UWI), intellectual, studious, b r a i n y, l a w expert, legal academic, iconic, and celebrity lawyer, among others.

Besides electoral and Gecom matters, Nandlall appeared on civil and human rights and criminal cases. He is highly regarded as a consistent defender of peoples’ rights and properties. Nandlall is not risk averse in taking cases and in his arguments and motions in court.

He is not operationally conservative as many others; he is described as dashing and daring in arguments and motions. He appeared very organized in court and before the press. He comes across as methodical and deliberate.

His presentations tend to be detailed and logical.

His brilliance and achievements deservedly qualify him as Senior Counsel (SC) which almost every legal oriented person I spoke with felt should have happened since the second year (2012) of Nandlall being made AG. But the Donald Ramotar

government decided not to appoint SCs and Nandlall had to wait years to be recognized for his contribution to jurisprudence. Granger broke the SC policy in 2015 and appointed a series of PNC supporters as SC with hardly any PPP supporters in the list of honorees.

Looking at the names of those who became Silk between 2015 and 2019, virtually none of them was more qualified than Nandlall. He was cited in West Indian and Guyana law journals more than anyone else who became Silk under the Granger administration. Since 2016, I made the case for his appointment as a Silk lawyer, but Granger bypassed him. The injustice was corrected in 2020 by President Irfaan Ali who also “Silked” others (like Timothy Jonas) deserving of the honor.

Everyone I spoke with in Guyana and the diaspora felt had it not been for Nandlall’s legal skills, the PPP would not have been declared the winner.

He fought tooth and nail for the declaration of the right winner. Had it not been for his legalese mind and his persistent advocacy and insistence in filing appeals against biased court rulings, Granger would have been sworn in through a fraudulent count of votes from Mingo’s bed sheet numbers in midMarch 2020.

The public and legal fraternity has been greatly appreciative of the contributions of Nandlall to the nation and to jurisprudence in Guyana and the West Indies. They cannot thank him enough for the services that he has rendered in private practice and in defending the ballot of 2020 and serving as AG. Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

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Thursday July 01, 2021

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The escalation situation between the President and Police Service Commission is a serious issue Dear Editor, There is this ongoing, sharply escalating, situation between the President and the Police Service Commission. It has been called a lot of things: defiance and showdown, improper and illegal, among other more searing reactions ad conclusions to where matters stand now. No matter how I look at what has happened, the wish is that this had taken place at a less heated temperature, and in a less confrontational atmosphere by both sides.

All surrounding circumstances now assume ominous underpinnings, with the Guyanese public sure to be victim of the worst fallouts.

Much has been made about who is right and who is wrong, who is disrespectful and who is interfering, and who is contemptuous of the court and who acts unconstitutionally. Like our

unending elections disagreements and clashes, this conflict (not yet at crisis proportions) will prove to be just as insoluble, with all sides holding on to their respective positions, regardless of who says what, and however unfavorably the issue at hand concludes.

Wherever and however, it concludes; and that incorporates the sanctity of the law, respect for it, and all the lovely talk that we are a nation of law and not of men.

As is now usual here, it depends on who interprets the law, who follows it.

Meanwhile, there are many people involved in this fiasco; it is not a storm in a teacup, far from such.

First, when this is closed out, at some point, there will be some police officers who will be denied, and some will be looked upon scornfully.

Second, neither is good for esprit de corps within the

Guyana Police Force (GPF), nor the safety and security of the citizenry. Third, I can fool myself and speak of closing of ranks, and moving on, but some serious damage, terrible resentments, and tragic consequences are all bound to be part of this sharp and deteriorating set of circumstances.

Fourth, management and members of the GPF are not vaccinated from such human weaknesses that flow from disappointment, from perceived injustice, and from the spiraling rancor that accompanies.

Fifth, we can pretend that this is contained matter, and that its impacts will be negligible, that normalcy within the GPF will follow. I don’t so pretend.

There are too many individuals named in that promotion list. As to how many will be finally favored or not is up in the air. What is

noteworthy is that the acting c o m m i s s i o n e r ’s recommendations do not feature prominently, and that the commission’s list encircles a significant number of very senior officers.

Gauntlets have been thrown down by both contending sides, and in a most public fashion.

I think that there have been some excesses by both parties, which is the most I will say today.

What I do believe is that, regardless of the outcome, some police officers would end up being bypassed, which is sure to foster great ongoing foment within the GPF. That means ill for the Guyanese population.

Today, the GPF is struggling, with many contentions and many conclusions about politization, about corruption, about manufactured public relations, about orchestrations and divisions, which all raise troubling questions about ethical dedication to duty, associated performance deliverables. In a nutshell, I think there is a public fight going on for the soul of the GPF. And this much I must say

now: whenever there is too much external political intrusion, whether perceived or real, into the management of police, then the larger dependent populace suffers.

I tender American big cities, especially besieged inner cities, as examples of what I mean, of where I believe that developments within the GPF point.

When the spirit of the officer corps is this stressed, maybe fissured from right now, then the public pays a price. The more politics intervene, the more police management reins in energies and strategies. Like all policies and procedures, the proofs of implementation still must occur on the ground, in the trenches, which means people.

To that precious not barterable commodity, I would be so crude to include property and peace of mind.

The former is palpable and makes the media streams in some roughhewn form; the latter is invisible and internal to the sufferer.

I admit that there is much that I am deliberately leaving unsaid. Nevertheless, I give my fellow Guyanese, including partisans from both

sides, credit to be able to understand the fullness of what is embedded here in this promotions battle, and understand how this could play out in the real world. It is about more than the promotion of dozens of senior officers, and scores more down the ranks. It is about the meanings of all of this for ordinary Guyanese, for determined and legitimate crime fighting, and for a selfrespecting body of protectors.

In closing, I assert that we were not in good place, despite the statistics intended to soothe, with law enforcement before this police promotion turbulence unfolded, unsettlingly at the beginning, alarmingly currently.

Because this cuts through so much, and casts such a wide arc, it is my position that it will take the GPF significant space and time-energy and inspiration, too-to gather itself to serve truly at the best that it can offer, all limitations considered. The biggest loser in this would be Guyanese. I fervently hope that I am wrong.

Yours truly, GHK Lall

...Thanks to President Ali and his officers From page 5 speech encouraging the nation to dream big and this is a big dream come true for many of us who are overwhelmed with joy of being granted approval of turn and we are forever grateful to this government.

We can now earn more and

provide a better education for our children who are the future of this beautiful country.

As a member of the parika/ supenaam speedboat Association ( P.S.S.A ) and all of the beneficiaries in the various turn systems across the country,we would like to

say a heartfelt thank you to the government and maritime for their kind consideration and approvals. Once again thank you.

Your sincerely Anil Singh (Captain) Member of the Parika/ Supenaam Speedboat Association (P.S.S.A )

...The Ombudsman found that From page 4 from 1999 to 2011 never seek to remove me? Because I think President Ramotar got personal with me over Mark Benschop’s relentless exposure of his son over the accident in which my

nephew’s leg was crushed.

Benschop has the tape with Ramotar raging over Benshop’s involvement.

As soon as he became President, that was the end of me at UG. I honestly felt that APNU+AFC

government should have righted the wrong that Ramotar did to me at UG, but I guess that is all in the past and life goes on. It has to. It must.

Yours truly, Frederick Kissoon

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BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Thursday July 01, 2021

Kaieteur News

Eco Atlantic is back with a bang in Guyana's murky oil business. When Eco Atlantic comes back like that, then all Guyana gets banged up in seemingly incestuous business relationships.

Another piece of the rich Canje Block is gobbled up, in suspicious circumstances.

We put this question before Guyanese: when has anything with this fabulous oil wealth of ours been anything but suspicious? Under former President Donald Ramotar? Under former President David Granger? Under current President Irfaan Ali? Under his point man and oil mastermind Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo?

The foreigners come and carve out their sweet pieces of oil blocks. Locals are left with sucked out bitter cane stalks 'fuh mek kite and mek demselves happy'. This is the kind of leaders that Guyanese have.

They sold the children out. They are so greedy and 'good-fuh-nuthin' that they would sell the coffin in which they bury this nation.

Look at them: PPP leaders! APNU+AFC leaders! They must realise that enough is enough! Stop betraying this nation!

PAGE 07

PAGE 08

Region 4 man is latest COVID-19 fatality - 96 new cases, 12 in ICU

T

he Ministry of Health (MoH) y e s t e r d a y announced that a 52-year-old man from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), who tested positive for the novel Coronavirus disease, has died.

As a result of this, the country's COVID-19 death toll has moved to 469.

According to the Ministry, the man died on Tuesday while receiving treatment at a medical facility.

The Ministry in its COVID-19 dashboard yesterday recorded 96 new cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 20,055. Out of the confirmed cases, 10,261

Thursday July 01, 2021

Kaieteur News

persons are women and 9,794 are men.

A breakdown of new cases per week shows that Region Four leads with 53 new cases, Regions Three and Six with nine cases each, Region Two with seven, Regions Five and Nine with five each and Regions One and 10 with four each.

The dashboard also shows that 12 patients are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 94 persons are in institutional isolation, 1,440 are in home isolation and six are quarantined institutionally. Additionally, 161 recoveries were recorded yesterday, bringing the total number of recoveries to 18,040.

Dispute over birthday dress lands 2 in court

A

designer and her c u s t o m e r y esterday, appeared before a City Magistrate after a dispute over a birthday dress allegedly ended with both women wounding each other.

Keisha Edwards, 34, a designer, and Mellissa Calder, 25, a University of Guyana (UG) student, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan.

They both denied the charge which alleges that on June 16, 2021, at Georgetown, they unlawfully and maliciously wounded each other.

This publication understands that Calder had made a down payment of $30,000 for Edwards to make a birthday dress for her. However, Edwards later sent a photo of the finished product, but Calder told her that that was not the design of the dress that she had

requested.

As a result, the woman asked for a $20,000 refund but Edwards insisted on making adjustments to the dress. The court heard that on the day in question, Calder went to Edward's studio but was told to step outside because several other customers were already in the studio.

However, upon her way back into the studio, the court heard that Edwards pushed Calder out of the building and the woman retaliated by pushing back Edwards.

A heated argument ensued between the two women which escalated into a scuffle. Calder then threatened to report Edwards to the police in order to get her refund and Edwards agreed.

This reportedly caused the scuffle to continue.

The matter was reported and both women were later arrested and charged for wounding each other. After

Charged: Mellissa Calder listening to the facts of the charge, Chief Magistrate McLennan granted both

Charged: Keisha Edwards women bail in the sum of $5,000 and the matter was adjourned to August 10, 2021.

Kaieteur News

Thursday July 01, 2021

PAGE 09

A deal is a deal I

n 1990, there was an insurrection in Trinidad and Tobago which led to the invasion of t h e H o u s e o f Representatives and the holding hostage of its members.

During the mediation which followed, an amnesty was granted to the insurrectionists by the then acting President.

Under the terms of the amnesty, the insurrectionists were required to ensure the safety of those being held captive. The insurrectionists took the necessary steps to ensure compliance with this condition.

T he insurrectionists subsequently surrendered and were taken into custody.

A battery of charges was instituted against them including treason, murder, assault and involvement in acts of insurrection.

T he insurrectionists challenged the charges on the grounds that they were the beneficiaries of a valid pardon and as such, their detention was illegal by virtue of the said pardon, and that the charges were in violation of their constitutional right to liberty and security of the person.

The matters ended up in front of the High Court, the Court of Appeal and subsequently the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Their Lordships subsequently granted to the accused persons leave to

issue a writ of habeas corpus on the basis that, on the face of things, they had established a case for a valid pardon which would render their detention unlawful.

A s such, the Privy Council granted leave so that the accused persons could seek a determination from the local courts as to the lawfulness of the pardon. In those subsequent proceedings, it was ordered that the accused persons be freed.

A declaration was also granted that their constitutional rights had been violated and in addition, that damages for this contravention be assessed by a judge and paid by the State.

As expected, that matter also ended up being appealed before the Privy Council. In their decision, the Lordships ruled that “It could well be an abuse of process to seek to prosecute those who have relied on an offer or promise of a pardon and complied with the conditions subject to which that offer or promise was made.”

The Court held that the pardon was valid but that it was NOT unlawful for the accused persons to be detained and prosecuted.

However, those charged could have, during the case, raised the issue of the abuse of process as a bar to the proceedings.

However, the Court also held that after the habeas

corpus was made, it would have been an abuse of process to once more seek to prosecute the accused persons of activities relating to the insurrection.

This judgment took place almost 25 years prior to the verdict against Bill Cosby which placed him behind bars.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled that Cosby should not have been charged since he had made a specific deal with the District Attorney that in return for his deposition, he would not face prosecution.

A deposition is a sworn outof-court testimony which is often used in civil proceedings.

Cosby waved his right to not incriminate himself and gave a deposition to the effect, that he had done certain things.

He did this based on the promise that he would not be prosecuted.

It is being suggested that, at the time, the District Attorney was of the view that he did not have sufficient grounds for a successful criminal prosecution of Cosby, but that the depositions could be useful in a civil action.

However, later Cosby was charged criminally even though he had been immunised from prosecution by the deal with the District Attorney. It was on this ground that the majority of the Justices yesterday decided in favour

De cow knock boys down dem riders seh...

Dem

D

e To u r d e Guyana, de premiere road cycling race in de Caribbean, start off real calamitous yesterday with a set ah accidents. Organisers say how a great deal bin riding on de event and how dem hope dat no more accidents gan happen, otherwise de Tour would have to stop.

One mile into de race, a man at de side of de road shouted at one of de overweight riders leading de peloton, “Cow!” De rider turned to he and show he de middle finger before crashing into a huge cow which wander onto de

public highway. Dis brought down de entire peloton.

Fortunately, dem ain't had no serious injuries.

As de cow lay groaning on de roadside, de organisers bin at dem wits end to find out who was de owner. Dem notice a brand on de cow which read, “Owner unknown!”

As de race proceeded, de official noticed a strange rider in de pack. Dem send wan official to ride alongside he and inquire what he was doing in de race.

He told de man, “Well, I did not know dis was a cycle race. Since things turned sour with my wife a

fortnight ago, I've taken to riding 50 miles a day to clear my head. I'm now 700 miles from home and feeling much happier.”

Twenty miles further up, a breakaway rider crashed into a drunken pedestrian.

De rider quickly jump to he feet and say, “You were really lucky there.”

“What on earth are you talking about! That really hurt!” said de injured man, lying prostrate on de roadside, blood oozing from he bruises.

De rider replied, “Well, usually I drive a minibus!”

Talk half and watch out fuh dem cyclists pun de road!

of the actor and former TV star.

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Court freed Cosby, and stopped him from ever being prosecuted for the charges which had

destroyed his reputation and sent him to jail for more than two years. The decision is likely to displease many persons but in law, a deal is a deal.

(The views expressed in

this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Thursday July 01, 2021

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Interview with Leyland DeCambra: Conclusion

W

e published on June 16, 2021 an interview with one of the founders of the UK branch of t h e W PA . To d a y, w e conclude the process.

FK - You had a good working relation with the WPA people that have degenerated so badly since 2015.

LD - I am disgusted by this degeneration. I feel that I was conned by leading WPA figures like Rupert Roopnaraine whom I got to know quite well, due to his regular visits to London in the 1980's and 90's. He gave many rousing speeches at public meetings calling for social justice. I now feel it

was all false. He was and is a fraud. There were people like Nigel Westmaas and David Hinds for whom I had great respect, who shamelessly supported the attempted rigging in 2020.

The WPA London Group invited Hinds around 2000, to deliver the June 13th Rodney lecture.

We organised a public meeting that Nigel spoke at.

He did an analysis of the way the PNC dictatorship was using their control of the economy to build an economic base for the essentially afro-middle class who were masquerading as socialist. Andiaye spent a year, in the 1980's, working with us in London, she was

one of the few whom I feel remained true to Rodney's legacy.

What really saddens me is the transformation of people who were in the Ratoon group, whom we knew in the 1970s through their involvement in MAO. Academics like Clive Thomas, Maurice Odle and Bonita Bone, I wouldn't have expected them to have politically degenerated to the extent that they did; in some cases aligning to anti Indian politics.

FK - Andaiye died without writing about the WPA's confrontation with Burnham. Roopnaraine has never touched the subject.

Clive Thomas, Moses

Bhagwan and Kwayana are in advanced age. Do you think the reason is that they feel guilty that they were part of a WPA/PNC conspiracy?

LD - I would separate Andaiye out from the other characters. I know that Andaiye drifted away from the WPA in the 1990s and concerned herself with mainly women's issues. Her work was recently published. This book was edited by Alissa Trotz, I don't know what was left out in the editing process and the reasons for this. I met Andiaye a few times in London and Guyana in the 1990s. I feel confident that there was no guilt on her part.

FK - Why I ask this question is because I think there is a crescendo of consensus that there were moles high up in the WPA leadership that plotted with Burnham. Both Hamilton Green and Elvin McDavid gave it away in my discussions with them.

LD - If Green and McDavid said there was a WPA mole then I would give it some credence. I have heard a few names mentioned, but I have no evidence to substantiate this.

Not being on the ground in Guyana it is not easy to get this Frederick Kissoon kind of information.

FK - I know you the process stopped. This are friends with Ann Braithwaite, who perhaps is was a lie; the Rodney family one of the most known ex- said no such thing. Mrs. Pat WPA person in the diaspora, Rodney was in London last do you two, as founding year and repeated this. There members of the UK branch, clearly was a conspiracy live with a sense of sadness between the PNC and the that the great WPA is now a WPA to betray Rodney. The formidable set of betrayers WPA leaders were desperate of what Walter Rodney stood to 'jump into bed' with the PNC. for?

Rodney was passionate LD - I am a close friend of Anne Brathwaithe; known on the issue of multiracial her since the 1970's. A politics with a class analysis central issue that we in the of society. Since the 1990's UK campaigned for since the WPA seems to have 1980 was for a Commission reverted to the pre-WPA, of Inquiry into Rodney's ASCRIA's position.

Many of the positions of death. Little did we know that in 2005 after President Hinds, Ogunseye, Kwayana Jagdeo promised Mrs. Pat and Waddell before he died Rodney that an inquiry can be seen as downright would be held, they both racist. What an obscene a g r e e d t h a t R u p e r t betrayal of Rodney's lofty Roopnarine would facilitate ideals. Roopnarine as an the setting up of the inquiry, APNU MP supported the that he would deliberately termination of the Rodney COI in 2015. Other WPA sabotage the process.

A n u m b e r o f P P P members kept quiet, another officials have publicly stated betrayal of Rodney.

(The views expressed in that shortly after Mrs. Rodney left, Roopnarine this article are those of the told them that the Rodney a u t h o r a n d d o n o t family was no longer necessarily reflect the interested in an inquiry, so opinions of this newspaper.)

Venezuelan woman fearful for...

From page 2 her. Kristina related that the Cuban national further related to her, that in order to convince the alleged abductors to let her go, he told them that she lived with him.

Questioned about the stalker's allegation, the Venezuelan woman insisted that she had not robbed him, but in fact, he was the one who had robbed her of a cell phone and has ever since been stalking her.

Her first encounter with the stalker, she recalled, occurred some three months ago. “I had recently arrived in Guyana and I was with friends enjoying a night out at Rockey's Bar (located on Light Street, Georgetown) when a grey car drove up in front), she related.

The driver, Kristina recounted, signalled for her to approach. Thinking it might be an acquaintance, she walked towards the car but found out that it was a stranger. “That time he had a beard,” she recounted. The

man, she continued, signalled for her to enter his car but she refused. “He stepped outside of the car and began speaking to me in English and I told him, “No Hablo Ingles (I don't Speak English),” the Venezuelan woman narrated.

At this point, she said, he grabbed and forced her into his car and locked the door with the two of them inside.

“He spoke a little bit of broken Spanish, asking me to go to the mines with him while touching me all over,” she said. The Venezuelan woman said that she kept refusing his offers and tried to get him to stop touching her by saying, “Por favour no hagas eso (please don't do this).”

It seems, she related, as if he understood her and dealt her a punch before relieving her of her cell phone which she had in her possession. “He then opened the car door and pushed me out and I fell onto the road as he drove off,” Kristina recounted to Kaieteur News.

The Venezuelan woman

said that after she was tossed out of the car her friends had rushed to assist her. “They ask me what happen, and said that they taught the individual was my friend,” she added.

“Sometimes he would show up” in the area driving different cars. “Sometimes he would have a beard Since then, according to Kristina and her friends, the man would trail her and on other occasions, his face would be clean,” they said.

Kristina claimed too, that she would often hide when he is around, but sometimes he would find her and frequently try to persuade her “to go to the mines with him.”

Following Sunday's experience, Kristina said, that she has locked herself indoors because she is fearful that he might return to harm her. “I don't know what he wants with me…if he wants to kill and rape me or kidnap me and take me to the mines to work (prostitution) for him, but I am scared.”

Thursday July 01, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

Kaieteur News

ExxonMobil installs upgraded gas compressor system on Liza Destiny - EPA approves application to flare more gas until tests completed

E

xxonMobil's subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), announced yesterday, that the upgraded and repaired discharge silencer for the flash gas compressor and a new venturi were safely installed on the Liza Destiny vessel with the first phase of testing successfully completed earlier this week.

The flash gas compression system was started up on June 19, last, for the first testing phase and was shut down on June 28, last, in order to remove temporary probes and instrumentation. During the first testing phase Exxon said it was able to reduce the flare to pilot level.

ExxonMobil was keen to note, that initial test results indicate improvements in pulsation dampening performance while adding,

Public and Government Affairs Advisor for ExxonMobil, Janelle Persaud that the second phase of testing will begin on July 4.

Upon successful completion, Exxon said it expects the system to (continued on page 16)

Thursday July 01, 2021

Two months later…

Shonette Dover's killer still on the run T

By Vanessa Braithwaite

wo months after the decomposed body of Linden woman, Shonette Dover, was found in a shallow grave at the back of her boyfriend's (Shaquan Alleyne) home, Alleyne, who is the main suspect, remains on the run and police reportedly have no clue where he is.

In fact, the woman's family has since intimated that they are convinced that the police have given up on the case and seem not to be treating it with alacrity.

Family members told this publication that ranks have stopped engaging them on the investigation.

Last Friday, Deputy Communications Officer of the Guyana Police Force, Mr. Stan Gouveia, told Kaieteur News, that there are no updates on the matter and made it clear, that once the Major Crime Unit takes over a case, the regional division is no longer in control of it.

This is the reason the Regional Divisional Commander, Hugh Winter, had no comment to give to this media house, when asked about the case.

S h o n e t t e ' s m o t h e r, Simone Dover, told Kaieteur News, that she does not feel that the police are doing enough to capture her daughter's killer. Speaking more on the matter, was

On the run: Shaquan Alleyne Shonette's grandmother, Constance Dover, who said a few weeks after her granddaughter was buried, the police turned up with a photograph of a young man, who, they said, they had accosted in Mahdia.

But for the second time, they had accosted the wrong man. A few days after Shonette's body was found, the police had accosted a man who was a passenger in an East Coast route minibus but realised it was a case of

Dead: Shonette Dover

mistaken identity.

Shonette's grandmother said that since then, no one has been showing interest in her grand-daughter's case.

"Nobody ain't calling us and telling us nothing, is like my grand-daughter got shot like a bird and nobody is showing interest. I think, if was their children or grand-children, they would have shown interest, but everything just come and lull down just like that," she said.

She said several persons

keep sharing information, which she deemed to be false, with the family about the whereabouts of Alleyne.

"Up to the other day, somebody come and say they see he in England, and I say girl, how he reach till England."

The grandmother says her family is relying on God for strength to continue to comfort them during their grieving process and to give them hope that they will get justice for her murder. "What I know is that God is in control, God is going to make a way where there seems to be no way; God's time is the best time," the grandmother said.

Shonette's body was discovered on Friday, April 30, 2021, in a shallow grave at the back of Alleyne's Canvas City residence, where the two lived before she died.

Shonette was reported missing weeks earlier, Sunday, April 4, by Alleyne who had told her relatives that he had no idea where she was, and assumed that she had left for work.

Shonette's 15-year-old relative who had admitted to helping Alleyne to bury the young woman's body and led police to the site, has since been charged with accessory after the fact of murder, and remanded to the Juvenile Detention Centre. A post mortem examination that was conducted on Shonette's remains revealed that she died from a single gunshot wound to the head.

Kaieteur News

Thursday July 01, 2021

PAGE 13

2 UG Professors win Guyana Innovation Award U

niversity of Guyana (UG) Professors: Subramaniam Gomathinayagam, Director, UG Berbice Campus, and Raymond Jagessar, a Senior Lecturer at the University's Turkeyen Campus, were recently recognised by the 'Guyana Innovation Prize Stakeholders' for their outstanding work in science and technology innovations in the fields of agriculture and food-based science respectively.

In a release UG noted that Prof.

Gomathinayagam lectures Biology of Plants, Biotechnology, and Plant Cellular Biology and Prof. Jagessar lectures Organic and Inorganic Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry. They were both recipients of grants for their innovative projects under the 2021 Innovation Guyana Prize.

Briefly describing his research project, an elated Professor Gomathinayagam said: “My project is to produce a biological agent named 'Bio-Diamond,' a biological

control agent of plant diseases. My motivation and vision are for Guyana to become an 'Organic Farming' country. Therefore, my product 'Bio-Diamond' is to minimise the use of commercial chemicals and fertiliser.”

He added, that the project is very useful and relevant as it allows students and staff the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the agriculture field, and to increase awareness of the use of commercial chemicals and fertilisers.

He expressed hope that the project could be used as a link between the farming community and UG's Berbice Campus in the near future.

Prof. Jagessar's research was entitled, “Stone Wall Diamond Natural Antimicrobials and Antidiabetics.” In a brief comment, he explained: “My reason for getting involved in the project is to prevent antimicrobial resistance and diabetic surge locally. There has been an increase in diabetes, locally and internationally. Many synthetic

antimicrobials to date suffer from antimicrobial resistance due to improper use.”

He further highlighted: “The world is confronted with three escalated problems: COVID-19, Global Warming, and Antimicrobial Resistance.

I have been researching in plantbased antimicrobials and natural antidiabetics at UG for the past 15 and 10 years respectively and will continue to do so.”

The Guyana Innovation Prize was established to support Guyanese researchers, thinkers and doers by providing a competitive grant annually to some of the most commercially viable ideas. The grant is sponsored by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) and Guyana Economic Development Trust (GEDT).

The University views this development as exemplary and in keeping with its BluePrint 2040 goal # 2 where UG becomes a Centre for excellence in providing solutions for some specific problems of Guyana

UG's Turkeyen Campus, Senior Lecturer, Raymond Jagessar UG Professor Subramaniam Gomathinayagam, Director, UG Berbice Campus and the planet. Amongst these are agriculture and aquaculture and human resiliency.

Last year UG also copped this prize when Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Dr. Lawrence Lewis, won for his innovative work with biochar in soil restoration a technology that may become very important in the rebuilding work that must be done in Guyana after the floods.

The release noted too that UG Chancellor, Prof. Edward Greene; Vice-Chancellor XI, Prof. Paloma Mohamed Martin; Deputy ViceC h a n c e l l o r s , D r. E m a n u e l Cummings and Dr. Mellissa Ifill, and the entire Senior Management Team, Faculty and Staff, all extend “warmest congratulations to Professors Gomathinayagam and Jagessar for winning the prestigious awards and wish them continued success in their research projects.

The University of Guyana is incredibly proud to celebrate and highlight their achievements.

GEDT launches new website, rebrands prog. to '!nnovate Guyana'

T

he Guyana Economic Development Trust (GEDT) on Wednesday announced that it has rebranded its science and technology start-ups programme to '!nnovate Guyana', while also launching its new website. GEDT is a U.S. and Guyana-based initiative that supports innovation in science, technology, and agriculture of researchers, thinkers and doers in Guyana.

This is according to a release which noted, that the rebranded online platform was designed to centralise and provide access to start-up support resources, including technical assistance and access to capital for successful ideas. It also demonstrates to the public that Guyana is a place where innovators live.

In April 2021, GTT collaborated with GEDT as the exclusive sponsor of the Guyana

GEDT's CEO, Oslene Carrington

GTT's CEO, Damian Blackburn

Innovation Prize. CEO of the Guyana Economic Development Tr u s t , O s l e n e C a r r i n g t o n , explained that! nnovate Guyana is a hub for innovation in Guyana

where locals can now register for its programmes easily through its new website. “Guyanese can now register for programmes such as the Guyana Innovation Prize,

sponsored by GTT; the new Economic Development Accelerator, sponsored by USAID, from the American people; find civil society start-up and small business resources; and learn about virtual entrepreneurship programmes around the world, all supporting the innovation ecosystem in Guyana. We are really excited to bring this platform to

Guyana as we continue to provide the necessary resources,” she said.

Noting his enthusiasm behind the programme, GTT's CEO, Damian Blackburn, said he is excited to see the growth behind !nnovate Guyana. “This programme fits hand in glove with one of the company's promise to (continued on page 16)

Opposition MP arrested over Cybercrime allegation From page 3 Opposition, Joseph Harmon, in a statement last evening condemned Ferguson's arrest. He shared his view that members of the GPF had arrested Ferguson on false grounds and also called the arrest a clear case of political harassment.

Harmon also demanded that the, “spurious, baseless and politically motivated charge be withdrawn.” He further stated, “The PPP regime's persecution of the political Opposition continues with wanton disregard for the law, the constitution and the

rights of citizens. The Guyana Police Force has been fully weaponised against the Opposition.”

According to the Opposition Leader, the government has been intensifying, “its vulgar and grotesque campaign of political persecution against the political Opposition.”

But Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, in a subsequent release rejected, “in entirety, the assertions made by Mr. Joseph Harmon, in a statement he issued

today (yesterday), on the issue of the questioning and arrest, and the laying of charges by the Guyana Police Force against Ms. Annette Ferguson M.P in matters identifying breaches of the Cyber Crime Act.” Benn said that the Opposition Leader of all persons should need no reminding that all persons – inclusive of MPs and also members of the APNU+AFC – are subject to the Laws of Guyana, adherence to which the GPF is duty bound to enforce without fear or favour. According

to the Minister, Harmon's now natural reflexive instincts of making unwarranted attacks about partisan “…political persecution…”, “…weaponising of the Guyana Police Force…” along with dire warnings of civil unrest, are not only grossly untrue but are of malicious intent.

In fact Benn noted that Harmon's statement “seems intent on continuing the effort to shield and protect from judicial review lawbreaking by persons who are intent on precipitating a breakdown of law and

order and the undermining of democracy by initiating civil unrest.” “When viewed from its advocacy and reckless support of Ms. Ferguson's present gross indiscretions, Harmon's statement goes further by identifying the continuous resort to the racist and seditious playbook he has ready at hand,” Benn added.

As such he called on all citizens to be wary of, and vigilant, in rejecting and avoiding the dangerous invective in Harmon's statement and to allow the lawful and legal process to take its course.

PAGE 14

Thursday July 01, 2021

Kaieteur News

$88M subvention disbursed to NDCs, municipalities in Regions Five, Six

Minister Nigel Dharamlall handed over subvention cheques to NDCs in Region Six

T

e n Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) in Region Five have received $25 million in subvention, while another $63 million subvention was handed over to 18 NDCs and two municipalities in Region Six. Minister of Local

Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall on Tuesday, presented the cheques during separate ceremonies in the Regional Democratic Council's boardroom in both regions. Minister Dharamlall charged the NDC chairpersons, vice chairpersons and overseers to put politics and

discrimination aside and build a relationship with the respective communities, which would create mechanisms to resolve challenges.

“We would like our villages to be cleaned and I am going to tell you this without fear of contradiction; if overseers are not going to be pulling

Minister Nigel Dharamlall handed over subvention cheques to NDCs in Region Five their weight, we are going to take action against them.

They are responsible for the management and the resources of the NDCs. I have found across the country that overseers tend to leave some of their responsibility on the Council or the Chair of the Council. I have also found that some Chairs of Council want to

usurp the functions of the overseers. They want to do the day-to-day management of the NDC and that also creates conflict.”

Minister Dharamlall said too, that every staff member of the various village offices must observe the law, while maintaining Government's policy, which is to provide satisfactory services.

“We would like to start seeing you more vibrant and approachable.

We have had many complaints where members of the public come to your NDCs and you have overseers disrespecting people… When people come to the NDC office they must come to get professional (continued on page 16)

23 students graduate from first Business Encounter training programme at UG

T

he University of G u y a n a ' s Institute for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (UGIRIE) on Saturday, June 27, 2021, hosted a graduation ceremony for 23 students who participated in a 12week Business Encounter Training programme. The programme, according to a UG release, served to equip the participants with the skills and competencies needed to design and establish businesses that are innovative and highly competitive.

During the virtual ceremony which was aired via Zoom, several of the

participants were awarded for their innovative and cutting-edge business projects, some of which have now become household names in Guyana and will penetrate regional markets in the coming months. Those

receiving awards included: Ms. Finella Martin-Lee, Messrs Michael Lewis, Nawaz Haniff, Ms. Ashli Marks, Ronaldo Venture, School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, Mr. David Forde, Faculty of

Engineering and Technology, Ms. Farzana Baksh, School of Pharmacy, and Mr Raeburn Jones, Faculty of Agriculture and F o r e s t r y / E n t r e p r e n e u r, Mocha-Arcadia MultiPurpose Cooperative.

Vice-Chancellor, XI, Prof. Paloma Mohamed Martin, in her remarks noted that the University's Blueprint 2040 is coming a l i v e w i t h t h e implementation of the UG Institute for Research,

Some of the students who participated in the training programme.

I n n o v a t i o n a n d Entrepreneurship (UGIRIE) programme. She cited two areas - Innovation and Entrepreneurship – which are specific to Goals 2 and 4 of UG's Blueprint 2040, and (continued on page 18)

Thursday July 01, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

PAGE 16

$88M subvention disbursed...

SERVICES Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040 Hello! The doctor is back!

Have your Gas Stove repaired and serviced.Tel:6010595 TO LET 2 bedroom apartment in Eccles.From3rd July.Rooms in Albertown.Call:2253234,628-1183.

LAND FOR SALE 1 40x80 land located third corner over Parfaite Harmony Bridge.Transferable 7 million.636-5496.

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FOR HIRE Short order cooks for take out. Call or whatsapp to 681-2411,672-9037,301-2546348, 219-8801 gilbertcarrington@yahoo.com.

Thursday July 01, 2021

Kaieteur News

WANTED Wanted one experienced Gold Smith, Jacobs Jewellery and Pawn shop 16 Pike street Kitty Tel#622-4970 Male able bodied sales representative.Contact Tel#227-3580 for more info.

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Live in waitress 18-25yrs.Live in Domestic must know to cook 25-45yrs,salary $2025,000 weekly.

1 male house keeper for business between 40-60, cooking & cleaning.Tel:689-5666.

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Taxi and Mini Bus Driver.Call:225-3234,628-1183.

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One female cook to work at Iteballi Landing.Call:672-7275.

1 live in maid 225-3234/ 6281183 Labourers to work on Cash Crop Farm. Experience 2-5 yrs, salary $5000-$6000. Call:6956139,679-7552.

VACANCY Experienced masseuse/cosmetologist required. Nalini's hair salon, 225 New Market Street (opposite Maggies).

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For porters, apply at Alabama Trading. 65 Robb Street Bourda.

From page 14 service,” the Minister added.

He said that the Government will not tolerate unprofessional behaviour at any NDC, and he plans to recommend to the Local Government Commission, that workers be dismissed if their conduct is inappropriate.

“I got a call at 6 o'clock this morning where people are going to pay their taxes and the overseers are slamming doors on them and so forth. That can't happen anymore! You're an officer of the Government and the public.”

Minister Dharamlall noted that there are some issues which the NDCs must address urgently, including the removal of derelict vehicles along

ExxonMobil...

From page 12 continue into normal operation.

To ensure it remains in compliance with its environmental permit, Exxon said it applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval to flare above pilot level for this extended period of equipment testing. Pilot level means one million standard cubic feet of gas.

Public and Government Affairs Advisor, Janelle Persaud, said the EPA approved the company's application which will allow it to flare gas until July 24, 2021. She said this approval was sought to ensure the company during its testing phase is not in breach of its permit.

As previously communicated, a new redesigned flash gas compressor is being manufactured, and is expected to arrive in the country during the fourth quarter of this year. It is scheduled for set up in November.

VACANCY For packers, apply at Alabama Trading. 65Robb Street Bourda.

For cleaners,clerk,labours and maintenance workers to work with P.S.G.C.S.Call:6216969,615-7784.

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Maid to cook and clean for East Bank call: 615-9132.Female cleaner for office call: 642-9823.

the road shoulders and overgrown bushes on private properties. “I would like to encourage our CIIP [Community Infrastructure Improvement Project] workers through the Council that in cases where yards are not clean, we will surcharge the owner of these properties and when they come to pay their rates and taxes, they will have to pay for the cleaning.”

Minister Dharamlall said that the Government is keen on ensuring that major infrastructural works are conducted in every NDC. (DPI)

GEDT launches new website....

From page 13 'Innovate for all in our Country'.

Innovation is one of the hallmarks of the telecommunications industry but is equally important in other sectors, and we are proud to be a part of this initiative. I am truly thrilled to see the growth of !nnovate Guyana, and believe the projects that will come out of this will truly benefit those in and for Guyana,” Blackburn said.

Meanwhile, Carrington highlighted that the new platform also showcases Guyanese inventiveness through its !nnovate Guyana TV, a newYouTube chan-

nel, by presenting some of Guyana's many innovators – from scientific researchers and technologists to creative, including artists and members of Guyana's society with invaluable traditional knowledge and skills.

Persons are encouraged to watch the promotional video for !nnovate Guyana TV at www.innovateguyana.org/ ig-tv or subscribe to the YouTube channel for free. Episodes will be updated several times per month. More on the programme can be accessed via www.innovateguyana.org.

Kaieteur News

Thursday July 01, 2021

PAGE 17

Spotlight Initiative to help change mindset, culture of gender based violence

U

nited Nations R e s i d e n t C o o r d i n a t o r, Mikiko Tanaka, has said that the Spotlight Initiative is intended to help change the mindset and culture of targeted communities across the country so that gender based violence is no longer viewed as something normal.

A c c o r d i n g t o information released by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Ta n a k a m a d e t h i s disclosure on Monday when she and European Union Representative, Evelina Melbarzde, joined Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, on her latest outreach to Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.

The Spotlight Initiative, according to Minister

Persaud, has the potential to make significant inroads in reducing domestic violence as it addresses not only public awareness, but the strengthening of critical service delivery systems, while forging partnerships with communities to have wider network resources.

“I would like to see community groups being integrally involved in this initiative as it provides for that. This holistic and collective approach will have the far-reaching impact that is so badly needed,” Minister Persaud expressed.

Tanaka said she was energised Monday by the community's commitment and interest in working with Spotlight to stop violence against women and girls.

The UN team, she added, looks forward to working with the Ministry in helping

Minister Vindhya Persaud speaks to women and girls about the Spotlight Initiative the communities.

“This has to spread to get a real change in the mindset; the culture of communities.

At the end, we want to hear that gender based violence is unacceptable. At this point,

Bandit who jumped into drain to avoid police, remanded

A

ndrew Khan, the m a n w h o allegedly robbed a woman of her purse on Saturday and jumped into a drain at Bourda, Georgetown, to avoid police ranks, was yesterday remanded to prison for the offence.

Khan of Cooper Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, yesterday appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, where he was charged with robbery.

The alleged bandit pleaded not guilty to the charge, which states that on June 26, last on Regent Street he robbed Darshanie Persaud of one Samsung cellular phone valued $116,000.

After remanding Khan to prison, the Chief Magistrate then adjourned the matter to July 14, 2021.

Kaieteur News learnt that on the day in question, the woman was walking along Regent Street when Khan, w h o w a s b e h i n d h e r, snatched her purse which contained her phone and ran away.

According to reports reaching this publication, Persaud immediately raised an alarm with public spirited persons who chased after Khan. To evade them, he jumped into a nearby drain in the vicinity of Bourda where

Andrew Khan being removed from the drain on Saturday

he hid for a while.

A video, which surfaced on social media, showed how several police ranks were feeling the drain, trying to locate him. A man was seen volunteering to haul Khan

from the drain but he soon after surrendered to the police ranks.

He was placed in handcuffs and taken into police custody where an investigation was conducted.

you still hear a lot of people say it's normal. It can't be normal; we want that change of attitude and behaviour,” Tanaka expressed.

As Minister Persaud continues to take her Ministry's programmes to people across the country, the UN and EU have been joining forces with the Ministry to reach out to the targeted communities in an effort to introduce the Spotlight programme.

The EU Representative noted that the programme, being offered in Regions One (Barima/Waini), Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) a n d S e v e n (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), has strong partners locally which signal that the commitment and network for it to be successful are very strong.

The UN and EU collectively launched the Spotlight Initiative to eliminate all forms of Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) worldwide by 2030. It aims to address the root causes of VAWG with an emphasis on prevention of family violence which includes sexual and genderbased violence, intimate partner violence and schoolbased violence.

Minister Vindhya Persaud (center) with UN Resident Coordinator, Mikiko Tanaka (right), and EU Rep., Evelina Melbarzde, at Monday's outreach.

The team recently shared some of Guyana's statistics that show how one in two women would have experienced some level of violence in their lifetime; 55 percent of women experienced such at some point in their lives.

The Spotlight Initiative was signed by the Government of Guyana, EU and UN in October last year and is a three-year programme funded by the EU.

Guyana is one of six Caribbean countries to benefit from the initiative and Minister Persaud had said that the initiative will open doors for a multisectoral approach. “We will investigate every report of sexual and domestic abuse against women and girls, and the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) will be doing everything to end this scourge. I urge the public to not hesitate to report cases of abuse,” she had urged.

PAGE 18

Bill Cosby’s sex assault conviction overturned by court PHILADELPHIA - (AP) — Pennsylvania’s highest court threw out Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction and opened the way for his immediate release from prison yesterday in a stunning reversal of fortune for the comedian once known as “America’s Dad,” ruling that the prosecutor who brought the case was bound by his predecessor’s agreement not to charge Cosby.

Cosby, 83, has served more than two years of a three- to 10-year sentence after being found guilty of drugging and violating Temple University sports administrator Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. He was the first celebrity tried and convicted in the #MeToo era. Cosby was arrested in 2015, when a district attorney armed with newly unsealed

evidence — the comic’s damaging deposition testimony in a lawsuit brought by Constand — brought charges against him days before the 12-year statute of limitations ran out.

But the Pennsylvania Supreme Court said that District Attorney Kevin Steele, who made the decision to arrest Cosby, was obligated to stand by his predecessor’s promise not to charge Cosby. There was no evidence that promise was ever put in writing.

Justice David Wecht, writing for a split court, said Cosby had relied on the former prosecutor’s decision not to charge him when the comedian later gave his potentially incriminating testimony in the Constand’s civil case. The court said that overturning the conviction, and barring any further

prosecution, “is the only remedy that comports with society’s reasonable expectations of its elected prosecutors and our criminal justice system.”

A Cosby spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Nor did a Steele representative, Constand or her lawyer.

The trial judge allowed five other accusers to testify at the trial about their experiences with Cosby in the 1980s to establish what prosecutors said was a pattern of behaviour on his part. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices voiced concern not just about sex assault cases, but what they saw as the judiciary’s increasing tendency to allow testimony that crosses the line into character attacks.

...23 students graduate from first Business From page 14 observed that the UGIRIE Business Encounter Training programme is a small step but a very important one in the journey towards UG realising the aspirational goals of the University's Blueprint.

The VC highlighted that UG is totally focused on creating 'Citizen Success'. “With this initiative, it becomes more than just technical competence for our graduates, it becomes a matter of modelling for them what success, good behaviour, good values, etiquette in class and online etiquette look like. Since 60 percent of learning happens through observation, so it becomes important for facilitators and mentors to help model for and guide our young people,” Prof Martin expounded.

UGIRIE's Founding Director and former Dean of UG's Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Prof. Pat Francis, recalled that when the project first started it was unsure where the resources would have come from to ensure its sustainability. However, she expressed that at UG, there is a vision to support and develop young entrepreneurs as this is what is needed in Guyana, hence, all efforts were made to ensure that the project received the financial backing from various partners the greatest of which, were the partners of the Greater Guyana Initiative.

Prof. Francis further noted, that the research being done as well as the courses and workshops being offered by the UGIRIE, will be streamlined as electives and will

Thursday July 01, 2021

Kaieteur News

eventually find their way into the curriculum of the university following due academic process. She added, “Our students are bright; they have what it takes to be innovators.

Give the young people a chance so that Guyana can move from businesses being buying and selling, to a people who are innovating and bringing in foreign exchange into the country.”

“Our students must be exposed to other countries and facilities that will stimulate their ideas, so as to bridge the gap that exists…If as a nation we are going to meet the needs of the next century, we must ensure that graduates do not leave UG looking for jobs but rather, to have them graduate as innovators creating jobs.

That is, they must put their talent, mental, and physical energies to work for Guyana,” Prof. Francis urged.

The UGIRIE project is a beneficiary of the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), which is funded by the Stabroek Block co-venturers ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC. The $20-billion-dollar commitment is geared at building human capacity and supporting sustainable and diversified economic growth across Guyana. The University of Guyana is one of five major partners in the initiative, and has since benefitted tremendously in several areas of academic and institutional advancement.

Mr. Matthew Scharf, Senior Public and Government Affairs Advisor at ExxonMobil Guyana noted that the company has continuously supported various

UG initiatives since 2015 as they contribute to national development. Camex Restaurants Inc., Executive Director, Dr. Terrence Campbell, in his remarks acknowledged, that UG has a pivotal role to play in Guyana's development, so consequently, the efforts by UGIRIE to share and transfer business skills with young entrepreneurs from different backgrounds are both critical and timely. International Business Consultant and Entrepreneurship Development Specialist, Ms. Yvonne Mattis, gave a detailed overview of the Business Encounter initiative.

Ms. Mattis also served as the UGIRIE Workshop Programme Consultant.

UG's Faculty of Social Sciences Dean (Designate), Dr. Paulette Henry, who has led the development of national professional standards for social work practice in Guyana, distributed the certificates to the participants.

Birthed in 2019 by Prof.

Francis, the initiative focuses on the upscaling of UG's award-winning, student and staff innovation concepts which facilitate the expansion of business opportunities.

Programmes and courses, the UG released added, offer practical approaches for establishing, accelerating and scaling up UGs research and innovations to businesses. Moreover, UGIRIE focuses on concepts that are grounded in good science and technology.

University of Guyana, , The simple but significant ceremony was eloquently moderated by Deputy Vice Chancellor (Institutional Advancement), Dr. Mellissa Ifill.

Criticism of Palestinian security forces raises pressure on Abbas RAMALLAH, West Bank - (Reuters) - Pressure is mounting on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas over his security forces’ handling of protesters demanding his resignation since one of his biggest critics died in custody.

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem said on Tuesday it was “deeply disturbed” by reports that protesters had been intimidated and beaten by plain-clothes officers, and the United Nations condemned what it called “totally unacceptable” attacks.

The security forces have denied deploying officers in civilian clothing against protesters.

But the criticism of the Palestinian Authority (PA) by such important international backers extends the already long list of problems facing Abbas, 85, after 16 years in power.

The family of Nizar Banat, a prominent critic of the PA who died in detention on June 24, said security forces broke into his house in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron and hit him repeatedly with a metal rod before arresting him.

President Mahmoud Abbas A Palestinian rights group said after conducting an autopsy that Banat had suffered blows to his head.

The PA has declined direct comment on the circumstances of Banat’s death but, offering his condolences, Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Tuesday the judiciary would “ensure application of the law against all those found guilty”.

The death has led to days of protests in the West Bank and clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

“We are deeply disturbed

by reports that nonuniformed members of the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) harassed and used force against protesters and journalists over the weekend,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy said.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territory said one of its rights monitors covering protests in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday was among dozens of people who had been attacked in a “totally unacceptable way”.

Death rate soars as Canada’s British Columbia suffers “extreme heat” (Reuters) The Canadian province of British Columbia suffered nearly double the average deaths as temperatures hit a record high of 46.6°C (115.88°F) during the past four days of “extreme heat”, officials said on Tuesday.

At least 233 people died in the West coast province between Friday and Monday, about 100 more than the average for a fourday period, and the number was expected to rise as more reports were filed, officials said.

“Since the onset of the heat wave late last week, the BC Coroners Service has experienced a s i g n i f i c a n t increase in deaths reported where it is suspected that extreme heat has been contributory,” BC Coroners Service said on Monday.

Coroners are now gathering information to determine the cause and manner of deaths and whether heat played a role, the statement said.

Environmental heat exposure can lead to severe or fatal results, particularly in older people, infants and

Heatwave hits the Canadian west coast young children and those with chronic illnesses, Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe said in a statement.

British Columbia closed schools and universities on Monday due as temperatures soared.

Lytton, a town in central British Columbia roughly 200km (124 miles) north of Vancouver, reported a temperature of 46.6°C (115.88°F) on Sunday.

Canada is widely known for its brutal winter and snows, and prior to the

weekend the historical high in Canada was 45°C, set in Saskatchewan in 1937, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

The heatwave in the Pacific Northwest, which is more accustomed to long bouts of rain than sun, resulted from a high pressure system that wasn’t moving, said Greg Flato, a senior research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada based in Victoria.

Thursday July 01, 2021

PAGE 19

Kaieteur News

Djokovic on a mission as he glides past Anderson Venus follows Serena LONDON, (Reuters) - Top seed Novak Djokovic has begun Wimbledon like a man on a mission, which considering the history the Serb is trying to create should come as no surprise.

The 34-year-old described his 6-3 6-3 6-3 second-round win over twice Grand Slam runner-up Kevin Anderson as “almost flawless” and no one on Centre Court would disagree.

His only slight issue was keeping his feet on the stillgreasy turf, but his game was at its immaculate best as he appeared to be able to land each shot on a sixpence.

Djokovic made only five unforced errors in a masterful display against the South African he also beat in the 2018 final.

And while he did lose the first set of his opening round match against inspired British teenager Jack Draper, what has followed has been an ominous statement of intent.

Djokovic is not only chasing a sixth Wimbledon title and third in a row, he can also match Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal’s men’s record haul of 20 Grand Slam titles.

If that is not enough, he is also halfway to the calendar-year sweep of all four majors last achieved by Rod Laver in 1969 and could also be on for the Golden Slam if you add the Tokyo Olympics into the mix.

Quite simply, by the end of the year Djokovic could well have settled the GOAT (greatest of all-time) debate.

But we have been here

before.

HOT FAVOURITE In 2016, Djokovic had also arrived at Wimbledon as a hot favourite having won the Australian and French Open titles that year to hold all four slams simultaneously.

Then, at Wimbledon, he was stunned by American Sam Querrey in the third round.

So Djokovic will certainly not be letting his guard slip when he plays American Denis Kudla tomorrow.

Looking back to 2016, Djokovic said he had come in feeling a little deflated after the high of winning his first French Open.

“I’m going to try to learn from that experience that I had in 2016,” Djokovic, bidding to become the fifth man in

Thursday July 01, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You have a dynamic personality. With today's celestial energy, you should try to avoid expending your energy on pointless conversations. Try to be a little more pragmatic.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You're attracted to eccentric individuals with very strong personalities. But realize that behind this attraction lies a very strong need for freedom. In your life, freedom is more fantasy than reality.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Today you could learn a lot from other people who are similar to you, Taurus. They have the ability to get involved easily and go straight to the heart of any problem.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You have a tendency to get very involved in your projects, Scorpio. Today the stars will compel you to clarify your situation.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) The stars will compel you to clarify your position within the collective, Gemini. You have a lot of power when you're part of a group, but you're sometimes clumsy about communication.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) You've always wanted to change the world, and you'd like to share your dreams with your friends, Cancer.

But today you don't have enough enthusiasm to fulfill these dreams.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You have the tendency to plan everything. You need to feel in charge of things. Today you should try to listen to others around you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You're attracted to eccentric individuals with very strong personalities. But realize that behind this attraction lies a very strong need for freedom. In your life, freedom is more fantasy than reality.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today the stars advise you to get back into the swing of things, Sagittarius. You will forget your past frame of mind and be able to prepare for a new adventure.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Today the stars advise you to get back into the swing of things, Sagittarius. You will forget your past frame of mind and be able to prepare for a new adventure.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) This period is full of difficulties and you will tend to question yourself, especially today. You will start thinking about your personality. Your ego risks bruising, and you will have the greatest difficulty turning your intention into real action.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) It would be fair to say that you love being recognized, Pisces. Today will enable you to show off your leadership skills. You will organize the day.

history to win the first three Grand Slam tournaments of the season since Laver in 1969, told reporters.

“This time I’m probably, I would like to think, a bit wiser and a bit more experienced as a player and person. But it’s only two matches into the tournament, there’s still a long way to go.”

Anderson, on the comeback trail after knee injuries, played high-level tennis, but Djokovic broke serve with ease once in each set for a clean cut victory.

“I’ve done things on and off the court to make myself feel that I’m focused, yet at the same time calm and composed and clear with my game plan,” he said.

Only when he slipped over did he look at all ruffled, glaring angrily at the offending lawn, although he later refused to criticise the courts on which numerous players have fallen.

“Hopefully as the tournament progresses I’ll also fall less,” he said. “But I don’t mind falling more if the result is winning a match.”

...7-member team for CAC From page 20 improve on his bronze medal won in 2019.

Meanwhile, Bess revealed that 2016 silver medalist; Emmerson Campbell has been doing tremendously well at regional and international competitions.

In addition, “Roger Callendar has really transformed his body and he can fit easily into the 143lb category. He is a beast of a small physique… the thickness of his muscles and their development, we think he can do well”, Bess revealed.

He concluded that, “Once this team gets there to El Salvador and everyone is fit and healthy, we are confident that each athlete will return with a medal. We look forward to the full support of corporate Guyana and the fitness fraternity.”

out of Wimbledon LONDON (Reuters) -A day after sister Serena endured a heart-breaking Wimbledon exit after suffering an injury in the first round, Venus Williams also bowed out of the singles yesterday.

Venus, aged 41 and playing in her 90th Grand Slam tournament, pushed Tunisian 21st seed Ons Jabeur hard in the opening set but eventually succumbed to a 7-5 6-0 defeat.

It is the first time at least one of the American sisters has failed to reach the third round at Wimbledon since Serena made her debut at the tournament in 1998.

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena was forced to quit against Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Centre Court

after slipping in the first set and injuring her leg, ending another attempt to claim a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.

Venus said it had been hard to watch her younger sibling’s tearful exit the previous day.

“Absolutely couldn’t watch. It was too much. I just couldn’t watch it. I know exactly what that feels like when all your faculties are taken away, things you work hard for and earn, and suddenly life happens,” she said.

Asked how Serena was, she said: “I think she’s doing the best you can when you get hurt. It’s awful. It sucks.”

Venus still has interest in the tournament as she will be playing the mixed doubles with Nick Kyrgios.

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Thursday July 01, 2021

“E-Networks make financial contribution to Olympic-bound boxer Allicock”

E

-Networks Inc., Guyana’s only l o c a l telecommunicati ons provider – this week presented boxer Keevin Allicock with a sponsorship cheque of G$250,000 ahead of his departure to the 2021

Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The Games will be held from July 23 to August 8. Prior to the Games, the 22-year-old will engage in a high-level, three-week training camp in Russia, compliments of the Guyana Olympic Association.

“Allicock’s Olympic qualification is the first for Guyana in 25 years, and ENetworks recognises this as a proud moment for our country,” E-Networks said in a press release. “ W e b e l i e v e sponsorships like these

allow our local athletes to perfect their craft, gain exposure, and reach their full potential - all while representing Guyana on the world stage. E-Networks is thrilled to lend our support to Keevin and we wish him well on his journey to this year’s Tokyo Olympics.”

Keevin, a 2017 Youth Commonwealth Games

silver medalist, will also join boxers from Antigua, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago as CARICOM representatives in Tokyo.

Allicock has long been touted as a potential Olympic medalist, given his exploits in regional and international competitions for Guyana.

He is currently ranked

number 19 in the world and seven in the Americas, rankings that were crucial in him qualifying for the global Games.

To date, Guyana has won only one Olympic medal, which, incidentally, came through the sport of boxing in 1980 when Bantamweight fighter Michael Parris won bronze in Moscow.

7-member team for CAC bodybuilding C/Ships The Guyana Body Building and Fitness Federation (GBBFF) has shortlisted a team of seven athletes to represent Guyana at CAC (Central America and Caribbean) Championships 2021, that will be hosted in San Salvador, El Salvador from the 11th to the 16th of August.

The athletes making up the team are Kerwin Clarke, Rosanna Fung, Yannick Grimes, Emmerson Campbell, Roger Callendar,

Darius Ramsammy and Nicholas Albert. The GBBFF also looks forward to having its President, Keavon Bess, lead its delegation along with at least one coach to ensure that the athletes are taken care of.

The GBBFF has reached out to several corporate entities in Guyana for sponsorship and has also submitted a formal request to the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport for their support in ensuring team

Guyana gets to El Salvador and represent the Golden Arrowhead.

In an invited comment to the media, Bess spoke highly of the team and expressed confidence that this team will medal at the competition. Rosanna Fung, who will be making her first appearance at the Games, is one of our best females, Bess mentioned, but all eyes will be on Defending Champion Kerwin Clarke. Yannick Grimes will be looking to (Continued on page 19)

Kaieteur News

Thursday July 01, 2021

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South Africa chase elusive T20I silverware against the world champions ESPNcricinfo - Big picture If you’d given South Africa a 2-0 Test series sweep and an opportunity to win the T20I rubber with a game to spare before they’d set off for West Indies, they would have taken it in a heartbeat. This team landed in the Caribbean low on confidence, positive results and trophies but they could leave having turned around all three.

South Africa can wrap up the series today and take an unassailable lead into the final match on Saturday, a result that will give Temba Bavuma and Mark Boucher their first series successes in T20I cricket as captain and coach and some breathing room to play with team balance. So far, it seems South Africa have yet to get it exactly right, with a middle-order that appears a batter short and an attack that lacks sixth and seventh bowling options.

The only way to change that is to include more allrounders, but South Africa are reistsing that and want to see this combination play together a little longer. If it works, who can argue?

Especially if it gives them their first T20I series win in

seven series. Yes, it’s been that long. Since September 2019, South Africa have drawn a series against India and lost to England (twice), Australia and Pakistan (twice). While they have had a tough 18 months in all formats, the shortest one is what they most urgently need to get right, ahead of the T20 World Cup. West Indies, the defending champions, also have one eye on the tournament and packed their squad with superstars. For the most part, they have not really come off. Chris Gayle and Andre Russell have not had any stand-out moments in the series so far, Kieron Pollard’s form is a concern and while Dwayne Bravo has been excellent with the ball, he is batting too low in the line-up to make an impact. The flip side of all that is that it has allowed the younger players to blossom.

Obed McCoy and Kevin Sinclair and Fabian Allen have shown the depth in the West Indies ranks. If the bignames can fire alongside them, West Indies will be even more difficult to beat.

In the spotlight Left-arm seamer Obed McCoy is the leading wicket-taker (seven) in the series so far and is displaying

the kind of skill that South Africa’s attack has lacked.

Not only does McCoy have the advantage of a different angle (South Africa have Beuran Hendricks in reserve if they want to try that) but he has also mastered variations of pace. His back-of-thehand slower ball has had the better of the opposition batters and he poses a threat throughout the innings, making him a versatile option for captain Pollard.

McCoy is certain to feature in West Indies’ major tournament plans and would want to do his bit in helping them in pressure situations like the next two matches.

It’s worth remembering that Imran Tahir has not retired from T20I cricket and South Africa could still call on him for the T20 World Cup if they want to, but Tabraiz Shamsi has given them enough reasons not to.

Shamsi has established himself as the first-choice white-ball spinner with the dual ability to strike and hold an end. Shamsi put in his most economical performance in Tuesday’s match, which set South Africa on course for victory, and his overall numbers make him the most miserly bowler in the series. In 12

overs so far, Shamsi has conceded at a rate of 4.66 to the over and is the only bowler from both sides to give away less than six runs an over.

Team news Lendl Simmons and Evin Lewis formed a relatively good pairing at the top of the order but the experiment of promoting Jason Holder to No.3 and using Shimron Hetmeyer at No.4 in the last game did not work. Gayle may find his way back in the team for this must-win game and more will be expected of Pollard and Nicholas Pooran.

West Indies (probable): 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Evin L e w i s , 3 C h r i s Gayle/Shimron Hetmeyer, 4 Kieron Pollard (capt), 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Jason Holder, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Fabian Allen, 10 Kevin Sinclair, 11 Obed McCoy South African benefitted from having an extra bowling option in their XI even though Aiden Markram’s primary focus should be adding impetus to the middle-order. Apart from finding a spot for Kyle Verreynne, there’s not much else South Africa can do to try and get more batters in

Obed McCoy’s versatility means he can bowl at any stage of a T20I. (AFP/Getty Images) but they may still want to consider a seam-bowling allrounder in place of one of the specialist quicks.

South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Aiden Markram, 6 David Miller, 7 George Linde, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Anrich Nortje, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi Pitch and conditions After blue skies and

sunshine on Tuesday, the wet weather is back with rain predicted throughout yesterday and today. That may mean a more sluggish outfield, as we saw in the first two matches, and a little less in it for the spinners. The first-innings scores in all three matches so far have been under 170, though both teams seem to think 180 would be par so if the lineups can get their middleorders firing, we may see more runs.

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Thursday July 01, 2021

RHTYSC receives boost from Diamond Insurance Port Mourant Brach Manager Amzad Ayube hands overs the donation to Tyrone Pottaya and Ravindranauth Kissoonlall of the RHTYSC, MS. Sports Minister Charles Ramson Jr (centre) along with NSC officials and the Badminton Association executives take a photo op following their meeting.

GBA meets with Minister of Sports

T

he Guyana Badminton Association Executives of President-Gokarn Ramdhani, Vice President-Ayanna Watson, SecretaryEmelia Ramdhani, Treasurer-Darrell Carpenay, Asst. Treasurer-Marlon Chung and Committee Member Ryan Chang recently met with The Honorable Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport-Mr. Charles Ramson Jr., Director of Sport - Mr. Steve Ninvalle, Dept.

Director of Sport - Ms. Melissa Dow-

Richardson and Chairman of NSC-Mr. Kashif Muhammad. It was the First meeting with the Team to introduce ourselves and our activities, while the Minister outlined the Ministries responsibilities.

The GBA is extremely happy with the outcome of the meeting and thanked the Minister and Ministry for meeting with us and we look forward to a great cooperation in helping with the development of Badminton, a release from the GBA informed.

Spectator who caused huge Tour de France crash arrested

The spectator holding a cardboard sign caused a huge crash at the Tour de France.

Metro Sport - A woman has been arrested after causing one of the worst crashes in the history of the Tour de France.

During stage 1 on Saturday, the spectator held up a cardboard sign which read ‘Allez Opi Omi’ and stepped out towards the edge of the road in front of the riders.

The sign struck Germany’s Tony Martin who lost his balance and sparked a chain reaction which caused around 50 other riders to crash.

Prosecutors have now opened a criminal inquiry against the spectator for ‘deliberately violating safety regulations and so causing injuries that might prevent someone working for up to

three months’.

The offence punishable with up to a year in prison and a fine which is equivalent to just under £13,000. Following a police hunt, French radio station RTL has confirmed that a woman has been taken into custody in Landerneau, a town in the west of France.

Tour de France is also planning to take legal action against the woman for her ‘unacceptable behaviour’.

‘We are suing this woman who behaved so b a d l y , ’ P i e r r e - Yv e s Thouault, Tour de France’s deputy director, told Agence France-Presse.

‘We are doing this so that the tiny minority of people who do this don’t spoil the show for everyone.

Thouault added: ‘This is unacceptable behaviour.

‘There are safety rules to follow. Spectators don’t cross the road, they don’t take selfies. Frankly, her attitude was insane. The show is the riders, not spectators who want to be on TV. ‘The Tour must remain a party but because of the attitude of a very small minority, it is ruined. We can no longer accept this.’

Tour de France winner B r a d l e y Wi g g i n s t o l d Eurosport: ‘They’re part and parcel of the spectacle of the Tour de France. ‘ A n d t h i s y e a r, i n particular, being able to come back onto the route and watch it. I don’t know how you police it.’

T

he Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club MS Say Yes Programme on Tuesday last received a massive boost when insurance giants, Diamond Fire and General Insurance handed over a cartoon of trophies worth seventy thousand dollars.

The donation was handed over to club executives Ravindranauth Kissoonlall and Tyrone Pottaya by Branch Manager of the Port Mourant branch of the company, Amzad Ayube during a simple presentation ceremony.

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster disclosed that the Say Yes Programme was one of the most important programmes of the club as it seeks to get youths to say yes to education, sports, culture, religion and life.

The club on an annual basis targets close to seventy thousand youths in Berbice under the programme which also includes activities to get youths to stay away from crime, suicide, alcohol, drugs and pre marital sex.

Among the activities hosted as part of the Say Yes/ Say No programme are sports tournaments, educational competitions, magazines, posters, educational stickers, summer camps, distribution of sports gears and educational materials, television programmes, youth information booklets, youth fair, job fairs and youth inspiration forums.

Foster stated that the donation of trophies would be a major boost for the club as it prepares to host a series of educational and sporting competitions for youths along with award

ceremonies.

He expressed thanks to the management of the c o m p a n y, e s p e c i a l l y Company Secretary Khemraj Goderdhan and Marketing Manager Priscilla Mackintosh for their cooperation.

Ayube in brief remarks stated that Diamond Insurance has always recognised the important role that youth have in society. He stated that youths are the backbone and play a vital role in the building of social cohesion and stability of a nation.

The head office of the company is located at 11 Lamaha Street, Georgetown and they have branches at Bush Lot WCB, Port Mourant, Springlands, Henrietta on the Essequibo Coast, Helena No 1 Mahaica and Giftland Mall Turkeyen.

GFF pays tribute to “Servant of Football” Mark Xavier

Mark Xavier

Georgetown: Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde offered his deepest sympathies to the family of former senior men’s national team manager Mark Xavier, who tragically passed away this week.

Xavier, a passionate and long-term supporter of football in Guyana, served with distinction in his role as coordinating manager of the Golden Jaguars under former Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz.

He passed away on Tuesday evening in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit.

“Mark’s unwavering commitment to – and passion for – football and his service to our community set an impressive example for others. He was a true servant of football,” President Forde said. “On behalf of the Guyana Football Federation and the entire Guyanese football fraternity, I would like to offer my thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences to Mark’s family at this difficult time.” Xavier had recently made a donation to the Civil Defence Commission on behalf of XY Construction to support those impacted by the recent floods.

Kaieteur News

Thursday July 01, 2021

Tickets sale launched for Malteenoes fund raiser

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Fun day activities at MSC.

- Fun & Frolic for the entire family on Emancipation day

Steven Jacobs is head of MSC’s fund raising Committee.

The first Emancipation celebrations was held on August 1, 1834 and it is this Country’s oldest holiday and 187 years later the Malteenoes Sport Club is staging a grand fund raiser on August 1, 2021 from 11 AM to 5 PM.

Tickets for the Emancipation day Lunch will go on sale from today and could can be bought at the MSC clubhouse on Thomas Road, Thomas Lands (tel 225-6509), Jacobs Jewellery & Pawn Shop at 16 Pike Street Kitty, Star Party

Rentals at 21Craig Street Campbellville and Exotic Prints at 43 Norton Street Lodge.

Lunches will include Cook-up with all meats or Veggie, Fried Fish, Conkie and Metemgee and cost $1,500. Lunches could be take-away, while outdoor

dining is offered.

There will also be prizes for best African Wear and children, men, women and people of all races can vie for prizes, while those desirous of becoming members of the club will benefit from reduced membership fees for a year and MSC t-shirts and

Caps at registration.

This fund raiser and Membership drive is aimed at improving the Club’s facilities, especially the allweather practice nets, and getting more people to join the club, which was founded in 1902 and has several members who have played

for Guyana and the West Indies at all levels.

Malteenoes recently got its first Olympian when Table Tennis player Chelsea Edghill, who will participate in the Tokyo Olympics, became the first Guyanese female Olympian in that sport. (Sean Devers)

Ansa Mcal throws support behind Golf academy

M

a n a g i n g Director of Ansa Mcal T r o y Cadogan, himself an avid golfer, announced that the company will support the development of the sport in every way possible and has committed to funding programmes that will benefit young players.

Mr. Cadogan announced that the company has supported the Guyana Golf Association’s efforts in hosting the second annual Golf Camp at the Nexgen Golf Academy on Woolford Avenue this week.

Ansa Mcal has been a dominant force in sports, also standing with Olympic medal hopeful Keevin Allicock. The company continues to promote active lifestyles amongst young people and hope’s that its corporate vision becomes a model for other companies.

Ansa Mcal has built a tremendous reputation and loyal following in Guyana, offering employment to over 300 employees through several divisions ranging from Beverages, Consumer Products, Automotive, Pharmaceuticals, and Construction Solutions.

“The Guyana Golf

The golf academy will commence today at Woolford Avenue.

Association has, in a very short time, demonstrated its ability to develop the sport especially amongst the younger generation and we here at Ansa are proud to be affiliated with their efforts to grow this incredible sport,” said Troy Cadogan.

The Golf Camp commences today at 16:00hrs and according Aleem Hussain, president of the GGA, reservations were

in high demand and with great assistance from corporate sponsors, they were able to extend complimentary lessons to children from a variety of organizations including the Scouts, Lions and Enmore Orphanage.

All clubs and balls will be provided by the Academy and every day, each child will receive complimentary water and snacks

compliments of Sunshine Snacks.

Mr. Aleem Hussain will be assisted by Christine Sukhram (9-time Guyana Women’s Champion), Dr. Joaan Deo (2- time Guyana Open & Suriname Ladies Champion) and Miguel Wong (Guyana’s Highest Ranked Male Table Tennis Player) and German League Pro and dedicated the camp to former Head Coach Colin

Ming who tragically passed away earlier this year.

Additionally, there will be an aerial show with Drones, demonstrations by the Archery team; ice cream Day provided by Sterling P r o d u c t s , a n d demonstrations by members of the National Table Tennis Team and Titans Club throughout the second week where youths can participate.

Saturday July 17th will be the skills competition and graduation. Each participant will receive a certificate, goody bag and top players will get medals and trophies and all parents will have a chance to Putt to win prizes as well. For more information on the sport or how to participate in the Camp, contact 645-0944 or nexgengolfacademy on Facebook or Instagram.

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Thursday July 01, 2021

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