Kaieteur News

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AIETEUR

Bank of Guyana reports…

Monday Edition

NEWS Tax collection nets additional $240 Billion in 2019

July 06, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 27

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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

Price $80

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Online readership yesterday, 149,389

New details emerge p.3

about Clairmont Mingo’s fraudulent declaration $1B retrofitted Returning Officer of Region Four, Clairmont Mingo

COVID centre to be completed July 13 - Task Force TEN COVID-19 patients now in Georgetown Hospital's ICU

Lethem teacher succumbs to COVID-19 complications

New Amsterdam man stabbed to death over 'stolen' Guinness

- GPHC denies she contracted virus at hospital

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Donna Greaves

US$150M (and counting) CJIA renovation continues to invite bids for more construction works p.13

Monday July 06, 2020

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Kaieteur News

New details emerge about Clairmont Mingo’s fradulent declaration It has been 124 days since the controversy marred-day of March 4; a mere two days after Guyanese ventured to the polls to cast their ballots for the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

On that day, that the country sat on edge, anticipating a declaration of the results for the election but this did not happen. Instead, a series of dramatic events at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Media Center at the Ashmin’s Building on High Street, forced the tabulation process to be delayed even further, eventually.

While many narratives emerged as to what really happened inside the Ashmin’s Building that day, Kaieteur Radio recently engaged with CanadianGuyanese Attorney-at-Law, Selwyn Pieters, who served as a local electoral observer for the Guyana Bar Association for the 2020 elections process, where he gave his account of the

proceedings.

WHAT HAPPENED? In an interview on Kaieteur Radio’s Room 592, Pieters’ explained that he came to Guyana on February 26, and was at the Media Center on March 4 with a front row seat of the events.

Detailing his experience, the attorney stated that the electoral process was a smooth one despite a few minor hiccups along the way but these were quickly resolved by the staff of GECOM who he noted worked tirelessly to ensure that the March 2 polls went off without a hitch.

However, things started to go sour on March 4. As Pieters recalled, he and other observers arrived at the site very early in the morning.

“There was a huge convoy to the GECOM Command Center,” he told the radio show hosts, “the Chief Electoral Officer from Canada, the Carter Center, other people, myself from the Bar Association, we all got there

Attorney-at-Law, Selwyn Pieters for about 8’clock in the morning, because the tabulation was supposed to start early that morning. We were all just standing around socializing because GECOM isn’t doing anything” Close to 11’clock in the morning, they received information that Clairmont Mingo, the Region Four Returning Officer initially at

the centre of the controversy, had apparently fallen ill in one of the offices on the third floor of the building.

“Shortly after that,” Pieters recounted, “an ambulance came and wheeled him out with a mask on, an oxygen mask. We also heard that his deputy called in sick that same day.”

According to him, the observers began questioning “what next”, raising concerns about who was going to step up to the task, but shortly after, the tabulation resumed.

“Between the count stopping and restarting, the political leaders from the parties came,” said Pieters, “so there was at least two former presidents in the room.

Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar were there and there were other high echelon people from the Opposition People’s Progressive Party were there. Mr. Ali who was the Presidential candidate was there as well and the People’s National Congress Reform had their high level

Bank of Guyana reports…

Improved tax collection nets additional $240B in 2019 Enhanced tax collection

by Government netted an additional 10.8 percent or $240 billion in revenue last year, according to the recentlyreleased 2019 Annual Report of the Central Bank.

This includes collection of income taxes from private corporations and personal taxes, value added tax (VAT) and excise taxes, greater earnings on trade taxes, and increased collection of other tax revenues.

In contrast, the report stated, non-tax revenues declined by $3.9 billion.

In the area of income tax revenues, Bank of Guyana said that this increased by 19.6 percent to $93,595 million.

Private companies’ income taxes, personal income taxes, and withholding taxes expanded by 3.9 percent, 13.2 percent, and 74.4 percent to $40,086 million, $29,211 million, and $22,151 million respectively. Similarly, public corporation taxes grew by 87.1 percent to $2,148 million.

With respect to VAT and excise taxes, these expanded by 9.9 percent to $96,551 million. This was accredited to an increased collection of VAT by 9.5 percent to $52,749 million and excise taxes by 10.4 percent to $43,803 million.

Trade taxes also grew by

Central Bank Governor, Dr. Gobind Ganga 13.8 percent to $24,992 million, on account of increased collection of import duties and travel tax by 14.6 percent and 8.6 percent to $22,136 million and $2,827 million respectively. The bank was keen to note however that export duties fell by 11.3 percent to $29 million.

As for other taxable current revenues, these increased by 3.8 percent to $10,855 million.

Environmental levy, other (professional fees, surtax, etc.), vehicle licensing, and capital gains increased by 10.1 percent, 10.3 percent, 5.1 percent, and 27.3 percent to $2.1 billion, $1.7 billion, $1.1billion, and $609 million

respectively. However, other customs taxes decreased by 10.7 percent to $767 million.

With respect to non-tax revenues, Central Bank said that these declined by 21.4 percent to $14.5 billion, due to reductions in rents and royalties by $348 million, other public department receipts by $1.1 billion, Bank of Guyana surplus by $1.5 billion, dividends from Non Financial Public Enterprises (NFPEs) by $281 million, and other private sector revenues by $1 billion. On the other hand, fees, fines and charges rose by $195 million.

EXPENDITURE Bank of Guyana also stated that total current

expenditure (including debt charges) increased by 8.3 percent to $216,256 million, due to increases in noninterest current expenditures and interest charges by $16.5 billion and $62 million respectively.

With regard to employment costs, the financial institution said that this rose by 15.3 percent to $68.5 billion, reflecting developments in wages and salaries by 15.5 percent and benefits and allowances of public servants by 13.7 percent.

It was further noted that purchases of other goods and services expanded by 13.0 percent to $57.9 billion. The bank said that there was increased spending on miscellaneous goods and services by 18.5 percent, materials and supplies by 14.6 percent, rental and maintenance of buildings by 13.7 percent, maintenance of infrastructures by 11.0 percent, fuels and lubricants expenses by 13.9 percent, transport, travel and postage by 4.4 percent, and water charges by 32.3 percent.

In contrast, electricity charges and telephone charges declined by 12.5 percent and 1.2 percent respectively.

people as well, Volda, Basil, James Bond and others.

Outside of GECOM now, there was a whole bunch of APNU AFC that mobbed out there. The media was there as well, but what was distasteful with respect to the media was that GECOM set up and I would imagine it would be an expensive media center for the media, but yet on that day, they ban the media from entering the premises, the media had to stand outside, so the media was not privy to most of what was happening inside, except if someone told what was happening inside” Reports from that time had stated that another GECOM official began the count at 1pm but instead of using the Statements of Poll (SOPs) as required by the law, an unverified spreadsheet system was introduced to continue tabulations but that process was stopped after it was discovered that the numbers on the spreadsheet and the ones on the approved SOPs did not match.

Party Candidates and officials from the various Observer Missions called an emergency meeting with GECOM and this resulted in the spreadsheet method being scrapped.

Keith Lowenfield, had explained to media operatives stationed outside of the Media Centre that Mingo’s clerk, Carlyn Duncan was told to resume the halted tabulations. He said, “The process of verification commenced in earnest at around 2:00pm and during the

Returning Officer of Region Four, Clairmont Mingo process, some errors were found.”

“We would have completed some eight statements and there were some errors contained in six of them. The representatives from the parties and the observers spoke with me and we stopped the process.”

According to Lowenfield, the tabulation process would be reverted to its initial method; using just the SOP’s.”

The tabulation process resumed at 6:00 pm, according to Pieters but this was halted again after two Deputy Returning Officers complained of feeling unwell.

“So around 6’clock,” he stated “the GECOM Chairman Justice Ret’d Claudette Singh had to intervene, because one of the females, well two Continued on page 12

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Monday July 06, 2020

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

COVID-19: What is the real truth?

Where are we really regarding the true state of pandemic medical impacts in this country? Where are we, as citizens, concerning an accurate public accounting that conveys the situation, as it really is, and which could be relied-upon for our own safety, our peace of mind? As other societies ready to reopen in carefully weighed phases, we are going in the other direction, with more and more troubling COVID-19 news adding to the many national burdens.

First, we present a few of the confirmed facts.

International airport travel to and from Guyana has been pushed back to early August presently, and which is clearly dependent on what happens between now and then.

Second, was a new fatality from the virus?

Third, there is an increase-a sharp surge, really-in the number of confirmed cases, and most in the more distant regions, and with 16 new confirmations reported on Sunday.

Fourth, there have been strict quarantining measures, targeted lockdowns, implemented in some of the worst hit hinterland communities. Though reactive, we laud the official actions taken to arrest the spread of this pandemic.

This is what has been shared in official releases. In addition to those, there are also the sightings in the city and many areas in the nearer and deeper countryside.

These sightings are daily, and so much in the face as to be undeniable. They are neither of the perversities of fake news nor the rush of fear-inducing rumors. They are real and tell their own stories of the many menaces held over the head of those members of the population, who are sensible and concerned enough, to take prudent precautions. They do so for their own safety and that of their loved ones.Now aside from the above, something new has seeped into limited awareness.

This is so, because what is reported to be happening is that some who have died and did have the virus, are not being classified as such under “Cause of Death.” Instead, because they had cardiac disease, or chronic high blood pressure, or serious kidney impairment, the identification of cause of death is under those, and not from what could have been directly attributable to loss of life. That is, dying from, and being counted under, the COVID-19 pandemic.

With this on the table as a serious concern, it would be most helpful if the responsible Guyanese Public Health officials would provide information about the number of cardiac, hypertension, and kidney related diseases in the last four months. If there is a significant spike, then that should be made known, and the corresponding precautionary measures introduced immediately. We are disturbed and for good reason, because any undue spike in those diseases likely point elsewhere as the source of death.Given what is visible daily, the wise in the midst are jeopardized by those who drink, play dominoes and music, and engage in general unrestrained revelry, when they participate in reckless behaviours. Observation of curfew hours is whimsical, with many doing whatever pleases them, as to when they must be off the roads.

They are usually socializing in public places, of which the Kingston Seawall is a prime example.

To a large extent, the evening crowds thronging there have little interest in obeying social distancing rules, or the wearing of masks.It does not make sense, given this being a norm, and the same characterizing places and interchanges of public and private business. When we pass by and pause to peer at lines of citizens before banks and other places, there are a couple of positives and, of course, the usual negatives. Masks are largely worn and there is an irregular compliance with the distancing requirement of two meters; a few follow the guideline, others are closer, within touching distance. Some places are strict with sanitizing requirements, others are not.

When all of this is considered, Guyanese do not even know whether we have actually had the full brunt of phase 1, or that the real numbers of deaths are being withheld.

I wish I could support the coalition’s position, but I can’t DEAR EDITOR, I read the remarks from CARICOM Secretary General Irwin Larocque re Guyana’s elections and the role of the entity’s observers/ scrutineers. Unfortunately, the latter have gone from highly hailed to doggedly detested almost overnight following the release of that disputed report. But it is on Ambassador Larocque that I wish to focus and share a few thoughts.

I have had the privilege of sharing a few encounters with him, his spouse, and two of his children. My impression is that he is an honourable man, and a strong one, also.

He has to be given his pivotal oversight role in the regional body, and the public stand that he has had to make on the work product and judgement of the 3-member team of scrutineers from CARICOM. His position is that there is confidence in the work of the team, and in its conclusions.

Editor, given that in the formula of Guyana’s elections, the hopes and aspirations of almost half of this country’s population of men, women, and children inevitably are

dashed when elections are over, it is not easy for some of us to posit casually (or without basis or crookedly) that one side or the other has lost. For what that usually means is that the losing half has nothing left on which to pin anything, up to and including existence. It is as if life itself has no meaning anymore.

Thus, for Secretary General Larocque, an outsider, yet very much an insider in terms of his roles and responsibilities, to go in any one direction is difficult in the extreme.

Believe it or not, it is the same for some of us, in which I include myself.

As much as I wanted to see a coalition victory, it has to be on grounds that do not fly so overwhelmingly in the face of what is commonsense, but what is so straight that it could pass muster before any reasonable bar, standards universally practiced and accepted. For the umpteenth time, what we are being presented with now, argued spuriously for or against, rests on the shaky shoals of allegations without evidence, and futile strivings for admissibil-

ity after the last testimonies mutually agreed to are over, and with the flimsy and transparently self-serving fluid. To put differently, I discern men shouting about their own genuineness and strength via this or that position, when all that they possess is guile and the made up, and in container size volumes.

Editor, I wish to be clear on something else. This is extremely difficult for me to say about the prospects and reality of the coalition’s elections circumstances, but I cannot do or be otherwise.

Like Ambassador Larocque (and others) if there were any grounds on which to support the coalition’s continuing truths, then I would be there.

But there is less and less, as the days drag along. In addition, it is hard for me to be in this position, because of the meager regard I have for the opposition leadership, both of the past and as poised for the present. I could be wrong, and I hope for the sake of the people in this society who place much trust in them that I am. I think that, with few exceptions, there is much that is of the incorrigible across

the board, and of which some of their own bosom people recognize but are reluctant to admit before any, including themselves; this is the extent of their denial, such is the paramountcy of the party and the personal ambitions of the supporting cast. I say this, even though I pray fervently that I am off the mark on this, way off. Time will prove one way or another.

To wrap this up, I liken the coalition’s position, and that of those who support, as the equivalent of clutching at what they know are the weakest of straws made of thread, to that of trying to squeeze size 12 feet in a pair of size 6 shoes. This just does not work. Is not worth the wrestling in vain. And fails convincingly with both feet. It is where I am, and I think Secretary General Larocque, too. It is an illustration that all Guyanese could appreciate.

I/we want it to fit, but it does not. It is relatively more attractive than all the rest, but it has to be let go. Disappointment. Moving on. Starting over. I go forward.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

Ad on CCJ jurisdiction on Court of Appeal ruling must be condemned DEAR EDITOR, Reference is made to an advertisement (Trinidad Guardian page 10, July 5) on Guyana Court of Appeal and jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice. The paragraphs on CoA and CCJ jurisdiction are deliberately cited to mislead readers and presumably to influence the judgment before the CCJ. The ad violates basic norms of justice and must be condemned by all lawyers and judges.

Any matter before the court is considered sub judice, meaning the parties should not engage in public discourse on the matter till the court has pronounced judgment which is slated for Wednesday afternoon. The media is also restrained from attempting to influence the court’s judgment. Lawyers make their case during oral arguments and submissions; they (or their agents) cannot litigate outside of the court.

Lawyers cannot engage in publicity stunt to prejudice

the court – this is a principle that is more important than law itself.

An advertisement on the CCJ’s jurisdictional issues and or how it should rule on a matter should not be entertained. The ad seeks to corrupt the course of justice. The court fixed a ruling for Wednesday. Clearly, the ad seeks to prejudice the outcome. It is scandalous and unacceptable by pro democracy and freedom loving people and those who value impartial justice. The ad violates the foundation of the sub judice principle, which is a cornerstone of ‘justice is blind’. All lawyers know this principle and swear their practice by it. Moreover, the ad seeks to compromise the integrity and independence of the court. In addition, it seriously and deeply offends the intellect of the judges of the court and law abiding people as well as those who practice law. It is troubling, illegal, wrong, and unethical and must be condemned.

Many relatives and neighbours could be unknowingly walking around as potential carriers of the virus, thus enhancing the spread.Whatever the truth of the facts and figures of the COVID-19 virus, it must be disclosed and quickly. We do more than urge this of senior public health officials. Since the health and well-being of many are involved, we demand it.

The court and the public must not pay heed to the ad which contents are selective and taken out of context. On the face of it, the cited paragraphs would suggest that the Court of Appeal ruling of Guyana is final and the CCJ has no jurisdiction in overturning the CoA judgment.

That is not factual.

As a student and teacher of constitutional law, I research the language and intention of the framers when the Act was passed in Guyana parliament in 2004. I also spoke with several parliamentarians who clarified the intent of the legislation.

The first paragraph refers to cases that were already determined by the CoA and that were brought before the CoA prior to the assenting of the CCJ treaty in 2005. It did not involve matters brought before the CoA court thereafter. All matters before the CoA, unless specifically stated, are ‘appealable’.

Democracy and jurisprudence in Guyana were undermined and compromised for decades. Elections were rigged in 1968 to give the Burnham party a two-thirds parliamentary majority that was used to abolish appeals to the Privy Council in 1970.

The rigging of the 1968 election could not be challenged at the PC because the CoA became the final court. In 2004, then President Jagdeo signed on to the CCJ treaty with the expressed intention that it is the final court for all matters pertaining to Guyana, thereby giving the CCJ jurisdiction.

Even where an apex court lacks specific jurisdiction over a superior court, the court can exercise original jurisdiction where fundamental (natural) rights are violated.

The PC and final courts in the Commonwealth and in the US, India, Canada, etc. set aside unjust rulings that violate fundamental voting rights. Moreover when a superior court rules incorrectly or accepts jurisdiction of a matter beyond its remit, its ruling can be reviewed and set aside if it violates basic natural laws or if it accepts jurisdiction under the wrong clause. The election matter is currently before the CCJ – it is the exclusive domain of the court to rule on whether it has jurisdiction. An ad should not have been proffered to influence its ruling. It must be condemned.

Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

Monday July 06, 2020

Truth always triumphs over lies, and good will overcome evil DEAR EDITOR, About three weeks ago, the APNU+AFC Prime Ministerial Candidate, Khemraj Ramjattan, told his Public Security Ministry’s staff that he had conceded defeat to the March 2nd 2020 elections.

The same week he was on the ruling APNU+AFC’s bandwagon trying to block the official declaration of the new President of Guyana, Dr. Irfaan Ali. Every day, it would seem, Ramjattan comes up with a tale. One such story told a long time ago was that he had provided security for the endangered politician Charrandas Persaud to Timehri Airport when the man actually left Guyana from Ogle Airport.

Then he said he had captured two Russians and deported them, but a third escaped.

Ramjattan also appeared on Trinidad’s CCN TV 6 saying that PPP/C General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, has been spreading racism. Wrong again!

Since 1964, former dictator, President Forbes Burnham, had used the tactic of “divide and rule.” This is what APNU+AFC’s President David Granger, Ramjattan and their cabal are now doing.

They are telling lies to incite civil unrest.

The APNU+AFC, the PPP/C and GECOM participated in the electoral process which was observed by CARICOM and other international agencies.

Where was the opportunity for the Opposition parties to commit fraud? There was not even one chance to do it with a fake I.D. How can there be 285,000 bogus votes?

The facts and evidence

are glaring that the Opposition PPP/C won the elections.

Yet Ramjattan is mischievously peddling these outrageous lies. The other is that the PPP/C had rigged the elections.

Why is Ramjattan, Granger and their cabal holding a whole nation to ransom for four months, trying every trick to hijack the elections?

Shame on Ramjattan and his conspirators who are peddling fiction all the way to the courts to try to make it a reality.

Thank God for the intervention of the US Carter Center and other international observers.

The PPP/C will liberate all Guyanese from the bondage of dictatorship. Truth always triumphs over lies, and good will overcome evil.

Sincerely, Fatimah Mohammed

We must keep democracy alive in Guyana

DEAR EDITOR, I read with amazement a letter written by Hamilton Green lecturing the Chairman of Caricom, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.

I found Green’s letter ironic in so many ways. Green is lecturing Ralph Gonsalves, for being very vocal and rightly so, in fighting for the will of the voters in Guyana to be respected.

Green is suggesting that Dr. Gonsalves should take a page out of the Book of many other CARICOM Heads of Government and Leaders of Political and Social grouping - to “maintain a level of cohesion and comradery within CARICOM”.

Green goes on to do what many of his Comrades in the PNC have done, he attempts to throw mud on Dr.

Gonsalves and to lecture us on democracy.

Is Green living in a fantasy world?

Doesn’t Green realize that Carciom and the free world are not accepting electoral fraud? It is unfortunate that dinosaurs like Green have not figured out that electoral fraud in 2020 is not acceptable and sticking together for some deprived higher cause is not an option.

Unlike Hamilton Green, many Guyanese in and out of Guyana are happy that M i a M o t t l e y, R a l p h Gonsalves, EU, USA, Canada, etc. are standing up against electoral fraud in Guyana.

Those dark days of election rigging of the PNC should not be allowed to return to our country and the

voices of everyone fighting for democracy in Guyana including CARICOM are welcome.

I remember Hamilton Green writing that he resides in the US. If he continues to do so, he should have, like other Guyanese living in the US, embrace democracy especially on the weekend of July 4th and try and hope for the same in Guyana.

CARICOM and others are standing firmly on the right side of history.

I invite Hamilton Green to do the same.

It is my hope that the voices of those fighting for democracy in Guyana prevail and we keep democracy alive in Guyana!!!

Sincerely, C. De Barros

Illegal appointments do not bode well for law and order DEAR EDITOR, There is a common saying which suggests that “No News is Good News.” A headline I read while perusing the Sunday Edition of the Kaieteur News reaffirms my belief in this above saying.

The headline which caused this reaction is as follows “Granger govt. appoints 44 members across five state boards after elections”. This illegal action of the de facto regime is much alone cause for worry, however, closer examinations to the appointments are a cause for concern in equal measure.

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Kaieteur News

The illegal appointments to these various state agency boards include five (5) to the Environmental Assessment Board, seven (7) to the Wildlife Scientific Committee, nine (9) to the Protected Areas Commission, eleven (11) appointments to the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission and finally another eleven (11) Appointments to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Closer examination of these appointments revealed that all of these appointments

were applied to state agencies that are mandated to defend Guyanese environmental interests in one form or another. These appointments are especially worrying considering the seemingly lax attitude towards natural resource extractors in our country. Is this willful ineptitude and ignorance of the laws of Guyana? Or is there a grander scheme afoot?

Whatever the case may be, these illegal appointments do not bode well for law and order in Guyana.

Yours truly, Jordon Nelson

An Open Letter to President David Granger Re: Declaration of Guyana 2020 Elections DEAR MR. PRESIDENT, We write to you to raise concerns about the situation in Guyana, our homeland regarding the failure in declaration of a fair and transparent general and regional election result.

It has been an exceptionally long four months and we believe that the people of Guyana should be credited for the patience and tolerance they have displayed. London Islamic Cultural Society is a charity formed, supported, and managed by people from Guyana and we take pride in our awareness of how Guyana is progressing and developing.

We consider it as our precious homeland, place of our birth and so we take an interest in what is happening with our people. In addition, many

of our UK Guyanese have family living there.

The International CARICOM observers and ABCE diplomats have all vouched and concluded that the Guyana 2020 elections were fair, free, and credible including the validity of all votes cast.

Many worldwide are disturbed by the inability of you and your government to concede defeat despite there being a recount.

We on behalf of our Guyanese people urge you to accept the results and arrange for a peaceful transfer of government.

We are extremely disappointed to observe during this whole process that the government is deliberately acting in an undemocratic manner when it is clear that the people

of Guyana have spoken and exercised their democratic right in deciding who they want to govern them. Our country is a special one and it is time that our political parties can work in partnership for the benefit of our country and more importantly the people of Guyana.

There is so much wealth and outstanding landmarks, the people deserve to improve their lives and they have voted for the government that they believe will help them to achieve this.

We write and we represent many of our Guyanese patriots living in the United Kingdom, do the right thing Mr Granger.

Yours Sincerely, Bibi Khan and the Board Trustees President LICS

Illegal disposal of human faeces DEAR EDITOR, A few weeks ago, I visited my Aunt’s property/land situated in Drysdale St., Charlestown, along with their Lawyer’s Assistant.

The premise is located behind a hotel. My Aunt recently died in the USA and my cousins will soon return to Guyana, after more than two decades abroad, to rebuild their home.

I was shocked to find black bags of human faeces in the yard and the stench was unbearable.

There is a big concrete

building on Princes Street opposite the No. 1 Dispensary, which is used as a bond for two businesses. It has an attached piece of concrete structure to the building at the back of the yard used as a living quarter.

There are a number of persons residing there who don’t have a toilet, so after they defecate, they throw their faeces over the fence into my relatives’ yard.

I was even more shocked and upset to discover the very people who don’t have a toilet would sell food and

beverages.

Sadly, unsuspecting passers-by and students would purchase food, snacks and drinks with no idea whatsoever of the unhygienic environment in which their snacks are being prepared.

Food handler’s certification needs to be enforced, and there should be proper inspections of the premises and conditions under which food is being prepared for sale to the public.

Yours respectfully, Concerned Citizen of Guyana,

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Monday July 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

There are a lot of lessons we can learn from the past week DEAR EDITOR, CARICOM Day was recently observed (welcome and good luck Uncle Ralph).

The USA also celebrated 4th of July. Canada would have celebrated Independence Day July 1st. England celebrates her……naw, forget it! That’s right, there are many countries that do not have an independence day, e.g.

France, Russia, Spain, China, Japan, Australia, Nepal, Thailand, etc. Guyana indulged in 54 years of being independent but what do we have to show for it? A caretaker PNC government who bankrupted this nation not once but twice from a surplus created twice by the PPP/C government. Fireworks is an integral part on the agenda to commemorate any celebration for any nation. It heralds the culmination of a remarkable day filled with fun, frolic and enjoyment as fans eagerly await darkness to dispel light so that the sound of detonation would commence the engineering skill and artistry of pyrotechnics. Such a spectacular sight to see the brilliant lights shooting in the air to touch the sky; then exploding magnificently to scatter in different formations; propelling to various directions; displaying the luminous rainbow colours; then gently and graciously descending back to earth but dissipating in humility to a much appreciative crowd of admirers, cheering, shouting, applauding and craving for

more to satisfy an insatiable appetite that remains hungry for excitement and thrill! To see the glee in the eyes of children and listen to their oohs and awes is selfrewarding and, worthy of any sacrifice to please the young innocent souls that one day will reciprocate but to their own, perhaps.

The song, “Spinning Wheel,” was popularized by the rock band, Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1968 with the beginning lyrics: What goes up must come down Spinning wheel got to go round.

Talkin’ bout your troubles it’s a cryin’ sin Ride a painted pony, let the spinning wheel spin.

Many children love to watch planes taking off on the tarmac and soaring into the sky to the great beyond, unsure of their destinations and not knowing who are the passengers. This is an adventure by itself and a great past time. Just to look at pilots dressed in their smart uniforms brings a smile to the face of a kid. Those planes ascend and descend. Another idea of fun is boys in particular, throwing a cricket ball as far as their arms would allow up in the air and watch it coming down faster than they would like and catch it.

This can be tricky with the sun in your eyes playing havoc or mistiming the speed or misplacing its direction.

Isn’t it so much fun to go kite flying also and see your kite

soaring up in the air, staying stationary or dancing with the clouds on a bright sunny day, especially with a breezy wind that makes it so fulfilling? At the end of the kite flying day, you do need to pull that kite down. An inquisitive child would want to know what is holding up the stars in the sky so that they do not fall!

Guyana has a lot of shooting stars, many aiming high with huge expectations and very ambitious.

The student would always hear, “aim for the sky.”

The teacher would always advise the student to target for a 100 in any subject so in event if you fall, you can still be in the 90’s. But if you aim only for a pass (50%) and you fall, then you’re below the passing mark and you will certainly fail. Many of the big wigs are flying high but don’t want to be realistic and acknowledge that their wings have been cut. The farmer knows to clip the wings of docks and fowls so that they do not fly away. Remember the rise of APNU+AFC in 2015 and the fall in 2018 (NCM)? But those stars are still shining in the sky in 2020!

Okay, how about March 2nd elections day? Didn’t we see the display by so many presumptuous flirters flying on Cloud 9 ranting, “we won, we won” on Lamaha Street (even wrongly influencing innocent supporters to take to the streets) and refusing to touch base with realty, knowing that they didn’t? But dem ole people warn we that, “what goes up must come down!” You cannot stay up forever, even the astronauts go up and come down. To stay up in the air, you need oxygen, lots. APNU+AFC’s oxygen tank is empty, refilling time is scheduled for a potential 2025 (if) and not before or now! Get real Mr. “G,” it’s not a one-way passage or street but definitely a two way. Even DOCOL cannot help you and

forget the other gas, it’s still buried in the sea only for Exxon’s use.

Mother earth spins on its axis at a speed of 1,000 MPH (1,600 KM. per hr.) which is responsible for us enjoying the beauty of day and night.

One of NASA’s studies reveal that the earth is experiencing an irregular spin and causing a shift of 33 feet (10M) by the end of the Century. This is mainly due to three reasons: (1) glacial rebound, (2) melting of the global cryosphere (especially Greenland) and (3) mantle convection. Nothing remains in one place forever or is stationary. Ole people say, “what goes around, comes around.” Be careful of what you do, either in words, deeds or actions for, there is a tendency that, the very effect will affect you later. The APNU+AFC party has been squatting in office since 2018 and refuse to demit office. The spinning wheel has deposited this load of laborious headaches again in our laps since 2015 to 2020.

Do we deserve this gift?

Are we paying for our terrible mistakes?

Are we being punished?

Is this a taste of one’s own medicine? A team of ruckus losers from a circus, who pride themselves in bogus mathematical hocus pocus but cannot focus because they are blanked by much mucus, have an entire nation hanging in midair for the past 124 antagonizing and heart wrenching days and counting.

Who will cut the string so we can come down once again landing softly and continue on the move with our goodly lives? Will it be you Madam Chair Ms. Claudette Singh, the saviour, or CARICOM, our big brothers and sisters watching our very backs, or the ABCE, OAS and the rest of the international community waiting for the green light to

show Mr. “G” what they can do? Oh no, not again to the courts to see who is right or wrong over 33 and 32 to give them 65 to mystify and petrify!

Will dictatorship come around to haunt us again? Will there be Martial Law to fear? Which is worse anarchy or pariah?

Are we going to sample a taste of “hell” again? Mr. Mike Pompeo has spoken and Guyana is on the watch, looking to see, “where eagles dare,” and “the eagles have landed,” but not on the TV screen.

Is true, the train used to leave Georgetown, go to Rosignol and return to Georgetown, but that was gotten rid of. The train also used to leave Vreed-enHoop, go to Parika and return to Vreed-en-Hoop, but then no more. They brought the Tata buses as replacement but all ended up in displacement!

They banned the goods and ran KSI’s and yes, all ended up sky high! Nationalize, nationalize, yes, show them who is the boss (not Bruce Lee), but…they forgot how to rationalize!

All the corporations were running a race to place dem big boys and when they don’t ace, nobody can ask why when things went awry! Hello Essequibo, what’s happening with the new Power Plant?

Already in trouble and only a year old? They know how to break and not to build but give them some credit, man, they also know how to rig, wriggle and fiddle, and, why not, you can add juggle, jiggle and giggle, all at the poor tax payers’ expense.

Time is of the most crucial element and is the pure, unadultered essence that is critically required by their palpitation.

A number of them Party boys and girls already packed and shoving off, others, they need more time, “ to clean the slate.” The Party is still carrying on with the party until the very end, waiting for

the kitty to run dry of not only free boarding and lodging… Watch how some tongues remain permanently twisted. Some strange things continue to happen, every day you can learn something new. Now we know you can catch COVID-19 even on virtual, so stay away from virtual. Thanks, Mr. “G,” Ralphie boy is much obliged and so is the rest of the leaders in CARICOM. Voter impersonation couldn’t work in 2015 but can work in 2020?

Man, go work with the Power Plant and fix their problem!

Good old Mr. J can do with some of your help to fix his finance or you’re scared of a 4th charge?

How long will the waiting time and lines be for “confession?” “Forgive them Dear Lord, for they know not what they do” will be the new mantra and hit tune. A popular saying in Guyana is, “time longer than twine.”

Let’s first wait on next Wednesday before we cross any more bridges. But some people are busy, burning the bridges that they crossed.

Bad tactic, ask soldier boy, he will tell you choose carefully, don’t go into anything with closed eyes and always have a back-up plan. Don’t bank on the South, the North, the West nor the East, you’ll probably stand a slim chance only, “up” (stairs). There are a lot of lessons we can learn from the past week only if we want to pay attention, otherwise, things will come back to haunt us.

Remember, what goes up must come down so don’t build castles in the air and what goes around, comes around, so be careful how you spin the “wheel of fortune.” Guyana is tired, tried and tested, it needs a break. What medicine and from whom can make the people of this sick nation enjoy a goodnight’s rest?

Respectfully, Jai Lall

Monday July 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Monday July 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

$1B retrofitted COVID centre to be completed by July 13 - TASK FORCE The US$5Million (G$1B) project to turn Ocean View International Hotel into a state-of-the-art Hospital for the incubation, isolation and quarantine of persons infected with the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is expected to be completed by July 13th.

This is according to National COVID-19 Task Force Secretariat Logistics Officer, Colonel (Ret’d) Nazrul Hussein.

During a virtual press conference on Saturday Hussein said “(the) Infectious Diseases Hospital on the East Coast is about 95 percent completed. It is anticipated that all outstanding works and minor changes will be completed by the 13th of July (2020).”

The sanatorium, he added “will be fully dedicated to the COVID-19 response and for any other infectious diseases that may arise in the future.”

On June 22, Kaieteur News reported that seven contractors were sole sourced by the Public Health Ministry to complete the ‘retro fitting’ or furnishing of the Hospital.

A Memorandum to the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, from the Permanent Secretary of the Public Health Ministry, Collette Adams showed that the works were separated into eight lots: Lot 1’, the “Remodeling of the Main Wing, Installation of Medical Gas, HV AC – negative pressure system, Construction of Operating Theatre, Construction of R.C. Ramps and Laundry Room and Rehabilitation of Main Plumbing System and Distribution Networks” was awarded to International Imports & Supplies at $381M ($381,825,605).

‘Lot 2’, the “Remodeling of East Wing, Rehab of Roof, Construction of Power Supply Room, Construction of gate on the ground floor, Installation of New Electrical Mains, Perimeter lighting and Automatic Gate” was awarded to Ivor Allen at $388M ($388,402,665).

‘Lot 3’, the “Installation of Lift” was awarded to KP Thomas & Sons Contracting Inc at $49M ($49,201,944).

‘Lot 4’, the “Construction of Southern Concrete Fence, Timber Revetment,

Construction of R.C. Base for Triage Area and Holding Area for Infectious Waste” was awarded to James Nicholson Construction Services at $54M ($54,761,525).

‘Lot 5’, the “Construction of Northern Fence Concrete Fence, Timber Revetment, Construction of R.C. Base for Morgue and Concrete Walkways for projects for the MOPH” was awarded to Associated Construction Services at $64M ($64,728,615).

‘Lot 6’, the “Construction of one (1) incinerator for sharps and medical waste” was awarded to Andy Moore at $4.1M ($4.1, 000,000).

‘Lot 7’, the “Supply, Installation and Commissioning of HV AC Systems” was awarded to Antartic Maintenance & Repairs at $22M ($22,074,712).

Breakdown of the Engineer’s estimate vs. how much the contract was awarded for.

The final ‘Lot 8’, the “Supply, Installation and Commissioning of CCTV Surveillance System” went to International Imports & Supplies for $86M (86,232,939).

Additionally, the

Memorandum stated that “Funds have been provided by the Government of Guyana for the project named at caption.”

While no date was listed on the Memorandum indicating when the request

was made, the approval was given on April, 16, 2020 by Chairman of National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Berkley Wickham – his signature was attached to the document.

Monday July 06, 2020

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Kaieteur News

The COVID-19 pariah of the Eastern Caribbean Three persons died over the past five days. Their deaths are believed to have resulted from complications of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

At least two of those who died have left young children.

A 34 year old victim from Bartica has a three- year-old daughter. The 25-year-old school teacher from Region Nine who died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation has left behind a seven-year-old child.

The other victim was from Albouystown. It is not certain whether the other victim, in his early 40s, had any children but at least two of these deaths have resulted in children being left without one of their parents.

When the COVID-19 statistics are examined, the numbers of those affected by the deaths are not mentioned. We learn about the number of deaths, new cases and total cases but never much about the children who are left behind without their parents.

In May, three persons were orphaned in Detroit after losing both of their parents, within weeks, to coronavirus complications.

And who can forget the sight of six children left without their single-parent mom who died from coronavirus. They watched from behind a glass screen as their mother succumbed to the disease.

In California, the parents of five succumbed to coronavirus complications, just days apart. They have left five orphaned children aged between 2-17 years old.

A Cleveland couple, both in their early 20s, contracted the coronavirus. The wife

was pregnant at the time. She died not long after delivering a baby boy, never having had the chance to cradle her newborn son.

In Montreal, a father died, leaving a wife and five children behind. The mother was pregnant with the couple’s sixth child.

There are thousands of other similar cases. When therefore we read about a coronavirus death, it is necessary to think not just about the victims but those left behind, especially if those left behind are children.

The three recent cases in Guyana is a cause for greater concern. For one, the death toll has increased by 25% in less than one week, and this is after no deaths in close to one month.

The results of studies done have dismissed the suggestion that the virus is weakening. It has been found that, instead, the virus has mutated and has become more infectious – this means it will spread more easily and rapidly. Studies have also shown that the mutation has not affected the deadliness of the virus.

Many persons had falsely presumed that the worst was over. But it now seems as if it is now getting worse because of the failure to have regional strategies to combat the virus.

It was always ill-advised to have a centrally directed strategy to combat the local epidemic. As a consequence of this failure, the number of cases in Region One and Seven have spiked to dangerous levels and it will mean an almost total lockdown of

these regions, in order to suppress the epidemic.

Other regions continue to register increased cases. Region 9 is now seeing an increase in cases. That Region borders Brazil – the country with the second highest number of deaths in the world.

The government has said it will begin increased testing in two of the affected Regions. Again this is a mistaken strategy.

It should increase testing in all Regions in which there are active cases. It is believed that as much as 40% of cases can be asymptomatic. And therefore it is only through extensive cases that these cases can be identified and the risk of transmission reduced.

The three persons who died over the past five days are in an age-group which is not considered high-risk. But it shows how the virus can affect anyone even though the majority of deaths tend to be the elderly and those with underlying conditions.

It is not certain whether any of those who died this past week had any underlying conditions. The search for answers to these questions must continue even though the authorities are tightlipped about the specifics of cases.

The authorities are sticking to the position of upholding the confidentiality of the victims. But greater transparency will help the entire country since the public may be able to come forward with information which will help in contact-tracing.

It is time for a total rethink of the national COVID-19

Dem boys seh ...

Staying home better than going home De people getting homesick. Dem seh dem tired of staying home because of de lockdown.

Last week, hundreds ah dem flock to de seawall fuh tek some breeze.

Boy and gyal, man and woman, sitting down close to one another. Is like dem nah hear dat de main way de coronavirus does spread is via person-to-person contact.

People gathering about de town as if tings normal.

People in de market nah wearing face masks. Children in school congregating in groups, jumping and laugh-

ing. Motorbike and horse carts racing pun Homestretch Avenue early Sunday morning. And in de nighttime, track and field tekkin’ place pun Laing Avenue.

Is like de coronavirus nah exist fuh some of folks.

But is suh when yuh hard ears. Yuh does gat to feel before yuh learn. Some people learning de hard way.

Dem boys remember when seat belts fuss bec a m e m a n d a t o r y, h o w diffiuclt it was to get people to buckle up. De po-lice used to threaten motorists that is either “Click It or Ticket!”

Dem boys hope dat dem nah gat to remind people to either “Mask it or Casket!”

Fuh all ah dem wha behaving like dem gat stinging nettles at home, dem boys want remind dem dat it better to stay home dan fuh end up in hospital.

Yuh does find out nuff tings when yuh deh home.

Some of dem picknee start noticing dat they haven’t seen “Uncle” around since “Daddy” staying home.

Talk half and rememba dat “Rest at home better than Rest in Peace.

Staying six feet away is better than six feet under.”

strategy. Other Caribbean countries are now opening up.

Most have better records than Guyana. Barbados has 97 cases and 7 deaths.

Trinidad and Tobago has 131 cases and 8 deaths. Jamaica is the only country which has more cases than Guyana. It has 728 cases but has 50% less deaths, only 10. Guyana’s

coronavirus infections is second only to Jamaica.

Guyana is about to become the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Eastern Caribbean. St. Lucia, St Vincent and Grenada have each recorded less than 30 cases. Guyana’s poor management of the epidemic will only add to its pariah status.

(The views expressed in

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

PAGE 10

Monday July 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

A secret about the CARICOM recount covenant that must be told The revelation below I have never mentioned to any of my friends. Though I speak to Len Gildarie of Kaieteur Radio often and we talk about our roles together on the radio in the analysis of the election saga, I never told him.

There is only one person I transmitted the information to - Leonard Craig of the AFC leadership. I used it in my argument to reject a particularistic comment of his on an aspect of David Granger ’s character. I mentioned it in a combative manner to Craig to open his eyes to the failure of Granger as a leader, politician and strategist.

I am a trained historian, so I know that memoirs and autobiographies do not tell all. The writers take secrets to their grave. Biographers who were close to their subjects will not objectively publish negative snippets because of their protective instincts.

Whoever was close to Janet Jagan, Forbes Burnham, Fidel Castro will not offer the readers moments of disturbing details. Castro had

a reckless love life while he was fully in charge of Cuba.

Nigel Westmass of the WPA is planning to write a history of the WPA. Westmass can tell you I put the question to him recently in an email as to whether he has the objectivity to undertake such a project because there were very egregiously disturbing dimensions in the collective life of the WPA in the seventies that he may eschew.

David Hinds is supposed to be doing a biography of Eusi Kwayana. I will not pay much heed to such an outlay because David is going to obfuscate serious wrongdoing Kwayana did to Guyana when he was Sydney King.

I come now to Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados. Five CARICOM Prime Ministers came to Guyana to dissolve the vexations. Weeks after they came, three of them made statements that reflect deep chagrin. First, there was Keith Rowley who predicted it will not end nicely. Mottely has

been in a frustrating mood since. Ralph Gonsalves has openly displayed his annoyance. All three felt that David Granger betrayed them.

Here is why.

We keep assigning the birth of the idea of the recount to Granger. This is not true.

Here is what happened. The United States, livid about the rigging, decided for strategic reason, it was best to work through CARICOM. Since Mottley at the time was CARICOM’s chairman, the US dialogued with her.

Mottely knew a precedent was already in existence.

CARICOM had sent Ulric Cross to examine the disputed 1997 election in Guyana.

Mottley offered all of Guyana, Guyana’s international partners and Granger himself, a way out.

She suggested a Cross repetition of 1997. She urged that Mingo be put aside, and go for a recount that a CARICOM team will participate in. Granger agreed.

After the five PMs left with gargantuan smiles on their faces and satisfaction in their

minds, Granger reneged.

But Granger is full of himself. With his mediocre thinking, he believes he can fool the world. First, the plotters decided to frustrate the CARICOM team and the contingent left.

Then, the plotters took to the court to stop the recount.

What Granger and company were betting on was that the Full Court would rule that the recount was illegal. T he Full Court knew the law empowers GECOM to act on its own behalf and literally distracted Granger and company by saying that the law prevents CARICOM from supervising the recount.

Rowley was enraged when he heard this because in the dialogue with Granger, there was no mention of CARICOM undertaking the

recount. Rowley was livid too because he felt Granger had deceived five CARICOM prime ministers. When Mottley contacted Rowley about the return of the recount mission Rowley would have nothing to do with it.

Rowley felt that the team would have been insulted again. So he advised Trinidad’s chief elections officer not to go back with the group. Two others of the original team said they were not interested in returning for the recount, with one of them complaining about the attitude of Roxanne Myers.

Five CARICOM prime ministers met with Granger, he agreed with their proposal for a recount then he backed down. After he agreed again for the recount and it took

Frederick Kissoon place, he rejected CARICOM’s declaration of the vote tabulation.

In my conversation with Craig in which I transmitted the information above, Craig asked me how I know about this. With a mountainous smile on my small face, I asked Craig how he can ask me that.

If Craig is reading this, he should ask his leader, David Granger.

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

Lorries, Container Trucks from Oil Sector will have to follow road restrictions

Container trucks associated with the oil sector using a roadway in Georgetown at night.

Traffic Chief, Linden Isles made it very clear yesterday that motor lorries and container trucks that are part of the Oil Sector are not excluded from the new “movement restrictions” to be implemented soon for such vehicles.

On Friday last the Guyana Police Force (GPF) announced in a release, that drivers of Lorries and container trucks will be restricted from using the main roadways located in Georgetown, the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), East Coast of Demerara (ECD), West Coast of Demerara (WCD) and the West Bank of Demerara (WBD).

The release also specified that the restrictions will be between 07:00Hrs-09:00Hrs, 11:00Hrs-13:00Hrs and 15:00Hrs-17:00Hrs. However, questions were raised to clarify whether these restrictions are only for those not associated with the oil and gas sector.

To this traffic chief Isles responded that these restrictions are also for such heavy duty vehicles belonging to or working for companies associated with the Oil industry.

In fact, Isles is already in the process of writing to the management of the various oil companies regarding the restrictions.

He added that it may also be necessary

for these companies to send a letter to the Commissioner of police concerning the same as well.

The traffic Chief did not specify a date as to when these new road rules will be put into action, but highlighted that meetings were already held with some owners of motor lorries/container trucks at Soesdyke Junction EBD. The reason for this new initiative is to reduce major traffic congestions along the roadways during the aforementioned hours referred to as “peak hours”.

It was established by the relevant authorities that due to the heavy import and registration of new vehicles, Guyana’s roadways have become over crowded.

Furthermore, drivers have been unable to cope with this over crowdedness thus causing a state of constant catastrophe of traffic congestion.

As a result, drivers are forced to maneuver their vehicles, especially those who operate large vehicles, in a dangerous manner to other road users.

Guided by section 48(1) of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic ACT, GPF is now implementing this new strategy hoping to remedy Guyana’s ongoing traffic catastrophe.

Monday July 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Monday July 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

TEN COVID-19 New details emerge about Clairmont... patients now in Georgetown Hospital’s ICU With three new covid-19 related deaths in the last four days, staff at the Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital are now tasked with saving the lives of eight more patients.

Health officials reported that the eight patients were transferred to the GPHC yesterday.

Some are reportedly from Georgetown while others are from “out of town locations,” a medical official said.

They join two other patients who were in the ICU, bringing the total there to ten. A Department of Public Information (DPI) release stated yesterday that Guyana now has 138 active Coronavirus cases.

One new case was reported yesterday, taking the total to 273 persons who have tested positive.

In the past weeks Guyana has seen an alarming rise in covid-19 cases.

However, what is more worrying to health personnel are the three recent deaths which occurred in just four days.

The death toll stood at 12 for quite a while until last Wednesday when a thirteenth Covid-19 death was recorded. One victim was 42-year-old Bartica businessman, Abdool khan.

On Saturday, 25-year-old nursery school teacher Donna Greaves died in the GPHC’s ICU. Noting this recent development, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Zulficar Bux is reminding Guyanese to stay at home, maintain social distance, wear a mask, practice good hand and general hygiene and adhere to the restriction guidelines outlined in the National Covid19 restriction measures.

Dr. Bux believes that the curve would be flattened if Guyanese follow these basic rules.

From page 3 of them, said they weren’t feeling well, and she came into the room and she pleaded for compassion, and there was nothing anyone could have done at that point. The count had stopped but the count started back briefly. They told us they were gonna start around 10 pm because they were gonna find two substitute Returning Officers, so we are all there and around 11’clock, there were two DRO’s sitting in a room.”

Shortly after, the CEO Keith Lowenfield emerged, Pieters told Kaieteur Radio, and had a brief private discussion with the two DRO’s which raised suspicions from those around. At that point, observers started recording what transpired in order to have solid evidence if anything went array.

In what is a new detail related to events of that evening, Pieters recounted what happened next: “I made videos, because objective evidence is important in these cases, especially when there is propaganda and misinformation prevailing.

Mr. Lowenfield shows up.

When he showed up, we

don’t know what discussions he had with the two DRO’s in the room, but one of them sneaks through the back, the back that leads to the garage, where the GECOM vehicles, are parked and left.”

The Attorney stated that the Opposition at that point contacted their own Returning Officers after the Commission had some difficulty finding replacements but this did not sit well with the CEO who got into a heated discussion with Former Attorney General and PPP Top Brass, Anil Nandlall.

“When Lowenfield said well, we don’t have two DRO’s,” Peters related, “there became a debate w i t h M r. A l i a n d M r.

Nandlall and M r.

L o w e n f i e l d a n d M r.

Mustapha. And other observers were there and what was interesting was, you saw that, if you look at the videos, you’ll see about 30 or 40 cameras recording. Mr. Lowenfield basically claimed that he could not trust the DRO’s that were there that the PPP brought, and these were his employees. Some negotiation took place and he used one of the DRO’s

that was there. So the recount started shortly a f t e r 1AM on March 5.

When the recount restarted, the same shenanigans took place where there was a complaint that people were tired.”

Things escalated further, Pieters relayed, resulting in the police being summoned to the Center. This was after the data entry clerk complained of being unwell and headed for a room in the upper level of the Command Center with the laptop being used to tabulate the results along with a flash drive containing verification data.

Said Pieters, “One of the persons, left came back and took the computer and a flash drive, and there were some suspicions raised.”

In another new detail not previously reported, Pieters said the level of suspicion raised further after, according to him, the two DRO’s who begged to leave the Center at 6pm, were still in fact inside the building: “People went over into the room where the guy went and much to their surprise they found the two females that complained that they were tired at 6pm and had to

leave because they couldn’t function anymore, they were still there at the command center. And the guy was there that took the laptop that claimed he couldn’t function anymore, was there working in the room with others with the flash drive.”

The police were summoned to the scene and Data Entry Clerk was questioned on his actions. No arrests were made but he was escorted from the Center.

That incident resulted in a complete halt of the tabulation process that had started on March 4.

With the counting ended for the day, the observers retreated to their homes, left to process the events that occurred which, according to Pieters, he would never forget.

On closing, he pointed out that the conduct of Keith Lowenfield and Clairmont Mingo on March 4 was less than remarkable, and the fact that Guyana stands more than four months after the March 2 without a proper Head of State and a declaration of the elections does not bode well for the future of GECOM.

Monday July 06, 2020

PAGE 13

Kaieteur News

US$150M (and counting) CJIA renovation continues to invite bids for construction works The Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation (CJIAC) continues to invite bids for construction works, despite the signing of a US$150M (and counting) expansion contract in 2011, which was expected to be enough to transform the port into a regional transit hub.

Recent invitations for bids advertised in the daily newspapers indicate that the airport needs a new fence for its public car park and an access control security hut.

These intended projects, which stand outside of the US$150M contract, are not alone.

There are also plans for a new parking lot valued at GYD$122M, a cargo facility, a commercial centre, an office area and a parking lot, all advertised last year. The PPP/ C’s general secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo in early 2019 had stated that the exclusion of

so many projects from the initial blueprint was due to the Government wanting to leave room for local contractors to benefit. A similar claim was made late last year during the advertisement of some of these projects, by APNU+AFC Minister Jaipaul Sharma.

It has been argued, however, that the projects should never have been left out in the first place, as contractors have told Kaieteur News that the amount and quality of work being done to renovate the port since it began could have been done for US$5M – 30 times less than the US$150M (and counting) taxpayers are expected to foot.

The cause of this remains a contentious back-and-forth between the two major parties, whose governments the project spans. It was signed in 2011 under then President Bharrat Jagdeo, and then passed through the

truncated presidency of Donald Ramotar. When the David Granger administration took over in 2015, it claimed a very defective plan needed adjustments. Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson had said that upon assumption of office, the APNU+AFC administration had found that only seven percent of the work was completed, with claims for US$90M (more than half of the contract sum), casting aspersions on the PPP/C’s management of the project.

The adjustments were kept from the general public for several years. It was only after this newspaper ’s sustained exposure of several red flags related to the project that Patterson gave this explanation.

The PPP/C accused the Government of cutting corners to siphon monies for personal gain, and the Granger Government

returned similar accusations.

On top of that, Sharma had said in August last year that the quality of work done and materials procured by the Chinese contractor are below the expected standards, so much that the issue has caused a protraction of the completion and handing over of the project.

And even with the substandard work, he had revealed that the contractor spent more on certain aspects of the project than was laid out in the contract. However, he wouldn’t say whether the contractor spent more than the contract sum.

In January, Sharma had said that the Government

would decide whether to penalize the company for “breach of contract”. The Minister had already admitted to such a breach in 2019, but this did not appear to register to him this year.

The current Government had also said that it would not spend a cent more on the project, but that proved not to be true, as a change order seen by this newspaper indicates that the administration made at least one additional disbursement of GYD$6.8M for the “extra time delay and costs for the prolongation of the project” by 807 days. The order also indicates that it was a payment, not for the first, but the third claim made by the

contractor.

In January, Sharma had said that the Government expects a completion date in the first quarter of the year.

No such date was announced, even as the country traverses the third quarter of the year.

The project’s completion date has been pushed back repeatedly, so much that it now spans three governments, and is about to see itself taken over by a fourth government.

As the country waits on the completion of the project which fell way below expectations, taxpayers will have to repay a loan of US$138M to China, which forms part of the contract sum.

PAGE 14

Monday July 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

OVER ONE YEAR LATER…

Still no update on rape cover-up allegations against female cops, others After just over a year, police have given no word about the progress in an investigation into the alleged cover-up of a series of gang rapes by police ranks.

In March, police sources had confirmed that reports were sent several months ago to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) regarding alleged attempts by some ranks to subvert the course of justice.

In response to Kaieteur News, the office of the DPP confirmed that police had sent files on the alleged gang rapes for legal advice.

However, the statement did not address the issue of the investigation into the alleged attempts by some ranks to cover up the matter.

In the release, the DPP’s office stated that “pursuant to your published article headlined, “Six months later…file implicating cops in gang rape cover up still with DPP,” on page 13, Monday March 9, 2020, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions wishes to inform you that on 26th February 2019, it received four police files for legal advice from the Guyana Police Force for an alleged gang rape.

“The police files contained statements from three suspects and four victims. Based on the evidence contained in the four files, legal advice was given therein for the police to institute charges against one accused for the offences of rape, sexual assault and

simple larceny.

The four police files were returned to the Guyana Police Force on 26th February, 2019.

“The DPP’s Office further wishes to confirm that the accused was charged with the offence of Rape and placed before a magistrate.

The committal has been concluded and the accused is presently listed for trial before judge and jury in the Sexual Offences Court.

“The other matters involving the accused are presently receiving attention.”

In the March 9 article, Kaieteur News had stated that concern is being raised regarding the investigation regarding the police ranks. A policeman’s relative and civilians were accused of committing the series of rapes.

What is said to be a detained file reportedly implicates a retired policewoman, one of her female colleagues, and a policeman in the alleged cover-up of the crimes.

The report is said to include statements from a handwriting expert, who concluded that the retired female lance corporal forged the signatures of three of the victims.

The same rank is also accused of altering the young women’s statements to suggest that they had not identified their attackers. The victims had positively identified their attackers.

Two of the policewomen were attached to the Forces’ Sexual Offences Units.

Kaieteur News understands that some of the police ranks who were involved in aspects of the investigation claimed that their statements were switched.

The police expert reportedly verified that the handwriting in the altered statements matched samples of the female lance corporal’s handwriting.

A policeman who is related to one of the suspects is also accused of paying one of the victims $200,000 to settle the matter.

The female lance corporal from the Sexual Offences Unit is said to have acted as the go-between in handing over the ‘hush money’.

It is also alleged that one of the implicated policemen made a false statement in which he gave one of the suspects an alibi.

However, that statement contradicted another that the same rank entered into the station diary.

Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, said last July that the media will be informed of the findings of this and other investigations.

All of the implicated ranks have been transferred.

The victims, all in their teens, claim that the policeman’s son and two others, gang-raped and robbed them earlier last year, after they were duped into going on dates with one gang member who drives a car.

The teens said that although the matter was investigated and the

suspects apprehended, only one of the alleged rapists was charged.

They have suggested that policewomen who help in sex crime investigations, and who took their statements, were involved in the cover-up.

Kaieteur News was told that persons close to the alleged rapists gave one victim’s family some $200,000 to avoid prosecution.

It is reported that the alleged serial rapists, including the policeman’s relatives, moved around on a motorcycle and a car.

They allegedly contacted their victims via social media.

The gang would reportedly then arrange to

meet the unsuspecting young women. If a young woman responded, one of the gang members would take her for a ‘date’ in a car.

Unknown to the teen, two accomplices of their ‘date’ would be hiding in the car trunk.

The ‘date’ would take the teen to a secluded area, where his accomplices would emerge from the car trunk.

The men would then take turns raping the teen, before relieving her of her cell phone and other valuables.

All the attacks are said to have occurred at secluded areas on East Bank Demerara.

From reports reaching Kaieteur News, the gang slipped up when they

contacted another teen, who is a friend of one of the victims.

The young woman allegedly notified the police, who allegedly instructed the intended victim to meet her ‘date’ at a particular location while the ranks lay in wait.

The ‘date’ and his accomplices were arrested when they all turned up at the location. It is alleged that the investigation took a disturbing turn when the police ranks realised that one of the suspects was the son of a police rank.

While the victims allegedly identified all of the suspects, and also provided statements, only one of the men was charged.

Lethem teacher succumbs to COVID-19 complications - GPHC denies she contracted virus at hospital Officials from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) have refuted claims that 25-year-old Lethem teacher Donna Greaves contracted the virus while she was hospitalsied there.

Greaves succumbed at the GPHC’s Intensive Care Unit on Saturday and some of her relatives have claimed that she became infected at the GPHC. But in a statement issued yesterday, the GPHC said the corporation “notes and wishes to refute claims that Donna Greaves contracted COVID-19 while being a patient at our institution.

Expressing condolences to the woman’s spouse, the release added that “while our commitment to medical confidentiality restricts us from sharing details of Ms. Greaves’ clinical records, we maintain that these claims are furthest from the facts, and wish to state in a definitive manner that Donna Greaves did not contract COVID-19 at the GPHC. “We strongly condemn the proclivity to cast blame on our hard-working and dedicated doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers who continue to risk their lives daily to care for patients in the wake of a deadly pandemic.

This practice of demoralizing healthcare professionals must cease.

“The Corporation continues to practice strict protocols and quality control measures to eliminate transmission and maintain a safe space for our staff, patients, and visitors.

“The GPHC wishes to implore all Guyanese that COVID-19 is real and changing the national trajectory of the pandemic lies heavily in our ability to strictly adhere to the precautionary guidelines.

“We also invite the media to confirm facts with the Corporation prior to publishing inflammatory and panic-inducing articles.”

In a telephone interview yesterday, Franklin Greaves, the woman’s husband, said that his wife was first admitted to the Lethem Regional Hospital on Thursday, June 25, where she was being treated for anemia, hypertension and other medical ailments. She was hospitalized for two days before being transferred to the GPHC, Mr. Greaves said.

“Before she left, she was screened by the doctors there, she did a rapid test (for COVID-

Donna Greaves 19) and that came back negative.”

He said that a swab test was also done and his wife was transported to GPHC before the results were available.

“She never showed any signs of Covid19; she experienced shortness of breath, but we were told that it was a complication of her low blood count and oxygen levels,” Greaves said.

“She kept crying out for a severe sore throat moments before being admitted to the ICU and kept saying that she needed cough syrup or lime to help.”

He said that while in the ICU, his wife’s previous test results returned negative for COVID-19. However, doctors conducted another test which revealed that the woman was positive for the virus.

Mr. Greaves also said that tests were conducted on family members as well as staff of the Lethem Regional Hospital, and that the tests all returned negative. He said that while his wife had taken all precautions, including wearing a mask, while she was at Lethem and on her way to Georgetown.

Mr. Greaves said that he will be contacting officials at GPHC for more information on his wife’s demise.

Monday July 06, 2020

PAGE 19

Kaieteur News

GUYANESE HORROR FICTION KAMARANG…

Seeking help from the piaiman

By Michael Jordan When Laura Jones was five years old, she had gone to the vat at the back of the house in Bartica to draw water for Mother. She was just about to switch on the tap when she heard a highpitched, chirping sound. Her first thought was that one of the baby house-wrens had tumbled from the nest the mother bird had made in the roof. Excited, she put down Mother’s galvanized bucket and hurried to the clump of tall grass from which the sound was coming.

She had almost reached the spot when she saw the snake. It was about three feet long; thin and grey, with black stripes. To her childhood eyes it had seemed enormous. It looked like the type of snake that Brother Rudy called a horsewhip. He said that they weren’t poisonous, but that they could give you a stinging lash that made you sick for days.

And now she saw what was making the bird-like cries.

The snake had a small frog in its mouth; not the entire frog, just one of its back legs. The frog’s eyes were big with fright. It was trying to jump. Its mouth was wide open and from it came the birdlike sound She had always feared snakes, and now she could feel her stomach churning as she stared at the horsewhip, its tail seeming to twitch with pleasure as it sucked on the frog. She held the bucket, caught between her fear of the snake and a need to save the poor frog. And she might have remained there all day if Mother hadn’t called out to ask her what was taking her so long.

She’d filled the bucked and hurried upstairs, the desperate, Peep! Peep! Peep! ringing in her ears.

Afterwards, she had sneaked back outside, but the snake and the frog had vanished. Guilt had wracked her the entire day at her failure to rescue the frog, and she kept imagining she was hearing those desperate shrieks...

Laura Jones had not heard that sound in over thirty years. But that was the sound that had woken her from a strange, mixed-up dream, and the sound was in her house.

Now that she was fully awake, however, she realised that it wasn’t exactly the same sound. This was the sound of someone whimpering. It wasn’t her husband. He was in deep sleep. The whimpering was coming from Michael’s room.

She slipped out of bed, then headed for her son’s

room. She stood outside, hearing him whimpering, hearing the frantic creak of bedsprings. As she stood by the door, she was suddenly gripped by an irrational fear; partly for her son, partly for herself.

She took a deep breath and pushed the door.

Michael lay on his back, stripped to his briefs, the sheet tossed aside. He was twisting on the bed, his hips arching and undulating in a disturbingly sexual way that she did not associate with her son. His hands flailed as he made that weak, whimpering sound. An image flashed briefly, intensely in her head—so intensely that she gave a cry of terror—of something straddling Michael; something with long, thick, tangled hair; something with sickly pale skin like a lizard’s soft belly; something that was now aware of her presence and was demanding that she be gone.

But then her maternal instinct took over and she switched on the light.

Even as light flooded the room, came an image in her head of something flitting from beneath the mosquito net, to the furthest corner of

wide.

“Michael,” she said.

Recognition came gradually into his eyes, though the hint of terror was still there. There was the heavy scent of sweat and now she became aware of the unmistakable rank of semen.

“Michael, what happen to you?”

His eyes shifted away, then back to hers.

“Nuh…thing,” he said. ”You were groaning in your sleep.”

The dread she’d seen was back in his eyes. He averted his gaze.

“Nothing…” he mumbled.

“Jus’ a dream,” Again, she was struck at how thin he’d become. Was it her imagination, or did he look thinner than the day before?

She shook the thought away. “You woke me up, boy,” she said. “You feeling okay?”

“Yes,” he said, but even as he spoke, he was glancing across the room, glancing towards the corner where she thought she had seen a shadow-shape shift from his bed.

Her eyes followed his gaze, but there was nothing there, or course…

“I’m okay,” he said again,

the room.

She glanced in the corner—was there a hint of shadow there? —then hurried over to her son, who was now slumped on the bed, still making that weak, whimpering sound.

She reached under the net, shook him.

He scrambled awake with a stifled shriek, hands upraised in defence, eyes

and now he was slyly pulling the sheet to cover himself.

No, you’re not okay.

Something is bothering you.

Something is making you ill.

Something is very, very wrong.

“Michael, you mind if I put something under your pillow?”

Without waiting for him to answer, she returned to her room. Turing on the light, she

opened her small vanity drawer. She removed a Bible.

She stole a glance at her husband, but he was still asleep. He would be so mad at her...

But it was her son, too, and she knew what she felt and had sensed.

She opened the old book to The Twenty-Third Psalm, and returned to Michael’s room. He was still awake. She put the open Bible under his pillow. She remained until he eventually lapsed into sleep, then, leaving the light on, reluctantly left the room to return to her still-snoring, tired husband. * He left his sick leave form with a security guard at the Ministry’s front gate, then let the taxi driver take him to the Georgetown Hospital. He would have liked to have gone home and slept, even though he was afraid to sleep, afraid to dream.

He had to fix his sagging jeans as he climbed the long stairs to the Seaman’s Ward, the private wing to which the pork-knocker had been transferred. His heart was racing and he was blowing like an old man by the time he reached the top.

The door to Room Two was half-open and he could hear voices inside.

He took a deep breath … rapped.

Someone opened the door. He found himself staring at the same darkskinned woman that he’d seen at the pork-knocker’s bedside. She looked at him, puzzled. He caught a faint whiff of Limacol. And he was wondering what explanation he would give when she said: “You’re the boy.”

He nodded.

A sudden flash of s o m e t h i n g — fear…anger…quickly gone.

“Come inside,” she said, keeping the door open, withdrawing into the room.

The room was hot despite the fan by the bed. The smell of Limacol was stronger, but it failed to quite cover the smell of something that reminded Michael of rotting meat.

Doctor Moto stood by the doorknocker’s bed. Three Amerindian men stood nearby; one tiny, stooped, wizened; another, who appeared to be in his sixties, in a white jersey; the third was a tall, lean but muscular man with a military haircut. They all glanced around as he entered.

“Is the boy,” the woman said again, and he saw the middle-aged man’s eyes narrow, saw him touch a string of beads around his throat.

Cover design and illustrations by Harold Bascom Doctor Moto whispered something, and all four men came over to Michael.

“You are okay?” the doctor asked.

She was morning and I was night-time…

He nodded.

“You had the dreams last night?”

He nodded again.

Doctor Moto gestured towards the Amerindian man in the jersey. “This is Mr. Perez. I told him about you.”

Michael stared into a seamed face, into eyes that reflected a mixture of worry and resolve.

“Actually, it is Grandfather here who will look at you,” Perez said, gesturing towards the elderly, stooped man. “But first, we have to help Mr. Sealy.”

As if he had heard them, the pork-knocker emitted a groan, and Doctor Mootoo and the two men hurried over to his bed.

Sealey’s eyes were closed, but he was twisting his head from side to side. He was shirtless; and despite the fan, his body was soaked in perspiration. A saline tube was attached to his right arm.

He was wearing a pair of pyjama trousers, the trouser leg on the left side cut away to expose the injured limb.

Michael found his eyes drawn to the leg; black and bloated like some strange fruit rotting in the sun.

The woman took a bottle of Limacol from the small table nearby. She soaked a small rag and pressed it to the porkknocker’s forehead.

He groaned softly.

“Josephine…is you, Josephine?”

“Shhh, baby,” she said.

“Is Brenda…”

“Josephine,” he said

again. “We got to burn it down...burn it to the groundddd...”

“Yes baby,” Brenda said again.

The pork-knocker kept moaning for a few more minutes, then seemed to lapse into a semblance of sleep.

An awkward silence, then the woman, sitting on the bed, looked at Michael. “He been like this since he come in.

High fever, delirious…” she shook her head in a gesture of helplessness.

Nearby, Doctor Mootoo cleared his throat and said, “You don’t want to wait another day?”

She shook her head. “Is five days he here already.

Look at his foot, Doc! You really think a snake did that?

They say that they try everything, and now they say that they might have to—” She brushed at her eyes.

“Anyway, I already sign the discharge papers.”

“We have to try our way, Doc,” Perez said. “Brenda is right. He’s not getting better and I think we can help. Give us one day. If we fail, we bring him back.”

Doctor Mootoo looked from the man, to Brenda, to the sleeping pork-knocker.

“One day?”

Perez nodded. “I know that this could put you in trouble. You shouldn’t come—” “You know I got to be there, Tony.”

Michael glanced from the doctor, to the others in the room. What was going on?

Dr. Mootoo interrupted his thoughts. “I will go in my car.” He gave Brenda a brief hug, nodded at them, then stepped out of the room.

Continued on page 20

PAGE 20

Monday July 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

NGOs help post bail for Plaisance Seeking help from the piaiman woman accused of killing husband - after she spent one year on remand After spending more than a year on remand for allegedly killing her reputed husband, the bail have been raised for twenty-five-year-old Melissa Playter, a mother of three of 41 Prince William Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara.

The CEO of” You Are Not Alone” (YANA) Foundation, Melissa Atwell and Women and Gender Equality Commissioner, Vanda Radik earlier this year embarked on a campaign to raise funds to secure Playter’s pretrial liberty via a bail application to the High Court.

As such, they were able to secure donations of over $700,000. Playter ’s application for bail is expected to be heard on Tuesday.

Playter was charged in December 2018 for the murder of Victor Roberts the father of her youngest child. However, with the help of her attorney, Sanjeev Datadin, the charge was later reduced to manslaughter.

Playter made her first appearance in the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Alisha George on December 5, 2018. The indictable offence stated that on December 2, 2018, at 41 Prince William Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, she murdered Victor Roberts, 38, her reputed husband.

According to information on the day in question, Playter and Roberts had an argument at their residence. She then stabbed Roberts, once, to the region of the heart with a knife.

Roberts was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation

ACCUSED: Melissa Playter (GPHC). The matter was then reported and Playter was arrested.

According to reports, Playter had suffered physical abuse at the hands of her spouse.

From page 19 Silence again, broken by the Amerindian called Perez.

“When you say the ambulance will be ready?”

“Another ten minutes,” Brenda said.

“Which hospital you taking him to?” The words slipped out before Michael knew what he was going to ask.

The woman looked at him.

“We not taking him to another hospital. We taking him home.” * “Miss Brenda is right,” Tony Perez said. “A snake didn’t bite Mr. Sealey. A snake would have four punctures.

This one has six. Not snake.

Not scorpion. Not anything that I know.”

He paused to fill a glass from a mug of iced water that Brenda had brought to the living room table, where they were all sitting after entering the pork-knocker’s Hadfield Street, Lodge home.

An elderly man who was leaning on a cane, and seemed to be recovering from a stroke, had opened the front door for them.

Doctor Mootoo was already seated inside when they arrived. Brenda had directed t h e h o s p i t a l porters, bearing Sealey on a stretcher, to a bedroom close to the front door.

Someone had placed an arch of woven troolie leaves above the bedroom doorway.

Immediately after the porters left, Perez, the silent one with the military haircut (Michael would later learn that he was an army sergeant, and Perez’s cousin), and the old Amerindian man had entered the room where the pork-knocker lay. They had spoken briefly, then came into the living room.

Waiting for Perez to continue, Michael now observed that both Perez and the old man that they called Grandfather had an array of fresh, tiny cuts on their arms.

The old man wore a beaded necklace with an oval pendant that was shaped into a frog with gleaming, crystals eyes. Both men smelt strongly of tobacco. He recalled that

tobacco played a part in Amerindian rituals.

We are bringing him home…

There was a sense of something ominous to come—but no, it couldn’t be what he was thinking. This was nineteen seventy-eight.

Doctor Mootoo was here. But it was this same Doctor Mootoo who seemed to believe that Lucille, with those soft, sweet lips, was some sort of— Perez interrupted his thoughts.

“That thing that bit Mr. Sealey. We think that your woman sent it, and that she sent the same thing to a girl at Kamarang…”

Sent…he had never known that such a simple word could take on such sinister meaning.

“Sent —how?”

“Like a-a bina ... a—spell.”

Perez said, saying it so easily, as if casting spells was akin to breathing.

In his mind he was seeing her; in her lamp-lit room, with her hair loose, standing naked before the mirror. It was easy to imagine that she had some sort of bewitching power…but this?

Perez was nodding at him.

“So, you saw the dai dai…you saw it up close and you lived.”

Perez paused, as if to let the words sink in. “I know how hard it is to believe in these things. But the dai dai is real.”

Perez’s sinewy fingers tighten around the glass. “I need you to tell me everything about her. She gave you anything to eat...to drink?”

“Just some pepperpot and cassiri.”

Perez nodded. “But she not poisoning you, or you would have been dead by now. But I think she wants you dead.”

Again, he felt that shiver run through him.

“Why me?”

Perez was staring at him, but his thoughts seemed far away. “The things that are attacking you are from our legends; the dai dai…and maybe the girl. Maybe especially the girl.”

He sighed. “We got to protect you, and save Mr. Sealey, and we got to stop her.”

He saw Perez’s eyes shift to a corner near the front door, then shift guiltily away, but not before Michael saw what he was looking at: a faded, patched duffel bag. The shining muzzles of two double-barrel shotguns protruded from it.

He stared into the old man’s eyes, saw guilt, mixed with fear and resolve.

He realised that he was shaking his head, unwilling to accept the thought that the shotguns conjured in his mind.

“Stop… her…?”

Perez didn’t answer.

“You mean… kill her?”

He looked around at the five adults in the room. He saw the same mingling of guilt, fear, and a firmness of purpose.

“You going to murder her because you believe that she is some sort of…” He shook his head again. He stared at Doctor Mootoo, seeking help. The doctor stared down at the floor. Benda’s eyes were bright with tears, but she said nothing.

An overwhelming sadness engulfed him; for himself, for the dying porkknocker, for these adults who loved this pork-knocker so much that they had taken him out of a hospital to try some desperate, insane thing.

Most of all, he felt despair for Lucille, despite what they said she might be. With it came an image of Perez entering the Ritz, shotgun in hand, vengeance in his eyes, cornering the girl as she sat by the punch-box.

He scrambled up from his seat, half-blinded by tears, intent on heading for the doorway.

But Perez was blocking his path, staring imploringly at him. “No, young one. We need you to stay. We need your help.”

“To kill her?”

“To see…and understand.”

“Understand what?”

“Stay … stay, ‘till sundown.”

Monday July 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 21

PAGE 22

Kaieteur News

Monday July 06, 2020

New Amsterdam man stabbed to death over ‘stolen’ Guinness WANTED Cook, Georgetown. Boys & Girls for the interior. Tel#6609093 SERVICES

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A row over a bottle of Guinness led to a 23-year-old Angoys Avenue, New Amsterdam Labourer being stabbed to death last Friday in Pope Street, New Amsterdam.

Dead is Nickosie Vankenie while the suspect, a security guard, is in custody.

Reports are that the two men were imbibing near a shop in Angoys Avenue when an argument erupted over a bottle of Guinness.

Based on information provided to this publication by a friend of the victim, Vankenie had left his Guinness on a stand and the security guard allegedly picked up the bottle and began to consume the contents.

An argument ensued and Vankenie allegedly demanded he be given a “fresh bottle of Guinness.” It was then that the security guard stabbed Vankenie to his neck and abdomen.

The suspect left the scene while Vankenie was admitted to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).He succumbed around 09:30hrs yesterday.

Vankenie reportedly lives with an uncle since his mother is stuck in Antigue due to the closure of the airports.

Nickosie Vankenie His alleged killer was apprehended about 13:00hrs yesterday.

Monday July 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Mobile emergency response and enforcement teams to be posted countrywide – Task Force Mobile emergency response and enforcement teams are to be established throughout the country to enforce COVID-19 emergency measures.

This was disclosed by the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) Secretariat’s Operations Director, Mark Archer during a virtual press briefing.

The team will comprise members of the Guyana Police Force and the Ministry of Public Health.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Guyana is rising sharply again and within the past few days, there have been more deaths. This has been attributed to persons not adhering to the emergency measures outlined by the Ministry of Public Health and the NCTF. To date, Guyana has 272 confirmed cases and 15 deaths.

Noting that there needs to be more enforcement of the emergency measures,

Archer disclosed that “a directive was given to the Ministry of Public Security to establish a special unit to enforce not only measures such as the curfew but also to go into the new hotspots in our interior regions so that we can bring an end to some of the lawlessness that is happening in some of the mining camps.”

He explained that boat landings, bridges, roadways, mining and logging camps and villages where there are reports of persons not adhering to the curfew and social distancing, will be targeted. The same will be done in Georgetown.

Additionally, officials in Santa Rosa, Moruca, Region One have implemented a 14day lockdown due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases.

There will also be a partial lockdown in the Upper Mazaruni, Region Seven beginning from July 7, 2020.

Monday July 06, 2020

Monday July 06, 2020

PAGE 25

Kaieteur News

Hamilton and other F1 drivers take a knee in Austria SPIELBERG, Austria (Reuters) - Six times world champion Lewis Hamilton and a majority of Formula One’s 20 drivers took a knee on the starting grid before yesterday’s season-opening Austrian Grand Prix.

The sport’s only Black driver, an outspoken campaigner against racial injustice and for greater diversity, wore a black T-shirt with ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the front and ‘End Racism’ on the back.

Hamilton appeared to be the only driver with ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the front of his shirt as they gathered before the anthem at the Red Bull Ring. The others wore ones with the message ‘End Racism’.

The knee protest was popularised by San Francisco

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016 and has gained steam following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis in May. Television images showed six drivers standing behind the 14 who knelt, including Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Both had already explained their positions on social media.

“I believe that what matters are facts and behaviours in our daily life rather than formal gestures that could be seen as controversial in some countries,” Leclerc said on Twitter.

“I will not take the knee but this does not mean at all that I am less committed than others in the fight against racism.”

Drivers display their own interpretation of a stance against racism. (Reuters)

Verstappen, winner in Austria for the past two years and on the front row of the grid, said he was also committed to equality and the fight

Monday July 06, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your Florence Nightingale side might make an appearance today, Aries. Your default defense is to take care of yourself and others.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Today is a terrific day for you, Taurus. You'll find that you can get quite a bit done using your quick mind and sharp wit. Information is flying fast and furious.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Often, we ask ourselves, "Why me?" You might feel like you ask yourself this question more than anyone else, Gemini. Your life probably seems at times like a roller-coaster ride that never ends.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) You may find your brain buzzing around like a bee today, Cancer. This is good.

There's a great deal of information that you need to process now.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Don't automatically assume that you can work out all your problems by yourself, Leo. Just the act of talking things over with others can help shed light on a situation that was baffling you earlier.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22) Get up early and get working, Virgo. You have a lot of emotional and physical energy that should help you accomplish whatever you need to do.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Feel free to speak up today, Libra. Perhaps no one has heard your point of view in a while. It's probably important for them to hear it. Just because people don't ask for your opinion, that doesn't mean it isn't valid.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Someone has turned on the fan and papers are flying everywhere, Scorpio. The pace of things is picking up and you're scrambling to pick up the pieces.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) No one is going to be catering to your needs today, Sagittarius, so get up and do things on your own. You'll find that there is little sympathy from others, and strong opinions are a dime a dozen.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Listen closely to the wind, for the answers are blowing around right in front of you today, Capricorn. Contact people you haven't heard from in a while.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You might find yourself sidestepping in order to avoid a commitment today, Aquarius.

Don't keep giving someone the runaround. Be strong and let people know your thoughts even if you think their feelings will be hurt.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You're at a dramatic climax in your monthly emotional cycle today, Pisces. It's possible that you'll erupt like a volcano.

against racism.

“But I believe everyone has the right to express themself at a time and in a way that suits them. I will not take

the knee today but respect and support the personal choices every driver makes,” said the Dutch 22-year-old.

Formula One posted a clip

of the drivers on Twitter with the words: “End Racism. One cause. One commitment. As individuals, we choose our own way to support the cause. As a group of drivers and a wider F1 family, we are united in its goal.”

BCCI ethics officer...

From page 27 then I have to afford an opportunity to him (Kohli) to respond.”Gupta had previously filed conflict of interest complaints against Sachin Te n d u l k a r a n d V V S Laxman and also Rahul Dravid. In each of those instances, the ethics officer had served notices based on the complaints, but the former cricketers were eventually cleared.

Windies taking nothing for ...

From page 31 we’re pretty familiar with conditions … so it’s about focussing on what we need to do right now. We need to go out there, stick to our game plans, remain focussed and obviously bowl the way we know how to bowl.”

The first Test bowls off here at the Ageas Bowl on Wednesday.

Travel quarantine...

From page 29 in August.The World Snooker Championships, major darts, horse racing and other sporting events should also be positively impacted.

Dowden said: “I’m very pleased that we’ve agreed exemptions from border health measures for a limited number of athletes and events staff, which means the British summer of sport is back on.”

PAGE 26

Monday July 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

Bottas wins dramatic Austrian opener (Reuters) - Valtteri Bottas won an action-packed Austrian Grand Prix for champions Mercedes yesterday as Formula One started its delayed season with plenty of drama, if no spectators, in a race with only 11 finishers.

Charles Leclerc finished a surprise second for Ferrari with McLaren’s Lando Norris celebrating a first podium after a time penalty dropped Mercedes’ six times world champion Lewis Hamilton to fourth.

“I managed to keep it together and control the race from my side and it’s a good start to the season,” said Finn Bottas, who had to keep his cool through three safety car periods.

Norris, at 20 the youngest driver in the race and now the youngest Briton to stand on an F1 podium, also set the fastest lap.

The race, on a sunny afternoon at the scenic Red Bull Ring was held in front of empty grandstands and no fans for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spaniard Carlos Sainz made it a double points haul for McLaren in fifth, with Sergio Perez sixth for Racing

Point and Pierre Gasly seventh for AlphaTauri.

Esteban Ocon, who last raced in 2018, took eighth for Renault on his return while Antonio Giovinazzi bagged ninth for Alfa Romeo and Sebastian Vettel, who had another nightmare, completed the top 10 for Ferrari.

Canadian Nicholas Latifi was the last car running with 11th for Williams.

HAMILTON BREACH There was drama even before the race when stewards performed a U-turn after a Red Bull challenge and dropped Hamilton from the front row to fifth on the grid for a breach in Saturday’s qualifying.

That also promoted Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to the front row alongside Bottas on pole position.Any hopes the Dutch youngster had of completing a hat-trick of Austrian wins, after 2018 and 2019, disappeared when he suffered an early technical problem and became the season’s first retirement.

In a race with three safety car periods, Bottas soon had Hamilton in his mirrors but the Briton’s challenge vanished when he was handed a fivesecond time penalty for caus-

ing a collision with Red Bull’s Alex Albon while defending second place.

The Thai spun off into the gravel, his podium hopes shattered.

Leclerc, whose team had struggled in qualifying with Sebastian Vettel failing even to make the top 10, moved up to third against all expectations — which became second after the chequered flag.

“I did not expect it. A huge surprise, but a good one,” said the Monegasque. “It feels like a victory today.”

Racing Point’s Mexican Perez, who had run as high as third in the 2019 Mercedes lookalike, lost fourth place to Norris two laps from the end but was already carrying a time penalty for exceeding the pit lane speed limit.

Anyone who had feared Mercedes running away in a race of their own, after the champions dominated practice and qualifying, need not have worried.

Mercedes, their cars changed from silver to black as part of an anti-racism campaign, fretted about gearbox sensors and warned both drivers to keep clear of the kerbs.

There may have been no proper podium or thousands of cheering fans but the champagne was still flowing. (Reuters)

Kusal Mendis arrested after being involved in fatal road accident ESPNcricinfo - Sri Lanka cricketer Kusal Mendis has been arrested after the vehicle he was driving hit and killed a 64-year-old cyclist at around 5am yesterday.

The police media unit confirmed the accident had occurred in Panadura, just south of Colombo, and that the victim had been a local resident who sustained serious injuries and died as he was being admitted to hospital.

Mendis will appear before the Panadura magistrate - likely in the next 48 hours - while police conduct an investigation.

The initial police statement made no mention of whether either Mendis or the victim were under the influence of alcohol.

As Sri Lanka’s lockdowns and curfew have now ceased, Mendis was allowed to be on the road at the time.

He had been part of Sri Lanka’s residential training camp at Pallekele, which ended on Wednesday.

Mendis had been part of Sri Lanka’s residential training camp at Pallekele, which ended on Wednesday. (AFP)

PUMA adds Omar McLeod to #Foreverfaster roster

Omar McLeod

Sports Max - Olympic 110-metre hurdles champion, Omar McLeod, is now a PUMA athlete, making the move from Nike, with whom he had been contracted since 2015.McLeod made the announcement himself on Instagram on Friday, saying: “happy to be part of the #foreverfaster family.”

McLeod burst onto the scene in 2015, lowering his personal best of 13.44 to 12.97, setting the national record for the first time and

becoming the national champion.A year later, McLeod was winning the World Indoor title, running the 60-metre hurdles in 7.41 seconds.He would finish sixth at the World Championships. In another year, McLeod would make history for Jamaica, running 13.05 seconds to claim Olympic gold. He would add a World Championship gold to his Olympic title the following year, but was unable to defend that title in 2019 after clipping a hurdle.

Monday July 06, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Liverpool maintain 100 percent home record with 2-0 win over Villa

Liverpool’s Curtis Jones scores their second goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (REUTERS/Carl Recine /Pool) LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Liverpool made it 17 wins out of 17 at Anfield after goals by Sadio Mane and Curtis Jones handed the champions a 2-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League yesterday which pushed Dean Smith’s side deeper into trouble.

Following their 4-0 mauling at the hands of Manchester City on Thursday, Juergen Klopp’s side struggled to

break down a determined Villa.

Klopp fielded another strong side but with the ground empty and the title already in the bag, there was a lack of edge to Liverpool’s play.

The visitors’ were solid and organised and could even have gone ahead in the 52nd minute when Anwar El Ghazi forced a fine save out of Alisson.

But Mane broke the dead-

lock in the 71st minute, meeting a low ball from Naby Keita with a firm shot that rattled in off the underside of the crossbar.

Substitute Jones scored the second, a minute from the end, with the 19 year old hooking home after Mohamed Salah headed an Andy Robertson cross into his path.

The goal was Jones’ first in the Premier League and

Romania’s Halep hopes to play in Palermo next month (Reuters) - Romanian women’s world number two Simona Halep hopes to take part in next month’s Palermo Open, the first WTA event to be held after the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, she said yesterday.

“I have not yet made a clear decision but I hope to start with Palermo,” last year’s Wimbledon champion Halep told reporters in the Romanian city of ClujNapoca before her return to the court after a four-and-ahalf-month absence.

“It’s hard without tournaments, I miss them, I hope we can travel quietly and without fear soon, because it’s a little worrying.

“My life has changed, everything is different. But the fact that I didn’t travel a lot was also a good thing, because I rested a lot, I wanted this. I hope all the madness is over.”

The 28-year-old Halep has not played since her win over Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Feb. 22.

Halep agreed to partici-

Romania’s Simona Halep in action during the Dubai Tennis Championships final against Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina.

(REUTERS/Satish Kumar Subramani) pate in an exhibition doubles match in Cluj-Napoca on Sunday, teaming up with her compatriot Horia Tecau.

“I miss playing and I really enjoy participating in this tournament,” she said.

The WTA season will return on Aug. 3 with the Palermo event with

organisers hopeful of inviting some of the world’s best players.

Last month Halep said she does not currently plan to play the U.S. Open.

Halep, however, said she could reconsider if the pandemic situation improved by the entry deadline in mid-July.

Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum in action with Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (Shaun Botterill / Pool via REUTERS) nine games. came a day after he signed a pacted the game. new five-year contract with the club.

“That’s Curtis in a nutshell. He signed a new contract yesterday which is good for him and good for us. We’ll have a lot of fun with him,” said Klopp.

Liverpool are now unbeaten in their last 57 Premier League home games with 47 wins and 10 draws and they have won 24 home games in a row.Klopp said the blustery conditions at Anfield had im-

“It was a very difficult game for different reasons.

Villa are obviously organised and made it tricky for us. The wind made it tricky for both but it was really hard to play normal football,” said the German.

Villa, who have now lost 20 games, remain deep in relegation trouble, in 18th place on 27 points and they have yet to win since the resumption of the season, their winless streak going back

“I don’t want to be a valiant loser because we are scrapping for points and we are running out of games. But I thought the game plan and the effort was excellent... but we never found that quality in the final third,” said Smith.

Sunday 5th July 2020 Results: Burnley 1 - Sheff Utd 1 Newcastle 2 - West Ham 2 Liverpool 2 - Aston Villa 0 Southampton 1 - Man City 0

BCCI ethics officer receives conflict of interest complaint against Virat Kohli ESPNcricinfo - A conflict of interest complaint has been filed against Virat Kohli for his positions in two business ventures.

Complainant Sanjeev Gupta, a life member of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, wrote an email to BCCI ethics officer-cum-ombudsman Justice (retd) DK Jain and a number of BCCI executives, including president Sourav Ganguly and CEO Rahul Johri, arguing that Kohli’s various posts were in violation of the BCCI constitution. In his complaint filed on July 4, Gupta said that Kohli’s co-directors at Virat Kohli Sports (LLP) and Cornerstone Venture Partners (LLP) were also directors in Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment Private Limited, a talent agency that contracts Indian cricketers and handles their branding and commercial interests. Justice Jain said he was examining the complaint.

“Shri Virat Kohli is occupying two posts at a time in blatant violation to BCCI Rule 38 (4) approved by Supreme Court Of India. As such, he must relinquish his one post

Sanjeev Gupta has alleged that Virat Kohli’s various posts were in violation of the BCCI constitution. (Getty Images) at once in compliance. His two posts are covered as under: A - 38(4)(a) - Player and B 38(4)(o) - Contractual Entity, to be read with BCCI Rule 38(1) (iii),” Gupta’s complaint said.

Rule 38(4) of the BCCI constitution prevents individuals from holding more than one of 16 posts: player (current), selector/member of cricket committee, team official, commentator, match official, administrator/office bearer, electoral officer, ombudsman & ethics officer, au-

ditor, any person who is governance, management or employee of a franchisee, member of a standing committee, CEO & managers, office Bearer of a Member (state association), service provider (legal, financial etc.), contractual entity (broadcast, security, contractor etc.) and owner of cricket academy.

“I have received a complaint,” Justice Jain told PTI on Sunday. “I will examine it and then see if the case is made out or not. If yes, (Continued on page 25)

PAGE 28

Monday July 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

Bayern Munich win 20th German Cup to complete double him and over the goal line on 59 minutes.

It fired life into Leverkusen, whose centreback Sven Bender slipped his marker Leon Goretzka and headed home on 64 minutes.

Leverkusen nearly got a second moments later when Kevin Volland and Havertz both failed to connect with a cross.

Lewandowski claimed his second when he fired home

Ivan Perisic’s pass on 89 minutes.Bayern defender Alphonso Davies conceded the penalty in the fourth minute of added time which Havertz converted just before the whistle.

193 Pro-athletes to benefit from World Athletics fund Manchester United’s French striker Anthony Martial (left) celebrates with trophy and teammates after winning the championship. (Photo: AFP) BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Robert Lewandowski passed the 50-goal mark this season as Bayern Munich completed the double with a 4-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen behind closed doors to win a 20th German Cup. Bundesliga champions Bayern dominated at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium as David Alaba smashed home an early free kick before Serge Gnabry added the second goal in the first half.

Lewandowski has 51 goals in total this season after scoring twice in the second half either side of a Sven Bender header for Leverkusen.

Kai Havertz converted a penalty deep into added time for Leverkusen.

Bayern, crowned Bundesliga champions for the eighth-straight year last Saturday, have won all of their

11 games since the season resumed in mid-May after a two-months hiatus due to the coronavirus.

They could finish the season winning the treble as they are among the favourites for the Champions League finals in Lisbon next month.

This was the 13th time in the club’s history they have won the double.

Lewandowski, crowned Bundesliga top-scorer for the fifth time last weekend, netted six times in the cup, has 34 league goals and 11 more in the Champions League this season.

Leverkusen completed a hat-trick of defeats after also losing the 2002 and 2009 cup finals in Berlin.

When Lewandowski was clattered by defender Edmond Tapsoba on 16 minutes, it was Alaba who swung the resulting free kick inside the post to give Bayern the

opening goal.

They doubled their lead after Joshua Kimmich won the ball in midfield eight minutes later.

His pass split the defence, Gnabry sprinted onto the ball and fired past Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky to make it 2-0 at the break.

With players’ calls echoing around the near-empty terraces of the cavernous stadium, where Germany head coach Joachim Loew was one of a handful of guests, the tempo dropped after the break.

Having skied a shot at goal moments earlier, Lewandowski made it 3-0 when he controlled a clearance kick by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and tried a long-range speculative shot at Hradecky.

The Leverkusen ‘keeper parried the shot, but watched in horror as it rolled behind

World Athletics and the International Athletics Foundation (IAF) have announced that 193 athletes from 58 member federations will be offered one-time grants of US$3000 through an Athlete Welfare Fund announced in April to help support professional athletes experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Initially totalling US$500,000 when its creation was announced on 28 April, generous contributions since have made US$600,000 ultimately available to athletes in need.

The IAF received 261 eligible applications by the May 31 deadline. These applications were evaluated by the IAF to ensure they met the eligibility criteria, under the oversight of an expert working group, chaired by World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. To be eligible, athletes had to be qualified for selection

for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (by entry standard), had to be able to demonstrate a justifiable welfare need through significant loss of income in 2020 compared to 2019, and must never have had an anti-doping violation.

Athletes ranked in the top six on the World Rankings, those who finished in the top six in any Gold Label Road race in 2019, and those who earned more than US$6000 in prize money from the 2019 Diamond League were not eligible to apply in order to help focus support to those most in need.

The Foundation expects to begin making payments to athletes as early as this month.

Members of the working group included Olympic champion and 1500m world record-holder Hicham El Guerrouj, Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi (representing the WA Athletes’ Commission), WA Ex-

ecutive Board members Sunil Sabharwal (Audit, Risk & Finance Committee) and Abby Hoffman, WA Council members Adille Sumariwalla, Beatrice Ayikoru and Willie Banks, IAF Executive Committee member and former WA treasurer Jose Maria Odriozola and Team Athletics St Vincent and the Grenadines President Keith Joseph.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe expressed, “My thanks to all the working group members for their input throughout this process over the last two months, and since they all agreed to be part of this working group at the end of April when we announced the fund.

The group’s contribution, particularly at the outset to shape the criteria and fund focus, has meant we’ll be able to get money quickly to those athletes most in need through a robust but simple process.”

10-man Bologna hits back to stun Inter Milan

Musa Barrow struck the winner as Bologna came from behind to beat Inter Milan.

(Getty Images) BBC Sport - The 10 men of Bologna staged a stunning comeback to deny Inter Milan the chance to move within a point of secondplaced Lazio in Serie A. Musa Barrow struck the winner from inside the box late on, just six minutes after

Musa Juwara equalised.

Romelu Lukaku had opened the scoring when he tapped in the rebound after Lautaro Martinez’s header hit the post.Martinez missed the chance to double his side’s lead from the spot, after Bologna’s Roberto Soriano

was sent off.Both sides finished with 10 men as Alessandro Bastoni was shown a second yellow card with the score poised at 11.Antonio Conte’s Inter remain third in the table, four points behind Lazio, while Bologna move up to ninth.

Monday July 06, 2020

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

Ramos penalty again proves the difference as Real win in Bilbao

BILBAO (Reuters) Sergio Ramos was once again Real Madrid’s hero from the penalty spot as his side beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0 away from home yesterday for a seventh consecutive victory which saw them wrap their tentacles ever tighter around the La Liga title.

The hard-fought win took Zinedine Zidane’s side on to 77 points after 34 games, seven clear of second-placed Barca who visit in-form Villarreal later yesterday.

Ramos had converted a late spot-kick against Getafe in Real’s last match and the centre back once again showed nerves of steel by firing into the bottom corner in the 73rd minute to score a fifth goal in seven matches.

“I feel most comfortable during moments of the highest tension so I think I’m the ideal person to take on the responsibility at a moment like this,” said match-winner Ramos.

“The only thing I was thinking about when taking the penalty was how important it was to get the three

points.”Zidane also paid tribute to his captain’s expertise from the spot.

“Sergio is a specialist, he stays behind after training to practise penalties and his ability in taking them gives us a real boost,” added the Real coach.

Athletic’s San Mames is one of the toughest away trips in Spain and the Basques have beaten Barcelona twice there this season in the league and Copa del Rey. Real also faced a gruelling match even without any fans in the stadium, as the Basques continually closed them down and subjected them to their usual aerial bombardment.Raul Garcia forced Real keeper Thibaut Courtois into a fine early save while Inaki Williams also proved a handful for the visitors.

Zidane’s side meanwhile missed three good opportunities before the break, with Rodrygo and Karim Benzema missing the target with closerange headers and Dani Carvajal bungling a pass which would have handed

Benzema an open goal.

They finally found a way through when Marcelo sprinted into the area and had his foot clipped by the stray boot of Dani Garcia.

The referee went across to the pitchside monitor to review the play before pointing to the spot.

Athletic had a late penalty shout when Ramos appeared to tread on Raul Garcia later on but the incident was not reviewed and Zidane’s side clung on for a third consecutive 1-0 win, maintaining their flawless run since the season resumed after the coronavirus stoppage.

The home side’s captain Iker Muniain was angry at what he felt was unfair treatment from the referee.

“We deserved a little more. We have seen in the last few weeks how things are and which teams get awarded these penalties,” he said.

“Everyone can draw their own conclusions but Raul told us that he was trodden on. The difference is that their play was reviewed and ours was not.”

Reports: Burns out of UFC 251, Masvidal could replace

Gilbert Burns is “not feeling well” and has been removed from the UFC 251 main event on July 11, multiple outlets reported Saturday.

Later Saturday, ESPN reported that while Burns will not fight welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC’s Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, there are “active negotiations” to book Usman and Jorge Masvidal as the new main event.

According to ESPN, negotiations for Usman-Masvidal “aren’t close to being finalized yet, but they are ongoing and both sides believe there is a path to making this fight happen.” Masvidal passed a coronavirus antibody test on Saturday, the report added, though he would require further testing to be approved for the fight.

UFC and Masvidal were unable to reach an agreement in negotiations in recent months, which led to Burns’ placement in the title fight.

Masvidal was critical of UFC after the fact, but it appears some fences have been mended.Burns, 33, appeared to confirm his removal, writing on Twitter, “... not feeling well but I’m going to win this battle! Stay safe out there!

Much love.”

According to ESPN, nei-

Jorge Masvidal celebrates winning the fight against Darren Till.

(REUTERS/ Matthew Childs)

ther Burns nor Usman were on the UFC charter flight that was scheduled to depart from Las Vegas to Abu Dhabi late Friday night.

Burns (19-3) has won his last six fights, including a unanimous decision against former welterweight champ Tyron Woodley at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on May 30.

Masvidal (35-13) has won

three straight fights, most recently against Nate Diaz at UFC 244 in November.

Whether or not UsmanMasvidal happens, UFC 251 has two other title fights on the docket, with Alexander Volkanovski facing Max Holloway for the featherweight title and Petr Yan battling Jose Aldo for the bantamweight belt.

(Field Level Media)

Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos scores their first goal from the penalty spot, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (REUTERS/Vincent West)

Travel quarantine rules relaxed for top sports events in England MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Participants in major upcoming sports events in England will be exempt from travel quarantine rules, Britain’s Culture Secretary has said.

The British government announced on Friday that it would end the 14-day coronavirus quarantine for people arriving in England from more than 50 countries, including Germany, France, Spain and Italy - but not the United States.

Yet Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said new rules will allow exemptions for people involved in sport as well as film and television production.

“Sporting authorities, event organisers and the screen industry will need to follow Government covid secure guidance and put in place stringent protocols to ensure that they have a minimal impact on public health,” the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said in a statement.

“Exempted individuals will live and work in controlled “bubbled” environments behind closed doors.”

The steps will help events such as the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, with the track staging two Formula One races this year on Aug. 2 and 9.The exemptions, along with the creation of ‘corridors’ for a number of countries, will also ease the way for cricket and golf and should allow Manchester City to host their Champions League last-16 home leg against Real Madrid (Continued on page 25)

Britain’s Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden holds the daily COVID-19 briefing at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain June 17, 2020. (Pippa Fowles/ 10 Downing Street/Handout via REUTERS)

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Monday July 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

‘Sci-fi’ England-Windies opener a new frontier for Test cricket

AFP - It will be Test cricket but not as we’ve known it when England face the West Indies in the opening match of a “bio-secure” series at Southampton starting on Wednesday.

With the coronavirus pandemic having brought the world game to a halt in March, there were fears this three-Test campaign might

also fall victim to COVID-19.

But, with the West Indies agreeing to go ahead despite Britain’s virus death toll of over 44,000 being the highest in Europe, the series is set to mark cricket’s return from lockdown instead.

However, a number of antivirus measures mean next week’s match will look like few others in 143 years of Test-

match history.

For a start, both sides will be staying at on-site hotels at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl and Old Trafford in Manchester — the venue for the second and third Tests — in a series originally scheduled for elsewhere in England in June.

England have already settled in at the Ageas Bowl,

NBA releases restart scrimmage schedule The NBA on Saturday released the scrimmage schedule for the upcoming 22-team restart.

From July 22-28, each team will compete in three inter-squad scrimmages at the ESPN Wide of Sports Complex near Orlando to prepare for the resumption of the season on July 30.

There will be three to six scrimmages per day on multiple courts.

The Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers tip off the action on July 22 at 3 p.m.

ET.Also playing on the first day are the Washington Wizards and Denver Nuggets (3:30 p.m. ET), the New Orleans Pelicans and Brooklyn

The NBA logo is displayed as people pass by the NBA Store in New York City, U.S., October 7, 2019. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid) Nets (7 p.m.) and the Sacramento Kings and Miami Heat (8 p.m.).

Teams are scheduled to arrive in Florida from July 7-9.

(Field Level Media)

where they played a three-day intra-squad match this week as the West Indies continued their preparations at Old Trafford.

- ‘Back at school’ Mark Wood, the England fast bowler, said the environment, “feels a bit like a sci-fi movie”, with players subjected to repeated health checks.

“There is hand sanitiser at every turn, and on the floor there are arrows, lines and footprints to show the way to go,” Wood told the BBC. He added meal times were “like being back at school”, with players at individual desks “looking at the back of the person in front”.

But perhaps the most visible change will be the lack of any spectators.

For a while sparse crowds are not unknown in Test cricket — particularly when Pakistan play ‘home’ games in the United Arab Emirates — this series will be a completely behind closed doors affair.

That does help officials to honour lucrative broadcast contracts and so eliminate a ‘nightmare scenario’ of no

cricket at all this season that, according to its own estimates, could cost the England and Wales Cricket Board £252 million ($309 million).

Meanwhile, Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt insisted a $3 million loan from the ECB was a “helping hand” at a time of economic crisis rather than a condition of touring England.

Quite how the lack of atmosphere, as well as being cooped up on the ground at night, will affect the players is uncertain, with West Indies captain Jason Holder admitting he would miss England’s loudest fans.

“I enjoy playing in front of the Barmy Army, to not hear them sing, to not hear them chant will take some getting used to,” he said.

England batsman Ollie Pope, however, was adamant the teams would have no trouble in maintaining the standards associated with cricket’s pinnacle format.

“Even if there’s not a single person in the crowd it’s still what we all dreamt of doing,” he said.

“When that Test match starts up, crowd or no crowd,

you are going to be really up for it.”Players will be barred from using saliva to shine the ball, although overhead conditions could still mean there’s swing for the faster bowlers.

The series will also take place against the backdrop of recent worldwide Black Lives Matter protests, with both teams set to have a BLM logo on their shirts.

But amid all the changes, which includes provision for virus substitutes if required, there will be a return to cricket’s past.

Travel restrictions mean there are set to be two onfield home umpires in a Test for the first time since 2002 when the International Cricket Council made neutral match officials mandatory in the five-day game.

Yet concerns about the alterations are outweighed by a sense of relief that the series is still going ahead.

England captain Joe Root — before it was confirmed he would miss the first Test to attend the birth of his second child — summed up the mood by saying: “I think the whole cricketing world will be grateful to see some cricket again.”

PAGE 31

Kaieteur News

Monday July 06, 2020

Dexter ‘de Kid’taking Marquesnothing to Windies for granted resume career after COVID-19 against new-look batting, says Roach SOUTHAMPTON, England, CMC – England’s inexperienced new-look batting lineup will not lure West Indies into a false sense of security in the upcoming three-Test series, veteran seamer Kemar Roach has vowed.

The hosts have made several changes to the side which toured the Caribbean last year, with rookies Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope – with less than 20 Tests among them – all named in the 13-man squad.

Significantly, England’s captain and batting leader Joe Root will be missing due to the birth of his second child, leaving West Indies with only a couple of experienced heads to target.

And while West Indies enjoyed resounding success against England’s batsmen last year, Roach said it was critical West Indies bowled with the same intensity this

what we’ve gotten accustomed to over the last few series we’ve had. But they’re a few changes here so it’s about sticking to your game plan, assessing each batsman and seeing how well we can come up against them.

“Obviously a Test match without Root – the fantastic stats he has – is going to be a bit of an advantage for us.

He’s the one that keeps the England batting together and he’s done fantastically for them for the last couple years.

“So without him it is a bit of an advantage for us but also a bit of a disadvantage because they are some new guys coming in that we have to work out and obviously see what their weaknesses are and try and to exploit them.

“It goes 50-50 but once we get stuck in and we hit our straps and obviously put the

Experienced seamer Kemar Roach.

time around despite the changes.

“I’ve seen that England have basically changed their batting lineup. It’s all about assessing each batsman, finding their weaknesses and obviously exploiting them,” Roach told an online media conference here Sunday.

“Of course I would’ve loved to have the same batting lineup because that’s

ball in the right areas, we stand a very good chance of going out there and performing well.”

Roach was at the forefront with a five-wicket haul in the opening Test at Bridgetown last year when England were bundled out for 77 in their first innings – the lowest ever Test total at Kensington Oval and their fourth lowest overall against

West Indies celebrate a wicket during an ‘inter-squad’ tour game at Old Trafford.

West Indies.

The performance set the tone for the series as England fell for 246 in the second innings to tumble to a heavy innings defeat, and then failed to muster 200 in either innings of the second Test at St John’s to go down by 10 wickets.

Roach finished the series with 18 wickets at a shade under 14 runs apiece and said he was confident he could once again put England’s batsmen under pressure.

“I’m confident. I’ve been working hard following on from that series [in the Caribbean] so my body’s in good shape,” said the 32year-old who has taken 193 wickets from 56 Tests.

“I’ve been working hard with my coaches doing a lot of bowling [and] a lot of drills so [with the first Test] coming up on Wednesday, I’m ready and raring to go and full of confidence.”

“We had a pretty long camp in Manchester. We got a chance to get on the field and get some match practice as well … but I think I’ve bowled a fair amount of overs to get myself ready for

this Test series so I am feeling much ready.”

However, Roach will lead an attack which struggled on the last tour of England three years ago, when they managed to dismiss the hosts only twice in five innings.

The Barbadian, who picked up 11 wickets then, backed the Windies to produce improved performances this time around. “[It’s a] change of conditions [and] change of atmosphere [and] adapting

can be a slight weakness of ours. That’s why our away record is not as good as at home,” Roach explained.

“But I think we’re more experienced now; a lot of guys have played all over the world a couple times so (Continued on page 25)

Shannon Gabriel

‘Sci-fi’ England-Windies opener a new frontier for Test cricket p.30

Shai Hope made a century in each innings in West Indies’.

England fast bowler Mark Wood (AFP Photo/Christiaan Kotze)

t r o Sp

Bottas wins dramatic Austrian opener p.

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193 Pro athletes to benefit from World Athletics welfare fund.

193 Pro-athletes to benefit from World Athletics fund

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Windies taking nothing for granted against new-look batting, says Roach p.31

Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas celebrates with the trophy on the podium after winning the race, as F1 resumes following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

(Mark Thompson/Pool via REUTERS)

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