Kaieteur News

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Businessman NEWS walks free on money laundering charges

Saturday Edition

AIETEUR

July 09, 2022 - Vol. 16 No. 25

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

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $100 readership yesterday, 66,779

Exxon's home State reaps record oil tax revenues

...as Guyana loses out by agreeing to pay companies' taxes SWAT rank to face Judge for Orin Boston’s killing Despite lower expenses NIS still in $892M hole - BoG

AFC to part ways with APNU by year-end

Major supermarkets hike prices for sugar

Japan's ex Prime Minister Shinzo Abe assassinated at campaign rally Happy Eid-ul-Adha Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, is attended on the ground in Nara, western Japan Friday, July 8, 2022.

(Kyodo News via AP)

PAGE 02

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

Exxon's home State reaps record oil tax revenues ...as Guyana loses out by agreeing to pay companies' taxes

T

he world in recent weeks have been experiencing record high oil prices which has in turn led to those taking taxes from oil companies to register record high tax revenues a far cry from the state of affairs in Guyana.

According to reports, ExxonMobil home state in the US, among the highest earners in the Texas oil and n a t u r a l g a s i n d u s t r y, continues to pay the lion's share.

The industry is not only leading the U.S. in oil and natural gas production, it also continues to break records in the amount of taxes it pays and the number of jobs it creates.

In June, the state collected the highest amount of monthly remittances from the Texas oil and gas industry in history, according to a new report published by the state comptroller's office.

June's remittances alone – a total of US$1.12 billion – were greater than the average annual revenue from oil and natural gas production taxes at US$1.01 billion just a few decades ago.

Texas oil producers remitted US$679 million in

June, the highest monthly collection on record, up 87 percent from June 2021.

The majority of sales tax revenue remitted to the comptroller's office is based on taxes paid during the previous month. June's report covers May sales tax totals; May's report covers April's sales tax totals.

“All Texans benefit from a robust oil and natural gas industry that provides hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs and pays billions towards our state's economy, essential services and public education whether you live in the oil patch or not,” Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association, said.

According to Staples, “these historic job and tax revenue numbers continue to signal the resiliency of our industry, which is committed to meeting our energy needs, fortifying our national security, and achieving continued environmental progress.”

June broke May's previous record high.

Oil producers paid US$595 million in taxes in April, according to May data: natural gas producers paid

US$413 million, the highest monthly collections on record until they paid more the next month.

The May numbers represented a record 64 percent increase remitted by oil producers and 216 percent by natural gas producers compared to the same time period a year ago.

“Despite President [Joe] Biden's delusional desire to transition away from fossil fuels, Comptroller Hegar's announcement reinforces the fact that oil and gas literally fuels every facet of our lives from energy to food and beyond,” Railroad Commission Chairman Wayne Christian said.

In Guyana, however, where daily oil production is now in excess of 200,000 barrels per day, under the Production Sharing Agreement with ExxonMobil Guyana and their partners for the Stabroek Block, the country agreed to take on that responsibility.

Under the arrangement, it would mean that Guyana is in fact losing out on the taxes being had by others, since by agreeing to pay the oil companies tax, this is

Recent financial statements filed by the domestic subsidiaries for US parent companies. essentially foregone revenue.

In fact, in the first year of oil production in Guyana, the country in fact agreed to take on responsibility for taxes more than what it collected in royalty that year.

According to recent financial statements filed by the domestic subsidiaries for US parent companies—Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), Hess Guyana Exploration Limited and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, the income taxes to be paid by the oil companies in the first full year of production, accumulated payments of $5,751,060,980 or about US$27,552,901.83.

The country in 2020 collected some US$184.9 million in profit and US$21.2 million in royalty for a total of US$206 million.

As such, it would mean that government agreed to pay to the Guyana Revenue Authority, more money than it received in royalty payments for that year representing payments made on behalf of the oil companies.

Guyana under the PSA pays that amount out of its share of oil had.

According to the Financial Statements filed, Hess Corporation listed as its Income Tax expense, some $G1,725,318,294 or US$8.3

million for its 30 percent interest in the Stabroek Block. As such, it would bring the total amount owed to GRA to be G$5.7B or about US$21.2M meaning ExxonMobil's 45 percent interest would rack up payments of some G$2,587,977,441 or US$12.4M and CNOOC petroleum Guyana Limited G$1,437,765,245 or US$6.9 million on its 25 percent interest in the Stabroek Block.

Under the PSA at Clause 15.4, (a) it stipulates that the Minster of Natural Resources agrees that a sum equivalent to the tax assessed to be paid (Continued on page 12)

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 03

Ashmin's invests $2.5B more to add to create luxury community A

shmin's Fun Park and Resort Inc. will on July 11, launch its 'Madewini Waterfront Villas,' adding 300 “ultra modern homes” at their existing Madewini Villas, located within the Splashmins Resort Compound on the Soesdyke, Linden Highway.

With a $2.5B price tag, Phase II of the project's development will see the expansion of the housing community by 150 acres to create ,“a waterfront luxury community destination”.

A public missive from Ashmin's Fun Park and Resort Inc. yesterday said, the vision of proprietor, Lennox John, is to have the ultra modern waterfront facility easily accessible, given its ten minute distance from the Cheddi Jagain International Airport.

The development will house approximately 300 private opulent residences, a beach front hotel and an array of modern vital amenities

A front view of one of the luxury homes.

An artist's impression including road network.

A view of some of the waterfront properties.

in an eco-friendly environment that will be secured by armed lake and land patrols.

“Designed with this at its core, Madewini Waterfront Villas ensures a harmonious blend of the natural environment that respects the true ecological properties of the project area. The development will create three hundred jobs and will largely comprise local content.”

It was noted that some key project features will involve five artificial lakes, recreational spaces,

a shopping centre and an outdoor performance space with public seating among other amenities.

The development will also expand existing facilities such as road networks, sidewalks and utilities.

According to the company, “The $2.5B Development is a prime indication of the magnitude of investor's confidence that prevails in the current Guyanese Economy and Government's developmental drive as a whole.”

An aerial view of the wider luxury destination.

An overhead view of the facility.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 04

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

EIAs – they do have value The calls continue to come for necessary Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) to be conducted (“Govt. must conduct EIA for NGL, Power Plant -former EPA Head” KN July 5, 2022). Our first reaction was whether we really should, since what comes out of these EIAs in situation after situation do not reassure. They only add to building anger, and growing frustrations with how almost all significant issues in the oil and gas sector are papered over, with Guyanese being misled. But after that fleeting first reaction, we are for EIAs, since they have value.

Our history with EIAs has been two-fold. The first is that, according to Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there is mostly no need for them, and on grounds that make no sense, in project after project.

Structures going up, complexes for materials being erected, and other major projects underway and this country’s EPA has been a study in official and leadership blindness, dumbness, and madness.

There is no other way that any sane citizen could assess the record of the EPA where EIAs are concerned. Instead of this domestic agency doing its best to protect locals, like Guyana’s political leaders, it seems to be more concerned about doing what pleases for the foreigners who come here to engage in a growing number of billion-dollar businesses.

So, it shortchanges Guyanese where robust and comprehensive EIAs are concerned, and endangers us, as one environmentalist has been keen to note and raises at every opportunity presented.

This is what the former head of the EPA, Dr. Vincent Adams, has spoken of on several occasions, except that nobody is paying the slightest of attention, or evidencing any degree of adjustment that would comfort the anxious. It is why he is now beating the drum for an EIA to be done for both the Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Plant and the separate Power Plant. From all indications, his call is falling on deaf ears.ExxonMobil weaseled out of that issue by confirming that the administration will submit a separate application for their part of the project and the EPA will then decide, if an EIA is needed. If ever there is a ‘no brainer’ decision, this is one, where an EIA is concerned. This should not be an issue, something over which there has to be some lengthy and torturous deliberations over, whether an EIA is needed for the NGL and the Power Plant. It is not just needed, but a must have, as in mandatory for both.

To leverage what Dr. Adams said, the reality is that a chemical plant is going to be setup in a heavily populated area. No one should have to say anything more in favour of an EIA for not just one, but both projects. No one should be so foolish and irresponsible, as to offer any defense of not having an EIA, though worse things have been done here under the name of supervision of this oil and gas sector.

Identifying the potential risks, laying out the mitigation steps, and concretising the response measures are all vitally necessary should a serious problem develop. In these circumstances, the documentation of a well-done EIA is the best insurance protection that Guyanese can have.

The former EPA head, removed in the most subservient manner to oil company wishes by leaders in the PPP/C Government, further asserted that it would be a mistake not to conduct an EIA for the Power Plant since it would pose its own risks, and should be considered in the bigger picture, including of the NGL. His critical point was that an EIA would identify key areas and linkages, and assist first responders in the event of an unfortunate event.

We at this paper think that it is better to have an EIA, than not to have one on crucial projects. An EIA documents what was covered, what was not touched, and what was skirted around. It confirms that the EIA exercise was a farce or the full works. It enables deep scrutiny and probing questions being raised. It leaves a record of who did what, who hid what, and who failed the Guyanese people. We must have them for both the NGL and Power Plant.

Saturday July 09, 2022

Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.

Vice News: Pressure intensifying on PPP Government and its leaders DEAR EDITOR, There was this headline titled “VICE News airs more claims about laundering, bribes by Chinese businessmen here” (SN July 8), and others pointing to the same on social media, and they are sure to start more storms here.

Just when Guyanese thought that this controversial issue has had its day, and would die a natural death, up it comes again. Now it is more sprawling and piercing, and I can’t see how this is going to go away as easily as before.

Further, it is beginning to dawn on me that this pesky media creature, VICE News, is going to be around. The bottom line is that Guyana’s political leaders are now even more helplessly entangled in this web that was there all along, and which drags them right into the centre of its vortex, both leaders and their middlemen agents.

This is whether leaders are tainted or not, and no matter the muscular attempts of the PPP Government to wish this way, or supporters to suppress it. There is so much more going on here.

I have said before that leaders live under a cloud, which has now thickened. It is the usual fallout that comes from wanting to be

too close to dirty people and business, for whatever reason, which results in everything tiering up to their doorsteps, even if they are unattached and innocent. I say it again, I have my reservations on both counts, for most of them been far from inspiring, and unpersuasive in their stuttering defenses.

At bottom, and however sifted through, I get the distinct impression that the hatchets are out, and I am trying to figure out who are the ones wielding them behind the scenes, and how many more of these damaging weapons they have in stock.

My two prime candidates are the Chinese and, believe it or not, the Americans. The Chinese have an axe to grind, and I am not fooled by that lovely picture postcard ditty involving the President and Ambassador about decades of fraternity. Somebody got spurned somewhere, and there are countless avenues where this could have taken place, and now there is hell to pay. Somebody didn’t get enough (or getting too much, which Americans don’t like), suspect that they are being locked out, even being ready for marginalization (the Chinese), which led to this newest media strike. Who is really whom, and

responsible, is the question?

Things are so far gone, that the Chinese are engaging in what I call self-incriminating (according to VICE News), and about money laundering, of all things. To me, this doesn’t come as any surprise, given my knowledge of history, what takes place right here. It is how well the tricks in government b u s i n e s s a r e compartmentalized, how middlemen operate freely, how uninhibited they are, due to the sources of their power, which comes from the top. The middlemen serve as bagmen and protect the big ones from getting their hands stained, names called.

I recall how the Americans were up in arms about money laundering here and were about no prisoners taken. They wanted people hauled before the courts.

Just recently, I wrote of the various covers under which money is being laundered here, such as hotel construction, and I think the same could be happening right under the guise of financing our national budget. The Americans don’t like that because it throws a big spanner in what they are trying to do in this region under the CFATF umbrella.

It was a struggle under

the PNC, but efforts were found encouraging, and limited inroads were made, despite tremendous resistance from every corner, including governmental ones. On the other hand, I think that the floodgates have since collapsed, and it is a free-for-all in frontier Guyana, with all this oil, downstream developments, and what not. My sense is that the big people, read President, Vice President, Attorney General, and Finance maestro, are not listening, and this alarms the Americans. I urge my fellow Guyanese to pay close attention to what the American Ambassador found fit to highlight during her American Independence Day address to her audience of Guyanese powers (more on this later).

Now I find it eerie that after Her Excellency spoke about transparency, and less than a week later, we have more disclosures from VICE News about bribes and money laundering. I had my time with that a while back, and it is interesting that the time has now come for that to reappear as something of concern.

I think the Americans are concerned, and the Chinese also, which puts PPP leaders in a (Continued on page 5)

Saturday July 09, 2022

PAGE 5

Kaieteur News

A Choice of Straws When will this confounded nonsense stop?

DEAR EDITOR, One hopes that the group of cajolers who ‘visited’ Buxton recently were not bemused by its ‘Friendship’ participants’ apparent patience with promises, for they would have substantively beguiled themselves to believe that the exercise in tokenism had impressed the descendants of independent and productive former slaves, unlike some of the visitors who very likely believed in their own insincerity.

The interaction however should provide pause for reflection by both sides, who should meet again to agree on the structure of a plan for genuine economic and social development of which their respective families can be proud. In the process the ‘Party-sans’ must place on the table a map from which they can identify other comparable areas of human under-development across Regions where similar joint investments are needed, moreso regardless of race or affiliation.

In this regard, the ‘official’ group must pay more substantive attention to the several published critiques; and rather than being dismissive, pause and reflect on how they may be regarded by one another’s young generations – whether with boastful pride, or hidden doubt. For in all of the interactions in the ‘Village’ that is Guyana, there must be sensitivity about the infliction on one another’s spirituality – which exists in both rich and the poor, across this recalcitrant ‘Divide’.

So that it is not enough to pause and reflect, but to more

Vice News: Pressure...

From page 4 bind. I appreciate that as the messenger pointing to heroic leaders, I would be damned for my troubles. Still, I put it out there that there is trouble in governance camps, and let my betters decide for themselves. Georgetown, we have a problem. Serious ones at serious levels. Somebody has declared war on our leaders.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

consistently question ourselves about the future depletion of the spirituality of our national humanity.

In this connection, all adults should regard themselves as ‘Leaders’ who must set examples for their progeny to emulate, with justification.

So when we point and boast of development in Region 6, we should be sensible enough to question why we overlook the historical second capital of Guyana – New Amsterdam – which seems bypassed when compared to the newer centres of Corriverton and Rose Hall Town – The Berbice Harbour Bridge ByPass?

In the process, there are sufficient numbers who wonder why the persistently serious commentaries in the traditional (adult) press appear to be ignored (by palpably conceited decision-makers); as distinct from ‘programmed’ social media too historically under-informed and manipulable – by a superfluity of selfadulating photos, which at the same time expose the disproportionate percentage of the bereft in our population.

For none of us is there any Strategic Plan that reflects the respective Manifestos of Government and Opposition – leaving too many (home and overseas) legitimately inquiring if there is a substantive choice in which to indulge on behalf of our progeny!

In the more immediate analysis however, there is this conundrum in which all administrations have indulged in infrastructure to facilitate faster movement on roads that accommodate deaths daily; while ignoring basic repairs in neighbourhoods occupied by Walter Rodney’s brethren. Think of how this human being must feel!

Regards, Elijah Bijay

DEAR EDITOR, I have read and noted the forecast which suggests that food prices and other commodities would likely be doubled by the end of this year.

Speaking to housewives and those who shop for basic items, this prediction is reasonable and therefore punishing to ordinary families. I again call upon the government to, without further procrastination, double the salaries and the wages of all Public Sector employees, Soldiers, Firemen, Policemen, Nurses, Teachers, et al.

This demand with the bounty of oil revenue and the President’s proclivity to hand out sums of money without putting in place basic financial and accounting procedures suggest that availability of money is not a problem.

But Editor, there is another troubling development. Ive looked at trends and notwithstanding warnings from the World Bank, Guyana is proceeding with blinkers to develop fossil fuel decorated by this gas to shore projects- a development where the Guyanese public is yet to be given full details.

Regardless of anything else, the objective of course, is being to garner billions into the coffers of the Government. A report published this week in a respected independent media noted as follows, “the downgraded performance on the World Bank Guyana Petroleum Resources Governance and Management Project (GPRGMP) loan is another indicator of how financially exposed the country remains when it comes to effectively protecting and managing the oil sector.”

“Given that the countrys institutional capacity, building priorities seem not to be moving apace with oil resource development, the In-

stitute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) has reiterated the firm financial and environmental position in Guyana further faces by not utilizing the 2019 loan.”

Our Government in spite of warnings from responsible Institutions and the Local and International media is continuing this cavalier and highly irresponsible approach in dealing with Oil & Gas and State funds.

So breaking all rules, the President announced that they will be seeking substantial funds from the Contingency Fund to continue this illegal and highly suspect dis-

tribution of State funds. This illegality borders on treachery.

Surprisingly, it is the average Public Servant (Police, Soldiers, Fireman, etc.) who continues to bear the brunt of this burden. And when last Wednesday, President Ali made his announcements, one would have thought that the least he could have done with this largesse is to double immediately the salaries of every Public Servant. In addition, he could have given NIS the financial support, which it needs to fulfill its mandate and to be the cushion for workers as was intended by the architects of our National Insurance

Scheme. In the words used by an Elder in 1953, I pose the question “when will this confounded nonsense stop?” In the interest of transparency, there should be proper accountability in keeping with financial regulations and of course an appropriate level of confidentiality when State Funds are being disbursed whether to farmers or stall vendors. Those of us whove been brought up to respect and take seriously our Head of State can expect no less than an audited Statement on the amounts purportedly parceled out.

Hamilton Green Elder

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Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

Corruption seems to be the order of the day DEAR EDITOR, Corruption seems to be the order of the day [in Guyana] under this administration and it continues unabated. This is seen in the questionable awards of multibillion-dollar contracts and shady underhand deals involving state officials in high office for kickbacks, to the unconstitutional appointments of members to sit on constitutional commissions and boards.

In addition, the non-confirmation of the Chancellor and Chief Justice of which the leader of the opposition has honoured his constitutional obligation and stated his no objections to the appointment of those two very competent and respected jurist. The politicization of the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force, to removing the guard rails of protection in the operations of the Natural Resources Fund, the Public Accounts Committee, the Environmental Protection Agency and others too numerous to mentioned, speak to the levels of corruption in the government.

It is my view and the views of many that Minister Indar and several of his colleagues, should all tender their resig-

nation from government. The public has been made aware of ministers involved in corrupt, questionable and unbecoming actions while in office. One minister allegedly gave his son’s business, several contracts to do work for the ministry he heads without due process. We have a minister verbally abusing a female MP in Parliament, while another is accused of hitting a female opposition MP in her head. We have had a minister of the government, preying on the vulnerability of a young woman and maybe others to satisfy his sexual fantasies, embarrassingly exposing himself which was displayed on several social media platforms.

An act which is most unbecoming for such an office holder, but was he asked to resign or was he fired as is done in developed countries?

Certainly not, he was protected by his government.

We have seen the disrespect of senior citizens in full view of the cameras from leading members of this regime and the blatant discrimination in the distribution of cash grants of different sorts.

Yours respectfully, Hon. Jermaine Figueira MP.

Cattle rustling DEAR EDITOR, It has been a while since I have made numerous reports at the Mahaicony Police Station concerning the cattle rustling of my herd in Abary Creek. However, nothing was done on the claims of having no evidence to support such allegations.

On the 2nd March 2022, I took my Cream Heifer cow to the Mahaicony Police Station after I noticed that Mr. Mohamed Neezamdeen’s brand number overlaid .. my brand number On the 4th March 2022, I was invited to the Mahaicony Police Station where I met Veterinary Livestock Officer of Region #5 who verified that my brand is the older brand and Mr. Neezam’s brand was superimposing my brand. Subsequently, I made a statement to CPL officer McPherson. Later that day, I had a confrontation with Mr. Mohamed Neezamdeen who confirmed his brand and my Cream Heifer Cow but denies his involvement in branding my cow.

Approximately three

weeks later and nine enquiries, CPL officer McPherson stated that my Report File is with the DPP for advice. After which, I kept following up periodically and CPL officer McPherson said, “You have to give the police time to do this investigation.”

On the 25th May 2022, CPL Officer McPherson contacted me and said “the file has returned from the DPP and it is advised that they return the cow to you.” At that point, I hired a canter truck and took possession of the same. I then made several calls to Officer McPherson’s phone some of which went unanswered, and his last words were “the matter is still u n d e r investigation.”Currently, I am unaware of whether the case is closed or requires further investigation, as if it was swept under the carpet. I’m hopeful that my case doesn’t become one of the unsolved cases in Guyana, for my animals are going missing continuously.

Regards, Chandini Seocharan

What’s he doing implementing a project if he has no idea how much it will cost?

DEAR EDITOR, With regards to the gasto-shore pipeline project whereby we do not know how much it will cost, what is he (that is, Bharrat Jagdeo) doing implementing a project if he has no idea

how much it will cost? The wishy-washy approach to development leading to WHITE ELEPHANTS by Bharrat Jagdeo needs to be stopped.

Yours faithfully, Sean Ori

PAGE 08

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

Oral arguments in challenge to acting Top Cop appointment set for July 20 O

n July 20, Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George, is slated to hear oral arguments from the applicants and respondents in the litigation which challenges the appointment of Clifton Hicken, as acting Commissioner of Police.

In March, President Irfaan Ali had appointed Hicken, using the doctrine of necessity. Months later, Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Christopher Jones moved to the High Court in a bid to have the appointment of Hicken overturned.

The case was drafted by attorneys Roysdale Forde and Selwyn Pieters and lists Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall SC, and the Acting Commissioner of Police, Hicken, as respondents.

On Friday, Nandlall made a request to the court to file an affidavit of defence in the case in relation to the doctrine of necessity and several correspondences between President Ali, and Leader of

Acting Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken the Opposition, Aubrey Norton.

Forde made several objections to the AG's plea to file the affidavit but the Chief Justice however, granted Nandlall's request but in short order. As such, she indicated that if the affidavit is considered to be as not relevant, cost will be added for irrelevancy.

APNU+AFC Shadow Minister of Legal Affairs, Roysdale Forde, S.C

Nandlall has to submit his affidavit of defence on or before July 11, with cost to Jones, in the sum of $50,000 to be paid on or before service.

Forde was also granted permission to respond to the Nandlall's affidavit but can only respond if necessary.

Jones has, asked that the Court grants, among other

reprieves, a declaration that Hicken's appointment as the acting Commissioner of Police is unreasonable, ultra vires of the Constitution, Common Law and is illegal, null, void and of no legal effect.

S p e c i f i c a l l y, J o n e s requested that the Court grant a declaration that the appointment violates Article 211 (1) and 211(2) of the Constitution.

He has also asked for a declaration that the decision to appoint Hicken as acting Commissioner of Police, violates the process as required and contemplated by the Constitution for the consultation between the President and the Leader of the Opposition.

Jones also wants the court to issue an Order, or ask Hicken to show under what authority he is exercising and/or discharging the functions of the Office of Commissioner of Police in an acting capacity or any capacity whatsoever.

Additionally, Jones who is also the Chief Whip for the A Partnership for National Unity, Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, asked the Court to grant an order quashing Hicken's appointment as acting Commissioner of Police.

On the grounds of his application, Jones noted that President Irfaan Ali's decision to invoke the doctrine of necessity to appoint Hicken as acting Commissioner of Police, is therefore unlawful and unconstitutional.

According to Jones, the qualification to perform the duties of Commissioner of Police, is the next most senior officer and that person should be Deputy Police Commissioner, Paul

Opposition MP, Christopher Jones

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affair, Anil Nandlall, S.C Williams.

“That is the convention that exists at the time, to ensure that the Guyana Police Force continues to function with someone at the helm,” Jones said.

In his affidavit, Jones recalled that the then substantive Police Commissioner, Leslie James, proceeded on pre-retirement leave on July 31, 2020 and D e p u t y P o l i c e Commissioner Nigel Hoppie, acted as Police Commissioner from June 1, 2018. As such, he noted that the natural course of succession should continue.

President Ali, on assuming office on August 2, 2020, failed to consult with then Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, until he and his party recognise the government.

Jones said that in or around August 8, 2021, the term of the Police Service Commission (PSC) ended, but had been suspended before.

The constitutionality of the suspension is still before the court.

He explained that, “shortly thereafter, and in private, the President of

Guyana, His Excellency Mohamed Irfaan Ali, i l l e g a l l y a n d unconstitutionally appointed a Commissioner of Police, in the name of Mr. Clifton Hicken. His Excellency Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana, appointed Mr. Hicken as acting Commissioner of Police without any requisite consultation.”

The Opposition MP, therefore, contends that President Ali and then Leader of the Opposition Harmon, were required, between August 2, 2020 and January 20, 2022, when there was a Chairman of the PSC and an O p p o s i t i o n L e a d e r, t o meaningfully consult on the matter.

He claimed that there was refusal to “meaningfully consult” with the Leader of the Opposition between August 3, 2020 and January 26, 2022 on vacancies in several constitutional offices.

Jones noted that, “the insistence that the Opposition must 'recognise' the government before any consultation or meeting could take place, has had a meaningful impact on how (Continued on page 9)

Saturday July 09, 2022

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

Will Priya follow suit?

Each year in Trinidad and Tobago, as in Guyana, the names of the top performers in the secondary school entrance examinations are usually published in the newspapers. In Guyana, there is usually a press conference where the names of the top performers across the country are announced and some of them paraded the following day in the newspapers.

Trinidad and Tobago has decided to change all of that.

From this year, the names of the top performers at the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) will not be published. The SEA is Trinidad and Tobagos equivalent of Guyanas National Grade Six assessment (NGSA).

Last week, the Minister of Education of Trinidad and Tobago laid out the rationale for the decision. According to a report in the Trinidad Newsday, the practice of publicising the results was first started in an effort to inspire other students to achieve the same success as the top performers.

However, the report noted that instead, it has had negative results (no pun intended). According to the twin-islands Minister of Education, the publicising of the top performers has overshadowed the success of other students who may have done well but were not among the top performers.

This publicising of the top performers was said to promote unhealthy competitiveness, often driven by parents. It has the

potential, according to the Minister, to place undue pressure on students to secure a high ranking in the examinations.

There can be little disputing that the competition for the top places drives an unhealthy rivalry among students. Children are attempting not simply to pass the examinations but to outdo their peers and emerge among the high flyers.

This competition, however, is not only between the students. It is also between parents who while they may not wish to admit it, are also hoping that their child beats the competition be it from the same school, the same neighbourhood, the same family or even the same country.

This competition affects the children. I have seen cases in which a child has done very well and gotten good marks but did not earn a place at the prestigious Queens College, which is usually reserved for the topperforming students. When the child does not get a place at his parents number one choice of school, the child feels that he or she has disappointed his or her parents.

This can destroy a childs future. If a child secures St. Roses for example, they should be happy but many are not because a great deal of expectation and pressure was placed on their tiny shoulders to qualify for Queens.

Parents go to all manner of trouble to prepare their

children for these examinations to the point of stealing away an important part of their childhood. When children should be at home or with their friends playing or having fun after school, they are forced to attend extra lessons. Then after dinner, they are expected to hit the books again. These are young children and the psychological stress may be too much for them. No wonder in first form so many of the top-performers suffer from burnout.

The competition is detrimental to both parents and students alike. When some parents see how some parents reward their children, they too may feel inadequate.

In a video posted last year on social media, one parent gave his successful child a bagful, amounting to millions of dollars, as a reward for her success at the National Grade Six Assessment. Yet, there are other parents who cannot even afford a bicycle for their child.

Of the almost 17,000 students who wrote Guyanas National Grade Six Assessment this past week, less than one percent will qualify for Queens College.

Does this mean that the remaining 16,800 plus students are failures? No it does not. But the extreme focus on the top performers can make these students feel inferior and not good enough.

Some stakeholders in Trinidad and Tobago have welcomed the decision not to publish the names of the top-

Dem boys seh...

Dis time nah lang time!

A few months ago ah sad ting tek place. Three children died when de building dem bin in bun down. Reports seh dem mother bin at work and de left dem alone. Nuff mothers find demselves in dat situation.

Lang ago, dah woulda never happen. Yuh could always find somebody who yuh could leave yuh children with. Deh always had a grandparent, a neighbour or a friend who would help you out in difficult times. Dem would keep yuh children fuh

yuh while yuh gone. And yuh didnt even had to pay dem. Only mussy talk a lil name with dem from time to time.

But all dem social ties disappearing. Nowadays, people nah want to keep yuh children. And in nuff case, parents nah want anybody keep dem children because dem gat nuff sexual predators out there who would tek advantage of dem.

Suh some people does prefer to send dem children to day care. But when yuh

money small, how yuh can afford day care?

De communities cant depend pon guvament fuh do everything. Suh dem should organise day care centres fuh dem working mothers and fathers wah gat children. Yes, we gat single parent fathers who does gat de same problem. Most ah dem wah nah gat no way fuh leff dem children is dem people wah does wuk fuh small money and at dem entry-level and suh dem need help.

Talk half. Leff half.

Oral arguments in challenge...

From page 8 the exercise of the purported necessity has to be evaluated and analysed.”Additionally,

the APNU+AFC MP pointed out, “…there has been no publication in the Official Gazette or any other published legal docu-

ment which attests to or substantively proves that Mr. Hicken the 'appointed' acting Commissioner of Police is in fact legally in office.”

performers. One parent has said that the focus on the top performers was to the disadvantage of other students but also noted that it masks the overall results.

In Guyana, more than half of the students fail to gain 50 percent of the pass marks each year. And there is tremendous disparity in performance between hinterland regions and those non-hinterland regions. But

from the hype generated by the announcement of the top students, you would be easily misled into believing that all is well with our students performance.

The Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, should seriously consider going the route of Trinidad and Tobago and not publicising the names of the top performers.

Those who want to know

their ranking can do so privately.

It is time we remove the pressure from our children.

They should be spared the nonsensical competition.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Monday May Saturday July02, 09,2022 2022

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Acknowledgement page of Rodney's book:

An immense tragedy Wi t h t h e d e a t h o f Caribbean giant, George Lamming, We have been reminded that Lamming's foreword for the Walter Rodney book – “A History of the Guyanese Working People, 1881-1905” contained an appreciation of the role of East Indian indentured labour.

That reminder by Lamming has galvanised me to write on one of the saddest juxtaposition in Guyanese politics. The very page before Lamming's foreword is the acknowledgement page of Rodney in which he enumerates the names of WPA personalities that helped him to make his book a reality.Of the names listed there, two are dead – Brian Rodway and Andaiye. As you stare at the page, there is both sadness and anger. How could those persons so close to Rodney change into what they have become since we entered the 21st century?

How could people so close to Rodney have strayed so far from the multi-racial politics

of Rodney?

Or does the fault lie in Rodney himself and we cannot see his formidable shortcomings because (1) We hate what Burnham was (I know I do). 2- Burnham was responsible for his assassination as the Commission of Inquiry concluded. There are too many African Guyanese colleagues of Rodney that either became racist after 2000 or were closet racist all the time but we couldn't see it because we were mentally preoccupied with Burnham's removal.This is no coincidence that all of Rodney's Afro-Guyanese comrades today are into one of the following areas of activism – (1) pro-African politics; (2) ethnic perspectives that derecognises the predominantly Indian party's right to contest electorally for state power; (3) straightforward anti-Indian politics, pro-PNC, Creole embrace.

You cannot find a single line from any of the

surviving comrades of Rodney that speaks to the value of multi-racial politics in Guyana. What is the analysis? I believe the time is long overdue for an iconoclastic review of who Walter Rodney really was.

Was he essentially a Black nationalist that had a Black nationalist agenda had he toppled Burnham?

Four things stand out about Rodney from the time he came back in 1974. He was ensconced in a middle class party whose Indian leadership was less than two percent. Secondly, his activities were concentrated mostly among African Guyanese.

Thirdly, he developed not even a superficial much less an involved relation with any Indian organisation of which the PPP would have been a leviathan. Fourthly, his personal socialisation were with African Guyanese with Rupert Roopnaraine being the exception but all Guyanese sociologists would admit Roopnaraine

was a Creole Indian who too did not personally and politically involve himself with Indian organisations.

There is a nagging question that juts out conspicuously in your mind as you look at the continuing movement towards Afrocentric politics of the Black (remember Bob Marley's song a line of which that goes l i k e t h i s : “ We ' r e t h e survivors, yes the Black survivors) survivors of Rodney. Did they know something about Rodney's inner feelings about Black nationalism that non-WPA people and the entire nonAfrican races of Guyanese people in and out of Guyana did not know about?

And these survivors feel their gravitation to Afrocentric politics was logical for them because that was how Walter thought about politics after Burnham was removed.

One should point to four events, one in 2010, another in 2011, one in 2020 and another in 2022. The first

involved Keith Scott, Walter's brother-in-law. He was the first in the WPA's leadership to Frederick Kissoon leave the WPA and join the PNC in 2010. In 2011, the survivors of p eople of Brazil. Is there a Rodney agreed to merge the pattern here that explains WPA with the PNC renamed ethnic transformation in the APNU.In 2020 during the WPA?When we analyse this election, WPA's office transformation from 2022, it manager Desmond Trotman is not just random and wrote a long letter in the immature. From the 2002 newspaper in which he noted M a s h j a i l b r e a k , W PA that all his actions as a personnel took a line that GECOM commissioner was in sympathy with the would have been accepted anti-Indian rampage in by the people in the WPA Buxton with one leading WPA leader personally including Rodney. involved.

He actually named Then there was the Rodney. Finally, from June 1980, the Rodney family has embrace of Ronald Waddell. completely eschewed any Look at the embrace of Afrocomment on anything in centric politics in the WPA Guyana. Their main concern today. Would Rodney have was a commission on gone in that direction?

Rodney's death. The family Maybe more research is broke their 41-year-old needed.

(The views expressed in silence when in 2022, they d e n o u n c e d G u y a n a ' s this article are those of the invitation to the President of a u t h o r a n d d o n o t Brazil because of his necessarily reflect the discrimination against Black opinions of this newspaper.)

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

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Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

One more COVID-19 death, 4 persons in ICU A 55-year-old man from Region Seven is the country's latest COVID1 9 f a t a l i t y. T h i s i s according to the Ministry of Health, which on Friday reported that as a result of this, Guyana's COVID-19 death toll has moved to 1,259.

Meanwhile, in its updated COVID-19 dashboard, the Health

Ministry said it recorded 91 new infections, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 68,020.

The dashboard data shows that four patients are admitted into the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 35 persons are in institutional isolation, 801 in home isolation and one is in institutional quarantine. To date, a total of 65,921 persons have recovered from the virus.

Exxon's home State reaps...

From page 2 by the Minister to the Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) on behalf of the contractor—ExxonMobil Guyana – and that the amount of such sum will be considered income of the contractor.

Additionally, at 15.4 (b) the Minister also agrees that the appropriate portion of the Government's share of profit oil delivered, shall be accepted as payment in full for the contractor's share of Income Tax and Corporation Tax—levies owed to the GRA. The Stabroek Block is currently being developed by two Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO)—the Liza Destiny and Unity and the Liza I and II developments—and collectively the oil companies are set to rake in just under US$9B. The Liza Phase I development, which began production in December 2019 using the Liza Destiny FPSO with a production capacity of approximately 120,000 gross barrels of oil per day.

Recently completed production optimisation work expanded its

production capacity to more than 140,000 gross barrels of oil per day.

The second development, Liza Phase II, utilises the Liza Unity FPSO, which began production in February last and is expected to reach its production capacity of approximately 220,000 gross barrels of oil per day by the third quarter.

A third development is expected to come online in late 2023, utilising the Prosperity FPSO followed by the Yellowtail field, expected to come online in 2025 with the ONE GUYANA FPSO. At least six FPSOs with a production capacity of more than one million gross barrels of oil per day are expected to be online on the Stabroek Block in 2027, with the potential for up to 10 FPSOs to develop gross discovered recoverable resources.

Guyana's Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres).

ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is the operator and holds 45 percent interest in the Block.

Hess 30 percent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25 percent interest.

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 09, 2022

PAGE 13

Fernandes advocates more structure approach to cash transfers C

iting the spiraling levels of inflation, coupled with the “haphazard” doling out of cash grants to a selected few, Alliance For Change (AFC) spokesperson on economics, Juretha Fernandes, has called for a more structured approach to cushion the worrying cost of living, suggesting that a consistent pattern be developed to raise the wages of public servants.

Fernandes on Thursday provided the media with an overview of the current rates of inflation, as reflected by the Bank of Guyana first quarter report, explaining that the current levels may be much higher than the estimates provided by the Central Bank.

“In April 2021, inflation stood at 2.8 percent compared to a year earlier. In

April 2022, we saw inflation of 7.5 percent when compared to a year earlier.

That's almost three times the inflation we saw last year. At the current rate, we could see inflation go above 10 percent by the end of 2022.”

She recalled that, “the PPP had promised 4.1 percent inflation in total by December 2022, but with inflation already reaching 3.2 percent in May, it is highly likely that we have already reached 4.1 percent inflation by today.”

Fernandes used the occasion to also point to the drastic increase in public spending by the administration during this period, highlighting a steep decline in the performance of other sectors such as the production of rice and sugartwo major commodities,

down by 47.7 percent and 51 percent respectively.

According to Fernandes, “we must consider the fact that at the end of 2022, the PPP would have spent the same, in under three years, that the APNU+AFC spent in five years.

If this drastic increase in spending came with equally drastic increase in the non-oil GDP, which is the only GDP figure that matters to the common man and woman, then things might have been different, but instead this spending came hand in hand with economic stagnation.”

The Shadow Finance Minister was keen to point out that this year's Budget caters for $5B to be used to cushion the cost of living, however with no real structure to govern the distribution of those funds,

she believes that the money is a mere fund to help buy votes for the government.

As such, Fernandes argues that the cash grants being distributed by the government is being done in a biased manner that benefits a mere section of society, when the rising cost of living has been affecting everyone.

Coupled with the “biased” handout of cash grants and hampers, the AFC believes that the government is evading transparency and a c c o u n t a b i l i t y, a s t h e National Assembly will not be able to scrutinize the way in which the monies have been spent.

Shadow Finance Minister, Juretha Fernandes In November last year, the Minister with responsibility for Finance,

Dr. Ashni Singh announced a seven percent across the (Continued on page 26)

PAGE 14

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

Leading NY Hospital assisting Guyana to boost primary health care The National Health Care Initiative being signed between Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of Mount Sinai Health System, Dr. Jeremy Boal and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Malcolm Watkins. (Photo: Office of the President) Scenes from yesterday's launch of the National Health Care Initiative.

T

he quality of healthcare citizens are accustomed to receiving in the country is about to be transformed, through a newly launched National Health Care Initiative.

The initiative, which is collaboration between the Government of Guyana, Hess Petroleum Guyana Limited and New Yorkbased, Mount Sinai Health System, aims to advance the precedence of the healthcare agenda of the country.

The launch which took place at State House, Georgetown yesterday, saw Stabroek Block partner, Hess contributing some US$32 million towards the initiative.

During brief remarks at the launch, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony in outlining the initiative noted that it has three broad components that would help develop a world-class healthcare system in Guyana.

In explaining the components, the Minister stated that the first component looks at strengthening primary healthcare across the

country.

By doing so, they will be looking at ways in which they can prevent illnesses such as diabetes, h y p e r t e n s i o n , cardiovascular diseases and cancer in persons. Also with Mount Sinai, the Minister said, they would be looking at developing a health informatics' system.

The Minister noted that for a while this is something they would have spoken about but had much difficulty in achieving.

“So during this period, we will be working on developing not just the electronic medical record card system but also using the data to do proper planning as we move the health system forward,” he mentioned.

The second component of this initiative is that they would be looking to do change management at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Minister Anthony explained that there would be a team from Mount Sinai that would be partnering directly with counterparts at the GPHC in all aspects of its operation.

Through this partnership, they would be looking at developing clinical excellence, developing patient care relationships and how to improve turnaround time for testing or waiting to see a doctor.

“So all of this would be done by this team that is coming in from Mount Sinai, working with counterparts here,” he added.

The third aspect of the initiative would see the government working closely with the private sector, to improve the healthcare system that would not only benefit Guyana but the wider Caribbean.

“The third component that we are looking at, is working with the Private Sector and we are looking at a joint partnership between government and private sector to develop a cardiovascular centre of excellence for Guyana and for the wider Caribbean, also we are looking at developing an oncology centre of excellence,” the Minister announced.

In concluding, the Minister related that signing (Continued on page 25)

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 09, 2022

PAGE 15

AFC to part ways with APNU by year-end Newly elected executives of the Alliance For Change (AFC) have decided to part ways with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) by the end of this year, when the Cummingsburg Accord—the agreement binding the two political groups—comes to an end.

This was announced by Chairperson of the AFC, Catherine Hughes, during the party's first press conference following its internal elections last month.

Hughes told members of the media that the decision to walk away from the Coalition was taken at the National Conference, where the 200 members decided that upon the expiry of the current agreement, a renewal will not be facilitated to bind the parties.

Instead, she said the AFC will focus on rebuilding and walking on its own feet.

Hughes, at the press engagement, acknowledged that challenges within the Coalition exist, hinting that these may have promoted the decision.

To t h i s e n d , t h e Chairperson indicated that there is a strong possibility that the AFC may spend the

…open to new partnerships

AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan next two years focusing on “getting back on the ground.”

The party has not however, ruled out the thought of coalescing with other parties just yet.

In fact, the third largest political group explained that it has already discussed reaching out to the smaller parties that contended in the 2020 elections, as well as the Trade Unions.

When it comes to partnering with the People's Progressive Party (PPP) h o w e v e r, A F C L e a d e r Khemraj Ramjattan said, it is simply a “nonstarter” unless the incumbent administration

mends its “corrupt” ways and in particular commence a structured distribution of the accumulated wealth from oil earnings.

Ramjattan argued that if the party did “good things”, the AFC would be tempted to join, but in the meantime, he does not see a partnership being formed.

The AFC Leader also registered his concerns over the more recent 'Surevelation' adding that the party would be willing to support the PPP if it got rid of the person tied to the allegations- Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.

About five weeks ago, the AFC said it met with the Leader of the Opposition to discuss the way forward.

Present from the APNU side were Aubrey Norton, Volda Lawrence and Geeta Chandan-Edmond.

On Monday, the two sides are expected to meet again.

Ramjattan said he anticipates a “meaningful” agenda. The tension between the APNU and AFC sparked when a

member of the Alliance For Change, Charrandass Persaud turned against the Coalition and voted in favour of a 'No Confidence' Motion that filed against the then government in December 2018.

Leader of the People's National Congress Reform, Aubrey Norton

PAGE 16

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

Businessman walks free on money laundering charges …after prosecution fails to provide evidence The prosecution in the case of a Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) businessman, who was held at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), back in 2016 with $4M worth of jewellery, was unable to present evidence to support the two money laundering charges that the police instituted against the businessman.

On Thursday, after six years of being charged, Senior Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates' Court, dismissed the two of moneylaundering related charges, against Richard Ramjit, a goldsmith.

Ramjit was charged for knowingly falsifying documents contrary to section 6 (2) of the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism act, 2009, cap.

10:11 and exporting gold without a licence, contrary to section 8 of the Gold Board Act, cap. 66:01.

He was alleged to have attempted to export gold without a licence and failure to declare a gold band and gold neckwear which collectively weighed 19.12 ounces, and had an estimated value of $4.15M. The incident occurred on January 19, 2016 at the CJIA. Ramjit's lawyer, Latchmie Rahamat had made a no case-submission to the court. In that submission, she contended that her client was charged under Section 6(2), when it is Section 6(1) which creates the offence.

According to Rahamat in her submission, the prosecution charged her

Richard Ramjit [Ivan Bentham Photo] client under the penalty clause and not the offence creating clause.

As such, she contended that it rendered the charge defective and even called for them to be dismissed accordingly.

Rahamat told the court that with the charge that was instituted, the prosecution was required to lead evidence to establish several elements which they did not.

The lawyer was adamant, the prosecution failed to prove that the defendant falsified any documents, that there was no evidence to prove any money laundering or that her client exported gold without a licence since he never left the jurisdiction.

Senior Magistrate Daly upheld, Rahamat's no-case submission and the matter was dismissed. According to her, with the court's ruling, she will be writing to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) to return her client's gold.

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 17

SWAT rank to face Judge for Orin Boston’s killing Police Constable, Sherwin Peters of Amelia's Ward, Linden, was on Thursday committed to stand trial in the High Court, for the killing of Essequibo Coast Businessman, Orin Boston.

Peters, 32, a member of the Guyana Police Force's (GPF) Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit, was committed

by Magistrate Esther Sam, at the Suddie Magistrate's Court.

Following the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the matter, Magistrate Sam ruled that there was sufficient evidence for Peters to stand trial for manslaughter before a judge and jury.

Peters is expected to begin his trial at the next practicable sitting of the Essequibo Assizes.

At his first court appearance, he was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleges that on September 15, 2021, at Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast, in the Essequibo Magisterial District, he shot and killed Boston.

Committed to stand trial, Sherwin Peters

Kaieteur News had reported that around 04:00hrs on the day in question, Peters had been on a police operation searching for 'illegal substances' at Boston's Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast home.

Boston, who was reportedly still on his bed at the time of the shooting, was shot once to the chest by a high caliber rifle. A subsequent autopsy report revealed that Boston died as a result of a gunshot injury to the left side chest.

In protest of the shooting residents, had mounted protect action on the Essequibo Coast.

Four months after Boston's killing, the Director of P u b l i c Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, recommended that the rank be c h a rg e d w i t h

manslaughter.

This publication had reported that the man's family on the Essequibo Coast remains optimistic that justice will prevail. Fiona Boston, wife of the deceased, had stated that it has been a challenge for her and her two children since her husband died.

She said, “It took a long time, but I am glad that everything coming to light… when I heard the news, I was speechless. I didn't know how to express myself. I was just there. It is something that I wanted to see for a long time, the case hasn't been concluded yet, but there is still a greater chance for justice to prevail.”

Dead, Orin Boston

PAGE 18

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 09, 2022

'Hot Skull' gets life for killing pensioner

Serving an 11 year sentence, Godfrey Gill Sherwin Clarke, 33, called 'Hot Skull' on Friday received a life imprisonment sentence for the killing of 76year-old David Ramkissoon, a businessman of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

On June 9, 2022, Clarke was arraigned before Justice Sandil Kissoon, at the Demerara High Court. On that occasion, he had denied that he murdered the

Sentence to life, Sherwin Clarke

Dead, David Ramkissoon pensioner and a jury was empanelled to hear the testimony of the eight witnesses.

When the matter continued the following week however, Clarke's lawyer indicated to the court that his client has opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

Clarke admitted that on August 21, 2016, he killed (Continued on page 27)

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 09, 2022

PAGE 19

Major supermarkets hike prices for sugar - reports scarcity of packaged Demerara Gold

By Aaliyah Allicock While the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) announced on Wednesday that there is no shortage of sugar countrywide, a number of popular supermarkets are reporting that there is indeed a shortage and are uncertain when they would have in stock.

Via a Facebook post, GUYSUCO said, it “wishes to advise the general public that there is no shortage of sugar for supermarkets, manufacturers and bakeries… The current price for our 50KG/110Lbs is $9,900.”

Following reports that shelves of supermarkets are out of the packaged Demerara Gold Sugar, Kaieteur News visited several major supermarkets around the city yesterday to check and see if the reports are indeed true.

When this publication

arrived to one of Massy's minimart, not a sight of the Demerara Gold Sugar was in store.

The supermarket had only on its shelf the 'Eagle' white sugar and the company's own packaged loose sugar, which was being sold for $330 for two pounds (1kg).

When asked what happened to the Demerara Gold Sugar, a staffer told reporters that there is currently a countrywide shortage and that they have been out of that sugar for some days. The staffer also communicated that they are unsure when the store will have those sugars back in stock.

Kaieteur News then went to DSL, where only the loose sugars and white sugar was being sold. Representatives of the store which is selling its 2kg sugar for some $800, said too they are unsure as to (Continued on page 29)

The shelves of the supermarkets Kaieteur News visited yesterday that did not have the Demerara Gold Sugar in stock.

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Chinese Landing residents “helpless” against invasion of titled lands …says Amerindian Affairs Minister failing to make representation

T

he failure of authorities to control miners moving into the titled lands of Indigenous persons living in the Region One community of Chinese Landing, has morphed into a dire situation with threats now being made against residents and leaders of the community.

Toshao Orin Fernandes, in an invited comment told the Kaieteur News the villagers now feel “helpless,” being unable to get the intervention of authorities to prevent the continued invasion of their lands for the purpose of mining.

Fernandes told this newspaper that Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukai, is the government official with responsibility for Amerindian issues and thus laid the escalation of the situation, squarely at her feet for failing to make representation on behalf of the residents of Chinese Landing.

“She represents the Indigenous People, and so I would have to say that she is responsible,” the Toshao said.

He explained that for the past seven years or so, the community

A picture of the main community road which continues to be destroyed by heavy mining equipment.

“Unauthorized” activity on Chinese Landing titled land has continuously highlighted the influx of unauthorized persons into the village, but within the last three years, these movements have

intensified.

To date, it is estimated that hundreds of “outsiders” have now moved into the titled space of the

Chinese Landing community, despite provisions within the Amerindian Act, stipulating the exclusive right of village leaders to

determine who gets permission to enter the community.

At present, miners are entering (Continued on page 28)

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

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Despite lower expenses NIS still in $892M hole The National Insurance Scheme (NIW) depended on by thousands of Guyanese, at the end of March this year, was still in a financial hole to the tune of some $892M. The state of affairs is illustrated in pellucid fashion in the most recent quarterly report to be released by the country's central bank—Bank of Guyana (BoG).

According to the recently released document, NIS's overall balance recorded a lower deficit of $892M. It was noted that this, however, did reflect a lower deficit relative to the corresponding period for the previous year.

At the end of March 2021, NIS's deficit stood at G$908M. According to the BoG, “this position was reflective of lower total expenses by 10.6 percent to $8.2B. Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo in April during a press engagement lamented “Government will, and has to, intervene through various provisions to ensure people receive their benefits…We will cure the deficit using whatever means, the consolidated fund or whatever are the means to direct contribution into the NIS, to ensure that for the next 100 years, its fine, and that people can receive their benefits.”

He had also called the scheme bankrupt.

According to Jagdeo, there was in 2015 an operating surplus of $968,783,000. “In 2016, $161,025,000, that was an operating surplus, it still had more money. In 2017, $175 million in deficit; in 2018, $1.6 billion in deficit; in 2019, $1 billion deficit; in

2020, $1.7 billion in deficit.

So this is what has happened, you see it has moved from an operating surplus to what has turned into a huge operating deficit…that is what I mean it was factual, I can substantiate this,” Jagdeo said in qualifying his position.

Meanwhile, as it relates to the domestic insurance sector generally, BoG noted in its report that this component of Guyana's financial sector “was adequately capitalised as both the life and non-life insurance sectors' assets exceeded their respective solvency requirements.”

The insurance sector, according to BoG, accounts for 7.13 percent of total financial sector assets and 26.89 percent of non-bank assets as at end-March 2022.

It was noted that, “although the insurance sector is sound with manageable risks, there are potential systemic issues from concentration of assets.”

In the life insurance sector, BoG said, capital growth has been on an u p w a r d t r a j e c t o r y, amounting to G$43B, reflecting the sector's ability to meet its financial obligations when compared with the financial risks acquired.

Additionally, it was noted that too that the industry's investment assets portfolio was fairly stable and large.

In the non-life sector, BoG reported that its capital has also been increasing steadily to G$28B. The report, in its analysis, did point out that “asset quality was maintained and the industry's risk retention has

- BoG been showing a decline, indicating lower risk in relation to potential future claims. Meanwhile as it relates to pensions, BoG noted that this accounts for 6.9 percent of the total financial sector assets and approximately 26.1 percent of non-bank financial institution assets, reflecting its influence as an institutional investor.

To this end, BoG reported that total private occupational pension plan assets increased by 16.0 percent to G$113.3B as at March 2022.

According to the Bank, “Pension funds' vulnerability to market risk was moderate a n d s t a b l e , ” h o w e v e r, (Defined Contribution) DC pension funds continued to be largely exposed to insurance companies having investments in deposit administration contracts.”

Nonetheless, “the sector has been robust throughout the period with average asset growth outpacing the average growth of pension fund liabilities with an estimated solvency level of 159.8 percent.”

According to BoG, real net returns on investments of pension fund assets increased from -0.23 percent in December 2021 to 11.96 percent in March 2022 and this was primarily due to the high appreciation rate of some Defined Benefit (DB) funds' investments.

The bank did caution that overall, less than favourable investment returns continued to be a going concern, and as such, “market rates continued to be monitored.”

Leading NY Hospital assisting...

From page 14 the agreement with Hess and Mount Sinai, is one of those pivotal moments for healthcare transformation in Guyana.

During his featured address, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of Mount Sinai Health System, Dr. Jeremy Boal indicated that they have already assembled a team to come Guyana to get the initiative up and running.

“To start, we have assembled a team of over 40 l e a d e r s i n o n c o l o g y, cardiovascular medicine, endocrinology, primary and preventative care, global

health and health system operations.

And while we acknowledge that achieving the full healthcare transformation will take some time; we are here hitting the ground running starting next week.

Three days from now Mount Sinai clinical quality and administrative leaders will arrive to engage with its counterparts at the GPHC to improve and enhance healthcare outcome there,” he disclosed.

President Irfaan Ali, in his remarks expressed gratitude to Hess and Mount Sinai for being a part of the

initiative noting that the goal is to position Guyana as a destination of choice for healthcare services globally.

In his address, the President said, that this transformative period would include the private sector and called them to play their part.

The President used the occasion to disclose also that while the country is building out its healthcare system, if there is any specialists need or any requirement for medical treatment for any Guyanese, once it passes through the Ministry of Health, Mount Sinai would provide that health service at 30 percent discount.

Despite lower expenses NIS still in G$892M hole.

PAGE 26

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

The construction workers speaking with an Annandale resident during his Facebook live.

Construction workers robbed by bicycle bandits during lunch break

F

our construction workers were on Friday robbed of their cellular phones and cash at New Scheme, Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD), by a gang of armed of 'bicycle bandits.'

The construction workers who are building a house at Annandale had taken a break for lunch, when four bandits struck, reportedly armed with a gun and cutlasses, and attacked.

A resident of the community during a 'Facebook live,' speaking with one of the victims recorded him recounting the ordeal when the bandits stormed in and “kicked one of them down” before stealing his phone.

“We went sit down and dem come in and dem kick him down (pointing to one of his colleagues) and tek away

he phone. The man (pointing to another) did tek out food fuh eat and dem pull gun pon he”, said one of the construction workers.

The men even claimed, that the bandits threatened to chop off their necks but they begged not be harmed.

They have been sleeping and working at the location for at least two weeks now but after being attacked by the armed bandits on Friday, the men are now contemplating “to close off work and roll off.”

Fearful that the delinquents might return, the construction workers wants to take a week break from their work, to wait and to see if the police can capture the bandits.

The matter has since been reported and police investigations are ongoing.

Fernandes advocates...

From page 13 board salary increase for public servants, after no wages increase the previous year. This means that public servants who were earning a $70,000 minimum wage had a $4,900 increase before taxes, while a Minister of the Government that was earning $869,000 received an increase of $60,830 to their monthly salaries.

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 27

Money Laundering in Guyana for Chinese businessmen flagged in Vice report

V

ice News, a media company based in the United States of America went undercover in Guyana recently to investigate shady transactions being conducted by Chinese businessmen in the country and some of its findings suggest that there could be money launderers operating here.

The media company recently aired a 24 minute documentary from its undercover mission in Guyana and in which a Chinese national was seen on a hidden camera explaining how he is able transfer large sums cash into the country, undetected from the relevant authorities and tax free.

Vice News' journalist Isobel Yeung, and a Chinese man whose name was given as “Chan” had entered Guyana and posed as individuals looking to invest i n t h e c o u n t r y. C h a n reportedly posed as a Chinese businessman and Yeung acted as his secretary.

According to the documentary aired, they were introduced by an elite circle of Chinese businessmen in the country, to Su Zhirong, a suspected “middleman” who allegedly negotiates deals between potential investors and the government of Guyana.

Su told them that he was in a position to help with arranging a deal, because of his close ties with Guyana's Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.

Su was identified as a tenant of the Vice President but also related to the undercover journalist that he works an agent for Jagdeo, in

A screen grab from the Vice News Documentary of the conversation between the undercover Journalist Isobel Yeung and the suspected Chinese money launderer operating in Guyana negotiating deals and collecting bribes for such transactions.

Chan reportedly agreed and assured Su that he is willing to pay him and Jagdeo for a deal “but his capital (money) is tied up in China because of the country's control over sending money abroad.”

Yeung then related that during their assignment in Guyana, they learnt of money launderers working in the country who could assist them in laundering the cash out of China.

Yeung said, she was able to make contact with a few and recorded a meeting with one of the suspected money launderers on a hidden camera.

D u r i n g t h e i r conversation, the suspect told Yeung, “we deal with all Chinese businessmen here in Guyana. If there are some fees that need to be transferred to the president and local government officials, that money is transferred through us.”

'Hot Skull' gets life for killing...

From page 18 Ramkissoon during the course or furtherance of a robbery.

On Friday, Justice Kissoon handed Clarke a life sentence with the chance of parole after serving 20 years.

According to reports, Clarke was charged jointly with Godfrey Gill, 28, for the murder of the pensioner.

Back in April, Gill was sentenced to 11 years and four months for the offence.

Gill had pleaded not guilty to the capital offence, but admitted guilt on the lesser charge that he, in the company of others, killed Ramkissoon during a

robbery on August 21, 2016 According to reports, the body of Ramkissoon, 76, also known as 'Short Man,' a father of five, was discovered in a pool of blood with his throat slit in the living room of his home by his son.

It was reported that the man's son had just returned home after spending a day at the creek with family, when he made the gruesome discovery.

It was reported that there was a dispute over money stolen from Ramkissoon's house, not being shared equally and this led to the police arresting the suspects.

Yeung then asked him to explain how this is possible and the money launderer responded, “It's very easy.

What we do is get around

china's regulations… You give me Chinese RMB (Chinese yang) and I can give you cash tomorrow”.

The individual also

related that he works with a team to transfer huge sums of cash for both private and state run Chinese businesses into Guyana.

He also made it clear that because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, his team is only able to transfer $300,000 to $400,000 per day, and said too that “dirty money” can be transferred for corrupt Chinese officials but at a higher cost.

“For dirty money from corrupt Chinese officials, we have another way to do that, if you want cash, we charge 20 percent now”, he told Yeung.

The suspected money launderer reasoned that the rate for laundering “dirty money” is high because they “are at risk of being arrested”.

Yeung explained during

the documentary, that the suspected money launderer is using the “Flying Money” system to launder cash into the country.

The “Flying Money” system, s h e f u r t h e r explained, is depositing large sums of cash in a bank account in China and the equivalent in dollars, minus the hefty fee (for laundering the cash), is taken out in Guyana, “getting around taxes and border restrictions.”

Yeung did not reveal if they had actually gone through with the deal to launder cash into Guyana during their undercover assignment which aimed at exposing corruption involving Chinese businessmen operating the country.

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 28

CARICOM heads shocked at assassination of former PM of Japan Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) yesterday, in a public statement expressed its shocked over the assassination of the former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe. Abe, the st a t e m e n t s a i d , “ i s w e l l remembered in our Community as in 2014, he became the first Prime Minister of Japan to visit the region and met with our Heads of Government taking to a new level the political engagement between CARICOM and Japan.”

It was noted that during that visit, the Prime Minister signalled Japan's support in recognizing the vulnerability of Small Island and lowlying coastal Developing States (SIDS).

He at the time had also expressed Japan's willingness to take into consideration issues other than Gross Domestic Product per capita, as criteria for determining the provision of official development assistance.

CARICOM leaders, on the passing of Prime Minister Abe recalled too that during the Summit in Port of Spain, (Trinidad), he “reset CARICOM-Japan

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (second from left at front) during his visit to Trinidad & Tobago in 2014 along with other CARICOM Leaders (Photo: Alamy) relations by outlining his country's three-pillar Policy towards the Community.”

These are, co-operation towards sustainable development including overcoming vulnerabilities particular to small islands states; deepening and expanding bonds founded on exchanges and friendship; and cooperation in addressing challenges in the international community.

CARICOM, as such in its

public missive expressed appreciation for the Japanese Prime Minister's significant contribution to enhancing relations between the Region and Japan.

“CARICOM extends deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Abe, and the Government and People of Japan on the death of their longest serving Prime Minister and a man who made great efforts to reshape his country and its place in the world.”

Chinese Landing residents “helpless”...

From page 20 the community with heavy machinery, destroying roads and other infrastructure.

Helicopters and planes are also landing on an airstrip previously built by a local miner, who is said to have r e c e i v e d S t a t e permission—minus village consultation—to operate at the location.

“We don't know who is coming, who is going or what they are bringing,” the Toshao told the newspaper.

More than that however, miners threaten “to do bad things to us if we continue to speak about them being here.”

The Toshao said threats were made to his life with miners sending messages and warning against complaints.

“What we are seeing is that everything is in the miners' favour,” Toshao Fernandes lamented. “They boast about having friends in high places while we the villagers suffer,” the village leader submitted.

He explained that drones are being used to monitor the village, while persons openly carry high powered rifles, intimidating residents. He said too, every three months Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) officers would visit the Chinese Landing location to make their checks but do not facilitate village leaders accompanying them to the mining sites.

“They don't want us to go with them. They say that it would upset the miners and bring about a problem.”

Toshao Fernandes opined however, that the miners are not supposed to be on the land in the first place so to refuse the villagers who are facing the issues could be interpreted “badly.”

Outside of this, the Toshao said, what is being touted is for the village to have an agreement with the miners to gain royalties from their activities. But since the community related its noninterest in accessing payment, they have more or less been abandoned.

Former People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) parliamentarian Mervyn Williams, insisted that the plight of the Chinese Landing villagers is a direct failure of the Amerindian Affairs Minister, to actively engage villagers to address their concerns.

In an interview with Kaieteur News, Williams said, the issues facing the Chinese Landing residents commenced around 1995, when former President Cheddi Jagan, gave mining rights to the local miner without the permission of the Chinese Landing residents.

To d a y, t h e m i n e r s occupying the lands are claiming to be doing so on behalf of the miner or that they would have received permission from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to mine the land.

He said the villagers received no assistance from the relevant authorities; they are unaware as to whether actual permission is given to the outsiders and are thus left

to fend for themselves.

“They (government) seem more interested in finding out who complained to the United Nations rather than helping the villagers,” Williams claimed.

A missive was said to have been sent to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UN CERD) on rights violations and certain recommendations were made. Since that was done, acts of intimidation i n t e n s i f i e d , To s h a o Fernandes had revealed.

Williams noted however, that the government must correct the wrong that was done in 1995 when the lands were given out without the community's permission. He said, the relevant officials must get to the community and address the problems.

“The least Minister Sukai could have done,” Williams opined, was to take the Chinese Landing matter to Cabinet and state the urgency of the matter to have it addressed. In the meantime, “people are afraid for lives, their children can't go to school, roads and other infrastructure are being damaged and the gold is being dug up with nothing for the village.”

The government is expected to respond to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on July 15.

Williams said that his information is that the administration is seeking an extension of the time to respond to the apparent injustices.

Saturday July 09, 2022

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

Eid-ul-Adha Messages May the occasion of Our status as ‘One People’ Eid-ul-Adha inspire us to is given deeper meaning recommit to the ideals of unity during EID–UL–ADHA The Ethnic Relations Commission, (ERC), extends warmest EID – UL – ADHA greetings to Muslims and all Guyanese on this annual observance.

The national holiday which translates as the ‘festival of sacrifice’ is a symbolic Islamic principle for all humanity; obedience to God and the message associated with sacrifice. The ERC urges all to heed the universal message of EID – UL – ADHA for a better Guyana – render support to each other, especially in situations of need.

Sharing during this

holiday to the less fortunate, neighbours and friends, is commendable and in recognition of the brotherhood existing among Guyanese.

The observance remains a beacon of inspiration, guidance and motivation for all of us to build and promote national harmony. The lessons of sacrifice and humility must inspire us all as Guyanese.

Moreover, the Commission supports the thrust of this countrywide observance which strengthens ties with other ethnic groups in our multi-

cultural society. The ERC is positive that our status as ‘One People’ is given deeper meaning during EID – UL – ADHA celebrations every year. The national holiday represents another veritable example of the peaceful coexistence all Guyanese enjoy and the religious freedoms that are allowed. The ERC reiterates on this holiday that Guyanese of all ethnicities can draw important messages and principles from each other’s observances on the cultural calendar.

Eid Mubarak from the Ethnic Relations Commission!

The GAWU joins to extend our warmest wishes to Muslims across our country and around the world who are celebrating Eid-ul-Adha. This special holiday is a time to honour the sacrifice, resolve, and commitment to God demonstrated by Abraham. It would usually mark the end of the pilgrimage of Hajj performed each year by millions of Muslims who journey from all corners of the world to Mecca as a testament to their faith.

The observances of Eidul-Adha provide yet another opportunity to reflect on the

values of sacrifice, service, compassion, charity, and for helping the less fortunate.

Through symbolic sacrifice, the history of Eid Al Adha teaches us the duty of respect and care for the next generation. It teaches us the duty of building a healthy family, a healthy society and functional nation state that guarantee us social justice, and solidarity and welfare for our sons and daughters.

As we observe this important day on the Muslim calendar, GAWU urges that we spare a thought for the less fortunate in society. Today, as

our country steadily expands and reaches new heights allow us to recognize they are those among us who need our assistance and a helping hand. Indeed, they are our brothers and sisters, and we should seek to ensure that we all rise together and no one is left behind. Indeed, for us, this remains one of the most enduring messages of the Eidul-Adha observances.

GAWU urges that this Eid-ul-Adha be an occasion of sharing love and blessing with friends and family. Eidul-Adha Mubarak to all Guyanese.

The APNU+AFC Coalition extends Eid-ulAdha greetings to all Guyanese, but more especially to our Muslim Brothers and Sisters. Eid-ulAdha, or the “Feast of Sacrifice,” is deeply rooted in the life of the great Prophet Abraham (upon whom be peace).

The observance signifies the willingness of the Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as ordered by Allah. It is one of Islam’s most important holidays.

However, as Abraham was

about to kill Ismail, Allah stopped him, sending the Angel Jibreel, or Gabriel, with a ram to sacrifice instead.

Since then, it has become a duty on all Muslims to sacrifice animals on the occasion as a reminder of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son to please Allah.

The significance is to sacrifice what comes between us and Allah—whether it be ego, material possessions, passion, or power—and to resolve to fully obey Him. These teachings hold great

significance in giving moral and spiritual directions to our personal life.

The APNU+AFC has always been and will always remain respectful of G u y a n a ’s c u l t u r a l a n d religious diversity and believes that our diversity s e r v e s t o t h e c o u n t r y ’s advantage.

May this occasion inspire all Guyanese to recommit to the ideals of unity, selflessness, shared sacrifices, and a shared destiny.

APNU+AFC

Eid-ul-Adha exemplifies GAWU Eid-ul-Adha 2022 Message generosity, morality, and love

Major supermarkets hike prices for...

From page 19 when they will have the Demerara Gold packages.

One staffer said bluntly, “sugar is scarce right now” and the little that they had a few days ago, a customer had bought it all from the shelf.

Another supermarket in Georgetown, Bounty, when visited yesterday had only packaged and loose white sugar selling.

A staff there was unable to relate when the store would have the brown sugar back in stock. While at that supermarket, a female customer related to this publication that when she went at Mattai's, there was a notice at the sugar section that stated limited supplies.

Kaieteur News was told too that at another Bounty location, it did not have the Demerara Gold packages but was only selling the loose

sugar.

Not only is the shortage being experienced in the City but some supermarkets in Region Two and at Vreed-enHoop are reporting the same shortages.

Though it is unclear the reason behind the shortages, the Bank of Guyana in its quarterly report stated that this year there were decreases in the production of sugar by 47.7 percent.

The decrease recorded this year the Bank was attributed to the halt in grinding at the Uitvlugt Sugar Estate, caused by mechanical issues, which impacted production, as this estate was responsible for twenty-five (25) percent of output.

As reported on, the Uitvlugt Estate was down since March due to mechanical issues of its #1Mill turbine gearbox.

The gearbox which had to be replaced from overseas with a new one has now been installed and should see the factory up back and running in a week's time.

Not answering directly how much the absence of the Uitvlugt factory not being in operation would have contributed to the shortfall of sugar production in the country, the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha had told this publication previously that now with the factory slated to be opened, “we will have more production and sugar be produced.”

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) takes this opportunity to extend greetings and best wishes to the Muslim communities here in Guyana and in the Diaspora on the sacred occasion of Eid-ul-Adha.

Eid-ul-Adha reminds us of unbridled humility and the willingness to selflessly make sacrifices in obedience to God. Its message is seen as pertinent to the spiritual upliftment of all mankind which redounds in peace and togetherness.

It comes during the

annual Holy Pilgrimage to Mecca, The Hajj; a journey that embodies sacrifices in the quest to fulfill religious obligations and which is demonstrative of the teachings of equality.

Its observance continues to exemplify humane characteristics of generosity, morality, and love for others, especially the less fortunate.

In a multi-religious society like Guyana, these attributes have proven their value not only in catalyzing and strengthening bonds among our people but also in forging

a better understanding and appreciation of our cultures.

As our Muslim brothers and sisters celebrate in traditional ways, the party urges reflection on the pertinent messages of the occasion and the many sacrifices Guyanese have made over time for selfadvancement and nationbuilding with the common objective of a better life and future for all. Once again, the PPP extends best wishes for the occasion. Happy Eid Mubarak!

People’s Progressive Party

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 31

Bush-Lot man invites neighbour to drink, kills him P

his house where he was olice have arrested a imbibing. man from Bush Lot, According to the sisterEast Berbice in-law, Sydney ventured Corentyne, for allegedly over and shortly after, ran stabbing his neighbour to out from Joey's yard death yesterday. with a knife stuck in his The dead man has neck. since been identified as "Rameshwar went Rameshwar Sydney, a but like me nah know 47-year-old cash crop what happened and he farmer of Lot 232 Bush like he bore him and he lot Village, Corentyne, ran out and when he ran Berbice. out of the house, he like he Police Divisional can't make it and he fell in Commander, Boodnarine front of the gate here," she Persaud, during a visit to the Rameshwar Sydney, 47 added. relatives of the dead man The woman disclosed yesterday with a team of ranks, told Kaieteur News that they have since that it was a security guard who was passing arrested the suspect who reportedly that saw Sydney fall to the ground and he alerted a neighbour who subsequently called committed the act.

It was revealed by the victim's sister-in- on the victim's wife. She ran out and saw him law, Asha Tomby, that the incident took place bleeding profusely, and with the assistance of at approximately 13:00 hrs yesterday at neighbours rushed him to the Port Mourant Sydney's neighbour's house, located three Hospital, where he succumbed to his injury.

Sydney leaves to mourn his five children, lots away in the village.

Tomby said, based on information related wife, other relatives and close friends. He to her, the suspect identified as 'Joey' visited was described as a hard-working family man.

Sydney's home and asked him to go over to An investigation is underway.

The suspect's house where the incident took place.

PAGE 32

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

Japan’s ex Prime Minister Shinzo Abe assassinated during at campaign rally NARA, JAPAN (AP) Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated Friday on a street in western Japan by a gunman who opened fire on him from behind as he delivered a campaign speech an attack that stunned the nation with some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere.

The 67-year-old Abe, who was Japans longest-serving leader when he resigned in 2020, collapsed bleeding and was airlifted to a nearby hospital in Nara, although he was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was later pronounced dead after receiving massive blood transfusions, officials said.

Nara Medical University emergency department chief Hidetada Fukushima said Abe suffered major damage to his heart, along with two neck wounds that damaged an artery. He never regained his vital signs, Fukushima said.

Police at the shooting scene in Nara arrested Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a former member of Japans navy, on suspicion of murder.

Police said he used a gun that was obviously homemade about 15 inches (40 centimeters) long and they confiscated similar weapons and his personal computer when they raided his nearby one-room apartment.

Police said Yamagami was responding calmly to questions and had admitted to attacking Abe, telling investigators he had plotted to kill him because he believed rumors about the former leaders connection to a certain organization that police did not identify.

Dramatic video from NHK showed Abe standing and giving a speech outside a train station in Nara ahead of Sundays parliamentary election.

As he raised his fist to make a point, two gunshots rang out, and he collapsed holding his chest, his shirt smeared with blood as security guards run toward him.

Guards then leapt onto the

In this image from a video, Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, is attended on the ground in Nara, western Japan Friday, July 8, 2022. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a divisive arch-conservative and one of his nation’s most powerful and influential figures, has died after being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, hospital officials said. (Kyodo News via AP) gunman, who was face down on the pavement, and a double-barreled weapon was seen nearby.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Cabinet ministers hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country after the shooting, which he called “dastardly and barbaric.” He pledged that the election, which chooses members for Japans less-powerful upper house of parliament, would go on as planned.

“I use the harshest words to condemn (the act),” Kishida said, struggling to control his emotions. He said the government planned to review the security situation, but added that Abe had the highest protection. Even though he was out of office, Abe was still highly influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party and headed its largest faction, Seiwakai, even though his ultra-nationalism made him a divisive figure to many.

Opposition leaders condemned the attack as a challenge to Japans democracy.

Kenta Izumi, head of the top opposition Constitutional

Democratic Party of Japan, called it “an act of terrorism” and said it “tried to quash the freedom of speech ... actually causing a situation where (Abes) speech can never be heard again.” In Tokyo, people stopped on the street to grab extra editions of newspapers or watch TV coverage of the shooting.

Flowers were placed at the shooting scene in Nara.

When he resigned as prime minister, Abe blamed a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis hed had since he was a teenager.

He said then it was difficult to leave many of his goals unfinished, especially his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago

by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia, and a revision of Japans war-renouncing constitution.

That ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to create what he saw as a more normal defense posture angered many Japanese.

Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of

poor public support. Loyalists said that his legacy was a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japans defense capability. But Abe made enemies by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition.

Abe was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi.

His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a “normal” and “beautiful” nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

Tributes to Abe poured in from world leaders, with many expressing shock and sorrow.

U.S. President Joe Biden praised him for “his vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure. Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service.”

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose time in office from 2005-2021 largely overlapped Abes, said she was devastated by the “cowardly and vile assassination.” Indian Prime Minis-

Tetsuya Yamagami, bottom, is detained near the site of gunshots in Nara Prefecture, western Japan, Friday, July 8, 2022. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a divisive archconservative and one of his nation’s most powerful and influential figures, has died after being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, hospital officials said. Nara prefectural police confirmed the arrest of Yamagami, 41, on suspicion of attempted murder of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.(Katsuhiko Hirano/The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP) ter Narendra Modi declared Saturday to be a day of national mourning for Abe. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian declined to comment, other than to say Beijing offered sympathies to Abes family and that the shooting shouldnt be linked to bilateral relations.

But social media posts from the country were harsh, with some calling the gunman a “hero” reflecting strong public sentiment against right-wing Japanese politicians who question or deny that Japans military committed wartime atrocities in China.

Biden, who is dealing with summer of mass shootings in the U.S., also said “gun violence always leaves a deep scar on the communities that are affected by it.” Japan is particularly known for its strict gun laws. With a population of 125 million, it had only 10 gun-related criminal cases last year, resulting in one death and four injuries, according to police. Eight of

Killing stuns world that associates Japan with gun control TOKYO (AP) - The assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in broad daylight Friday shocked a world that has come to associate Japan with relatively low crime and strict gun control.

Japans longest-serving prime minister, Abe was shot in the back while campaigning in the city of Nara for parliamentary candidates. He

died at a hospital, two days before the election.

The suspect apparently circumvented the nations ultra-tight gun regulations by building his own weapon. Police said the 15inch (40-centimeter) device was obviously homemade, and one expert compared it to a muzzle-loading gun.

Authorities confiscated similar weapons when they

raided the suspects nearby one-room apartment.

The motive of the man, who was taken into custody at the scene, remained unclear. Fatal gun violence is virtually unheard of in Japan, and most Japanese go through life without ever handling, or even seeing, a real gun.

Stabbings are more common in killings. Major

universities have rifle clubs, and Japanese police are armed, but gun ownership rights have been a distant issue for decades. Even police rarely resort to firing their pistols.

With a population of 125 million, the country had just 10 gun-related criminal cases last year, resulting in a single death and four injuries, according to police.

Eight of those cases were gang-related. The densely populated capital of Tokyo had zero gun incidents, injuries or deaths during that same year, although 61 guns were seized there.

“Japanese people are in a state of shock,” said Shiro Kawamoto, professor at the College of Risk M a n a g e ment at Nihon University in Tokyo.

those cases were gang-related. Tokyo had no gun incidents, injuries or deaths in the same year, although 61 guns were seized.

Abe was proud of his work to strengthen Japans security alliance with the U.S. and shepherding the first visit by a serving U.S. president to the atom-bombed city of Hiroshima.

He also helped Tokyo gain the right to host the 2020 Olympics by pledging that a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant was “under control” when it was not. Abe became Japans youngest prime minister in 2006, at age 52, but his overly nationalistic first stint abruptly ended a year later, also because of his health.

The end of Abes scandalladen first stint as prime minister was the beginning of six years of annual leadership change, remembered as an era of “revolving door” politics that lacked stability and longterm policies.

When he returned to office in 2012, Abe vowed to revitalize the nation and get its economy out of its deflationary doldrums with his “Abenomics” formula, which combines fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms.

He won six national elections and built a rock-solid grip on power, bolstering Japans defense role and capability and its security alliance with the U.S. He also stepped up patriotic education at schools and raised Japans international profile.

Saturday July 09, 2022

PAGE 33

Kaieteur News

Litton: Bangladesh ‘really can’t play powerful cricket’ and that’s hurting them (Cricinfo) - Litton Das feels that Bangladesh’s lack of power-hitting skills could be a problem going into this year’s T20 World Cup in Australia, scheduled for OctoberNovember. It was one of the main reasons, he said, for the team’s five-wicket loss in the third T20I, which gave West Indies a 2-0 series win.

“No one in our team is as powerful as [Kyle] Mayers they [West Indies batters] can clear big grounds at will,” Litton said. “We are not capable of it. We always think about hitting fours. They hit more sixes. This is the difference that always exists. We are behind most of the big teams in the T20s. We have a lot to work on. We really can’t

play powerful cricket.”

Bangladesh hit two more fours than West Indies [11 vs nine], but the home side struck 11 sixes compared to Bangladesh’s five in Thursday’s game. Overall, in the T20I series, West Indies hit a total of 21 sixes - six more than Bangladesh - while Bangladesh hit 31 fours, compared to West Indies’ 23.

“There’s always talk of T20 being a game of skills, technique and tactics, but I feel power-hitting is needed sometimes,” Litton said. “We will be playing the World Cup in a country where the grounds are big. It will hurt us. The only thing we can do is play a lot of matches, so that we can go into the tour-

nament with confidence.”

Litton felt that the lack of runs from the openers also hurt Bangladesh. They used two different sets of openers in three matches. On Thursday, Anamul Haque, Litton’s partner, fell off the third ball of the fifth over. In the second game, both Litton and Haque were sent back inside eight balls of the innings, while in the first, Munim Shahriar and Haque were both back midway through the fourth over.

“We didn’t bat too well,” Litton, who scored 49 in 41 balls in the third match, said.

“We didn’t do it in the first game, nor did we bat well in the second game, except Shakib bhai. I thought we

Saturday July 09, 2022 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A heightened level of intuition and understanding of others might catapult you to the center of attention at a gathering, Aries. Knowledge combined with experience results in wisdom today.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Communication with friends who have traveled widely could have you hankering to make a future visit to a distant place that you've always wanted to experience.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Dreams or visions could put you in touch with deep feelings that you may not have been aware of before, Gemini.

This could enable you to release traumas from your past and give you a new sense of lightness.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Relationships of all kinds are likely to be strengthened by an increased level of understanding today, Cancer. Your thinking is greatly enhanced by your emotional intuitiveness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Dealing with the ups and downs of other family members could be easier for you today than usual, Libra.

You're less inclined to be logical and more apt to identify with what other people feel.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Today your mind is strongly influenced by feeling and intuition, Scorpio, so you'll be able to communicate especially well with others.

You might sense what they need to hear before. .

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You generally like to think of yourself as someone who faces life logically and rationally, Sagittarius, but today your intuitive side could prove a valuable resource.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Your intuition is usually very strong, Capricorn, and your level of empathy enhances your relationships. Today, however, a burst of logic could enable you to see many things.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today your emotional intuition intensifies your mental abilities, Leo. Friends and family members are likely to grow closer to you.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Your intuition is heightened almost to the point of telepathy today. Aquarius, you may be able to sense what others want and need even before they know it themselves.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22) Relationships with those closest to you, particularly friends and love partners, should be enhanced by an increased understanding of their emotional world, Virgo.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Getting in touch with your closest friends could bring about some intense communication, with many revealing some of your deepest concerns, Pisces.

played in batting-friendly conditions. If the openers, including me, played properly, it would have allowed the middle order to express themselves.”

Defending 164 in the third and final T20I, Bangladesh started with spinners, and did well, but then lost their way.

After picking up three early wickets, Bangladesh were unable to contain Nicholas Pooran and Mayers, who added 85 runs for the fourth wicket to change the course of the match. The two targeted pace bowlers Shoriful Islam and Mustafizur Rahman, who went for 40 in three overs between them.

That their two left-arm spinners, Shakib and Nasum Ahmed hardly bowled to the pair might have also played a part in the loss. Shakib took a wicket in his first over while Nasum bowled a handy first spell before both were packed off. However, Nasum came back again in the 15th over to break the Mayers-Pooran stand.

“A right-hand bowler can bowl to a right-hand batsman - but it is totally the captain’s decision,” Litton said. “You wouldn’t have asked this question if this decision had gone the right way. The captain conducts the field, not the other ten players. We have to follow this decision.”

Litton said that the way Pooran and Mayers batted put the bowlers under pressure because they knew that the West Indies batters could clear boundaries with ease.

“We didn’t execute well with the ball,” he said. “Pooran and

Austrian Grand...

From page 36 four times in five races through two engine failures and two strategy errors.

But Lecle r c s a i d o n l y that he wanted a “clean race” after his difficult period.

“I struggled little bit with putting the tyres in the window after the red flag and this was enough give me some understeer and I struggle to drive around thi s w h e n e v e r I have it,” said L e c l e rc.

“It is a shame but it is only Friday and looking at the last five races it is the Sunday that counts and I hope we can finally have a normal race.

“We just need a clean race and a good strategy on Sunday and everything is possible.”

Litton Das

Mayers also hit the good balls for boundaries. It was to their credit - they play power cricket. We can’t play that

way. I think it plays on the bowlers’ mind that they can’t really make a mistake [against such a batting line-up].”

PAGE 34

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

Labuschagne, Smith centuries put Australia in the driver’s seat

(Cricinfo) - Significant centuries, but for different reasons, from Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith gave Australia control on the opening day of the s e c o n d Te s t i n G a l l e .

Labuschagne made his first Test hundred overseas and Smith just his second in 32 innings overall, going back to 2019, to form the centrepieces of a measured display by their team.

On a surface that started much truer than the one used for the opening Test - but still offered help for the spinners with more likely later on - life was easier for the batters. But the first innings remains the time to score the runs. Labuschagne and Smith added 134 in 37 overs, dominating the second session, before Sri Lanka fought back somewhat through debutant left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, one of three new

caps handed out by the home side.

Labuschagne made Sri Lanka pay for giving him a life on 28, when Niroshan Dickwella fluffed a stumping chance which would have left Australia three down before lunch. Instead, he went on to reach his seventh Test century from 147 balls, the second fifty taking 63 deliveries, before he was lured out of his crease by Jayasuriya on the stroke of tea - this time Dickwella completed the dismissal, 76 runs later.

Except for his reprieve, it was a beautifully compiled hundred from Labuschagne. After a quiet resumption following lunch, where six overs brought just ten runs including the first maiden by a Sri Lanka spinner in the series, from Ramesh Mendis,

Marnus Labuschagne scored his first Test century away from home (AFP)

Labuschagne got himself going again with a strong pull off Kasun Rajitha, which brought up his fifty from 84 balls.

Then, in the next over from Ramesh, he collected consecutive boundaries. He had a moment of fortune when a bottom-edged sweep against Jayasuriya went mighty close to off stump, but he followed it with a perfectly timed punchy drive. Good footwork, as he came down the pitch to Jayasuriya to reach the ball on

Nicholas Pooran: ‘One of the best innings I have played for West Indies’ (Cricinfo) - Nicholas Pooran might have won the Player-of-the-Match award for his unbeaten 39-ball 74 in the third T20I against Bangladesh, but he feels Kyle Mayers’ 55 off 38 balls at the top of the West Indies chase made his job simpler than it might have been otherwise.

Set 170 to win the threematch series, West Indies were 43 for 3 just after the powerplay, and Mayers, who had opened the batting, was on 18 from 16 at that stage.

But with Pooran for company, Mayers opened up, and the next 22 balls he faced went for 37 in an 85-run stand for the fourth wicket.

“I was telling Kyle how well he was batting out there,” Pooran said afterwards. “It was a top innings. He was putting away the loose balls.

The bowlers were under pressure even though they were on top of the game. We want to continue to do that as a batting unit. He made my job easier, to build the partnership with him.

“Our template was always to put the bowlers under pressure early in the over. Kyle put away anything loose from their offspinners. I think I fed off that today. In T20s, a partnership is the most important thing.”

Faced with a lot of spin up front, Mayers said he needed to balance aggression with good decision making when approaching the chase. The first eight overs were bowled

Nicholas Pooran attacks against Bangladesh (Getty Images)

by spinners: Nasum Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan sent down three each in the powerplay, and Shakib Al Hasan and Mosaddek Hossain bowled the next two before the first sighting of a quick bowler in Mustafizur Rahman in the ninth. It was the first time Bangladesh had bowled spinners in the first eight overs of a T20I innings.

And it worked, keeping West Indies down to 56 for 3.

“I thought we approached it very sensibly,” Mayers said. “But still we were aggressive. We needed to put pressure on the bowlers. I thought we made some very good decisions in terms of shot selection. It was crucial.

We closed out the overs very well [the win was achieved with ten balls in hand].

“I just tried to put away the loose deliveries. It didn’t

matter who was bowling at the time. Just staying in the moment and choosing the right deliveries to go after.”

Pooran rated his own innings highly, because, as he said, he managed to close out the game. But he wasn’t pleased with the effort in the field earlier - the stump mics caught him expressing his frustration more than once.

“It is one of the best innings I have played for West Indies just because of the fact that I was there till the end,” he said. “It is something that I have always wanted to do.

“I just felt like we didn’t come out with the right attitude [while fielding]. It was a bit disappointing. We will definitely have a chat about it. We will have a better attitude in our next game. That’s the only thing we can control.

We will definitely work on it.”

the full, brought him his 12th boundary to get to 99.

Until now, his 11 overs e a s Te s t s h a d b r o u g h t five half-centuries - four of them in a row during his memorable performance during the 2019 Ashes in England - so ticking it off was an important milestone, especially to do so in Asia with the tour of India next year.

S m i t h ’s c e n t u r y, h i s 28th in Tests, was just his second since the end of his remarkable 2019 Ashes and his first for 16 innings.

It came late in the day against the second new ball, when he sent Rajitha through the off side with a commanding cover drive.

There was a big smile, and perhaps a hint of relief in the celebration.

He had attracted criticism for his angry reaction to being run out in the opening Test and on occasions over the last couple of years has not appeared settled at the crease. But here Smith was in control throughout with his crisp footwork.

A brace of full tosses from Ramesh helped him towards his fifty, but some of his best strokes came when he put Jayasuriya through the leg side - playing against the turn, but with strong wrists and superb placement.

Sri Lanka did well to stay in touch either side of tea as they managed to bring some control to Australia’s scoring rate af-

Steven Smith scored his first Test century since January 2021 (AFP)

ter breaking the thirdwicket stand.

They had started the day nicely when Rajitha, one of four changes to the Sri Lanka side, produced a testing six-over opening spell and found a bit of assistance with the new ball.

In a fashion that has become familiar over the last few years, he removed David Warner from around the wicket when a goodlength delivery nipped away sharply and clattered the stumps.

Usman Khawaja had been very secure, picking up from where he left off in the first match, making an early statement when he crunched Ramesh through mid-on, before receiving a brute of a delivery that spun to beat his edge and take the top of off stump.

It would be more than two hours before Sri Lanka struck again, with Jayasuriya showing impressive character on debut after a difficult start, which had seen him concede nine boundaries in 12 overs before taking Labuschagne’s wicket. He

was able to add to his tally Travis Head, whose struggles on the road continued when a delivery slipped past the edge to clip off stump.

Then he claimed Cameron Green with a borderline lbw, the batter missing a sweep.

Green had been given a life when Dickwella missed another stumping.

Jayasuriya’s day could be split into two parts: 120-54-0 and 16-2-36-3.

Smith, though, remained solid through to the close with Alex Carey for company.

Australia had resisted changing the balance of their side by recalling Glenn Maxwell at No. 8.

Whether he would have added more value than Mitchell Starc will become clear in the next couple of days, but Australia are well placed to push for 20.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, introduced three debutants - Kamindu Mendis, M a heesh Theekshana and Jayasuriya - following the Covid-19 outbreak in the squad.

Ballot Box Martyr’s Memorial...

From page 35 49th death anniversary of 17-year-old Jagan Ramessar and 42-year-old Bholanauth Parmanand – the “Ballot Box Martyrs”.

On Election Day, July 16, 1973, Bholanauth and Ramessar were part of a crowd that had gathered outside a polling station

a t N u m b e r 6 3 Vi l l a g e , Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), in the form of a protest.

They w e r e a t t h e time protesting the removal of the ballot boxes from the place of poll at the end of voting.

The protesters wanted the ballots to be

counted at the place of poll before the ballots w e r e t a k e n away. As such, during the protest, Bholanauth and Ramessar we r e s h o t and killed by a member of the Guyana Defence Force. This was during an era of the People’s National Congress (PNC) regime.

Saturday July 09, 2022

PAGE 35

Kaieteur News

Defending champion Garcia Tour de France 2022: keeps title defence alive Pogacar wins stage seven - Stoll makes first open quarterfinals The defending champion and No.1 seed, Miguel Garcia, made a keen start to his title defence when he out-served the talented Khawn Rodney to secure a 6-1/6-2 win.

The scoreline does not represent the quality of the match as Rodney went toeto-toe with groundstrokes against Garcia. Rodney had countless chances to break Garcia’s serve in both sets, but the top-seeded Mexican’s thunderous serve bailed him out of trouble and improved him to a 6-0 record at the GBTI Open. Next up for the defending champion is the 2018 finalist, Johnathan Fagundes.

Meanwile, in just his second GBTI Open appearance, Harvey Stoll booked a spot in the GBTI Open quarterfinal when he rallied past Immanuel Barker 7-5/6-0.

Stoll controlled most of the match with a hybrid of heavy top-spinned and flat ground strokes. He edged a stiff opening set and broke Barker’s serve in the eleventh game to snatch the set 7-5.

Barker’s errors gradually increased in the second set and Stoll eventually secured the win.

Former champion, Gavin Lewis, showed class in his ability to dismantle young Nathan DeNobrega who had a fairytale run in this year’s Men’s Open.

DeNobrega was able to break Lewis at the beginning

Pogacar (left) pipped Vingegaard to extend his lead over the Danish rider to 35 seconds (Getty Images)

Miguel Garcia and Khawn Rodney

of the first set but traded breaks and led 3-2. It seems his tactic of consistency was frustrating Lewis and drawing the errors. However, the former college player, Lewis, was able to dig deep and showcase his strength to blast both forehand and backhand winners. He raced to a 6 - 3 / 6-0 win to secure his position as one of the former three champions remaining in the Men’s Open.

Leacock/Murray defeated Erskine/Younge in a battle that left the audience gasp-

ing and cheering for more.

The Men’s 35s double proved that tennis is fun for any age category.

The ground strokes of the senior players were exquisite and peppered with finesse.

However, Leacock/Murray were able to hold their nerves and convert at the critical parts of the match to secure a win 6-3 / 6-3. In another note worthy battle in the Men’s Doubles, Gerald Scotland and Donnie Anderson defeated Joshua Kalekeyzi and Vadeanand Resaul, 6-1/6-4.

Djokovic beats Norrie to reach Wimbledon final

(BBC Sport) - Britain’s Cameron Norrie was unable to capitalise on a confident start as Novak Djokovic fought back to reach the Wimbledon men’s singles final.

Norrie, 26, was bidding to become only the fourth Briton to reach the final at the All England Club in the Open era.

But after winning the first set, he lost 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 to the top seed. Serbia’s Djokovic, going for a fourth consecutive title and a seventh overall, will face Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in Sunday’s final. Reaction to Norrie’s defeat by Djokovic in Wimbledon semi-finals The 35-year-old will also bid for a 21st Grand Slam men’s title, which would put him one behind Rafael Nadal’s all-time record.

Spain’s Nadal, 36, was supposed to face Kyrgios in

to extend overall lead

Friday’s second semi-final but withdrew from the match on Thursday because of an abdominal injury.

Now Djokovic has the chance to close the gap again on his enduring rival after ending the hopes of Norrie and a nation. Norrie, seeded ninth, was the first British player since Johanna Konta in 2017 to reach a Wimbledon singles semi-final and was given partisan backing on Centre Court.

The atmosphere became celebratory as Norrie broke three times to take the opening set, before coming increasingly stifled as Djokovic eventually found his level.

Norrie received a rapturous round of applause as he left the Centre Court, including from Djokovic who stood back and applauded his exit “Cameron didn’t have

Cameron Norrie much to lose, he was playing the tournament of his life,” said Djokovic. “He’s a great player and I have a lot of respect for him. “Cameron was dominating the play and I got lucky to break his serve in the second set.

“He gifted me a game and from then I think momentum shifted.”

(BBC Sport) - Defending champion Tadej Pogacar beat Jonas Vingegaard in a thrilling finish to stage seven as he extended his overall lead at the Tour de France.

Pogacar surged past the Dane in the last 20 metres as he claimed his second consecutive stage victory.

Lennard Kamna had looked set to win but Pogacar and Vingegaard swept by on final section of the punishing climb at La Super Planche des Belles Filles.

Primoz Roglic, the 2020 runner-up, finished third with Kamna fourth.

Britain’s Geraint Thomas, who won the Tour in 2018, conceded 14 seconds as he finished alongside the German, but will take heart after being well positioned throughout the concluding 7km climb that culminated with a 24% gradient and a gravel stretch to the line.

The Ineos Grenadiers

rider moves to third in the general classification, one minute 10 seconds behind Pogacar and 35 seconds behind Jumbo-Visma’s Vingegaard.

Despair for Kamna, delight for Pogacar…

Kamna was the sole survivor of an 11-man breakaway on the 176.5km stage from Tomblaine, and appeared capable of holding on for a famous victory until the GC race behind him ignited in the final kilometre.

The Bora-Hansgrohe rider was caught on the final bend as Pogacar attacked, and then saw Vingegaard accelerate past him.

Pogacar’s response, fighting back superbly with a kick to line, underlined why he has been installed as favourite to win a third consecutive edition of the race.

“It was really, really difficult, especially in the last part where Jonas [Vingegaard] at-

tacked - he was so strong,” said UAE Team Emirates rider Pogacar.

“But I said yeah, my boys were working all day so I had to push to the finish line. It was a really special day.

“We opened a foundation today for cancer research, so I wore special shoes just for today, and I’m really happy and proud to take this win on Planche des Belle Filles.”

Britain’s Adam Yates remains fourth in the GC standings, with team-mate Tom Pidcock dropping to seventh overall.

While Aleksandr Vlasov, the leader of the BoraHansgrohe team and American Neilson Powless of EF Education-EasyPost who had started the stage second overall, lost significant ground, Roglic’s performance, two days after he dislocated his shoulder on stage five, sees him climb 15 places to 13th overall.

Ballot Box Martyr’s Memorial road race on tomorrow

Cyclists will battle for supremacy tomorow when the Ballot Box Martry’s Memorial cycle road race gets underway tomorrow in Berbice.

The race will pedal off at Freedom House, New Amsterdam, proceed to Corriverton and culminate at

63 beach; ladies and veterans over 50 will finish at Tagore Secondary School.

Mr. KP. Jadeo, Raffik & Son’s, Mr. Devanand Sawh, and Mr. Annirud Ramcharitar have injected additional funding into this year’s Ballot Box Martrys’ Memorial Race, to

make the event more lucrative.

Transportation departs from the Ministry of Sport, Middle Street, at 05:00 hours today. Among other categories to be contested are Seniors and Juniors.

July 16, 2022, marked the (Continued on page 34)

PAGE 36

Saturday July 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

Blatter, Platini cleared of fraud in Swiss trial

(Reuters) - Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and France footballing legend Michel Platini were both cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss court on Friday after a seven-year investigation during which they were booted out of the sport.

A judge said the pair’s account of a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ for FIFA to pay Platini 2 million Swiss francs ($2.05 million) for consulting work was credible, and serious doubts existed about the prosecution’s allegation it was a fraudulent payment.

As a result Blatter, who led FIFA for 17 years, was cleared of fraud by the Federal Criminal Court in the southern city of Bellinzona. Platini, a former France national team captain and manager, was also acquitted of fraud.

The two, once among the most powerful figures in global soccer, had denied the charges against them.

Swiss federal prosecutors said they would examine the written verdict before deciding whether to appeal.

“I have always said my conscience is clear,” a relieved but frail-looking Blatter told reporters outside the court.

“Naturally nobody’s perfect, but in the case of my job, my work, 44 years working at FIFA, for me it is so important that this case has been settled at the highest Swiss level,” the 86-year-old added.

Platini, aged 67, also described his joy, saying the allegations had turned him from a legend of world soccer to a “devil”.

“I want to express my happiness for all my loved ones that justice has finally been done after seven years of lies and manipulation,” Platini said.

“The truth has come to light,” he added. “I kept saying it: my fight is a fight against injustice.”

Prosecutors had accused Swiss national Blatter and Platini of unlawfully arranging for FIFA to pay the Frenchman two million Swiss francs ($2.06 million) in 2011.

The case meant Blatter

said.

The payment emerged following a huge investigation launched by the U.S. Department of Justice into bribery, fraud and money-laundering at FIFA in 2015, which triggered Blatter’s resignation.

Both officials were banned in 2015 from soccer for eight years over the payment, although their bans were later reduced.

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter (left) and Vice-President Michel Platini (Photo: Reuters) ended his reign as FIFA president in disgrace and it wrecked Platini’s hopes of succeeding him after he was banned from football when the affair came to light.

Blatter had said the twomillion franc payment followed a “gentlemen’s agreement” between the pair when he asked Platini to be his technical adviser in 1998.

Platini, worked as a consultant between 1998 and 2002 with an annual salary of 300,000 Swiss francs — with the salary being topped up to 1 million per year later.

The senior judge, Josephine Contu Albrizio, said a verbal agreement between Blatter and Platini seemed credible, as did the Frenchman’s seeing his mar-

ket value at 1 million per year due to his status in the game.

It also seemed implausible that Platini would have worked only on the basis of written contract that paid him such a paltry sum, the judge told the court.

It was also credible that Platini sought the extra pay only in 2010 as he did not need the money immediately, she

Platini, who also lost his job as UEFA president following the ban, said the affair was a deliberate attempt to thwart his attempt to become FIFA president in 2015.

Platini’s former general secretary at UEFA, Gianni Infantino, entered the FIFA race and won the election in 2016.

Neither Blatter nor Platini wished to comment on Infantino, although Blatter said he could still attend this year’s World Cup tournament which FIFA controversially awarded to Qatar.

“It depends if they invite me,” he told reporters.

Austrian Grand Prix: Max Di Maria joins Juventus Verstappen on pole as both on free transfer - Ajax signs Bergwijn Mercedes crash Max Verstappen has won six of 10 races so far this season and leads the drivers’ standings by 34 points (Getty Images)

(BBC Sport) - Red Bull’s Max Verstappen pipped the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc to pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix with his final lap of qualifying.

The world champion’s earlier fastest time had been beaten by Leclerc and his team-mate Carlos Sainz with their final laps but Verstappen snatched pole back.

The Dutchman was just 0.029 seconds quicker than Leclerc, with Sainz only 0.082secs off pole in a close session.

Both Mercedes crashed, leaving George Russell fifth and Lewis Hamilton 10th.

The session set the grid for Saturday’s sprint race, the result of which establishes the grid for the main grand

prix on Sunday.

Verstappen, who was serenaded by thousands of fans from his home country at his team’s home race, looked as if he had missed out as he headed into the final sector of his final lap.

At that point, he was not improving his time, and ahead of him on track Leclerc and Sainz were both doing so, and both slipped ahead of him.

But Verstappen was still pushing, and although he was slower than Leclerc through the final sector, he was quick enough along with his greater straight-line speed in the first sector, to grab pole back.

“In the end it was a really tight qualifying and it’s a really challenging track to get

qualifying right,” said Verstappen.

On his hopes for the sprint, he added: “We have a great car. Hope it’s clean into Turn One and I get a good getaway. I feel confident with the car we have.”

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez completed the front two rows but is under investigation for exceeding track limits.

There are points available for the sprint - eight for the winner down to one for eighth place - and Leclerc really needs a good haul this weekend to revive his title hopes.

The Monegasque is 43 points behind Verstappen after a brutal run for him and Ferrari, in which he has lost potentially winning positions (Continued on page 33)

(BBC Sport) - Angel di Maria has joined Juventus on a free transfer, agreeing a one-year contract.

The Argentina winger, 34, left Paris StGermain at the end of last season after seven years.

Manchester United paid a then-British record fee of £59.7m to sign Di Maria from Real Madrid in 2014, but sold him to PSG for £ 4 4 . 3 m a y e a r l a t e r.

D i M a r i a w o n five French league titles with PSG, scoring 92 goals in 295 games.

Meanwhile, France midfield e r P a u l P o g b a has arrived in Turin, with his move to Juventus set to be confirmed.

Pogba, 29, left United at the end of his contract this summer and is returning to Juventus six years after the Premier League club re-signed him for a then world record £89m fee.

Ajax signs…

Ajax have signed winger Steven Bergwijn from Tottenham for a club record £26m.

The 24-year-old Netherlands international, who previously played for Ajax at youth level, has signed

Angel di Maria made 26 appearances for PSG last season, scoring five goals

a five-year contract.

Bergwijn scored eight goals in 81 appearances for Spurs after joining from PSV Eindhoven in January 2020.

“It is indicative of Steven’s ambition that he chose to make the step to Ajax,” said head coach Alfred Schreuder.

“He is a player with many qualities. He has enormous drive and is also very goal-oriented. Of

course, I am happy that we were able to sign him, he adds new quality to our team.”

The transfer fee is not only a record for Ajax, but also for any club in the Eredivisie.

“Dear Spurs fans, thank you for all the great moments and memories,” Bergwijn said on Instagram.

“It was an honour to have been part of this beautiful club.”

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 09, 2022

PAGE 37

DDL's El Dorado Rum on board for another five years Hero CPL:

E

l Dorado Rum has confirmed that it will continue as the premium sponsor of the Caribbean Premiere League (CPL) for the next five years.

This was done yesterday at a signing of agreement at the new Pegasus Suites.

Projects Manager of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Jamie Stewart, disclosed that in 2013 when the idea for the second most watched T20 League in the Wo r l d g o t u n d e r w a y, Demerara Distilleries Limited (DDL) El Dorado

Rum was the first partner on board.

Stewart added that at time it was the two men sitting to his right; DDL's Chairman of the Board, Komal Samaroo, and CPL Head of Public Relations, Peter Miller, who were holding discussions and signed the inaugural sponsorship agreement.

Stewart said that nowhere in the Caribbean, they come out like at Providence. The fans in Guyana are passionate like nowhere else in the World.

“El Dorado Rum and

CWI Women's U19 Rising Stars T20 tournament…

Jamaica defeat Guyana on DLS - Windward Islands also wins P O RT- O F - S PA I N , Trinidad – The Windward Islands handed the Leeward Islands a 122-run defeat at the Diego Martin Sporting Complex as the CWI Women's U19 Rising Stars T20 tournament continued on Friday. . Batting first, Wi n d w a r d s p o s t e d t h e highest total for the event so far of 176-8 in their 20 overs.

The runs came from the bats of left-hander Jannellia Glasgow with 38 off 30 balls with six fours, and Namiah Marcellin who scored a brisk 37 off 26 balls with seven boundaries. The total was boosted by a whopping 53 extras. Right-arm medium fast Jahzara Claxton with 30-29-3 and right-arm medium pacer Kimberly Anthony with 4-0-15-2 were the best Leewards bowlers.

Glasgow, then returned with the new ball to be the star b o w l e r. S h e r e t u r n e d impressive figures of 4-2-33, while Abini St. Jean finished with 3-0-7-3 and Zaida James 2.5-0-11-2 as the Windwards were bowled out for 35 in 13.5 overs. Claxton was the lone batter to reach double figures, she scored 11 off 39 balls, which included two fours.

Jamaica edge Guyana by 18 runs (DLS Method) Jamaica earned their first win with an 18-run result over Guyana at the Brian Lara

Cricket Academy. Batting first, Lena Scott added her name to the tournament's runscorers after she smashed an unbeaten 43 (56) which included six boundaries. Kate Wilmott also got into the action with a run-a-ball 29 not out, as Jamaica posted 115-4 from their 20 overs.

With the rain playing spoilsport on their innings, Guyana reached 87-4 from their rain-reduced 18 overs, thereby losing on the (via the D uck w o r th /Lew is /S ter n method.

Right-handed opening batter Naomi Barkoye continued her good form, smashing three boundaries on her way to a 27 off 44 balls, while Sarah Amin remained not out on 12.

Bowling for the Jamaicans, Kimarie Campbell finished with the excellent figures of 3-0-7-2.

Rain washes out USA vs Barbados - The USA had Barbados on the backfoot before the rain forced an abandonment of the match.

Winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Bajans were pegged back 16-3 in 3.5 overs. Seam bowler Jivana Aras grabbed all three wickets to fall, by the time the rains came, she had figures of 1.5-0-6-3.

The tournament continues on Saturday.

(CWI)

CPL is all about celebrations and we very happy to be coming to Guyana.

We wanted to link the tournament to a Carnival and now that the Guyana's Government has made that possible with the week of Carnival surrounding the 11 exciting games on the field and we thank them for that,” Stewart said.

“We look forward to the next five years with projecting Guyana and El Dorado Rum to the World,” he concluded.

Samaroo said, “Ten years

ago we joined hands with CPL marching down a road we did not know where it was heading.

Ten years after, we are here to join hands again for another five years. I believe that the partnership between DDL and CPL will be mutually beneficial and support the efforts of each other.”

Samaroo added that DDL understands that branding label is a long journey adding that DDL was prepared for long journeys.

Rum made in the

Demerara region of Guyana is the best Rum anywhere and comparable with any other spirits anywhere in the World.

He sai d t h e y w o u l d like to use that platform to convey t h a t m e s s a g e globally especially since the Demerara Region is recognised by laws in Europe that Demerara is the official origin on G e ographical location regulations as the best Rum. “And since the next three

years the CPL finals will be played here in Demerara, you are having the best in Cricket and the biggest Party in sports being played in the backyard of where the Rum is from. So as we go forward we will find unique ways to make this partnership a strong one.”

The DDL Chairman concluded by advising the users of El Dorado Rum to drink responsibly. This year's CPL will see 11 matches played here including the Semi-finals and final.

(Sean Devers)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 38

Saturday July 09, 2022

ABU Guyana, Ansa McAl support Champions of Champions Dominoes

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BU Guyana and Ansa Mc Al have thrown their support behind the senior organising secretary of the Georgetown Dominoes Assocation, Mark Wiltshire, for the hosting of the Champion of Champions Dominoes competition which is set for Sunday at Tr a n s p o r t S p o r t s c l u b starting at 14:00hrs.

ABU Guyana of 210 Charlotte street has sponsored the first place trophy while Ansa Mc Al has donated four hampers.

Entrance fee is $15,000 and the winning team will take home a trophy and $200,000 while the runner up bags a trophy and $100,000, third place picks up a trophy and $50,000 and the MVP will

Milo Secondary Schools Football Tournament…

Inclement weather forces another postponement The Petra Organisation decided in the best interest of the players and ground aligned with the Milo Secondary Schools Football Tournament, to postpone this weekend's matches between the quarterfinalists.

According to a note from Petra, “Due to the inclement weather patterns for the next couple of days we at Petra Organization have decided to push back our quarter-finals that were schedule for this weekend (July 9 – 10) to July 16 – 17, 2022. This is also in the interest of preserving our playing field. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.”

When the tournament resumes, the final eight commence battle as CWSS meet Cummings Lodge, West

Ruimveldt tackle North Ruimveldt, Annandale go head to head with Friendship and Dolphin will battle President's College.

The victorious team in this knockout tournament will cart off with $300,000 along with the 2022 Milo Championship Trophy and Gold Medals to outfit the entire team, while the second place finishers have to settle for $200,000, the corresponding trophy and Silver Medals.

Meanwhile, these teams have automatically qualified for the upcoming GuyOil/Tradewind Tankers U-18 League, which is scheduled to run from September to November of this year.

receive $10,000. For the best female player in the tournament, a prize of $20,000 is up for grabs.

Among the teams set to take part are Gold is Money, Mix Up, Phantom, Executive, Turning Point Gangster, Spartans, Players, 300, Providence, R and R, Big Boss Girls, Strikers, All Season's Players 2, Lions, Next Level, C6, C7 and F and H. Teams from Pomeroon, Mark Wiltshire receives the hampers Essequibo Coast and Linden from Ansa McAl Corporate are also expected to grace the Communications Officer, Alleya Hamilton tournament.

Mark Wiltshire accepts the first place trophy from Tanda Crossman of Trophy Stall

Pooran grabs four wickets for Melbourne in Canada

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ormer Guyana Under-15 player Raja Pooran churned out a fine bowling performance to help Melbourne Sports Club beat Jazba Cricket Club by a thrilling two-wicket margin last Saturday when action continued in the 2022 Canadian Commonwealth Cricket Association of Toronto T20 competition at Keele Top ground, Toronto.

Pooran bowling off-spin snatched 4-25 from three overs as Jazba was restricted to 145-7 from the 20-overs while his team Melbourne responded with 147-8 with 1 ball remaining.

Apart from Pooran, who has been playing professionally since 2015, his skipper Dharmindra Lildhar took 225 from three overs.

Only Waqar Malik made an

Raja Pooran

impression with the bat for Jazba by hitting 38 not out.

When Melbourne batted, Ricavo Williams led the way with an impressive 45 while Anmol Karan played a supportive role with 21.

Pooran started the innings but only made four.Other Guyanese cricketers representing Melbourne are: Eugene LaFleur and Kevin George.

The competition is slated to continue on Saturday with Melbourne taking on Toronto Renegades at the same venue.

Melbourne is currently leading the points table with 30 points after recording three wins from five matches.

They had one defeat while the other fixture was abandoned due to rain. Five teams are in participation.

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 09, 2022

PAGE 39

GFF/DBU/UEFA Assist/Women Development League…

Pakuri Jaguars ease to first win, GPF & Conquerors also victorious

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s the Guyana F o o t b a l l Federation / Wo m e n D e v e l o p m e n t League heats up across the nation, a total of five (5) matches would be contested today at three venues.

Pakuri Jaguars of St. Cuthbert's Mission, fresh off their first win on Thursday afternoon last, will hope to build on that momentum when they host from the C i n d e r e l l a C o u n t y, Essequibo All-Stars at the St. Cuthbert's Mission Ground from 16:00hrs.

The GFF NTC at Providence will be the hub of attraction for a double header from 13:00hrs when Coomacka United from the Bauxite Mining Town of Linden matches skills with New Amsterdam United while from 15:00hrs, the Guyana Defence Force will be in battle against Orealla

- Five games on today Falcons.

Up at the Bartica Community Centre Ground, the first of two clashes kickoff at 13:00hrs b e t w e e n Bartica AllStars and Fruta Conquerors with the main attraction set to get underway at 15:00hrs between Potaro Strikers and City side, Santos.

Meanwhile, three matches were played on Thursday last at two venues. In the lone match at the GFF National Training Centre, it was end-to-end exchanges between Pakuri Jaguars (St Cuthbert Mission) and Berbice' OreallaFalcons, the

f

This Pakuri Jaguars player was in total control against Orealla on Thursday afternoon at the GFF National Training Centre.

Fiona Benjamin ormer emerging victorious by a 3-1 margin, coming from behind.

The nippy Fiona Benjamin was in excellent form for the winners as she scored all three goals.

On the West Demerara at the Leonora Track and Field

Facility, the Guyana Police Force FC made light work of West Demerara's Foxy Ladies, winning 7-0.

Police were led by the inform Annalisa Vincent who fired in a helmet-trick (four goals).

The consistent Tiandi Smith supported well again,

his time with a brace with the other coming off the boot of another consistent contributor, Siacy Adams.

And Fruta Conquerors maintained their hold at the top of the points table with another solid display when they defeated fellow City side Santos, 11-0.

Their leading scorers were Jessica Ronsdale, Shantel Thornhill and Shambala Daniels with a brace apiece.

T h i s G F F / Wo m e n Development League is supported by Danish Football Union (DBU) and U E F A A s s i s t .

Tickets on sale for Hero CPL and Skyexch 6ixty s t r o p S Hero CPL:

DDL's El Dorado Rum on board for another five years

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Chairman of DDL's Board, Komal Samaroo, shakes hands with Peter Miller (CPL's PR) in the presence of DDL's Marketing Manager, Sharda Veeren Chand, and Projects Manager CPL, Jamie Stewart.

Milo Secondary Schools Football Tournament…

ickets are on sale for all SKYEXCH 6IXTY matches and Hero Caribbean Premier League games in St Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago and Saint Lucia. These tickets can be purchased from www.cplt20.com and www.6ixtycricket.com From today tickets are available exclusively to Visa card holders with them going on general sale to all fans from Monday 11 July 2022. Tickets for the games in Guyana will go on sale very soon.

This year there will 34 Men's Hero CPL matches, four Women's CPL matches and 19 games of the new 6IXTY format. With 57 games of high-quality cricket in four different countries there is more entertainment on offer than ever before.

The men's Hero CPL will be played across four countries with matches taking place in St

Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana with the tournament taking place from 31 August to 30 September.

The 6IXTY will run from 24 to 28 August at Warner Park, St Kitts and will feature six men's teams and three women's teams fighting it out for their own version of the Universe Boss trophy.

The Women's CPL will also be played at Warner Park with three teams playing for the inaugural WCPL trophy. These matches will take place from 31 August to 4 September.

Hero CPL's CEO, Pete Russell, said: “We are back playing in front of crowds in matches across the region. If this wasn't exciting enough, we also have two brand new tournaments in 2022. We know that demand for tickets will be higher than ever this year and we can't wait to welcome our amazing fans back to stadiums across the Caribbean.”

GFF/DBU/UEFA Assist/ Women Development League…

Inclement weather Pakuri Jaguars forces another ease to first win, postponement GPF & Conquerors also victorious - Five games on today The players on target for Fruta Conquerors.

Action in the recently concluded Round-of-16 Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.