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Govt. takes $5.4M from Contingency Fund crime fighting to buy motorcycles - says already procured vehicles delayed M By Shervin Belgrave
inister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, told the National Assembly on Monday that $5.4M had to be spent from
the Contingency Fund to buy 12 additional motorcycles for the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The reason for the urgent purchase, according to Benn, is because vehicles procured to aid in the fighting of crime are yet to
arrive. The Minister made this disclosure after Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) questioned him about the urgent need to spend the monies from the Contingency Fund for motorcycles. In response Benn said, “We had a situation where we had a deficit of pickups for the Police Force and we are still awaiting the delivery of those pickups, so the quickest resort was to p u r c h a s e m o r e motorcycles.” A sum of $300M was set aside in the 2021 budget to acquire land and water transportation for the Force, and this would have facilitated the purchase of the vehicles. The Government had argued during the budget debate, that with the purchase of the new vehicles and boats, the Force would be better equipped to fight crime. Benn on Monday stated that the vehicles had not arrived in Guyana as yet, due to factory delays. In making his case, he
Ranks patrolling the city on motorcycles said that a lot of crimes are being committed by persons using XR motorbikes and in order to respond swiftly to these, the purchase of the extra motorcycles was necessary. The Minister also boasted that the purchase of the bikes has contributed to a 26 percent reduction in crime, and promised to support his argument with statistics to the House during today's
sitting of Parliament. Benn detailed that the extra motorcycles are all Hondas and their engine power are 150 CC. The 12 Honda bikes are in addition to nine other motorcycles that were purchased for some $3.9M. The $3.9M was funded by GPF's capital budget. All bikes bought for the GPF, were sole sourced from a local supplier, Marics and
Company Limited. Benn defended the move to sole source the motorcycles from the company by stating that a number of bikes used by the Force are Honda, and Marics is the only company in Guyana that supplies that brand. The Minister also told the House that the Georgetown police division benefitted from a majority of the motorcycles.
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After 17 years of pumping oil…
10th richest African oil producer begging IMF, G20 nations for debt relief By Kiana Wilburg
D
espite being the 10th largest oil producer in Africa, corruption and unimaginable instances of squandermania have left Chad's economy bursting at the seams with debt. To d a y, C h a d , a landlocked country in northern Central Africa, has one of the highest levels of hunger in the world. In fact, 66.2 percent of its population totalling15.5 million people live in severe poverty. Most people lack access to even the most basic amenities, including drinking water, sanitation, medical infrastructure and decent housing. Hit by the perils of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, Chad, which has been an oil producer since 2003, is in desperate need of billions of US dollars in debt relief from its international partners. It was only last year that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had urged G20 countries such as China, France, India and Saudi Arabia to establish the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI). The DSSI is intended to help countries concentrate their resources on fighting the pandemic and safeguarding the livelihoods of millions of the most vulnerable people. Since it took effect on May 1, 2020, the initiative has delivered more than US$5 billion in relief to more than 40 eligible countries. Chad was one of them. But that was not enough. It subsequently approached the IMF to approve a fouryear economic reform programme supported by an Extended Credit Facility and an Extended Fund Facility, amounting to US$560M. This is still awaiting
Map showing the location of landlocked Chad in Africa approval from IMF's Executive Board. Then in January, Chad requested that a “common framework” be set up between the Paris Club and the G20 for the treatment of its debt. It was the first country to ever make such a request since the programme was established in 2020 between the G20 – under Saudi chairmanship – and the Paris Club to address the bankruptcy risks facing countries that have been m o s t a ff e c t e d b y t h e economic slowdown of the COVID-19 crisis. The Creditor Committee for Chad was subsequently formed on April 15, 2021, in application of “Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the DSSI.” Yesterday, the members of the committee noted that a meeting was virtually held on June 10, 2021, in the presence of the IMF staff and the World Bank staff where members examined the macroeconomic and financial situation of Chad.
The creditor committee said it supports Chad's envisaged IMF upper credit tranche (UCT) programme and its swift adoption by the IMF Executive Board to address Chad's urgent financing needs. The creditor committee also encouraged Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to maximise support for Chad to meet its long-term financial needs. Consistent with their national laws and internal procedures, the creditor committee members said they are committed to negotiating with the Republic of Chad, terms of restructuring their claims to be finalised in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in accordance with the “Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the DSSI.” Following the statementissued by the creditor committee for Chad, Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary
Source documents 1) https://www.trtworld.com/africa/chad-s-struggle-with-poverty-oil-andunrest-46066 2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_industry_in_Chad 3) https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/chad-oil-and-gas 4) https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chad-debt-idUKKBN29W2MC 5) https://clubdeparis.org/en/communications/communique-presse/4thmeeting-of-the-creditor-committee-for-chad-under-the-common 6) https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2021/06/16/pr21181 -chad-imf-mdwelcome-statement-creditor-committee-under-common-framework-debttreatments 7) https://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/where-we-help/africa/chad
Fund, was keen to note that the work of the committee represents a key milestone on the path to the debt relief that Chad urgently needs, together with envisaged financial support from IMF, the World Bank and other development partners. Georgieva said the committee's statement also demonstrates concrete progress in implementing the G20's Common Framework, which sends a positive signal to other countries that may need debt treatments to support a strong and lasting recovery from this unprecedented crisis. The IMF Head said, “The Creditor Committee's support for Chad's envisaged IMF-supported programme, together with its
commitment to negotiate debt restructuring terms, accordingly, provides the IMF with official financing assurances.” She added, “Speedy steps towards debt treatments by Chad's private creditors, on comparable terms to the debt treatment under the Common Framework, are now essential to pave the way for the IMF Executive Board to consider approval of a Fundsupported programme for Chad.” The official said that the approval of the programme worth over US$500M by the IMF Executive Board would in turn facilitate much needed financing to help put Chad's economy on a sustainable path of growth and poverty reduction.
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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
Should be the other way around here Thanks to social media, something that occurred on the streets of an African country went viral. It was this amazing picture of a tall, well-built man in full suit chasing and swinging blow after blow at another man, a shorter and apparently younger one in a jacket. It is not so much that the attacker mainly missed, but what was important was why he confronted violently, and the underlying reasons for the public rage and attempted pummelling of the man targeted. And, arguably most importantly, it was about who was doing the wrathful attacking. The bigger man doing the beating is the President of Guinea Bissau. The one ducking, dodging and running from this public trashing is a government minister. And the reason for the rage of the president and the attempted presidential beating down was of squandered COVID-19 funds. We at this paper have a few things to say about this in the most unsparing terms. Some may be offended, which is regrettable, since some things just have to be said raw and sharp, with no beating around the bush. We say good for the Guinea Bissau president. We are sorry that more of his intended blows did not land on target and teach the minister a lesson that he would never forget, with the same strong message sent to all: do this thing right. Serve the interests of the citizens properly, in the most principled manner. Do well with the money entrusted to care, so that all will be well; or, better off than before. If not, then pay the consequences, which could include public humiliation. Citizens the world over are under siege, and the poorer ones in impoverished countries are experiencing the brunt of pandemic fallouts. They need every helping hand they can get, and since the state has the biggest hand, then that is to where hopeful eyes are cast. It is, therefore, unpardonable, when ministers trusted and expected to care for the people, and give whatever little relief is available, squander the monies placed in their hands to ease the plights of the people. It is unforgivable, when thieves and cheats sense and move to seize yet another opportunity to deny the people, to expose them still further, through wastage and incompetence, or worse, through skullduggery and deceptions. For these reasons, we can identify with the fury and frustration of the President of Guinea Bissau; we applaud his actions. As we at this paper absorb and think of what happened on that street in Guinea Bissau, our position is that, we need some of that startling action right here on our streets in full view of the Guyanese public. The problem with that taking place here, is that we have too much of the leadership and ministerial problems that provoked the burning anger of Guinea Bissau’s head of state. We have too much right here, definitely more, of the same squandering of money that could benefit the people. The first problem is, where to start, and who to beat with public trashing. The second is this one: who is capable of, clean enough, and strong enough, to engage in public beating of the squandering, the lying, the hiding, and the stealing. We look around, we search for some helper along the lines of that African president, and we come up woefully short, as in empty handed. We look in government and we have to backpedal rapidly. We look at the opposition, and we run away in disgust. We watch at civil society, and it is the same story: there are no candidates, no takers. All we have, to the greatest extent possible, are the hustlers and grabbers and positioners. For something for themselves, through taking or hoping for something that cheats the ordinary struggling citizens, who need it more than those rushing to the front of the line, and angling for the biggest chunk of Guyana’s riches. We need a man, a people, with a big heart and a bigger stick to shake leaders and ministers and all politicians out of their complacencies and corruptions. Squandering is not the word here; it is about savaging and sucking blood dry. The challenge remains: who is going to beat whom?
I have several grave concerns about what is taking place in and around Bourda Market Dear Editor, I write to express grave concern about happenings in and around the Bourda Market, which occur every day and every night, circumstances that leaves much to be desired from the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown. Daily, a gang of youngsters can be seen riding their BMX bicycles up and down Robb Street in the vicinity of the market performing all sorts of bike stunts including wheelies, stoppies, bump jumps and bunny hops. Many times, these youngsters lose control of their bicycles crashing into persons either accidentally or purposefully where their victims end up being robbed. All this occurs under the
noses of the City Constabulary whose officers are least interested in preventing this dangerous and illegal activity being undertaken. Secondly, in spite of the fact that wet markets all over the world have come under scrutiny amidst the COVID19 pandemic, with calls to ban them to prevent further pandemic and to control zoonotic infections being spread, we see each afternoon outside the Bourda Market vendors selling raw chicken to the public. These vendors have no refrigeration capabilities, an ideal situation for the growth of a good number of microorganisms that can lead to food borne illnesses and deaths. They are improperly dressed and engage in poor
food handling practices, yet the Public Health Department doesn’t seem bothered at all at this state of affairs. Thirdly, there are hardly any working streetlights on the roadways contiguous to the Bourda Market, causing the streets to be pitch black in the evening, a nightmare for citizens trying to shop after they would have finished working. This is a huge safety risk, not to mention the hazard of slipping on a banana peel or the skins of other fruits and vegetables. But most upsetting of all, is the drive thru shopping practiced by many shoppers who decide to embark on their grocery shopping without getting out of their vehicles. Now if each of these unscrupulous shoppers opt to utilise 10 minutes to shop
all the items they need, haggling with vendors to get better pricing, it is quite easy to understand the gridlock is causes. The Constabulary happily observes this situation without lifting a finger to end this chaotic situation. Finally, the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) of Guyana has said numerous times that the sale of pesticides and other toxic chemicals from roadside vendors is dangerous to public health and against the law, yet we see vendors around this market freely selling rat poison. How much more irresponsible could the Georgetown Municipality be? Yours truly, Deodarie Putulall
The Dharm Shala and the Ramsaroop sisters are doing great humanitarian work Dear Editor, I decided recently to visit the Dharm Shala location in Georgetown where I met the managing head of that institution, Ms. Kella Ramsaroop and her sister Pamela. My sister was a resident of the Dharm Shala until her death in 2019, and for the sake of our privacy, I will call her “Tia.” Tia’s life from her teenage years was turbulent, partly because she was likely bi-polar and suffered a mental disorder, which was never addressed from the beginning. I hired a taxi for the journey to the location in Albouystown. Mr. Roop, the taxi driver arrived to pick me up and from the start was apprehensive about dropping me off and returning to pick me up at a later time. Instead, he insisted on staying while I conducted my visit. I did not make a fuss. This was not a monetary issue as far as I was
concerned. I find it rather interesting that Albouystown, once a prime real estate location in Guyana, now has a fearful reputation; so much so; that people are reluctant to go there unless necessary. That is a shame. Such snobs we are. I arrived at Dharm Shala, where the main building was displaying a 100 Year Anniversary signage outside. Not being a long resident of Guyana, I thought the Dharm Shala had only been in existence for no more than 10 years, so imagine my surprise. Anyway, I was directed across the street to Ms. Ramsaroop’s office/ residence. I arrived at the house, rang the bell, and probably got a visual inspection by the people inside via the security cameras. Ms. Ramsaroop finally came to the door of this exquisite colonial building, which should be designated
as a UNESCO heritage site, if it is not so already. The first impression that struck me at the sight of this Indian woman was her -poise and elegance. I introduced myself and immediately told her that my visit was to thank her for taking care of my sister at her most desperate times. My sister died a few months after she was taken in by Ms. Kella Ramsaroop. This did not come as much of a surprise. Ms. Ramsaroop enlightened me about the daily lives of the residents of the Dharm Shala. She emphasised that the aims and objectives of this institution from inception was to feed, accommodate and attend to the religious, social, educational and medical needs of all those who come within its ambit. This mission remains the same today; and this has continued without cessation. All services to beneficiaries at the Dharm
Shala are provided free of charge. The residents have come from all strata of society-a mixture of the penniless, to previously well to do, to those fallen on hard times. Many have stayed for years and most have had the Dharm Shala as their last place of residence before departing this life. Management over the years have encountered those residents in need of sympathy and understanding, but equally have had encounters with diverse and dangerous personalities. As the late Bishop George in one of his functional addresses stated, “The Ramsaroops are surrounded by desperate and dangerous people, yet the work continues.” Nevertheless, this work of humanity continues. May God bless this great humanitarian work. Yours truly, Name provided
There was no call to solicit money from former President Ramotar Dear Editor, Response is being made to Mr. Donald Ramotar, in his capacity as former President. The PPP/C, which Mr. Ramotar is a member of, has made it their modus operandi to deceive in order to keep society in turmoil and the poor suffering. I reject, outright, Mr. Ramotar’s false thinking that he “got the impression …they were asking [him] for some money to compensate Mr. Kissoon’s nephew or that they would go public.” (KN, June 16) Mr. Ramotar’s
recount of what happened, with all due respect to the office he once held, is delusional. There was no need to call him to solicit money, engage in bribery or corruption. To even entertain the perception, as someone said to me, is “like they take their curse and want to put it on others.” Telephone contact was made with Mr. Ramotar. The call was to inform him that his son, who had hit down the nephew of Freddie Kissoon on the Kitty Public
Road, in a vehicle accident, should be answerable to the law and that the victim is entitled to justice. Instead of receiving such assurance from the President, he became belligerent and in erratic tones was defending his son. I believed Mr. Ramotar’s son, who at the time of the accident was working in the Office of the President and head of the failed cyber optic cable project that cost taxpayers billions of dollars, was not above the law. I still
believe this and would suggest to Mr. Ramotar, in his response, to state if his son was ever charged by the police and the victim ever received justice. If Mr. Ramotar chooses to remain silent, then Freddie and his nephew should speak out whether they received justice through the court or accepted financial compensation from the Ramotars. Yours truly, Mark A. Benschop, BS, MA, MS
Thursday June 17, 2021
I was appalled by Patterson’s comments that distrust of government was reason for vaccine hesitancy Dear Editor, I must commend the Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony in his relentless efforts to get Guyanese vaccinated against COVID-19. The Government has ensured that Guyanese have access to life saving COVID-19 vaccines. Minister Anthony can be seen at Vaccination sites talking to people and encouraging them to bring others for vaccination. Guyana is far better off than many other countries when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines. The government here is pleading with people to take the vaccines. Some countries can’t even source for their population and has to be dependent on the COVAX facility. The opposition is now making noise on vaccine cost, which leaves me to wonder where we would have been as it relates to vaccines had they still been in power. Simple drugs could not have been procured by them causing shortages, what
would have happened when it comes to vaccines? Where and when Harmon and the APNU+AFC would have been able to pay US$10 for vaccines? Most of our early vaccines were purchased when demand was very high and was indeed costly. The opposition MPs took their vaccines quietly and now talking about the cost. When in government, they wasted billions on projects that were of no significant use. The current government must continue to purchase vaccines whatever be the cost. There must be no price attached to saving the lives of our people. The government should still buy Pfizer and Moderna vaccines even though they will be delivered next year. The reason, a third booster dose will be needed. Having two doses of AstraZeneca, Sputnik V and Sinopharm will wean over time and a booster will be needed. Studies have shown
that the adenovirus used in some vaccines can become resistant after multiple doses. So it’s logical to use an MRNA vaccine as the booster. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines should be still sourced regardless of cost. By January, it can be given as third doses. Some people are waiting for the MRNA vaccines, let them take the current vaccines offered by the government. I was appalled by Mr. Patterson’s comments that people don’t trust the government and that’s the reason for vaccine hesitancy. Sometimes I wonder if our politicians have the people’s interest at heart. Information on all the vaccines are publicly available so people can do their own research on the vaccines before taking them. They don’t have to rely on the government and certainly not on Mr. Patterson and the APNU. Yours truly, B. John
The NDC in charge of the Diamond area is not doing a good job Dear Editor, In the many years that I have lived in Plantation Diamond, not one rainy season has passed without an episode of flooding. It must be my luck to be surrounded by water, or perhaps, it is just the negligence of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council to accept bribes instead of doing the job they were hired to do. Imagine the NDC cleans out some of the drains, but they refuse to clear out the trenches by
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saying that it isn’t their job. Now, I don’t know who is in charge of Diamond’s NDC because they’re not doing a good job. Typically, the job description entails clearing canals, trenches and drains to ensure effective drainage out of the community to avoid stagnant waters that would harbour animals and cause flooding. This has not been the case and it is highly disturbing. My home has been flooded
an average of six times since this rainy season began, which is three times more than previous seasons, because of the fact that my home is in the vicinity of a stagnant and swamp-like trench that is supposed to lead water out of Diamond. I am pleading with the NDC to do their job because I am not the only victim of this systematic selection of “which community to help first.” Yours truly, Name provided
The Georgetown City Council needs to be more efficient in managing its finances Dear Editor, I have seen in the press recently Georgetown’s Mayor complaining that the businesses in the city do not pay their fair share of property rates and pointing out that the municipality is currently receiving a quarter of what it needs to function. I would like to make a few suggestions to him. Why does he not make the rate collection more efficient by first ensuring that every property owner in the city receives a demand notice at the beginning of the year as is required by law but which is not being done? Why does he not upgrade the methods through which people can pay like allowing persons to pay online or at commercial banks?
But another alternative since he is only receiving a quarter of the financing that he needs, how about if he considers cutting the top heavy, feather bedded and redundant human resources of the Council down to a quarter of its current strength? The City Council has been well known over the years for practicing nepotism and cronyism stuffing the Council at all levels with friends, relatives, church colleagues, political comrades, paramours and supporters. All sorts of schemes were set up to facilitate this state of affairs, such establishing a warden corps that never made any sense, establishing many new sections, departments
and upgrading existing ones. And creating a ton of high paying duck soup jobs. The place is littered with old boys and girls from the party and with countless operatives from the House of Israel who have all somehow ascended to the top of the ladder and become sinecures. This is all money for old rope. There are sweeping layoffs all over the world but not at the Georgetown Municipality Mr. Mayor, instead of the Council constantly moaning and trying to get more money out of the battered citizens and businesses, particularly at this time of the pandemic, how about if you guys consider spending less? Yours truly, Anu Bihari
Reconciliation offers the best hope for a united Guyana Dear Editor When a marriage is not working some people advocate separation then divorce. I tend to believe that reconciliation is the best solution up to a point. Although we are not married to each other, our destiny is intertwined. So do we reconcile our differences or do we go for partition? Reconciliation offers the best hope for a united Guyana. Whereas, partition offer new beginnings; a
chance to start afresh. For reconciliation to truly work there would need to be forgiveness on all sides; letting go of all the anger, bitterness and resentment. I am asking for people to put aside their differences and work for a united Guyana. I am asking for the PPP/C
Government to reach out to the APNU+AFC Main Opposition. Yes, there will be issues that need to be dealt with, like GECOM. But, these issues can be dealt with as we rise above the pettiness, rise above the vindictiveness. Remembered the days (Continued on page 6)
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It is safe to assume that Mr. Green and colleagues have learnt no lesson from the past Dear Editor, Since Mr. Hamilton Green, in his initial letter to “Kaieteur News” exhorted us to learn lessons from a massacre of African-Americans, I kept my reply to him contained to a racial massacre here at home. To clarify a point of fact: the “Sun Chapman” explosion was fully investigated by the then colonial police and there was no conclusive evidence as to its cause. Mr. Green and the PNC continue to try and lay the blame at the PPP’s feet when there is no evidence to support their propaganda. Their continued effort to try and justify the horrors of the Wismar Massacre with the
“Sun Chapman” explosion by way of tit-for-tat reasoning does raise questions as to how much collateral damage cold-blooded politicians would undertake in order to gain a political advantage. Mr. Green and the PNC have mostly never shied away from showing themselves as the proud perpetrators of the various methods of homegrown terrorism to which they continue to subscribe in their continued attempts to leverage political power and at any cost. Now that he has waded in with a diatribe (Letter, June 15, 2021) that takes in other atrocities in an attempt to still whitewash the horrific human
rights record of his political party, we can remind him of: the race riots of the 1960s; the political assassination of Father Darke and Dr. Walter Rodney; the riot of 1992 to try to overturn a legitimate election after nearly 30 years of PNC dictatorship; Hoyte’s “slow fyah, mo fyah” campaign; the Buxtoncentered terrorism to try and overturn a legitimate PPP government; and the PNC’s anti-democratic antics of election riggery, and its targeted attacks on Indian Guyanese just last year. Since the PNC continues to exhibit such behaviour, it is safe to conclude that neither Mr. Green nor his political colleagues have learned any lessons from all the atrocities
The Guyana Peace Council salutes the memory of the Enmore Martyrs Dear Editor, The Guyana Peace Council (GPC) salutes the memory of the five sugar workers - Rambarran, Pooran, Lallabagee, Surajballi and Harry - who were shot to death by colonial police on June 16, 1948. The five men were protesting the imposition of the cut and load system, which they thought to be unfair since it, resulted in additional work without additional compensation. The strike action was supported by their Union, the Guyana Industrial Workers
Union (GIWU) and the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), which was founded by Dr. Cheddi Jagan, his wife Janet, Ashton Chase and HJM Hubbard in 1946. At the graveside of the fallen workers, Dr. Jagan made a silent pledge to dedicate his entire life to the cause of the working people. One consequence of the killing of the five sugar workers was that it provided the catalyst for the formation of the People’s Progressive Party on January 1, 1950. The martyrdom of the slain sugar workers was recognised at a
Conference of regional affiliates of the World Peace Council in June 1976 at a meeting in Bogota, Colombia. The Guyana Peace Council commends the Guyana Government for its decision to reopen the sugar estates, which were closed under the previous APNU+AFC administration. It is now 73 years since the deaths of the five heroic workers but their legacy of sacrifice and struggle for a better and more dignified life continues to live on. Yours truly, Clement Rohee
perpetrated here in over 60 years. Why then does Mr. Green think he should get away with taking us all the way to a massacre in the United States and to sermonise to us from a moralistic high ground? Trying to publicly assume the mantle of victimhood from the Tulsa Race Massacre is another fraud not unlike the PNC’s attempt to rig last year’s general election in front of the eyes of the world. It is not surprising that he feels the need for prayer but too much is known about his
role in Guyana’s history of violence that stands in his way of achieving redemption, at least not without a public apology for the role he has played in his party’s terrorism and a public request for forgiveness. And whoever was doing whatever violations in the past, it is only Mr. Green who has taken it on himself to ask us to learn lessons from a US massacre while ignoring all the homegrown terroristic atrocities committed here and of which he admits he is fully aware. Since he is armed with
so much information and appears willing to talk, he should now furnish us with full details of the deaths of Ms. Shirley Field-Ridley and Vincent Teekah, and the attempted murder of UG lecturer, Dr. Joshua Ramsammy. His attempt to cover himself in the glory of God is reprehensible and serving up religious quotes only sullies the great religions and the moral decency for which they stand. Sincerely Ryhaan Shah
The refusal to respond to the Chair is just another in a long line of infractions Dear Editor It is alleged in an online news report that the request by the Chair to the electoral fraud trio to show cause why they should not be dismissed, went unanswered and unresponded to (INews June
16). If this is true, then it is another transgression in the long list of infractions, insubordination and disrespect meted out to the Chair by the head of the secretariat and accomplices.
In a related matter, how come the third commissioner did not attend the funeral? Or is it a case he is not a member of the majority arm of the umbrella? Yours truly, Shamshun Mohamed
Claim that WPA was not responsible for estate closure was ludicrous Dear Editor The recent letter in the press defending the WPA as not being responsible for the closure of the sugar estates during the last administration is ludicrous. The then Chairman of the Board for GuySuCo clearly stated that he made the decision to close Wales. Clearly, this is an attempt to rewrite history. However, it will not matter how consistent the lie is, a lie is a lie. We have all lived through the reality of what happened during the last Administration. Decades of misinformation will not change what we know happened. The Chairman of GuySuCo and the Minister of Agriculture at the time are clearly responsible for what took place. An announcement was also made by the Minister and a white paper presented to Parliament on the future of the Industry during the first half of 2017, which speaks to the closure of Rose Hall, Enmore and the future of Skeldon. The Chairman of GuySuCo had
not changed at this time. For a senior leader within the WPA to show such blatant disregard for the facts brings into question the credibility of the WPA and once again raises questions as to the true circumstances surrounding the death of Walter Rodney. How are we to now continue to believe what their party leadership says? Without integrity and honesty within the leadership of the WPA no one will take the double their own pay party seriously. Very disappointing indeed! If the contention of the WPA is that it was a shared responsibility between them and other coalition members of the previous Administration then that is a different discussion. But to say that their party leader was not Chairman of the Board of GuySuCo at the time the decision was made and to insinuate that another party leader with responsibility over the sector was merely following directions, brings into question whether the
WPA views themselves as leaders who did add value in key positions during the last Administration or as mere yes men under stronger coalition leadership. Clearly, the WPA held key roles during the last administration due to perceived intellectual capacity. This new position being taken by their leaders to skirt their responsibility in the closure of the sugar estates is nothing but a political ploy and an attempt to rewrite history. If the party was willing to walk away from the coalition because of intentions to rig the elections, then their leadership should have been willing to clearly object to the closure of the sugar estates if they were not in agreement. Obviously, the WPA agreed with the decisions that made the lives of thousands of Indian families and communities extremely difficult. They forgot that the W in WPA stands for Workers regardless of race. Yours truly, Mr. Jamil Changlee
...Reconciliation offers the best hope for a From page 5 when we used to dream that Guyana would have more money so that we can all get more for ourselves and our family? Well, Guyana does have more resources. I am asking for the PPP/C Government
to involve the APNU+AFC Main Opposition in decision making on e q u i t a b l e d i s t r i b u t i o n o f G u y a n a ’s resources. Yours truly, Sean Ori
T N U L B . . . T B N U T L N B T . U . L . L T B . . N . U N U T L N B . U T . . L N N U T B . U . N L U BL BLUNT. B . . T . T T N N U . U L . . L B . T B . . . . N . T U T N N T U N U L L U B . L B . . . . B . T . . T . N N T U N L LU U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . . U . N L T U B . N L . . U B . T L . . N B T . . U . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B . T . U . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . B . UN .BLUNT. L . . B T . . . N T U N L . . U B T . L . B . UN .BLUNT. L . . B T . . . N T U N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L B T . U . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . . . LU ...BLUN B T . . . N T U N L U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T . U B . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T BB T...BLU U N L U B . L . . B . T . . N N T T L U U N L L U B U T...BLU B L . . N . B . T . . N T U N N N U L U U B L . BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Thursday June 17, 2021
Kaieteur News
When will our Leaders come to the realisation that they are Servants of the People?
You were placed there by the People, so your role is to work for the People, not enrich yourselves!
Leaders who have the people's interest at heart will not gamble away their wealth. Real Leaders are prudent in their decision-making since their goal is always to create a better life for all, not just a few. Come on Leaders; be about the business of carving out a better life for all Guyana!
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Thursday June 17, 2021
Kaieteur News
Region 1 woman is Murder accused gets 18 months latest COVID-19 fatality for escaping from Lusignan Prison - 128 new cases, 21 in ICU
A
54-year-old woman from Region One (BarimaWaini) who had tested positive for the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease has died. The Ministry of Health (MoH) in its press release yesterday stated, that the woman died on Tuesday while receiving treatment at a medical facility. Her death has now brought the country's COVID-19 death toll to 438. Further, the Health Ministry via its daily dashboard recorded 128 new cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 18,658. The dashboard also shows that 21 patients are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 113 are in institutional isolation and 1,509 are in home isolation. To date, a total of 16,577 recoveries have been recorded.
P
rison escapee, Kenraul Perez, w h o w a s recaptured last month after being on the run for almost a year, was on Tuesday sentenced for escaping from the Lusignan Prison. The 26-year-old man of Mabaruma, North West District appeared in the Cove and John Magistrate's Court before Senior Magistrate, Fabayo Azore, to answer to the charge. He pleaded guilty to the
charge, which states that on April 20, 2020, he escaped from lawful custody. Perez was on Tuesday sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for the offence. On the day in question, Perez along with three other inmates had escaped early in the morning from the prison by jumping one of the fences. Around 18:45 hrs. on May 22, Perez was captured in a makeshift camp in a village located on the
Sentenced, Kenraul Perez Soesdyke/Linden Highway. Police sources informed this publication that acting
on information received, ranks and members from the Circuitville Community Policing Group (CPG) went into the Long Creek community where Perez was apprehended. Kaieteur News learnt that at the time of his arrest he attempted to mislead the ranks about his identity by using the weight he gained over the period as a disguise. Despite doing so, the arresting officers were able to recognise him and he was taken into custody. Back in January 2020, Perez was remanded to prison for murder.
Trio pleads not guilty to 2017 murder of Tain domestic worker
T
he three accused w h o w e r e committed to stand trial in the High Court for the murder of Leelawattie Mohamed, of Sixth Street, Tain Village, Corentyne, Berbice, yesterday pleaded not guilty to the offence at the Berbice High Court. Andre James called 'Tattoo,' Oliver Permaul called 'Barber' and Rohan Johnson called 'Jamaciee' appeared via zoom and they all pleaded not guilty. Permaul is being represented by Attorney-at-law, Rabindra Mohabir; the other two were also represented. The trio in 2017 was arrested along with three others for the murder of Mohamed at her home. The 45-year-old Mohamed, at the time of her death, was employed as a domestic worker. Kaieteur News had reported
Dead: Leelawattie Mohamed then, that Mohamed and her two teenage children were at home when three masked men barged into her home and shot her execution style. Nothing was stolen from the home.
Insurance company gives support to flood affected persons
A
lmost 100 households were the beneficiaries of food hampers compliments of the Premier Insurance Company. In a release the company said that its General Manager, Mr. Anil Singh, and Claims Analyst, Mr. Nankishore Rup, aided by the Region F i v e C h a i r m a n , M r. Vickchand Ramphal, were able to visit the Mahaica River area where they distributed the hampers which consisted of various food items and general household needs. This initiative is part of
the company's Corporate Social Responsibility aimed at bringing relief to several communities that have been negatively impacted by recent heavy rainfall. Premier, according to the release, will continue its effort to lend support to other areas that are seriously affected. “Premier is proud to be a part of a broader group of businesses that have come forward to assist, and wish the Government every success in their effort to manage this most unfortunate disaster,” the release added.
Kaieteur News
Thursday June 17, 2021
PAGE 09
The system is not fair T
h e l o c a l government system and the regional administration system are ill equipped to handle the present crisis facing the country. They are unable to mobilise the resources needed to get the water off the land or to provide any substantial relief to the population. This disability is a direct result of the regional administration and local government systems – Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and Municipalities – being dependent on central government. But government is not the only problem. For these local government organs to become viable, they need to meet their own revenue needs through increased and additional taxes. However, the public will not allow them to do this. The slightest mention of a new tax or an increase in rate and taxes will lead to protests. If the public, however, wants to ensure that flooding is prevented or minimised, they will have to be prepared to fork out more monies for their town councils and neighbourhood democratic councils. The monies, which are paid for rates and taxes by residential owners, cannot pay for the collection of garbage, much less for road works, maintaining the drains and canals and the other numerous municipal
Dem
boys seh...
D
e President declare a disaster in de country. Prezzie issue Proclamation under Article 99 of de Constitution. He seh he gat power fuh declare a disaster. But dem boys nah find dat under Article 99, so dem boys nah know wah Prezzie talking about. But dem boys nah doubt dat he gat de power fuh declare a national disaster. Wa h d e m b o y s m o r e interested in, is fuh he declare an emergency because he can den intervene more effectively fuh help ease de suffering of de population. Dem boys read how
services. On the other hand, in order to subsidise residential customers, businesses are being overtaxed. Businesses are shouldering such a heavy tax burden that many of them are in default because once they miss a payment, the interest charged is onerous and compounded to the point where it becomes unaffordable. This is an issue that the municipalities are not prepared to address, because they are dependent on businesses for their revenue base. What is needed is a fairer system of taxation in which everyone – businesses and residential owners – pay their fair share of taxes. But there is no fairness at present. Residential owners pay next-to-nothing in rates and taxes and ironically, it is believed that six out of every 10 homeowners are in default of their taxes. Recently, one Mayor was quoted as saying that his municipality only has 25 percent of its revenue needs. But one minister has publicly said that the municipalities are owed large sums by ratepayers. In the meantime, the focus will continue to be on bleeding the business community, forcing them to pay higher taxes and even new taxes, such as container taxes, without any fairness in the system. The vendors who are squatting in front of
businesses are not paying any rates and taxes. They are paying a cleaning fee, which is a pittance. And they are responsible for generating much of the garbage and for discouraging consumers from going into businesses. There are persons parking on the side of the roads and are selling from their vehicles. They should be paying commercial rates and taxes for the use of the roads. There are caravans from which there is roadside food vending. These vendors should be paying the same rates and taxes as some commercial fast food joints. But this is not happening. In fact, most of the vehicles, which are parked on the roadside, are owned by vendors. Just drive down Regent Street early any morning and you will realise that these vendors are not poor people; they have means. You can hardly walk with ease on the pavements without having to dodge from the multitudes of pavement vendors. Many persons prefer to walk on the roadway even though there are pavements. The vendors are almost breathing down your throat. And businesses are suffering because the vendors have turned the shopping areas and the markets into eyesores. Is this how tourism is going to be developed in Guyana? Is this what visitors will experience? The business community must
De Prezzie should tek charge of dem koker in GT! Article 150 of de Constitution give Prezzie de power fuh declare a national emergency and to tek whatever steps necessary fuh deal with de situation. But Prezzie cramp he own self. He was de one who seh how de See Dee Cee advise dat de country gat a Level 2 disaster which means dat de country is nat overwhelmed by de situation. And once yuh nat overwhelmed it hard fuh justify emergency powers nationally. But dem boys still feel dat dem gat parts of Guyana, including Georgetown, where emergency powers needed. We still reading
about kokers not opening pun time or pumps nah wukkin.' If things nah go like clockwork, den it will gat flooding. How de system deh, if koker nah open when it supposed to open and pump nah wukkin 24-7 nuff people yard gan duck under water. So dem boys feel dat de Prezzie should declare certain areas as disaster zones and den use de emergency power fuh tek charge of rectifying de situation. Because is too much stress fuh gat fuh deh reading about problems with koker door and pump. Talk half and ask Anil about Article 99!
demand a fairer arrangement. They cannot be asked to pay relative high rates and taxes when illegal vending is allowed in front of their premises. And on top of that have to spend million to construct flood barriers. The local private sector can never become competitive given the unfair competition to which they are subjected and the uneven playing field in which they operate. The Private Sector Commission and the respective chambers of commerce should place this foremost on their organisations' agendas. The British designed the drainage system in Guyana to take off the expected
rainfall. The drains were not deep but they were well maintained. Today they are not properly maintained and businesses have been forced to suffer. No major engineering intervention is needed. The solution is to go back to the old system of sweepers, cleaners and weeders. But how will the drains in the commercial district be cleaned when from daybreak, vendors are setting up their pallets over these drains? The local government organs, however, play politics with municipal business. They are not interested in ensuring a level playing field. And so they are cash-strapped and will
remain dependent on government. This makes them dysfunctional in addressing national emergencies such as the flooding, which takes place after a short shower of rainfall. No solution to flooding will take place so long as our local government organs, particularly the NDCs and municipalities, are not prepared to ensure a level playing field when it comes to local government taxes. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Kaieteur News
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Thursday June 17, 2021
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Donald Ramotar puts his ignorance on display for the world to see I
am quoting directly from Donald Ramotar's letter on me in the Kaieteur News of yesterday. I will ask readers to read this quote twice and then think of what Guyana goes through with politicians of the kind this country produces like Ramotar. Now, bear in mind, Ramotar wasn't a passing footnote in our country but was president for four years. Writing on my removal from UG, here is what Ramotar uttered, “Indeed Mr. Kissoon had reached retirement age and his contract was not renewed by the Appointment Committee.” Millions of people, not hundreds of thousands, but millions of
people each month, each year, retire after reaching the required age. They do not take their retirement to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman does not employ the country's top legal brains to determine if a person reaches retirement a g e . W h y a t a commonsensical level would brilliant lawyers advice the Ombudsman, advice that the Ombudsman accepted, a retired judge, that a retiree was illegally dismissed? Only Donald Ramotar understands the world in this way. Has there ever been a case in any part of the world where a person reaches retirement age but the courts or the Ombudsman rule that
in reaching retirement the person was wrongly terminated? With this kind of twisted logic Mr. Ramotar operates with, no wonder the PPP lost two general elections under his candidacy. But maybe the world knows how convoluted is his understanding of life and that explains the following facts: 1- Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, is a Vice President. 2- Former Minister, Gail Teixeira, is a Vice President. 3- Former Minister, Robeson Benn, is a Minister. 4- Former Minister, Priya Manickchand, is a Minister. 5- Former Minister,
Ashni Singh, is a Minister. 6- Former Minister, Juan Edghill, is a Minister. 7- Former Prime Minister, Sam Hinds, is an Ambassador. 8- Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, has the same status. 9- Former GWI boss, Shaik Baksh, has the same status. 10- Former GPL boss, Bharrat Dindyal, has the same status. 11- Former Minister, Robert Persaud, is at Foreign Affairs. 12- Former Minister, Collin Croal, is a Minister. 13- Former high official, K w a m e M c C o y, i s a Minister. I could go on and on.
Frederick Kissoon Those names just flew out of my head. So where is the former president, Donald Ramotar, who demitted office just five years ago? Maybe his relegation to footnote status is known by so many given the way he perceives human action. I will not pursue discussion of my wife's ouster at GOINVEST. This lady lives a quiet life and does not want to be in the public's eye. But one of the decent, professional persons this country produced, her former boss at GOINVEST, Geoff Da Silva, may one day say something about how she was treated. She definitely was victimised and Ramotar knows that, but I don't expect anything sensible from the pen or mouth of Ramotar. Concerning Ramotar's son crushing my nephew's leg, readers would find Mr. Ramotar's explanation of my nephew stumbling onto the side of his son's car so comical that he further reduces himself in the eyes of the world. I don't think anyone who knows me, even if they hate me, would see me as trying to extort money from the then leader of the
PPP over a car accident. Many people see me as crazy and they continue to say all kinds of things about me, but in my 33 years in the media and 55 years in politics, no one has ever accused me of anything associated with finance. I never, let me repeat, never, had even half a word with Donald Ramotar over my nephew's accident. Mr. Ramotar and his son never had a word of communication with me or my nephew. It was arrogance that was incredible, no doubt, backed by the possession of enormous power. Ramotar at the time was General Secretary of the PPP. I never asked Benschop to talk to Ramotar or anyone else for that matter. Obviously, if the son of the leader of the ruling party hits, with his vehicle, the nephew of a leading media personality it will create news and Benschop used it on his programme. Adam Harris, then e d i t o r- i n - c h i e f o f t h e Kaieteur News, tried to get Donald Ramotar to acknowledge his son was wrong and for his son to talk to my nephew. Adam did not succeed. One would have liked to think that the past has passed, and Ramotar would have conceded wrongs done to people who criticised him and his party. But maybe, the human mind will always remain in the gutter. I hope the new leadership of the PPP government rises above the mind-set of the Ramotars of this world. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Thursday June 17, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Thursday June 17, 2021
Kaieteur News
Thursday June 17, 2021
PAGE 13
Harmon asks PPP/C to explain purchase of COVID-19 vaccines from UAE supplier linked to questionable associates - Ministry calls it an attempt to O
pposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, is asking the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government to explain the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines from a supplier in the UAE that has been linked to associates of questionable character. In a press release, some 24 hours after he raised questions about government expenditure on the COVID19 vaccine in the National Assembly, Harmon raised more questions about the deal. On Monday, Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, told the National Assembly that the Government had been purchasing the Russian Sputnik V vaccines through a supplier in UAE at a price
derail vaccination programme
that is double the cost approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The Sputnik V vaccines were purchased at US$24.00 per dose instead of US$10.00 as approved by WHO. The Minister had explained to the House that the Government had no choice other than to engage the UAE supplier since there was a global scarcity of vaccines. According to Dr. Anthony, it was the Russians who suggested that Guyana buy through a supplier in the UAE.
In a press release on Tuesday, Harmon called on President, Irfaan Ali, to explain the purchase of the Sputnik V vaccines from Sheik Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, a member of the ruling family in the UAE. According to the Opposition Leader, Sheik Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, who visited Guyana last year, has been linked to several questionable characters including Umar Farooq Zahoor, a Pakistani national who grew up in Norway and is wanted in that country as
More drives to address blood shortage in Region 2
Monday's blood drive which was held on the tarmac of the Suddie Hospital
T
he Health Department in Region Two will be hosting frequent blood drives in an effort to increase the stored units of blood. The Regional Health Officer of Region Two, Ranjeev Singh, revealed this during a blood drive on Monday that was held at the Suddie Hospital. During his presentation at the start of the event, Singh revealed that there is a shortage of blood throughout the country. “Sometimes we have patients who are very critical and because of a shortage of blood, they can lose their lives. It could be a family member, or sometime we
ourselves may be in a position where we may need blood. So because of those circumstances, we want to encourage persons to donate blood,” said the RHO. Singh also pointed out that there are patients who require monthly transfusions. Because of the shortage within the Region, he said, those patients have to source blood from elsewhere. He went on to say, “Sometimes those patients who cannot have a transfusion on the Coast have to go all the way to Georgetown for transfusion all because of the availability problem. Most of us may know those
persons who may not be able to go every month because of their economic status, and so they end up putting their lives on hold.” It was at this point, that the RHO said that there would be continuous blood drives within the Region. “We want to ensure we have adequate blood in our Region so we can remove that financial burden. I want to encourage you all to go out and ensure we spread the message so persons can come forward and donate blood,” he said. Kaieteur News was told that at the recent blood drive, 13 units of blood were donated.
p art of an investigation into a massive fraud. Harmon also quoted Verdens Gang, a Norwegian news outlet, which reported that Sheik Al Maktoum has procured the Sputnik V vaccines via a Norwegian man by the name of Per Morten Hansen, who is indicted in Norway for money laundering and evading customs duties. He noted, nonetheless, that when Dr. Anthony was asked whether the Sputnik V vaccines bought by Guyana were procured via Per Morten Hansen, he said, “I don't know who is that.” However, Harmon noted that the Verdens Gang investigative report documented how intermediaries have obtained the Sputnik V vaccine and are re-selling it at a premium. “Through investigations in countries including Ghana, Russia, Pakistan, Guyana and Iraq, Verdens Gang has been able to document how the Russian vaccines have travelled via a Sheik in the Emirates and around the world. Among
those involved are at least one individual with a long and troubled past with the law in Norway,” the report continued. Harmon noted that Verdens Gang later identifies “the middleman who supplies Sputnik V vaccines from the Russians to Sheik Al Maktoum as Per Morten Hansen.” As such, he charged that the Irfaan Ali-led administration did not do any background checks and so this has resulted in “executive recklessness” raising several issues, such as the possibility of Government being “knowingly engaged” in an international vaccine racket and price-gouging transaction that has resulted in “the overpaying of over G$600 million of Guyanese taxpayers' money for the Sputnik V vaccines.” The PPP/C, according to Harmon, had engaged with “Sheik Al Maktoum and his dubious associates, to close deals and hand over billions of dollars of Guyanese taxpayers' monies.” But in an invited comment, Dr. Anthony explained that the Government has been in contact with the offices of Sheik Maktoum. He noted that the Government had
Sheik Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum entered into a contract with the supplier who has been making deliveries based on the agreement made. In terms of the pricing, the Health Minister maintained that at the time when the contract was signed, there was a global shortage of vaccines such as Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson and limited supplies through the COVAX facility. In a statement released last evening via the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anthony further countered the claims by Harmon. He noted that at no time did Guyana procure vaccines from any illegal entity or anyone in trouble with legal authorities anywhere. “At no time did Guyana (continued on page 16)
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Thursday June 17, 2021
Kaieteur News
Judge reaffirms judgment against Jagdeo in libel suit
J
ustice Sandra Kurtzious has reaffirmed her order to grant an award to former Junior Minister of Communities, Annette Ferguson, in the case where she sued Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, for libel. Delivering her ruling via Zoom yesterday, Justice Kurtzious upheld the default judgment on the basis that Jagdeo failed to provide any substantiated material to support his reason for failing to file a defence to the defamation claims. “There must be proper evidence before the court,”
Kurtzious said. The judge however, recalled that $20 million judgment and announced that a hearing will be held on July 28, 2021, with the parties to assess the quantum of the damages to be awarded. In the interim, Jagdeo was ordered to pay $75,000 in court costs to Ferguson. In a default judgment, the High Court Justice had ordered Jagdeo to pay $20 million in damages to the former Junior Minister of Communities for defamation. Justice Kurtzious' decision had followed Jagdeo's failure to file a defence against the
libel suit within the required time provided for under Part 12:01 (2) (d) of the Civil Procedure Rules of the Supreme Court of Judicature. In r e s p o n s e t o t h e judgment, a statement issued by the Chambers of the Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, disclosed that Jagdeo's error of the non-filing of the defence was owing to some exceptional circumstances. The statement explained that the defence was due at or about the 24th of February, 2020, about a week before the Regional and General Elections. Further, it noted the
elections were then marred by a series of ensuing unforeseen and unprecedented actions, including, a series of litigation and a national recount and then even more litigation, until the results were finally declared on August 2, 2020. “In March 2020, Guyana was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic which caused the Judiciary to close operations for a period, barring election related litigation. In consequence, the Supreme Court Registry was closed and lawyers were advised to close their offices.” However, Ferguson's lawyer, Lyndon Amsterdam,
had noted during the onset of the pandemic, that Jagdeo's then-lawyer, Nandlall, filed several matters and documents in the High Court in response to election-related matters by making use of the protocols set out in the Official Gazette. “The outbreak of COVID19 in Guyana did not inhibit his active participation in these matters,” Amsterdam noted. As such, he argued in favour of upholding the judgment against Jagdeo for failing to file the defence. Additionally, the lawyer challenged claims by the lawyers over the non-filing of the defence, pointing out that
the new protocols for the filing of matters and documents in the High Court's Registry were published in the Official Gazette. He said that members of the Bar were notified of same by the Guyana Bar Association; hence, there was no real excuse for failing to defend the case. Last year before demitting office, Ferguson had filed a lawsuit against Jagdeo and the Guyana Times Newspaper, claiming in excess of $20M in damages for libel. The former Junior Minister's case against Guyana Times is however, still pending in Court.
Patient who was videoed on Suddie Hospital floor suffered from anxiety - RHO By Romario Blair
M
any persons voiced their concerns last Saturday when a video surfaced on social media of a female patient lying on the floor of the Suddie Public Hospital on the Essequibo Coast. On learning of the video, the Regional Health Department conducted an investigation, which revealed that the woman s u ff e r s f r o m “ a n x i e t y
issues.” In the video seen by this publication, the woman was lying on the floor in the female ward with an oxygen mask on her face and a pillow beneath her head. The eight-second clip was captured at around 21:08 hrs. last Saturday by another patient in the ward. That patient told Kaieteur News that she first observed the pillow when she got up to use the toilet. She said, “When I got up I see the pillow but I thought somebody pillow
Gerald Gouveia Jr. heads Aircraft Owners Association
C
aptain Gerald Gouveia Jr., the Director of Roraima Airways Limited, is the new President of the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana Inc. (AOAGI). According to a release issued by Communications Consultant Inc., Gouveia Jr. was elected to serve in the position when the Association held its Annual General Meeting yesterday, June 16, 2021. Elected to serve as First Vice President is Capt. Andre Farinha, the Director of Operations at Trans Guyana Airways and Mr. Christopher Cheong, the General Manager of JAGS Aviation Inc., was elected to serve as Second Vice President. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Wings Aviation Limited, Capt.
Capt. Gerald Gouveia Jr. Ronald Reece, and Col. (Ret'd) Anthony Mekdeci, A.A, Chief Executive Officer/Project Coordinator of Ogle Airport Inc., were elected as Directors of the Association.
fall down. But is when I get closer I see the woman on the floor and she had the oxygen mask on.” The woman added, “I couldn't get to talk to her to find out what happened because she was on oxygen, but I could tell that she was there for a while.” The woman told this publication that it took about 30 minutes before assistance was rendered to the woman. Additional information reaching Kaieteur News revealed that there was just
one pregnant nurse in the ward at the time of the incident. The nurse, the patient explained, was incapable of rendering assistance. “The nurse that was there that night was just she alone had to attend to the ward. Even when her shift was up, the other nurses didn't come in. Eventually she lockup the doors and she gone, and we left without a nurse in the ward,” the patient added. She revealed that it was not
until a porter came upstairs that assistance was given to the patient who was on the floor. When contacted for a comment, the Regional Health Officer, Dr. Ranjeev Singh, told Kaieteur News that the patient suffered from anxiety problems and had placed herself on the ground. “Our findings were that the patient was suffering from anxiety issues. So, what the patient did, she took the pillow and placed it under her head on the floor,
this was because of the anxiety she was suffering at the time,” Dr. Singh related. When asked if a shortage of staff contributed to this issue, Dr. Singh quipped, “indeed we have a shortage of staff, had there been more staff at the time, it would've allowed for a quicker response. In July though we should be getting an additional five more nurses, and we have three more who were documented for training from Region Two.”
Fisherman hospitalised after beating from brothers
A
31-year-old fisherman of Train-line, Rosignol Village, West Bank Berbice, is nursing chop wounds and other injuries about his body following a trashing he received from two of his colleagues in the Rosignol Fisheries complex. Hospitalised at the Fort Wellington Hospital in a stable condition is Vickram Samaroo, and presently in police custody are Romano Nazradeen, 24, a fisherman, and his brother Riad Nazradeen, 27, also a fisherman, of Lot 21 Rosignol Village, West Bank Berbice. The incident occurred at about 10:20hrs. yesterday. Reports are that the victim and the suspects are known to each other. According to the suspects, the victim Samaroo, had threatened to stab them with
a knife, and as a result of the threats made, Romano armed himself with a long (silver) metal pipe, while his brother, Riad Nazradeen, armed himself with a brown handle Martindale canecutter cutlass and attacked Samaroo who was sitting on a boat bow at the Rosignol Fisheries facilities. The entire assault was captured on video. In the video, both men were seen beating and chopping at Samaroo while he lay on his back on the bow of the boat. A third fisherman then grabbed the cutlass from Riad Nazradeen to prevent him from further wounding Samaroo. The wounded Samaroo was escorted to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital where he was seen and examined by a doctor on duty. His condition is listed as serious but stable. The
A screen grab of the video shows Riad Nazradeen firing his cutlass while being held back by another fisherman. His brother, Romano (at left), was armed with a pipe. cutlass and the metal pipe were lodged and the suspects
were arrested and are presently in custody.
Thursday June 17, 2021
Kaieteur News
PAGE 15
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Two bedroom apartment to rent on E.C.D.Tel# 629-6237.
Thursday June 17, 2021
Kaieteur News
Property at Kuru Kururu concrete one flat house plus chicken pen. Call: 622-8265.
From page 13 access vaccines secretly from anyone. In every instance, the Ministry of Health has followed the established process and has established legally binding contracts to ensure the timely delivery of these vaccines,” the statement noted. Further, the statement added that Guyana has not procured vaccines from any illegal source. “As far as, Mr. Harmon's claim that the Government procured vaccines from an international fraudster, this is blatantly false. We are not aware of, have not seen any evidence, and none was presented by the Leader of the Opposition, or any other person or entities, that show Sheik Al Maktoum is an international fraudster or is wanted in any country,” the statement said. As such, the Ministry of Health rejected the Leader of the Opposition's claims as a mischievous and malicious attempt to derail the COVID19 vaccination programme in Guyana.
WANTED Wanted one experienced Gold Smith, Jacobs Jewellery and Pawn shop 16 Pike street Kitty Tel#622-4970
WANTED
One male able bodied clerk. Call#231-2029,616-5954.
Wanted (2) experienced Welder/Fabricator. Contact Tel#222-3844. Experienced Cooks and Servers,Cleaners, Handyman. Call:626-7285 to book interview. One (1) female able bodied sales clerk. Call#225-2313, 226-1497.
Wanted experience carpenters and mason.Contact: RJD Construction 614-7669/6285738.
Male able bodied sales representative.Contact Tel#227-3580 for more info. Female sales representative experience in P.O.S system would be an asset.Contact Tel#227-3580. Driver for Route 42 Minibus.Call# 649-7371.
Room Attendant, Supervisors, Receptionist, 30-50 years old. 233 South Road Lacytown. Tel#225-2304. Driver must be able to assist in workshop, age 25-45, Car/ Van licence. Call: 642-9823.
Wanted 2 male sales boy must have knowledge about smart devices age 17-25.Contact 688-5951/225-7579.
Salesperson with experience, Courtney's Boutique Stall B Bourda Market.Behind wireless connection. Tel#2273407. Minibus and Taxi drivers. Call: 225-3284/628-1183. Auto Electrical apprentice age 19-25 yrs.Apply in person, Lot 120 Forth Street Albertown G/Town or call 610-0340. Experienced masseuse/cosmetologist required. Nalini's hair salon, 225 New Market Street (opposite Maggies). 226-6705/609-6259.
Night guard between age 40-60 years, from Liliendaal or Cummings Lodge area.Call# 688-2464. Lorry driver, Factory work male & female.Apply in person to R.P Enterprise E.C.D. 220-2818/3710. 1 porter from Georgetown. Must be able to fetch rice, flour & sugar. Tel#223-9677. One professional cook for family of four and one experienced cleaner.Call#5030359,608-2444. One cashier to work at Ice house,18yrs and older.Call: 223-7165. 2 handy men,2 assistant cooks/chefs at People's Choice kitchen.Tel#679-9449.
VACANCY
Pump Attendant & Cashier. Shifts (6AM-2PM & 2PM10PM). Shell Station Providence E.B.D. Email: Shellramsburg@gmail.com
Male cleaner for a workshop. Call: 642-9823.
Pitmen for interior location. Applicants must be experienced. Call:231-2250. LAND FOR SALE
One land for sale,Lot 251 Section 'C' Turkeyen.60 ft x 80 width with unfurnished property. Tel#627-7718.
FFTP lends support to BIT's skills training initiative Food For The Poor (Guyana) Limited (FFTP), on Wednesday handed over 72 electrical and 15 industrial sewing machines to the Board of Industrial Training (BIT). This move comes as part of the organisation's collaboration with BIT to boost and strengthen its garment construction programme. The handing over ceremony took place at Pomona, Region Two, Essequibo Coast. Ten of the machines were immediately given to the Pomona Women and Reaching Out Group to commence training in garment construc-
tion. FFTP's Senior Programme Manager, Ms. Andrea Benjamin, said that the gifting of the machines aligns with FFTP's current focus to encourage empowerment through skills training. "It is a fruitful collaboration; FFTP is committed to the people of Guyana to ensure a decent living through capacity building,” said Ms. Benjamin. Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, received the machines on behalf of BIT and expressed thanks to FFTP Guyana for joining him to fulfill a promise he made to the
Pomona Group a few months ago. He stressed that the development opportunities must reach every area of Guyana. He encouraged the beneficiaries to become multi-talented and multi-skilled, and said that the acquisition of news skills is “training for savings," since they would produce products they would have previously purchased. The machines would be distributed to the 10 Administrative Regions. FFTP is currently celebrating 30 years of service to Guyana.
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Kaieteur News
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Slowe, Conway suspended from Police Service Commission By Neermala Ramsaywack President, Irfaan Ali, has suspended Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Slowe, and Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clinton Conway, from the Police Service Commission (PSC). Confirming this development yesterday was Conway himself and Slowe’s lawyer, Selwyn Pieters. Conway was contacted by this media house after a photo of the suspension letter addressed to him surfaced on social media platforms. Conway related that he received his suspension letter after lunch yesterday and shared a copy with this newspaper. In the letter President Ali informed Conway that the Prime Minister, Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips, had advised him that the question of his removal from the PSC ought to be investigated. President Ali revealed that Phillips also advised that he (Conway) must be suspended from his functions as a member of the
PSC to facilitate the investigation. The President in the letter went on to inform Conway that he has accepted Phillips’ advice and has moved to establish a tribunal to inquire and report on the matter and recommend whether he should be removed or not. The letter continued, “In the circumstances, you are hereby suspended with immediate effect from performing the functions of Member of the Police Service Commission pending the establishment of the aforementioned tribunal.” Conway has since labelled his suspension by the President as unconstitutional and told reporters that Section Six of Article 225 of the Constitution supports his view. According to Section Six, “if the question of removing the officer from office has been referred to a tribunal under this Article, the President acting in accordance with the prescribed authority may suspend the officer from performing the functions of
The letter of suspension from the President that was sent to Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clinton Conway. Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Slowe.
Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clinton Conway.
his or her office.” The Article further states, “any such suspension may at anytime be revoked by the President, acting in accordance with such advice as aforesaid, and shall in any case cease to have effect if a tribunal recommends to the President that the officer should not be removed from office.” Conway told Kaieteur News that he would contest his suspension through his lawyer. The move to suspend Conway and Slowe comes
after the Prime Minister had asked them to show cause twice of why they should not be removed from the PSC. Slowe had held a press conference after the first “show cause” notice was issued. During the press conference Slowe had accused the President of trying to interfere in the work of the PSC regarding the promotion of certain police officers in the Guyana Police Force (GPF). He then submitted a 500-page (Continued on page 18)
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$1.2B contract signed to reconstruct Lusignan Prison A $1.2B contract was yesterday signed by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the reconstruction of the Lusignan Prison, which is located on the East Coast of Demerara. According to a post on the Ministry’s Facebook page, signing on behalf of the Ministry was Permanent Secretary (PS), Ms. Mae Toussaint Jr. Thomas, and the contract awardees are Mohamed Enterprise, M&P Investment in a joint venture with Construtora Cobra Eireli, and Nabi Construction Inc. The signed contract was signed to an estimated cost of $1.2B for the reconstruction of the prison Lots 1-3, Guyana Prison Service (GPS), Region Four. At the signing of the contract, Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, stated, “The signing ceremony will aid in
Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn [sixth left], and others yesterday at the signing of the $1.2B contract for the reconstruction of the Lusignan Prison. the successful rehabilitation and education of offenders and enhance the prison system to ensure offenders are not a risk to public security and safety.”
According to reports, the sum of $5B was allocated in the 2021 budget to enhance the operations of the GPS, including upgrading the Lusignan and New
Amsterdam prisons. Over the past couple of years, several inmates have escaped from the Lusignan Prison. The most recent escapes were that of a murder accused and another accused of breaking and entering. They escaped from the prison on June 8, 2021. According to reports, the police have since apprehended the break and enter accused, Andrew Chaung, 26, of Lot 73 New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, while murder accused, Shazam Kalil, 24, of Lot 53 Shieldstown, West Bank Berbice, is still at large. Apart from inmates constantly escaping from that prison, during July 2020 a fire
at the prison left 15 injured and destroyed sections of the correctional facility. The fire caused damage mainly to the administrative building and an old building that was formerly used to house inmates. It was reported that the fire spread quickly due to the old, wooden buildings in the compound, but the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was able to extinguish the fire before it got to the prison. Approximately two months after the fire, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, announced that $200M was allocated for the reconstruction of the Lusignan Prison.
However, during a telephone interview yesterday with this publication, Minister Benn noted that the $200M was used for land clearing, fencing a large area and sand filling at the Lusignan Prison. According to the Minister, the $1.2B will be used to build a prison complex and that two dormitories are just about completed so that they can move the prisoners to a more hygienic place. He added that the dormitories will house the prisoners temporarily, but when the prison complex is completed, the dormitory will be used as a rehabilitation/workshop training area.
The Lusignan Prison.
...Slowe, Conway suspended from Police From page 17 document to Phillips explaining his position. The Prime Minister had asked Conway and Slowe to “show cause” why they should not be removed after
they were charged for conspiring with other officers – some retired and others still serving the Force - to defraud the GPF of some $10M. Slowe is also accused of sexually assaulting a female
police officer who had worked with him on more than one occasion. Both Slowe and Conway have said they are innocent and have insisted that the charges are trumped up.
Kaieteur News
Thursday June 17, 2021
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GNBS hosts blood drive to observe World Blood Donor Day T
he Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) yesterday hosted a Blood Drive in collaboration with the National Blood Tr a n s f u s i o n S e r v i c e s (NBTS) in observance of “World Blood Donor Day 2021.” The drive was held in the Quality Hall of the GNBS. In a release, it was noted that Head of the Marketing Department at the GNBS, Mr. Syeid Ibrahim, stated that the drive was hosted as part of the Bureau's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. “We want to give back to the community, not just through our mandate or services that we provide, but also to help save lives and make a difference to those in need. We also encourage others to get onboard and donate blood,” Mr. Ibrahim
said. World Blood Donor Day was held on Monday June 14, 2021, under the theme “Give blood and keep the world beating.” Registered Nurse at the NBTS, Ms. Elaine NurseMoonsammy, expressed gratitude to the GNBS for facilitating the blood drive, and commended the 25 persons who showed up to donate. The donors included staff of the GNBS, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) and the National Exhibition Committee (NEC). All of these agencies are located in the compound of the National Exhibition Site, Sophia, Georgetown. According to Nurse Moonsammy, “every day we are in need of blood, so having these blood drives is very important to us, because
Staff of the GNBS and GTA participating in GNBS Blood Drive. (Photo Credit: GNBS) we will be able to acquire sufficient quantities and types of blood for those in need.” She encouraged more persons to visit the blood bank to donate, and added, that donation helps the donor to lower his/her high blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduces chances of heart or liver issues. World Blood Donor Day 2021 aims to raise awareness of the importance of
Queensway Group of Companies donates to Stanford scholarship awardee
From Left: Mr. Aditya Persaud – Senior IT Officer, Mr. Clay Flatts – Senior Operations Manager, Mr. Desmond Phillips, Mr. Neilson Mckenzie – Human Resources Manager, Ms. Cindy Girwar – Admin and Finance Supervisor, Mr. Sherlock Langevine – Awardee, Ms. Dorette Langevine (his mother) and Ms. Dawn Gray – Administrative Coordinator.
Y
esterday the Queensway Group of Companies handed over a cheque of US$5,000 to Stanford University Scholarship Awardee and CAPE top p e r f o r m e r, Sherlock Langevine, to assist with his studies in the United States of America. In a release, it was noted that the donation by the company was in response to a request for assistance by Mr. Langevine to offset additional expenses in his quest to pursue a Degree in
Chemical Engineering at the University starting this September. Sherlock received a partial scholarship from the Stanford University and still needed an additional US$8,000 to cover all his expenses. The 19-year-old Langevine who hails from Victoria on the East Coast of Demerara, was among the top performers for CSEC with 14 Grade Ones. He was also among the top four CAPE performers
with 11 Grade Ones and seven Grade Twos. At the brief handing over function, Sherlock expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Management and staff of the company for their generosity and especially thanked all his fellow Guyanese for their continuous support. Mr. Langevine plans to become a chemical engineer and intends to return to Guyana after his studies to further develop Guyana's oil and gas sector.
donating blood and to provide lifesaving blood products, such as plasma, red cells and platelets to people who need them.
It is also a time to thank the countless volunteers and donors across the globe—especially those who continued their efforts
amidst the COVID-19 pandemic—and to remind folks to donate blood to ensure there is a safe supply ready for emergencies.
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Thursday June 17, 2021
Italy beat Switzerland to reach last 16 BBC Sport - In-form Italy became the first team to reach the knockout stage of the European Championship with another impressive Group A
showing in victory over Switzerland. Roberto Mancini’s side thumped Turkey on the opening day of the tournament and made
...Pompey to lead St. John’s Athletics From page 20 member of the organisation’s executive board and a liaison to the International Olympic Committee. Pompey’s career as an accomplished coach came after more than a decade as one of the world’s premier track athletes. A four-time Olympian (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012) representing her home country of Guyana, Pompey also competed in four Outdoor World Championships and four IAAF World Indoor Champi-
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onships. In 2016, Pompey served as the manager of the Guyanese Olympic squad in Rio de Janeiro. A 400-meter specialist who turned in a personalbest mark of 50.71 at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Pompey won the NCAA 400-meter national championship in 2000 while competing for Manhattan College. A double alumnus of Manhattan, Pompey earned a finance degree in 1999 before completing her MBA in 2003.
it back-to-back 3-0 wins courtesy of another sprightly performance in Rome. Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli scored twice, first by finishing off a move he started by tapping in from Domenico Berardi’s darting run and cutback. Italy’s passing and pressing was far superior to their opponents and Locatelli’s fizzing strike from the edge of the area underlined their control of the contest. Lazio striker Ciro Immobile’s long-range drive, which squirmed under goalkeeper Yann Sommer, completed a comprehensive victory late on. Switzerland barely threatened an Italian backline that has now gone 10 games without conceding in all
Thursday June 17, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today you can expect to be more enterprising in your human relationships. You may find new friends or enjoy quality time with old ones. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) The past month has allowed you to affirm yourself, Taurus, and cement some aspects of your personality. You're now entering a period of consolidation. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Today heralds the beginning of a very agreeable period. You will be especially happy, Gemini! You will project confidence, clarity, and charisma wherever you go. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Cancer, this would be a good moment to get rid of anything that still stands between you and achieving your goals. A certain obstacle might be sparking the impulse you have to blend into the background. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) The signs say that you can expect a very profitable few weeks ahead, Leo. You've worked hard lately, and it's only natural that you have finally arrived at this stage. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) The cosmos will ask you to make more of an effort, Virgo. To do so means you will have to come back down to Earth and join the rest of us mere mortals. You may be cultivating your independence a bit too much.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A quest is in store for you, Libra. You're likely to engage in a search for physical or intellectual space. You may be asking yourself philosophical questions. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) In navigating your emotional life, Scorpio, you may feel you've made a great effort in the past month. You've been available and conciliatory, and done your best to maintain harmony. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) The cosmic signs indicate that your emotional universe will once again glow with positive energy. You will meet more people, and your encounters are likely to be profoundly gratifying, emotionally and intellectually. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) For you, Capricorn, the next few weeks portend a period of timidity. You will probably go out less, introduce yourself to fewer new people, and be less prone to showing off. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You may have spent the past few weeks exploring other horizons, Aquarius, meeting new people, going out more frequently, or taking short trips. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You're likely to enjoy a change in the rhythm and quality of life, beginning right now. Do you feel a need to take your friendships beyond superficiality?
competitions, a run approaching 1,000 minutes. World champions France were tipped by many as pretournament favourites, but Italy have showcased their credentials as strong contenders with two eyecatching performances. Once again they set the tempo before kick-off with a rousing rendition of the national anthem, sung with gusto by players and supporters alike at the Stadio Olimpico. Switzerland struggled to cope as the Azzurri impressively extended their unbeaten run to 29 games, and their fierce defence and ruthless attacking play in the final third looks like it will take some stopping as this tournament progresses. Before this championship, Italy had never netted three goals in a game at the Euros but Immobile’s effort means they have now achieved the feat twice in two games. One blemish for the Italians came with an injury to captain Giorgio Chiellini, who had a close-range finish ruled out for handball shortly before he was forced off with a suspected hamstring problem. Switzerland’s only chance of note fell to substitute Steven Zuber, but his low shot from the angle was comfortable for goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to deal with. Italy can finish top of the group with a point against Wales on Sunday, which would set up a last-16 meeting against the runner-up in Group C at Wembley Stadium on 26 June.
...Guyana’s Devin Permaul From page 23 first and second rounds respectively. There are three quota places reserved in these Paris Championships which are reserved for countries in the Americas and can only be won by countries who have not already secured a place and each nation can only collect a maximum of one quota place per gender. The pressure on our Archer and countryman is high – and the battle for these quota places will be intense. Amidst all this excitement, Devin when asked how he is feeling and responded: “I feel confident about Paris and shooting in the 650’s has put my confidence at an all time high.” The Board of Directors of Archery Guyana wishes Devin Permaul all the best and urges all of Guyana to rally around him and send positive energy across the miles for Guyana.
Bird Singing competition set for June 27 Uprising Bird Racing Crew will be hosting a bird singing competition on June 27 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. Dubbed ‘clash of the titans’, the competition will see 20 well trained birds
compete from 06:00hrs. Entrance fee is $3000 and at stake are cash prizes and trophies. Interested persons can contact John Bird on 611-0492 or Ryan on 656-6000 for registration.
...Allicock aims to make history From page 21 Allicock travelled to Russia for World Boxing Championships. The last time a Guyanese pugilist had qualified for this Event was in 2013 when Denis Thomas and Imran Khan represented Guyana. Born on June 13, 1999 to Lennard Lawrence Allicock and Pauletta Prince, Keevin spent most of his life in Albouystown and attended the Albouystown Nursery, Kettley Primary before spending a short time at a Private school. Allicock slept on a mattress on the floor of his home but said growing in a harsh environment made him mentally stronger and forced him to lean more on God. He joined the Harpy Eagles Boxing Gym as a sixyear-old and under the guidance of Coach James Walcott
before moving to FYF at 15 where Blake is the Coach and has been there since then. World Bantamweight Champion Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov of Uzbekistan is the number one-ranked Boxer in the Bantamweight division but Allicock is well ahead of several boxers from China, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Ukraine and Peru. “It’s a real blessing for me to be so high up among the best in the World in my division. I am happy to be recognised for my hard work by AIBA, especially after a tough few months in Cuba due to COVID-19. Allicock joins athlete Aliyah Abrams, table tennis player Chelsea Edghill and swimmers Andrew Fowler and Jamila Sanmoogan, who will rep the Golden Arrowhead at the global showpiece.
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Thursday June 17, 2021
Pompey to lead St. John’s Athletics programme Long considered a rising star in the profession, Guyanese Aliann Pompey has been chosen to lead the St. John’s Track and Field and Cross Country programme as its next head coach. Pompey, who has been at St. John’s since the fall of 2014, most recently served a s t h e p r o g r a m m e ’s associate head coach for the 2020-21 academic year. She will take over for her former boss and mentor, Jim Hurt, who retired last month after four decades with the Red Storm. “I want to thank Mike Cragg for his vote of confidence and his support
in appointing me as the head coach,” said Pompey. “It is with great honour that I accept this position. I have seen the growth and successes of this team over the years – from a distance when I was in college, and intimately over the last seven years. I want to continue the tradition of excellence for which we’ve become known. I thank Coach Hurt for his guidance and patience while I found my coaching voice and Kathy Meehan, whose leadership has served as a model for me. I am excited to continue working with our returning studentathletes who have committed to making our
team better. Joined by the incoming class, we’ll strive to be impactful not just with t h e B I G E A S T, b u t nationally.” Tasked with guiding the Red Storm’s sprinters and hurdlers during her time on Hurt’s staff, Pompey has seen St. John’s studentathletes rewrite the record books during her tenure in Queens. “I am very pleased and proud to see Coach Pompey become our next head coach,” said Hurt. “She is exceptionally qualified to lead the programme to new heights. It’s been my fortune to work with Aliann these past seven
years and her record of accomplishments have been outstanding. She is a person of character and always has her athletes’ best interest at heart. I look forward to following all the great things she will accomplish in pushing the program forward in the years ahead.” Pompey’s pupils own school indoor records in the 60-meter hurdles, the 200 and 400 meters, the 500 meters and the 2×200-meter relay. They also set the programme’s second fastest time in the 4×400-meter r e l a y. I n o u t d o o r competition, Pompey’s athletes hold school marks in
the 100 meter hurdles, 800 meters and 4×100-meter relay. “During my tenure at St. John’s, Coach Pompey has demonstrated time and time again that she has what it takes to lead a high-caliber programme of her own,” said Cragg. “In addition to being an outstanding athlete in her own right with national championship pedigree, she has shown that she possesses the rare ability to elevate the talents of the athletes she mentors and help them reach their full potential. I have the utmost confidence that Coach Pompey will continue to help the track and field
programme reach new heights as its head coach.” With Pompey on staff, the Red Storm has sent 18 athletes to NCAA competition. Pompey has also been active on the administrative side of the sport, serving as the president of the Panam Sports Athlete Commission beginning in 2019. In that role, she was elected to represent more than 6,600 athletes across 41 countries that compete in the Pan American Games. Prior to taking over as president, Pompey served as a member of the Athletes’ Commission for four years. She is also a (Continued on page 19)
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Allicock aims to make history for his late dad - Gets belated birthday gift with news of trip to Tokyo By Sean Devers C a r i b b e a n Bantamweight Boxing Champion Keevin Allicock celebrated his 22nd birthday last Sunday and two days later received a wonderful belated birthday gift with the news of his participation at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics Games in Japan from July 23 to August 8, 2021. The lightning fast Allicock is Guyana’s best hope of achieving an Olympic Medal since Boxer Mike Parris won Guyana’s only Medal (Bronze) in the 1980 Olympics in Moscow 41 years ago. A member of the F o r g o t t e n Yo u t h s Foundation (FYF) in Albouystown, Allicock is the first Guyanese boxer to attend the Olympic in 25 years since John Douglas lost in the first round in 1996. Allicock, along with Colin Lewis, Desmond Amsterdam and Dennis Thomas were set to attend the Olympic Qualifiers in Argentina scheduled for the March 26-April 3, 2021 which was cancelled due the Covid-19 Pandemic. Allicock became the only Guyanese in the latest world rankings released by AIBA when he was ranked 19th in the Bantamweight division which eventually earned him a spot at the Olympics. His elder brother Dillion Allicock was the last Guyanese before him to hold an AIBA world ranking over a decade ago. Reacting to the good news Allicock said it was a wonderful feeling. “First of all I want to thank God for giving me this wonderful blessing. When I first got the news from the President of Guyana Boxing Association and new Director of Sports Steve Ninvalle, it was a wonderful
feeling to represent your Country at such a high level,” stated the supremely talented young pugilist. Allicock, who informed that he has been training under the watchful eyes of his Coach Sebert Blake during the pandemic period, added that he should be going overseas until the Olympics to engage in further training. Allicock says boxing is not only physical and a lot of mental work goes into his fights similar to the way Floyd Mayweather fights. “In Cuba I was working on my power since we have to start knocking people out. I am very confident going into this wonderful Games and trusting in the Lord to do everything for me because I can’t fight this fight alone and this has been such a blessing for me. Well, I serve a true and living God and there are no limits to what he can do so it’s a hundred percent and it being postponed has given me more time to train and be ready. I lean not on my own understanding and I always leave things to happen in God’s time. When he says no is no and when says yes is yes,” said an elated Allicock. “I got involved in Boxing at a very young age because of dad who had the love and passion for Boxing and my older brothers. Dad was our first Coach and four of my brothers represented Guyana. The success of the great Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis along with my brothers inspired me to take boxing seriously. I would train with them, training in the afternoon and they went before me and I followed,” added Allicock who is one of 20 siblings including seven sisters. Six of the Allicock clan;
Orlando, Kevin, Cort, Dame Prince-Allicock, Dillion and Keevin represented Guyana in Boxing. “I was not only inspired by Dillion’s world ranking, which I knew of as little boy, but by all of my brothers. This is a gift that God give us. It was not that we were trained to fight but we were born to fight. Dad would always tell me that I was born to make history,” posited Allicock. However, Allicock’s dad, Leonard Allicock, died in late October last year at the Georgetown Hospital following a prolonged illness and his son said the death has affected him a lot. “My dad’s passing really affected me …I wish he was here to see me compete and make history since it’s been 41 years since Guyana won its first Olympic Medal when Mr Mike Parris won Bronze. So it hard for me at this moment…I am happy and sad at the same because my dad is not here but I still have to do what I have to do to make him proud…show him that I can win because he always told me I am a champion and I will do great things,” promised the emotional Allicock. “My aim is to get a Gold Medal at the Olympics which will be history for this Country and achieving that I plan to turn pro since then I will able to make a living from Boxing,” disclosed Allicock “I am very grateful for this opportunity and I thank everyone who has helped me so far….my family, the Pastor at my Church Apostle Alex Salome, Director of Sports and GBA President Steve Ninvalle, Chairman of the National Sports Commission Kashif Mohammed, Minister of
GOA President K-Juman Yassin congratulates Keevin Allicock in the presence of GBA’s President Steve-Ninvalle.
Culture, Youth & Sport Charles Ramson, the GOA and my Coach Sebert Blake, God bless you and to everyone who supported me across the 83,000 sq. miles of Guyana…God bless you.” Allicock stated that winning a medal at the Olympic Games would be the ultimate silver lining behind the dark cloud of the global pandemic. Allicock, grew up in a Community known for its crime and poverty but supported by his strong faith in God, a few good men and a pair of Boxing Gloves he has proved that good can come out of a Community, that in 2001, produced Guyana’s first World Champion, the late Andrew ‘Six head’ Lewis, who also attended the 1992 Olympics. T h e 2 0 1 7 C o m m o n w e a l t h Yo u t h Games Silver Medalist has won six of his 13 International Amateur bouts. On June 18, 2018 in the CAC Games in Bolivia he
Chairman of the NSC Kasif Muhammad with Allicock. lost to Lucus Fernandez of Argentina but he still won a Bronze Medal. In December 2018 in Mexico, Allicock was narrowly beaten in a keenly contested bout against current Olympic Bantamweight Champion Robeisy Ramirez of Cuba. Allicock says Ramirez is the best opponent he has faced so far. In April 2019 in Nicaragua Allicock
conceded a controversial ‘Walk Over’ to Alety De Cruz in the semi-finals of the Pan Am Games Qualifiers due to ‘inappropriate attire’. Allicock was Guyana’s flag-bearer at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Peru where the entire crowd felt he had won his fight against Lucus Fernandez of Uruguay but the judges though differently. In September 2019 (Continued on page 21)
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Thursday June 17, 2021
Current phase of works at GFF National Training Centre nearing completion Works at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) National Training Centre located at Providence, East Bank Demerara is progressing satisfactorily with the current phase nearing completion. Updating the media was GFF President Wayne Forde on Tuesday last at the facility which is the first of its kind for Guyana. “Things are pretty close to completion at this stage which is the dorms, the kitchen, gym and all the technical facilities. We are about to place an order for the furnishings, we spent a few weeks going through all the bits and pieces, gym equipment, the beds, equipment for the kitchen and quite a bit.” Forde said that the Federation has placed a very high premium on quality construction at the facility and when it is up and running, plans are that as
many national team camps as possible would be held there. “Especially from our under-20 all the way down so I would say that we are in a good place.” He disclosed that two local companies are among some international companies which have tendered for the installation of lights for the field at the facility. “That tender would be closed sometime at the end of July and then the committee would look at it and make the decision. FIFA Procurement gets involved so looking ahead I would say, September/October we’ll see the lighting going up.” He further informed that it would cost in the vicinity of four to five hundred thousand USD and soon, the Federation would be able to reveal the overall sight development plan for the
facility; “Which has a pavilion at the center of the pitch seating and all of that. I’ve said so many times before that we are always anxious about the pace at which things are going but we are a funded organization and the compliance requirement of FIFA is very rigid with forward regulation.” The project he said is moving at a good pace but is hoping that the pace can pick up somewhat. “But what is most evident here is the quality of work that is being done which is something that we’ve been paying very careful attention to.” Forde also took the opportunity to update on the New Amsterdam and Golden Grove Projects which have been affected by the rainy weather. “Only this morning (Tuesday) I got an update, the weather has really been a
GFF President Wayne Forde (right) and members of the Media during a tour of the Training Room at the National Training Center. challenge there but I see more progress has been made in New Amsterdam as compared to what has been made in Golden Grove. New Amsterdam, the walls are up and they are progressing fairly well. We are putting in the additional application for those two grounds which would be surface and lighting and we are also
looking at some portable bleachers. So those would be the two hubs for the regional association of the East Coast to operate out of and all of their developmental activities and competitions and New Amsterdam.” When these two projects are completed, Forde stated that the focus would be s h i f t i n g t o t h e We s t Demerara and Upper
Demerara Football Associations for similar projects. “The idea is to have each association to have really good quality venues where they can play their tournaments, year round. We are still playing with eth idea of doing all-weather turfs but I don’t know how that will affect our budget, but we’ll see how that goes.”
Wales take huge step towards last 16 with win over Turkey BBC Sport - Wales took a significant stride towards qualifying for the second round of Euro 2020 as they overcame Turkey after a gripping encounter in Baku. With a crowd of more than 30,000 in Azerbaijan’s capital city effectively making this a home game for Turkey, Wales responded to the hostile atmosphere with a vibrant, attacking display in which they cut their opponents open at will. After a host of missed chances in a breathless first half, Gareth Bale played a brilliant lofted pass through the heart of the Turkish defence for Aaron Ramsey, who brought the ball down and finished elegantly. Although Turkey came
b a c k s t r o n g l y, Wa l e s squandered a glorious opportunity to consolidate their lead when captain Bale ballooned a penalty over the bar. There were some nervous moments for the Welsh defence as they withstood Turkish attacks with Danny Ward making a vital late save to deny Merih Demiral. But Connor Roberts struck from a corner deep in injury time to seal a win that takes Wales to four points with one match left in the group stage. That final fixture will be in Rome on Sunday against Group A favourites Italy, who faced Switzerland later yesterday.
Having drawn 1-1 with Switzerland in their opening fixture last Saturday, Wales will keep a close eye on events at the Stadio Olimpico as that match could have a major bearing on their hopes of reach the last 16. But regardless of events in Rome, this impressive performance and result against Turkey - tipped by many before this tournament as potential dark horses marked a remarkable transformation from Robert Page’s side. Wales transformed Wales were passive, often disjointed in their opening 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Saturday but, despite making no changes
Roberts seals Wales win with late second goal. (Getty Images)
for this match, they were unrecognisable. B a l e a n d R a m s e y, anonymous against the Swiss, were heavily involved from the start and combined to excellent effect. Skipper Bale found Ramsey with a fine through ball in the sixth minute and, after turning inside Caglar Soyuncu, the Juventus midfielder’s shot at the near post was saved by Ugurcan Cakir. With Bale swapping wings with Daniel James, an absolute menace for the Turkish defence, there was a purpose and pace to Wales’ game which had been lacking in their opening fixture. They were constantly creating chances, with James crossing for Kieffer Moore who headed over - before another Bale through ball set up Ramsey, who rushed and blazed his shot over the bar. If there was a creeping sense that these squandered opportunities would come back to bite Wales, those fears were eased when their stellar combination delivered at the third time of asking. Bale picked up possession near halfway, saw Ramsey’s run in behind Turkey’s defence and found his team-mate with an expertly measured chip.
Gareth Bale set up both goals for Wales. (Getty Images) Ramsey’s control was of equal quality, as was his low finish. Bale miss matters not Fortunate not to be further behind but willed on by a vociferous, overwhelmingly TurkishAzeri crowd, Turkey were set up in a far more attacking manner for the second half with full-backs and wingers pushing further upfield. Captain Burak Yilmaz had a glorious opportunity to equalise nine minutes into the second half when Kaan Ayhan headed the ball on in the Wales area, but the Lille striker volleyed over from close range. That was one of several Turkish efforts in a period of intense pressure and, having withstood it, Wales were presented with a gift of a chance to extend their lead. Bale took on Mehmet Zeki Celik inside the penalty area and, as the Turkey rightback dangled his leg, pushed
the ball ahead of him and was taken down. Referee Artur Dias pointed to the spot and Bale stepped up, staggering his run-up before striking the penalty way over the bar. Turkey were not done yet - Demiral’s powerful header was well saved by Ward with just three minutes left - but it was Wales who had the final say. Unaffected by his penalty miss, Bale danced his way into Turkey’s box in added time and laid the ball on to the tireless Roberts, whose clinical low finish silenced the home crowd and left the hardy few hundred Wales fans to celebrate long into the night. What’s next? Group A comes to a head on Sunday, when Wales travel to Rome to face Italy while Turkey remain in Baku to play Switzerland, with both matches kicking off at 17:00 BST.
Kaieteur News
Thursday June 17, 2021
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Concacaf Gold Cup Preliminary Round competition
Maintaining belief despite an uphill task - Forde By Franklin Wilson
R
ecognising that G u y a n a ’s ‘Golden Jaguars’ would have had the toughest possible luck in the region when the Concacaf Gold Cup Preliminary round draw was held with Guatemala being the first hurdle which must be crossed, Guyana Football Federation (GF) President Wayne Forde says that maintaining belief in the team is important. Guyana earned its second successive qualification to the flagship tournament in Concacaf by virtue of its performance in the 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League when it ended 2nd in Group C, League B to Jamaica. Guyana ended on 10 points (3 wins 1 draw 2 losses), Jamaica won with 16 points (5 wins 1 draw), Antigua & Barbuda 9 points
GFF President Wayne Forde addressing players and Technical Staff at the GFF National Training Centre in March, 2021. (Franklin Wilson photo) (3 wins 3 losses) while Aruba lost all six matches. The matches were played home and away. Forde, responding to questions posed by members
of the Media at a Press Conference held at the GFF National Training Centre on Tuesday reminded that on debut at the 2019 tournament, Guyana opened
Daniels Cricket Coaching Education group eyes multi sports discipline Daniels Cricket Coaching Education group has set their eyes on other sporting disciplines in order to give athletes a chance to showcase their talent. The group is currently preparing to host a relay meet on August 1 at Zorg beach, Essequibo Coast. REO Devanand Ramdatt is in full support of the venture and likes the idea of promoting various sporting activities. The event, once everything is in place with covid guidelines, is geared to ignite the interest of athletics in the area. Meanwhile, the team’s coaching programme has attracted a number of Essequibo franchise players, including Neiland Cadogan, David Williams and Nathan Persaud. Coach Anthony Adams on Saturday last took the charges through fielding and target bowling on Zorg beach and batting in the nets in the second session, while the younger players were involved in a two innings game on the beach. Scores in the match, Ravid Fredericks XI batted first and scored 486 runs. 13 year old Teon Peters set the beach on fire with his stroke play slamming 15 fours and four sixes in a top score of 148, while Fredericks made
against the defending champions USA, eventually going down 0-4 on June 18. “I think our performance was credible as it was throughout the tournament. Having to work our way through Guatemala to get to the round of 16 is also going to be an uphill task. But I think we have to maintain belief in the players, in the team.” Forde noted that the GFF was hoping for the team to have more momentum going into the Guatemala fixture which is set for July 3 next
but that would not be the case but a positive posture would have to be maintained. Providing Guyana gets past Guatemala on July 3rd, a possible date with either Bahamas or Guadeloupe awaits on July 6th. Speaking to the issue of finances to take care of the SMNT as well as the Senior Women’s and Under-17 teams who would all be competing this year, Forde noted that whilst it’s an uphill task for the Federation, they will continue to work with the
Government of Guyana and its corporate partners. “This time around the government of Guyana through the Minister made a generous contribution to the t e a m ’s q u a l i f i c a t i o n campaign and we will continue to make those efforts. We’ve also done a fairly good job when we did our budgeting for the 2021 cycle, so while we do need the support in many ways we’ve been able to make the necessary provisions to fund the programmes ahead of us.”
Guyana’s Devin Permaul heads to Paris for final Archery Olympic Qualification Tourney
Markanthony Obermuller 73 with five fours and three sixes and Dylon Dyal scored 60 with seven fours. Skipper Devine Ross took 2-36. Ross XI responded with 140. Markanthony Obermuller made 44, including two fours and three sixes, while Krishun Narine made 35 with three fours and Angel Persaud 25. Batting a second time, Ross XI reached 110 for 5 at close of play. On Sunday the two teams took to the field in a 25 overs encounter. Frederick’s team lost by 60 runs. Batting first, Ross X1 scored 225 for 8 with Deolall (only name given) scored 61 with five fours and four sixes, while
Ravid Fredericks Angel Pearson made 65 including eight fours. Bowling for Fredericks XI, Krishun Narine grabbed 426. Fredericks XI made 215 in reply. Narine struck five fours in a top score of 67, while Fredericks scored 61. The 7 to 15 age group players were under the watch of veteran coach Forbes Daniels who was supported by umpire Deva Dass, Ryan Fredericks, Rayon DeCosta and Daniel Stoll. Te a m D a n i e l s h a s supported for the formation of the Riverstone Annandale District Sports Club and upliftment of the Suddie play ground on which work has stalled due to rain.
The final Archery qualification tournament for To k y o w a s i n i t i a l l y scheduled to be held in Berlin in June 2020. However, following the oneyear delay of the Games, it has been replaced by Paris. This Olympic Qualification Tournament in Paris is designated as the final
qualification tournament, and for Guyana, it is the last chance for Guyanese Archer, Devin Permaul to obtain his ticket to the Tokyo Games. It will take place at the Stade Charléty in Paris from 19th to 21st June 2021. After this tournament, Paris will also host the 2021 Archery World Cup from 21
to 28 June, 2021 at which Guyana is also registered to participate. Devin is training hard and at a recently held event in Canada he kept the Golden Arrowhead flying high amidst fierce competition where he scored 639 and 651 from a possible 720 in his (Continued on page 21)