Kaieteur News

K

AIETEUR NEWS

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

State media places ruling

Monday Edition June 22, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 25

party’s views over

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Price $80

P.8

public interest- EU Observers

Online readership yesterday 155,406

With works still substantially incomplete…

Ocean View ‘Retro Fitting’ Contractors paid $650M

out of $1 Billion project Gov’t to pay $52M from

April to June in rent stories on Fathers’ Day Tragedies… See pages 12 &17

Cop, three others die in separate accidents

See stories on pages 3 & 7

Teen fished out of Berbice River...

Boyfriend tells cops he struck lover with paddle after she danced with another man Melissa Soman

P. 16

Police Sergeant Lakhan Persaud

Dead: Shar Scott, 21

US Scientist P.2 cautions Guyana…

Dead: Mickle Jones,19

Vendor shot in brazen robbery at La Penitence Market P.18

Wait for latest Climate Change Report before granting Payara permit to ExxonMobil

Monday June 22, 2020

PAGE 3

Kaieteur News

With works still substantially incomplete...

Ocean View ‘Retro Fitting’ Contractors paid $650M out of $1 Billion project

By Shikema Dey Seven contractors sole sourced by the Public Health Ministry to complete the ‘retro fitting’ or furnishing of the Ocean View COVID-19 Hospital have reportedly been paid roughly 65% of the US$5Million (G$1B) sum despite, a substantial amount of work still left incomplete.

Sources close to this project have revealed to Kaieteur News that the contractors were paid sums amounting to more than $600M last Thursday.

Kaieteur News is in receipt of the Memorandum to the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, from the Permanent Secretary of the Public Health Ministry, Collette Adams in correspondence to the Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Berkley Wickham seeking approval to ‘single source’ bidders for the conversion of the old Ocean View International Hotel into a state-of-the-art Hospital for the incubation, isolation and quarantine of persons infected with the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) along with the documents from the Finance Ministry giving approval.

Single sourcing is spelled out in the Procurement Act 2003, Section 28. An excerpt from that section says “The procuring entity may engage in single-source procurement when - (a) the goods or construction are available only from a particular supplier or contractor, or a particular supplier or contractor has exclusive rights with respect to the goods or construction, and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists; (b) the services, by reason of their highly complex or specialized nature, are available from only

one source; (c) owing to a catastrophic event, there is an urgent need for the goods, services or construction, making it impractical to use other methods of procurement because of the time involved in using those methods.”

On the Memorandum, the works were separated into eight lots: ‘Lot 1’, the “Remodeling of the Main Wing, Installation of Medical Gas, HV AC – negative pressure system, Construction of Operating Theatre, Construction of R.C. Ramps and Laundry Room and Rehabilitation of Main Plumbing System and Distribution Networks” was awarded to International Imports & Supplies at $381M ($381,825,605).

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

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

‘Lot 4’, the “Construction of Southern Concrete Fence, Timber Revetment, Construction of R.C. Base for Triage Area and Holding Area for Infectious Waste” was awarded to James Nicholson Construction Services at $54M ($54,761,525).

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

‘Lot 6’, the “Construction

Wait for latest Climate Change...

From page 2 sub-sectors of agriculture, such as livestock and fisheries may also be subject to similar types of climate and sea level risks, e.g. livestock depends on the availability of grazing pastures which are at risk of being subject to drought and flooding along the coast.

In the case of fresh water fisheries and shrimp farms, saline intrusions and inundations will affect the sub-sector negatively.

The report added, “All the changes projected may translate into ecosystems disruptions, floods, landslides, storm surges and droughts, among other impacts.

These threats will impose severe social and economic constraints to Guyana and will need to be addressed with adaptation policy and measures.”

The 2012 report was keen to note that effective adaptation will require a combination of enforceable regulations and economic incentives to redirect new settlement to better protected locations and to promote investments in appropriate infrastructure, all of which require political will as well as financial and human capital.

of one (1) incinerator for sharps and medical waste” was awarded to Andy Moore at $4.1M ($4.1,000,000).

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

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

Continued on page 17

Figure 1. Showing a breakdown of the Engineer’s estimate and how much the contract was awarded for.

Decision on elections credibility case set for today Guyana Appeal Court in Kingston

- Appeal to CCJ possible A ruling is set to be handed down in the case filed over the credibility of Guyana’s Regional and General Elections at 13:30 hours today at the Appeal Court in Kingston.

The case concerns a motion filed to block Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)’S Chief Elections Officer, (CEO) Keith Lowenfield from submitting the recount report to the Chairperson retired Justice Claudette Singh to make way for declaration of a winner of the 2020 elections.

On Saturday, lawyers engaged in the matter presented their oral arguments on the point of the credibility and jurisdiction of the Appeal Court as it regards the matter. Appellate Judges Dawn Gregory Rishi Persaud and High Court Judge Brassington Reynolds are expected to rule on preliminary issue of Jurisdiction today.

However some lawyers have already indicated their intention to appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), if the Court‘s decision is not in their favour.

This is despite legal provisions of Article 177 (4) of the constitution under which the case was filed.

Article 177 (4) says – “The Court of Appeal shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine any question as to the validity of an election of a President in so far as the question depends upon the qualification of any person for election or the interpretation of this Constitution; and any decision of that Court under this paragraph shall be final.”

However, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall who is also a lawyer on record in the case refutes that this is so.

He noted that though the case invokes Article 177(4) which seemingly gives the Appeal Court exclusive and final powers, there are other legal provisions that would give any dissatisfied party the right to approach the

Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). Nandlall noted those provisions fall under CCJ Act made under Article 223 of the Constitution which was enacted by the Guyana Parliament in 2004.

According to him, the passage of that law authorizes Guyana to join any Caribbean Court of Appeal as its final Court of Appeal.

“What this means is that since 2004 wherever a decision was final at the Court of Appeal, it was now appealable to CCJ. Therefore in this case where it says the decision the Appeal Court shall be final it can be overtaken by the CCJ under the provisions in that enactment,” Nandllal explained.

The motion filed on behalf of Eslyn David seeks to compel the court to make a declaration that GECOM failed to act in accordance with the recount order, in that it “failed to determine a final credible count and or the credibility of the result” of the March 2 polls.

The motion also asks the Court to restrain Lowenfield from obeying Justice Singh’s instruction to submit his report, unless he determines the “final credible count” or the credibility of the elections. Lawyers arguing in favour of her case have asked the court to conclude that the Appeal Court has exclusive jurisdiction under Articles 177 (4) of the constitution to hear and determine the case.

PAGE 4

Monday June 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL TEL:624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

The way we will be later today This nation hovers on the brink of overwhelming exhaustion brought about by the many frustrations that extinguish its energies. Guyana is in the worst of places prompted by the ceaseless prevarications that scuttle its hopes and spirit. We run on an empty tank, lacking zest and thrust. This is where we are perched on the tense tightrope, prior to the fateful Court of Appeals decision scheduled for 13:00hrs today.

We are depleted and so, too, are our politicians in the creativity of their electoral handiwork, their attempts to reconfigure present and future history, through the inexplicable and inexcusable. It is almost over, when one of the last doors knocked on for relief closes with a clear decision at some time beyond 13:00hrs this Monday.

From all appearances, this should be the last gasp of the coalition hoping for some respite, and for the new government signaling its readiness to come to life. This hard-hit country needs any life it can get, and never as in the current hour of decision and expectation, of almost a million individual visions.The first moving question of the moment distils to this: how will the three wise jurists of the Court of Appeals be today? They are neither isolated nor insulated from the tempests of the times, the burdensome pressures of Guyana’s overbearing circumstances. They stand on the threshold of history. The second question coalesces around this contemplation: and how will we beangry leaders, angrier supporters, with the angriest being disillusioned citizens-in a likely unsettled and hostile environment? Later today and the tomorrows ahead, will deliver answers in due course. It is our hope that they will be encouraging, if only to assure the continuity of this society to its long delayed destiny.

While we countdown the hours left to the court, we are aware that it is always unwise, the height of presumptuousness, to try to outthink and anticipate the way the minds of tribunes of spare legal truths work. Like their less exposed, less educated, and less saluted juror cousins in the law, judges can also be fickle, through the surprising, even the shocking. This is what the history of American judicial mysteries reveal, all the way from twenty years ago, in Bush v. Gore.But today prudence is cast to the wind. We assert and advance that the room that the three learned judges have limits them to holding only to the preponderance of persuasive elements in the matter brought before them. In summary, it is that those elements favor the current opposition. Though there is absolutely no intention to ringfence or second-guess the two spotlighted sons and one daughter of the higher bench, what was placed before them by agents of the coalition is cut and dried to bring this whole sorry season in Guyana’s electoral history to a full stop. The signs and portents indicate the benefit of victory for the opposition PPP, as declared by GECOM.That is the simpler one that waits for pronouncement after 13:00hrs today. What is not so easy is to project or measure what follows after the chairwoman of GECOM speaks to this suspended nation. She, too, could go down in history as rising above and beyond in the sternest of crises, and at the most pivotal time. This is the great unknown, how will we be when her work is done?

Political reactions are the first things that come to mind.

Those will set the tone, perhaps temper the tempests that heave our social realm. A key starting principle of democracy is the leadership sagacity that instils maturity and responsibility on a sustained basis. It is our hope that all three will dominate because leaders cast aside grave disappointments and do their duty to the many peoples of this ruptured and frail society.

We are not privy to any special intelligence, but we trust that the sanity of peace will be the order of the day.

Our numbing clashes have left us drained and vulnerable.

The early first call is for all citizens to understand their roles and then deliver them. Elections forced us to our knees. We have the future waiting. It is time to greet it together.

Nothing is about country anymore DEAR EDITOR, I read and I hear of electoral developments, and what is clear is that there is no country. There is only interest in what is for supremacy of party, and nothing else. It is that naked and in the most scarring manner that could be conceived, such is the pornography of Guyana’s elections projections. Men make prostitutes of themselves for any grasp at power. There are of party only; yet they say that they are patriots. Who and where are the bona fide Guyanese patriots, not by their own words, but in the recognition of their peers, from the incontestable quality of their positions?

I hear Mr. Gaskin: this is devious. I take it a step further: this is evil and dangerous to every citizen in this country. The coalition has come to personify so many lies, at all levels, that many of its members-inner circle, diehard supporters, and the torn rank and file-have come to believe that they are truths.

Like the Germans of some eight decades ago, these lies about elections are the only truths. I hesitate, but I must dare to venture to another place and remind all my fellow Guyanese what followed from those lies uttered and reuttered at another time: a holocaust came. More than one, in the gas chambers, from the air, on the land, and over

the peoples. What Mr. Gaskin termed “devious” incites the vicious and harvests the perilous. People have been strung up for too long.

Let it be over now.

But I know and all know that there are certain words in this country that rings with the treasonous. Not the nationally treasonous, but as viewed and judged politically.

The first such word is conceding. Not to be done here.

Will not be done today. And from that immovably unyielding stance, comes no compromise and no cooperation, which are seen and interpreted as just as treasonous.

It is why we always search for and never find anything resembling consensus, still one more word extracted from the Guyanese political dictionary as to what is considered treasonous.

From this I watch men and women in the coalition playing clever games with words, only to reveal how untutored and illiterate they really are. I hear of men and women rushing to the harbour of honourable jurisprudence to besmirch its majesty with more of the dishonourable and the deplorable. I observe Guyanese-learned men, wise women, and up and down the ladder-wink and smirk at how sharp they are, how elastic their character be, when they come up with one nimble deception after another. What

is of country? What kind of country can be built with patriotic minds such as these?

But there was another, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, chairwoman of GECOM, who rose up on Friday and showed the world the trueness of her mettle, the steeliness of her spine. More than most, she has been battered beyond recognition, but now she rose to reclaim and recover what was taken from her. Her dignity. Her standing. Her honour. In a few resonant words and in a spirited stance, chairwoman Singh showed Guyana what it is to be about country. I salute a patriot.

The courts of which she has been a part of the paint, should not be called upon to tarnish itself, should know better, should take a bow to the law and let the scales of justice that hang in the balance prevail.

Because if there is tilt this way, then to what position?

To where? Do we really want to go there?

I say, No! A longstanding friend wrote the other day about “death knell” relative to annulment and restarting. I hear but I go past that: it would the death of us.

Mr. Ramjattan, a senior member of the coalition earlier spoke of “respect” for result, and more recently that electoral defeat is all but foregone. Such a defeat is not

the end of the world, nor possesses any fatal finality. It is occasion for hard learning and honest growing, then returning reinvigorated. But when people are gambling with all they have got left, then deaf ears and closed minds become the norm, for there is nothing more that can be lost, nothing more that can be lived for with standing.

I said it and wrote it sometime ago: the coalition lost. I moved on and so should the coalition leaders. I wrote that I cannot and will not be a part of anything that hints of taint.

With each passing development from the coalition trenches, there is more and more heaping of taint on itself. Let the thing go, as hurtful and bitter as such may be.

Move on. Start over. Rethink and rebuild, then remake self.

I have. I said to some people last week that if I do not write a single syllable about elections for the rest of my life, I would consider myself mightily blessed.

I fool myself. For some part of me is saying that, like a moth to a flame, I keep drawing too near to my detriment.

But this I promise: whatever is the product of my mind, whatever is written, will be of one way only. It is what is about this country, and what is best for it and all of its peoples.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

The Real Reason For the Coalition’s Defeat at the Poles DEAR EDITOR, Permit me the opportunity to voice my opinion regarding this election impass that’s being created by the APNU+AFC cabal, with support from the Chief Elections Officer of GECOM. In stating this I must commend the GCCI for their public statement concerning the Chamber’s loss of confidence in the Chief Elections Officer of GECOM. My fellow Guyanese more so supporters of the APNU+AFC it should come as no surprise that the lawful recount observed by the Caricom team shows that the PPP/C amassed the majority of the votes at the March 02 elections.

The PPP/C gained in excess of 15,000 votes more than the APNU+AFC and it’s not because of the deceitful narrative that the APNU+AFC is peddling. It’s actually because for the past 5 years what Guyana has witness is tantamount to failed governance, the country has witness crass leadership and poor policies in vital sectors of the economy.

For the most part the now caretaker government made life more difficult for the ordi-

nary Guyanese while enriching themselves and living their version of the good life.

They are also guilty of the same misdeeds they accused the PPP/C of, the only difference is that the APNU+AFC was and is more transparent in their effort to pilfer the country’s resources for their own benefit, just take a look at the lop-sided contract they signed with the oil companies and their most recent effort to sign away prime state lands and the procurement of movable assets at prices way above market value.

Additionally, there are a number of cases where key positions were filled with questionable characters who don’t have the requisite qualifications nor experience, while this now illegitimate caretaker government sought to brandish experienced and capable patriots as not being fit and proper to hold certain positions for the mere fact that they know they wouldn’t be able to influence these capable patriots.

So my fellow Guyanese don’t be deceived by these morally corrupt leaders of the APNU+AFC, I can assure you just as all the other international organizations that

observed these elections on March 02, would have alluded, the elections were fair and credible, and the figures of the recount is a true reflection of the will of the Guyanese people and it shouldn’t come as a surprise for these failed leaders within the APNU+AFC regime either, since its a culmination of their failure to govern effectively as well as their lack of leadership and greed which has resulted in the Guyanese people losing confidence in their ability to govern effectively and consequently they were fired from office on March 02, 2020.

As eloquently stated by one prominent AFC leader, “the people never elected us to remain in office forever.”

The APNU+AFC coalition came into power on a high and many people including myself who had voted for them in 2015 had expected more of them.

I can safely say that the majority of Guyanese who voted for the APNU+AFC in 2015 never voted for them to go into office and increase their pay within their first 3 months on the job, while the nation’s teachers, nurses, Joint Services and the rest of the public service were made

to wait for a measly increase at the end of the year which the Minister of Finance had to dwell about as if he was doing these public servants a favour.

Not to mention the widening of VAT bracket and the removal of subsidies on water and electricity for our pensioners.

These act by the coalition government set the stage for the host of other misdeeds which followed, including the D’Urban Park Project which initially started with private donations but ended in the wastage of hundreds of millions of public funds, which still can’t be accounted for.

I never voted for these acts when I voted for the coalition in 2015, so just as how they lost my vote they lost the votes of thousands of other Guyanese due to their actions and incompetence nothing else.

So my fellow Guyanese now is not the time to be deceived by these self serving leaders of the APNU+AFC, it is a time for all to come together and work towards the betterment of this dear land of ours.

Regards, Ronley Kendall

Monday June 22, 2020

PAGE 5

Kaieteur News

Arjune Karshan dedicated his Flooding and COVID-19 in the South Rupununi life to free and fair elections DEAR EDITOR, I pay tribute to Arjune Karshan, long time political activist who led the Association of Concerned Guyanese (ACG), NY branch, who passed away a few days ago in the US. Karshan served as Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname, appointed by Dr. Jagan after the restoration of democracy serving in the position for over a decade. He was a true Guyanese patriot, a champion of human rights and one of the most outspoken NY-based activists prior to the 1992 election.

Karshan organized grassroots social and media movements and chaired countless functions relating to Guyana. He was also passionate about tackling social injustice in America. He was uncompromising in his socialist leaning. But after Jagan embraced glasnost and perestroika, Karshan, like several others in the ACG, fell in line.

I met Karshan in late 1970s in New York during the struggle for free and fair elections in Guyana and took a liking to him for his dedication to a struggle though not his left wing political ideology. I came to the US in 1977 enrolled at City College where a group of us from Guyana and Trinidad formed a student organization and launched a newsletter to raise awareness about human rights violations in Guyana.

That student activism allowed me to come into contact with Karshan who was working closely with Chuck Mohan and Jeewan Singh, both of who were also students at CCNY though not members of our club. Karshan would visit

CCNY for guest lectures.

Karshan, who came to New York in 1972, and lived for a while in Manhattan on 32nd Street, also produced a newsletter.

I came to admire Karshan, Chuck, Mel Carpen, and other stalwarts who were pioneers of ACG for their zeal, enthusiasm, and commitment to the struggle for the restoration of democracy in the homeland.

They were true Jaganites and patriots. But Karshan stood out as he was present at numerous events – his profession was activism. He championed the restoration of democracy the way few of us did, demonstrating grit and determination to succeed in the struggle to liberate Guyana from the dictatorship.

He was behind the organization of countless rallies and protests all over the city.

There was hardly a public event (including immigration rallies and Ramayanas, India Day parades, Holi and Indian Arrival Day celebrations, etc.) in New York thru 1992 that I did not see Karshan distributing pamphlets on Guyana.

My friends, Vassan Ramracha and Baytoram Ramharack and I would bounce up with him (accompanied by two nephews and sometimes others) on 14th Street early Saturday morning from the late 1970s to 1992 and occasionally on Liberty Avenue on Sundays or Saturday evenings leafleting literature on Guyana.

Karshan and I spoke at several rallies and meetings, and whenever we met he would applaud the activism of Vassan, Ramaharack and myself. Whenever we met and or spoke on the phone, he would

reminisce about confrontations on the ideological divide; he was pro-USSR and we were pro-America.

Whenever Cheddi and Janet visited New York, he was foot to foot behind them including at the 1988 Columbia University conference I helped to organize to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Indian Arrival where Jagan, and I spoke at the same panel. Karshan also accompanied Cheddi at the week long GOPIO event in New York where we both spoke on the same panel with Ravi Dev on human rights violations in Guyana.

Karshan raised a lot of funds for PPP in NY and was behind a regular monthly PPP publication for almost two decades.

Karshan, Janet, Cheddi, and other stalwarts addressed several lectures at CCNY, CUNY Graduate School and other locations. I was an elected leader at CCNY and CUNY Grad Center and the student governments facilitated and or sponsored events pertaining to Guyana. Karshan also organized many public forums for Cheddi and Janet at other locations. They were regular features at Pandit Ramlall’s (ASC) mandir in Jamaica accompanied by Karshan.

Karshan’s contribution to the Guyana struggle has made him an icon of resistance against dictatorship. I salute him and thank his family for allowing him to commit so many years to the struggle that freed Guyana from the yoke of an oppressive dictatorship.

Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

DEAR EDITOR, While there has been much attention to coastal flooding in the country, not much has been written about flooding in the Rupununi. The seasonal floods in the Rupununi region during the annual rainy season have continuously been affecting Region 9, which in extreme cases had adversely affected many communities. The region only experiences one dry and one wet season, where the effects of flooding are felt during the wet season usually extending from April to July.

Based on climatic studies in the region, over 80 percent of the annual rainfall occurs during the rainy season in the Rupununi. Normally this results in extensive flooding of the immediate landscape, creating huge seasonal wetlands.

Although this is a natural occurrence that has many advantages for the natural environment, it has been considered an issue for inhabitants, as livelihoods across the region are affected.

In some cases, transportation to and from communities across the region are affected as overland transportation routes are disrupted; at times communication to the town of Lethem, the only regional supply of goods and services is completely cut off.

Alternatively, air travel to these communities has proven extremely expensive. Furthermore, flooding also affects the town of Lethem as the condition of the GeorgetownLethem trail usually deteriorates during the rainy season.

Based on past experiences, the prices of goods and services in the rest of the region usually then becomes inflated. Additionally, normal village activity such as agri-

culture is disrupted, affecting the main economic activity within some villages. Fortunately, the effects of such floods are not life-threatening as in other countries.

To add to the situation, came COVID-19, at a most sensitive time, where the effects of the annual floods are felt synonymously. So far there has been no reported case of Coronavirus in the South Rupununi, but a general fear has led people to be more sensitive to incoming traffic entering and passing through communities. Partly because of the outburst in numbers in neighbouring Brazil that has become the epicenter of the disease. Many transportation routes have been cut off due to rising water levels across the region.

While this has been limiting transportation across the region, COVID-19 has enforced additional constraints on regional communication. This has further compounded the situation for transportation of goods and services, and communication within the re-

gion.

Before the rainy season, fear of the deadly virus had caused the village councils of communities of South Rupununi to implement drastic measures in an attempt to prevent transmission, such as preventing the entry of persons and vehicles in and out of their communities. This was already limiting the transportation of essential goods and services form Lethem to the rest of the region, even before the rainy season.

It is known that indigenous populations are one of the most vulnerable groups to infectious diseases, where health facilities cannot cope with outbreaks. Across in neighbouring Brazil the virus has reached many indigenous territories where there exists poor health facilities, and according to the Brazilian Indigenous Peoples’ Association, it is affecting a population that has a history of being decimated by outside diseases. Conversely, in the Rupununi, many residents (Continued on page 6)

PAGE 6

Kaieteur News

Monday June 22, 2020

A moral obligation to uphold the truth Urgent and Unconventional Fiscal DEAR EDITOR, contractual obligation to rep- a member of the APNU team I as a Guyanese American resent your client fairly, you the Justice For all Party, along Stimulus Necessary to Fight Current Citizen, I take umbrage at the also have a moral obligation with a former Minister in the already found themselves in such inhumane conditions. fact that the JJ&B firm would to uphold the truth. To date APNU government have both Economic Crisis lend its name and reputation to cover up what can aptly be described as a political coup.

By all indications this was a blatant attempt to rig an election, disenfranchise tens of thousands, and undermine the legitimate aspirations of the Guyanese people.

Of course, “Guyana elections battle matters to the US” as stated in your opinion piece dated June 19th, 2020.

However, what matters more to the US and the world is Democracy and the rule of law. As the leader of the free world, the US has been a leading advocate and voice in the fight for democracy and freedom. Accordingly, It is in this vein that I see your efforts on behalf of your client as an attempt to undermine democracy in Guyana and to deny the people of Guyana the same freedoms you enjoy in the US..

While I recognize your

none of the claims made by your client, A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) has proven to be true. Moreover, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence and so far, your client has not provided a shred of evidence to substantiate any of its claims, rather, most of these claims have been publicly repudiated.

It should come as no surprise therefore that your specious defence of your client has put you in direct contradiction with all and sundry.

This list includes: All International observer teams, The Organization of American States, The Caricom initial observers and recount teams, The ambassadors of the US, UK, Canada, and the European Union, Caribbean Heads of State past and present, and lastly the Chair of Guyana’s Elections Commission.

In addition, more recently

called on APNU to concede the elections. As a long-time friend and supporter of the coalition I am adding my voice to this growing list. Perhaps it’s time your firm do the honourable thing and advise your client to accept the will of the Guyanese people.

The time-tested proverb “a drowning man will clutch at a straw, may explain your client’s continued acts of desperation, but pray tell, what in good conscience would explain your unyielding desire to continue promoting these falsehoods? While this may serve some benign business purpose, wherein the end justifies the means, there is something unwholesome and reckless about knowingly inciting the wrath of countless innocent supporters by creating an expectation based on a false narrative.

Floyd N. Haynes

DEAR EDITOR, As we inch closer to the end of the 2020 election crisis, the newly elected government has the historic and herculean task of immediately confronting the protracted economic distress which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Families across Guyana, particularly those living in poverty and on low incomes, are hurting and experiencing financial hardship, unlike anything we have seen in the last few decades. The longer this continues the worse it will get and the more difficult it will be to resolve.

At the core are a rapid drying up of consumer spending and consumption due to the loss of household incomes, jobless growth over the past few years, and the necessary lockdown to limit the impact of the pandemic.

The pandemic-induced layoffs would further worsen the situation. In other words, many families are without income and are currently surviving on whatever little savings they have while others are forced to make devastating choices like cutting the number of meals per day, rationing nutritious and healthy foods, forgoing needed medical treatment, abandoning or putting off important welfare and quality of life decisions. Some are teetering on hunger and homelessness while others have

Open letter to the members of the Catholic Church and to all people of good will in Guyana There are three things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor.13:13) Bishop Francis Alleyne has issued the following Pastoral Letter: My dear Brothers and Sisters, Last Sunday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ; a very special feast in our tradition.

This feast takes us into the mystery of God inhabiting the human state and through this act of love opening ways for us to have a fuller share and communion in the divine. In this feast we also celebrate the Body of Christ which is the people of God. We celebrate the many and diverse expressions of gifts and life that make up the body. St Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor.12:12 ff) gives a beautiful analogy of the human body to the body that is the people of God; the many parts and functions of the body working in harmony, in mutual dependency, each part sustaining life in the others, bringing about a whole in celebration of life, reflecting the divine. It is a wonderful image of what a people can and ought to be.

You, the people of God of this nation Guyana, in the civil domain have been on hold since 21st December 2018. From that time until the present the major political parties have had much to say, the Courts have spoken, diplomats and observers have added their perspective, the Elections Commission has carried out its mandate. Local groups and individuals have given their views. What

stands out in all of this is what you the people of God of this nation have shown. You have waited with patience and trust, you have admirably done your part in turning out to the polls and casting your vote. Over ten thousand persons, from among you, have supervised the voting procedure at the 2,239 polling stations and done so in a responsible manner - so proved by the statements of polls and recount. In spite of the uncertainties that have been proffered, you the people as a body have held the body together.

We give thanks to God for this.

Added to the matters of governance you also had to contend with the threat of the Coronavirus, COVID-19.

Here too you, the people of God, have risen to the call to keep the threat of the virus at bay. I have seen the very noticeable efforts on the part of many to wear their masks, to wash hands and sanitize, to keep distances and minimize gathering.

This, I am sure, has contributed to the relatively low rates of infection from the virus.

This we must sustain in order to overcome the threat. I have heard of the many positive and creative initiatives of people working at home, accessing lessons on line, reaching out through streaming and Zoom to keep in touch and to offer encouragement. Reports have come to me of many who have been celebrating their faith in their homes and in their families and also with the wider community via various digital avenues. Guyana is the home for many faiths and many who profess and celebrate

Flooding and COVID-19 in the South...

From page 5 have reserved to their farms, and unfortunately for some in areas that are threatened by floods in times of severe climatic conditions. Although local businesses are functioning normally, measures enforced by the COVID-19 situation and the annual flooding season, have negatively affected the inflow of essential goods and services into the subregion.

Therefore, it is up to the leaders to priori-

tize the continued implementation of systems to prevent the transmission of the virus, while regulating the flow of goods and services. Although the situation is quite new, it must be adapted in the fight against the pandemic that has been affecting all. Kudos to the Toshaos in the Rupununi for doing a good job thus far during this crucial time, in the attempt to keep the villages safe despite the other challenges.

Yours faithfully, Timothy Williams

their faith in their daily course of life. It is wonderful to see.

We know that not everyone has fully grasped the gravity of the threat of COVID-19 and not complied fully with the sacrifice that we are all called to make in order to protect each other.

Let us continue to reach out to that part of the body and draw them into the mainstream of life and love.

There are reports that within some of our homes where relationships have been strained, more so with the lockdown and stay home requirements and where children are at home from school, that there are instances of violent behaviour. This is a very troubling reality for us and leaves terrible wounds and scars on the body of God’s people. At present and in the aftermath of COVID-19 an all out and concerted effort needs to be sustained to ensure that the fullest respect is shown to all by all in an effort to remove this scourge of violence, in all its forms, from our midst altogether.

You the people, the body of this nation, have stood tall and firm through the whole period during which the nation was processing matters to do with governance and the threat of a pandemic.

What you have done gives very positive testimony of this nation. You have kept faith, sustained hope and looked out for each other in love.

From this very solid position you can now turn to that part of the body, the leadership duly elected, made up of government and opposition, with legitimate expectations to have them honor your vote and act in diligent service and oversight of all matters pertaining to your well-being. You, the people of this nation, and how you have shown yourselves, are gifts in the hands of those elected to govern.

We pray that the whole body will forge a way forward, coming together as a whole One People, One Nation One Destiny - marked with the enduring gifts of faith, hope and love.

Francis Alleyne OSB Bishop of Georgetown

Crises have profound human and economic costs. Prolonged unemployment harms not only workers’ job prospects and lifetime earnings but also the health and well-being of them and their families. Poor, low-income, and low-skilled workers are the most vulnerable to these adverse effects. Moreover, long unemployment spells and diminished demand for goods and services in a crisis erode job skills among unemployed workers and reduce business investment, which can depress the economy’s productive capacity long past the end of the crisis.

What is worse is with each passing day, the financial hardship is painfully creeping up the income ladder to those families who ordinarily would be considered safe. Put differently, no one is protected from this crisis if it continues unabated or at the least without a timely and sizeable fiscal response from the government. How the government responds to this crisis, however, is equally important to the response itself. In economic crises that originate primarily from market forces, the fiscal intervention most often sought is a fiscal stimulus to boost economic activities.

In this instance, however, a non-traditional approach to fiscal stimulus is warranted since the underlying cause of the worsening of the crisis is the COVID-19 pandemic and not market forces. In this regard, the lessons of history are that fiscal stimulus is most effective if: 1) it is implemented as early as possible in a recession; 2) it is directed to individuals and entities who will spend any additional resources they receive quickly (poor and lowincome families and small businesses); 3) it errs on the side of being larger than ultimately necessary rather than smaller, and 4) its size and duration respond to changing circumstances.

It is worth expanding on the point that a fiscal stimulus is most effective if it errs on the side of being larger than ultimately necessary rather than smaller. The argument here is that the size of the stimulus should be larger than anticipated instead of smaller. Further, it should not be unnecessarily constrained by the current level of public debts since the social and economic consequences of an ineffective stimulus would be far worse than the increase in the debt level necessary to finance the stimulus. This is important considering that the state of the public treasury that the new government will assume will leave it with no other choice than to rely largely on new debts to finance the stimulus needed.

The main legislative mechanism to operationalize such a fiscal stimulus is the annual appropriations act, commonly referred to as the national budget.

Without a parliament, there is no budget and therefore the most effective policy tool to respond to this crisis is not available to the government.

This further emphasizes the importance and urgency of bringing the 2020 elections to an end and for speedy installation of the new administration.

As the new administration position itself to activate parliament, contemplating a fiscal stimulus that puts income in the hands of families and businesses would be key to surviving the crisis, shorten its impact, restore economic confidence, and ultimately allow for adaptation to the new social and economic realities. In the meantime, developing a strategy to identify families and businesses that are most affected and desperately in need of financial support would be key to the success of the stimulus.

Dhanraj Singh Economist and Executive Director Guyana Budget Policy Institute

Monday June 22, 2020

PAGE 7

Kaieteur News

Gov’t to pay $52M in rental contract agreement from April to June to lease Ocean View Hotel The APNU+AFC de facto government will have to fork out $52M in taxpayer’s dollars to lease the old Ocean View International Hotel, currently being converted into a state-of-the -art hospital for the incubation, isolation and quarantine of persons infected with the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Kaieteur News is in receipt of the Lease Agreement between the Receiver of the Establishment, Courtney Perry and the Government of Guyana represented by the Public Health Ministry, spelling out the terms where the total sum of $13M has to be paid on the 1st of every month.

“On the signing of this Lease, the Lessee [Government] shall pay (three) 3 months Lease which is $39,000,000.00 (Thirty-nine million Guyana dollars) plus $13,000,000.00 (thirteen million Guyana dollars) as damage deposit,” the agreement stated.

That means that the Government will produce a $52M deposit just to secure the deal entered into on April 1, 2020. That brings the total to $91M. Kaieteur News understands that while the agreement has been drafted, it has not been signed nor has the sum been paid.

That figure, is in addition to in excess of US$5 million (G$1B) to “retrofit” or furnish the old Hotel, sitting more than five acres of land at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara (ECD) with the necessary equipment to transform it into a COVID-19 facility.

It should be noted that the incumbent government under ‘The Acquisition of Lands for Public Purpose Act’ signed an order to take full ownership of the Ocean View Hotel.

That order, signed by State Minister Dawn Hastings Williams was signed on April 29.

After head of the COVID-19 Task Force

(NCTF), Moses Nagamootoo announced that government would be converting the old Ocean View Hotel into a COVID-19 facility; questions emerged over why that particular building was chosen as opposed to a ready facility, already housing the amenities to tackle the virus.

In recent years, spring tides have been wreaking havoc on the facility from the overtopping.

Due to the hotel’s close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, back in 2013, the facility took a hit after high tides resulted in significant damage amounting to millions. For that reason, the hotel was shut down.

According to the NCTF Head, they acted on a suggestion for a specialty health facility after taking into consideration that the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) projects that by early May, Guyana will be dealing with 20,000 cases of COVID-19.

Due to the pressing nature of the Coronavirus, the Public Health Ministry scrambled to locate facilities and it was for this reason, that the Ocean View Hotel was earmarked.

The Permanent Secretary of the Public Health Ministry told Kaieteur News that the owners of the old hotel responded immediately to their request.

She did not reveal the cost to ‘retrofit’ the building – that figure came days later from Finance Minister Winston Jordon. He revealed that it would cost $1B to equip the facility, with that figure excluding the possible purchase price.

He could not say, however, how the project would be funded and up to press time, this fact is still unknown.

Construction worker, businessman robbed after leaving same bank Police are trying to determine whether a specific gang is targeting individuals carrying out transactions at commercial banks.

This suspicion comes after a businessman and a construction worker were robbed following transactions at the same bank.

Two days ago, a 43-yearold construction worker was robbed at gunpoint of GYD$300,000 and two Galaxy Samsung cell phones. The attack occurred at around 12:45Hrs in front of the victim’s Farm, East Bank Demerara home.

Police said that the construction worker had returned from the Demerara Bank’s Diamond East Bank Demerara branch and parked in front of his house.

As he was exiting his vehicle a heavily tinted grey car with a HD number plate pulled up beside him. Three masked men with guns exited.

One of them relieved the construction worker of his cell phones and $100,000, while another entered his car and removed $200,000 from the glove compartment.

The robbers then sped off.

After a report was lodged with the police and a photograph posted of the perpetrator ’s car, a

Suspected serial robber’s car caught in video footage. businessman alleged that bandits using the same car had robbed him.

The businessman claimed that he had visited the Demerara Bank to transact business. He then drove down to Sheriff Street to purchase a meal.

As he sat in his car with his meal another car drove up. He alleged that a man with a gun emerged ordered him to step out of his vehicle.

The bandit relieved the businessman of $650,000 before escaping with an accomplice.

Works ongoing at the Ocean View Hotel. (File photo)

PAGE 8

Monday June 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

State media places ruling party’s views over public interest – EU Observers

By Kemol King The Electoral Observer Mission of the European Union, in its final report, has found that state media entities are unduly subjected to so much political influence that the ruling party’s views trump the public interest.

“State-owned media which include one TV channel, eleven radio stations, and a daily newspaper historically reflect the views of the ruling party, rather than serving the public interest,” the report states.

This forms part of several findings in the report, compiled using information the mission gathered during its observation of Guyana’s 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The Mission’s findings stand in contrast with a statement made by President David Granger, who had said in 2016 that the Government of Guyana would not undermine the professionalism of state media workers.

In response to concerns that the Government may have been interfering with the work of state media, the President had stated “The Government of Guyana is

Front page of Guyana Chronicle headlined ‘Here’s the proof’ (May 22, 2020) committed to the promotion of a high degree of media professionalism.

The administration will not undermine the professionalism of state media workers by

subjecting them to political direction or interference in their work.”

Granger had made this statement in an address during a workshop for

journalists at Regency Suites Hotel on April 29, 2016. While the EU Mission made pronouncements on public and private media, it pointed to the need for state media, funded by taxpayer dollars, to be a “genuine public service broadcaster”.

The Mission’s information demonstrates that this is not the case.

“The state-owned broadcast media,” the EU Mission stated, “showed an overt bias in favour of the government and ruling coalition. Namely, the stateowned TV Channel 11 devoted a total of 60 per cent of its news coverage to the government and the president, and 25 per cent to APNU+AFC. In addition, clearly misusing state resources, the Department of Public Information (DPI), a governmental agency, was extensively used to promote the ruling coalition’s campaign activities. The state-owned newspaper, Guyana Chronicle, devoted 83 per cent of its news coverage to the incumbent president, government and ruling coalition and at the same time offered considerable space to letters from readers critical towards PPP/C.” The Mission’s findings appear to align with a finding of the United States Department of Justice in its ‘Guyana 2019 Human Rights Report’. The US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour considered it to be a form of “Censorship and Content Restrictions’ that “A 2015 directive from the prime minister determines that all headlines in state-owned print media be approved by the Office of the Prime Minister before publication.”

UNEQUAL COVERAGE BY NCN Notable in the case of the National Communications Network (NCN) is the fact that the state broadcaster’s

Facebook live coverage of the campaign launches of the two major parties was unequal. Kaieteur News reported in January that NCN live streamed more than an hour of the Coalition’s campaign launch, which took place D’Urban Park.

However, when the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/ C) launched its campaign, NCN only awarded a minute and a half of their Facebook live stream. Kaieteur News had reached out to the Chairman of NCN, Enrico Woolford, who said that the broadcaster is responsible for its radio and television frequencies – and not a telecommunication platform like a Facebook live stream.

Woolford had pointed to the Broadcasting Act of Guyana, explaining that he is concerned about whether NCN’s broadcasts are

President David Granger particularly the Department of Public Information (DPI) and Guyana Chronicle have been used to exemplify the views and claims of the governing coalition, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change. In some cases, this has amounted to misinformation and false reports. Here are two examples.

DPI On May 22, 2020, DPI published an article titled

“The Government of Guyana is committed to the promotion of a high degree of media professionalism. The administration will not undermine the professionalism of state media workers by subjecting them to political direction or interference in their work.” – President of Guyana, David Granger (GPA Workshop at Regency Suites Hotel – April 29, 2016) balanced on the frequencies allocated to NCN. In addition, he said that since the Parliament had already been dissolved at the time, that “one has to consider whether it is still as newsworthy as it ought to be, because [the PPP/C as Opposition] derive their power from there.”

EXAMPLES OF POLITICAL MISINFORMATION IN STATE MEDIA During this election season, state media,

‘Unstamped ballots evidence of electoral fraud– Aubrey Norton’. In this report, the publication carried a statement, made by PNCR executive, Aubrey Norton, who had claimed that “We are seeing that wherever there is intermixing with the joint services votes, large amounts of ballots have not been stamped.”

This report was part of misinformation from the coalition, in which it claimed Continued on page 18

Department of Public Information article titled ‘Unstamped ballots evidence of electoral fraud – Aubrey Norton’ (May 23, 2020)

Monday June 22, 2020

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

Europe is leading the way America is the world’s richest and most powerful nation. It has economic might backed by the world’s most powerful military. But for some time now, America’s invincibility, indeed American ‘exceptionalism’ has been threatened.

In the field of innovation, America is rated ninth behind Germany, South Korea, Singapore and Switzerland.

This is according to the Bloomberg Index.

Russia has also surpassed America in the development of military technology. America still has the strongest military in the world but it is losing ground.

When it comes to science, Britain is now pushing its head in front of the pack. That country is a leading contender to develop a coronavirus vaccine before the Americans. They hope to do so by September while the Americans are still projecting that their vaccine will not be ready until the end of the year.

The Americans are being left behind. The European Union in the meantime already has an order for 300 million vaccines. China is now in the second phase of tests for a vaccine and it too may be able

to bring out a vaccine before the American pharmaceutical giants.

United Kingdom has announced a major breakthrough in the treatment of seriously-ill patients. A cheap drug called dexamethasone has been found to reduce deaths in critically ill patients.

The drug was found to reduce the death rate of those on ventilators as much as 30% and by 20% for those on oxygen. It has not been found to have any effect on non-critical cases. South Africa has already approved the use of this drug for the treatment of patients.

Americans had ramped up the use of a drug called remdesivir after it was found to increase the recovery time of persons infected with COVID-19. The breakthrough with dexamethasone has become the most exciting development, even though pharmaceutical companies have been increasing their production of remdesivir. India is reporting the production of a generic version already.

Europe has sprung ahead of the pack in terms of the development of treatments for the coronavirus. There is more than a good chance that

it is to Europe to which countries like Guyana will have to look towards to help it to get treatments, including a vaccine for the coronavirus.

Europe is also winning the war in controlling the spread of the coronavirus.

New cases and new deaths are coming down while in America the number of new cases have skyrocketed over the weekend. America had 33,000 new infections on Saturday. This is highest one day increase in weeks.

The World Health Organization has sounded a warning about the increases in coronavirus cases. The organization announced that 183,000 infections occurred last Saturday, the highest one day increase. Brazil accounted for 54,000 of those new cases and second was the United States.

It was earlier projected that some 140,000 persons were going to die in the US during this first wave of the coronavirus. With the recent spike in infections, there are models which are now projecting as much as 200,000.

With more anti-racism protests planned for the United States this week, the situation can get worse. A

Dem boys seh ...

Belly wuk passing pun empty stomach De guvment announce a six-stage reopening of de country. Phase One 1 nah much different though from the partial lockdown. De opening up bin start even before de guvment announce it. People bin seh dat dem can’t band dem belly no mo. Dem bin getting belly wuk pun empty stomach. And dem decide dem gat fuh find lil wuk fuh put food pun de table.

Things tough out deh.

Money nah circulating.

Business slow and wuk hard to find. Some people struggling fuh eat. But like de guvment nah understand dat. Dem boys wan know in

which country de guvment living.

Like dem ain’t know that dem gat people who walking around begging fuh wuk because dem gat picknee fuh feed.

De lockdown coming to an end soon and still de guvment nah seh nuttin’ about de relief packages to de most needy. Like was sheer bassa- bassa bin tekking place. De guvment bin ask people fuh apply fuh lil help biut dem boys nah hearing about no distribution. But people spending money fuh hire expensive lawyer fuh fight case.

Dem also busy preparing

fuh share out land while de poor people still waiting fuh a food hamper.

Dem boys wan know wah de COVID-19 Secretariat bin doing all these weeks. People still claiming dem nah get no hamper yet.

Is a shame dat de guvment allow some of dem social organization fuh outshine dem. Some cricket club sharing out hamper.

Bryan Max cooking food and distributing. Nuff ah dem religious organizations trying fuh help. But like de guvment either bruk or dem folding dem hand. Talk half and wait fuh see who gan clap dem hand today!

spike from these protests is expected from this week onwards and show the dangers of large public gatherings.

Florida is now emerging as a hotspot. Incidentally, a number of Guyanese are now being repatriated through Miami which is located in the state of Florida. On Saturday, Florida had just over 4,000 new infections, second only to California.

Guyana has to be mindful of what the recent developments indicate. Parts of the United States were opened

slowly. Yet no sooner, there was a spike in cases because of the fact that the virus is highly contagious Guyana therefore has to be careful about opening its borders too soon to allow flights from the United States.

The government has an obligation to bring home its nationals but not necessarily to bring in visitors too soon from the epicenter of the global pandemic.

The coronavirus epidemic in the United States still remains unstable even though

some of the deaths in New York and New Jersey are falling. The worst is not yet over and a second wave can be devastating to both America’s health and its reputation.

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

PAGE 10

Monday June 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

DO YOU KNOW WHAT MY WIFE TOLD ME ABOUT JOYCE SINCLAIR? My wife, Janet is the opposite of me in certain spheres. She does not like politics at all. She eschews discussions about society and sociology. We have been married for 41 years now, and many decades ago this is what she said to me about Joyce Sinclair.

We were talking about Ms. Sinclair because my wife is an intense admirer of this fantastic Guyanese woman who just died. During the conversation here is what she said: “Frederick, if there is anyone I would like to be like, it is Joyce Sinclair.” I would never forget those words because it wasn’t like her to

say things like that.

Ms. Sinclair taught my wife at the then all-girls school – The Bishop’s High School. She later attended lessons at Ms. Sinclair ’s home. About 20 years after she got to know Ms. Sinclair in another way – through meeting her when I would speak to her in the supermarket or on the roadways.

Guyana has lost one of the most principled, moral, likeable, urbane humans this country ever produced. It will break my wife’s heart if because of COVID-19 restrictions she would not be able to attend the service. I

hope there are arrangements in place for people to attend.

Here is a story about Ms. Sinclair that I never wrote about because she would not have wanted it. I never thought of doing it either because she would have been pushed into people’s eyes because of my radical political activism.

As someone who grew up in abject poverty, I know education is the only survival mechanism. I digested five GCE subjects and never looked back ending up in the doctoral programme of one of the best universities in the world. So I have dedicated my life to

CDC provides relief to flood-hit Coomacka residents

seeing people get an education.

There was this person who was naturally talented and would make a great lawyer. They acquired three A level GCEs and gained entry into UG to do the first part of the law degree. But the UWI law programme in Trinidad was impossible to fund.

At the time I was a UG lecturer known nationally for my anti- government politics and anti-government newspaper columns. I have long decided that “nothing ventured, nothing gained”, so I went to see the secretary of Ms. Sinclair. She, at the time, was Permanent Secretary of the Public Service in the Desmond Hoyte Government.

I remember that day vividly. It is in my mind as I write. The secretary enquired if I had an appointment. I didn’t. She was not inclined to facilitate me. I told her it was urgent and personal but she was unmoved.

So I tried another angle. I implored that she just knock on the door and ask Ms. Sinclair if she would like to

see Freddie Kissoon who is outside.

It worked. I was greeted with a smile. Then I put my foot in my mouth as I have done my entire life. I told her I was grateful that she saw me because I was in some mental discomfort in coming since I was fearful she would not see me because of who I was. This is what Ms. Sinclair told me – “I don’t care about people’s race and their politics; I am a professional woman, what is it you want to see me about?”

I described the economic circumstances of the person and said only a government scholarship to the Huge Wooding Law School would save this person. I asked if this helpless but yet talented student could be assisted.

She told me she would only recommend the scholarship if the grades were high.

Since I praised the person, she expected it to be so. Ms. Sinclair kept her word and that law student went from one cloud to the other and never looked back as I once did.

The last time I saw Ms. Sinclair was at Bakewell on Albert Street. I insisted I pay for her pastries. She smiled.

Frederick Kissoon She carried that permanent smile with her. It would just naturally come with every human she met and chatted with. Ms. Sinclair did not leave any children for Guyana to embrace and that is a loss for this sad, tragic country that cries out for people like her.

How does one portray this excellent human that Guyana was blessed to have?

She was not a person to be in the limelight. If asked why she would not want to feature prominently in society, I could anticipate her answer “I just want to do my little bit quietly”. Guyana has lost one of its most multi-racial, decent, priceless gems that we may not have in a long time.

Thanks for letting me know you, Ms. Sinclair.

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

In wake of COVID-19 pandemic…

Child Care & Protection Agency records spike in cases of children in ‘difficult circumstances’ CDC Director-General, Lt Col. Kester Craig hands over hampers to Byron Kendall District Community Development Officer, Region 10.

The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) was commended for its timely response to the floodaffected community of Coomacka, Upper DemeraraUpper Berbice (Region 10), on Saturday.

Byron Kendall, District Community Development Officer, Region 10, told DPI that this is an issue the community faces annually during the rainy season.

“We must say special thanks to the CDC for responding so quickly to this immediate emergency. This distribution will be of great assistance to those affected in the community,” Kendall noted.

On Friday, yards and homes were inundated with water after heavy rainfall would have caused the Demerara River overtopped and flooded homes.

CDC Director-General, Lt Col. Kester Craig disclosed that Coomacka is one of the flood-prone areas which is

constantly monitored. He explained that the commission was made aware of the situation through its National Emergency Monitoring System.

“We allowed the community to respond through their disaster mechanism and also the region so today it’s a culmination of community level, regional level and national level response,” Lt Col. Craig stated.CDC Director General Lt. Col. Kester Craig hands over hampers to Byron Kendall, District Community Development Officer, Region 1.

The CDC donated a number of hampers containing cleaning and sanitation items which will assist affected residents in cleaning their homes and surroundings.

Because Coomacka is flood-prone, a previously detailed drone assessment was done to pinpoint the source of the soil erosion and

how it affects the Demerara River.

According to Lt. Col., Craig funding was provided to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority who desilted sections of the river.

The NDIA also built mounds to reduce the impact of the erosion.

These measures will be assessed over the next few weeks to ascertain whether it has had an impact in reducing the floods. This, the CDC head stated will shape the next steps going forward.

The Civil Defence Commission continues to monitor the situation along the coast and in the Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo region (Region 9). Residents in flood-prone communities are urged to take all the necessary precautions.

To report flooding, contact the CDC’s 24 hours National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS) on 623.1700, 600.7500, 226.1114. (DPI)

Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CCPA), Ann Green says that the Agency has recorded an increase in reports regarding children in “difficult situations.”

She has indicated that the current pandemic, that has put a strain on some families, and the closure of schools are causing this increase.

“The phones have been ringing off the hook, we are getting so many reports of children in difficult situations, some in need of food, some in bad living conditions, some are being abused,” Green said.

“I do not want to give you a figure for abused cases because we need to properly analyse our data. There is an increase in reports but the information received is general, persons have been using our hotlines to call and report that they do not have food to feed their children, etc, and we are helping but in terms of abused cases I cannot give you a direct figure right now.”

Green went on to say that “at this point our entire system is not in operation

Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA), Ann Green because most of our abuse cases come through the schools and with schools being closed we are not getting reports through that avenue. Also, we must remember that a lot of children are abused in their homes so they may be with their abusers due to the Covid-19 situation.”

The Director further noted that the covid-19 pandemic has created a “frustrating and stressful”

situation because children that are being moved from their homes have to undergo the covid-19 measures and procedures before they can be relocated or placed elsewhere.

“Only last week we removed six children and this week we removed more than six again … but we have to put these children in quarantine before we can put them into homes,” she said.

There has also been an increase in domestic violence cases world-wide in the wake of the pandemic. Coordinator of the Men’s Health Unit within the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Dennis Bassier had suggested that one of the main factors for this was the “amount of time that couples are now spending with each other due to the Covid-19 lockdown situation.”

He added that many individuals are facing financial strain, frustration, and pressure from being with their children and even each other on a 24 hour basis.

He had recommended couple and family therapy as a means of coping.

Monday June 22, 2020

PAGE 15

Kaieteur News

GUYANESE HORROR FICTION KAMARANG…

Dancing with the dead

By Michael Jordan Lionel Jones was dancing with a bloody, stiff, and longdead Loretta Hamilton, when his wife shook him. He woke to see her staring at him, her hand still on his shoulder.

“You alright?”

Stiff arms around him…

“You okay?” she asked again.

He blinked the image away…

“Yes,” he croaked.

“You were groaning.”

“I’m alright.”

He was glad the light was off, so she couldn’t see the fear, and the naked guilt, that he felt were printed on his face.

She looked at him a moment, then turned and went back to sleep.

He stared at the top of the mosquito net, then turned to look at the radio-clock. Threefifteen.

He had a meeting at ten…lodge gathering at five.

He should sleep…

Instead, he clambered over his wife, went outside.

Passing his son’s room, the need to go in, to see if as alright, seized him.

Relax, man…. It was just a dream…

Nevertheless, he pushed the door open. Michael lay fast asleep under his mosquito net. Shirtless and only in underwear. As he watched, Michael muttered something, then turned on his side and was still.

Now Lionel Jones seemed to detect a faint, feminine odour.

Suddenly embarrassed, he retreated, pulling the door behind him.

The faint scent, real or imagined, seemed to follow him.

Loretta Hamilton’s smell…

Stop this nonsense, chap.

He pondered going back to bed, but headed down the inner stairs that led to the bottom flat. The linoleum was cool beneath his feet. The glass door to the patio was covered with mist, a deceptive prelude to another miserably hot day. Outside, he could hear the grating cry of one of the black, long-billed birds that came from the South Ruimveldt cane-fields, to forage in the Tucville trenches.

He went to the toilet, relieved himself, rinsed his mouth at the bathroom sink, then sat in one of the chairs near the patio.

Where the heck had that dream come from?

He would have been around twenty-five back then. That would make it… eighteen years, and he still remembered the smell of her;

the way she kissed him.

“Loretta Hamilton…” He murmured the name guiltily, thinking of his wife upstairs.

He really ought to go back to bed, but the memories of the woman he had killed kept him there.

Loretta Hamilton … a name that sounded like a movie star’s. There was an air of maturity about her, even at thirteen, when her breasts hadn’t quite filled out… hair pressed…wearing perfume.

If I had only listened to Mother back then…

Her parents had a house in the street facing his home at Vergenoegen, where he lived with his father and four brothers. Her father was a

brown hair, which she boasted came from some Scottish ancestor.

She constantly warned her boys about Loretta Hamilton.

“Keep away from that Hamilton girl, she is trouble!” she would say.

He wasn’t that interested in girls back then. He was just an eleven-year-old boy… fishing, going to school…pitching marbles in the yard…

And then Father had dropped dead from a heart attack in his tool shed.

Suddenly, all the little luxuries he had taken for granted were gone. They couldn’t afford clothes for

She found Loretta Hamilton on the bed, her belly sliced open. Hector Levans had scooped out the tiny, three-month-old foetus and placed it on her chest, in a mocking semblance of a mother cradling her child. Levans, dressed in bloodsmeared suit, dangled from a rope he’d tied to a rafter just above the bed. seaman, his was the village carpenter. Dad…even now, the smell of sawdust got to him…

His mother, Katharina Jones, was a stern, churchgoing housewife, who, her sons joked behind her back, feared only God and stray dogs; and who had such a strange dread of lightning that she covered every mirror in the house at the mere hint of a thunderstorm.

Loretta’s mother was the seamstress and hairdresser. It seemed that women were always going to or leaving her home. Not Katharina Jones, though, with her reddish-

school. He had one school shirt… ‘one-shirt-Lionel’, some had teased him.

At twelve, Mother had taken him out of school, so he could work as a post-boy to bring in extra money.

He was seventeen, but that didn’t mean that he was a man, and could stroll down the road courting a ‘common’ little thing like Loretta.

He’d just come from the post office, and there was Loretta Hamilton, heading down the street, head up, with that pouting half-smile that seemed to say: look at me, I am sooo glamourous. And he, a working man, with his wages in his pocket,

dismounted the Big Ben bike the post master had loaned him, and he was walking with Loretta Hamilton!

That was when someone had slapped him so hard, he had literally seen stars. When his head cleared, he saw his mother, Katharina Jones, her lips pressed together, glaring at him.

“You are no big man, Lionel Jones!” she had said.

All he could have done was to slink off home.

It had seemed that the entire village knew of that episode. His brothers teased him that people all the way to Bartica had heard that thump.

He wondered if Mother would have reacted that way if he had been walking with one of the light-skinned Da Silva girls. But Loretta was too dark….Just as his wife was dark.

She was from Bartica; this girl with the prettiest, oriental-looking eyes that he had ever seen. She was training to be a teacher.

Knowing that he wanted to marry her, he had pushed himself, calculating that she would be earning more than he, a mere postman. He had returned to school, taken correspondence courses, and become a postal clerk.

And then I really messed things up…

It was after their second son was born, that trouble found him.

By then he was living in Suddie, Essequibo. He had returned to Vergenoegen to look over the house and pay the rates. He had felt depressed, because the old house was collapsing and empty, the red water-tank now rusted, Mother now ailing and in a home for the elderly. He was standing and staring at the house, with a tightness in his throat, when someone called out to him.

It was Loretta. He had not seen her in years. He watched her look at him in open admiration, and he knew she was remembering the skinny boy who only had one school shirt, and comparing that memory with this new Lionel Jones, with the wide shoulders and the big forearms.

She invited him to her home for a drink; not to the family house, but to a house closer to the main road…

I shouldn’t have gone. I should not have gone…

She told him she was now Loretta Levans, married to a surveyor, Hector Levans.

That surprised him. The Hector Levans he had known back then didn’t dance, wasn’t flashy…had a foul temper when he drank…some even said a strain of insanity ran in the

Cover design and illustrations by Harold Bascom family, but he knew that was probably just malicious gossip. He saw a little scar on her forehead that he knew had not been there when she was a teen. And what was she still doing in Vergenoegen?

He had always thought that she would have migrated to England…maybe even America.

He told her he had two sons, and a look of sadness came into her eyes. She told him she had no children…not yet, she added hastily.

She’d always had an air of confidence that seemed to say that the world only owed her good things. Now, he sensed an uncertainty in her.

But as they sat, some of that lightness returned, and the sun was going down, and he was reluctant to leave, and she laughed at a joke he had made and touched him…just touched him by the wrist, those long, elegant fingers clasping him lightly, and some pent-up emotion in that touch made him feel more drunk than the wine had made him…

Maybe everything would have been alright, if one person hadn’t seen him leave.

That person was Winslow Oudkerk, a small, sly, limping bushman with a malicious tongue. Something about him—maybe his large head and hunched shoulders and spindly arms—had always reminded Lionel of drawings of Brer Anansi.

“Eh eh, you visiting, Lionel Jones,” Oudkerk said, looking at him, then at Loretta, who had stopped short at the top of the stairs.

Then Oudkerk smiled the way Brer Anansi must have smiled, after outsmarting his family to claim the largest share of plantains; the guilt

on their faces, Lionel sensed, telling him all he needed to know…

Her smell lingered in his head for days. He was amazed that his wife hadn’t smelt it on him. Lingering with him, too, was a heaviness of spirit, a sense, which he could not shake, that something terrible would come of this tryst.

Four months later, Loretta Hamilton was dead.

One of the versions that he heard was that her husband, Hector Levans, was in Bartica having a drink with some friends, including Winslow Oudkerk. The drinks were on Levans, who was going home in a few days and was finally going to be a father.

And as the liquor flowed, the teasing had started among them; rough, bushman teasing. Hector had said something to Oudkerk, and Oudkerk had said, chuckling knowingly, “Boy, you is the first surveyor I know that can’t calculate. How come you only went home to yuh woman a month ago, and she got done got a three-month belly?” And he had looked at Hector in a way that seemed to say that he was sharing a nasty little secret with the surveyor.

The laughter had dried up at the table. Hector had given Oudkerk a long stare, then stormed off.

That very day, the postman at Vergenoegen delivered a telegram to Loretta Hamilton’s house.

Hector had sent it. He was coming home. She must meet him at a guest house in Georgetown.

She booked a room.

Two days later, one of the maids realised that the couple Continued on page 16

PAGE 16

Monday June 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

Teen fished out of Berbice River...

Boyfriend tells cops he struck lover with paddle after she danced with another man SERVICES

WANTED

Visa Forms Preparer.

Tel#626-7040, Publish your Death Annoucements & In Memoriams online. Email: dthmemo@gmail.com

1 Diesel Mechanic to work in the interior, interested persons. Tel#625-5136 MonFri 8am-4pm

ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included.

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620

Typist,Written application due 1st July,2020 Cameron & Shepherd 2 Avenue of the Republic.Email: Csmain @cameronandshepherd.com Wanted: Land to Buy:Parfaite Harmoni, Tuschen , Providence, Herstelling, Farm and Uitvlugt. Call# 699-3357.

Installation, Repairs and parts for AC,Fridge, Washing machine, Stove etc.Call Nick#630-1600,627-3206

Incensed that his girlfriend Melissa Soman had danced with another man, a 22-year-old farmer clubbed her with a paddle near the Berbice River, where she jumped overboard and failed to resurface.

Police reportedly received this confession yesterday from the suspect, who took them back to the area where he had killed the 17-year-old, whom he had known a mere four months ago.

The suspect was arrested last Saturday after Melissa Soman’s body was fished out of the Berbice River.

Soman, who had been missing since last Wednesday, is survived by a twoyear-old son.

According to individuals close to the investigation, the 22-year-old suspect alleged that he had attended a birthday party last Wednesday at

Domestic. Contact # 2235273/223-5274 or rtilak@ adamantiumholdings.com

Affordable construction and renovation services .Telephone#603-5124.

Sales Representative. Contact # 223-5273/223-5274 or rtilak@ adamantiumholdings.com

VACANCY

Cook/Baker for interior location, applicants must be experienced with verfiable references. Call: 618-2020

FOR RENT 1 bedroom apartment for working couple/single person $32,000 & $35,000 monthly, light & water included,2 months security.Tel#6230076.

Excavator Operators, Cooks, Miners, GM. Contact#600- PLANNING AN EVENT? TAXI SERVICE BIRTHDAY PARTY, 2455 GR TAXI SERVICE.24 HRS One sales clerk to work in G R A D U A T I O N , W E D D I N G S , CALL: 219-5000; 227- Party store.Tel#691-7123.

ANNIVERSARY, ETC. 2100,225-7878 or 227-1982 CALL DIAMOND TENTS: Diesel Mechanic.Contact:223- 216-1043; 677-6620 5273/223-5274.

Business/Office: South Road, Welder.Contact:223-5273/223- Hadfield Street, Saffon St Residence: Diamond & Pearl 5274.

East Bank. Contact Ray’s Cook.Contact:223-5273/223- Realty #627-9685 5274.

(1)Two bedroom apartment for CAR RENTAL Rent Durban Street $60,000 PROGRESSIVE CAR per month.Tel#666-9494.

RENTAL: CARS & SUV’S CALL:656-0087/6435 1 2 2 , E MAIL:PROAUTORENTAL @YAHOO.COM HEALTH

LAND FOR SALE Parfaite Harmonie main road corn lot $3.2M , 1.6M, Herstelling $4.3M, Schoonard main road $4.5M.Call#6662326.

Gaettroy Village, Berbice River, and had seen Soman gyrating on a boat owner (who is also in custody).

He began to beat Soman

The handcuffed suspect at the scene and the boatman attempted to rescue the teen.

The boyfriend alleged that he then grabbed a paddle and repeatedly struck Soman

and the boat owner.

Both victims reportedly jumped overboard to escape the assault, but Soman never (Continued on page 18)

Dancing with the dead

Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezer-Call: 610-5846 or 661-8158

Herbal Remedies- Diabetes, Hypertension, Hyplori, Gall & Kidney Stones, Respitory illness, PCOS etc. Contact Sparman# 676-5924

Melissa Soman

VEHICLE FOR SALE Volkswagon Jetta PYY Model.Tel#689-0999.

1 Suzuki Escudo.Excellent condition, Low Mileage (50,000Km).$3.4M Neg.Call #649-0956.

One Toyota super custom Mini bus BTT Series fully loaded.Price:2.5M Neg. Tel#627-1216,698-1216.

FOR SALE 1 Toyota Pitbull (15 Seat) bus @$2.4M neg..Also best quality on all windows and wooden/steel doors.Contact: 654-3736/276-1463.

PEN PAL Male seeks female (18-35) to live with or marry. Call: 6430067

From page 15 in room thirty-four hadn’t booked out. When no one answered, she used the spare key to enter.

She found Loretta Hamilton on the bed, her belly sliced open. Hector Levans had scooped out the tiny, three-month-old foetus and placed it on her chest, in a mocking semblance of a mother cradling her child.

Levans, dressed in bloodsmeared suit, dangled from a rope he’d tied to a rafter just above the bed. They found a note in one of his pockets. He was leaving everything he owned to his mother. He wanted music from Eddie Hooper’s new album at his wake and funeral.

Lionel Jones was at his desk at the Suddie Post Office when he got the news. He got up, went to the toilet, and wept.

For a week, he tried to put it behind him. But he couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t study. In the end, he confided in Jasper, his eldest brother.

Jasper looked at him in a way that said: So, it was you, little brother….

“Let it lie,” he eventually said. “What good it would do for you to tell Laura?”

But I didn’t have to tell Laura. Somehow she sensed…somehow she knew.

Maybe she just remembered that I had gone to Vergenoegen and knew…maybe it was that intuition she has, like her grandmother…

She had been rather quiet that night, and when she woke the next morning, before they came out of bed she said: “It

was you who was with Loretta Hamilton.”

It was so unexpected, said with such certainty, and she was looking at him; looking into him, it seemed, with those slanting eyes, that all he could do was stare back and say nothing.

Then he tried to explain, but it was all coming out wrong. He went to work without breakfast, and when he returned, she was gone to Bartica.

He didn’t know what Mother Hazel, God rest her soul, had told Laura, but she had returned readily to Suddie when he went after her.

Michael was born a year later.

Loretta Hamilton came to him in a dream that night.

She stood by Michael’s crib, her stomach a gaping, flapping, empty red. She held out a bloody thing, severed head in one hand, the rest of its unformed body in another.

She smiled a ghastly smile, looked at him and mouthed: Our baby.

He had looked beyond her and seen that Michael’s crib was empty.

The same dream came to him twice more.

But I put all of that behind me a long time ago. The dreams stopped. They stopped…

Until last night…

He’s in an empty dancehall, and one of the Eddie Hooper songs that they had pounded at Hector’s wake is playing, but it’s playing at a faster pace, at a higher pitch, and there is something sinister and mocking in its

tone.

He’s waltzing with this thing with vacant, yet sad and accusing eyes, her limbs rigid as boards, her empty, flapping womb pressing against him.

She leads him across the floor, to a mirror that is suddenly there, and he sees that he is no longer Lionel Jones, with the spectacles and dashiki and receding hair, but a boy with a huge afro and high-waist bell bottoms and platform shoes, and the thing that is Loretta Hamilton, and yet not Loretta, looks in the mirror and smiles sadly….

He felt the hairs on his arms prickle as he remembered.

What had brought it on?

Go to bed, Lionel…Look at you, the man who jokes with his wife about being able to sleep anywhere, because of your clear conscience.

No, he couldn’t sleep; not with the sad memories of these two women he had hurt; not with this dread in the pit of his stomach that payment for that mistake, eighteen years ago, was finally due.

(Taken from the Guyanese supernatural novel, KAMARANG by Michael Jordan. Cover design by Harold Bascom.)

Kamarang is now available at Austin’s Book Store and on Amazon (Kindle and paperback) You can also contact Michael Jordan for autographed copies on +592 645 2447, or on email a d d r e s s kamarangnight@gmail.com

Monday June 22, 2020

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

Subryanville resident wearied at City Council’s slow move to address concerns A pensioner and his wife are tired at the slow movement by the Georgetown City Council to address their concerns. Percy Casey a mechanic and his wife Joycelyn Casey of 15 Earls Avenue Subryanville, Georgetown have been involved in an ongoing dispute for five years with their neighbour, Gregory Erskine a former city engineer.

The couple has accused their Erskine of causing damage to their property, and the environment of the Earl’s Avenue neighbourhood.

Among their complaints they allege is that Erskine dismantled a wooden bridge belonging to the couple and fell some trees without permission, clogging a main drain as a result.

This clogged drain, they said, leads to flooding in the community when it rains.

The couple also accused the former city engineer of bullying his way onto their property by parking old vehicles and dumping garbage on their lawn.

Mr. and Mrs. Percy claimed that they had filed complaints with previous town councils throughout the years but got no response.

Driven by frustration, the pensioners decided to write a letter to the Minister of Communities in 2018 listing their concerns. One year passed and the couple still did not receive a response. In March of 2019, they wrote the current Mayor Ubraj Narine for an immediate intervention in the matter. Three months has passed and there is still no response from the city council.

Kaieteur News had made contact with Erskine in relation to accusations made by the pensioners. The former city engineer said that he has done nothing wrong and feels that he is the one being victimized by his neighbours.

Erskine also said that he too would welcome an intervention from the city council to end the five-year-long feud.

The Mayor was then contacted to ascertain whether or not the council would investigate the couple’s allegations. Narine had granted all assurance that the pensioners concerns would addressed. He told Kaieteur News that he had personally visited Earl’s Avenue to assess the situation.“Indeed there has been some amount of damage done to the environment and the drain which must be addressed,” said the Mayor.He told this newspaper about three weeks ago that a file was handed over to the city engineer, Colvern Venture for investigation. Venture later confirmed that the investigation was completed and recommendations were forwarded to the town clerk.

However, efforts made to contact the Town Clerk proved futile.

An official of the town council revealed that the process has been dragged on because of unforeseen circumstances. One such circumstance is the ongoing General and Regional Elections. The official detailed that Percy’s matter is not the only matter that was placed on hold and granted all assurance that as soon as things get back to normal the couple will be granted a response.

The letter that was sent to the City Mayor

Two killed, two critical in Parika smash-up The scene of the fatal accident at Golden Grove yesterday

The mangled car which slammed into the motorcyclists killing Shar Scott and Mickle Jones A teenager and his friend were killed and two others critical in a late afternoon smash-at le Destin Village, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

Dead are 19-year-old Mickle Jones a mechanic of Middle Road Pourderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD) and 21-year-old Shar Scott of Samaroo Dam Pourderoyen, WBD.The two young men met their demise at 15:00 hrs. after a car licence plate PXX 9662, collided with their motorcycles along the EBE Public Road.Scott and Jones had left their homes just before midday on their motorcycles to join a gang of riders on a trip to Bushy Park, Parika.

This newspaper understands that the riders were heading to the area to attend a Father’s Day event.

However, on their way

Fragments of the motorcycles after the Parika smash-up

Ocean View ‘Retro Fitting’ Contractors paid $650M...

Dead: Shar Scott, 21 back it was alleged that a driver lost control of his car and slammed into the boys and two others.

Scott and Jones received the full impact and died on the spot. Persons who saw what transpired immediately con-

Dead: Mickle Jones, 19 tacted police and an ambulance.When paramedics arrived the friends were pronounced dead and the two injured were rushed to hospital in critical condition.

Meanwhile, another (Continued on page 18)

From page 3 Additionally, the Memorandum stated that “Funds have been provided by the Government of Guyana for the project named at caption.” While no date was listed on the Memorandum indicating when the request was made, the approval was given on April, 16, 2020 by Chairman of NPTAB, Berkley Wickham – his signature was attached to the document.

On that document, it stated “As per the Procurement Act of 2003 Chapter 73:05, Section 11(1), details of the Contract Award should be forwarded to the National Procurement and Tender Administration immediately so as to facilitate publishing on its website www.npta.gov.gy within (5) days of the signing.” However, a quick search of the NPTAB website, under ‘Tender Awards’, turned up no results for this contract. The only recent contract for the Public Health Ministry was in 2017 for the Renewal of International Gold software Support License for Total Maintenance Association (TMA) Software Programme and Training. That contract was awarded to Delta Dymanics Ltd. for US$30,294.

Kaieteur News also received copy of the estimate provided by the Engineers for each Lot alluded to in the Memorandum. However, those figures slightly differ from the ones approved by NPTAB. In some cases, the approved bids were higher than the estimate provided while others were lower.

The table enclosed in the story gives a breakdown of how much was saved and lost. (figure 1.)Concerns have been raised about the long term justification for the use of the hotel and the arrangements that government has entered with the owners. In recent years, spring tides have been causing overtopping causing flooding to areas nearby. Due to the hotel’s close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, back in 2013, the facility took a hit after high tides resulted in significant damage amounting to millions. Government acted on a suggestion for a specialty health facility after taking into consideration that the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) projects that by early May, Guyana will be dealing with 20,000 cases of COVID-19.

PAGE 18

Monday June 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

Vendor shot in brazen robbery at La Penitence Market

The area where the shooting took place.

Bandits escaped on a motorcycle with an undisclosed sum of cash after shooting a La Penitence Market vendor at around 12.45 hrs yesterday in the vicinity of Saffon Street and Trench Road.

The victim was reportedly shot in the back and was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Eyewitnesses said the man and his sons were selling from their truck when two men rode up on a blue Jialing motorcycle.

The pillion rider disembarked, held the men at gunpoint and relieved the father of his money.

As the robbers were about to escape, the vendor and son reportedly began pelting them with plantains and oranges. The robbers responded by shooting at their victims before riding away.

Two bullets reportedly struck the father.

He was rushed to the Georgetown public hospital. Prior to that incident, two Chinese nationals were robbed in the same location by four youths on foot.

The thieves escaped with cash, vegetables and other valuables. The Chinese nationals were reportedly shopping at the time the robbery took place.

Boyfriend tells cops he struck lover...

From page 16 surfaced. The slain teen’s mother, Raquel Soman revealed that her daughter was pregnant at the time of her death.

The teen’s eldest sister said that the boyfriend appeared to be a controlling individual.

According to the sister, Melissa had confided that she wanted to break off the relationship “because she don’t know how long she gon rally out with him and his behaviour.”

Melissa was staying with her boyfriend in Gaettroy Vil-

lage, Berbice River.

Her father, Paul Soman had told this publication that his daughter had lived with them at 58 Stanleytown but then moved to the prime suspect’s home.

It was Thursday morning that someone told Mr. Soman that his daughter had ‘jumped overboard’ on Wednesday night. Her disfigured body washed up around 15:00 hrs that Thursday.

An initial report had suggested that Melissa had been on a boat with the owner. It was alleged that she was making her way out the Berbice

River to her home in Stanleytown when she jumped overboard. The owner of the vessel was arrested. He told investigators that Soman was confiding in him about her complicated relationship with her boyfriend and it was during the conversation that she plunged overboard.

He had stated that he failed to rescue her and then alerted persons from the village.

Even then, the dead teen’s father was adamant that the boyfriend had played a part in his daughter’s death.

A post mortem is scheduled for today in Georgetown.

Two killed, two critical in Parika...

From page 17 motorcyclist was killed at around 15:25 hrs in another accident at Golden Grove East Coast Demerara (ECD) Police said that the youth was speeding along the East Coast Demarara public road and reportedly slammed into a parked car.

Video footage of the accidents can be seen on the following links: https://youtu.be/NtLzfoHFfIA https://youtu.be/Zqn2qffRgO0 https://youtu.be/4OtAVhKzUGo https://youtu.be/4OtAVhKzUGo https://youtu.be/5DOwxAG2t2M

State media places ruling...

From page 8 that the disciplined services’ ballots were not stamped, and that they were c o n s e q u e n t l y disenfranchised.

In its report on a “mounting number of irregularities” as claimed by Norton, DPI stated “These include the more than 8,000 unstamped ballots of the disciplined forces.”

A simple check found these statements to be false.

Kaieteur News had managed to debunk the false statements made by Norton and propagated by DPI, on June 1 and subsequently released the report on June 2 – 11 days after Norton made the statement.

This newspaper reported GECOM’s Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward, following Norton’s claim, stating that only 1,536 ballots had been rejected as of June 1 in the National Recount. The claim was that over 8,000 disciplined services ballots were unstamped, even though all the ballot boxes were not yet opened. There was no way as of that date that it could have been known that over 8,000 disciplined services ballots were unstamped.

Even then, when the National Recount ended, GECOM’s General Election tabulation showed that only 4,211 ballots were rejected.

The unstamped total is not even that high, as ballots may be rejected for other reasons than lack of stamp.

Up to press time last night, the false claim about disciplined services ballots was still on DPI’s website.

GUYANACHRONICLE Another example of misinformation can be found on the lead story carried by Guyana Chronicle on May 23, 2020, headlined ‘Here’s the proof’.

The report, according to the state newspaper, came one day after the GECOM Chairperson, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh stated in a GECOM press release that “He who asserts, must prove.”

The Chair had said this, after the coalition accumulated a series of claims of electoral fraud.

Despite calls by members of the media for proof, coalition representatives would only say that the proof would come, eventually.

The Guyana Chronicle

lead story was about a submission made to Justice Singh, by the General Secretary of APNU, Joseph Harmon, after she asked him to provide evidence of the allegations.

The Chair’s correspondence, quoted by Guyana Chronicle, states “I wish to request for your Party to formally submit evidence in relation to the objections, particularly as they relate to deaths and migration. The submission of evidence would inform the deliberations at the level of the Commission.”

While the headline of the story would have the reader believe that ‘proof ’ was submitted, the reader would realize after reading the story, that no proof was submitted at all.

What was submitted was, in fact, only a list of names, with no evidence. Justice Singh, then, realizing that a list of names did not prove anything, subsequently wrote to Police Commissioner Leslie James, asking for the Immigration Department to assist GECOM in determining whether the claims were true.

RECOMMENDATIONS The EU Observer Mission pointed to the need for state media to be editorially independent, and said that there should be certain legal and regulatory reforms.

“The chairpersons and board members of stateowned media are directly appointed by the prime minister, who holds the portfolio of the Ministry of Information, and there is no specific legislation regulating the selection process of the board members and stateowned media funding,” it states.

To this, the Mission said that that there should be an open and competitive selection process of its board members.

It added “Introduce a legal and regulatory system that transforms the stateowned media into a genuine public service broadcaster.

In addition to the goal of

granting state media “editorial independence”, the Mission said that state media should have financial autonomy and clear separation from any government institution.

GUYANA’S MEDIA ENVIRONMENT The EU Observer Mission pronounced that voters were generally exposed to politically influenced media all around, which impaired their ability to make an informed choice on a party.

The leading paragraph states “Largely biased state media, highly partisan private media, extensive use of paid promotional content, absence of political debates, and a lack of oversight by the regulatory body negatively affected voters’ ability to make an informed choice.”

The Observer Mission illustrated, using statistics gathered by its team, how political influence affected the coverage of certain public and private media outlets.

“The media environment is highly politicized,” it states, “with very few independent media and the majority of media outlets being either directly affiliated or leaning to one of the two main political camps.”

However, it notes that Stabroek News and Kaieteur News “proved to be rather balance in their news coverage,” and that News Room Guyana proved to be a valuable live, online source of information.

Kaieteur News forwarded questions to the President’s Director of Public Information and Press Service Unit on WhatsApp late yesterday.

This newspaper sought to determine whether the President’s commitment as expressed in April 2016 had changed, and whether he considers the EU Observer Mission’s findings to be an accurate judgment of the role of the Government in the work of state media. However, up to press time, Kaieteur News did not receive a response.

ALIVE OR DEAD? From page 14 saying hello then the voice of another woman could be heard for mere seconds before the call ends.

“The landlord told me that after Shawnette left to buy meter credit she returned home but then somebody called her phone and she went out back. The phone record was checked and Fato was the last person that called her.”

“Shawnette’s disappearance has a lot of persons involved.

I want to know that my daughter is safe and that she is happy wherever she is. I want her to call me, I want to hear her voice, I miss my baby,” Murray said.

Murray mentioned that Shawnette has a daughter in Canada that constantly calls her to find out about her mother.

“When the child calls me and asks me about her mother, I always tell her that soon her mother will return. This August would make four years since Shawnette is missing and for four years I suffered and prayed to God to take care of my daughter and bring her back home to me.”

Shawnette Savory was last seen alive by her relatives on August 28, 2016 and to date her body was never found.

Monday June 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 19

PAGE 20

Kaieteur News

Monday June 22, 2020

Monday June 22, 2020

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

Lewis Hamilton: F1 champion to set up commission to increase diversity in motorsport BBC Sport - Lewis Hamilton has announced plans to set up a commission in his name to increase diversity in motorsport.

The world champion said he wants the Hamilton Commission to make “real, tangible and measurable change”.

“Despite my success in the sport, the institutional barriers that have kept F1 highly exclusive persist,” he said in a column for the Sunday Times.

“It is not enough to point to me, or to a single new black hire, as a meaningful example of progress.”

Hamilton, 35, said his commission would explore how motorsport can be used “to engage more young people from black backgrounds with science, tech-

nology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects”.

He added: “Thousands of people are employed across this industry and that group needs to be more representative of society.”

He said he wants motorsport “to become as diverse as the complex and multicultural world we live in”.

It is the latest in a series of interventions by the Mercedes driver on issues to do with race since the death of the African-American man George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis last month which has provoked global demonstrations behind the slogan “Black Lives Matter”.

Hamilton has said he was “completely overcome with rage” at events in the USA.

Announcing his commission, which has been set up in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, Hamilton said: “The time for platitudes and token gestures is over.“It will explore areas including lack of role models and career services at schools, opportunities to engage more black youth with STEM extracurriculars, barriers that prevent people from more diverse backgrounds joining the racing industry, and problematic hiring practices that result in fewer black graduates entering engineering professions.

“This will not be arm’s length research.

“We want to hear from the young people and graduates who deal with these challenges every day and we are

Monday June 22, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) The planets align to make this a great day for you, Aries. You should find that your mood is excellent and your mind focused.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Try to bring things down to reality today, Taurus. This is a good day to consolidate and organize. When it comes to matters of love and romance, try not to be so fickle.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your sensitivity will be greatly appreciated today, Gemini, and you'll find that there is a great grounding force that will help balance your extreme emotions.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) The general atmosphere of the day may seem too slow and stodgy for your tastes, Cancer. Try not to get bogged down in details. Try not to worry too much.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) This is a terrific day for you, Leo. You'll notice a sense of well-being that makes you feel secure that all your hard work is finally starting to pay off.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22) Try not to be too fixed in your attitude today, Virgo.

Realize that you may have to give a little in order to work comfortably with the people around you. It's important that you be slow and reserved in your moves, especially in matters of the heart.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) There's a loving tenderness in the air that you'll find very comforting, Libra. Ground your sensitive emotions and make room for love to enter the picture.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You may need to slow down a bit after the hectic pace of the last couple of days, Scorpio. It's essential that you take a more reserved and sensitive approach, especially with matters having to do with the heart.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You should notice a boost of energy today, Sagittarius, and your self-confidence should be revitalized. In matters of love and romance, everything is running smoothly. Your emotions are stable and grounded.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Take it easy today, Capricorn, and work to digest some of the input you've received over the past couple days. This is a day to contemplate and plan.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Anything having to do with love and romance is likely to go well today if you play your cards right, Aquarius.

See what you can do to ground your fluctuating emotions.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Don't be surprised if you run into a few emotional roadblocks today, Pisces. People could be quite stubborn and difficult to deal with.

in the process of bringing on additional partners who work on the ground in black communities to bring first-hand perspective.

“In addition, we want to bring in leaders from policy and business who are committed to leading on the activation of research recommendations.”

Hamilton said he had “been fighting the stigma of racism throughout my racing career - from kids throwing things at me while karting, to being taunted by fans in black face at a 2007 grand prix”.

He added: “I’m used to the idea that no one will speak up for me when I face racism, because no one personally feels or understands my experience. Most of the time, they don’t even see it and if they do, they let their fear of saying the wrong thing get in the way.“The unchanged make-up of the F1 community throughout my career makes it feel like only a certain type of person is truly welcome in this sport, one who looks a certain way, comes from a certain background, fits a particular mould and plays by certain unwritten rules.

“Even now, the media ask me different questions than they do my competitors and make accusations directly and indirectly — you’re not British enough, not humble enough, not loved enough by the public.”

And he explained why he called out fellow F1 drivers for not speaking out in the wake of Floyd’s death, an intervention that prompted a number of other leading drivers to condemn racism, including

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren’s Carlos Sainz and the rising British stars Lando Norris and George Russell.

Hamilton said: “I saw people I respected choosing to say nothing and it broke my heart. It’s why I had to speak out.”

PAGE 22

Monday June 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

Adria Tour final cancelled after Shane Dowrich: I’m a different Dimitrov tests positive for COVID-19 player to three years ago ESPNcricinfo - When West Indies last toured England in 2017, Shane Dowrich averaged 4.80. He struggled to adapt to the conditions, both with the bat and behind the stumps, and many onlookers surmised that Denesh Ramdin’s return to the Test set-up could not come soon enough.

But since that tour, Dowrich has turned things around. He is now one of the first names on Jason Holder’s team sheet, and can lay claim to being one of the best wicketkeeper-batsman in the world: since the start of 2018, no keeper has score more Test runs at a better average.

“I consider myself a different player to what I was three years ago,” Dowrich said from Emirates Old Trafford, where West Indies have now been based for the best part of two weeks. “The last time I was here, it was very tough for me - it was a series that really changed around my career.

“I was young, I was in unfamiliar territory - to be honest, I really didn’t cope well with it. Since then, I’ve been able to go away and I’ve learned a lot from my experience over here last time. Playing in England will always be a challenge, but I think I’m ready for it.”

Along with Holder and Roston Chase, Dowrich has formed part of West Indies’ engine room in the lowermiddle order that has bailed out the top order’s failings in the past two-and-a-half years. England know firsthand about the frustrations those three can pose, having seen Holder and Dowrich put on 295 in Barbados last year in a record partnership. They are the team’s three leading run-scorers in that timeframe,

and all three have found themselves marshalling the tail effectively.

“In terms of batting with bowlers, you have to trust them” Dowrich said. “You don’t want them facing too many balls, but you still have to trust them in terms of when they do face the ball that they can get the job done.

“You have to give them that confidence that they can do it. That’s how it can work well for you as the main batter in that situation.”

With Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer both absent from this squad, having opted not to travel to the UK, it is not impossible that Dowrich could find himself moving up the order to No. 6 in this series, depending on how West Indies decide to balance their side. While he played down that suggestion, saying he had “not really given it much thought”, Dowrich admitted that he has set himself personal goals for the series.“I’d like to leave England with a Test hundred, and I’m looking to average around 40 in this series,” he said. “I would love to score a Test hundred in England: scoring runs is always a challenge, but I think if you’re going to rate yourself as a player, you have to be able to do it. I think I’ve put in enough work to come away with something in the series.”

As for the other part of his game, Dowrich has been working hard in training to adjust to the challenge posed

by English conditions, in particular balls moving late after passing the bat. He has been pushed by Joshua da Silva, the back-up keeper for the series, and has been using a tape ball “almost every day” to help prepare him for late swing.

On West Indies’ last visit, he spent some time working with James Foster, the former Essex wicketkeeper who now coaches around the world in T20 leagues, and hopes that his advice will stand him in good stead this time around.

“He was mostly into alignment, in terms of where I stood behind the stumps and getting the angles right,” Dowrich said. “Most of our bowlers come from wide on the crease, so he was trying to get my positioning right behind the stumps so that I could line up the ball better.

“Also, [we worked on] staying low in my stance, so that when it swerves I’m in a strong position and not wobbly on my feet. Time spent in the middle has done a lot for me, and we just need a little bit more time out there to get accustomed to the conditions and… the pitches.”

That time in the middle will come in the shape of a three-day warm-up match starting on Tuesday, the first of two that West Indies will play among themselves before the first Test. With the standard of invitational teams picked to play tourists generally low in recent years - most counties have fielded secondstring XIs, and games have often been played with little intensity - Dowrich is hopeful that the intra-squad fixtures will provide useful preparation.

“I think it’s an advantage, to be honest,” he said. “The quality of our practice has been very high: every time you go into the nets, you’re facing three or four quality fast bowlers. The games are going to be pretty competitive. Everyone is looking to do well and put their name out there in terms of getting into the team or staying in it.”

Bridgmohan fends off late challenge to win $200 000 Wise Dan LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, CMC – Jamaican Shaun Bridgmohan guided Factor This to his third straight added-money success when he produced a sterling front-running effort to win Saturday’s 31st running of the Grade II US$200 000 Wise Dan Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Going off as the even-money favourite in a mile and sixteenth trip, Bridgmohan found himself under pressure throughout and was forced to fend off a strong challenge from the fast-finishing English Bee and Parlor before he could get the five-year-old to the wire by a neck.They completed the trip in one minute, 41.15 seconds to follow up on back-to-back wins in the Grade III $150 000 Fair Grounds Stakes and the Grade III $300 000 Muniz Memorial.“We got a lot of pressure early and, once we sort of got into a rhythm, I tried to wait on him as much as possible,” Bridgmohan said afterward.“I looked over and (Ritzy A.P) was actually about to take the lead and then I had to go. He was still able to hold off the

charge after getting that pressure early. He has a lot of fight and determination; he’s just getting better.”Bridgmohan broke the Brad Cox-trained horse sharply to produce fractions of 23.93 seconds for the first quarter and 47.53 for the half, as Ritzy A.P stalked from second with Emmaus in third and Casa Creed and Aquaphobia racing just off the pace in the nine-horse field.

Racing off the hedge, Factor This came under challenge from Parlor coming off the final turn, forcing Bridgmohan to also quicken, sparking a heated battle at the top of the stretch.Factor This led by a length but saw that advantage quickly evaporate under challenge from Parlor and English Bee and was forced to dig deep to hold on at the wire.

“That wasn’t as easy as an even-money shot is supposed to win but he ran a huge effort,” Cox lamented.The victory was the 10th career one for Factor This who now has earnings of $844 070.

(Reuters) - Grigor Dimitrov said yesterday said he has tested positive for COVID-19, making him the highest-profile tennis player to reveal he has the disease.

The 29-year-old Bulgarian had been competing in the Adria Tour exhibition tournament in Croatia until he withdrew with illness during the weekend.

The final of the event, which would have featured world number one Novak Djokovic and Russian Andrey Rublev, was cancelled as a result.“I want to reach out and let my fans and friends know that I tested positive back in Monaco for COVID-19,” former world number three Dimitrov wrote on Instagram.

“I want to make sure anyone who has been in contact with me during these past days gets tested and takes the necessary precautions.

“I am so sorry for any harm I might have caused. I am back home now and recovering. Thanks for your support and please stay safe and healthy.”The second leg of the Adria Tour, a Balkan charity event organised by Djokovic while international tennis remains suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was taking place in Zadar, Croatia.

“We have just been informed that Grigor Dimitrov has tested positive for

Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov in action during his match against Croatia’s Borna Coric.

(REUTERS/Antonio Bronic)

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in action during his match against Croatia’s Nino Serdarusic.

(REUTERS/Antonio Bronic) coronavirus and we will have to call off the final of the tournament in Zadar,” Djokovic’s

coach and the event’s director Goran Ivanisevic told fans courtside.

Djokovic wins compliment from James for basketball skills (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic has charmed many over the years with his exploits on the tennis courts but the men’s world number one now also has an admirer of his basketball skills in American great LeBron James.

Djokovic, who has been busy organising an exhibition tennis tournament in the Balkan region while the professional season is suspended due to the novel coronavirus, posted a video of himself trying some basketball moves on social media.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates after his match against Serbia’s Pedja Krstin.

(REUTERS/Antonio Bronic)

The video, addressed to James, shows the 33-year-old Djokovic taking a few dribbles before knocking down a mid-range jumpshot.

“Am I ready for a 1:1 @KingJames?” asked Djokovic, who previously termed Kobe Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who died in a helicopter crash in January, a great mentor and friend.The NBA star did not take long to respond.“Ha! I’m going to say I think you are!! Beautiful follow-thru on that shot buddy!” James said in his reply on Twitter.

Monday June 22, 2020

PAGE 23

Kaieteur News

Blaydes controls Volkov in unanimous victory at UFC Fight Night Curtis Blaydes set a new record for takedowns in a heavyweight bout and controlled Alexander Volkov for most of their fight on Saturday en route to a unanimousdecision victory in the main event at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas.

An accomplished wrestler, Blaydes (14-2) took the 6-foot-7 Russian to the mat just seconds into the fight and maintained control throughout Round 1, which proved a sign of things to come. He ultimately succeeded on 14 of 25 takedown attempts and racked up 19:50 of control, drawing judges’ scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 48-46 for his fourth straight victory.

Blaydes dominated the first three rounds and most of the fourth with wrestling — plus a few vicious right hands in Round 2 — but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Volkov (318) escaped from his clutches late in Round 4 and landed a few heavy blows, bloodying Blaydes in the closing seconds of the round.

Blaydes, who weighed in at 261 pounds on Friday, struggled to the finish through labored breathing but managed additional takedowns despite fatigue in Round 5, controlling Volkov enough to close out the win.“I’m tired,” Blaydes said on the broadcast afterward through heavy inhales. “Volkov was a lot harder

Curtis Blaydes (right) punches Alexander Volkov of Russia in their heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at UFC APEX. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via USA TODAY Sports) than I thought to take down. He has big strong legs.“... Always good experience to know you can go five rounds. I know I’ve got to work on my conditioning after the third round.”

Earlier Saturday, Josh Emmett (16-2) handled Shane Burgos (13-2) in a unanimous decision to win a featherweight bout, landing 98 head strikes to 68 for Burgos. All three judges scored the bout 29-28.

In other main-card fights, Raquel Pennington (11-9) won a battle of women bantamweights over Marion Reneau (9-6-1) via unanimous deci-

sion; Belal Muhammad of Palestine (17-3) outlasted fellow welterweight Lyman Good (21-6) via unanimous decision; and Jim Miller (32-14) submitted Roosevelt Roberts (10-2) with an armbar at 2:25 of the first round in their catchweight bout.

The most notable undercard result came in a lightweight bout, in which Austin Hubbard (12-4) defeated Max Rohskopf (5-1) by technical knockout after the latter retired after two rounds.

It was a suspenseful finish, as Rohskopf was heard repeatedly requesting that chief cornerman Rob-

Curtis Blaydes reacts after his decision victory over Alexander Volkov in their heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at UFC APEX. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via USA TODAY Sports) ert Drysdale call the fight prior to the third round. But Rohskopf was sent back out to fight before Nevada State Athletic Commission inspector Charvez Foger ended the bout.

Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett

told ESPN there would be an investigation and said, “We might want to take disciplinary action on them.

That doesn’t sound like they are looking out for a fighter. Obviously, he didn’t want to come out (and fight).”(Field Level Media)

Chelsea fight back to earn 2-1 win at struggling Villa

Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham in action with Aston Villa’s Kortney Hause, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (Justin Tallis/Pool via REUTERS) BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) - Chelsea boosted their hopes of securing Champions League football next season as second-half goals from Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud secured a 2-1 comeback win at relegationthreatened Aston Villa in the Premier League yesterday.

The result left Chelsea fourth on 51 points from 30 games, five ahead of fifth-placed Manchester United, while Villa’s hopes of avoiding the drop were dented as

they stayed second-bottom on 26 points, one point adrift of the safety zone.Substitute Pulisic equalised on the hour and Giroud netted the winner two minutes later after defender Kortney Hause had fired the home side ahead against the run of play in the 43rd minute with his first Premier League goal.Hause achieved a rare accomplishment of scoring in each of England’s top four divisions when he scrambled in a close-range rebound after Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga parried an Anwar El

Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic (left) scores their first goal against Aston Villa, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (Molly Darlington/Pool via REUTERS) Ghazi shot from a delightful cross

by Douglas Luiz.“We dominated, but it’s the story of some of our games, we need to be more clinical,” Chelsea manager Frank Lampard told Sky Sports. “But I can give the players some leeway because they’ve had a lot of time off. We showed great character and quality in the second half to win the game.”Chelsea had 76% of the possession in the opening half and missed a string of chances, with Villa keeper Oerjan Nyland twice deny-

ing Mason Mount while Mateo Kovacic volleyed inches wide from the edge of the penalty area.

Arrizabalaga was also forced into action at the other end when he parried a ferocious El Ghazi shot from 25 metres, while Ruben LoftusCheek failed to get a touch on Mount’s low cross at the far post in the 39th minute.American Pulisic equalised five minutes after coming on, when he stabbed a Cesar Azpilicueta cross off the underside of the bar at the far post as Villa’s

defence finally cracked under intense Chelsea pressure.Azpilicueta delivered another telling assist two minutes later, threading the ball to Giroud from a flowing move and the Frenchman’s deflected shot on the turn gave Nyland no chance.Villa missed a giltedged chance to snatch a draw in the 87th minute when Spanish substitute Jota drove an opportunist shot inches wide of the far post after a sloppy clearance by Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen.

PAGE 24

Monday June 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

Harding’s dream is to play professional volleyball Wants GVF to implement more Referee, Coaches training

By Sean Devers At 26, Vance Harding is widely regarded in the local Volleyball fraternity as the best player in Guyana and confirms that despite where you come, you can be the best at what you do.

The outside hitter made his International debut for Guyana in 2015.

Harding was born on August 17, 1993 to Valerie David and Virgil Harding and has nine siblings.

He grew up in the beautiful sub region of Barima Waini a place called Mabaruma settlement or as the locals would say “Jungle” where he attended the Mabaruma Primary then to North West Secondary school.

The talented Harding is currently completing his associate degree in Architectural Engineering at the University of Guyana.

“I was involved in athletics from the time I started primary school, I was one of the best 100, 200 and400-meter runner and also took part in high and long jumps and throwing the discus, shot put and javelin,” said Harding.

The National Volleyball player remembered his days growing in Essequibo, the largest but least populated of Guyana’s three Counties.

“I Grew up with my Grandmother Ms. Imelda John, who was the pillar of discipline and very strict with home training.

For me and some of my siblings she was the one who we gained most of our dayto-day skills from. Although I had to toe a straight line while living with her, I have fond memories of the very adventures with my friends from my

Harding being interviewed during an International tournament. small but beautiful community.

We would fetch water from the water ponds, play football in the rain on the ballfield and catch crab in the creeks with Chris and the boys,” Harding added.

He informed that growing up was challenging but it made him learn to appreciate things in life that many may not value.

“I first became interested in volleyball through a former Nation Volleyball player Mr. Leon Gilkes who resides in Mabaruma township.”

Harding is currently playing for the Castrol Strikers Volleyball club and lives in Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara.

He says balancing academics and volleyball was not a challenge as volleyball for him was a means of relaxation to release him from the usual stress of studies.

“Volleyball was not played in my Secondary school while I attended there, however recently Mr. Leon Gilkes was able to get the students involved in an in-school competition which I am very happy about.”

Harding’s favourite play is a shoot play from the outside, while his favourite sports person is former Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

“I have represented Guyana in International tournaments; they are the South American Volleyball Championship in Brazil and Rosario Beach Volleyball Games in Argentina.

For fun I enjoy a social life that encourages laughter among my peers as well as a good game of volleyball,” said Harding.

“My most memorable match was a match against Colombia in the South American Volleyball Championship

Harding with a handful of Trophies at the National Gymnasium.

Vance Harding where we preformed way above our ranked level at the time,” recounted the talented Harding.

Looking ahead, Harding said his dream as a volleyball player is to play a part of a league as a professional volleyball player and to see the development of volleyball and its players throughout Guyana.

“The current standard of

Harding climbs for a spike. volleyball is satisfactory with lots of potential and room for improvement, to remove these challenges I would recommend that volleyball be implemented into primary schools from grade 5.

After completing my time as a volleyball player I would like to use North Nation Inc. to promote the development of volleyball as a coach while building my career as an architect,” stated Harding.

“The Covid-19 pandemic affected me personally by preventing me from being able to access training facilities which meant I have had no volleyball training sessions since the lockdown, however, I was able to get involved in CrossFit so as to keep my fitness level up,” continued the

well-spoken UG student.

He said the main persons who have helped him through his volleyball career are his mom Valerie David, Dilshan better known as Apache, Ian Wills, Levi Nedd, Leon Gilkes, Rodney Fredricks and not forgetting the great Clarence Williams.

“I believe that the Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) should implement training for better referees and coaches, which would make them qualified enough to make a difference in the game, another way that volleyball can be developed is through promotion of the sport which I have begun doing through North Nation Inc. which you can find on Facebook,” Harding concluded.

PAGE 25

Kaieteur News

Monday June 22, 2020

Tiz the Law wins Belmont Stakes to clinch first leg of Triple Crown E L M O N T , N . Y. (Reuters) - Tiz the Law won the Belmont Stakes in front of empty stands on Saturday, clinching the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.

The colt was followed by Dr Post and Max Player at the New York event, which is usually the last leg of the three races that make up the Triple Crown.

However, this year it was contested first as the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes had to be postponed until later in the season due to the COVID-19 outbreak, which has claimed some 120,000 lives in the United States.

The New York-bred Tiz the Law, the odds-on favorite, hung back in third place for much of the race, keeping on the outside after breaking out of the eighth post in the 10-horse field, flooring it on the home stretch to surge into the lead and claim a decisive victory.

“I was pretty confident by the time we hit the seveneighths pole,” jockey Manny Franco said. “He was so kind and relaxed for me.”

Trainer Barclay Tagg whose 2003 horse Funny Cide won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes but was denied Triple Crown glory at the Belmont said he was glad to have “lived long enough to have another horse like this.”

“I’ve wanted to have a Belmont victory before I gave it up or died or something like that,” he said with a laugh.

‘NEW YORK, NEW YORK’ Roaring crowds were replaced with an eerie silence at the finish line, as fans and even owners were barred from the stands in

accordance with safety protocols during the pandemic.The Belmont, a typically raucous affair that drew a record 120,139 spectators in 2004, was empty except for venue employees and some members of the media, with concession stands and betting windows closed.

Tiz the Law, who strode from the paddock as Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” played, is the first New York-bred horse to win the race since 1882, ending the host state’s unlucky streak.Governor Andrew Cuomo called for “riders up” prior to the race in a televised appearance applauding the resiliency of New York, which was hit hard by the

Tiz the Law (right) with Jockey Manuel Franco, breaks away from the field to win the 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

coronavirus outbreak.

“Over the last three months, New Yorkers have

been tested in many ways,” s a i d C u o m o . “ We ’ r e celebrating a great, great

Pan Am sport executive Millerson passes The Executive Committee of the Association of Pan American Sports Confederations ( A C O D E PA ) a n d t h e Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) regrets the death of William Millerson.

Millerson, who was a dear friend of current head of the GOA, K.A. JumanYassin, passed away in his native Curacao on Saturday after resisting a lethal and long illness. During his life, Millerson was an outstanding Karate athlete, President of his National Olympic Committee, President of the Pan American Karate Sports Confederation and member of the executive committee of ACODEPA.GOA boss

William Millerson K.A. Juman-Yassin extends heartfelt condolences to his

family and friends during this time of mourning.

New York tradition.”

The Kentucky Derby is set to be the next race in the

Triple Crown on Sept. 5 and the Preakness is set for Oct. 3.

Harding’s dream is to play wants GVF professional to implement more Referee, volleyball Coaches training

Vance Harding during a Beach Volleyball game.

Dowrich averaged just 4.80 in West Indies’ 2017 tour of England.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Shane Dowrich: I’m a different player to three years ago

rt o p S

Jockey Manuel Franco reacts after winning the 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes aboard Tiz the Law (8) at Belmont Park. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

Tiz the Law wins Belmont Stakes to clinch first leg of Triple Crown

Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8452, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.