Kaieteur News

Canadian mining company seeking contractor to construct wharf facility for 4.5M ounces gold project

Canadian mining

company, G Mining

Ventures (GMIN) recently issuedExpressionofInterest (EOI) to find a contractor to construct a wharf for its 4.5 million ounces Oko West gold project located in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

In its EOI, GMIN stated that it is seeking qualified contractor to bid on the construction of a wharf facility along the Cuyuni River, which is essential for constructionandoperational activities at the Oko West minesite.

The Oko West Project is currently considered an “advanced-stageexploration project”, and is expected to produce 353,000 ounces of gold annually from both open pit and underground mining.

The project is projected torecover4.5millionounces of gold over 12.7 years, according to its Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA)releasedinSeptember 2024.

This publication had reportedthatthefacilitywill include a wharf, laydown area, and accommodations for workers, with a 40-bed camp planned for the site. Materials and fuel required for the pre-operation and operation phases will be deliveredtothislanding.

Interested companies withprovenconstructionand maritime expertise should request details from the contact information listed below Thescopeofservices includes the construction of steelsheetpilewharffacility forcargodischargeandjetty for fuel Barge discharge inclusive of erosion protection, earth works and riprapplacement.

Some of the technical specifications include a wharf facility measuring 20m wide by 38m long, utilizing 20m long sheet piles (model AZ-28-700 or similar). GMIN is looking for a granular material ramp for barge beaching (20m wide) and a jetty with dual steel pipes (11 inches diameter, 16 meter deep or until refusal), spaced at 5m intervals.

T h e e s t i m a t e s construction duration is six months. Interested parties are requested to provide an ExpressionofInterestforthe aboveConstructionofWharf

Facility on or before March 21, 2025 GMIN said shortlisted contractors will receive a request for proposal package including alldetailedtenderdocument. SubmissionsofEOIscan b e m a d e t o : scm contractadministratorsgy@gmin.gold or deliver in sealed envelope addressed to: Contract AdministratorExpression of Interest Construction of Wharf facility at Pegasus Suites & CorporateCentre,Suite404, 4’h Floor, Seawall Road, Kingston,Georgetown.

“TheOkoWestProjectis a new gold discovery in northwest Guyana It is located south of the historical “Oko” gold district, some 95 km west of Georgetown. It is accessible by the Puruni laterite road and trails from the towns of Bartica and Itabali on the Mazaruni River,” it was stated.

Back in January, GMIN announced that Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted an Interim Environmental Permit(IEP)pavingtheway forearlyconstruction.

The EPA’s approval f o l l o w s G M I N ’ s submissions of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Oko WestGoldProject. According to GMIN the IEP, which is valid for one year, along with the “No Objection” letter from the G u y a n a F o r e s t r y Commission,allowsthemto initiate early construction activities sooner than expectedinQ1of2025.

The company noted that these activities include the construction of a barge landing facility, main access and internal roads, airstrip, permanent camp facility, water and sewage treatment plants and power generation andcommunicationtower Notably, pre-production activities, including the development of the wharf and terminal, are slated to begininSeptember2025and conclude by December 2026. In July 2024, GMIN bought Reunion Gold, another Canadian company f o r s o m e U S $ 6 3 8 million–through this transaction GMIN acquired Reunion’s flagship Oko WestMine.

GMIN’s Oko West Mine located in Region Seven, Guyana

Gold miners operating with expired licences and permits -2022EITIReportflags

...highlights little progress on implementing previous recommendations

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative(EITI)hasflaggedtheoperationof gold miners with expired permits and licenses, urging the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to suspend all activities without the required regulatory approvals.

The 2022 Report, recently published on the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GYEITI) website noted Guyana’s failure to make significant progress on recommendations made by the bodyinpreviousreports.

It states, “There has been little tangible progress in acting upon the recommendations made in the 2021 report, andinsomecasesinprior EITIreports.”

According to the d o c u m e n t , a recommendation made for the GYEITI website to be brought and kept up-to-date has been met andcleared.

repeated.”

The EITI Secretariat repeated its 2021 recommendation on the mining sector with an update. It explained that responses from the mining sector indicate that only 38% of receipts reported by government from the miningsectorweresubjecttoreconciliation. Reconciliationreferstoaverificationprocess where information is checked for compatibility

According to the 2022 Report, “It is apparentfromthelistoflicencesandpermits inissuethatsomemining entities – individuals,

Additionally, it was noted that theAudit Office made “some progress in addressing the backlog in government audits, although nonewauditreportshavebeensignedoffyet with theexceptionof GGMC (GuyanaGold MiningCorporation)to2016.”

Thebodynotedthatithadnodifficultyin obtaining data from the Deeds and Commercial Registry Authority (DCRA) in connectionwiththisreport,thereforeits2021 recommendationwasnotrepeated.

On the other hand, it said, “The participation of and engagement with the miningsectorhasnotimproved,andthe2021 recommendation has been updated in the lightofexperiencefromthisreport.Allother recommendations from the 2021 report are

companies - hold a number of licences,

together mean that their

substantial.”

It continues, “It would be appropriate for GGMC to conduct and document a review to ensure that activities have been appropriately licensed and are appropriatelymanaged.”

The body said it noted that a number of prospecting permits and licences have expired and that prospecting permits are being renewed annually for a number of years Therefore, it suggested, “To be compliant with legislation and licence conditions, GGMC should consider suspendinganyfurtheractivityinthearea,in theabsenceofavalidlicenceorpermit.”

Further, the Independent Administrator (IA) recommended that the MultiStakeholder Group (MSG) increases engagement with the mining sector, to improvereportingcomplianceandtoensure that all mining entities making material payments to government are included in

Gold mining in the interior

futureEITIreconciliations.

Additionally, the IA recommended that GGMC should conduct and document a review to ensure that activities – including neighbouring small/medium scale licenceshave been appropriately licensed and are appropriatelymanaged.

“Consideration could be given, for example, to introducing regulations to impose a limit for the issuance of small and medium scale licenses to any one miner / mining entity in order that these do not accumulatetotheequivalentofalargescale holding,”thereportstated.

Kaieteur News

PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

Tel:225-8465,225-8491. Fax:225-8473,226-8210

EDITORIAL

The Mohameds

We will be franker, bolder in the subject chosen today withthepositiontaken. Guyanesewhoarefamiliarwithour overthreedecadesoffearlessjournalismworkshouldnotbe surprised. The subject is the Mohamed family and the barrageofallegationssuddenlydumpedonitsmembers,the straitsinwhichthoseleavethem.Thoughthisissuretorub thePPPCGovernmentandVicePresidentJagdeothewrong way, there is no choice but to travel along the road chosen. What is the true fault line of the Mohameds, the father-son combination? Whyhavetheytransformedalmostovernight intothesebigproblemcitizens? Whatisreallyattheheartof their current troubles: that they are lawbreakers, as alleged, orthattheyarerecognizedasseriouspoliticalcompetitors?

Once, the Nazar Mohamed and Azruddin Mohamed, were seen as model citizens, the toast of the PPPC Government. From all appearances, they did everything right and by the book, with the Guyana Government reporting no problems with either of them. All that underwentaseachangeinrecentmonths,wheretheirworld hasbeenturnedupsidedown. Powerfulandcripplingarms of the government have been directed at them. They will have to decide on what is their best response, their best defense. We can't do that for them, so they must shoulder their burdens, get ready to fight their battles, mostly by themselves, while utilising the assets available to them.If they had broken the laws of this country years ago, the Mohameds should have been charged there and then. It is how the law operates in a fair and just society, because it is heldoutasblindfolded.Sinceneitherofthetwowascharged before, how is it that their alleged violations of the law are only being dredged up now? Was the PPPC Government, through the institutions of the State that it controls, aiding and abetting, and covering up, the lawbreaking of the Mohamedsonlynowsurfacing?TheUSDepartmentofthe Treasury,OfficeofForeignAssetsControl(OFAC)shocked Guyanese by slapping sanctions on the Mohameds and the businessestheyown.

A fair question is what if OFAC did not target the Mohameds and there were no sanctions? The automatic follow-upquestionhasmuchtraction:wouldtheMohameds havebeenchargedwithbreakinganyofGuyana'slaws? For now, we ignore the troublesome issue of why the US is educatingandseeminglyguidingthePPPCGovernmenton whichofGuyana'slawshavebeenviolated.

Allthetime,thatgorillaofaquestionstillweighsheavily, all800-lbsofit:arepowerfulStateenforcementarmsbeing usedtoencircletheMohamedsforfallingafoulofGuyana's laws? Or,istherealagendabecauseAzruddinMohamedis viewed as a likely political competitor of strong and worryingstanding? Itisapparentthathehassomelevelof supportacrossawidecross-sectionofGuyana. Inacountry, wherethedifferencebetweenwinningandlosingelectionsis so thin as to be invisible (if not uncountable), votes lost to newcomers in the waiting, such as Azruddin Mohamed, represent a situation that cannot be allowed to remain unaddressed.

Thatthreathastobeshutdownbythefirmestmeasures, andbyanymeans. Wehaveseenwhatelectionshavedoneto thiscountryinthepast. Itiswherenothingisoff-limitsand therearenoinnocents.

Inthisregard,thePPPCGovernmenthasaccumulateda record that is now second to none in dirty tricks. Whatever has to be done will be done, and whatever resources of the Statehavetobeunleashed,thattooisassured.

WhatGuyanese,thevotingpublic,areleftwithishowthe Constitutional provisions of freedom to form, freedom to associate,andfreedomtoparticipateinacleanprocessbeing subject to the worst assaults. For example, as soon as the publisher of this newspaper hinted that he was weighing entering the political field as a candidate in this year's elections, the ugly head of State ads was dug up and brandished menacingly We ask if something similar is at workwiththeMohameds. Thatis,wherepowerisdistorted toneutralizepotentialcompetitors.

GECOM Chair`s refusal to convene a review of the 2020 elections places her in cahoots with the PPP/C

DearEditor, I herein respond to Commissioner Rohee`s letter:“Anytalkofareview of the 2020 election should be canned” I am not surprised.

The conduct of an evaluation/reviewwhichisa standardandbestpracticeat theendofanyprojectisalien to the People`s Progressive Party, and any activity that they conduct on behalf of thisnation.

S

evaluation/review would

corruptionasisthecasewith GECOM where they are determined to conceal the corrupted conduct of the elections, to wit the numerous absentee voters for whom votes were cast. The evidence in this regard hasnotbeenrefutedbythem andanyoftheirsurrogates. It is akin to Nandlall collect

ll the documentation submitted for the verification or negationoftheallegationof absenteevoters.

He has, however, placed those documents in cold storage rather than have an

open verification done to scuttle the APNU/AFC allegation that votes were recorded for persons who were overseas at the time of the2020elections.

Thispracticeofavoiding such processes is prevalent. Feasibilities studies are not done, a la Oil and Gas. Reports are not published, a la the GDF helicopter crash and the outstanding 2022 census,amongmanyothers.

With specific reference to GECOM, Rohee now blames the non-submission ofareportbytheCEOasthe main reason for the evaluation being “useless, unnecessary and without basis”.

It has taken Rohee approximately two years to come up with this reason/excuse after all others have proven to be unacceptable.

Towit,theChairperson`s contention that the material/evidencethatexists (whichRoheesuggestsdoes notexist)isonlyrelevantina petition, rings hallow and deceitful.Ifitisso,whydid shesentthefirsttoobatches for verification, which verifications validated the

a l l e g a t i o n s w i t h approximately 80% of the alleged absentee voters being verified as having votes cast in their names.

Nandlall has since ducked the verifiable hundreds which he collected stating that he would have the verification undertaken to proof that the APNU/AFC allegation was baseless and criminal Why hasn't he undertaken that exercise or reportedonit?

The contention that the materialisonlyrelevanttoa petitionisalsobaseless.The callforareviewisstandard; is not premised on the allegations; and does not to s e e k t o a t t r i b u t e responsibilityforanywrong doing.

Thatistheresponsibility oftheCourt.

Thereviewmerelyseeks to evaluate the conduct of the project (elections), with the intent of identifying whether GECOM needs to address/rectify flaws that maybepresentinitssystem, which may have negatively impacted its conduct of free and fair elections in 2020.

TheChairperson`srefusalto conveneareviewplacesher

in cahoots with the PPP/C, who for earlier outlined reasons (beneficially corrupted processes) have much which they would not wishtobefurtherexposed.

The fact of the matter is that GECOM is gearing up for another election with a list that facilitates the presenceofthedead(noone has or can refute the presence of thousands of overseas deceased persons on the list) along with the tested allegation that absent voters had votes cast for them in 2020, yet every measure proposed to mitigate against such reoccurrences, or to simple assuage those who a r e l e v e l i n g t h e accusation, are being scuttled with time and other baseless reasons, as articulated above, being t r u m p e t e d a s t h e justification for not doing what s requested, justifiable,rightandproper Guyana is precariously perchedonthecuspofaman made crisis with Rohee and companyascheerleaders Yourssincerely, VincentAlexander GECOMCommissioner

NY Guyanese in Phagwah Spirit

DearEditor,

NewYorkbased(Hindu) Guyanese have been in Phagwah spirit over the last couple weeks singing chowtaal folk songs accompanied with the live fasttempomusicthatispart ofthefestival.

Chowtaalisusuallysung from the time of Holika Dahan or the planting of Holika (for the fire), continuing for 40 days leading up Phagwah (Holi) Day The holika is burnt on thenightofthefullmoonin monthofPhalgun(inMarch or April) followed by the celebrationthenextday

It is one of the most joyful celebrations for Hindus and is celebrated globally with special season dishes prepared for the occasion;Hindusandothers familiar with the festival lookforwardforit.

Phagwah (or Holi) is officially this Friday (not a public holiday in NY) and celebrations are planned nationwide as in Guyana. SomeschoolsinQueensand Bronx where Hindus are clustered plan celebrations (concerts and outdoor festivities), continuing celebrationsheldatmandirs.

Indo-Caribbean mandirs all

over New York and throughout the USA held Phagwah (Holi) related (chowtaal) singing at Sunday morning services over the last several weeks.

Two Sundays ago, the New York based Guyana Hindu DharmicSabhaUSAPraant, led by Dave Thakoordeen) th hosted the 11 annual Chowtaal Samelan at the Prem Bhakti Mandir in Jamaica, Queens as part of Guyanese (Indo-Caribbean)

American Phagwah celebration; Surinamese, Trinis and Jamaicans also partookinthesameelanthat included classical dancing performancesandsingingof bhajans (religious songs).

The Queens Boro office planned a celebration on Tuesday evening March 11.

The Mayor's office and offices of several elected officials of Queens and Brooklyn also plan programsintheiroffices.

This Friday evening is thecrescendowhenmandirs will hold Phagwah programs, play with talc powder and colorful gulal followed by a feast on delicaciesthatcomewiththe season.Thelargenumbersof

CaribbeanHindusclustering incommunitiesalloverNew York and parts of New Jersey and Florida have made it possible for Phagwah to be celebrated similarly as in Guyana There is an estimated one million Indo-Caribbeans and five million Indians (fromIndia)inUSAwiththe majority being Hindus who have established temples in their communities. There is an estimated 100 IndoCaribbean mandirs and dozens more among South Asians (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal) scattered alloverUSA.

They usually observe auspicious days as prescribed by the scriptures and celebrate festivals like Holi, Diwali, Navratri, Shivratri, etc. Parades and melas and large gatherings for celebrations are usually heldforHoliinseveralcities including New York (Queens and Bronx), Jersey City, Schenectady, Atlanta, Ft Lauderdale, Orlando, Minneapolis, Houston, Dallas, Boston, Chicago, among others. Celebrations areplannedalloverAmerica where Indo-Caribbeans and Asian Indians dwell in

significant numbers But chowtaal singing is unique among Indo-Caribbeans Chowtaal originates from the Bhojpuri and Hindi speaking belt of north India where most IndoCaribbeans trace their origin. Chowtaal is a folk music of village life in the Hindi and Bhojpuri belt in India The lyrics of the chowtaal involve loud repetitions of chants about life and/or on the Hindu GodsandGoddesses. It was brought to the Caribbeanandwhereverelse indenturedlaborerssettled.

Itwasthentransmittedto and institutionalized in the USA and Canada by IndoCaribbbean immigrants, first at colleges during the 1970s and in communities during the 1980s and thereafter Initially, celebrations took place inside buildings (rented halls or school auditoriums, basements, apartments, houses) and laterinopenpublicspaces.

InGuyana,decadesago, chowtaal was used to be sung by village or temple groups with members going from home to home (Continuedonpage5)

PPP running scared

DearEditor,

I am not necessarily defending Azuruddin Mohamed but it is tiresome to hear the ranting and ravingoftheVicePresident as he uses his privilege to attack people. It seems that this has become the hallmark of the PPPleaders andtheirlackeys.

They cannot defend the PPP intellectually, they cannot defend the PPP logically In fact, because there is no defense of the deep corruption of the PPP It was President Donald Ramotar in his campaign who stated that the corruption was deep rooted andhewouldrootitout.

When I was personal assistant to the president I was on TV and the host asked me about the corruption and I said I was sick and tired of the corruption.Thenextdaythe PSinshockinformedmethe president's office ordered my immediate termination.

Vindictivelytheyrefusedto paymemybenefits.PPPites accused me periodically on socialmediathatIstole$5M offloodmoneyin2005andI wasfiredbutmycontractat OPwassignedin2006.

I have been writing regularly in the press about thecorruptionandotherbad policies of the PPP I was a commissioneronthePublic UtilitiesCommission.

The PPP refused to renew my contract. This One Guyana of President Irfanisafarce.Theiractions prove it is One PPP as persons have no right to criticise or oppose their nonsense.

Coming back to Mr Mohamedifthegovernment has any evidence of smuggling by the Mr Mohamed why is he not before the courts. Bharat Jagdeo spent over one hour slammingthegentlemanbut seemingly has no evidence to present. If indeed Mr Mohamed dealing with

GRA was corrupt then obviously some heads must roll for he could not have done so as alleged without complicitybysomeatGRA. Scare tactics, so I guess if you drive for Mohamed you can be sanctioned. If Survivalsellthemgroceries they can be sanctioned Bharrat said if transactions are done by US citizens or transits USA they can be s a n c t i o n e d M y u n d e r s t a

s transactions that transit the USAandnotpersons.So,ifI havesomedealingswiththe Mohameds I would not be sanctioned if I enter USA. This would make America appear ridiculous. In any event, this is clearly an attempt to destroy a Guyanese owned business. Why should the penalty of smuggling be complete isolation and destruction of a business? It is so because Mr Mohamed did the ultimateunpatriotic.

(Continuedonpage6)

Guyana has become a country of astounding and strange contradictions

DearEditor,

In the wake of the announcement of a nearly $1.4 trillion budget by the government, I want to call attention to something perniciousthathasbegunto be normalised in Guyanese society Thisbudgetisafull trillion dollars larger than thePPP'sown2021budget, and represents a fourfold increaseover2020'sbudget, yet there was virtually no mention whatsoever of poverty in the Minister for Finance's five-hour speech. When you combine the budgets of 2023, 2024 and 2025, the government has put forward roughly 15 years worth of pre-oil budgets, without sparing a thought for poverty!Is the government saying, in effect, that if Guyana had never discovered oil, we wouldstillnotbediscussing poverty eradication in the year 2040? After all, that's 15yearsinthefuture,when, on our previous course without oil, we would have

IMF Validates Government Economic Policies

DearEditor, Guyana's economic outlook remains strong through 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as reported by Stabroek News (03/08/2025) and the IMF website. Based on consultations with key economic stakeholders, including government officials, the private sector, and labour unions, the IMF's a

s significant achievements and promisingtrends.

The IMF's report emphasizes two key points: the diversification of economicgrowthbeyondthe oil sector and the overall strength of Guyana's economic performance. The IMF noted that Guyana experienced "the highest real GDPgrowthrateintheworld, at a recorded average of 47 percent in 2022–24," driven by expanding oil production, robust non-oil output, and substantial public infrastructure investment Notably,thenon-oileconomy demonstrates broad-based rgowth, particularly in

construction and services, validating the government's focusondiversification.

These positive outcomes reflecttheimpactofstrategic government investments

Extensive infrastructure development initiatives, funded by oil revenues, improve citizens' quality of life.

Aligned with President Ali's vision, the government prioritizes sustainable job creation, poverty reduction, andinclusivegrowththrough education, healthcare, and infrastructure investments

The increased budget allocation for 2025 underscoresthiscommitment to national development and improved living standards.

Infrastructure development encompasses vital systems, including transportation, e n e r g y , w a t e r , telecommunica

, education, healthcare, and government services, all suppo

ed by m

dern financial systems that facilitateefficienttrade.

Regardinginflation,akey concern for Guyanese

citizens, the IMF projects a moderateincreasetoaround4 percent by the end of 2025, fromapproximately3percent at the end of 2024. However, the IMF emphasizes that "fundamentals remain strong and there are no signs of inflationary pressures or overheating as of yet... since there remains slack in the economy." This assessment validates the effectiveness of the government's antiin

ationary policies, including cash grants and socialtransferprograms.The IMF further notes that these policies have "increased disposable income and reduced the poverty rate," suggesting that targeted transfers, integrated into a medium-term fiscal framework, could further promote inclusive growth and advance Guyana's progress toward its sustainable development goals.

spent roughly these same resources If that is so perhaps a better question is if this government ever actually intends to aim for poverty eradication at all?

Would the Jagans really approve of today's PPP?

Would Forbes Burnham or ArthurChung?

It feels like we have forgotten the struggles of pre-independence Guyana, when our country was rich with resources but our p e o p l e d e s t i t u t e

(Continuedonpage6)

According to the UN Sustainable Development Goals countries should aim to:“By2030,reduceatleast by half the proportion of men,womenandchildrenof all ages living in poverty in allitsdimensionsaccording to national definitions.” If Guyana is already spending what it would have been spending in 2040, far beyond the UN 2030 target date, we should have already halved poverty in this country.We in the Opposition have set a goal of completely eradicating povertyinthefirstfewyears of office, given the substantial fiscal space available.We have outlined structured, specific policies to target the various elements of poverty but what is most important is that unlike the current government we are committed to talking about this issue. We believe that we must not hold ourselves tothestandardsofacountry withoutoilresources,while spendinglikeacountrywith oilresources.

NY Guyanese in Phagwah Spirit

Frompage4 is still in vogue as observed bythiswriterinmultipleHoli celebrationsinthevillagesof northIndia.

People of all ages partake in festivities.

It is amazing to see millennials and youngsters engage in ancestral Hindu practices in alien environmentsinAmericaand Ontario Holi has become institutionalizedinNewYork with the Phagwah Parade included in the annual calendar of events thanks to

the cultural activism of Guyanese and other ethnic groups religious and student organizations going back to the1970s.

TheparadeonLibertyAveis on March 23 with several politicians seeking elective office in the lineup culminatesthecelebrations.

AGuyana government float isalsobeingpromoted.

Thepubliclooksforwardfor this Friday's festivities and theparade.

Yoursfaithfully, VishnuBisram

The IMF's assessment strongly endorses the Guyanese government's economic policies and their positive impact on households.Withthe"highest realGDPgrowthintheworld in2022,"Guyana'seconomic futureappearsbright.

Respectfully, Dr. Tilokie Arnold Depoo,Economist

Ban the harmful use of plastic bags and containers as soon as possible

DearEditor,

In a few days we will note the Ides of March. A time when the soothsayer warned the Mighty Caesar that it would be unwise for him to venture forth According to Shakespeare's play, the Mighty Caesar ignoredthewarningandmet hisdeath.

In some strange way, I mentioned this as an anecdote to refer to our excessiveandharmfuluseof plasticinourcountry Arewe ignoring warnings? If you

purchase tablets which are sealed,thePharmacistputsit into a plastic bag. Formally, if you want tablets for sale, such as Panadol or multisymptom, a gentleman will putitinhispocketandalady willputitinherpurse.Notso thesedays.

I remember as a youngster being sent to the meat company and everything was wrapped in biodegradable brown paper and placed in those mokoro baskets, made of local materials.Today,everything

from fruits, vegetables, and cooked chicken are presented in large plastic bags. This harmful habit, which we have now developed with much abandonment, is doing irreparableharmtoourtown andcountryside.

As Mayor of the City of Georgetown in 1999, faced with problems at the dumpsite, plastic bags, particularly those black plasticbagsblockdrainsand wherethereareirresponsible citizens, present a ugly,

unhealthysite.

I proposed that we ban the use of plastic bags and containers. I was told then that certain businesses had large quantities of these plasticcontainersonthehigh seasandthereforethematter shouldnotbepursued.

At that time, a business group had shown the Council samples of biodegradable bags but no one took this matter seriously Why, is beyond belief. A nearby Caricom country, Antigua and

Barbuda took this matter seriously and housewives and shoppers now go to the Supermarket with cloth bags, which are not only reusablebutbiodegradable.

I was happy to visit Antigua, when the Customs Officer ordered a certain Officertoremovetheplastic bag that wrapped his shoes , because it was wet from the rainfall.

This matter should go beyond politics and fit in nicely with those who proclaim, as we all do, a desire to protect our environment. I write that when this matter is raised, it will find common ground and all patriots, every

political party, every social group, would find common groundandmovetoendthis destructionofourcountry

Toall,Isayifwittinglyor unwittinglywecontributeto the destruction and the beauty of our country being thefastestgrowingeconomy of the world would be meaningless.

Let us pledge to be kind to our environment, our neighbours and ourselves. Dear Editors, I hope this is one issue that we can be at one and in harmony saying “Ban the harmful use of plastic bags and containers assoonaspossible.”

HamiltonGreen Elder

Guyana has become a country...

Frompage5

Ignoring poverty is fundamentally wrong to create a situation where he is seen as a contender for the presidency and is attracting support.

The PPP's leadership is running scared as many partiesarenowheretoensure the PPP is removed from government.

ThePNCalsowascorrupt and blew a glorious opportunity that they were given. They became just asl corrupt It is more now becausewegotmoremoney

They are in disarray and maynotretainthepositionas the main opposition. Many Afro-Guyanese are realising thePNCdidnotdomuchfor them when in power and cannot do anything for them in opposition. They gave to theboysandcroniesjustlike thePPP

ThePNC'sveryexistence helps to secure the presence ofthePPPinoffice.

Clearly this One Guyana bythePresidentisafarce.We canallseeitisOnePPP

Regards

RajendraBisessar

PPP running...

Frompage5

Guyanahasbecomeacountry of astounding and strange contradictions. This year, adjusting for prices, Guyana will have a higher per capita GDP than the United Arab Emirates, according to IMF estimates, while poverty statisticsrangefrom35-42%, if the CIA factbook, statista.comandUNICEFare tobebelieved.

Even if poverty were on the lower end, at 35% of the population, this number (and the IMF has made passing mention of some limited improvement) would still be unacceptable in such a wealthy country Ultimately, Guyanese need to decide on the type of society they want

to live in. Will we ignore poverty, hoping it will magically disappear, or confront the issue head on, with sensible policies? Over the years, many loyal Guyanese have fought to improve the lives of those mostinneed

We may not always have agreed on the methods to be prioritized, but to my mind there has been a national consensusastothegoal Ifear thatthathasbeguntochange

Sincerely ElsonLow, Economic and Youth Policy Advisor to the Leader oftheOpposition, Opposition Oil and Gas Spokesperson, Treasurer,PNCR

Trump’s ‘drill-baby-drill’ policy will bring uncertainty to oil market,

but no immediate surge expected

- Exxon’s partner

President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), Zhou Xinhuaihasstatedthatthenew United States-administration policyinrelationtorampingup oil and gas production there will bring uncertainty to the global crude oil market but underscored that the policy doesnotmeantherewillbean

CNOOC’s Xinhuai made that statement during CNOOC’s 2025 strategypreview

President

and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CNOOC,

CNOOCisa25%shareholderinGuyana’sStabroekBlock which is operated by US oil giant, ExxonMobil Since production commenced in December 2019, Exxon and its partners CNOOC and Hess have produced over 500 million barrels of oil out of the estimated 116 billion barrels of oil Addressing the potential impact of Donald Trump’s energy policies, he stated: “regarding your second question about Trump,2.0well,forsure,therewillbebiggeruncertaintythat is going to be caused to the oil and gas market as well as energy market as a result of Trump’s return to the US administration.”

Trump in his “drill, baby, drill” approach to energy production, has indicated a commitment to expanding US fossilfueldevelopment However,CNOOC’sCEOpointedout that ramping up production is not an instantaneous process “And we believe that we have to adopt a critical thinking methodology in analysing such impacts when it comes to offshoreoilandgasdevelopmentandexplorationwell,even thoughyouaregoingtostartbuildingorerectingwellsright now, it doesn’t mean that you can immediately increase productionvolumenextyear Thatisdefinitelyimpossible,” heexplained.

HeacknowledgedthesteadyriseinUS shaleoilandgas production, giving credit to the sector’s efficiency in explorationanddevelopment However,heoutlinedthatthese operations are largely driven by traditional energy companies thatprioritisereturnoninvestmentandassets “Sowebelieve thatthisyearforshaleoil,theproductionvolumemayincrease, butwedon’tforeseeabiggrowthofthat,”hesaid.

AsforCNOOC,Zhouhighlightedthecompany’sstrategic approach “Allalong,wehavebeencomparingourselveswith other companies, not based on absolute value, but we are comparingintermsofourowneffortsandourhardwork,and alsoourowncoststructureandcostadvantageandourmarket competitiveness So that’s how we generate value for our shareholders,”hestated.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo during a question-andanswer segment at the 2025 Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo made it clear that Guyana is not worried aboutTrump’s ‘drill-baby-drill’policy. It was reported that in 2025,althoughGuyana’sdailyproductionisexpectedtoclimb, thecountrywillseeadecreaseinearningsfromthesector,asoil priceislikelytocomedownby10.9%.

This was disclosed by Guyana’s Finance Minister, Dr AshniSingh Hehadexplainedthatthisdeclineinoilpricesis primarilyduetoslowingglobaldemand,particularlyinChina Oilpriceswilldeclinethisyearasglobalsupplyisexpectedto outgrow global demand Senior Vice President of Global Energy and International Affairs at S&P asked the Vice President on Tuesday, “…You have now President of the UnitedStatesthatsays,drillbaby,drill.Moreoil,it’sgoingto come onto the market. Chinese demand is tailing off, and market is going to be absorbed by somebody else worried aboutit.”

Inhisresponse,VicePresidentJagdeostated,“I’mnot,I’m not”Jagdeosupportedhisunbotheredcommentbystatingthat Americanoilgiant,ExxonMobilCorporation,whoisoperating inGuyanathroughitssubsidiaryExxonMobilGuyanaLimited has recently submitted its plans to have a seventh and eight projectapprovedbytheGuyanesegovernment

Zhou Xinhua

Dissent is not a taxable offence

There is something undeniably Orwellian about the way our democratic experiment is being

conducted You see, democracy, as we were taughtinschool,issupposed to be a system in which the government serves the people, and not a system in which the government ensuresthatthepeopleserve it, preferably with their heads bowed and their tax documents triple-checked fordissent.

The role of tax agencies is to collect taxes, ensure

c o m p l i a n c e , a n d occasionally induce heart palpitations in law-abiding citizens over minor paperworkinfractions.

It is, in essence, a necessary evil. But lately, t

deceiving – to be a rather peculiar shift in focus—an evolution, if you will.There appears to be now a curious interest in those who have committed the unforgivable sinofbeingperceived,bythe government, as potential political rivals This newfound enthusiasm is, of c o u r s e , e n t i r e l y coincidental.Orsotheywill tell you. Of course, coincidences do happen, don'tthey?Justlikehowthe authorities, in their infinite wisdom, always seem to accidentally stumble upon a taxerrorattheexactmoment theunfortunatetaxpayerisin the middle of a heated political dispute with the government It's almost

magical—like the way the rainalwaysseemstofallthe minute you forget your umbrella.

Rest assured, there's no malice here just an astonishingly convenient alignment of the stars, an administrative “oops” that just so happens to arrive when the victim is already being pounded by the state's hammer. Pure chance, of course!

Thenthereisthenot-toosmall matter of private tax information finding its way into the public domain, usually through means as mysterious as they are c

phenomenon—almost as if certain files grow legs and wander their way into the

Duo sentenced to 15 years each for 2019 killing

Two men were on Tuesday sentenced to 15yearseachwithtimeservedtobededucted after pleading guilty to manslaughter in connection with the 2019 killing of Sherwin Shafeek,alsoknownas“CoolieBoy.”

TheyweresentencedbyJusticeNavindra SinghattheDemeraraHighCourt.

ItwasreportedthatonFebruary10,2025 Attish Singh, called “Demon,” and Anil Basdeo, known as “Alan,” appeared before JusticeSinghwheretheypleadedguiltytothe lesser charge of manslaughter. They were representedbyAttorneyRonaldBostwick.

The case dates back to March 22, 2019, when Shafeek, a 32-year-old fruit vendor fromSpringlands,Corriverton,Berbice,was beaten to death after allegedly assaulting his wife at Tuschen Squatting Area, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) It was reported that Shafeekwasreturninghomefromabirthday party when an argument between the couple escalatedintoascuffle.

Singh and Basdeo reportedly heard the commotionandintervened.Basdeoallegedly struckShafeekmultipletimesontheheadand back with a piece of wood, while Singh attempted to stab him.Shafeek reportedly collapsed and blood was seen coming from his mouth and nostrils. He was taken to the LeonoraCottageHospital,thefollowingday, but he succumbed to his injuries.A postmortem examination revealed his cause of deathtobecerebralhaemorrhageduetoblunt trauma.BothSinghandBasdeowerearrested on March 23, 2019, and subsequently charged with murder on March 30, 2022.

Following a preliminary inquiry, they were committed to stand trial in the High Court.

During the trial, the court offered the option of a lesser charge of manslaughter, which both accused accepted, leading to their currentsentencing.

The prosecution was led by Tanisha SaygoonandChristopherBelfield.

DEM BOYS SEH

King Kong lives!

DemboysseheverybodydidthinkKing Kongdead.Debigbeastgetknockdown,get heheartslowup,andsomepeopleevenstart fuhwriteeulogy Butguesswhat?Kongain't dead.

After he last big battle, he run away fuh five years, hide deep in de forest, and only nowhedecidefuhcomeoutagain.

But dis time, he ain't fighting Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, or any real enemy No sah! Nowhefightingwindmills.

Dem boys seh he tek inspiration from Don Quixote yuh know, de old-time Spanish fella who use to pick fight wid thingsthatain'treallyathreat.Andlikeany good hero, Kong got he own Sancho Panza too,achunkyfellowwhodoesrunbehindhe andshakeheheadinagreement.

Andifyuhwonderingwhenyuhcanspot King Kong in action, dem boys got good newsfuhyuh.

HenowgobydenameKingKonference and does show up everyThursday just after high noon—same place, same style, same

public with an uncanny senseoftiming.

Dissent is not a taxable offense Criticizing the government does not automatically place an individual in a higher tax bracket,norshouldittrigger an emergency tax audit Taxation is a function of income, not ideology The moment we allow the tax agencies to double as a political enforcer, we are no longer operating under a systemoflaw,butratherone ofcalculatedintimidation.

Everyonehastherightto his or her views, and having an opinion whether favorable or critical of the government does not automaticallyentitleonetoa taxaudit.Democracythrives ondebate,disagreement,and the ability of citizens to challenge authority without fear of reprisal If an individual's biggest crime is expressingapoliticalstance, then that is not an offense punishable by the law but ratherarightenshrinedinthe country's highest law The role of the tax agency is to ensure compliance with tax laws, not to act as an ideological gatekeeper deciding who deserves scrutinyandwhodoesnot.

Ofcourse,wearetoldnot

to worry This is not authoritarianism, they say, this is simply good governance They would never dream of using the state as a weapon—perish the thought! And yet, the evidence mounts. We see communities treated as political fiefdoms, where certainpartiesfeelasthough they possess transport over entirevillages.

Ifyouarenotoftheright political persuasion, you are advised—gently, of course, with all the tact of a sledgehammer to stay away In this new state of affairs,someneighborhoods aredeclaredno-gozonesfor political rivals, lest the ruling party's delicate sensibilities be offended by analternativepointofview

oldroaring.

Dem boys seh he still beating he chest, still growling loud, still trying fuh mek peoplebelieveheisderealKing.Butinstead of climbing de Empire State Building, he climbingasoapbox.

Instead of fighting Mechagodzilla, he throwing punch at things that ain't fighting back. And instead of people running fuh cover, dem just laughing and watching like it'safreematineeshow Sancho Panza still trying fuh tell he, "Boss,datwindmillain'tarealenemy Itjust spinningcausedebreezeblowing."ButKing Konferencedon'tlisten.

He too busy trying fuh prove something to people who already move on. Dem boys sehdebiggestjokeishowKingKonference stillbelieveheleadingsomebigmovement. But every week de windmills still standing. In de end, dem boys seh maybe Kong shoulda stay in de forest. At least de trees don'tlaughbackathe. Talkhalf.Leffhalf!

But there is a broader concern that should frighten the nation. What we are witnessing is the slow, steadymarchtowardelected authoritarianism,asystemin which the government is technically chosen by the people but, once in power, behaves as though it must never be questioned Elections,afterall,arejusta formality an elaborate charade meant to confer legitimacy on what is, in practice, an unchallenged rule. State agencies must resist the temptation to be used as hatchets against perceived and actual rivals. Government agencies must not be lured into the t e m p t a t i o n t o b e moonlighting as a political hit squad. But resistance to t h i s d e s c e n t i n t o authoritarianism cannot rest solely on the shoulders of institutions. All Guyanese must push back against the notion that governance is an extension of party politics. We must reject the idea that state agencies exist to serve the ruling party, rather than thenation.

Wemustresist,notjustin whispered conversations andcodedjokes,butinopen defiance of any attempt to turn Guyana into a land where compliance is mandatory, dissent is a taxableoffense,andpolitical opposition is an audited liability (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

H@RD TRUTHS

Death stalks this land

I am beginning to worry about venturing outside Death stalks this land. In many forms, in different ways, in places with the same harrowing result Dead and done No question, gone for good Just don't tell the grieving loveonesaboutwhatisgood in a time of hard loss. I contemplate the flurry of

hstanding the heaviness,stillfindthespace to wonder how Guyana has metastasisedintothisviolent land.

In no particular sequence, there was a domestic violence incident that led to death. A dozen bullets will lead there Alcohol contributed. One man committed suicide, whenhestoodinthemiddle of the road, after being denied his car keys by his concernedspouse,duetohis advanced state. She went fromconcernedtomourning inaheartbeat. Alcoholagain showeditsmuscularface. A thirdfellowsuccumbedafter

being stabbed by his partner during a drinking session, where some difference developed.

For the third time in a short span of days, rum and steel played their parts and threeGuyanesehaveleftthis earthly pale. Then, there was the post three-day holiday weekend shocker in one of Tuesday's headlines: five dead in road accidents. There is some double counting here, as the citizen whostoodinthecenterofthe road numbers among those five deceased. All told, those who didn't die by motorized machines, died with some link to rum Guyanese are either killing themselves, or killing one another Death stalks this land.

Liquor is held by Guyanese as a proven stress buster Thebyproductisthe busting up that follows afterwards. One man made the news when he killed his domesticpartner Therewas the ubiquitous alcohol, whichisaconditionwaiting for an argument, so as to

blow up in a crisis. Or a crime. One young woman dead, one young man in the lockups.

I am asking myself whether domestic violence, never less than right below thesurfacecalm,ismakinga comeback Wrenching, appalling violence in the home, with a few of those occurring this month alone. Has this country become such a hard place to live in, that citizens take out their rage and frustrations on the nearest available target?

Regrettably, domestic violence has always been a steady companion in Guyanese life. Whenever the guard is let down, in the flawed belief that the wave has been crested, there are thesegrimremindersofwhat lurks in the breast, in the home, and in the hand (loadedgun,orshaftofsharp steel).

Whatever the mindset andtheinstrument,violence, seriousinjury,ordeathisthe inevitableresult. Toooften, toomanyvictims. Therehas to be a national push that

addresses changing the alcohol culture that overwhelms large swaths of this land. It is not just the terrorinthehome.

The terrors of alcohol have this strangest of expressions in Guyana Violence erupts in public drinkingplaces,notfromthe hand of outsiders and intruders, but from one's owndrinkingpartner. From domestic partners made into victims to drinking partners falling dead at the hand of someone with whom they were sharing good times. This is incredible; and also revealingathowthelevelof control that was once treasured has now gone to thedogs. Isthisviolencean offshoot of social media verbal violence meted out againstoneanother? Orthe conspicuous verbal violence that starts at the top of the power pyramid and seeps down into the mainstream. To a large extent, Guyana could now be considered television country What is blasted out from power circles(aeuphemism)makes

an impression on those down the ladder It is anything goes, and that everybody should chip in and do their part.

If ever there was naked political instigation, that was one, notwithstanding the covering language. I thinkthatwhenthoseheldas heroes,becausetheyareseen as protectors of the tribe, manifest the ready inclination to rage loudly first, then engage in verbal brawls on an ongoing basis, then a certain message is absorbed by watchers, listeners,andfollowers. Itis okay to go to excess. The lawisanass,thereareways toworkaroundit.

Often enough, the reports have emerged where people with much voltage behind them do their dirty deeds,andareleftfreetolaff athowthelawdoesn'tapply to them. It is the kind of virus that catches on fairly easily and quickly At the very least, a certain recklessnessisfostered.

Last,thereisthemayhem

on the roads: one dead, or two, or three. I encounter motorcycles too close for comfort, lose sight of them for a nanosecond, and there theyarecurlingdangerously around the front fender Alcohol is not usually involved.

But speeding is

Drinking leads to killing. Drinking and driving is an incentive to speeding and killing(selforothers). What is my conclusion from all this? Guyana now qualifies to be: a) a happy-go-lucky society;b)aviolentone;c)a malicious and retaliatory one;andd) onewheredeath could be a whisker away And in what was once the mostcomfortingofplaces. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

Manmullslegalactionafter$2.3M vanishesfromScotiabankaccount

A Scotiabank customer is contemplating legal recourse after it was discovered that in excessof$23milliondisappearedfromabank accounthejointlyshareswithhissister

The account holder, Lensworth Blair detailed his harrowing experience in an interview aired by journalist Travis Chase on Tuesday Blairiscallingonthebanktosortthe matteroutsoonest

Blairexplainedthatthesituationunfolded earlier this month, when he discovered that significant sums of cash had been withdrawn from an accountheldbyhimselfandhis sister According to the man, the situation has caused the family much distress and anxiety Kaieteur News contacted officials for Scotiabank for a comment but effortswerefutile

In the meantime, Blair explained that he was only addedtotheaccountonJanuary 28, 2025 “This account was heldbymysisterbutshejoined me to it, reason being to assist herwithaccessingthecash,”Blairexplained

tohappen Infact,thatiswhyshejoinedmeto theaccountforeaseofaccesstothecash Now, I thought it might have been a little glitch maybeIpickedupthewrongslipetc However, on the morning of the 4th I was passing the Robb Street Branch and decided to make a littlecheckandwhentheactualreceiptcame out it was $500,000 less than what came out MondaywhenImadethatinitialwithdrawal.

Recognizing that something was amiss, Blairsaidthathevisitedthebank’smainoffice on Carmichael Street where he lodgedacomplaint

Themansaidthatbeforehisnamecouldbe addedtotheaccount,thebankaskedthatthey producealistofdocumentsandtheycomplied withtherequest

“We had to get things like letter of employment, source of funds etc and after it wasover,wewereabletocompletetheprocess by the January 28 On January 31, my sister askedmetogettosomemoneyforher Iwentto bank’s Carmichael Street branch and did a withdrawal.Atthattime,thesliplookedfairly okay It’s an account that has a couple millionsofdollarsinside,”Blairexplained.

Henotedthathissisteraskedhimtomake anotherwithdrawalonMarch3,2025andthis is when he noticed that a significant amount wasmissingfromtheaccount

Blair said he immediately contacted his sister to find out whether she had made any withdrawals The man said that his sister replied in the negative, which made him suspiciousofthetransaction

“Iknowherconditionwouldnotallowthat

Themanrecountedthat,“A youngladywhoaskedmeaset ofquestionssaidtomethatthe pinandcardontheaccountwas changedsometimeinFebruary I asked how that is possible; don’tweneedtoproduceproof ofIDandthosekindsofthings tomakethechanges?”

Further, given that it is a jointaccount,themanreasoned thatthebankcouldhaveatleast calledoneofthepartiestofind out what is happening Blair saidthatgiventhathisquestionswerenotbeing answered satisfactorily by the junior staff, he wasabletospeakwithasupervisorwhotold himthatthematterisbeinginvestigated.

“This was on March 4th I wrote a letter addressed to the Manager of the Bank SomeonesignedfortheletterandtheManager calledmeonthesaiddayandaskedthatIgive her until Friday where she said the investigationwillbeconcluded,”herecalled

ThemansaidhewaiteduntilFridaybuthe receivednocallfromtheManager

“Ibegantocallherphonearound10,11, 12 times knowing that the bank would be closedaround2:30andafterIgotnoresponse fromher,Ijustwentintothebankmyself.The supervisorspoketomeandgavemethesame old story She even asked if I know a person bythenameof‘SharenBlair’whichsounded alittleclosetomysisterwhoisSharonBlair I toldherno,”herecalled.

Hesaidhissistereventriedtousehercard atthebankandwastoldthatthebankcardis Continued on page 22

Lensworth Blair

ChiefMagistrate’srulingonState’srequesttoaccess Brutus,Nicholson’sbankaccountsdelayedagain

Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty on Tuesday, once again postponed her ruling on the Special Organised Crime Unit’s (SOCU) application to gain access to additional bank records belonging to former Assistant Police Commissioner Calvin Brutus and his co- defendant Corwin Nicholson During the hearing, MagistrateMcGustyadjournedthematter toMarch13,2025withoutfurtherdetails

The State, through Prosecutor David Braithwaite,onJanuary17,2025,filedan

applicationseekingaccesstoBrutus’bank accountaspartofitsinvestigationintothe alleged financial crimes As such, the prosecution requested a banker’s book ordertoaccesstherecords

However,therulinghasfacedmultiple delays due to additional applications made by the defence and further details theprosecutionwasinstructedtoprovide to the court In a previous hearing, the prosecutionalsosoughtaccesstothebank records of Nicholson who is jointly charged with Brutus for conspiracy to

commitcriminaloffences

Brutus,NicholsonandPoliceSergeant LatoyaBrummel,arejointlychargedwith seven counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and obtaining money by false pretence Thechargesallegethat,between December1,2023,andJanuary31,2024,at the Guyana Police Force (GPF) headquarters at Eve Leary, Kingston, Georgetown,thetrioconspiredtodefraud the State They are accused of unlawfully collectingsubstantialsums ranging

Continued on page 22

Former Assistant Commissioner of Police, Calvin Brutus Contractor, Corwin Nicholson

75 Venezuelans turned back

Seventy-five Venezuelan nationals, comprising adults and children, were on Mondayinterceptedbypolice in the vicinity of the Abram Zuil Sea Wall on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two. The 75 Venezuelan nationals comprised 57 adult males, nine adult females, andninechildren

Police in a statement on Tuesday said that the interceptionoccurredatabout 06:45h Monday by the ranks whowereonpatrol

“The Venezuelan nationals were in a boat measuring about forty-five (45) feet in length and eight (8) feet in width powered by two75HPYamahaoutboard engines,”thestatementsaid

F o l l o w i n g t h e interception, members of the Immigration Department were summoned and “it was found that the Venezuelans failed to present themselves

to the Immigration Department or Port of Entry, usingtheAtlanticOcean”

“They were treated humanely, provided with the basic necessities of food and placedataninstitution They were deported today (Tuesday) to their country of origin with the assistance of adequate fuel and other amenities,”thepolicesaid

The interception and subsequentdeportationofthe migrantscomeamidgrowing concernsoverthelargeinflux of Venezuelan here and President Irfaan Ali recently acknowledged that the economic implosion of the neigbouring state’s economy has been contributing to the crisisandithasalsoincreased thevulnerabilityofGuyana’s borders

Speaking at the recent Guyana Defence Force’s

A n n u a l O f f i c e r ’s Conference, he said that criminalscantakeadvantage of the migrant crisis and border vulnerability which will cause an increase in transnational crimes Therefore,heurgedtheGDF to remain vigilant and advance their border managementcapacity,sothat they will be able to intercept anythreats

Only recently, Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, Amanza Walton-Desir criticised the government overwhatshedescribedasits lax approach in formulating and implementing a national foreign policy which will cater to issues such as migration “It is crucial that we address the challenges posed by our porous borders which continue to expose us tosignificantrisksthatcould undermine our national

security, territorial integrity, and social cohesion,” she insisted

Alluding to a Stabroek News article which quoted th

p

immigration, Robeson Benn, saying that it is anticipated that the migrant population will increase in the coming months,”Walton –Desir said

thattodate,thegovernmentis unable to provide a realistic estimate of the number of Venezuelan migrants in the country. “The reason is clear… They simply do not

know It is obvious that the PPP government has lost control over the migrant situation resulting in grave risk to our country’s security and sovereignty.” Walton-

Desir stressed “to mitigate these risks and protect the integrity of our nation, we mustimmediatelyestablisha mandatory migrant registrationsystem.”

CutlassbanditsrobAFC ExecutiveMemberofbike

A 28-year-old Office Assistant was on MondaynightrobbedofhisblackHondaNavi motorcycle, CP 234, along the UG Access Road,Turkeyen,Georgetown

The victim, Onix Duncan, an Executive Member of the Alliance for Change (AFC), saidthathewasattackedinthevicinityofthe GuyanaForensicScienceLaboratory(GFSL)

In an interview with Kaieteur News, Duncan said he was heading south along the UGAccessRoadwhenthetwobanditsarmed with cutlasses pounced on him They were reportedlyridingablackmotorcycle

“I was coming from a northern direction down UG road So, I’m heading south Upon approachingtheforensiclabbuilding,beforeI approach, they rode up next to me and the pillionriderhewastheonethatstretchedover andtriedtoturnthebikeofforpulloutthekeys. Whenthathappened,hedidn’tgettoturnthe bikeofffullysoIguessthebikekindastarted toslowdownbecauseitwasbetweenonand off and the bike started to slow down and that’swhenIfelloffthebike,”hedetailed.

Duncansaidhetriedtopullthekeysfrom the motorcycle and tried to run off “but I couldn’t”

“Igotthekeyringfromthekeybutthekey was left in the bike and that’s when they rode off,” the AFC member recalled The motorcycleisworth$250,000

However, the pillion rider attacked him with a cutlass “The pillion rider dealt him a lashonhisbackwiththecutlasswhichcaused him to fall to the ground,” police said in a statement

When asked if he sustained any injuries,

Executive Member of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Onix Duncan

Duncan responded, “I sustained minor injuries bruisesonmytoesandmyrightfoot whenIfell Ialsogotabruiseonmybackfrom thelashthatIsustainedfromthesuspect”

Meanwhile,Policeinastatementsaidthat the robbery occurred around 23:20 hrs and involvedtwoidentifiablemalesbothofwhom werearmed

“Effortssofartolocatethesuspectsandthe motorcyclehavebeenwithoutsuccess,”police saidinastatement

Severalpersonswerequestionedaspartof theongoinginvestigation

Additionally,onTuesdaymorning,Duncan wenttotheCriminalInvestigationDepartment (CID) Headquarters and provided another statement on the incident He said the police indicated that surveillance footage from the area will be reviewed as part of their investigation

ExxonMobil’s largest oil project aiming to produce 290K barrels of oil,

ByDavinaBagot

ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), the operator of the Stabroek BlockhassubmittedaProject S u m m a r y t o t h e Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), outlining its plantodeveloptheresources in Longtail, Tripletail and Turbot as part of its eight project

In the document seen by this newspaper, the oil giant, which currently has another application pending at the EPA for its seventh projectHammerhead-explainedthat the development has an estimatedlifeof30yearsand isexpectedtocomeonstream by2030

Exxon said, “The Longtail Development Project will develop the Longtail, Tripletail, and Turbot non-associated gas fields, and potentially additional resources, if determinedtobefeasibleand economicallyviable”

Inthemeantime,asanonassociated gas development, theprimaryproducedfluidis non-associated gas, from which condensate will be separated on the Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO), prior to the remaining gas stream being reinjected into the reservoir for pressure maintenance and increased recoveryofcondensate.

According to the Project Summary, gas may be exported from the Longtail project as demand materializes Current plans include non-associated gas production of between 1,000 to 1,500 million Standard CubicFeet(MMscfd)perday ofnon-associatedgasand200 to 290 thousand barrels of condensate per day The FPSO will be able to store approximately two million barrelsofcondensate.

BlackRock Midstream describes condensate as extremely light oil The Longtailprojectwouldbethe largestoffshoredevelopment pursued by the company in Guyana to date Other oil projects were designed to produceupto250,000barrels ofoilperday

Like its other projects, Longtailwillinvolvedrilling of production and injection wells, installation, commissioning, and operations of Subsea Umbilicals, Risers, and Flowlines (SURF), and a FloatingProduction,Storage, and Offloading vessel (FPSO) for handling and offloading of produced

up to 1.5B cubic feet of gas

..three fields to be developed in 8th project

Stabroek

APPROVED DEVELOPMENT

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

BATHYMETRY CONTOURS (m)

GUYANA BLOCKS (EEPGL)

Transverse

hydrocarbons

The Project will utilise marine support vessels as w e l l a s o n s h o r e infrastructure, including but not limited to shorebases, warehouses,storage,andpipe yards, fabrication facilities, fuel supply facilities, and waste management facilities

i n G u y a n a S u c h infrastructure will be used to support the drilling, installation, production, and d e c o m m i s s i o n i n g operations of the Longtail Project.

T h e p r o p o s e d developmentislocatedinthe southeastern portion of the S t a b r o e k B l o c k , approximately 200 km from Georgetown and adjacent to previous Stabroek Projects Exxon has indicated plans to usedrillshipstoproducethe non-associated gas and c o n d e n s a t e f r o m approximately 24 - 60 production and injection wells Thesubseaequipment willbeinstalledatadepthof approximately1,600-2,000 metres.

The proposed FPSO will be a newly built floating facility with double side and single bottom protection, withapproximatedimensions of334mlongby60mwideby 328 m deep, and will be moored on location, approximately 200 km offshore, some 39 km southeast of the Liza Unity FPSO

Exxon explained, “Its mooring system will be designedtokeeptheFPSOon station continuously for the duration of the Project (30 years) Condensate will be storedintheFPSOtanksprior to export to global markets via conventional tankers owned/operated by third parties At production during Longtail operations, the FPSO may offload condensate to conventional tankersapproximatelyevery threetofivedays.”

ABOUTLONGTAIL, TRIPLETAILAND

TURBOT

The Longtail discovery wasannouncedinJune2018

Map showing the location of Exxon’s 8th proposed development - Longtail

Longtail is ExxonMobil’s eighth oil discovery in the StabroekBlock Thewellwas drilled in a new reservoir, encountering approximately 256feet(78meters)ofhighquality,oil-bearingsandstone reservoir Thewellwassafely drilled to 18,057 feet (5,504 meters) depth in 6,365 feet (1,940meters)ofwater The Tripletail discovery was later announced in September 2019 and is ExxonMobil’s 14th oil discovery It encountered approximately 108 feet (33 meters) of a high-quality oil bearing sandstone reservoir andwasdrilledin6,572feet (2,003meters)ofwater

Meanwhile, the Turbot discovery was announced in October2017asExxon’sfifth discovery Thecompanysaid theTurbot-1wellwasdrilled in a new reservoir, encountering 75 feet (23 meters) of high-quality, oilbearing sandstone reservoir

Thewellwassafelydrilledto 18,445feet(5,622meters)in 5,912 feet (1,802 meters) of

Figure 1: Location of the Longtail FPSO within the Stabroek Block

MadurowantstomeetPres.Aliface-to-face

Days after his warships illegally entered Guyana’s waters, threatening ExxonMobil’s operations

offshore, Venezuelan

President Nicolas Maduro now wants President Irfaan Alitomeethimface-to-face. Madurocalledforafaceto-face meeting with the Guyanesepresident during a recent live broadcast aired on Venezuelan national televisiononMarch6,2025.

Venezuela under the leadership of Maduro is indirectly threatening an invasion of Guyana’s Essequibo despite both countries agreeingthatthey will not “directly or indirectly threaten or use force against one another under any circumstance, i n c l u d i n g t h o s e consequentialtoanyexisting controversies (the Guyana Essequibo) between the two

States on December 14, 2023 via the Argyle Declaration signed in St. VincentandtheGrenadines.

VenezuelanCoastGuards illegally entered Guyana’s Stabroek Block and issued a warning to ExxonMobil FPSOS and drill rigs on March1,2025.

The Maduro Regime immediately came under fire from the international community, with the United States of America, France, the United Kingdom, CARICOM, the OAS, and the Commonwealth of Nations showing strong for Guyana.

In response, Maduro, on hisliveshowcalled“Maduro Live De Repente” attacked the Guyanese president and thentriedtobullyhimintoa face-to-facemeeting.

Maduro was at the time responding to messages reportedlysentto him on his show pointing specifically to the recent escalation of tensions between the two countriesovertheEssequibo Region.Oneofthepurported messages sent was read out loudbyMaduro

“From Yaritagua (a rural Venezuelan town) What Nerve with the abuse of Guyana wanting to own our Guyana Essequibo? Thankyou God that we will be having our regional elections, including a governor who will defend our Essequibo (translated fromSpanish).”

Maduro, in response announced the date of the elections before weighing in onthetopic.

He accused Guyana of provoking Venezuela and called President Ali the “Zelenskyy” of the Caribbean.

“Yo he pedido que se convoquedeinmediatodesde hace cinco dias atras, una reunion del acuerdo Argyle paracaraacarademostralea el (Ali) como esta violando losleyesinternacionales.”

The translation says: “I have been asking for a meeting to be convened immediately under the Argyle Agreement for five days now, to demonstrate to him(PresidentAli)howheis violating international laws,”Madurosaid.

The Venezuelan leader then made claims to the Essequiboregion “Sentarsea hablarcaraacaraconmigoo esquetienesmiedo?”

He said, “Sit down and speaktomeface-to-faceor Continuedonpage22

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during his live show

Two men arrested for assaultIng cops ...police also reviewing conduct of ranks

Two civilians were arrested, and two members of theGuyanaPoliceForce(GPF) are under investigation after they were caught on camera involved in a violent brawl on Camp Street, Georgetown last Monday According to Traffic Chief andAssistantCommissionerof Police(ACP)MahendraSingh, the altercation began, when

ranks were exercising their traffic enforcement duties. A videooftheincidentpostedby Jasper Ramcharran on his Facebook page shows a tense moment in which one civilian began recording the scene on hisphone.Inresponse,therank knocked the phone out of the civilian's hand, prompting two other civilians to approach the officeraggressively

This publication observed thatoneofthecivilians,pushed theofficer,whichpromptedthe policeranktoretaliateandthis later led to the fight. As the scuffle continued, another officerarrivedonthesceneand joined the a

n, attacking one of the civilians. At one point, one of the civilians fled into a nearby (Continuedonpage22)

Screen grabs capturing the physical confrontation between the two civilians and ranks on Camp Street, Georgetown (Video credits of Jasper Ramcharran)

$864MNewTuschenSecondaryexpectedtobe completednextmonth – Minister Manickchand

Having gone past its contracted time, the construction ofthe$864millionNewTuschen Secondary School in Region Threeisexpectedtobecompleted next month, Education Minister Priya Manickchand said on Tuesday.Theministerandateam from her ministry visited the projectsiteonTuesday

In a video posted on the Education Ministry's Facebook

page, the minister was seen engaging with contractors about the project. She was given a progress update on some of the works that are yet to be completed. Some of incomplete workisexpectedtobecompleted by April. “So, we are here at Tuschen, which is going to be New Tuschen Secondary school catering for 800 students from this East Bank Essequibo area.

Wehavegonepasttimealittlebit because that is what happens, contractors go past their contracted time. But I am very pleasedtosaythatsofaritseems that they are on course for finishing byApril, which is next month so we hope to start this school by May/June,” the

(Continuedonpage22)

An artist impression of the New Tuschen Secondary School.

PM Rowley rejects Trump's Cuba policy …says T&T will defend right to hire doctors

(Trinidad Guardian)

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has come out in defence of Trinidad and Tobago's sovereignty followingtherecentthreatof US visa restrictions announced by President

D o n a l d T r u m p administration against governments utilising Cuba's overseas medical missions. The programme, which has been vital to healthcare systems across the region for decades, has beendescribedinareportby the Trump administration as constituting “forced labour” and a form of “human trafficking”.

However, while delivering the feature address at the ceremony to mark the practical completion of the $1 3 billion Port-of-Spain General Hospital Central Block yesterday, Rowley tookaimattheTrumppolicy andreaffirmedthiscountry's relationwithCuba. “Werely heavily on healthcare specialists whom we have obtained from India, the Philippines,andmainlyfrom Cubaoverthedecades.

“Out of the blue we're being called human traffickers because we hire technicalpeoplewhowepay

top dollars equal to local rates but we're now being accused of taking part in the programme where people are being exploited. That is someone's interpretation,”

Rowley said of the Trump administration policy Dr Rowley said he was willing to surrender further trips to theUSinanefforttoensure T&T's position is not taken lightly “There are local people here encouraging them to take away our US visas. I came back from California and if I never go backthereagaininmylife,I will ensure that the sovereignty of Trinidad and Tobago is known to its peopleandrespectedbyall.”

Last month, US

Secretary of State Marco Rubio articulated the restrictive policy on Cuba.

“The United States is expanding its Cuba-related visa restriction policy, and the State Department has taken steps to restrict visa issuance to Cuban and complicit third-country government officials and individuals responsible for Cuba's exploitative labour export programme,” Rubio said,addingthattheUSwill promote accountability for the Cuban regime for oppressing its people and

thosewhoprofitfromforced labour On Sunday, US officials and Caricom Foreign Affairs Ministers

met to discuss the ramifications of the Trump administrationpolicy Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne yesterday told Guardian Media that the discussionswerecordialand further talks with other officials, including Rubio, are set to be scheduled.

“Yesterday evening's meeting with US Special Envoy Mauricio ClaverCaronewentextremelywell. His dialogue with me and other Foreign Ministers of COFCOR lasted about one and a half hours and was conducted in a relaxed, engaging, and productive spirit.TheSecretaryGeneral ofCaricomandoneassistant Secretary General were also present with us The discussions were wideranging, with some specific focus on the current US policies on Cuba, and the issuesofmigration,regional security,energysecurity,and Haiti. This was designed as aninitialinterface,andmore substantive exchanges are anticipated in the near future with the Special Envoy, Secretary of State

Brothers in court on damage to property charges

A44-year-old contractor and his brother were placed on $25,000 each when they appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court Monday last on charges of malicious damagetoproperty.

LeonLoweofApartment 3 East La Penitence was charged for maliciously damagingthepropertyofhis brother Kevin Lowe on th February 28 2025 at 3 East La Penitence and Kevin Loweofthesaidaddresswas charged for damaging two electrictweeters.

Leonpleadedguiltywith explanation and Kevin pleaded not guilty after the chargeswerereadtothemby Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore. Leon was charged for maliciously damaging a motor cycle tire valued at $10,500 which belonged to his brother Kevin. Kevin was charged for maliciously damaging two electric tweeters valued at $59,000 propertyofLeon.

The court heard from Leon who stated that on the dayinquestionhewasathis friend's residence for a

Magistrates' Court on Monday posting bail.

birthday celebration while hisbrotherwasoutsideofthe saidevent.

Leon instructed his daughter to not let anyone interferewithhisbelongings and he later found out that Kevin had damaged his tweeters.

Leon approached his b r o t h e r s e e k i n g compensation for the damage but he rode off and later retuned using foul language and told him “do whateveryouwant.”

Headdedthatbecausehe was upset he retaliated by puncturing the motor cycle

Marco Rubio, and other key members of the current US administration.”

Prime Minister Rowley reflected on the state of the country's healthcare system during the yesterday's ceremony, acknowledging the challenges and triumphs in reforming the sector He recounted how the hospital, whichwillbeginitsintakeof patients in July, was a prepandemic vision. “As I read that report sometime before June, it frightened me that sometime in my tenure the CentralBlockcouldbecome a disaster zone because that engineering study in 2009 indicated quite clearly that the Central Block in the city of Port-of-Spain was engineeringly unsound, meaning it had come to the endofitsusefullife.InJune of 2017, having taken the issue to cabinet, the cabinet agreed then, whatever circumstances we were facing, we must address this particularmatter.”

He explained that a magnitude 6.9 earthquake back in 2018 eventually jolted Government into

action. Dr Rowley asserted that throughout his tenure, efforts had been made to prioritisehealthcarewiththe constructionofnewfacilities inbothTrinidadandTobago.

“Throughout my career, I've begged my colleagues and myfellowcitizens,don'tsell this country short. I know there is a lot to be done, I know we fail from point to pointandtimetotimebutin this nation, there is so much wecanbeproudof,wemust acknowledgethatithasbeen goodinmanyareas.”

Primeminister-designate Stuart Young called for a renewed national focus on maintenance during the commissioning ceremony. He emphasised that while the state-of-the-art facility marked a significant achievement in healthcare infrastructure, its long-term success hinged on sustained c a r e a n d p r o p e r maintenance.

Young said efforts must bemadetopreservethe540bed facility “Too often in TrinidadandTobago,weget carried away with the new build and new contract and new feel and we don't maintain things properly, so major Blake and your team and the NWRHA, we the citizens will be looking at you very very carefully,” Youngsaid.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh noted that once the Central Block is outfitted, several healthcare services will return to the facility He also emphasised theimportanceofintegrating teaching into the institution.

“This hospital should become, will become and is becoming the premier teaching facility in the Caribbean Port-of-Spain General Hospital has a rich history of excellence in teaching,”Deyalsinghsaid.

Man killed by stepfather during row at Karasabai

withaknife.“Ihadaknifein my hands and I tried to bore the bike tires but the knife break and ended up cutting myhands.”Leonsaid. Later that said evening Kevin returned with two police officers who inspected the tires and confirmed they were not damagedandKevinrodeoff with the same motor cycle. M

y imposed a $25,000 fine on Leon, while Kevin was placedon$25,000bail.

The matter was adjourned to March 31, 2025.

A 25-year-old labourer was on Monday night stabbed to death by his stepfather during an argument at Karasabai Village, South Pakaraima, RegionNine.

The dead man has been identified as Jonnah Pedro who resides in Normandie, Brazil The suspect, identified as 45-year-old MichaelFrancis,isaresident of Rukumuta Village, South Pakaraima. He is currently hospitalized at the Lethem Regional Hospital after reportedly stabbing himself inthechest.

Police reported that Francis stabbed Pedro about hisbodyaround19:30h.

According to a police statement, before the stabbing occurred Francis, his53-year-oldwifeand18year-old daughter left their home at Rukumuta Village forKarasabaitocollecttheir 'cash grant' which was due fordistributiononMonday Pedro (the victim), who resided in Brazil, reportedly crossedthebordertoGuyana on Monday morning to also collect his cash grant. Upon his arrival at Karasabai, he met with his mother, stepfather and stepsister at

the Region Democratic Council (RDC) office in Karasabai where the cash grantdistributionwastaking place Thereafter, they all wenttoanearbyshopwhere they started to consume alcohol. However, at about 17:00h, they went to the homeofQuincyannAlbert,a 34-year-old housewife of Karasabai, and were sitting onwoodenstoolsintheyard, talking “During their conversation, the suspect began to talk about his brother Moses Francis who was allegedly murdered in Rukumuta Village on 8th March2025,”Policesaid.

Following that, Francis became very aggressive and started to curse and make

threatstokillthepersonwho murdered his brother “He was then rebuked by his stepson(Pedro)whoadvised him to calm down,” police said.

Reports are that Pedro's advice angered Francis and in the presence of the victim's mother and other relatives he allegedly whipped out a kitchen knife from his green haversack and stabbed his stepson in his head, right armpit and right shoulder Pedro ran a shortdistanceawayandfell.

Pedro'smother(suspect's wife) then raised an alarm and his 18-year-old sister, who was in the house at the time,cameoutandthetwoof them held onto Francis and tried to take the knife from him but he overpowered them. Immediately thereafter, Francis stabbed himself in the chest. Both Pedro and Francis were taken to the Karasabai District Hospital where Pedro died. Francis was then transferred to Lethem Regional Hospital where his condition is listed asserious.Heisunderpolice guard.

Investigations are ongoing.

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley, left, chats with Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh as they walk through the newly commissioned Port-ofSpain General Hospital Central Block on Monday

Leon Lowe at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court on Monday posting bail.

Kevin Lowe at the Georgetown

Dead: Jonnah Pedro

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Maduro wants to meet Pres. Ali face-to-face

From page 18 are you afraid?” the Venezuelan President said in his bid to bully the Guyanese President.Guyana and Venezuelaarepresentlybeforethe InternationalCourtofJustice (ICJ) over the territorial controversy TheICJhadordered Venezuelatorefrainfromtaking action that would alter Guyana’s control over the Essequibountilitrulesonthe case. Guyana has since filed in the registry of the InternationalCourtofJustice(ICJ)a request for provisional measures in the case concerning theArbitralAwardofOctober

3,1899betweenGuyanaand Venezuela.Therequestcomes as a result ofVenezuela’s announcement of its plans to hold elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region, which is an integral part of the country’s national territory

Guyana maintains that Venezuela’sintenttoannexan area is in violation of the Court’sOrderofDecember1, 2023 and the fundamental normsofinternationallaw

Guyana has informed the Court that the planned Venezuelan elections are scheduledtotakeplaceonMay25, 2025andwouldinevitablybe

Two men arrested for assaulting....

From page 19 compound, grabbed a spade and struck one of the police officers.During an interview with Kaieteur News, ACP Singh confirmed that an investigation is underway into the conduct of both the police officers and the civilians involved. Singh highlighted that the civilians were arrested for the subsequent assaultoftheranks.Hesaidthe behaviour of the two ranks is bingreviewedindetail.

“Also departmentally the actions of the police are also being reviewed for appropriate action to be taken against them and that speaks to disciplinary action, because the video spoke to what the policedidandwhatthetwodrivers did as well, it's not one way… it's both ways,” he said.Additionally, police are conductinganinternalreview of the officers' actions, particularly their adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) during the traffic enforcement exercise. If the investigation finds that the officers acted outside of protocol or in a manner that underminestheirdutiesorthe reputation of the force, disciplinary action will be taken, accordingtotheTrafficChief.

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preceded by preparatory acts, including acts within Guyana’s Essequibo region, affectingtheGuyanesepopulation and Guyana’s sovereignty over its territory

Asaresult,inordertopreserveitsrights,GuyanaisrequestingthattheCourtorders Venezuelatorefrainfromany acts within or affecting its sovereignterritory,including the Essequibo region.

time Guyana has sought provisional measures from the Court.

“the action of the ranks does not reflect the values and professional conduct of the GuyanaPoliceForce.”

“While two wrongs cannot equate to a right, the GuyanaPoliceForceurgesall such actions to be reported for investigation. Members ofthepublicareremindednot to attack or assault law enforcement officials acting in theexecutionoftheirofficial duties. Such attacks will be investigated, followed by court proceedings,” the statement said. Further, the GPFsaidthatitwillbeengaging in capacity building activities to improve the qualityofserviceprovidedbythe TrafficDepartment.

The conduct of the ranks will be used to ensure an improved quality of service by the Traffic Department via capacity building activities.

Further, Guyana requested the Court to convene hearings on its request as soon as possible, to enable suchprovisionalmeasuresas might be indicated by the Court to be issued before seriousandirremediableprejudice to Guyana’s rights occurs.This is the second

Guyana’sfirstrequestresultedintheCourt’sOrderof December1,2023,inwhichit ordered: “Unanimously, pendingafinaldecisioninthe case,theBolivarianRepublic ofVenezuelashallrefrainfrom taking any action which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby theCo-operativeRepublicof Guyana administers and exercises control over that area.”The ICJ has acknowledged that it has received Guyana’s request for provisional measures in the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy case.

Chief Magistrate’s ruling

From page 14

from$14millionto$14.8million—onmultipleoccasionsfor goods that were never delivered. The prosecution argued that obtaining access to both Brutus’ and Nicholson’s bank records would assist in their investigation, noting that Nicholson, as a contractor, supplied items to Brutus. SOCU sought to compare the bank statements from both individuals during the period in question.However, the defence strongly opposed the prosecution’s request. The defence attorneys argued that the prosecution was “fishing for evidence where none existed,” calling the application “embarrassing” and “dead on arrival.” They urged the court to reject the request, warning that granting it could set a dangerous precedent for themisuseofthecourt’s authority.Followingthesubmissions from both sides, Magistrate McGusty stated she would review the material and make a ruling based on those submissions. Brutus is facing 261 financial crime charges. Also chargedwithsimilarfinancialcrimesby(SOCU)werePolice Sergeant Latoya Brummel, Businessman Corwin Nicholson, Brutus’ Wife Adonika Aulder, his driver Kevin George, and businessmanAsif Zafarally.They are represented by defence attorneys;YubornAllicock, EusiAnderson, Earl Daniels and DominicBess.

Man mulls legal action after $2.3M vanishes....

From page 12 nolongerworking.

The man said that he is now being told that he will need to wait at least 120 days for a thorough investigation to be concluded and the bank has given no reassurance when the money will be refunded. In the interim, Blairsaidhissisterisbecomingincreasingly worried. “…For my sister, this money was part of her retirement plan,” the frustrated mansaidwhilenotingthatthesituationcalls forwiderpubliccondemnationasmanypersonshavecomeforwardsharingsimilarexperiences. He appealed to those affected by similar situations to come forward. Blair is of the view that unless the customers force the banks to make the changes to the system that would better safeguard their finances;therewillbenumerousotheroccurrences.

toldIneedtowait120dayswhentheywillcomplete their investigation, and added to this, it is notthattheyaretellingmethatyouwillgetback the money…”Further, Blair contends that the bank is wholly liable for the disappearance of the money from the joint account.

“Scotiabank is not a small bank…it is connectedtoalargerbankinCanadacalledtheBank of Nova Scotia and it has a lot of security features. And it worries me; this can happen at a bank that is international with so many protocols and features. So, I believe that persons in the bank had something to do with it, not necessarily the hierarchy of the bank…” he opined. He continued: “Although, the government is asking us (the citizens) to have our salary to come through the bank…[and] the bank is not securing our cash or it cannot guarantee that our money in the bank is safe.”

Blairrevealedthatintheinterim,heisworkingwithhislawyertoensurethatthebankreimburses the missing money

“Suppose this was a situation where I wassickandneededthatmoney.Iambeing $864M New Tuschen Secondary expected to be ...

From page 20 completed, the school is going to be one of four new secondary schools that will serve the children of Region Three. The De Willem and Tuschen Secondary Schools have been completed while construction has begun on the $1.3 billion Nismes Secondary The construction of theVreed-en-HoopSecondarySchoolwillbegin shortly.According to Minister Manickchand, when these schools are fully completed, “Region 3 will have universal access to secondary education that means that every child in Region 3 will be comfortably in a secondary school where they can do all the subjects we are offering.”In July 2023, the Education Ministry signed six contracts for the construction of the $864,705,395TuschenSecondaryschool.

Theschoolwillbeafullyreinforcedconcrete one flat structure combined with a circularandcylindricalbuildingoutlinethat is covered in a dome roof.

Atthesigningceremonyitwasrevealed that the building is measured in several blocks from 600 sq. ft. to 7105 sq. ft. The buildingwillalsobebranchedwithseveral scientificandresearchcentres,amulti-purposeandcafeteriahall,astorageandchanging area, a library and document centre.

The school will consist of 24 classrooms to accommodate over 800 students. Thesciencecentrewillbeequippedwitha physics, chemistry and biology lab while the TVET Centre will have industrial and home economics laboratories.

GWI to spend $38M to drill wells at Saxacalli & Aliki

The Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) willextendit'spotablewaterwells programme to the communities of Saxacalli and Aliki in Region

Three. The Water Company will spendapproximately$38millionto drillnewwellsthere. The project which opened

Belowarethecompaniesandtheir bids:GuyanaWaterInc. DrillingofPotableWaterWellsin SaxacalliandAliki,Region3.

Bidder AmountTendered

FabraEnterprise

$33,500,000

R.KissoonContractingService $43,300,000

Engineer’sEstimate $38,664,000

NationalParksCommission

Supplyanddeliveryofpalmtreeslots1to3.

Bidder AmountTendered

SouthwindHealth&Defence

Builders

Victoria man wanted for rape of child under 16

heGuyanaPoliceForce(GPF)onTuesdayissueda

Administration Board (NPTAB) office has attracted two bidders,

Fabra Enterprise and R. Kissoon ContractingServicewhobid$33.5 million and $43.3 million, respectively

MahaicaMahaiconyAbary–Agricultural DevelopmentAuthority(MMA-ADA) Constructionofseedfacilityshedandrehabilitation ofhopperatOnverwagt,WestCoastBerbice.

DBLGroupInc.

Engineer’sEstimate

$44,608,002

$45,466,544

MinistryofAgriculture-FisheriesDepartment Procurementofliftingequipment.

This newspaper understands thattheseprojectswillformpartof the $23.1 billion budgeted for the watersectorthisyear

(ECD).

AnyonewhoseesBennorwhohasanyinformationabout hiswhereaboutsisaskedtocontactthenearestpolicestation.

Mae's Schools officials visit home of dead firefighter

Officials from Mae's Schools on Sunday visited t

n Anderson, the mother of F

V

s h a u n Manbodh, who died after sustaining injuries while respondingtotherecentfire thatdestroyedtheschool.

The fire occurred on March 5, 2025 when Mandobh was on duty While battling the blaze, a portion of the building collapsed on him, causing serious injuries to his neck. He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he succumbedtohisinjurieson Saturday

In a statement, Mae's School expressed heartfelt compassion and solidarity forManbodh'sfamily:“The fire, which broke out on Wednesday, 5th March, caused significant losses and, more importantly, resultedinthelossofoneof our community's heroes,” theschoolstated.

During their visit, representatives of Mae's, including the school's primary administrator, Lucinda McCurdy, and the school's proprietor, Mr David Sugrim, expressed their deepest condolences and offered unwavering support to the grieving family

Firefighter Junior Morrison (centre) receives a token of appreciation from Carol Benn on behalf of Mae's School while fellow teachers look on.

school primary administrator

“We are devastated by the loss of Voshaun Manbodh. His courage and dedicationtoprotectingour community will not be forgotten,”saidSugrim. Similarly, McCurdy said,“WewantedtoletMs. Anderson know that she is not alone; the entire Mae's community stands with her.”

The school's officials also presented a token of appreciation to Manbodh's mother and “listened to the unfortunate events that led tohisdemise.”

T h e o f f i c i a l s “emphasised that his sacrifice exemplifies the braveryandcommitmentof all first responders, making his loss even more regrettable.”

The team also visited Fireman Junior Morrison who was injured in the blaze. He was successfully treatedandlaterdischarged.

The school expressed gratitude to all firefighters, first responders, and community members who haveofferedsupportduring this challenging time and invites the community to join them in honouring the lifeofManbodh.

Shemar Benn

Mae's

Lucinda McCurdy (left) with Deon Anderson (right) at her home

Man gets life sentence for murdering Canada-based Guyanese woman

Christina Yadram, a Guyanese woman living in Canada was carrying an unborn child when she was murdered by lover Wazhir Gafoor, a jury found in an Owen Sound courtroom in Ontario on Wednesday, March5,2025.

A jury found Wazhir Gafoor guilty as charged of the first-degree murder of ChristinaYadraminwhatan Owen Sound trial judge called “the very worst of intimatepartnerviolence.”

He was sentenced on Wednesday to life without the chance of parole for 25 years, the mandatory period prescribedbylawforafirstdegree murder, which was committed more than three years ago in a rented van where he forcibly attempted toaborttheirunbornchild.A jury took about three hours tofindGafoorguiltyoffirstdegree murder ofYadram, a 36-year-old Toronto mother of three girls who was pregnant with Gafoor's son. The trial stretched over six weeks.Gafoor, 32 and of Shelburne was charged two days after Yadram's Oct. 9, 2021 death. He had been carrying on an extra martial relationship with the woman, whose body was found under an abandoned trailer in Northern Bruce Peninsula. Her hands and

feet were bound, she had been gagged and her pants pulleddowntoherknees. Yadram suffered 11 fracturedribs,abrokennose and sternum, and injuries to her neck which contributed but did not cause her death.

Her death was by suffocation, the doctor who didtheautopsyconcluded.

Superior Court Justice GiseleMillertoldGafoorhe took away Yadram's choice tokeepherunbornchild,and thenhetookherlife.Shesaid he abusedYadram's trust by getting her alone on the pretense that they were going away together for Thanksgivingweekend,then by what he did in the van in Moonstone, Ont., and north Barrieofthecounty Miller said she couldn't imagine the fear and pain Yadrammusthavefeltwhen Gafoor took her to a remote area where he'd parked a UHaul van. He bound and gagged her and performed “unspeakable actions on her body”inthebackofthevan, shesaid.Textmessageswere entered during the trial in which Gafoor expressed anger with Yadram for her wanting to keep the baby, which Gafoor repeatedly calleda“paracite.” He purchased supplies, including a speculum medical instrument.Yadram

couldnotbeexcludedasthe source of DNA found on it. He searched online how to cause an abortion and just beforehisarrest,hesearched penalties for murder and manslaughter

Thejuryheardtestimony that Gafoor confessed to the killing to his brother, who thought he remembered Gafoor also telling him he'd chokedYadram.Gafooralso confessed to the killing to a police officer but said he hadn'tmeanttokillher

Miller heard from four membersofYadram'sfamily from Toronto, some of whom wore white hoodies with a picture of her with angel wings and the words “Justice For Christina.” The judge told Gafoor she wanted him to hear the impact his murder had on them Yadram's eldest daughter said her mother wasbeautifulandbrightand she lit up a room. The 18year-old said she felt like a kid crossing the road alone for the first time when she learned her mother was dead.It'sparticularlyhardto seetheharmhermurderhas causedherlittlesisters.

One of Yadram's sisters who is caring for Yadram's kids now, said it's been an emotional, mental and physicalstruggle.

Another sister said she

was “so sad and heartbroken” and said Yadram “always made me feel better.”

Yadram's friend called her an “angel on earth” and called Gafoor a “selfish, arrogant psychopath.” She's seen the hurt he caused Yadram'skidsandsaid“Ican onlybethereforthem.”

M i l l e r f i n i s h e d addressingGafoorbytelling himshehopedhewouldfind peace.

Lead defence lawyer Tony Bryant, who conceded onthelastdayoftrialthathis c l i e n t c o m m i t t e d manslaughterwhiletryingto abort the fetus, said outside thecourtroomthatanappeal is possible.Miller ordered Gafoor not to communicate with a list of people but decided to leave an exceptionforthedaughterhe sharedwithYadram.Gafoor must not contact her but should she one day wish to reach out to him, the order won'tpreventit.

Miller also imposed a DNA order and lifetime firearms and other weapons banonGafoor

The facts weren't so much in contention as whether they amounted to murder

The jury's job was to determine which facts to adopt and whether they fit

murder'slegaldefinition. Bryant said he agreed withCrownattorneyPatrick Clement on a lot of what happened

But he rejected that Gafoorwasguiltyofmurder, saying that's not what his clientintended.

Miller's address to the jury provided detailed steps to follow and questions to answerastheysiftedthrough the evidence to see whether itamountedtomurderinthe first degree, second degree ormanslaughter

A manslaughter conviction would have meant that Gafoor caused Yadram's death unlawfully However, the Crown argued that even though Gafoor didn't intend to killYadram, he meant to perform an abortion of their unborn child,itwasstillmurder

Yadram died by suffocation from gagging and the Crown argued Gafoor was reckless or should have known that Yadram was likely to die by his actions, which would makeitmurder

Aconviction on seconddegree murder requires that Gafoor applied force to Yadram that he knew could kill her The Crown argued that by covering Yadram's mouth and nose, her death wasinevitable.Aconviction on first-degree murder requires, in this case, proof that Gafoor either forcibly confined Yadram or that he sexually assaulted her Both routestofirst-degreemurder involved gagging among actions that restricted her breathingandledtodeath. Ifeitherwerefoundtobe true by the jury, the Crown then had to show that the forcible confinement or the sexual assault were separate acts from the mechanism of her death, which was the gagging.Ifthejurybelieved first-degree murder was via sexual assault, such as by using the speculum medical device,thatwouldhavebeen a distinct act from the gagging, even though it all happened at the same time, theCrownargued.Ifmurder by the confinement route, the Crown argued binding Yadram'shandsandfeetwas oneact,andgaggingherwas the second act, because Gafoor didn't need to gag to forcibly confine Yadram (https://wwwowensoundsu ntimes.com/)

US-Canada trade war escalates as Trump doubles tariffs on metals imports

WASHINGTON/OTTAWA, March11(Reuters)-U.S.President DonaldTrumponTuesdayramped up a burgeoning trade war with Canada, saying he will double tariffssettotakeeffectwithinhours onallimportedsteelandaluminum products from Canada to 50%, amplifying a focus on tariff increases that has sent financial markets reeling and business leaders ringing alarm bells about w e a k e n i n g c o n s u m e r demand.Trump'slatestsalvowasin responsetothepremierofOntario's announcementthathewouldplace a 25% surcharge on the electricity Canada's most populous province supplies to 1.5 million U.S. homes unlessTrumpdropsallofhistariff threats against the northern U.S. neighbor.In a post on his Truth Socialmediaplatform,Trumpsaid he has instructed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to add an additional 25% tariff on the metals products from Canada that will go into effect on Wednesday morning.Tariffstotaling25%onall imported steel and aluminum products originating from other countrieswillstartthatday.

Trump further lashed out at Canada for trade protections it has in place on dairy and other agricultural products, and he threatened to "substantially

increase" tariffs on cars coming into the U.S. that are set to take effect on April 2 "if other egregious,longtimeTariffsarenot likewisedroppedbyCanada."

Ontario Premier Doug Ford wasnotbowed.

"We will not back down. We willberelentless.Iapologizetothe American people that President Trump decided to have an unprovokedattackonourcountry," Ford told MSNBC after Trump's announcement. About 1.5 million homesandbusinessesinNewYork state, Michigan and Minnesota are poweredbytheprovince'sutilities, andTrumpsaidhewoulddeclarea national emergency to mobilize resources to assist the affected areas The latest escalation occurred at a time when there is effectively a power vacuum in Ottawa Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is stepping down and is duetoformallyhandoverpowerto his successor Mark Carney this w e e k C a r n e y , w h o overwhelmingly won the leadership race of the ruling Liberals last weekend, told reporters on Monday he could not speak to Trump until he had formally been sworn in as prime minister Trump's broadside delivered another painful jolt to financial markets, with the

benchmarkS&P500index(.SPX), opens new tab sliding more than 1.0%asinvestorsworrytheimport taxes will hurt U.S. growth and rekindle inflation. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX Composite index ( GSPTSE), opens new tab was down about 0.6%andtheCanadiandollarfellto a one-week low against the greenback.

Since hitting a record high about a month after Trump's inauguration,theS&P1500indexamong the widest measures of the U.S.stockmarket-haslostatleast $5trillioninvalue,ablowtowealth that could also stymie household spending.Trumpissettomeetlater on Tuesday with about 100 chief executives of U S firms as evidence grows that his trade policiesareposingadownsiderisk totheeconomy,threateningtodash a "soft landing" that until recently appeared as the base case and reignite inflation. Whether any of them will be willing to raise such concerns directly with Trump is unknown. Ahead of the gathering, however, businesses ranging from airlines to department stores said his fast-shifting trade policies are starting to have a chilling effect across many industries, as consumers pull back on purchases of everything from basic goods to

travel.

CONFIDENCETAKESAHIT

Broader25%leviesonallsteel andaluminumimportedtotheU.S. from anywhere are due to take effect early on Wednesday, and anotherroundoftariffsonautosas well as tit-for-tat reciprocal tariffs arelinedupforearlyApril.Canada andChinahaveretaliatedwiththeir own tariffs on U.S. exports, while Mexicostoppedshortofretaliation after Trump delayed his planned levies on the southern U S neighbor The metals tariffs will apply to millions of tons of steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and other countries that had been entering the U.S. on a dutyfreebasisundercarve-outs.Trump has vowed that the tariffs will be applied "without exceptions or exemptions" in a move he hopes will aid the struggling U S industries Trump's promise to doublethemetalsleviesonCanada sent some aluminum prices soaring. Price premiums for aluminum on the U.S. physical market climbed to a record high above $990 a metric ton on Tuesday.Trump's hyper-focus on tariffssincetakingofficeinJanuary has rattled investor, consumer and business confidence in ways that economists increasingly worry

could cause a recession. A small business survey on Tuesday showedsentimentweakeningfora thirdstraightmonth,fullyerodinga confidence boost following Trump's November 5 election victory,andasurveyofhouseholds by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Monday showed consumers growing more pessimistic about their finances, inflationandthejobmarket.

Reuterspollsofeconomistslast weekshowedriskstotheMexican, Canadian and U.S. economies are piling up amid a chaotic implementation of U.S. tariffs that has created deep uncertainties for businesses and decision-makers. The surveys showed 70 of 74 economists polled across Canada, theU.S.andMexicojudgedthatthe risk of a recession had increased, and upside risks to inflation in the U.S.roseinparticular

Speaking after the close of trading market on Monday, Delta AirLines(DAL.N),opensnewtab CEO Ed Bastian warned that economic worries among consumers and businesses were alreadyhurtingdomestictravel.

“Wesawcompaniesstarttopull back.Corporatespendingstartedto stall," Bastian told CNBC "Consumers in a discretionary businessdonotlikeuncertainty."

Toronto-based Guyanese, Christina Yadram

of Culture, Youth & Sports launch historic National U-21 Inter-Club 50-Over Cricket tournament

-MinisterRamsonannouncesCampforpacers,urgesSportsAssociationstocontinuestrengtheningrelationshipwithGovernment

By Clifton Ross

The Ministry of Culture, Youth & S p o r t s b y extension Minister Charles Ramson Jr and the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) broke historic ground with the launching of the 'One Guyana' National Under-21 Inter-Club 50-Over tournament.

Bridging the gap between youth and senior cricket, the entities broke new ground at the Guyana National Stadium yesterday

afternoon, where Minister Ramson, National Sports Commission (NSC) head Steve Ninvalle, GCB president Bissoondyal Singh, Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) president Deleep Singh, Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) president Dr Cecil Beharry, currentWest Indies Fielding Coach and Former Guyana Assistant Coach Rayon Griffith, among other executives of the GCB and members of the Ministry werepresent.

During his remarks, Dr

Beharry said he was pleased with what he called an investment in cricket, more so the youth a d d i n g t h a t t h e competition will bridge the gap between junior and senior levels, while offering opportunities to late developers and those talents which may have fallen under the radar; to show th

cricketers.

ECB president and GCB vice-president Singh, believedthatthetourneywill beputtogooduseasameans

Wednesday March 12, 2025

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Get ready for at least one festivesocialoccasiontoday, Aries!Youmightcrosspaths withsomefascinatingpeople in unique professions, like filmorTV

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Today, you're feeling especially adventurous, Gemini The familiar surroundings might seem a bittoocloseforcomfort.

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Today's intense dream or vision,Cancer,couldsignala spiritual breakthrough It might leave you in a contemplativedazeasyoutry tomakesenseofit.

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of preparing for future c o m p e t i t i o n a n d tournaments which are on thecalendarofactivities.

Singh added that Essequibo Cricket has been on an upward trajectory for almost 3 years with new Region One territories MabarumaandPortKaituma being added to the mix for thefirsttime.

He pointed out that this new format will most definitelyhelptofurtherbuff thelevelofcricketacrossthe Cinderella County, Guyana andWestIndies.

Givingabitofinsightto the goals of the tournament, GCB boss Singh said this move provides additional chances for younger players to grow before venturing into the senior/international waters.

He thanked Minister Ramson for personally contributing to the venture while crediting His Excellency President Irfaan Ali and his team for the holistic, continued commitmenttowardscricket andsportsinGuyana. Singh added that the

needofastructuredpathway, across the respective levels is crucial ahead of one's international journey He closed by challenging the players and teams to play competitive, professional cricket while wishing the bestofluck

Meanwhile, the feature addressbyMinisterRamson touched on a number of topics, but first highlighted how Guyana has lost talent because players could not makeanU19teaminthepast due to a lack of structure, something he said is re

p

nsible fo

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he success in sports He cited the lack of stepping-stone, which resulted in a lack of opportunities, as more time spent working on one's craft from a younger stage produces a finished product which is suitable for playing professional cricket

“Talent capitalization, but you can't get it without structure and playing in the middle”, said the Minister who called on sports associations to foster stronger relationships with the Government and the NSC, who are keen on g i v i n g t h e i r f u l l support to the growth o f a l l s p o r t i n g activities acrossGuyana.

A n o t h e r h u g e announcement made by Ramson, wasa challenge he pitched out to Cricket West Indies (CWI) after announcing that the additional Stadiums which are being erected across the country, will be ready for play before the year ends; offering CWI the opportunity to host any tournament they choose in Guyana; making use of suchvenuesfreeofcost.

A fast-bowling camp which will be conducted by the GCB is also in the pipelines, as the mission to recruit and scout the necessarypacetalentsforthe future will get underway soon with the Ministry makingatimelydonationof speedgunsforuseduringthe camp.

The National U21 Tourneyissettobowloffina few weeks' time, with additional information to be announced in the days to come.

Vanuatu revokes citizenship of fugitive Indian ex-IPL cricket boss

BBC News - The prime minister of Vanuatu has ordered the cancellation of a passport issued by the island nation to fugitive Indian businessman Lalit Modi, who is wanted by Delhi in a corruptioncase.

The order came three days after India confirmed that Mr Modi had got citizenship of Vanuatu, a stringofmorethan80islands inthePacificOcean.

Mr Modi, the former chief of the Indian Premier League (IPL), is wanted for allegedlyriggingbidsduring his tenure as the head of the world's richest cricket tournament.

Mr Modi, who has been living in the UK since 2010, has always denied the allegations.India has made several unsuccessful attemptstoextraditehim.

OnFriday,India'sforeign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told

reporters that Mr Modi had applied to surrender his IndianpassportinLondon.

"We are also given to understand that he has acquired citizenship of Vanuatu.

Wecontinuetopursuethe case against him as required underlaw,"Jaiswalhadsaid.

The news of Mr Modi becoming a Vanuatu citizen hadmadeheadlinesinIndia, wherehewasoncethefaceof theglamorous,cash-richIPL tournament.

He was a regular presenceonthesocialscene, rubbing shoulders with Bollywood stars and India's elite But on Monday, Vanuatu's Prime Minister Jotham Napat announced that his country had decided to cancel Mr Modi's citizenship.

Napat said a Vanuatu passport was a "privilege" and that "applicants must seek citizenship for

legitimatereasons".

"Noneofthoselegitimate reasonsincludeattemptingto avoid extradition, which the recent facts brought to light clearly indicate was Mr Modi's intention," a media release quoted Napat as

HarpyEagles,RedForceseparated bylessthanfivepointsheadinginto fifthroundofWestIndiesChampionship

SportsMax - Defending champions, the Guyana Harpy Eagles, will enter the fifthroundofthe2025West Indies Championship with a slight3.4-pointleadoverthe Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in the points standings.

Both teams each have three wins and a draw throughfourroundswiththe Harpy Eagles having amassed 81.2 points, so far, againsttheRedForce's77.8.

With three wins and a loss, the Barbados Pride are

third on 73 points while the Leeward Islands Hurricanes areadistantfourthwith54.4 points after two wins, a loss andadraw

The Windward Islands Volcanoes are fifth with 42 points after recording their first win of the season, bouncing back from two lossesandadrawinthefirst threerounds.

Three losses in a row after a first-round victory have the Jamaica Scorpions insixthon35.6pointswhile the Combined Campuses

and Colleges and West Indies Academy have 20.6 a n d 1 9 6 p o i n t s , respectively, in seventh and eighthwithidenticalrecords ofthreelossesandadraw Round five bowls off today, Wednesday with the Harpy Eagles facing the VolcanoesatProvidence,the Red Force travelling to Kensington Oval to take on the Pride, the Scorpions facing the Academy at CoolidgeandtheHurricanes facingCCCattheSirVivian RichardsStadium.

Defending champions, the Guyana Harpy Eagles, enters round 5 of the 2025 West Indies Championship with a slight 3.4-point lead over the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force.

Mr Modi's application for a passport had shown no criminalconvictions.

But, he added, that in the past 24 hours, he had been madeawarethatInterpolhad twice rejected India's requests to issue an alert notice on Mr Modi, citing a lack of "substantive judicial evidence".

"Anysuchalertwould've triggered an automatic rejection of Mr Modi's citizenship application," the releaseadded.

The move is likely to bring relief to Indian authorities. Unlike the UK, Vanuatu does not have an extraditiontreatywithIndia.

saying.

He said that background checks and Interpol screenings conducted during

Extraditiontreatiesallow repatriation of people accused of crimes between countries.

A day earlier, Mr Modi

wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that there were no cases pending against him in any court in India and accused the media of peddling "fake news" abouthim.

M r M o d i w a s instrumental in founding the IPL in 2008, which has now become a multi-billiondollarindustry

The main accusations against Mr Modi relate to rigging bids during the auction of two team franchisesin2010. He was also accused of selling broadcasting and internet rights without authorisation.

In 2013, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) banned Mr Modi from any involvement in cricketactivitiesforlife.

ShaiHopestrengthens BarbadosPride forcrucial clashagainst RedForce

SportsMax - Barbados Pride have added Shai Hope to their squad for their crucial West Indies Championship fifthround showdown against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, as they continue their push for the title. The much-anticipated contest,whichcouldmakeorbreakeither team's championship ambition, is set to bowlofftoday,WednesdayatKensington Oval.

Hope,31,joinsanalreadystar-studded Pride lineup, which in recent rounds has welcomed back senior players such as Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Kraigg Brathwaite, and Kemar Roach, all of whom missed the Championship opener duetooverseascommitments.Hereplaces injuredall-rounderKyleMayers.

Though he has not played first-class cricket in two years, Hope's return provides a major boost to Pride's batting, adding depth alongside Brathwaite, Jonathan Drakes, and Chase, all of whom havebeeninsuperbformthisseason.

Hope, a proven performer, is best remembered for his twin centuries at Headingley in 2017, which cemented his status as a top-order stroke-maker While his Test career stalled, Hope successfully transitionedintoaT20franchisestar,ashe excelledintheCaribbeanPremierLeague for Guyana Amazon Warriors and broke intotheWestIndiesT20squad.Hehasalso featuredingloballeaguesliketheIPL,the

Australian Big Bash, and the ILT20 in Dubai earlierthisyear

Now,hisreturntothefour-dayarenacomes atapivotalmoment,withPridecurrentlythirdin the standings on 73 points, trailing only Red Force (77.8 points) and leaders Guyana Harpy Eagles(81.2points).

After a heavy opening-round defeat to Guyana, Pride rebounded in dominant fashion, having secured three consecutive wins—an innings and 54-run victory over West Indies Academy, a nine-wicket triumph over Jamaica Scorpions, and a three-day rout of Combined CampusesandColleges(CCC)—onthetrot.

Meanwhile, Red Force, who boast the tournament's leading run scorer Jason Mohammed and top bowler Khary Pierre, remain unbeaten, with dominant innings victories over CCC and Windward Islands Volcanoes, followed by a draw with Leeward IslandsHurricanesanda125-runwinoverWest IndiesAcademyinroundfour

With both teams in top form, this matchup promisestobeathrillingbattleforsupremacyin thechampionshiprace.

Apart from Hope's inclusion, fast bowler Jair McAllister has been called up in place of off-spinnerChaimHolder

BarbadosPrideSquad:KraiggBrathwaite (captain), Leniko Boucher, Roston Chase, Jonathan Drakes, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Jair McAllister, Zachary McCaskie, Kemar Roach, Ramon Simmonds, JomelWarrican,KevinWickham

ShaiHope

Lalit Modi is wanted by Indian authorities in a major corruption case. (GettyImages)

NSC, Office of the DPP to host Criminal Law and Sexual Offences Act meeting

Inaproactivemovetofosterasaferandmoreresponsible sporting environment, the National Sports Commission (NSC), in collaboration with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), will be hosting a meeting on Saturday,March22,attheCliffAndersonSportsHallfrom 10:00a.m.

Themeetingisamandatoryengagementforallexecutive membersofNationalFederationsandAssociations.

The focus will be on criminal law, with a special emphasisontheSexualOffencesAct.Discussionswillbeled by Assistant DPP, Tiffini Lyken, and the DPP's Communications Officer, Liz Rahaman, who will provide essential insights into legal matters affecting the sporting landscape.

The initiative is particularly significant as it coincides with International Women's Day and Women's Month observances, reinforcing the collective commitment to raising awareness and strengthening the fight against domesticviolence,includingsexualviolence.

Notably, the meeting will address critical issues surroundingtheprotectionofwomenandchildren,ensuring that all stakeholders within the sporting fraternity are wellinformed and equipped to contribute to a safe and just sportingcommunity

With increasing global attention on safeguarding individuals in sports, the forum presents an invaluable opportunity for sports administrators to understand their legalobligationsandresponsibilities.

The discussions will highlight preventative measures, legal repercussions, and the role of sports organizations in fosteringacultureofrespectandaccountability

TheNSCurgesallinviteestomakeeveryefforttoattend this essential meeting, as the insights gained will not only enhancegovernancewithinsportsbutalsocontributetothe overallwell-beingandsecurityofathletesandofficialsalike.

Smriti Mandhana hit a half-century for the winners.

SportsMax-HayleyMatthewsand the Mumbai Indians Women ended the league phase of the 2025 Women's Premier League (WPL) with an 11-run loss to defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore Women at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday

RCB, after being put in to bat by Mumbai skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, postedarespectable199-3fromtheir20 overs at the crease thanks to 53 off 37 ballsfromcaptainSmritiMandhanaand 49* off 38 balls from Australian allrounderEllysePerry

Mandhana's knock included six foursandthreesixeswhilePerryhitfive

foursandasix.

Mumbai Indians end WPL league phase with 11-run loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore

RichaGhoshalsoplayedwellfor36 off 22 balls including five fours and a sixwhileGeorgiaWarehamalsohitfive foursandonesixonherwayto31*off just10balls.

Matthewspickedup2-37fromfour overs.

Mumbai then fell agonizingly short oftheirtarget,reaching188-9intheir20 overs.

Nat Sciver-Brunt led the way with 69off35ballsincludingninefoursand two sixes while Sajeevan Sajana and Harmanpreet made 23 and 20, respectively

Matthews also looked good for her

19off16ballsatthetopoftheinnings. Sneh Rana took 3-26 from her four overswhileKimGarthandEllysePerry eachendedwithtwowickets.

As a result of the loss, the Mumbai Indians finished second on the points standings on 10, trailing the Delhi Capitalsonnetrunrate.

This means Mumbai will take on Deandra Dottin's Gujarat Giants in the eliminatoronThursdaywiththewinner facingtheCapitalsinSaturday'sfinal.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru 199 for 3 (Mandhana 53, Perry 49*, Ghosh 36, Matthews 2-37) beat Mumbai Indians 188 for 9 (Sciver-Brunt 69, Rana3-26)by11runs.ic-

GrenadaFAsecureshistoricfriendlyagainstRussia

SportsMax - Marlon Glean, President of the Grenada FootballAssociation (GFA), has emphasized the historic importance of the Grenada senior men's upcoming international friendly against Russia scheduledforMarch19.

ThislandmarkmatchmarksthefirsttimeGrenada will compete on Russian soil, a move that Glean said reflects the GFA's ambitious efforts to expand its international presence and strengthen its national team.“We are excited about this opportunity to play againstRussia,”Gleansaid.“Thismatchwillallowour playerstogaininvaluableexperienceanddemonstrates theGFA'scommitmenttonationalteamdevelopment. Competingonsuchastageisadreamformanyplayers, andI'msuretheyarereadytoembracethischallenge," he added.Grenada's high-profile match against 34thranked Russia is expected to garner significant attention. Beyond its historic significance, the fixture provides Grenadian players with a rare chance to test their skills against a top-tier opponent. It is part of GFA's broader long-term strategy to enhance the competitivelevelofGrenadianfootballandexposeits playerstogreaterinternationalopportunities.

By competing against a well-established footballing nation, Grenada hopes to increase player visibilityon the global stage, potentiallyattractingthe attention of international clubs and scouts. The match also serves as a crucial learning experience to assist playerstoadapttohigh-intensityinternationalfootball andrefinetheirgameforfuturechallenges.

Alcaraz powers into Indian Wells last 16, Sabalenka, Gauff, Keys advance

AFP - Two-time defending championCarlosAlcarazpowered past in-form Canadian Denis Shapovalov6-2,6-4onMondayto continue his march toward a rare Indian Wells ATP Masters threepeat.

The world number three from Spain booked his place in the last 16withaclinicalvictory,breaking Shapovalov in the opening game with a blistering forehand down thelineasheroaredtoa5-0lead.

Alcarazsaidthequickstartwas key against an opponent coming offatitleinDallasandasemi-final runinAcapulco.

"Iknewatthebeginningofthe match that I had to be really focused. I had to start the match reallystrong,knowingitwasgoing tobeareallytoughbattle,"Alcaraz said.

He saved three of the four break points he faced and converted four of his eight chances,sealingthematchwithan overhead that Shapovalov could barelygethisracquetto.

Pleased with his performance, Alcaraz said there were still a few thingshecouldimproveashetries to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win three straight titles in the Californiadesert.

In other matches, world number four Taylor Fritz, the Indian Wells champion in 2022, saidhe"juststoppedmakingsuper random mistakes" to turn things

Carlos Alcaraz returns to Denis Shapovalov on Stadium 1 during the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., on Monday, March 10, 2025. (Photo The Desert Sun)

around in his 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory overChileanAlejandroTabilo.

"For the first set and a half, I just, for no reason, was just missing balls. I couldn't even imagine, I don't know why I was missing them," added the American, who had 43 unforced errorsto32winners.

Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, ending the run of the Dutch lucky loser who toppled 24-time Grand Slam

champion Novak Djokovic in the secondround.

Cerundolo next plays

Australian ninth seed Alex De Minaur, who cruised past Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-0 to post his 50th match win at the Masters 1000 level.

While upsets have claimed men's top seedAlexander Zverev, fourth seed Casper Ruud and number six Djokovic, the top five women's seeds are all safely into thefourthroundaftervictoriesfor

world number one Aryna Sabalenka, third-ranked Coco Gauff and fifth-ranked Australian OpenchampionMadisonKeyson Monday.

Sabalenka said her 6-1, 6-2 victory over 62nd-ranked Lucia Bronzetti wasn't as easy as it looked, thanks in part to the unpredictable Stadium Court wind.

"I had to fight for every point andI'msuperhappywiththewin," said Sabalenka who next faces

British lucky loser Sonay Kartal, whobeatPolinaKudermetova7-5, 6-3.

Keys'sstruggleswereobvious, but the American who shocked Sabalenka in the Melbourne final gutted out a 6-2, 6-7 (8/10), 6-4 victoryoverEliseMertens.

Unable to convert two match points as she served at 5-3 in the secondset,Keysblewtwomorein the tiebreaker before finally polishing off the 28th seed from Belgium in two hours and 48 minutes.

"It'sjustaboutsurviving,"said Keys, who admitted she was findingittrickytomanageherown expectations in her first tournament since capturing her maidenmajor

"Today,obviously,Idon'tthink Iplayedmybestlevel,andIthink that was more frustrating just because I'm starting to expect a littlebitmoreofmyself,"shesaid.

Gauff cleaned up her service game to pull off a 7-6 (7/1), 6-2 victory over Greece's Maria Sakkari — who beat Gauff in the semi-finalslastyearonthewayto asecondIndianWellsfinalinthree years.After producing 21 double faults in a three-set victory over Moyuka Uchijima, Gauff had just nine—sixoftheminashakyfinal game.

"Resilience I guess," Gauff said of what she'll take from the win. "Overall it was much better thanthepreviousmatch."

Grenada senior men are set for an international friendly against Russia on March 19.

Windies Women's coach Deitz excited by T&T's Samara Ramnath's potential; lauds other young prospects from Super50 Cup

SportsMax-WestIndies women's head coach Shane Deitz has welcomed the variety shown by young Trinidad andTobago spinner Samara Ramnath, as he believesshecouldbeaforce fortheseniorteaminthenear future.

Ramnath, who captained the West Indies Under-19 women's team at the World Cup a few months ago, was o

performers in the CG United

Wo m e n ' s S u p e r 5 0 tournamentinSt.Kitts.

The 17-year-old's 13wickethaul—themostinthe tournament—caught Deitz's attention, particularly her ability to mix leg breaks to right-handers and off breaks to left-handers, an approach he believes will make her a major asset in white-ball cricket.

“I love it that she's bowlingalotmorelegbreaks to the right-handers, and I think that's something movingforwardthatcouldbe arealweaponforher,”Deitz said during a virtual media briefing.

“With Afy Fletcher not gettinganyyounger,there'sa spotforawristspinnerinour team, so she's really impressive. Her batting has potentialaswell,butthereare a few things she needs to work on and improve,” he added.

Ramnathplayedacrucial role in helping the Trinidad andTobagoRedForceDivas secure the title for the first time since 2017, as they overcame a slow start in the tournament to defeat Barbadosinthefinal.

Deitzpraisedthewaythe team adjusted after an

opening-game loss, highlighting their strategic approachandexecution.

“Itwasreallygreattosee

Trinidad fight back from a lossintheirfirstgametotake out the title. They really had some good plans and executed them well,” he noted.

A major part of that executioncamefromcaptain Karishma Ramharack, who led from the front with 12 wickets just one behind Ramnath Deitz lauded Ramharack'scaptaincy,ashe pointed out how her leadership has helped solidifyherroleinthesenior WestIndiesteam.

“She was just probably fighting for a spot for a long time in the senior team, and now she's well-established and ranked in the top 20 bowlers in the world. She's really been putting her mark on the senior team and filtered that through to the players,”Deitzsaid.

While bowling was the strong suit for the Divas, Deitz also saw potential in young batters Shunelle Sawh, 20, and Djenaba Joseph, 21, who grew in confidenceasthetournament progressed.

“Ithoughttowardtheend ofthetournament,Sawhand Joseph started to look more positive and took the attack totheopposition.

They are two talented batterswhoneedtotakethat next step and really push for

opportunities,”Deitzshared.

Another batter who caught Deitz's attention was

Grimmond,20,whohasbeen working closely with the

coaching staff to refine her game.

“She really impressed. She can score fast when needed, but she also proved that she can bat for long periods, which is just as important.

Plus, she's a really good fielder,”Deitzstated.

While the tournament showcased emerging young talents, Deitz acknowledged there was still work to be done, particularly on the battingfront.

“With the ball, we saw some really good young players stepping up, but battingremainsakeyareafor improvement,”heended.

Shunelle Sawh (right) and Djenaba Joseph.

Shane Deitz

Samara Ramnath

Linden Schools dominate opening day

Linden stole the show on the opening day of the Inaugural National Secondary Schools Track & Field C/ships.

The inaugural National

Secondary Schools Track & Field Championships got off to an exciting start at the National Track andFieldCentreinEdinburgh,with schools from Linden, particularly MackenzieHighSchool,settingthe pace with dominant performances acrossmultipleevents.

Following inspiring speeches from Minister of Education Priya Manikchand, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr , and other officials, the competitioncommencedinearnest, marking the return of the longstanding school athletics meet, which was revamped after being shelvedin2024.

Linden athletes wasted no time in asserting their dominance, with Timothy Smith of Harmony Secondary winning the Boys' 5000m in a commanding time of 17:02.40.Hefinishedwellaheadof Mahaicony Technical Institute's David Bowell (18:26 92) and President's College's Mikael Antigua(18:27.64),settingthetone fortheday

NationalTableTennischampion Ebo McNeil, known for his versatility,provedhismettleonthe trackaswellbyclinchingvictoryin theBoys'U173000m.

The Mackenzie High School studentcrossedthelinein10:07.32, narrowly edging out Sand Creek

- Inaugural National Secondary Schools Track & Field C/ships off to exciting start

Secondary's Colin Bernard (10:07.43).MahaiconySecondary's PaulDavidfinishedadistantthirdin 11:29.07.

Linden's female athletes also shared the spotlight, with Mackenzie High School's Donnel Fraser winning the U20 Girls' 3000min12:36.16.

She held off a strong challenge from Richard Ishmael's Kaymayra Lacon(12:37.42),whileRegion9's Emily Cyrill of Marurunau Secondary secured third place (13:12.36).

Linden schools continued to rule the sprint events, as Wisburg Secondary'sTesiannaHarrisblazed to a 12.56-second win in the Girls'

National Table Tennis champion Ebo McNeil, of Mackenzie High School, cruising to win the Boys' U17 3000m

U15 100m, ahead of The Bishop's High School's Shania Thompson (12.70s) and Freeburg's Lenesha Headly(14.07s).

Omari Welch (11.61s) won the U15 Boys' 100m title, edging out Jermaine Caster (11 71s) and BabitoWilliams(11.95s).

In the Girls' U17 100m, Christianburg Wismar Secondary's Angel Jeffrey kept Linden's winning streak alive with a scorching12.52sfinish,beatingout Bladen Hall Secondary's Abicke Edwards (12.62s) and Mahaicony Secondary's Quinyla Burnette (12.72s).

The Boys' U17 final was a thriller, with Mahaicony Secondary's Ezekiel Millington (10 74s) narrowly edging Mackenzie High School's Gordon Thompson(10.78s).

AnupsetintheBoys'U20100m saw Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary's Skylar Charles storming to victory in10.69s,aheadofEastRuimveldt's Onesi Dunn (10 93s) and President's College's Lequacey Brumell(11.01s).

In the Girls' U20 final, Mackenzie High School's Adessa Albert struck gold with a 12.26s finish, outpacing The Bishop's High'sShelanaSemple(12.73s)and Mahaicony Secondary's Leanna Fraser(12.78s).

Linden athletes also showcased their prowess in the field events. Mackenzie High School's Malachi MontoothwontheBoys'U15High Jump, clearing 1.63m, ahead of Line Path Secondary's De Quone Ross (1.60m) and D.C. Caesar Fox Secondary School's Thaddea WilliamsfromRegion7. The U20 Boys' High Jump saw Linden Technical Institute's Rodel Greene soar to 1.95m to claim victory over President's College's Immanuel Adams (1 85m) and Queen's College's Owen Hooper (1.70m).

In the Girls' U15 High Jump, Karaburi Secondary's Camille Sinclair took gold with a leap of 1.35m, defeating Mackenzie High School'sLatifaGeorge(1.35m)and St Ignatius' Shontelle Jobe (1.30m).

Top notch entries for feature event as more sponsors hop on board Kennard Memorial Phagwah Horserace meet on Sunday

BySamuelWhyte

Most of the

country's top horses have takenentryforthefeatureC1 and lower event of the Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) Phagwah one dayhorseracemeet.

Theeventwhichissetfor thisSundayMarch16,atthe club's prestigious Bush Lot Farm Corentyne, Berbice racetrack and has also attractedmoresponsors.

The much-anticipated event has six-races carded forthedaywithapalpitating $6M in cash, trophies and otherprizesavailableforthe winners and other outstandingperformers.

ThefeatureC1andlower contest, compliments of Metro Stationery and Office Supplies, is expected to be a riveting affair Most of the country top horses have entered to compete for the hefty $1 2M and trophy available over 7 furlongs. The likes of Bossilina, Beckham James, Stolen

Money, John Bull, Spankhurst, Ritorna Vincetori and Stormy Victory will be looking to storm to victory in what is expected to be a ding-dong battle.

An interesting field has been lined up for the F class and lower event. Horses such as Morning Colours, Creemore, Beckham James, Forlance Kingdom and Full Forcewillbegoingfullforce to capture the $400,000 and trophyoversevenfurlongs.

The race for horses classified H and lower has a winningtagof$350,000and atrophyoversevenfurlongs.

Fans will be looking forward to the race for three years-old Guyana Bred horses which carried a winner's prize of $300,000 andtrophyoversixfurlongs. It's anybody's race in event for J and lower horses for the $300,000 and trophy winningprize.

Similar anxieties are being touted for the L-class openracewhichalsocarried a winners take of $300,000 andtrophy

Addedtothesponsorship listareSylvie'sVarietyStore, Hand In hand Insurance Company,RSinghandSons, and they join the likes of Metro Stationery and Office supplies, The Trophy Stall, Continental Group of Companies the provider of Torginol Paints, Mike Pharmacy, Mrs Chand Kennard and Family, Blue Seenarine and Surendra Ganesh. The Nand Persaud groupofCompaniesarealso expectedtoplayamajorpart. That information will be finalizedsubsequently The KMTC is in excellentshapeandhordesof fansareexpectedtothrongto the venue for a fascinating dayofracing.

Outstanding individual performers, including top jockey, top trainer and top stable will be rewards compliments of the Trophy Stall.

Interested persons can contact Satish Bowan on 610- 0250, Isaac Dalloo at 689-0629, Fazal Habibullah at 657-7010, T Jagdeo at 618-7278, Campton Sancho 682-8550 or Ropnauth Sewsankar at 678-6722 for furtherdetails.

Bossilina, Stolen Money, Spankhurst

With the absence of a functioning Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA), the event will be conducted usingtherulesoftheKMTC. Racetimeis12:00hrs.

The track at the KMTC is in excellent condition.

GCB/Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports launch historic

- Minister Ramson announces Camp for pacers, urges Sports Associations to continue strengthening relationship with Government

Sports

Minister of Sports Charles Ramson Jr. (center) alongside GCB president Bissoondyal Singh (right), NSC boss Steve Ninvalle (left) flanked by other members of the GCB, ECB and BBC, Ministry/NSC and players following yesterday's groundbreaking launch at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Mackenzie High School'sAdessaAlbert had a dominant performance to win the Girls U20 100m. (MOE photo)