Kaieteur News

K

AIETEUR NEWS

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

Oil production Thursday Edition licences still in March 04, 2021 - Vol. 14 No. 08

p. Online: www.kaieteurnews.com 3 Online Price $80

secrecy, 5 months later

readership yesterday 139,597

High ranking Venezuelan official proposes including Essequibo in Constitution - Powerful Commission discusses Venezuela’s next moves with military leaders p.

3

- Venezuela to conduct military - Reinforces rejection of ICJ’s activity in Essequibo jurisdiction in border case

Sixth FPSO by 2027 - Exxon says first six could wipe out half of Guyana’s proven reserves p.

18

Former Minister Harmon sees media Neighbours granted approval reports as attempt living in fear for oil operator p.8 to dismantle ERC after helping p. previous to build bypass p.

11 18 - says nothing about road on reserve accountability and spending rape victims

US Judge slaps ExxonMobil with US$14.2M penalty for illegal flaring p.

11

- Found company violated environmental laws more than 3600 times Crumbs for you from our massive oil find. Listen to Kaieteur Radio @ 11:00hrs on 99.1/99.5FM to find out!

PAGE 02

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 04, 2021

PAGE 03

High ranking Venezuelan official proposes including Essequibo in Constitution - Powerful Commission discusses Venezuela's next move with military leaders - Venezuela to conduct military activity in Essequibo - Reinforces rejection of ICJ's jurisdiction in border case

By Kemol King

T

he National Assembly of Ve n e z u e l a i s expected to consider a proposal to include the Essequibo region, referred to as 'Guayana Esequiba,' in the country's Constitution. The amendment, if made, would see the country declaring that there is no dispute over the region, which it purports to have sovereignty over.

The proposal was made by lawmaker, Hermann Escarrá, who was, earlier this year, placed as Chair of the new 'Special Commission for the Defence of the Guayana Esequiba Territory and Territorial Sovereignty.' The powerful Venezuelan Commission was formed in January by one of several resolutions passed by the country's N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y, following a decree by

President Nicolas Maduro to fulfill his vow to “reconquer” the Essequibo.

The proposal would see the country amending articles 10 and 11 of the Venezuelan Constitution, Escarrá said, “in order to ratify that the Essequibo territory is ours.”

The National Assembly said that two more legislative proposals are being considered, one of which is called the

Oil production licences still in secrecy, five months later

T

he Irfaan Ali administration still has not published all oil development production licences granted to ExxonMobil, despite Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, committing to do so five months ago, on October 2, 2020.

Notably, it was Jagdeo who encouraged media operatives to read all of the permits, so they could verify his claim that the Payara permits from the current administration are superior to the permits granted by the D a v i d G r a n g e r administration for Liza Phases One and Two. “So look at the petroleum licence for Liza that Trotman signed, and do a comparison with the petroleum licence for Payara that we signed,” he had said, during the press conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, “and therein, you will see the massive improvements and how we have moved to protect our patrimony.”

Dr. Jagdeo had also said that the improvements are there to ensure that the Payara development would be executed in a more environmentally safe manner, among other critical considerations. When informed that the media did not receive these documents, the Vice President said that he

Liza Phases One and Two projects, which collectively allow ExxonMobil the right to wipe out over a billion oilequivalent barrels.

It had released the Stabroek block production sharing licence (PSA), and came under harsh criticism for the industry-low revenue share and other poor terms.

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo would ensure they do.

So far, Kaieteur News is in possession of the environmental permits for Liza Phases One and Two, and Payara. This newspaper also has the Payara production licence released by the Ali administration when it announced the approval, last September.

Kaieteur News understands that the Vice President has to give the approval to subordinates to release the remaining documents.

The Government rode into office on one promise, among many, that it would be more transparent than the administration before it.

The Granger government never released the production licences for the

'Sovereignty Law' requested

by Maduro himself.

Escarrá's proposal for a constitutional amendment is one of 100 proposals and recommendations he submitted to the National Assembly on Tuesday, February 23, for the execution of his Commission's mandate for the “defence of the Guayana Esequiba.”

A release from Ve n e z u e l a ' s N a t i o n a l Assembly stated that Escarrá stressed the Commission's discussions on the confidentiality of the some of the proposals, which relate to Venezuela's foreign policy.

Escarrá said that the Commission would be meeting on the following day, February 24, with the Military High Command, a group constituted by the Minister of Defence and the Commanders of various Ve n e z u e l a n m i l i t a r y departments. The purpose of the meeting, he said, is to discuss the actions to be

taken regarding the Essequibo territory.

On the following day, the Assembly said that the meeting took up over four hours with discussions centered on “possible geostrategic actions” to be taken “in defence” of the Essequibo region, at the Venezuelan lawmaker country's Federal and Chair of the 'Special Legislative Palace in Commission for the Defence Caracas. of the Guayana Esequiba “Fundamental issues Territory and Territorial were discussed such as the Sovereignty,' updated geostrategic and Mr. Hermann Escarrá. geopolitical interpretation of containment,” Escarrá said, (Photo: El Carabobeño) “as well as the proposals of other issues were addressed, each of the components of the Bolivarian National such as the presence of the Armed Forces (FANB), U S o i l c o m p a n y which the commission will ExxonMobil in the area, in support in a very determined addition to the possibility of talking with the Secretary way.

Not only in what has to General of the United d o w i t h v e r y c u r r e n t Nations (UN), António proposals in the Essequibo Guterres, to present your area, but also with what has views directly.”

Venezuela's National to do with the effort of national unity and national Assembly also reported conscience that must be Escarrá as announcing an “activity to be carried out in developed in the country…” (continued on page 8) “At the historic meeting,

PAGE 4

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 04, 2021

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

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

EDITORIAL

Holding the Govt. accountable

Mr. Lenox Shuman, the Hon. Deputy Speaker of the House, has it right. The coalition opposition must stop reliving last year’s ugly elections, and make a start at “holding the government accountable” (KN, February 28). Though there is some discomfort with how Mr. Shuman has aligned himself and taken care of himself, it is inarguable that he is on the right track, and one, which the coalition should take to heart, and rouse itself from its slumber.

We had expected, and many in Guyana had harboured some reasonable hope, that Mr. Shuman and his fellow newcomers to Guyana’s snake infested political trenches would be that breath of fresh air, which represented the truly independent, the clearly neutral, and the doggedly outspoken. The expectation of many citizens, long disgusted with the lengthy record of both PPP and APNU+AFC leadership failures and betrayals, was that Mr. Shuman and his fellows would be difference makers, icebreakers, and spoilers. They have mostly disappointed, with one after the other of them helping themselves and feasting over what the cunning PPP leadership has extended to them. They have followed the well-beaten path of those who went before them: they have bargained with the devil, accepted gifts from those who have devastated the hopes and dreams of the peoples of this land. As such, they have all backed themselves into a corner, where they are unable to say so much as boo to the new government for the rising, but largely still unpublicized, tide of wrongdoings by current leaders since they returned to power.

In spite of all this, it is with some interest that we receive the Hon. Deputy Speaker’s timely call - a wise and constructive one - for the opposition to do its duty and step up to represent the citizens of this society who believed in it, and who stood for it. The opposition has been derelict in delivering on its obligations on a whole host of material issues, some of which we pinpoint at this time. At the top of the pile stand the government’s actions relative to its management of the nation’s oil. PPP leaders have promised a primrose path with oil and delivered thorns and thistles; or, in the more familiar local idiom ‘pimpla.’ There is no information sharing; only the ongoing silence that speaks to the sinister. The only thing of meaning that is shared with Guyanese is how many billions of dollars will be spent for this or that expensive project, and that some of it will have to be borrowed. It is our belief that it is much of that multibillion-dollar 2021 budget that will have to be borrowed. The people who will be responsible for repaying the increased billions in debt burdens are being informed about that, and not much else.

While the new government has made a living in withholding from the Guyanese public need to know information, the opposition has been a lost cause in withholding its voice, its strength, and its believed powerful contributions that are all needed today like never before.

The opposition has been a startling picture of disorganized indifference, infighting malaise, and leadership impotency.

When all Guyana - not just its jaded and shell-shocked supporters - need for the opposition to be a viable presence not to be trifled with or messed around with, the group has been nothing but a burdensome albatross. Come to think of it, the coalition opposition has been like a certain situation that is now very well known to most Guyanese, both in the city and the country areas.

The opposition increasingly appears like one of those houses that used to have a large and busy family, but is today one which is empty and silent because the occupants, to use the local Creole, have ‘gone away.’ So, the house stands as a monument to abandonment, decay and disrepair.

We invite our fellow Guyanese, especially coalition voters, to take a close and hard look at the state of the opposition and then decide for themselves, if what we say is not accurate, and extremely so. When the opposition conducts itself in this manner, it fails more than its disillusioned people.

It fails all the people of this society. We urge it to engage in a thorough self-examination, if only to appreciate the magnitude of the huge disappointment that it has become in appearance and in spirit and reality.

A report on the PPP’s seven months in office DEAR EDITOR, Seven months into the new PPP government, I share how I think it has done. I speak of the good, while I pinpoint slippages.

Measured I will be.

A timely budget encouraged, with relief for the smaller people, and many public areas benefitting from increased allocations; once honesty used, much good could be done. I have doubts.

I understand that coronavirus hit hard (nationally), much time was squandered (elections), more money plundered (coalition), and that massive amounts were needed to revitalize struggling sectors. My thinking is: too much too early. Indications are that borrowings will be part of the funding. I think it is too much, too burdensome. I sense additional borrowings in future budgets, be they annual, supplementary, or emergency.

This is

concerning.

The government identified several high-profile projects for launching. I applaud some: roads, bridges, schools, and in the health sector. Misgivings flourish over airport monies and continued Chinese involvement; get somebody else, more delays, more overruns, more non delivery looks likely. I have doubts about the gas-to-shore project, which is not helped by the PPP’s objections to transparency over Wales. It will cost much now, cost more after. Regarding oil on the whole, I believe that the two senior PPP leaders could have been more forthright, more upright, less uptight. The negligible thrives.

I hesitate on corruption since it is not a drop-dead issue for Guyanese anymore, other than for rankled opposition loyalists. Tabling corruption nowadays wastes time; no budging from

government or supporters.

Present it is, and with many more budgeted billions, opportunity abounds for the adventurous and protected.

The pre-May 2015 political operators are still present and more powerful today. Who and what is there to stop them? Think cat with fish and dog with meat; there are no vegetarians. The top dog does the screening, the favoured passed to cronies, whose loaded language goes like this. ‘Plenty business around, with something for everyone, once played a certain way.’

His Excellency is a study in contrasts: all the smooth sound bites. Supporting actions are too scarce. His talk of transparency and unity die natural deaths. Political witches only survive so long and so, too, must be the partisan hunting. I would refuse a life-saving vaccine from such, if my dignity has been assailed (firings,

disparagements, and blockages), with words and postures, that brings recoiling. The president divides; the Vice President rules. Even currency oversight must be monopolized, and I wonder where that leads ultimately. The next tier down governor and minister - spreads the wealth around. Perhaps,

that spreading is the hang up.

It is alarming, since it is so laden with potential.

Conversations and tone must be less heated, less of looking back, more forward focused. By accident, I overheard the Health Minister on the Berbice maternal matter, and I thought he was campaigning. Time to start governing. Better can be done throughout; and I think it can be done. If the PPP delivers comprehensively, Guyana is better. When it doesn’t, all Guyanese suffer.

Yours truly, GHK Lall

IN RESPONSE TO FREDDIE KISSOON DEAR EDITOR, Freddie Kissoon‘s Kaieteur News column of February 25 challenges me to respond to the following question: “Do you think the result of the March election …, was factual, fair and legal?”

That is a question, which I publicly answered in July 2020, by way of a publication entitled: “General and Regional Elections 2020 – The Case for a Non-Declaration;” and in other media.

However, for the benefit and possible edification of Freddie and his ilk, here is the concluding paragraph of that publication, which is the summative answer to the issue, which I previously addressed, on my own volition.

“Given the pillars on which my submission to the Commission was premised: ‘that no voter should be disenfranchised and only valid votes should be counted,’ I can only reiterate my contention that the only resolution

to the problem is for a nondeclaration and a new process that reaffirms the enfranchisement of all and negates the impact of fraudulent votes.”

If Freddie and his ilk have a real interest in this answer, the publication was lodged at the National Library and an electronic copy can be delivered upon request.

May I also take this opportunity, on the anniversary of March 2, to put on record two other views.

1. Charandass‘ vote, on the No Confidence Motion, was one of the most reprehensible and immoral acts in the history of Guyana‘s politics.

Unfortunately, it epitomizes the nature of politics in Guyana.

How could he have used a vote, afforded him through allegiance to a particular party, to bring that party to its knees and erode the electoral will of the people. A conscience vote is the expression of a differing view.

The formula for success DEAR EDITOR, It was a perfect direction to see the write up in KN’s March 1 Edition, of the young entrepreneur of the cosmetic company.

Instead of the company name, I’d prefer to place more emphasis on what was positively noticeable and even more important in the fast

cess for Guyana.

Progressively forward thinking and apparently little interest in historical grievances.

With the number of hotels expecting to start construction soon, and in support of the team’s gumption and “can-do” attitude of getting things done, I would hope

evolving world that we live in.

Everyone should take a second look at the composi-

that owners or upper management staff of one of the new hotels, place huge bulk purchase orders for some of

tion of this start-up team, located at Sheriff and Third Avenue - Multiracial, Young and in one word - Futuristic.

This is a formula for suc-

their products, which from what I can determine, will be an excellent fit.

Yours truly, Chi Kansi

It is not intended to be a Sword of Damocles drawn against the house in which you are a guest. Charandass was not directly elected and had no individual mandate.

His act was much like the killing of Julius Caesar. Beware the “Ides of March.”

2. Many are vilified for the agonizing wait of six months, as if it was not the mutual agreement of the PPP/C and the APNU+AFC that occasioned the wait. Suffice to say that, had the Commissioners stuck to their task and had they been sufficiently competent and vigilant, the wait would not have been necessary.

The Commissioners abandoned their central post where they were certifying and receiving a copy of each and every Statement of Poll.

They disarmed themselves of the tools that would have empowered them to challenge any attempt to declare

a fraudulent result.

Unlike the era of Doodnauth Singh, when a result was declared without the Commission‘s approval, 2001 and beyond required the Commission‘s approval and as of 2020, the Commissioners were in physical custody of certified copies.

They were in a position to turn back any attempt of fraud, as was done in 2011, although in 2011 the Commissioners were denied copies of the Statements of Poll and prevented from recording the results. Alas, in 2020 the Commissioners abdicated their duty and joined the riotous band, and may now be branded the “Defenders of Democracy.”

Beware the “Ides of March” that mask many untold stories. Let the facts be told. To each his/her truth.

Yours truly, Vincent Alexander GECOM Commissioner

I am issuing an unequivocal apology to the nurses and all staff of the Linden Hospital Complex

DEAR EDITOR I am issuing an unequivocal apology to the nurses and all staff of the Linden Hospital Complex. I made a statement that was hurtful to the nurses and that must have hurt other staff.

There is no excuse for my public utterances on this matter and, I am, therefore, sincerely apologizing to all those that my utterances have hurt.

I have disappointed those who placed their confidence in me and for that, I am truly sorry.

When I assumed my post as the CEO of the Linden Hospital Complex, November 2020, I committed to manage this hospital in the best interest of the people of Linden and Region 10. I committed to work with my management and technical colleagues to ensure we, together, united in our mission, will make the Linden Hospital one of the best functioning (Continued on page 6)

Thursday March 04, 2021

PAGE 5

Kaieteur News

After running on a campaign that promised honesty and integrity, David Granger was exposed DEAR EDITOR, James Freeman Clarke once wrote, “The difference between a politician and a statesman is that, a politician thinks about the next election while the statesman thinks about the next generation.” In Guyana, is it difficult to classify a politician and to identify a statesman? The buck started to roll from the making of Burnham as a politician and perhaps stopped at the feet of Jagan as a statesman.

March 2, 2020 may be historically referred to as “D” Day for Guyana.

As dawn enthusiastically approached the day of excitement, it was the birth of hope promising an aspiration of new changes. As dusk bade farewell to a day of calm and serenity, a free and fair election was acknowledged from all corners in Guyana. The night daunted the spirit of the APNU/AFC Party and devoured the conscience of the members. The Statement of Polls devastated the minds of the frantic APNU/AFC party and immediately the Devil was summoned to duty. The devious propaganda machinery commenced its second shift to once again dominate the game of “Tom Foolery” to whitewash the “Fence of Ferocity.” The PPP/C Party was dutifully docile and deferred any delightful buoyancy,

knowing that the Statement of Polls proved and provided the reason for the season. The night of “Dusk till Dawn” saw dancing in the APNU/AFC camp with sour symptoms and delectation in the PPP/C camp with sweet symphony.

Doom was written on the faces of all the APNU/AFC officials, meanwhile, a dream glittered in the eyes of the PPP/C officers.

Mr. David Granger was pessimistically disarrayed while Dr. Irfaan Ali was optimistically disposed. It was the beginning of an end to a draconian era. To make a long story short, like they say, the rest is history, demarcating a documentary dotted with daring Daredevils and devious devils, each degree of decibel defining damnation and defamation.

March 2, 2020 was a dreaded despair, which backfired on the APNU/AFC Party,

causing many of their men and women to be buried alive forever and never to rise again to spread Machiavellian mischief. Russ Dallen, managing partner of Investment Bank Caracas Capital Markets, commented last year in Venezuela, “They’re worried the opposition will come in and not necessarily want to honour their contracts – or find loopholes.” Maduro was and is still desperate to prevent Guaido from walking through the front door and occupy his seat.

The findings may be disastrous and detrimental. After August 2, 2020, Guyana then realized why the APNU/ AFC Party was so reluctant and determined to hold on to power at all and any cost. At the behest of a PPP/C administration, led by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, after a solemn swear-in ceremony during a pandemic, time solved the

mystery as events began to unfold providing the proof in the pudding. Not only were men raping women (and still are), but also, the APNU/AFC party set the tone of this despicable act by raping the Treasury to leave a nation bankrupt.

All their misdemeanors and malfeasances became blatantly glaring after pronouncements after announcements revealed the flight by night financial misappropriations from 2015 to 2020. Corruption and collusion were the components for the conflagration for economic destruction. After running on a campaign that promised honesty and integrity, a quiet but sneaky David Granger was exposed to show his true color, ideal, principle and practice which ensured that, the small man was not the real man because the good life was only meant for his party’s

cronies, men and women who sucked the blood out of the lives from starving and impoverished Guyanese from all sides of the divide. Granger played in the background, cowardly hiding, foxily smirking, lying and ranting, convincingly and conveniently to his party supporters.

Pete Seeger, wrote the lyrics for the song, “Where have

all the flowers gone?” sung

by Peter, Paul and Mary in 1962 and asked the burning question, “Oh, when will they ever learn?” Did Guyanese learn anything from the “Mother of all elections” held on March 2, 2020? So many great and gross stalwarts in their respective fields have passed away to rest in the (Continued on page 6)

My nominations for the ‘Order of Democracy’ DEAR EDITOR, A writer gave his suggested nominations for the ‘Order of Democracy.’ I now give my suggestions: 1. Timothy Jonas 2. Neil Marks/Newsroom 3. Bruce Golding 4. Glenn Lall/ Kaieteur News 5. Protectors of Democracy (all the persons who

guarded the containers with the ballots throughout the dark days - day and night, rain and sun) 6.Caricom Recount Team (All members) 7. Dr. Ralph Gonsalves 8. Ms. Mia Motley 9. Gerry Gouveia 10. Kit Nascimento Yours truly, Shamshun Mohamed

PAGE 6

Thursday March 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

ANALYZING A BUDGET DEAR EDITOR, Overall, people I conversed with said it was a good budget with an excellent timely theme: “A Path to Recovery, Economic Dynamism and Resilience,” although there are some issues with some items and some numbers.

The Senior Minister, Singh, and Vice President, Jagdeo, are applauded for focusing on measurers to lift the economy out of the ‘pandemic recession.’ But the public is upset with the tone of the presentations (certainly on February 22). That was not a debate, and the analysis by many MPs of the budget was poor.In my studies in comparative politics and political economy, the government side presents a budget and an opposition shadow person (very often the opposition leader) gets an equal amount of time to respond to it. Then other MPs from both sides get their turn to give their input on the budget. Parliamentary comments are usually related directly to the budget, not extraneous remarks.

For instructive lessons, the MPs should look at the budget presentation by the Chancellor of the Conservative government in UK and the follow up debates. The British MPs would get a chance to quiz the Chancellor and the Prime Minister. Guyanese MPs should tune in to understand how a response is given by the opposition and other MPs. The US would start its budget preparation soon. The US has a completely different system of budget presentation and debate.

The Budget Director or Secretary of the Treasury don’t make an oral presentation of the budget. Rather, the President and his team prepare the budget and sends it to Congress.

The Congress discusses it and suggest changes. The President always agree to the changes in order to get the budget passed by both Houses. There is a give and take. The Members of Congress don’t bring in extraneous discussion or debate unrelated to the budget. They may request funding for items in their constituency. The President’s team normally give in to the demands in order to win their support for passage of the budget.

Noted Guyanese scholar, Dr. Ramesh Gampat, did an extensive analysis of the February 12 budget. He is an outstanding economist who has worked with the World Bank and the UN to assist countries with their development models and budgeting. I urge Guyanese MPs to access it to learn how to

analyze and debate a budget.

Dr. Gampat proffered a model of analyzing a budget — one can see scholarship here of some who are well read in Economics. He proceeds to analyze the budget through the lens of this framework. It is very professorial. This is what we learn in college studies and in seminars in graduate school on the way to a PhD. Only scholars who are masters in their subject can undertake such a task and with such distinction. It is the kind of study that not even my Economics professors had taught when I was doing doctoral studies. It is a great, impressive, painstaking piece of work, very comprehensive and professionally done. It would have taken over a week of full time studies and commentaries. It is scientific and objective. It is the work of a real scholar. This model should be available to all college students majoring in economics on how to undertake an analysis of an issue.

Gampat’s analysis tells the situation as is — the real value of the budget item. It cannot be compared with sycophancy or singing for supper comments that appear in the mass media in Guyana. This is a real economic analysis, not journalistic jingoism. I have never read a Guyanese economist proffering such an analysis — how it should be done and how to analyze it. The government of Guyana and the opposition should take a look at it; there is so much to learn from it. Those engaged in sycophancy should take a page from Dr. Gampat’s work, if they are serious about being an analyst. Those who are not trained as economists should get a better handle of the budgetary process.

One disagreement I have with Dr. Gampat – he claims a budget is supposed to be an economic tool and it is indeed so in “developed” countries although one can’t separate politics from economics. But Guyana and most third world countries are so far removed to being like “developed” countries; professionalism is lacking. In Guyana and third world countries, a budget is primarily a political tool on how to retain political support and build on it. By definition, a budget is not a purely political instrument and by practice it is not a purely economic instrument; it is both but still lacks the nuances of a “political economy” instrument.

Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

VP Jagdeo should release all details calculated number), GoG releases full details of Oil on oil sales (Singh’s Guyana’s take works out to Sales: barrels produced and DEAR EDITOR, From Dr. Tulsi Singh’s letter (SN March 2), I take this quote: “Numbers released by VP Jagdeo three weeks ago revealed that Guyana received US$184.9 Million in profit and US$21.2 Million in royalty. Since royalty is calculated at 2% of sales, then sales were US$1,060 Million.

So, Guyana’s profit as a percentage of sales was 17.4%.

That is 184.9 out of 1,060 equal 17.44%” [End-of- quote].

We are trying to figure Guyana’s take as a percentage of Sales. I make two assumptions – Oil company paid the full 2% royalty on sales and deducted the full 75% as Cost Recovery. On sales of $1,060 Million

$151.05 Million ($129.85M profit-share + $21.2M royalty). But Guyana received $206.1 million.

There is a difference between what the math works out to ($151.05 M) and what was received ($206.1 M).

Could it be due to the Oil Company using different royalty and Cost Recovery rates?

And what about deductions for shipping and marketing Guyana’s share of profit oil (barrels of crude)?

Dr. Tulsi Singh has checked with ExxonMobil and, based on their information, he has reported that Guyana’s take is 19.5%.

Much better than expected.

However, we could not be sure of these numbers. Unless

sold and full breakdown – price, gross sales, royalty, profit share, Cost Recovery, we could not be sure ofGuyana’s take as a percentage.I have read of KN reporters bugging the Oil Ministry for these reports – and have been told that although VP Jagdeo has said, “it is not a big deal,” officials at the Oil Ministry have been advising that Mr. Jagdeo has not “green lighted” the release.I will conclude this letter with this sentence taken from Dr. Singh’s email: “The 19.5% of total sales earned by Guyana for 2020 production was a good start, considering the year it was.”

Yours truly, Mike Persaud

After running on a campaign that...

From page 5 great beyond. Much pain and pleasure, hardship and happiness, adversity and advantage and embarrassment and enjoyment, Guyanese have experienced since the days of slavery and indentureship in the making of Guyana.

Yet, this nation is highly susceptible to being easily fooled and craftily connived.

When will the eyes of Guyanese open and what more will it take to make us come to realization? Wasn’t the five months of being held under duress for a high ransom by Granger and his APNU/AFC confederates enough to satisfy Guyanese that such a tragedy must never be allowed to occur again? Will Guyanese accommodate and facilitate the making of a rogue administration to govern their affairs again? Has that bright and sunny day of March 2, 2020 awakened the conscience of all sober and peace-loving Guyanese? Has the light finally dispelled all darkness to allow Guyana to change its course from delirious dictatorship to a path of true democracy? Will the Peter, Pasha and Prem prefer a parliament of perniciousness? Maybe, the Jean, Jasmine and Jansi will justify the jury for being judgmental! Only time will tell if

Guyana will duplicate or repudiate another “D” Day, or, replicate and celebrate another “V” Day! Yours truly, Jai Lall

I AM ISSUING AN ...

From page 4 hospitals in Guyana and a place we could all be proud of. I had promised that the Linden Hospital Complex would be an institution that will bring pride to the people of Region 10.

I remain committed to these ideals and to the mission. I am again reiterating my commitment. I genuinely believe that the staff of the Linden Hospital Complex is a dedicated and committed staff and I am renewing my promise to work with our staff to ensure the mission is achieved.I have learnt much since coming to the Linden Hospital Complex and everyday prepares me to be better. I will work diligently with all staff to ensure that the original mission of a successful and great institution is promoted every day.

Yours truly, Rudy Small CEO, Linden Hospital Complex

T N U L B . . .

T B N U T L N T B .

U .

L .

L T B .

N .

U .

N U T L N B .

U .

T .

L N T U N B .

N U .

L U L LUNT. B .

T . .

T T N N B U B .

U .

L .

L T B .

B . .

N . . .

T U T L N N T U U L N L B U .

B . .

L . . .

T B T . .

N .

N T U L N LU B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U The Opposition seems intent . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

U this country's time .forBthe next L NT LUNTon..wasting N B . .

U .

L T five years.

B N . .

B .

U . .

T L .

N T B . .

U N .

L N T B U N . .

L .

U If Opposition Leader, Joseph T L B . .

N B . . .

T U .

L N T Harmon, thinks he can lord B U . .

L .

UN T B U . .

L N . over a corrupt group, taking T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N . home fat salaries and benefits T B U . .

L T. being anUincompetent B U UN .BLUNwhile . .

L .

T B . .

N .

T .

L N .

Opposition, he must not T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N . realize that he is pushing T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

APNU+AFC's chances T B U . .

L N .

B . .

L LU ...BLUNatTre-election . further T B . .

N .

T U L N and..further away.

T B U .

L N T B U . .

L N .

T B B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B BBLU T...BLUN BLUNT... ...BLU .

T .

N .

N T T U L U L N L B U T...BLU U B .

L .

N .

B T . . .

N T U N N N L U U U B L .

L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Thursday March 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 07

PAGE 08

Thursday March 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

Former Minister granted approval for oil operator to build bypass road on reserve F

ormer Minister of P u b l i c Infrastructure, David Patterson, had signed a deal with Guyana Shore Base Inc., which allowed the company to construct a concrete road along a reserve at Houston, East Bank Demerara, to support the drilling and oil production activities offshore Guyana.

While many may question the terms in which the Former Minister agreed to allow an entity to use the reserve, Patterson, in an invited comment, said it was a matter of traffic congestion.

Patterson explained that several trucks had overturned at that location c a u s i n g m a j o r t r a ff i c congestion.

According to him, the concern was the turning of long base vehicles along the main access road.

He explained further “…What was granted was

temporary permission to use the access road to assist in the flow of traffic at that intersection….The government can revoke that permission at anytime, plus the operator has to stand the cost of making good the reserve or plus any damage done to the reserve.”

A c c o r d i n g t o documentation seen by this publication, the construction of the road along the reserve was based on the agreement which was filed in December 2019 between Patterson, in his capacity as Minister of Public Infrastructure vested with the statutory responsibility of oversight and management of the roads in Guyana in accordance with the Road Act, Cap 51:01, and Guyana Shore Base Inc., a company which is the owner and lessee for several plots of land located at Houston.

The document stipulated, the temporary

concrete bypass road, which was constructed at the southeast of Plantation 'A' Houston, East Bank Demerara, is to facilitate ingress and egress to the company's properties, located along the shorelines of Houston.

It stipulated too, that Patterson signed the agreement for the construction of the bypass road with special terms and clauses to be observed and complied with.

Among them, Guyana Shore Base Inc. is subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement, in consideration and anticipation of placement land acquisition and planning of road networks for future projects of national priority, namely the construction of the Demerara River Crossing.

In accordance with the terms and conditions, Guyana Shore Base Inc. had

agreed to demolish the bypass road on its own expense within 90 days of issuance of the notice.

The agreement stipulated too that the company shall bear all risk associated with the use of the bypass road and waives any and all claims, liabilities , damages and injuries and other claims of any nature whatsoever relating to the use of the road

by Guyana Shore Base Inc., its employees, contractors

and invitees.

Further, it said that Guyana Shore Base Inc. is only allowed to contract and use the bypass road at Houston under the stated arrangement.

Another clause in the agreement stipulates the agreement may be amended, altered or revoked by written instrument executed by both parties.

Additionally, it was pointed out in a case where

the company fails to remove the road as agreed upon, the State reserves the right to remove the bypass road and restore the land to its prior condition, with cost invoiced to Guyana Shore Base Inc. with immediate effect.

It was also agreed upon that Guyana Shore Base Inc. could not reserve the right exercise or institute judicial proceeding regarding the demolition of the bypass access road.

Community service for 'DJ Seen Up,' others for breaching COVID-19 measures

Another COVID-19 fatality recorded

T

he Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday, reported the death of a 52year-old female from Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) as the latest COVID-19 fatality.

In its press release, it was stated that the woman died on Tuesday while receiving

treatment at its medical facility.

Her death has since been recorded as the 199th COVID-19 fatality.

The MOH also reported 22 new infections via its daily dashboard update yesterday, increasing the case toll to 8,648.

Also, the Ministry's

dashboard yesterday showed that six patients are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit, another 14 in institutional quarantine, 36 in institutional isolation and 364 in home isolation.

Additionally, a total of 8,043 persons have recovered to date with 19 new recoveries recorded yesterday.

DJ Dellon Jennis

P

opular Disc Jockey (DJ), Negus McFarlane called “DJ Seen Up,” and two other men were yesterday sentenced to perform 40 hours of community service after they pleaded guilty to breaching the COVID-19 guidelines.

McFarlane, along with Aubrey Salomon and Collin Craig, all appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan.

Salassie McFarlane The men were slapped with individual charges, which happened on different dates.

After the men admitted to breaching the COVID-19 guidelines, Chief Magistrate McLennan, ordered them to perform 40 hours of community service, cleaning D'Urban Park or in default three weeks imprisonment each. Three other men also appeared before Chief Magistrate McLennan, to answer to similar charges.

However, the men denied the

Negus McFarlane called “DJ Seen Up” allegation and were placed on $5,000 bail each.

Placed on bail are: DJ Dellon Jennis, Keith Fletcher and Salassie McFarlane.

The trio denied the charge, which stated that on February 27, 2021 at Lodge, Georgetown, they attended a party, in breach of the COVID-19 measures.

Jennis, Fletcher and McFarlane are expected to make their next court appearance on March 22, 2021.

High ranking Venezuelan official proposes...

From page 3 Essequibo with the Bolivarian National Armed Forces.” It did not reveal the nature of the intended activity.

The Venezuelan National Assembly said that in the few days following the February 24 meeting of the Military High Command, a document would be prepared and delivered to the Parliaments of Guyana, England and the Netherlands. Neither Guyana's Parliament nor its Government has announced any such correspondence.

On February 26,

Venezuela announced that it responded to an invitation from the President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to attend a virtual meeting on the preliminary ruling of December 18 that the Court has the jurisdiction to settle the controversy over the territory.

T h e Ve n e z u e l a n Government said that it confirmed its participation as a courtesy, not as a party to the procedure, and re-affirmed Venezuela's position that it does not recognize the Court's jurisdiction to settle this

matter. It prefers direct negotiations with Guyana.

“Venezuela reiterated that there is no basis of jurisdiction for this case given that it has never given its consent,” Venezuela's Ministry of Information said.

The Ministry also reported denouncing the “instigation and undue interference” in the controversy, of energy transnationals “over such a vast territory full of biological diversity and natural resources, which threatens planetary life, peace and regional security.”

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 04, 2021

PAGE 09

THREE MILLION OUNCES OF GOLD WITHOUT A PROFIT! W

hen Omai Gold Mines was first opened, there were high expectations. The Guyanese people were serenaded and told that this investment would do wonders for the country, create a great deal of jobs and improve the economy.

People were led to believe that this was the lost city of El Dorado. And that the gold, which would be dug up, would make millionaires of all of us.

Three million, seven hundred thousand (3,700,000) ounces later, the country is still wondering about the wisdom in allowing the exploitation of the mine.

Three million, seven hundred thousand ounces of gold was taken out of this country. In the process, the country suffered its worst ever environmental disaster, and yet Guyana is still poorer for all of that gold being taken out.

This company once flew in KFC chicken by airplane for its workers. This company once gave a loan to a union official. This is how multinationals operate. They spend lavishly and they court officials.

The deal with Omai involved generous tax holidays for the company.

The taxes that the government derived from

the operations did not come from the company, but from the workers.

The company milked its tax holiday. It paid little or nothing in taxes. And how many workers were employed then, and how much of a difference did that make to the country's coffers?

The government got five percent in royalties. Some say that was not a bad deal given the sort of investment that had to be made. After all, this was not a mine, which could have been worked by pork-knockers. The gold was very deep into the pits and required industrial machinery to drill to where it was.

What was very amazing about this investment was that in all its years in existence, Omai never made a profit. Not a dime. One wonders why they did not pack up and bail out earlier.

For years, gold has been extracted out of the country, and given the size of our population; every single Guyanese should have been rich by now from the wealth created. Yet Guyana is still one of the poorest nations in the hemisphere.

We have never learnt from that experience. Under colonial Guyana, we criticized the foreign multinationals for their role in exploiting us and taking away their profits. We went

as far as nationalizing the industries, which were run and controlled by foreign multinationals – Bookers in the sugar industry and Alcan and Reynolds in the bauxite industry.

It was our hope that with the commanding heights of the economy under our control, that we would be in charge of our wealth.

But within a short period of time, we were forced to invite other multinationals to come and take over these very industries.

Booker-Tate came to manage the sugar industry, Green Construction and Mining and MINPROC were involved in the bauxite industry. And they did no different from what the previous multinationals did.

Their executives lived like the old colonial overseers, while the workers enjoy paltry returns on their labours.

Today the situation is not much different. Foreign multinationals have returned to target our gold. And what are we receiving in return. A few jobs and some royalties!

All of our gold will soon disappear and nothing much will be left.

And our people will still be poorer. When will we ever learn?

It is the same with our oil.

The foreign multinationals are here. They have gotten a sweet deal for our sweet

De Opposition boys deh pun drama seh...

Dem

P

arliament becoming a side s h o w. M o r e drama tekkin place outside de formal sittings dan inside.

De Opposition lacks credibility and so dem trying fuh win sympathy. So you could expect all manner of theatrics from dem.

But people nah gan fuhget wah dem bin try fuh do last year. And wah dem put dis country through. So let dem try deh with dem drama. People nah gan bother with dem.

Dem had an opportunity fuh skin de government up.

Imagine, de Budget is de wuss Budget ever in de

modern times and yet de Opposition finding time fuh talk about dem record and de government record rather dan dismantle de Budget.

De Budget nah gat a stimulus package. De Budget nah informed by an exit strategy fuh de virus. De Budget hardly seh how de government gan boost dem businesses wah suffer losses.

De Budget nah talk about de plan fuh mek sugar viable.

Yet despite all of dis, de Opposition can't find any proper criticism of de Budget. Dem out of dem depth and it showing.

De Opposition seh dem wan work with de

government. De government however nah interested.

Dem gone back to dem old ways of things, either being their way or de highway.

De government tone too confrontational and de Opposition sounding a like a market buse-out.

Dem boys seh de things wah get expose about de Opposition probably put dem pun de defensive and mek dem engaging in a titfor tat with de government side. Which is wah de government want, to deflect from dem empty Budget.

Talk half and hope somebody write a proper budget next year!

crude. And they are extracting it like honey and carting away our wealth.

And what are we getting in return – two percent royalties and few jobs.

And what do the oil companies get. A tax holiday, which is not much

different from what Omai got. They have also gotten what Omai did not get, cost recovery.

Nothing much has changed. The names of the companies may have changed but the system remains the same. Our

wealth is being plundered while our people continue to eke out a living. And we call that progress.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Thursday March 04, 2021

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

March 4, 2020: The heart has its reasons I

f we are going to look back at the disastrous March 2020 election, we have to start on March 4, two days after voting on March 2. It was on this day that the world began to see the evidence of a conspiracy to rig the election. It began with instructions given, I believe, to GECOM Secretariat by the PNC and AFC leaders.

Since only one more, of the 10 Regions, was left to be counted, the Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, became the operative mechanism. I cannot comment on Mingo's criminal trial because of the sub judice principle but that

restriction cannot preclude me from saying that I believe his arrest and subsequent charge is justified. I hope he faces a judge and jury. The same feeling I have on the criminal procedures against Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers and Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield.

I spent most of the morning and afternoon sessions of March 4 in the studio of Kaieteur Radio. It was through the guests that we invited and KN journalists who were covering the blatant fraud at the GECOM command centre, that I knew Guyana was about to return to

1968 when it experienced its first Draculean smothering of the destruction of the right to vote.

There were people coming in and out of the studio and a definitive air of impending national disaster filled my mind. All the talk of those people coming in and going out the studio was about election disaster. There was relentless discussion of the irregularities, anomalies, inexplicabilities of what was taking place at the command centre and everybody was talking about Claudette Singh, but I hardly paid attention.

I was not conscious of all the things being said around

me in the studio because my mind was elsewhere. I was overcome with swirling thoughts of Guyana being a pariah in the world once more.

I remember Adam Harris and Glenn Lall were in a deep argument over what role the observers should play, with Harris clinging tenaciously to the narrative of Vincent Alexander that all observers could and should do, was s imp ly o b s er v e an d nothing more.

I remember Alexander cited the part of the law that confined them to just observer status to which Harris agreed. But Mr. Lall called Sase Gunraj over the phone to ask for an interpretation of that particular section of the law.

Gunraj took the opposite position arguing that nowhere in the law it spells out that observers must just sit and watch.

When all of this was happening in the studio, I was maudlin. I remember as Mr. Lall and Adam Harris argued, I went outside because my soul could not endure the thoughts of another rigged election. Rigged election tormented all of my youthful days. It was around midday and I left for home. On my

way, Leonard Gildarie called my cell and asked me to return to the studio.

I remember Gildarie's words vividly. He urged me to return saying that I owe the Guyanese people the obligation to inform them.

My heart could not be filled

Frederick Kissoon w i t hpessimistic visions. I was proud of my political activism since I was 16. My heart told me to turn the car around and go back. I went back to the station and stayed for almost three weeks each day.

March 4, 2020 will stay with me until my time on earth is spent. I knew on that day, my soul will never rest in peace if I did not fight once more for free and fair elections. From March 4 until

Dr. Irfaan Ali was rightfully sworn in as president on August 2, I dedicated a daily column to what Gildarie said was my obligation to the Guyanese people.

On voting day, March 2, I honestly didn't care who won.

I knew it would be better to have a third party or some small parties put a brake on either a PPP or PNC government. I felt that so many of us, East Indians and Africans owe the Amerindian people. We came here and met them and did far better than them. For me the logical choice was to vote for the Amerindian party led by an Amerindian gentleman.

I voted for Lenox Shuman.

On March 4, Clairmont Mingo changed everything.

March 4 has gone by one year now and my life has changed for the better. March 4 showed me aspects of the human that I would never have seen. I have received tons of abuse from people who accused me of bringing back the PPP. I didn't bring back the PPP. I followed my heart and the heart has its reasons.

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

Thursday March 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

Thursday March 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

GMSA's outgoing president GCCI condemns ghastly acts detail achievements of violence perpetrated despite pandemic against women

T

he Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) virtually on March 2, 2021, during which the President's and Audited Financial Reports were presented to its membership and the new Board of Directors was elected.

Outgoing President of the GMSA, Mr. Shyam Nokta, said in his report that he took over the leadership of the Association during a challenging period when the country was grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic and an election crisis.

Notwithstanding these challenges, under his leadership, the organization showed tremendous resilience and made significant accomplishments in the various sub-sectors.

At the same time, it had focused on strengthening the organization and improving governance, strengthening collaboration with key stakeholders, supporting the membership and undertaking key initiatives.

Some of the Association's m o s t n o t a b l e accomplishments for the year were: an ExxonMobil sponsorship to support the establishment of a web portal, linking products and service providers in the agroprocessing sector with potential clients nationally,

regionally, and internationally; an FAO grant secured to determine the feasibility study of establishing a Consolidated Log Yard operation in Guyana; collaboration with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and participating at the level of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), and the National Advisory Committee on External Negotiations (NACEN) to represent the interests of local manufacturers as it regards trade barriers; collaboration with Triple 'C' Consultancy and the University of the West Indies to offer several short courses in the area of agroprocessing, aimed at building capacity of agro-processors, farmers, and employees of agro-businesses; Collaboration with the IDB and the Guyana Development Initiative (GDI) to successfully host a Webinar under the theme, “Opportunities for Strengthening the Value Chain and Expanding Agriculture in a Post Covid19 Environment.”

The webinar was designed to bring together leaders in Government, multilateral organizations, and the private sector, to share perspectives and experiences with a view to identifying actions to address key challenges which could set the stage for collaborative

I

Outgoing President of the GMSA, Mr. Shyam Nokta efforts; signing of an MOU with the United Diaspora Global Network (UGDGN) to provide support to SMEs in the areas of financing, market expansion, capacity building and knowledge transfer and GMSA's successful lobbying of Government for a menu of budget measures to support the manufacturing sector.

The organization, Nokta said, was pleased to see many of its proposed measures appearing in the National Budgets of 2020 and 2021.

In his presentation too, Nokta said, “As we look to t h e n e w y e a r , notwithstanding the challenges of COVID-19, there is a high level of optimism in the private sector. Guyana is on the cusp of transformation never before seen. Growth is expected to quadruple and immense opportunities (continued on page 17)

n a statement y e s t e r d a y, t h e Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), condemned the recent “heart wrenching and gruelling” incidents of violence perpetrated against women.

The GCCI described the recent battering and raping, amongst other ugly actions, meted out to two Venezuelan women, as despicable and requiring immediate and strong action by those in authority and Law Enforcement agencies.

“There are many other instances where violent acts against women go untold. The women of our society must feel safe and protected despite their socioeconomic status, citizenship, age or other vulnerabilities,” the GCCI underscored.

Further, it noted that, “We must never, as a nation, condone such inhumane acts or ignore their cries. We must

instead lend a listening ear, offer empathy, and take swift action.”

In the recently published Guyana Women's Health and Life Experiences Survey, the GCCI noted, one in every two Guyanese women has or

will experience some form of violence in an intimate relationship.

The report also indicates that one in every five Guyanese women (20 percent) have experienced non-partner sexual abuse in their lifetime.

These alarming statistics highlight the importance of a concerted effort to address this societal ailment.

As such, the GCCI

believes that violence against women is reprehensible, and “our society should not allow it to continue. We believe that prevention efforts should focus on promoting gender equality and teaching our children that all women should be treated with respect.”

The GCCI also embraces the belief that consistent and continued training for service providers will better equip them to handle cases of sexual offences, intimate partner violence, and other violent acts against women and children.

The GCCI also bestowed recognition to those individuals and civil society organizations, which it observed, have been working tirelessly to eliminate violence against women and girls, both privately and publicly. “ We c o n t i n u e t o encourage responsible authorities to prioritize this work and deepen the collaborative efforts with the relevant agencies to ensure that we eradicate this scourge plaguing our society,” the GCCI added.

Decomposed body found floating in City canal

Caribbean Airlines announces successful COVID-19 vaccines delivery The body while it was afloat in the Canal. (Photo credit: Lisha Dougla)

C

aribbean Airlines yesterday confirmed that it transported COVID-19 vaccines from Toronto to Guyana.

Caribbean Airlines Cargo coordinated the movement via flight BW 607 on Tuesday March 02.

According to Marklan Moseley, General Manager Cargo and New Business, “Caribbean Airlines is happy to have transported this important shipment. We have always carried

temperature sensitive cargo and since the approval of vaccines for distribution, we ensured all measures were in place to transport same.

Caribbean Airlines Cargo will continue to do its part in the movement of relief supplies throughout the region.”

This latest shipment of vaccines will enable Guyana to advance the rollout of its vaccination programme.

Throughout the pandemic, Caribbean Airlines Cargo has supported the

transportation of essential goods within and outside of the Caribbean.

Caribbean Airlines Cargo facilitates the movement of general, perishable and other types of c a rg o t h r o u g h o u t t h e Caribbean and around the globe.

The airline currently transports cargo on its flights to destinations including but not limited to, Miami, To r o n t o , N e w Yo r k , Jamaica, Guyana and Barbados.

T

he partially decomposed body of a yet to be identified man, was yesterday discovered floating in the canal at Croal and Wellington Streets, Georgetown.

Kaieteur News learnt that the discovery was made by passersby around noon in front of the Metro Guyana building.

Upon seeing the corpse floating in the canal, they immediately made a report to police and several ranks

a r r i v e d s h o r t l y a f t e r.

Information reaching this publication suggests that the body was found floating face down in the canal with two plastic bags, with garbage inside, attached to it.

In photographs seen, the body appeared to be that of a man of African descent. He was clad in a dark-coloured shirt and short pants. An eyewitness, who was on the scene when Kaieteur News arrived, said that from her vantage point, she was unable to discern any marks

of violence on the body since it was face down in the water.

She, however, noted with certainty that the body was not yet in an advanced state of decomposition and it carried no stench.

The body was removed by authorities and taken for examination. Up to press time, there were no reports of a missing person that matches the description of the deceased. Police have since launched an investigation.

(Alliyah Allicock)

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 04, 2021

PAGE 13

Murder of money changer and daughter…

Two more witnesses to testify in PI T

o m o r r o w, t h e prosecution is expected to call its two final witnesses to testify in the money changer and daughter's murder preliminary inquiry.

The matter was yesterday called in the Sparendaam Magistrate's Court before Magistrate, Alisha George.

The murder PI is being conducted for Aaron Latchman and his 18-yearold daughter, Arianna Latchman.

The police prosecutor yesterday called four witnesses to testify and they were subjected to be crossexamined.

The five persons accused of the double murder are: Mark

Rufino called 'Mark,' 25, a labourer, of Parika Facade, East Bank Essequibo; Paul Chan called 'Long Hair' or 'Anthony,' 37, a conductor, of 10 Dennis Street, Sophia, Greater Georgetown; Troy Abrams called 'Troy' or 'Rasta Man,' 44, a vendor, of 34 Middle Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara; Lloyd Sadloo, 37, self-employed, of 220 Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara; and Sean Thomas called 'Yankee,' 41, an electrician, of 59 William Street, Kitty, Georgetown.

However, Rufino had escaped from the Lusignan Prison, East Coast Demerara, last October and is yet to be recaptured. Based on advice from the Director of Public

Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, S.C., the Magistrate was able to proceed with the PI into the double murder without Rufino. The PI for the matter commenced in February 2020, but was faced with several delays.

Kaieteur News had reported that when the five accused made their first court appearance, they were not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleged that on July 4, 2019, at Robert Street, Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, they murdered the money changer and his daughter during a robbery.

According to reports, on the day in question, Aaron

DEAD: Aaron Latchman Latchman arrived home around 15:15 hrs. and was attempting to park his car in his

Scotiabank announces sale of move “premature Guyana operations - Govt.andcallsinappropriate”

S

c o t i a b a n k announced yesterday that it has reached an agreement for the sale of its banking operations in Guyana to First Citizens Bank Limitedg conditions. (“First Citizens”). The Bank, in a statement noted that the agreement is subject to regulatory approval and customary closin However, shortly after the announcement, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, made it clear that the deal, thus far, has n o t r e c e i v e d government's blessings. In essence, Dr. Singh said that no approval has been granted by the Bank of Guyana (BOG). He has deemed Scotiabank's announcement “premature and inappropriate.”

Dr. Singh explained that any such transaction is subject to a specified regulatory process. He said government finds it unfortunate that the announcement was made, since Section 12 of the Financial Institutions Act (FIA) stipulates no financial institution may transfer the entire or a substantial part of its operations without prior approval from the Bank of Guyana.

“Considering that the laws of Guyana require this process, we consider it premature to announce a transaction of this nature, particularly given that the regulatory process to consider the request for any such transaction is yet to be initiated, much less to be concluded,” the Minister

pointed out.

“It is the intention of the Government of Guyana and indeed, it is the intention of the regulator and the supervisor of the financial sector, that is to say the Central Bank, to ensure that all applicable laws are complied with in the fullest and in particular, to ensure that appropriate processes of due diligence and other processes required under the laws of Guyana are initiated and concluded before any such transaction can be proceeded with,” the Senior Minister added.

Meanwhile, Scotiabank said in its statement, that the transaction supports the Bank's strategic decision to focus on operations across its footprint where it can achieve greater scale and deliver the highest value for customers.

Scotiabank's current operations in Guyana encompass four branches and approximately 180 employees.

Following closing, it informed, all employees would continue to support the business.

First Citizens is one of the leading financial services group in the English-speaking Caribbean. Headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, First Citizens offers a full range of retail, corporate and investment banking services, as well as wealth management, trustee and brokerage services to clients through its operations in Barbados, Costa Rica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago. The transaction,

Scotiabank said, supports First Citizens strategic growth across the region and leverages its strengths in innovation and excellence to the benefit of all stakeholders. Until regulatory approvals are obtained and the transaction closes, the Scotiabank statement assured that operations in Guyana would continue as usual. In the mean time, it noted that First Citizens and Scotiabank will work together to facilitate a smooth transition for the business.

A point to note though is that this is Scotiabank's second attempt in recent times to sell off its operations.

The first announcement was made in 2018.

Scotiabank, which is said to be Canada's third-biggest lender, reportedly agreed then to sell the business to Republic Financial Holdings Ltd, the Trinidad and Tobago-based parent company of Republic Bank, as part of a plan to exit nine countries in the Caribbean, including Guyana, Anguilla, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

However, the following year BOG Governor, Gobin Ganga, decided to block the deal in Guyana due to competition and market concentration concerns. Then Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, had agreed with the governor's reasoning, stating that he “did not feel that this application would be in Guyana's best interest."

But it would seem that

Scotiabank is intent on selling off to a Trinidad-based banking establishment, because like Republic Bank, First Citizens is also headquartered in Trinidad.

DEAD: Arianna Latchman yard, when two gunmen struck. One of the gunmen reportedly entered the house and shot Latchman's daughter.

The other then attacked the father. The two men got into a scuffle, which resulted in a bag ending up in a neighbour's yard.

The gunman, who had shot Aaron Latchman's daughter, then exited the house and came to his accomplice's aid, shooting Aaron Latchman as well.

STILL AT LARGE: Mark Rufino After he fell to the ground, the attackers snatched up a bag of cash and fled. The killers escaped in a car. The money changer and his daughter were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where they were both pronounced dead on arrival.

The matter was reported and an investigation was launched. The five accused were later arrested and subsequently they were jointly charged for murder.

PAGE 14

Thursday March 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

Labourer remanded for killing neighbour

A

26-year-old man, was on Tuesday remanded to prison for allegedly killing his neighbour who refused to purchase a pack of cigarette from him. The man, Devon Boucher, 26, called 'Kingman,' a labourer, of Chateau Margot Squatting Dam, East Coast Demerara, appeared in the Sparendaam Magistrate's Court before Magistrate, Alisha George.

He was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleges that on February 25, 2021, at Chateau Margot Squatting Dam, he murdered Clifton Bhagwandat, 30, a horse cart operator.

According to a police report, the incident happened around 17:20 hrs. The report further stated that Boucher and Bhagwandat are neighbours and was on speaking terms. On the day in question, Bhagwandat went to Boucher to purchase a pack of cigarette, but he had short money.

Boucher reportedly got annoyed and an argument ensued between the two men.

The man then snatched his money from Boucher and said that he was going to the Chinese shop to purchase his cigarette.

H o w e v e r, B o u c h e r reportedly ran into his house and armed himself with a

REMANDED: Devon Boucher knife, which he allegedly used to stab Bhagwandat several times.

The report further stated that persons in the area heard the commotion and gathered around, but Boucher made good his escape. The matter was reported to the Beterverwagting Police Station and the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) Ambulance Service was summoned.

However, when the EMT's arrived, the man was pronounced dead on the scene. The following day, Boucher reportedly surrendered to the police.

$75,000 bail for teen who stabbed man at party

A

n 18-year-old was on Tuesday, released on $75,000 bail, after he was charged for stabbing 24-yearold, Shafeek Abdool, several times about his body at a birthday party last Sunday.

The young man made his first court appearance at the Vigilance Magistrate's Court before Senior Magistrate, Fabayo Azore, where he was charged with felonious wounding.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that on February 28 at Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara, he unlawfully wounded Abdool during a misunderstanding. The teen was granted bail and the matter was adjourned to April 17, 2021.

According to a police report, the incident, which left the 24-year-old labourer in a critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital

Corporation (GPHC), occurred sometime between 01:30 and 02:00 hrs. last Sunday.

This publication was told that Abdool left his Lot 292, Block 12, Non Pareil, home on Saturday evening to attend a birthday party at a house located in the same community. The men, who are known to each other, had a misunderstanding, which turned violent.

While details surrounding the argument are sketchy, it was reported that the teenager armed himself with a broken glass bottle and dealt the man several stabs about his body.

Abdool was rushed to GPHC where he was examined and admitted.

Kaieteur News was told that the injured man received at least six stab wounds – to his arm, abdomen and back, and suffered a punctured left lung.

Thursday March 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

PAGE 16

Kaieteur News

FOR SALEFOR SALE

Cat 428 back-hoe. Cat 215 Excavator used parts road spray painting machine 6837225/ 227-0367 1 leyland DAF.65.210 flat bed top condition Contact 6268417 SERVICES Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040 Installation, Repairs and parts for AC,Fridge, Washing machine, Stove etc.Call Nick#630-1600.

House plan drawing and estimate K. Lakeram building contractor. Call us 216-0671/ 692-8464 or whatsapp 6220267

VACANCY Receptionist 30-55 yrs old 233 South rd Lacytown Tel#2250198 One (1) part time truck driver apply at Lens 136 Sheriff Street, C/Ville Tel#227-2486 Porter, clearner apply with application/ photo to 16 Vlissengen rd. Newtown Cashier- CXC English/ Maths apply with application/ photo to 16 Vlissengen rd. newtown Taxi & Mini bus drives Tel#225-3234/ 225-9223

FOR RENT Residence: North Ruimveldt, Business: Hadfield, Saffon St Bond East Coast Georgetown Ray's Realty 627-9685 Empty plot no agent, EBD River possible water front whart 204 WX 612L serious enquires 592-615-225/ +1301-306-9580 email: jgstele@verizon.net Furnished lower flat for rent vigilance north, $60,000.

Light, water & surveillance cameras included Tel#6399345 Vreed-en-hoop junction place for hair salon, pedicure & manicure, other Call 6036400 PROPERTY FOR SALE 3 Story- 1486 Hersterling E.B.D, 2 Story - M88 Onderneeming WBD. Tel# 641-3893/ 697-4557/ 6093777/ 686-0522 Kitty, Republic Gardens, Thomas street, Paradise & Enterprise East Coast Zeelugt Uitvlugt, Diamond, Grove Contact: Ray's Realty 627-9685 Commercial property for sale or rent Providence old road Call 623-3440 / 233-5600 LAND FOR SALE La Penitence, Bacheler's Adventure (double lot), Paradise Kuru Kuru, Cornelia ada, Plaisance Contact Ray's Realty 627-9685 VEHICLE FOR SALE Allion, Premio,192, 212 Carina, Fielder wagon, raum, Avensis, Bluebird, Allexis, Spacio, L Touring wagon Tel#650-7501

One clerk for Eccles office English & mathematics, grade 1 & 2 Email application to techserigy@yahoo.com Maid to cook and clean for the East Bank area Call 6159132 Delivery riders - Country 120 jobs available to ride company o w n e d motorbikes.Phone:658-9124 or email jobs@gorchum.com Exits for laboures, carpenters, painter & security. Call 6231615 Male and female security officers experience will be an asset must be over 18 years old. Call 223-4172 WANTED Kitchen manager must have experience must be able to motivate apply @ Shanta's 225 Camp St Puri roti cooks apply @ Shanta's 225 Camp St Urgent: 1 experience kitchen assistant/ domestic live- in available 25-45yrs Tel#6752550/ 656-9313 Male & Female for interior over 25yrs Tel#687-7638 Factory workers, male & female apply in person to RP Enterprise Leressouveneir E.C.D Tel#220-2818 One live in maid must be spanish age 25-30 Call 6434423 2 Lorry drivers 3 porters Contact 626-4691/ 627-1835 One experience bartender, waitress for lounge and one domestic living around ogle Tel#648-7866 Taxi drivers for new taxi services Tel#653-4318 Experienced counter server, kitchen assistant, roti/ puri cook apply Hack's Halaal, 5 Commerce St

German Shepherd pups vaccinated & dewormed.

Tel#622-0015 320 cat Excavator bucket.

Used surveying instruments.1200- Gals Bitumen spray kettle.Call 227-0367/ 683-7225 Mitsubisi contact 4M40 6 months insurance goods & service and alarm system Contact 693-3003 One disel generator 10-15 KVA. USA made Contact 6994300/ 228-2734 for more details

Thursday March 04, 2021

Persons 60 and older next in line for COVID-19 vaccination prehensive database, which is used to dis-

During Tuesday’s COVID-19 update, the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, stated that the government will be targeting elderly persons, 60 years and above, next in its COVID-19 immunization campaign.

Dr. Anthony explained that the immunization campaign is being rolled out in different stages. The first stage is the vaccination of frontline health workers. So far, Guyana has received 3,000 doses of the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine, 2,800 of which were allocated to frontline health care workers.

The Health Minister stated that with that allocation, the vaccination of frontline health workers would have been initiated in all 10 administrative regions and with the donation of the 20,000 doses of the Sinopharm COVID19 vaccines, which recently arrived, the government is hoping to cover as many people in frontline health as possible.

The second stage, he said, will be the vaccination of the elderly persons. The Health Ministry will be collaborating with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security to do this. Dr. Anthony explained that elderly persons would be targeted for vaccination through the Human Services Ministry com-

tribute pension throughout Guyana. He further stated that the vaccination campaign would extend to elderly homes/geriatric facilities. Bedridden elderly persons will not be excluded, as a special team will be dispatched to their homes to administer the vaccines.

The third stage of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign will see persons with “some form of underlying illness” receiving the jab, according to Anthony. He explained that these illnesses might be diabetes or hypertension, which is also found in younger persons. “So if you are 40 and you have diabetes then you will become eligible, so that does not have an age cut off,” Minister Anthony assured.

“The criteria there, is that you are at risk because of the underlying illness. So we will be able to do a lot of other people in that category. After we have completed that, then we will go to other persons in the population,” he also stated.

The Health Minister said that as more vaccines become available, the age range for vaccine distribution would be lowered.

Dr. Anthony also sought to address (Continued on page 17)

Thursday March 04, 2021

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

Murder accused files civil suit against State - claims breach of right to fair hearing Citing the length of time he has been behind bars awaiting a criminal trial, murder accused, Lennox Wayne, has filed civil proceedings against the State over what he calls a breach of right to a fair hearing.

Wayne called ‘Two Colours,’ and his co-accused, Melroy Doris, had been incarcerated over the murder of Lusignan cosmetologist, Ashmini Harriram.

Harriram was shot in the neck moments after she disembarked a minibus along the Lusignan Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara, on Thursday, July 10, 2014.

Back in 2017, Wayne and his co-accused faced a trial in the High Court but were remanded to prison after the jury failed to meet a verdict for the murder charge, which they faced.

Following the verdict, Trial Judge, Jo Ann Barlow, had informed the accused that the jury could not determine whether they were guilty or not guilty of murder. She explained that the hung jury meant that they “will have to remain in custody and undergo another trial during another session of the Demerara Criminal Assizes.”

Ever since then the duo has been in custody.

US Judge slaps ExxonMobil ...

From page 11 proven at trial that thousands of instances of illegal flaring and unauthorized releases of pollutants causing smoke, chemical odors, ground-level ozone, and respiratory problems were “fairly traceable” to injuries suffered by their members. In support of his penalty assessment, Judge Hittner pointed to the fact that Exxon had committed more than one violation every single day for a period of eight years.

“We are extremely pleased that Judge Hittner has, once again, assessed a civil penalty against Exxon that is larger than any penalty ever imposed in a Clean Air Act citizen enforcement suit,” said National Environmental Law Centre senior attorney, Josh Kratka, part of the legal team representing Environment Texas and Sierra Club.

Also commenting on the victory was Neil Carman, Clean Air Programme Director

for Sierra Club's Lone Star Chapter. He said, “Exxon's Baytown refinery-chemical complex is the largest polluter on the Houston Ship Channel impacting the air quality of hundreds of thousands of citizens. Exxon Baytown still needs to clean up its act and do more to create cleaner air in the Houston area.”

The groups are represented by the National Environmental Law Centre; attorney David Nicholas of Newton, Massachusetts and Houston attorneys Philip Hilder and Will Graham.

Sierra Club has approximately 24,000 members in Texas who are protecting parks and wild-lands and building a clean energy future to protect human health and natural resources.

Environment Texas advocates for clean air, clean water, and preservation of Texas' natural areas on behalf of approximately 5,000 members statewide.

GMSA's outgoing president...

From page 12 opened up for all Guyanese.

As a business support organization, the GMSA needs to organize ourselves for this growth so we can be competitive not only at home, but regionally and internationally.”

He told the members, however, “Perhaps the bigger challenge will be how we

ensure our economy remains diversified, how we support and strengthen traditional sectors even as we encourage a new sector into the economy, and how we reconcile oil and gas with green/low carbon development.”

This should continue to be the primary focus of the new Board of the GMSA. The election of the new Board of Directors was done virtually and 13 members were elected to serve for the year 2021/2022.

The board members will convene for its first meeting within two weeks to elect the new Executive, and formally install the new sub-sector chairs as part of the Board.

The GMSA said that it will formally introduce the new Board in a subsequent press release after the new president and vice presidents are elected.

Persons 60 and older...

From page 16 concerns about when cabinet members will receive their vaccines, stating that “...His Excellency the President would decide when the government, the cabinet, would take the vaccine but our priority, as of now, is to ensure that those categories that I

have mentioned, that they get the vaccine.”

He said that since the cabinet is a smaller group of persons, a large number of vaccines will not be required, but that is a consideration that will be made after the health workers would have gotten their vaccines.

As such, Wayne through his attorney, Nigel Hughes, is asking the High Court for several orders, including an order to admit him on bail pending the hearing and determination of his Fixed Date Application (FDA) challenging his incarceration. He also wants a permanent stay of the murder charge and a declaration that his rights, guaranteed by the provisions of Article 144 of the Constitution of Guyana, have been infringed.

According to court documents seen by this newspaper, the murder accused also filed for damages in excess of

$100,000 for a breach of his fundamental right to a fair hearing as guaranteed by the provisions of Article 144 of the Constitution of Guyana.

In an affidavit to support his claim, the applicant asks the Court to consider inter alia that he had been incarcerated for the crime since October 2014.

He said that he has been awaiting trial since November 2015, after he committed to stand trial in the High Court by a Magistrate. Since then, Wayne noted that he underwent a trial, which ended in a hung jury in 2017, but ever since, he has not been afforded the opportunity to go before the Court.

The applicant said too that his name was listed for retrial in the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, but his case never came up.

According to Wayne, while he languished in jail, all attempts made by him to expedite his trial had proven futile.

He noted that his concerns over the delay were raised at the level of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), but were not addressed. Wayne listed a number of other avenues, which attempted to get his concerns over the delayed trial addressed, but to no avail.

In the circumstances, the murder accused said that he

Lennox Wayne called ‘Two Colours.’ believes that his rights to a fair trial as guaranteed by the constitution have been impeded. He is hoping that the High Court will address his concerns and grant the reliefs sought.

PAGE 18

Sixth FPSO by 2027 - Exxon says first six could wipe out half of Guyana’s proven reserves

By Shikema Dey t was only a few weeks ago that Kaieteur News reported that ExxonMobil and its joint venture partners, Hess and CNOOG, are in full speed to consider its fifth production development in Guyana’s Stabroek Block, even though they have yet to complete the Field Development Plan for their fourth intended development.

In fact, the second and third developments are yet to be on stream.

Now, the companies have announced plans to have the sixth production development in the Stabroek Block on stream by 2027.

That addition, according to one of Exxon’s Senior Vice President, Neil Chapman, could develop between “40 to 50 percent” of the nine billion barrels of oil discovered to date.

In simple terms, those six Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels could wipe out half of Guyana’s proven reserves in the Stabroek block.

I

This planned pace of development appears to be in keeping with plans the company announced to have a total of 10 FPSOs operating in the Stabroek block.

Chapman told investors yesterday at the company’s Investor Day 2021, “We will continue to work closely and in partnership with the Government and anticipate their support to maintain future development pace consistent with what we have demonstrated to date.”

An analysis done by Kaieteur News determined that it is highly likely that ExxonMobil will wipe out the proven reserves of the Stabroek Block in less than two decades.

Using a simple projection of production numbers based on public statements by the company and its JV partners, Kaieteur News found that ExxonMobil could wipe out the proven reserves by 2036.

Rystad Energy, an energy research and business intelligence company, projected mid-2020 that ExxonMobil will be able to place one FPSO offshore Guyana every year

ExxonMobil’s Senior VP, Neil Chapman. for the next 10 years.

If these projections are accurate, the 10th vessel will start producing in 2031.

By the end of the first year, after the 10th FPSO is placed, ExxonMobil would have wiped out 4.14 billion barrels of oil, leaving a little over three billion barrels left.

In the following years, it will produce about 730 million barrels of oil in each year. By 2032, there would be 2.32 billion barrels left.

By 2033, that would be reduced to 1.6 billion barrels.

By 2036, there would be nothing left.

$1.1B approved for Local Govt.

Elections -But no funds allocated to host House-to-House While no funds were allocated for another House-toHouse registration exercise, the sum of $1.1 billion was approved yesterday by the National Assembly for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to hold Local Government Elections (LGE).

That disclosure was made as the House Committee of Supply considered the $4 billion expenditure for GECOM. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, explained to the Committee that some $237.7 million has been allocated for the purchasing of print and non-print materials, inclusive of the printing of ballot papers for the LGE. With that said, Teixeira told the House that GECOM is expected to print approximately 500,000 ballot papers.

A further breakdown of the $1.1billion outlines that $32.8 million was allocated for the purchase of fuel and lubricants for the fleet of vehicles utilized by GECOM. Minister Teixeira revealed as well that $81.6 million was allocated for the rental of private buildings. She explained to the House that there are

Thursday March 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

expected to be roughly 17,000 polling stations established for LGE, however, public buildings would be utilized.

Added to that, the sum of $75.6 million was budgeted for subsistence and travel for polling day staffers and another $9.9 million for the regular distribution of Identification Cards (ID).

The Minister relayed as well that $26.4 million was allocated for telephone charges for the purchasing of minutes for Presiding Officers and Field Staff.

Along with that, $285.7 million was approved with $100 million of the sum going towards voter education and the remaining funds allocated for the rental of tents and containers.

For refreshments and meals, $89.1 million was approved for Election Day staff, along with $509 million for stipends for Assisting Chief Scrutinizers and Polling Day staff and approximately $18 million for the training of 8,500 persons.

While many have expressed satisfaction that the LGEs will be held this year, concerns still linger regarding

the alleged “criminal elements” within the GECOM Commission.

The Vice President had stated in November last year that he has high hopes that the GECOM Chair, Ret’d Justice, Claudette Singh, would seek to remove them before the process begins as the nation has no confidence that credible elections results can be produced under their watch.

Dr. Jagdeo had said to the media, “We’re expecting that the Commission will get rid of the criminals. They don’t need any evidence. The whole country knows who these criminals are; those hardcore, in-yuh-face type of criminals, who tried to steal the elections and put this country through trauma.”

Notably, there are criminal charges for misconduct in office against GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield; Deputy CEO, Roxanne Myers; Region Four Returning Officer (RO), Clairmont Mingo; Information Technology Officer, Enrique Livan, as well as other GECOM staffer, Shefferon February.

Neighbours living in fear after helping previous rape victims

By Shervin Belgrave For a number of years, neighbours of alleged serial rapist, 37-year-old, Thurston Semple, have been living in fear after helping some of his previous victims.

On Wednesday last, however, they were forced to put those fears aside and lend a helping hand in assisting a Venezuelan sex worker.

The woman was allegedly raped, sodomized and battered by Semple. His neighbours had witnessed her plunging through Semple’s louvres window in a bid to escape. They even looked on in horror as he brutalized her in his yard, before they were able to help her scale his fence.

Semple, a resident of Lot 5A, Tucville Terrace, is currently in custody as police investigate the matter.

In a bid, by this newspaper, to find out more about the suspect, one phrase – ‘this is not the first time he has done this’ - was repeatedly echoed by neighbours.

When questioned as to why they had not reported their observations to police, they residents informed, “we did help a few times in the past, but our actions had caused us to live in fear.”

A female neighbour recalled that close to some 15 years ago, he had run out of his yard and lashed her to the head, causing her to collapse.His brother, who was living with him at the time, had also joined in dragging her out of the yard and assaulting her for confronting him about a victim.

“His mother was there witnessing this too.

I had reported the matter, he was held a few days and released…I never got justice for that assault,” said the neighbour.

“Since then,” she said, “we have been scared of him and did not want to get mix up in his personal life.”

Others recalled him chasing a woman out of his house and beating her in the street.

Alleged serial rapist, Thurston Semple, is currently in police custody.

That woman was rescued too, they said, but he was held for a few days again and then released.

A man said that Semple had been locked up for rape before but after some months had passed he returned to the neighbourhood.

“A man like that is dangerous cause if you report him and he comes back to live among you, he can take revenge by harming us or our children,” he said.

Another individual said that he would come out in his yard and “curse up, making threats of killing and raping and sodomizing people for their mouth.”

Semple, the residents said, even threatened to burn down their homes for rescuing the Venezuelan sex worker, who was assaulted Wednesday last. She, this publication had reported, had to punch her way through a louvres window and jump a fence to escape Semple. One of the residents explained that he was arrested on the night of that assault (Continued on page 19)

Venezuelan fighter jets fly over Eteringbang - Guyana issues ‘Protest Note’

By Shervin Belgrave It appears as if Venezuela might be taking a further step in its military aggression towards Guyana. Concerns in this regard were raised after two of the country’s fighter jets flew over Eteringbang on Tuesday.

Eteringbang is a small community located along the Cuyuni River in Region Seven. It also borders a Venezuelan village, San Martin de Turumbang, located on the other side of the river.

According to a statement sent out yesterday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, two Venezuelan army Sukhoi SU 30 fighter jets flew over Eteringbang and its airstrip at around 13:20 hrs.

The ministry detailed that the jets circled the area once at a low altitude of 1,500 feet before flying away in an eastern direction.

Video seen by this media house showed one of the jets darting through the sky over the Eteringbang airport.

Kaieteur News’ sources on the ground revealed that there has been an increase presence of the Venezuelan Military at its Anacoco base, which sits opposite the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Base at Eteringbang.

One of the Jets that flew over Guyana’s airspace on Tuesday.

A few of the residents, who have been living in the Eteringbang community for years, told this newspaper that the last time they saw Venezuelan fighter jets circling the area was some 10 years ago.

They explained that back then the army would target illegal mining in its territory located on the other side of the Cuyuni River.

The Venezuelan army, they continued, would also conduct aerial surveillance for “contraband fuel.”

Guyana, however, has since moved to describe Tuesday’s flights over its airspace as the latest act of aggression by the Venezuelan armed forces.

In its statement, the Foreign Affairs Ministry added

that the “incursion of Guyana’s airspace by Venezuelan fighter jets is a clear indication that its government is prepared to use aggression and intimidation to accomplish what cannot be accomplished by legal means - the surrender by Guyana of its patrimony.”

Foreign Affairs Minister, Hugh Todd, has also summoned the Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana, Luis Edgardo Diaz Monclus, and has provided him a Protest Note in response to this latest development.

He informed Monclus that such a move not only challenges the good neighbourly relations between the two countries, but threatens the peace and stability of the (Continued on page 19)

Thursday March 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

Venezuelan fighter jets fly over...

From page 18 region as well.Monclus, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, expressed the Minister’s disappointment upon learning of Venezuela’s latest act of aggression. The Venezuelan ambassador reportedly said that he is only aware of a reconnaissance mission within his country’s territory to monitor narco-trafficking and illegal activities.Nevertheless, he told Todd that he will pass on the Protest Note and information to his government and should be able to give Guyana a feedback as soon as possible. Guyana and Venezuela have been caught up in a territorial controversy over Essequibo for a number of decades. The matter has been brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where it ruled on December 18, 2020 that it has jurisdiction to re-

solve the issue. Guyana’s argument is that it has sovereign rights over the coast and land territory because it was awarded to the then British Guiana in the 1899 Arbitral Award.In response, Kaieteur News had recently reported, the Venezuelan president, Nicholas Maduro Morro, has chosen an offensive against Guyana.His aggressive approach had led to the illegal detention of two Guyanese fishing boats and their crewmembers by the Venezuelan Navy in January.The fishing vessels were at the time operating in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) just off the coast at Waini point, a part of the Essequibo territory that Venezuela wants to claim.The fishermen were detained for two weeks in Venezuela before Maduro himself gave orders for them to be released.

Neighbours living in fear after...

From page 18 but was subsequently released.

When he returned, that individual related that he began cursing. He had said, they reported, “‘all yuh wah talking, talking and bring me down, a gon bun down yall house.”

Semple was re-arrested by police on Monday and has been in custody ever since.

The neighbours are hoping that this time he will be convicted and locked away behind bars for a very long time.

Kaieteur News had learnt that over years Semple was accused of not only brutalizing sex workers, but would also lure minors, both girls and boys, into his home to have sex with them.

In some cases, he would beat his victims, take away their clothes, chase them out of his home, and shut the door. These incidents, neighbours said, would happen at nights.

Semple is also accused of raping and beating a female relative, who has since died.

PAGE 19

PAGE 20

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 04, 2021

PAGE 21

US Judge slaps ExxonMobil with US$14.2M penalty for illegal flaring

By Kiana Wilburg

W

hile Guyana continues to g i v e ExxonMobil much leverage to ignore its laws and pollute its airspace with toxic chemicals that are released from the burning of 16 million cubic feet of gas per day, no-nonsense American environmental groups are showing the world that they refuse to allow such practices to go unpunished.

On Tuesday for example, ExxonMobil Corporation was slapped with a US$14.25M penalty by U.S. District Court Judge, David Hittner, for polluting Texas communities via illegal

- Found company violated environmental laws more than 3,600 times

A section of the ExxonMobil refinery at Baytown, Texas flaring at its sprawling 3,400-acre Baytown

complex, which houses a refinery and chemical plant.

Tens of thousands of people live within three miles of the

said complex.

The matter, which was taken to court by Environment Texas and Sierra Club, is one that ExxonMobil fought for 11 years with a series of legal manoeuvrings. The oil giant did not want to take responsibility for the violations of the Federal Clean Air Act on 3,651 days over a period of eight years.

It should be noted that this is the second ruling to be handed down on this case.

The first came after Judge Hittner had held a three week trial in 2014 and ruled that the oil giant should pay an almost US$20M fine. The Judge had found that Exxon was responsible for the pollution

Harmon sees media reports as attempt to dismantle ERC

from the Baytown complex between 2005 and 2013, as alleged in the lawsuit initially filed in 2010 by the Sierra Club and Environment Texas.

ExxonMobil, which quickly flexed its legal muscles, rushed to the federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to dismiss the penalty. It succeeded in this regard but the Court of Appeals still ordered Hittner to determine which violations of the Clean Air Act specifically caused harm to members of the organizations living near Exxon's Baytown operations.

In his new opinion, Judge Hittner, found that the environmental groups had (continued on page 17)

- says nothing about accountability and spending

L

eader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon, has stated that in his view, the recent media reports relating to occurrences at the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), are an attempt to dismantle it.

Harmon made this assertion during his Budget Debate speech on Monday, during which he also stated that under the coalition's purview, the ERC remained a robust apolitical independent institution, “with full powers under the law to pursue anyone who sought to sow the seeds of division among our people.”

He went on to say that, the opposition never considered interfering with the ERC's independence and once allowed to fulfill its mandate with robust leadership, it can play a pivotal role in the resolution of national ethnic issues.

“Mr. Speaker, the daily revelations however in the media of the ERC, appears to be in my view, an attempt to dismantle this very important commission and to damage its impartiality. We must guard against this insidious attempt by persons who are uncomfortable with the composition of the ethnic relations commission,” Harmon said.

But, as he pinpointed the aforementioned, Harmon did

not attempt to highlight or clarify any of the recent revelations about the current ERC, which included the excessive granting of Christmas bonuses, other instances of unjust spending/malpractices with public funds, disunity within and its failure to adequately step-up during the harrowing five-month election period last year.

Notably, the current Commission was reconstituted by the former coalition government on February 22, 2018, and saw the swearing-in of 10 new commissioners by former president, David Granger.

Upon its establishment, the Commission was adequately funded, but this publication would have reported that in the past seven years it received over $900M in budgetary allocations, with minute accountability for the public funds, which it was provided.

The recent media reports on the happenings at the ERC came after Commissioner, Haji Roshan Khan, highlighted issues within the Commission that could potentially lead to “serious catastrophe.” Khan has detailed these in a letter published in this newspaper's February 15, 2021 edition.

Among the things reported

on was ERC Commissioners granting themselves a $150,000 Christmas bonus and $100,000 for ERC staff which went against the government's advisory of $25,000 per person as a bonus in statutory bodies.

The ERC's Chairman, Reverend John Smith, even sought to clarify the granting of the excessive Christmas bonus, claiming that it was an honourarium, which in this case was for COVID-19 relief.

However meeting minutes from the November 26, 2020 statutory meeting where the

granting of the bonus was determined, contradicted Smith's claims. There was no record of the bonus being allocated as COVID-19 relief in the meeting minutes.

Khan had said, “Some also wanted a risk allowance to fly on a plane. They wanted risk allowance to go in the jungle.

They wanted high-quality boots, which I declined, as the boots were provided at the virtual end of our term.” He also noted that the Commissioners wanted all of those things despite being more than well compensated

and earning exceptionally high remuneration for “parttime work.”

A d d i t i o n a l l y, u p o n assuming office in 2015, the opposition sought to amend the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, which allowed constitutional agencies, like the ERC, to have independence with their allocations. Before the 2015 amendment, constitutional agencies had their budgetary allocations placed under scrutiny by their subject Minister.

The act was amended yet

Leader of the Opposition: Joseph Harmon again, by the PPP government, and it was stated that the coalition's amendment removed billions of dollars from Parliamentary scrutiny, that by law, could only be spent after scrutiny.

PAGE 22

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 04, 2021

Thursday March 04, 2021

PAGE 23

Kaieteur News

‘I’m never going to down WI cricket’ - Star batsman Gayle admits he contemplated retirement before receiving call-up

Thursday March 04, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) When it comes to love and romance, things are definitely in your favor, Aries. The thing to be aware of today is that there might be some manipulation on the part of someone close to you.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Things regarding love and romance may be a bit dicey for you, Taurus. You may find that you have to make a few adjustments in order to remain on the same page as your loved ones.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) The more tightly you try to hang onto something, Gemini, the more likely it is it will want to slip through your fingers.

Grab what you want, but don't squeeze too hard.

CANCER(June21–July22) Matters involving love and romance might not go exactly the way you'd like, Cancer.

You could be waiting for your partner to make the next move, since you're unsure of which way the relationship is progressing.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Recent events in the love and romance department may have you feeling like you aren't getting your needs met, Libra.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Be careful that you aren't manipulating a romantic situation so your partner loses any power, Scorpio.

You may think your actions are noble and well meaning, but you may be creating a scenario that has no basis in reality.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Things in the love department may be looking up for you, Sagittarius, but beware that you aren't getting pushed around.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) You may find that you're indecisive when it comes to issues concerning love and romance, Capricorn. For some reason, you have a tendency to pull one way and then the other, yet neither way seems very rewarding.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Things should be going well for you in the love and romance department, Leo, but you could find that today things get a bit tenuous.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Try to get more grounded in your actions regarding love and romance, Aquarius. You may need to take a more reserved approach in your actions in order to get where you need to go.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) People may be wondering how to proceed while you're off doing your own thing.

Don't go in one direction and leave someone else behind, Virgo. In matters regarding love and romance.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You're quite sure of yourself and solid about many things except one. When it comes to romantic relationships, you feel a bit unsure and inadequate, Pisces.

SportsMax - West Indies star batsman, Chris Gayle, has admitted he contemplated retirement from international cricket but could not turn down the call to don the colours of the regional team once again.Gayle, now 41, had initially announced his intention to retire following the 2019 ICC World Cup. The player then targeted the One Day International series against India, shortly after the World Cup, as possibly his final hurrah. Following a standing ovation received following the series, the batsman seemed to have a change of heart.Two years later, however, the batsman has found himself in fine form and, on the back of an outstanding IPL campaign for Punjab Kings, could once again prove a major force for the West Indies with the ICC World T20 tournament on the horizon. As such, the player was recalled to the T20 squad as the team begins a series of matches that will lead up to defending its title in India.

“Back then I thought

about actually walking away from the game and people said, no, don’t do it, stay and play for as long as possible. I decided I would actually continue playing the game of cricket,” Gayle told members of the media via a Zoom press conference on Tuesday.

“I wasn’t looking down this road. I thought of playing franchise cricket and exploiting my talent to entertain the people as much as possible. When I got the call and they asked if I was willing and interested, I said yes. Once I’m playing for the West Indies that’s where my heart is. I’m never going to turn down anything pertaining to West Indies cricket,” he added.“I decided I was fullon, I was actually in a tournament and they said ‘you know Chris this is the structure we have in place, so we need you to be a part of it, we need you to fit into what is basically set for the team, so I basically agreed to it. I came back from Pakistan to be part of the setup leading into the World Cup.”

Rex Chemicals in the mix ...

From page 25 organized by the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc in collaboration with Guyana’s Honorary Cousul in Florida, Ramzan Roshanali among 24 teams competing for honours.

The final in all three categories will be played at the Everest Cricket Club at Camp road with all Covid-19 protocols in place.

Rex Chemicals has joined the list of sponsors including Banks Beer, Trophy Stall, Danny Persaud (You Life ARD you tube channel), Elegance Jewellery and pawn Shop, Star party Rentals, P&P Insurance Brokers, Crown Mining Supplies, Regal Stationery and Computer Centre, Regal Sports, Dinar Trading, Mohamed’s Enterprise, King’s Jewellery World, Roraima Group of Companies, Barama Company Limited, Kia Motors, West Vybez Sports Bar and Restaurant, Royal Chicken, Beacon Café, Derick’s Variety Store, Muslim Youth Organization, Bushbox Inc, SS Royal K9, Premier Insurance, Kapil ‘Rice Mart’ Ramnauth and Freelancer Advertising Agency.

Chesney, Kilcoy...

From page 25 Competition Committee Leslie Solomon hailed the two tournaments as huge successes and committed the Berbice Board to hosting them on an annual basis.

The tournaments were the brain child of BCB President Hilbert Foster and their objectives are to promote the game at the grassroot levels, to give weaker clubs the opportunity to win a BCB tournament, to renew passion for the game after the enforced one year break due to the corona virus and to identify new talents for the county.

The Chattergoon Brothers Cup was sponsored by former West Indies Under19 player Hemnarine Chattergoon, while the Deonarine Challenge Cup was supported by former test all rounder

Lindore leads ECC Masters...

From page 26 19. The game was sponsored

by Dovies aTrucking Service.

Meanwhile, New Doctor’s Clinic donated a bat, a pair of pads, one helmet and 500 face masks to the home team following the contest.

Everest Masters will take on Wakenaam Masters on Sunday at Good Success.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 24

Thursday March 04, 2021

Pollard hits six sixes in an over as Windies beat Sri Lanka despite Akila Dananjaya hat-trick SCOREBOARD COOLIDGE, Antigua (AP) — Sri Lanka legspinner Akila Dananjaya experienced the precipitous highs and lows of Twenty20 cricket when he claimed a hat-trick which included the wicket of West Indies star Chris Gayle for a first-ball duck, then was hit for six sixes in an over by Keiran Pollard yesterday in the first international in Antigua.

The West Indies won the match by four wickets with 41 balls in hand, finishing with 134-6.

Dananjaya became only the 15th player and the fourth Sri Lankan to take a T20 international hat-trick when he dismissed Evin Lewis (28), Gayle and Nicholas Pooran (0) with consecutive deliveries in the fourth over.

He had little time to reflect on his new-found fame when it turned to notoriety: in his next over he was hit to all parts of the ground by Pollard, who become only the second

Sri Lanka Innings (20 Overs Maximum) Niroshan Dickwella † b Holder 33 Danushka Gunathilaka c Pollard b Sinclair 4 Pathum Nissanka st †Pooran b Allen 39 Dinesh Chandimal c Holder b McCoy 11 Angelo Mathews (c) c Simmons b Edwards 5 Thisara Perera c Bravo b McCoy 1 PWH de Silva c Allen b Bravo 12 Ashen Bandara run out (Allen/†Pooran) 10 Akila Dananjaya not out 9 Dushmantha Chameera run out (Holder/†Pooran) 2 Extras (lb 2, w 3) 5 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 6.55) for 9 wkts 131 Did not bat: Nuwan Pradeep

Kevin Sinclair receives his West Indies cap from veteran Chris Gayle on debut taking 1-26 in his first outing. player after Yuvraj Singh to hit six sixes in an over in a T20 international and the third player to achieve the feat in all international formats.

Yuvraj did so from England’s Stuart Broad in

Obed McCoy picked up 2-25 for the Windies. (CWI)

the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 and had to wait 14 years for company.

Man-of-the-match Pollard said he thought six sixes was a possibility “after the third one.”

“I just had to come out and back myself,” he said. “It was something the team needed. I didn’t see the hattrick, I only heard. But I still had to come out and do what the team required at that point in time.”

Dananjaya’s see-sawing fortunes — he was hit for a seventh consecutive six by Jason Holder in his next over and had two catches dropped from his bowling — turned the West Indies’’ seemingly easy chase for 132 to take a 1-0 lead in the series into a thrilling spectacle.

Sri Lanka managed only 131-9 in its 20 overs after being sent in to bat. It had been 86-3 but fell apart after a short rain break and lost six wickets for 45 runs.

Captain Angelo Mathews (5) fell in the first over after play resumed and

Dinesh Chandimal (11) was out three balls later. Thisara Perera (1) fell in the 17th over and Sri Lanka slumped further to 106-6, then 111-7 when Hasaranga de Silva was out for 12.

Two runouts in the final over saw Sri Lanka fall well short of a competitive total.

The West Indies seemed likely to rapidly run down the Sri Lanka total when Lewis hit the last three balls of the first over for six. But Dananjaya’s hat trick saw the home side slip from 52-0 to 52-3, losing Gayle to the first ball of his first T20 in two years.

Pollard’s barrage in the sixth over lifted the West Indies from 62-4 on the dismissal of Lendl Simmons to 92-4 and again had the home side coasting to victory.

Another twist was in store when de Silva dismissed Pollard (38) and Fabian Allen with consecutive deliveries in the 7th over, denied a hat-trick

by Dwayne Bravo who defended the next delivery.

The West Indies were 101-6 and were seen home

by Bravo and captain Jason Holder, who made an unbeaten 29. Holder hit a six, the 15th of the innings, to take West Indies past Sri Lanka’s total.

Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Danushka Gunathilaka, 2.6 ov), 2-71 (Niroshan Dickwella, 9.6 ov), 3-83 (Pathum Nissanka, 12.2 ov), 4-96 (Angelo Mathews, 13.6 ov), 5-97 (Dinesh Chandimal, 14.1 ov), 6-106 (Thisara Perera, 16.2 ov), 7-111 (PWH de Silva, 17.2 ov), 8-126 (Ashen Bandara, 19.3 ov), 9-131 (Dushmantha Chameera, 19.6 ov)

BOWLINGO M R W

Kevin Sinclair 3 0 26 1 Fidel Edwards 4 0 29 1 Jason Holder 4 0 19 1 Obed McCoy 4 0 25 2 Dwayne Bravo 4 0 26 1 Fabian Allen 1 0 4 1 West Indies Innings (Target: 132 runs from 20 Overs) Lendl Simmons lbw b de Silva 26 Evin Lewis c Gunathilaka b Dananjaya 28 Chris Gayle lbw b Dananjaya 0 Nicholas Pooran † c †Dickwella b Dananjaya 0 Kieron Pollard (c) lbw b de Silva 38 Jason Holder not out 29 Fabian Allen lbw b de Silva 0 Dwayne Bravo not out 4 Extras (lb 4, nb 1, w 4) 9 TOTAL (13.1 Ov, RR: 10.17) for 6wkts 134 Did not bat: Kevin Sinclair, Obed McCoy, Fidel Edwards Fall of wickets: 1-52 (Evin Lewis, 3.2 ov), 2-52 (Chris Gayle, 3.3 ov), 3-52 (Nicholas Pooran, 3.4 ov), 4-62 (Lendl Simmons, 4.6 ov), 5-101 (Kieron Pollard, 6.4 ov), 6-101 (Fabian Allen, 6.5 ov)

BOWLING OM R

W Angelo Mathews 1 0 19 0 Akila Dananjaya 4 0 62 3 Dushmantha Chameera 3 0 29 0 PWH de Silva 4 0 12 3 Ashen Bandara 1 0 2 0 Nuwan Pradeep 0.1 0 6 0 Match Details Venue: Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua Toss: West Indies, elected to field first Player Of The Match Kieron Pollard Series result: West Indies led the 3-match series 1-0 T20I debut Ashen Bandara Kevin Sinclair Pathum Nissanka Umpires Gregory Brathwaite Nigel Duguid TV Umpire Leslie Reifer Reserve Umpire Patrick Gustard Match Referee Richie Richardson

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 04, 2021

PAGE 25

Chesney, Kilcoy win respective Deonarine and Chattergoon brothers Challenge Cups

BCB Grassroot Tournaments

The winning Kilcoy Cricket Club.

The winning Chesney Cricket Team.

T

he effort of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) to promote the game of cricket at the local level on Sunday last received a major boost with the hosting of four grassroot tournaments. Two of the grassroot tournaments were played at the Fyrish and Chesney grounds.

At the Fyrish Ground, new comers Kilcoy Cricket Club defeated the home team to lift the first ever Chattergoon brothers Challenge Cup. Four teams in the area participated in the one-day tournament - Fyrish, Kilcoy, Nigg Intruders and Courtland.

In the opening rounds, Kilcoy defeated Courtland by twenty-five runs, while Fyrish crushed Nigg Intruders by nine wickets. In the final, Fyrish were dismissed for just ninetyfive runs in fifteen of their allotted twenty overs.

Chandradatt Roopnarine top scored with 33 (4x4, 2x6), while Kevin Subramanie chipped in with 19 (2x4).

Steve Persaud took 5 for 11 and Jamal Cort 2 for 16.

Needing to score 99 runs from 20 overs to lift their first ever BCB Second Division title, Kilcoy raced to 100 for 1 in just nine overs as Kevin Persaud blasted 51 not out from just twenty balls

with six sixes and three boundaries.

Levi Thomas supported with an unbeaten 30 (3x6, 2x4), Kevin Subramanie took the only wicket to fall for 29 runs. Persaud was named Man of the Final for his winning knock.

Over at the Chesney Ground, the home team eased past Jai Hind CC while Sand Reef defeated Albion Open in the opening rounds.

Sandreef were making a welcome return to Berbice Cricket after an absence of over a decade.

The final was reduced to fifteen overs per side after a passing rain shower had affected play for over an

GABF keeping up with the times

Guyana to compete at FIBA Esports tourney Guyana will compete at the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) Esports Open III for the first time, after the third edition of the tournament was announced

by FIBA last month; February 16th.

According to a correspondence from the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) to the media, FIBA Esports fall under the purview of the G A B F ’s i n n o v a t i o n activities under the ‘Enlarge the GABF Family’ strategic priority.

The global event has more than doubled in size to 38 teams, from the inaugural tournament, which took place last June. Guyana will compete in the Americas Conference, which is due to take place late April.

M o r e i m p o r t a n t l y, selection to represent Guyana at the FIBA Esports

Open III is open to all top NBA2K players, as the GABF invites players from both genders to apply online. Similar to the previous event, conferences will be played across three weekends, this time in April and early May 2021. FIBA will confirm the exact dates in due course.

GABF General Secretary, Patrick Haynes was quoted saying, “We’re excited to be part of FIBA’s Esports Open for the first time this year.

The gaming world has seen rapid growth, evidenced by the large number of gamers and fans involved, and the timing and opportunities makes sense for the GABF to add an enational team to compete in future international FIBA competitions. Our preparations are underway, and we wish all players who

will be representing Guyana the best of luck.”

Each team will have seven players – five on the court and two reserves.

Guyana has registered for the Current Gen Division where players will be allowed to play with the Play Station 4 (PS4) version of NBA2K21, using Pro-AM mode.

Teams are once again allowed to have full customization of player avatars, uniforms and arena designs. Fans will once again be able to watch the action unfold, with 70+ hours of live content being s t r e a m e d o n F I B A’s Facebook, Twitch and YouTube channels and live on the Olympic Channel.

Each game will be available online with live commentary in English, as well as a daily show featuring up to 12 games.

hour.

Chesney batting first, reached an impressive 169 for 5 from their allotted overs with Naresh Kissoon top scoring with 80 not out from 30 balls with six boundaries and seven massive sixes.

Imran Khan 14 and Narine

Deonarine 15 were the other batsmen to reached double figures.

Raplh Balkarran took 3 for 27 for Sand Reef, who in reply were restricted to 111 for 5 to lose by 58 runs. Leon Ramsammy top scored with an impressive 46, while

Keion Hafeez supported with 21.

Veteran Bowler Narine Deonarine took two wickets for eleven runs from his two overs. Kissoon was named Man of the Final.

Chairman of the BCB (Continued on page 23)

Rex Chemicals in the mix with President’s Softball Tournament …company plans to enter the Guyana market I n t e r n a t i o n a l manufacturing company, Rex Chemicals have joined the inaugural President’s T20 Softball Tournament which is set for this weekend in Georgetown. Rex Chemicals, manufacturer of commercial and residential cleaning products including soaps and industrial cleaners, is based in Florida USA but is excited to join the list of sponsors for the inaugural tournament.

Paul Narpaul, owner of the company that has branches throughout the Caribbean and the USA, was elated at the opportunity to

get on board with his sponsorship which he promises will increase as the tournament grows in the years to come.

The entire sponsorship from Rex Chemicals will go towards the total prize money to be paid in the three categories of the three-day tournament which begins on Friday at various venues in and around Georgetown.

Narpaul has already partnered with local company, Overnite Signs and Grafix and will be establishing a branch of Rex Chemicals in Guyana. The experienced businessman

extends well wishes to the organizers, teams and supporters of the tournament.The inaugural President’s T20 Softball Tournament will be played from March 5 to 7 in Open, Masters and Legends categories. There is no entrance fee but the winning team in each category will pocket $500,000, while the runner-up will get $100,000.

There are lots of individual prizes at stake including smart television sets for the player of the series in each category along with trophies.

The tournament is (Continued on page 23)

Staff of Rex Chemicals at their factory in Florida.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 26

Thursday March 04, 2021

Lindore leads ECC Masters to victory Randy Lindore grabbed four wickets to lead Everest Masters to 23-run victory over host Laluni on Sunday

last in a 25 overs fixture.

Batting first on a moist pitch, Everest Masters managed 122-5.

Dev Balgobin struck three fours and four sixes in a top score of 54, while Clement Archer and Imtiaz

Sadik made 16 each.

Troy Domingo and G. Campbell took two wickets each while Clinton Pestano had 1-28.

Lalluni were bowled out for 99 in reply.

Clinton Pestano scored 25 with two fours and two sixes, while O. Rampersaud J. Mohabir made 19 apiece.

Randy Lindore picked up 4 for 22, Vick Mohabeer had 2 for 9 and Gavin Singh 2 for (Continued on page 23)

A member from Laluni team accepts the donation from Vick Mohabeer and Randy Brown.

The victorious Everest Masters.

Gary St Clair Superhero Fight Night card pushed back due to Covid-19 threats Former Guyana world Title holder Gary St Clair explained that an emergency meeting was held in Australia to determine all possibilities surrounding the arrangements Gary St Clair Superhero Fight Night promotions, originally set for Independence Day in Guyana (May 26 2021) in Georgetown, Guyana.

The Boxer turned businessman, posited that feedback and professional advice has determined that due to the statistics of the Covid-19 and the majority of overseas patrons will be unable to leave their domain

without being affected by the status of the virus.

“We have however air-marked August 2021 as potentially the next day. We therefore thank all the persons who have worked on whatever ways too much to mention, on this card.”

St Clair and his team are determined to help Guyana return as the Mecca of boxing in the Caribbean.

“Boxing is Guyana’s sure bet for winning Gold at the Olympic Games,” said St Clair from his home in Australia.

Kalim Khan, New Doctor’s Clinic support ECC Speaker’s Cup Kalim Khan and New D o c t o r ’s C l i n i c h a v e supported the Everest Cricket Club Speaker’s softball Cup. Both entities handed over sponsorship cheques to President of ECC and speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir, recently.

The tournament will be played from April 2 to April 4 at venues in and around Georgetown. The tournament will be hosted by the Everest Masters Cricket Team in partnership with the Honorable Speaker of the N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y, Manzoor Nadir. It will be held in two categories, Masters Over 45 and Legends Over 50 with sixteen teams expected to

Manzoor Nadir (right) accepts the cheque from Kalim Khan. participate, including six from overseas.

Attractive cash prizes and trophies are up for grabs

along with man of the match award for each preliminary game, final and player of the tournament.

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 04, 2021

PAGE 27

Whim win Nagamootoo brothers Cup, Kennard Memorial clinch Karran and Son title

BCB Grassroot Tournaments

Natalie Nagamootoo hands over winning trophy to captain of Whim Cricket Club.

One of the objectives of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) organised Grassroot one day cricket tournaments is to allow smaller clubs the opportunity to win a BCB title. That objective was achieved in the first set of tournaments as two teams won their first ever BCB o rg a n i s e d t o u r n a m e n t .

Whim Cricket Club and the Kennard Memorial Cricket Club on Sunday last emerged as Champions of the Nagamootoo Brothers Challenge Cup and the Karran and Son General S t o r e To u r n a m e n t respectively.

Whim defeated favourite Rose Hall Town Tigers in the final at the Whim Community Centre, while Kennard got pass No43 at their home venue.

At the Whim Ground, the home team defeated Tain Block Four in the first round of the tournament, while

Rose Hall Tigers squeezed Belvedere United by 12 runs in a low scoring match. In the final, Whim won the toss and batted after the match was reduced to fifteen overs per side due to a late start. Whim reached 160 for 8 from their fifteen overs with Vish Samaroo blasting six sixes in a blistering 77 and he received support from Moonsammy Veersammy 30 and Kevin Motain 34.

Veteran off spinner Khemraj Mahadeo took 4 for 17 (3 overs) and Therbhuwan Jagdeo 2 for 18 (3 overs).

Needing to score 161 runs from 15 overs to win their first ever BCB title, Rose Hall Tigers were r o c k e d b a c k b y V. Harrinarine 3 for 19 and Tameshwar Harrinarine 3 for 14. Veerapen Permaul, brother of test player Veersammy, top scored with a polished 55, while Rondall chipped in with 27.

The winning Whim Cricket Team.

The Winning Kennard Memorial Team.

At the Kennard Memorial Ground in Bush Lot Farm, Central Corentyne, the home team, created history with their first ever BCB title. Earlier in the day, they had defeated arch rivals Ramnarine Memorial off the last ball of the first-round match, while No43 Village eased past Kildonan Cricket Club.

Kennard Memorial won the toss in the final and batted.

They amassed 156 for 6 in fifteen overs with S. Seolall 38 (4x4, 1x6), R. Bassoo 42 (3x6, 3x4) and C. Mankarran 20 been the principal scorers. Leg s p i n n e r Ta m e s h w a r Ramessar 3 for 18 from three overs was the main wicket taker for the visiting No43 Cricket Club. No43 in reply, were bowled out for 135 in 14.4 overs to lose by 21 runs.

A. Dayram 20, Dennis Dean 24 and Ricardo Pottaya 21

were the top scorers for the visitors. Y. Danroop took 3 for 21 for the champions.

Coordinators of the tournaments were Winston Smith for the Karran and Son tournament, while Karran Ramsammy was in charge for the Nagamootoo Brothers Cup. Both Smith and Ramsammy extended thanks to the BCB and the sponsors for their investment into village cricket. The two tournaments are part of a package of ten that would be played across Berbice as part of an effort to promote cricket at the grassroot level and to bring back the passion for the game after the enforced Covid-19 break for over a year.

Mahendra Nagamootoo is a former West Indies player, his brother Vishal played for Guyana at both the junior and senior level, while Mankarran Singh is a former first division player.

BCB Head Coach Winston Smith hands over the Karran and Son Trophy to the Kennard Memorial Team.

Man-of-the-match Kieron Pollard exploded to pummel Akila Dananjaya to all parts of the ground for six sixes in an over after the bowler had taken a hat-trick. (CWI)

Pollard hits six sixes in an over as Windies beat Sri Lanka despite Akila Dananjaya hat-trick

Akila Dananjaya took a hat-trick the put the West Indies in a spot of bother only to run into Kieron Pollard sixes salvo. (CWI

t r o p S

GABF keeping up with the times

Guyana to compete at FIBA Esports tourney Esports have been quickly developing with a large following.

Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.