Kaieteur News

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Exxon Liza Saturday Edition NEWS Phase Two to cost US$6B AIETEUR

May 04, 2019 - Vol. 13 No. 17

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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

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Separate agreement almost complete to ensure accountable measuring of Guyana's oil - Govt. Advisor says document will be made public

American Airlines to start selling tickets for NY route from Monday

Ramjattan Terminations, to challenge Nagamootoo transfers to follow for PM post SOCU audit report

Container congestion:

This was the scene in front of Kaieteur News, Saffon Street, yesterday. Several container trucks, with rice and other exports, were parked waiting their turn to be processed at the container scanning facility of the Guyana Revenue Authority, on Lombard Street. Truckers said that they had no other place to park. However, they were removed by this police rank after the congestion became evident.

Fraud company Woman suffers Poor road CGX, Frontera owned by former fractured jaw, loses Energy get govt's conditions SOCU Adviser, Sam tooth at hands approval for strategic blamed as logs joint venture exports fall Sittlington, winds up of 'child father'

Rigid Oil Spill Response Plan tied to Liza Phase Two Permit

Kaieteur News

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Saturday May 04, 2019

Rigid Oil Spill Response Plan tied to Liza Phase Two Permit

By Kiana Wilburg

T

he approval that was granted the r e l e v a n t authorities for ExxonMobil and its partners to move ahead with the Liza Phase Two Development was tied to a number of conditions, says Head of the Energy Department, Dr. Mark Bynoe.

During a press conference that was held at the Ministry of the Presidency yesterday, the official disclosed that one of the conditions states that a study would be done to examine the possible quantity of oil that could contaminate Guyana's waters in the event of an oil spill. He said that this study would then be used to inform a rigid oil spill response plan.

Dr. Bynoe said, “The approval is subject to a number of conditions and confirmatory studies. Some of the more important conditions relate to the establishment of a Regional Capping Stack or other

solution to ensure that a Capping Stack can be deployed within five days of a well control event with loss of containment.”

He added that ExxonMobil's subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), which is the lead operator on the Stabroek Block, shall follow the required practice in the US Gulf of Mexico in calculating “Worst Case Discharge.”

It will also be required to validate the assumptions and calculations by obtaining an independent assessment.

That assessment would develop an estimate of the flow that would result from an open hole well control event with loss of containment.

Dr. Bynoe said that this independent assessment will then be used as the basis for the Oil Spill Response Plan and oil spill modeling.

Further to this, the Energy Department Head said that approval was also tied to some cost saving conditions.

In this regard, he said that

ExxonMobil is expected to improve the targeted availability of the overall production system of the Liza Phase Two FPSO to between 98% and 99%; identify potential cost effective synergies between Liza Phase One and Lisa Phase Two and for the Stabroek Block operator to conduct Annual Third-Party Auditing on its drilling operations that would be consistent with Good International Oil Field Practice (GIOFP) and its own Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS).

Dr. Bynoe said, too, that the Stabroek partners agreed t o e nter into a Decommissioning Security Agreement.

LIZA PHASE TWO A c c o r d i n g t o E PA documents, oil production from the Liza Phase Two Development is expected to last at least 20 years. EEPGL will drill approximately 3540 wells offshore to support extraction of the oil from below the sea floor. Each well will be drilled to a depth which is over 5,000 metres (m) below the sea floor.

EEPGL will then install some of the oil production facilities on the sea floor at approximately 1500-1900 m (4900-6200 ft) water depth.

These subsea facilities include various types of pipes and hardware. The subsea facilities allow the oil from the wells to be gathered and moved to the surface of the ocean for further processing.

Kaieteur News understands that EEPGL will install other oil production facilities on a vessel which floats on the surface of the ocean. The vessel is called a Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO). The FPSO will be moored on location in approximately 1,600m (5250 ft) of water depth and will remain on location throughout the life of the facility.

Further to this, oil production facilities on the FPSO will further process the oil extracted from below the sea floor. The FPSO will have the capacity to produce approximately 190,000 to 220,000 barrels of oil per day.

During the early stage of production operations, the FPSO is anticipated to produce an average of approximately 5,700,000 to 6,600,000 barrels of crude oil per month.

At peak, EPA documents note that EEPGL will utilize approximately 1,200 personnel offshore during the

Energy Department Head, Dr. Mark Bynoe stage where the wells are being drilled and the offshore oil production facilities are being installed. Kaieteur News understands that this number will decrease to less than 200 personnel during the production operations phase.

A smaller number of personnel will then be utilized at the onshore support facilities.

KEY DIFFERENCES According to reports perused by this newspaper, there are some key differences between the Liza Phase Two Development and the Liza Phase One Development.

In the area of Oil Production Rates, the Phase Two production rate will be approximately 190,000 to 220,000 barrels of oil per day while Phase One's production rate is 100,000 barrels of oil per day with the ability to operate at sustained peaks of 120,000 barrels per day.

With respect to FPSO Oil Storage Volume, Phase Two storage volume will be

approximately 1.6 to 2 million barrels, depending on the hull selected. Phase One storage volume is 1.6 million barrels.

In terms of the number of wells, Phase Two will have approximately 35-40 wells.

Phase One has 17 wells.

POSSIBLE EFFECTS The reports held by the EPA notes that the Liza Phase Two project comes with a fair number of possible effects on people, wildlife and the environment.

The effects include changes in quality of air; disturbance of seabed; changes in quality of ocean water; impacts to whales, dolphins, sea turtles, fish, birds and protected species; changes in food sources for fish and wildlife; restriction on fishing around drill ships (temporary) and FPSOs; and oil spills which could impact th e en v ir o n men t ( e. g . coastline, protected areas), indigenous communities, and the livelihoods of farmers and fishermen.

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 04, 2019

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Separate agreement almost complete to ensure accountable measuring of Guyana's oil - Govt. Advisor says document will be made public

By Kiana Wilburg

G

u y a n a ' s contracts with some of the world's major oil operators are utterly silent on how the extracted oil will be measured to ensure a c c u r a c y. I t a p p e a r s , however, that all hope is not lost. According to Petroleum Advisor to Government, Matthew Wilks, a separate agreement is being worked on to ensure the accountable measuring of Guyana's crude.

Wilks made this revelation during a press conference that was held yesterday at the Ministry of the Presidency.

There, Kaieteur News pointed out this major weakness that is present in all of Guyana's contracts and challenged the Advisor to say if this will be addressed in the nation's model Production Sharing Agreement. Wilks said, “Procedurally, yes.”

He said, too, that a Crude Lifting Agreement is being worked to ensure the precise metering of the oil.

Wilks said, “...That agreement contains all the metering checks and that document is in an advanced stage of preparation and it is almost complete. What we are going through now is a process of getting various agencies within Guyana ready for crude lifting because one of the things going out to tender right now is for a Crude Lifting Advisor ...to assist us in arranging a marketing arrangement for the government's share (of its oil).”

The Petroleum Advisor added, “But in terms of the accuracy of metering, how you meter, who checks...that is all contained in the Crude Lifting Agreement. And that will be signed by all parties.”

Asked to say if the document will be made public, Wilks said, “There is not an issue to making it public. We are quite happy to make it public.”

KAIETEUR EXPOSES It was in February of this

year that Kaieteur News had exposed that the Production Sharing Agreement Guyana has with ExxonMobil's subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), CNOOC and Hess, has no provision in place which speaks to the country's right to verifying the operator's oil production.

Other nations like Trinidad and Tobago, for example, have rigid rules, agreements and regulations in place on this matter.

With respect to its PSAs with oil firms, Trinidad has an entire section on Measurement.

Provisions 19.1 and 19.2 under that Section say, “All Petroleum produced, saved and not used in Petroleum Operations shall be measured at the Measurement Points approved in the Development Plan.

The Measurement Point shall be at the end of the facilities for which the cost is included as a recoverable cost of Petroleum Operations under the Contract.”

At provision 19.3 it adds, “The Production shall be measured in accordance with the sound and current practices and standards generally accepted in the international Petroleum industry. All measurement equipment shall be installed,

maintained and operated by Contractor.

“The Minister shall have the right to inspect the measuring equipment installed by Contractor and all charts and other measurement or test data at all reasonable times.

The accuracy of Contractor's measuring equipment shall be verified by tests at regular intervals and upon the request of the Minister, using sound and current means and methods generally accepted in the international Petroleum industry.”

Upon discovery of a meter malfunction, Trinidad's PSAs make it clear that the contractor shall immediately have the meter repaired, adjusted and corrected and following such repairs, adjustment or correction shall have it tested or calibrated to establish its accuracy.

Upon the discovery of a metering error, the nation also requires that the contractor have the meter tested immediately and the necessary steps taken to correct any error that may be discovered.

In the event a measuring error is discovered, the nation sets out in its PSAs that the Contractor shall use its best efforts to determine the correct Production figures for the period during

Petroleum Advisor to Govt., Matthew Wilks which there was a measuring error and that the corrected figures shall be used. In determining the correction, the nation notes in its oil deals that the Contractor shall use, where required, the information from other measurements made inside or outside the Production Area.

The oil contractor signed to a PSA is also required to submit for the Minister's approval, a report detailing the source and nature of the measuring error and the corrections to be applied.

If it proves impossible to determine when the measuring error first occurred, PSAs noted that the commencement of the error shall be deemed to be that point in time halfway

between the date of the last previous test and the date on which the existence of the measuring error was first discovered.

IMPORTANCE OF METER ACCURACY Canada-based organization, Publish What You Pay (PWYP), has also sought to enlighten nations over the years, on the importance of having provisions in place for monitoring metered oil.

In fact, it has published a detailed report documenting how many countries have

suffered for failing to have an independent team monitoring the oil being metered and assessed by oil companies.

In its report, it quotes the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate as saying that “even small deviations in the volume of production can have a significant impact on government revenues.”

In their example, an error of just 0.35 percent at one of their metering stations would amount to a loss of four million NOK (US$660,000).

PWYP also stated that ensuring fair taxation depends not only on tracking the volumes of the resource produced, but also that they are applied against each relevant fiscal instrument.

The anticorruption entity also stressed that the solution to protecting government r e v e n u e s f r o m u n d e rreporting of production by oil companies is effective monitoring of both the quantity and quality of the natural resources extracted and exported.

A failure to address this it said has resulted in oil producing nations losing billions of dollars in profits.

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Saturday May 04, 2019

Kaieteur News

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

A Treacherous Stalemate in Venezuela (Republished from The New York Times) What the Venezuelan opposition boldly proclaimed on Tuesday as a “final phase” in the opposition’s three-month campaign to oust the Venezuelan strongman, Nicolás Maduro, fizzled out by Wednesday, leaving behind murky claims of secret talks gone wrong, defectors who didn’t defect and Russian and Cuban meddling. What comes next was even less clear than before.Announcing the final push on Tuesday morning, Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader whose claim to the Venezuelan presidency is recognized by the United States and more than 50 other countries, seemed certain that this time enough of the military would cross over to assure Mr. Maduro’s ouster. Top members of the Trump administration — Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the national security adviser, John Bolton — promptly gave “Operación Libertad” their enthusiastic support.Then on Wednesday, with only a handful of National Guard troops on his side, Mr. Guaidó acknowledged that it didn’t happen. Only one top Maduro official, the head of the security services, Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera, appeared to have defected to him, and mass demonstrations on Wednesday were forcefully put down by security forces still loyal to Mr. Maduro.

An opposition leader who had been freed from house arrest by Mr. Guaidó’s followers and initially appeared with him in public, Leopoldo López, took refuge in the Spanish Embassy in Caracas with his wife and daughter.

Then the finger-pointing broke out. Mr. Maduro blamed President Trump for what he called an attempted coup d’état.

Mr. Trump assailed Cuba, his usual whipping boy for Mr. Maduro’s survival, though the C.I.A. has concluded that Havana’s support is far less consequential than the administration claims. Mr. Pompeo claimed that the Russians had talked Mr. Maduro at the last moment out of boarding a plane and fleeing the country, and hinted at military intervention.

The Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, warned Mr. Pompeo that “the continuation of aggressive steps is fraught with the most serious consequences.”More dramatically, Mr. Bolton claimed that there had been a secret arrangement for three Venezuelan officials — the defense minister, the chief judge of the Venezuelan Supreme Court and the commander of the presidential guard — to switch to Mr. Guaidó’s side, but that they failed to do so.

The Wall Street Journal additionally reported that according to Elliott Abrams, the administration’s special envoy for Venezuela, secret talks had taken place between the opposition and top government officials about a change in government and that a legal document had been drawn up for the transition.But whether the purported deal was a trap set by Mr. Maduro to make his opponents look inept, or whether the officials got cold feet, or whether it was an effort by American officials to spread distrust and instability in the beleaguered presidential palace, remained unclear.

In the end, whatever had led Mr. Guaidó and the Trump team to believe that the “final phase” was at hand, and whatever led to its collapse, the fact was that the opposition was left weaker than before in the eyes of its exhausted and impoverished followers.

Mr. Guaidó called next for national strikes, but it was difficult to know how long he could continue to rouse popular protests with promises of imminent change. And as Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis grew more dire, Mr. Maduro was bound to blame it on American sanctions on Venezuelan oil, which came into full effect this week.None of that bodes well for a quick resolution of the crisis. At some point, Mr. Guaidó may have to consider negotiating directly with Mr. Maduro to find a peaceful exit from a stalemate that is compounding the suffering that Mr. Maduro’s policies, corruption and chronic mismanagement have inflicted on the Venezuelans.American military intervention, repeatedly cited as a possibility by Mr. Trump and Mr. Pompeo, remains a terrible idea. However invested the Trump administration is in the ouster of Mr. Maduro, a direct intervention would find little support across a region with bad memories of American meddling, and would brand Mr. Guaidó as an American lackey.

The truth shall always be my shield DEAR EDITOR, As expected from a Public Relations Consultant for Ogle Airport Inc (OAI), Mr. Nascimento’s missive in KN’s issue of 3rd May, 2019 was typically one sided with several deliberate omissions.

The National Air Transport Association (NATA) of Guyana, which was comprised of several aircraft operators was birthed as a result of the severe and unbearable oppression by OAI over a very long period.

The collective suffering of these operators was made public at the inaugural launch of the association on the auspicious and significant occasion of Diwali 2015, a day

when light overcame darkness and good overcame evil.

The members of NATA told their stories collectively and individually through several forms of media for many years after its launch and I would assume that they developed their own individual lines of communication with the various media houses. Even Minister David Patterson is on public record stating that, “the concerns of the NATA members are not without merit”.

I served as President of NATA, for two terms during which several of the aggrieved members provided me with cartons of documentation on the matters on which

they had gone public on, including the anticompetitive, abusive and dominant practices by OAI and the toxic environment at the airport, which remains to date.

Mr. Nascimento, a public relations veteran, is well aware that I have never been, nor intend to become a voice for hire.

He may be challenged to understand, much less share my principle that the “truth shall always be my shield”.

This deep belief, which I practice has been reinforced by the many cartons of documentation in my possession.

My public advocacy for Transparency, Accountabil-

ity and Equity has yielded results and Kaieteur News has covered several events hosted by NATA over the years as well as several business forums where I questioned the developments at the airport.

In closing, I wish to reiterate that I remain open to defend any media house that has reported on corruption in the sectors that I work in, and coming one day after World Press Day, I wish to applaud Kaieteur News for the tremendous fortitude that they have demonstrated.

The truth shall be our collective shield.

Annette Arjoon-Martins

Does Peeping Tom have an anti-worker agenda?

DEAR EDITOR, The GAWU has recognized that the Peeping Tom in his/her column, which appeared in the May 02, Kaieteur News, like the columnist did a year ago, is again encouraging workers not to be unionized. The GAWU, also like it did in 2018, cannot fail to express its deep concern with the contentions that are being advocated by the Peeping Tom. We saw that the columnist recognizing our dismay on the last occasion he/she penned a similar column but yet, it appears, ignored what our Union had then said. Is it a case of the Peeping Tom having an anti-worker agenda?

The Peeping Tom, like he/ she did before, holds the view that workers in Guyana would be better-off without Unions.

The absurdity in such a statement is well manifested when we consider the situation regarding workers who are unionized versus those who don’t belong to unions. The nation would well recall when then Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes had visited a number of nonunionised workplaces and the stark, disturbing findings she stumbled upon. Similar situations do not generally obtain in workplace where workers enjoy representational services.

Certainly, it points to the need for workers to be organized in an effort to ensure that their rights are respected and they benefit from certain protections at the workplace.

In the period since the Peeping Tom wrote his/her last column on this matter, the necessity of unions have even been further highlighted.

Just in recent months, a strong stand by the entire Trade Union Movement has seen the workers of the Bauxite Company of Guyana (BCGI) making significant strides in

the struggle to get a fairer deal from the company. A similar situation also played out in the struggles of the nation’s teachers, which eventually saw the Ministry of Education coming back to the table and hammering out a deal which saw the teachers winning several of their demands. It, undoubtedly, goes to show how important a role the entire trade union movement has in our country.

Even on May Day, Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally congratulated the Union Movement for its working-together. In her remarks, the Minister pointed out that collaboration and cooperation in the movement has seen improvement in the national minimum wage, the recent launch of a national occupational safety and health policy and child labour policy, among other things.

These are tangible contributions of the movement, which will benefit not only unionized but nonunionized workers as well.

The Peeping Tom in advising workers, urged them “[i]f an employer is underpaying you or exploiting you, do not stick around. Move on to something else”. It seems that the columnist has ignored the real reality that employers are driven by profits and, therefore, are concerned with getting maximum value for little reward to their workers.

Moving on from one employer to another will not change that sentiment recognizing the smallness of our labour market and the sharing of information between employers. The reality moving from firm A to B will not remove the exploitative tendencies that we have seen in our country.

What we have also seen, however, is that firms, which have a unionized workforce tend to have improved conditions and benefits. Of

course, to us, this is not a strange situation as studies in other countries in the world, have concluded that higher levels of unionization see workers on the whole enjoying better benefits.

The columnist also says workers should form staff associations and pay subscription fees. But ironically isn’t this a union in a different form. Obviously, it seems to us, that the Peeping Tom isn’t rationally considering what he/she is saying.

Moreover, the columnist says that by organizing within organizations rather than nationally, workers would be better able to fight for better wages and conditions contending that it is putting self above others.

This outlandish sentiment, in our view, is yet another ploy to divide and conquer as smaller groupings can be easily manipulated to the employer’s whim and fancies.

At the same time, the Trade Union Movement is not solely concentrated at

discussions at the bargaining table recognizing that national policies can also go a long way to bring about real improvement in workers and their families well-being.

We contend that the Peeping Tom’s suppositions will not bring about the change the columnist believes that they will. In fact, it could well reverse the progress that the workers have scored over the last century when the first organization of workers was established. While there is always need for improvement and betterment, the Trade Union Movement has made laudable contributions and significant progress to bring about profound changes in the lives of our nation’s workers. We go forward fortified in the belief that United we Stand, Divided we Fall. As the lyrics of the now-popular workers song Solidarity Forever says, “The union makes us strong”.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU

PSC calls on government to revisit Abdul Kadir resolution DEAR EDITOR, The Private Sector Commission is appalled and deeply disappointed that our National Assembly should issue a statement to honour a former member convicted of terrorism in a national court of international repute.

The Commission considers this statement to be highly damaging to the good name and reputation of our country and wholly offensive. The Commission holds the view that the statement is completely unrepresentative of the well-established and declared position of our Government and of our Parliamentary Opposition in condemning any and all forms of national and international terrorism.

The Commission finds the statement abhorrent to the entire business community of Guyana and indeed to all of the people of Guyana.

The Commission calls upon our Government to immediately revisit the position it has taken in the National Assembly and take the necessary steps to correct the terrible and unfortunate message the statement has sent to the international community.

Private Sector Commission

Saturday May 04, 2019

Is this an unjust exercise of discrimination under the guise of restructuring?

DEAR EDITOR, Reference is made to the letter that was published in the Guyana Chronicle of May 02, 2019 written by David Carter titled “Restructuring” is most timely. The writer appears to make a case for this exercise on the grounds that something is not functioning right at the GFC and made a number of allegations, assumptions, and assertions on the GFC systems, senior staff mainly from one ethnic group and land allocation process just to summarize. Mr. Carter must know that persons from all ethnic groups benefitted from employment at the GFC under the PPP and there was no discrimination.

More persons from the non-Indian population were given opportunities, position, overseas training, etc. Persons were identified and placed not on ethnicity but rather skills, experience, and competence. I challenge anyone to produce evidence on being denied job opportunities based on ethnicity and acts of discrimination pre2015. If Mr. Carter has this information, please do the public good and publish it.

We are again barking up the wrong tree on land allo-

cation pre and post by successive governments. This matter was ventilated in Parliament a few years ago and the Hon Minister was but embarrassed from information provided by his advisor on who allocated claims to various areas of the forest. If I am correct, the GFC had published sometime ago the large concessions that were given out prior to 1992 and of course Barama was one of them that was given out pre 1992. So check your facts Mr. Carter.

The forestry sector has the widest spread of allocation based on ethnicity.

The PPP sought to regularize the forestry sector and not divide as Mr. Carter is alluding to. Many communities in Region 10 have access to forest lands more than any other district. In fact, Region 10 perhaps has the largest allocation of state lands for communities. The forest resource is a patrimony to all Guyanese and what Mr. Carter wants to see happening is a creaming off by one ethnic group and this must be rejected. I call on Mr. Carter to show where over 80% of the forest has been allocated by the Managers pre 2015 to Indian and Asians as he seems

to have the facts at hand. He should publish the names, area size and year of allocation.

Guyana like any other country promotes free trade, hence the importation of pine was not a forestry issue but a trade issue Mr. Carter. The value added industry has to get up to scratch to compete with imported wood products be it pine, ply board, MDF etc.

Notwithstanding, the private sector complained to the Ministry of Foreign Trade on pine and is the Ministry of Foreign trade that took it to CARICOM and had the tax adjusted and not the Minister of Natural Resources, Minister Trotman. Again, Mr. Carter check your facts. You seemed to be a messenger to someone who has access to some relevant information.

Again, if you have information on sexual molestation at GFC or any other place please contact the police and have the matter investigated.

Finally, the tone of Mr. Carter letter speaks of someone in desperation seeking to justify an unjust exercise of Discrimination under the guise of Restructuring.

Sincerely Ms. C. Cadogan

The US Embassy’s statement on the Abdul Kadir motion was jarring Dear Editor, The United States’ statement on the National Assembly’s honouring of the late MP Abdul Kadir was most interesting for its extremely harsh language: “This resolution is an insensitive and thoughtless act” that has “left a stain on their legacy as representatives of the Guyanese people”.

But why so undiplomatic after four years of vastly improved Guyana/US relations and cooperation in all areas, including anti-money laundering and drug enforcement?

It was jarring, out of charac-

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Kaieteur News

ter and quite frankly strange.

Unless of course one considers that the individual who stoked the fire was the Opposition Leader himself.

Moreover, let us put this diplomatic broadside in the context of the PPP/C’s $34M purchase of influence in Washington via its contract with Mercury Public Affairs including “but not limited to representing the party before and arranging meetings with the Executive Branch”.

Could one reasonably conclude that Mercury had managed through its contacts at the White House and the

State Department to ensure the Guyana government got a maximum feral blast?

If so, Mr. Jagdeo has taken sides with a foreign government to humiliate and undermine the sovereignty and independence of The Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

What a disgraceful and dangerous game.

Yours sincerely Albert Russell

COLLABORATION NEEDED TO FOSTER BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES TO COMBAT RUPUNUNI FIRES DEAR EDITOR, No doubt many Guyanese are now aware of the recent damage wrought relevant to the fires at Waikin Ranch.

This is a grievous act of deliberate ecological destruction that should be deservedly condemned. Sadly, it was neither the only nor largest of this dry season’s fires.

We have received reports at Visit Rupununi of this form of reckless, late season burning from across the region and this year’s events seem to be worse than in previous years.

There have been major fires across the Savannahs in both the North and South and in the Kanaku’s linked to human recklessness.

At Karanambu, there was one fire that lasted over two weeks in one of the largest and most critical bush islands in the region. Along the Hunt Oil stretch fires that were deliberately set have destroyed a bridge along the main access path used in the wet season, which if not repaired in time could leave an entire sector of the region cut off from access to Lethem for food, fuel etc.

In other areas, persons have lost homes, property, farms and crops.

To paint all acts of burning as barbarous or of human origin is both unfair and untrue.

Some fires do result from the combination of heat and the dryness and CONTROLLED burning (with its roots in both the Indigenous as well as Ranching culture) when used properly has been scientifically shown to have positive impacts. Sadly, there is a growing culture of reck-

less, malicious and unregulated burning which has evolved in modern times. This has led to wanton destruction of the kind witnessed at Waikin and signals the loss of the knowledge and understanding of the use of burning as an effective traditional land management tool. What is irrefutable is that uncontrolled burning is injurious to wildlife, promotes the spread of savannahs and habitat loss, which in turn robs animals and birds of shelter, food and protection.

Uncontrolled burning is injurious to people, Eco-systems and agriculture: destroying useful and endemic species and allowing for advantageous growth of species such a razor grass, which have neither economic nor ecological value.

Uncontrolled burning is injurious to Tourism because it compromises the quality, integrity and beauty of our product, which just won Guyana international accolades as the #1 Eco-Tourism destination in the world and therefore has a direct impact on the local and national economy.

It is not enough the quietly commiserate and share sad faces online, it is time that we as a region and nation take seriously the ecological and economic consequences of such acts which threaten human life, damage crops, cause injury to domestic animals, destroy habitats, kill wildlife and threaten eco-

nomic activities like tourism and agriculture.

It is time to have serious discussion at the regional and community level about the need for education and working together to reduce and censure wanton destructive actions. Because of climate change we are seeing longer and hotter dry seasons, a trend that is likely to become increasingly worst in coming years.

The damage caused by burning on the Rupununi landscape is a problem therefore that if not addressed seriously now will continue to get worse both in magnitude and frequency. As a society, we can no longer duck our heads in the sand, to do so risks that what will be left will be a lifeless and ugly wasteland strewn with the stories of “when we were young” and the tears shed over the opportunity lost when a simple change in behaviour was all that was needed to avoid disaster. We must be willing to call out in our villages, communities and families, persons engaged in such reckless acts and work together with regional authorities to bring censure and with local stakeholders to promote education aimed at relearning a more responsible use of fire based on the traditional practices that do work, education and collaboration are the key.

Regards Melanie McTurk President Visit Rupununi

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Saturday May 04, 2019

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Correcting statements that are historically inaccurate DEAR EDITOR, In Kaieteur News of Thursday 2 May, there is a letter from Oscar Ramjeet on the contributions of Indians to Guyana.

While I agree with Mr Ramjeet that Indians have made a significant contribution to Guyana, there are some statements, which are historically inaccurate, and the Oscar Ramjeet that I know should know better.

For example, there is the statement that “Indentured labourers were brought to the then British Guiana after the abolition of slavery because the ex-slaves and their offspring hated the land maybe because of their forced labour and moved into the towns and cities where most of them were employed as government employees...”

Oscar, dear Oscar, as long ago as 1954, Rawle Farley, a distinguished Guyanese academic, published in the journal of the Institute of Social and Economic Research at the UWI (then the University College of the West Indies) an article, “The Rise of the Peasantry in British Guiana”, in which Professor Farley discussed the conditions in the post-Emancipation period.

The “Peasantry” that he wrote about were not Indian peasants, but ex-slave African peasants.

Those ex-slaves saved money that they earned under the so-called “Apprenticeship System”, and proceeded to buy abandoned estates in order to establish villages.

The first such Village,

bought by 83 ex-slaves from 5 estates, was named Victoria (the ex-slaves were told, and believed, that Queen Victoria freed the slaves.

She did, in the sense that she had to sign the Emancipation legislation; but by the Victorian era the monarch “reigned, but did not rule”.

In other words, it was the British Parliament on the instigation of a number of dedicated supporters of the Emancipation movement, who freed the slaves. And borrowed money from banks - a loan that was not finally repaid until the late 20th century - in order to compensate the owners for the loss of their “property”). One hundred and forty (140) slaves from Pln. Annandale purchased that estate for $50,000, and named it Buxton in honour of one of the foremost supporters of Emancipation. Have you any idea how much $50,000 in 1839 would be worth in today’s Guyanese currency?

Now explain to me, why a people who hated the land would have bought that very land with the hard earned money which they saved from their measly pay during their apprenticeship and from the selling of provisions in the markets.

All along the sugar producing areas, ex-slaves combined their earnings to buy abandoned estates, or estates whose owners faced growing financial difficulties due to competition from cheaper sugar, especially beet sugar.

You’re telling me that they hated the land, so they

bought land?

Clearly, there has to be some other explanation for the migration of former slaves and their descendants to the towns.

And if you read any of the writings on the post-Emancipation period, you will see that it was because of the actions of many of the estate owners and/or their managers, who could influence the old Court of Policy (the Dutch legislative body retained until a constitutional change in 1928, when Crown Colony Government was established in B.G.) First, they tried destroying the fruit and vegetable farms of the ex- slaves, in order to force them back to the estates.

Then they flooded villages, again to destroy the livelihood of the new villagers.

Then they taxed them.

Indentured servants were entitled to a free passage back home at the end of their indenture.

Taxes were levied on villages to raise the funds, which were then used to pay for those return passages.

It was the pressures brought to bear on the exslaves that drove so many of them into various avenues of usually low level urban employment (e.g., stevedores, garbage collectors, police constables, if they met the qualifications for the police service; but not the higher ranks, which were occupied by lighter skinned mixed race individuals from the former category of “free coloured”.

The highest posts were occupied by British officers).

Some, it is true, became teachers - in primary schools; most of the teachers, and certainly the Principals of schools like QC and BHS were imports from the UK. Lilian Dewar was the first local Headmistress of Bishops’, and she was appointed to the post AFTER I left in 1958.

But even in the primary schools for an African de-

scendant of slaves to become a Principal was a major step in the 19th century. I know.

Among my ancestors is a great grandfather who achieved that status and he didn’t think selfish about himself.

He had a “suitable” wife a descendant of the more valuable artisan slaves who were freed before the General

Emancipation, and given land in the Die Winkel ward of New Amsterdam.

For every funeral he attended, he ensured that his name was published in the newspapers among the list of attendees, demonstrating I suspect, that he was a Very Important Person (VIP)!

Pat Robinson Commissiong

Gaining political mileage from the Abdul Kadir motion may have backfired DEAR EDITOR, Several developments, both locally and internationally, have taken place within the recent past, which could have implications for the well being of the Guyanese people.

The first, and perhaps most significant, is the ill-advised decision by the ruling APNU- AFC administration to have a parliamentary motion in moved and carried in tribute of the late Abdul Kadir who was convicted in the USA on terrorism charges.

While there is nothing wrong in principle with the honouring of deceased parliamentarians, it is the nature of the charges against Mr. Kadir that is of concern to many. The US Ambassador has strongly condemned the motion, with similar sentiments being echoed by the British High Commissioner.

The APNU no doubt sought to gain some political mileage from the motion which appeared to have backfired resulting in some amount of blame game as to who was responsible for the

drafting of the motion and upon whose instructions. The administration sought to engage in some damage control by stating that the motion was not intended to promote terrorism but to recognize fallen parliamentarians in keeping with past tradition. This is unlikely to undo the damage done in the eyes of Guyanese and the international community.

The other issue of interest to Guyanese is the appointment of new Ministers and the reassignment of others as a result of the Court’s ruling on the issue of dual citizenship. From all indications, the move is stronger in form rather than in content. A careful look at the ethnic make-up of the persons identified to serve in ministerial posts would reveal a carefully orchestrated attempt to reflect some kind of ethnic windowdressing. The appointment of Mr. Harmon as Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency is of particular interest since it is the first time such a post has been created which in the public service

organizational structure is equivalent to that of a Permanent Secretary. As such, he is structurally answerable to the Minister of State Ms. Dawn Hastings. It is clear, however, that Harmon would continue to serve as a leading decision-maker, which many believe could render the office of the Minister of ceremonial value.

At the international level, developments in neighbouring Venezuela must be a matter of concern and ought to be closely monitored.

The fact that the opposition failed to unseat President Maduro despite diplomatic and other forms of support from the USA and other western powers is indicative of the delicate balance of power that obtains in that country. My own view is that the situation warrants a negotiated solution involving all the interested powers within the framework of the country’s constitution and the democratic wishes of the Venezuelan people.

Hydar Ally

Saturday May 04, 2019

PAGE 7

Kaieteur News

CGX, Frontera Energy get Govt.’s approval for Strategic Joint Venture

By Kiana Wilburg

H

ead of the Energy Department, Dr. Mark Bynoe, announced yesterday that the Government has granted approval for the Strategic Joint Venture between CGX Energy Inc. and Frontera Energy Corporation.

The agreement covers two shallow water offshore Petroleum Prospecting Licences in Guyana for the Corentyne and Demerara Blocks.

The Corentyne Block contains 1,125,000 net acres offshore Guyana in shallow water, adjacent to the ExxonMobil Stabroek Block, which has encountered 13 discoveries since May 2015.

CGX’s Utakwaaka well must be drilled by November 27,

2019 in this block, with an additional exploration well to be drilled by November 27, 2022.

The Demerara Block contains 750,000 net acres in shallow water and is also adjacent to the ExxonMobil Stabroek Block. An exploration well is required to be drilled on the block by February 12, 2021 with a further exploration well

by February 12, 2023.

Under the terms of the farm-in joint venture agreement between Frontera and a wholly owned subsidiary of CGX, CGX Resources Inc., Frontera will acquire a 33.333% working interest in the two blocks in exchanged for a US$33.3 million signing bonus, paid by way of offset of $24.6 million of debt payable to Frontera by CGX plus a cash payment of US$8.7 mil-

Rape accused freed on no-case submission Justice Brassington Reynolds yesterday acquitted and discharged Kelvin Henry, who was accused of raping a minor, after upholding a no-case submission by his lawyer, Ravindra Mohabir. The particulars of offence alleged that the accused, on April 08, 2011, in the county of Essequibo, engaged in sexual penetration with a child under 16 years.

In delivering his ruling at the Georgetown High Court, Justice Reynolds said that the evidence presented by the state prosecutors failed to reach the burden of proof required in the case. Justice Reynolds consequently accepted the defence’s submission of no case to answer, and directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty.

A little over a week ago, 35-year-old Vishnu Persaud was also acquitted of rape

by a jury, with Justice Reynolds presiding. However, in Persaud’s case the jury had found him not guilty of sexually penetrating a nine-year-old girl on September 21, 2017 at Vreeden-Hoop, West Bank Demerara. It was alleged that Persaud entered the child’s home when her parents were not around and committed the act.

About a week earlier, 21year-old Jarrel Duke, who was on trial before Justice Reynolds, was freed on a charge which had stated that he raped a six-year-old boy between December 14, 2013, and December 18, 2013 in the county of Demerara.

A 12-member jury had found him not guilty of the crime.

As is customary, Justice Reynolds advised all three of the former rape accused to make the most of life, since they were given a second lease on it.

lion paid by Frontera to CGX. Frontera has agreed to pay one-third of the applicable costs under the joint ventures plus an additional 8.333% of CGX’s direct drilling costs for the initial exploratory commitment wells in the two blocks.

CGX is the operator assigned to the blocks.

In an international news release, Professor Suresh Narine, Executive Chairman and Executive Director (Guyana), CGX, is quoted as saying that CGX is one of the pioneer explorers in the Guyana basin and is widely regarded as Guyana’s indigenous oil company.

The CGX Executive Chairman said, “I would like to thank the Government of The Cooperative Republic of Guyana for the approval of this pivotal joint venture by Frontera into the Corentyne and Demerara Blocks.

Coupled with the recently concluded successful rights offering financing, this partnership allows CGX to significantly clean up its balance sheet and resume with vigor its exploration of the continental shelf in the Guyana basin.”

The Executive Director added “As oil and gas begins to play a pivotal role in the transformation of The Cooperative Republic of Guyana, CGX is delighted to be positioned to claim its place in the development of Guyana and this exciting new industry.

Frontera has been carefully chosen as a partner with

Mr. Richard Herbert, CEO of Frontera (left) and Professor Suresh Narine, Executive Chairman of CGX

which CGX will continue to undertake this task because of their financial strength, technical capacity and respect for CGX’s culture and its fundamental role in demonstrating good corporate citizenship and corporate responsibility for Exploration and Production companies operating in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.”

Gabriel de Alba, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Frontera, also expressed similar sentiments.

He said, “As an important next step of our strategic joint venture with CGX, we are grateful to have received this approval from the Government of The Cooperative Republic of Guyana for the development of the Corentyne and Demerara blocks. Together, our companies are well

positioned to advance exploration and development of these two attractive blocks in one of the most exciting offshore basins in the world.”

The Frontera Chairman added, “The approval of this joint venture confirms CGX’s deep roots in the country, which when combined with Frontera’s technical depth and financial strength create great opportunities for the benefit of CGX, Frontera and the people of The Cooperative Republic of Guyana. This joint venture forms an important part of Frontera’s plans to invest in long-term growth

opportunities.”

Richard Herbert, Chief Executive Officer of Frontera, was also delighted with the approval. He said, “Given the strong track record of discoveries in the adjacent Stabroek block and our own technical studies of seismic and well data within the two blocks, we are very encouraged about the opportunity on both the Corentyne and Demerara Blocks.

We look forward to moving into the drilling phase to test the potential of the two blocks in the coming months.”

PAGE 8

Woman suffers fractured jaw, looses tooth at hands of ‘child father’ Twenty year-old Narmilla Sookwah of Timehri is now nursing a fractured jaw, and lost a tooth after an alleged severe beating at the hands of her obsessed ‘child father’ (name given).

The still traumatized woman said that the incident which occurred on Thursday night last left her with bruises about the body, a punctured left knee, and a fractured jaw.

She said she had severed a very abusive relationship with her child father and had moved out of their home in Soesdyke because of the constant beating.

She said on Thursday last she went with relatives to a wake at Sand Road, Soesdyke, and returned home around 21:45 hrs. She said a short while after she retired to bed and was awakened at around 23:15 hrs to the sound of a male voice calling out her name. She said recognizing

Saturday May 04, 2019

Kaieteur News

the voice of her ‘child father’ she refused to answer and soon heard him seemingly leaving her premises. He however returned about half hour later, bringing with him a young boy from the village, who he instructed to call her, as he tried to lure her outside.

The woman said the man became angry at her lack of response and attempted to wrench open her bedroom window, She said in fear for her safety she dashed from the home, screaming as she sprinted down a hill in the village. She said the man was hot in pursuit, and soon kicked her in her back, causing her to crash to the ground. It was then that he

reportedly dragged her some distance by her hair and began cuffing her in her face.

The woman said as she screamed for the neighbours, several dogs began to make a ruckus. She said a neighbour has ferocious dogs that were familiar with her and the dogs were attempting to jump the fence as the man continued to beat her. She said at one point he apparently became afraid of the dogs, and paused in the attack, which allowed her time to fight back and escape. She said she ran to the rescue of a nearby relative, after which her attacker sprinted from the scene. He has not been seen since and police are looking for him

Thief electrocuted after breaking into Industrial Site bond A burglary attempt by a suspected thief went badly wrong yesterday, after he was electrocuted at an Industrial Site, Ruimveldt storage bond.

Terry Ramcharran, 47, of Fourth Street, Alexander Village, was found dead on the roof of the storage bond at around 08.00 hrs.

Police said that the body bore burns to the neck and shoulders and was lying near

electrical wires that led to a GPL pole.Two bags, containing items and blinds that were stolen from the bond, were found near the victim. The thief had apparently gained entry through a hole in the southern wall.

The property is owned by a West Bank Demerara businessman. It was said to be stocked with haberdashery, electrical items and clothing.

Ramjattan to challenge Nagamootoo for PM post Moses Nagamootoo, Guyana’s current Prime Minister, was nominated to serve in that post by the Alliance for Change, after an agreement laid out in the Cummingsburg Accord saw to it that the AFC would have the right to name the ruling coalition’s prime ministerial candidate.

In 2015, when the coalition won the General and Regional Elections, Nagamootoo assumed the position, and has been serving for four years.

He has also temporarily assumed the duties of the President when President David Granger left the jurisdiction.

But the AFC’s chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan, has signaled his intention to challenge Nagamootoo for the post. The two ministers are both former members of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) who, dissatisfied with its leadership, left to work on nurturing a credible, political third-force.

During an AFC press conference, yesterday, at the Centre for Change, Ramjattan said “I have already indicated my interest.”

He is prepared, however, to vie against other members of the AFC for the post, as

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo (left), and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan (File Photo) well.

“There are others, I’m certain, who have indicated their interest,” noted the party’s chairman “And so, it is going to be interesting, and it is good to have – inside of political parties – the regular rivalries between leaders.”

He added that it is common for such rivalries to exist in a party structure, and told the press that, in the US, the Democratic Party currently has about nine candidates vying for the presidential nomination. He said that the situation would be the same for the US Republican party, and other national democracies, as well.

“The Prime Ministerial candidate is generally [decided on] through an election which will be made at a national conference. I rather suspect that, at our next national conference, there will be recommendations [toward] who will be prime ministerial candidate.”

That conference will be held sometime in June, Ramjattan supplied.

Ramjattan had only briefly acted as Prime Minister when the President left for treatment in Cuba, earlier this year. Asked whether he thinks he will be up to the task, if so elected, he responded categorically, “Of course, I think I will be!”

Saturday May 04, 2019

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

What would have happened…?

Yesterday, the government celebrated Portuguese Arrival Day. The observance is a plus for the government and shows that it is far more responsive than the PPP to the sensitivities of minority ethnic groups.

The PPPC prior to 2001 saw things through the prism of class. It was a socialist party which saw the class struggle as being primary and the elements of the superstructure as being secondary. The matriarch of the PPP, Janet Jagan, believed, quite naively, that once the economic situation of the working class was improved, the racial divisions within this class would disappear.

Dr. Walter Rodney did not discount the importance of race, but he misread it. He failed to appreciate how ethnic insecurity could undermine class unity. And he paid for that with his life, when the State apparatus turned against him and working class could not prevent his assassination.

The PPPC has always been guided by class considerations.

Its preoccupation was with uniting the working class,

particularly the Indian and African elements of the working class. It paid little attention to the minority classes, particularly the Chinese, Portuguese and the almost non-existent European-Guyanese.

This has not been the case with APNU+AFC. The designation of separate arrival days for the Portuguese and Chinese shows greater sensitivity by the present government to the minority ethnic groups. It is to the government’s credit that it celebrated Portuguese Arrival Day yesterday.

President Granger’s background as a historian would have played no small part in that approach.

The vast majority of Portuguese had left Guyana by the time the PNC combined with the United Force to oust the PPP in the 1964 general and regional elections. But the rate of emigration increased during the period 1966 to 1980 when the Portuguese emigration hit full throttle.

The fear within the Portuguese community in the 1950s and the 1960s was Jagan’s communism. The Portuguese were afraid that

Jagan would nationalize private property.

The British and the Americans added fuel to the fire, and launched covert action against the Jagan government in a bid to destabilize and eventually topple it. The Portuguese business class saw an opportunity to protect their assets and Burnham saw a chance to seize power.

A predominantly Portuguese and Amerindian party, the United Force, joined with the PNC to form a coalition government after the 1964 elections. But this alliance quickly turned sour and by 1970, the real fear was cooperative socialism and party paramountcy. The Portuguese saw the writing on the wall and decided to migrate even quicker than they had done before. They had run from Jagan’s frying pan straight into Burnham’s fire.

A lot of persons wisely got out then. A lot got out later. And people are still leaving.

No one has asked the question, what would have happened had the nucleus of the Portuguese business class stayed rather than

Dem boys seh ...

Ram Jattan cry fuh he calf People always seh when you own bug bite you is a proper bite you does get.

Anodda thing dem boys seh is dat when people run from de jumbie, dem does butt up wid de coffin.

Moses and Ram Jattan run from de same jumbie.

Was a time when dem been in de same party in senior position. But a li’l boy come out of de blues and Janet get to like him. She bypass all dem old staggers, even Ralph, and promote de boy.

Moses and Ram Jattan find out dat de boy does lie like when horse trotting.

And since dem is not people to keep dem mouth shut, dem tell de boy to he face. Dat is how dem part company. Both of dem end

up in de same party but only dis time was anodda party.

Of course, dem run from Jagdeo and dem butt up wid people who does follow him.

De people tell dem all kind of things but dem bite dem lip.

Of course, Ram Jattan get a chance to keep he promise to Jagdeo.

He did promise to lock up de man.

Now he got to face Jagdeo coffin all de time. When he and Jagdeo ketch case, nobody didn’t help defend him. Dat is how he lef de party.

De same thing happen again. People accuse Cathy of conflict of interest. She come from Ram Jattan party. De same people also accuse de Yearwood woman of conflict of interest. Yearwood is from

Soulja Bai party.

Ram Jattan party had a press conference and people ask him about de conflict of interest. Dem boys seh every cow does cry fuh he own calf. Ram Jattan seh Cathy ain’t do nutten but he didn’t talk up fuh de Yearwood woman.

Dem boys seh he throw de Yearwood woman under de bus. She didn’t even get a chance to holler. But she consistent.

People accuse she of conflict of interest and Soulja Bai move she from Housing in de public interest. She really attract a lot of interest.

Tomorrow dem boys gon talk bout de bug bite.

Talk half and watch out fuh more conflict!

migrate and take with them all of their assets. The answer to that question cannot be left solely to speculation.

The Portuguese made a rational choice. They left because they knew what was coming. They knew that under Burnham’s cooperative socialism, their businesses would have suffered. They foresaw the impoverishment that would grip the society.

Had they stayed in a country in which private enterprise was being miniaturized, they would have been pauperized.

Barbados gained Independence six months after Guyana. That country has had undercurrents of

racial differences, but it never went the way of Guyana, mainly because the rival racial group in Barbados was extremely small.

Barbados has grave economic problems at the moment, but for the greater part of its Independence, it enjoyed far healthier race relations and economic development than Guyana.

And the reason was that unlike Guyana, which under Burnham drove out its domestic capitalist class, Barbados kept theirs, thereby allowing for less emigration and capital outflows. The wealth of Barbados stayed in Barbados. The wealth of

Guyana went to Canada and the United States. It is still going there.

When the Portuguese left Guyana, following the split between Burnham and D’Aguiar, the entrepreneurial class, in which the Portuguese were well represented, was severely weakened. Guyana will never recover from this weakness.

PAGE 10

Saturday May 04, 2019

Kaieteur News

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

Johnny Braff: An autograph from a bed that breaks the heart There are two persons in 20th century Guyana that at the time they lived, were the biggest names in the country.

Their worlds were far apart from each other. Their worlds never met. One achieved total fame in Guyana for journalism. The other was one of the best pop stars of the Caribbean (with only Sparrow and Lord Kitchener in Trinidad and Ken Lazarus, Boris Gardiner and The Blues Busters in Jamaica pipping him) and one of the handsomest young men Guyana birthed.

Peter Taylor was the editor of the Evening Post in the first half of the sixties in British Guiana when Cheddi

Jagan was Premier. Taylor was in daily confrontation with Jagan’s government and the paper sold out each afternoon, with an entire country knowing about Taylor.

At that time, a handsome, dashing Englishman, Taylor’s reputation went beyond journalism and into the realm of la dolce vita, which only heightened his popularity. When on the night of April 3, 1964, an assassination attempt failed, Taylor’s fame skyrocketed, with widespread belief at the time that it was a hit planned by the Jagan government.

The rise of Taylor did not endure. After the 1964 elections, Taylor’s paper went out of existence, and he lived in

obscurity for decades after. In the ‘90s he became paralyzed; he died shortly after. One afternoon I was driving south on Carmichael Street and as I passed Christ Church, I saw a few cars in the churchyard, one of which was my friend.

He was the manager of Fogarty’s cafeteria.

The next day I went up to him and told him I saw his car at a funeral. He told me it was Peter Taylor’s. There were not even five cars at that church service. It pierces your psyche when you think of how life is. When I was just a boy, Peter Taylor was the greatest thing in Guyana even more than sliced bread.

And at his funeral there

weren’t even a dozen mourners. Do you know there is nothing in Guyana named after Taylor and there is no scholarship in his name? He has just vanished from the pages of Guyana.

Taylor’s popularity was a few years before Johnny Braff’s, but in his day, Braff was a household name in Guyana. Even if you were a Hindi film music aficionado, you knew about Braff and you liked his songs. Like Taylor, Braff was damn good looking and like Taylor, the girls were never absent. I saw Johnny yesterday. It may be the last time I will visit him.

I was on the seawall with my dog when I got the call.

The gentleman said his name was Fawazyuddin Khan and he works at GIOTECH on Middle Street. He indicated that his dad and I went to Guyana Oriental College, on Thomas Street, which was owned by a wonderful headmaster, one of the best ever, Indian national Shruti Kant. I remember his dad vividly. He

also told me his mother, who was from Wakenaam, knows my wife very well. He wanted to know if I could contact Johnny to autograph an album.

Titled, “this girl is a good girl,” Johnny, on the front cover, sits on the floor barefoot with a long bandana tied around his head. I looked at the album, and this was the handsome guy that took Guyana by storm from 1966 onwards. I took Fawazyuddin to the Night Shelter in East La Penitence where 83-yearold Johnny Braff lives. The warden took me to him. He was on his bed with an inadequate sheet and no pillows.

He was sleeping. I woke him up, told him I would like the favour of the autograph for the gentleman.

He recognized me, got up and signed, “Johnny Braff with Love.”

Each time I see Johnny Braff I remember the night. I was just sixteen, and as he passed me and my three friends to enter the door at the

Frederick Kissoon Globe cinema, we asked him to let us through. He waved to the door man, we went into the “pit” area, and that night I heard one of the Caribbean’s most romantic voices ever.

I didn’t like what I saw yesterday. I told Fawazyuddin I wanted to check on my dog that was actually in my vehicle parked on the road. But I just wanted to remove myself. I didn’t want to see Johnny Braff like that. I guess in his state, the days are counting down. I wanted to say goodbye forever, but the mental impulse just wasn’t there.

Saturday May 04, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Terminations, transfers to follow SOCU audit report

T

here will be disciplinary action taken to remedy the issues laid out in the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) audit report, according to Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan. That will include terminations for some, and transfers for others.

An audit of the financial records of the SOCU had uncovered serious irregularities, including the falsification of records.

That audit was ordered by Police Commissioner Leslie James in February, following claims of grave mismanagement. It has recommended immediate transfers and a fraud investigation of several of the discrepancies.

The PPP had demanded not just that the unit be investigated with intent to prosecute, but that Ramjattan resign immediately.

In a release, the party had stated that it has been publicly complaining about SOCU for some time now, that the unit of the Guyana Police Force is removed from its mandate of combatting organised crimes and money laundering, and that it has

been reduced to a rogue unit “carrying out political directions to witch hunt PPP leaders and shake down the business community under the pretext of crime fighting.”

According to Ramjattan, “Action will be taken by the commissioner. I have seen the report. It is not a very nice report, and the commissioner has told me that he is going to take action.”

However, Ramjattan said that he is not well informed on the details of that action.

“A minister must not indulge in [operational matters]. He ordered an audit after coming by information.

That audit has been completed, and [the commissioner] will take action.”

Ramjattan added: “Institutions can get rotten.

What a government does is, through its leadership at the various units, ask for audits, get the things right and move on.

And put the correct people in places, [who] could remedy the defects that were occurring. That is what you do in any institution. That is the self-redeeming feature of institutional democracy.”

Saturday May 04, 2019

One dead, another hospitalised after boat mishap in Suriname waters

A

fis herman of Number 77 H o u s i n g S cheme is now dead while another is hospitalized at the Skeldon Hospital with injuries to his ribs, after the fishing vessel they were in capsized in Suriname waters following a collision with another fishing boat yesterday.

F o u r o t h e r fis hermen w ho w ere on the boat w ere res cued s hortly after the mishap.

Dead is Rudra P ers aud, 51 (Captain), of N umber 77 H ous ing S cheme. The injured man has been identified as Premdat Sohan of Number 55 Village. Three of the fishermen who were rescued have also been identified as Sukhpaul Kaiso, 26, of Number 77 Housing Scheme, Ravindra Persaud, 23 (son of the dead man), and Shazad Ally, 17.

A ccording to K ais o, it was just after midnight on Thurs day w h e n t h e y w e re awakened to a loud crashing sound on their boat. " When w e run out of the boat and flas h the light, we na see nothing but the boat was

Three of the survivors

Dead: Rudra Persaud leaking and within three minutes, the boat gone down", Kaiso said.

He recounted that they all jumped into the icebox from the boat, but that toppled over in the water with all the weight and they were left to fend for themselves in the crisp, cold waters with only their clothing and lifejackets on. " We h o l d o n t h e icebox and float on it for hours until 3:00 this (yes terday) morning then we get rescue", he said.

Kaiso stated that their captian Rudra Persaud was already in a critical state when they were rescued and he subsequently succumbed

"when we already near fuh reach the rescue boat".

Kaiso stated that w hile they do not know w hat actually hit their boat, they are suggesting another vessel crashed into theirs "because when we were rescued and coming in the water, we see a boat stick up on somebody seine not too far from where we boat sink". The boat he said had "fresh damage" but is unsure what happened to the persons in that vessel.

The men s aid they had left from the Number 66 Fisheries las t Thurs day.

Saturday May 04, 2019

PAGE 13

Kaieteur News

Exxon’s Liza Phase 2 to cost US$6B Te x a s - h e a d q u a r t e r e d ExxonMobil yesterday said that it is steaming ahead with its Guyana operations, pumping US$6B into the second phase of the Liza development. The decision followed recent Government and regulatory approvals of the second phase development.

Guyana is expected its first commercial oil early next year with the floating platform, Liza Destiny, to be here in the third quarter of this year.

“Liza Phase 2 will produce up to 220,000 barrels of oil per day and further capitalize on the significant development potential of the Stabroek Block, where ExxonMobil estimates producing more than 750,000 barrels of oil per day by 2025,” ExxonMobil disclosed yesterday in a statement.

The oil giant, which announced a major oil find early 2015, shortly after the Coalition Government took office, said Liza Phase 2 received government and regulatory approvals, and remains on track for mid-2022, producing up to 220,000 barrels of oil per day. Meanwhile, Phase 1 is on schedule for first oil by the first quarter of 2020.

The number of Guyanese, direct and indirect workforce, more than doubled in 2018 to more than 1,000 persons, it was disclosed.

With regards to Phase 2, a total of six drill centres are planned as well as approximately 30 wells, including 15 production, nine water injection and six gas injection wells. “Phase 2 startup is expected in mid-2022 and will develop approximately 600 million barrels of oil. Liza Phase 2 is expected to cost $6 billion, including a lease capitalization cost of approximately $1.6 billion, for the Liza Unity floating production,

In November 17, 2017, SBM Offshore started the conversion of the Bahamas-flagged Tina, a crude carrier, into the Liza Destiny FPSO. storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.”

According to ExxonMobil, which is developing the Stabroek Block concessions with two partners, it is bringing industryleading upstream capabilities to build upon Phase 1 and further develop the shared value of Guyana’s resources.

Liam Mallon, president of ExxonMobil Upstream Oil & Gas Company also disclosed that they are actively pursuing significant development potential from numerous discoveries in the Stabroek Block. “Liza Phase 1 remains on track to achieve first oil by the first quarter of 2020. It will produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day at peak rates utilizing the Liza Destiny FPSO, which is expected to arrive offshore Guyana in the third quarter of 2019.”

Pending government and regulatory approvals, a final investment decision is expected later this year for a third phase of development,

Payara, which is expected to produce between 180,000 and 220,000 barrels per day with startup as early as 2023.

“ExxonMobil is evaluating additional development potential in other areas of the Stabroek Block, including at the Turbot area and Hammerhead. By the end of 2019, ExxonMobil will have four drillships operating offshore Guyana,” according to the statement.

The oil company has been banking heavily on Guyana to improve its fortunes.

The find, about 100 miles offshore Guyana, is said to be one of the biggest in years, and has the potential to change the country as an economic player in the region.

Guyana until now has been largely dependent on agriculture and its natural resources.

Following well completion activities at the recently announced Yellowtail discovery, the Noble Tom Madden drillship will move to the

Decomposed body of pensioner found at Port Mourant

The partly decomposed body of a pensioner, aged 60, was found under a bridge at Dispensary Dam, Port Mourant on Thursday.

Dead is Diwanti Lakeraj called ‘Christmas’ of Lot 66 Freeyard, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice.

Reports are that the elderly woman left her home to attend a church service at Albion Village on Tuesday, but had not returned home.

Relatives who became worried reported her missing. It was not until Thursday that the body was found already in a state of decomposition.

Her remains are currently at the Bailey’s Funeral Home.

Dead: Diwanti Lakeraj

Hammerhead-2 well.

“The Stena Carron is completing a well test at the Longtail-1 discovery, and will then move to the Hammerhead-3 well. Later in 2019, the Stena Carron will drill a second well at the Ranger discovery. The Noble Bob Douglas drillship is completing development drilling operations for Liza Phase 1.

ExxonMobil will add another exploration drillship, the

Noble Don Taylor, in the fourth quarter of 2019.”

ExxonMobil also noted that as the projects proceed, the partners’ investment in the Guyanese economy continues to increase.

“The number of Guyanese nationals supporting project activities more than doubled in 2018 to more than 1,000.

ExxonMobil and its co-venturers spent nearly $60 million with more than 500 Guyanese

vendors in 2018. More than 1,500 Guyanese companies are registered with the Centre for Local Business Development, which was founded by ExxonMobil and its co-venturers in 2017 with the mission of supporting local businesses to become globally competitive.”

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres, or 26,800 square kilometres.

Current discovered recoverable resources are estimated at more than 5.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

The 13 discoveries on the block, to date, have established the potential for at least five FPSO vessels producing more than 750,000 barrels of oil per day by 2025, the oil company said. ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is operator and holds 45 percent interest in the Stabroek Block.

Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30 percent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds 25 percent interest.

ExxonMobil says it is the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company which uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs.

PAGE 14

Saturday May 04, 2019

Kaieteur News

Poor road conditions blamed as log exports fall Poor road conditions have been badly affecting forestry activities with exports affected in the first quarter.

According to the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) yesterday, the latest figures show that exports are about 8,000 m3 below the levels of last year for same period.

The poor road conditions in Upper Berbice, Region 10, and other hinterland areas have caused a stockpile of logs.

Exporters are now moving these, but the level of exports still remains low, GFC said.

Consecutive governments have been pushing for a reduction of log exports, with government introducing a phased increase in fees as a disincentive to push for move processing and other valueadding activities. However, exports, especially by the Chinese have been steady.

The National Log Export

Policy allows the export of logs with the institution of up to 20% export levy on certain species.

“Our records show that we are close to 8,000 m3 below the level of 2018 at the same point in time. The majority of logs being exported are lesser used species. There has been an accumulation of logs for exports owing to the previous condition of the roads which has now been improved, and which now sees logs previously harvested, coming out of forest concession areas and into the market. These include logs coming out from community areas,” GFC said in response to queries by Kaieteur News.

Last year, according to official figures, production of logs was 361,519 m3, still far below what is allowed.

GFC said that actual production is a quarter of what

A truck with timber waiting to enter a city wharf compound yesterday.

is allowed. That under-exploitation has been denting GFC’s revenues.

According to the Ministry of Finance, in its final

figures, the agriculture, fishing and forestry sector grew by 1.5 percent in 2018, 0.4 percentage points better than the previous fore-

cast.

This was due to significantly higher production of sugar, livestock and timber, which resulted in growth in

these industries being revised upwards by 4.8 percentage points, 1.9 percentage points and 1.6 percentage points, respectively.

Fraud Company owned by former SOCU advisor, Sam Sittlington, winds up A company that was set up by Dr. Sam Sittlington, former advisor of the police’s Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), has been wound up.

According to the Official Gazette of Guyana, dated May 4th, under the Companies Act, Number 29th of 1991, The Fraud C o m p a n y (Guyana) Inc. has been removed from the Register.

The Official Gazette also said that “Notice is hereby given pursuant to Section 404 of the Companies Act, 1991 that the under mentioned company has been voluntary wound up by special resolution dated the 15th April, 2019”.

Sittlington’s contract with the British Government—guiding his stint in Guyana—stipulated that he was only sup-

posed to work for that government as an advisor to SOCU, the crack unit that was pursuing a number of high profile cases involving officials of the previous administ r a t i o n o f t h e P e o p l e ’s Progressive Party/Civic.

But, last year, Dr. Sam Sittlington went ahead and registered a local branch of a fraud-detecting company he owns in the United Kingdom. He named it “The Fraud Company (Guyana)”.

Dr. Sittlington’s contract would have come to a natural end in March 2020. However, it was terminated early February after news broke about his pursuit of private gains here.

The British High Commission had this to say: “In light of the information

about Dr. Sam Sittlington’s private business interests, his contract in Guyana has been terminated with immediate effect.”

Sittlington had been seen on a number of operations, including raids, of SOCU. There had been questions about what exactly his role was - operational or advisory. The Fraud Company (Guyana) Inc. was incorporated under the Companies Act of Guyana on September 25, 2018. Sittlington, was listed as the Director, while Orisa Branche was the Secretary.

Sittlington was hired by the British government for a Guyana assignment in 2016, in an advisory and training capacity at SOCU. This newspaper had received a package containing copies of The Fraud Company (Guyana)’s regis-

Dr. Sam Sittlington tration and a note from an unidentified source.

The note stated, “It is highly unethical for a consultant who is being paid by a foreign government to

advise and train a sensitive department such as SOCU to establish a company, which will undertake similar work.”

The concerned citizen

continued, “The consultant is privy to highly confidential information on numerous persons, as SOCU has embarked on fishing expeditions on most of the cases under investigation.”

It was further stated that, “information gleaned from SOCU could be used inappropriately”.

The suggestion was that Sittlington could use the information he gathers through SOCU to advance his private business.

Sittlington’s company in the United Kingdom was established long before he was hired to come to assist G u y a n a . H o w e v e r, t h i s newspaper understands that he nevertheless took the job under the agreement that he would operate only on behalf of the United Kingdom in Guyana.

Saturday May 04, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

Kaieteur News

PAGE 16

Saturday May 04, 2019

American Airlines to start selling tickets for NY route from Monday A

merican Airlines is to start selling tickets for the New York route from M o n d a y, t h e G u y a n a Tourism Authority said yesterday.

The flights from JFK Airport to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) will commence on December 18th, adding to the Miami, Florida connections.

“American Airlines is providing travellers with more direct access to Guyana. The U.S.-based airline will begin direct s e r v i c e f r o m J o h n F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, USA to Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO) in Georgetown, Guyana on December 18th, 2019.

Tickets go on sale from May 6th, 2019,” the authority announced.

American Airlines, one of the biggest operators in the world, started flights here in 2018, with non-stop flights from Miami International Airport.

American Airlines will start selling tickets for the New York route from Monday.

“This new route opens up an additional way travellers can access Guyana, experience its tourism product and discover its beauty. With these daily flights, American Airlines will make Guyana more accessible to the world and its key tourism markets,” said Brian T. Mullis, Director of the authority.

A mere five months after American Airlines made its first flight from Miami to the CJIA, the US carrier last

month announced plans to come daily from the Florida airport this month.

It also said that application process had commenced for flights servicing the high-demand New York/John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) – Georgetown (GEO) route. Tens of thousands of Guyanese live in the New York area.

In April, John Williams, Senior Analyst of International Government Affairs, American Airlines

Inc., wrote Lt. Col (Ret'd) Egbert Field, Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Williams informed the aviation regulator of American Airlines' additional and enhanced service between Guyana and

the US. “Due to the successes of our current Miami (MIA) – Georgetown (GEO) flight, beginning next month ( M a y ) , p e r o u r I ATA Summer 2019 schedule filing, we will increase MIAGEO to daily Airbus 319

service.” Williams also disclosed that it is the plan to upgrade to a bigger plane on the Miami route.

“Later this year we plan to upgrade the MIA-GEO aircraft from the 128-seat Airbus 319 to the 172-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft.”

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 04, 2019

PAGE 17

Pensioner found dead in C'tyne home with stab wounds - three persons in custody The house where the pensioner was found

Murdered: Godfrey Branch

A

Springlands, Corentyne pensioner was discovered with five stab wounds about his body yesterday morning in his house.

Godfrey Branch, 73, an overseas-based Guyanese,

former employee of the National Insurance Scheme, and pensioner of Lot 22 A Springlands Public Road, Corentyne was found with two stab wounds on his abdomen, one to the left region of his heart, one to the right chest with another to

the left region at the back of his head.

Police have since confirmed that three persons from the village were arrested and are being questioned.

Reports suggest that the man was discovered dead by

his caretaker (a female family friend) around 9:15 am yesterday. Persons said he was found facing upwards. His feet were tied together at the ankle with a pair of purple trousers. The home was completely ransacked.

Suspect held for murder of Albouystown businesswoman

P

olice have detained a suspect in the murder of Albouystown shopkeeper Nalinie Persaud, who was slain in her James Street home on Thursday.

Kaieteur News understands that the 44-yearold man, who has had previous brushes with the police, is from the same area as the victim.

Persaud, 56, who operated Nalo's Variety Shop at Lot 161 James Street, Albouystown, was found lifeless and with a rope tied around her neck around 06.00 hrs.

Her husband was found gagged and strapped with duct-tape in the couple's shop.

A post mortem performed yesterday revealed that slain woman suffered compression of the neck, compounded by blunt trauma to the head.

The house and shop were ransacked. Mr. Rampersaud said that the killers carted off money and jewellery.

Mr. Rampersaud had recounted that he felt someone touching his leg at around 03.00 hrs on Thursday, and awoke to see

- victim suffered compression injuries to the neck, blunt trauma to the head

Murdered: Nalinie Persaud four masked men in their b e d r o o m . Tw o o f t h e intruders were pointing guns at him. He said that when he sat up, the men 'lassoed' him around the neck with a length of nylon rope.

His wife, who had also awoken, began to scream and the men immediately pounced on her and pressed her face-down on the bed.

However, according to

Rampersaud, his spouse “was still keeping noise.”

Two of the robbers dragged him to the bottom flat where their shop is located.

Rampersaud recalled pleading for his life while telling the intruders to “tek whatever you want.”

After taking him downstairs, Rampersaud said that the intruders gun-

butted and kicked him while demanding money and jewellery.

The robbers, he said, then placed him on the floor of the shop and strapped his eyes and limbs with duct tape.

He said that he eventually heard the other two men come downstairs and tell their accomplices, “We get thing,” (money) before hearing them escape via the front door of the shop.

Rampersaud estimated that he remained in the shop for almost three hours, before a customer arrived around 06.00 hrs and freed him.

Rampersaud said that he then alerted his reputed wife's son, who lives next door.

The son then went to the top flat and Rampersaud said he then heard the son cry out, “Ow, they kill me mother.”

He said he went to the room and saw his spouse's body on the bed, with a length of rope tied around her neck.

According to the police, a sum of cash and a DVR was removed from the building.

The female caretaker, identified as a detective's wife, has told investigators that she left the pensioner alive at home around 9.15 pm on Thursday and when she returned yesterday around 09:15 am the man was already dead inside of his house.

She said after she saw the house door was still open,

she jumped the fence and entered the house where she saw the man's body on the floor in a pool of blood.

Meanwhile, a neighbour stated that he had not noticed anyone strange at the man's house. He described the victim as a “very kind neighbour, he does normally water his plants in the backyard and say hi to us; I don't know who would want to kill him".

Police are investigating.

PAGE 18

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 04, 2019

Saturday May 04, 2019

Kaieteur News

Conflict of interest issues…

President was right to move Patterson-Yearwood in public interest, but Hughes did nothing damaging – AFC Chairman

AFC Chairman and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan Minister of Public Security and Alliance for Change Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan, has indicated that he stands with the decision of President David Granger to reassign Minister Valerie

Patterson-Yearwood to the Ministry of Agriculture, giving her the responsibility of handling Rural Affairs. The reassignment comes after a conflict of interest issue, involving her husband, a contractor, while she served as Housing Minister, within the Ministry of Communities.

The President said on Wednesday that, because of the allegations against her, he felt it would best serve the public interest for her to go to another ministry.

He had said “She has not been convicted of any crime, and I feel that her services could be used in supporting the Ministry of Agriculture.”

During a press conference yesterday, Ramjattan was asked whether he is satisfied with how that situation was dealt. He said “Well, I want to tell you that that is the position I have. I understand that she has explained her position, and I would want to say that her explanation has indeed been accepted by me.

And I think that, in the interest of the public, it was necessary – as the President indicated – that she be put in another [area].”

The AFC Chairman was asked about the allegations of a conflict of interest, leveled against Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes, as well.

He came to her defence, saying that he does not find “anything egregious about this at all”.

Hughes had categorically

Minister Valerie Patterson-Yearwood

Ministry of Public Telecommunications Cathy Hughes

denied using her office or participating in the decisionmaking process that led to the award of a contract to her media company, Videomega Productions Ltd. Her statement had come amid a raging debate over public officers and what constitutes a conflict of interest situation.

The Department of Energy, which falls under the Ministry of the Presidency, had insisted that the necessary procurement protocols were followed in awarding the contracts to Videomega.

Hughes had said that she had relinquished control in the company since assuming office.

The company itself said that the minister does not handle the daily operations.

“I have taken no decision in my capacity as Minister of Public Telecommunications or in my personal capacity, which has been the subject of a conflict of interest,” she had said in her statement.

It is unclear whether the President will apply similar action to Hughes as he did with Patterson-Yearwood.

Of Hughes’ situation, Ramjattan said “She has disassociated active participation in that company, from that company. And so I do not see where the conflict of interest is. That’s my opinion. She has made the declaration. She has disassociated herself from the management of it.

Russell Lancaster runs it.

And if indeed, the company has won contracts, why not? The company should be awarded those contracts. And that is what has happened.”

Ramjattan was asked whether the AFC engaged Hughes at the party level about that issue. To that, he responded “We do not engage our ministers like that.

When there is something egregious, we certainly do, but we do not find anything egregious about this at all.”

He added” “Of course, our good friend across the floor, Bharrat Jagdeo, is going to make mountains out of molehills. But that is the nature of the territory we walk, quite frankly, as politicians.

But I don’t see anything deleterious about it.”

PAGE 19

PAGE 20

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 04, 2019

Saturday May 04, 2019

Kaieteur News

Appeal Court concludes hearing arguments against rape conviction The hearing of former cameraman Andre Hetsberger’s appeal, against a High Court decision to convict and sentence him to 25 years’ imprisonment for raping a 13-year-old girl, was heard yesterday by Chief Justice Roxane George and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud at the Court of Appeal in Kingston, Georgetown.

In 2016, a 12-member jury found Hetsberger guilty of the crime, and he was thereafter sentenced to imprisonment by High Court Judge Navindra Singh. The offence was committed in 2014 and came to light after the girl, then 13, had alleged that Hetsberger had sexually molested her. To prove its case, the prosecution relied on serious circumstantial evidence, and the testimony of the victim insisted that the convict penetrated her one day.

At a hearing yesterday, Hetsberger through his lawyer, Dexter Todd, argued that Justice Singh admitted evidence by the prosecution which was highly prejudicial to him, and more so refused to admit evidence which supported his defence. The lawyer further argued that Justice Singh failed to put his client’s case adequately, or at all, to the jury for consideration.

In light of these, Todd insists that the verdict of the jury was unreasonable and cannot be supported with regard to the evidence, and that the sentence was unduly served. In this regard, he is asking the Court of Appeal to set aside and/or reverse the decision of the High Court. In addressing the court, Todd said that the trial Judge erred in certain findings.

For one, Todd pointed out

Andre Hetsberger that a medical certificate, which indicated that the victim showed no signs of penetration was tendered into evidence by the prosecution.

On the other hand, he said that there was the victim’s account of what transpired, in that, she was penetrated. According to Todd, the victim’s testimony was inconsistent with the medical certificate, and as such, the trial judge should have relied on the latter.But State Prosecutor Natasha Backer was in disagreement. She argued that the victim’s testimony cannot be discredited since the Sexual Offence Act allows for evidence of such nature. According to the prosecutor, it is possible for someone who was sexually penetrated to not show signs of injuries.

In relation to the sentence, Todd contended that it was severe. In support of this argument, he took issue with the fact that no probation report was prepared on his client’s background. However, Prosecutor Backer told the court that she was not aware that a probation report could have caused Hetsberger to receive a lighter sentence. Nevertheless, the court will make a ruling on June 26.

PAGE 21

PAGE 22

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Saturday May 04, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Local businesses must raise standards to participate in oil sector – Business Minister Newly appointed Minister of Business, Hemraj Rajkumar, participated in his first press conference yesterday, since assuming that post.

The AFC member was asked about his vision for the business climate, and he was quick to speak to local standards. He said that his personal vision is to “increase local manufacturing, the local consumption of things that we produce.”

Questions about Local Content in the oil sector are rife in public discussion, given that oil is slated to start pumping next year. Guyanese want to know just how much they can get involved in the running of the oil and gas sector.

But Guyanese have a culture of being more interested in foreign products than that of local manufacturers, Rajkumar opined. He said that he envisages a climate of business where locals appreciate

Shooting death of Parika shopkeeper…

Cops grill teenage friend, two others Police are questioning a 17year-old and two other youths as they seek a motive for Tuesday’s shooting death of 46year-old shopkeeper Somdat Ramgobin. The teen is a friend of Ramgobin’s, while the other two individuals being questioned are youths who frequent the victim’s Parika Backdam, East Bank Essequibo shop.

The teen has claimed that two men had entered Ramgobin’s house and shot him after forcing him to hand over a small sum of cash. Kaieteur News understands that Ramgobin and the 17-year-old were cooking in the kitchen, while an eight-year-old boy was outside the shop. It is alleged that two men arrived and asked the child, “where the boss man deh.”

After being told that Ramgobin was inside, the men reportedly entered via the open door.

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indigenous products.

“I have a belief that if there is something you produce, and you don’t want to consume it yourself, then who else would?”

He said that there is a concerted effort by the Business Ministry to increase the standards of local businesses, so that Guyana’s goods, services and skills can compete in a global market.

“With oil and gas, there is a specific industry. There are specific types of machinery, equipment and needs. The niche of producing those services and equipment is small.”

“At the Guyana National Bureau of Standards, we have already started to encourage them to up their quality and get the certifications.”

With such improvements, he said that Guyanese will have more leverage to participate in the sector.

Somdat Ramgobin Kaieteur News that one of the men pointed a gun at them and ordered them into Ramgobin’s bedroom. They were told to lie on the bed. The men then demanded money and jewellery and struck Ramgobin with a bottle when he didn’t comply.

The shopkeeper reportedly then gave the robbers a small sum of cash from one of his pockets. However, rather than going to the shop, the men shot Ramgobin in the stomach. They reportedly then escaped in a white car. The teen said that he then ran outside and shouted for assistance. Ramgobin was pronounced dead on arrival at the Leonora Cottage Hospital.

A relative who spoke with Kaieteur News said he was unaware of any dispute that Ramgobin had with anyone. He suggested that the killers may have been in collusion with individuals who are familiar with the community.

Saturday May 04, 2019

PAGE 23

Kaieteur News

Entities collaborate for sustainable tourism development through education Three entities have forged a partnership which will help to advance sustainable tourism development through education. The Ministry of Education, the Guyana Tourism Authority [GTA] and The Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana [THAG] met yesterday to discuss the strategic collaboration.

Director of the GTA, Mr. Brian Mullis, said that one of the primary aspects of achieving the Green State Development Strategy is all-round ministerial collaboration.

Mullis indicated that one of the main areas that the three entities should collaborate on is the development of a standardized curriculum focused on professional development.

He said that this curriculum can be developed in such a way that it complements the programmes that are already offered by the University of Guyana.

He added that such a collaboration is timely since the Ministry of Education will establish a Hospitality Institute, the first of its kind in Guyana.

Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, said that she is happy that the

Minister of Education Nicolette Henry and Senior Education Officers, meeting with representatives from THAG and GTA to discuss areas of collaboration.

GTA and THAG have expressed their willingness to collaborate. Minister Henry said that she believes that with the establishment of the Hospitality Institute there will be more opportunities for the three entities to collaborate to ensure the development of the tourism sector.

She noted that development will be possible under the right conditions within

two main areas which are policy guidelines and development and human resource capacity.

Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson, said that in the school system, tourism as a subject is offered at the highest level in the secondary schools which is the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination [CAPE].

This was supported by

Senior Education Officer [Science] Mr. Gerald Jewram, who said that at the CAPE level, there is an Associate Degree in Tourism that is offered. He said that the programme is offered in two units, each containing three modules.

Moreover, according to the CEO, the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) would be an ideal

place to address the issue of a curriculum that targets training in the tourism sector.

He said that now more than ever there is a need for a sustainable approach to d e v e l o p i n g t o urism in Guyana.

Assistant Chief Education Officer, Mr. Patrick Chinedu, remarked that the opportunity is timely. He said

Guyanese man sentenced for killing pregnant Trinidadian wife in Canada (TRINIDAD EXPRESS) — The Guyanese man who stabbed to death his ninemonth pregnant Trinidadian wife, at their home in Pickering, Canada back in 2017, has been sentenced to life in prison, with no chance of parole for 17 years.

Nicholas Baig, 27, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder of Arianna Goberdhan earlier this year. The charge carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 10 to 25 years under the Criminal Code.

During a sentencing hearing in an Oshawa courtroom on Thursday, Ontario Superior Court Justice Jocelyn Speyer ordered that Baig serve at least 17 years in prison. She cited Baig’s guilty plea and the “senseless act of cruelty” as reasons for her decision.

But Goberdhan’s mother, Sherry Goberdhan, said she was not pleased.

Goberdhan is now demanding justice for her unborn grandchild.

“My granddaughter and my daughter were murdered but the murderer was charged with one count of murder. We are being told that Canadian

law states that an unborn child is not recognised as a human being. But she was nine months, days away from being born. I saw my grandchild and she was perfect lying in her mother’s arms. For this law to say my granddaughter was not a human being is so wrong. I am not going to stop until someone is held responsible for my grandchild’s death,” she said.

Goberdhan, together with friends and family, has launched a petition to change the law and recognize the life of her unborn granddaughter.

Arianna Goberdhan, 27, was nine-months pregnant with what would have been her first child when she was found dead in April 2017.

Her unborn baby, who Goberdhan planned to name Asaara, did not survive.

The couple was married for six months before Baig was charged with Goberdhan’s slaying.

The home’s security camera caught Baig leaving the property in Goberdhan’s father’s car that day.

Sherry Goberdhan recalled that moment, “I remember the police called us. I thought she had gone into

labour somewhere. I was told my daughter was killed.”

She said her daughter was excited about the birth of her baby girl.

“And so was I. I went to every ultrasound with her. I would talk to my daughter’s tummy. “Nani is waiting to hold you,” I would say to the baby. My daughter took good care of herself because she wanted the baby to be perfect,” she said.

Court documents showed the couple had separated four months before Goberdhan was killed. She had moved into her parents’ house in Ajax because she and Baig “were not getting along.” Despite that, she would periodically visit Baig, according to an agreed statement of facts read in court.

Their relationship continued to deteriorate, the court heard, the extent of which was captured in a series of “vile” text messages Baig sent to his estranged wife.

One text submitted as evidence in the case read: “I’ve never wished death on anyone before I hope to God you stop breathing while you drive. I really don’t want to be married to you.”

Arianna Goberdhan and husband Nicholas Baig in a wedding photo dated November 2016.

that with THAG and the GTA on board, further guidance can be given as to how the education sector can respond to the needs of the tourism sector.

The President of THAG, Mr. Mitra Ramkumar, said that one of the major outcomes he wishes to see through this collaboration is the changing of the narrative regarding tourism and hospitality.

He said that the industry is often seen as one that cultivates waiters and servants. He said that the narrative needs to change, so that persons can understand that the industry is much more than that, since it teaches persons more about their country, and helps to promote patriotism. During the discussion yesterday, the Ministry of Education was also represented by the Principal of the CPCE, Ms. Viola Rowe; Assistant Chief Education Officer [Primary], Ms. Carol Benn; Director of NCERD, Ms. Jennifer Cumberbatch; Director of the Unit of Allied Arts, Ms. Lorraine BarkerKing and Assistant Chief Education Officer [Nursery], Ms. Samantha Williams.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday May 04, 2019

Saturday May 04, 2019

PAGE 25

Kaieteur News

British runner Sharp received death threats for Semenya comments

Lynsey Sharp wins her women’s 800m heat at the British Championships. (Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes file photo)

DOHA (Reuters) - British runner Lynsey Sharp said yesterday she had received death threats for past comments about South African Caster Semenya’s “advantage” in middle distance races.

“I’ve had death threats.

I’ve had threats against my family and that’s not a position I want to be in,” the 28-year-old told the BBC after finishing ninth behind winner Semenya in yesterday’s Diamond League 800m race in Doha.

“It’s really unfortunate the way it’s played out.”

The victory was the 30th consecutive for double Olympic cham pion Semenya at the distance but the last before new International

Everton ease past...

Saturday May 03, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You may discover your emotions are tempered today, as you want to turn inward.

You're apt to surprise yourself and the people around you when you decide that all you want to do is go into your room and sit by yourself.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) It's time to take charge of your life, Libra. Don't rely on other people to sort out your problems. There may some anxiety in the air today that causes you to overreact to a situation that normally wouldn't faze you.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Your strength lies in your inner resources. Today you will find that these resources have opened up within you. You will find that your emotions are calm and under control in the face of chaos.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) It's time to show other people that you have backbone, Scorpio. It could be that up until now very few people have noticed, since you're so flexible and adaptable to change.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Offer your services to others, Gemini. Your generosity in spreading your knowledge will be rewarded. Things might be rather confusing at first.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You may be anxious to get some new projects underway today, Sagittarius, even though they aren't necessarily ready or well thought out.

CANCER(June21–July22) If you feel slighted today, Cancer, don't shut yourself off from the situation. It may seem like everyone has ganged up and turned against you.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) There's a romantic, dreamy feeling to today that you should indulge in, Capricorn. If you have a special someone in your life, this is the perfect day to share these feelings!

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You may wake up in a fog of confusion this morning for some reason. The good news is that the air is likely to clear as the day continues.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Here's a suggestion. If you get a strange vibe about a situation today, walk away, Virgo.

Your instincts will tell you if something is dangerous or not. If you don't feel safe, find another place to be. You won't be productive in an environment where you don't feel comfortable.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You might not be in the mood to cooperate today, Aquarius.

You will most likely want to work on projects alone at your own pace.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Start today on the right foot by projecting a positive mood and healthy mindset.

If you're dragging your heels and already dreading the forthcoming events, you will only succeed in making it harder to move ahead

From page 27 qualify for the Europa League.

“We’ve ended the season well, at the mid-point of the season we were very poor,” Coleman told Sky Sports.

“For periods of the season the fans were frustrated with how we were playing and that’s understandable.

“We wanted to finish in seventh, maybe top six and going forward that’s what we’ve got to aim for. This club needs a trophy and with this manager and this set of players we have to aim for it.”

Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) rules affecting the South African and other women with high natural levels of testosterone come into effect.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Wednesday the regulations were necessary for athletes with differences in sexual development (DSDs) to ensure fair competition.

In the future, Semenya and others with DSD must take medication to reduce their testosterone levels to under 5 nmol/L - double the normal female range of below 2 nmol/L - if they wish to co n t i n u e c o m p e t i n g i n races between 400 metres and a mile.

But the South African defiantly said “hell no” on Friday when asked if she would take medication.

Sharp, the 2012 European

800m champion, said it has been a difficult time for her and other runners dealing with the situation.

“By no means am I over the moon about this, it’s just been a long 11 years for everyone,” said Sharp, who once said Semenya was “light years ahead” of her competitors.

“I’ve known Caster since 2008, it’s something I’ve been familiar with over the past 11 years.

“No-one benefits from this situation - of course she doesn’t benefit, but it’s not me versus her, it’s not us versus them.”

Testosterone is a hormone that increases muscle mass, strength and haemoglobin which affects endurance.

Some competitors have said women with higher levels of the hormone have an unfair advantage.

PAGE 26

Saturday May 04, 2019

Kaieteur News

Mixed results for Guyanese Boxers at Lara’s card in T&T

Late Ronaldo goal foils Torino

- Windies Batting legend puts on gloves in Exhibition bout Guyana’s Boxers had mixed results in their bouts against Trinidadian pugilists in an eight-bout Card organised by iconic West Indies batting legend Brian Lara and staged at his residence overlooking the Queen’s Park Savannah, as part of his week-long activities to celebrate his 50th birthday on Wednesday last.

Four Guyanese Boxers, along with Coaches Clifton Moore and Cuban Francisco Roldan, traveled to the home of the Prince of Port-of-Spain and two of them won, while the other two lost, including lightweight Jamal Eastman, who surprisingly lost by a point after a series of clinical combinations caused home boy Anthony Joseph to be given a couple of eightcounts in the opening round.

The Boxers were equal on points when the exciting

contest ended but after a review Joseph was awarded the fight.

A large gathering which included several T&T personalities saw Kelvin Moore of Guyana win convincingly against his Trinidadian c o u n t e r p a r t Nyrell Hosien, while 20year-old Shemar Beaton, in only his third fight, improved his record 3-0 when he defeated Blessing Waldropt on points.

In the final International contest, Christopher Moore was adjudged the looser after a controversial ‘low blow’ from Trini Tyron Thomas.

However, the whole competition was done in a friendly atmosphere and the decision was accepted by the Guyana Camp.

In his week of activities, Lara with 11,953 runs (the most by a West Indian) from

133 Tests, included Football and Cricket matches in which Lara participated, but to the surprise of many he put on his Boxing gloves and entering the Ring for an exhibition bout to bring the curtains down on his week of actives which included a c e r e m o n y t o r ename Knaggs Hill to “Brian Lara Drive”, in honour of his 50th birthday.

The unveiling ceremony took place at the bottom of Lady Chancellor Hill, leading onto Brian Lara Drive and Lara’s Mansion.

Lara, a grandfather of one, has the distinction of being the only batsman to score a century, a double century, a triple century, a quadruple century and a quintuple century in First Class Cricket during his illustrious career. (Sean Devers)

AAG receives timely support from Trophy Stall for this weekend’s Junior C/ship The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) will host the National Youth and Junior Championships today and tomorrow at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora with Guyana’s Carifta athletes set to compete.

However, while the AAG noted that they expect intense competition over the

weekend, Trophy Stall made a valuable contribution to the two-day event in the form of trophies.

AAG boss Aubrey Hutson thanked Proprietor Ramesh Sunich and the Trophy Stall for their timely donation just ahead of the championships, sharing that Trophy Stall has always been a supporter of athletics.

Meanwhile, Sunich noted that it is his love for sport that continues to drive his desire to make donations to all organizations that manage sport in Guyana.

In addition, Sunich also congratulated the Carifta team and their success and revealed that he must get behind athletics that continues to show improvements each year.

Windies slump to ninth in T20 table DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC – Reigning World champions West Indies have slipped to ninth in the new expanded ICC Twenty20 team rankings.

In the latest release yesterday which reflects changes following the annual update, the Caribbean side found themselves only above Bangladesh of the long-standing Test-playing nations.

After results from 201516 were removed and those between 2016-18 weighed at 50 per cent, West Indies were overtaken by minnows Afghanistan who moved up one place to seven and Sri

Lanka who also climbed one spot into eighth.

The ranking represents the lowest for the Windies since they won their second T20 World Cup title in 2016, when they beat England in a dramatic final in Kolkata.

Since that conquest, however, the Windies form has dropped off considerably, losing 13 of 17 T20 Internationals over the last 17 months.

They will defend their title in Australia next year when the T20 World Cup bowls off from October 18 to November 15, 2020.

Pakistan have meanwhile strengthened their position at

the top of the rankings on 286 points but only four points separate the next four teams in the table. South Africa lie second on 262, England are third on 261 while Australia sit in fourth spot, also on 261 points.

India (260) are fifth, six clear of New Zealand who boast a considerable 13point gap on Afghanistan.

For the first time the ICC has expanded the rankings to include all 80 members, with the likes of European nations like Austria and Luxembourg, along with African sides like Botswana and Mozambique comprising the new table.

Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo scores a goal for Juve. (REUTERS/Massimo Pinca) TURIN, Italy (Reuters) Cristiano Ronaldo headed a late equaliser to deny Torino their first win away to neighbours Juventus for 24 years as the two sides drew 1-1 in Serie A yesterday.

Sasa Lukic stunned the recently-crowned Serie A champions by capitalising on a mistake by Miralem Pjanic to give Torino the lead but the visitors were foiled by one of Ronaldo’s trademark headers with six minutes left.

Torino, needing a top-four finish to qualify for the Champions League for the first time, are sixth with 57 points, two behind fourthplaced Atalanta. Juve clinched an eighth successive title two weeks ago.

“Unfortunately, we made too many mistakes and lacked

quality with the final pass, otherwise we would probably have won,” said Torino coach Walter Mazzarri.

“If you don’t score a second goal against these teams, you are unlikely to win - and we were punished by the phenomenon that is Ronaldo.”

The match was being played one day before the 70th anniversary of the Superga air disaster which killed 18 Torino players and officials, wiping out the most successful team in the club’s history.

Torino last won away to Juventus in 1995 but for over an hour looked as if they could finally end that run against their more glamorous neighbours.

Lukic put them ahead when he dispossessed Pjanic and curled his shot into the

net in the 18th minute.

Juventus spent most of the second half lobbing crosses into the penalty area while Torino nearly had a second when Ola Aina broke through the defence only to fire over the bar.

Juve’s tactic finally paid off with six minutes left with Leonardo Spinazzola got to the byline and Ronaldo headed in from the cross for his 21st Serie A goal of the season to maintain his side’s unbeaten home record in the league.

“It would have been an unfair defeat, we played a good game,” said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.

“Our passing was a little imprecise in the final 20 metres but, in the second half, Torino didn’t have any more shots on goal.”

Kagiso Rabada out of IPL with back niggle ESPNcricinfo -Aback niggle has brought an early end to Kagiso Rabada’s IPL season.

Cricket South Africa has advised that the fast bowler return home as a precautionary measure ahead of the 2019 World Cup, which begins on May 30 with the tournament-opener between South Africa and hosts England.

Rabada, the leading wickettaker of IPL 2019 with 25 in 12 games, had complained of discomfort after Delhi Capitals’ match against Royal Challengers Bangalore onApril 28. He missed Capitals’ next match, against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday, and underwent scans on his back the following day. Capitals shared the scan results with CSA, and on Friday the franchise confirmed that Rabada had been advised to return home.

As a result, Rabada will miss Capitals’ last league game, against Rajasthan Royals on Saturday, as well as their playoff matches.

“It is indeed very hard for me to leave the Delhi Capitals at this stage of the tournament,” a

Kagiso Rabada is elated after dismissing Chris Lynn. (BCCI) Capitals release quoted Rabada as saying. “But with the World Cup just a month away, a collective decision has been made for me in this regard. It’s been a tremendous season for me with the Delhi Capitals, both on and off the field, and I truly believe that our team can win the trophy.”

The injury to Rabada is the latest in a long line of fitness worries for South Africa’s fast bowlers ahead of the World Cup. Dale Steyn’s (shoulder) IPL also ended prematurely, while Lungi Ngidi (side strain) and Anrich Nortje (shoulder) were ruled out even before the T20 tournament began.

Saturday May 04, 2019

Fever sweating on Fowler-Reid fitness for big clash PERTH, Australia, CMC – West Coast Fever are hopeful Sunshine Girl Jhaniele FowlerReid will make a full recovery for Sunday’s key match against Sunshine Coast Lightning at RAC Arena here, after she limped out of the season-opener with an ankle injury last weekend.

The 29-year-old had shot a perfect 51 from as many attempts prior to her injury early in the final quarter, and her absence saw Fever lose firepower and narrowly go down to Adelaide Thunderbirds by a single goal.

Fowler-Reid has since been active in training and coach Stacey Marinkovich is keeping her fingers crossed about her availability.

“With Jhaniele, she is looking pretty good,” Marinkovich said. “She is moving around quite well at the moment. There is no doubt that she stretched some ligaments, but she is looking OK.” Fowler-Reid, who emerged as last season’s MVP and leading goal-scorer with 783 goals, was one of two

PAGE 27

Kaieteur News

Semenya wins 800 meters two days after losing appeal against new rules

Sunshine Girls’ Jhaniele Fowler-Reid. injury blows for Fever in the first game with captain Courtney Bruce also sidelined with a blow to the wrist.

Marinkovich said Bruce was still experiencing soreness but hoped she could join Fowler-Reid in returning to action.

“I am hopeful that we can have them both. I have everything crossed,” she said.

“It wasn’t the ideal start to the season in terms of injury.”

She added: “She (Bruce) is a bit sore and a bit ginger.

We are just hopeful that we will be able to give her time to get some movement and get the pain down.”

Sunday’s encounter will be a re-match of last season’s final which was won by twotime reigning champions Lightning.

Everton ease past Burnley to keep Europa League dream alive

South Africa’s Caster Semenya wins the women’s 800m at the Diamond League at Doha Khalifa International Stadium. (REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari) DOHA (Reuters) - Double Olympic champion Caster Semenya won her last 800 meters race yesterday before the introduction of controversial rules limiting testosterone levels in female athletes which she had battled for years to stop.

The South African was running at the Diamond League meeting in Doha two days after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected her appeal to get the

governing body’s (International Association of Athletics Federations) new regulations thrown out.

She must now begin taking medication to lower her testosterone levels if she wishes to compete over that distance based on the new rules, which CAS said on Wednesday were necessary to ensure fair competition.

Under the rules to take effect on May 8, female athletes with high natural

levels of testosterone wishing to compete in events from 400 meters to a mile must medically limit that level to under 5 nmol/L, which is double the normal female range of below 2 nmol/L. Testosterone is a hormone that increases muscle mass, strength and hemoglobin which affects endurance.

Semenya won her 30th successive race over the distance in one minute 54.98 seconds.

Corona Futsal tournament kicks off tonight The Corona Futsal tournament, which will be contested in an elimination/ round-robin/knockout format, commences tonight at the National Gymnasium

Everton’s Richarlison shoots before Burnley’s Ben Mee scores Everton’s first with an own goal. (Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff) May 3, Reuters - Everton bolstered their chances of qualifying for next season’s Europa League with a 2-0 win over Burnley in the Premier League yesterday.

Marco Silva’s side moved into eighth place, one point behind seventh-place Wolverhampton Wanderers, who host Fulham today.

Everton continued their impressive recent form, starting brightly and taking the lead after 18 minutes through Ben Mee’s own goal,

with the defender deflecting in Richarlison’s powerful effort.

Seamus Coleman doubled Everton’s lead two minutes later, heading home the loose ball after Tom Heaton could only parry Lucas Digne’s drive.

Burnley striker Ashley Barnes had a goal correctly disallowed for offside as Sean Dyche’s men, safe from relegation, threatened briefly.

Matej Vydra was denied a penalty when former Burnley

defender Michael Keane appeared to push him over in the box and Everton held on to record their eighth clean sheet in 10 Premier League matches.

Goodison Park warmly applauded Everton’s players on a lap of appreciation, reward for their impressive form in 2019.

If league leaders Manchester City win the FA Cup, the team that finishes seventh in the standings will (Continued on page 25)

with six matches in the first elimination round.

The action is scheduled to get underway at 19:30hrs sharp and the last match will kick off at 23:15hrs.

The second and final night of the elimination round will be this Tuesday, while the

winners from the first two days’ play will be placed in three groups to match skills in round-robin matches from next Saturday.

The winners of the competition will receive $500,000, while the runners up will pocket $250,000.

Please see fixtures below: 5/4/2019 Elimination Round Night 1 Gymnasium 19:30 hrs Wolves United vs Tucville 20:15 hrs Northern Rangers vs North East La Penitence 21:00 hrs Leopold Street vs Flamingo 21:45 hrs Back Circle vs Camptown 22:30 hrs Sparta Boss vs Black Pearl 23:15 hrs Gt Panthers vs Bent Street 5/7/2019 Elimination Round Night 2 Gymnasium 19:30 hrs Pele vs California Square 20:15 hrs GFC vs West Front Road 21:00 hrs Broad Street vs Mocha 21:45 hrs Order and Discipline vs Future Stars 22:30 hrs Beacons vs Sophia 23:15 hrs Eastveldt vs Tiger Bay 5/11/2019 Round Robin 5/14/2019 Round Robin 5/18/2019 Round Robin 5/25/2019 Quarter Finals 6/1/2019 Semi Finals 6/8/2019 Finals

Match # 1 2 3 4 5 6 Match # 7 8 9 10 11 12

PAGE 28

Saturday May 04, 2019

Kaieteur News

Serena Williams to return for Embiid lifts Sixers to 2-1 Italian Open edge on Raptors Serena Williams will be back in action just after Mother’s Day at the Italian Open.

The tournament director told the Associated Press yesterday that Williams “has already reserved her rooms and should be here a few days early” for the event.

Williams hasn’t played since she withdrew from the Miami Open in March with a knee injury.

The 37-year-old Williams, currently ranked 11th in the world, has won the Italian Open four times, most recently in 2016. That’s also the last time she played in the event.

This year’s Italian Open runs May 13-19 and serves as a clay-court warm-up for the French Open, which begins May 26.

Williams has not won a

Serena Williams of the U.S. in action with Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova. (REUTERS/Edgar Su) tournament since 2017, when she won the Australian Open.

Shortly afterward, she announced she was pregnant and she took the rest of the year off from competitive tennis.

While she did not win a

tournament in 2018, she did advance to the final of both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

She lost in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open this year.

(Field Level Media)

Strong 2nd-quarter defence guides Blazers past Nuggets CJ McCollum scored 20 points, Enes Kanter had 15 points and nine rebounds, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the host Denver Nuggets 97-90 in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Wednesday night.

Rodney Hood added 15 points while Damian Lillard scored 14 for the Blazers, who evened the series at 11. Al-Farouq Aminu contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Zach Collins scored 10 points.

Nikola Jokic had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Jamal Murray scored 15 points for Denver. The Nuggets got 14 points and 11 rebounds from Paul Millsap, 13 points from Malik Beasley and 12 points from Gary Harris. The next two games were set for Portland yesterday and tomorrow.

Denver forward Torrey Craig sustained a nose injury when he fell into the leg of teammate Monte Morris early in the second quarter and was bleeding profusely.

He was helped to the locker room and returned to the bench in the second half wearing a clear mask. He came back into the game late in the third quarter.

Portland forward Maurice Harkless didn’t play in the second half after rolling his right ankle late in the second quarter.

Portland took control with a dominant defensive second quarter. The Blazers held Denver to just 12 points

Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum (3) dribbles the ball up court against Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris (14) in the first quarter of game two of the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. (Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports) in the period and 5-of-23 shooting from the floor. The Nuggets went scoreless over the last 4:01 and missed all 10 of their 3-point attempts in the period. Denver missed its last eight shots and 10 of its last 11 of the quarter to go into halftime trailing 50-35.

The Nuggets twice got the deficit under 10 in the third quarter, but the Blazers answered each charge and led by 14 heading into the fourth quarter.

Denver made another run in the final period. After Seth Curry hit a 3-pointer to put Portland ahead 86-71 with 9:24 left, the Nuggets went on a

10-2 run over the next four minutes to get within seven.

The hosts had a chance to cut into the deficit more, but Harris missed a 3-point attempt. McCollum and Murray traded 3-pointers, and after Denver missed two free throws, Hood hit a corner 3-pointer to make it 94-84 with 2:02 left.

Jokic’s layup with 34.9 seconds remaining got the Nuggets within 95-90. After a Portland turnover, Jokic missed a 3-point try that would have cut the deficit to two. Hood sealed the result with two free throws.

(Field Level Media)

Joel Embiid had 33 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots to carry the 76ers past the visiting Toronto Raptors 116-95 as Philadelphia took a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Thursday.

It was Embiid’s 12th double-double in 15 career playoff games.

Jimmy Butler added 22 points, nine assists and nine rebounds while JJ Redick contributed 15 points for the third-seeded Sixers. Game 4 will be played in Philadelphia tomorrow.

Kawhi Leonard paced the second-seeded Raptors with 33 points while Pascal Siakam added 20. Leonard has scored at least 30 points in five of Toronto’s eight playoff games this season, including all three games against Philadelphia.

An early 8-0 run in the second quarter pushed the Sixers to a 40-29 lead.

Leonard made a difficult jumper from the wing and Kyle Lowry followed with a layup to close Toronto within 52-46 with 3:22 remaining in the second.

Thanks in large part to Embiid’s 18 points and the team shooting 8 of 14 from beyond the 3-point arc, the Sixers held a 64-53 lead at halftime.

Leonard paced Toronto with 17 points in the first half.

Butler drove into the lane and dropped in a floater for a 75-57 Sixers advantage with 8:14 left in the third.

The Raptors stayed close because Leonard scored 14 points in the third, and they

Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) drives for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers guard Jimmy Butler (23) during the first quarter in game three of the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center.

(Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports) trailed 89-81 at the end of the quarter. Siakam had a wide open look on a 3-pointer but hit the front rim as time expired.

Embiid knocked down his third 3-pointer and the Sixers bolted to a 94-82 lead early in the fourth.

On Toronto’s next possession, Siakam had his shot blocked by Embiid.

Siakam then appeared to trip Embiid and he sprawled to the floor. Siakam was whistled for

a flagrant-1 foul, and Embiid made both free throws for a 96-82 advantage.

Consecutive baskets from Butler gave the Sixers a 100-82 edge with 9:01 remaining.

Butler later threw down a dunk, got fouled and put the Sixers ahead 108-84 with 5:51 left.

The Raptors missed 11 of their first 12 shots in the fourth.

(Field Level Media)

Motor racing - Chadwick leads as all-female W Series readies for first race HOCKENHEIM, Germany (Reuters) - British racer Jamie Chadwick looked the early favourite as the new all-female W Series held its first official practice sessions at a rainy Hockenheim yesterday.

The 20-year-old, one of five Britons in the field, was the only driver to lap inside one minute 39 seconds in the first session and also led the wetter second practice with a time of one minute 56.007.

F i n l a n d ’s Emma Kimilainen, 29, was the only other of the 20 on track, two of them reserves, to crack the 1:57 mark with a time of 1:56.081.

Chadwick is one of the fledgling motor racing series’ more accomplished and better known racers, in 2015 becoming the first woman to win a British GT championship, in the GT4 category at the wheel o f a n A s t o n M a r t i n V8 Vantage.

A British Racing Drivers’ Club ‘Rising Star’, she became the first woman to win a British Formula Three race last year and is also now active in the virtual world as a competitor for an esports team.

Last month she was announced as an Aston Martin factory junior driver

and is due to compete in the Nuerburgring 24 Hour race in June.

W Series racers compete in identical 1.8 litre Formula Three cars with a $1.5 million prize fund for the six race championship, with plenty of media interest in a concept aimed at helping women up the motorsport ladder.

The series winner will collect $500,000, with prize money down to 18th place.

Only two women have ever raced in Formula One, considered the pinnacle of motorsport, with Italian Lella Lombardi the last to do so in 1976.

Saturday May 04, 2019

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

WDCA Beacon Café 50 Overs Cricket tourney

Travis Persaud hits back to back centuries Travis Persaud struck a fine century to guide Mc Gill to a 187-run win over La Grange when the West Demerara Cricket Association/ Beacon Café 50over competition continued recently.

La Grange team won the toss and elected to field and Mc Gill made good use of their opportunity, scoring a massive 319 for 8 from a reduced 40 overs due to rain.

Former National Under-19 skipper Travis Persaud scored his second consecutive century, hitting 12 fours and five sixes, Keshram Seyhodan supported with 68 hitting 11 fours, while Sudesh Persaud, father of Travis Persaud, chipped in with 44 hitting two fours and two sixes. Bowling for La Grange, Greg Singh collected 3 for 31, while Paul Shiwram took 2 for 36.

In reply, La Grange crumbled for a merger 132 for 10 in 33 overs with Kalfani Adams scoring 34 and Naresh Ramcharran 21. Travis Persaud was the most destructive bowler grabbing 4 for 25 and was supported

by Daniel Basdeo who claimed 2 for 32.

Independence B vs Dynasty Meanwhile, over at Joe Vieira Park, Independence B team won the toss and opted to bat first, scoring a meager 38 all out in 12 overs.

Anand Bharat was the

Travis Persaud (right) and Keshram Seyhodan only batsman to score double figure of 19. Bowling for Dynasty, Ershad Ally was the most influential bowler claiming 6 for 6, whereas Asif Ishak collected 4 for 30.

In reply, Dynasty reached 39 for 3 in 7 overs, Kevin Boyce top scored with 28.

Anand Bharat was the lone wicket taker grabbing 2 for 25.

Dynasty won by 7 wickets.

Sawpit vs Wales At Wales, Sawpit won the toss and took first strike, scoring 116 all out in 30 of their allotted 50 overs, Zaheer Khan scored 36, while

Satnarine chipped in with 20.

Bowling for Wales, Biron Puran collected 4 for 30 and Paul Mahabir 3 for 15.

In reply, Wales crumbled for 58 all out in 15.2 overs.

Kevin Robert and Ram Ramnarine were the only batsmen to score double figures, with 12 and 10 respectively.

Bowling for Sawpit, Ravi Ramnarine and Imran Khan were the most destructive bowlers grabbing 5 for 20 and 4 for 37 in that order. Sawpit won by 58 runs.

Belle Vue vs All Youths A

Meanwhile, over at Belle Vue Ground, Belle Vue won the toss and batted first, posting 176 for 8 in 31 overs.

Collin Boucher scored a brilliant 80, while Krishna Singh supported with 40.

Bowling for All Youths A, Navindra Persaud and Ganesh Persaud collected 2 for 35 and 26 respectively.

In response, All Youths A fell short by three runs after they were bowled out for 173 in 33 overs.

Sanjay Persaud top scored with 58, while Ganesh Persaud and Antony Carrington scored 36 each.

Bowling for Belle Vue, Krishna Singh collected 3 for 15, while Safraz Baksh claimed 2 for 50.

Belle Vue won by three runs.

CI vs Windsor Forest Over at Windsor Forest ground, CI won the toss and chose to bat, scoring 236 all out in 45 overs.

Dhaniram Azmaudeen and Naveed Ali scored 34, while Muhammed Wazldali chipped in with 30. Aditya Kaddernauth and Sachin Balgobin grabbed 3 for 33 and 2 for 40 respectively.

In reply, Windsor Forest struggled to reach their target scoring 159 all out in 32 overs.

Muneshwar Balgobin top scored with a well composed 60, while Surrender Ramadin chipped in with 30.

Harrinarine Bissondyal took 3 for 33 and Naveed Ali collected 2 for 18. CI won by

77 runs.

Independence B vs Malvern After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Independence B scored 173 all out from 25 overs. Anand Bharat and Kevin Plantz posted the highest score in the match of 63 (4x4 3x6) and 50 (3x4 2x6) respectively as Derick Mangar picked up 3 for 22. In reply Malvern were bowled out for 69 from 13 overs with Eion Williams being the only batsman scoring double figures (21).

The Malvern batsmen had no answers for Harichad Persaud who captured 4 for 15.

Independence B won by 104 runs All Youths B vs Sawpit Sawpit scored 140 all out from 27 overs after winning the toss and choosing to bat first. Satnarine Joda and Ravinanda Ramnarine held the innings together scoring of 37 and 24 respectively.

Anthony Carrington took 4 for 26, while Eion Radiquea and Dwayne Scott took two wickets each.

All Youth chased down the target reaching 143 for 3 in only 19 overs with rapid scores from Sanjay Persaud (22) and Travis Witright (20).

Ravinandan Ramnarine took 1 for 12 and Shivram Mahase 1 for 20. All Youths won by 7 wickets and 31 overs remaining.

Independence A vs Wales Independence A scored

205 all out from 35 overs against the host after winning the toss and choosing to bat first. Amir Mohammed and Terrence Narine were the main contributors with 37 and 33 respectively. Allan Charles picked up 4 for 20 and Kevin Lindo 2 for 7. Wales in reply scored 107 all out from 31 overs despite a fighting knock of 58 from Paul Gabbis that included seven fours and two sixes. Reaz Esau 5 for 38 was the best bowling figures of the match with Narine chipping in with 2 for 31 to follow up his good knock with the bat. Independence A won by 98 runs.

Mc Gill vs Christ Ambassadors Mc Gill scored 210 all out from 32 overs as they chose to take first strike. Ganesh Puran contributed a skillful 60 which included 8 fours and one six.

He was well supported by Keshram Seyhodan (41) and Daniel Basdeo (24). Melroy Alert picked up 4for 32 and was the only bowler for Christ Ambassador that consistently troubled the batman. Christ Ambassadors crumbled for 43 from nine overs with Dave Bacchus top scoring with 24.

Daniel Basdeo took 3 for 26, while Travis Persaud, Keshram Seyhodan and Sudesh Persaud took one wicket each. Mc Gill won by 167 runs.

Physicians group calls on members to reject IAAF regulations CAPE TOWN (Reuters) The World Medical Association has called on its members not to implement new International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) regulations that restrict testosterone levels in female athletes with differences in sexual development.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) this week dismissed an appeal by Olympic 800 meters champion Caster Semenya to set aside the regulations, which will come into effect on Wednesday.

However, the WMA, which represents physicians from 114 national member associations, said there was “weak evidence” that the regulations were necessary and that they should be scrapped.

“We have strong reservations about the ethical validity of these regulations,” WMA President Dr. Leonid Eidelman said in a statement on the organization’s website.

“They are based on weak

South Africa’s Caster Semenya in action during the Women’s 1500m at the Diamond League.

(REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo) evidence from a single study, which is currently being widely debated by the scientific community.

“They are also contrary to a number of key WMA ethical statements and declarations, and as such we are calling for their immediate

withdrawal.”

Under the rules, female athletes with high natural levels of testosterone wishing to compete in events from 400m to a mile must medically limit that level to under 5 nmol/L, which is double the normal female

range of below 2 nmol/L. The IAAF has said no athlete would be forced to undergo surgery and that oral contraceptives should suffice in allowing them to reach the required level.

Testosterone increases muscle mass, strength and

haemoglobin, which affects endurance.

The WMA has previously said the regulations “would constrain the athletes concerned to take unjustified medication, not based on medical need, in order for them to be allowed to compete, and accordingly require physicians to prescribe such medication.”

The association added it was unethical for physicians to prescribe treatment to lower testosterone if the condition was not recognized as pathological, and warned of the dangers of “artificially modifying blood constituents, biochemistry or endogenous testosterone”.

Semenya will run in the 800m at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Doha later on Friday, her final event before the regulations come into place.

The 28-year-old, along with Athletics South Africa (ASA), is considering an appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, but after this weekend will have to run with

blockers unless she moves up to longer distances.

CAS recognized in their verdict on Wednesday that the regulations were discriminatory, but added they were “necessary, reasonable and proportionate means of achieving the IAAF’s aim of preserving the integrity of female athletics in the Restricted Events”.

IAAF President Sebastian Coe reiterated the organization’s stance on Thursday at a media briefing in Doha.

“It is very straightforward for any association in sport,” Coe said. “Athletics has two classifications – it has age and it has gender. We are fiercely protective of both. We are really grateful that CAS has upheld that principle.”

PAGE 30

Saturday May 04, 2019

Kaieteur News

Russell passes 500 runs, Pooran shines in defeat

Shubman Gill was the aggressor in a brisk partnership with Andre Russell BCCI MOHALI, India, CMC – All-rounder Andre Russell blasted a cameo to become only the third player this season to pass 500 runs in the Indian Premier League as his Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a seven-wicket win over Chris Gayle’s King Punjab XI. Chasing a tricky 184 at the I.S Bindra Stadium here yesterday, KKR reached their target with 18 balls to spare to move into fifth place on the eight-team table, while Kings XI suffered elimination.

The run chase was propelled by opener Shubman Gill who stroked a responsible unbeaten 65 off 49, while adding 62 for the first wicket with Australian Chris Lynn whose quick-fire 46 came off just 22 deliveries.

Gill also put on 38 for the second wicket with Robin Uthappa (22) and a further 50 off 26 balls for the third wicket with Russell who struck 24 off 14 balls.

The big-hitting Russell, who will represent West Indies later this month at the ICC 50-overs World Cup in England, lashed a brace of fours and sixes before perishing in the 15th over when he holed out to square leg off seamer Mohammed Shami.

Dear Mr. Editor, After reading the Kaieteur News Paper of the reason for the hosting of the 2021 Carifta Games in Guyana, I was left in shock at what was said.

First of all, I have no problem with Guyana hosting the largest track and field meet in the Caribbean, but is Guyana in a position to do it now: that’s a big NO. As I go along I will explain.

I would like the entire Country to research information related to the hosting of Carifta Games, Yes. As I did and understand the hosting responsibilities, it’s crazy how it’s being told of the responsibility of the Government. As I can say that in most countries the Government never put in the bulk of the money, they normally put about $200,000US dollars. Like St. Lucia, Guyana is in that state where we need to install New Electronic Systems because we don’t have any to say post the results after any race.

Then we have the stands to construct, oh the warm up

track, what about the resurfacing of the track, just to name a few things add up all this costs could well be over $6,000,000US dollars, yet still we have not included food, transportation, housing, security, just to name a few.

Like in Cayman Islands the government had to pay down over $820,000 CI dollars which is more than $1,000,000 US dollars, so we leave with $5,000,000US dollars. With the NACAC normally giving $200,000 US dollars can someone tell me where the rest is coming from? Most of the other countries had money in their Association bank accounts, something we don’t have.

Secondly, hosting the South American Games is no match to these games. My position is that why spend $6,000,000 US dollars on one weekend, take that money develop Durban Park into a Multi Purpose Facility where instead of spending money on a Facility that’s way out of the reach of the masses and on a facility that is underutilized.

So because I’m well involved in sports in the planning stages, I have a wider scope of experience in funding and accountability for how money is spent.

With the Multi Purpose Facility we can get a home for hockey, and other sports.

This Facility will have, more toilets than are available in Leonora, more stands, better lighting, better Electronic boards with more Internet services, something we don’t have at Leonora, and the other facilities will be used for warm up then we can host the Carifta Games.

For too long we waste money on one Facility when that same money can give us another with the same price tag. My thinking is why waste over $6,000,000 US dollars on an underutilized facility when we can construct a new facility with a better design, at the end of the day the Leonora Track will have to be resurrected. I give you a price tag the Association has not.

Andy Medas King.

BCB/GNNL/RHTYSC100 Balls Tournament

West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell.

Russell now has 510 runs for the season at an average of nearly 64, joining Australian David Warner (692) and Lokesh Rahul (522) in the 500-run club.

Left-hander Nicholas Pooran, also a member of West Indies’ World Cup squad, extended his decent form with 48 off 27 deliveries as Kings XI, sent in, reached 183 for six off their 20 overs.

Englishman Sam Curran smashed 55 not out off 24 balls while Mayank Agarwal chipped in with 36 from 26 deliveries.

Gayle (14) fell cheaply for the second match in a row to leave Kings XI on 22 for two in the fifth over but Pooran

came to his side’s rescue, belting three fours and four sixes as he added 69 for the third wicket with Agarwal.

He was eventually dismissed in the 11th over, finding the lap of deep midwicket off off-spinner Nitish Rana.

Russell finished with one for 29 from his three overs of pace while off-spinner Sunil Narine went wicket-less from four overs which also cost 29 runs.

Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 185 for 3 (Gill 65, Lynn 46, Shami 1-15) beat Kings XI Punjab 183 for 6 (Curran 55, Pooran 48, Warrier 2-31) by seven wickets.

Bounty Paper Towel & Solo development leagues

Play to continue today despite rain Head of the Guyana Hockey Board ( G H B ) , Philip Fernandes has confirmed to Kaieteur Sport that play in the Bounty Paper Towel Men a n d Wo m e n ’s S e c o n d Division and the Solo Soft Drink Under-20 Boys’ and Girls’ Outdoor Hockey Leagues will hit off as scheduled at the Saint Stanislaus College (SSC)

Our Sports Organization heads still don’t understand budgeting

ground on Carifesta Avenue, today, despite heavy rains yesterday.

“Saints ground is a hard ground and in addition to that, the surface is above the road level, so I don’t think the rains will affect this weekend’s fixtures,” Fernandes shared.

Fernandes, who is the top scorer in the Men’s Second Division League, will be part

of the action today, playing for leaders’ Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) the sequel in the feature of the seven matches scheduled, against Hikers’ Cadets.

Saints, leaders in the Women’s Second Division, will cross sticks with Bingo GCC Spartans, in the most anticipated ladies clash.

There will be no play tomorrow; Arrival Day.

Dukestown CC and No. 72 All Stars CC to clash in final tomorrow - Ramdass blasts century in Semifinals The No. 72 Cut and Load Ground in the Upper Corentyne area would be a hive of activity as the Berbice Cricket Board host the final of the Guyana National Newspapers Ltd/Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS 100 Balls Tournament. A total of twenty four Clubs started the popular tournament and tomorrow’s final is expected to attract a large crowd. Dukestown defeated No. 64 Fighting Marines by 71 runs at the Scottsburg Ground, while No. 72 All Stars crushed No. 70 Spartans by 9 wickets at the No. 72 Cut and Load Ground to reach the final.

At the Scottsburg Ground, Dukestown batting first amassed 141 for 7 off their 100 Balls with Errol Byass topscoring with 38, while C. Beresford 26 and J. Byass 24 offering support. Sgiraz Khan, Ramzan Subhan, Charles France, Davendra Budhoo and Leonard Sandy each took a wicket for No. 64 Fighting Marines. In response, No. 64 Fighting Marines were bowled out for 70 as only Ramzan Subhan 16 and Charles France 16 reached double figures. Wayne Garnett 3 for 18, Errol Byass 3

Ryan Ramdass for 7, Jermaine Reid 2 for 8 and Vandam Narine 2 for 17 were the success bowlers for Dukestown.

At the Cut and Load Ground, No. 70 Spartans were bowled out for 122 with T. Rangaram 24, T. Ramoutar 25, A. Persaud 39 and S. Wazar 18 being the principal scorers.

T. Baichan was the successful bowler with 4 for 17. Ryan Ramdass then tore into the hapless No.70 Spartans bowling attack to score a brutal 103 with eight boundaries and eleven massive sixes to lead his team

to 124 for 1 from 9.4 Overs. P. Chatterpaul was a spectator to Ramdass’s assault and was left on 11 not out. N. Yacoob took 1 for 43.

In the Quarterfinals, No. 72 All Stars squeezed past No. 72 Cut and Load by 12 runs, while Dukestown defeated arch rivals Skeldon Titans by 8 wickets at the No. 69 Red Rose Ground.

Skeldon Titans were bowled out for 87 with Anthony Seerah 25 and Duane Edwards 14 being the principal scorers. Dukestown then blasted themselves to 89 for 2 from 14.4 Overs with Clavern Beresford 73 not out.

At the Cut and Load Ground, No. 72 All Stars made 111 for 7 with A. Hemchand34 and M. Bhoj 22. D. Chatterpaul 2 for 15 was the best bowler for the home team, who in reply was bowled out for 99 from 16 Overs. A. Ajib 23 and D. Chatterpaul 24 top scored in a losing cause. S. Singh 3 for 15 and A. henchman 3 for 19 bowled well to lead All Stars into the Semifinals.

BCB President Hilbert Foster along with General Manager (a) of Guyana National Newspapers Limited Donna Todd would share out the prizes after the game.

Kaieteur News

Friday May 04, 2019

Dr. Deo and Hussain to represent Guyana at Sir Gary Sobers golf tourney Dr. Joaan Deo and LGC president Aleem Hussain arrived in Barbados on Thursday to compete in the Sir Garry Sobers golf tournament.

D r. D e o i s t h e 2 0 1 8 Surinamese ladies champion and Mr. Hussain is the 2018 LGC champion.

With golf on the rise in Guyana, all eyes are on the duo as they seek to conquer the field of over 200 top golfers from around the world and bring home the glory to Guyana.

Fellow members of the Lusignan Golf Club are among the well wishers for their success.

The LGC continues to lift the sport with many major events scheduled for the upcoming months.

Dr. Joaan Deo and Aleem Hussain

Quiet debut for Barbadian Archer as England overcome Ireland

D

U B L I N , Ireland, CMC – Barbadian fast bowler Jofra Archer’s longawaited international debut for England proved a muted one, as England overcame a batting collapse to beat Ireland by four wickets here yesterday.

The 24-year-old, born in Barbados but who holds British passport through his father, picked up one for 40 from eight overs after sharing the new ball with left-armer David Willey.

Asked to bat in the oneoff One-Day International at The Village, Ireland were restricted to 198 all out in the

44th over with opener Paul Stirling getting 33 and Mark Adair chipping in with 32.

Stirling posted 55 for the first wicket with William Porterfield (17) while Adair anchored a 46-run, seventh wicket partnership with George Dockrell (24) to prop up the lower order.

Pacer Liam Plunkett finished with four for 35 while fellow seamer Tom Curran claimed three for 35.

Archer’s solitary wicket was that of Adair in the 33rd over, bowled by superb pacy yorker which uprooted offstump.

In reply, England were struggling on 66 for five in

Fast bowler Jofra Archer.

the 15th over before wicketkeeper Ben Foakes struck an unbeaten 61 to rescue the run chase.

He put on an invaluable 98 in an unbroken seventh wicket stand with Curran who finished unbeaten on 47.

England will now take on Pakistan in a five-match series, in their last audition before the ICC World Cup bowls off on May 30.

Scores: England 199 for 6 (Foakes 61*, Curran 47*, Little 4-45) beat Ireland 198 (Stirling 33, Plunkett 4-35, Curran 3-45) by four wickets.

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t r o Sp

Windies slump to ninth in T20 table Semenya wins 800 meters two days after losing appeal against new rules

Windies have dropped to ninth in T20 rankings.

South Africa’s Caster Semenya celebrates after winning the women’s 800m at the Diamond League at Doha Khalifa International Stadium.

(REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari)

Mixed results for Guyanese Boxers at Lara’s card in T&T

- Windies Batting legend puts on gloves in Exhibition bout

T&T Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein with Lara who plays a imaginary drive under the new name of his Street. (Daily Express photo)

AAG receives timely support from Trophy Stall for this weekend’s Junior C/ship

Proprietor of Trophy Stall, Ramesh Sunich (left) hands over a trophy to AAG President Aubrey Hutson yesterday.

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